SAN FRANCISCO -- Amazon is stirring things up again in the media industry. The world's largest Internet retailer re-defined book reading and purchasing with its Kindle e-readers. Now the company is pushing the boundaries of video distribution and consumption. Amazon Chief Executive Jeff Bezos unveiled two new Kindle Fire HDX tablets and one updated Fire HD model Wednesday to compete with Apple's dominant iPad. The new devices let subscribers of Amazon's Prime Instant Video service download movies and TV shows to watch offline, making it the only online streaming subscription service to offer this feature. Most downloads last for 30 days and once viewers start watching the videos they expirein 48 hours. Previously you could only stream these videos, so the subscription service was only available to most users through a Wifi connection.
Sunday, September 29, 2013
Amazon goes offline with digital video downloads
Amazon goes offline with digital video downloads
SAN FRANCISCO -- Amazon is stirring things up again in the media industry. The world's largest Internet retailer re-defined book reading and purchasing with its Kindle e-readers. Now the company is pushing the boundaries of video distribution and consumption. Amazon Chief Executive Jeff Bezos unveiled two new Kindle Fire HDX tablets and one updated Fire HD model Wednesday to compete with Apple's dominant iPad. The new devices let subscribers of Amazon's Prime Instant Video service download movies and TV shows to watch offline, making it the only online streaming subscription service to offer this feature. Most downloads last for 30 days and once viewers start watching the videos they expirein 48 hours. Previously you could only stream these videos, so the subscription service was only available to most users through a Wifi connection.
SAN FRANCISCO -- Amazon is stirring things up again in the media industry. The world's largest Internet retailer re-defined book reading and purchasing with its Kindle e-readers. Now the company is pushing the boundaries of video distribution and consumption. Amazon Chief Executive Jeff Bezos unveiled two new Kindle Fire HDX tablets and one updated Fire HD model Wednesday to compete with Apple's dominant iPad. The new devices let subscribers of Amazon's Prime Instant Video service download movies and TV shows to watch offline, making it the only online streaming subscription service to offer this feature. Most downloads last for 30 days and once viewers start watching the videos they expirein 48 hours. Previously you could only stream these videos, so the subscription service was only available to most users through a Wifi connection.
Saturday, September 28, 2013
Finnish Film Week Names Top Producer, Director Of The Year
Finnish Film Week Names Top Producer, Director Of The Year | Variety
HELSINKI– Riina Hyytia and Simo Halinen won producer and director of the year awards, respectively, at the 4th Finnish Film Week, the industry event which ran alongside Helsinki Intl. Film Festival and wrapped on Thursday. Hyytia last produced Johanna Vuoksenmaa’s satirical comedy ”21 Ways to Ruin a Marriage,” a local B.O. hit. Halinen last helmed daring psychological drama “Open Up to Me.” The week-long festival screened 24 local films, including Toronto-preming “Heart of a Lion,” by Dome Karukoski and Finland’s Oscar entry, “The Disciple” by Ulrika Bengts. The event attracted 4000 festgoers, over 40% up on last year. The Finnish Film Week also named Jenni Toivoniemi screenwriter of the year for her script of “The Date,” and Laura Birn and Liisi Tandefelt for their performance in “Purge.”
Hugh Jackman Joins CHAPPIE. Sharlto Copley Stars in Neill Blomkamp’s CHAPPIE
Hugh Jackman Joins CHAPPIE. Sharlto Copley Stars in Neill Blomkamp’s CHAPPIE | Collider
It was recently announced that Chappie, Neill Blomkamp‘s follow-up to Elysium, is scheduled for release 18 months from now March 27, 2015. So it’s time for details on the secretive project to surface. We know the basic plot: “A robot imbued with artificial intelligence… is stolen by two local gangsters who want to use him for their own nefarious purposes.” Blomkamp favorite Sharlto Copleyvoices the robot, Ninja and Yolandi Visser of Die Antwoord play the gangsters. Dev Patel is linked to the role of “a young man in the impoverished town,” but his casting is not official. Hugh Jackman is at the Zurich Film Festival promoting Prisoners, and announced that he will take on a role in Chappie, too. Details after the break.
It was recently announced that Chappie, Neill Blomkamp‘s follow-up to Elysium, is scheduled for release 18 months from now March 27, 2015. So it’s time for details on the secretive project to surface. We know the basic plot: “A robot imbued with artificial intelligence… is stolen by two local gangsters who want to use him for their own nefarious purposes.” Blomkamp favorite Sharlto Copleyvoices the robot, Ninja and Yolandi Visser of Die Antwoord play the gangsters. Dev Patel is linked to the role of “a young man in the impoverished town,” but his casting is not official. Hugh Jackman is at the Zurich Film Festival promoting Prisoners, and announced that he will take on a role in Chappie, too. Details after the break.
Friday, September 27, 2013
'Silver Linings Playbook' Debuts Atop Home Video Charts
'Silver Linings Playbook' Debuts Atop Home Video Charts - The Hollywood Reporter
Anchor Bay Entertainment is on a roll. The independent supplier topped the national home video sales charts for the third consecutive week, this time with Silver Linings Playbook, from The Weinstein Co., a romantic drama/comedy that grossed $131.8 million in U.S. theaters.
OUR EDITOR RECOMMENDS
Silver Linings Playbook debuted at No. 1 on both the Nielsen VideoScan First Alert chart, which tracks overall disc sales, and Nielsen’s dedicated Blu-ray Disc sales chart. Both charts track disc sales for the week ending May 5.
On both charts, the film knocked another Anchor Bay/Weinstein title, Django Unchained, out of the top spot, where it’s been perched for two weeks.
Jennifer Lawrence Films Secret Cameo in 'Dumb and Dumber' Sequel
Jennifer Lawrence Films Secret Cameo in 'Dumb and Dumber' Sequel (Exclusive) - The Hollywood Reporter
Jennifer Lawrence is making a cameo in the sequel, The Hollywood Reporter has learned, reporting to the Atlanta set to play a young version of Kathleen Turner's character. Lawrence's Hunger Games: Mockingjay set is nearby, and sources say the entire cast has visited the Dumb and Dumber To location. As THR previously reported, the sequel toPeter and Bobby Farrelly's 1994 comedy classic will follow Jim Carrey andJeff Daniels' dimwitted duo as they embark on another road trip to find Harry's long-lost daughter. Rob Riggle is also among the cast, which includes Turner,Rachel Melvin, Laurie Holden and Steve Tom.
'Horrible Bosses 2' Gets Release Date
'Horrible Bosses 2' Gets Release Date - The Hollywood Reporter
The movie, which will reunite Jason Bateman, Charlie Dayand Jason Sudeikis as put-upon employees, will open Wednesday, Nov. 26, 2014. That puts the movie, being directed by Sean Anders, right before the Thanksgiving holiday on Nov. 27. The first Horrible Bosses opened in a totally different season: July 8, 2011. That movie grossed $117 million domestically and $209 million worldwide. The other movie opening Nov. 26 is Home, an animated feature from DreamWorks Animation.
Hollywood Revs Up For Fall Films
Hollywood Revs Up For Fall Films | Here & Now
Ron Howard’s racing film “Rush” opens nationwide this week. It’s one of many films opening in the next few months that will vie for Oscar nominations. As Boston Globe film critic Ty Burr tellsHere & Now, “we are in the fall serious season as opposed to the summer silly season.” Burr previews several films, including a couple of off-the-radar picks he saw at the Toronto Film Festival.
Thursday, September 26, 2013
Singer/Actor Herb Jeffries Celebrates 100th Birthday
Singer/Actor Herb Jeffries Celebrates 100th Birthday
One night in 1933, Jeffries was singing in a little nightclub in Detroit, Michigan when jazz icon Louis Armstrong walked through the door. In this interview by amateur jazz historian Tad Calcara, Jeffries says Armstrong heard him sing, pulled him aside, and changed his life. “He said, ‘Well there's a band in Chicago - that's where you should be now. And he said 'I'm gonna write you a letter,’” Jeffries said. Then Armstrong pulled a cocktail napkin off the table. “He just wrote down on there, said, 'You want to hear this guy's voice. You'll love him. I do.’ And he put down ‘Pops,’” Jeffries said. Armed with only this special “calling card,” Jeffries took the great man’s advice and headed for Chicago where he joined the band led by Erskine Tate. Soon he was heard and hired by legendary band leader Earl “Fatha” Hines. Singing with Earl Hines, Jeffries traveled to California, where he would land a role and also sing the opening song in the Hollywood western, “Two Gunmen from Harlem.”
One night in 1933, Jeffries was singing in a little nightclub in Detroit, Michigan when jazz icon Louis Armstrong walked through the door. In this interview by amateur jazz historian Tad Calcara, Jeffries says Armstrong heard him sing, pulled him aside, and changed his life. “He said, ‘Well there's a band in Chicago - that's where you should be now. And he said 'I'm gonna write you a letter,’” Jeffries said. Then Armstrong pulled a cocktail napkin off the table. “He just wrote down on there, said, 'You want to hear this guy's voice. You'll love him. I do.’ And he put down ‘Pops,’” Jeffries said. Armed with only this special “calling card,” Jeffries took the great man’s advice and headed for Chicago where he joined the band led by Erskine Tate. Soon he was heard and hired by legendary band leader Earl “Fatha” Hines. Singing with Earl Hines, Jeffries traveled to California, where he would land a role and also sing the opening song in the Hollywood western, “Two Gunmen from Harlem.”
Joseph Gordon-Levitt Is IMDb's First-Ever Guest Editor
Joseph Gordon-Levitt Is IMDb's First-Ever Guest Editor - DailyFinance
SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- IMDb, the world's most popular and authoritative source for movie, TV and celebrity content, and next-generation studio Relativity have announced that Joseph Gordon-Levitt (Inception, The Dark Knight Rises, Looper) will be IMDb's first-ever guest editor beginning tomorrow (September 27). Don Jon, Gordon-Levitt's highly anticipated, daring directorial debut, opens in theaters nationwide on September 27. Gordon-Levitt also wrote Don Jon, which he stars in alongside Scarlett Johansson and Julianne Moore.
SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- IMDb, the world's most popular and authoritative source for movie, TV and celebrity content, and next-generation studio Relativity have announced that Joseph Gordon-Levitt (Inception, The Dark Knight Rises, Looper) will be IMDb's first-ever guest editor beginning tomorrow (September 27). Don Jon, Gordon-Levitt's highly anticipated, daring directorial debut, opens in theaters nationwide on September 27. Gordon-Levitt also wrote Don Jon, which he stars in alongside Scarlett Johansson and Julianne Moore.
Make a movie with Joseph Gordon-Levitt!
Make a movie with Joseph Gordon-Levitt! | Inside Movies | EW.com
Wanna make a movie with Joseph Gordon-Levitt? All you need is a computer and a great idea.
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With hitRECord, Gordon-Levitt’s ever-evolving collaborative production company, you don’t have to start in the mail room or cut your teeth as a personal assistant. You just have to create a profile on the totally free website hitRECord.org and start submitting your ideas, whether it’s a poem, a film, a piece of music or a drawing. Nearly all forms of art are fair game. You don’t even have to be the most popular user to catch the attention of Gordon-Levitt and his small core staff. You just have to be one of the best, which is actually a fairly big hurdle.
“I think the most important thing about anything that we make at hitRECord is ‘Is it good?’” hitRECord producer Jared Geller told EW. “At the end of the day, if the piece isn’t effective or entertaining, then it kind of doesn’t matter how it’s made. It becomes a gimmick. The method can’t be the most interesting thing about what you’re making. The piece itself has to be great.”
Filmmaker's Screenplay Set in South Texas Wins Various Awards
Filmmaker's Screenplay Set in South Texas Wins Various Awards - KiiiTV3.com South Texas, Corpus Christi, Coastal Bend
KiiiTV3.com South Texas, Corpus Christi, Coastal Bend
A local filmmaker is working to develop his latest film for the big screen, and the screenplay has already won some awards. Edward Tyndall, assistant professor of media production in the Department of Communication and Media at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, is working on a new film called "Falfurrias." It has recently received various awards, including the Park Avenue Award in the Drama competition of the New York Screenplay Contest. It is also part of the Oaxaca International Film Festival Screenplay Contest, a finalist in the Starz Denver Film Festival, and second rounder in the Austin Film Festival.
KiiiTV3.com South Texas, Corpus Christi, Coastal Bend
A local filmmaker is working to develop his latest film for the big screen, and the screenplay has already won some awards. Edward Tyndall, assistant professor of media production in the Department of Communication and Media at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, is working on a new film called "Falfurrias." It has recently received various awards, including the Park Avenue Award in the Drama competition of the New York Screenplay Contest. It is also part of the Oaxaca International Film Festival Screenplay Contest, a finalist in the Starz Denver Film Festival, and second rounder in the Austin Film Festival.
Robert Silberling, ‘Baywatch’ Producer and Father of Brad Silberling, Dies at 79
Robert Silberling, ‘Baywatch’ Producer and Father of Brad Silberling, Dies at 79 | Variety
Robert Silberling, a co-executive producer and supervising executive on “Baywatch” and the father of director Brad Silberling, died Monday in Los Angeles. He was 79 and had long fought Lou Gehrig’s disease. In addition to his work on about a dozen episodes of the hugely popular “Baywatch” around 1990, Robert Silberling was producer, supervising producer or executive producer on a number of telepics including “Outback Bound,”"Dream Breakers,” “The Gift of Love” and finally “The Face on the Milk Carton” in 1995. Earlier Silberling had produced documentaries including “Nine From Little Rock” (1964) and “John F. Kennedy: Years of Lightning, Day of Drums” (1965) under the aegis of the U.S. Information Agency before eventually becoming an executive at ABC and then CBS.
In addition to Brad Silberling, director of “Casper,” “Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events” and “Land of the Lost,” and Brad’s wife, actress Amy Brenneman, Robert Silberling is survived by his wife, Joyce, and daughter Tracey.
Robert Silberling, a co-executive producer and supervising executive on “Baywatch” and the father of director Brad Silberling, died Monday in Los Angeles. He was 79 and had long fought Lou Gehrig’s disease. In addition to his work on about a dozen episodes of the hugely popular “Baywatch” around 1990, Robert Silberling was producer, supervising producer or executive producer on a number of telepics including “Outback Bound,”"Dream Breakers,” “The Gift of Love” and finally “The Face on the Milk Carton” in 1995. Earlier Silberling had produced documentaries including “Nine From Little Rock” (1964) and “John F. Kennedy: Years of Lightning, Day of Drums” (1965) under the aegis of the U.S. Information Agency before eventually becoming an executive at ABC and then CBS.
In addition to Brad Silberling, director of “Casper,” “Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events” and “Land of the Lost,” and Brad’s wife, actress Amy Brenneman, Robert Silberling is survived by his wife, Joyce, and daughter Tracey.
Hollywood Digital Leaders: Dwight Caines, Kevin Tsujihara, Amy Powell
Hollywood Digital Leaders: Dwight Caines, Kevin Tsujihara, Amy Powell | Variety
Blink and you might miss yet another rise into the ranks of a new breed of Hollywood leader. The promotion of Dwight Caines to the top post in domestic marketing at Columbia TriStar Motion Pictures Group, which the studio made official Wednesday, is the latest in a series of high-profile promotions that signal a paradigm shift playing out in the entertainment industry. It’s a shift that began in earnest earlier this year when Kevin Tsujihara accepted the top job at Warner Bros., and continued with the ascendance ofAmy Powell to a new post that expanded her domain to TV at Paramount Pictures.
Blue Is the Warmest Color meltdown: Is homophobia a factor?
Blue Is the Warmest Color meltdown: Is homophobia a factor?
There was an aura of anomaly attached to the French film Blue Is the Warmest Color (La vie d’Adèle) from the moment it won this year’s Palme d’Or, the top prize at the Cannes Film Festival. As the New York Times’ Manohla Dargis reported, the competition jury decided to “formally recognize not only the movie’s director, Abdellatif Kechiche, but also its two young actresses, Adèle Exarchopoulos and Léa Seydoux,” an “unusual, perhaps unprecedented step,” which “acknowledged the contributions of both women, who appear naked in several sex scenes, but … also took some auteur sheen away from Mr. Kechiche.”
There was an aura of anomaly attached to the French film Blue Is the Warmest Color (La vie d’Adèle) from the moment it won this year’s Palme d’Or, the top prize at the Cannes Film Festival. As the New York Times’ Manohla Dargis reported, the competition jury decided to “formally recognize not only the movie’s director, Abdellatif Kechiche, but also its two young actresses, Adèle Exarchopoulos and Léa Seydoux,” an “unusual, perhaps unprecedented step,” which “acknowledged the contributions of both women, who appear naked in several sex scenes, but … also took some auteur sheen away from Mr. Kechiche.”
Blue is the Warmest Colour release 'should be cancelled', says director
Blue is the Warmest Colour release 'should be cancelled', says director | Film | theguardian.com
The director of the Palme d'Or-winning erotic epic Blue is the Warmest Colour, Abdellatif Kechiche, has questioned whether the film's release should be cancelled in the wake of a turbulent wave of controversies surrounding its making.
- Blue Is the Warmest Colour (La Vie d'Adèle Chapitre 1 et 2)
- Production year: 2013
- Country: France
- Runtime: 179 mins
- Directors: Abdellatif Kechiche
- Cast: Adèle Exarchopoulos, Aurelien Recoing, Lea Seydoux
Kechiche told Telerama he had experienced but a "brief moment of happiness" when his movie, which is based on a graphic novel by Julie Maroh, triumphed in Cannes in May. Since then, the project has been mired in mixed publicity after stars Adèle Exarchopoulos, 19, and 28-year-old Léa Seydoux said they would never work with the Franco-Tunisian film-maker again after a"horrible" shoot during which he allegedly ranted and raved at them as he sought to achieve optimum realism for the acclaimed lesbian-themed romantic drama.
"I think this film should not go out; it was too sullied," Kechiche told Telerama, adding that the allegations against him had left him feeling "humiliated, disgraced. I felt a rejection of me; I live like a curse".
Why Century City Ranks Among the Worst Real Estate Deals in Hollywood History
Why Century City Ranks Among the Worst Real Estate Deals in Hollywood History - The Hollywood Reporter
Today, it is hard to imagine Los Angeles, and Hollywood in particular, without Century City. The town's apex of wheeling-and-dealing, the 260-acre area just east of the 405 is now home to the glittery headquarters of entertainment companies, from top agencies like CAA to A-list law firms such as Ziffren Brittenham.
But before the ribbon was cut on the first Century City tower 50 years ago on Sept. 25, it was all just fiction -- the harebrained idea of Fox studio executives who, cash-strapped during the runaway $44 million budget production of Cleopatra, set out to sell the studio's backlot to be redeveloped into a bold mix of retail, entertainment and residential buildings. At a total development cost of $300 million ($2.4 billion today), it would become the largest privately financed urban development in the nation at the time.
Geoffrey Rush to play a god in Gods Of Egypt
Geoffrey Rush to play a god in Gods Of Egypt | Film | Newswire | The A.V. Club
Given that he's one of the few actors to win the “Triple Crown of Acting” (an Oscar, a Tony, and an Emmy), it seems only natural that Geoffrey Rush would finally get around to playing a god. The Australian thespian has been cast as the Egyptian sun god Ra in Alex Proyas’ upcoming filmGods Of Egypt. Rush joins Gerard Butler as Set and Game Of Thrones’ Nikolaj Coster-Waldau as Horus—just a few of the many Egyptian gods who will all presumably be played by white men. The script, which Proyas cowrote with Matt Sazama and Burk Sharpless, follows a thief and a god who team up for a quest. Hopefully Collin Firth will be cast as the stuttering thief that Ra cures through repetition of the word “fuck.” [via /Film]
Given that he's one of the few actors to win the “Triple Crown of Acting” (an Oscar, a Tony, and an Emmy), it seems only natural that Geoffrey Rush would finally get around to playing a god. The Australian thespian has been cast as the Egyptian sun god Ra in Alex Proyas’ upcoming filmGods Of Egypt. Rush joins Gerard Butler as Set and Game Of Thrones’ Nikolaj Coster-Waldau as Horus—just a few of the many Egyptian gods who will all presumably be played by white men. The script, which Proyas cowrote with Matt Sazama and Burk Sharpless, follows a thief and a god who team up for a quest. Hopefully Collin Firth will be cast as the stuttering thief that Ra cures through repetition of the word “fuck.” [via /Film]
Dita Von Teese Sues Over Hurricane Sandy -- Blow Me | TMZ.com
Dita Von Teese Sues Over Hurricane Sandy -- Blow Me | TMZ.com
Hurricane Sandy cost Dita Von Teese nearly $100,000 ... this according to a new lawsuit ... and now the burlesque queen is suing for what she's out. Dita just filed the suit against Momentous Insurance Brokerage, claiming one of her strip shows in New York was canceled last October due to the superstorm ... and Momentous failed to get her the appropriate insurance to cover her expenses. Dita claims she spent $96,920 in prep costs for the show (props, costumes, hotel accommodations, etc.) and it all went down the drain when the show was 86d. According to the lawsuit, filed by her attorney Keith Fink, Dita says she should have had something called non-appearance insurance, which covers natural disasters like storms, but Momentous didn't get it for her. And even more infuriating... Dita says the coverage is standard in the entertainment business. So Dita wants her jack back.
Hurricane Sandy cost Dita Von Teese nearly $100,000 ... this according to a new lawsuit ... and now the burlesque queen is suing for what she's out. Dita just filed the suit against Momentous Insurance Brokerage, claiming one of her strip shows in New York was canceled last October due to the superstorm ... and Momentous failed to get her the appropriate insurance to cover her expenses. Dita claims she spent $96,920 in prep costs for the show (props, costumes, hotel accommodations, etc.) and it all went down the drain when the show was 86d. According to the lawsuit, filed by her attorney Keith Fink, Dita says she should have had something called non-appearance insurance, which covers natural disasters like storms, but Momentous didn't get it for her. And even more infuriating... Dita says the coverage is standard in the entertainment business. So Dita wants her jack back.
Amanda Bynes -- Psychiatric Treatment Could Go to 2015
Amanda Bynes -- Psychiatric Treatment Could Go to 2015 | TMZ.com
Here's how bad off Amanda Bynes is ... it looks like she could be in a mental health facility for a year and a half. Amanda's lawyer was in a NYC court today ... in connection with the case where Amanda allegedly threw a bong out the window of her apartment. Her lawyer, Gerald Shargel, asked for a postponement for up to 18 months while she got psychiatric treatment. Sources tell TMZ ... the likelihood is ... the case will be plea bargained ... there are major weaknesses in the prosecution's case. Translation -- the case could possibly be dropped altogether.
Here's how bad off Amanda Bynes is ... it looks like she could be in a mental health facility for a year and a half. Amanda's lawyer was in a NYC court today ... in connection with the case where Amanda allegedly threw a bong out the window of her apartment. Her lawyer, Gerald Shargel, asked for a postponement for up to 18 months while she got psychiatric treatment. Sources tell TMZ ... the likelihood is ... the case will be plea bargained ... there are major weaknesses in the prosecution's case. Translation -- the case could possibly be dropped altogether.
'Independence Day' Sequel 'ID Forever Part 1' Wants 'Fruitvale Station' Star Michael B. Jordan
'Independence Day' Sequel 'ID Forever Part 1' Wants 'Fruitvale Station' Star Michael B. Jordan | The Playlist
It's a pretty good time to be Michael B. Jordan. The actor, who broke out in the low-budget superhero hit "Chronicle," saw his profile raised tremendously in 2013 thanks to a strong turn in "Fruitvale Station," and it has put him on the map in a big way. It seems every franchise wants the actor, who is already working on "Creed" with his 'Fruitvale' helmer Ryan Coogler, while his name has come up in talks for "Fantastic Four" and "Star Wars: Episode 7." And now another blockbuster wants his talents. The Wrap reports that Jordan is being eyed for the "Independence Day" sequel, known as "ID Forever Part 1," though they throw in the caveats that the actor "has not yet received an offer, nor does one seem imminent" and that "official casting news expected [is] closer to the holidays." So, he's just a name on a list we, guess. Anyway, Roland Emmerich is back to helm, and is currently working with screenwriter James Vanderbilt (“The Amazing Spider-Man”) along with producers to put it all together. And while a July 3, 2015 release date has been floated, the trade reports it could be bumped to 2016.
Just a good script is not enough, says R Madhavan
Just a good script is not enough, says R Madhavan
New Delhi: The script is not the only thing that R Madhavan looks at while deciding a film. The producer and cast are equally important for him. "I used to only look at the script. Now, I look at the set up, producer and rest of the team," Madhavan told IANS on phone from Mumbai. "Just having a good script does not satisfy everything. You must have a team to pull off that script as well and I see if they are capable of pulling it off," he added.
New Delhi: The script is not the only thing that R Madhavan looks at while deciding a film. The producer and cast are equally important for him. "I used to only look at the script. Now, I look at the set up, producer and rest of the team," Madhavan told IANS on phone from Mumbai. "Just having a good script does not satisfy everything. You must have a team to pull off that script as well and I see if they are capable of pulling it off," he added.
Hollywood's box office tracking system under fire
Hollywood's box office tracking system under fire | Film | theguardian.com
Hollywood's system of box office prediction, know as "tracking" is unfit for purpose in the digital age and needs radical overhaul, leading industry figures have said. According to a report in industry bible Variety, current practice "simply isn't capable of drilling down deeply enough to provide the kind of analytics that newer digitally driven data-collection can". Complaints have surfaced during a summer of unexpected flops and surprise hits – for example, The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones was predicted to take $18m in its first five days at the US box office, but in the event took just $14m. The estimates are important as they allow film distributors to plan their marketing and release strategies, but the polling-based system currently in use dates from the 1970s, and takes little account of the impact ofsocial media.
‘La Salada’ Wins San Sebastian’s Films in Progress Prize
‘La Salada’ Wins San Sebastian’s Films in Progress Prize | Variety
SAN SEBASTIAN, Spain — Juan Martin Hsu’s feature debut “La Salada” has won San Sebastian Film Festival’s Films in Progress, which is one of the leading pix in post competitions for Latin American films. The film focuses on the experiences of immigrants in Argentina as they struggle with loneliness and home-sickness. Pic follows three stories that intersect at an open-air market. The pic, which won the INCAA first film competition, was produced by Sudestada Cine. The award comes with services to ensure the pic’s completion, and it also enables it to be released in Spain.
WORLD | Looking for Jesus in the script | Angela Lu | Sept. 26, 2013
WORLD | Looking for Jesus in the script | Angela Lu | Sept. 26, 2013
This is the second installment of our reality series aboutNathanael and Christina Matanick, young filmmakers who won Best Film at the 168 Film Festival, earning a prize of up to $1 million to make a feature-length film through EchoLight Studios. We’re following the filmmakers month-by-month as they try to create in a way that glorifies our Creator. LOS ANGELES—In a small, poorly lit room at Forest Lawn cemetery’s main hall on Saturday, amateur and veteran screenwriters pitched their grand ideas for a feature-length movie to co-producers Nathanael and Christina Matanick. In under seven minutes each, the screenwriters spun stories of dystopia, sex trafficking, natural disaster, creationism, science fiction, and the Wild West, all with Christian overtones. They ran through budget requirements and actors they envisioned embodying their characters. Each left the producers with a phone number and a handshake.
This is the second installment of our reality series aboutNathanael and Christina Matanick, young filmmakers who won Best Film at the 168 Film Festival, earning a prize of up to $1 million to make a feature-length film through EchoLight Studios. We’re following the filmmakers month-by-month as they try to create in a way that glorifies our Creator. LOS ANGELES—In a small, poorly lit room at Forest Lawn cemetery’s main hall on Saturday, amateur and veteran screenwriters pitched their grand ideas for a feature-length movie to co-producers Nathanael and Christina Matanick. In under seven minutes each, the screenwriters spun stories of dystopia, sex trafficking, natural disaster, creationism, science fiction, and the Wild West, all with Christian overtones. They ran through budget requirements and actors they envisioned embodying their characters. Each left the producers with a phone number and a handshake.
Wednesday, September 25, 2013
Where to Go to Find Work as an Actor
Where to Go to Find Work as an Actor | Backstage
Signs of incentive fatigue are starting to emerge in states that have had lucrative tax credits for the entertainment industry. From North Carolina to Missouri, where “Winter’s Bone” was filmed, lawmakers are debating or have settled on sunsetting their incentives, while states such as Michigan have added tighter controls—and fewer dollars—to their programs. “There’s been a lot of rethinking,” said Joe Henchman, vice president of legal and state projects at the Tax Foundation, a Washington, D.C.–based think tank. “I think what’s driving that is certainly the cuts that had to happen during the recession where a state had to choose between subsidizing one of America’s most profitable and transient industries or spending on other important priorities.” But experts warn that Los Angeles– and New York–based actors shouldn’t unpack their suitcases just yet. “I think actors still have to be prepared to travel, still have to be prepared to do dialects,” said Dama Claire, a Los Angeles–based production executive well-versed in states’ incentive programs. “I think we’ve already seen the stepping back. What happened in the few states that pulled out is that those states didn’t have a crew base; they didn’t have infrastructure.” While some 40 states have varying degrees of incentives, Claire noted that states such as Arizona, Kansas, and Iowa, which she called a “sad example” after its misused tax credits created a scandal, have ended their programs.
Ron Howard’s ‘Heart of the Sea’ Now in Production With Chris Hemsworth Starring
Ron Howard’s ‘Heart of the Sea’ Now in Production With Chris Hemsworth Starring | /Film
Ron Howard‘s latest film, Rush, isn’t even yet in theaters across most of the world, but the filmmaker is already making his next movie. That movie is Heart of the Sea, a period adventure film based on a novel by Nathaniel Philbrick. It tells the true story that inspired Herman Melville’s Moby Dick and stars Chris Hemsworth, Benjamin Walker, Cillian Murphy and Ben Whishaw. Working from a screenplay by Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver (Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Jurassic World, Avatar sequels) and Charles Leavitt (Blood Diamond, Warcraft), production started two weeks ago in the UK but Warner Bros. just officially announced the shoot.
Robert De Niro Will Replace James Gandolfini
Robert De Niro Will Replace James Gandolfini -- Vulture
HBO's Criminal Justice miniseries is moving forward after all. Last year, HBO announced that it was reteaming with James Gandolfini for a drama series; then in February, it looked like HBO was passing on the show. In May, HBO surprised everyone and green-lighted Justice as a miniseries, but after Gandolfini died in June, the show seemed completely off the table. But now comes word that Robert De Niro is taking over what would have been Gandolfini's role as a jailhouse lawyer representing a young cab driver wrongly accused of murder. According to Deadline, De Niro has stepped in, and production is set to begin in March. Justice is based on the British series of the same name that starred Ben Wishaw (Cloud Atlas, The Hour) as the wrongly accused man. The British original is superb, but it's also cripplingly depressing — ruin-your-weekened, make-you-call-your-mom, can't-stop-crying depressing. Something to look forward to!
HBO's Criminal Justice miniseries is moving forward after all. Last year, HBO announced that it was reteaming with James Gandolfini for a drama series; then in February, it looked like HBO was passing on the show. In May, HBO surprised everyone and green-lighted Justice as a miniseries, but after Gandolfini died in June, the show seemed completely off the table. But now comes word that Robert De Niro is taking over what would have been Gandolfini's role as a jailhouse lawyer representing a young cab driver wrongly accused of murder. According to Deadline, De Niro has stepped in, and production is set to begin in March. Justice is based on the British series of the same name that starred Ben Wishaw (Cloud Atlas, The Hour) as the wrongly accused man. The British original is superb, but it's also cripplingly depressing — ruin-your-weekened, make-you-call-your-mom, can't-stop-crying depressing. Something to look forward to!
Asmara, Ginevra Elkann: Italian Studio Sees Opportunity in Niche Films
Asmara, Ginevra Elkann: Italian Studio Sees Opportunity in Niche Films | Variety
In Italy, where economic woes are shaking up the film industry, a new generation of players with a bigger global vision is surfacing, epitomized by Ginevra Elkann. The granddaughter of Fiat chief Gianni Agnelli, Elkann is postwar Italian royalty. But despite her wealth, she is taking her time in the entertainment business, slowly building her Asmara Films shingle and Italian distrib Good Films on the back of international friendships, and with the kind of savvy and sophistication she learned as the part of a storied and wealthy family and at the London Film School.
'Wolf of Wall Street' runs three hours, might delay release date
'Wolf of Wall Street' runs three hours, might delay release date | Inside Movies | EW.com
One of the Oscar season’s most anticipated movies is feeling the pressure to get to the party on time. Martin Scorsese’s The Wolf of Wall Street, the true tale of a millionaire broker’s rise and fall starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Matthew McConaughey, is still scheduled to open in theaters Nov. 15. But as The Hollywood Reporter first claimed, Paramount is already making plans to delay its release until Christmas to give Scorsese more time to trim a movie that is currently three hours long, according to a source close to the production.
One of the Oscar season’s most anticipated movies is feeling the pressure to get to the party on time. Martin Scorsese’s The Wolf of Wall Street, the true tale of a millionaire broker’s rise and fall starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Matthew McConaughey, is still scheduled to open in theaters Nov. 15. But as The Hollywood Reporter first claimed, Paramount is already making plans to delay its release until Christmas to give Scorsese more time to trim a movie that is currently three hours long, according to a source close to the production.
Casting Net: Jennifer Lawrence to star in 'East of Eden'
Casting Net: Jennifer Lawrence to star in 'East of Eden' | Inside Movies | EW.com
Oscar-winner Jennifer Lawrence is set to star in Universal’s adaptation of John Steinbeck‘s classic novel East of Eden. Lawrence will re-team with her Hunger Games director Gary Ross for the project, which Brian Grazer is producing through Imagine Entertainment. The novel was previously adapted for the big screen in 1955 by Elia Kazan, and starred James Dean. Ross and Lawrence are also looking to work together on an adaptation ofHannah Kent’s Burial Rites.
Oscar-winner Jennifer Lawrence is set to star in Universal’s adaptation of John Steinbeck‘s classic novel East of Eden. Lawrence will re-team with her Hunger Games director Gary Ross for the project, which Brian Grazer is producing through Imagine Entertainment. The novel was previously adapted for the big screen in 1955 by Elia Kazan, and starred James Dean. Ross and Lawrence are also looking to work together on an adaptation ofHannah Kent’s Burial Rites.
Mexican Film ‘Instructions Not Included’ Continues To Break Box Office Records
Mexican Film ‘Instructions Not Included’ Continues To Break Box Office Records | Fox News Latino
Eugenio Derbez’s comedy-drama “Instructions Not Included” surprised Hollywood when it opened fifth in the box office earlier this month. Now it has taken Mexican cinemas by storm. This weekend, the feature film debut for actor-turned-director Derbez raked in about $11.6 million, making it the biggest opening weekend ever in Mexico for a local production. Directed and starred by Derbez, a popular Televisa network personality, “Instructions Not Included” was first released in the U.S. by the Lionsgate-Televisa joint venture Pantelion Films. In the four weeks stateside, it has done a whopping $33 million in receipts. It is the second biggest box office performer for a Mexican film in the U.S. – behind “Pan’s Labyrinth” directed by Guillermo del Toro. “Instructions Not Included” marked Derbez’s dictatorial debut and that of Loreto Peralta, who plays his daughter in the film. According to Box Office Mojo, “Instructions Not Included” also joined the group of the top 10 most grossing foreign movies in the United States, surpassing the 2001 French hit “Amelie” by Jean-Pierre Jeunet for the fifth spot.
Fleming Q&A's Joseph Gordon-Levitt On Taking 'Don Jon' From Sundance To 2400 Screens
Fleming Q&A's Joseph Gordon-Levitt On Taking 'Don Jon' From Sundance To 2400 Screens - Deadline.com
EXCLUSIVE: It seems a long time ago thatDon Jon’s Addiction announced Joseph Gordon-Levitt as a writer/director to be reckoned with, after the film followed its January Sundance debut with a late night bidding battle that ended with Relativity paying a $4 million advance and a $25 million P&A commitment. That is a whopper for a film that was financed by Voltage Pictures’ Nicolas Chartier for around $5 million. Some eight months later, Relativity is releasing the film on 2400 screens under the title Don Jon.
EXCLUSIVE: It seems a long time ago thatDon Jon’s Addiction announced Joseph Gordon-Levitt as a writer/director to be reckoned with, after the film followed its January Sundance debut with a late night bidding battle that ended with Relativity paying a $4 million advance and a $25 million P&A commitment. That is a whopper for a film that was financed by Voltage Pictures’ Nicolas Chartier for around $5 million. Some eight months later, Relativity is releasing the film on 2400 screens under the title Don Jon.
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