By Robert Goldrich
SANTA MONICA --Mark Lewis–who wrote and directed The Natural History of Chicken, a documentary which debuted on PBS in 2001 and garnered two Emmy Awards as well as a DGA Award nomination–has come aboard Area 51 Films, Santa Monica, for exclusive spot representation.
The Natural History of Chicken–which was screened in competition at the Sundance Film Festival–not only put our feathered friend in a different light but also related stories of quirky human characters who interact with the taken-for-granted creatures. A New York Times review described Chicken as bringing “a deadpan sensibility and a vibrantly quirky visual style to the nature documentary.”
Area 51 executive producers Preston Lee and Phyllis Koenig believe that Lewis’ talent in comedy and for directing real people will translate well to the advertising discipline. Lee added that the need to extend advertiser sponsored fare beyond the :30 format also creates a demand for storytellers like Lewis.
Lewis has some commercialmaking experience. He helmed a campaign promoting tourism in Williamsburg, Va., as well as a series of promos for the children’s network Noggin. His documentary filmography also includes Cane Toads, The Wonderful World of Dogs, Animalicious and Rat. The latter won an Emmy for outstanding achievement in direction. All the documentaries are about animals while telling human-based stories. For example, his first documentary, Cane Toads, was about a misguided attempt by Australian farmers to fight a beetle infestation by introducing a non-native species of toad into the area. The film was exhibited worldwide theatrically.
Through his production company, Radio Pictures, Lewis has created programming for Channel 4 (U.K.), Canal Plus (France), National Geographic, the BBC, ABC, Court TV and The Discovery Channel, among others. His latest project, a limited series titled The Standard of Perfection, is slated to debut on PBS later this year. He is also developing a feature film based on actor Barry Humphries’ character Dame Edna Everage.“Megalopolis” Is One From The Heart–Of A Reflective Francis Ford Coppola
Francis Ford Coppola believes he can stop time.
It's not just a quality of the protagonist of Coppola's new film "Megalopolis," a visionary architect named Cesar Catilina ( Adam Driver ) who, by barking "Time, stop!" can temporarily freeze the world for a moment before restoring it with a snap of his fingers. And Coppola isn't referring to his ability to manipulate time in the editing suite. He means it literally.
"We've all had moments in our lives where we approach something you can call bliss," Coppola says. "There are times when you have to leave, have work, whatever it is. And you just say, 'Well, I don't care. I'm going to just stop time.' I remember once actually thinking I would do that."
Time is much on Coppola's mind. He's 85 now. Eleanor, his wife of 61 years, died in April. "Megalopolis," which is dedicated to her, is his first movie in 13 years. He's been pondering it for more than four decades. The film begins, fittingly, with the image of a clock.
"It's funny, you live your life going from being a young person to being an older person. You're looking in that direction," Coppola said in a recent interview at a Toronto hotel before the North American premiere of "Megalopolis." "But to understand it, you have to look in the other direction. You have to look at it from the point of view of the older looking at the younger, which you're receding from."
"I'm sort of thinking of my life in reverse," Coppola says.
You have by now probably heard a few things about "Megalopolis." Maybe you know that Coppola financed the $120 million budget himself, using his lucrative wine empire to realize a long-held vision of Roman epic set in a modern New York. You might be familiar with the film's clamorous reception from critics... Read More