Paramount Pictures Announces a Charlie Kaufman Retrospective

PARAMOUNT PICTURES AND LANDMARK THEATRES PRESENT A CHARLIE KAUFMAN RETROSPECTIVE JANUARY 4 – 7, 2016 IN NEW YORK, LOS ANGELES, CHICAGO AND SAN FRANCISCO

THE EXCLUSIVE EVENT WILL FEATURE FIVE OF KAUFMAN’S CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED FILMS, INCLUDING HIS LATEST WORK “ANOMALISA” WITH Q&As IN NEW YORK AND LOS ANGELES

HOLLYWOOD, CA – Paramount Pictures and Landmark Theatres present a Charlie Kaufman Retrospective featuring the work of the Academy Award®-winning filmmaker exclusively at Landmark Theatres in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, and San Francisco. The four-day retrospective will run January 4 – 7, 2016 with special screenings of five of Kaufman’s most critically acclaimed films: “BEING JOHN MALKOVICH,” “ADAPTATION,” “ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND,” “SYNECDOCHE, NEW YORK,” and his latest film with co-director Duke Johnson, the Golden Globe-nominated stop-motion animated feature “ANOMALISA.”

In New York and Los Angeles, showings of “ANOMALISA” will include Q&As with the movie’s filmmakers and voice talent. On Monday, January 4 in Los Angeles, the 7:30 p.m. showing of “ANOMALISA” at the Landmark Theatre will feature a Q&A with Kaufman, Johnson and producer Rosa Tran. On Thursday, January 7 in New York, the 7:30 p.m. showing of “ANOMALISA” at the Landmark Sunshine Cinema will be followed by a Q&A with the film’s voice actor Tom Noonan.

The Charlie Kaufman Retrospective schedule for all participating Landmark Theatre locations is as follows:

“BEING JOHN MALKOVICH”
Monday, January 4 | 1:00 p.m.

Nominated for three Academy Awards®, including for Best Screenplay for Kaufman, “BEING JOHN MALKOVICH” follows a puppeteer who discovers a portal that leads literally into the head of the movie star John Malkovich. Directed by Spike Jonze, written by Charlie Kaufman, and produced by Steve Golin, Vincent Landay, Sandy Stern and Michael Stipe. Starring John Cusack, Cameron Diaz and Catherine Keener.

“ADAPTATION”
Tuesday, January 5 | 1:00 p.m.

“ADAPTATION” is the story of a lovelorn screenwriter who becomes desperate as he tries and fails to adapt The Orchid Thief by Susan Orlean for the screen. The film earned Kaufman his second Academy Award® nomination for Best Screenplay, two acting nominations, and a win for Chris Cooper for Best Supporting Actor. Directed by Spike Jonze, written by Susan Orlean, Charlie Kaufman and Donald Kaufman, and produced by Jonathan Demme, Vincent Landay and Edward Saxon. Starring Nicolas Cage, Meryl Streep and Chris Cooper.

“ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND”
Wednesday, January 6 | 1:00 p.m.

Winner of the Academy Award® for Best Original Screenplay, “ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND” follows a couple that undergoes a procedure to have each other erased from their memories when their relationship turns sour. It is only through the process of loss that they discover what they had to begin with. Starring Jim Carrey, Kate Winslet, who earned an Academy Award® nomination for her performance, and Tom Wilkinson. Directed by Michel Gondry, written by Charlie Kaufman, and produced by Anthony Bregman and Steve Golin.

“SYNECDOCHE, NEW YORK”
Thursday, January 7 | 1:00 p.m.

Kaufman’s directorial debut, “SYNECDOCHE, NEW YORK,” for which he also wrote the screenplay, tells the story of a theatre director struggling with his work and the women in his life as he creates a life-size replica of New York City inside a warehouse as part of his new play. Nominated for the Palme d'Or prize at the Cannes Film Festival and winner of the Best First Film Award and the Robert Altman Award at the Independent Spirit Awards. Produced by Anthony Bregman, Spike Jonze, Charlie Kaufman and Sidney Kimmel. Starring Philip Seymour Hoffman, Samantha Morton and Michelle Williams.

“ANOMALISA”
Monday, January 4 in Los Angeles | Check regular listings for showtimes
Thursday, January 7 in New York | Check regular listings for showtimes

Paramount Pictures’ “ANOMALISA” is the story of Michael Stone, husband, father and respected author of “How May I Help You Help Them?,” a man crippled by the mundanity of his life. On a business trip to Cincinnati, where he’s scheduled to speak at a convention of customer service professionals, he checks into the Fregoli Hotel. There, he is amazed to discover a possible escape from his desperation in the form of an unassuming Akron baked goods sales rep, Lisa, who may or may not be the love of his life. A beautifully tender and absurdly humorous dreamscape, from the brilliant minds of Charlie Kaufman (“SYNECDOCHE, NEW YORK”) and Duke Johnson (“Community” episode, Abed's Uncontrollable Christmas), this stop-motion animation wonder features the vocal cast of Jennifer Jason Leigh, Tom Noonan and David Thewlis and a stirring strings-based score by Carter Burwell.  The darkly comedic and surreal stop-motion journey of a man’s long night of the soul, “ANOMALISA” confirms Charlie Kaufman’s place amongst the most important of American filmmakers, and announces Duke Johnson as a major creative force.

Produced by Rosa Tran, Duke Johnson, Charlie Kaufman and Dino Stamatopoulos. Written by Charlie Kaufman. Directed by Charlie Kaufman & Duke Johnson. “ANOMALISA” opens in theatres in New York and Los Angeles on December 30, 2015 and everywhere January 2016.

The Charlie Kaufman Retrospective will take place at the Landmark Sunshine Cinema in New York, The Landmark in Los Angeles, the Century Centre Cinema in Chicago, and the Embarcadero Center Cinema in San Francisco.

For more information and to purchase tickets, visit http://tickets.landmarktheatres.com or a participating Landmark Theatres box office.


About Paramount Pictures Corporation
Paramount Pictures Corporation (PPC), a global producer and distributor of filmed entertainment, is a unit of Viacom (NASDAQ: VIAB, VIA), a leading content company with prominent and respected film, television and digital entertainment brands. Paramount controls a collection of some of the most powerful brands in filmed entertainment, including Paramount Pictures, Paramount Animation, Paramount Television, Paramount Vantage, Paramount Classics, Insurge Pictures, MTV Films, and Nickelodeon Movies. PPC operations also include Paramount Home Media Distribution, Paramount Pictures International, Paramount Licensing Inc., and Paramount Studio Group.

About Landmark Theatres
Landmark Theatres, the nation's largest theater chain dedicated to exhibiting and marketing independent film, has 270 screens, 57 theatres in 27 markets across the country and is a recognized leader in the industry consistently providing diverse and entertaining films in a sophisticated adult-oriented atmosphere with unsurpassed customer service.  Landmark Theatres is part of the Wagner/Cuban companies, a vertically-integrated group of media properties co-owned by Todd Wagner and Mark Cuban that also includes Magnolia Pictures, Magnolia Home Entertainment, 2929 Productions, AXS TV and HDNet Movies.

For more information, visit www.landmarktheatres.com

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A Negromancer Christmas Pudding

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from Negromancer.  Season greetings to the world of movie, comic book, and Star Wars lovers.

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Negromancer News Bits and Bites from December 20th to 26th, 2015 - Update #23

Support Leroy on Patreon.

NEWS:

From CounterPunch:  Black lives do not matter... because nothing much else does.

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From YahooNews:  The story of Santa Claus.

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From Variety:  Thom Yorke posts the song they produced for the Bond movie, Spectre, which the Bond bosses rejected.  A shame really...

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From YahooTech:  Quentin Tarantino names "Mad Max: Fury Road" his best film of 2015.

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From TheNation:  Obama's NPR interview causes another right-wing freakout.

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From THR:  Michael Moore talks about on new wave of gun violence.

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From BloodyDisgusting:  Rob Zombie's upcoming film, "31" has received an NC-17 rating... for a second time.

From BloodyDisgusting:  A Rob Zombie red carpet interview.

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From HitFix:  Robert DeNiro compares Jennifer Lawrence and David O'Russell's relationship to the one he has with Martin Scorsese.

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From Variety:  Johnny Depp is most overpaid actor.

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From HitFix:  Jennifer Lawrence is over "cool girls."

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From BoxOfficeMojo:  With the weekend actual numbers announced, "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" sets a record for biggest opening weekend at the global box office with a take of $529 million, which surpasses "Jurassic World" and its opening weekend global haul of $524.9 million.

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From YahooMovies:  The stage play, "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child" debuts a middle-aged trio of Harry, Ron, and Hermione, with Hermione being a Black woman.

From FlickeringMyth:  Art from "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child."

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From BoxOfficeMojo:  The #1 movie at the 12/18 to 12/20/2015 weekend box office is "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" with an estimated take of $238 million, a record for a domestic opening weekend.  The previous record holder was Jurassic World with $208.8 million.

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From YahooNews:  Channing Tatum pestered Quentin Tarantino for a month to get in "The Hateful Eight."

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From WashPost:  Heroic Tennessee teen football player shot to death trying to protect three girls.


COMICS - Films and Books:

From YahooMovies:  Fans won't be disappointed by the number of characters appearing in "Avengers: Infinity War."

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From Vulture:  Kurt Russell confirms that he is in talks to appear in "Guardians of the Galaxy."


STAR WARS:

From YahooNews:  John Boyega is connected to a tragic crime.

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From YahooMovies:  5 super Star Wars Spoilers - the biggest bombshells (SPOILER ALERT)


TRAILERS:

From YouTube:  Deadpool Christmas trailer.

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From YahooMovies:  First teaser for "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them."

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From YouTube:  20th Century Fox's "Eddie the Eagle" with Taron Egerton and Hugh Jackman.

Review: New "Fantastic Four" is Fantastically Problematic

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 49 (of 2015) by Leroy Douresseaux

[A version of this review originally appeared on Patreon.]

Fantastic Four (2015)
Running time:  100 minutes (1 hour, 40 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for sci-fi action violence, and language
DIRECTOR:  Josh Trank
WRITERS:  Simon Kinberg, Jeremy Slater, and Josh Trank (based on characters created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby)
PRODUCERS:  Gregory Goodman, Simon Kinberg, Robert Kulzer, Hutch Parker, and Matthew Vaughn
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Matthew Jensen
EDITORS:  Elliot Greenberg and Stephen E. Rivkin
COMPOSER:  Marco Beltrami and Philip Glass

SUPERHERO/SCI-FI/ACTION

Starring:  Miles Teller, Michael B. Jordan, Kata Mara, Jamie Bell, Toby Kebbell, Reg E. Cathey, Tim Blake Nelson, Owen Judge, Evan Hannemann, Don Yesso, and Dan Castellaneta

Fantastic Four is a 2015 superhero movie and science fiction film from director Josh Trank.  It is the third film in 20th Century Fox's Fantastic Four film franchise, and it is also a reboot of that franchise.  Fantastic Four 2015 follows four young people whose physical forms are changed in shocking ways after being exposed to energy from an alternate and dangerous universe.

Reed Richards (Miles Teller) and Ben Grimm (Jamie Bell) have been friends since childhood, when Ben started helping Reed build his prototype teleportation device.  It is in high school when they attract the attention of Professor Franklin Storm (Reg E. Cathey), who is the director of the Baxter Foundation, a government-sponsored research institute for young prodigies.

Reed joins the foundation and begins working with Storm's adopted daughter, Susan “Sue” Storm (Kate Mara), and eventually his son, Johnny Storm (Michael B. Jordan).  Reed also gets to work with Professor Storm's wayward protege, Victor Von Doom (Toby Kebbell).  Together, this quartet builds a device called the “Quantum Gate,” which opens a way to “Zero,” a planet in an parallel dimension.  Awaiting those who travel to “Zero,” however, is energy that will change them in unimaginable and fantastic ways.

Fantastic Four isn't a good movie, but it isn't a terrible movie.  It is like flavorless chewing gum.  The gum might start with a lot of promise, but pretty soon you're just chewing for the sake of chewing and the flavor is gone.  That is this Fantastic Four reboot.  It starts off with promise, but pretty soon, the story seems to be just going through the motions, and I was simply watching it out of habit, waiting for the end credits to roll.

Fantastic Four 2015 is mostly build-up.  In some ways, it is like a long teaser for another movie, the real Fantastic Four (or “FF”) movie that is “coming soon.”  What we get with this new movie is something akin to a prologue or an overly long introductory act.  In fact, this film's big villain, called “Doom,” rather than Doctor Doom, does not show up until the last 10 or 15 minutes of the movie.

I think that there are a kernel or two of good ideas in this new Fantastic Four that could become something good... in a second movie... produced by an entirely different group of people.  I think that the special effects for Reed Richards' (Mr. Fantastic) stretching powers is much better than it was in the 2005 and 2007 Fantastic Four films.  Ben Grimm (The Thing) looks better in this reboot than in the earlier films.  Hard as it is to believe, Kate Mara as Sue Storm  is worse than Jessica Alba as Sue in the first two films.  I like Michael B. Jordan, but his Johnny Storm (Human Torch) is stiff compared to Chris Evans' rascally Human Torch from the earlier films.

Overall, director Josh Trank has made a Fantastic Four film that is actually less entertaining than Tim Story's uneven 2005 and 2007 FF films.  I wouldn't recommend this even to comic book fans.  It is so mediocre and uninspiring that it isn't even awful enough to be an enjoyable “bad movie.”  It is like the ultimate average and bland film.  This Fantastic Four makes it clear that 20th Century Fox should just stop making Fantastic Four movies.

4 of 10
C

Saturday, August 8, 2015


The text is copyright © 2015 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

10 Compete for "Visual Effects" Oscar at 88th Academy Awards

10 CONTENDERS REMAIN IN VFX OSCAR RACE

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences today announced that 10 films remain in the running in the Visual Effects category for the 88th Academy Awards®.

The films are listed below in alphabetical order:

    “Ant-Man”
    “Avengers: Age of Ultron”
    “Ex Machina”
    “Jurassic World”
    “Mad Max: Fury Road”
    “The Martian”
    “The Revenant”
    “Star Wars: The Force Awakens”
    “Tomorrowland”
    “The Walk”

The Academy’s Visual Effects Branch Executive Committee determined the shortlist.  All members of the Visual Effects Branch will now be invited to view 10-minute excerpts from each of the shortlisted films on Saturday, January 9, 2016.  Following the screenings, the members will vote to nominate five films for final Oscar consideration.

The 88th Academy Awards nominations will be announced live on Thursday, January 14, 2016, at 5:30 a.m. PT at the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills.

The 88th Oscars® will be held on Sunday, February 28, 2016, at the Dolby Theatre® at Hollywood & Highland Center® in Hollywood, and will be televised live by the ABC Television Network at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT.  The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 225 countries and territories worldwide.

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New Trailer and Poster for Richard Linklater's "Everybody Wants Some" Released

EVERYBODY WANTS SOME

Check out the trailer and poster for Richard Linklater’s spiritual sequel to Dazed and Confused

Link: https://youtu.be/q58EeFx1R3c

EVERYBODY WANTS SOME is in-theaters April 15, 2016

#EverybodyWantsSome

Official Movie Site: http://www.everybodywantssomemovie.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EverybodyWantsSomeMovie
Twitter: https://twitter.com/EWSMovie
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/EWSMovie/

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Richard Linklater's "Everybody Wants Some" to Open SXSW Film Festival 2016

SXSW FILM ANNOUNCES RICHARD LINKLATER’S EVERYBODY WANTS SOME TO OPEN 2016 FILM FESTIVAL

Austin, Texas – The South by Southwest® (SXSW®) Film Conference and Festival announced the world premiere of Everybody Wants Some as its Opening Night film for the 23rd edition of SXSW Film on March 11, 2016 in Austin, Texas. Set in the world of 1980s college life, Everybody Wants Some is a comedy, directed and written by Richard Linklater, that follows a group of college baseball players as they navigate their way through the freedoms and responsibilities of unsupervised adulthood. Get ready for the best weekend ever.

Richard Linklater is a world-class filmmaker who put Austin on the map. He creates consistently stellar work including Slacker, Dazed and Confused, Waking Life, Scanner Darkly, School of Rock, Bernie, Fast Food Nation, the Midnight trilogy and last year’s Academy Award®-nominated Boyhood. Linklater also serves as the Artistic Director for the Austin Film Society, which he founded in 1985.

“We are so thrilled to premiere Richard’s latest work, which is really funny, instantly quotable, filled will great new talent,” said Janet Pierson, head of SXSW Film. “Audiences are going to love this paean to competition and coming of age in the 80s.”

Everybody Wants Some features an ensemble cast of Will Brittain, Zoey Deutch, Ryan Anthony Guzman, Tyler Hoechlin, Blake Jenner, Glen Powell and Wyatt Russell. The film is written and directed by Richard Linklater and produced by Megan Ellison of Annapurna Pictures, Richard Linklater and Ginger Sledge. Paramount Pictures will release the film on April 15, 2016.

Everybody Wants Some is designated as a SXsports film, which means that Film, Interactive, Gold, and Platinum badges all have access to attend the screening.

Additional teasers for the 2016 event will be released in December.  Feature Films (with the exception of Midnighters) will be announced on Tuesday, February 2. Midnighters, all Short Films, Music Videos and Title Sequences will be announced on Tuesday, February 9.

SXSW REGISTRATION DEADLINE – REGISTER BY NOVEMBER 20 AND SAVE
Register for a SXSW badge today at sxsw.com/attend, and join us March 11 – 20, 2016 for unparalleled access to screenings, sessions, parties, the SXSW Trade Show and, of course, a creative and inspirational experience that only SXSW can deliver. Be sure to register soon, and gain access to conveniently located hotels. Register by 11:59pm CT on Friday, November 20 and save off the walk-up rate.


About SXSW
Now in its 23rd year, SXSW Film brings together creatives of all stripes over nine days to experience a diverse film line up and access to more than 500 Conference sessions with visionaries from all corners of the entertainment and media industries. SXSW 2016 takes place March 11-20 in Austin, TX.

The South by Southwest® (SXSW®) Conferences & Festivals offer the unique industry convergence of music, film, and Interactive technologies. Fostering creative and professional growth, SXSW is the premier destination for discovery. The event is a launch pad for innovative content with new media presentations, music showcases and film screenings providing exposure for creators and compelling entertainment for attendees. For more information, please visit sxsw.com.

SXSW March 11-20 | Interactive March 11-15 | Film March 11-19 | Music March 15-20

SXSW is proud to be an official qualifying festival for the Academy Awards® Short Film competition. The Best Narrative Short, Best Documentary Short and Best Animated Short winners become eligible for the Academy Awards.

SXSW 2016 is sponsored by Esurance, Mazda, Monster Energy Capitol One, Bud Light, McDonalds and The Austin Chronicle.

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