Hey folks, Harry here... Sometimes there is a misperception out there that if the site isn't running stories on a film, it is because we don't care about the film. Herman Blume wrote in with both a 'state of the Tenenbaum' as well as to try and motivate me to write more about the film. Well... frankly, here's how it works. Wes Anderson has been doing a pretty darn good job of keeping his set quiet... He works with a smaller crew than say.... SPIDER-MAN or A.I. or ROAD TO PERDITION... You see, the way spies work is on a percentile... On a film like SPIDER-MAN... the crew and cast is GIGANTIC... tons of people, techies, stand-ins, extras.... Now, the reason we've had so many reports about SPIDER-MAN is that... 1. The studio and production actually recruited extras via the internet... 2. More folks are inherently SPIDER-MAN fans than Wes Anderson fans... Now I'm not saying this is just or fair or right in any way... What I am stating is just... simply... a fact. So if you see a film or a filmmaker that you want to see more coverage on... and you happen to witness or be a part of something connected to it... WRITE IN... I love Wes Anderson's films thus far, and I am very much looking forward to his latest film. Now... I'll turn ya over to Herman Blume... and his passions...
Hey Harry,
Ever since I got to college, I have become a huge fan of AICN because I finally have an Internet connection that lets me spend time looking at a lot of cool film sites without freezing up. This is my first time writing to AICN and I want to talk about The Royal Tenenbaums. Maybe because it is a smaller film and it doesn't have Tom Hanks as the angel of death or Steven Spielberg calling the shots means that there will be not be any stories about the filming or visits to the set or even pictures of the cast and crew. But The Royal Tenenbaums deserves far better than, to quote Bruce Pierson's father in Bang the Drum Slowly, the " one shit load deal" that has been handed to it. Rushmore was destroyed by the unwillingness of Touchstone to push the film into the public eye. Wes Anderson and Owen Wilson have seen both Bottle Rocket and Rushmore handled with gloves and then left to the wolves to devour. Even with Wes Anderson endlessly trying to promote Rushmore and net the Oscar nomination Bill Murray so greatly deserved for his portrayal of Herman Blume, Anderson's heartfelt enthusiasm and the heart of the film fell on deaf ears thanks to the horrific decision by Touchstone to release the film for a " One Week Only" engagment in a few theaters in L.A. and New York and the unwillingness of a few bigwig critics ( i.e. Ebert and Turan) to embrace the unique rhythm and soulful message of the film.
To the best of my knowledge, The Royal Tenenbaums has not received a single story or even a few small details concerning the film since Moriarty had the script review and then in October, the " rumblings from the lab" about the brilliance of casting Gene Hackman as Royal O' Reilley Tenenbaum. Recently, there was a ray of hope in the mention of The Royal Tenenbaums in the shuffling of the Summer Movie Season which showed that you obviously have at least some interest in the film. The Royal Tenenbaums is going to be one of the most amazing, beautiful and best films of 2001. The film started shooting on February 26th in New York and they are shooting until May 18th. They have also done quite a bit of location shooting around the city. The crew dressed up a vacant lot in Brooklyn to look like an archaeological site( most likely for Anjelica Houston as Etheline Tenenbaum). Also, they did day shooting at a cemetery and on Broadway- just a few blocks from Columbia University. The cast now includes: Gene Hackman amd Anjelica Houston as Royal and Etheline Tenenbaum. Ben Stiller, Luke Wilson and Gwyneth Paltrow as Chas, Richie and Margot Tenenbaum. Danny Glover and Al Thompson as Henry and Walter Sherman. Owen Wilson as Eli and Bill Murray as Raleigh St. Claire. Also, Seymour Cassel has a part in The Royal Tenenbaums.
Since Touchstone pours all their heart and soul into From Here to Eternity rip offs like Pearl Harbor, it is up to entertainment sites like AICN to support The Royal Tenenbaums. Even with Scott Rudin as producer, The Royal Tenenbaums needs AICN to write stories about the filming, publish pictures from the set and constantly investigate the amazing cast that seems to grow each and everyday. Wes Anderson is an extraordinary director, the scripts by Wes Anderson and Owen Wilson are indelible, poetic and magical and the company of actors they have assembled for The Royal Tenenbaums is nothing short of miraculous. Help The Royal Tenenbaums, Harry. You are the film's only hope.
Sincerely,
Herman Blume
