“The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” Tickets On Sale Wed. Nov. 7th

The Journey Begins… Advance Tickets for “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” go on Sale on Wednesday, November 7, at 12:00pm Eastern Time in the U.S. and Canada

“The Lord of the Rings” Trilogy Extended Cut Marathon Coming to U.S. Theaters December 8-9

BURBANK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Moviegoers who are eagerly anticipating the December 14 release of the epic fantasy adventure “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey,” will be able to secure their seats over a month in advance when tickets go on sale, online and in theaters across North America, at 12:00pm Eastern Time, on Wednesday, November 7.

The film, a production of New Line Cinema and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures (MGM), is the first in Peter Jackson’s highly anticipated trilogy adapting the enduringly popular masterpiece The Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolkien. Being released domestically by Warner Bros. Pictures, all three films in “The Hobbit” Trilogy tell a continuous story set in Middle-earth 60 years before “The Lord of the Rings,” which Jackson and his filmmaking team brought to the big screen in the blockbuster trilogy that culminated with the Oscar®-winning “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.”

As part of the celebration, moviegoers will have the opportunity to re-experience Middle-earth in big screen marathons of “The Lord of the Rings” Trilogy in their Extended Cut editions on Saturday, December 8, and Sunday, December 9. Tickets for these all-day events will also go on sale, online and in theaters throughout the U.S., at noon Eastern time on Wednesday, November 7.

“The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” follows the journey of title character Bilbo Baggins, who joins the Wizard Gandalf and 13 Dwarves, led by the legendary warrior Thorin Oakenshield, on an epic quest to reclaim the lost Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor from the fearsome dragon Smaug.

Ian McKellen returns as Gandalf the Grey, the character he played in “The Lord of the Rings” Trilogy, with Martin Freeman in the central role of Bilbo Baggins, and Richard Armitage as Thorin Oakenshield. Also reprising their roles from “The Lord of the Rings” in “The Hobbit” Trilogy are: Cate Blanchett as Galadriel; Ian Holm as the elder Bilbo; Christopher Lee as Saruman; Hugo Weaving as Elrond; Elijah Wood as Frodo; and Andy Serkis as Gollum. The international ensemble cast of the trilogy also includes (in alphabetical order) Manu Bennett, Jed Brophy, Adam Brown, John Callen, Mark Hadlow, Peter Hambleton, Barry Humphries, Stephen Hunter, William Kircher, Sylvester McCoy, Bret McKenzie, Graham McTavish, James Nesbitt, Dean O’Gorman, Conan Stevens, Ken Stott and Aidan Turner.

The screenplay for “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” is by Fran Walsh & Philippa Boyens & Peter Jackson & Guillermo del Toro. Jackson is also producing the film, together with Carolynne Cunningham, Zane Weiner and Fran Walsh. The executive producers are Alan Horn, Toby Emmerich, Ken Kamins and Carolyn Blackwood, with Boyens and Eileen Moran serving as co-producers.

Under Jackson’s direction, “The Hobbit” Trilogy has been shot in 3D 48 frames-per-second and will be released in High Frame Rate 3D (HFR 3D), other 3D formats, IMAX and 2D. Production has taken place at Jackson's own facilities in Miramar, Wellington, and on location around New Zealand.

Among the creative behind-the-scenes team returning to Jackson’s crew were director of photography Andrew Lesnie, production designer Dan Hennah, conceptual designers Alan Lee and John Howe, composer Howard Shore and make-up and hair designer Peter King. The film is edited by Jabez Olssen. The costumes were designed by Ann Maskrey, Richard Taylor and Bob Buck.

Taylor also oversaw the design and production of weaponry, armor and prosthetics, which were once again being made by the award-winning Weta Workshop. Weta Digital took on the visual effects for the films, led by the film’s visual effects supervisor, Joe Letteri. Post production is taking place at Park Road Post Production in Wellington.

“The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” and the second and third films of the trilogy are productions of New Line Cinema and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures (MGM), with New Line managing production. Warner Bros. Pictures is handling worldwide theatrical distribution, with select international territories as well as all international television distribution being handled by MGM.

“The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” will be released in the U.S. on December 14, 2012, with the second film, “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug,” releasing December 13, 2013, and the third film, “The Hobbit: There and Back Again” slated for July 18, 2014.

www.thehobbit.com

Review: Hawke, Fishburne Carry "Assault on Precinct 13" Remake (Happy B'day, Ethan Hawke)

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 90 (of 2005) by Leroy Douresseaux

Assault on Precinct 13 (2005)
Running time: 109 minutes (1 hour, 49 minutes)
MPAA – R for strong violence and language throughout, and for some drug content
DIRECTOR: Jean-François Richet
WRITER: James DeMonaco (based upon an earlier screenplay by John Carpenter)
PRODUCERS: Pascal Caucheteux, Jeffrey Silver, and Stephane Sperry
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Robert Gantz
EDITOR: Bill Pankow
COMPOSER: Graeme Revell

ACTION/THRILLER/CRIME (GANGSTER)

Starring: Ethan Hawke, Laurence Fishburne, John Leguizamo, Drea de Matteo, Gabriel Byrne, Brian Dennehy, Jeffrey “Ja Rule” Atkins, Mario Bello, Aisha Hinds, Matt Craven, Dorian Harewood

Assault on Precinct 13, the 2005 remake of the 1976 John Carpenter film, may lack the social commentary of the original, but it is a very entertaining action thriller that doesn’t try to break new ground in the tale of cops and criminals who must temporarily unite for their mutual survival. This new Assault on Precinct 13 is a by-the-books Hollywood effort that doesn’t throw any curve balls and sticks close to the original. The only thing the filmmakers wanted to go out on a limb for was to feature lots of gunshot wounds and even more kill shots to human heads. This is true R-rated action, and the film is proud of it. The actual assault on the precinct is full of sound and fury and smoke and blood – perfect for people who like the Lethal Weapon and Die Hard franchises.

Precinct 13 is a soon-to-close police station, and its last day, New Year’s Eve, is a snowy one. Stuck with the duty of closing the station one last time is Sgt. Jake Roenick (Ethan Hawke), who eight months earlier saw a drug bust go really bad and his two partners gunned down. He’s reluctant to be out on the street again, or so says his sexy therapist, Dr. Alex Sabian (Maria Bello). However, Jake is forced to again confront a heavy-duty assignment when a prison bus carrying four prisoners is forced by the intensifying snow storm to make a stop at Precinct 13. One of his new charges is the infamous Marion Bishop (Laurence Fishburne), recently taken into custody after killing a cop.

All Roenick has with him at the precinct is a skeleton crew, which consists of Iris Ferry (Drea de Matteo), a secretary, and Jasper O’Shea (Brian Dennehy), a copy on the verge of retiring, and none of them know that Bishop was in league with a band of dirty cops, who recently turned on him. They don’t want Bishop to live long enough to reveal their corruption, so they launch an assault on Precinct 13 to kill Bishop, and they don’t want any witnesses surviving. Now, Jake, Jasper, Iris, and Dr. Sabian must join forces with Bishop and the three other criminals: Beck (John Leguizamo), Smiley (Ja Rule), and Anna (Aisha Hinds), if they want to see sunrise.

In the original film, the audience knew next to nothing about the cast, and even less about the gang laying siege to the isolated precinct. The new screenplay gives us plenty about Jake Roenick, ostensibly the hero, including his (self-perceived) professional failures, so that we might root for him to overcome his personal challenges and demons and rise to the occasion. In the end, nothing about any character here rings true. The selling point of this tale is that a tiny band of good guys and some criminals, who look good compared to the ones trying to kill them, are seemingly cut off from civilization and from help and they’re facing a large band of relentless foes with numbers and weapons on their side. If the movie can get us to picture ourselves with the outgunned, the filmmakers have won half the battle, which the makers of Assault on Precinct 13 did. However, they only win a little of the rest of the battle, just enough to win the war, but win ugly.

Laurence Fishburne is a dashing movie star with plenty of charisma, enough to make up for the fact that he doesn’t have matinee looks. His presence wins every frame that he’s in here, but that hampers the film because the usually good Ethan Hawke doesn’t seem up to the challenge of matching Fishburne. Hawke’s performance is either flat or shrill, with only a few moments of truth (to which I desperately clung). It’s best to view this film the way one might the original. Don’t think about the characters; focus on the plot (which conceptually has more holes in it than the precinct after the assault), and still more on the setting. They’re the winning combination that overcomes hamstrung characters and pick-up-a-paycheck acting.

6 of 10
B

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Original "Assault on Precinct 13" Still Surprises

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 89 (of 2005) by Leroy Douresseaux


Assault on Precinct 13 (1976)
Running time: 91 minutes (1 hour, 31 minutes)
COMPOSER/WRITER/DIRECTOR: John Carpenter
PRODUCER: J.S. Kaplan
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Douglas Knapp
EDITOR: John T. Chance (John Carpenter)

ACTION/THRILLER with elements of crime

Starring: Austin Stoker, Darwin Joston, Laurie Zimmer, Martin West, Tony Burton, Charles Cyphers, Nancy Loomis, and Kim Richards

John Carpenter’s second feature film, Assault on Precinct 13, has been called a cult classic; in fact, it’s also a favorite of director Quentin Tarantino. Early in the film, police ambush and kill six gang members, so other gang members make a blood pact to strike back at the police. After a grieving father kills one of those gang members for the murder of his young daughter, the gangsters track him to division 13 of precinct 9, a nearly abandoned police station that is in the process of being closed. More gang members join the initial group of thugs, and they lay siege to the station on its last night of operation. After the first two assaults on the station, one police officer, a dispatcher, and two convicts have to find a way to survive the gang onslaught in a building without power and phone, until someone comes to rescue them from what seems like an endless number of killers. But is anyone coming to help them?

Combining elements of Rio Bravo and Night of the Living Dead (1968), Assault on Precinct 13 is a unique and riveting crime thriller. Except for the sounds of the gun battles, the film is strangely quiet. The dialogue is never screamed, although the characters do yell on occasion. Carpenter only intermittently uses his ominous and somber score (which features a synthesizer), and the soundtrack is free on songs and radio tracks, whereas few current action movies are released without a soundtrack full of songs by popular rock, metal, and/or hip hop acts. This film is simultaneously dream-like and apocalyptic, a nightmare in which it seems that the end is a foregone conclusion for a small group of protagonists, no matter how much they might deserve to have someone save them.

The acting is stiff and often forced, but Carpenter wisely gets performances based on attitude in which the actors understand the importance of atmosphere and what they do serves the interests of the film rather than the art of their performance. The script also doesn’t have one, single antagonist, so the film lacks a good villain. While the gang members are good adversaries, they need a face – one character that personifies the bad guys.

As usual, Carpenter’s film includes subtle social satire and commentary covering everything from the breakdown of institutions, the inadequacy of social and municipal services, and the lack of professional accountability to urban decay, lawlessness, and incompetence. Assault on Precinct 13 is a brilliant, dark, and distinctively American film that stands the test of time because it was born of a time in American culture when people felt change was coming too fast and life was becoming too coarse. Thus, Assault on Precinct 13 will always touch a nerve.

8 of 10
A

June 5, 2005

2012 British Independent Film Awards Nominations Announced

Created in 1998, The British Independent Film Awards, by its own description, celebrates merit and achievement in independently funded British filmmaking, honor new film talent, and promote British films and filmmaking to a wider public.

Partial Press Release:

NOMINATIONS, HOST AND JURY REVEALED FOR THE 15th ANNUAL MOËT BRITISH INDEPENDENT FILM AWARDS

London, Monday 5 November The nominations for the 15th annual Moët British Independent Film Awards were announced today, at St Martins Lane, London by actor and BIFA Patron, Adrian Lester.

 

Joint Directors, The Moët British Independent Film Awards’ Johanna von Fischer & Tessa Collinson said: “In this our 15th year, we are delighted to welcome back six-time former host James Nesbitt. We would like to take this opportunity to thank our dedicated Pre-Selection Committee who watched over 200 films in order to produce the 2012 Nominations, which once again reflect the diverse range of British film talent, and also welcome this year’s appointed independent Jury who will now spend the next month considering the nominated films.”

The Jury for 2012 includes:
Chair - Alison Owen (Producer), Adrian Hodges (Writer), Christine Bottomley (Actress), Danny Leigh (Film Critic), Iain Canning (Producer), Jamie Thraves (Director/Writer), Jina Jay (Casting Director), John Boyega (Actor), John Fletcher (Marketing Director, Paramount), Lesley Sharp (Actress), Maria Djurkovic (Production Designer), Michelle Eastwood (Producer), Nick Angel (Music Supervisor), Paul Franklin (SFX Supervisor), Tom Hiddleston (Actor), Tristan Goligher (Producer).

 

The winners will be announced at the much anticipated 15th awards ceremony which will be hosted by actor and BIFA Patron, James Nesbitt, who returns for his seventh year on Sunday, 9 December 2012 at the impressive Old Billingsgate in London.

 

The Moët British Independent Film Awards is proud to announce the following nominees for this year’s awards:

 

BEST BRITISH INDEPENDENT FILM- Sponsored by Moët & Chandon

• Berberian Sound Studio
• Broken
• Sightseers
• The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
• The Imposter

 

BEST DIRECTOR - Sponsored by AllCity & Intermission

• Bart Layton – The Imposter
• Ben Wheatley – Sightseers
• John Madden – The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
• Peter Strickland – Berberian Sound Studio
• Rufus Norris – Broken

 

THE DOUGLAS HICKOX AWARD [BEST DEBUT DIRECTOR] - Sponsored by 3 Mills Studios

• Bart Layton – The Imposter
• Ben Drew – Ill Manors
• Rowan Athale – Wasteland
• Rufus Norris – Broken
• Sally El Hosaini – My Brother the Devil

 

BEST SCREENPLAY - Sponsored by BBC Films

• Abi Morgan – The Iron Lady
• Alice Lowe, Steve Oram, Amy Jump – Sightseers
• Mark O'Rowe – Broken
• Paul Andrew Williams – Song for Marion
• Peter Strickland – Berberian Sound Studio

 

BEST ACTRESS- Sponsored by M.A.C

• Alice Lowe (Tina) – Sightseers
• Andrea Riseborough (Colette McVeigh) – Shadow Dancer
• Elle Fanning (Ginger) – Ginger & Rosa
• Judi Dench (Evelyn Greenslade) – The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
• Meryl Streep (Margaret Thatcher) – The Iron Lady

 

BEST ACTOR

• Riz Ahmed (Aaron) – Ill Manors
• Steve Oram (Chris) – Sightseers
• Terence Stamp (Arthur) – Song for Marion
• Tim Roth (Archie) – Broken
• Toby Jones (Gilderoy) – Berberian Sound Studio

 

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

• Alice Englert (Rosa) – Ginger & Rosa
• Eileen Davies (Carol) – Sightseers
• Maggie Smith (Muriel Donnelly) – The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
• Olivia Colman (Queen Elizabeth) – Hyde Park on Hudson
• Vanessa Redgrave (Marion) – Song for Marion

 

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR- Sponsored by Sanderson & St Martins Lane

• Billy Connolly (Wilf) – Quartet
• Cillian Murphy (Mike Kiernan) – Broken
• Domhnall Gleeson (Connor) – Shadow Dancer
• Rory Kinnear (Bob Oswald) – Broken
• Tom Wilkinson (Graham Dashwood) – The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

 

MOST PROMISING NEWCOMER - Sponsored by Studiocanal

• Elliott Tittensor (Tits) – Spike Island
• Eloise Laurence (Skunk) – Broken
• James Floyd (Rashid) – My Brother the Devil
• Paul Brannigan (Robbie) – The Angels' Share
• Zawe Ashton (Joyce Vincent) – Dreams of a Life

 

BEST ACHIEVEMENT IN PRODUCTION - Sponsored by Company3

• Berberian Sound Studio
• Ill Manors
• Sightseers
• The Imposter
• The Sweeney

 

BEST TECHNICAL ACHIEVEMENT - Sponsored by LightBrigade Media

• Nic Knowland Bsc– Cinematography – Berberian Sound Studio
• Joakim Sundström, Stevie Haywood AMPS IPS– Sound Design – Berberian Sound Studio
• Electric Wave Bureau – Music – Broken
• Robbie Ryan – Cinematography – Ginger & Rosa
• Andrew Hulme – Editing – The Imposter

 

BEST DOCUMENTARY

• Dreams of a Life
• London: The Modern Babylon
• Marley
• Roman Polanski: A Film Memoir
• The Imposter

 

BEST BRITISH SHORT- Supported by the BFI

• Friday
• Junk
• Skyborn
• Swimmer
• Volume

 

BEST INTERNATIONAL INDEPENDENT FILM

• Amour
• Beasts of the Southern Wild
• Rust & Bone
• Searching For Sugar Man
• The Hunt

 

THE RAINDANCE AWARD

• Frank
• Strings
• Love Tomorrow
• City Slacker
• Jason Becker: Not Dead Yet

 

THE RICHARD HARRIS AWARD (for outstanding contribution by an actor to British Film)
To Be Announced

 

THE VARIETY AWARD
To Be Announced

 

THE SPECIAL JURY PRIZE
Announced at the Moët British Independent Film Awards on Sunday 9th December

 

http://www.bifa.org.uk/

 

Naruto Shippuden: The Will of Fire Streams Tonight

VIZ MEDIA DEBUTS NARUTO SHIPPUDEN THE MOVIE: THE WILL OF FIRE ON NEON ALLEY

Third Feature Film Featuring The World’s Most Popular Teen Ninja Also Available On DVD and Blu-ray

The world’s most popular ninja returns to face a menacing new threat in the Neon Alley debut of NARUTO SHIPPUDEN THE MOVIE: THE WILL OF FIRE (rated TV-14) on Sunday, November 4th at 8:00pm EST / 5:00pm PST. The film will repeat at 12:00am EST November 5th / 9:00pm PST November 4th, and will air again throughout the week.

Neon Alley is VIZ Media’s new 24-hour anime channel featuring the world’s best titles (dubbed in English and uncut). For a limited time only, the subscription-based service is offering a one-week free trial, available for fans who sign up at NeonAlley.com.

NARUTO SHIPPUDEN THE MOVIE: THE WILL OF FIRE is also now available on DVD and Blu-ray with both English-subtitled and dubbed dialogue options. The film is carries a DVD MSRP of $19.98 U.S. / $24.98 CAN and a Blu-ray MSRP of $24.98 U.S. / $27.50 CAN. Bonus features include the original Japanese theatrical trailer.

In the film, four ninjas with Kekkei Genkai justsu abilities that have been guarding the Hidden Villages of Cloud, Stone, Mist and Sand mysteriously disappear from their respective villages. The Land of Fire comes under suspicion as it is the only country to have suffered no loss. Mounting suspicion among the four countries could potentially set off the 4th Great Ninja War. In the Hidden Leaf Village, Tsunade orders her men to keep strict guard and to try to find out what really happened. At the same time, it turns out that Kakashi has left the village. The bad news deeply disturbs Naruto and his friends.

Created by Masashi Kishimoto, NARUTO was first introduced in Weekly Shonen Jump magazine in Japan in 1999 and quickly became that country’s most popular ninja manga targeting tweens and teens. The manga series (rated ‘T’ for Teens, in print and digital editions) and animated counterpart (NARUTO rated ‘T’ for teens, and NARUTO Shippuden rated ‘T+’ for older teens) are some of VIZ Media’s most successful properties and have captivated millions of fans across North America, Europe and South America. NARUTO is a co-production of TV TOKYO, VIZ Media parent company Shueisha Inc., and Pierrot Co., Ltd.

In the NARUTO manga and animated series, Naruto Uzumaki wants to be the best ninja in the land. He's done well so far, but Naruto knows he must train harder than ever and leaves his village for intense exercises that will push him to his limits. NARUTO SHIPPUDEN begins two and a half years later, when Naruto returns to find that everyone has been promoted up the ninja ranks – except him. Sakura’s a medic ninja, Gaara’s advanced to Kazekage, and Kakashi…well he remains the same. But pride isn’t necessarily becoming of a ninja, especially when Naruto realizes that Sasuke never returned from his search for Orochimaru. Plus, the mysterious Akatsuki organization is still an ever-present danger. As Naruto finds out more about the Akatsuki’s goals, he realizes that nothing in his universe is as it seems. Naruto is finding that he’s older, but will he also prove wiser and stronger?

More information on NARUTO and NARUTO SHIPPUDEN is available at www.Naruto.com.

Subtitled episodes of NARUTO and NARUTO SHIPPUDEN may be streamed on the company’s own VIZAnime.com and Hulu. In addition, Download-To-Own dubbed episodes are available for purchase through iTunes®, PlayStation®Network, Xbox Live®, Amazon Instant Video, and the Google Play store.

To read a free chapter 1 preview of the NARUTO manga series, please visit http://www.vizmanga.com/naruto.

Review: "Sahara" is a Solid Action-Adventure Film (Happy B'day, Matthew McConaughey)

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 188 (of 2005) by Leroy Douresseaux

Sahara (2005)
Running time: 124 minutes (2 hours, 4 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for action violence
DIRECTOR: Breck Eisner
WRITERS: Thomas Dean Donnelly & Joshua Oppenheimer, John C. Richards, and James V. Hart (based upon the novel by Clive Cussler)
PRODUCERS: Howard Baldwin, Karen Baldwin, Mace Neufeld, and Stephanie Austin
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Seamus McGarvey, BSC
EDITOR: Andrew MacRitchie
COMPOSER: Clint Mansell

ACTION/ADVENTURE with elements of comedy

Starring: Matthew McConaughey, Steve Zahn, Penelope Cruz, Lambert Wilson, Glynn Turman, with Delroy Lindo and William H. Macy, Rainn Wilson, Paulin F. Fodouop, and Lennie James

The subject of this movie review is Sahara, a 2005 comedy-adventure and action film starring Matthew McConaughey and directed by Breck Eisner. The film is based on the 1992 novel of the same name by author Clive Cussler and is the eleventh book in Cussler’s Dirk Pitt book series.

Master explorer Dirk Pitt (Matthew McConaughey) is searching for a Confederate iron clad ship no else thinks exists. When he finds a fabled Confederate gold coin linked to the historical legend, his hunt takes him through some of the most dangerous regions of West Africa in the rousing adventure film, Sahara.

While searching for the long-lost Civil War battleship, the Texas, that African locals call the “Ship of Death,” Dirk and his wisecracking long-time sidekick and best pal, Al Giordino (Steve Zahn), meet Dr. Eva Rojas (Penelope Cruz), a doctor from WHO (the World Health Organization) looking for the source of a plague that is killing people in Niger. Her quest coincides with Dirk and Al’s search, and she joins their traveling party for a bit before going her separate way in Mali, a country that borders Niger. After a warlord named General Zateb Kazim (Lennie James) launches an assault on their boat in his hunt for Eva, Dirk and Al temporarily abandon their quest to find and protect Eva, endangered because her quest to learn the mysteries of the plague interferes with Kazim’s power. Together, the trio discovers an environmental catastrophe, battle Kazim and his forces, and survive the desert terrain of Northwest Africa on the way to getting to the bottom of both mysteries.

Sahara is a fun action adventure – aesthetically similar to The Mummy, but not quite as fun. The film’s hero Dirk Pitt, a charming rogue who is a scientist, but could get down in a barroom brawl, is a treasure hunter like Indiana Jones and is as resourceful as James Bond. So the film has a tone similar to a Raiders of the Lost Ark or a James Bond film. It’s a bit Die Hard, and has the buddy action vibe of a Lethal Weapon movie; it even throws in a bit of Lawrence of Arabia.

The direction by Breck Eisner (the son of former Disney head honcho Michael Eisner) is by the book, and almost, but not quite pedestrian. The film comes across as a true collaboration. The script hits the right notes. The cinematographer does a good job capturing pretty pictures. The editor does a professional job, not any more or less than any of the rest of the crew. The cast is also pleasant. Matthew McConaughey is a movie star with handsome, good looks and a good character actor – not always common in leading men. Steve Zahn is funny, but the role of Al Giordino is not like his better-known quirky, comedic parts. Penelope Cruz is just not a good actress (at least speaking English), and when she isn’t being a zombie in this film, she actually manages some good scenes. There is a nice supporting cast with Delroy Lindo and William H. Macy adding a bit of seriousness and gravity to the flick. The best supporting parts belong to Paulin F. Fodouop and Lennie James as feuding military leaders, Modibo and General Kazim, respectively.

Sahara is not a great film or even a very good film; it’s certainly not film art. However, it’s the kind of solid entertainment flick that doesn’t deliver too much to overload the senses or deliver too little, which pisses off the viewer.

6 of 10
B

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The Hobbit (Part 1) Soundtrack Due December 11 2012

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Original Motion Picture Soundtrack 2 CD Set Due December 11th from WaterTower Music

Featuring Original Music by Academy Award® Winner Howard Shore With an Original Song Performed by Neil Finn

2 CD Special Edition Soundtrack Also Available

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--WaterTower Music has announced the release of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Original Motion Picture Soundtrack at all retailers on December 11th. The soundtrack will be available both digitally and as a 2 CD set. A Special Edition of the soundtrack, featuring six exclusive bonus tracks, seven extended score cues, and deluxe liner notes will also be available December 11. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey features original score by Academy Award® winner Howard Shore recorded at famed Abbey Road studios by the London Philharmonic Orchestra. Additionally, it includes an original song entitled “Song of the Lonely Mountain,” written and performed by Neil Finn (Crowded House). The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, the first of a trilogy of films from Oscar®-winning filmmaker Peter Jackson (The Lord of the Rings Trilogy), will be released in the U.S. on December 14, 2012.

One of today’s most respected, honored, and active composers and music conductors, Howard Shore previously worked with director Peter Jackson on The Lord of the Rings Trilogy. Shore’s music for The Lord of the Rings Trilogy has been performed in concerts throughout the world. In 2003, Shore conducted the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra and Chorus in the world premiere of The Lord of the Rings Symphony in Wellington, New Zealand. Since then, the work has had more than 140 performances by the world’s most prestigious orchestras, and has even been the subject of a book, Music of The Lord of the Rings Films.

“I have looked forward to returning to the imaginative world of Middle-earth for quite a while,” said Shore. “I read all of the books by Tolkien, including The Hobbit, when I was in my twenties, and his deep love of nature and all things green resonates deeply with me.”

“It’s a thrill for us to work with Howard Shore on The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey soundtrack,” stated WaterTower Music head, Jason Linn. “His reputation and body of work have long inspired us, and we look forward to another successful partnership as we embark on the next chapter of our journey together.”

Shore’s music for The Lord of the Rings Trilogy stands as his most towering achievement to date. He won three Academy Awards® for his music for those films, two for Best Original Score, and one for Best Original Song. Shore has also won numerous other honors for his film work, including four Grammys and three Golden Globe Awards.

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Original Motion Picture Soundtrack on WaterTower Music in the United States and Decca Records outside the United States. It will be available on December 11, 2012. The track listings for the 2 CD Standard and 2 CD Deluxe versions are as follows:


THE HOBBIT SPECIAL EDITION TRACKLIST

DISC 1:
1. My Dear Frodo

2. Old Friends (Extended Version)

3. An Unexpected Party (Extended Version)

4. Blunt the Knives performed by The Dwarf Cast

5. Axe or Sword?

6. Misty Mountains performed by Richard Armitage and The Dwarf Cast

7. The Adventure Begins

8. The World is Ahead

9. An Ancient Enemy

10. Radagast the Brown (Extended Version)

11. The Trollshaws

12. Roast Mutton (Extended Version)

13. A Troll-hoard

14. The Hill of Sorcery

15. Warg-scouts

DISC 2:
1. The Hidden Valley

2. Moon Runes (Extended Version)

3. The Defiler

4. The White Council (Extended Version)

5. Over Hill

6. A Thunder Battle

7. Under Hill

8. Riddles in the Dark

9. Brass Buttons

10. Out of the Frying-Pan

11. A Good Omen

12. Song of the Lonely Mountain (Extended Version) performed by Neil Finn

13. Dreaming of Bag End

EXCLUSIVE BONUS TRACKS
14. A Very Respectable Hobbit

15. Erebor

16. The Dwarf Lords

17. The Edge of the Wild

THE HOBBIT STANDARD EDITION TRACKLIST

DISC 1:
1. My Dear Frodo

2. Old Friends

3. An Unexpected Party

4. Axe or Sword?

5. Misty Mountains performed by Richard Armitage and The Dwarf Cast

6. The Adventure Begins

7. The World is Ahead

8. An Ancient Enemy

9. Radagast the Brown

10. Roast Mutton

11. A Troll-hoard

12. The Hill of Sorcery

13. Warg-scouts

DISC 2:
1. The Hidden Valley

2. Moon Runes

3. The Defiler

4. The White Council

5. Over Hill

6. A Thunder Battle

7. Under Hill

8. Riddles in the Dark

9. Brass Buttons

10. Out of the Frying-Pan

11. A Good Omen

12. Song of the Lonely Mountain performed by Neil Finn

13. Dreaming of Bag End


About The Hobbit Trilogy
From Academy Award®-winning filmmaker Peter Jackson comes The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, a production of New Line Cinema and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures (MGM). It is the first of a trilogy of films adapting the enduringly popular masterpiece The Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolkien.

The three films tell a continuous story set in Middle-earth 60 years before The Lord of the Rings, which Jackson and his filmmaking team brought to the big screen in the blockbuster trilogy that culminated with the Oscar®-winning The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.

The screenplay for The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is by Fran Walsh & Philippa Boyens & Peter Jackson & Guillermo del Toro. Jackson is also producing the film, together with Carolynne Cunningham, Zane Weiner and Fran Walsh. The executive producers are Alan Horn, Toby Emmerich, Ken Kamins and Carolyn Blackwood, with Boyens and Eileen Moran serving as co-producers.

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey and the second and third films of the trilogy are productions of New Line Cinema and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures, with New Line managing production. Warner Bros. Pictures is handling worldwide theatrical distribution, with select international territories as well as all international television distribution being handled by MGM.

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey in 3D and IMAX 3D will be released on December 14, 2012, with the second film, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, to be released December 13, 2013, and the third film, The Hobbit: There and Back Again, slated for July 18, 2014.

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