Negromancer News Bits and Bites from October 17th to 23rd, 2021 - Update #25

by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURE NEWS:

BREAKING NEWS - From Deadline:  The Santa Fe Sheriff’s Department confirmed Thursday night that Alec Baldwin “discharged” a prop gun on the New Mexico set of the movie, "Rust."  As a result, one crew member, director of photography Halyna Hutchins, was killed and director Joel Souza was injured and remains in a local hospital - his condition unknown.

From Deadline:  The fatal shooting on the set of "Rust" may have been "recorded" according to detective for Santa Fe Sheriff's Department.

From Deadline:  The production company behind the film, "Rust," will launch an internal safety review after the fatal accident that killed Halyna Hutchins; possible prior gun incidents; and a camera crew walkout.

From CNN:   Crew member yelled "cold gun" as he handed Alec Baldwin prop weapon, court document shows.

From Variety:  Actor Alec Baldwin releases statement on the death of Halyna Hutchins: "There are no words to convey my shock and sadness."

From Variety:  The prop gun that killed “Rust” cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and wounded director Joel Souza on during an on-set accident on Thursday contained a “live single round,” according to an email sent by IATSE Local 44 to its membership.

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TELEVISION - From THR:    CBS has given a full-season pickup to its supernatural comedy, "Ghosts."

AWARDS - From THR:  The nominations for the 2021 Gotham Awards have been announced in both film and TV categories.  The winners will be announced Monday, Nov. 29th.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Emily Blunt is in talks to join Christopher Nolan's film, "Oppenheimer."

TRAILER - From ETCanada:  There is a new trailer for the film, "Being the Ricardos," starring Nicole Kidman as Lucille Ball and Javier Bardem as Desi Arnaz.  The film, directed by Aaron Sorkin, focuses on a week in the production of the classic television series, "I Love Lucy."  It will be released on "Amazon Prime" on Dec. 21st.

NETFLIX - From Deadline:   Netflix says that its hit, "Squid Game," the Korean sci-fi dystopian series, has been streamed by 142 million households in its first four weeks.

MOVIES - From THR:  Steve McQueen has won the inaugural European Film Award for Innovative Storytelling for "Small Axe," an anthology of five films set between 1969 and 1982 that explore the experiences of London’s West Indian community.

STREAMING - From Variety:  Hulu has ordered "History of the World, Part II," a TV variety series that will act as a sequel to Mel Brooks' classic film comedy, "History of the World, Part I" (1981).  Brooks will be a writer and executive producer on the series.

TELEVISION - From Deadline:  Lionsgate is developing, "The Continental," a three-night, special event TV series that will act as a prequel to the "John Wick" film series.  Actor Mel Gibson is the first star signed to appear in "The Continental," which is set to appear on Starz.

From Variety:  Actor Colin Woodell will play a young "Winston Scott" in Starz's "John Wick" prequel series, "The Continental."  Winston Scott is played by actor Ian McShane in the "John Wick" films.

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MOVIES - From Variety:  Rob Zombie has shared the first cast photo from his film, "The Munsters," which updates or reboots the old 1960s TV series of the same name.  Universal Studios will release the film.

MOVIES - From Variety:  Disney delays the release date of several upcoming films, including "Doctor Strange 2," "Thor 4," Black Panther 2," and "Indiana Jones 5."

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro:  The winner of the 10/15 to 10/17/2021 weekend box office is "Halloween Kills" with an estimated take of 50.35 million dollars.

LABOR - From Deadline:  The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers and the IATSE (International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees) have reached a new film and TV deal that averted the start of a strike by over 60,000 IATSE members on Monday.  This article has the details.

DC FANDOME:

From Variety:  See all the hot trailers for upcoming DC Comics films and TV series from DC FanDome.

From Deadline:  At DC FanDome, director Matt Reeves revealed a new trailer for his film, "The Batman," which is due May 4, 2022.

From Deadline:  A preview of DC Film's "The Flash" gives us a peek at a cameo from a certain Batman...

OBITS:

From TMZ:  Singer and musician, Tommy DeBarge, has died at the age of 64, Thursday, October 21, 2021.  DeBarge was a vocalist and bass player for the R&B/funk band, "Switch," which had it best success in the late 1970s and early 1980s.  Tommy and his brother, the late Bobby DeBarge, were founding members of Switch.  Tommy and Bobby would later leave the group to mentor their younger siblings in the 1980s group, "DeBarge."

From THR:   Cinematographer Halyna Hutchins as died at the age of 42, Thursday, October 21, 2021 after a prop gun incident on the set of the film, "Rust."  Hutchins was known for her work on such indie films as "Archenemy," "Blindfire," and "The Mad Hatter."

From THR:  Actor Peter Scolari has died at the age of 66, Friday, October 22, 2021 after a battle with cancer.  Scolari first game to prominence on the short-lived ABC sitcom, "Bosom Buddies" (1980-82), with friend, Tom Hanks.  Scolari joined the cast of CBS' "Newhart" as a recurring character during the series' second season (1983-84), and then, became a series regular from 1984 until the series' end in 1990.  He won a "Guest Actor" Primetime Emmy for his role on HBO's "Girls."

From YahooNews:   American four-star general, diplomat, and statesman, General Colin Powell, has died at the age of 84, from complications of COVID-19.  He was the first African-American U.S. Secretary of State and a trailblazing figure both in the United States and around the world.  He also served as the 16th United States National Security Advisor from 1987 to 1989 and as the 12th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from 1989 to 1993.

From Deadline:  The actress, Betty Lynn, has died at the age of 95, Saturday, October 16, 2021.  Her best known role was as "Betty Lou," the girlfriend of "Deputy Barney Fife" on "The Andy Griffith Show."  Lynn appeared on the series 26 times from 1961 to 1966.  In the 1950s, Lynn appeared in "Cheaper by the Dozen" (1950) and "Meet Me in Las Vegas" (1956).  Lynn also appeared on four episodes of Andy Griffith's series "Matlock" (1986-92).

Paramount Announces "A Quiet Place"/"A Quiet Place II" Double Feature

PARAMOUNT PICTURES ANNOUNCES A QUIET PLACE DOUBLE FEATURE FAN EVENT IN ADVANCE OF A QUIET PLACE PART II OPENING

Fans will have the opportunity to experience the original and the sequel back-to-back in advance of the opening of A QUIET PLACE PART II

HOLLYWOOD, CA. - Paramount Pictures announced that on Wednesday, March 18th, 2020 it will be offering fans of A QUIET PLACE the chance to relive the original film in select theatres and be the first to go beyond the path and experience the next installment, A QUIET PLACE PART II before it arrives in theatres nationwide, Friday, March 20th, 2020.

Tickets for the double feature go on sale today, as ticketing launches nationwide for A QUIET PLACE PART II at https://www.aquietplacemovie.com/

Tickets can also be purchased at the box office at participating locations. The start time for the double feature is 7:00PM local time at participating locations, with the sequel beginning at 9:00PM local time. This double feature will be presented exclusively in DOLBY CINEMA and Premium Large Format theatres only.

Additionally, A QUIET PLACE Double Feature fans will receive an exclusive 11x17 collectors print, created especially for this one-night event, while supplies last.

In the modern horror thriller A QUIET PLACE, a family of four must navigate their lives in silence after mysterious creatures that hunt by sound threaten their survival. If they hear you, they hunt you. A QUIET PLACE is directed by John Krasinski, with story by Bryan Woods & Scott Beck, and a screenplay by Bryan Woods & Scott Beck and John Krasinski. Producers are Michael Bay, Andrew Form, Brad Fuller, with executive producers Celia Costas, John Krasinski,  Allyson Seeger, Bryan Woods, Scott Beck, Aaron Janus. The film stars Emily Blunt, John Krasinski, Millicent Simmonds & Noah Jupe.

In A QUIET PLACE PART II, following the deadly events at home, the Abbott family (Emily Blunt, Millicent Simmonds, Noah Jupe) must now face the terrors of the outside world as they

continue their fight for survival in silence.  Forced to venture into the unknown, they quickly realize that the creatures that hunt by sound are not the only threats that lurk beyond the sand path. The film is written and directed by John Krasinski, and based on characters created by Bryan Woods & Scott Beck. Producers are Michael Bay, Andrew Form, Brad Fuller, John Krasinski, with Allyson Seeger, Joann Perritano, Aaron Janus executive producing. The film stars Blunt, Cillian Murphy, Simmonds, Jupe, Djimon Hounsou and John Krasinski.

# # #

About Paramount Pictures Corporation
Paramount Pictures Corporation (PPC), a global producer and distributor of filmed entertainment, is a unit of ViacomCBS (NASDAQ: VIAC; VIACA), a leading content company with prominent and respected film, television and digital entertainment brands. Paramount controls a collection of some of the most powerful brands in filmed entertainment, including Paramount Pictures, Paramount Animation, Paramount Television, and Paramount Players. PPC operations also include Paramount Home Entertainment, Paramount Pictures International, Paramount Licensing Inc., and Paramount Studio Group.

About Dolby Cinema
Dolby Cinema delivers the total cinema experience, combining the most powerful image and sound technologies such as spectacular Dolby Vision laser projection and Dolby Atmos moving audio with inspired cinema design to transform every visit into a completely captivating, cinematic event.

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John Krasinski's "A Quiet Place" Begins Shooting

PARAMOUNT PICTURES ANNOUNCES THE START OF PRINCIPAL PHOTOGRAPHY ON JOHN KRASINSKI’S “A QUIET PLACE”

THE FILM WILL OPEN IN THEATERS ON APRIL 6TH, 2018.

HOLLYWOOD, CA – Paramount Pictures announced that principal photography is underway on director John Krasinski’s “A QUIET PLACE”.

Krasinski (“The Hollars”) also co-stars in the film alongside Emily Blunt (“The Girl on the Train”), with Noah Jupe (“Suburbicon”, “Wonder”) and Millicent Simmonds (“Wonderstruck”) rounding out the cast.

The film is produced by Michael Bay (“Transformers”), and his Platinum Dunes’ partners Andrew Form and Brad Fuller ( “Ouija,” “The Purge,” “The Texas Chainsaw MassacreH”), from a spec script by Bryan Woods & Scott Beck which was rewritten by John Krasinski.

Paramount Pictures will release “A QUIET PLACE” on April 6, 2018.


About Paramount Pictures Corporation
Paramount Pictures Corporation (PPC), a major global producer and distributor of filmed entertainment, is a unit of Viacom (NASDAQ: VIAB, VIA), home to premier global media brands that create compelling television programs, motion pictures, short-form content, apps, games, consumer products, social media experiences, and other entertainment content for audiences in more than 180 countries.

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Third Wave of 2016 Oscar Presenters Announced; Daisy Ridley Among New Names

STARS TO LIGHT UP OSCAR NIGHT

Six Oscar Winners Join Presenter Line Up

Oscars producers David Hill and Reginald Hudlin announced today a third slate of presenters for the 88th Oscars telecast. The Oscars, hosted by Chris Rock, will air live Oscar® Sunday, February 28, 2016 on ABC. 

The presenters, including several Oscar winners, are:

Patricia Arquette

Abraham Attah

Cate Blanchett

Emily Blunt

Louis C.K.

Common

Russell Crowe

Chris Evans

Jennifer Garner

Louis Gossett, Jr.

Michael B. Jordan

Rachel McAdams

Dev Patel

Eddie Redmayne

Daisy Ridley

Sarah Silverman

Sofia Vergara

"Through their work, these artists have shown us the unique, transformative power of cinema,” said Hill and Hudlin. “We are delighted they will be joining us on the Oscars stage this year.”   

The 88th Oscars will be held on Sunday, February 28, at the Dolby Theatre® at Hollywood & Highland Center® in Hollywood, and will be televised live by the ABC Television Network at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT. The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 225 countries and territories worldwide.    

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DreamWorks Begins Shooting "The Girl on the Train"

Principal Photography Begins for New York Times Best Seller ‘The Girl on the Train’

DreamWorks Studios Production Scheduled for Release October 7, 2016

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Principal photography has begun on the DreamWorks Studios film adaptation of the New York Times Best Seller, “The Girl on the Train,” it was announced today by the studio. Based on Paula Hawkins’ debut novel, the film stars Emily Blunt (Sicario), Rebecca Ferguson (Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation), Haley Bennett (The Equalizer), Justin Theroux (The Leftovers), Luke Evans (Furious 7), Emmy® winner Allison Janney (Mom), Edgar Ramirez (Zero Dark Thirty), Lisa Kudrow (The Comeback) and Emmy® winner Merritt Wever (Nurse Jackie).

    Cameras are rolling on the @DW_Studios film adaptation of #TheGirlOnTheTrain starring Emily Blunt.

Since its publication in January, “The Girl on the Train” is the fastest selling adult novel in history with seven million copies sold around the world. It is an international best seller and landed in the top spot on the New York Times best sellers list its first week. It has remained on the New York Times list for 42 weeks straight, spending more than half of that time at #1.

DreamWorks acquired the rights to Paula Hawkins’ debut thriller in 2014, prior to the novel’s publication. Tate Taylor (The Help) is directing from a script adapted by Erin Cressida Wilson (Secretary) and himself. Marc Platt (Bridge of Spies) is producing the film, while Celia Costas will serve as executive producer along with Jared LeBoff of Marc Platt Productions. Filming is taking place in New York, NY and Westchester County, NY.

In “The Girl on the Train,” Rachel, who is devastated by her recent divorce, spends her daily commute fantasizing about the seemingly perfect couple who live in a house that her train passes every day, until one morning she sees something shocking happen there and becomes entangled in the mystery that unfolds.

The film is scheduled for release in U.S. theaters on October 7, 2016.


About DreamWorks Studios
DreamWorks Studios is a motion picture company formed in 2009 and led by Steven Spielberg in partnership with The Reliance Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group. The company’s recent releases include Spielberg’s last two films - Bridge of Spies, starring Tom Hanks and Mark Rylance, and Lincoln, starring Daniel Day-Lewis, Sally Field and Tommy Lee Jones. Lincoln has grossed over $180 million at the U.S. box office and was nominated for twelve Academy Awards® with Daniel Day-Lewis winning for Best Actor. Other films produced by the studio include Spielberg’s War Horse, based on Michael Morpurgo’s award-winning book and nominated for six Academy Awards® including Best Picture, and The Help, which resonated with audiences around the country and earned over $200 million at the box office and received four Academy Award® nominations with Octavia Spencer winning for Best Supporting Actress. Upcoming films include The Light Between Oceans based on M.L. Stedman’s best-selling debut novel starring Michael Fassbender, Alicia Vikander and Rachel Weisz, Spielberg’s adaptation of Roald Dahl’s The BFG, and The Girl on the Train based on Paula Hawkins’ best-selling debut novel and starring Emily Blunt.

DreamWorks Studios can be found on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/DreamWorksStudios and on Twitter at http://twitter.com/dw_studios.

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Review: "The Wind Rises" and Lifts Miyazaki's Ode to Artists

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 9 (of 2015) by Leroy Douresseaux

The Wind Rises (2013)
Kaze tachinu – original Japanese title
Running time:  126 minutes (2 hours, 6 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for some disturbing images and smoking
DIRECTOR:  Hayao Miyazaki
WRITER:  Hayao Miyazaki (based upon the manga by Hayao Miyazaki); English screenplay adaptation by Mike Jones
PRODUCERS:  Toshio Suzuki and Geoffrey Wexler (English version)
COMPOSER:  Joe Hisaishi
Academy Award nominee

ANIMATION/BIOPIC/DRAMA

Starring:  (English voices) Joseph Gordon-Levitt, John Krasinski, Emily Blunt, Martin Short, Stanley Tucci, Mandy Patinkin, Mae Whitman, Werner Herzog, Jennifer Grey, William H. Macy, Elijah Wood, and Ronan Farrow; (Japanese voices) Hideaki Anno, Jirô Horikoshi, Hidetoshi Nishijima, Miori Takimoto, Masahiko Nishimura, Mansai Nomura, Jun Kunimura, Mirai Shida, Shinobu Ôtake, Morio Kazama, and Keiko Takeshita

The Wind Rises is a 2013 Japanese animated film (anime) biopic and drama from director Hayao Miyazaki.  The film's original title is Kaze tachinu, and it is adapted from Miyazaki's manga (comics), Kaze tachinu, which was published in Model Graphix magazine from 2009 to 2010.  The manga in turn is loosely based on the novel, The Wind Has Risen (1936-37), by author Tatsuo Hori.

The Wind Rises is a fictionalized account of the life of Jiro Horikoshi (1903–1982).  Hirokoshi was a designer of fighter aircraft for Japan, in particular the Mitsubishi A6M Zero (or simple, the Zero), which was used by the Empire of Japan during World War II.

Walt Disney Studios released the film in English back in February 2014 through its Touchstone Pictures division.  Frank Marshall acted as the English version's executive producer.  The Wind Rises was the final film directed by Miyazaki before his retirement in September 2013.

The Wind Rises opens in Japan in 1916.  Young Jiro Horikoshi longs to become a pilot, but cannot because of his poor eyesight.  Jiro even dreams of meeting famous Italian aircraft designer, Giovanni Battista Caproni (Stanley Tucci), a figure that will often haunt Jiro's dreams over the years.  Seven years later, two important things happen.  Jiro begins studying aeronautical engineering, and he also meets a girl, Nahoko Satomi.

After he graduates, adult Jiro (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) starts working for an aircraft manufacturer (Mitsubishi).  Jiro begins a quest to built a fighter aircraft for Japan that will match the best that any other country has to offer, especially that of Japan's ally, Germany.  Jiro reunites with the adult Nahoko (Emily Blunt) and begins a romance with her.  However, Nahoko's illness and his professional setbacks threaten Jiro's dreams.

The Wind Rises was somewhat controversial in Japan because of Jiro Horikoshi's aircraft inventions and how they were used by imperial Japan during the second World War.  However, The Wind Rises is not a biographical drama in the conventional sense, which is why I call it a “biopic.”  It is a movie with both biographical elements and fictional attachments.  For instance, the Jiro-Nahoko Satomi romance is fictional, and Nahoko is a character from Tatsuo Hori's novel, The Wind Has Risen.

The Wind Rises not only takes a look at the life of Jiro Horikoshi, the man who designed Japanese fighter planes during World War II, but it is mainly inspired by his quest to create fighter aircraft for Japan that would match the best aircraft created in Europe and the United States.

The Wind Rises is an impressionistic spectacle.  Miyazaki deliberately deviates from fact in order to examine the artistic process, revealing Jiro Horikoshi as an artist in full bloom.  The “wind” in this film is a metaphor for the imagination that soars.  The wind is also a vehicle by which the artist travels to meet the man who inspired him,  Giovanni Caproni, in the realm of daydream and imagination – first as a pupil and then, as an equal.  In this film, Miyazaki does not make “wind” ethereal; rather, it is beauty that is fragile and even corruptible.

The Wind Rises is a bittersweet goodbye from Miyazaki to his admirers and fans.  This retirement had to happen eventually, but our sadness need no be overwhelming.  The wind still rises, and the beauty of Hayao Miyazaki's art will live on.

8 of 10
A

Friday, January 2, 2014


NOTES:
2014 Academy Awards, USA:  1 nomination: “Best Animated Feature Film of the Year” (Hayao Miyazaki and Toshio Suzuki)

2014 Golden Globes, USA:  1 nomination: “Best Foreign Language Film” (Japan)

The text is copyright © 2015 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for syndication rights and fees.

"Boyhood" Wins Critics' Choice Award for "Best Picture"

The Broadcast Film Critics Association (BFCA) is the largest film critics organization in the United States and Canada.  It represents almost 300 television, radio and online critics. For additional information about the BFCA and their memberships, visit www.criticschoice.com.

The Broadcast Film Critics Association (BFCA) recently announced the winners for The 20th Annual Critics’ Choice Movie Awards. The winners were revealed at the Critics’ Choice Movie Awards, which was broadcast live on A&E from the Hollywood Palladium on Thursday, January 15th, 2015 at 9pm ET/ 6pm PT.

“Boyhood” was named Best Picture and garnered three additional wins including Best Supporting Actress for Patricia Arquette, Best Young Actor/Actress for Ellar Coltrane, and Best Director for Richard Linklater.

“Birdman,” the most nominated film of the evening, won seven awards including Best Actor for Michael Keaton, Best Acting Ensemble, Best Original Screenplay for Alejandro G. Iñárritu, Nicolás Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris Jr., and Armando Bo, Best Cinematography for Emmanuel Lubezki, Best Editing for Douglas Crise and Stephen Mirrione, Best Actor in a Comedy for Michael Keaton, and Best Score for Antonio Sanchez. Michael Keaton is the first person in the 20-year history of the Critics’ Choice Movie Awards to win three awards in a single year (Best Actor, Best Actor in a Comedy, and as part of the “Birdman” Best Ensemble).

“The Grand Budapest Hotel” claimed three awards including Best Comedy, Best Art Direction for Adam Stockhausen (Production Designer) and Anna Pinnock (Set Director), and Best Costume Design for Milena Canonero.

As announced previously, Kevin Costner, Ron Howard and Jessica Chastain each received special honors at the ceremony. Rene Russo presented Kevin Costner with the ‘Lifetime Achievement Award’ celebrating more than three decades of incredible work in film. Chris Hemsworth presented the ‘Critics’ Choice LOUIS XIII Genius Award’, established to honor an icon who has demonstrated unprecedented excellence in the cinematic arts, to multiple award-winning director, producer and actor Ron Howard. Chris Pratt presented the inaugural ‘Critics’ Choice MVP Award,’ to Jessica Chastain, recognizing an extraordinary actress for her work in several standout movies throughout a single year – Interstellar, Miss Julie, A Most Violent Year (which also earned her a Best Supporting Actress nomination this year), and The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby.

The 2015 / 20th Annual Critics' Choice Movie Award winners (for the year in film, 2014):

Best Picture – “Boyhood”

Best Actor – Michael Keaton, “Birdman”

Best Actress – Julianne Moore, “Still Alice”

Best Supporting Actor – J.K. Simmons, “Whiplash”

Best Supporting Actress – Patricia Arquette, “Boyhood”

Best Young Actor/Actress – Ellar Coltrane, “Boyhood”

Best Acting Ensemble – “Birdman”

Best Director – Richard Linklater, “Boyhood”

Best Original Screenplay – Alejandro G. Iñárritu, Nicolás Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris Jr., Armando Bo, “Birdman”

Best Adapted Screenplay – Gillian Flynn, “Gone Girl”

Best Cinematography – Emmanuel Lubezki, “Birdman”

Best Art Direction – Adam Stockhausen (Production Designer), Anna Pinnock (Set Decorator), “The Grand Budapest Hotel”

Best Editing – Douglas Crise, Stephen Mirrione, “Birdman”

Best Costume Design – Milena Canonero, “The Grand Budapest Hotel”

Best Hair & Makeup – “Guardians of the Galaxy”

Best Visual Effects – “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes”

Best Animated Feature – “The Lego Movie”

Best Action Movie – “Guardians of the Galaxy”

Best Actor in an Action Movie – Bradley Cooper, “American Sniper”

Best Actress in an Action Movie – Emily Blunt, “Edge of Tomorrow”

Best Comedy – “The Grand Budapest Hotel”

Best Actor in a Comedy – Michael Keaton, “Birdman”

Best Actress in a Comedy – Jenny Slate, “Obvious Child”

Best Sci-Fi/Horror Movie – “Interstellar”

Best Foreign Language Film – “Force Majeure”

Best Documentary Feature – “Life Itself”

Best Song – “Glory”, Common and John Legend, “Selma”

Best Score – Antonio Sanchez, “Birdman”

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"Edge of Tomorrow" #1 at the Worldwide Box Office

“Edge of Tomorrow” Clocks in as the Weekend’s #1 Film Worldwide

Doug Liman’s Critically Acclaimed Sci-fi Thriller, Starring Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt, Takes in $111.1 Million For the Weekend

BURBANK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Warner Bros. Pictures’ and Village Roadshow Pictures’ “Edge of Tomorrow” grossed $111.1 million, making it the weekend’s #1 film internationally and worldwide. The announcement was made today by Dan Fellman, President of Domestic Distribution, and Veronika Kwan Vandenberg, President of International Distribution, Warner Bros. Pictures.

Internationally, the film has been in limited release for 12 days, including Wednesday openings, and debuted in an additional 36 countries over the weekend, earning an impressive $82 million, including outstanding returns in Russia with $8.6 million, China with $25 million, and Korea at $16.6 million. The international cumulative gross now stands at $111 million. On the domestic side, in its first three days of release, “Edge of Tomorrow” has grossed $29.1 million, bringing the worldwide total to $140.1 million and counting.

In making the announcement, Fellman stated, “‘Edge of Tomorrow’ has received terrific critical acclaim, which has been echoed by audiences who have responded to the film and the fantastic performances of Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt. Word-of-mouth is extremely strong, which should continue to drive moviegoers to the theatre, either for the first time or to enjoy the film again.”

Kwan Vandenberg stated, “‘Edge of Tomorrow’ has risen above the crowded summer marketplace and continues to gain momentum, from our massive opening in Korea to the incredible results we’ve seen in Russia and China. We congratulate Doug Liman, Tom Cruise, Emily Blunt and the remarkable filmmakers, cast and crew on reaching this terrific benchmark.”

Oscar® nominee Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt star in Warner Bros. Pictures’ and Village Roadshow Pictures’ sci-fi thriller “Edge of Tomorrow,” under the direction of Doug Liman.

The epic action of “Edge of Tomorrow” unfolds in a near future in which an alien race has hit the Earth in an unrelenting assault, unbeatable by any military unit in the world.

Major William Cage (Cruise) is an officer who has never seen a day of combat when he is unceremoniously dropped into what amounts to a suicide mission. Killed within minutes, Cage now finds himself inexplicably thrown into a time loop—forcing him to live out the same brutal combat over and over, fighting and dying again…and again.

But with each battle, Cage becomes able to engage the adversaries with increasing skill, alongside Special Forces warrior Rita Vrataski (Blunt). And, as Cage and Rita take the fight to the aliens, each repeated encounter gets them one step closer to defeating the enemy.

The international cast also includes Bill Paxton, Brendan Gleeson, Noah Taylor, Kick Gurry, Dragomir Mrsic, Charlotte Riley, Jonas Armstrong, Franz Drameh, Masayoshi Haneda and Tony Way.

Liman directed “Edge of Tomorrow” from a screenplay by Christopher McQuarrie and Jez Butterworth & John-Henry Butterworth, based on the novel entitled All You Need is Kill by Hiroshi Sakurazaka. Erwin Stoff produced, along with Tom Lassally, Jeffrey Silver, Gregory Jacobs and Jason Hoffs. The executive producers are Doug Liman, David Bartis, Joby Harold, Hidemi Fukuhara and Bruce Berman, with Tim Lewis and Kim Winther serving as co-producers.

Warner Bros. Pictures presents, in association with Village Roadshow Pictures, a 3 Arts Production, in association with Viz Productions, a Doug Liman Film, “Edge of Tomorrow.” The film is distributed in 2D and 3D in select theatres and IMAX by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company, and in select territories by Village Roadshow. www.edgeoftomorrowmovie.com

This movie has been rated PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi action and violence, language and brief suggestive material.

"Edge of Tomorrow" Earns Big in Early International Openings

“Edge of Tomorrow” Rises Early in International Openings

BURBANK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Warner Bros. Pictures’ and Village Roadshow Pictures’ “Edge of Tomorrow,” starring Oscar® nominee Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt and directed by Doug Liman, has earned an outstanding $33 million at the box office in early international openings ahead of its June 6 worldwide debut. The announcement was made today by Veronika Kwan Vandenberg, President of International Distribution, Warner Bros. Pictures.

    “The sensational results on Wednesday, coupled with the film’s excellent playability in territories where it debuted last weekend, give us great momentum as we launch in 36 additional countries this weekend, including such major markets as Russia, Australia, Mexico and China.”

“Edge of Tomorrow” had a spectacular opening in Korea, with an estimated KRW 3.9b ($3.8m) on 681 screens, including sneak preview showings. Its Wednesday debut marked the biggest opening of all time for Warner Bros. Pictures in Korea, as well as the fourth biggest opening industry-wide, for that market. The film also opened yesterday at #1 in Denmark and Norway, as well as France, where it was #1 in both admissions and box office even amid strong competition from U.S. product and a popular local comedy.

Kwan Vandenberg said, “The sensational results on Wednesday, coupled with the film’s excellent playability in territories where it debuted last weekend, give us great momentum as we launch in 36 additional countries this weekend, including such major markets as Russia, Australia, Mexico and China.”

The early box office results come on the heels of the film’s groundbreaking worldwide event when, for the first time ever, three fan premieres were held in three different cities—London, Paris and New York—in just one day, “resetting” the red carpet as Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt raced the clock to make each event before time ran out.

Sue Kroll, Warner Bros. Pictures President, Worldwide Marketing and International Distribution, noted, “Tom is a huge star globally and has been a phenomenal partner as we’ve introduced this exciting and original adventure to audiences everywhere. The film has been enthusiastically embraced by critics and consumers alike. Tom has gone above and beyond to support the film, traveling all over the world to share it with fans, and these incredible efforts have made a tremendous impact as we gear up to release ‘Edge of Tomorrow’ worldwide.”

Oscar® nominee Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt star in Warner Bros. Pictures’ and Village Roadshow Pictures’ sci-fi thriller “Edge of Tomorrow,” under the direction of Doug Liman.

The epic action of “Edge of Tomorrow” unfolds in a near future in which an alien race has hit the Earth in an unrelenting assault, unbeatable by any military unit in the world.

Major William Cage (Cruise) is an officer who has never seen a day of combat when he is unceremoniously dropped into what amounts to a suicide mission. Killed within minutes, Cage now finds himself inexplicably thrown into a time loop—forcing him to live out the same brutal combat over and over, fighting and dying again…and again.

But with each battle, Cage becomes able to engage the adversaries with increasing skill, alongside Special Forces warrior Rita Vrataski (Blunt). And, as Cage and Rita take the fight to the aliens, each repeated encounter gets them one step closer to defeating the enemy.

The international cast also includes Bill Paxton, Brendan Gleeson, Noah Taylor, Kick Gurry, Dragomir Mrsic, Charlotte Riley, Jonas Armstrong, Franz Drameh, Masayoshi Haneda and Tony Way.

Liman directed “Edge of Tomorrow” from a screenplay by Christopher McQuarrie and Jez Butterworth & John-Henry Butterworth, based on the novel entitled All You Need is Kill by Hiroshi Sakurazaka. Erwin Stoff produced, along with Tom Lassally, Jeffrey Silver, Gregory Jacobs and Jason Hoffs. The executive producers are Doug Liman, David Bartis, Joby Harold, Hidemi Fukuhara and Bruce Berman, with Tim Lewis and Kim Winther serving as co-producers.

Warner Bros. Pictures presents, in association with Village Roadshow Pictures, a 3 Arts Production, in association with Viz Productions, a Doug Liman Film, “Edge of Tomorrow.” The film is distributed in 2D and 3D in select theatres and IMAX by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company, and in select territories by Village Roadshow. www.edgeoftomorrowmovie.com

This movie has been rated PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi action and violence, language and brief suggestive material.

--------------------

Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt Race Around the World for "Edge of Tomorrow"

"Edge of Tomorrow" -- Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt Chase Tomorrow Right to the Edge: Three Premieres / Three Countries / One Day

Stars race against time to meet fans in London, Paris and New York on an unprecedented Red Carpet Repeat tour

BURBANK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--On May 28, the stars of “Edge of Tomorrow” will take part in a groundbreaking worldwide event when, for the first time ever, three fan premieres will be held in three different countries in just one day, “resetting” the red carpet as Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt race the clock to make each event before time runs out.

In “Edge of Tomorrow,” Cruise’s character relives the events of one day over and over in an epic battle to save the world. The story begins as he arrives in London, making that city the perfect place to kick off this global event.

All times are local:

•     7:00 a.m. inaugural premiere kicks off on the carpet in London, with a 9:00 a.m. screening.

The film takes both characters to France, where they face off against an insurmountable army of alien invaders.

•     2:00 p.m. red carpet in Paris, screening at 4:00 p.m.

The final premiere will take the stars back to the U.S.

•     10:00 p.m. red carpet in New York City, with the final screening—on the edge of tomorrow—at 11:59 p.m.

Between cities, Cruise, Blunt and the film’s director, Doug Liman, will interact with fans via social media as they jet from country to country. A contingent of select press will travel to each premiere, covering the events as they unfold.

There will be live stream components for each of the three events. Those fans on the ground can network via social media using #EOTLive.

Oscar® nominee Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt star in Warner Bros. Pictures’ and Village Roadshow Pictures’ sci-fi thriller “Edge of Tomorrow,” under the direction of Doug Liman.

The epic action of “Edge of Tomorrow” unfolds in a near future in which an alien race has hit the Earth in an unrelenting assault, unbeatable by any military unit in the world.

Major William Cage (Cruise) is an officer who has never seen a day of combat when he is unceremoniously dropped into what amounts to a suicide mission. Killed within minutes, Cage now finds himself inexplicably thrown into a time loop—forcing him to live out the same brutal combat over and over, fighting and dying again…and again.

But with each battle, Cage becomes able to engage the adversaries with increasing skill, alongside Special Forces warrior Rita Vrataski (Blunt). And, as Cage and Rita take the fight to the aliens, each repeated encounter gets them one step closer to defeating the enemy.

The international cast also includes Bill Paxton, Brendan Gleeson, Noah Taylor, Kick Gurry, Dragomir Mrsic, Charlotte Riley, Jonas Armstrong, Franz Drameh, Masayoshi Haneda and Tony Way.

Liman directed “Edge of Tomorrow” from a screenplay by Christopher McQuarrie and Jez Butterworth & John-Henry Butterworth, based on the novel entitled All You Need is Kill by Hiroshi Sakurazaka. Erwin Stoff produced, along with Tom Lassally, Jeffrey Silver, Gregory Jacobs and Jason Hoffs. The executive producers are Doug Liman, David Bartis, Joby Harold, Hidemi Fukuhara and Bruce Berman, with Tim Lewis and Kim Winther serving as co-producers.

Warner Bros. Pictures presents, in association with Village Roadshow Pictures, a 3 Arts Production, in association with Viz Productions, a Doug Liman Film, “Edge of Tomorrow.” Opening domestically on June 6, 2014, the film will be distributed in 2D and 3D in select theatres and IMAX by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company, and in select territories by Village Roadshow.

This movie has been rated PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi action and violence, language and brief suggestive material.

edgeoftomorrowmovie.com

New Tom Cruise Movie "Edge of Tomorrow" Headed for Bookshelves

VIZ MEDIA’S HAIKASORU IMPRINT ANNOUNCES EDGE OF TOMORROW OFFICIAL MOVIE TIE-IN NOVEL AND ALL YOU NEED IS KILL ORIGINAL GRAPHIC NOVEL RELEASE

Two New Science Fiction Action Titles Timed To Release With The Summer Blockbuster Movie EDGE OF TOMORROW Starring Tom Cruise And Emily Blunt

VIZ Media’s Haikasoru literary imprint supports the upcoming release of the gripping sci-fi action film, Edge of Tomorrow with the release of an official movie tie-in novel on April 29th. The new EDGE OF TOMORROW paperback release will carry an MSRP of $7.99 U.S. / $9.99 CAN. The book features a cover with the official movie poster featuring Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt in their title roles from the film. The EDGE OF TOMORROW novel was written by Japanese author Hiroshi Sakurazaka, and was previously published as ALL YOU NEED IS KILL.

The Haikasoru imprint has also announced the May 6th release of the ALL YOU NEED IS KILL official graphic novel adaptation. Written by Haikasoru editor and noted sci-fi author, Nick Mamatas, and featuring full-color artwork by popular comic book artist Lee Ferguson (Green Arrow, Miranda Mercury), the new graphic novel offers a single-volume retelling of the original ALL YOU NEED IS KILL novel that inspired the EDGE OF TOMORROW movie. The graphic novel carries an MSRP of $14.99 U.S. / $17.99 CAN, and features an oversized North American graphic novel trim size of 6 5/8" x 10 ¼”. An eBook edition will also be available worldwide for $8.99 (U.S. / CAN) for the Amazon Kindle, Apple’s iBooks Store, Barnes & Noble’s Nook Book Store, and the Kobo eBooks Store. North American fans can also access the graphic novel digitally on the VIZ Manga App as well as through VIZManga.com.

The Edge of Tomorrow feature film is slated for U.S. release from Warner Bros. Pictures on June 6th, and will be presented in 3D and 2D in select theaters, and 3D IMAX. The movie is directed by Doug Liman and stars Tom Cruise, Emily Blunt and Bill Paxton.

The story is set in the future when aliens called Mimics invade. Keiji Kiriya is just one of many recruits shoved into a suit of battle armor called a Jacket and sent out to kill. But he dies on the battlefield after only a few minutes, only to be reborn each morning to fight and die again and again. On his 158th iteration, he gets a message from a mysterious ally – the female soldier known as the Full Metal Bitch. Is she the key to Keiji's escape or his final death?

In 2009, ALL YOU NEED IS KILL served as the launch title for Haikasoru, a unique imprint developed by VIZ Media dedicated to publishing the most compelling contemporary Japanese science fiction and fantasy for English-speaking audiences. New York Times best-selling author John Scalzi declared ALL YOU NEED IS KILL to be a novel that, "reads fast, kicks ass, and keeps on coming," and it has proven to be one of Haikasoru's most popular titles. Sakurazaka's other novels include Characters (co-written with Hiroki Azuma) and SLUM ONLINE, which was published in English by Haikasoru in 2010.

“Live…die…repeat. ALL YOU NEED IS KILL / EDGE OF TOMORROW delivers a nightmarish, action-packed spin on reliving one’s own triumphs, and failures,” says Nick Mamatas, Editor, Haikasoru. “Catch the original story that inspired the gripping movie with the official movie tie-in edition and in the Western comic book mode with the ALL YOU NEED IS KILL official graphic novel. Both of these debuts are perfect reads leading up to the highly anticipated theatrical debut of Edge of Tomorrow this summer!”

"The ALL YOU NEED TO KILL graphic novel stays very true to the original source novel," says Joel Enos, editor for the new comic. "We made a conscious effort to create something unique that could stand on it's own away from both the original novel, the film and the upcoming manga, but would nicely complement and pay respects to all three! Lee's retro-futuristic art style especially puts ALL YOU NEED TO KILL as a comic into it's own orbit!"

Author Hiroshi Sakurazaka was born in Tokyo in 1970 and published his first novel, Modern Magic Made Simple, in 2003 with Super Dash Bunko, a popular young adult light novel imprint. There are now seven volumes in the series, and it was adapted as a manga in 2008 and became a television anime series in 2009. His 2004 short story, "Saitama Chainsaw Massacre," also won the 16th SF Magazine Reader's Award. Sakurazaka published All You Need Is Kill with Super Dash Bunko in 2004 and earned his first Seiun Award nomination for best of the year honors in Japanese science fiction. In 2010, Sakurazaka started an experimental digital magazine AiR with fellow author Junji Hotta. He remains one of Japan's most energetic writers of both light novels and adult science fiction.

Haikasoru’s Nick Mamatas is the author of several novels, including The Damned Highway (with Brian Keene) and Love is the Law. His short fiction has appeared in Asimov's Science Fiction, Tor.com, Weird Tales, and numerous other venues. He's also written comics for Media Blasters and the Squid Works! Collective and has been nominated for the Hugo, World Fantasy, Bram Stoker, and Shirley Jackson awards.

Artist Lee Ferguson has worked in comics since 2001, when he broke in at Marvel on the 9/11 Heroes tribute book, followed by work on the company's X-Men titles. Since then, he's worked at DC, IDW, and Dynamite, while also putting out Freak, his creator-owned project from Image Comics. His newest book is The Many Adventures of Miranda Mercury, co-created with Brandon Thomas and published through Archaia Comics. In 2012, Miranda Mercury was on YALSA’s Best Graphic Novels for Teens list and was also nominated for four Glyph Awards, including Best Artist.

For more information on EDGE OF TOMORROW / ALL YOU NEED IS KILL and the Haikasoru imprint, please visit www.haikasoru.com.

For more information on other titles available from VIZ Media, please visit www.VIZ.com.

About VIZ Media, LLC
Headquartered in San Francisco, California, VIZ Media distributes, markets and licenses the best anime and manga titles direct from Japan.  Owned by three of Japan's largest manga and animation companies, Shueisha Inc., Shogakukan Inc., and Shogakukan-Shueisha Productions, Co., Ltd., VIZ Media has the most extensive library of anime and manga for English speaking audiences in North America, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. With its popular digital manga anthology WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP and blockbuster properties like NARUTO, BLEACH and INUYASHA, VIZ Media offers cutting-edge action, romance and family friendly properties for anime, manga, science fiction and fantasy fans of all ages.  VIZ Media properties are available as graphic novels, DVDs, animated television series, feature films, downloadable and streaming video and a variety of consumer products.  Learn more about VIZ Media, anime and manga at www.VIZ.com.

Tom Cruise's "Edge of Tomorrow" at 2013 Comic-Con International

ADDING MULTIMEDIA Tom Cruise & Emily Blunt Starrer “Edge of Tomorrow” Gets First Look at Comic-Con Footage from the Sci-Fi Thriller to Debut at San Diego Event 

BURBANK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--“Edge of Tomorrow” has been announced as the title of the upcoming sci-fi thriller starring Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt, directed by Doug Liman and based on the book All You Need is Kill. The movie, from Warner Bros. Pictures and Village Roadshow Pictures, is set for release on June 6, 2014, and the first look at footage from the film will be unveiled by the Studio at this year’s International Comic-Con: San Diego on Saturday, July 20. The announcement was made today by Sue Kroll, President, Worldwide Marketing and International Distribution, Warner Bros. Pictures.

Kroll stated, “We are extremely pleased to be able to give the Comic-Con audience, who’ve always been so supportive of us, the first peek at footage from ‘Edge of Tomorrow.’ The movie has all of us at the Studio very excited, and we can’t wait to see the reactions of fans who know and love the sci-fi genre so well.”

The epic action of “Edge of Tomorrow” unfolds in a near future in which an alien race has hit the Earth in an unrelenting assault, unbeatable by any military unit in the world.

Lt. Col. Bill Cage (Cruise) is an officer who has never seen a day of combat when he is unceremoniously dropped into what amounts to a suicide mission. Killed within minutes, Cage now finds himself inexplicably thrown into a time loop—forcing him to live out the same brutal combat over and over, fighting and dying again…and again.

But with each battle, Cage becomes able to engage the adversaries with increasing skill, alongside Special Forces warrior Rita Vrataski (Blunt). And, as Cage and Rita take the fight to the aliens, each repeated encounter gets them one step closer to defeating the enemy.

The international cast of “Edge of Tomorrow” also includes Bill Paxton (“Aliens,” HBO’s “Big Love”), Kick Gurry (Australian TV’s “Tangle”), Dragomir Mrsic (“Snabba Cash II”), Charlotte Riley (“World Without End”), Jonas Armstrong (BBC TV’s “Robin Hood”), and Franz Drameh (“Attack the Block”).

Liman directs the film from a screenplay by Dante W. Harper and Jez Butterworth & John-Henry Butterworth and Christopher McQuarrie, based on the acclaimed novel All You Need is Kill by Hiroshi Sakurazaka. Erwin Stoff produces, along with Tom Lassally, Jason Hoffs, Gregory Jacobs and Jeffrey Silver. The executive producers are Doug Liman, Dave Bartis, Joby Harold, Hidemi Fukuhara, and Bruce Berman, with Kim Winther and Tim Lewis serving as co-producers.

The behind-the-scenes team includes Academy Award®-winning director of photography Dion Beebe (“Memoirs of a Geisha”), production designer Oliver Scholl (“Jumper,” “Independence Day”), editor James Herbert (“Sherlock Holmes,” “Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows”), costume designer Kate Hawley (“Pacific Rim”), and Oscar®-nominated visual effects supervisor Nick Davis (“The Dark Knight”).

“Edge of Tomorrow” is a presentation of Warner Bros. Pictures, in association with Village Roadshow Pictures. Opening domestically on June 6, 2014, the film will be distributed in 2D and 3D in select theatres and IMAX by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company, and in select territories by Village Roadshow.

New Tom Cruise and "300" Sequel Change Release Dates

Warner Bros. Pictures Announces Date Changes for Two Much-Anticipated Event Films

“All You Need is Kill” Moves to the Coveted Summer Frame -- the Sci-Fi Actioner Will Open on June 6, 2014

“300: Rise of an Empire” Shifts to March 7, 2014, Following the Same Release Pattern of the Original Blockbuster, “300”

BURBANK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Warner Bros. Pictures has announced a change of release dates for two of its most-anticipated event films: “All You Need is Kill,” from Warner Bros. Pictures and Village Roadshow Pictures, and “300: Rise of an Empire,” from Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures. The announcement was made today by Dan Fellman, President of Domestic Distribution, and Veronika Kwan Vandenberg, President of International Distribution, Warner Bros. Pictures.

“All You Need is Kill” has been moved to the Summer release corridor, opening on June 6, 2014, with select international markets predating the domestic release, starting the weekend of May 30, 2014. The earlier international release date was specifically chosen to put the opening two weeks ahead of the start of the World Cup. The move reflects the studio’s already strong belief in the huge science fiction actioner, which marks the first collaboration between two proven hit-makers, Tom Cruise and director Doug Liman.

The release date of “300: Rise of an Empire,” a new chapter in the epic “300” saga, has moved to March 7, 2014, with international territories opening day-and-date, reflecting the global popularity of the franchise. The first “300,” which was released in March 2007, went on to earn more than $456 million worldwide.

Fellman stated, “We have tremendous confidence in ‘All You Need is Kill’ and view it as a perfect tent pole for the Summer frame, with its combination of great cast, compelling story and tremendous action.”

Fellman also noted, “Moving ‘300: Rise of an Empire’ to March 7 continues in the tradition of the first ‘300,’ and kicks off the Spring movie-going season in epic style. The film is on track to become all that audiences have come to expect from the franchise.”

Kwan Vandenberg said, “We are thrilled about ‘All You Need is Kill’ heating up our Summer `14 slate. It is an action-packed adventure, told by an extraordinary cast, which is sure to have global appeal.

“We are also excited about the continuation of the ‘300’ saga,” Kwan Vandenberg added. “The first ‘300’ movie was a huge success internationally, and the day-and-date release of the new film is a great opportunity to turn its opening into a worldwide event.”


About “300: Rise of an Empire”:
Told in the breathtaking visual style of the blockbuster “300,” this new chapter of the epic saga takes the action to a fresh battlefield—on the sea—as Greek general Themistokles attempts to unite all of Greece by leading the charge that will change the course of the war. “300: Rise of an Empire” pits Themistokles against the massive invading Persian forces led by mortal-turned-god Xerxes, and Artemisia, vengeful commander of the Persian navy.

Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures present, a Cruel and Unusual Films/Mark Canton/Gianni Nunnari Production, “300: Rise of an Empire.” The action adventure stars Sullivan Stapleton as Themistokles and Eva Green as Artemisia. Lena Headey reprises her starring role from “300” as the Spartan Queen, Gorgo; Hans Matheson stars as Aeskylos; David Wenham returns as Dilios; and Rodrigo Santoro stars again as the Persian King, Xerxes.

The film is directed by Noam Murro, from a screenplay by Zack Snyder & Kurt Johnstad, based on the graphic novel Xerxes, by Frank Miller. It is produced by Gianni Nunnari, Mark Canton, Zack Snyder, Deborah Snyder and Bernie Goldmann. Thomas Tull, Frank Miller, Stephen Jones and Jon Jashni serve as executive producers.

Opening in 3D and 2D in select theatres and IMAX on March 7, 2014, the film will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

About “All You Need is Kill”:
Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt star in “All You Need is Kill,” directed by Doug Liman.

The story unfolds in a near future in which a hive-like alien race, called Mimics, have hit the Earth in an unrelenting assault, shredding great cities to rubble and leaving millions of human casualties in their wake. No army in the world can match the speed, brutality or seeming prescience of the weaponized Mimic fighters or their telepathic Alpha commanders. But now the world’s armies have joined forces for a last stand offensive against the alien horde, with no second chances.

The international cast also includes Bill Paxton, Kick Gurry, Dragomir Mrsic, Charlotte Riley, Jonas Armstrong and Franz Drameh.

Liman directed the film from a screenplay by Dante W. Harper and Jez Butterworth & John-Henry Butterworth and Christopher McQuarrie, based on the acclaimed novel All You Need is Kill by Hiroshi Sakurazaka. Erwin Stoff, Tom Lassally, Jason Hoffs, Gregory S. Jacobs and Jeffrey Silver are the producers. The executive producers are Doug Liman, Dave Bartis, Joby Harold, Hidemi Fukuhara and Bruce Berman, with Kim Winther and Tim Lewis serving as co-producers.

“All You Need is Kill” is a presentation of Warner Bros. Pictures, in association with Village Roadshow Pictures. Opening domestically on June 6, 2014, the film will be distributed in 2D and 3D in select theatres and IMAX by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company, and in select territories by Village Roadshow.

Review: "Looper" the Coop-o-Loop of Time Travel Films

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 6 (of 2013) by Leroy Douresseaux


Looper (2012)
Running time: 119 minutes (1 hour, 59 minutes)
MPAA – R for strong violence, language, some sexuality/nudity and drug content
WRITER/DIRECTOR: Rian Johnson
PRODUCERS: Ram Bergman and James D. Stern
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Steve Yedlin (D.o.P.)
EDITOR: Bob Ducsay
COMPOSER: Nathan Johnson

SCI-FI/DRAMA/THRILLER

Starring: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Bruce Willis, Emily Blunt, Paul Dano, Noah Segan, Piper Perabo, Jeff Daniels, Pierce Gagnon, Summer Qing, Tracie Thoms, Garret Dillahunt, Frank Brennan, and Nick Gomez

Looper is a 2012 science fiction-thriller from writer-director, Rian Johnson. The film stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt, who was also the lead in Johnson’s debut feature film, Brick (2005).

Looper opens in the year 2044, in a Kansas cornfield. We watch 25-year-old Joseph “Joe” Simmons (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) shoot a man who suddenly appears in front of him. In the year 2074, when the mob wants to get rid of someone, it sends the target 30 years into the past, where a hired gun, called a “looper,” awaits to do the killing. When the crime bosses want to end a looper’s contract, they send him back so that his younger self can do the killing. It’s called “closing the loop.”

One day, “Young Joe” (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) learns that it is time to close his loop when “Old Joe” (Bruce Willis) suddenly appears in front of him. After Old Joe escapes, Young Joe becomes the target of his boss, Abe (Jeff Daniels), leader of a Kansas City mafia company.

When I first saw Rian Johnson’s Brick several years ago, I was impressed. The film was basically a classic detective movie set in a modern, suburban high school with dysfunctional kids and juvenile delinquents playing the roles of the detective, the femme fatale, and the criminals. Looper is more than just a clever time travel story. For one thing, it is probably the most imaginative time travel film since 12 Monkeys (in which Bruce Willis played the lead).

I don’t want to give away any more of Looper’s delightful surprises, shocking twists, and stunning turns. I will say that Looper is not just about the affect of time travel on the characters. It is also about what time, chance, and opportunity mean to the lives of the characters. Thus, Looper is a character drama as much as it is a science fiction film. Of course, there is action; after all, this is a movie in which Bruce Willis plays a major part. His character, “Old Joe,” is so desperate, however, that he is despicable, and that allows Willis to show a range of emotions and to suggest the complicated thought processes going on behind his eyes in ways that Willis rarely gets to do.

Besides Willis, there are good performances all around. Joseph Gordon-Levitt proves himself (once again) as a leading man, and Noah Segan shines (and steals a few scenes) as the anxious-to-prove-himself, Kid Blue. My only complaints about Looper are that it is a bit too long, and it stumbles in places because of that. Still, Looper is thought-provoking and thrilling, and it is something rare, a truly imaginative time travel movie.

8 of 10
A

Sunday, January 20, 2013

"Moonrise Kingdom" is Best Picture Winner at 2012 Gotham Awards

The first "best picture" winner of the 2012-13 movie award season is Wes Anderson's Moonrise Kingdom.  The romance film about a preteen couple caught in the intense throes of young love picked up the top prize at last night's ceremony (Monday, November 26, 2012) for the 2012 Gotham Awards.

The Gotham Awards is an annual film awards ceremony that honors independent films. The Gotham Awards are part of The Independent Filmmaker Project (IFP), the nation’s oldest and largest organization of independent filmmakers. The Gotham Awards also signal the kick-off to the film awards season.

Nominees are selected by groups of distinguished film critics, journalists, festival programmers, and film curators. Separate juries of writers, directors, actors, producers, editors and others directly involved in making films determine the final Gotham Award recipients.

22nd Annual Gotham Independent Film Awards Winners:

Best Feature:
Moonrise Kingdom
Wes Anderson, director; Wes Anderson, Scott Rudin, Steven Rales, Jeremy Dawson, producers (Focus Features)

Best Documentary:
How to Survive a Plague
David France, director; Howard Gertler, David France, producers (Sundance Selects)

Best Ensemble Performance:
Your Sister’s Sister
Emily Blunt, Rosemarie Dewitt, Mark Duplass (IFC Films)

Breakthrough Director:
Benh Zeitlin for Beasts of the Southern Wild (Fox Searchlight Pictures)

Breakthrough Actor:
Emayatzy Corinealdi in Middle of Nowhere (AFFRM and Participant Media)

Best Film Not Playing at a Theater Near You:
An Oversimplification of Her Beauty
Terence Nance, director; Terence Nance, Andrew Corkin, James Bartlett, producers

The Calvin Klein Spotlight on Women Filmmakers ‘Live the Dream’ grant is a $25,000 cash award for an alumna of IFP’s Independent Filmmaker Labs. This grant aims to further the careers of emerging women directors by supporting the completion, distribution and audience engagement strategies of their first feature film.

Stacie Passon, director, Concussion WINNER

The 3rd Annual Gotham Independent Film Audience Award:
Voted on by an independent film community of 230,000 film fans worldwide. To be eligible, a U.S. film must have won an audience award at one of the top 50 U.S. or Canadian film festivals from November 2011 through October 2012. The nominees were announced November 5th, and the winner revealed at the Gotham Awards ceremony.

Winner:
ARTIFACT
Directed by Bartholomew Cubbins
Produced by Jared Leto and Emma Ludbrook

Nominees:
BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD
Director: Benh Zeitlin
Producers: Michael Gottwald, Dan Janvey, Josh Penn

BURN: ONE YEAR ON THE FRONT LINES OF THE BATTLE TO SAVE DETROIT
Directors: Brenna Sanchez, Tom Putnam
Producers: Brenna Sanchez, Tom Putnam

THE INVISIBLE WAR
Director: Kirby Dick
Producers: Amy Ziering, Tanner King Barklow

ONCE IN A LULLABY: THE PS 22 CHORUS STORY
Director: Jonathan Kalafer
Producers: Steve Kalafer, Jonathan Kalafer, Bao Nguyen

The Bingham Ray Award (The recipient of this award was chosen by a close group of Bingham’s friends and colleagues.):

BENH ZEITLIN, director of BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD

Doug Liman/Tom Cruise Sci-Fi Film Due March 2014

Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt to Invade Theatres in a New Sci-Fi Thriller on March 14, 2014

From Director Doug Liman, the Film is Based on the Book All You Need is Kill

BURBANK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The upcoming epic sci-fi thriller, starring Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt and based on the book All You Need is Kill, will open on March 14, 2014, from Warner Bros. Pictures, Legendary Pictures and Village Roadshow Pictures. The announcement was made today by Dan Fellman, President of Domestic Distribution, and Veronika Kwan Vandenberg, President of International Distribution, Warner Bros. Pictures.

Being directed by Doug Liman, the film is the first motion picture to be shot at the recently christened Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden, and begins principal photography today, Monday, October 1.

The story unfolds in a near future in which a hive-like alien race, called Mimics, have hit the Earth in an unrelenting assault, shredding great cities to rubble and leaving millions of human casualties in their wake. No army in the world can match the speed, brutality or seeming prescience of the weaponized Mimic fighters or their telepathic commanders. But now the world’s armies have joined forces for a last stand offensive against the alien horde, with no second chances.

Lt. Col. Bill Cage (Cruise) is an officer who has never seen a day of combat when he is unceremoniously demoted and then dropped—untrained and ill-equipped—into what amounts to little more than a suicide mission. Cage is killed within minutes, managing to take an Alpha down with him. But, impossibly, he awakens back at the beginning of the same hellish day, and is forced to fight and die again…and again. Direct physical contact with the alien has thrown him into a time loop—dooming him to live out the same brutal combat over and over.

But with each pass, Cage becomes tougher, smarter, and able to engage the Mimics with increasing skill, alongside Special Forces warrior Rita Vrataski (Blunt), who has lain waste to more Mimics than anyone on Earth. As Cage and Rita take the fight to the aliens, each repeated battle becomes an opportunity to find the key to annihilating the alien invaders and saving the Earth.

Oscar® nominee Cruise (the “Mission: Impossible” films, “Collateral,” “Jerry Maguire”) and Blunt (“The Devil Wears Prada,” “The Adjustment Bureau”) lead an international cast that also includes Bill Paxton (“Aliens,” HBO’s “Big Love”), Jonas Armstrong (BBC TV’s “Robin Hood”), Tony Way (HBO’s “Game of Thrones”), Kick Gurry (Australian TV’s “Tangle”), Franz Drameh (“Attack the Block”), Dragomir Mrsic (“Snabba Cash II”), and Charlotte Riley (“World Without End”).

Liman (“The Bourne Identity,” “Mr. & Mrs. Smith”) is directing the film from a screenplay by Dante Harper, Christopher McQuarrie and Joby Harold, based on the acclaimed novel All You Need is Kill by Hiroshi Sakurazaka. Erwin Stoff (“The Blind Side,” “I Am Legend”), Gregory Jacobs (“Contagion”) and Jeffrey Silver (“300”) are the producers. The executive producers are Jason Hoffs, Joby Harold, Doug Liman, Dave Bartis, Tom Lassally, Hidemi Fukuhara, Thomas Tull, Jon Jashni, Alex Garcia and Bruce Berman, with Tim Lewis and Kim Winther serving as co-producers. (Credits are not final.)

The behind-the-scenes team includes Academy Award®-winning director of photography Dion Beebe (“Memoirs of a Geisha”), production designer Oliver Scholl (“Jumper,” “Independence Day”), editor James Herbert (“Sherlock Holmes,” “Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows”), costume designer Kate Hawley (upcoming “Pacific Rim”), and Oscar®-nominated visual effects supervisor Nick Davis (“The Dark Knight”).

The film will be distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

"The Muppets" is Muppet-ational

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 25 (of 2012) by Leroy Douresseaux


The Muppets (2011)
Running time: 103 minutes (l hour, 43 minutes)
MPAA – PG for some mild rude humor
DIRECTOR: James Bobin
WRITERS: Jason Segel and Nicholas Stoller
PRODUCERS: David Hoberman and Todd Lieberman
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Don Burgess
EDITOR: James Thomas
COMPOSER: Christophe Beck
Academy Award winner

FANTASY/COMEDY/FAMILY/MUSICAL

Starring: Jason Segel, Amy Adams, Chris Cooper, Rashida Jones, and Jack Black and The Muppets: (voices) Peter Linz, Steve Whitmire, Eric Jacobson, Dave Goelz, Bill Barretta, David Rudman, Matt Vogel, Tyler Bunch, and Alice Dinnean with Emily Blunt, Whoopi Goldberg, and Zach Galifianakis

The Muppets is a 2011 live-action, musical comedy and fantasy film from Walt Disney Pictures. This Oscar-winning film stars The Muppets, the puppet characters created by the late Jim Henson, specifically the characters that appeared on the television series, “The Muppets” (1976-81). This film finds The Muppets reuniting to save their old theatre from a crooked oil tycoon.

Walter (voice of Peter Linz) is a man born as a Muppet. He lives in Smalltown (presumably a small town in the American Midwest) with his brother, Gary (Jason Segel). Gary has planned a vacation to Los Angeles with his girlfriend, Mary (Amy Adams), for their tenth anniversary, and he invites Walter along, so that he can tour the Muppet Studios.

Once in L.A., the trio finds the studio lot abandoned and Muppet Theatre decrepit. Walter happens to overhear Tex Richman (Chris Cooper), a greedy oil tycoon, plotting to seize control of Muppet Theatre, which he also plans to destroy. Walter, Gary, and Mary travel to the mansion of Kermit the Frog (Steve Whitmore), and convince him to reunite The Muppets. Kermit wants to put on a telethon to raise the ten million dollars needed to save Muppet Theatre, but The Muppets have not performed together in years and are scattered around the country. Even if Kermit reunites his friends, no television network thinks that The Muppets are still popular or relevant enough to give them the television time they will need to raise so much money.

With the release of The Muppets last year, I got a chance to rediscover my love for these characters. I watched the first television series, The Muppet Show, during its original run and later, in syndication for several years. I must say that I’m pleased with this new movie, which was critically well-received and performed well at the box office. For the most part, these are still The Muppets that I knew and loved and still love.

The new songs are better than I thought they would be. The beguiling, Elton John-esque “Man or Muppet” (written by Bret McKenzie) won a best original song Oscar, but I prefer two other McKenzie-penned songs. “Life’s a Happy Song” and “Me Party” (co-written by Paul Roemen) are the kind of catchy tunes that can stand on their own as lively jingles outside The Muppets (or even be used in another movie).

Early in the film, I found the characters played by Jason Segel and Amy Adams intolerable and intrusive. I was only a little more tolerant of nouveau-faux Muppet, Walter. As Segel’s Gary and Adams’ Mary recede more into the background and take their place as supporting characters, they grew on me… a little. Besides, I find it hard not to like Amy Adams. Truthfully, Gary, Mary, and Walter seem like minor gateway characters that create the contrivances which in turn bring The Muppets back into the picture. By the end of the movie, I liked that the new characters were part of the film.

Of course, the best thing in The Muppets are The Muppets. Whenever they’re singing and dancing and squabbling and trying to keep their stuff together, The Muppets have their mojo, and their mojo is back. By the end of The Muppets, I was sad because I wanted the movie to be longer.

8 of 10
A

NOTES:
2012 Academy Awards: 1 win: “Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Song” (Bret McKenzie for the song "Man or Muppet")

Saturday, March 24, 2012

"The Adjustment Bureau" Has Slightly Christian Take on Philip K. Dick

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 67 (of 2011) by Leroy Douresseaux


The Adjustment Bureau (2011)
Running time: 106 minutes (1 hour, 46 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for brief strong language, some sexuality and a violent image
DIRECTOR: George Nolfi
WRITER: George Nolfi (based upon the short story, “Adjustment Team” by Philip K. Dick)
PRODUCERS: Bill Carraro, Michael Hackett, Chris Moore, and George Nolfi
CINEMATOGRAPHER: John Toll
EDITOR: Jay Rabinowitz
COMPOSER: Thomas Newman

FANTASY/SCI-FI/DRAMA/ROMANCE/THRILLER

Starring: Matt Damon, Emily Blunt, Anthony Mackie, John Slattery, Terrence Stamp, Michael Kelly, and Anthony Ruivivar

The Adjustment Bureau is a 2011 fantasy drama and romantic thriller starring Matt Damon and Emily Blunt. The film is based upon “Adjustment Team,” a short story by Philip K. Dick first published in 1954 (in Orbit Science Fiction magazine). The film tells the story of a romance between a politician and a ballerina imperiled by a group of men determined to keep them apart.

David Norris (Matt Damon) is a rising political star who hits a bump on his road to glory, but this disappointment causes him to meet, Elise Sellas (Emily Blunt), a contemporary ballet dancer. Entranced by her, David is sure that he and Elise were meant to be together. It is then that he meets a group of mysterious men in hats conspiring to keep them apart.

The men work for The Adjustment Bureau, and these agents of Fate want David to quit Elise and accept a predetermined path they have set for him. They are going to do everything in their considerable powers to stop David and Elise from being together. But David is willing to risk everything to be with Elise, and an unusual member of The Adjustment Bureau named Harry Mitchell (Anthony Mackie) may be the only one who can help David determine his own fate.

The Adjustment Bureau has some interesting ideas, being part metaphysical science fiction with religious themes throughout. Philip K. Dick’s original story was a parable about how defenseless and helpless man is when he goes up against the “Grand Design” or fate. The Adjustment Bureau takes that idea and gives it a somewhat Christian spin and pits that age-old battle of man’s free will against the grand design of God, called “The Chairman” in this movie.

For all its philosophical ambitions, The Adjustment Bureau is a film that seems to be going through the motions for much of the movie. The film doesn’t spring to life until the last half hour when the central conflict stops being philosophical and theoretical and becomes actual conflict. In fact, it is that last half hour that takes this film from average to good.

The Adjustment Bureau has a talented cast. Matt Damon and Emily Blunt not only deliver solid performances, but they also actually have good chemistry and are a convincing screen couple. Anthony Mackie gives a layered, thoughtful performance as Harry Mitchell; whenever he is onscreen, The Adjustment Bureau is at its best.

6 of 10
B

Wednesday, August 03, 2011

Review: Tom and Julia Candy-Coat "Charlie Wilson's War"

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 23 (of 2008) by Leroy Douresseaux

Charlie Wilson’s War (2007)
Running time: 102 minutes (1 hour, 42 minutes)
MPAA – R for strong language, nudity/sexual content, and some drug use
DIRECTOR: Mike Nichols
WRITER: Aaron Sorkin (based upon a book, Charlie Wilson’s War: The Extraordinary Story of the Largest Covert Operation in History, by George Crile)
PRODUCERS: Gary Goetzman and Tom Hanks
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Stephen Goldblatt (D.o.P.)
EDITORS: John Bloom and Antonia Van Drimmelen
Academy Award nominee

DRAMA/COMEDY/HISTORY

Starring: Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams, Brian Markinson, Emily Blunt, Jud Taylor, Hilary Angelo, Cyia Batten, and Ned Beatty

Director Mike Nichols’ historical drama and political comedy, Charlie Wilson’s War is based on a true story. In real life, Charles “Charlie” Wilson was a 12-term Democratic United States Representative from the 2nd congressional district in Texas. Wilson is best known for convincing the U.S. Congress to support a CIA covert operation in Afghanistan. This largest ever CIA covert operation supplied the Afghan mujahideen in their fight against the Soviet Union which began occupying the country when Soviet forces entered the Asian nation in 1978. Charlie Wilson’s War is a biographical film based upon George Crile’s book about Wilson and his activities entitled, Charlie Wilson’s War: The Extraordinary Story of the Largest Covert Operation in History.

Charlie Wilson (Tom Hanks), an alcoholic womanizer and Texas congressman, conspires with a rogue CIA operative, Gust Avrakotos (Philip Seymour Hoffman, in an Oscar-nominated role), to aid Afghan mujahideen rebels in their fight against the Soviet Red Army. With the help of Joanne Herring (Julia Roberts), a conservative political activist and Houston socialite, Wilson persuades Congressional defense committees to fund the training and arming of resistance fighters in Afghanistan to fend off the Soviet Union. The money, training and a team of military experts may help turn the tide for the ill-equipped Afghan freedom-fighters, but Wilson finds himself in a fight to keep his loosely connected allies in line.

Charlie Wilson’s War is certainly a sly and sophisticated movie, but it is ultimately shallow. Screenwriter Aaron Sorkin weaves a steady stream of clever and witty dialogue, and his ability to make wonkish political and military jargon light and airy enough to fit in with this film’s humorous tone is impressive.

Mike Nichols builds his sharp-edged political comedy around actors who give… well, sharp performances. Tom Hanks plays Charlie Wilson as a down-home smart aleck who can be a regular guy, a savvy politician, or blindingly smart strategist when the occasion calls for it. Philip Seymour Hoffman delivers Gust Avrakotos as a bludgeon and scalpel, but the treat here are the women. Julia Roberts is so fine as the charming, imperial Joanne Herring – a super woman who can match any man. Amy Adams as Wilson’s ever-ready, girl Friday continues to spread her enchantment on movie audiences, while the other actresses who play Wilson’s staff of super honeys also deliver really good performances.

So, Charlie Wilson's War is entertaining, with its good performances and deft comedic handling of real American history, but its entertainment value is about the extent of it. Charlie Wilson’s War is just a candy-coated topping covering up the ugly side of American intervention in international affairs. Nichols, his creative staff, and his cast certainly give us enough sweet sassiness to enjoy, but sooner or later we have to get down to the bad taste of the truth that lies at the heart of this story. In the real world, covert operations are much messier than this clean, slick political film is.

7 of 10
B+

NOTES:
2008 Academy Awards: 1 nomination for “Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role” (Philip Seymour Hoffman)

2008 BAFTA Awards: 1 nomination for “Best Supporting Actor” (Philip Seymour Hoffman)

2008 Golden Globes: 5 nominations: “Best Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical,” “Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical” (Tom Hanks), “Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture” (Philip Seymour Hoffman), “Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture” (Julia Roberts), and “Best Screenplay - Motion Picture” (Aaron Sorkin)

Tuesday, May 06, 2008

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Review: Cute "Gnomeo & Juliet" Charms All Ages

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 44 (of 2011) by Leroy Douresseaux

Gnomeo & Juliet (2011)
Running time: 84 min (1 hour, 24 minutes)
MPAA – G
DIRECTOR: Kelly Asbury
WRITERS: Andy Riley, Kevin Cecil, Mark Burton, Emily Cook, Kathy Greenberg, Steve Hamilton Shaw, and Kelly Asbury; from a story by Rob Sprackling, John R. Smith, Andy Riley, Kevin Cecil, and Steve Hamilton Shaw and from an original screenplay by Rob Sprackling and John R. Smith (based upon the play by William Shakespeare)
PRODUCERS: Baker Bloodworth, David Furnish, and Steve Hamilton Shaw
EDITOR: Catherine Apple
COMPOSERS: Chris Bacon and James Newton Howard
SONGS: Elton John and Bernie Taupin

ANIMATION/COMEDY/ACTION/ROMANCE

Starring: James McAvoy, Emily Blunt, Ashley Jensen, Michael Caine, Matt Lucas, Jim Cummings, Maggie Smith, Jason Statham, Ozzy Osbourne, Stephen Merchant, Patrick Stewart, Julie Walters, Richard Wilson, and Hulk Hogan

Gnomeo & Juliet is a computer-animated film released earlier this year. A family film, it retells William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet using garden gnomes that walk and talk. Recordings of Elton John songs like “Saturday Night’s Alright for Fighting,” “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart,” and “Your Song,” are the soundtrack to this classic love story with a twist.

Mrs. Montague (Julie Walters), with her blue house, and Mr. Capulet (Richard Wilson), with his red house, are next door neighbors and enemies. When they leave their homes, the objects in their backyard come to life. The Montague backyard is filled with blue garden gnomes, while the Capulet backyard has red garden gnomes, and like their masters, the blue and red garden gnomes are mortal enemies. They are constantly fighting or engaging in dangerous games like lawnmower races. The blues are led by Lady Blueberry (Maggie Smith) and the reds by Lord Redbrick (Michael Caine).

The garden gnome feud takes a complicated turn when Gnomeo (James McAvoy), son of Lady Blueberry, and Juliet (Emily Blunt), daughter of Redbrick, meet and begin a romance. When a lawnmower race goes horribly awry, Gnomeo is on the run and Juliet is confined to a fountain. Will their love prevail or will Gnomeo and Juliet come to the same tragic end as Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet?

There is not much to say about Gnomeo & Juliet. It’s cute, often heartwarming, and surprisingly (at least to me) fun to watch. A movie doesn’t really have to be good to be entertaining, and while Gnomeo & Juliet isn’t by any means great, it has a few moments that you might find just delightful to watch. Exceptional animated films have great supporting characters, but this one doesn’t, although there are good ones that the film underutilizes (like Nanette the garden frog and Shroom the silent mushroom).

The Elton John songs, some of which are turned into instrumental melodies or interludes, are a mixed bag. The duets, with Lady Gaga on “Hello, Hello” and with Nelly Furtado on “Crocodile Rock,” are disappointing, especially the Gaga joint, which sounds like a symphony of warring cats. The film, however, makes good use of the classic songs.

That aside, Gnomeo & Juliet will delight its intended audience – children, but many adults are in for a surprise. They will find this wacky take on Romeo and Juliet sometimes witty and often charming.

6 of 10
B

Saturday, May 28, 2011

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