Small MPU – Page 255
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News
China threatens red card for Chow's Soccer hit
Shaolin Soccer, the most popular local film of the year in Hong Kong, is in danger of being banished from China and its hugely popular actor-director Stephen Chow fined.The threat follows a row about the film's content and release permits. Zhou Jiangdong, a department head within the powerful State Administration ...
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Cacavas named Columbia vp, world dist'n analysis
John Cacavas has been promoted to vice president, worldwide distribution analysis, for Columbia Pictures. He reports to Paul Smith, executive vice president, worldwide marketing and distribution, for Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group.He will focus on analysing the worldwide motion picture industry, in particular how the company's different film genres perform ...
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Dimension re-releases Spy Kids with new scene
Dimensions Films' family hit Spy Kids will be re-released in North America next Wednesday (Aug 8) with an additional three-minute underwater special effects scene cut from the original which opened on March 30 and went on to gross over $100m."It was one of my favourite scenes, but it was never ...
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Kinowelt parts company with CFO Unzeitig
Eduard Unzeitig, CFO of debt-ridden Kinowelt Medien Group, has left the company, following news that his contract has been terminated "jointly and with immediate effect".Only less than two weeks ago Alexander van Duelmen had quit his post as head of Kinowelt International "by mutual agreement and with immediate effect".In an ...
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Sequel scares up business
Scary Movie 2, the spoof sequel to last year's Scary Movie, started its international roll-out this week taking the top spot in France. First week admissions for the comedy, which is once again directed by Keenan Ivory Wayans and written by his siblings Shawn and Marlon who also star, attracted ...
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Momentum takes four titles from Intermedia
In their first deal together, Momentum Pictures has bought four titles from Intermedia, headlined by the tentatively-titled Plague Season, Ron Shelton's story of LA police in the run up to the Rodney King riots.The acquisitive Momentum also bought all UK rights to Wisegirls, starring Mariah Carey and Mira Sorvino, dark ...
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Thai films get international sales boost from GMT
Bangkok start-up sales company, GMT Entertainment, has signed up to handle international rights for Suriyothai, the royal epic with a production budget in excess of $20m making it by far the most expensive Thai film ever made.The creation of a much-needed sales company in Thailand will be a shot in ...
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Barrandov and Boyana studios attracting investors
US producer David Kappes (Dune, Anne Frank) is said to be heading a group of American producers, called Trilateral Entertainment, interested in purchasing the Czech Republic's Barrandov Studios, according to local sources.Current Barrandov owner Moravia Steel, which is selling the studio complex on the outskirts of Prague to focus on ...
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UK's FilmFour appoints McAleese
FilmFour has appointed Peter McAleese as head of physical production.The producer of Twin Town and co-producer of Spice World replaces Caroline Hewitt, who returns to operate as an independent producer. McAleese's credits also include line producer on Bridget Jones's Diary and co-producer on Gillies MacKinnon's The Escapist. He worked as ...
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Rushes Soho Shorts announces winners
Rushes Postproduction has announced the following winning films at the Third Rushes Soho Shorts Festival 2001; The Artsworld Short Film Award:Winner: Talk - Dir. Matthew Parkhill, Winkle Films Runners up: Yoorinal - Dir. Mark Nunneley, RSA Sweet - Dir. James Pilkington, Velocity FilmsDiscreet Newcomer Award:Winner: The Cat With Hands - ...
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Fantastic fiction emerges from Puchon
Puchon is a city that lives in a cloud of fantasy. A town situated uneasily between the metropolis of 10 million souls that is Seoul and the thrusting seaport of Incheon which boasts Asia's newest international airport, new town Puchon fears being overshadowed. Culture is the tool it has chosen ...
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Michael Donaldson elected president of IDA
Michael C Donaldson has been elected president of the International Documentary Association (IDA). Donaldson, a founding partner of entertainment and copyright law firm Donaldson & Hart, has been IDA general counsel for 12 years and a member of its board of directors since 1998. He is the first president who ...
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James Birch promoted to senior vp at WBIT
James Birch has been promoted to the position of senior vice president, business affairs & general counsel, for Warner Bros International Theatres (WBIT). Based in Warner's London office, he will report to Millard Ochs, president of WBIT.Birch will continue to be responsible for all legal and development issues affecting the ...
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News
MGM confirms: UA will move to New York under Ray
Bingham Ray and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) have dotted the i's and crossed the t's on the contract which sees Ray named president of MGM's speciality film unit United Artists (UA). He will begin his job on Sept 1, 2001.As per Ray's location, UA's main offices will relocate to New York where ...
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WIDE ANGLE: Are critics still critical'
Abstracted from the weekly edition of Screen International Everyone's a critic these days - including Harvey Weinstein. The Miramax co-chairman felt the urge recently to write into the Los Angeles Times in praise of Steven Spielberg's A.I. a film he feels fully deserves all the plaudits thrown its way by ...
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Reviews
Original Sin
Dir: Michael Cristofer. US. 2001. 116 mins. Angelina Jolie's second big release of the summer is a very different kettle of pescado from Lara Croft: Tomb Raider. Written and directed by Michael Cristofer, who previously steered Jolie's breakthrough performance in Gia, Original Sin wraps a plot from the world of ...
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Another mega-opening at US box office: Rush Hour 2
With a whopping estimated $66.8m three-day opening New Line Cinema's Rush Hour 2 leapt into the record books over the weekend, becoming the biggest comedy opening of all time, the biggest New Line opening of all time, the biggest August opening ever and the third best non-holiday opening on record. ...
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Reviews
The Curse Of The Jade Scorpion
Dir: Woody Allen. US. 2001. 103 min.Far superior to hisprevious comic crime capers (Manhattan Murder Mystery and last year's Small Time Crooks), Woody Allen's The Curse of the Jade Scorpion is an entertaining period piece, poking fun at the hypnosis craze that mesmerized people of the Jazz Era and continues ...
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Oz tax confusion hurts location shooting prospects
Australia's Government has been publicly lambasted for prolonging confusion about whether tax laws actually allow Australian investors to get relief when they support offshore productions such as Moulin Rouge that shoot in the country.The outburst, by New South Wales Treasurer Michael Egan, coincided with the revelation that the Australian ...
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German exhibition partners sever relationship
German exhibition companies Cinemaxx and Ufa are to sever their co-operative partnership after little more than a year. The break-up of what would have become Germany's largest cinema chain follows the posting of CinemaxX's 2001 half-year losses of $22.5m (DM52.3m).Last May CinemaxX founder Hans-Joachim Flebbe bought 10% of Ufa including ...
