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kottke.org posts about Shane Carruth

The Modern Ocean

Details about Shane Carruth’s new film have been scarce, but there are a few things to share. First off, here’s what The Modern Ocean is about:

The storyline revolves around vengeance and the fierce competition for valuable shipping routes and priceless materials that converge in a spectacular battle on the rolling decks of behemoth cargo ships.

“This epic tale, fraught with danger and intrigue, takes us from the ancient trading houses of Algeria to the darkest depths of the ocean floor.”

Carruth expanded on his ideas for the film in an interview with Motherboard a few months ago. He’s also got himself some stars for the film: Anne Hathaway, Keanu Reeves, Daniel Radcliffe, and Jeff Goldblum are gonna be in it.

So, let me get this straight. Has Carruth somehow taken the idea of the long zoom, combined it with Marc Levinson’s book on shipping containers and supply chain pieces like I, Pencil, What Coke Contains, and How to Make a $1500 Sandwich, and made all that into a high-seas adventure movie starring Keanu Reeves and Anne Hathaway or is that just me reading way too much into what I want the movie to be? (via @von_hutchins)


We’ll Find Something

If you and a friend are walking around Manhattan trying to find dinner, this is how the conversation will go:

It’s funny because it’s true. That’s a clip from We’ll Find Something, a short film by Casey Gooden starring Upstream Color’s Shane Carruth and Amy Seimetz.

Update: The full film has been released online and it is excruciating to watch if you’ve ever had bad relationship moments while traveling.


Upstream Color now available for purchase/download

Upstream Color is now available for viewing, buying, and downloading with a wide array of options. Among them, DRM-free digital download, Blu-ray/DVD from Amazon, rent/buy at Amazon, and buy on iTunes.


Upstream Color at IFC

Starting on April 4, Upstream Color begins its run at IFC in New York. Star/director Shane Carruth will be in attendance for post-screening Q&As for several of the shows.


Soundtrack for Upstream Color

The entire soundtrack for Shane Carruth’s Upstream Color is available for streaming on SoundCloud.

From what I can gather, Carruth did the soundtrack himself. So for those keeping track at home, Carruth wrote, directed, starred in, did the soundtrack for, produced, edited, did the cinematography for, and operated a camera for Upstream Color. Oh, and he’s self-distributing the film through his own production company. No wonder I like this guy.

The film opens in US theaters beginning in mid-April and will be available for sale in early May: pre-order at Amazon or on iTunes. (via @gotrlelo)


Full trailer for Upstream Color

Shane Carruth’s followup to Primer is set to be seen next week at Sundance and a full-length trailer has been released:

And it won’t be long before the rest of us will be able to see it as well. Ain’t It Cool notes that Carruth will be distributing the film himself.

Carruth isn’t waiting around for a big distributor or even a small, boutique distributor. He’s putting the film out himself, booking it in New York at the IFC Center on April 5th, then expanding theatrically to LA, Seattle, Boston, San Francisco, Dallas, Chicago and other big markets.

Around that time he’ll also have a digital distribution option, which will lead to Blu-Ray/DVD. You know, the standard Magnolia/IFC style release, but instead of being spearheaded by a distribution company, Carruth is doing it via his own company, erbp.

(via @mylesnyc)


Teaser trailer for Shane Carruth’s Upstream Color

Just the other day, the news broke that Primer’s Shane Carruth had made a new movie and it was premiering at Sundance in January. Now there’s a teaser trailer.


Upstream Color, a new film from Primer director

Well holy shit. In October I wrote that Shane Carruth, the director of the excellent Primer, was working on a new film called A Topiary. It seems like that one’s on the shelf for a bit because Carruth is debuting a film at Sundance called Upstream Color. Slashfilm has some details.

A man and woman are drawn together, entangled in the life cycle of an ageless organism. Identity becomes an illusion as they struggle to assemble the loose fragments of wrecked lives.

I am totally there. (via @aaroncoleman0)


What’s Shane Carruth been up to since Primer?

Primer is one of my favorite films. Director Shane Carruth famously made it for just $7,000 and the film found release in 2004, winning the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance that year. Carruth has been fairly quiet since then but he seems to be working on a new film called A Topiary. From a 2010 article on io9:

The website for now is just a place mark as financing has yet to be completed. I’m cautiously optimistic that this can happen soon and couldn’t be happier with the filmmakers that have committed to the project so far.

But it’s been more than two years since then so I am somewhat less than cautiously optimistic. :( In the meantine, Carruth worked on some effects for the time travel sequences in Looper.