Category: News

Tuesday, June 3

Big Rig: Unrated. Life as seen from the long haul truckers perspective. From Ocule Films.

Wednesday, June 4

Dreams With Sharp Teeth: Unrated. Biopic on venerated science fiction writer Harlan Ellison. From Film Forum

The Wedding Director: Unrated. While worrying about his own daughters marriage to a catholic extremist, filmmaker Franco Elica finds himself falling for the daughter of a client who’s wedding he is filming. New Yorker Films

Operation Filmmaker: Unrated. An Iraqi film student is followed as he works on several big budget Hollywood films and on sets throughout the world. From First Run/ Icarus Films

Friday, June 6

Kung Fu Panda: PG. A clumsy panda is unexpectedly chosen to fulfill an ancient prophecy and fight beside his martial arts idols. From DreamWorks Animation

Mongol: R. The early life of former slave turned world conqueror Genghis Khan. From Picturehouse

Don’t Mess With Zohan: PG-13. A former Mossad agent fakes his own death and becomes a hair stylist. His old life however soon catches up to him. From Columbia Pictures

Mother Of Tears: Unrated. An ancient urn is unearthed in Rome. Inside are artifacts that belonged to the only survivor of the Three Mothers, powerful witches who for aeons spread death and destruction throughout the city. From Medusa Film

When Did You Last See Your Father?: PG-13. A raw look at how a man comes to terms with his father’s terminal illness and the rocky and conflicted relationship between the two. From Sony Pictures Classics

Mister Foe: Unrated. The story of a teenager who lives in the rooftops of Edinburgh with his step-mother who has seduced him and, he believes, may have murdered his mother. From Magnolia Pictures

The Time Traveler’s Wife: Unrated. From the novel by Audrey Niffenegger, a man and his wife try to come to terms with his uncontrollable and unpredictable jumps in time. From New Line Cinema.

Miss Conception: R. A young London professional with only one month left to concieve a child seeks the perfect father for her child. From Blue Angels Films.

The Promotion: R. Grocery managers fight for a promotion. From Dimension Films.

On The Rumba River: Unrated. The story of Congolese Rumba superstar Wendo and his struggle against the church and colonial authorities. From First Run Features.

The Go-Getter: Unrated. After the death of his mother, a teen steals a car and goes on a road trip to find his brother. From Peace Arch Entertainment.

Sex And The City: The Movie: R. The movie version of the hit HBO series based on autobiographical columns by Candace Bushnell. From New Line Cinema HBO Film. 

The Strangers: R. A couple in a remote home is terrorized by three masked criminals in what becomes a struggle for survival. From Universal Studios.

Bigger, Stronger, Faster: PG-13. A look at steroids in popular culture. From BSF Films.

Stuck: R. Brandi, a young woman with a bright future, hits Tom and impales him in her windshield. With Tom still alive she drives to her home and and parks the car in her garage. Promising to take him to the hospital but fearing for her future should the accident be discovered she resolves to let him die. Tom, realizing her plan, plans his escape from Brandi and her boyfriend. From ThinkFilm.

The Foot Fist Way: R. A Tae Kwon Do instructor pilgrimages to see his hero after he attacks the man who slept with his wife. From Paramount Classics.

The Unknown Woman: Unrated. Seeking clues to her own past, Irena insinuates her self as deeply as she can into the lives of a young Italian couple and their fragile daughter. From Outsider Pictures.

At The Death House Door: Unrated. A study of the investigation into the possible wrongful death of Carlos DeLuna, executed in 1989 after prosecutors reportedly ignored evidence implicating another man for the crimes for which Deluna was convicted. From Kartemquin Film.

Sources:
Movie Web
Yahoo! Movies

Earle Hagen, Emmy-winning TV theme composer, author and educator, died Monday of natural causes at his home in Rancho Mirage, Calif. He was 88. 

Hagen, who not only composed the theme from the Andy Griffith Show but also did the whistling for the melody, had a 33 year career in the industry composing original music for more than 3000 tv shows, among them The Dick Van Dyke Show, The Danny Thomas Show, That Girl, The Mod Squad, Mickey Spillane’s Mike Hammer, Eight Is Enough, The Dukes of Hazzard, and I Spy, for which he won an Emmy. In 1960 he took an Oscar for Let’s Make Love starring Marilyn Monroe.

Hagen played trombone with both the Tommy Dorsey and Benny Goodman  orchestras and composed the jazz classic Harlem Nocturne. Nocturne, written in 1939 for big-band leader Ray Noble, would go on to be recorded by Les Brown, Glenn Miller, Woody Herman, and numerous other bands since.

He is survived by his second wife Laura and two sons, Deane and James.

Sources:
THR
Variety
EarlHagen.net
IMDB

Entertainment Times Online reports that Oscar winning driector Sydney Pollack died Monday afternoon at his home after succumbing to stomach cancer. He was 73.

He was born Sydney Irwin Pollack in Lafayette, Indiana to Rebecca and David Pollack, Jewish immigrants from Russia.

Pollack studied with Sanford Meisner at The Neighborhood Playhouse in New York City and later taught acting there for 5 years before embarking on his own acting career. His directing career began in TV in the 1960s with episodes of The Fugitive and Alfred Hitchcock Presents. He won the Academy Award for Directing for Out of Africa (1985). Pollack also received nominations for Best Director Oscars for They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? and Tootsie.

Thanks in part to an active feud with actor Dustin Hoffman during the filming of Tootsie, Pollack began to appear in character roles in films such as A Civil Action, Changing Lanes, and Eyes Wide Shut, as well as in several of his own films including Random Hearts and The Interpreter. He would also appear in Woody Allen’s Husbands and Wives as a lawyer undergoing a midlife crisis, and as a doctor in Robert Zemeckis’ Death Becomes Her. He had a recurring guest role on the NBC sitcom Will & Grace as Will Truman’s (Eric McCormack) father, George Truman. In 2007 Pollack had guest appearances on both the The Sopranos and Entourage. His last film appearance was as Patrick Dempsey’s father in the 2008 comedy Made of Honor.

Pollack was married to Claire Griswold, from 1958 until his death. The couple had three children: Rachel, Rebecca, and Steven Pollack. Steven died in a plane crash in 1993.

Sources:
Wikipedia
Entertainment Times Online

 

Entertainment Times online reports that 83 year old Christopher Tolkien is calling for “one last crusade” against Warner Bros who he says owes him more than $150 million.

In a 1969 deal made to settle family tax debts, Christopher signed away the film rights to his father’s works to New Line Cinema in exchange for a 7.5% share of the take. New Line had reported a $3 billion worldwide gross for the trilogy but in February of this year New Line was absorbed by its parent company Time Warner due to a string of failed releases capped by the stunning domestic losses from The Golden Compass. Warner Bros has refused to comment.

The 83 year old Tolkien is scheduled to appear in court on June 6, and will be asking to terminate all film rights to The Hobbit. June 6 is the same day that Sir Ian McKellan and Andy Serkis are expected to announce their return to the franchise.

The Hobbit set to be released in 2010.

Sources:
Digital Spy
Box Office Mojo
Stuff.co.nz
411 mania
Entertainment Times Online
/Film
Wikipedia

NOTE: I know Edward usually posts the news, but this jumped out at me and I really dig these two guys.

CANNES — Werner Herzog and David Lynch are teaming for “My Son, My Son,” a horror-tinged murder drama based on a true story.

Herzog and his longtime assistant director Herbert Golder co-wrote “Son,” loosely based on the true story of a San Diego man who acts out a Sophocles play in his mind and kills his mother with a sword. The low-budget feature will flash back and forth from the murder scene to the disturbed man’s story. A guerrilla-style digital video shoot on Coronado Island is tentatively set for March.

In a separate development, Lynch’s Absurda production company has attached Asia Argento and Udo Kier to star with Nick Nolte in Alejandro Jodorowsky’s metaphysical gangster movie “King Shot.”

Marilyn Manson is touted to appear as a prophet in the “Sin City”-style film, which producer Eric Bassett said has enough sex and violence to guarantee an NC-17 rating.

Lynch is executive producing both projects, and Absurda is repping their sales rights in the Cannes market.

“Son” is produced by Eric Bassett, who also is producing “King” with his Absurda colleague Norm Hill and Clavis Films’ Simon Shandor.

Herzog, repped by Gersh, is having a busy 2008. He was set to film “Son” in the summer but postponed it to direct Nicolas Cage in a remake of Abel Ferrara’s “Bad Lieutenant” starting in July. In the fall, he will shoot the Victorian-era drama “The Piano Tuner” for Focus Features.

SOURCE: Hollywood Reporter

Cannes 2008 is done and Urban Cinefile reports that Benicio Del Toro took the best actor prize for Steven Soderbergh’s Che. ABC News quotes the 41 year old Del Toro “I’d like to dedicate this to the man himself – Che Guevara,” going on to say “I wouldn’t be here without Che Guevera.” “Through all the awards the movie gets, you’ll have to pay your respects to the man.” At 4 hours long Che was slammed by several critics for it’s length and for failing to focus on the more controversial aspects of the Cuban Revolution.

The Palme d’Or went to the French The Class, the first time since 1987 that a French film has won the Palme d’Or. The films director Laurnet Cantet had this to say about the movie “The film we wanted to make was supposed to look like French society: multi-faceted, lively, and complex, with conflicts that the film was not going to try to gloss over. I hope that’s what the film looks like, and that we didn’t get it wrong. Thank you very much!”

Clint Eastwood (Changeling) and Catherine Deneuve (A Christmas Tale) both won special achievement awards. The Grand Prix winner was Matteo Garrone’s Gomorrah. The Jury Prize went to Paolo Sorrentino for Il Divo and the Director’s prize went to Nuri Bilge Ceylan for Three Monkeys.

Sources:

Urban Cinefile

ABC News

The updated Memorial Day Box Office numbers are in and here’s where the industry stands:

#1 Indiana Jones And The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull pulled in $126 million for the weekend, $151 million since it’s Thursday midnight opening. Crystal Skull showed in 4260 theaters. It’s production budget was roughly $185 million.

#2 The Chonicles Of Narnia: Prince Caspian still in a distant second place earning $28,642,000 million in it’s second weekend, thats down roughly 48% from last weekend. Narnia showed in 3929 theaters and has so far grossed $96,687,000. It’s production budget was roughly $200 million.

#3 Iron Man still in the #3 position taking in $25,650,000, down 19% from last weekend. Iron Man showed in 3915 theaters, this is down 239. Total gross sits at $257,817,000 for 4 weeks. Production budget was $140 million.

Rounding out the top ten are:

#4 What Happens In Vegas Weekend Gross: $11,150,000 down 19% / Theaters: 3188, down 67 / Gross: $56,396,000 / Budget: $35 million

#5 Speed Racer Weekend Gross: $5,205,000 down 35% / Theaters: 3112, down 494 / Gross: $37,418,000/ Budget: $120 million

#6 Baby Mama Weekend Gross: $4,208,000 down 10% / Theaters: 2158, down 345 / Gross: $53,016,000 / Budget: $30 million

#7 Made Of Honor Weekend Gross: $4,200,000 down 10% / Theaters: 2393, down 423 / Gross: $39,861,000 / Budget: $40 million

#8 Forgetting Sarah Marshall Weekend Gross: $2,199,000 down 21% / Theaters: 1078, down 523 / Gross: $58,728,000 / Budget: $30 million

#9 Harold And Kumar Escape From Guantanamo Bay Weekend Gross: $1,200,000 down 39% / Theaters: 750, down 653 / Gross: $36,193,000 / Budget: $12 million

#10 The Visitor Weekend Gross: $917,000 up 36% / Theaters: 270, up 46 / Gross: $4,568,000 / Budget: unknown

A note on “Gross”: On average, studios will earn approximately 55 percent of the final gross.

 

Sources:

Box Office Mojo

IMDB Charts