Audiohollywood.net

The Weinstein Company announced today that they will feature a live Q&A session with director Michel Hazanavicius of THE ARTIST and the film’s star Bérénice Bejo, live online, beginning at approximately 1: 30 p.m.. The event will feature the director and actress, just days after the film was named Best Picture by the Producers Guild of America and the Golden Globes.

The Q&A will be streamed online at www.theartistmovie.net and www.facebook.com/theartist.twc allowing film fans across the world to submit questions and participate in a discussion with the cast and crew on the making of the film. The Weinstein Company hosted a similar event with the ensemble cast of “The Artist” earlier this month as well as last year with the film, “The King’s Speech” and had over 20,000 questions submitted in a 30 minute period during the Q&A. “The Artist” has been nominated for three SAG awards including Best Ensemble Cast, Best Actor – Jean Dujardin and Best Supporting Actress for Bejo.

Hollywood 1927. George Valentin (Jean Dujardin) is a silent movie superstar. The advent of the talkies will sound the death knell for his career and see him fall into oblivion. For young extra Peppy Miller (Bérénice Bejo), it seems the sky is the limit – major movie stardom awaits. “The Artist” tells the story of their interlinked destinies. The film opened in U.S. theaters on Nov. 25.

Directed by Michel Hazanavicius THE ARTIST stars Jean Dujardin, Bérénice Bejo, James Cromwell, Missi Pyle, Penelope Ann Miller, Malcolm McDowell, Beth Grant, Joel Murray, Ken Davitian and John Goodman. It is written by Michel Hazanavicius and produced by Thomas Langmann.

Source: Press release

[Show as slideshow]

By Sandra Kraisirideja

DreamWorks Animation has released two new images for “Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted.” In the third installment of the popular series, Alex the Lion, Marty the Zebra, Gloria the Hippo and Melmsn the Giraffe are still working their way home to the New York City. This time the friends find themselves in Europe working for a traveling circus. Returning for this new adventure are King Julien, Maurice and the Penguins.

While not much was revealed about these new images one photo does show three new characters: a tiger, cheetah and seal. The tiger and cheetah may be voiced by Jessica Chastain and Bryan Cranston, who are new to the cast, as well as Frances McDormand, although imdb.com lists her character as Captain Chantel DuBois.

A release date has not been set but a Web site offering interactive games and more is available at www.madagascarmovie.com.

Noe Hernandez as Lino and Stephanie Sigman as Laura in "Miss Bala." Courtesy photo.

By Brian Hall

The film “Miss Bala” aims to shine an honest, unfiltered light on the drug trafficking epidemic plaguing the country and citizens of Mexico. Co-Writer/Director Gerardo Naranjo intentionally forgoes familiar, flashy drug kingpin-type caricatures and gratuitous gunfights in exchange for a grim and grounded story in this, Mexico’s official entry for Best Foreign Language Film for this year’s Academy Awards.

Stephanie Sigman plays Laura, a young woman living in poverty, looking to compete in the local Miss Bala beauty pageant. After surviving a violent encounter with a gang of drug lords, led by gang leader Lino (Noe Hernandez), Laura sets off to find her now missing friend. Her pursuit unfortunately leads her right back to Lino, who brings her unwillingly into a world of drugs, weapons smuggling and corrupt officials. Most surprising is that Lino’s interests also include Laura’s continued participation in the Miss Bala competition.

The film is heavy stuff. As Laura is dragged to money drops, and shoved through shootouts and pageant ceremonies, there are no real moments of relief. After a while it becomes a bit cumbersome to see Laura continually reduced to being no more than an instrument, used by whomever she has the displeasure of currently being around. But sadly, that would be the point of this story – Mexico’s drug wars are a destructive and consuming force, claiming whoever lies in its path.

What’s particularly interesting about the film is the subtle but expertly realized storytelling approach. Unlike most films, the story isn’t presented to us so much as it is something we, as viewers, are essentially dragged through. Naranjo begins the film with several shots directly behind Laura’s head, forcing us to view the world from her perspective.

Once she is eventually in view however, we are still always noticeably close to her – as if we are an unseen character attached at her hip. Even further, when Laura refuses to look someone in the eyes, we also aren’t given a glimpse at the person’s gaze. This approach amazingly never calls attention to itself and inevitably forces us to be no further ahead of the story than Laura is. We only ever know what she knows and learn new information as she does. It’s the cinematic equivalent of grabbing the sleeve of the person in front of you at a Haunted House and being pulled through.

Naranjo’s unwavering show-don’t-tell method makes the experience of “Miss Bala” less about the mechanics of the plot, and more about taking a stroll through a sad, violent and unfair journey with our hero, Laura. As a result, some lingering scenes and occasional ambiguity may test some viewers’ patience, but when the film works, it works well. It avoids being an overly obvious message film and simply strives to show us passing glimpses at something Naranjo wants us to see.

“Miss Bala” opens in N.Y. and L.A. on Jan. 20.

Paramount Home Media Distribution (PHMD) announced today that it will launch a monthly sweepstakes beginning in January 2012 in honor of the studio’s centennial celebration. Sponsored by Delta Vacations, the sweepstakes will give consumers the chance to win roundtrip airfare and hotel accommodations for three nights in any of the 48 contiguous United States*.

Destinations may include cities inspired by some of Paramount’s classic films such as New York City where Francis Ford Coppola’s epic masterpiece “The Godfather” and the beloved classic “Breakfast At Tiffany’s” were filmed; Chicago, IL where Ferris Bueller had the best day off ever; San Antonio, TX, where the breathtaking drama Wings was filmed with a cast of thousands; or Hollywood, CA, setting and subject of “Sunset Boulevard” and home to countless film productions. Visitors to Paramount’s Facebook page—facebook.com/paramount—can enter every month throughout the year.

Each month, PHMD will release a classic film from the studio’s renowned library for the first time ever on Blu-ray™ under a monthly theme that celebrates Paramount’s rich cinematic history. The year-long program will begin with “Best Picture Winners” in January, led by the winner of the very first Academy Award® for Best Picture, the 1927 World War I drama Wings, debuting on Jan. 24. February’s theme will be “Love Stories” appropriately headlined by the unforgettable 1970 classic “Love Story,” which will make its Blu-ray debut on Feb. 7.

Additional titles scheduled to debut on Blu-ray include Alfred Hitchcock’s classic thriller “To Catch A Thief” on March 6; the seminal neo-noir classic “Chinatown” on April 3; the hilarious comedy Clueless on “May 1″; John Wayne’s gritty western “Hondo” on June 5; the daring, futuristic adventure “Barbarella” on July 3; and the all-star comedy-mystery “Clue” on Aug. 7.

Source: Press release

James T. Kirk (Chris Pine, left) and Spock (Zachary Quinto, right) quickly form an adversarial relationship in "Star Trek." Photo Credit: Industrial Light & Magic.

Paramount Pictures announced today that principal photography has commenced in Los Angeles, CA on the sequel to “Star Trek” from director J.J. Abrams. The film will be released on May 17, 2013 in 3D. The 2009 re-launch of the “Star Trek” franchise by Abrams was met with critical acclaim and a worldwide gross of over $385 million at the box office.

Paramount Pictures and Skydance Productions present a Bad Robot Production of a J.J. Abrams Film. Returning to their posts on the Enterprise are John Cho, Bruce Greenwood, Simon Pegg, Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Zoë Saldana, Karl Urban, and Anton Yelchin. They are joined by new cast members Benedict Cumberbatch, Alice Eve and Peter Weller.

Based upon “Star Trek” created by Gene Roddenberry, the film is produced by J.J. Abrams, Bryan Burk, Damon Lindelof, Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci. The script was written by Alex Kurtzman & Robert Orci & Damon Lindelof.

Jeffrey Chernov, David Ellison, Dana Goldberg and Paul Schwake are the executive producers. The director of photography is Dan Mindel, ASC, BSC. The production designer is Scott Chambliss. The film is edited by Maryann Brandon, A.C.E. and Mary Jo Markey, A.C.E. The costume designer is Michael Kaplan. The music is by Michael Giacchino.

Source: Press release

By Sandra Kraisirideja

Season two of “The Walking Dead” resumes on Feb. 12 followed by the live after show “Talking Dead.”

On premiere night fans will also get a chance to participate in a live, interactive online experience while watching the new season via “The Walking Dead” StorySync on amctv.com. Viewers can vote in polls, answer trivia questions and relive moments from the show via video clips timed to coincide with the latest episode.

[Show as slideshow]

“Finding Nemo 3D” opens Sept. 14.

OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network announced today three new original series joining the network lineup in 2012 – “Lovetown, USA,” “Lives on Fire” and “Are You Normal, America?”

“Each of our new shows is right on brand and aligned with Oprah’s intention to bring our audience meaningful, entertaining programming,” said Sheri Salata, president, OWN. Added Erik Logan, president, OWN, “We feel really good about the direction the network is heading in 2012 and we’re just getting started.”

About the New Series:

LOVETOWN, USA

After a nationwide search, OWN and BBC Worldwide Productions have selected Kingsland, Georgia to be transformed into “Lovetown, USA.” Two expert matchmakers including the real-life “Hitch,” Paul Carrick Brunson, and Kailen Rosenberg, with over 200 successful marriages to her name and hailed as a true “love whisperer,” will take over Kingsland for 30 days helping eight singles embark on a journey to find true love in their own backyard. From the local mayor to restaurateurs, bosses and evenmarried couples, everyone in the town will be involved. This one-of-a-kind social experiment is the biggest dating challenge in TV history; examining the effects love can have on the DNA of one American community. The show is produced by BBC Worldwide Productions for OWN. Bruce Toms is executive producer. Izzie Pick Ashcroft, Rob Bagshaw and Jane Tranter are executive producers for BBC Worldwide Productions. Charlie Debevoise and Mark Hickman are executive producers for NorthSouth Productions.

LIVES ON FIRE

“Lives on Fire” takes us inside the extraordinary worlds of four remarkable women who risk their lives every day to take command during California’s most dangerous disasters. As members of one of the nation’s largest emergency response teams, these female firefighters are ready to battle against nature’s most unforgiving forces. Witness the drama, action and danger of their jobs as they respond to life and death situations, all while facing the challenges of working in a man’s world. With the ending of each shift, these women also open the doors into their personal lives as they strive to balance being mothers, wives, girlfriends and daughters. Viewers will follow four very different women including Nica Vasquez, a mother who has 15 years of experience working in the service as a fire apparatus engineer; Rosanne Grier, who is in her fifth year as a seasonal firefighter working to become permanent; Michele Dyck, a fire apparatus engineer with seven years of experience who adjusts to a transfer to a new station in Avila Beach, an area known for its dangerous cliff and open water rescues; and Diley Greiser, a mother who is in her seventh year as a firefighter and paramedic who delivers emergency medical care to patients on-scene at all kinds of incidents. “Lives on Fire” is produced by BBC Worldwide Productions. Executive producers are Melody Shafir and Brad Epstein. Co-executive producer is Anthony Samu. Executive producers for BBC Worldwide Productions are Elli Hakami, Michael Brooks and Jane Tranter.

ARE YOU NORMAL, AMERICA?

Humans are strange beings, but at the same time, we’re all taunted by the universal question, “Am I Normal?” From Harpo Studios comes “Are You Normal, America?” — the new game show that will help viewers figure out how normal (or not) they are! Have you ever peeked at yourboyfriend’s emails? Or done your household chores naked? Do you and your spouse sleep in separate bedrooms? In addition to ourselves, we also wonder about the people around us: boyfriends, girlfriends, co-workers and neighbors. This lively game show will answer our most burning questions by using a highly scientific and deeply revealing poll, in addition to a “jury” of real Americans, man-on-the-street polling, real life situations shot in the field and in-studio demonstrations. Each episode will feature contestants who will win big money in their quest to learn if they’re normal or not. Along the way, audiences will be entertained, enlightened and ultimately comforted by the fact that we’re all pretty abnormal…but that’s what makes life fun. “Are Your Normal, America?” is produced by Harpo Studios with Zoo Productions. Executive producers are Jill Van Lokeren and Jon Sinclair from Harpo, as well as Barry Poznick and John Stevens from Zoo Productions (producers of “Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader?”).

“Magic City” is a period drama that hopes to capture the glamour and energy of Miami Beach in 1959, a year that marked the beginning of Castro’s reign in Cuba and whenMiami Beach’s was a hot spot for Hollywood, the Kennedys, the mob and CIA.

The series was created by Mitch Glazer who also wrote “Scrooged,” “Great Expectations,” and “Three of Hearts,” where he met his wife, actress Kelly Lynch, who has a supporting role in “Magic City.” The series stars Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Olga Kurylenko, Danny Huston, Steven Strait, and Christian Cooke.

“Magic City” premieres on Starz on April 6.

Courtesy photos.

[Show as slideshow]

By Sandra Kraisirideja

Movies have formulas no matter the genre and when an actor figures out one that fits it can work beautifully.

Mark Wahlberg’s latest movie, “Contraband” definitely has a formula and I couldn’t help but compare it to Harrison Ford’s formula. You know the one, where he plays a regular guy who gets caught up in a bad situation with some bad guys who never learn that they can’t mess with Harrison Ford.

Wahlberg’s formula is similar except he’s always a good guy who used to be a bad guy so he knows how to handle himself on the street and isn’t afraid to beat the s$%t out of somebody to get what he wants. He’s the street tough who is actually pretty clever and is usually one step ahead of everybody else.

In “Contraband” Wahlberg plays a former top-notch smuggler who is now making a legitimate life for himself, his wife (Kate Beckinsale) and two sons. Of course his hopes of staying legit don’t last long and soon he has to rescue his brother-in-law from the clutches of a sleazy drug pusher played by Giovanni Ribisi.

“Contraband” has few surprises and while the plot is predictable it all follows the Wahlberg formula and is entertaining to watch. If there are any disappointments it’s the lack of a strong antagonist and the lack of character development given to Beckinsale’s character.

Instead of one central bad guy there’s a motley crew of fellows who present different challenges for Wahlberg’s character. It would have been more interesting if one actor had been chosen to be a really good match for Wahlberg. This would have made the story more evenly balanced.

Beckinsale has played strong female characters who kick ass but in “Contraband” she is reduced to be the “wife” who needs to be rescued. Given her strengths as an actress it would have been more interesting if she was just as much of a badass as Wahlberg.