Saturday, December 22, 2012
HAPPY CHRISTMAS
Have a very Meery Christmas to all who read this blog and who read and write for the main www.talkingpix.co.uk website.
Fear and Desire
Stanley Kubrick’s FEAR AND DESIRE will be screened in cinemas across the country from 4th January 2013
[For immediate release] Eureka Entertainment have announced that in support of the release on home video of Stanley Kubrick’s FEAR AND DESIRE, the film will be screening across venues in the Picturehouse Chain from 4th January 2013.
Full Details are as follows:
Duke's at Komedia, Brighton - Jan 4-5 2013 (2 days)
Harbour Lights Picturehouse - Jan 6 2013, Jan 10 2013 (2 days)
Stratford Picturehouse, East London - Jan 10 2013 (1 day)
Greenwich Picturehouse - Jan 10 2013 (1 day)
Ritzy Picturehouse, Brixton - Jan 14 2013 (1 day)
Phoenix Picturehouse, Oxford - Jan 14 2013 (1 day)
Hyde Park Picturehouse, Leeds – Jan 17 2013 (1 day)
Clapham Picturehouse - Jan 20 2013 (1 day)
Picturehouse at FACT, Liverpool - Jan 21 2013 (1 day)
Cameo Picturehouse, Edinburgh - Jan 24 2013 (1 day)
Exeter Picturehouse - Jan 28 2013 (1 day)
City Screen Picturehouse, York - Jan 28 2013 (1 day)
Cinema City, Norwich - Jan 28 2013 (1 day)
The Belmont Picturehouse, Aberdeen - Jan 30 2013 (1 day)
Hackney Picturehouse - Jan 31 2013 (1 day)
Eureka Entertainment will be releasing FEAR & DESIRE on Blu-ray & DVD on 28 January 2013 in a new restoration for the first time ever in the UK. It is the only Kubrick film besides A Clockwork Orange that was nearly impossible to see in the UK for several decades.
For further details of the screenings http://www.picturehouses.co.
For details of the Blu-ray & DVD release http://www.eurekavideo.co.uk/
Original Theatrical Trailer https://www.youtube.com/watch?
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
ODEON studios launches in Leicester square
ODEON offers new cinema experience to local film fans
ODEON – the largest cinema chain across the UK and Ireland - has today announced the completion of ODEON Studios, the newly refurbished cinema in Leicester Square.
Designed to offer guests a more private cinema experience, and part of ODEON’s ongoing refurbishment programme, the new ODEON Studios boasts five fully accessible luxury screens in smaller, more personal auditoriums. Featuring brand new seats and increased screen size, ODEON Studios provides guests with the ultimate comfort and the latest in cutting edge digital technology.
With a new boutique feel, ODEON Studios also features a Costa Coffee concession as well as a fully licensed bar, enabling guests to enjoy a beer or glass of wine whilst watching the film of their choice.
Tessa Street, General Manager at ODEON Studios said: “We are delighted to be able to offer film fans a new ODEON experience, more personal and unique than before. The refurbishment has meant that guests can enjoy ODEON’s fantastic film offering in a comfortable and stylish setting and we’re excited to welcome new and existing guests through the doors.”
Fanatical about film, ODEON Studios will provide film fans with a wide and varied choice of films, as well as a variety of alternative content such as sports, theatre and concerts.
Guests can continue to take advantage of the fantastic promotions at ODEON including the cheapest family, child and adult off-peak cinema tickets available in Leicester Square*. Other benefits include the option of joining the ODEON Première Club, a rewards scheme which allows members to earn points to spend on film tickets and snacks.
Create Levels, Share Experiences and Save the Universe
with Friends in Piece Corps, A New Mobile Game for iOS and Android
Piece Corps,
Created by Joe Doucet Studio, Promotes Diversity and Ignites Imagination
Without Boundaries by Letting Players Control the Game
Piece Corps, a new physics-based mobile game for casual gamers of all ages, is now available for free to download in the iTunes App Store and from Google Play. Piece Corps unites its players and characters through unique abilities and crafty problem solving skills to overcome challenging levels of schoolyard madness. Players can also control their own game play by creating new levels and sharing with friends, Facebook and the whole Piece Corps community.
The Piece Corps characters are a group of daring, young girls who protect the powerful “Book of
Dreams”. Unfortunately, the Evil Scientist has stolen it for his own wicked bidding! So it's up to
the Piece Corps to band together using their unique abilities against enemies of all kinds to get
the book back safely and save the universe.
"Piece Corps is more than a physics-based mobile game. It empowers imagination and
creativity by supplying the tools for players to create their own levels to be shared within a
global Piece Corps community," said Joe Doucet. "Also, by leveraging the unique abilities of
these diverse characters, we want to show the promise of uniting through differences, to work
together to achieve common goals.”
Key Features:
Who Are The Piece Corps?
Players can select one of five unique Piece Corps characters: Djane, Bundi, Meana, Deevah,
and Martia. Each character possesses three distinctive abilities to help solve complex and challenging levels. Mix and match from more than 125 different character combinations to best
tackle each puzzling level. For example, players can use Djane’s giant stereo to stun enemies
with a blast of music, or protect your chosen character in her pursuit to save the Piece Corps
friends with Martia’s impenetrable force field.
Quirky Enemies & Allies
The Evil Scientist has enlisted the help of the Wicked Lunch Lady, Foul Janitor, Criminal Coach,
and the Malicious Little Hall Monitors to stop the Piece Corps from recovering the “Book of
Dreams”!
Finish an entire pack to free and unlock a Piece Corps friend to help you along the journey.
Players should also always be on the look out for allies like the Powerful Principal, Special
School Nurse, and Cute Crush, who all aid the Piece Corps cause
Create Levels. Share with the World.
Piece Corps gives players a chance to be a part of the game. Every player is encouraged to put
his or her creative juices to work by building customized levels to share with the global Piece Corps community. Every level is a playable work of art, which other players can rate and share
as their favorite user-generated level.
Piece Corps is available now for free from the iTunes store (http://bit.ly/T2IZBw) and for Android
on Google Play (http://bit.ly/V5tmeu). Piece Corps will be available for Amazon, Kindle and in
the Mac App Store coming soon.
Stay in touch with the Piece Corps community and their latest news:
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/PieceCorps
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/ThePieceCorps
TopGear Magazine iPad edition
TopGear Magazine Launches Fully Interactive iPad Edition, Now Available On Newsstand
TopGear Magazine has today launched the first fully-interactive version of the world’s greatest car magazine on Newsstand with its ‘Cars of 2012’ Awards issue, setting a new high octane standard for iPad.
The TopGear Magazine iPad edition brings you up close and personal with the world’s most exciting cars allowing you to hear, see and interact with them in more high-definition, eye-popping detail than ever before.
The interactive magazine features more from the TopGear telly team (Clarkson, Hammond, May and the Stig), more of the incredible jaw-dropping imagery from TopGear’s world-class team of photographers and more exclusive - and loud –HD videos. It’s basically TopGear, but with added everything. And don’t forget that this is just the start. Every month the magazine will be packed with even more interactivity that puts you in the driving seat, so we hope you’ll join us for what promises to be an amazing ride. Readers can now decide how they want to experience TopGear Magazine with the key features including:
Ø HD videos – stunning video of our world-exclusive feature
Ø HD galleries – experience your favourite supercar from every angle, with extra images
Ø Interactive content wheel – navigate to the latest news, hottest car reviews and the TopGear Garage
Ø Facebook and Twitter – join live-populating feeds to interact with other readers
Ø Entertainment – fire up the engines of our cover stars by tapping them on-screen
Ø Secret Content – tap to reveal additional content within features
Ø Exclusive offers – digital promotions only available on iPad
Ø Buyers’ guide – read all the essentials for every new car available
Charlie Turner, Editor-in-Chief, TopGear Magazine said; “The launch of the fully interactive edition of TopGear Magazine on Newsstand is a huge milestone in the TopGear journey. Rammed full of exciting interactive content, our iPad edition also features exclusive HD videos, spine-tingling noise and even more stunning imagery from the world’s greatest photographers. Included as standard is some of the industry’s most evocative writing, and even more from those stalwarts of TGTV, Clarkson, Hammond, May and the Stig…. Though the Stig remains generally uncommunicative. TopGear Magazine really does put the reader in the driving seat. To quote a certain J.Clarkson, it's time to feel the.... Poweeeeeer!”
Simon Carrington, Publisher, TopGear Magazine added; “We are delighted to have finally arrived on iPad and Newsstand with a product that we believe fully maximises the technology. We know that the TopGear audience is used to seeing and hearing cars and it’s great to be able to provide video content that is on a par with their expectations. In the current media climate it’s important that TopGear can provide existing and new readers the chance to access the fantastic content that TopGear magazine generates every month.”
The app was developed by Engine Creative for Immediate Media Company, who publish TopGear Magazine under contract from BBC Worldwide.
Simon Carrington, Publisher, TopGear Magazine added; “We are delighted to have finally arrived on iPad and Newsstand with a product that we believe fully maximises the technology. We know that the TopGear audience is used to seeing and hearing cars and it’s great to be able to provide video content that is on a par with their expectations. In the current media climate it’s important that TopGear can provide existing and new readers the chance to access the fantastic content that TopGear magazine generates every month.”
The app was developed by Engine Creative for Immediate Media Company, who publish TopGear Magazine under contract from BBC Worldwide.
The TopGear Magazine App is available for free from Newsstand on iPad or at www.itunes.com/appstore. Six-month (£14.99) and 12-month (£24.99) subscriptions are available via In-App Purchase, and individual issues are available for £2.99.
LAS ACACIAS
Pablo Giorgelli, director of the award winning film LAS ACACIAS, has recently written and directed REENCUENTRO, a 6 minute film exploring the relationship between a father and his daughter.
View the film on the Verve Pictures website:
MASTERS OF CINEMA Series
Kaneto Shindō’s ONIBABA will be released as part of Eureka Entertainment’s MASTERS OF CINEMA Series on Blu-ray on 25 February 2013.
[For immediate release] Eureka Entertainment have announced that they will be upgrading one of the most popular titles in the Masters of Cinema Series, ONIBABA to a new 1080p HD Blu-ray on 25 February 2013. One of the most popular Japanese horror films of all-time, ONIBABA was directed by Kaneto Shindō, the prolific director of 48 films (The Naked Island, Kuroneko) who passed away in 2012 at the age of 100, and who was still working up until his death.
“Onibaba graphically illustrates that brutalism, art and allegory can co-exist to spellbindingly powerful effect.” – Film 4
SYNOPSIS:
Kaneto Shindō, one of Japan’s most prolific directors, received his biggest international success with the release of Onibaba [The Demoness] in 1964. Its depiction of violence and graphic sexuality was unprecedented at the time of release. Shindō managed — through his own production company Kindai Eiga Kyōkai — to bypass the strict, self-regulated Japanese film industry and pave the way for such films as Yasuzo Masumura’s Mojuu (1969) and Nagisa Oshima’s In the Realm of the Senses (1976).
Onibaba [or Onibabaa, in its alternate spelling] is set during a brutal period in history, a Japan ravaged by civil war between rivaling shogunates. Weary from combat, samurai are drawn towards the seven-foot high susuki grass fields to hide and rest themselves, whereupon they are ambushed and murdered by a ruthless mother (Nobuko Otowa) and daughter-in-law (Jitsuko Yoshimura) team. The women throw the samurai bodies into a pit, and barter their armour and weapons for food. When Hachi (Kei Satō), a neighbour returning from the wars, brings bad news, he threatens the women’s partnership.
Onibaba [or Onibabaa, in its alternate spelling] is set during a brutal period in history, a Japan ravaged by civil war between rivaling shogunates. Weary from combat, samurai are drawn towards the seven-foot high susuki grass fields to hide and rest themselves, whereupon they are ambushed and murdered by a ruthless mother (Nobuko Otowa) and daughter-in-law (Jitsuko Yoshimura) team. The women throw the samurai bodies into a pit, and barter their armour and weapons for food. When Hachi (Kei Satō), a neighbour returning from the wars, brings bad news, he threatens the women’s partnership.
Erotically charged and steeped in the symbolism and superstition of its Buddhist and Shintō roots, Kaneto Shindō’s Onibaba is in part a modern parable on consumerism, a study of the destructiveness of sexual desire and — filmed within a claustrophobic sea of grass — one of the most striking and unique films of Japan's last half-century, winning Kiyomi Kuroda the Blue Ribbon Award for Cinematography in 1965. The memorably frenetic drumming soundtrack was scored by long-time Shindō collaborator Hikaru Hayashi. The Masters of Cinema Series is proud to present Onibaba for the first time on Blu-ray in the UK.
Original Theatrical Trailer http://youtu.be/s2SkmwgU8qs
Available to pre-order from:
Amazon http://amzn.to/WljXOy
The Hut http://tidd.ly/defea0d5
Movie Mail http://bit.ly/RBr2gv
SPECIAL NEW BLU-RAY EDITION:
• Gorgeous new 1080p HD transfer
• Full-length director’s audio commentary by director Kaneto Shindō and the stars of the film, Kei Satō, and Jitsuko Yoshimura
• Full-length director’s audio commentary by director Kaneto Shindō and the stars of the film, Kei Satō, and Jitsuko Yoshimura
• Video introduction by Alex Cox
• 8mm footage (40-minutes) shot on location by lead actor Kei Satō
• Optional English subtitles
• Original theatrical trailer
• Production stills and promotional art gallery
• 36-PAGE BOOKLET with a new essay by Doug Cummings, an English translation of the original short Buddhist fable that inspired the film and a statement from writer/director Kaneto Shindō about why he made Onibaba
• 8mm footage (40-minutes) shot on location by lead actor Kei Satō
• Optional English subtitles
• Original theatrical trailer
• Production stills and promotional art gallery
• 36-PAGE BOOKLET with a new essay by Doug Cummings, an English translation of the original short Buddhist fable that inspired the film and a statement from writer/director Kaneto Shindō about why he made Onibaba
Amy shoots cover for NME
Amy Brammal was perhaps, more excited than most when she picked up her 60th anniversary copy of NME magazine. This particular issue featured the Sex Pistols front man, John Lydon, sitting crossed-legged in a chair – and Amy took the picture.
29-year-old Amy from Leicester said: “I’ve done a lot of work for NME, all over the UK and as far afield as Serbia in the past. John Lydon was lovely to direct through the shoot and I was ridiculously happy when my picture it was selected for the cover. It’s definitely a career highlight to date and hopefully will be the first of many.”
Amy started taking photos at friend’s music gigs and soon found that she had a natural talent. She studied for both an A-Level and Foundation Degree in Photography with Leicester College, before ‘topping-up’ to a full BA at De Montfort University.
Meeting music promoters earned her more work, which she fitted in around her five years of study. By the time she graduated in 2009, Amy had enough work to keep her busy as a full-time freelancer – and she has done ever since.
“When I first started, I was shooting bands in abandoned warehouses standing against walls and that sort of thing, which is pretty typical. By about my third shoot, I decided I wanted to do something different and really developed my own style,” says Amy.
Amy’s striking style has taken her all over the world; behind the scenes with bands on tour, in front of soap stars on TV sets and in the photo pits at some of the biggest festivals on the planet. Although she does a lot of work with bands, she wouldn’t describe herself as a music photographer.
“I’d say my work is commercial photography. It’s predominantly music-based based because of my love of music and the work I’ve done for NME. For me it’s all about portraiture, I love capturing people. It can sometimes feel like you’re intruding on a private moment, but then you remember it’s your job. I really enjoy shooting people who are enjoying it and communicating with me the most,” she explained.
“I didn’t know anyone in the industry when I started and I think that was one of the hardest things as half the battle is working out who you need to speak to and when. Gaining formal qualifications at College and University was really important for me though and definitely helped. I was really nervous on my first few shoots for NME, but with more experience; comes more confidence.”
Amy is currently working in Leeds for ITV; a role that has seen her on the sets of Emmerdale, Coronation Street and Celebrity Juice. She doesn’t want to stop there though, with ambitions to do book or album covers watch out for more of Amy’s work in the near future.
Film Magic
Gandalf (Sir Ian McKellen) to cast a festive spell with two special screenings of THE HOBBIT in support of East End charity Step Forward at the Genesis Cinema.
Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit star, Sir Ian McKellen will attend two exclusive fundraiser Q&A screenings of THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY, in which he reprises the role of Gandalf, at the Genesis Cinema on Friday 21st December in support of East End charity Step Forward. Sir Ian who is patron of Step Forward has been an active supporter of the charity, who work with young people in Tower Hamlets, since 1996.
Academy Award®-winning filmmaker Peter Jackson’s highly anticipated version of THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY, is the first of a trilogy of films adapted from J.R.R. Tolkien’s enduring masterpiece.
Step Forward is an independent charity committed to improving the health, well being and life chances of local young people aged 11-25 affected by poverty and disadvantage in Tower Hamlets. The charity offers a range of free and confidential counselling and support services, helping young people deal with any difficulties in their life or recover from past trauma or abuse. Through their purpose built centre in Bethnal Green they offer a place of sanctuary which inspires and encourages 2,000 young people a year to realise their self-worth, raise their aspirations and reach their full potential in life.
Like many charities in London Step Forward has been affected by public sector cuts and reduction in funding across the board. “Step Forward is so impressive to visit, welcoming and utterly committed to helping local young people,” says Sir Ian. “It is amazing that such an evidently worthwhile project does not receive the funding necessary to continue its vital work. I am very happy and honoured to be a Patron for Step Forward and support its aim to continue providing essential support services over the coming years.”
THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY, (12A, r/t: 170 minutes).
Special Charity Fundraiser screenings on Friday 21st December:
18:30 (Screen 1), 19:00 (Screen 5)
Q&As with Sir Ian McKellan before each screening
At The Genesis Cinema, 93-95 Mile End Rd, London. E1 4UJ.
Tickets are £20 for Screen 1 and VIP tickets for Screen 5 are being auctioned. Tickets for Screen 1 are now on sale through the Genesis Cinema Box Office: 020 7780 2000 or online booking at:http://www.genesiscinema.co.
VIP tickets for the private screening in Studio 5 which seats 40 people will be auctioned by Step Forward via Ebay from the 8th December. For more details check out the charity’s web site on: www.step-forward.org
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
Masters of Cinema
Big name director Claude Chabrol is set to join the Masters of Cinema Series as Eureka Entertainment announce their release schedule for March and April 2013
Eureka Entertainment announced today via their twitter feeds (@eurekavideo & @mastersofcinema) the forthcoming releases in The Masters of Cinema series for the months of March and April 2013.
From French New Wave and Italian art cinema classics to lesser known gems from France and Japan, The Masters of Cinema Series remains as eclectic as ever in its March and April 2013 releases – a 6-release slate that includes big name directors Claude Chabrol, Michelangelo Antonioni, Henri-Georges Clouzot, Yūzō Kawashima, and Sadao Yamanaka.
Producer of the Masters of Cinema Series, Andrew Utterson stated “In March, we welcome legendary French director Claude Chabrol into the series for the very first time, with a back-to-back French New Wave double-bill,Le Beau Serge [Handsome Serge] and Les Cousins [The Cousins], alongside fellow French filmmaker Henri-Georges Clouzot's exquisite comedy-thriller The Murderer Lives at 21 [L'Assassin habite au 21].
More cinematic treats follow in April with a stunning new presentation of Michelangelo Antonioni's majestic slice of Italian art cinema La notte [The Night] as well as rare treasures in the form of a blazing new restoration of Yūzō Kawashima's utterly thrilling but long-unavailable-in-the-west Bakumatsu taiyō-den [aka A Sun-Tribe Myth from the Bakumatsu Era] and the collected release of fellow Japanese filmmaker Sadao Yamanaka's entire surviving works.”
Managing Director of Eureka Entertainment added “Across six standout releases, world and UK home viewing and Blu-ray premières abound, with new restorations aplenty, as we continue our quest to release the very finest in world cinema, using the very best available materials, all with a meticulous attention to design and detail.”
Full details of each of the titles announced can be found on the Eureka / Masters of Cinema website www.eurekavideo.co.uk/moc
For latest news and updates from Eureka & The Masters of Cinema Series, Eureka can be found on Facebook www.facebook.com/
Blast from the past as Wallace and Gromit creators unveil new online film…
featuring MORPH!
Wallace and Gromit creators Aardman Animations has unveiled a quirky gothic new online film featuring none other than the classic TV character Morph.
The online film can only be seen on The Space http://thespace.org/items/
The new Aardman Animations online film has been created to celebrate 38 years of Forkbeard Fantasy, the groundbreaking UK theatre and arts company.
The unusual online film features newsreel footage of the precise moment that the pioneers of Liquid Film blended several secret ingredients and scientific wonder to create Plasticinematography – and a host of characters like the multi-eyed organism, a bucket of mouths… and Morph!
To watch the exclusive Aardman Animations film users have to navigate through ‘Forkbeard in Space’ a 360 degree panorama of Forkbeard’s studios inspired by the exhibitions, theatre shows, installations, cartoons, animation props and filmic special FX of Forkbeard Fantasy’s 38 year history (– and solve a series of puzzles to create Liquid Film.)
Users then have to play 2 online games “The Fall of the House of Usherettes” and “The Bonehunter” based on Forkbeard’s classic shows.
Users are then rewarded with the Aardman Animations film in which they can witness how liquid film created Plasticinematography and the multitude of characters.
‘Forkbeard in Space’ the online games and the Aardman Animation online film is one of 51 commissions made by the Arts Council for The Space.
Interesting Morph facts:
- Morph is an animated plasticine stop-motion character
- Morph appeared with the late Tony Hart, beginning in 1977, on several of his UK TV programmes, notably Take Hart and Hartbeat
- Morph was produced for the BBC by Aardman Animations
- Morph's 30th Birthday was celebrated in 2007
- Morph lived in an artist's wooden pencil box
- Some of the early plasticine models of Morph were destroyed in a fire at the warehouse they were being stored on 10 October 2005
Forkbeard Fantasy is a collective of artists who have been creating performances, theatre shows, films, cartoons, automata, sculptures, special events, installations and interactive exhibitions across the UK and abroad without stop since the mid-1970s.
Enter Forkbeard in Space here:
http://thespace.org/items/Monday, December 10, 2012
A gift from Middle Earth: Martin Freeman among celebs in charity Christmas auction
Film fans can pick up personalised gifts from the likes of Hobbit star, Martin Freeman at a Christmas eBay auction hosted by international development charity, WaterAid.
Fans will have the chance to get their hands on men and women’s clothing from fashion label Merc with gift tags signed by their favourite actors and musicians including a tracksuit top signed by Hobbit star, Martin Freeman.
To enter the auction and pick-up a unique Christmas gift, go to: www.ebay.co.uk/wateraid before December 16th. All proceeds raised by the auction will help some of the world’s poorest people gain access to safe water and sanitation through WaterAid projects around the world.
UNTOUCHABLE
Based on a true story, UNTOUCHABLE has already broken records worldwide, so far out grossing blockbusters such as Harry Potter, Titanic, Marvel’s The Avengers and Avatar in certain territories. It is topping charts all over the globe and to date has made a staggering $356million.
The film tells the story of an unlikely friendship between a disabled millionaire (François Cluzet) and his street smart ex-con caretaker (Omar Sy). The pair who, on the surface, seem to have nothing in common find a camaraderie rooted in honesty and humour in one of the must-see films of 2012.
Directed by Eric Toledano and Olivier Nakache and also starring Audrey Fleurot (‘Spiral’), the film was nominated for a total of nine 2012 César Awards, France’s equivalent to the Oscars, including Best Picture, and won Best Actor for breakout star Omar Sy. The film also won the Grand Prix award at the 2011 Tokyo International Film Festival. UNTOUCHABLE has received Audience Awards from U.S film festivals including San Francisco Film Festival, COL COA and the Nashville Film Festival.
Untouchable will be release by Entertainment in Video on DVD AND Blu-Ray on
28th January 2013
Cert – 15 tbc
Running Time - Blu-Ray 112mins / DVD – 107mins
Bonus Features – TBC
Cat Number Recommended Retail Price
Rental DVD EDR4262 £ N\A
Retail DVD EDV9744 £19.99
Blu-Ray EBR5224 £24.99
SPARKLE
An Unforgettable Cast, including Whitney Houston, Jordin Sparks, CeeLo Green, Derek Luke and Mike Epps
Featuring Original Songs by R. Kelly Performed By Whitney Houston and Jordin Sparks
Extensive Bonus Materials Include a Tribute to Whitney Houston, Director’s Commentary and Featurettes
Coming to DVD February 11, 2013
Six-time GRAMMY Award® winner Whitney Houston (The Bodyguard) and “American Idol” winner Jordin Sparks star in the uplifting and inspiring drama SPARKLE, debuting on DVD February 11, 2013 from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. The all-star cast also includes singer CeeLo Green, Carmen Ejogo (Away We Go), Tika Sumpter (Think Like a Man), Derek Luke (Captain America: The First Avenger), Mike Epps (Jumping the Broom), and Omari Hardwick (The Runner) in the soulful story of an aspiring singer/songwriter (Sparks) who defies her overprotective mother (Houston) to form a musical trio with her sisters, only to encounter the temptations of success.
Synopsis:
Sparkle is a timeless story of the bonds of family, the trials of success and the power of music. In her feature film debut, "American Idol" sensation Jordin Sparks stars as Sparkle, a young woman whose big dreams seem almost impossible. She's been warned against the pitfalls of the music industry by her protective mother (Whitney Houston), yet encouraged by the handsome and ambitious Stix (Derek Luke), Sparkle forms a trio with her sisters (Tika Sumpter and Carmen Ejogo). Together, they perform the soul-stirring songs that Sparkle pens. But as their fame grows, so do the risks of jealousy, self-doubt and insidious temptation. A sweeping drama is brought to life with a powerful cast including Mike Epps, Omari Hardwick and CeeLo Green.
SPARKLE was directed by Salim Akil from a screenplay by Mara Brock Akil and a story by Joel Schumacher and Howard Rosenman. The film was produced by Salim Akil, Mara Brock Akil, Debra Martin Chase, T.D. Jakes and Curtis Wallace with Whitney Houston, Gaylyn Fraiche, Avram Butch Kaplan and Howard Rosenman as executive producers.
DVD Bonus Material Includes:
- Director’s Commentary
- Two Featurettes:
o “A Dream Come True”
SPARKLE has a run time of approximately 111 minutes and has been rated 12.
Find Sparkle on Facebook at www.facebook.com/SparkleUK
Monday, November 26, 2012
Air New Zealand
unveils stunning 777-300 aircraft inspired by The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
Air New Zealand, the official airline of Middle-earth, today unveiled its stunning 777-300 aircraft which is set to become a flying billboard for the soon-to-be-released movie The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.
Special guests at the unveiling in Auckland, New Zealand, this morning were amongst the first to see the exterior imagery which depicts characters from the upcoming fantasy adventure The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, a New Line Cinema and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures (MGM) production, which is the first in a trilogy of films from Kiwi director Sir Peter Jackson.
Air New Zealand Chief Executive Officer Rob Fyfe says the imagery, which extends the full length of the 73 metre long aircraft, is simply stunning. “This aircraft is going to excite passengers and fans of Sir Peter Jackson’s award-winning cinema fantasies alike when it begins regular Air New Zealand services between Auckland, Los Angeles and London from this evening.
“New Zealand is the home of Middle-earth and The Hobbit movies will be hugely important to New Zealand’s tourism industry in the next couple of years as international tourists are inspired to come and see and experience for themselves the landscapes which have shaped the movies.
“We are thrilled to see so many international visitors booked to travel to Wellington for the world premiere of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey; we want them to experience the magic of Middle-earth as soon as they set foot on this aircraft.”
Air New Zealand is also looking forward to having the film-inspired 777-300 make a brief spectacular appearance at the red carpet event in Wellington, just prior to the premiere on 28 November.
Mr Fyfe says, “It will be fantastic to show this spectacular aircraft off to a global audience at what is certain to be one of the most highly-anticipated movie events of the year.”
Sue Kroll, Warner Bros. Pictures’ President, Worldwide Marketing, says Air New Zealand’s involvement is unique.
“Air New Zealand has already proven their creativity and innovation with their delightful Middle-earth-inspired safety video, and now this extraordinary aircraft wrap. We look forward to continuing to work with them in support of the release of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey in the months ahead.”
Sir Peter Jackson, the director of The Hobbit trilogy, says, “It’s wonderful to see such a stunning image to celebrate The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey on one of Air New Zealand’s largest international aircraft. It’s a unique representation of the innovation and creativity of New Zealanders and a great opportunity to show off the incomparably beautiful landscape of this country.”
Air New Zealand will launch a second flying billboard next year utilising another of its long haul aircraft to celebrate the second movie in the trilogy, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug.
Earlier in the month, Air New Zealand released its most popular in-flight safety video to date. An Unexpected Briefing, which was created by the Academy Award-winning Weta Workshop and starred cast and crew members from The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, as well as fans and Air New Zealand’s own cabin crew and pilots, has become a global hit with almost 10 million views on YouTube since its release on 1 November.
About The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
From Academy Award®-winning filmmaker Peter Jackson comes The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, 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 (MGM), with New Line managing production. Warner Bros. Pictures is handling worldwide theatrical distribution, with select international territories as well as all international distribution being handled by MGM.
The central film in the trilogy The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug will be released on December 13 2013, and the final film The Hobbit: There and Back Again will be released worldwide on July 18 2014. All three films in the trilogy were shot in 3D 48 frames-per-second and will be released in High Frame Rate (HFR) 3D, other 3D formats, IMAX and 2D.
Friday, November 16, 2012
Imax...
IMAX® AND WARNER BROS. SIGN 20-PICTURE DEAL, EXTEND LONG-RUNNING PARTNERSHIP
LOS ANGELES – Nov. 15, 2012 – IMAX Corporation (NYSE:IMAX; TSX:IMX) and Warner Bros. Pictures, a division of Time Warner Inc. (NYSE: TWX), today announced that they have agreed to release up to 20 Warner Bros. films in the immersive IMAX Experience® over the next three years, in an extension of the core partnership that began in 2003. The arrangement will continue to align the worldwide box office power of Warner Bros.’ tent-pole film business with the fast-growing global popularity of The IMAX Experience, providing the studio with an additional, differentiated platform that consistently delivers the best experience in cinema and strong returns for studios and exhibitors.
The arrangement also underscores the excitement around Warner Bros.’ upcoming slate, which includes many of the most anticipated movie-event titles emerging from Hollywood over the next few years. Warner Bros. titles to be released for 2013 include: Jack the Giant Slayer (March 1, 2013); Man of Steel (June 14, 2013); Pacific Rim (July 12, 2013); 300: Rise of an Empire (August 2, 2013); Gravity; Seventh Son (October 18, 2013); The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (December 13, 2013).
"Together with IMAX and our exhibitor partners, we have built a unique, incremental distribution platform over the last 10 years,” said Dan Fellman, President, Domestic Distribution, Warner Bros. Pictures. "We are excited to continue this tradition and offer these films to audiences in the most premium of moviegoing experiences."
"The IMAX footprint continues to expand with tremendous success around the world,” said Veronika Kwan Vandenberg, President, International Distribution, Warner Bros. Pictures. “We are very pleased to be presenting our 2013 and future slate in this premium theatrical environment.”
“Our longstanding partnership with Warner Bros. has resulted in extraordinary experiences for IMAX audiences, and we’re excited to add these core additional titles to our upcoming film slate,” said Richard L. Gelfond, CEO of IMAX. “The growing network of IMAX theatres around the globe continues to enable all of our studio partners to deliver their films in a uniquely immersive way, and provide moviegoers with a premium way to experience the biggest movies.”
“IMAX continues to have a deep appreciation for the Warner Bros. team and its talented filmmaker collective as well as its comprehensive approach to our industry,” said Greg Foster, Chairman and President of IMAX Filmed Entertainment. “We’re confident that our continued partnership with Warner Bros. on all levels – pre-production, production, post production, marketing and distribution - will greatly benefit our two companies, our exhibition partners and moviegoers worldwide.”
About IMAX Corporation
IMAX, an innovator in entertainment technology, combines proprietary software, architecture and equipment to create experiences that take you beyond the edge of your seat to a world you’ve never imagined. Top filmmakers and studios are utilizing IMAX theatres to connect with audiences in extraordinary ways, and, as such, IMAX’s network is among the most important and successful theatrical distribution platforms for major event films around the globe.
IMAX is headquartered in New York, Toronto and Los Angeles, with offices in London, Tokyo, Shanghai and Beijing. As of Sept. 30, 2012, there were 689 IMAX theatres (556 commercial multiplex, 20 commercial destination and 113 institutional) in 52 countries.
IMAX®, IMAX® 3D, IMAX DMR®, Experience It In IMAX®, An IMAX 3D Experience®, The IMAX Experience® and IMAX Is Believing® are trademarks of IMAX Corporation. More information about the Company can be found at www.imax.com. You may also connect with IMAX on Facebook (www.facebook.com/imax), Twitter (www.twitter.com/imax) and YouTube (www.youtube.com/imaxmovies)
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