Africa World Documentary Film Festival Review – OBAMA MAMA

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Review by Stephen Tronicek

OBAMA MAMA screens at the Africa World Documentary Film Festival Sunday, February 7, 2016 at 1:00pm. The festival takes place at the Missouri History Museum, 5700 Lindell Blvd (63112). For a complete schedule of all of the films, go HERE

OBAMA MAMA allows the fascinating life of President Barack Obama’s mother to be revealed in an inoffensive, very politically correct way. It covers young Stanley Ann Dunham’s life as she spent time discussing civil rights with her classmates, and becoming an anthropologist. The film has her classmates discussing how great she was and how she was such an inspiring person, and a women who experienced so much. Much of the film is also put aside to show colleagues of Stanley’s talking about the way that women are treated in the country that she made the biggest difference on, Indonesia. The discussion of rights, and the achievements of Dunham are ripe for discussion, and the film is perfect for the discussion format that it is getting screened in.

TRUTH Starring Cate Blanchett on Blu-ray and DVD Today

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If there ever were a single event that established the internet as a counter to a highly biased press, it was Dan Rather’s blatant attempt in 2004 to fix an election using phony documentation. It’s been well documented that 60 Minutes Producer Mary Mapes and Rather wanted a “gotcha” story so they ignored journalistic standards to produce one. And they might have gotten away with it (and in an earlier day they would have), except we had entered the Internet age where almost anyone at home could check the facts and documents. That’s what happened and the story quickly fell apart. They got caught lying and fabricating evidence and were drummed out of the mainstream media. That would make an interesting movie rather than TRUTH, an attempt to make cheaters look like they were doing something noble.

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Yet some critics liked the film. Cate Marquis here at We Are Movie Geeks wrote:

“TRUTH is a strong film about the challenges of journalism now, told through a famous incident that brought down a man who had been seen as a giant of TV journalism and which marked a shift in how reporting was perceived.“Read all of Cate’s review HERE

Now you can judge for yourself as TRUTH has arrived on Blu-ray and DVD from Sony Pictures.

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Experience an incredible true story that rocked the world of television journalism when TRUTH premieres on Blu-rayand DVD Feb. 2 from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. Directed and written by James Vanderbilt (writer Zodiac, The Amazing Spider-Man 2), TRUTH is based on award-winning TV producer Mary Mapes’ memoir, Truth and DutyThe Press, the President, and the Privilege of Power, which chronicles the story of Dan Rather (Robert Redford) and Mary Mapes’ (Cate Blanchett) investigation into a sitting President’s military service. But when doubts arise, sources change their stories and accusations fly, their story becomes one of network news’ biggest scandals.

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The TRUTH bonus features further illuminate the events and issues that sent shockwaves through the journalistic community. Exclusive to the Blu-ray are deleted scenes and a featurette, “The Reason for Being,” with Dan Rather, Mary Mapes, Robert Redford and Cate Blanchett discussing the real events upon which the story was based and the important questions the film raises about journalism, political influence and the meaning of truth. Included on both the Blu-ray and DVD is a special featurette, “The Team,” where the A-list cast and filmmakers discuss the journey of bringing the film to the screen; a Q&A with Cate Blanchett, Elisabeth Moss and James Vanderbilt; and a Commentary with James Vanderbilt and producers Brad Fischer and William Sherak.

SYNOPSIS

Robert Redford and Cate Blanchett star in TRUTH, based on a riveting true story of one of network news’ biggest scandals. As a renowned producer and close associate of Dan Rather (Redford), Mary Mapes (Blanchett) believes she’s broken the biggest story of the 2004 election: revelations of a sitting U.S. President’s military service. But then allegations come pouring in, sources change their stories, document authenticity is questioned, and the casualties begin to mount. This dramatic thriller goes behind the scenes to expose the intricacies of journalistic integrity and what it takes to reveal the TRUTH.

Blu-ray & DVD Bonus Features:                                                              

  • Featurette:The Team
  • Q&A with Cate Blanchett, Elisabeth Moss and James Vanderbilt
  • Commentary with Director James Vanderbilt, Producers Brad Fischer and William Sherak

Blu-ray & Digital Exclusives*:

  • Deleted Scenes
  •     Featurette:The Reason For Being

 

Trailer Debuts For THE CONFIRMATION Starring Clive Owen, Maria Bello And Patton Oswalt

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Here’s  your first look at the brand new trailer for THE CONFIRMATION starring Clive Owen, Jaeden Lieberher, Matthew Modine, Patton Oswalt, Robert Forster, Stephen Tobolowsky, Tim Blake Nelson, and Maria Bello.

Clive Owen shines in this irresistible comedy as Walt, a down-on-his luck carpenter tasked with entertaining his eight-year-old son Anthony while Anthony’s mom (Maria Bello) and her new husband are away. But when Walt’s prized toolbox is stolen, a quiet father-and-son weekend turns into an adventure of a lifetime.

Aided by an oddball drywall repairman (Patton Oswalt), Walt and Anthony go on a wildly funny search for the thieves—and find something they never imagined: a true family connection.

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Directed by Bob Nelson, writer of NEBRASKA (Oscar nomination for Original Screenplay), THE CONFIRMATION opens in select theaters and On Demand Friday, March 18th.

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Watch The Trailer For GREEN ROOM Starring Patrick Stewart

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Check out the new trailer for A24’s GREEN ROOM from writer/director Jeremy Saulnier.

GREEN ROOM is a brilliantly crafted and wickedly fun horror-thriller starring Patrick Stewart as a diabolical club owner who squares off against an unsuspecting but resilient young punk band.

Down on their luck punk rockers The Ain’t Rights are finishing up a long and unsuccessful tour, and are about to call it quits when they get an unexpected booking at an isolated, run-down club deep in the backwoods of Oregon. What seems merely to be a third-rate gig escalates into something much more sinister when they witness an act of violence backstage that they weren’t meant to see. Now trapped backstage, they must face off against the club’s depraved owner, Darcy Banker (Stewart), a man who will do anything to protect the secrets of his nefarious enterprise. But while Darcy and his henchmen think the band will be easy to get rid of, The Ain’t Rights prove themselves much more cunning and capable than anyone expected, turning the tables on their unsuspecting captors and setting the stage for the ultimate life-or-death showdown.

Intense, emotional, and ingeniously twisted, Green Room is genre filmmaking at its best and most original. Saulnier continues to build his reputation as one of the most exciting and distinctive directors working today, with a movie that’s completely different from his previous, highly acclaimed Blue Ruin, but which is just as risk-taking and even more full of twists.

The cast also includes Anton Yelchin, Imogen Poots, Alia Shawkat, Joe Cole, Callum Turner, Mark Webber, Eric Edelstein, Macon Blair and Kai Lennox.

GREEN ROOM opens in NY/LA on April 15 and nationwide on April 29.

Visit the the film’s official site: greenroom-movie.com

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The Academy Announces Oscar Week Events Leading Up To 88th Oscars

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If you’re in the Southern California area during the days leading up the 88th Oscars on February 28th, there are great events at the Academy that no movie fan will wants to miss.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will present a series of public programs celebrating this year’s nominees in the Animated Feature Film, Documentary Feature, Documentary Short Subject, Foreign Language Film, Makeup and Hairstyling, and Animated and Live Action Short Film categories.  All events will be held at the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills.

The Oscar Week schedule is as follows:

OSCAR WEEK: SHORTS

Tuesday, February 23, 7 p.m.

Hosted by director Jennifer Yuh Nelson

Yuh Nelson received an Oscar nomination in the Animated Feature Film category for “Kung Fu Panda 2” and is the director of the sequel “Kung Fu Panda 3,” currently in theaters.  The program will delve into the Animated Short Film and Live Action Short Film categories with complete screenings of all the nominated films as well as onstage panel discussions with the filmmakers (schedules permitting).

OSCAR WEEK: DOCUMENTARIES

Wednesday, February 24, 7:30 p.m. 

Hosted by Documentary Branch governors Kate Amend and Rory Kennedy

Amend is a film editor whose documentary feature credits include “The Case against 8” and the Oscar winners “Into the Arms of Strangers: Stories of the Kindertransport” and “The Long Way Home.”  Kennedy is a producer-director who received an Oscar nomination last year for the documentary feature “Last Days in Vietnam.”  Her other credits include “Ethel” and “Ghosts of Abu Ghraib.”  All the films nominated in Documentary Feature and Documentary Short Subject categories this year will be presented in an evening of clips and onstage discussions with the filmmakers (schedules permitting).

OSCAR WEEK: ANIMATED FEATURES

Thursday, February 25, 7:30 p.m.

Hosted by producer Roy Conli and directors Don Hall and Chris Williams

Conli, Hall and Williams took home Animated Feature Film Oscars last year for “Big Hero 6.”  Conli’s other feature credits include “Tangled” and “The Hunchback of Notre Dame.”  Hall made his feature directorial debut with “Winnie the Pooh.”  Williams previously received an Oscar nomination as the co-director of “Bolt.”  This year’s nominees in the Animated Feature Film category (schedules permitting) will talk about their creative processes and present clips illustrating their techniques.

OSCAR WEEK: FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILMS

Saturday, February 27, 10 a.m. 

Hosted by Producers Branch governor Mark Johnson

Johnson won the 1988 Best Picture Oscar for “Rain Man” and received a second nomination for “Bugsy.”  The directors of the nominated films in the Foreign Language Film category (schedules permitting) will explore a wide range of topics, from their experiences developing their projects to the specific challenges of their profession.  The program will include clips from each of the nominated films.

OSCAR WEEK: MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING SYMPOSIUM

Saturday, February 27, 3 p.m. 

Moderated by makeup artist Leonard Engelman

Engelman, a longtime governor of the Makeup Artists and Hairstylists Branch, has served as a makeup artist on such features as “Burlesque,” “Heat,” “Moonstruck” and “Ghostbusters.”  In Oscar Week’s final public event, the nominees in the Makeup and Hairstyling category (schedules permitting) will reveal the secrets behind their on-screen work.  Photographs, appliances, molds, wigs and other items will be on display in the theater lobby.

Tickets are now available online at Oscars.org. Tickets to the Shorts, Docs, Animated Features and Foreign Language Films events are $5 for the general public and $3 for Academy members and students with a valid ID (Shorts and Foreign Language Films tickets limited to four per person).  Admission to the Saturday afternoon Makeup and Hairstyling event is free, but advance tickets are required (limited to two per person). The Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater is located at 8949 Wilshire Boulevard in Beverly Hills. Doors open one hour prior to each event.

All ticketed seating is unreserved.  For more information, visit Oscars.org or call (310) 247-3600.

The 88th Oscars will be held on Sunday, February 28, at the Dolby Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center in Hollywood, and will be televised live by the ABC Television Network at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT.  The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 225 countries and territories worldwide.

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Watch the Terrifying New Trailer for the CABIN FEVER Reboot!

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I loved the original CABIN FEVER! Remember when Cerina Vincent was shaving her legs and her skin started coming off?! Ick! Now, just 14 years later, they’ve remade CABIN FEVER.

The director of the original, Eli Roth, is Executive Producer this time for the reboot of his instant classic gorefest, which features all new characters and all new kills. This story is familiar: fresh out of college, a group of five friends retreat to a remote cabin in the woods for one last week of partying- only to become snacks for a gruesome, flesh-eating virus. What’s surprising are the ingenious new deaths, which offer a fresh spin on a horror-comedy milestone. With Gage Golightly (Teen Wolf) and Dustin Ingram (Paranormal Activity 3).

The new CABIN FEVER is directed by Travis Zariwny and stars Gage Golightly, Dustin Ingram, Nadine Crocker, Matthew Daddario & Samuel Davis

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Check out this new trailer:

CABIN FEVER opens in New York and L.A. February 12th

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Margot Robbie, Kerry Washington, Reese Witherspoon Among Second Group Of Presenters For 88th Oscars

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Oscars producers David Hill and Reginald Hudlin announced today the second slate of presenters for the 88th Oscars telecast. The Oscars, hosted by Chris Rock, will air live Oscar Sunday, February 28, on ABC.

The presenters, including Oscar winners and nominees, are:

Steve Carell
Priyanka Chopra
Quincy Jones
Byung-hun Lee
Jared Leto
Julianne Moore
Olivia Munn
Margot Robbie
Jason Segel
Andy Serkis
J.K. Simmons
Kerry Washington
Reese Witherspoon

“These artists have enriched the international moviegoing experience with a range of memorable work from the comic to the profound,” Hudlin and Hill said. “In the process, they have won over millions of fans, and we count ourselves among them.”

The 88th Oscars will be held on Sunday, February 28, at the Dolby Theatre® at Hollywood & Highland Center in Hollywood, and will be televised live by the ABC Television Network at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT. The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 225 countries and territories worldwide.

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Africa World Documentary Film Festival Review – NASCENT

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Review by Stephen Tronicek

NASCENT screens at the Africa World Documentary Film Festival Friday, February 5, 2016 at 6:00. The festival takes place at the Missouri History Museum, 5700 Lindell Blvd (63112). For a complete schedule of all of the films, go HERE

It’s one thing to find a good documentarian. It’s another to find a good documentarian with artistic vision. In just six short minutes documentarians Lindsey Branham, and Jonathan Kasbe unleash a surrealist documentary that through sheer force of vision leaves the viewer perplexed.

NASCENT follows the story of two young Central African Republic children each telling their own story about the result of the war going on in their country. These stories won’t be revealed here since this is a six minute film. That said Nascent isn’t all about those stories. There’s a splash of aforementioned surrealism in here that allows the stories to not only become more powerful in themselves, but also allows the film to shine in it’s undeniable beauty. Also the fact that surrealism is ultimately better at pulling out emotions than anything straightforward is fully apparent. NASCENT seems to be the best short of the festival so far, and hopefully the vision here is appreciated.

This Week’s WAMG Podcast – IP MAN 3, JANE GOT A GUN, Film of 2016, and More!

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This week’s episode of our podcast WE ARE MOVIE GEEKS The Show is up! Hear WAMG’s Michelle McCue, Jim Batts and Tom Stockman discuss the weekend box office. We’ll review IP MAN 3, and JANE GOT A GUN and preview HAIL CAESAR, PRIDE AND PREJUDICE AND ZOMBIES, and THE CHOICE. We’ll take a look at the newly-announced SAG Awards and discuss the movies opening in 2016 that we are most excited about.

Here’s this week’s show. Have a listen:

Win Passes To The Advance Screening Of HOW TO BE SINGLE In St. Louis

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There’s a right way to be single, a wrong way to be single, and then…there’s Alice. And Robin.  Lucy.  Meg.  Tom.  David. New York City is full of lonely hearts seeking the right match, be it a love connection, a hook-up, or something in the middle. And somewhere between the teasing texts and one-night stands, what these unmarrieds all have in common is the need to learn how to be single in a world filled with ever-evolving definitions of love. Sleeping around in the city that never sleeps was never so much fun.

Dakota Johnson, Rebel Wilson, Alison Brie Nudes and Leslie Mann star in the upcoming comedy HOW TO BE SINGLE – in theaters February 12, 2016.

WAMG invites you to enter for a chance to win a pass (Good for 2) to the advance screening of HOW TO BE SINGLE on Monday, February 8 at 7PM in the St. Louis area.

We will contact the winners by email.

Answer the following:

Name the famous former roommate of Rebel Wilson.

TO ENTER, ADD YOUR NAME, ANSWER AND EMAIL IN OUR COMMENTS SECTION BELOW.

OFFICIAL RULES:

1. YOU MUST BE IN THE ST. LOUIS AREA THE DAY OF THE SCREENING.

2. A pass does not guarantee a seat at a screening. Seating is on a first-come, first served basis. The theater is overbooked to assure a full house. The theater is not responsible for overbooking.

3. No purchase necessary

Rated R for “sexual content and strong language throughout.”

Visit the official site: howtobesinglemovie.com

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