I suspect it's because Mike Mills is COMPLETELY INSANE.

Anyway, Thumbsucker comes out on DVD tomorrow.

I suspect Thumbsucker may be hitting Canadian and UK theaters this weekend, check your local listings, y'all.

Peeved Reeves - an article from the Montreal Mirror

Keanu grunts, groans and scowls his way through an interview about his role in Thumbsucker

by MATTHEW HAYS

Keanu Reeves hates the press. Or so it would seem, as he sits down to talk about his latest film, Thumbsucker, an independent bit of Sundance chic that has the surreally good-looking thespian playing a new-age orthodontist.

One can't really hold it against dear Keanu for hating journalists. After all, it was bottom-feeding tabloid types who gleefully ran with the oft-repeated rumour about his marrying Hollywood mogul David Geffen in a clandestine ceremony. That tall tale got repeated so many times in the early '90s that it almost transcended Hollywood urban legend to become a self-fulfilling reality, much like the one about Richard Gere's gerbil mishap. Geffen finally doused the whole story, stating unequivocally that he'd never even met Keanu.

Then, of course, there are the critics, who have long trashed Keanu's acting style. He is a lightweight poseur, goes the argument, a dude whose career should have sunk long ago, but who stays afloat by the good graces of his looks and little else. (For the record, I think he often delivers carefully minimalist performances that are actually grounded in an intelligent acting process. I predict he'll get his due as an actor in late career, much like Clint Eastwood has. But that's just me.)

Click the extended entry or GO HERE to read the rest of the article...

It doesn't help that Keanu is now sitting at a round table at the Toronto International Film Festival. These round tables allow celebrities to be fast-tracked through a large number of scrums, allowing eight or even 12 journalists to interview a celebrity at once. Simply put, it's the assembly line applied to the interview technique. It sucks, both for the writer and the interview subject. Keanu knows this, and clearly hates it. Which is kinda too bad, given that the film he's here to pump up, Thumbsucker - an unusual tale about a teenage boy whose parents insist he give up sucking on his thumb - isn't a bad movie at all. As well as the Matrix star, the film's kick-ass cast includes Tilda Swinton, Vincent D'Onofrio, Benjamin Bratt, Vince Vaughn and celebrated newcomer Lou Pucci in the lead.

Keanu grunts and groans his way through a series of questions, looking particularly askance at one journalist sitting to his left, an overweight Australian who apparently has not discovered the magical powers of deodorant. "Was this a character you could identify with?" asks one journalist. "Yeah," replies Keanu.

This is perhaps the most insightful part of Keanu's interview. There's a pause, and someone tries to squeeze some juice out of him. "I really enjoyed where he ended up," Keanu says. "And where he started. He's an orthodontist with some ideas about life."

I decide to chime in with what I consider to be a deep thought: "How would you say your craft as an actor has evolved since you began making movies?"

Not knowing my theories about his oeuvre first-hand, Keanu interprets this as an attack, rather than a sincere question. He has taken his barbs, after all. "I know more about it," he responds, icily.

Someone continues, suggesting that with his stoned-out orthodontist role, Keanu appeared to be self-consciously referencing his own career, in particular stoner Ted from the Bill & Ted movies. "That was not intended," insists Keanu.

Then I step in again with the deep thoughts: "It seems like perhaps you were doing a parody of a Keanu Reeves performance..."

And that, as it turns out, is a bit too much for Keanu to take. He clams up. "I'm not saying," he states, while crossing his arms firmly.

With that, director-writer Mike Mills steps in, happy to fill in the gaps. The film, he said, was his own way of reiterating a message he needs to hear himself: that there is no such thing as normal. While his protagonist is a tormented thumbsucker, the lad soon learns that being different really isn't such a bad thing, and rather than fight his purported faults, he should simply embrace them.

Another journalist uses this as a cue to get back to Keanu. Isn't a film like Thumbsucker a perfect reflection of Reeves's own career, given his non-typical status in the business? I mean, Keanu, you're hardly the typical Hollywood guy, argues the journo.

"Who is?"

Do you have a career plan, goes another question, or just fly by the seat of your pants?

"Is there anything in between?"

Another journalist attempts to appeal with a softer question: do you prefer comedy to drama?

Keanu brings this round table to a bitter end. "I don't really know. Unless, of course, I'm parodying myself."

V. and I went to see Thumbsucker this weekend. Here's his review.

Clearly, the real sucking here is not related to thumbs but to the possibility of the studio pulling Thumbsucker from national distribution. They simply aren't supporting it in any meaningful way and that makes the Baby Jesus sad. Everyone in the film is quite good.

Tilda Swinton, though cast in a supporting role, is clearly the star. Her still and quiet fragility lifts even the most stilted of scenes (of which there are several). Languid and pale, she drew me in again and again so that I might be reminded that I am not alone in what it is to be so horribly, painfully... deservedly human. Vince Vaughn is at his most understated in years as a subtly vain teacher of juvenile forensics who just so happens to have mascara in his bag (you know, just in case one of his female charges needs a little help bringing out her eyes before the regionals). Vincent D'Onofrio plays an adequate jock father who turns in a journeyman scene when he suggests to his stoned son that it could just be possible to turn one's back on one's dream for the love of a woman (Swinton) who probably doesn't deserve it as she has no real dream of her own beyond that of the arms of cocaine snorting television star, Benjamin Bratt, about whom I will stop before I commit to words something terribly mean. The scene would have been all the more poignant had I not seen it eighty-seven times before. The character of the younger brother (Chase Offerle) existed solely to deliver lines I had also heard eighty-seven times. Pre-teen characters belong in after-school specials. I certainly don't want to hear
common slang terms for female reproductive organs coming out of their mouths.

The kid who sucks his thumb is played sweetly by Lou Taylor Pucci. I have it on good authority that he'll have a big career. He gets fucked over in the same repetative way all sweet sensitive boys and girls get fucked over until he finally finds his own worth. I only wish I had found that worth at 17. I went to NYC, too, though I sure wasn't bounding across Times Square. I was in Times Square, but it was different then. It just was. No one bounded, but it was the 80's and, therefore, a far more surly time.

That said, I found the kid's hair to be incredibly annoying. Grow it to your shoulders or cut it off. The movies are magic and I believe they can spare me from having to watch kids whose hair makes them look like bums.

There is a scene in which our hero is drunk in a hotel room with three or four teenage girls who suddenly strip to their underwear and attempt to transmit static electricity from one breast to another. (Ummmm.... huh?)

Look. I was a complete dork in high school like this kid. I was in a club that took trips. We all stayed in a cabin with no adult supervision.

It never happened. It never happens. It never will happen. This sort of thing just doesn't happen. Did I say never? Good.

If the movies would simply stop suggesting that one dork with bad hair can have four teenaged girls in their Hanes Herways hopping up and down on hotel beds, charged like Tesla coils of nubile need, well, teenaged boys wouldn't have such dumb expectations and teenaged girls would have a fighting chance at getting through at least three dates before a trembling hand is unceremoniously shoved down the front of their jeans.

Oh. Keanu Reeves is in this movie. He is cast as Perry, the kid's new age orthodontist. I'm rather unsurprised that he was sought out by the casting director as I am at a loss as to just who else would be able to wear the smock and channel the power animal of a dopey neo-hippy orthodontist. As he disappeared from his last screen appearance, I was left with one thought:

This is what happened to Ted "Theodore" Logan after his dream died.

The power animal really should have been a wild stallion. In certain movies, such beasts begin with great hope. In real life, wild stallions often meet a bad end. I could be wrong. After all, I read metaphors in alphabet soup.

That said, he was rather good in Thumbsucker. The film could have used another three or four minutes of him with the kid who sucks his thumb. Keanu is good when cast as a thoughtful, earnest and somewhat troubled man. You just can't sell him to me as a hacker or savior of humanity (Constantine doesn't factor into that last statement as his character was not really altruistic). Please keep in mind that I'm the guy who used to quip at parties: "I find it so amusing that they keep making movies in which Keanu Reeves is wanted for his mind." I understand, now, that he is bright. This, though, was the early 90's or so. The Johnny Mnemonic years. The early Matrix years. I was and still am passionately apathetic about both. I don't have to be a fan to know when he is good, though.

I appreciate him as a man who lives for his art, and that negates any thing I or any of us think about him. Everyone could forget him and he'd still do what he loves to do. I'm trying to assume that into my being as something not unlike an object lesson in living. Most importantly, I do thank him for being the sort of person who could, unknowingly, reach out beyond the screen and change a woman's view of her own heart and by extension, set her on a path that brought her to a place where she could accept and love a heart that is often too heavy and mad to hold.

Keanu's role as Perry the orthodontist was pivotal to the film. While the relationship between the sucking of thumbs and the straightening of teeth is clear, I'm afraid the extension of the orthodontic metaphor will be lost on many movie-goers. Each character's life is painfully adjusted. Some simply don't accept the gift and return to their own form of emotional thumbsucking, slowly rendering their corrected souls crooked, once again.

Finally, Thumbsucker opens tomorrow (Friday - 10/07) in most major US cities.

From the Orlando Sentinel:

The incredible Zen of Keanu
Reeves takes on the role of a New Age orthodontist in 'Thumbsucker.'

Inscrutable.

That's what Keanu Reeves is.

That's the public face he puts on for journalists, the folks who long ago tagged him perma-dude, the actor with the cool name and surfer-dim vocabulary.

"Vacant-looking," critic Leonard Maltin labeled him.

You don't get much out of him in interviews. Sometimes that's because he doesn't have much to say. But sometimes, it's because the press, even in small group settings such as this one, can't resist riffing on the first fragment of whatever he wants to say. He never gets to finish a thought.

Then again, there's a reason the small studio releasing the indie Thumbsucker, which opens Friday, has paired him with his director, Mike Mills, for interviews. And it's not just "that the movie isn't about Keanu," as the publicist says. Mills, a first-time filmmaker from the world of graphic design (think album covers), is here to fill in the blanks that Reeves leaves between thoughts.

But really, the guy is perfectly capable of expressing himself. And if people are saying that his odd, New Age guru/orthodontist in Thumbsucker is the role he was born to play, he'll run with it. A little.

"I liked his richness of feeling," says Reeves, 41. "I don't know how else to describe it. No matter what he was doing, he felt it. He just seemed so open."

If the ortho-doc seems like an adult, self-mocking version of the "Whoa, dude" Reeves we've all grown to expect, well, that's not his fault.

"I didn't think I was doing that in this role," he says, scratching his scruffy 20-day-plus beard. "But maybe I'm naive."

That gets a laugh, as does his take on the stardom that seems to have sat in his lap for the past 15 years.

"It's all drugs, sex and rock 'n' roll, every day," he growls. "24-7, 3-6-5."

He kids.

As does his co-star, Tilda Swinton, who shepherded this project about a functionally dysfunctional family (she plays the mom) dealing with a potentially brilliant 17-year-old who still sucks his thumb (Lou Pucci).

"I kept a poster of Keanu in The Matrix on my wall throughout the whole preproduction of this film," she says. "I knew if he stayed with the project we might actually get it made. He was my 'power animal.' "

Reeves had the good taste to see, in the script from Walter Kirn's novel, a good movie. He wouldn't be the star. He wouldn't rack up a Matrix or Constantine payday ($15 million plus), or the perks.

But his name would get it made. And it did.

"The humanity of the piece, the humor and insightfulness, and intelligence, they were what I read, and what I experienced when I got to see what was on the screen," Reeves says. "I'm really happy with the film. In terms of my hopes and expectations, they were realized. It's a great role, and I had a great time performing it."

Mills says that Reeves, who has for years earned several times more than the entire budget of indie films such as this one, doesn't do "the star thing." Especially on the set.

"He never, with words or anything else, said 'I'm special or different' and never asked for anything special," says Mills. "Working with Keanu is like working with one of my electricians or the grip or anybody. The worst thing you could do was pay too much attention to him."

"I'm just there to try and tell the story," Reeves says. "I can't deal with other people's idea of who I am supposed to be. I'm just there to work."

It's a dream project for Mills, who came to see it as his own story. It's a breakout piece for young actor Pucci.

And for Reeves? He picks up some of his best reviews. And he returns to the city where he grew up (Toronto), in triumph.

"I remember I saw Blood Simple here, which was the first time I ever experienced the Toronto Film Festival," Reeves says. "What was that, in like 1983 or something? 1984? Far back. Years ago, anyway.

"I saw this incredible festival, from that angle, growing up here. I remember, from that time, just waiting for that film festival guide, and every year, you'd go, 'Oh my God, there are so many incredible movies here!'

"And then to be here and have a film here is just exciting, no other way to put it. I remember the first time I came here as an actor, it was for Prince of Pennsylvania [1988]. I'd always wanted to act 'in pitchas.' To finally get to do that, and to come back to the hometown for a movie, was a really good day."

Future good days? There's another comic adaptation (The Night Watchman), and a challenging role as movie star Lana Turner's mobster lover, Johnny Stompanato, in the works, co-starring Catherine Zeta-Jones.

"Johnny wants to self-realize," Reeves says of that role. "But there's all these boxes that he's put in. And I think he's trying to get out of them.

"He wants to be in love with this woman. He wants to create. He wants to be a producer. He doesn't want to just be where he's come from. He wants to be more than that.

"I always think of him as kind of a beauty and the beast. He wants to be more than the brute."

Kind of like "the dude" who wants to be more than the dude?

"Hey," he grins, readying his stock answer for every "Why choose that role?" question. "I was just looking for work."

Copyright © 2005, Orlando Sentinel October 1, 2005 - Roger Moore

Has anyone been reading the Thumbsucker Blog?

I like the way Mike Mills thinks (and blogs). Plus, this makes me giggle MADLY.

Hmm, which one is the lucky Keanu sniffer??

(thx eve!)

MTV news has a Thumbsucker article up that includes this little tidbit...

"I got the script, read the script, really liked it," Reeves remembered recently while discussing his participation in the low-budget film "Thumbsucker." "I went to [the director's] office, sat at a table ..."

"My dog smelled you," smiled Mike Mills, the former music-video director now benefiting from Reeves' accessibility.

"I got smelled," agreed Reeves, "we had a lovely conversation, and I was in."

Also, there's clip of a Q&A with the cast of Thumbsucker up over at Moviephone.

Have a great weekend.

"Reeves is delightful in a part that surely doesn't echo his own Zen-space-cadet offscreen image by mere coincidence. (Hearing him shrug "I was lost in a cloud of hippie psychobabble" is one of many deadpan highlights here.)" - Variety (Sundance)

"Justin Cobb (Lou Pucci) is seventeen and still sucking his thumb. It's hell on his school and sex life. His guru orthodontist (Keanu Reeves in a hilarious cameo) clouds the issue with "hippie psychobabble." But when Justin is medicated for his attention-deficit disorder, the numbnut becomes a narcissist who leads the debating team to victory. The change shocks his coach (a terrific Vince Vaughn) and his parents (Tilda Swinton and Vincent D'Onofrio), who turn out to be just as screwed up as Justin. Debuting writer-director Mike Mills -- remember the name -- brings heart and sting to Walter Kirn's novel. Pucci is an actor to watch: He rides this spellbinder without softening the truths that plague the thumbsucker in all of us."-Rolling Stone

"In the world of the goofy yet salient, Vince Vaughn, Benjamin Bratt, and especially Keanu Reeves all bring welcome humor and varying shades of strangeness." -FilmThreat.com

"Mike Mills doesn't suck And neither does his new film, Thumbsucker - I was amazed with the time it took to instill its characters with huma nism and compassion and draw great performances out of stars like a hilarious New Age-damaged Keanu Reeves, frumpy mom Tilda Swinton, and newcomer lead Lou Pucci. Dude goes from finger-licking nerdy to meds-enhanced overachiever and back." -SF Bay Guardian

"'Thumbsucker' works, in part due to the strength of Lou Pucci's superb lead performance and, in part, because however derivative the movie may be, none of its predecessors featured Keanu Reeves playing a Zen dentist who possesses the answers to life's Big Questions. That those answers change three or four times during the movie shows that Mills possesses a knowing sense of humor about his subject, and that Reeves continues to fashion a solid career parodying his dudeness." - Los Angeles Daily News

"the weirdly Zen Dr. Perry Lyman" - Netflix

"pitch-perfect deadpan styling" - BoxOffice.com

"Dr. Perry Lyman, tries hypnotherapy, urging Justin to invoke his "power animal" - a deer in the forest, as it turns out - for help in casting out his organic pacifier. As played by Keanu Reeves in a nicely self-parodic turn, pensive stoner Lyman isn't a quack; indeed, if Freud was onto anything in attributing oral fixation, and the catastrophic dentistry that goes with it, to bad parenting, then every orthodontist should cross-train as a shrink."-Village Voice

"But perhaps the biggest revelation is Reeves. So often derided for his laconic personality, and outside of the first Matrix movie, totally wasted by Hollywood, he makes a triumphant return to his indie roots with tongue planted firmly in cheek. Lyman's a great character - over the course of the movie, he goes through nearly as big an evolution as Justin does. Reeves, sending up that laidback persona that made him famous, is simply hilarious."- REEL.com

Also, Moviephone has another clip up where you can see part of Keanu's wonderful performance.

Keanu was in Toronto for their International Film Festival, where Thumbsucker was screened earlier this week.

Here's some special screening dates and cities for Thumbsucker - Thanks tess.

September 15 - New York
September 15 - Los Angeles
September 20 - Boston
September 20 - San Francisco
September 21 - Seattle
September 22 - Chicago
September 29 - Dallas

If your city is listed go here to RSVP for passes to the screenings (thanks Keanuweb).

Also, Moviephone has a clip.

"Last night the Egyptian theatre held a premiere for THUMBSUCKER with an after-party in the courtyard sponsored by Venice magazine, the magazine that all P. R. flacks have wet dreams about.

Things started with a cringe-worthy intro by the Sony Picture Classics rep where we were told that “it was uncomfortable to have this event with all that is going on in the Gulf Coast but there could be no better film at this time to show us the strength of humanity.” Memo to Sony execs…scrap those witty trailers and call CNN for flood footage. THUMBSUCKING saves the day!

Director Mike Mills brought up the cast and crew members in attendance. Of the cast, only Lou Pucci, Kelli Garner, Keanu Reeves, and Benjamin Bratt (Julia left me for a cameraman?) were in attendance. Keanu was in full Zen Lord of the Universe form. He had a slight beard growth and dark clothing and that distant look which communicates that he is pondering the universe - or wondering where he parked his motorcycle.

Mike Mills filled the front of the theatre with the crew and some members of Polyphonic Spree choir, but not all. They were a Polyphonic Spree Lite, if you will. It was priceless watching all these people stand there while Polyphonic Spree did an acoustic version of one the film’s songs. Keanu seemed to be pondering the flute player no doubt absorbing her mastery of the wind instrument and what it means to the alchemy of the universe - or he was wondering where he parked his motorcycle.

To the film’s credit it allows Keanu to use this Zen Master pose and play it up. his scenes with Lou in the dental chair are highlights. He seems to have fun poking holes in his persona - or else he was wondering where he parked his motorcycle.

Where was Tilda Swinton last night? Where was Vince Vaughn? One can only surmise that Tilda was reading Shakespeare in the country and Vince was locked up in the love lair with Jennifer Aniston.

- a Thumbsucker premiere report at Defamer

While V., Wee Neo and I were on a plane coming back from Seattle, Keanu was at last night's Thumbsucker premiere looking all scruffilicious and stuff.

More photos to be seen via here.

Also, I [heart] Tony Pierce. He knows why.

Reeves, Zeta-Jones eyeing 'Stompanato'

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Keanu Reeves and Catherine Zeta-Jones are circling a movie about Johnny Stompanato, the hoodlum killed by the teen daughter of his girlfriend, actress Lana Turner.

Adrian Lyne ("Unfaithful") is attached to direct "Stompanato," which has landed on the steps of Warner Bros. Pictures but has not yet made the studio its home.

Stompanato, a World War II vet-turned-small-time hood and wannabe actor, was killed on Good Friday 1958 in the Beverly Hills home of Turner by 14-year-old Cheryl Crane. The death was ruled as justifiable homicide, but rumors flew that Crane and Stompanato had been lovers, while other rumors flew that Turner actually killed Stompanato and let her daughter take the rap.

Reeves, last in theaters with "Constantine," just completed work on Warners' "Il Mare," a time-travel romance that reunited him with "Speed" partner Sandra Bullock. Zeta-Jones returns to theaters in the fall with "The Legend of Zorro."

RUETERS- Borys Kit

Looks like this project has been floating around a while. Interesting to see what happens....

Here's a dozen screen shots from the rehearsal footage feature on the Freaked DVD bonus disc. I wish I knew how to rip footage from the disc so everyone could enjoy the leg shaking part.

Of all the films archived in the Backlot, Permanent Record has gotten the most attention. It seems the song sung at the end of the film, Wishing on Another Lucky Star has a special place in the hearts of many people all over the world. Early on in the comments there were requests for a copy of the song and a helpful fan passed along J.D. Souther's version. Then when the film was recently released on DVD, another fan sent me a copy of Jennifer Rubin singing it captured right from the movie. Most recently, another talented fan took the time to work out the chords and share them so fans could pick up their guitars and play the song themselves. For that, to get the mp3's, and to read the comments from fans about it all, go to the PR entry at the Backlot. It's a shame that I've had to close comments at the Backlot due to spammers because it's pretty neat how folks came together around the movie and the song.

Oh, and the title of this entry gives me a nice little segue into mentioning that I'm going to see The Violent Femmes tonight!

Keanu won't be there, but his projects will....

Comic-Con 2005 - San Diego, California, USA

From the schedule for Thursday, July 14:

1:30-2:30 Philip K. Dick's A Scanner Darkly: The Movie: Like a graphic novel come to life, A Scanner Darkly, based on the science fiction novel by author Philip K. Dick, will use live action photography overlaid with an advanced animation process (interpolated rotoscoping) to create a haunting, highly stylized vision of the future. The technology, first employed in Richard Linklater's 2001 film Waking Life, has evolved to produce even more emotional impact and detail. Appearing in person to present a look and discuss the creative process of this ground breaking film will be producer Tommy Pallotta and lead animators Sterling Allen, Evan Cagle, Nick Derington and Christopher Jennings. Also on the panel, in order to answer the question: "Do Androids Dream of Being Phil Dick?" will be Philip K. Dick in android form! Come and see for yourself, he'll even answer your questions! Written for the screen and directed by Richard Linklater, the film stars Keanu Reeves, Robert Downey Jr., Woody Harrelson, Winona Ryder and Rory Cochrane, and will be released by Warner Independent pictures in 2006. Room 6CDEF

5:30-7:00 Constantine: From Comic to Film Warner Home Video hosts key Constantine film and comics luminaries for a special presentation and discussion. The panel features actress Rachel Weisz (Mummy series), film director Francis Lawrence, VERTIGO editor Karen Berger, comics writer Brian Azzarello (100 Bullets), and artist Tim Bradstreet (Punisher). Moderator Jeff Conner interrogates the participants and raffles off signed movie memorabilia and prerelease DVDs. Room 6B

Thanks to POTD for this new still from Thumbsucker and also for the news that the film will be shown at the Toronto International Film Festival this September.

In other news, yes - I'm alive and so is Wee Neo. More from him and Vika in the next day or so. Me? I'm fine, just busy. Happy, but busy.

The Hollywood Reporter reports:

Oliver Stone is in talks to direct "The Night Watchman." The feature film is an adaptation of James Ellroy's script about a disgraced police officer who sets out to rid the police force of corruption. The project, which has been in the works for some time, is being refinanced, with Avi Lerner in talks to finance through his Millenium Films' banner. Spike Lee was set to direct Keanu Reeves in the long-gestating project but has since dropped off to helm "Inside Man" for Universal Pictures. Alexandra Milchan, Lucas Foster and Erwin Stoff are producing. The producers are awaiting a new draft of the script from John Ridley and will then move toward closing deals with Stone and Reeves. "Night Watchman" has been through several incarnations. At one point, David Fincher was in talks to direct for Regency Enterprises and Bruce Berman for Warner Bros. Pictures. Stone most recently directed "Alexander," which has grossed $167.6 million worldwide. Stone and Reeves are repped by CAA."

I'm happy for Reeves to be able to work with a director of note but this is so far off, I really don't have any enthusiasm about it. The story sounds played and dull to me. It did with Spike Lee attached, and it still does with Stone. I suppose that if "get rid of corruption" meant "get in lots of fistfights while not wearing a shirt", I could muster up some glee.

At least there's a good chance he'll be wet and shirtless in Sinbad.

I'm sick.
*wheeze*

The trailer for A Scanner Darkly is available at iFlim.com.

Thank you to everyone that mailed me about it.

*cough*

I'm going back to bed.

Thanks to penelopez for sending her Berlinale report!

"Hey Ladies,

my report is really not so spectacular....I was not so nearly beside Keanu.... I was 20 000 miles away above Keanu but for me it was also really a great feeling. Ok- i'll try to tell you about my day at the Berlinale with Keanu.......me and my friends were waiting at the foyer....I thought, that I will see him closer, but suddenly sounded the gong and that was the request, to places to go....oh what a disappointment. And you can see it by the ticket....my place was on the highest rang......anyway...I will be under one roof with Keanu......In the same time the limousine's forwards.....and I went very very slowly upstairs and when I arrived above, hung at the railing and as Keanu leave the car, I primarily recognized it on (your;)) screaming and in second at his unmistakable sugar-sweet walk......
It was an endless distance to Ke and I thought that I stay cool....no- not really— i hung at the lattice and notice nothing more around me. We had about our places to worry, and I could suspect only on the basis tumult outside in the courses, where Keanu straight was...... I sat and then I was gladly that I sat, because I was really high.....
Keanu, the other actors and the director disappeared somewhere in lower ranks (probable in the V.I.P. Lounge). And I was there above in the knowledge that Keanu is somewhere there down also in the cinema..... the telling way of the film is very unspectacular and gets along without large feelings or depths. All Actors have made a great work. And Keanu's role is the funniest of all. Keanu is remarkably loosely in the role and his dialogues are very strange. His scenes are small, but sometimes the spice lies... in the shortness..
At the end of the movie came Keanu and the other Actors on the stage. Keanu came in third place and he said:“ It is a honour to see the film here. It's an amazing time and
I think It's a wonderful film. Thank you,thank you, thank you.“.......that's all. Then they went away.....for me was this absolute great, even if the distance were enormous... however - that were perhaps also my luck, because I had not lost completely my senses...
Although I found the film good, but I think, that Thumbsucker is not a favorit of the Jury. But this year the filmfestival is not the best in the eyes of the critic and the custumors.....Also they say, that this year not enough glamour and not enough Stars there, because the festival is to close beside the Oscar-Event.....The highlight of the Berlinale this year was the visit of Keanu!!!!!

Ok....that was one day in my life with Keanu......;)
Please,please forgive my bad english.....i hope, that you understand, what I talk about.......

best wishes, penelopez"

Sony Classics gives thumbs-up to 'Thumbsucker' LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Sony Pictures Classics has acquired rights to "Thumbsucker," a crowdpleaser at the recent Sundance Film Festival.

Sources said the deal -- covering North America and English-speaking territories -- was in the $3.5 million-$4 million range. It is scheduled for fall release Stateside.

A first feature from skateboard designer and music-video director Mike Mills, "Thumbsucker" stars Lou Pucci as an incommunicative teenager who doesn't want to give up sucking his thumb. Trying to provide helpful advice are his confused parents (Tilda Swinton and Vincent D'Onofrio), his wacky orthodontist (Keanu Reeves), his love interest (Kelli Garner) and his debate coach (Vince Vaughn).

Sony Classics has committed to running the "Thumbsucker" trailer before such upcoming wide releases as sister studio Columbia Pictures' summer skateboard movie "Lords of Dogtown."

"Thumbsucker" will screen in competition at the Berlin International Film Festival (Feb. 10-20).

I heard a really great review on NPR last week, and was sure that the film would get picked up. Great to have confirmation!

A promising review and nice overview of the story from ScreenDaily.com:

Music video and commercials director and graphic artist Mike Mills makes an impressive feature directorial debut with Thumbsucker, a short and sweet adaptation of the novel by Walter Kirn.

Of all the high school pictures at Sundance this year, this is by far the best, treating the teenager at its centre as an intelligent human rather than as caricature or stereotype. It is also the most understated, and its audience will be an adult one, not the kids it talks about.

Already selected for a competition slot at Berlin immediately after Sundance, Thumbsucker will be a critics’ darling, and Mills, who comes from the same school as Spike Jonze and Sofia Coppola, has the potential to follow in their footsteps as a major young American voice.

Distributors will have to rely on critics and the stars in the supporting cast to market it; even with the presence of Vince Vaughn, Keanu Reeves and Vincent D’Onofrio in the cast, it’s not as hip as it is thoughtful and melancholy. Mills, who also wrote the script, chooses not to hammer home the point in obvious MTV-style exposition, instead choosing moments and sparse dialogue to hint at their inner lives. Teen viewers used to Mean Girls and The OC will not get it.

The film focuses on 17-year-old Justin Cobb (a striking, intelligent breakthrough performance by Lou Pucci) who lives in a dreary Oregon town with his parents Audrey (Swinton) and Mike (D'Onofrio), she a nurse in her early 40s struggling with her own doubts and missed opportunities, he a man living with the disappointment of a broken college football career.

Struggling to find an identity of his own while his parents are so preoccupied, Justin gets spiritual guidance from his new age orthodontist (Reeves), but falls out with him when he realises that he has no answers and is just as busy searching for new philosophies himself.

He lusts after his school debating club team-mate Rebecca (Kelli Garner), but, like him, she is awash with insecurities and the two can’t get it together.

He relies on props in his life - much to his father's annoyance, he still sucks his thumb, for example. Soon his debating coach (Vaughn) suggests he start taking Ritalin, the notorious drug which schools in the US encourage for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Before long, he is experimenting with weed with Rebecca. But none gives him the self-fulfilment or direction he believes he should possess.

Thumbsucker has no plot as such, winding gently through Justin's final year in high school. It touches on his mother's childish preoccupation with a soap star (Bratt), Justin's whirlwind success on the state debating circuit, sexual experimentation with Rebecca and his first heartbreak, and ultimately his own realisation that everyone harbours the same anxieties and flaws and that is ultimately what makes them interesting people.

Mills displays great maturity for a first-timer and while his restraint doesn't always produce lucid results, it does bode well for him in the future. He elicits fine performances from the entire cast, notably Reeves, who shines as the ever-evolving Perry.

I'm slammed with actual work today, and I know I have a bunch of demon movie stuff to catch up on, but here's a couple of Thumbsucker reviews for now. If anyone comes across any others, please leave the link in the comments.

• Oregon Live:
  

  A few films have support. "Thumbsucker," the sweet, delicate, coming-of-age story shot in Beaverton in 2003, had its premiere Sunday night in front of an enthusiastic crowd that especially admired the performance of young Lou Taylor Pucci as a nervous high school senior who tries a number of ways of coping with his feelings of hopelessness and confusion. (It was also the one feature film out of a dozen that contained no nudity.)

  
  
• Dark Horizons:
  

  As for the best of the dramatic films thus far, Thumbsucker is on top of the list. A coming of age story with a difference, this special and often unique comedy drama is about parents and sons, first love, self-discovery and ultimately breaking away. The film's protagonist is one Justin Cobb, addicted to thumbsucking. A bright but awkward high-school teen, he wants to quit, but nothing works. He tries everything from putting ink on his thumb to hypnosis from his New Age orthodontist. He gets so desperate that when a school psychologist suggests using medication to help him focus, Justin leaps at the chance, despite his loving mother's concern. Treated with a wonderfully wry, understated humour and featuring extraordinary performances from Tilda Swinton and a charming Keanu Reeves, Thumbsucker is a stunning debut from a director who has crafted a wonderfully rich and rewarding film, destined for commercial success if picked up by the right distributor.

• Best one-line buzz yet, from SFGate.com:
  

  [Benjamin] Bratt plays a TV cop with a bad drug habit in "Thumbsucker," a coming-of-age saga that's this year's "Donnie Darko."

• Also, not a review but...Salt Lake Tribune:
  

  Sometimes audience members' post-screening questions to actors or directors are just downright stupid. At a Q&A after Sunday's premiere of "Thumbsucker," someone asked Keanu Reeves if he prepped for his role as an orthodontist by watching Laurence Olivier in "Marathon Man" or Steve Martin in "Little Shop of Horrors."
  Reeves, wearing a long black coat and a scraggly beard, looked dumbfounded.
  "No," he said.
  He did add, however, that he got some tips from a real-life orthodontist in Beaverton, Ore., where the movie was filmed. Reeves has a supporting role in the film as a dentist who works on the 17-year-old main character, played by Lou Pucci.
  Apparently, Reeves needed the advice.
  "The first time I was working with [Lou]," he said, "I almost poked his eye out."

UPDATE: Some good links from Tyler and Kaz in the comments plus this from JoBlo.com:

THUMBSUCKER is a solid little indie drama in the vein of TADPOLE and/or IGBY GOES DOWN. It stars newcomer Lou Pucci as an uncomfortable high-schooler who finds comfort in the simple act of thumbsucking. Several well-meaning adults try to help Justin quit the "childish" habit, resulting in a string of oddball divergences. Justin gets hypnotized by his new-age dentist (Keanu Reeves), earns a spot on the school debate team thanks to a kindhearted educator (Vince Vaughn), and even learns a few bizarre lessons from a drug-addicted TV star (Benjamin Bratt). Justin's parents (Tilda Swinton & Vincent D'Onofrio) chime in with their own advice, but clearly Mom and Pop have a few problems of their own. Based on the novel by Walter Kirn, this is a fitfully amusing and surprisingly insightful little indie dramedy, and one that should find a small-but-appreciative audience later this year.

Keanu's at Sundance, looking yummy as usual.

Keanuette's there as well (as are Wanda and Tess), and she was lucky enough to attend last night's Thumbsucker premiere showing. Read her report here. She has some good things to say about the film without giving too much away. Oh yes. Two Words. Bicycle Shorts.

Club Keanu has photos of him out and about in Park City as well. Have I mentioned YUMMY?

I'm getting no Keanu love from The Defamer, who is blogging his Sundance experience all week. I should have sent him a gift basket of drugs and porn last week. Oh well, there's still lots of "Hollywood on Ice" snark as only he can deliver, though. Who knew that the guy from Napoleon Dynamite was such a cutie?

Not as cute as Reeves of course, who apparently still forgets to pack a comb.

Man, I so wish I would have gone. I have the perfect boots to match his scruff.

I'm looking forward to more reports from the field and hopefully some reviews of the film, which seems to be a pretty popular draw at the festival, which is good news.

All pre-purchasable tickets for the Sundance screenings of Thumbsucker are sold out.

That sucks for me (and anyone else that paid the pre-reg fee hoping to get passes), but bodes well for the film.

Hopefully it will pick up a distribution deal from the festival and will get released before summer.

The Sundance site says that tickets for sold-out screenings (link goes to a pdf file) may be available the day of the show, but I'm not going to be taking the chance on a fruitless 400 mile drive, especially one that may involve snow.

Tess, it's all up to you to get to one of those showings and write us a review.

Addiction can take many forms: drugs, gambling, sex, and food are common ones. But for Justin Cobb, it's thumbsucking. A bright but awkward high-school teen, he wants to quit, but nothing works. He tries everything from putting ink on his thumb (a tip from his woefully uncommunicative father) to hypnosis from his New Age orthodontist. He gets so desperate that when a school psychologist suggests using medication to help him focus, Justin leaps at the chance, despite his loving mother's concern. In a refreshingly original and humorous spin, the meds begin to work. But are they the answer or just a more acceptable form of pacification?

Thumbsucker features a truly extraordinary cast that turn in magnificent performances captured by exquisite cinematography--creating an ethereal aesthetic to shape a modern-day fairy tale filled with humor, charm, and fragile love.
Acclaimed graphic artist and music-video director Mike Mills returns to Sundance (his short, Architecture of Reassurance, played in 2000) with another beautifully rendered examination of suburban angst. With his feature debut, he delivers on his unlimited potential, displaying an amazing cinematic dexterity combined with an acute insight into the human condition to produce a visually stunning and thought-provoking portrait of addiction--rooted in suburbia, but relevant to everyone. - Trevor Groth

Thumbsucker debuts in the drama category at this year's Sundance Festival.

Screening dates and times are:

• Sunday , Jan 23 - 5:30 PM - Racquet Club
  
• Monday , Jan 24 - 8:30 AM - Racquet Club
  
• Wednesday , Jan 26 - 11:30 AM - Racquet Club
  
• Thursday , Jan 27 - 3:00 PM - Eccles Theatre
  
• Friday , Jan 28 - 9:00 PM - Trolley Square Cinemas A, SLC

Theater locations/info can be found here.

I can't make the first screening (which isn't technically listed at the "premiere" so there's no telling who might be attending....or not), but I'm going to try and swing the time off for a road trip to the Friday SLC show if I can get passes. Which looks like an adventure in itself.

-via keanuweb

River Phoenix and Keanu Reeves star in director Gus Van Sant's haunting tale of two young street hustlers: Mike Waters, a sensitive narcoleptic who dreams of the mother who abandoned him, and Scott Favor, wayward son of the mayor of Portland and the object of Mike's desire. Navigating a volatile world of junkies, thieves, and johns, Mike takes Scott on a quest from the grungy streets to the open highways of the Pacific Northwest, in search of an elusive place called "home."Groundbreaking and visually dazzling, My Own Private Idaho is a stirring look at unrequited love and life at society's margins.

Finally.

Criteron Collection DVDs are the top of the line and it's about time that this great film gets their attention. Set for release this February (an available for pre-oder now at the Criterion site), the 2 disc set will include features like an "exclusive new audio conversation between Van Sant and filmmaker Todd Haynes" (does this mean commentary track? I'm not sure), documentary footage featuring interviews with key crew members, outtakes (eee!), high quality audio and video enhanced for widescreen televisions and approved by director Gus Van Sant and a booklet featuring a new essay by film critic Amy Taubin and reprinted interviews with Van Sant, River Phoenix, and Keanu Reeves. Plus more...

-via keanuweb

Mike Mills' Thumbsucker has been confirmed to debut at The Sundance Film Festival this January.

To refresh your memory, Thumbsucker is based on the Harold Kirn novel by the same name and will star Lou Taylor Pucci as Justin Cobb, a teenage boy with an oral fixation.

Keanu will play his unconventional orthodontist, Dr. Perry Lyman.

The movie also stars Vincent D'Onofrio, Tilda Swinton and Vince Vaughn.

You can visit Sundance.org for information on pre-registering for tickets for individual screenings. I gather that it's going to be nearly impossible to swing a pass for any of the premieres.

I have a family thing on the 23rd, but I'm going to try and make it up there to see my wonderful friend Tess and to attend at least a showing of this film, even if I can't swing the premiere screening.

According to Variety, via ComingSoon.net - Keanu will star in The Night Watchman for director Spike Lee. The story is of "a disgraced cop who discovers corruption inside a police department and sets out on a mission to redeem himself." Filming begins in February.

I'm sort of "meh" about the premise, but I'm excited that Keanu's going to work with the esteemed Mr. Lee, whom I love for his sneaker commercials and basketball heckling.

Keanu's Parenthood co-star Steve Martin will be honored with an American Cinematheque Award tonight. I lurve Steve Martin. I used to have an 8-track (yes, I'm that old) of his first comedy album that I completely wore out. He's such such a great versatile actor, author and seems like generally a hell of a guy. Plus, the white hair does it for me in a big way. *swoon*

The Hollywood Reporter has an article that includes this little bit of trivia...

The following year, Martin starred in the hit comedy "Parenthood" produced by Grazer, who went on to produce the Martin starrers "Housesitter" (1992), "Sgt. Bilko" (1996) and "Bowfinger" (1999). Of the latter film, Grazer notes: "When Steve gave me the (Martin-penned) script for 'Bowfinger,' it wasn't written for (co-star) Eddie Murphy -- it was written for a white action star. It was written for Keanu Reeves, literally. I said, 'Why does it have to be an action star?' He said, 'That's the joke.' I said: 'What if it were Eddie Murphy, and Eddie Murphy played two characters? That could be really funny.' He said: 'You know, that'd be great -- that'd be brilliant. Let's do that.' He processed it in about a minute, and he made a creative sea change."

It's been ages since I've seen Bowfinger, I might rent it again to imagine what it may have been like with the original premise.

These frames are from one of Keanu's first roles in a Canadian teevee film called Letting Go.

The film stars John Ritter and Sharon Gless. Keanu's part is small, he's credited as "Stereo Teen #1". The good news is, after being rarely found only on eBay in VHS, this film is now out on DVD (Region 1) for your viewing pleasure.

When I found out the L.A. Short Film Festival was happening this week, I combed the schedule hoping to see that Stephen Hamel's Echo would be in the mix. Unfortunately, I didn't see it in the listings. I did find this though, playing Friday, September 10, 1:15pm @ Theater 8-

Finding Neo
(Comedy/United States/Beta SP/12 min)
Director: TEO
Producers: Gregory Storm. Richard T. Jones and Teo
Writer: Teo
A two-time parolee, Eno, discovers he must find his "One" to save him from a potential third strike and a permanent return to prison.

So if you're in the L.A. area you might want to check that out.

Some of the other short films look interesting as well.

Superheroes: We Work for Tips
(Documentary/United States/Digital Beta/9 min.)
Directors: Paul Preston and Robert B. Nejman
Producer: Paul Preston and Robert B. Nejman
Writers: Paul Preston,Robert B. Nejman and Karen Volpe
A documentary that uncovers the lives of the superhero look-alikes who pose for tips in front of Grauman's Chinese Theater in Hollywood.

Rock On
(Comedy/ United States/35mm/18 min)
Director: Ramsey Mellette
Producer: Tyler Jones, David White and John Halbert
Writer: Ramsey Mellette
A short comedy about a guy who gets a Whitesnake song stuck in his head and can't get it out!

The Ends of the Alphabet
(Suspense/Thriller/United States/Beta SP/9 min)
Director: Eric Kurland
Producer: Eric Kurland
Writer: Eric Kurland
Jackson Abbott is a hard-boiled detective in 1953 Los Angeles. When the daughter of a Las Vegas Millionaire comes to him for help, Abbott finds himself caught up in a web of murder and deceit. Featuring a cast of unique puppets.

Eeeee! Puppets!

Whether you're in the mood for Comedy, Drama, something Animated or a Documentary there's plenty of cinematic goodness going on.

And the best thing about a short film is if it sucks, it'll be over soon.

Well, the good news is you can get your super special Matrix Trilogy 10 DVD set in a special box with Neo de Milo and a cute little book this Christmas. The bad news is that the Keanu commentary previously reported? Not gonna happen. Feh. According to the report at thedigitalbits.com (via keanuweb):

There will be two audio commentaries for each film - one from philosophers Ken Wilber and Cornel West (who analyze the meanings behind the films), and one from three professional critics who hated all three films (no names given). According to Andy Wachowski, "It's the best idea we've ever had. It's hilarious. They just sit there and rip the shit out of us for six hours."

Hee! That is hilarious. I can't wait.

Also in DVD news, Mayor of the Sunset Strip was released on Tuesday. Yes, it's true that Keanu is only in it for the 2 seconds, as seen in the trailer, but if you have an interest in music and the LA scene it's definitely worth the rental.

Wait, there's more. The sucktacular Even Cowgirls Get the Blues will be out on DVD in November according to DVDanswers.com(via keanua-z). I have it on video from my "must have everything" completist phase a couple years ago. It's bad. Really bad. Recommended to rent ONLY if you've never seen Keanu as the asthmatic Julian Gitche AND you have a coupon or something.

Thanks to Chianti for posting this news at Club-Keanu:

According to Lou Pucci's website, "Thumbsucker" will be first shown at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah on Jan. 20, 2005.

I think I may have to dispatch my SLC field operative (cough*tess*cough) to represent.

Keanuweb reports that Keanu's name has been removed from the cast list at IMDb.com for "Tripoli" (2007).

Meh.

Also Box Office Prophets lists a release date for A Scanner Darkly - September 16, 2005.

I know thats like, forever, but it seems to me we're getting used to it.

Thanks to creezy via Keanuette for this...

Keanu is reported to be starring in "Echo", a twelve-minute black-and-white short film directed by Stephen Hamel.

This should be good, I've always loved what Hamel captured in photographs of Keanu. Of course, for all our yard-long frozen margaritas and Penn and Teller shows, Las Vegas doesn't have an art house theater so I hope this makes it either to CineVegas or shows on IFC.

This film is based on the Greek myth of Echo and Narcissus, though I'm pretty sure it will be a modern retelling, so sorry....no toga.

Refresh your memory of the myth below thanks to this site.

Narcissus was a very handsome mortal lad. All the maidens longed to be his, but he would have none of them. He wanted someone as beautiful as he was handsome. Heart broken maidens were nothing to him. Even the saddest case of the fairest nymph, Echo, did not move him. Hera happened to come inquiring where Zeus was, as she suspected him of seeing one of the nymphs. Echo's chattering kept Hera diverted from her investigation as all nymphs left. Hera turned against Echo in rage. She condemned her never to use her tongue again except to repeat what was said to her. "You will never initiate a conversation; you will always have the last word."

As Echo followed Narcissus one day in the woods, he became lost. He looked around and cried out, "Does anyone know the way out of the woods?" Echo softly cried, "The woods!"
"Yes, I'm lost and need to know the way out of the woods."
"The woods!"
"Don't you understand? Help me find the way out of the woods."
"The woods!"

Echo ran to him and threw herself at his feet! Narcissus, confused, picked her up and said, "Oh, you are just like all the other nymphs who try to kiss me and tell me 'I love you.'"
"Love you!"

Her pushed her away, turned and went on his way. Echo prayed for help silently. Nemesis, the goddess of righteous anger, heard Echo's prayer, for prayers to not have to be spoken to be heard and replied, "May he who loves not others love himself."
As Narcissus bent over a pool for a drink, he saw there his own reflection and for a moment thought it was a beautiful nymph, as beautiful as he was handsome, and fill in love with it. He stayed by the pool vowing he would stay there until the nymph came out. Echo was nearby and heard Narcissus' plea, "Won't you ever come out?"
"Come out!"
As Narcissus came close to dying, he faintly cried, "Farewell!"
"Farewell!"

Narcissus became a very handsome flower whose head bends toward the water rather than the sun. The flower, narcissus, is a daffodil, one whose flowers have a short corona and are usually borne separately. The word "narcissism" means egoism, love of oneself.

• KeanuWeb reports that Lou Taylor Pucci's site reports that:

  Lou [..] was reshooting scenes For "Thumbsucker" with Director Mike Mills, Keanu Reeves, Vincent D'Onofrio, and Tilda Swinton, in fact he said he felt like he was in "The Matrix" as he was shooting scenes in the daytime with Keanu and at night with Carrie-Anne Moss [who just joined the cast of Lou's newest project, titled "The Chumscrubber"]...

• USA Today (and a bunch of other sources) reports that Keanu will be honored for his work in action movies at the upcoming Taurus World Stunt Awards, which are scheduled to air on May 26 on SpikeTV.

  The awards, which recognize the men and women who put their lives at risk to make fights, explosions and tall-building falls on TV shows and movies look more realistic, will be presented May 16.

  The 39-year-old Reeves will receive an honorary trophy for best action movie star. His films include The Matrix trilogy, Speed and Chain Reaction.

  "Keanu's work with The Matrix trilogy was some of the best from an actor of his generation," said Gernot Friedhuber, executive producer of the show. "He has consistently shown an ability to learn from the stunt teams on his many films and has expressed a genuine interest in the field of stunt work."

  
  
• becky's Paulie will be tending goal at two charity hockey games this weekend in Calgary and Vancouver. See HollywoodCelebrityHockey.com for details.
  
• Keanu co-star Diane Keaton makes People Magazine's 50 Most Beautiful list. The man himself is overlooked once again, which is fine as it allows me to keep up the tradition of NEVER, EVER buying People Magazine.
  
• Vibemerchants officially have a new drummer, and she has a rad haircut (which allows me to usurp her old one, glee!) and completely rocks. Expect gigs as soon as July.
  
• Red Bull comes in handy to carry 4-packs now. Be still my heart......no, really.
  

From Billboard.com:

...[Tim] DeLaughter has been drafted to score the film "Thumbsucker," and may release the soundtrack on his own Good Records imprint. The Spree's Web site says the soundtrack will feature tracks from the group and possibly the late Elliott Smith.

I haven't heard The Polyphonic Spree before, but I think Elliott Smith's music is an excellent choice for this movie.

...also, as far as a release date goes, according to this interview with director Mike Mills...

RM: So when does [Thumbsucker] hit a theater near us?

MM: We'll try to get it into Cannes in May of 2004. Then it might actually come out next fall.

...we have a bit of a wait.

DVDanswers reports that Something's Gotta Give (R1) is due to hit the shelves on March 30. (via keanuweb)

No word on extras, though I imagine there'll be a few. Did "What Women Want" have directors commentary? If so, then I expect SGG will too, along with a "featurette" or something.

I'll be searching for the easter egg that contains Dr. Julian's pager number.

You can pre-order it at amazon.

This is a bloggy thing involving 100 of IMDB's top 250 movies. (last seen at tenth-muse.com, also at kat's)
There's also a bottom 100 and I'm happy to say I've only seen a couple on that list, and dammit I LOVED that Sgt. Pepper movie.

I declare this all on-topic because the list includes The Matrix.

Read on, the ones I've seen are in bold.

1. Godfather, The (1972)
2. Shawshank Redemption, The (1994)
3. Godfather: Part II, The (1974)
4. Lord of the Rings: Return of the King, The (2003)
5. Lord of the Rings: Two Towers, The (2002)
6. Casablanca (1942)
7. Schindler’s List (1993)
8. Shichinin no samurai (1954)
9. Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, The (2001)
10. Citizen Kane (1941)
11. Star Wars (1977)
12. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975)
13. Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)
14. Rear Window (1954)
15. Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
16. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
17. Memento (2000)
18. Usual Suspects, The (1995)
19. Pulp Fiction (1994)
20. North by Northwest (1959)
21. Fabuleux destin d’Amelie Poulain, Le (2001)
22. Psycho (1960)
23. 12 Angry Men (1957)
24. Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
25. Silence of the Lambs, The (1991)
26. Buono, il brutto, il cattivo, Il (1966)
27. It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)
28. Goodfellas (1990)
29. American Beauty (1999)
30. Vertigo (1958)
31. Sunset Blvd. (1950)
32. Pianist, The (2002)
33. Matrix, The (1999)
34. Apocalypse Now (1979)
35. To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)
36. Some Like It Hot (1959)
37. Taxi Driver (1976)
38. Paths of Glory (1957)
39. Third Man, The (1949)
40. C’era una volta il West (1968)
41. Fight Club (1999)
42. Boot, Das (1981)
43. Sen to Chihiro no kamikakushi (2001) (Spirited Away)
44. Double Indemnity (1944)
45. L.A. Confidential (1997)
46. Chinatown (1974)
47. Singin’ in the Rain (1952)
48. Requiem for a Dream (2000)
49. Maltese Falcon, The (1941)
50. M (1931)
51. All About Eve (1950)
52. Bridge on the River Kwai, The (1957)
53. Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)
54. Se7en (1995)
55. Saving Private Ryan (1998)
56. Cidade de Deus (2002)
57. Raging Bull (1980)
58. Wizard of Oz, The (1939)
59. Rashmon (1950)
60. Sting, The (1973)
61. American History X (1998)
62. Alien (1979)
63. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)
64. Leon (The Professional) (1994)
65. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
66. Vita bella, La (1997) (Life Is Beautiful)
67. Touch of Evil (1958)
68. Manchurian Candidate, The (1962)
69. Wo hu cang long (2000) (Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon)
70. Treasure of the Sierra Madre, The (1948)
71. Great Escape, The (1963)
72. Clockwork Orange, A (1971)
73. Reservoir Dogs (1992)
74. Annie Hall (1977)
75. Amadeus (1984)
76. Jaws (1975)
77. Ran (1985)
78. On the Waterfront (1954)
79. Modern Times (1936)
80. High Noon (1952)
81. Braveheart (1995)
82. Apartment, The (1960)
83. Sixth Sense, The (1999)
84. Fargo (1996)
85. Aliens (1986)
86. Shining, The (1980)
87. Blade Runner (1982)
88. Strangers on a Train (1951)
89. Duck Soup (1933)
90. Metropolis (1927)
91. Finding Nemo (2003)
92. Donnie Darko (2001)
93. Toy Story 2 (1999)
94. Princess Bride, The (1987)
95. General, The (1927)
96. City Lights (1931)
97. Lola rennt (1998) (Run Lola Run)
98. Full Metal Jacket (1987)
99. Notorious (1946)
100. Sjunde inseglet, Det (1957)

The list between 95 - 105 fluctuates due to ongoing rankings.

There are a couple films I didn't count because I am not sure if I saw them or just have seen so many clips/references to them that I think I did. The Godfather is a good example of that.
There's a few that I know I need to add to my Netflix queue, including Lawrence of Arabia. Being a fan of Mr. O'Toole, I'm sure Keanu would be very disappointed in me.

From Coming Soon.net, thanks POTD

"Producers Michael Shamberg and Stacey Sher, whose Along Came Polly opens today and Garden State bows at Sundance, have closed development deals for projects involving Keanu Reeves and Harrison Ford, reports Variety.

The Reeves project is a comedy based on an idea generated by the "Matrix" star. He'll play an American who becomes a success in London and has to deal with the cultural differences. They've set Michael Kalesniko to script the film."

Oooo, I'm very excited to hear this. Especially that it's going to be an original story based on an idea of his. Should be interesting. And of course, I love him in a comedy.

Not that that has anything to do with this entry. I just thought I'd share.....

Thank you to Nadia for this article from Pacific News Service

Lord of the Rings vs. The Matrix

The "Lord of the Rings" and "Matrix" trilogies have defined early 21st century cinema more than any other big-screen flicks. But as critical acclaim has increased with each new hobbit-filled "Rings" installment, the "Matrix" films have fallen from favor. "Return of the King" is hailed as "glorious," "a triumph," and "masterful," while "Matrix Revolutions" is ridiculed as "dismal," "pompous," and "underwhelming."

Like most, I was entertained and awed by the artistry and technical achievements of "The Return of the King," but by the end of the film's 3.5 hours I thought the final chapter should have been dubbed "The Return of the Patriarchy."

The "Rings" films are like promotional ads for those tired old race and gender paradigms that were all the rage back in author J.R.R. Tolkien's day. Almost all of the heroes of the series are manly men who are whiter than white. They are frequently framed in halos of blinding bright light and exude a heavenly aura of all that is Eurocentric and good. Who but these courageous Anglo-Saxon souls can save Middle Earth from the dark and evil forces of the world?

On the good side, even the mighty wizard Gandalf the Grey (Ian McKellen) is sanitized and transformed from the weed-smoking, rather dingy figure we first meet in the "The Fellowship of the Ring," into Gandalf the White, who, by the time of "Return of the King," has become a powerful military leader complete with pure white hair and an Eisenhower attitude.

Say what you will about the convoluted storyline of the "Matrix" trilogy. At least those films give women and people of color some characters they can relate to.

From its earliest scenes, "The Matrix" flips mainstream Hollywood's minority representation manual on its head. A multi-culti group of hackers dressed in black leather and sporting funky hairdos are our heroes; Secret Service-type "agents" in suits and ties are the bad guys. Neo, the trilogies' central figure, is played by mixed-race actor Keanu Reeves. His savior and mentor is Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne), a powerful leader who also happens to be a black man. The wisest figure in "The Matrix" is The Oracle, a warm and witty African American woman. The films are also infused with a strong sense of Asian style and culture, exemplified by the character Seraph (Collin Chou), the Oracle's protector, who is both a martial arts expert and Buddhist meditation practitioner.

Physically powerful female characters also rock and rule in "The Matrix," led by the high-kicking Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss), the Emma Peel of the 21st century, daring pilot Niobe (Jada Pinkett Smith) and military wife turned fighter Zee, (played by Marvin's daughter Nona Gaye).

Most of the really bad guys in "The Matrix" are Eurotrash, including the very snobby Merovingian (Lambert Wilson) with his French accent, the dread-locked, very British albino twins (Neil and Adrian Rayment) and the Oracle's evil counterpart, The Architect, (Helmut Bakaitis), a rather stuffy and pompous white guy with white beard and white suit who reeks of imperialism.

By comparison, three women play minor roles in "The Lord of the Rings": the powerful elf Galadriel (Cate Blanchett), the selfless Arwen (Liv Tyler), who is willing to give up immortality for the man she loves, and Eowyn (Miranda Otto), the niece of the king, who must disguise herself as a man to go into battle. Beyond this threesome, the rest of the women of Middle Earth are largely an unwashed, helpless mass who, in the face of a virtually hopeless battle against overwhelming enemy forces in "The Two Towers," can do little more than look anxious and cower with their children in fear.

Plenty of critics got lost in the complex post-modern philosophy of "The Matrix," but a few noted its more important message. As the New York Times said of the second Matrix installment: "'Reloaded'" has one of the most excitingly subversive and radical points of view ever seen in a major motion picture – a postmodern purview that accords philosophical ideals from people of color equal weight."

"The Return of the King" is a fantastic finish to a memorable film trilogy, but on a personal level, I was much more satisfied with the conclusion of "The Matrix" series. For once, the major female characters in an action film aren't whimpering and waiting to be rescued by some steroid-laden Schwarzenegger-type in the end. For once, all of the major characters of color aren't lying in a heap of corpses as the credits start to roll. To my African American female eyes, the biggest difference between "The Lord of the Rings" and "The Matrix" isn't swords versus automatic weapons, or low-tech versus high-tech. It's the patriarchy of the past versus the Rainbow Coalition of the future.

-By Andrea Lewis

Andrea Lewis is a San Francisco-based writer and co-host of the "Morning Show" on KPFA-FM 94.1 in Berkeley, Calif.

I'm still waiting for Chase Offerle to stop by the comments of this entry and give us some info on Thumbsucker. It's sure to be coming out soon, right?

Anyway, via Club-Keanu, the Beaverton Valley Times has an article about the effects on the Beaverton local family and dentist who had their home and business featured in the movie.

Galloway helped coach Reeves on some dental examination techniques, but mostly he watched as the actor gave Pucci “an E-ticket ride” through the world of dentistry.

“I just showed him how to hold the instruments and adjust the chairs, that type of thing,” Galloway said. “He pretty well had his character all set by the time he showed up here.”

Read the whole article at the Beaverton Valley Times website.

You know how hard it is to get a hold of a copy of Freaked, right? Yeah, you can find it amazon on VHS, but I wouldn't recommend it for 30 dollars, especially since the US version has one of the very few scenes with Keanu cut out of it.

Well, maybe there's hope...

Yeah, I know, we have yet to see an online petition have any weight or result, however I am linking this one and saying "go sign" for the simple reason that this, unlike other petitions I've seen, has actually been started by the makers of the film, Alex Winter and Tom Stern. So I'm hoping that the show of support behind it will actually be channeled where it needs to go.

Though the studios may regularly ignore collections of digital signatures as the work of over zealous internet nerds, I can see this being a useful tool to gage interest. Plus, at least you're letting the filmmakers know that you support their work.

While this movie is hardly one of my favorites (I've only seen it once and the copy was really horrible which only made me wail louder) I would certainly buy it on DVD if it had some commentary, some extras and was the full cut that included the Hollywood Squares-type game that Keanu's character, Ortiz hosts.

-Via AlexWinter.com (Bill blogs!)

If you read the comments on Permament Record over at the Backlot, you'll get an idea of the effect it had on people, including those that identified with Chris, and those who came very close to making David's choice as well.

I loved Keanu's performance in this. I think it was one of his best in his early years, so I'm very happy that it will be released on DVD this February.
Thanks to r.j.girl for the info.

Thank you Nadia, for this SGG article at FilmStew.com.
Excerpt below...

The wildcard in Something’s Gotta Give is Reeves. Long a leading man and hot off The Matrix sequels, he nevertheless accepted a supporting role. And he’s more or less the straight man – though an utterly charming and engaging straight man -- to Keating and Nicholson.

“I have a couple of jokes,” Reeves points out. “I hope I do. It's like, ‘Do you take Viagra?’ Yeah, to a certain extent in the film, I am the straight guy, which was great actually. I mean, I thought of the character as he's a cardiologist, he's an emergency room doctor, he's dealing with matters of the heart, and he's a caregiver. So for me, I had to support whoever I was with. With Diane Keaton and Jack Nicholson, my feeling was to do whatever it took to play the straight guy, to set it up”.

Reeves describes Keaton and Nicholson as “remarkable people” and “very gracious.” He arrived on the set fairly late in the game and found them remarkably welcoming to him. “They're people with great humor and sensitivity, and so it was a really enjoyable experience,” he notes.

Asked if he can be a fan when working with such veterans, Reeves smiles. “Well, you know, when I met them, it was like, ‘I'm really glad to meet ya,’” he says. “And yes, it was great to be able to communicate my enjoyment of their work. But then, once you go to work, you go to work. They're great. They're great.”

Meyers also earns Reeves’ praise, complimenting her both as a screenwriter and a director. “In speaking about her words, she protects them, and rightfully so because they're really good,” the actor explains.

-Read the whole article at filmstew.com

First off, congratulations to Jack Nicholson and Diane Keanton on their Golden Globe nominations for Something's Gotta Give.

Extra TV has another interview clip with Keanu content. ~Thanks Nadia

Peet and Reeves tell us that locking lips with a Hollywood legend is no ordinary smack in the mouth. Peet says, "He is the master. It was all a little nerve-wracking."

Meanwhile, Reeves says that kissing Keaton was a lot of fun because they were both so immersed in the affection of their characters. He says, "I think that was fun to play, and it was fun to feel."

But, believe it or not, Keaton says she actually felt strange kissing Reeves. She says, "He is a God. He is so beautiful it is ludicrous."

Also, Keanu is scheduled to appear on the syndicated Entertainers show with Byron Allen this weekend. You may have to scour your local listings, it tends to run in the middle of the night. ~Thanks Jena

Some news about another possible new role for Keanu...

Filmforce.IGN - Neo or Aragorn as Superman?

December 18, 2003 - IGN FilmForce has learned the latest on Truth, Justice & the American Way, Focus Features' long-planned biopic of the late Superman star George Reeves. The Allen Coulter-directed project is aiming to begin filming in Los Angeles this March or April. Location scouting, production design work, and casting are currently underway.
[...]
And who might portray George Reeves? Hugh Jackman, Ben Affleck, and Dennis Quaid have all been approached for the part at different times. Now Keanu Reeves has met with Coulter about the lead. Should the Matrix star pass then Viggo Mortensen (Lord of the Rings) might be offered the role.

I've never been hip on the idea of Keanu playing Superman, but this new twist intrigues me...

Playing the man who played Superman.

That cancels out the curse, right?

Love among older adults conquered the box office as Jack Nicholson and Diane Keaton's romance "Something's Gotta Give" debuted in the top spot with $17 million.

I have the morning news on and I saw this! Very cool, and I'm not suprised at all. It's a very good movie. In fact, when I was watching it Saturday, the first scene with Dr. Julian almost took me by suprise.

Oh yeah! Keanu's in this movie!

I was just enjoying the film that much.

Thanks to Nadia for sending me the link to this article, Her Keaton Heart at the daily news. Excerpt below:

Q: Jack isn't the only one you make out with in the movie. You also have some pretty passionate scenes with Keanu Reeves ...

A: Stop. (Laughs) Just stop. That was embarrassing. I mean, it was fun in the moment, but when you're done you just think, "This is absurd."

Q: He was very convincing in conveying his character's love for you.

A: He's a good actor, see? People underestimate Keanu.

Q: But maybe it wasn't all that hard for him to act that way ...

A: Oh shut up, man! (Laughing) You're making fun of me now and I know it!

Q: Not a