Showing posts with label Ten Thousand Saints. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ten Thousand Saints. Show all posts

Friday, August 14, 2015

'Ten Thousand Saints' opens today at the Village East Cinema



It's opening day for "Ten Thousand Saints," the low-budget film adaption of the Eleanor Henderson 1980s novel of the same name.

As you may recall, directors Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini filmed around the East Village in early 2014 for the movie.

Here's the official plot outline:

Jude (Asa Butterfield) is a teenage boy who is trying to reconnect with his father Les (Ethan Hawke) in 1987 Manhattan. When Jude's friend, Teddy (Avan Jogia), dies of a drug overdose, Jude finds himself befriending a group of friends who are against drugs, alcohol, profanity and sex and live for punk-style rock music. When he meets Eliza (Hailee Steinfeld), who is sixteen years old and is pregnant with Teddy's child, he and Les are forced to be her rock as she struggles through her pregnancy and early motherhood while Jude struggles with his feelings for her and his relationship with his father.

And here's the trailer ...



The Los Angeles Times has an interview with the filmmakers here. The the article, Spring Berman, who lived in the East Village during the Tompkins Square Riots of 1988, which serve as a backdrop to "Saints," discusses filming challenges and then vs. now:

The tops of buildings hadn't changed, and there are still street signs and a few landmarks that have not been turned into a Chipotle or a gourmet frozen yogurt shop. But they are becoming fewer and farther between. Even graffiti had become a scarce commodity — which led to some creative solutions.

"If we saw a graffiti-covered truck, we'd flag it down and give them 50 bucks to park in front of a Citi bike stand," Pulcini said.

The filmmakers did make use of one natural resource that always seems to be in abundance in the city. "I would often see our production designer picking up garbage," Pulcini said. "I'm not going to pay for garbage in New York," Springer Berman added.

"Saints" looks to capture both the beauty and messiness of the past, to walk up against a line of romanticization while being careful not to cross it. "I get irritated sometimes when people say how difficult it is in New York now and how much better it was then," Pulcini said. "Yes, it's hard because it's expensive and you're living with 13 roommates if you're in your 20s. But back then you were mugged and pulled into a stairway at gunpoint. There was a rat in every apartment. I don't know that it was easier."

As for the film, the Daily News was dismissive with a two-star review ... while The Village Voice praises Ethan Hawke and says "the movie has a lilting, generous spirit." And the Times says that "Saints" is "full of quietly impressive performances and young characters who register as authentic."

And the trades: Variety declared it a "warmly conceived dramedy [that] will likely resonate strongest with audiences who have a direct connection to the story’s place and time" … while The Hollywood Reporter called it "a sensitive but not overserious coming-of-age pic with a strong sense of place."

The Village East Cinema is on Second Avenue at East 12th Street. Find more info and showtimes here.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Filmmakers will recreate the Tompkins Square Park Riot of 1988 this Thursday night

Film crew recreates 'tent city' in Tompkins Square Park

Film crew uses 'D Squat' and phone booths to recreate an 1980s East Village on 6th Street

[Updated] First Avenue subbing for Avenue D today

Another 'riot' in Tompkins Square Park, this time for the cameras

Monday, June 29, 2015

Here's the trailer for 'Ten Thousand Saints,' set in the 1980s East Village


[Filming in Tompkins Square Park in May 2014 via Michael Donovan]

As you may recall, filmmakers Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini filmed around the East Village in early 2014 for their low-budget adaption of the Eleanor Henderson 1980s novel "Ten Thousand Saints."

The movie, which stars Hailee Steinfeld, Asa Butterfield, Emile Hirsch, Emily Mortimer and Ethan Hawke, premiered at the Sundance Film Festival this past January.

The trailer for "Saints" arrived today…



A recap today at /Film was fairly unkind about "Saints":

While the cast is impressive and the story has a lot of promise, in truth I can’t think of a film from Sundance 2015 I liked less than Ten Thousand Saints. While Hawke is charming as hell, the storytelling is labored, the hardcore scene as depicted feels put-on and phony, and the use of the Tompkins Square Park riot comes off as misguided appropriation. I don’t know if those qualities are endemic to the source novel by Eleanor Henderson, but the film may be best appreciated by hardcore fans of any of the particular cast members.

On the more positive side, Variety declared it a "warmly conceived dramedy [that] will likely resonate strongest with audiences who have a direct connection to the story’s place and time" … while The Hollywood Reporter called it "a sensitive but not overserious coming-of-age pic with a strong sense of place."

"Saints" opens here on Aug. 14.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Filmmakers will recreate the Tompkins Square Park Riot of 1988 this Thursday night

Film crew recreates 'tent city' in Tompkins Square Park

Film crew uses 'D Squat' and phone booths to recreate an 1980s East Village on 6th Street

[Updated] First Avenue subbing for Avenue D today

Another 'riot' in Tompkins Square Park, this time for the cameras

Wednesday, January 21, 2015

East Village-set 'Ten Thousand Saints' premieres at Sundance Friday



As you may recall, filmmakers Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini filmed around the East Village last year for their low-budget adaption of the Eleanor Henderson novel "Ten Thousand Saints."

So if you happen to be in Utah ... the movie, which is set in the 1980s, premieres at the Sundance Film Festival on Friday.

Here is the film's description from the program:

Jude — named after a Beatles song by his hippie parents—spends his high school days in small-town Vermont getting high with his best friend, Teddy. Beneath Jude’s mind-numbing activities lurks a desire to reconnect with his estranged father, Les, who abandoned the family when Jude was nine. Desperate to keep her son out of trouble, Jude’s mother sends him to live with Les in New York City. In the roiling and raw East Village, Jude struggles to establish an identity within the cultural upheaval downtown and forms an unlikely surrogate family with Teddy’s straight-edge brother and a troubled, rich uptown girl.

The cast includes Hailee Steinfeld, Asa Butterfield, Emile Hirsch, Emily Mortimer and Ethan Hawke.

The most high-profile filming sequence took place on May 1... with a recreation of the Tompkins Square Park riots of 1988.

Here's a snippet of the riot re-creation video via our friends at Gammablog...



Thanks to EVG reader Perri Silver for the tip!

Previously on EV Grieve:
Filmmakers will recreate the Tompkins Square Park Riot of 1988 this Thursday night

Film crew recreates 'tent city' in Tompkins Square Park

Film crew uses 'D Squat' and phone booths to recreate an 1980s East Village on 6th Street

[Updated] First Avenue subbing for Avenue D today

Another 'riot' in Tompkins Square Park, this time for the cameras

Wednesday, May 21, 2014

Thoughts on the 2014 version of the Tompkins Square Park riot of 1998


[Photo from May 1 by Michael Donovan]

Back on May 1, filmmakers Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini recreated the Tompkins Square Park riots of 1988 for their low-budget adaption of the Eleanor Henderson novel "Ten Thousand Saints." (Read more about the film, due next year, right here.)

Ada Calhoun, who grew up on St. Mark's Place, was 13 in 1988 ... and she was one of the curious onlookers watching the reenactment on May 1. Today at The New Yorker, she shares some thoughts on the filming ... as well as of those who worked as extras on the set.

One man in the gaggle looked more convincing than the others. He was wearing a jacket with a logo for the eighties hardcore band Sheer Terror, and a backward black baseball cap. He had neck and face tattoos, including one that read “Queens” in elaborate script, and two teardrop tattoos under one eye. He identified himself as Danny Diablo, a hardcore musician and native New Yorker who lived near the park at the time of the riots.

“No way,” he said, when asked if he took part in the original riots. “I was a hardcore kid. I didn’t care about politics. My friends are drinking at a bar by here. I hope they don’t come and give me a hard time for doing this.” Asked what the sign he carried said, he appeared embarrassed. It compared Mayor Ed Koch to Hitler. “I actually love Ed Koch,” he said. Next to Diablo, a longhaired man wearing a heavy black leather jacket with fringe chimed in, “Why am I in this jacket? Isn’t it supposed to be August?” He shrugged. He’d answered a casting call. He was just going to go with it.

Read the whole article here (which includes an EVG shout-out).

Previously on EV Grieve:
Filmmakers will recreate the Tompkins Square Park Riot of 1988 this Thursday night

Film crew recreates 'tent city' in Tompkins Square Park

Film crew uses 'D Squat' and phone booths to recreate an 1980s East Village on 6th Street

[Updated] First Avenue subbing for Avenue D today

Another 'riot' in Tompkins Square Park, this time for the cameras

Friday, May 2, 2014

Another 'riot' in Tompkins Square Park, this time for the cameras



As mentioned here previously, filmmakers Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini were recreating the Tompkins Square Park riots of 1988 last night for their low-budget adaption of the Eleanor Henderson novel "Ten Thousand Saints." (Read more about the film, due next year, right here.)

Now here's a look at some of the action, thanks to several EVG readers who sent along photos/video.

The first batch of photos are by Michael Donovan





















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Here's a snippet of video from Gail George showing riot rehearsal before the cameras rolled…



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And from Michael Paul …









… and a few photos from Michael from the late afternoon…







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And how did it all eventually come together? Here is video from Michael Donovan's Instagram account



Previously on EV Grieve:
Filmmakers will recreate the Tompkins Square Park Riot of 1988 this Thursday night

Film crew recreates 'tent city' in Tompkins Square Park

Film crew uses 'D Squat' and phone booths to recreate an 1980s East Village on 6th Street

[Updated] First Avenue subbing for Avenue D today

Thursday, May 1, 2014

East 7th Street, 9:22 p.m., May 1



Setting up for the Tompkins Square Park "riot" scene later tonight for "Ten Thousand Saints."

Also, there will be police officers on horses…

Filmmakers prepping to film a 'riot' tonight in Tompkins Square Park



As we noted Monday, filmmakers Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini are recreating the Tompkins Square Park riots of 1988 tonight for their low-budget adaption of the Eleanor Henderson novel "Ten Thousand Saints."

Here's a look at the action as of around 5:15 …





… and a few of the extras wait for their scene(s) …





The scenes of the actual "riot" are being filmed tonight… crews are expected here until 3 a.m.

We welcome any photos or videos of the filming action today/tonight … Please send them our way via the EV Grieve email

Photos by Bobby Williams

Previously on EV Grieve:
Filmmakers will recreate the Tompkins Square Park Riot of 1988 this Thursday night

Film crew recreates 'tent city' in Tompkins Square Park

Film crew uses 'D Squat' and phone booths to recreate an 1980s East Village on 6th Street

[Updated] First Avenue subbing for Avenue D today

Monday, April 28, 2014

Filmmakers will recreate the Tompkins Square Park Riot of 1988 this Thursday night


[Photo by Dave on 7th]

The low-budget adaption of the Eleanor Henderson novel "Ten Thousand Saints" started principal photography in the East Village back in January. To date, the filmmakers have turned part of First Avenue into Avenue D and recreated part of tent city in Tompkins Square Park to tell this straight-edge coming-of-age story set in the 1980s East Village.

Now, on Thursday, crews will be filming scenes depicting the Tompkins Square Park Riots of 1988… these carefully worded letters recently arrived on East Seventh Street and around the Park …



Crews will be filming from roughly 2 p.m. … till 3 a.m. Per the sign: "Given the sensitivity of filming late hours in a residential community, we are making our best efforts to film quietly after 10 p.m on Thursday, May 1 into Friday May 2."

Wow, a quiet riot. (Sorry.)

The husband-wife team of Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini direct. They directed the 2003 Harvey Pekar film "American Splendor" with Paul Giamatti.

Thursday, February 13, 2014

Film crew recreates 'tent city' in Tompkins Square Park

As we mentioned yesterday, crews continued to film scenes for "Ten Thousand Saints," the coming-of-age drama set in the 1980s East Village.

Aside from turning part of First Avenue into Avenue D, the crew recreated part of tent city from the late 1980s in Tompkins Square Park …









Crew members passed some time by tossing a football…


[Photo by Derek Berg]

We also understand that the crews will recreate scenes from the Tompkins Square Park Riot of 1988 at some point this month.

The film is adapted from the Eleanor Henderson novel "Ten Thousand Saints." The husband-wife team of Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini direct. (They directed the 2003 Harvey Pekar film "American Splendor" with Paul Giamatti.) The cast includes Ethan Hawke.

Top four photos by Bobby Williams

Wednesday, February 12, 2014

[Updated] First Avenue subbing for Avenue D today


[Feb. 4]

Last time that we checked in with filming for "Ten Thousand Saints," a straight-edge coming-of-age story set in the 1980s East Village, crews fashioned the exterior of 423 E. Sixth St. into "D-Squat."

So "D-Squat" subbed for C-Squat ... and this morning, as these photos from EVG reader Creature show, First Avenue at East Sixth Street is now... Avenue D (thank you EV Arrow!)



...there's also a very pre-Cemusa newsstand stand as a prop ...



Hopefully the camera won't catch Beckham's abs on the side of the tour bus to ruin that 1980s vibe...



The film is adapted from the Eleanor Henderson novel "Ten Thousand Saints." The husband-wife team of Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini direct. (They directed the 2003 Harvey Pekar film "American Splendor" with Paul Giamatti.) The cast includes Ethan Hawke.

Updated noon:

A reader note the first Ethan Hawke sighting of the day...



Previously on EV Grieve:
Film crew uses 'D Squat' and phone booths to recreate an 1980s East Village on 6th Street

Tuesday, February 4, 2014

Film crew uses 'D Squat' and phone booths to recreate an 1980s East Village on 6th Street



Filming continues today on East Sixth Street for "Ten Thousand Saints," a straight-edge coming-of-age story set in the 1980s East Village. Crews have fashioned the exterior of 423 E. Sixth St. into "D-Squat" (filling in for C-Squat?)…




There is also a trash fire in a barrel next down in front of the late Walter De Maria's home-studio.

Meanwhile, down toward A, EVG reader Creature pointed out this relic …





There are also some sidewalk sale props in the background…



The items were authentic enough that some people came by and took things from the unattended prop sidewalk sale…



The film is adapted from the Eleanor Henderson novel "Ten Thousand Saints." The husband-wife team of Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini direct. (They directed the 2003 Harvey Pekar film "American Splendor" with Paul Giamatti.) The cast includes Ethan Hawke as one of the parents.

One reader is enthusiastic about the film adaptation, noting in the comments:

This is a movie about the mid-80s hardcore scene that had shows at CBs and Pyramid and other LES venues. It's not about screwed up people. It is about the straight edge scene (no drugs, drink) and AIDS in 80s. It is based on a fantastic book. It will mark the first time the New York Hardcore scene makes it to Hollywood. Ethan Hawke plays a cool stoner dad who takes care of his son's best friend when the son dies. Win, win, win.

Here's more about the book from NPR.

Wednesday, January 29, 2014

'Ten Thousand Saints' now filming in the East Village


[Photo by Bill the Libertarian Anarchist]

The low-budget adaption of the Eleanor Henderson novel "Ten Thousand Saints" has started principal photography in the East Village... crews filmed on East Ninth Street yesterday (a popular location for shoots these days) ...

A quickie plot via The Hollywood Reporter, who has more details on the production:

"'Saints' is set in New York's Lower East Side in the 1980s and is a coming-of-age story that follows three screwed-up young people and their equally screwed-up parents in the age of CBGB, yuppies and the tinderbox of gentrification that exploded into the Tompkins Square Riots.

The husband-wife team of Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini direct. (They directed the 2003 Harvey Pekar film "American Splendor" with Paul Giamatti.) The cast includes Ethan Hawke as a screwed-up parent.

Curious to see how the Tompkins Square Park Riots are depicted in the film. Maybe just via mentions from the characters? Or will the filmmakers choose to recreate part of it (and in the winter)? After all, we recently saw the return of Wigstock in the Park for a movie shoot.