Left to right: Nicole Eckenroad, Amanda Tasse, Maja Fernqvist, Yulin Kuang, Stephenie Meyer, Kristen Stewart, Cate Carson, Samantha Spear, Kailey Spear and Lindsay Hancock Williamson.
Lionsgate has announced that six filmmaker finalists and one wildcard winner of THE STORYTELLERS – NEW VOICES OF THE TWILIGHT SAGA were presented with plaques by Stephenie Meyer and Kristen Stewart at the WOMEN IN FILM CRYSTAL + LUCY AWARDS last night in Los Angeles.
This contest was made part by Lionsgate teaming up with Facebook, Women In Film, Tongal, and Stephenie Meyer to create short films based on characters from the World of Twilight, creating a unique opportunity for fans and female filmmakers.
THE STORYTELLERS – NEW VOICES OF THE TWILIGHT SAGA were chosen through Tongal, a crowd source site, where fans voted on their favorite characters and aspiring female filmmakers submitted screenplays and director pitches. The six winning shorts were financed through production advances, and fans, along with the star-studded female panelists, including Stephenie Meyer, actress Kristen Stewart, Academy Award winners Kate Winslet and Octavia Spencer, Jennifer Lee, the award-winning writer and one of the directors of Disney’s global blockbuster Frozen, Twilight director Catherine Hardwicke, Emmy Award-winning actress Julie Bowen, and Women In Film President Cathy Schulman will select a grand prize winning filmmaker. The grand prize winner will be entitled to a cash prize and career opportunities.
Plus – You’ll be able to catch all seven of these amazing new shorts when they hit Facebook NEXT MONTH. Mark your calendars and stay tuned for your favorite TWILIGHT characters’ Facebook debut very soon.
For more information, please visit the Twilight Facebook page and the Tongal site.
For my money, there are two truly amazing, ass-kicking action flicks that came out of 2014 and wouldn’t you know, neither of them are from the United States. One of them is the Indonesian sequel called THE RAID 2 and the other is the Chilean film called REDEEMER, written and directed by Ernesto Diaz Espinoza. If you enjoy your action fast-paced and in your face, then this is a must-see movie starring Marko Zaror as Pardo, a top former hit man for a drug cartel who has gone rogue, taking down bad guys and wrong-doers in an effort to redeem himself for his past sins in hopes of one day seeing his wife and unborn child in Heaven, both of whom were murdered by a rival assassin known as Scorpion, played by José Luís Mósca.
Feared and respected by Chilean gangsters, the tattoo-covered Pardo — known as The Redeemer — carries with him a handgun with a cross embossed in the handle and a single bullet. Before each mission of redemption against a sinner(s) he prays and plays a holy round of Russian roulette. If he lives, he goes forth and cleans another bad soul of the streets. Bodies quickly pile up as The Redeemer gets closer to the drug lord, an English-speaking, sarcastic jackass named Bradock, played by Noah Segan. As Pardo manhandles and punishes anyone who crosses his path, his true test of will and talent shows up out of his past.
Espinoza has crafted a superbly precise punch-fest, showing off some truly incredible fight choreography developed by the star, Marko Zaror, accompanied by the complimentary cinematography of Nicolas Ibieta. Keeping up with these fights while keeping it real and still visually engaging must have been a Hellish task, but that collaboration pays off big time. Not only does REDEEMER have the look and style of what made the best early 90s action flicks so memorable, it also features an equally reminiscent soundtrack with music by Claudio Rocco.
REDEEMER is a success due to many elements. The general plot is not necessarily anything original, but the story itself takes on its own personality and is unique enough to carry itself without ever feeling tired and played out. I found myself watching the film, not distracted, but in the back of my mind thinking about how it has elements of what made films like DESPERADO (1995) and THE CROW (1994) so memorable. Then I also realized it had storytelling elements that reminded me of Jackie Chan films, such as RUMBLE IN THE BRONX (1995), but without the cheese factor. That’s when I realized this is a film seen 20 years past its era, but it never feels dated. This is martial arts action filmmaking at its nostalgic finest.
Zaror is a master of his craft. Some of the fight sequences will literally blow your mind. Seriously. If you’re not careful, you’ll be picking bits of your brain off your widescreen television. In particular, the final fight before Pardo finds Bradock is with Bradock’s right hand man, his captain, so to speak, and this fight is not only long but rich in detail. Espinoza works beautifully with Zaror in capturing the essence of the fight with realism. Not only does the scene amaze with its creativity but the finer details like Pardo sizing up his opponent, noting his weaknesses and finding his opportunities are all present. Furthermore, Espinoza doesn’t make Pardo another unbeatable, perfect fighting machine. Pardo gets hit frequently and does not always have the upper hand. This is especially true once we witness Pardo’s final fight for his life and the life of a young woman.
REDEEMER gets the adrenaline flowing from the beginning and maintains an exhilarating pace, but the film also catches the eyes of more discerning viewers who may appreciate the MMA (mixed martial arts) sensibility of Zaror’s talents and the evolution of Pardo’s fighting style(s) as he adapts his technique depending on the number and abilities of his opponents. REDEEMER does often implement the slow motion camera technique in the editing room, but does so with a very light hand with the purpose of showcasing the more extraordinary spinning kicks and flips and acrobatic awesomeness that occurs on the screen. This is a film about drug dealers and organized crime, so guns do come into play, but are not the focus of the action and Pardo himself favors his feet and fists over guns as his deadly weapons of choice, except when absolutely necessary.
Espinoza delivers a movie that takes me back to the heyday of JCVD (Jean Claude Van Damn) and exposes audiences to a martial arts master otherwise not well known to the world outside of Central and South America. The drug lord played by Noah Segan is occasionally a bit much, cheeky and perhaps trying to hard to channel Christian Slater, but ultimately we realize he’s not the true big bad antagonist to Pardo anyway, which allows the audience to write Bradock off a sort of comic relief. REDEEMER is well worth seeing and, given the opportunity, certainly worth seeing in the theater if you’re a fan of quality action movies.
REDEEMER opened in theaters and Video On Demand on June 12th, 2015.
Experience the thrill of watching theatre at Shakespeare’s Globe from the comfort of the Tivoli Theater (6350 Delmar Boulevard, in The Loop, St. Louis, MO, 63130) thanks to‘Shakespeare’s Globe on Screen’. These productions of Shakespeare’s plays are shown on the Tivoli’s big screen in their entirety, giving you the opportunity to enjoy the world famous Globe Theatre and these critically acclaimed performances. Shakespeare’s Globe is a reconstruction of the theatre in which Shakespeare worked. With performances of Shakespeare, his contemporaries and new writing, productions play to over 300,000 people from around the world each summer.
We Are Movie Geeks has teamed up with the Tivoli Theater for a special giveaway! We have FIVE pairs of tickets (a $30 value) for the next installment of ‘Shakespeare’s Globe on Screen’, which will be COMEDY OF ERRORS. The date is next Thursday, June 25th and the show begins at 7pm.
All you have to do is leave a comment below and tell us why you want a free pass! We’ll contact the winners in a few days. Good luck!
COMEDY OF ERRORS stars Matthew Needham, Simon Harrison, Brodie Ross, and Jamie Wilkes and is directed by Blanche McIntyre
Synopsis for COMEDY OF ERRORS:
Take one pair of estranged twin brothers both called Antipholus (Matthew Needham and Simon Harrison), and one pair of estranged twin servants both called Dromio (Jamie Wilkes and Brodie Ross), keep them in ignorance of each other and throw them into a city with a reputation for sorcery, and you have all the ingredients for theatrical chaos. One Antipholus is astonished by his foreign hospitality; the other enraged by the hostility of his home town. The Dromios, caught between the two, are soundly beaten for obeying all the wrong orders. Basing his plot on a farce by Plautus, Shakespeare caps the mayhem of his Roman original to build up a hectic tale of violent cross-purposes, furious slapstick and social nightmare. The final Globe On Screen film for 2015, recorded earlier in the year, brings the perfect light relief to close an epic season of war and tragedy. This sell-out production employed authentic Renaissance costumes and staging and will have cinema audiences roaring with laughter.
The new dramatic comedy THE ROAD WITHIN stars Dev Patel, Robert Sheehan, Robert Patrick, Zoe Kravitz, and Kyra Sedgwick. It will be released on DVD and Blu-ray from WELL GO USA on July 7th, but you have a chance to win the Blu-ray in advance!
THE ROAD WITHIN tells the story of Vincent, a young man suffering from Tourette Syndrome. His mother dies so his estranged father, Robert, is forced to step in. However, Robert’s running for political office and doesn’t want his son on the campaign trail – so Robert puts Vincent in a clinic that’s run by the unconventional Dr. Mia Rose. Once there, Vincent falls in love with an anorexic woman named Marie. Together, they steal Dr. Rose’s car, and end up having to kidnap his OCD roommate, Alex, when he threatens to tell on them. With Robert and Dr. Rose in hot pursuit, Vincent, Marie and Alex go on a life changing road trip to deliver the ashes of his mother to the ocean
We Are Movie Geeks has TWO copies of THE ROAD WITHIN Blu-ray to give away. All you have to do is answer the following question: What is your favorite movie with the word ‘Road’ in it? (mine is THE ROAD WARRIOR……wait!…no!…it’s MAD MAX: FURY ROAD……I can’t decide!!!!)
It’s so easy! Just leave your answer in the comments below and we’ll choose a pair of winners next week. Good luck!
Graham Fuller of The New York Daily News says THE ROAD WITHIN has
“Riveting, full-blooded performances from the young leads and a tough-love ending raise it above what you may expect.”
Kirk Honeycutt of honeycuttshollywood.com says THE ROAD WITHIN is:
“One of those rare, rare movies that deals with challenging personality disorders with both wit and wisdom.”
The Los Angeles Times says of THE ROAD WITHIN:
“the message of self-acceptance rings true and clear.”
DVD and Blu-ray EXTRAS
Interviews with Cast and Director
Deleted Scenes
Trailer
Fifth Harmony, the award-winning girl group whose top 10, platinum hit “Worth It” is currently rocketing up the charts, has recorded the new song “I’m In Love With A Monster” for Sony Pictures Animation’s HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA 2, it was announced by Lia Vollack, president of Worldwide Music for Sony Pictures. The sequel to the monster hit, which took in over $350 million worldwide, will be released in theaters on September 25.
“I’m In Love With A Monster” will be heard in the film as well as in the new trailer, which launches this week. “I’m In Love With A Monster” is produced by Harmony Samuels and written by Harmony Samuels, Carmen Reece, Sarah Mancuso, Edgar Etienne, andEricka Coulter.
The new song will be released by Syco/Epic Records next month.
Commenting on the announcement, Vollack said, “There are few groups out there that can match the incredibly fun feel and animated vision that Genndy Tartakovsky is bringing to HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA 2, and Fifth Harmony knocked it out of the park. The song is exactly what we were hoping for.”
Ally, Normani, Dinah, Camila, and Lauren of Fifth Harmony said, “We’re incredibly excited that our song, ‘I’m In Love With A Monster,’ will be part of Hotel Transylvania 2! The movie is hilarious and so much fun!”
Drac’s pack is back for an all-new monster comedy adventure in Sony Pictures Animation’s HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA 2! Everything seems to be changing for the better at Hotel Transylvania… Dracula’s rigid monster-only hotel policy has finally relaxed, opening up its doors to human guests. But behind closed coffins, Drac is worried that his adorable half-human, half-vampire grandson, Dennis, isn’t showing signs of being a vampire. So while Mavis is busy visiting her human in-laws with Johnny – and in for a major cultural shock of her own – “Vampa” Drac enlists his friends Frank, Murray, Wayne and Griffin to put Dennis through a “monster-in-training” boot camp. But little do they know that Drac’s grumpy and very old, old, old school dad Vlad is about to pay a family visit to the hotel. And when Vlad finds out that his great-grandson is not a pure blood – and humans are now welcome at Hotel Transylvania – things are going to get batty!
The cast includes Adam Sandler (Dracula), Andy Samberg (Johnny), Selena Gomez (Mavis), Kevin James (Frank), Fran Drescher (Eunice), Steve Buscemi (Wayne), Molly Shannon (Wanda), David Spade (Griffin), Keegan-Michael Key (Murray) and Mel Brooks (Vlad).
The place to be in St. Louis this Friday June 19th, is the St. Louis Science Center where they will be honoring hometown native and star of Disney•Pixar’s upcoming feature INSIDE OUT Phyllis Smith! And while you’re there, celebrate learning about the human mind and body. The festivities begin at NOON.
Disney•Pixar’s INSIDE OUT opens in theaters nationwide this Friday, June 19th. The movie is all about what’s going on in the head of an 11-year-old named Riley. Five emotions operate the control center of Riley’s mind, including Joy, Sadness, Fear, Anger and Disgust. On the film’s opening day native St. Louisan Phyllis Smith, the voice of Sadness in the movie, will be honored at the Saint Louis Science Center as part of “INSIDE OUT Day” to celebrate the attention the film brings to learning about the human mind & body.
Assistant to Mayor Francis G. Slay, Josh Wiesend Bert Vescolani, Saint Louis Science Center President and CEO, will present Phyllis with a proclamation declaring it “INSIDE OUT Day” in the City of St. Louis. Following the presentation, Phyllis will participate in a brief meet-and-greet with Saint Louis Science Center visitors.
12:05 PM – 1:00 PM
Saint Louis Science Center is located at 5050 Oakland Ave.; St. Louis, MO 63110
Phyllis Smith, a native St. Louisan and longtime ensemble cast member in NBC’s hit series The Office, got her start in the entertainment industry working for casting agencies with clients such as Curb Your Enthusiasm, Arrested Development,Spin City,and NBC’s pilot of The Office. She appeared in “Bad Teacher,” “Butter” and “Alvin and the Chipmunks 3: Chipwrecked.” Additional acting credits include Arrested Development, the box-office hit “The 40-Year-Old Virgin” and the independent film “I Want Someone to Eat Cheese With”. Smith, a former St. Louis Cardinals cheerleader, received full scholarships in dance from Kansas University and Tulsa University, and she holds a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from the University of Missouri, St. Louis. She was also a ballet dancer with the St. Louis Civic Ballet and the St. Louis Dance Theater, as well as a professional jazz dancer under Raoul Appel. Smith attended Cleveland High School.
Do you ever look at someone and wonder what is going on inside their head? Disney•Pixar’s original new film INSIDE OUT ventures inside the mind to find out. Based in Headquarters, the control center inside 11-year-old Riley’s mind, five Emotions are hard at work, led by lighthearted optimist Joy (voice of Amy Poehler), whose mission is to make sure Riley stays happy. Fear (voice of Bill Hader) heads up safety, Anger (voice of Lewis Black) ensures all is fair and Disgust (voice of Mindy Kaling) prevents Riley from getting poisoned—both physically and socially. Sadness (voice of Phyllis Smith) isn’t exactly sure what her role is, and frankly, neither is anyone else. When Riley’s family relocates to a scary new city, the Emotions are on the job, eager to help guide her through the difficult transition. But when Joy and Sadness are inadvertently swept into the far reaches of Riley’s mind—taking some of her core memories with them—Fear, Anger and Disgust are left reluctantly in charge. Joy and Sadness must venture through unfamiliar places—Long Term Memory, Imagination Land, Abstract Thought and Dream Productions—in a desperate effort to get back to Headquarters, and Riley. Directed by Academy Award® winner Pete Docter (“Monsters, Inc.”, “Up”), produced by Jonas Rivera, p.g.a. (“Up”) and featuring an original score by Michael Giacchino (“The Incredibles,” “Ratatouille,” “Up”), Disney•Pixar’s INSIDE OUT opens in theaters on June 19, 2015.
The mission of the Saint Louis Science Center is to ignite and sustain lifelong science and technology learning. It is one of the top 15 science centers worldwide and was named one of the “Top 10 Science Centers for Families” by Parents magazine. The Saint Louis Science Center complex includes a four-story OMNIMAX® Theater, Boeing Hall and the James S. McDonnell Planetarium. For more information about the Saint Louis Science Center, please visit slsc.org.
In the aftermath of the BP oil spill, an idealistic but imperfect New Orleans politician (Nicolas Cage) finds his plans of restoration unraveling as his own life becomes contaminated with corruption, scandal and deceit.
Directed and written by Austin Stark, the film includes dynamic performances by Academy Award winner Nicolas Cage (Leaving Las Vegas), Golden Globe and Emmy award nominee Sarah Paulson (American Horror Story), Connie Nielsen (Gladiator), Wendell Pierce (The Wire), Bryan Batt (Mad Men) and Golden Globe winner Peter Fonda (Easy Rider).
THE RUNNER opens in theaters nationwide on Friday, August 7.
Composer Christophe Beck leads the musical force with his massive score for Marvel’s next blockbuster ANT-MAN, in theatres nationwide on July 17th, 2015.
The next evolution of the Marvel Cinematic Universe brings a founding member of The Avengers to the big screen for the first time. With the ability to shrink in size but grow in strength, a con man (Paul Rudd) must help his mentor (Michael Douglas) protect the secret of the Ant-Man suit and pull off a heist to save the world.
ANT-MAN tallies another Marvel Enterprises project for Beck; he collaborated with Marvel in 2014 writing the song “Blind Man” for The Amazing Spider Man 2, and scored Elektra in 2005.
For the ANT-MAN score, Christophe Beck combined action-oriented, grand-sounding superhero themes with fun and comical elements to evoke both anticipation and a sense of humor. Beck states: “For Ant-Man, I wanted to write a score in the grand symphonic tradition of my favorite superhero movies, with a sweeping scope and a big, catchy main theme. What makes this score stand out among other Marvel movies, though, is a sneaky sense of fun since it is, after all, not only a superhero movie, but also a heist comedy.” Beck’s score contributes to Ant-Man’s overall impact, emotionally engaging audience members and heightening all the thrills in this action-packed adventure.
Beck is currently scoring the highly anticipated film adaptation of Charles Shultz’s beloved comic strip, THE PEANUTS MOVIE.
Armed with the astonishing ability to shrink in scale but increase in strength, master thief Scott Lang must embrace his inner hero and help his mentor, Dr. Hank Pym, protect the secret behind his spectacular Ant-Man suit from a new generation of towering threats.
Against seemingly insurmountable obstacles, Pym and Lang must plan and pull off a heist that will save the world.
Marvel’s ANT-MAN stars Paul Rudd as Scott Lang aka Ant-Man, Evangeline Lilly as Hope Van Dyne, Corey Stoll as Darren Cross aka Yellowjacket, Bobby Cannavale as Paxton, Michael Peña as Luis, Tip “T.I.” Harris as Dave, Wood Harris as Gale, Judy Greer as Maggie, David Dastmalchian as Kurt, and Michael Douglas as Dr. Hank Pym.
Peyton Reed directs Marvel’s ANT-MAN with Kevin Feige producing and Louis D’Esposito, Alan Fine, Victoria Alonso, Michael Grillo, Edgar Wright and Stan Lee serving as executive producers. The story is by Edgar Wright & Joe Cornish and the screenplay is by Edgar Wright & Joe Cornish and Adam McKay & Paul Rudd.
Marvel’s ANT-MAN delivers a high-stakes, tension-filled adventure on July 17, 2015.
Grammy-winning Musician/Songwriter/Composer Heitor Pereira returns with a mischievous score for Illumination’s newest installment of the Despicable Me franchise, MINIONS, in theatres nationwide on July 10, 2015.
Pereira has been the musical voice of the minions since the beginning, earning critical acclaim and accolades including two Annie Award nominations (Despicable Me 1 & 2) and two ASCAP Film & TV Music Awards. This time, minions Stuart, Kevin, and Bob find themselves in the snares of super-villain Scarlet Overkill (Sandra Bullock), who, along with her inventor husband Herb (Jon Hamm), is scheming to take over the world.
Will the minions’ haphazard antics aid or avert this devious disaster?
Directed by Kyle Balda and Pierre Coffin, Minions also stars Chris Renaud, Allison Janney and Michael Keaton. The MINIONS soundtrack album will be released July 10, 2015 on Back Lot Music.
Building on chemistry and momentum from the first two Despicable Me films, Pereira continues his methodology of using non-traditional instrumentation to create new and evolved character themes for the minions. “Experimenting with sounds and manipulating them into ‘instruments’ is something I really enjoy doing,” states Pereira.
Pereira maintains the international-inspired influences of the first two Despicable Me films to create continuity in this latest installment of the franchise. “Everything has a rhythm,” he affirms. Minions is set in 1960’s London and Pereira’s score also includes fun, guitar-driven elements to set a historical tone for the film.
The story of Universal Pictures and Illumination Entertainment’s MINIONS begins at the dawn of time. Starting as single-celled yellow organisms, Minions evolve through the ages, perpetually serving the most despicable of masters. Continuously unsuccessful at keeping these masters—from T. rex to Napoleon—the Minions find themselves without someone to serve and fall into a deep depression.
But one Minion named Kevin has a plan, and he—alongside teenage rebel Stuart and lovable little Bob—ventures out into the world to find a new evil boss for his brethren to follow.
The trio embarks upon a thrilling journey that ultimately leads them to their next potential master, Scarlet Overkill (Academy Award winner Sandra Bullock), the world’s first-ever female super-villain. They travel from frigid Antarctica to 1960s New York City, ending in mod London, where they must face their biggest challenge to date: saving all of Minionkind…from annihilation.
Featuring a soundtrack of hit music from the ’60s that still permeates our culture today, MINIONS is produced by Illumination’s Chris Meledandri and Janet Healy, and is directed by Pierre Coffin and Kyle Balda. Brian Lynch has written the screenplay for the 3D-CG comedy adventure, and Chris Renaud serves as executive producer of the film.
Here’s a look at the first trailer for CAPTIVE from director Jerry Jameson.
CAPTIVE, based on a miraculous true story that drew the attention of the entire nation, is the dramatic, thrilling, and spiritual journey of Ashley Smith and Brian Nichols. After being taken hostage by Brian in her own apartment, Ashley turns to Rick Warren’s inspirational book, The Purpose Driven Life, for guidance.
In reading from the book, Ashley not only finds purpose in her own life, but helps Brian find a more peaceful resolution to a harrowing situation.
The film also features Leonor Varela, Jessica Oyelowo, Mimi Rogers and Michael K. Williams.
