Friday, January 31, 2014

AWARD-WINNING TROUPE ASSEMBLED IN “THE MONUMENTS MEN”

Movie online media release



The story of the Monuments Men is one that really very few people know,” says George Clooney, who returns to the director’s chair for the story of a small group of artists, art historians, architects, and museum curators who would lead the rescue of 1000 years of civilization during World War II in his new film, The Monuments Men.  “Artists, art dealers, architects – these were men that were far beyond the age that they were going to be drafted into a war or volunteer.  But they took on this adventure, because they had this belief that culture can be destroyed.  If they’d failed, it could have meant the loss of six million pieces of art. They weren’t going to let that happen – and the truth of the matter is, they pulled it off.”
 
Photo courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox
                Part of the drama of the film is that all of the Monuments Men are so unsuited to serving as soldiers in wartime.  “Wars are fought by 18-year-olds,” says Clooney.  “Once you get to the John Goodmans and the Bob Balabans and the George Clooneys, you know – these guys are not getting drafted.” Producing and writing partner Grant Heslov adds: “They did it because it was clear that they were the only people who could do it.”

                The answer was the Monuments, Fine Arts and Archives group, which would go to the front lines and, for the first time, try to save the treasures that could be saved. “Culture was at risk,” says Clooney.  “You see it time and time again.  You saw it in Iraq – the museums weren’t protected, and you saw how much of their culture was lost because of that.”

                “Even today, people are still trying to get back the art that was looted from their families by the Nazis,”Heslov says, noting that just recently, a treasure trove of looted art was discovered in a Munich apartment – 1,500 works worth $1.5 billion, paintings by Matisse, Picasso, Dix, and other artists that had been thought to be lost.

                Clooney and Heslov note that while the film is based on the true story of the Monuments Men, they did take some liberties with the characters for dramatic purposes.  Though many of the characters are inspired by real Monuments Men, Clooney and Heslov have invented characters for the film.           More importantly, even if the characters are invented, their story is real.  “We invented a few mundane scenes, just to help the story along, but the things in the movie that you’d think are so ridiculous and strange, ‘well, there’s no way that those actually happened’ – those are the things that actually happened,” says Clooney.

                Meet “The Monuments Men,” for the film, Clooney and Heslov were able to attract a top tier of actors, including Matt Damon, Bill Murray, John Goodman, Jean Dujardin, Bob Balaban, Hugh Bonneville, and Cate Blanchett. 

                George Clooney heads the cast in the role of Frank Stokes, a leading art historian. The inspiration for Clooney’s character was art historian George Stout.“In real life, he was a very scrappy guy.  He could do anything – like fix cars and radios.”  The head of the conservation department at the Fogg, and later the director of the Worcester Art Museum and the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston, Stout was on the front lines during the war, helping to rescue cultural treasures in Caen, Maastricht, and Aachen, as well as Nazi art repositories in Siegen, Heilbronn, Cologne, Merkers, and Altaussee.

                Matt Damon takes on the role of James Granger and marks his sixth collaboration with George Clooney.   The James Granger character is inspired by James Rorimer, who later became director of New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art. Granger’s relationship with Claire Simone (Cate Blanchett) was inspired by Rorimer’s interaction with Rose Valland, an employee of the Jeu de Paume gallery in Paris.

                Bill Murray was excited to join The Monuments Men from the minute George Clooney first told him about the project.  Murray’s role, Richard Campbell, is an architect.  Murray’s character is inspired by several real Monuments Men, including architect Robert Posey.  While embedded with Patton’s Third Army during the war, Posey discovered the salt mine at Altaussee, where the Nazis had stashed the Ghent Altarpiece, the Bruges Madonna, Vermeer’s The Astronomer, and thousands of other works of art. For his contributions, Posey was awarded the Legion of Honor from France and the Order of Leopold from Belgium.

                John Goodman says that his character, Walter Garfield, represents the people, men and women, who were stuck on the home front but eager to help the war effort in any way they could.  Goodman’s character is inspired by the real-life Monuments Man Walker Hancock, a renowned sculptor. Hancock was a native of St. Louis, as is Goodman.  “Oddly enough, when my mother and I would take the bus to downtown St. Louis to go shopping, we’d pass one of his sculptures, the Soldiers’ Memorial,” Goodman says. “It just put me in touch with the character. It’s a small connection, but a happy coincidence.”

                Goodman’s character, Walter Garfield, is paired with Jean Claude Clermont, portrayed by Oscar®-winning actor Jean Dujardin, a re-teaming of Goodman and Dujardin from “The Artist.”  “Jean’s role as Claude Clermont is a French Jew who is an art dealer in Marseilles,” Dujardin explains. “He escapes and takes refuge in London with his family. He is recruited by the American army for his artistic knowledge. He’s not a soldier, but it’s really important for him to take part in the war. He’s really proud to be a member of the Monuments Men.”

                “Downton Abbey’s”Hugh Bonneville plays Donald Jeffries, a flawed man seeking a second chance.  “When the characters are introduced, you see them in their natural habitats, so to speak,” Bonneville explains. “Donald’s happens to be a pub. We come to learn that he has made mistakes in life, has been unreliable and George’s character gives him a second chance to re-embrace his first love, which is art.”

                Bob Balaban takes on the role of Preston Savitz.  “Savitz is an intellectual, an art historian and a theatrical impresario,” Balaban says.  Preston Savitz is inspired by Monuments Man Lincoln Kirstein, an American impresario, art connoisseur, author, and a major cultural figure in New York who co-founded the New York City Ballet.

                The final Monuments Man in the film is Sam Epstein, played by Dimitri Leonidas.  Not yet 19, Epstein is the only real soldier in the group, recruited for his ability to drive and to speak German.   “My character grew up in Germany – but Germany rejected him, because he’s Jewish,” Leonidas says.  The inspiration for Leonidas’s character is Harry Ettlinger.  “I was born in Germany under the Jewish faith,” says Ettlinger.  “Hitler was on his way to get rid of all Jews in all the world.  My father lost his business, and my parents realized that economic life for a Jew was no longer possible in Germany.”

                Cate Blanchett rounds out the cast as Claire Simone, a Frenchwoman in a unique position in Occupied France. “Claire Simone is a curator at the Jeu de Paume – once an art museum but became a kind of depot for art looted by the Nazis,” Blanchett explains.  “But her real work goes on at night, when she records the provenance of the works and where they were being taken in an obsessively detailed way. She’s the catalyst for the third act of the movie – the Monuments Men know the works are disappearing but they don’t know where they are going, and they need her information.”   Blanchett’s character is inspired by Rose Valland, a French woman who bravely and secretly kept track of the Nazis’ systematic tracking, risking her life in the process.

                “The Monuments Men” opens February 12 in cinemas from 20th Century Fox to be distributed by Warner Bros.

Thursday, January 30, 2014

Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones movie review

I didn't need to summarize the story because if you are a fan of this movie series, you probably have an idea. As for me, I am a newbie and this is the first time for me any of the Paranormal Activity movies. The series concept is nothing new for the horror fans.

It was done as if it was made from an amateur footage that was recovered and viewed by another viewer. What made me intrigued from this story is that the culture of the family featured here was Latin American which is somehow similar for Filipinos. Both are former Spanish colonies and both have folk catholicism meaning that both cultures have believe in faith healers, witches, and entities.

These similarities sometimes coincide. Both have superstitious influences before the Spaniards colonized both countries. Even in this modern internet era, old traditions still haunts our folks especially in the provinces. Back to the movie, even though it was simple, it drew the backdraft from the witch coven. Although the coven here looks more European in influence than homegrown.

The special effects(SFX) were also simple but it can be convincing even though there are only few scenes of SFX were presents. Nevetheless, it still shows somehow some continuity in the regular Paranormal Activity. The Marked Ones subtitle made the movie look like an expanded storyline.

Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones distributed and released by United International Pictures through Solar Entertainment Corp.

Wednesday, January 29, 2014

CinemaWord In February 2014



DISCOVER DIFFERENT KINDS OF LOVE ONLY ON CINEMAWORLD

There are many different kinds of love – love of family, love between strangers, love of country, and love between opposing sides.  This February, CinemaWorld explores them all with fresh, unique and different films from all over the world.

CinemaWorld is an international movie channel that offers a diversity of movies that no other channel offers.  From Romance, to Comedy, to Action, to Horror, CinemaWorld presents a wide range for its viewers across the region.  Only the good, the outstanding are selected to add the world to your movie viewing.
CinemaWorld celebrates the day of love with Romance movies every 9:00 PM from February 9 until February 15.

Looking for your other half is no easy feat, but you can find the humor and adventure in it with these two films.  A Midsummer of Love, premiering February 9 at 9:00 PM, begins with Göran trying to recover from a breakup.  Refusing to compromise with love or settle down without the perfect girl, he finds himself on a trip to a Swedish archipelago to join a Midsummer party at the height of summer, where romance just might be in store.  Meanwhile, the bittersweet Italian for Beginners shows how the lives of six insecure, single and vulnerable people cross together in one bleak Copenhagen winter when they all sign up for an evening Italian class.  With different stories and personalities, see how they find love with each other in an authentic Italian way on February 15 at 9:00 PM.  

Catch the multi-award winning Bon Appétit on February 10, UK movie City Slacker on February 11, 2012 German Box Office Hit Freshly Squeezed on February 12, Lessons In Chocolate, starring Italian star Luca Argentero, on February 13, and 2013 German Film of the Year Turkish For Beginners on February 14, all at 9:00 PM.

Explore how loyalty and passion come together.  This month, continue the journey of love with Palestinian Drama When I Saw You, German Thriller An Enemy To Die For, and Croatian Comedy Will Not Stop There.

Palestine’s 2013 Oscar Entry for Foreign Language Film, When I Saw You, opens the month with its vision of family life in a 1960s refugee camp.  Tarek, together with his mother Ghaydaa, both Palestinian refugees, wait to reunite with his father in a Jordanian camp.  Despite their dour circumstances, the boy sees only beauty and hope.  Eventually his free spirit and curious nature leads him to a group of people on a journey that will change their lives.  This film, dubbed as “cinematic poetry” by the Huffington Post, premieres on February 2 at 9:00 PM.

Citizens have different ways of expressing love and loyalty for their country.  In An Enemy to Die For, a team of geologists search for evidence proving that the earth was once a single continent. But when World War II breaks out shortly into their research mission, German expedition leader Friedrich, his assistant Leni, two English scientists Martin and Terrance, Swedish scientist Gustav, a Norwegian captain and a Russian crew are forced to take sides.  After working in a relaxed atmosphere, some follow their government’s orders, while others have their own secret agenda.  Catch Tom Burke, who also stars in Only God Forgives with Ryan Gosling, and The Libertine with Johnny Depp, play Terrance in this Thriller on February 16, at 9:00 PM.
 
Photos courtesy of CinemaWorld
Who would have thought that you could fall in love with someone who may well have been, at some point in time, your worst enemy?  Certainly not Croatian war veteran Martin, who finds himself deeply in love with a beautiful Siberian prostitute.  For her to be with him, Martin must buy her from her pimp.  Comedic movie Will Not Stop There, which received the FIPRESCI (Fédération Internationale de la Presse Cinématographique) Prize at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival in 2009, premieres on February 23, at 9:00 PM.

To know more about CinemaWorld, log on to www.facebook.com/CinemaWorldAsia, follow @CinemaWorldAsia, or visit www.cinemaworld.asia.

CinemaWorld is available in Metro Manila on Cable Link on channel 301, and on Sky Cable HD on channel 184.  Contact your cable operator for more details.

Tuesday, January 28, 2014

FILMING BEGINS ON “ENTOURAGE” MOVIE



The film reunites series stars Kevin Connolly, Adrian Grenier, Kevin Dillon,
Jerry Ferrara and Jeremy Piven, under the direction of series creator Doug Ellin

BURBANK, CA – February 19, 2014 – Principal photography is underway on Warner Bros. Pictures’ “Entourage,” the much-anticipated big-screen version of the award-winning hit HBO series. The feature film reunites the show’s original cast, led by Kevin Connolly, Adrian Grenier, Kevin Dillon, Jerry Ferrara and Jeremy Piven. Also starring are Billy Bob Thornton and Haley Joel Osment as father and son, Larsen and Travis McCredle.


Entourage” creator Doug Ellin is directing the feature film from his own screenplay. Mark Wahlberg, Stephen Levinson and Ellin are producing, with Wayne Carmona serving as executive producer. Returning cast from the series also includes Perrey Reeves as Ari Gold’s wife, Emmanuelle Chriqui as Sloan and Rhys Coiro as Billy Walsh. 

Movie star Vincent Chase (Adrian Grenier), together with his boys, Eric (Kevin Connolly), Turtle (Jerry Ferrara) and Johnny (Kevin Dillon), are back…and back in business with super agent-turned-studio head Ari Gold (Jeremy Piven). Some of their ambitions have changed, but the bond between them remains strong as they navigate the capricious and often cutthroat world of Hollywood.

The behind-the-scenes creative team reunites several key members who worked on the original series, including director of photography Steve Fierberg, production designer Chase Harlan, and costume designer Olivia Miles-Payne.

“Entourage” is being filmed in Los Angeles, California, and on location in Miami, Florida. 

“Entourage” is a presentation of Warner Bros. Pictures, in association with Home Box Office. The film will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

Monday, January 27, 2014

JACKIE CHAN FACES LIU YE’S WRATH IN “POLICE STORY 2013”



                Jackie Chan returns to the big screen in the non-stop action film “Police Story 2013” with Liu Ye, Jing Tian, Guli Nazha and Zhou Xiao Ou.  Directed by Ding Sheng, “Police Story 2013” is Chan’s reteaming with Sheng the sixth installment of the "Police Story" series. Their last venture together was the 2010 action film, "Little Big Soldier".  The film's theme song, "Rescue," features Chan on vocals, while famous Chinese musician Sun Nan took charge of its arrangement and harmonization.

Photo courtesy of Megavision
                In "Police Story 2013," a small pub turns into the scene of a tense stand-off when the owner takes his patrons hostage -- one of the hostages is Officer Zhong Wen (Jackie Chan), another is his daughter, Miaomiao (Jing Tian). The hostage taker (Liu Ye) demands that a notorious criminal be freed
                “The audience is the only reason why I continue to make films,” said action superstar Jackie Chan at the Police Story 2013 Press conference in Kuala Lumpur recently.  It can be remembered that Chan announced that “CZ12 (Chinese Zodiac 12)” would be his last action film.  But the decision was faced with so much disapproval from Chan’s fans who like him to continue making films.  “I love every process involved in making an action film. The itch to be on the set again is the reason why I have agreed to make Police Story 2013.  I’ve decided to continue to make action films but it will not be as big as it used to,” he said.

                 “Detective Zhong Wen (the lead character) is very similar to me. Both of us are busy with our own agendas and our careers take priority over anything else.  “In my personal life, I often put family aside and spend a lot of time on the film set. But again, that was many years ago,”  said Chan in recent interviews of his character in the movie.

                In the movie, Chan faces and deals with Wu Jiang (played by Liu Ye) who had been planning revenge for the death of his beloved sister, Xiaowei (played by Guli Nazha).  Wu is a bar owner. After his parents’ divorce, he grew up in a foreign country. His appearance is gentle, but he has a forceful personality built by his varied life experience. After his father’s death, he had to survive on his own by being an underground boxer. In these games where lives are at stake, he learns about life. After retiring from boxing he returns to China and locates his long-lost younger sister Xiaowei. He lavishes his love on her, and sees her as his hope and his emotional crutch. Xiaowei’s untimely death hit him extremely hard. For the next five years, he secretly plots and plans every detail of this kidnapping in order to understand what exactly had happened. At the risk of losing his business and his life, his intention is to exact revenge on the responsible party.

                Policeman Zhong Wen has always been dedicated to his work, to the point of neglecting his own family. One day, his daughter Miao Miao, who has moved out on her own, asks to meet with him. He rushes to the meeting place, excited but worried. To his surprise, the meeting venue is a very fashion-forward bar. But in the back of his mind, Zhong Wen feels that something is wrong about this place. When Zhong Wen finds out that the owner of the bar is his daughter’s boyfriend, he is upset and confused.   As the conversations become unbearably awkward, a series of accidents occurs inside the bar. Meanwhile, bar owner Wu Jiang takes Chong down in several amazingly skilled moves. The police, who have received a call, rush to the site. The patrons think the excitement is over but inside the bar Wu’s men Ben, Pichon and Taozi the bouncer suddenly shut the main doors and takes everyone hostage at gunpoint.  Meanwhile, Zhong, though trapped, is sharp enough to sense the intention to attack by the police outside. He talks to Wu, hoping to catch the latter’s motive for the crime. At the same time, Zhong begins strategic negotiations, all the while luring Wu into position for the sniper outside. But just as the sniper is about to shoot, it dawns on Zhong that all this is related to a cold case five years ago. And that case has also left an indelible mark in Zhong Wen’s psyche.

                Watch Jackie Chan back in action when “Police Story 2013” in cinemas nationwide from Megavision, Inc.