Negromancer News Bits and Bites from Jan. 1st to 6th, 2024 - Update #16

by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURE NEWS:

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Actor Gerard Butler provided the voice of "Stoick," the father of the hero, "Hiccup," in the DreamWorks Animation film, How to Train Your Dragon (2010). Butler will also play Stoick in the Universal Pictures' live-action version of the film, which is due in theaters June 13, 2025.

TELEVISION - From CBR:  Emmy-winning actor John Larroquette reunited with his former co-star, Marsha Warfield, on NBC's "Night Court" revival. Larroquette and Warfield became castmates on the original "Night Court" when Warfield joined the series in 1986 (Season 4). Larroquette talks about the reunion being bittersweet as he and Warfield are the only surviving main cast members.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  "Deadline" takes a look at 63 films from around the world that could light up film festivals.  The list includes Francis Ford Coppola's "Megalopolis," Netflix's "The Piano Lesson," and Alex Gibney's documentary, "Musk" (about Elon Musk).

BOX OFFICE - From Variety:  Universal Pictures is ranked as the highest grossing studio at the 2023 box office thanks to films like "The Super Mario Bros." and "Oppenheimer."  This is the first year since 2015 that Disney, which finishes second, is not the global box office leader.

MOVIES - From Variety:  The major studios’ pledges to hire more female filmmakers and people of color in the wake of George Floyd's murder were "performative," according to USC Anneberg's "Inclusion Initiative" study.

BOX OFFICE - From Variety:  The winner of the four-day New Year's Day weekend box office, 1/29/2023 to 1/1/2024 is Warner Bros.'s "Wonka" with an estimated take of 29.5 million dollars.

TELEVISION - From Deadline:  The site has the 2024 premiere dates for all new and returning series on broadcast, cable, and streaming, beginning with January 1st arrivals.

DISNEY - From Deadline:  "Bunk'd," the Disney Channel's longest-running live-action series will end with its current seventh season.  The final 10 episodes will air in 2024.

OBITS:

From Variety:   American-British film and television actor, singer-songwriter, and recording artist, David Soul, has died at the age of 80, Thursday, January 4, 2024.  Soul was best known for starring as "Detective Kenneth "Hutch" Hutchinson" on the former ABC police drama, "Starsky & Hutch" (1975-79).  Soul also starred in CBS' hit 1979 miniseries adaptation of Stephen King's novel "Salem's Lot."  Soul's film breakthrough was a role in the 1973 "Dirty Harry" film, "Magnum Force."  As a singer-songwriter and recording artist, Soul released five studio albums.  His hit single, "Don't Give Up on Us," recording in 1976, was a #1 hit on the "Billboard Hot 100."  It hit #1 on the charts in four other countries, including the U.K. where it sold 1.16 million copies.

From Deadline:  Author, playwright, and screenwriter, Herman Raucher, has died at the age of 95, Wednesday, December 28, 2023.  Raucher is best known for writing the autobiographical screenplay, Summer of '42 (1971), which went onto become one of the biggest box office hits of the 1970s.  He also wrote the film's novelization which became a national bestselling novel.  He also wrote the screenplays and novels for the films, "Watermelon Man" (1970) and "Ode to Billy Joe" (1976).  Raucher received a "Best Original Screenplay" Oscar nomination for his work on "Summer of '42."

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AWARDS:

From THR:  Key award season dates leading up to the 2024 / 96th Academy Awards, which are Sunday, March 10th, 2024.

From AwardsWatch:  The Costume Designers Guild (Local 892) announced the official nominees list for the 26th CDGA (Costume Designers Guild Awards). The annual CDGA ceremony will take place Wed., Feb. 21st, 2024.

From Variety:   The British Academy has unveiled the results of the first round of voting across all 24 categories for the 2024 / 77th BAFTA Film Awards.  These results are known as "the longlists."  "Barbie," "Killers of the Flower Moon," and "Oppenheimer" all appeared on the longlist of 15 categories.  The nominations will be announced Jan. 18th, and the winners will be announced Feb. 18th.

From AwardsWatch:  The Oklahoma Film Critics Circle (OFCC) has announced its 2023 film awards.  "Killers of the Flower Moon" won five awards, including "Best Film," "Best Director" (Martin Scorsese), and "Best Actress" (Lily Gladstone).

From AwardsWatch:  The Critics Association of Central Florida (CACF) has announced the winners of its 2023 films awards.  "Oppenheimer" won 10 awards, including "Best Picture" and "Best Director" (Christopher Nolan). 

From AwardsWatch:  U.K. Film Critics Association (UKFCA) has announced the winners of its 2023 films awards.  "Oppenheimer" won three awards: "Best Film," "Best Director" (Christopher Nolan), and "Best Actor" (Cillian Murphy).

From Variety: The Make-Up Artists & Hair Stylists Guild (MUAHS, IATSE Local 706) has announced nominations for the 11th MUAHS Guild Awards. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 led with five mentions in the film categories and ABC's "Dancing with the Stars" led with four in the television categories. The winners will be announced Sunday, February 18, 2024.

From AwardsWatch:  The Nevada Film Critics Society has announced its 2023 film awards.  "Oppenheimer" won five awards, including "Best Picture" and "Best Director" (Christopher Nolan).

From AwardsWatch:  Florida Film Critics Circle (FFCC) has announced its 2023 film awards.  Hayao's Miyazaki's anime film, "The Boy and the Heron" was named "Best Picture."

From AwardsWatch:  The Black Film Critics Circle (BFCC) has announced its 2023 films awards.  "American Fiction" won six awards, including "Best Picture," "Best Director" (Cord Jefferson), and Best Actor (Jeffrey Wright).

From AwardsWatch:  The San Diego Film Critics Society (SDFCS) has announced its 2023 film awards.  Always trying to be difficult, it named "Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret" the "Best Picture."  It named Martin Scorsese "Best Director" for "Killers of the Flower Moon."

From AwardsWatch:  The Dublin Film Critics Circle has announced its 2023 film awards.  "Past Lives" wins "Best Film" and "Best Director" (Celine Song)"

From AwardsWatch:  The North Texas Film Critics Association (NTFCA) has announced its 2023 films awards.  "Oppenheimer" wins five awards, including "Best Picture" and "Best Director" (Christopher Nolan).

From AwardsWatch:  The Southeaster Film Critics Association (SEFCA) has announces its 2023 films awards.  "Oppenheimer" won eight awards including "Best Picture," "Best Director" (Christopher Nolan), and "Best Actor" (Cillian Murphy).

From AwardsWatch:  The Indiana Film Journalists Association (IFJA) has announced its 2023 films awards.  "Poor Things" won six awards, including "Best Pictuere," "Best Director" (Yorgos Lanthmos), "Best Actress" (Emma Stone"), and "Best Supporting Actor" (Mark Ruffalo).

From AwardsWatch:  The Philadelphia Film Critics Circle (PFCC) has announced it 2023 film awards.  "Poor Things" won four awards, including "Best Picture," "Best Director" (Yorgos Lanthimos), and "Best Actress" (Emma Stone).

From AwardsWatch:  The St. Louis Film Critics Association (StLFCA) has announced its 2023 awards.  "Oppenheimer" won seven awards, including "Best Picture," "Best Director" (Christopher Nolan), and "Best Actor" (Cillian Murphy)

From AwardsWatch:  The Phoenix Film Critics Society (PFCS) has named its 2023 film awards.  "Killers of the Flower Moon" wins "Best Picture."  Oppenheimer wins six, including "Best Director" for Christopher Nolan.

From AwardsWatch:  The Dallas-Ft. Worth Film Critics Association (DFWFCA) has named its 2023 films awards.  "The Holdovers" wins "Best Picture."  "Oppenheimer" wins four, including "Best Director" for Christopher Nolan.

From AwardsWatch:  The Toronto Film Critics Association (TFCA) have announced their 2023 film awards.  "The Zone of Interest" wins "Best Picture" and "Best Director" (for Jonathan Glazer).

From AwardsWatch:  The 2023 Boston Online Film Critics Association (BOFCA) awards have been announced.  "Killers of the Flower Moon" wins "Best Picture," one of two awards its won.  "Oppenheimer" wins five, including a "Best Director" for Christopher Nolan.

From AwardsWatch:  The nominations for the 2024 / 24th annual Black Reel Awards have been announced.  "The Color Purple" leads with 19 nominations.  The winners will be announced Jan. 16th, 2024.

From AwardsWatch:  The Phoenix Critics Circle (PCC) has announced its 2023 film awards.  "Past Lives" wins "Best Picture."

From AwardsWatch:  The New York Film Critics Online (NYFCO) have named "Killers of the Flower Moon" the "Best Film" of 2023.  Christopher Nolan wins "Best Director" for "Oppenheimer."

From AwardsWatch:  The Las Vegas Film Critics Society have named "Oppenheimer" the "Best Picture" of 2023, with the film's director, Christopher Nolan, winning "Best Director."

From AwardsWatch:  The winners at the 2023 Chicago Film Critics Association Awards have been announced.  "Killers of the Flower Moon" wins "Best Picture," and Christopher Nolan wins "Best Director" for "Oppenheimer."

From THR:   The winners at the 2023 / 49th annual Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards have been announced.  The Holocaust historical drama, "The Zone of Interest," wins four awards, including "Best Picture," "Best Director" (Jonathan Glazer), and "Best Actress" (Sandra Huller).

From Deadline:  The nominations for the 2024 / 29th annual Critics Choice Awards have been announced. "Barbie" leads with 18 nominations.

From Deadline:  The nominations for the 2024 / 81st annual Golden Globe Awards have been announced.  The winners will be announced Jan. 7th, 2024 on CBS and Paramount Plus.

From AwardsWatch:  The Las Vegas Film Critics have announced their 2023 LVFC Awards nominations.  "Barbie" and "Oppenheimer" are the leading vote getters.  The winners will be announced Wed., Dec. 13th.

From THR:  The winners at the 2023 European Film Awards have been announced.  "Anatomy of a Fall" won five awards including for "Best Film," "Best Director" (Justine Triet), and "Best Actress" (Sandra Huller).

From AwardsWatch:  The 2023 National Board of Review film honors have been announced.  "Killers of the Flower Moon" won "Best Film," "Best Director" (Martin Scorsese), and "Best Actress" (Lily Gladstone).

From AwardsWatch:  The American Film Institute (AFI) names its top ten films: American Fiction, Barbie, The Holdovers, Killers of the Flower Moon, Maestro, May December, Oppenheimer, Past Lives, Poor Things, and Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.  It also names its top ten television series: Abbott Elementary, The Bear, Beef, Jury Duty, The Last of Us, The Morning Show, Only Murders in the Building, Poker Face, Reservation Dogs, and Succession.

From AwardsWatch:  "Barbie" and "Oppenheimer" lead the nominations for "Astra Film & Creative Arts Awards," which are put on by the "Hollywood Creative Alliance" (formerly known as the Hollywood Critics Association).  The winners will be announced Jan. 6th, 2024 in Los Angeles.

From Deadline:  At the 2023 / 26th British Independent Film Awards, director Andrew Haigh's "All of Us Strangers" won seven awards, including "Best British Independent Film."

From Variety:  The winners at the 2023 / 89th New York Film Critics Circle Awards have been announced.  "Killers of the Flower Moon" (directed by Martin Scorsese) was named "Best Film of 2023."  Christopher Nolan won "Best Director" for his film, "Oppenheimer."

From Variety:  The winners at the 2023 / 33rd Annual Gotham Awards were announced Mon., Nov. 27th.  Writer-director Celine Song's South Korean romantic drama, "Past Lives" won the "Best Feature" award.

BEST PICTURE COUNT:

All of Us Strangers: 1

American Fiction: 1

The Boy and the Heron: 1

The Holdovers: 1

Killers of the Flower Moon: 7

Oppenheimer: 7

Past Lives: 3

Poor Things: 2

The Zone of Interest: 2

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"Greenland" Starring Gerard Butler Available on PVOD Dec. 18th

 

“Greenland” Comes to the United States – On PVOD

Hit Gerard Butler Film to Be Available Beginning December 18, 2020 for $19.99 Rental

DOUGLAS, Isle of Man & BURBANK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Eros STX Global Corporation (NYSE:ESGC) (“ErosSTX”), a global entertainment company, announced that STXfilms’ Greenland, the hit action film that has opened #1 in theaters in 24 territories around the world, will be available to US audiences on all premium video on-demand platforms (PVOD) beginning December 18, 2020 for a $19.99 48-hour rental. The announcement was made today by Adam Fogelson, chairman, STXfilms Motion Picture Group.

    “Greenland has been a hit everywhere in the world, so it’s exciting to bring it to American audiences on PVOD.”

Greenland, starring Gerard Butler, has performed better than Butler’s hit Angel Has Fallen franchise in most key territories. The film has already taken in over $45 million in revenue for STX on a $35 million production budget, allowing the film and the studio to be profitable despite challenging market conditions. Greenland continues to roll out theatrically in international markets where the film opened #1 this past weekend in Italy and New Zealand.

Said Fogelson, “Greenland has been a hit everywhere in the world, so it’s exciting to bring it to American audiences on PVOD.”

The film will be available on HBO and to stream on HBO Max in 2021 after its transactional home entertainment run.

Starring Gerard Butler, Morena Baccarin, David Denman, Hope Davis, Roger Dale Floyd, Andrew Bachelor, Merrin Dungey, with Holt McCallany, and Scott Glenn, the film is written by Chris Sparling and directed by Ric Roman Waugh. Producers are Basil Iwanyk, Sèbastian Raybaud, Gerard Butler and Alan Siegel.

In Greenland, a family fights for survival as a planet-killing comet races to Earth. John Garrity (Gerard Butler), his estranged wife Allison (Morena Baccarin), and young son Nathan make a perilous journey to their only hope for sanctuary. Amid terrifying news accounts of cities around the world being leveled by the comet’s fragments, the Garritys experience the best and worst in humanity. As the countdown to global apocalypse approaches zero, their incredible trek culminates in a desperate and last-minute flight to a possible safe haven.

Eros STX Global Corporation:

Eros STX Global Corporation, (“ErosSTX” or “The Company”) (NYSE: ESGC) is a global entertainment company that acquires, co-produces and distributes films, digital content & music across multiple formats such as theatrical, television and OTT digital media streaming to consumers around the world. Eros International Plc changed its name to Eros STX Global Corporation pursuant to the July 2020 merger with STX Entertainment, merging two international media and entertainment groups. The combination of one of the largest Indian OTT players and premier studio with one of Hollywood’s fastest-growing independent media companies has created an entertainment powerhouse with a presence in over 150 countries. ErosSTX delivers star-driven premium feature film and episodic content across a multitude of platforms at the intersection of the world's most dynamic and fastest-growing global markets, including US, India, Middle East, Asia and China. The Company also owns the rapidly growing OTT platform Eros Now which has rights to over 12,000 films across Hindi and regional languages and had 205.8 million registered users and 33.8 million paying subscribers as of June 30th, 2020. For further information, please visit ErosSTX.com.

STXfilms, a division of Eros STX Global Corporation, is a next-generation film studio that produces, acquires, distributes, and markets motion pictures at scale. From blockbusters like Hustlers, Bad Moms, and The Upside to hits like The Gentlemen, Molly’s Game, and The Gift, STXfilms produces star-driven films for a global audience. In just 5 short years, its slate of films has already grossed over $1.8b in global theatrical box office. With a wide range of partners including Universal Pictures Home Entertainment and Showtime (which handle the physical and premium television releases of STXfilms content, respectively), the studio is a fast-growing, industry powerhouse.

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Three Indies Unite for "Hunter Killer" with Gerard Butler

Relativity Studios, Millennium Films and Original Film Partner to Make “Hunter Killer”

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Relativity Studios, Millennium Films and Original Film today announced that they have partnered on the production and distribution of “Hunter Killer,” an action thriller starring Gerard Butler.

    “I especially want to thank Ryan Kavanaugh for finding a solution that brings ‘Hunter Killer' back to life. I’m looking forward to working with him and everyone at Relativity Studios to make a great film, and I am sorry we had a miscommunication.”

Principal photography is expected to begin in late spring/early summer of 2016. The film is produced by Neal Moritz and Toby Jaffe of Original Film. Relativity Studios and Millennium will share responsibility for production along with Butler and his partner Alan Siegel. Relativity Studios and Millennium will co-produce and co-finance the film with Relativity Studios distributing domestically and Millennium foreign.

“I’m very happy that we have resolved the misunderstanding between the parties,” said Neal Moritz. “I especially want to thank Ryan Kavanaugh for finding a solution that brings ‘Hunter Killer' back to life. I’m looking forward to working with him and everyone at Relativity Studios to make a great film, and I am sorry we had a miscommunication.”

“Hunter Killer is going to be a terrific movie, and I'm pleased that we were able to reach an agreement to bring the film to audiences," said Relativity Chairman and CEO Ryan Kavanaugh. “Gerry is a close friend and this is yet another step forward for Relativity in its new iteration.”

“We’re thrilled to be joining forces for the first time with Ryan, Neal, Toby and their teams at Relativity Studios and Original on a script that we love,” said Mark Gill, President of Millennium Films. “And we’re thrilled to be back in business with our longtime friends Gerry Butler and Alan Siegel, with whom we have had tremendous success over the years.”


About Relativity
Relativity is a next-generation global media company engaged in multiple aspects of content production and distribution, including movies, scripted television, sports, digital, branded entertainment and music.

Relativity Studios, the Company’s largest division, has produced, distributed or structured financing for more than 200 motion pictures, generating more than $17 billion in worldwide box-office revenue and earning 60 Oscar nominations. Relativity’s films include Oculus, Safe Haven, Act of Valor, Immortals, Limitless, and The Fighter.

About Millennium Films
Millennium Films is one of the largest and longest-running independent film companies in the world. The firm develops finances, produces and distributes approximately 6-8 films per year and is best known for “The Expendables” series and “Olympus Has Fallen.”

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Review: "Olympus Has Fallen" is an Entertaining, Cheesy Action Movie

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 57 (of 2013) by Leroy Douresseaux

Olympus Has Fallen (2013)
Running time:  120 minutes (2 hours)
MPAA – R for strong violence and language throughout
DIRECTOR:  Antoine Fuqua
WRITERS:  Creighton Rothenberger and Katrin Benedikt
PRODUCERS:  Gerard Butler, Ed Cathell III, Antoine Fuqua, Mark Gill, Danny Lerner, and Alan Siegel
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Conrad W. Hall
EDITOR:  John Refoua
COMPOSER:  Trevor Morris

ACTION/THRILLER

Starring:  Gerard Butler, Aaron Eckhart, Morgan Freeman, Finley Jacobsen, Dylan McDermott, Rick Yune, Angela Bassett, Melissa Leo, Radha Mitchell, Cole Hauser, Phil Austin, Sean O’Bryan, Robert Forster, Lawrence O’Donnell, and Ashley Judd

While watching Morgan Freeman play an “Acting President of the United States” in Olympus Has Fallen, I remembered that he played the President during a disastrous time in another movie, Deep Impact, one of my very favorite films of all-time.  Olympus Has Fallen will not hold a place in my heart like Deep Impact, but it is, if nothing else, an entertaining and effective action movie.  Like me, you may very well feel the need to kick some enemy of the United States ass while watching it.

Olympus Has Fallen is a 2013 action thriller and semi-disaster movie from director Antoine Fuqua (Training Day, Tears of the Sun).  The film follows a disgraced, former Secret Service agent who finds himself trying to rescue the President after terrorists attack the White House.

Olympus Has Fallen opens on a snowy Christmas evening, when tragedy strikes.  Eighteen months later, Mike Banning (Gerard Butler) is a disgraced Secret Service agent working at the U.S. Treasury Department.  While pondering the state of his life, Banning witnesses a full-on invasion of the White House.  Now, Kang Yeonsak (Rick Yune), a terrorist mastermind, is holding President Benjamin Asher (Aaron Eckhart) hostage, and Kang’s demands, if met, will change the United States and the world forever.  Fate has given Banning a chance at redemption, but he may not have enough time to save the President or the world.

In some ways, Olympus Has Fallen is a throwback movie.  I can see Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone, or Bruce Willis playing the lead in a movie just like Olympus Has Fallen from the mid-1980s to the early 1990s.  Lower the budget of such a movie, and your lead becomes Dolph Lundgren or Steven Seagal.  I can even imagine the voice over for an “old school” version of Olympus Has Fallen:

A pan-Asian devil has taken the White House,
The President – held hostage; the world in danger,
Now, only one man – one Caucasian man – can save the world
Bruce Willis-Stallone-Schwarzenegger, etc is Mike Banning in
OLYMPUS HAS FALLEN

Seriously, this is a slightly above-average, American-macho-done-up action movie.  Director Antoine Fuqua does his best low-rent Michael Bay.  Fuqua seems to borrow the loudest and most obnoxious stylistic elements of Bay’s The Rock and Armageddon to make Olympus Has Fallen.

Here, Gerard Butler is either being a really bad actor – a 21st century Dolph Lundgren – or he’s being tongue-in-cheek.  Even MAD Magazine couldn’t mock the action hero in a way that would surpass Butler’s caricature known as Mike Banning.  As a villain, Rick Yune is Butler’s over-the-top mirror image.  Yune’s Kang belongs in a Jean-Claude Van Damme straight-to-DVD movie, not in a big-budget feature.

The opposite of Butler and Yune is Morgan Freeman who plays Speaker of the House Allan Trumbull as extra-deadly serious.  Angela Bassett, as Lynne Jacobs, Director of the Secret Service, is sometimes over-the-top hysterical and frantic; it made me wonder if Bassett had forgotten that she was in an action movie and not a soap opera.

Still, Olympus Has Fallen is fun to watch, because it is as much a disaster movie as it is a shoot ‘em up about a lone wolf-type.  And the disaster part of it really appealed to me.

5 of 10
C+

Monday, August 19, 2013

Review: Fine Actors Kick "Coriolanus" Up a Notch

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 51 (of 2012) by Leroy Douresseaux

Coriolanus (2011)
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: U.K.
Running time: 123 minutes (2 hours, 3 minutes)
MPAA – R for some bloody violence
DIRECTOR: Ralph Fiennes
WRITER: John Logan (based on the play Coriolanus by William Shakespeare)
PRODUCERS: Ralph Fiennes, John Logan, Gabrielle Tana, Julia Taylor-Stanley, and Colin Vaines
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Barry Ackroyd
EDITOR: Nicolas Gaster
COMPOSER: Ilan Eshkeri
BAFTA nominee

DRAMA/WAR

Starring: Ralph Fiennes, Gerard Butler, Brian Cox, Vanessa Redgrave, Jessica Chastain, John Cani, Paul Jesson, James Nesbitt, Dragan Micanovic, and Harry Fenn

The subject of this movie review is Coriolanus, a 2011 military drama starring Ralph Fiennes and Gerard Butler. The film is based on William Shakespeare’s tragedy, Coriolanus, which was based on the story of a legendary Roman general. The film is Fiennes’ directorial debut and is the story of a banished Roman hero who joins Rome’s enemy to take his revenge on the city.

Coriolanus is set in “a place calling itself Rome” (but the movie was filmed in Serbia). General Caius Martius (Ralph Fiennes) leads the forces of Rome to victory against Volsces and the leader of its forces, Tullus Aufidius (Gerard Butler). Martius should be the hero of Rome, beloved by all, but the citizens of Rome are hungry. He may be a great soldier, but Martius despises the people for whom he supposedly fights. Martius is elected as a consul to the Roman Senate, but his inflexible self-belief and extreme views present an opportunity for his enemies. Before long, Martius finds that some of his friends have turned to enemies, but some of his enemies may become his friends.

Throughout my schooling, teachers told me that Shakespeare’s work was timeless, and Coriolanus certainly has contemporary parallels. Caius Martius’ story is a familiar one. He is the proud warrior who saves the state, but who is despised by the citizenry and politicians. The politicians wish to exploit him and have little or no use for him otherwise. Those politicians also loath that he fought when they did not – either because they could not or chose not to.

As a director, Fiennes makes smart choices, including having the accomplished John Logan as his screenwriter. He also surrounds himself with a strong supporting cast; Brian Cox as Menenius and Venessa Redgrave as Volumnia (Martius’ mother) are just plain great. Fiennes’ inexperience as a director, however, shows in some scenes, especially those that make up the first hour of the film. This first half of Coriolanus drifts and the use of Shakespeare’s dialogue seems out of place in the film’s modern Eastern European setting.

The second half of the film is strong and passionate, and that’s where Fiennes’ talents show. He knows great performances and first-rate acting, and he gets that from his cast. Fiennes lets Gerard Butler do what he does best – smolder. Coriolanus is not the best film adaptation of Shakespeare, but the good acting and the subject matter make it one worth watching in these times.

6 of 10
B

NOTES:
2012 BAFTA Awards: 1 nomination: “Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer” (Ralph Fiennes-director)

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

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"Machine Gun Preacher" Now with Relativity Media

Relativity Acquires Forster’s Machine Gun Preacher

Studio to Release Biopic Starring Butler This Fall

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Relativity Media announced today that it has acquired North American rights from Lionsgate to theatrically market and distribute Machine Gun Preacher. Directed and produced by DGA and Golden Globe®-nominee Marc Forster (Finding Neverland, Monster’s Ball) and written by Jason Keller (Relativity’s Untitled Snow White Project), the film stars Gerard Butler (300) in a tour de force performance and will release in Los Angeles and New York on September 23, 2011. The film will expand markets in the weeks to follow. Lionsgate will continue to oversee international distribution on the film, working in partnership with Relativity.

The film also showcases powerful performances by an ensemble cast, including Michelle Monaghan (Due Date), Kathy Baker (Cold Mountain), Oscar®-nominee Michael Shannon (Revolutionary Road), Madeline Carroll (The Spy Next Door) and breakout actor Souleymane Sy Savane (Goodbye Solo).

Machine Gun Preacher is based on the true story of Sam Childers, a former drug-dealing criminal who finds faith leading him on a path to East Africa. Shocked by the mayhem in Sudan, Childers becomes a crusader for hundreds of refugee children. Inspired to create a safe haven for the multitudes fleeing enslavement by the brutal Lord’s Resistance Army, he restores peace to their lives and eventually his own.

Producing are Relativity’s Robbie Brenner, Safady Entertainment’s Gary Safady and Craig Chapman, and GG Filmz’s Deborah Giarratana.

“This is a powerful story, and we feel strongly that it is one audiences need to see. Forster once again proves that he is among the best directors of our time and Butler delivers a career-defining performance bolstered by a rock solid supporting cast,” says Relativity’s President of Worldwide Production, Tucker Tooley.

“The film is blessed to have two passionate partners in Relativity and Lionsgate. I’m excited to be working with both companies to bring the incredible story of Sam Childers to the world. I’m really proud of my cast, and all of their hard work in making this movie that means so much to all of us personally,” said Forster.

“We have a longstanding relationship with Marc, and given that together we felt it was best for the film to be released domestically this year, we are very happy that Relativity is able to handle it,” says Mike Paseornek, Lionsgate’s President of Motion Picture Production and Development.

Looking ahead, Relativity will release David Ellis’ Shark Night 3D on September 2, 2011 and then the highly-anticipated Immortals on November 11, 2011, starring Henry Cavill, Stephen Dorff, Isabel Lucas, Freida Pinto, Luke Evans and Kellan Lutz with John Hurt and Mickey Rourke. The studio is in production on its Untitled Snow White Project (in theatres March 16, 2012), starring Lily Collins as Snow White, Oscar®-winner Julia Roberts as the evil Queen, Armie Hammer as Prince Andrew Alcott, and Nathan Lane as the hapless and bungling servant to the Queen. Relativity’s expansive 2012 slate also includes Haywire (in theatres January 20, 2012), Act of Valor (in theatres February 17, 2012), Untitled Raven Project (in theatres March 9, 2012), Untitled Farrelly/Wessler Project (in theatres April 13, 2012), House at the End of the Street (in theatres April 20, 2012), Safe Haven (in theatres June 1, 2012) and Hunter Killer (in theatres December 21, 2012).


ABOUT RELATIVITY MEDIA, LLC
Relativity Media is a next-generation studio engaged in multiple aspects of entertainment including full-scale film and television production and distribution, the co-financing of major studio film slates, music publishing, sports management, and digital media. Additionally, the company makes strategic partnerships with, and investments in, media and entertainment-related companies and assets.

To date, Relativity has committed to, produced and/or financed more than 200 motion pictures. Released films have accumulated more than $15 billion in worldwide box office receipts. Relativity’s recent films include: Bridesmaids, Hop, Limitless, Battle: Los Angeles, Season of the Witch, Little Fockers, The Fighter, The Social Network, Salt, Despicable Me, Grown Ups, Dear John, It’s Complicated, Couples Retreat, and Zombieland. Upcoming films for Relativity include: Shark Night 3D, Immortals, Anonymous, and Cowboys & Aliens. Thirty-six of the company’s films have opened to No. 1 at the box office. Relativity films have earned 60 Oscar® nominations, including nods for The Fighter, The Social Network, The Wolfman, Nine, A Serious Man, Frost/Nixon, Atonement, American Gangster and 3:10 to Yuma. Fifty-eight of Relativity’s films have each generated more than $100 million in worldwide box-office receipts.

Relativity also owns and operates Rogue Pictures, a company that specializes in films targeted to the 13-25 year old audience, and RogueLife, Relativity’s digital studio which is developing original content for the Web, and creating sustainable online platforms and communities. RelativityREAL, Relativity’s television arm, is currently producing 14 series and more than 20 pilots including Police Women for TLC, Coming Home for Lifetime, and The Great Food Truck Race for Food Network.

Animation's Finest Earn Annie Award Nominations

38th Annual Annie Award Nominations Announced

The International Animated Film Society, ASIFA-Hollywood proudly announces the nominations and award recipients for the 38th Annual Annie Awards. Award recipients will claim their trophies at the 38th Annual Annie Awards scheduled for Saturday, February 5, 2011 at UCLA's Royce Hall in Los Angeles, California.

PRODUCTION CATEGORIES:

Best Animated Feature
• Despicable Me – Illumination Entertainment and Universal Pictures
• How to Train Your Dragon – DreamWorks Animation
• Tangled – Disney
• The Illusionist – Django Films
• Toy Story 3 – Disney/Pixar

Best Animated Short Subject
• Coyote Falls - Warner Bros. Animation
• Day & Night – Pixar
• Enrique Wrecks the World - House of Chai
• The Cow Who Wanted To Be A Hamburger - Plymptoons Studio
• The Renter - Jason Carpenter

Best Animated Television Commercial
• Children's Medical Center - DUCK Studios
• Frito Lay Dips "And Then There Was Salsa" - LAIKA/house
• ‘How To Train Your Dragon’ Winter Olympic Interstitial "Speed Skating" - DreamWorks Animation
• McDonald's "Spaceman Stu" - DUCK Studios
• Pop Secret "When Harry Met Sally" - Nathan Love

Best Animated Television Production
• Futurama - The Curiosity Company in association with 20th Century Fox Television
• Kung Fu Panda Holiday - DreamWorks Animation
• Scared Shrekless - DreamWorks Animation
• Star Wars: The Clone Wars “Arc Troopers” - Lucasfilm Animation, Ltd.
• The Simpsons “The Squirt and the Whale” - Gracie Films

Best Animated Television Production for Children
• Adventure Time - Cartoon Network Studios
• Cloudbread – GIMC
• Fanboy & Chum Chum - Nickelodeon, Frederator
• Regular Show - Cartoon Network Studios
• SpongeBob SquarePants – Nickelodeon

Best Animated Video Game
• Heavy Rain - Quantic Dream
• Kirby's Epic Yarn - Good-Feel & HAL Laboratory
• Limbo – Playdead
• Shank - Klei Entertainment Inc.

INDIVIDUAL ACHIEVEMENT CATEGORIES:

Animated Effects in an Animated Production
• Andrew Young Kim "Shrek Forever After" - DreamWorks Animation
• Jason Mayer "How To Train Your Dragon" - DreamWorks Animation
• Brett Miller "How To Train Your Dragon" - DreamWorks Animation
• Sebastian Quessy "Legend Of The Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole" - Warner Bros. Pictures
• Krzysztof Rost "Megamind" - DreamWorks Animation

Character Animation in a Television Production
• Nicolas A. Chauvelot "Scared Shrekless" - DreamWorks Animation
• Savelen Forrest "Robot Chicken: Star Wars Episode III" - ShadowMachine
• Elizabeth Harvatine "Robot Chicken: Star Wars Episode III" – ShadowMachine
• David Pate "Kung Fu Panda Holiday" - DreamWorks Animation
• Nideep Varghese "Scared Shrekless" - DreamWorks Animation

Character Animation in a Feature Production
• Mark Donald "Megamind" - DreamWorks Animation
• Anthony Hodgson "Megamind" - DreamWorks Animation
• Gabe Hordos "How To Train Your Dragon" - DreamWorks Animation
• Jakob Hjort Jensen "How To Train Your Dragon" - DreamWorks Animation
• David Torres "How To Train Your Dragon" - DreamWorks Animation

Character Animation in a Live Action Production
• Quentin Miles - Clash of the Titans
• Ryan Page - Alice in Wonderland

Character Design in a Television Production
• Andy Bialk "The Ricky Gervais Show" - W!LDBRAIN Entertainment
• Stephan DeStefano "Sym-Bionic Titan" - Cartoon Network
• Ernie Gilbert "T.U.F.F. Puppy" – Nickelodeon
• Gordon Hammond "T.U.F.F. Puppy" – Nickelodeon
• Steve Lambe "Fanboy & Chum Chum" - Nickelodeon, Frederator

Character Design in a Feature Production
• Sylvain Chomet "The Illusionist" - Django Films
• Carter Goodrich "Despicable Me" - Illumination Entertainment and Universal Pictures
• Timothy Lamb "Megamind" - DreamWorks Animation
• Nico Marlet "How To Train Your Dragon" - DreamWorks Animation

Directing in a Television Production
• Bob Anderson "The Simpsons: Treehouse of Horror XXI” - Gracie Films
• Peter Chung "Firebreather" - Cartoon Network Studios
• Duke Johnson "Frankenhole: Humanitas" – ShadowMachine
• Tim Johnson "Kung Fu Panda Holiday" - DreamWorks Animation
• Gary Trousdale "Scared Shrekless" - DreamWorks Animation

Directing in a Feature Production
• Sylvain Chomet "The Illusionist" - Django Films
• Pierre Coffin and Chris Renaud “Despicable Me” – Illumination Entertainment and Universal Pictures
• Mamoru Hosoda “Summer Wars” – Madhouse/Funimation
• Chris Sanders, Dean DeBlois “How To Train Your Dragon” - DreamWorks Animation
• Lee Unkrich “Toy Story 3” – Disney/Pixar

Music in a Television Production
• J. Walter Hawkes, Billy Lopez "The Wonder Pets!" - Nickelodeon Production & Little Airplane Productions
• Henry Jackman, Hans Zimmer and John Powell "Kung Fu Panda Holiday" - DreamWorks Animation
• Tim Long, Alf Clausen, Bret McKenzie, Jemaine Clement "The Simpsons: Elementary School Musical" - Gracie Films
• Shawn Patterson "Robot Chicken's DP Christmas Special" – ShadowMachine
• Jeremy Wakefield, Sage Guyton, Nick Carr, Tuck Tucker "SpongeBob SquarePants" – Nickelodeon

Music in a Feature Production
• Sylvain Chomet "The Illusionist" - Django Films
• David Hirschfelder "Legend Of The Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole" - Warner Bros. Pictures
• John Powell "How To Train Your Dragon" - DreamWorks Animation
• Harry Gregson Williams "Shrek Forever After" - DreamWorks Animation
• Pharrell Williams, Heitor Pereira "Despicable Me" - Illumination Entertainment and Universal Pictures

Production Design in a Television Production
• Alan Bodner "Neighbors From Hell" - 20th Century Fox Television
• Barry Jackson "Firebreather" - Cartoon Network Studios
• Pete Oswald "Doubtsourcing" - Badmash Animation Studios
• Richie Sacilioc "Kung Fu Panda Holiday" - DreamWorks Animation
• Scott Wills "Sym-Bionic Titan" - Cartoon Network Studios

Production Design in a Feature Production
• Yarrow Cheney "Despicable Me" - Illumination Entertainment and Universal Pictures
• Eric Guillon "Despicable Me" - Illumination Entertainment and Universal Pictures
• Dan Hee Ryu "Legend Of The Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole" - Warner Bros. Pictures
• Pierre Olivier Vincent "How To Train Your Dragon" - DreamWorks Animation
• Peter Zaslav "Shrek Forever After" - DreamWorks Animation

Storyboarding in a Television Production
• Sean Bishop "Scared Shrekless" - DreamWorks Animation
• Fred Gonzales "T.U.F.F. Puppy" – Nickelodeon
• Tom Owens "Kung Fu Panda Holiday" - DreamWorks Animation
• Dave Thomas "Fairly OddParents" – Nickelodeon

Storyboarding in a Feature Production
• Alessandro Carloni "How To Train Your Dragon" - DreamWorks Animation
• Paul Fisher "Shrek Forever After" - DreamWorks Animation
• Tom Owens "How To Train Your Dragon" - DreamWorks Animation
• Catherine Yuh Rader "Megamind" - DreamWorks Animation

Voice Acting in a Television Production
• Jeff Bennett as The Necronomicon "Fanboy & Chum Chum" - Nickelodeon & Frederator
• Corey Burton as Baron Papanoida "Star Wars: The Clone Wars" - Cartoon Network
• Nika Futterman as Asajj Ventress "Star Wars: The Clone Wars" - Cartoon Network
• Mike Henry as Cleveland Brown "The Cleveland Show" - Fox Television Animation
• James Hong as Mr. Ping "Kung Fu Panda Holiday" - DreamWorks Animation

Voice Acting in a Feature Production
• Jay Baruchel as Hiccup "How To Train Your Dragon" - DreamWorks Animation
• Gerard Butler as Stoick "How To Train Your Dragon" - DreamWorks Animation
• Steve Carrell as Gru "Despicable Me" - Illumination Entertainment and Universal Pictures
• Cameron Diaz as Fiona "Shrek Forever After" - DreamWorks Animation
• Geoffrey Rush as Ezylryb "Legend Of The Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole" - Warner Bros. Pictures

Writing in a Television Production
• Daniel Arkin "Star Wars: The Clone Wars: Heroes on Both Sides" - Lucasfilm Animation Ltd.
• Jon Colton Barry & Piero Piluso "Phineas & Ferb: Nerds of a Feather" - Disney Channel
• John Frink "The Simpsons: Stealing First Base" - Gracie Films
• Geoff Johns, Matthew Beans, Zeb Wells, Hugh Sterbakov, Matthew Senreich, Breckin Meyer, Seth Green, Mike Fasolo, Douglas Goldstein, Tom Root, Dan Milano, Kevin Shinick & Hugh Davidson "Robot Chicken: Star Wars Episode III" – ShadowMachine
• Michael Rowe "Futurama" - The Curiosity Company in association with 20th Century Fox Television

Writing in a Feature Production
• Michael Arndt “Toy Story 3” – Disney/Pixar
• Sylvain Chomet “The Illusionist” – Django Films
• William Davies, Dean DeBlois, Chris Sanders “How to Train Your Dragon” – DreamWorks Animation
• Dan Fogelman “Tangled” - Disney
• Alan J. Schoolcraft, Brent Simons “Megamind” – DreamWorks Animation

JURIED AWARDS

Winsor McCay Award — Brad Bird, Eric Goldberg, Matt Groening

June Foray — Ross Iwamoto

Ub Iwerks Award — Autodesk

Special Achievement — “Waking Sleeping Beauty”

http://www.annieawards.org/index.html

Lionsgate Acquires Gerard Butler Action Flick for 2011

Press release from Lionsgate:

LIONSGATE HITS BULLSEYE WITH MARC FORSTER’S MACHINE GUN PREACHER

Studio Acquires North American Distribution Rights To Fact-Based Action Drama Starring Gerard Butler

Fall 2011 Release Planned – Principal Photography Begins In July

SANTA MONICA, CA, June 21, 2010 – LIONSGATE® (NYSE: LGF), the leading next generation studio, today announced that it has acquired North American distribution rights to the fact-based action drama MACHINE GUN PREACHER, directed by Marc Forster (QUANTUM OF SOLACE). The film is the studio’s first collaboration with Forster since the Oscar®-winning MONSTER’S BALL. Gerard Butler (LAW ABIDING CITIZEN, 300) stars as Reverend Sam Childers, known as “the machine gun preacher.” Michelle Monaghan (EAGLE EYE, GONE BABY GONE) co-stars as his wife, Lynn Childers; Oscar nominee Michael Shannon (THE RUNAWAYS, REVOLUTIONARY ROAD) portrays Childers’s best friend, Donnie; Madeline Carroll (THE SPY NEXT DOOR, SWING VOTE) plays Childers’s daughter, Paige; Kathy Baker (LAST CHANCE HARVEY, STREET SMART) plays Childers’s mother, Daisy Childers; and Souleymane Sy Savane (GOODBYE SOLO, “Damages”) plays Deng, Childers’s right hand in Africa. The screenwriter is Jason Keller. Forster will produce under his Apparatus shingle alongside Robbie Brenner; Gary Safady and Craig Chapman of Kaushi Entertainment; and Deborah Giarratana of GG Filmz. Executive producers are Myles Nestel of Merlina Entertainment, Brad Simpson of Apparatus, Gerard Butler, Alan Siegel and Louise Rosner. The announcement was made by Joe Drake, Lionsgate Chief Operating Officer and Motion Picture Group President, and Mike Paseornek, Lionsgate President of Motion Picture Production.

Principal photography for MACHINE GUN PREACHER is scheduled to begin on July 5th in Detroit and South Africa. Lionsgate plans to release the film in fall 2011.

Said Paseornek, “MACHINE GUN PREACHER combines a fascinating, action-packed story and unique characters with great talent on both sides of the camera. We’re delighted to be back in business with our friend Marc, one of the most gifted and versatile filmmakers working today. And Gerard Butler is the ideal actor to capture the strength, complexity and charisma of this film’s real-life hero, Sam Childers.”

Said Brenner, “When I learned about Sam Childers, I thought, ‘here is a man who is making a difference, defying the odds and not just talking about what he believes but actually doing it.’ Seldom do you find a story that is gripping and relatable but is also about something bigger. Here was a movie that begged to be made. Jason Keller wrote an exceptional screenplay, and I can think of no one better able to depict this story than my dear friend, Marc Forster."

Said Safady, “I am honored to play an integral part in telling the amazing story of Sam Childers. I think this is the perfect movie as a foray into the film business, as it is both commercial and topical. In today's society, stories like his are rare and this is one that deserves to be told.”

Said Forster, “I am thrilled to be working again with Lionsgate. They have a keen understanding for the complexity of the material and will give our film the care and guidance it needs to expose the story to the masses.”

The deal was negotiated for Lionsgate by Rob McEntegart, Senior Executive Vice President, Motion Picture Group, and by Merlina Entertainment’s Nestel, on behalf of the filmmakers. Forster, Keller, Butler and Shannon are represented by CAA. Forster and Keller are represented by Guymon Casady of Management 360. Forster is represented by attorney Linda Lichter of Lichter, Grossman, Nichols, Adler & Feldman.


SYNOPSIS – MACHINE GUN PREACHER
After renouncing his outlaw ways, Sam Childers embarks on a spiritual path, becoming a warrior for the desperate and helpless children in a war-torn country in Africa.


ABOUT LIONSGATE
Lionsgate (NYSE: LGF - News) is the leading next generation studio with a strong and diversified presence in the production and distribution of motion pictures, television programming, home entertainment, family entertainment, video-on-demand and digitally delivered content. The Company has built a strong television presence in production of prime time cable and broadcast network series, distribution and syndication of programming through Debmar-Mercury and an array of channel assets. Lionsgate currently has nearly 20 shows on 10 different networks spanning its prime time production, distribution and syndication businesses, including such critically-acclaimed hits as "Mad Men," "Weeds" and "Nurse Jackie" along with new series such as "Blue Mountain State" and "Running Wilde" and the syndication successes "Tyler Perry's House of Payne," its spinoff "Meet The Browns" and "The Wendy Williams Show."

Its feature film business has generated such recent hits as TYLER PERRY’S WHY DID I GET MARRIED TOO?, the action film KICK-ASS, which opened at #1 at the North American box office and the critically-acclaimed PRECIOUS, which has garnered nearly $50 million at the North American box office and won two Academy Awards®. The Company’s home entertainment business has grown to more than 7% market share and is an industry leader in box office-to-DVD revenue conversion rate. Lionsgate handles a prestigious and prolific library of approximately 12,000 motion picture and television titles that is an important source of recurring revenue and serves as the foundation for the growth of the Company’s core businesses. The Lionsgate brand remains synonymous with original, daring, quality entertainment in markets around the world.

Review: "Dracula 2000" is 2000 Times Bad

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 5 (of 2001) by Leroy Douresseaux

Dracula 2000 (2000)
Running time: 99 minutes; MPAA – R for violence/gore, language and some sexuality.
DIRECTOR: Patrick Lussier
WRITERS: Joel Soison, from a story by Joel Soison and Patrick Lussier
PRODUCERS: W.K. Border and Joe Soison
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Peter Pau (D.o.P.)
EDITOR: Peter Devaney Flanagan and Patrick Lussier
COMPOSER: Marco Beltrami

HORROR

Starring: Jonny Lee Miller, Justine Waddell, Gerard Butler, Danny Masterson, Jeri Ryan, Colleen Anne, Fitzpatrick, Jennifer Esposito, Lochlyn Munro, Sean Patrick Thomas, Omar Epps, Nathan Fillion, and Christopher Plummer

Patrick Lussier’s (a film editor on Mimic, Scream 2 and Scream 3) Dracula 2000 presents the fabled count as a young, handsome, curly-haired Adonis. Easily the sexiest Dracula since Christopher Lee, Gerard Butler’s vampire overwhelms the helpless screen with his stunningly good looks; no doubt, he’s got to get his props in the looks department. The problem is that his looks make it difficult to accept him as Dracula. Vampires dine on humans for Pete’s sake, and the idea of them as romance novel cover boys is pure silliness. Even Brad Pitt, Tom Cruise, and Gary Oldman had nastiness about them. This vampire’s handsome appearance would have his female (and some male) victims at his neck before he even had a chance to bare his fangs.

In this nouveau version of the classic story, Abraham Van Helsing (Christopher Plummer) is an English antiques dealer. Sometime during the 19th century, Van Helsing successfully captured Dracula (Gerard Butler). He keeps him locked in a well-fortified crypt, and he draws the Count’s cursed blood and injects it into his body to make himself immortal. That way he will always be alive to recapture Dracula if (or when) he escapes, since by this movie’s logic, the Count cannot be killed, and Van Helsing must always be there to save the world.

A small band of thieves led by a man named Marcus (Omar Epps), breaks into the crypt, and later, unwittingly release Dracula as the thieves escape to America. Loose in New Orleans, Dracula tracks Van Helsing’s daughter Mary Heller (Justine Waddell) who shares a psychic connection to Dracula via the vampire blood her father passed to her. Van Helsing’s chases the count, while his own assistant Simon Sheppard (Jonny Lee Miller, Trainspotting) follows him.

Dracula 2000 is by no means special, and the movie proudly revels in being dumb. The filmmakers never seem to aspire to give anything above the ordinary. The movie looks ordinary, and the acting outside of Plummer is poor. One can find in this movie things that one can find in many vampire movies that predate it. This story is so familiar that changing the locale to New Orleans simply isn’t enough to inject something new into the story. The movie doesn’t even try to take advantage of the wealth of stereotypes that setting a story in New Orleans offers: voodoo, Cajuns, jazz, organized crime, Harry Connick, Sr. under investigation again, Mardi Gras, etc. Apparently, the makers assumed that if they simply hiring a young, hot, photogenic cast would be enough to draw in the 18 to 35 set to watch an old story they’ve seen before. Granted that it worked to make American Pie from Porky’s, it just doesn’t work all the time.

And the little jerky “fastmo” camera thing that Stephen Norrington used in Blade to show the high speed at which vampires moved is an old idea beaten to death in Dracula 2000. Omar Epps (The Wood, Love and Basketball) is wasted. No less talented than Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Josh Hartnett, Heath Ledger, etc., only the color of his skin keeps him from getting the good roles and keeps him slumming in crap like this.

Poor Justine Waddell’s character spends so much time swooning in and out of visions; one would swear it was because of drunkenness rather than because she shares a link with a vampire. Her psychic connection with Dracula is more annoying than informative here. Unable to stop, catch her breath, and act because she’s often running away from this Fabio version of Dracula, her potential is wasted. And her romps with Dracula’s buxom crew of vampire sex kittens, led by Jeri Ryan (the Borg erection enhancer late of Star Trek: Voyager), is not as exciting as one would think. Doe-eyed and confused, Mary Heller is a sympathetic figure in a pathetic movie; character and audience are cheated.

2 of 10
D

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Review: The Dragon in "How to Train Your Dragon" Makes the Film Soar

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 18 (of 2010) by Leroy Douresseaux

 

How to Train Your Dragon (2010) – animated

Running time: 98 minutes (1 hour, 38 minutes)

MPAA – PG for sequences of intense action and some scary images, and brief mild language

DIRECTOR: Dean DeBlois and Chris Sanders

WRITERS: Dean DeBlois and Chris Sanders, Adam F. Goldberg, and Peter Tolan (based upon the book by Cressida Cowell

PRODUCER: Bonnie Arnold

EDITOR: Maryann Brandon

PRODUCTION DESIGNER: Kathy Altieri

ART DIRECTOR: Pierre-Olivier Vincent

 

ANIMATION/FANTASY/ACTION/ADVENTURE

 

Starring: (voice) Jay Baruchel, Gerard Butler, Craig Ferguson, America Ferrera, Jonah Hill, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, and Kristen Wiig 

 

The latest computer-animated (or 3D animation) film from DreamWorks Animation, How to Train Your Dragon, really does reach new heights. This story about a boy and his dragon will take the viewer soaring across the sky through cloud banks and far into the atmosphere. The audience will follow the two as they streak across the ocean and over, around, and through islands and outcroppings. For over a century, cinema has shown us humans riding into the sky on winged horses, magic carpets, giant birds, etc., but never has movie flight felt so thrilling as it does here on the back on a young dragon. 

 

How to Train Your Dragon is set on the island of Berk, a Viking settlement where the Vikings have been fighting dragons since the settlers arrived on Berk. The story’s hero is a Viking teenager named Hiccup (Jay Baruchel), the son of Viking chieftain, Stoick the Vast (Gerard Butler). Hiccup’s smarts and offbeat sense of humor don’t sit too well with his tribe or his father because fighting dragons is their way of life – not humor. 

 

The beanpole-thin Hiccup is not strong, nor is he built like other Vikings, but still he is included in Dragon Training with the other Viking teens. Hiccup sees this as his chance to prove he has what it takes to be a fighter. When he encounters an injured dragon, one of the dreaded breed know as the Night Fury, Hiccup’s world is flipped upside down. He eventually befriends the dragon, whom he names “Toothless,” and helps the creature when he discovers that half of Toothless’ tail wing has been ripped off, grounding him. What started out as Hiccup’s one shot to prove himself as a Viking dragon slayer turns into an opportunity to set a new course for the future of Hiccup’s entire tribe. 

 

There is a lot about How to Train Your Dragon that can be praised, but the film does have its problems. Most of the characters are dull, flat, and uninteresting. Even Hiccup’s father, Stoick, large and fearsome as he is, really doesn’t generated dramatic heat, and Gerard Butler’s voice performance doesn’t make the character better. The character, Gobber, who acts as comic relief and is voiced by late-night talk show host, Craig Ferguson, is tepid. The story isn’t bad, but it is slight; there isn’t the dramatic weight here that one would get from a Pixar movie. In fact, the first quarter hour or so of this film presaged a cinematic bomb. Then, Hiccup and Toothless kick things off. 

 

What makes How to Train Your Dragon fantastic is its star duo. The depth, back story, conflict, and motivation missing from the other characters are abundant in Hiccup. His need to be accepted by his tribe, especially his father, versus his penchant for investigating and challenging the consensus, the status quo, and conventional thinking is the dramatic backbone of this film. Hiccup’s dragon buddy, Toothless, is simply a great animated character. He doesn’t speak, but his personality and character come through the expressiveness of his face and the vivid nature of his body in motion. In an animated film – 2D or 3D, the art of animation is indeed the illusion of life, as seen in the animated character. Gabe Hordos, the supervising animator of Toothless, and his staff have executed a grand magical spell in bringing Toothless to life. 

 

How to Train Your Dragon shows the audience the evolution of a boy from outcast teen to acknowledged hero. The film offers an impish, playful cartoon creature possessing the best human qualities. Together boy and dragon take us on a journey of self-discovery and maturity, and How to Train Your Dragon will take the audience on an aerial adventure that sometimes rivals the high-flying action of James Cameron’s Avatar. That is more than enough to make up for this film’s faults. 

 

8 of 10

A 

 

Monday, March 29, 2010

 

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Review: "Law Abiding Citizen" Has a Rage On

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 7 (of 2010) by Leroy Douresseaux


Law Abiding Citizen (2009)
Running time: 108 minutes (1 hour, 48 minutes)
MPAA – R for strong bloody brutal violence and torture, a scene of rape, and pervasive language
DIRECTOR: F. Gary Gray
WRITER: Kurt Wimmer
PRODUCER: Gerard Butler, Lucas Foster, Mark Gill, Robert Katz, Alan Siegel, and Kurt Wimmer
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Jonathan Sela (D.o.P.)
EDITOR: Tariz Anwar

CRIME/SUSPENSE/THRILLER with elements of action and mystery

Starring: Jamie Foxx, Gerard Butler, Colm Meaney, Bruce McGill, Leslie Bibb, Michael Irby, Gregory Itzin, Regina Hall, Emerald-Angel Young, Christian Stolte, Annie Corley, Richard Portnow, and Viola Davis

In the 1970s, movie studios produced what were called black exploitation, or “Blaxploitation,” films. The films starred predominately black actors and featured subject matter of interest to Black people, such as racism, violence, and crime, although not all Blaxploitation films dealt with those subjects.

I believe that there are also “Whiteploitation” films. I call them that because they are films that exploit the fears of White Americans, especially fears concerning urban crime and violence, particular crime committed against white people by brown people (African-Americans, Latinos, Asians, etc.) and lower class whites (white trash).

The recent film, Law Abiding Citizen, focuses on an assistant district attorney at odds with a criminal mastermind who virtually controls a city from the confines of his prison cell. This could be seen as a white exploitation film, exploiting issues of violent crime and a broken justice system in hopes of tapping into the resentments of its predominately white audience. While Law Abiding Citizen initially deals with these issues, in a somewhat substantive fashion, it eventually morphs into a standard thriller full of violence and largely unfocused rage – again to appeal to the prurient interests of a young male audience.

In the film, Clyde Shelton (Gerard Butler) is traumatized by the brutal murders of his wife and daughter at the hands of two men during a home invasion. Nick Rice (Jamie Foxx) is the ambitious, hotshot, young prosecutor, assigned to the case. Nick offers one of the suspects a light sentence in exchange for testifying against his accomplice, but the criminal who gets the plea deal is actually the worse of the two. Rice ignores Shelton’s objections to this deal.

Ten years later, Shelton kills the two men who murdered his wife and child. Thrown into prison, Shelton begins a campaign of vengeance against the entire system. Soon, Nick Rice and the city of Philadelphia are held in a grip of fear, with authorities powerless to halt Shelton’s reign of terror. With police Detective Dunnigan (Colm Meaney) at his side, Nick desperately races against time to stop a deadly adversary who seems always to be one step ahead, even though he’s in prison!

When it was about victims of violent crime and revenge, Law Abiding Citizen had potential. When it became a suspense thriller, it became just another… well, suspense thriller. The film makes some legitimate points about victims of crime and the criminal justice system, which makes it similar to “Whiteploitation” flicks like Death Wish and Sudden Impact. However, at the point when Clyde Shelton goes from righteous vengeance to acts of terrorism against society, the film loses what moral standing it had.

Law Abiding Citizen mixes elements of V for Vendetta (shadowy figure holds city in grip of fear), the Jason Bourne movies (former operative uses special skills for payback), and the Saw franchise (torture and gruesome murder), with a dose Charles Bronson revenge movie. It’s entertaining and quite often it offers the kind of genuine stimulation a good, taut thriller should. But to second Owen Gleiberman of Entertainment Weekly, I no longer enjoy Gerard Butler’s “mush-mouthed bravura” (and only liked it for a little while). Jamie Foxx gives a good performance, but compared to his best work (Ray, Collateral), his performance here seems like only a dutiful effort to justify the large paycheck he received for this movie.

I also want to give the producers credit for hiring a perfectly capable African-American director and for giving us a satisfying ending.

5 of 10
B-

Friday, February 19, 2010

NOTES: 2010 Image Awards: 2 nominations for motion picture actor (Jamie Foxx) and director (F. Gary Gray)

Review: Thrilling "300" Offers Myth and Racism

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 51 (of 2007) by Leroy Douresseaux

300 (2007)
Running time: 116 minutes
MPAA – R for graphic battles sequences throughout, some sexuality, and nudity
DIRECTOR: Zach Snyder
WRITERS: Zack Snyder & Kurt Johnstad and Michael B. Gordon (based upon the graphic novel by Frank Miller and Lynn Varley)
PRODUCERS: Gianni Nunnari, Mark Canton, Bernie Goldmann, and Jeffrey Silver
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Larry Fong (director of photography)
EDITOR: William Hoy, A.C.E.

FANTASY/WAR/ACTION/DRAMA

Starring: Gerard Butler, Lena Headey, David Wenham, Dominic West, Vincent Regan, and Rodrigo Santoro

Sometime after Star Wars became a massive, worldwide box office hit in 1977, one movie critic called the movie, “cinema of the sensations.” I took that to mean the kind of movie that bombards the viewer with dazzling visual effects, explosions, loud noises, and all the vicarious thrills his mind could stand. Some movies do that well, and director Zach Snyder (who helmed a fantastic remake of Dawn of the Dead in 2004) delivers heady cinema of the sensations in 300, his film adaptation of Frank Miller and Lynn Varley’s graphic novel of the same name.

Both film and graphic novel are highly fictional and stylized accounts of the ancient Battle of Thermopylae. 480 B.C.: The King (and self-proclaimed god) of Persia, Xerxes (Rodrigo Santoro), leads the forces of his empire against Greece. While the city-states of Greece slowly gather their armies, King Leonidas of Sparta (Gerard Butler) leads 300 Spartans to face a Persian army of millions. Meanwhile, back in Sparta, Leonidas’s queen, Gorgo (Lena Heady) faces subtle rebellion from Theron (Dominic West), a politician on the Spartan Council.

300 is like Oliver Stone’s JFK – less about history and more about mythmaking. There is little accurate here, by admission of both Miller and Snyder. This is simply an action movie, and history is merely the line upon which Snyder and his creative crew can hang lots of thrilling, action scenes full of ghastly, but cool imagery. Snyder and his co-screenwriters smartly mix in glorious CGI-enhanced battles, as gruesome and horrific as they are epic. Every moment is punctuated by bombast. Pomposity and high falutin’ speeches and proclamations about duty, honor, sacrifice, etc. alternate between being twaddle and inspiring.

As Robert Rodriguez did when adapting Frank Miller’s graphic novel series, Sin City, for the screen, Snyder creates 300 as a virtual world. Much of what we see was made in a computer. Snyder shot the film in front of a blue screen (and some green screen). Like Sin City’s world, 300’s is stunning eye candy – a color infused world in which scenes are posed as if they were in a comic book. 300 is not so much a comic book movie as it is a movie comic book. Characters and objects stop, freeze, or move slowly through a still environment, making this movie a child of The Matrix’s “bullet time.” It’s so beautiful, even the Old Master painters might be impressed.

Still, the key towards enjoying 300 is the invigorating thrill. The cast, especially Gerard Butler as Leonidas, sells this movie, even more than the dazzling colors and effects and even more than Snyder and his creative crew’s obsession with the grisly and ghastly aspects of hand-to-hand combat. As the handsome, rugged, and oh-so-manly Spartan king, Gerard transforms this kick-butt action violence geared towards teenaged boys and young men into a romance novel for men. It’s historical fiction and romantic adventure delivered as a video-game style movie. But a movie so based on alluring visuals must be scene rather than described.

Pay no attention to the British accents on these Greek characters, ignore the subtle racism (the villains are mostly black and brown-skinned), and take no notice of the wack-a-doodle history, Zach Snyder’s 300 is Mel Gibson’s Braveheart on acid and made in a computer.

7 of 10
B+

Saturday, March 17, 2007

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