Review: "Jurassic Park III" is a Third of the Original Film

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 2 of 2001 (No. 2) by Leroy Douresseaux

Jurassic Park III (2001)
Running time: 92 minutes (1 hour, 32 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for intense sci-fi terror and violence
DIRECTOR: Joe Johnston
WRITERS: Peter Buchman, Alexander Payne, and Jim Taylor (based on characters created by Michael Crichton)
PRODUCERS: Larry J. Franco and Kathleen Kennedy
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Shelly Johnson
EDITOR: Robert Dalva
COMPOSER: Don Davis
Razzie Award nominee

SCI-FI/ACTION/ADVENTURE/HORROR/THRILLER

Starring: Sam Neill, William H. Macy, Téa Leoni, Alessandro Nivola, Trevor Morgan, Michael Jeter, John Diehl, Bruce A. Young, and Laura Dern

The subject of this movie review is Jurassic Park III, a 2001 science fiction and dinosaur movie from director Joe Johnston. Steven Spielberg, who directed the first two films in the Jurassic Park franchise, executive produced this film. Although musical themes by John Williams, who composed the music for the first two films, are used, Don Davis provides the musical score for Jurassic Park III.

Jurassic Park III is purely and simply product; it is created and delivered to its consumers in the form of movies, toys, and interactive media. The movie is a quick, chaotic thrill, that attempts to waste nothing via tight, concise action and storytelling and wastes all its potential to be a really good movie in an attempt to make sure no one gets too long a glance and at this scared, awkward baby.

Based more on the Steven Spielberg directed 1993 original than the 1997 Spielberg follow up The Lost World: Jurassic Park 2, this movie stars Sam Neill who reprises his role from the original as Dr. Alan Grant. William H. Macy and Tea Leoni play a divorced couple that tricks Dr. Grant into finding their son (Trevor Morgan) who is presumed missing on an island used by InGen, the dinosaur creating frankencorp, to produce dino specimens for their dino theme parks.

The cast, led by, Neill is up to the task of making a really good film. Neill is earnest and believable as Grant, and the character fits him like old, familiar clothes. Macy is always a pleasure to watch. His Paul Kirby is a weak, flawed and disingenuous man who climbs out of the morass of wimp hood into manhood as the film progress. Leoni’s Amanda Kirby is equally up to the task of transformation, and that is shocking. She is a likeable actress, but she is usually one note only; it was refreshing to see her play a character that can actually grow as the movie progresses. Morgan as their son Eric and Alessandro Nivola as Grant’s assistant Billy Brennan are also both fully fleshed three-dimensional characters. The viewer cares about these characters, and we cringe when they are in danger as much as we cheer them on their quest for survival.

These wonderful characters are the mark of strong writing, but what does go wrong? Johnston is a capable director and has shown the ability to control the pace of an SFX film that could get out of control in less skilled hands, as he did in Jumanji (1995). It seems as if the movie is hung on a thin, thread. Its premise is a basic and quick “get in, snatch and grab, get out.” The creators are blessed with even more knowledge about dinosaurs than its two predecessors, as well as SFX (special effects) and CGI (computer generated imagery) capabilities that surpass the original's (a movie that is still as good today as it was back in 1993).

One gets the sense that the filmmakers were very concerned about making a short movie, one in which the audience would not get to restless. That’s understandable. No matter how good the computer and effects work get, or how much new technology dates the original, any follow up to Jurassic Park cannot have the impact that the original did. Every dino sighting in the first film was a thrill; it was like discovering a whole new world. Jurassic Park was and will always be a landmark of cinema, a testament to both Spielberg’s savvy and skill and a testament to Hollywood SFX men, the special ones who always introduce us to something that we never thought we’d see on the big screen. They show us the amazing and do it with such class, quality, and skill that they leave us breathless and speechless and wanting more.

So how can part three compete with that? The sequel deals with it by running away from trying to be something special. It scampers through the dino-infested jungle of its predecessors like a madman, as afraid of its own shadow as it is of the raptors.

Granted that the characters are fighting for their lives, they rarely take the time to stop and observe something that would and should leave them speechless. A hallmark of the first was how the characters could be both fascinated and horrified by the wonderful things before them. They’re seeing real living breathing dinosaurs, and they’re only mildly interested. Yes, they’re genetic replicants, but these dinos are as close to the real thing as they’ll probably ever see. Even Dr. Grant didn’t seem too awed by the appearance of this film’s giant predator villain, the Spinosaurus, which runs through the film like a clumsy, wrecking bawl, screeching and slobbering all over the proceedings. Even the new look raptors mostly seem to be stiff and nervous models on the runway of an annual Paris toy show.

Through all this, one can see the skill and talent of Johnston and his writers, which includes Alexander Payne, the auteur of the (sadly) ignored Election. Even in a quick 90 minutes, one can see the quality of the work of the cast and crew. It’s a shame we got a truncated Reader’s Digest version of a story that could have been so much more. Still, it was as nice a treat as one can expect from a summer movie.

6 of 10
B

NOTES:
2002 Razzie Awards: 1 nomination: “Worst Remake or Sequel”

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"42" Star, Chadwick Boseman, to Appear at Smithsonian

Time Warner Inc. and the Smithsonian Welcome Chadwick Boseman, Star of the Film “42”

Event Takes Place on Jackie Robinson Day, April 15th, the 66th Anniversary of His First Appearance as a Brooklyn Dodger

WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Time Warner Inc. and Smithsonian's National Museum of American History will celebrate Jackie Robinson Day by hosting a special screening of Warner Bros. Pictures’ and Legendary Pictures’ new film “42.” The screening will be held at the Warner Bros. Theatre on Monday, April 15, in Washington, DC. “42,” the true story of American legend Jackie Robinson, opens nationwide on Friday, April 12, 2013.

Actor Chadwick Boseman, who portrays Jackie Robinson in the film, will join National Museum of American History Director John Gray and Curator Eric Jentsch to introduce the film and present several objects from the Smithsonian collection that relate to Jackie Robinson. The pieces include a signed baseball, a program with Robinson on the cover and an original trading card.

After the movie, Mr. Boseman will participate in an onstage interview session with Lonny Bunch, Director of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture.


About “42”
Academy Award® winner Brian Helgeland (“L.A. Confidential”) wrote and directed the drama “42,” starring Chadwick Boseman (“The Express”) and Oscar® nominee Harrison Ford (“Witness”).

Hero is a word we hear often in sports, but heroism is not always about achievements on the field of play. “42” tells the story of two men—the great Jackie Robinson and trailblazing Brooklyn Dodgers GM Branch Rickey—whose brave stand against prejudice forever changed the world by changing the game of baseball.

In 1947, Branch Rickey put himself at the forefront of history when he signed Jackie Robinson to the Brooklyn Dodgers, breaking Major League Baseball’s infamous color line. But the deal also put both Robinson and Rickey in the firing line of the public, the press and other players. Facing blatant racism from every side, even his own team, Robinson was forced to demonstrate tremendous courage and restraint by not reacting in kind, knowing that any incident could destroy his and Rickey’s hopes. Instead, Number 42 let his talent on the field do the talking—ultimately winning over fans and his teammates, silencing his critics, and paving the way for others to follow.

In 1997, Major League Baseball retired the number 42 for all teams, making it the first number in sports to be universally retired. The only exception is every year on April 15th—Jackie Robinson Day—commemorating the date of his first game as a Brooklyn Dodger. On that day alone, players from every team proudly wear the number 42 to honor the man who altered the course of history.

Rounding out the main cast of “42” are Nicole Beharie as Rachel Robinson, Christopher Meloni as Leo Durocher, Andre Holland as Wendell Smith, Lucas Black as Pee Wee Reese, Hamish Linklater as Ralph Branca, and Ryan Merriman as Dixie Walker.

The film is produced by Thomas Tull, with Dick Cook, Jon Jashni and Jason Clark serving as executive producers, and Darryl Pryor and Jillian Zaks co-producing.

Helgeland's behind-the-scenes collaborators included Oscar®-nominated director of photography Don Burgess (“Forrest Gump”), production designer Richard Hoover, costume designer Caroline Harris, and editors Kevin Stitt and Peter McNulty. The music is composed by Oscar® nominee Mark Isham (“A River Runs Through It”).

Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures present, a Legendary Pictures Production, a Brian Helgeland film, “42.” Slated for release April 12, 2013, the film will open in time to commemorate the 66th anniversary of Jackie Robinson Day—April 15, the date of his first game as a Brooklyn Dodger. This film has been rated PG-13 for thematic elements, including language.

Watch the trailer at www.42movie.com.

"The Great Gatsby" Album Track List Revealed

“The Great Gatsby” Soundtrack Boasts All-Star Lineup

Shawn “JAY Z” Carter, executive producer of the film, executive produces soundtrack for “The Great Gatsby,” featuring original new music from Lana Del Rey, Beyoncé x André 3000, Florence + The Machine, will.i.am, The xx, Fergie + Q Tip + GoonRock, and The Bryan Ferry Orchestra, among others, on Interscope Records’ worldwide release – ALBUM TRACK LIST REVEALED

BURBANK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--“The Great Gatsby” writer/producer/director Baz Luhrmann and collaborators Shawn “JAY Z” Carter, an executive producer on the film, and Anton Monsted, its executive music supervisor, revealed the lineup for the movie’s soundtrack today, which encompasses the broad spectrum of musical styles represented in this energetic re-telling of the classic text. The joint announcement was made today by Warner Bros. Pictures and Universal Music Group’s Interscope Records.

Drawing on his unique and unrivalled position in popular culture, JAY Z (with collaborator and the film’s executive music consultant Jeymes Samuel) has worked with Luhrmann and his team on the project over the past two years, translating the Jazz Age sensibility of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel into the musical equivalents of our own times, through the blending of hip-hop, traditional jazz and other contemporary musical textures.

Luhrmann stated, “F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel is peppered with contemporary music references specific to the story’s setting of 1922. While we acknowledge, as Fitzgerald phrased it, ‘the Jazz Age,’ and this is the period represented on screen, we—our audience—are living in the ‘hip-hop age’ and want our viewers to feel the impact of modern-day music the way Fitzgerald did for the readers of his novel at the time of its publication.”

“The Great Gatsby is that classic American story of one’s introduction to extravagance, decadence and illusion. It’s ripe for experimentation and ready to be interpreted with a modern twist. The imagination Baz brought to ‘Moulin Rouge!’ made it a masterpiece, and ‘Romeo + Juliet’s’ score wasn’t just in the background; the music became a character. This film’s vision and direction has all the makings of an epic experience,” JAY Z said in a previous statement.

JAY Z’s own “No Church in the Wild,” which he was recording when he and Luhrmann first came together, is included in the film, along with his original “100$ Bill.” The first single to drop will be the hauntingly melodious track “Young and Beautiful,” from recent Brit Award winner for Best International Female Solo Artist, Lana Del Rey; the music video and song release are scheduled for April 22nd and April 23rd, respectively. Del Rey collaborated with Luhrmann in creating the song.

Del Rey said, “It was an honor to work with Baz Lurhmann on his amazing adaptation of one of the most extraordinary books ever written. The movie is highly glamorous and exciting; Rick Nowels and I were thrilled to write the song for the film.”

Luhrmann also worked personally alongside good friends and collaborators Florence Welch, of Florence + The Machine, and The xx. Each of the artists worked to picture.

The highly eclectic soundtrack also features songs performed by such artists as Beyoncé x André 3000; Fergie + Q Tip + GoonRock; Coco O. of Quadron; Gotye; Nero; and Sia. Moviegoers will also recognize a few favorites with a new twist, such as Jack White’s interpretation of U2’s “Love Is Blindness,” Beyoncé x André 3000 collaborating on Amy Winehouse's "Back To Black," and Bryan Ferry’s new take on a couple of classics: his own “Love Is The Drug,” and, with Emeli Sandé, Beyoncé’s “Crazy in Love.” New songs by Florence + The Machine, Lana Del Rey, Nero, will.i.am and The xx were written for scenes in the film, and appear on the soundtrack.

A new trailer for the film was released today by Warner Bros. Pictures, and features the songs “Back To Black,” from Beyoncé x André 3000; “Young And Beautiful,” from Lana Del Rey; and “Over The Love,” from Florence + The Machine. The trailer can be viewed at www.thegreatgatsbymovie.com.

The score is composed by Luhrmann’s regular collaborator, Craig Armstrong, who worked with the director on “Moulin Rouge!” and “William Shakespeare’s Romeo + Juliet.”

Beginning May 7th, Target stores and Target.com will be the exclusive U.S. retailer of the of the 17-track deluxe edition of the album. That date will also see the album available at digital retailers (available for pre-order on April 23rd). A 14-track physical version will also be available at Starbucks in the U.S. and Canada, and widely, both physically and digitally, at various retailers. Internationally, the soundtrack will be released in physical, digital, deluxe and standard formats on May 6th.

Both the standard album and the deluxe edition will be released worldwide by Interscope Records.

The full track list for “The Great Gatsby” standard soundtrack album is as follows:

1.100$ Bill - JAY Z

2.Back To Black - Beyoncé x André 3000

3.Bang Bang - will.i.am

4.A Little Party Never Killed Nobody (All We Got) - Fergie + Q Tip + GoonRock

5.Young And Beautiful - Lana Del Rey

6.Love Is The Drug - Bryan Ferry with The Bryan Ferry Orchestra

7.Over The Love - Florence + The Machine

8.Where The Wind Blows - Coco O. of Quadron

9.Crazy in Love - Emeli Sandé and The Bryan Ferry Orchestra

10.Together – The xx

11.Hearts A Mess - Gotye

12.Love Is Blindness – Jack White

13.Into the Past - Nero

14.Kill and Run - Sia

The deluxe soundtrack will feature the above songs, plus three additional bonus tracks.

From the uniquely imaginative mind of writer/producer/director Baz Luhrmann comes the new big screen adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel The Great Gatsby. The filmmaker created his own distinctive visual interpretation of the classic story, bringing the period to life in a way that has never been seen before, in the film starring Leonardo DiCaprio in the title role.

“The Great Gatsby” follows would-be writer Nick Carraway as he leaves the Midwest and comes to New York City in the spring of 1922, an era of loosening morals, glittering jazz, bootleg kings, and sky-rocketing stocks. Chasing his own American Dream, Nick lands next door to a mysterious, party-giving millionaire, Jay Gatsby, and across the bay from his cousin, Daisy, and her philandering, blue-blooded husband, Tom Buchanan. It is thus that Nick is drawn into the captivating world of the super rich, their illusions, loves and deceits. As Nick bears witness, within and without of the world he inhabits, he pens a tale of impossible love, incorruptible dreams and high-octane tragedy, and holds a mirror to our own modern times and struggles.

Academy Award® nominee DiCaprio (“Django Unchained,” “Aviator”) plays Jay Gatsby, with Tobey Maguire starring as Nick Carraway; Oscar® nominee Carey Mulligan (“An Education”) and Joel Edgerton as Daisy and Tom Buchanan; Isla Fisher and Jason Clarke as Myrtle and George Wilson; and newcomer Elizabeth Debicki as Jordan Baker. Indian film legend Amitabh Bachchan will play the role of Meyer Wolfsheim.

Oscar® nominee Luhrmann (“Moulin Rouge!”) directs the film in 3D from a screenplay co-written with frequent collaborator Craig Pearce, based on Fitzgerald’s novel. Luhrmann produces, along with Catherine Martin, Academy Award® winner Douglas Wick (“Gladiator”), Lucy Fisher and Catherine Knapman. The executive producers are Academy Award® winner Barrie M. Osborne (“Lord of the Rings – Return of the King”), JAY Z and Bruce Berman.

Two-time Academy Award®-winning production and costume designer Catherine Martin (“Moulin Rouge!”) designs as well as produces. The editors are Matt Villa, Jason Ballantine and Jonathan Redmond, and the director of photography is Simon Duggan. The music is by Craig Armstrong.

Warner Bros. Pictures presents, in association with Village Roadshow Pictures, in association with A&E Television, a Bazmark/Red Wagon Entertainment Production, a Film by Baz Luhrmann, “The Great Gatsby.” Opening beginning May 10, 2013, the film will be distributed in 3D and 2D by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company, and in select territories by Village Roadshow Pictures.

www.thegreatgatsbymovie.com

Review: "The Sessions" Keeps it Real

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 25 (of 2013) by Leroy Douresseaux


The Sessions (2012)
Running time: 95 minutes (1 hour, 35 minutes)
MPAA – R for strong sexuality including graphic nudity and frank dialogue
DIRECTOR: Ben Lewin
WRITER: Ben Lewin (based on article “On Seeing a Sex Surrogate” by Mark O'Brien)
PRODUCERS: Judi Levine, Ben Lewin, and Stephen Nemeth
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Geoffrey Simpson (D.o.P.)
EDITOR: Lisa Bromwell
COMPOSER: Marco Beltrami
Academy Award nominee

DRAMA

Starring: John Hawkes, Helen Hunt, William H. Macy, Moon Bloodgood, Annika Marks, Adam Arkin, Rhea Perlman, W. Earl Brown, Robin Weigert, Blake Lindsley, Ming Lo, Rusty Schwimmer, and Jennifer Kumiyama

The Sessions is a 2012 drama from writer/director Ben Lewin. The independent film is the story of Mark O’Brien, a real-life poet who was paralyzed from the neck down due to polio. The film is based on the article, “On Seeing a Sex Surrogate,” which was written by O’Brien about the sex surrogate who helped him lose his virginity.

The Sessions opens in 1988 in Berkeley, California where we meet Mark O’Brien (John Hawkes). Mark lives in an iron lung due to complications from polio, which he contracted as a child. Due to his condition, Mark has never had sex. Hunting for someone to relieve him of the burden of his virginity, Mark seeks companionship in the women near to him. After consulting with his priest, Father Brendan (William H. Macy), Mark goes to a professional sex surrogate. Mark meets Cheryl Cohen-Greene (Helen Hunt), a sex therapist and surrogate, who agrees to help him through a series of sessions. This arrangement, however, ends up being, depending on the time and the techniques used, both more and less complicated than either one expected.

There is such overwhelming, beautiful humanity in The Sessions. Writer-director Ben Lewin’s script creates characters that have to be intimate and vulnerable with each other, but not in a contrived way. The actors take what Lewin gives them and make characters that are honestly human by being vulnerable. Vulnerability reveals what is both pitiable and pathetic and also durable and strong, and these are the things that open the characters to the audience. When the audience can go into the characters on such a seemingly intimate level, made-up people can seem like honest-to-God real people, the kind that the audience can’t help watching.

And what wonderful performances the cast gives, from top to bottom. At the 2013 Film Independent Spirit Awards, John Hawkes won “Best Male Lead” and Helen Hunt won “Best Supporting Female.” Sadly, only Hunt earned a corresponding Oscar nomination. Individually, these two actors give great performances; together, they make magic.

In The Sessions, Hawkes is on the level of Daniel Day-Lewis (who won the best actor Oscar at the 2013 Oscars ceremony), as he transforms himself into another person, not a character, but an actual person. Hawkes’ Mark O’Brien is as real as a fictional character can be. Helen Hunt offers so many levels of conflicted emotions and deeply romantic longings. In her hands, Cheryl Cohen-Greene could actually be the lead in this movie. Hunt makes her such a beautiful soul, so I’m glad that this artist is still a working actress.

There are other fine performances. William H. Macy brings some much needed levity to this film as the acerbic sounding board, Father Brendan. Moon Bloodgood is radiant in a quiet role, full of subtle motions and colors.

I have to admit that I shed some tears at this movie; it is both heartbreaking and achingly beautiful. The frank sexual discussions and sex talk are not at all erotic or arousing. I found myself mostly wincing when Mark and Cheryl are sexual. The Sessions, however, aroused the movie lover in me. It is one of the best films of 2012 and, as a love story, is exceedingly special and exceptional. Let’s hope Ben Lewin can keep making movies that come close to the excellence of The Sessions.

9 of 10
A+

NOTES:
2013 Academy Awards, USA: 1 nomination: “Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role” (Helen Hunt)

2013 BAFTA Awards: 1 nomination: “Supporting Actress” (Helen Hunt)

2013 Golden Globes, USA: 2 nominations: “Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama” (John Hawkes) and “Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture” (Helen Hunt)

Saturday, April 06, 2013

Inaugural Capetown Film Festival Lineup Revealed

LINEUP ANNOUNCED FOR THE “CAPETOWN FILM FESTIVAL” CO-PRESENTED BY ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY AND THE AMERICAN CINEMATHEQUE AND SPONSORED BY TNT’s FALLING SKIES AT THE EGYPTIAN THEATRE IN HOLLYWOOD

Complete Lineup Includes Screening Details and List of Special Guests

Seven Day Festival to Run April 30th – May 6th

Entertainment Weekly today announced the complete lineup for the EW CapeTown Film Festival (CapeTown ) in Los Angeles. The inaugural film festival, in conjunction with American Cinematheque and sponsored by TNT’s Falling Skies, will feature Sci-Fi, Superhero, and Fantasy screenings along with Q&A Panels and special guests including Kurt Russell, John Carpenter, Neil Gaiman, Terry Gilliam and Edgar Wright. The EW CapeTown Festival will run from Tuesday, April 30th through Monday, May 6th at the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood, CA.

Tickets go on sale April 8th and can be purchased at the Egyptian Theatre box office (6712 Hollywood Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90028), on www.fandango.com (theatre zip code 90028) or by calling 1-800-FANDANGO (Egyptian Theatre code: 2206). A limited number of tickets will also be available during a special April 6 presale at the Egyptian Theatre box office for EW subscribers. Tickets will be sold only between noon and 5 p.m. to EW subscribers who bring 1) their photo I.D. and 2) a recent issue of EW with a subscription label on the cover that matches their I.D. The presale is also for American Cinematheque members with photo I.D.

The complete lineup is listed below:

EW CapeTown Film Festival Schedule of Events - Egyptian Theatre, Los Angeles
Twitter: @SidGrauman
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/egyptiantheatre
Tumblr: http://amcinematheque.tumblr.com/

Tuesday, April 30
Special Announcement Coming Soon!

Wednesday, May 1
7:30pm - Shaun of the Dead
Special guest: Edgar Wright

Thursday, May 2
7:30pm - The Thing
Special guest: John Carpenter

Friday, May 3
7pm - Escape from New York
Special guest: Kurt Russell

Bonus! Advance Screening of TNT’s Falling Skies Season 3 Premiere (show premieres June 9th)
Special guest: Noah Wyle

Saturday, May 4
“May the 4th Be With You” Celebration
10am - Return of the Jedi – INVITATION ONLY
2pm - Return of the Jedi
6pm - Return of the Jedi
10pm - Return of the Jedi

Sunday, May 5
10am - Despicable Me
1pm - Coraline
Special guests: Neil Gaiman and Travis Knight

4pm - The Goonies
Special guest: Richard Donner

8pm - Twelve Monkeys
Special guest: Terry Gilliam
The evening with Terry Gilliam is co-presented by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts Los Angeles.

Monday, May 6
7:30pm - Star Trek (2009)
Special guest: Leonard Nimoy


About Entertainment Weekly and EW.com
Entertainment Weekly, with a combined print and digital audience of over 17 million loyal, engaged fans, helps readers have fun. It is your all-access pass to Hollywood’s most creative minds and most fascinating stars. The print weekly was introduced by Time Inc. in 1990 and is America’s leading consumer magazine in the entertainment category, with a guaranteed circulation rate base of nearly 1.8 million. It is a winner of four National Magazine Awards (two for General Excellence, one for Design and one for Special Interest) and was named one of min’s 25 Most Notable Magazine Launches of the Last 25 Years. Entertainment Weekly is the first to know about the best (and worst) in entertainment, and with sharp insight and a trusted voice, EW keeps readers plugged into pop culture. This is where buzz begins.

Each day, EW.com publishes myriad of online-only articles, blog posts, videos, and photo galleries – plus a complete archive of Entertainment Weekly magazine. Over the last year EW.com has received more than a half dozen industry awards including the 2012 Min Editorial and Design Award for our feature writing and a 2012 Folio Gold Eddie award for Best Online News coverage. In July 2012, the site set new records with 130MM pageviews. As of Dec 2011, Entertainment Weekly is also available on the iPad®, NOOK Color™, HP Touchpad, Kindle Fire and select Android™ devices.

On social media, join the Entertainment Weekly community on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and Tumblr.

About American Cinematheque
Established in 1981, the American Cinematheque is a 501 C 3 non-profit viewer-supported film exhibition and cultural organization dedicated to the celebration of the Moving Picture in all of its forms. At the Egyptian Theatre, the Cinematheque presents daily film and video programming which ranges from the classics of American and international cinema to new independent films and digital work. Exhibition of rare works, special and rare prints, etc., combined with fascinating post-screening discussions with the filmmakers who created the work, are a Cinematheque tradition that keep audiences coming back for once-in-a-lifetime cinema experiences. The American Cinematheque renovated and reopened (on Dec. 4, 1998) the historic 1922 Hollywood Egyptian Theatre. This includes a state-of-the-art 616-seat theatre housed within Sid Grauman's first grand movie palace on Hollywood Boulevard. The exotic courtyard is fully restored to its 1922 grandeur. The Egyptian was the home of the very first Hollywood movie premiere in 1922. In January 2005 the American Cinematheque expanded its programming to the 1940 Aero Theatre on Montana Avenue in Santa Monica.

www.americancinematheque.com

About TNT
TNT, one of cable's top-rated networks, is television's destination for drama. Seen in 99 million households, TNT is home to such original drama series as Rizzoli & Isles, Falling Skies, Dallas, Perception, Major Crimes, Franklin & Bash, Leverage, Southland and the upcoming Monday Mornings. The network also features dramatic unscripted originals like the upcoming Boston's Finest (working title), 72 Hours (working title) and The Hero (working title). In addition, TNT is the cable home to popular dramas like The Mentalist, Bones, Supernatural, Las Vegas, Law & Order and Castle, which starts this year; primetime specials, such as the Screen Actors Guild AwardsÒ; blockbuster movies; and championship sports coverage, including NASCAR, the NBA and the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship.

Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner company, creates and programs branded news; entertainment; animation and young adult; and sports media environments on television and other platforms for consumers around the world.

Review: "Kangaroo Jack" Jacked-Up, but Fun

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 133 (of 2003) by Leroy Douresseaux


Kangaroo Jack (2003)
Running time: 89 minutes (1 hour, 29 minutes)
MPAA – PG for language, crude humor, sensuality and violence
DIRECTOR: David McNally
WRITERS: Steve Bing and Scott Rosenberg, from a story by Barry O’Brien and Steve Bing
PRODUCER: Jerry Bruckheimer
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Peter Menzies Jr. (D.o.P.)
EDITORS: William Goldenberg, Jim May, and John Murray
COMPOSER: Trevor Rabin
Razzie Awards nominee

COMEDY with elements of Action/Adventure/Crime

Starring: Jerry O’Connell, Anthony Anderson, Estella Warren, Christopher Walken, Marton Csokas, Dyan Cannon, Michael Shannon, Bill Hunter, and David Ngoombujarra

The subject of this movie review is Kangaroo Jack, a 2003 comedy starring Jerry O’Connell and Anthony Anderson. The film follows two childhood friends, who are forced by the mob to deliver $50,000 to Australia and then, forced to chase a wild kangaroo that ends up with that money.

Hollywood mega-movie producer Jerry Bruckheimer isn’t strictly a producer of gargantuan action flicks that “blow us away” during the summer and holiday seasons. Although known for films like Top Gun and Armageddon, he’s also produced films like Flashdance and Remember the Titans, as well as television programs like “C.S.I.: Crime Scene Investigation” and “Amazing Race.” The latest bit of diversity in his oeuvre is the comedy Kangaroo Jack.

This movie is a tale of two hapless schmoes, Charlie Carbone (Jerry O’Connell) and Louis Booker (Anthony Anderson) chasing a kangaroo in the Australian outback because the marsupial has “stolen” 50 thousand dollars from them. It’s a funny, but mostly lame, film with some very good moments. There’s a sexy girl, and we get a few shots of her nipples, particularly in a wet t-shirt moment. The film winds down with a really convincing and heartfelt moment of two guys, one black and one white, pledging their undying friendship for each other.

I want to be cynical about the whole relationship, but it’s good to see that a white man and black man can really be best buds, even if it’s just in a movie. Don’t expect anything great because Kangaroo Jack is pure tripe straight from the film factory and made by some of Tinseltown’s brightest filmmaking hacks. It’s acceptable and likeable low quality funny, much in the way you might accept off-brand crystallized ice cream in a moment of desperation.

4 of 10
C

NOTES:
2001 Razzie Awards: 2 nominations: “Worst Supporting Actor” (Christopher Walken-also for Gigli-2003) and “Worst Supporting Actor” (Anthony Anderson)

"Erased" with Aaron Eckhart On Demand April 5th

Radius and TWC presents

Erased

ON DEMAND FRIDAY, APRIL 5, 2013 - through your cable or satellite provider

IN THEATERS MAY 17TH

Starring: Aaron Eckhart, Liana Liberato, and Olga Kurylenko

A film by Philipp Stölzl

When ex-CIA agent Ben Logan (Eckhart) discovers that he and his daughter have been marked for termination as part of a wide-reaching international conspiracy, a dangerous game of cat-and-mouse ensues as Logan tries to outsmart his hunters and uncover the truth.

Rated: R

DreamWorks and Participant Acquire "Boston Globe" Priest Scandal Story

DreamWorks and Participant Acquire Drama about Boston Globe Exposé on Cover-up of Catholic Priest Scandal

Tom McCarthy to direct and co-write with Josh Singer

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--DreamWorks Studios and Participant Media have acquired the feature film rights to the story of the Catholic Church's decades-long cover-up of its pedophile priests in Massachusetts as uncovered by a year-long investigation by the Boston Globe, it was announced today by Holly Bario, DreamWorks President of Production, and Jonathan King, Participant Executive Vice President of Production. Tom McCarthy has signed on to direct and co-write the script with Josh Singer. Anonymous Content's Michael Sugar and Steve Golin and Rocklin/Faust's Nicole Rocklin and Blye Faust will produce. David Mizner, who originally brought the project to the producers, will serve as a consultant and associate producer. King and Jeff Skoll will serve as executive producers.

Life rights have been acquired to the Boston Globe's "Spotlight Team" of reporters and editors, including then-Globe editor Marty Baron, special projects editor Ben Bradlee Jr., Spotlight Team editor Walter "Robby" Robinson and reporters Michael Rezendes, Sacha Pfeiffer, and Matt Carroll. The team spent a year interviewing victims and reviewing thousands of pages of documents and discovered years of cover-up by Catholic Church leadership. Their reporting eventually led to the resignation of Cardinal Bernard Law who had hidden years of serial abuse by other priests and opened the floodgates to other revelations of molestation and cover-ups around the world which still reverberate today. For their efforts, the Globe team won the Pulitzer Prize for Public Service in 2003 "for its courageous, comprehensive coverage of sexual abuse by priests, an effort that pierced secrecy, stirred local, national and international reaction and produced changes in the Roman Catholic Church."

"The Boston Globe's coverage of the Catholic priest scandal opened the door to a bigger story that had worldwide ramifications," said Bario. "The story of how this team of editors and reporters came to uncover the truth will make a dramatic and compelling film, especially with the talents of our director Tom McCarthy and his co-screenwriter Josh Singer on board."

Said King, "It's great to be back in business once again with our friends at DreamWorks and Anonymous, especially on such a powerful and still-evolving story. We have been eager to do another movie with Tom McCarthy ever since 'The Visitor.'"

This will be the sixth collaboration between DreamWorks and Participant, having previously partnered on Steven Spielberg’s “Lincoln,” the 2011 Academy Award-winning smash “The Help,” “The Kite Runner,” “The Soloist,” and this year’s “The Fifth Estate.” With a focus on real issues that shape our lives, Participant creates social action and advocacy programs to transform the impact of the media experience into individual and community action. Some of their other films include Tom McCarthy's "The Visitor," “An Inconvenient Truth,” “Good Night, and Good Luck,” “Food, Inc.,” “Charlie Wilson’s War,” “Waiting for ‘Superman,’” “The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel” and the recent Academy Award nominee for Best Foreign Language Film, “No.”

In addition to "The Visitor," Tom McCarthy wrote and directed “The Station Agent” and "Win Win." He was nominated for an Oscar for co-creating the story of Pixar’s “Up." McCarthy also wrote the screenplay for the Disney film "The Million Dollar Arm" starring Jon Hamm that begins shooting next month. He is repped by the Gersh Agency and attorney Andrew Hurwitz.

Josh Singer wrote the Wikileaks drama "The Fifth Estate" for DreamWorks, which was directed by Bill Condon and will be released later this year. A veteran TV writer, he has worked on such shows as "The West Wing," "Law & Order: SVU," "Lie to Me," and "Fringe." Singer is repped by WME and Anonymous Content.


About DreamWorks Studios
DreamWorks Studios is a motion picture company formed in 2009 and led by Steven Spielberg and Stacey Snider in partnership with The Reliance Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group. The company’s recent releases include Spielberg's "Lincoln," starring Daniel Day-Lewis, Sally Field and Tommy Lee Jones. The film 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 releases include "Real Steel," starring Hugh Jackman and directed by Shawn Levy, Steven Spielberg’s "War Horse," based on Michael Morpurgo’s award-winning book and was 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 comedy "Delivery Man," starring Vince Vaughn, the WikiLeaks drama "The Fifth Estate," and car racing actioner "Need for Speed."

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

About Participant Media
Participant (participantmedia.com) is a global entertainment company founded in 2004 by Jeff Skoll to focus on feature films, television, publishing and digital content that inspire social change. Participant's more than 40 films include GOOD NIGHT, AND GOOD LUCK, SYRIANA, AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH, FOOD, INC., WAITING FOR 'SUPERMAN’, THE HELP, CONTAGION and LINCOLN. Participant’s social action campaigns and digital network TakePart.com continue the conversation and connect audiences to a wealth of content and actions. Its new millennial television network Pivot (pivot.tv), launching this summer in 40 million-plus homes, is TV for The New Greatest Generation.

VIZ Media Announces "Berserk" Event

VIZ MEDIA BRINGS A DOUBLE DOSE OF MEDIEVAL ACTION WITH BERSERK: THE GOLDEN AGE ARC DOUBLE FEATURE EVENT ON MAY 11th

First Two Installments Of The Action-Packed Trilogy, Including The North American Premiere Of BERSERK: THE GOLDEN AGE ARC II – THE BATTLE FOR DOLDREY, Will Screen At NEW PEOPLE Theater In San Francisco And Simultaneously Air On Neon Alley Channel

San Francisco, CA, April 4, 2013 – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), the largest distributor and licensor of anime and manga in North America, brings a very special anime theatrical presentation with a double-feature premiere of BERSERK: THE GOLDEN AGE ARC I – THE EGG OF THE KING and the North American theatrical premiere of BERSERK: THE GOLDEN AGE ARC II - THE BATTLE FOR DOLDREY. The double feature event will be held on Saturday, May 11th at the NEW PEOPLE Cinema, located inside the dynamic Japanese pop culture entertainment venue in San Francisco’s Japantown at 1746 Post St. A special galley exhibit featuring original BERSERK production art from Studio 4℃ will also be showcased in the theatre lobby. The double feature will simultaneously air on VIZ Media’s own Neon Alley channel, accessible by fans in North America.

Two double-feature showings (presented with dubbed English dialogue) at NEW PEOPLE Cinema are scheduled for Saturday, May 11th, beginning at 3:00pm and 8:00pm. A short intermission will take place between each movie. Tickets are $25.00 and are available online at: http://www.newpeopleworld.com/films/films-5-2013/. Each ticketholder to the event will also receive an exclusive BERSERK gift pack upon arrival to the theater with chance to win very special items from Japan.

VIZ Media also invites Neon Alley members to catch back-to-back airings of the BERSERK: THE GOLDEN AGE ARC I – THE EGG OF THE KING and BERSERK: THE GOLDEN AGE ARC II - THE BATTLE FOR DOLDREY on the same day at the same times – Saturday, May 11th – at 3:00pm and 8:00pm PST. Neon Alley is VIZ Media’s new 24-hour, subscription-based anime channel, available for the PS3 game console and Playstation® Network, and the Xbox 360 and Xbox Live®, featuring many of the world’s best anime titles (dubbed in English and uncut) and presented in HD (when available) for a low monthly subscription rate of only $6.99. More details at: www.neonalley.com.

A variety of exclusive BERSERK: THE GOLDEN AGE ARC memorabilia – including collectable figures, a special artbook, cell phone charms, and Japanese theatrical pamphlets autographed by Studio 4ºC CEO Eiko Tanaka – will be raffled at the NEW PEOPLE Cinema event. Neon Alley viewers will also have a chance to watch and win one of 50 one-of-a-kind pieces of BERSERK: THE GOLDEN AGE ARC production art available exclusively during the premiere event. Please visit www.facebook.com/neonalleynetwork for more details and update on the special giveaway items.

As a special bonus, both the NEW PEOPLE Cinema and Neon Alley presentations will feature a video of musician/composer Susumu Hirasawa performing the BERSERK: THE GOLDEN AGE ARC theme song "Aria.”

“The BERSERK: THE GOLDEN AGE ARC trilogy possesses all of the great elements for an epic and vicious action saga,” says Charlene Ingram, Senior Marketing Manager, Animation. “We invite fans from the Bay Area and beyond to join us for an exciting theatrical event at NEW PEOPLE Cinema, or to catch the back-to-back premieres, completely uncut, on Neon Alley. And also don’t miss the chance to score some one-of-a-kind and highly collectable BERSERK production art pieces that we will give away in a special contest!”

BERSERK: THE GOLDEN AGE ARC I – THE EGG OF THE KING (rated TV-MA) follows lone mercenary Guts as he travels the land where a hundred-year-old war is taking place. His ferocity and ability to take down enemies attracts the attention of Griffith, leader of the mercenary group “The Band of the Hawk,” and Guts is recruited to the unit. Thanks to their continued victories on the battlefield, the bond between Guts and Griffith deepens, but despite all their success, Guts begins to question his reasons for fighting for Griffith’s dream. Unknown to Guts, this unyielding dream is about to bestow a horrible fate on them both.

BERSERK: THE GOLDEN AGE ARC II - THE BATTLE FOR DOLDREY (rated TV-MA) picks up the story as Guts believed, for three years, that his mission was to pursue Griffith’s dream together with him. But in order to become Griffith’s equal and truly be called his friend, Guts realizes he will have to leave the Band of the Hawk. At the same time, a bloody battle to capture the impenetrable Fortress of Doldrey from the Empire of Chuder is about to begin. The Band of the Hawk will face an army 30,000 strong!

The BERSERK manga series, by Kentarou Miura, debuted in Japan in 1989 and quickly drew a devoted following, going on to sell more than 30 million copies worldwide. The series, still ongoing in Japan, has been published in North America and the UK, as well as in France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Russia, and Latin America. The BERSERK manga has also inspired a popular anime television series and has spawned a variety of related video games, collectable figures and toys, and music soundtracks, as well as the current BERSERK: THE GOLDEN AGE ARC film trilogy.

For more information on the BERSERK: THE GOLDEN AGE ARC film trilogy, please visit the official Facebook page at: www.facebook.com/BerserkFilm.


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 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.

"Jurassic Park" Returns in 3D

Universal Pictures' Jurassic Park To Be Released In IMAX® 3D For The First Time Ever On April 5

Steven Spielberg's Classic Returns to the Big Screen in IMAX® Theatres

PRNewswire/ -- IMAX Corporation (NYSE:IMAX; TSX:IMX) and Universal Pictures announced that Steven Spielberg's epic Jurassic Park will return to the big screen with a one-week 3D engagement in IMAX® theatres worldwide simultaneous with the film's wide release beginning April 5, 2013.

With his remastering of this epic film into a state-of-the-art 3D format, Steven Spielberg introduces the three-time Academy Award®-winning blockbuster to a new generation of moviegoers and allows longtime fans to experience the world he envisioned in a way that was unimaginable during the film's original release. Starring Sam Neill, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, Samuel L. Jackson and Richard Attenborough, the film based on the novel by Michael Crichton is produced by Kathleen Kennedy and Gerald R. Molen.

"Jurassic Park is the quintessential film for fans to experience in IMAX 3D," said Nikki Rocco, President of Distribution, Universal Pictures. "Jurassic Park was groundbreaking when it was originally released, and The IMAX 3D Experience® will allow today's audiences to become fully immersed in one of the most breathtaking epics Universal has ever released."

"Steven Spielberg's films resonate uniquely with audiences," said Greg Foster, Chairman and President of IMAX Filmed Entertainment. "We're thrilled to offer moviegoers an opportunity to see this fan favorite back on the big screen and transport them - for the first time through the power of The IMAX 3D Experience® - into the world of Jurassic Park."

The IMAX release of Jurassic Park has been digitally re-mastered into the image and sound quality of The IMAX 3D Experience® with proprietary IMAX DMR® (Digital Re-mastering) technology. The crystal-clear images, coupled with IMAX's customized theatre geometry and powerful digital audio, create a unique environment that will make audiences feel as if they are in the movie.

You can learn more about Jurassic Park in IMAX 3D by visiting the film's official site at http://www.jurassicpark.com/.


About IMAX Corporation
IMAX, an innovator in entertainment technology, combines proprietary software, architecture and equipment to create experiences that take you beyond the edge of your seat to a world you've never imagined. Top filmmakers and studios are utilizing IMAX theatres to connect with audiences in extraordinary ways, and, as such, IMAX's network is among the most important and successful theatrical distribution platforms for major event films around the globe.

IMAX is headquartered in New York, Toronto and Los Angeles, with offices in London, Tokyo, Shanghai and Beijing. As of Sept. 30, 2012, there were 689 IMAX theatres (556 commercial multiplex, 20 commercial destination and 113 institutional) in 52 countries.

IMAX®, IMAX® 3D, IMAX DMR®, Experience It In IMAX®, An IMAX 3D Experience®, The IMAX Experience® and IMAX Is Believing® are trademarks of IMAX Corporation. More information about the Company can be found at www.imax.com. You may also connect with IMAX on Facebook (www.facebook.com/imax), Twitter (www.twitter.com/imax) and YouTube (www.youtube.com/imaxmovies).

Renowned Film Critic Roger Ebert Dies at 70

by Leroy Douressaux

A crappy day for me just got even crappier. Roger Ebert, one of the few film critics known to the general public, died today, Thursday, April 04, 2013, at the age of 70.

Ebert was the first film critic to win a Pulitzer Prize, winning the “Pulitzer Prize for Criticism” in 1975. Ebert began writing a film review column for the Chicago Sun-Times beginning in 1967. Later, he also began posting his reviews online.

Ebert is likely best known for his association with fellow film critic, the late Gene Siskel. For 23 years, Ebert and Siskel hosted three television series in which they reviewed and discussed films. Sneak Previews began in 1975. The two launched the syndicated series, At the Movies with Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, in 1982. In 1982, the duo created Siskel & Ebert & The Movies, which was syndicated by a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company. The two men were known for their “thumbs up/thumbs down” review summaries. Siskel died in 1999.

Ebert had been battling thyroid cancer since 2002. According to the Chicago Sun-Times, Ebert died of complications from cancer.

Negromancer sends its condolences to Roger Ebert’s family and friends. Rest in peace, Mr. Ebert.

"Pokemon the Movie" No. 15 Now on DVD

VIZ MEDIA EXCITES FANS WITH THE DEBUT OF POKÉMON THE MOVIE: KYUREM VS. THE SWORD OF JUSTICE ON DVD

Latest Feature Film From The Leading Kids Entertainment Franchise Also Complemented By VIZ Kids Release Of Tie-In Manga Edition

San Francisco, CA, April 2, 2013 – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), the largest distributor and licensor of anime and manga in North America, brings an exotic new animated POKÉMON adventure to fans of all ages with the DVD release of POKÉMON THE MOVIE: KYUREM VS. THE SWORD OF JUSTICE. Debuting today, the new film can be enjoyed by the entire family (rated ‘TV-Y7-F7’) and carries an MSRP of $19.97 U.S. / $24.98 CAN. A tie-in manga edition is also available now in stores under the VIZ Kids imprint, rated ‘A’ for All Ages and carrying an MSRP of $9.99 U.S. / $12.99 CAN.

In the latest exciting POKÉMON feature film adventure, Ash and friends spot an injured Pokémon they don’t recognize during a train trip. They’re planning a rescue when the train is attacked by the Lengendary Kyurem! Ash and the others manage to get the unfamiliar Pokémon to safety, and they learn its story… The Mythical Pokémon Keldeo is on a mission to rescue its friends – Cobalion, Terrakion and Virizion, the Swords of Justice – from Kyurem’s icy clutches. But Kyurem has other ideas, and when it transforms into Black Byurem or White Kyurem, for greater power, things look grim! Can Keldeo find the courage to stand up to this menace?

“Fans won’t want to miss the latest riveting adventure of hit franchise, POKÉMON THE MOVIE: KYUREM VS. THE SWORD OF JUSTICE,” says Charlene Ingram, Sr. Marketing Manager, Animation. “Anticipation for this feature film has built ever since Keldeo was revealed in the latest POKÉMON video game. Follow Keldeo, Ash, Pikachu, and friends as they embark on a dangerous quest in an exotic land to rescue the Swords of Justice!”

For more information on VIZ Media’s POKÉMON manga and anime titles, please visit www.VIZ.com/Pokemon/.

For more information on other VIZ Media kids titles, please visit http://www.vizkids.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 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.

10-Disc Blu-ray Collection "Marvel Cinematic Universe" Releases

MARVEL’S Cinematic Universe: Phase One – Avengers Assembled Limited Edition 10-dISC – 6-MOVIE Collection

Synopsis: On April 2, 2013, fans will be able to immerse themselves in every aspect of Marvel’s elite Super Heroes with this limited-edition, 10-Disc “Marvel Cinematic Universe: Phase One Collection.” Complete with glowing Tesseract, this exciting collection includes stunning Blu-ray 3D™ and Blu-ray™ presentations of Marvel’s “The Avengers,” “Captain America: The First Avenger” and “Thor,” as well as Blu-ray™ versions of “Iron Man,” “Iron Man 2” and “The Incredible Hulk” in exclusive collectible packaging.

In addition, to possessing level 7 security clearance, fans will also be granted special access to S.H.I.E.L.D.’s most confidential archives, including a top-secret Bonus Disc filled with never-before-seen deleted scenes, extended scenes, featurettes and more. Also featuring exclusive memorabilia (prop reproductions and artifacts) from the motion pictures, the must-own “Marvel’s Cinematic Universe: Phase One – Avengers Assembled Collection” will verify owners status as the world’s greatest authority on the Marvel Super Hero mythos!

Collection: “Marvel Cinematic Universe: Phase One – Avengers Assembled Limited Edition Collection” includes the following:
·“Marvel’s The Avengers” film (Blu-ray 3D + Blu-ray)
·“Captain America: The First Avenger” film (Blu-ray 3D + Blu-ray)
·“Thor” film (Blu-ray 3D + Blu-ray)
·“Iron Man 2” film (Blu-ray)
·“The Incredible Hulk” film (Blu-ray)
·“Iron Man” film (Blu-ray)

Top-secret Bonus Disc: “The Phase One Archives” (Blu-ray) includes:
·“And Then Shawarma After” featurette
·New deleted scenes, animatics and more from each film
·Collectible packaging with memorabilia from the Marvel’s Cinematic Universe

NEW BONUS MATERIAL – JUST ADDED - Exclusive inside look at Marvel’s Iron Man 3 and other films from Phase Two of the Marvel Cinematic Universe

Street Date: April 2, 2013
Suggested Retail Price: $219.00 U.S. / $239.00 Canada
For More Information: www.AvengersAssembled.com

Review: In "Darkness Falls" Scary Rises

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 159 (of 2003) by Leroy Douresseaux


Darkness Falls (2003)
Running time: 86 minutes (1 hour, 26 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for terror and horror images, and brief language
DIRECTOR: Jonathan Liebesman
WRITERS: John Fasano, James Vanderbilt, and Joe Harris; from a story by Joe Harris
PRODUCERS: John Fasano, John Hegeman, William Sherak, and Jason Shuman
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Dan Laustsen (D.o.P.)
EDITORS: Tim Alverson and Steve Mirkovich
COMPOSER: Brian Tyler

HORROR/THRILLER

Starring: Chaney Kley, Emma Caulfield, Lee Cormie, Grant Piro, Sullivan Stapleton, Steve Mouzakis, Peter Curtin, Kestie Morassi, Jenny Lovell, John Stanton, Joshua Anderson, and Emily Browning

The subject of this review is Darkness Falls, a 2003 horror film produced by Revolution Studios and distributed by Columbia Pictures. Directed by Jonathan Liebesman, the film was co-written by Joe Harris, a comic book writer who has written X-Men and Spider-Man comics for Marvel Comics and Batman comics for DC Comics. Darkness Falls focuses on spirit exacting revenge on the town for a 150-year-old lynching and a young man called to help stop the spirit’s rampage.

Darkness Falls is a creepy, atmospheric little thriller with all the requisite bumps in the night, and a boogeyman (woman) who hits her mark every time she rockets out of the dark to deliver hot death. She’s a fearsome old thing, even in her worse moments.

In this horror tale, a vengeful spirit has taken the form of the Tooth Fairy and has been exacting revenge on Darkness Falls, the town that killed her, for the 150 years since her unjust execution. The Tooth Fairy visits a child on the night he loses his last tooth. If anyone looks at her during one of her visits, she whacks him. As the story begins, she has her sights on Michael Greene (Lee Cormie) who did see her. Desperate to save her little brother, Caitlin Greene (Emma Caulfield) calls on Kyle Walsh (Chaney Kley), a childhood friend who survived one of the Tooth Fairy’s attacks and who is the sole opposition to the murderous supernatural creature.

Darkness Falls isn’t great, and the script is light on character development even though it has many good characters and backstory that easily connects the characters to one another. The credit goes to director Jonathan Liebesman (a South African who won some notable awards for his short film Genesis and Catastrophe) who deserves all the credit for making Darkness Falls creepy and fun. It’s an effective suspense thriller directed with a veteran’s flair, and those who are not burnt out and made cynical by overdone heavily laden special effects horror films should enjoy this.

6 of 10
B

Original "Star Wars" Script to Become a Comic Book

Apparently, this is NOT an April Fool's joke, as this announcement was first made yesterday (Sunday, March 31, 2013) at WonderCon.  The above is a page of art from "The Star Wars" comic book, coming in September 2013.

LUCASFILM AND DARK HORSE ANNOUNCE THE BIGGEST EVENT IN THE HISTORY OF STAR WARS COMICS!

George Lucas’s original-draft screenplay for The Star Wars to be adapted by J. W. Rinzler and Mike Mayhew!

APRIL 1, MILWAUKIE, OR–It’s no April Fools’ prank! Dark Horse is honored to announce a dream project: working with J.W. Rinzler, executive editor at LucasBooks, and artist Mike Mayhew (Avengers) to adapt the rough-draft original screenplay which spawned the biggest franchise in film history!

Three years before his 1977 film, George Lucas put down on paper his first story set in a galaxy far, far away—a tale of fantastic adventures, daring escapes, “lazer swords,” romance, and monsters. A story of Jedi Annikin Starkiller and General Luke Skywalker, an alien named Han Solo, and evil Sith Knights. The screenplay was titled The Star Wars!

“I’m not sure where I first read about The Star Wars—it was years and years ago—but the idea of Luke Skywalker being an older Jedi General, and Han Solo being a six-foot-tall lizard, turned my Star Wars fan brain on its side,” said longtime Star Wars editor Randy Stradley. “I always assumed this would be one of those stories that would be ‘lost to history,’ so getting to work on bringing it to life is kinda like a dream come true.”

“While researching in the Lucasfilm Archives I’ve found many treasures—but one which truly astounded me was George’s rough draft for The Star Wars. His first complete imaginings were hallucinating to read—mind blowing,” said writer J.W. Rinzler. “While working with George on another book project, I once asked if we could adapt his rough draft. He was hesitant. Years later, with Dark Horse’s invaluable help, we showed him a few drawn and colored pages of what it might look like. He gave us the okay.”

Originally conceived in 1974, The Star Wars has been the subject of rumor and legend in the fan community throughout the history of the galaxy far, far away. Now, Lucas has seen fit to grant Dark Horse the right to adapt this fabled story into an eight-issue comic series launching in September!


About Dark Horse
Founded in 1986 by Mike Richardson, Dark Horse Comics has proven to be a solid example of how integrity and innovation can help broaden a unique storytelling medium and establish a small, homegrown company as an industry giant. The company is known for the progressive and creator-friendly atmosphere it provides for writers and artists. In addition to publishing comics from top talent such as Frank Miller, Mike Mignola, Neil Gaiman, Brian Wood, Gerard Way, Felicia Day, and Guillermo del Toro, and comics legends such as Will Eisner, Neal Adams, and Jim Steranko, Dark Horse has developed its own successful properties, including The Mask, Ghost, Timecop, and SpyBoy. Its successful line of comics and products based on popular properties includes Star Wars, Mass Effect, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Aliens, Conan, Emily the Strange, Tim Burton’s Tragic Toys for Girls and Boys, Serenity, and Domo. Today Dark Horse Comics is the largest independent comic book publisher in the US and is recognized as one of the world’s leading publishers of both creator-owned content and licensed comics material.

About Lucasfilm Ltd.
Lucasfilm Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company, is a global leader in film, television and digital entertainment production. In addition to its motion-picture and television production, the company's activities include visual effects and audio post-production, cutting-edge digital animation, interactive entertainment software, and the management of the global merchandising activities for its entertainment properties including the legendary STAR WARS and INDIANA JONES franchises. Lucasfilm Ltd. is headquartered in northern California.

Lucasfilm, the Lucasfilm logo, STAR WARS and related properties are trademarks and/or copyrights, in the United States and other countries, of Lucasfilm Ltd. and/or its affiliates. TM & (c) 2013 Lucasfilm Ltd. All rights reserved. All other trademarks and trade names are properties of their respective owners.

April Fool's Negromancer in 2013?

We've made it to April 2013.  Welcome to Negromancer, a ComicBookBin blog (www.comicbookbin.com). This is rebirth of the former movie review website as a movie review and movie news website and blog.

After three years and about two months, we finally posted our 1000th movie review on Negromancer V.2.  Last month, we started re-posting reviews of films from the year 2003 that had not been transferred from the old version of Negromancer.  Be patient with us, please, as you will be seeing a lot of old movie reviews of old movies.

All images and text appearing on this blog are © copyright and/or trademark their respective owners.

Review: "Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part 2" Is Really Good

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 24 (of 2013) by Leroy Douresseaux

Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part 2 (2013) – straight-to-video
Running minutes: 76 minutes (1 hour, 16 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for sequences of action violence and some suggestive content
DIRECTOR: Jay Oliva
WRITER: Bob Goodman (based on the characters created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger and the comic book by Frank Miller and Klaus Janson)
EDITOR: Christopher D. Lozinski
COMPOSER: Christopher Drake
ANIMATION STUDIO: Moi Animation Studios

ANIMATION/SUPERHERO/ACTION

Starring: (voices) Peter Weller, Ariel Winer, Michael Emerson, David Selby, Mark Valley, Maria Canals-Barrera, Michael Jackson, Robin Atkins Downes, Carlos Alazraqui, Dee Bradley Baker, Paget Brewster, Grey DeLisle, Michael McKean, Frank Welker, Greg Eagles, Gary Anthony Williams, Jim Meskimen, and Conan O’Brien

Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part 2 is a 2013 direct-to-video, superhero animated film from Warner Bros. Animation. It is the follow-up to Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part 1. Starring Batman, one of DC Comics’ most famous superheroes, Batman: The Dark Knight Returns is also the 15th feature in the DC Universe Animated Original Movies line. Once again, Bruce W. Timm is an executive producer on the film.

This two-part movie is an adaptation of the four-volume, comic book miniseries, Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, which was written and drawn by Frank Miller, with inks by Klaus Janson and colors by Lynn Varley. First published in early 1986, the series tells the story of a 55-year-old Bruce Wayne, coming out of retirement to once again fight crime as Batman. Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part 2 pits Batman against his greatest nemesis, the Joker, and his greatest rival/friend, Superman.

Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part 2 opens in Arkham Asylum, where the Joker (Michael Emerson) has taken notice of the return of Batman (Peter Weller). After years in a catatonic state, the Joker begins to plot his next crime wave, but feigns regret for his crimes to his attending physician, Dr. Bartholomew Wolper (Michael McKean). Wolper helps the Joker get a guest appearance on “The Dave Endochrine Show” for some banter with host, Dave Endochrine (Conan O’Brien).

Meanwhile, the President of the United States (Jim Meskimen) asks Superman (Mark Valley) to put an end to Batman’s vigilantism, one way or another. Framing this request, the United States and the Soviet Union escalate hostilities over each nation’s claim to the small South American island of Corto Maltese.

As I wrote in my review of The Dark Knight Returns, Part 1, I was excited to hear that Warner Bros. Animation was adapting the Batman: The Dark Knight Returns comic book as one of their direct-to-DVD animated films. However, I also felt trepidation about the project, wondering would the filmmakers mess this up, one of my all-time favorite comic books, by delivering an inferior product? The Dark Knight Returns, Part 1 turned out to be quite good, and The Dark Knight Returns, Part 2 is actually even better.

In the first film, the filmmakers seemed to focus on making the animation and production design duplicate the graphic design and visual style of particular scenes or panels from Frank Miller’s Dark Knight comic book, the source material for this two-part movie.

In this second film, the emphasis is on the plot, which the filmmakers execute through fast-moving, often violent action scenes: fights, chases, military clashes, aerial battles, gun battles, riots, street-fighting, etc. In that regard, the animation, especially the character animation, serves this film well. Most of the fisticuffs and duels are a ballet of non-stop, nearly seamless motion that drags the viewer into the fray. Mostly, this is dude versus dude, and the animation does not fail the fights.

I found the voice acting to be surprisingly good, especially because I thought the voice performances in Part 1 to be mostly bad. Michael Emerson does some kind of weird, alternating soft voice/gruff voice thing that makes the Joker just a little more menacing. Peter Weller’s Batman, this time around, is much better, and Mark Valley gives Superman the depth he did not have in Frank Miller’s comic book. Also, Jim Meskimen does a great Ronald Reagan riff as the President.

There is an undercurrent of humor throughout this film, which makes me look at Frank Miller’s comic book a bit differently. The sly satire and effusive humor makes this film more than just an adaptation of a famous comic book. Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part 2 is a great Batman movie – better than The Dark Knight Rises.

8 of 10
A

Sunday, March 31, 2013

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Scorsese Developing "Gangs of New York" TV Series

Miramax and Martin Scorsese Join to Develop Television Series Based on Successful Scorsese Film “Gangs of New York”

LOS ANGELES & SANTA MONICA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Global film and television studio Miramax and Academy Award®-winning director Martin Scorsese announced today that they are developing a television series based on the film “Gangs of New York.” The original film released in 2002 by Miramax and starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Cameron Diaz and Daniel Day-Lewis focused on early confrontations between rival gangs in New York in the mid to late 1800’s. The series will draw from the multitude of events surrounding organized gangs at the turn of the century and shortly thereafter in America, not only in New York, but in other cities such as Chicago and New Orleans and the birth of organized crime in America.

“This time and era of America’s history and heritage is rich with characters and stories that we could not fully explore in a two hour film. A television series allows us the time and creative freedom to bring this colorful world, and all the implications it had and still does on our society, to life. I am excited to partner with Miramax in telling these stories,” stated Martin Scorsese.

“No one better exemplifies what the new Miramax is and will be better than Martin Scorsese. His dedication to quality and the art of storytelling continues to excite everyone that works with him and watches his films and television programs. We could not think of a better partner for this project than the creator of the wonderful film on which it is based,” stated Richard Nanula, chairman of Miramax and a principal at Colony Capital.


About Miramax
Miramax is a leading worldwide film and television studio with a library of more than 700 motion pictures. The Miramax library holds some of the world’s most original and acclaimed independent films including Pulp Fiction, Good Will Hunting, The English Patient, Kill Bill Volume I and II, Life is Beautiful, Reservoir Dogs, Sex, Lies and Videotape, Cinema Paradiso and My Left Foot – as well as scores of commercially successful films such as The Aviator, Bridget Jones’s Diary, Bad Santa, Chicago, There Will Be Blood, and the Scream, Hellraiser, Scary Movie and Spy Kids franchises. Collectively, the Miramax library has received 284 Academy Award® nominations and 68 Oscars®, including four Best Picture awards.

Miramax is headquartered in Santa Monica, California with a sales office in London. For more information, please visit www.miramax.com, “like” the company on Facebook and follow Miramax on Twitter @Miramax.

Review: "Cradle 2 the Grave" is Not Completely Lifeless

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 28 (of 2003) by Leroy Douresseaux

Cradle 2 the Grave (2003)
Running time: 101 minutes (1 hour, 41 minutes)
MPAA – R for violence, language and some sexual content
DIRECTOR: Andrzej Bartkowiak
WRITERS: John O’Brien and Channing Gibson; from a story by John O’Brien
PRODUCER: Joel Silver
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Daryn Okada
EDITOR: Derek G. Brechin
COMPOSERS: Damon “Grease” Blackman and John Frizzell

ACTION/CRIME/DRAMA

Starring: Jet Li, DMX, Anthony Anderson, Kelly Hu, Tom Arnold, Mark Dacascos, Gabrielle Union, Daniel Dae Kim, and Chi McBride (uncredited)

The subject of this movie review is Cradle 2 the Grave, a 2003 action film. Directed by Andrzej Bartkowiak, the film stars legendary action star, Jet Li, and rapper DMX.

Producer Joel Silver brings us another martial artist/rap star “buddy” movie in the tradition of his hit, Exit Wounds. This time Exit Wounds star DMX joins legendary Far East action star Jet Li in Cradle to the Grave. After I watching this movie, I couldn’t figure out the reason for the title, but the name sounds rough and tough, just what you want in your “chop socky-hip hop” movie. No doubt that this is trash, but fun trash, especially if you’re feeling really tolerant; not as good as Exit Wounds, but almost worth the price of admission if you like Li and/or DMX. And I had been waiting for this for a long time.

Fait (DMX) leads a crew of high-tech urban thieves who stumble onto a bag of mysterious black jewels during their heist of a diamond exchange. The diamonds’ owner, the vicious and murderous Ling (Mark Decascos), kidnaps Fait’s daughter and holds her as ransom for the jewels’ return. Fait gets a monkey wrench in his works when another crew steals the diamonds from one of Fait’s bumbling associates (Tom Arnold). Fait and his crew forge an alliance with a Taiwanese intelligence officer, Su (Jet Li), to rescue his child and retrieve the precious black diamonds, which hold a deadly and powerful secret.

Director Andrzej Bartkowiak’s film is clunky and disjointed, but Bartkowiak (who has directed three of Li’s American films) knows that he only has to string together a few “character moments” between scenes with the only important elements of the film: DMX’s grimace and Li’s extended martial arts free-for-alls. Li actually has an extended battle at an underground fight arena that at times defies the imagination and at other times is so wacky that it earns a load of belly laughs. Because the writers gave DMX’s character a child, we actually get a few smiles from the normally scowling star during precious scenes of him “parenting.”

The supporting cast mostly serves as relief from the grim story. Most of the time, Cradle 2 the Grave is a pretty raw cartoon, and it plays rough with its characters. However, Tom Arnold and Anthony Anderson, co-stars in Exit Wounds, return to add much needed comic relief. In fact, Arnold never seems so comfortable in a film role as he does when he’s rollin’ with the homeys. I think he’s added life to his career legs the way John Lithgow did in the early 1990’s by taking a few villainous roles.

I won’t lie to you. This isn’t a good movie, but it can be very entertaining most of the time. You just have to outlast some “dramatic” moments to get to the action, suspense, and thrills. Sometimes, I became very impatient waiting out a few dull minutes just to get to the bloodshed; honestly, there’s no other reason to see this junk other than for the junk: car chases, titillation, shootouts, corrupt cops, thugs, explosions, and Jet Li’s electric hands and feet.

So when’s the next Silver Pictures’ rap-fu joint coming out? DMX and Jackie Chan, perhaps?

4 of 10
C

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VIZ Media Announces "Nura: Rise of the Yokai Clan" on DVD

VIZ MEDIA ANNOUNCES THE NORTH AMERICAN DEBUT OF THE HIT SUPERNATUAL ANIME ACTION SERIES NURA: RISE OF THE YOKAI CLAN ON DVD AND BLU-RAY

When Night Falls, The King Of The Yokai Rises Up In This Thrilling Action Series About A Middle School Student With A Secret Life

San Francisco, CA, March 28, 2013 – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), the largest distributor and licensor of anime and manga in North America, gives anime fans a new dose of supernatural anime action as it announces the upcoming DVD and Blu-ray release of NURA: RISE OF THE YOKAI CLAN on April 2nd.

The fantasy adventure series about a young man who is part human and part supernatural demon is rated TV-14 and will carry a DVD MSRP of $44.82 U.S. / $43.24 CAN and a Blu-ray MSRP of $54.97 U.S. / $66.15 CAN. The new 2-disc set features Episodes 1-13 presented with original Japanese (with English subtitles) and English dubbed dialogue options. DVD bonus features include production art and the official U.S. trailer. The Blu-ray edition features a color production art gallery, clean opening and the official U.S. trailer.

Rikuo Nura is an average middle school student by day and yokai (a supernatural demon) by night. He’s not just any yokai – he is the grandson of Nurarihyon, the Supreme Commander of the Nura clan! Rikuo wants to live a normal life. However, his grandfather wants him to succeed as the rightful heir. When an inter-clan conflict threatens the stability within their organization, Rikuo must decide whether he will live his life as a human or accept his yokai heritage.

“Anime fans everywhere are going to love the action-packed storyline of NURA: RISE OF THE YOKAI CLAN, which incorporates elements from Japanese mythology and updates them into a kinetic new supernatural adventure,” says Charlene Ingram, Sr. Marketing Manager, Animation. “The talented cast of top U.S. voice actors, including Kyle Hebert, Grant George, Mela Lee, and Darrel Guilbeau in the lead role of Rikuo Nura, really brings the action to life. Fans won’t want to miss the entire first season of this riveting anime series!”

The NURA: RISE OF THE YOKAI CLAN anime series (English-dubbed) is also featured on Neon Alley, VIZ Media’s 24/7 anime channel available for the PlayStation®Network and the PlayStation®3 (PS3™) system, and now also for the Xbox 360 and Xbox Live®.

NURA: RISE OF THE YOKAI CLAN is based on the bestselling NURA: RISE OF THE YOKAI CLAN manga series created by Hiroshi Shiibashi (rated ‘T’ for Teens; also published by VIZ Media’s Shonen Jump imprint). Hiroshi Shiibashi debuted in Japan in Business Jump magazine with the series, Aratama. NURA: RISE OF THE YOKAI CLAN is his breakout hit.

More information on NURA: RISE OF THE YOKAI CLAN is available at http://www.viz.com/anime/dvd/nura-rise-of-the-yokai-clan-video.

Review: "Biker Boyz" a Disappointment

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 15 (of 2003) by Leroy Douresseaux


Biker Boyz (2003)
Running time: 110 minutes (1 hours, 50 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for violence, sexual content and language
DIRECTOR: Reggie Rock Blythewood
WRITERS: Craig Fernandez and Reggie Rock Blythewood (based upon a magazine article by Michael Gougis)
PRODUCERS: Stephanie Allain, Gina Prince-Bythewood, and Erwin Stoff
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Greg Gardiner
EDITORS: Caroline Ross and Terilyn A. Shropshire
COMPOSER: Camara Kambon

ACTION/DRAMA with elements of crime

Starring: Laurence Fishburne, Derek Luke, Orlando Jones, Djimon Hounsou, Lisa Bonet, Larenz Tate, Kid Rock, Rick Gonzalez, Meagan Good, Salli Richardson, Vanessa Bell Calloway, Dante Basco, Dion Basco, Tyson Beckford, Kadeem Hardison, and (uncredited) Eriq La Salle

The subject of this movie review is Biker Boyz, a 2003 drama and action movie. The film focuses on underground motor cycle drag racers and was released by DreamWorks Studios.

Biker Boyz probably exists because of the surprising and enormous success of The Fast and the Furious. Heck, the television program, “Fastlane,” probably exists because of Furious, as well as the fact that a popular movie video and film director proposed it.

First, I’ll mention what’s good about the movie. Director Reggie Rock Blythewood uses a lot of really interesting, unique, and visually jarring camera angles and shots. To watch the opening credits is an invigorating experience; it was so cool that I expected even greater things later in the film. Blythewood uses still photography and quick-cut editing to raise the level of excitement and tension in the film, and on many occasions it works…for awhile.

Laurence Fishburne is Smoke, the "King of Cali," a legendary motorcycle racer in California. The Kid (Derek Luke), a former member in training of Smoke’s gang, The Black Knights, wants Smoke’s mythical crown, his racing helmet. Smoke would have to surrender it if he ever lost a face, and he hasn’t in over 25 races. However, bike racing, among the mostly African American bike clubs is hierarchical, a governing board has to vote to let Kid play; he has to earn the right to tackle Smoke. Kid forms a club of his own, The Biker Boyz, and sets about throwing his weight around to get his way. But does the older Smoke, whom Kid views as an enemy, have something to teach the brash, young biker?

Just this last line tells you that what could have been a good racing movie turns into a mush fest. That’s just the tip of the bad. The story of the young up-and-comer challenging a revered leader is familiar, and, when done correctly, can make for an entertaining story. However, as good as Blythewood is with camera work and quick cuts, his sense of storytelling is abominable. Things develop so slowly that the film actually seems to grow longer as it progresses. The problems stem from the relationships between the characters. Every time the film stops to give two characters a chance to connect with each other, the film literally grinds to a halt; you can almost hear the film’s gears crunching and dragging. It becomes deliriously dull, and I mean that it gets so dull that it made me delirious. I was going to walk out, but to be fair, I wanted to see the entire film so that I could properly review it for you, dear reader. Never say that I don’t care for you.

Late in the film, Kid and his mother, Anita (Vanessa Bell Calloway), meet to make up, and the movie stops cold. I was ready for her to just make her apologies and get the heck out of Kid’s apartment so that he could go race. Ms. Calloway’s character had potential, but like all the others, she’s wasted by Blythewood’s inability to tell a story through his characters. As long as he can do tricks with his camera, he’s fine, but the moment people stop to relate to one another, Blythewood is struck dumb.

Biker Boyz has lots of supporting characters, and the actors playing them (Kid Rock, Orlando Jones, Djimon Hounsou, Lisa Bonet, Tyson Beckford) might interest moviegoers. But they would be shocked how listless and dull their favorites are in this surprisingly poor film.

2 of 10
D

Happy Birthday, Phil

I forgot the birthday of an old schoolmate and pal who was actually born a few days after me.  So (belated) Happy Birthday, Phil (the first of many Phil's I'd come to know).

Kurt Russell to Appear at Screening of "Escape from New York"

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY ANNOUNCES FRIDAY NIGHT LINE-UP FOR “CAPETOWN FILM FESTIVAL”

SPONSORED BY TNT’s FALLING SKIES AT THE EGYPTIAN THEATRE

Film Legend Kurt Russell to Make Rare Appearance for May 3rd Q&A and Exclusive Screening of Escape from New York

Six Day Festival to Run April 30th – May 5th in Los Angeles

Entertainment Weekly today announced the coveted Friday night slot for the recently announced EW CapeTown Film Festival (CapeTown ) in Los Angeles. The inaugural film festival, in conjunction with American Cinematheque and sponsored by TNT’s Falling Skies, will bring a new print of John Carpenter’s 1981 futuristic sci-fi cult classic, Escape from New York, back to the big screen. In a rare on-stage appearance, Kurt Russell will join fans for a 40-minute Q&A with Entertainment Weekly senior writer Geoff Boucher to discuss his role as the gritty, one-eyed Snake Plissken; a role that helped change the course of his career. It also began a feature film partnership between Russell and Carpenter that lead to additional classic genre feature films that included The Thing (1982), Big Trouble in Little China (1986), and Escape from L.A. (1996).

Escape from New York will be one of the six days of programming and will be accompanied by a special free big-screen preview presentation of the season three premiere of Falling Skies, the TNT sci-fi series that stars Noah Wyle and Moon Bloodgood and traces the post-invasion struggles of humanity to fight against the invaders -- and to fight against extinction. The Friday night program of the Falling Skies preview and Escape from New York screening will begin at 7 p.m with a brief intermission in between the two.

The EW CapeTown Festival will run from Tuesday, April 30th through Sunday, May 5th at the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood, CA. The film fest will offer sci-fi, super-hero, and fantasy fans the opportunity to see their favorites on the big screen, and hear from the visionaries and biggest stars from the genre who have brought them to life.

The complete festival line-up with dates, times and ticket sales information will be announced on April 4th and tickets will go on sale April 8th.


About Entertainment Weekly and EW.com
Entertainment Weekly, with a combined print and digital audience of over 17 million loyal, engaged fans, helps readers have fun. It is your all-access pass to Hollywood’s most creative minds and most fascinating stars. The print weekly was introduced by Time Inc. in 1990 and is America’s leading consumer magazine in the entertainment category, with a guaranteed circulation rate base of nearly 1.8 million. It is a winner of four National Magazine Awards (two for General Excellence, one for Design and one for Special Interest) and was named one of min’s 25 Most Notable Magazine Launches of the Last 25 Years. Entertainment Weekly is the first to know about the best (and worst) in entertainment, and with sharp insight and a trusted voice, EW keeps readers plugged into pop culture. This is where buzz begins.

Each day, EW.com publishes myriad of online-only articles, blog posts, videos, and photo galleries – plus a complete archive of Entertainment Weekly magazine. Over the last year EW.com has received more than a half dozen industry awards including the 2012 Min Editorial and Design Award for our feature writing and a 2012 Folio Gold Eddie award for Best Online News coverage. In July 2012, the site set new records with 130MM pageviews. As of Dec 2011, Entertainment Weekly is also available on the iPad®, NOOK Color™, HP Touchpad, Kindle Fire and select Android™ devices.

On social media, join the Entertainment Weekly community on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and Tumblr.

About American Cinematheque
Established in 1981, the American Cinematheque is a 501 C 3 non-profit viewer-supported film exhibition and cultural organization dedicated to the celebration of the Moving Picture in all of its forms. At the Egyptian Theatre, the Cinematheque presents daily film and video programming which ranges from the classics of American and international cinema to new independent films and digital work. Exhibition of rare works, special and rare prints, etc., combined with fascinating post-screening discussions with the filmmakers who created the work, are a Cinematheque tradition that keep audiences coming back for once-in-a-lifetime cinema experiences. The American Cinematheque renovated and reopened (on Dec. 4, 1998) the historic 1922 Hollywood Egyptian Theatre. This includes a state-of-the-art 616-seat theatre housed within Sid Grauman's first grand movie palace on Hollywood Boulevard. The exotic courtyard is fully restored to its 1922 grandeur. The Egyptian was the home of the very first Hollywood movie premiere in 1922. In January 2005 the American Cinematheque expanded its programming to the 1940 Aero Theatre on Montana Avenue in Santa Monica.

www.americancinematheque.com