Last spring, we brought you our first ever “New and Noteworthy” column; a list of people, places, and buzz-worthy happenings around Hollywood we thought were worth checking out. It featured U.K. band Alt-J, who’ve gone from playing tiny gigs downtown to selling out multiple nights at the Palladium; Wolvesmouth, the exclusive, invite-only dinner spot that we still can’t manage to get into; and Kelly Oxford’s book Everything Is Perfect When You’re a Liar, which went on to become a New York Times best seller. In addition to hot restaurants and bands, our lists also feature insider information on who and what is making the rounds in film and TV development circles.
And now, a new season is upon us, so it’s time for the next "New and Noteworthy" list. Some of these entries are already popping; for others, only time will tell. Here are a few people, places, and things that should be on your radar:
Andrew Matthews
This editor-turned-writer/director is half of the duo behind the awesomely-titled Zero Charisma, a comedy about a nerdy man-child who serves as grand master of a fantasy board game, a position that’s threatened when a new initiate joins the group. Matthews, who co-directed the film with Katie Graham, previously cut the hilarious documentary Best Worst Movie, about the making of Troll 2. A similar sensibility is apparent here, with Slate calling Zero Charisma “an instant classic of geeksploitation,” while Collider write that it’s “genuinely hilarious and painfully relatable.” Nerdist Industries acquired the film at Comic-Con, and they’re releasing it with Tribeca Film on October 11. That Matthews can appeal to the geek in us all makes him a writer/director to watch.
Rep: Britton Rizzio, Circle of Confusion
Morgan Spurlock’s “Super Size Me: What Are We Eating” App
Morgan Spurlock is a busy man. Not only does the Oscar-nominated multi-hyphenate host the weekly CNN show Inside Man, where he examines a variety of social and political issues, he also directed the recent One Direction documentary, This Is Us. Though Spurlock may at first seem like an odd choice for director, the film does reveal glimpses of his filmmaking style as the boys sing and fend off rabid fans. This week, Spurlock releases “Super Size Me: What Are We Eating?”—an app thatdetects nearby restaurants and reveals nutrition information culled from a community database of menus from well-known chains. Downloadable off iTunes, chances are you’ll be second-guessing that two a.m. Taco Bell run in no time.
Chocolates For Breakfast
Pamela Moore’s novel was a massive yet controversial best-seller when it was first published in 1956. Having eventually fallen out of print, HarperPerennial re-released the book this summer, and it’s already been compared to Gossip Girl, The Bell Jar, and Catcher In The Rye. In it, Courtney Farrell, the daughter of a wealthy New York father and a once-beautiful Los Angeles mother, leaves boarding school to get lost in a sea of Manhattan cocktail parties. Along the way, she learns that money can’t buy love and martinis will only make her feel good for so long. Observant, smart, and witty, the book reads like a feature film waiting to happen. Tragically, Moore committed suicide several years after the book was published; she was just 26 years old. Sofia Coppola is an obvious choice to direct this tale of privilege and ennui, but we think someone like Leslye Headland (Bachelorette) could keep it from slipping into melancholy.
The Toast
We’re loving this new site, launched over the summer by Mallory Ortberg and former Hairpin editor Nicole Cliffe. Having dubbed August 12 “V.C. Andrews Day,” they took a fascinating look at not only Flowers in the Attic, but all things Andrews. But the site isn’t all books, all the time; there’s humor, essays, and interviews, too, most notably “Fight Club Fashion” and a chat with YA author Rainbow Rowell. Filled with excellent writing on unique subjects, we bet you’ll become addicted to The Toast in no time You might even uncover a great film idea or a new TV writer, too.
Camilla d'Errico
We first came across d’Errico at Comic-Con, where her vibrant and distinctive pieces stood out from the work of hundreds of other comic artists. Her style has been described as “West meets East”—a mix of North American and Asian sensibilities evident in her books Burn, Helmet Girls, and Tanpopo. She’s worked with MTV, Dark Horse Comics, and BOOM! Studios, to name a few, and Random House is publishing her book Pop Manga: How To Draw the Coolest, Cutest Characters, Animals Mascots, and More, in October. Check out her work and see if she’s right as a storyboard artist on an upcoming animated film or a visual consultant who could help create a new look.
Valerie June
If you haven’t yet heard the music of Tennessee-born Valerie June, run out and give it a listen. With a voice that’s sweet, sultry, and irresistible, the New York-based singer-songwriter describes her style as “organic moonshine roots music.” The Black Key’s Dan Auerbach and Kevin Augunas of Florence and the Machine renown produced her new album, Pushin’ Against A Stone. June’s breaking out in a big way, and all the attention is much-deserved. Listen to her music and see if she’s right to feature on an upcoming television show or movie soundtrack.
Kat Candler
With the likes of Terrence Malick, Richard Linklater, and Robert Rodriguez all hailing from the Lone Star State, Texas can boast no shortage of quality filmmakers. When asked if there’s something in the water that nurtures all this talent, Austin-based filmmaker Kat Candler said, “Each of our mini successes is part of a greater, collective success. I don't know what's in the water down here, but it's really, really sweet.” Candler, who’s been making successful shorts for several years, just wrapped production on the indie feature Hellion, which stars Aaron Paul (who Candler met over chocolate milkshakes in Macon, Georgia) and Juliette Lewis. The feature grew out of her Sundance short of the same name, and we’re keeping our eye on both the film and its director.
Noah
This short is making waves in Toronto, where co-directors Walter Woodman and Patrick Cederberg are talking with agents, managers, and producers, as their film lands into the inbox of every development executive in town. Noah centers around a teenager who, paranoid his girlfriend is about to dump him, falls down a social media rabbit hole. The action plays out entirely on a laptop screen, and though jarring at first, the clever device eventually captivates the viewer. After-all, this could happen to any of us and in fact, probably has; scary. Check it out and see if the up-and-coming filmmakers are right for any of your projects.
Dane Dehaan
Dane Dehaan isn’t a complete unknown, but chances are the average Joe in Middle America doesn’t know him by name … yet. He first caught our attention during a staged reading of Sarah Koskoff’s script Hello, I Must Be Going. Though he read with the likes of Melanie Lynskey, Christine Lahti, Michael Gross, and Mary Kay Place, Dehaan stole the show in a killer, “who is that guy?” performance. Now, after garnering rave reviews for his work in the recent festival hit Kill Your Darlings, he’s poised to take off in a big way. Next he’ll star in the upcoming Metallica: Through the Never, play Harry Osborn in The Amazing Spider-Man 2, and step into James Dean’s shoes for FilmNation’s biopic of the legend. Chances are he’ll be a household name soon, even to the average Joe in Middle America.
Reps: Chris Andrews/Kimberly Hodgert, CAA
The Swimmer
The premise of this spy thriller goes like this: A nameless American spy abandons his newborn child to an uncertain fate. His inability to forgive himself leads to a life-long quest to escape his past, which takes him to places like Lebanon, Afghanistan, and Iraq—anywhere danger and stress allow him to forget. The book, written by first-time Swedish novelist Joakim Zander, has him being called the next Jo Nesbo, whose books have generated film adaptations all over town. There’s no publishing date set yet, but be on the lookout for the novel on the shelves soon as Jennifer Barth at Harper is the editor. This taut, cinematic novel is currently making the rounds at all the studios, and garnering quite a bit of hype in the process. We’re looking forward to seeing who nabs the big-screen rights.
Rep: Sylvie Rabineau, RWSG Literary Agency
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