The Muse Films

29/10/2024

Now Read This ... so good!
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MS. Found in a Bottle by Edger Allen Poe

Summary
An unnamed narrator frames his story by disclaiming connection to his family and country. He says that he prefers the company of the German moralist writers, whose flights of fancy he can detect and repudiate. He admits having a rigidly rational mindset, dedicated to the truth and impervious to superstition.

The narrator then recounts a voyage from the island of Java upon a vessel containing cotton-wool, cocoa-nuts, and a few cases of o***m. Soon after departure, the narrator observes a large, ominous cloud in the distance and fears the signs of an approaching Simoon, or typhoon. The captain of the ship, however, dismisses the narrator’s fears. As he retreats below deck, the narrator hears a loud noise and feels the ship capsizing. When the ship bobs back up, the narrator realizes that he and an old Swede are the only survivors. However, the ship remains engulfed in a whirlpool, which threatens to suck the vessel into the depths of the sea. For five days, the two men float on the shattered ship, escaping the pull of the whirlpool. They find their surroundings have grown cold, and soon complete darkness overwhelms them.

Another hurricane erupts amid this darkness, and the men observe a gigantic black ship riding on the crest of a large wave. The force of this ship’s descent into the water rocks the narrator’s ship and hurls him onto the unknown vessel. He quickly hides in the hold, where he observes the ancient mariners on the ship speaking an unrecognizable language. Growing braver, he explores the captain’s private cabin, in which he finds the paper for the present manuscript. He proposes to enclose the manuscript in a bottle and toss it to sea.

MS. Found in a Bottle April 2, 2022 MS. Found In a Bottle A wet sheet and a flowing sea.CUNNINGHAM Of my country and of my family I have little to say. Ill usage and length of years have driven me from the one and estranged me from the other. Hereditary wealth afforded me an education of no common o...

28/10/2024

"Magic is a great analogy for how we edit reality and form a story -- and then mistake that story for the truth," says psychological illusionist Derren Brown. In a clever talk wrapped around a dazzling mind-reading performance, Brown explores the seductive appeal of finding simple answers to life's complex and subtle questions.

"Magic is a great analogy for how we edit reality and form a story -- and then mistake that story for the truth," says psychological illusionist Derren Brown...

27/10/2024

“Not creating delusions is enlightenment.” — Bodhidharma 6th century CE, Buddhist monk who brought Chán teachings to China from India

26/10/2024

What makes Pretty Woman (1990) look so good, even 30 years later? We dive into the film's dreamy cinematography, luxurious locations, iconic wardrobe, and soft, romantic lighting that still feels fresh today.

What makes Pretty Woman (1990) look so good, even 30 years later? We dive into the film's dreamy cinematography, luxurious locations, iconic wardrobe, and so...

13/10/2024

Brilliant! It was bound to be produced. American Values @ REAL PR

We need a movie about how the reality TV show Apprentice was made.

Trump is a major brand, but DJT is a colossal loser. Will he win the election? Stay tuned. What does this say about American culture today? My goodness!

Support our work: https://democracynow.org/donate/sm-desc-ytWe speak with the director of _The Apprentice_, "the movie Trump doesn't want you to see," which ...

12/10/2024

In Naked, actors rehearsed for six months, exploring their characters to deliver raw, fully developed performances. This video dives into the meticulous process behind these performances while exploring the film’s complex themes, characters, and bleak, apocalyptic world vision. David Thewlis won Best Actor and Mike Leigh Best Director at Cannes in 1993 for their work on this film.

In Naked, actors spent six months in rehearsal, exploring their characters to deliver raw, fully developed performances. This video dives into the meticulous...

11/10/2024

"It is not the answer that enlightens, but the question." — Eugene Ionesco, Decouvertes (1970)

11/10/2024

Francis Ford Coppola’s new film Megalopolis will hit theatres at the end of the month.

The director of The Godfather and Apocalypse Now has been working on-and-off on this project — a retelling of the Fall of the Roman Empire set in modern times — for nearly 5 decades.

In a baller move, the 85-year old Hollywood legend sold parts of his winery to help finance the majority of the film’s $120m+ budget (similarly, I recently sold my Peloton bike and used the funds to finance a pair of waterproof Nike Pegasus Shield runners).

It is often said that individual films are like startups, with each one requiring someone to raise funds (to finance production), recruit talent (directors, actors, designers etc.) and deliver a product (film).

This is Coppola’s latest all-in move for a career that has seen the entire spectrum of entrepreneurship: 1) fake it ‘til you make it; 2) working on thin budgets and scrambling for every dollar; 3) mortgaging a house to ensure creative control; 4) working to pay off debts; 5) multiple bankruptcies; and 6) a ~$300m fortune that was built mostly from a side hustle (Coppola has made more from wines than films).

With Coppola taking such a major swing for his 23rd film, I want to walk through the entrepreneurial side of his career by taking a chronological look at 8 films and 2 business ventures:

Exploring the legendary director's business career in 8 films, a studio and a winery.

11/10/2024

Francis Ford Coppola was flush from The Godfather in 1973 when he bought an architectural jewel in San Francisco’s North Beach for $500,000. His new headquarters was a flatiron building clad in tile and copper, with an eight-story steel frame that withstood the great earthquake of 1906. Coppola has held on to the Sentinel Building through a half-century of intense seismic activity in his career, including cinematic triumphs and Hollywood debacles, bankruptcies and windfalls—most recently, a fortune he amassed in the wine trade and then leveraged to fund a wild big-budget movie called Megalopolis, the 85-year-old director’s first release in 13 years.

On a golden July day, Coppola’s building looks like a wedge of white cake rimmed with green frosting. Each layer is an example of his reflexive way of mixing art with entrepreneurship. On the sidewalk level is Cafe Zoetrope, a European-style bistro named for the film company Coppola launched with George Lucas and other insurgents in 1969. On the middle floors, former American Zoetrope offices are being renovated into sleek hotel rooms, soon to receive guests at the seventh property in a string of boutique resorts Coppola owns in Argentina, Belize, Guatemala, Italy and Peachtree City, Georgia.

The director talks about his passion project, ‘Megalopolis,’ including reports of problems on set and how he paid for the film.

11/10/2024

Without Black, you wouldn't see the White.

11/10/2024

We can always learn about Nature.

Where is our Prince of Peace?

A dose of thermodynamics a day keeps Satan away.

Where is our Prince of Peace?

03/10/2024

Synopsis
Where Olive Trees Weep offers a searing window into the struggles and resilience of the Palestinian people under Israeli occupation. It explores themes of loss, trauma, and the quest for justice.

We follow, among others, Palestinian journalist and therapist Ashira Darwish, grassroots activist Ahed Tamimi, and Israeli journalist Amira Hass. We also witness Dr. Gabor Maté offer trauma-healing work to a group of women who were tortured in Israeli prisons.

Ancient landscapes bear deep scars, having witnessed the brutal reality of ancestral land confiscation, expulsions, imprisonment, home demolitions, water deprivation, and denial of basic human rights. Yet, through the veil of oppression, we catch a glimpse of resilience—deep roots that have carried the Palestinian people through decades of darkness and shattered lives.

This emotional journey bares the humanity of the oppressed while grappling with the question: what makes the oppressor so ruthlessly blind to its own cruelty?

Discover poignant stories from the occupied West Bank, shedding light on intergenerational pain and resilience. Watch the trailer!

02/10/2024

Fun, except that Nicole is not sexy. hehe

SUBSCRIBE: http://bit.ly/A24subscribeFrom writer/director Halina Reijn name and starring Nicole Kidman, Harris Dickinson, Antonio Banderas, and Sophie Wilde....

02/10/2024

Brussels ETO supports "Making Waves - Navigators of Hong Kong Cinema" in Lisbon, Portugal

The "Making Waves - Navigators of Hong Kong Cinema" (Making Waves) touring film programme is showcasing seven Hong Kong films in Lisbon, Portugal, from September 26 to 29 (Lisbon time). All films are Lisbon premieres. The film festival is sponsored by the Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency (CCIDA) and supported by the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Brussels (Brussels ETO).

Brussels ETO supports "Making Waves - Navigators of Hong Kong Cinema" in Lisbon, PortugalThe "Making

28/09/2024

She was special.

Dame Maggie Smith has died at age 89. In 2013, she spoke to Steve Kroft about acting, aging, and the phenomenon of the dowager Countess of Grantham, her character in Downton Abbey.

"60 Minutes" is the most successful television broadcast in history. Offering hard-hitting investigative reports, interviews, feature segments, and profiles of people in the news, the broadcast began in 1968 and is still a hit, over 50 seasons later, regularly making Nielsen's Top 10.

Dame Maggie Smith has died at age 89. In 2013, she spoke to Steve Kroft about acting, aging and the phenomenon of the dowager Countess of Grantham, her "Down...

24/09/2024

One theory of democracy is that its main purpose is to allow peaceful revolutions. The idea is that majorities voting in elections approximate the result of a coup. In 1962, John F. Kennedy famously said, "Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable."

Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable

21/09/2024

My blog post today.

Understanding the backgrounds, educational experiences, credentials, and professional histories of political figures like Kamala Harris and Donald J. Trump is crucial. It equips us with the knowledge to comprehend their roles as serious, professional support players in the system I refer to as The Great Game.

Understanding the backgrounds, educational experiences, credentials, and professional histories of political figures like Kamala Harris and Donald J. Trump is crucial. It equips us with the knowledge to comprehend their roles as serious, professional support players in the system I refer to as The G

20/09/2024

Seven films programmed at San Sebastian Festival’s 72th edition will compete this year for the Cooperación Española Award given by the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID), an organisation dependent upon the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation. The accolade goes every year, since 2015, to the producer of the Ibero-American film —including Spanish and Portuguese films— making the best contribution to human development, the eradication of poverty and the full exercising of human rights.

The jury is made up of Ricardo Díez Muiño, Director of the Donostia International Physics Center (DIPC); Eva Monente, journalist, and Enric-Sol Brines, Director of Communication at AECID.

The Cooperación Española Award goes to an Ibero-American film screened in the Official Selection, New Directors or Horizontes Latinos. Its objective is to strengthen the commitment to work jointly with the Ibero-American audiovisual industry in order to promote new talents, stimulate the production of film projects, disseminate the values of development cooperation and boost commercialisation and internationalisation of the films. In its tenth edition, result of the collaboration between San Sebastian Festival and AECID, the award comes with a prize of 10,000 euros.

The winner of the Cooperación Española Award will be announced at the closing gala on 28 September at the Kursaal.

Seven Ibero-American films will compete for the Spanish Cooperation Award

19/09/2024

A well-made and touching short film.

# # # FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE # # #**“The Unwinding” - A New Short Film by Brendan Davis Now Available****PARIS, July 28, 2024** – “The Unwinding,” a compelling sh...

10/09/2024

He was a unique actor, and what a voice. His voice could unveil a symphony of emotions. He is missed.

James Earl Jones (January 17, 1931 – September 9, 2024) was an American actor known for his film roles and for his work in theatre. He was one of the few performers to achieve the EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony). Jones has been described as "one of America's most distinguished and versatile" ...

09/09/2024

"I wouldn't want to be a white American for all the tea in China...I wouldn't want to live with all those lies. I don't want your salvation anymore...I can save you...You don't know me, but I know you..."

It's clear to me that most people in The West lack the capacity to listen to James Baldwin. There is a well-designed blind spot in the "Western European" psyche that prohibits profound self-examination.

Listen to him if you can; it's a short film, or read "The Fire Next Time (1963) or "Another Country." Then, if you are courageous enough, think of what's been happening to Palestinians and other local peoples of the world for a very long time and ask yourself if it should end.

"The world will change because it has to change."

"Love has never been a popular movement, and no one has ever really wanted to be free."

"...everyone you're looking at is also you. You could be that person...You could be that monster. You could be that cop, and you have to decide for yourself not to be."

In 1970, a British film crew set out to make a literary portrait of James Baldwin set in Paris, insisting on setting aside his activism. The author visits Parisian landmarks and reflects on revolution, colonialism, and what it means to be Black in Europe—while bristling at the filmmakers’ questi...

09/09/2024

Good stuff!

Watch Fallen Leaves & Passages with your extended free trial of MUBI: https://mubi.com/thomasflightIn this video I dive into the complicated history of how A...

06/09/2024

It works.

05/09/2024

We recently lost another 1970s icon, just a few weeks after the passing of Donald Sutherland. So we had to look back over the extraordinary life of Shelley Duvall and put to bed some of the awful rumors surrounding her in recent years.

We recently lost another 1970s icon, just a few weeks after the passing of Donald Sutherland. So we had to look back over the extraordinary life of Shelley D...

03/09/2024

https://youtu.be/NIBMybpw6W8?si=nLb28IElNA9ziDyJ

A profile of actress Jeanne Moreau in 2001.Yves Saint Laurent, Louis Malle, William Friedkin, Pierre Cardin