Andrea Iervolino and Monika Bacardi’s Ambi Group will finance and produce the comedy “The Devil May Care,” with Argentinian director Gabriela Tagliavini helming, Variety has learned exclusively.
Tagliavini directed the Mexican comedy “Como cortar a tu patán” (“How to Break Up With Your Douchebag”); “Border Run,” starring Sharon Stone; “Without Men,” with Eva Longoria, Kate del Castillo, and Christian Slater; and the 2003 Spanish-language breakout “Ladies’ Night.” She exec produced Ambi’s “Beyond the Sun.”
“The Devil May Care” is a comedic love story between the devil (in the body of a man) and a kindhearted woman. Written by Tagliavini and Octavio Marin, the story finds a listless Lucifer, bored with the ease at which humans can be tempted in these modern times, until he discovers a woman who could be the last remaining pure soul on earth. He sets off to tempt, corrupt, and capture her soul by borrowing...
Tagliavini directed the Mexican comedy “Como cortar a tu patán” (“How to Break Up With Your Douchebag”); “Border Run,” starring Sharon Stone; “Without Men,” with Eva Longoria, Kate del Castillo, and Christian Slater; and the 2003 Spanish-language breakout “Ladies’ Night.” She exec produced Ambi’s “Beyond the Sun.”
“The Devil May Care” is a comedic love story between the devil (in the body of a man) and a kindhearted woman. Written by Tagliavini and Octavio Marin, the story finds a listless Lucifer, bored with the ease at which humans can be tempted in these modern times, until he discovers a woman who could be the last remaining pure soul on earth. He sets off to tempt, corrupt, and capture her soul by borrowing...
- 1/25/2018
- by Dave McNary
- Variety Film + TV
Billy Zane and AnnaLynne McCord are getting set to bloody up your house in Scorned, and right now we have a couple of new clips for you to check out while you wait for it to arrive on home video.
From the Press Release
The Bard once wrote: “Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.” Shakespeare, hang on to your plume because you’re about to meet Sadie…
On February 4, 2014, Anchor Bay Films releases Scorned, a story guaranteed to make any man eternally faithful! Directed by Mark Jones, director and writer of the cult favorite Leprechaun series, Scorned will be available for an Srp of $29.99 for the Blu-ray and $24.98 for the DVD. It will also be available On Demand across select cable providers and for digital download across iTunes, Xbox, and Vudu.
Sadie (AnnaLynne McCord; 2nd Place, Fangoria Chainsaw Award for Best Actress: Excision) and Kevin (Billy Zane; Titanic,...
From the Press Release
The Bard once wrote: “Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.” Shakespeare, hang on to your plume because you’re about to meet Sadie…
On February 4, 2014, Anchor Bay Films releases Scorned, a story guaranteed to make any man eternally faithful! Directed by Mark Jones, director and writer of the cult favorite Leprechaun series, Scorned will be available for an Srp of $29.99 for the Blu-ray and $24.98 for the DVD. It will also be available On Demand across select cable providers and for digital download across iTunes, Xbox, and Vudu.
Sadie (AnnaLynne McCord; 2nd Place, Fangoria Chainsaw Award for Best Actress: Excision) and Kevin (Billy Zane; Titanic,...
- 1/6/2014
- by Uncle Creepy
- DreadCentral.com
Anchor Bay will release Scorned to Blu-ray and DVD on February 4th. We recently gave you a look at the official trailer and now we have two clips from the movie:
“Beverly Hills, CA – The Bard once wrote: “Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.” Shakespeare, hang on to your plume because you’re about to meet Sadie… On February 4, 2014, Anchor Bay Films releases Scorned, a story guaranteed to make any man eternally faithful! Directed by Mark Jones, director and writer of the cult favorite Leprechaun series, Scorned will be available for an Srp of $29.99 for the Blu-ray™ and $24.98 for the DVD. It will be available On Demand across select cable providers and for digital download across iTunes, Xbox and Vudu.
Sadie (AnnaLynne McCord, 2nd Place, Fangoria Chainsaw Award for Best Actress: Excision) and Kevin (Billy Zane, Titanic, Border Run, Bloodrayne) have decided to spend a romantic weekend together at his lake house.
“Beverly Hills, CA – The Bard once wrote: “Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.” Shakespeare, hang on to your plume because you’re about to meet Sadie… On February 4, 2014, Anchor Bay Films releases Scorned, a story guaranteed to make any man eternally faithful! Directed by Mark Jones, director and writer of the cult favorite Leprechaun series, Scorned will be available for an Srp of $29.99 for the Blu-ray™ and $24.98 for the DVD. It will be available On Demand across select cable providers and for digital download across iTunes, Xbox and Vudu.
Sadie (AnnaLynne McCord, 2nd Place, Fangoria Chainsaw Award for Best Actress: Excision) and Kevin (Billy Zane, Titanic, Border Run, Bloodrayne) have decided to spend a romantic weekend together at his lake house.
- 1/6/2014
- by Jonathan James
- DailyDead
Billy Zane and AnnaLynne McCord are getting set to bloody up your house in Scorned, and right now we have a new trailer and more for you cats to dig on. What are you waiting for? The Godzilla trailer or something? Check this out in the interim!
From the Press Release
The Bard once wrote: “Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.” Shakespeare, hang on to your plume because you’re about to meet Sadie…
On February 4, 2014, Anchor Bay Films releases Scorned, a story guaranteed to make any man eternally faithful! Directed by Mark Jones, director and writer of the cult favorite Leprechaun series, Scorned will be available for an Srp of $29.99 for the Blu-ra and $24.98 for the DVD. It will also be available On Demand across select cable providers and for digital download across iTunes, Xbox, and Vudu.
Sadie (AnnaLynne McCord; 2nd Place, Fangoria Chainsaw Award for Best...
From the Press Release
The Bard once wrote: “Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.” Shakespeare, hang on to your plume because you’re about to meet Sadie…
On February 4, 2014, Anchor Bay Films releases Scorned, a story guaranteed to make any man eternally faithful! Directed by Mark Jones, director and writer of the cult favorite Leprechaun series, Scorned will be available for an Srp of $29.99 for the Blu-ra and $24.98 for the DVD. It will also be available On Demand across select cable providers and for digital download across iTunes, Xbox, and Vudu.
Sadie (AnnaLynne McCord; 2nd Place, Fangoria Chainsaw Award for Best...
- 12/10/2013
- by Uncle Creepy
- DreadCentral.com
Anchor Bay will release Scorned to Blu-ray and DVD on February 4th and they’ve given us a look at the official trailer:
“Beverly Hills, CA – The Bard once wrote: “Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.” Shakespeare, hang on to your plume because you’re about to meet Sadie… On February 4, 2014, Anchor Bay Films releases Scorned, a story guaranteed to make any man eternally faithful! Directed by Mark Jones, director and writer of the cult favorite Leprechaun series, Scorned will be available for an Srp of $29.99 for the Blu-ray™ and $24.98 for the DVD. It will be available On Demand across select cable providers and for digital download across iTunes, Xbox and Vudu.
Sadie (AnnaLynne McCord, 2nd Place, Fangoria Chainsaw Award for Best Actress: Excision) and Kevin (Billy Zane, Titanic, Border Run, Bloodrayne) have decided to spend a romantic weekend together at his lake house. But when an unexpected...
“Beverly Hills, CA – The Bard once wrote: “Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.” Shakespeare, hang on to your plume because you’re about to meet Sadie… On February 4, 2014, Anchor Bay Films releases Scorned, a story guaranteed to make any man eternally faithful! Directed by Mark Jones, director and writer of the cult favorite Leprechaun series, Scorned will be available for an Srp of $29.99 for the Blu-ray™ and $24.98 for the DVD. It will be available On Demand across select cable providers and for digital download across iTunes, Xbox and Vudu.
Sadie (AnnaLynne McCord, 2nd Place, Fangoria Chainsaw Award for Best Actress: Excision) and Kevin (Billy Zane, Titanic, Border Run, Bloodrayne) have decided to spend a romantic weekend together at his lake house. But when an unexpected...
- 12/9/2013
- by Jonathan James
- DailyDead
We return with another edition of the Indie Spotlight, highlighting recent independent horror news sent our way. Today’s feature includes a teaser trailer for The House of Forbidden Secrets, UK distribution details for Banshee Chapter, information on a line of handcrafted zombie dolls, a trailer for In Fear, first details on Dead Bounty, and much more:
The House of Forbidden Secrets Teaser: “The House of Forbidden Secrets had it’s national premiere in Las Vegas, Nv at the PollyGrind Film Festival on October 11th, 2013, where it won 6 awards, and has also been chosen for the South African Horror Festival this Spring, the Italian Fantafest in 2014, the British Raindance Film Fest for 2014 as well as the X-Fest with many more festivals to follow. It was shot last Winter and Spring in Kansas City. The film stars many local actors and actresses to Kansas City, but also includes genre icons such as Lew Temple (Walking Dead,...
The House of Forbidden Secrets Teaser: “The House of Forbidden Secrets had it’s national premiere in Las Vegas, Nv at the PollyGrind Film Festival on October 11th, 2013, where it won 6 awards, and has also been chosen for the South African Horror Festival this Spring, the Italian Fantafest in 2014, the British Raindance Film Fest for 2014 as well as the X-Fest with many more festivals to follow. It was shot last Winter and Spring in Kansas City. The film stars many local actors and actresses to Kansas City, but also includes genre icons such as Lew Temple (Walking Dead,...
- 11/10/2013
- by Tamika Jones
- DailyDead
After her incredible performance in Excision, I'm completely on board for any and all horror flicks that include AnnaLynne McCord in their cast. Up next for the actress is Scorned, which hits home video next year. Read on for the scoop!
From the Press Release
The Bard once wrote: “Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.” Shakespeare, hang on to your plume because you’re about to meet Sadie…
On February 4, 2014, Anchor Bay Films releases Scorned, a story guaranteed to make any man eternally faithful! Directed by Mark Jones, director and writer of the cult favorite Leprechaun series, Scorned will be available for an Srp of $29.99 for the Blu-ray™ and $24.98 for the DVD. It will also be available On Demand across select cable providers and for digital download across iTunes, Xbox, and Vudu.
Sadie (AnnaLynne McCord; 2nd Place, Fangoria Chainsaw Award for Best Actress: Excision) and Kevin (Billy Zane; Titanic,...
From the Press Release
The Bard once wrote: “Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.” Shakespeare, hang on to your plume because you’re about to meet Sadie…
On February 4, 2014, Anchor Bay Films releases Scorned, a story guaranteed to make any man eternally faithful! Directed by Mark Jones, director and writer of the cult favorite Leprechaun series, Scorned will be available for an Srp of $29.99 for the Blu-ray™ and $24.98 for the DVD. It will also be available On Demand across select cable providers and for digital download across iTunes, Xbox, and Vudu.
Sadie (AnnaLynne McCord; 2nd Place, Fangoria Chainsaw Award for Best Actress: Excision) and Kevin (Billy Zane; Titanic,...
- 11/6/2013
- by John Squires
- DreadCentral.com
The story of a right-wing political journalist who goes after her missing brother in Mexico, the film was apparently inspired by true events, which is interesting. Sharon Stone plays Sofie Talbert, a bulldog TV journalist looking to slam leftist politicians who are "soft" on illegal immigration. Her brother, a relief worker (Billy Zane) goes missing and Talbert heads across the border to find out the truth.
Movies dealing with the Mexican border are always pretty interesting. The Tree Burials of Melquiades Estrada comes to mind. Border Run is a relatively high-gloss flick without much else going for it. Sharon Stone and Billy Zane aren't terrible actors, they just deserve better material. Border Run is a story that deserves better in every regard. Better direction, writing, production value, everything. Stone floats through the movie looking like the ghost of Juliana Margulies. Rocking what looks like a black wig and looking pale as a sheet,...
Movies dealing with the Mexican border are always pretty interesting. The Tree Burials of Melquiades Estrada comes to mind. Border Run is a relatively high-gloss flick without much else going for it. Sharon Stone and Billy Zane aren't terrible actors, they just deserve better material. Border Run is a story that deserves better in every regard. Better direction, writing, production value, everything. Stone floats through the movie looking like the ghost of Juliana Margulies. Rocking what looks like a black wig and looking pale as a sheet,...
- 4/3/2013
- by Robert Ottone
- JustPressPlay.net
There was an era, once upon a time when Sharon Stone could carry an entire movie. That time, however, is now far, far in the past. Once she was nominated for an Oscar, but she does not have the chops to headline a film in this day and age. Nowhere is this point so clear as with her new direct-to-video effort, “Border Run,” a movie that sets out to be a harrowing examination of human trafficking along the Us/Mexico border, but that is crushed under the heavy hand of its own message of injustice. Stone plays Sophie Talbot, an ultra-right wing Arizona television reporter. She’s fond of ambushing politicians who have gone soft on illegal immigration, and, a severe workaholic, she has no life whatsoever. On the eve of breaking a big story, Sophie feels wistful, and gives her lefty, humanitarian aid worker brother Aaron (Billy Zane) a call.
- 3/4/2013
- by Brent McKnight
- Beyond Hollywood
Border Run (The Mule) is a film inspired by true events, regarding human smuggling across the Us/Mexican border. Now I’m not sure if we managed to miss the marketing campaign for this film (which was released in theaters on October 1st, 2012), or there never was much of it – in any case, now we have four clips for you to check out, featuring Sharon Stone in this action-packed role of a lifetime: Border Run – Fair and Balanced Border Run – Into Nogalas Border Run – Last Dance Border Run – Border Run The story follows a Phoenix television reporter Sofie Talbert, a hard-nosed...
- 2/23/2013
- by Vesna Sunrider
- Filmofilia
Blu-ray & DVD Release Date: Feb. 26, 2013
Price: DVD $22.98, Blu-ray $24.99
Studio: Anchor Bay
A raven-tressed Sharon Stone means business in Border Run.
Sharon Stone ($5 A Day) and Billy Zane (Titanic) star in the 2013 thriller film Border Run, premiering on DVD and Blu-ray.
Stone, sporting dark hair this time around, is Phoenix television reporter Sofie Talbert, a right-wing journalist who exposes liberal politicians soft on illegal immigration. But when her relief-worker brother (Zane) goes missing in Mexico, Sofie’s own South-of-the-border investigation traps her in a dangerous underworld of migrants, smugglers and cold-blooded murderers. Cancun it ain’t! Using everything she has at her disposal, Sofie does whatever’s necessary to get her brother back!
Directed by Gabriela Tagliavini (Without Men), Border Run (which was originally entitled The Mule) is reportedly inspired by true events, which seems pretty likely based on the headlines that have been coming out of Mexico lately.
There’s...
Price: DVD $22.98, Blu-ray $24.99
Studio: Anchor Bay
A raven-tressed Sharon Stone means business in Border Run.
Sharon Stone ($5 A Day) and Billy Zane (Titanic) star in the 2013 thriller film Border Run, premiering on DVD and Blu-ray.
Stone, sporting dark hair this time around, is Phoenix television reporter Sofie Talbert, a right-wing journalist who exposes liberal politicians soft on illegal immigration. But when her relief-worker brother (Zane) goes missing in Mexico, Sofie’s own South-of-the-border investigation traps her in a dangerous underworld of migrants, smugglers and cold-blooded murderers. Cancun it ain’t! Using everything she has at her disposal, Sofie does whatever’s necessary to get her brother back!
Directed by Gabriela Tagliavini (Without Men), Border Run (which was originally entitled The Mule) is reportedly inspired by true events, which seems pretty likely based on the headlines that have been coming out of Mexico lately.
There’s...
- 12/12/2012
- by Laurence
- Disc Dish
From our Chicana from Chicago, Christine Davila:
I took in a few panels over the weekend down here at L.A. Film Fest that I really appreciated for sparking some provocative dialogue I am eager to continue throughout the Festival. I found it especially interesting how different the U.S. Latino and Black film communities are responding to their storytelling plight in talking about their respective representation in media. Meanwhile the lively Latino panel, which was perhaps the broadest in scope, was eloquent and skillfully led by L.A. Times’ Reed Johnson who brought a high level of articulation in his profesh moderating. As panel junkies know, a good moderator is key to an engaging panel and essential to keep it on point. Here are my takeaways on the three panels:us Latino Film Panel at Laff
The Blackhouse Foundation - The Art and Social Responsibility of Festival Programming – Sponsored by Bet
Moderated by Film Independent’s Lacma film curator and go-to festival moderator, Elvis Mitchell, I was particularly impressed at the messaging clarity and solidarity of the black film community’s efforts and goals for equal representation. The panelists were very tuned-in with monitoring their talent behind and in front of the camera, and in this case stressing the importance of festival curators, which was identified as one of three instrumental factors to enable their films getting out there.
Shari Frilot, Senior Programmer, Sundance Film Festival: There was much (due) love and props given to Frilot for her ardent and tireless championing of films of color at Sundance. She pointed out how after Lee Daniel’s breakout hit, Precious which premiered at 2009 Sundance and went on to win a couple Academy Awards, the next couple years it was the black films that were the first to be sold off the mountain including the dazzling lesbian coming of age film, Pariah. She questioned why this achievement was not picked up or lauded in the mainstream media. Its indeed curious and perhaps a telling point on the cultural gatekeeper front – (shortage of black critics and journalists?) Having witnessed Shari’s highly charged and articulate arguing for gloriously imperfect, fresh and raw films I respect how she truly changes the way the film programming conversation takes place by discussing films’ drive, potential and power. I aspire to “bring it” like she does in my own programming career. Acknowledging the personal efforts she puts in to make the festival seem accessible to filmmakers of color who may not bother putting Sundance on their radar, the idea of doing a black college tour came up.
Ava DuVernay, filmmaker (Middle of Nowhere) and founder of Affrm: DuVernay’s emotion for the topic at hand along with her experience from her publicist days and current roles as filmmaker and distributor made her a stirring contributor to the conversation. Ava thanked L.A. Film Festival Director Stephanie Allain for programming Middle of Nowhere as a gala screening which elevates her film with a high profile slot within the festival. A packed house at Wednesday’s gala screening will be quite significant to the black filmmaking community given the massive 800 seat theater and checking the L.A. Film Fest website its at Rush which will make for an exciting milestone! The winner of the Best Director Award at Sundance Film Festival shared her personal observations like being stunned to see empty seats at the black film screenings at Sundance which is unheard of in the notoriously hard-to-get tickets Festival. She mentioned that while she is frequently featured on Shadow and Act, the African Diaspora blog on the Indiewire network, she has never been on Indiewire’s main page. DuVernay expressed her desire to see more films that move and operate beyond ‘black bodies’.
There was mention of films touted as successful black films when they happen to be by non-black filmmakers. I can’t help but think the room was thinking about Gimme the Loot written and directed by Adam Leon and Beasts of the Southern Wild written and directed by Benh Zeitlin. Both films have been praised and celebrated for their poignant storytelling and vivid portrayal of their black protagonists’ lifestyles – and the filmmakers happen to be white Jewish New Yorkers. And both films were quickly picked up for distribution at their respective festival premieres. I have to admit that if we are talking about presenting positive representation in films my belief is that individually, these two films offer a lot as far as image conversion for eschewing mis-representation by avoiding stereotypes about black folks. There’s nobody smoking crack or perpetuating violent crime in Gimme the Loot, and in Beasts the poetic punch of self-sufficient little Hushpuppy in the die-hard persevering displaced fictional community that alludes to the forgotten 9th Ward post-Katrina, shows a triumph of spirit against the government and society’s response efforts following the devastating natural catastrophe in the dominantly affected marginalized population.
Bradford Young, cinematographer (Middle of Nowhere, Pariah, Restless City): A Howard University alumus, the in-demand cinematographer more gently echoed Ava’s sentiment about the limited accessibility and representation of black filmmakers but I feel he gave a bit more benefit of the doubt to black films by non-black filmmakers by his eloquent word of choice to weigh the debate; “Intention”. The way he talks about his own cinematic approach is greatly influenced by the intention of the story and point of view. A NY Times article recently featured the cinematographer and made note of his full frame and close up shots in Middle of Nowhere. Indeed the luscious and texture he brings to shooting skincolor sticks out in my mind having seen it at Sundance. Bradford is one cool cat with lots of soul. All panelists agreed and were especially thankful for his eyes.
Roya Rastegar, Ph.D, Festival Programmer: Inventive cinematography, curation by more females and people of color and innovative distribution were three ways Rastegar outlined to help minority filmmakers distinguish their work and get seen by the public. I would love to get my hands on her dissertation, History of Consciousness (here’s a taste) in which she investigates the role of festivals in shaping marginalized culture. Armed with such interesting facts on the history of film festivals, (did you know Stalin created the first film festival?) Rastegar added a lot of context to the origins and current state of film festivals. She also shared the behind the scenes conversations of film programmers when talking about films of color and the rueful tendency to dismiss these films because they aren’t so called ‘good enough’. She made no hesitation in pointing out that Tribeca Film Festival did not have one single black film in competition this year.
U.S. Latino Cinema: Welcome to the Bi-Literate Future - Presented by San Antonio Film Commission and Afci (Association of Film Commissions International)
I had the privilege of participating on this panel which was prefaced by a Univision spot highlighting their new campaign efforts of reaching a bi-lingual audience. In it, an old woman recalls being prevented from speaking her language as a child in school and then we cut to today’s young U.S. Latino man who flips from Spanish to English talking about his liking alternative band, The Strokes as much as Spanish-language pop rock band, Juanes.
What it was about: Our Latino population in the U.S. is now more than ever embracing a bi-lingual, or more importantly, a bi-literate culture. Will films reflect the changing demographic of the U.S. as a bi-literate (a Spanish and English language culture) be commercially successful and be able to find an audience? And perhaps more importantly, will the studio system be able to adapt to the successful strategies many in the independent world are using to create commercially viable content?
Douglas Spain (Star Maps, Walkout, Band of Brothers) is used to wearing multiple hats and so acted as both panelist and moderator. Spain offered up his experience as an actor/producer/director as a gay latino filmmaker who has successfully worked in independent film and studio and television mediums. His quest for staying true to himself with the roles and films he is making rang resonant to all.
Ralph Lopez, San Antonio filmmaker: The producer of Wolf which premiered at this year’s SXSW talked about his aim is to create and tell stories that transcend color. Like his provocative film about the complexities faced by the victim of a bishop’s inappropriate behavior, his collaborations with director black filmmaker Ya Ke Smith comes first and foremost from a place of telling moving stories.
Gabriela Tagliavini, filmmaker (Ladies Night, Without Men, The Mule: Having had big success with Spanish language film Ladies Night in 2006, Gabriela switched languages and directed Eva Longoria in the English language film,Without Men which sold to many international territories given Longoria’s international brand name. With her upcoming film, The Mule she is looking to take advantage of the crime action genre and star Sharon Stone to offer real commentary on immigration and the dangerous toll of the U.S. Mexico border.
Luis Reyes, historian and author of the comprehensive book, Hispanics in Hollywood: The old school gent on our panel made some slightly more conventional suggestions on how to make a successful bi-literate film like “know your audience” and attaching a well known actor to your film so you can market it.
I added my two cents and in retrospect I think my thoughts coincided with Rastegar’s in the proactive vein of here’s what we can-do positive approach of encouraging budding filmmakers to utilize genre (horror and gay U.S. Latino films stand out from the stack and are sought after by festival programs). I also asked my fellow panelists if they found the U.S. Latino filmmaking community as fragmented as I see it. Unlike Black or Lgbt film organizations I feel the U.S. Latino community has much more work in becoming inclusive within our distinct bi-lingual backgrounds in order to successfully empower and advocate for our films. Organizations like Nalip and Laliff were mentioned in answer. But in my opinion and with all respect, I find Nalip a bit cliquesh and lacking a younger pulse and generation of organizers, and Laliff is too inconsistent to make fundamental cultural change. Although we touched on the question of the challenges our community faces working in Spanish versus English I’m not sure we fully stayed on point in attempting to answer the ambitious subject and interesting talking points raised. But the audience seemed more the type of wanting basic advice on how to break into filmmaking so most questions and conversations was directed to the filmmakers on the panels and in that regard it was a successful exchange.
Café Latino presented by HBO and supported by University of Guadalajara Foundation
Made evident by the participating film clips that were shown before the panel there is much genre and story diversity in the Latino films at L.A. Film Fest this year. I’m especially happy the Festival recognizes the growing influence of the Mexican documentary by having selected Reportero by Bernardo Ruiz, Caniculaby Jose Alvarez and Drought by Evererdo Gonzalez. The panel was ostensibly about the Festival’s Latin American filmmakers and how they explore their roles as storytellers in an increasingly global world. With such a high number of panelists and so many interesting topics broached however, it left one wanting more time to engage with the personable talents onstage.
Reed Johnson encouraged the panelists to chime in at will which Alejandro Brugues, director of Cuban Zombie film, Juan of the Dead took full advantage of to defend big hollywood films like The Avengers, which Gonzalez initially brought up if only to point out the David and Goliath challenge filmmakers in Mexico face having to compete for screens against these big money backed blockbusters. Brugues set himself apart from the group by defending his love for the blockbuster which inspired him to direct films. Unlike his peers’ ‘artful’ films he considers his film strictly for public entertainment (he joked that his film is actually a documentary). Yet at the same time he admits he took advantage of the Zombie genre a la Romero to infuse it with his personal observations of contemporary Cuban society – which he would not have been able to shoot in Cuba otherwise.
Meanwhile Arturo Pons who was born in Mexico but has lived and worked in Spain for the past ten years described his conception for his surreal satire, The Compass is Carried by the Dead Man not necessarily about immigration but a visual canvas with which to paint the total disorientation that confronts Mexico. Ruiz talked about seeing himself as a ‘translator’ or vessel to tell stories. Alvarez talked about how he does not think of his audience as he makes his films however he does aspire to showcase Mexico Profundo in showing the vast and vibrant indigenous artistry and folklore and deliberately resisting the the media’s monopolized perpetuation of the drug violence and corruption. Lastly, Dominga Sotomayor, the 27 year old director of Thursday till Sunday whose next film Tarde Para Morir was selected to the first ever Sundance Mahindra Screenwriters Lab, added that like Mexico, in Chile there is a growing number of filmmakers but no real venues to find their audience.
L.A. Film Festival is going on through Sunday and a bunch of added screenings have been slotted. Check out film guide and buy tickets here.
I took in a few panels over the weekend down here at L.A. Film Fest that I really appreciated for sparking some provocative dialogue I am eager to continue throughout the Festival. I found it especially interesting how different the U.S. Latino and Black film communities are responding to their storytelling plight in talking about their respective representation in media. Meanwhile the lively Latino panel, which was perhaps the broadest in scope, was eloquent and skillfully led by L.A. Times’ Reed Johnson who brought a high level of articulation in his profesh moderating. As panel junkies know, a good moderator is key to an engaging panel and essential to keep it on point. Here are my takeaways on the three panels:us Latino Film Panel at Laff
The Blackhouse Foundation - The Art and Social Responsibility of Festival Programming – Sponsored by Bet
Moderated by Film Independent’s Lacma film curator and go-to festival moderator, Elvis Mitchell, I was particularly impressed at the messaging clarity and solidarity of the black film community’s efforts and goals for equal representation. The panelists were very tuned-in with monitoring their talent behind and in front of the camera, and in this case stressing the importance of festival curators, which was identified as one of three instrumental factors to enable their films getting out there.
Shari Frilot, Senior Programmer, Sundance Film Festival: There was much (due) love and props given to Frilot for her ardent and tireless championing of films of color at Sundance. She pointed out how after Lee Daniel’s breakout hit, Precious which premiered at 2009 Sundance and went on to win a couple Academy Awards, the next couple years it was the black films that were the first to be sold off the mountain including the dazzling lesbian coming of age film, Pariah. She questioned why this achievement was not picked up or lauded in the mainstream media. Its indeed curious and perhaps a telling point on the cultural gatekeeper front – (shortage of black critics and journalists?) Having witnessed Shari’s highly charged and articulate arguing for gloriously imperfect, fresh and raw films I respect how she truly changes the way the film programming conversation takes place by discussing films’ drive, potential and power. I aspire to “bring it” like she does in my own programming career. Acknowledging the personal efforts she puts in to make the festival seem accessible to filmmakers of color who may not bother putting Sundance on their radar, the idea of doing a black college tour came up.
Ava DuVernay, filmmaker (Middle of Nowhere) and founder of Affrm: DuVernay’s emotion for the topic at hand along with her experience from her publicist days and current roles as filmmaker and distributor made her a stirring contributor to the conversation. Ava thanked L.A. Film Festival Director Stephanie Allain for programming Middle of Nowhere as a gala screening which elevates her film with a high profile slot within the festival. A packed house at Wednesday’s gala screening will be quite significant to the black filmmaking community given the massive 800 seat theater and checking the L.A. Film Fest website its at Rush which will make for an exciting milestone! The winner of the Best Director Award at Sundance Film Festival shared her personal observations like being stunned to see empty seats at the black film screenings at Sundance which is unheard of in the notoriously hard-to-get tickets Festival. She mentioned that while she is frequently featured on Shadow and Act, the African Diaspora blog on the Indiewire network, she has never been on Indiewire’s main page. DuVernay expressed her desire to see more films that move and operate beyond ‘black bodies’.
There was mention of films touted as successful black films when they happen to be by non-black filmmakers. I can’t help but think the room was thinking about Gimme the Loot written and directed by Adam Leon and Beasts of the Southern Wild written and directed by Benh Zeitlin. Both films have been praised and celebrated for their poignant storytelling and vivid portrayal of their black protagonists’ lifestyles – and the filmmakers happen to be white Jewish New Yorkers. And both films were quickly picked up for distribution at their respective festival premieres. I have to admit that if we are talking about presenting positive representation in films my belief is that individually, these two films offer a lot as far as image conversion for eschewing mis-representation by avoiding stereotypes about black folks. There’s nobody smoking crack or perpetuating violent crime in Gimme the Loot, and in Beasts the poetic punch of self-sufficient little Hushpuppy in the die-hard persevering displaced fictional community that alludes to the forgotten 9th Ward post-Katrina, shows a triumph of spirit against the government and society’s response efforts following the devastating natural catastrophe in the dominantly affected marginalized population.
Bradford Young, cinematographer (Middle of Nowhere, Pariah, Restless City): A Howard University alumus, the in-demand cinematographer more gently echoed Ava’s sentiment about the limited accessibility and representation of black filmmakers but I feel he gave a bit more benefit of the doubt to black films by non-black filmmakers by his eloquent word of choice to weigh the debate; “Intention”. The way he talks about his own cinematic approach is greatly influenced by the intention of the story and point of view. A NY Times article recently featured the cinematographer and made note of his full frame and close up shots in Middle of Nowhere. Indeed the luscious and texture he brings to shooting skincolor sticks out in my mind having seen it at Sundance. Bradford is one cool cat with lots of soul. All panelists agreed and were especially thankful for his eyes.
Roya Rastegar, Ph.D, Festival Programmer: Inventive cinematography, curation by more females and people of color and innovative distribution were three ways Rastegar outlined to help minority filmmakers distinguish their work and get seen by the public. I would love to get my hands on her dissertation, History of Consciousness (here’s a taste) in which she investigates the role of festivals in shaping marginalized culture. Armed with such interesting facts on the history of film festivals, (did you know Stalin created the first film festival?) Rastegar added a lot of context to the origins and current state of film festivals. She also shared the behind the scenes conversations of film programmers when talking about films of color and the rueful tendency to dismiss these films because they aren’t so called ‘good enough’. She made no hesitation in pointing out that Tribeca Film Festival did not have one single black film in competition this year.
U.S. Latino Cinema: Welcome to the Bi-Literate Future - Presented by San Antonio Film Commission and Afci (Association of Film Commissions International)
I had the privilege of participating on this panel which was prefaced by a Univision spot highlighting their new campaign efforts of reaching a bi-lingual audience. In it, an old woman recalls being prevented from speaking her language as a child in school and then we cut to today’s young U.S. Latino man who flips from Spanish to English talking about his liking alternative band, The Strokes as much as Spanish-language pop rock band, Juanes.
What it was about: Our Latino population in the U.S. is now more than ever embracing a bi-lingual, or more importantly, a bi-literate culture. Will films reflect the changing demographic of the U.S. as a bi-literate (a Spanish and English language culture) be commercially successful and be able to find an audience? And perhaps more importantly, will the studio system be able to adapt to the successful strategies many in the independent world are using to create commercially viable content?
Douglas Spain (Star Maps, Walkout, Band of Brothers) is used to wearing multiple hats and so acted as both panelist and moderator. Spain offered up his experience as an actor/producer/director as a gay latino filmmaker who has successfully worked in independent film and studio and television mediums. His quest for staying true to himself with the roles and films he is making rang resonant to all.
Ralph Lopez, San Antonio filmmaker: The producer of Wolf which premiered at this year’s SXSW talked about his aim is to create and tell stories that transcend color. Like his provocative film about the complexities faced by the victim of a bishop’s inappropriate behavior, his collaborations with director black filmmaker Ya Ke Smith comes first and foremost from a place of telling moving stories.
Gabriela Tagliavini, filmmaker (Ladies Night, Without Men, The Mule: Having had big success with Spanish language film Ladies Night in 2006, Gabriela switched languages and directed Eva Longoria in the English language film,Without Men which sold to many international territories given Longoria’s international brand name. With her upcoming film, The Mule she is looking to take advantage of the crime action genre and star Sharon Stone to offer real commentary on immigration and the dangerous toll of the U.S. Mexico border.
Luis Reyes, historian and author of the comprehensive book, Hispanics in Hollywood: The old school gent on our panel made some slightly more conventional suggestions on how to make a successful bi-literate film like “know your audience” and attaching a well known actor to your film so you can market it.
I added my two cents and in retrospect I think my thoughts coincided with Rastegar’s in the proactive vein of here’s what we can-do positive approach of encouraging budding filmmakers to utilize genre (horror and gay U.S. Latino films stand out from the stack and are sought after by festival programs). I also asked my fellow panelists if they found the U.S. Latino filmmaking community as fragmented as I see it. Unlike Black or Lgbt film organizations I feel the U.S. Latino community has much more work in becoming inclusive within our distinct bi-lingual backgrounds in order to successfully empower and advocate for our films. Organizations like Nalip and Laliff were mentioned in answer. But in my opinion and with all respect, I find Nalip a bit cliquesh and lacking a younger pulse and generation of organizers, and Laliff is too inconsistent to make fundamental cultural change. Although we touched on the question of the challenges our community faces working in Spanish versus English I’m not sure we fully stayed on point in attempting to answer the ambitious subject and interesting talking points raised. But the audience seemed more the type of wanting basic advice on how to break into filmmaking so most questions and conversations was directed to the filmmakers on the panels and in that regard it was a successful exchange.
Café Latino presented by HBO and supported by University of Guadalajara Foundation
Made evident by the participating film clips that were shown before the panel there is much genre and story diversity in the Latino films at L.A. Film Fest this year. I’m especially happy the Festival recognizes the growing influence of the Mexican documentary by having selected Reportero by Bernardo Ruiz, Caniculaby Jose Alvarez and Drought by Evererdo Gonzalez. The panel was ostensibly about the Festival’s Latin American filmmakers and how they explore their roles as storytellers in an increasingly global world. With such a high number of panelists and so many interesting topics broached however, it left one wanting more time to engage with the personable talents onstage.
Reed Johnson encouraged the panelists to chime in at will which Alejandro Brugues, director of Cuban Zombie film, Juan of the Dead took full advantage of to defend big hollywood films like The Avengers, which Gonzalez initially brought up if only to point out the David and Goliath challenge filmmakers in Mexico face having to compete for screens against these big money backed blockbusters. Brugues set himself apart from the group by defending his love for the blockbuster which inspired him to direct films. Unlike his peers’ ‘artful’ films he considers his film strictly for public entertainment (he joked that his film is actually a documentary). Yet at the same time he admits he took advantage of the Zombie genre a la Romero to infuse it with his personal observations of contemporary Cuban society – which he would not have been able to shoot in Cuba otherwise.
Meanwhile Arturo Pons who was born in Mexico but has lived and worked in Spain for the past ten years described his conception for his surreal satire, The Compass is Carried by the Dead Man not necessarily about immigration but a visual canvas with which to paint the total disorientation that confronts Mexico. Ruiz talked about seeing himself as a ‘translator’ or vessel to tell stories. Alvarez talked about how he does not think of his audience as he makes his films however he does aspire to showcase Mexico Profundo in showing the vast and vibrant indigenous artistry and folklore and deliberately resisting the the media’s monopolized perpetuation of the drug violence and corruption. Lastly, Dominga Sotomayor, the 27 year old director of Thursday till Sunday whose next film Tarde Para Morir was selected to the first ever Sundance Mahindra Screenwriters Lab, added that like Mexico, in Chile there is a growing number of filmmakers but no real venues to find their audience.
L.A. Film Festival is going on through Sunday and a bunch of added screenings have been slotted. Check out film guide and buy tickets here.
- 6/20/2012
- by Christine Davila
- Sydney's Buzz
Kate Winslet, Billy Zane, Titanic Box Office: Guy Pearce / Maggie Grace's Lockout Bombs, Julia Roberts / Lily Collins / Armie Hammer's Mirror Mirror Resilient The Titanic 3D rerelease hasn't broken any box-office records in North America, where it has taken in an estimated $44.41 million after 12 days. Overseas, however, it's another story. This weekend (which includes Wed./Thu. in some territories), Titanic 3D topped the international box office, collecting an estimated $98.9 million at 9,889 theaters in 69 territories (representing more than 100 countries), according to Box Office Mojo. In China alone, James Cameron disaster / romantic epic starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet, and veteran Gloria Stuart drew $67 million, an official record for that country (not adjusted for inflation / currency fluctuations). For comparison's sake: several years before China became a box-office powerhouse for Hollywood movies — one likely to surpass the United States in the not-too-distant future — Titanic earned $43.92 million during its initial run in that country.
- 4/16/2012
- by Zac Gille
- Alt Film Guide
Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet, Titanic 3D Gary Ross / Jennifer Lawrence / Liam Hemsworth / Josh Hutcherson's The Hunger Games Passes $300m? Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg's American Reunion landed at no. 2 on the North American box office chart, according to studio estimates found at Box Office Mojo. At 3,192 locations, the R-rated comedy took in $21.5 million — including $660,000 earned at Thursday midnight screenings. That's quite a bit lower than the $25 million some had been expecting as late as Friday evening, or the near-$30 million predicted by Box Office Mojo a few days ago. If those estimates are correct, Universal will surely claim that American Reunion easily surpassed the $18.7 million earned by the original American Pie at 2,508 sites in 1999. In 2012 dollars, however, American Pie would have earned approximately $29 million. And what that means is: many more tickets were sold for American Pie than for American Reunion. Also, remember that American Reunion cost a...
- 4/8/2012
- by Zac Gille
- Alt Film Guide
Kate Winslet as Rose, Titanic 3D The Hunger Games will easily top the North American box for the third weekend in a row. Gary Ross' dystopic adventure tale collected $12.9 million on Friday, April 6, according to studio estimates found at Box Office Mojo. The film will likely earn somewhere between $35-$40 million over the Easter weekend. If so, it will be down around 30-35% compared to a week ago — or about half its 62% drop-off rate last (non-holiday) weekend. The Hunger Games should cross the $300 million mark at the domestic box office on Sunday. Its current total is $282.23 million. Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg's American Reunion landed at no. 2 on Friday. At 3,192 locations, the R-rated comedy took in $9.2 million — including $660,000 earned at Thursday midnight screenings. Its weekend total could reach $25 million. If those estimates are correct, Universal will claim that American Reunion far surpassed the $18.7 million earned by the original...
- 4/7/2012
- by Zac Gille
- Alt Film Guide
Leonardo DiCaprio, Titanic The Hunger Games will easily top the North American box office once again this weekend — its third time as no. 1 — according to Deadline.com's "sources." As per Deadline's early, rough estimates, The Hunger Games is expected to collect $12-$14 million on Friday, and could reach $40 million over the Easter weekend. If so, Gary Ross' movie would be down close to 30% compared to last weekend — or less than half its drop-off rate last (non-holiday) weekend. It seems that Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg's American Reunion will be the no. 2 movie on Friday, with somewhere between $8-$10 million at 3,192 locations, and an estimated $25 million by Sunday evening. That includes $660,000 earned at Thursday midnight screenings in North America. If those estimates are correct, Universal will claim that American Reunion far surpassed the $18.7 million earned by the original American Pie at 2,508 sites in 1999. There is, however, a pesky little thing known as inflation,...
- 4/7/2012
- by Zac Gille
- Alt Film Guide
James Cameron's Titanic movie Titanic 3D was the no. 2 movie on the domestic box-office chart on Wednesday, April 4, according to figures found at Box Office Mojo. Directed by the Marianas Trench's James Cameron, and starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet, Titanic 3D collected $4.37 million at 2,674 theaters, landing right behind The Hunger Games' $4.6 million at 4,137 locations. Comparisons are hard to make. The Hunger Games is in 2D, which means cheaper movie ticket prices, but it's playing at 1,500 more theaters than Titanic 3D. The Hunger Games has also been around for 13 days; Titanic 3D opened on Tuesday, earning approximately $325,000 at various preview screenings. Directed by Gary Ross, The Hunger Games stars Jennifer Lawrence, Liam Hemsworth, and Josh Hutcherson. At no. 3, Jonathan Liebesman / Sam Worthington / Ralph Fiennes' Wrath of the Titans grossed $2.25 million, followed by Julia Roberts / Armie Hammer / Lily Collins' Mirror Mirror with $1.66 million and Channing Tatum...
- 4/6/2012
- by Zac Gille
- Alt Film Guide
Kate Winslet, Titanic 3D Titanic 3D may have sailed to the top of the North American box-office chart on Wednesday, grossing an estimated $4.7 million at about 2,600 locations according to The Hollywood Reporter. That figure includes $300,000 earned at Tuesday night previews, and 71 IMAX screens. Directed by James Cameron, who made perfectly-timed headlines about a week ago thanks to a quick deep-sea trek, the 1997 megablockbuster stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet. Titanic's chief competition for the no. 1 slot is 2012's own megablockbuster, Jennifer Lawrence / Liam Hemsworth / Josh Hutcherson's The Hunger Games. The Gary Ross dystopic adventure drama earned an estimated $4.6-$4.7 million on Wednesday — without the added Tuesday night bonus or box-office-boosting 3D surcharges. Paramount is (officially) estimating Titanic 3D will rake in $20 to $25 million by Friday. 20th Century Fox is handling the film's international release. Launched in December 1997, the original Titanic grossed $1.8 billion worldwide. For those who choose to ignore the Inflation Effect,...
- 4/5/2012
- by Zac Gille
- Alt Film Guide
Two days ago, James Cameron made world headlines for reportedly finding himself about 11 1/4 kilometers below sea level in the Marianas Trench, which is supposed to be the deepest spot on Earth. Whether as a testament to human-made technology or human-made p.r., Cameron was actually able to tweet to his followers: "Just arrived at the ocean's deepest pt. Hitting bottom never felt so good. Can't wait to share what I'm seeing w/ you." Fast forward a couple of days and Cameron is above ground in London with Kate Winslet (photo) — but not Leonardo DiCaprio — at the premiere of Titanic 3D, the (are you ready?) 3D version of Cameron's 1997 multiple-Oscar-winning megablockbuster about a luxury liner that sank to the bottom of the ocean nearly a century ago. So, does that mean the timing of Cameron's deep-sea diving to-do and the ensuing Mariana Trench tweet were merely a couple of Titanic-related p.
- 3/28/2012
- by Zac Gille
- Alt Film Guide
Los Angeles (AP) -- Sharon Stone is taking on two very different roles: One in a Linda Lovelace biopic, and another online to welcome returning troops.
The 53-year-old actress says she will play Lovelace's mother in "Lovelace." But before filming starts, the "Basic Instinct" star has another mission: She's taking her first steps into the world of social media with a Facebook page that welcomes returning military personnel home from duty in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Stone says her page will serve as a community bulletin board where people can not only thank the troops for their service, but offer them jobs, discounts, a helping hand and a warm welcome.
"It's very important that people know that their country is behind them," Stone said in an interview. "With all of this negative chatter in the governmental races, we need to have our actual country say what they feel in loving, really vocal terms.
The 53-year-old actress says she will play Lovelace's mother in "Lovelace." But before filming starts, the "Basic Instinct" star has another mission: She's taking her first steps into the world of social media with a Facebook page that welcomes returning military personnel home from duty in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Stone says her page will serve as a community bulletin board where people can not only thank the troops for their service, but offer them jobs, discounts, a helping hand and a warm welcome.
"It's very important that people know that their country is behind them," Stone said in an interview. "With all of this negative chatter in the governmental races, we need to have our actual country say what they feel in loving, really vocal terms.
- 11/17/2011
- by hosted.ap.org
- Huffington Post
Sharon Stone has joined the cast of Inferno: A Linda Lovelace Story. Yahoo reports that Stone will star opposite Malin Akerman in the film from writer/director Matthew Wilder. She will play the mother of Lovelace, who herself will be played by Akerman.
This project is separate from the other Linda Lovelace biopic, simply titled Lovelace. That film has been courting Amanda Seyfried for the lead role. Instead, Inferno is based on the book "Ordeal: An Autobiography by Linda Lovelace with Mike McGrady," which is described as follows:
Linda Boreman was just twenty-one when she met Chuck Traynor, the man who would change her life. Less than two years later, the girl who wouldn’t let her high school dates get past first base was catapulted to fame she could never have imagined in her wildest dreams—or worst nightmares. Linda Boreman of Yonkers, New York, had become Linda Lovelace,...
This project is separate from the other Linda Lovelace biopic, simply titled Lovelace. That film has been courting Amanda Seyfried for the lead role. Instead, Inferno is based on the book "Ordeal: An Autobiography by Linda Lovelace with Mike McGrady," which is described as follows:
Linda Boreman was just twenty-one when she met Chuck Traynor, the man who would change her life. Less than two years later, the girl who wouldn’t let her high school dates get past first base was catapulted to fame she could never have imagined in her wildest dreams—or worst nightmares. Linda Boreman of Yonkers, New York, had become Linda Lovelace,...
- 11/16/2011
- by Tiberius
- GeekTyrant
Showing off her privates in "Basic Instinct" made Sharon Stone a household name, and now she's repaying the favor by letting some other privates take center stage
The Associated Press reports that Stone is gearing up for a new project that welcomes home members of the military when they return home from Iraq and Afghanistan. Stone has gotten the ball rolling by creating a Facebook page where military personnel can read messages from their supporters, find information on military discounts, and available jobs in their area.
The actress says that she hopes to involve major retailers like K-Mart and Target in her mission, as well as spreading the word to the Hollywood community.
On the page, Stone welcomes visitors, saying, "Welcome home troops. We're proud to have you home. This page is dedicated to you. These people who are posting below all are here to show you how much we love and care for you.
The Associated Press reports that Stone is gearing up for a new project that welcomes home members of the military when they return home from Iraq and Afghanistan. Stone has gotten the ball rolling by creating a Facebook page where military personnel can read messages from their supporters, find information on military discounts, and available jobs in their area.
The actress says that she hopes to involve major retailers like K-Mart and Target in her mission, as well as spreading the word to the Hollywood community.
On the page, Stone welcomes visitors, saying, "Welcome home troops. We're proud to have you home. This page is dedicated to you. These people who are posting below all are here to show you how much we love and care for you.
- 11/16/2011
- by Sarah Crow
- NextMovie
Sharon Stone is taking on two very different roles: One in the Linda Lovelace biopic, and another online to welcome returning troops. The 53-year-old actress says she will play Lovelace’s mother in Inferno: A Linda Lovelace Story. But before filming starts, the Basic Instinct star has another mission: She’s taking her first steps into the world of social media with a Facebook page that welcomes returning military personnel home from duty in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Stone says her page will serve as a community bulletin board where people can not only thank the troops for their service, but offer them jobs,...
Stone says her page will serve as a community bulletin board where people can not only thank the troops for their service, but offer them jobs,...
- 11/16/2011
- by Associated Press
- EW - Inside Movies
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