All who attend the IMAX 3D midnight show of PROMETHEUS on June 8th (the evening of June 7th) will receive a limited edition IMAX print exclusive to the 12:01 show! Find a list of participating theatres below and get your tickets here.

In case you missed it, the cast and crew of PROMETHEUS walked the “Blue” carpet at the Prometheus World Premiere on Thursday in London.

With PROMETHEUS already making its landing this weekend in British cinemas, have a look at four revealing clips from the film and see why The Sun calls it “Intelligent, creepy and utterly compelling.”

Ridley Scott, director of Alien and Blade Runner, returns to the genre he helped define. With PROMETHEUS, he creates a groundbreaking mythology in which a team of explorers discover a clue to the origins of mankind on Earth, leading them on a thrilling journey to the darkest corners of the universe. There, they must fight a terrifying battle to save the future of the human race. The film stars Noomi Rapace, Michael Fassbender, Charlize Theron, Idris Elba, Logan Marshall-Green, and Guy Pearce.

Presented by Twentieth Century Fox, PROMETHEUS opens in theatres next weekend June 8.

Visit the official site:  http://www.projectprometheus.com/

“Like”ť it on Facebook:  www.Facebook.com/prometheus

Follow the film on Twitter:  @PrometheusMovie

YouTube:  www.youtube.com/Prometheus6812

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will kick off its summer screening series, “The Last 70mm Film Festival,” on Monday, July 9, with a big-screen presentation of “It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World” (1963). The six-film series, which will run through August 13, will showcase 70mm classics from different genres, and will include a new print of “Spartacus” and rarely screened 70mm short subjects. All screenings will be held on Monday evenings at 7:30 p.m. at the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater. Pre-show festivities will begin at 7 p.m.

As theaters increasingly move towards digital projection, there has never been a better time to celebrate these vibrant, clear 70mm prints.

The complete schedule for “The Last 70mm Film Festival” is as follows:

An updated list of pre-show details will be available at Oscars.org.

Series passes for “The Last 70mm Film Festival” are on sale now. Passes are $20 for the general public and $15 for Academy members and students with valid ID.

Tickets to individual evenings, if still available, will go on sale Friday, June 29. Tickets are $5 for the general public and $3 for Academy members and students with valid ID. They may be purchased online at www.oscars.org, by mail, in person at the Academy during regular business hours or, depending on availability, on the night of the screening when the doors open at 6:30 p.m. The Samuel Goldwyn Theater is located at 8949 Wilshire Boulevard in Beverly Hills. For more information, call (310) 247-3600 or visit www.oscars.org.

For more information about the Academy’s public events, visit: 

www.oscars.org 

www.facebook.com/TheAcademy 

www.youtube.com/Oscars 

www.twitter.com/TheAcademy

Photos Courtesy of AMPAS

Opening in theaters on September 21st, watch the the latest trailer for Relativity Media’s HOUSE AT THE END OF THE STREET, the upcoming thriller starring Jennifer Lawrence, Elisabeth Shue and Max Thieriot. When Elissa begins a relationship with the boy next door, the closer they get, the deeper they’re all pulled into a mystery more dangerous than they ever imagined.

Seeking a fresh start, newly divorced Sarah (Oscar®-nominee Elisabeth Shue; Leaving Las Vegas, Piranha 3D) and her daughter Elissa (Oscar®-nominee Jennifer Lawrence; The Hunger Games, X-Men: First Class) find the house of their dreams in a small, upscale, rural town. But when startling and unexplainable events begin to happen, Sarah and Elissa learn the town is in the shadows of a chilling secret. Years earlier, in the house next door, a daughter killed her parents in their beds, and disappeared – leaving only a brother, Ryan (Max Thieriot, My Soul to Take), as the sole survivor.  Against Sarah’s wishes, Elissa begins a relationship with the reclusive Ryan – and the closer they get, the deeper they’re all pulled into a mystery more dangerous than they ever imagined.

Directed Mark Tonderai with a screenplay by David Loucka and story by Jonathan Mostow, Fear will find a new home when HOUSE AT THE END OF THE STREET opens in theaters on September 21st, 2012.

The film is rated PG-13.

Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/HouseAtTheEnd

Twitter Page:  @HouseAtTheEnd  #HATES

Disney•Pixar’s “Finding Nemo” dives back into theaters and homes this year in breathtaking Digital 3D™. The must-“sea,” must-own Oscar®-winning underwater adventure—featuring the unforgettable Marlin, his forgetful friend Dory and the lovable young Nemo—returns to the big screen in a spectacular 3D theatrical release beginning September 14, 2012, and then swims into living rooms for the first time ever in high-definition Blu-ray, Blu-ray 3D and Digital platforms on December 4, 2012.

“‘Finding Nemo’ was originally shot in 3D,” said John Lasseter, chief creative officer for Walt Disney and Pixar Animation Studios and the film’s executive producer. “At last, with today’s technological advances, this spectacular underwater world can be seen as it was intended—showcasing its eye-popping detail and breathtaking colors to both theatrical and in-home audiences and creating atruly immersive experience.”

“Finding Nemo,” first released in theaters in 2003, earned the Oscar® for Best Animated Feature Film and remains the fifth highest grossing animated film worldwide. In 2008, the American Film Institute named “Finding Nemo” among the top 10 greatest animated films ever made, and it is the second highest grossing Pixar film to date (behind “Toy Story 3”).

The Blu-ray 2D and 3D debuts mark the first time “Finding Nemo” has ever been available in these hi-def formats. Featuring pristine high definition picture and sound, the Blu-ray creates an incredible at-home experience with a host of interactive features and bonus features including 3D Virtual Aquariums, 2D Virtual Aquariums, CineExplorer, a Filmmaker Roundtable and more.

The home entertainment release of “Finding Nemo” will be available this holiday season as follows:

·       5-Disc Blu-ray 3D Ultimate Collector’s Edition (2 Blu-ray 2D + 1 Blu-ray 3D + 1 DVD + 1 Digital Copy) = Suggested Retail Price: $49.99 U.S./$56.99 Canada

·       3-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack (2 Blu-ray 2D + 1 DVD) = Suggested Retail Price: $39.99 U.S./$46.99 Canada

·       3D Digital = Suggested Retail Price: $25.00 U.S.

·       High-Definition Digital = Suggested Retail Price: $19.50 U.S. 

ABOUT “FINDING NEMO”

In this stunning underwater adventure teeming with memorable comedic characters and heartfelt emotion, “Finding Nemo” follows the momentous journey of an overprotective clownfish named Marlin (voiced by Albert Brooks) and his young son Nemo (voiced by Alexander Gould). When the two are unexpectedly separated in the Great Barrier Reef, Nemo is carried far from his ocean home and deposited in a fish tank in a dentist’s office. Buoyed by the companionship of Dory (voiced by Ellen DeGeneres), a friendly-but-forgetful blue tang fish, Marlin embarks on a dangerous trek and finds himself the unlikely hero of an epic effort to rescue his son––who hatches a few daring plans of his own to return safely home.

Directed by Oscar® winner Andrew Stanton, co-directed by Oscar winner Lee Unkrich and produced by Graham Walters, “Finding Nemo” also features the voices of Willem Dafoe (as Gill), Brad Garrett (as Bloat), Allison Janney (as Peach), Austin Pendleton (as Gurgle), Stephen Root (as Bubbles), Vicki Lewis (as Deb/Flo), Joe Ranft (asJacques) Geoffrey Rush (as Nigel), Elizabeth Perkins (as Coral), Bob Peterson (as Mr. Ray), Barry Humphries (as Bruce), Eric Bana (as Anchor), Bruce Spence (as Chum), and director Andrew Stanton (as Crush).

Those who would like to stay connected with the exciting “Finding Nemo” release are encouraged to:

“Like” the Facebook page at www.facebook.com/PixarFindingNemo

Follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/DisneyPixar

Visit the official website: www.disney.com/FindingNemo

THE BIG GUNS ARE BACK… and they’re bringing their big guns in the brand new trailer for THE EXPENDABLES 2. See living legends Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, Chuck Norris, Terry Crews, Randy Couture, Liam Hemsworth, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Bruce Willis, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Nan Yu reunite to kick some serious ass in THE EXPENDABLES 2. 

Check out the Made In America fan-made trailer and see why Arnold @Schwarzenegger tweeted “This is without a doubt the best fan video I’ve seen.” Get a taste of the action here.

The Expendables are back and this time it’s personal…

Barney Ross (Sylvester Stallone), Lee Christmas (Jason Statham), Yin Yang (Jet Li), Gunnar Jensen (Dolph Lundgren),Toll Road (Randy Couture) and Hale Caesar (Terry Crews) — with newest members Billy the Kid (Liam Hemsworth) and Maggie (Yu Nan) aboard — are reunited when Mr. Church (Bruce Willis) enlists the Expendables to take on a seemingly simple job. The task looks like an easy paycheck for Barney and his band of old-school mercenaries. But when things go wrong and one of their own is viciously killed, the Expendables are compelled to seek revenge in hostile territory where the odds are stacked against them. Hell-bent on payback, the crew cuts a swath of destruction through opposing forces, wreaking havoc and shutting down an unexpected threat in the nick of time — six pounds of weapons-grade plutonium; enough to change the balance of power in the world. But that’s nothing compared to the justice they serve against the villainous adversary who savagely murdered their brother.

That is done the Expendables way….

THE EXPENDABLES 2 is going red, white and BOOM in theaters everywhere August 17th, 2012.

Official Twitter Page:  https://twitter.com/#!/Expendables2

Official Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/TheExpendablesMovie

Tyler Perry returns as America’s favorite brash, no-holds-barred grandma in Lionsgate’s TYLER PERRY’S MADEA’S WITNESS PROTECTION, an outrageous culture clash comedy that also stars Eugene Levy, Denise Richards and Doris Roberts. Catch her in action as she shelters a dysfunctional family forced into hiding when a ponzi scheme goes awry in the brand new trailer now!

For years, George Needleman (Levy), the gentle CFO of a Wall Street investment bank, has been living with his head in the clouds. His frustrated second wife, Kate (Richards), has reached her limit taking care of his senile mother, Barbara (Roberts). His teenage daughter, Cindy (Danielle Campbell), is spoiled beyond hope and his seven-year-old son, Howie (Devan Leos), wishes his father were around more. But George is finally forced to wake up when he learns that his firm, Lockwise Industries, has been operating a mob-backed Ponzi scheme – and that he’s been set up as the fall guy.

Facing criminal charges and death threats from the mob, George and his entire family are put under witness protection in the safest place that Brian (Perry), a federal prosecutor from Atlanta, can think of…

His Aunt Madea’s house down South.

As a result, Madea and her live-in brother, Uncle Joe (Perry), find themselves managing a completely dysfunctional family from Connecticut. But as George tries to solve the mystery behind Lockwise’s finances, Madea whips the Needlemans into shape using her hilarious brand of tough love. And together, they realize they just might have what it takes to unite George’s family, outsmart the mob and change everyone’s lives for the better.

Featuring Perry’s trademark blend of raucous comedy and emotional uplift, TYLER PERRY’S MADEA’S WITNESS PROTECTION is written and directed by Perry, and produced by Perry, Ozzie Areu and Paul Hall. The film also stars Romeo Miller, Tom Arnold, John Amos and Marla Gibbs. Lionsgate and TPS present, a TPS / Lionsgate production of a film by Tyler Perry.

TYLER PERRY’S MADEA’S WITNESS PROTECTION will open on Friday, June 29th, 2012.

Official Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/madeaswitnessprotection

Official Twitter:  https://twitter.com/madeasprogram #WitnessProtection

Tyler Perry stars as ‘Madea’ in TYLER PERRY’S MADEA’S WITNESS PROTECTION. Photo credit: KC Bailey

Amid a sea of smiles, the U.S. Postal Service celebrated the issuance of 125 million new stamps today featuring popular Disney Pixar characters. The Mail a Smile Forever stamps official First-Day-of-Issue dedication ceremony took place at Disney’s Art of Animation Resort .

Available nationwide today, all 125 million stamps can be purchased online at usps.com/shop, by calling 1-800-STAMP-24 (1-800-782-6724) or by visiting Post Offices.

“These delightful stamps lift spirits and touch hearts and remind us that when it comes to connecting with loved ones, technology is no match for the mail,” said Jo Ann Feindt, Postal Service Southern Area vice president, in dedicating the stamps as part of the resort’s grand opening.

Joining Feindt in dedicating the stamp featuring beloved Disney Pixar characters was Jay Ward, legacy guardian for Pixar Animation Studios.

“We’re thrilled ‘to infinity and beyond’ that these popular characters from ‘Toy Story 2,’ ‘Finding Nemo’ and other great Disney Pixar films are featured on these colorful new stamps,” said Ward. “This stamp issue will make posting a letter lots of fun for everyone in the family.”

A video of the event can be viewed beginning at 1 p.m. today at this link: www.youtube.com/uspstv.

Following up on Send a Hello stamps issued in 2011, the eagerly awaited Mail a Smile stamp sheet includes five different designs spotlighting:

• Flik and Dot from “A Bug’s Life” (1998);
• Bob Parr (Mr. Incredible) and Dashiell “Dash” Parr from “The Incredibles” (2004), with “Dash” also shown running in the background;
• Nemo and Squirt from “Finding Nemo” (2003);
• Woody, Bullseye, and Jessie from “Toy Story 2″ (1999); and
• Boo, Mike Wazowski, and James P. “Sulley” Sullivan from “Monsters, Inc.” (2001).

The back of the stamp sheet shows blue-pencil sketches of characters from these movies interspersed among text that exhorts readers to mail a smile to a loved one. Postal Service art director William Gickerof Washington, DC, worked with Disney Pixar to design the stamp art.

Customers may view the Disney Pixar characters Forever stamps, as well as many of this year’s other stamps, and vote for their favorite stamps on Facebook facebook.com/USPSStamps , through Twitter @USPSstamps or on the website Beyond the Perf at beyondtheperf.com/2012-preview. Beyond the Perf is the Postal Service’s online site for background information on upcoming stamp subjects, first-day-of-issue events and other philatelic news.

How to Order the First-Day-of-Issue Postmark

Customers have 60 days to obtain the first-day-of-issue postmark by mail. They may purchase new stamps at a local Post Office, online at usps.com/shop or by calling 800-STAMP-24. They should affix the stamps to envelopes of their choice, address the envelopes to themselves or others and place them in a larger envelope addressed to:

Mail a Smile Stamp
Main Office — Orlando
10401 Post Office Drive
Orlando, FL 32862-9998

After applying the first-day-of-issue postmark, the Postal Service will return the envelopes by mail. There is no charge for the postmark. All orders must be postmarked by Aug. 1, 2012.

How to Order First-Day Covers

The Postal Service also offers first-day covers for new stamp issues and Postal Service stationery items postmarked with the official first-day-of-issue cancellation. Each item has an individual catalog number and is offered in the quarterly USA Philatelic Catalog, online at usps.com/shop or by calling 800-782-6724. Customers may request a free catalog by calling 800-782-6724 or writing to:

U.S. Postal Service Catalog Request
PO Box 219014
Kansas City, MO 64121-9014
Philatelic Products

There are nine philatelic products available for this stamp issue:

• 470063, First-Day Cover Set of 5, $4.45.
• 470066, Postcards (20) 4 of each design, $15.95.
• 470067, First-Day-of-Sale Set of 5, $4.45.
• 470068, Digital Color Postmark (DCP) Set of 5, $8.
• 470084, Uncut Press Sheets, $36.
• 470091, Ceremony Program (random single), $6.95.
• 470092, Stamp Deck Card, $0.95.
• 470094, Stamp Deck Card w/DCP (random single), $1.95.
• 470099, Cancellation Keepsake (Random DCP w/Pane), $10.95.

The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.

Review by Barbie Snitzer

Barbie Snitzer has worked in the entertainment industry in the US and France.  The combination of both passions distinguishes her blog Le Movie Snob where she regularly posts on American and French movies. Comments in English and/or French are welcomed.

http://lemoviesnob.com/

Enfin!!!

With a revised title, THE INTOUCHABLES and an R rating (quoi?), the most successful French comedy in history arrives stateside Friday, June 1.

While not receiving as much praise as I had hoped, a quick coup d’oeil of critiques concede its appeal, despite a few exceptions, who shall heretofore be referred to as les détesteurs (haters).

Last December, I told you about how Variety’s Paris-based critic, got his culottes in a bunch as he raced to be first say “Uncle Tom” as if he were playing “Marco Polo” and  would earn credibility making the reference as a non-black person.  The United States has long enjoyed world dominance in many arenas, especially concerning movies, and especially concerning mistreating black people.  He actually used the words “performing monkey,” in his Dreyfusian defense.  Keep that in mind when you watch the clip at the end of this post.

Despite his idiocy, it would be irresponsible not to acknowledge that there were indeed criticisms and accusations of exploiting racist stereotypes.  The same post has a more credible voice that disagrees. It is a good and unintentional result that the debate has emerged.  However, controversy is not why this movie has broken all box office records during a recession.  It holds the title for most successful French film in France.  The all-time box office champ is “Titanic.”  This is what should really offend the sensibilities of les détesteurs.

Now, on the eve of its American release, Variety is in co-habitation for King of the Hill with his détesteur peer A.O. Scott of The New York Times.  Their reviews were the only ones I read in full, thus will they unfairly serve my purpose as examples for all détesteurs , those film critics whose arrogant egos are allergic to any association with French popular entertainment, which is not cinéma.  So it’s very gratifying and funny when Mr. Scott falls into the ultimate cliché pit in his review:  he suggests an American remake, as if Harvey Weinstein had forgotten to buy the rights. He then offers his services as casting director, suggesting Tracy Morgan as “The Black Guy.” Again, keep this in mind when you watch the clip at the end of this post.

So, who’s the snob, now?  Hein?

I’d like to thank les détesteurs for validating the purpose of this site.  “High Concept” doesn’t automatically mean “this movie sucks,” it just seems that way because we’ve been served dreck.  So we think looking to Europe, particularly France, led by les détesteurs  and expecting to be served “high art” will replace those IQ points lost by domestic offerings.  The real snobs are the ones who scoff at France revealing her quotidien side- you know, the masses that in actuality pay to see the high concept dreck that we serve them.  Now, is that juste?  Is that……American?

It was an Englishman that coined the phrase “imitation is the sincerest form of flattery; we were not ashamed to flatter him or his country by imitating (appropriating)  their language.  I suggest we allow ourselves to be flattered at their appropriation of our culture.  Refusing would only further confirm their suspicions of how uptight we are, beginning with the R rating.

The story concerns a stereotypical white guy:  uptight, hyper-rich, insufferable man of privilege who happens to be a paraplegic (François Cluzet).  As is normal in such a circumstance, he requires constant care.  The movie begins with him interviewing prospects, note to les détesteurs:  He’s does not attend a slave auction.  Among the candidates is a stereotypical black guy:  tall, muscular, bald, lives in the projects, in trouble with the law, ill at ease with the finer things in life (Omar Sy).  Détesteurs:  Did you notice that he’s really black,  like “direct from Africa black?”  Your casting’s way off.

If you can’t suss out the story from here, you probably haven’t seen “Trading Places,” “Driving Miss Daisy,” “48 Hours,” etc. Those were all good, entertaining movies based on the same “cliché.”  The critics’ logline would be “Black Man helps White Man become Better Person.”

However, I would bet that you won’t be able to predict everything- it is indeed a French movie so some ambiguity is required.  For those with psychic cinematic gifts who do guess everything, so what?  Predictability is not a bad thing, being bad is a bad thing.  The movies mentioned in the previous paragraph were all both predictable and enjoyable.

I’ve been promoting this movie like a pimp for two main reasons:

1. I want my site to be a huge success

2. I want that success to include changing America’s taste in movies, so that we do not allow our culture to be defined by thirteen year old anti-social boys with excesses of disposable income or Mormon erotica for teenagers.

Instead of calling Omar Sy’s character an “Uncle Tom” ensuring a Google legacy forever linking him with that slur, wouldn’t it be great if instead, this film launched him as an international superstar? It’s certainly time for a new face, especially a non-white, non-Anglo one.  While I think Jean Dujardin will have a successful international career, I don’t think Jamel Debouzze or Gad Elmelah (two established comedic stars in France trying to cross over) have the same comic talent or charisma, and his English is better.  Before I rest my case, let me remind you of the most recent Francophone superstar:  Jean Claude Van Damme.

Finally, I would like to explain the cryptic title.  François Cluzot has been a critically acclaimed actor for many years and hopefully is recognizable to French movie fans.  Omar Sy became famous in France on sketch comedy TV shows, like his compatriot, first-ever-French Best Actor Oscar winner Jean Dujardin.

But, the real star of this movie is us, the U.S., the United States.  Not our bi-racial kumbaya movies.  Not our appropriated high concepts and clichés.

The element(s) that bonds these two men is music, a specific genre of music born in America from an American group that epitomizes that genre like no other and eradicates any overtones of racism.

Quel genre?

Disco

Quel groupe?

Earth, Wind and Fire

The recent tragic deaths of two of Disco’s greatest artists, Donna Summer and Robin Gibb, retrained my perspective.  Anyone who was lucky enough to be alive when Disco dominated everything also remembers the death knells that chimed deafeningly as it was killing itself through overexposure.  For a brief time, admitting you liked it was an invitation for ridicule.

Now, let me ask: have you ever, let alone recently,  been to a wedding, a bar mitzvah, a club where anyone requested Quarterflash, The Alan Parsons Project, or The Little River Band?  It was they who vanquished Disco.

As we all know, Disco didn’t die.  Its call to dance has always been an affirmation of life.

So, for a life-affirming, feel good movie, it’s only right to credit Disco as the true star.

Now, watch the clip.

Driss Boogies

4 of 5 Stars

THE INTOUCHABLES opens today in St. Louis at Landmark’s Plaza Frontenec Theater

Review by Barbie Snitzer

Barbie Snitzer has worked in the entertainment industry in the US and France.  The combination of both passions distinguishes her blog Le Movie Snob where she regularly posts on American and French movies. Comments in English and/or French are welcomed.

http://lemoviesnob.com/

Aesthetes recognize the sublime in beauty’s imperfection.  Would one consider the Vénus de Milo as great a piece of art with arms?  Every child, even in the U.S., can identify the Leaning Tower of Pisa,  famous because of its architectural defect.

Don’t worry, I’m not going to list all of  great art’s imperfections, nor am I going to condone the moron who took a hammer to Michaelangelo’s David.  Only the artist has the right to determine the imperfection, and vandalism is not art, otherwise, there would be a museum of graffiti.

In today’s world when movies are made by corporations, and plot points are determined by focus groups designed reveal the public’s lowest common denominator, my belief is that filmmakers’ have slowly changed their goal from creation to approval.  I admit I’m over-generalizng; staying true to one’s vision is not easy; this dilemma itself has inspired great movies.

Disclaimer:  I am not referring to a few self-proclaimed auteurs, studio and independent, who are really mentally ill megalomaniacs.  I’m not going to name them; they are outed by their work.  Perhaps this will be  a future topic, but ça suffit pour le moment.

I made this statement to support my opinion that MONSIEUR LAZHAR is almost as perfect as a movie can be.  It deftly is able to choreograph the audience’s reactions; questions arise at just the right moment, and they are complex questions that engage us further in the story. One does not feel the need to hold a Sherlock Holmes competition to deduce the mysteries presented, the story unfolds perfectly.  Were it not for a couple of plot points that go unanswered and/or ring slightly untrue, it would be a truly perfect movie.  That I am not holding these missteps against the movie when I’m usually unforgiving speaks to its quality.

“Monsieur Lazhar” is the story of an Algerian immigrant who presents himself as a replacement for the recently deceased popular teacher of a class that seems at 5th or 6th  grade.  She committed suicide by hanging herself in the classroom. Tabernacle!  Despite the efforts of other adults, this image was imprinted in the minds of several students.

While the focus-group version of this movie would page Dr. Phil immediately, and we would get some comic relief seeing some students happy to get time off from school, this perfect movie lets an Algerian immigrant (ARAB!) take over the class.  He’s allowed to be their teacher without the presence of Homeland Security or closed circuit monitoring.

Since I don’t reveal plots because this is not a site for book reports,  I would like to point out one specific detail in the story because it’s so perfect.  As Monsieur Lazhar gets to know the other teachers, one female teacher, whose rapport with her students inspires him, begins a flirtation.  As this flirtation progress, they inadvertently wind up having dinner together drinking several glasses of red wine.  It’s so romantic!  They would be perfect for each other, and it’s obvious they like each other from the adorable awkward moments.!  Even I was hoping he would make a move.  But he doesn’t, and she doesn’t.  No reason is given or implied.  It doesn’t feel like a missed opportunity, it feels like life.

Incroyable!

♦The ending director Philippe Farardeau chooses are scenes as moving as they are unusual.  Pourqoui you ask?  Because he adapted this movie from a one-man-show (!) penned by a French woman. She has a cameo in one of the final scenes.  ( In case you are unaware, most one-man shows are bio-logues starring once famous Jeopardy answers who tell anecdotes about their capers with late more famous stars that embarrass all parties involved and has become a requirement for discharge from rehab.)

♦Fellag, who plays the title role, is a stage comedian, not a film actor.

♦One of the two principal child actors, Émilien Néron, was brave enough give the director permission to use the recent death of his uncle in his performance.

4 1/2 of 5 Stars

MONSIEUR LAZHAR opens today in St. Louis at Landmark’s Plaza Frontenac Theater

So, here we go again, the classic Grimm’s fairy tale take two. Earlier this year we saw the release of MIRROR, MIRROR, a farcical adaptation of the Snow White story starring Lily Collins as the heroine and Julia Roberts as a very campy, oh-so-wicked stepmother queen. Well with this version, SNOW WHITE AND THE HUNTSMAN, all of the forced whimsy and slapstick is jettisoned in favor of dark, dark horror elements and much sword and axe welding mayhem. This is almost ” Snow White the Barbarian “. But is this the approach to make this centuries old bedtime story fresh and involving for modern-day movie audiences?

Now this can’t be a straight retelling of the Grimm tale or the Disney animated classic, of course. The film makers feel compelled to put their own spin on Snow and the gang. This version begins where many tellings do not. We meet our heroine’s mother. After a brief scene of mother and child, Mom’s out of the picture. After a brief grieving period the widower father King leads his army against an invading force. After defeating them, the King discovers a prisoner shackled inside an enemy coach. It is the bewitching blonde beauty Ravenna ( Charlize Theron ). After returning to the castle, she and the King fall in love. Soon they wed, but the honeymoon proves fatal for the King, and the Queen’s forces quickly take over the kingdom asyoung Snow is locked away in a tower. The years pass and she becomes a lovely young woman ( Kristen Stewart ), perhaps the fairest in the land. Snow eventually escapes and makes her way to the ominous dark forest. The Queen’s forces cannot find her and so they enlist the services of the Huntsman ( Chris Hemsworth ), who’s familiar with those nasty woods before. He’s been drowning his sorrows after the death of his wife  and is reluctant to take on the mission until the Queen assures him that she will use her magics to bring his bride back from the great beyond. Once he finds Snow, will he give her to the Queen or will they unite to free the kingdom from Ravenna’s evil spell. Really, you’re wondering?

Mirror, mirror on the wall. Why is this film NOT the fairest of them all ? Well, the main problem seems to be in the script and in the direction by first time feature film maker Rupert Sanders. He seems to have a problem with the big battle sequences ( as do many screen veterans ). Switching abruptly to slow-motion just doesn’t help the film flow. And the script itself certainly does not flow. Too much time is spent in the dark forest ( perhaps so the CGI artists can strut their stuff in showing the nightmare hallucinations caused by the woods’ toxic fumes ), and a stay in a riverside town only populated by women adds to the interminably long running time. The dwarvesdon’t show up til an hour has passed. At least they’re played by several familiar faces. But these mini-warriors are almost interchangeable-grungy, scruffy, scrappy dudes. Old pro Bob Hoskins is their quiet ( maybe blind ) leader while the rest of the gang ( including Ian McShane, Ray Winstone, Toby Jones, and Nick Frost ) bicker between battles. Speaking of the cast, they really struggle with this unwieldy script. Hemsworth’s Huntsman seems to be a  vulnerable variation on his Thunder God ( his trusty battle-axe functions almost as his enchanted hammer ). I was a big fan of last year’s YOUNG ADULT, so I was hopeful that Theron could bring some of that snarky spirit to wicked Queen. While Roberts was a new drag icon, Theron is too somber, even though some scenes she seemed to be channeling the late, great Ingrid Pitt in the Hammer classic COUNTESS DRACULA ( gots to get my youthful beauty somewhere, somehow). She takes milk baths, rising from the tub like a carved, ivory statue, and knoshes on bird hearts like a Park Avenue matron tearing into a Whitman sampler ( Hmmm, lotsa’ dead birds in this flick ). Her line deliveries seem to be all over the map. In early scenes she has a quiet monotone to convey the banality of her evil. Later she’s all popping veins and flaring nostrils as she chews out brother Finn ( you’re not doing Shakespeare-in-the-Park, it’s a film so take it down a few notches ). Speaking of Finn, the pervy, pale dude ( really guys, the old Albino-like villain, again? ) quickly becomes tiresome. His fighting superiority over the Huntsman seems highly unlikely. The biggest casting problem ( and I know she gets dumped on for her other films a lot ) is Stewart as Snow White. She’s not as passive as Ms. Swan, luckily, but seems limited to a few expressions and speech patterns ( and she’s brushing back her dark mane again! ). There’s almost no rapport with her leading men and a scene of her rallying the troops to battle is almost laughable. By this time the snail’s pace of the film has destroyed any momentum this and the final fight scenes try to deliver.

So what works? Is there any magic in this retelling? Well, the costume design is pretty great especially in the Queen’s gowns some of which include avian skeletons ( again with the dead birds ). Many of the creature effects are well done. An attacking troll in the dark forest is the stuff of nightmares although the brief scene involving it doesn’t really go anywhere. At the other end of the spectrum, the fairies and sprites in the enchanted forest are indeed enchanting ( they too don’t get enough screen time ). What really impressed me were the dwarves themselves. While MIRROR, MIRROR used real ” little people ” actors, here they used digital sorcery to transform these average sized performers. It’s startlingly seamless. Hopefully there will be a bonus featurette on the DVD explaining how it was achieved. If only that same effort had been put into the plodding script and lackluster direction. Snow may be the ” fairest of them all ” in the realm of literature and animation, but she’s yet to find the live-action feature film version that lets her truly live ” happily ever after “. This Grimm tale’s just too grim,

Overall Rating: 1.5 out of 5 Stars

A beautiful woman who claims to be from the future is at the center of SOUND OF MY VOICE, thought-provoking drama that well-captures the strangeness of cults. Peter (Christopher Denham) and Lorna (Nicole Vicius) are aspiring documentarians who live in Los Angeles. He substitute teaches at a Catholic school to pay the bills while she’s an ex-party girl who’s trying to shed her spoiled upbringing. They both want to do something meaningful and they’ve somehow learned about a burgeoning cult in the San Fernando Valley revolving around Maggie (Brit Marling), an enigmatic young woman who claims to be from the year 2054 (evidenced by the number 54 tattooed on her ankle) and has traveled back in time to help the group learn to prepare for the changes that are coming.  We meet Peter and Lorna without introduction just as they are infiltrating the cult, being brought blindfolded to the anonymous basement where Maggie’s handlers/followers, Klaus (Richard Wharton) and Joanne (Kandice Stroh), control introductions. Peter and Lorna’s idea is to create a documentary expose about the cult, capturing their experience on cameras that they must somehow keep hidden, but the two find being in Maggie’s orbit more challenging than they expected.

Scary without resorting to obvious tactics of the horror persuasion, SOUND OF MY VOICE builds a sense of unmistakable disquiet.  The cult itself is presented a bit vaguely. The white-garbed Maggie only seems to have a handful of followers but Brit Marling provides an otherworldly center around which the film circles—an icy, ethereal blonde so apparently sickened from her contact with the present she must drag along an oxygen tank and may or may not be dying (she smokes in private). Marling (who co-wrote the screenplay) gives the kind of out-of-nowhere performance that garners attention. Speaking with a dreamy, New-Agey spiritualism, she’s capable of being funny and cruel at the same time, Marling is a fascinating presence who doesn’t play it in the scary, Mansonesque way that John Hawkes handled a similar role in last year’s MARCY MACY MAY MARLENE. In one scene, to prove she’s from the future, she’s asked to sing a song from her time. She chooses a pop song from the 1990’s and when called on it, simply smiles and says it was made into a hit again in the future for what’s old is new again. It’s a great, tricky scene and Malring plays it just right. Unfortunately the two leads (Vicius, and especially Denham), lack similar charisma or presence. I’m sure this was deliberate, but when it’s just them on-screen, I was anxious to get back to Ms Marling.

Are we supposed believe that Maggie is a time traveler or is she a charlatan who preys on the weak and gullible?  SOUND OF MY VOICE skillfully hedges the mystery of whether Maggie is what she claims to be, but the premise and the set-up are more interesting than where THE SOUND OF MY VOICE ultimately goes. The trip getting there is worthwhile, but the ending is sketchy, a shaggy-dog twist more worthy of a Twilight Zone episode than a full-blooded film. Maggie is a bewildering enigma and her cult’s beliefs and rituals are staggering (and a bit gross) but it’s an limited, mundane film that doesn’t quite know exactly how to develop its ideas or live up to its potential,  more mystery and metaphor than high concept. And it’s all indie to a fault, from the handheld HD camera to the achy, underused score, but first-time director Zal Batmanglij makes the most of his budget limitations by suggesting things in dialog he doesn’t reveal. His movie has such a detached quality that the film’s big suspense scene, where Peter must ritualistically regurgitate food soon after he’s swallowed a recording device, fails to be as suspenseful as it should be. None of Maggie’s other followers are given much personality or back story nor does the film really tell us anything new about cults, but it gets under your skin as it subtly ventures into science fiction territory and Marling is haunting: She grounds the slim premise and makes it worthwhile.

3 of 5 Stars

SOUND OF MY VOICE opens in St. Louis today at Landmark’s Tivoli Theater

The astronomical success of THE AVENGERS and its $200 Million worth of state-of-the-art CGI effects shows how far the Marvel Universe has evolved. Marvel Comics first foray into film was a 1966 syndicated package of cartoons called Marvel Superheroes that ran on local TV stations. Marvel comics announced the upcoming series in the “Marvel Bullpen Bulletins” of the November 1966 issues, stating “It won’t be long before our swingin’ super-heroes make their star-studded debut on TV, appearing five nights a week – that’s right, five – count ‘em -five nights a week, for a half-hour each night. So you’ve just got time to make sure your set’s in good working order – check your local paper for time and station – and prepare to have a ball!”

Featured in Marvel Superheroes were Iron Man, The Hulk, Sub-Mariner, Captain America, and Thor. The show was a collaboration between two TV companies: Krantz Films was the producer and the Grantry-Lawrence animation studio, which consisted of three men; Grant Simmons, Ray Patterson, and Robert Lawrence, was the production house. A year later, Grantry-Lawrence would produce the first season of The Amazing Spider-Man cartoon with improved animation while Krantz Films would go on to produce the X-rated animated hit FRITZ THE CAT in 1972. Marvel Superheroes was composed of 195 six-minute segments, three of which combined to make a complete story arc/show. There were 13 complete shows (39 segments) for each hero. It initially ran from September 1, 1966 to December 1, 1966.

The color series had extremely limited animation that was produced by a process they called xerography, consisting of photocopied images taken directly from the comic books themselves and manipulated to minimize the need for animation production (not to be confused with “Synchro-vox” the style used on the Clutch Cargo show where real human lips were creepily superimposed over equally static animation). Marvel Superheroes took the term limited animation literally. In fact, in a creative cost-cutting measure, there was almost no real animation at all, the animators simply clipped the drawings of Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko straight out of the comic book, and animated one or two parts of the character, or in some cases they crudely moved a static picture of the hero across the background to simulate walking, or moved the camera around to give the illusion of motion, which of course saved a lot of time and money. This gave the cartoon a very stiff and cheesy look not only relative to cartoons of today, but even their 1966 counterparts. Even in an era of low production values, Marvel Superheroes stood out from the crowd in terms of crudeness. The animation, if you’re generous enough to call it that, was so limited, that for many, the amazing spectacle of it seems to have blotted out every other aspect of the show. But one strength Marvel Superheroes had, and it’s the reason that hard-core Marvel comics fans still defend the show to this day, was its willingness to convert plots almost verbatim from the comic book pages. They were indeed faithful to their source stories, perhaps more than any other media. Another highlight of the show was the individual theme songs. The Hulk’s theme had the lyrics “Wreckin’ the town with the power of a bull. Ain’t no monster, clown, who is as lovable as ever-lovin’ Hulk! – Hulk! Hulk!” ť They just don’t write ‘em like that anymore. Iron Man (and a few other characters) was voiced by John Vernon who would go on to star as Dean Wormer in ANIMAL HOUSE as well as the warden in the Linda Blair classic CHAINED HEAT.

Marvel Superheroes was popular enough to spawn a series of Marvel Superhero trading cards (which also included images of Spidey and Daredevil), the backs of which formed together to make a puzzle. A box of 24 unopened gum card packs recently sold at auction for $2,200. Super-8 sound (and silent) films of Marvel Superheroes were sold for the home market and three of those, IRON MAN “Vs. Ultimo”, THE HULK “The Power of Dr. Banner”, and THOR “Battles the Evil Destroyer”, will be screened next Tuesday, June 5th as part of the monthly Super-8 Movie Madness Show in St. Louis at The Way Out Club. Other Super-8 films scheduled for that night are THE DAY OF THE JACKAL, THE WIZARD OF OZ, Christopher Lee in TASTE THE BLOOD OF DRACULA, IT’S NOT THE SIZE THAT COUNTS, FRANKENSTEIN MEETS THE WOLFMAN, THE WASP WOMAN, TORA TORA TORA, a James Bond 007 Trailer Reel, The Who’s TOMMY, The Guinness Book of World Records Volume 2, and MONTY PYTHON AND THE HOLY GRAIL ! The Way Out Club is located at 2525 Jefferson Avenue in South St. Louis (corner of Jefferson and Gravois) and the show begins at 8pm.

Here’s the animated opening to Marvel Superheroes (which actually had relatively decent animation)

Buxom beauty Kitten Natividad is known to movie buffs as the last of Russ Meyer’s busty starlets, having starred in the cult director’s final two films: UP and BENEATH THE VALLEY OF THE ULTRA VIXENS. Kitten’s untamed beauty, personal charm, sex appeal , and cartoonish 44-25-35 dimensions has left her image imprinted on the mind of many a young man who saw her in the Meyer films or her cameos in such mainstream fare as MY TUTOR (1983) and THE WILD LIFE (1984). Kitten was also Meyer’s girlfriend the last fifteen years of his life and she appeared as a stripper at the bachelor party held by Sean Penn to celebrate his 1985 marriage to Madonna.

Kitten Natividad’s many St. Louis fans can rejoice because she is coming to St. Louis! THE RUSS MEYER SHOW Featuring Kitten Natividad at The Way Out Club June 15th is a way to honor this buxom beauty here in St. Louis. The show begins at 8pm when we will screen Kitten’s showcase film BENEATH THE VALLEY OF THE ULTRA VIXENS. Afterwards, Kitten will take the stage for an in-depth interview and Q&A with the audience. Then she will sign photos while the Russ Meyer Burlesque show featuring the Thunder Kitten Burlesque Dancers takes place on stage. Music will be provided by Ellen the Felon on keys and Mattronome on drums. At midnight we will screen everyone’s favorite Russ Meyer movie FASTER PUSSYCAT KILL KILL! This will be one fun show so don’t miss it. Admission is $10.

Read the WAMG Interview with Kitten HERE

The Facebook invite for this event can be found HERE

http://www.facebook.com/events/272364516194906/

From director David Koepp, here’s the second trailer for Columbia Pictures’ PREMIUM RUSH.

Fans of Joseph Gordon-Levitt can expect to see a lot of the actor on the red carpet and up on the big screen for some time to come. He has a bevy of films slated to be released this year that include PREMIUM RUSH, LOOPER, THE DARK KNIGHT RISES, and Spielberg’s LINCOLN, as well as acting in and directing his first movie DON JON’S ADDICTION due in 2013. His busy schedule caused him to drop out of a small role in Quentin Tarantino’s DJANGO UNCHAINED.

via Yahoo Movies

Dodging speeding cars, crazed cabbies and eight million cranky pedestrians is all in a day’s work for Wilee (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), the best of New York’s agile and aggressive bicycle messengers. It takes a special breed to ride the fixie – super lightweight, single-gear bikes with no brakes and riders who are equal part skilled cyclists and nutcases who risk becoming a smear on the pavement every time they head into traffic. But a guy who’s used to putting his life on the line is about to get more than even he is used to when his last envelope of the day – a routine “premium rush” run – turns into a life or death chase through the streets of Manhattan.

Starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt,  Jamie Chung,  Dania Ramirez and Michael Shannon, PREMIUM RUSH will hit theaters on August 24th.

Visit the movie’s official website: http://www.premiumrush.com/

“Like” the film on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/PremiumRushMovie

Relativity Media has closed deals with Josh Duhamel (Transformers,Life As We Know It) and Julianne Hough (Rock of Ages, Footloose) to star as the lead roles in its upcoming film adaptation of Safe Haven, based on the best-selling novel from internationally-known author Nicholas Sparks (The Notebook, Dear John), it was announced by Relativity’s President Tucker Tooley. The film is targeted to start production next month in Southport, North Carolina with a February 8^th, 2013 release date. Additional casting to be announced.

Oscar^® and DGA-nominee Lasse Hallström (The Cider House Rules) will direct the film with Temple Hill Entertainment’s Marty Bowen (The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2) and Wyck Godfrey (The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2) producing alongside Relativity’s CEO Ryan Kavanaugh (The Fighter). Sparks, who recently launched his production company, Nicholas Sparks Productions, will also produce. Relativity’s Tooley (The Fighter) will serve as executive producer. The screenplay is written by Dana Stevens (City Of Angels) and Les Bohem (Dante’s Peak). Relativity previously teamed up with Hallström, Bowen, Godfrey and Sparks on the 2010 box office hit Dear John.

Sparks said, “I’m thrilled that Josh and Julianne have agreed to come aboard Safe Haven—it’s hard to think of an actor better-suited to play the character of Alex than Josh, and Julianne will bring a combination of vulnerability and strength to the role of Katie.  They are both such talented and charismatic individuals – and best of all, they have tremendous personal chemistry, which is essential for this film.”

Safe Haven is an affirming and suspenseful story about a young woman’s struggle to find love again after she arrives in a small North Carolina town. Her reluctance to join the tight-knit community raises questions about her past.  Slowly, she begins putting down roots, and gains the courage to start a relationship with Alex, a widowed store owner with two young children. But dark secrets intrude on her new life with such terror that she is forced to rediscover the meaning of sacrifice and rely on the power of love in this deeply moving romantic thriller.

Duhamel was most recently seen in the romantic comedy New Year’s Eve and Michael Bay’s Oscar®-nominated sci-fi action thriller Transformers: Dark of the Moon. Hough starred in the 2011 remake of the classic Footloose and stars in the highly-anticipated Rock of Ages with  Tom Cruise, Alec Baldwin, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Mary J. Blige, opening June 15^th.  She has completed filming the female lead role in Diablo Cody’s untitled directorial debut opposite Russell Brand and Octavia Spencer.

Duhamel was represented by ICM, John Carrabino Management, and Hansen, Jacobsen & Teller in the deal. Hough was represented by CAA and Azoff, Geary, Paul, Smith Management in the deal.

To date, Relativity has produced, distributed, and/or structured financing for more than 200 motion pictures. Released films have accumulated more than $17 billion in worldwide box office receipts.  Relativity’s recent films include: The Raven, Mirror Mirror, Act of Valor, Haywire, Immortals, Tower Heist, Bridesmaids, Limitless, Hop, Cowboys & Aliens, Battle: Los Angeles, Little Fockers, The Fighter, The Social Network, Salt, Despicable Me, Grown Ups, Dear John, It’s Complicated, Couples Retreat andZombieland. Upcoming films for Relativity include: The Bourne Legacy, House at the End of the Street and21 and Over.

As we head into the 2nd month of the summer season, is it ever too early to get out your cinema social calendar to plan for what’s coming down the pike…in 2014?

Headed up by director Gore Verbinski, Disney’s THE LONE RANGER will be in theaters July 3, 2013. The Lone Ranger and his sidekick Tonto (Armie Hammer/Johnny Depp) will go head-to-head with Gru and the Minions in the sequel to Universal’s DESPICABLE ME during the July 4th weekend. THOR 2 will move to November 8, 2013 – up from November 15.

Meanwhile over at 20th Century Fox, the studio announced today some major additions to its 2013-14 release slate, along with some date changes.

On the heels of the $344 million worldwide success of TITANIC 3D, the studio and director Roland Emmerich, in conjunction with Stereo 3D, which did the work on TITANIC, will produce a top quality 3D version of the iconic INDEPENDENCE DAY. ID43D will be released worldwide on July 3, 2013.

The studio also staked its 2014 summer with three giant tentpoles. First up, Fox, together with Disney and Dreamworks, has shifted the release of Steven Spielberg’s epic ROBOPOCALYPSE to go worldwide on April 25, 2014, the same weekend that “Avengers” was released internationally this year. Disney distributes domestically. (ID43D now occupies its former release date.)

Then on Memorial Day (May 23, 2014), Fox unleashes DAWN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES worldwide, the sequel to the $483 million grossing RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES. Rupert Wyatt, who helmed the 2011 smash, returns to direct. The returning producers are Peter Chernin, Dylan Clark, Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver. And on July 18, 2014, Fox releases worldwide the third of its summer tentpoles, the currently untitled X-MEN, to be directed by Matthew Vaughn.

Fox also announced its Christmas 2013 line-up, with THE SECRET LIFE OF WALTER MITTY, starring Ben Stiller and Kristin Wiig, and directed by Ben Stiller, set for Christmas Day. Samuel Goldwyn, John Goldwyn, Stuart Cornfeld and Ben Stiller produce the film.

Also for Christmas, the studio will shift WALKING WITH DINOSUARS from October 11 to December 20, 2013. The film is based on the massively successful TV series and live show, which has grossed more than $250 million in box office worldwide.

‪‪Other 2013 dates include the following: PERCY JACKSON: SEA OF MONSTERS, based on Rick Riordan’s publishing phenomenon, goes out August 16, 2013, moving from March 15.

The as-yet-untitled comedy starring Sandra Bullock and Melissa McCarthy, directed by Paul Feig (BRIDESMAIDS) will land in theaters April 5, 2013.

Marvel Studios announced today that they arranged with NASA to transfer their record-breakingblockbuster film “Marvel’s The Avengers” to NASA’s Mission Control in Houston, which will uplink the film to the International Space Station (ISS), currently orbiting 220 miles above Earth. The film will then be screened for the space station crew’s exclusive enjoyment.

This screening continues Marvel’s collaboration with NASA, which began during principal photography of “Marvel’s The Avengers” when the film shot at the Space Power Facility at NASA’s Plum Brook Station in Sandusky, Ohio.

Louis D’Esposito, Marvel Studios’ Co-President and Executive Producer of  “Marvel’s The Avengers,” says, “The studio is privileged to share ‘Marvel’s The Avengers’ with those up in space exploring the universe.  A special thanks goes to NASA for utilizing their incredible technology to make this special screening miles above us in space happen.  It is a screening that would make Tony Stark envious.”

Films, books, and music offer important aspects of psychological support for astronauts on long-duration missions, such as those on the International Space Station (ISS). “These are the types of things that help to keep the crew connected to home, which is a huge morale boost while being away for long periods of time,“ said Dan Cook, Psychological Support Coordinator with Wyle, a contractor at NASA’s Johnson Space Center. Aside from watching movies and television shows, ISS crewmembers have a number of options for their leisure and personal time, such as reading books or magazines, listening to music, and playing musical instruments.

The current space station mission is Expedition 31 and has a six-member crew consisting of 2 NASA Astronauts, 1 European Space Agency (ESA) Astronaut, and 3 Russian (RU) Cosmonauts as follows: Don Pettit (NASA), Joe Acaba (NASA), Andre Kuipers (ESA), Oleg Kononenko (RU), Gennady Padalka (RU), Sergei Revin (RU)

For more details about Expedition 31, check out the main NASA page:

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/expeditions/expedition31/index.html

Marvel Studios presents “Marvel’s The Avengers”—the team up of a lifetime, featuring iconic Marvel Super Heroes Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Thor, Captain America, Hawkeye and Black Widow. When an unexpected enemy emerges that threatens global safety and security, Nick Fury, Director of the international peacekeeping agency known as S.H.I.E.L.D., finds himself in need of a team to pull the world back from the brink of disaster. Spanning the globe, a daring recruitment effort begins.

Starring Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner and Tom Hiddleston, with Stellan Skarsgard and Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury, directed by Joss Whedon, from a story by Zak Penn and Joss Whedon with screenplay by Joss Whedon, “Marvel’s The Avengers” is based on the ever-popular Marvel comic book series “The Avengers,” first published in 1963 and a comics institution ever since. Prepare yourself for an exciting event movie, packed with action and spectacular special effects, now that “Marvel’s The Avengers” have assembled.

“Marvel’s The Avengers” is presented by Marvel Studios in association with Paramount Pictures. The film is being produced by Marvel Studios’ President Kevin Feige and executive produced by Alan Fine, Jon Favreau, Stan Lee, Louis D’Esposito, Patricia Whitcher, Victoria Alonso and Jeremy Latcham. Distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, The film has already broken various international and domestic box office records, and now boasts the highest opening weekend box office ever domestically after earning an amazing $207.4MM within the first 3 days of release in the U.S.

Follow @Avengers on Twitter for more details.

Website and Mobile site: marvel.com/avengers_movie

Like on Facebook: facebook.com/MarvelsTheAvengers

Twentieth Century Fox Animation and Blue Sky Studios today announced the voice cast for EPIC, a 3D CG action-adventure comedy that reveals a hidden world unlike any other. From the creators of ICE AGE and RIO, EPIC tells the story of an ongoing battle deep in the forest between the forces of good and the forces of evil. When a teen age girl finds herself magically transported into this secret universe, she must band together with a rag-tag team of fun and whimsical characters in order to save their world…and ours.

BEYONCÉ KNOWLES, one of the most widely recognized and highly respected women in pop culture and star of the upcoming “A Star Is Born,” voices Queen Tara; COLIN FARRELL (“Total Recall”) is Ronin; JOSH HUTCHERSON (“The Hunger Games”) is Nod; AMANDA SEYFRIED (“Dear John”) portrays Mary Katherine; and JOHNNY KNOXVILLE (“Jackass”) voices Mandrake.

AZIZ ANSARI (“Parks and Recreation”) portrays Mub; and rapper PITBULL voices Bufo.  JASON SUDEIKIS (“Horrible Bosses” and the upcoming “The Campaign”) portrays Bomba; and rock legend and “American Idol” judge STEVEN TYLER is Nim Galuu. Co-starring are BLAKE ANDERSON (“Workaholics”) as Dagda, and JUDAH FRIEDLANDER (“30 Rock”) as Larry.

EPIC charges into theaters everywhere May 24, 2013. The film is directed by Academy Award®-winner Chris Wedge, and produced by Lori Forte (ICE AGE: CONTINENTAL DRIFT) and Jerry Davis (ROBOTS).

]]> http://wearemoviegeeks.com/2012/05/twentieth-century-fox-animation-and-blue-sky-studios-announce-epic-casting-beyonce-colin-farrell-amanda-seyfried-star/feed/ 0 http://wearemoviegeeks.com/2012/05/twentieth-century-fox-animation-and-blue-sky-studios-announce-epic-casting-beyonce-colin-farrell-amanda-seyfried-star/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/wearemoviegeeks/~3/7w8jqIqCkGw/ http://wearemoviegeeks.com/2012/05/new-frankenweenie-poster-in-theaters-october-5/#comments Thu, 31 May 2012 17:55:12 +0000 Michelle McCue http://wearemoviegeeks.com/?p=126946

With several of the character names—Victor, Elsa Van Helsing, Edgar “E” Gore and Mr. Burgemeister— inspired by classic horror films, have a look at the brand new poster for FRANKENWEENIE.

From creative genius Tim Burton (“Alice in Wonderland,” The Nightmare Before Christmas”) comes FRANKENWEENIE, a heartwarming tale about a boy and his dog. After unexpectedly losing his beloved dog Sparky, young Victor harnesses the power of science to bring his best friend back to life—with just a few minor adjustments. He tries to hide his home-sewn creation, but when Sparky gets out, Victor’s fellow students, teachers and the entire town all learn that getting a new “leash on life” can be monstrous.

A stop-motion animated film, FRANKENWEENIE was filmed in black and white and rendered in 3D. The talented voice cast includes: Catherine O’Hara, Martin Short, Martin Landau, Charlie Tahan, Atticus Shaffer, Robert Capron, Conchata Ferrell and Winona Ryder.

Presented by Disney, FRANKENWEENIE is directed by Tim Burton, produced by Tim Burton and Allison Abbate, from a screenplay by John August, based on an original idea by Tim Burton. FRANKENWEENIE releases in U.S. theaters on October 5, 2012.

Check out the film’s official site here: http://disney.go.com/frankenweenie/

“Like” FRANKENWEENIE on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FrankenweenieMovie

]]> http://wearemoviegeeks.com/2012/05/new-frankenweenie-poster-in-theaters-october-5/feed/ 0 http://wearemoviegeeks.com/2012/05/new-frankenweenie-poster-in-theaters-october-5/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/wearemoviegeeks/~3/M2nbsU4C1Fw/ http://wearemoviegeeks.com/2012/05/the-academy-to-hold-special-screening-of-an-officer-and-a-gentleman-richard-gere-louis-gossett-jr-scheduled-to-appear/#comments Thu, 31 May 2012 17:38:25 +0000 Michelle McCue http://wearemoviegeeks.com/?p=126936

Actors Richard Gere and Louis Gossett, Jr. will be special guests at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ screening of “An Officer and a Gentleman,” in celebration of Paramount Pictures’ 100th anniversary, on Tuesday, June 12, at 7 p.m. at the Academy Theater at Lighthouse International in New York City. Gere and Gossett will participate in an onstage post-screening discussion.

Directed by Taylor Hackford from a script by Douglas Day Stewart, “An Officer and a Gentleman” tells the story of a young man’s journey to chart a different path in his life by enlisting in the Navy Aviation Officer Candidate School. Through the obstacles Zack Mayo faces along the way, including a budding romance with local girl Paula Pokrifki and an ongoing conflict with his drill instructor, Zack learns important life lessons about becoming an officer…and a gentleman.

On the heels of his star-making role in “American Gigolo” (1980), Gere solidified his standing as a leading man in the role of Zack, with Debra Winger playing girlfriend Paula and Gossett delivering an Academy Award®-winning performance as Sergeant Emil Foley. This love story also boasts the Academy Award-winning song “Up Where We Belong,” with lyrics by Will Jennings and music by Jack Nitzsche and Buffy Sainte-Marie. The song was performed by the legendary Joe Cocker and Jennifer Warnes.

This screening is presented courtesy of Lorimar Productions/Paramount Pictures.

Tickets for “An Officer and a Gentleman” are on sale now at Oscars.org, by mail and at the Academy Theater Box Office (open Tuesday and Thursday, 2–5 p.m.). Tickets are $5 for the general public and $3 for Academy members and students with a valid ID.

The Academy Theater is located at 111 East 59th Street in New York City. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Ticketed seating is unreserved. For more information, visit www.oscars.org or call (212) 821-9251.

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