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Archive for the ‘Movies’ Category

Mini-Series of the Week: Coma

Posted in Movies, News, Recommendations, Television, Video on August 30, 2012| Leave a Comment »

On September 3 and 4 the new A&E four-hour two-night movie Coma will air at 9 PM on both nights.

Lauren Ambrose (Six Feet Under), Steven Pasquale (Rescue Me), Geena Davis, James Woods, Ellen Burstyn and Richard Dreyfuss star in a modern day retelling of the bestselling novel by Robin Cook and based on the film by Michael Crichton.

The mini is about a young doctor (Ambrose) who discovers that something sinister is going on in her hospital after routine procedures send more than a few seemingly healthy patients into comas on the operating table.

Here is a trailer for the mini-series Coma.

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Box Office Movies Coming Out in September

Posted in Movies, News on August 29, 2012| Leave a Comment »

Based on information provided by the Dark Horizons site and internet research, here are just some of the movies you can expect to see in the movie theatres in September.

Hello I Must Be Going
Opens: September 7

This movie became a darling at the Sundance Film Festival and is about a depressed 35-year-old divorcee (Melanie Lynskey), who is forced to move back in with her parents (Blythe Danner and John Rubenstein). She doesn’t expect to fall in love again, but she’s taken by surprise by a 19-year-old actor (Christopher Abbott).

The Cold Light of Day
Opens: September 7

After his family is kidnapped during their sailing trip in Spain, a young Wall Street trader is confronted by the people responsible: intelligence agents looking to recover a mysterious briefcase. The cast includes Henry Cavill, Bruce Willis and Sigourney Weaver.

The Words
Opens: September 7

The film tells the story of an aspiring novelist (Bradley Cooper) who comes upon a dusty old manuscript in a vintage satchel and passes it off as his own work. He earns both acclaim and money, but right after the book goes on sale an elderly man (Jeremy Irons) approaches him and says he is the true author. The cast includes Olivia Wilde, Dennis Quaid and Zoe Saldana.

Arbitrage
Opens: September 14

The film chronicles the story of a troubled hedge fund magnate (Richard Gere) forced to turn to an unlikely person for help after a crucial mistake involving a sale in his trading empire. Among the cast are Tim Roth, Susan Sarandon and Brit Marling.

Liberal Arts
Opens: September 14

The film follows a guy in his mid-30’s (Josh Radnor) who still yearns for a college student life and eventually has to come to terms with this age and responsibilities. He meets a 19-year-old college student (Elizabeth Olsen) who falls for him and wants to pursue a relationship. The cast includes Richard Jenkins and Allison Janney.

Resident Evil: Retribution
Opens: September 14

The Umbrella Corporation’s deadly T-virus continues to ravage the Earth, transforming the global population into legions of the flesh eating Undead. Alice (Milla Jovovich) awakens in the heart of Umbrella’s most clandestine operations facility and unveils more of her mysterious past as she delves further into the complex. Without a safe haven, she continues to hunt those responsible for the outbreak. Aided by newfound allies and familiar friends, she must fight to survive long enough to escape a hostile world on the brink of oblivion. The cast includes Sienna Guillory, Kevin Durand and Michelle Rodriguez.

The Master
Opens: September 14

Philip Seymour Hoffman plays a charismatic man who returns after witnessing the horrors of WWII, creating a new religion which pulls an alcoholic sailor (Joaquin Phoenix), who is at first a devout convert and later begins to question the founder’s true motives. Among the cast are Amy Adams, Laura Dern and Rami Malek.

Dredd 3D
Opens: September 21

The future world is an irradiated waste land. Somewhere, off an eastern coast, lies Mega City One – a vast, violent metropolis where criminals rule the chaotic streets. The only force of order lies with the urban police force known simply as the “Judges” who possess the combined powers of judge, jury, and instant executioner. Known and feared throughout the city, Dredd (Karl Urban) is the ultimate Judge, challenged with ridding the city of its latest scourge – a dangerous drug epidemic that has users of “Slo-Mo” experiencing reality at a fraction of its normal speed. During a routine day on the job, Dredd is assigned to train and evaluate Cassandra Anderson (Olivia Thirlby), a rookie with powerful psychic abilities due to a genetic mutation. A heinous crime calls them to a neighborhood where fellow Judges rarely dare to venture – a 200 story vertical slum controlled by prostitute-turned-drug lord, Ma-Ma (Lena Headey), and her ruthless clan. When they capture one of the clan’s inner circle, Ma-Ma overtakes the compound’s control center and wages a brutal, vicious war against the Judges that proves she will stop at nothing to protect her empire. With the body count climbing and no way out, Dredd and Anderson must confront the odds and engage in the relentless battle for their survival.

End of Watch
Opens: September 21

The film delves into the world of two young cops (Jake Gyllenhaal and Michael Pena) whose partnership is tested when they battle a ruthless drug cartel. The film also stars Anna Kendrick and America Ferrera.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower
Opens: September 21

Based on the novel by Stephen Chbosky, who also is the director, tales the story of Charlie (Logan Lerman), a painfully shy high school freshman, who is taken under the wing of two charismatic older students, Sam (Emma Watson) and Patrick (Ezra Miller).

Trouble With the Curve
Opens: September 21

Clint Eastwood stars as Gus, an aging Atlanta Braves scout with vision problems whose daughter, Mickey (Amy Adams), reluctantly agrees to be his eyes on a crucial recruiting trip. He is the kind of old school scout who picks based on instinct and observation. One friend is Johnny (Justin Timberlake), a scout from a rival team who has a lot of loyalty to Gus.

Hotel Transylvania 3D
Opens: September 28

The 3D CG animated family horror comedy is set at a five-star Romanian resort for the world’s monsters. It’s there the hotel’s owner Dracula (Adam Sandler) tries stopping his teenage daughter (Miley Cyrus) from falling for a curious young man (Andy Samberg) who has just checked in. Other voices include Kevin James and Fran Drescher.

Looper
Opens: September 28

Joseph Gordon-Levitt plays a contract killer who works for the mob of the future. After their deaths, he disposes of corpses by sending them three decades back into the past – leaving no trace of them in his time and a body that can’t be identified in the past. Things take a twist when he realizes his next target is a future version of himself. The cast includes Bruce Willis, Emily Blunt, Paul Dano and Jeff Daniels.

Won’t Back Down
Opens: September 28

Two determined mothers, a bartender (Maggie Gyllenhaal) and a teacher (Viola Davis), look to transform their children’s failing inner city school. Facing a powerful and entrenched bureaucracy and corruption the teacher’s union president (Holly Hunter) and the school’s principal (Ving Rhames), they risk everything to make a difference in the education and future of their children. The cast includes Rosie Perez and Marianne Jean-Baptiste.

Movies coming out in October will be posted at the end of September.

Enjoy!

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Movie of the Week Recommendation: Strawberry Summer

Posted in Movies, News, Recommendations, Television, Video on August 21, 2012| Leave a Comment »

On August 25 the Hallmark Movie Channel will debut the movie Strawberry Summer at 8 PM.

Beth Landon (Julie Mond), a small-town music teacher with big singing aspirations has been crowned the Strawberry Queen of the annual Festival. Pulling some strings, Beth has landed country music heartthrob Jason Keith (Trevor Donovan) to perform at this year’s event. A one-hit wonder notorious for cancelling shows, Jason with his bad-boy attitude isn’t what Beth’s mother, Eileen (Shelley Long), considers a reliable musical act for the town’s beloved festival, which she is proudly hosting. Beth attempts to stick up for her favorite singer, but when she finally meets Jason face-to-face, it becomes obvious it won’t be easy. But behind Jason’s rock star stereotypes, he’s hiding a secret about his past that could turn his tanking career around. Along with his Jason’s manager, Beth convinces Jason the festival gig is a great way to revitalize his career and win back his audience appeal. Soon, as Jason spends more time with Beth and finds himself opening up for the first time, an unexpected romance develops and they help each other find the courage to pursue their real passions in life. Cindy Williams also stars.

Here is a trailer for Strawberry Summer.

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Movie of the Week Reminder: Fatal Honeymoon

Posted in Movies, News, Reminder, Video on August 21, 2012| Leave a Comment »

The Lifetime movie Fatal Honeymoon will debut on August 25 at 8 PM.

Harvey Keitel (Reservoir Dogs), Amber Clayton (Three Rivers) and Billy Miller (Ringer) star in this film that is based on a true story that tells the shocking story and controversy surrounding a newlywed who tragically dies on her dream honeymoon and the subsequent investigation as to whether or not her husband was guilty of killing her.

Here is a preview of Fatal Honeymoon.

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Presenting the New Short Film Phynes and the Guys Who Made It Happen

Posted in Movies, News, Spotlight on August 15, 2012| Leave a Comment »

Last year at this time, up-and-coming director Devon Newberry had a short film called Project: Elysium making rounds at the local film festivals. This time around, he and his crew, have a new project working the circuit called Phynes.

With this short film Newberry wanted to scale back, telling a more intimate story – “a character piece” as he calls it. In fact, this project is what he has described as a short that was never supposed to be made. He and Dominick Aznavour, who plays lead character Scott Phynes, actually tried to make this film back in 2006 and then again in 2008; but various factors got in the way and it was never made. He shared that, “the most obvious factors were budget, crew (and) time. But it wasn’t until after we finished shooting last year that the biggest factor was simple: experience”. They both needed experience because the themes and emotions explored in the film – heartbreak, depression, loss, bad jobs – they “wouldn’t have been able to tell the story truthfully years ago”.

Devon Newberry and Dominick Aznavour

It should be noted that Newberry and Aznavour have known each other since high school; but it wasn’t until after graduation that they started working together when Newberry brought a script entitled “Into the Night” to Aznavour, asking him to be the star. They quickly discovered how passionate and serious they both were about filmmaking and they have been working together since.

Aznavour also shared that he has loved entertaining people since he was very young; and as he got older he “started to build a love and curiosity for the emotional and psychological side of acting”. Being “able to fully create another person from scratch and fuel it with your own emotions” is what made him fall in with acting. And while he loves acting, more than writing, he isn’t opposed to directing in the future. He shared that he would “love to be able to actually manifest what I see in my head into reality”.

Obviously Phynes has been in production for six years, but the duo hasn’t been working on it solid for those years. They would write and rewrite the script and “where the shooting script ended compared to the very first draft from 2006 is like night and day” according to Newberry. He also shared that “a lot of the dialogue remained the same, but I think virtually everything about the movie changed”. Newberry worked with Aznavour and Vanessa Bronson, who helped with the original idea, on the script in 2008; but then he handled the script on his own when they revisited the short in 2011.

As for the casting process, Newberry usually has one or two actors in mind once his scripts are in “good shape” and from there it is “easy to fill up the roles”. Aznavour was the clear choice for the lead in Phynes and “I am crazy fortunate that everyone I approached on the first wave of casting accepted and ended up on the screen as you see them”. The only hiccup was in casting a character named Mrs. Sellick. “It was a week before (we had to start) shooting, we (were) scrambling (to fill the role). But, two days before principal photography (was to) begin, a dear family friend (Suzanne Kemp) offered to play the role. We got lucky there. She was exactly as written and played it as so”.

What drew Aznavour to the character of Scott Phynes was that “whether you are 20 or 40, you can relate to the character”. He continued that “the story covers so many bases that people can relate to”; and that he has “always found comfort in knowing that I’m not the only one going through certain things”.

When asked if there were any hard aspects in filming Phynes, Newberry shared there weren’t any. “I work with the best cast and crew…and everyone is so efficient that we roll over bumps in the road with little effort”. They prepared for about two months, shot for a little over two days and then they took a number of months on post-production, which is always the longest process.

Phynes

Now that Phynes is complete and making the film festival rounds, Newberry shared that getting into the festival is “nerve-racking and it costs so much to do a festival circuit and there (are) always rejection letters that come with it; but when you do get into festivals, you have a completely unbiased audience watching your work, and that’s the scariest thing in the world”. For Newberry, his cast and crew, they were accepted into and screened at the LA Reel Film Festival and just got accepted into the Los Angeles Short Film Festival. The short film has also been recently submitted to the Santa Barbara International Film Festival and the NewFilmmakers LA Festival.

The general story behind Phynes is “when Scott Phynes decides the only way to change his luck around is by ending his life, he begins to question his decision when the love of his life returns”. Needless to say, the main theme behind this short film will undoubtedly be dark, but will definitely give viewers a great deal to think about.

In an effort to stay within the guidelines of festival regulations, Phynes cannot be freely viewed, but upon request the short film can be seen in private by contacting Newberry at theveryillusive@gmail.com.

Good luck and much success are extended to Newberry, Aznavour and the entire cast and crew of Phynes.

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Movie of the Week Recommendation: Smart Cookies

Posted in Movies, Recommendations, Television, Video on August 14, 2012| Leave a Comment »

On August 18, the Hallmark Channel original movie Smart Cookies will debut at 9 PM.

Julie Sterling (Jessalyn Gilsig) is a high-maintenance realtor who is just two sales away from being named “Real Estate Agent of the Year.” A firm businesswoman, her schedule doesn’t leave much time for anything else, including relationships. So when her boss Lola (Patricia Richardson) launches a closeted promotion for the company masquerading as company-wide commitment to community pro-social work, and assigns Julie to lead a struggling local Girl Scout troop, Julie is full of protests. Then, she meets the group of hopeless girls, a troop named the Fireflies, including eager new member Daisy (Bailee Madison). As she gets to the know the girls and sees their desperate need for friendship and self-esteem, Julie begins to do whatever it takes to transform them from zeroes to heroes in the annual cookie sale competition against their cruel rivals, the Monarchs, led by superior scout volunteer Hazel (Samantha Ferris).

The cast also includes Ty Olsson.

Here is a trailer for Smart Cookies.

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Movie of the Week Recommendation: The Music Teacher

Posted in Movies, Recommendations, Television, Video on August 7, 2012| Leave a Comment »

On August 11 the Hallmark Channel original movie The Music Teacher will debut at 9 PM.

Annie Potts plays Alyson Daley, a high school music teacher who loses her beloved music program to district budget cuts. Alyson created the program to help her eager, ambitious and talented students excel professionally and losing it means the kids will not have musical performance as an avenue to a brighter future. Just when she thinks the dream is over, Alyson’s former students reunite to put on a show-stopping musical to raise funds to keep the program – and everyone’s dreams – alive.

The cast includes Richard Thomas (The Waltons), Emilie Ullerup (Sanctuary) and Zak Santiago (Caprica).

Here is a trailer for The Music Teacher.

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Box Office Movies Coming Out in August

Posted in Movies, News on July 28, 2012| Leave a Comment »

Based on information provided by the Dark Horizons site and internet research, here are just some of the movies you can expect to see in the movie theatres in August

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days
Opens: August 3

The oh-so-wimpy Greg Heffley (Zachary Gordon) gets himself into more mischief when he spends the summer working at a country club. The cast includes Steve Zahn, Rachael Harris and Devon Bostick.

Soldiers of Fortune
Opens: August 3

Captain Craig McKenzie (Christian Slater), a former US special forces soldier, is hired to protect a group of millionaires who want to experience firsthand the kicks and thrills of war. However, the mission goes horribly wrong and the men get a lot more than they bargained for. The film also stars Sean Bean, Dominic Monaghan, Ving Rhames and James Cromwell

Total Recall
Opens: August 3

This is a remake of the 1990 film starring Colin Farrell, Kate Beckinsale, Bryan Cranston, Jessica Biel and Bill Nighy.

Hope Springs
Opens: August 10

Kay (Meryl Streep) and Arnold (Tommy Lee Jones) is a devoted couple, but decades of marriage have left Kay wanting to spice things up and reconnect with her husband. When she hears of a renowned couple’s specialist (Steve Carell) in the small town of Great Hope Springs, she attempts to persuade her skeptical husband, a steadfast man of routine, to get on a plane for a week of marriage therapy.

The Bourne Legacy
Opens: August 10

The fourth film in the franchise will focus on a fellow estranged assassin (Jeremy Renner). The cast includes Edward Norton, Rachel Weisz, Joan Allen and Albert Finney.

The Odd Life of Timothy Green
Opens: August 15

This film is an inspiring, magical story about a happily married couple, Cindy and Jim Green (Jennifer Garner and Joel Edgerton), who can’t wait to start a family but can only dream about what their child would be like. When young Timothy (CJ Adams) shows up on their doorstep one stormy night, Cindy and Jim–and their small town of Stanleyville–learn that sometimes the unexpected can bring some of life’s greatest gifts. The cast includes Ron Livingston, Dianne Wiest and Rosemarie DeWitt.

Cosmopolis
Opens: August 17

The film follows a single cataclysmic day in the life of Eric Packer (Robert Pattinson), a 28-year-old financial whiz kid and billionaire asset manager as he heads out in his tricked-out stretch limo to get a haircut from his father’s old barber, while remotely wagering his company’s massive fortune on a bet against the Chinese Yuan. Co-stars include Samantha Morton, Paul Giamatti, Juliette Binoche, Sarah Gadon, Jay Baruchel and Kevin Durand.

ParaNorman
Opens: August 17

This 3D stop-motion comedy thriller focuses on a small town that comes under siege by zombies. The voices will be provided by Kodi Smit-McPhee, Casey Affleck, Tempsett Bledsoe, Jodelle Ferland and John Goodman (among others).

Sparkle
Opens: August 17

Musical prodigy, Sparkle (Jordin Sparks) struggles to become a star while overcoming issues that are tearing her family apart. From an affluent Detroit area and daughter to a single mother (the late Whitney Houston), she tries to balance a new romance with music manager, Stix (Derek Luke) while dealing with the unexpected challenges her new life will bring as she and her two sisters (Carmen Ejogo and Tika Sumpter) strive to become a dynamic singing group during the Motown-era.

The Expendables 2
Opens: August 17

Barney Ross (Sylvester Stallone), Lee Christmas (Jason Statham), Yin Yang (Jet Li), Gunnar Jensen (Dolph Lundgren),Toll Road (Randy Couture) and Hale Caesar (Terry Crews) — with newest members Billy the Kid (Liam Hemsworth) and Maggie (Yu Nan) aboard — are reunited when Mr. Church (Bruce Willis) enlists the Expendables to take on a seemingly simple job. Cast includes Jean Claude Van Damme and Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Hit and Run
Opens: August 24

This film is about Charlie Bronson (Dax Shepard), a nice guy with a questionable past who risks everything when he busts out of the witness protection program to deliver his fiancée (Kristen Bell) to Los Angeles to seize a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Their road trip grows awkwardly complicated, when they are chased by the feds (led by Tom Arnold) and increasingly dangerous, when Charlie’s former pals, a band of gangsters (led by Bradley Cooper), enter the fray. Co-stars include Beau Bridges and Kristin Chenoweth.

Premium Rush
Opens: August 24

A crooked cop (Michael Shannon) pursues a New York City bike messenger (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) carrying a dubious package. The cast includes Jamie Chung, Aaron Tveit, Dania Ramirez and Lauren Ashley Carter.

The Apparition
Opens: August 24

When frightening events start to occur in their home, young couple Kelly (Ashley Greene) and Ben (Sebastian Stan) discover they are being haunted by a presence that was accidentally conjured during a university parapsychology experiment. The horrifying apparition feeds on their fear and torments them no matter where they try to run. Their last hope is an expert in the supernatural (Tom Felton), but even with his help they may already be too late to save themselves from this terrifying force.

Lawless
Opens: August 29

This film is the true story of the infamous Bondurant Brothers: bootlegging siblings who made a run for the American Dream in Prohibition-era Virginia. The loyalty of three brothers (Tom Hardy, Shia LeBeouf and Jason Clarke) is put to the test against the backdrop of the nation’s most notorious crime wave. The cast includes Gary Oldman, Guy Pearce and Jessica Chastain.

7500
Opens: August 31

This film focuses on a group of passengers who encounter what appears to be a supernatural force while on a transpacific flight. The cast includes Ryan Kwanten, Leslie Bibb and Christian Serratos.

The Good Doctor
Opens: August 31

Martin Blake (Orlando Bloom) is a British medical student who has come to the United States to begin a residency at a hospital in Southern California. Blake is handsome and charming, but beneath the surface he’s an arrogant man who longs to wield power over others. He doesn’t fare well with his first few patients, and is on shaky ground with his superiors when he begins treating Diane (Riley Keough), a beautiful teenage girl with a kidney infection. Diane is clearly taken with Blake’s good looks and they enjoy one another’s company, while his superiors are impressed with the care he’s taken with her. But Blake doesn’t want Diane released too quickly, and begins adjusting her medication to that her infection will take longer to clear up. Jimmy (Michael Pena), an orderly, notices what Blake is doing, and threatens to expose him unless he wants — a steady supply of pharmaceuticals. The cast includes Rob Morrow, Taraji P. Henson, J.K. Simmons and Troy Garity.

The Possession
Opens: August 31

Shortly after her parents (Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Kyra Sedgwick) divorce, a young girl purchases an ornate antique box at a yard sale. In the weeks that follow, the young girl forms an intense fixation on the box, her behavior growing increasingly bizarre as she falls into the grip of a diabolical apparition. When the girl’s father discovers that the relic is in fact a holding cell for the disconnected soul of a deceased person who has been denied entry into the afterlife and needs a human host to inhabit, he fights to rid her of the evil that threatens to consume her body and soul. The cast includes Natasha Calis, Madison Davenport and Grant Show.

The Tall Man
Opens: August 31

In an isolated, slowly dying mining town, children are vanishing without a trace – abducted, the townsfolk whisper, by a mysterious entity known locally as “The Tall Man.” Town nurse Julia Denning (Jessica Biel) seems skeptical until her young David disappears in the middle of night. Frantic to rescue the boy, Julia lives every parent’s darkest nightmare. Co-stars include Jodelle Ferland, Stephen McHattie, William B. Davis and Samantha Ferris.

Movies coming out in September will be posted at the end of August

Enjoy!

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Movie of the Week Recommendation: How To Fall In Love

Posted in Movies, Recommendations, Television, Video on July 17, 2012| Leave a Comment »

On July 21, the Hallmark Channel movie How To Fall In Love will debut at 9 PM.

Harold White (Eric Mabius from Ugly Betty) an accountant, who never quite grew out of his awkward teenage years, hires Annie Hayes (Brooke D’Orsay from Drop Dead Diva and Royal Pains), the pretty and popular girl he knew in high school, to be his dating coach and help him shed his wallflower approach to romance. Annie even enlists her friend Kim (Kathy Najimy), a waitress at a local diner, to be Harold’s practice date. Thanks to Annie, Harold comes out of his shell and wins over a new love interest with the help of their shared passion for classic love songs.

Meanwhile, his dating lessons with his teenage crush reawaken old feelings. But when sparks unexpectedly fly between “student” and “teacher,” both Harold and Annie must learn how to make up for past mistakes if they’re going to hold onto true love.

Here is a trailer for How To Fall In Love.

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Movie of the Week Reminder: An Officer and a Murderer

Posted in Movies, Reminder, Television, Video on July 17, 2012| Leave a Comment »

The Lifetime original movie An Officer and a Murderer will debut on July 21 at 8 PM.

Gary Cole (Chuck), Laura Harris (Defying Gravity) and Rossif Sutherland (King) will star in this “based on a true story” about a powerful and respected military officer who committed numerous brutal crimes and was eventually brought down by a tenacious small town police detective.

Here is an extended preview of An Officer and a Murderer.

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