Noted Hollywood publicist Mickey Cottrell passed away on January 1, 2024, at the age of 79. He was known throughout the 1990s for his advocacy of independent film, his knowledge of queer history, and his wild blowout parties. He promoted films like Jonatha Couette's "Tarnation," Wim Wenders' "Wings of Desire," and Philip Noyce's "Dead Calm," as well as "Weekend," "Querelle," and "Earth Girls Are Easy."
Cottrell was so well-liked in the industry, and such an outsize character, that he would occasionally appear in films. In fact, he has several dozen acting credits to his name, many of them in indie queer films. He played a corpse in John Cameron Mitchell's "Shortbus," a barfly in "The Fluffer," and a mincing French aristocrat in league with demons in "Hellraiser: Bloodline." He was also the one who got to say "Your stupid minds! Stupid! Stupid!" in Tim Burton's "Ed Wood." His first acting...
Cottrell was so well-liked in the industry, and such an outsize character, that he would occasionally appear in films. In fact, he has several dozen acting credits to his name, many of them in indie queer films. He played a corpse in John Cameron Mitchell's "Shortbus," a barfly in "The Fluffer," and a mincing French aristocrat in league with demons in "Hellraiser: Bloodline." He was also the one who got to say "Your stupid minds! Stupid! Stupid!" in Tim Burton's "Ed Wood." His first acting...
- 2/7/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
Mickey Cottrell, a veteran Hollywood publicist and actor, who appeared in TV series such as Star Trek: Voyager, has died. He was 79. He passed on New Year’s Day at the Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital in Woodland Hills, California, his friend Ian Birnie told the Hollywood Reporter. He’d previously suffered a major stroke in 2016. Born September 4, 1944, in Little Rock, Arkansas, Cottrell attended Catholic High School and later the University of Arkansas. His love of film and acting started early, having worked at the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis and later managing the Loyola Theater. Cottrell started out working publicity at various firms before launching Cottrell and Lindeman Associates in 1989 and then his own firms, Mickey Cottrell Film Publicity in 2002 and Inclusive PR in 2004. He worked with many big-name independent filmmakers throughout his career, including Andrew Haigh, Phillip Noyce, Win Wenders, and, most notably, Gus Van Sant, having...
- 1/3/2024
- TV Insider
Mickey Cottrell, the beloved indie film publicist and producer who long championed independent cinema dating back to the early days of Sundance, has died at 79. He passed away Monday, January 1, 2024 at Motion Picture Hospital in Woodland Hills, Calif. The news was confirmed by his sister, Suzy Cottrell-Smith, who shared on Facebook, “My adorable, fun, critical, foodie, particular, brilliant, loving brother passed on to the next life early on New Year’s Day. He was smiling when he died. Mickey Cottrell will be missed by many.”
Many of Cottrell’s friends and colleagues shared memories of the veteran PR whiz — who also had many credits as an actor — on Facebook. Cottrell suffered a stroke in 2016, with friends and loved ones raising more than $57,000 to help with medical bills on GoFundMe. He relocated back to Los Angeles in 2019 after recovering from the stroke with his sister in Arkansas.
Cottrell was never afraid to pick up the phone,...
Many of Cottrell’s friends and colleagues shared memories of the veteran PR whiz — who also had many credits as an actor — on Facebook. Cottrell suffered a stroke in 2016, with friends and loved ones raising more than $57,000 to help with medical bills on GoFundMe. He relocated back to Los Angeles in 2019 after recovering from the stroke with his sister in Arkansas.
Cottrell was never afraid to pick up the phone,...
- 1/3/2024
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Indiewire
Mickey Cottrell, the PR executive who specialized in the indie film business and worked both as an actor and a producer, died on New Year’s Day at the Motion Picture & Television Fund in Woodland Hills. He was 79.
His death was confirmed by his sister, Suzie Cottrell-Smith, who told Deadline he suffered from Parkinson’s disease. Cottrell experienced a stroke in 2016 and had gone to live with his sister in Arkansas before returning to Los Angeles in 2019.
Cottrell was born September 4, 1944, in Springfield, Il, and spent part of his childhood in Monroe, LA. At age 8, he moved with his family to Little Rock, Ar, where he grew up. He attended the University of Arkansas and spent more than 30 years in the film and PR industries, co-owning multiple firms including most recently Inclusive PR, repping pics including Bill Cunningham: New York, Stones in Exile, Ballets Russes, Down to the Bone,...
His death was confirmed by his sister, Suzie Cottrell-Smith, who told Deadline he suffered from Parkinson’s disease. Cottrell experienced a stroke in 2016 and had gone to live with his sister in Arkansas before returning to Los Angeles in 2019.
Cottrell was born September 4, 1944, in Springfield, Il, and spent part of his childhood in Monroe, LA. At age 8, he moved with his family to Little Rock, Ar, where he grew up. He attended the University of Arkansas and spent more than 30 years in the film and PR industries, co-owning multiple firms including most recently Inclusive PR, repping pics including Bill Cunningham: New York, Stones in Exile, Ballets Russes, Down to the Bone,...
- 1/3/2024
- by Patrick Hipes and Matthew Carey
- Deadline Film + TV
Mickey Cottrell, the dependable Hollywood publicist who went to bat for independent films for decades while also dabbling in acting and producing, has died. He was 79.
Cottrell died on New Year’s Day at the Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital in Woodland Hills, his friend Ian Birnie, former Lacma film curator, told The Hollywood Reporter. He suffered a major stroke in 2016.
Cottrell did PR for three Gus Van Sant-directed films: Drugstore Cowboy (1989), My Own Private Idaho (1991), where he also played the clean freak Daddy Carroll in the movie, and Even Cowgirls Get the Blues (1993).
He also repped Bagdad Cafe (1987), Earth Girls Are Easy (1987), Phillip Noyce’s Dead Calm (1989), Tarnation (2003), Ballets Russes (2005), The Price of Sugar (2007), Skin (2008), Bill Cunningham New York (2010), Salt (2010) and Tab Hunter Confidential (2015), among many other films.
Films and filmmakers he represented were honored with eight Sundance jury prizes and three Oscars, he once noted.
Cottrell died on New Year’s Day at the Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital in Woodland Hills, his friend Ian Birnie, former Lacma film curator, told The Hollywood Reporter. He suffered a major stroke in 2016.
Cottrell did PR for three Gus Van Sant-directed films: Drugstore Cowboy (1989), My Own Private Idaho (1991), where he also played the clean freak Daddy Carroll in the movie, and Even Cowgirls Get the Blues (1993).
He also repped Bagdad Cafe (1987), Earth Girls Are Easy (1987), Phillip Noyce’s Dead Calm (1989), Tarnation (2003), Ballets Russes (2005), The Price of Sugar (2007), Skin (2008), Bill Cunningham New York (2010), Salt (2010) and Tab Hunter Confidential (2015), among many other films.
Films and filmmakers he represented were honored with eight Sundance jury prizes and three Oscars, he once noted.
- 1/2/2024
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Mickey Cottrell, a veteran publicist for independent films known as a champion of filmmakers and actors, died Monday at the Motion Picture Hospital in Woodland Hills, his sister Suzy Cottrell confirmed. He was 79.
Cottrell had returned to Los Angeles in 2019 after living with his sister in Arkansas while he recovered from a stroke he suffered in 2016.
His sister remembered him on Facebook, writing, “My adorable, fun, critical, foodie, particular, brilliant, loving brother passed on to the next life early on New Year’s Day. He was smiling when he died. Mickey Cottrell will be missed by many.”
A fixture at film festivals, he was remembered by friends on Facebook as a generous and sassy raconteur, a devoted mentor, the “life of the party” who threw star-studded Sundance parties in the 1990s and an expert on gay Hollywood history.
Cottrell also acted in numerous small roles over the years, including turns...
Cottrell had returned to Los Angeles in 2019 after living with his sister in Arkansas while he recovered from a stroke he suffered in 2016.
His sister remembered him on Facebook, writing, “My adorable, fun, critical, foodie, particular, brilliant, loving brother passed on to the next life early on New Year’s Day. He was smiling when he died. Mickey Cottrell will be missed by many.”
A fixture at film festivals, he was remembered by friends on Facebook as a generous and sassy raconteur, a devoted mentor, the “life of the party” who threw star-studded Sundance parties in the 1990s and an expert on gay Hollywood history.
Cottrell also acted in numerous small roles over the years, including turns...
- 1/2/2024
- by Pat Saperstein
- Variety Film + TV
The mythology of "Hellraiser" is well known to Clive Barker fans the world over. Certain determined souls, having exhausted the sensual pleasures available to the earthly plane, seek out the Lament Configuration as a means of pushing themselves further. The configuration is a puzzle box that is solved by rotating it just such and sliding one's fingers carefully across a smooth surface. When manipulated correctly, the box slides apart, rotates, and slides back together. When solved, the box ethereally reaches across dimensions to a realm of pure physical experience.
Stepping out of this realm are the Cenobites, supernatural sadomasochists whose own search for the ultimate lustful pleasure has pushed them into a space of constant sensory overload. Their bodies are mutilated with hooks, wires, and nails. They wear black leather outfits that are a cross between S&m fetish wear and a heavy-duty toolbelt. They carry handheld torture devices around their waists.
Stepping out of this realm are the Cenobites, supernatural sadomasochists whose own search for the ultimate lustful pleasure has pushed them into a space of constant sensory overload. Their bodies are mutilated with hooks, wires, and nails. They wear black leather outfits that are a cross between S&m fetish wear and a heavy-duty toolbelt. They carry handheld torture devices around their waists.
- 10/7/2022
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
"We have such sights to show you." For anyone who's seen the "Hellraiser" films, these six words are shiver-inducing. That's appropriate given the franchise's themes. Since 1987, Clive Barker and creatives inspired by him have explored the alluring and terrifying line between pain and pleasure, then what happens when it disappears. Because "Hellraiser" is a horror franchise, that line vanishes for and through the Cenobites, a race of extra-dimensional sadomasochists whose leader is a once British Army World War I commander now named, for obvious reasons pictured above, Pinhead (the legendary Doug Bradley).
If that last sentence doesn't make it abundantly clear, the "Hellraiser" timeline is as labyrinthian as the Lament Configuration that summons multiple evils. With David Bruckner's excellent 2022 "Hellraiser" inviting a new generation to the franchise, that chronology is worth sifting through and digesting.
The ever-expanding history of the Cenobites' interactions with humanity makes it clear that the...
If that last sentence doesn't make it abundantly clear, the "Hellraiser" timeline is as labyrinthian as the Lament Configuration that summons multiple evils. With David Bruckner's excellent 2022 "Hellraiser" inviting a new generation to the franchise, that chronology is worth sifting through and digesting.
The ever-expanding history of the Cenobites' interactions with humanity makes it clear that the...
- 10/6/2022
- by Scott Thomas
- Slash Film
In just a few weeks, we’ll be getting a new entry in the Hellraiser franchise. A reboot directed by David Bruckner, starring Jamie Clayton as Pinhead, that’s set to be released through the Hulu streaming service on October 7th. In anticipation of the new film, we’re looking back at one of the previous Hellraiser movies. One that could be considered The Black Sheep – or one of the black sheep in a franchise that has several of them. The one we’re looking at today is Hellraiser: Bloodine (watch it Here). To find out what we had to say about it, check out the video embedded above.
Hellraiser: Bloodline was initially directed by Kevin Yagher, then Joe Chappelle came in to handle the reshoots. The film is credited to the non-existent Alan Smithee. Scripted by Peter Atkins, it has the following synopsis:
Three generations of the same family...
Hellraiser: Bloodline was initially directed by Kevin Yagher, then Joe Chappelle came in to handle the reshoots. The film is credited to the non-existent Alan Smithee. Scripted by Peter Atkins, it has the following synopsis:
Three generations of the same family...
- 9/15/2022
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
A new documentary funded almost entirely by a IndieGoGo campaign aims to draw attention to the brutal treatment and rapid diminishing number of Beluga whales. “Born to Be Free” will highlight the dangerous predicament of 18 Beluga whales that were captured off the coast of Russia, as well as the overall negative effects of sea mammal captivity.
Read More: Hurt by ‘Blackfish’ Backlash, SeaWorld Ends Orca Show in San Diego
The 18 animals were originally intended for U.S. aquariums including SeaWorld, but a new law prohibited the import of sea mammals and left the group of Belugas stuck living in too-small tanks in Russia. By the time the documentary catches up with the group after six years of captivity, one whale had died and the others were severely ill.
“Born to Be Free” highlights the growing demand for sea mammals all over the world and the inhumane treatment that awaits them in captivity.
Read More: Hurt by ‘Blackfish’ Backlash, SeaWorld Ends Orca Show in San Diego
The 18 animals were originally intended for U.S. aquariums including SeaWorld, but a new law prohibited the import of sea mammals and left the group of Belugas stuck living in too-small tanks in Russia. By the time the documentary catches up with the group after six years of captivity, one whale had died and the others were severely ill.
“Born to Be Free” highlights the growing demand for sea mammals all over the world and the inhumane treatment that awaits them in captivity.
- 6/17/2016
- by Kate Halliwell
- Indiewire
Dear Friends and Colleagues,
Our beloved friend and independent film cohort, Mickey Cottrell, has suffered a debilitating stroke and needs urgent help from his community of loved ones and admirers. He will require 24 hour care for the foreseeable future, and extensive physical therapy for a long time to come. He will not be able to garner any income during this time, and so we beseech you to help him through this difficult time.
Actor, publicist, producer, champion, friend, and activist… Mickey is an invaluable member of our community and a unique soul. All of you who know him know that.
We have set up a GoFundMe campaign at the following link and ask that you give whatever you can.
https://www.gofundme.com/InclusiveMickey
Donations will be used to cover immediate and future medical care. All contributions are deeply appreciated and a speedy response would be very helpful - knowing how much money is available will help us plan and prioritize his care.
Please donate as well as send this link to anyone you know who knows Mickey. And of course share on All your social media platform.
If you are a part of the press, and would like to honor Mickey with a helpful feature article, his full bio and info can be found at: www.http://inclusivepr.com/company-bio/
This campaign is set for 30 days. However the sooner the better.
Thank you so much for your time, consideration and prayers!
Our beloved friend and independent film cohort, Mickey Cottrell, has suffered a debilitating stroke and needs urgent help from his community of loved ones and admirers. He will require 24 hour care for the foreseeable future, and extensive physical therapy for a long time to come. He will not be able to garner any income during this time, and so we beseech you to help him through this difficult time.
Actor, publicist, producer, champion, friend, and activist… Mickey is an invaluable member of our community and a unique soul. All of you who know him know that.
We have set up a GoFundMe campaign at the following link and ask that you give whatever you can.
https://www.gofundme.com/InclusiveMickey
Donations will be used to cover immediate and future medical care. All contributions are deeply appreciated and a speedy response would be very helpful - knowing how much money is available will help us plan and prioritize his care.
Please donate as well as send this link to anyone you know who knows Mickey. And of course share on All your social media platform.
If you are a part of the press, and would like to honor Mickey with a helpful feature article, his full bio and info can be found at: www.http://inclusivepr.com/company-bio/
This campaign is set for 30 days. However the sooner the better.
Thank you so much for your time, consideration and prayers!
- 5/5/2016
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
I had planned to see Circles (Serbia, directed by Srdan Golubovic) because my visits over the past 2 years to Romania, Poland, Lithuania and Bosnia and Herzegovina (Sarajevo) have increased my interest in Central and Eastern Europe where the people are looking up (vs. in Western Europe where they are looking down). Now it has been submitted for the Academy Award Nomination for Best Foreign Language Film and so I reprint my interview here which I did during Sundance earlier this year.
Sarajevo itself is especially remarkable as the only place in Europe where there has been a war since I was born. From 1991 to 1999 Serbia was involved in the Yugoslav Wars - the war in Slovenia, the war in Croatia, the war in Bosnia and the war in Kosovo. During this period, Slobodan Milošević was the authoritarian leader of Serbia, which was in turn part of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. This was was a war between people who spoke a common language but were split along religious lines, the Serbs being Eastern Orthodox and the Bosnians, Kosovians and Croations being Muslim.
The country known as Yugoslavia had been unified from 1918 to 1991-- first under a king as The Kingdom of Yugoslavia until 1941 and then as the Social Republic of Yugoslavia. Even as the Social Republic of Yugoslavia, it was a country more liberal then the other communist countries. It was a socialist republic open to west; its people could travel, the people had good jobs, it was more an example of socialism than of communism. Its geographical location was also at a true crossroad between east and west, formerly Ottomon and Muslim and at the same time very Eastern Orthodox and Catholic.
When the Ussr collapsed, Sarajevo, situated in the break-off nation Bosnia and Herzogovina was surrounded by Christian Serbs who bombarded the cities of the nation which they saw more as Muslim than as Christian in order to annex the land.
My dear Berlin friend, Geno Lechner from Berlin asked me to see it because she is in it. She plays the German wife of the protagonist. And my good friend Mickey Cottrell, of Inclusive PR is the publicist for Circles from the time it was in Sundance 2013's World Dramatic Competition and has also asked me to revise and repost what I wrote in Sundance.
So here it is:
Circles ripples out as a stone dropped in a placid lake, concentrically creating moral complexities for a group of people as their story strands emerge from one fateful moment.
Marco, a Serbian soldier on leave from the Serbo-Croatian War in 1993, returns to his Bosnian hometown. When three fellow soldiers accost Haris, a Muslim kiosk vendor, Marco intervenes, and it costs him his life.
Twelve years later, the war is over but the wounds remain open. Marco's father is rebuilding a church when the son of one of Marco's killers appears looking for work. Meanwhile, in Belgrade, Marco's friend Nabobs, a renowned surgeon, debates whether or not to operate on another of Marco's killers. And in Germany, Haris, now married with a family (Geno Lechner and her two daughters) strives to repay his debt to Marco's widow who arrives at his door seeking refuge.
John Nein, Sundance Senior Programmer says, "Srdan Golubovic's third feature employs a multifaceted, yet simple, structure that contemplates revenge, redemption, and reconciliation. Aware of how easily hatred and violence can create life-shattering ripples, he looks at the consequences of moral courage and asks whether a heroic act can generate ripples of another kind."
Circles was financed with funds from Serbia, Germany, France, Croatia, and Slovenia. Its international sales agent is Memento. Circles also screened in the Berlin Film Festival's Forum.
It is very important for the film’s director, Srdan Golubovic, that Circles receive wide distribution. It is based upon the true story of Srdjan Aleksic, a Serbian soldier who saved the life of his neighbor. When Golubovic read the story some years ago, he was against the war but on the sidelines watching, occasionally demonstrating against it, but not a part of it. He chose not to remake the story of the man then but to make it contemporary in order to close the book of his own private feelings about the war.
The man is universal in that he is saving a man, not "an enemy". The escaped man moved into a German world, which at the time looked very much like his own world, sparse, unattractively Soviet in style. However, he found his fortune there and created a life. The actor, Aleksandar Bercek, says that when he met the real Srdjan Aleksic, he said to him, "Now I am walking; it could have been different. I could have been lying down." You will see in a Google search that the memory of Srdjan is very much alive today. The real man's grave is visited yearly by the survivor he saved and by all the former Yugoslavians in the area of Serbia, Bosnia, Herzogovina, Croatia and Slovenia. He has received a posthumous medal of honor and has streets named after him in several cities.
This is one of the rare films which unites everybody; it is about forgiveness and reconciliation. And as such it deserves very wide distribution. And as a work of heroic art, it deserves to be seen by many people. We hope you will visit Memento during Berlin and place your orders. For those of you who are not distributors going to market to acquire films, we hope you will have a chance to see this film in your local theaters or homes.
Srdan Golubovic’s earlier film from 2007, The Trap, garnered great acclaim and was Serbia’s submission for an Academy Award nomination.
When director Srdan Golubovic and producer Jelena Mitrovic and I spoke during Sundance, they spoke of what a great surprise Sundance was to them. They found the people very warm. The audiences were totally open, very curious and emotionally connected. It is very rare for Srdan to find an audience that is not afraid to ask questions and eager to talk about the film. And, unlike at most film festivals, at Sundance, they saw the programmers every day and were always able to speak to them. As there were not too many films in competition — 12 in World Cinema section as opposed to 16 last year — the attention they received from the Sundance personnel and volunteers was very special.
Read the praise received by The Hollywood Reporter
Further information:
Serbian with English subtitles, 2012, 112 minutes, color, Serbia/Germany/France/Croatia/Slovenia, World Dramatic Competiton at Sundance, Forum at the Berlinale
Cast and Credits
Director: Srdan Golubovic
Screenwriters: Srdjan Koljevic, Melina Pota Koljevic
Producers: Jelena Mitrovic, Alexander Ris, Emilie Georges, Boris T. Matic, Danijel Hocevar
Cinematographer: Alexsander Ilic
Production Designer: Goran Joksimovic
Composer: Mario Schneider
Sound Designer: Julij Zornik
Costume Designer: Ljiljana Petrovic
Principal Cast: Aleksandar Bercek, Leon Lucev, Nebojsa Glogovac, Hristina Popovic, Geno Lechner, Nikola Rakocevic, Vuk Kostic...
Sarajevo itself is especially remarkable as the only place in Europe where there has been a war since I was born. From 1991 to 1999 Serbia was involved in the Yugoslav Wars - the war in Slovenia, the war in Croatia, the war in Bosnia and the war in Kosovo. During this period, Slobodan Milošević was the authoritarian leader of Serbia, which was in turn part of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. This was was a war between people who spoke a common language but were split along religious lines, the Serbs being Eastern Orthodox and the Bosnians, Kosovians and Croations being Muslim.
The country known as Yugoslavia had been unified from 1918 to 1991-- first under a king as The Kingdom of Yugoslavia until 1941 and then as the Social Republic of Yugoslavia. Even as the Social Republic of Yugoslavia, it was a country more liberal then the other communist countries. It was a socialist republic open to west; its people could travel, the people had good jobs, it was more an example of socialism than of communism. Its geographical location was also at a true crossroad between east and west, formerly Ottomon and Muslim and at the same time very Eastern Orthodox and Catholic.
When the Ussr collapsed, Sarajevo, situated in the break-off nation Bosnia and Herzogovina was surrounded by Christian Serbs who bombarded the cities of the nation which they saw more as Muslim than as Christian in order to annex the land.
My dear Berlin friend, Geno Lechner from Berlin asked me to see it because she is in it. She plays the German wife of the protagonist. And my good friend Mickey Cottrell, of Inclusive PR is the publicist for Circles from the time it was in Sundance 2013's World Dramatic Competition and has also asked me to revise and repost what I wrote in Sundance.
So here it is:
Circles ripples out as a stone dropped in a placid lake, concentrically creating moral complexities for a group of people as their story strands emerge from one fateful moment.
Marco, a Serbian soldier on leave from the Serbo-Croatian War in 1993, returns to his Bosnian hometown. When three fellow soldiers accost Haris, a Muslim kiosk vendor, Marco intervenes, and it costs him his life.
Twelve years later, the war is over but the wounds remain open. Marco's father is rebuilding a church when the son of one of Marco's killers appears looking for work. Meanwhile, in Belgrade, Marco's friend Nabobs, a renowned surgeon, debates whether or not to operate on another of Marco's killers. And in Germany, Haris, now married with a family (Geno Lechner and her two daughters) strives to repay his debt to Marco's widow who arrives at his door seeking refuge.
John Nein, Sundance Senior Programmer says, "Srdan Golubovic's third feature employs a multifaceted, yet simple, structure that contemplates revenge, redemption, and reconciliation. Aware of how easily hatred and violence can create life-shattering ripples, he looks at the consequences of moral courage and asks whether a heroic act can generate ripples of another kind."
Circles was financed with funds from Serbia, Germany, France, Croatia, and Slovenia. Its international sales agent is Memento. Circles also screened in the Berlin Film Festival's Forum.
It is very important for the film’s director, Srdan Golubovic, that Circles receive wide distribution. It is based upon the true story of Srdjan Aleksic, a Serbian soldier who saved the life of his neighbor. When Golubovic read the story some years ago, he was against the war but on the sidelines watching, occasionally demonstrating against it, but not a part of it. He chose not to remake the story of the man then but to make it contemporary in order to close the book of his own private feelings about the war.
The man is universal in that he is saving a man, not "an enemy". The escaped man moved into a German world, which at the time looked very much like his own world, sparse, unattractively Soviet in style. However, he found his fortune there and created a life. The actor, Aleksandar Bercek, says that when he met the real Srdjan Aleksic, he said to him, "Now I am walking; it could have been different. I could have been lying down." You will see in a Google search that the memory of Srdjan is very much alive today. The real man's grave is visited yearly by the survivor he saved and by all the former Yugoslavians in the area of Serbia, Bosnia, Herzogovina, Croatia and Slovenia. He has received a posthumous medal of honor and has streets named after him in several cities.
This is one of the rare films which unites everybody; it is about forgiveness and reconciliation. And as such it deserves very wide distribution. And as a work of heroic art, it deserves to be seen by many people. We hope you will visit Memento during Berlin and place your orders. For those of you who are not distributors going to market to acquire films, we hope you will have a chance to see this film in your local theaters or homes.
Srdan Golubovic’s earlier film from 2007, The Trap, garnered great acclaim and was Serbia’s submission for an Academy Award nomination.
When director Srdan Golubovic and producer Jelena Mitrovic and I spoke during Sundance, they spoke of what a great surprise Sundance was to them. They found the people very warm. The audiences were totally open, very curious and emotionally connected. It is very rare for Srdan to find an audience that is not afraid to ask questions and eager to talk about the film. And, unlike at most film festivals, at Sundance, they saw the programmers every day and were always able to speak to them. As there were not too many films in competition — 12 in World Cinema section as opposed to 16 last year — the attention they received from the Sundance personnel and volunteers was very special.
Read the praise received by The Hollywood Reporter
Further information:
Serbian with English subtitles, 2012, 112 minutes, color, Serbia/Germany/France/Croatia/Slovenia, World Dramatic Competiton at Sundance, Forum at the Berlinale
Cast and Credits
Director: Srdan Golubovic
Screenwriters: Srdjan Koljevic, Melina Pota Koljevic
Producers: Jelena Mitrovic, Alexander Ris, Emilie Georges, Boris T. Matic, Danijel Hocevar
Cinematographer: Alexsander Ilic
Production Designer: Goran Joksimovic
Composer: Mario Schneider
Sound Designer: Julij Zornik
Costume Designer: Ljiljana Petrovic
Principal Cast: Aleksandar Bercek, Leon Lucev, Nebojsa Glogovac, Hristina Popovic, Geno Lechner, Nikola Rakocevic, Vuk Kostic...
- 11/21/2013
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
Opening May 31st, 2013, I Do views marriage equality in the U.S. through the prism of immigration rights. Stepping right into the middle of the marriage equality debate, I Do is the deeply affecting story about a man forced by discrimination to make an impossible choice. Yet while both sides of the issue passionately state their cases, what’s left in the balance are families and couples often split apart, especially those with bi-national makeups. Immigration, which most heterosexual couples take for granted as a given, complicates same-sex relationships, even in states where marriage is now legal. The cast of the film directed by Glenn Gaylord from the writing by David W. Ross, includes Jamie-Lynn Sigler, Alicia Witt, Maurice Compte, David W. Ross, Grant Bowler, Patricia Belcher, Jessica Brown and Mickey Cottrell.
- 5/6/2013
- Upcoming-Movies.com
A same-sex bi-national couple fights inequality because of Doma (Defense of Marriage Act)
Next year the Supreme Court will rule on the constitutionality of Doma For the first time in history the Democratic Platform supports Gay Marriage. Last year the Obama administration stopped defending Doma as it finds it unconstitutional
-------------
"Ross is appealing in the lead role…. with particularly strong efforts from Witt and,
in a solid supporting turn, Mickey Cottrell as Jack's elderly friend and mentor." - Hollywood Reporter
I Do
Palm Springs International Film Festival
Friday Jan 11th 7:30 Pm Camelot Theaters (cast & crew in attendance)
Saturday Jan 12th 2:30 Pm Camelot Theaters (cast & crew in attendance)
Director: Glenn Gaylord
Writer: David W Ross
Producers: David W Ross, Stephen Israel
Starring:
Jamie-Lynn Sigler (Sopranos)
Alicia Witt (Friday Night Lights)
Maurice Compte (Breaking Bad, End of Watch)
David W Ross (Quinceanera)
Mickey Cottrell (My Own Private Idaho)
Grant Bowler (Liz & Dick)
World Premiere: Outfest 2012 Ford Series
Winner: Philadelphia QFest - "Rising Film Star Award" David W Ross
Winner: Long Beach QFilm Fest
Winner: Best Drama Atlanta Out On Film
Winner: Audience Award Pittsburgh Qfest
Winner: Audience Award Seattle Lgbt Film Festival
Beautiful urbanites steam up the screen in this ensemble family drama about a complicated love triangle from film maker Glenn Gaylord (Eating Out 3, Leave It On The Floor). To stay in New York City, gay Brit Jack (David W Ross "Quinceanera") convinces his lesbian best friend Ali (Jamie Lynn-Sigler, “The Sopranos”) to marry him. Things get messy when he falls for a sexy Spanish architect while his commitment to his brother's widow (Alicia Witt) and his young niece complicates his decision either to stay or to follow his lover.
I Do cleverly examines the complications of immigration issues in the absence of marriage equality for Lgbt people on a Federal level, while also presenting a nuanced adult drama that resonates deeply amidst the current fight for U.S. marriage equality.
for more info and trailer:
www.TwoWordscanChangeEverything.com
PR contact: idothemovie@gmail.com...
Next year the Supreme Court will rule on the constitutionality of Doma For the first time in history the Democratic Platform supports Gay Marriage. Last year the Obama administration stopped defending Doma as it finds it unconstitutional
-------------
"Ross is appealing in the lead role…. with particularly strong efforts from Witt and,
in a solid supporting turn, Mickey Cottrell as Jack's elderly friend and mentor." - Hollywood Reporter
I Do
Palm Springs International Film Festival
Friday Jan 11th 7:30 Pm Camelot Theaters (cast & crew in attendance)
Saturday Jan 12th 2:30 Pm Camelot Theaters (cast & crew in attendance)
Director: Glenn Gaylord
Writer: David W Ross
Producers: David W Ross, Stephen Israel
Starring:
Jamie-Lynn Sigler (Sopranos)
Alicia Witt (Friday Night Lights)
Maurice Compte (Breaking Bad, End of Watch)
David W Ross (Quinceanera)
Mickey Cottrell (My Own Private Idaho)
Grant Bowler (Liz & Dick)
World Premiere: Outfest 2012 Ford Series
Winner: Philadelphia QFest - "Rising Film Star Award" David W Ross
Winner: Long Beach QFilm Fest
Winner: Best Drama Atlanta Out On Film
Winner: Audience Award Pittsburgh Qfest
Winner: Audience Award Seattle Lgbt Film Festival
Beautiful urbanites steam up the screen in this ensemble family drama about a complicated love triangle from film maker Glenn Gaylord (Eating Out 3, Leave It On The Floor). To stay in New York City, gay Brit Jack (David W Ross "Quinceanera") convinces his lesbian best friend Ali (Jamie Lynn-Sigler, “The Sopranos”) to marry him. Things get messy when he falls for a sexy Spanish architect while his commitment to his brother's widow (Alicia Witt) and his young niece complicates his decision either to stay or to follow his lover.
I Do cleverly examines the complications of immigration issues in the absence of marriage equality for Lgbt people on a Federal level, while also presenting a nuanced adult drama that resonates deeply amidst the current fight for U.S. marriage equality.
for more info and trailer:
www.TwoWordscanChangeEverything.com
PR contact: idothemovie@gmail.com...
- 1/11/2013
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
Corey Allen, who fatally challenged James Dean to a "chicken race" in the 1955 film classic "Rebel Without a Cause" before embarking on a career as a prolific TV director, died June 27 of natural causes in Hollywood, two days before his 76th birthday.
With the May 29 death of his longtime friend Dennis Hopper, Allen was briefly the last surviving member of the "Rebel" main cast. He played Buzz Gunderson, one of the pic's antagonistic tough guys in a leather jacket.
Allen collected an Emmy Award for a 1983 episode of "Hill Street Blues" after being nominated for another series episode two years earlier. He earned a CableACE award in 1984 for an episode of "Paper Chase" and received DGA TV noms for his work on "The Streets of San Francisco" and "Hill Street Blues."
As an actor, the ruggedly handsome Cleveland native also appeared in 1958 films "Darby's Rangers" and "Party Girl" (also directed...
With the May 29 death of his longtime friend Dennis Hopper, Allen was briefly the last surviving member of the "Rebel" main cast. He played Buzz Gunderson, one of the pic's antagonistic tough guys in a leather jacket.
Allen collected an Emmy Award for a 1983 episode of "Hill Street Blues" after being nominated for another series episode two years earlier. He earned a CableACE award in 1984 for an episode of "Paper Chase" and received DGA TV noms for his work on "The Streets of San Francisco" and "Hill Street Blues."
As an actor, the ruggedly handsome Cleveland native also appeared in 1958 films "Darby's Rangers" and "Party Girl" (also directed...
- 6/28/2010
- by By Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
When I saw that trailer for Leap Year I had one of those “hey I love that guy, but what's his name?!” moments with Amy Adams’ American boyfriend. And then today a friend forwarded me a trailer for this new indie film Passenger Side (I’ll watch anything named after a Wilco song) and there’s the guy again. Turns out the actor in question Adam Scott (not the equally attractive PGA golfer of the same name). I first realized I’d seen Scott in Passenger Side director Matt Bissonnette’s charming earlier film Who Loves The Sun. I IMDb’d him and,...
- 1/13/2010
- by Wendy Mitchell
- EW.com - PopWatch
Director: Matt Bissonnette Writer(s): Matt Bissonnette Starring: Adam Scott, Joel Bissonnette, Robin Tunney, Gale Harold, Penelope Allen, Vitta Quinn, Mickey Cottrell Michael (Adam Scott) is a frustrated writer living alone in Los Angeles. His younger brother, Tobey (Joel Bissonnette), needs to embark on a wild goose chase to find something; the problem is that his car is broken down, so he asks Michael to be his chauffeur. Tobey is a recovering drug addict, so most of his requests are greeted with suspicion by his older brother. Michael eventually gives in to Tobey’s pleading, and their entire day is spent driving around Los Angeles (as well as out-lying areas) in Michael’s car. Every location that they stop at, Michael remains in the car and is frequently subjected to absurd events, as Tobey acquires another clue sending them to another location. 90% of the film takes place within the...
- 11/16/2009
- by Don Simpson
- SmellsLikeScreenSpirit
Breathless reports have swooped around the web about John Anderson, film critic for Variety, pounding the legendary publicist Jeff Dowd (aka The Dude) at Sundance. There was a jab to the chest! One to the shoulder! Dowd kept his guard down! A punch to the head! Anderson turned and walked away, then came back and threw his best right to the jaw!
I have this blow-by-blow account from The Dude himself. Park City Police Officer Bob deBotelho responded after a call from the Yarrow restaurant, collected eyewitness testimony, and offered to arrest Anderson. But the Dude declined to press changes, magnanimously explaining his forbearance:
"I like John, I think he is a good journalist and critic and a person who is a dad and someone who cares about our planet and future. And I don't think he is a danger to society or would inflict violence on women."
Why didn't The Dude,...
I have this blow-by-blow account from The Dude himself. Park City Police Officer Bob deBotelho responded after a call from the Yarrow restaurant, collected eyewitness testimony, and offered to arrest Anderson. But the Dude declined to press changes, magnanimously explaining his forbearance:
"I like John, I think he is a good journalist and critic and a person who is a dad and someone who cares about our planet and future. And I don't think he is a danger to society or would inflict violence on women."
Why didn't The Dude,...
- 1/28/2009
- by Roger Ebert
- blogs.suntimes.com/ebert
LONDON -- U.K. indie distributor Revolver Entertainment corralled U.K. rights to a pair of pictures on the eve of the Toronto International Film Festival.
The company has picked up John Maringouin's documentary "Big River Man", which details the story of 55-year-old Balkan Martin Strel -- the only man to swim the length of the Yangtze, Mississippi and Danube rivers -- as he attempts to be the first person to swim the length of the Amazon.
Directed by Maringouin, "River" is produced by Maria Florio, Molly Hassell and Molly Lynch at Self Pictures/Earthworks Films. Mickey Cottrell is executive producer.
Revolver also has picked up John Dahl's "You Kill Me" from Capitol Films. The film stars Ben Kingsley, Tea Leoni and Luke Wilson.
The company has picked up John Maringouin's documentary "Big River Man", which details the story of 55-year-old Balkan Martin Strel -- the only man to swim the length of the Yangtze, Mississippi and Danube rivers -- as he attempts to be the first person to swim the length of the Amazon.
Directed by Maringouin, "River" is produced by Maria Florio, Molly Hassell and Molly Lynch at Self Pictures/Earthworks Films. Mickey Cottrell is executive producer.
Revolver also has picked up John Dahl's "You Kill Me" from Capitol Films. The film stars Ben Kingsley, Tea Leoni and Luke Wilson.
John Maringouin is filming a documentary about endurance swimmer Martin Strel, who began a planned, 70-day swim Thursday, starting at the source of the Amazon River in Peru and following the river until it meets the Atlantic Ocean at Belem, Brazil.
To be titled "Big River Man", the film will follow Strel as he attempts to cover 3,375 miles in what is being billed as the world's longest swim. Strel, who hails from Slovenia, previously completed record swims in the Danube, Mississippi and Yangzte rivers and holds several Guiness World Records.
Maringouin's previous docus include last year's "Running Stumbled", which documented the relationship between his artist father and troubled stepmother, and 2004's "Just Another Day in the Homeland."
Maria Florio, who served as a producer of 2002's "Tibet: Cry of the Snow Lion" and was a producer-director on the 1985 Oscar-winning docu "Broken Rainbow", is producing. Exec producers are Mickey Cottrell and Molly Lynch. Maringouin and Lynch's Self Pictures have acquired exclusive rights to film the swim as well as Strel's life rights.
To be titled "Big River Man", the film will follow Strel as he attempts to cover 3,375 miles in what is being billed as the world's longest swim. Strel, who hails from Slovenia, previously completed record swims in the Danube, Mississippi and Yangzte rivers and holds several Guiness World Records.
Maringouin's previous docus include last year's "Running Stumbled", which documented the relationship between his artist father and troubled stepmother, and 2004's "Just Another Day in the Homeland."
Maria Florio, who served as a producer of 2002's "Tibet: Cry of the Snow Lion" and was a producer-director on the 1985 Oscar-winning docu "Broken Rainbow", is producing. Exec producers are Mickey Cottrell and Molly Lynch. Maringouin and Lynch's Self Pictures have acquired exclusive rights to film the swim as well as Strel's life rights.
This is a warped whodunit with a serial killer whose method of dispatching victims is so nasty it shows hilariously how far one has to go to keep up with big-budget Hollywood thrillers.
"Kiss & Tell" is a winning independent film from writer-director Jordan Alan ("Terminal Bliss", "Love & Happiness") that features a large and entertaining cast, including four Arquette family members (but not Rosanna or Patricia).
A candidate for eventual cult status, the Phaedra Cinema release should generate moderate interest in limited engagements before heading to video. Hip and breezily unconcerned with making sense, the improvisational "Kiss & Tell" feels like a story written by a roomful of people, with everyone taking turns adding a new scene and then passing it on.
"Kiss & Tell" stars Justine Bateman, Heather Graham and Peter Greene, and boasts bit players Traci Lind, Lukas Haas, Assumpta Serna, Alexandra Paul, Rose McGowan, Teresa Hill, Jill Hennessey, Roxana Zal, Mickey Cottrell, Nina Siemaszko and co-producer Pamela Gidley as the dreaded Betty "Beta" Carotene. Throw in Alexis, Richmond, David and father Lewis Arquette, and you have one strange brew.
Imagine Gregg Araki making "L.A. Confidential" and you can get a sense of the atmosphere and general punchiness of "Kiss & Tell," which pits lesbians against detectives against shifty suspects against wigged-out murderers in a willy-nilly noir fable that simultaneously makes use of and mocks many Los Angeles landmarks.
The ratio of good gags to so-so jokes is about 3-to-1 in this feast of up-and-coming stars, which achieves its best results with epiphanous events in many of the comic vignettes, moments when the characters come alive and their conflicts are intriguing.
But overall the wacky plot couldn't be more lurid and loaded with sin-city cliches that have been twisted into amusing satirical elements. Here's a sampling: an armless coroner eating a restaurant meal, a group therapy session attended exclusively by murderers, a hit man from New York named Lollypop Man and a psychopath using poisoned carrots to leave a trail of corpses.
Shocks and twists are frequent, but what's surprising is how well Alan and crew keep control of the project when it easily could have become too incoherent and unfunny. There are even a few scenes that are downright spooky, not an easy thing to pull off when the movie as a whole is impossible to take seriously.
By and large, the performances are on the money. Along with some great tongue-in-cheek moments from Greene and Richmond Arquette as grumpy detectives, Graham is memorable as a witchy friend of the most prominent murder victim (Bateman).
KISS & TELL
Phaedra Cinema
A Terminal Bliss production
in association with
Ron Travisano and Pamela Gidley
Writer-director Jordan Alan
Producers Pamela Gidley,
Ron Travisano, Jordan Alan
Executive producer Adam Fast
Director of photography Ron Travisano
Music Michael Mattioli
Editors Ed Marx, Chris Keenan, Jordan Alan
Color/stereo
Cast:
Molly McMannis Justine Bateman
Suzan Pretsel Heather Graham
Detective Finnigan Peter Greene
Detective Starr Richmond Arquette
Detective Furbal Lewis Arquette
Betty "Beta" Carotene Pamela Gidley
Ivy Roberts Teresa Hill
Jasmine Rose McGowan
Running time -- 90 minutes
No MPAA rating...
"Kiss & Tell" is a winning independent film from writer-director Jordan Alan ("Terminal Bliss", "Love & Happiness") that features a large and entertaining cast, including four Arquette family members (but not Rosanna or Patricia).
A candidate for eventual cult status, the Phaedra Cinema release should generate moderate interest in limited engagements before heading to video. Hip and breezily unconcerned with making sense, the improvisational "Kiss & Tell" feels like a story written by a roomful of people, with everyone taking turns adding a new scene and then passing it on.
"Kiss & Tell" stars Justine Bateman, Heather Graham and Peter Greene, and boasts bit players Traci Lind, Lukas Haas, Assumpta Serna, Alexandra Paul, Rose McGowan, Teresa Hill, Jill Hennessey, Roxana Zal, Mickey Cottrell, Nina Siemaszko and co-producer Pamela Gidley as the dreaded Betty "Beta" Carotene. Throw in Alexis, Richmond, David and father Lewis Arquette, and you have one strange brew.
Imagine Gregg Araki making "L.A. Confidential" and you can get a sense of the atmosphere and general punchiness of "Kiss & Tell," which pits lesbians against detectives against shifty suspects against wigged-out murderers in a willy-nilly noir fable that simultaneously makes use of and mocks many Los Angeles landmarks.
The ratio of good gags to so-so jokes is about 3-to-1 in this feast of up-and-coming stars, which achieves its best results with epiphanous events in many of the comic vignettes, moments when the characters come alive and their conflicts are intriguing.
But overall the wacky plot couldn't be more lurid and loaded with sin-city cliches that have been twisted into amusing satirical elements. Here's a sampling: an armless coroner eating a restaurant meal, a group therapy session attended exclusively by murderers, a hit man from New York named Lollypop Man and a psychopath using poisoned carrots to leave a trail of corpses.
Shocks and twists are frequent, but what's surprising is how well Alan and crew keep control of the project when it easily could have become too incoherent and unfunny. There are even a few scenes that are downright spooky, not an easy thing to pull off when the movie as a whole is impossible to take seriously.
By and large, the performances are on the money. Along with some great tongue-in-cheek moments from Greene and Richmond Arquette as grumpy detectives, Graham is memorable as a witchy friend of the most prominent murder victim (Bateman).
KISS & TELL
Phaedra Cinema
A Terminal Bliss production
in association with
Ron Travisano and Pamela Gidley
Writer-director Jordan Alan
Producers Pamela Gidley,
Ron Travisano, Jordan Alan
Executive producer Adam Fast
Director of photography Ron Travisano
Music Michael Mattioli
Editors Ed Marx, Chris Keenan, Jordan Alan
Color/stereo
Cast:
Molly McMannis Justine Bateman
Suzan Pretsel Heather Graham
Detective Finnigan Peter Greene
Detective Starr Richmond Arquette
Detective Furbal Lewis Arquette
Betty "Beta" Carotene Pamela Gidley
Ivy Roberts Teresa Hill
Jasmine Rose McGowan
Running time -- 90 minutes
No MPAA rating...
- 10/17/1997
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Though he has raised the risks considerably, once again writer-director Gus Van Sant Jr. has come up with a film that zeros in on the poignance and gentle comedy at the heart of an otherwise seamy situation. And with the sole exception of a misfired Orson Welles tribute, his new film, "My Own Private Idaho, '' is his most accomplished effort yet.
Despite the fact that it is the story of a teenaged narcoleptic male hustler in Portland, Ore., with an obsession about finding his mother, the film's tonal richness, its hipness and its plain humanity, as well as the considerably canny casting of River Phoenix and Keanu Reeves in lead roles, mark this feature as one to watch.
Outstanding specialty success is all but assured; even more, the film has the potential to wade into the mainstream and make a sizable cache.
Phoenix and Reeves play Mike Waters and Scott Favor, respectively, a pair of teenagers making their living off the mostly male, occasionally female, paying public.
Mike, the center of most of the attention, is actually gay and is obsessed with finding the mother who abandoned him to state care as a child. The movie's title refers to the image of a country home and family he carries around in his head.
Scott, whose own sexual preferences are straight but likes the money of hustling almost as much as the shock it gives his politician father, agrees to take off into the countryside, in the United States and eventually even Italy, in pursuit of leads.
A series of dead ends leads to Mike's brother Richard (James Russo, who, despite appearing only briefly onscreen, makes a powerful impression) and some devastating revelations that, nevertheless, help Mike get on with his life.
However, as with Van Sant's other features, plot doesn't do justice to the crowded anecdotes, varying tones and stylistic insouciance.
In one scene sure to increase the film's buzz factor, Reeves' picture on the cover of a male nudie magazine suddenly comes alive and starts talking about the vicissitudes of hustling, eventually landing in an argument with the many newly animated figures on the covers of the rack's other magazines.
Van Sant emphasizes the vulnerable side of Phoenix's persona, and not only does the young actor deliver his best performance, he manages to limn a gay character who will probably have an enormous appeal to young women. Even his narcolepsy, which causes Mike to fall asleep in moments of stress, alternates between the wryly sad and macabrely humorous.
Grace Zabriskie as a horny suburban matron, Udo Kier as the ultimate Euro-sleaze pickup artist, and Mickey Cottrell as a clean-freak client of Mike's, add to the general zaniness.
Yet, no matter how pronounced the sexual humor, pathos underlies every scene, and in the Italian interlude, when Scott falls for a beautiful girl (Chiara Caselli) he meets on a farm and perforce abandons Mike, Van Sant creates a profoundly sympathetic portrait of an emotionally impossible situation.
The film does contain interludes shot in the style of Welles' "Chimes at Midnight, '' during which Reeves' character acts out a drama of filial rebellion and reconciliation, with William Richert performing a good turn as the Falstaff character. Unfortunately, Van Sant's editing becomes so self-consciously heated, and the dialogue so ersatz, that barely a moment works.
MY OWN PRIVATE IDAHO
Fine Line Features
Writer-director Gus Van Sant Jr.
Producer Laurie Parker
Directors of photography Eric Alan Edwards,
John Campbell
Production designer David Brisbin
Editor Curtiss Clayton
Color
Cast:
Mike Waters River Phoenix
Scott Favor Keanu Reeves
Richard Waters James Russo
Bob Pigeon William Richert
Carmella Chiara Caselli
Alena Grace Zabriskie
HansUdo Kier
Running time -- 102 minutes
MPAA Rating: R
(c) The Hollywood Reporter...
Despite the fact that it is the story of a teenaged narcoleptic male hustler in Portland, Ore., with an obsession about finding his mother, the film's tonal richness, its hipness and its plain humanity, as well as the considerably canny casting of River Phoenix and Keanu Reeves in lead roles, mark this feature as one to watch.
Outstanding specialty success is all but assured; even more, the film has the potential to wade into the mainstream and make a sizable cache.
Phoenix and Reeves play Mike Waters and Scott Favor, respectively, a pair of teenagers making their living off the mostly male, occasionally female, paying public.
Mike, the center of most of the attention, is actually gay and is obsessed with finding the mother who abandoned him to state care as a child. The movie's title refers to the image of a country home and family he carries around in his head.
Scott, whose own sexual preferences are straight but likes the money of hustling almost as much as the shock it gives his politician father, agrees to take off into the countryside, in the United States and eventually even Italy, in pursuit of leads.
A series of dead ends leads to Mike's brother Richard (James Russo, who, despite appearing only briefly onscreen, makes a powerful impression) and some devastating revelations that, nevertheless, help Mike get on with his life.
However, as with Van Sant's other features, plot doesn't do justice to the crowded anecdotes, varying tones and stylistic insouciance.
In one scene sure to increase the film's buzz factor, Reeves' picture on the cover of a male nudie magazine suddenly comes alive and starts talking about the vicissitudes of hustling, eventually landing in an argument with the many newly animated figures on the covers of the rack's other magazines.
Van Sant emphasizes the vulnerable side of Phoenix's persona, and not only does the young actor deliver his best performance, he manages to limn a gay character who will probably have an enormous appeal to young women. Even his narcolepsy, which causes Mike to fall asleep in moments of stress, alternates between the wryly sad and macabrely humorous.
Grace Zabriskie as a horny suburban matron, Udo Kier as the ultimate Euro-sleaze pickup artist, and Mickey Cottrell as a clean-freak client of Mike's, add to the general zaniness.
Yet, no matter how pronounced the sexual humor, pathos underlies every scene, and in the Italian interlude, when Scott falls for a beautiful girl (Chiara Caselli) he meets on a farm and perforce abandons Mike, Van Sant creates a profoundly sympathetic portrait of an emotionally impossible situation.
The film does contain interludes shot in the style of Welles' "Chimes at Midnight, '' during which Reeves' character acts out a drama of filial rebellion and reconciliation, with William Richert performing a good turn as the Falstaff character. Unfortunately, Van Sant's editing becomes so self-consciously heated, and the dialogue so ersatz, that barely a moment works.
MY OWN PRIVATE IDAHO
Fine Line Features
Writer-director Gus Van Sant Jr.
Producer Laurie Parker
Directors of photography Eric Alan Edwards,
John Campbell
Production designer David Brisbin
Editor Curtiss Clayton
Color
Cast:
Mike Waters River Phoenix
Scott Favor Keanu Reeves
Richard Waters James Russo
Bob Pigeon William Richert
Carmella Chiara Caselli
Alena Grace Zabriskie
HansUdo Kier
Running time -- 102 minutes
MPAA Rating: R
(c) The Hollywood Reporter...
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