Monday, September 20, 2010
Museum of Tolerance to Honor Clint Eastwood at Film Festival
CLINT EASTWOOD TO BE HONORED AT FESTIVAL GALA ON NOV. 14
LOS ANGELES, Sept. 14 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Museum of Tolerance will present the First Museum of Tolerance International Film Festival (MOTIFF) November 13-18, 2010 in Los Angeles, it was announced today by Museum officials. Festival offerings will be screened at the Museum's three theatres including the 300-seat state-of-the-art Peltz Theatre.
The MOTIFF will be screening films from around the globe that shine a light on human rights issues both past and present. Intertwined with classic films that bolster the Museum of Tolerance's mission, the festival will offer moviegoers six days of education, understanding and culture.
The MOTIFF will announce its lineup of films (including Opening Night, Centerpiece, and Closing Night movies) in October. The Museum of Tolerance International Film Festival Gala will take place on Sunday evening, November 14. The evening salutes films and filmmakers who have embraced issues of Tolerance and Human Rights. A number of awards will be presented including the "Tolerance Award" honoring an accomplished filmmaker whose films have brought awareness to themes encouraging tolerance, justice and human rights.
Accepting the festival's first Tolerance Award is acclaimed filmmaker Clint Eastwood. "We believe Mr. Eastwood is a superb choice for this award, which celebrates those whose work shines a light on themes of acceptance, inclusion, tolerance and forgiveness. That is certainly true of Mr. Eastwood's outstanding cinematic achievements, with only the most recent examples being 'Letters from Iwo Jima,' 'Gran Torino' and 'Invictus,'" said Rabbi Marvin Hier, Founding Director of the MOTIFF and Founder and Dean of the Simon Wiesenthal Center and its acclaimed Museum of Tolerance.
The Museum has named Randi Emerman as Executive Director of the festival. Emerman, who has been active in the film industry for two decades, has served as Executive Director of the Palm Beach International Film Festival since 2001.
"The Museum of Tolerance International Film Festival seeks to explore human rights issues and prevent hatred and genocide through the medium of film," said Rabbi Hier. "Cinema leaves a lasting impression on its audiences and is a valuable way to instill the museum's vision in a new audience. The MOTIFF is a powerful outlet for the MOT to further their mission of promoting respect and mutual understanding."
MOTIFF is currently accepting submissions and looking for films that speak out about or tell a story of human rights. Information about submitting films can be accessed at www.museumoftolerance.com/motiff. Filmmakers can also submit films at withoutabox.com. The deadline for submissions is September 20, 2010. The MOTIFF office phone number is 310-772-2408.
The educational arm of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, the Museum of Tolerance, founded in 1993, challenges visitors to confront bigotry and racism, and to understand the Holocaust in both historic and contemporary contexts. It hosts almost half a million visitors annually including 110,000 students. Because of the success of the Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles, the Center also opened the Museum of Tolerance New York in midtown Manhattan.
Sunday, September 19, 2010
"The King's Speech" Wins Top Award at Toronto
CADILLAC PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD
"The King's Speech" (directed by Tom Hooper)
Runner-up: "The First Grader" (directed by Justin Chadwick)
CADILLAC PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD FOR DOCUMENTARY
"Force of Nature: The David Suzuki Movie" (directed by Sturla Gunnarsson)
Runner-up: "Nostalgia For The Light" (directed by Patricio Guzmán)
CADILLAC PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD FOR MIDNIGHT MADNESS
"Stake Land" (directed by Jim Mickle)
Runner-up: "Fubar II" (directed by Michael Dowse)
CITY OF TORONTO AND ASTRAL MEDIA’S THE MOVIE NETWORK AWARD FOR BEST CANADIAN FEATURE FILM
"Incendies" (directed by Denis Villeneuve)
SKYY VODKA AWARD FOR BEST CANADIAN FIRST FEATURE FILM
"The High Cost of Living" (directed by Deborah Chow)
PRIZES OF THE INTERNATIONAL CRITICS (FIPRESCI PRIZE) FOR SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS SECTION
"L'Amour Fou" (directed by Pierre Thoretton)
PRIZES OF THE INTERNATIONAL CRITICS" (FIPRESCI PRIZE) FOR DISCOVERY SECTION
"Beautiful Boy" (directed by Shawn Ku)
AWARD FOR BEST CANADIAN SHORT FILM
"Les fleurs de l'âge" (Little Flowers)" (directed by Vincent Biron)
Toy Story 3 Arrives on DVD November 2nd
THE WORLD’S BIGGEST ANIMATED RELEASE OF ALL TIME COMES HOME!
THE BIGGEST TOY STORY YET JUST GOT BIGGER WITH BLU-RAY™ COMBO PACK OFFERING THREE WAYS TO ENJOY!
DISNEY●PIXAR’S Toy Story 3
Buzz and Woody - Coming To Blu-ray™ Hi-Def and DVD - November 2, 2010
BURBANK, Calif., September 2010 – They’re back! Walt Disney Animation Studios and Pixar Animation Studios present the critically-acclaimed, global box office smash Toy Story 3, an exciting, heart-warming story filled with humor, adventure and surprises, that reunites America’s favorite animated toys, Buzz and Woody, and introduces a whole new set of favorites to audiences around the globe. The world’s #1 animated film in box office history and The Walt Disney Company’s second biggest film of all time, Toy Story 3 will be released on Blu-ray and DVD November 2 by Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment.
Families won’t want to miss adding the Blu-ray Combo Pack, 2 Disc Blu-ray or the DVD edition of Toy Story 3 to their home movie collections. Fans of all ages who have come to love and cherish these unique characters, can explore them in a whole new way as the Disney●Pixar team provides a more in-depth look into Pixar Animation Studios and the creation of its characters with hours of exclusive bonus features on the Blu-ray Disc version of the film including filmmaker commentary with Director Lee Unkrich and Producer Darla K. Anderson, amusing views of life at Pixar, analysis of favorite scenes, the Toy Story Trivia Dash game, and much, much more!
Toy Story 3 marks Pixar veteran Lee Unkrich’s feature directorial debut and the return of Pixar’s favorite composer Randy Newman, with the addition of Academy Award®-winner Michael Arndt’s (Little Miss Sunshine) compelling original screenplay. Tom Hanks (Angels & Demons), Tim Allen (The Santa Clause), Joan Cusack (Confessions of a Shopaholic), John Ratzenberger (Up) and Don Rickles (Toy Story 2) reprise their roles as the voices of the iconic characters Woody, Buzz, Jessie, Hamm and Mr. Potato Head, respectively, and are joined by new characters voiced by Michael Keaton (Herbie Fully Loaded) as Barbie's romantic foil Ken, Timothy Dalton (Hot Fuzz) as the thespian hedgehog Mr. Pricklepants, and Ned Beatty (Rudy) as the cuddly Lots-o'-Huggin' Bear, among many others, as the toys face a new adventure as Andy prepares to go off to college.
Suggested retail prices for Toy Story 3 are $45.99 (US)/$52.99 (Canada) for the 4-Disc Blu-ray Combo Pack (Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Copy), $39.99 (US)/$47.99 (Canada) for the 2-Disc Blu-ray, and $29.99 (US)/$35.99 (Canada) for the Single Disc DVD.
Also available on November 2 is an exciting Ultimate Toy Box 3-Movie Collection that contains all three TOY STORY releases on Blu-ray, DVD and Digital copy. Priced at $100.00 (US)/$115 (Canada), this release contains:
· Toy Story – 1 Disc DVD; 1 Disc Blu-ray; 1 Disc Digital Copy
· Toy Story 2 – 1 Disc DVD; 1 Disc Blu-ray; 1 Disc Digital Copy
· Toy Story 3 – 1 Disc DVD; 2 Disc Blu-ray; 1 Disc Digital Copy
TOY STORY 3 - Bonus Features:
DVD:
· Day & Night – The innovative and entertaining short from the imagination of Pixar artist and Director Teddy Newton.
· Toys! – A closer look at all of Toy Story 3’s beloved toys from updating the classic characters to the creation of the Sunnyside Daycare and Bonnie’s Room toys.
· Buzz Lightyear Mission Logs: The Science of Adventure – Produced in conjunction with NASA, this hybrid animation documentary of Buzz’s visit to the International Space Station focuses on research in zero gravity and Buzz’s triumphant return to Earth.
· Paths to Pixar: Editorial – Pixar editors, past and future share anecdotes about their careers.
· The Gang’s All Here – A touching look at the returning voice talent for Toy Story 3 and an introduction to the voices of the new characters.
· A Toy’s Eye View: Creating A Whole New Land – A sneak peek at the new Toy Story-themed playland at Hong Kong Disneyland.
· Studio Stories – A series of amusing animated anecdotes about life at Pixar.
“Where’s Gordon?” – An animator finds a hidden room at Pixar.
“Cereal Bar” – The majestic and expansive Pixar cereal bar is explored.
“Clean Start” – The Toy Story 3 animators shave their heads to mark the start of the film.
BLU-RAY COMBO PACK: Everything on the DVD plus…
· Toy Story Trivia Dash – This cool game challenges you to sprint to the finish with Woody, Buzz, Jessie and Rex as you quickly answer questions about all three Toy Story movies.
· Cine-Explore – Commentary by Director Lee Unkrich and Producer Darla K. Anderson.
· Beyond the Toybox: An Alternative Commentary Track Featuring Leads from Story, Tech, Art and Animation – Commentary by Story Supervisor Jason Katz, Supervising Technical Director Guido Quaroni, Production Designer Bob Pauley and Supervising Animators Bobby Podesta and Michael Venturini.
· Beginnings: Setting A Story In Motion – Screenwriter Michael Arndt analyzes successful opening scenes from Toy Story, Finding Nemo and The Incredibles.
· Bonnie’s Playtime: A Story Roundtable – A roundtable discussion with Director Lee Unkrich and the story artists who brought the “Bonnie’s Playtime” scene to life.
· Roundin’ Up A Western Opening – The development of the movie’s exciting opening scene.
· Life Of A Shot – Toy Story 3 artists and technicians describe their contributions to a few of the shots in the film’s “Western Opening.”
· Goodbye Andy – An exploration of character design, acting and animation in the scene “Andy’s Goodbye.”
· Accidental Toymakers – By creating the Toy Story characters, the Pixar filmmakers found themselves in the unlikely role of toy designers. Meet the toy company that took a chance on manufacturing the now iconic toys and learn of their incredible success that began with a modest number of Woody and Buzz Lightyear toys 15 years ago.
· Making of Day & Night – The story behind the unique 2D/3D blended short.
About the Film:
Toy Story 3 welcomes Woody (voice of Tom Hanks), Buzz (voice of Tim Allen) and the whole gang back as Andy prepares to depart for college and his loyal toys find themselves in… day care! These untamed tots with their sticky little fingers do not play nice, so it’s all for one and one for all as plans for the great escape get underway. More than a few new faces—some plastic, some plush—join the adventure, including iconic swinging bachelor and Barbie’s counterpart Ken (voice of Michael Keaton), a thespian hedgehog named Mr. Pricklepants (voice of Timothy Dalton) and a pink, strawberry-scented teddy bear called Lots-o’-Huggin’ Bear (voice of Ned Beatty). Directed by Lee Unkrich (co-director of Toy Story 2 and Finding Nemo), produced by Pixar veteran Darla K. Anderson (Cars, Monsters, Inc.) and written by Academy Award®-winning screenwriter Michael Arndt (Little Miss Sunshine), Toy Story 3 is a comical new adventure!
About Disney Combo Packs:
To provide consumers with unprecedented quality, value and portability of their favorite Disney classics, in 2008 WDSHE pioneered the Combo Pack – a Blu-ray Disc plus a DVD and in some cases a Digital Copy of the movie in a single package. Current 2010 Disney titles available as Combo Packs include Alice in Wonderland, Ponyo, Toy Story, Toy Story 2 and Princess and the Frog.
About The Walt Disney Studios:
For more than 85 years, The Walt Disney Studios has been the foundation on which The Walt Disney Company (DIS: NYSE) was built. Today, the Studio brings quality movies, music and stage plays to consumers throughout the world. Feature films are released under four banners: Walt Disney Pictures, which includes Walt Disney Animation Studios and Pixar Animation Studios, Disneynature, Touchstone Pictures and Marvel. Through the Home Entertainment division, innovative distribution methods provide access to creative content across multiple platforms. Original music and motion picture soundtracks are produced under Walt Disney Records and Hollywood Records, while Disney Theatrical Group produces and licenses live events, including Broadway theatrical productions, Disney on Ice and Disney LIVE!. For more information, please visit http://www.disney.com/.
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Diary of a Wimpy Kid Movie is Surprisingly Strong
Diary of a Wimpy Kid (2010)
Running time: 92 minutes (1 hour, 32 minutes)
MPAA – PG for some rude humor and language
DIRECTOR: Thor Freudenthal
WRITERS: Jackie Filgo, Jeff Filgo, Gabe Sachs, and Jeff Judah (based upon the book by Jeff Kinney)
PRODUCERS: Nina Jacobson and Brad Simpson
CINEMATOGRAPHERS: Jack Green (director of photography)
EDITOR: Wendy Greene Bricmont
COMEDY/ANIMATION/FAMILY
Starring: Zachary Gordon, Robert Capron, Rachael Harris, Steve Zahn, Devon Bostick, Chloe Grace Moretz, Karan Brar, Grayson Russell, Laine MacNeil, Alfred E. Humphreys, and Connor and Owen Fielding
Diary of a Wimpy Kid is a film based on the first book in a bestselling, illustrated children’s book series of the same name by Jeff Kinney. The film follows the trials and tribulations of a wise-cracking, pre-teen as he lives through his first year in middle school.
Even as he enters, Greg Heffley (Zachary Gordon) thinks middle school is the dumbest idea ever invented, but he is confident that he will easily become the school’s most popular kid. Greg is worried that his chubby friend, Rowley Jefferson (Robert Capron), will not fit in, so he goes about trying to rid Rowley of anything that makes him look like a little kid, and therefore makes Greg look bad by association. Each of Greg’s attempts at becoming a “class favorite” fails or backfires, but when Greg lets Rowley take the blame for one of his own mistakes, Greg may not only lose his best friend, but he may also become the least popular kid in school. Luckily, Greg is getting it all down on paper in his diary, filling it with thoughts, opinions, stories and cartoon doodles – the Diary of a Wimpy Kid.
Diary of a Wimpy Kid is a lively movie – mixing social and family comedy (albeit from a kid’s perspective) with animated segments designed to mimic the stick figure art of the original books. Children will adore this bright and funny movie, but adults will also delight in this surprisingly momentous story, with its keen observations on human nature. Life lessons and redemption abound, but the movie never seems preachy.
The main reason this movie works is the performances, especially the young cast, and Zachary Gordon as Greg Heffley is by far the best. Gordon gives a performance that is surprisingly professional. Gordon doesn’t pretend to be a character like so many child actors, but actually becomes Greg Heffley, making the character seem like a real kid. Working within the parameters of the nimble filmmaking of director Thor Freudenthal, Gordon drives this movie, making Diary of Wimpy Kid not at all wimpy.
7 of 10
A-
Saturday, September 18, 2010