Monday, January 5, 2009

Documentary film 'Of Time and the City'

The Of Time and the City is a documentary film directed by Terence Davies.


The film has Davies recalling his life growing up in Liverpool in the 1950s and 1960s, using newsreel and documentary footage supplemented by his own commentary voiceover and contemporaneous and classical music soundtracks.


The film premiered at the 2008 Cannes Film Festival where it received rave reviews. Time Out said "The one truly great movie to emerge so far (from Cannes)..... this film is as personal, as universal in its relevance, and as gloriously cinematic as anything he has done" and The Guardian called it "a British masterpiece, a brilliant assemblage of images that illuminate our past. Not only does it tug the heart-strings but it's also savagely funny." Duane Byrge from The Hollywood Reporter lauded the film as "poetically composed" and a "masterwork".
Grain Barge - Bernard Fallon
Lighten their Darkness
Liverpool Port Authority
Of Time and the City EXT WS
Reconstructing Liverpool
Shawlle - Bernard Fallon
Sol Terence Roy Philharmonic Auditorium
Sol Terence Roy Philharmonic Bar
St George's Hall TD directs
TD in his old parish Sacred Heart
Tenements
Terence Davies Alma de Cuba
Ternece Davies by Sol Papadopoulos
The Long Walk - Bernard Fallon
Venkateshwarlu Bulemoni

Thursday, January 1, 2009

South Korean film ‘Shadows in the Palace’

South Korean acton adventure film ‘Shadows in the Palace’ is directed by Kim Mee-jeung. This is Kim Mee-jeung's first feature film, but she has previously worked as part of the directing staff in The King and the Clown (2005) and Shadows in the Palace was filmed on the same set as the The King and the Clown. The movie is a fictionalized account of court maids during South Korea's Joseon era.
Brief Story
A maid-in-waiting hangs herself within the palace walls. However, while performing the autopsy, imperial medic Chun-ryung suspects murder and starts an investigation. With a taste for justice and full of wisdom, Chun-ryung bravely uncovers the deceptions. But she is soon confronted with a hidden past kept secret by those with far more power than she could ever imagine.
Lead Cast
Park Jin-hie
Seo Yeong-hie
Lim Jeong-eun
Jeon Hye-jin
Yun Se-ah
Kim Sung-ryeong
Kim Nam-jin





‘Shadows in the Palace’ Official Trailer
Venkateshwarlu Bulemoni

Tuesday, December 30, 2008

‘Hotel for Dogs’ (2009) comic film

Hotel for Dogs is a 2009 feature film adaptation of the Lois Duncan novel of the same name about two orphans who take in stray dogs at an empty house. The film, which began shooting in November 2007, is directed by Thor Freudenthal and stars Emma Roberts, Jake T. Austin, Lisa Kudrow, Kyla Pratt, and Don Cheadle.
Story
In this family film, Emma Roberts leads a star-filled cast that includes Kyla Pratt, Lisa Kudrow, Kevin Dillon, and Don Cheadle. A pair of orphaned siblings (Roberts and Jake T. Austin) are forced to give up their beloved dog when they move into a foster home. But since they can't stand to live without him, they turn a closed hotel into a home for their dog--and any other strays they can find. Hotel for Dogs is based on the novel by Lois Duncan.
Lead Cast
Emma Roberts as Andi
Jake T. Austin as Bruce
Lisa Kudrow as Lisa Scudder
Don Cheadle as Bernie
Troy Gentile as Mark
Kyla Pratt as Heather
Johnny Simmons as Dave
Kenny Vibert as Jason
Kevin Dillon as Carl Scudder
Yvette Nicole Brown as Mrs. Camwell




Sunday, December 7, 2008

Another Hollywood love story ‘Revolutionary Road’

Revolutionary Road is a love story based drama film directed by Sam Mendes. The screenplay by Justin Haythe is based on the 1961 novel of the same name by Richard Yates. The film is scheduled to be released in the United States on December 26, 2008.
This is the first movie since Titanic that Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet have starred in together. It also includes their Titanic costar Kathy Bates.
Revolutionary Road: Plot Line
The story of a young couple trying to find fulfillment in an age of conformity. Trapped in a world of encoded convention, they dream without faith, as lies and self-deceptions build to explosive consequences.
Brief Story
Set in 1955, the plot focuses on the hopes and aspirations of Frank and April Wheeler, self-assured Connecticut suburbanites who see themselves as very different from their neighbors in the Revolutionary Hill Estates.
April is an aspiring actress who yearns to move to Paris, while Frank copes with toiling away at a corporate job he despises by drinking too heavily and engaging in an affair with a co-worker.
The couple's marriage slowly dissolves into an endless cycle of bitter arguments and jealous recriminations.
cast
Leonardo DiCaprio as Frank Wheeler
Kate Winslet as April Wheeler
Kathy Bates as Helen Givings
Kathryn Hahn as Milly Campbell
David Harbour as Shep Campbell
Michael Shannon as John Givings
Richard Easton as Howard Givings
Zoe Kazan as Maureen Grube
Jay O. Sanders as Bart Pollock
Awards & nominations
2008: Satellite Awards
Nominated: Best Film: Drama
Nominated: Best Actor, Drama - Leonardo DiCaprio
Nominated: Best Supporting Actor - Michael Shannon
Nominated: Best Screenplay, Adapted - Justin Haythe
Nominated: Best Art Direction and Production Design
‘Revolutionary Road’ Official Trailer
Srivenkat

Tuesday, December 2, 2008

Monday, November 24, 2008

‘Twilight’ Box Office records

The pre-Thanksgiving weekend saw the dawn of a hit literary-based franchise in Twilight, instead of the continuation of a literary-based blockbuster series, since Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince's departure from the date to next summer. Between the openings of Twilight and Bolt and significant holdovers Quantum of Solace and Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa, the overall box office was up over the comparable pre-Thanksgiving timeframes from 2007 and 2006. However, it was down from 2005 when Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire opened.
Living up to the hype, Twilight wooed a dreamy $69.6 million on approximately 6,000 screens at 3,419 locations, drawing more attendees than Interview with a Vampire's debut to claim the biggest vampire weekend on record. The opening for the $37 million book adaptation ranks as the fifth highest grossing of November, behind the three Harry Potter releases of the month and The Incredibles.
Emblematic of its fervent constituency, Twilight set records for opening weekend front-loadedness (among non-holiday, nationwide releases). More than half of the movie's weekend gross was posted on Friday alone, $36 million, and the Friday-to-Saturday drop was 41 percent, steeper than Sex and the City's 34 percent Friday-to-Saturday drop. According to distributor Summit Entertainment's exit polling, 75 percent of Twilight's audience was female and 55 percent was under 25 years old. The overall grade from moviegoer pollster CinemaScore was an "A-," same as Bolt, further indicating that the movie's gross pattern was driven more by a fan rush than word-of-mouth.
"There was a number thrown around that if everyone who bought the book saw the movie we would open to $50 million," said Richard Fay, President of Domestic Theatrical Distribution for Summit Entertainment. "What is somewhat surprising is that 45 percent [of the audience] was over 25. The young girls who supported the book passed it on to their moms, and we're trying to get the word out to the young boys." Mr. Fay described Twilight's appeal as "a good, clean, Romeo and Juliet love story that young girls—and boys as well—can relate to." "It's not over the top," he added. "It's believable for what it is. It's all about to the uncertainty of maturing and the decisions you have to make."
In a single weekend, Twilight out-grossed Summit's five previous releases combined, and the distributor/production company quickly announced that that the sequel, New Moon, is officially in the works. Summit also generated exposure for two of its upcoming major releases. Attached to Twilight were trailers for the special effects-laden thrillers Push, featuring Chris Evans and Dakota Fanning and opening Feb. 6, and Knowing, directed by Alex Proyas and starring Nicolas Cage, due Mar. 20.
Ranking third behind a deflated Quantum of Solace, Walt Disney Pictures' Bolt dashed in with $26.2 million on around 6,200 screens at 3,651 sites, a solid start considering it's the type of picture that fares well over Thanksgiving and the fact that movies with similar subject matter, like Underdog and Firehouse Dog, have packed much less bite. Despite recalling Buzz Lightyear from Toy Story, Bolt had to overcome its story set-up of a lost television dog star. Any hint of Hollywood navel-gazing tends to put a crimp on grosses and it's been years since there was a popular dog drama on TV, hampering credibility. Still, Bolt's opening was slightly higher than Disney's last non-Pixar animated feature, Meet the Robinsons.
"We always looked at this as a ten-day weekend," said Chris LeRoy, Disney's Senior Vice President General Sales Manager. "On Monday, 15 percent of kids will be out of school, and 53 percent by Wednesday." Mr. LeRoy did not believe that the recent release of Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa had much impact. "Twilight had more of an effect on us," he said. "It played to 10-14 year-olds as first choice, and I think Bolt will be their choice when they return to theaters over the holiday." Disney's research indicated that 52 percent of the audience was female, 60 percent was under 25, and 75 percent could be counted as parents and their children.
A major part of Bolt's marketing was 3-D. Launched with a record 982 3-D presentations, the picture made an estimated $10.3 million in the format, accounting for 39 percent of the $26.2 million weekend. The 3-D share was higher than Meet the Robinsons but lower than Journey to the Center of the Earth.

Friday, November 21, 2008

Taiwan film Kung Fu Dunk

Mandarian live action adventurous film Kung Fu Dunk is released in February 2008. It was directed by Taiwanese director Chu Yin-Ping and filmed in Taiwan and mainland China. The film is inspired by the Slam Dunk manga and anime series, and was previously titled Slam Dunk. The filming, however, conveyed a strong flavour of Hong Kong films, reminiscent of movies like Shaolin Soccer.
Lead Story
The film revolves around an orphaned boy called Fang Shi Jie (Jay Chou), who grew up in a kung fu school and becomes a talented basketball player. Shi Jie grew up at the Kung-Fu School. He practiced excellent Kung-Fu and is equipped with good skills. Every morning, he is used as a punchbag in a demonstration by the principal of the school. When he uses shaolin iron vest (iron shirt) technique, as to not feel the principal's punches,the principal makes him stay on the streets for one night without dinner. He demonstrates his incredible accuracy to a down-and-out hustler, Wang Li by throwing cans into a bin almost ten metres away. Wang tells him, that if he can throw a coin into his mouth from twenty metre's away, he would treat him to dinner. They go to a five star French restaurant, where Wang Li's daughter works, and eat leftovers. Li convinces Shi Jie to help them make some money for themsleves. After eating, they go to a Casino owned by one of Wang Li's old friend's son, Brother Hu. There, Shi Jie wins hundreds of dollars playing darts. The resulting fight causes thousands of dollars worth of damage. The next morning, before school starts, Bian Tao, the principal of Fireball University puts the principal of the kung fu school onto his paylist. Then, after a massive beating by Bian Tao's thugs, Shi Jie is expelled. The next night, Shi Jie is once again sitting on the park bench where he met Wang Li, who is still there. On the pretext of helping him search for his family, Wang Li invites him to play basketball at 'First University' as the new star of its basketball team. Meanwhile, Wang Li capitalizes on media interest in Shi-Jie to make money via interviews and news articles.
After joining the basketball team, Shi-Jie finds that Li-Li (Lily) (Charlene Choi) whom he had admired for a long time is the sister of Ting Wei (Bo-Lin Chen), the leader of the basketball team. Shi Jie is desperate to draw her attention. Therefore, he attempts to compete with Xiao Lan (Baron Chen), who is Li-Li's idol.
The competition between Shi Jie and Xiao Lan generates an unstable atmosphere within the team. After Ting Wei counsels Shi Jie, the basketball team becomes more unified. Meanwhile, he helped Shi Jie combine his foundation of Kung-Fu skills into basketball techniques, which in turn brings his skills into full play and helps the team win many rounds of the inter-varsity tournament.
By the time of the finals, the major competitor faced by Shi Jie and his team members is the team led by Li Tian. Li used to be on the First University basketball team alongside Ting Wei and Xiao Lan, but became arrogant and was lured to their competitor's camp. The competing team comprised of players who had been banned from all basketball games in Japan. The competing university also bribed the referee of the final game. Although Wang Li had enlisted the aid of Shi Jie's kung-fu teachers, the opposing team had put in place a number of measures to prevent First University from winning, up to and including injuring First University's star players Shi-Jie, Ting Wei and Xiao Lan. Thus, due to both unscrupulous fouls from the opposing team and the referee's biased decisions and outright interference by punching out the last ball that Shi Jie throws, First University is defeated. Unwilling to admit defeat to such unjust conditions, Shi Jie recalls a technique his first teacher had utilized, and manages to turn back the clock to the time just before Shi Jie is to make his last throw of the game. Given a second chance and instead of trying to make the same last throw which will be interfered by the referee again, Shi Jie decides to pass to Xiao Lan, who in turn dunks it into the basket. Eventually, First University wins fair and square.
After the game Shi Jie discovered that his dad is the richest man in Asia. He later visit the dad, and discover why he was abandoned. His dad insisted him on his trip to London. Later that night Shi Jie decided to stay with Wang li instead, who later insist him of something more than basketball, the Olympics.
Sequel
It has been widely reported that the sequel is on the way, and production has begun.

Kung Fu Dunk Official Trailer