“Unveiling yet another surprise . . . the extraordinary and exhilarating 2013 Lamborghini Aventador LP 700-4 Coupe.”
The completely upgraded, custom-built Optimus Prime from Western Star (a subsidiary of Daimler Trucks North America).
A special race-inspired C7 Corvette Stingray, based on Chevrolet’s upcoming 2014 production car.
The classy 1,200-horsepower Bugatti Grand Sport Vitesse worth more than $2.4 million.
The always rugged and reliable Hound, one of the Family of Medium Tactical Vehicles from Oshkosh Defense.
Bumblebee re-envisioned in the form of a highly modified, vintage 1967 Camaro. Photo Credit: Andrew Cooper
Mark Wahlberg, Stanley Tucci, Kelsey Grammer, Jack Reynor, Nicola Peltz, Li Bingbing and Sophia Myles star in the fourth installment in the hit series of movies based on the best-selling Hasbro toyline.
Shooting this summer in multiple locations in the U.S. and China, the film is directed by Bay and re-unites the filmmaking team from the hit franchise, including producers Lorenzo di Bonaventura, Don Murphy & Tom DeSanto and Ian Bryce; and executive producers Steven Spielberg, Bay, Brian Goldner and Mark Vahradian. TRANSFORMERS 4 is written by Ehren Kruger, based on Hasbro’s Transformers™ Action Figures.
In theaters on June 14, watch the trailer for THE GUILLOTINES.
During the Manchurian-ruled Qing Dynasty, Emperor Yong Zheng established a secret assassination squad known as the Guillotines to eliminate all who opposed him. Once heavily favored by the Emperor, the Guillotines are deemed expendable once Emperor Qian Long ascends to the throne and adopts Western ideas and technology. To consolidate his power under a new regime, the Emperor continues to use the Guillotines to persecute the conquered Han Chinese in a reign of terror and oppression.
Led by master fighter Leng, the top ranked guillotine squad consists of five young warriors: Mu, San, Tai, Hutu, Buka. Serving the Qing Court unquestioningly, they have never failed in 348 missions to eliminate their targets. But their success has made them arrogant and complacent.
Their next mission is to eliminate Wolf and his Shepherd gang. During the operation, the squad manages to trap Wolf. Just as they are about to execute him, the squad commander orders that he be captured alive. He secretly plans to use Wolf as a pawn in his bid for power. Wolf’s gang of rebels ambushes the Guillotines in their moment of hesitation. Wolf escapes, taking Mu hostage.
With reports that Wolf has fled to the outer frontiers, the squad tracks him to a remote village outpost. On the other hand, the Emperor has sent his most trusted agent Du for the same mission and most importantly, to end the era of the Guillotines by replacing cold weapons with firearms. If only they make one false move, they will become the hunted. Facing annihilation, Leng and his Guillotines must outfight and outwit enemies from both sides.
Foresight Unlimited in association with Castle Rock announced today that production has begun in Connecticut on AND SO IT GOES… starring Academy Award® winners Michael Douglas (Behind the Candelabra, Wall Street) and Diane Keaton (Something’s Gotta Give, Annie Hall). The film marks the first time Douglas and Keaton have appeared on-screen together. AND SO IT GOES… will be directed by Rob Reiner, who previously collaborated with Douglas on the hit 1995 film An American President. The screenplay for AND SO IT GOES… is by Academy Award® nominated writer Mark Andrus (As Good As It Gets).
Joining the cast in a pivotal supporting role is young actress Sterling Jerins. The casting news comes on the heels of Jerins’ roles in World War Z (opening June 21st), in which she appears as Constance, the daughter of Gerry Lane (played by Brad Pitt), and James Wan’s The Conjuring (opening July 19th), in which she appears as Judy, the daughter of Lorraine and Ed Warren (played by Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson).
In AND SO IT GOES… Oren (Douglas) is a self-centered real estate agent who couldn’t care less about anyone else. But Oren’s life is turned upside down when his estranged son suddenly drops off a granddaughter (Jerins) he never knew. Now, with the help of his determined and loveable neighbor, Leah (Keaton), Oren stubbornly learns to care, and unexpectedly, to fall in love again.
The cast also includes legendary crooner Frankie Valli as well as Scott Shepherd (Side Effects) and Frances Sternhagen (Misery).
Key below the line credits include Director of Photography Reed Morano, Production Designer Ethan Tobman, Costume Designer Leah Katznelson and Casting Director Laura Rosenthal.
AND SO IT GOES…is being produced by Alan Greisman, Rob Reiner, and Mark Damon. Executive producers include Tamara Birkemoe and Grant Cramer. Jared Ian Goldman along with Envision Entertainment’s Remington Chase, Stepan Martirosyan and Vitaly Grigoriants are executive producing.
In WORLD WAR Z, a former UN investigator is thrust into the middle of trying to stop what could be the end of the world. Worldwide destruction sends him around the globe seeking clues about what they are fighting and what it will take to defeat it, as he tries to save the lives of billions of strangers, as well as his own beloved family.
The film stars Brad Pitt, Mireille Enos, James Badge Dale, Daniella Kertesz, Matthew Fox, Fana Mokoena, Ludi Boeken and David Morse. Directed by Marc Forster, WORLD WAR Z will be in theaters June 21st.
Enter for your chance to receive a Pass (Good for 2) to the advance screening of WORLD WAR Zon June 18th at 7:00 PM in St. Louis.
Answer the following question:
“World War Z” began as a post apocalyptic horror novel by Max Brooks called World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War, written in first person, individual accounts from those who experienced it.
“Five years ago, I knew nothing about zombies. Now, I consider myself an expert,” recalls Pitt. “Max’s book treats the zombie genre as a global pandemic, spreading much like we’ve witnessed viruses such as SARS travel. What happens when this jumps the fire break…what happens when everything we concern our days with is rendered useless? What happens when power structures and societal norms are obliterated? How will we survive?”
Which Zombie movie earned an Oscar nod for Best Music in 1941?
OFFICIAL RULES:
1. YOU MUST BE IN THE ST. LOUIS AREA THE DAY OF THE SCREENING.
2. SEND YOUR NAME AND ANSWERS TO: michelle@wearemoviegeeks.com
3. YOU MUST SUBMIT THE CORRECT ANSWER TO OUR TRIVIA QUESTION ABOVE TO WIN.
No purchase necessary. Void where restricted or prohibited by law. At the screening seating is not guaranteed and is available on a first-come, first-served basis. Refer to screening pass for further restrictions. Screening pass winners will be drawn at random and notified via mail. Limit 1 admit-two passes per person. While supplies last.
PG-13 for intense frightening zombie sequences, violence and disturbing images.
On an ordinary day, Gerry Lane and his family find their quiet drive interrupted by urban gridlock. An ex-UN investigator, Lane senses that this is no ordinary traffic jam. As police helicopters buzz the sky and motorcycle cops careen wildly below, the city erupts into chaos.
Something is causing hordes of people to viciously attack each other – a lethal virus that is spread through a single bite, turning healthy humans into something unrecognizable, unthinking and feral. Neighbor turns on neighbor; a helpful stranger suddenly becomes a dangerous enemy. The origins of the virus are unknown, and the number of infected grows exponentially larger each day, quickly becoming a global pandemic. As the infected overwhelm the world’s armies and rapidly topple its governments, Lane is forced to return to his dangerous former life to insure the safety of his family, leading a desperate worldwide search for the source of the epidemic and a means to stop its relentless spread.
Orlando Bloom returns as Legolas in the first trailer for New Line Cinema’s and MGM’s fantasy adventure THE HOBBIT: THE DESOLATION OF SMAUG.
Now that’s a Dragon! STAR TREK’s Benedict Cumberbatch is Smaug and Evangeline Lilly is playing a new character – the Woodland Elf, Tauriel. Her name means ‘daughter of Mirkwood’.
The second in a trilogy of films adapting the enduringly popular masterpiece The Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolkien, THE HOBBIT: THE DESOLATION OF SMAUG continues the adventures of the title character Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman) as he journeys with the Wizard Gandalf (Ian McKellen) and thirteen Dwarves, led by Thorin Oakenshield (Richard Armitage) on an epic quest to reclaim the lost Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor.
THE HOBBIT: THE DESOLATION OF SMAUG opens nationwide on Friday December 13, 2013. The final chapter,THE HOBBIT: THERE AND BACK AGAIN, will hit theaters on December 17, 2014.
“Ricky, I’m going to miss you. Apparently you’re the only one in Casablanca with less scruples than I.”
CASABLANCA was the last movie that the Tivoli showed in the 35mm format (about 6 months ago) – and now you have the chance to see it presented in a sharp digital presentation when it plays this weekend (June 14th and 15th) at Midnight at the Tivoli as part of their Reel Late at the Tivoli Midnight Series.
I there was ever a film deserved to be considered a classic then CASABLANCA is it, Even if you haven’t seen it before you’ll recognize much of the dialogue; it is probably the most quoted, and misquoted, film of all time. Humphrey Bogart is excellent in this career defining role as bar owner Rick Blaine who has come into possession of two “letters of transit” which guarantee the holders unhindered passage out of Casablanca. He has these as Ugarte (Peter Lorre), the man who asked him to look after them, was captured by the Vichy French police before he could get them back. Ugarte had been planning to sell the documents to Victor Laszlo (Paul Henreid), a Czech nationalist who is fleeing from Nazi occupied Europe to the United States via neutral Portugal. Things are complicated by the fact that Laszlo’s wife Ilsa (Ingrid Bergman) had a relationship with Rick before the fall of Paris and he never really got over her.
Right up until the end we don’t know what Rick will do, perhaps he will let Victor and Ilsa have the letters, perhaps he will let Victor have them on condition that Ilsa stays with him or perhaps he will betray Victor and leave Casablanca himself with Ilsa. Bogart isn’t the only great performance; Ingrid Bergman is fantastic as Ilsa, there is a real chemistry between her and Bogart, Claude Rains is great as the French policeman who’s loyalty is likely to change depending on who he thinks is likely to be the most use to him and Paul Henreid’s restrained performance as Victor Laszlo is faultless too.
It is hard to say what genre this film is, it is one of the great romances, it is also a war film, a thriller and even has some subtle comedy moments. Don’t be put off by the film’s age or the fact that it is in black and white – CASABLANCA is a must see. Whatever your tastes you owe it to yourself to watch this at least once, although I suspect few people will only want to watch it just once.
I will be there with trivia and prizes so bone up on your CASABLANCA knowledge!
Next weekend (June 21st and 22nd) the Reel Late at the Tivoli midnight film will be Tim Burton’s BATMAN. Check back here at WAMG next week where we will be announcing the midnight shows for the rest of the summer.
I saw COYOTE last month when it played at midnight at the MX Theater in downtown St. Louis and found it to be a dark and disturbing home-grown chiller. There’s another screening this Friday night (June 14th), also at the MX, but it starts at 11pm instead of midnight. This time there will be short films from James Westbrook, Dylan Schnitker, and Carrie Juenger (hers is called CRABS IN THE DOLLHOUSE) and Daniel Irwin will be there to read some “weird and hilarious” poetry.
Also, the filmmakers will be participating in a Q&A session after the credits so if you’re curious about what the heck you just saw, here’s your chance.
Check it out at the new luxury theatre MX Movies in downtown St. Louis (618 Washington Ave St Louis, MO 63101). The screening is at 11:00pm and is Free! It’s a neat theater and since it’s free, a perfect opportunity to check it out. Did I mention it’s Free?
COYOTE, an “art-horror feature” tells of a writer (Bill Oberst Jr) whose insomnia causes him to suffer hallucinations. He’s distracted, irritated and slowly going mad. He’s soon taking it out on the people around him, and he’s not afraid to take violent measures. Bill Oberst played Honest Abe in ABRAHAM LINCOLN VS ZOMBIES which was actually better than the Spielberg film! Joe Hammerstone, Bill Finkbiner, Tasha Zebrowski, and Victoria Mullen round out the cast.
There will be $2 Pabst Blue Ribbon special and there will be other drink specials at the bar at MX that will be open till 1:30 and other food and concessions will be available for the duration of the film.
DID I MENTION IT’S FREE!? The movie’s Rated R so leave the kids at home (you shouldn’t have them out that late anyway!)
Parking validation will be provided for visitors parking in the 7th street garage For a fee of $3.. Admittance to the parking garage is only granted before midnight. After midnight you will be able to get out but not in.
The Facebook invite for the event can be found HERE
Today, DreamWorks Studios’ Stacey Snider, Partner and Co-Chair, and Ford Motor Company’s Jim Farley, Executive Vice President, Global Marketing, Sales and Service, announced an exclusive partnership for the feature film NEED FOR SPEED, which will include significant integration of Ford products, along with extensive media promotion by Ford at the time of the film’s release on March 14, 2014. The announcement coincides with the unveiling of a one-of-a-kind Ford Mustang for the film, during Electronic Arts’ press conference at E3 Expo in Los Angeles today.
The Ford-designed and created made-for-movie Mustang will be featured prominently throughout the film and become part of the mythology of the movie. The “Need for Speed” Mustang features a custom-designed wide body, unique 22-inch alloy wheels, and larger air intakes to feed the supercharged V8 engine under its classic Mustang twin-nostril hood.
“’Need for Speed’ is rooted in Americana, and when we were casting our hero car for the film, Ford Mustang was the obvious choice,” said Snider. “With its 50-year history in film, the iconic Mustang is the perfect co-star for Aaron Paul. We are privileged to have such an esteemed partner like Ford working with us on this film and look forward to seeing their Mustang up on the big screen next year.”
Ford also provided the production with an F-450 truck known in the film as “The Beast,” as well as another Mustang to serve as a specially designed camera car, which allows the filmmakers to capture car racing action in new and exciting ways.
NEED FOR SPEED marks an exciting return to the great car culture films of the 1960s and ’70s, tapping into what makes the American myth of the open road so appealing. The story chronicles a near-impossible cross-country journey for our heroes – one that begins as a mission for revenge but proves to be a journey of redemption.
“Ford Mustang is a symbol of freedom and optimism that allows you to be the person you dream of being, making it the perfect fit for this story,” said Farley. “Ford is excited to partner with DreamWorks and Electronic Arts as they bring the epic gaming franchise of ‘Need For Speed’ to the big screen, allowing us to go further with them as they tell their great story on the global stage.”
The movie is based on Electronic Arts’ popular video game series of the same name. It is one of the most successful racing video game franchises in the world, with more than 140 million games sold.
The film stars Aaron Paul (“Breaking Bad”), Dominic Cooper (“Captain America”), Imogen Poots (“Fright Night”) and Michael Keaton (“Batman”), and is directed by Scott Waugh (“Act of Valor”). George Gatins and John Gatins developed the story and wrote the screenplay. John Gatins, Patrick O’Brien and Mark Sourian are producing. The Walt Disney Company is distributing the film in the United States and select international territories, while Mister Smith Entertainment is handling distribution in Europe, Africa and the Middle East. DreamWorks’ partner Reliance will distribute the film in India.
“’The NEED FOR SPEED movie will embody everything that fans of action racing films want to see – hot cars, high-stakes street racing and mind-blowing stunts,” said Scott Waugh, director of the “Need for Speed” film. “The adrenaline-fueled story across America will keep viewers on the edge of their seats.”
The next game in the “Need for Speed” franchise, “Need for Speed Rivals,” will be available Nov. 19, 2013 for the Xbox 360® game and entertainment system from Microsoft, the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and PC. The game will launch on Xbox One, the all-in-one games and entertainment system from Microsoft and PlayStation 4 later this year.
“Not so haaaard!” was uttered several times yesterday as we celebrated the life and career of Joe Besser, the ‘St. Louis Stooge’ at the Esquire Theater in St. Louis. The film festival was part of a campaign to raise awareness in St. Louis that Joe Besser is one of us and to perhaps get him a star on the St. Louis Walk of Fame.
Attendance was strong at the fest yesterday with the crowd skewing older as though are the folks that remember Joe Besser who was born in 1907 and raised here, the 9th child of Morris and Fanny Besser up in Florissant. Joe Besser worked in vaudeville and Broadway and starred in his own comedy shorts for Columbia pictures before joining the Three Stooges in 1955 after Shemp Howard died suddenly. Besser would star in the last 16 Stooges shorts. After that Besser returned to films and television, most notably as superintendent “Jillson” on The Joey Bishop Show, and the voices of Babu in an animated version of I Dream of Jeannie and the character Putty Puss on the cartoon series The Houndcats. Joe Besser died of heart failure in 1988 at age 80.
Tom Stockman, publicist for the event, with Stooge fan Mike Dugge
Yesterday we showed Besser’s early shorts ARMY DAZE and FRAIDY CATS and the Stoooges shorts FLYING SAUCER DAFFY, A MERRY MIX-UP, and SAPPY BULLFIGHTERS! This was followed by a slide show featuring hundreds of rare photos of Joe Besser starring alongside Milton Berle, Abbott and Costello, and many more Hollywood stars. Abby Dalton, who costarred with Besser on the Joey Bishop Show TV series, called in and gave a nice remembrance of Besser over the phone. Two of Joe’s nieces were in attendance and asked questions from the audience and signed pictures of Joe with Larry and Moe. The Joe Besser Film Festival was a lot of fun. Thanks to everyone who attended.
Stooge fan (and something of a Stooge himself) Frank Fontana enjoys the Joe Besser Fest
The crowd getting ready for the festivities
Joe Besser’s nieces signing pictures of ‘Uncle Joe’ with Moe and Larry
The crowd waits in line to meet the Besser family members
Sim Gershon, organizer of the event, sells tickets
Check out the live stream from the New York City premiere of MAN OF STEEL!
Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Michael Shannon, Kevin Costner, Laurence Fishburne, Antje Traue, Ayelet Zurer, Russell Crowe and director Zack Snyder will be on the red carpet!
Live Red Carpet Show: 6:00pm EST – 7:00pm EST
Pre-show begins at 5:30pm EST
Fans can submit questions and comments during the live feed, using #manofsteel or #manofsteelpremiere.
In MAN OF STEEL, a young boy learns that he has extraordinary powers and is not of this Earth. As a young man, he journeys to discover where he came from and what he was sent here to do. But the hero in him must emerge if he is to save the world from annihilation and become the symbol of hope for all mankind.
Zack Snyder directed MAN OF STEEL from a screenplay by David S. Goyer from a story by Goyer & Nolan, based upon Superman characters created by Jerry Siegel & Joe Shuster and published by DC Entertainment. Charles Roven, Christopher Nolan, Emma Thomas and Deborah Snyder are the producers, with Thomas Tull, Lloyd Phillips and Jon Peters serving as executive producers.
The film stars Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Michael Shannon, Kevin Costner, Diane Lane, Laurence Fishburne, Antje Traue, Ayelet Zurer, Christopher Meloni and Russell Crowe.
Warner Bros. Pictures presents, in association with Legendary Pictures, a Syncopy Production, a Zack Snyder Film, MAN OF STEEL. The film will be released in 3D and 2D in select theaters and IMAX®, and is slated for release on June 14, 2013. It will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.
