Top 10 Best Earth Day Films on Netflix
Happy Earth Day! While we should be celebrating this holiday 365 days a year, April 22nd marks a day when we come together to say one collective "We Love You" to our planet. We've sifted through thousands of films on Netflix to come up with the top 10 best Earth Day movies to watch today, tomorrow, and any other time you feel like appreciating Mother Nature.
Tracks (2013)
Based on a true story, Robyn Davidson (Mia Wasikowska) travels 1,700-miles across the deserts of West Australia alone, with only her camels and dog as company.
Directed by John Curran, Tracks also stars Adam Driver.
Blackfish (2013)
This award-winning documentary is a mesmerizing look at the controversial captivity of killer whales, and how its affects are deadly to both whales and humans.
Directed by Gabriela Cowperthwaite, the film features Sea World's infamous killer whale Tilikum.
Cast Away (2000)
One of Tom Hanks most memorable roles, Cast Away is a classic that finds Chuck Noland (Hanks) stuck on an island doing everything he can to survive.
Directed by Robert Zemeckis, the film also stars Helen Hunt and "Wilsoooon!"
Force Majeure (2014)
This drama takes place during a family's ski trip in the French Alps, whose relationship is put to the test when they suddenly find themselves staring down an avalanche.
Directed by Ruben Östlund, this film was also nominated for a Golden Globe last year.
Virunga (2014)
A Netflix original documentary, a group of soldiers from the Congo risk their lives to save the last of the world's mountain gorillas.
Directed by Orlando von Einsiedel, Virguna is Executive Produced by Leonardo DiCaprio.
Waste Land (2010)
On the outskirts of the world's largest landfill in Rio de Janeiro, garbage pickers collect trash and make beautiful works of art.
Directed by Lucy Walker, Karen Harley, and João Jardim, the film also features contemporary artist Vik Muniz.
Chinatown (1974)
Los Angeles is the backdrop to this classic mystery noir film as a private detective who is hired to expose an adulterer, becomes involved in a downward spiral of corruption, deceit and murder..
Directed by Roman Polanski, the film also stars Jack Nicholson and Faye Dunaway.
Prince Avalanche (2013)
Two highway workers spend the summer of 1988 away from their lives in the city and embrace the the isolation of the empty road.
Directed by David Gordon Green, the film also stars Emile Hirsch and Paul Rudd.
Maidentrip (2013)
If you're looking for an inspirational documentary, this is it; 14-year-old Laura Dekker completes a solo two-year voyage around the world.
Directed by Jillian Schlesinger, Maidentrip uses footage Dekker shot herself at sea.
Vanishing of the Bees (2009)
This film looks at the current- and crucial- situation of the disappearing honeybee, and how it is affecting the economy and our ecology.
Directed by Maryam Henein and George Langworthy, the film is narrated by actress Ellen Page.
Review: 'The Road Within'
Showcasing at last year's Los Angeles Film Festival comes The Road Within, a melodramatic story about three young adults struggling with psychological disorders who embark on a road trip in a bid to forget the past and embrace the mystery of the future. This coming of age film comes from writer/director Gren Wells, whose previous screenwriting credits include the Kate Hudson starring A Little Bit of Heaven. What the script itself lacks in emotional investment and uniqueness is made up for in captivating performances, giving this the little-indie-that-could a small shot at success outside of the festival circuit.
Vincent (Robert Sheehan) has Tourette's syndrome, and as a result, uncontrollably blurts out curse words and experiences involuntary bodily movements. After the death of his mother, Vincent's father Robert (Robert Patrick) admits him into an experimental psychiatric hospital, where he meets his OCD centric roommate Alex (Dev Patel) and Marie (Zoë Kravitz), who is battling anorexia. Spontaneously, after a day (or two) after Vincent's admission, they decide to break out of the clinic and steal the car of their therapist, Dr. Rose (Kyra Sedgwick), and the merry band of misfits head West, with nothing but the clothes on their backs and their issues in full force.
We're not anticipating the story as much as we are observing the character's flaws, and the actors themselves.
It's not long until Dr. Rose and Robert are on the trail, and a mild game of cat and mouse ensues. Literally a day later, Dr. Rose and Robert happen to randomly find the escapees in the middle of the forest. A fast thinking plan distracts the duo long enough for the group to speed off to California. While on the road, all three disorders collide like a car crash reminiscent of The Three Stooges; there is yelling, cursing, and general law-breaking, yet the story unfolds at a snail's pace. Of course, it's during this time that Vincent and Marie become close, and Alex confronts his issues head on. But even these pivotal plot moments seem dull in comparison to the chaos in the car.
The story is tepid at best; we know where the film is headed from the very beginning. We're not anticipating the story as much as we are observing the character's flaws, and the actors themselves. Sheehan is extremely convincing as both a Tourettes sufferer and American, both of which he is not in real life. His British accent is completely masked by his unparalleled impersonations of various tics and mannerisms. If it were anyone else playing the part of Vincent, this would have been a completely different movie and not in a good way. Zoë plays Marie with a tough exterior but knows when to let the emotion through. Struggling with anorexia when she was younger, she talks about her uncomfortable experience dropping down to 90 lbs to play the part in Nylon, which is definitely worth the read. Of all the performances, however, it is Dev Patel that steals the screen as "clean freak" Alex. He is on the receiving end of taunting from Marie constantly, but through all of his mundane routines, his solemn heart shines through and makes him undeniably likable. Of all of the roles Patel has taken, Alex may be his biggest emotional one to date.
If you're interested in a film for character study, The Road Within is a good start. Tourette's Syndrome, like other disorders, is one of the biggest challenges an actor can tackle because is both and internal and external battle. All three actors find the line between realistic and overboard and carefully execute a performance worth a watch. If you're looking for an inspiring road trip movie about a group of friends experiencing life's highs and lows, this is not it, however, its desire to be a sentimental film does deserve a nod of approval.
The Road Within opens at Laemmle Theaters today.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZEA0LfvcpFw
Review: 'Alex of Venice'
Chris Messina may be better known as Danny Castellano on "The Mindy Project," or from his feature film roles in Argo, Vicky Cristina Barcelona. He may even be recognized as Dianna Agron's cheating husband in the Sam Smith music video, "I'm Not The Only One." With an impressive resume so far, Messina now adds to it the title of director, in Alex of Venice, his debut film that is every bit as quietly commanding as the title sounds.
On a foggy Southern California morning, surfers wade in the ocean looking like seals, and hundreds of tourists pack the commercial Venice Beach boardwalk. But in the quiet suburbs of the beach town, Alex (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) sets out to change the world – or rather, keep the world exactly as it is without it changing any further.
Alex is an environment lawyer whose mission is to preserve the city's natural habitats. Yet the nature of the job, coupled with her extreme drive and work ethic, leaves little time for family. What can only be described as years of frustration later, her artist/surfing husband (Messina) reveals that he can no longer be a "Stay at home housewife" to her career and wants a break. Blindsided by the sudden change, Alex is left alone, which although scary at first, ultimately becomes an opportunity to re-discover who she is and find peace with the person she has become.
As the proverbial glue holding her family together, Winstead gives another powerful and soulful performance that we can now expect from any film with her name in it.
At its core, Alex of Venice is all about the actors. The script is simple enough to execute on an indie budget, but what really makes the film stand out rests in the hands of the characters and fortunately, the is no weak link here. Mary Elizabeth Winstead in the title role is becoming a name synonymous with exceptional, grounded and powerful performances, and she is no different as she pushes this small indie film to highly buzzed about levels.
The film's most notable supporting character is Don Johnson, who plays Alex's father, an aging actor who's early onset Alzheimer's causes him to grapple daily. Johnson brings an exceptional performance to the screen, seeing him struggle with his lines to Chekov's "The Cherry Orchard," in which he has been cast as the lead role, is extremely moving.
As the proverbial glue holding her family together, Winstead gives another powerful and soulful performance that we can now expect from any film with her name in it. Her humor comes from the presumably off-script impromptu actions and nuances of her character against the stresses of a life-changing work case, an ailing father, and dependent ten-year-old son. Her attitude and now forced responsibilities as a working single mother is contrary to the Venice beach lifestyle, her workaholic nature is juxtaposed in a city of free-spirited artists.
In keeping with the easy-breezy nature of the film, music contributions from the Los Angeles band Poolside, self-described as "daytime disco," along with Alexander Ebert's "A Million Years" to close the film, are summations of the film's blissful and sentimental vibe.
Messina has a clear vision for Alex of Venice, all of his experience on set as an actor has made his transition behind the camera seem easy and natural. Long camera takes dominate the early scenes, giving the impression of fluidity and ease. While the script has some unresolved story lines and overall, isn't very strong in its linear story, it is the cast that makes it work.
Give in to your suspension of disbelief for this one. Taking out a few curse words and unnecessary sexual language could have seen this film with a PG-13 rating as opposed to R, which the film is, and would most likely have given the film a larger platform, and seem more appealing to the audience at large. Flaws aside, Messina should be proud of his debut film.
Alex of Venice opens at the Laemmle Royal Theatre on Friday.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I0_JydvJ9-I
Review: 'Dior and I'
A man's journal is read aloud over grainy black and white footage of women from 1947: their wardrobe reflects the time period – a crucial moment in women's history when traditional, civilian dress, and military attire was being traded for more masculine-femme looks like fuller skirts, rounded shoulders, and cinched waists. Most notably, the revival of the skinny black suit revolutionized the way women dressed, empowering those who came back from WWII, and ultimately set a trend that changed the fashion world – and history – forever.
The pioneer of this new sartorial vision, the one credited as The Godfather of the "New Look," is Christian Dior, owner of the aforementioned journal, and whose empire would far success his impactful life on this earth.
Dior and I, a fashion documentary from director Frédéric Tcheng shot in the spring of 2012, serves as an exclusive look behind the runway and into the nitty-gritty world of haute couture (a world that, sadly, is beginning to disappear). The film pays homage to Mr. Dior with a story that is both personal and informative. While Dior and I may only lure those with an interest in high fashion, do not be mistaken, everyone can appreciate these sequences of beautiful and artistic pieces coming to life– and that alone is worth the watch.
For all of the glitz and glamour overshadowing most fashion-centric documentaries, Dior and I does an excellent job of staying grounded, even if the ground is covered in couture.
Dior and I continues the fashion icon's legacy with a new artistic director: the minimalist Belgian designer, Raf Simons. Simons has only six weeks to create, execute and display his first ever haute couture collection under the famed brand; whereas five to six months is the typical construction period for such grandeur shows, Simons undeniably hits the ground running.
Simons, a very low-key leader, is quite the collaborator when it comes to designing his debut collection, fully relying on Dior's in-house seamstresses, essentially factory workers in white coats rather than blue collars, to literally pull it all together, hand-sewing every single piece. Dior is one of the last fashion houses to board such ateliers, or workrooms, and this alone is another fascinating dimension to the film; the camaraderie in the ateliers between Simons and the hard-working seamstresses, some who have worked at Dior for over 40 years, is very humanizing to watch. There is no trace of a catty, backstabbing workplace vibe like The Devil Wears Prada would suggest.
Another interesting angle is observing Simons' personal creative process, his unique idea of marrying fashion and art. As a self-proclaimed fan of the work of American painter Sterling Ruby, Simons challenges the ateliers and himself by recreating Ruby's artwork on cloth. However, he is set on the imprimé chaîne method in which the thread is printed on before it is woven into cloth. His more ingenious idea, however, is his vision for a floral runway: each room of the rented Parisian house where the fashion show takes place is covered in different colored flowers. This scene takes your breath away, millions of flowers invigorate the senses just by looking at them. It's beautiful and overwhelming, as Anna Wintour, Jennifer Lawrence, Marion Cotillard, and other celebrity guests can't stop complimenting Simons' vision. For all of the glitz and glamour overshadowing most fashion-centric documentaries, Dior and I does an excellent job of staying grounded, even if the ground is covered in couture.
Though, as a VOGUE reading, New York Times Fashion section enthusiast, I was expecting the film to hit a littler harder, as ultimately, this documentary should be categorized as a "day in the life" type film. Just like the pastels in the patterns of the beautifully constructed garments, Dior and I felt like a broad stroke of muted self-appreciation. There is absolutely no tension felt as six weeks turn to five, and so on, as Raf doesn't appear to let his nerves show. Not that this makes for a boring watch by any means, but it's definitely not a Project Runway type of suspense that I myself find ridiculously enticing.
Dior and I opens at the Nuart Theatre this Friday.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sUIvJQUhB5I
Director Kornél Mundruczó on 'White God'
When White God premiered at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival, it was to the amazement of everyone in the audience how a film that looked to be a simple cross between Homeward Bound and Oliver & Company was actually a cautionary tale about self-imposed human "superiority" over lesser animals, and a pressing metaphor for the political tensions in contemporary Europe. It was evident after that first screening that director Kornél Mundruczó was a visionary, a very risky and bold artist. His execution of White God included a teenage protagonist who had never acted before, a canine cast of over 200 dogs, and a script that blended genres– not an easy feat for any director. In our exclusive interview, Mundruczó is still blown away by the amount of attention his "small Hungarian movie" is getting. I'm also happy to report that all of the dogs used in the film (which were taken from various shelters), were all adopted after filming! A happy ending all around. We begin:
When you first started writing White God and you envisioned the release day, what did you have in mind?
I'm so happy to have this movie in the USA, of course, it's still a small Hungarian movie. When we started to do this movie, we didn't know if it would be too radical; I didn't know [how to describe] this movie because there were not many examples of films that used dogs in the way I wanted to use them, and the melting of genres. Once we got in the editing room I realized this movie would work, haha.
The blending of genres is definitely unique; are there any screenwriters or directors you admired going into this movie?
Hmm, that's difficult because there are a lot, but most of them are just from my memory and childhood. I grew up in the countryside, not far from Budapest. You could watch movies in the city at two places– one of the places was The Cultural Hall where you could watch the classics. There was also the City Cinema where you could watch all of the American movies. I watched Fargo, Blade Runner, Terminator and all the Post-Apocalyptic movies a lot. So both styles were quite important to me, all of it coming from my memory. I tried to find answers in the contemporary reality I am living.
You've made films before, but your cast was relatively unknown. Tell me about the casting process. How did you find "Lili"?
It was really long actually. We saw lots of girls for the role, but at one point I recognized that I needed someone who doesn't want to be an actress. At that age, I just wanted someone with personality. Soon after, I started casting at normal high schools and I would ask them if they could imagine themselves in a movie. This one girl came [to audition] and the girl behind her was Zsófia Psotta. What she did was amazing, the scene that got me was the scene where she is sleeping and then wakes up and leaves the room while her father is sleeping in the room, and she wants to escape. That was a silent scene and she was absolutely amazing. I told her immediately that I would like to shoot this movie with her but the problem was that she wasn't totally sure she wanted to be in the movie because she didn't want to miss class and change her life. I tried to convince her; I went to her mother with flowers and cakes and said [I need your daughter for my film]. Finally, she decided to be a part of it and from then on it went very smooth and easy. I've never had this kind of an adventure with an actress.
The scenes with the dogs are mesmerizing. Was there any use of CGI?
There was no CGI. That was my main conception, that would have made my life very difficult. At the beginning, everybody thought it was impossible but then I met trainer Teresa Miller from Los Angeles and she found "Luke" and "Body" who play Hagen, as well as the other 200 plus dogs from shelters. She highly socialized them together without any domination or fights. I didn't want to illustrate how humans thought animals should react in the scenes, I wanted to shoot the dog's real emotions. At a certain point, the dogs started to give an amazing amount of energy and emotion for the movie. Much more than I had expected before, and then I recognized that their patience, concentration, and curiosity is what made this movie.
I'm actually getting a puppy tomorrow and this film gave me a whole new perspective on dogs.
Haha right!
I know the dogs are trained, but I'm sure there was a lot of unpredictability on set.
We actually used a very special method during shooting. On one hand, we really wanted to use the perspective of the dog so we went really low with the camera and we built different types of rollers to get that perspective. And then in an empty lot in the countryside, we held lots of rehearsals with Hagen and the pack. The dogs [socialized] with us as we simulated camera moves, microphones, all sorts of things so they wouldn't be afraid while we were shooting. Dogs like to cooperate with humans, they'd die for us, and on set they gave a lot of energy; by the end I knew all of them name by name, all 200 of them. The shooting day wasn't very difficult because of all the rehearsal time we had. We rehearsed for three months and then we shot for almost half a year– our schedule was a week of rehearsal, a week of shooting, a week of rehearsal, a week of shooting, etc. It's so obvious that the dogs are absolutely writing the script as well.
What was the most difficult scene for you to orchestrate?
The huge action scenes with the cars and humans in city, and then the crowd of dogs come running out together. We had really limited time to block the city streets, like a few hours. Everything was previously rehearsed but still, the logistics of shooting that scene were challenging. Other scenes were also difficult, like just walking with the dog, that was always difficult. There are so many interests and distractions on the street, dogs are always so curious. So just to create a normal walk when no humans were in the scene, like when Hagen is walking across the bridge. In the editing room, the dog fight scene was a really difficult process because the dogs were really happy to meet each other and wouldn't stop playing. So while editing, we had to find the smallest few seconds of their "play" that looked like "fighting" to make it believable.
Your attendance at Sundance was talked about, specifically Hagen's appearance and his little red carpet bow tie! Was was that experience like?
For a European film, Sundance is a real international festival; in my eyes, it is the most important festival to premiere a movie. I was so glad they chose my movie, it is a very open minded festival. For this small Hungarian movie, we took a lot of risks working with children and animals, melting genres, and so it wasn't necessary a "comfortable" film. In Cannes, we started to feel the audience reacting very well and that gave us a lot of hope. This was my first time at Sundance and we had such a great audience.
I'm really looking forward to your next project, what can we expect from you in the future?
I'm working on two projects now, one is an adaptation of an amazing book called "Ice" by Vladimir Sorokin and my original script about a refugee.
Review: '3 Hearts'
3 Hearts (3 Coeurs) has, on paper, all of the right ingredients of a love story to attract an audience; with a reputable cast set against a provincial French backdrop and a classic tale as old as time, the story of a love triangle between a man and two sisters set the stage for a highly tense and romantic story. Unfortunately, our hopes for the film outperform the film itself, making for one disappointing and tonally confusing film.
Marc (Benoît Poelvoorde) is a middle-aged, balding businessman; well off, but lonely. After he misses his connecting train to Paris, he begins to wander around the ghost town that is Valence (a six-hour train ride from the French capital). He soon meets Sylvie (Charlotte Gainsbourg) a beautiful woman with tomboy charm; her hair is unkempt, she smokes likes a chimney, but her allure is breathtaking. It's easy to see why he falls so quickly and deeply for her, with her immediately returning his early affections. But after a failed attempt at reconnecting a second time in Paris, each one thinking the other stood them up, they both go their separate ways. Never expecting to see each other again they reopen up their hearts to love. It's not long before Marc finds a connection with Sophie (Chiara Mastroianni), who he soon marries. When Marc discovers that Sophie is Sylvie's sister, and that he cannot suppress his feelings for the latter, Marc finds himself at a love crossroads–between his new love, and his true love.
Despite its beautiful vintage aesthetic and Parisian setting, 3 Hearts is a lofty story with a foggy vision of a specific genre.
This emotional film is absorbing with its incredible performances from all three leads. Their struggles and torment is felt through their actions, making the dialogue feel almost unnecessary to its unspoken counterpoint. To director Benoît Jacquot's benefit, he features an extraordinary cast who all seem comfortable on screen and really knew their character at their best and worst. Despite these character and performance points, I struggle to find more positive things to say about this film.
Despite its beautiful vintage aesthetic and Parisian setting, 3 Hearts is a lofty story with a foggy vision of a specific genre. What is most off-putting comes from the film's score; just about every time Sylive appears on screen, after she and Marc reconnect and start up an affair, an overpoweringly heavy bass plays ( a lá Jaws) which is meant to implicate tension but comes off more like a cheap horror slasher film, which I couldn't help but laugh at the longer it went on. Another distracting sound choice is the sudden inclusion of a narrator halfway through the film, which begs the question–did the film not make sense once it was completed and was felt necessary to include to explain the story? Or was this just a terrible mistake in style, as this film is cheapened by this mysterious voice appearing very sporadically and out of sync with the rest of the film.
From a visual perspective, there is no denying that the locations are beautiful; yet 3 Hearts finds a way to make even Paris look tacky. The glaring camera zooms onto characters and extreme dolly shots here are reminiscent of a poorly made 90s comedy, not a tense drama about love and missed connections. These stylistic choices unfortunately made a lot of moments unbelievable, making it hard to suspend our disbelief for this film.
Ultimately, there are too many confusing and laughable stylistic choices that make 3 Hearts anything but forgettable. It is unfortunate because the performances are powerful and touching, as Gainsbourg especially knows how to play vulnerable with a tough exterior that we can all relate to and sympathize with. Even she cannot rid the tackiness of the film's execution.
‘3 Hearts’ opens in Los Angeles at Laemmle Theaters this Friday.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qSsM7Fh7rwM
Review: 'The Wrecking Crew'
The 2013 Academy Award winner for Best Documentary, 20 Feet From Stardom, told the story of the background singers whose voices were heard on countless records from some of music's greatest artists– while remaining virtually unknown by anyone. My Father and the Man in Black, a 2013 documentary about the life of bad-boy Johnny Cash and his manager Saul Holiff– directed by Holiff's son Jonathan– was an attempt to discover his father's legacy through his recently uncovered work. This year's Academy Award-winning film Whiplash shined a spotlighted the studio band and the pressure of getting every note right. Combine these three films, and you will have a good idea of what The Wrecking Crew is about; directed by Denny Tedesco, son of legendary guitar player Tommy Tedesco, the documentary sheds light on the solid group of studio musicians, know as "The Wrecking Crew," who provided the orchestration to some of the music industry's most legendary performers and records of the 1960s and 70s.
The film opens with a medley of the greatest hits of the 60s; popular tunes from The Beach Boys, The Mamas & the Papas, Nancy Sinatra, The Monkees, Sonny & Cher, and more. Almost immediately we are drawn into the sounds of this golden age of music, everything from Rock n' Roll to Pop and R&B to Soul, are quickly recognizable. What wasn't known, however, were the people who actually performed these songs on the records. The Wrecking Crew is as much a celebration of the music as it is praise and acknowledgement for the musicians themselves; how their dedication and passion for their job changed the music industry forever.
They played on a majority of the Beach Boys records, which was unknown to most everyone. That "Pet Sounds" record you have? Yep, that was performed by The Wrecking Crew.
Director Denny Tedesco starting making this film in 1995 when his father was diagnosed with terminal cancer, determined to show the world just who his father was, and how his group of friends influenced the music industry. Tommy Tedesco was popular among his peers, and his guitar skills were unmatched (If you've ever heard the Adam West-starring "Batman" theme song, or listened to the M*A*S*H* or Green Acres themes, you've heard him play). He is probably the most famous artist you've never heard of. Tedesco, along with the rest of the musicians, were just outside of the spotlight, but attention wasn't what they were after. Being able to play music for a living– paying the bills by playing the guitar– was all they aspired to.
A group of studio musicians formed in Los Angeles during the 1960s, where the music scene and recording studios were gaining momentum. These musicians were the new wave of players, and because of their anti-suit wearing attitudes and disregard for the "No smoking in the studio" rule, they were dubbed "The Wrecking Crew" by the older generation of musicians. These guys (and singular girl, Carole Kaye who absolutely kills it on the bass) were Rock n' Roll professionals. A group of 20-30 players (no one is quite sure just how many members there were) made up the crew, and their fresh take on music, combined with their complete professionalism and talent, made them sought after by nearly everyone in the industry. From movies to television shows, The Wrecking Crew definitely kept busy– their spouses would say too busy.
Surf rock was extremely popular in the mid 6os with The Beach Boys at the peak of their fame. Brian Wilson, founder of the band, was regarded by the crew as a pure genius. He brought the ideas, and the crew brought the sounds. Ironically enough, they played on a majority of the Beach Boys records, which was unknown to most everyone. That "Pet Sounds" record you have? Yep, that was performed by The Wrecking Crew, only vocals by the Beach Boys. Glen Campbell, who became a solo artist years later, actually took over Wilson's guitar spot on the record. Glen Campbell, known today for his hits like "Gentle on My Mind" and "Wichita Lineman," originally got his start as a guitar player with The Wrecking Crew. And who did Campbell call upon when it was time for him to record his first album? His friends, his "Crew."
Nearly 60 years later, after the passing of many of its members (for whom the film is dedicated to during the end credits), The Wrecking Crew is finally getting some of the recognition they undoubtedly deserve. After watching this documentary, there is no way you'll be able to listen to another Beach Boys' song, Simon & Garfunkel record, or virtually any record from the 60s and 70s without thinking of the real men (and woman) who made it possible. Nowadays, the concept of the "studio musician" is outdated, many bands record independently or without additional musicians, and moreover, from electronic sampling of the original instruments. Denny Tedesco not only creates a vivid look at this special moment in history with The Wrecking Crew but finally gives these hardworking, extremely talented musicians, their turn in the spotlight.
The Wrecking Crew will open at Landmark’s Nuart Theatre in West LA, South Coast Village 3 in Santa Ana, and IFC Center 5 in New York.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SX5BCgmr7tg
Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Riley Stearns on 'Faults'
Artists, filmmakers, and genuinely best friends, Riley Stearns and Mary Elizabeth Winstead are about as cool of a couple that you can think of. Aside from being husband and wife, Stearns and Winstead paired up as director and actor to make Stearns' debut feature Faults, a thriller about one girl's forced attempt to break free from a mysterious and all consuming cult (a character that was written exclusively for Winstead, and is something, Stearns tells me, he can't wait to do again). Sitting down with the young writer-director and actress during our exclusive and enjoyable conversation, we talk about making his first movie, why getting blacklisted was a good thing, and the type of role Mary wants to play next–something that will requite her updating her hilariously outdated IMDB profile page. We begin:
SO THE FAULTS SCRIPT WAS BLACKLISTED, WHAT EXACTLY DOES THAT MEAN?
RILEY STEARNS: So agents and managers all vote on their favorite [unproduced] scripts of the year, and at the end they tally up the votes and you’re given a point value, the higher the points the better the score, [best scores end up on the Blacklist]. What’s weird about us ending up on that list is that we had already made the film when we ended up on it, so we weren’t an unproduced script.
MARY ELIZABETH WINSTEAD: We kind of made it under the radar…
RS: But not to manipulate anything, we were just a small movie! So I’m sitting in the editing room and I’m getting tweets and text messages from people like, “You’re on the Blacklist!” It is a big deal, especially because we were in the top 10. Had the film not been made, it would have been huge for us because I think it would have gotten read by even more people and actors, but the film worked out the way that it did for a reason. Everyone who was involved already really wanted to be there, not just because it was on something like the “Blacklist.”
IT’S FUNNY BECAUSE INITIALLY, GETTING “BLACKLISTED” SOUNDS LIKE A BAD THING.
RS: Yeah like Blackballed.
MEW: Haha I know!
WHAT PART OF MAKING THIS FILM DID YOU FIND MOST CHALLENGING?
MEW: I would say the initial casting and just getting it off the ground was the hardest part. We got our producers, which was such a wonderful thing knowing that somebody was going to actually fund this movie. That was incredible. After that, we didn’t really know how it all worked in terms of how you find your lead actor. Of course you get casting directors, but we were all over the map in terms of who Riley and I thought should do the movie. [Ansel Roth] is such a tough role, we didn’t know who could pull that off. The character goes so many places; he’s got to be funny, then he’s got to be sad.
RS: A lot of actors just look like models or are just boring, but we wanted a guy who had “lived.”
MEW: We wanted some life on his face.
RS: Leland just kind of fell into our laps and once that happened, everything was perfect and fell into place. I know it’s cliché to say, but I don’t think I could see anybody else playing this part other than Leland.
I’M ACTUALLY WATCHING ‘THE WIRE’ RIGHT NOW AND SEEING LANCE REDDICK WAS SO SURPRISING!
RS: I was a huge ‘Wire’ fan, Mary watched some episodes…
MEW: I would come in when he was watching it, but I never sat down and watched it
RS: I think she was shooting Scott Pilgrim vs. The World or something like that when I first started watching them. But yeah, Lance was about to work on ‘The Guest’ with our producer so they had met a few times and passed him the script. We had a few phone calls about the character he’d play and he was a little hesitant, I think he wanted the showier role, which is Terry, and I told him why he was actually better for this one part. He really liked what I had to say and trusted me, and showed up and knocked it out of the park.
The funny thing about him is he’s so different from his character on ‘The Wire’ that it’s almost disarming. He’s a really nice guy! He’s in the best shape out of anybody I’ve ever met; he walks in and he’s like the Terminator, looking like he’s posing and flexing all the time when in fact he’s just standing normal.
THE PART OF CLAIRE WAS WRITTEN EXCLUSIVELY FOR YOU MARY, DID YOU HAVE ANY RESERVATIONS OR FEEL ANY PRESSURE?
MEW: Both, yeah, haha. My reservations weren’t about [accepting the role], but being uncertain if I was the right person for it. I wanted the film to be great and I thought it was a really challenging role, and I didn’t know if I was a natural fit for it or if I was going to have to try to push to be this weird cult member girl and I was terrified of it coming off fake. There were all these fears I had in terms of just the performance. The more we talked about it and started having discussions with everybody, I was staring to feel more comfortable. Once we started shooting and the scenes were coming to life, I really stared having fun with it.
WHAT WAS THE LAST SCENE YOU SHOT?
RS: We actually got ahead of schedule by a day, so we ended up doing 19 days instead of 20, and the last scenes were supposed to be with the parents, but it ended up being that we were able to shoot the talk show segment, about six minutes long. We used this old vintage tube camera that has ghosting when you pan, really cheesy lighting, and I was the camera operator. It was the coolest way to end the shoot because everyone would die laughing.
MEW: Oh yeah, it was really funny.
RS: Everyone stuck around even though they didn’t need to be there anymore. And without us knowing, our producers set up a wrap party immediately after, so we just walked out of the parking lot of the sound stage and there were food trucks, people pulled up their car and played music out of them, we had a dance party. It was really fun.
MEW: It felt like a real celebration of “We just finished this,” and that’s so exciting.
I didn’t know if I was a natural fit for it or if I was going to have to try to push to be this weird cult member girl and I was terrified of it coming off fake.
I REALLY ENJOYED THE VARIATION OF INTERESTING CAMERA ANGLES IN THE FILM, SPECIFICALLY THE LONG TAKE DURING CLAIRE’S TALK WITH ANSEL.
RS: The cinematographer [Michael Ragen] got nervous because he had to zoom slower than the slowest setting the camera would do automatically, so a lot of it was on him to ride perfectly and end in this one frame with little margin of error. That was the most takes we did on anything, other than some really pivotal focus things, and I would say it was about 13 or 14 takes of that one scene.
I NOTICED THERE WAS A LACK OF A MUSICAL COMPONENT IN FAULTS, BUT I THOUGHT IT WORKED PERFECTLY. I FOUND THAT I WAS PAYING ATTENTION EVEN MORE.
RS: That’s nice to hear! One of my favorite films is Dogtooth and I think that’s the first time I noticed a film with a lack of a score. No Country For Old Men is the same, you don’t really notice it. The main thing for me is, I didn’t want to make somebody feel something through music, I wanted them to feel that way because they were experiencing the acting. I realized we were going to need a little bit of music here and there, so we brought on Heather McIntosh, who just did the film Z For Zachariah which premiered at Sundance. She only had two weeks to do the score, but she ran with it and I think it works really well. We were just in New York showing it and there was a really weird reaction at the end of the movie…
MEW: I never thought about that was probably because there was no music, I never thought about that until you said that.
RS: Totally.
MEW: That’s why people were so weirded out, it took people awhile before they were like… [ she slow claps 2-3 times].
RS: A lot of screening we’ve done, New York included, it finally gets to my name [in the credits] then you hear a couple of claps going. I think part of that is people are in a bit of a daze or state of shock and not sure what to feel. Maybe some people just don’t like it and that’s why they’re responding that way.
To read our review of Faults, click here.
WAS IT HARD FINDING THAT BALANCE BETWEEN “WORK MODE” AND “LIFE MODE,” BEING MARRIED AND ALL?
MEW: It’s kind of crazy how natural and easy it is, I think we really are the same people when we are at home or at work. We don’t have to put on different hats or anything.
RS: We just went into that mode too where it was professional once we got to set. The thing that people tell me, which is absolutely funny and weird and actually kind of cool, is that a lot of crew members didn’t know until the last day of shooting that we were married, let alone a couple. We kissed at the wrap party and there were people like, “Wait, are you guys together?”
THEN THEY’RE TEXTING TMZ…
RS: It’s so funny because we didn’t [hide anything] on purpose, but it’s a nice thing that people saw us as professional.
MEW: We’re lucky that we like working together and being around each other and we would always want to work together if we could. If he could write or direct every movie that I do, I would totally want that.
WHEN YOU TOLD YOUR FAMILY THAT YOU WERE DOING THIS MOVIE TOGETHER WERE THEY EXCITED?
MEW: Oh yeah.
RS: The people who would give us the weird reaction of, “Don’t do it, it’s going to ruin your marriage,” were people we didn’t know as well.
MEW: Yeah anybody who knew us knew that this was a really exciting thing because we’ve been working towards this for a long time.
DO YOU HAVE A POSTER OF FAULTS HANGING IN YOUR HOUSE?
RS: Not yet, but that’s the plan for the alternative poster.
MEW: Yeah the blue fits in really well in our house.
ARE YOU CURRENTLY WRITING ANOTHER SCRIPT?
RS: Subconsciously I can’t let go of this until it’s done and out in the world, but now that it’s almost there I’m finally really excited to write the next thing again. As soon as this is done I think I am going to take a couple of days and stay in a hotel with no Internet somewhere and outline, then come back and start getting to work. The next idea is a lead role for Mary. Keeping it in the family.
ARE YOU WRAPPING ON OTHER FILMS?
MEW: Right before the holidays I finished a film in New Orleans with John Goodman that J.J. Abrams produced, it’s another contained thriller. I have a TV show that starts airing a couple of days after Faults comes out. Now I’m just looking for the next thing to do, and waiting for him to write the next part for me.
I think a theme in a lot of the characters I’ve been playing lately, not really Claire so much, but a lot of other characters is that I like playing people who are trying to be good people but who mess up, then keep trying. Keep trying to be better and striving to figure their lives out. I feel like that’s relatable, and I like playing those kinds of parts.
RS: And superheroes.
MEW: And superheroes!
THERE YOU GO RILEY, YOUR NEXT PROJECT…
Faults is in select theaters and VOD today.