Archive for July, 2008

Paramount Pictures 2008 Fall/Holiday Preview

Thursday, July 31st, 2008

After having a Summer to remember at the box office, with Iron Man and Indiana Jones 4 grossing more than $300 millions each. Paramount Pictures is getting ready to continue that success this upcoming Fall. Here is the lineup that Paramount Pictures have in plans for us this Fall/Holiday season. In my opinion this is a very strong line up, the only weak tittle is Ghost Town.

“Ghost Town”
September 19, 2008




Written by David Koepp & John Kamps
Directed by David Koepp

Cast: Ricky Gervais, Téa Leoni, Greg Kinnear, Billy Campbell, Kristen Wiig, Dana Ivey

Synopsis: In the comedy “Ghost Town,” Bertram Pincus (Ricky Gervais) is a man whose people skills leave much to be desired. When Pincus dies unexpectedly, but is miraculously revived after seven minutes, he wakes up to discover that he now has the annoying ability to see ghosts. Even worse, they all want something from him, particularly Frank Herlihy (Greg Kinnear), who pesters him into breaking up the impending marriage of his widow Gwen (Téa Leoni).

“Eagle Eye”
September 26, 2008





Story by Dan McDermott
Screenplay by John Glenn & Travis Adam Wright
and Hillary Seitz and Dan McDermott
Directed by D.J. Caruso

Cast: Shia LaBeouf, Michelle Monaghan, Rosario Dawson, Michael Chiklis, Anthony Mackie and Billy Bob Thornton

Synopsis: “Eagle Eye” is a race-against-time thriller starring Shia LaBeouf, Michelle Monaghan, Rosario Dawson, Anthony Mackie and Billy Bob Thornton. Jerry Shaw (LaBeouf) and Rachel Holloman (Monaghan) are two strangers thrown together by a mysterious phone call from a woman they have never met. Threatening their lives and family, she pushes Jerry and Rachel into a series of increasingly dangerous situations – using the technology of everyday life to track and control their every move. As the situation escalates, these two ordinary people become the country’s most wanted fugitives, who must work together to discover what is really happening – and more importantly, why.

“Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa”
November 7, 2008





Directed by Eric Darnell Tom McGrath

Cast: Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, David Schwimmer, Jada Pinkett Smith, Sacha Baron Cohen, Cedric The Entertainer, Andy Richter, Bernie Mac, Sherri Shepherd, Alec Baldwin and Will.i.am

Synopsis: In the highly-anticipated sequel to “Madagascar,” Alex, Marty, Melman, Gloria, King Julien, Maurice and the penguins and the chimps find themselves marooned on the distant shores of Madagascar. In the face of this obstacle, the New Yorkers have hatched a plan so crazy it just might work. With military precision, the penguins have repaired an old crashed plane — sort of. Once aloft, this unlikely crew stays airborne just long enough to make it to the wildest place of all — the vast plains of Africa, where the members of our zoo-raised crew encounter species of their own kind for the very first time. Africa seems like a great place…but is it better than their Central Park home?

“The Soloist”
November 21, 2008





Based on the Book by Steve Lopez
Screenplay by Susannah Grant
Directed by Joe Wright

Cast: Jamie Foxx, Robert Downey Jr., Catherine Keener, Tom Hollander, LisaGay Hamilton

Synopsis: In “The Soloist,” an emotionally soaring drama about the redemptive power of music, journalist Steve Lopez (Oscar® nominee Robert Downey Jr.) discovers Nathaniel Anthony Ayers (Oscar® winner Jamie Foxx), a former classical music prodigy, playing his violin on the streets of L.A. As Lopez endeavors to help the homeless man find his way back, a unique friendship is formed, one that transforms both their lives. “The Soloist” is directed by Joe Wright (Golden Globe winner for Best Drama and Oscar® nominee for Best Picture “Atonement”).

“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”
December 25, 2008

Screenplay by Eric Roth
Directed by David Fincher

Cast: Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett, Taraji P. Henson, Julia Ormond, Jason Flemyng, Elias Koteas and Tilda Swinton

Synopsis: “I was born under unusual circumstances.” And so begins “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” adapted from the 1920s story by F. Scott Fitzgerald about a man who is born in his eighties and ages backwards: a man, like any of us, who is unable to stop time. We follow his story, set in New Orleans from the end of World War I in 1918, into the 21st century, following his journey that is as unusual as any man’s life can be. Directed by David Fincher and starring Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett with Taraji P. Henson, Tilda Swinton, Jason Flemyng, Elias Koteas and Julia Ormond, “Benjamin Button,” is a grand tale of a not-so-ordinary man and the people and places he discovers along the way, the loves he finds, the joys of life and the sadness of death, and what lasts beyond time.

Bottle Shock Trailer

Wednesday, July 30th, 2008

On August 6 Freestyle Releasing will be distributing on limited release the film “Bottle Shock”. A film based on the true story of how a small California winery won a wine tasting contest in France back in 1976 putting California wines in the map.

I must admit that the trailer looks good, It reminds me a lot of 2004’s “Sideways”

Kiss of the Spider Woman DVD Release Date

Wednesday, July 30th, 2008

The 1986 independent film sensation “Kiss of the Spider Woman” will be released for the first time on DVD as a Special Two-Disc Collector’s Edition and on Blu-Ray by City Lights Home Entertainment on October 21, 2008.

“Kiss of the Spider Woman” won an Oscar for Best Actor in a Leading Role (William Hurt) in 1986 and was nominated in three more categories including Best Director and Best Picture.





Set in a non-specific Latin American country, the film takes a penetrating look at the role of sex and politics under an oppressive right-wing regime. The timeless story follows the complex relationship between two very different men, each with an opposite view of life; the drama builds to an emotionally powerful crescendo as the two men come together in a stunningly transcendental conclusion. William Hurt’s Oscar®-winning performance is a captivating tribute to the power of film and fantasy as means to escape inhumane conditions.

DVD SPECIAL FEATURES

    Feature Length Documentary: “Tangled Web: Making Kiss of the Spider Woman”
    Trivia Track in English and Spanish
    Optional Subtitles in French and Spanish
    Optional Dubbing in French and Spanish
    Manuel Puig Mini-Documentary: The Submissive Woman’s Role

Spider Woman on Broadway: Mini-Documentary with Hal Prince, John Kander, Fred Ebb, Chita Rivera, Terrence McNally, Manuel Puig

    Slide Show Commentary: Transition from Novel to Film
    Photo Galleries: Over 150 Exquisite Images

Friday the 13th Image

Tuesday, July 29th, 2008

Here is a still picture for New Line Cinema’s upcoming Friday the 13th . The film will be released on February 13, 2009 and stars Derek Mears as Jason Voorhees.

As a fan of the franchise, I’m a little worry about the release date for this film. February is not known for being a good month for theatrical release of movies





Horror. Returning to the story that started it all, this retelling of the original Friday the 13th heads back to summer camp where a mysterious killer is systematically slaughtering the teenage camp counselors.

Walt Disney Pictures BOLT First Images

Tuesday, July 29th, 2008

Here are the first images and one sheet for Walt Disney Pictures’ BOLT. The animated film is set to be release on November 26 (Thanksgiving Day). BOLT features the voices of John Travolta and Miley Cyrus.
Let see if Disney Animation Studios manage to create a big hit without Pixar.

bolt






From Walt Disney Pictures comes an animated comedy adventure featuring a super-dog named BOLT (voice of JOHN TRAVOLTA), whose days are filled with danger and intrigue—at least until the cameras stop rolling. When the star of a hit TV show is accidentally shipped from his Hollywood soundstage to New York City , he begins his biggest adventure yet—a cross-country journey through the real world to get back to his owner and co-star, Penny (voice of MILEY CYRUS). Armed only with the delusions that all his amazing feats and powers are real, and the help of two unlikely traveling companions—a jaded, abandoned housecat named Mittens (voice of SUSIE ESSMAN) and a TV-obsessed hamster named Rhino (voice of MARK WALTON)—Bolt discovers he doesn’t need superpowers to be a hero.