Don't feel bad about mangling the pronunciation of Charlie Kaufman's new film, Synecdoche, New York; page three of the press kit is solely dedicated to the title's pronunciation [Sih-NECK-doh-kee] and various meanings, such as "A Part is used for the Whole, as in The Screen for Movies." Though Kaufman wrote such gems as Being John Malkovich and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, this is his directorial debut, and he certainly picked an ambitious project to cut his teeth with. The haunting, surreal story spans almost the entire adult life of Caden Cotard (Philip Seymour Hoffman), a regional theater director who moves to NYC from Schenectady after his wife Adele (Catherine Keener) leaves him. more ›

Join in the Italian tradition of the Feast of the Seven Fishes -- a seafood meal in observance of the La Viglia Di Natale, or the wait for the birth of Christ. more ›

New York mid-December always smells vaguely of pine and peppermint, despite our recent springtime temperatures. Bring that cozy holiday feeling with you into the cineplex for a couple of new feel-good holiday movies. more ›

After years of teasing, the film adaptation of Where the Wild Things Are is finally moving forward. The NYTimes reports that Being John Malkovich's Spike Jonze (called “the strangest little bird” by author Maurice Sendak), is set to direct the “odd” screenplay he wrote with Dave Eggers for Tom Hanks’ production company. So far, the film will extend beyond the children’s classic simple plot to delve into Max’s journey home (semi-minor change: Max escapes with the "wild things" in hot pursuit instead of the island king's beastly subjects begging him to stay). While Gothamist usually cringes about childhood-favorites desecrated on the big screen, we remain quite hopeful with this film -- especially considering Sendak’s tight grip on the script/production, his love for Jonze, and his loathing of movies based on children's books as well as most children's books, which he describes as “all vulgar. It's all Madonna." Asked about the film versions of Cat in the Hat or How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Sendak replied: "What is the purpose of this debauchery? Money! Only a seriously sick or brainless person could like them." Indeed. more ›

After seeing Being John Malkovich, who didn’t consider what it might be like to be Malkovich. Okay, maybe not. But you probably never thought about this either, John Malkovich – clothing designer. That’s right John has fallen in line with J-Lo, Sean Coombs and a host of others who believe they can cross-over from entertainer to fashion design diva. more ›

So far, the work of Charlie Kaufman has only been adapted by two directors: Spike Jonze, with Being John Malkovich and Adaptation, and Michel Gondry, whose Human Nature was tepidly received but has directed the eagerly awaited 2004 release, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. Eternal Sunshine stars Jim Carrey, Kate Winslet, Tom Wilkinson, Kirsten Dunst, Elijah Wood, and Mark Ruffalo, with Carrey as a man trying to erase memories of ex-girlfriend Winslet from his mind. And by the looks of the trailer, it looks like vintage Kaufman AND Gondry, with tiny human bodies in normal size enviroments.
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