THE GRANDMASTER, RENOIR, WADJDA, THE HUNT Among 76 Films In Oscar’s Foreign Language Film Category

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A record 76 countries have submitted films for consideration in the Foreign Language Film category for the 86th Academy Awards®.

Moldova and Saudi Arabia are first-time entrants; Montenegro is submitting for the first time as an independent country.

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The 2013 submissions are:

Afghanistan, “Wajma – An Afghan Love Story,” Barmak Akram, director;
Albania, “Agon,” Robert Budina, director;
Argentina, “The German Doctor,” Lucía Puenzo, director;
Australia, “The Rocket,” Kim Mordaunt, director;
Austria, “The Wall,” Julian Pölsler, director;
Azerbaijan, “Steppe Man,” Shamil Aliyev, director;
Bangladesh, “Television,” Mostofa Sarwar Farooki, director;
Belgium, “The Broken Circle Breakdown,” Felix van Groeningen, director;
Bosnia and Herzegovina, “An Episode in the Life of an Iron Picker,” Danis Tanovic, director;
Brazil, “Neighboring Sounds,” Kleber Mendonça Filho, director;
Bulgaria, “The Color of the Chameleon,” Emil Hristov, director;
Cambodia, “The Missing Picture,” Rithy Panh, director;
Canada, “Gabrielle,” Louise Archambault, director;
Chad, “GriGris,” Mahamat-Saleh Haroun, director;
Chile, “Gloria,” Sebastián Lelio, director;
China, “Back to 1942,” Feng Xiaogang, director;
Colombia, “La Playa DC,” Juan Andrés Arango, director;
Croatia, “Halima’s Path,” Arsen Anton Ostojic, director;
Czech Republic, “The Don Juans,” Jiri Menzel, director;
Denmark, “The Hunt,” Thomas Vinterberg, director;
Dominican Republic, “Quien Manda?” Ronni Castillo, director;
Ecuador, “The Porcelain Horse,” Javier Andrade, director;
Egypt, “Winter of Discontent,” Ibrahim El Batout, director;
Estonia, “Free Range,” Veiko Ounpuu, director;
Finland, “Disciple,” Ulrika Bengts, director;
France, “Renoir,” Gilles Bourdos, director;
Georgia, “In Bloom,” Nana Ekvtimishvili and Simon Gross, directors;
Germany, “Two Lives,” Georg Maas, director;
Greece, “Boy Eating the Bird’s Food,” Ektoras Lygizos, director;
Hong Kong, “The Grandmaster,” Wong Kar-wai, director;
Hungary, “The Notebook,” Janos Szasz, director;
Iceland, “Of Horses and Men,” Benedikt Erlingsson, director;
India, “The Good Road,” Gyan Correa, director;
Indonesia, “Sang Kiai,” Rako Prijanto, director;
Iran, “The Past,” Asghar Farhadi, director;
Israel, “Bethlehem,” Yuval Adler, director;
Italy, “The Great Beauty,” Paolo Sorrentino, director;
Japan, “The Great Passage,” Ishii Yuya, director;
Kazakhstan, “Shal,” Yermek Tursunov, director;
Latvia, “Mother, I Love You,” Janis Nords, director;
Lebanon, “Blind Intersections,” Lara Saba, director;
Lithuania, “Conversations on Serious Topics,” Giedre Beinoriute, director;
Luxembourg, “Blind Spot,” Christophe Wagner, director;
Mexico, “Heli,” Amat Escalante, director;
Moldova, “All God’s Children,” Adrian Popovici, director;
Montenegro, “Ace of Spades – Bad Destiny,” Drasko Djurovic, director;
Morocco, “Horses of God,” Nabil Ayouch, director;
Nepal, “Soongava: Dance of the Orchids,” Subarna Thapa, director;
Netherlands, “Borgman,” Alex van Warmerdam, director;
New Zealand, “White Lies,” Dana Rotberg, director;
Norway, “I Am Yours,” Iram Haq, director;
Pakistan, “Zinda Bhaag,” Meenu Gaur and Farjad Nabi, directors;
Palestine, “Omar,” Hany Abu-Assad, director;
Peru, “The Cleaner,” Adrian Saba, director;
Philippines, “Transit,” Hannah Espia, director;
Poland, “Walesa. Man of Hope,” Andrzej Wajda, director;
Portugal, “Lines of Wellington,” Valeria Sarmiento, director;
Romania, “Child’s Pose,” Calin Peter Netzer, director;
Russia, “Stalingrad,” Fedor Bondarchuk, director;
Saudi Arabia, “Wadjda,” Haifaa Al Mansour, director; (She is the first female filmmaker in Saudi Arabia)
Serbia, “Circles,” Srdan Golubovic, director;
Singapore, “Ilo Ilo,” Anthony Chen, director;
Slovak Republic, “My Dog Killer,” Mira Fornay, director;
Slovenia, “Class Enemy,” Rok Bicek, director;
South Africa, “Four Corners,” Ian Gabriel, director;
South Korea, “Juvenile Offender,” Kang Yi-kwan, director;
Spain, “15 Years Plus a Day,” Gracia Querejeta, director;
Sweden, “Eat Sleep Die,” Gabriela Pichler, director;
Switzerland, “More than Honey,” Markus Imhoof, director;
Taiwan, “Soul,” Chung Mong-Hong, director;
Thailand, “Countdown,” Nattawut Poonpiriya, director;
Turkey, “The Butterfly’s Dream,” Yilmaz Erdogan, director;
Ukraine, “Paradjanov,” Serge Avedikian and Olena Fetisova, directors;
United Kingdom, “Metro Manila,” Sean Ellis, director;
Uruguay, “Anina,” Alfredo Soderguit, director;
Venezuela, “Breach in the Silence,” Luis Alejandro Rodríguez and Andrés Eduardo Rodríguez, directors.

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The 86th Academy Awards nominations will be announced live on Thursday, January 16, 2014, at 5:30 a.m. PT in the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater.

Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2013 will be presented on Oscar Sunday, March 2, 2014, at the Dolby Theatre® at Hollywood & Highland Center® and televised live on the ABC Television Network.  The presentation also will be televised live in more than 225 countries and territories worldwide.

Disney Animation To Show FROZEN At El Capitan Beginning Nov. 22

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El Capitan Theatre moviegoers will kick off holiday celebrations early with an exclusive advance engagement of Walt Disney Animation Studios’ FROZEN, beginning five days before the film’s nationwide release. El Capitan is frozen over this holiday season, welcoming guests into a snow-covered wonderland – complete with ice-capped opera boxes and a flurry of snowflakes.

FROZEN showings, which will run Nov. 22, 2013, to Jan. 5, 2014, will be preceded by ice carving performance artists on stage, as well as FROZEN characters Anna and Elsa in their first live-on-stage appearances.

Sponsored by Kodak, the film will be shown in realD 3D with Dolby Atmos sound. Also:

  • Opening-day guests will receive special souvenir realD 3D glasses (while supplies last). Throughout the run, realD is providing kid-sized 3D glasses, specially made to fit children 8 and under while they enjoy the movie.
  • Guests are invited to have breakfast with Anna at 8:30 a.m. prior to the 10 a.m. showing on select days. Seating is limited. Advance purchase is required with purchase of a movie ticket. Tickets including breakfast and the movie are $41 per adult general admission, $38 for child/senior general admission and $51 for VIP admission, which includes popcorn, soft drink, reserved seating and no waiting in line.
  • Birthday and holiday parties are available in the new Hollywood room.
  • El Capitan Theatre will host Tiny Tot Tuesday at 10 a.m. every week throughout the run. During these special screenings of the film, parents and small children can enjoy the movie in 2D in a Tiny Tot-friendly way­–complete with lights dimmed rather than out and reduced sound levels.

Daily showtimes are 10 a.m., 1 p.m., 4 p.m., 7 p.m. and 9:45 p.m. (select days only for 9:45 p.m. show). Tickets are available at El Capitan Theatre (6838 Hollywood Blvd.), online at www.elcapitantickets.com or by calling 1-800-DISNEY6. General Admission ticket prices are $16 each for adults and $13 each for children (3-11) and seniors (60+). VIP ticket prices are $26 per ticket (for all ages). Special group rates of $12 per ticket for parties of 20 or more are available by calling 818-845-3110. Showtimes are subject to change.

FROZEN

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Walt Disney Animation Studios, the studio behind “Tangled” and “Wreck-It Ralph,” presents FROZEN, a stunning big-screen comedy adventure. Fearless optimist Anna (voice of Kristen Bell) sets off on an epic journey—teaming up with rugged mountain man Kristoff (voice of Jonathan Groff) and his loyal reindeer Sven—to find her sister Elsa (voice of Idina Menzel), whose icy powers have trapped the kingdom of Arendelle in eternal winter. Encountering Everest-like conditions, mystical trolls and a hilarious snowman named Olaf (voice of Josh Gad), Anna and Kristoff battle the elements in a race to save the kingdom.

The film is directed by Chris Buck (“Tarzan,” “Surf’s Up”) and Jennifer Lee (screenwriter, “Wreck-It Ralph”), who also wrote the screenplay. It is produced by Peter Del Vecho (“Winnie the Pooh,” “The Princess and the Frog”). Featuring original songs from Tony® winner Robert Lopez (“The Book of Mormon,” “Avenue Q”) and Kristen Anderson-Lopez (“In Transit,” “Winnie the Pooh”), and an original score by Christophe Beck (“The Muppets,” Oscar®-winning short “Paperman”), FROZEN hits theaters in 3D on Nov. 27, 2013.

“Like” FROZEN on Facebookhttp://www.facebook.com/DisneyFrozen

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Photos: Johnny Knoxville In Amsterdam To Promote BAD GRANDPA

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Johnny Knoxville came in character as Irving Zisman during a visit to Amsterdam ahead of the release of BAD GRANDPA. There was a canal cruise as well as a photo shoot with the cast, crew and friends in the Netherlands’ capital city.

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86 year-old Irving Zisman is on a journey across America with the most unlikely companions, his 8 year-old Grandson Billy in “Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa”. This October, the signature Jackass character Irving Zisman (Johnny Knoxville) and Billy (Jackson Nicholl) will take movie audiences along for the most insane hidden camera road trip ever captured on camera.

Along the way Irving will introduce the young and impressionable Billy to people, places and situations that give new meaning to the term childrearing. The duo will encounter male strippers, disgruntled child beauty pageant contestants (and their equally disgruntled mothers), funeral home mourners, biker bar patrons and a whole lot of unsuspecting citizens.

Real people in unreal situations, making for one really messed up comedy.

BAD GRANDPA hits theaters October 25th.

Visit the official site to make your own GIFs using the Bad Grandpa GIF Creator: http://www.JackassMovie.com

Like on Facebook: https://www.Facebook.com/Jackass
Follow on Twitter:  https://Twitter.com/JackassWorld #BadGrandpa

Photos: ©Michele Porro for Paramount Pictures International and ©Lucian Capellaro for Paramount Pictures International

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IMAX Dives Under the Sea With A JOURNEY TO THE SOUTH PACIFIC Poster And Trailer

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IMAX and MacGillivray Freeman have released this beautiful new trailer and poster for their latest documentary collaboration, JOURNEY TO THE SOUTH PACIFIC.

Narrated by Cate Blanchett, JOURNEY TO THE SOUTH PACIFIC will take moviegoers on a breathtaking IMAX® 3D adventure to the lush tropical islands of remote West Papua, where life flourishes above and below the sea. Join Jawi, a young island boy, as he takes us on a journey of discovery to this magical place where we encounter whale sharks, sea turtles, manta rays, and other iconic creatures of the sea.

Home to more than 2,000 species of sea life, this exotic locale features the most diverse marine ecosystem on earth.  An uplifting story of hope and celebration, JOURNEY TO THE SOUTH PACIFIC highlights the importance of living in balance with the ocean planet we all call home.

Produced by MacGillivray Freeman Films in association with IMAX Entertainment, and presented by One World One Ocean, JOURNEY TO THE SOUTH PACIFIC is directed by two-time Academy Award®-nominated filmmaker Greg MacGillivray (The Living Sea, Dolphins, Everest) and Stephen Judson (Everest, The Alps) and produced by Shaun MacGillivray (To The Arctic, Grand Canyon Adventure) and Mark Krenzien (Adventures in Wild CaliforniaArabia).  Filmed with IMAX® 3D 15perf / 65mm film cameras, Journey to the South Pacific is written by Stephen Judson (Everest, To The Arctic) with a musical score by Steve Wood.

STARTING NOVEMBER 27
THE JOURNEY BEGINS EXCLUSIVELY IN SELECT IMAX® THEATRES

http://www.imax.com/journeytothesouthpacific/

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DESPICABLE ME 2 Coming To Blu-ray/DVD December 10; Available On Digital HD November 26

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The holiday season just got even brighter with the news that Despicable Me 2, the $863 million worldwide box office phenomenon and the year’s #1 comedy, arrives on Blu-ray™ and Blu-ray 3D™ Combo Packs, DVD and Digital HD including UltraViolet™ on December 10, 2013, from Universal Studios Home Entertainment.

The film will also be available on Digital HD November 26, 2013, just in time for families to watch on the go as they gear up for holiday travel.

In addition to more than 45 minutes of hilarious and insightful bonus features, Blu-ray Combo Packs will include, from the makers of Despicable Me, three all-new mini-movies starring the film series’ breakout stars, the mischievous but lovable Minions. For a sneak peek of these mini-movies, and other great weekly offers from Despicable Me 2, call Gru at **DM2 (**362) from your mobile phone.*

“Despicable Me 2 is the top box-office comedy of the year and is poised for spectacular success on home entertainment this holiday season,” said Craig Kornblau, president of Universal Studios Home Entertainment. “This adored franchise, with its iconic lovable Minions, stands apart from all others and is sure to be at the top of everyone’s wish list this December.”

In this follow-up to the 2010 worldwide blockbuster, Steve Carell (“The Office,” The 40-Year-Old Virgin) returns to play Gru, the newly reformed master criminal now trying to live life as a normal dad to his three adopted daughters.

Carell leads a voice cast of comedic powerhouses that includes Kristin Wiig (Bridesmaids, Saturday Night Live), Benjamin Bratt (Miss Congeniality, Snitch), Miranda Cosgrove (“iCarly,” Despicable Me), Russell Brand (Get Him to the Greek, Hop), Steve Coogan (Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief, Tropic Thunder), Ken Jeong (The Hangover, Turbo), Elsie Fisher (Despicable Me, Raising Hope), Dana Gaier (Despicable Me) and Moisés Arias (Ender’s Game, “Hannah Montana”). Despicable Me 2 is hailed as “Brilliant! One of the funniest, laugh-out-loud, most enjoyable movies ever” by MovieGuide®.

This Thanksgiving, Manhattan will share a memorable moment of Minion Madness with the world when a brand new Despicable Me 2 float joins the 87th Annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade® in celebration of the home entertainment release.

Despicable Me 2 will roll out a deliciously decorated cupcake parlor inspired by the hilarious and heartwarming film and featuring Gru, the reformed master criminal turned devoted dad, and a gaggle of his unpredictable helpers, the Minions — including a surprise new character — to keep things lively and entertaining for the film’s millions of fans, both young and old. The 86th Annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade airs nationwide on NBC-TV, on Thursday, November 28, 2013 from 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM in all time zones.

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The Blu-ray™ Combo Pack and Blu-ray™ 3D Combo Pack include a Blu-ray™, DVD and Digital HD with UltraViolet™.

  • Blu-ray unleashes the power of your HDTV and is the best way to watch movies at home, featuring 6x the picture resolution of DVD, exclusive extras and theater-quality surround sound.  
  • DVD offers the flexibility and convenience of playing movies in more places, both at home and away.
  • DIGITAL HD with UltraViolet™ lets you watch movies anywhere, on any device. Users can instantly stream or download movies to watch on iPad®, iPhone®, Android™, smart TVs, connected Blu-ray™ players, game consoles and more.

Bonus Features Exclusive to Blu-ray™ Combo Pack & Blu-ray 3D™ Combo Pack.  

  • Three All-New Mini-Movies Starring the Minions—Introduced by Gru
    • Puppy
    • Panic in the Mailroom
    • Training Wheels
    • The Making of the Mini-Movies—A fun-filled take on the making of the mini-movies through the eyes of the artists who made them. 
    • Deleted Scene
    • The Minions—A visit to Illumination Entertainment in Paris and Los Angeles to hear what it’s really like to work with the Minions.
    • Evil Minions—Bigger, badder and more purple than ever, the newest and fiercest addition to the Minion species can chew through metal and swallow a car. Find out more about the process that led to their creation and design.
    • A Gru-Some Transformation—A sit-down with Steve Carell as he discusses the transformation of Gru from the ultimate super-villain to super-dad and international spy.
    • El Hombre Malo: The Villainy Of El Macho—Every great story needs a good villain, and Despicable Me 2 brings on the diabolico in the form of El Macho! Learn about the creation of this character and the actor who brought him to life—Benjamin Bratt.

Bonus Features on Blu-ray™ & DVD

  • Gru’s Girls—Miranda Cosgrove, Elsie Kate Fisher and Dana Gaier weigh in on working with Steve Carell and playing the daughters of a world-famous super-villain!
  • Gadgets Galore—Lipstick tasers, magnet ships, foam dart dispensers and jelly guns—these are the nifty gadgets of Despicable Me 2. Illumination Entertainment pulls back the curtain on what it takes to build a world that would leave even James Bond envious.

Feature Commentary With Directors Chris Renaud & Pierre Coffin 

THE LITTLE MERMAID – The Blu Review

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THE LITTLE MERMAID returns to your home theater again, this time in Blu-ray format and it’s a must-have for families, Disneyphiles, animation-lovers, music-lovers, and romantics with a soft spot for fairy tales and happy endings. It’s understandable that the good folks at Disney wanted to that ending to be a happy one. After all, in the Hans Christian Anderson source tale, the mermaid not only trades her voice for legs by having her tongue cut out… ouch!, but also loses the prince to another woman, so throws herself into the sea and dies (but at least she goes to heaven!).

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With THE LITTLE MERMAID, released in the fall of 1989, a new wave of Disney films hit America both on the big screen nearly each year and in households on VHS (this was before DVD’s). This new generation of Disney movies was far from the old-fashioned Disney films of yesteryear – SNOW WHITE, CINDERELLA, PETER PAN, etc. Prior to 1989, Disney attempted to make hit movies for a new crowd but the ‘80s Disney films like THE BLACK CAULDRON and OLIVER AND COMPANY were never as big a hits as BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, THE LION KING, and the others that were produced after THE LITTLE MERMAID. Directors Ron Clements and John Muskers teamed up with musical lyricist and composer Howard Ashman and a talented cast of voice-over actors/singers to make this remarkable and fresh new version of the old fairy tale. THE LITTLE MERMAID was a blockbuster, Disney had risen itself from a long dormant period, and Disney movies were once again “in”.

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The older side of me appreciates the mechanics of the animation in THE LITTLE MERMAID. Hand drawn animation is becoming a rarity these days and THE LITTLE MERMAID is one of the best-looking and most colorful films ever made. The character animation is superb, especially on Ariel. She spends a good portion of the movie silent, so the animators really lived up to the challenge of giving her face emotion. I especially like how they dare to allow her to look silly with her facial expressions from time to time. I especially love the villain Ursula: lusty, histrionic, and bad to the bone, she’s one of the most entertaining Disney villains, not to mention the most competent: she has henchmen who actually do her bidding correctly, and Ursula is so resourceful and calculating, she almost wins at the end! Most impressive, I must say! Pat Carroll deserves special praise. Her croaky Ursula voice brings to mind Lauren Bacall in a particularly foul mood. Samuel E. Wright gives Sebastian a delightful Caribbean accent and the late Buddy Hackett, with his nasally voice, as a seagull; c’mon, casting doesn’t get any better than that! Yet the real star is Jodi Benson as Ariel. Her sweet, Broadway-friendly voice is packed with feisty innocence and wistful longing. Like Judy Garland and “Over the Rainbow”, you can’t picture anyone else warbling “Part of Your World” (actually you can on this new Disney Diamond Collection Blu-ray – it has a new video of the song by Carly Ray “Don’t Call Me Maybe” Jepsen)

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Filmed for 1.85:1 cropping, the 1080p, 1.78:1 image is free of dirt and other damage, and the vivid colors pop off the screen, but I can reassure videophiles that with the new Blu-ray release of THE LITTLE MERMAID, Disney has preserved a very slight layer of filmic grain and has respected the integrity of the original source materials. Edges are sharper, but not at the expense of the negative space around them, and the level of detail is much more than we’ve seen in previous releases. Now in combo pack with a regular DVD and Digital copy, the Diamond Collection Blu-ray set is full of bonus features:

@DisneyAnimation – Is an 11-minute look inside Walt Disney Animation Studios that follows a group of young Disney animators recounting how they started with the company and how much they love working there.

Deleted Character – shows 2 minutes of footage of “Harold the Merman”, a character ultimately not used in the film.

Under the Scene – 13-minute featurette where the filmmakwers talk about drawing Ariel and the other characters and the techniques they used to make them look natural.

Howard’s Lecture – is a comprehensive 16 minute featurette about lyricist Howard Ashman, who died in 1991 incorporating vintage footage.

Crab-E-Oke Sing-a-long – runs 15 minutes and presents five songs karaoke style. Deleted Scenes – 30 minutes of them!

Part of Your World – the aforementioned new video by Carly Ray “Don’t Call Me Maybe” Jepsen.

While the new bonus features are nice and immersive, the real reason to add this Blu-ray to your collection is for the superior picture quality. If you have an HD TV, you want to make the most of it. If you’re a Disney animation fan, then this is most definitely a required addition to your collection.

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ANCHORMAN 2’s Ron Burgundy Makes Friends With A Horse In Dodge Durango TV Spot

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The Dodge brand and Paramount Pictures have teamed up in a groundbreaking co-branded marketing collaboration that casts legendary news anchor “Ron Burgundy” as the new face of the new 2014 Dodge Durango as the automotive brand launches a multifaceted advertising and marketing campaign in advance of the holiday release of the upcoming film ANCHORMAN 2: THE LEGEND CONTINUES. Will Ferrell reprises his comedic role as Ron Burgundy, the boastful news anchorman, in a robust campaign which debuted from Dodge on Saturday, October 5.

“No matter how much we might want to, riding around on majestic steeds just isn’t a viable option anymore. Which is why Ron Burgundy stands behind the 2014 Dodge Durango.”

Watch all the ads here: http://www.youtube.com/user/dodge

The integrated cross-promotion marketing campaign marks the first time a movie studio and brand tie-in has utilized starring talent, in character, to create original long and short form content. The co-branded promotional advertising campaign will span television, print, digital and social media. The new 2014 Dodge Durango arrives in dealerships in North America this month.

ANCHORMAN 2: THE LEGEND CONTINUES releases nationally in theaters December 20, 2013.

With the ’70s behind him, San Diego’s top rated newsman, Ron Burgundy (Will Ferrell), returns to the news desk in “Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues.” Also back for more are Ron’s co-anchor and wife, Veronica Corningstone (Christina Applegate), weather man Brick Tamland (Steve Carell), man on the street Brian Fantana (Paul Rudd) and sports guy Champ Kind (David Koechner) – All of whom won’t make it easy to stay classy…while taking the nation’s first 24-hour news channel by storm. Adam McKay (“The Other Guys,” “Step Brothers”)

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“The Dodge brand’s irreverent tone and attitude make Ron Burgundy the perfect pitchman for the new 2014 Dodge Durango,” said Olivier Francois, Chief Marketing Officer of Chrysler Group LLC. “By joining forces with Paramount Pictures, ‘Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues’ and Will Ferrell, we’re able to show the new 2014 Dodge Durango and its cutting edge technology in a completely unexpected approach that is fresh, funny and culturally provocative to our audiences.”

The campaign brings together the might of the Detroit automaker, the Hollywood studio and the actor/comedian in a unique collective experience that promises to engage consumers through specifically created content across multiple platforms.

“Ron Burgundy as the new Dodge Durango spokesperson brings together two iconic American legends,” said Josh Greenstein, CMO of Paramount Pictures. “This campaign was an unprecedented opportunity to collaborate with our filmmakers to create new original content and distribute it worldwide in advance of the long awaited ‘Anchorman’ sequel release this December. With the personal involvement of Will Ferrell, our writer / director Adam McKay, the comedy team at Funny or Die, and the Dodge creative team at Wieden+Kennedy, we were able to create a truly epic partnership.”

The campaign’s co-branded television commercials and online content, directed by Jake Szymanski, are set in a colorful auto showroom where Ron Burgundy hilariously brings to life what makes Dodge such an entertaining, spirited brand and the Durango a superior SUV. As a leading news anchor and celebrity, pitching for Dodge—or anything else for that matter—is a cinch. He doesn’t need scripts or to study up on auto features. And because he’s Ron Burgundy, interpreting the modern Dodge Durango through his 1970s brain, he’s got a decidedly different take on the cross-over sport utility vehicle.

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Debut television spots and web video include:

Horsepower: Ron Burgundy chastises a horse on the showroom floor regarding Dodge Durango’s 360 horsepower telling viewers, “On my right is the new Dodge Durango with up to 360 horsepower. On my left is one horse (points to horse). With one horse power.That makes you feel pretty dumb, doesn’t it?”

Glove Compartment: Ron deflects speaking to Dodge Durango’s available Hemi V8 engine and instead compliments the luxuriousness/spaciousness of its “beautiful injection-molded thermoplastic olefin” glove box, letting viewers in on the fact that “it comfortably fits two turkey sandwiches or 70 packs of gum!”

Ride: Ron stumbles over his script noting the Dodge Durango’s m.p.g fuel performance. Given Ron’s propensity to read everything as written, he can’t figure out what m.p.g is, trying several times to get it right. “emm..pah..gahs? What? mup-ah-gahs? Imp-a-gahs? I’m saying it right…but it just doesn’t sound familiar.”

Ballroom Dancers: This two-part spot (a .60-second and .30-second spot) will debut on “Dancing with the Stars” on Monday, October 7. In the .60-second spot, Ron walks alongside the vehicle with ballroom music playing in background, noting its “power, precision, elegance, grace in form, truth in function” when a couple dancing glides upon the scene. Ron loses his temper and chases them off, yelling, “Hey, get out of here you dumb dancers! I told them 100 times they can’t dance in here.” He apologizes, asks them to come back, then proceeds to go after them a second time. In the 30-second spot, the couple sneaks onto the quiet floor presuming it’s safe to once again begin to dance. Ron suddenly leaps out from the back seat of the Dodge Durango, in full pursuit of them.

Additional spots will roll out in the coming weeks, all of which can be viewed on the uniquely-branded BurgundyDodge.com page, as well as Ferrell and McKay’s comedy website FunnyorDie.com. Television spots will air across broadcast and cable including ESPN, Comedy Central, E! Entertainment Television, FX, Esquire Network, MLB Network, MTV, NBA, NBC Sports, Spike, TBS, TNT, Travel Channel, Discovery Channel, USA Network, Animal Planet, Adult Swim, Food Network, Nick at Nite, Science Channel, Big Ten Network and AMC, among others.

In addition to the uniquely-branded BurgundyDodge.com, social media initiatives include ongoing release of video content on the Dodge brand Facebook page, Ron Burgundy Twitter Takeovers, Instagram video clips, a tumblr page featuring animated GIFS and memes, and a dedicated Pinterest board for Ron Burgundy featuring videos and content.

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“Just as Ron Burgundy is kind of a big deal, the 2014 Dodge Durango also stands out in a crowd with its combination of best-in-class power, towing and fuel economy, in addition to its class exclusive technology,” said Tim Kuniskis, President and CEO, Dodge Brand. “The Dodge brand’s partnership with Paramount Pictures and ‘Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues’ aligns perfectly with our consumers’ sensibilities.”

The co-branded campaign extends to national print placements with concepts based on the look and feel of Dodge advertisements from the ’70s, with a Ron Burgundy spin. Print will begin running nationally in November.

“From the very first day of ‘Anchorman 2’ production, we have seen a relentless demand from fans for more Ron Burgundy,” commented LeeAnne Stables, EVP of Worldwide Marketing Partnerships, Paramount Pictures. “This fully integrated Dodge campaign allows us to reach the broader movie audience through a massive television, print and digital plan that will build even more anticipation for the film. Hats off to Dodge for being a groundbreaker in terms of content creation, and for securing a boastful pitchman that is as imbedded in American pop culture as the Durango itself.”

The new 2014 Dodge Durango takes everything customers love about Durango and adds the latest advancements in technology to enhance its design, capability and functionality. With a new standard eight-speed automatic transmission, improved fuel economy and performance, new LED exterior lighting, two new interior touchscreens, a new programmable instrument cluster, and an available high-definition dual-screen Blu-ray entertainment system, the 2014 Dodge Durango reaches even higher levels of sophistication, building on its proven performance, utility and comfort.

The integrated campaign, created in partnership with independent advertising agency Wieden+Kennedy, based out of Portland, Oregon, and Will Ferrell, will continue with additional content and consumer engagement opportunities in the coming months.

Follow Ron Burgundy on Twitter (@RonBurgundy) for more breaking news: https://twitter.com/ronburgundy

https://www.facebook.com/anchormanmovie

http://www.anchormanmovie.com/

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New UK Poster for THE HAUNTING IN CONNECTICUT 2 Is Here

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As everyone gears up for Halloween with trick-or-treating, ghosts and fairies, we offer our British Movie Geeks this new poster for THE HAUNTING IN CONNECTICUT 2 – in UK cinemas October 31st. For our faithful Geeks stateside, the sequel is available on VOD and Blu-ray/DVD.

Featuring Abigail Spencer (Cowboys and Aliens, TV’s “Mad Men”), Chad Michael Murray (House of Wax, TV’s “One Tree Hill”), Katee Sackhoff (TV’s “Battlestar Galactica”), Emily Alyn Lind (TV’s “Revenge”) and Cicely Tyson (The Help, Alex Cross), the movie is the only horror released this Halloween season in the UK and tells the true story of the Wyrick family – Lisa, Andy and their young daughter Heidi – who moved to Pine Mountain, Georgia, in 1993.

Upon moving into their new home, the Wyrick women begin experiencing disturbing visions.

Do the visions hint at the onset of a shared family madness, or are they clues to a real-life nightmare that once took place on the property?

Either way, a creepy movie to watch this Halloween.

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FRANKENSTEIN and THE INVISIBLE MAN This Saturday Morning at The Hi-Pointe

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“The brain you stole, Fritz. Think of it. The brain of a dead man waiting to live again in a body I made with my own hands!”

Celebrate two classics from Universal’s Golden Age of Horror this Saturday morning at St. Louis’ fabulous Hi-Pointe Theater as part of their Classic Film Series. It’s a double bill from director James Whale; the original FRANKENSTEIN (1931) and THE INVISIBLE MAN (1933). It’s Saturday, October 12th at 10:30am at the Hi-Pointe located at 1005 McCausland Ave., St. Louis, MO 63117. Admission is only $5.

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I just saw the original FRANKENSTEIN on the big screen last Halloween season when it played with BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN as part of a Fathom Event. The 82-year old film holds up as stark, solid, and impressive, overshadowed (a bit unfairly) by the later barrage of Whale’s wit in the more delirious and cinematic BRIDE. In FRANKENSTEIN, Karloff gives one of the most memorable performances of all time and the film’s greatness stems less from its script than from the stark but moody atmosphere created by director Whale, Herman Rosse’s memorable set designs (particularly the fantastic watchtower laboratory), the creature’s trademark look from makeup artist Jack Pierce, and Karloff’s nuanced performance as the tormented and bewildered creature. FRANKENSTEIN was greeted with screams, moans, and fainting spells upon its initial release, obliging Universal to add a disclaimer in which Edward Van Sloan advises the faint of heart to leave the theater immediately. If they don’t: “Well…we’ve warned you.” Director James Whale was played by Ian McKellen in the Oscar-winning 1998 biopic GODS AND MONSTERS.

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“How can I handcuff a blooming shirt?”

It was just two years later that Whale directed THE INVISIBLE MAN, a lively and engrossing adaptation of HG Wells’ tale of a scientist made invisible by his experiments with the drug monocaine. The megalomania that ensues upon his ability to go about unseen is played for equal parts suspense and tongue-in-cheek humor (he can’t go out in the rain, because it would make him look like a ridiculous bubble). The real strengths of the movie are R.C. Sherriff’s witty script and John P Fulton’s remarkable special effects (removing bandages to reveal nothing, footsteps appearing as if by magic in the snow – this was eye-popping stuff 80 years ago!) Star Claude Rains, with his clear, elegantly inflected voice, was lucky: despite almost no real screen time, THE INVISIBLE MAN made him a star. Trivia alert: watch for Dwight “Renfield” Frye as a bespectacled reporter, Walter Brennan as the man whose bicycle is stolen, and John Carradine as the fellow in the phone booth who’s “gawt a plan to ketch the h’invisible man”.

Don’t miss your chance to see FRANKENSTEIN and THE INVISIBLE MAN on the big screen.

The Hi-Pointe’s site can be found HERE

http://hi-pointetheatre.com/

GREY GARDENS – The DVD Review

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Review by Sam Moffitt

I used to work with a woman who smelled like cat piss.  Not making this up, not trying to be mean, this woman and her daughter (I won’t name them I don’t want to embarrass anybody) lived in a rented home here in St. Petersburg with so many cats they didn’t know how many they actually had.  I couldn’t stay in the house longer than a minute, the smell was unbelievable.  The really sad part this woman was letting the cats breed, she had kittens and grown cats all over the place.  They were, in common parlance what Is known as “crazy cat ladies.”

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I say this as an introduction to an incredible HBO movie about two of the most famous crazy cat ladies in history,  Edith Bouvier Beale,(Mother and Daughter have the same name,) Big Edie and Little Edie as they are better and more fondly known.  They were Aunt and Cousin to Jackie Kennedy Onassis and came to the attention of documentary film makers David and Albert Maysle’s when their mansion in East Hampton, New York was condemned in the early seventies and they were in danger of losing their once opulent home.

The Maysles did what they always try to do, they were flies on the wall while the Beale’s went about what passed for lives, although both Edie’s talk to the film makers throughout the incredible documentary, also called Grey Gardens by the way.  And I recommend anyone reading this to please see the documentary first.  The Criterion Collection edition of this film is beautiful and the movie won’t mean as much if you don’t see the original film, one of the best loved documentaries ever made and one of the few that is not about music to garner a serious cult following.

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The Maysle’s shot so much footage of the Beale’s there is a sequel made up of outtakes called The Beale’s of Grey Gardens which is just as wonderful.  Mother and Daughter live in a crumbling mansion that was once one of the show places of East Hampton.  They share the house with dozens of cats and an equal number of raccoons, which Little Edie feeds.   They argue, exhibit some strange behavior, talk to the film makers and go about their daily business.

I can recall reading a review of the documentary in the East Village Other in 1976 after the film was released and it was the first documentary I recall being described as like watching a train wreck in slow motion.  I wanted badly to see it when I read that review but it would take the dvd revolution for me to get there. It is by turns, fascinating, horrifying, hysterically funny,  not to mention tragic and all too human.

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This wonderful HBO movie attempts to fill in the blanks, to give us the back story of the Beale’s, who they were and how they got to their state in the 70s of living in one of the richest neighborhoods in the world in a state of dire poverty and decrepitude.

We see Grey Gardens in its prime, Big Edie hosting sumptuous parties, largely ignoring her husband and spending lots of time with a “piano teacher” who spends precious little time tutoring Little Edie in music.  Little Edie has dreams of going to New York and starting her own career in dance, singing, acting, anything creative to get the hell out of Grey Gardens.

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Jessica Lange as Big Edie and Drew Barrymore as Little Edie are mesmerizing, astonishing, right on the money with the accents, the sense of entitlement, the body language, everything we see in the documentary.  Both are incredible but it is Drew Barrymore who really hits one out of the park, she disappears, becomes the Little Edie who gained a cult audience all her own from the Maysles documentary.  Add her name to the list of actors who not so much act a part as become another person entirely.  I’m thinking of Forest Whitaker in Last King of Scotland,  Jim Carrey in Man in the Moon, Val Kilmer in The Doors.  Add Drew Barrymore’s name to that list, this is acting taken to a whole other level.

The film makers have accurately recreated more than one time period, the clothes, the cars, the attitudes are spot on.  We learn who the mysterious “married man” was that Little Edie was briefly involved with, that Big Edie could indeed have had a career as a singer, how the cats came slowly but surely into their lives.  How they lost what income they had and why Mother insisted the Daughter stay in this benighted realm.  How and why both were unsuited for any ordinary job, indeed what could they have done for a normal income?

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And most horrifying of all we see how Grey Gardens itself deteriorated and became what was deemed by the Department of Health “unfit for human habitation.”  These scenes in particular I found difficult to watch, even more fascinating, we learn that Grey Gardens, as seen in the Maysle’s film, was after a certain amount of rehab work was done!  We see workmen come in and clean out debris, fix the roof, clean and paint one bedroom, the “Yellow Bedroom” as seen in the documentary where the Beale’s did most of their “living.” We are not told where the money came from for this work, unless I missed something. We also learn the Maysle’s put flea collars around their ankles to lessen the bites from the flea infested home.

And time and again the movie cuts between the past and the movie’s present, how choices made in the past lead to this odd and more than a little depressing circumstance.

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The dvd has a terrific making of documentary where we see how much work a professional actor can put into a role.  Both Jessica Lange and Drew Barrymore watched the Maysles documentary obsessively, on portable dvd players.  Many of the costumes, props and even furniture are not just the same as what the Beale’s had, they are the actual household items we see in the documentary!  It’s not mentioned but I’m wondering if the film crew let the cats shit and piss everywhere to give it that verisimilitude they were reaching for.

It is eerie indeed to see moments captured on film by the Maysle’s in the 70s recreated so flawlessly, every gesture, every glance, all the rancor and bitterness of a life that was never lived to its full potential.  And oddly enough we do get a happy ending.  After Big Edie’s death Little Edie lived in several different places, got to travel and even did a cabaret act?!  She achieved a certain amount of celebrity from the documentary and actually had fans who wrote to her and wanted to be like her?  Huh?  Say what?

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There is a terrific scene with Jeanne Tripplehorn as their famous cousin Jackie Kennedy Onassis.  Little Edie’s delusions and Jackie’s tragedy are equally heartbreaking.

The only thing I missed from the documentary , the HBO film makes no mention of “The Marble Faun!”  A long haired, probably pot smoking kid who did odd jobs for the Beale’s and who Little Edie was convinced wanted to do her and drive a wedge between herself and her Mother at the same time.  In the scenes in the Maysle’s film where he appears he just looks like he’s hanging around Grey Gardens because he has nothing else to do and is probably too baked to give a shit.

The Beale’s story reminded me of the writing of Shirley Jackson, I’m thinking especially of We Have Always Lived in the Castle, watch these films and then read the book and you’ll see what I mean.

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For this is the amazing hat trick of both the Maysles documentary and this welcome tribute film about the Beales’ of Grey Gardens.  Despite all the bizarre behavior, the living in squalor and the delusional rants, despite everything our “rational” mind tells us about the Beale’s we come to respect, admire and even love these “crazy cat ladies”.  As someone wiser than me once said, “there but for the Grace of God…..”  Someone else wiser than me also made mention of “the road not taken”.   It’s all there, at Grey Gardens.

Now I have to go and walk my dog, be seeing you!

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