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  • Reebok Seek Filmmakers

    Reebok Seek Filmmakers

    Reebok and MOFILM, the international crowdsourcing agency, have teamed up for a worldwide competition to identify young, talented filmmakers. The challenge set is to create films that celebrate true stories of inspirational people who live every day with passion, intent and purpose through fitness and creativity.

    In 2013, Reebok is committed to uncovering and celebrating the real life stories of people from around the world who share the brand’s belief in living a life with passion and igniting the passion of others around them. Fitness and creativity are at the core of some of the most inspiring personal stories, and will provide an incredibly rich territory for these short films.

    The overall competition will be broken down into two global video contests that will be run by MOFILM. Five winners will be selected for each contest to win cash prizes up to $8,000. The first-place winner of the first contest will also be invited on an exclusive trip to Austin, Texas, for the SXSW festival in March, while the first-place winner of the second contest will be invited to Cannes, France, during the Cannes Lion Festival of Creativity in June.

    The final ten filmmakers from around the world will be commissioned by Reebok to identify and tell stories about inspirational individuals, including some of the brand’s global ambassadors.

    “As a brand, we’re inspired by people who live their lives with passion, purpose and intent – and we hear and see these stories every day, not just from elite athletes and artists, but from our consumers and our employees,” said Matt O’Toole, Chief Marketing Officer, Reebok. “Through this project, we want to capture and share these stories with the world, and encourage others to live their best lives.”

    Jeffrey Merrihue, CEO and founder, MOFILM, said, “MOFILM is very excited by our partnership with Reebok. Not only will filmmakers be rewarded with cash prizes and trips to two amazing festivals but they will also have the opportunity to work directly with Reebok, documenting inspirational stories.”

    To help with the initial cost of producing their entries, there will be production grants available to interested filmmakers. For more information on the contest and to enter, please visit www.MOFILM.com

  • Golden Globes: Film Winners

    Golden Globes: Film Winners

    Here you go…

    Actor, Drama
    Daniel Day-Lewis, Lincoln

    Actress, Drama
    Jessica Chastain, Zero Dark Thirty

    Director
    Ben Affleck, Argo

    Actor, Musical or Comedy
    Hugh Jackman, Les Miserables

    Actress, Musical or Comedy
    Jennifer Lawrence, Silver Linings Playbook

    Supporting Actor
    Christoph Waltz, Django Unchained

    Supporting Actress
    Anne Hathaway, Les Miserables

    Foreign Language
    Amour

    Animated Film
    Brave

    Screenplay
    Quentin Tarantino, Django Unchained

    Original Score
    Mychael Danna, Life of Pi

    Original Song
    Skyfall (music and lyrics by Adele and Paul Epworth), “Skyfall.”

  • John Dies At The End: Monsters, Mayhem And A Universe Untangling

    John Dies At The End: Monsters, Mayhem And A Universe Untangling

    Seven-foot meat monsters, flying mustaches, arranged arachnicide, parallel universes, countless floppy jokes and a literal door-knob. Confused yet? That’s exactly how I felt after watching John Dies At The End.

    Arranging this film into any sort of coherence is nearing on impossible mostly because the film itself is a mish-mash of varying techniques and ideas that provides the watcher with an empty yet amusing journey of vague symbolism and flappy violence. Imagine Alien, Zombieland and twelve doses of mescaline and you might have an accurate depiction of the opening scene. The rest of the movie makes less sense.

    The premise of the film was taken from comedy horror novel of the same title, which in itself proved a hard act to follow, due to the surreal and fluctuating world that author David Wong, or as he goes by ulterior ego Jason Pargin, creates in his writing. The narrative has been described as a goulash of Stephen King, H.P. Lovecraft and the drug induced ramblings of William S. Burroughs, creating a world where reality is bashed on the head, turned upside down and thrown into a spinning universe of confusion and ferocity. Director Don Coscarelli, responsible for other horror delights including Phantasm and Bubba Ho-Tep, perhaps the ideal candidate for the challenge, struggled when trying to convert such a dynamic novel. In an interview, Coscarelli even stated, “that was a battle I was always fighting from the minute I started – how is this going to translate?”

    To attempt a synopsis, the story follows David Wong (Chase Williamson) narrating to a journalist, played wonderfully by Oscar nominee Paul Giamatti, his life changing experiences with a drug nicknamed “soy sauce.” Latter to taking the narcotic Wong and his friend John Cheese (Rob Mayes), experience inconceivable psychic powers leading to an unlikely end of the world scenario which surprisingly didn’t become my main concern throughout the film. I was too busy invariably trying to figure out the mini-epiphany I had every time I thought the story might be reaching a conclusion with a bold and symbolic statement, only to be smashed by amusingly distracting, b-movie violence, although I wasn’t complaining.  Taken with a pinch of salt, the shoddy CGI and brazen monster constructions did wonders for the playful nature of this movie’s horror and Wong’s and Cheese’s paranoid and undeniably hilarious interactions, particularly the “hot-dog mobile phone” skit, are a welcome addition to the overall outcome of the movie.

    It’s true that Coscarelli does touch upon some momentous and meaningful topics in between the scenes of baffling nonsense and paranoid, drug fuelled monologues. One of those being the reason actor and assistant producer Giamatti was so adamant on making the novel a motion picture. For him, it was the passage in which the bearer of the “soy sauce,” Rastafarian Robert (Bob) Marley, cultivates the notion of how we as humans prove psychic powers in our dreams, being able to sense an event seconds before it happens. This may sound as confused as David Wong’s character, but it’s clear as glass when you watch it, although like so many of the fleetingly profound moments, the idea could be missed by the blink of a bloodshot eye or get lost amidst the turbulent, mutable picture Coscarelli paints.

    When the film premiered at last years Sundance festival it received varied criticism, although one thing was clear in that these mixed messages left the words “future cult classic” on many critic’s tongues. I think the only downfall here is viewers taking the experience too seriously. Coscarelli has tried so desperately to hurtle us into Wong’s messed up paradigm and yet make it his own and I think at an attempt he has done well. The important thing is to not forget the tongue, or in this case hole-in-cheek nature of the movie. Aside from this, for horror lovers and critics alike the supposedly modest budget, 80s gore, cheap sci-fi references and gregarious script may have done Coscarelli a favour, with critic Rob Nelson describing it as, “a thoroughly unpredictable horror-comedy – and an immensely entertaining one too.” It’s a journey and a laugh that’s best not to over analyse.

    Now all that’s left is the big question, does John die at the end? Well, that’s for me to sit back smugly in the knowledge of and for you to find out. Enjoy.

  • Awards Season 2013: A Look At Ben Affleck

    Awards Season 2013: A Look At Ben Affleck

    With the BAFTA’s having been announced and Argo being nominated seven times including for Best Film, Best Director and Actor for Ben Affleck, we have taken a look back at this actor turned director’s history.

    It’s that time of the year again, the 2012-2013 film awards season is in full swing, the Golden Globes nominations have been announced and with the Oscar announcement coming soon everyone is talking about this year’s hottest contenders. One of which is Ben Affleck and his film Argo which has been nominated for Best Motion Picture at the Golden Globes, the film is a real-life political intelligence dramedy based on a true story which was directed and starred in by Ben Affleck, produced by George Clooney and Grant Heslov’s Smokehouse Pictures (Ides of March). This hostage rescue picture follows CIA “exfiltration” operative and master of disguise Tony Mendez (Affleck), who sets out to rescue a handful of American diplomats hiding out in 1979 Tehran. Pretending to be a film location scouting crew, Mendez and a motley crew of Hollywood artists, escape artists and con-artists smuggle the six embassy workers to safety in a daring rescue. With a supporting cast that includes Oscar® winner Alan Arkin, Golden Globe winner John Goodman and Emmy® winner Bryan Cranston, Affleck’s political satire represents an “escape” into a real-world caper.

    With the success of this film and his subsequent award nomination we are taking a look back at Ben’s career in which he has been recognized for his work as an actor, writer, director, and producer. He has come to prominence in the last few years with his work and has been labelled the most talented actor-turned-director since Clint Eastwood.

    He made his directorial debut in 2007 with the feature “Gone Baby Gone,” for which he won several critics groups’ awards, including the Best Directorial Debut Award from the National Board of Review. He also won the Breakthrough Director of the Year Award at the 2007 Hollywood Film Festival and also co-wrote the screenplay for the film, adapted from the Dennis Lehane novel.

    In 2010, he directed and starred in “The Town,” in addition to co-writing the screenplay. The film was named a Movie of the Year by the American Film Institute (AFI), and the cast won the National Board of Review Award for Best Acting by an Ensemble. In addition, Affleck earned a Writers Guild of America Award nomination for “The Town,” which also brought Oscar®, Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Award® nominations to Jeremy Renner. In addition to this film also in 2010, Affleck starred alongside Tommy Lee Jones in John Wells’ drama “The Company Men.”

    This summer, Affleck shot a starring role in “Runner, Runner,” directed by Brad Furman and which is slated for release next year. He is next set to direct a film about notorious Boston mobster Whitey Bulger, in which he and Matt Damon will again team up and star in together, the film will be produced by their production company, Pearl Street Films.

    Affleck first came to prominence in 1997 with the acclaimed “Good Will Hunting,” which he starred in and co-wrote with Matt Damon. For their work, they won an Academy Award® for Best Original Screenplay, as well as a Golden Globe Award and Humanitas Prize. The following year, Affleck starred in John Madden’s Academy Award®-winning “Shakespeare in Love,” winning a SAG Award® as part of the ensemble cast.

    His subsequent film credits include “Armageddon” and “Pearl Harbor,” both directed by Michael Bay; “Forces of Nature”; Ben Younger’s “Boiler Room”; Roger Michell’s “Changing Lanes”: “The Sum of All Fears”; the screen adaptation of Marvel Comics’ “Daredevil”; Kevin Smith’s “Jersey Girl”; and Kevin Macdonald’s “State of Play.”

    In 2006, Affleck earned widespread praise for his portrayal of ill-fated actor George Reeves in the noir drama “Hollywoodland.” The film premiered at the Venice Film Festival, where Affleck won the coveted Volpi Award for Best Actor. He also received Golden Globe and Critics’ Choice Award nominations for Best Actor, as well as the Best Actor Award at the Hollywood Film Festival. Affleck appeared in the ensemble casts of “Extract” and “He’s Just Not That Into You,” and starred in Kevin Macdonald’s crime thriller “State of Play,” alongside Russell Crowe, Helen Mirren and Rachel McAdams.

    Argo is out on Blu-ray and UV Copy on 4th March and available to pre-order now.

  • Dieter Laser Back In The Human Centipede 3

    Dieter Laser Back In The Human Centipede 3

    Dieter Laser will be back in the lead role in The Human Centipede 3. In March last year the production of The Human Centipede 3 had to be put hold due a legal battle between director Tom Six’s production company, Six Entertainment Company, and actor Dieter Laser (who played the villain Dr.Heiter in The Human Centipede (First Sequence), but recently the law suit has been dropped by Six Entertainment Company.

    Director Tom Six said “I know my Human Centipede 3 will be very politically incorrect, but I didn’t want to change anything in the script. I am very happy Dieter will follow my vision for a full 100% now and know he is absolutely the most brilliant actor I could wish for”

    Actor Dieter Laser commented “I never ever would have thought that all our differences and misunderstandings would in the end lead to an even deeper and warmer understanding and appreciation of each other. In this regard I am actually thankful about the whole fuss because it turned out to be an advantage and a wonderful present for our film and for our friendship.”

    Dieter Laser will star alongside Laurence R. Harvey (The Human Centipede 2 (Full Sequence)) but will not return as characters ‘Dr.Heiter’ and ‘Martin’ but will instead play a new villain duo with a storyline no-one will expect. Also a big American celebrity will be attached to the film.

    Filming starts coming may in the USA and will feature a megalomaniac 500 + human centipede.

    The Human Centipede (First Sequence) and The Human Centipede 2 (Full Sequence) were released in the UK by Monster Pictures and distributed by Eureka Entertainment. More details about the third instalment are expected to be announced later this year.