Get ready for a super creepfest – IFC Midnight has released the first trailer and poster for the upcoming thriller INNER DEMONS. The film stars Lara Vosburgh, Morgan McClellan, Kate Whitney, and Brian Flaherty.
INNER DEMONS follows an ‘Intervention’-style reality show crew that films an episode about a sixteen-year old girl, a former A-student, who is fighting addiction but may in fact be suffering from something even more destructive: demonic possession.
The movie is an inquiry into the truth about her – with symptoms that straddle the disturbing and scary intersection between insanity, addiction and true possession.
Directed by Seth Grossman, INNER DEMONS will be creeping into select theaters & VOD this October 3rd.
The producers of THE GOOD LIE have established the Good Lie Fund, named for the upcoming feature drama from Alcon Entertainment, Imagine Entertainment, Black Label Media and Warner Bros. Pictures. The film is based upon the harrowing and inspirational real-life experiences of thousands of children impacted by war in Sudan.
The Good Lie Fund (www.thegoodliefund.org) was created to support the humanitarian and educational needs of those who have come to be universally known as the Lost Boys and Girls, uprooted and orphaned by the Sudanese Civil War that began in 1983. Its initial focus will be the Kakuma refugee camp in Kenya, which came into being to meet the first wave of survivors of the conflict—the majority of them children, alone, and on foot—and which currently houses thousands of refugees fleeing from continuing violence and unrest.
The Fund will also seek to raise worldwide awareness of the dire situation that still exists in South Sudan. As part of this publicity campaign, the producers of THE GOOD LIE have planned a Washington, D.C. fundraiser in mid-September to benefit the war refugees from South Sudan and those still living in the Kakuma camp. Many corporations have already pledged their support and donations. Black Label Media and Alcon Entertainment have also seeded the Good Lie Fund to start the fundraising effort, in honor of the film and its story.
Additionally, THE GOOD LIE will be made available for select screenings by various philanthropic groups and Lost Boys and Girls communities throughout the U.S. and overseas, in advance of its October 3, 2014 U.S. release date, to aid in their own fundraising and awareness efforts.
Said producer Molly Smith, “This film was a labor of love for all of us. I am so proud and happy to know that it will not only be a compelling and personal story for audiences everywhere to see, but may also serve to illuminate an ongoing and little-known human drama.”
Director Philippe Falardeau’s involvement with the plight of the South Sudanese refugees began with a documentary assignment that was cut short due to escalating hostilities, and he sees “The Good Lie”—both the film and the Fund—as continuing what he had just begun when evacuated from South Sudan in 1994. “I had the feeling, then, that I was abandoning them, and that feeling stayed with me until I read Margaret Nagle’s script for ‘The Good Lie.’ It was like a calling, to finish this in another way and to tell their story.”
Contact information for the Good Lie Fund will appear in the film’s end credits.
THE GOOD LIE opens in limited theatrical engagements October 3, 2014. It stars Reese Witherspoon; Arnold Oceng, Ger Duany, Emmanuel Jal and Kuoth Wiel, all of whom are of Sudanese descent; and Corey Stoll.
Directed by Philippe Falardeau from a screenplay by Margaret Nagle, “The Good Lie” was produced by Ron Howard, Brian Grazer, Karen Kehela Sherwood, Molly Smith, Thad Luckinbill and Trent Luckinbill.
The dramatic comedy THIS IS WHERE I LEAVE YOU is directed by Shawn Levy, and based on the hilarious and poignant best-selling novel by Jonathan Tropper. It features a starring ensemble cast, including Golden Globe winner Jason Bateman,Tina Fey, and two-time Oscar winner Jane Fonda.
When their father passes away, four grown siblings, bruised and banged up by their respective adult lives, are forced to return to their childhood home and live under the same roof together for a week, along with their over-sharing mother and an assortment of spouses, exes and might-have-beens.
Confronting their history and the frayed states of their relationships among the people who know and love them best, they ultimately reconnect in hysterical and emotionally affecting ways amid the chaos, humor, heartache and redemption that only families can provide—driving us insane even as they remind us of our truest, and often best, selves.
THIS IS WHERE I LEAVE YOU opens in theaters September 19th.
WAMG invites you to enter to win 2 passes to THIS IS WHERE I LEAVE YOU on Monday, September 15th at 7PM. Some of you will win a copy of the book along with the passes! We will contact this winners via email.
Answer the following:
For which movies and roles did Jane Fonda win her Oscars?
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1. YOU MUST BE IN THE ST. LOUIS AREA THE DAY OF THE SCREENING.
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From Warner Bros. Pictures, this film has been rated R for language, sexual content and some drug use.
Here’s a first look at Universal Pictures’ THE BOY NEXT DOOR from director Rob Cohen.
Starring Jennifer Lopez, the movie hits theaters January 23rd.
Jennifer Lopez (PARKER, ENOUGH) leads the cast in the psychological thriller that explores a forbidden attraction that goes much too far. Directed by Rob Cohen (THE FAST AND THE FURIOUS, ALEX CROSS) and written by Barbara Curry, the film also stars Ryan Guzman, John Corbett and Kristin Chenoweth.
BIG HERO 6, Disney’s all new animated film based off of the comic book series published by Marvel Comics, is set to release on November 7, 2014 but WAMG was lucky enough to get a sneak peek. A few weeks ago, I attended an early press day for the film where a small group of journalists were shown scenes from the film. While there, we also talked with Chris Williams (Director), Don Hall (Director), Jin Kim (Character Design Supervisor), Kyle Odermatt (Visual Effects Supervisor), Lorelay Bove (Visual Development Artist), Mark Henn (Lead 2D Animator), Michael Franceschi (Animation Supervisor), Michael Kaschalk (Head of Effects), Nathan Curtis (Effects Production Supervisor), Nathan Engelhardt (Animation Supervisor), Paul Briggs (Head of Story), Paul Felix (Production Designer), Robert L Baird (Screenplay By), Roy Conli (Producer), Shiyoon Kim (Lead Character Designer) and Zach Parrish (Head of Animation) about their role in bringing the story, characters and world of BIG HERO 6 to life.
From Walt Disney Animation Studios, the team behind “Frozen” and “Wreck-It Ralph,” comes “Big Hero 6,” an action-packed comedy-adventure about the special bond that develops between Baymax (voice of Scott Adsit), a plus-sized inflatable robot, and prodigy Hiro Hamada (voice of Ryan Potter). When a devastating event befalls the city of San Fransokyo and catapults Hiro into the midst of danger, he turns to Baymax and his close friends adrenaline junkie Go Go Tomago (voice of Jamie Chung), neatnik Wasabi (voice of Damon Wayans Jr.), chemistry whiz Honey Lemon (voice of Genesis Rodriguez) and fanboy Fred (voice of T.J. Miller). Determined to uncover the mystery, Hiro transforms his friends into a band of high-tech heroes called “Big Hero 6.
Producer Roy Conli says that family—the kind that you’re born with and the kind you find—is at the core of the movie. “It’s a powerful theme that audiences relate to,” says Conli. “The nuances of the relationships in deeply emotional films like ‘Bambi’ or ‘The Lion King’ are so interesting. There’s something about these stories that can really touch people.”
BIG HERO 6 is based off of the comic book series published by Marvel Comics. When I asked Directors Chris Williams and Don Hall about Marvel’s involvement in the film, Hall said “We call them friends of the court, you know. We got to be pretty good friend with Joe Quesada and Jeph Loeb. Joe is sort of their Chief Creative Officer. And, you know, they came to screenings and they became part of our story trust and after the screenings they would give notes, just like any other story trust. They’d meet with the other directors, and they just kind of came into that group and again, as friends of the court. Nothing was ever directed. Every note, just like all of the notes given here, were given with the best intent.”
BIG HERO 6 focuses around Hiro, a brilliant young inventor with a bit of a slacking problem, and the friendship he develops with Baymax, a plus-sized inflatable robot initially designed as a Personal Healthcare Companion. Hiro stumbles upon Baymax by mistake, and when he discovers that he cannot shake the oversized caregiver, he decides to use him to his advantage. Somewhere along the way the two forge a friendship. (It wouldn’t be a Disney movie without friends!) One thing is for sure… Baymax is certain to steal the hearts of audiences.
To create this lovable, air filled sidekick the team looked at soft robotics. Fun fact: The simplistic design of Baymax’s face was inspired by the bottom of a bell the team saw on a trip to Japan. (You can’t stop staring at his head, can you?)
Disney has always been adamant on doing their homework. While talking to Kyle Odermatt, Michael Kaschalk, and Nathan Curtis about the film’s visual effects, they explained that the microbots in the film were grounded on research as well as the behavior of insects. Curtis explains “There were four components that the director had – that the microbots had to be, and one of those was that they are a robot. We always try to ground everything that we do in research so that it fits into the world that we are creating. So, we did a lot of microbot research – I mean robotic research. We talked to specialists. We also looked at cooperative behavior among insects, and here you see ants that are crawling over other ants that are making themselves into a bridge. We knew that that was a type of behavior that the microbots had to do, and so this was really inspirational footage.”
The movie is set in SanFransokyo, which is a combination of two very popular cities. “I thought about San Francisco,” says Hall, “which is cool, but I thought ‘What if it was San Francisco mashed up with Tokyo.’ It felt more interesting as a setting—more playful and exotic. It was something we could create. And the visual possibilities of those two cities—which are pretty different aesthetically—mashed together felt like a really cool place to set the story.”
Speaking of story, one thing that most people would never guess is that the first screenings of every Disney and/or Pixar movie are a bit painful for those involved. While speaking with Robert Baird and Paul Briggs, the two joked about watching some of our favorite films for the first time during production. Briggs began, “FROZEN was a terrible first screening. I was on it on the first screening, and I was like ‘I do not want to work on that movie. That is such a mess.’ Baird continued, “Trust me. Every movie in Pixar/Disney… disaster first screenings!” Of the 4-5 years spent making BIG HERO 6, 2-3 of those years were devoted entirely to story. “This is a dream come true, working on a comic book / action movie,” Briggs said “but this is so much more than that. This is about family, and this is about the people in your life. I’m proud of it. Honestly, I am.”
The footage screening left me excited for the final film. From the clips I saw, this film is going to be an emotional, funny, action-packed ride. I need more Baymax!
“You know you don’t have to act with me, Steve. You don’t have to say anything, and you don’t have to do anything. Not a thing. Oh, maybe just whistle. You know how to whistle, don’t you, Steve? You just put your lips together and… blow!”
If Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall (who died last month) occupy the same screen, you can safely expect fireworks! TO HAVE AND HAVE NOT (1944) was Bacall’s debut performance, the movie that introduced both audiences and Bogart {he would marry her the following year} to one of cinema’s most iconic beauties and to her erotically husky voice. TO HAVE AND HAVE NOT is an interesting mixture of war-time adventure and hard-boiled film-noir, set on the island of Martinique under the Vichy regime, and Bogart’s Harry “Steve” Morgan is forced to navigate swathes of low-lifes and immoral authority figures.
Howard Hawks, one of Hollywood’s more versatile directors, was a considerable fan of author Ernest Hemingway, but didn’t think all too highly of his 1937 effort, “To Have and Have Not.” Taking it upon himself to improve the story, Hawks set his writers upon Hemingway’s “bunch of junk,” and created what is considered by some to be one of his best films. With its abundance of pistol-clad gangsters and Bogart’s legendary noble tough-guy, comparisons with other pulp film-noirs {such as THE MALTESE FALCON (1941)’ and Hawks’ own THE BIG SLEEP} are perfectly justified, as are the noticeable parallels with Michael Curtiz’S CASABLANCA (1942),’ with Its intriguing war-time tale of romance and loyalty, in addition to a suitably ambiguous ending that emphasizes the sheer uncertainty of warfare. A hilarious Walter Brennan provides the comedic relief as Eddie, a well-meaning but hopelessly addicted alcoholic who likes to ask people such inane queries as “was you ever bit by a dead bee?” Marcel Dalio, in a role that would ideally have suited Peter Lorre, is also good as Frenchy, the sincere owner of the local hotel with sympathies for the French Resistance.
Now you’ll have the chance to see TO HAVE AND HAVE NOTin all of its big screen glory when it screens this Saturday morning (September 13th) at St. Louis’ fabulous Hi-Pointe Theater (1005 McCausland Ave., St. Louis, MO). The movie starts at 10:30am and admission is only $5.
“As a sentient lifeform, I hereby demand political asylum!”
GHOST IN THE SHELL plays this weekend (September 12th and 13th) at The Tivoli at midnight as part of theirReel Late at the Tivolimidnight series.
Mamoru Oshii’s GHOST IN THE SHELL (1995) is one of the ultimate nerd movies. It’s science fiction anime aimed at smart audiences, and one that raised the bar for Japanese animation. Its complex story is set in a society where being a full-flesh human is no longer the norm. Is humanity losing its existence or is it loosely defined? Cyborgs are part human, part machine, and a continuation of a previously “whole” human entity. Major Motoko Kusanagi, a full-replacement cyborg in the national security division Section 9, is investigating a mysterious hacker who goes by the name “The Puppet Master.” It may be apparent throughout the film that many of its aspects and ideas have been borrowed for other films such as THE MATRIX (source code; plugging into the network) and INCEPTION (diving into another conscious).
Now lucky St. Louisans can experience GHOST ON THE SHELL when it plays on the big screen this weekend (August 12th and 13th) at the Tivoli as part of their Reel Late at the Tivoli Midnight series.
The Tivoli’s located at 6350 Delmar Blvd., University City, MO. Admission is a mere $8!
Highland Film Group announced today at the Toronto film festival that Academy-nominated, BAFTA Award-winning actor Steve Coogan (“Philomena”, “The Trip”) has signed on to play the title role of James Boswell in a feature film adaptation of acclaimed West End play, BOSWELL FOR THE DEFENCE.
Gregor Jordan (“Buffalo Soldiers”, “Ned Kelly”) will direct from a script by Patrick Edgeworth, who also wrote the play. Mark Pennell and Steve Chasman will produce. Armyan Bernstein (Beacon Pictures) will executive produce. The project is represented by Highland Film Group Internationally.
Production is set for 2015.
BOSWELL FOR THE DEFENCE tells the true story of how James Boswell (Coogan), in the twilight of his career and life, takes on an impossible case – to save the life of the convict Mary Bryant from the gallows. A case no one else wants or cares about. The tragi-comic Boswell is the most unlikely hero from the most unlikely quarter. But he manages to find his past brilliance long enough to save the day.
Commenting on the casting, producers Mark Pennell and Steve Chasman said: “Whether it be ‘Lincoln’ or ‘Thatcher’, bringing a historical figure to life is always a challenge, but Steve’s (Coogan) extraordinary ability to blend humour and pathos make him the perfect artist to bring such a complex character like Boswell to the screen. We are excited to see him make this role his own.”
Coogan is repped by CAA and Independent Talent Group.
Highland Film Group is also releasing the Brett Ratner produced teen-action comedy BARELY LETHAL starring Hailee Steinfeld, Samuel L. Jackson and Jessica Alba; JACKIE & RYAN starring Katherine Heigl and Ben Barnes which premiered at the 2014 Venice International Film Festival; and THE TRUST starring Nicolas Cage and Jack Huston.
Academy Award Winner Michael Douglas (Ant-Man, The Reach, Behind the Candelabra, Wall Street) and Orlando Bloom (The Hobbit franchise; the Lord of the Rings franchise; the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise) will join star Noomi Rapace (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Child 44, Prometheus) in UNLOCKED, with Lorenzo DiBonaventura (Transformers: Age of Extinction, Salt, Red, G.I. Joe: Retaliation) producing alongside Georgina Townsley and Erik Howsam.
Alex Walton and Ken Kao’s BLOOM will handle international sales on the new thriller directed by Michael Apted (The World Is Not Enough, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader) and based on a screenplay by Peter O’Brien.
Silver Reel (Under The Skin, The Railway Man, The Host) will finance and produce alongside DiBonaventura. BLOOM is introducing the film to buyers at the Toronto International Film Festival.
With principal photography beginning on November 3, UNLOCKED tells the story of a CIA interrogator (Rapace) who unwittingly provides information to terrorists and then must race against the clock to stop a biological warfare attack on London.
Silver Reel’s recent portfolio encompasses dramas like Jonathan Glazers Under The Skin, starring Scarlett Johansson, Jonathan Teplitzkys The Railway Man, starring Colin Firth and Nicole Kidman, A Hologram For The King helmed by Tom Twyker with the lead played by Tom Hanks as well as genre films like Solace, a psychological thriller starring Anthony Hopkins.
Last week, BLOOM boarded director Shane Black’s detective thriller THE NICE GUYS starring Academy Award Winner Russell Crowe and Academy Award Nominee Ryan Gosling, which the company introduced to buyers at the Toronto International Film Festival. They are currently in production on two-time Academy Award Nominee Gus Van Sant’s The SEA OF TREES starring Academy Award Winner Matthew McConaughey and Academy Award Nominees Ken Watanabe and Naomi Watts.
Here’s a look at the box office estimates for the weekend of September 7, 2014.
According to Rentrak’s Senior Media Analyst Paul Dergarabedian:
LUCY ascends to the top of the worldwide chart earning $27.5 million from 55 territories bringing its global total to $313.4 million.
Disney/Marvel’s GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY adds another $21.7 million from 70 markets, its new worldwide cume is quickly approaching $600 million ($586.2) in only 6 weeks of release.
20th Century Fox’s HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON 2 has reached the $600 million ($607.1) plateau and Paramount’s TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES crossed the $300 million milestone ($300.3) over the weekend.”
Opening next weekend (Sept. 12) in cinemas – Warner Bros. Pictures’ DOLPHIN TALE 2, Screen Gems’ NO GOOD DEED, starring Idris Elba and Taraji P. Henson, and Fox Searchlight Pictures’ THE DROP starring Tom Hardy and James Gandolfini.
The top 12 worldwide weekend box office estimates, listed in descending order, per data collected as of Sunday, Sept. 7, 2014, are below.
1. Lucy – Multiple – $27.5M 2. Guardians Of The Galaxy – Disney – $21.7M 3. Expendables 3, The – Multiple – $18.8M 4. Hercules – Paramount – $17.4M 5. Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes, The – 20th Century Fox – $17.1M 6. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles – Paramount – $15.2M 7. Into The Storm – Warner Bros. – $13.1M 8. If I Stay – Warner Bros. – $10.4M 9. Let’s Be Cops – 20th Century Fox – $9.5M 10. Tazza: The High Rollers 2 – Lotte – $8.0M 11. But Always – Multiple – $7.2M 12. Deliver Us From Evil – Sony – $6.9M
The top 12 domestic weekend box office estimates, listed in descending order, per data collected as of Sunday, Sept. 7, 2014, are below.
1. Guardians Of The Galaxy – Disney – $10.2M 2. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles – Paramount – $6.5M 3. If I Stay – Warner Bros. – $5.8M 4. Let’s Be Cops – 20th Century Fox – $5.4M 5. November Man, The – Relativity Media – $4.2M 6. As Above, So Below – Universal – $3.7M 7. When The Game Stands Tall – Sony – $3.7M 8. Giver, The – The Weinstein Company – $3.6M 9. Hundred-Foot Journey, The – Disney – $3.2M 10. Lucy – Universal – $1.9M 11. Identical, The – Freestyle Releasing – $1.9M 12. Expendables 3, The – Lionsgate – $1.8M
Full details regarding the global domestic and international box office results are listed in the table below.
