November 05 2009
NOW AVAILABLE. Under 150 total. My fav shirt we’ve ever done. If you loved this movie, I can’t think of a better way to show your love. You can buy it by CLICKING HERE.

NOW AVAILABLE. Under 150 total. My fav shirt we’ve ever done. If you loved this movie, I can’t think of a better way to show your love.

You can buy it by CLICKING HERE.

Comments
October 06 2009

OK, we’re about a week away from releasing the first Clan Movie Club shirt, but wanted to know, if you were in charge of designing the Station Agent-inspired t-shirt…what would it look like?

Comments
October 01 2009
Been getting some GREAT input from everybody and some stellar reviews. Figured today I’d publish some: From Sarah M. - I’m always up for a movie that I haven’t seen before. Whenever I go renting I always look for ones I haven’t seen before. I was excited when I heard Clandestine was going to have a movie club, because I highly doubt they would pick anything but awesome movies. I watched The Station Agent twice. The downfall of renting is they can be scratched so I had to get it buffed and watch it again. Not that I’m complaining. I think The Station Agent was one of those moviess where you could watch it on a rainy day and just be content with the end. I wish there would’ve been a bit more build up at the beginning between Fin and his friend Henry. Might’ve helped me understand the story a little more. I always have a lot of questions when it comes to any sort of movie. Why is Fin so interested in trains? He never really says, but I like how his friends are all pretty interested in it too. Every story has to have comic relief and that was definitely Joe. I admit this movie wasn’t a comedy but Joe made it more interesting at times with his antics. It got me a little down at the climax when Fin, Olivia and Joe all got mad at eachother and separated and when they tried to fix things with eachother one would just yell at the other to go away. It proves how some people just like to be alone sometimes whether you do have friends or not. In the end though they all got together and it seemed like nothing was ever wrong. I also enjoyed the character Cleo. She seemed like a curious kid who just likes to pretend around trains. I thought it was really sweet that she wanted Fin to talk at her school. I’m glad that he eventually did go and talk at the school even though there probably was no doubt that some of the kids would hassle him.I’m not the most insightful person in the world but I still enjoyed the movie nonetheless and hope you keep the club going. Now from Heaven Hayward -  I’m actually watching The Station Agent for the second time today as I type this right now. I think, in a way, that I liked the characters within the story alot more than I did the story as a whole. Which isn’t to say that the story was bad, because it wasn’t.But the characters have a certain something to them that draws you in. They’re very real in their tendencies and their feelings. Joe is the more obvious bit of comic relief in the movie. He instigates what turns out to be the start of a very awkward, some times dysfunctional friendship. What I really liked about his character was that he had a lot more layers than you original thought he would.His ability to push the people around him into sharing their space and time with him, some times unvoluntarily, is endearing. Olivia is a mess. I really loved that most of the time her outward appearance reflected what was inside. Especially at the beginning when she’s covered in paint, her hair is wild, and she nearly runs Finn down, not once, but twice in the same day.When she shows up to apologize she tells Finn something very personal and then follows the statement with, “Would you mind not looking at me right now?” It’s a very poweful statement. Finn is the perfect example of a person who loathes being something he can’t change. He dislikes that he is different, and it affects his outlook on life. In the beginning he’s surly and unfriendly and he seems surprised that Joe takes an instant interest in him. He’s almost cimical in his want to be left alone, since so many of the people in the movie are drawn to him.To say that his character grows the most in the span of and hour and a half would be a lie, since I think that all three of the characters develop, but I think that his change is the easiest to see.When Olivia has her meltdown he does a 180, and instead of being the person who pushes he’s the one doing the pushing. He calls Joe and brings him back to the group; in a way he draws all three of them together into a tighter (still slightly awkward) family unit.  All in all, the movie was very comical with these moments that are serious and sometimes just a little painful. There are moments when you’re waiting for a train wreck and there are moments when you wish you could make a connection with people the same way the three do with each other. The Station Agent was a very good movie and a very good pick for the Clan Movie Club.From Michael Weissman - Overall, I think the film had some great moments, and some really great messages portrayed through it, but there was not much to grasp on to.  The three main characters developed a bond, but only Vin’s character was fully explored, if that.  Vin’s overcoming of his fears shown in one of the final scenes, where he makes a public talk at the elementary school, was heartfelt, and displayed a personal gain for him.  The problems of his romantic relationships were hardly focused on, and could have been further explored.  The movie leaves you wanting to know what happens to the librarian and her pregnancy, and Olivia and her ex husband, and how they both relate to Vin.  It’s interesting how Vin does nothing, and rarely says anything, yet still manages to get in two awkward kisses in the film.  Funny how women work that way, right?  (Find me the girl that makes the first move and doesn’t require me to even try to hit on her!..)  Joe serves as the comic relief, with enough personality to make up for the lack of personality with the other characters.  His sick dad gives him the requirement to leave and come as needed, but it would have been a nice twist if something happened there.  I was hoping for something more the entire film. The acting is great, and the themes are great, but all in all, you can get the same heartfelt sympathy in Driving Lessons, with Harry Potter star Rupert Grint.Do you guys agree? Disagree? Let’s hear from you. Email me at Jensen@ClanMovieClub.com.

Been getting some GREAT input from everybody and some stellar reviews. Figured today I’d publish some:

From Sarah M. -

I’m always up for a movie that I haven’t seen before. Whenever I go renting I always look for ones I haven’t seen before. I was excited when I heard Clandestine was going to have a movie club, because I highly doubt they would pick anything but awesome movies. I watched The Station Agent twice. The downfall of renting is they can be scratched so I had to get it buffed and watch it again. Not that I’m complaining. I think The Station Agent was one of those moviess where you could watch it on a rainy day and just be content with the end. I wish there would’ve been a bit more build up at the beginning between Fin and his friend Henry. Might’ve helped me understand the story a little more. I always have a lot of questions when it comes to any sort of movie. Why is Fin so interested in trains? He never really says, but I like how his friends are all pretty interested in it too. Every story has to have comic relief and that was definitely Joe. I admit this movie wasn’t a comedy but Joe made it more interesting at times with his antics. It got me a little down at the climax when Fin, Olivia and Joe all got mad at eachother and separated and when they tried to fix things with eachother one would just yell at the other to go away. It proves how some people just like to be alone sometimes whether you do have friends or not. In the end though they all got together and it seemed like nothing was ever wrong. I also enjoyed the character Cleo. She seemed like a curious kid who just likes to pretend around trains. I thought it was really sweet that she wanted Fin to talk at her school. I’m glad that he eventually did go and talk at the school even though there probably was no doubt that some of the kids would hassle him.
I’m not the most insightful person in the world but I still enjoyed the movie nonetheless and hope you keep the club going.

Now from Heaven Hayward - 

I’m actually watching The Station Agent for the second time today as I type this right now. I think, in a way, that I liked the characters within the story alot more than I did the story as a whole. Which isn’t to say that the story was bad, because it wasn’t.But the characters have a certain something to them that draws you in. They’re very real in their tendencies and their feelings. Joe is the more obvious bit of comic relief in the movie. He instigates what turns out to be the start of a very awkward, some times dysfunctional friendship. What I really liked about his character was that he had a lot more layers than you original thought he would.His ability to push the people around him into sharing their space and time with him, some times unvoluntarily, is endearing. Olivia is a mess. I really loved that most of the time her outward appearance reflected what was inside. Especially at the beginning when she’s covered in paint, her hair is wild, and she nearly runs Finn down, not once, but twice in the same day.When she shows up to apologize she tells Finn something very personal and then follows the statement with, “Would you mind not looking at me right now?” It’s a very poweful statement. Finn is the perfect example of a person who loathes being something he can’t change. He dislikes that he is different, and it affects his outlook on life. In the beginning he’s surly and unfriendly and he seems surprised that Joe takes an instant interest in him. He’s almost cimical in his want to be left alone, since so many of the people in the movie are drawn to him.To say that his character grows the most in the span of and hour and a half would be a lie, since I think that all three of the characters develop, but I think that his change is the easiest to see.When Olivia has her meltdown he does a 180, and instead of being the person who pushes he’s the one doing the pushing. He calls Joe and brings him back to the group; in a way he draws all three of them together into a tighter (still slightly awkward) family unit.  All in all, the movie was very comical with these moments that are serious and sometimes just a little painful. There are moments when you’re waiting for a train wreck and there are moments when you wish you could make a connection with people the same way the three do with each other. The Station Agent was a very good movie and a very good pick for the Clan Movie Club.
From Michael Weissman - 
Overall, I think the film had some great moments, and some really great messages portrayed through it, but there was not much to grasp on to.  The three main characters developed a bond, but only Vin’s character was fully explored, if that.  Vin’s overcoming of his fears shown in one of the final scenes, where he makes a public talk at the elementary school, was heartfelt, and displayed a personal gain for him.  The problems of his romantic relationships were hardly focused on, and could have been further explored.  The movie leaves you wanting to know what happens to the librarian and her pregnancy, and Olivia and her ex husband, and how they both relate to Vin.  It’s interesting how Vin does nothing, and rarely says anything, yet still manages to get in two awkward kisses in the film.  Funny how women work that way, right?  (Find me the girl that makes the first move and doesn’t require me to even try to hit on her!..)  Joe serves as the comic relief, with enough personality to make up for the lack of personality with the other characters.  His sick dad gives him the requirement to leave and come as needed, but it would have been a nice twist if something happened there.  I was hoping for something more the entire film. The acting is great, and the themes are great, but all in all, you can get the same heartfelt sympathy in Driving Lessons, with Harry Potter star Rupert Grint.
Do you guys agree? Disagree? Let’s hear from you. Email me at Jensen@ClanMovieClub.com.

Comments
September 29 2009
Go watch the movie, super SUPER limited shirt coming soon. p.s. this is the back neckline.

Go watch the movie, super SUPER limited shirt coming soon.

p.s. this is the back neckline.

Comments
September 27 2009

Bob [Peterson] and I developed the idea [for Up], played with it for quite a while and then [Bob] was on Rat (the working title for Ratatouille). And then for some time I really needed someone to spark off of and I met Tom [McCarthy] before and really liked his films, The Station Agent especially — which was actually one of the models for the story, a family coming together… So he came in and wrote two drafts. He was here for three months and then Bob came back.

—Up Director Pete Docter to /Film in regards to Tom McCarthy’s involvement in the Pixar film

Comments
September 26 2009

Interview with Peter Dinklage about The Station Agent

This is an interview actor Peter Dinklage did regarding “The Station Agent” back in 2003. Dinklage, is a serious acting treasure that I wish was utilized more, espeically as he is taking roles that have nothing to do with his size AND the dude has done Hamlet. I was stoked to read his comments about Verne Troyer, cause there really is no reason to hate other people for their decisions, just make your own based on your own set of values. This interview was by Rebecca Murray of About.com.

Had you worked with Bobby Cannavale before?
No, Bobby and I became friends in the process of making this movie. Tom [McCarthy] wrote the rough draft about 3 years ago for the three of us [Dinklage, Cannavale and Patricia Clarkson]. Over that period of time we became close friends. Making this movie over 20 days, 6 days a week, you become fast, good friends under all the pressure. You are sort of holding on to each other like, “We’re going to get through this together.” It’s so much fun working with good friends. You have so many laughs and Tom was so open to our input.

How did you get inside a character who is so isolated?
It was a challenge because Tom knew me as an actor and those aren’t the roles I usually play. I usually play a sort of extroverted character, the little supporting roles who come in and chew the scenery. But Tom, because he’s an actor himself, knows how it’s great to be challenged as an actor. He wanted to challenge all of us as actors.

At least in my case, I was incredibly challenged. He knew the tricks up my actor’s sleeve and what I usually rely on. He was like, “Pete, just strip away all that stuff that I know you can do. I don’t want you to do any of that. You’ve got to simplify this.” There’s not much dialogue to rely on so you’ve got to rely on the simplicity of this person.

The great thing is I don’t think this character is shy. That’s not a reason why he disconnects himself. He’s a very direct person. It was interesting to play that, somebody who was isolated but doesn’t have a shy quality about him. He’s not really bitter. He’s perfectly comfortable in this path he’s chosen. He just doesn’t know what he’s missing and he finds out midway through the movie.

Did you feel like the script was pretty well set by the time you started?
Yes. We were trying to find funding and we were shot down a couple of times. There were times that were like, “God, are we ever going to make this movie?” But we really all were very determined. We weren’t going to make it if one of us wasn’t a part of it.

Were there many changes made during the 20-day shoot?
Oh yeah, we would change things, minor things, while we were shooting it. Because we were close friends and he knew we knew these characters so well, by the time we shot this movie he trusted us. It’s a great feeling to have someone trust you so much.

I loved working under that pressure. On a movie set, as an actor you just sit around. The crew is always the hardest working bunch on a movie set, but as an actor, you say two words a day and then there’s a lot of just sitting around smoking cigarettes. But in this, we were shooting five scenes in one day. It was great working under that pressure.

In the movie, people walk by and make comments. Does that really happen?
Oh yeah, every day. You’ve just got to let that stuff roll off your back. I try to have a good sense of humor about life but I’m not going to play my sentimental violin. Everybody has some sort of pain in their life, I don’t want to set my pain above anybody else’s. That’s what this movie does – it doesn’t slip into that ‘me me’ sentiment.

I have a good sense of humor about life. I try to although I was in a subway about a year ago in New York and I felt this hand on my shoulder – this is an example I go back to – and I turned around and this older woman sort of looked at me and said, “I’m sorry. I just needed good luck today.” I’m a push-over and it’s an older woman. I went, “Oh, good luck.” She left the subway and I left the subway thinking, “What the f***?” And it sunk in – of course after she left. It was a little violating. It’s little things like that.

Do you feel like there are more opportunities for roles that don’t exploit or play to your size?
I’ve been lucky. Any actor who gets to make his living doing what he loves doing is pretty lucky. I’ve found these groups of artists who are writing good material, like Tom McCarthy. He’s one of my closest friends and he wrote this script for Patty, Bobby and myself. I’ve been fortunate to work with people over and over again in good projects.

Is Verne Troyer helping the cause or not?
I don’t have judgment about that stuff because I’m a huge fan of those movies. I think Mike Myers is hilarious and I have no judgment about that stuff. I’m not a spokesperson or activist for people my size. I’m not going to get on my soapbox about that stuff. People can do what they want to do. Sure, it might perpetuate a stereotype but I’m not going to be a hypocrite because I had a grand time at those movies. I was laughing my butt off at those movies. I’m not going to cast judgment upon it. But for me personally, that’s something I try and stay away from that.

Often roles written for somebody my size are a little flat. They are either fools or they’re sort of “Lord of the Rings”-filled with wisdom. They are not sexual, they are not romantic, they are not flawed. I love that about this character that Tom wrote and hopefully the way I played him has this stuff going on. He has romance, he has romantic feelings, he’s got anger, he’s got flaws.

I don’t like to do parts that are just because of my size. I like there to be more to the character than that. A sight gag doesn’t interest me. But it’s a matter of how much it beats the audience over the head and keeps reminding them of my size. I think the beauty of this movie is that it doesn’t. It just sort of falls away into the background. It becomes about these three characters and how they all share that loneliness in common. My dwarfism is just another facet of this character.

Comments
Our first review was emailed! This is from Evan Weinman: I literally just finished watching The Station Agent and I wanted to give you my review of it while it was fresh on my mind. I want to start by saying The Station Agent was a very different movie than I’ve seen in a while and as a cinema studies major that is something hard to say. Peter Dinklage played a very fantastic role as a dwarf trying to live his life and who is dealing with loneliness in a very unique way, the people he meets and the situations that arise has almost a familiar feeling to anyone who has been alone and to a dark place without actually needing to relate to what is going on. This was a an indie flick and it made you feel like it was throughout the whole movie which, depending on the viewer could be a good thing or a bad thing. Although the movie felt slow at times it was done in such a good way you could deal with some of the parts. There were some scenes that popped up and went and way and were never explained which didn’t make sense. I also wish they would have explored Michelle Williams role a little bit more, just as you’re getting into her and Fin’s love connection it never leads any where. Overall this was a good movie, it was heart warming and you get to learn and little about trains and none about blimps! I rate 3 out of 5 stars.

Our first review was emailed!

This is from Evan Weinman:

I literally just finished watching The Station Agent and I wanted to give you my review of it while it was fresh on my mind. I want to start by saying The Station Agent was a very different movie than I’ve seen in a while and as a cinema studies major that is something hard to say. Peter Dinklage played a very fantastic role as a dwarf trying to live his life and who is dealing with loneliness in a very unique way, the people he meets and the situations that arise has almost a familiar feeling to anyone who has been alone and to a dark place without actually needing to relate to what is going on. This was a an indie flick and it made you feel like it was throughout the whole movie which, depending on the viewer could be a good thing or a bad thing. Although the movie felt slow at times it was done in such a good way you could deal with some of the parts. There were some scenes that popped up and went and way and were never explained which didn’t make sense. I also wish they would have explored Michelle Williams role a little bit more, just as you’re getting into her and Fin’s love connection it never leads any where. Overall this was a good movie, it was heart warming and you get to learn and little about trains and none about blimps! I rate 3 out of 5 stars.

Comments
September 25 2009
Spoke with Pete last night about kicking off the Clan Movie Club - and we are now FULL SPEED AHEAD! So chosen by myself and Pete, the 1st selection for the Clan Movie Club is the 2003 film, “The Station Agent.” First time writer/director Tom McCarthy (who’s known as a character actor himself in movies like “Michael Clayton,” “All The King’s Men” and TV shows like “The Wire”), “The Station Agent” is genuinely beautiful storytelling. A serious Sundance winner, it stars Peter Dinklage, Bobby Cannavale and Patricia Clarkson, and is a perfectly paced and poignant film that has a tone and theme similar to this year’s Pixar release “UP,” and for good reason, cause McCarthy got “story by” credit on the cartoon flick. A great tale of companionship, dependence on friends and what good “hangs” can mean to the quality of your life. And I’m not sure there are two people in this universe who like to “hangs” (aka sit around and talk about bullshit) then our group of friends, so this movie means a lot. I usually would go into great detail about a movie like this, but I’m going to keep it short for now. Because that’s where you guys come in. The goal of the Clan Movie Club is to have discussions about these movies, hear opinions and talk about meaningful movies that you may have missed. We’re looking for excitement on your end to talk about cinema. Post tons of comments, send us emails at Jensen@clanmovieclub.com. We want to see essays, theories, criticisms and anything we can post on the site to get people talking and selecting new favorite movies.  And the more you participate…the higher your chance for rewards, because a goal of the Clan Movie Club is to reward those who are involved, making it a REAL CLUB…with REAL MEMBERSHIP! I’m even expecting some essays from PW! And lastly, each movie selection will be accompanied by a Limited Edition Clan Movie Club shirt release. The design will be inspired by the film, tribute it and capture the feelings from the script/actors/cinematography, and we’re really happy with how the 1st one turned out. But we’ll announce the movie before the shirt, give you some time to fall in love with it and then release the shirt a week or two later.  Hope you guys enjoy the first selection. It has a lot of emotion in it and really is such a great tale of friendship and personal growth. Let’s get it started, people!

Spoke with Pete last night about kicking off the Clan Movie Club - and we are now FULL SPEED AHEAD!

So chosen by myself and Pete, the 1st selection for the Clan Movie Club is the 2003 film, “The Station Agent.” First time writer/director Tom McCarthy (who’s known as a character actor himself in movies like “Michael Clayton,” “All The King’s Men” and TV shows like “The Wire”), “The Station Agent” is genuinely beautiful storytelling. A serious Sundance winner, it stars Peter Dinklage, Bobby Cannavale and Patricia Clarkson, and is a perfectly paced and poignant film that has a tone and theme similar to this year’s Pixar release “UP,” and for good reason, cause McCarthy got “story by” credit on the cartoon flick. A great tale of companionship, dependence on friends and what good “hangs” can mean to the quality of your life. And I’m not sure there are two people in this universe who like to “hangs” (aka sit around and talk about bullshit) then our group of friends, so this movie means a lot.

I usually would go into great detail about a movie like this, but I’m going to keep it short for now. Because that’s where you guys come in.

The goal of the Clan Movie Club is to have discussions about these movies, hear opinions and talk about meaningful movies that you may have missed. We’re looking for excitement on your end to talk about cinema. Post tons of comments, send us emails at Jensen@clanmovieclub.com. We want to see essays, theories, criticisms and anything we can post on the site to get people talking and selecting new favorite movies. 

And the more you participate…the higher your chance for rewards, because a goal of the Clan Movie Club is to reward those who are involved, making it a REAL CLUB…with REAL MEMBERSHIP! I’m even expecting some essays from PW!

And lastly, each movie selection will be accompanied by a Limited Edition Clan Movie Club shirt release. The design will be inspired by the film, tribute it and capture the feelings from the script/actors/cinematography, and we’re really happy with how the 1st one turned out. But we’ll announce the movie before the shirt, give you some time to fall in love with it and then release the shirt a week or two later. 

Hope you guys enjoy the first selection. It has a lot of emotion in it and really is such a great tale of friendship and personal growth. Let’s get it started, people!

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About

The Clandestine Movie Club was started in September 2009, by Pete Wentz and Jensen Karp of Clandestine Industries, in hopes of shedding light on some movies that might not have gotten the attention or accolades they deserved during their time of release. Focusing on heartfelt and inspiring movies, one rentable film will be picked every few months to discuss and analyze here on this blog. The more you participate, the better, because rewards could be on their way. We ask that you participate by commenting, engaging or even writing essays that we can publish on the site, by emailing them to jensen@clanmovieclub.com. For each film a limited edition Clandestine Movie Club t-shirt will be released inspired by the film we chose. You do not have to buy the shirt to participate though, so we hope to get as much involvement from you guys as humanly possible! And we'll see you at the movies!

Merch

1st movie LIMITED EDITION tee coming very soon! Stay Tuned!