The hot news is that British Pm David Cameron is in the country and while he is slated to meet many top dignitaries during his short stay in India, Aamir Khan will probably be the only Bollywood personality to meet David Cameron. Apparently, the actor's team and Cameron's office have been working out the schedule since a couple of months and the British P.M. expressed a desire to meet Aamir owing to his growing popularity in the U.K. after he featured on the cover of Time magazine. Cameron has also been impressed with Aamir's social work through his TV show 'Satyamev Jayate'. Aamir, who is shooting for Raju Hirani's P.K. in Rajasthan, will fly down to Delhi this evening to meet and greet British P.M. David Cameron.
- 2/19/2013
- by Bollywood Hungama News Network
- BollywoodHungama
David Beckham was sporting a star scarf as he left his hotel in London today. He's been on the go in the UK all week as he promotes his new bodywear collection for H&M. David launched the underwear line at the brand's flagship store yesterday and celebrated the exciting project with a bash last night. He started at the Henry Moore Courtyard, where he was joined by Victoria's parents, Jackie and Anthony Adams, and his own mom and dad, Sandra and Ted. Victoria's sister, Louise, Emma Bunton, and Tana Ramsay also came out to show their support and pick up goodie bags full of samples. David continued the party at The Arts Club with best friend James Corden, who apparently stayed out until three in the morning with David. View Slideshow ›...
- 2/2/2012
- by Lauren Turner
- Popsugar.com
David Beckham was sporting a star scarf as he left his hotel in London today. He's been on the go in the UK all week as he promotes his new body wear collection for H&M. David launched the underwear line at the brand's flagship store yesterday and celebrated the exciting project with a bash last night. He started at the Henry Moore Courtyard, where he was joined by Victoria's parents, Jackie and Anthony Adams, and his own mom and dad, Sandra and Ted. Victoria's sister, Louise, Emma Bunton, and Tana Ramsay also came out to show their support and pick up goodie bags full of samples. David continued the party at the Arts Club with best friend James Cordon, who apparently stayed out until three in the morning with David. View Slideshow ›...
- 2/2/2012
- by Lauren Turner
- Popsugar.com
Developer buys NBC's Burbank site
NBC Universal has sold its 34-acre Burbank lot to one of the largest real estate developers in Los Angeles, and the network notified employees Thursday that hundreds of them will be moving to new digs being built in Universal City.
The company said in October that it was seeking a buyer for its property at 3000 W. Alameda Ave., and it found one in M. David Paul/Worthe Real Estate Group.
The price was not disclosed, but two years ago M. David Paul Associates paid about $55 million to purchase from NBC Universal a nearby parcel that was two-thirds smaller.
According to a memo sent to employees Thursday, several units will be moving to Universal City, though probably not until 2011, when a new campus on Lankershim Boulevard is complete.
In the meantime, NBC, which has used the Burbank property for 57 years, will lease back some of the offices, soundstages and television studios.
The most noteworthy change resulting from the real estate transaction will be that "The Tonight Show" will be moved to an existing stage at Universal Studios, though not until Conan O'Brien takes over from host Jay Leno in 2009.
The company said in October that it was seeking a buyer for its property at 3000 W. Alameda Ave., and it found one in M. David Paul/Worthe Real Estate Group.
The price was not disclosed, but two years ago M. David Paul Associates paid about $55 million to purchase from NBC Universal a nearby parcel that was two-thirds smaller.
According to a memo sent to employees Thursday, several units will be moving to Universal City, though probably not until 2011, when a new campus on Lankershim Boulevard is complete.
In the meantime, NBC, which has used the Burbank property for 57 years, will lease back some of the offices, soundstages and television studios.
The most noteworthy change resulting from the real estate transaction will be that "The Tonight Show" will be moved to an existing stage at Universal Studios, though not until Conan O'Brien takes over from host Jay Leno in 2009.
- 4/24/2008
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Assassination of a High School President
Sundance Film Festival
PARK CITY -- Is there anything new to say about high school torments? Probably there is, but Assassination of a High School President doesn't find enough novel insights to make for essential viewing. It has echoes of a lot of other movies about adolescent angst and cruelty, from Election to Thumbsucker, Rocket Science and Charlie Bartlett, but it doesn't live up to the best of those.
Alexander Payne's Election might still be the definitive word on the cutthroat atmosphere of high school. Assassination, which had its premiere here, won't achieve the same classic stature.
It will, however, be remembered for confirming the talent of the leading man, Reece Daniel Thompson, who starred as the stuttering teen hero of last year's Sundance prize-winner, Rocket Science and here demonstrates the same ease and charm, minus the stuttering. Not many young actors convey intelligence, but Thompson is completely convincing and immensely likable as an aspiring journalist who wants to expose the truth about the school's top jock.
As the prom queen who takes him under her wing, Mischa Barton also gives a captivating performance. These two actors make the movie worth seeing, even though the script by Tim Caplan and Kevin Jakubowski veers from genuine wit to more routine high jinks.
At his Catholic school in New Jersey, Bobby Funke (Thompson) is beset by a lot of the typical teen perils -- school bullies, an overbearing Spanish teacher (amusingly played by Josh Pais), a tyrannical principal (Bruce Willis) and, of course, the first stirrings of love and lust. The opening scenes have a lot of raunchy interchanges that make us feel we might be in a Judd Apatow high school movie. But Assassination turns out to be more of a high school detective story. When a bunch of SAT exams are stolen from the principal's office, Bobby determines that the school president, Paul Moore (Patrick James Taylor), must be the thief and exposes him in the school paper. He ruins Moore's life, but as he gets to know Moore's girlfriend, Francesca (Barton), he begins to have second thoughts and sets out to rectify matters and find the true culprit.
A high school mystery with a teenage sleuth is an appealing concept, but even this isn't a new notion. A couple of years ago, another Sundance entry, Brick, mined the same territory with a tad more style and originality. The mystery story in Assassination is fun and would be even more fun if the denouement weren't so transparent. Anyone who has a passing familiarity with Hollywood murder mysteries will be able to guess the ending long before Bobby nails the villain. At least the film doesn't take itself too seriously. The last line is a tongue-in-cheek homage to the ending of Chinatown.
Director Brett Simon must be credited with an energetic spin on a lot of tired tropes, but he also misses certain opportunities. In a delightful scene where Bobby cuts loose and dances at a party, the director keeps cutting away from his star and so minimizes the impact of Thompson's performance.
In addition to Thompson and Barton, the other young actors also are very skillful. Willis seems to be having fun with his role, and Kathryn Morris is entertaining as the addled school nurse. On the other hand, Michael Rapaport has little to do as the basketball coach; his part might have been left on the cutting-room floor.
The film runs a tight 90 minutes, so at least it doesn't wear out its welcome. The song selections are smart. All in all, the film is a likable goof that evaporates as soon as the lights come on.
ASSASSINATION OF A HIGH SCHOOL PRESIDENT
Yari Film Group
Credits:
Director: Brett Simon
Screenwriters: Tim Caplan, Kevin Jakubowski
Producers: Bob Yari, Roy Lee, Doug Davison
Director of photography: M. David Mullen
Production designer: Sharon Lomofsky
Co-producers: Elsie Choi, Suzanne Smith
Costume designer: Amy Westcott
Editors: William Anderson, Thomas J. Nordberg
Cast:
Bobby Funke: Reece Daniel Thompson
Francesca Fachini: Mischa Barton
Principal Kirkpatrick: Bruce Willis
Clara Diaz: Melonie Diaz
Paul Moore: Patrick James Taylor
Marlon Piazza: Luke Grimes
Coach Z: Michael Rapaport
Padre Newell: Josh Pais
Nurse Platt: Kathryn Morris
Running time -- 90 minutes
No MPAA rating...
PARK CITY -- Is there anything new to say about high school torments? Probably there is, but Assassination of a High School President doesn't find enough novel insights to make for essential viewing. It has echoes of a lot of other movies about adolescent angst and cruelty, from Election to Thumbsucker, Rocket Science and Charlie Bartlett, but it doesn't live up to the best of those.
Alexander Payne's Election might still be the definitive word on the cutthroat atmosphere of high school. Assassination, which had its premiere here, won't achieve the same classic stature.
It will, however, be remembered for confirming the talent of the leading man, Reece Daniel Thompson, who starred as the stuttering teen hero of last year's Sundance prize-winner, Rocket Science and here demonstrates the same ease and charm, minus the stuttering. Not many young actors convey intelligence, but Thompson is completely convincing and immensely likable as an aspiring journalist who wants to expose the truth about the school's top jock.
As the prom queen who takes him under her wing, Mischa Barton also gives a captivating performance. These two actors make the movie worth seeing, even though the script by Tim Caplan and Kevin Jakubowski veers from genuine wit to more routine high jinks.
At his Catholic school in New Jersey, Bobby Funke (Thompson) is beset by a lot of the typical teen perils -- school bullies, an overbearing Spanish teacher (amusingly played by Josh Pais), a tyrannical principal (Bruce Willis) and, of course, the first stirrings of love and lust. The opening scenes have a lot of raunchy interchanges that make us feel we might be in a Judd Apatow high school movie. But Assassination turns out to be more of a high school detective story. When a bunch of SAT exams are stolen from the principal's office, Bobby determines that the school president, Paul Moore (Patrick James Taylor), must be the thief and exposes him in the school paper. He ruins Moore's life, but as he gets to know Moore's girlfriend, Francesca (Barton), he begins to have second thoughts and sets out to rectify matters and find the true culprit.
A high school mystery with a teenage sleuth is an appealing concept, but even this isn't a new notion. A couple of years ago, another Sundance entry, Brick, mined the same territory with a tad more style and originality. The mystery story in Assassination is fun and would be even more fun if the denouement weren't so transparent. Anyone who has a passing familiarity with Hollywood murder mysteries will be able to guess the ending long before Bobby nails the villain. At least the film doesn't take itself too seriously. The last line is a tongue-in-cheek homage to the ending of Chinatown.
Director Brett Simon must be credited with an energetic spin on a lot of tired tropes, but he also misses certain opportunities. In a delightful scene where Bobby cuts loose and dances at a party, the director keeps cutting away from his star and so minimizes the impact of Thompson's performance.
In addition to Thompson and Barton, the other young actors also are very skillful. Willis seems to be having fun with his role, and Kathryn Morris is entertaining as the addled school nurse. On the other hand, Michael Rapaport has little to do as the basketball coach; his part might have been left on the cutting-room floor.
The film runs a tight 90 minutes, so at least it doesn't wear out its welcome. The song selections are smart. All in all, the film is a likable goof that evaporates as soon as the lights come on.
ASSASSINATION OF A HIGH SCHOOL PRESIDENT
Yari Film Group
Credits:
Director: Brett Simon
Screenwriters: Tim Caplan, Kevin Jakubowski
Producers: Bob Yari, Roy Lee, Doug Davison
Director of photography: M. David Mullen
Production designer: Sharon Lomofsky
Co-producers: Elsie Choi, Suzanne Smith
Costume designer: Amy Westcott
Editors: William Anderson, Thomas J. Nordberg
Cast:
Bobby Funke: Reece Daniel Thompson
Francesca Fachini: Mischa Barton
Principal Kirkpatrick: Bruce Willis
Clara Diaz: Melonie Diaz
Paul Moore: Patrick James Taylor
Marlon Piazza: Luke Grimes
Coach Z: Michael Rapaport
Padre Newell: Josh Pais
Nurse Platt: Kathryn Morris
Running time -- 90 minutes
No MPAA rating...
- 1/25/2008
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Akeelah and the Bee
During the course of the half-dozen years it has taken Doug Atchison's "Akeelah and the Bee" to go from script to screen, that old schoolhouse standby known as the spelling bee suddenly became hot property, informing everything from the documentary "Spellbound" to the novel/film "Bee Season" to the hit Broadway musical "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee."
Arriving in that aftermath, Atchison's heartfelt drama about an 11-year-old black girl from South Central L.A. who expertly faces down the multisyllabics at the Scripps National Spelling Bee can't help but feel a bit played out despite its empowering message and nice performances.
Such subject matter would, back in the day, have made for a swell "ABC Afterschool Special", but as a significant moviegoing draw, suffice it to say the future isn't looking exactly pulchritudinous.
Effectively anchoring the picture is Keke Palmer's lovely lead performance as Akeelah Anderson, a bright, highly articulate kid who's a terror in Scrabble but an underachiever in the classroom.
Taken under the wing of the sternly professorial but soft-spoken Dr. Larabee (Laurence Fishburne), Akeelah ascends the spelling competition ladder leading to a hard-earned spot in the big event despite the objections of her hard-working, widowed mother (Angela Bassett), who would seem to have a bee in her bonnet.
Akeelah ultimately earns her seat in the Washington Hyatt Grand Ballroom, but Will She go the distance to become a motivating force for her family, friends and general community at large?
Word.
Adhering closely to the inspirational film playbook, Atchison hits all the essential emotional posts, but even if certain scenes have a weakness for the overly purposeful, this stuff can still click effectively with audiences, especially with an accomplished cast.
While Fishburne and Bassett, who worked together in "What's Love Got to Do With It", bring the required weight to their respective roles, the film does particularly well by the effervescent performances of its juvenile cast. In addition to Palmer's bright work, young JR Villarreal demonstrates some natural comic timing as Javier, an easygoing spelling bee veteran from Woodland Hills who shows her the ropes.
Behind the scenes, M. David Mullen's photography is clean and crisp, while editor Glenn Farr ("The Right Stuff") orchestrates all that spelling quite efficaciously.
Akeelah and the Bee
Lionsgate
A Lionsgate, 2929 Prods. and Starbucks Entertainment presentation ofan Out of the Blue Entertainment and Reactor Films production
in association with Cinema Gypsy Productions Inc.
Credits:
Director-screenwriter: Doug Atchison
Producers: Nancy Hult Ganis, Sid Ganis, Laurence Fishburne, Michael Romersa, Danny Llewelyn
Executive producers: Todd Wagner, Mark Cuban, Marc Butan, Helen Sugland, Michael Burns, Michael Paseornek, Tom Ortenberg
Director of photography: M. David Mullen
Production designer: Warren Alan Young
Editor: Glenn Farr
Costume designer: Sharen Davis
Music: Aaron Zigman
Cast:
Dr. Larabee: Laurence Fishburne
Tanya: Angela Bassett
Akeelah: Keke Palmer
Mr. Welch: Curtis Armstrong
Javier: JR Villarreal
Dylan: Sean Michael Afable
MPAA rating PG
Running time -- 112 minutes...
Arriving in that aftermath, Atchison's heartfelt drama about an 11-year-old black girl from South Central L.A. who expertly faces down the multisyllabics at the Scripps National Spelling Bee can't help but feel a bit played out despite its empowering message and nice performances.
Such subject matter would, back in the day, have made for a swell "ABC Afterschool Special", but as a significant moviegoing draw, suffice it to say the future isn't looking exactly pulchritudinous.
Effectively anchoring the picture is Keke Palmer's lovely lead performance as Akeelah Anderson, a bright, highly articulate kid who's a terror in Scrabble but an underachiever in the classroom.
Taken under the wing of the sternly professorial but soft-spoken Dr. Larabee (Laurence Fishburne), Akeelah ascends the spelling competition ladder leading to a hard-earned spot in the big event despite the objections of her hard-working, widowed mother (Angela Bassett), who would seem to have a bee in her bonnet.
Akeelah ultimately earns her seat in the Washington Hyatt Grand Ballroom, but Will She go the distance to become a motivating force for her family, friends and general community at large?
Word.
Adhering closely to the inspirational film playbook, Atchison hits all the essential emotional posts, but even if certain scenes have a weakness for the overly purposeful, this stuff can still click effectively with audiences, especially with an accomplished cast.
While Fishburne and Bassett, who worked together in "What's Love Got to Do With It", bring the required weight to their respective roles, the film does particularly well by the effervescent performances of its juvenile cast. In addition to Palmer's bright work, young JR Villarreal demonstrates some natural comic timing as Javier, an easygoing spelling bee veteran from Woodland Hills who shows her the ropes.
Behind the scenes, M. David Mullen's photography is clean and crisp, while editor Glenn Farr ("The Right Stuff") orchestrates all that spelling quite efficaciously.
Akeelah and the Bee
Lionsgate
A Lionsgate, 2929 Prods. and Starbucks Entertainment presentation ofan Out of the Blue Entertainment and Reactor Films production
in association with Cinema Gypsy Productions Inc.
Credits:
Director-screenwriter: Doug Atchison
Producers: Nancy Hult Ganis, Sid Ganis, Laurence Fishburne, Michael Romersa, Danny Llewelyn
Executive producers: Todd Wagner, Mark Cuban, Marc Butan, Helen Sugland, Michael Burns, Michael Paseornek, Tom Ortenberg
Director of photography: M. David Mullen
Production designer: Warren Alan Young
Editor: Glenn Farr
Costume designer: Sharen Davis
Music: Aaron Zigman
Cast:
Dr. Larabee: Laurence Fishburne
Tanya: Angela Bassett
Akeelah: Keke Palmer
Mr. Welch: Curtis Armstrong
Javier: JR Villarreal
Dylan: Sean Michael Afable
MPAA rating PG
Running time -- 112 minutes...
- 3/22/2006
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Film review: 'The Last Big Thing'
After writing and directing several well-regarded plays and short films, Dan Zukovic shows promise in his first feature, in which he also plays Simon Geist, the memorable lead character. Showing strong screen presence as a dislikable crank who is in nearly every scene, Zukovic draws one into a wickedly amusing comedy with his ace performance and skillful direction of the low-budget (under $1 million) production.
Shown at the Vancouver and Hamptons film festivals, "The Last Big Thing" is too bizarre for mainstream consumption, but indie fans in a dark mood will find a well-constructed, fairly witty satire of instant fame and surfing the "zeitgeist."
Obsessed with both Edvard Munch's "The Scream" and the fashion ads in the main news section of the Los Angeles Times, Geist is an incredibly critical jerk with an "agenda," which is to attack modern culture -- from movies to stand-up comics to pop music to television.
With many explosive satiric blasts, Zukovic creates a charismatic info-anarchist, who has an equally cracked girlfriend. Geist and secretive, skittish Darla (Susan Heimbinder) live in a bland tract home, with her inheritance paying the bills and supporting their loopy lifestyle.
For most of the film Geist poses as the publisher of a new magazine called "The Next Big Thing". He interviews a series of young Tinsel Town types, asking insulting questions that create both enemies and disciples.
A subversive odyssey through Los Angeles milieus climaxes when the incorruptible curmudgeon directs a hit music video and the "agenda" changes. While Darla chronicles Geist's exploits and records his pronouncements for her own journalistic project, the beautiful Tedra (Pamela Dickerson) enters his life and he decides it is time to fight the media from inside.
Kudos to Zukovic and the rest of the cast, especially Heimbinder as the spooky and spunky Darla. Vancouver native Zukovic has a good eye for visuals, and overall the film is technically first-rate.
THE LAST BIG THING
A Byronic Pose production
Writer-director Dan Zukovic
Producers Vladimir Perlovich,
Anthony Rubenstein
Executive producers David Barnett,
Philip Starr
Director of photography M. David Mullen
Production designer Martina Buckley
Editor Markus Lofstrom
Music Cole Coonce
Casting Ann Maney
Color/stereo
Cast:
Simon Geist Dan Zukovic
Darla Susan Heimbinder
Brent Mark Ruffalo
Tedra Pamela Dickerson
Chris Andrew Falk
Running time -- 98 minutes
No MPAA rating...
Shown at the Vancouver and Hamptons film festivals, "The Last Big Thing" is too bizarre for mainstream consumption, but indie fans in a dark mood will find a well-constructed, fairly witty satire of instant fame and surfing the "zeitgeist."
Obsessed with both Edvard Munch's "The Scream" and the fashion ads in the main news section of the Los Angeles Times, Geist is an incredibly critical jerk with an "agenda," which is to attack modern culture -- from movies to stand-up comics to pop music to television.
With many explosive satiric blasts, Zukovic creates a charismatic info-anarchist, who has an equally cracked girlfriend. Geist and secretive, skittish Darla (Susan Heimbinder) live in a bland tract home, with her inheritance paying the bills and supporting their loopy lifestyle.
For most of the film Geist poses as the publisher of a new magazine called "The Next Big Thing". He interviews a series of young Tinsel Town types, asking insulting questions that create both enemies and disciples.
A subversive odyssey through Los Angeles milieus climaxes when the incorruptible curmudgeon directs a hit music video and the "agenda" changes. While Darla chronicles Geist's exploits and records his pronouncements for her own journalistic project, the beautiful Tedra (Pamela Dickerson) enters his life and he decides it is time to fight the media from inside.
Kudos to Zukovic and the rest of the cast, especially Heimbinder as the spooky and spunky Darla. Vancouver native Zukovic has a good eye for visuals, and overall the film is technically first-rate.
THE LAST BIG THING
A Byronic Pose production
Writer-director Dan Zukovic
Producers Vladimir Perlovich,
Anthony Rubenstein
Executive producers David Barnett,
Philip Starr
Director of photography M. David Mullen
Production designer Martina Buckley
Editor Markus Lofstrom
Music Cole Coonce
Casting Ann Maney
Color/stereo
Cast:
Simon Geist Dan Zukovic
Darla Susan Heimbinder
Brent Mark Ruffalo
Tedra Pamela Dickerson
Chris Andrew Falk
Running time -- 98 minutes
No MPAA rating...
- 12/30/1996
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.