On this episode of Sound on Film we offer our thoughts on director Scott Cooper’s “Crazy Heart” followup “Out of the Furnace”, starring Christian Bale and Casey Affleck, as well as “Prince Avalanche," a refreshingly minimalist indie comedy from raunchy-com director David Gordon Green (Eastbound and Down, Pineapple Express).But first, it’s Around the Filmosphere, with word of a second FX series for comedian Louis C.K., “ Spectacular Now” director James Ponsoldt’s push for a Hillary Clinton biopic at Lionsgate, and a new segment of micro-stories called Gut Check (insert echo, echo, echo). Listen to the podcast below: ; Gut Check Stories (00:35)
- “American Hustle” director David O. Russell wants to make a musical with actress Amy Adams. (source)
- “Arrested Development” creator Mitch Hurwitz to directfirst feature- nothing to do with “Arrested Development."
- The Coen brothers are writing a “scandal” film set in ancient Rome.
- DC Entertainmentdefies conventional logic;goes low budget for comic-book films in 2014.
Louie C.K. Developing Another Series at FX (09:15) FX has inked a deal with comedian Louis C.K. to produce a second TV series for the network. This will come in addition to C.K.’s current series “ Louie," which returns to FX in March of 2014 for a fourth season after a one-year hiatus during which the comedian doubled-down on his standup work and played a supporting role in Woody Allen’s film “ Blue Jasmine." C.K. will oversee the creation and execution of the show as an executive producer, with the option to take a more hands-on writer/director role (as with “Louie”) at his discretion. Here's the full story via Deadline Hollywood. Buzzworthy Director James Ponsoldt Pushing “Rodham” for Lionsgate (14:50) “Spectacular Now” director James Ponsoldt is now auditioning actresses for the role of Hillary Clinton in his production of “Rodham.” The script, a longtime member of Hollywood’s “Black List” of the best unproduced scripts (like “Spectacular Now” before it), details the formative years of the former first lady. This current push at Lionsgate comes on the heels of multiple scuttled projects. A planned miniseries for NBC and a CNN documentary were both canned after the Republican National Committee voted to bar the networks from their 2016 Presidential debates because of a perceived bias. Check out this recent chat with Ponsoldt via Variety.
- "Out of the Furnace" (19:50)
Scott Cooper’s “Crazy Heart” follow-up stars Christian Bale and Casey Affleck as rust belt brothers Russell and Rodney Baze. A steel mill welder, Russell returns home from a stint in prison to discover Rodney has turned to making money in underground fights. When Rodney disappears and the law wants nothing to do with it, it is up to his brother to sort things out by any means necessary. Bale and Affleck are joined onscreen by Woody Harrelson, Forest Whitaker, Willem Dafoe, Zoë Saldanaand Sam Shepard. Here, Slashfilm interviews Scott Cooper.
- "Prince Avalanche" (33:30)
David Gordon Green’s latest takes place on a stretch of rural Texas highway in the summer of 1988. The surrounding forests and settlements have all been scorched by a real-life wildfire, with Paul Rudd (Alvin) and Emile Hirsche (Lance) working the newly repaired road, painting yellow lines and hammering in posts with red traffic reflectors. What begins as a relationship of obligation (Alvin dates Lance’s older sister) becomes much more as both men discover they have a lot left to learn. Also incorporating a pair of excellent non-actors, the film is an intriguing departure from the director of “Pineapple Express." “Prince Avalanche” is currently available via Video on Demand. Here's FirstShowing's interview with David Gordon Green. Subscribe to Sound on Film using this link. Find us on Facebook here. Special thanks to house band Discount Guns.
