Arts and Entertainment Archives – Page 283 of 346

2018 Halloween Horror Nights: Universal Orlando Resort adds Carnival Graveyard: Rust in Pieces

July 25, 2018

Universal Orlando Resort is making this year’s Halloween Horror Nights the most intense ever by adding a 10th haunted house to the event. This is the first time in the event’s 28-year history that 10 haunted houses will be featured – giving guests more scares than ever before. Today, Universal Orlando Resort revealed an all-new original content haunted house coming to Halloween Horror Nights 2018 – Carnival Graveyard: Rust in Pieces.

As guests trespass into a dilapidated carnival, they will find a maze of decayed rides and games – and soon discover they are not alone. Horrifying guard dogs, a grotesque ‘tunnel of love’, gleefully vicious performers loaded with deadly weapons fabricated from old rides and more will stalk guests’ every move as they trytheir best to escape.

Check out the Universal Orlando Blog for more information about Carnival Graveyard: Rust in Pieces.

Halloween Horror Nights 2018 runs select nights from September 14 to November 3 and will feature more houses than ever before. Additional details about this year’s event will be revealed soon. For more information and to purchase tickets, click here.

Horrors of the ‘80s will invade this year’s Halloween Horror Nights. Cinematic greats, slasher films, cult classics and original nightmares inspired by the past will come to life as guests face 10 disturbingly-real haunted houses based on the most terrifying names in pop culture – including Netflix’s sci-fi thriller “Stranger Things” and Legendary Pictures’ Halloween classic “Trick ‘r Treat” – and five sinister scare zones.

Universal also revealed some of the scare zones guests will encounter at Halloween Horror Nights 2018. As they venture through the park, they’ll be stalked by ravenous punk, material girl and metal head vampires in Vamp 85: New Year’s Eve, come face-to-face with beings of rotted pumpkins and fetid vines who are seeking out human sacrifices in Twisted Tradition, fall victim to foul and decrepit creatures in The Harvest and more. Plus, Academy of Villains will return with an all-new high energy performance.

More details about this year’s event will be revealed soon.

All tickets and vacation packages are on sale now for this year’s Halloween Horror Nights. Guests can save up to $52 on a Halloween Horror Nights single night ticket when booking online, maximize their visit with the Halloween Horror Nights Express Pass, which grants them shorter wait times at all haunted houses and participating attractions, and more. There are also Florida resident vacation packages available that include accommodations at the all-new Universal’s Aventura Hotel – opening this August – one-night admission to Halloween Horror Nights, tickets to Universal Orlando’s three theme parks and more.

2018 Venice International Film Festival: complete slate announced

July 25, 2018

The Biennale di Venezia announced today the complete lineup of films that will be at the 75th Venice International Film Festival, which will take place August 29 to September 8, 2018 in Venice, Italy.

IN COMPETITION

“First Man,” Damien Chazelle (U.S.)
“The Mountain,” Rick Alverson (U.S.)
“Doubles Vies,” Olivier Assayas (France)
“The Sisters Brothers,” Jacques Audiard (France, Belgium, Romania, Spain)
“The Ballad of Buster Scruggs,” Ethan and Joel Coen (U.S.)
“Vox Lux,” Brady Corbet (U.S.)
“Roma,” Alfonso Cuaron (Mexico)
“22 July,” Paul Greengrass (Norway, Iceland)
“Suspiria,” Luca Guadagnino (Italy)
“Work Ohne Autor,” Florian Henkel Von Donnersmark (Germany)
“The Nightingale,” Jennifer Kent (Australia)
“The Favourite,” Yorgos Lanthimos (U.S.)
“Peterloo,” Mike Leigh (U.K., U.S.)
“Capri-Revolution,” Mario Martone (Italy, France)
“What You Gonna Do When The World’s On Fire?”, Roberto Minervini (Italy, U.S., France)
“Sunset,” Laszlo Nemes (Hungary, France)
“Freres Ennemis,” David Oelhoffen (France, Belgium)
“Neustro Tiempo,” Carlos Reygadas (Mexico, France, Germany, Denmark, Sweeden)
“At Eternity’s Gate,” Julian Schnabel (U.S., France)
“Acusada,” Gonzalo Tobal (Argentina, Mexico)
“Killing,” Shinya Tsukamoto (Japan)

OUT OF COMPETITION

SPECIAL EVENT

“The Other Side of the Wind,” Orson Welles (U.S.)
“They’ll Love Me When I’m Dead,” Morgan Neville (U.S.)

SPECIAL SCREENINGS

“My Brilliant Friend,” Saverio Costanzo (Italy, Belgium)
“Il Diario Di Angela – Noi Due Cineasti,” Yervant Gianikian (Italy)

FICTION

“Una Storia Senza Nome,” Roberto Andò (Italy)
“Les Estivants,” Valeria Bruni Tedeschi (France, Italy)
“A Star Is Born,” Bradley Cooper (U.S.)
“Mi Obra Maestra,” Gaston Duprat (Argentina, Spain)
“A Tramway in Jerusalem,” Amos Gitai (Israel, France)
“Un Peuple et Son Roi,” Pierre Schoeller (France, Belgium)
“La Quietud,” Pablo Trapero (Argentina)
“Dragged Across Concrete,” S. Craig Zahler (U.S.)
“Shadow,” Zhang Yimou (China)

NON-FICTION

“A Letter to a Friend In Gaza,” Amos Gitai (Israel)
“Aquarela,” Victor Kossakovsky (U.K., Germany)
“El Pepe, Una Vida Suprema,” Emir Kusturica (Argentina, Uruguay, Serbia)
“Process,” Sergei Loznitsa (The Netherlands)
“Carmine Street Guitars,” Ron Mann (Canada)
“Isis, Tomorrow. The Lost Souls Of Mosul,” Francesca Mannocchi, Alessio Romenzi (Italy, Germany)
“American Dharma,” Errol Morris (U.S., U.K.)
“Introduzione All’Oscuro,” Gaston Solnicki (Argentina, Austria)
“1938 Diversi,” Giorgio Treves (Italy)
“Your Face,” Tsai Ming-Liang (Chinese Taipei)
“Monrovia, Indiana,” Frederick Wiseman (U.S.)

HORIZONS

“Sulla Mia Pelle,” Alessio Cremonini (Italy)
“Manta Ray,” Phuttiphong Aroonpheng (Thailand, France, China)
“Soni,” Ivan Ayr (India)
“The River,” Emir Baigazin (Kazakistan, Poland, Norway)
“La Noche de 12 Anos,” Alvaro Brechner (Spain, Argentina, France)
“Deslembro,” Flavia Castro (Brasil, France, Qatar)
“The Announcement,” Mahmut Fazil Coskun (Turkey, Bulgaria)
“Un Giorno All’Improvviso,” Ciro D’Emilio (Italy)
“Charlie Says,” Mary Harron (U.S.)
“Amanda,” Mikhael Hers (France)
“The Day I Lost My Shadow,” Soudade Kaadan (Syria, Lebanon, France, Qatar)
“L’Enkas,” Sarah Marx (France)
“The Man Who Surprised Everyone,” Evgeniy Tsiganov, Natalya Kudryashowa (Russia, Estonia, France)
“Through The Holes,” Garin Nugroho (Indonesia, Australia)
“As I Lay Dying,” Mostafa Sayyari (Iran)
“La Profezia Dell’armadillo,” Emanuele Scaringi (Italy)
“Stripped,” Yaron Shani (Israel, Germany)
“Jinpa,” Pema Tseden (China)
“Tel Aviv on Fire,” Same Zoabi (Luxembourg, France, Israel, Belgium)

Weigel Broadcasting and CBS Television Stations launch Start TV network with reruns of crime procedural dramas

July 25, 2018

The following is a press release from Weigel Broadcasting Co.:

Weigel Broadcasting Co. announces the launch of the new multicast entertainment television network- Start TV, beginning Monday, September 3, 2018, in association with CBS Television Stations. Start TV showcases strong and resourceful female leading characters in a lineup of contemporary and proven procedural dramas. Each lead character and series embody a boldness and determination to “Start” leading the way, seeking the truth, solving the crime, and defending the innocent.

The talented and award-winning leading actresses featured on the new Start TV Network include: Kyra Sedgwick, Patricia Arquette, Julianna Margulies, Christine Baranski, Bonnie Bedelia, Taraji P. Henson, and Jill Hennessy.

Start TV will launch with an original seven-day-a-week strip schedule. Episodes air every day at the same time, Monday through Sunday. This convenient format allows viewers to tune in and “Start” watching any day or time they choose. Headliner programs will be showcased with multiple episodes airing each day in multi-hour blocks.

“We are excited to launch the Start TV Network with the CBS Television Stations,” said Neal Sabin, Vice Chairman of Weigel Broadcasting Co. “Each of these acclaimed TV series is built around compelling female lead characters and portrayed by amazing award-winning actresses. This is an exciting network concept and great opportunity to present these proven procedural dramas.”

CBS Television Stations will add Start TV to their stations: WCBS New York, KCBS Los Angeles, WBBM Chicago, KYW Philadelphia, KTVT Dallas-Ft. Worth, KPIX San Francisco, WUPA Atlanta, WBZ Boston, KSTW Seattle, WTOG Tampa-St. Petersburg, WWJ Detroit, WCCO Minneapolis-St. Paul, WFOR Miami, KCNC Denver, KOVR Sacramento, KDKA Pittsburgh and WJZ Baltimore. Start TV will also be seen on cable outlets in each of these markets. Weigel Broadcasting Co. owned stations in St Louis, MO; Utah; Milwaukee, WI; Rockford, IL; and South Bend, IN will carry the Start TV Network. Bahakel Communications will also be an initial launch group with affiliates in Charlotte, NC; Columbia, SC; and Montgomery, AL. Combined, the Start TV Network will have 42% coverage of U.S. TV households at “The Start.”

“We are pleased to partner with our friends at Weigel Broadcasting to launch Start TV,” said Peter Dunn, President, CBS Television Stations. “Our CBS Television Network primetime audience has enjoyed great success with procedural dramas for many years. We are excited to feature The Good Wife and many other compelling series in the Start TV line-up as a great companion to our CBS programming.”

The following popular procedural drama series will air on Start TV. Network programming begins Monday, September 3, 2018:

“The Closer” starring Kyra Sedgwick as a Deputy Police Chief running the LAPD’s Priority Homicide Division with an unorthodox style that helps her solve the toughest and most sensitive cases.

“The Good Wife” starring Julianna Margulies and Christine Baranski follows a woman who must return to work as a lawyer to provide for her family, after her husband is jailed following a political scandal. Series begins January, 2019.

“Medium” starring Patricia Arquette as a suburban mom who balances family life while solving mysteries with her special gift for communicating with the deceased.

“Crossing Jordan” starring Jill Hennessy as a brilliant medical examiner who goes above and beyond to solve cases despite her spotty career and mercurial ways. Series begins January, 2019.

“Cold Case” starring Kathryn Morris as a lone female detective who finds her calling by unraveling and re-thinking previously unsolved, older crimes.

“Profiler” starring Ally Walker as an exceptional doctor working with Federal agencies to investigate and solve violent crimes. Haunted by tragedy, she also searches for her husband’s elusive killer.

“The Division” starring Bonnie Bedelia, Taraji P. Henson, and Nancy McKeon as very different female cops in San Francisco trying to find success in their personal and professional lives.

For more on Start TV, visit www.starttv.com and follow Start TV on social media @starttvnetwork.

Weigel Broadcasting Co. is a family-owned media company based in Chicago, Illinois. The company owns and operates national television networks, as well as local broadcast stations throughout the country. Weigel is the leader in the multicast television network space with “MeTV,” Memorable Entertainment Television, the number-one rated and distributed multicast network, as well as the “Movies!” Network in cooperation with the Fox Television Stations, the “DECADES” Network and the “H&I” Network. Weigel’s local stations include CBS, ABC, The CW, MyNet and Telemundo network affiliates. Weigel and its affiliate companies broadcast network and independent television stations in Los Angeles, Chicago, Seattle, St. Louis, Cedar City-St. George, Milwaukee, South Bend and Rockford. For more information on Weigel, visit: https://www.weigelbroadcasting.com/

About CBS Television Stations

CBS Television Stations consists of 28 owned-and-operated stations, including 15 that are part of the CBS Television Network, eight affiliates of The CW Network, three independent stations and two MyNetworkTV affiliates. Among its stations are WCBS-TV and WLNY-TV (New York), KCBS-TV and KCAL-TV (Los Angeles), WBBM-TV (Chicago), KYW-TV and WPSG-TV (Philadelphia), KTVT-TV and KTXA-TV (Dallas-Ft. Worth), KPIX-TV and KBCW-TV (San Francisco), WUPA-TV (Atlanta), WBZ-TV and WSBK-TV (Boston), KSTW-TV (Seattle), WTOG-TV (Tampa-St. Petersburg), WWJ-TV and WKBD-TV (Detroit), WCCO-TV (Minneapolis-St. Paul), WFOR-TV and WBFS-TV (Miami), KCNC-TV (Denver), KOVR-TV and KMAX-TV (Sacramento), KDKA-TV and WPCW-TV (Pittsburgh) and WJZ-TV (Baltimore), as well as WCCO-TV’s satellite station KCCW-TV (Walker, Minn.).

2018 Venice International Film Festival: Vanessa Redgrave gets Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement

July 24, 2018

The following is a press release from the Venice International Film Festival:

British actress Vanessa Redgrave has been awarded the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement at the 75th Venice International Film Festival (29 August – 8 September, 2018).

The decision was made by the Board of Directors of the Biennale di Venezia chaired by Paolo Baratta, upon recommendation of the Director of the Venice Film Festival, Alberto Barbera. This is the second Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement of the 75th Venice Film Festival. As already announced, the Golden Lion to a director has been awarded to David Cronenberg. Each year La Biennale assigns two Golden Lions for Lifetime Achievement at the Venice Film Festival: the first is awarded to a director, the second to an actor or actress.

VANESSA REDGRAVE

Vanessa Redgrave declared: “I am astonished and especially delighted to hear that I will be awarded by the Venice Film Festival for a life’s work in film. Last summer I was filming in Venice in The Aspern Papers. Many many years ago I filmed La vacanza in the marshes of the Veneto. My character spoke every word in the Venetian dialect. I bet I am the only non-Italian actress to act an entire role in Venetian dialect! Thank you a million dear Festival!”.

THE MOTIVATION

Alberto Barbera declared: “Unanimously considered one of today’s best actresses, Redgrave’s sensitive, infinitely faceted performances ideally render complex and often controversial characters. Gifted with a natural elegance, innate seductive power, and extraordinary talent, she can nonchalantly pass from European art house cinema to lavish Hollywood productions, from the stage to TV sets, each time offering top-quality results. In the sixty years of her professional activity, her performances have displayed authoritativeness and total control over the roles she plays, a boundless and highly sophisticated generosity, and a healthy dose of the courage and fighting spirit which are a hallmark of her compassionate, artistic nature”.

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE

Born into a thespian family, nominated six times for an Oscar (she won in 1977 for her performance in Julia), and the winner of a Volpi Cup in Venice in 1994 for Little Odessa, for 60 years, Vanessa Redgrave has been one of the best-loved and most-sought-after actresses of international art house cinema. A stage actress as well, she has won a Tony Award and an Olivier Award for best actress.

Among her most recent works, in 2018 she performed in The Aspern Papers by Julian Landais, with Jonathan Rhys Meyers and Joely Richardson; Mrs Lowry & Son by Adrian Noble, with Timothy Spall; and Georgetown by Christoph Waltz, with Annette Bening. In 2017, she directed and starred in Sea Sorrow with Ralph Fiennes and Emma Thompson (produced by Carlo Nero) and she performed at the Young Vic Theatre in The Inheritance by Matthew Lopez, produced by Sonia Friedman and directed by Stephen Daldry.

Redgrave was born in London in 1937 and studied acting at London’s Central School of Music and Dance. Her family has a long and glorious tradition in film and on the stage. Her paternal grandfather, Roy Redgrave, was one of Australia’s most famous silent movie actors. Her father, Michael, and her mother, Rachel Kempson, were members of the Old Vic Theater. Her father, in particular, was also a well-known movie actor. Right from an early age, Vanessa was a successful stage actress and she debuted on the silver screen alongside her father in 1958 in the comedy Behind the Mask. She then dedicated herself to theatre and became a member of the Stratford-upon-Avon Theater Company. This is where she met director Tony Richardson, who, in the early 1960s, became her husband and directed her in Shakespeare plays. In 1966, Redgrave returned to the silver screen in Morgan: A Suitable Case for Treatment, by Karel Reisz, which won her the award for best actress at Cannes and her first Oscar nomination. Always in 1966, she performed in Blow-up by Michelangelo Antonioni. The topic of incommunicability, one of the Italian director’s favorites, found a perfect interpreter in that young, enigmatic woman who can express herself almost without speaking. One year later, Joshua Logan brought her to the United States to shoot Camelot, after which Vanessa returned to Europe for two more films directed by Richardson, The Sailor from Gibraltar, and in 1968, The Charge of the Light Brigade. That same year, she portrayed the non-conformist ballerina Isadora Duncan in Isadora (1968) by Karel Reisz (her second Oscar nomination). In 1971, she played the unlucky queen in Mary, Queen of Scots (1971, her third nomination for an Oscar), a nun in The Devils by Ken Russel, and a girl confined in a madhouse in Vacation by Tinto Brass, which stars Franco Nero and was presented at the Venice Film Festival. Vanessa Redgrave won an Oscar for her performance as the brave and headstrong Julia (1977), by Fred Zinnemann. In 1984, James Ivory directed her in The Bostonians (another Oscar nomination) and in 1985 she played the lonely teacher in Wetherby (1985) by David Hare. She received her sixth Oscar nomination for her portrayal of sensitive Ruth Wilcox in Howard’s End(1992), once again by James Ivory. In 1994, she received the Volpi Cup in Venice for Little Odessa by James Gray. She played the bitter protagonist in Mrs Dalloway (1997) by Marleen Gorris and in 2007 she starred in Atonement by Joe Wright, the opening film at the Venice Film Festival that year.

2018 Teen Choice Awards: Meghan Trainor, Lauv added as performers; Chris Pratt, Anna Kendrick among presenters

July 24, 2018

The following is a press release from Fox:

Grammy® Award-winning singer-songwriter and expert panelist on FOX’s “The Four: Battle for Stardom” Meghan Trainor will perform her latest single, “Let You Be Right,” on Teen Choice 2018. Additionally, Lauv will perform his hit Platinum single, “I Like Me Better.” Airing LIVE from the Forum on Sunday, Aug. 12 (8:00-10:00 PM ET live/PT tape-delayed) on FOX, the choicest, star-studded, two-hour event will celebrate this year’s top teen icons in television, music, film, sports, comedy and digital.

Teen Choice 2018 nominees Chris Pratt (Choice Summer Movie Star: Male; and Choice Liplock), Olivia Holt (Choice Female Hottie), Lauren Jauregui (Choice Female Hottie) and Anna Kendrick (Choice Movie Actress: Comedy; and Choice Twitter Personality) are scheduled to appear.

As previously announced, Nick Cannon will host Teen Choice 2018, and Lele Pons will serve as co-host. Other performances include Khalid, who will perform a special medley of hit songs. Additional celebrity appearances include Lucy Hale, Hudson Yang, Maddie Ziegler, Nina Dobrev, Chloe Grace Moretz, Noah Cyrus, Red Gerard, Chloe Kim, Auli’i Cravalho and Jojo Siwa.

Tickets for TEEN CHOICE 2018 at the Forum are now on sale to the general public at http://bit.ly/TEENCHOICE18.

TEEN CHOICE is executive-produced by Bob Bain and Audrey Morrissey. Nick Cannon serves as a co-executive producer. “Like” TEEN CHOICE 2018 on Facebook at facebook.com/TeenChoiceAwards.

2018 Toronto International Film Festival: gala and special presentation movies announced

July 24, 2018

The following is a press release from the Toronto International Film Festival:

Piers Handling, CEO and Director of TIFF, and Cameron Bailey, Artistic Director of TIFF, today unveiled the first round of titles premiering in the Gala and Special Presentation programmes of the 43rd Toronto International Film Festival.

Of the 17 Galas and 30 Special Presentations, this first announcement includes 21 World Premieres, 7 International Premieres, 8 North American Premieres and 11 Canadian Premieres. The selection announced today includes 13 features directed by women.

“We have an exceptional selection of films this year that will excite Festival audiences from all walks of life,” said Handling. “Today’s lineup showcases beloved auteurs alongside fresh voices in filmmaking, including numerous female powerhouses. The sweeping range in cinematic storytelling from around the world is a testament to the uniqueness of the films that are being made.”

“Every September we invite the whole film world to Toronto, one of the most diverse, movie-mad cities in the world. I’m thrilled that we’ve been able to put together a lineup of Galas and Special Presentations that reflects Toronto’s spirit of inclusive, passionate engagement with film. We can’t wait to unveil these films for our audience.”

This year, the Gala and Special Presentations programmes will include films by Claire Denis, Steve McQueen, Alfonso Cuarón, Barry Jenkins, Nicole Holofcener, Patricia Rozema, Damien Chazelle, Elizabeth Chomko, Zhang Yimou, Bradley Cooper, Nadine Labaki, Anurag Kashyap, Amma Asante, Matteo Garrone, Eva Husson, Jason Reitman, Lee Chang-dong, Keith Behrman, George Tillman, Jr., Olivier Assayas, and Jiang Wen.

More Festival films, including additional Gala and Special Presentations selections, will be announced in the coming weeks. Next up: the Canadian lineup, which will be unveiled on August 1 at 10am ET.

The 43rd Toronto International Film Festival runs from September 6 to 16, 2018.Ticket packages are now on sale.

GALAS

Beautiful Boy | Felix van Groeningen, USA
World Premiere

Everybody Knows | Asghar Farhadi, Spain/France/Italy
North American Premiere

First Man | Damien Chazelle, USA
Canadian Premiere

Galveston | Mélanie Laurent, USA
Canadian Premiere

The Hate U Give | George Tillman, Jr., USA
World Premiere

Hidden Man | Jiang Wen, China
International Premiere

High Life | Claire Denis, Germany/France/Poland/United Kingdom
World Premiere

Husband Material | Anurag Kashyap, India
World Premiere

The Kindergarten Teacher | Sara Colangelo, USA
Canadian Premiere

The Land of Steady Habits | Nicole Holofcener, USA
World Premiere

Life Itself | Dan Fogelman, USA
World Premiere

The Public | Emilio Estevez, USA
World Premiere

Red Joan | Sir Trevor Nunn, United Kingdom
World Premiere

Shadow | Zhang Yimou , China
North American Premiere

A Star is Born | Bradley Cooper, USA
North American Premiere

What They Had | Elizabeth Chomko, USA
International Premiere

Widows | Steve McQueen, United Kingdom/USA
World Premiere

SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS

Ben is Back | Peter Hedges, USA
World Premiere

Burning | Lee Chang-dong, South Korea
North American Premiere

Can You Ever Forgive Me? | Marielle Heller, USA
International Premiere

Capernaum | Nadine Labaki, Lebanon
North American Premiere

Cold War | Paweł Pawlikowski, Poland/United Kingdom/France
Canadian Premiere

Colette | Wash Westmoreland, United Kingdom
Canadian Premiere

Dogman | Matteo Garrone, Italy/France
Canadian Premiere

The Front Runner | Jason Reitman, USA
International Premiere

Giant Little Ones | Keith Behrman, Canada
World Premiere

Girls of the Sun | Eva Husson, France
International Premiere

Hotel Mumbai | Anthony Maras, Australia
World Premiere

The Hummingbird Project | Kim Nguyen, Canada
World Premiere

If Beale Street Could Talk | Barry Jenkins, USA
World Premiere

Manto | Nandita Das, India
North American Premiere

Maya | Mia Hansen-Løve, France
World Premiere

Monsters and Men | Reinaldo Marcus Green, USA
Canadian Premiere

Special Presentations Opening Film
MOUTHPIECE | Patricia Rozema, Canada
World Premiere

Non-Fiction | Olivier Assayas, France
Canadian Premiere

Old Man & the Gun | David Lowery, USA
International Premiere

Papi Chulo | John Butler, Ireland
World Premiere

Roma | Alfonso Cuarón, Mexico/USA
Canadian Premiere

Special Presentations Closing Film

Shoplifters | Hirokazu Kore-eda, Japan
Canadian Premiere

The Sisters Brothers | Jacques Audiard, USA/France/Romania/Spain
North American Premiere

Sunset | László Nemes, Hungary/France
North American Premiere

Through Black Spruce | Don McKellar, Canada
World Premiere

The Wedding Guest | Michael Winterbottom, United Kingdom
World Premiere

The Weekend | Stella Meghie, USA
World Premiere

Where Hands Touch | Amma Asante, United Kingdom
World Premiere

White Boy Rick | Yann Demange, USA
International Premiere

Wildlife | Paul Dano, USA
Canadian Premiere

James Gunn scandal: ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ director fired over controversial tweets; ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ stars react

July 23, 2018

by Colleen McGregor

James Gunn, the writer and director of the first two of Marvel Studios’ “Guardians of the Galaxy” films, was abruptly fired by Marvel parent company Walt Disney Studios on July 20, 2018, after tweets that he made from 2008 to 2011 in which he made crude jokes about rape and pedophilia were brought to the public’s attention on social media. After he was fired, Gunn made a public apology, saying in part that “when I made these shocking jokes, I wasn’t living them out.” Reactions from Hollywood celebrities have been mostly sympathetic to Gunn. Actor/comedian Bobcat Goldthwait and actress Selma Blair have publicly defended Gunn and demanded that Disney hire him back. Meanwhile, several “Guardians of the Galaxy” stars have publicly stated directly or indirectly that they support Gunn, with Dave Bautista being the most vocal by expressing his outrage over Gunn’s firing.

Bautista tweeted: “I will have more to say but for right now all I will say is this. @James Gunn is one of the most loving, caring, good natured people I have ever met. He’s gentle and kind and cares deeply for people and animals. He’s made mistakes. We all have. Im NOT ok with what’s happening to him.”

He later added, in reference to Gunn’s tweets being exposed by politically conservative pundits: “What happened here is so much bigger then G3 @JamesGunn, myself, @Disney etc. This was a #cybernazi attack that succeeded. Unless we start to unite together against this crap, whether people are offended are not! …it’s going to get much worse. And it can happen to anyone.”

Blair has advocated for people to sign a Change.org petition for Gunn to be re-hired by Disney. By July 23, the petition had nearly 170,000 signatures.

Goldthwait went as far as asking Disney to remove his voice from an upcoming Disney attraction. Goldthwait posted on Instagram on July 23: “I love James Gunn. He’s a loyal friend, super talented, passionate and kind. I wanted to say something, here it is: Dear Disney, I would hate for you to come off as hypocritical, so I’m suggesting that you remove my voice from an attraction that’s coming to your park. It’s called WORLD OF COLOR – VILLAINOUS, and I reprise the tole of Pain, a role I played in Hercules.”

Dave Bautista, Michael Rooker, Pom Klementieff, James Gunn, Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Elizabeth Debicki, Kurt Russell and Karen Gillan from “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2” at Comic-Con International in San Diego on July 23, 2016. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for Disney)

“Guardians of the Galaxy” stars Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Karen Gillan, Pom Klementieff and Michael Rooker made comments on Twitter that did not ask Gunn to be rehired, but seemed to imply sympathy for him.

Pratt tweeted: “‘Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters. Let every person be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger.’ JAMES 1:19.”

Saldana tweeted: “It’s been a challenging weekend I’m not gonna lie. I’m pausing myself to take everything in before I speak out of [turn]. I just want everyone to know I love ALL members of my GOTG family. Always will.”

Gillan tweeted: “Love to every single member of my GOTG family.”

Klementieff, who joined the “Guardians of the Galaxy” cast for the second film in the series, tweeted: “We are Groot. We are a family. We stand together.”

Rooker tweeted: “This account will be inactive after today. We’re very tired & upset over the ongoing BULLS–T… neither I nor my rep will use Twitter again. Twitter sucks and I want nothing to do with it. Thank you to all who gave kind words & support. See you on Instagram.”

“Guardians of the Galaxy” co-stars Bradley Cooper and Vin Diesel (who voice animated characters in the films) have not yet commented on the controversy. Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige has also made no comment yet about Gunn’s dismissal.

Most of Gunn’s controversial tweets talked about pedophilia, rape and other sexual abuse of children. Disney’s firing of Gunn wasn’t the first time he got in trouble over remarks he made on Twitter. In 2012, he issued a public apology for homophobic and sexist tweets he made in 2011, when he speculated on what it would be like to have sex with fictional superheroes.

Walt Disney Studios chairman Alan Horn issued this statement on July 20, 2018: “The offensive attitudes and statements discovered on James’ Twitter feed are indefensible and inconsistent with our studio’s values, and we have severed our business relationship with him.”

Gunn then made this statement: “In the past, I have apologized for humor of mine that hurt people. I truly felt sorry and meant every word of my apologies. For the record, when I made these shocking jokes, I wasn’t living them out. I know this is a weird statement to make, and seems obvious, but, still, here I am, saying it.

“Regardless of how much time has passed, I understand and accept the business decisions taken today. Even these many years later, I take full responsibility for the way I conducted myself then. All I can do now, beyond offering my sincere and heartfelt regret, is to be the best human being I can be: accepting, understanding, committed to equality, and far more thoughtful about my public statements and my obligations to our public discourse. To everyone inside my industry and beyond, I again offer my deepest apologies. Love to all.”

Gunn was a relatively unknown director of independent films such as 2006’s “Slither” and 2010’s “Super” before he was hired to write and direct “Guardians of the Galaxy.” The first “Guardians of the Galaxy” film, released in in 2014, made $775 million at the box office worldwide, according to Marvel. “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2,” released in 2017, made $860 million at the box office worldwide.

Before he was fired, Gunn had been set to write and direct “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3,” which is expected to be released sometime in 2020. Gunn’s replacement for that film has not yet been announced.

On July 20, Gunn had been scheduled to be on a Comic-Con International panel in San Diego to promote a still-untitled horror film starring Elizabeth Banks that he is producing for Sony Pictures. His Comic-Con appearance was canceled, and Sony has not commented on the controversy or if Gunn is still involved in the movie or not. David Yarovesky will direct the movie, which will be written by Brian Gunn (James Gunn’s brother) and Mark Gunn (James Gunn’s cousin). The H Collective will fully finance the movie and produce it with James Gunn’s company Troll Court Entertainment. During the Comic-Con panel, James Gunn was not mentioned at all.

In a lengthy post on Twitter and Instagram, James Gunn’s younger brother Sean Gunn ( a “Gilmore Girls” actor who had small roles in the first two “Guardians of the Galaxy” movies) commented that being part of the Disney/Marvel world had changed James Gunn: “I saw that he was more open-hearted than the guy who needed to get a rise out of people by making nasty or offensive jokes … So I guess my hope is that fans continue to watch and appreciate the Guardians movies, not despite the fact that the filmmaker used to be kind of a jackass, but because of it. They are, after all, movies about discovering your best self. Working on those movies made my brother a better person, and they made me one too. I’m proud of that. Peace.”

July 30, 2018 UPDATE: As of this writing, nearly 350,000 people have signed the Change.org petition for Disney/Marvel to re-hire James Gunn. “Guardians of the Galaxy” stars Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Bradley Cooper, Vin Diesel, Karen Gillan, Pom Klementieff, Michael Rooker and Sean Gunn have all signed a group statement that has been posted on social media accounts and various other Internet outlets. The statement has called for James Gunn to be re-instated as the writer/director of “Guardians of the Galaxy” movie franchise. Here is the complete statement:

“We fully support James Gunn. We were all shocked by his abrupt firing last week and have intentionally waited these ten days to respond in order to think, pray, listen, and discuss. In that time, we’ve been encouraged by the outpouring of support from fans and members of the media who wish to see James reinstated as director of Volume 3 as well as discouraged by those so easily duped into believing the many outlandish conspiracy theories surrounding him.

“Being in the “Guardians of the Galaxy” movies has been a great honor in each of our lives. We cannot let this moment pass without expressing our love, support, and gratitude for James. We are not here to defend his jokes of many years ago but rather to share our experience having spent many years together on set making Guardians of the Galaxy 1 and 2. The character he has shown in the wake of his firing is consistent with the man he was every day on set, and his apology, now and from years ago when first addressing these remarks, we believe is from the heart, a heart we all know, trust, and love. In casting each of us to help him tell the story of misfits who find redemption, he changed our lives forever. We believe the theme of redemption has never been more relevant than now.

“Each of us looks forward to working with our friend James again in the future. His story isn’t over — not by a long shot.

“There is little due process in the court of public opinion. James is likely not the last good person to be put on trial. Given the growing political divide in this country, it’s safe to say instances like this will continue, although we hope Americans from across the political spectrum can ease up on the character assassinations and stop weaponizing mob mentality.

“It is our hope that what has transpired can serve as an example for all of us to realize the enormous responsibility we have to ourselves and to each other regarding the use of our written words when we etch them in digital stone; that we as a society may learn from this experience and in the future will think twice before we decide what we want to express; and in so learning perhaps can harness this capability to help and heal instead of hurting each other. Thank you for taking the time to read our words.”

2019 Golden Globe Awards: Important timetable, deadlines announced

July 23, 2018

Golden Globe Awards trophy — (Photo courtesy of NBC)

The Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) has announced the awards timetable for the 76th Annual Golden Globe^® Awards. The ceremony will take place on Sunday, January 6, 2019 and nominations will be announced on Thursday, December 6, 2018.

Produced by dick clark productions in association with the HFPA, the Golden Globe Awards are viewed in more than 236 countries and territories worldwide and are one of the few awards ceremonies to include both motion picture and television achievements.

The deadline for Motion Picture and Television submissions is Wednesday, October 31, 2018.

Rules and timetable may be found here.

76th Annual Golden Globe Awards Timetable

Monday, July 23, 2018	Submission website for 2019 Golden Globe Motion Picture and Television entries now open
Wednesday, October 31, 2018	Deadline for submission of Golden Globe Motion Picture and Television entry forms
Wednesday, November 21, 2018	Deadline for nomination ballots to be mailed to all HFPA members by Ernst & Young
Saturday, December 1, 2018	Final screening date for Motion Pictures
Sunday, December 2, 2018	Final date for Motion Picture press conferences, at 5:00 p.m.
Sunday, December 2, 2018	Deadline for receipt of nomination ballots by Ernst & Young, at 8:00 p.m.
Thursday, December 6, 2018	Announcement of nominations for the 76^th Annual Golden Globe® Awards
Monday, December 17, 2018	Final ballots mailed to all HFPA members
Wednesday, January 2, 2019	Deadline for receipt of final ballots by Ernst & Young, at 5:00 p.m.
Sunday, January 6, 2019	Presentation of the 76^th Annual Golden Globe^®Awards

ABOUT THE HOLLYWOOD FOREIGN PRESS ASSOCIATION:
The Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) was founded in 1943 as the Hollywood Foreign Correspondents Association (HFCA) by a group of entertainment journalists representing world media in Hollywood, who realized the need to unite and organize to gain the recognition and access to studios and talent accorded to the domestic press. All qualified journalists were accepted, with the bold goal of “Unity Without Discrimination of Religion or Race.” A year later, the HFCA created the Golden Globe Awards which, to this day, the entire membership selects, votes on and awards every year for outstanding achievements in motion pictures and television. This year marked the 75th anniversary of the Golden Globe Awards. Members of the HFPA represent 56 countries with a combined readership of 250 million in some of the world’s most respected publications. Each year, the organization holds the third most watched awards show on television, the Golden Globe® Awards, which has enabled the organization to donate more than $30 million to entertainment-related charities, scholarship programs and humanitarian efforts over the last 25 years. For more information, please visit www.GoldenGlobes.com and follow us on Twitter (@GoldenGlobes), Instagram (@GoldenGlobes), and Facebook (www.facebook.com/GoldenGlobes).

ABOUT dick clark productions:

dick clark productions (dcp) is the world’s largest producer and proprietor of televised live event entertainment programming with the “Academy of Country Music Awards,” “American Music Awards,” “Billboard Music Awards,” “Golden Globe Awards,” “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest” and the “Streamy Awards.” Weekly television programming includes “So You Think You Can Dance” from 19 Entertainment and dcp. dcp also owns one of the world’s most unique and extensive entertainment archive libraries with over 60 years of award-winning shows, historic programs, specials, performances and legendary programming. dcp is a division of Valence Media, a diversified media company with divisions and strategic investments in premium television, wide release film, specialty film, live events and digital media. For additional information, visit www.dickclark.com.

2018 New York Film Festival: ‘The Favourite’ announced as opening-night film

July 23, 2018

The following is a press release from the Film Society of Lincoln Center:

The Film Society of Lincoln Center announces Yorgos Lanthimos’s The Favourite as Opening Night of the 56th New York Film Festival (September 28 – October 14), making its New York premiere at Alice Tully Hall on Friday, September 28, 2018. The Favourite is a Fox Searchlight Pictures release and opens November 23, 2018.

Secure your seat at Opening Night with a Festival Pass.

In Yorgos Lanthimos’s wildly intricate and very darkly funny new film, Sarah Churchill, the Duchess of Marlborough (Rachel Weisz), and her servant Abigail Hill (Emma Stone) engage in a sexually charged fight to the death for the body and soul of Queen Anne (Olivia Colman) at the height of the War of the Spanish Succession. This trio of truly brilliant performances is the dynamo that powers Lanthimos’s top-to-bottom reimagining of the costume epic, in which the visual pageantry of court life in 18th-century England becomes not just a lushly appointed backdrop but an ironically heightened counterpoint to the primal conflict unreeling behind closed doors.

New York Film Festival Director and Selection Committee Chair Kent Jones said, “The Favourite is a lot of things at once, each of them perfectly meshed: a historical epic; a visual feast; a wild, wild ride; a formidable display of the art of acting from Rachel Weisz, Emma Stone, and Olivia Colman, abetted by a brilliant cast; a tour de force from Yorgos Lanthimos. And… it’s a blast. We’re very excited to have it as our opening night film.”

“It’s a great privilege to be showing The Favourite for the opening night of the New York Film Festival, which is a very special place for the film,” said Lanthimos. “I had a wonderful experience screening The Lobster at this distinct festival and I’m looking forward to sharing The Favourite with audiences in New York. I was envisioning this film for many years and eventually had a lot of fun making it.”

The 17-day New York Film Festival highlights the best in world cinema, featuring works from celebrated filmmakers as well as fresh new talent. The selection committee, chaired by Jones, also includes Dennis Lim, FSLC Director of Programming, and Florence Almozini, FSLC Associate Director of Programming.

Tickets for the 56th New York Film Festival will go on sale to the general public on September 9. Festival and VIP passes are on sale now and offer one of the earliest opportunities to purchase tickets and secure seats at some of the festival’s biggest events, including Opening Night.

Photo credit: Yorgos Lanthimos.

New York Film Festival Opening Night Films

2017   Last Flag Flying (Richard Linklater, US)
2016    13TH (Ava DuVernay, US)
2015    The Walk (Robert Zemeckis, US)
2014    Gone Girl (David Fincher, US)
2013    Captain Phillips (Paul Greengrass, US)
2012    Life of Pi (Ang Lee, US)
2011    Carnage (Roman Polanski, France/Poland)
2010    The Social Network (David Fincher, US)
2009    Wild Grass (Alain Resnais, France)
2008    The Class (Laurent Cantet, France)
2007    The Darjeeling Limited (Wes Anderson, US)
2006    The Queen (Stephen Frears, UK)
2005    Good Night, and Good Luck. (George Clooney, US)
2004    Look at Me (Agnès Jaoui, France)
2003    Mystic River (Clint Eastwood, US)
2002    About Schmidt (Alexander Payne, US)
2001    Va savoir (Jacques Rivette, France)
2000    Dancer in the Dark (Lars von Trier, Denmark)
1999    All About My Mother (Pedro Almodóvar, Spain)
1998    Celebrity (Woody Allen, US)
1997    The Ice Storm (Ang Lee, US)
1996    Secrets & Lies (Mike Leigh, UK)
1995    Shanghai Triad (Zhang Yimou, China)
1994    Pulp Fiction (Quentin Tarantino, US)
1993    Short Cuts (Robert Altman, US)
1992    Olivier Olivier (Agnieszka Holland, France)
1991    The Double Life of Veronique (Krzysztof Kieslowski, Poland/France)
1990    Miller’s Crossing (Joel Coen, US)
1989    Too Beautiful for You (Bertrand Blier, France)
1988    Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown (Pedro Almodóvar, Spain)
1987    Dark Eyes (Nikita Mikhalkov, Soviet Union)
1986    Down by Law (Jim Jarmusch, US)
1985    Ran (Akira Kurosawa, Japan)
1984    Country (Richard Pearce, US)
1983    The Big Chill (Lawrence Kasdan, US)
1982    Veronika Voss (Rainer Werner Fassbinder, West Germany)
1981    Chariots of Fire (Hugh Hudson, UK)
1980    Melvin and Howard (Jonathan Demme, US)
1979    Luna (Bernardo Bertolucci, Italy/US)
1978    A Wedding (Robert Altman, US)
1977    One Sings, the Other Doesn’t (Agnès Varda, France)
1976    Small Change (François Truffaut, France)
1975    Conversation Piece (Luchino Visconti, Italy)
1974    Don’t Cry with Your Mouth Full (Pascal Thomas, France)
1973    Day for Night (François Truffaut, France)
1972    Chloe in the Afternoon (Eric Rohmer, France)
1971    The Debut (Gleb Panfilov, Soviet Union)
1970    The Wild Child (François Truffaut, France)
1969    Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice (Paul Mazursky, US)
1968    Capricious Summer (Jiri Menzel, Czechoslovakia)
1967    The Battle of Algiers (Gillo Pontecorvo, Italy/Algeria)
1966    Loves of a Blonde (Milos Forman, Czechoslovakia)
1965    Alphaville (Jean-Luc Godard, France)
1964    Hamlet (Grigori Kozintsev, USSR)
1963    The Exterminating Angel (Luis Buñuel, Mexico)

The Film Society receives generous, year-round support from Shutterstock, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and the New York State Legislature. American Airlines is the Official Airline of the Film Society of Lincoln Center.

Support for the New York Film Festival is generously provided by Official Partners HBO® and The New York Times, Benefactor Partners Dolby and illy caffè, Supporting Partners Warby Parker, MUBI, and Manhattan Portage, and Hospitality Partner Hudson Hotel. JCDecaux, Variety, Deadline Hollywood, WABC-7, WNET New York Public Media, and The Village Voice serve as Media Sponsors.

2018 Venice International Film Festival: ‘A Star Is Born’ remake will make its world premiere

July 23, 2018

The following is a press release from the Venice International Film Festival:

The Biennale di Venezia announced today that A Star is Born, the much-anticipated directorial debut of four-time Oscar® nominee Bradley Cooper (American Sniper, American Hustle, Silver Linings Playbook) and feature film debut of award-winning actor and Oscar®-nominated musical artist Lady Gaga (Best Song, “Til It Happens to You,” The Hunting Ground), will have its out-of-competition world premiere at the 75th Venice International Film Festival.

A STAR IS BORN

The premiere screening of A Star is Born, which was also co-written and produced by Cooper, will be held on Friday, August 31st in the Sala Grande at the Palazzo del Cinema on the Venice Lido. The 75th Venice International Film Festival will take place at the Lido from August 29 to September 8, 2018; it is directed by Alberto Barbera and organized by la Biennale di Venezia, chaired by Paolo Baratta. A Star is Born comes to cinemas this October from Warner Bros. Pictures, in Association with Live Nation Productions and Metro Goldwyn Mayer Pictures.

In this new take on the powerful love story, Cooper plays seasoned musician Jackson Maine, who discovers—and falls in love with—struggling artist Ally (Gaga). She has just about given up on her dream to make it big as a singer until Jack coaxes her into the spotlight. But even as Ally’s career takes off, the personal side of their relationship is breaking down, as Jack fights an ongoing battle with his own internal demons.

A Star is Born features original songs performed live on-camera by Cooper and Gaga, who wrote a number of tracks together and in collaboration with such musical artists as Lukas Nelson, Jason Isbell and Mark Ronson. The film’s ensemble cast also includes Andrew Dice Clay, with Dave Chappelle and Sam Elliott.

A Star is Born is produced by Bill Gerber, Jon Peters, Bradley Cooper, Todd Phillips and Lynette Howell Taylor. Ravi Mehta, Basil Iwanyk, Niija Kuykendall, Sue Kroll, Michael Rapino and Heather Parry serve as executive producers. The screenplay is by Eric Roth and Bradley Cooper & Will Fetters. Collaborating with Cooper behind the scenes are Oscar-nominated director of photography Matthew Libatique (Black Swan), production designer Karen Murphy (It Comes at Night), three-time Oscar-nominated editor Jay Cassidy (American Hustle, Silver Linings Playbook, Into the Wild), and costume designer Erin Benach (Drive). The film’s music supervisors are Julia Michels (Pitch Perfect) and Julianne Jordan (Edge of Tomorrow).

Warner Bros. Pictures Presents, in Association with Live Nation Productions, in Association with Metro Goldwyn Mayer Pictures, A Jon Peters/Bill Gerber/Joint Effort Production, A Star is Born. Slated for release beginning October 5, 2018, the film will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.