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Street Kings

Rated: R for strong violence and pervasive language.
Release Date: 2008-04-11
Starring: James Ellroy, Kurt Wimmer, Jamie Moss
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Country:USA
Official Website: http://www.foxsearchlight.com/press/

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Roman Polanski at 75

‘Tropic Thunder’ dethrones Batman at the box office

Ben Stiller comedy “Tropic Thunder” dethroned Batman sequel “The Dark Knight” from the top spot at North American box offices this weekend, entertainment industry estimates showed Sunday.

Stiller’s movie-within-a-movie about a group of actors shooting a war movie in the middle of a real-life conflict zone scooped 26 million dollars on its opening weekend, according to box-office tracker Exhibitor Relations.

The impressive opening haul gave the film — which also stars Robert Downey Jr and Jack Black — five-day earnings of just over 37 million dollars.

It came after the film’s premiere saw protests from disability activists who lambasted Stiller for repeated use of the word “retard” in the script. Stiller has defended the movie, insisting that it is a satire on Hollywood.

The success of “Tropic Thunder” knocked “The Dark Knight” off of top spot after four weeks of dominance.

But “The Dark Knight,” which features Christian Bale as the caped crusader and Heath Ledger as his arch-villain Joker, earned another 16.8 million dollars which was enough to take the film past “Star Wars” as the second highest-grossing movie of all time after 1997’s “Titanic.”

“The Dark Knight” has now raked in a cool 471.5 million dollars since opening in mid-July, but is still way off “Titanic’s” mammoth haul of 601 million.

Ironically, the milestone came on the same weekend as the animated “Star Wars: The Clone Wars” arrived in US theatres. The latest offering from George Lucas’s moneyspinning franchise opened in third with 15.5 million dollars.

The latest Hollywood remake of a cult Asian horror film “Mirrors“, starring Kiefer Sutherland, was in fourth spot with 11.1 million.

In fifth place was the marijuana comedy “Pineapple Express“, starring Seth Rogen and James Franco, which earned 10 million.

Critically panned action-adventure “The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor” was sixth with 8.6 million, ahead of Abba musical remake “Mamma Mia!“, with 6.5 million.

Rounding out the top 10 were “The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2” with 5.93 million, ahead of comedy “Step Brothers” with 5 million dollars.

Woody Allen’s latest film, romantic comedy “Vicky Cristina Barcelona” was 10th with 3.7 million although it was screened in fewer than 700 theaters nationwide.

Mike Myers joins Tarantino’s ‘Inglorious Bastards’

Mike Myers has been recruited by Quentin Tarantino to join the ensemble cast of “Inglorious Bastards,” the Tarantino-scripted pic that the Weinstein Co. and Universal will put into production Oct. 13 in Germany.

Myers will play British Gen. Ed Fenech, a military mastermind who takes part in hatching a plot to wipe out Nazi leaders.

Brad Pitt recently committed to star in the film, along with Eli Roth, and Tarantino is also courting Simon Pegg, Nastassja Kinski, David Krumholtz and B.J. Novak.

Star Wars: The Clone Wars

Rated: PG for some thematic elements.
Release Date: 2008-08-15
Starring: Henry Gilroy, Steve Melching, Scott Murphy
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Country: USA
Official Website: http://www.starwars.com/theclonewars/

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Unless you are a hardcore Star Wars fan, it will be difficult for the average moviegoer to remember all six, oh my humble apologies, seven Star Wars film episodes. With that said, in preparation to see the new computer animated ‘Star Wars: The Clone Wars’ film, questions were beginning to emerge in me about George Lucas’ creativity. Is he stuck for eternity in this Star Wars bubble and is he incapable of filming anything else? I believe it is a warranted question. This is the same guy who wrote, directed, casted, and edited ‘American Graffiti’, a cinematic effort that earned him five Oscar nominations in 1974. That is evidence he can do something else outside of ‘the force’ – so why doesn’t he? This, my friends, is the million dollar question.

Lucas has been driven, for some time now, to create this new animated feature to coincide with the launch of his Lucasfilm Animation universe. The movie transports us to the middle of episodes two and three (as communicated to me by a Warner Bros. representative) where Jedi Knights struggle to maintain order and restore peace. Systems are falling prey to the forces of the dark side as the Galactic Republic slips further under the sway of the Separatists. Anakin Skywalker (soon to be Darth Vader) and his Padawan learner Ahsoka Tano (a sort of intern) find themselves on a mission that brings them face-to-face with crime lord Jabba the Hutt. But Count Dooku and his sinister agents, including the nefarious Asajj Ventress, will stop at nothing to ensure that Anakin and Ahsoka fail at their quest. Notable is a cameo of Samuel L. Jackson lending his voice for his character Mace Windu.

Since new characters are introduced here, and not continued in the following adventures of the Jedis, it is hard to say whether or not this film fits in nicely with the rest of the episodes. We will have to wait and see.

Nevertheless, boy was it entertaining! It began with great animated fighting sequences and it kept that tempo throughout the very end, a characteristic that spells out pure fun. I would actually dare to say it was more entertaining than Lucas’ recent Star Wars trilogy – Episodes I, II and III. Most of this decision is based on Hayden Christensen’s vapid and uninspiring acting as Anakin Skywalker in the aforementioned works, resulting in an unmemorable experience. These computer generated ‘actors’ did a better job of engaging me than he.

The premise was easy enough to understand, the characters were likable, the sequences were dynamic and full of brio. The film is obviously for fans of the Star Wars saga, but looking to attract young new legions of fans.

The Scorpion King 2: Rise of a Warrior

Rated: PG-13 for violence, and sexual content including references.
Release Date: 2008-08-19
Starring: Randall McCormick
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Country:USA
Official Website: No disponible.

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See how the legend of The Scorpion King began!  When a young Mathayus witnesses his father’s death at the hands of the king (UFC Champion Randy Couture), his quest for vengeance transforms him into the most feared warrior of the ancient world.  From the producers of The Mummy and the director of Resident Evil: Extinction and Highlander comes a heroic adventure filled with heart-stopping action and thrilling visual effects!

 

Experience pulse-pounding action and see how the Scorpion King legend was born when the highly-anticipated prequel The Scorpion King 2: Rise of a Warrior comes to DVD and Blu-ray Hi-Def on August 19, 2008 from Universal Studios Home Entertainment. An adrenaline-fueled adventure of epic proportions, The Scorpion King 2: Rise of a Warrior takes viewers back to the beginning of the saga of Mathayus, the young warrior who would become the fearsome Scorpion King. Directed by Russell Mulcahy (Resident Evil: Extinction, Highlander), the film stars world-renowned, five-time Ultimate Fighting Championship winner  Randy Couture.  The DVD is priced at $29.98 SRP and the Blu-ray version at $39.98 SRP.

In addition, a special Scorpion King Warrior Pack will be available day and date, containing the new DVD as well as the original action blockbuster DVD, The Scorpion King starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, priced at $36.98 SRP.

“By far Universal’s most ambitious DVD OriginalTM to date, The Scorpion King 2: Rise of a Warrior raises the made-for-DVD bar to the next level with production values that deliver theatrical-style action, adventure and excitement,” said Craig Kornblau, President of Universal Studios Home Entertainment and Universal Pictures Digital Platforms. “Our strong track record in this arena has encouraged us to pursue this market even more aggressively as of late.  With The Mummy continuing to successfully build on its global popularity and appeal at the box office, we saw a unique opportunity to offer home entertainment consumers a new, engaging experience that embraces the iconic elements they love about this franchise.”

The Scorpion King 2: Rise of a Warrior is the latest in a series of top-selling Universal DVD Original® releases that includes American Pie Presents: Beta House and Bring It On: In It to Win It. Both the DVD and Blu-ray are packed with behind-the-scenes interviews, exciting deleted scenes and outtakes, and astonishing Scorpion King secrets.

In addition to Couture, the cast of The Scorpion King 2: Rise of a Warrior features Michael Copon (Bring It On: In It to Win It), Karen David (Batman Begins) and Natalie Becker (The World Unseen).

‘Kung Fu Panda’ to have a sequel

Dreamworks is in talks to make a sequel to animated film Kung Fu Panda, the movie studio has confirmed.

Chief executive Jeffrey Katzenberg told Reuters an announcement could be made within two months.

“We’ve started conversations about it, and I think in the next 30 or 60 days, we’ll be able to talk completely about that,” he said.

Set in China, Kung Fu Panda follows the journey of a clumsy panda in his efforts to become a kung fu warrior.

Voiced by Jack Black, Dustin Hoffman, Angelina Jolie and Lucy Liu, the film took $560m in global ticket sales and became Dreamworks’ most successful movie, surpassing the Shrek franchise.

Mr Katzenberg was speaking at a screening of clips from Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa, a sequel to the original 2005 movie featuring the voices of Ben Stiller and Chris Rock.

He added the company would also produce and release at least one, and possibly two, more Madagascar movies after the sequel, which is due out in November in the US.

‘Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince’ moves to Summer 09′

Warner Bros. Pictures today announced that it has moved back the release date of “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” to Summer 2009.  The sixth installment of the blockbuster Harry Potter franchise will now open day-and-date domestically and in the major international markets on July 17, 2009.  The announcement was made by Alan Horn, President and Chief Operating Officer, Warner Bros.

In making the announcement, Mr. Horn stated, “Our reasons for shifting ‘Half-Blood Prince’ to summer are twofold: we know the summer season is an ideal window for a family tent pole release, as proven by the success of our last Harry Potter film, which is the second-highest grossing film in the franchise, behind only the first installment.  Additionally, like every other studio, we are still feeling the repercussions of the writers’ strike, which impacted the readiness of scripts for other films—changing the competitive landscape for 2009 and offering new windows of opportunity that we wanted to take advantage of.  We agreed the best strategy was to move ‘Half-Blood Prince’ to July, where it perfectly fills the gap for a major tent pole release for mid-summer.”

Jeff Robinov, President of Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group, confirmed, “The release date change does not alter the production schedule for this or future Harry Potter films.  Post-production on ‘Half-Blood Prince’ was completed on time, and the studio’s release plans for the two-part ‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows’ will not be affected by this change.  We know Harry Potter fans are eagerly anticipating seeing the final chapters unfold onscreen.  In fact, the good news for them is that the gap will now be shortened between ‘Half-Blood Prince’ and the first part of ‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.’”

Commenting on the release date change for “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince,” David Heyman, the producer of all the Harry Potter films, offered, “When Jeff Robinov explained the rationale behind moving the release date of ‘Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince’ to July 2009, it was immediately apparent that this offered us the potential to reach the widest possible audience.  I am extremely proud of this latest film and of the work of David Yates and our incomparable cast; I believe we have developed and pushed the series further still.  We are all looking forward to sharing it with Harry Potter fans around the world, even if we have to wait just a bit longer.”

David Yates, the director of both “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix” and “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” and who will also helm “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows,” added, “It has been a joy to work on ‘Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.’  Dan, Rupert and Emma and all our returning young cast continue to blossom, and our new cast members bring fresh color and life to Hogwarts.  Even as we put the finishing touches on this latest film, we are already beginning preparations on the final two films—we start filming in February—and I am excited to bring this remarkable series to the exciting and moving conclusion its loyal fans deserve.”

In “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince,” Voldemort is tightening his grip on both the Muggle and wizarding worlds and Hogwarts is no longer the safe haven it once was.  Harry suspects that dangers may even lie within the castle, but Dumbledore is more intent upon preparing him for the final battle that he knows is fast approaching.  Meanwhile, the students are under attack from a very different adversary as teenage hormones rage across the ramparts.  Love is in the air, but tragedy lies ahead and Hogwarts may never be the same again.