Films gods be damned. After guesstimating its eventual arrival on the film fest circuit and tracking it since it first went into production back in 2012, I’m inclined to think that the shot in state of Washington production either hit a rough patch, needed a longer production schedule due to seasonal shifts in backdrops or, my latest theory: Robinson Devor concurrently worked on not one, but two projects: the other being Pow Wow, his latest documentary project. Devor began editing the film at the start of the year and as part of Park City fabric in the naughts with successive releases of The Woman Chaser (2000), Police Beat (2005) and Zoo (2007) – we may see the filmmaker double up his presence with You Can’t Win finally cutting the finish line ribbon. Cast includes Jeremy Allen White, Charles Baker, Julia Garner, Will Patton, Hannah Marks and Louisa Krause (look out for her perf...
- 11/14/2014
- by Eric Lavallee
- IONCINEMA.com
Hovering around the twenty-one to twenty-four feature film mark with at least a quarter of those films belonging to first time filmmakers, the Quinzaine des Realisateurs (a.k.a Directors’ Fortnight) has in the past couple of years, counted on a healthy supply of French, Spanish and Belgium produced film items, and has been geared towards the offbeat genre items as with last year’s edition curated by Edouard Waintrop and co. To be unveiled on the 22nd, as we attempted with our Critics’ Week predix, Blake Williams, Nicholas Bell and I (Eric Lavallee) are thinking out loud and hedging our bets on what the section might look like or what the programmers might be looking at for 2014. Here is our predictions overview:
Alleluia
Six years after presenting Vinyan at the Venice Film Festival, Fabrice Du Welz finally returns with potentially not one, but a pair of works for the ’14 campaign.
Alleluia
Six years after presenting Vinyan at the Venice Film Festival, Fabrice Du Welz finally returns with potentially not one, but a pair of works for the ’14 campaign.
- 4/16/2014
- by IONCINEMA.com Contributing Writers
- IONCINEMA.com
You Can’t Win
Director: Robinson Devor
Writers: Robinson Devor, Michael Pitt, Barry Gifford and Charles Mudede
Producers: Robert Scarff, Zach Sebastian, Michael Pitt
U.S. Distributor: Rights Available
Cast: Jeremy Allen White, Michael Pitt, Charles Baker, Julia Garner, Will Patton, Hannah Marks, Louisa Krause
If the movie gods were fair to us, they’d unveil Robinson Devor (The Woman Chaser (2000), Police Beat (2005) and Zoo (2007)) in the year that ends in ’14.
Gist: Scripted by Devor, Pitt, , this is an adaptation of adventurer Jack Black’s 1926 autobiographical novel of the same name which tells of his experiences in the hobo underworld, freight-hopping around the still Wild West of the United States and Canada while he explores the topics of crime, addiction, criminal justice and human folly from various viewpoints. The drama is centered on the unusual friendship between Black (Pitt) and a young prostitute (Marks).
Release Date: Cannes if hopefully it’s first “pitt” stop.
Director: Robinson Devor
Writers: Robinson Devor, Michael Pitt, Barry Gifford and Charles Mudede
Producers: Robert Scarff, Zach Sebastian, Michael Pitt
U.S. Distributor: Rights Available
Cast: Jeremy Allen White, Michael Pitt, Charles Baker, Julia Garner, Will Patton, Hannah Marks, Louisa Krause
If the movie gods were fair to us, they’d unveil Robinson Devor (The Woman Chaser (2000), Police Beat (2005) and Zoo (2007)) in the year that ends in ’14.
Gist: Scripted by Devor, Pitt, , this is an adaptation of adventurer Jack Black’s 1926 autobiographical novel of the same name which tells of his experiences in the hobo underworld, freight-hopping around the still Wild West of the United States and Canada while he explores the topics of crime, addiction, criminal justice and human folly from various viewpoints. The drama is centered on the unusual friendship between Black (Pitt) and a young prostitute (Marks).
Release Date: Cannes if hopefully it’s first “pitt” stop.
- 2/26/2014
- by Eric Lavallee
- IONCINEMA.com
A return visitor at the festival for all three of his feature films The Woman Chaser (2000), Police Beat (2005) and Zoo (2007), I’m feeling good about the chances of seeing Robinson Devor make it a four-peat. A period film that was shot over a pair of seasons, we’ve been anticipating this passion project for a while now. You Can’t Win stars Michael Pitt, Jeremy Allen White, Will Patton, Hannah Marks, Louisa Krause and Julia Garner.
Gist: Scripted by Devor, Pitt, Barry Gifford and Charles Mudede, this is an adaptation of adventurer Jack Black’s 1926 autobiographical novel of the same name which tells of his experiences in the hobo underworld, freight-hopping around the still Wild West of the United States and Canada while he explores the topics of crime, addiction, criminal justice and human folly from various viewpoints. The drama is centered on the unusual friendship between Black (Pitt) and...
Gist: Scripted by Devor, Pitt, Barry Gifford and Charles Mudede, this is an adaptation of adventurer Jack Black’s 1926 autobiographical novel of the same name which tells of his experiences in the hobo underworld, freight-hopping around the still Wild West of the United States and Canada while he explores the topics of crime, addiction, criminal justice and human folly from various viewpoints. The drama is centered on the unusual friendship between Black (Pitt) and...
- 11/22/2013
- by Eric Lavallee
- IONCINEMA.com
You Can’t Win
Director: Robinson Devor
Writer(s): Devor, Barry Gifford and Michael Pitt
Producer(s): Parts & Labor’s Lars Knudsen and Jay Van Hoy, Robert Scarff, Zach Sebastian, Michael Pitt.
U.S. Distributor: Rights Available
Cast: Michael Pitt, Jeremy Allen White, Will Patton, Hannah Marks, Louisa Krause, Julia Garner
With such a strong filmography to date in The Woman Chaser, Police Beat, and Zoo, Robinson Devor’s fourth feature is certainly his most challenging endeavor yet. You Can’t Win includes the heavy participation from its lead actor in Michael Pitt and it takes on what is referenced as “one of the most influential books in the American literary underground.” Could be a great indie surprise that didn’t debut in Park City.
Gist: Scripted by Devor, Pitt, Barry Gifford and Charles Mudede, this is an adaptation of adventurer (Pitt) Jack Black’s 1926 autobiographical novel of...
Director: Robinson Devor
Writer(s): Devor, Barry Gifford and Michael Pitt
Producer(s): Parts & Labor’s Lars Knudsen and Jay Van Hoy, Robert Scarff, Zach Sebastian, Michael Pitt.
U.S. Distributor: Rights Available
Cast: Michael Pitt, Jeremy Allen White, Will Patton, Hannah Marks, Louisa Krause, Julia Garner
With such a strong filmography to date in The Woman Chaser, Police Beat, and Zoo, Robinson Devor’s fourth feature is certainly his most challenging endeavor yet. You Can’t Win includes the heavy participation from its lead actor in Michael Pitt and it takes on what is referenced as “one of the most influential books in the American literary underground.” Could be a great indie surprise that didn’t debut in Park City.
Gist: Scripted by Devor, Pitt, Barry Gifford and Charles Mudede, this is an adaptation of adventurer (Pitt) Jack Black’s 1926 autobiographical novel of...
- 1/14/2013
- by Eric Lavallee
- IONCINEMA.com
Naturally, helmer Robinson Devor is a great fit for Park City – a former lab participant, his entire filmography in The Woman Chaser (Sundance ’00), Police Beat (Sundance ’05) and Zoo (Sundance ’07) have been presented at the fest: For his fourth feature, Devor took on the weighty task of adapting what is referenced as “one of the most influential books in the American literary underground.” Unless there are seasonal inserts to be added, we consider You Can’t Win to be full prepped as filming began in Devor’s backyard (state of Washington) in April/May of this year (set pics here). Worth noting is that Michael Pitt makes a return of sorts to the big screen — not since 2007′s Funny Games U.S. had he been on film and its appears to be a passion project for the thesp who is credited as a contributing writer and producer. Cast along his side is...
- 11/22/2012
- by Eric Lavallee
- IONCINEMA.com
Above: Publicity still from John Parker's Dementia (1955).
Rep houses in San Francisco, like those in most American cities, are struggling to stay open. But for something like thirty nights a year, the clouds lift and big crowds materialize for films of the past: call it the noir exception. To be sure, one needn’t actually attend the Film Noir Foundation’s annual Noir City festival at the Castro or Elliot Lavine’s grittier programs at the Roxie to know that the generic fantasy of film noir (style, sex and violence washed together) still holds powerful allure. You could hardly miss the bus stop advert for Rockstar Games’ latest blockbuster, L.A. Noire, outside the Roxie during Lavine’s latest marathon, “I Wake Up Dreaming: The Legendary and the Lost”. For those of us still invested in the non-interactive cinema experience, however, the popularity of these series is a remarkable if curious thing.
Rep houses in San Francisco, like those in most American cities, are struggling to stay open. But for something like thirty nights a year, the clouds lift and big crowds materialize for films of the past: call it the noir exception. To be sure, one needn’t actually attend the Film Noir Foundation’s annual Noir City festival at the Castro or Elliot Lavine’s grittier programs at the Roxie to know that the generic fantasy of film noir (style, sex and violence washed together) still holds powerful allure. You could hardly miss the bus stop advert for Rockstar Games’ latest blockbuster, L.A. Noire, outside the Roxie during Lavine’s latest marathon, “I Wake Up Dreaming: The Legendary and the Lost”. For those of us still invested in the non-interactive cinema experience, however, the popularity of these series is a remarkable if curious thing.
- 6/13/2011
- MUBI
William Monahan is in discussions to adapt The Chaser, a Korean thriller whose remake rights were just picked up by Warner Bros. for mid-six figures.
Leonardo DiCaprio is circling the lead role of an ex-cop who goes on the warpath trying to find a missing girl. The girl, who may or may not be alive, is being used by a serial killer to taunt the police.
Vertigo Entertainment's Roy Lee and Doug Davison, who specialize in bringing Asian fare to American audiences, will produce along with Dan Lin, the former Warner exec who in January segued to producing. Monahan also will produce.
Chaser, from director Na Hong-jin, has been a hit in Korea, grossing more than $20 million, and was pre-sold to France, Benelux, Greece and Hong Kong at Berlin's European Film Market last month.
Chaser would reunite the team behind the Oscar-winning hit The Departed. DiCaprio starred in that adaptation of the Hong Kong hit Infernal Affairs, for which Monahan won a best adapted screenplay Oscar.
Leonardo DiCaprio is circling the lead role of an ex-cop who goes on the warpath trying to find a missing girl. The girl, who may or may not be alive, is being used by a serial killer to taunt the police.
Vertigo Entertainment's Roy Lee and Doug Davison, who specialize in bringing Asian fare to American audiences, will produce along with Dan Lin, the former Warner exec who in January segued to producing. Monahan also will produce.
Chaser, from director Na Hong-jin, has been a hit in Korea, grossing more than $20 million, and was pre-sold to France, Benelux, Greece and Hong Kong at Berlin's European Film Market last month.
Chaser would reunite the team behind the Oscar-winning hit The Departed. DiCaprio starred in that adaptation of the Hong Kong hit Infernal Affairs, for which Monahan won a best adapted screenplay Oscar.
ThinkFilm
PARK CITY -- Robinson Devor's "Zoo" removes itself from the realm of bawdy jokes to examine the shocking 2005 incident in which a Seattle businessman died of a perforated colon after having intercourse with a stallion. The death led to an investigation into a horse ranch near the town of Enumclaw, where videotapes were discovered of men having sex with horses. Since bestiality isn't a crime in Washington, no one was charged, but, ironically, the horse in question was gelded.
As one would expect, the media and its pundits had a field day with the sensational news. Devor takes such an opposite approach that anyone seeking a cheap thrill will be soundly disappointed with "Zoo". Whether meaning to or not, Devor and his accomplished crew expand our concept of the documentary film, which relegates this docu to art houses, not porn theaters.
Devor, whose previous films have been features ("The Woman Chaser", "Police Beat"), screenwriter-journalist Charles Mudede and cinematographer Sean Kirby reject many of the techniques one associates with documentary filmmaking in favor of an impressionistic study of men who surrender to extreme appetites.
Necessity may be the mother of invention here since the protagonist was dead and many individuals did not want to appear on camera. In any event, "Zoo" utilizes dramatization, much as Errol Morris did in 1988 with "The Thin Blue Line". With these staged scenes, featuring either actors or actual participants, the film examines the phenomenon of "zoophiles," a community that gathers first online and then in clandestine meetings where such appetites are taken for granted.
The men speak with remarkable candor of their "love" for animals, portraying this as a natural desire and not as a morally repugnant activity. While the repulsed judgments of others seep into the film through sound bites from talk radio, mostly the film lets members of the apparently all-male society of zoo speak for themselves.
When one man insists that the sex takes place "with an intelligent being who is very happy to participate," you recognize the need to rationalize. How do they know the horse is "happy to participate"? Mostly, these are men cut off from friendships in human society; indeed, they don't like to deal with human relationships all that much.
Cool, lush, dark colors reflect the gray Washington skies. Joe Shapiro's lyrical editing deliberately emphasizes the bucolic, while Paul Matthew Moore's score has an ominous, Philip Glass-like quality.
PARK CITY -- Robinson Devor's "Zoo" removes itself from the realm of bawdy jokes to examine the shocking 2005 incident in which a Seattle businessman died of a perforated colon after having intercourse with a stallion. The death led to an investigation into a horse ranch near the town of Enumclaw, where videotapes were discovered of men having sex with horses. Since bestiality isn't a crime in Washington, no one was charged, but, ironically, the horse in question was gelded.
As one would expect, the media and its pundits had a field day with the sensational news. Devor takes such an opposite approach that anyone seeking a cheap thrill will be soundly disappointed with "Zoo". Whether meaning to or not, Devor and his accomplished crew expand our concept of the documentary film, which relegates this docu to art houses, not porn theaters.
Devor, whose previous films have been features ("The Woman Chaser", "Police Beat"), screenwriter-journalist Charles Mudede and cinematographer Sean Kirby reject many of the techniques one associates with documentary filmmaking in favor of an impressionistic study of men who surrender to extreme appetites.
Necessity may be the mother of invention here since the protagonist was dead and many individuals did not want to appear on camera. In any event, "Zoo" utilizes dramatization, much as Errol Morris did in 1988 with "The Thin Blue Line". With these staged scenes, featuring either actors or actual participants, the film examines the phenomenon of "zoophiles," a community that gathers first online and then in clandestine meetings where such appetites are taken for granted.
The men speak with remarkable candor of their "love" for animals, portraying this as a natural desire and not as a morally repugnant activity. While the repulsed judgments of others seep into the film through sound bites from talk radio, mostly the film lets members of the apparently all-male society of zoo speak for themselves.
When one man insists that the sex takes place "with an intelligent being who is very happy to participate," you recognize the need to rationalize. How do they know the horse is "happy to participate"? Mostly, these are men cut off from friendships in human society; indeed, they don't like to deal with human relationships all that much.
Cool, lush, dark colors reflect the gray Washington skies. Joe Shapiro's lyrical editing deliberately emphasizes the bucolic, while Paul Matthew Moore's score has an ominous, Philip Glass-like quality.
- 1/26/2007
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
- White text over a black screen begins the story: a man is dropped off at an emergency room in a rural section Washington. The man is suffering from massive internal bleeding, his colon destroyed, and dies. Police use surveillance camera footage to track the car to an isolated horse farm and discover hours of video footage of men having sex with horses. And thus begins Zoo from director Robinson Devor (his third doc to screen at Sundance, his previous credits include the critically acclaimed The Woman Chaser and Police Beat), making it’s world premiere in the Documentary Competition. The film is very sympathetic to it’s subjects, many of which who agreed to appear as themselves on camera (several of which declined). Devor successfully creates a portrait of a group of men who connect with each other over the internet, and then eventually in person at an isolated
- 1/23/2007
- IONCINEMA.com
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