We’ve already seen black and white images of Emile Hirsch, the psychedelic rock-lookin’ poster and the zany looking trailer, and now Entertainment Weekly‘s summer profile has two of the first look shots of “Taking Woodstock” star Demetri Martin in action (one shot online, one shot isn’t). Both shots also include what we can safely assume are his bohemian ménage partners in the film, Paul Dano and Kelli Garner (“Thumbsucker,” “Lars and the Real Girl”).
“Taking Woodstock,” comes at the choice culminating moment: this year is the 40th anniversary of the muddy rock love-in which will also feature another documentary and yet another festival that hopefully will not tarnish its image further with mook-rock, destructive looting and excessive testosterone-fueled conflagrations. “Woodstock was America’s last moment of innocence,” director Ang Lee told the magazine (again, not online). “Three months later, things turned ugly and it would never be the same again.”
Many of us were downright frightened by the goofy and zany tone of the trailer and some speculated and said, never fear: this version of the trailer was tailored for the “Important Things with Demetri Martin” Comedy Central show where it debuted and naturally amplified the wackiness to better appeal to the audience. Many posited that we shouldn’t worry as this was a drama with comedic elements.
However, Lee directly contradicts this thought in the pages of EW. The filmmaker said that after his NC-17-heavy, Chinese spy film, “Lust, Caution,” he “was desperate to do a comedy.”
Martin, a comedian first and foremost, said he felt unease and fear in taking the role as it held many significant challenges for a debut starring role (and essentially his first real acting gig).
“There’s all this S&M stuff and I’m like, ‘OK, this is way out of my range. I’m a stand-up guy. I do one-liners,” he said. “I cry on camera, I have a love scene, I kiss a guy.”
“Taking Woodstock” also stars Liev Schreiber (as a blond, wig-wearing cross dresser) and Imelda Staunton and is due in theaters August 14 via Focus Features in limited release. It will also reportedly2009 Cannes Film Festival make its premiere at the in May.
Woodstock lives! Online radio channels RADIO WOODSTOCK which features music from the original Woodstock era to today and RADIO WOODSTOCK 69 with exclusively music from the original Woodstock era (1967-1971) are both available at: http://www.radiowoodstock.com. We’re based at Utopia Studios in Woodstock. It’s Woodstock to the world. Peace, love, music.
The show and the new movie coming out are definitely going to propel him past where many comedians have fallen before. I think he’ll stick and there will be bigger things to come for Martin.