Small MPU – Page 564
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Reviews
Romance & Cigarettes
Dir/scr:John Turturro. US. 2005. 106mins.After the first song-and-dance number of John Turturro'sstar-peppered blue collar musical, the Venice press corps broke into loud,spontaneous applause. When the second ended, there was a more subdued ripple.By the time the third came along, the excitement had died down, and thegood-natured, foot-tapping, flawed nature of ...
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Reviews
Romance & Cigarettes
Dir/scr:John Turturro. US. 2005. 106mins.After the first song-and-dance number of John Turturro'sstar-peppered blue collar musical, the Venice press corps broke into loud,spontaneous applause. When the second ended, there was a more subdued ripple.By the time the third came along, the excitement had died down, and thegood-natured, foot-tapping, flawed nature of ...
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Reviews
Goal!
Dir: Danny Cannon. UK.2005 110minsGoal! is the first episode in a planned football trilogyabout a 19-year-old Latino Santiago plucked from LA to play in the EnglishPremiership. The second film - to be shot by House Of Wax director JaumeCollet Serra from next month - will see him play on a ...
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News
Toronto festival juggernaut starts to roll
The Toronto InternationalFilm Festival kicks off today and - once again - is offering an abundance, somewould say over-abundance, of world premieres. Buyers, media and publicalike have been poring over the packed schedules since they were announced, decidingwhat to target and what they will inevitably have to miss. It's rich ...
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News
Japan's Index Corp acquires Nikkatsu
Japan's Index Corp, a company offering mobile phone and internet content services,has announced its acquisition of film producer and distributor Nikkatsu fromits current corporate owner, Namco. The deal, which is expectedto be finalised by mid-September, will result in Index buying a more than 50%stake for $36m-$45.5m (Y4bn-Y5bn). Namco, which currently ...
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News
Thailand selects Tin Mine as Oscar entry
Jira Maligool's The Tin Mine(Mahalai Meung Rae) has been selected as Thailand's official entry for the best foreign-language filmcategory of the 2006 Academy Awards. The film was chosen by aseven-member selection committee headed by Somsak Techaratanaprasert of Thailand's Federation of National Film Association. Produced by GMM Tai Hub, thefilm is ...
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News
Otani's Nana dominates Japanese entertainment charts
Kentaro Otani's Nana,a female buddy movie based on a best-selling comic and featuring a theme songby the film's co-star Miki Nakajima, has achieved a rare entertainment worldtriple whammy: the film, comic and song are all number one in their respective charts.Produced by Japanesebroadcaster TBS and released on 296 screens on ...
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News
European Film Academy honours legend Connery
The European FilmAcademy announced that it will present its 2005 lifetime achievement award toSir Sean Connery. The academy citedthe acting legend's "impressive dedication to the world of film,"appearing in more than 70 films in his lengthy career. Last year's recipientwas Spanish director Carlos Saura.This year'sEuropean Film Awards will be held ...
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News
Cougar, BBC snap up rights to La Plante's Widows
UK production company CougarFilms and BBC Films have struck a deal to acquire the film rights to Lynda LaPlante's TV series Widows from Walt Disney Studios. Cougar will work with BBCFilms to develop and produce the feature film, which will also be titled Widows.The film will be intended for theatrical ...
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News
Sheffield sharpens its act with extended programme
The 12th Sheffield International Documentary Festival,running October 10-16, will kick off a new strand of industry events with thisyear's festival. The new "Sharp End" programmes for industry professionals andfilmmakers will feature "meet the commissioners" briefings, interviews with BBCdirector general Mark Thompson and film-maker Peter Kosminsky, and discussionsabout alternative distribution and ...
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News
Deauville sees thaw in Franco-US film relations
Franco-US political relations may be strained, but one wouldbe hard-pressed to notice at this year's Deauville Festival of American Film (Sept2-11), held in the Normandy region of France.Director Ron Howard had a warm welcome here and was thesubject of a tribute on Tuesday night. He recently wrapped the French leg ...
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News
Rosem secures international deals for Chinese pair
Frenchproduction house Rosem Films has secured international distribution for two ofits upcoming features from Chinese auteurs Lou Ye and Wang Chao. Wild Bunch has picked up worldwide rights outside China andFrance to Lou's Summer Palace, currently in post-production, while OceanFilms has acquired French rights to the film.Co-produced by Rosem and ...
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Reviews
Elizabethtown
Dir/scr:Cameron Crowe. US. 2005. 138mins.Aromantic comedy for the MTV generation with some of that old Kentucky magicthrown in for the oldies, Elizabethtown illustrates the dangers of goingstraight for the feelgood jugular. Feelgood has to be earned. So do the last 48minutes of a 138-minute film. And the overlong Elizabethtown has ...
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Reviews
Elizabethtown
Dir/scr:Cameron Crowe. US. 2005. 138mins.Aromantic comedy for the MTV generation with some of that old Kentucky magicthrown in for the oldies, Elizabethtown illustrates the dangers of goingstraight for the feelgood jugular. Feelgood has to be earned. So do the last 48minutes of a 138-minute film. And the overlong Elizabethtown has ...
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News
Hong Kong's Focus takes on hit Indonesian feature
Hong Kong-based Focus Films is to handle international saleson its first ever Indonesian feature.Janji Joni, which willreceive international market screening at AFM, is also the only Asian titlethat Focus Film (not to be confused with US outfit Focus Features) has pickedup this year. Earlier at Cannes, it acquired Hong Kong ...
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News
Ferrara lines up prequel to King Of New York
Cult American indie filmmaker Abel Ferrara, whose picture Maryis screening in competition at the Venice Film Festival, has announced that hisnext project will either be a prequel to the King Of New York orlong-gestating screwball comedy Go Go Tales.Speaking in Venice, Ferrara said that he is currentlylooking for financing for ...
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News
Mueller reiterates resignation threat despite Venice success
Asthe Venice Film Festival draws to an end, artistic director Marco Mueller canbreathe a sigh of relief: he has managed to largely satisfy the critics withhis selection, while also ironing out the organisational problems that marredlast year's event. However,Mueller's eye is also firmly placed on the festival's appeal as a ...
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News
The Maid screams up Singapore record
Fortissimo pick-up The Maid hasbecome the top-grossing horror title in its native Singapore, passing $1.1m (Sing $2m)at the weekend.Directed by Kelvin Tong, the $900,000The Maid, which is screening privately at Toronto, is about a Filipina domestichelper who unknowingly sets free Chinese ghosts. Produced by MediaCorp Raintree Pictures, it has already ...
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News
Alliance Atlantis renews Focus output deal until 2008
Canada'sAlliance Atlantis' Motion Picture Distribution and Focus Features have extendedtheir output agreement to December 31, 2008. Under the termsof the agreement, MPD will continue to distribute all Focus Features films aswell as those of Focus' genre label Rogue Pictures in all media in Canada.One of thosepictures, Ang Lee's Brokeback Mountain, ...
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Reviews
Dinosaur
Dirs: Ralph Zondag. Eric Leighton. US. 1999. 82 mins.Prod co: Walt Disney Pictures. US dist: Buena Vista. Intl dist: Buena Vista Intl. Prod: Pam Marsden. Co-prod: Baker Bloodworth. Scr: John Harrison, Robert Nelson Jacobs, based on an original screenplay by Walon Green. Music: James Newton Howard. Ed: H Lee Peterson. ...