Pitt and Clooney still dazzling

I am heading back later today to the CineVegas film festival to catch among others "All God's Children Can Dance" and "Kurt Cobain About a Son." This is my favorite part of the film festival, during the weekdays when actual movies are easy to see and the crowds mellow. By this weekend things will pick up again as the star power increases to include appearances by Charlize Theron, Ben Kingsley, Anthony Hopkins and director Mike Newell.

Still, the amazing thing is that so much Vegas talk remains focused on the CineVegas opening last week. I don't think anyone in the local media really grasped in advance how huge that red carpet was going to be outside the Palms. I certainly include myself among those dumbfounded by the thousands of fans who turned out.

One publicist working the event told me that she does on average about 25 red carpets a year in Vegas, not including "club red carpets." Of the Brad Pitt and George Clooney extravaganza red carpet last week, she says: "During my ten years in Las Vegas, the Ocean's red carpet for the opening of CineVegas was the largest red carpet event I have been involved. We had over 200 media outlets (print, radio, photo and Internet) on the carpet. It also probably had the most star power at one time for any red carpet in Las Vegas in recent years."

So, many stars were on that red carpet in fact that no one seemed to miss the one person who wasn't there. Only this morning I realized, this might be the first red carpet I have covered in years that lacked Paris Hilton. Yet, no one in Vegas noticed.

(Photo by Sarah Gerke)

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10:03 AM PT, Jun 11 2007 in CineVegas | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)

CineVegas programmer picks festival highlights

Now that we are past the celebrity packed "Oceans Thirteen" opening, the more intense side of the CineVegas experience begins with 8 days of talks, independent and foreign movies, ceremonies and, as always, in Vegas, plenty of parties. I spoke with festival director Trevor Groth about some of this year's highlights.

Richard Abowitz: Is there any particular theme or tone that emerges from the films at this year's festivals?

Trevor Groth: We are continuing to do what we have done for the last five festivals, which is celebrating brand new, independent films, that in my mind are from outlaw filmmakers. These are people not afraid to take risks and to push the boundaries of filmmaking either aesthetically or dramatically. Along those lines we added a new section this year of Mexican films by first and second time directors out of Mexico. Those films expanded our international outreach but they embrace that same spirit of the American independent films. We are showcasing the films that really work well with the energy of Las Vegas.

Q: What are the must see films?

A: Despite the huge event of the Oceans's Thirteen opening night, the heart and soul of the festival are the American independents. This year we have some that are at as high a level that you can find anywhere. One would be "The Living Wake" directed by Sol Tryon. He produced a couple films that we premiered at Sundance in January. This is his directorial debut with a film that is a departure from those two films which were urban angst driven films. "The Living Wake" is completely original and bizarre and insightful. I think it is a very special film that is destined to become a cult classic if not reaching an even more widespread audience as well. Then there is a film: "All God's Children Can Dance." It is based on a Haruki Murakami short story of the same title. It is a first time director who comes from the commercial world, Robert Logevall. He displays an incredible filmmaking ability way beyond his experience as far as film goes. It is as beautifully crafted film as I've ever seen. It is a tone poem that really captures the essence of Murakami's writing. Those are two really incredible American independent films that we are really happy to premier at CineVegas.

Q: How has CineVegas changed over the years?

A: It has changed. With every year we have taken strides forward but this year we have taken a leap forward. I was always happy with the pace we were on and what we were doing. But now it feels like all the hard work has paid off in every way: from the films we are premiering, the Mexican films, to the studio films we are showing, to the sponsors we have this year. They realized what we've done in the past, and it has allowed us to do more of what we want to do, which is celebrate these films. I also think the honorees that we have this year are an incredible group of artists: Ben Kingsley, Anthony Hopkins, Charlize Theron, Mike Newell and, of course, Jerry Weintraub.

Q: If I made a little film and I wanted to get it shown in the festival, has it gotten a lot harder to get into CineVegas?

A: With the reputation getting out there more people want to get involved. We had a record number of submissions this year. It made our job a little more difficult in a way. But it makes the festival better. We had to get through a lot more sumissions, but I think we found a higher level of films. It is very competitive right now. But we've kept the festival the same size so that the films that are in the festival really get the exposure they deserve and really have their moment of spotlight in the festival and in Vegas. The resources we have at the Palms and around Vegas for parties and events for these films really creates that dynamic experience between the films and the festival and Las Vegas.

Q: Have the people you deal with gotten more used to the concept of an actual film festival in Las Vegas?

A: There is a split reaction when people think about a film festival in Vegas. There are people who think it is the craziest notion that they have ever heard; and, other people who think it makes perfect sense. For people who don't really get it, there minds' change when they come here and they see it. Las Vegas is expanding what it is and can be. It can be a cultural center as well as just an entertainment center. A film festival does both of those things.

Q: How many films do you see a year?

A: I see around 500 feature films and the same amount of short films.

Q: Out of those, how many do you think, are truly great?

A: That is a really good question. As a programmer, the first thing I learned doing this job is that you learn to find the good in all of the films you watch. If you focus on the negative aspects you will grow weary and start to become jaded about everything. So, I try to find the positive in all films. But how many do I think are great? It is a relatively small percentage.

Q: Can you name one film you've seen this year, either at CineVegas or not, that you think everyone needs to see. One that has greatness? What do I need to see?

A: I am going to stick with what I said earlier: "All God's Children Can Dance." It is a very special film made by a filmmaker who is going to go on to do many great things. I think it is a beautiful film.

(photo by Sarah Gerke)

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08:08 AM PT, Jun 8 2007 in CineVegas | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

5 lessons from CineVegas opening

Last night was the Ocean's Thirteen red capet. It launched the start of the annual 10 day CineVegas film festival. But no matter what happens during the rest of the festival, it is safe to say that this event was huge even by Vegas standards. The fans packed in rows 8 and 9 and even 10 people deep to see the stars, blocked the entire way into the casino.

I only got back inside the resort to get to the parking garage with the help of owner George Maloof, who escorted photographer Sarah Gerke and I back into Palms through a side door! And, no, I don't usually bother casino owners for stuff like that. There was no other elegant solution from where I was standing in the press area. My point: this was a huge crowd. Unlike many Vegas red carpets, this one, being outdoors, and truly accessible to the public, pulled in both locals and tourists in droves. Eruptions of screams were deafening with the appearance of major stars like Brad Pitt and George Clooney.

This is from my notes and reporting from the red carpet opening last night.

1. Brad Pitt looks exactly like a movie star. So, much so that the "working press" of the rope line were asking him for autographs and posing for what seemed souvenir photos. (In this photo you can see my shoulder and forlorn, ignored digital recorder.)

2. The standard for candor is very low with movie stars. Matt Damon mentioned the first Oceans movie stood out for him for being the only fun one to make. All the press listening were touched by his daring honesty.

3.You know LA is ruling a night in Vegas red carpet-land when the reporter next to you asks, "Who's that?" and you say: "Wayne Newton."

4. Being invited to cover the opening of a movie does not mean you are invited to see the movie. You are not.

5. Dennis Hopper, head of CineVegas creative advisory board, is always right, especially so when using any variation of the word paranoid: "I thought, Los Angeles and Las Vegas, these two great entertainment capitols that were paranoiac of each other. I thought they could do a lot with an exchange of cultures. So, I help in every way I can. I really love it."

(photo by Sarah Gerke)

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09:18 AM PT, Jun 7 2007 in CineVegas | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

CineVegas arrives

Suddenly Las Vegas has a hot and hip film festival. Actually, there is nothing sudden about it as CIneVegas has been building and growing for years. But some major hurdle has been cleared based on my informal accounting method of the numerous phone calls from national media and journalism friends asking me to write freelance articles on CineVegas (or, to lend out phone numbers that might help them with interviews and access). CineVegas has been dogged in achieving their current success. This is the festival that every year has Dennis Hopper creatively instrumental and, unlike a figurehead, he is always present during the day. If I had nerve, I could walk up and talk to Dennis Hopper any old time there. Maybe, this year, I will. CineVegas is the festival that managed to get Hunter S. Thompson to make his one trip back to Las Vegas before his death (since writing his famous Fear and Loathing book), and this is the festival that beat Oscar by honoring Helen Mirren a year earlier.

But even as a resident closely connected to entertainment (and, on top of that, the parent company of Las Vegas Weekly, where I am on staff, is owned by the parent company that owns CineVegas) I only made it to CineVegas for the first time last year. I am not a movie person. But it was nothing like my image of a film festival. I had a blast hanging with Artie Lange last year, and even more so seeing Hollywood and Vegas cultures meet and mingle. And, obviously, anything that brings a batch of independent movies to a Las Vegas casino's theatres is a great opportunity for locals. We do not get much in the way of movies that star Parker Posey in Las Vegas (that changes when her CineVegas film, "Broken English" is screened June 14).

Of course, it all starts in total Vegas fashion tonight with a screening of Ocean's Thirteen at the Palms with enough star power to blind the sun. Tonight I will be on the red carpet with valiant photographer Sarah Gerke trying to get my quotes and report for the Buffet on the theatrics, atmosphere and ambience of what happens when Brad Pitt, George Clooney, Matt Damon, Andy Garcia, Ellen Barkin, Elliot Gould and Jerry Weintraub are all gathered in Vegas.

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07:39 AM PT, Jun 6 2007 in CineVegas | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Vegas and Helen Mirren

Of course, cool things happen when you put Dennis Hopper in charge of a film festival. Still, usually Las Vegas is all about climbing on bandwagons. This is a town that never is the first to do anything. But today I am taking a little civic pride in our film festival, CineVegas, for getting a jump on the Academy in being all about Helen Mirren. Last June I was in the audience covering at the Palms as CineVegas honored Mirren for her lifetime achievements with the festival's Marquee Award. After the screening of a film in which she played Ayn Rand, a Q&A was held between Mirren and a New York Times' film critic. Mirren discussed playing Queen Elizabeth (a couple Queens Elizabeth, actually) in great detail. She also talked interestingly about being a not young woman in a youth obsessed business. Today CineVegas has that Q&A (with the always cool Dennis Hopper presiding in the background) up for all to see on its myspace.
(Photo by Sarah Gerke)

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12:14 PM PT, Feb 27 2007 in CineVegas | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Lange Interview Live From CineVegas

Artie Lange has not had an easy night. The Howard Stern Show funnyman says he is nursing a slight hangover and instead of checking him in under an alias, the Palms has listed his real name and people have been calling his room all night. That should be changed by the time you read this. Lange wants to play me one of the messages, so we head to his room. The message is a from a fan in Illinois who wants Lange to know he is loved, or at least that is the gist of the guy's obscenity-filled monologue.

"He called all night," Lange says. I digitally tape the message and promise to e-mail Lange the MP3. At first, I think it is for security reasons in case the guy is a psycho, but actually Lange is considering playing the weird message at his day job on Howard Stern's show.

For those not who don't follow Lange in his day job, the trip comes at a particularly fragile point in his life. Noted for his past excessive behaivor, Las Vegas has been the scene of some of Lange's most notorious debaucheries. Today, however, he comes to the den of temptation in the midst of a multiyear relationship which, as has been much discussed on the show, may be at its end.

Here is the text of my interview.

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02:48 PM PT, Jun 16 2006 in CineVegas | Permalink | Comments (56) | TrackBack (0)

I Interview Artie Lange Today

Thanks to popular demand, I am meeting Artie Lange at 12:30 p.m. in the Fantasy Tower at the Palms for a promised exclusive interview. CineVegas has a media center so I should be able to put the interview up on Movable Buffet for all of you as soon as I finish with Lange. Oh, I am also going to drop Jeff Beacher's name to Lange since they are buddies (Lange has headlined at Beacher's Madhouse) and Beacher may join us later tonight. I am learning about Artie Lange now from Wikipedia to prepare for our interview. Did he really throw a cantaloupe at his manager? This should be interesting.

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11:30 AM PT, Jun 16 2006 in CineVegas | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Artie Lange's Beer League Has Vegas Juice

I tend to measure an event's popularity by how many people try using me to juice their way into it. The winner of all time was a Madonna tour, years ago, shortly after I moved here; I received more than a dozen requests from people (most of whom I barely knew) who wanted me to score them free tickets. I remember being shocked back then, and those numbers are no longer possible since by now most people know better than to ask me. I almost always say no. Most events allow me to bring a guest and I tend to make that person drive us in exchange for getting in with me. I hate driving. Otherwise, unless it is for a story, I never help anyone get free anything.

Still, the calls come, usually a few a week: people who want tickets, people who want backstage, people coming to town who want a free hotel room or people who want a free meal at a pricey eatery. It would be outrageous in any other culture to ask for the things people I've hardly met feel perfectly comfortable asking me for here. But many people who live and play regularly in Las Vegas (including the ones who can easily afford an event) would never think of paying for it; such a lack of juice would be humiliating: better not go at all.

So, this brings us to CineVegas where the stars present for the festival include Dennis Hopper, Laurence Fishburne, Christina Ricci, Sylvester Stallone and Helen Mirren. Somewhat amazingly, I have not gotten a single request about any of these names. But yesterday everything changed, and it was a busy day on my cell phone and e-mail as a half-dozen people contacted me, some begging in shameful ways, hoping I could somehow, any way, even for a moment, help them meet Artie Lange when he walks the CineVegas red carpet tonight for "Artie Lange's Beer League."

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09:41 AM PT, Jun 16 2006 in CineVegas | Permalink | Comments (7) | TrackBack (0)

It’s the Movies, Stupid!

Now a computer professional, Max Levine used to review movies on a blog (before reviewing movies on a blog was popular, of course). He has happily agreed to come out of retirement for this review. —Richard Abowitz

Hi, Richard:
I realize that my last email about the movie festival didn't mention, y'know, movies, so here are some initial impressions of some of the films I saw at CineVegas. Enjoy!
Max Levine

In describing CineVegas in my previous piece, I managed to leave out any mention of, oh, the actual movies I saw. Yes, believe it or not, this festival is apparently about more than celebrity spotting (hey, that’s Laurence Fishburne! Oh, oh, there goes Bobcat Goldthwaite again — sans mustache; must have figured out some way to remove the ink. Whoops, there I go again). There are actual movies to see, and I’ve seen a bunch of them so far, so I thought I’d let you know what I thought about a few of them.

Probably the most memorable piece I’ve seen so far is Steven Kessler’s “5 Up 2 Down,” a powerful, painful-to-watch film about drug addiction, art and the cyclical nature of events. The movie follows two close friends, Santos and Hunter, through the five days of a massive cocaine binge; the title itself refers to these long stretches of partying, where the two men don’t sleep for five days, their energy entirely drug-fueled, then collapse to sleep for two days straight.

Kirk Acevedo is Santos, a popular party boy so wrapped up in his addiction that he neglects everything else, including his family (not exactly an unfamiliar screen image, but Acevedo is oddly likeable, even when he’s at his most disgusting). Isaach De Bankolé is Hunter, a gifted artist working on a major show, fighting a deadline and not wanting to face it or anything else. The affection between Hunter and Santos is palpable and rather moving; there’s never a question that one can’t depend on the other, and while they squabble over who gets to do the first hit from a fresh rock of crack, it’s more like two schoolboys fighting over the freshest cookie from the oven, not really caring who wins but enjoying the interplay. This almost-innocence is all the more effective given the squalid background and harsh brutality of their surroundings.

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Partying With Sharks

Last night the sharks from Hollywood and the ones from the ocean met at a Las Vegas aquarium. Photographer Sarah Gerke was there and sends this note along with her photographs. —Richard Abowitz

Amid the traditional entertainment choices on the Strip, the Shark Reef at Mandalay Bay is normally an oasis of nature and learning opportunities for kids and adults alike. Last night was an exception, as it was set up for a CineVegas party.

The first change I noticed from the usual setup was the sound. Normally they give you handheld devices that you can point at different creatures and hold to your ear to learn all kinds of information about the various species. Those devices were nowhere to be seen and all I could hear was the beautiful music of Frank Sinatra.

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A Day in CineVegas (A Night in the Ukraine)

This is from my friend Max, a computer professional from Boston who I've known for more than a decade. I should note that Max paid for his pass to CineVegas (and, with this e-mail, I guess, also for the use of my couch while here):

Hi, Richard:
Since I've been staying with you for CineVegas, I thought this might provide some interest for Movable Buffet.
—Max

Holy moly, that’s Dennis Hopper! Standing not eight feet away, wearing a very nice pale gray suit is Dennis freaking Hopper! No major entourage, no army of photographers snapping his picture, just him, looking calm, cool and self-possessed.

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11:23 AM PT, Jun 12 2006 in CineVegas | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)

"Skin City" Uncovered at CineVegas

The CineVegas film festival is happening at the Palms. On Saturday night I went to see a screening of a rough cut of "Skin City," a documentary about adult entertainment in Las Vegas.

The documentary is based on the book by Jack Sheehan, which I reviewed for the Las Vegas Weekly. In general, I liked Sheehan's book but noted that on a certain level it did not tell the full story. For example, there was a very positive profile of porn star Ashlyn Gere of which I argued:

"Gere is typical of the people Sheehan looks at in 'Skin City,' in that she is successful, with a highly developed entrepreneurial streak and no moral qualms about her work. Similarly he finds happy hookers, fulfilled swingers and, as for the strippers, one notes, 'I am going to dance as long as I possibly can. Where else can I make this kind of money and feel like a star?'

"So entertaining and satisfied with their lot are the characters in 'Skin City' that the fact that these people are not typical of the industry barely comes through. In a chapter profiling Metro's vice unit, an officer reflects on crack whores and the reasons why pimps prefer 15-year-old girls. None of the adult entertainers Sheehan profiles apparently have drug problems or pimps. In fact, one high-end escort actually — without irony — supports a crackdown on street prostitution."

This darker side of the adult business in Vegas also gets short shrift in the documentary. But this movie is still a work-in-progress with much footage yet to be added.

Final self-aggrandizing note. In the question and answer session afterward, Sheehan was asked how he had managed to avoid commentary from the ubiquitous Mayor Oscar Goodman in the documentary. He replied that an interview with Oscar Goodman was in fact one of the things yet to be added to the final cut of "Skin City." He then reminded the audience that the "most dangerous place to stand in Vegas is between Oscar and a TV camera." The line got a good laugh from the audience. And while it is an old joke applied to many a politician before Goodman, it is also a quote used in my review of Sheehan's book to tweak him a bit:

"Every local knows, 'that the 'most dangerous place to stand in Vegas is between Oscar and a TV camera.'' So, it is hard to be impressed when Jack Sheehan brags in his intro that he got the mayor for 'an exclusive interview for this book.' Wow."

Glad to see Sheehan agrees with me now.

(Photo: Sarah Gerke / Special to the Times)

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10:57 AM PT, Jun 12 2006 in CineVegas | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Inside The World's Most Dangerous Film Festival

Each year CineVegas has grown (last year more than 30,000 people attended CineVegas functions). This year is expected to be the biggest CineVegas yet. The event has settled into the small list of annual happenings that both excite locals and draw out-of-towners. CineVegas has buzz. Trevor Groth is the director of programming for this film festival, which starts Friday at the Palms and runs until June 17. Groth is also a senior programmer of the Sundance Film Festival.

Q: Why so interested in film festivals to work at two of them, and how did you wind up here in Vegas?
A: I grew up in Utah and always went up to the Sundance Festival. I fell in love with the mystique and magic of it. Growing up I always went to Las Vegas often for fun and I always thought that was a really special place. When I found out they were going to be starting a film festival there I thought that would be the perfect place to do the work.

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10:34 AM PT, Jun 7 2006 in CineVegas | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)

The World's Most Dangerous Film Festival

One of the ways in which I am out of step with Las Vegas is movies. I don't watch them. Of course, I doubt many tourists come to Las Vegas with the idea of seeing movies while in the Entertainment Capital of the World. But nonetheless we are a city obsessed with movies.

In part this is from being so close to Los Angeles. No place sends us more tourists than L.A. and many Las Vegas residents have moved from the Los Angeles area. Obviously, movie stars love to come to Vegas to play and the tourists love to watch them do so. As for the performers on the Strip, almost every headliner has been in at least one Hollywood movie at some point (even if it was "Miss Congeniality 2") and many of the show kids frequently commute to L.A. for auditions.

Meanwhile among the general Las Vegas folk, from casino executives to bell desk clerks, most everyone has a screenplay idea. (Oh, except me again: the only screenplays I've even read are the collected works of Preston Sturges). Still, because of the Strip's constant parade of events it has been difficult growing a true film culture in a town so focused on live entertainment. Las Vegas does not thrive by encouraging people to vanish from gambling for two hours to attend the cinema.

This is finally changing a tiny bit.

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09:47 AM PT, Jun 2 2006 in CineVegas | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)