Men from Mars" explore the boundaries of visual effects using the JVC DLA-HD2K

The HD2K has been purchased for use in digital intermediate and colour grading work

(London - UK) - Due to the increasing demand for colour grading and digital intermediate work, the team at Men from Mars have purchased a JVC DLA-HD2K projector and image processor. The projector is being used directly with a Baselight film colour grading system and a Truelight colour management system from Filmlight. The unit was installed in March 2005.

The HD2K was sold through Kaurus Limited who specialise in projection, viewing and grading suites. Paul Sutton, a Director of Kaurus comments, "The HD2K fully meets and satisfies the requirements of post production companies such as the Men from Mars."

Men from Mars are a small but dynamic bespoke visual effects company based in Ealing, West London which employs about 20 people. Rhodri James, Chief Engineer at Men from Mars explains why he invested in the HD2K, "We needed a projector which would give a near to true representation of what our film projects would look like on film and on the cinema screen. We had already
seen the HD2K at the London premises of Filmlight and knew that the projector was good enough for use in grading. The HD2K is certainly the best tool for the job. "

The HD2K produces natural but deeply rich colours with a high definition resolution of 1920 x 1080i at 60Hz. It has an impressive contrast ratio of 2000:1 which allows for real cinema-quality blacks with smooth gradations and low noise.

Current productions that are using the HD2K include American Haunting, Derailed and The Wild and Wycked World of Brian Jones.

At the Men from Mars' Studio, DOPs and Directors will view the rushes and digital dailies footage, ensuring that the look and colour are correct, confident in the knowledge that what they see is what they get - a true representation of what the final project will look like on film.

James says of the projector, "it was very easy to install. For HD signals, a Doremi HD/SDI convertor is used". He goes on to enthuse, "the HD2K is a dream to operate."

Revenues from Mobile Games Set to Mushroom by 78% in 2005

Hampshire UK, 9th March 2005: The onset of mass multiplayer gaming, a widening gaming demographic, greater playability, and increased adoption of mobile services in emerging markets point to a fast expanding market for mobile games, according to a new report from Juniper Research.

“With console games, customers are obliged to make the commitment to purchase a fairly expensive piece of hardware. The beauty of mobile is that it provides a potential global audience of several hundred million 2.5G users who already have that hardware in the form of their handset,” said report author, Dr Windsor Holden.

Dr Holden added that developers and publishers were now recognising the need to expand the demographic beyond the core gamer.

“Many of the mobile games released thus far have been first person shooter (FPS) and sports simulations. These staple genres of console and PC have attracted a similar calibre of gamer to the mobile, namely young adult males. Consequently, the rest of the mobile audience was largely ignored. Increasingly, we’ll see a wider range of lifestyle games aimed at audiences beyond the core gamer.”

“Furthermore, in a number of emerging markets – most notably India – games console, PC and indeed fixed broadband penetration is negligible. Any games market which develops in these countries will see a substantial proportion – possibility even the majority – of their revenues derived from mobile services.”
Other findings from the report include:

Total value of global mobile games market to rise by 78% during 2005 to nearly US$5.6 billion.
The value of the North American market expected to increase tenfold over the next five years to US$4.1 billion.
For mass mobile multiplayer gaming to become a reality, data download costs must fall, while the average purchase price of games will rise to reflect this.
More than one-third of games revenues to be derived from rentals and subscriptions by 2009 rather than download.

Tiscali announces backing for Raindance 2005

First major sponsor for 2005 festival and online partner to show ‘best of’ Raindance short films

Tiscali UK and Raindance today announce a partnership which will see the leading internet company become a major sponsor of the 2005 Raindance Film Festival.

Every month, viewers will get exclusive access to five Raindance short films that can’t be viewed anywhere else on the web. From today, film fans will be able to see the best independent short films from around the world by logging onto www.tiscali.co.uk/raindance.
With their five million plus online audience, Tiscali will be the medium to watch the best from up and coming directors.

The first five films available to view this month are:

No Deposit, No Return

House

Old Tricks

Something Real

Stretched Too Thin

This is not the only involvement that Tiscali has had with up and coming, and established film makers. In 2004, Tiscali was announced as a major sponsor of the International Rotterdam Film Festival (26 January - 6 February 2005), where they launched an experiment to distribute arthouse films over the Internet.

And, Tiscali aren’t strangers to controversy with the backing of Theo van Gogh’s much talked about, thought-provoking film 06/05 - about the assassination of Dutch right-wing, anti-immigration politician, Pim Fortuyn. Following the making of the film Van Gogh – who was related to the famous Dutch painter – was stabbed and shot dead himself in Amsterdam.

The film was the first European feature film to be legally broadcast on the Internet before its theatrical release. Tiscali, who financed the €2m feature, allowed the film to be downloaded over a period of four days for a fee of €5. In the first couple of hours, hundreds of Dutch web surfers had bought the film.

Richard Ayers, portal director and editor of www.tiscali.co.uk says: “Tiscali provides some of the finest quality entertainment content online and we aim to showcase the best in emerging talent, both in film and in music. Partnering with Raindance means we will continue to offer excellence in entertainment by showing compelling short films throughout the year AND by backing an established but still cult film festival.”

The Raindance Film Festival was established in 1992 to celebrate and support British film making and innovation and has gone on to become the largest independent film festival in Europe. Patrons include directors such as Mike Figgis, Ken Loach and Michael Winterbottom, and artists including Ewan McGregor, Samantha Morton and Bill Nighy.

Elliot Grove, founder and managing director of Raindance says: “Raindance was founded in order to innovate and inspire. Working with Tiscali, we can expose exceptional film work in a new and innovative way to an even wider audience.”

To gain access to the site, viewers can log onto:

http://www.tiscali.co.uk/raindance

The first five films are outlined below:

No Deposit, No Return
(UK, 11mins, Dallas Campbell)
A desperate woman breaks into a sperm bank only to find love with a kindly security guard.
Courtesy of Rocliffe Productions and Dazzle Short Film Label.

House
(UK, 3mins, David Theobald)
A camera roves around the suburban home. In each room we find the same man caught frozen in mid-air. Is he meditating, or are we the witnesses to something more sinister?

Old Tricks
(USA, 8mins, Christopher Glass)
The disenfranchised cruise the city streets at night.

Something Real
(UK, 8mins, Jon Rennie)
Reydon realises he is tired of his utopian life.

Stretched Too Thin
(USA, 1min, Varda Hardy)
In a monumental effort to get into shape, a man gets out of shape.

Star Wars PEZ is out of this world!

Blasting onto a cinema screen near you on the 19th May is the final Star Wars epic - Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith. And to mark this momentous occasion, in a galaxy not so far away PEZ* is launching its latest intergalactic range of Star Wars inspired sweet dispensers.

This newest collection of sweet-and-toy-in-one PEZ* heads includes seven of the most popular characters from the deadly dark lord duo The Emperor and Darth Vader, to Chewbacca the temperamental Wookiee and revered Jedi Master, Yoda.

Other characters include the fussy and worry-prone protocol droid, C-3P0; proficient marksman and unarmed combatant, Jango Fett and the resourceful, spunky and adventurous astromech droid, R2-D2.

Retailing at 99p for the limited edition dispenser and 59p for a six-pack refill, Star Wars PEZ, 'the Coolest Collectibles on the Planet' take their place in selected Asda, Tesco, Woolworths and Poundstretcher stores this spring.

Desperately seeking a disc? - Never again with Imation Disc Stakka

Bracknell UK (3 March 2005) - Imation (UK) is today launching its new product Disc Stakka, an automated carousel that stores, protects and retrieves optical media such as CDs, DVDs, music and computer games discs.

The first of its kind, the Imation Disc Stakka holds up to one hundred 12cm discs and is linked to a PC or Mac computer via a single USB connection supplying both power and data. The carousel can be stacked up to five high to create a tower holding up to 500 discs in any format, without needing additional cabling or desk space.

Films, music or computer games' discs are often found lying in drawers or on shelves but the various discs needed for different home entertainment means it is difficult to manage, protect, and retrieve the content that is stored on all of these discs.

The Disc Stakka comes complete with OpdiTracker(tm) disc management software, which includes a database and powerful search engine that can find and eject any disc within seconds so there is no need to remember where the disc was stored. The user can browse the discs and files stored in the OpdiTracker database, or use OpdiTracker's search engine to locate any disc or file within seconds. Once located, the disc containing the required content will be ejected and then used in the CD or DVD player, games console or computer, for instance.

The Imation Disc Stakka enables users to solve this problem by:
* Saving time by keeping retrieval operations to a minimum
* Reducing the risk of damage to your discs
* OpdiTracker(tm) software to help you manage the contents of each disc
* Removes the hassle of storing disc covers, plastic or cardboard cases that are often lying around

OpdiTracker's database searches stored discs by title, keyword, and directory or file name to find and eject any disc within seconds. The intuitive OpdiTracker software is simple to use and allows users to quickly store, manage and protect discs.

The Imation Disc Stakka is available from February 2005 at selected retailers across the UK including PC World Stores, Amazon.co.uk, dabs.co.uk, microanvika.com, Maplin and ebuyer.com.

LOS ANGELES, CA -- (MARKET WIRE) -- 03/04/2005 -- Vivendi Universal Games (VU Games) today announced a deal with multi-million album selling hip-hop superstar and entertainment icon 50 Cent to collaborate in the creation of a new video game that will hit retail shelves in late 2005. 50 Cent®: Bulletproof™, in which 50 Cent will star and provide his likeness and voice, will be unveiled at the Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles on May 18th, 2005.

"In everything I do, I play to win," said 50 Cent. "I'm out to destroy the competition and my video game is no different. It's a fantasy version of my life. I plan to shake up the video game world like I did the rap world -- I'm pulling no punches with my game."

"50 Cent is one of the most talented artists in the recording industry with legions of fans around the world. Everything he touches turns to gold -- music, movies, clothes, cars, watches," said Bruce Hack, CEO of Vivendi Universal Games. "We are thrilled to collaborate with 50 Cent and Interscope Records in a video game debut that will deliver extraordinary music, exciting game play, and best of all, 50 Cent."

About 50 Cent: Bulletproof

In 50 Cent's video game, which will be revealed at the Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles on May 18th, 2005, 50 gets caught in a web of corruption, double-crosses and shady deals that lead him on a bloody path through New York's drug underworld. Working with the unlikeliest of allies, the streets heat up as 50 Cent takes on the most dangerous crime families in the city, uncovering an international conspiracy with devastating implications. The streets are watching as 50 Cent blasts his way to the truth.

Further blending the lines between Hollywood, music and games, Sopranos executive producer and Emmy-Award winner Terry Winter inked both the game's script as well as the screenplay for 50's forthcoming film, Get Rich or Die Tryin'.

More information about the game can be found at http://www.the50centgame.com/

2nd ANNUAL BAFTA GAMES AWARDS

WINNERS ANNOUNCED

Half-Life 2 roared home with six prestigious Awards at this year’s BAFTA Games Awards, winning in the categories Best Game, Action Adventure, Online & Multiplayer, PC, Art Direction and Animation. Hosted by Jonathan Ross, the 2nd Annual Games Awards ceremony was held last night at London’s Café Royal and was attended by some of the biggest names in the Video Games Industry.

Burnout 3: Takedown scooped three Awards in the categories for Racing, Technical Direction and PlayStation 2. In the other individual console categories, Halo 2 won the Xbox category, and the GameCube category was won by Prince of Persia: Warrior Within.

A BAFTA Special Award, one of the most prestigious awards bestowed by the British Academy, was awarded to Sam Houser and Leslie Benzies of Rockstar Games for their outstanding contribution to the Games Industry.

The Originality Award was won by Singstar/Singstar Party, the Children’s category was won by Donkey Konga and Pro Evolution Soccer 4 snagged the Sports Award.

In other categories, the Handheld Award went to Colin McRae Rally 2005, the Mobile category was won by Blue Tooth Biplanes, the Audio Award was won by Call of Duty: Finest Hour and Hitman: Contracts won the Original Music Award.

Grant Dean, Chairman of the BAFTA Games Committee said, “Last year was a great year for the Video Games industry. These awards reflect the enormous achievements, progress and diversity that we have seen in that time. ”

> Simon Mayo
1-4pm BBC Radio Five Live

Paul and Jayne Walmsley - 2pm* Chris Guelff and Mike Ritz from Torture: The Guantanamo Guidebook -

From 1pm the sport panel discuss the latest news from the world of sport including the forthcoming round of Six Nations matches. Mark Kermode joins Simon from 3pm to discuss the weeks latest movie releases including Bewafaa, Casshern, Coach Carter, Hide and Seek, Hotel Rwanda, Spanglish and The Woodsman.

Listen to Five Live on AM, on digital and online.

No Oscar

After thousands of votes via text message and the web site, bbc.co.uk/fivelive, the final winner for the best film never to have won
Best Picture was announced just before 9am on Five Live this morning.

The audience voted overwhelmingly for "The Shawshank Redemption", the 1994 Frank Darabont tale of hope and humanity, which received 52% of the online votes and 68% of the text messages. The other two finalists, "Citizen Kane" and "A Matter of Life and Death" split the remaining votes roughly equally.

Five Live's resident film critic, Mark Kermode, said of the result: "The Shawshank Redemption is a classic choice for a 'people's favourite' Best Film. Having flopped in cinemas on its initial release (despite positive reviews and a brace of Oscar nominations) the movie was subsequently discovered on video by viewers who then recommended it to their friends, proving that there's no better publicity than word of mouth.

"Having written a book and made a documentary both of which attempted to uncover the secret of the film's universal appeal, I can only conclude that writer/director Frank Darabont was right when he said that 'The film touches people, and apparently it gives them hope -- hope to deal with whatever difficulties they face in their own lives.'

"I still think A Matter of Life And Death is a better film, though..."

Dariush Mehrjui's "Mama's Guest" makes debut in Wood Green, London

Following the launch of the project of screening Iranian films in the UK, which was coincided with the opening of The Duel with the presence of its director and a number of cast, Behnegar company in London is delighted to announce the release of Mama’s Guest (Mehman-e Maman) in Cineworld Wood Green to the North of London from Friday 18 February.

Mama’s Guest is another work of a great Iranian director, Dariush Mehrjui, who some critic believe that his first major film The Cow (or gav) has inspired many contemporary Iranian directors.

Mama’s Guest Synopsis:

The “mama” receives two dear guests: her recently married nephew and his wife are visiting her house for the first time. Her husband, who is a film buff and theatre movie projectionist, is coming home empty handed with no money while informing the rest of the family about the closing down of the theatre. Mama, who is suffering from a heart disease, is desperate because their financial situation is not allowing her to receive her guests properly and serve them in a traditional Iranian manner. The neighbours, in this old fashioned housing complex, who are even in worse financial stress, wholeheartedly come to rescue and help her to create a wonderful dinner feast.

Director: Dariush Mehrjui
Screenwriters: Dariush Mehrjui and Hooshang M Kermani and Vahideh Mohammadifar
35mm, Color, PG, 104mins, 2004, Persian with English subtitle

Cast:
Ms Golab Adineh
Mr. Amin Hayaee
Mr Parsa Piroozfar
Mr Hassan Poorshirazi

Producer: Dariush Mehrjui
Production: Cima Film Centre
Distributer: Behnegar

Director of photography: Tooraj Mansoori
Sound: Jahangir Mirshekari
Editor: Mehdi Hosseinivand
Music: Emad Bonakdar
Website: www.behnegar.com

Some reviews:

Washington City Paper
Iranian New Wave cinema icon Dariush Mehrjui crafts an apparently artless tale with beguiling skill and mastery. The arrival of her nephew and his new bride throws poor Mrs. Effat into a crisis. Her larder is too meagre to do them honour and she is too proud to lose face. Through self-pity and manipulation, she eventually involves her entire bickering apartment complex in her dilemma. But what begins as comedic farce evolves into something more compassionate: We come to understand each neighbour's struggle and means for coping. All may be poor and even wilfully self-deluded, but for one night at least, they create a small miracle of food and happiness on behalf of Mrs. Effat's guest.

The Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival
Florida Premiere
Iranian New Wave cinema icon Dariush Mehrjui crafts an apparently artless tale with beguiling skill and mastery. The arrival of her nephew and his new bride throws poor Mrs. Effat into a crisis. Her larder is too meager to do them honor and she is too proud to lose face. Through self-pity and manipulation, she eventually involves her entire bickering apartment complex in her dilemma. But what begins as comedic farce evolves into something more compassionate: We come to understand each neighbor's struggle and means for coping. All may be poor and even willfully self-deluded, but for one night at least, they create a small miracle of food and happiness on behalf of Mrs. Effat's guest.


Asia Society
Mama's Guest/Mehman-e-Maman
Veteran director Mehrjui (The Cow, Leila) proves to be a master of the ensemble comedy in this story of one of family's attempt to throw an impromptu banquet for a newly married nephew, which evolves into a chaotic operation involving the whole neighbourhood. The mother in question is anxious to receive her guests in a proper Iranian fashion, while her husband, a film buff who has recently been laid off from his work, raises mischief at every turn and almost bungles her plans. With its heart-warming slapstick and cast of charming characters.


FOCUS ON ASIA FUKUOKA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
Receiving a visit from your newly wed, successful nephew and his bride must be a great joy, but it turns out to be a disaster if you do not have spare food plus your just laid-off, film buff husband and naughty son repeatedly raise mischief. Now, eccentric but kind neighbours come to the family's rescue to treat the guests!
Set in an old-fashioned housing complex, Iranian film master Dariush Mehrjui presents a heartwarming slapstick comedy full of charming characters.


Mama's Guest" has won the prize for `best film' in the 2004 Fajr Film Festival.
The film was presented in several festivals including The Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival, Fukuoka International Film Festival and Freer Gallery of Art Arthur M. Sackler Gallery

About the director:
Dariush Mehrjui is born in Tehran in 1940 and graduated in philosophy and filmmaking from UCLA in 1964. His works have been awarded numerous prizes at local and international film festivals. His major works are:
The Cow (1970)
Mr Simpleton (1971)
Postman (1973)
The cycle (1976-79)
The School we went to (1981)
Journey to the land of Rimbaud (1984, france)
Lodgers (1987)
Shirak (1989)
Hamoon (1990)
Banoo (1992)
Sara (1993)
Pari (1995)
Leila (1996)
The Pear Tree (1998)
Mix (2000)
Bemani (2002)

Behnegar is one of the leading Iranian companies in the field of producing and distributing film. The UK representative of this company in co-operation with Cine-UK (the owner of Cineworld Cinemas) has started their new project to showcase Iranian films in the UK. In this scheme many Iranian films, for the first time, will be premiered in the UK soon after their first release in Iran The screening of the films in other cities that have mainly large number of Persian speaking population will then follow the scheme.

Following “Mama’s Guest”, “Girls Dormitory” (Khabgaheh Dokhtaran) a film currently on screens in Tehran.will then be showed in London.

In terms of quantity, Iranian cinema is quite productive, with its output in recent years standing at average annually 70 feature films. In terms of quality though, Iranian cinema has already shown its strength in many international film festivals. However, these festivals alongside few screenings of Iranian films in art house theatres have been the main windows to discover Iranian cinema outside Iran. Lack of a proper space for regular screening of Iranian films in mainstream cinemas in the West has resulted in art house and especially popular Iranian films stay concealed from the public view in countries like Britain.

The main challenge is to tackle this weakness while promoting better cultural understandings.

Telling Lies

Following the launch of the film Telling Lies late last year, the entire cast will be attending the film’s first ever photo call next week, where pop sensation come actress Melanie Brown will once again boast her acting talent, alongside promising actresses Jenna Harrison, Kelly Stables and acclaimed actor Jason Flemyng.

The talented New York Film Academy graduate Antara Bhardwaj, who made her mark in her assistant directorial efforts with films such as Edge of the World and Backwaters starring Tamzin Outhwaite, directs this taut, highly charged thriller.

Telling Lies is produced by Sunanda Murali Manohar who has a high profile roster of films to her name including Jungle Boy, Inferno, Tropical Heat, Indian Summer, Blood Stone, Backwaters and Private Moments a film that is posed as London’s answer to Sex and the City. Also at present, Sunanda Murali Manohar is working on the film adaptation of Rasheed Kidwai’s biography on Congress president Sonia Gandhi.

Kelly Stables has appeared in Hollywood blockbusters The Ring (2002) and Spider-Man (2002) performing stunts and has just finished playing one of the lead parts in The Ring 2 (2005). She stars in the American version of Pride and Prejudice (2003) and most recently in State’s Evidence (2004), as well as appearing in the U.S television show General Hospital. Telling Lies sees Kelly in her debut role in a British production where she plays Eve Forrester: the school rebel, Goth and genuine troublemaker.

Jenna Harrison plays Faith who has recently lost her mother to suicide and returns to school to find that her boyfriend has gone off with her best friend. Vulnerable and disenchanted she gets led astray by bad girl Eve Forrester and a sinister series of events evolves. Jenna made her television debut in My Brother Tom (2001). Since then she has appeared in several TV shows and films such as Submerged (2001), Stranded (2002), the Cambridge Spies (2003) and most recently in 12 Days of Terror (2004).

Film Synopsis:
Seventeen year-old Faith Munro had everything a young girl could want: loving parents, a great boyfriend, and life as the most popular girl at exclusive St. Matthew’s Private School on the outskirts of London. Her perfect life is thrown into disarray by the sudden, inexplicable suicide of her mother.
Unable to move past the grief of her mother’s death, Faith shuts everyone who really cares for her out of her life, including her father Jack and boyfriend Derek. She returns to school from sabbatical to discover her popularity has waned, and Derek has taken up with her former best friend Portia.
Friendless and lonely, Faith quickly falls under the spell of Eve Forrester. Just transferred in from a private school in the States, Eve is loud, brash, and completely fearless--- everything that Faith desperately wants to be. The two girls become fast friends. Together they plot to win back Derek by making him jealous of Faith’s new boyfriend, ‘Vincent.’ Only Faith and Eve know that ‘Vincent’ does not exist, he’s simply a made up person with a handsome face they acquired from an Internet site.

The ruse works beautifully at first, but things take a dark turn when the police discover a body in the Kensington Square Hotel identified as Vincent Craig, alongside Faith’s fingerprints and personal items. Unable to convince the authorities that it was all a harmless prank, Faith goes on the run in an attempt to find the real killer. But with Detective Inspector Maggie Thomas hot on her heels, will she be able to find the proof she needs in time?

The Film will be released later this year.

PRIVATE MOMENTS

London’s answer to Sex and the City

The first ever photo call with the cast from new movie Private Moments, billed as London’s answer to Sex and the City, took place on Monday 13th December at the Apart Gallery, Portobello Road. The cast, which included Jason Connery, Luke Goss, Catalina Guirado, Judi Shekoni, Natasha Vermeer and Aruna Shields, gleamed and glittered for the cameras and the paparazzi, proving that we Londoners are as sexy and sassy as our New York counterparts.

Veteran director Jag Mundra in speaking about the film commented, ‘’Private Moments is a sexy and sassy yet humorous film with influences from Sex and the City and the Red Shoe Diaries. Living in America and watching Sex and the City made me realise that the ideal city to set these hot topics would be London. It is so much more multi-cultural, and truly cosmopolitan. People of all ethnicities co-exist in a completely different way here. Sex and the City is very New York-centric and doesn’t represent all of America’s ethnic cultures, and uses almost exclusively Caucasian actors. That’s where Private Moments differs.’’

Film Synopsis:

Serena Call (Judi Shekoni) is having a bad day. She’s just turned a year older, her love life is non-existent, and her job as host for London’s lowest-rated night time talk show is in serious jeopardy. Serena’s got one week to come up with an idea to boost the stations sagging ratings, or it’s off to the unemployment line.

What’s a girl to do? Why, turn to her friends, of course! An impromptu birthday party and several bottles of wine lead to a night of sinful confessions for these four funny, sexy ladies. From titillating talk in a corner phone booth to a sensual rendezvous on a moving underground train, these ladies share their sexiest, most private moments.

It turns out that they are not alone in this desire. Serena returns to the air with a new style, new sense of purpose, and a new direction for the show. Re-dubbed “Private Moments, Public Places”, she finds that there are as many sexy stories in the city after dark, as there are women who want to tell them.

Cast:
Jason Connery; son of actors Sean Connery and Diane Cilento, London-born Jason inaugurated his own film career in 1982 with The Lords of Discipline. His next film was The Boy Who Had Everything (1983), which was critically acclaimed. He also starred in Robin of Sherwood, a well-distributed BBC television series of the late 1980s. In 1990, Jason Connery was wittily cast in the title role in the made-for-cable The Secret Life of Ian Fleming, a fanciful biography of the author/adventurer whose "James Bond" novels had helped catapult Sean Connery to fame. also regarded by many as the greatest living theatre practitioner.

Luke Goss; as part of the pop duo Bros, Luke received the Brit award for best newcomer and has now established a successful acting career and appeared in a number of TV productions and films including Frankenstein.

Catalina Guirado; British model first found fame on "TFI Friday" as Chris Evan's gorgeous sidekick. She has since been highly in demand as a model and appeared on I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here Series 2. Filming work has included a highly publicised appearance on the Osbournes and a Channel 4 documentary Summer In St Tropez.

Natasja Vermeer; a French actress who has played Emmanuelle a record seven times in the internationally successful series.

Judi Shekoni; a gorgeous model, TV presenter and actress who has appeared in Eastenders and Casualty.

Aruna Shields; sassy new British Asian actress who has starred in an array of Bollywood movies.

Norfilms 2004 Webcinema Indie Movie Maker Awards Announced.

Norfilms.com have announced the annual Norfilms Webcinema Web Site Design Awards for 2004 to independent film-makers around the world.

The awards recognize the work of independent film-makers in promoting their movie projects and talent through the use of the internet and their web site designs, to give visitors and investors the best possible experience. Sites are assessed on the basis of style and the quality of visitors' experience.

This year's winners were: "Shoot And Slice", a British company dedicated to indie shorts and music videos, who won best HTML for the clarity of their design and speed of the underlying coding, and "kbroFILMS" a US independent production company who won the Flash site award for the quality of interactive experience offered to visitors. This year's runner-up was the L.A. talent agency Emission-Control, for the greatest improvement since last year.

The founder of Norfilms, Michael Bond says: "The intention behind the awards is to draw attention to the need of good web site design to promote any film project. This is an important concern for small independent producers who lack the huge marketing resources of Hollywood studios. The Webcinema members are encouraged to look as much at their web presentation as they do at their mainstream production efforts. As the web offers the most cost-effective way to promote a low budget movie all producers should be aware of the issues and opportunities on the net to attract the widest audience to their work."

All contestants to the awards are drawn from the Webcinema network of independent producers, production companies, film-makers and others around the world. Through the network members exchange news, information and support across borders via a moderated mailing list server, which posts announcements, opportunities, questions, etc., to the whole membership within minutes of posting.

Founded in the late 1990s the work of the network was subsequently sponsored by British production company Norfilms (Northern Filmmakers Ltd) who now support the members of the network through a dedicated section of advice and support on their own web site.

Membership to the Webcinema network is freely open to any interested producer and media production talent. Full details are available on the Norfilms.com web site where designers and producers will find a review of the awards and list of all current registered sites.

Norfilms are currently known for their efforts to produce "Dustbingate - The Movie" comedy feature based on the property dealing scandal surrounding Britain's Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott. With the British General Election looming they expect greater interest to come their way for the project in forthcoming months.

DARE IN SCOTLAND

Organisers of Dare to be Digital 2005 are on the hunt for Scotland’s brightest games talent this week, to see who’s got what it takes to make it into the unique games competition, hailed as having a major impact on the industry.

Talented students from across Tayside, hoping to enter the highly competitive games sector, are being asked to head to a special event at Dundee Contemporary Arts, 152 Nethergate, on Wednesday 9th February at 15:00hrs, where they will hear members of the industry talk about the benefits of Dare to the games sector.

Wednesday marks the launch of Dare to be Digital 2005 in Scotland, with further events taking place at the Lighthouse, in Glasgow on Wednesday 23rd February, and a week later at Edinburgh’s, The Hub, on Wednesday 2nd March 2005.

Dare is a competition open to students from Universities and Art Colleges and is based at the University of Abertay Dundee, which runs the competition in partnership with Scottish Enterprise Tayside and Dundee City Council.

Due to Dare’s rising profile in the industry over the last four years and with its growing reputation for producing some of the most promising talent entering the games sector, the competition receives invaluable support from sponsors, Microsoft, NESTA (National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts), BBC Scotland Interactive and NCR – all of whom remain as sponsors for 2005.

Judged by a panel of leading industry experts, Dare provides a unique working experience and is hailed by games industry bible, Develop Magazine, as “the closest you can get to commercial game development.”

"When I was judging the (2004) teams, I judged them against what we produce in-house at Electronic Arts”, said Richard Leinfellner, VP of Production, Electronic Arts “The teams were very focussed and really thought about their products. The actual demos were mind-blowing given the time they've had on them. I'm really impressed."

Supported by some of the biggest names in the games industry, Dare goes global for 2005, with teams from across the UK entering for the first time. With additional support from the Scottish Executive, eight scholarship places will be awarded to talented programming or computer art graduates from Singapore, Hong Kong, China, India, Malaysia, Taiwan and Thailand.

Colin Macdonald, Studio Manager of leading Scottish games company, Real Time Worlds, who is speaking at today’s event, comments: “With the industry's impending move to next-generation technology, and the huge increase in team sizes needed to make that leap, the experience that new graduates get from Dare can only be to our benefit. Dare offers a unique opportunity for people to experience a real game development lifecycle - something that in the industry today often takes years, and millions of pounds.

“Although the games industry always seems to be crying out for more talent, it's a notoriously difficult industry to get into and in the eyes of many, the Dare competition dramatically increases graduates chances of success in games - whether under their own steam, or with more established companies.”

Eight teams made up of five students are asked to submit a concept for a new and original computer game or educational entertainment product. Judges will be looking for the most creative ideas and those that fulfil the greatest market potential. Receiving help from industry specialists and a project fee of £1700, teams who make it through will have only 10 weeks to present a finished digital prototype and business sales document which can be pitched to investors.

Dare to be Digital has produced a long line of graduates who are now working for some of the top names in the electronic entertainment industry, including EA, Lionhead Studios, Visual Sciences and Real Time Worlds.

The closing date for applications is Monday 18th April 2005. Interviews will be held Wednesday 4th May 2005. The competition takes place from June 13th to August 19th at the University of Abertay Dundee.

TCM IN 2005

TCM presents 28 DAYS OF OSCAR®, its annual tribute to Hollywood's biggest event of the year, The 77th Academy Awards® Ceremony - OSCAR® night.

The month-long season, airs every day in February, from 1:00pm until 9:00pm and features the biggest stars, the best films and the most gifted directors who have either won or been nominated for an OSCAR® over the years.

For the second year running, Stephen Fry is hosting the Oscar season and introduces some of his personal favourites from the illustrious list of winners and nominees.

The season includes the PREMIERE of Woody Allen's Radio Days (1st Feb at 21:00) and Broadway Danny Rose (12th Feb at 21:00), The Morning After (23rd Feb at 21:00) and When We Were Kings- the documentary on the 1974 fight between George Foreman and Muhammed Ali (28th Feb at 21:00).

For information on TCM see www.tcmonline.co.uk

ELVIS ON TCM

On 8th January, Elvis Presley would have turned 70, as a tribute to one of the most influential singers of the 20th century and undoubtedly, The King of Rock n Roll, film channel TCM (Turner Classic Movies) is showing a double bill of Elvis movies as well as exclusive documentaries featuring friends and fans who talk about the inspirational man.

ELVIS - Still The King, airs every Saturday in January from 15:00, including Jailhouse Rock, Viva Las Vegas, Elvis: That's The Way It Is, and interviews with TV presenter Cat Deeley, Kurt Russell, David Stanley (Elvis' Stepbrother) and Joe Esposito (Elvis' Road Manager).

UNHOLY TRINITY!

Titan unleashes three fantastic Constantine: Hellblazer graphic novels, just in time for the Constantine movie, starring Keanu Reeves!

TITLE : CONSTANTINE: ALL HIS ENGINES
AUTHORS: MIKE CAREY & LEONARDO MANCO
PRICE: £19.99
ISBN: 1 84023 966 2
FORMAT: HARDBACK
RELEASE DATE: 21 JANUARY 2005

When a worldwide plague puts millions into comas – including the granddaughter of Chas Chandler, one of the Hellblazer’s closest friends - John Constantine steps in with the "cure." However, in scratching the surface of a seemingly personal tragedy, he finds a mad demon in a body woven out of cancer cells, and a plot to build franchised Hells in the cities of men! To rescue a single innocent child from the clutches of evil, both John and Chas will have to face temptations they never dreamed of, forging alliances with monsters every bit as terrible as the ones they're fighting…

From Mike Carey, fan-favourite writer of Lucifer, Hellblazer and Inferno, and acclaimed artist Leonardo Manco comes an epic tale of horror, friendship and the ultimate in high-stakes gambling!

TITLE: CONSTANTINE: HELLBLAZER – RARE CUTS
AUTHORS: GRANT MORRISON, GARTH ENNIS, DAVID LLOYD, SEAN PHILLIPS & VARIOUS
PRICE: £9.99
ISBN: 1 84023 974 3
FORMAT: PAPERBACK
RELEASE DATE: 21 JANUARY 2005

Rare Cuts assembles six spellbinding stories that have never been collected before, including the horrifying events of Newcastle, 1978, that ended with the loss of an innocent soul and Constantine confined to an asylum as well as, amongst others, a tale of Constantine’s rough-and-tumble childhood.

Created by some of the most popular and critically-acclaimed comics writers and artists, Rare Cuts is an essential read for both long-term followers of Hellblazer and those new to Constantine’s universe! Includes a Constantine timeline and a map of Constantine’s London!


TITLE: CONSTANTINE: THE HELLBLAZER COLLECTION
AUTHORS: NEIL GAIMAN, GARTH ENNIS, JIMMY PALMIOTTI, DAVE MCKEAN & VARIOUS
PRICE: £9.99
ISBN: 1 84023 979 4
FORMAT: PAPERBACK
RELEASE DATE: 25 FEBRUARY 2005

The official adaptation of the upcoming Constantine movie!

Doomed by his own hand to an afterlife in Hell, John Constantine has dedicated his life to ridding the world of its demonic influence in the faint hope of redemption. Using his knowledge of the occult, his wits, and a few items of choice customized weaponry, he wages a war against the demons among us. With his time cut short by a case of terminal lung cancer, and with the help of bereaved police officer Angela Dodson, Constantine confronts the agents of darkness in an apocalyptic battle to the death!

Also featuring three pivotal issues of Hellblazer which introduce the character of John Constantine — issues #1, #27 and #42 — this is one collection you cannot afford to miss!

Constantine the movie (due to be released in March 2005) starring Keanu Reeves is based on the Hellblazer comics series published by Titan, with over 35,000 copies sold.

Advance praise for the movie: “Astonishing... Constantine’s looking pretty damned good” — Empire.

Praise for Hellblazer: “The best thing on the UK comics scene since Alan Moore.” — SFX Magazine

“Constantine’s brand of South London suss, arcane knowledge and somewhat dubious morality proved an instant hit with readers.” — Melody Maker

“John Constantine is the most human character in mainstream comics today... A journey you can’t afford to miss.” — Neil Gaiman, author of The Sandman

PRIVATE MOMENTS

London’s answer to Sex and the City

The humour of Sex and the City meets the fantasy of Red Shoe Diaries in the sassy, sensual new film Private Moments

Serena Call (Judi Shekoni) is having a bad day. She’s just turned a year older, her love life is non-existent, and her job as host for London’s lowest-rated night time talk show is in serious jeopardy. Serena’s got one week to come up with an idea to boost the stations sagging ratings, or it’s off to the unemployment line.

What’s a girl to do? Why, turn to her friends, of course! An impromptu birthday party and several bottles of wine lead to a night of sinful confessions for these four funny, sexy ladies. From titillating talk in a corner phone booth to a sensual rendezvous on a moving underground train, these ladies share their sexiest, most private moments.

It turns out that they are not alone in this desire. Serena returns to the air with a new style, new sense of purpose, and a new direction for the show. Re-dubbed “Private Moments, Public Places”, she finds that there are as many sexy stories in the city after dark, as there are women who want to tell them.

Cast

Jason Connery; son of actors Sean Connery and Diane Cilento, London-born Jason inaugurated his own film career in 1982 with The Lords of Discipline. His next film was The Boy Who Had Everything (1983), which was critically acclaimed. He also starred in Robin of Sherwood, a well-distributed BBC television series of the late 1980s. In 1990, Jason Connery was wittily cast in the title role in the made-for-cable The Secret Life of Ian Fleming, a fanciful biography of the author/adventurer whose "James Bond" novels had helped catapult Sean Connery to fame. also regarded by many as the greatest living theatre practitioner.

Luke Goss; as part of the pop duo Bros, Luke received the Brit award for best newcomer and has now established a successful acting career and appeared in a number of TV productions and films including Frankenstein.

Catalina Guirado; British model first found fame on "TFI Friday" as Chris Evan's gorgeous sidekick. She has since been highly in demand as a model and appeared on I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here Series 2. Filming work has included a highly publicised appearance on the Osbournes and a Channel 4 documentary Summer In St Tropez.

Natasja Vermeer; a French actress who has played Emmanuelle a record seven times in the internationally successful series.

Judi Shekoni; a gorgeous model, TV presenter and actress who has appeared in Eastenders and Casualty.

Aruna Shields; sassy new British Asian actress who has starred in an array of Bollywood movies.

Director, Jag Mundhra has been making films since 1980 and has directed twenty four feature films in the past twenty years. Jag has received critical acclaim and several international and national awards for his sensitive and committed portrayal of true-life stories in his films Kamla, Bawandar, Night Eyes, Improper Conduct.

Producer Sunanda Murali Manohar has a high profile roster of films to her name including, Jungle Boy, Inferno, Tropical Heat, Indian Summer, Blood Stone, Jeans and Backwaters starring Tamzin Outhwaite, Jason Fleming and Nicholas Irons.

Private Moments will premiere at the Cannes Film Festival.

The Classic Movies Weekly Newsletter
December 19, 2004

This week: My annual (and once again updated) list of favorite Christmas films! Plus new DVD releases and a new list of Best New Links.


--------------- New/Updated Features --------------

**Favorite Holiday Movies**
My annual list of favorite Christmas films, updated with a few new ones.
http://r.vresp.com/?ClassicMovies/6f7217d683/266129/6108ff7f32/7a363d7

**A Tribute to Edward G. Robinson**
He was a Romanian Jew with an English-sounding name who gained fame by creating the prototypical Italian gangster. He was also the best actor who never won an Oscar. A brand new (and overdue) salute on what would have been Eddie's 111th birthday.
http://r.vresp.com/?ClassicMovies/2f0f22637c/266129/6108ff7f32/7a363d7

**A Tribute to Frank Sinatra**
An update to our original tribute to Frank Sinatra, the Chairman of the Board and an underrated actor, written at the time of his death in 1998.
http://r.vresp.com/?ClassicMovies/db05d98ec5/266129/6108ff7f32/7a363d7

**A Tribute to Kirk Douglas**
A birthday tribute to the ultimate "tough guy," both on and off screen.
http://r.vresp.com/?ClassicMovies/5d502a0926/266129/6108ff7f32/7a363d7

**A Tribute to Walt Disney**
Originally written to celebrate what would have been the 100th birthday of the man who turned animation into a genuine movie art form and entertained several generations of children and adults, and whose legacy continues today.
http://r.vresp.com/?ClassicMovies/8aae422d32/266129/6108ff7f32/7a363d7


--------------- New on DVD -------------------

"Mary Poppins" (40th Anniversary Edition) (1964) - Julie Andrews won an Oscar in her film debut as the "supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" nanny who brings magic and joy to the Banks family in turn-of-the-century
London. Fanciful adaptation of P.L. Travers' books co-stars Dick Van Dyke, David Tomlinson, Glynis Johns and Ed Wynn. The score by Richard and Robert Sherman includes "A Spoonful of Sugar," "Let's Go Fly a Kite," "Chim Chim Cher-ee."
http://r.vresp.com/?ClassicMovies/e345f14a3d/266129/6108ff7f32/7a363d7

"Love Me Tender" (1956) - Elvis Presley's first movie finds him as a farm boy romancing his presumed-dead brother's fiancee during the Civil War. Songs include "Poor Boy," "We're Gonna Move" and the title tune. With Debra Paget, Richard Egan.
http://r.vresp.com/?ClassicMovies/b9581a6894/266129/6108ff7f32/7a363d7

"Godzilla" Collector's Box Set (3-Pack) - Three-disc boxed set includes "Godzilla vs. Hedorah," "Godzilla vs. Gigan," and "Godzilla" (1998).
http://r.vresp.com/?ClassicMovies/0d5b12212a/266129/6108ff7f32/7a363d7


--------------- Best New Links ------------------

Here's a selection of the best new links (new to us, anyway) added to the Classic Movies site this week (the first three are brand new):

**A Day on the Internet - This brand new tribute to the Marx Brothers by Steven Bailey is dedicated to the long-suffering Margaret Dumont.
**Authorized Tribute to Noah Dietrich - Lynn Dougherty presents the only official and authorized Web site celebrating the life and career of Noah
Dietrich, who was chairman of the Board of RKO pictures.
**Lana Turner Online - Liza Waldman's new tribute to the poor kid from Idaho, who never had a bicycle or any toys to play with, who grew up to be a lady they called "LANA."
**OpenFlix - A directory of movies commonly thought to be in the public domain, plus works their owners are willing to let be distributed.
**The Ultimate Gangster and Crime Film Web Site - Nice-looking site includes a comprehensive list of gangster and crime films, including a separate listing of Prohibition films, a bibliography, poster collection, and listing of actors who appeared in the films.
http://r.vresp.com/?ClassicMovies/cda2d8e2fc/266129/6108ff7f32/7a363d7


--------------- Find What You Want ------------

**Recommended Resources**
My personal recommendations for all kinds of Web resources that will help you save money on videos, DVDs, books, posters, and more, plus help you make money if you're so inclined.
http://r.vresp.com/?ClassicMovies/4c00123634/266129/6108ff7f32/7a363d7

**Classic Movies Feature Articles**
Humor, interviews, special tributes, quizzes, and more, all on the subject of classic Hollywood films.
http://r.vresp.com/?ClassicMovies/560193e8fe/266129/6108ff7f32/7a363d7

**Net Links**
The most extensive collection of classic movies links on the Web, arranged by subject matter, with content descriptions.
http://r.vresp.com/?ClassicMovies/0546eaa06c/266129/6108ff7f32/7a363d7

**Classic Movies Sound Files**
A large and growing collection of sound files in wav format from classic and not-so-classic films.
http://r.vresp.com/?ClassicMovies/fc253d9f98/266129/6108ff7f32/7a363d7

**A to Z List**
A master A to Z list of over 700 films, from "8-1/2" to "Zulu," with many more to come, all with links to help you buy them at the best prices from Movies Unlimited or Amazon.com.
http://r.vresp.com/?ClassicMovies/3764a71ca1/266129/6108ff7f32/7a363d7

**The Classic Movies Forum**
Stop by today and ask a question, start a poll, make a bold statement, or just see what's there. Warning: It can become addictive.
http://r.vresp.com/?ClassicMovies/d56b6bd565/266129/6108ff7f32/7a363d7

**Classified Ads**
Now anyone can place a classified ad on this site for only $5 a month, on almost any subject. You can even run it for free for a couple of days and see how you like it before paying.
http://r.vresp.com/?ClassicMovies/d240448fce/266129/6108ff7f32/7a363d7

**Classic Movies Bookstore**
A listing of movie-related books, with brief reviews and links to help you find them. Your reviews are welcome, too.
http://r.vresp.com/?ClassicMovies/9fad697208/266129/6108ff7f32/7a363d7

**Classic Movies Video Store**
Choose from thousands of titles at great prices! VHS or DVD.
http://r.vresp.com/?ClassicMovies/12ac7782ef/266129/6108ff7f32/7a363d7

**Classic Movies Poster Store**
Nothing but reprints of posters from older films, plus links to help you find whatever you desire from the Web's best poster store.
http://r.vresp.com/?ClassicMovies/3a1968d2bf/266129/6108ff7f32/7a363d7


----------------Parting Words -------------------

Merry Christmas to all those who celebrate the holiday!

Next week: An updated tribute to Ava Gardner.

Brad Lang
Classic Movies
classicmovies.org

Copyright 2004 Brad Lang
ISSN: 1520-2739

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