Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Halle Berry Makes Late Bid for Oscar Nomination
Halle Berry news from Deadline. Her based-upon-a-true-story, 1970s psychological drama, Frankie and Alice, is a last minute entrance into the Oscar race. The film, which Berry produced, has been moved up to a December 17 released date in L.A. and NYC in order to qualify for the 2011 Oscars. It will go into a wider release (the top 20 cities) on Feb. 4th, shortly after the Oscar nominations are announced.
Monday, October 25, 2010
Review: "Sex and the City: The Movie" is Groovy
TRASH IN MY EYE No. 86 (of 2010) by Leroy Douresseaux
Sex and the City (2008)
Running time: 145 minutes (2 hours, 25 minutes)
MPAA – R for strong sexual content, graphic nudity and language
DIRECTOR: Michael Patrick King
WRITER: Michael Patrick King (based upon the book by Candace Bushnell and the television series created by Darren Star)
PRODUCERS: Michael Patrick King, John Melfi, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Darren Star
CINEMATOGRAPHER: John Thomas (D.o.P.)
EDITOR: Michael Berenbaum
COMEDY/DRAMA/ROMANCE
Starring: Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall, Kristin Davis, Cynthia Nixon, Chris Noth, Jennifer Hudson, David Eigenberg, Evan Handler, Jason Lewis, Mario Cantone, Candice Bergen, Lynn Cohen, Gilles Marini, Joseph Pupo, and Alexandra Fong and Parker Fong
Sex and the City was an American comedy television series that was originally broadcast on HBO over six seasons from 1998 to 2004. Created by Darren Star, the series was based in part on Candice Bushnell’s book of the same title.
Sex and the City the series focused on 30-something Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker), a columnist for the fictional New York Star and book author, and her three best friends: 30-somethings Miranda Hobbes (Cynthia Nixon) and Charlotte York (Kristin Davis) and 40-something Samantha Jones (Kim Cattrall). The girls often discussed their desires, sexual fantasies, love, and life. In 2008, the TV series made it to the big screen as Sex and the City: The Movie.
The movie’s story opens four years after the television series ended. Carrie and the on-again/off-again love of her life, John Preston A.K.A. Mr. Big (Chris Noth) are about to get married, but what began as a modest wedding has nearly quadrupled in sized. As her 50th birthday approaches, Samantha is living in Los Angeles with her boy toy actor boyfriend, Smith Jerrod (Jason Lewis). Samantha is also Smith’s manager, and she is starting to feel like a housewife, which she does not like.
Miranda and her husband, Steve Brady (David Eigenberg), have stopped having sex, and their marriage is in trouble, bigger trouble than she thinks. Charlotte and her husband, Harry Goldenblatt (Evan Handler), are also in for a big surprise regarding their marriage. 20 years after they first met in New York City, the girls are still supporting one another, and they need each other now more than ever.
I’ve only seen a few episodes of the Sex in the City series, and that was only in syndication when the episodes were edited for content. To date, I have liked what I’ve seen, although the series obviously isn’t aimed at me or my demographic group. The characters are what appeal to me. Each has personality traits which both attract and repel, but those characteristics are more substantive than quirky. Perhaps, I like them because I expected them to be vacuous, but instead found them engaging.
Carrie Bradshaw and friends are not shallow. While they are professional women living lives of affluence and abundance, those lives are not without conflict, drama, and dilemmas. The glamour is not without some gloom, and writer/director Michael Patrick King (a driving force behind the television series) freely goes to some dark places in the lives of the women.
Sex in the City is partly about love and all its complications – even the gritty complications that cause you hurt and make you want to punish the love of your life. Sex and the City, however, is really all about the girls. If you loved them in the series, you’ll love going through hell, healing wounds, and enjoying friends and family with them in this film. Sex and the City: The Movie is both effervescent and tart the way romantic comedy should be, and this movie is one of the best modern romantic comedies.
7 of 10
A-
Monday, October 25, 2010
Sex and the City (2008)
Running time: 145 minutes (2 hours, 25 minutes)
MPAA – R for strong sexual content, graphic nudity and language
DIRECTOR: Michael Patrick King
WRITER: Michael Patrick King (based upon the book by Candace Bushnell and the television series created by Darren Star)
PRODUCERS: Michael Patrick King, John Melfi, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Darren Star
CINEMATOGRAPHER: John Thomas (D.o.P.)
EDITOR: Michael Berenbaum
COMEDY/DRAMA/ROMANCE
Starring: Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall, Kristin Davis, Cynthia Nixon, Chris Noth, Jennifer Hudson, David Eigenberg, Evan Handler, Jason Lewis, Mario Cantone, Candice Bergen, Lynn Cohen, Gilles Marini, Joseph Pupo, and Alexandra Fong and Parker Fong
Sex and the City was an American comedy television series that was originally broadcast on HBO over six seasons from 1998 to 2004. Created by Darren Star, the series was based in part on Candice Bushnell’s book of the same title.
Sex and the City the series focused on 30-something Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker), a columnist for the fictional New York Star and book author, and her three best friends: 30-somethings Miranda Hobbes (Cynthia Nixon) and Charlotte York (Kristin Davis) and 40-something Samantha Jones (Kim Cattrall). The girls often discussed their desires, sexual fantasies, love, and life. In 2008, the TV series made it to the big screen as Sex and the City: The Movie.
The movie’s story opens four years after the television series ended. Carrie and the on-again/off-again love of her life, John Preston A.K.A. Mr. Big (Chris Noth) are about to get married, but what began as a modest wedding has nearly quadrupled in sized. As her 50th birthday approaches, Samantha is living in Los Angeles with her boy toy actor boyfriend, Smith Jerrod (Jason Lewis). Samantha is also Smith’s manager, and she is starting to feel like a housewife, which she does not like.
Miranda and her husband, Steve Brady (David Eigenberg), have stopped having sex, and their marriage is in trouble, bigger trouble than she thinks. Charlotte and her husband, Harry Goldenblatt (Evan Handler), are also in for a big surprise regarding their marriage. 20 years after they first met in New York City, the girls are still supporting one another, and they need each other now more than ever.
I’ve only seen a few episodes of the Sex in the City series, and that was only in syndication when the episodes were edited for content. To date, I have liked what I’ve seen, although the series obviously isn’t aimed at me or my demographic group. The characters are what appeal to me. Each has personality traits which both attract and repel, but those characteristics are more substantive than quirky. Perhaps, I like them because I expected them to be vacuous, but instead found them engaging.
Carrie Bradshaw and friends are not shallow. While they are professional women living lives of affluence and abundance, those lives are not without conflict, drama, and dilemmas. The glamour is not without some gloom, and writer/director Michael Patrick King (a driving force behind the television series) freely goes to some dark places in the lives of the women.
Sex in the City is partly about love and all its complications – even the gritty complications that cause you hurt and make you want to punish the love of your life. Sex and the City, however, is really all about the girls. If you loved them in the series, you’ll love going through hell, healing wounds, and enjoying friends and family with them in this film. Sex and the City: The Movie is both effervescent and tart the way romantic comedy should be, and this movie is one of the best modern romantic comedies.
7 of 10
A-
Monday, October 25, 2010
----------------------------
150,000 People Have Now Pledged to See "Waiting for 'Superman'"
Press release:
NewSchools Venture Fund Announces $5 Million Investment in Entrepreneurial Organizations as 150,000 People Pledge to See “Waiting For ‘Superman’”
SAN FRANCISCO, CA (October 11, 2010) – Honoring a pledge to the viewers of “Waiting for ‘Superman,’” national nonprofit venture philanthropy firm NewSchools Venture Fund announced today that it will invest $5 million in innovative education organizations to help close achievement gaps in low-income communities.
The new investments, which will be announced in the coming months, come in connection with the commitment http://www.newschools.org/about/news/press-releases/waiting-for-superman-pledge NewSchools made once 150,000 people pledged http://www.waitingforsuperman.com/pledge-progress to see the film. The “Waiting for ‘Superman’” pledge meter surpassed that level on October 8 – a testament to the movie’s powerful narrative and its urgent call for dramatic change and innovative solutions to the crisis facing our nation’s public schools.
“‘Waiting for “Superman”’ shines a bright light on two important truths,” said Ted Mitchell, CEO of NewSchools Venture Fund. “Excellent schools, with outstanding teachers, make all the difference in a child’s life. But in some places in this country, access to an excellent school is a matter of chance. It’s not fair, and we all need to step up to change the odds. NewSchools and its entrepreneurs are demonstrating every day that it can be done.”
NewSchools provides funding and management guidance to entrepreneurial organizations working to improve public education for low income children. NewSchools’ investments include organizations that recruit and train teachers, start public charter schools, turn around failing public schools, and create technology tools for the classroom. Some of the schools featured in “Waiting for ‘Superman’” were built by organizations in the NewSchools portfolio. NewSchools and its portfolio of entrepreneurs are developing innovative solutions to address the toughest challenges facing public education and create better opportunities for all of our nation’s children.
“With the hard work that these new investments will support, we will move a bit closer to a day when a good public education is a right for every child,” Mitchell said. “No child should have to win a lottery to get on the path to college.”
Founded in 1998, NewSchools has been committed for more than a decade to transforming public education through powerful ideas and passionate entrepreneurs so that all children – especially those in underserved communities – have the opportunity to succeed. To achieve this goal, NewSchools has supported more than 40 education entrepreneurs, helping them to build strong, high-impact organizations making a real difference in the lives of children and connecting their work to the broader public education reform movement to catalyze broader systems change.
“Waiting for ‘Superman,’” directed by Davis Guggenheim (An Inconvenient Truth), is a Paramount Vantage and Participant Media presentation in association with Walden Media. It examines the crisis of public education in the United States through multiple interlocking stories. Designed to start a national conversation, the movie and corresponding “Take the Pledge” campaign aim to inspire everyone to create innovative and long-term solutions to help change the course of our kids’ lives for the better. The “Pledge Progress Meter” launched in May as a way for non-profits, foundations, and corporations to match individual pledge levels with powerful action items aimed at helping both students and public schools.
The film opened in New York and Los Angeles on September 24, and continues to expand nationwide throughout October. The film is produced by Lesley Chilcott, with Participant Media’s Jeff Skoll and Diane Weyermann serving as executive producers. It is written by Davis Guggenheim & Billy Kimball.
For more information about the movie, or to take the pledge go to http://www.waitingforsuperman.com/. To join the conversation visit us on Facebook at http://www.Facebook.com/Newschools or Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/nsvf
About NewSchools Venture Fund
NewSchools Venture Fund seeks to transform public education through powerful ideas and passionate entrepreneurs so that all children – especially those in underserved communities – have the opportunity to succeed. As a national nonprofit venture philanthropy firm, NewSchools supports education entrepreneurs, a special breed of innovators who create new nonprofit and for-profit organizations that redefine our sense of what is possible in public education. Founded in 1998, NewSchools has invested in more than 35 nonprofit and for-profit organizations and raised nearly $150 million. NewSchools takes an active role with each venture in our portfolio to help them create sustainable organizations that generate breakthrough results at scale for the students they serve. In addition to this direct support to entrepreneurs, NewSchools also connects their work to the broader public education reform movement to catalyze systems change.
About Paramount Pictures Corporation
Paramount Pictures Corporation (PPC), a global producer and distributor of filmed entertainment, is a unit of Viacom (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), a leading content company with prominent and respected film, television and digital entertainment brands. The company's labels include Paramount Pictures, Paramount Vantage, Paramount Classics, MTV Films and Nickelodeon Movies. PPC operations also include Paramount Digital Entertainment, Paramount Famous Productions, Paramount Home Entertainment, Paramount Pictures International, Paramount Licensing Inc., Paramount Studio Group, and Worldwide Television Distribution.
About Participant Media
Participant Media (participantmedia.com) is a Los Angeles-based global entertainment company specializing in socially-relevant documentary and non-documentary feature films, television, publishing and digital media. Participant exists to tell compelling, entertaining stories that bring to the forefront real issues that shape our lives. For each of its projects, Participant creates extensive social action and advocacy programs, which provide ideas and tools to transform the impact of the media experience into individual and community action. Participant’s online Social Action Network is TakePart (takepart.com).
About Walden Media
Walden Media specializes in entertainment for the whole family. Past award-winning films include: “The Chronicles of Narnia” series, “Journey to the Center of the Earth,” “Nim’s Island” and “Charlotte’s Web.” Upcoming films include the third installment in the Narnia series “The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader.”
NewSchools Venture Fund Announces $5 Million Investment in Entrepreneurial Organizations as 150,000 People Pledge to See “Waiting For ‘Superman’”
SAN FRANCISCO, CA (October 11, 2010) – Honoring a pledge to the viewers of “Waiting for ‘Superman,’” national nonprofit venture philanthropy firm NewSchools Venture Fund announced today that it will invest $5 million in innovative education organizations to help close achievement gaps in low-income communities.
The new investments, which will be announced in the coming months, come in connection with the commitment http://www.newschools.org/about/news/press-releases/waiting-for-superman-pledge NewSchools made once 150,000 people pledged http://www.waitingforsuperman.com/pledge-progress to see the film. The “Waiting for ‘Superman’” pledge meter surpassed that level on October 8 – a testament to the movie’s powerful narrative and its urgent call for dramatic change and innovative solutions to the crisis facing our nation’s public schools.
“‘Waiting for “Superman”’ shines a bright light on two important truths,” said Ted Mitchell, CEO of NewSchools Venture Fund. “Excellent schools, with outstanding teachers, make all the difference in a child’s life. But in some places in this country, access to an excellent school is a matter of chance. It’s not fair, and we all need to step up to change the odds. NewSchools and its entrepreneurs are demonstrating every day that it can be done.”
NewSchools provides funding and management guidance to entrepreneurial organizations working to improve public education for low income children. NewSchools’ investments include organizations that recruit and train teachers, start public charter schools, turn around failing public schools, and create technology tools for the classroom. Some of the schools featured in “Waiting for ‘Superman’” were built by organizations in the NewSchools portfolio. NewSchools and its portfolio of entrepreneurs are developing innovative solutions to address the toughest challenges facing public education and create better opportunities for all of our nation’s children.
“With the hard work that these new investments will support, we will move a bit closer to a day when a good public education is a right for every child,” Mitchell said. “No child should have to win a lottery to get on the path to college.”
Founded in 1998, NewSchools has been committed for more than a decade to transforming public education through powerful ideas and passionate entrepreneurs so that all children – especially those in underserved communities – have the opportunity to succeed. To achieve this goal, NewSchools has supported more than 40 education entrepreneurs, helping them to build strong, high-impact organizations making a real difference in the lives of children and connecting their work to the broader public education reform movement to catalyze broader systems change.
“Waiting for ‘Superman,’” directed by Davis Guggenheim (An Inconvenient Truth), is a Paramount Vantage and Participant Media presentation in association with Walden Media. It examines the crisis of public education in the United States through multiple interlocking stories. Designed to start a national conversation, the movie and corresponding “Take the Pledge” campaign aim to inspire everyone to create innovative and long-term solutions to help change the course of our kids’ lives for the better. The “Pledge Progress Meter” launched in May as a way for non-profits, foundations, and corporations to match individual pledge levels with powerful action items aimed at helping both students and public schools.
The film opened in New York and Los Angeles on September 24, and continues to expand nationwide throughout October. The film is produced by Lesley Chilcott, with Participant Media’s Jeff Skoll and Diane Weyermann serving as executive producers. It is written by Davis Guggenheim & Billy Kimball.
For more information about the movie, or to take the pledge go to http://www.waitingforsuperman.com/. To join the conversation visit us on Facebook at http://www.Facebook.com/Newschools or Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/nsvf
About NewSchools Venture Fund
NewSchools Venture Fund seeks to transform public education through powerful ideas and passionate entrepreneurs so that all children – especially those in underserved communities – have the opportunity to succeed. As a national nonprofit venture philanthropy firm, NewSchools supports education entrepreneurs, a special breed of innovators who create new nonprofit and for-profit organizations that redefine our sense of what is possible in public education. Founded in 1998, NewSchools has invested in more than 35 nonprofit and for-profit organizations and raised nearly $150 million. NewSchools takes an active role with each venture in our portfolio to help them create sustainable organizations that generate breakthrough results at scale for the students they serve. In addition to this direct support to entrepreneurs, NewSchools also connects their work to the broader public education reform movement to catalyze systems change.
About Paramount Pictures Corporation
Paramount Pictures Corporation (PPC), a global producer and distributor of filmed entertainment, is a unit of Viacom (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), a leading content company with prominent and respected film, television and digital entertainment brands. The company's labels include Paramount Pictures, Paramount Vantage, Paramount Classics, MTV Films and Nickelodeon Movies. PPC operations also include Paramount Digital Entertainment, Paramount Famous Productions, Paramount Home Entertainment, Paramount Pictures International, Paramount Licensing Inc., Paramount Studio Group, and Worldwide Television Distribution.
About Participant Media
Participant Media (participantmedia.com) is a Los Angeles-based global entertainment company specializing in socially-relevant documentary and non-documentary feature films, television, publishing and digital media. Participant exists to tell compelling, entertaining stories that bring to the forefront real issues that shape our lives. For each of its projects, Participant creates extensive social action and advocacy programs, which provide ideas and tools to transform the impact of the media experience into individual and community action. Participant’s online Social Action Network is TakePart (takepart.com).
About Walden Media
Walden Media specializes in entertainment for the whole family. Past award-winning films include: “The Chronicles of Narnia” series, “Journey to the Center of the Earth,” “Nim’s Island” and “Charlotte’s Web.” Upcoming films include the third installment in the Narnia series “The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader.”
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Paranormal Activity 2 Does Not Disappoint
TRASH IN MY EYE No. 85 (of 2010) by Leroy Douresseaux
Paranormal Activity 2 (2010)
Running time: 91 minutes (1 hour, 31 minutes)
MPAA – R for some language and brief violent material
DIRECTOR: Tod Williams
WRITER: Michael R. Perry, Christopher Landon, and Tom Pabst; from a story by Michael R. Perry (based on film directed by Oren Peli)
PRODUCERS: Jason Blum and Oren Peli
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Michael Simmonds
EDITOR: Gregory Plotkin
HORROR
Starring: Katie Featherston, Micah Sloat, Brian Boland, Sprague Grayden, Molly Ephraim, and Tim Clemens
It was film festival attendees who first saw, in 2007, the ultra-low budget, psychological horror film, Paranormal Activity. Eventually, well-connected and influential Hollywood types (like Steven Spielberg) saw the film, and Paranormal Activity got a nationwide theatrical release in October 2009, going on to become a box office hit.
A year later, Paranormal Activity 2, which is (mostly) a prequel and (partly) a sequel to the original film, arrives. Overall, Paranormal Activity 2 is about as good and as scary as the original film. There is a difference. The first film started well, but stumbled to an ending. Paranormal Activity 2 is hit and miss for most of its runtime, but it has an edgy last half hour and an absolutely, killer ending. [It must be noted that some of the scenes shown in the various trailers for this movie are not in the theatrical release – like the one with the baby in the middle of the street.]
Paranormal Activity 2 focuses on the home and family of Kristi Rey, the sister of Katie from the first film. Kristi is married to Dan, who is a widower with a teenaged daughter, Alli. Kristi and Dan have just welcomed a baby boy, Hunter, into their happy home. Martine, a Hispanic housekeeper and nanny, lives with them, as well as Abby, the family’s loyal German shepherd.
Paranormal Activity 2’s action begins 60 days before the death of Katie’s boyfriend, Micah, which happened in the first film. After an apparent break-in and vandalism of their home, Dan has a number of security cameras installed inside and outside the house. The cameras begin to record unusual, even weird activity. Martine and eventually Kristi and Alli begin to suspect that they are not alone in the house. Something is vexing them all, especially Hunter.
I compared the first Paranormal Activity to The Blair Witch Project, specifically that the former surpassed the latter. Like Blair Witch, Paranormal Activity 2 is full of characters arguing and whining and then later, crying and screaming. During the first hour of Paranormal Activity 2, I found myself being scared at the cleverly presented spooky atmosphere, but also being annoyed by the characters. It isn’t an exaggeration to suggest that anytime a dog and a baby are the smartest characters in the film that the script may have a little trouble in the character development department.
The last half hour of this film, however, is riveting and absolutely chilling. I think my heart was indeed trying to find a hiding place in my throat, and, as I write this several hours after seeing the movie, I’m still thinking about it. Paranormal Activity 2 lives up to the hype and the original film.
7 of 10
B+
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Paranormal Activity 2 (2010)
Running time: 91 minutes (1 hour, 31 minutes)
MPAA – R for some language and brief violent material
DIRECTOR: Tod Williams
WRITER: Michael R. Perry, Christopher Landon, and Tom Pabst; from a story by Michael R. Perry (based on film directed by Oren Peli)
PRODUCERS: Jason Blum and Oren Peli
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Michael Simmonds
EDITOR: Gregory Plotkin
HORROR
Starring: Katie Featherston, Micah Sloat, Brian Boland, Sprague Grayden, Molly Ephraim, and Tim Clemens
It was film festival attendees who first saw, in 2007, the ultra-low budget, psychological horror film, Paranormal Activity. Eventually, well-connected and influential Hollywood types (like Steven Spielberg) saw the film, and Paranormal Activity got a nationwide theatrical release in October 2009, going on to become a box office hit.
A year later, Paranormal Activity 2, which is (mostly) a prequel and (partly) a sequel to the original film, arrives. Overall, Paranormal Activity 2 is about as good and as scary as the original film. There is a difference. The first film started well, but stumbled to an ending. Paranormal Activity 2 is hit and miss for most of its runtime, but it has an edgy last half hour and an absolutely, killer ending. [It must be noted that some of the scenes shown in the various trailers for this movie are not in the theatrical release – like the one with the baby in the middle of the street.]
Paranormal Activity 2 focuses on the home and family of Kristi Rey, the sister of Katie from the first film. Kristi is married to Dan, who is a widower with a teenaged daughter, Alli. Kristi and Dan have just welcomed a baby boy, Hunter, into their happy home. Martine, a Hispanic housekeeper and nanny, lives with them, as well as Abby, the family’s loyal German shepherd.
Paranormal Activity 2’s action begins 60 days before the death of Katie’s boyfriend, Micah, which happened in the first film. After an apparent break-in and vandalism of their home, Dan has a number of security cameras installed inside and outside the house. The cameras begin to record unusual, even weird activity. Martine and eventually Kristi and Alli begin to suspect that they are not alone in the house. Something is vexing them all, especially Hunter.
I compared the first Paranormal Activity to The Blair Witch Project, specifically that the former surpassed the latter. Like Blair Witch, Paranormal Activity 2 is full of characters arguing and whining and then later, crying and screaming. During the first hour of Paranormal Activity 2, I found myself being scared at the cleverly presented spooky atmosphere, but also being annoyed by the characters. It isn’t an exaggeration to suggest that anytime a dog and a baby are the smartest characters in the film that the script may have a little trouble in the character development department.
The last half hour of this film, however, is riveting and absolutely chilling. I think my heart was indeed trying to find a hiding place in my throat, and, as I write this several hours after seeing the movie, I’m still thinking about it. Paranormal Activity 2 lives up to the hype and the original film.
7 of 10
B+
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Two-Day Retrospective of Scorsese-DiCaprio Callabos in November
Press release:
AMERICAN CINEMATHEQUE PRESENTS SCORSESE AND DICAPRIO
A TWO-DAY RETROSPECTIVE OF THE FILM COLLABORATIONS FROM THE PROLIFIC DIRECTOR-ACTOR PARTNERSHIP
NOVEMBER 13TH & 14TH AT THE HISTORIC EGYPTIAN THEATRE IN HOLLYWOOD
INCLUDING A CONVERSATION WITH LEONARDO DICAPRIO IN PERSON AND MARTIN SCORSESE SATELITTED IN FROM LONDON
Hollywood, California, October 21, 2010 – The American Cinematheque announced that it will feature a two-day retrospective of the film collaborations of Academy Award® winning director Martin Scorsese and three-time Academy Award® nominated actor, Leonardo DiCaprio on November 13 and 14 at the historic Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood. The two-day event will feature screenings of the four acclaimed films on which Scorsese and DiCaprio have collaborated: GANGS OF NEW YORK, THE DEPARTED, THE AVIATOR and this year’s hit SHUTTER ISLAND. As part of the retrospective on November 14, Scorsese and DiCaprio will participate in a conversation where DiCaprio will attend in person and Scorsese will take part via satellite from London.
Tickets to the event are available online at the http://www.egyptiantheatre.com/. A full program description follows:
SCORSESE AND DICAPRIO
November 13 – 14 at the Egyptian Theatre.
After productive ongoing relationships with Robert De Niro and Harvey Keitel in the 1970s, '80s and '90s, Academy Award® winning director Martin Scorsese found a new muse in the 2000s in the form of TITANIC star Leonardo DiCaprio who had already earned his first Oscar® nomination at the age of twenty for his breakout role in WHAT’S EATING GILBERT GRAPE. Starting with GANGS OF NEW YORK in 2002 and continuing through three more films (including THE DEPARTED, THE AVIATOR and this year's hit SHUTTER ISLAND), DiCaprio and Scorsese have found a common language and created a body of work that stands alongside the best actor-director partnerships. The Cinematheque is proud to present a complete series of their collaborations.
Saturday, November 13 – 5:00 PM SCORSESE & DICAPRIO Double Feature: THE DEPARTED, 2006, Warner Bros., 151 min. Dir. Martin Scorsese. Scorsese returns to crime and the streets, though this time the mean streets are in Boston, not New York. Leonardo DiCaprio is an undercover cop pretending to be a crook and Matt Damon is a gangster (a protege of crime lord Jack Nicholson) passing himself off as a cop; as both men get deeper and deeper into their false identities, the danger to their bodies and souls increases exponentially. Scorsese finally got his Oscar for this riveting thriller that also stars Mark Wahlberg, Martin Sheen, and Alec Baldwin.
GANGS OF NEW YORK, 2001, Miramax Films, 167 min. Martin Scorsese's most ambitious epic uses the visual language of the American Western to tell a very urban story: the history of New York's development in the wake of the Civil War. Leonardo DiCaprio is a young man bent on vengeance whose nemesis, the evil but seductive Bill the Butcher (Daniel Day Lewis), leads his city's anti-immigrant "nativist" movement.
Sunday, November 14 – 1:00 PM SCORSESE & DICAPRIO Double Feature: SHUTTER ISLAND, 2010, Paramount Pictures, 138 min. Dir. Martin Scorsese. Adapted from a Dennis Lehane novel, an investigator who enters a mental institution to solve a crime and is quickly immersed in a tale of haunting mystery and psychological suspense that unfolds entirely on a fortress-like island housing a hospital for the criminally insane. Leonardo DiCaprio heads up an all-star cast (Ben Kingsley, Mark Ruffalo, Max von Sydow, Patricia Clarkson) in this chilling compendium of mid-20th century horrors.
THE AVIATOR, 2004, Miramax Films, 170 min. Dir. Martin Scorsese. Leonardo DiCaprio plays Howard Hughes in this biopic that earned him an Academy Award® nomination for Best Actor. The gripping drama focuses largely on Hughes' adventures in Hollywood - a time frame that allows Martin Scorsese to construct a grand old-fashioned entertainment in the tradition of the classic studio system. Recreations of the Cocoanut Grove and other Hollywood landmarks, along with expert turns by Cate Blanchett as Katharine Hepburn and Kate Beckinsale as Ava Gardner, make this a feast for movie fans.
Discussion at 1pm with actor Leonardo DiCaprio in person and director Martin Scorsese via satellite from London.
About American Cinematheque
Established in 1981, the American Cinematheque is a 501 C 3 non-profit viewer-supported film exhibition and cultural organization dedicated to the celebration of the Moving Picture in all of its forms. At the Egyptian Theatre, the Cinematheque presents daily film and video programming which ranges from the classics of American and international cinema to new independent films and digital work. Exhibition of rare works, special and rare prints, etc., combined with fascinating post-screening discussions with the filmmakers who created the work, are a Cinematheque tradition that keep audiences coming back for once-in-a-lifetime cinema experiences. The American Cinematheque renovated and reopened (on Dec. 4, 1998) the historic 1922 Hollywood Egyptian Theatre. This includes a state-of-the-art 616-seat theatre housed within Sid Grauman's first grand movie palace on Hollywood Boulevard. The exotic courtyard is fully restored to its 1922 grandeur. The Egyptian was the home of the very first Hollywood movie premiere in 1922. In January 2005 the American Cinematheque expanded its programming to the 1940 Aero Theatre on Montana Avenue in Santa Monica.
AMERICAN CINEMATHEQUE PRESENTS SCORSESE AND DICAPRIO
A TWO-DAY RETROSPECTIVE OF THE FILM COLLABORATIONS FROM THE PROLIFIC DIRECTOR-ACTOR PARTNERSHIP
NOVEMBER 13TH & 14TH AT THE HISTORIC EGYPTIAN THEATRE IN HOLLYWOOD
INCLUDING A CONVERSATION WITH LEONARDO DICAPRIO IN PERSON AND MARTIN SCORSESE SATELITTED IN FROM LONDON
Hollywood, California, October 21, 2010 – The American Cinematheque announced that it will feature a two-day retrospective of the film collaborations of Academy Award® winning director Martin Scorsese and three-time Academy Award® nominated actor, Leonardo DiCaprio on November 13 and 14 at the historic Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood. The two-day event will feature screenings of the four acclaimed films on which Scorsese and DiCaprio have collaborated: GANGS OF NEW YORK, THE DEPARTED, THE AVIATOR and this year’s hit SHUTTER ISLAND. As part of the retrospective on November 14, Scorsese and DiCaprio will participate in a conversation where DiCaprio will attend in person and Scorsese will take part via satellite from London.
Tickets to the event are available online at the http://www.egyptiantheatre.com/. A full program description follows:
SCORSESE AND DICAPRIO
November 13 – 14 at the Egyptian Theatre.
After productive ongoing relationships with Robert De Niro and Harvey Keitel in the 1970s, '80s and '90s, Academy Award® winning director Martin Scorsese found a new muse in the 2000s in the form of TITANIC star Leonardo DiCaprio who had already earned his first Oscar® nomination at the age of twenty for his breakout role in WHAT’S EATING GILBERT GRAPE. Starting with GANGS OF NEW YORK in 2002 and continuing through three more films (including THE DEPARTED, THE AVIATOR and this year's hit SHUTTER ISLAND), DiCaprio and Scorsese have found a common language and created a body of work that stands alongside the best actor-director partnerships. The Cinematheque is proud to present a complete series of their collaborations.
Saturday, November 13 – 5:00 PM SCORSESE & DICAPRIO Double Feature: THE DEPARTED, 2006, Warner Bros., 151 min. Dir. Martin Scorsese. Scorsese returns to crime and the streets, though this time the mean streets are in Boston, not New York. Leonardo DiCaprio is an undercover cop pretending to be a crook and Matt Damon is a gangster (a protege of crime lord Jack Nicholson) passing himself off as a cop; as both men get deeper and deeper into their false identities, the danger to their bodies and souls increases exponentially. Scorsese finally got his Oscar for this riveting thriller that also stars Mark Wahlberg, Martin Sheen, and Alec Baldwin.
GANGS OF NEW YORK, 2001, Miramax Films, 167 min. Martin Scorsese's most ambitious epic uses the visual language of the American Western to tell a very urban story: the history of New York's development in the wake of the Civil War. Leonardo DiCaprio is a young man bent on vengeance whose nemesis, the evil but seductive Bill the Butcher (Daniel Day Lewis), leads his city's anti-immigrant "nativist" movement.
Sunday, November 14 – 1:00 PM SCORSESE & DICAPRIO Double Feature: SHUTTER ISLAND, 2010, Paramount Pictures, 138 min. Dir. Martin Scorsese. Adapted from a Dennis Lehane novel, an investigator who enters a mental institution to solve a crime and is quickly immersed in a tale of haunting mystery and psychological suspense that unfolds entirely on a fortress-like island housing a hospital for the criminally insane. Leonardo DiCaprio heads up an all-star cast (Ben Kingsley, Mark Ruffalo, Max von Sydow, Patricia Clarkson) in this chilling compendium of mid-20th century horrors.
THE AVIATOR, 2004, Miramax Films, 170 min. Dir. Martin Scorsese. Leonardo DiCaprio plays Howard Hughes in this biopic that earned him an Academy Award® nomination for Best Actor. The gripping drama focuses largely on Hughes' adventures in Hollywood - a time frame that allows Martin Scorsese to construct a grand old-fashioned entertainment in the tradition of the classic studio system. Recreations of the Cocoanut Grove and other Hollywood landmarks, along with expert turns by Cate Blanchett as Katharine Hepburn and Kate Beckinsale as Ava Gardner, make this a feast for movie fans.
Discussion at 1pm with actor Leonardo DiCaprio in person and director Martin Scorsese via satellite from London.
About American Cinematheque
Established in 1981, the American Cinematheque is a 501 C 3 non-profit viewer-supported film exhibition and cultural organization dedicated to the celebration of the Moving Picture in all of its forms. At the Egyptian Theatre, the Cinematheque presents daily film and video programming which ranges from the classics of American and international cinema to new independent films and digital work. Exhibition of rare works, special and rare prints, etc., combined with fascinating post-screening discussions with the filmmakers who created the work, are a Cinematheque tradition that keep audiences coming back for once-in-a-lifetime cinema experiences. The American Cinematheque renovated and reopened (on Dec. 4, 1998) the historic 1922 Hollywood Egyptian Theatre. This includes a state-of-the-art 616-seat theatre housed within Sid Grauman's first grand movie palace on Hollywood Boulevard. The exotic courtyard is fully restored to its 1922 grandeur. The Egyptian was the home of the very first Hollywood movie premiere in 1922. In January 2005 the American Cinematheque expanded its programming to the 1940 Aero Theatre on Montana Avenue in Santa Monica.
Saturday, October 23, 2010
Review: "Brokeback Mountain" is Broke in the Middle (Happy Birthday, Ang Lee)
TRASH IN MY EYE No. 21 (of 2006) by Leroy Douresseaux
Brokeback Mountain (2005)
Running time: 134 minutes (2 hours, 14 minutes)
MPAA – R for sexuality, nudity, language, and some violence
DIRECTOR: Ang Lee
WRITERS: Larry McMurtry & Diana Ossana (based upon the short story by Annie Proulx)
PRODUCERS: Diana Ossana and James Schamus
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Rodrigo Prieto, A.S.C.
EDITORS: Geraldine Peroni and Dylan Tichenor, A.C.E.
Academy Award winner
DRAMA/ROMANCE
Starring: Heath Ledger, Jake Gyllenhaal, Linda Cardellini, Anna Faris, Anne Hathaway, Michelle Williams, and Randy Quaid
Two young men: Ennis Del Mar (Heath Ledger), a ranch hand, and Jack Twist (Jake Gyllenhaal), a rodeo cowboy, meet in the summer of 1963 while shepherding sheep on Brokeback Mountain in Wyoming. They unexpectedly fall in love and form a lifelong connection. At the end of the summer, they part ways. Ennis remains in Wyoming and marries his girlfriend, Alma (Michelle Williams), and they have two daughters. Jack returns to Texas to ride bulls in the rodeo where he falls in love with and marries a cowgirl, Lureen Newsome (Anne Hathaway), and they have a son. However, for the next 20 years, Ennis and Jack meet a few times a year for a fishing trip where they can freely express their love for one another, both emotionally and physically. The film shows the toll hiding their forbidden love takes on them and their relationships outside their romance.
Brokeback Mountain has the burden of history on its shoulders, being a movie about a love between cowboys, and the fact that it is the first film distributed by a big Hollywood studio (Focus Features, a division of Universal) and getting a wide release that directly focuses on a gay love affair between men. While the film can take a lot of credit for being a landmark in American cinematic history, the contents of the film aren’t as great. Mainly it is a combination of faulty direction and a flawed script. Like director Ang Lee’s previous film, 2003’s The Hulk, Brokeback Mountain is choppy, clumsy, and often dull. Add the fact that this film is alternately dry and cold, and you don’t have the makings of a great romance film. Sometimes The Hulk had moments that were quite novel, really clever, or simply brilliant filmmaking choices, and Brokeback Mountain is that way. However, dross sometimes weighs down the clever cinema. As for the script, an adaptation of an E. Anne Proulx story by Diana Ossana and Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist Larry McMurtry (Lonesome Dove), it does indeed seem like a short story padded with a sagging and problematic middle to make a longer story.
That shakiness carries over to the acting. Heath Ledger is superb, often rising above the material and sometimes dragging the material up to his heights. His performance rings true; he certainly comes across as a dirt-poor cowboy, trouble and conflicted about all his personal relationships. His eyes are so expressive, and his facial expressions are riveting and absorbing. On the other hand, Jake Gyllenhaal really isn’t that good, and except for a moment here and there, his performance seems forced… phony even. That especially puts a damper on the screen chemistry between the leads. The supporting performances are good, though the parts are too small. Randy Quaid is menacing as the surly rancher who discovers Ennis and Jake’s secret. Michelle Williams is also quite good as Ennis’ long-suffering wife, Alma, and there are moments when she lights a fire that is as good as anything else in this film.
Certainly there are moments in Brokeback Mountain that completely impressed me. The opening act of the film, which reveals the origin of the cowboy’s love, is truly, truly expert filmmaking. The ending is heart-rending and poignant, with Ledger giving a performance in the last act that is good enough to save the entirety of another film. It’s the vast, clunky wasteland in the middle of Brokeback Mountain that keeps it from meeting its promise greatness.
6 of 10
B
Sunday, January 29, 2006
NOTES:
2006 Academy Awards: 3 wins: “Best Achievement in Directing” (Ang Lee), “Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Score” (Gustavo Santaolalla), and “Best Writing, Adapted Screenplay” (Larry McMurtry and Diana Ossana); 5 nominations: “Best Motion Picture of the Year” (Diana Ossana and James Schamus), “Best Achievement in Cinematography” (Rodrigo Prieto), “Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role” (Heath Ledger), “Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role” (Jake Gyllenhaal) and “Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role” (Michelle Williams)
2006 BAFTA Awards: 4 wins: “Best Film” (Diana Ossana and James Schamus), “Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role” (Jake Gyllenhaal), “Best Screenplay – Adapted” (Larry McMurtry and Diana Ossana), and David Lean Award for Direction” (Ang Lee); 5 nominations: “Anthony Asquith Award for Film Music” (Gustavo Santaolalla), “Best Cinematography” (Rodrigo Prieto), “Best Editing” (Geraldine Peroni and Dylan Tichenor), “Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role” (Heath Ledger), and “Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role” (Michelle Williams)
2006 Golden Globes: 4 wins: “Best Motion Picture – Drama,” “Best Director - Motion Picture: (Ang Lee), “Best Original Song - Motion Picture” (Gustavo Santaolalla-music and Bernie Taupin-lyrics for the song “A Love That Will Never Grow Old”), and “Best Screenplay - Motion Picture” (Larry McMurtry and Diana Ossana); 3 nominations: “Best Original Score - Motion Picture” (Gustavo Santaolalla), “Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama” (Heath Ledger) and “Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture” (Michelle Williams)
Brokeback Mountain (2005)
Running time: 134 minutes (2 hours, 14 minutes)
MPAA – R for sexuality, nudity, language, and some violence
DIRECTOR: Ang Lee
WRITERS: Larry McMurtry & Diana Ossana (based upon the short story by Annie Proulx)
PRODUCERS: Diana Ossana and James Schamus
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Rodrigo Prieto, A.S.C.
EDITORS: Geraldine Peroni and Dylan Tichenor, A.C.E.
Academy Award winner
DRAMA/ROMANCE
Starring: Heath Ledger, Jake Gyllenhaal, Linda Cardellini, Anna Faris, Anne Hathaway, Michelle Williams, and Randy Quaid
Two young men: Ennis Del Mar (Heath Ledger), a ranch hand, and Jack Twist (Jake Gyllenhaal), a rodeo cowboy, meet in the summer of 1963 while shepherding sheep on Brokeback Mountain in Wyoming. They unexpectedly fall in love and form a lifelong connection. At the end of the summer, they part ways. Ennis remains in Wyoming and marries his girlfriend, Alma (Michelle Williams), and they have two daughters. Jack returns to Texas to ride bulls in the rodeo where he falls in love with and marries a cowgirl, Lureen Newsome (Anne Hathaway), and they have a son. However, for the next 20 years, Ennis and Jack meet a few times a year for a fishing trip where they can freely express their love for one another, both emotionally and physically. The film shows the toll hiding their forbidden love takes on them and their relationships outside their romance.
Brokeback Mountain has the burden of history on its shoulders, being a movie about a love between cowboys, and the fact that it is the first film distributed by a big Hollywood studio (Focus Features, a division of Universal) and getting a wide release that directly focuses on a gay love affair between men. While the film can take a lot of credit for being a landmark in American cinematic history, the contents of the film aren’t as great. Mainly it is a combination of faulty direction and a flawed script. Like director Ang Lee’s previous film, 2003’s The Hulk, Brokeback Mountain is choppy, clumsy, and often dull. Add the fact that this film is alternately dry and cold, and you don’t have the makings of a great romance film. Sometimes The Hulk had moments that were quite novel, really clever, or simply brilliant filmmaking choices, and Brokeback Mountain is that way. However, dross sometimes weighs down the clever cinema. As for the script, an adaptation of an E. Anne Proulx story by Diana Ossana and Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist Larry McMurtry (Lonesome Dove), it does indeed seem like a short story padded with a sagging and problematic middle to make a longer story.
That shakiness carries over to the acting. Heath Ledger is superb, often rising above the material and sometimes dragging the material up to his heights. His performance rings true; he certainly comes across as a dirt-poor cowboy, trouble and conflicted about all his personal relationships. His eyes are so expressive, and his facial expressions are riveting and absorbing. On the other hand, Jake Gyllenhaal really isn’t that good, and except for a moment here and there, his performance seems forced… phony even. That especially puts a damper on the screen chemistry between the leads. The supporting performances are good, though the parts are too small. Randy Quaid is menacing as the surly rancher who discovers Ennis and Jake’s secret. Michelle Williams is also quite good as Ennis’ long-suffering wife, Alma, and there are moments when she lights a fire that is as good as anything else in this film.
Certainly there are moments in Brokeback Mountain that completely impressed me. The opening act of the film, which reveals the origin of the cowboy’s love, is truly, truly expert filmmaking. The ending is heart-rending and poignant, with Ledger giving a performance in the last act that is good enough to save the entirety of another film. It’s the vast, clunky wasteland in the middle of Brokeback Mountain that keeps it from meeting its promise greatness.
6 of 10
B
Sunday, January 29, 2006
NOTES:
2006 Academy Awards: 3 wins: “Best Achievement in Directing” (Ang Lee), “Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Score” (Gustavo Santaolalla), and “Best Writing, Adapted Screenplay” (Larry McMurtry and Diana Ossana); 5 nominations: “Best Motion Picture of the Year” (Diana Ossana and James Schamus), “Best Achievement in Cinematography” (Rodrigo Prieto), “Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role” (Heath Ledger), “Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role” (Jake Gyllenhaal) and “Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role” (Michelle Williams)
2006 BAFTA Awards: 4 wins: “Best Film” (Diana Ossana and James Schamus), “Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role” (Jake Gyllenhaal), “Best Screenplay – Adapted” (Larry McMurtry and Diana Ossana), and David Lean Award for Direction” (Ang Lee); 5 nominations: “Anthony Asquith Award for Film Music” (Gustavo Santaolalla), “Best Cinematography” (Rodrigo Prieto), “Best Editing” (Geraldine Peroni and Dylan Tichenor), “Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role” (Heath Ledger), and “Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role” (Michelle Williams)
2006 Golden Globes: 4 wins: “Best Motion Picture – Drama,” “Best Director - Motion Picture: (Ang Lee), “Best Original Song - Motion Picture” (Gustavo Santaolalla-music and Bernie Taupin-lyrics for the song “A Love That Will Never Grow Old”), and “Best Screenplay - Motion Picture” (Larry McMurtry and Diana Ossana); 3 nominations: “Best Original Score - Motion Picture” (Gustavo Santaolalla), “Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama” (Heath Ledger) and “Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture” (Michelle Williams)
---------------------
Friday, October 22, 2010
Audiences to Get Sneak of "TRON: Legacy" October 28
Press release:
WALT DISNEY PICTURES KICKS OFF “TRON: LEGACY” 10-WEEK GLOBAL COUNTDOWN
20+ MINUTE 3D SNEAK PEEK ELECTRIFIES AUDIENCES AROUND THE WORLD WITH “TRON NIGHT: AN IMAX 3D EXPERIENCE”
Walt Disney Pictures’ “TRON: Legacy” Opens in US Theaters December 17, 2010
BURBANK, Calif. (October 10, 2010) —Walt Disney Studios announced, October 10, 2010 (“10-10-10”), the kickoff of the official 10-week countdown to the release of “TRON: Legacy,” which opens in theaters December 17, 2010. Every week for the next 10 weeks marks a major milestone in the countdown as The Walt Disney Company rolls out exciting new TRON events, film content, products and announcements in preparation for the worldwide film launch, including:
TRON Night: An IMAX 3D Experience, a special event on October 28, 2010, that will give audiences worldwide the first opportunity to step onto the Grid and into the cutting-edge, 3D world of Walt Disney Pictures’ high-tech adventure “TRON: Legacy,” during an exciting 20-plus-minute sneak peek of the highly anticipated film, sponsored by ASUS Computer International.
Select IMAX 3D theaters nationwide and 3D & IMAX 3D theaters internationally will offer a special screening of thrilling, never-before-seen 3D footage. “It’s exciting to offer fans an early, exclusive 3D preview of ‘TRON: Legacy’ in the ultimate of formats. We can’t wait for audiences around the world to experience the visually stunning and cutting-edge world that director Joe Kosinski has created,” said Sean Bailey, President of Production, Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures.
Greg Foster, Chairman and President of IMAX Filmed Entertainment, is equally enthusiastic. “We are ecstatic that the Disney team and the ‘TRON: Legacy’ filmmakers elected to debut this amazing footage exclusively in our network of theaters,” said Foster. “This first-look in IMAX 3D is the most immersive way to bring audiences into the world of ‘TRON: Legacy’ and kick-off the countdown to the film’s highly-anticipated launch.”
Tickets to the October 28th TRON Night events are free and will be distributed for US and Canadian screenings on a first-come, first-serve basis starting 10:00 a.m./PDT on the first “TRON Tuesday,” October 12, 2010. Information for U.S. and Canadian ticketing can be found on Facebook.com/TRON.
· Beginning today, fans have the opportunity to purchase tickets to select IMAX 3D midnight screenings of “TRON: Legacy.” Tickets may be purchased at all participating IMAX locations and online at Disney.com/TRON.
“TRON Tuesdays”— every Tuesday for the next 10 weeks, exclusive new video and film content, including behind-the-scenes exclusives, trailers and artwork, will be released around the world online and through select broadcast outlets. To get the latest on “TRON Tuesdays” and more, visit Disney.com and Facebook.com/TRON.
· “10-10-10” also marks the launch of Disney.com’s TRON: Get on the Grid Sweepstakes, featuring hundreds of prizes including a Grand Prize Trip for four to experience ElecTRONica, the new street celebration at Disney California Adventure™ Park. The Get on the Grid Sweepstakes is open to US residents only; details and official entry rules are available at Disney.com/TRONsweeps.
ADDITIONAL HIGHLIGHTS OF THE 10-WEEK COUNTDOWN:
· Walt Disney Records will release the “TRON: Legacy” official motion picture Soundtrack, scored by the French electronic music duo Daft Punk, on December 7th.
· In addition to new merchandise arriving to stores this month, Disney Consumer Products will debut exciting, new “TRON: Legacy” products and promotions, including a special line for women, a one-of-a-kind immersive retail destination for products and a unique gadget line for music and gaming fans.
· On December 7th, Disney Interactive Studios will launch the next-gen video game “TRON: Evolution” for all major home video game consoles, Windows PC and handheld platforms.
· Disney Parks is celebrating “TRON: Legacy” with ElecTRONica, a nighttime street event at Disney California Adventure™ Park, featuring a dynamic visual- and music-based experience, a re-creation of Flynn’s Arcade and an opportunity to see a special 3D preview of “TRON: Legacy.” ElecTRONica runs from now until April 2011 every Friday, Saturday and Sunday night and nightly through the Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday periods.
Information on all TRON activities can be found at Disney.com/TRON.
ABOUT THE MOVIE
“TRON: Legacy” is a 3D action-packed adventure set in a digital world unlike anything captured on the big screen. Sam Flynn (Garrett Hedlund), a rebellious 27-year-old, is haunted by the mysterious disappearance of his father Kevin Flynn (Oscar® and Golden Globe® winner Jeff Bridges), a man once known as the world’s leading video-game developer. When Sam investigates a strange signal sent from the abandoned Flynn’s Arcade—that could have only come from his father—he finds himself pulled into a world where Kevin has been trapped for 20 years. With the help of the fearless warrior Quorra (Olivia Wilde), father and son embark on a life-or-death journey across a visually stunning universe—created by Kevin Himself—which has become far more advanced with never-before-imagined vehicles, weapons and landscapes, and a ruthless villain who will stop at nothing to prevent their escape.
“TRON: Legacy” is directed by Joseph Kosinski and produced by Sean Bailey, Jeffrey Silver and Steven Lisberger. The story is by Eddy Kitsis & Adam Horowitz and Brian Klugman & Lee Sternthal, and the screenplay is by Eddy Kitsis & Adam Horowitz, based on characters created by Steven Lisberger and Bonnie MacBird. Presented in Disney Digital 3D™ and IMAX 3D® and scored by Grammy Award®–winning electronic music duo Daft Punk, “TRON: Legacy” hits theaters on December 17, 2010.
WALT DISNEY PICTURES KICKS OFF “TRON: LEGACY” 10-WEEK GLOBAL COUNTDOWN
20+ MINUTE 3D SNEAK PEEK ELECTRIFIES AUDIENCES AROUND THE WORLD WITH “TRON NIGHT: AN IMAX 3D EXPERIENCE”
Walt Disney Pictures’ “TRON: Legacy” Opens in US Theaters December 17, 2010
BURBANK, Calif. (October 10, 2010) —Walt Disney Studios announced, October 10, 2010 (“10-10-10”), the kickoff of the official 10-week countdown to the release of “TRON: Legacy,” which opens in theaters December 17, 2010. Every week for the next 10 weeks marks a major milestone in the countdown as The Walt Disney Company rolls out exciting new TRON events, film content, products and announcements in preparation for the worldwide film launch, including:
TRON Night: An IMAX 3D Experience, a special event on October 28, 2010, that will give audiences worldwide the first opportunity to step onto the Grid and into the cutting-edge, 3D world of Walt Disney Pictures’ high-tech adventure “TRON: Legacy,” during an exciting 20-plus-minute sneak peek of the highly anticipated film, sponsored by ASUS Computer International.
Select IMAX 3D theaters nationwide and 3D & IMAX 3D theaters internationally will offer a special screening of thrilling, never-before-seen 3D footage. “It’s exciting to offer fans an early, exclusive 3D preview of ‘TRON: Legacy’ in the ultimate of formats. We can’t wait for audiences around the world to experience the visually stunning and cutting-edge world that director Joe Kosinski has created,” said Sean Bailey, President of Production, Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures.
Greg Foster, Chairman and President of IMAX Filmed Entertainment, is equally enthusiastic. “We are ecstatic that the Disney team and the ‘TRON: Legacy’ filmmakers elected to debut this amazing footage exclusively in our network of theaters,” said Foster. “This first-look in IMAX 3D is the most immersive way to bring audiences into the world of ‘TRON: Legacy’ and kick-off the countdown to the film’s highly-anticipated launch.”
Tickets to the October 28th TRON Night events are free and will be distributed for US and Canadian screenings on a first-come, first-serve basis starting 10:00 a.m./PDT on the first “TRON Tuesday,” October 12, 2010. Information for U.S. and Canadian ticketing can be found on Facebook.com/TRON.
· Beginning today, fans have the opportunity to purchase tickets to select IMAX 3D midnight screenings of “TRON: Legacy.” Tickets may be purchased at all participating IMAX locations and online at Disney.com/TRON.
“TRON Tuesdays”— every Tuesday for the next 10 weeks, exclusive new video and film content, including behind-the-scenes exclusives, trailers and artwork, will be released around the world online and through select broadcast outlets. To get the latest on “TRON Tuesdays” and more, visit Disney.com and Facebook.com/TRON.
· “10-10-10” also marks the launch of Disney.com’s TRON: Get on the Grid Sweepstakes, featuring hundreds of prizes including a Grand Prize Trip for four to experience ElecTRONica, the new street celebration at Disney California Adventure™ Park. The Get on the Grid Sweepstakes is open to US residents only; details and official entry rules are available at Disney.com/TRONsweeps.
ADDITIONAL HIGHLIGHTS OF THE 10-WEEK COUNTDOWN:
· Walt Disney Records will release the “TRON: Legacy” official motion picture Soundtrack, scored by the French electronic music duo Daft Punk, on December 7th.
· In addition to new merchandise arriving to stores this month, Disney Consumer Products will debut exciting, new “TRON: Legacy” products and promotions, including a special line for women, a one-of-a-kind immersive retail destination for products and a unique gadget line for music and gaming fans.
· On December 7th, Disney Interactive Studios will launch the next-gen video game “TRON: Evolution” for all major home video game consoles, Windows PC and handheld platforms.
· Disney Parks is celebrating “TRON: Legacy” with ElecTRONica, a nighttime street event at Disney California Adventure™ Park, featuring a dynamic visual- and music-based experience, a re-creation of Flynn’s Arcade and an opportunity to see a special 3D preview of “TRON: Legacy.” ElecTRONica runs from now until April 2011 every Friday, Saturday and Sunday night and nightly through the Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday periods.
Information on all TRON activities can be found at Disney.com/TRON.
ABOUT THE MOVIE
“TRON: Legacy” is a 3D action-packed adventure set in a digital world unlike anything captured on the big screen. Sam Flynn (Garrett Hedlund), a rebellious 27-year-old, is haunted by the mysterious disappearance of his father Kevin Flynn (Oscar® and Golden Globe® winner Jeff Bridges), a man once known as the world’s leading video-game developer. When Sam investigates a strange signal sent from the abandoned Flynn’s Arcade—that could have only come from his father—he finds himself pulled into a world where Kevin has been trapped for 20 years. With the help of the fearless warrior Quorra (Olivia Wilde), father and son embark on a life-or-death journey across a visually stunning universe—created by Kevin Himself—which has become far more advanced with never-before-imagined vehicles, weapons and landscapes, and a ruthless villain who will stop at nothing to prevent their escape.
“TRON: Legacy” is directed by Joseph Kosinski and produced by Sean Bailey, Jeffrey Silver and Steven Lisberger. The story is by Eddy Kitsis & Adam Horowitz and Brian Klugman & Lee Sternthal, and the screenplay is by Eddy Kitsis & Adam Horowitz, based on characters created by Steven Lisberger and Bonnie MacBird. Presented in Disney Digital 3D™ and IMAX 3D® and scored by Grammy Award®–winning electronic music duo Daft Punk, “TRON: Legacy” hits theaters on December 17, 2010.
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