Support Leroy on Patreon.
TELEVISION - From Grist: As John Oliver predicted, a coal tycoon is suing him.
----------
MOVIES - From YahooMovies: SPOILER - A familiar face from "Transformers" movies past makes a cameo in "Transformers: The Last Knight."
----------
BLM - From TIME: Jay Z on How the bail system exploits black and brown people.
----------
SPORTS - From YahooSports: The inside story of how Lonzo Ball became a Los Angeles Lakers.
----------
OBIT - From TheWrap: As a baby, Henry J. Deutschendorf II along with his twin brother, William, played the role of "Baby Oscar" in "Ghostbusters II" (1989). Last week, Henry took his own life.
----------
CELEBRITY - From YahooMovies: In his new memoir, actor Curtis Armstrong ("Booger" from "Revenge of the Nerds") talks about his wild summer with Tom Cruise in 1982 while filming 1983's "Risky Business."
----------
CELEBRITY - From YahooNews: 2 holdouts on the jury prevented guilty verdicts for Bill Cosby.
-----------
STAR WARS - From Variety: Phil Lord and Christopher Miller were fired from "young Han Solo" film because they clashed with Lucasfilm boss, Kathleen Kennedy, among others.
----------
COMICS-FILM - From Variety: One of the most famous American comic books of all time, Alan Moore and Dave Gibbon's "Watchmen," became one of the worst films ever based on a comic book. Now, HBO wants to turn it into a TV series.
----------
OBIT - From YahooMusic: Albert Johnson a.k.a. "Prodigy" of the beloved rap/Hip-Hop duo, Mobb Deep, has died at the age of 42, Tuesday, June 20, 2017.
----------
MOVIES - From Variety: Three-time Oscar winning actor, Daniel Day-Lewis, has announced through his spokeswoman that he is retiring from acting. He has one film left to be released, a film by Paul Thomas Anderson, due for December 2017.
----------
BLM - From StLouisPostDispatch: The family of Mike Brown, the unarmed Black teen killed by a policeman in Ferguson, Missouri, are close to a settlement in a wrongful death lawsuit their attorney filed against the city and elements within the police department.
----------
MUSIC - From BET: Jay-Z may be changing his name again.
TELEVISION - From Variety: The team behind the Emmy-winning BBC series, "Sherlock" (starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman) are developing a new take on "Dracula."
----------
CELEBRITY - From YahooCelebrity: Leaked emails reveal Johnny Depp's dire financial situation.
----------
MOVIES - From Collider: Synopsis and cast of "Godzilla 2" revealed, as filming begins in Atlanta.
----------
STAR WARS - From Popsugar: Carrie Fisher, known to fans as "Leia Organa," had multiple drugs in her system when she died last December at the age of 60.
----------
BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficeMojo: The winner of the Father's Day weekend (6/16 to 6/18/2017) box office is Pixar's "Cars 3" with an estimated take of $53.5 million.
From YahooMovies: "Cars 3" knocks "Wonder Woman" out of first place at the weekend box office, and Tupac Shakur biopic has a strong start.
----------
COMICS-FILM - From ShadowandAct: Reginald Hudlin has announced that he will direct and film adaptation of the Valiant Entertainment comic book, "Shadowman."
-----------
CELEBRITY - From YahooCelebrity: Leonardo DiCaprio surrendered a Picasso painting, a Basquiat collage, a Diane Arbus photograph, and the Oscar Marlon Brando won for his performance in “On the Waterfront," to the U.S. Justice Department as part of a Malaysian money laundering probe.
----------
MOVIES - From Deadline: Ben Kingsley will play Nazi Adolf Eichmann and Oscar Isaac will play the man who eventually captured him, Peter Malkin, in the MGM film "Operation Finale," from director Chris Weitz.
----------
OBIT - From THR: Actor Stephen Furst died at the age of 63, Friday, June 16, 2017. His breakout film role was in the film, "Animal House" (1978), and he starred on the NBC medical drama, "St. Elsewhere" (1982-1988).
----------
CELEBRITY - From YahooCelebrity: Apparently, Beyonce and Jay-Z have welcomed twins babies into the world.
Showing posts with label Chris Weitz. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Chris Weitz. Show all posts
Saturday, June 24, 2017
Monday, April 3, 2017
Review: "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story" is a Wonderful Story
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)
Running time: 134 minutes (2 hours, 14 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for extended sequences of sci-fi violence and action
DIRECTOR: Gareth Edwards
WRITERS: Chris Weitz and Tony Gilroy; based on a story John Knoll and Gary Whitta (based on characters created by George Lucas)
PRODUCERS: Kathleen Kennedy, Samuel Emanuel, and Allison Shearmur
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Greig Fraser (D.o.P.)
EDITORS: John Gilroy, Colin Goudie, and Jabez Olssen
COMPOSER: Michael Giacchino
Academy Award nominee
SCI-FI/FANTASY/ACTION/ADVENTURE/DRAMA
Starring: Felicty Jones, Diego Luna, Alan Tudyk (voice), Donnie Yen, Wen Jiang, Ben Mendelsohn, Forest Whitaker, Riz Ahmed, Mads Mikkelsen, Jimmy Smits, Genevieve O'Reilly, Alistair Petrie, Sharon Duncan-Brewster, and James Earl Jones
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is a 2016 science fiction-fantasy and action film directed by Gareth Edwards. It is the seventh film based on the characters, ideas, and situations first introduced in the 1977 film, Star Wars, written and directed by George Lucas. In fact, Rogue One is set immediately before the events depicted in Star Wars and tells the story of a small band of rebels who embark on a mission to steal the plans for the Empire's planet-killing Death Star.
Rogue One is set a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away. It opens upon a scene in which a young girl watches her father taken away by Imperial Director Orson Krennic (Ben Mendelsohn), an officer of the evil Galactic Empire. A decade and a half later, that young girl is now the career criminal, Jyn Erso (Felicity Jones). Cassian Andor (Diego Luna), an officer of the Rebel Alliance, the group that seeks to end the tyranny of the Empire, leads a group of rebels that frees Jyn from her current incarceration.
The Rebels need Jyn to help them find her father, Galen Erso (Mad Mikkelsen), a research scientist and engineer who is working on the Empire's rumored, planet-killing weapon, the Death Star. They also need Jyn to act as an intermediary between them and an old friend of hers, the “extremist” and “terrorist,” Saw Gerrera (Forest Whitaker), who rescued Jyn after the Empire took her parents. Gerrera apparently has possession of Bodhi Rook (Riz Ahmed), a defecting Imperial pilot, who has a holographic message from Galen Erso. However, Jyn and Cassian are about to discover just how determined the Empire is to protect the secrets of the Death Star
Dear reader, I tried not to be too detailed about the plot of Rogue One, although I have summarized the first half-hour or so in great detail above. I just saw the film night before last, and at this point, I think that it is the best Star Wars film since the original trilogy (Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back, and Return of the Jedi). The first seven films are connected as part of a decades-running narrative, while this eighth movie, Rogue One, is a standalone film. Still, it connects to the original trilogy better and more immediately than the “prequel films” (The Phantom Menace, Attack of the Clones, and Revenge of the Sith) or the recent sequel film, Star Wars: The Force Awakens.
I guess that I am saying that Rogue One is the best Star Wars film in over 30 years. It is also the most convincing “war movie” of all the Star Wars films. It is the most realistic looking because many of outside locations look like real places, probably because they were shot on-location. I can safely say that this is the best-looking Star Wars film. The blend of real, computer-generated, and special effects is seamless, with only a few exceptions. It is almost perfect. I only found the first hour or so to be a little clunky, but I understand the need to introduce so many characters, plot lines, and settings as early as possible in a film.
Also important: Rogue One is a Star Wars film for our times – for now. It features a multi-ethnic cast of engaging, likable characters, and the lead is a female character who is every bit as capable and as brave and bold as the best male characters. Jyn Erso is a heroine in which we can believe, and even Krennic, the bad guy, is someone audiences can like or even love.
My mind bought into the idea that Rogue One takes place just before the original Star Wars. Anyone who has ever seen at least one sequel to the Star Wars of 1977 owes it to themselves to see, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.
8 of 10
A
Sunday, December 18, 2016
Edited: Sunday, April 2, 2017
NOTES:
2017 Academy Awards, USA: 2 nominations: “Best Achievement in Sound Mixing” (David Parker, Christopher Scarabosio, and Stuart Wilson) and “Best Achievement in Visual Effects” (John Knoll, Mohen Leo, Hal T. Hickel, and Neil Corbould)
2017 BAFTA Awards: 2 nominations: “Best Make Up/Hair” (Amanda Knight, Neal Scanlan, and Lisa Tomblin) and “Best Achievement in Special Visual Effects” (Neil Corbould, Hal T. Hickel, Mohen Leo, John Knoll, and Nigel Sumner)
The text is copyright © 2017 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.
---------------------------
Thursday, March 16, 2017
Review: Disney's Live-Action "Cinderella" is Good, But is not Disney Classic
[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]
Cinderella (2015)
Running time: 105 minutes (1 hour 45 minutes)
Rating: MPAA – PG for mild thematic elements
DIRECTOR: Kenneth Branagh
WRITER: Chris Weitz
PRODUCED: David Barron, Simon Kinberg, and Allison Shearmur
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Haris Zambarloukos (D.o.P.)
EDITOR: Martin Walsh
COMPOSER: Patrick Doyle
Academy Award nominee
FANTASY/ROMANCE
Starring: Cate Blanchett, Lily James, Richard Madden, Helen Bonham Carter, Nonso Anozie, Stellan Skarsgard, Sophie McShera, Holliday Grainger, Derek Jacobi, Ben Chaplin, and Hayley Atwell
Cinderella is a 2015 fantasy and romance film from director Kenneth Branagh and writer Chris Weitz. Released by Walt Disney Pictures, the film is based on Walt Disney's 1950 animated feature film, Cinderella, and the folk tale of the same name. In this new version of the story, a young woman is at the mercy of her cruel stepmother, but her fortunes change after she meets a dashing young man.
In a peaceful kingdom there is a father (Ben Chaplin), a mother (Hayley Atwell), and their beautiful daughter, Ella (Lily James). Ella's parents teach her courage and kindness, and her mother teaches her to believe in magic. Some years after her mother dies, Ella's father marries the Lady Tremaine (Cate Blanchett), who has two loud, rude daughters, Anastasia (Holliday Grainger) and Drisella (Sophie McShera).
When Ella's father goes abroad for business, Lady Tremaine reveals her cruel and jealous nature. After Ella's father dies, Lady Tremaine takes over the household and pushes Ella from her own bedroom and into the attic. Anastasia and Drisella even give Ella a new name, Cinderella. After one particularly cruel day, Ella rides off into the woods where she meets a young man who says his name is Kit (Richard Madden). For both young people, this meeting is a turning point, but there are forces arrayed to keep them apart.
At the end of this movie, the Fairy Godmother (played by Helena Bonham Cater) describes the “forever-after” as being defined by “courage,” “kindess,” and “a little magic” (or something like that). This live-action version of Cinderella is indeed about “just a little magic.” Disney's classic, 1950 animated Cinderella is a fairy tale that is practically entirely infused with magic – from talking animals to an atmosphere of enchantment. Cinderella is more like a fantasy-romance or a romantic fantasy than it is like a fairy tale. With its lavish costumes and opulent sets, Cinderella plays like a period set piece set in a fictional kingdom in an indeterminate time.
But I can move past that. 2015 live-action Cinderella does not have to be 1950 animated Disney classic Cinderella. This new Cinderella relies on its title character for the magic that a wand or a fairy godmother might provide. As Cinderella, Lily James is quite good. When she smiles or is happy, the movie lights up. When she is sad, I felt sad, too. In this film, James does not have the greatest range between happy and sad. When Cinderella isn't happy or sad, James makes her look as if she is in a solid state of consternation. Luckily, it is Cinderella's state of happiness or sadness that drives the movie, and that works.
I don't need to say that Cate Blanchett is really good as Lady Tremiane, “the Stepmother.” Blanchett dominates her scenes, and the filmmakers were wise to limit her screen time; otherwise, Blanchett would have burned this movie down in a larger roll. Everyone else is good enough to pretty good, although Stellan Skarsgård seems neutered as The Grand Duke. Of course, there is not enough of Nonso Anozie as Captain of the Guards, but I am glad that this film's decision-makers were willing to cast him.
Cinderella is not for everyone. It is sweet and cute, a feel-good movie that goes down like warm hot chocolate on a cold winter's night. Cinderella is a good, but not great film, and director Kenneth Branagh does nothing to distinguish himself here. But there is enough Disney magic here to entertain some of us.
6 of 10
B
Sunday, September 18, 2016
NOTES:
2016 Academy Awards, USA: 1 nomination: “Best Achievement in Costume Design” (Sandy Powell)
2016 BAFTA Awards: 1 nomination: “Best Costume Design” (Sandy Powell)
The text is copyright © 2016 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for reprint or syndication rights and fees.
--------------------------
Thursday, March 12, 2015
Title of First Stand-Alone "Star Wars" Film is Revealed as "Rogue One"
Rogue One Is the First Star Wars Stand-Alone Film, Rian Johnson to Write and Direct Star Wars: Episode VIII
The title for director Gareth Edwards' stand-alone movie, featuring actress Felicity Jones, is revealed, and Rian Johnson is confirmed for Star Wars: Episode VIII -- coming to theaters May 26, 2017.
“Always in motion is the future,” Yoda said. The future of the Star Wars cinematic galaxy, however, is taking shape.
This morning at the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco, across the street from Lucasfilm, Disney chairman and CEO Bob Iger hosted a shareholder meeting where he announced news regarding the first Star Wars stand-alone movie as well as Star Wars: Episode VIII.
Rogue One is the title for the first film in a unique series of big-screen adventures that explores the characters and events beyond the core Star Wars saga. Rogue One will be directed by Gareth Edwards (Monsters, Godzilla) and written by Oscar nominee Chris Weitz (Cinderella, About a Boy, Antz). The first actress cast is Felicity Jones, who garnered an Academy Award nomination and critical acclaim for her performance in The Theory of Everything. The idea for the story of Rogue One came from John Knoll, an Academy Award-winning visual effects supervisor and chief creative officer at Industrial Light & Magic. He will executive produce along with Simon Emanuel (The Dark Knight Rises, Fast & Furious 6) and Jason McGatlin (Tintin, War of the Worlds). Kathleen Kennedy and Tony To (Band of Brothers, The Pacific) are on board to produce and John Swartz (Star Wars: The Force Awakens) will co-produce. The film starts shooting this summer in London and is due for release on December 16, 2016.
In addition, Iger confirmed that Rian Johnson will write and direct Star Wars: Episode VIII. The film, which continues the saga after the events of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, is set for release on May 26, 2017 — forty years and a day after the release of Star Wars: A New Hope in 1977. Johnson is widely considered one of cinema’s most gifted young filmmakers, having directed the modern sci-fi classic, Looper, as well as Brick and The Brothers Bloom. He was also behind the camera for three episodes of the critically-acclaimed TV series Breaking Bad, including “Ozymandias,” which series creator Vince Gilligan named as the best installment of the show. Kathleen Kennedy and Ram Bergman, producer of Looper, Don Jon, Brick, and The Brothers Bloom, are on board to produce, and J.J. Abrams will serve as executive producer.
StarWars.com. All Star Wars, all the time.
-----------------
The title for director Gareth Edwards' stand-alone movie, featuring actress Felicity Jones, is revealed, and Rian Johnson is confirmed for Star Wars: Episode VIII -- coming to theaters May 26, 2017.
“Always in motion is the future,” Yoda said. The future of the Star Wars cinematic galaxy, however, is taking shape.
This morning at the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco, across the street from Lucasfilm, Disney chairman and CEO Bob Iger hosted a shareholder meeting where he announced news regarding the first Star Wars stand-alone movie as well as Star Wars: Episode VIII.
Rogue One is the title for the first film in a unique series of big-screen adventures that explores the characters and events beyond the core Star Wars saga. Rogue One will be directed by Gareth Edwards (Monsters, Godzilla) and written by Oscar nominee Chris Weitz (Cinderella, About a Boy, Antz). The first actress cast is Felicity Jones, who garnered an Academy Award nomination and critical acclaim for her performance in The Theory of Everything. The idea for the story of Rogue One came from John Knoll, an Academy Award-winning visual effects supervisor and chief creative officer at Industrial Light & Magic. He will executive produce along with Simon Emanuel (The Dark Knight Rises, Fast & Furious 6) and Jason McGatlin (Tintin, War of the Worlds). Kathleen Kennedy and Tony To (Band of Brothers, The Pacific) are on board to produce and John Swartz (Star Wars: The Force Awakens) will co-produce. The film starts shooting this summer in London and is due for release on December 16, 2016.
In addition, Iger confirmed that Rian Johnson will write and direct Star Wars: Episode VIII. The film, which continues the saga after the events of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, is set for release on May 26, 2017 — forty years and a day after the release of Star Wars: A New Hope in 1977. Johnson is widely considered one of cinema’s most gifted young filmmakers, having directed the modern sci-fi classic, Looper, as well as Brick and The Brothers Bloom. He was also behind the camera for three episodes of the critically-acclaimed TV series Breaking Bad, including “Ozymandias,” which series creator Vince Gilligan named as the best installment of the show. Kathleen Kennedy and Ram Bergman, producer of Looper, Don Jon, Brick, and The Brothers Bloom, are on board to produce, and J.J. Abrams will serve as executive producer.
StarWars.com. All Star Wars, all the time.
-----------------
Wednesday, February 11, 2015
IMAX to Screen Disney's Live-Action "Cinderella" Film
Disney's Live-Action Cinderella To Be Released In IMAX® Theatres Globally Starting March 13
SANTA MONICA, Calif., /PRNewswire/ -- IMAX Corporation (NYSE: IMAX) and The Walt Disney Studios, a division of The Walt Disney Company (NYSE: DIS), today announced that the highly anticipated live-action Cinderella - directed by Academy Award(®) nominee Kenneth Branagh and starring Academy Award(®) winner Cate Blanchett as the Stepmother and Lily James in the timeless title role - will be digitally re-mastered into the immersive IMAX(®) format and released in IMAX(®) theatres globally beginning March 13, 2015.
A live-action feature inspired by the classic fairy tale, Cinderella is written by Chris Weitz and produced by Simon Kinberg, Allison Shearmur and David Barron. Tim Lewis served as executive producer.
"Based on the timeless classic, Cinderella now is a visually breath-taking live-action gem from the hugely talented Kenneth Branagh, with whom we're thrilled to partner again, as well as the wonderful team at Disney," said Greg Foster, Senior Executive Vice President, IMAX Corp. and CEO of IMAX Entertainment. "Having been fortunate to see the movie several weeks ago, we believe Cinderella will resonate with movie-goers from around the globe, and we can't wait to share it with IMAX audiences worldwide."
The IMAX(®) release of Cinderella will be digitally re-mastered into the image and sound quality of The IMAX Experience(®) with proprietary IMAX DMR(®) (Digital Re-mastering) technology. The crystal-clear images, coupled with IMAX's customized theatre geometry and powerful digital audio, create a unique environment that will make audiences feel as if they are in the movie.
For more information about Cinderella, please visit Disney's official website at http://disney.com/cinderella/.
About CINDERELLA:
The story of Cinderella follows the fortunes of young Ella (Lily James) whose merchant father remarries following the death of her mother. Eager to support her loving father, Ella welcomes her new stepmother (Cate Blanchett) and her daughters Anastasia (Holliday Grainger) and Drisella (Sophie McShera) into the family home. But, when Ella's father unexpectedly passes away, she finds herself at the mercy of a jealous and cruel new family. Finally relegated to nothing more than a servant girl covered in ashes, and spitefully renamed Cinderella, Ella could easily begin to lose hope. Yet, despite the cruelty inflicted upon her, Ella is determined to honor her mother's dying words and to "have courage and be kind." She will not give in to despair nor despise those who mistreat her. And then there is the dashing stranger she meets in the woods. Unaware that he is really a prince, not merely an apprentice at the Palace, Ella finally feels she has met a kindred soul. It appears her fortunes may be about to change when the Palace sends out an open invitation for all maidens to attend a ball, raising Ella's hopes of once again encountering the charming Kit (Richard Madden). Alas, her stepmother forbids her to attend and callously rips apart her dress. But, as in all good fairy tales, help is at hand, and a kindly beggar woman (Helena Bonham-Carter) steps forward and - armed with a pumpkin and a few mice - changes Cinderella's life forever.
About IMAX Corporation
IMAX, an innovator in entertainment technology, combines proprietary software, architecture and equipment to create experiences that take you beyond the edge of your seat to a world you've never imagined. Top filmmakers and studios are utilizing IMAX theatres to connect with audiences in extraordinary ways, and, as such, IMAX's network is among the most important and successful theatrical distribution platforms for major event films around the globe.
IMAX is headquartered in New York, Toronto and Los Angeles, with offices in London, Tokyo, Shanghai and Beijing. As of September 30, 2014, there were 880 IMAX theatres (751 commercial multiplexes, 19 commercial destinations and 110 institutions) in 60 countries.
IMAX®, IMAX® 3D, IMAX DMR®, Experience It In IMAX®, An IMAX 3D Experience®, The IMAX Experience® and IMAX Is Believing® are trademarks of IMAX Corporation. More information about the Company can be found at www.imax.com. You may also connect IMAX on Facebook (www.facebook.com/imax), Twitter (www.twitter.com/imax) and YouTube (www.youtube.com/imaxmovies).
This press release contains forward looking statements that are based on IMAX management's assumptions and existing information and involve certain risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ materially from future results expressed or implied by such forward looking statements. These risks and uncertainties are discussed in IMAX's most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and most recent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q.
------------------
SANTA MONICA, Calif., /PRNewswire/ -- IMAX Corporation (NYSE: IMAX) and The Walt Disney Studios, a division of The Walt Disney Company (NYSE: DIS), today announced that the highly anticipated live-action Cinderella - directed by Academy Award(®) nominee Kenneth Branagh and starring Academy Award(®) winner Cate Blanchett as the Stepmother and Lily James in the timeless title role - will be digitally re-mastered into the immersive IMAX(®) format and released in IMAX(®) theatres globally beginning March 13, 2015.
A live-action feature inspired by the classic fairy tale, Cinderella is written by Chris Weitz and produced by Simon Kinberg, Allison Shearmur and David Barron. Tim Lewis served as executive producer.
"Based on the timeless classic, Cinderella now is a visually breath-taking live-action gem from the hugely talented Kenneth Branagh, with whom we're thrilled to partner again, as well as the wonderful team at Disney," said Greg Foster, Senior Executive Vice President, IMAX Corp. and CEO of IMAX Entertainment. "Having been fortunate to see the movie several weeks ago, we believe Cinderella will resonate with movie-goers from around the globe, and we can't wait to share it with IMAX audiences worldwide."
The IMAX(®) release of Cinderella will be digitally re-mastered into the image and sound quality of The IMAX Experience(®) with proprietary IMAX DMR(®) (Digital Re-mastering) technology. The crystal-clear images, coupled with IMAX's customized theatre geometry and powerful digital audio, create a unique environment that will make audiences feel as if they are in the movie.
For more information about Cinderella, please visit Disney's official website at http://disney.com/cinderella/.
About CINDERELLA:
The story of Cinderella follows the fortunes of young Ella (Lily James) whose merchant father remarries following the death of her mother. Eager to support her loving father, Ella welcomes her new stepmother (Cate Blanchett) and her daughters Anastasia (Holliday Grainger) and Drisella (Sophie McShera) into the family home. But, when Ella's father unexpectedly passes away, she finds herself at the mercy of a jealous and cruel new family. Finally relegated to nothing more than a servant girl covered in ashes, and spitefully renamed Cinderella, Ella could easily begin to lose hope. Yet, despite the cruelty inflicted upon her, Ella is determined to honor her mother's dying words and to "have courage and be kind." She will not give in to despair nor despise those who mistreat her. And then there is the dashing stranger she meets in the woods. Unaware that he is really a prince, not merely an apprentice at the Palace, Ella finally feels she has met a kindred soul. It appears her fortunes may be about to change when the Palace sends out an open invitation for all maidens to attend a ball, raising Ella's hopes of once again encountering the charming Kit (Richard Madden). Alas, her stepmother forbids her to attend and callously rips apart her dress. But, as in all good fairy tales, help is at hand, and a kindly beggar woman (Helena Bonham-Carter) steps forward and - armed with a pumpkin and a few mice - changes Cinderella's life forever.
About IMAX Corporation
IMAX, an innovator in entertainment technology, combines proprietary software, architecture and equipment to create experiences that take you beyond the edge of your seat to a world you've never imagined. Top filmmakers and studios are utilizing IMAX theatres to connect with audiences in extraordinary ways, and, as such, IMAX's network is among the most important and successful theatrical distribution platforms for major event films around the globe.
IMAX is headquartered in New York, Toronto and Los Angeles, with offices in London, Tokyo, Shanghai and Beijing. As of September 30, 2014, there were 880 IMAX theatres (751 commercial multiplexes, 19 commercial destinations and 110 institutions) in 60 countries.
IMAX®, IMAX® 3D, IMAX DMR®, Experience It In IMAX®, An IMAX 3D Experience®, The IMAX Experience® and IMAX Is Believing® are trademarks of IMAX Corporation. More information about the Company can be found at www.imax.com. You may also connect IMAX on Facebook (www.facebook.com/imax), Twitter (www.twitter.com/imax) and YouTube (www.youtube.com/imaxmovies).
This press release contains forward looking statements that are based on IMAX management's assumptions and existing information and involve certain risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ materially from future results expressed or implied by such forward looking statements. These risks and uncertainties are discussed in IMAX's most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and most recent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q.
------------------
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Review: "The Twilight Saga: New Moon" is Down with Love
The Twilight Saga: New Moon (2009)
Running time: 130 minutes (2 hours, 10 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for some violence and action
DIRECTOR: Chris Weitz
WRITER: Melissa Rosenberg (based upon Stephenie Meyer)
PRODUCERS: Wyck Godfrey and Mark Morgan
CINEMATOGRAHER: Javier Aquirrearobe
EDITOR: Peter Lambert
DRAMA/FANTASY/ROMANCE with elements of action and horror
Starring: Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner, Billy Burke, Ashley Greene, Jackson Rathbone, Peter Facinelli, Elizabeth Reaser, Kellan Lutz, Nikki Reed, Sam Uley, Michael Sheen, Dakota Fanning, Anna Kendrick, Michael Welch, Rachelle Lefevre, Justin Chon, Christian Serratos, and Edi Gathegi
In the 2008 smash hit film, Twilight, movie audiences saw romance bloom between high school student Bella Swan and her vampire boyfriend, Edward Cullen. Now, in the follow-up, The Twilight Saga: New Moon, Bella and Edward’s star-crossed romance crashes to earth.
New Moon opens on Bella’s (Kristen Stewart) 18th birthday, a day about which she is not particularly crazy. That evening, Edward’s (Robert Pattinson) family, also vampires, throws a birthday party for Bella, which starts nicely, but takes a shocking turn. Following Bella’s ill-fated birthday party, the Cullens abandon the town of Forks, Washington, in an effort to protect Bella from the dangers inherent in their world. The most shocking blow: Edward breaks up with Bella.
Heartbroken and depressed, Bella sleepwalks through the first half of her senior year of high school, totally shutting out her other friends. When her father, Forks Police Chief Charlie Swan (Billy Burke) demands that his daughter make a change, Bella goes on a date night with a girlfriend. It is on that night that Bella discovers that Edward’s image comes to her whenever she puts herself in jeopardy. Determined to see this vision more often, Bella begins to concoct ways that will put her life at greater and greater risk.
Bella seeks out childhood friend, Jacob Black (Taylor Lautner), a member of the local Quileute Native American Indian tribe. A gifted mechanic, Jacob refurbishes an old motorbike that Bella will secretly use to put herself in danger. Something else surprising happens when Bella finds herself drawn to Jacob, a formerly scrawny boy. He is literally growing taller and more muscular (with killer washboard abs) every day and right before Bella’s very eyes. Jacob, however, also has a shocking supernatural secret of his own, which causes a rift to grow between him and Bella. Then, Edward’s sister, Alice (Ashley Greene), returns, seeking Bella’s help in saving Edward’s life, and the rift grows wider.
Like Twilight, New Moon is based upon a novel by Stephenie Meyer (The Host). Obviously, in the translation from novel to film, plot elements and scenes from the book are left out or changed in the film. However, screenwriter Melissa Rosenberg (who also adapted Twilight) retains the central themes, as well as the spirit, of the source material. The novel asks probing questions, such as: after the euphoria of new love, what is real about this relationship? What do Bella and Edward want of each other? What are their motivations, and how much are they willing to fight for their relationship? Just how deep and strong are Bella’s feelings for Jacob? The screenplay keeps those questions at the forefront of the narrative.
And speaking of fight, director Chris Weitz, an established Hollywood filmmaker (About a Boy, The Golden Compass), doesn’t fight the love story at the core of this franchise. New Moon may be filled with thrilling chases and riveting hunts in the forests around Forks. It may carry viewers breathlessly across the world, only to drop them in the mysterious world beneath a rustic Italian town. Weitz still manages to emphasize the ache and yearning of a young love blazing so brightly that it threatens to burn itself out.
The reported increase in the production budget for New Moon (as compared to Twilight), is evident in the flashy visual special effects. The werewolves are in a word – awesome. The spectacular cinematography is pitch-perfect in capturing the right mood and look for every setting in the film: from the forests surround Forks to the murky nights of Port Angeles. An improvement in the art direction also makes even the Swans’ humble home seem cosmopolitan.
New Moon is not perfect. Under Weitz’s direction and Peter Lambert’s editing, the film often moves too fast, sometimes hopping around like someone high on stimulants. Still, this film works. In the intimate moments when the actors, especially Stewart, Pattinson, and Lautner, convince us that they know these characters and that they are going to make the story real for us, New Moon seems less like a fantasy and more like a real love story.
7 of 10
B+
Monday, November 30, 2009
--------------------------
Monday, February 22, 2010
Review: "About a Boy" is Warm and Fuzzy
TRASH IN MY EYE No. 90 (of 2003) by Leroy Douresseaux
About a Boy (2002)
Running time: 101 minutes (1 hour, 41 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for brief strong language and some thematic elements
DIRECTORS: Chris Weitz and Paul Weitz
WRITERS: Peter Hedges and Chris Weitz & Paul Weitz (from a novel by Nick Hornsby)
PRODUCERS: Robert De Niro, Brad Epstein, Eric Fellner, and Jane Rosenthal
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Remi Adefarasin (D.o.P.)
EDITOR: Nick Moore
Academy Award nominee
COMEDY/DRAMA
Starring: Hugh Grant, Toni Collette, Nicholas Hoult, Rachel Weisz, and Sharon Small
Every now and then, Hugh Grant plays a role that is different from his usual role: the loveable, affable, and charming British man child thrown slightly off-balance by the aggressive woman. In About a Boy, Grant takes his boy child and turns him on his ear, not necessarily for the better.
Grant plays Will, a self-absorbed bachelor – a rich, single, child-free Londoner in his 30’s who suddenly discovers that all his friends have taken on the adult responsibilities of family life. First, he invents a toddler son in order to pass himself off as a single father so that he can date jilted mothers he meets in single parents club. He’s confident that he can leave the mums behind when he’s tired of them, but his machinations bring him into contact with Marcus (Nicholas Hoult), a 12-year old boy with massive problems at school and a suicidal mother (Toni Collette) at home. Though the boy is his opposite in many ways, Marcus becomes Will’s friend, of a sort. He teaches the boy how to be cool, and Marcus helps will grow up.
It’s hard to believe that Chris and Paul Weitz could go from being the masterminds behind American Pie
Many movie critics and fans felt that the Academy had robbed Hugh Grant of an Oscar nomination for his performance in Boy. The truth of the matter is that the character is so shallow and empty that any actor with at least film acting experience, if not talent, could have played the role. Playing Will as he was written is not an artistic or professional achievement (save for the paycheck); it would not be too farfetched to say that Will is pretty much just a character name in a script. I know that the central conceit is that Will is supposed to be a shallow and empty character, but Will isn’t a character. He’s just an empty cipher or caricature. We get the idea that Will is shallow when we see how easily he casts off his lady friends. I guess we’re supposed to assume that Will sitting around his apartment all day is another sign of his shallowness and emptiness. I just took it as a sign that the script writers didn’t know how to make any of those scenes visually interesting. Will fills the film with tiresome narrations about his selfishness and self-centeredness, when, after his first two “character enriching” speeches, we got the point. For a brief moment in the film, Will thinks he sees his long dead father. Sadly the movie doesn’t focus on Will’s relationship with his own father, although the movie story spends so much time telling us that Will could be “a father/father figure.” Certainly, it’s no stretch of the imagination to suspect that Will’s personality comes from something to do with his father. Heck, Will lives off his father’s song royalties. That’s why he doesn’t work, so obviously that’s something to explore.
Nicholas Hoult’s Marcus is much more interesting, perhaps because the story is really about him and how he makes two grown ups grow up. I won’t call his a great child performance, but it’s quite good. Marcus is world weary and cynical. Even at his young age (12 years), he’s already accepted that pretty much everything is beyond his control. He takes his lumps as if his torment was not only preordained, but also divinely ordained. Young Mr. Hoult makes us invest ourselves in Marcus’s destiny, and that’s more than I can say about the rest of the cast. We want him to win, to succeed, because he’s done nothing to be in the position he’s been in, and he has so much wisdom that he sees the practical solutions that other characters need to make their lives a little better.
Despite my reservations, I liked About a Boy. If you can tolerate Will’s narration and instead focus on Marcus’s, you’ll find a hero in the character. I understand that the filmmakers had to give the spotlight to Grant’s (the movie star) Will, when the film’s most interesting notions come from Marcus: people need other people and sometimes they need lots of other people to catch them when they fall. Take the film’s plague of self-examining voiceovers with a grain of salt and instead focus on people connecting. You’ll like this movie enough to feel a little warm and fuzzy at the end.
6 of 10
B
NOTES:
2003 Academy Awards: 1 nomination: “Best Writing, Adapted Screenplay” (Peter Hedges, Chris Weitz and Paul Weitz)
2003 BAFTA Awards: 2 nominations: “Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role” (Toni Collette) and “Best Screenplay – Adapted”
2003 Golden Globe Awards: 2 nominations: “Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy” and “Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy” (Hugh Grant)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)