Though raised in Brooklyn, actor turned producer/director Danny A. Abeckaser was born in Israel. Unfortunately, that birthright isn’t enough to lend authenticity to “The Engineer,” which feels very much like an American B-movie stab at turning Israeli anti-terrorist operations of 30 years ago into formulaic action fodder — without much action, even. A miscast Emile Hirsch plays a Shin Bet agent tasked with hunting down the mastermind behind a series of suicide bombings. Arriving at yet another low ebb in Israeli international relations over Palestinian issues, this frequently unconvincing and clunky would-be thriller will have a hard time stirring much enthusiasm in most territories. Lionsgate is releasing to limited U.S. theaters and home formats on August 18.
It begins, with a burst of explanatory onscreen text, in the fall of 1993, as Israeli Prime Minister Rabin and Plo leader Yasser Arafat were in Washington D.C. attempting to broker peace under the auspices of President Clinton.
It begins, with a burst of explanatory onscreen text, in the fall of 1993, as Israeli Prime Minister Rabin and Plo leader Yasser Arafat were in Washington D.C. attempting to broker peace under the auspices of President Clinton.
- 8/16/2023
- by Dennis Harvey
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Emile Hirsch (Once Upon a Time… In Hollywood) has signed on to star alongside actor-director Danny A. Abeckaser in his latest feature, The Engineer. The project is the pair’s second together, on the heels of the crime drama The Gemini Lounge—also starring Lucy Hale, Ashley Greene, Robert Davi and Vincent Laresca—which is set for release this fall.
Based on true events, The Engineer will tell the story of Yahya Ayyash—the mastermind bombmaker who led an army of suicidal soldiers in Israel during the mid ’90s. The story follows the biggest manhunt in the history of Israel to find him. Hirsch will play Etan, the head agent looking for ‘The Engineer,’ with Abeckaser as his superior agent, Yakov. Angel Bonanni and Omer Hazan will also star.
Kosta Kondilopoulos wrote the script. Danny A. Abeckaser will produce via his company 2B Films, along with Yoav Gross and his Yoav Gross Productions.
Based on true events, The Engineer will tell the story of Yahya Ayyash—the mastermind bombmaker who led an army of suicidal soldiers in Israel during the mid ’90s. The story follows the biggest manhunt in the history of Israel to find him. Hirsch will play Etan, the head agent looking for ‘The Engineer,’ with Abeckaser as his superior agent, Yakov. Angel Bonanni and Omer Hazan will also star.
Kosta Kondilopoulos wrote the script. Danny A. Abeckaser will produce via his company 2B Films, along with Yoav Gross and his Yoav Gross Productions.
- 6/13/2022
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
"Keep to yourself, mind your own business, because this is the last stop for you." A trailer has arrived for an indie crime drama titled Wetlands (not to be confused with the German sex comedy of the same name), which is hitting theaters in a few weeks. From first-time director Emanuele Della Valle, this stars Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje (from Get Rich or Die Tryin', G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra, Thor: The Dark World, Trumbo, Suicide Squad) as a top cop from Philly who finds himself working in a precinct in the Wetlands, the no-man's land surrounding Atlantic City, New Jersey. There he mixes with locals before the infamous hurricane arrives and threatens to destroy lives. The full cast includes Heather Graham, Jennifer Ehle, Anthony Mackie, Christopher McDonald, Rob Morgan, Lauren Lavera, Sean Ringgold, Louis Mustillo, Tyler Elliot Burke, Pamela Dunlap, and Barry Markowitz. This looks solid, but not sure. Take a look.
- 8/30/2017
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has released its annual list of invited new members, and it’s clear they’re continuing to try to make their membership younger. On the list alongside veterans like John Hawkes and David Duchovny are a slew of twentysomethings, including Mia Wasikowska, Ellen Page, Jesse Eisenberg, Mila Kunis, Beyonce Knowles, Jennifer Lawrence, and Rooney Mara. The Board of Governors also decided to extend an invitation to Restrepo codirector Tim Hetherington, the first time Academy membership has been bestowed posthumously. As a side note, it’s also a hoot to now say the phrase Oscar voter Russell Brand.
- 6/17/2011
- by Dave Karger
- EW - Inside Movies
Beverly Hills, CA . The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is extending invitations to join the organization to 178 artists and executives who have distinguished themselves by their contributions to theatrical motion pictures. Those who accept the invitation will be the only additions in 2011 to the Academy.s roster of members.
.These individuals are among the best filmmakers working in the industry today,. said Academy President Tom Sherak. .Their talent and creativity have entertained moviegoers around the world, and I welcome each of them to our ranks..
The Academy.s membership policies would have allowed a maximum of 211 new members in 2011, but as in other recent years, several branch committees endorsed fewer candidates than were proposed to them. Voting membership in the organization has now held steady at just under 6,000 members since 2003.
In an unprecedented gesture, the list of new members includes documentary filmmaker Tim Hetherington, who was killed in action in Libya in April.
.These individuals are among the best filmmakers working in the industry today,. said Academy President Tom Sherak. .Their talent and creativity have entertained moviegoers around the world, and I welcome each of them to our ranks..
The Academy.s membership policies would have allowed a maximum of 211 new members in 2011, but as in other recent years, several branch committees endorsed fewer candidates than were proposed to them. Voting membership in the organization has now held steady at just under 6,000 members since 2003.
In an unprecedented gesture, the list of new members includes documentary filmmaker Tim Hetherington, who was killed in action in Libya in April.
- 6/17/2011
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
HollywoodNews.com: The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is extending invitations to join the organization to 178 artists and executives who have distinguished themselves by their contributions to theatrical motion pictures. Those who accept the invitation will be the only additions in 2011 to the Academy’s roster of members.
“These individuals are among the best filmmakers working in the industry today,” said Academy President Tom Sherak. “Their talent and creativity have entertained moviegoers around the world, and I welcome each of them to our ranks.”
The Academy’s membership policies would have allowed a maximum of 211 new members in 2011, but as in other recent years, several branch committees endorsed fewer candidates than were proposed to them. Voting membership in the organization has now held steady at just under 6,000 members since 2003.
In an unprecedented gesture, the list of new members includes documentary filmmaker Tim Hetherington, who was killed in action in Libya in April.
“These individuals are among the best filmmakers working in the industry today,” said Academy President Tom Sherak. “Their talent and creativity have entertained moviegoers around the world, and I welcome each of them to our ranks.”
The Academy’s membership policies would have allowed a maximum of 211 new members in 2011, but as in other recent years, several branch committees endorsed fewer candidates than were proposed to them. Voting membership in the organization has now held steady at just under 6,000 members since 2003.
In an unprecedented gesture, the list of new members includes documentary filmmaker Tim Hetherington, who was killed in action in Libya in April.
- 6/17/2011
- by Josh Abraham
- Hollywoodnews.com
Jeff Bridges is outstanding as a washed-up country singer desperate to achieve personal and professional redemption, writes Philip French
Jeff Bridges, with his big, open, all-American face, has been a major presence on the screen for 40 years now, ever since becoming a star at the age of 22 as a small-town high-school senior in The Last Picture Show, a role for which he was Oscar-nominated as best supporting actor. In The Last Picture Show, Hank Williams figures prominently on the soundtrack and the film ends with Bridges seeing John Wayne in Red River before leaving for military service in the Korean war. So it's appropriate that the 60-year-old Bridges should have received an Oscar nomination for his ageing country singer in first-time writer-director Scott Cooper's Crazy Heart and is soon to play "Rooster" Cogburn in a remake of True Grit, the role that eventually brought John Wayne his only Oscar.
Jeff Bridges, with his big, open, all-American face, has been a major presence on the screen for 40 years now, ever since becoming a star at the age of 22 as a small-town high-school senior in The Last Picture Show, a role for which he was Oscar-nominated as best supporting actor. In The Last Picture Show, Hank Williams figures prominently on the soundtrack and the film ends with Bridges seeing John Wayne in Red River before leaving for military service in the Korean war. So it's appropriate that the 60-year-old Bridges should have received an Oscar nomination for his ageing country singer in first-time writer-director Scott Cooper's Crazy Heart and is soon to play "Rooster" Cogburn in a remake of True Grit, the role that eventually brought John Wayne his only Oscar.
- 2/21/2010
- by Philip French
- The Guardian - Film News
Chicago – In our latest edition of HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: Film, we have 25 admit-two run-of-engagement movie passes up for grabs to the new film “Crazy Heart” with Jeff Bridges, Maggie Gyllenhaal and Robert Duvall!
The film also stars Brian Gleason, Rick Dial, William Sterchi, Richard W. Gallegos, William Marquez, LeAnne Lynch, David Manzanares, J. Michael Oliva and Ryil Adamson from writer and director Scott Cooper. “Crazy Heart” is based on the novel by the same name from Thomas Cobb.
To win your free “Crazy Heart” movie pass to any Chicago-area Landmark Theatre at the time of your choosing, all you need to do is answer our question in this Web-based submission form. That’s it! “Crazy Heart” opened in Chicago on Dec. 25, 2009. Directions to enter this HollywoodChicago.com Hookup and immediately win can be found beneath the graphic below.
The movie poster for “Crazy Heart” with Jeff Bridges and Maggie Gyllenhaal.
The film also stars Brian Gleason, Rick Dial, William Sterchi, Richard W. Gallegos, William Marquez, LeAnne Lynch, David Manzanares, J. Michael Oliva and Ryil Adamson from writer and director Scott Cooper. “Crazy Heart” is based on the novel by the same name from Thomas Cobb.
To win your free “Crazy Heart” movie pass to any Chicago-area Landmark Theatre at the time of your choosing, all you need to do is answer our question in this Web-based submission form. That’s it! “Crazy Heart” opened in Chicago on Dec. 25, 2009. Directions to enter this HollywoodChicago.com Hookup and immediately win can be found beneath the graphic below.
The movie poster for “Crazy Heart” with Jeff Bridges and Maggie Gyllenhaal.
- 1/6/2010
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Like Elvis, preacher Eulis, a k a the Apostle E.F., was influenced by the black Baptist church in the Deep South. But instead of honing his singing skills via the grand, gospel music he heard, Eulis developed his preaching skills along the exuberant interchanges between preacher and congregation.
He became quite a hit on the tent-preaching circuit at age 12, and in this stirring, complex portrait of a charismatic evangelist, Robert Duvall gives testimony to his towering acting skills. Unveiled as a special presentation at the Toronto International Film Festival, "The Apostle" is a wise and inspiring film.
Lo, should October Films unveileth "The Aspostle" for seven days in the City of Angels at year's end, it will surely reap a bounteous best actor Oscar nomination for Duvall. Verily.
A jarringly rich and complex depiction of down-home religion as well as the psychological makeup of a wayward man, "The Apostle" is a stirring story. It's a tale of sin and redemption and, owing to the nature of its lead character, it's also about sex. All the major biblical stuff. It centers on a man who has trouble keeping on God's path; indeed, he's a sinner of gross proportion. While mesmeric and in control at the altar, Eulis' doctrinaire, hard-headed stubbornness hurts him in relations with his flock, principally his wife (Farrah Fawcett) and his congregation. After running out of forgiveness, they wrest the church from him. Worse, his wife takes up with a younger, kinder minister. Eulis doesn't turn the other cheek; he smashes the man with a baseball bat, puts him in a coma, and flees town.
Neither repentant of his crime nor diminished in his enthusiasm for spreading the Word, Eulis heads for Louisiana, landing in a mostly black bayou town. He truly believes that the Good Lord has pointed him there; in his conflicted torments, he still feels he's an instrument of God. In short, his faith is fueled not only by moral denial but megalomania as well.
Yet there's no denying Eulis' energy and his ability to inspire folk. He takes a new name, the Apostle E.F., and resurrects a small, black church from decay and despair. The cagey clergyman takes to the radio, inspiring folk all along the bayou. The white listeners think he's black; the blacks, of course, know better but appreciate his style.
A rollickingly perceptive study of man's need for community and religion as prismed through the imperfections of a doggedly devout man, "The Apostle" is a gloriously rich film. It is wisdom told through simple folk and, as such, it may suffer derision from the so-called sophisticates who look down their noses at the regenerative powers of basic religion. As its writer-director, Duvall's narrative sermonizing is a wonder. "The Apostle" is garbed in deliciously bold colors of human behavior, and Duvall's vision is enriched by an earthy sensibility. It courses with contradiction -- human weakness and human strength.
The story's power comes largely from the players. In addition to Duvall's transcendent performance, the entire congregation of players is outstanding. Particular praise goes to John Beasley as the retired preacher who takes E.F. in during his time of need. Fawcett is well-cast as his addled wife, while Miranda Richardson does a splendid turn as a woman smitten by the preacher man. As a redneck driving his Caterpillar toward his own personal Damascus, Billy Bob Thornton is a man of fire.
Technical contributions are a marvel, especially cinematographer Barry Markowitz's eloquently earthy compositions and music supervisor Peter Afterman's galvanic, gospel sounds.
THE APOSTLE
Butchers Run Films
Producer Rob Carliner
Screenwriter-director Robert Duvall
Executive producer Robert Duvall
Director of photography Barry Markowitz
Production designer Linda Burton
Editor Steve Mack
Music David Mansfield
Music supervisor Peter Afterman
Sound mixer Steve Aaron
Color/stereo
Cast:
Eulis/The Apostle E.F. Robert Duvall
Toosie Miranda Richardson
Jessie Dewey Farrah Fawcett
Brother Blackwell John Beasley
Mrs. Dewey Sr. June Carter Cash
Sam Walton Goggins
Joe Billy Joe Shaver
Troublemaker Billy Bob Thornton
Elmo Rick Dial
Running time -- 148 minutes
No MPAA rating...
He became quite a hit on the tent-preaching circuit at age 12, and in this stirring, complex portrait of a charismatic evangelist, Robert Duvall gives testimony to his towering acting skills. Unveiled as a special presentation at the Toronto International Film Festival, "The Apostle" is a wise and inspiring film.
Lo, should October Films unveileth "The Aspostle" for seven days in the City of Angels at year's end, it will surely reap a bounteous best actor Oscar nomination for Duvall. Verily.
A jarringly rich and complex depiction of down-home religion as well as the psychological makeup of a wayward man, "The Apostle" is a stirring story. It's a tale of sin and redemption and, owing to the nature of its lead character, it's also about sex. All the major biblical stuff. It centers on a man who has trouble keeping on God's path; indeed, he's a sinner of gross proportion. While mesmeric and in control at the altar, Eulis' doctrinaire, hard-headed stubbornness hurts him in relations with his flock, principally his wife (Farrah Fawcett) and his congregation. After running out of forgiveness, they wrest the church from him. Worse, his wife takes up with a younger, kinder minister. Eulis doesn't turn the other cheek; he smashes the man with a baseball bat, puts him in a coma, and flees town.
Neither repentant of his crime nor diminished in his enthusiasm for spreading the Word, Eulis heads for Louisiana, landing in a mostly black bayou town. He truly believes that the Good Lord has pointed him there; in his conflicted torments, he still feels he's an instrument of God. In short, his faith is fueled not only by moral denial but megalomania as well.
Yet there's no denying Eulis' energy and his ability to inspire folk. He takes a new name, the Apostle E.F., and resurrects a small, black church from decay and despair. The cagey clergyman takes to the radio, inspiring folk all along the bayou. The white listeners think he's black; the blacks, of course, know better but appreciate his style.
A rollickingly perceptive study of man's need for community and religion as prismed through the imperfections of a doggedly devout man, "The Apostle" is a gloriously rich film. It is wisdom told through simple folk and, as such, it may suffer derision from the so-called sophisticates who look down their noses at the regenerative powers of basic religion. As its writer-director, Duvall's narrative sermonizing is a wonder. "The Apostle" is garbed in deliciously bold colors of human behavior, and Duvall's vision is enriched by an earthy sensibility. It courses with contradiction -- human weakness and human strength.
The story's power comes largely from the players. In addition to Duvall's transcendent performance, the entire congregation of players is outstanding. Particular praise goes to John Beasley as the retired preacher who takes E.F. in during his time of need. Fawcett is well-cast as his addled wife, while Miranda Richardson does a splendid turn as a woman smitten by the preacher man. As a redneck driving his Caterpillar toward his own personal Damascus, Billy Bob Thornton is a man of fire.
Technical contributions are a marvel, especially cinematographer Barry Markowitz's eloquently earthy compositions and music supervisor Peter Afterman's galvanic, gospel sounds.
THE APOSTLE
Butchers Run Films
Producer Rob Carliner
Screenwriter-director Robert Duvall
Executive producer Robert Duvall
Director of photography Barry Markowitz
Production designer Linda Burton
Editor Steve Mack
Music David Mansfield
Music supervisor Peter Afterman
Sound mixer Steve Aaron
Color/stereo
Cast:
Eulis/The Apostle E.F. Robert Duvall
Toosie Miranda Richardson
Jessie Dewey Farrah Fawcett
Brother Blackwell John Beasley
Mrs. Dewey Sr. June Carter Cash
Sam Walton Goggins
Joe Billy Joe Shaver
Troublemaker Billy Bob Thornton
Elmo Rick Dial
Running time -- 148 minutes
No MPAA rating...
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