We Are Movie Geeks

Meet Judy Hopps, Nick Wilde, Duke Weaselton And More From ZOOTOPIA

Walt Disney Animation Studios revealed the roster of voice talent tapped to help bring a voice, snort and a roar to the animal residents of the modern-day mammal metropolis of ZOOTOPIA, which opens in theaters March 4, 2016.

“We had so much fun casting this film,” said director Byron Howard. “‘Zootopia’ features such a large and diverse range of characters – one of our biggest casts ever for a Disney Animation film. We needed talented actors who could help bring these animals to life.”

Adds director Rich Moore, “Everyone in this incredible cast is bringing something special, something unexpected to their characters, which really takes our story to a whole new level.”

Joining Ginnifer Goodwin, who provides the voice of Zootopia’s first bunny officer Judy Hopps; Jason Bateman, who lends his voice to con-artist fox Nick Wilde; and Shakira, who voices international superstar Gazelle, are the following members of the “Zootopia” voice cast.

Idris Elba (Netflix’s “Beasts of No Nation,” BBC’s “Luther”) provides the voice of CHIEF BOGO, head of the Zootopia Police Department. A tough cape buffalo with 2,000 lbs of attitude, Bogo is reluctant to add Judy Hopps, Zootopia’s first bunny cop, to his squad of hardened rhinos, elephants and hippos.

J.K. Simmons (“Juno,” Oscar® winner for “Whiplash”) lends his voice to MAYOR LEODORE LIONHEART, the noble leader of Zootopia, who coined the city’s mantra that Judy Hopps lives by: “In Zootopia, anyone can be anything.”

Nate Torrence (HBO’s “Hello Ladies,” Fox’s “Weird Loners”) lends his voice to the Zootopia Police Department’s most charming cheetah, BENJAMIN CLAWHAUSER. Clawhauser loves two things: pop star Gazelle and donuts. From his reception desk, he greets everyone with a warm smile and a helpful paw—covered in sprinkles.

Jenny Slate (“Obvious Child,” “Marcel the Shell”) provides the voice of ASSISTANT MAYOR BELLWETHER, a sweet sheep with a little voice and a lot of wool, who constantly finds herself under foot of the larger-than-life Mayor Lionheart.

Tommy Chong (“Up in Smoke,” “That ’70s Show”) lends his iconic voice to YAX THE YAK, the most enlightened, laid-back bovine in Zootopia. When Judy Hopps is on a case, Yax is full of revealing insights.

Octavia Spencer (“Insurgent,” Oscar® winner for “The Help”) voices MRS. OTTERTON, a desperate otter who turns to Officer Judy Hopps for help in solving her husband’s mysterious disappearance.

Bonnie Hunt (“Return to Me,” “Jerry Maguire”) provides the voice of BONNIE HOPPS, mother of Judy—and her 275 brothers and sisters. Mrs. Hopps loves and supports her daughter, but is a hare nervous about Judy moving to Zootopia to become a big-city police officer.

Don Lake (“Dumb and Dumber To,” “The Bonnie Hunt Show”) voices Judy’s father, STU HOPPS, a carrot farmer from Bunnyburrow. Along with Mrs. Hopps, he is worried about Judy moving to Zootopia and the untrustworthy big-city mammals who live there—especially foxes.

Alan Tudyk (“Rogue One: A Star Wars Story,” “Trumbo”) returns to Disney Animation’s recording studio for his fourth feature in a row as the voice of DUKE WEASELTON, a small-time weasel crook with a big-time weasel mouth, who tries to give Judy the slip during a police chase.

Tommy “Tiny” Lister (“Friday,” “The Fifth Element”) voices FINNICK, a fennec fox with a big chip on his adorable shoulder.

Raymond Persi (“Wreck-It Ralph,” WDAS story artist) voices FLASH, the fastest sloth working at the DMV—the Department of Mammal Vehicles.

Katie Lowes (ABC’s “Scandal,” “Big Hero 6”) lends her voice to DR. MADGE HONEY BADGER, who heads up all of City Hall’s most pressing medical cases.

Jesse Corti (“Frozen,” “Beauty and the Beast”) is the voice of the jaguar MANCHAS, a highly regarded chauffeur who works for the biggest—and shadiest—limo company in town.

John DiMaggio (Fox’s “Futurama,” Cartoon Network’s “Adventure Time”) voices JERRY JUMBEAUX JR., the easily annoyed owner of Jumbeaux’s Café, his elephant ice cream parlor.

The modern mammal metropolis of Zootopia is a city like no other. Comprised of habitat neighborhoods like ritzy Sahara Square and frigid Tundratown, it’s a melting pot where animals from every environment live together—a place where no matter what you are, from the biggest elephant to the smallest shrew, you can be anything. But when rookie Officer Judy Hopps (voice of Ginnifer Goodwin) arrives, she discovers that being the first bunny on a police force of big, tough animals isn’t so easy.

Determined to prove herself, she jumps at the opportunity to crack a case, even if it means partnering with a fast-talking, scam-artist fox, Nick Wilde (voice of Jason Bateman), to solve the mystery.

Walt Disney Animation Studios’ ZOOTOPIA, a comedy-adventure directed by Byron Howard (“Tangled,” “Bolt”) and Rich Moore (“Wreck-It Ralph,” “The Simpsons”), and produced by Clark Spencer (“Wreck-It Ralph,” “Lilo & Stitch”) opens in theaters on March 4, 2016.

www.facebook.com/DisneyZootopia

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13 HOURS: THE SECRET SOLDIERS OF BENGHAZI Actor John Krasinski Will Be Grand Marshal At AAA Texas 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series

Film and television star John Krasinski, who stars as a former Navy SEAL in the upcoming, real-life motion picture thriller 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi, has been named the Grand Marshal for the AAA Texas 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race on Sunday, Nov. 8, at Texas Motor Speedway.

Krasinski, an actor, writer and director, will give the command for the Sprint Cup Series drivers of the 43-car field to start their engines in front of a crowd that annually comprises one of the largest-attended, single-day sporting events in Texas.

“It’s a huge honor to be asked to serve as this year’s Grand Marshal,” said Krasinski. “I am really excited to be going to NASCAR and seeing Jeff Gordon race for one of his last outings.”

Krasinski will be joined on the Grand Marshal stage by three of the heroes from the CIA annex security team that fought off Islamic militants on Sept. 11, 2012, in Benghazi, Libya.

Mark “Oz” Geist, Kris “Tanto” Paronto and John “Tig” Tiegen are elite ex-military operatives that were part of the small security team that helped ward off the terrorists that attacked U.S. diplomatic facilities in Benghazi and were responsible for saving many American lives.

Paramount Pictures’ 13 HOURS: THE SECRET SOLDIERS OF BENGHAZI is directed by Michael Bay and opens in theaters on Jan. 15, 2016.

Krasinski is perhaps best known for his role as the charming boy-next-door Jim Halpert on NBC’s Emmy-winning smash hit The Office for nine seasons. He won Screen Actor Guild Awards in 2007 and ’08 for outstanding performance by an ensemble in a comedy series.

In addition to his acting, Krasinski remains very active as a director and producer. He directs and stars in the upcoming film Like it Once Was, alongside Anna Kendrick, Richard Jenkins, Margo Martindale and Sharlto Copley. Through his own Sunday Night banner, Krasinski executive produces Spike TV’s Lip Sync Battle with Jimmy Fallon and Stephen Merchant. The hit show was recently renewed for a second season.

His recent film credits include the Gus Van Sant-directed Promised Land, also in which he stars and co-wrote with Matt Damon; Disney Pixar’s Monster’s University in which he lent his voice; legendary Japanese filmmaker Hiyao Miyazaki’s latest animated film The Wind Rises; and Cameron Crowe’s Aloha.

His additional film roles include performances in the uplifting family film Big Miracle; Something Borrowed; Nancy Meyers’ It’s Complicated; Sam Mendes’ Away We Go; the animated smash hits Monsters vs. Aliens and Shrek the Third; George Clooney’s Leatherheads; Ken Kwapis’ License to Wed; Christopher Guest’s For Your Consideration and Bill Condon’s Kinsey.

13 HOURS: THE SECRET SOLDIERS OF BENGHAZI is directed by Michael Bay from a screenplay by Chuck Hogan, based on the book 13 Hours by Mitchell Zuckoff and members of the Annex Security Team. Produced by Erwin Stoff and Michael Bay. The film stars James Badge Dale, John Krasinski, Max Martini, Pablo Schreiber and Toby Stephens.

www.thirteenhoursmovie.com

This Week’s WAMG Podcast – ROCK THE KASBAH, ROOM, Maureen O’Hara and More!

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, and next weekend’s releases. We’ll review THE LAST WITCH HUNTER, ROCK THE KASBAH, ROOM, TRUTH, and PARANORMAL ACTIVITY: GHOST DIMENSION, . We’ll also preview SUFFRAGETTE, BURNT, OUR BRAND IS CRISIS and LOVE THE COOPERS. We will discuss the new Star Wars trailer, Chris Rock hosting the Oscars, the films of Danny Boyle and we’ll pay tribute to the late Maureen O’Hara. WE ARE MOVIE GEEKS The Show is a weekly podcast and can be heard streaming at ONStl.com Online Radio.

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

Documentary Short Subject Contenders For 88th Academy Awards Announced

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences today announced that the field of Documentary Short Subject contenders for the 88th Academy Awards has been narrowed to 10 films, of which five will earn Oscar nominations.

Voters from the Academy’s Documentary Branch viewed this year’s 74 eligible entries and submitted their ballots to PricewaterhouseCoopers for tabulation.

The 10 films are listed below in alphabetical order by title, with their production companies:

“Body Team 12,” RYOT Films and Vulcan Productions
“Chau, beyond the Lines,” Cynasty Films
“Claude Lanzmann: Spectres of the Shoah,” Jet Black Iris America
“50 Feet from Syria,” Spin Film
“A Girl in the River: The Price of Forgiveness,” SOC Films
“Last Day of Freedom,” Living Condition
“Minerita,” Kanaki Films
“My Enemy, My Brother,” Fathom Film Group
“Starting Point,” Munk Studio – Polish Filmmakers Association
“The Testimony,” Atria Film in association with Escape Artists

The 88th Academy Awards nominations will be announced live on Thursday, January 14, 2016, at 5:30 a.m. PT at the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills.

The 88th Oscars will be held on Sunday, February 28, 2016, at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood.

Win The Book From ROOM The Movie

Both highly suspenseful and deeply emotional, ROOM is a unique and touching exploration of the boundless love between a mother and her child. After 5-year-old Jack and his Ma escape from the enclosed surroundings that Jack has known his entire life, the boy makes a thrilling discovery: the outside world. As he experiences all the joy, excitement, and fear that this new adventure brings, he holds tight to the one thing that matters most of all—his special bond with his loving and devoted Ma.

ROOM tells the extraordinary story of Jack (Jacob Tremblay in a breakout performance), a spirited 5 year-old who is looked after by his loving and devoted Ma (Brie Larson, SHORT TERM 12, TRAINWRECK). Like any good mother, Ma dedicates herself to keeping Jack happy and safe, nurturing him with warmth and love and doing typical things like playing games and telling stories. Their life, however, is anything but typical—they are trapped—confined to a windowless, 10-by-10-foot space, which Ma has euphemistically named “Room.” Ma has created a whole universe for Jack within Room, and she will stop at nothing to ensure that, even in this treacherous environment, Jack is able to live a complete and fulfilling life. But as Jack’s curiosity about their situation grows, and Ma’s resilience reaches its breaking point, they enact a risky plan to escape, ultimately bringing them face-to-face with what may turn out to be the scariest thing yet: the real world. ROOM also stars three-time Academy Award® nominee Joan Allen and Academy Award® nominee William H. Macy.

At once a taut narrative of captivity and freedom, an imaginative trip into the wonders of childhood, and a profound portrait of a family’s bonds and fortitude, ROOM is a beautifully transcendent experience based on the award-winning global bestseller by Emma Donoghue. Director Lenny Abrahamson (FRANK) remains faithful to the novel while bringing Jack, Ma and their entirely singular world to heart-pounding and intensely cinematic life. ROOM demonstrates the triumphant power of familial love even in the darkest of circumstances, and is sure to take its place among the most emotionally affecting films to ever explore the bond between parents and children.

ROOM OPENS IN ST. LOUIS ON FRIDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2015

WAMG is giving away copies of the book to celebrate the film’s release.

www.roomthebook.com

ENTER YOUR NAME AND E-MAIL IN OUR COMMENTS SECTION BELOW. WE WILL CONTACT YOU IF YOU ARE A WINNER.

OFFICIAL RULES:

1. YOU MUST BE A US RESIDENT. PRIZE WILL ONLY BE SHIPPED TO US ADDRESSES. NO P.O. BOXES. NO DUPLICATE ADDRESSES.

2. WINNERS WILL BE CHOSEN FROM ALL QUALIFYING ENTRIES.

No purchase necessary.

WEBSITE: www.RoomTheMovie.com

Win Passes To The Advance Screening Of SUFFRAGETTE In St. Louis

Inspired by true events, SUFFRAGETTE movingly explores the passion and heartbreak of those who risked all they had for women’s right to vote – their jobs, their homes, their children, and even their lives.

Academy Award nominees Carey Mulligan and Helena Bonham Carter, and three-time Academy Award winner Meryl Streep, lead the cast of the powerful drama about the fight for equality in early-20th-century Britain. The stirring story centers on Maud, a working wife and mother who becomes an activist for the Suffragette cause alongside women from all walks of life.

SUFFRAGETTE is directed by BAFTA Award winner Sarah Gavron and written by Emmy Award winner Abi Morgan. The score is from composer Alexandre Desplat.

The film opens in St. Louis on November 6th.

WAMG invites you to enter for a chance to win a pass (Good for 2) to the advance screening of SUFFRAGETTE on Tuesday, November 3 at 7PM in the St. Louis area.

We will contact the winners by email.

Answer the following:

What year did women in the US receive the right to vote?
What amendment to the US Constitution gave women the right to vote?
Who was the President when Congress passed the Amendment, officially giving women the right to vote?

TO ENTER, ADD YOUR NAME, ANSWERS 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.

The film is rated PG-13.

www.facebook.com/SuffragetteMovie

Watch The Explosive First Trailer For CHECK POINT Starring William Forsythe, Fred Williamson And Kane Hodder

Here’s a first look at the powerful first trailer for CHECK POINT.

Featuring a great lineup – William Forsythe, Fred Williamson, Kenny Johnson and Kane Hodder – the action-packed trailer debuted on Saturday at the Santa Fe Comic-Con.

CHECK POINT is set in the mood of today’s headlines when a vagrant discovers a sleeper terrorist cell is in a small town where everyone knows one another, or so they think they do. Justice seems lost, as an insurgent attack is threatening to escalate into a full-blown US invasion, a team of unlikely heroes must rise up to fight the enemy and protect their country from the most unlikely enemy “ourselves”… Facing the obstacles of a closed-knit community, they each find inner strength and determination as their only choice. Whether an insurgent sleeper cell, or a lone individual with a gun, heroism is seldom sought out, it merely is the way someone finds the depth of character to do the right thing, at any cost.

From director Thomas J. Churchill (Lazarus: Apocalypse), look for CHECK POINT on Memorial Day Weekend 2016.

Visit the official site: www.checkpointthemovie.com

Win Passes To The Advance Screening Of SPECTRE In St. Louis

James Bond is back in SPECTRE and WAMG has your passes to one of most highly anticipated films of 2015!

A cryptic message from the past sends James Bond on a rogue mission to Mexico City and eventually Rome, where he meets Lucia (Monica Bellucci), the beautiful and forbidden widow of an infamous criminal. Bond infiltrates a secret meeting and uncovers the existence of the sinister organisation known as SPECTRE.

Meanwhile back in London, Max Denbigh (Andrew Scott), the new head of the Centre for National Security, questions Bond’s actions and challenges the relevance of MI6, led by M (Ralph Fiennes). Bond covertly enlists Moneypenny (Naomie Harris) and Q (Ben Whishaw) to help him seek out Madeleine Swann (Léa Seydoux), the daughter of his old nemesis Mr White (Jesper Christensen), who may hold the clue to untangling the web of SPECTRE. As the daughter of an assassin, she understands Bond in a way most others cannot.

As Bond ventures towards the heart of SPECTRE, he learns of a chilling connection between himself and the enemy he seeks, played by Christoph Waltz.

SPECTRE opens in theaters on November 6, 2015.

WAMG invites you to enter for a chance to win a pass (Good for 2) to the advance screening of SPECTRE on Wednesday, November 4th at 7PM in the St. Louis area.

We will contact the winners by email.

Answer the following:

Many women have tried to end the career of 007.

Who is your favorite BOND movie “femme fatale” and why?

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.

www.007.com

This film has been rated PG-13 by the Motion Picture Association of America for Intense Sequences of Action and Violence, Some Disturbing Images, Sensuality and Language.

ROSENWALD – The Review

By Cate Marquis

Julius Rosenwald is not likely to be a name you recognize but this head of Sears, Roebuck was once a man of enormous influence, not just in commerce but in philanthropy. But the most surprising part is the direction Rosenwald’s philanthropy took – funding schools and cultural endeavors for African Americans.

In the documentary ROSENWALD, director Aviva Kempner reveals how this wealthy Jewish American merchant partnered with African Americans to fund good works for African Americans, including help for the Tuskegee Institute, building a chain of rural schools for black children across the South, and providing support for artists such as Marian Anderson, W.E.B. DuBois and Maya Angelou.

As the son of German Jewish immigrants, Rosenwald knew well what it was like to come from a persecuted minority. In the early 20th century, Rosenwald saw the parallels between how Jews were treated in Europe and how African Americans were treated in the U.S., which helped propel him to action.

In the early decades of the 20th century, Rosenwald gave away what would have been a billion dollars in today’s money. That would be an enormous amount in any era but who he gave it to, and how he did it, is a big part of what makes this story so fascinating.

Kempner, whose previous films include “The Life and Times of Hank Greenberg” and “Yoo-Hoo, Mrs. Goldberg,” has a sure hand in presenting this forgotten story. Starting with Rosenwald’s parents, she builds up a picture of his character through his business career. Rosenwald’s father began as a peddler, eventually moving to Springfield, Il., where he bought a house across from the Lincoln family home. Abraham Lincoln became a lifelong inspiration to young Julius. After going to work as a teenager, Julius Rosenwald flourished in business, first in clothing manufacture, and then buying into the Sears, Roebuck company, which the documentary describes as the Amazon of its day. Under Rosenwald’s watch, Sears became one the country’s most successful companies.

After becoming one of the country’s richest men, Rosenwald began to fund schools for rural African American children in the South during a time when Jim Crow laws were in full effect and lynchings common. “Rosenwald schools,” as they were known, were designed to provide a first-rate education in a well-built building, as good as white children attended. That is amazing enough but the philanthropist did more, by using an innovative challenged grant method. Rosenwald donated one third of the money, then required the white community to provide another third, generally through educational budgets, and asked the black community to provide the last third. Often, this meant in-kind donations, supplying the labor to build the school, organizing fundraisers to fill them with supplies and staff, and volunteers to help out through the whole process. As a result, the community truly felt it was their school, and the building often became a community center as well as a place to educate children.

Kempner tells her story with a combination of archival photos and footage, and interviews with historians, family members, and descendants of those helped by Rosenwald’s generosity, even a few of the now-aged children who attended Rosenwald schools. To add a little touch of humor, and to help paint the picture of the Old West/pioneer world Julius grew up in, Kempner throws in a few Western movie/TV clips, including one from a 1950s TV Western with a young Clint Eastwood trying to pronounce a Yiddish word.

The result is an entertaining, fascinating documentary about a forgotten millionaire philanthropist who deserves to be remembered.

ROSENWALD is now playing at the Plaza Frontenac Cinema.

OVERALL RATING: 4 1/2 OUT OF 5 STARS

ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW Sold-Out Crowd at the Tivoli Friday Night!

It was a wild one at the Tivoli Theater in St. Louis last night! The temperature was in the mid-’60s and fans of THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW lined up along Delmar several hours in advance for the annual street party that precedes the midnight screenings of the venerable cult classic . We Are Movie Geeks was there to snap pics and help get the sold out audience riled up.

THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW will be showing again tonight (Oct. 24th) but that’s sold out too! As of now, there are tickets still left for the Halloweed night screening. The Tivoli encourages folks to attend in costume, but does not allow outside props, but they do sell an essential ‘prop bag’ for only three dollars. The bag contains rice, toilet paper, Glow Sticks, Time Warp Fliers, Rubber Gloves, Noisemakers, Confetti, and everything you’ll need even if you’re a ROCKY HORROR ‘Virgin’ experiencing the fun for the first time.

And the official THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW fan site is HERE

Here’s some of the pics We Are Movie Geeks snapped last night! See if you can spot anyone you know.