Monday, October 5, 2015

Puff Daddy/Puffy/P. Diddy/Diddy to Perform at BET "Hip Hop Awards 2015"

Bad Boy for Life Sean “Diddy” Combs aka Puff Daddy Confirmed to Perform at the BET “HIP HOP AWARDS” 2015!

Travis Scott, iHeartMemphis Also Joins TI, Fetty Wap, Rich Homie Quan, Dej Loaf, Kid Ink, Young Dro, DJ Mustard and DJ Premier as Confirmed Performers

#HIPHOPAWARDS

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The 2015 BET “HIP HOP AWARDS” continues to heat up with its growing list of the hottest Hip Hop artists in the game today! Hip hop powerhouse, music mogul and founder of the legendary Bad Boys Records, Sean “Diddy” Combs aka Puff Daddy, will take over the BET “HIP HOP AWARDS” stage in another highly-anticipated performance. The Grammy award-winning artist and producer brings a new level of prestige to an already hot lineup, which also now includes Travis Scott and viral sensation iHeartMemphis. The three add to the list of previously announced confirmed performers including TI, Fetty Wap, Rich Homie Quan, Dej Loaf, Kid Ink, Young Dro, DJ Mustard and DJ Premier.

Jesse Collins, CEO of Jesse Collins Entertainment will serve as Executive Producer of The BET Hip Hop Awards along with Stephen G. Hill, BET’s President of Programming, Connie Orlando, BET’s Senior Vice President of Music and Specials and Lynne Harris Taylor, BET’s Vice President of Specials.

Taping of the awards show will take place at Boisfeuillet Jones Atlanta Civic Center in Atlanta, GA with Uncle Snoop returning as host on Friday, October 9, 2015 at 9:00 p.m. ET and will premiere on Tuesday, October 13, 2015 at 8:00 p.m. ET.

BET.com/HipHopAwards is the official site for the BET “HIP HOP AWARDS” 2015 where fans can visit to get up-to-date info on this year's show and take a look back on past BET Hip Hop Awards. In the coming weeks, BET.com will launch a series of interactive timelines, exclusive video content, games and quizzes leading up to the show.

BET “HIP HOP AWARDS” is fresh, legendary and, as always, a memorable night that you don’t want to miss!

Join the conversation on social media by logging on to BET’s multiple social media platforms:

    On BET.com: http://www.bet.com/shows/hip-hop-awards.html
    On Twitter by using hashtag: #HipHopAwards; follow us @HipHopAwards and @BET
    On Facebook by liking the fan page at facebook.com/HipHopAwards

Follow Snoop Dogg on Twitter (@SnoopDogg), Instagram (@SnoopDogg), Facebook.com/SnoopDogg, YouTube.com/WestFestTV and SnoopDogg.com.

*Note: BET “Hip Hop Awards” is a private event and tickets are not available for purchase to the public. Talent tickets are reserved for BET “Hip Hop Awards” show talent and nominees.


ABOUT BET NETWORKS:
BET Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ:VIA, VIA.B), is the nation’s leading provider of quality entertainment, music, news and public affairs television programming for the African-American audience. The primary BET channel reaches more than 90 million households and can be seen in the United States, Canada, the Caribbean, the United Kingdom and sub-Saharan Africa. BET is the dominant African-American consumer brand with a diverse group of business extensions: BET.com, a leading Internet destination for Black entertainment, music, culture, and news; CENTRIC, a 24-hour entertainment network targeting the 25- to 54-year-old African-American audience; BET Digital Networks - BET Gospel and BET Hip Hop, attractive alternatives for cutting-edge entertainment tastes; BET Home Entertainment, a collection of BET-branded offerings for the home environment including DVDs and video-on-demand; BET Event Productions, a full-scale event management and production company with festivals and live events spanning the globe; BET Mobile, which provides ringtones, games and video content for wireless devices; and BET International, which operates BET in the United Kingdom and oversees the extension of BET network programming for global distribution.

ABOUT BET “HIP HOP AWARDS”:
BET “Hip Hop Awards” is an annual celebration that pays homage to a culture that changed the world while highlighting the best in hip hop music. Year after year, BET Networks delivers the best in hip-hop for an unforgettable night of performances, cyphers and tributes honoring hip-hop legends that have and continue to make hip-hop culture a global force.

ABOUT JESSE COLLINS ENTERTAINMENT:
Jesse Collins Entertainment is a full service television and film production company founded by entertainment industry veteran Jesse Collins. For more than a decade, Collins, the company’s CEO, has played an integral role in producing some of television’s most memorable moments in music entertainment. Formerly Executive Producer/EVP of Cossette Productions, Collins has produced ground-breaking and award winning television programming including the BET Awards, the GRAMMY Awards, BET Honors, The UNCF Evening of Stars and the BET Hip Hop Awards. Collins currently Exec. Produces “The Real Husbands of Hollywood,” (now going into its 4th hit season) alongside industry Icons Stan Lathan and Ralph Farquhar; and has worked with superstar talent such as Will Smith, Chris Rock, Jay-Z, Rihanna, Kanye West, Kendrick Lamar, Drake, Prince, Mariah Carey and many more.

ABOUT SNOOP DOGG AKA UNCLE SNOOP:
An entertainment icon and with more than 20 years in the business, Snoop continues to pave the way in the hip-hop industry, serving as a mentor to many new and established artists. Snoop stands at the forefront of popular culture with award-winning and multi-platinum albums and songs, critically acclaimed films and television shows, lifestyle products, philanthropic efforts and tech and digital ventures, including his YouTube original series “GGN News,” and his best-selling app, Snoopify. Snoop defines hip-hop history. He’s set records with his seminal album Doggystyle, which debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 chart and sold over 800,000 copies in the first week. Throughout his career, Snoop’s produced chart-topping hits including “Gin & Juice,” “Who Am I? (What’s My Name?),” “Nuthin’ But A ‘G’ Thang,” “Next Episode,” “Beautiful,” “Drop It Like It’s Hot,” “Signs,” “Sensual Seduction” and “I Wanna Rock.” BUSH, Snoop’s latest album via Columbia Records and executive produced by Pharrell Williams, debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s Top R&B/Hip-Hop Album Chart, marking Snoop’s sixth chart topping hit. Snoop’s non-profit work in the community is commendable, as he established the Snoop Youth Football League (SYFL) in 2005 to give children between the ages of five and 13 the opportunity to participate in youth football and cheer. SYFL teaches them the values of teamwork, good sportsmanship, discipline, and academics.

Follow us @BET_PR

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Sunday, October 4, 2015

"Roger Waters The Wall" on Blu-ray/DVD December 1st

ROGER WATERS THE WALL COMING TO DVD, 2-DISC BLU-RAY, and DIGITAL HD ON DECEMBER 1, 2015

AVAILABLE TO PRE-ORDER NOW

“If this is to be the template for future stadium extravaganzas, the bar undoubtedly has been set” – The Hollywood Reporter

“Visually magnificent” – Indiewire

•      Release follows the ‘one night only’ global cinematic event

•      A mix of immersive concert footage, road movie of Waters reckoning with the past and stirring anti-war film

•      2-disc Blu-ray features Roger Waters at London’s O2 Arena joined by David Gilmour and Nick Mason for ‘Comfortably Numb’

•      Roger Waters The Wall soundtrack is set for release Fall 2015 via Sony Music


Universal City, CA –  Roger Waters, the creative genius behind musical pioneers Pink Floyd, in association with UPHE Content Group, announces that the groundbreaking masterpiece ROGER WATERS THE WALL is set for release on DVD, 2- disc Blu-ray, and Digital HD on December 1, 2015 and is available to pre-order now.

Gaining global critical acclaim as “a monumental achievement” that is “nothing short of breathtaking,”ROGER WATERS THE WALL is the brand new feature film written and directed by Roger Waters and Sean Evans. The film unfolds on many levels – an immersive and undeniably epic concert experience of the classic Pink Floyd album, a road movie of Waters’ reckoning with the past and an anti-war protest film, highlighting the human cost of conflict. The film received a ‘one night only’ global cinema release in September, where hundreds of thousands of fans worldwide witnessed the impact of The Wall in a special cinematic event. Now, for the first time, the release will be available on DVD, 2-disc Blu-ray, and Digital HD starting December 1, 2015 and is a must-own release for 2015. 

Roger Waters said, “I’m glad that we have an opportunity to share the film with people on a wider scale. It has had a deep effect on my life; and I’m not the only one. This release provides an opportunity to remember all of our fallen loved ones.”

ROGER WATERS THE WALL was shot during ‘The Wall Live’ sold out 2010-13 world tour.   Seen by over 4 million fans at 219 shows over a period of three years, the show was the highest grossing tour by any solo artist in history.  The film, shot in 4K and mixed in Dolby Atmos, features never-before-seen concert footage from this breathtaking tour and includes the hits ‘Another Brick in the Wall Part 2’, ‘Comfortably Numb’ and ‘Run Like Hell.’

Beyond the music, the film follows Roger Waters as he embarks on a deeply personal pilgrimage and reflects on the impact of war with his own family. Woven throughout the film, Waters travels to France to the site where his grandfather is buried, and Italy to a memorial for his father – both lost to war. The journey offers a revealing, candid portrait of a man who is passionately and unapologetically anti-war.

The DVD release features bonus footage of Roger Waters visiting the grave of poet and soldier, Frank Thompson, who lost his life during the Second World War. The 2-disc Blu-ray and Digital HD features over 95 minutes of bonus footage from the unforgettable moment when Roger Waters was joined on stage by David Gilmour and Nick Mason at London’s O2 Arena in a performance of ‘Comfortably Numb’ during ‘The Wall Live’ tour, as well as driving outtakes from the road movie.

The soundtrack to ROGER WATERS THE WALL will be released Fall 2015 via Sony Music.

ROGER WATERS THE WALLwill be available on DVD, 2-disc Blu-ray, and Digital HD on December 1, 2015 and is available to pre-order now.

SPECIAL EDITION BONUS FEATURES – OVER 95 MINUTES:
TIME LAPSE
A VISIT TO FRANK THOMPSON
DRIVING
FACEBOOK FILMS
COMFORTABLY NUMB LIVE AT THE O2 (With special appearance by David Gilmour)
OUTSIDE THE WALL LIVE AT THE O2 (With special appearances by David Gilmour and Nick Mason)

STANDARD EDITION BONUS FEATURES:
TIME LAPSE
A VISIT TO FRANK THOMPSON

ABOUT UPHE CONTENT GROUP
Headquartered in London and led by EVP Helen Parker, UPHE Content Group is a repertoire center of Universal Pictures Home Entertainment, acquiring and producing multi-genre entertainment for distribution across theatrical, home entertainment, television and digital platforms on a worldwide basis. UPHE Content Group is part of Universal Pictures Home Entertainment, which is a unit of Universal Pictures, a division of Universal Studios (universalstudios.com). Universal Studios is a part of NBCUniversal, one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production and marketing of entertainment, news and information to a global audience. NBCUniversal owns and operates a valuable portfolio of news and entertainment television networks, a premier motion picture company, significant television production operations, a leading television stations group, world-renowned theme parks and a suite of leading Internet-based businesses. NBCUniversal is a subsidiary of Comcast Corporation.

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"Roger Waters The Wall" Returns to Theaters October 15th

Roger Waters the Wall: Due to Phenomenal Demand, Encore Showings Added in Selected U.S. Movie Theaters

DENVER--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Roger Waters, in association with Fathom Events and Picturehouse Entertainment, today announces that due to overwhelming fan demand, extra showings of Roger Waters The Wall have been added, giving fans additional chances to see the event in U.S. movie theaters starting October 15, 2015. A complete list of theater locations and dates can be found at www.rogerwatersthewall.com.

    “The new two hour film will pair gripping concert footage with an emotional documentary”

Fathom Events will be presenting the encore showing in nearly 250 U.S. movie theaters on Sunday, October 18, 2015 only at 12:55 p.m. local time. To purchase tickets for this showtime, visit www.FathomEvents.com (theaters and participants are subject to change).

Roger Waters The Wall received its global debut on September 29, as part of an incredible, one-night cinematic event. The event gained widespread acclaim with critics describing it as:

“Moving and hopeful" – Rolling Stone

"The new two hour film will pair gripping concert footage with an emotional documentary" – Wall Street Journal

"This iconic album comes to life in a new film" - CBS News

"Shot in 4k and mixed in Dolby Atmos, this Wall stands at the pinnacle of aural and visual excellence." – Digital Trends

Now, fans in the U.S. are being given a second chance to be part of the experience with new dates added starting October 15.

Roger Waters The Wall unfolds on many levels – as an immersive concert experience of the classic Pink Floyd album, a road movie of Waters’ reckoning with the past and as a stirring anti-war feature, highlighting the human cost of conflict.

The feature was shot in 4K and mixed in Dolby Atmos during Waters’ sold-out 2010-2013 ‘The Wall Live’ tour – the biggest selling tour by any solo artist in history - seen by over 4 million fans worldwide over a period of three years in 219 shows. It features never before seen concert footage from this breathtaking tour and includes the hits ‘Another Brick in the Wall Part 2,’ ‘Comfortably Numb’ and ‘Run Like Hell.’ Audiences will also have a unique opportunity to see The Simple Facts, with Waters and Nick Mason – reunited, unscripted and in conversation to answer questions submitted by the fans from around the world.

John Rubey, Fathom Events CEO, said, “We were so pleased with the overwhelming response to the first broadcast of this event, and are ready to bring Roger Waters’ vision to fans a second time. Moviegoers will get a unique opportunity to see a new take on a beloved musical masterpiece.”

Marc Allenby, Director of Distribution at Picturehouse Entertainment, said, “With the overwhelming success of the premiere and the addition of encore showings of Roger Waters The Wall, we are thrilled this brilliant film will find an even broader audience.”

Roger Waters The Wall is a Rue 21 Productions presentation of a feature by Roger Waters and Sean Evans. Music by Roger Waters, music production by Nigel Godrich, edited by Katharine McQuerrey, photography by Brett Turnbull. Executive Producer is Mark Fenwick. Producers are Roger Waters and Clare Spencer. Directors are Sean Evans and Roger Waters.


About Fathom Events:
Fathom Events is the recognized leader in the alternative entertainment industry, offering a variety of one-of-a-kind entertainment events in movie theaters nationwide that include live, high-definition performances of the Metropolitan Opera, the performing arts, major sporting events, music concerts, comedy series, Broadway shows, original programming featuring entertainment’s biggest stars, socially relevant documentaries with audience Q&A and much more. Fathom Events takes audiences behind-the-scenes and offers unique extras, creating the ultimate entertainment experience. It is owned by a consortium called AC JV, LLC., comprised of AMC Entertainment Inc. (NYSE: AMC), Cinemark Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: CNK) and Regal Entertainment Group (NYSE: RGC), the three largest movie theater circuits in the United States. In addition, Fathom Events’ live digital broadcast network (“DBN”) is the largest cinema broadcast network in North America, bringing live events to 820 locations in 177 Designated Market Areas® (including all of the top 50). For more information, visit www.fathomevents.com.

About Picturehouse Entertainment:
Picturehouse Entertainment is the leading global distribution company for Event Cinema and has been at the forefront of the industry since its inception. Most recently the company saw huge success with Monty Python Live (mostly), beamed live from the O2 into over 2,000 cinemas across 52 countries around the world.

Picturehouse Entertainment represents regular partners the Royal Shakespeare Company, the Bolshoi Ballet, the National Theatre and Glyndebourne as well as releasing an eclectic range of one-off events such as Stephen Fry’s talks, The Fry Chronicles and More Fool Me, and David Bowie is happening now transmitted from the V&A’s sell-out exhibition and the record breaking Doctor Who Day of the Doctor.

Picturehouse Entertainment’s feature film releases include BAFTA winner The Imposter, Shane Meadows’ The Stone Roses: Made of Stone, Ben Wheatley’s A Field in England, The Pervert’s Guide to Ideology featuring Slavoj Zizek, Jeremy Saulnier’s acclaimed thriller Blue Ruin and award-winning docu-drama 20,000 Days On Earth featuring Nick Cave and directed by Iain Forsyth & Jane Pollard.

Picturehouse Entertainment is the distribution arm of Picturehouse Cinemas, the owner and operator of 21 Picturehouse Cinemas and programming agent for a further 42 venues across the UK.

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Saturday, October 3, 2015

Clint Eastwood, Tom Hanks Begin Filming Biopic, "Sully"

Filming Takes Off on “Sully,” Directed by Clint Eastwood and Starring Tom Hanks

BURBANK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Production is underway on Warner Bros. Pictures’ drama “Sully,” starring Oscar winner Tom Hanks (upcoming “Bridge of Spies,” “Captain Phillips,” “Forrest Gump”) as Captain Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger, under the direction of Oscar winner Clint Eastwood (“American Sniper,” “Million Dollar Baby”).

On January 15, 2009, the world witnessed the “Miracle on the Hudson” when Captain “Sully” Sullenberger (Hanks) glided his disabled plane onto the frigid waters of the Hudson River, saving the lives of all 155 aboard. However, even as Sully was being heralded by the public and the media for his unprecedented feat of aviation skill, an investigation was unfolding that threatened to destroy his reputation and his career.

“Sully” also stars Aaron Eckhart (“Olympus Has Fallen,” “The Dark Knight”) as Sully’s co-pilot, Jeff Skiles, and Oscar nominee Laura Linney (“The Savages,” “Kinsey,” Showtime’s “The Big C”) as Sully’s wife, Lorraine Sullenberger.

Eastwood is directing the film from a screenplay by Todd Komarnicki, based on the book Highest Duty: My Search for What Really Matters, by Sullenberger and Jeffrey Zaslow. The project is being produced by Eastwood, Frank Marshall, Allyn Stewart and Tim Moore, with Kipp Nelson serving as executive producer.

The film reunites Eastwood with several of his longtime collaborators, who most recently worked with the director on the worldwide hit “American Sniper”: director of photography Tom Stern and production designer James J. Murakami, who were both Oscar-nominated for their work on “The Changeling”; costume designer Deborah Hopper; and editor Blu Murray.

Principal photography began on Monday, September 28, 2015, in New York, where the water landing that instantly made Sully a household name was achieved. Filming will also take place in North Carolina, Atlanta and Los Angeles.

A Malpaso, Flashlight Films, Kennedy/Marshall Company production, “Sully” will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

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VIZ Media and Haikasoru Unleash "Hanzai Japan" Short Story Collection

VIZ MEDIA’S HAIKASORU LITERARY IMPRINT PUBLISHES THE SUPERNATURAL TINGED HANZAI JAPAN – FANTASTICAL, FUTURISTIC STORIES OF CRIME FROM AND ABOUT JAPAN

New Short Story Collection From Haikasoru’s Anthology Series Features 16 Crime And Mystery Works From A Vanguard Of Critically Acclaimed Japanese And Western Authors

San Francisco, CA – VIZ Media’s Haikasoru literary imprint captivates fiction readers and fans of Japanese pop culture with the debut on October 20th, 2015 of HANZAI JAPAN - Fantastical, Futuristic Stories of Crime From and About Japan.

HANZAI JAPAN contains 16 inventive crime/mystery stories that incorporate supernatural elements from a vanguard of top authors that includes New York Times best-seller Carrie Vaughn, All You Need Is Kill/Edge of Tomorrow’s Hiroshi Sakurazaka, Catwoman’s Genevieve Valentine, mystery genre stalwarts S. J. Rozan and Naomi Hirahara, cross-genre author Jeff Somers, and many more. HANZAI JAPAN - Fantastical, Futuristic Stories of Crime From and About Japan, edited by Nick Mamatas And Masumi Washington, will carry a print MSRP of $15.99 U.S. / $18.99 CAN. An eBook edition also will debut on the same day for the Amazon Kindle, Apple’s iBooks Store, Barnes & Noble’s Nook Book Store, the Kobo eBooks Store, and the Google Play store.

A murderer doing time in hell. A girl who just wants to win her high school band contest…no matter what it takes. Sumo wrestlers with a supernatural secret. A future Tokyo where vampires are menial laborers nursing long-held grudges against humanity. And even a very conscientious, if unstable, Universal Transverse Mercator projection. These crime and mystery stories from and about Japan explore myth, technology, the sharpness of a sleuth’s mind, and the darkness in the hearts of criminals. Read these stories and learn that hanzai means crime!

“Haikasoru’s short story anthologies have proved extremely popular with readers and we are excited to release the latest addition to the series with the debut of HANZAI JAPAN later this month,” says Nick Mamatas, co-editor. “The new book presents a unique array of weird crime and mystery stories from an international cadre of best-selling authors and some of the hottest new writers working today. We look forward to readers embarking on a mind-blowing journey to the darker sides of Japanese pop couture with this new release!”

HANZAI JAPAN is the third release in Haikasoru’s critically acclaimed anthology series that presents thematic short story collections inspired by the Land of the Rising Sun. The anthology series also includes the previously released PHANTASM JAPAN: FANTASIES LIGHT AND DARK, FROM AND ABOUT JAPAN and THE FUTURE IS JAPANESE.

For more information on HANZAI JAPAN and the Haikasoru imprint, please visit the dedicated website at www.haikasoru.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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Scarlett Johansson Discusses the Black Widow in "Avengers: Age of Ultron"


[The following interview and Q&A was provided by Walt Disney Studios]

AN INTERVIEW WITH SCARLETT JOHANSSON FOR THE IN-HOME RELEASE OF MARVEL’S AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON

Marvel Studios unleashes the next global phenomenon in the Marvel Cinematic Universe: Marvel’s Avengers: Age of Ultron. Good intentions wreak havoc when Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) unwittingly creates Ultron (James Spader), a terrifying A.I. monster who vows to achieve “world peace” via mass extinction. Now, Iron Man, Captain America (Chris Evans), Thor (Chris Hemsworth) and The Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) – alongside Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) and Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) – must reassemble to defeat Ultron and save mankind.

With the Blu-ray, Digital HD and DVD of Marvel’s Avengers: Age Of Ultron about to be released, we talk to actors Scarlett Johansson– ‘Black Widow’ in the movie – to discover their thoughts on the action-packed adventure…

How would you describe The Avengers at the beginning of Marvel’s Avengers: Age Of Ultron? And how has the world changed since the first movie?

Scarlett Johansson: It really is business as usual at the beginning of the film, but the world is aware of the universe in a way that they weren’t in The Avengers. The common man knows the vocabulary of aliens and space travel. Before the battle in New York, The Avengers had a stealthy approach and S.H.I.E.L.D. certainly had that as well – but now we’re being judged in a different way. Everybody is watching us, so it’s a different playing field.

What personal challenges do The Avengers face in the movie? 

Scarlett Johansson: Every one of The Avengers has come to the table with a lot of baggage. None of us chose this job; the job chose us – and their reluctance to wear the superhero hat makes for very interesting backstories. We all have our histories, which we get to explore a little bit, and I think the audience is going to absolutely love it. It makes the audience that more invested in our interpersonal relationships and also the future of these characters, which is pretty cool.

How would you describe the romantic relationship that develops between Black Widow and Bruce Banner in the movie?

Scarlett Johansson: These characters have what I always thought was an unlikely love story that grows between them – but it’s actually rooted in a very likely love story because they have a lot in common. It’s a very complicated relationship. It’s an impossible love that seems unlikely but isn’t.

How does Black Widow tame The Hulk? 

SCARLETT JOHANSSON: How does Natasha tame the beast? That’s a very good question. It’s interesting that she does it with a human touch. I would imagine your every instinct is telling you not to touch The Hulk. He’s not the person you grab and give a bear hug to. And yet, somehow, he’s a raging person that needs a tender bear hug. He needs someone to remind him that he’s grounded and he has someone with him. He needs someone to be present to tell him to come back to himself. She develops a therapeutic thing with the Hulk, and I think that probably comes from her own maternal instinct.

How does it feel to play a female superhero in a male dominated world, Scarlett? 

SCARLETT JOHANSSON: I just go through the script and look at my parts – and those are the only parts I read. What’s great about playing this character is that she is based on something deep and something I could hold onto. She’s very real. She’s experienced a lot of trauma and she’s never really been able to make active choices for herself – but now she is and she’s ready for it.

You were pregnant when you shot the movie. How did you prepare for the physical role and the challenging motorcycle scenes? 

SCARLETT JOHANSSON: I don’t think you’re allowed to ride a motorcycle when you’re pregnant. I embarrassingly rode some sort of mechanical bull-type of motorcycle, which goes nowhere and doesn’t look cool at all! But we had some very professional and amazing motocross work being done that makes Black Widow look like a total badass.

How much do you enjoy the physical aspect of the role? 

SCARLETT JOHANSSON: I’m very fortunate that there’s a team around me that is super-supportive in helping all of Widow’s fight moves and badass motorcycle riding. It takes a lot of choreography and team spirit. Every film is exciting because I get new tools and cool new things to do. Luckily, [director] Joss [Whedon] writes me some badass moves that make me look epic. It’s awesome.

How would you sum up Black Widow’s journey in the movie?

SCARLETT JOHANSSON: At the beginning of Avengers 2, there’s some sense of The Avengers being a well-oiled machine. Finally, the introductions are over and we’re at work, we’re digging our heels in. At the end of Avengers 2, I think Widow has let her guard down and she is hopeful for something. I think she had this moment of false hope where she felt like she put in the work and there should be some kind of personal payoff – and she was ready to accept it. Then she realizes that her calling is a greater one and that’s not necessarily something that she’s thrilled about, but that’s what is most heroic about her. She accepts the call of duty, even at her own personal loss. I think it’s an interesting place to leave her, because there are many different directions to go. Is she going to be able to withstand this huge weight that’s bearing down on her or is she going to crack under it and crumble? I guess we’ll have to wait and see, right?

Would you like to see a solo Black Widow movie to tie up these loose ends?

SCARLETT JOHANSSON: A Black Widow movie will be cool. Sure. I’m always excited to get that cat suit on!


END

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Friday, October 2, 2015

Review: "The Great Beauty" is" La grande bellezza"

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 38 (of 2015) by Leroy Douresseaux

[A version of this review was first posted on Patreon.]

The Great Beauty (2013)
La grande bellezza – original title
Country: Italy/France
Running time:  141 minutes (2 hours, 21 minutes)
Not rated by the MPAA
DIRECTOR:  Paolo Sorrentino
WRITERS:  Paolo Sorrentino and Umberto Contarello; from a story by Paolo Sorrentino
PRODUCERS:  Francesca Cima and Nicola Giuliano
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Luca Bigazzi
EDITOR:  Cristiano Travagl
COMPOSER:  Lele Marchitelli
Academy Award winner

DRAMA

Starring:  Toni Servillo, Carlo Verdone, Sabrina Ferilli, Carlo Buccirosso, Pamela Villoresi, Galatea Ranzi, Franco Graziosi, Giorgio Pasotti, Sonia Gessner, Luca Marinelli, Serena Grandi, Vernon Dobtcheff, Giovanna Vignola, Isabella Ferrari, and Giusi Merli

La grande bellezza (The Great Beauty) is a 2013 drama from director Paolo Sorrentino.  The Great Beauty is an Italian and French co-production, and as a representative of Italy, it won the Oscar for “Best Foreign Language Film of the Year” for the year 2013.  The film was released to U.S. theaters in 2014.  The Great Beauty follows a writer through timeless and beautiful Rome as he takes stock of his life after he receives a shock from the past.

The Great Beauty focuses on Jep Gambardella (Toni Servillo), a journalist and socialite living in Rome.  He has lived a lavish life in Rome since he moved to the city as a 26-year-old.  Once upon a time, Jep wrote an acclaimed and well-received novel, The Human Apparatus.  While people awaited a second novel, Jep lived a comfortable life of writing about about celebrities and of throwing parties for celebrities and socialites in his fancy luxury apartment.

After his 65th birthday, Jep receives some shocking news about an old girlfriend.  He walks through the side of Rome that is a timeless landscape of absurd beauty and exquisite antiquity.  He reflects on his life and the sense that he is unfulfilled, as he encounters various characters.

The Great Beauty is indeed a great beauty.  The audience follows Jep Gambardella through parts of Rome that are tourist destinations or are either museums or sections of palatial estates.  I could recommend The Great Beauty for the absurd beauty of the film's settings and locales, alone.

As for the film's narrative:  it would be too easy to say that the specter of death hangs over the film.  The theme of growing old permeates the film, and also most of the characters seem to be yearning for more of something in their lives, even if more of what they want is bad for them.  Their lives are emotionally and spiritually empty.  I think the idea is that Jep has drifted through the last four decades of his life without realizing that he needs to establish roots.

I think that The Great Beauty encourages people to realize that beauty comes in fits and flashes between long stretches of what is ugly and banal in life; don't chase the superficial prettiness could be a tag line for the movie.  Still, the parties depicted in this film look pretty good, and the apartments and houses are just lovely.  I enjoyed Jep Gambardella's journey, although it meanders at times, but once again, the beauty in The Great Beauty is just so... beautiful.  This visual splendor alone makes this a truly exceptional film.

9 of 10
A+

Friday, July 31, 2015


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

NOTES:
2014 Academy Awards, USA:  1 win: “Best Foreign Language Film of the Year” (Italy)

2014 Golden Globes, USA:  1 win: “Best Foreign Language Film” (Italy)

2014 BAFTA Awards:  1 win: “Best Film not in the English Language” (Paolo Sorrentino, Nicola Giuliano, and Francesca Cima)

2013 Cannes Film Festival:  1 nomination: “Palme d'Or: (Paolo Sorrentino)