Brownstein: Another Pacino is set to make a mark in Montreal, this time as a director
It was in June 2015 that then-Montreal mayor Denis Coderre made the senior Pacino an honorary citizen and gave him a symbolic key to the city.
Ten years later, Julie Pacino's debut directorial feature film, the haunting yet darkly humorous psycho-thriller I Live Here Now, makes its world première in Montreal, Thursday night at the Fantasia International Film Festival.
She will be on hand for a Q-and-A after the 7:05 p.m. screening Thursday at Salle J.A. DeSève, as well as after Friday's 2:15 showing at the same venue.
I Live Here Now is one wild ride, a sort of postmodern Rosemary's Baby à la Polanksi set at a sort of postmodern Bates Motel à la Hitchcock. Like the works of David Lynch and Ryan Coogler, the film's effects-laden, surreal eeriness is broken up by some deadly dark wit.
Fantasia is a perfect fit for this flick.
At its core, this is a tale about a struggling actress (Lucy Fry) whose world takes a turbulent turn when she learns she is pregnant and somehow finds her way to the creepy aforementioned motel where there is no refuge to be had. Instead, long-seated trauma from her childhood surfaces. The would-be father (comedy star Matt Rife) and his overbearing mother (Sheryl 'Twin Peaks' Lee) only exacerbate her anguish.
'I showed my mom (Jan Tarrant), also my best friend, the film and she went: 'What the heck?' I went: 'No, no … that part of it is fictional!'' a smiling Pacino recounts in an interview.
It has been quite the journey for Pacino — also the film's writer — to get to this point in her career.
'A lot of life experience and working on a bunch of different short films, to kind of figure out what exactly it is I wanted to say as a director, is what took this long. I was never in a rush,' explains Pacino, director of the acclaimed short Nowhere to Go.
While following in his career footsteps on one level, it's abundantly clear that she has taken a genre route far removed from that of her father.
But her dad did one film, the Devil's Advocate (1997), which just may have been a precursor to the path his daughter has taken three decades later. He was cast as Satan, and Julie, five at the time, happened be on the set during filming.
'I think that might (have shaped me) … I have vivid memories of that set and the flames and that burned-up corpse the art department had created, and my dad going 'it's not real.' Yeah, but it feels real. And then he goes: 'Yeah, that's the movies.' And I was like: 'OK.'
'That piqued by interest. So I would say that it had an impact on the art that I like to make and the movies that I like to watch.'
One thing is certain: I Live Here Now didn't benefit from a Serpico/Godfather-like budget. Yet the film's production values have the feel of a well-endowed feature.
'This is an indie film and we had limited resources. And I was just grateful to have any resources to make a feature. We did the best that we could with what we had. I think a lot of times that limited resources can help sort of rein in the vision and the creative in a really healthy way.
'So I enjoyed the parameters that I was working with. My producers, who were incredible, even enabled us to shoot on film, which is a rarity now, and my collaborators went above and beyond. I don't know how they did it … It was a challenge.'
Pacino has little pretence. She won't describe herself as an auteur, simply stating: 'I just enjoy making art with creative geniuses.
'I'm really like a little girl who wants to play with her friends. I just like to be transported to a different reality. So when it was my turn to take a stab at a feature, I figured why not stick to what I like, and let that passion drive the story.'
She isn't sure if a career in film was necessarily predetermined because of her dad.
'I was raised with a lot of emphasis on just chasing my desire, whatever it would be. So I tried a lot of things growing up. I took ballet classes. I was actually a very serious softball athlete, playing competitively in college. That skill really translates well in running film sets. It's a very team-oriented thing.'
Well, she has knocked it out of the park in her first feature outing.
She is now back crafting another psychodrama, 'more external than internal like this one was.'
'Even though the material is really dark, I love to lean into the camp of the horror genre. I love humour to the point where you forget you're watching a horror film.'
Her dad has seen rough cuts of I Live Here Now, but not the final version yet.
'He definitely gave me super insightful, helpful feedback along the way, as he always does. I just admire his artistry and have learned so much (from him). So it was a natural thing for me to trust that in myself. I'm definitely grateful to him and my mom for always giving me permission to dream in this way.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Winnipeg Free Press
9 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Weinstein could be sentenced next month, but only if there's no retrial on an unresolved rape charge
NEW YORK (AP) — Harvey Weinstein faces sentencing and a possible retrial in his New York City sex crimes case, but when they'll happen — and whether he'll be back in front of another jury — is still up in the air. Manhattan Judge Curtis Farber said Wednesday he could sentence Weinstein on Sept. 30 — but only if there's no retrial on a rape charge that the last jury failed to reach a verdict on. Weinstein, 73, was convicted in June of forcing oral sex on TV and movie production assistant and producer Miriam Haley in 2006. The charge carries a possible sentence of up to 25 years in prison. At the same time, the jury acquitted him of forcing oral sex on another woman, one-time model Kaja Sokola, but couldn't decide a charge that he raped hairstylist and actor Jessica Mann in 2013. Manhattan prosecutors told Farber that they're ready to take Weinstein to trial for a third time on the rape charge, which is punishable by up to four years in prison. That's less time than Weinstein has already served. Mann is on board to testify again, they said. Prosecutors requested a January trial date, citing witness availability and their own caseload. Farber balked at that, saying a January date is too far away and conflicts with another, unrelated trial he's already scheduled. He proposed having the trial in the fall. 'The case needs to be tried this year,' Farber said. Weinstein lawyer Arthur Aidala agreed, telling Farber he'd prefer a trial at 'the earliest the court can accommodate us.' Assistant District Attorney Nicole Blumberg said she would ask Mann and other witnesses about their availability for a trial in the fall. If a fall trial happens, it would likely put Weinstein's high-profile #MeToo case back in court as Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg is in the final throes of his reelection bid. Bragg, a first-term Democrat who made prosecuting sex crimes cases a priority, has expressed satisfaction with Weinstein's conviction on a criminal sex act charge in the Haley assault and has been resolute in wanting the Oscar-winning studio boss retried on the Mann rape charge. 'The jury was not able to reach a conclusion as to Ms. Mann, and she deserves that,' Bragg said in June. 'This work, first and foremost, is about the survivors and that's why we're prepared to go forward.' Aidala told reporters outside court that, in his view, it's on prosecutors to resolve the rape charge — either by dropping it and clearing the way for sentencing, or promptly taking it to trial again. Weinstein sat in court in a wheelchair while wearing a blue suit and black-rimmed glasses. The 'Pulp Fiction' and 'Shakespeare in Love' producer is committed to fighting the rape charge at another trial, Aidala said, though the lawyer didn't rule out the possibility of reaching a deal with prosecutors to end the case. For now, the trial date remains unresolved, leaving Weinstein's possible Sept. 30 sentencing in limbo. Weekly A weekly look at what's happening in Winnipeg's arts and entertainment scene. At Weinstein's first trial in 2020, jurors convicted him of raping Mann and forcing oral sex on production assistant and producer Miriam Haley. Then an appeals court overturned those convictions and sent the case back for retrial because of legal issues involving other women's testimony. This spring, a new jury convicted him again of sexually assaulting Haley and acquitted him of doing the same to another woman who wasn't part of the first trial. But amid fractious deliberations, the majority-female jury got stuck on the charge related to Mann. Mann has testified that she also had a consensual, on-and-off relationship with the then-married Weinstein, but that she told him 'I don't want to do this' as he cornered her in the hotel room. She said he persevered with advances and demands until she 'just gave up.' Weinstein already stands convicted of sex crimes in California. He denies all of the allegations against him.
Toronto Sun
12 hours ago
- Toronto Sun
Denzel Washington slams Jerry Jones and the state of the Dallas Cowboys
Academy Award-winning actor took aim at the NFL team's owner/GM during appearance on ESPN's First Take while promoting latest movie. Actor Denzel Washington (left) and Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones. AP, Getty Images Denzel Washington is one of the best actors in the world, but there was nothing fake about the ire he showed towards the NFL team he has supported since he was a kid. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account The two-time Academy Award-winner tore into the Dallas Cowboys – specifically owner Jerry Jones — during an appearance on ESPN's First Take , saying that the franchise cares more about earning money than trophies. Washington made the comments while promoting his latest movie, Highest 2 Lowes t, with director Spike Lee. The film is the pair's first collaboration since Inside Man in 2006. 'I've been a Cowboys fan since the '60s. He's making it hard for me,' Washington said about Jones. 'Not to be a fan, because I'm still a Cowboys fan. I'm still going to have the star on the side of the hat, but he ain't thinking about us. He's thinking about his pocket.' Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Washington appeared to be referencing the Cowboys contract standoff with pass rusher Micah Parsons, who is in the final year of his contract and looking for an extension. In fact, the tense negotiations have broken down to the point that the superstar posted a trade request on social media, adding that he 'no longer wants to play for the Dallas Cowboys.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. During negotiations, Jones also appeared to take shots at Parsons through comments to the media. 'There's box office and there's Oscars, Jerry,' Washington said. 'Been a while, huh? Ain't been to the show, you wouldn't know … what it is to win.' Washington added that his critiques of the team only come because of how much he cares for the franchise. 'And I love the Cowboys! I love the Cowboys. Because I really love them, this is why I feel the way I feel,' Washington said. Read More The actor, however, did get in one final shot at Jones when he paraphrased a tagline for his new movie: 'All money ain't good money, Jerry.' While the Cowboys haven't won a Super Bowl since 1995 — and haven't even appeared in a NFC conference championship game since then, either – the franchise remains the most valuable in the world. In fact, it became the first franchise to reach US$10 billion last year. The team also is set to feature in a high-profile Netflix docuseries, America's Team: The Gambler and his Cowboys , which premieres next week on the streaming service. Crime Editorial Cartoons Sunshine Girls Relationships Toronto Blue Jays
Calgary Herald
12 hours ago
- Calgary Herald
Sully Burrows, Noeline Hofmann and Jake Vaadeland rock Canadian country music scene
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Sully Burrows, Noeline Hofmann and Jake Vaadeland are one step closer to becoming the next big name on Canada's country music scene after a nationwide vote in SiriusXM's Top of the Country contest. Article content The singing competition saw the trio beat out hundreds of hopefuls in a bid to land the $25,000 grand prize and the title of Top of the Country champion. The winner will be crowned at next month's Canadian Country Music Awards in Kelowna, B.C. The two runners-up will each take home $10,000. Article content Article content All three couldn't be more different musically — Burrows graduated high school in Parry Sound, Ont., last June before landing his first hit song Youth last October; Hofmann was a rancher in Alberta who caught the ear of country superstar Zach Bryan; and Juno-winning Vaadeland puts his own unique spin on country and bluegrass — but the trio are all united in wanting to have their voices heard. Article content Article content Since she was a little girl, Hofmann, 22, always dreamed of playing music for a living. 'But I grew up in a town of 1,500 people … I never saw an example of how pursuing a career in music could be possible,' she told Postmedia in an interview at Nashville's CMA Fest earlier this summer. 'Still, I always felt in my heart that was something I wanted to do.' Article content After recording her plaintive track Purple Gas, the Bow Island, Alta. native saw her career take off when Bryan asked if she would sing it with him on his 2024 album The Great American Bar Scene. Article content Article content The song's title is a reference to a type of fuel farmers and ranchers use in Alberta. Article content Article content 'I never could have imagined that it would end up on his album,' the Country Music Alberta Award winner says. 'It's hard to measure the impact Zach has had on my journey … he's such an advocate for artists and writers and I'm so grateful to him for giving me a chance to take the ball and run with it.' Article content She's spent most of the summer on the road, with a show booked alongside Bryan, Kings Of Leon and Turnpike Troubadours at San Francisco's Golden Gate Park set for Aug. 15 and opening dates on The Crooner & The Cowboy Tour with Leon Bridges and Charley Crockett. Article content Hofmann is also up for two CCMAs — Breakthrough Artist and Alternative Country Album of the Year.
