Wikipedia

Polish brothers

For the criminals Michael and Patrick Poland, see1977 Arizona armored car robbery.

Mark PolishandMichael Polish(born October 30, 1970), known informally as thePolish brothers,are American twin filmmakers. Michael usually directs their films, and Mark often has an acting role.

Mark and Michael Polish
Born
Mark J. Polish
Michael J. Polish

(1970-10-30)October 30, 1970(age 54)
El Centro, California,U.S.
Occupation(s)Screenwriters,film producers,film directors,actors
SpouseMichael:
​
​
(m.2013;div.2023)​

Life

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The Polish brothers were born inEl Centro, California.Their father is from Montana, and is of part Austrian ancestry.[1]He used to work at theDEAin Sacramento.[2]Their paternal grandfather worked on the dams of Montana.[3]Their mother's family is Mexican.[4]The brothers were raised Catholic.[5]

Career

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The Polish brothers began their film career with the 1999Sundancedebut of their first feature,Twin Falls Idaho.[6][7]Theidentical twinsiblings wrote and starred in the tale ofconjoined twins.Michael directed.Sony Pictures Classicsbought the rights for theatrical distribution of the film, whichJanet MaslinofThe New York Timessaid had "style, gravity and originality to spare."[8]

Michael Polish, in an interview withRobert K. Elderfor the bookThe Film That Changed My Lifesaid much of his own inspiration came from watchingOnce Upon a Time in Americain his youth.[9]

... Internally it speaks to me, as just a human, a person alone. I can watch this movie alone and be a fan. Whether a filmmaker or not, I can be a fan because it has so many symbols and situations that reflect life itself, growing up. Even growing up in the suburbs, you still have friendships the same way these kids have friendships.[10]

In 2000, the Polish brothers followed upTwin FallswithJackpot,the story of a deludedkaraokesinger (Jon Gries) on a tour of American dive-bars. It won the 2001Independent Spirit John Cassavetes Awardand the 2001Seattle International Film FestivalNew American Cinema Award. The film was distributed theatrically by Sony Pictures Classics.

In 2002, the brothers were offered the opportunity to make a mainstream film. Instead, they began to put together the independent filmNorthfork.When financing collapsed days beforeprincipal photography,the filmmakers signed their house to creditors, and paid for their movie with personal credit cards. StarringJames WoodsandNick Nolte,Northforkwas chosen as an early selection by the Sundance Film Festival, and when the movie premiered at Sundance in 2003,Roger Ebertcalled it "a masterpiece."[11]

In 2005, the Polish brothers, along with producing partner Jonathan Sheldon, wrote and releasedThe Declaration of Independent Filmmaking.The book, a how-to guide for first-time,do-it-yourselffilmmakers, follows the filmmaking process and gives firsthand accounts of the Polish Brothers' travails in making their films.The Library Journalsaid the Polish Brothers "write in a way that illuminates the details more clearly than most technical scribes."

In 2006, the brothers would team withWarner Independentfor their fourth film,The Astronaut Farmerabout a formerNASAastronaut,Charles Farmer (Billy Bob Thornton), who has been obsessively building a rocket in his barn.Warner Bros.released it throughout North America in 2007.[12]

The brothers then shot two films back-to-back, just days apart while launching their new production company Prohibition Pictures with partners Ken Johnson, Janet DuBois, and Jonathan Sheldon. The Polish Brothers' fifth film,Manure(with Billy Bob Thornton andTéa Leoni) began shooting on May 27, 2008 and was released at the Sundance Festival the following year asThe Smell of Success), and the Polish Brothers' sixth film,Stay Cool(withWinona Ryder,Mark Polish,Chevy Chase,Sean Astin,Hilary Duff,Jon Cryer,Josh Holloway) began filming in July 2008 (and was shown at Tribeca Festival in 2009).[13]

In May 2010, the Polish brothers began filmingFor Lovers Only.Said to be inspired by the French New Wave andClaude Lelouch's 1966 double Oscar-winnerA Man and a Woman,the romance focuses on a journalistStana Katic(Castle) in Paris on assignment, who runs into a lover (Mark Polish) from her past. Presumably enraptured by reconciliation, the pair flee Paris and travel "by train, car, and motorcycle as their love affair takes them across France from Normandy to St. Tropez."

In 2013, Michael directed American adventure drama,Big Sur,an adaptation of the1962 novelof the same name byJack Kerouac.The story is based on the time Kerouac spent in Big Sur, California and his three brief sojourns to friendLawrence Ferlinghetti's cabin in Bixby Canyon. The film debuted on January 23, 2013 at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival, where it received generally positive reviews.[14]

In 2014, it was announced that Mark would write, direct, and star inHeadlock.The film also starredDianna AgronandAndy Garcia.[15]

Personal life

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In July 2011, Michael began dating actressKate Bosworth,and on August 31, 2013, the couple married inPhilipsburg, Montana.[16]They separated in August 2021.

Filmography

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  • Hellraiser: Bloodline(1996) – Twin Cenobite No. 1 (Michael) – Twin Cenobite No. 2 (Mark) (acting only)
  • Twin Falls Idaho(1999) (Michael – director, cowriter, actor. Mark – cowriter, actor)
  • Jackpot(2001) (Michael – director, cowriter. Mark – cowriter)
  • The Good Thief(2002) (Mark - actor, Michael - actor)
  • Northfork(2003) (Michael – director, cowriter. Mark – cowriter, actor)
  • The Astronaut Farmer(2006) (Michael – director, cowriter. Mark – cowriter, actor)
  • The Smell of Success(2009) (Michael – director, cowriter. Mark – cowriter, actor)
  • Stay Cool(2009) (Michael – director. Mark - writer)
  • For Lovers Only(2010, online; 2011, film festival release) (Michael – coproducer, director. Mark – coproducer, writer, actor)
  • Big Sur(2013) (Michael – coproducer, director, writer)
  • Amnesiac(2014) (Michael – director)
  • 90 Minutes in Heaven(2015) (Michael – coproducer, director, writer)
  • Hot Bot(2016) (Michael – director, cowriter. Mark – writer)[17]
  • Nona(2017) (Michael – director, writer)[18]
  • Against the Clock(2019) (Mark – director, writer, actor)[15]
  • One of the Good Ones(2019) (Michael – executive producer)[19]
  • Force of Nature(2020) (Michael – director)
  • American Traitor: The Trial of Axis Sally(2021 film) (Michael – director)
  • Terror on the Prairie(2022) (Michael - director)
  • Alarum(TBA) (Michael - director)

Bibliography

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  • The Declaration of Independent Filmmaking: An Insider's Guide to Making Movies Outside of Hollywood,with Jonathan Sheldon.Mariner Books2005,ISBN978-0156029520

References

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  1. ^Simon Hattenstone (August 25, 2000)."Mark and Michael Polish | Film".The Guardian.London.RetrievedJuly 2,2012.
  2. ^"Director Michael Polish"(retrieved June 2, 2019)
  3. ^Ratliff, Larry (August 6, 2003)."San Antonio Express-News, Archives | mySA.com".Nl.newsbank.com.RetrievedJuly 2,2012.
  4. ^Published: July 25, 1999 (July 25, 1999)."FILM; From Identical Twins, a Story of Two Conjoined – Page 3 – New York Times".The New York Times.RetrievedJuly 2,2012.{{cite news}}:CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  5. ^"CANOE – JAM! – Dams and angels".Jam.canoe.ca. July 11, 2003. Archived from the original on January 15, 2013.RetrievedJuly 2,2012.{{cite web}}:CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  6. ^"New York Times".Movies & TV Dept.Baseline&All Movie Guide.2012. Archived fromthe originalon November 4, 2012.RetrievedJuly 2,2012.
  7. ^"New York Times".Movies & TV Dept.Baseline&All Movie Guide.2012. Archived fromthe originalon November 4, 2012.RetrievedJuly 2,2012.
  8. ^Maslin, Janet (April 9, 1999)."New York Times".Movies.nytimes.com.RetrievedJuly 2,2012.
  9. ^Elder, Robert K. (2011).Books.google.com.Chicago Review Press.ISBN9781569768280.RetrievedJuly 2,2012.
  10. ^Polish, Michael. Interview by Robert K. Elder. The Film That Changed My Life. By Robert K. Elder. Chicago: Chicago Review Press, 2011. N. p154. Print.
  11. ^"Chicago Sun-Times".Rogerebert.suntimes.com. July 11, 2003.RetrievedJuly 2,2012.
  12. ^A. O. Scott (February 23, 2007)."New York Times".Movies.nytimes.com. Archived fromthe originalon May 27, 2009.RetrievedJuly 2,2012.
  13. ^"New York Times".Movies & TV Dept.Baseline&All Movie Guide.2012. Archived fromthe originalon November 4, 2012.RetrievedJuly 2,2012.
  14. ^"Big Sur".rottentomatoes.com. September 9, 2013.RetrievedSeptember 9,2013.
  15. ^ab"New Page 1".
  16. ^Chi, Paul (August 31, 2013)."Kate Bosworth Marries Michael Polish".People.com.RetrievedSeptember 1,2013.
  17. ^"Hot Bot (2016) - IMDb".IMDb.
  18. ^"Nona".IMDb.September 10, 2017.
  19. ^"Oneofthegoodonesfilm.com".
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