COLUMBIA PICTURES ACQUIRES UNITED STATES DISTRIBUTION RIGHTS TO THE FORTHCOMING FILM FROM OSCAR®-WINNING “HURT LOCKER” TEAM OF DIRECTOR KATHRYN BIGELOW AND SCREENWRITER MARK BOAL
Columbia Pictures has acquired United States distribution rights to the forthcoming motion picture from Oscar®-winners Kathryn Bigelow and Mark Boal, director and screenwriter, respectively, of the Best Picture-winning film The Hurt Locker, it was announced by Amy Pascal, Co-Chairman of Sony Pictures Entertainment.
The untitled film focuses on the black ops mission to capture or kill Osama bin Laden, which culminated in his death earlier this month during a high-stakes raid on his compound in Pakistan. Bigelow and Boal have been developing the project since 2008 and plan to incorporate recent events into the film.
Boal and Bigelow will produce the project, along with Annapurna Picture’s Megan Ellison, and executive producer, Greg Shapiro, with production slated to commence in the late summer of 2011. The film will be released in the United States in the 4th quarter of 2012.
Commenting on the announcement, Pascal said, “With the death of Osama bin Laden, this film could not be more relevant. Kathryn and Mark have an outstanding perspective on the team that was hunting the most wanted man in the world. . Mark is second to none as an investigative journalist, and Kathryn will bring the same kind of compelling authenticity and urgency that distinguished The Hurt Locker and made that film so memorable and special.”
Kathryn Bigelow won Academy Awards® for directing and producing her most recent feature film, The Hurt Locker, a look at an elite Explosive Ordinance Disposal squad in Iraq. The film starred Jeremy Renner, Anthony Mackie and Brian Geraghty, and won a total of six Oscars®, including Best Picture. Bigelow’s other films include Near Dark, Point Break, Strange Days, The Weight of Water, and K-19: The Widowmaker.
Mark Boal won the Academy Award® for his original screenplay for The Hurt Locker. He also won an Oscar® for producing the Best Picture winner. As an investigative reporter, he has written for such national publications as Rolling Stone, The Village Voice, Brill’s Content, Mother Jones, and Playboy. In 2003, he wrote Death and Dishonor, the true story of a military veteran who goes searching for his missing son, which later became the basis for Paul Haggis’s follow up to Crash, In the Valley of Elah, released by Warner Bros. in 2007. Boal collaborated with Paul Haggis on the script and shares a co-story credit on the film.
Megan Ellison is the owner and CEO of Annapurna Pictures and the producer of the forthcoming Wettest County, directed by John Hillcoat. She was the Executive Producer of True Grit. Annapurna is financing and producing upcoming films by Paul Thomas Anderson, Martin McDonagh, and Andrew Dominik.
Greg Shapiro won an Academy Award® for producing The Hurt Locker. His recent credits include The Conspirator, directed by Robert Redford, and A Very Harold and Kumar Christmas.
About Columbia Pictures
Columbia Pictures, part of the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, is a Sony Pictures Entertainment company. Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) is a subsidiary ofSony Corporation of America, a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Sony Corporation. SPE's global operations encompass motion picture production and distribution; television production and distribution; home entertainment acquisition and distribution; a global channel network; digital content creation and distribution; operation of studio facilities; development of new entertainment products, services and technologies; and distribution of entertainment in more than 140 countries. Sony Pictures Entertainment can be found on the World Wide Web at http://www.sonypictures.com/.
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Monday, May 30, 2011
Production Begins on Bryan Singer's "Jack the Giant Killer"
Director Bryan Singer in Production on 3D Epic Action Adventure “Jack the Giant Killer”
Stars Nicholas Hoult, Eleanor Tomlinson, Stanley Tucci, Ian McShane, Bill Nighy and Ewan McGregor
BURBANK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Principal photography is underway in London on acclaimed filmmaker Bryan Singer’s 3D epic action adventure “Jack the Giant Killer,” with Nicholas Hoult in the title role of Jack, for New Line Cinema and Legendary Pictures.
“Jack the Giant Killer” tells the story of an ancient war that is reignited when a young farmhand unwittingly opens a gateway between our world and a fearsome race of giants. Unleashed on the Earth for the first time in centuries, the giants strive to reclaim the land they once lost, forcing the young man, Jack, into the battle of his life to stop them. Fighting for a kingdom, its people, and the love of a brave princess, he comes face to face with the unstoppable warriors he thought only existed in legend — and gets the chance to become a legend himself.
Hoult and Singer recently collaborated on the Singer-produced “X-Men: First Class,” for release later this year. “Jack the Giant Killer” also stars Eleanor Tomlinson as Princess Isabelle; Stanley Tucci (“Captain America: The First Avenger,” “Julie & Julia”) as the deceitful Lord Roderick; Ian McShane (“Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides,” HBO’s “Deadwood”) as the besieged King Brahmwell; Bill Nighy (“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows”) as the giants’ leader General Fallon; and Ewan McGregor (“Star Wars,” “The Ghost Writer”) as palace guard Elmont.
Singer will direct from a screenplay by Darren Lemke and Christopher McQuarrie and Dan Studney, story by Darren Lemke & David Dobkin. The film will be produced by Neal Moritz, David Dobkin, Bryan Singer and Patrick McCormick.
The creative filmmaking team includes Singer’s longtime collaborators, director of photography Newton Thomas Sigel (“X-Men,” “Superman Returns”) and editor John Ottman (“X2,” “Superman Returns”). The production designer is Gavin Bocquet (“Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith”).
“Jack the Giant Killer” is filming on location in and around London, and is scheduled for a summer 2012 release.
A New Line Cinema presentation, in association with Legendary Pictures, the film will be distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.
Stars Nicholas Hoult, Eleanor Tomlinson, Stanley Tucci, Ian McShane, Bill Nighy and Ewan McGregor
BURBANK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Principal photography is underway in London on acclaimed filmmaker Bryan Singer’s 3D epic action adventure “Jack the Giant Killer,” with Nicholas Hoult in the title role of Jack, for New Line Cinema and Legendary Pictures.
“Jack the Giant Killer” tells the story of an ancient war that is reignited when a young farmhand unwittingly opens a gateway between our world and a fearsome race of giants. Unleashed on the Earth for the first time in centuries, the giants strive to reclaim the land they once lost, forcing the young man, Jack, into the battle of his life to stop them. Fighting for a kingdom, its people, and the love of a brave princess, he comes face to face with the unstoppable warriors he thought only existed in legend — and gets the chance to become a legend himself.
Hoult and Singer recently collaborated on the Singer-produced “X-Men: First Class,” for release later this year. “Jack the Giant Killer” also stars Eleanor Tomlinson as Princess Isabelle; Stanley Tucci (“Captain America: The First Avenger,” “Julie & Julia”) as the deceitful Lord Roderick; Ian McShane (“Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides,” HBO’s “Deadwood”) as the besieged King Brahmwell; Bill Nighy (“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows”) as the giants’ leader General Fallon; and Ewan McGregor (“Star Wars,” “The Ghost Writer”) as palace guard Elmont.
Singer will direct from a screenplay by Darren Lemke and Christopher McQuarrie and Dan Studney, story by Darren Lemke & David Dobkin. The film will be produced by Neal Moritz, David Dobkin, Bryan Singer and Patrick McCormick.
The creative filmmaking team includes Singer’s longtime collaborators, director of photography Newton Thomas Sigel (“X-Men,” “Superman Returns”) and editor John Ottman (“X2,” “Superman Returns”). The production designer is Gavin Bocquet (“Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith”).
“Jack the Giant Killer” is filming on location in and around London, and is scheduled for a summer 2012 release.
A New Line Cinema presentation, in association with Legendary Pictures, the film will be distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.
Sunday, May 29, 2011
Review: "Kung Fu Panda 2" Brings Awesome Back
Kung Fu Panda 2 (2011)
Running time: 90 minutes (1 hour, 30 minutes)
MPAA – PG for sequences of martial arts action and mild violence
DIRECTORS: Jennifer Yuh
WRITERS: Jonathan Aibel and Glenn Berger
PRODUCER: Melissa Cobb
COMPOSERS: Hans Zimmer and John Powell
ANIMATION/MARTIAL ARTS/COMEDY/DRAMA
Starring: (voices) Jack Black, Angelina Jolie, Gary Oldman, Dustin Hoffman, Jackie Chan, Seth Rogen, Lucy Liu, David Cross, James Hong, Michelle Yeoh, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Dennis Haysbert, and Danny McBride
Kung Fu Panda 2 is a computer-animated film from DreamWorks Animation. A martial arts, action-comedy, it is the sequel to the Oscar-nominated 2008 animated film, Kung Fu Panda. The sequel is every bit as good as the original, but the action and fight scenes in the new movie not only surpass the first film, they are also better than anything yet seen in computer-animated films.
Following the events of the first film, Kung Fu Panda 2 finds Po (Jack Black), the giant panda, living his dream as the legendary Dragon Warrior. He protects the Valley of Peace alongside his friends and fellow kung fu masters, the legendary Furious Five: Tigress (Angelina Jolie), Crane (David Cross), Mantis (Seth Rogen), Viper (Lucy Liu), and Monkey (Jackie Chan). Master Shifu (Dustin Hoffman) wishes to continue Po’s lessons by helping him pursue inner peace.
However, Po and the Furious Five must race stop a powerful new enemy, Lord Shen (Gary Oldman), the exiled son of the late Peacock Emperor. From Gongmen City, Shen plots to unleash a powerful new weapon that threatens to destroy kung fu and help him conquer China. For Po, however, there is something familiar about Shen and his murderous army that paralyzes him whenever he faces them. Suffering from bad dreams, Po must delve into his past, the place he doesn’t want to go. If he doesn’t, Shen will win.
I must admit to being in love with great martial arts fighting scenes. I could watch the fight sequences in films like Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Hero, and even Ninja Assassin on a continuous loop. The fight scenes are what really won me over with Kung Fu Panda 2. It’s still hard for me to believe that computers can create this kind of character animation and movement with such precision and dynamism. I don’t know if I should call it high tech virtuosity or art as the illusion of life. Kung Fu Panda 2 has some of the most beautiful animation I’ve ever seen and rich hues and colors that sparkle.
This movie is not all about the visual spark, however. Kung Fu Panda 2’s story has heart and also the kind of compelling character writing we’ve come to expect from Pixar’s films. Po’s struggles with identity and his origin and the fear that engenders are genuine to the point that you might start worrying about him as if he were a real person. I can say that same thing about Lord Shen, a thoroughly fashioned character and the kind of complicated, complex adversary usually reserved for films seeking Oscar nominations. Gary Oldman does a splendid job in his voice performance as Shen, emphasizing that while Shen is the contrast to Po, they also have similar issues.
Anyone who tells you that Kung Fu Panda 2 is more of the same may not quite be full of crap, but they’re more than half full. This is a sequel that is a continuation of the original’s excellence, and Kung Fu Panda 2 is one of the year’s best.
9 of 10
A+
Sunday, May 29, 2011
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Saturday, May 28, 2011
Review: Cute "Gnomeo & Juliet" Charms All Ages
TRASH IN MY EYE No. 44 (of 2011) by Leroy Douresseaux
Gnomeo & Juliet (2011)
Running time: 84 min (1 hour, 24 minutes)
MPAA – G
DIRECTOR: Kelly Asbury
WRITERS: Andy Riley, Kevin Cecil, Mark Burton, Emily Cook, Kathy Greenberg, Steve Hamilton Shaw, and Kelly Asbury; from a story by Rob Sprackling, John R. Smith, Andy Riley, Kevin Cecil, and Steve Hamilton Shaw and from an original screenplay by Rob Sprackling and John R. Smith (based upon the play by William Shakespeare)
PRODUCERS: Baker Bloodworth, David Furnish, and Steve Hamilton Shaw
EDITOR: Catherine Apple
COMPOSERS: Chris Bacon and James Newton Howard
SONGS: Elton John and Bernie Taupin
ANIMATION/COMEDY/ACTION/ROMANCE
Starring: James McAvoy, Emily Blunt, Ashley Jensen, Michael Caine, Matt Lucas, Jim Cummings, Maggie Smith, Jason Statham, Ozzy Osbourne, Stephen Merchant, Patrick Stewart, Julie Walters, Richard Wilson, and Hulk Hogan
Gnomeo & Juliet is a computer-animated film released earlier this year. A family film, it retells William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet using garden gnomes that walk and talk. Recordings of Elton John songs like “Saturday Night’s Alright for Fighting,” “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart,” and “Your Song,” are the soundtrack to this classic love story with a twist.
Mrs. Montague (Julie Walters), with her blue house, and Mr. Capulet (Richard Wilson), with his red house, are next door neighbors and enemies. When they leave their homes, the objects in their backyard come to life. The Montague backyard is filled with blue garden gnomes, while the Capulet backyard has red garden gnomes, and like their masters, the blue and red garden gnomes are mortal enemies. They are constantly fighting or engaging in dangerous games like lawnmower races. The blues are led by Lady Blueberry (Maggie Smith) and the reds by Lord Redbrick (Michael Caine).
The garden gnome feud takes a complicated turn when Gnomeo (James McAvoy), son of Lady Blueberry, and Juliet (Emily Blunt), daughter of Redbrick, meet and begin a romance. When a lawnmower race goes horribly awry, Gnomeo is on the run and Juliet is confined to a fountain. Will their love prevail or will Gnomeo and Juliet come to the same tragic end as Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet?
There is not much to say about Gnomeo & Juliet. It’s cute, often heartwarming, and surprisingly (at least to me) fun to watch. A movie doesn’t really have to be good to be entertaining, and while Gnomeo & Juliet isn’t by any means great, it has a few moments that you might find just delightful to watch. Exceptional animated films have great supporting characters, but this one doesn’t, although there are good ones that the film underutilizes (like Nanette the garden frog and Shroom the silent mushroom).
The Elton John songs, some of which are turned into instrumental melodies or interludes, are a mixed bag. The duets, with Lady Gaga on “Hello, Hello” and with Nelly Furtado on “Crocodile Rock,” are disappointing, especially the Gaga joint, which sounds like a symphony of warring cats. The film, however, makes good use of the classic songs.
That aside, Gnomeo & Juliet will delight its intended audience – children, but many adults are in for a surprise. They will find this wacky take on Romeo and Juliet sometimes witty and often charming.
6 of 10
B
Saturday, May 28, 2011
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Warner Bros. Trumpets The Hangover Part II's Success
Records Get Smashed on Opening Day of Todd Phillips’ “The Hangover Part II”
BURBANK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Warner Bros. Pictures’ and Legendary Pictures’ “The Hangover Part II” has already broken multiple records on only its first day in release, it was announced today by Dan Fellman, Warner Bros. Pictures President of Domestic Distribution.
Box offices around the country got a midnight wake-up call when the Todd Phillips-directed comedy took in $10.4 million, shattering the previous midnight-opening record for an R-rated film. The sum also more than doubled the record for a midnight opening of any 2011 film to date. With the widest opening of any R-rated film, “The Hangover Part II” went on to earn a total of $31.7 million on its opening day, setting a new opening day record for a comedy.
In making the announcement, Fellman stated, “From the tracking, we knew audiences couldn’t wait for another ‘Hangover,’ but these numbers are through the roof. Leave it to Todd Phillips to create a new must-see comedy that has people lining up at the box office and rolling in the aisles. Congratulations to him, the cast and all the other talents behind the film on making another unforgettable comedy.”
In “The Hangover Part II” Phil (Bradley Cooper), Stu (Ed Helms), Alan (Zach Galifianakis) and Doug (Justin Bartha) travel to exotic Thailand for Stu’s wedding. With the memory of Doug’s nearly disastrous bachelor party in Las Vegas still fresh—or at least well-documented—Stu is taking no chances. He has opted for a safe, subdued, pre-wedding trip brunch, with pancakes, coffee…and no alcohol. However, things don’t always go as planned. Two nights before the big day, at a fabulous resort in Thailand, Stu relents. One beer each. In sealed bottles. What could go wrong?
What happens in Vegas may stay in Vegas, but what happens in Bangkok can’t even be imagined.
“The Hangover Part II” is director Todd Phillips’ follow-up to his 2009 smash hit “The Hangover,” which became the highest-grossing R-rated comedy of all time and also won the Golden Globe for Best Film – Comedy or Musical.
Reprising their roles, Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis, and Justin Bartha star in the film. The main cast also includes Ken Jeong and Jeffrey Tambor, who also return from the first film, and Mason Lee, Jamie Chung and Paul Giamatti, who join the ensemble.
The screenplay is by Craig Mazin & Scot Armstrong & Todd Phillips. Phillips also produced the film under his Green Hat Films banner, together with Dan Goldberg. Thomas Tull, Scott Budnick, Chris Bender and J.C. Spink are the executive producers, with David A. Siegel and Jeffrey Wetzel serving as co-producers.
“The Hangover Part II” is a presentation of Warner Bros. Pictures, in association with Legendary Pictures, and will be distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company. The film has been rated R for pervasive language, strong sexual content including graphic nudity, drug use and brief violent images.
BURBANK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Warner Bros. Pictures’ and Legendary Pictures’ “The Hangover Part II” has already broken multiple records on only its first day in release, it was announced today by Dan Fellman, Warner Bros. Pictures President of Domestic Distribution.
Box offices around the country got a midnight wake-up call when the Todd Phillips-directed comedy took in $10.4 million, shattering the previous midnight-opening record for an R-rated film. The sum also more than doubled the record for a midnight opening of any 2011 film to date. With the widest opening of any R-rated film, “The Hangover Part II” went on to earn a total of $31.7 million on its opening day, setting a new opening day record for a comedy.
In making the announcement, Fellman stated, “From the tracking, we knew audiences couldn’t wait for another ‘Hangover,’ but these numbers are through the roof. Leave it to Todd Phillips to create a new must-see comedy that has people lining up at the box office and rolling in the aisles. Congratulations to him, the cast and all the other talents behind the film on making another unforgettable comedy.”
In “The Hangover Part II” Phil (Bradley Cooper), Stu (Ed Helms), Alan (Zach Galifianakis) and Doug (Justin Bartha) travel to exotic Thailand for Stu’s wedding. With the memory of Doug’s nearly disastrous bachelor party in Las Vegas still fresh—or at least well-documented—Stu is taking no chances. He has opted for a safe, subdued, pre-wedding trip brunch, with pancakes, coffee…and no alcohol. However, things don’t always go as planned. Two nights before the big day, at a fabulous resort in Thailand, Stu relents. One beer each. In sealed bottles. What could go wrong?
What happens in Vegas may stay in Vegas, but what happens in Bangkok can’t even be imagined.
“The Hangover Part II” is director Todd Phillips’ follow-up to his 2009 smash hit “The Hangover,” which became the highest-grossing R-rated comedy of all time and also won the Golden Globe for Best Film – Comedy or Musical.
Reprising their roles, Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis, and Justin Bartha star in the film. The main cast also includes Ken Jeong and Jeffrey Tambor, who also return from the first film, and Mason Lee, Jamie Chung and Paul Giamatti, who join the ensemble.
The screenplay is by Craig Mazin & Scot Armstrong & Todd Phillips. Phillips also produced the film under his Green Hat Films banner, together with Dan Goldberg. Thomas Tull, Scott Budnick, Chris Bender and J.C. Spink are the executive producers, with David A. Siegel and Jeffrey Wetzel serving as co-producers.
“The Hangover Part II” is a presentation of Warner Bros. Pictures, in association with Legendary Pictures, and will be distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company. The film has been rated R for pervasive language, strong sexual content including graphic nudity, drug use and brief violent images.
Friday, May 27, 2011
Linkin Park and Transformers to Rock Moscow
TRANSFORMERS: DARK OF THE MOON PRESENTS LINKIN PARK – LIVE IN MOSCOW on JUNE 23rd IN SUPPORT OF MOVIE’s WORLD PREMIERE IN RUSSIA
HOLLYWOOD, CA (May 23, 2011) – In celebration of Paramount Pictures’ TRANSFORMERS: DARK OF THE MOON, Linkin Park will perform a special outdoor concert at Vasilyevsky Spusk of the Red Square in Moscow – with the Kremlin and St. Basil’s Basilica as the backdrop – on June 23rd at 9PM. The 3D Michael Bay film will open the Moscow International Film Festival on the same night.
Linkin Park will perform several of their hit songs including the single, “Iridescent,” which is the end title song in the upcoming third Transformers film. The movie opens worldwide beginning June 29th. Stars from the film are scheduled to attend, along with director Michael Bay.
Tickets for this free concert will be available beginning June 1st through June 21st, to learn more about obtaining ticket information go to http://www.energyfm.ru/ or http://www.linkinpark.com/ beginning June 1st.
One of the most successful collaborations between music and film, the previous Linkin Park singles to appear in the first two Transformers films, “What I’ve Done” from the first Transformers film, has sold over 4 million downloads worldwide, and “New Divide” from 2009’s Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, crossed the 3 million mark. Both songs were top selling singles for the band, and went to #1 on the modern rock radio charts (with “New Divide” spending 14 weeks there).
The special show in Moscow is produced by Live Nation and will occur during Linkin Park’s upcoming European tour, which begins June 11th in Austria with stadium, festival or arena shows in the UK, Germany, Sweden, Norway, Finland, France, Switzerland, Italy & Belgium.
Linkin Park European Tour Dates:
June 11 Nickelsdorf, Austria @ Nova Rock Festival
June 12 Donington, UK @ Download Festival
June 14 Stockholm, Sweden @ Ericsson Global Arena
June 16 Helsinki, Finland @ Kaisaniemi Park
June 18 Leipzig, Germany @ Festweise
June 19 Oberursel, Germany @ Hessentag
June 21 Hamburg, Germany @02 World Arena
June 25 Munich, Germany @ Messegelaende Riem Stadium
June 26 Imola, Italy @ Sonisphere Festival
June 28 Arendal, Norway @ Hove Festival
June 30 Werchter, Belgium @ Rock Wercher Festival
July 1 Arras, France @ Arras Main Square Festival
July 2 St. Gallen, Switzerland @ OpenAir Festival
July 4 London, UK @ iTunes Festival
TRANSFORMERS: DARK OF THE MOON is the third film in the Transformers franchise and the first shot in 3D. It is directed by Michael Bay, written by Ehren Kruger and produced by Don Murphy & Tom DeSanto, Lorenzo di Bonaventura and Ian Bryce. The executive producers are Steven Spielberg, Michael Bay, Brian Goldner and Mark Vahradian. The movie opens in the United States on June 29, 2011. ©2011 Paramount Pictures Corporation. All rights reserved.
HASBRO, TRANSFORMERS and all related characters are trademarks of Hasbro. ©2011 Hasbro. All Rights Reserved.
About Paramount Pictures Corporation
Paramount Pictures Corporation (PPC), a global producer and distributor of filmed entertainment, is a unit of Viacom (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), a leading content company with prominent and respected film, television and digital entertainment brands. The company's labels include Paramount Pictures, Paramount Vantage, Paramount Classics, Insurge Pictures, MTV Films and Nickelodeon Movies. PPC operations also include Paramount Digital Entertainment, Paramount Famous Productions, Paramount Home Entertainment, Paramount Pictures International, Paramount Licensing Inc., Paramount Studio Group and Paramount Television & Digital Distribution.
HOLLYWOOD, CA (May 23, 2011) – In celebration of Paramount Pictures’ TRANSFORMERS: DARK OF THE MOON, Linkin Park will perform a special outdoor concert at Vasilyevsky Spusk of the Red Square in Moscow – with the Kremlin and St. Basil’s Basilica as the backdrop – on June 23rd at 9PM. The 3D Michael Bay film will open the Moscow International Film Festival on the same night.
Linkin Park will perform several of their hit songs including the single, “Iridescent,” which is the end title song in the upcoming third Transformers film. The movie opens worldwide beginning June 29th. Stars from the film are scheduled to attend, along with director Michael Bay.
Tickets for this free concert will be available beginning June 1st through June 21st, to learn more about obtaining ticket information go to http://www.energyfm.ru/ or http://www.linkinpark.com/ beginning June 1st.
One of the most successful collaborations between music and film, the previous Linkin Park singles to appear in the first two Transformers films, “What I’ve Done” from the first Transformers film, has sold over 4 million downloads worldwide, and “New Divide” from 2009’s Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, crossed the 3 million mark. Both songs were top selling singles for the band, and went to #1 on the modern rock radio charts (with “New Divide” spending 14 weeks there).
The special show in Moscow is produced by Live Nation and will occur during Linkin Park’s upcoming European tour, which begins June 11th in Austria with stadium, festival or arena shows in the UK, Germany, Sweden, Norway, Finland, France, Switzerland, Italy & Belgium.
Linkin Park European Tour Dates:
June 11 Nickelsdorf, Austria @ Nova Rock Festival
June 12 Donington, UK @ Download Festival
June 14 Stockholm, Sweden @ Ericsson Global Arena
June 16 Helsinki, Finland @ Kaisaniemi Park
June 18 Leipzig, Germany @ Festweise
June 19 Oberursel, Germany @ Hessentag
June 21 Hamburg, Germany @02 World Arena
June 25 Munich, Germany @ Messegelaende Riem Stadium
June 26 Imola, Italy @ Sonisphere Festival
June 28 Arendal, Norway @ Hove Festival
June 30 Werchter, Belgium @ Rock Wercher Festival
July 1 Arras, France @ Arras Main Square Festival
July 2 St. Gallen, Switzerland @ OpenAir Festival
July 4 London, UK @ iTunes Festival
TRANSFORMERS: DARK OF THE MOON is the third film in the Transformers franchise and the first shot in 3D. It is directed by Michael Bay, written by Ehren Kruger and produced by Don Murphy & Tom DeSanto, Lorenzo di Bonaventura and Ian Bryce. The executive producers are Steven Spielberg, Michael Bay, Brian Goldner and Mark Vahradian. The movie opens in the United States on June 29, 2011. ©2011 Paramount Pictures Corporation. All rights reserved.
HASBRO, TRANSFORMERS and all related characters are trademarks of Hasbro. ©2011 Hasbro. All Rights Reserved.
About Paramount Pictures Corporation
Paramount Pictures Corporation (PPC), a global producer and distributor of filmed entertainment, is a unit of Viacom (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), a leading content company with prominent and respected film, television and digital entertainment brands. The company's labels include Paramount Pictures, Paramount Vantage, Paramount Classics, Insurge Pictures, MTV Films and Nickelodeon Movies. PPC operations also include Paramount Digital Entertainment, Paramount Famous Productions, Paramount Home Entertainment, Paramount Pictures International, Paramount Licensing Inc., Paramount Studio Group and Paramount Television & Digital Distribution.
Terrence Malick's "The New World" Poetic and Spiritual
The New World (2005)
Running time: 135 minutes (2 hour, 15 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for some intense battle sequences
WRITER/DIRECTOR: Terrence Malick
PRODUCER: Sarah Green
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Emmanuel Lubezki
EDITORS: Richard Chew, A.C.E., Hank Corwin, A.C.E., Saar Klein, and Mark Yoshikawa
Academy Award nominee
DRAMA/HISTORICAL/ROMANCE
Starring: Colin Farrell, Q’orianka Kilcher, Christopher Plummer, Christian Bale, August Schellenberg, Wes Studi, David Thewlis, Yorick van Wageningen, Raoul Trujillo, Michael Greyeyes, Kalani Queypo, Ben Mendelsohn, Noah Taylor, Ben Chaplin, John Savage, Janine Duvitski, Irene Bedard, Eddie Marsan, Roger Rees, Myrton Running Wolf, Jonathan Pryce, and Jesse Borrego
Director Terrence Malick’s (The Thin Red Line) shot over 1 million feet of film for his most recent movie, The New World. Originally released on Christmas Day 2005 with a run time of 150 minutes, Malick pulled the film and edited it down to 135 minutes for re-release. This is the definitive version – reportedly the version Malick prefers.
The story begins in North America in the early years of the 17th century. The continent is as it has been for the previous five thousand years – a vast land of seemingly endless primeval wilderness with the only inhabitants being an intricate network of tribal cultures (Native American who speak Algonquin). In April of 1607, three small seagoing vessels from England sail into this Eden. On board one of the ships is John Smith (Colin Farrell), a once-promising young officer and soldier of fortune, now chained below decks and destined to be hanged for insubordination. Captain Christopher Newport (Christopher Plummer), however, pardons Smith because he realizes that he will need every able-bodied man he has in this new world, and Smith, in particular.
Newport and his men have landed (in what is now Virginia) in the midst of a sophisticated Native American empire ruled by the powerful chieftain, Powhatan (August Schellenberg). While this is the new world to the Englishmen, North America is an ancient world to Powhatan, and he and his people are wary of the Englishmen, believing they intend to stay. The Englishmen struggle to survive in their new home, so John Smith seeks assistance from the local tribes. During this trip, he encounters a young native woman who at first seems like a woodland sprite or perhaps something not real. However, this willful and impetuous creature is real, and she is Powhatan’s daughter (Q’orianka Kilcher), known as Pocahontas (although she is never called that in the film). Smith and the young woman form a bond that transcends ordinary love, and it tests the strength of their bonds with their respective people. However, their love story would become one of the best-known American legends.
The New World is really two stories. One is a character driven narrative about the relationship between John Smith and Pocahontas, and the other is an entirely visually conveyed story about North America as it was just as the English settlers were arriving. The former is internally driven. Smith and Pocahontas speak mostly in voiceovers, and the film leaves the audience to guess at what thoughts and images run through their minds as the two bond. It’s a poetic courtship based on shared feelings, in which the audience might understand the spiritual connection, but is often left yearning to share the obviously intense physical connection. Malick takes an odd approach to filming romance and love in this movie; it is impressionistic – at least from the point of the view of the audience. However, it can intrigue, can make the viewer interested in understanding why these two people from vastly different worlds are so in love with one another.
The latter tale is visually driven. Malick and his cinematographer, Emmanuel Lubezki (who earned an Oscar nod for his work), present the new world as an expansive verdant forest of fertile, intensely green plant life; wide-open, deep blue skies; and dreamlike waterways. Shot almost entirely with available (natural) light, the film has an ethereal quality like something trying and almost succeeding at being real, although it isn’t. Malick stages the battles between natives and newcomers with a sense of poetry that could pass for a kind of violent ballet or interpretive dance in the right light. In the end, Malick presents these confrontations as a sort of pastoral, historical recreation, and it has a natural feel to it – verisimilitude, perhaps.
The performances are excellent. Colin Farrell and Q’orianka Kilcher have magical screen chemistry, and Kilcher is quite a find, giving one of the best performances by an actress in 2005. Farrell takes his bad boy attitude and quality and transforms himself into a thoughtful man who has lived a life of adventure and enormous responsibility – a rebel who also understands consequence and responsibility. Christian Bale also makes a nice turn with a small role in the last third of the film. Malick, one of the few American directors not only totally dedicated to the idea that film is art, but also dedicated to making film that is actually high art, does make a few missteps (too many voiceovers, a few abrupt jumps in narrative, some dry spots, etc.). However, he brings his talented cast and crew together and creates in The New World an outstanding poetic, visual feast that speaks softly to our souls.
8 of 10
A
Friday, June 02, 2006
NOTES:
2006 Academy Awards: 1 nomination: “Best Achievement in Cinematography” (Emmanuel Lubezki)
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