Actor, director, producer, screenwriter and father-to-be, Michael Knowles has his hands full—and blissfully so. With a laid-back demeanor, a healthy sense of humor and the occasional cigar, he wrote and directed the film adaptation of Douglas Light’s award-winning novel East Fifth Bliss. He navigates an artistic world that is truly indie, making films that he loves based on stories that he loves, and always—he insists—following his instincts....
- 4/11/2012
- Pastemagazine.com
Packs a lot of Lower East Side quirkiness into 97 minutes. Maybe too much. Emerging director Michael Knowles. feature length narrative debut is an ultimately quirky and, for the most part, entertaining review of life in New York.s rapidly gentrifying Lower East Side. Director Knowles adapted the screenplay from the award winning Douglas Light novel .East Fifth Bliss. which received the 2007 Benjamin Franklin Award for Fiction. Written in 2007, the screenplay is an up to date look at one of the last New York neighborhoods to succumb to outright gentrification. The film claims a commendable list of famous personalities including Peter Fonda and Rhea Pearlman. Although when it comes to the big names, only Lucy Liu and Michael C.
- 3/28/2012
- by Ron Wilkinson
- Monsters and Critics
Director Michael Knowles aptly delivers a lighthearted comedy sure to become an indie favorite. It is, however, refreshing that The Trouble With Bliss (based on Douglas Light’s novel, East Fifth Bliss) is told without the heavy-handed philosophical musing that so often accompanies smart, independent films. Set in New York City and centered on Morris Bliss (played by Dexter’s Michael C. Hall) and his extremely colorful (though thankfully, not too quirky) cast of family, friends and love interests, Knowles’s third feature film is about the hilariously complicated art of growing up . as a grownup....
- 3/24/2012
- Pastemagazine.com
This week, I was fortunate enough to have a conversation with a Broadway and Hollywood notable also known around the world as the star of Showtimes hit serial killer series, Dexter - the eminently gifted Michael C. Hall - all about his new feature film The Trouble With Bliss, co-starring a colorful assortment of theatre and film actors including recent God Of Carnage star Lucy Liu, as well as Peter Fonda, Chris Messina, Christian Campbell and star-on-the-rise Brie Larson - with the film giving Hall a rare chance to show off his slightly softer side in more ways than one. Hall candidly comments on his experiences filming the NYC-set dramedy directed by Matthew Knowles and based on the book by Douglas Light, which follows his neurotic, stasis-plagued character, Morris Bliss, who, at the ripe age of 35, embarks on a journey of self-discovery and enlightenment spurred on by his relationship with...
- 3/23/2012
- by Pat Cerasaro
- BroadwayWorld.com
The Trouble With Bliss demonstrates that actor Michael C. Hall is far more convincing as a serial killer than a slacker. The Dexter star gives it his all in this indie comedy about a 35-year-old unemployed man coping with various romantic and life crises, but by the end of this terminally cute effort you’ll wish that he just stop moping and kill somebody already. Video: Comic-Con: Michael C. Hall Based on Douglas Light’s "East Fifth Bliss" -- the latest example of the sort of acclaimed novel that inevitably attracts filmmakers but doesn’t successfully make the transition to the
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- 3/22/2012
- by Frank Scheck
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Michael C. Hall is in New York this month shooting Kill Your Darlings, the story of three Beat writers who got drawn into a murder trial when their mutual friend Lucien Carr stabbed David Kammerer. Hall, best known for playing a serial killer on Dexter, will be the one getting stabbed this time around; his co-stars include Daniel Radcliffe as Allen Ginsberg, Ben Foster as William Burroughs, and Jack Huston as Jack Kerouac. But first up is this week's The Trouble With Bliss, an adaptation of Douglas Light's novel East Fifth Bliss. Hall takes the lead as Morris Bliss, an unemployed 35-year-old who lives with his father and meanders through life in the East Village. Vulture checked in with the actor to chat about stalking, underage sex, and Deb's icky love for Dexter.The Trouble With Bliss takes place in the East Village. Is that where you've been hanging out?...
- 3/22/2012
- by Jennifer Vineyard
- Vulture
When we first meet Morris Bliss (Michael C. Hall), he's in his bed enjoying some post-coital time with Stephanie (Brie Larson), a much younger high-school student. It's late in the afternoon and Morris is eager to usher Stephanie out of the house before his father Danny (Peter Fonda) comes home, but the attractive Stephanie knows that she wields the upper hand in the sexual dynamic and drags things out, peppering her middle aged lover with questions. We learn that he dreams of traveling to the places he's read about in books, with his destinations already pinned on a map. And through their banter, Morris is shocked to learn that Stephanie is actually the daughter of a former classmate. Now while ordinarily that might seem like a big deal, as we soon learn in "The Trouble With Bliss," Morris' "troubles" just really aren't all that serious.
Based on the novel by...
Based on the novel by...
- 3/21/2012
- by Kevin Jagernauth
- The Playlist
It’s not often that fans of Michael C. Hall get to see him outside of Dexter. This year will see the Golden Globe-winning actor leading The Trouble with Bliss juggling two relationships between the young Brie Larson and his neighbour in Lucy Liu.
The first trailer for the film has now debuted over at Apple, who also have the first poster, and it looks like great performances for the whole cast. The film is based on East Fifth Bliss, Douglas Light’s award-winning debut novel, and Michael Knowles directs from a script co-written by himself and Light.
“The Trouble With Bliss tells the story of 35-year-old Morris Bliss (Michael C. Hall), who is clamped firmly in the jaws of New York City inertia. He wants to travel but has no money; he needs a job but has no prospects; and he still shares an apartment with his widowed father...
The first trailer for the film has now debuted over at Apple, who also have the first poster, and it looks like great performances for the whole cast. The film is based on East Fifth Bliss, Douglas Light’s award-winning debut novel, and Michael Knowles directs from a script co-written by himself and Light.
“The Trouble With Bliss tells the story of 35-year-old Morris Bliss (Michael C. Hall), who is clamped firmly in the jaws of New York City inertia. He wants to travel but has no money; he needs a job but has no prospects; and he still shares an apartment with his widowed father...
- 2/22/2012
- by Kenji Lloyd
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Thanks to his work on both Six Feet Under and Dexter, Michael C. Hall has sadly never been much of a movie guy. While he's been a big name for over a decade now, he's only actually been in three movies, those titles being Paycheck, Gamer and Peep World. Fortunately, that number is soon to grow. The Trouble With Bliss, which premiered last year at the Newport Beach International Film Festival, is finally scheduled to arrive in theaters and with the news comes the first trailer. Adapted and directed by Michael Knowles, the film is based on the novel East Fifth Bliss by Douglas Light Watch the trailer below and head over to Apple to see it in HD. In addition to the trailer, Apple has also posted the first poster, which you can see right here: The story follows Morris Bliss (Hall), a man stuck in arrested development. While...
- 2/21/2012
- cinemablend.com
Variance Films has acquired U.S. theatrical rights to The Trouble With Bliss, the Michael Knowles-directed film that stars Michael C. Hall, Brie Larson, Peter Fonda, Lucy Liu, Brad William Henke, Sarah Shahi, and Chris Messina. The film will get a theatrical release on March 23, 2012, per Variance founder Dylan Marchetti. Hall plays 35-year-old Morris Bliss, who is clamped firmly in the jaws of New York City inertia. He wants to travel but has no money; he needs a job but has no prospects; and he still shares an apartment with his widowed father (Fonda), who treats Morris with a mix of disdain and exasperation. When he finds himself juggling a bizarre relationship with the sexually precocious 18-year-old daughter (Larson) of a former classmate and the advances of his very forward neighbor (Liu), Morris realizes that even though his life is unraveling, it’s also opening up in ways that are long overdue.
- 11/30/2011
- by MIKE FLEMING
- Deadline
Depp and Girlfriend Make American Lover: Johnny Depp and his girlfriend of 12 years, Vanessa Paradis, are rumored to be appearing together in the new movie My American Lover for director Lasse Hallstrom. Depp was quoted saying, "Vanessa plays the French feminist Simone de Beauvoir and I play her lover Nelson Algren who is real macho." Production is expected to get underway in 2011 according to the news, but don't hold your breath. [Bang Showbiz via The Playlist]
Brody, Shawkat and Janney also Peel Oranges: On the heels of Friday's announcement, Adam Brody, Alia Shawkat and Allison Janney are set to join the cast of The Oranges for director Julian Farino. The trio join already cast Leighton Meester, Catherine Keener and Hugh Laurie in the dramedy written by Jay Reiss and Ian Helfer, centers on a man's romantic relationship with the daughter of a family friend, which turns their lives upside down. Shooting is expected to...
Brody, Shawkat and Janney also Peel Oranges: On the heels of Friday's announcement, Adam Brody, Alia Shawkat and Allison Janney are set to join the cast of The Oranges for director Julian Farino. The trio join already cast Leighton Meester, Catherine Keener and Hugh Laurie in the dramedy written by Jay Reiss and Ian Helfer, centers on a man's romantic relationship with the daughter of a family friend, which turns their lives upside down. Shooting is expected to...
- 3/1/2010
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
New stills from The Expendables, Beastly, Looking for Eric, Get Him to the Greek and a huge batch of concept art from Dreamworks Animation's "How to Train Your Dragon".
"MIlla Jovovich has revealed on her Twitter account that the first trailer for "Resident Evil: Afterlife 3D" will be attached to copies of the "A Nightmare on Elm Street" remake..." (full details)
"'Tron Legacy 3D' will best be seen on IMAX as on that format, the film has five action sequences that make full use of the IMAX aspect ratio. Unlike the similar presentation with 'The Dark Knight' though, these scenes were Not shot with an IMAX camera"..." (full details)
"Michael C. Hall and Lucy Liu are teaming on Michael Knowles' indie drama "East Fifth Bliss". Based on the novel by Douglas Light, the story follows a 35-year-old man (Hall) who finds his life changing when he...
"MIlla Jovovich has revealed on her Twitter account that the first trailer for "Resident Evil: Afterlife 3D" will be attached to copies of the "A Nightmare on Elm Street" remake..." (full details)
"'Tron Legacy 3D' will best be seen on IMAX as on that format, the film has five action sequences that make full use of the IMAX aspect ratio. Unlike the similar presentation with 'The Dark Knight' though, these scenes were Not shot with an IMAX camera"..." (full details)
"Michael C. Hall and Lucy Liu are teaming on Michael Knowles' indie drama "East Fifth Bliss". Based on the novel by Douglas Light, the story follows a 35-year-old man (Hall) who finds his life changing when he...
- 3/1/2010
- by Garth Franklin
- Dark Horizons
Brie Larson and Lucy Liu are to join Michael C. Hall ("Dexter") in the independent comedy "East Fifth Bliss." Hall plays a 35-year-old whose life unravels comically when he begins an awkward relationship with Larson's character who is the eighteen-year-old daughter of a former high school classmate. Liu is in as an unhappily married neighbor. Michael Knowlesdirects from the screenplat he adapted alongside Douglas Light based on Light's novel. The book won the 2007 Benjamin Franklin Award for Fiction. 7A Productions' John Ramos and Knowles are producing with and John Will for Torn Sky Entertainment and Susan Leber. Filming is set to begin this April in New York.
- 2/26/2010
- Upcoming-Movies.com
Up and coming composer Daniel Alcheh has been hired to score indie comedy East Fifth Bliss, starring Michael C. Hall and George Segal. The film is directed by Michael Knowles and based on Douglas Light’s Benjamin Franklin Award-winning novel of the same title, telling the story about a 35-year old man who gets into an awkward relationship with the 18-year old daughter of a former classmate. Alcheh, who is represented ...
- 9/3/2009
- by moviescore
- MovieScore Magazine
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