I just got this press release about the "Avengers Second Screen App." If I understand correctly, you can use it now to get more information on the Avengers, including behind the scenes stuff. When Marvel's The Avengers comes out on Blu-ray, you can sync the app to the Blu-ray to get even more extras.
App Overview: Second Screen transforms the movie watching experience by allowing viewers to explore the story behind the film perfectly synched on a second device, like an iPad™ or laptop, without interrupting their enjoyment of the movie. By accessing the Second Screen companion application on their Internet-connected device, consumers are able to dive deeper into the film by engaging with key elements of the movie.
This groundbreaking new application allows users to interact with their Blu-ray™ player by simply starting the Blu-ray movie, and then syncing Second Screen to the film automatically by following the easy on-screen instructions. Once connected, they can explore interactive galleries, play games, and learn interesting facts about the scenes they’re watching.
Features: Enter the S.H.I.E.L.D. database on your second screen device accessing personnel files, comic book origins andexclusive interactive content with The Avengers Initiative: A Marvel SecondScreen Experience. By downloading the app, you can:
- Become a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent and participate in the Item 47 Comic-Con experience either remotely or in the field.
- Examine the confidential files of the Avengers including heroes, agents and villains.
- Sync to the movie and explore exclusive behind-the-scenes interactive content such as visual effects labs where you can explore sequences layer by layer.
- Seamlessly link the characters, stories, and scenes of the movieback to their comic book origins through the interactive Marvel digital reader.
- View the major events of the Marvel Cinematic Universe – Phase 1 on the definitive timeline of all 6 movies.
Devices: iPad or PC/MAC computer with FLASH
Formats: Optimized for Blu-ray™ and included in Combo Pack releases.
NEW – Now works with iTunes Extras
Access: Visit http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/avengers-initiative-marvel/id539555261?mt=8
Select your version (either iPad™ or Web)
Sync to the movie or explore on your own
Currently only available in US and English-speaking Canada
Monday, July 9, 2012
Truthout.org Talks to Josh Fox About "The Sky is Pink"
Josh Fox, the Oscar-nominated director of the documentary, Gasland, has a new film out, The Sky is Pink. This new documentary, like Gasland, looks at the natural gas extration process known as "fracking."
In conjuction with the film's release, Truthout.org writer, Christine Shearerhas, interviews Fox. In the interview, Fox also talks about "Gasland 2," which is scheduled to appear on HBO.
In conjuction with the film's release, Truthout.org writer, Christine Shearerhas, interviews Fox. In the interview, Fox also talks about "Gasland 2," which is scheduled to appear on HBO.
Sunday, July 8, 2012
"Joyful Noise" is Joyful Indeed
Joyful Noise (2012)
Running time: 118 minutes (1 hour, 58 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for some language including a sexual reference
WRITER/DIRECTOR: Todd Graff
PRODUCERS: Joseph Farrell, Broderick Johnson, Andrew A. Kosove, Michael G. Nathanson, and Catherine Paura
CINEMATOGRAPHER: David Boyd
EDITOR: Kathryn Himoff
COMPOSER: Mervyn Warren
DRAMA/MUSIC/SPIRITUAL
Starring: Queen Latifah, Dolly Parton, Keke Palmer, Jeremy Jordan, Dexter Darden, Courtney B. Vance, Jesse L. Martin, Angela Grovey, Andy Karl, Dequina Moore, Paul Woolfolk, Kirk Franklin, and Kris Kristofferson
Joyful Noise is a 2012 music-driven film and Christian-theme drama from Todd Graff, the director of Bandslam. Joyful Noise stars Queen Latifah and Dolly Parton as rivals in a small church choir that is competing in a national singing competition.
The story is set in the small town of Pacashau, Georgia. Pacashau is going through some hard economic times, but the people take pride in Pacashau Sacred Divinity Choir. For quite a few years now, the choir has made it to the regional finals of Joyful Noise, a national amateur singing competition for church choirs.
The choir recently suffered a tragic loss. Now, G.G. Sparrow (Dolly Parton), a patron of Pacashau Sacred Divinity Church, faces off with the choir’s newly appointed director, Vi Rose Hill (Queen Latifah), over the choir’s direction as they head to the Joyful Noise regionals. To make matters more complicated, G.G.’s wayward grandson, Randy Garrity (Jeremy Jordan), is back in town, and he becomes immediately attracted to Vi Rose’s daughter, Olivia (Queen Latifah). As internal dissent begins to threaten the choir, can faith and determination combined with young talent keep the choir singing God’s praise? Will the choir win the Joyful Noise nationals in Los Angeles?
Joyful Noise is strange in that writer/director Todd Graff seems to have fashioned not one movie, but several mini-movies put together to form one patchwork film narrative. At its heart, Joyful Noise is two things. The first is a teen romance featuring former childhood friends reunited in the throws of teen angst. Surprisingly, although Olivia is black and Randy is white, this is not an interracial love story. Their race/skin color never comes up as an obstacle in their relationship or as a problem for other characters. Joyful Noise’s second identity is that of a modern dustbowl drama about a rural, small town suffering the deprivations of what is essentially our modern version of the Great Depression, except that we call it the Great Recession.
The problem is that the love story and the town-in-recession story never come together; normally, one would affect the other, but they remain separate, and not quite equal. They’re like two different dramas sharing the same stage.
Meanwhile, there are these other dramas competing for space. There is the Vi Rose/G.G. cat fight that goes on too long, although the script doesn’t really provide enough to convince me that they should be mad at one another. There is the marital discord between Vi Rose and her husband, Marcus Hill (Jesse L. Martin), which is well written and perhaps should have been at the center of this movie. Instead, it seems like a tacked-on subplot. There is some kind of conflict between G.G. and Pastor Dale (Courtney B. Vance), and while Graff drops hints about it, he largely ignores it.
Of course, the movie is supposed to be about Pacashau Sacred Divinity Choir’s quest to get to the Joyful Noise nationals in L.A., but Graff often loses that behind all the other melodramas. Still, it is the music and singing that make this movie soar. At this point in the review, dear reader, you probably think that I didn’t like Joyful Noise. Quite the contrary: this movie is made of parts that don’t always fit, but I love it because the great music brings it all together and turns Joyful Noise into something that tugs at my heart.
Joyful Noise is Tyler Perry + Hallmark Channel holiday special + Glee. I love the Hallmark Channel’s Christmas movies, and Joyful Noise seems to put a gospel theatre spin on that. Although this is not a Christmas movie, it felt like Christmas-time to me, as I watched these characters come together to make things good for one another in really bad times. As for the acting, it’s mixed, although Queen Latifah has a screaming-fit scene with Keke Palmer that could pass as a pitch for an Oscar nomination. But Joyful Noise is about the noise and it is joyful. I want get that soundtrack.
6 of 10
B
Friday, July 06, 2012
Rise of the Guardians Character Posters: Pitch
Rise of the Guardians is an upcoming computer-animated feature film from DreamWorks Animation (November 21 2012). The film is based on William Joyce's book series, The Guardians of Childhood. Pitch AKA The Nightmare King is The Bogeyman and is the film's antagonist. Jude Law provides Pitch's voice.
Friday, July 6, 2012
Jeremy Renner and Tony Gilroy Go Livestream for "The Bourne Legacy"
Members of AMC Theatres’ Rewards Program – AMC Stubs – Are Invited to See an Exclusive First Look at THE BOURNE LEGACY in Person and Participate in a Q&A with the Director and Star at AMC Century City 15 in Los Angeles on July 9
KANSAS CITY, Mo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--AMC Theatres® and Universal Pictures announced today that fans eagerly anticipating the next chapter of the hugely popular espionage franchise – THE BOURNE LEGACY – will have an opportunity to see a Livestream Q&A featuring director Tony Gilroy and star Jeremy Renner on Monday, July 9. Prior to the Q&A, fans will be treated to an exclusive first look at THE BOURNE LEGACY. The event begins at 7 p.m. PDT (10 p.m. EDT).
Additionally, AMC Stubs members in the Los Angeles area have the exclusive opportunity to join Gilroy and Renner in person for their Q&A session, which will take place at AMC Century City 15 in Los Angeles on Monday, July 9 at 7 p.m. PDT.
“Tony Gilroy, Jeremy Renner and the entire Universal team have taken the Bourne story in an exciting new direction, and we can’t wait to offer AMC Stubs members in the Los Angeles area this unique opportunity,” said Sun Dee Larson, vice president of Film Marketing at AMC Theatres.
THE BOURNE LEGACY debuts in theaters everywhere August 10.
Those unable to attend in person to view the Q&A with Gilroy and Renner and see the exclusive first look at THE BOURNE LEGACY, may still see it live by visiting go.amctheatres.com/bourne at 7 p.m. PDT on July 9. Fans may also pre-submit questions for the Q&A on Twitter using the hashtag #amcbourne or on AMC’s Facebook page at facebook.com/amctheatres.
To take advantage of opportunities like this by becoming an AMC Stubs member, visit amcstubs.com.
About AMC Theatres
AMC Theatres delivers distinctive and affordable movie-going experiences in 346 theatres with 5,034 screens across the United States and Canada. AMC has propelled industry innovation and continues today by delivering premium sight and sound, enhanced food and beverage and diverse content. AMCTheatres.com.
Thursday, July 5, 2012
"The Amazing Spider-Man" is Amazingly Human
The Amazing Spider-Man (2012)
Running time: 136 minutes (2 hours, 16 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for sequences of action and violence
DIRECTOR: Marc Webb
WRITERS: James Vanderbilt, Steve Kloves, and Alvin Sargent; from a story by James Vanderbilt (based upon the Marvel Comic Book by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko)
PRODUCERS: Laura Ziskin, Avi Arad, and Matthew Tolmach
CINEMATOGRAPHER: John Schwartzman
EDITORS: Alan Edward Bell, Michael McCusker, and Pietro Scalia
COMPOSER: James Horner
SUPERHERO/DRAMA/SCI-FI/ACTION/ROMANCE
Starring: Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Rhys Ifans, Denis Leary, Martin Sheen, Sally Field, Irrfan Khan, Campbell Scott, Embeth Davidtz, Chris Zylka, Max Charles, C. Thomas Howell, Kari Coleman, Barbara Eve Harris, and Stan Lee
The Amazing Spider-Man is a 2012 superhero film and drama from director Marc Webb and starring Andrew Garfield in the title role. This new movie is a reboot of the Spider-Man film franchise, but it is also the fourth Spider-Man film in a decade. And The Amazing Spider-Man is the best Spider-Man movie, yet.
Teenager Peter Parker (Andrew Garfield) lives with his Aunt May (Sally Field) and Uncle Ben (Martin Sheen) and has since his parents, Richard (Campbell Scott) and Mary Parker (Embeth Davidtz) disappeared. Peter is an adolescent loner trying to find his place in life, and he has found a place in high school as the target of jock/bully, Flash Thompson (Chris Zylka). Peter does catch the attention of fellow student, Gwen Stacy (Emma Stone), a smart and rebellious girl.
Digging through his father’s papers, Peter learns the identity of one of Richard Parker’s old colleagues, fellow scientist Dr. Curt Connors (Rhys Ifans), who works at OsCorp (apparently a giant biotech firm). It is at OsCorp where Peter is bitten by a strange spider. The bite gives him strange powers and abilities similar to that of a spider, such as the ability to adhere to surfaces and to climb walls. After tragedy strikes, Peter decides to use his powers to fight criminals and help people, so he creates a mask and suit and names himself, “Spider-Man.” New York City does indeed need him, as there is a half-man/half-lizard monster known as “The Lizard” tearing the city apart.
When I heard that Columbia Pictures had hired Marc Webb to direct the Spider-Man movie reboot, I knew that by choosing the director of (500) Days of Summer the studio was going for something different from Sam Raimi’s three Spider-Man films. Webb certainly delivers something shockingly different. The Amazing Spider-Man clearly revisits plotlines from the first film, Spider-Man (2002), but everything about this new movie is from a different perspective.
The Amazing Spider-Man brings Peter Parker’s life into sharper focus. The screenplay, which is credited to James Vanderbilt, Steve Kloves, and Alvin Sargent (although I’m guessing that the majority of what is on screen is the work of Sargent and Kloves), emphasizes a character arc that follows Peter Parker’s journey to find himself. Peter searches for himself by trying to learn about his father. Actually, many of the film’s major characters are either trying to find themselves or find something that is missing in their lives.
All this searching makes The Amazing Spider-Man equally a character drama and a superhero movie – if not more the former than the latter. Make no mistake: there is plenty of superhero fantasy and action in this new movie, but it has such humanity because the story goes after the characters’ souls. The story is always digging at the characters, trying to get inside and discover what makes them tick. What do they want? What are they willing to do to get it? What are they afraid of? Webb gets to the heart of the character drama to the point that character is every bit as engaging, enthralling, and exciting as when Parker puts on the suit and swings over New York City or has a throw-down fight with The Lizard.
There are a number of good performances in The Amazing Spider-Man, but Andrew Garfield stands out, of course. He is magnificent as Peter Parker/Spider-Man. Unlike Tobey Maguire’s lovable, sad sack, and put-upon Peter Parker, Garfield’s Parker is a man of masks. He plays the sullen geek while in school, but at home and at work, he has a witty personality. He is also stubborn and strong-willed. Garfield makes it all believable, and he has fashioned his own Peter Parker, independent of Maguire’s Parker, which is also a fine version of Parker/Spider-Man.
As you can tell, the practically life-long Spider-Man fan in me loves The Amazing Spider-Man. Everyone involved took something familiar and created a film that seems like a revelation.
9 of 10
A+
Thursday, July 05, 2012
Review: "Sunshine State" is Another Great John Sayles Ensemble Drama (Happy B'day, Edie Falco)
Sunshine State (2002)
Running time: 141 minutes (2 hours, 21 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for brief strong language, a sexual reference, and thematic elements
EDITOR/WRITER/DIRECTOR: John Sayles
PRODUCER: Maggie Renzi
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Patrick Cady
DRAMA
Starring: Angela Bassett, Edie Falco, James McDaniel, Timothy Hutton, Bill Cobbs, Miguel Ferrer, Ralph Waite, Jane Alexander, Mary Alice, Gordon Clapp, Mary Steenburgen, Alex Lewis, and Tom Wright
The subject of this movie review is Sunshine State, a 2002 drama (with humorous undertones) from director John Sayles. An ensemble character drama, the film has subplots about family secrets, race relations, romance, and commercial property development.
Watching a John Sayles movie is to observe the work of a genius. Of course the word is often misused and overused, but not in John’s case. He is a genius film director. Very few directors could write the kind of dense character pieces that he does with so many players and still make the resulting film visually absorbing. That is what the master does yet again in his 2002 film, Sunshine State.
As usual, when a Sayles film begins, there is already a lot of backstory. The characters have highly involved lives before we fade in to the first scene, so we essentially come into a story that’s already begun. In a northern Florida coastal town, encroaching land developers force the separate lives of the town’s residents to intersect as the developers make a hard sell, by hook or by crook, the buy the land which they intend to transform into a swanky residential and resort area.
Old family business also rears its head for the two female leads. Desiree Perry (Angela Bassett) returns to visit her mother, Eunice Stokes (Mary Alice). Desiree left decades earlier because of an unwanted pregnancy and because she had a hard time living up to the public legacy of her father. She returns with her husband, Reggie, to find her mother now responsible for a troubled young relative (Alex Lewis) and seemingly nursing a grudge against her daughter.
Meanwhile, Marly Temple (Edie Falco) manages her father Furman’s (Ralph Waite) restaurant and hotel, but she’s ready to give it up. She listens to the slick and deceptive deals of the land developers and falls for one of their employees, a wandering landscape architect (Timothy Hutton).
Sayles’s film is a complex, but yet straightforward story, that details the complicated issues of business and of family business. You almost need a scorecard to keep up with all the characters, but Sayles creates a rhythm with his plot and story that a patient and savvy viewer will eventually catch. Visually, it’s like a shell game, but once you catch onto who is who, who is connected to whom, who wants what, you get a grasp on the film. After a while, you even have a good idea of the motivation of even the bit players. Sayles’s films are verbose, but not like those pretentious uppity foreign films, especially those high-falutin’ British period pieces. The spoken accentuates the visual. The better you understand the dialogue and that it’s communicating the story to you, the easier it is to watch the movie.
The acting is quite good all around. Many viewers are already aware of Angela Bassett’s dramatic prowess, but Ms. Falco, mainly known for “The Sopranos” is a revelation here. Her Marly Temple is one of the best performances by an actress, lead or supporting, in 2002, and one of the best in last few years. Like many of those earlier excellent performances, Oscar passed Ms. Falco by even for a nomination.
For many complex business and socio-political reasons, not excluding his talent, Sayles continues to create some of the best ethnic characters currently seen in popular cinema, especially African-Americans. Many black directors and writers show less affinity than Sayles in creating complex, three-dimensional black characters. Many black filmmakers are content to churn out the same drivel as the rest of the film industry except they populate their movies with cardboard, stereotypical Negroes.
As usual, a Sayles film ends before the story is “over.” He’s given us a small slice in the long rich lives of his characters who are so seemingly alive that they might just live on past the end credits. Sunshine State is John Sayles best film since Lone Star, in which he also takes the same lovingly novelistic approach to the story. It’s a career highlight from the oldest and the strongest maverick filmmaker in America. He’s the last great independent spirit, and by remaining so, every few years, he gives us a work of simple brilliance.
9 of 10
A+
NOTES:
2003 Black Reel Awards: 1 win: “Theatrical - Best Actress” (Angela Bassett)
2003 Image Awards: 1 win: “Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture” (Angela Bassett)
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