Starz Raises the Dead - Network Reteams Sam Raimi, Bruce Campbell and Rob Tapert for a New TV Series Based on Their Classic Horror Film The Evil Dead
Raimi to Direct First Episode of New Series, “Ash Vs. Evil Dead”
Bruce Campbell to Star as Title Character, Ash
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Starz announced the greenlight of the network’s next original series, the long-awaited follow-up to the classic horror film franchise The Evil Dead. The project reteams the original filmmakers, director Sam Raimi, with longtime producing partner Rob Tapert and star Bruce Campbell.
“Starz first worked with Sam and Rob on ‘Spartacus,’ and we are thrilled to be back in business with them”
The STARZ Original series officially titled “Ash Vs. Evil Dead” will be 10 half-hour episodes. Bruce Campbell will be reprising his role as Ash, the stock boy, aging lothario and chainsaw-handed monster hunter who has spent the last 30 years avoiding responsibility, maturity and the terrors of the Evil Dead. When a Deadite plague threatens to destroy all of mankind, Ash is finally forced to face his demons –personal and literal. Destiny, it turns out, has no plans to release the unlikely hero from its “Evil” grip.
“Starz first worked with Sam and Rob on ‘Spartacus,’ and we are thrilled to be back in business with them,” said Carmi Zlotnik, Managing Director of Starz. “With Sam writing and directing and Bruce Campbell returning to the screen, we are certain the show will give Evil Dead fans around the world the fix they’ve been craving.”
“Evil Dead has always been a blast. Bruce, Rob and I are thrilled to have the opportunity to tell the next chapter in Ash’s lame, but heroic saga. With his chainsaw arm and his ‘boomstick,’ Ash is back to kick some monster butt. And brother, this time there’s a truckload of it,” said Sam Raimi.
“I'm really excited to bring this series to the Evil Dead fans worldwide - it's going to be everything they have been clamoring for: serious deadite ass-kicking and plenty of outrageous humor,” said Bruce Campbell.
“STARZ has always been a great creative partner and we are excited to be working with them on this project,” said Robert Tapert.
Raimi will direct the first episode. “Ash Vs. Evil Dead” was written by Sam Raimi, Ivan Raimi (Darkman, Army of Darkness, Drag Me to Hell) and Tom Spezialy (“Chuck,” “Reaper,” “Desperate Housewives”). Sam Raimi will also serve as executive producer, along with Rob Tapert (Evil Dead, “Spartacus,” Xena: Warrior Princess”) and Bruce Campbell (Evil Dead, “Burn Notice”). Ivan Raimi will Co-Executive Produce and Aaron Lam (“Spartacus”) will serve as producer.
The original Evil Dead film followed Ash and his friends who travel to a cabin in the woods, where they unknowingly release demons intent on possessing the living. The film became an international success and is critically lauded to this day as one of the best horror movies of all time. It also spawned a media franchise, including two sequels, as well as video games and comic books and a recent reboot that grossed $97 million worldwide.
“Ash Vs. Evil Dead” project was packaged by CAA and Craig Jacobson at Hansen, Jacobson, Teller, Hoberman, Newman, Warren, Richman, Rush & Kaller. Marta Fernandez will serve as the executive in charge at Starz.
The series will air on STARZ in 2015.
Starz will retain all domestic and international multiplatform rights including television, home entertainment, and digital.
Sam Raimi Bio
Sam Raimi has directed one the industry’s most successful film franchises ever—the blockbuster Spider-Man trilogy, which has grossed over $2.5 billion at the global box office. All three films reside in the industry’s top 30 highest grossing domestic pictures of all time.
In addition to the franchise’s commercial success, Spider-Man (2002) won that year’s People’s Choice Award as Favorite Motion Picture, earned a pair of Oscar® nominations (for VFX and sound) and also collected two GRAMMY® nominations (for Best Score and Chad Kroeger’s song “Hero”). Spider-Man 2 (2004) won the Academy Award® for Best Visual Effects (with two more nominations for Best Sound and Sound Editing) and two BAFTA nominations (for VFX and sound), among dozens of other honors.
Most recently, Raimi is known for directing Oz the Great and the Powerful, starring James Franco, Mila Kunis, Michelle Williams, and Rachel Weisz. A prequel to one of Hollywood’s most beloved stories, the film grossed just under $500 million dollars globally and reinvigorated the world’s love for the L. Frank Baum series.
Apart from creating one of Hollywood’s landmark film series, Raimi’s eclectic resume includes the gothic thriller The Gift, starring Cate Blanchett, Hilary Swank, Keanu Reeves, Greg Kinnear and Giovanni Ribisi; the acclaimed suspense thriller A Simple Plan, which starred Bill Paxton, Billy Bob Thornton and Bridget Fonda (for which Thornton earned an Academy Award® nomination for Best Supporting Actor and Scott B. Smith landed a nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay); his baseball homage, For Love of the Game, with Kevin Costner and Kelly Preston; the western The Quick and the Dead, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Sharon Stone, Russell Crowe and Gene Hackman; and the supernatural thriller, Drag Me to Hell, with Alison Lohman and Justin Long.
Raimi began his career in his native Michigan after directing his own Super 8 movies as a teenager. He left his studies at Michigan State University to form Renaissance Pictures with future producer Rob Tapert and their longtime friend, actor Bruce Campbell, with whom he made his very first film, Within the Woods, a short horror film they used to raise money to make a feature. That resulting horror classic, The Evil Dead (1982), financed and produced with investments from local business people and doctors, became a hit at the 1982 Cannes Film Festival and spawned a sequel, Evil Dead 2: Dead By Dawn (1987), which, like the original, showcased Raimi’s inventive, imaginative direction and offbeat humor.
Raimi next turned to the fantasy genre, writing and directing the comic book-inspired Darkman (1990), starring Liam Neeson and Frances McDormand, then followed with 1993’s Army of Darkness, a comic sword and sorcery fantasy starring Bruce Campbell.
The mid-’90s also found Raimi producing two telefilms (with friend and partner Tapert) that would become the genesis of a pair of highly popular syndicated series—“Hercules: The Legendary Journeys” (on which he served as executive producer during the program’s four-year run) and the successful companion series, “Xena: Warrior Princess” which aired from 1995-2001. His television work also includes executive producing the CBS series “American Gothic” and the STARZ graphic sword and sandals series, “Spartacus.”
Raimi’s work has also been a favorite on the film festival circuit, with the filmmaker winning a Best Director honor for Darkman at the 1990 Sitges-Catalonian Festival in Spain; the Critics Award for Army of Darkness at the 1992 Fantasporto Festival in Portugal; the Golden Raven, also for Army of Darkness, at the 1992 Brussels International Festival; and a Grand Prize nomination for the same title at the Avoriaz Fantastic Film Festival in France. Raimi has also won the Saturn Award twice (Spider-Man 2 and Drag Me to Hell) from the Academy of Science Fiction, Horror and Fantasy.
Rob Tapert Bio
Rob Tapert is the longstanding producing partner of acclaimed director Sam Raimi. Tapert and Raimi have been working together since they met at Michigan State University where they formed the Society for Creative Film Making. After producing the horror cult classic The Evil Dead, Tapert continued to collaborate with Raimi on Evil Dead II: Dead by Dawn, Darkman and Army of Darkness.
Tapert went on to serve as executive producer on the action features Hard Target and Timecop, starring Jean-Claude Van Damme. He also executive produced the long running worldwide sensation TV series “Hercules: The Legendary Journeys” and “Xena: Warrior Princess.”
Following success in television he returned to features to executive produce Raimi’s suspense thriller The Gift, starring Cate Blanchett and Keanu Reeves and the action western The Quick and the Dead, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Sharon Stone and Gene Hackman.
In 2002, Tapert and Raimi formed Ghost House Pictures with Mandate Pictures. Ghost House was conceived to produce feature films that would deliver great scares and offer horror fans a thrill ride experience. Tapert has since produced a string of #1 box office hits that started with The Grudge, which grossed $187 million world wide, and continued with Boogeyman, The Messengers, 30 Days of Night, The Possession and Evil Dead. In 2009, Tapert produced Raimi's first directorial effort under Ghost House: the critically acclaimed Drag Me To Hell. Tapert recently produced “Spartacus” for STARZ. He’s currently producing the remake of Poltergeist for MGM and Fox 2000.
Bruce Campbell Bio
In 1979 with his Detroit friends, Sam Raimi and Rob Tapert, Campbell raised $350,000 for a low-budget film, The Evil Dead, in which he starred and co-executive produced. Completed piecemeal over four years, the film first gained notoriety in England where it became the best-selling video of 1983, beating out The Shining. After its appearance at Cannes, where Stephen King dubbed it “the most ferociously original horror film of the year,” New Line Cinema stepped forward to release The Evil Dead in the U.S. After co-producing Crimewave, a cross-genre comedy written by Sam Raimi, Ethan and Joel Coen, Campbell moved to Los Angeles and quickly gained a foothold producing or starring in genre films such as the Maniac Cop series, Lunatics: A Love Story, Moontrap and Mindwarp, a post-apocalyptic Jeremiah Johnson, during which he met his wife-to-be, filmmaker, Ida Gearon.
Campbell then rejoined his Detroit colleagues to star and co-produce the second and third films in the The Evil Dead trilogy, completing 12 years of work on the cult favorite. This rough-and-tumble background was a plus as Campbell made his foray into television, first starring in the highly touted Fox series “The Adventures Of Brisco County Jr.,” then as a recurring guest-star on the hit show “Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman.”
With these under his belt, Campbell easily made the transition to director, helming numerous episodes and recurring as the “King of Thieves” in the #1 syndicated “Hercules: The Legendary Journeys” and its follow-up phenomenon, “Xena: Warrior Princess.”
Bruce has since expanded his range on television, with appearances in Disney's TV movies “Gold Rush,” and their update of “The Love Bug.” He teamed up with Fox again for the hit TV film “Tornado!” and starred in NBC's top-rated “In The Line of Duty: Blaze of Glory.” Following decidedly dramatic turns on the acclaimed series “Homicide: Life on the Street” and “The X-Files,” he enjoyed a recurring role on Showtime’s edgy TV industry comedy, “Beggars and Choosers.”
At the invitation of ABC, Campbell ventured into the world of sitcoms with a recurring role on ABC's Emmy-nominated “Ellen,” participating in one of the three touted “out” episodes.
But Campbell didn't abandon his film roots. During that time, he had featured roles in the blockbuster Congo, John Carpenter's Escape From LA, and the award-winning independent crime drama, Running Time. He followed these up with roles in Paramount's romantic comedy, Serving Sara, Jim Carrey's The Majestic, and all three of Sam Raimi's blockbuster Spider-Man movies.
After a return to episodic television in the swashbuckling series “Jack of All Trades,” Campbell took the title role in MGM's cult sleeper Bubba Ho-tep. His directorial debut, “Man with the Screaming Brain” premiered on the Sci Fi Channel, and Dark Horse Comics published the comic adaptation.
Campbell has since made the leap into other forms of entertainment, and is enjoying his role as an author with back-to-back New York Times bestsellers: a memoir entitled If Chins Could Kill: Confessions of a B Movie Actor, and his first novel, Make Love the Bruce Campbell Way.
In the multi-media industry, Campbell provided voices on cutting edge video games for Activision, THQ and Nova Logic - and he also enjoyed voicing characters for Disney’s animated TV series Tarzan and the Warner Brothers feature The Ant Bully. He also voiced the character of Mayor Shelbourne in the animated hit film Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs. In 2011, Campbell voiced the role of Rod Torque Redline in Cars 2, the sequel to the smash Disney animated feature.
Most recently, Campbell directed and starred as himself in My Name is Bruce, a spoof of his B-movie career, then re-teamed with Disney for their fun-filled hit, Sky High.
In 2013, Bruce Co-Produced the hit remake of Evil Dead, joined his filmmaking pal Sam Raimi on Oz, The Great and Powerful, and completed an impressive seven-year run on spy show Burn Notice, USA’s #1 show on cable.
Campbell continues to share his acting and filmmaking experiences by lecturing at universities, including Northwestern, Carnegie Mellon and Stanford.
He currently resides with his wife, Ida Gearon, in Oregon.
About Starz
Starz (NASDAQ: STRZA, STRZB) is a leading integrated global media and entertainment company with operating units that provide premium subscription video programming on domestic U.S. pay television channels (Starz Networks), global content distribution (Starz Distribution) and animated television and movie production (Starz Animation), www.starz.com.
Starz Networks is a leading provider of premium subscription video programming through the flagship STARZ® and ENCORE® pay TV networks which showcase premium original programming and movies to U.S. multichannel video distributors, including cable operators, satellite television providers, and telecommunications companies. As of September 30, 2014, STARZ and ENCORE serve a combined 56.2 million subscribers, including 22.5 million at STARZ, and 33.7 million at ENCORE, making them the largest pair of premium flagship channels in the U.S. STARZ® and ENCORE®, along with Starz Networks’ third network MOVIEPLEX®, air more than 1,000 movies monthly across 17 linear networks, complemented by On Demand and authenticated online offerings through STARZ PLAY, ENCORE PLAY, and MOVIEPLEX PLAY. Starz Distribution develops, produces and acquires entertainment content, distributing it to consumers globally on DVD, digital formats and traditional television. Starz Distribution’s home video, digital media and worldwide distribution business units distribute original programming content produced by Starz, as well as entertainment content for itself and third parties. Starz Animation produces animated TV and movie content for studios, networks, distributors and audiences worldwide.
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Tuesday, November 11, 2014
Monday, November 10, 2014
First Trailer for Ava DuVernay's "Selma" Debuts
Watch the first trailer for SELMA
Starring David Oyelowo as Martin Luther King, Jr.
Watch now and read an interview with director Ava DuVernay:
https://www.yahoo.com/movies/watch-martin-luther-king-jr-s-struggle-for-101958230737.html
Can you pass a voting literacy test? - www.SelmaMovie.com/SelmaLiteracyTest
Voting is a topic at the forefront of culture. Whether debating the effects of voter ID laws or discussing the importance of voting to push for more police regulation, we find ourselves at a pivotal time in history. As we approach the theatrical release of SELMA and the 50th anniversary of the passing of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, we take a reflective look at where America would be without this powerful movement via an infographic that simply asks the question, “Can you vote?”
In Select Theaters December 25, 2014 - In All Theaters January 9, 2015
SELMA is the story of a movement. The film chronicles the tumultuous three-month period in 1965, when Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. led a dangerous campaign to secure equal voting rights in the face of violent opposition. The epic march from Selma to Montgomery culminated in President Johnson (Tom Wilkinson) signing the Voting Rights Act of 1965, one of the most significant victories for the civil rights movement. Director Ava DuVernay’s SELMA tells the story of how the revered leader and visionary Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (David Oyelowo) and his brothers and sisters in the movement prompted change that forever altered history.
Starring: David Oyelowo, Tom Wilkinson, Cuba Gooding Jr., Alessandro Nivola, Giovanni Ribisi Common, Carmen Ejogo, Lorraine Toussaint, with Tim Roth and Oprah Winfrey as “Annie Lee Cooper.”
Directed by Ava DuVernay
Written by Paul Webb
Produced by Christian Colson, Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, Oprah Winfrey
Executive Producers: Cameron McCracken, Nik Bower, Diarmuid McKeown, Ava DuVernay, Paul Garnes, Nan Morales
Official Site: http://www.selmamovie.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SelmaMovie
Twitter: https://twitter.com/selmamovie
Instagram: http://instagram.com/selmamovie
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Sunday, November 9, 2014
2014 European Film Award Nominations Announced - Complete List
by Leroy Douresseaux
The European Film Awards recognize excellence in European cinematic achievements. The awards are are presented annually since 1988 by the European Film Academy (EFA) and are given in over ten categories, of which the most important is “European Film,” the best film of the year award. The European Film Awards are restricted to European cinema and European producers, directors, and actors.
The European Film Academy and EFA Productions announced the nominations for the 27th European Film Awards at the Seville European Film Festival. The more than 3,000 EFA members will vote for the winners. The awards ceremony will be held on December 13, 2014 in Riga, European Capital of Culture 2014. The 27th European Film Awards will be streamed live on europeanfilmawards.eu.
Leading the nominations is Ida, director Pawel Pawlikowski’s Polish postwar drama, with five nominations. Director Andrey Zvyagintsev's Russian satire, Leviathan (Leviafan), has four nominations. The winners in six categories were revealed with the announcement of the nominations.
The 2014/27th European Film Awards nominations:
EUROPEAN FILM
“Force Majeure”
“Ida”
“Leviathan”
“Nymphomaniac Director's Cut – Volume I & II”
“Winter Sleep”
EUROPEAN COMEDY
“Carmina & Amen”
“Le Week-End”
“The Mafia Only Kills in the Summer”
EUROPEAN DIRECTOR
Nuri Bilge Ceylan, “Winter Sleep”
Steven Knight, “Locke”
Ruben Ostlund, “Force Majeure”
Paweł Pawlikowski, “Ida”
Paolo Virzì, “Human Capital”
Andrey Zvyagintsev, “Leviathan”
EUROPEAN ACTRESS
Marian Alvarez, “Wounded”
Valeria Bruni Tedeschi, “Human Capital”
Marion Cotillard, “Two Days, One Night”
Charlotte Gainsbourg, “Nymphomaniac Director's Cut – Volumes I & II”
Agata Kulesza, “Ida”
Agata Trzebuchowska, “Ida”
EUROPEAN ACTOR
Brendan Gleeson, “Calvary”
Tom Hardy, “Locke”
Alexey Serebryakov, “Leviathan”
Stellan Skarsgard, “Nymphomaniac Director's Cut – Volume I & II”
Timothy Spall, “Mr. Turner”
EUROPEAN SCREENWRITER
Ebru Ceylan & Nuri Bilge Ceylan, “Winter Sleep”
Jean-Pierre & Luc Dardenne, “Two Days, One Night”
Steven Knight, “Locke”
Oleg Negin & Andrey Zvyagintsev, “Leviathan”
Paweł Pawlikowski & Rebecca Lenkiewicz, “Ida”
NOTE: The 2014 winners in the following categories were announced the same day the 2014 nominations were announced:
EUROPEAN CINEMATOGRAPHER
Łukasz Żal & Ryszard Lenczewski, “Ida”
EUROPEAN EDITOR
Justine Wright, “Locke”
EUROPEAN PRODUCTION DESIGNER
Claus-Rudolf Amler, “The Dark Valley”
EUROPEAN COSTUME DESIGNER
Natascha Curtius-Noss, “The Dark Valley”
EUROPEAN COMPOSER
Mica Levi, “Under the Skin”
EUROPEAN SOUND DESIGNER
Joakim Sundström, “Starred Up”
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The European Film Awards recognize excellence in European cinematic achievements. The awards are are presented annually since 1988 by the European Film Academy (EFA) and are given in over ten categories, of which the most important is “European Film,” the best film of the year award. The European Film Awards are restricted to European cinema and European producers, directors, and actors.
The European Film Academy and EFA Productions announced the nominations for the 27th European Film Awards at the Seville European Film Festival. The more than 3,000 EFA members will vote for the winners. The awards ceremony will be held on December 13, 2014 in Riga, European Capital of Culture 2014. The 27th European Film Awards will be streamed live on europeanfilmawards.eu.
Leading the nominations is Ida, director Pawel Pawlikowski’s Polish postwar drama, with five nominations. Director Andrey Zvyagintsev's Russian satire, Leviathan (Leviafan), has four nominations. The winners in six categories were revealed with the announcement of the nominations.
The 2014/27th European Film Awards nominations:
EUROPEAN FILM
“Force Majeure”
“Ida”
“Leviathan”
“Nymphomaniac Director's Cut – Volume I & II”
“Winter Sleep”
EUROPEAN COMEDY
“Carmina & Amen”
“Le Week-End”
“The Mafia Only Kills in the Summer”
EUROPEAN DIRECTOR
Nuri Bilge Ceylan, “Winter Sleep”
Steven Knight, “Locke”
Ruben Ostlund, “Force Majeure”
Paweł Pawlikowski, “Ida”
Paolo Virzì, “Human Capital”
Andrey Zvyagintsev, “Leviathan”
EUROPEAN ACTRESS
Marian Alvarez, “Wounded”
Valeria Bruni Tedeschi, “Human Capital”
Marion Cotillard, “Two Days, One Night”
Charlotte Gainsbourg, “Nymphomaniac Director's Cut – Volumes I & II”
Agata Kulesza, “Ida”
Agata Trzebuchowska, “Ida”
EUROPEAN ACTOR
Brendan Gleeson, “Calvary”
Tom Hardy, “Locke”
Alexey Serebryakov, “Leviathan”
Stellan Skarsgard, “Nymphomaniac Director's Cut – Volume I & II”
Timothy Spall, “Mr. Turner”
EUROPEAN SCREENWRITER
Ebru Ceylan & Nuri Bilge Ceylan, “Winter Sleep”
Jean-Pierre & Luc Dardenne, “Two Days, One Night”
Steven Knight, “Locke”
Oleg Negin & Andrey Zvyagintsev, “Leviathan”
Paweł Pawlikowski & Rebecca Lenkiewicz, “Ida”
NOTE: The 2014 winners in the following categories were announced the same day the 2014 nominations were announced:
EUROPEAN CINEMATOGRAPHER
Łukasz Żal & Ryszard Lenczewski, “Ida”
EUROPEAN EDITOR
Justine Wright, “Locke”
EUROPEAN PRODUCTION DESIGNER
Claus-Rudolf Amler, “The Dark Valley”
EUROPEAN COSTUME DESIGNER
Natascha Curtius-Noss, “The Dark Valley”
EUROPEAN COMPOSER
Mica Levi, “Under the Skin”
EUROPEAN SOUND DESIGNER
Joakim Sundström, “Starred Up”
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Saturday, November 8, 2014
VIZ Media Announces "Road to Ninja - Naruto the Movie" on Blu-ray/DVD
“For My Friends And Family, I’ll Risk My Life For This Mission!”
VIZ Media gives anime fans across North America the opportunity to add the sixth and latest feature film of the massively popular NARURTO SHIPPUDEN saga to their personal collections as it announces the release of ROAD TO NINJA – NARUTO THE MOVIE on Blu-ray/DVD combo pack and DVD on November 25th.
The Blu-ray/DVD combo pack is a 2-disc set and will carry an MSRP of $29.99 U.S. / $37.48 CAN. The DVD edition of ROAD TO NINJA is a single-disc release that will carry an MSRP of $19.98 U.S. / $34.98 CAN.
A variety of bonus features will also make ROAD TO NINJA of special interest to NARUTO SHIPPUDEN fans. These include the original Japanese theatrical trailers, broadcast commercials, and promotional videos offered on both the DVD and Blu-ray editions. The Blu-ray edition features crisp 1080p High Definition video and also includes a special bonus art gallery. The Blu-ray edition contains DTS-HD audio, also with English and Japanese dialogue options and English subtitles. DVD audio selections include English 5.1 as well as Japanese 2.0 dialogue options, with English subtitles.
In ROAD TO NINJA – NARUTO THE MOVIE, long ago, a mysterious masked shinobi unleashed the Nine-Tailed Fox onto the Village Hidden in the Leaves to spread chaos and destruction. But the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, and his wife Kushina Uzumaki sealed the Tailed Beast into their newborn son, Naruto, to save the village, foiling the shinobi’s plan.
Years later, Naruto and his friends succeed in driving away the infamous Akatsuki, who have mysteriously returned from the dead. Upon returning to the village, the young shinobi are praised by their families for completing a dangerous mission. Reminded of how alone he is, Naruto begins to wonder what it’s like to have parents, when a strange masked figure appears before him – the same masked shinobi responsible for the death of his parents!
VIZ Media also invites NARUTO fans to catch the exciting adventures of the world’s most popular ninja in manga (graphic novel) format (rated ‘T’ for Teens), available in-print and also digitally from VIZManga.com, the VIZ Manga App, and from a host of partner platforms. Fans can further dive into all of the previous NARUTO and NARUTO SHIPPUDEN feature films on DVD or Blu-ray, and also catch anime series episodes and select films on Neon Alley, VIZ Media’s FREE media streaming platform, including brand new, subtitled episodes simulcast with Japan!
In the NARUTO manga and animated series, Naruto Uzumaki wants to be the best ninja in the land. He's done well so far, but Naruto knows he must train harder than ever and leaves his village for intense exercises that will push him to his limits. NARUTO SHIPPUDEN begins two and a half years later, when Naruto returns to find that everyone has been promoted up the ninja ranks – except him. Sakura’s a medic ninja, Gaara’s advanced to Kazekage, and Kakashi…well he remains the same. But pride isn’t necessarily becoming of a ninja, especially when Naruto realizes that Sasuke never returned from his search for Orochimaru. Plus, the mysterious Akatsuki organization is still an ever-present danger. As Naruto finds out more about the Akatsuki’s goals, he realizes that nothing in his universe is as it seems. Naruto is finding that he’s older, but will he also prove wiser and stronger?
Additional information on NARUTO and NARUTO SHIPPUDEN is available at www.Naruto.com.
For more information on manga titles available from VIZ Media, please visit www.VIZ.com.
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2014 British Independent Film Award Nominations Announced - Complete List
In 1998, Raindance created the British Independent Film Awards to celebrate merit and achievement in independently funded British filmmaking. The awards also honor new talent and promote British films and filmmaking to a wider public.
On Monday, November 3, 2014, the nominations for the 17th Annual Moët British Independent Film Awards were announced in London, at St Martins Lane. London actor, Jared Harris, presented the nominations. The winners will be announced at the 17th awards ceremony on Sunday, December 7, 2014 at the Old Billingsgate in London.
The 2014/17th Annual Moët British Independent Film Awards nominees:
BEST BRITISH INDEPENDENT FILM -Sponsored by Moët & Chandon
'71
Calvary
Mr Turner
Pride
The Imitation Game
BEST DIRECTOR - Sponsored by AllCity & Intermission
John Michael McDonagh – Calvary
Lenny Abrahamson – Frank
Matthew Warchus – Pride
Mike Leigh – Mr Turner
Yann Demange – '71
THE DOUGLAS HICKOX AWARD [BEST DEBUT DIRECTOR] - Sponsored by 3 Mills Studios
Daniel Wolfe, Matthew Wolfe – Catch Me Daddy
Hong Khaou – Lilting
Iain Forsyth, Jane Pollard – 20,000 Days on Earth
Morgan Matthews – X+Y
Yann Demange – '71
BEST SCREENPLAY - Sponsored by BBC Films
Graham Moore – The Imitation Game
Gregory Burke – '71
John Michael McDonagh – Calvary
Jon Ronson, Peter Straughan – Frank
Stephen Beresford – Pride
BEST ACTRESS - Sponsored by M.A.C Cosmetics
Alicia Vikander – Testament of Youth
Cheng Pei Pei – Lilting
Gugu Mbatha-Raw – Belle
Keira Knightley – The Imitation Game
Sameena Jabeen Ahmed – Catch Me Daddy
BEST ACTOR - Sponsored by Movado
Asa Butterfield – X+Y
Benedict Cumberbatch – The Imitation Game
Brendan Gleeson – Calvary
Jack O'Connell – '71
Timothy Spall – Mr Turner
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Dorothy Atkinson – Mr Turner
Imelda Staunton – Pride
Maggie Gyllenhaal – Frank
Sally Hawkins – X+Y
Sienna Guillory – The Goob
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR - Sponsored by St Martins Lane
Andrew Scott – Pride
Ben Schnetzer – Pride
Michael Fassbender – Frank
Rafe Spall – X+Y
Sean Harris – ‘71
MOST PROMISING NEWCOMER
Ben Schnetzer – Pride
Cara Delevingne – The Face of An Angel
Gugu Mbatha-Raw – Belle
Liam Walpole – The Goob
Sameena Jabeen Ahmed – Catch Me Daddy
BEST ACHIEVEMENT IN PRODUCTION
'71
20,000 Days on Earth
Catch Me Daddy
Lilting
The Goob
BEST TECHNICAL ACHIEVEMENT
Chris Wyatt - Editing - '71
Dick Pope - Cinematography - Mr Turner
Robbie Ryan - Cinematography - Catch Me Daddy
Stephen Rennicks - Music – Frank
Tat Radcliffe - Cinematography - '71
BEST DOCUMENTARY
20,000 Days on Earth
Next Goal Wins
Night Will Fall
The Possibilities Are Endless
Virunga
BEST BRITISH SHORT
Crocodile
Emotional Fusebox
Keeping Up With The Joneses
Slap
The Kármán Line
BEST INTERNATIONAL INDEPENDENT FILM
Blue Ruin
Boyhood
Fruitvale Station
Ida
The Badadook
THE RAINDANCE AWARD
Flim: The Movie...
Gregor
Luna
Keeping Rosy
The Beat Beneath My Feet
THE RICHARD HARRIS AWARD (for outstanding contribution by an actor to British Film)
To Be Announced
THE VARIETY AWARD
To Be Announced
THE SPECIAL JURY PRIZE
Announced at the Moët British Independent Film Awards on Sunday 7th December
For further information on MBIFA, visit www.bifa.org.uk
For further information on Moët & Chandon, visit http://moet.com
For further information on Raindance, visit www.raindance.org
On Monday, November 3, 2014, the nominations for the 17th Annual Moët British Independent Film Awards were announced in London, at St Martins Lane. London actor, Jared Harris, presented the nominations. The winners will be announced at the 17th awards ceremony on Sunday, December 7, 2014 at the Old Billingsgate in London.
The 2014/17th Annual Moët British Independent Film Awards nominees:
BEST BRITISH INDEPENDENT FILM -Sponsored by Moët & Chandon
'71
Calvary
Mr Turner
Pride
The Imitation Game
BEST DIRECTOR - Sponsored by AllCity & Intermission
John Michael McDonagh – Calvary
Lenny Abrahamson – Frank
Matthew Warchus – Pride
Mike Leigh – Mr Turner
Yann Demange – '71
THE DOUGLAS HICKOX AWARD [BEST DEBUT DIRECTOR] - Sponsored by 3 Mills Studios
Daniel Wolfe, Matthew Wolfe – Catch Me Daddy
Hong Khaou – Lilting
Iain Forsyth, Jane Pollard – 20,000 Days on Earth
Morgan Matthews – X+Y
Yann Demange – '71
BEST SCREENPLAY - Sponsored by BBC Films
Graham Moore – The Imitation Game
Gregory Burke – '71
John Michael McDonagh – Calvary
Jon Ronson, Peter Straughan – Frank
Stephen Beresford – Pride
BEST ACTRESS - Sponsored by M.A.C Cosmetics
Alicia Vikander – Testament of Youth
Cheng Pei Pei – Lilting
Gugu Mbatha-Raw – Belle
Keira Knightley – The Imitation Game
Sameena Jabeen Ahmed – Catch Me Daddy
BEST ACTOR - Sponsored by Movado
Asa Butterfield – X+Y
Benedict Cumberbatch – The Imitation Game
Brendan Gleeson – Calvary
Jack O'Connell – '71
Timothy Spall – Mr Turner
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Dorothy Atkinson – Mr Turner
Imelda Staunton – Pride
Maggie Gyllenhaal – Frank
Sally Hawkins – X+Y
Sienna Guillory – The Goob
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR - Sponsored by St Martins Lane
Andrew Scott – Pride
Ben Schnetzer – Pride
Michael Fassbender – Frank
Rafe Spall – X+Y
Sean Harris – ‘71
MOST PROMISING NEWCOMER
Ben Schnetzer – Pride
Cara Delevingne – The Face of An Angel
Gugu Mbatha-Raw – Belle
Liam Walpole – The Goob
Sameena Jabeen Ahmed – Catch Me Daddy
BEST ACHIEVEMENT IN PRODUCTION
'71
20,000 Days on Earth
Catch Me Daddy
Lilting
The Goob
BEST TECHNICAL ACHIEVEMENT
Chris Wyatt - Editing - '71
Dick Pope - Cinematography - Mr Turner
Robbie Ryan - Cinematography - Catch Me Daddy
Stephen Rennicks - Music – Frank
Tat Radcliffe - Cinematography - '71
BEST DOCUMENTARY
20,000 Days on Earth
Next Goal Wins
Night Will Fall
The Possibilities Are Endless
Virunga
BEST BRITISH SHORT
Crocodile
Emotional Fusebox
Keeping Up With The Joneses
Slap
The Kármán Line
BEST INTERNATIONAL INDEPENDENT FILM
Blue Ruin
Boyhood
Fruitvale Station
Ida
The Badadook
THE RAINDANCE AWARD
Flim: The Movie...
Gregor
Luna
Keeping Rosy
The Beat Beneath My Feet
THE RICHARD HARRIS AWARD (for outstanding contribution by an actor to British Film)
To Be Announced
THE VARIETY AWARD
To Be Announced
THE SPECIAL JURY PRIZE
Announced at the Moët British Independent Film Awards on Sunday 7th December
For further information on MBIFA, visit www.bifa.org.uk
For further information on Moët & Chandon, visit http://moet.com
For further information on Raindance, visit www.raindance.org
Negromancer News Bit and Bites for November 1 to November 8, 2014 - Update #20
NEWS:
From YahooTV: Update on another "Walking Dead" lawsuit. Screen Rant has articles about Frank Darabont's firing From the show and his lawsuit.
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From YahooMovies: Ernie Hudson on his bittersweet memories of the original Ghostbusters.
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From DemocracyNow: More on CITIZENFOUR.
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From VanityFair: How Laura Poitras shot her buzzed-about doc, CITIZENFOUR, on the down low.
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From YahooMovies: Channing Tatum apparently in Quentin Tarantino's next film, "The Hateful Eight."
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From YahooMovies: "Toy Story 4" announced for June 6, 2017, directed by the incomparable John Lasseter.
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From YahooMovies: Mark Wahlberg and Peter Berg team for "The Six Billion Dollar Man," an update of the cult TV show, "The Six Million Dollar Man." The movie may skew closer to the 1972 novel, Cyborg, which inspired "The Six Million Dollar Man."
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From YahooCelebrity: Keira Knightley poses topless in a protest.
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From THR: Christian Bale is reportedly out of director Danny Boyle's Steve Jops biopic.
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From TheWrap: When the final numbers came in, Ouija won the October 31 to November 2, 2014 box office with a tally of $10.7 million. Nightcrawler finished second with $10.4 million.
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From YahooCelebrity: Angie Harmon and her husband, former NFL player, Jason Sehorn, are separating.
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From THR: According to early estimates, the films, Ouija and Nightcrawler, have tied for the top spot at the October 31st to November 2nd, 2014 weekend box office, each with an estimated $10.9 million.
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From YahooMovies: The late Paul Walker is featured prominently in the new Furious 7 trailer.
COMICS: Movies and News:
From TheWrap: Jared Leto as the Joker in Suicide Squad.
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From CinemaBlend: "Ant-Man" is important to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
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From CinemaBlend: Could the classic graphic novel, Doctor Strange: Into Shamballa, be the source material for 2016's Doctor Strange film?
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From CinemaBlend: Some of "Ant-Man" could take place in the past.
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From YahooGames: Marvel has released a teaser for "X-Men '92." Does that mean the FOX Saturday morning "X-Men" animated television series is returning? Unlikely. More likely, this means that there will be a comic book based on the TV series which debuted in 1992.
STAR WARS:
From YahooMovies: Star Wars Episode 7 has a name, "Star Wars: The Force Awakens."
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From the Examiner: "Star Wars Episode 7" recently had a wrap party and R2-D2 was there looking battered.
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From YahooCelebrity: There was a "wrap" (the end of "principal photography") party for Star Wars Episode 7.
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From CinemaBlend: What did the cast and crew of Star Wars Episode 7 get as a parting gift?
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From NPR: An interview and feature on Episode 7 actor, Adam Driver.
REVIEWS:
From TheVillageVoice: Stephanie Zacharek on Interstellar.
Friday, November 7, 2014
20 Films Compete for "Best Animated Feature Film" Oscar Nominations to Be Announced January 15, 2015
20 Animated Features Submitted for 2014 Oscar Race
LOS ANGELES, CA – Twenty features have been submitted for consideration in the Animated Feature Film category for the 87th Academy Awards.
The submitted features, listed in alphabetical order, are:
“Big Hero 6”
“The Book of Life”
“The Boxtrolls”
“Cheatin’”
“Giovanni’s Island”
“Henry & Me”
“The Hero of Color City”
“How to Train Your Dragon 2”
“Jack and the Cuckoo-Clock Heart”
“Legends of Oz: Dorothy’s Return”
“The Lego Movie”
“Minuscule – Valley of the Lost Ants”
“Mr. Peabody & Sherman”
“Penguins of Madagascar”
“The Pirate Fairy”
“Planes: Fire & Rescue”
“Rio 2”
“Rocks in My Pockets”
“Song of the Sea”
“The Tale of the Princess Kaguya”
Several of the films have not yet had their required Los Angeles qualifying run. Submitted features must fulfill the theatrical release requirements and comply with all of the category’s other qualifying rules before they can advance in the voting process. At least eight eligible animated features must be theatrically released in Los Angeles County within the calendar year for this category to be activated.
Films submitted in the Animated Feature Film category also may qualify for Academy Awards in other categories, including Best Picture, provided they meet the requirements for those categories.
The 87th Academy Awards nominations will be announced live on Thursday, January 15, 2015, at 5:30 a.m. PT in the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater. The Oscars will be held on Sunday, February 22, 2015, at the Dolby Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center in Hollywood, and will be televised live by the ABC Television Network. The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 225 countries and territories worldwide.
LOS ANGELES, CA – Twenty features have been submitted for consideration in the Animated Feature Film category for the 87th Academy Awards.
The submitted features, listed in alphabetical order, are:
“Big Hero 6”
“The Book of Life”
“The Boxtrolls”
“Cheatin’”
“Giovanni’s Island”
“Henry & Me”
“The Hero of Color City”
“How to Train Your Dragon 2”
“Jack and the Cuckoo-Clock Heart”
“Legends of Oz: Dorothy’s Return”
“The Lego Movie”
“Minuscule – Valley of the Lost Ants”
“Mr. Peabody & Sherman”
“Penguins of Madagascar”
“The Pirate Fairy”
“Planes: Fire & Rescue”
“Rio 2”
“Rocks in My Pockets”
“Song of the Sea”
“The Tale of the Princess Kaguya”
Several of the films have not yet had their required Los Angeles qualifying run. Submitted features must fulfill the theatrical release requirements and comply with all of the category’s other qualifying rules before they can advance in the voting process. At least eight eligible animated features must be theatrically released in Los Angeles County within the calendar year for this category to be activated.
Films submitted in the Animated Feature Film category also may qualify for Academy Awards in other categories, including Best Picture, provided they meet the requirements for those categories.
The 87th Academy Awards nominations will be announced live on Thursday, January 15, 2015, at 5:30 a.m. PT in the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater. The Oscars will be held on Sunday, February 22, 2015, at the Dolby Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center in Hollywood, and will be televised live by the ABC Television Network. The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 225 countries and territories worldwide.
Warner Bros. Obtains Max Joseph's "We Are Your Friends"
Warner Bros. Pictures to Release “We Are Your Friends”
Max Joseph directed the Working Title and Studiocanal production starring Zac Efron, Emily Ratajkowski and Wes Bentley
BURBANK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Warner Bros. Pictures announced today that it has obtained the domestic distribution rights for Max Joseph’s (MTV’s “Catfish: The TV Show”) feature film directorial debut, “We Are Your Friends.” The film, from Working Title Films and Studiocanal, stars Zac Efron (“Neighbors”), Emily Ratajkowski (“Gone Girl”) and Wes Bentley (“Interstellar,” “The Hunger Games”). The announcement was made today by Greg Silverman, President, Creative Development and Worldwide Production, and Sue Kroll, President, Worldwide Marketing and International Distribution, Warner Bros. Pictures.
“The breadth and depth of our slate allows us to proudly bring features from every genre, scope and scale to our audiences, and we are delighted to have the opportunity to usher in Max Joseph’s fresh, raw image of a love story set in today’s modern-day music scene.”
“We Are Your Friends” is about what it takes to find your voice. Set in the world of electronic music and Hollywood nightlife, an aspiring 23-year-old DJ named Cole (Efron) spends his days scheming with his childhood friends and his nights working on the one track that will set the world on fire. All of this changes when he meets a charismatic but damaged older DJ named James (Bentley), who takes him under his wing. Things get complicated, however, when Cole starts falling for James’ much younger girlfriend, Sophie (Ratajkowski). With Cole’s forbidden relationship intensifying and his friendships unraveling, he must choose between love, loyalty, and the future he is destined for.
In making the announcement, Silverman stated, “We are so thrilled to finally be in business with Working Title, and know this is the beginning of a great relationship. The same can be said for Max, a wonderful new voice who will, hopefully, make many movies here. It is also thrilling to have our dear friend Zac back, as well as Emily, who will appear in ‘Entourage,’ and Wes, who is so wonderful in ‘Interstellar.’”
Kroll added, “The breadth and depth of our slate allows us to proudly bring features from every genre, scope and scale to our audiences, and we are delighted to have the opportunity to usher in Max Joseph’s fresh, raw image of a love story set in today’s modern-day music scene.”
“I couldn't be happier to have Warner Bros releasing my first feature film,” director Joseph said. “Having their passion and expertise behind ‘We Are Your Friends’ is a dream come true.”
Joseph directs from a screenplay he wrote with Meaghan Oppenheimer, from a story by Richard Silverman. The producers are Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner and Liza Chasin, with Silverman executive producing and Johanna Byer serving as co-producer. Randall Poster (“The Wolf of Wall Street,” “Divergent,” “Spring Breakers”) is the film’s music supervisor.
“We Are Your Friends” will be distributed in North America by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company. Studiocanal, who financed the film, is handling international sales and will be distributing in France, UK, Germany, Australia and New Zealand.
About Working Title Films
Founded in 1983, Working Title Films has been co-chaired by Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner since 1992. The pair has produced more than 100 feature films which have amassed over $5 billion worldwide. Their films have won 9 Academy Awards®, and earned over 50 Academy Award® nominations, and won 24 BAFTAs, garnering over 100 BAFTA nominations.
About Studiocanal
Studiocanal is a subsidiary of the Canal+ Group. It is one of Europe’s leading companies in the market for co-production, acquisition, distribution and sales of international feature films and TV series. Studiocanal is the only studio operating simultaneously in the three main European territories—France, the United Kingdom and Germany—as well as in Australia and New Zealand. Additionally, Studiocanal owns one of the most important libraries in the world, with more than 5,000 international titles.
Max Joseph directed the Working Title and Studiocanal production starring Zac Efron, Emily Ratajkowski and Wes Bentley
BURBANK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Warner Bros. Pictures announced today that it has obtained the domestic distribution rights for Max Joseph’s (MTV’s “Catfish: The TV Show”) feature film directorial debut, “We Are Your Friends.” The film, from Working Title Films and Studiocanal, stars Zac Efron (“Neighbors”), Emily Ratajkowski (“Gone Girl”) and Wes Bentley (“Interstellar,” “The Hunger Games”). The announcement was made today by Greg Silverman, President, Creative Development and Worldwide Production, and Sue Kroll, President, Worldwide Marketing and International Distribution, Warner Bros. Pictures.
“The breadth and depth of our slate allows us to proudly bring features from every genre, scope and scale to our audiences, and we are delighted to have the opportunity to usher in Max Joseph’s fresh, raw image of a love story set in today’s modern-day music scene.”
“We Are Your Friends” is about what it takes to find your voice. Set in the world of electronic music and Hollywood nightlife, an aspiring 23-year-old DJ named Cole (Efron) spends his days scheming with his childhood friends and his nights working on the one track that will set the world on fire. All of this changes when he meets a charismatic but damaged older DJ named James (Bentley), who takes him under his wing. Things get complicated, however, when Cole starts falling for James’ much younger girlfriend, Sophie (Ratajkowski). With Cole’s forbidden relationship intensifying and his friendships unraveling, he must choose between love, loyalty, and the future he is destined for.
In making the announcement, Silverman stated, “We are so thrilled to finally be in business with Working Title, and know this is the beginning of a great relationship. The same can be said for Max, a wonderful new voice who will, hopefully, make many movies here. It is also thrilling to have our dear friend Zac back, as well as Emily, who will appear in ‘Entourage,’ and Wes, who is so wonderful in ‘Interstellar.’”
Kroll added, “The breadth and depth of our slate allows us to proudly bring features from every genre, scope and scale to our audiences, and we are delighted to have the opportunity to usher in Max Joseph’s fresh, raw image of a love story set in today’s modern-day music scene.”
“I couldn't be happier to have Warner Bros releasing my first feature film,” director Joseph said. “Having their passion and expertise behind ‘We Are Your Friends’ is a dream come true.”
Joseph directs from a screenplay he wrote with Meaghan Oppenheimer, from a story by Richard Silverman. The producers are Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner and Liza Chasin, with Silverman executive producing and Johanna Byer serving as co-producer. Randall Poster (“The Wolf of Wall Street,” “Divergent,” “Spring Breakers”) is the film’s music supervisor.
“We Are Your Friends” will be distributed in North America by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company. Studiocanal, who financed the film, is handling international sales and will be distributing in France, UK, Germany, Australia and New Zealand.
About Working Title Films
Founded in 1983, Working Title Films has been co-chaired by Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner since 1992. The pair has produced more than 100 feature films which have amassed over $5 billion worldwide. Their films have won 9 Academy Awards®, and earned over 50 Academy Award® nominations, and won 24 BAFTAs, garnering over 100 BAFTA nominations.
About Studiocanal
Studiocanal is a subsidiary of the Canal+ Group. It is one of Europe’s leading companies in the market for co-production, acquisition, distribution and sales of international feature films and TV series. Studiocanal is the only studio operating simultaneously in the three main European territories—France, the United Kingdom and Germany—as well as in Australia and New Zealand. Additionally, Studiocanal owns one of the most important libraries in the world, with more than 5,000 international titles.
Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg Unite for "Daddy's Home"
FERRELL AND WAHLBERG TO STAR IN “DADDY’S HOME” FOR PARAMOUNT PICTURES AND RED GRANITE IN ASSOCIATION WITH GARY SANCHEZ
Paramount Pictures and Red Granite Pictures in association with Gary Sanchez Productions announced today that Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg are set to star in “DADDY’S HOME.” Red Granite Pictures will co-produce and co-finance the film, which Paramount Pictures will distribute worldwide. The film is expected to begin shooting later this year.
Sean Anders (“HORRIBLE BOSSES 2,” “THAT’S MY BOY”) will direct the screenplay written by Brian Burns (“Blue Bloods,” “Entourage”), with revision by Anders and John Morris (“HORRIBLE BOSSES 2,” “DUMB AND DUMBER TO”), Chris Henchy (“THE CAMPAIGN,” “THE OTHER GUYS”), Adam McKay (“ANCHORMAN 2: THE LEDGEND CONTINUES,” “THE CAMPAIGN”) and Etan Cohen (“MEN IN BLACK 3,” “TROPIC THUNDER”).
Morris will produce with Ferrell, Henchy and McKay through their Gary Sanchez Productions banner (“TAMMY,” “GET HARD”). The executive producers are Riza Aziz, Joey McFarland and David Koplan (“DUMB AND DUMBER TO,” “THE WOLF OF WALL STREET”) from Red Granite Pictures along with Kevin Messick (“ANCHORMAN 2: THE LEGEND CONTINUES,” “THE OTHER GUYS”) and Jessica Elbaum (“ANCHORMAN 2: THE LEGEND CONTINUES”) of Gary Sanchez, Sean Anders and Diana Pokorny (“HORRIBLE BOSSES” 1 & 2, “THE INCREDIBLE BURT WONDERSTONE”).
Adam Goodman, President of Paramount Film Group said, “Will and Mark are the absolute perfect on-screen duo to take on this hilarious project. With Anders at the helm, and our partners Red Granite on-board, we are thrilled this movie is getting underway.”
Riza Aziz, Co-Chairman of Red Granite Pictures adds, “We're particularly excited not only to reunite with the wonderful Paramount team but to collaborate again with the comical genius of Sean Anders and John Morris, who we had the pleasure of working with on Dumb and Dumber To. And we are thrilled to partner with Will, Mark and Gary Sanchez. We look forward to an inspiring, hilarious adventure.”
“DADDY’S HOME” follows a mild-mannered radio executive (Ferrell) who strives to become the best stepdad to his wife’s two children, but complications ensue when their freewheeling and freeloading real father (Wahlberg) arrives, forcing him to compete for the affection of the kids.
About Paramount Pictures Corporation
Paramount Pictures Corporation (PPC), a global producer and distributor of filmed entertainment, is a unit of Viacom (NASDAQ: VIAB, VIA), 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 Vantage, Paramount Classics, Insurge Pictures, MTV Films, and Nickelodeon Movies. PPC operations also include Paramount Home Media Distribution, Paramount Pictures International, Paramount Licensing Inc., and Paramount Studio Group.
About Red Granite Pictures
Red Granite Pictures is an American film finance, development, production, and distribution company, co-founded by Riza Aziz and Joey McFarland in 2010. Aziz and McFarland serve as co-Chairmen and producing partners. Randy Hermann serves as CFO, David Boyle serves as Business Affairs and Production Legal, David Koplan serves as President of Production, while Danny Dimbort and Christian Mercuri serve as co-Presidents of the distribution arm, Red Granite International. The company was formed in 2010 but formally announced its executive team in May 2011 at the Cannes Film Festival. Red Granite has developed, produced, and structured financing for a slate of films representing more than $400 million in revenue.
Red Granite Pictures made its debut with Friends with Kids, a romantic comedy written and directed by Jennifer Westfeldt. Friends with Kids stars Jon Hamm, Kristen Wiig, Adam Scott, and Megan Fox. Following Friends with Kids, Red Granite Pictures executive-produced and handled foreign distribution for the dramatic thriller Out of the Furnace starring Christian Bale, Zoe Saldana, Forest Whitaker, and Casey Affleck and directed by Scott Cooper. Out of the Furnace was released on December 6, 2013 by Relativity Media.
Red Granite Pictures next released the highly anticipated film The Wolf of Wall Street on December 25, 2013. The Wolf of Wall Street was directed by Martin Scorsese and stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Jonah Hill, Matthew McConaughey, Margot Robbie, Kyle Chandler, Jon Favreau and Rob Reiner. The Wolf of Wall Street is based on the memoir of the same name by Jordan Belfort. The Wolf of Wall Street has achieved tremendous box office success and critical acclaim - including a Golden Globe win for Best Actor in a Motion Picture Comedy for star Leonardo DiCaprio and five Academy Award nominations including Best Picture, Best Actor (Leonardo DiCaprio), Best Director (Martin Scorsese), Best Supporting Actor (Jonah Hill) and Best Adapted Screenplay (Terry Winters).
Following The Wolf of Wall Street, Red Granite Pictures Produced Horns and Dumb and Dumber To. Horns, a supernatural thriller starring Daniel Radcliffe, Juno Temple, Max Minghella, Joe Anderson, Heather Graham and directed by Alex Aja is based on the best-selling novel of the same name by Joe Hill. Horns will be released October 31, 2014 by Dimension-RADiUS. Dumb and Dumber To is an American buddy comedy film co-written and directed by Bobby Farrelly and Peter Farrelly. It is a sequel to the 1994 film Dumb and Dumber. The film stars Jim Carrey, Jeff Daniels, Laurie Holden, Rob Riggle and Kathleen Turner. Dumb and Dumber To will be released on November 14, 2014 by Universal Pictures.
Red Granite’s development slate for 2015 includes The Brigands of Rattleborge and The General. The Brigands of Rattleborge, blacklist’s number 1 script of 2006, is a western revenge story and The General is a gritty look at the story of George Washington.
Paramount Pictures and Red Granite Pictures in association with Gary Sanchez Productions announced today that Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg are set to star in “DADDY’S HOME.” Red Granite Pictures will co-produce and co-finance the film, which Paramount Pictures will distribute worldwide. The film is expected to begin shooting later this year.
Sean Anders (“HORRIBLE BOSSES 2,” “THAT’S MY BOY”) will direct the screenplay written by Brian Burns (“Blue Bloods,” “Entourage”), with revision by Anders and John Morris (“HORRIBLE BOSSES 2,” “DUMB AND DUMBER TO”), Chris Henchy (“THE CAMPAIGN,” “THE OTHER GUYS”), Adam McKay (“ANCHORMAN 2: THE LEDGEND CONTINUES,” “THE CAMPAIGN”) and Etan Cohen (“MEN IN BLACK 3,” “TROPIC THUNDER”).
Morris will produce with Ferrell, Henchy and McKay through their Gary Sanchez Productions banner (“TAMMY,” “GET HARD”). The executive producers are Riza Aziz, Joey McFarland and David Koplan (“DUMB AND DUMBER TO,” “THE WOLF OF WALL STREET”) from Red Granite Pictures along with Kevin Messick (“ANCHORMAN 2: THE LEGEND CONTINUES,” “THE OTHER GUYS”) and Jessica Elbaum (“ANCHORMAN 2: THE LEGEND CONTINUES”) of Gary Sanchez, Sean Anders and Diana Pokorny (“HORRIBLE BOSSES” 1 & 2, “THE INCREDIBLE BURT WONDERSTONE”).
Adam Goodman, President of Paramount Film Group said, “Will and Mark are the absolute perfect on-screen duo to take on this hilarious project. With Anders at the helm, and our partners Red Granite on-board, we are thrilled this movie is getting underway.”
Riza Aziz, Co-Chairman of Red Granite Pictures adds, “We're particularly excited not only to reunite with the wonderful Paramount team but to collaborate again with the comical genius of Sean Anders and John Morris, who we had the pleasure of working with on Dumb and Dumber To. And we are thrilled to partner with Will, Mark and Gary Sanchez. We look forward to an inspiring, hilarious adventure.”
“DADDY’S HOME” follows a mild-mannered radio executive (Ferrell) who strives to become the best stepdad to his wife’s two children, but complications ensue when their freewheeling and freeloading real father (Wahlberg) arrives, forcing him to compete for the affection of the kids.
About Paramount Pictures Corporation
Paramount Pictures Corporation (PPC), a global producer and distributor of filmed entertainment, is a unit of Viacom (NASDAQ: VIAB, VIA), 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 Vantage, Paramount Classics, Insurge Pictures, MTV Films, and Nickelodeon Movies. PPC operations also include Paramount Home Media Distribution, Paramount Pictures International, Paramount Licensing Inc., and Paramount Studio Group.
About Red Granite Pictures
Red Granite Pictures is an American film finance, development, production, and distribution company, co-founded by Riza Aziz and Joey McFarland in 2010. Aziz and McFarland serve as co-Chairmen and producing partners. Randy Hermann serves as CFO, David Boyle serves as Business Affairs and Production Legal, David Koplan serves as President of Production, while Danny Dimbort and Christian Mercuri serve as co-Presidents of the distribution arm, Red Granite International. The company was formed in 2010 but formally announced its executive team in May 2011 at the Cannes Film Festival. Red Granite has developed, produced, and structured financing for a slate of films representing more than $400 million in revenue.
Red Granite Pictures made its debut with Friends with Kids, a romantic comedy written and directed by Jennifer Westfeldt. Friends with Kids stars Jon Hamm, Kristen Wiig, Adam Scott, and Megan Fox. Following Friends with Kids, Red Granite Pictures executive-produced and handled foreign distribution for the dramatic thriller Out of the Furnace starring Christian Bale, Zoe Saldana, Forest Whitaker, and Casey Affleck and directed by Scott Cooper. Out of the Furnace was released on December 6, 2013 by Relativity Media.
Red Granite Pictures next released the highly anticipated film The Wolf of Wall Street on December 25, 2013. The Wolf of Wall Street was directed by Martin Scorsese and stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Jonah Hill, Matthew McConaughey, Margot Robbie, Kyle Chandler, Jon Favreau and Rob Reiner. The Wolf of Wall Street is based on the memoir of the same name by Jordan Belfort. The Wolf of Wall Street has achieved tremendous box office success and critical acclaim - including a Golden Globe win for Best Actor in a Motion Picture Comedy for star Leonardo DiCaprio and five Academy Award nominations including Best Picture, Best Actor (Leonardo DiCaprio), Best Director (Martin Scorsese), Best Supporting Actor (Jonah Hill) and Best Adapted Screenplay (Terry Winters).
Following The Wolf of Wall Street, Red Granite Pictures Produced Horns and Dumb and Dumber To. Horns, a supernatural thriller starring Daniel Radcliffe, Juno Temple, Max Minghella, Joe Anderson, Heather Graham and directed by Alex Aja is based on the best-selling novel of the same name by Joe Hill. Horns will be released October 31, 2014 by Dimension-RADiUS. Dumb and Dumber To is an American buddy comedy film co-written and directed by Bobby Farrelly and Peter Farrelly. It is a sequel to the 1994 film Dumb and Dumber. The film stars Jim Carrey, Jeff Daniels, Laurie Holden, Rob Riggle and Kathleen Turner. Dumb and Dumber To will be released on November 14, 2014 by Universal Pictures.
Red Granite’s development slate for 2015 includes The Brigands of Rattleborge and The General. The Brigands of Rattleborge, blacklist’s number 1 script of 2006, is a western revenge story and The General is a gritty look at the story of George Washington.
Thursday, November 6, 2014
Review: "Maleficent" is Not Just Another Hollywood Fantasy Film
Maleficent (2014)
Running time: 97 minutes (1 hour, 37 minutes)
Rating: MPAA – PG for sequences of fantasy action and violence, including frightening images
DIRECTOR: Robert Stromberg
WRITER: Linda Woolverton (based on the screenplay, Sleeping Beauty, by Joe Rinaldi, Winston Hibler, Bill Peet, Ted Sears, Ralph Wright, and Milt Banta; and the story adaptation by Erdman Penner; based on the story “La Belle au bois dormant” by Charles Perrault)
PRODUCER: Joe Roth
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Dean Semler (D.o.P.)
EDITORS: Chris Lebenzon and Richard Pearson
COMPOSER: James Newton Howard
FANTASY/ACTION/DRAMA with elements of adventure
Starring: Angelina Jolie, Elle Fanning, Sharlto Copley, Lesley Manville, Imelda Staunton, Juno Temple, Sam Riley, Brenton Thwaites, Kenneth Cranham, Isobelle Molloy, and Ella Purnell
Maleficent is a 2014 fantasy and action film from director Robert Stromberg and writer Linda Woolverton. Released by Walt Disney Pictures and produced by Joe Roth, the film re-imagines Walt Disney's 1959 animated feature film, Sleeping Beauty, and focuses on the point of view of Maleficent, the villain in Sleeping Beauty and a classic Disney villain. In Maleficent the movie, a vengeful fairy curses an infant princess and becomes fascinated with the child as she grows up.
Maleficent is set in a land where there are two kingdoms, the Moors, the magical realm of the faeries, and a human kingdom that borders it. An ambitious human monarch, King Henry (Kenneth Cranham), covets the Moors, but finds his efforts to conquer it stymied by Maleficent (Angelina Jolie), the queen fairy.
Stefan (Sharlto Copley), a human who has known Maleficent since they both were children, believes that he has a solution to the conflict between the humans and the denizens of the Moors. However, this solution leads Maleficent to place a curse on Aurora, an infant human princess. Years later, Maleficent discovers that Aurora (Elle Fanning) may be the only one who can restore peace and hope to the troubled land.
One the books that I have had in my possession for the longest time is the 1980 edition of The Classic Fairy Tales by the husband-and-wife folklorists team, Ioan and Peter Opie. The book contains some of the best-known fairy tales in the English language, including “Sleeping Beauty” (as “The Sleeping Beauty in the Wood”). The emphasis of The Classic Fairy Tales is on the earliest English publications of stories like “Sleeping Beauty,” “Cinderella,” and “Beauty and the Beast,” rather than reprinting, as the text on the back cover declares, later “prettified” versions of those classic fairy tales.
Maleficent is certainly pretty, even gorgeous. The costumes, clothing, head-wraps, and jewelry that Angelina Jolie dons as Maleficent can be described as “classic couture.” The production design is lavish and simply beautiful; in fact, the director of Maleficent, Robert Stromberg, is an Oscar-winning production designer for how work on Avatar (2009) and Alice in Wonderland (2010). The creature design and CGI on the fairies of the Moors and on the dragon in the final battle have qualities that make them both tangible and magical; they're quite lovely.
However, Maleficent is not prettified. It is not the prettiness and beauty or the baroque wonderland that is the Moors that make Maleficent a unique and splendid film. The thematic richness that digs beneath the pretty and simplified surface of classic fairy tales makes Maleficent something that is rare in modern film – a fairy tale that is an allegory about the complexities of the human condition. Linda Woolverton composes a screenplay that offers a feminist reinterpretation of Sleeping Beauty, and the result is Maleficent. This is a film that does not portray women as princesses waiting for the prince-hero or knight-hero who will save them and then, marry them happily-ever-after. This film is about women, but it portrays them with complexity and subtly in depicting their relationships with other women, with the world, and with themselves.
That is not to say that this movie does not kick-ass. The battle scenes in Maleficent are far more exciting and visually interesting, even striking, than all those fantasy movies that desperately tried to copy Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings films. Somehow, the man versus magical creature battles in Maleficent manage to seem fresh and new.
I do have some complaints about Maleficent. Much of the first half-hour of this film lacks a sense of direction and is stiff. [Perhaps, that is why writer/director John Lee Hancock assisted on the re-shoots of the opening scenes.] The pixie trio and Stefan are under-realized characters, exemplifying the character missteps that keep this film from being a truly exceptional fantasy masterpiece.
Overall, however, I like this movie a lot. Angelina Jolie proves her star power and talent, because this movie could not exist without her playing the lead. Maleficent is not a Disney classic, but I think it will be memorable, because it is a distinctive dark fantasy film, where as so many other American epic fantasy films seem as if they come from the same bag of stale cookies.
7 of 10
B+
Friday, October 31, 2014
The text is copyright © 2014 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for syndication rights and fees.
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Review: "Sleeping Beauty" Not an Exceptional Disney Animated Feature
Sleeping Beauty (1959)
Running time: 75 minutes (1 hour, 15 minutes)
DIRECTOR: Clyde Geronimi (supervising director), Les Clark, Eric Larson, and Wolfgang Reitherman,
WRITERS: Erdman Penner (story adaptation) with additional story by Joe Rinaldi, Winston Hibler, Bill Peet, Ted Sears, Ralph Wright, and Milt Banta (based on “La Belle au bois dormant” by Charles Perrault, “The Sleeping Beauty” by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, and “Little Briar Rose” by The Brothers Grimm)
PRODUCER: Walt Disney
EDITORS: Roy M. Brewer Jr. and Donald Halliday
Academy Award nominee
ANIMATION/FANTASY/FAMILY with elements of comedy
Starring: (voices) Mary Costa, Bill Shirley, Eleanor Audley, Verna Felton, Barbara Luddy, Barbara Jo Allen, Taylor Holmes, and Bill Thompson
Sleeping Beauty is a 1959 animated musical fantasy film from Walt Disney Productions. It is the 16th film in the Walt Disney Animated Classics series, but it was the last animated Disney film based on a fairy tale until The Little Mermaid in 1989.
Sleeping Beauty is based on two similar fairy tales: “La Belle au bois dormant” by Charles Perrault and “Little Briar Rose” by The Brothers Grimm. The film also features adaptations and arrangements of musical numbers from Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's 1890 ballet, The Sleeping Beauty. In Disney's Sleeping Beauty, three good fairies protect a princess from a malevolent fairy who placed a curse on her when she was an infant.
Sleeping Beauty opens in the 14th century in an unnamed kingdom, where King Stephan (Taylor Holmes) and the Queen (Verna Felton) have been childless for years. Then, they welcome the birth of a daughter, Aurora, and they proclaim a holiday so that their subjects can celebrate her birth. At that celebration, the infant Aurora is betrothed to young Prince Phillip, the son King Hubert (Bill Thompson). Three fairies: Flora (Verna Felton), Fauna (Barbara Luddy), and Merryweather (Barbara Jo Allen) arrive to bless the child with gifts.
However, an welcomed visitor, the evil fairy queen, Maleficent (Eleanor Audley), arrives, furious that she has been snubbed by King Stephan and Queen Leah (who is only called “the Queen” in the film). So she places a curse on baby Aurora that will killer her on her 16th birthday. However, the fairies are able to temper the curse, and later, they spirit the child away in order to protect her. Sixteen years later, Aurora, now named “Briar Rose” (Mary Costa), meets a handsome young man (Bill Shirley) and falls in love with him, while unaware of the death curse hanging over her sixteenth birthday.
Sleeping Beauty is not one of Walt Disney's better animated feature films, but it features one of Disney's most memorable villains, Maleficent, a classic animated character because of her unique look. In fact, the overall look of Sleeping Beauty is something that makes it stand out, in large measure because of the work of Disney production designer regular, Ken Anderson, and Disney artist, Eyvind Earle, who was Sleeping Beauty's color stylist and chief background designer. Chuck Jones, the legendary Looney Tunes and Warner Bros. Pictures animation director, was a layout artist for Sleeping Beauty, but did not receive a credit in the film. The musical score and the songs in the film are also a hallmark of this film and are also Disney musical favorites.
Another thing about Sleeping Beauty is that it is also a bit irregular as fantasy films go. People may remember it as a fairy tale romance with its happily-ever-after ending about a Disney princess finding her prince. However, Sleeping Beauty is also a comic fantasy with a generous amount of humor, some of it involving even Maleficent. Sleeping Beauty is an oddity in the Disney animated feature film pantheon, but there are reasons to remember it. Like most Disney films, those reasons are why it is shared from one generation to the next.
7 of 10
B+
Wednesday, October 29, 2014
NOTES:
1960 Academy Awards, USA: 1 nomination: “Best Music, Scoring of a Musical Picture” (George Bruns)
The text is copyright © 2014 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for syndication rights and fees.
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Wednesday, November 5, 2014
2014 Austin Film Festival Winners Announced
Austin Film Festival Announces Winners of 2014 Screenplay & Teleplay Competition, Film Competition, and Audience Awards
AUSTIN, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Austin Film Festival (AFF) announces its 2014 Jury and Audience Awards. A record number of scripts were received and Finalists were reviewed by an industry jury.
Screenplay and Teleplay Awards:
Drama Screenplay Award presented by the Writers Guild of America, East: Dead River Girl, Morris Long
Comedy Screenplay Award: Three Months, Jared Frieder
Enderby Entertainment Award: Suicide Boy, Laura Hainke
Fade to Black Award: I Fucked James Bond, Josh Hallman
Darkwoods Productions Horror Award: The 700 Year Itch, Molly Stein & Moon Unit Zappa
Darkwoods Productions Sci-Fi Award: The Incomparable Donald Strange, James Fant & Zach Cannon
AMC One-Hour Teleplay Pilot: Ascension, Wes Brown
Sitcom Teleplay Pilot: Great Points Park, Danny Sullivan
One-Hour Teleplay Spec: The Americans: Barium Meals, Adam Turner
Sitcom Teleplay Spec: Bob’s Burgers: Mr. Whiskers, Damir Konjicija & Dario Konjicija
The 2014 Jury award-winning films included the inaugural Comedy Vanguard Award. AFF’s competition juries include talented filmmakers and notable industry insiders Dan Guando (The Weinstein Company) and Tom Skerritt (founder, The Film School), among others. Animated, Documentary, and Narrative Short Jury Winners are eligible for Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences nomination.
Jury Awards:
Narrative Feature: The Kings Surrender, Philipp Leinemann
Documentary Feature Jury Award: Once Upon a Crime: The Borrelli-Davis Conspiracy, Sheldon Wilson
Dark Matters Feature: One Eyed Girl, Nick Matthews and Craig Behenna
Comedy Vanguard Feature: Jimmy Vestvood: Amerikan Hero, Maz Jobrani & Amir Ohebsion
Narrative Short: Skunk, Annie Silverstein
Documentary Short: The Next Part, Erin Sanger
Animated Short: Between Times, Ru Kuwahata & Max Porter
Narrative Student Short: Luke, Conor Hamill
Young Filmmakers Program Competition: Special Is Just a Word, Abby Thompson
During the Festival, audiences scored each film, resulting in 2014 Audience Award Winners.
Audience Awards:
Narrative Feature: Terrible Love, Luke Helmer & Christopher Thomas
Documentary Feature: The Barkley Marathons: The Race That Eats Its Young, Annika Iltis & Timothy Kane
Dark Matters Feature: The Suicide Theory, Michael J. Kospiah
Comedy Vanguard Feature: Jimmy Vestvood: Amerikan Hero, Maz Jobrani & Amir Ohebsion
Narrative Short: Mimi & Me, Marly Reed
Documentary Short: Albert, Daniel Jaffe
Animated Short: TIE The Dam Keeper, Robert Kondo & Dice Tsutsumi | The Last Resort, Gillian Park
Student Short: Luke, Conor Hamill
Heart of Film: Popovich and the Voice of the Fabled American West, Mike Thompson, Jerry Thompson, & Gregory Popovich
Stories From Abroad: Taking it Back, Andreas Schmied
Texas Independents: Flutter, Eric Hueber
Marquee Feature: Glen Campbell: I'll Be Me, James Keach
About Austin Film Festival
Austin Film Festival is funded and supported in part by a grant from the Texas Commission on the Arts, City of Austin Economic Growth & Redevelopment Services Office/Cultural Arts Division.
AUSTIN, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Austin Film Festival (AFF) announces its 2014 Jury and Audience Awards. A record number of scripts were received and Finalists were reviewed by an industry jury.
Screenplay and Teleplay Awards:
Drama Screenplay Award presented by the Writers Guild of America, East: Dead River Girl, Morris Long
Comedy Screenplay Award: Three Months, Jared Frieder
Enderby Entertainment Award: Suicide Boy, Laura Hainke
Fade to Black Award: I Fucked James Bond, Josh Hallman
Darkwoods Productions Horror Award: The 700 Year Itch, Molly Stein & Moon Unit Zappa
Darkwoods Productions Sci-Fi Award: The Incomparable Donald Strange, James Fant & Zach Cannon
AMC One-Hour Teleplay Pilot: Ascension, Wes Brown
Sitcom Teleplay Pilot: Great Points Park, Danny Sullivan
One-Hour Teleplay Spec: The Americans: Barium Meals, Adam Turner
Sitcom Teleplay Spec: Bob’s Burgers: Mr. Whiskers, Damir Konjicija & Dario Konjicija
The 2014 Jury award-winning films included the inaugural Comedy Vanguard Award. AFF’s competition juries include talented filmmakers and notable industry insiders Dan Guando (The Weinstein Company) and Tom Skerritt (founder, The Film School), among others. Animated, Documentary, and Narrative Short Jury Winners are eligible for Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences nomination.
Jury Awards:
Narrative Feature: The Kings Surrender, Philipp Leinemann
Documentary Feature Jury Award: Once Upon a Crime: The Borrelli-Davis Conspiracy, Sheldon Wilson
Dark Matters Feature: One Eyed Girl, Nick Matthews and Craig Behenna
Comedy Vanguard Feature: Jimmy Vestvood: Amerikan Hero, Maz Jobrani & Amir Ohebsion
Narrative Short: Skunk, Annie Silverstein
Documentary Short: The Next Part, Erin Sanger
Animated Short: Between Times, Ru Kuwahata & Max Porter
Narrative Student Short: Luke, Conor Hamill
Young Filmmakers Program Competition: Special Is Just a Word, Abby Thompson
During the Festival, audiences scored each film, resulting in 2014 Audience Award Winners.
Audience Awards:
Narrative Feature: Terrible Love, Luke Helmer & Christopher Thomas
Documentary Feature: The Barkley Marathons: The Race That Eats Its Young, Annika Iltis & Timothy Kane
Dark Matters Feature: The Suicide Theory, Michael J. Kospiah
Comedy Vanguard Feature: Jimmy Vestvood: Amerikan Hero, Maz Jobrani & Amir Ohebsion
Narrative Short: Mimi & Me, Marly Reed
Documentary Short: Albert, Daniel Jaffe
Animated Short: TIE The Dam Keeper, Robert Kondo & Dice Tsutsumi | The Last Resort, Gillian Park
Student Short: Luke, Conor Hamill
Heart of Film: Popovich and the Voice of the Fabled American West, Mike Thompson, Jerry Thompson, & Gregory Popovich
Stories From Abroad: Taking it Back, Andreas Schmied
Texas Independents: Flutter, Eric Hueber
Marquee Feature: Glen Campbell: I'll Be Me, James Keach
About Austin Film Festival
Austin Film Festival is funded and supported in part by a grant from the Texas Commission on the Arts, City of Austin Economic Growth & Redevelopment Services Office/Cultural Arts Division.
VIZ Media Announces Neon Alley Updates for November 2014
VIZ MEDIA DELIVERS SUBSTANTIAL NOVEMBER UPDATE FOR NEON ALLEY ANIME FREE STREAMING PLATFORM
Premieres For COPPELION And NARUTO SHIPPUDEN SPIN OFF: ROCK LEE, New SAILOR MOON CRYSTAL Subtitled Episodes, And Updates For BLEACH, NARUTO SHIPPUDEN, RANMA ½ And More!!
VIZ Media opens November with a new update for its Neon Alley free anime streaming platform that features a wide array of exciting new additions and episodes.
Notable new additions this month include the complete post-apocalyptic sci-fi action series COPPELION (Episodes 1-13), English dubbed for the first time, which will join the already available subtitled complete series on November 27th and will be available in the U.S. via Neon Alley, Hulu and Hulu Plus for a limited time. COPPELION takes place in the not-so-distant future as a catastrophic event has turned the old capital of Japan into a wasteland, forever changing the lives of its people. Decades later, three schoolgirls set foot into the now forsaken city. They are the Coppelion, genetically engineered humans created by the Japan Ground Self-Defense Forces to operate under the lethal conditions of the contaminated city. Trained since birth, the girls must use all of their skills and resources to carry out their one and only mission: to rescue those left behind.
Also making its exclusive Neon Alley English dub debut will be the NARUTO SHIPPUDEN anime spin-off comedy series, ROCK LEE AND HIS NINJA PALS (Episodes 1-13), available on November 28th to join the already available subtitled complete series consisting of 13 episodes. Welcome to the Hidden Leaf Village, home to the famous Naruto Uzumaki, star of NARUTO/NARUTO SHIPPUDEN. Here, ninja train day and night to be able to carry out important missions. But wait! This show isn’t about Naruto, the mightiest ninja! It’s about Rock Lee, the one who can’t use ninjutsu at all!
Ninja action fans are also invited to catch the simulcasts of the latest subtitled NARUTO SHIPPUDEN episodes every Thursday. Visit www.NeonAlley.com for complete episodic details and airdates.
SAILOR MOON and SAILOR MOON CRYSTAL fans can look forward to new episodes throughout November. SAILOR MOON CRYSTAL subtitled simulcast Episode 9, “Serenity Princess,” premieres on November 1st, followed by Episode 10, “Moon,” on November 15th. Two brand new subtitled episodes of SAILOR MOON will be added every Monday!
The latest Neon Alley monthly update is also augmented by nearly 100 additional episodes from other top-rated VIZ Media anime series including:
ACCEL WORLD
Season 1, Set 2 (Episodes 13-24) of the edgy series launches on Neon Alley beginning on November 1st and blends a highly imaginative online game with real world impact that adds a new twist to one teen’s solution to being bullied.
The entire series, Episodes 1-24, is also available subtitled on Neon Alley.
BLEACH
· English dubbed episodes 243–255 will be added to the current library of episodes of this action-packed series!
· Fans also can catch the entire series subtitled on Neon Alley (366 episodes total)!
NARUTO
· Neon Alley adds dubbed Episodes 53-65 of the original NARUTO anime series.
· With the newest addition, check out a total of 65 English dubbed episodes and the complete subtitled anime (all 220 episodes) series!
NARUTO SHIPPUDEN
· Don’t miss simulcasts of the latest subtitled episodes of NARUTO SHIPPUDEN every Thursday in November beginning with Episode 385 on November 13th.
· Also enjoy the action-packed additions of NARUTO SHIPPUDEN English dubbed Episodes 13-18 bringing the total of available dubbed episodes of the series to over 100.
NURA RISE OF THE YOKAI CLAN
· Catch Season 2, Episodes 14-26 available beginning on November 20th which now means you can watch the entire series dubbed!
· The entire series comprising of two seasons with a total of 52 episodes, is now available subtitled on the streaming platform.
RANMA ½
· Enjoy the addition of 2 new dubbed RANMA ½ episodes each week throughout November beginning with Season 5, Episodes 111-112 on November 7th and every Friday thereafter.
Neon Alley is VIZ Media’s consolidated online destination for FREE streaming anime content in the U.S. with over 3,200 subtitled and English dubbed episodes and movies from more than 36 series! Neon Alley also reaches an expansive on-demand U.S.-based audience on the free, ad-supported Hulu and Hulu Plus subscription service, which enables viewers to watch shows anytime, anywhere across devices including Xbox One, Xbox 360, PlayStation®3 (PS3®) or PlayStation®4 (PS4™) systems Roku, Chromecast, and mobile devices. A full list of Hulu and Hulu Plus-enabled devices can be found at http://www.hulu.com/plus/devices.
Additional information on Neon Alley is available at: www.NeonAlley.com.
Premieres For COPPELION And NARUTO SHIPPUDEN SPIN OFF: ROCK LEE, New SAILOR MOON CRYSTAL Subtitled Episodes, And Updates For BLEACH, NARUTO SHIPPUDEN, RANMA ½ And More!!
VIZ Media opens November with a new update for its Neon Alley free anime streaming platform that features a wide array of exciting new additions and episodes.
Notable new additions this month include the complete post-apocalyptic sci-fi action series COPPELION (Episodes 1-13), English dubbed for the first time, which will join the already available subtitled complete series on November 27th and will be available in the U.S. via Neon Alley, Hulu and Hulu Plus for a limited time. COPPELION takes place in the not-so-distant future as a catastrophic event has turned the old capital of Japan into a wasteland, forever changing the lives of its people. Decades later, three schoolgirls set foot into the now forsaken city. They are the Coppelion, genetically engineered humans created by the Japan Ground Self-Defense Forces to operate under the lethal conditions of the contaminated city. Trained since birth, the girls must use all of their skills and resources to carry out their one and only mission: to rescue those left behind.
Also making its exclusive Neon Alley English dub debut will be the NARUTO SHIPPUDEN anime spin-off comedy series, ROCK LEE AND HIS NINJA PALS (Episodes 1-13), available on November 28th to join the already available subtitled complete series consisting of 13 episodes. Welcome to the Hidden Leaf Village, home to the famous Naruto Uzumaki, star of NARUTO/NARUTO SHIPPUDEN. Here, ninja train day and night to be able to carry out important missions. But wait! This show isn’t about Naruto, the mightiest ninja! It’s about Rock Lee, the one who can’t use ninjutsu at all!
Ninja action fans are also invited to catch the simulcasts of the latest subtitled NARUTO SHIPPUDEN episodes every Thursday. Visit www.NeonAlley.com for complete episodic details and airdates.
SAILOR MOON and SAILOR MOON CRYSTAL fans can look forward to new episodes throughout November. SAILOR MOON CRYSTAL subtitled simulcast Episode 9, “Serenity Princess,” premieres on November 1st, followed by Episode 10, “Moon,” on November 15th. Two brand new subtitled episodes of SAILOR MOON will be added every Monday!
The latest Neon Alley monthly update is also augmented by nearly 100 additional episodes from other top-rated VIZ Media anime series including:
ACCEL WORLD
Season 1, Set 2 (Episodes 13-24) of the edgy series launches on Neon Alley beginning on November 1st and blends a highly imaginative online game with real world impact that adds a new twist to one teen’s solution to being bullied.
The entire series, Episodes 1-24, is also available subtitled on Neon Alley.
BLEACH
· English dubbed episodes 243–255 will be added to the current library of episodes of this action-packed series!
· Fans also can catch the entire series subtitled on Neon Alley (366 episodes total)!
NARUTO
· Neon Alley adds dubbed Episodes 53-65 of the original NARUTO anime series.
· With the newest addition, check out a total of 65 English dubbed episodes and the complete subtitled anime (all 220 episodes) series!
NARUTO SHIPPUDEN
· Don’t miss simulcasts of the latest subtitled episodes of NARUTO SHIPPUDEN every Thursday in November beginning with Episode 385 on November 13th.
· Also enjoy the action-packed additions of NARUTO SHIPPUDEN English dubbed Episodes 13-18 bringing the total of available dubbed episodes of the series to over 100.
NURA RISE OF THE YOKAI CLAN
· Catch Season 2, Episodes 14-26 available beginning on November 20th which now means you can watch the entire series dubbed!
· The entire series comprising of two seasons with a total of 52 episodes, is now available subtitled on the streaming platform.
RANMA ½
· Enjoy the addition of 2 new dubbed RANMA ½ episodes each week throughout November beginning with Season 5, Episodes 111-112 on November 7th and every Friday thereafter.
Neon Alley is VIZ Media’s consolidated online destination for FREE streaming anime content in the U.S. with over 3,200 subtitled and English dubbed episodes and movies from more than 36 series! Neon Alley also reaches an expansive on-demand U.S.-based audience on the free, ad-supported Hulu and Hulu Plus subscription service, which enables viewers to watch shows anytime, anywhere across devices including Xbox One, Xbox 360, PlayStation®3 (PS3®) or PlayStation®4 (PS4™) systems Roku, Chromecast, and mobile devices. A full list of Hulu and Hulu Plus-enabled devices can be found at http://www.hulu.com/plus/devices.
Additional information on Neon Alley is available at: www.NeonAlley.com.
Tuesday, November 4, 2014
New SpongeBob Movie Trailer and Poster
To save their world, they must come to ours.
Watch the new trailer now: http://youtu.be/y92uvN9VFdY
The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water in theaters February 6, 2015
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SpongeBobMovie
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SpongeBobmovie
Instagram: http://instagram.com/SpongeBobmovie
#SpongeBobMovie
Sunday, November 2, 2014
Sailor Moon Limited Edition Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack Due November 11, 2014
VIZ MEDIA ANNOUNCES THE HOME MEDIA RELEASE OF SAILOR MOON SEASON ONE PART ONE
Celebrated Anime Released For The First Time Uncut, Re-mastered And In High Definition; Limited Edition Blu-Ray/DVD Combo Pack Packed With Extras Fit For A Moon Princess!
VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), the largest distributor and licensor of manga and anime in North America, delivers one of the most legendary anime series of all time with the home media release of SAILOR MOON Season 1, Set 1 as a Limited Edition Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack and on DVD on November 11th.
SAILOR MOON has been completely re-mastered and is presented uncut and with a brand new English voice cast. The Standard Edition DVD and first-ever Limited Edition Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack each contain 23 episodes along with a wealth of bonus features and premium packaging. English dubbed as well as Japanese subtitled dialogue options are available on both formats. The limited edition SAILOR MOON Season 1, Set 1 Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack will carry a MSRP of $79.98 U.S. / $93.99 CAN; the DVD edition will have a MSRP of $44.82 U.S. / $51.99 CAN.
The stunning SAILOR MOON Limited Edition Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack offers a deluxe, 6-disc collection (3 DVDs & 3 Blu-rays), housed in a beautiful shimmery holofoil chipboard box with specialty printing, and contains an array of exclusive extra features along with an 88-page full-color booklet filled with artwork, character profiles, an episode guide, lyrics, and more! Blu-ray episodes are presented in full 1080p High Definition video.
Fans also can enjoy a bevy of bonus material available exclusively on the Limited Edition Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack such as an interactive, full-color SAILOR MOON video art gallery, the original series trailers, a ‘signs and songs’ subtitle track, analogue closed captions for the deaf and hard of hearing, and exclusive all-new behind the scenes footage of the English dub sessions as well as special SAILOR MOON convention announcement panel footage, and more!
The SAILOR MOON Season 1, Set 1 Standard Edition DVD features 3 discs with beautifully illustrated variant O-card packaging featuring embossed holofoil printing. Episodes are presented in 480p standard video format. Bonus features include the ‘signs and songs’ subtitle track, VIZ Media SAILOR MOON convention highlights and panel announcements as well as the original series trailers and analogue closed captions for the deaf and hard of hearing. Uncut English dubbed as well as Japanese subtitled dialogue options are available.
SAILOR MOON depicts the adventures of Usagi Tsukino, a cheerful 14-year-old schoolgirl who often finds herself in unwanted trouble. One day, she saves a talking cat named Luna from some mean kids, and her life is changed forever. Luna gives Usagi a magic brooch that transforms her into Sailor Moon, guardian of love and justice! Now Usagi must work with Luna to find the other Sailor Guardians and the Moon Princess, whose Legendary Silver Crystal is Earth’s only hope against the dark forces of the evil Queen Beryl!
“After being out of print and unavailable in North America for over ten years, the return of SAILOR MOON makes this set a truly historic anime release and one that should be a part of every collection,” says Charlene Ingram, Senior Manager, Animation Marketing. “The Limited Edition Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack is an especially noteworthy collection and offers the debut season of this treasured series for the very first time in crisp High Definition, uncut and re-mastered, and with a brand new English dub cast. Join the Pretty Guardians of Love and Justice, and catch all their early adventures in these forthcoming home media releases that are fit for a Moon Princess!”
The smash hit SAILOR MOON anime series is inspired by the bestselling manga (graphic novel) series created by Naoko Takeuchi (published in North America by Kodansha). In the series, Usagi Tsukino is a clumsy but kindhearted teenage girl who transforms into the powerful guardian of love and justice, Sailor Moon. Meeting allies along the way who share similar fates, Usagi and her team of planetary Sailor Guardians fight to protect the universe from forces of evil and total annihilation!
For more information on SAILOR MOON, or other award-winning anime titles 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 and South Africa. With its popular digital manga anthology WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP and blockbuster properties like NARUTO, BLEACH and ONE PIECE, 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.
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Saturday, November 1, 2014
Negromancer's November 2014
Another November (2014) to remember! Welcome to Negromancer 2.0. This is the rebirth of Negromancer, the former movie review website as a new movie review and movie news site.
All images and text appearing on this blog are © copyright and/or trademark their respective owners.
All images and text appearing on this blog are © copyright and/or trademark their respective owners.
Friday, October 31, 2014
Political Documentary Film, "Pay 2 Play," Arrives November 1st, 2014
Director John Wellington Ennis Reveals Six Keys for Campaign Finance Reform
Doc in Limited Theatrical Release; Nationwide House Party Screenings; Digital Release November 1st and DVD Available December 2nd
LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Public Interest Pictures and filmmaker John Wellington Ennis’ Shoot First Inc. are proud to present the humorous feature-length political documentary “PAY 2 PLAY: Democracy’s High Stakes” (89 minutes, Not Rated). The film about getting Big Money out of politics was held over theatrically in New York, Los Angeles and Washington D.C. and will be available digitally on Saturday, November 1st, 2014 on iTunes, Amazon Instant Video, Vimeo, Cinemanow, Google Play, Sony Playstation, Vudu and Xbox.
“In order to face any of our mounting problems, we need leaders who will listen to ‘We The People,’ not just ‘We The Wealthiest People.’ This documentary highlights obstacles to elected office in hopes of encouraging reform and inspiring future candidates.”
The DVD will be available Tuesday, December 2nd, 2014 and can be purchased via TDC Entertainment (http://disinfo.com/product/pay-2-play-democracys-high-stakes/). Links to purchase the DVD and learn more about community screening packages can also be found at the “PAY 2 PLAY” website (http://www.pay2play.tv/buy_a_screening_package).
Ennis explains, “In order to face any of our mounting problems, we need leaders who will listen to ‘We The People,’ not just ‘We The Wealthiest People.’ This documentary highlights obstacles to elected office in hopes of encouraging reform and inspiring future candidates.”
In the film, Ennis’ six keys for campaign finance reform are: Public Financing for Campaigns; Disclosure; Free Airtime for Candidates, Required Voting (Like Jury Duty); End Gerrymandering; and a Constitutional Amendment affirming that Money is not Speech and that Corporations are not People.
Appearing in “PAY 2 PLAY” are Robert Reich, John Nichols, Lawrence Lessig, Noam Chomsky, Van Jones, Marianne Williamson, Jack Abramoff, Marge Baker, Jerry Springer, Mark Crispin Miller, Brad Friedman, Lee Fang, Jason Leopold, Thom Hartmann, Jessica Levinson, Rashad Robinson, Bob Edgar, Kathay Feng and Rob Weissman, amongst others.
As a citizen journalist, Ennis embarked on a journey to find ways outsiders can create meaningful campaign reform. Spanning eight years, “PAY 2 PLAY” dissects Big Money’s effects in politics, connecting the dots between the hurdles to fair and open elections. The doc also illustrates how people power has had a provable impact, citing the Occupy Movement and high profile Street Art.
Ennis presents an imperative argument for the American people to overturn the Supreme Court’s Ruling on Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission and why there should be a 28th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
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Negromancer News Bits and Bites from October 26 to October 31, 2014 - Update #10
NEWS:
From Hitflix via YahooTV: Terminator: Genisys makes "pop culture."
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From Variety: American Gigolo the television series... from Jerry Bruckheimer.
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From Salon: 5 reasons everyone needs to see Dear White People.
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From Variety via YahooMovies: Meet Chadwick Boseman the Black Panther.
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From YahooMovies: Marvel Studios' movies from Avengers: Age of Ultron through May 2019:
May 1, 2015: Avengers: Age of Ultron
· July 17, 2015: Ant-Man
· May 6, 2016: Captain America: Civil War
· Nov. 4, 2016: Doctor Strange
· May 5, 2017: Guardians of the Galaxy 2
· July 28, 2017: Thor: Ragnarok
· Nov. 3, 2017: Black Panther
· May 4, 2018: Avengers: Infinity Wars Part I
· July 6, 2018: Captain Marvel
· Nov. 2, 2018: Inhumans
· May 3, 2019: Avengers: Infinity Wars Part II
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From YahooMovies: Jake Gyllenhaal talks about his career highlights, including Brokeback Mountain.
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From YahooMovies: What can be learned from Vulture's Hollywood MVP list.
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From BusinessInsider: Marvel is holding a secret press event tomorrow (Tuesday, October 25, 2014), which doesn't seem so secret now. This article contains speculation about the huge announcement that is supposed to be made at the event.
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From THR: The new, micro-budgeted horror film, Ouija, won the October 24th to 26th, 2014 weekend box office with an estimated gross of $20 million. In second place was John Wick, starring Keanu Reeves, with an estimated take of $14.2 million.
COMIC BOOKS - Movies and Books:
From YahooMovies: Marvel "secret event" happened. Chadwick Boseman (who has famous black people on screen, such as Jackie Robinson and James Brown) is the Black Panther.
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From Deadline: Marvel wants Benedict Cumberbatch to play Doctor Strange.
STAR WARS:
From IBT: Descriptions about the filming of a scene involving actor Boyega and reveals about his character in Star Wars 7.
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From YahooParenting: Dad plays Princess Leia to his daughter's Han Solo.
REVIEWS:
Dear White People by TheVillageVoice.
Negromancer's Fave Poli-Reads - October 2014 Edition - Update #26
From YahooNews: Finally, Senator Landrieu tells the truth about something.
From YahooNews: Surprising Israeli political cartoon about Israeli=U.S. relations.
From RollingStone: Paul Krugman - "In Defense of Obama"
From TheDailyBeast: The suicide of Israeli soldiers after recent Gaza incursion.
From TheNewYorker: Andy Borowitz says billionaires to retain control of congress after the midterms.
From NewYorkMagazine: Can Elizabeth Warren (via Jeanne Shaheen) beat Scott Brown again.
From the GuardianUK: A controversial book about the Matthew Shepard murder.
From ThinkProgess: Yes, let's soak the 1 percent with a 90 percent tax rate.
From Prospect: The making of Ferguson.
From TheGuardian: Four Blackwater mercenaries/employees found guilty in Nisour Square massacre.
From TheGuardian: Gamergate.
From ThinkProgress: This judge is a prick for not granting maternity leave.
From RSN: Mumia and the commencement speech that cause police to go nuts.
From the GuardianUK: Matt Taibbi on the justice divide between Wall Street and Ferguson.
From SPLC via RSN: How Cliven Bundy won and is still winning.
From Consortium News via RSN: The Washington Post strikes back at Gary Webb revival.
From Consortium News via RSN: Robert Parry talks about Ronald Reagan's CIA and the contra-cocaine saga.
From TheIntercept: The neocon-UAE-Iraeli plot to declar Qatar a supporter of terror.
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From TheNewYorkTimes: Why is President Obama continuing the embargo of Cuba.
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From Consortium News via RSN: Robert Parry on the mainstream media's tepid response to the ghost of Gary Webb rising again with the release of the film, Kill the Messanger.
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From Think Progress via RSN: The one time the U.S. had "universal childcare."
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From Reuters: Sweden to recognize the state of Palestine.
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From the GuardianUK: Malala Yousafzai and Kailash Satyarthi win the 2014 Nobel Peace Prize.
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From YahooNews: 10 States with the worst quality of life... Yes, Louisiana makes the cut. And her current governor, Bobby Jindal (once called "the little majaraja") thinks his performance makes him a great U.S. presidential candidate for 2016.
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From Truthout: John Cleese weighs in on FOX News and stupidity.
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From Salon: The South (Southern states) has a victim complex.
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From MotherJones: An Alabama law provides lawyers for fetuses.
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From Reuters: The Supreme Court dodges gay marriage.
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From Truthout: Funny Obamacare cartoon.
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From Slate via RSN: (in)Justice Scalia's favorite murderer is innocent. You just have to laugh.
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From Consortium News via RSN: The New York Times admits that the Contra-Cocaine story was true... belatedly and relatively hidden.
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From Politico: "Something is Rotten in the Secret Service" - includes the author's now infamous line about it being Obama's own fault if he is assassinated.
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From the NewYorkTimes: Our Invisible Rich by Paul Krugman
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From RollingStone and RSN: Koch Bros. toxic empire.
From Rolling Stone via RSN: Koch's respond to Rolling Stone.
Thursday, October 30, 2014
Production Begins on Shane Black's "The Nice Guys"
Silver Pictures’ “The Nice Guys” in Production
Cameras roll on Shane Black’s detective thriller starring Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling, with additional cast set to star, including Matt Bomer, Kim Basinger and more
BURBANK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Principal photography has begun on Silver Pictures’ upcoming detective thriller “The Nice Guys,” from director Shane Black (“Kiss Kiss Bang Bang,” “Iron Man 3”). The film, which stars Oscar winner Russell Crowe (“Gladiator,” “Man of Steel”) and Oscar nominee Ryan Gosling (“Half Nelson,” “Drive,” “Crazy, Stupid, Love.”), is shooting in Atlanta and Los Angeles. It is being produced by Joel Silver (“Non-Stop,” “The Matrix” series, the “Sherlock Holmes” series).
Recently added to the cast are Matt Bomer (“Magic Mike,” HBO’s “The Normal Heart”), Oscar winner Kim Basinger (“L.A. Confidential”), Angourie Rice (“These Final Hours”), Beau Knapp (“Super 8”), Keith David (“Pitch Black,” “Mr. & Mrs. Smith”) and Margaret Qualley (HBO’s “The Leftovers”).
“The Nice Guys” takes place in 1970s Los Angeles, when down-on-his-luck private eye Holland March (Gosling) and hired leg-breaker Jackson Healy (Crowe) must work together to solve the case of a missing girl and the seemingly unrelated death of a porn star. During their investigation, they uncover a shocking conspiracy that reaches up to the highest circles of power.
Black directs from an original screenplay he wrote with Anthony Bagarozzi. Silver is producing under his Silver Pictures banner, with Ken Kao of Waypoint Entertainment, Hal Sadoff, and Michael Malone serving as executive producers. Waypoint is co-financing, and Alex Walton and Ken Kao’s BLOOM is handling international sales.
The creative team behind “The Nice Guys” includes director of photography Philippe Rousselot (the “Sherlock Holmes” series, “Big Fish”), production designer Richard Bridgland (“Serena,” “Unknown”), editor Joel Negrón (“21 Jump Street”), and costume designer Kym Barrett (“The Matrix” series).
“The Nice Guys,” set for release on June 17, 2016, will be distributed in North America by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.
About Silver Pictures
Joel Silver’s Silver Pictures is one of Hollywood’s leading producers of action motion pictures. The company’s most recent project, “Non-Stop,” starring Liam Neeson and Julianne Moore and directed by Jaume Collet-Serra, opened in February 2014. The film has earned more than $200 million at the worldwide box office. Silver Pictures recently wrapped production on the much buzzed about “Autobahn,” starring Nicholas Hoult, Felicity Jones, Anthony Hopkins and Ben Kingsley. Additionally, the company is currently in post-production on “The Gunman,” starring Sean Penn, Javier Bardem and Idris Elba and directed by Pierre Morel. In 2012, Silver signed a 5-year non-exclusive distribution deal with Universal Pictures. Silver has produced more than 70 films which have earned more than $13 billion in worldwide revenue. Past credits include the “Sherlock Holmes” franchise, starring Robert Downey Jr., which has earned more than $1 billion at the worldwide box office, the Academy Award-winning “The Matrix” trilogy, the blockbuster “Lethal Weapon” franchise and seminal action films “Die Hard” and “Predator.”
About Waypoint Entertainment
Waypoint Entertainment is a film and television development, production, and finance company cofounded by Ken Kao in 2010. Waypoint’s upcoming slate includes Martin Scorsese’s “Silence,” starring Liam Neeson, Andrew Garfield, Andrew Driver and Ken Watanabe, and Terrence Malick’s next two films, “Knight of Cups,” with Christian Bale, Natalie Portman and Cate Blanchett, and an untitled film featuring Michael Fassbender, Ryan Gosling, Rooney Mara, Natalie Portman and Cate Blanchett.
About BLOOM
BLOOM represents and curates a diversified slate of films ranging from commercial, talent-driven, wide release movies, to specialty films from proven and trusted filmmakers, all the while keeping an eye towards fresh and emerging talent. Alex Walton and financier and producer Ken Kao partnered to form BLOOM, a sales, production and financing outfit which launched just prior to Cannes with two-time Academy Award nominee Gus Van Sant’s “Sea of Trees,” starring Academy Award winner Matthew McConaughey, Academy Award nominees Ken Watanabe and Naomi Watts, which recently wrapped principal photography. Upcoming projects include Michael Apted’s “Unlocked,” starring Noomi Rapace, Academy Award winner Michael Douglas, and Orlando Bloom; Renny Harlin’s “Skiptrace,” starring Jackie Chan and Johnny Knoxville; and “The Hunters,” which will be directed by John Moore. The existing slate includes Gillian Flynn’s best-selling novel “Dark Places,” starring Charlize Theron; “A Walk Among the Tombstones,” starring Liam Neeson; “The Woman in Black: Angel of Death”; “Pele,” the biopic about the legendary Brazilian soccer player; “Jane Got a Gun,” starring Natalie Portman; and “Out of the Dark,” starring Julia Stiles and Scott Speedman.
Cameras roll on Shane Black’s detective thriller starring Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling, with additional cast set to star, including Matt Bomer, Kim Basinger and more
BURBANK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Principal photography has begun on Silver Pictures’ upcoming detective thriller “The Nice Guys,” from director Shane Black (“Kiss Kiss Bang Bang,” “Iron Man 3”). The film, which stars Oscar winner Russell Crowe (“Gladiator,” “Man of Steel”) and Oscar nominee Ryan Gosling (“Half Nelson,” “Drive,” “Crazy, Stupid, Love.”), is shooting in Atlanta and Los Angeles. It is being produced by Joel Silver (“Non-Stop,” “The Matrix” series, the “Sherlock Holmes” series).
Recently added to the cast are Matt Bomer (“Magic Mike,” HBO’s “The Normal Heart”), Oscar winner Kim Basinger (“L.A. Confidential”), Angourie Rice (“These Final Hours”), Beau Knapp (“Super 8”), Keith David (“Pitch Black,” “Mr. & Mrs. Smith”) and Margaret Qualley (HBO’s “The Leftovers”).
“The Nice Guys” takes place in 1970s Los Angeles, when down-on-his-luck private eye Holland March (Gosling) and hired leg-breaker Jackson Healy (Crowe) must work together to solve the case of a missing girl and the seemingly unrelated death of a porn star. During their investigation, they uncover a shocking conspiracy that reaches up to the highest circles of power.
Black directs from an original screenplay he wrote with Anthony Bagarozzi. Silver is producing under his Silver Pictures banner, with Ken Kao of Waypoint Entertainment, Hal Sadoff, and Michael Malone serving as executive producers. Waypoint is co-financing, and Alex Walton and Ken Kao’s BLOOM is handling international sales.
The creative team behind “The Nice Guys” includes director of photography Philippe Rousselot (the “Sherlock Holmes” series, “Big Fish”), production designer Richard Bridgland (“Serena,” “Unknown”), editor Joel Negrón (“21 Jump Street”), and costume designer Kym Barrett (“The Matrix” series).
“The Nice Guys,” set for release on June 17, 2016, will be distributed in North America by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.
About Silver Pictures
Joel Silver’s Silver Pictures is one of Hollywood’s leading producers of action motion pictures. The company’s most recent project, “Non-Stop,” starring Liam Neeson and Julianne Moore and directed by Jaume Collet-Serra, opened in February 2014. The film has earned more than $200 million at the worldwide box office. Silver Pictures recently wrapped production on the much buzzed about “Autobahn,” starring Nicholas Hoult, Felicity Jones, Anthony Hopkins and Ben Kingsley. Additionally, the company is currently in post-production on “The Gunman,” starring Sean Penn, Javier Bardem and Idris Elba and directed by Pierre Morel. In 2012, Silver signed a 5-year non-exclusive distribution deal with Universal Pictures. Silver has produced more than 70 films which have earned more than $13 billion in worldwide revenue. Past credits include the “Sherlock Holmes” franchise, starring Robert Downey Jr., which has earned more than $1 billion at the worldwide box office, the Academy Award-winning “The Matrix” trilogy, the blockbuster “Lethal Weapon” franchise and seminal action films “Die Hard” and “Predator.”
About Waypoint Entertainment
Waypoint Entertainment is a film and television development, production, and finance company cofounded by Ken Kao in 2010. Waypoint’s upcoming slate includes Martin Scorsese’s “Silence,” starring Liam Neeson, Andrew Garfield, Andrew Driver and Ken Watanabe, and Terrence Malick’s next two films, “Knight of Cups,” with Christian Bale, Natalie Portman and Cate Blanchett, and an untitled film featuring Michael Fassbender, Ryan Gosling, Rooney Mara, Natalie Portman and Cate Blanchett.
About BLOOM
BLOOM represents and curates a diversified slate of films ranging from commercial, talent-driven, wide release movies, to specialty films from proven and trusted filmmakers, all the while keeping an eye towards fresh and emerging talent. Alex Walton and financier and producer Ken Kao partnered to form BLOOM, a sales, production and financing outfit which launched just prior to Cannes with two-time Academy Award nominee Gus Van Sant’s “Sea of Trees,” starring Academy Award winner Matthew McConaughey, Academy Award nominees Ken Watanabe and Naomi Watts, which recently wrapped principal photography. Upcoming projects include Michael Apted’s “Unlocked,” starring Noomi Rapace, Academy Award winner Michael Douglas, and Orlando Bloom; Renny Harlin’s “Skiptrace,” starring Jackie Chan and Johnny Knoxville; and “The Hunters,” which will be directed by John Moore. The existing slate includes Gillian Flynn’s best-selling novel “Dark Places,” starring Charlize Theron; “A Walk Among the Tombstones,” starring Liam Neeson; “The Woman in Black: Angel of Death”; “Pele,” the biopic about the legendary Brazilian soccer player; “Jane Got a Gun,” starring Natalie Portman; and “Out of the Dark,” starring Julia Stiles and Scott Speedman.
Wednesday, October 29, 2014
Teaser Trailer Released for "The Gambler" Starring Mark Wahlberg
THE ONLY WAY OUT IS ALL IN.
Watch the red-band teaser and read an interview with star and producer Mark Wahlberg:
https://www.yahoo.com/movies/mark-walhberg-the-gambler-preview-weight-100665948362.html
Jim Bennett (Academy Award®-nominee Mark Wahlberg) is a risk taker. Both an English professor and a high-stakes gambler, Bennett bets it all when he borrows from a gangster (Michael Kenneth Williams) and offers his own life as collateral. Always one step ahead, Bennett pits his creditor against the operator of a gambling ring (Alvin Ing) and leaves his dysfunctional relationship with his wealthy mother (Academy Award®-winner Jessica Lange) in his wake. He plays both sides, immersing himself in an illicit, underground world while garnering the attention of Frank (John Goodman), a loan shark with a paternal interest in Bennett’s future. As his relationship with a student (Brie Larson) deepens, Bennett must take the ultimate risk for a second chance…
THE GAMBLER in select theaters starting December 19th
Official site: www.TheGamblerMovie.com
Official Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheGamblerMovie
Official Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheGamblerMovie
#THEGAMBLER
"Z Nation" Creator Launches New H.P. Lovecraft Comic Book
Craig Engler, the co-creator/writer/co-executive producer of Syfy’s new hit series “Z Nation,” launched a Kickstarter project to create a new comic series based on the work of famous horror author H.P. Lovecraft. The project went live yesterday morning and within 24 hours was already 73% funded.
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/4480776/lovecraft-the-blasphemously-large-first-issue
“Halloween week is the perfect time to launch ‘Lovecraft: The Blasphemously Large First Issue,’ the start of a new series we’re working on that completely reinvents H.P. Lovecraft’s Cthulhu Mythos,” Engler said. “The story is set in the present day and recasts Lovecraft as the world’s foremost alchemist and a magician who guards a secret library of forbidden knowledge, which includes books like the Necronomicon.”
In this world magicians are a secret culture within our culture constantly vying for control over ancient magickal tomes and the power they wield. That leads to magickal feuds and wars that can unleash unspeakable terrors in the world. When that happens, Lovecraft is the guy who cleans things up.
Engler (Z Nation, Zombie Apocalypse) is writing the story with pencils and inks by Daniel Govar (DC, Marvel), colors by Matheus Lopes (Image, Dark Horse, IDW) and a special limited-edition cover by red hot artist Lewis LaRosa (Valiant). The first issue will be 48 pages long, including 6 pages of Lovecraft pinups by some fantastic guest artists:
Brian Hurtt (The Sixth Gun),
Dennis Calero (X-Men: Noir)
John Bivens (Dark Engine)
Lukas Ketner (Witch Doctor)
Richard Luong (Cthulhu Wars)
Jamie Tanner (The Dark Well)
The Kickstarter will also feature a special green foil variant cover that’s only being offered during the 28 day campaign.
Engler is a former Syfy executive who left the network last year to create his own TV series and launch other creative projects. Z Nation debuted on September 12 and airs Friday nights. It has consistently been one of Syfy’s highest rated series and was recently picked up for a second season.
Tyler Mane to Appear at Los Angles Comikaze Expo 2014
Mane, also known for his role as “Sabretooth” in X-MEN, as well as featured parts in TROY and SCORPION KING, will be signing photos and other memorabilia throughout the weekend. Photo ops will also be available, as will DVDs of COMPOUND FRACTURE, the inaugural film from Mane’s recently-formed shingle Mane Entertainment.
Darby Pop Publishing, an L.A.-based comic book company distributed worldwide by IDW, is about to celebrate its first anniversary. With five original series already in print, Darby Pop has been aggressive about creating both high-quality content and unique opportunities for reader interaction.
Renae Geerlings, who serves as both Mane Entertainment President and Darby Pop Publishing Managing Editor, explained: “Having both companies join forces seemed like a no-brainer, and a fun way for us – and fans of all stripes — to celebrate the holiday together.”
Mane added: “Halloween is obviously my favorite time of year, and I love supporting local shows. Darby Pop has published some outstanding books, and I’m looking forward to hanging out with them for a couple of days and meeting fans of all genres!”
ABOUT Darby Pop Publishing
Founder and Emmy-winning writer/producer Jeff Kline (Transformers: Prime, G.I. Joe: Renegades) created Darby Pop Publishing in 2013 with the goal of telling all-new stories crafted by a small circle of friends. Darby Pop Publishing’s ever-growing array of original titles includes INDESTRUCTIBLE, CITY: THE MIND IN THE MACHINE, THE 7TH SWORD, DOBERMAN, and DEAD SQUAD, all distributed worldwide by IDW. For more information, visit darbypop.com.
ABOUT Mane Entertainment
Founded in 2010, Mane Entertainment, LLC, is a Los Angeles-based production company founded by actor/producer Tyler Mane. Mane Entertainment is committed to producing high-quality films that build on Mane’s cache as a horror icon. Visit Mane Entertainment online at www.maneentertainment.com.
ABOUT Stan Lee's Comikaze
Stan Lee’s Comikaze is Los Angeles’ first and only large-scale, multi-media pop culture convention. Held annually at the Los Angeles Convention Center, Comikaze assembles the most exciting and innovative in comics, video games, sci-fi, fantasy, horror and all things pop-culture. Partnering with comic legend Stan Lee himself and Elvira Mistress of the Dark, Comikaze is the only pop-culture convention owned and operated by true pop-culture icons. Check http://comikazeexpo.com for more info.
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