Amazon and ITV Announced "The Widow" Starring Kate Beckinsale

Amazon Prime Video and ITV Greenlight Original Dramatic Series The Widow Starring Kate Beckinsale

Series, written by Harry and Jack Williams, will begin production this year and launch on Prime Video in more than 200 countries and territories and ITV in the UK

SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--(NASDAQ: AMZN)—Amazon Prime Video and ITV announced it has greenlit The Widow, an eight-episode Prime Original and ITV series, starring Kate Beckinsale (The Aviator, Love & Friendship). Written and executive produced by Harry and Jack Williams (The Missing, Fleabag) and produced by Williams’ Two Brothers Pictures, The Widow follows Georgia Wells (Beckinsale) who has cut herself off from her previous life and is no longer the woman she once was. After seeing her “late” husband on the news, she is pulled back to face the world and will stop at nothing until she gets the truth about her past. This emotionally gut-wrenching thriller will take Georgia into the depths of the African Congo where danger and revelation will greet her at every turn.

    “We are thrilled to continue our existing relationship with Kate Beckinsale on the heels of her incredible performances in Amazon Studios’ critically acclaimed films”

The Widow will be produced by Eliza Mellor (Liar, The Living and the Dead, Poldark), directed by Sam Donovan (Humans, Liar, Utopia) and Olly Blackburn (Donkey Punch, Glue), and distributed globally by all3media International. The series will commence production this month in South Africa, Wales and Rotterdam. The Widow will premiere on ITV in the UK and on Prime Video in the US and more than 200 countries and territories.

“We are thrilled to continue our existing relationship with Kate Beckinsale on the heels of her incredible performances in Amazon Studios’ critically acclaimed films,” said Brad Beale, Vice President, Worldwide TV Content Acquisition, Amazon Prime Video. “Harry and Jack Williams have created a powerful story, which will be brought to life by one of the world’s most talented actresses, and we are excited to bring this thrilling series to Prime members around the world.”

“I’m delighted to announce Kate Beckinsale’s casting in The Widow,” said ITV’s Head of Drama Polly Hill. “She is perfect for the role of Georgia in what is, as always, brilliant, compelling and surprising storytelling from Harry and Jack Williams. We’re very pleased to have secured the series which is an ITV original commission and co-production with Amazon.”

“Kate Beckinsale is a brilliantly talented actress and we’re thrilled she’s joining us on this journey – we couldn’t imagine anyone more perfect for the role,” added Harry and Jack Williams. “The Widow is our most ambitious and cinematic piece to date and we can’t wait to bring the dark heart of the Congolese jungle to the screen.”

Kate Beckinsale has proven to be one of the industry’s most versatile and charismatic performers. Beckinsale recently wrapped production on Farming, the directorial debut from Nigerian-British writer-director Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, opposite Damson Idris and Gugu Mbatha-Raw. She most recently starred in the Marc Webb drama The Only Living Boy in New York opposite Jeff Bridges, Callum Turner, and Kiersey Clemons, which was released by Amazon Studios on August 11. Prior to that, she starred in Amazon Studios’ comedy Love & Friendship, directed by Whit Stillman and based on Jane Austen’s novel Lady Susan, for which she won the Evening Standard Award, the London Film Critics Circle Award and was nominated for a Critics’ Choice Award for her performance. She is also known for her starring role in Martin Scorsese’s The Aviator.

Harry and Jack Williams began their writing partnership in 2007 with the BBC2 sitcom Roman’s Empire, starring Mathew Horne and Chris O’Dowd. The show was subsequently piloted for American television, with Kelsey Grammer in the lead. For the UK they wrote and produced pilots and series including The Amazing Dermot, Bamboo, Full English and The Guardians (which they also directed). In 2014, Harry and Jack wrote and executive produced BBC1’s Golden Globe and Emmy nominated drama The Missing. The series, which starred James Nesbitt, was also nominated for four BAFTAs, including Best Drama. Since setting up Two Brothers Pictures in 2014, Harry and Jack have produced shows for Amazon, HBO, AMC, BBC, ITV and Sky, including the award-winning hit comedy Fleabag.

The Widow will be available on Prime Video to stream and Prime members can also download the series to mobile devices for offline viewing at no additional cost to their membership. The series will be available in more than 200 countries and territories for Prime members to watch via the Prime Video app for popular smart TVs, Fire TV, Fire Tablets and Android and iOS phones and tablets. Customers who are not already Prime members can sign up for a free 30-day trial at amazon.com/prime. For a list of all Amazon Video compatible devices, visit www.amazon.com/howtostream.


About Amazon Video
Amazon Video is a premium on-demand entertainment service that offers customers the greatest choice in what to watch and how to watch it. Amazon Video is the only service that provides all of the following:

•     Prime Video: Thousands of movies and TV shows, including popular licensed content plus critically-acclaimed and award-winning Amazon Original Series and Movies from Amazon Studios like Transparent, The Man in the High Castle, Love & Friendship, and kids series Tumble Leaf, available for unlimited streaming as part of an Amazon Prime membership. Prime Video is also now available to customers in more than 200 countries and territories around the globe at www.primevideo.com.
•     Amazon Channels: Over 140 channel subscriptions that Prime members can add to their membership, including HBO, SHOWTIME, STARZ, Cinemax, PBS KIDS, Acorn TV and more. To view the full list of channels available, visit www.amazon.com/channels.
•     Rent or Own: Hundreds of thousands of titles, including new release movies and current TV shows available for on-demand rental or purchase for all Amazon customers.
•     Instant Access: Customers can instantly watch anytime, anywhere through the Amazon Video app on compatible TVs, mobile devices, Amazon Fire TV, Fire TV Stick, and Fire tablets, or online. For a list of all compatible devices, visit www.amazon.com/howtostream.
•     Premium Features: Top features like 4K Ultra HD, High Dynamic Range (HDR) and mobile downloads for offline viewing of select content.

In addition to Prime Video, the Prime membership includes unlimited fast free shipping options across all categories available on Amazon, more than two million songs and thousands of playlists and stations with Prime Music, secure photo storage with Prime Photos, unlimited reading with Prime Reading, unlimited access to a digital audiobook catalog with Audible Channels for Prime, a rotating selection of free digital games and in-game loot with Twitch Prime, early access to select Lightning Deals, exclusive access and discounts to select items, and more. To sign-up for Prime or to find out more, visit: www.amazon.com/prime.

About Amazon
Amazon is guided by four principles: customer obsession rather than competitor focus, passion for invention, commitment to operational excellence, and long-term thinking. Customer reviews, 1-Click shopping, personalized recommendations, Prime Fulfillment by Amazon, AWS, Kindle Direct Publishing, Kindle, Fire tablets, Fire TV, Amazon Echo, and Alexa are some of the products and services pioneered by Amazon. For more information, visit www.amazon.com/about and follow @AmazonNews.

About ITV
ITV is an integrated producer broadcaster and the largest commercial television network in the UK. It is the home of popular television from the biggest entertainment events, to original drama, major sport, landmark factual series and independent news. It operates a family of channels including ITV, ITVBe, ITV2, ITV3 and ITV4 and CITV, which are broadcast free-to-air, as well as the pay channel ITV Encore. ITV is also focused on delivering its programming via the ITV Hub, mobile devices, video on demand and third party platforms. ITV Studios is a global production business, creating and selling programmes and formats from offices in the UK, US, Australia, France, Germany, the Nordics and the Netherlands. It is the largest and most successful commercial production company in the UK, the largest independent non-scripted indie in the US and ITV Studios Global Entertainment is a leading international distribution business.

Global demand for high-quality content from both broadcasters and platform owners remains strong. Capitalising on this demand, ITV continues to strengthen its position as the UK's largest commercial production company, as well as creating an increasingly international production business with bases in America, the Netherlands, France, Germany, the Nordics and Australia.

Growing a scaled international content business in the key genres that travel is central to ITV's strategy as an integrated producer broadcaster. As the company creates, owns and manages more content, its channels and digital services provide a platform to showcase its programmes before distributing them across multiple platforms in the UK and internationally.

About all3media international
all3media international distributes popular, award-winning TV programmes to over 1,000 broadcasters and media platforms around the world.

The company has been celebrated for producing, marketing and distributing quality, ground-breaking and pioneering shows to a global audience – consistently topping the Broadcast and Televisual annual Indies Surveys and we have been awarded the Queen’s Award for Enterprise in recognition of our growth – twice.

Our catalogue contains over 8,500 hours of content across all genres, with a focus on drama, comedy, factual, entertainment and formats. As well as Britain’s top-selling series Midsomer Murders, our lead dramas include National Treasure, The Missing, Clique, Safe House, Indian Summers, Liar and Hinterland. Our contemporary comedy slate features Fleabag and GameFace. Factual, entertainment and format bestsellers include Gogglebox, Undercover Boss, Gordon Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares, The Gadget Show and The Cube.

As part of the UK’s leading multi-label studio we partner with UK and international producers – including our own studios – in developing, financing and delivering content and formats.

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Review: "Underworld: Blood Wars" is Fresh Blood for the Franchise

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 21 (of 2017) by Leroy Douresseaux

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

Underworld: Blood Wars (2017)
Running time:  91 minutes (1 hour, 41 minutes)
MPAA – R for strong bloody violence, and some sexuality
DIRECTOR:  Anna Foerster
WRITERS:  Cory Goodman and Kyle Ward; from a story by Cory Goodman (based upon characters created by Kevin Grevioux and Danny McBride and Len Wiseman)
PRODUCERS:  David Kern, Len Wiseman, Gary Lucchesi, Tom Rosenberg, and Richard Wright
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Karl Walter Lindenlaub
EDITOR:  Peter Amundson
COMPOSER:  Michael Wandmacher

FANTASY/ACTION with elements of sci-fi and horror

Starring:  Kate Beckinsale, Theo James, Tobias Menzies, Lara Pulver, Charles Dance, James Faulkner, Peter Andersson, Clementine Nicholson, Bradley James, Daisy Head, Oliver Stark, and Sveta Driga

Underworld: Blood Wars is a 2016 action horror film from director Anna Foerster.  It is the fifth installment in the Underworld film franchise, which began with the 2003 film, Underworld.  Released in the United States in 2017,  Blood Wars is a direct sequel to the fourth installment, Underworld: Awakening (2012).  In the new film, a legendary and reviled vampire Death Dealer tries to end the seemingly eternal war between the Lycans (werewolves) and the vampires.

As Underworld: Blood Wars begins, the remaining vampire covens are on the verge of being wiped out by the Lycans.  Selene (Kate Beckinsale), the legendary vampire Death Dealer, is trying to end the 1500-year-old war between the species.  The Lycans are led by Marius (Tobias Menzies), who is seeking Selene.  He plans to force Selene to reveal the whereabouts of her daughter, Eve, whose blood Marius believes holds the key to building an army of vampire-werewolf hybrids.

David (Theo James), the younger vampire who befriended Selene (in Underworld: Awakening), and his father, Thomas (Charles Dance), approach the Eastern Coven, the last major vampire coven still standing, to convince its leaders that they need Selene if they are going to defeat Marius.

Semira (Lara Pulver), a council member of the Eastern Coven, seeks to leverage more power for herself in the coven, and she wants Selene to be granted clemency so that she can train the Eastern Coven's neophyte Death Dealers.  However, Selene and David soon find themselves on the run to a mysterious coven where David will discover his true legacy and where Selene will find transformation.

Underworld: Blood Wars is the best Underworld film since the second film, Underworld: Evolution (2006).  It is a shame that it has taken a decade for the franchise to get anywhere near Evolution in terms of quality.  Blood Wars mostly ignores Underworld: Awakening's plot, but does carry over three of the characters from the latter film:  Theo, David, and Eve (mostly talked about rather than seen, except for appearances via flashbacks and a cameo).

Of course, this is an action horror movie, so there is much vampire-werewolf conflict and some vampire-on-vampire violence.  In fact, the two fights here are relatively large scale battles between Lycans and vampires that are similar to the ones found in the third film, Underworld: Rise of the Lycans, a prequel story that recounts the beginnings of the Lycan-vampire blood feud.

The writers of Underworld: Blood Wars also use this film to push the series beyond just being an action-horror franchise.  The series has always treated the origins of the Lycans and vampires as being scientific and medical – viruses and mutations, and the present day war between the two species has been fought with increasingly advanced technological weapons of war, making the series somewhat science fiction.  Now, fantasy elements emerge:  spirits, ghostly realms, dreams, and mysticism.  That is a good thing because I thought Underworld had clearly stagnated with Awakening, so bringing in supernatural fantasy in Blood Wars adds a new dimension to the franchise.

Beyond that, there is no point in me discussing the acting or the character development, as the characters are just pieces to be moved around as this franchise's decision makers give it a new orientation.  Because we get a good movie out of it, the best in a while, I see no reason to complain about acting and character.

6 of 10
B

Sunday, September 3, 2017


The text is copyright © 2017 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site or blog for syndication rights and fees.

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Negromancer News Bits and Bites from August 6th to 12th, 2017 - Update #36

Support Leroy on Patreon.

CULTURE - From TheDailyBeast:  James Alex Fields Jr. identified as the driver who barreled his car into a crowd during protests at Charlottesville, Virginia.

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COMICS-FILM - From TheWrap:  "Silver and Black," the Spider-Man universe film from Sony is due Feb. 8, 2019.  The film will feature Spider-Man characters, Black Cat and Silver Sable.  Gina Prince-Bythewood is directing.

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CULTURE - From GuardianUK:  On Friday night (8/11th), White Nationalists and white racist begin siege of Charlottesville, Virginia.

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COMICS-FILM - From Newsarama:  "Hellboy" creator Mike Mignola says film reboot (which is no longer being called "Hellboy: Rise of the Blood Queen") is closer to his personal vision for the character.

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COMICS-FILM - From WeGotThisCovered:  Substantial changes will be made to "Justice League," as an early cut of the film is reportedly "unwatchable."  The film is due for release November 17th, 2017.

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MOVIES - From YahooMovies:  The real-life "Annabelle" doll is a simple Raggedy Ann doll.

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TELEVISION - From TheWrap:  NBC is trying to reboot classic TV sitcom, "The Munsters," again.  Remember "Mockingbird Lane?"

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BLM - From RSN:  Spike Lee says he fully supports beleaguered NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick.

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ANIMATION - From YahooNews:  The "Deadpool" animated television series being developed by Donald Glover and his brother Stephen will have a tone different from the live-action film series starring Ryan Reynolds.

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SPORTS - From YahooSports:  The NBA has announced its five Christmas Day 2017 games, including a rematch of this year's championship series between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the world champions Golden State Warriors.

COMICS-FILM - From THR:  Ryan Reynolds shares a first look at Josh Brolin as "Cable" in "Deadpool 2."

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MOVIES - From THR:  Author William Gibson's seminal cyberpunk novel, Neuromancer (1984) may finally be making it to the big screen through "Deadpool" director, Tim Miller.

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DISNEY - From CBR:  Disney has announced that it is starting its own streaming service in 2019.  Thus, it will be pulling its films and television series from Netflix.  Marvel Studios original series (such as "Daredevil" and "Luke Cage") will remain with Netflix.

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COMIC-FILM - From TheWrap:  Riz Ahmed of "Rogue One" in early talks to join Tom Hardy in Sony's "Venom."

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TELEVISION - From Variety:  Louis C.K. says that he may not do another season of his Emmy-winning FX series, "Louie."

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COMICS-BOOKS - From EW:  Seven things you need to know about African-American/Latino Spider-Man, Miles Morales, according to Jason Reynolds, the author of the YA novel, "Miles Morales: Spider-Man.

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STAR WARS - From YahooMovies:  Set photos from "The Last Jedi" offer fresh clues.

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COMICS-FILM - From YahooMovies:  Kate Beckinsale explains why she once said "No" to a Wonder Woman film.

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TELEVISION - From THR:  Maya Rudolph is going to star in Fox's live musical version of "A Christmas Story."

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MOVIES - From THR:  Selena Gomez joins Elle Fanning in Woody Allen's next film.

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TELEVISION - From BleedingCool:  In the new FOX/Marvel X-Men, TV series, "The Gifted," the X-Men are apparently"no more."

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MOVIES - From BleedingCool:  Milla Jovovich may the the "Blood Queen" in "Hellboy: Rise of the Blood Queen."

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TELEVISION - From TVLine:  Peter Krause is joining Angela Bassett in the 9-1-1 drama for FOX produced by Ryan Murphy ("Glee," "American Horror Story").

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TELEVISION - From TheWrap:  David Letterman will have a short run talk show (of sorts) on Netflix.

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MOVIES - From Variety:  Milo Gibson, son of Mel Gibson, will appear in the WWII drama, "Hurricane."  Milo made his feature film debut in his father's hit 2016 WWII film, "Hacksaw Ridge."

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DISNEY - From THR:  Alfre Woodard has joined Disney's live-action remake of "The Lion King," which is being directed by Jon Favreau.

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TELEVISION - From ShadowandAct:  Filiming begins on Mario Van Peebles' supernatural drama for Syfy, "Superstition."

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TELEVISION - CinemaBlend:  Karl Urban in talks to take the lead in a "Judge Dredd" TV series.  Urban starred in the 2012 film, "Dredd," which disappointed at the box office, but later became a home video and cult hit.

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TELEVISION - From TVovermind:  X-Files Season 11 begins production.

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CELEBRITY- From THR:  Chris Pratt ("Guardians of the Galaxy") and Anna Faris ("Scary Movie," "Mom") have announced that they are separating after eight years of marriage.

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BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficeMojo:  The winner of the 8/4 to 8/6/2017 weekend box office is "The Dark Tower" with an estimated take of $19.5 million.

From Deadline:  China leads international box office.

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COMICS-FILM - From THR:  James Gunn is writing "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3" and helping Marvel Studios honcho Kevin Feige make plans for Marvel's cosmic properties.

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POLITICS - From Truthout:  Will Altering the 13th Amendment Bring Liberation to the Incarcerated 2.3 Million?

OBIT:

From People:  Country music legend, singer, songwriter, musician, and Grammy-winning recording artist, Glen Campbell has died at the age of 81, Tuesday, August 8, 2017.  Before he solo career blew up in the mid to late 1960s, Campbell was a much in-demand session musician who played on the recordings of legends like Nat King Cole, Frank Sinatra, and Elvis Presley, to name a few.

From Variety:  The man in the monster suit, Haruo Nakajima, has died at the age of 88.  He wore the Godzilla suit in every "Godzilla" film from the original film to "Godzilla vs. Gigan" (1972).

From SportsIllustrated:  Former Major League Baseball manager and player, Don Baylor, has died at the age of 68, Monday, August 7, 2017.  He was the 1979 American League MVP, and he won a World Series title with the 1987 Minnesota Twins.  He was also the first manager of the Colorado Rockies.

From SportsIllustrated:  Former Major League Baseball player Darren Daulton died at the age of 55, Sunday, August 6, 2017.  He has been fighting brain cancer for 4 years.  He was best known as a catcher for the Philadelphia Phillies.  He was on the 1993 National League pennant winning Phillies that lost the 1993 World Series to the Toronto Blue Jays.  In his final year of his career, Daulton was on the 1997 Florida Marlins that won the World Series.

Amazon Studios Secures Producing Deals with 3 Production Companies

Amazon Studios Secures Producing Deals with Bona Fide Productions, Killer Films and Le Grisbi Productions

Each production company will have two-year deals with the distributor

SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--(NASDAQ: AMZN) – Amazon Studios announced that it has struck exclusive first-look deals with Bona Fide Productions, Killer Films and Le Grisbi Productions. Albert Berger and Ron Yerxa’s Bona Fide Productions and Christine Vachon and Pamela Koffler’s Killer Films will each have an exclusive first-look deal in both film and television for two years. John Lesher’s Le Grisbi Productions will have an exclusive first-look deal for indie-sized films for two years.

Currently, Amazon Studios is working alongside Bona Fide Productions on Marc Webb’s The Only Living Boy in New York, starring Jeff Bridges, Callum Turner and Kate Beckinsale and Killer Films on Wonderstruck, the latest film from Academy Award-nominated director Todd Haynes, starring Julianne Moore. Wonderstruck will screen in competition at the upcoming 70th annual Cannes Film Festival. Both The Only Living Boy in New York and Wonderstruck are slated for release in 2017.

“Bona Fide Productions, Killer Films and Le Grisbi Productions each have a long history of making critically acclaimed and award-winning films with accomplished filmmakers,” said Roy Price, Head of Amazon Studios. “We’re proud to be working with each of them and excited about our future creative collaborations.”

Bona Fide Productions has produced award-winning films such as Little Miss Sunshine, Little Children and Nebraska. Killer Films is the company behind award-winning titles Still Alice, Carol, Wiener-Dog, a film Amazon Studios purchased at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival, and the Amazon Original Series “Z: The Beginning of Everything.” John Lesher’s Le Grisbi is currently in post-production on Scott Cooper’s Hostiles, starring Christian Bale and Rosamund Pike, and production on White Boy Rick, which is being directed by Yann Demange and starring Matthew McConaughey. Previously, Le Grisbi has produced Fury, Black Mass, End of Watch and Birdman, which won the Oscar for Best Picture at the 2014 Academy Awards.


About Amazon Studios
Amazon Studios launched in 2010 as a new way to develop feature films and episodic series. First announced in January 2015, Amazon Original Movies in an initiative by Amazon Studios to produce and acquire original movies for theatrical release and early window distribution exclusively for Prime members. Like Amazon Original Series, Amazon Original Movies focuses on unique stories, voices and character from top and up-and-coming creators. In 2015 Amazon Studios released its first film, Chi-raq, from critically acclaimed filmmaker Spike Lee. Chi-raq is now available for Prime members to stream exclusively. James Gray’s The Lost City of Z is currently in theaters. Up next, Amazon Studios will release Doug Liman’s The Wall on May 12th, Amir Bar-Lev’s Long Strange Trip on May 26th and Michael Showalter’s The Big Sick on June 23rd.

About Amazon Video
Amazon Video is a premium on-demand entertainment service that offers customers the greatest choice in what to watch and how to watch it. Amazon Video is the only service that provides all of the following:

•     Prime Video: Thousands of movies and TV shows, including popular licensed content plus critically-acclaimed and award-winning Amazon Original Series and Movies from Amazon Studios like Transparent, The Man in the High Castle, Love & Friendship, and kids series Tumble Leaf, available for unlimited streaming as part of an Amazon Prime membership. Prime Video is also now available to customers in more than 200 countries and territories around the globe at www.primevideo.com.
•     Amazon Channels: Over 100 video subscriptions to networks like HBO, SHOWTIME, STARZ, PBS KIDS, Acorn TV, and more, available to Amazon Prime members in the US as add-ons to their membership. To view the full list of available channels, visit www.amazon.com/channels.
•     Rent or Own: Hundreds of thousands of titles, including new release movies and current TV shows available for on-demand rental or purchase for all Amazon customers.
•     Instant Access: Customers can instantly watch anytime, anywhere through the Amazon Video app on compatible TVs, mobile devices, Amazon Fire TV, Fire TV Stick, and Fire tablets, or online. For a list of all compatible devices, visit www.amazon.com/howtostream.
•     Premium Features: Top features like 4K Ultra HD, High Dynamic Range (HDR) and mobile downloads for offline viewing of select content.

In addition to Prime Video, the Prime membership includes unlimited fast free shipping options across all categories available on Amazon, more than two million songs and thousands of playlists and stations with Prime Music, secure photo storage with Prime Photos, unlimited reading with Prime Reading, unlimited access to a digital audiobook catalog with Audible Channels for Prime, a rotating selection of free digital games and in-game loot with Twitch Prime, early access to select Lightning Deals, exclusive access and discounts to select items, and more. To sign-up for Prime or to find out more, visit: www.amazon.com/prime.

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London Film Critics Circle Names "La La Land" Film of the Year 2016

The London Critics’ Circle Film Section is part of a larger organization, The Critics’ Circle, which makes an annual award for Services to the Arts.  This circle is comprised of the five sections:  dance, drama, film, music, and visual arts.

The London Critics’ Circle Film Section announced nominations for its 37th annual film awards on December 21, 2016.  The winners were announced January 22, 2017 at The May Fair Hotel.

2017 / 37th London Critics' Circle Film Award Winners (for the year in film 2016):

FILM OF THE YEAR
La La Land

FOREIGN-LANGUAGE FILM OF THE YEAR
Toni Erdmann

DOCUMENTARY OF THE YEAR
Fire at Sea

BRITISH/IRISH FILM OF THE YEAR
I, Daniel Blake

ACTOR OF THE YEAR
Casey Affleck - Manchester by the Sea

ACTRESS OF THE YEAR
Isabelle Huppert - Things to Come

SUPPORTING ACTOR OF THE YEAR – Tie
Mahershala Ali - Moonlight
Tom Bennett - Love & Friendship

SUPPORTING ACTRESS OF THE YEAR
Naomie Harris - Moonlight

DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR
László Nemes - Son of Saul

SCREENWRITER OF THE YEAR
Kenneth Lonergan - Manchester by the Sea

BRITISH/IRISH ACTOR
Andrew Garfield - Hacksaw Ridge, Silence

BRITISH/IRISH ACTRESS
Kate Beckinsale - Love & Friendship

YOUNG BRITISH/IRISH PERFORMER
Lewis MacDougall - A Monster Calls

BREAKTHROUGH BRITISH/IRISH FILMMAKER
Babak Anvari - Under the Shadow

BRITISH/IRISH SHORT FILM
Sweet Maddie Stone - Brady Hood

TECHNICAL ACHIEVEMENT
Victoria - Sturla Brandth Grovlen, cinematography

Dilys Powell Award for Excellence in Film
Isabelle Huppert

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Amazon's Original Movie, "Love & Friendship," Debuts Thursday, Oct. 20th

Amazon Original Movie Love & Friendship will Premiere on Amazon Prime Video October 20, 2016

Based on the Jane Austen novella, Lady Susan, the film stars Kate Beckinsale and Chloë Sevigny

SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--(NASDAQ: AMZN) – Amazon Studios today announced that the Amazon Original Movie, Love & Friendship, will be available through Amazon Prime Video at no additional cost to Prime members on October 20, 2016. The acclaimed film based on a novella by Jane Austen is written and directed by Whit Stillman (Metropolitan, The Last Days of Disco), stars Kate Beckinsale (Underworld, Pearl Harbor), Chloë Sevigny (Boys Don’t Cry, Big Love), Xavier Samuel (The Twilight Saga: Eclipse, Fury), Emma Greenwell (Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, Shameless) and Tom Bennett (Mascots, PhoneShop), and produced by Katie Holly (Citadel, Shrooms) and Lauranne Bourrachot (A Prophet, Sleepless Night), and co-produced by Raymond van der Kaaij (They Have Escaped, 22nd of May) and Marco Cherqui (A Prophet, Sleepless Night).

    “As adaptations go, this is a match made in heaven”

Love & Friendship premiered at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival and was released in theaters on May 13, 2016 to great critical response. The film is “Certified Fresh” on Rotten Tomatoes where it maintains a 98% Fresh rating. Here’s what some have said about the film:

•     “As adaptations go, this is a match made in heaven”– Ann Hornaday, Washington Post
•     “It's the Whit Stillman movie that some of us have been waiting a long time for, and also a Jane Austen movie that goes some way toward correcting the record of dull and dutiful cinematic Janeism.” – A.O. Scott, The New York Times
•     “The sharpest, least sentimental and possibly the best version of Austen yet.” – Farran Smith Nehme, The New York Post
•     “The language, a lyrical blend of Jane Austen and Whit Stillman, bewitches even as it stings. A sublime Kate Beckinsale digs into the role of her career. Pure pleasure.” – Peter Travers, Rolling Stone
•     “A supremely elegant and delicately filigreed adaptation of Jane Austen's epistolary novella "Lady Susan." – Justin Chang, Variety

“Love & Friendship brings to life Jane Austen’s novella in a captivating comedic style thanks to Whit Stillman’s unique voice and filmmaking coupled with amazing acting by Kate Beckinsale and Chloë Sevigny,” said Jason Ropell, Worldwide Head of Motion Pictures, Amazon Studios. “We’re thrilled that after a successful theatrical run, the Amazon Original Movie will be available this month for our Prime members to stream and enjoy.”

Beautiful, young widow Lady Susan Vernon (Beckinsale) visits the estate of her in-laws to wait out the colorful rumors about her dalliances circulating through polite society. Whilst ensconced there, she decides to secure a husband for herself and a future for her eligible but reluctant daughter, Frederica (Clark). In doing so she attracts the simultaneous attentions of the young, handsome Reginald DeCourcy (Samuel), the rich and silly Sir James Martin (Bennett) and the divinely handsome, but married, Lord Manwaring, complicating matters severely.

Not available on any other subscription services, Love & Friendship will be available for Prime members to stream and enjoy using the Amazon Video app for TVs, connected devices including Amazon Fire TV, and mobile devices, or online at Amazon.com/originals, at no additional cost to their membership. Prime members will also be able to download the film to mobile devices for offline viewing. Love & Friendship joins Prime Video’s line-up of award-winning and critically acclaimed Original Series and Movies—to see more originals available exclusively for Prime members visit www.amazon.com/originals.

Customers who are not already Prime members can sign-up for a free trial at www.amazon.com/prime. For a list of all Amazon Video compatible devices, visit www.amazon.com/howtostream.


About Amazon Studios
Amazon Studios launched in 2010 as a new way to develop feature films and episodic series—one that’s open to great ideas from creators and audiences around the world. Anyone can upload a script online for Amazon Studios to review, and those who choose to make their projects public can also receive feedback from the Amazon Studios community. First announced in January 2015, Amazon Original Movies is an initiative by Amazon Studios to produce and acquire original movies for theatrical release and early window distribution exclusively for Prime members. Like Amazon Original Series, Amazon Original Movies focuses on unique stories, voices, and characters from top and up-and-coming creators. In 2015 Amazon Studios released its first film, Chi-Raq from critically acclaimed filmmaker Spike Lee. Chi-Raq is now available for Prime members to stream exclusively. This year, Amazon Studios will release, in theaters, Kenneth Longergan’s Manchester By The Sea on November 18th and Jim Jarmusch’s Paterson on December 28th.

About Amazon Video
Amazon Video is a premium on-demand entertainment service that offers customers the greatest choice in what to watch, and how to watch it. Amazon Video is the only service that provides all of the following:

•     Prime Video: Thousands of movies and TV episodes, including popular licensed content plus critically-acclaimed and award-winning Amazon Original Series and Movies from Amazon Studios like Transparent, The Man in the High Castle, Chi-Raq and kids series Tumble Leaf, available for unlimited streaming as part of an Amazon Prime membership
•     Add-on Subscriptions: Dozens of subscriptions to networks like SHOWTIME, STARZ and more, available to Amazon Prime members as add-ons to their membership
•     Rent or Own: Hundreds of thousands of titles, including new-release movies and current TV shows available for on-demand rental or purchase for all Amazon customers
•     Instant Access: Instantly watch anytime, anywhere through the Amazon Video app on TVs, mobile devices, Amazon Fire TV, Fire TV Stick, and Fire tablets, or online. For a list of all compatible devices, visit www.amazon.com/howtostream
•     Premium Features: Top features like 4K Ultra HD, High Dynamic Range (HDR) and mobile downloads for offline viewing of certain content

In addition to Prime Video, the Prime membership includes unlimited Free Two-Day Shipping on millions of items across all categories, more than one million songs and thousands of playlists and stations with Prime Music, early access to select Lightning Deals all year long, free secure, unlimited photo storage in Amazon Cloud Drive with Prime Photos, one free pre-released book a month with Kindle First, and more. To sign up for Prime or to find out more, visit: www.amazon.com/prime.

About Amazon
Amazon is guided by four principles: customer obsession rather than competitor focus, passion for invention, commitment to operational excellence, and long-term thinking. Customer reviews, 1-Click shopping, personalized recommendations, Prime, Fulfillment by Amazon, AWS, Kindle Direct Publishing, Kindle, Fire tablets, Fire TV, Amazon Echo, and Alexa are some of the products and services pioneered by Amazon. For more information, visit www.amazon.com/about.

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Award Winners at the 2016 Newport Beach Film Festival Announced

17th Annual Newport Beach Film Festival Announces Award Winners

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Newport Beach Film Festival (NBFF) announced today the winners of the 2016 Festival. On April 28, 2016, the Festival wrapped up its eight day run with the Southern California premiere of The Fixer starring Dominic Rains, James Franco, Rachel Brosnahan and Melissa Leo at Lido Live (3459 Via Lido, Newport Beach) with the post party in the Via Lido Plaza.

    The Newport Beach Film Festival (NBFF) announced the winners of the 2016 Festival.

The Newport Beach Film Festival celebrated outstanding contribution to global cinema at a special event during the 17th annual Festival at the Balboa Bay Resort on April 23. Additionally, The Festival’s selection committee reviewed more than 2,500 films. The Festival screened over 400 films, representing 50 countries. The films competed for Jury, Festival Honors and Audience Awards.

The 2016 Newport Beach Film Festival jury featured an impressive roster of film industry professionals, including Vice President of Film Acquisitions at Fandor, Amanda Salazar, Film industry veteran, Arthur Jeppe, Executive Director of the Cucalorus Film Festival, Dan Brawley, award-winning independent producer, screenwriter and director, Hans-Martin Liebing, Executive Vice President, Acquisitions, Research, and Network Operations for Pivot, Jennie Morris, Screenwriter Kenneth Young, Program Director for the Austin Gay & Lesbian International Film Festival (aGLIFF), Jim Brunzell III, Toronto International Film Festival’s Lisa Haller, Kim Leadford, co-founder of StarStream Media and Reel Asian Head of Programming Kristine Estorninos.

NEWPORT HONORS AWARDS

NBFF WOMAN OF DISTINCTION AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION TO ACTING - Kate Beckinsale (Love & Friendship)

LEGEND AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION TO MUSIC IN CINEMA - Burt Bacharach (Po)

LEGEND AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION TO CINEMA – Rita Moreno (Remember Me)

AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION TO SCREENWRITING - Linda Woolverton

2016 AUDIENCE AWARDS:

FEATURE FILM – The Lennon Report – Jeremy Profe, Director
FEATURE FILM - Nobody Walks in LA – Jesse Shapiro, Director
FOREIGN FILM - Battalion (Батальон) - Dmitry Meskhiev, Director
DOCUMENTARY - Orange Sunshine - William A. Kirkley, Director
DOCUMENTARY - The Ataxian - Zack Bennett and Kevin Schlanser, Directors
ACTION SPORTS - Dirty Old Wedge - Tim Burnham, Director
ENVIRONMENTAL - Huntwatch - Brant Backlund, Director
ART, ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN - Tyrus – Pamela Tom, Director
FAMILY- The Kids From 62-F - Imani Shakur, Director

SHORT FILMS

BEST NARRATIVE SHORT FILM - Seeking: Jack Tripper - Quinlan Orear
BEST NARRATIVE SHORT FILM - Reality+ - Coralie Fargeat, Director
BEST ANIMATED SHORT FILM – Follow Your Heart - Rob O'Neill, Director
BEST FOREIGN SHORT FILM – Zaatari - David Ghali - Director
ART, ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN - The Whimsical Imagineer – Ken Kebow, Director

2016 JURY AWARDS

BEST FEATURE FILM – Embers - Claire Carré, Director
BEST ACTOR - George Kosturos - American Wrestler: The Wizard
BEST DIRECTOR - Claire Carré - Embers
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY - Rudiger Barth, William A. Kirkley - Orange Sunshine
BEST DOCUMENTARY - Off The Rails - Adam Irving, Director
BEST EDITING - Chris Catanach - Orange Sunshine

SHORT FILMS

BEST NARRATIVE SHORT FILM - Hi, How Are You – Director, Daniel Johnston
BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT FILM - The Last Barn Dance - Jason Arthurs and Ted Richardson, Directors
BEST ANIMATED SHORT FILM – Violet - Windy Marshall, Director
BEST FOREIGN SHORT FILM – Deszcz - Malina Maria Mackiewicz, Director

2016 FESTIVAL HONORS:

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN FILMMAKING: DIRECTING - Bob Yari - Papa: Hemingway in Cuba
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN FILMMAKING: FEATURE FILM - Love & Friendship – Director Wit Stillman
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN FILMMAKING: FEATURE FILM - American Wrestler: The Wizard - Alex Ranarivelo, Director
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN FILMMAKING: FOREIGN FILM - The Violin Teacher – Sergio Machado, Director
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN FILMMAKING: FOREIGN FILM - The Innocents (Agnus Dei) – Anne Fontaine, Director
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN FILMMAKING: ACTING - Dev Patel - The Man Who Knew Infinity
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN FILMMAKING: ACTING - Evanna Lynch - My Name is Emily
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN FILMMAKING: SCREENWRITING - Alexander Janko - Year By The Sea
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN FILMMAKING: EDITING - Todd Holmes - Coming Through The Rye
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN FILMMAKING: ENSEMBLE CAST - Love Is All You Need?
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN FILMMAKING: SHORT FILM – Roksana - Shaina Pakravan, Director
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN FILMMAKING: SHORT FILM – Zelos - Thoranna Sigurdardottir, Director
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN FILMMAKING: SHORT FILM - Clock Maker’s Dream - Cashell Horgan, Director
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN FILMMAKING: SHORT FILM - Delicate Things - Patrick Maxwell, Director
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN FILMMAKING: SHORT FOREIGN FILM - Foal
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN FILMMAKING: SHORT DOCUMENTARY FILM Twin Visions – Louise Salter and Gavin Bowden, Directors
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN FILMMAKING: SHORT ANIMATION FILM – Dissonance - Till Nowak, Director
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN FILMMAKING: FAMILY FILM - Lost & Found - Liam O'Neill, Director
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN FILMMAKING: MUSIC – Monument - Israel Anthem, Director
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN FILMMAKING: ACTION SPORTS - Fire and Water – Thomas Brookins, Director
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN FILMMAKING: ACTION SPORTS - Chasing Niagara – Rush Sturges
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN FILMMAKING: BREAKOUT PERFORMANCE - Brianna Hildebrand – The Voice Inside, Actress & Producer

Attendance at the 2016 Newport Beach Film Festival was 50,000 with a record number of sellouts. The Newport Beach Film Festival is sponsored in part by City of Newport Beach, Visit Newport Beach, Arrowhead Water, Tito’s Handmade Vodka, Celebrity Cruises, Fashion Island and Los Angeles Times.


About The Newport Beach Film Festival
Celebrated as one of the leading lifestyle film festivals in the United States, the Newport Beach Film Festival seeks to bring to Orange County the best of classic and contemporary filmmaking from around the world. Committed to enlightening the public with a first-class international film program, a forum for cultural understanding and enriching educational opportunities, the NBFF focuses on showcasing a diverse collection of studio and independent films from around the globe. The 17th annual Newport Beach Film Festival ran April 21st - April 28th and spotlighted over 400 films from around the world.

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Kate Beckinsale to Appear at Salt Lake Comic Con FanX 2016

Salt Lake Comic Con Announces Superstar Kate Beckinsale as Salt Lake Comic Con FanX™ 2016 Celebrity Guest

Star of “Underworld,” “Van Helsing,” “The Aviator” and “Total Recall” will be at FanX; tickets on sale now; FanX takes place March 24-26, 2016 at the Salt Palace Convention Center

SALT LAKE CITY--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Salt Lake Comic Con (http://saltlakecomiccon.com/) announced today that English actress Kate Beckinsale is the latest in a long line of exciting celebrity guests attending FanX™ 2016. Salt Lake Comic Con FanX16 will be the first comic con fan event where Kate Beckinsale will be available for Photo Ops and Autographs with fans.

    “Kate is a natural fit for FanX™ as the star of ‘Underworld’ and many other Hollywood blockbusters”

The event is scheduled for March 24-26, 2016 at the Salt Palace Convention Center. FanX™ is produced by the same team behind Salt Lake Comic Con, which established itself as one of the top pop culture events in North America and the most attended convention in the history of Utah. The attendance numbers and quality of the fanXperience have grown with each subsequent show.

Beckinsale is best known to comic con fans for her starring role as the vampire Selene in the action-horror “Underworld” film series, which grossed nearly $500 million at the box office. Other notable roles include Ava Gardner in the Oscar-winning biopic “The Aviator,” Nurse Lt. Evelyn Johnson in the war film “Pearl Harbor,” Lori Quaid in the sci-fi reboot “Total Recall,” and many others. Beckinsale will reprise her role as Selene in “Underworld: Next Generation,” due in theaters October 14, 2016. She also attended University of Oxford, is fluent in four languages and was named Esquire’s Sexiest Woman Alive in 2009.

“Kate is a natural fit for FanX™ as the star of ‘Underworld’ and many other Hollywood blockbusters,” said Dan Farr, Salt Lake Comic Con Founder and Producer. “With a new ‘Underworld’ movie coming out this fall, this is a great opportunity for fans to meet the star of the next highly anticipated installment.”

The “Underworld” franchise has had a variety of spin-offs, including novelizations, video games, adapted films and a comics series. Additionally, Beckinsale’s Selene character was loosely based on Marvel Comics’ vampire, mutant and sorceress Selene, who appeared as an enemy of the “X-Men.”

“Kate Beckinsale crosses so many fandoms from sci-fi to supernatural with films like ‘Underworld,’ ‘Total Recall’ and ‘Van Helsing.’ She has established herself as an A-List celebrity co-starring with Leonardo DiCaprio in ‘The Aviator,’ Ben Affleck in ‘Pearl Harbor’ and John Cusack in ‘Serendipity,’” said Bryan Brandenburg, Salt Lake Comic Con Co-Founder and Chief Marketing Officer. “She is a super exciting addition to an already stellar guest lineup. We are on track to deliver our fans their best experience yet.”

Previous FanX™ 2016 guest announcements include Gillian Anderson, George Takei, Norman Reedus, Matt Smith, Buzz Aldrin, Peter Facinelli and Levar Burton.

The third annual FanX™ is an exclusive event for Salt Lake Comic Con fans designed to give attendees an up close and personal FanXperience with their favorite pop culture icons. In addition to celebrity guests, FanX™ will feature comicbook artists and creators, authors, panelists, and more. There are more celebrity guests and panel programming per square feet than the bigger event in the fall, with over 400 guests and panelists.

FanX™ 2016 is the first event of the year, with Salt Lake Comic Con 2016 scheduled for September. Both events feature incredible FanXperiences. Celebrity Stars pose for Photo Ops and sign Autographs for fans, as well as share stories and answer questions at a Spotlight Panel. Famous Authors and Artists will also be on hand to meet fans and sell prints and books they will personally sign. Hundreds of hours of Panels will take place over the weekend, covering a wide range of pop culture topics. The Vendor Hall features hundreds of booths selling collectibles, clothes, exclusives, and other geeky merchandise. The youngest fans will find a place to meet kid-favorite characters, participate in family-friendly activities, and make arts and crafts in the KidCon section of the event. There will also be other Special Events scheduled over the weekend, including parties, nightlife, exclusive paid panels, meet-and-greets and more.

For more information about FanX™ 2016 or to buy tickets, visit the Salt Lake Comic Con website at http://saltlakecomiccon.com/. Attendees will save $10 by purchasing online before the event. Learn more about what there is to see and do at FanX™ by visiting http://saltlakecomiccon.com/fanx-xperiences/.


ABOUT SALT LAKE COMIC CON:
Salt Lake Comic Con and Salt Lake Comic Con FanX™ is organized by Dan Farr Productions and is not associated with any other comic con. FanXperience is the Ultimate Fan Celebration. Dan Farr Productions is an event and marketing group devoted to organizing events, launching and acquiring new shows, and partnering with premium celebrities and brands in the pop culture arena. Dan Farr Productions is dedicated to producing spectacular celebrations of popular culture that lead the market in providing exceptional and rewarding experiences for our consumers, fans, celebrity guests, vendors and partners. Find out more at: www.SaltLakeComicCon.com

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Mark Wahlberg Gets Down and Dirty in Down and Dirty "Contraband"

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 45 (of 2012) by Leroy Douressaux


Contraband (2012)
Running time: 108 minutes (1 hour, 48 minutes)
MPAA – R for violence, pervasive language and brief drug use
DIRECTOR: Baltasar Kormákur
WRITER: Aaron Guzikowski (based on the film, Reykjavik-Rotterdam, from a screenplay by Arnaldur Indriðason and Óskar Jónasson)
PRODUCERS: Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Baltasar Kormákur, Stephen Levinson, and Mark Wahlberg
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Barry Ackroyd
EDITOR: Elísabet Ronalds
COMPOSER: Clinton Shorter

CRIME/THRILLER

Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Ben Foster, Kate Beckinsale, Giovanni Ribisi, Lukas Haas, Caleb Landry Jones, J.K. Simmons, Kevin “Lucky” Johnson, Ólafur Darri Ólafsson, David O’Hara, Diego Luna, Connor Hill, Bryce McDaniel, Jaqueline Fleming, Jack Landry, J. Omar Castro, Jason Mitchell, and William Lucking

Contraband is a 2012 crime thriller starring Mark Wahlberg. It is a remake of Reykjavik-Rotterdam, a 2008 film from Iceland. Contraband’s director, Baltasar Kormákur, starred in the original film. Contraband is about a former smuggler who temporarily returns to smuggling in order to protect his brother-in-law from a violent street-level drug lord.

Former smuggler, Chris Farraday (Mark Wahlberg), now runs his own small business installing security alarms. He lives in New Orleans, Louisiana, and enjoys a happy and peaceful life with his wife, Kate (Kate Beckinsale), and their two sons. However, his brother-in-law, Andy (Caleb Landry Jones), recently botched a drug smuggling job for Tim Briggs (Giovanni Ribisi), a ruthless drug lord.

To pay back Andy’s debt to Briggs, Chris sets up an operation to smuggle ten million dollars in high-end counterfeit money out of Panama and back into New Orleans. To protect his family from Briggs’ threats, Chris asks his old partner, Sebastian Abney (Ben Foster), to watch over Kate and the children. However, there are many others players in this game, both in New Orleans and in Panama, and this contraband run will put all of Chris’ smuggling skills to the test.

I consider time spent watching a Mark Wahlberg movie (one in which he is the lead or one of the major characters) to be time well spent, and Contraband was time well spent. I enjoyed the hell out of it. The film is plot heavy with a large cast of characters, and both elements are well done. However, the film focuses on the plot, subplots, and all the twists and turns they take, more than it ever delves into the characters.

That is a shame because there are some good supporting characters and some good supporting performances. I generally like everything Giovanni Ribisi does, and he is Oscar-worthy as the crazy mutha, Tim Briggs. The always-reliable J.K. Simmons is riotous as the butt-hole-ish, Captain Camp. Even Kate Beckinsale manages to eek out some intensity as the wife/female victim, Kate Farraday. With more emphasis on character development and character drama, Contraband could have been a great film. Instead, it is just a really good film. Oh, well.

The focus is, of course, on the star, and Mark Wahlberg is a fine actor and a true movie star. Movie stars carry movies, and Wahlberg’s streetwise, don’t-mess-with-me, don’t-betray-me, screen persona is alluring – at least to me. If you like Mark Wahlberg, you will probably like Contraband. If you like crime thrillers, Contraband is criminally thrilling.

7 of 10
B+

Saturday, June 02, 2012

Review: "Underworld: Awakening" is Not Quite Awake

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 5 (of 2012) by Leroy Douresseaux

Underworld: Awakening (2012)
Running time: 88 minutes (1 hour, 28 minutes)
MPAA – R for strong violence and gore, and for some language
DIRECTOR: Måns Mårlind and Björn Stein
WRITERS: Len Wiseman, John Hlavin, J. Michael Straczynski, and Allison Burnett; from a story by Len Wiseman (based upon characters created by Kevin Grevioux and Danny McBride and Len Wiseman)
PRODUCERS: Len Wiseman, Gary Lucchesi, Tom Rosenberg, and Richard Wright
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Scott Kevan
EDITOR: Jeff McEvoy
COMPOSER: Paul Haslinger

FANTASY/ACTION/HORROR with elements of sci-fi

Starring: Kate Beckinsale, Michael Ealy, Stephen Rea, Theo James, India Eisley, Sandrine Holt, Charles Dance, and Kris Holden-Reid with Wes Bentley

Underworld: Awakening is a 2012 action horror film and is the fourth movie in the Underworld film franchise. Awakening is a direct sequel to the second installment, Underworld: Evolution (2006).

Six months after the events depicted in Evolution, humans discovered the existence of vampires and Lycans and began a war to eradicate the two races. Selene (Kate Beckinsale), the vampire Death Dealer, was captured and imprisoned in cryogenic suspension (put on ice, so to speak) during this war. She awakens 12 years later and manages to escape from Antigen, the facility where she was imprisoned. Selene has returned to a world that believes that vampires and Lycans are no more, but is this true?

Selene discovers that another test subject escaped from Antigen, a girl named Eve (India Eisley) who has a shocking connection to Selene. Now, the Death Dealer must protect Eve from the head scientist at Antigen, Dr. Jacob Lane (Stephen Rea), who wants to experiment on Eve. Selene allies with a young vampire named David (Theo James), but his father, Thomas (Charles Dance), considers Selene and Eve a danger to his coven. Meanwhile, Detective Sebastian (Michael Ealy), a human, has inadvertently discovered a conspiracy that threatens both humans and vampires.

First, I must admit that Underworld: Awakening is now the least of the four Underworld films. I say “least” instead of “worst” because I like this franchise, and the movie isn’t that bad. Truthfully, though, the first half of Awakening is a disaster; it’s as if a director had a big budget and still produced a cheesy, sci-fi horror flick destined for a Saturday night premiere on the Syfy channel. In the second half, when the screenplay unleashes Selene and allows her to be the ass-kicking Death Dealer we all know and love, then, the film comes to life and manages a decent finish.

Two other things of note: Awakening takes the mayhem and violence of this series to new heights, even for a franchise about werewolves and vampires. There is a level of gore here that will make even some hardened veterans of science fiction/fantasy/horror violence catch their breath. Secondly, the supporting characters are entirely wasted. What is the point of even having Michael Ealy’s Detective Sebastian in the movie; did the producers/studio just want a black guy in the movie? The character is actually good and has potential, but like the others, he is under-utilized.

Underworld: Awakening is actually something of a rebirth of the franchise, as it essentially starts the story on a fresh path. That’s not why this movie is a misfire. Underworld: Awakening is simply half a decent movie that has to drag along a really bad other half.

5 of 10
C+

Sunday, January 22, 2012

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"Underworld: Evolution" Also Slick, Sexy and Cool

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 14 (of 2006) by Leroy Douresseaux


Underworld: Evolution (2006)
Running time: 105 minutes (1 hour, 45 minutes)
MPAA – R for pervasive strong violence and gore, some sexuality/nudity, and language
DIRECTOR: Len Wiseman
WRITERS: Danny McBride; based upon a story by Danny McBride and Len Wiseman (based upon characters created by Kevin Grevioux and Danny McBride and Len Wiseman)
PRODUCERS: Gary Lucchesi, Tom Rosenberg, and Richard Wright
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Simon Duggan
EDITOR: Nicolas De Toth

FANTASY/ACTION/HORROR with elements of sci-fi

Starring: Kate Beckinsale, Scott Speedman, Tony Curran, Bill Nighy, Derek Jacobi, Shane Brolly, Michael Sheen, and Steven Mackintosh

After the chaos at the end of Underworld, the war between the vampires and the lycans (werewolves) has taken a backseat to unlocking the secrets to the beginnings of the ancient feud. Vampire heroine, Selene (Kate Beckinsale), a Death Dealer (one who hunts lycans), and Michael Corvin (Scott Speedman), the human who became a lycan/vampire hybrid, have found their quest to unlock the secrets of their bloodlines hampered by the reawakening of Marcus (Tony Curran), the first vampire – also a powerful hybrid.

Marcus is hunting for the crypt where his brother William, the first werewolf, has been imprisoned for eight centuries. That also means Marcus must uncover the machinations of Viktor (Bill Nighy), the vampire lord who imprisoned William and who was killed at the end of the first film. [Viktor only appears in this film via flashbacks). Marcus is willing to kill anyone who stands in his way, including Selene, Michael… and Alexander Corvinus (Derek Jacobi), who is Marcus and William’s father and the man who was the first immortal.

Underworld: Evolution, as a sequel, is like Superman II to Superman and Star Trek 2: The Wrath of Kahn to Star Trek: The Motion Picture, more kick-ass than the original. I would call Evolution better than its predecessor. Although this film is even more of an action flick than the first, the two films are different. Whereas the first could be seen as some kind of riff on the Blade films with a twist of Goth style and music video cool, Underworld: Evolution has the explosiveness of a Lethal Weapon movie or a Michael Bay film (say, The Rock or Bad Boys II). It’s a fantasy mini-epic, but more video game fantasy than Tolkien.

The acting is as good as before. Kate Beckinsale is as magnetic and as alluring as the sexist action babe or femme fatale, and she can give a beat down that would make Charles Bronson proud. Scott Speedman is a solid leading man, and he plays second fiddle to Ms. Beckinsale without disappearing; he actually makes us miss him when he’s off screen. The music is better, and there is a nice addition to the costumes in the form of the vampire war armor. The film’s hues are warmer than in the first film – the better to fit Evolution’s hot passions and blood feuds.

But the architects of the film’s success remain director Len Wiseman and screenwriter Danny McBride; they seem to hit all the right notes. Here, it’s the fabulous and intricate back-story of the vampires and lycans that engages the viewer as much as the visual pyrotechnics and theatrics that Wiseman pumps into the film. If there is any reason for this franchise to continue, it’s certainly to see the twists, turns, and surprises that McBride and Wiseman may have in store. In the meantime, Underworld: Evolution simultaneously satisfies and whets the appetite. It will only take a few minutes of this excellent entertainment to make the viewer want to invest himself in the wild ride.

8 of 10
A

Saturday, January 21, 2006

"Underworld" Still Slick, Sexy and Cool

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 145 (of 2003) by Leroy Douresseaux


Underworld (2003)
Running time: 121 minutes (2 hours, 1 minute)
MPAA – R for strong violence/gore and some language
DIRECTOR: Len Wiseman
WRITERS: Danny McBride, from a story by Kevin Grevioux, Danny McBride, and Len Wiseman
PRODUCERS: Gary Lucchesi, Tom Rosenberg, and Richard Wright
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Tony Pierce-Roberts
EDITOR: Martin Hunter
COMPOSER: Paul Haslinger

HORROR/FANTASY/ACTION

Starring: Kate Beckinsale, Scott Speedman, Shane Brolly, Michael Sheen, Bill Nighy, Erwin Leder, Sophia Myles, Danny McBride, and Kevin Grevioux

Underworld is a 2003 action/fantasy film about a war between vampires and werewolves (called Lycans). I believe that this film exists in a fantasy world that looks so good and convincing on screen because of modern cinematic technology.

Quite a few people have come to believe that computers generated special effects have elevated what was once traditional Hollywood B-movie material (science fiction, fantasy, horror, etc.) to A-list status. Once upon a time quality story telling was king because even the best that special effects could do no more than make an obviously fake flying saucer look like an obviously fake flying saucer. Now, special effects can convincingly create fantastic worlds, outlandish creatures, and bizarre scenarios. A plain old movie drama pales next to some two-and-a-half hour vampire, car chase, kung fu, and alien invasion action movie.

I’d like to believe that Underworld, with its straight-forward tale about a centuries-long blood feud between werewolves and vampires, could still be very entertaining without the aid of computer generated effects (CGI) or any kind of SFX, for that matter. There’s no doubt that the movie proudly wears its B-movie heritage on its sleeve, and the creators sold the studio on the movie by pitching the idea, “Romeo and Juliet with vampires and werewolves.” Truthfully, very little about Underworld vampire/werewolf conflict makes much sense. The feud only seems a reason for Vampires to walk around in fancy and expensive leather gear and shoot hundreds of rounds of ammunitions. For the werewolves, or Lycans as they called in this film, the conflict gives them a reason to hide in the city’s underbelly, crawling around like low-rent thugs and thieves and engage in homoerotic intra clan feuds, as there are apparently no female Lycans.

Selene (Kate Beckinsale) is a death dealer, a Vampire warrior who hunts the Lycans. The Lycans were supposed to be on the run ever since their great leader Lucian (Michael Sheen) was killed six centuries prior, but the war never ended. Selene’s people are clan of secretive, modern sophisticates, as much dilettantes as they are vampires, and she alone seems to hold a hard line against the Lycans. Now, Selene has found the werewolves tracking a handsome young human man named Michael Corvin (Scott Speedman), and she is determined to discover why, even as she suspects her clan leader Kraven (Shane Brolly) is involved in a great conspiracy that could endanger all of her kind.

Visually, Underworld resembles The Matrix films, and stylistically the story is quite similar to the Blade films (maybe even a bit of The Crow), but director Len Wiseman and his cohorts create their own crazy dish from the various sources they raided to concoct Underworld. It’s by no means a great movie, and the acting is as much unintentionally funny as it is dreadfully serious. It’s oh-so-dark and oh-so-seriously gothic and Goth, and the dialogue is so stiff and formal that I can almost swear that no character spoke one word of contraction.

Still, though this film is ponderous and painfully derivative, I couldn’t take my eyes off it. I found Underworld to be quite good, and I’ll see it again. I can’t imagine that many fans of genre films would not see it, though many may actually not like it. For me, it’s one of those “ultimate” popcorn flicks – horror, fantasy, and action all put together and filmed as if it were a very, very, very long music video. It’s gloriously and hilariously dark eye candy for the comic book and sci-fi geeks. The nitpicker in me might sneer, but the film geek in me wants more. I’ll take it warts and all.

7 of 10
B+

2012 Independent Spirit Award Nominations Announced

2012 FILM INDEPENDENT SPIRIT AWARD NOMINATIONS ANNOUNCED

$115,000 in grants to be awarded to filmmakers

LOS ANGELES (November 29, 2011) – Film Independent, the non-profit arts organization that produces the Spirit Awards and the Los Angeles Film Festival, announced nominations for the 2012 Film Independent Spirit Awards this morning. Anthony Mackie and Kate Beckinsale served as presenters. Nominees for Best Feature include 50/50, Beginners, Drive, Take Shelter and The Artist.

Margin Call was selected to receive the annual Robert Altman Award, which is bestowed upon one film’s director, casting director and ensemble cast.

“The Film Independent Spirit Awards recognize the finest artistic achievements across the broad spectrum of independent filmmaking—from emerging talent working on a shoestring budget to established auteurs,” said Film Independent Senior Director Sean Mc Manus. “The 2012 nominees tell their stories in such an authentic way and reflect the inclusive nature of the independent filmmaking community. We are delighted to support them and expand the audience for their work.”

“The Spirit Awards focuses primarily on American independents, so it was an honor to serve alongside an esteemed and dedicated group of indie film colleagues to determine many of the 2012 nominees,” said producer and Chair of the American Narrative Feature Nominating Committee Gail Mutrux. “It was an invigorating process—experiencing first-hand the vast array of storytelling that defines independent film, and discovering many new talents whose films inspired us.”

Winners will be announced at the Film Independent Spirit Awards on Saturday, February 25, 2012. The 27th annual awards ceremony will be held as a daytime luncheon in a tent on the beach in Santa Monica, and the premiere broadcast will air later that evening at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT on IFC. Winners of the Spirit Awards Filmmaker Grants will be highlighted during the awards ceremony and announced at the Film Independent Spirit Awards Nominee Brunch on Saturday, January 14, 2012 at BOA Steakhouse in West Hollywood.

The Spirit Awards Nominating Committees selected nominees from 277 submissions this year and applied the following guidelines in determining the nominations: uniqueness of vision, original and provocative subject matter, economy of means (with particular attention paid to total production cost & individual compensation), and percentage of financing from independent sources. The Spirit Awards Nominating Committee was comprised of the following committees:

The American Narrative Nominating Committee was chaired by producer Gail Mutrux and included: film critic/journalist Robert Abele; writer Dustin Lance Black; producers Stuart Cornfeld, Barry Mendel; actors Dale Dickey, André Royo, Souléymane Sy Savané; cinematographers Paula Huidobro, Stephen Goldblatt; writer/directors Courtney Hunt, Robert D. Siegel; writer/director/producer Malcolm D. Lee; director Floria Sigismondi; casting director Margery Simkin; and writer Dan Waters.

The Documentary Feature Nominating Committee was chaired by CEO Landmark Theatres Ted Mundorff and included: producer Lesley Chilcott; KCET’s Juan Devis; director Laura Gabbert; author/filmmaker Nelson George; filmmaker John Maringouin; San Francisco Film Society’s Director of Programming Rachel Rosen; and Los Angeles Times and NPR’s “Morning Edition” film critic Kenneth Turan.

The International Feature Nominating Committee was chaired by filmmaker Mary Sweeney and included: actors Shohreh Aghdashloo, Demián Bichir; Film Society of Lincoln Center’s Director of Digital Strategy Eugene Hernandez; director Leon Ichaso; writer/director Larry Karaszewski; producer/director Hossein Keshavarz; cinematographer Ellen Kuras; composer Cliff Martinez; and producer Frida Torresblanco.

The Piaget Producers Award Nominating Committee was chaired by producer Brian Udovich and included: producers Anish Savjani, Lynette Howell and Amy Kaufman.

The Someone to Watch Award Nominating Committee was chaired by producer Alison Dickey and included: filmmaker Jay Duplass; Dallas Film Society Artistic Director James Faust; Denver Post film critic Lisa Kennedy; and writer/director Daniel Stamm.

The Truer Than Fiction Award Nominating Committee was chaired by film critic Wesley Morris and included: filmmakers Ava DuVernay, Laura Poitras; filmmaker/cinematographer PJ Raval; and programmer Laura Thielen.

As the first event to exclusively honor independent film, the Film Independent Spirit Awards has made a name for itself as the premier awards show for the independent film community. Artists who have received industry recognition first at the Spirit Awards include Joel & Ethan Coen, Spike Lee, Oliver Stone, Ashley Judd, Robert Rodriguez, David O. Russell, Edward Burns, Aaron Eckhart, Neil LaBute, Darren Aronofsky, Spike Jonze, Charlie Kaufman, Hilary Swank, Marc Forster, Todd Field, Christopher Nolan, Zach Braff, Amy Adams, Lena Dunham and many more.

The Film Independent Spirit Awards are sponsored by Premier Sponsors ELLE, Piaget and Jameson Irish Whiskey. WireImage is the Official Photographer and PR Newswire is the Official Breaking News Service of Film Independent.

For more information on submission guidelines, voting, media and publicist credentials, and the history of the Spirit Awards, please visit SpiritAwards.com.


ABOUT THE FILM INDEPENDENT SPIRIT AWARDS
Now in its 27th year, the Film Independent Spirit Awards is an annual celebration honoring artist-driven films made with an economy of means by filmmakers who embody independence and originality. The Spirit Awards recognizes the achievements of American independent filmmakers and promotes the finest independent films of the year to a wider audience.

Awards are given in the following categories: Best Feature, Best First Feature, Best First Screenplay, Best Director, Best Screenplay, John Cassavetes Award (given to the best feature made for a budget under $500,000), Best Male Lead, Best Female Lead, Best Supporting Male, Best Supporting Female, Best Cinematography, Best International Film, Best Documentary, and the Robert Altman Award. The Filmmaker Grants include the Piaget Producers Award, Someone to Watch Award, Truer Than Fiction Award and Jameson FIND Your Audience Award.

ABOUT FILM INDEPENDENT
Film Independent is a non-profit arts organization that champions independent film and supports a community of artists who embody diversity, innovation, and uniqueness of vision. Film Independent helps filmmakers make their movies, builds an audience for their projects, and works to diversify the film industry. Film Independent’s Board of Directors, filmmakers, staff, and constituents, is comprised of an inclusive community of individuals across ability, age, ethnicity, gender, race, and sexual orientation. Anyone passionate about film can become a member, whether you are a filmmaker, industry professional, or a film lover.

Film Independent produces the Spirit Awards, the annual celebration honoring artist-driven films and recognizing the finest achievements of American independent filmmakers. Film Independent also produces the Los Angeles Film Festival, showcasing the best of American and international cinema and the Film Independent at LACMA Film Series, a year-round, weekly program that offers unique cinematic experiences for the Los Angeles creative community and the general public.

With over 250 annual screenings and events, Film Independent provides access to a network of like-minded artists who are driving creativity in the film industry. Film Independent’s Artist Development program offers free Labs for selected writers, directors, producers and documentary filmmakers and presents year-round networking opportunities. Project:Involve is Film Independent’s signature program dedicated to fostering the careers of talented filmmakers from communities traditionally underrepresented in the film industry.

For more information or to become a member, visit FilmIndependent.org.

Review: "Underworld: Unrated Extended Cut" is For Hardcore Fans (Happy B'day, Kate Beckinsale)

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 17 (of 2005) by Leroy Douresseaux

Underworld (2003)
2 Disc Unrated Extended Cut – May 25, 2004
Running time: 134 minutes (2 hours,14 minutes)
DIRECTOR: Len Wiseman
WRITERS: Danny McBride; from a story by Kevin Grevioux and Danny McBride Len Wiseman
PRODUCERS: Tom Rosenburg, Gary Lucchesi, and Richard Wright
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Tony Pierce-Roberts, BSC
EDITOR: Martin Hunter

ACTION/DRAMA/FANTASY/HORROR/THRILLER

Starring: Kate Beckinsale, Scott Speedman, Michael Sheen, Shane Brolly, Bill Nighy, Erwin Leder, Sophia Myles, Robby Gee, Wentworth Miller, and Kevin Grevioux

In the 2003 film, Underworld, there has been a war between the Vampire and Lycan (Werewolf) clans for about 1000 years. The film focuses on Selene (Kate Beckinsale), a young vampire warrior known as a Death Dealer. The Death Dealers are the ones who hunt, track, and kill Lycans. During a hunt at the beginning of the film, she discovers two Lycans following a young American medical intern, Michael Corvin (Scott Speedman). Michael is the key to the Lycan leader, Lucian’s (Michael Sheen), plot to unite the two warring species, but Selene discovers that Michael is also advertently a link to a centuries-old conspiracy between Lucian and the Vampire’s current leader, Kraven (Shane Brolly). As the web of conspiracy broadens, Selene must use her resourcefulness and martial skills to save her clan and Michael.

Underworld (2 Disc Unrated Extended Cut) contains 12 minutes of extra footage, which amounts to more backstory on Michael Corvin and the Lycans, a new battle scene at the end, and a subplot involving the sexy and catty, Erika (Sophia Myles). There is also 11 minutes of recut or “replacement footage.” According to Wiseman’s commentary, this is not a “director’s cut,” because he cut the 12 minutes in the original film for pacing, and as he says, you’ll hardly notice the difference, as I didn’t.

I liked the film the first time I saw it and I like it even more the second time. The movie is a blend of Blade, The Crow, and The Matrix. Conceptually, it borrows from the Blade franchise, but visually, it’s takes from The Crow and absolutely leans on and loots The Matrix. However, it is a superbly made bit of fluff that is divinely tasty eye candy. Although the concept and script are full of holes, it’s kind of like a gorgeous looking high-concept music video with much more story than music video normally have. By the way, “unrated” doesn’t mean we get to see skin from Ms. Beckinsale. This is a must-have for hardcore fans of the film, even if it means dumping the first DVD edition.

7 of 10
A-

NOTES:
DVD includes a 48-page Underworld comic book and a 16-page production sketch booklet, which contains several storyboard-to-screen comparisons. Disc 1 contains the extended cut of the film with (1) director and cast (Ms. Beckinsale and Speedman) commentaries; (2) outtakes; (3) the American Movie Classic (AMC) television special “Fang vs. Fiction”; (4) two TV spots; (4) and previews of four (then) upcoming movies distributed by Sony Pictures. Disc 2 has several features including a music video by the band Finch (“Worms of the Earth”) and several looks at designing the look and sounds of the film.

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Review: Kenneth Branagh Makes Much Magic in "Much Ado About Nothing"

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 127 (of 2005) by Leroy Douresseaux

Much Ado About Nothing (1993)
Running time: 110 minutes (1 hour, 50 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13
DIRECTOR: Kenneth Branagh
WRITER: Kenneth Branagh (adapted for the screen from Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare)
PRODUCERS: Stephen Evan, David Parfitt, and Branagh
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Roger Lanser
EDITOR: Andrew Marcus
BAFTA nominee

COMEDY/ROMANCE with elements of drama, music, and musical

Starring: Kenneth Branagh, Michael Keaton, Robert Sean Leonard, Keanu Reeves, Emma Thompson, and Denzel Washington, Richard Briers, Kate Beckinsale, Brian Blessed, Imelda Staunton, Jimmy Yuill, Phyllida Law, Richard Clifford, and Gerard Horan

Kenneth Branagh earned two Oscar-nominations (acting and directing) for his 1989 film, Henry V, a screen adaptation of William Shakespeare’s stage drama. Branagh brought the Bard back to the screen for a second time under his direction with the 1993 film, Much Ado About Nothing, which received a 1993 Golden Globe nomination for Best Motion Picture – Comedy/Musical (and an Independent Spirit Award nom for “Best Feature”).

A high-spirited tale of love, mistaken identity, and bawdy humor, Much Ado About Nothing is set in Messina (Sicily), where hot-bloodied youth, Claudio (Robert Sean Leonard), is engaged to marry a beautiful young woman named Hero (Kate Beckinsale). Claudio is so anxious to wed that his best friend, Don Pedro (Denzel Washington), devises some mischief to distract Claudio. Don Pedro concocts a romantic trap for Hero’s cousin, the sharp-tongued Beatrice (Emma Thompson, Independent Spirit Award nomination for “Best Female Lead”) and the man she most loves to hate, Benedick (Kenneth Branagh). However, amusement turns to horror, scandal, and tragedy by the hand of Don Pedro’s rakish brother, Don John (Keanu Reeves), who schemes to destroy the engagement and marriage of Claudio and Hero. Can the chance intervention of the local law, Dogberry (Michael Keaton), restore the love and laughter to this circle of friends?

It’s almost hard to believe, but Much Ado About Nothing manages to be ravishing entertainment, engaging brain food, and a finely crafted costume drama in only 102 minutes of screen time. It’s a sexy, joyous romp filmed with delightful rudeness, playful sexual innuendo, and the sun-drenched charm of its shooting location (Chianti, Toscana, Central Italy). It takes an attentive ear (and more patience than many moviegoers are willing to give) to hear every Shakespearean word and turn of a phrase, but the cast’s exuberant delivery of the Bard’s masterful language is… well, masterful.

If the good acting weren’t enough (Branagh and Emma Thompson actually outshine the rest of this talented cast of movie stars and fine character actors), this exuberant production is filled with lively songs, musical numbers, and a soaring life-giving score. If you like Shakespeare on the big screen, this is a gift for you. If you never believed that Shakespeare could be so funny and sexy, Branagh and his cohorts will convert you into a true believer.

8 of 10
A

NOTES:
1994 BAFTA Awards: 1 nomination: “Best Costume Design” (Phyllis Dalton)

1993 Cannes Film Festival: 1 nomination: “Palme d'Or” (Kenneth Branagh)

1994 Golden Globes: 1 nomination: “Best Motion Picture - Comedy/Musical”

1994 Razzie Award: 1 nomination: “Worst Supporting Actor” (Keanu Reeves)

Review: With "Click" Adam Sandler Does a Family Movie True to His Style

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 230 (of 2006) by Leroy Douresseaux

Click (2006)
Running time: 108 minutes (1 hour, 48 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for language, crude and sex related humor, and some drug references
DIRECTOR: Frank Coraci
WRITERS: Steve Koren and Mark O’Keefe
PRODUCERS: Adam Sandler, Jack Giarraputo, Neal H. Moritz, Steve Koren, and Mark O’Keefe
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Dean Semler, A.C.S. A.S.C.
EDITOR: Jeff Gourson
Academy Award nominee

FANTASY/COMEDY with elements of drama and sci-fi

Starring: Adam Sandler, Kate Beckinsale, Christopher Walken, Henry Winkler, David Hasselhoff, Julie Kavner, Sean Astin, Joseph Castanon, Tatum McCann, Cameron Monaghan, Jake Hoffman, and Jennifer Coolidge

Adam Sandler is a dad now, and like some actors who began their career as rowdy or raunchy stand-up comedians, Sandler is probably going to start making movies that are more family friendly and less risqué since he’s a family man. Or probably not. Sandler’s recent Summer 2006 comedy hit, Click, features one of Sandler’s perpetually adolescent characters, but this time with a dramatic twist. This is another twist on It’s a Wonderful Life, but with more salt-of-the-earth type folks.

Michael Newman (Adam Sandler) is a workaholic architect with dreams of becoming a partner at the firm for which he works. His boss, Mr. Ammer (David Hasselhoff), keeps dangling promises of advancement, but only if Michael, his go-to guy, tackles the most difficult building design projects. These high profile assignments, however, keep Michael from spending time with his wife, Donna (Kate Beckinsale), and two children: son Ben (Joseph Castanon) and daughter Samantha (Tatum McCann). At Bed, Bath & Beyond, fate has him stumble across a mysterious figure named Morty (Christopher Walken), who offers Michael a magical universal remote that allows Michael to pause events in his life or fast-forward through them.

However, Michael begins to use the device not only to get out of daily tedium like dressing, showering, or driving through heavy traffic, but he also uses them to avoid times he doesn’t really want to be bothered with family obligations such as camping trips, dinner with his parents, Ted and Trudy Newman (Henry Winkler and Julie Kavner), or (good) sex with Donna. Things take a turn for the worse and the bizarre when the remote, through self-programming, takes on a mind of its own and starts fast-forwarding through Michael’s life. Michael always said that once he made partner and got the big paycheck, he’d stop working so much and spend more time with his wife and children, and now he may not be able to enjoy his family or his life.

Upon its theatrical release, many movie reviewers and film critics called Click crass and mean-spirited, which it is. The film is rude, crude, and vulgar, but Click is also a riotous, laugh-out-loud comedy. This film is trying to make a point, but it also wants to be funny. Sandler is true to his comic roots and to his core audience – an audience that wants him to be all-funny, all the time.

Click is also a life-altering comedy, but it doesn’t require Sandler’s Michael Newman to alter his character – just the way he lives. It’s not that Michael has forgotten how important his family is (and he apparently has little or no friends), but he’s ignoring them because he’s obsessed with being rich. He thinks that once he’s wealthy and can give his family all the niceties, life will be grand, but his wife and children are happy with life as they currently have it, only wanting more of him. Normally, a movie following this message would be syrupy and dull, but Click doesn’t short us on the belly laughs.

There are good performances all around, though none are great, and Sandler looks kinda punchy and tired. The greatness in this movie is the writing, and unlike Old School, Click’s writers don’t play at being subversive and rude, only to chicken out in the end to defend some bland, pop culture version of middle class values. It defends real middle class people – good guys who don’t have to be squeaky clean. That’s why Click is a heart-warming comedy/drama about love of family, but it’s still rowdy deep in its comic soul.

7 of 10
A-

Tuesday, November 7, 2006

NOTES:
2007 Academy Awards: 1 nomination: “Best Achievement in Makeup” (Kazuhiro Tsuji and Bill Corso)

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