A grand adventure full of heart, memorable characters and signature Pixar humor, “Brave” uncovers a new tale in the mysterious Highlands of Scotland where the headstrong Merida (voice of Kelly Macdonald) defies an age-old custom and inadvertently unleashes chaos, forcing her to discover the meaning of true bravery before it’s too late. Opens June 22, 2012, in Disney Digital 3D™ in select theaters.
WAMG invites you to enter for your chance to win passes to the advance 3D screening of Disney/Pixar’s “Brave” on Tuesday, June 19th, 7pm at the B&B Wildwood 10.
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: Tell us your favorite Disney Princess and why.
Winners will be chosen at random from all entries. Supplies are limited. Limit one (1) pass per person, passes admit (2) two. Sponsor’s employees and their dependants are ineligible. Screening is overbooked to ensure capacity. Please refer to passes for any other possible restrictions. No purchase necessary.
Since ancient times, stories of epic battles and mystical legends have been passed through the generations across the rugged and mysterious Highlands of Scotland. From Disney and Pixar, a new tale joins the lore when the courageous Merida(voice of Kelly Macdonald) confronts tradition and challenges destiny to change her fate.
“Brave” follows the heroic journey of Merida, a skilled archer and headstrong daughter of King Fergus (voice of Billy Connolly) and Queen Elinor (voice of Emma Thompson). Determined to carve her own path in life, Merida defies an age-old custom sacred to the unruly and uproarious lords of the land: massive Lord MacGuffin (voice of Kevin McKidd), surly Lord Macintosh (voice of Craig Ferguson) and cantankerous Lord Dingwall (voice of Robbie Coltrane). Merida’s actions inadvertently unleash chaos and fury in the kingdom, and when she turns to an eccentric Witch (voice of Julie Walters) for help, she is granted an ill-fated wish. The ensuing peril forces Merida to harness all of her skills and resources – including her clever and mischievous triplet brothers – to undo a beastly curse before it’s too late, discovering the meaning of true bravery.
Directed by Mark Andrews and Brenda Chapman, and produced by Katherine Sarafian, “Brave” is a grand adventure full of heart, memorable characters and signature Pixar humor that audiences of all ages around the world have come to eagerly expect. The film takes aim at theaters on June 22, 2012, and will be presented in Disney Digital 3D™ in select theaters.
In MADAGASCAR 3: EUROPE’S MOST WANTED Alex the Lion, Marty the Zebra, Gloria the Hippo, and Melman the Giraffe are still fighting to get home to their beloved Big Apple and of course, King Julien, Maurice and the Penguins are all along for the comedic adventure. Their journey takes them through Europe where they find the perfect cover: a traveling circus. On Thursday the stars turned out for the New York premiere of DreamWorks Animation’s MADAGASCAR 3: EUROPE’S MOST WANTED at the Ziegfeld theatre.
Jada Pinkett Smith, Willow Smith and Will Smith.
Chris Rock and family.
(Left to right) Andy Richter, Jada Pinkett Smith, Chris Rock, Ben Stiller, Jessica Chastain and David Schwimmer.
It’s been MADAGASCAR week here at WAMG and today is the final day to enter our giveaway. One grand prize winner will receive the soundtrack from Interscope Records.
Soundtrack available at MadagascarMovie.com & retailers everywhere!
Check out this behind the scenes featurette from the film.
All week we’ve introduced you to all the characters for the film. In today’s final installment, we look at three old friends who’ve we’ve known from the first MADAGASCAR film.
Mort
Ever faithful Mort will sacrifice almost anything (including himself) to gain the favor of his highness King Julien, but his constant dedication puts him in some sticky situations thanks to the boastful lemur king.
The Penguins
Stealthy and adventurous, Skipper, Kowalski, Rico and Private sneak through Europe on a mission. They cook up a clever plan to help the Zoosters hijack a European traveling circus and turn it into a true three ring adventure.
Mason, Phil and the Rest of the Chimps
After taking Monaco and the casino by storm, the Chimps become circus operators — transforming a run-down European circus into a Madagascar-styled spectacular.
1. FILL OUT YOUR NAME AND E-MAIL ADDRESS BELOW. REAL FIRST NAME REQUIRED. WINNER MUST HAVE A U.S. ADDRESS.
2. ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTION: Who provides the voice for Mort?
WINNERS WILL BE CHOSEN THROUGH A RANDOM DRAWING OF QUALIFYING CONTESTANTS. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY.
MADAGASCAR 3: EUROPE’S MOST WANTED has been rated PG for some mild action and rude humor by the MPAA.
Talk about taking the long way home…
In the third installment of the billion-dollar “Madagascar” franchise, Alex (Ben Stiller), Marty (Chris Rock), Gloria (Jada Pinkett Smith) and Melman (David Schwimmer) are determined to make their way back to The Central Park Zoo in New York City. Leaving Africa behind, they’ve taken a detour and surfaced, quite literally, in Europe — on a hunt for the penguins and chimps who have managed to break the bank of a Monte Carlo casino. Soon the animals are discovered by dogged French animal control officer Capitaine Chantel DuBois (Frances McDormand) who does not appreciate zoo animals running wild in her city and is thrilled by the idea of hunting her first lion! The Zoosters find the perfect cover in a down-and-out traveling circus where they hatch a plan to reinvent the circus, discover a few new talents and make it home to New York alive.
For the first time in 3D, the Zoosters of Madagascar are on the run, hiding out with the circus, doing death defying tricks and making new friends.
DreamWorks Animation SKG Presents “Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted,” a PDI/DreamWorks Production featuring the voices of Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, David Schwimmer, Jada Pinkett Smith, Sacha Baron Cohen, Cedric The Entertainer, Andy Richter, Frances McDormand, Jessica Chastain, Bryan Cranston and Martin Short. The film is directed by Eric Darnell and Tom McGrath, helmers of the franchise’s the first two installments, which earned more than $1 billion at the boxoffice, and are joined this go-round by director Conrad Vernon (“Shrek 2,” “Monsters vs. Aliens”). The screenplay is written by Eric Darnell and Noah Baumbach (“Fantastic Mr. Fox,” “Greenberg”). It is produced by Mireille Soria (“Madagascar 2”) and Mark Swift (“Madagascar 2”). The music is by Hans Zimmer.
MADAGASCAR 3: EUROPE’S MOST WANTED will be in theaters June 8, 2012.
1979. Unwary cinema participants. A monster in space. ALIEN redefined the horror genre as never before.”It is a very slow-building film that gives the sense of some great unnamed terror to come. That’s a quality that has much more to do with horror than it does with science fiction.” David Thomson, author of The Alien Quartet says ALIEN is “basically a haunted house film… The only difference is that the old dark house just happens to be a spaceship.”
Sir Ridley Scott, the renowned filmmaker who reinvented the science fiction film genre – having helmed Alien, a groundbreaking mix of science fiction and horror, followed by Blade Runner, one of the most revered and influential genre films of our time – offers his signature brand of action, thrills, scares, and much, much more, when PROMETHEUSis unleashed in theaters on Friday. With PROMETHEUS, Scott has created a new mythology, in which a team of explorers discover a clue to the origins of mankind on Earth, leading them on a thrilling journey, aboard the spaceship Prometheus, to the darkest corners of the universe. There, they must fight a terrifying battle to save the future of the human race.
On the verge of scaring us senseless once again and introducing us to a whole new ensemble, the crew of the USS We Are Movie Geeks compiled a list of our favorite characters from the original ALIEN. This week’s Top Ten Tuesday is all about the poor sods who go head to head against “Kane’s son”.
10. The Company
The Company, or “Weyland-Yutani” is the large conglomerate that runs the human colonies outside of the solar system. They are an awful corporate group whose major purpose is to obtain living Xenomorphs as a biological weapon. The goal of this megacorporation, as revealed in Alien Vs. Predator (2010) is to ensure that the human species remains superior.
9. Ash
One of the great twists in ALIEN is the secret behind this cold, methodical crewman. His attack on Ripley with a rolled-up magazine is brutally shocking in a film chock full of brutal shocks. Ash’s creepy smile as he utters, ” You have my sympathies.” is the stuff of cinematic nightmares.
8. “Mother”
The real fear comes not from the mechanoid Alien but the uncaring computer “Mother”. She’s basically the Nostromo’s housekeeper, keeping an eye on everything while the human crew is in suspended animation necessitated by the long journey back to Earth. The dichotomy comes when the “parent” is forced to destroy the house and children she was entrusted to protect.
Ripley: Mother! I’ve turned the cooling unit back on. Mother! Mother: The ship will automatically destruct in “T” minus five minutes. Ripley: You… BITCH!
7. Jones
When, at the end of Alien, Sigourney Weaver says, “This is Ripley, last survivor of the Nostromo, signing off,” she’s not telling the whole truth. Because there’s another survivor, curled up with her in the hypersleep capsule. Jones (or Jonesey) the ginger tom.
Jones serves multiple functions within the Alien storyline:
1) CATGUFFIN, a pretext for characters to go wandering off on their own.
2) CATPANION, an excuse for Ripley to express herself out loud when she’s otherwise alone.
3) CATSHOCK, a cheap shock tactic in which the cat jumps out unexpectedly.
4) CATSCALLION, a wild card; at the end of the film, the cat might yet be harbouring an alien.
In short, one cannot overestimate the importance of Jones to Alien.
6. Brett
Brett is an engineering tech who is constantly after a raise. He is the first to encounter a full blown Alien… all because he was searching for Jones the cat. Lesson: If you search for a cat, you get dragged into an air duct.
5. Lambert
Veronica Cartwright did an interview for Starlog magazine many years ago that was curiously titled “I was raped by an Alien”. What exactly is the fate of Lambert, the Alien’s first female victim? Her death is off-screen and the fact that her corpse, which we only get a brief glimpse of hanging from the ceiling, is stark naked insinuates that the creature may have indeed raped or sodomized her. I guess what happens in deep space, stays in deep space.
4. Kane
Someone had to be impregnated by the terrifying beastie and it may as well have been the sap willing to go down into the bowels of the derelict ship – Thomas Kane (John Hurt), Executive Officer aboard the Nostromo. It’s what followed a few mere minutes later that will forever be ingrained in the psyche of all who saw the film in May of 1979. The Alien unexpectedly bursts through his chest and kills him during the crew’s dinner.
3. Dallas
The commander of the Nostromo, Captain Dallas, is a stoic movie hero in the vein of Gary Cooper. He has the unflinching respect of his somewhat motley crew, and when their lives are at risk he himself ventures down the narrow air shafts to locate the ship’s unwelcome guest. His horrific sacrifice is even more gruesome in the film’s extended cut.
2. Parker
Chief engineer, smart-alec, complainer and realist. He and Ripley make good team as they’re both skillful and determined to live through the nightmare. That is until he makes the foolish mistake of trying to save the sell-shocked Lambert. (Frankly, we’d have left her whiny ass behind.) There is some comfort that at least before having his head impaled by the creature, he’s able to make a fiery “s-more” out of “the goddamn robot” Ash sent by the company with the flamethrower.
1. Ripley
“Final report of the commercial starship Nostromo. Third officer reporting. The other members of the crew Ash and Captain Dallas are dead.” Ridley Scott’s revolutionary film made history not only with the infamous chest-burster scene but by turning the notion of the woman as victim into the heroine on its ear. Ultimately ALIEN is the story of Warrant Officer Ellen Ripley. Her resourcefulness, courage and let’s just say it, keeping her shit together, makes her a hero for the ages and the obvious choice for our number 1 pick for this edition of Top Ten Tuesday.
So there you have it. Let us know who your favorite character is from Ridley Scott’s 1979 masterpiece in our comment section below.
PROMETHEUS marks Scott’s first film shot digitally and in 3D, a format whose technical challenges and aesthetic opportunities were embraced by the filmmaker. Scott uses the technology to enhance the action and thrills in small confined spaces, as well within epic vistas. In returning to the genre he helped define, Ridley Scott continues to push the boundaries of storytelling, both visually and thematically. As he notes, he’s all about the “everything” – from story structure to casting, from sets and costumes to new ways of telling a story. And while the renowned filmmaker is scaring the shit out of you, he never loses sight of the big picture. “After you’ve seen Prometheus,” Scott concludes, “you will have experienced something completely unexpected.”
While still in his teens, Donny (Adam Sandler) fathered a son, Todd (Andy Samberg), and raised him as a single parent up until Todd’s 18th birthday. Now, after not seeing each other for years, Todd’s world comes crashing down on the eve of his wedding when an uninvited Donny suddenly shows up. Trying desperately to reconnect with his son, Donny is now forced to deal with the repercussions of his bad parenting skills.
WAMG invites you to enter for your chance to win passes to the advance screening of THAT’S MY BOY on June 12 at 7pm at the Wehrenberg Ronnies 20 Cine.
OFFICIAL RULES:
FILL OUT YOUR NAME AND E-MAIL ADDRESS BELOW. REAL FIRST NAME REQUIRED.
ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTION: What’s the name of Adam Sandler’s production company?
WINNERS WILL BE CHOSEN THROUGH A RANDOM DRAWING OF QUALIFYING CONTESTANTS. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. PASSES WILL NOT BE SUBSTITUTED OR EXCHANGED
This film has been rated R by the MPAA for the following reasons: CRUDE SEXUAL CONTENT THROUGHOUT, NUDITY, PERVASIVE LANGUAGE AND SOME DRUG USE.
THAT’S MY BOY stars Adam Sandler, Andy Samberg, Leighton Meester, and James Caan. Directed by Sean Anders. Produced by Adam Sandler, Jack Giarraputo, Heather Parry, and Allen Covert. Written by David Caspe. Executive producers are Barry Bernardi, John Morris, Dennis Dugan, and Tim Herlihy. Director of Photography is Brandon Trost. Production Designer is Aaron Osborne. Editor is Tom Costain. Costume Designer is Ellen Lutter. Music by Rupert Gregson-Williams. Music Supervision by Michael Dilbeck, Brooks Arthur, and Kevin Grady.
THAT’S MY BOY will be released in theaters nationwide on June 15.
In MADAGASCAR 3: EUROPE’S MOST WANTED Alex the Lion, Marty the Zebra, Gloria the Hippo, and Melman the Giraffe are still fighting to get home to their beloved Big Apple and of course, King Julien, Maurice and the Penguins are all along for the comedic adventure. Their journey takes them through Europe where they find the perfect cover: a traveling circus.
Who’s ready to “MOVE IT , MOVE IT” WAMG readers? You’re in for a contest treat – Madagascar style!
All this week we will reacquaint you with old friends from the original two movies as well as introduce you to the newest characters from MADAGASCAR 3: EUROPE’S MOST WANTED.
Each day one person will be selected to win a prize and then at the end of the week, we will select a grand prize winner to win the soundtrack from Interscope Records.
Soundtrack available at MadagascarMovie.com
& retailers everywhere!
Track listing:
1. New York City Surprise – Hans Zimmer
2. Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now) – Danny Jacobs
3. Wannabe – Danny Jacobs
4. Game On – Hans Zimmer
5. Hot In Herre – Danny Jacobs
6. We No Speak Americano – Yolanda Be Cool & Dcup
7. Light the Hoop On Fire! – Hans Zimmer
8. Fur Power! – Hans Zimmer
9. Non Je Ne Regrette Rien – Frances McDormand
10. Love Always Comes As a Surprise – Peter Asher
11. Rescue Stefano – Hans Zimmer
12. Firework – Katy Perry
13. Afro Circus/I Like To Move It – Chris Rock, Danny Jacobs
READY? HERE WE GO…
Alex the Lion
The King of New York still yearns to return home to his throne in the Central Park Zoo. Hiding in a European traveling circus with the rest of the Zoosters may finally be his ticket back to the Big Apple, but things aren’t easy when the gang finds themselves as “Europe’s Most Wanted.”
Marty
Although he found his herd in Africa, Marty isn’t willing to leave his best friend Alex’s side. The opportunity to join the circus gives Marty the shot of adrenaline he needs – he just didn’t realize he is the one being shot…out of a cannon.
Melman
Did you hear the one about the hypochondriac giraffe who finally found love with a hippo? Melman’s dreams are realized as he and Gloria figure out how to balance it all -on the circus high wire!
1. FILL OUT YOUR NAME AND E-MAIL ADDRESS BELOW. REAL FIRST NAME REQUIRED. WINNER MUST HAVE A U.S. ADDRESS.
2. ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTION: Who provides the voices for Melman, Marty and Alex ?
WINNERS WILL BE CHOSEN THROUGH A RANDOM DRAWING OF QUALIFYING CONTESTANTS. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY.
MADAGASCAR 3: EUROPE’S MOST WANTED has been rated PG for some mild action and rude humor by the MPAA.
DreamWorks Animation SKG Presents Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted, a PDI/DreamWorks Production featuring the voices of Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, David Schwimmer, Jada Pinkett Smith, Sacha Baron Cohen, Cedric The Entertainer, Andy Richter, Frances McDormand, Jessica Chastain, Bryan Cranston and Martin Short. The screenplay is written by Eric Darnell and Noah Baumbach (“Fantastic Mr. Fox,” “Greenberg”). It is produced by Mireille Soria (“Madagascar 2”) and Mark Swift (“Madagascar 2”). The music is by Hans Zimmer.
MADAGASCAR 3: EUROPE’S MOST WANTED will be in theaters June 8, 2012.
MOONRISE KINGDOM is the new movie directed by two-time Academy Award-nominated filmmaker Wes Anderson (The Royal Tenenbaums, Fantastic Mr. Fox, Rushmore).
Set on an island off the coast of New England in the summer of 1965, MOONRISE KINGDOM tells the story of two 12-year-olds who fall in love, make a secret pact, and run away together into the wilderness. As various authorities try to hunt them down, a violent storm is brewing off-shore – and the peaceful island community is turned upside down in every which way. Bruce Willis plays the local sheriff, Captain Sharp. Edward Norton is a Khaki Scout troop leader, Scout Master Ward. Bill Murray and Frances McDormand portray the young girl’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. Bishop. The cast also includes Tilda Swinton, Jason Schwartzman, and Bob Balaban; and introduces Jared Gilman and Kara Hayward as Sam and Suzy, the boy and girl.
Enter for a chance to win passes to the advance screening of Focus Features’ MOONRISE KINGDOM – Wednesday, June 6 at 7pm at the Tivoli.
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: Besides Wes Anderson, name the three other directors that Bill Murray often works with.
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.
Moonrise Kingdom is the new movie directed by two-time Academy Award-nominated filmmaker Wes Anderson (The Royal Tenenbaums, Fantastic Mr. Fox, Rushmore). Set on an island off the coast of New England in the summer of 1965, Moonrise Kingdom tells the story of two 12-year-olds who fall in love, make a secret pact, and run away together into the wilderness. As various authorities try to hunt them down, a violent storm is brewing off-shore – and the peaceful island community is turned upside down in every which way. Bruce Willis plays the local sheriff, Captain Sharp. Edward Norton is a Khaki Scout troop leader, Scout Master Ward. Bill Murray and Frances McDormand portray the young girl’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. Bishop. The cast also includes Tilda Swinton, Jason Schwartzman, and Bob Balaban; and introduces Jared Gilman and Kara Hayward as the boy and girl. The movie, MPAA-rated “PG-13,” is written by Mr. Anderson & Roman Coppola. The producers are Mr. Anderson, Scott Rudin, Steven Rales, and Jeremy Dawson.
PEACE, LOVE AND MISUNDERSTANDING is a comedy about an uptight New York City lawyer who takes her two spirited teenagers to her hippie mother’s farmhouse in the countryside for a family vacation. What was meant to be a weekend getaway quickly turns into a summer adventure of romance, music, family secrets, and self-discovery. Directed by two-time Academy Award®–nominated Bruce Beresford, PEACE, LOVE AND MISUNDERSTANDING stars Academy Award®–winning Jane Fonda, two-time Academy Award®–nominated Catherine Keener, Chace Crawford, Kyle MacLachlan, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Elizabeth Olsen, Nat Wolff, and Rosanna Arquette.
The film was the Official Selection at the 2011 Toronto International Film Festival.
WAMG has passes to the advance screening on Wednesday, June 6 at 7pm at Plaza Frontenac.
OFFICIAL RULES:
1. YOU MUST BE IN THE ST. LOUIS AREA THE DAY OF THE SCREENING.
2.FILL OUT YOUR REAL NAME AND EMAIL ADDRESS BELOW.
3. What are the TWO films that Jane Fonda has won the Best Actress Oscar for?
WINNERS WILL BE CHOSEN FROM ALL QUALIFYING ENTRIES. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. PRIZES WILL NOT BE SUBSTITUTED OR EXCHANGED.
Written by Christina Mengert & Joseph Muszynski and produced by Jonathan Burkhart, Brice Dal Farra, Claude Dal Farra, and Lauren Munsch, PEACE, LOVE AND MISUNDERSTANDING will be in theaters June 8 and On Demand June 15.
Under the direction of Adam Shankman (“Hairspray”), New Line Cinema’s feature film adaptation of the smash hit Broadway musical “Rock of Ages” comes to the big screen.
“Rock of Ages” tells the story of small town girl Sherrie and city boy Drew, who meet on the Sunset Strip while pursuing their Hollywood dreams. Their rock ‘n’ roll romance is told through the heart-pounding hits of Def Leppard, Foreigner, Journey, Poison, REO Speedwagon, Twisted Sister and more.
The movie musical stars Julianne Hough (“Burlesque”), with actor/singer Diego Boneta in his feature film debut, Russell Brand (“Arthur,” “Get Him to the Greek”), Oscar® nominee Paul Giamatti (“Cinderella Man”), Academy Award® winner Catherine Zeta-Jones (“Chicago”), Malin Akerman (“The Proposal”) and R&B queen Mary J. Blige, with Oscar® nominee Alec Baldwin (“The Cooler,” TV’s “30 Rock”), and Oscar® nominee Tom Cruise (“Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol,” “Magnolia,” “Jerry Maguire”) as Stacee Jaxx.
WAMG has ROCK OF AGES passes to the June 11th screening at the Great Escape Gravois Bluffs at 7pm.
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: Tower Records, The Roxy, the Whiskey, Filthy McNasty’s (now The Viper Room), Centerfold Newsstand, The Comedy Store, Gazzarri’s (now the Key Club), The Body Shop, Ben Frank’s, Duke’s, and SunBee Liquors. Where are these memorable Hollywood landmarks located?.
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.
This film has been rated PG-13 for sexual content, suggestive dancing, some heavy drinking, and language.
Shankman directs “Rock of Ages” from a screenplay by Justin Theroux and Chris D’Arienzo and Allan Loeb, based on D’Arienzo’s musical of the same name. The film is being produced by Matthew Weaver, Scott Prisand, Carl Levin, Tobey Maguire, Garrett Grant and Jennifer Gibgot, with Toby Emmerich, Richard Brener, Michael Disco, Samuel J. Brown, Hillary Butorac Weaver, Janet Billig Rich, Shankman and D’Arienzo serving as executive producers.
Rounding out the “Rock of Ages” creative team are director of photography Bojan Bazelli (“Hairspray”), production designer Jon Hutman (“It’s Complicated”), editor Emma E. Hickox (“A Walk To Remember”), Oscar®-nominated costume designer Rita Ryack (“How the Grinch Stole Christmas,” “Hairspray”), Grammy-nominated music supervisor Matt Sullivan (“Dreamgirls,” “Nine”), executive and Emmy Award-winning choreographer Mia Michaels (“So You Think You Can Dance”). The original score is by Adam Anders and Peer Astrom (TV’s “Glee”).
New Line Cinema presents, a Corner Store Entertainment production, in association with Material Pictures, in association with Offspring Entertainment, an Adam Shankman film, “Rock of Ages.” The film will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.
In the third installment of the billion-dollar “Madagascar” franchise, MADAGASCAR 3: EUROPE’S MOST WANTED, Alex (Ben Stiller), Marty (Chris Rock), Gloria (Jada Pinkett Smith) and Melman (David Schwimmer) are determined to make their way back to The Central Park Zoo in New York City. Leaving Africa behind, they’ve taken a detour and surfaced, quite literally, in Europe – on a hunt for the penguins and chimps who have managed to break the bank of a Monte Carlo casino. Soon the animals are discovered by dogged French animal control officer Capitaine Chantel DuBois (Frances McDormand) who does not appreciate zoo animals running wild in her city and is thrilled by the idea of hunting her first lion! The Zoosters find the perfect cover in a down-and-out traveling circus where they hatch a plan to reinvent the circus, discover a few new talents and make it home to New York alive.
For the first time in 3D, the Zoosters of Madagascar are on the run, hiding out with the circus, doing death defying tricks and making new friends. The film is directed by Eric Darnell and Tom McGrath, helmers of the franchise’s the first two installments, which earned more than $1 billion at the boxoffice, and are joined this go-round by director Conrad Vernon (“Shrek 2,” “Monsters vs. Aliens”).
WAMG is giving away passes to the advance screening of MADAGASCAR 3: EUROPE’S MOST WANTED, Saturday,June 2nd at the B&B Wildwood 10 at 10:00 AM.
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: Tom McGrath directed what 2010 animated hit?
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.
MADAGASCAR 3: EUROPE’S MOST WANTED has been rated “PG” for some mild action and rude humor by the MPAA.
The Penguins (left to right): Kowalski (Chris Miller), Skipper (Tom McGrath), Private (Christopher Knights) and Rico assess the situation in DreamWorks Animation’s MADAGASCAR 3: EUROPE’S MOST WANTED, to be released by Paramount Pictures.
Left to right: Alex the Lion (Ben Stiller) and Gia the Jaguar (Jessica Chastain) are fearless trapeze artists in DreamWorks Animation’s MADAGASCAR 3: EUROPE’S MOST WANTED, to be released by Paramount Pictures.
Left to right: Melman the Giraffe (David Schwimmer), Gloria the Hippo (Jada Pinkett Smith), Marty the Zebra (Chris Rock), Stefano the Sea Lion (Martin Short) and Alex the Lion (Ben Stiller) are ready to perform in DreamWorks Animation’s MADAGASCAR 3: EUROPE’S MOST WANTED, to be released by Paramount Pictures.
DreamWorks Animation SKG Presents Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted, a PDI/DreamWorks Production featuring the voices of Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, David Schwimmer, Jada Pinkett Smith, Sacha Baron Cohen, Cedric The Entertainer, Andy Richter, Frances McDormand, Jessica Chastain, Bryan Cranston and Martin Short. The screenplay is written by Eric Darnell and Noah Baumbach (“Fantastic Mr. Fox,” “Greenberg”). It is produced by Mireille Soria (“Madagascar 2″) and Mark Swift (“Madagascar 2”). The music is by Hans Zimmer.
MADAGASCAR 3: EUROPE’S MOST WANTED will be in theaters June 8, 2012.
Where were you 35 years ago, fellow movie geeks ( if you even existed ) ? Well, it turns out that today, May 25, 2012, is the 35th anniversary of the day the original STAR WARS ( it wouldn’t be given the episode IV subtitle for several years ) exploded on USA movie screens. This was the big one. Steven Spielberg had established the Summer as a prime time for escapist Hollywood blockbusters with JAWS in 1975 , but George Lucas solidified ” school’s out ” as the ” get out of the heat and lose yourself in a fantasy world ” season. It’s difficult to convey to you younger film fans what a game changer this was. Most sci-fi fantasy films were ultra-low budget saucers on the loose with guys in ill-fitting rubber suits B movies. We had the occasional big, stompin’ monster epics from Japan along with the James Bond series ( by then in the very tongue-in-cheek Roger Moore era ). The Planet of the Apes series had run its course, but the major studios would dip their toes in sci-fi with LOGAN’S RUN and THE OMEGA MAN. And there were re-issues of 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY. But these films didn’t have a sense of adventure that connected with 70’s movie audiences ( along with a great sense of humor ). This may be an amazing example of being in the right place at the right time. The public craved heroes and Lucas stepped up and delivered.
Here’s my personal SW story. I first became aware of the film in the early issues of Starlog ( this full color newstand magazine devoted to sci-fi and fantasy films started in 1976. Talk about your right place/ right time ). In the upcoming films column they mentioned a movie from AMERICAN GRAFFITI director Lucas called STAR WARS about the adventures of ” Luke Starkiller “. Hmmmm. I really enjoyed Graffiti, so I’ll have to check this out. Soon Starlog was teasing us with samples of Ralph McQuarrie’s pre-production art ( like the image up above ). When I began college in Chicago, I hit the used bookstores and found this recent paperback from Ballentine Books’ SF line:
As you see, the cover also featured McQuarrie’s art. In November of 76 I decided to treat myself after a long week of school and go to one of the premiere downtown Chicago movie houses, the McClurg Court, and see this boxing flick called ROCKY. Well before meeting Mr. Balboa on those mean streets of Philly, several previews were shown, one of which was this teaser from 20th Century Fox:
We in the theatre audience were a bit dumbfounded. I Imagined thought bubbles coming from everyone’s heads that proclaimed ” Huh? ” and ” Wha-?”. The fellow behind the sweet 60’s nostalgia flick is slumming with rockets and weird ” thingies “. Fox is gonna’ take a bath with this! Items would appear in movie columns over the next few months. In the Spring of 77 Marvel Comics published a monthly comic book tie-in/adaptation of the May release. It featured terrific Howard Chakyn art with a taut script from Conan scribe Roy Thomas. Marvel had done some licenced properties before, but could this find an audience?
Soon I was in the last days of my freshman year of college. On my way to class, the current issue of Time magazine caught my eye poking out of a newsstand. There across the top, above the logo was the banner: ” Inside the year’s best movie”. Past the Middle East conflict cover story was a rave review of STAR WARS. And I found out that it was opening in the Chicago area that Friday. I hatched a plan. After Dinner at the dorm that night, my new pals Dave and Chad ( names changed ) and I would walk the twelve blocks to the single screen Esquire theatre, just off Michigan Avenue, and catch the 8 PM show. We got there a half hour or so early and joined the growing line on the street. When the previous showing let out a very odd thing happened. Complete strangers were coming up to people in line and proclaiming, ” You’re gonna’ love it!’. Wow, this may be something!
We settled into our seats in the middle of the auditorium. The Fox logo appeared with the fanfare extending with the extra horns that used to signal a Cinemascope film. I was hooked already. This night was one of my best movie going experiences ever. Everyone gasped when the first ships passed over the camera. They booed and hissed at the arrival of Darth Vader. Several special effects shots were greeted with enthusiastic applause ( particularly the Millenium Falcon’s first jump to light speed ). Chad, who’s a huge John Wayne fan, whispered to me during the cantina scene, ” This is a Western!’. After staying to see all of the long list of end credits, we walked energized out on to the street. We came across a still open record store ( ah, remember them? ) and David bought the 2 disc soundtrack set. Back at the dorm we listened to John Williams’s stirring score into the wee hours while telling our dorm pals that they absolutely had to see this movie. The next day I was to have a Saturday afternoon date with a woman from my school. First lunch, then back to the Esquire for a matinee! There I heard a man telling his son, ” This is like Flash Gordon! “.
Returning to Southern Illinois for Summer break, I awaited the film’s opening in Carbondale. This was before the 3000 screen same day releases, so the film slowly made its way to smaller markets over the next months. But the trailer was playing. A reviewer for the SIU-Carbondale student paper wrote that the only good thing about the EXORCIST sequel was the STAR WARS Trailer playing with it. When it finally opened at the old Fox theatre, I made sure that my student movie-making pal Todd was with me at its Carbondale premiere. I had to rescue him from the concession stand so he wouldn’t miss the first scene! Later the Summer I also picked up the 2 LP set, more Marvel Comics ( they reprinted those first six issues countless times, perhaps saving the comics industry from collapse ), several movie magazines featuring the cast and characters and an eight minute scene released on Super 8 color sound ( those pricey Betamax video recorders didn’t have current films and the home video explosion was still 4 or 5 years away ) which was looped on to my old hot projector whenever I got the chance. And this was before the merchandise really exploded with the Kenner toy line. Back in Chicago for my sophomore year, the film was still playing at several theatres ( that next May a suburban theatre still playing the film placed a full-page newspaper ad featuring a one year cake adorned with the Kenner action figures ). At the dorm we listened to the Williams score and the Meco disco mix, I drew up a SW themed Christmas card and dressed up as Obi Wan for the big Halloween party ( always grew the beard when I went back to school ). I probably ended up seeing the film 25 times over that first year of release. And this was the standard wall decoration for all the dorm rooms….
The legacy lives on! We certainly wouldn’t have this weekend’s MEN IN BLACK 3 and the box office juggernaut MARVEL’S THE AVENGERS without that odd little epic that seemed to come out of nowhere. No amount of dismal prequels or endless directorial tweeking will erase my memories of that magical May night. So, what are your special remembrances? Drop a comment here or at our Facebook page. Obi-Wan’s last bit of dialogue from the film can certainly be applied to the legacy of STAR WARS : ” The force will be with you…always”
