'Colors' is Colombia Oscar entry

Colombia's fledgling 2-year-old Academy of Cinematographic Arts & Sciences has selected Carlos Cesar Arbelaez's helming debut, "Los colores p la montana" (The Shades in the Mountain), to represent the country inside the foreign-language film Oscar race. Colors" trounced 13 competitors from more seasoned helmers including Sebastian Cordero's "Rabia" (Rage), Carlos Moreno's "Todos tus muertos" (All Your Dead Ones) and Juan Felipe Orozco's "Saluda al diablo p mi parte" (Greetings for the Demon), starring Edgar Ramirez ("Carlos"). Set in the armed conflict between guerilla mma fighters as well as the military in Colombia, "Colors in the Mountain" tracks a 9-year-old who enlists his close buddies to help him retrieve his football in the minefield. Pic won the completely new Company company directors award in San Sebastian a year ago as well as the script within the 2011 LA Latino Film Festival. It first demonstrated in Colombia the 2009 spring. NY-based Film Movement released "Colors" on DVD inside the U.S. captured. Contact the number newsroom at news@variety.com

Cuchera

A One Big Fight Prods. presentation. (International Sales: Ignatius Films, Toronto). Produced by Roderick Cabrido, Ariel Bacol, Ferdinand Lapuz. Executive producer, Joseph Israel Laban. Directed, written by Joseph Israel Laban.With: Maria Isabel Lopez, Simon Ibarra, Sue Prado, Jon Neri, Isadora Villasquez."Cuchera" doesn't quite amount to a bait-and-switch, but what's set up as an expose on drug smuggling to China and the hundreds of Filipinos imprisoned there -- an opening title provides facts and figures -- segues into sex shows, violence and a fetishistic fascination with homosexuality, all of which may meet market expectations in Asia, but will likely keep it there. Amid the amateur acting, out-of-focus shooting and perfunctory exploitation, a streak of desperation runs through the characters, principally Isabel (Maria Isabel Lopez), a former prostitute and drug mule trying to set up her own operation, drafting impoverished teenagers to jam their body cavities with drug-stuffed condoms and take off for China. Debuting helmer Joseph Israel Laban, apparently a former journalist who covered the subject, seems well-versed in the mechanics and processes of indoctrinating and preparing drug couriers -- who knew eating wet okra helped one swallow dozens of drug balloons? There's also an important social agenda at the heart of "Cuchera." But Laban's preoccupations with body cavities and their abuse makes the film itself hard to swallow, and the gratuitous nature of so much that goes on here will drastically limit exposure.Camera (color, DCP), Luis Liwanag; editor, Piah Luna; music, Diwa de Leon; production designer, Nestor Abrogena. Reviewed at Toronto Film Festival (Discovery), Sept. 11, 2011. Running time: 90 MIN. Contact the Variety newsroom at news@variety.com

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Gun Van Sant on Restless, Test-Screening Nightmares and Why He Went Out For Breaking Dawn

After bookending the summer with prestigious appearances at festivals in Cannes and Toronto, acclaimed auteur Gus Van Sant brings his latest film, Restless, to theaters this weekend in limited release. The outcome of an unusual creative collaboration including co-producers Ron Howard and his daughter Bryce Dallas Howard, her former NY University colleague and screenwriter Jason Lew, and the visionary for hire Van Sant, Restless stars Mia Wasikowska as a terminally ill teenager who sparks up a star-crossed love affair with a gloomy, funeral-crashing, imaginary friend-confiding orphan (played by Henry Hopper). The two-time Oscar-nominated director sat down with Movieline this week to discuss Restless’s festival reception, the one-size-fits-all perils of test screenings, the 20th anniversary of his classic My Own Private Idaho, and what he was thinking when throwing his name in the hat to direct The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn. You were up in Toronto with this, and you met a NY audience the other night. What’s your sense of how viewers are receiving Restless? It seems really positive. I’m pretty happy. Do you actually like this part of the process? The exchange with the audience? No, I don’t. But I know they do, so that’s nice. Do test screenings or what audiences say in general ever influence you? Yeah. I mean, I totally take advice for the audience, but sometimes the test is not just for advice. It might also be for approval. The tests have different ways you can count up the scores. It asks you, “Do you like the lead character? Who’s your favorite character? Would you tell a friend about it? Would you rate it excellent, good, fair, poor?” There’s a way to count those up so you get a score, but it’s a score based on these arbitrary questions; the score is different than the other part of the test, like, “Are there any scenes that were too slow? Are there any scenes that are too fast? How did you like the ending? Did it begin too slow?” Questions about pacing, communication and so forth. Those can be one thing. But there can also be this concern about the overall adding of the score, because then it becomes more like a grade on a paper in high school or college ow wherever. So you want it to be A+. And a 90 is an A-, a 95 is an A, a 99 is an A+. And an 85 is a B, and a 75 is a C. So you want it to be 90. Do you remember the highest grade you ever got? Yeah. I’ve gotten in the 90s like… three times? What’s the lowest you ever got? 33. 33? No, wait. 32. On what? To Die For was 32. You got a 32 on To Die For? And that’s the reason I don’t necessarily look at the score. You can interpret that wrong. The people who are interested in the score, then that’s the score. To them, it’s like high school: “If it’s 32, it’s failing. It’s a failure. That means the movie’s gonna be a failure.” There thinking of it like a grade in college. Their bosses are thinking of it like a grade in college. Their shareholders are thinking of it like a grade in college. And what they do is based on their interpretation of that number. But you can get a score like that if you say, “Here’s a really funny Robin Williams movie. Come to it and laugh!” and then you show them a serious downer Robin Williams movie like One-Hour Photo. They give you a 32 and you say, “What’s wrong?” Like it must be a failure, you know? You didn’t test it right. You can screw the test up. And in the particular case of some tests, it can be that you’re trying to change the profile of the movie. I often make dark comedies. [To Die For] is a dark comedy. The dark comedies tend to be in a non-releasable area. There can be romantic comedies. There can be dramas. But there’s no “dark comedy” inbox for the advertising. So they might test it as a romantic comedy when it’s actually a dark comedy, and as a result you’ll get a low score. You’re saying, “Bring your date! You’re going to get laid on this one!” And then Nicole [Kidman] kills her husband, and the score is D or F because I’m not going to get laid now. And you wonder, “Gee, what went wrong?” And it’s all because you’re trying to make it into something it’s not. Are you ever enlightened at all about your past films by talking about them? Either with fans, or in interviews, or wherever? [Long pause] Yeah, I guess. James Franco is recutting My Own Private Idaho, so I learned something new about that one because I’ve seen the old footage. But I don’t really by talking about them. I like hearing people talk about them; maybe you learn something new about people’s reactions to them. But I don’t necessarily learn about the film. My Own Private Idaho turns 20 this year. What are your reflections two decades later — particularly in light of James Franco’s work revising it? That was the one film — well, in that era, before 2000 — it was the one film that was sort of my own. Some of them, I adapted other people’s books. That was the one I kind of cobbled together with different elements. There was a little bit of Shakespeare in it. It was like this collaged story. So there’s that aspect I like to remember. Do you have a personal relationship with your films over time? Does your impression of them or their memories ever change? No. I mean, they exist as films that other people mention, but there’s no particular relationship.

LFF 2011 line-up announced

It might be Sandra Hebron's last year as Artistic Director of the LFF, but she's sure going out in style.Her team have put together an amazing line-up for her final year, with plenty of big films and big names in attendance.The hottest ticket in town will probably be David Cronenberg's ADangerous Method - with Brit talents Michael Fassbender and Keira Knightley getting up to all sorts of psychologically complex hanky-panky.But there'll be plenty more to get the crowds in, from Cannes critic-charming silent flick The Artist, to Roland Emmerich's LFF debut (Anonymous).We're particularly excited about Miranda July's The Future - which features narration from an injured stray cat - Joseph Gordon Levitt in cancer comedy-drama 50/50, Alexander Payne directing Clooney in The Descendants, Herzog's prison documentary Into The Abyss, Nick Broomfield's Sarah Palin documentary You Betcha!Michael Fassbender portraying a sex addict in Shame and, well, bloody loads more.It's just a wonderful selection of films, and with the likes of David Cronenberg, George Clooney, Lynne Ramsay, Ralph Fiennes, Andrea Arnold, Michael Fassbender, Elisabeth Olsen and many more flying over to tread the red carpet, the star power will be pretty impressive too.We'll miss Sandra very much, but we're really happy that the 2011 LFF looks to be one of the best ever.For the full line-up, visit the LFF website. And stay tuned to Total Film for lots of LFF goodness.

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Mel Gibson Assumes Judah Maccabee: Hollywood Will get Angry Online

Mel Gibson and Joe Eszterhas are joining up to create a giant screen adaptation from the existence of Jewish icon Judah Maccabee for Warner Bros. Religious leaders have previously spoken out from the film, however it was just dependent on time prior to the relaxation of Hollywood saw this news and shared their ideas using the world via Twitter.our editor recommendsJewish Leaders Slam Mel Gibson, Warner Bros. for Judah Maccabee Movie (Exclusive)Warner Bros. Backing Mel Gibson Movie About Jewish Icon'Passion' Film writer States Mel Gibson Used Christianity To Defraud Him of Millions Here are a few highlights: View co-host Pleasure Behar tweeted, "Mel Gibson makes a movie concerning the existence of Judah Maccabee. I am smelling a Seder invite!" Comedienne Shawn Pelofsky tweeted, "Mel Gibson and Warner Bros are joining up to produce a film about Judah Maccabbee. It's known as 'Thanks for destroying Hanukkah'." PHOTOS: ྌs Action Stars: Where Could They Be Now? West Wing actor Josh Malina authored, "The Jews have the effect of all of the wars on the planet.Inch -- Mel Gibson (2006) Only the guy to inform our story. Approach to take, Warner Siblings!" Bay Area author Seth Friedman tweeted, "Eszterhas creates, Gibson directs.Ought to be glorious.I'd purchase it basically could, to genuinely bring the self-hate full circle." Joel Berkowitz, the director from the College of Wisconsin at Milwaukee's Jewish Studies Program tweeted, "Surprised to understand that Mel Gibson makes a movie concerning the Maccabees. Now waiting for a Spike Lee Joint about Lawrence Welk." Howard Stern Show comedian Eli Braden states "Mel Gibson creating a movie about Jews?? That's like Robin Williams creating a movie about being calm!" Related Subjects Mel Gibson Warner Bros. Twitter

Wilson Phillips to Star in TV Guide Network Reality Pilot

Chynna Phillips, Wendy Wilson, Carnie Wilson TV Guide Network is creating a new reality series starring 1990's pop group Wilson Phillips.The possibility series, that the network introduced Tuesday, can give fans a behind-the-moments take a look at Chynna Phillips and Carnie and Wendy Wilson because they stage their comeback. The pilot will premiere later this season.InchWilson Phillips is very excited to begin a real possibility show following a reunion from the women and how it is like 21 years later," Carnie Wilson stated."Between touring, recording a brand new Compact disc and raising nine children, the show promises love, laughter and mind-thumping!"When are you able to next catch Wilson Phillilps on television, online or when needed? Add the audience for your Watchlist and you will know for sureSaid Allen Shapiro, chairman of TV Guide Network: "Our original programming is getting fans nearer to a common celebs, and our new show with Wilson Phillips underscores this commitment."The lady group continues to be in the spotlight recently. The trio designed a cameo in Bridesmaids the 2009 summer time, while Phillips will compete on Dwts this year. Carnie Wilson is another judge on ABC's Karaoke Fight USA.

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'The Help' Fights Off Sharks, Spies and Aliens: Box Office Report September 2-5

Aptly, moviegoers celebrated Labor Day weekend by watching a film about underappreciated household workers. For the third straight weekend, period dramedy 'The Help' was the top movie at the box office, ending the summer season by fending off three more action-packed newcomers: 'The Debt,' 'Apollo 18' and 'Shark Night 3D.' From Friday to Sunday, 'The Help' earned an estimated $14.2 million, a microscopic dip of just 2 percent from last weekend. That's almost unprecedented for a movie in its fourth week of release. Credit the fact that the movie added 65 more screens this weekend (for a total of 2,843), along with the weakness of the competition. Over the full holiday weekend, the film earned an estimated $19.0 million, for a four-week total of $123.4 million. 'The Debt' surprised experts by opening in second place. The Helen Mirren spy thriller had the strongest reviews of the three new wide-release movies, but it also had the fewest screens, just 1,826. Still, as a smart, grown-up thriller, it had strong appeal for older audiences (76 percent of whom were over 35, according to studio polling), which helps explain why it didn't generate the online buzz that's a key predictor for box office tea-leaf readers. They expected 'The Debt' to open in the $7 to $8 million range over the four-day weekend, but it surpassed that by Sunday with an estimated $9.7 million. Over the full holiday weekend, it earned an estimated $12.6 million. Its six-day total, since opening last Wednesday, comes to $14.5 million. In a close race for third, 'Apollo 18' and 'Shark Night 3D' were separated by just $400,000 according to four-day estimates, with 'Apollo 18' having a slight edge as of Monday with $10.7 million, compared to $10.3 million for 'Shark Night.' (The Friday-to-Sunday race was even closer, with the astronauts edging out the maneaters $8.70 million to $8.64 million.) It wasn't supposed to be that close. 'Apollo 18' opened on 500 more screens than 'Shark Night' and was expected to earn as much as $15 million for the weekend. But it was poorly reviewed and lacked the bikini factor of 'Shark Night,' which was competing for essentially the same audience. Opening in fourth place with an estimated $10.3 million over four days, 'Shark Night 3D' underperformed as well, but not by much; pre-weekend predictions had it opening around $11 or $12 million. Opening in the same late-summer slot where 'Piranha 3D' succeeded last year, 'Shark Night' had a couple of additional advantages. First, it was rated PG-13, not the restrictive R that marked 'Piranha.' Second, some 80 percent of its screens were 3D, so viewers had little choice but to pay the surcharge. Rounding out the top five was 'Rise of the Planet of the Apes,' still holding up well in its fifth weekend. From Friday to Sunday, it earned an estimated $7.8 million, down just 12 percent from last weekend. Its four-day total was $10.3 million - much better than the predictions of about $7 million for the whole holiday. To date, 'Apes' has earned $162.5 million. The summer ended with domestic box office receipts down half a percent from last summer, at $4.19 billion compared to. 2010's $4.21 billion. Attendance was down as well, some 1.6 percent, with sales of 525.5 million tickets sold compared to 534.2 million last summer. That makes four summers in a row of declining attendance. 'The Help' - Trailer No. 1 The full top 10 (four-day totals): 1. 'The Help,' $19.0 million (2,843 screens), $123.4 million total 2. 'The Debt,' $12.6 million (1,826), $14.5 million 3. 'Apollo 18,' $10.7 million (3,328), new release 4. 'Shark Night 3D,' $10.3 million (2,806), new release 5. 'Rise of the Planet of the Apes,' $10.3 million (3,193), $162.5 million 6. 'Colombiana,' $9.4 million (2,614), $24.0 million 7. 'Our Idiot Brother,' $7.1 million (2,555), $17.3 million 8. 'Spy Kids: All the Time in the World,' $6.6 million (3,007), $31.0 million 9. 'Don't Be Afraid of the Dark,' $6.1 million (2,780), $17.6 million 10. 'The Smurfs,' $5.6 million (2,706), $133.6 million Follow Gary Susman on Twitter: @garysusman. Photo credits: DreamWorks ('The Help'), Focus Features ('The Debt'), The Weinstein Company ('Apollo 18'), Incentive Film Procudtions ('Shark Night 3D')