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Ivansxtc (or Ivan’s XTC) will screen at the Urban Institute of Contemporary Arts, West Michigan’s largest contemporary art center, 2 Fulton St W, Grand Rapids, Michigan as part of UICA’s Local Director Series, June 26, 8 pm. Lisa Enos, who wrote the screenplay for this movie and shared in directing it, as well as acting as Charlotte White in the movie, will be present as featured Local Director.
Considered a controversial film in its day, Ivan’s XTC nonetheless garnered two thumbs up from Ebert and Roeper when it was reviewed upon its release (2002).
Written and directed by Bernard Rose, starring Danny Huston, Peter Weller, and Lisa Enos, among a host of other actors, IVANXTC is loosely based on Leo Tolstoy’s “The Death of Ivan Ilyich,” set in contemporary Hollywood. IVANXTC is without doubt the strangest adaptation of this Tolstoy work ever.
IVANXTC is about Ivan Beckman (Danny Huston), Hollywood’s most sought after talent agent, the darling and crown prince of La-La Land. Ivan is dead. How did it happen? Was it drugs, murder or excess, or perhaps something altogether more mundane?
We begin with an ending and then return a number of days in a flashback to the apex of Ivan’s brilliant career as he lands international megastar Don West (Robocop’s Peter Weller) into his company’s stable of actors. Ivan has more than a star on his books; he has the fulfillment of a dream for which talent agents live.
But this celebration of the moment is to be short-lived. Ivan receives word that he has terminal cancer. Rather than reassessing his sin-soaked, coke-sniffing, Martini downing empty life-style, Ivan kicks it into high gear.
Upon news of his death, Ivan’s colleagues are seen gathered, snarling over who will retain his legendary client list, scrambling to prevent Ivan’s clients from defecting, afraid of losing Don West, the biggest star in the world.
Rose wrote the screenplay for IVANSXTC after his huge budget Anna Karenina movie was taken out of his control by Universal and butchered and by the treatment of star agent Jay Maloney by Creative Artists Agency. In the three years after being officially fired for cocaine abuse Maloney had all but disappeared. On the first day of screening news came that Maloney had hung himself.
This movie charts the highs, lows and extreme excesses of Hollywood in such a way that IVANSXTC comes across as calloused and mean-spirted. This movie was seen as Rose’s payback to Hollywood and a reflection of his desire to burn down Tinseltown. Seeing Rose’s blatant interpretation of actual Hollywood events CAA attempted to bury the release.
About UICA Local Director Series
UICA’s Local Director Series is a recurring event that showcases feature-length films by independent directors who live and work in Grand Rapids, MI. The Local Director Series is a premier forum for directors to share their work publicly and the event acts as a vital resource for the advancement of the West Michigan film community by increasing public awareness about independent filmmaking and the impressive film industry established right here in Grand Rapids.
Local Director Series: Ivansxtc
Producer, Writer: Lisa Enos
Showtime:
06/26 | 8:00 PM
UICA Members: $4
Public: $8
Movie tickets can be purchased at the Guest Services desk beginning at 12 noon on the date of screening.