Friday, November 30, 2007

UNIVERSAL PICTURES MOVES UP RELEASE OF CHARLIE WILSON’S WAR TO FRIDAY, DECEMBER 21, 2007

Universal City, California, November 30, 2007 – Universal Pictures has accelerated the release date of Charlie Wilson’s War by four days, moving the film from Tuesday, December 25, 2007, to Friday, December 21, it was announced today.

Adam Fogelson, Universal Pictures’ President of Marketing and Distribution, stated, “We saw an opportunity to advance the release of this film and are taking advantage of that. We’ve seen how strongly Charlie Wilson’s War plays and can’t wait to get it in front of audiences everywhere. We are confident that their positive word-of-mouth will be one of the things that helps us continue playing strongly through this terrific moviegoing period.”

The film, starring Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts and Philip Seymour Hoffman, tells the outrageous true story of how one congressman who loved a good time, one Houston socialite who loved a good cause and one CIA agent who loved a good fight conspired to bring about the largest covert operation in history. Mike Nichols and screenwriter Aaron Sorkin bring George Crile’s best-selling book to the screen, along with the production team of Hanks and Gary Goetzman (My Big Fat Greek Wedding, upcoming Mamma Mia!).

Universal Pictures Presents – In Association with Relativity Media and Participant Productions – A Playtone Production of a Mike Nichols Film: Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts, Philip Seymour Hoffman in Charlie Wilson’s War, starring Amy Adams and Ned Beatty. Music for the film is by James Newton Howard. The costume designer is Albert Wolsky; co-producer is Mike Haley. Charlie Wilson’s War’s visual effects supervisor is Richard Edlund, ASC. The film is edited by John Bloom and Antonia Van Drimmelen; the production designer is Victor Kempster. The director of photography is Stephen Goldblatt, ASC, BSC. Executive producers are Celia Costas, Ryan Kavanaugh and Jeff Skoll. The film is produced by Tom Hanks and Gary Goetzman. Charlie Wilson’s War is based on the book by George Crile, and it is from a screenplay by Aaron Sorkin. The film is directed by Mike Nichols.

www.charliewilsonswar.net

CRISS ANGEL: THE COMPLETE SEASON THREE DVD

Like they say, three's a charm... or spell... or illusion. Well, whatever they say, Criss ANGEL is back and more extreme than ever!

No one does extreme illusion like Criss Angel. Whether levitating to the tip of the Luxor pyramid or getting steamrolled into a bed of glass, he pushes the limits of his body and reality further than anyone ever has. In the amazing CRISS ANGEL: THE COMPLETE SEASON THREE DVD set, Criss brings illusion and mind-blowing tricks to a whole new level! Packed with death-defying escapes, fearless stunts, and astonishing physical feats, as well as unbelievable up-close-and-personal sleight-of-hand, this season of MINDFREAK raises the bar on magic to unprecedented heights!

Go behind the scenes with today's most exciting master of surrealism in CRISS ANGEL: MINDFREAK. A cross between Harry Houdini, Cirque Du Soleil and Fear Factor, each mind-boggling episode of CRISS ANGEL: MINDFREAK captures the creative genius at work, preparing and training for his death-defying feats. Criss's new daredevil performances - all live and unstaged - include escaping from a racing truck filled with explosives, vanishing a speeding Lamborghini, and levitating 500 feet above the Luxor Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.

Now for the first time, all 20 episodes from the adrenaline-pumping third season of CRISS ANGEL: MINDFREAK are on DVD, starring the world's only five-time Magician of the Year and featuring a celebrity guest roster that includes Jamie Kennedy, Sully from the band Godsmack, illusionist Jeff McBride, and Flavor Flav. Whether breaking out of jail - in the nude! - or being steamrolled on a bed of glass, Criss Angel once again proves that he is the ultimate maestro of modern magic.

Run Time: 7 h., 42 mins.+
Price: $34.95/3-Pack
Pre-book/Street : December 11/January 15

A&E HOME ENTERTAINMENT RELEASES
www.ShopAETV.com

THUNDERBIRDS 40TH ANNIVERSARY DVD MEGASET™

CELEBRATE THE 40TH ANNIVERSARY OF ONE OF SCI-FI'S GREATEST CULT SERIES OF ALL TIME, FROM THE MIND OF VISIONARY PRODUCER GERRY ANDERSON!

For over 45 years, legendary British TV producer Gerry Anderson (Captain Scarlet, Space: 1999, Stingray) churned out groundbreaking “Must-See Cult TV" like no other. Now, this January, A&E Home Video will proudly releases a sleek, collectible, value-priced set based on Anderson’s most popular cult series: THUNDERBIRDS 40TH ANNIVERSARY DVD MEGASET™.

This comprehensive collector's set -- priced to add to every Cult TV completist’s home entertainment library -- has been slimmed down and punched up for maximum, out-of-this-world appeal! Including every minute of this masterpiece of sci-fi supermarionation, available together on DVD for the first time, the 13-DVD set features all 32 digitally remastered episodes ever put to celluloid, plus bonus features sure to thrill “Fandersons,” and the uninitiated alike.

Late in the 21st Century ex-astronaut-gazillionaire Jeff Tracy devotes his fortune to the ultra-tech International Rescue Team. Joined by his five sons, who operate the Thunderbirds vehicles and utilize gadgets that would put Bond to shame, the IR Team gets knee-deep in adventure. Natural disasters keep the IR Team busy enough, but when the evil figure “The Hood” gets up to his dirty tricks, they have to pull out all the stops to foil his dastardly plans. By the way, these rough-and-tumble characters? Puppets – the lot of them!

With high-adventure cliff-hangers, before-their-time special effects and unforgettable characters that emerged from the brilliant mind of Anderson, THUNDERBIRDS is arguably one of the all-time best TV sci-fi shows in the history of the galaxy.

Extras: Photo gallery of production stills, Two original 1965 "Making of" featurettes, "The History of THE THUNDERBIRDS", Character Biographies and Gerry Anderson biography and filmography

Run Time: Approx. 30 h., 13 mins.
Price: $129.95
Pre-book/Street : December 11/January 15

A&E HOME ENTERTAINMENT RELEASES
www.ShopAETV.com

WEIRD SCIENCE: THE COMPLETE SEASONS 1&2

WHY FIND A DATE WHEN YOU CAN JUST MAKE ONE?

Based ON the Classic John Hughes Film, This cult tv hit makes its dvd debut in one electrifying set!


Based on the classic John Hughes film, WEIRD SCIENCE: THE COMPLETE SEASONS 1&2 compiles every hilarious minute from the first two seasons of this hilarious hit science-fiction series which ran on the USA network for five years, was syndicated on the Sci Fi Channel and the Encore WAM Channel, and has a large, committed fan base.

Following high school nerds Wyatt and Gary as they struggle with unpopularity, a dating drought, and the endless torment of Wyatt’s older brother, Chett, they eventually use their computer skills to build Lisa, whose supermodel good looks and super-genius brain is trumped only by her power to grant wishes. Unfortunately, for the duo, Lisa often takes the boys’ wishes a bit too literally, and things don’t always turn out quite as planned. From the first bolt of inspiration through their high-tech attempts at wish fulfillment, WEIRD SCIENCE is a comical look at Wyatt and Gary’s uproarious misadventures, and at what happens when high school gets reinvented from the ground up!

Extras: Interactive trivia, cast commentary
Run Time: 9 h., 58 mins. + extras
Price: $44.95/4-Pack
Pre-book/Street : December 4/January 1

A&E HOME ENTERTAINMENT RELEASES
www.ShopAETV.com

GOLDEN COMPASS SNEAKS

NEW LINE CINEMA TO PRESENT SPECIAL SNEAK PREVIEWS OF
THE GOLDEN COMPASS THIS WEEKEND

Highly Anticipated Fantasy Adventure To Screen
In 800 Theaters Nationwide On Saturday Night

LOS ANGELES (Nov. 28, 2007) – New Line Cinema will present special sneak previews of its highly anticipated fantasy adventure The Golden Compass this weekend in 800 theaters nationwide prior to the film’s worldwide opening on December 7th, it was announced today by New Line’s President of Domestic Distribution David Tuckerman.

The sneak previews, to be held on Saturday night, will give audiences a special opportunity to get an early look at the film which recently drew four-star reviews in the Guardian, the Daily Mail, and the Sun after its London premiere. The Daily Telegraph also hailed the film as having “momentum and grandeur that’s hard to resist.”

Based on author Philip Pullman’s bestselling novel, The Golden Compass tells the first story in the “His Dark Materials” trilogy. An exciting fantasy adventure, the film is set in an alternative world populated by talking bears who fight wars, witches, Gyptians, and daemons. In the world of The Golden Compass, a person’s soul lives on the outside of their body in the form of a daemon, an animal spirit that accompanies them through life. At the center of the story is Lyra (played by newcomer Dakota Blue Richards), a 12-year-old girl who starts out trying to rescue a friend – and winds up on an epic quest to save not only her world, but ours as well. The Golden Compass stars an ensemble cast that includes Nicole Kidman, Daniel Craig, Sam Elliott (Ghost Rider), Eva Green (Casino Royale) and the voices of Ian McKellen (The Lord of the Rings), Ian McShane (“Deadwood”), Freddie Highmore (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory), Kathy Bates (Charlotte’s Web), and Kristin Scott Thomas (Gosford Park). The film is written and directed by Chris Weitz (About A Boy, Antz) and produced by Deborah Forte and Bill Carraro.

Thursday, November 29, 2007

THE GOLDEN COMPASS’ POPULARITY SURGES IN WEEKS LEADING UP TO THE NEW LINE CINEMA FILM’S DEC. 7 WORLDWIDE RELEASE

Books Climb USA Today’s “Top 50 Bestselling Books List” More Than 10 Years After Publication; Close To 10 Million Visitors View Movie’s Official Web Site

NEW YORK (November 28, 2007) More than ten years after its original publication, The Golden Compass (Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books) has hit USA Today’s Top 50 Best Sellers list, having seen a 500% increase in sales over the last three months. The omnibus edition of Philip Pullman’s complete His Dark Materials trilogy -- of which The Golden Compass is the first novel -- has moved onto USA Today’s Top 50 list as well. The Golden Compass has sold over 3.5 million copies in the US to date, and the trilogy has sold over 7 million copies.

With the upcoming worldwide release of New Line Cinema’s highly anticipated feature film on December 7, the film’s official web site (www.goldencompassmovie.com) has received nearly 10 million unique visitors. Plus the movie website has an innovative “Daemon” feature that has garnered more than 20 million views. The film’s trailers have been streamed over 10 million times online.

Late this summer, Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy went back on the “Book Sense National Best Seller List” for Children’s Fiction Series, and has since spent 19 consecutive weeks on that list, which is compiled from hundreds of independent book stores across the US.

The film has received early critical acclaim in the United Kingdom with a four-star review from one of the country’s leading national newspapers The Guardian which calls it a “spectacular new movie … It has no other challengers as this year’s big Christmas movie.”

Written and directed by Chris Weitz, The Golden Compass stars Nicole Kidman and Daniel Craig.

BURIED ALIVE

You only have weeks to discover why these victims have been abducted and Buried Alive. Dig deep, your next clue may not be where you expect it. Uncover the widget filled with hidden videos that will provide you the clues you'll need. Share it, post it, and spread the word quickly bhttp://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gifefore time runs out. Watch daily as the whole story unfolds on FEARnet.com/buriedalive

FIND THEM WHILE YOU STILL CAN!

Source: SonyPictures

Wednesday, November 21, 2007

PARAMOUNT PICTURES 2008

RELEASES - RELEASE DATES

CLOVERFIELD - JANUARY 18
STRANGE WILDERNESS - FEBRUARY 1
SPIDERWICK CHRONICLES - FEBRUARY 15
DRILLBIT TAYLOR - MARCH 21
STOP LOSS - MARCH 28
SHINE A LIGHT - APRIL 4
THE RUINS - APRIL 11
IRON MAN - MAY 2
INDIANA JONES
AND THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL - MAY 22
KUNG FU PANDA - JUNE 6
THE LOVE GURU - JUNE 20
TROPIC THUNDER - JULY 11
EAGLE EYE - AUGUST 8
CASE 39 - AUGUST 22
NOWHERE LAND - SEPTEMBER 26
GHOST TOWN - FALL 2008
MAGADASCAR: THE CRATE ESCAPE - NOVEMBER 7
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON - NOVEMBER 26TH
REVOLUTIONARY ROAD - DECEMBER 19
STAR TREK - DECEMBER 25TH

Tuesday, November 20, 2007

International Fest of Cinema and Technology

December 6th-8th, 2007
Tickets $6 per screening session, ($3 students admission)

Website: http://www.ifct.org/jax.html
Contact Festival: admin@ifct.org
Venue phone number (904) 353-6002
Location The Rusted Hinge Theatre at 9th and Main (1850 N Main St)
Short Description: The International Fest of Cinema and Technology will present a selection of independent films from across the globe
The International Fest of Cinema and Technology Announces Jacksonville, Florida Event


FESTIVAL OVERVIEW

November 16th, 2007 The International Fest of Cinema and Technology (IFCT) announces an upcoming festival event scheduled to take place December 6th-8th in Jacksonville, Florida. Festival screenings include short comedies, dramas, animated films, experimental films, music videos and documentaries and are from independent filmmakers from a variety of countries. All festival screenings will be taking place in historic Springfield in Jacksonville at the Rusted Hinge at 9th and Main. Specific details about all the films screenings and the festival schedule can be found at the festival website www.ifct.org.

The Rusted Hinge at 9th and Main is a ideal location for the festival because of the venue's unique film history. Moviemakers in the early 20th century were drawn to Jacksonville as its winter headquarters because of the warm weather the city offered. In fact the city had the title "The Winter Film Capital of the World." Much of this film production was centered in Springfield in Jacksonville, Florida. Many silent films including those starring Laurel and Hardy and Charlie Chaplin were created at 9th and Main, which is the very location of this upcoming festival event. The Int'l Fest of Cinema and Technology, a festival which focuses on moviemaking technology and innovation, is pleased to be taking place in one of the early filmmaking capitals of the US.

During the festival, 9th and Main will have a full bar open which will be serving drinks during the festival screenings. Festival attendees will have the benefit of receiving half-off regular drink prices when presenting their festival ticket stubs. On Friday December 7th, the festival evening will not only feature film screenings but also free live music during the festival taking place from 6pm-10pm. Music performances on December 7th will be by local artists John Citrone and Ed Cotton. The art gallery at 9th and Main will be open throughout the festival showcasing works by local visual artists.Scott Abrams at 9th and Main says "The Rusted Hinge at 9th & Main is proud to support new filmmaking talent as we continue to encourage art and diversity."

The films to be screened are highlighted selections from the IFCT 2007 Touring Festival Events. IFCT 2007 festival events this year took place in New York, Melbourne, Los Angeles, London, Burlington, Vermont, London Washington, DC and The Philippines. The International Fest of Cinema and Technology has been presenting touring film festival events since 2002. The IFCT World Tour is designed to give exposure to independent films many of which previously had been underexposed to the public. The festival's motto is it seeks to "discover the undiscovered film." The "technology" in the festival's name occurs both in the content of the festival, which tends to focus on themes of technology or feature unique creation techniques, as well as in the method of showcasing content at the events.

The International Fest of Cinema and Technology event will give Floridians a unique and exciting chance to view the best of independent cinema originating from a wide variety of countries. Festival selections to be screened in Jacksonville include movies from the United States, the UK, Germany, Israel, Mexico, France, Bulgaria, Sweden, Switzerland, Greece, Canada, Brazil, Peru, Australia, New Zealand, Spain, The Netherlands, among many other countries.



FILM SCREENINGS

Among the festival selections are many notable independent films making their Florida premieres. The festival December 6th-8th is divided into 14 timeslots each screening films from a particular genre. Film screening sequences include "Short Films: Focus on Murder and Intrigue," "Animated Short Films," "Love Stories" "Short Shorts and Microbudget Films" among others.


Highlighted festival films include the following selections:


ANIMATED SHORTS

Animated films include 18 selections including Moongirl, An award-winning CG animation about a little boy taken to meet the girl in the moon. The work is from Director, Producer and Writer, Henry Selick who was behind The Nightmare Before Christmas and James And The Giant Peach. Selick also recently completed animation for Wes Anderson's feature The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou. IFCT will also present a short animated film entitled Cherie, Directed by Jason Wen. Cherie is about a creatively struggling painter who finds inspiration from a talking frog, who makes her a tempting offer. Jason Wen works in the special-effects industry in London, England, specializing in computer animation. His recent credits include having worked on computer-animated effects and characters for Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Alien vs Predator and Wallace and Gromit in the Curse of the Were-Rabbit.


THRILLER/HORROR SHORTS

Thriller and Horror shorts presentations include The Oval Portrait directed by Italian Director Nestore Buonafede and based on the tale by Edgar Allen Poe, The Watcher Directed by Eli Sasich a "monster in the closet" story with a horrifying twist ending featuring unique fx, and Against Nature Directed by Antony Zaki a lavish period piece about a rich man who decides to play cruel mind games with a less financially fortunate man.


EXPERIMENTAL FILMS

The Int'l Fest of Cinema and Technology has a large experimental film section. Two unique sequences during the festival will showcase Experimental Films- one is labeled "Dark Experimental Films" labeled as Experimental Film with a frightening or dark undertone. Experimental film selections include Australian short State of Suspension Directed by Dominika Ferenz which is a "visual meditation on the impact of technology on our lives" Louise. a French film Directed by Yannick Lache, which follows a sculptor who lives in a mechanical environment where the obsessing hubbub seem to rythym his life as a machine and the visually intensive film Insomniac City from Israeli Director Ran Slavin about a man suffering from insomnia who tries to recall how/if he has come to be shot in one of the city's underground car parks through a fragmented stream of events that encompass day and night inTel Aviv.


SCI-FI SHORTS

Science Fiction independent film selections include Bartholomew's Song, Directed by Destin Cretton and Lowell Frank, about the consequences of stepping out of line in a world set with repetitive rules, the Spanish short film The Last Alchemist Directed by Nicolas Caicoyaabout colonists who find a strange and antique artifact with alchemist symbols, and Tom on Mars Directed by Andrei Severny,a love story set on a mission to Mars in which an astronaut faces psychological difficulties. Tom on Mars is based on a number of real-life cases of dangerous psychological challenges experienced by astronauts during long space assignments.

DRAMATIC SHORTS AND COMEDIC SHORTS

Narrative short selections include Knife Shift Directed by Jim Hudson- this film noir mystery from New Zealand features a notable cast including Craig Hall (The World's Fastest Indian, King Kong, Perfect Creature) and Kate Elliott (Fracture, Toy Love, Insiders Guide to Love), Alone in a Crowd Directed by Brian Diederich starring Ed Begley Jr and Razor Fish Directed by Helen Williams which stars Academy-award winner Brenda Fricker ('My Left Foot') as a woman in a small village in Ireland who finds herself confronted with divorce after thirty years of marriage and after she has killed her husband. On the comedic side of things the festival will present a Comedic Shorts sequence including the British film Dutch Bird Directed by Kirk Weddell, Dutch Bird is a touching comedy about Irish village life, pigeon racing and international drug smuggling, but ultimately the lengths to which people will go for friendship. Dutch Bird stars Seamus Kerrigan (David Kelly, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Waking Ned Divine, Fawlty Towers) and Christopher Dunne, (Lighthouse, 28 Days Later, Irish Jam)

MORE INFORMATION

The schedule of festival screenings and directions to the venues can be found at www.ifct.org/jax.html Tickets for each night are $6 per screening session, $3 for students. Screenings will be taking place Thursday December 6th and Friday December 7th from 5pm-11:30pm. On Saturday December 8th, screenings will run from 2pm-11:30pm. Live music will be performed on Friday December 6th from 6pm-10pm approximately. All attendees will also receive half off regular drink prices when they present their ticket stubs. Screenings will be taking place at The Rusted Hinge at 9th and Main in Historic Springfield- Jacksonville, Florida. For more information on tickets or schedule please contact admin@ifct.org.

GUS VAN SANT TO DIRECT SEAN PENN AS HARVEY MILK

FOCUS FEATURES TO DISTRIBUTE MILK WORLDWIDE; GROUNDSWELL PRODUCTIONS CO-FINANCING WITH FOCUS

NEW YORK, November 16, 2007 – Academy Award-nominated director Gus Van Sant will commence production in January on the biographical drama Milk, to star Academy Award winner Sean Penn as gay-rights icon Harvey Milk. Milk will be produced by Dan Jinks and Bruce Cohen, the Academy Award-winning producers of American Beauty, through The Jinks/Cohen Company. Milk is being co-financed by Groundswell Productions and Focus Features, and distributed worldwide by Focus. The announcement was made today by Focus CEO James Schamus and Groundswell CEO Michael London.

Mr. London will also serve in a producing capacity on the film. Milk is being executive-produced by Bruna Papandrea of Groundswell; William Horberg; and Dustin Lance Black (Big Love), who wrote the original screenplay.

Harvey Milk (1930-1978) was an activist and politician, and the first openly gay man to be elected to public office in America; in 1977, he was voted to the city supervisors’ board of San Francisco. The following year, both he and the city’s mayor George Moscone were shot to death by another city supervisor, Dan White. Mr. Milk was previously the subject of the Academy Award-winning documentary feature The Times of Harvey Milk (1984), directed by Rob Epstein and produced by Richard Schmiechen. Milk will be the first non-documentary feature to explore the man’s life and career.

Mr. Schamus said, “Gus Van Sant is the perfect artist to bring to the screen the extraordinary story of Harvey Milk, and we couldn’t be more thrilled to join our partners at Groundswell in helping make this dream project a reality.”

Mr. London added, “The Focus team is the best in the business when it comes to provocative, socially relevant movies with world-class talent like Gus Van Sant and Sean Penn. We’re thrilled that they share our passion for telling the story of Harvey Milk.”

Mr. Jinks and Mr. Cohen commented, “We couldn’t be more proud to be working with Gus Van Sant and Sean Penn in bringing this important and moving story to the screen.”

Focus Features International will handle overseas sales for the movie. David Gerson, Focus vice president of production and development, is supervising Milk for president of production John Lyons.

Bill Groom, whose previous credits include The Pledge (directed by Mr. Penn), will be the production designer on Milk. Harris Savides, in his fifth feature collaboration with Mr. Van Sant, will be the cinematographer on the film.

Gus Van Sant has directed such films as Mala Noche (a restored version of which was re-released earlier this year), Drugstore Cowboy (which won Best Film and Best Director from the National Society of Film Critics), My Own Private Idaho (which earned him an Independent Spirit Award for Best Screenplay), To Die For (for which Nicole Kidman won a Golden Globe Award), Good Will Hunting (for which he received a Best Director Oscar nomination), Finding Forrester (which was honored at the 2001 Berlin International Film Fetsival), Elephant (which won the top prize, the Palme d’Or, at the 2003 Cannes International Film Festival), and Paranoid Park (which will be released early next year).

In addition to the aforementioned multi-Oscar-winning American Beauty, Dan Jinks and Bruce Cohen have produced films including Tim Burton’s Big Fish; Peyton Reed’s Down with Love; Joseph Ruben’s The Forgotten; and John August’s The Nines. Their producing credits for television include this season’s new hit series Pushing Daisies.
.
Focus Features www.focusfeatures.com

The MIST

The Weinstein Co

I have to admit that I have been deeply disappointed by most if not likely all of Steven King's stories retold on the big (or small) screen. So I was not expecting much from THE MIST. What did I expect to be in The MIST? Probably something pretty disappointing and typically Hollywood. And after the suspenseful lead up to members of a small town being trapped in a neighborhood supermarket due to something deadly that is lurking in the mysterious mist that has settled over their small town there is a scene in the store room that gives you a first glimpse of what's out there, and for me it looked like it was going to be another rehash of the dreadful waste of time "Dreamcatcher," also based on a King novel. However, as the story progresses it really become a film so much less about the terror on the outside and so much more about the horror of our own human penchant to jump to conclusions, be unwilling to deal pragmatically with situations and ultimately and inevitably spiral out of control giving into fear, paranoia, and mob rule. The terror in the mist is just a catalyst to erupt this behavior in the group of trapped citizens and those that are taken by what is in the mist at times seem like the lucky ones. The ending is unexpected and mind bending. This is one for record books, a adaptation of a King film that I thought was all in all a very enjoyable movie going experience. I can't say as much for the audience that managed to get passes to the advance screening. Rows or rude, obnoxious and loud people flipping open cell phones and talking nearly nonstop the entire way through. I plan to go back and see the film again with what I hope will be a more docile group of movie goers who are actually there to watch a movie rather than text their friends the whole way through.

- Max Michaels

Monday, November 19, 2007

KATE BUSH RECORDS ORIGINAL SONG “LYRA” FOR THE NEW LINE CINEMA FANTASY EPIC THE GOLDEN COMPASS

Song Will Be Featured Over The Film’s End Titles And
On New Line Records’ Golden Compass Soundtrack

LOS ANGELES (Nov. 13, 2007) – Acclaimed British singer/songwriter Kate Bush will contribute an original song titled “Lyra” to the end title credits of New Line Cinema’s upcoming epic fantasy adventure The Golden Compass, which is scheduled for a Dec. 7 worldwide release. The song will also be available for download as part of New Line Records’ The Golden Compass soundtrack, which will be released Dec. 11.

The song, named for Lyra Belacqua, the lead character in The Golden Compass, is written and produced by Kate in her own studio, and features the Magdalen College Choir, Oxford. The song will be available for digital download as part of The Golden Compass soundtrack on December 11th.

Over the course of her career she has released eight albums, earning three Grammy nominations and was recognized with an Ivor Novello Award for “Outstanding Contribution to British Music” in 2002. She has previously had songs featured in the films Castaway and She’s Having a Baby.

Based on author Philip Pullman’s bestselling novel, The Golden Compass tells the first story in the “His Dark Materials” trilogy. An exciting fantasy adventure, the film is set in an alternative world populated by talking bears who fight wars, witches, Gyptians, and daemons. In the world of The Golden Compass, a person’s soul lives on the outside of their body in the form of a daemon, an animal spirit that accompanies them through life. At the center of the story is Lyra (played by newcomer Dakota Blue Richards), a 12-year-old girl who starts out trying to rescue a friend – and winds up on an epic quest to save not only her world, but ours as well. The Golden Compass stars an ensemble cast that includes Nicole Kidman, Daniel Craig, Sam Elliott (Ghost Rider), Eva Green (Casino Royale) and the voices of Ian McKellen (The Lord of the Rings), Ian McShane (“Deadwood”), Freddie Highmore (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory), Kathy Bates (Charlotte’s Web), and Kristin Scott Thomas (Gosford Park). The film is written and directed by Chris Weitz (About A Boy, Antz) and produced by Deborah Forte and Bill Carraro.

REPO! THE GENETIC OPERA

Lionsgate (NYSE: LGF), the leading independent filmed entertainment studio, announced today that Twisted Pictures commenced principal photography this week in Toronto, Canada on REPO! THE GENETIC OPERA. The film is being produced by Daniel Heffner, Carl Mazzocone, Mark Burg and Oren Koules. Lionsgate's President of Acquisitions and Co-Productions Peter Block and EVP Jason Constantine are overseeing production for the studio.

Darren Lynn Bousman (Saw II, Saw III, Saw IV) is directing from a screenplay by Terrence Zdunich and Darren Smith, co-creators of the original stage production of the same name upon which the film is based. Japanese musician, songwriter and composer Yoshiki Hayashi (better known as simply Yoshiki) is producing the film's soundtrack.

International recording artist/performer Sarah Brightman (making her feature film debut), Anthony Head ("Buffy the Vampire Slayer"), Paris Hilton ("House of Wax"), Bill Moseley ("Halloween," "The Devil's Rejects"), Paul Sorvino ("The Cooler," "Goodfellas"), Alexa Vega ("Spy Kids") and Ogre (Skinny Puppy) make up the production's beloved band of misfits in this incarnation.

Bousman is a longtime member of the Twisted Pictures and Lionsgate families, having directed the past three installments of their wildly successful Saw franchise. He has also long been involved in various incarnations of Repo!, having directed both the story's first Los Angeles stage production in 2002 and a 2006 short film adaptation.

Directing a full-length filmed version of the story has always been a goal for Bousman, and he is enthusiastic about the cast that has been assembled for the production. "I'm very excited to be bringing this story to life with each of these outstanding performers," Bousman raves. "They bring so much flair to Repo's bizarre fantasy world while entirely
disappearing into their shadowy characters."

Burg and Koules agree, adding "Repo! explores human oddity in a really memorable and genre- bending way, and with our actors' unique backgrounds and wide appeal across genres, the cast absolutely rises to the occasion."

Set in the not-so-distant future, the production tells the story of an epidemic of organ failures that devastates the planet, killing tens of millions. As scientists feverishly make plans for a massive organ harvest program, a multi-billion dollar biotech company called GeneCo begins to manufacture salvation—for a price—offering simple payment plans to those lacking the necessary funds to purchase new body parts outright. But all financed organs are subject to default procedures, including repossession at the hand of the notorious organ repo men.

Wednesday, November 14, 2007

Beowulf

In theaters November 16th, 2007
Paramount

I think Beowulf should have be advertised more blatantly as an entirely animated film, since it is. Knowing that ahead of time I think I would have enjoyed it a lot more. Visually stunning, hyper realistic at some points, and a little too clean and eerily perfect in others. I'd have preferred more consistency. My immediate critique upon leaving the theater was "Shrek's Final Fantasy." But as with both of those films they hyped the animation factor where with Beowulf, it is never mentioned in ads or press releases. Of course with fantasy movies today you cannot help but expect a heaping pile of CGI to bring the various monsters, daemons and dragons to life, but when it comes to the actors, it distracts when you are expecting a certain level of reality yet despite brutal battles, strenuous physical acts or a dragons throaty fire you never see a single bead of sweat on any of the characters perfect unnaturally glowing skin, not even when Beowulf battles Grendel stark naked. It is a fantasy to the extreme. However, for being the first made for digital 3-D theater going experience it was entirely enjoyable. The 3-D thankfully lacked much of the purposeful over the top in-your-face gimmicks movie goers were subjected to in the 80's era 3-D films like Friday the 13th part 3 and JAWS 3. Beowulf's 3-D was more incidental but for a few scenes and merely added a new and welcome depth to the movie going experience. Comic geeks and cult movie fans everywhere will be drawn to the film in droves (as was proven at last nights advance screening) due to Neil Gaiman (Mirrormask, Sandman) and Roger Avary (Pulp Fiction) names being attached for having adapted it for the big screen.

If I had to judge on a five star scale, I'd throw it three and a half.

www.beowulfmovie.com

- Max Michaels