Wednesday, November 20, 2013

Advanced Tickets for "The Hobbit" Part 2 on Sale Tomorrow

Advance Tickets for “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug” Go on Sale in the U.S. on Thursday, November 21, at 9:00 AM Eastern Time

Midnight showings set for Thursday, December 12

BURBANK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Moviegoers who are eagerly anticipating the December 13 release of the epic fantasy adventure “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug,” will be able to secure their seats nearly a month in advance when tickets go on sale, online and in theaters in the U.S., on Thursday, November 21 at 9:00 AM ET. Fans will have the opportunity to see the movie first at midnight on Thursday, December 12.

“The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug,” a production of New Line Cinema and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures (MGM), is the highly anticipated second film in Peter Jackson’s epic trilogy adapting the enduringly popular masterpiece The Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolkien.

Midnight showings for the first film in the Trilogy, “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey,” took in $13 million in the U.S. The film ultimately went on to gross over a billion dollars worldwide.

From Academy Award®-winning filmmaker Peter Jackson, director of “The Lord of the Rings” Trilogy, comes “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug.” Ian McKellen returns as Gandalf the Grey, with Martin Freeman in the central role of Bilbo Baggins, and Richard Armitage as Thorin Oakenshield. The international ensemble cast is led by Benedict Cumberbatch, Evangeline Lilly, Lee Pace, Luke Evans, Stephen Fry, Ken Stott, James Nesbitt, and Orlando Bloom as Legolas. The film also stars Mikael Persbrandt, Sylvester McCoy, Aidan Turner, Dean O’Gorman, Graham McTavish, Adam Brown, Peter Hambleton, John Callen, Mark Hadlow, Jed Brophy, William Kircher, Stephen Hunter, Ryan Gage, John Bell, Manu Bennett and Lawrence Makoare.

The screenplay for “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug” is by Fran Walsh & Philippa Boyens & Peter Jackson & Guillermo del Toro, based on the novel by J.R.R. Tolkien. Jackson also produced the film, together with Carolynne Cunningham, Zane Weiner and Fran Walsh. The executive producers are Alan Horn, Toby Emmerich, Ken Kamins and Carolyn Blackwood, with Philippa Boyens and Eileen Moran serving as co-producers.

The creative behind-the-scenes team is led by director of photography Andrew Lesnie, production designer Dan Hennah, editor Jabez Olssen and composer Howard Shore. The costumes are designed by Bob Buck, Ann Maskrey and Richard Taylor. Taylor is also overseeing the design and production of armor, weapons, creatures and special makeup, which are once again being made by the award-winning Weta Workshop. Weta Digital is taking on the visual effects for the film, led by senior visual effects supervisor Joe Letteri. The hair and makeup designer is Peter Swords King. The conceptual designers are John Howe and Alan Lee. The visual effects supervisor is Eric Saindon, with David Clayton & Eric Reynolds serving as animation supervisors.

Under Jackson’s direction, “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug” was shot in 3D 48 frames-per-second and will be released in High Frame Rate 3D (HFR 3D) in select theaters, other 2D and 3D formats, and IMAX®. Production took place at Jackson’s own facilities in Miramar, Wellington, and on location around New Zealand. Post production took place at Park Road Post Production in Wellington.

New Line Cinema and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures Present a Wingnut Films Production, “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug.” The film is a production of New Line Cinema and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures (MGM), with New Line managing production. Warner Bros. Pictures is handling worldwide theatrical distribution, with select international territories as well as all international television distribution being handled by MGM.

www.thehobbit.com



Producers Guild to Honor James Bond Producers

PGA Honors Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli with 2014 Davie O. Selznick Achievement Award

The Producers Guild of America (PGA) announced that Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli of EON Productions will receive the 2014 David O. Selznick Achievement Award in Motion Pictures. The award will be presented to Wilson and Broccoli at the 25th Annual Producers Guild Awards ceremony on Sunday, January 19th at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles.

"We’re honored to be associated with the legendary David O. Selznick and delighted to be receiving this award along with its previous recipients,” said Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli.

The Producers Guild of America’s David O. Selznick Achievement Award recognizes a producer’s outstanding body of work in motion pictures. The honor has a rich and distinguished history with past recipients including such legendary producers as Stanley Kramer, Saul Zaentz, Clint Eastwood, Billy Wilder, Brian Grazer, Jerry Bruckheimer, Roger Corman, Laura Ziskin, Kathleen Kennedy & Frank Marshall, Steven Spielberg and last year’s recipients Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner.

"Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli are the driving force behind one of the most cherished franchises in the history of film,” said PGA Awards Co-Chairs Lori McCreary (INVICTUS, "Through the Wormhole with Morgan Freeman”) and Michael De Luca (CAPTAIN PHILLIPS, MONEYBALL, THE SOCIAL NETWORK).  "Thanks to the consistency and steadfastness of their creative vision, generations of moviegoers have been able to share the adventures of one of our iconic heroes. We look forward to their continuing to bring thrilling exploits and cinematic masterpieces to audiences worldwide, and we are delighted to honor them with this year’s David O. Selznick Achievement Award.”

About EON Productions Limited
EON Productions Limited, owned and controlled by the Broccoli/Wilson family, is the UK based production company which produces the James Bond films.  Led by Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli, they have produced some of the most successful Bond films ever including CASINO ROYALE, QUANTUM OF SOLACE and SKYFALL.   Wilson, Broccoli and EON have also co-produced and co-financed several successful theatrical productions that have played in London’s West End and on Broadway, including "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang", "A Steady Rain", "Chariots of Fire", and the multiple Tony winning musical "Once". Wilson, Broccoli and EON are also involved in several independent film projects including executive producing A SILENT STORM starring Damian Lewis and Andrea Riseborough, directed by Corinna Villari-McFarlane.



Spielberg and Katzenberg Drop Big Dollars for Academy Museum

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announces major gifts from Jeffrey Katzenberg and Steven Spielberg

Katzenberg and Spielberg donate $10 million each to the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures

Beverly Hills, CA – The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences received separate $10 million gifts from Jeffrey Katzenberg and Steven Spielberg for the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures. In recognition of these gifts, the two main galleries on the lobby floor of the Academy Museum will be named for Katzenberg and Spielberg – The Marilyn and Jeffrey Katzenberg Gallery and The Spielberg Family Gallery.

“Steven and Jeffrey share a passion for moviemaking and philanthropy,” said Academy Museum Campaign Chair Bob Iger. “With these incredibly generous gifts, they are combining the two, moving us closer to our goal of building a museum to preserve the history of motion pictures and inspire the next generation of filmmakers.” The Academy launched the Museum’s $300 million capital campaign in 2012 and has already secured more than half of the campaign’s goal in commitments. The campaign is co-chaired by Annette Bening and Tom Hanks.

“I am so pleased to join with Jeffrey to help build this museum to celebrate, educate, and preserve the arts and sciences of motion pictures,” said Spielberg. “Having our family name on the lobby floor is a deeply personal way to say how much motion pictures and the Academy have meant to all our lives.”

“Both Steven and I recognize that film’s global impact deserves a museum that reflects its unequaled heritage and serves as a beacon for the future of what we love,” added Katzenberg. “Marilyn and I appreciate this opportunity to be part of such a significant project.”

Academy President Cheryl Boone Isaacs commented, “Steven and Jeffrey have elevated the art of filmmaking to new heights and have created some of the most beloved films of all time. They continue to be champions of our industry. Having them join us as we build the Academy Museum is an incredible honor. We are so grateful for their support and partnership.”

The lobby of the Academy Museum will be a lively open space that will invite the public to engage in the life of the Museum. The Marilyn and Jeffrey Katzenberg Gallery and The Spielberg Family Gallery will be the only gallery spaces on the lobby level and will showcase exhibitions that will explore the past, present, and future of moviemaking.

“We are building the world’s premier movie museum, and I cannot imagine doing this without the support of two of our industry’s most inspiring leaders,” said Academy CEO Dawn Hudson. “Their gifts will create the first galleries our visitors experience when entering the Museum.”

Designed by architects Renzo Piano and Zoltan Pali, the Academy Museum will be located next to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) in the historic Wilshire May Company building. Slated to open in early 2017, the Academy Museum will contain nearly 300,000 square feet of state-of-the-art galleries, exhibition spaces, theaters, screening rooms, education centers, and special event spaces.



"Experience Nirvana" in Seattle on December 7, 2013

Experience Nirvana with Bruce Pavitt on December 7 at Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery

The Seattle music scene in 1989 was on the precipice of altering the course of global pop culture. Ironically, the punk music of the Pacific Northwest was having difficulty gaining traction beyond a small but enthusiastic regional following. While critically acclaimed, the embryonic movement was in imminent danger of a premature demise. In an effort to draw international attention to their fledgling label, Sub Pop sent their three marquee acts to Europe. The rest, as they say, is history.

Experiencing Nirvana: Grunge in Europe, 1989 is Bruce Pavitt’s account of this pivotal period of contemporary culture. As the visionary founder of Sub Pop – first as a hand crafted zine, then a series of cassettes, music columns, and radio broadcasts – Pavitt was in a peculiar position to chronicle the tour that cemented grunge as the soundtrack of a generation. Through journal entries and candid photographs, Pavitt follows Nirvana, TAD, and Mudhoney at a momentous stage of a movement that almost didn’t happen.

Pavitt will appear at Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery on Saturday, December 7 from 6:00 to 8:00 to give a brief reading from this fascinating account and sign copies of the hardcover book. A selection of photographs from the triumphant tour will be on display with sales proceeds to benefit the Vera Project. Photographer Charles Peterson will guest DJ and several prominent musicians of the era will attend.

Listing information:
Experiencing Nirvana: Grunge in Europe, 1989
Reading and book signing with author Bruce Pavitt
Saturday, December 7, 6:00 to 8:00 PM

Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery
1201 S. Vale Street in Georgetown, 206.658.0110



Tuesday, November 19, 2013

Review: "Pacific Rim" a Big Fanboy Experience

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 78 (of 2013) by Leroy Douresseaux

Pacific Rim (2013)
Running time:  131 minutes (2 hours, 11 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for sequences of intense sci-fi action and violence throughout, and brief language
DIRECTOR:  Guillermo del Toro
WRITERS:  Travis Beacham and Guillermo del Toro; from a story by Travis Beacham
PRODUCERS: Guillermo del Toro, Jon Jashni, Mary Parent, and Thomas Tull
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Guillermo Navarro (D.o.P.)
EDITORS:  Peter Amundson and John Gilroy
COMPOSER:  Ramin Djawadi

SCI-FI/FANTASY/ACTION

Starring:  Charlie Hunnam, Idris Elba, Rinko Kikuchi, Charlie Day, Burn Gorman, Max Martini, Rob Kazinsky, Clifton Collins, Jr., Ron Perlman, Mana Ashida, Santiago Segura, Diego Klattenhoff, and Ellen McLain (voice)

Pacific Rim is a 2013 science fiction-action film from director Guillermo del Toro (Pan’s Labyrinth).  The film is set in a near-future where humankind fights monstrous creatures that emerge from the sea with gigantic humanoid war machines.  A former pilot and a trainee are paired up to drive one of these war machines as part of a desperate plan to save the world from an apocalypse.

Pacific Rim is set in a world in which, beginning in 2013, colossal monstrous beasts, called “Kaijus,” emerged from “the Breach” a chasm on the floor of the Pacific Ocean that opens to an inter-dimensional portal.  These Kaijus began attacking human cities, especially along the Pacific Rim.  To combat them, the Pacific Rim nations built equally colossal, robotic, humanoid war machines called “Jaegers” (think Transformers in human-like mode).  The Jaeger program is initially successful, but many are destroyed as the Kaijus grow more powerful and the frequency of their attacks increased.

By 2025, the United Nations and world governments have discontinued the Jaeger program.  However, Jaeger program commander, Stacker Pentecost (Idris Elba), has taken the four remaining Jaegers that he has, and has devised a last-ditch plan to end the war against the Kaijus by planting a thermonuclear bomb in their portal, the Breach.  Pentecost recruits former Jaeger pilot, Raleigh Becket (Charlie Hunnam), to pilot a revamped version of his old Jaeger, Gypsy Danger.  But resistance from some of his fellow pilots and his friendship with Mako Mori (Rinko Kikuchi), a Jaeger pilot wannabe, may complicate an already complicated mission.

First, I must say that I think that “Pacific Rim” is a bad title.  I don’t know what else they could have titled this movie, but that title is vague in regards to the larger story of the movie.  Anyway, I think of Pacific Rim as the ultimate fanboy movie.  If you like big science fiction and fantasy films with big special effects and that are almost entirely created by CGI (computer-generated imagery), Pacific Rim might be for you.  If you like giant robots (also called “mecha”) fighting giant monsters in what looks like a cross between mixed-martial arts and WWE-styled professional wrestling, this movie is for you.  If you like seeing disaster and destruction on an epic scale, with cities literally smashed to bits, Pacific Rim is for you.

I like Pacific Rim, but it is a little too long.  The movie runs for 131 minutes; I’d had enough after 100 minutes.  Although I am a fan of some of the cast, I also wish that the cast had more charisma.  Idris Elba is always a great film presence, as he is here.  Ron Perlman adds flair and something like an exotic spice to every movie in which he appears, and he does so in this film as Hannibal Chau.  I love seeing Charlie Day (as Dr. Newton Geiszler) because of his deft comic touch.  However, at least to me, the rest of the cast lacks the personality and charisma to carry a big genre movie like Pacific Rim.  I don’t know what people see in Charlie Hunnam.  He might be good for TV, where he stars in the cable television series, “Sons of Anarchy,” but his presence is undersized for the massive Pacific Rim.

I can overcome my reservations because I’m happy to have a Guillermo del Toro movie, the first in five years.  Pacific Rim proves that he can do big effects-laden movies, although this film lacks the level of imagination in del Toro’s previous efforts.  It is precisely his imagination, however, that makes a weird, monster movie concept like Pacific Rim work.  So the fanboy in me does like this movie, especially because of its director, which is a very fanboy thing.

7 of 10
B+

Tuesday, November 19, 2013

The text is copyright © 2013 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for syndication rights and fees.



Missing You, Dear Sister 2013

I have not forgotten, even 22 years later.  I won't forget.

Can you peek down from up there and spy on J.J. Abrams for me?  Send any hot tips about Star Wars to me via my dreams.

And your old pal Mickey turned 85 yesterday.


Monday, November 18, 2013

"Gravity" Now Past $500 Million in Worldwide Box Office

Warner Bros. Pictures’ “Gravity” Soars over $500 Million Worldwide

Alfonso Cuarón’s acclaimed worldwide hit, starring Sandra Bullock and George Clooney, continues to break box office records. 

BURBANK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Reaching another astronomical milestone, Warner Bros. Pictures’ “Gravity” crossed $500 million at the worldwide box office on Saturday, November 16, 2013. The announcement was made today by Dan Fellman, President of Domestic Distribution, and Veronika Kwan Vandenberg, President of International Distribution, Warner Bros. Pictures.

Directed by Alfonso Cuarón, “Gravity” has earned an astounding $240.6 million domestically and $274.3 million internationally, for an estimated worldwide total to date of $515 million, and still climbing. From the start, the film has enjoyed record-breaking domestic and international openings, most recently in the UK. It is now the highest-grossing movie ever (worldwide) for its Oscar®-winning stars, Sandra Bullock and George Clooney.

Box office results for IMAX® are also very strong, with an estimated $47.1 million domestically, and $24.2 million in 42 overseas markets, for a global total to date of $71.3 million.

In addition, 3D continues to be the format of choice for the vast majority of moviegoers who want to experience the story in the most immersive way possible. The 3D sales represent 81% of the box office domestically and have grown to 80% internationally.

The half-billion mark comes as “Gravity” prepares for two more major openings: in China on November 19, followed by Japan on December 13.

In making the announcement, Fellman said, “This is an outstanding achievement for Alfonso, Sandy and George, and the film’s extraordinary team of innovative artists. We congratulate all of those who brought to life a film that is not only creatively groundbreaking but also beloved by both critics and audiences worldwide.”

Kwan Vandenberg stated, “We are delighted that moviegoers everywhere have embraced 'Gravity' and made it into a global, cinematic event. With anticipation really high for the China and Japan openings, we are expecting even stronger international returns in the coming weeks.”

Academy Award® winners Sandra Bullock (“The Blind Side”) and George Clooney (“Syriana”) star in “Gravity,” a heart-pounding thriller that pulls you into the infinite and unforgiving realm of deep space. The film was directed by Oscar® nominee Alfonso Cuarón (“Children of Men”).

Dr. Ryan Stone (Bullock) is a brilliant medical engineer on her first shuttle mission, with veteran astronaut Matt Kowalski (Clooney) in command. But on a seemingly routine mission, disaster strikes. The shuttle is destroyed, leaving Stone and Kowalski completely alone—tethered to nothing but each other and spiraling out into the blackness. The deafening silence tells them they have lost any link to Earth…and any chance for rescue. As fear turns to panic, every gulp of air eats away at what little oxygen is left.

But the only way home may be to go further out into the terrifying expanse of space.

“Gravity” was written by Alfonso Cuarón & Jonás Cuarón, and produced by Alfonso Cuarón and David Heyman (the “Harry Potter” films). Chris deFaria, Nikki Penny and Stephen Jones served as executive producers.

The behind-the-scenes team includes multiple Oscar®-nominated director of photography Emmanuel Lubezki (“Children of Men,” “The New World”); production designer Andy Nicholson (art director “Alice in Wonderland”); editors Alfonso Cuarón and Mark Sanger (VFX editor “Children of Men”); and costume designer Jany Temime (the “Harry Potter” films). The visual effects were handled by Oscar®-nominated visual effects supervisor Tim Webber (“The Dark Knight”). The music was composed by Steven Price (“Attack the Block”).

Warner Bros. Pictures Presents an Esperanto Filmoj/Heyday Films Production, an Alfonso Cuarón Film, “Gravity.” The film is being released in 3D and 2D and IMAX®, and is distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment company. This film has been rated PG-13 for intense perilous sequences, some disturbing images and brief strong language.

gravitymovie.com