Olive Films have added up three more catalog titles to their April slate: William A. Wellman's
Magic Town (1947), starring Jimmy Stewart, Jane Wyman, and Kent Smith, and Hal Hartley's
Flirt (1995), starring Paul Austin, Robert John Burke, Martin Donovan, and
Meanwhile (2011), starring D.J. Mendel, Danielle Meyer, Pallavi Sastry.
Magic Town
With Robert Riskin as screenwriter, director William Wellman proved in Magic Town that it was possible to make a Frank Capra-esque picture without Capra himself at the helm. When ambitious pollster Lawrence Smith (Stewart) finds a small town whose citizens' opinions accurately reflect those of America at large - he recognises a chance to cash in. As local newspaper editor (Wyman) latches onto his game the clash threatens to destroy the town and everything it stands for.
Flirt
Dizzying and deadpan in the best Hartley style, "Flirt" begins in New York City with the story of Bill, whose girlfriend gives him an ultimatum a few hours before leaving for a trip to Paris: make a commitment or end the relationship. Asking for ninety minutes to think it over, he sets out to investigate the only remaining romantic possibility in his life--a married woman named Margaret. Instead, he is forced to confront Margaret's devastated husband, Walter, who turns up with a gun, threatening to shoot himself.
Special Features:
- NYC3/94 – Short Film written and directed by Hal Hartley
- Original Theatrical Trailer
Meanwhile
Meanwhile concerns Joe Fulton, a man who can do anything, from fixing your sink to arranging international financing for a construction project. He produces online advertising and he's written a big fat novel. He's also a pretty good drummer. But success eludes him. Having just broken up with his girlfriend in Brooklyn, Joe walks over the Brooklyn Bridge to Manhattan and has a troubling encounter with a woman whom he suspects might jump. As he goes about his day, taking care of his own business and helping various strangers with their everyday hassles, he hears on the radio that someone has, in fact, jumped from the Brooklyn Bridge. With his bank account temporarily frozen on account of unpaid taxes, he must traverse the entire length of Manhattan to get the keys to a friend's apartment, giving away the few dollars he has along the way. Is Joe Fulton responsible and selfless to a fault? Maybe. He is certainly the all time hardest working unsuccessful over-achiever in New York.
Special Features:
- The Everyday (Making of Meanwhile)
- Original Theatrical Trailer