Most of us know what to expect from a documentary. Mix archive footage, talking heads, maybe some embedded action or sincere agit prop. Laurie Anderson, who directed her own 1986 concert doc "Home of the Brave," has been roaming the world for decades with various performances and installations packed with multimedia. With "Heart of a Dog," the artist-performer is adept at combining her mellifluous narrator voice (remember "O Superman"?) with a wide range of images and music (she decided to provide a score at the last minute) culled from her lifetime of performing. But this is no hodge-podge. She manages to thread a through-narrative, starting with her beloved late dog and reaching an emotional climax involving the losses of her mother and husband Lou Reed, while ruminating and asking deep questions along the way. See this movie (Abramorama, October 21), which is Oscar eligible, and watch our interview, which is a...
- 11/20/2015
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
Essay films rarely get as much attention as Laurie Anderson‘s Heart of a Dog as already attracted. The highly regarded performance artist and musician has long been involved in cinema, having directed the concert film Home of the Brave, acted as host in various PBS documentaries and even serving as a member of the jury at the Berlinale back in 1991, but she’s never produced anything quite like this uncannily Marker-esque open-hearted ode to mourning. In turns startlingly funny and heart-wrenchingly sad, her return to the silver screen is a remarkably personal, unapologetically experimental work that ruminates on the recent deaths of her beloved rat terrier Lollabell and her late husband Lou Reed.
Calling to mind the work of Left Bank artists like the aforementioned Chris Marker and fellow female filmmaker Agnès Varda, Heart of a Dog is a wash of overlaid impressionistic imagery and draped in a meandering,...
Calling to mind the work of Left Bank artists like the aforementioned Chris Marker and fellow female filmmaker Agnès Varda, Heart of a Dog is a wash of overlaid impressionistic imagery and draped in a meandering,...
- 10/21/2015
- by Jordan M. Smith
- IONCINEMA.com
The BFI London Film Festival has unveiled its industry programme and added three innovative film-makers to new strand Lff Connects.
Industry talks Lff Connects, which aim to explore the future of film and how film engages with other creative industries, has added writer, director, visual artist and vocalist Laurie Anderson; filmmaker and artist Guy Maddin; and virtual reality maestro Chris Milk.
This is on top of the previously announced talk featuring Interstellar director Christopher Nolan and artist Tacita Dean.
Us artist Anderson is best known for her multimedia presentations and innovative use of technology. As writer, director, visual artist and vocalist she has created ground-breaking works that span the worlds of art, theatre and experimental music.
Her new documentary Heart of the Dog, which screens as a new programme addition at Lff, is her first feature since the 1986 concert movie Home of the Brave. At Lff Connects, Anderson will talk about her creative approach to filmmaking and how...
Industry talks Lff Connects, which aim to explore the future of film and how film engages with other creative industries, has added writer, director, visual artist and vocalist Laurie Anderson; filmmaker and artist Guy Maddin; and virtual reality maestro Chris Milk.
This is on top of the previously announced talk featuring Interstellar director Christopher Nolan and artist Tacita Dean.
Us artist Anderson is best known for her multimedia presentations and innovative use of technology. As writer, director, visual artist and vocalist she has created ground-breaking works that span the worlds of art, theatre and experimental music.
Her new documentary Heart of the Dog, which screens as a new programme addition at Lff, is her first feature since the 1986 concert movie Home of the Brave. At Lff Connects, Anderson will talk about her creative approach to filmmaking and how...
- 9/14/2015
- by michael.rosser@screendaily.com (Michael Rosser)
- ScreenDaily
"Written, directed, and narrated by Laurie Anderson, Heart of a Dog is at turns a haunting, hilarious, muddled, disparate, and deeply emotional film about a woman, her dog, their bond, and the deaths that continue that haunt her," writes Gary Garrison at the Playlist. We have a clip and we're collecting reviews for Anderson's first feature-length film since Home of the Brave (1986). Heart of a Dog is competing in Venice, it's screened at Telluride and now heads to Toronto. » - David Hudson...
- 9/10/2015
- Fandor: Keyframe
"Written, directed, and narrated by Laurie Anderson, Heart of a Dog is at turns a haunting, hilarious, muddled, disparate, and deeply emotional film about a woman, her dog, their bond, and the deaths that continue that haunt her," writes Gary Garrison at the Playlist. We have a clip and we're collecting reviews for Anderson's first feature-length film since Home of the Brave (1986). Heart of a Dog is competing in Venice, it's screened at Telluride and now heads to Toronto. » - David Hudson...
- 9/10/2015
- Keyframe
Read More: Our Most Anticipated Telluride Movies In the pantheon of memorable dogs in recent cinema — from "The Artist" show-stealer Uggie to Jean-Luc Godard's "Goodbye to Language" star Roxy — one can now add Lolabelle, the late piano-playing rat terrier owned by Laurie Anderson and saluted in her stirring essay film "Heart of a Dog." Though the 68-year-old performance artist hasn't directed a movie since her 1986 concert film "Home of the Brave," the new work is alive with the lyrical insights of a veteran artist. Using her beloved pooch as a starting point for broader philosophical observations, Anderson delivers a unique window into her creative mind. A collage of lo-fi video images, animation and still imagery, "Heart of a Dog" is narrated by Anderson as she recounts her relationship to Lolabelle and the dog's own burgeoning musical career. Anderson managed to turn Lolabelle into an unwitting star readymade for an age of.
- 9/5/2015
- by Eric Kohn
- Indiewire
Abramorama and HBO Documentary Films have announced their pre-festival acquisition of Laurie Anderson’s Telluride selection, styled as a personal meditation on love, loss and terriers.
Abramorama will handle all North American rights to Heart Of A Dog excluding Us television rights granted to HBO.
The film will open theatrically in North America on October 21 at Film Forum in New York followed by nationwide release. HBO will air the film in 2016.
Abramorama head Richard Abramowitz negotiated the deal with Cinetic Media on behalf of the filmmakers.
Abramowitz and Anderson previously collaborated on the latter’s 1986 film Home Of The Brave. See Abramowitz interview here.
Abramorama will handle all North American rights to Heart Of A Dog excluding Us television rights granted to HBO.
The film will open theatrically in North America on October 21 at Film Forum in New York followed by nationwide release. HBO will air the film in 2016.
Abramorama head Richard Abramowitz negotiated the deal with Cinetic Media on behalf of the filmmakers.
Abramowitz and Anderson previously collaborated on the latter’s 1986 film Home Of The Brave. See Abramowitz interview here.
- 9/3/2015
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
Directed by: Peaches
Written by: Peaches
Featuring: Peaches, Dannii Daniels, Sandy Kane
There is nobody quite like Peaches. Her music plays with gender norms and is full of sexually explicit lyrics that love to push the envelope. She is practically a one-woman army, playing her own instruments for her songs, programming her own electronic beats and producing her own albums. So, the next logical step for her was to direct her first feature film.
I was fortunate to see the premiere of Peaches Does Herself at the Toronto International Film Festival this year. It was interesting to see so many of Peaches' friends, family and collaborators in the audience for such an autobiographical film. After all, Peaches is Toronto born (and actually used to be roommates with singer Feist in case you are interested). So it was quite surreal seeing Peaches bounce around onscreen clad in an outfit sporting...
Written by: Peaches
Featuring: Peaches, Dannii Daniels, Sandy Kane
There is nobody quite like Peaches. Her music plays with gender norms and is full of sexually explicit lyrics that love to push the envelope. She is practically a one-woman army, playing her own instruments for her songs, programming her own electronic beats and producing her own albums. So, the next logical step for her was to direct her first feature film.
I was fortunate to see the premiere of Peaches Does Herself at the Toronto International Film Festival this year. It was interesting to see so many of Peaches' friends, family and collaborators in the audience for such an autobiographical film. After all, Peaches is Toronto born (and actually used to be roommates with singer Feist in case you are interested). So it was quite surreal seeing Peaches bounce around onscreen clad in an outfit sporting...
- 9/20/2012
- by Kelly Michael Stewart
- Planet Fury
[Ed. note: The following playlists -- and introduction -- were curated by our friends at Songza -- a great site that lets you select music based on either your activity or mood. Clicking on a playlist below will open an single window or tab and immediately start the selected music -- no log-in or personal information is required. Enjoy, and happy Fourth!]
Because summer is our favorite season, it only follows that the Fourth of July is our favorite holiday. When you take all the classic summer activities and add parades, fireworks, and a nationwide birthday celebration for America, you have the recipe for a great time. With carefully curated soundtracks for every summertime activity and mood, we promise to make your Fourth, and every day for the rest of your summer, even better.
Patriotic Music
These All-American playlists are the best way to celebrate Independence Day.
Stars and Stripes Forever!
Celebrate America in music, from marching bands to great pops orchestras. Play this sparkling homage to the land we love before, during, and after you watch the fireworks this Fourth of July.
Heartland America
Celebrate the things that make America great -- including cars, young love and rock & roll -- with these classic heartland rockers.
Patriotic Country
Celebrate the spirit of America,...
Because summer is our favorite season, it only follows that the Fourth of July is our favorite holiday. When you take all the classic summer activities and add parades, fireworks, and a nationwide birthday celebration for America, you have the recipe for a great time. With carefully curated soundtracks for every summertime activity and mood, we promise to make your Fourth, and every day for the rest of your summer, even better.
Patriotic Music
These All-American playlists are the best way to celebrate Independence Day.
Stars and Stripes Forever!
Celebrate America in music, from marching bands to great pops orchestras. Play this sparkling homage to the land we love before, during, and after you watch the fireworks this Fourth of July.
Heartland America
Celebrate the things that make America great -- including cars, young love and rock & roll -- with these classic heartland rockers.
Patriotic Country
Celebrate the spirit of America,...
- 7/4/2012
- by Kia Makarechi
- Huffington Post
[This review initially appeared when the film screened at Germany's Nippon Connection and with the film appearing this weekend at the Shinsedai Festival in Toronto we present it again now.]
When I think of concert films I tend to think of them as static. Even if the filmmaker is following a band on tour things tend to progress from one stage show to the next. If the music is great then it can be electrifying, but concert films still present a real challenge to a director. How can people playing music on stage carry an entire feature film? Some have found that magic formula, namely my favorites like Chris Blum's film of Tom Waits's 1988 American tour "Big Time", Laurie Anderson's groundbreaking "Home of the Brave" and that little piece of Toronto punk rock history "The Last Pogo" shot at the city's Horseshoe Tavern. I was lucky enough to recently add to my list of favorite concert films when I got a chance to see Tetsuaki Matsue's "Live Tape", the winner of the top prize in the...
When I think of concert films I tend to think of them as static. Even if the filmmaker is following a band on tour things tend to progress from one stage show to the next. If the music is great then it can be electrifying, but concert films still present a real challenge to a director. How can people playing music on stage carry an entire feature film? Some have found that magic formula, namely my favorites like Chris Blum's film of Tom Waits's 1988 American tour "Big Time", Laurie Anderson's groundbreaking "Home of the Brave" and that little piece of Toronto punk rock history "The Last Pogo" shot at the city's Horseshoe Tavern. I was lucky enough to recently add to my list of favorite concert films when I got a chance to see Tetsuaki Matsue's "Live Tape", the winner of the top prize in the...
- 7/21/2010
- Screen Anarchy
[Our thanks go out to Chris MaGee and Marc Saint-Cyr at the Toronto J-Film Pow-Wow for sharing their coverage of the 2010 Nippon Connection Film Festival.]
When I think of concert films I tend to think of them as static. Even if the filmmaker is following a band on tour things tend to progress from one stage show to the next. If the music is great then it can be electrifying, but concert films still present a real challenge to a director. How can people playing music on stage carry an entire feature film? Some have found that magic formula, namely my favorites like Chris Blum's film of Tom Waits's 1988 American tour "Big Time", Laurie Anderson's groundbreaking "Home of the Brave" and that little piece of Toronto punk rock history "The Last Pogo" shot at the city's Horseshoe Tavern. I was lucky enough to recently add to my list of favorite concert films when I got a chance to see Tetsuaki Matsue's "Live Tape", the winner of the top prize in the...
When I think of concert films I tend to think of them as static. Even if the filmmaker is following a band on tour things tend to progress from one stage show to the next. If the music is great then it can be electrifying, but concert films still present a real challenge to a director. How can people playing music on stage carry an entire feature film? Some have found that magic formula, namely my favorites like Chris Blum's film of Tom Waits's 1988 American tour "Big Time", Laurie Anderson's groundbreaking "Home of the Brave" and that little piece of Toronto punk rock history "The Last Pogo" shot at the city's Horseshoe Tavern. I was lucky enough to recently add to my list of favorite concert films when I got a chance to see Tetsuaki Matsue's "Live Tape", the winner of the top prize in the...
- 4/15/2010
- Screen Anarchy
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