Georgia Film Week
March 14 — Happy Friday, Scene readers! Get ready to celebrate film even more so than usual.
Next week marks the beginning of Georgia Film Week, a series of events meant to showcase all aspects of Georgia’s film industry – from actors to crew members. Events start on March 17! Take a look at the full rundown here.
Without further ado … Action!
🏳️🌈 Congratulations are in order! Out on Film, Atlanta’s LGBTQ+ film festival, was voted one of the top 10 film festivals in the United States by USA Today. Check out the full list here.
💄 The Tara is hosting a special 35 mm screening of “Anora” today, complete with a special appearance from actress Luna Sofía Miranda. Get your tickets here.
🎻 The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra has announced its slate of Movies in Concert for the fall. The movies are “The Nightmare Before Christmas” and “Home Alone 2: Lost in New York.”
💼 Georgia Gwinnett College and the Georgia Film Academy are hosting a free career event on March 18 called “Behind the Lens: Creative Minds and Successful Careers.” You can RSVP using this link.
🎸 Oasis has announced that a film will be made about the band’s upcoming reunion tour this year.
This week’s newsletter includes an interview with filmmaker Mark Anthony Green about his new film “Opus,” a look at the new Rutger Hauer documentary called “Like Tears in Rain,” and a review of the new Steven Soderbergh film “Black Bag.” Plus, what’s filming in Georgia this week, a new episode of Crash Zoom, and some reading and listening recommendations for your lunch break.
Thanks for reading!
Sammie
⛳ Celebrate one of the biggest sporting events by letting The Ritz-Carlton Reynolds, Lake Oconee be your premier golfing destination April 7-13. Indulgent culinary experiences, championship golf courses, and a newly transformed spa welcome you after a visit to Augusta National. Find your reason to linger longer during Masters Week. SPONSOR MESSAGE
In conversation with Mark Anthony Green: From GQ to ‘Opus
👨🎤 Mark Anthony Green began writing for GQ when he was 19 years old. After graduating from Morehouse College, he started working for the publication full time as a style columnist, interviewing some of the biggest names and celebrities around.
It’s fitting, then, that Green’s feature film debut, “Opus,” centers around a young journalist, Ariel (Ayo Edebiri) who gets thrown into the deep end when she’s invited to the remote compound of a pop star (John Malkovich) who mysteriously disappeared decades earlier – think David Bowie or Madonna, but if they were also a cult leader.
✍️ I spoke with Green ahead of the film’s opening this weekend. You can read that full interview here.
Insider’s Guide to The Masters Tournament at Lake Oconee
SPONSORED BY VISIT LAKE OCONEE
⛳ Since the spring of 1934, golf enthusiasts have journeyed to Augusta, Georgia, to witness the legendary Masters Tournament. Conveniently located halfway between Atlanta and Augusta, Lake Oconee offers an unforgettable experience during Masters week.
🏌️ From luxurious lodging at The Ritz-Carlton Reynolds, Lake Oconee, to savoring a meal at local favorites, there are plenty of ways to indulge during your stay. For golf lovers, the area’s stunning courses provide the perfect opportunity to test your skills while soaking in the beauty of Greene County.
⛳ Find your reason to linger longer during Masters week – April 7-13.
Sanna Fabery de Jonge talks Rutger Hauer and new documentary ‘Like Tears in Rain’
🌧️ For most people, Rutger Hauer is most known for his wonderfully villainous turn as Roy Batty in Ridley Scott’s “Blade Runner.” As a replicant looking to extend his lifespan, Hauer delivered one of the most indelible monologues in all of cinema, including the famous line: “All those moments will be lost in time. Like tears in rain.”
But Hauer’s life and career spanned far beyond “Blade Runner.” He was one of the most famous actors to ever come out of the Netherlands, and appeared in films like “Soldiers of Orange,” “The Hitcher,” and “Batman Begins.” Outside of acting, Hauer led a relatively quiet life, one that, until now, has never been viewed on screen.
“Like Tears in Rain” is a new documentary directed by Hauer’s goddaughter Sanna Fabery de Jonge. I recently spoke with Sanna about the making of the documentary and her relationship with Hauer.
🍿 You can find that interview here.
‘Black Bag’ is a sleek, sexy take on marital espionage
WEEKLY FILM REVIEW
🕵️ When he’s not playing a spy, British intelligence officer George Woodhouse (Michael Fassbender) likes to spend his free time fishing. But in “Black Bag,” Steven Soderbergh’s sexy spy thriller, fishing – an ostensibly peaceful pastime – is not all that different from espionage.
A spy, like a fisherman, waits ever so patiently, letting the fish think he has the run of the lake until it’s time to strike. That patience makes George a good spy, but the other traits that come along with that profession don’t normally make for healthy relationships. But George and his wife Kathryn (Cate Blanchett) seem to have figured it out. That is, until she might be the fish on the end of George’s line.
“Black Bag,” as much as it feels like an Agatha Christie mystery by way of John le Carré, isn’t so much about international spy games as it is about relationships and how, when trust disappears, romance can feel a hell of a lot like espionage in its own right. With the help of David Koepp’s smart, titillating script, Soderbergh’s spy thriller gives way to a relationship drama that crackles with wit and sensuality.
⛳ Celebrate one of the biggest sporting events by letting The Ritz-Carlton Reynolds, Lake Oconee be your premier golfing destination April 7-13. Indulgent culinary experiences, championship golf courses, and a newly transformed spa welcome you after a visit to Augusta National. Find your reason to linger longer during Masters Week. SPONSOR MESSAGE
Crash Zoom: Oscar ratings and Technicolor failings
🕴️ Welcome to Crash Zoom, a podcast where we take a deep dive into film and entertainment industry news!
Each week, join me, Sammie Purcell, and my cohost indie filmmaker Aaron Strand as we explore how things happening at the highest level trickle down and affect the independent artist. This week, we discuss Oscar ratings, the failure of the Technicolor Group, and more.
Lights, Camera, Action!
🎤 Carrie Wittmer is a writer who never fails to make me laugh, and her recent listicle for Vulture is no exception. Diane Warren has been nominated 16 times for Best Original Song, but even with masterpieces like “How Do I Live,” “There You’ll Be,” and “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing,” she’s never won. For Vulture, Wittmer ranks all 16 of Warren’s Oscar-losing songs.
🗝️ The most recent episode of You Must Remember This is the ninth installment of host Karina Longworth’s “The Old Man is Still Alive” series. It focuses on one of my all-time favorite directors, Billy Wilder, specifically on the movies he made after his juggernaut 1960 masterpiece, “The Apartment.” Listen to the full episode here.
🌺 Carrie Coon has been killing it on this season of “The White Lotus,” and also on the podcast circuit. She just appeared on an episode of “WTF with Marc Maron,” which you can take a listen to here.
