All Over Albany

Ass Backwards closer to release?

What we think is a still from the movie. (We grabbed it from the Kickstarter page.)

Ass Backwards -- AKA Sister Spirit, AKA that movie that shot in Center Square and other parts of the Capital Region during summer 2010 -- was sold this week to a distributor, and IMBD has it listed for a 2012 release (with no specific date). [Media Mikes] [Variety]

Production on the film -- a comedy starring June Diane Raphael, Casey Wilson, Alicia Silverstone, Jon Cryer, Vincent D'Onofrio and a few other names you might recognize -- had stopped last year after financing for the project fell through, leaving many of the project's bills unpaid. Raphael and Wilson, who wrote the film, raised more than $50k on Kickstarter this past summer to help finish the project. [TU]

The description of the film from the Kickstarter page:

The story follows loveable losers Kate and Chloe who fancy themselves as high powered stylish New York City gals- even though they share a water bed, sell their eggs for cash and think a table at Starbucks is a corner office. They take a road trip back to their hometown to claim the beauty pageant crown that eluded them as children.

One of the movie's producers is Molly Conners, an Albany native who also worked on Frozen River.

[via Justin, who says the production still owes him money]

Palace Theater movie series 2011-2012

The Palace announced the lineup for its 2011-2012 movie series today (the topic came up recently).

The series starts October 24 with the Rocky Horror Picture Show. The rest of the schedule after the jump.

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The Virgin Alexander screening

Virgin Alexander directors Charlotte Barrett and Sean Fallon during a post-screening Q&A.

We had a lot of fun last night at the two Virgin Alexander screenings at The Spectrum.

It was good to finally see the indie comedy that shot in Saratoga last summer. And it was interesting to hear from writer/directors Charlotte Barrett and Sean Fallon in the post-screening Q&A. (Q: How did a Rensselaer County sheriff's department car end up in the movie? A: What sheriff's department car...)

Thanks to everyone who came to the screenings. We were very happy to meet so many people again -- and meet others for the first time. (Tim looks just like his Twitter thumbnail when properly framed.) And many thanks to The Spectrum and New World Bistro Bar for working with us on the event.

A few more pics from the night are after the jump.

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A few tickets left for Virgin Alexander screening at The Spectrum

Just a quick reminder that a few tickets are left for the 9 pm screening tonight of Virgin Alexander at The Spectrum. The 6:30 pm screening for the indie comedy shot in Saratoga last summer is already sold out.

The film's writers/directors -- Sean Fallon (a Saratoga native) and Charlotte Barrett -- will be there tonight to introduce the film and answer questions afterward.

Tickets are $9.25, the regular price for a movie at the Spectrum. You can buy them online until 2 pm. If you're planning to go, it's probably a good idea to buy ahead -- it looks like the second screening will also sell out.

After 2 pm, remaining tickets will be available at the Spectrum box office starting at 3 pm.

Yep, AOA organized these screenings.

Tickets for Virgin Alexander

Rick Faugno and Bronson Pinchot in a scene shot in the Adirondack Trust building.

OK, change of plan: we're just giving away the tickets -- and extended the deadline. (original post after the jump)

We're giving away two tickets to the soldout 6:30 pm screening of Virgin Alexander at the Spectrum on August 3. If you'd like to enter the drawing for them, answer this question in the comments:

What's your favorite movie comedy and why?

That's it. We'll draw a name at random.

As mentioned above, the 6:30 pm screening on August 3 is sold out. But we were able to add a second screening at 9 pm. There are still tickets available for the second screening. They're $9.25 (the regular price for a movie at the Spectrum). You can buy tickets online -- which we recommend, because the second screening is already about half full.

Important: Comments must be submitted by 5 pm Friday (July 29, 2011). You must answer the question completely to be in the drawing. And you must include a working email address (that you check regularly). The winner will be notified by noon on Saturday and must respond by 9 am Monday (August 1).

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Second Virgin Alexander screening added

After the first AOA-organized screening of Virgin Alexander at The Spectrum sold out in something like a day and a half, we started getting questions about whether there might be a second screening. And we now have an answer: yes!

The second screening will be the same day, August 3, at 9 pm. As with the 6:30 screening, the directors -- Sean Fallon and Charlotte Barrett -- will be there to introduce the film and answer questions afterward.

Virgin Alexander stars Rick Faugno, Paige Howard, Bronson Pinchot, and Mika Boorem. The indie comedy was shot last summer in Saratoga (Sean Fallon's a Saratoga native). Here's a recent review. The trailer is embedded above. You'll recognize a bunch of locations.

Tickets for the screening are available online. They're $9.25, the regular price for a movie at The Spectrum.

Earlier on AOA:
+ Virgin Alexander
+ An interview with Sean Fallon and Charlotte Barrett

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Virgin Alexander at the The Spectrum

Update: We've arranged for a second screening the same day.
____

We've been curious to see Virgin Alexander, the indie comedy that was shot last year in Saratoga. So we organized a screening.

Virgin Alexander will screen at The Spectrum on August 3. Directors Sean Fallon (a Saratoga native) and Charlotte Barrett will be there for a Q&A. And the first 50 people to buy a ticket for the screening will also get an invite to an after-party at the New World Bistro Bar just down the block.

Tickets are $9.25, the regular price for a movie at The Spectrum.

Virgin Alexander stars Rick Faugno, Paige Howard, Bronson Pinchot, and Mika Boorem. Here's a recent review. The trailer is embedded above. You'll recognize a bunch of spots in Saratoga.

The film just screened in New York City this past weekend at VisionFest. It was nominated for five awards and won for editing.

This Spectrum screening is the first and only currently scheduled local showing of the film. You can buy tickets online -- and you should, if you're planning to go. We've heard a lot of people asking about a local screening, so we expect a full house. It should be a good time.

Earlier on AOA:
+ Virgin Alexander
+ An interview with Sean Fallon and Charlotte Barrett

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Scouting the places beyond the pines

There were a few reports this week that pre-production crews for The Place Beyond the Pines, the movie starring Ryan Gosling and Bradley Cooper, were scouting locations around the Schenectady area.

Jason tweeted that the film's director, Derek Cianfrance, actually stopped by his house Thursday. And @BUNKRE shared the flyer a location scout had left on his house in the Old Niskayuna neighborhood. That's the flyer on the right -- there's a bigger version after the jump.

The flyer says crews are "tentatively scheduled" to film in the neighborhood sometime in September. And the description of the film:

Luke [Ryan Gosling] is a professional motorcycle rider who turns to bank robberies to support his newborn son. But when he crosses paths with a rookie police officer [Bradley Cooper] their violent confrontation spirals into a tense generational feud. THE PLACE BEYOND THE PINES is a rich dramatic thriller that traces the intersecting lives of fathers and sons, cops and robbers, heroes and villains.

It's not any more far-fetched than Angelina Jolie jumping from trucks while being chased by the CIA with the Albany skyline in the background.

By the way: the name Schenectady comes from a Mohawk word that roughly means "beyond the pine plains."

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Skipping ahead to the good parts

Hey, that's not Washington, DC...

Amy pointed out recently that both Salt and The Other Guys are now available for streaming from Netflix -- which makes it a lot easier to just watch the scenes shot in Albany.

If you're so inclined, here's where the Albany scenes show up...

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Like Salt in a wound

Angelina, how could you?

Akum pointed this out the other day: Albany gets no love in the credits for Salt.

New York City, New York State, Westchester County, and the Washington Metro all get a "special thanks" -- but not the city that contributed its Beltway-like overpasses. The city with an "elaborate freeway system" specifically praised by the director of the movie, and touted as a "supporting character" in one of the action scenes.

Well. We feel a little used.

Earlier on AOA:
+ So, is Salt any good?
+ More Angelina and more Albany
+ That's Angelina and that's Albany

Q-Fest at Proctors

Q-Fest, Proctors' LGBTQ film festival, begins tonight.

If you're thinking about going, but can't figure out which movie(s) you want to see, we've got the synopses and reviews below. There's a whole range of films -- from serious activist documentaries, to the campy ABBA-soundtracked films...

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Confirmed: EMPAC looked at for Iron Man 3

After mentioning the rumors about EMPAC possibly being used as location for the next Iron Man movie on Monday, we heard from multiple sources that members of the RPI administration talked about the possibility at this week's Student Senate meeting. So we followed up for an official confirmation.

And here it is, via EMPAC media rep Jason Steven Murphy:

We can further confirm, as you have seen around the internet, that Marvel was given a tour some time back in regards to possibly using EMPAC as a location for the "Iron Man 3" shoot.

So, there you go. Giving a location scout a tour is a long way from Robert Downey Jr actually showing up in EMPAC's lobby. But it's a fun thought, right?

ComicBookMovie.com reported that EMPAC was being scouted as "the secret lab of the unspecified villain in Iron Man 3." If this unspecified villain's MO includes using mixed-media in non-standard narrative performances, you gotta figure EMPAC's at the top of the list.

Iron Man 3 is slated to be released in May 2013 (the character will make an appearance in the Avengers movie slated for 2012). So, you figure shooting (wherever it happens) will probably start sometime late next year or in early 2012.

Earlier on AOA: EMPAC for Iron Man 3?

EMPAC for Iron Man 3?

Fit for a villain?

Update December 1, 2010 RPI has confirmed a location scout did tour EMPAC for possibly using it in Iron Man 3.
____

Totally unconfirmed, should-be-taken-with-a-shaker-of-salt rumor of the day: EMPAC is being scouted as a location for the next Iron Man movie.

From a post last week at ComicBookMovie.com:

And I was also tipped months ago that from an attendee, a Marvel Studios rep took a tour of the Experimental Media Performing Arts Center (EMPAC), location scouting for a place in the multi-venue center, located in Troy, New York to act as the secret lab of the unspecified villain in Iron Man 3. The attendee included that no decision was final, but was under consideration.

For what it's worth, this same rumor popped up in an IMDB comment thread in September. And EMPAC does look the part.

We contacted EMPAC's media rep, Jason Steven Murphy, to see what was up. His response via email:

EMPAC at Rensselaer is always involved in numerous ongoing discussions with various parties, related to work and/or performances that could take place here. As a matter of policy, we generally do not make any announcements until and if any final arrangements have been made and agreements have been signed.

OK, kind of what we expected. But it wasn't a denial, either.

Iron Man 3 is slated to be released in May 2013 (Iron Man -- and Robert Downey Jr -- will make an appearance in the Joss Whedon-directed Avengers movie in 2012). So, you figure shooting (wherever it happens) will probably start sometime late next year or in early 2012.

Virgin Alexander coming along

Paige Howard on the left, Mika Boorem in the center

It looks like Virgin Alexander, the indie film that shot in Saratoga this past summer, is almost finished. Based on the updates posted to the film's Facebook page, editing on the film is finished and they're working on the final mix.

The page also has a bunch of photos from the shoot.

Virgin Alexander was written and directed by Sean Fallon and Charlotte Barrett (Fallon grew up in Saratoga). The film features Rick Faugno (as Alexander), Bronson Pinchot (yep, Cousin Balki), Mika Boorem (Dawson's Creek) and Paige Howard (daughter of Ron).

Earlier on AOA:
+ Virgin Alexander
+ An interview with Sean Fallon and Charlotte Barrett

photo via Virgin Alexander Facebook

FilmColumbia

The trailer for Tiny Furniture

The annual FilmColumbia festival in Chatham starts up this Wednesday and runs through Sunday. This year's slate of films looks very good.

Here's the full schedule. A bunch of films that caught our attention are after the jump.

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30 years of The Spectrum

Good movies -- and your feet don't stick to the floor.

The Spectrum is celebrating its 30th anniversary of operation this Sunday. And they're giving away free popcorn to people attending movies that day (real butter!).

A little bit about the history of the Spectrum, from a press release:

In 1980, Scott Meyer, Annette Nanes, Keith Pickard, and Sugi Pickard acquired and renovated the Third Street Theatre in Rensselaer, NY to program repertory cinema. In 1983 they bought the former Delaware Theater on Delaware Ave. in Albany and eventually expanded their programming and the number of screens to 8. In 2005, The Ultraviolet Café, serving fair trade coffee and teas, smoothies, paninis, and soups was added next door. The four partners still operate the Spectrum.

Delaware Ave is looking really good these days -- thanks to the reconstruction, but also because of a bunch of new (and good) businesses along there. It'd be hard to imagine all that development without the Spectrum anchoring that stretch.

Metropolis at Proctors

This could be cool: Proctors is showing the remastered version of Metropolis, the landmark 1926 film by Fritz Lang. The silent film will be accompanied by a new score written for -- and played live on -- Proctors' Wurlitzer organ.

Metropolis includes some striking imagery -- especially for its time. This new version of the film also features 25 minutes from the original that were thought to be lost -- until someone found the footage in archive in Argentina in 2008. The newly put-back-together version of the film debuted earlier this year.

There will be two screenings at Proctors -- this coming Sunday (at 2 pm) and Monday (7:30 pm). Tickets are $10 ahead of time, $12 at the door.

NY Post gives harsh thumbs down to local kid film critic

You've probably seen Jackson Murphy, a local 11-year-old, do movie reviews on YNN. He goes by the name "Lights Camera Jackson." He started reviewing movies when he was seven.

Murphy's gotten a lot of attention for his reviews. He's won an Emmy. He's interviewed Jane Lynch (you know, from Glee). And in July, he appeared on the CBS Early Show (embedded above).

That CBS appearance set off NY Post film critic Kyle Smith. From his almost-800-word piece:

Leave aside that our latest cultural commentator is too young to see PG-13 movies. Forget the shouty nonsense he thinks equals a movie review. Let's get to the real issue: me. Am I jealous? As Jackson would put it, "Of COURSE!"

Being a movie critic these last five years has been like Act 3 of a slasher flick. What happened to all my friends?

If there are beaming 11-year-old stage monsters who can do my job well enough to be on national television, WHY DIDN'T I GO TO LAW SCHOOL?

Dude. A little touchy, huh.

Smith's piece did include this bit we hadn't known: Jackson Murphy is the son of former WTEN sport anchor Dan Murphy.

[via @Metroland]

EMPAC Fall 2010

The schedule for the upcoming fall season at EMPAC is out. And, as we've come to expect, it includes a bunch of interesting/odd/challenging shows.

Here are a few that caught our eye while scanning the list...

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Classic movies at The Palace 2010-2011

The Palace Theater in Albany has released the schedule for its 2010-2011 classic movie series.

It looks like a good slate: North By Northwest, Bonnie and Clyde, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and a bunch other favorites. The full schedule is after the jump.

The films run on Monday nights. They're $5 for adults and $3 for kids. You can buy a season pass for all 18 films for $45 (that's half price).

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The Drum Set

Check out this short film by Niskayuna high school student Alexandre Gilmet. There's a twist at the end.

"The Drum Set" won the "best film high school" award at the Ballston Spa Film Festival this past weekend. It also won the "best direction" award at the Rod Serling Video Festival, a statewide competition for high school students.

What about The Other Guys?

A shot from the opening scene of The Other Guys -- the sequence was filmed in downtown Albany.

The Other Guys, the Will Ferrell-Mark Wahlberg cop comedy that shot a scene in Albany, is in theaters today.

Is it any good? Metacritic gives it a score of 64 (generally favorable reviews). And Rotten Tomatoes gives it a 79 percent (certified fresh).

Here are a few clips from reviews...

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Sister Spirit looking for extras

Sister Spirt, the movie that's been shooting in Albany, is looking for "sisters" to be extras in scenes next week.

An email from the casting director is after the jump -- it also includes details about who's starring in the movie (Alicia Silverstone, Vincent D'Onofrio and a few other actors you might recognize).

Oh, and if you play the didgeridoo, here's the chance you've been waiting for...

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The Ballston Spa Film Festival

French Roast, last year's animated short winner, was nominated for an Oscar. It's screening again this year.

Move over Cannes. Stand back Sundance.

This weekend short films from around the world will be screened in Ballston Spa.

The third annual Ballston Spa Film Festival gets underway tomorrow night. 45 short films from as far away as Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Indonesia and as nearby as -- well -- Ballston Spa, will be screened both outdoors at Wiswall Park in the village and indoors at Ballston Spa High School.

A whole weekend's worth of movies, workshops and panel discussions --for free.

A little preview after the jump.

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A chat with the producer of the mysterious Albany movie

On location for Sister Spirit.

OK, so as it turns out, the current working title of the movie currently filming in Albany is, in fact Sister Spirit -- though you'll have more luck finding info online searching for Ass Backwards, the original title.

Molly Conners, a Capital District native is one of the producers of Sister Spirit (she also co-produced the Oscar-nominated Frozen River, filmed in Plattsburgh, starring Melissa Leo). Conners took a few minutes from the set today to answer what she could about the movie, working in Albany, and yesterday's unfortunate Hamilton Street towing incident.

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