greenberg is a 2010 american comedy-drama film written and directed by noah baumbach .

the film stars ben stiller , greta gerwig , rhys ifans and jennifer jason leigh .

greenberg was produced by scott rudin productions and distributed by focus features .

the film 's soundtrack features the first film score by james murphy .

although the film received positive reviews , it was a box office bomb , grossing $ 7 million against a $ 25 million budget .

greenberg ( film )

today , film critic elvis mitchell announced the nominations for the gotham independent film awards , and focus features ' the kids are all right and greenberg will both be in . . .
greenberg is a great film about lost souls . the movie’s music has been carefully chosen by director noah baumbach . but the officially released soundtrack does not contain many of the tracks featured in the film .
nantucket film festival ' s screenwriters tribute recognizes 4 writers & filmmakers from film & tv for their significant contributions to the art of storytelling .
film and television for their significant contributions to the art of storytelling . these honors are presented annually during the film festival at a gala celebration .
third song playing at the party . greenberg is walking around and talks to some kids doing cocaine . greenberg does some cocaine and changes the song .
the conversation ( 1974 ) d . francis ford coppola film editor : richard chew
not the feel - good film of the year , but greenberg is a powerful account of how a few lost souls can find meaning and direction in life .
the greenberg soundtrack is out in the uk march 22 on dfa / parlophone . the greenberg movie is out in select u . s . cities march 26 .
florence performs / sings this song at the bar . greenberg comes to watch .
greenberg goes to the grocery store to buy food / supplies for his party . and after greenberg and florence fight and he starts writing a lot of letters .
florence sings this song in her house before taking a phone call from greenberg .
roger greenberg : i ' d be over 50 by the time i graduated .
rewrote the entire script and made greenberg to be 40 years old , turning 41 .
from left greta gerwig , rhys ifans , and mr . stiller in “greenberg . ”
roger greenberg : wish it wasn ' t too late to get my medical degree .
greenberg takes the dog to another vet . he writes a letter to hollywood pet taxi .
so here’s a list of all of the music in greenberg… most tracks are worth a listen .
playing when greenberg ( roger ) and ivan first show up at the children ' s party .
. that film earned an average or $ 10 , 785 in more than 4 , 000 theaters .
the film ' s most incredible scene was the hair - raising sequence of unbelievable car - chasing .
much of the film was severely edited to avoid showing the shark for a long period of time ( because of problems with the fake sharks ) , thereby actually enhancing the film ' s scare quotient .
roger greenberg ( ben stiller ) plays this song on the ipod and talks to florence about it .
stiller is expert at playing self - indulgent types unaware of their boorishness , and greenberg is no exception .
the quiet american : greenberg star greta gerwig . photograph : jayme thornton / © jayme thornton / corbis outline
was the only other film in the $ 10 , 000 club with an average of $ 13 , 591 .
caputo , raffaele , and geoff burton , second take : australian film - makers talk , sydney , 2000 .
it takes two . . . ben stiller and greta gerwig in greenberg . photograph : photo credit : wilson webb
faris is represented by uta , anonymous content , uta , and attorney robert offer . derbez is represented by uta and behr & abramson . fisher is represented by wme . greenberg is represented by icm partners and greenberg glusker .
although the script differs from the film adaptation , greenberg manages to portray truman capote’s classic novella of an un - named writer ( who everyone calls fred ) and an enigmatic new york girl , golightly . this adaptation reflects the original setting of the 1940’s new york , as opposed to the glamorous 1960’s , which is portrayed in the film adaptation .
* closing night film san francisco jewish film festival * closing night film rochester jewish film festival * world premiere toronto jewish film festival * official selection los angeles jewish film festival
entertaining and revealing
- the boston globe
as compelling as the music are the members ' life stories and the push - pull dynamic of their creative process ; this jazzy documentary by erik greenberg anjou touches on not only jewish survival but also how to make enduring art in a fluctuating industry .
- chicago reader
and it is the songs , with their echoes of loss , love and friendship , as much as the musicians ' candid and complex relationship , that makes ' the klezmatics : on holy ground '  such a bittersweet and rewarding experience . - the jewish journal boston north
mesmerizing
- the epoch times
the film itself is due for release on march 26th . the playlist has new still images here ; trailer below .
stephen is committed to establishing facet4 as a highly innovative , creative and enterprising film and television distribution and production company .
greenberg puts this song on after he snorts some cocaine . he gets a neck massage and talks to the kids .
the kids play this song at the party and greenberg gets angry and tells them to put duran duran back on .
rhys ifans is excellent as greenberg ' s old buddy ivan – another rehab graduate who must come to terms with never being a rock star . jason leigh ' s makes her intriguing cameo as greenberg ' s former girlfriend beth , with whom he has a tense and embarrassing catch - up lunch . greenberg is compelled to make a maladroit apology for the bad things he did , and beth tries pretending not to remember , for greenberg ' s sake , as much as hers .
playing in the car while greenberg and ivan drive for her pregnancy check . she asks them to turn the music down .
greenberg falls for his brother ' s young assistant , a directionless dog - lover ( greta gerwig ) with an almost limitless tolerance for creeps - which is just as well , because greenberg is a sad sack with very little going for him .
with : ben stiller ( roger greenberg ) , greta gerwig ( florence marr ) , rhysifans ( ivan schrank ) , jennifer jasonleigh ( beth ) , brie larson ( sara ) , junotemple ( muriel ) and chris messina ( phillip greenberg ) .
the tomatometer score — based on the opinions of hundreds of film and television critics — is a trusted measurement of critical recommendation for millions of fans . it represents the percentage of professional critic reviews that are positive for a given film or television show .
another deftly edited sequence was in the film ' s seven - minute opening with over 100 separate shots . it was composed of a series of intercut foreshadowing visual clues that were later elliptically inter - woven into the film , ominously portending further death .
datta s . r . , brunet a . , greenberg m . e . cellular survival : a play in three akts .
erik greenberg anjou erik greenberg anjou is a graduate of middlebury college ( b . a . ) , northwestern university ( m . a . ) and the american film institute ( directing program ) . his film endeavors encompass both the narrative and documentary arenas , having directed
the cool surface
( columbia tristar ) starring robert patrick and teri hatcher , and
a cantor ; s tale
( ergo media ) .
a cantor ' s tale
has to date won the best documentary film prize at the world eye jewish film festival ( tel aviv ) , the bronze phoenix at the warsaw international jewish film festival , and best documentary film at the miami , san diego , and washington , d . c . jewish film festivals . erik ' s current projects include
8 : ivy league football & america
featuring tommy lee jones , brian dennehy , george shultz and calvin hill , as well as the feature film ,
the sixth commandment
with israeli producer rony yacov (
a triumph of the spirit ,
city of ghosts
,
a dog of flanders
) . his new documentary on jewish music and culture is
the klezmatics : on holy ground
starring the grammy award - winning band , theodore bikel , nora guthrie and chava alberstein .
greenberg is self - indulgent , boring and very cynical ( and not in a good way ) . the anticlimactic ending doesn ' t sum up the movie but rather leaves you further frustrated at greenberg for being a miserable , unlikeable person for no apparent reason .
in the early drafts of the screenplay , greenberg was written as a man in his early 30s . inspired by the idea of casting
“greenberg” is rated r ( under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian ) . swearing , nudity , drug use , emotional violence .
in addition to a new lcd soudsystem album , european tour , and a newly announced appearance at the pitchfork music festival , the electro genius known as james murphy is also making news for his contributions to the silver screen . on march 22nd ( via parlophone records ) , murphy will unveil his debut film score , this for the new noah baumbach - directed and ben stiller - starring film called greenberg .
“it was decided to make my character english – which made things easier for me , but also gave ivan an ‘otherness’ that enhances the film ; i know a lot of ivans in l . a . , and they’re british , funnily enough . to me , everyone in the story seems slightly isolated , greenberg in particular . but ivan seems to have the mechanisms to cope a little better than greenberg does .
it is tough to analyze a films soundtrack without ever having seen the film , but if i wasnt excited about seeing greenberg before listening to the soundtrack ( i was ) , i certainly am now . a solid soundtrack can make or break a film , especially one of the independent dramedy genre , and it will be interesting to see how murphy fits into the film . thus far its only been released in new york and l . a . , neither of which are my cities , so i have not yet had the opportunity to see it . but as it makes its limited release is this friday , the 26 th , believe you me , ill be first in line .
the new noah baumbach film is called greenberg and it features a score by lcd soundsystem mastermind james murphy . the soundtrack boasts 11 murphy solo pieces and one new lcd soundsystem song , along with tunes by nite jewel , albert hammond , galaxie 500 , the sonics , and duran duran .
roger greenberg is an asshole . for better or for worse , his persona is surrounded by his abhorrent and diminishing attitude towards others . however , what the film
greenberg
does with his mean spirited character neither condemns nor glorifies his actions , but instead adds an interesting mix of dark comedy and compelling drama to create an incredibly interesting character study about a man going through a six week long
slacker odyssey
. although the film sometimes feels a tad to bit melodramatic ,
greenberg
never tries to over - complicate the situations at hand . ben stiller does a magnificent job portraying the titular role as always , and so does greta gerwig , with her supporting yet heavily significant part . while not noah baumbach ' s best by all means , greenberg is still a welcomed effort from what is excepted from one of america ' s most underrated indie darlings .
noah baumbach grounds this film very well , which in turn accentuates the fantastical nature of how his characters act and think . the mundanity of the situations…
kg : yes , yes , yes , yes , yes . he shot 350 , 000 feet of film and he only used 11 , 900 .
noah baumbach is an oscar® - nominated writer and acclaimed director . his first feature , kicking and screaming , which he both wrote and directed , premiered to critical acclaim at the 1995 new york film festival . baumbach was nominated for an oscar for best original screenplay for his film the squid and the whale , which he also directed . additional notable films include mistress america ( nff 2015 ) , frances ha , margot at the wedding , while we’re young ( nff now april 2014 ) , and greenberg . baumbach most recently wrote and directed the meyerowitz stories ( new and selected ) , which debuted in competition at the 2017 cannes film festival . baumbach just wrapped production on a new film he wrote and directed starring scarlett johansson , adam driver , and laura dern .
the ballad of narayama
is a japanese film of great beauty and elegant artifice , telling a story of startling cruelty . what a space it opens…
everyone ' s at it written by lily allen and greg kurstin performed by lily allen courtesy of emi records ltd . under license from emi film & television music
on this soundtrack for a new noah baumbach - ben stiller film , lcd ' s james murphy shows his singer - songwriter side , often making like harry nilsson .
the klezmatics : on holy ground combines the best elements of a backstage doc , a concert film and an eye - opening lesson in remixing jewish culture .
it would be filmed on a tight seven - week schedule , roughly the same amount of time the title character , roger greenberg , finds himself in los angeles .
dubowski signed with keppler associates , one of the country ' s largest agencies specializing in professional speaking engagements to launch a national university lecture tour . he served on the 10th anniversary hamptons film festival documentary jury and spoken on numerous panels at conferences and festivals from the international documentary association to hot docs film festival to the independent feature project .
there ' s so much in this film , i definitely recommend seeing it twice . by doing so , i was better able to see that - - while the film presents a compelling story of a system in crisis - - there is something the film doesn ' t mention at all : that design thinking can turn us all into the education reform supermen and superwomen we have been waiting for , which is the only way to destroy the monster that has plunged america ' s education system into crisis .
in many ways this is baumbach ' s best film , filled with his bitter but often funny misanthropic perspective , but buoyed by the undeniable likability of stiller and gerwig .
this article was amended on 14 july 2010 . the original said that the squid and the whale was noah baumbach ' s debut feature film . this has been corrected .
in 1992 , dubowski graduated magna cum laude from harvard university . he received two ford program for undergraduate research grants for his work on homosexuality in hollywood and independent film .
ben stiller is amazing . this film made me anxious . it ' s disturbing in an od way . no redemption . rhys ifans is also wonderful as a defeated man .
dubowski ' s award - winning short tomboychik , received the golden gate award for best short documentary at the san francisco international film festival , was broadcast on wnet , and has screened at the whitney museum of american art , the rotterdam film festival , and the jewish museum ' s
too jewish ?
show among other museums and festivals worldwide .
screenwriters tribute ask me another all - star comedy roundtable in their shoes . . . ® morning coffee with . . . ® women behind the words silent film / live music
that ' s roger greenberg . i never knew who ben stiller was born to play , but now i do . i don ' t mean he is greenberg , but that he makes him a convincing person and not a caricature . the hero of noah baumbach ' s new film was once , years ago , part of a rock band on the brink of a breakthrough . he walked away from it , stranding his band - mates , and never explained why . he fled los angeles and became a carpenter in new york .
now turning her hand to theatre for richard greenberg’s adaptation of breakfast at tiffany’s , the singer stars alongside a wonderfully talented cast in the performance at the lowry theatre until april 16 .
you may have noticed the banners that cos has been frequently fraught with about a little film called greenberg . its for a good reason . this one looks to be promising . a film directed by noah baumbach with the tirelessly funny ben stiller cast as the lead role , multiplied by 12 original songs written by lcd soundsystems james murphy and an incredible trailer set over lcds all my friends is a recipe for success , no matter how you look at it . baumbach is academy award nominated , and wes anderson approved ; stiller remains one of the funniest men in film ( see : theres something about mary , zoolander , the royal tenenbaums , meet the parents , his presentation of the award for best makeup at this years oscars , etc . ) ; and murphy seems to be capable of nothing less that awesome . but we arent here to talk about the film or the concept behind it . lets talk soundtrack .
this is an intriguing film , shifting directions , considering greenberg ' s impossibility in one light and then another . if he ' s stuck like this at 40 , is he stuck for good ? what ben stiller does with the role is fascinating . we can ' t stand greenberg . but we begin to care about him . without ever overtly evoking sympathy , stiller inspires identification . you don ' t have to like the hero of a movie . but you have to understand him - - better than he does himself , in some cases .
chris hemsworth kicks off filming for the star - studded men in black spin - off as he cuts a sharp figure in london . . . 21 years after the first film hit screens
mgm partnered with pantelion films to co - produce , co - finance , and co - distribute the film , with lionsgate handling domestic theatrical distribution . production stars this may in vancouver .
it ' s not as substantial as it believes itself to be , but greenberg is a good movie , and contrary to a lot of critical practice , good does not equal mediocre .
“since at its core greenberg is a love story , for those who don’t know noah’s work it’s a good way to come to him and what he does – movies about people . ”
after a long career as a stage and screen actor , andrew heckler made his writing and directorial feature film debut with burden , the true story about the redemption of a klansman , a passion project he has wanted to bring to the screen for 20 years . the film , starring garrett hedlund , forest whitaker , and andrea riseborough , premiered at the 2018 sundance film festival , where it won the audience award in the us dramatic competition . heckler founded workhouse theater in new york city , where he has produced , directed , and acted in over 35 productions .
roger greenberg ( stiller ) is single , fortyish and deliberately doing nothing . in search of a place to restart his life , he agrees to housesit for his brother in la and tries to reconnect with his former bandmate ( rhys ifans ) and successful ex - girlfriend ( jennifer jason leigh ) . but old friends aren ' t necessarily still best friends , and greenberg soon finds himself forging a connection with his brother ' s personal assistant , florence ( greta gerwig ) . despite his best attempts not to be drawn in , greenberg comes to realize that he may at last have found a reason to be happy . critics rave ,
greenberg has a soul , a heart and a sense of humor .
( stephanie zacharek , salon . com )
stream greenberg original motion picture soundtrack by various artists and 40 million songs on all your devices with amazon music unlimited . exclusively for prime members . new subscribers only . terms and conditions apply .
following the lensing all around town , the latter half of the shoot took place in and around a 1920s - era house in the hollywood hills which was cast as the phillip greenberg home .
the chauffeur written by simon le bon , john taylor , nick rhodes , roger taylor and andy taylor performed by duran duran courtesy of emi records ltd . under license from emi film & television music
why the film misses this critical perspective why doesn ' t the film take up the issue of altering the overall design of this monster ? probably because - - and i don ' t blame the filmmakers for this - - the vast majority of americans have been taught that solving problems consists of fixing the most visibly broken parts of what isn ' t working . this is called analytic thinking .
this phenomenally successful , uplifting ,
sleeper
film was filmed in a record twenty - eight days with a paltry budget of about $ 1 million , and ultimately grossed well over $ 100 million .
it ' s hard not to liken roger greenberg to barry egan , and at times to their respective films . both are neurotic losers in a realism - tinged fairy tale , at odds with expressing themselves with exceptionally charming romantic interests ( not to mention starring traditionally comedic actors in a comparatively dramatic role ) . though greenberg is , in my opinion , a lesser film than punch - drunk love thanks to the character of roger being a more overt asshole and more difficult to ' root ' for , both left me with the same warm and fuzzy feeling that accompanies the ' loser makes good ' storyline .
“ greenberg is about people who haven’t realized their dreams , which is something a lot of people can identify with . how do you deal with it ? greenberg has put up so many layers of defenses and so many barriers of protection to push people away . by showing all of the characters in a real way , hopefully the audience will feel for the love story that emerges from this movie . ”
the remake will be co - directed and written by rob greenberg ( “how i met your mother” ) and bob fisher ( “we’re the millers” ) . ben odell and derbez will produce through their 3pas studios .
ivan ' s professional career was ended by greenberg ' s withdrawal from the band . now fragile , separated from a wife greenberg despises and recently out of rehab , he ' s working as a computer consultant . florence is in a bad way , on the verge of a period of promiscuity following the end of a long relationship and trying to make a start as a singer of sad ballads . with a distressing insensitivity , greenberg takes emotional advantage of both these quiet , compliant people , not least because he ' s that classically dependent figure , a non - driver in los angeles who needs people to transport him around town .
chumo , peter n . ,
keys to the imagination : jane campion ' s the piano ,
in literature / film quarterly ( salisbury ) , vol . 25 , no . 3 , july 1997 .
most of the locations were in hollywood or west hollywood – accurately representing what would be within walking distance for the non - driving greenberg – including a veterinarian’s office where leigh and baumbach have taken their own pets .
“los angeles plays such a big part in greenberg that it’s another character , adding to the vibe of the film , ” says locations manager stephenson crossley . “i didn’t have to show noah a lot of photos to give him different options . for the most part , he knew where he wanted to go and a lot of those places were written into the script – so it was my job to get us in there . ”
a film of powerful , memorable moments - - some striking dialogue , some great performances , a handful of beautifully played , bracingly discomfiting love scenes - - in search of a structure and , perhaps , a soul .
, was also the leader on the per theater chart with an impressive average of $ 29 , 252 . that is below expectations , but still excellent . the only other film in the $ 10 , 000 club was
american actor james stewart as george bailey , hugs karolyn grimes , who plays zuzu , his daughter , in a still from director frank capra ' s christmas classic film , ' it ' s a wonderful life ' .
this earnest , slight romance doesn ' t generate enough sparks to overcome the anxiety of its obvious influence . but as a simple valentine to hong kong ' s expat nightlife , the film makes for charming , breezy viewing .
a perceptive film that has the self - awareness to make innocuous fun of the much stereotyped expat experience . . . . it ' s sure to enchant with its lavish display of the city ' s alluring night lights .
my interaction with the film ' s producer while waiting for
superman
never asks the question
what kind of educational system should america really have ?
, its producer - - lesley chilcott - - recognized the point i ' m making here to some degree when i mentioned it ( using only a couple of sentences to describe it of course ) during the q & a ; session with her after thursday ' s screening of the film .
[ spoilers ahead . ] almost , but not quite . whether or not greenberg really earns its final scene is debatable , but baumbach’s antiresolution—besides being more than a little bit reminiscent of before sunset —succeeds in lending this ungainly and ( only partially designedly ) enervating film some heft . “this is you , ” whispers florence as she checks her cell phone for a message that roger had left her the night before—during which time she had been convalescing in the hospital , while he was doing coke with kids half his age . baumbach cuts to black at the instant that she begins listening , knowing that we’ve already heard its contents earlier in the film . we don’t get to see what she thinks of roger’s rambling , recriminatory voice - mail - of - the - soul , and the fact that i’ve caught myself wondering at the outcome in the days since i saw the film suggests that it might even matter .
full financial estimates for this film , including domestic and international box office , video sales , video rentals , tv and ancillary revenue are available through our research services . for more information , please contact us at research @ urltoken .
“in this movie , you see the incremental building of a relationship between two people who – like everybody – have issues in their lives . greenberg and florence are able to come together and get past self - imposed barriers . until now , i’d never done a film which reminded me of the hal ashby or robert altman movies of the 1970s that would explore characters and find their little private moments that happen and that you don’t usually see in movies . ”
she’s one of the last surviving cast members of the 1946 holiday classic “it’s a wonderful life . ” but it wasn’t until the 1980’s , when the long forgotten film was resurrected for television audiences , that former child actress karolyn grimes finally watched it to see what all the fuss was about . nearly 70 years later – grimes , who played the role of george bailey’s daughter zuzu , talked with msnbc about the iconic film that was once “just another movie . ”
florence is someone we know . a bright , pleasant recent college graduate for whom the job market , as they say , has no use . we see her interacting with the family of greenberg ' s brother ; she does all the planning for them she should be doing for herself . in a more conventional movie , florence would be the love interest , and greenberg would be fated to marry her . but florence isn ' t looking for a man . she just broke up .
i don ' t want to go from just having sex to sex to sex ,
she says .
who ' s the third ' sex ' ?
asks greenberg .
you .
for example , the famed musso & frank grill on hollywood boulevard , first opened in 1919 and a local institution ever since , was scripted as the setting for a modest yet arguably ( to greenberg , at least ) excessive birthday celebration .
he has a reunion with a former bandmate , ivan ( rhys ifans ) , a calm brit , troubled by a trial separation , happy enough to see greenberg and help him if he can . but ivan is troubled that greenberg still doesn ' t get it , doesn ' t understand how he crushed the dreams of his bandmates . then there ' s beth ( jennifer jason leigh ) , who greenberg once loved and was loved by . she has moved on in her life . she has a family . does he recognize the look a woman gets in her eyes when she ' s thinking how that just would have never , ever , worked out ? does he have enough self - knowledge to see how impossible he is ?
perkins , r . ,
imag ( in ) ing our colonial past : colonial new zealand on film from the birth of new zealand to the piano - part ii ,
in illusions ( wellington ) , no . 26 , winter 1997 .
“in private moments , she is able to reflect about how her life may not be going exactly as planned . yet she keeps moving forward , which is admirable . her ability to take care of herself grows over the course of the film . ”
the important relationship is the one between greenberg and florence . we look upon her and see wholesome health and abundant energy . she ' s happy when she has a purpose . she wishes she had a direction in life but can be happy enough in the moment . it ' s as if when greenberg moves a little in the direction of happiness , it gets jealous because that draws attention away from his miserable uniqueness . people driven to be constantly unique can be a real pain in the ass .
note to the reader : the crisis in america ' s education system is such a huge threat to our country that i have written a long ( think frank rich ) response to waiting for
superman
. i have tremendous respect for the film makers - - one of whom i ' ve had the opportunity to interact with twice - - but ( for reasons i explain in my essay ) there ' s no way they could have known they were leaving critical information out of their film . i discuss that information below , along with design thinking which is the key to seeing what ' s missing from what the film presents . thank you for taking the time to read what i ' ve written . i look forward to responding to your comments .
in the role of greenberg’s all - but - best friend ivan , welsh - born actor rhys ifans was keenly attuned to how “we all spend time keeping our own greenbergs at bay . ivan now has different priorities and different aspirations from greenberg , but is still fully aware of the ones that they shared at one time . the script was so well - written that it was clear where my character was coming from . in almost all of his scenes , ivan doesn’t say what he wants to say .
there are certain dramatic threads running through the film , among them the matter of florence ' s abortion and the tricky job of caring for mahler the dog , whose sickness necessitates visits to vets and hospitals , phone calls to vietnam and bills amounting to more than $ 3 , 000 . but basically , the film is a series of randomly linked incidents , events and encounters that reveal character . like greenberg ' s life , there ' s no plot , just a series of meals , parties , arguments and accidents . some of these are extremely funny , like his railing against the waiters ' serenading him with
happy birthday
at the fashionable , semi - bohemian hollywood boulevard restaurant musso & frank grill , something arranged as a cheering tribute by ivan .
greenberg is currently a professor of choreography at eugene lang college , the new school for liberal arts , and has previously taught at purchase college , sarah lawrence college , and uc riverside . he served as dance curator at the kitchen from 1995 - 1999 .
cinematographer harris savides captured los angeles for greenberg in widescreen , reteaming with the filmmakers after their work on margot at the wedding . this made the new movie at once more cinematic and more real – almost documentary - like , given the extensive location shooting .
an even more crucial acting partner for stiller was greta gerwig , who with greenberg was making her biggest film to date . gerwig was well aware of her leap , commenting , “i couldn’t believe that i might actually be in a movie for focus features and scott rudin . i auditioned for noah and jennifer in their apartment , and sang a little song for them because florence is a singer . i thought , ‘man , even if i don’t get this , i’m happy that i got to get this far . ’
there are those who claim that punch - drunk love begs to be read as a deconstruction of adam sandler’s screen persona . while they might be right , it doesn ' t make paul thomas anderson ' s dull slab of powder - blue whimsy any more bearable . so when i say that noah baumbach ' s latest film , greenberg , feels like a culmination of sorts for its star , ben stiller , that ' s not in and of itself a ringing endorsement , although it’s certainly superior to the writer - director’s previous margot at the wedding . in that film , another frat pack satellite—jack black—was asked to show depths beyond his famously satyric screen persona . he failed , but then so did almost everything else in baumbach ' s faux - chekhovian inventory of sisterly antagonism .
morgan neville is an academy award® - winning director , known for his work on documentaries and commercials . his acclaimed film 20 feet from stardom ( nff 2013 ) won the 2014 academy award for best documentary as well as a grammy® award for best music film . his 2015 documentary , best of enemies ( nff 2015 ) , on the debates between gore vidal and william f . buckley , won an emmy® award and was shortlisted for an academy award . neville has been nominated for four additional grammys for his films : respect yourself : the stax records story , muddy waters can’t be satisfied and johnny cash’s america , and the music of strangers : yo - yo ma and the silk road ensemble . neville’s non - music films include the cool school and beauty is embarrassing . his film won’t you be my neighbor ? premiered at the 2018 sundance film festival and will be distributed by focus features in june . other recent projects include ugly delicious , chelsea does , keith richards : under the influence , and abstract : the art of design .
it ' s let down by a central couple who are completely wrong for each other . ben stiller , in serious mode , plays roger greenberg , a 40 - year - old former mental patient house - sitting for his more successful brother in los angeles .
roger greenberg : yeah , but i know myself . i ' d procrastinate , take time off . eight years at best . who ' s gonna hire a 49 . . . let ' s just call it 50 . a 50 - year - old vet ?
bonni a . , brunet a . , west a . e . , datta s . r . , takasu m . a . , greenberg m . e . cell survival promoted by the ras - mapk signaling pathway by transcription - dependent and - independent mechanisms .
“our production designer , ford wheeler , worked with me at all times , mapping out what he was designing in tandem with where we would be shooting . hopefully greenberg will give audiences a sense of what it’s actually like to live – or visit – here . ”
director / choreographer bob fosse ' s defining , decadent , award - winning musical which popularized the phrase :
life is a cabaret
was only the director ' s second film , but won numerous accolades ( and was a financial and artistic hit ) . from its ten academy award nominations , the vibrant film won eight oscars . the sexually - charged , semi - controversial , kinky musical was the first one ever to be given an x rating ( although later re - rated ) with its numerous sexual flings and hedonistic club life .
but “greenberg” is not easily forgotten , and the misery of roger’s company provides its own special kind of pleasure . mr . baumbach’s sense of character and place is so precise — the film seems so transparent , so real — that his formal audacity almost passes unnoticed . rather than push roger and florence through the grinding machinery of an overdetermined plot , he allows them to wander and sometimes to stall , to inhabit their lives fully and uneasily . they are more like characters in a french movie than the people you usually meet under the hollywood sign .
the film portrays the absurdity of transferring the social niceties of western society onto a wild and unknown environment . the rigidity of the european way of life is contrasted with the freedom of the native maori culture—and the aboriginals silent contempt and sardonic humour at the expense of western culture .
in the most memorable , well - edited sequence of the film , a montage accompanied by the rousing song
gonna fly now
( by bill conti ) , rocky underwent further grueling training and workouts in preparation for his bicentennial fight against apollo creed ( carl weathers ) .
redesigning - - not fixing - - systems once again , i do not blame the film makers . regrettably , very few americans think in terms of
redesigning systems
naturally . and the only way to learn to think this way is to study engineering or architecture in college .
driver won the volpi cup award for best actor for hungry hearts , which premiered at the 2014 venice international film festival . other recent credits include martin scorsese’s silence , jim jarmusch’s paterson , jeff nichols’ midnight special , and j . j . abrams’ star wars : the force awakens .
to some extent , “greenberg , ” like nearly all of mr . baumbach’s work going back to “kicking and screaming , ” is a comedy of manners . west coast versions of the hyper - articulate recent college graduates of that movie , his 1995 directing debut , have grown up and been supplanted by a strange new generation . some of the humor in “greenberg” comes from the various collisions between youth and middle age . kids these days ! they don’t know what you’re talking about when you quote “wall street , ” and they don’t appreciate duran duran . damned internet !
was the film seriously cut to remove a confrontion between baines and stewart . stewart goes to baines after discovering his wifes infidelity and holds a shotgun to baine ' s head . a fight between the two seems inevitable with baines seeking revenge for his loves disfigurement . yet the next scene is baines departing the land with his woman in a boat - a serious unexplained disconnect from the previous scene . a fight between baines and stewart would have been a natural and powerful development of the film at this point and i am at a loss to know why it was ommitted .
as neil greenberg prepares to premiere his latest work , this , at new york live arts the first weekend of december , he discusses his motivating questions as well as the shifts in his choreographic concerns during the four years since his last piece , ( like a vase ) . citing susan sontag’s “against interpretation” as an enduring theoretical ally , greenberg expands upon the complexities of meaning - making , choreographing objects , tracing the personal through the rigors of form , filling up images with body , and making dances that accumulate , evaporate , and hang in the air like weather .
stephen greenberg was responsible for establishing long term strategic partnerships with every major u . s . studio over the years . they include : disney , dreamworks skg , warner bros . , columbia , paramount , mgm and twentieth century fox . additionally , he was responsible for the financing of over $ 500 million of production during his reign at astral as senior vice president of the astral entertainment group . following the sale of astral’s distribution and program development divisions in 1996 , stephen greenberg became president of coscient astral distribution which subsequently became motion international , which later became tva international .
greenberg is an indie romcom with some splendidly offbeat moments , a few inspired lines and one performance of immense charm . it ' s the latest by writer - director noah baumbach , who gave us the promising the squid and the whale and the much less successful margot at the wedding .
others are excruciatingly embarrassing : as when , under the influence of coke ( his first few lines in years ) , greenberg tries to impress a group of partying 20 - year - olds who regard him as something from another planet , and then starts assailing them for their ignorance and insensitivity .
sandi simcha dubowski ( director , producer ) is a filmmaker and writer based in new york . his project trembling before g - d was theatrically released in the united states , israel , canada , germany , and in 2003 , france and the uk ( in the u . s . with new yorker films ) . trembling before g - d was launched at new york ' s film forum to incredible audience , critical , and box office response . it broke film forum ' s opening day box office records previously held by paris is burning and opened in over 80 u . s . cities . trembling has been the recipient of ten awards including the teddy award for best documentary at the berlin film festival , the mayor ' s prize for the jewish experience at the jerusalem film festival , and the grand jury prize for best documentary at outfest los angeles . the film was nominated for the 2002 independent spirit awards for the ifc / directv truer than fiction award . it was named one of the 10 best films of 2001 by the l . a . weekly . it was co - produced and broadcast by keshet / channel two in israel , the first co - production with u . s . producers and broadcast in israel in late 2002 . it was broadcast by arte in france / germany in summer 2002 and on uk ' s bbc , denmark ' s channel 2 , australia ' s abc , netherland ' s nik , and other tv stations worldwide in 2003 - 2004 .
and although this soundtrack as a whole wont be one for your regular rotation , the murphy tracks very well might be . either way , it is interesting to analyze . james murphy showcases his versatility as a songwriter . he proves on greenberg that he is not a one - trick pony , and that hes got tricks a - plenty up his sleeve . and while he was probably born to raise hell in the dance - punk realm , this just goes to show that he could always moonlight in writing incredible film soundtracks . this ones got a few gems and you should certainly check it out .
at a crossroads in his life , roger greenberg ( ben stiller ) ends up housesitting at his brother ' s home in los angeles . there , he strikes up an unlikely friendship with his brother ' s assistant florence ( greta gerwig ) , an aspiring singer . florence and greenberg ' s encounters lead to an uncertain and wonderfully vulnerable courtship . studio : focus features release : march 12 , 2010 director : noah baumbach writer : noah baumbach , jennifer jason leigh cast : ben stiller , greta gerwig , rhys ifans , jennifer jason leigh , chris messina , brie larson , juno temple genre : comedy , drama
the pair provide an affirmative humanity to surround the questioning of that very feeling that lies at the film ' s dramatic core . baumbach is served admirably , as he was on margot at the wedding , by the unobtrusive , naturalistic lighting of harris savides , one of the best american cinematographers at work today .
the adaptation as a whole shows promise , and would appeal to avid theatregoers and fans of both the novella and the film adaptation . although sometimes difficult to follow , it really is a blast to the past , and every character , despite having smaller roles ; holds a meaningful place to carry the story .
although roger greenberg is a world - class narcissist , “greenberg” is not all about him . it is the funniest and saddest movie mr . baumbach has made so far , and also the riskiest . mr . stiller , suppressing his well - honed sketch comedian’s urge to wink at the audience , turns roger into a walking challenge to the hollywood axiom that a movie’s protagonist must be likable . but mr . baumbach , relishing his antihero’s obstinate difficulty — which is less an inability to connect with other people than a stubborn refusal , on hazy grounds of principle , to try — treats roger with compassion , even tenderness .
aaron moss is the chair of greenberg glusker ' s litigation department and is also a member of its intellectual property department . he specializes in representing owners and users of creative content , and has been recognized by virtually every major legal and entertainment business publication as one of the preeminent intellectual property litigators in his field .
it was a terrible show . very dull , could barely understand what was said with the heavy accent of the main actress . more of a mimic of the film than any originality of acting . my partner slept through the second half , and freinds stayed in the bar after the interval . don’t waste your money .
greenberg is a movie starring ben stiller , greta gerwig , and jennifer jason leigh . a man from los angeles , who moved to new york years ago , returns to l . a . to figure out his life while he house - sits for his brother . he soon sparks with his brother ' s assistant .
his other film credits include : while we’re young , this is where i leave you , tracks , inside llewyn davis , lincoln , frances ha , and j . edgar . driver also starred on hbo’s critically acclaimed series girls . his performance in girls garnered him three emmy nominations for outstanding supporting actor in a comedy series .
this adaptation certainly centres on holly and fred , with the rest of the cast given much smaller roles . ‘fred , ’ played by matt barber , then narrates the story and makes the adaptation a whole lot more understandable for those in the audience who were unfamiliar with the novella and the film adaptation - bringing the piece together .
“many of the locations very specifically noted in the script hadn’t been featured in movies before , or at least weren’t instantly recognizable . but we weren’t a big - budget film , and since there’s no gunfire or special effects in the picture , it’s less disruptive to a place or a community . so , people were pretty accommodating . ”
we stay with florence for the film ' s first ten minutes as she tends to her employers’ departure ( “you need to speak up , ” say mrs . greenberg when florence demurs immediate payment ) heads out to a party and hooks up with a random dude ( “this isn ' t a relationship , ” says her smiling partner by way of inviting her into his apartment ) . besides offering a précis of a kind of postadolescent stasis , these scenes establish florence as utterly pliable , and thus an easy target for roger greenberg , whose surface vulnerabilities—he can’t drive a car , which makes him an invalid in los angeles—barely mask manipulative tendencies . watching him all but force his way into florence’s apartment ( after she’d given him a lift ) and initiate an aggressive seduction is uncomfortable , partly because it goes so badly ( via the most awkward screen cunnilingus since scary movie ) , but mostly because the dynamic seems so natural for both parties : both seem to take roger’s inappropriateness—and her passivity—as being par for the course .
seeing ben stiller take on noah baumbach ' s incredibly challenging role of roger greenberg always calls to mind sofia coppola and bill murray ' s collaboration in lost in translation . it ' s refreshing to see someone like stiller , who over the last decade or so has opted so heavily for the mindless comedy , really dig deep and deliver the finest performance of his career . he is reminding us all that he started that way , wanting to find interesting projects and display his wide range , and with greenberg he is so immersed that i believe both the performance and the movie itself should be remembered among the decade ' s finest when it ' s all said and done .


mermaids is a documentary originally aired as mermaids : the body found on american tv channels animal planet ( may 27 , 2012 ) and discovery channel ( june 17 , 2012 ) .

it tells a story of a scientific team 's investigative efforts to uncover the source behind mysterious underwater recordings of an unidentified marine body .

the show presents the generally discredited aquatic ape hypothesis as evidence that mermaids exist , along with a digitally manufactured video .

a sequel broadcast called mermaids : the new evidence aired may 26 , 2013 .

mermaids : the body found , its sequel mermaids : the new evidence and several other similar programs dealing with other outrageous claims , such as the channel 4 's the last dragon and the fictional elements of the discovery channel 's shark week dealing with a purportedly discovered " monster " shark in megalodon : the monster shark lives are all recent examples of what is known as docufiction or a mockumentary , in which documentary style and programming elements are combined with fictional - or sometimes less egregiously speculative - science and fiction .

this type of programming receives particular criticism when , as in the original broadcast of mermaids : the body found , there are only a few , easily missed disclaimers to indicate the speculative nature of the programming .

the first airings of the two mermaids programs apparently fooled millions of people and also drew some of animal planet 's largest audiences ever .

mermaids : the body found

mermaids : the body found and its ilk have done long - term damage .
both documentaries , mermaids : the body found and mermaids : the new evidence have sufficient proof .
mermaids : the body found
will air again on june 17 on animal planet .
' sabrina ' posted ' both documentaries , mermaids : the body found and mermaids : the new evidence have sufficient proof . '
los angeles times . “tv skeptic : ‘mermaids : the body found’ clouds the waters . ” 29 may 2012 .
feel free to submit examples of dr . paul robertson ' s pre -
mermaids : the body found
work .
you should send me a few links to dr . paul robertson ' s work in the years predating
mermaids : the body found .
andre weideman was the re - enactment actor in
the body found
and did not appear much in
new evidence .
“mermaids : the body found” is a made for tv mockumentary and found footage film created for the cable network animal planet and discovery channel . the film is directed by sid bennett and written by charlie foley , sid bennett , and vaibhav bhatt .
this success surely came as no surprise to discovery executives , who watched a double feature of mermaids : the body found and its sequel , mermaids : the new evidence , become the highest rated animal planet broadcast of all time .
mermaids : the body found is a found footage film and mockumentary that aired on animal planet and discovery channel . while the science behind the plot is fundamentally flawed and the runtime is a bit on the long side , the film is an exceptionally crafted mockumentary that fans of the genre are likely to enjoy .
mpok , the person in
new evidence
is the same person as in
mermaids : the body found ,
just with a slightly different hairstyle . they ' re both played by andre weideman .
examining the startling , never - before - seen video evidence of aquatic hominids that has come forward since the documentary mermaids : the body found first aired in 2012 , with the original . . . see full summary »
the plausibility of mermaids : the body found hinges on the acceptance of the “aquatic ape” hypothesis put forth in the film . under this theory , pockets of early humans moved from the land to the sea during an evolutionary event coined the “land to sea transition . ”
on may 26 , everything you know about the ocean will change . watch an encore presentation of mermaids : the body found at 8pm e / p , followed by an exclusive interview at 10pm e / p !
animal planet managed to hook 3 . 6 million viewers with the special that speculates about the real - life existence of mermaids using actors , according to abc news . the special is a sequel to 2012 & apos ; s
documentary ,
mermaids : the body found .
as you know , documentaries often use re - enactments in which an actor plays the portrays the scientist . mermaids : the body found used this conceit and cast actor andre weideman to portray dr . robertson in the re - enactments .
animal planet managed , once again , to captivate viewers with a sequel to its 2012 fictional documentary
mermaids : the body found .
mermaids : the new evidence ,
aired on sunday , gave the channel its biggest audience ever , 3 . 6 million viewers .
police find the body of a missing four - month - old boy near . . .
sunday’s “documentary” mermaids : the new evidence delivered 3 . 6 million viewers , shattering the network’s ratings record . the program is not only a hoax , but a sequel to a hoax — to last year’s rather effortlessly debunked mermaids : the body found , which fooled more viewers than you’d think .
mermaids : the body found aired on animal planet in 2012 and brought in 3 . 5 million viewers , setting a new ratings record for the animal planet . the sequel , mermaids : the new evidence aired a year later in 2013 , surpassing the previous ratings record with 3 . 6 million viewers .
' mermaids : the new evidence ' was advertised as a follow - up to last year ' s ' mermaids : the body found ' , with biologist dr paul robertson returning with what appeared to be brand new footage of the alleged mythical creatures , allegedly taken this spring in the greenland sea .
i’m afraid i can’t speak highly of your track record when it comes to presenting evidence - based programming , considering that finding bigfoot never finds , and won’t ever find , bigfoot . but never has it been worse than with mermaids : the body found and the upcoming mermaids : the new evidence .
mermaids : the new evidence
— animal planet ' s follow - up to last may ' s
mermaids : the body found
— premiered as the most - watched telecast in the network ' s history , drawing 3 . 6 million total viewers with its 10 p . m . airing .
the found footage purity is a composite of the cinematography , filming reason , and other factors that determine how real a film comes across . in the case of mermaids : the body found , the found footage purity is well done . this determine is substantiated by stories following the original airing of the film on animal planet and discovery channel , where viewers wrote the network ( s ) believing that the film was portraying a factual event and was not a work of fiction .
despite its ratings success with shows like
mermaids : the body found
and
megalodon : the new evidence ,
new discovery channel president rich ross said he ' s getting rid of fake shows , according to deadline . com .
the filming reasons are relatively easy to satisfy in mermaids : the body found . the majority of the film consists of staged interviews and reenactments , which are all pre - planned . the found footage segments of the film are all adequately justified . in one such found footage scene , the cinematographer is filming an event on the beach with a cell phone camera . in another , a fisherman grabs his camera and films something of interest that takes place on a fishing boat . meanwhile , found footage from a government research facility is presumably filmed in secrecy , and the scene is short and fleeting . in all three cases , the found footage is appropriately captured .
this week , animal planet aired two fake documentaries claiming to show scientific evidence of mermaids . i say “fake documentaries” because that’s exactly what the body found and the new evidence are . the “scientists” interviewed in the show are actors , and there’s a brief disclaimer during the end credits . however , the twitter conversation surrounding the show ( # mermaids ) reveals that many viewers are unaware that the show isn’t real . ( sample tweets : “after watching the documentary # mermaids the body found … i believe there are mermaids ! ! ! ” and “90 % of the ocean is unexplored and you’re telling me # mermaids don’t exist”—which has been retweeted more than 800 times . ) it is , after all , airing on a network that claims to focus on educating viewers about the natural world . “the body found” was rightfully described “ the rotting carcass of science television , ” and i was shocked to see animal planet air a sequel .
the two - hour program is fiction , but it ' s presented in documentary style , with actors playing scientists who claim to have found the body of a mermaid on a washington state beach .
reputable organizations ? they ' re actors . they act in fiction for a living .
dr . paul robertson
followed up
mermaids : the body found
by acting in a sci - fi action movie called
the dinosaur project .
sunday’s “documentary” mermaids : the new evidence delivered 3 . 6 million viewers , shattering the network’s ratings record . yup , even bigger than the puppy bowl . the program is not only a hoax , but a sequel to a hoax — to last year’s rather effortlessly debunked mermaids : the body found , which fooled more viewers than you’d think .
in may 2013 , discovery’s animal planet channel announced that during their upcoming “monster week” programming they would be airing an “extended cut” of mermaids : the body found followed by a new special titled mermaids : the new evidence . this twin - bill of mermaid hoax programs became the most - watched telecast in animal planet’s history :
the cinematography used throughout mermaids : the body found comes across as authentic . the film consists of a series of interviews , archival footage , photographs , found footage , and reenactments . the film presents as good as any documentary one would see on either the discovery channel , animal planet , or history channel . excluding the found footage scenes , all of the interviews , and reenactments are captured with a professional video camera , as is to be expected with a “documentary” of this caliber .
there’s absolutely no hyperbole in that title . last night on animal planet i caught the replay of “mermaids : the new evidence , ” the follow - up to discovery channel’s abysmally bad , misleading and rage - inducing “docufiction” from last year , “mermaids : the body found . ” it’s the worst tv i’ve ever seen . nothing else comes even close .
if you were unnerved over the holiday weekend by animal planet ' s special
mermaids : the body found ,
take a deep breath . it ' s ok to go back in the water again , and you can quit eyeing your copy of
the little mermaid
suspiciously .
mermaids : the body revealed does an exceptional job at replicating the documentary format used by other shows on animal planet and discovery channel . adhering to the established documentary formula on two networks that specialize in showing true documentaries helped perpetuate the illusion of reality . had this film aired on a network airing primarily fictional work ( or a mix of reality and fiction ) , mermaids : the body found would not have had such an easy time fooling unsuspecting viewers .
3 . just because a fish is from “the ocean” doesn’t mean you should release it in the nearest body of salt water .
# nw mermaids : the new evidence . go ahead and tell me mermaids aren ' t real after watching that special .
mr weideman ' s imdb credits now list
new evidence
, which he was in as the character he played in
body found
as dr robertson during the scenes where they played pieces of footage from bf . but it now lists in his credits for
body found
, he plays , and this is verbatim on the site , andre louis weideman ( paul ) . both imdb are confused , and the author of this article .
the found footage portions of the film are few , but poignant . these scenes are captured with a camera phone and handheld camcorders . the creature effects in the found footage scenes ( presuming what unfolds is pure fiction ) are well done . contrasted with the rest of the film , the found footage scenes are captured using low resolution , poor lighting , and with very shaky cinematography .
noaa ' s put out a statement on it website saying : ' mermaids : the new evidence is just entertainment . no evidence of aquatic humanoids has ever been found . '
mermaids : the body found consists of archived footage , interviews , and reenactments that piece together evidence proving the possible existence of mermaids . the film opens with a number of incidents of mass beached whales , which were caused by the testing of sonar weapons by the united states navy . the weapons scared and confused the whales , causing them to swim and become stranded in shallow waters where they ultimately died . among the beached whales was evidence of a second , previously unknown , species of marine mammal—a mermaid , captured on a camera phone as found footage .
kylie jenner rocks curve - clinging attire as she shows off body . . . and considers going back to blonde
i expect your new show , mermaids : the new evidence , to be a grand argument from ignorance , as was the last installment . there is a guy who found some strange stuff and doesn’t know what it is , therefore mermaids . not to mention that the “aquatic ape hypothesis , ” the idea the show uses to materialize mermaids , doesn’t survive any critique .
twitter erupted with posts about the show and the existence of mermaids in the hours and days that followed .
while mermaids : the body found is interesting and entertaining , the 82 minute runtime is a bit long . the film would have benefited from a shorter duration and tighter story—perhaps 45 minutes , which equates to an hour of television . since this film was made for television , scenes are often repeated multiple times—presumably after commercial breaks .
the film included fictitious interviews of noaa employees . noaa is the acronym for the national oceanic and atmospheric administration , the united states federal agency responsible for researching and investigating matters concerning the world’s oceans and earth’s atmosphere . due to the controversy stirred up after mermaids : the body found aired on animal planet , noaa released a statement assuring the public that there was no evidence of the aquatic sea people featured in the film .
she was referring to mermaids : the body found and mermaids : the new evidence , a series of animal planet specials that aired in 2012 and 2013 . mermaids : the new evidence was , at the time of airing , the most successful show in animal planet’s history . the conceit : that mermaids were real and that scientists from the national oceanographic and atmospheric administration were actively hiding their existence from the world . a few dedicated scientists , hunted and harassed by government agents ( at one point , security footage literally shows men in black removing evidence from a lab ) , were fighting to expose the truth .
an animal planet documentary revealed the existence of mermaids . see example ( s )
mermaids : the new evidence set record ratings for animal planet on may 26 .
miriam’s e - mail led me to the promotional page for mermaids : the body found . part of animal planet’s inaugural monster week , the press release announced , the documentary - format special “paints a wildly convincing picture of the existence of mermaids . ” an editor’s note at the top stated that the show “is science fiction based on some real events and scientific theory , ” but the rest of the release was written as if all the imaginary evidence for fish - bodied humanoids were authentic .
the thing that’s got my goat at the moment is a fake documentary on animal planet called mermaids : the body found . it has actors playing scientists talking about how they did an autopsy on some mermaid remains , and how the us government swooped and covered the whole thing up . there’s grainy fake video of mermen being hauled up in fishing nets , the whole box and dice .
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discovery is not new to the business of creating fake documentaries claiming to prove the existence of the strange and supernatural , in 2012 , animal planet—like the discovery channel , part of the vast discovery communications empire—aired a piece of so - called ‘docufiction’ entitled mermaids : the body found . the immensely popular special featured footage of a “mermaid” that had supposedly washed up on a beach , and told of a government conspiracy to cover up the findings . however , mermaids concludes with an admission that the program was fictional .
an animal planet program that supposedly revealed the existence of mermaids was a fake documentary .
there ' s also a 2013 follow - up : mermaids : the new evidence .
if you somehow missed the groundbreaking scientific exploration of the existence of mermaids , watch a promo for the special below .
, noaa , long suffering as ever , issued yet another statement , saying :
' mermaids : the new evidence ' is just entertainment . no evidence of aquatic humanoids has ever been found .
an ancient cave drawing in egypt depicts what seems like the story of how humans drove mermaids away and in to hiding . the cave that the drawings were found in used to overlook a massive sea and scholars say they are authentic .
did y ' all see mermaids the new evidence ? ? ? ? there are mermaids out there for sure . . . . ! ! ! ! !
i caught an incredibly bad two - hour “documentary” on the discovery channel last night that , in a nut shell , encapsulates many of our societal foibles . that program was “mermaids : the body found . ” listed as “docu - fiction , ” which means “made up at will , ” the special was presented as entirely real , and purported to prove the existence of mermaids among us , as evidenced by man’s ancient mythologies concerning fish people and the modern - day cover - up of the phenomena by governments around the world .
as the real national oceanic and atmospheric administration put it after the first special was released last year : “no evidence of aquatic humanoids has ever been found . ”
looks like discovery won ' t be finding new evidence on mermaids anytime soon .
' white storm ' tweeted : # nw mermaids : the new evidence . go ahead and tell me mermaids aren ' t real after watching that special , ' while ' g - host ' wrote : ' did y ' all see mermaids the new evidence ? ? ? ? there are mermaids out there for sure . . . . ! ! ! ! ! '
animal planet mermaids the new evi . . . national ocean and a . . . dr paul robertson
footage recovered from an oil derrick depicts compelling evidence that mermaids may in fact exist .
the belief in mermaids may have arisen at the very dawn of our species ,
the statement read .
but are mermaids real ? no evidence of aquatic humanoids has ever been found . why , then , do they occupy the collective unconscious of nearly all seafaring peoples ? that & apos ; s a question best left to historians , philosophers , and anthropologists .
my father and i watched the documentary on the discovery channel about the discovery of mermaids . the documentary is called mermaids : a body found . however in this documentary they showed a video that was taken from a boys phone on the beach it shows a live mermaid . now my father and i would like to know if this video is real i don ' t like to say we are suckers to everything we hear but i am open to new ideas . . we would like to know about this video and hoped you have some input .
newsome , brad . “mermaids and demons : science on the box . ” the sydney morning herald . 14 april 2011 .
switek , brian . “‘mermaids’ embodies the rotting carcass of science tv . ” wired . 31 may 2012 .
wood , sam . “feds : mermaids do not exist . ” the philadelphia inquirer . 3 july 2012 .
- wtf . the website mermaids are real was banned by the government . ( the website was created by the show’s producers to look like it was banned . )
it adopted a documentary style to simulate a presentation of real - life body of evidence that mermaids exist , and in spite of a previous warnings by the national ocean and atmospheric administration ( noaa ) , it managed to fool millions and spark a debate about the mythical creatures on twitter .
even the program itself can admit that its content is fraudulent , if it does it covertly enough . in the case of “mermaids : the body found , ” that admission can be found two hours in , during the closing credits . a segment is shown that reads “though certain events in this film are fictional , navy sonar tests have been directly implicated in whale beachings . ‘the bloop’ is a real phenomenon . there is still debate about what it may be . none of the institutions or agencies that appear in the film are affiliated or associated with it in any way , nor have they approved its contents . any similarities in the film to actual persons living or dead is entirely coincidental . ”
the author appears confused here . mermaids : the body found is part documentary , part dramatization . the actual dr . robertson was in the documentary parts , and an actor was in the drama parts . mermaids : the new evidence is solely a documentary , and was filmed live . the actual dr . robertson was involved , along with actual people actually portraying themselves . the evidence presented is independently verifiable . it was not a
mockumentary
. i ' m wondering if the author actually watched
the new evidence
in its entirety , or simply glanced at a few parts and decided to write something contrary just to boost readership . one need not believe in mermaids to observe the evidence with an open mind , and leave with a willingness to consider the possibility that an aquatic humanoid lifeform exists in our oceans .
dr paul robertson is a real marine biologist . mr lee ' s article makes it seem like animal planet paid the actor andre weideman to pose as a real person . andre weideman is indeed an actor , one that played dr robertson in the reenactment portions of mermaids : body found . dr paul robertson , the man in new evidence , is intact a real man , and a real marine biologist studying the possibility of this new species . the author of the article obviously did not use google correctly to conduct his thorough research .
the acting in mermaids : the body found was appropriate to any documentary one would expect to see on either discovery channel or animal planet . andre weideman is convincing as dr . paul robertson , a former member of the noaa fisheries department . his character appropriately portrays a scientist who is concerned about the welfare of the indigenous marine life and the impact the government weapons testing on the marine ecosystem . similarly , candice d - arcy performs well as dr . rebecca davis , also a former member of the noaa fisheries department , sharing the same values and motivations as dr . robertson . the rest of the ensemble cast also perform wonderfully in their respective roles .
“if noaa is lying to us about the existence of mermaids then they’re definitely lying to us about climate change . ”
- 90 % of the ocean is undiscovered . and your ( sic ) telling me mermaids don ' t exist !
as a marine biologist , i can tell you unequivocally that despite millennia of humans exploring the ocean , no credible evidence of the existence of mermaids has ever been found . some claim that manatees are the source of the legend , but you’d have to be at sea an awfully long time to think that a manatee is a beautiful woman . sure , new species are discovered all the time , but while a new species of bird or insect is fascinating , it doesn’t mean “anything is possible , ” and it is certainly not equivalent to finding a group of talking , thinking humanoids with fish tails covering half of their bodies . the confusion generated by “the body found” got to be so significant that the united states government issued an official statement on the matter .
the special
probes for the unfiltered story and reveals new evidence of mermaids that only has come forward in the past year ,
according to animal planet .
popular : animal planet ' s ' documentary ' about the existence of mermaids drew the network ' s largest ever audience of 3 . 6million viewers
however , unlike mermaids , discovery’s megalodon does not reveal its fantastical nature . in the closing seconds of the documentary , a brief disclaimer flashes across the screen stating :
the film postulates that environmental pressures caused an evolutionary event known as a “land to sea transition , ” where early humans physiologically adapted to the ocean—resulting in mermaids , an offshoot of early humans . the film goes on to site the pervasiveness of mermaids in folklore throughout human history all over the world in many seafaring cultures . is this animal planet and discovery channel film an actual documentary proving the existence of mermaids ? we’ll let you decide .
after the first special aired , the national ocean and atmospheric administration released a statement to clear up confusion for perplexed viewers over whether mermaids were real .
an israeli cop is faced with the shocking discovery of her missing twin sister ' s body being washed - up on the seashore . the case opens old wounds and draws her deep into a roller - coaster ride of cryptic secrets and mysterious discoveries .
mermaids — those half - human , half - fish sirens of the sea — are legendary sea creatures chronicled in maritime cultures since time immemorial . . . the belief in mermaids may have arisen at the very dawn of our species . magical female figures first appear in cave paintings in the late paleolithic ( stone age ) period some 30 , 000 years ago , when modern humans gained dominion over the land and , presumably , began to sail the seas . half - human creatures , called chimeras , also abound in mythology — in addition to mermaids , there were wise centaurs , wild satyrs , and frightful minotaurs , to name but a few . but are mermaids real ? no evidence of aquatic humanoids has ever been found .
my thoughts aside and whether intentional or not , this made for television film managed to pull the wool over the eyes of millions of viewers who bought into the veracity its claims . since feigned plausibility is the true intent of a found footage film , this is the yardstick with which we must measure the film’s success .
what & apos ; s the new evidence about mermaids ? people can & apos ; t get enough of them — even if it & apos ; s a hoax ! animal planet premiered their special mermaids : the new evidence on sunday , may 26 , and the staged documentary set a ratings record for the network .
the documentary makes much of the fact that whales evolved from terrestrial ancestors , but that took millions of years , not the kind of evolutionary eyeblink that mermaids seems to be talking about .
animal planet is no stranger to mockumentaries , having aired the popular mockumentary found footage tv series , lost tapes ( 2008 ) . the series effectively mixes reality , folklore , and science , creating a blend that at the time the show aired , brought into question whether the episodes were real or fiction .
as described in wikipedia , “there are only a few , easily missed disclaimers to indicate the speculative nature of the programming . on the contrary , the serious tone of the majority of the presentation implied that it was a factual documentary . the first airings of the two mermaids programs apparently fooled millions of people . ”
mermaids : the body found is a story about evolutionary possibility grounded in a radical scientific theory – the aquatic ape theory , which claims that humans had an aquatic stage in our evolutionary past . while coastal flooding millions of years ago turned some of our ancestors inland , is it possible that one group of our ancestors didn’t retreat from water but rather went in deeper ? could they have ventured farther into sea out of necessity and to find food ? the aquatic ape theory makes it possible to believe that while we evolved into terrestrial humans , our aquatic relatives turned into something strangely similar to the fabled mermaid .
on 27 may 2012 , discovery’s animal planet channel aired a pseudo - documentary entitled mermaids : the body found in the u . s . , a purely fictional work dealing with a purported federal coverup of a discovery involving scientists from the national oceanic and atmospheric administration ( noaa ) that proved the existence of a remnant population of mermaids ( described as being an evolutionary offshoot of the “ aquatic ape ” hypothesis , a generally discounted idea that early hominid species went through an aquatic phase in their evolution ) . the program was not fact but rather speculative science fiction , which included obvious cgi - produced video sequences like the one displayed above and actors fictional characters such as “dr . paul robertson , former noaa scientist . ” to enhance the pseudo - reality aspect of the program , a web site was established at urltoken offering no content other than a opening page hoax proclaiming that the site’s domain had been seized by the u . s . department of justice and homeland security .
mermaids is a feature documentary about the allure and transformative power of the universal myth ; from the sirens of ancient lore to a new subculture of tail - donning women who beckon us . . . see full summary »
' hi . i ' m linda o ' keefe . . . 45 years ago today , i disappeared and my killer was never found ' : police tweet as the 11 - year - old girl who was murdered in 1973 in a bid to publicize the cold case
at the end of mermaids : the new evidence , a disclaimer read ,
though certain events in this film are fictional , navy sonar tests have been directly implicated in whale beachings .
btw , i took a moment to look up andre weideman , and anyone can see that he is clearly not the person in mermaids : the new evidence . what ' s that about ?
dragons and mermaids feel out of place on what ostensibly seems to be a science channel , but i can’t begrudge animal planet trying a bit of fantasy as long as it is advertised as such . but , as i settled in with a hard drink to watch the show , two things unsettled me about mermaids .
dr . paul robertson , who presented the video
evidence
of mermaids cavorting in cold northern waters , had stated that they deliberately presented the
evidence
in documentary form to make it enhance the credulity of unwary views . he
it featured an exclusive interview with a former noaa scientist who appeared willing to stake his professional reputation on the existence of mermaids . he suggested that the noaa statement was part of a government cover - up .
others were in on the joke from the start . tweeted green bay packer tom crabtree ,
if you believed one second of the animal planet ' s ' mermaids ' show , then turn around because sasquatch is standing behind you .
“mermaids” is fiction . it’s a fake tv documentary . you may have to look hard to see the disclaimer , but the producers and animal planet make it clear that this program is totally and completely made up .
mermaids might not be — ok , let ' s face it , definitely aren ' t — real . however , the mythical creatures of the sea delivered a very real ratings victory for animal planet on sunday .
cryptozoology persists precisely because there is no evidence for these creatures . if we actually found bigfoot or mermaids , they would be studied , cataloged , and brought into the wide swath of biological knowledge . bigfoot does not exist because there would be evidence left behind–hair , feces , bones , kills , offspring , a carcass–if it did . considering how many expeditions have attempted to find this evidence and have come up short , in spite of the bigfoot hunters who claim these creatures number in the thousands , we can effectively rule bigfoot out . admittedly , it’s hard to criticize the search for mermaids in the same way . we only recently captured the fabled giant squid on camera . but the difference between these sea monsters is that the squid , prowling the depths off japan , leaves evidence behind ( beaks , tentacles , whole carcasses ) .
using the aah to explain the existence of mermaids would be a clever twist for a star trek episode or syfy original movie . but this was on a self - styled educational network . animal planet cashed in on its poorly earned reputation as a science channel – the network previously aired the pet psychic , after all – to make gullible viewers believe mermaids are real . indeed , as craig mcclain noted in his post on mermaids , the docufiction didn’t pull back the curtain to say “this was fiction ! fooled you ! ” until the very end , and by then many viewers were not paying attention . craig shared a few of the shocked responses to the show posted on twitter , and i trawled for “mermaid” tweets just before posting this essay – people are still writing how fascinated they are by the illusion at the center of the show .
using the latest digital technology , the era between the dinosaurs and man is superbly recreated by the bbc and discovery channel in another winning production from the coalition .
number of refugees accepted into the u . s . falls below the rest of the world combined for the first time since 1980
but animal planet ' s sunday ' documentary ' about the existence of mermaids was nothing but a hoax , it emerged today , a revelation that will likely disappoint the show ' s record 3 . 6 million viewers .
the straight - faced mermaids specials basically play like alien autopsy for a new generation , though at least the infamous fox special had “fact or fiction ? ” as a nudge - nudge subtitle . both animal planet specials purportedly show video of mermaids in the greenland sea , with actors playing scientists . the specials also darkly suggest there’s government cover - up of mermaid evidence , complete with a spin - off site that says it’s been seized by the u . s . department of justice and the department of homeland security .
number of refugees accepted into the u . s . falls below the rest of the world combined for the first time . . .
scientific american is part of springer nature , which owns or has commercial relations with thousands of scientific publications ( many of them can be found at urltoken ) . scientific american maintains a strict policy of editorial independence in reporting developments in science to our readers .
strangely , though , mermaids twists the aah to fit the show’s story . early humans – who look like they came straight out of 2001 : a space odyssey – settle down along a prehistoric shoreline . but not all of them stay . our ancestors head back to the inland forests , but the fictional mermaid ancestors remain on the beach and become fully aquatic within just a million years . ( keep in mind that the transition between completely terrestrial and fully aquatic whales took 10 million years . ) mermaids doesn’t use the aah to document the origin of our species , but alters the pseudoscientific idea to bring ichthyosapiens into our world .
it was august 2014 and i was flying home from the third international marine conservation congress in glasgow , scotland , where i has just chaired a session on the impact of fake documentaries on public understanding of science . when my seatmate—a fifth - grade schoolteacher—found out that i’m a marine biologist , she decided to share this insight with me .
the straight - faced mermaids specials ( trailer below ) basically play like alien autopsy for a new generation , though at least the infamous fox special had “fact or fiction ? ” as a nudge - nudge subtitle . both animal planet specials purportedly show video of mermaids in the greenland sea , with actors playing scientists ( credits ) . the specials also darkly suggest there’s government cover - up of mermaid evidence , complete with a spin - off site that says it’s been seized by the u . s . department of justice and the department of homeland security .
but the ' scientist ' was actually an actor and the ' mermaid ' in the footage was fake .
the reason i decided to sacrifice an hour and a half of my life to the tedious fiction of mermaids is that the show claimed to be partially based on the aquatic ape hypothesis . ( some people say “aquatic ape theory , ” and this makes me want to punch them in the jeans . the aah is nonsense dressed up as science , and nowhere close to being a scientific theory . ) from the press release :
mesmerising maps reveal record - breaking temperatures across the world as the earth experiences ' one of the . . .
he told abc news : ' we wanted people to approach the story with a sense of possibility and a sense of wonder . hopefully that ' s what mermaids allowed viewers to do…allowed them to suspend their disbelief . '
about 3 million years ago , mermaids traveled in pods and had to avoid giant sea predators . none were more fierce than megladon , an enormous prehistoric shark that fed on whales .
mermaids are a timeless curiosity . . . so let ' s look back on what a spine - tingling year 2013 has been when it comes to our sea - borne brethren .
unfortunately , major cable networks have vastly greater reach than all but the biggest research institutes . this makes it incredibly difficult for scientists to mount a proportional response when their discipline , research area , or even their own lab and research , are used for fodder in these fabricated documentaries . though media empires like discovery communications have a reach that far exceeds the average citizen , social media and other web - based platforms have provided a venue through which knowledgeable parties can respond to this disinformation and boost the voices of subject experts who can respond directly to false of misleading claims . following the first airing of mermaids : the body found , my website , southern fried science , began a concerted effort to respond to that particular flavor of fake documentary . david shiffman and i published a guide to how scientists can respond and , more importantly , prepare , in the event that they find their research misrepresented through documentary and reality programs that are fabricated , either wholly or in part . there is no easy solution , and the success of many of these shows means that the fake documentary phenomenon is here to stay .
the two - hour scripted feature the cannibal in the jungle follows the story of an american scientist who was convicted of killing and cannibalizing two colleagues in the jungles of flores , indonesia in 1977 .
:
we wanted people to approach the story with a sense of possibility and a sense of wonder . hopefully that ' s what ' mermaids ' allowed viewers to do . . . allowed them to suspend their disbelief .
this is a convenient twist on the aquatic ape myth . the traditional version of the story is that early humans waded into shallow bodies of water and adopted an amphibious lifestyle . over time , hominins became increasingly adapted to life at the water’s edge – aah proponents claim that our apparent lack of body hair , erect posture , and other aspects of our natural history are all attributable to an aquatic past . one of the movement’s chief advocates , elaine morgan , even used the aah to attack chauvinistic ideas about “man the hunter” prevalent during the 1960s and 1970s . chasing down prey on the savannas didn’t create humanity , she argued , but instead female hominins led the way into safe little pools where infants could cling to the flowing , floating locks of their australopithecine mothers .
a look at the code behind the page reveals it’s still held by the parent company of the animal planet channel , discovery communications , which bills itself as “the world’s # 1 nonfiction media company . ”
the shows were fake , though you could be forgiven if you didn’t realize that . animal planet , like many discovery communications properties , trades on its reputation for providing educational nature documentaries and lifestyle reality programs . the marketing for mermaids leaned heavily on that reputation . meanwhile , the disclaimer shown during the end credits flashed onscreen in tiny font for barely three seconds .
the problem is of course that the general public can’t be bothered to verify any of this information , and plenty simply take it at face value . they do take it seriously . if you go on google and go searching around for discussion of the program , the stuff you find will blow your mind , as people find reasons to believe a two - hour television special on the secret existence of mermaids . look a little longer and you’ll run across all sorts of cryptozoological believers . my favorites are the ones who shoot down each other’s theories as ridiculous and then offer even crazier opinions . “you’re a fool for believing the aquatic ape theory ! anyone with half a brain knows that mermaids are the direct descendents of ‘nephilim , ’ the gigantic early ancestors of man that existed before the flood of noah ! ” the statement to the left is an actual opinion that i read last night . i am not making this up—unlike the filmmakers .
“after the show ran , people were talking about mermaids a little more . it started popping up on social media , ” said spokeswoman keeley belva . “it was an interesting topic , so we posted a short explanation . maybe it will entice people to visit the urltoken website . ”
this wasn’t the first time animal planet presented fantasy as reality . in 2004 , the discovery spin - off network aired dragons : a fantasy made real — an hour - and - a - half special about the evolution and biology of fire - breathing dragons . the speculative show hinged on the fabricated discovery of a dragon in the carpathian mountains , and , in a similar fashion , mermaids relied on imaginary forensic evidence ( see the video above ) and audio recordings to play out its story .
i thought this was a real documentary albeit the feeling that the three scientists involved in the interview were very well spoken ( and had a strong eye contact with cameras , something only actors can do ) , until the moment when another
scientist
a dr . rodney webster appeared on screen . by golly , i recognized him from district 9 , in which he also portrayed another scientist . the name of the actor is jason cope ( on imdb ) . from then on , everything the ' scientists ' in the movie was all just plain theories and not actual occurrences . sure the bloop is real . sure the beaching were probably caused by sonar tests . and yes , there is an actual theory proposed about aquatic apes . but the mermaids ? their sightings ? the found skulls and x - rays conducted on them ? all fake ? at the end of the movie , the credits says
similarities to names are purely coincidental
. which means , none of those scientists actually exist . ( google the names and university and you will find nothing ) . this is disappointing , considering that animal planet was broadcasting it , and i thought they should label the ' movie ' as fictional instead of playing it convincingly as a documentary only to have it rebuked by the credits .
“the websites we seize are part of what we call ‘operation in our sites , ’ a sustained law enforcement initiative to protect consumers by targeting counterfeit and piracy on the internet , ” said ice’s feinstein . “this operation is focused on counterfeit goods and piracy , not freedom of speech — including those regarding the existence of mermaids . ”
the version that i saw doesn’t even do viewers the courtesy of admitting that it’s fake until the credits are about to roll .
an internet meme made misleading comparisons between presidential donations and the sizes of the first ladies ' staffs , calling the trumps
givers
and the obamas
takers .
i think wade makes a lot of good points here , and acknowledges mine . i especially like his last point–that he is revealing these fish so that we don’t have to fear them . hearing it from the host , it does make me think more highly of the show . now if i can just get in touch with the mermaids producers…
the phenomenon of ' mermaids ' has truly been a watershed – and a watercooler – moment for animal planet ,
animal planet president and general manager marjorie kaplan said of the ratings performance .
these extraordinary television specials have electrified , challenged & entertained television audiences and online fans alike .
as there ' s obviously still an interest in this show , i ' ll add my two penn ' orth . the uk representative interviewed on the show was not even british . watch the show , listen to the guy talking ; he ' s there to add a supposed depth to the notion of mermaid conspiracies by stating that there ' s nothing special in the ' hm coastguard training video ' . the notion being that the viewer is meant to shout
why are you hiding the truth ? !
at the screen . listen . listen to his accent ; he starts in a stereotypical old etonian civil servant - esque rp growl , but several times slips across the atlantic into a distinct us accent ( his natural accent ) . this is because he is an american actor and not a british civil servant . how can anyone be even slightly doubtful of the pure hokum status of this show ? oh , and the ' mermaids ' were so screamingly all cgi it ' s just incredible that anyone was taken in . go look at how a fleshy mammalian body actually moves and undulates sometime . not at all like these faked cryptid jokes .
unlike works of pure fiction , the stories were framed around real events and real people and institutions . submarine blamed a real ferry accident , in which several passengers lost their lives , on a made - up shark ; the search and rescue operators who performed admirably in their response to the accident had to issue a release disavowing discovery communications . actual shark scientists were looped into the shark week narrative , often filmed without full knowledge of the theme and purpose of the documentary . and noaa , of course , was directly accused of hiding evidence about the existence of mermaids . noaa was so inundated with complaints that it had to issue its own press release declaring that mermaids were not real and that there was no evidence of their existence .
i can ' t understand why so many people were irked by this mermaid series . this is part two in the series and it ' s very interesting with good animation too . for the people who didn ' t like it because it was pseudo , guess what ? mermaids aren ' t real !
in remote parts of the world , dolphins and humans fish together . . . splitting the spoils ! the humans will enter the water and call out to the wild dolphins who then drive the fish to the shore . no one is sure how it started . . . or who taught who to . . .
it’s remarkable how well this fake documentary mimics actual programs claiming to reveal actual creatures . substitute mermaids for bigfoot , chupacabra , the loch ness monster , ghosts and aliens and it’s hard to make a distinction between what’s real but faked , and what’s really fake .
please , i write you to ask not to blur the line between real and fake for the sake of entertainment . science communicators have a hard enough time as it is setting the record straight and i genuinely like river monsters . i don’t want to see mermaids garner the same kind of attention that real , amazing animals do . but sadly they will , as long as you keep mythologizing everything with a fin .
“the phenomenon of mermaids has truly been a watershed – and a watercooler – moment for animal planet , ” said animal planet president marjorie kaplan , presumably with some degree of reluctance . “these extraordinary television specials have electrified , challenged and entertained television audiences and online fans alike . ”