Category: General News

MARIACHI GRINGO – SLIFF Review

Review by Dana Jung

For those (like me) who always thought of mariachi music as light party-time songs performed by fellows sometimes dressed in fun outfits, the new film MARIACHI GRINGO should open up a whole new world of musical education.  Steeped in more than a century of Mexican cultural tradition, mariachi actually has more in common with the travelling balladeers of old Europe in the way they drew on a huge repertoire of folk songs for almost any occasion.      

Shawn Ashmore (X-MEN, TVs LOST GIRL & WAREHOUSE 13) plays Edward, stuck in a small Kansas town living with his parents.  Without any details about his history, we can immediately sympathize with the sadness bordering on despair he feels.  A dead-end job and an over-protective mother are testing the limits of this young man’s psyche, but events are about to change his life forever.  When he withdraws to a local Mexican restaurant—more to drown himself in tequila than to sample the burritos—Edward luckily witnesses the restaurant owner singing mariachi.  Something stirs inside him, and he begins a tentative friendship and tutoring with the singer that will soon lead to a life decision to pursue a dream, a dream of becoming a mariachi gringo.

Director Tom Gustafson, working with a script by Cory James Krueckeberg, lets this story unfold with a nice eye for detail and a real love for the musical heritage of mariachi.  Edward’s musical knowledge is revealed in a few brief economical scenes.  His first attempts at mariachi in Guadalara are told with humor and an element of suspense at how this will turn out.  When Edward meets an attractive Mexican girl who helps him realize his dream, we are expecting the usual love story to unfold.  But this tale, like life, is full of gentle surprises that are both enlightening and poignant.  

Ashmore is excellent portraying a character following an obsession, without it seeming mentally unbalanced or even eccentric.  The undercurrent of emotion on Edward’s face during the climactic mariachi number literally leaves us holding our collective breath.  As Lilia, the young woman who believes in Edward, Mexican actress Martha Higareda is a revelation.  So full of life, yet touched by a melancholy that Edward only slowly understands, Higareda imbues Lilia with an underlying sorrow that is utterly real. 

Finally, a movie with “mariachi” in the title simply has to have a great soundtrack, and MARIACHI GRINGO does not disappoint.  Recording artist Lila Downs, herself a student of musical anthropology, is stunning in several numbers.  Lots of real-life singers and musicians fill the background of many scenes with their wonderful music.  Whether happy or sad, to tell a timeless story, or simply to bring a sense of nostalgic belonging to everyday existence, the mariachi tradition still lives on to enrich the lives of others—even a simple gringo.

MARIACHI GRINGO screens as part of the St. Louis International Film Festival Wed, Nov 14th at 9:30pm at Plaza Frontenac Cinema and Thu, Nov 15th at 2:00pm at Plaza Frontenac Cinema

 

DJANGO UNCHAINED 60 Second Clip And New Poster


(Yahoo! Movies)

“Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Vengeance.” There you have it. Here’s your first look at the new DJANGO UNCHAINED poster along with a brand new clip from the Quentin Tarantino film. In September the auteur was the recipient of the John Schlesinger Britannia Award for Excellence in Directing at the BAFTA Los Angeles Britannia Awards – the show was televised for the first time this past Sunday evening on BBC America.

Set in the South two years before the Civil War, DJANGO UNCHAINED stars Academy Award®-winner Jamie Foxx as Django, a slave whose brutal history with his former owners lands him face-to-face with German-born bounty hunter Dr. King Schultz (Academy Award®-winner Christoph Waltz). Schultz is on the trail of the murderous Brittle brothers, and only Django can lead him to his bounty. The unorthodox Schultz acquires Django with a promise to free him upon the capture of the Brittles — dead or alive.

Success leads Schultz to free Django, though the two men choose not to go their separate ways. Instead, Schultz seeks out the South’s most wanted criminals with Django by his side. Honing vital hunting skills, Django remains focused on one goal: finding and rescuing Broomhilda (Kerry Washington), the wife he lost to the slave trade long ago.

Django and Schultz’s search ultimately leads them to Calvin Candie (Academy Award®-nominee Leonardo DiCaprio), the proprietor of “Candyland,” an infamous plantation. Exploring the compound under false pretenses, Django and Schultz arouse the suspicion of Stephen (Academy Award®-nominee Samuel L. Jackson), Candie’s trusted house slave. Their moves are marked, and a treacherous organization closes in on them. If Django and Schultz are to escape with Broomhilda, they must choose between independence and solidarity, between sacrifice and survival…

Written and directed by Academy Award®-winner Quentin Tarantino, DJANGO UNCHAINED is produced by Stacey Sher, Reginald Hudlin and Pilar Savone. The executive producers are Harvey and Bob Weinstein, Michael Shamberg, Shannon McIntosh, and James Skotchdopole. DJANGO UNCHAINED will be released in the U.S. by The Weinstein Company on December 25, 2012, and internationally by Sony Pictures.

Check out the film’s recently UPDATED site: http://unchainedmovie.com/

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#DjangoUnchained

LES MISERABLES Strikes A Pose In Vogue, Hugh Jackman In Best Actor Race, Russell Crowe Sings In International Trailer

The cast of director Tom Hooper’s LES MISERABLES are dreaming a dream in a gorgeous new spread by photographer Annie Leibovitz in the latest Vogue photo shoot. Still sight unseen and just going by the trailer below, I will go out on a ledge and move this film right to the top of the Best Picture pile. Academy voters will love this type of big production, grand scale slice of old Hollywood!

In the latest Gold Derby podcast, Oscar pundits Thelma Adams and Tom O’Neil discuss the Oscar race. I noticed in particular Hugh Jackman’s name pop up in the Best Actor race during their half hour conversation.

She and I concur that the biggest suspense looming over this race is the quality of the performance by the star of still-unseen “Les Miserables.” “The huge open question is Hugh Jackman,” she adds.

Listen HERE for their thoughts on Russell Crowe as well. Speaking of Crowe, watch the full international trailer and hear the Oscar-winner sing at last.

Oh yeah, its all over… I give credit where credit is due as far as LINCOLN goes. Fine give the Academy Award to Daniel Day-Lewis and screenwriter Tony Kushner (maybe even Spielberg). But Tom Hooper and the epic he’s apparently made! LES MISERABLES wins Best Picture.

Les Misérables is the motion-picture adaptation of the beloved global stage sensation seen by more than 60 million people in 42 countries and in 21 languages around the globe and still breaking box-office records everywhere in its 27th year. Helmed by The King’s Speech’s Academy Award®-winning director, Tom Hooper, the Working Title/Cameron Mackintosh production stars Hugh Jackman, Oscar® winner Russell Crowe, Anne Hathaway, Amanda Seyfried, Eddie Redmayne, Aaron Tveit, Samantha Barks, with Helena Bonham Carter and Sacha Baron Cohen.

Set against the backdrop of 19th-century France, Les Misérables tells an enthralling story of broken dreams and unrequited love, passion, sacrifice and redemption—a timeless testament to the survival of the human spirit.  Jackman plays ex-prisoner Jean Valjean, hunted for decades by the ruthless policeman Javert (Crowe) after he breaks parole. When Valjean agrees to care for factory worker Fantine’s (Hathaway) young daughter, Cosette, their lives change forever.

In December 2012, the world’s longest-running musical brings its power to the big screen in Tom Hooper’s sweeping and spectacular interpretation of Victor Hugo’s epic tale.  With international superstars and beloved songs—including “I Dreamed a Dream,” “Bring Him Home,” “One Day More” and “On My Own”—Les Misérables, the show of shows, is now reborn as the cinematic musical experience of a lifetime.

“Like” it on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LesMisMovie
http://www.lesmiserablesfilm.com/

Twitter: www.twitter.com/lesmiserables  #LesMis

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THE HOST New Trailer Features Saoirse Ronan, Diane Kruger And William Hurt

Check out the first full-length trailer for Stephenie Meyer’s (THE TWILIGHT SAGA) next film, THE HOST, where Earth is occupied by a species who erase the minds of their human hosts, leaving their bodies intact. Melanie Stryder (Saoirse Ronan) is one of the last surviving humans who fights back, risking her life for the people she cares about most – Jared (Max Irons), Ian, (Jake Abel), her brother Jamie (Chandler Canterbury) and her Uncle Jeb (William Hurt) – proving that love can conquer all.

I like that the writer of THE TERMINAL and THE TRUMAN SHOW, Andrew Niccol, is directing and writing this sci-fi movie. For those searching out a love story set in the future combined with a Bella and Edward setup, this could be the TWILIGHT/GATTACA mashup you’re looking for.

THE HOST, starring Oscar-nominated Saoirse Ronan, Max Irons, Jake Abel and William Hurt, will be in theaters nationwide March 29th, 2013.

Like THE HOST on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/thehostmovie
Follow THE HOST on Twitter: https://twitter.com/thehostfilm

Focus World Acquires U.S. Rights To THE DEEP

Focus World, the alternative distribution initiative owned and operated by Focus Features, has acquired U.S. rights to the riveting drama THE DEEP, directed by Baltasar Kormákur (director of this year’s Contraband and next year’s 2 Guns). The announcement was made today by Focus President Andrew Karpen. THE DEEP will be released in the first half of 2013.

THE DEEP has been selected as Iceland’s official submission for the 2013 Academy Awards, in the Best Foreign-Language Film category. Directed, produced, and co-written by Mr. Kormákur, The Deep dramatizes an astonishing true incident about the sole survivor of a downed fishing boat. An ordinary man’s will to live made him a reluctant national hero – one whose truly fearless act was to journey home. The film screened at the Mill Valley and Toronto International Film Festivals after being a box office smash in its home country. BAC Films is handling foreign sales of THE DEEP.

Mr. Kormákur most recently directed Contraband, starring Mark Wahlberg, which Universal Pictures opened in the #1 slot at the domestic box office this past January; the film was based on Reykjavik-Rotterdam, the Icelandic feature which Mr. Kormákur had previously starred in and produced. Universal will release the director’s next movie, 2 Guns, starring Denzel Washington and Mr. Wahlberg, in theaters nationwide on August 16, 2013. His Icelandic films as director include Reykjavik 101, The Sea, and Jar City. Mr. Kormákur is currently developing an English-language remake of Jar City with Lava Bear Films and Furst Films; Viking, an action adventure to film in Iceland; Everest, about events on the mountain in 1996; and a film version of Halldór Laxness’ beloved, Nobel Prize-winning book Independent People. He will also direct the pilot episode of The Missionary, produced by Mr. Wahlberg. His other feature credits as a director include A Little Trip to Heaven, White Night Wedding, and Inhale.

THE DEEP was shot entirely in Iceland, much of it on the open sea, and stars Olafur Darri Olafsson, a frequent collaborator of Mr. Kormákur’s. Agnes Johansen and Mr. Kormákur, through his Blueeyes Productions, are the film’s producers, and Lilja Palmadottir and David Linde are the executive producers. The screenplay is by Jon Atli Jonasson and Mr. Kormákur, based on the former’s stage play of the same name as well as on news reportage of the events that transpired.

The deal was closed by Avy Eschenasy, Executive Vice President, Strategic Planning, Business Affairs and Acquisitions, and Kent Sanderson, Director, Alternative Content & Distribution, with WME Global.

(www.FocusFeatures.com/FocusWorld)

BRAVE – The Blu Review

By Joe Vanourney

I’ve felt letdown by Pixar Animation Studios for a long while.  I embraced their early works like “Toy Story” and “Monsters, Inc.”  I enjoyed “Finding Nemo” and “Toy Story 2”.  But then something happened.  I can’t place my finger on exactly what.  But the honeymoon ended. I felt “The Incredibles” was overrated.  I found “Wall-E” to be the same, and also pretentious.  Other than the wonderful and emotionally draining opening sequence, I despised “Up”.  Don’t even get me started with “Cars”.  Or “Cars 2”.  Ugh.

With that being said, Pixar’s newest entry “Brave” continues the slide into mediocrity as one of the lesser entries in the Pixar canon. It is now available in a 5-disc Ultimate Collector’s Edition from Walt Disney Studios and Buena Vista Home Entertainment, and features a 3D Blu-ray disc, a 2D Blu-ray disc, a standard DVD disc, a disc of bonus features, and a digital copy disc for downloading the film onto your portable players.

Set in Scotland when there were still clans and kings and queens, “Brave” introduces us to Merida (Kelly McDonald), a young princess with flowing red hair. Merida prefers archery and riding around in the forest on her steed Angus, than fulfilling her role as princess. She has a strained relationship with her mother Queen Elinor (Emma Thompson), and the two are constantly at each other over her getting married and fulfilling her duties to the kingdom. Merida is more of a free spirit and feels she has a destiny beyond that of her Queen Mother. She seeks the help of a witch who can change the fate that lays before her. However, as is often the case, one must be careful for what one wishes for, as that creates a big mess that Merida must spend the rest of the film trying to fix.

Ultimately, “Brave” is a mother-daughter love story. I could not connect to the characters in the film at all. I felt the script and the direction was uninspired. It is a surprisingly bland film. I did not care for the character design in the film. While I LOVED the background animations of picturesque Scotland, which are also photo-realistic, the characters looked—fake isn’t quite the word—more like odd. In a not-quite-Claymation kind of way. It bugged me.

Video: The video quality of the film as presented on disc is top-notch though. Those Scotland settings are absolutely stunning, The majestic Highlands, the sun-reflecting waterfalls, the misty forests, the gorgeous greens of the moss-covered hills—all are beautiful to look at in 1080p High Definition. And despite the flaws I have with the character designs, Merida’s pile of curly red hair is incredibly detailed and looks great as well. In the second half of the movie, when the film takes place in dark places, the black levels are excellent.

Audio: Again, top-notch. The 7.1 Dolby True HD Audio track supports clear and clean center-channel dialogue, while the surround sound doesn’t neglect more subtle noises. The haunting wisps are used to great effect here. The brawl scene and the climatic battle scene fill all of the speakers to great effect, giving an impressive panning of the soundfield, putting you right in the middle of the action.

Extras: There is an extensive amount of extras covering two discs, and there is a lot to like here. There is an audio commentary track with director Mark Andrews, co-director Steve Purcell, story supervisor Brian Larsen, and editor Nick Smith. It is an above average commentary track. They keep things interesting and moving, although director Andrews seems almost too enthused in the way he gushes about this film.

There are two short films included as extras: “La Luna”- a whimsical short that played before “Brave” in theaters, and “The Legend of Mordu”—which expands upon a backstory featured in the film. “La Luna” is pretty decent (Pixar is still creating great shorts), while “Mordu” is pretty sub-standard.

There are eight Behind-the-Scenes shorts on the Blu-ray disc which total about 50 minutes. The best is “Brave Old World” which follows the animators on a research trip to Scotland to get a sense of the land and locations that they would later use in the film. It is a beautiful and interesting doc. Another segment, titled “Merida and Elinor” explores the lead female characters with the voice cast, designers, and animators. “Bears” shows animators creating the animals featured in the film from doing zoo research and internal discussion. “Brawl in the Hall” looks at the animation and development of the comedic clash of the clans. “Wonder Moss” delves into the complex creation of the film’s background moss. “Magic” dissects “Brave’s” fairy tale roots and magical elements. “Clan Pixar” introduces the film’s artists and animators in a behind-the-scenes short filmed at Pixar Studios, where the animators would do fun Scottish activities while working on the film. And “Once Upon a Scene” offers a glimpse into various versions of “Brave’s” opening and other key scenes from the film. These shorts are all well-produced, but somewhat dry. I wish they would have been edited into a more comprehensive feature-length making-of documentary.

Other bonus features included in the set include four extended scenes, promotional pieces including theatrical trailers and shorts, an art gallery full of sketches and paintings, and an alternate opening.

Regardless of the quality of the film itself, the disc of “Brave” will go down as one of the better ones released this year. Too bad the effort was wasted on such an inferior film.

FILM QUALITY: 2 OUT OF 5 STARS
VIDEO QUALITY: 5 OUT OF 5 STARS
AUDIO QUALITY: 5 OUT OF 5 STARS
BONUS FEATURES: 4 OUT OF 5 STARS

Win Passes To The Screening Of A LATE QUARTET In St. Louis

On the eve of a world renowned string quartet’s 25th anniversary season, their beloved cellist, Peter Mitchell (Christopher Walken), is diagnosed with the early symptoms of Parkinson’s Disease. When Peter announces he wishes to make the upcoming season his last, his three colleagues find themselves at a crossroad. Competing egos and uncontrollable passions threaten to derail years of friendship and collaboration. Robert Gelbart (Philip Seymour Hoffman), the quartet’s second violinist, announces his desire to alternate chairs with first violinist Daniel Lerner (Mark Ivanir), after years of sacrifice and peacemaking for the benefit of the group. Robert’s wife, violist Juliette Gelbart (Catherine Keener) has a particularly difficult time grappling with the tragic diagnosis, as Peter has served not only as a colleague, but as a dear father figure since childhood. When Juliette is unable to support her husband, their marriage is strained with a palpable tension that they can no longer ignore. Tossed into the maelstrom is their daughter Alexandra (Imogen Poots), a talented violinist in her own right. Like her father, she too decides to act on her desires.

As the string quartet prepares to play Opus 131 for what might be the members’ last concert together, the seven movements of the piece echo their own tumultuous journey. Writer/Director Yaron Zilberman (WATERMARKS)’s A LATE QUARTET features Christopher Walken, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Catherine Keener, Mark Ivanir and Imogen Poots.

Read Tom Stockman’s interview with director Yaron Zilberman here.

WAMG invites you to enter to win a pass (good for 2) to the screening of A LATE QUARTET on November 19 at 7PM in St. Louis.

OFFICIAL RULES:

1. YOU MUST BE IN THE ST. LOUIS AREA THE DAY OF THE SCREENING.
2. FILL OUT YOUR NAME AND E-MAIL ADDRESS BELOW. REAL FIRST NAME REQUIRED.
3. ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTION:  The centerpiece of the movie is Opus 131 in C# minor, which was written a half a year before this composer passed away. Name the composer.

WINNERS WILL BE CHOSEN THROUGH A RANDOM DRAWING OF QUALIFYING CONTESTANTS. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. PASSES WILL NOT BE SUBSTITUTED OR EXCHANGED. DUPLICATE TICKETS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.

The film is RATED R.

http://www.alatequartet.com/

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Cinedigm To Release VIOLET & DAISY, Starring Saoirse Ronan & James Gandolfini

Cinedigm has acquired North American distribution rights to writer-director Geoffrey Fletcher’s VIOLET & DAISY, which world premiered at the 2011 Toronto International Film Festival. Fletcher recently earned the Cinevation Award for his work on VIOLET & DAISY at the 2012 Savannah Film Festival. Cinedigm’s theatrical distribution will commence in 2013, with subsequent roll out across on-demand, digital and DVD.

VIOLET & DAISY stars Saoirse Ronan (HANNA) and Alexis Bledel (GILMORE GIRLS) as two young, pop culture-obsessed assassins in New York City who accept what they think will be a quick and easy job until an unexpected target, played by James Gandolfini, throws their plan into chaos. The film, described by The Hollywood Reporter as “a surreal fable,” is Oscar®-winning screenwriter (PRECIOUS: BASED ON THE NOVEL PUSH BY SAPPHIRE) Geoffrey Fletcher’s directorial debut. The film is produced by Geoffrey Fletcher, John Penotti, and Bonnie Timmermann.

“Geoffrey has once again created a uniquely profound coming-of-age story that effortlessly mixes gritty realism with pop culture fantasies,” said Vincent Scordino, Vice President of Acquisitions, Theatrical, for Cinedigm. “It’s a film that will inspire other artists, while satisfying audiences across the country through a variety of delivery platforms.”

“Cinedigm’s formidable team and innovative spirit are great for cinema and a perfect match for Violet & Daisy.” said Fletcher. “Our entire team is thrilled to be working with them.”

The filmmakers were represented in the negotiation by GreeneStreet Films and CAA, and for Cinedigm by Scordino.

STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION – A Celebration of Season 2 In Theaters Thursday, November 29

In celebration of the upcoming Blu-Ray release Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 2 is coming back to movie theatres nationwide on Thursday, November 29, 2012 at 7:00 p.m.

This not to be missed movie theatre event will feature two of the most popular Next Generation episodes, Q Who? and The Measure of a Man which will include, for the very first time, about 13 minutes of never before seen additional content.

This special event will also include exclusive looks at the extensive restoration taken to make Season 2 look better than ever before, never-before-seen interviews with the original cast members, a behind-the-scenes look at the artists who created the original FX elements and photography and a reunion with the original cast members, captured in December 2011, as they celebrate 25 years of this unforgettable series.

Set in the 24th century, The Next Generation was created by Gene Roddenberry over 20 years after the original Star Trek series. The Next Generation became the longest running series of the Star Trek franchise, consisting of 178 episodes over 7 seasons. Star Trek: The Next Generation – A Celebration of Season 2 is the first opportunity to see a transcendent digital presentation and the world premiere of the extended cut of The Measure of a Man in select movie theaters nationwide on Thursday, November 29 at 7:00 PM (local time).

Star Trek: The Next Generation – A Celebration of Season 2

Tickets on sale now  http://www.fathomevents.com/classics/event/startrekng2.aspx 

11/29/2012 7:00 PM GDR Columbia-Jefferson City
Forum 8 – 1209 Forum Katy Pkwy Columbia MO 65203

11/29/2012 7:00 PM AMC St. Louis
Esquire 7 – 6706 Clayton Rd Saint Louis MO 63117

Watch THE TWILIGHT SAGA: BREAKING DAWN – PART 2 Red Carpet LIVE From The World Premiere

Yahoo! Movies, (http://movies.yahoo.com) in conjunction with Summit Entertainment, a LIONSGATE company, will present the exclusive live webcast of the red carpet world premiere of “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2” on TODAY at 4:30 pm PT on Yahoo! Movies: http://movies.yahoo.com/twilight.

Yahoo! Movies will bring fans up close to the highly anticipated final chapter of The Twilight Saga with a front row seat to all of the action as their beloved stars hit the red carpet world premiere for the film – live from Los Angeles. Produced by NowLive, the HD live stream will be the biggest production yet for a Twilight Saga premiere, featuring the most comprehensive coverage of the red carpet with 4 hosts on two interview platforms including the talent’s first stop at the main stage and a multi-camera setup with 8 cameras, including the following vantage points:

  • Main Stage Interview Platform
  • Arrivals Cam
  • Fashion Cam
  • Bird’s Eye View
  • Fan Cam

The live stream will showcase all of the fashion, interviews and excitement from the red carpet in real time and in HD quality picture. During the online live stream fans will have the opportunity to submit questions for the stars via Yahoo! Answers, Flickr, Twitter @yahoomovies, and Facebook (http://facebook.com/yahoomovies).  In addition, the “Twilight” stars will have the opportunity to share messages with their fans as they come through the red carpet.  On Twitter, the hashtag for the event is #BreakingDawnLive. The live stream will also be available on mobile phones and tablet devices.

Based on Stephenie Meyer’s best-selling book series that has entranced millions, “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2,” marks the final chapter of one of the world’s most beloved series and biggest blockbusters. The conclusion will give fans an astonishing, surprising ending to the spellbinding tale of vampire love, boundless friendship, acceptance, and finding your true self with the characters they have come to love through “Twilight, The Twilight Saga: New Moon, The Twilight Saga: Eclipse” and “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1.”