The following article is written by Michael Lee Nirenberg, author of the forthcoming oral history Cinematic Immunity.
In light of recent labor actions by the WGA and SAG-AFTRA that have shut down commercial film and television for the foreseeable future, it’s a prime opportunity to share an excerpt from my forthcoming oral-history book, Cinematic Immunity. The 1990 Producer Lockout is a lesser-known chapter in the tense history of Hollywood’s labor relations. Personally, I only know about it from having worked with people who survived it. During the 2007 writer’s strike I was a rookie movie-tv scenic artist in United Scenic Artists Local 829. I got my union card earlier that year and was getting a crash course in organized labor.
During the 1990 negotiations with IATSE (International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees) the studios were pushing what was called the Hollywood Basic contract onto New York unions. They used this contract on the West Coast,...
In light of recent labor actions by the WGA and SAG-AFTRA that have shut down commercial film and television for the foreseeable future, it’s a prime opportunity to share an excerpt from my forthcoming oral-history book, Cinematic Immunity. The 1990 Producer Lockout is a lesser-known chapter in the tense history of Hollywood’s labor relations. Personally, I only know about it from having worked with people who survived it. During the 2007 writer’s strike I was a rookie movie-tv scenic artist in United Scenic Artists Local 829. I got my union card earlier that year and was getting a crash course in organized labor.
During the 1990 negotiations with IATSE (International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees) the studios were pushing what was called the Hollywood Basic contract onto New York unions. They used this contract on the West Coast,...
- 8/1/2023
- by The Film Stage
- The Film Stage
Spies have always been the center of action thrillers like the James Bond and Jason Bourne franchises. But, a new breed of espionage story has become popular in recent years. Chronicling the more realistic world of spycraft, which involves psychological measures on the spies and their targets, this new type of story trades explosions and car chases for dialogue and back-room dealings. While that may sound less exciting, you have not seen A Spy Among Friends (read our review).
Telling the true story of Kim Philby and Nicholas Elliott, A Spy Among Friends tells the intricate and complex path that led to the discovery of a network of Soviet spies operating within the British secret intelligence agency. Based on the acclaimed book by Ben MacIntyre, A Spy Among Friends dramatizes how Elliott and Philby, long-time friends and colleagues, played a cat-and-mouse game with each other that eventually led to one...
Telling the true story of Kim Philby and Nicholas Elliott, A Spy Among Friends tells the intricate and complex path that led to the discovery of a network of Soviet spies operating within the British secret intelligence agency. Based on the acclaimed book by Ben MacIntyre, A Spy Among Friends dramatizes how Elliott and Philby, long-time friends and colleagues, played a cat-and-mouse game with each other that eventually led to one...
- 3/15/2023
- by Alex Maidy
- JoBlo.com
Welcome to The B-Side, from The Film Stage. Here we talk about movie stars! Not the movies that made them famous or kept them famous, but the ones that they made in between. And sometimes we’re lucky enough to talk to them directly!
Today is one of those glorious days. Conor and I are joined by Guy Pearce, the incomparable actor who’s got a new film coming out in theaters – Memory (April 29th!) – and plenty of accomplished past work to dig into as well.
We focus on The Count of Monte Cristo, The Hard Word, and Lockout (a.k.a. Space Jail). Plenty more is touched on in our 25 minutes of Guy Talk. Pearce explains his disappointment in Gillian Armstrong’s Death Defying Acts getting buried by Harvey Weinstein fifteen years ago, gets honest about certain movies he deems his “divorce films,” and highlights other B-Sides he’d...
Today is one of those glorious days. Conor and I are joined by Guy Pearce, the incomparable actor who’s got a new film coming out in theaters – Memory (April 29th!) – and plenty of accomplished past work to dig into as well.
We focus on The Count of Monte Cristo, The Hard Word, and Lockout (a.k.a. Space Jail). Plenty more is touched on in our 25 minutes of Guy Talk. Pearce explains his disappointment in Gillian Armstrong’s Death Defying Acts getting buried by Harvey Weinstein fifteen years ago, gets honest about certain movies he deems his “divorce films,” and highlights other B-Sides he’d...
- 4/21/2022
- by Dan Mecca
- The Film Stage
Horror-Comedy Sci-fi Christmas Comic X-Maschina to Launch on Kickstarter: "Ho Ho Homicide! X- Maschina, a new horror-comedy sci-fi Christmas comic from creators Steve Urena, Misty Graves (Co-host on The Longbox of Darkness Podcast), and artist Lane Lloyd is coming to Kickstarter! The project will be live from December 1stto February 1st, 2021.
Twis'the year 2045,
And Santa is leaving
Christmas behind
He’s just stopped believing...
“Teaming up with Lane Lloyd and Misty Graves has made this Grinch love Christmas. Together we combined our favorite things: horror, humor, science fiction, and Christmas to create the perfect holiday concoction that we hope turns into a Holiday tradition.” - Steve Urena
The robots are taking over, and AI is snotty!
They’re judging everyone to be extremely naughty!
"Our Santa story is about what it takes to shine a light into the dark caverns of one’s soul, find that spark of Christmas joy,...
Twis'the year 2045,
And Santa is leaving
Christmas behind
He’s just stopped believing...
“Teaming up with Lane Lloyd and Misty Graves has made this Grinch love Christmas. Together we combined our favorite things: horror, humor, science fiction, and Christmas to create the perfect holiday concoction that we hope turns into a Holiday tradition.” - Steve Urena
The robots are taking over, and AI is snotty!
They’re judging everyone to be extremely naughty!
"Our Santa story is about what it takes to shine a light into the dark caverns of one’s soul, find that spark of Christmas joy,...
- 12/3/2021
- by Jonathan James
- DailyDead
More than two weeks after Ariel Emanuel stepped down as a Live Nation board member after 14 years, the Department of Justice announced that he and fellow top Endeavor officer Mark Shapiro resigned their board positions after the DOJ expressed antitrust concerns, according to a DOJ statement Monday (June 21). The DOJ’s concern was that Emanuel’s and Shapiro’s “positions on the Live Nation Board created an illegal interlocking directorate,” i.e. a situation where one person — or an agent of one person or company — serves as an officer or director of two companies.
However, according to an SEC filing, Emanuel actually resigned on June 3, “effective immediately,” with Live Nation stating the move “was not the result of any disagreement with the company on any matter relating to the company’s operations, policies or practices.”
Emanuel had planned to leave following the launch of Endeavor’s IPO in April, Billboard reported earlier this month,...
However, according to an SEC filing, Emanuel actually resigned on June 3, “effective immediately,” with Live Nation stating the move “was not the result of any disagreement with the company on any matter relating to the company’s operations, policies or practices.”
Emanuel had planned to leave following the launch of Endeavor’s IPO in April, Billboard reported earlier this month,...
- 6/21/2021
- by Jem Aswad
- Variety Film + TV
Lockout, starring Guy Pearce and Maggie Grace, is the best sci-fi prison break movie available on Netflix right now.
“Prison break movies are a dime a dozen. Going back to The Great Escape, there seems to be no shortage of masterminded criminals who can muscle their way out of maximum security detention. Whether it’s Cool Hand Luke or even Chicken Run, it’s a tried and true genre.”
Read more at Inverse.
Few movies are worse than one that’s a disappointing adaptation of your favorite book. Check out the ten worst sinners in recent years.
“Watching a film adaptation of your favorite book is a risky business. At best, you might walk away feeling entertained but slightly disappointed that certain characters or scenes didn’t make it into the movie. At worst, you could end up livid that filmmakers somehow got everything so wrong.”
Read more at Mental Floss.
“Prison break movies are a dime a dozen. Going back to The Great Escape, there seems to be no shortage of masterminded criminals who can muscle their way out of maximum security detention. Whether it’s Cool Hand Luke or even Chicken Run, it’s a tried and true genre.”
Read more at Inverse.
Few movies are worse than one that’s a disappointing adaptation of your favorite book. Check out the ten worst sinners in recent years.
“Watching a film adaptation of your favorite book is a risky business. At best, you might walk away feeling entertained but slightly disappointed that certain characters or scenes didn’t make it into the movie. At worst, you could end up livid that filmmakers somehow got everything so wrong.”
Read more at Mental Floss.
- 3/18/2021
- by Ivan Huang
- Den of Geek
In a powerful alliance, Paris-based premium kids content producer Cottonwood Media, German public broadcaster Zdf and its co-pro and distribution arm Zdf Enterprises, HBO Max and Brazil’s Globo are teaming to produce “Theodosia,” a big new live action kids adventure series targeting family audiences.
No budget is given for the 26-part half hour series. Its combination, however, of elements which make for high-end entertainment – period costume, action and foreseeable heavy Vxf – suggest this is another big play by two of Europe’s champions of ambitious live-action kids shows.
One is Cottonwood Media, the kids and family production company at Paris and L.A -based Federation Entertainment whose credits include Studiocanal’s Cannes 2019 pre-sales movie hit “Around the World in 80 Days,” to be screened at Berlin.
The other, Zdf and Zdfe, has a storied recent history in live action kids shows. “Theodosia” will “continue our successful Zdf live action productions such as ‘H2O,...
No budget is given for the 26-part half hour series. Its combination, however, of elements which make for high-end entertainment – period costume, action and foreseeable heavy Vxf – suggest this is another big play by two of Europe’s champions of ambitious live-action kids shows.
One is Cottonwood Media, the kids and family production company at Paris and L.A -based Federation Entertainment whose credits include Studiocanal’s Cannes 2019 pre-sales movie hit “Around the World in 80 Days,” to be screened at Berlin.
The other, Zdf and Zdfe, has a storied recent history in live action kids shows. “Theodosia” will “continue our successful Zdf live action productions such as ‘H2O,...
- 2/26/2021
- by John Hopewell and Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
The name EuropaCorp might not mean much on first glance, but any self-respecting fan of the action genre has seen at least a handful of the production company’s movies. Founded by Luc Besson, EuropaCorp specializes in mid-budget and almost universally mediocre actioners that tend to provide a halfway decent slice of Friday night entertainment before fading entirely from memory. Responsible for the Transporter and Taken franchises along with Colombiana, Lockout, 3 Days to Kill, Brick Mansions, Anna and many more, you know exactly what to expect when you see their logo play in front of the credits.
Now, one of the studio’s more forgotten titles has become the latest unremarkable movie to have found an unexpected second life on Netflix, as From Paris with Love currently ranks as the eighth most-watched film on the streaming service in the United States. Though the reason behind its sudden burst of...
Now, one of the studio’s more forgotten titles has become the latest unremarkable movie to have found an unexpected second life on Netflix, as From Paris with Love currently ranks as the eighth most-watched film on the streaming service in the United States. Though the reason behind its sudden burst of...
- 9/15/2020
- by Scott Campbell
- We Got This Covered
If you’ve seen even just one mid-budget and completely forgettable action movie in the last fifteen years, then there’s a distinct possibility that Luc Besson may have been involved.
The writer, director and producer has delivered some solid genre work behind the camera with the likes of La Femme Nikita, Leon: The Professional, The Fifth Element and Lucy, but his EuropaCorp production company made their name churning out a series of generic shoot em’ ups that convinced a roster of A-list talents to try their luck at becoming action stars.
The most successful experiment by far was Taken, which launched Liam Neeson towards an unlikely late-career resurgence as an action hero, but for the most part, EuropaCorp’s output has been characterized by tepid reviews and lukewarm box office numbers. The Transporter was the only other movie lucky enough to spawn a franchise, but Jet Li’s Unleashed,...
The writer, director and producer has delivered some solid genre work behind the camera with the likes of La Femme Nikita, Leon: The Professional, The Fifth Element and Lucy, but his EuropaCorp production company made their name churning out a series of generic shoot em’ ups that convinced a roster of A-list talents to try their luck at becoming action stars.
The most successful experiment by far was Taken, which launched Liam Neeson towards an unlikely late-career resurgence as an action hero, but for the most part, EuropaCorp’s output has been characterized by tepid reviews and lukewarm box office numbers. The Transporter was the only other movie lucky enough to spawn a franchise, but Jet Li’s Unleashed,...
- 9/11/2020
- by Scott Campbell
- We Got This Covered
A lot of underrated films regularly get a second life on streaming services years after release, and Netflix houses perhaps the most massive collection of these often forgotten experiences. 2020 has already seen plenty of examples of this, such as when Guy Pearce’s previously overlooked sci-fi thriller Lockout got noticed again after it became extremely popular and appeared on Netflix’s Top 10 list, or how Johnny Depp’s gangster flick Public Enemies picked up a lot of attention when it rapidly climbed the charts and gained some new fans.
Subscribers who enjoy discovering these types of films will be delighted to hear that September 7th marks the arrival of another criminally underrated movie that flew under the radar when it first released in theaters back in 2016, and if history repeats itself, it may find quite a following as a streaming option.
Midnight Special is a sci-fi thriller that follows Roy...
Subscribers who enjoy discovering these types of films will be delighted to hear that September 7th marks the arrival of another criminally underrated movie that flew under the radar when it first released in theaters back in 2016, and if history repeats itself, it may find quite a following as a streaming option.
Midnight Special is a sci-fi thriller that follows Roy...
- 9/6/2020
- by Billy Givens
- We Got This Covered
As the continuous presence of Adam Sandler more than shows, Netflix‘s Top 10 most-watched list is far from a barometer of quality. Admittedly, the best movies to be found on the streaming service often make their way to the top of the rankings, as does their lineup of star-powered blockbusters, but in recent months the charts have been throwing up a lot more surprises than usual.
Of course, a lot of this has to do with the continued effects of the Coronavirus pandemic, with millions of people finding themselves with a whole lot more free time than they’ve been used to, so it hardly comes a surprise that viewership numbers for every major platform have gone through the roof since March. That being said, some of the titles to rise to the upper echelons of the Top 10 have come completely out of nowhere, and it presents a bizarre snapshot...
Of course, a lot of this has to do with the continued effects of the Coronavirus pandemic, with millions of people finding themselves with a whole lot more free time than they’ve been used to, so it hardly comes a surprise that viewership numbers for every major platform have gone through the roof since March. That being said, some of the titles to rise to the upper echelons of the Top 10 have come completely out of nowhere, and it presents a bizarre snapshot...
- 8/26/2020
- by Scott Campbell
- We Got This Covered
On the July 10, 2020 episode of /Film Daily, /Film editor-in-chief Peter Sciretta is joined by /Film managing editor Jacob Hall, weekend editor Brad Oman, senior writer Ben Pearson and writers Hoai-Tran Bui and Chris Evangelista to discuss what they’ve been up to at the Water Cooler. At The Water Cooler: What we’ve been Doing: […]
The post Water Cooler: Hamilton, Palm Springs, Starship Troopers, Entourage, The Exorcist, Princess Bride, Japan Sinks: 2020, Walk Hard, Devolution, Downtown Disney, Lockout, Drive-In Movies appeared first on /Film.
The post Water Cooler: Hamilton, Palm Springs, Starship Troopers, Entourage, The Exorcist, Princess Bride, Japan Sinks: 2020, Walk Hard, Devolution, Downtown Disney, Lockout, Drive-In Movies appeared first on /Film.
- 7/10/2020
- by Peter Sciretta
- Slash Film
Every couple of days we like to spotlight a film on Netflix that might’ve flown under most people’s radar upon its initial theatrical release, or just been under-appreciated at the time, but is now finding itself with newfound popularity.
It’s a surprisingly frequent trend as well, especially in this time of global lockdown. Indeed, it seems several times a week Netflix updates their Top 10 lists only to have a totally surprising/random movie wind up in a rather high spot. Or, in some cases, the surprise is seeing that film on the list at all. I mean, remember when 2010’s The Last Airbender, widely considered to be one of the worst movies ever made, ended up on the list of Netflix’s Top 10 Movies, and stayed there for several days?
Yes, it’s always fascinating to see what people are watching and today, Lockout has found itself creeping onto the aforementioned list,...
It’s a surprisingly frequent trend as well, especially in this time of global lockdown. Indeed, it seems several times a week Netflix updates their Top 10 lists only to have a totally surprising/random movie wind up in a rather high spot. Or, in some cases, the surprise is seeing that film on the list at all. I mean, remember when 2010’s The Last Airbender, widely considered to be one of the worst movies ever made, ended up on the list of Netflix’s Top 10 Movies, and stayed there for several days?
Yes, it’s always fascinating to see what people are watching and today, Lockout has found itself creeping onto the aforementioned list,...
- 5/13/2020
- by Matt Joseph
- We Got This Covered
As the global lockdown continues, and folks begin seeking more and more ways to keep themselves entertained, Netflix has done a terrific job in helping us all, adding brand new movies and TV shows on a daily basis. And today is no different.
It might not be the meatiest content drop we’ve seen, but if you’ve found yourself seeking something fresh lately, having already binged through most of the streaming service’s top titles, you may be interested to know that 5 new films and 1 new TV show were added to Netflix today. And you can check out the full list of what arrived down below.
5 New Movies Added Today
Aerials (2016) In Paradox (2019) Lockout (2012) Si Doel the Movie (2018) Si Doel the Movie 2 (2019)
1 New TV Series Added Today
Scissor Seven (Season 2) Netflix Original
So, that’s your lot. Hardly the most appealing batch of movies and TV shows, and...
It might not be the meatiest content drop we’ve seen, but if you’ve found yourself seeking something fresh lately, having already binged through most of the streaming service’s top titles, you may be interested to know that 5 new films and 1 new TV show were added to Netflix today. And you can check out the full list of what arrived down below.
5 New Movies Added Today
Aerials (2016) In Paradox (2019) Lockout (2012) Si Doel the Movie (2018) Si Doel the Movie 2 (2019)
1 New TV Series Added Today
Scissor Seven (Season 2) Netflix Original
So, that’s your lot. Hardly the most appealing batch of movies and TV shows, and...
- 5/7/2020
- by Matt Joseph
- We Got This Covered
The "All Out War" of The Walking Dead Season 8 brought carnage to all of the communities and characters in the AMC series, and one of the most moving scenes of the entire season took place between Eric (Jordan Woods-Robinson) and Aaron (Ross Marquand). With Lionsgate releasing The Walking Dead Season 8 on Blu-ray, DVD, and Digital beginning August 21st, we've been provided with an exclusive bonus feature clip that goes behind the scenes of Eric and Aaron's emotional (and heart-wrenching) scene.
From the Press Release: Santa Monica, CA – Worlds collide as “All Out War” breaks out between the factions when AMC’s blockbuster hit series “The Walking Dead”: The Complete Eighth Season arrives on Blu-ray, DVD, and Digital August 21 from Lionsgate. The explosive eighth season bridges the stories between “The Walking Dead” and its spinoff, “Fear the Walking Dead,” leading to a thrilling battle for freedom paved with casualties and tragedy.
From the Press Release: Santa Monica, CA – Worlds collide as “All Out War” breaks out between the factions when AMC’s blockbuster hit series “The Walking Dead”: The Complete Eighth Season arrives on Blu-ray, DVD, and Digital August 21 from Lionsgate. The explosive eighth season bridges the stories between “The Walking Dead” and its spinoff, “Fear the Walking Dead,” leading to a thrilling battle for freedom paved with casualties and tragedy.
- 8/20/2018
- by Derek Anderson
- DailyDead
Truth be told many people were not clamouring for a sequel to the 2013 prison break actioner Escape Plan, which is not the most memorable entry in its genre but was a tough throwback to the ‘80s and ‘90s and famed as the first full feature teaming (save for their brief scenes in The Expendables franchise) of action icons Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger. The film was effective, boasted some great action, performances and a generous cast, so hopefully a sequel could at least offer some more fun right? Oh so wrong!
Schwarzenegger wisely sidesteps a sequel which bares a few worrying signs that all is not well, including the fact it was shot and then shelved, only attaining a home video release in the States and that a third film is already filmed and on the way! Escape Plan 2 is a sequel that tries and fails to go bigger and forgets to go better.
Schwarzenegger wisely sidesteps a sequel which bares a few worrying signs that all is not well, including the fact it was shot and then shelved, only attaining a home video release in the States and that a third film is already filmed and on the way! Escape Plan 2 is a sequel that tries and fails to go bigger and forgets to go better.
- 7/18/2018
- by Jack Bottomley
- The Cultural Post
From The Fifth Element to Lucy, Besson’s gender-splicing sci-fi films have never played by Hollywood’s rules. Now he’s taking the biggest gamble of his career by sending Cara Delevingne into space in Valerian
No one needs a hit right now more than Luc Besson. His production company, EuropaCorp, recently posted record losses of $135m. He was ordered last year to pay nearly half a million dollars after being found guilty of plagiarising John Carpenter’s Escape from New York in his 2012 screenplay Lockout. And his new futuristic adventure, Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets, is the most expensive independent movie ever made, with a budget of around $200m. The film needs to crack at least $400m worldwide (like his Scarlett Johansson action fantasy Lucy) to push the company back into the black. Right now, that looks as far fetched as any of the film’s 28th-century intergalactic escapades.
No one needs a hit right now more than Luc Besson. His production company, EuropaCorp, recently posted record losses of $135m. He was ordered last year to pay nearly half a million dollars after being found guilty of plagiarising John Carpenter’s Escape from New York in his 2012 screenplay Lockout. And his new futuristic adventure, Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets, is the most expensive independent movie ever made, with a budget of around $200m. The film needs to crack at least $400m worldwide (like his Scarlett Johansson action fantasy Lucy) to push the company back into the black. Right now, that looks as far fetched as any of the film’s 28th-century intergalactic escapades.
- 8/3/2017
- by Ryan Gilbey
- The Guardian - Film News
Return to the 1970s when the inspirational drama Showing Roots, starring Maggie Grace and Uzo Aduba, arrives on DVD at Walmart on June 20 from Lionsgate.
Return to the 1970s when the inspirational drama Showing Roots arrives on DVD at Walmart on June 20 from Lionsgate. The film tells the story of two women who cross racial boundaries to form a friendship and fight against inequality in their small town. Maggie Grace and Uzo Aduba lead an all-star cast that includes Adam Brody, Elizabeth McGovern, and Cicely Tyson.From director Michael Wilson (The Trip to Bountiful), the Showing Roots DVD includes a behind-the-scenes featurette and will be available for the suggested retail price of $14.98.
In 1977, as the miniseries “Roots” hits the airwaves, two women are inspired to try and integrate their small Southern town. In a place where there are still “right” and “wrong” sides of the tracks, these two young women — one white,...
Return to the 1970s when the inspirational drama Showing Roots arrives on DVD at Walmart on June 20 from Lionsgate. The film tells the story of two women who cross racial boundaries to form a friendship and fight against inequality in their small town. Maggie Grace and Uzo Aduba lead an all-star cast that includes Adam Brody, Elizabeth McGovern, and Cicely Tyson.From director Michael Wilson (The Trip to Bountiful), the Showing Roots DVD includes a behind-the-scenes featurette and will be available for the suggested retail price of $14.98.
In 1977, as the miniseries “Roots” hits the airwaves, two women are inspired to try and integrate their small Southern town. In a place where there are still “right” and “wrong” sides of the tracks, these two young women — one white,...
- 6/3/2017
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Aftermath Starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maggie Grace will be Available on Blu-ray, DVD, and On Demand from Lionsgate June 6th
Witness the gripping story of two lives forever bound by tragedy when Aftermath arrives on Blu-ray™ (plus Digital HD), DVD and On Demand June 6 from Lionsgate. Inspired by true events, Golden Globe®winner Arnold Schwarzenegger (1977, New Star of the Year – Actor, Stay Hungry) stars as a husband fearlessly seeking revenge on the air traffic controller responsible for his family’s death. The AftermathBlu-ray and DVD will be available for the suggested retail price of $24.99 and $19.98, respectively.
Roman’s (Schwarzenegger) life changes forever when he loses his wife and daughter in a plane crash. He attempts to move on from the tragedy but soon finds that he cannot face life without confronting Jake (Scoot McNairy), the air traffic controller responsible for the accident.
Cast
Arnold Schwarzenegger Expendables Franchise, Maggie, Terminator Franchise
Scoot McNairy 12 Years a Slave,...
Witness the gripping story of two lives forever bound by tragedy when Aftermath arrives on Blu-ray™ (plus Digital HD), DVD and On Demand June 6 from Lionsgate. Inspired by true events, Golden Globe®winner Arnold Schwarzenegger (1977, New Star of the Year – Actor, Stay Hungry) stars as a husband fearlessly seeking revenge on the air traffic controller responsible for his family’s death. The AftermathBlu-ray and DVD will be available for the suggested retail price of $24.99 and $19.98, respectively.
Roman’s (Schwarzenegger) life changes forever when he loses his wife and daughter in a plane crash. He attempts to move on from the tragedy but soon finds that he cannot face life without confronting Jake (Scoot McNairy), the air traffic controller responsible for the accident.
Cast
Arnold Schwarzenegger Expendables Franchise, Maggie, Terminator Franchise
Scoot McNairy 12 Years a Slave,...
- 5/22/2017
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Simon Brew Feb 9, 2017
Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maggie Grace star in Aftermath. Here’s the first trailer…
He’s currently on American TV screens as the host of Celebrity Apprentice, but Arnold Schwarzenegger has found time to fit in another movie too. He’s taken the lead in Aftermath, a film that co-stars Maggie Grace and Scott McNairy.
The movie is heading to cinemas in the Us and video on demand in early April, and it’s being released in UK cinemas on April 7th 2017 too.
Here, then, is the first trailer for the film, along with a synopsis. See what you make of this…
Here's the synopsis:
Two strangers’ lives become inextricably bound together after a devastating plane crash. Inspired by actual events, Aftermath tells a story of guilt and revenge after an air traffic controller’s (Scoot McNairy) error causes the death of a construction foreman’s (Arnold Schwarzenegger) wife and daughter.
Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maggie Grace star in Aftermath. Here’s the first trailer…
He’s currently on American TV screens as the host of Celebrity Apprentice, but Arnold Schwarzenegger has found time to fit in another movie too. He’s taken the lead in Aftermath, a film that co-stars Maggie Grace and Scott McNairy.
The movie is heading to cinemas in the Us and video on demand in early April, and it’s being released in UK cinemas on April 7th 2017 too.
Here, then, is the first trailer for the film, along with a synopsis. See what you make of this…
Here's the synopsis:
Two strangers’ lives become inextricably bound together after a devastating plane crash. Inspired by actual events, Aftermath tells a story of guilt and revenge after an air traffic controller’s (Scoot McNairy) error causes the death of a construction foreman’s (Arnold Schwarzenegger) wife and daughter.
- 2/9/2017
- Den of Geek
I’m not gonna lie, I’ve been watching Celebrity Apprentice because its him… Arnold Schwarzenegger’s “Get To The Choppah”!!! in Predator will forever go down as one those great iconic Hollywood one-liners. His role as a grieving father in the Zombie apocalypse film Maggie showed a different side to the one-time Governor of California.
Now comes his turn as a father and husband bent on vengeance.
In cinemas and On-Demand on April 7th, watch the new trailer for Aftermath.
Two strangers’ lives become inextricably bound together after a devastating plane crash. Aftermath is inspired by the remarkable true story of the events that unfolded when a Russian passenger plane collided with a cargo plane over Germany in 2002. 71 people die.
Aftermath tells a story of guilt and revenge after an air traffic controller’s (Scoot McNairy) error causes the death of a construction foreman’s (Arnold Schwarzenegger) wife and daughter.
Now comes his turn as a father and husband bent on vengeance.
In cinemas and On-Demand on April 7th, watch the new trailer for Aftermath.
Two strangers’ lives become inextricably bound together after a devastating plane crash. Aftermath is inspired by the remarkable true story of the events that unfolded when a Russian passenger plane collided with a cargo plane over Germany in 2002. 71 people die.
Aftermath tells a story of guilt and revenge after an air traffic controller’s (Scoot McNairy) error causes the death of a construction foreman’s (Arnold Schwarzenegger) wife and daughter.
- 2/7/2017
- by Melissa Thompson
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Whatever you think about the films of Luc Besson, it’s hard not to admire their huge ambitions. From 12-year-old hit-woman thriller “Leon: The Professional” to science-fiction visions like “The Fifth Element” and “Lucy,” Besson has endless ideas that always have the potential to deliver big time. His next film, “Valerian And The City Of A Thousand Planets,” certainly fits the bill, and it seems like it’s going to be his most blockbuster effort to date. The movie’s source material is the graphic novel series “Valerian and Laureline,” which has one of those grand space opera stories that seemed like a no brainer for a film adaptation.
Read More: Comic Con 2016: Luc Besson’s ‘Valerian’ Footage Teases ‘Star Wars’-Level Ambition and ‘Fifth Element’ Fun
Dane DeHaan and Cara Delevingne star as government operatives charged with maintaining order throughout the universe. According to the film’s official...
Read More: Comic Con 2016: Luc Besson’s ‘Valerian’ Footage Teases ‘Star Wars’-Level Ambition and ‘Fifth Element’ Fun
Dane DeHaan and Cara Delevingne star as government operatives charged with maintaining order throughout the universe. According to the film’s official...
- 11/10/2016
- by Zack Sharf
- Indiewire
NEWSThe news from Brazil these days is focused on the Olympics, but the country's film culture has just gone through a shuddering convulsion with massive cuts to the Brazilian Cinematheque that, after an uproar, have been withheld. Luc Besson, the French mega-producer and director, has been ordered to pay €465,000 in damages to John Carpenter, his co-writer and StudioCanal for plagiarism of Carpenter's Escape from New York in Besson's 2012 film Lockout.The complete Venice Film Festival 2016 lineup is out. What are we looking forward to most? Terrence Malick's IMAX documentary Voyage of Time, and new films by Lav Diaz (The Woman Who Left), Andrei Konchalovsky (Paradise), Ulrich Siedl (Safari), Amir Naderi (Monte) and Sergei Loznitsa (Austerlitz).Recommended VIEWINGDespite some bumps, we continue to be champions of M. Night Shyamalan. The trailer for his latest, Split, seems to be made in the same lower budget style that inspired his last—and excellent—thriller,...
- 8/3/2016
- MUBI
They say there is nothing new under the sun, but there is surely a difference between homage and plagiarism. That is the lesson dispensed this week by a Paris appeals court, which has ruled that Luc Besson, his EuropaCorp production company, and the co-writers/directors of the 2012 film Lockout (Stephen St. Leger and James Mather) plagiarized 1981’s Escape From New York.
This is the second ruling in the case. At the end of 2015, the court found in favour of Carpenter and his team, and awarded them $95,000. Carpenter’s camp had originally asked for $2.4 million. Besson’s team filed an appeal, however, and lost again. The result of this final ruling is that Luc Besson and his filmmaking associates must now pay over $500,000 to John Carpenter, his co-writer Nick Castle, and the production company StudioCanal.
Escape From New York is a fan favourite action adventure film starring Kurt Russell. It is...
This is the second ruling in the case. At the end of 2015, the court found in favour of Carpenter and his team, and awarded them $95,000. Carpenter’s camp had originally asked for $2.4 million. Besson’s team filed an appeal, however, and lost again. The result of this final ruling is that Luc Besson and his filmmaking associates must now pay over $500,000 to John Carpenter, his co-writer Nick Castle, and the production company StudioCanal.
Escape From New York is a fan favourite action adventure film starring Kurt Russell. It is...
- 8/1/2016
- by Sarah Myles
- We Got This Covered
Simon Brew Aug 1, 2016
Luc Besson's Lockout project had too many similarities to John Carpenter's Escape From New York, a court rules...
Given how, er ‘similar’ some movie plotlines tend to be to others, we’re surprised this sort of story doesn’t come up more often. Just take a look, for instance, at how many movies ‘pay tribute’ to something like Death Wish.
Anyway: filmmaker Luc Besson – currently hard at work on Valerian – has now been ordered by a court in Paris to pay John Carpenter the best part of half a million dollars. The reason? Plagiarism. One of Besson's projects has been ruled to be far too close to one of Carpenter's.
The two films at the centre of this are Carpenter’s classic Escape From New York, and the fun space-based jaunt Lockout of a few years' back, that Besson co-wrote and produced.
A French appeals...
Luc Besson's Lockout project had too many similarities to John Carpenter's Escape From New York, a court rules...
Given how, er ‘similar’ some movie plotlines tend to be to others, we’re surprised this sort of story doesn’t come up more often. Just take a look, for instance, at how many movies ‘pay tribute’ to something like Death Wish.
Anyway: filmmaker Luc Besson – currently hard at work on Valerian – has now been ordered by a court in Paris to pay John Carpenter the best part of half a million dollars. The reason? Plagiarism. One of Besson's projects has been ruled to be far too close to one of Carpenter's.
The two films at the centre of this are Carpenter’s classic Escape From New York, and the fun space-based jaunt Lockout of a few years' back, that Besson co-wrote and produced.
A French appeals...
- 8/1/2016
- Den of Geek
A few years back, in the heady days of 2012, Luc Besson co-write, alongside directors Stephen S. Leger and James Mather, and took the executive producer role on Lock Out, a sci-fi actioner which saw Guy Pierce charged with rescuing the President’s daughter from a hi-tech space jail overrun by hardened criminals. Just looking at that brief synopsis, you may see what a lot of people saw, that it was Very similar to John Crapenter’s 1981 classic Escape from New York. One person who definitely thought so was Carpenter himself, who took Besson to court over the glaring similarities, and via Yahoo, we now have a verdict, with a Paris appeals court coming down in favour of Carpenter, ordering Besson to pay $500,000 after being found guilty of plagiarism. The basic premise of Lockout is indeed eerily similar to Escape from New York, and to a lesser extent it’s sequel Escape from L.A.,...
- 7/30/2016
- by noreply@blogger.com (Tom White)
- www.themoviebit.com
When the sci-fi action flick Lockout arrived in theaters in 2012, many reviews pegged the film written by Luc Besson as a half-ass remake of John Carpenter‘s 1981 classic Escape from New York with the action transported to a space prison instead of a dark future. It appears critics weren’t the only ones annoyed with […]
The post Court Rules Luc Besson’s ‘Lockout’ Totally Ripped Off John Carpenter’s ‘Escape from New York’ appeared first on /Film.
The post Court Rules Luc Besson’s ‘Lockout’ Totally Ripped Off John Carpenter’s ‘Escape from New York’ appeared first on /Film.
- 7/30/2016
- by Ethan Anderton
- Slash Film
2012’s fun-but-dumb sci-fi caper Lockout is becoming an increasingly expensive movie for co-writer and producer Luc Besson, who was forced last year by a French court to pay director John Carpenter for ripping off Escape From New York with the plot of the Guy Pearce-starring film. Back then, the amounts levied against Besson’s EuropaCorp production company were relatively minor—80,000 euros in all, split between Carpenter, his co-writer Nick Castle, and the film’s rights holder—but the appeals process has caused the bill to steadily pile up.
According to Deadline, a judge ruled today that Besson and company now owe 450,000 euros—roughly $500,000—to Carpenter for the now-legally plagiarized film, which sees Guy Pearce play the “athletic, rebellious, and cynical hero” type that Carpenter apparently owns in perpetuity. That’s a lot of potential funding for the director’s ongoing, keyboard-heavy music tours ...
According to Deadline, a judge ruled today that Besson and company now owe 450,000 euros—roughly $500,000—to Carpenter for the now-legally plagiarized film, which sees Guy Pearce play the “athletic, rebellious, and cynical hero” type that Carpenter apparently owns in perpetuity. That’s a lot of potential funding for the director’s ongoing, keyboard-heavy music tours ...
- 7/29/2016
- by William Hughes
- avclub.com
Luc Besson and his EuropaCorp production company are out $500,000 (or 450,000 euros) following a ruling in a French appeals court Friday that the writer/director had plagiarized John Carpenter's Escape from New York with his 2012 sci-fi actioner Lockout, Deadline reports. The judgment, which found that Lockout "massively borrowed key elements" from Carpenter's 1981 cult classic, came down after Besson appealed an initial court ruling that ordered he and the film's co-writers and directors Stephen St. Leger and James Mather to pay Carpenter, screenwriter Nick Castle and Escape from New York rights-holder StudioCanal a measly $95,000 (or 85,000 euros). Whoops! Carpenter sought $3.3 million in his original suit, alleging Besson (who wrote Lockout's story and co-wrote the film's script in addition to producing the film) copied his 1981 hit and its 1996 sequel Escape from L.A. with its plot about a wrongly-convicted former CIA agent (Guy Pearce) who is offered his freedom if he can successfully rescue the U.
- 7/29/2016
- by Chris Eggertsen
- Hitfix
A Paris appeals court has ruled that Luc Besson must pay more than $500,000 (450,000 euros) in damages to John Carpenter and rights holder StudioCanal for plagiarizing Carpenter’s 1981 classic Escape From New York when he made the 2012 film Lockout. Agence France-Presse reported on the ruling today. This comes after Besson had appealed an original ruling in the case last fall that ordered Besson, his EuropaCorp production company and Besson’s Lockout co-writers/directors…...
- 7/29/2016
- Deadline
You might be thinking you heard this news already, and in a way, you have. Last fall, a French court ruled in John Carpenter‘s favor after he took EuropaCorp and screenwriters Stephen St. Leger and James Mather to court alleging that Luc Besson‘s 2012 film “Lockout” was a ripoff of “Escape From New York.” Besson, who is credited […]
The post Luc Besson Has To Pay John Carpenter For Ripping Off ‘Escape From New York’ appeared first on The Playlist.
The post Luc Besson Has To Pay John Carpenter For Ripping Off ‘Escape From New York’ appeared first on The Playlist.
- 7/29/2016
- by Kevin Jagernauth
- The Playlist
Filmmaker Luc Besson has lost his appeal over a plagiarism case regarding the 2012 sci-fi film "Lockout" and how close the film is to John Carpenter's 1981 classic "Escape From New York".
Besson is credited with co-writing the screenplay and named in the suit which went before the courts last Fall who ruled in Carpenter's favor. Besson appealed the decision, and unfortunately for him the appeals court this week said verdict still stands.
Now, EuropaCorp, Besson and screenwriters Stephen St. Leger and James Mather have to pay Carpenter damages. The original ruling was for a total of 80,000 euros but the appeals court substantially increased the amount. Even so, it was a long way from the 2.4 million Carpenter was asking for.
In the ruling last year, the court said the surface differences of the film such as the setting and more modern hero were "not enough to differentiate the two films.
Besson is credited with co-writing the screenplay and named in the suit which went before the courts last Fall who ruled in Carpenter's favor. Besson appealed the decision, and unfortunately for him the appeals court this week said verdict still stands.
Now, EuropaCorp, Besson and screenwriters Stephen St. Leger and James Mather have to pay Carpenter damages. The original ruling was for a total of 80,000 euros but the appeals court substantially increased the amount. Even so, it was a long way from the 2.4 million Carpenter was asking for.
In the ruling last year, the court said the surface differences of the film such as the setting and more modern hero were "not enough to differentiate the two films.
- 7/29/2016
- by Garth Franklin
- Dark Horizons
An appeals court has ruled that French filmmaker Luc Besson is guilty of plagiarizing from John Carpenter’s 1981 classic “Escape From New York” and must now pay the fellow filmmaker nearly half a million dollars.
As Yahoo reports, Besson has long denied that his 2012 thriller, “Lockout,” was a copy of Carpenter’s Kurt Russell-starring actioner. In Carpenter’s film, Russell plays a former government agent who is tasked with retrieving the U.S. president from the island of Manhattan — which has been turned into a massive prison — after his plane crashes there (thanks, Air Force One, thanks a lot). In “Lockout,” Pearce is a convict sent to a giant space jail who is given the chance to win back his freedom if he can rescue the U.S. president’s daughter, who is trapped in said giant space jail.
Read More: Comic Con 2016: Luc Besson’s ‘Valerian’ Footage...
As Yahoo reports, Besson has long denied that his 2012 thriller, “Lockout,” was a copy of Carpenter’s Kurt Russell-starring actioner. In Carpenter’s film, Russell plays a former government agent who is tasked with retrieving the U.S. president from the island of Manhattan — which has been turned into a massive prison — after his plane crashes there (thanks, Air Force One, thanks a lot). In “Lockout,” Pearce is a convict sent to a giant space jail who is given the chance to win back his freedom if he can rescue the U.S. president’s daughter, who is trapped in said giant space jail.
Read More: Comic Con 2016: Luc Besson’s ‘Valerian’ Footage...
- 7/29/2016
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
Appeal court in Paris rules Nikita director ‘massively borrowed key elements’ of the 1981 film Escape from New York
The French filmmaker Luc Besson has been ordered to pay Hollywood’s self-styled “master of horror”, John Carpenter, nearly €450,000 for plagiarising his classic 1981 movie Escape from New York, according to a report published online on Friday.
The director of The Fifth Element and Nikita had denied that his 2012 film Lockout copied the cult futuristic thriller in which New York’s Manhattan island is a giant prison overrun by its inmates.
The French filmmaker Luc Besson has been ordered to pay Hollywood’s self-styled “master of horror”, John Carpenter, nearly €450,000 for plagiarising his classic 1981 movie Escape from New York, according to a report published online on Friday.
The director of The Fifth Element and Nikita had denied that his 2012 film Lockout copied the cult futuristic thriller in which New York’s Manhattan island is a giant prison overrun by its inmates.
- 7/29/2016
- by Agence France-Presse in Paris
- The Guardian - Film News
It’s always exciting to see a big-budget original sci-fi idea take flight, even when its director is someone as hit-and-miss as Luc Besson, who has delivered some straight-up classics to the genre (The Fifth Element, among others) but also his fair share of duds (Lucy and Lockout, anyone? Anyone? I didn’t think so).
His latest, Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets, is well into shooting, and there are some major reasons to be excited about it, as is highlighted in a set of new photos on Besson’s Facebook. The cast, led by Dane DeHaan and Cara Delevingne, is tremendously stacked, and the aesthetic Besson is gunning for here seems to fall somewhere between Speed Racer and Ex Machina in a way that could be really fun if executed correctly.
Moreover, the plot, based on a series of comics, is at least ambitious. DeHaan and Delevingne...
His latest, Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets, is well into shooting, and there are some major reasons to be excited about it, as is highlighted in a set of new photos on Besson’s Facebook. The cast, led by Dane DeHaan and Cara Delevingne, is tremendously stacked, and the aesthetic Besson is gunning for here seems to fall somewhere between Speed Racer and Ex Machina in a way that could be really fun if executed correctly.
Moreover, the plot, based on a series of comics, is at least ambitious. DeHaan and Delevingne...
- 5/30/2016
- by Isaac Feldberg
- We Got This Covered
John Carpenter reportedly asked CanalPlus not to sue Hideo Kojima over Metal Gear Solid's similarities to Escape from New York.
It's widely known how much inspiration Kojima took from the director's 1997 film for the PlayStation classic, and now it seems that the film company wanted to take legal action.
Both the movie and the game's star characters are codenamed Snake, both are dropped into a solo mission which they have 24 hours to complete, both are tortured during the mission, and they both reveal their real names at the end.
Carpenter recently told The Hollywood Reporter. "[CanalPlus] wanted to go after the video game Metal Gear Solid, which is kind of a rip-off of Escape from New York, but I told them not to do that.
"I know the director of those games, and he's a nice guy, or at least he's nice to me."
Unfortunately for Luc Besson - who...
It's widely known how much inspiration Kojima took from the director's 1997 film for the PlayStation classic, and now it seems that the film company wanted to take legal action.
Both the movie and the game's star characters are codenamed Snake, both are dropped into a solo mission which they have 24 hours to complete, both are tortured during the mission, and they both reveal their real names at the end.
Carpenter recently told The Hollywood Reporter. "[CanalPlus] wanted to go after the video game Metal Gear Solid, which is kind of a rip-off of Escape from New York, but I told them not to do that.
"I know the director of those games, and he's a nice guy, or at least he's nice to me."
Unfortunately for Luc Besson - who...
- 10/28/2015
- Digital Spy
Last week it was announced that John Carpenter (via CanalPlus) had won a French plagiarism lawsuit against Luc Besson and his company Europa Corp. for their Lockout movie infringing on Carpenter's own Escape from New York. Surprisingly, he won. I say surprisingly because, while elements of the story are clearly homages to Efny, the suit would never have been won in a Us court.
It's not like Carpenter got rich off the deal. The suit brought in about 80,000 euros - 20,000 of which went to the filmmaker.
In a recent interview with The Hollywood reporter, Carpenter talked about the lawsuit.
Carpenter said:
CanalPlus is the company that, with me, owns Escape From New [Continued ...]...
It's not like Carpenter got rich off the deal. The suit brought in about 80,000 euros - 20,000 of which went to the filmmaker.
In a recent interview with The Hollywood reporter, Carpenter talked about the lawsuit.
Carpenter said:
CanalPlus is the company that, with me, owns Escape From New [Continued ...]...
- 10/27/2015
- QuietEarth.us
Did you notice similarities between Luc Besson's action thriller Lockout and John Carpenter's post-apocalyptic classic Escape from New York?
John Carpenter definitely did - so he sued Besson, his co-writers Stephen Saint Leger and James Mather, as well as production company EuropaCorp for copyright infringement in France.
In Lockout, a criminal goes on a near-suicide mission to rescue the president's daughter from a heavily armed no-man's land. Sound familiar?
A French court undertook an extensive examination of both screenplays and subsequently ruled in Carpenter's favour, according to Observatoire européen de l'audiovisue.
Among the similarities between the two films, the court listed: "A number of elements present in both New York 1997 [French name for Escape from New York] and Lock-Out could, in fact, be considered as stock elements in the cinema.
"The court nevertheless noted many similarities between the two science-fiction films: both presented an athletic, rebellious and cynical hero, sentenced to a period of...
John Carpenter definitely did - so he sued Besson, his co-writers Stephen Saint Leger and James Mather, as well as production company EuropaCorp for copyright infringement in France.
In Lockout, a criminal goes on a near-suicide mission to rescue the president's daughter from a heavily armed no-man's land. Sound familiar?
A French court undertook an extensive examination of both screenplays and subsequently ruled in Carpenter's favour, according to Observatoire européen de l'audiovisue.
Among the similarities between the two films, the court listed: "A number of elements present in both New York 1997 [French name for Escape from New York] and Lock-Out could, in fact, be considered as stock elements in the cinema.
"The court nevertheless noted many similarities between the two science-fiction films: both presented an athletic, rebellious and cynical hero, sentenced to a period of...
- 10/16/2015
- Digital Spy
Besson’s EuropaCorp studio fined over similarities between their 2012 film and Carpenter’s cult hit Escape from New York, from 1981
Court reports have emerged showing that John Carpenter successfully sued Luc Besson’s Europacorp for copyright infringement over the similarities between Carpenter’s 1981 sci-fi thriller film Escape from New York, and the 2012 release Lockout, directed by Stephen Saint Leger and James Mather, and scripted by Besson and the two directors.
According to French law-specialist publishers Légipresse, the Tribunal de Grande Instance in Paris handed down its judgment on 7 May 2015, after making a “detailed comparison of the plot and development of the films”, and decided that Lockout had “reproduced” key elements of Escape from New York – known as New York 1997 in France.
Continue reading...
Court reports have emerged showing that John Carpenter successfully sued Luc Besson’s Europacorp for copyright infringement over the similarities between Carpenter’s 1981 sci-fi thriller film Escape from New York, and the 2012 release Lockout, directed by Stephen Saint Leger and James Mather, and scripted by Besson and the two directors.
According to French law-specialist publishers Légipresse, the Tribunal de Grande Instance in Paris handed down its judgment on 7 May 2015, after making a “detailed comparison of the plot and development of the films”, and decided that Lockout had “reproduced” key elements of Escape from New York – known as New York 1997 in France.
Continue reading...
- 10/16/2015
- by Andrew Pulver
- The Guardian - Film News
2012's Lockout starring Guy Pearce has been described by more than a few as an Escape From New York ripoff, and apparently director John Carpenter didn't take too kindly to how much the filmmakers "borrowed" from his movie for their sci-fi actioner. Carpenter has won a plagiarism suit against production company EuropaCorp and screenwriters Luc Besson, Stephen St. Leger and... Read More...
- 10/16/2015
- by Jesse Giroux
- JoBlo.com
When the Luc Besson-produced sci-fi action movie Lockout arrived three years ago, many found it to be a harmless guilty pleasure. We fondly renamed it "Space Prison" and ignored its similarities to the 1981 John Carpenter cult classic Escape from New York as we do with any Hollywood product that simply seems derivative of other Hollywood product. Well, Carpenter didn't see the movie as a harmless pleasure of any kind. In fact, he sued the makers of Lockout for plagiarism. And he won. A French court has sided with the American filmmaker over Besson, his co-writers Stephen St. Leger and James Mather and his production company, EuropaCorp. Here is the part of the ruling confirming the plagiarism, via The Playlist: both presented...
Read More...
Read More...
- 10/16/2015
- by Christopher Campbell
- Movies.com
It's funny how someone can have a day in the press that's both terrible and terrific. Take Luc Besson, for example. Today's first story about him is thrilling because I've been waiting for him to get back to science-fiction for a while. Last April, he told me during a conversation at WonderCon that he felt like he made "The Fifth Element" at the wrong time. "We had digital, but it wasn't like it is now. We still had to build everything first," he told me, and having seen some of the "Fifth Element" models in person at Digital Domain, I know what he meant. They used digital compositing and digital mattes more than almost any film made before that moment, but it was still largely a model-based shoot, and all of the aliens in the film were on-set suits and make-ups. I think it's a beautiful movie, but Besson talked...
- 10/16/2015
- by Drew McWeeny
- Hitfix
In 2012, Luc Besson's mid-budget action factory delivered "Lockout," a sci-fi-ish action movie that saw a game Guy Pearce leading a dumb yet more-enjoyable-than-it-had-any-right-to-be adventure about an ex-con tasked with rescuing the President's daughter from a prison… in space! Like I said, it's dumb. The box office was dreadful and reviews were worse, though on a positive note, Box Office described the picture as "a sleek, slick and shameless rip-off of John Carpenter's Snake Plissken films 'Escape from New York' and 'Escape from L.A.' " And Carpenter himself agreed. Read More: 'Lockout' Is The B-Movie You've Been Waiting For All Year The director took production company EuropaCorp and the film's writers — Stephen St. Leger, James Mather and Besson— to court over the matter, claiming they plagiarized his work. Surprisingly, Carpenter has won. These kinds of cases are notoriously difficult to prove, let alone win, but in.
- 10/15/2015
- by Kevin Jagernauth
- The Playlist
We're a little over a month away from the release of Vin Diesel's The Last Witch Hunter, and two new cool looking posters for the supernatural action flick have landed online. The film comes from The Crazies and Sahara director Breck Eisner, and besides Vinny D., it also stars Elijah Wood, Michael Caine, Game of Thrones' Rose Leslie and Joseph Gilgun (Lockout, Misfits). Check 'em... Read More...
- 9/4/2015
- by Jesse Giroux
- JoBlo.com
Stripped and chopped for parts, the Transporter trilogy could be reassembled into a single solid (and undoubtedly short) action movie. The first one had a fight scene where Jason Statham whirled around poles and through grease like a lethal Magic Mike; the second featured cinema’s first aerial undercarriage bomb disposal; the third contrived a reason to always keep Statham within 75 feet of the franchise’s real star, an Audi automobile. As a whole, however, the three movies were a shoddy refurbishing of American gearhead actioneers into Euro-thriller jalopies. Returning sans Statham, avec everything else, The Transporter: Refueled makes a poor case for rescuing this series from the scrapheap.
Though the franchise has been kept on dialysis via a TV series for a couple years, this is the first “Transporter” property to be produced by series-creator Luc Besson since 2008’s Transporter 3. That same year, Besson unleashed the Taken franchise on the world,...
Though the franchise has been kept on dialysis via a TV series for a couple years, this is the first “Transporter” property to be produced by series-creator Luc Besson since 2008’s Transporter 3. That same year, Besson unleashed the Taken franchise on the world,...
- 9/2/2015
- by Sam Woolf
- We Got This Covered
Luc Besson is next to direct Valerian, starring Dane DeHaan. And he's preparing for the toughest job of his career so far...
Last year, Luc Besson steered the sci-fi movie Lucy to box office gold, marking his latest foray into a genre that he's served really rather well over the course of his career. Whether writing, producing or directing, Besson's pawprints have been on projects such as The Fifth Element, Lockout and Arthur And The Invisibles. His next film as director, however, he's already calling the "biggest challenge of my career".
The film in question is Valerian, based on the French science fiction comics series by Pierre Christin and Jean-Claude Mezieres. Set for release in the summer of 2017, the film is set to star Dane DeHaan as a time travel agents, trying to maintain law and order in the 28th century. Cara Delevingne, currently shooting Suicide Squad, is set to co-star.
Last year, Luc Besson steered the sci-fi movie Lucy to box office gold, marking his latest foray into a genre that he's served really rather well over the course of his career. Whether writing, producing or directing, Besson's pawprints have been on projects such as The Fifth Element, Lockout and Arthur And The Invisibles. His next film as director, however, he's already calling the "biggest challenge of my career".
The film in question is Valerian, based on the French science fiction comics series by Pierre Christin and Jean-Claude Mezieres. Set for release in the summer of 2017, the film is set to star Dane DeHaan as a time travel agents, trying to maintain law and order in the 28th century. Cara Delevingne, currently shooting Suicide Squad, is set to co-star.
- 5/13/2015
- by simonbrew
- Den of Geek
DVD Release Date: Nov. 4, 2014
Price: DVD $24.99
Studio: Screen Media
The Little Chill? A gaggle of college friends reunite for a weekend in About Alex.
Aubrey Plaza (Life After Beth) and Max Minghella (The Social Network) lead a group of young talents in the comedy-drama About Alex, a kind of Big Chill for the millennial generation.
After the stress of adulthood takes its toll on a young man—a failed actor who attempts to suicide—a group of old college friends reunite for a weekend of reflection, partying and shared laughs. Together for the first time in years, old crushes and rivalries are rekindled and a combination of wine, weed and an unexpected dog sends the careening off into equally unexpected directions.
Written and directed by Jesse Zwick, the R-rated film also stars in the film are Max Greenfield, Jason Ritter, Jane Levy, Nate Parker and Maggie Grace (Lockout).
About Alex...
Price: DVD $24.99
Studio: Screen Media
The Little Chill? A gaggle of college friends reunite for a weekend in About Alex.
Aubrey Plaza (Life After Beth) and Max Minghella (The Social Network) lead a group of young talents in the comedy-drama About Alex, a kind of Big Chill for the millennial generation.
After the stress of adulthood takes its toll on a young man—a failed actor who attempts to suicide—a group of old college friends reunite for a weekend of reflection, partying and shared laughs. Together for the first time in years, old crushes and rivalries are rekindled and a combination of wine, weed and an unexpected dog sends the careening off into equally unexpected directions.
Written and directed by Jesse Zwick, the R-rated film also stars in the film are Max Greenfield, Jason Ritter, Jane Levy, Nate Parker and Maggie Grace (Lockout).
About Alex...
- 9/26/2014
- by Laurence
- Disc Dish
Having premiered at last years Frightfest, Dementamania is set for release next month. The film, directed by Kit Ryan and written by Anis Shlewet, follows a frustrated office worker who finds himself caught between the realms of his deranged imagination and the mundane reality of his everyday existence.
Frustrated with the social injustice he faces everyday and the bureaucratic culture of the office where he works, Edward Arkham (Samuel Robertson) is at boiling point. Although a successful analyst with a leading It consultancy, years of routine have taken their toll, and the unbearable daily monotony fuels his frustration and bitterness. When Edward is stung by a mysterious bug, it results in a painful and aggressive rash which unlocks the door to a secret world inside his head causing nightmarish fantasies to manifest themselves within vivid hallucinations. As the rash spreads and threatens to envelop his entire body, his visions become...
Frustrated with the social injustice he faces everyday and the bureaucratic culture of the office where he works, Edward Arkham (Samuel Robertson) is at boiling point. Although a successful analyst with a leading It consultancy, years of routine have taken their toll, and the unbearable daily monotony fuels his frustration and bitterness. When Edward is stung by a mysterious bug, it results in a painful and aggressive rash which unlocks the door to a secret world inside his head causing nightmarish fantasies to manifest themselves within vivid hallucinations. As the rash spreads and threatens to envelop his entire body, his visions become...
- 9/18/2014
- by Phil Wheat
- Nerdly
“Audiences will have their sense of humanity refreshed.”
Actors Bill Nighy, Imelda Staunton and Dominic West, director Matthew Warchus and the filmmakers of Pride discuss the background of this emotional story in the new featurette.
Critics are already cheering the film. “Breakout British hit is a warm, witty triumph,” says Digital Spy.
The Hollywood News writes, “Pride really is a thing of beauty.”
Pride is inspired by an extraordinary true story.
It’s the summer of 1984, Margaret Thatcher is in power and the National Union of Mineworkers is on strike, prompting a London-based group of gay and lesbian activists to raise money to support the strikers’ families. Initially rebuffed by the Union, the group identifies a tiny mining village in Wales and sets off to make their donation in person. As the strike drags on, the two groups discover that standing together makes for the strongest union of all.
Directed...
Actors Bill Nighy, Imelda Staunton and Dominic West, director Matthew Warchus and the filmmakers of Pride discuss the background of this emotional story in the new featurette.
Critics are already cheering the film. “Breakout British hit is a warm, witty triumph,” says Digital Spy.
The Hollywood News writes, “Pride really is a thing of beauty.”
Pride is inspired by an extraordinary true story.
It’s the summer of 1984, Margaret Thatcher is in power and the National Union of Mineworkers is on strike, prompting a London-based group of gay and lesbian activists to raise money to support the strikers’ families. Initially rebuffed by the Union, the group identifies a tiny mining village in Wales and sets off to make their donation in person. As the strike drags on, the two groups discover that standing together makes for the strongest union of all.
Directed...
- 9/16/2014
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Blu-ray & DVD Release Date: Sept. 23, 2014
Price: DVD $19.99, Blu-ray $24.99
Studio: Lionsgate
Guy Pearce (l.) and Robert Pattinson take it to the next level in The Rover.
Robert Pattinson (The Twilight Saga franchise, Cosmopolis) and Guy Pearce (Prometheus, Lockout) star in the 2014 Australian production The Rover, the latest entry in the burgeoning post-apocalyptic crime drama genre.
Set in a world 10 years into the general collapse of society, The Rover follows hardened loner Eric (Pearce) as he travels the desolate towns and roads of the outback. When a gang of thieves steals his car, they leave behind a wounded Rey (Pattinson). Forcing Rey to help track the gang, Eric will go to any lengths to take back the one thing that still matters to him.
Directed by writer/director David Michôd (Animal Kingdom) and also starring Scoot McNairy (Argo), the R-rated film received a limited release to U.S. theaters in June, 2014. Though...
Price: DVD $19.99, Blu-ray $24.99
Studio: Lionsgate
Guy Pearce (l.) and Robert Pattinson take it to the next level in The Rover.
Robert Pattinson (The Twilight Saga franchise, Cosmopolis) and Guy Pearce (Prometheus, Lockout) star in the 2014 Australian production The Rover, the latest entry in the burgeoning post-apocalyptic crime drama genre.
Set in a world 10 years into the general collapse of society, The Rover follows hardened loner Eric (Pearce) as he travels the desolate towns and roads of the outback. When a gang of thieves steals his car, they leave behind a wounded Rey (Pattinson). Forcing Rey to help track the gang, Eric will go to any lengths to take back the one thing that still matters to him.
Directed by writer/director David Michôd (Animal Kingdom) and also starring Scoot McNairy (Argo), the R-rated film received a limited release to U.S. theaters in June, 2014. Though...
- 8/20/2014
- by Laurence
- Disc Dish
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.