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Next Week (03/07):
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Jarhead
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Actor Dennis Weaver, famous for television roles such as Chester Goode on "Gunsmoke" and New Mexico Deputy "McCloud," has died at 81. Weaver also starred in Steven Spielberg's gripping 1971 thriller "Duel." His feature film credits included: "Touch of Evil," "Ten Wanted Men," "Gentle Giant," "Seven Angry Men," "Dragnet," "Way ... Way Out" and "The Bridges at Toko-Ri." He and his wife, Gerry, were involved in many charities. His folksy charm and unique personality will be missed.
'McCloud' Star Dead at 81 - CNN
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Yo! Looks like we gotta "Rocky Balboa" script review out, if you know what I mean. So, it's like about this fighter, you know, name of Rocky. And, he's wanting to get back into the ring. All right? So, yo, check it out on that website. 'Kay?
ROCKY BALBOA Script Review - Ain't It Cool News
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Tyler's cross-dresser outruns the sled dogs in this weekend's box office.
Weekend Box Office Estimates (U.S.) - Yahoo! Movies
Weekend Box Office Results, February 24-26, 2006 - Box Office Mojo
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You've heard of The Man in Black, now here's The Superhero in Black. Without any further details, Sony Pictures has released a Teaser Poster for Spider-Man 3, which will be released over a year from now on May 4, 2007. In the simple, yet intriguing poster, we see Toby Maguire as Spider-Man in a black version of his famous costume. Hmmmmm, interesting, eh?
Spider-Man Movies - Sony Pictures
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You've been waiting over a decade for it. Now, it's here! The "Clerks II" Teaser is online. Kevin Smith has cut together two minutes of footage from his upcoming film and set it to an Anthrax tune. How quaint! Check it out here.
Also, there's plenty of behind-the-scenes material for those who can't wait until the August 18, 2006 release date. And, you know who you are!
Clerks II Teaser - View Askew
Clerks II Teaser - Making of a Trainwreck!
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Today's Roger Ebert.com Answer Man is entitled "Pet-peeve-a-thon." In it, Ebert and his readers get Medieval on today's movie theatre owners. And, why not? There's so little reason to go. Dim projection. Endless ads. Endless coming attractions. Stale popcorn. I could personally deal with all of them, except the dim projection. Almost every film I've seen since the late 80's looks dim and washed out. The reason for that is theatre owners turn down the bulbs, supposedly to save projection bulb life. But, Ebert has asked technicians about it. They say it doesn't extend bulb life a second. The only movies I've seen that have looked good are those that are shown digitally. My guess is that the theatre owners don't have control over turning down the bulbs on those high-tech projectors.
The comments on Ebert were perfect, though. Complaints about cell phones going off, 40 minutes of material before the feature, unruly crowds, etc. Ebert goes through a blow by blow list of what needs to be done. And I agree. The most fun part is when the issue of commercials came up. A theatre owner rep actaully responded to the complaints by saying that only 1 in 600,000 guests complain about ads before movies and that most regard the ads as "part of the theatergoing experience." What?!!! Ebert got a kick out of that!
Here's my take: I waited for years until a modestly-sized HDTV came out. I have it, I have high-definition satellite service, and life is good. Why the heck should I patronize movie theatres that don't care whether I show up or not. These owners are getting what they deserve. Until they change their ways, they should not expect us back.
Pet-peeve-a-thon - Roger Ebert.com
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Paul Walker gets violent as Rotten Tomatoes' Tomatometer gives us the critical consensus this week:
Running Scared - 37%
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"Valley of the Wolves" PosterThe wildly controversial Turkish film, "Valley of the Wolves: Iraq" has been yanked in Germany. Labeled as anti-American and anti-Semetic, the film depicts atrocities by American troops against Turkish special forces soldiers. A fictional hero goes to Iraq for bloody revenge. Gary Busey and Billy Zane even star as evil Americans. German multiplex giant CinemaxX, that nation's largest exhibition chain, dropped "Valley of the Wolves" from its lineup this week, deciding not to renew its rental contract with German distributor Maxximum.
German Theater Chain Yanks Controversial 'Wolves' - Reuters
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It's Sequel Mania in Hollywood! (what else is new?) This time, though, fanboys will be so excited, we'll have to uncurl them from their fetal positions! Yes, Warner Brothers is said to be greenlighting sequels to the already released "Batman Begins" and the upcoming "Superman Returns." The mega-budget productions are slated for 2008 and 2009, respectively.
Superman, Batman Sequelize? - E! Online
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Roger Moore to the rescue! One Bond is coming to the aid of another. Daniel Craig, tapped as the new James Bond for the upcoming "Casino Royale," has been under attack from Bond fans who don't think he's up to the task. But, now, Roger Moore is ready to defend Craig. "He's a helluva good actor," said Moore, 78, noting that critics haven't even seen Craig in the role yet. "So why attack him?"
Former 007 Defends Daniel Craig - Associated Press
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Sharon Stone struggles to keep her legs crossed in "Basic Instinct 2." We know her love of chopping ice, or whatever she was doing with that ice pick! Now, she's back in more trouble. Hey, maybe Sharon can have an actual shot at rebounding from "Catwoman!"
Basic Instinct 2 Trailers - Apple
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The three big winter film festivals, Sundance, Rotterdam and Berlin have left film buyers with little to buy. "In a word, disappointing," says Strand Releasing co-president Jon Gerrans. "If you look at the number of films that were bought by U.S. companies, it's not much." The purchases from these festivals usually set the calendar for next year's independent film releases. Without much to buy, there will be little to release. "It's very frustrating and I'm getting nervous for the films for 2007, which is what these three markets would be providing," Gerrans commented. Lack of quality is one reason sited. Another is that some films are just too controversial for U.S. release, like Michael Winterbottom's docu-fiction hybrid "The Road to Guantanamo." Buyers are now left waiting for Cannes, with the hope that France's big fest will bear big fruit.
Winter Market Doldrums at Film Festivals - indieWIRE
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Next Week (02/28):
Walk the Line
Pride & Prejudice
The Ice Harvest
Where the Truth Lies
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Sled dogs outrun rom-com spoofers in this weekend's box office.
Weekend Box Office Actuals (U.S.) - Yahoo! Movies
Weekend Box Office Results, February 17-20, 2006 - Box Office Mojo
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"Grbavica," from Austria and Bosnia & Herzegovina, won Berlinale's top prize, the Golden Bear. The film tells the story of a mother and daughter set in post-war Sarajevo. Director Jasmila Zbanic commented, "I hope that this will change your view on Bosnia" and said about The Golden Bear, "I hope this bear will not be disappointed when he sees Bosnia." She also thanked the event's organizers for "being so liberal to invite such a small film, from a small country with a small budget."
Internationale Filmfestspiele Berlin - English Language Site
'Grbavica' Wins Golden Bear At 2006 Berlinale - indieWIRE
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Speaking of "MI:III," Philip Seymour Hoffman, who's the bad guy in the upcoming Tom Cruise movie, was on "60 Minutes" Sunday. A very good interview by Steve Kroft. Hoffman was laid back to say the least. It also gave a very interesting portrait of what it's like to be a high-profile serious actor who likes to keep his personal life personal. Here's to Philip's chances for winning Best Actor for "Capote" next month!
Philip Seymour Hoffman Gets Candid - 60 Minutes (full story with video)
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Paramount and Viacom are busy plotting the success of "Mission Impossible:III." It's a big deal, since this was the first film greenlit by the new heads of Paramount, Brad Grey and Gail Berman. Tom Cruise called the meeting, where 100-plus Viacom executives showed up to plot strategy. So, will "MI:III" be a big hit? Maybe. Just keep Tom Cruise from jumping up on couches and calling Matt Lauer "glib!"
Par and Viacom Plot "MI:III" Success - The Hollywood Reporter
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Memo to the owners of the S.S. Poseidon: If you see filmmakers like Wolfgang Peterson coming towards your ship, run like heck! Once again, the Poseidon is doing the barrel roll thing in "Poseidon," a remake of the classic disaster movie, "The Poseidon Adventure." The original is one of my all-time favorite movies. I think everything about it still holds up. So, we'll see how the remake turns out. I think Peterson is the right choice for director. But, the cast seems lacking, especially in light of the original's line up. But, we'll see. The trailer is something, and promises one heck of a ride!
Poseidon Trailers - (includes High Definition)
Poseidon - Official Site
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Here's how this week's New Releases rank on Rotten Tomatoes' Tomatometer:
Eight Below - 79%
Freedomland - 21%
Date Movie - 20%
Night Watch - 63%
Battle in Heaven - 47%
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Watching the "Miami Vice" trailer, you're waitng for the cool music, the fast cars, the hot women. Instead you get "Collateral." Didn't we just see that one? For all of us who are big fans of the series, it's hard to imagine the big-budget Michael Mann movie would drain away all the things we loved about the TV show. But, from this trailer, it looks like that's the case. C'mon, Michael, where's the magic? Let's hope it finds its way into the movie.
Miami Vice Trailers - (includes High Definition)
Miami Vice - Official Site
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Berlinale is the only international film festival that presents an award for a gay-themed film. The Teddy Award will be presented for the 20th time on Friday. There are 30 films in competion this year, including "Fabulous!" a look at gay cinema throughout the years. This year has special significance for the Teddy Award, as "Brokeback Mountain" has raised the stakes in gay cinema by receiving a number of American Oscar Awards, and having a strong pedigree behind the camera in Ang Lee.
Internationale Filmfestspiele Berlin - English Language Site
Honoring The Best of Queer Cinema - indieWIRE
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Next Week (02/21):
The Weather Man
Domino
Rent
North Country
All the President's Men
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Jonathan Demme has joined other narrative filmmakers like Sidney Pollack in becoming documentarians. Demme's is "Heart of Gold," a Neil Young concert film. Demme filmed two nights of a special Young performance at Nashville's Ryman Auditorium. Released by Paramount Classics, the film did well in indieWIRE's box office survey.
Neil Young Doc "Heart of Gold" Has Strong Opening - indieWIRE
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Inspector Clouseau beats Death in this weekend's box office.
Weekend Box Office Actuals (U.S.) - Yahoo! Movies
Weekend Box Office Results, February 10-12, 2006 - Box Office Mojo
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Robert Altman has back up. At 81, even a legendary maverick director needs an understudy. For his latest film, "A Prarie Home Companion," Altman had not just any backup right there on the set, he had Paul Thomas Anderson, the director of "Boogie Nights" and "Hard Eight." The film basically is a docu-dramedy that combines footage of the popular radio show's final performance with scripted behind-the-scenes action.
Internationale Filmfestspiele Berlin - English Language Site
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