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Casting For Coen Brothers Remake of True Grit Happens Tomorrow at Billy Bob’s

But it only applies to white girls between the ages of 12-16, so I hope Eric Celeste makes it back in time. If you fit those specs, it happens tomorrow from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Billy Bob’s in Fort Worth.

Errol Morris on Willingham Death Penalty Case

Errol Morris, the Oscar-winning documentary filmmaker, made a little movie back in the 1980s called The Thin Blue Line. It’s an investigation of the murder of a Dallas police officer, and its findings led to the release of Randall Dale Adams, who had been wrongly convicted of the crime. Adams came within days of being put to death for something that he didn’t do.

I decided to ask Morris if he’s been following the case of Cameron Todd Willingham (he has) and what it says about our justice system. He said:

My view is that the death penalty encourages mistakes. It’s not just ‘mistakes can happen.’ It engenders them. And Texas, as we all know, has been enthusiastic about the death penalty. Not just in passing new legislation, but in the number of capital murder cases and convictions and death warrants and just in the number of executions.

And he raised an interesting line of argument. To crudely paraphrase it, these capital cases involve horrific tragedies for which the community demands some justice (e.g., a dead cop, or three dead little girls). And because of that, investigators go to extraordinary lengths to find someone that they can punish. Morris’ words again:

If there’s a choice between no case and a case, unfortunately it becomes very easy for the human mind to find justifications for making one decision, one preferred decision, rather than another.

Win 10 Free Football Movies from Blockbuster on “FrontBurner Football Movie Contest Friday”

Let’s do this. Friday at precisely 10:30, I will post on FrontBurner some football trivia questions. I’m calling it “FrontBurner Football Movie Contest Friday.” Catchy, no? First person to provide me with the correct answers to the questions wins a free copy of each of the top 10 football movies of all time (according to Blockbuster). Plus, you’ll get a free 30-day subscription to Blockbuster by mail. So consider this your heads-up. See you Friday at 10:30. Here’s hoping everyone plays hard and gives 110 percent.

Kurt Eichenwald Gives His Take on The Informant!

These are exciting times for Kurt Eichenwald. The Steven Soderbergh movie The Informant!, based on Eichenwald’s book The Informant: A True Story, had its Dallas premiere on Thursday, and the flick is getting rave reviews nationally. I asked Kurt what he thought of Soderbergh’s adaptation of his book. His reply:

I thought the movie was great. What I’ve found really funny about it is everybody who says, “Oh, it’s funny, not serious like the book.” Apparently, people don’t need to read the book to comment.

Every scene in the movie was in the book. Probably 80 percent of the dialogue is in the book. Everything that makes the movie funny makes the book funny. Sure, the book had a lot of other things going on, but the choice of style was dictated by the story.

So, that said…great movie. I was shocked at how much it was like the book.

Fans’ ‘Date With Drew’ Was a Bust

More than 150 people braved the rain last night to attend D CEO magazine’s quarterly happy hour event at Vapiano, a sleek new eatery in Mockingbird Station. But the evening’s real action was across the street, where a long line of people snaked around Urban Outfitters aiming to see actress Drew Barrymore, in town to flog a new roller-derby flick called Whip It. According to several people who waited patiently for Barrymore, however, the “meet and greet” turned into something of a fiasco. Reports one:

Drew showed up 1 hour late, spent 1 hour with press, a few minutes with
contest winners and then the rest of us, who had wristbands and [had] been
standing for 5 hours in the rain, were told they’re running behind and we
can leave now. She didn’t sign any autographs for us! So, thank you Moroch
Entertainment and Fox Searchlight and thanks Drew, for having my wife, me
and my 3 year old stand in the rain for 5 hours. We now know what you think
of your fans.

C.J. Wilson’s Wolfpack About to Get Bigger

For those Rangers fans who have been following lefty pitcher C.J. Wilson on Twitter (str8edgeracer), today’s announcement was definitely a “wait a second could it be?” moment:

str8edgeracer T shirts online! Cougarmerch.com

Wilson has been tweeting for some time now about his intentions to publicly distribute “Wolfpack” t-shirts he designed — based on his nickname for the Ranger’s bullpen that was inspired by a hilarious speech from the movie The Hangover. (If you’re confused watch the movie clip and read the Star-T post)

Wilson confirmed, also via Twitter, that all proceeds from the t-shirt sales will go to a C.J. Wilson’s Children’s Charities project:

str8edgeracer@J_Hix we’re donating the current $ to the charity event, a new youth sports medicine center in plano, past events have been hospitals, etc

So, if you’re a Rangers fan, you got that going for ya. Which is nice.

Mark Cuban’s Theater Chain Coming to Highland Park Village

It looks like Cubes’ movie company is movin’ on up. Sarah Scott, of People Newspapers fame, is reporting that Landmark Theaters will be the new operator of Highland Park Village’s theater space once renovations are completed in May.

Mike Judge at Angelika Tonight

The Austin-based animator and film director will take some questions at the Angelika Film Center in Dallas after a special 7:30 p.m. screening of his new movie, Extract. Which of his fan bases do you think is more likely to show up: people who ask him to sign TPS reports and Swingline staplers or those who worship these idiots?

Highland Park Village Theater Will Reopen in May

So says Stephen Summers, Highland Park Village partner and director of leasing. Overheard has all the details.

Dallas Band Gives Me An Excuse To Post the Tales of the Black Freighter Trailer, Ctd.

Turns out, I didn’t need an excuse. A tweeting FBvian has alerted me to the fact that Tales of the Black Freighter was actually made in Dallas, by the good folks at Reel FX.

Lesson: as always, I am clueless.

Dallas Band Gives Me An Excuse To Post the Tales of the Black Freighter Trailer

Tales of the Black Freighter, the comic-within-a-comic that appeared in Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons’ (rightly) celebrated Watchmen, was notably absent from the film adaptation. At least in theaters. It was produced as a separate animated short, and it’s on DVD now — and, actually, has been since late March. Around Christmastime, you can buy a new version of Watchmen with the Black Freighter footage woven in, and I, of course, plan to. What does this have to do with Dallas, you ask? Well, one of the directors of Black Freighter, Daniel DelPurgatorio (great name) is also the man responsible for the striking artwork on the last two albums by the Paper Chase, Now You Are One of Us and Someday This Could All Be Yours, Vol. 1. Why am I telling you now? Because I just found out.

Celebrity Sighting: Ken Burns

A lunch-eating FrontBurnervian sends word that filmmaker Ken Burns is right now lunching at Stephan Pyles. He is seated with a “distinguished-looking man in a suit with a natty tie.”

North Haven Gardens To Host Texas Premiere of Mad City Chickens

Alternate Hed: Making My Wife Happy Through The Magic Of Blogging

Full disclosure: My wife, Nikki, works at North Haven Gardens. If you read SideDish, and you should, you probably already know that. Okay, now that that is out of the way, the good stuff: NHG is hosting the Texas premiere of Mad City Chickens …

… a sometimes serious, sometimes whimsical look at the people who keep urban chickens in their backyards. From chicken experts and authors to a rescued landfill hen or an inexperienced family that decides to take the poultry plunge — and even a mad scientist and giant hen taking to the streets — it’s a humorous and heartfelt trip through the world of backyard chickendom.

There will be two free screenings: August 8 at 2:30 PM and August 9 at 1 PM. And since North Haven has jumped headlong into the world of raising urban chickens — believe me, I’ve heard plenty about this — if you feel inspired, they can get you started. Hit the link for more info.

The First Trailer For The Road

Mark Cuban’s 2929 Productions is bringing the film adaptation of Cormac McCarthy’s The Road to screens in October. More than enough reason to post this kind of tense trailer.

Science Behind Angels & Demons, Ctd.

Nerd fight!

Just got this missive from Margaret at SMU’s public affairs office. Don’t you think for a minute they’re going to let UTD have the last word on just how ridiculous Angels & Demons‘ take is on antimatter.

I enjoyed your post today on Frontburner about the accuracy of the science in the new Ron Howard movie Angels & Demons. We asked one of our physics professors, Fredrick Olness, to comment on the movie’s science, and here’s what he had to say:

* While it’s true that the particle physics laboratory CERN has created antimatter, it would take more than a billion years (with current technology) to make the quantity of antimatter described in the movie. If you collected all the antimatter that CERN has ever created, it would only power an electric light bulb for a few minutes.

* It’s true that when antimatter and matter meet, they annihilate into pure energy; however, antimatter is not a source of energy. The production of antimatter is very inefficient, so it takes much more energy to create the antimatter than you get back.

* It is also true that we are able to store antimatter, but scientists don’t actually keep antimatter on the lab shelf. Even small quantities of antimatter are difficult to store. Charged antimatter can be stored in a “magnetic bottle,” but the repulsive force of the antimatter charges greatly limits the quantity. Uncharged (neutral) antimatter cannot be contained by a “magnetic bottle.”

Sweet. Feel smart. But here’s a question: Can you mix matter and antimatter cold? Cue it at 38:35.

UT Dallas Scientician Says Science Behind Angels & Demons May Suck

I’m struggling with our new directive to write more straightforward headlines. Is this one clear enough? Is it too simplified? Probably. But that’s okay, because folks like UT Dallas’ Joe Izen (physics prof) are using the movie’s plot (it’s about anti-matter and such) as reason to hold public lectures and counter the bad science in the film. The Chronicle of Higher Education has a story about it featuring Izen (subscription only), who gave a lecture last week attended by about 150 people. These sessions are designed to, among other things, allay fears about black holes swallowing the Earth. Which is absurd. We all know, as proven at 1:43 of this video, that black holes are for time travel. (H/T: Meredith at UTD.)

WORLD EXCLUSIVE: Trey’s Review of Star Trek

If I tell you it’s more than 1,200 words long, would you think Mr. Garrison liked it? Would you also believe I didn’t go through and ital stuff? Good, you’re prepared to jump.

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Dom DeLuise, R.I.P.

The actor and comedian died last night in Los Angeles. The local connection? Well, it’s tenuous, but he did appear in Smokey and the Bandit II as a stranded Italian gynecologist who hitches a ride with Bandit, Frog, and Cledus as they transport an elephant to Dallas. Which is reason enough to mention it here. Oh, and to post this:

(I realize this is more of Eric’s beat.)

Love And Machismo At A Movie Premiere

Mexico may have been in the throes of a swine-flu scare. But that didn’t keep one of its leading writers, Angeles Mastretta, from attending last night’s USA Film Festival showing here of a film called Arrancame La Vida (Tear This Heart Out), which was based on her 1985 novel. Indeed, Mastretta said she holed herself up in her Mexico City home for a week before coming to Dallas, taking no chances with the outbreak. She joined the flick’s director, Roberto Sneider, for a Q&A at the Angelika Film Center following Arrancame’s regional premiere and, later, for a packed reception at the Sunnybrook Lane home of Harry and Cristina Lynch. Jump to learn how the writer (pictured) and director gently tussled during the evening over the cultural implications of machismo, one of the flick’s central themes.

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Warriors of the Discotheque Brings Starck Club Back to Life — And So Will Another Documentary

Tonight at the Angelika Film Center, as part of the USA Film Festival, Joe Alexandre and David McDonald premiere their 19-minute documentary-in-progress about the now-defunct Starck Club, Warriors of the Discotheque. Good timing, since the 25th anniversary of the club’s opening is on May 12.

But it’s not all good news for Alexandre and McDonald (a former waiter at the club): Blake Woodall, Starck’s founder and owner, has announced he is teaming up with Michael Cain to produce his own film about the club. Cain, AFI Dallas’ artistic director and the man behind the award-winning doc TV Junkie, is taking a year-long sabbaticala little time off (see update) to make it happen. From this, though, there sounds like enough material to fill at least two films. I guess we’ll see.

UPDATE: From Mr. Cain: “I am only taking off a few months during the summer and then will oversee the film while still serving on the Executive Board of the Dallas Film Society. I will return to my Artistic Director of the festival in late summer.” From me: Thanks a ton, Peppard.

Starck Club Documentary Screening Will Be Followed By A Party At Dali Wine Bar

If you remember the Starck Club, you’ll want to see this movie and go to this party.

AFI Action: Keven McAlester Brings His Corduroy Pants to Dallas

Tonight the missus and I are headed to see The Dungeon Masters (scroll down), a documentary made by my good, close personal friend Keven Archibald McAlester, who is in town tonight for the screening. Eric and I used to work with Keven back in ye olden times at The Met. I don’t think I’ve ever loved to hate anyone more than Keven. He’s too smart, too talented, married way out of his league. So, anyway. Here’s a picture of him taken for a wardrobe makeover he did at The Met, back when he wore corduroy pants every day.  [giggle]

AFI Last Night: One Nation

Last night at NorthPark, I took in the premiere of One Nation, a documentary by three local filmmakers (Justin Wilson, Tony Wann, and Jack Waldrip) that uses songs, news footage, commercials, and all sorts of other pictures and sounds to recreate the turbulent year of 1968. Moving through the year chronologically, One Nation is intense and even funny at times (it includes a commercial for Colt .45, when the malt liquor was positioning itself as an elite beverage for white folks), using only the raw material the year provided with no outside comment. That’s not to say there isn’t a strong point of view or a strong way of expressing it. The most powerful sequence begins with a clip of Johnny Cash performing “Ring of Fire,” and gradually, that’s mashed up with footage of the U.S. Army making its way through Vietnam with flamethrowers. It’s a little bit long and the month-by-month setup means some of the more important events (the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, the assassinations of MLK and RFK) happen well before the climax. But it’s well worth seeing — especially if you, like me, didn’t live through 1968 the first time. One Nation screens again tomorrow at 4:15 p.m. at the Magnolia.

Dita Shops Dallas

Speaking of people you bump into at the AFI festival, here’s Hollywood actor/model Dita de Leon. Dita, who’s currently in the flick Senior Skip Day with Tara Reid on Comedy Central, was in town partly to chat up Dallas and Houston investors in a movie project she’s shopping tentatively titled Infamous. Written by de Leon, who bills herself “The All-American Latin Girl,” the movie’s about the power struggle between actors and filmmakers and may involve some shooting in Big D, Dita says. If de Leon looks familiar, you may have seen her in Paris Hilton’s Bottoms Up, or in Boys & Girls Guide to Getting Down (Showtime). She also tried out to be a Bond girl, but didn’t get the part. I’ll say this: the All-American Latin Girl’s got moxie.

Adrien Brody On A ‘Defining Moment’

Actor Adrien Brody, in town for a showing of his new flick The Brothers Bloom at the AFI Dallas International Film Festival, has accomplished a lot in his young career, including winning a Best Actor Oscar. But he may actually be best known for planting a big wet one on actress Halle Berry at the 2003 Academy Awards. Apparently it’s a legacy he can live with. “That was a pretty defining moment in my life,” Brody said, pausing on the red carpet tonight at NorthPark Center, cameras flashing all around him. “But,” he added, “you could be known for worse things.” And how was it bussing the beautiful Berry? “Pretty damned good!” Brody grinned. Then he turned and moved on down the line.