At the Anamorphic Club Cafe Berlin we talked to Cinematographer Jeff Jur about Dirty Dancing on enduring quality of the 1987 film.
Category: chat cinema.
The world of entertainment is the main topic in the Chat Cinema podcast. News, interviews and reviews from around the world on cinema, tv and more.
The new Berlinale Poster, released the last week of December shows a new modern style. The number seventy-five features prominent at the right corner. Ditching film festival Bear artwork is supposed to signal change, breaking from the past, the arrival of a new era, a reinvention of a once significant February cinema event. But, is the new Berlinale just recycling the old with more colorful packaging? It takes more than shiny artwork to re-establish confidence in a film festival that has dug itself into a celluloid hole.

After a few conversations with some professional industry colleagues about the upcoming edition, we are starting to have more questions. What happened to doing something new? It is no secret the Berlinale fell behind, lacking the grandeur of Cannes, the artistic component of Venice, the hipness of Sundance or the commercial launching heft of SXSW, the space for change, a new way opportunity,is wide open in the German Capital. Yet, festival head Tricia Tuttle is on a Honey Moon press tour using pleasant Cucumber Salad language on how the festival looks to differentiate itself from the past. However, on closer examination, what changed appears unclear to regular Berlinale goers. One category eliminated, a new one added, the same past filmmakers with the similar thematic films appear on the schedule, again.
The wait and see game has started. Hopefully, the newly installed Berlinale team has not wasted precious good will.

What happens when a course change may fail before the actual implementation? The 75th edition of the Berlinale could soon become a case study answering this question. Less than two months before the German Capital hosts filmmakers, headlines rolling out have painted an unflattering portrait of the Potsdamer Platz headquarters. Head Tricia Tuttle makes her debut February as the first female head of the international film hub. Although, reading recent Berlinale news coverage, the American may want to take cover in a dark movie theater in order to forget all the troubles.

Budget cuts, lack of screens, controversial past winners have taken a toll on the Berlinale’s reputation in the global filmmaker community. Global filmmakers may skip Berlin, weary of being labeled antisemitic because of their stance on the Middle East conflict. Instead of celebrating cinema, captions reading “a balancing tightrope”, “unwanted fears”, “revising the budget every month” are overshadowing a cinematic event trying to regain competitive footing with Cannes and Venice Festivals.
As for the movies announced so far, the schedule comes as torpid, local, lacking big draws, a zero-sum excitement level. The Competition category announcement occurs on January 21st. Perhaps then, the Berlinale can regain some it’s lost luster.
The Berlinale starts February 13th.

Croat Director Nebojša Slijepčević lifter a page from a tragic event in his region’s history for the the short film “The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent“. The story of a train ride that turned into courage and loss during The 90’s Balkan War. This Chat Cinema Podcast talks to the Cannes Film Festival Palm d’ Or winner about the circumstances and speaking out in the face of brutality.

Director Wes Andre Goodrich talks about his short film MEAL TICKET on this episode of Chat Cinema Podcast. The work centers on a story of a choice and an opportunity. The up and coming Brooklyn based filmmaker’s delves into the conscience of a person taking a step upward, but at what price?
Chat Cinema interviews Award Winning Directors, talking about their short films and future work. Cannes Film Festival Golden Palm Winner The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent from filmmaker Nebojsa Slijpcevic and Meal Ticket by Wes Andre Goodrich are works concerning choices. Stay Tuned for the new episodes.


Awards Season has started, so has our screening of films that could get nominated for a trophy. Look for news, interviews and reviews here.


The expectation was for a Summer 2024 Blockbuster, the reality was a fizzle. There have been so much written about the failure to generate a barely noticeable Memorial Weekend debut of Furiosa, the latest Mad Max installment. After only collecting $31 million at the box office over the four-day weekend. One commentator after another has an opinion or analyses are still trending on the Internet. Why didn’t this critically lauded fifth work in the series connect?

After the positive debut reception at the Cannes Film Festival, George Miller’s $165 million dystopian epic looked like a sure winner with a 90% Rotten Tomatoes score. No one knows what the public will like. Nine years after the release of Mad Max:Fury Road, director and writer Miller took the prequel route with a backstory to Charlie Theron’s Imperator Furiosa character. This is a no spoiler commentary. I have not watched the movie, but planning to get my ticket soon.
Blame
The world is a different place from 2015. Covid, wars on two fronts, perhaps there is audience fatigue on dark subject matter. Who can blame the public? At times, strolling through a news feed requires a Paxil.
Ticket goers, straining under inflation, are more cautious about shelling out twenty or thirty dollars for a movie based on a cinema cult property.
The window for theatrical release before on a streaming service has shortened. Viewers are deciding to wait to watch releases at home. IF and the Ryan Gosling comedy The Fall Guy had less than spectacular openings.
Top billed Ann Taylor-Joy is not the box office draw the industry many in the industry expected. The Miami native’s career could take a hit. Studios may no longer gamble on The Queen Gambit’s drawing eyeballs to movie houses. Meanwhile, co-star Chris Hemsworth will be fine wearing tights in another MCU flick.
As a fan of the Mel Gibson Mad Max Trilogy, I would have liked to a story based on the lone survivor theme. However, given the veteran action star’s age and in particular his well publicised anger management problems, the creative team sought a fresh story more in line with present day sensibilities.
The present media frenzy points to writing off the franchise. I give it a few years, then there will be a reboot with a new director and lead actor. The Mad Max Saga has only stalled, waiting for a refuel.
Check out our Chat Cinema Podcast for all the stories and interviews.
Tribeca Fest 24

The 22nd Tribeca Film Festival starts June 5th. With 103 films and 86 premieres this yer looks promising.
Get the news, reviews and interviews here and on the Chat Cinema Podcast.

Coppola’s Return?
The big news from Cannes Film Festival 2024 is the return of 1970’s auteur Francis Coppola with MEGALOPOLIS. The American Born director’s first feature in thirteen years. Early notices about the $120 million production have not been positive with industry professionals calling the work “Challenging”. The all star sci-fi drama includes acting heavyweights Adam Driver, Dustin Hoffman and Giancarlo Esposito will need a big push to recover its costs. This is not the first time the five time Academy Award Winner has gotten bad news during early previews. APOCALYPSE NOW equally divided opinion
makers in 1979. The Vietnam War drama in my opinion is a work of “Bombastic Pageantry” that at times try’s to numb you into believing it is a great film.
Can Francis get his mojo back at 85? On May 17th we will see.