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August: A 1.0 movie in a 2.0 world

Chris Thilk
By Chris Thilk posted 3 months ago
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Being in the wrong place at the wrong time is the basic premise for many tales of woe. Shakespeare’s tragedies are largely built around the idea that a particular character overheard a snippet of a conversation at an inopportune time or had the misfortune to be arriving at the tail end of an epic age, one that they’re unable to sustain on their own weakened shoulders.

Likewise, it’s always disappointing - albeit sometimes hugely entertaining - to watch the ego-besotten fall, victims of their own hubris. Take for instance the recent severe contraction of the independent film distribution market and the announced feature film, said to star Colin Hanks, chronicling the rise and fall of Tower Records, of all things.

It’s with this in mind that August is, with some notable caveats, a compelling movie. …Read more

That Josh Hartnett Dot Com Bust Movie Has A Distributor

Karina Longworth
By Karina Longworth posted 8 months ago
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August, Austin Chick’s summer 2001 tech bust period piece and one of the easiest objects of derision at the most recent Sundance film festival, has become the latest B-list actor-fueled title to land distribution long after the emptying of Park City. Co-producer and star Josh Hartnett––who says “fucking” in the trailer, so you know he’s working hard––plays the cocky douchbag behind a dot com startup called LandShark, with an inflated public value but no discernible product to peddle. He gets to spout of a lot of awesomely empty futurism, like “LandShark is not a vehicle––LandShark is the road itself!” and “What the net is supposed to do … is increase freedom!” It takes place in New York in August 2001 and the tagline, at least at the point when this trailer and this poster were put together, is “August. Comes before the fall.” Get it? September 11 and the crumbling of nerd babylon: two tragedies we must never forget.

Anyway. First Look bought it. The Hollywood Reporter says they’re going to release in July, but First Look hasn’t been the most reliable distributor of late, so Web 1.0 nostalgists may have to wait. In the meantime, check out the ridiculous Sundance Channel segment about the film above. My favorite part is when Chick comments that he and his actors are dressed casually for their premiere. Industry veteran Hartnett responds, “It’s Sundance, you can get away with it here.” Co-star Adam Scott agrees: “That’s the way it is at the ‘dance.”