Tagged: Tom Hanks

13Jul

[FILM NEWS] ELVIS Reaches New Milestone

Posted in Biography, Drama, Film, Film Genre, Film News, Home Page, Music / Musicals, News | Leave a comment

It has taken ELVIS just 20 days to break into the Top 10 highest grossing Australian films of all time with its local box office takings exceeding $22million. Currently ranked 10th, strong word of mouth about the film means ELVIS will likely move further up the list in coming weeks.

The visionary Australian filmmaker Baz Luhrmann is once again a hometown hero with his big-screen spectacle about the life and music of Elvis Presley, his latest cinematic achievement becoming his fourth film in the Top 10—the most of any director.

Released on June 23, ELVIS saw Luhrmann achieve his biggest opening day in Australia with $1.3m and the second biggest opening weekend for an Australian film taking $6.74m, falling just shy of the top Australian opener, his own The Great Gatsby ($6.79m) in 2013.

ELVIS had its world premiere at the 75th Festival de Cannes in May before the film’s Australian premiere on the Gold Coast in early June. This was followed by an east coast press tour and Sydney premiere with Baz Luhrmann, Tom Hanks, Austin Butler, Olivia DeJonge, Catherine Martin and many of the Australian cast and crew out in force supporting the film.

Luhrmann said: “Hearing this wonderful news, for me personally, feels like we’ve really come full circle now with ELVIS. From the first day I called ‘action’ to the last shot, through post-production and finally being able to deliver this film to the world in such a big way, it’s meant everything to me that we were able to accomplish all of that in my home country, in support of Australia. So now, to feel the support of the Australian cinemagoers for this film is so humbling, and so moving. I am thrilled to enjoy this success alongside all of our talented cast and crew, who were so devoted to bringing Elvis’s story to the screen. As Elvis would say, we were just taking care of business.”

ELVIS was shot entirely on the Gold Coast with the support of the Queensland Government through Screen Queensland and the Australian Government’s Producer Offset program. A thoroughly cinematic drama, Elvis’s (Butler) story is seen through the lens of his complicated relationship with his enigmatic manager, Colonel Tom Parker (Hanks).  As told by Parker, the film delves into the complex dynamic between the two spanning over 20 years, from Presley’s rise to fame to his unprecedented stardom, against the backdrop of the evolving cultural landscape and loss of innocence in America.  Central to that journey is one of the significant and influential people in Elvis’s life, Priscilla Presley (Olivia DeJonge).

The film’s 95 Australian cast members include Helen Thomson and Richard Roxburgh as Elvis’ parents Gladys and Vernon, Luke Bracey, Natasha Bassett, David Wenham, Xavier Samuel, Kodi Smit-McPhee and Dacre Montgomery.

QLD Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said: “I am proud of working with Baz to secure this outstanding production, and that Queensland’s Gold Coast and more than 900 local cast and crew – from costumers to caterers, and hundreds of local extras cast as screaming fans − could help Baz’s vision become reality and contribute more than $130 million to our economy. Queensland’s ability to transport record numbers of cinemagoers across Australia into the world of Elvis, firmly cements our position as a film production capital.”

Screen Queensland CEO Kylie Munnich added: “We all knewELVIS was a hit the moment we watched the premiere at the Gold Coast on 4 June. And Australia agrees! We are thrilled this film was made in Queensland, with the support of Screen Queensland and congratulate Bazmark and Warner Bros.”

The Top 10 Australian Films

  1. Crocodile Dundee (1986), $47,707,598
  2. Australia (2008), $37,555,757
  3. Babe (1995), $36,797,861
  4. Happy Feet (2006), $31,786,593
  5. Lion (2017), $29,563,329
  6. Moulin Rouge! (2001), $27,765,415
  7. The Great Gatsby (2013), $27,385,977
  8. Peter Rabbit (2018), $26,760,008
  9. Crocodile Dundee 2 (1988), $24,916,805
  10. ELVIS (2022), $22,124,882

25Jun

[FILM REVIEW] ELVIS Review (2022)

Posted in Biography, Drama, Film, Film Genre, Home Page, Music / Musicals, Romance | Leave a comment

Summary:  Doctor Strange teams uFrom his childhood in Tupelo, Mississippi to his rise to stardom starting in Memphis, Tennessee and his conquering of Las Vegas, Nevada, Elvis Presley becomes the first rock ‘n roll star and changes the world with his music.

Year: 2022

Cinema Release Dates:  23rd June 2022 (Australia), 23rd June 2022 (Thailand), 24th June 2022 (UK), 24th June 2022 (USA)

VOD Release Dates: TBA

Country: Australia, USA

Director: Baz Luhrman

Screenwriter: Baz Luhrman, Sam Bromell, Craig Pearce, Jeremy Doner

Cast: Charles Allen (Reverend Brewster), Princess Mariama Andrews (Sweet Inspirations – Cissy), Gad Banza (Shake Rag Friend – Doc), Natasha Bassett (Dixie Locke), Natalie Bassingthwaighte (Dee Stanley), Nicholas Bell (Senator Eastland), Mike Bingaman (Sonny West), Liz Blackett (Grandma Dodger), Luke Bracey (Jerry Schilling), Sharon Brooks (Sweet Inspirations – Sylvia), Miles Burton (Shake Rag Friend – Bobby), Austin Butler (Elvis), Gary Clark Jr. (Arthur ‘Big Boy’ Crudup), Sandro Colarelli (Tony Goochera), Josie Cross (Glenda), Elizabeth Cullen (Natalie – Motel Girl), Gareth Davies (Bones Howe), Olivia DeJonge (Priscilla), Hilton Hyppolite Denis (Claude Thompson), Shonka Dukureh (Big Mama Thornton/Pentecostal Singer), Adam Dunn (Bill Black), Leon Ford (Tom Diskin), Miranda Frangou (Nell), Charles Grounds (Billy Smith), Tom Hanks (Colonel Tom Parker), Kelvin Harrison Jr. (B.B. King), Chaydon Jay (Young Elvis), ALyson Joyce (Marie Knight), Jenna Kenney (Barbara Hearn), Aristene Kisando (Sweet Inspirations – Myrna), Christian Kisando (Shake Rag Friend – Smoky), Alex Knight (Ron Tutt), Alton Mason (Little Richard), Christian McCarty (Red West), Josh McConville (Sam Phillips), Jack McGirr (Tommy), Senayt Mebrahtu (Sweet Inspirations – Estelle), Ange Miliken (Madam Z), Dacre Montgomery (Steve Binder), Andrea Moor (Nurse Tish), Cle Morgan (Mahalia Jackson), John Mukristayo (Jimmy), Kate Mulvany (Marion Keisker), Tony Nixon (Dr. Nick), Sarah Ogden (Mrs. Eastland), Anthony Phelan (Meyer Kohn), Greg Powell (Milton Berle), Alex Radu (George Klein), Terepai Richmond (DJ Fontana), Richard Roxburgh (Vernon), Patrick Shearer (DJ Dewey Phillips), Kodi Smit-McPhee (Jimmie Rodgers Snow), Xavier Samuel (Scotty Moore), Christopher Sommers (Horace Logan), Helen Thomson (Gladys), Melina Vidler (Barbara), David Wenham (Hank Snow), Katrina West (Ann Eastland), Mark Leonard Winter (Tom Hulett), Yola (Sister Rosetta Tharpe)

Running Time: 149 mins

Classification: M (Australia), G (Thailand), 12-A (UK), PG-13 (USA)

OUR ELVIS REVIEWS

David Griffiths’ Elvis Review:

Nobody makes films like Australian director Baz Luhrmann. Luhrmann’s own style of filmmaking was there for all to see with his 90s hit Strictly Moulin. From there he went from strength to strength wowing audiences with his own take on the classic Shakespearian tale of Romeo & Juliet and then of course came the gem in his crown – the visually spectacular Moulin Rouge. It seems the only blemish in Luhrmann’s career to date was the sub-standard Australia that made the country it was named after cringe.

When you think of the loud music and the glitz and glamour that Luhrmann loads his movies with you soon realise that he is the perfect filmmaker to bring the story of the great Elvis Presley to the big screen. Presley like Luhrmann was a glitzy showman who shone brightest when the spotlight was him and to the former’s credit he captures all that and more with his latest epic – Elvis.

Told through the eyes of Presley’s (Austin Butler – Arrow) long-time manager Colonel Tom Parker (Tom Hanks – Castaway) Elvis follows Presley’s career right from the earliest days when he performed to make money for his parents, Vernon (Richard Roxburgh – Van Helsing) and Gladys (Helen Thomson – Kangaroo Jack) through to Parker signing a long term deal that would see him perform some of his most energetic shows on the Vegas.

Along the way we see the young Presley working with musicians such as Little Richard (first time actor Alton Mason) who helped form his now famous sound and also his more personal moments especially as his relationship with Priscilla (Olivia DeJonge – Better Watch Out) begun to blossom.

Most will go into Elvis expecting a movie that is full of glitz and glam but lacks substance, in reality though nothing is further than the truth. Luhrmann surprisingly digs deep into the live of Elvis Presley and touches on some of the darker moments and events that happened throughout his career.  Topics such as racist politicians and law enforcement officers targeting Elvis during the early days of his career are explored in great depth and ground the film, it is a rarity to see Luhrmann tackle serious subjects like this in his films but he shows here that he is more than capable of it.

Likewise despite the fact the film is told through the eyes of Parker Luhrmann allows the film to explore many of the allegations brought against him. Early on Parker while acting as narrator defends himself saying he never did anything to harm Elvis yet later we see him recounting times when he pushed the man to the limit of exhaustion fuelling his drug habit while making selfish decisions that would benefit him but damage the career of the man he supposedly cared for.

Perhaps Luhrmann’s hand on the film really comes to light though during Presley’s Vegas years. The flashy neon lights and the fast pace of Las Vegas are perfect fodder for Luhrmann’s style of filmmaking and the scenes of Elvis on stage in Vegas are some of the highlights of the film – especially given that Austin Butler’s performance is so believable that it feels like you are watching archival footage.

In fact it probably isn’t out of place to suggest that Butler could easily earn an Oscar nomination for this film. His performance here is faultless as he literally seems to become Elvis. His singing voice mimics the King to a tee what his dancing ability is off the charts. When you mix that with his fine acting performance that takes him through all the emotions what you see here is one of the best acting performances of 2022.

This is also one of Tom Hanks finest acting performances to date, and that is saying something given the calibre of Hanks’ previous roles. He seems to embrace being able to play Parker as a type of villain and his performance is one of the most memorable things from the film. Likewise Olivia DeJone is stunning at Priscilla, she may have limited screen time but she makes use of what she does have.

Elvis far exceeds the expectations that many will have from it. The serious tone of the film is a huge step up and a surprise from Luhrmann. He keeps control of this film remarkably well knowing the right times to unleash his glitzy brilliance and when to hold it back for some of the films more serious moments. Together Luhrmann, Butler and Hanks have created something very special, something that is one of the best films of the year.

Dave’s rating Out Of 5

Alex First, Greg King, Jacqui Hammerton and Peter Krausz’s Elvis Review:

Alex’s rating Out Of 5

Greg’s rating Out Of 5

Jacqui’s rating Out Of 5

Peter’s rating Out Of 5

Average Subculture Rating:

Other Subculture Elvis Reviews:

N/A

Trailer:

01Jun

[FILM NEWS] PINOCCHIO Trailer Released

Posted in Animation, Family/Kids, Film, Film Genre, Film News, Home Page, News | Leave a comment

The global celebration of Disney+ Day will return on Thursday, September 8, 2022, leading into D23 Expo: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event presented by Visa in Anaheim, CA. In celebration, the streaming service will host special experiences for fans and subscribers, and will premiere new content from its marquee brands, including the return of the beloved Disney franchise in the all-new live action “Pinocchio” on Disney+ Day, September 8. The teaser trailer and key art for the film, starring Tom Hanks, Benjamin Evan Ainsworth, Cynthia Erivo, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Keegan-Michael Key, Lorraine Bracco and Luke Evans, are available now. In addition to “Pinocchio,” Disney+ will announce more Disney+ Day premieres from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, and National Geographic in the coming months. 
 
Academy Award® winner Robert Zemeckis directs this live action retelling of the beloved tale of a wooden puppet who embarks on a thrilling adventure to become a real boy. Tom Hanks stars as Geppetto, the wood carver who builds and treats Pinocchio (Benjamin Evan Ainsworth) as if he were his own son. Joseph Gordon-Levitt is Jiminy Cricket, who serves as Pinocchio’s guide as well as his “conscience”; Academy Award® nominee Cynthia Erivo is the Blue Fairy; Keegan-Michael Key is “Honest” John; Academy Award® nominee Lorraine Bracco is Sofia the Seagull, a new character, and Luke Evans is The Coachman. Also in the cast are Kyanne Lamaya as Fabiana (and her marionette Sabina), Giuseppe Battiston as Señor Stromboli and Lewin Lloyd as Lampwick.  
 
Robert Zemeckis, Derek Hogue, Andrew Miano, Chris Weitz and Paul Weitz are the film’s producers, with Jackie Levine, Jack Rapke, Alexandra Derbyshire and Jeremy Johns the executive producers.

24May

[FILM NEWS] New ELVIS Trailer Released

Posted in Biography, Drama, Film, Film Genre, Film News, Home Page, Music / Musicals, News | Leave a comment

ELVIS is an epic, big-screen spectacle from Warner Bros. Pictures and visionary, Oscar-nominated filmmaker Baz Luhrmann that explores the life and music of Elvis Presley, starring Austin Butler and Oscar winner Tom Hanks.

A thoroughly cinematic drama, Elvis’s (Butler) story is seen through the lens of his complicated relationship with his enigmatic manager, Colonel Tom Parker (Hanks).  As told by Parker, the film delves into the complex dynamic between the two spanning over 20 years, from Presley’s rise to fame to his unprecedented stardom, against the backdrop of the evolving cultural landscape and loss of innocence in America.  Central to that journey is one of the significant and influential people in Elvis’s life, Priscilla Presley (Olivia DeJonge).

Starring alongside Hanks and Butler, award-winning theatre actress Helen Thomson (“Top of the Lake: China Girl”, “Rake”) plays Elvis’s mother, Gladys, Richard Roxburgh (“Moulin Rouge!” “Breath”, “Hacksaw Ridge”) portrays Elvis’s father, Vernon, and DeJonge (“The Visit”, “Stray Dolls”) plays Priscilla.  Luke Bracey (“Hacksaw Ridge”, “Point Break”) plays Jerry Schilling, Natasha Bassett (“Hail, Caesar!”) plays Dixie Locke, David Wenham (“The Lord of the Rings” Trilogy, “Lion”, “300”) plays Hank Snow, Kelvin Harrison Jr. (“The Trial of the Chicago 7”, “The High Note”) plays B.B. King, Xavier Samuel (“Adore”, “Love & Friendship”, “The Twilight Saga: Eclipse”) plays Scotty Moore, and Kodi Smit-McPhee (“The Power of the Dog”) plays Jimmie Rodgers Snow.

Also in the cast, Dacre Montgomery (“Stranger Things”, “The Broken Heart Gallery”) plays TV director Steve Binder, alongside Australian actors Leon Ford (“Gallipoli”, “The Pacific”) as Tom Diskin, Kate Mulvany (“The Great Gatsby”, “Hunters”) as Marion Keisker, Gareth Davies (“Peter Rabbit”, “Hunters”) as Bones Howe, Charles Grounds (“Crazy Rich Asians”, “Camp”) as Billy Smith, Josh McConville (“Fantasy Island”) as Sam Phillips, and Adam Dunn (“Home and Away”) as Bill Black.

To play additional iconic musical artists in the film, Luhrmann cast singer/songwriter Yola as Sister Rosetta Tharpe, model Alton Mason as Little Richard, Austin, Texas native Gary Clark Jr. as Arthur Crudup, and artist Shonka Dukureh as Willie Mae “Big Mama” Thornton.

Oscar nominee Luhrmann (“The Great Gatsby”, “Moulin Rouge!”) directed from a screenplay by Baz Luhrmann & Sam Bromell and Baz Luhrmann & Craig Pearce and Jeremy Doner, story by Baz Luhrmann and Jeremy Doner.  The film’s producers are Luhrmann, Oscar winner Catherine Martin (“The Great Gatsby”, “Moulin Rouge!”), Gail Berman, Patrick McCormick and Schuyler Weiss.  Courtenay Valenti and Kevin McCormick executive produced.

The director’s behind-the-scenes creative team includes director of photography Mandy Walker (“Mulan”, “Australia”), Oscar-winning production designer and costume designer Catherine Martin (“The Great Gatsby”, “Moulin Rouge!”), production designer Karen Murphy (“A Star Is Born”), editors Matt Villa (“The Great Gatsby”, “Australia”) and Jonathan Redmond (“The Great Gatsby”), Oscar-nominated visual effects supervisor Thomas Wood (“Mad Max: Fury Road”), music supervisor Anton Monsted (“Australia”, “Moulin Rouge!”) and composer Elliott Wheeler (“The Get Down”).

Principal photography on “Elvis” took place in Queensland, Australia with the support of the Queensland Government, Screen Queensland and the Australian Government’s Producer Offset program. 

A Warner Bros. Pictures Presentation, A Bazmark Production, A Jackal Group Production, A Baz Luhrmann Film, “Elvis” will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures and released in Australian cinemas on June 23, 2022.

14Mar

[FILM NEWS] First Look At PINOCCHIO

Posted in Drama, Family/Kids, Film, Film Genre, Film News, Home Page, News | Leave a comment

Disney+ has released a first look image of its upcoming all-new live action “Pinocchio,” which will premiere exclusively on the streaming service this September.
 
Academy Award® winner Robert Zemeckis directs this live action retelling of the beloved tale of a wooden puppet who embarks on a thrilling adventure to become a real boy. Tom Hanks stars as Geppetto, the wood-carver who builds and treats Pinocchio (Benjamin Evan Ainsworth) as if he were his own son. Joseph Gordon-Levitt is Jiminy Cricket, who serves as Pinocchio’s guide as well as his “conscience”; Academy Award® nominee Cynthia Erivo is the Blue Fairy; Keegan-Michael Key is “Honest” John; Academy Award® nominee Lorraine Bracco is Sofia the Seagull, a new character, and Luke Evans is The Coachman.
 
Robert Zemeckis, Derek Hogue, Andrew Miano, Chris Weitz and Paul Weitz are the film’s producers, with Jackie Levine, Jack Rapke, Alexandra Derbyshire and Jeremy Johns the executive producers.

18Feb

[FILM NEWS] ELVIS Trailer Released

Posted in Biography, Drama, Film, Film Genre, Film News, Home Page, News | Leave a comment

From Oscar-nominated visionary filmmaker Baz Luhrmann comes Warner Bros. Pictures’ drama “Elvis”, starring Austin Butler and Oscar winner Tom Hanks.

The film explores the life and music of Elvis Presley (Butler), seen through the prism of his complicated relationship with his enigmatic manager, Colonel Tom Parker (Hanks).  The story delves into the complex dynamic between Presley and Parker spanning over 20 years, from Presley’s rise to fame to his unprecedented stardom, against the backdrop of the evolving cultural landscape and loss of innocence in America.  Central to that journey is one of the most significant and influential people in Elvis’s life, Priscilla Presley (Olivia DeJonge).

Starring alongside Hanks and Butler, award-winning theatre actress Helen Thomson (“Top of the Lake: China Girl”, “Rake”) plays Elvis’s mother, Gladys, Richard Roxburgh (“Moulin Rouge!” “Breath”, “Hacksaw Ridge”) portrays Elvis’s father, Vernon, and DeJonge (“The Visit”, “Stray Dolls”) plays Priscilla.  Luke Bracey (“Hacksaw Ridge”, “Point Break”) plays Jerry Schilling, Natasha Bassett (“Hail, Caesar!”) plays Dixie Locke, David Wenham (“The Lord of the Rings” Trilogy, “Lion”, “300”) plays Hank Snow, Kelvin Harrison Jr. (“The Trial of the Chicago 7”, “The High Note”) plays B.B. King, Xavier Samuel (“Adore”, “Love & Friendship”, “The Twilight Saga: Eclipse”) plays Scotty Moore, and Kodi Smit-McPhee (“The Power of the Dog”) plays Jimmie Rodgers Snow.

Also in the cast, Dacre Montgomery (“Stranger Things”, “The Broken Heart Gallery”) plays TV director Steve Binder, alongside Australian actors Leon Ford (“Gallipoli”, “The Pacific”) as Tom Diskin, Kate Mulvany (“The Great Gatsby”, “Hunters”) as Marion Keisker, Gareth Davies (“Peter Rabbit”, “Hunters”) as Bones Howe, Charles Grounds (“Crazy Rich Asians”, “Camp”) as Billy Smith, Josh McConville (“Fantasy Island”) as Sam Phillips, and Adam Dunn (“Home and Away”) as Bill Black.

To play additional iconic musical artists in the film, Luhrmann cast singer/songwriter Yola as Sister Rosetta Tharpe, model Alton Mason as Little Richard, Austin, Texas native Gary Clark Jr. as Arthur Crudup, and artist Shonka Dukureh as Willie Mae “Big Mama” Thornton.

Oscar nominee Luhrmann (“The Great Gatsby”, “Moulin Rouge!”) directed from a screenplay by Baz Luhrmann & Sam Bromell and Baz Luhrmann & Craig Pearce and Jeremy Doner, story by Baz Luhrmann and Jeremy Doner.  The film’s producers are Luhrmann, Oscar winner Catherine Martin (“The Great Gatsby”, “Moulin Rouge!”), Gail Berman, Patrick McCormick and Schuyler Weiss.  Courtenay Valenti and Kevin McCormick executive produced.

The director’s behind-the-scenes creative team includes director of photography Mandy Walker (“Mulan”, “Australia”), Oscar-winning production designer and costume designer Catherine Martin (“The Great Gatsby”, “Moulin Rouge!”), production designer Karen Murphy (“A Star Is Born”), editors Matt Villa (“The Great Gatsby”, “Australia”) and Jonathan Redmond (“The Great Gatsby”), Oscar-nominated visual effects supervisor Thomas Wood (“Mad Max: Fury Road”), music supervisor Anton Monsted (“Australia”, “Moulin Rouge!”) and composer Elliott Wheeler (“The Get Down”).

10Sep

[FIM NEWS] ELVIS To Begin Filming

Posted in Drama, Film, Film Genre, Film News, Home Page, Music / Musicals, News | Leave a comment

 

Principal photography will begin on September 23 on Warner Bros. Pictures’ “Elvis,” Oscar-nominated filmmaker Baz Luhrmann’s (“The Great Gatsby,” “Moulin Rouge!”) musical drama about the life and music of Elvis Presley.  Seen through the prism of his complicated relationship with his enigmatic manager, Colonel Tom Parker, the film stars Austin Butler (“Once Upon a Time in…Hollywood”) as Elvis, Tom Hanks (“A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood,” “Forrest Gump”) as Colonel Tom Parker and Olivia DeJonge (“Stray Dolls”) as Priscilla Presley. 

Looking forward to getting to work after the lengthy delay, Luhrmann stated, “We’re back to, as Elvis liked to say, ‘taking care of business!’  It is a real privilege in this unprecedented global moment that Tom Hanks has been able to return to Australia to join Austin Butler and all of our extraordinary cast and crew to commence production on ‘Elvis.’  I cannot emphasize enough how lucky we feel in the current climate that the state of Queensland, and Queenslanders in general, have been so supportive of this film.  We thank our partners in the Queensland Government and Queensland Health for their extremely diligent process, so that we can be an example how creativity and productivity can proceed safely and responsibly in a way that protects our team and the community at large.  We are all excited to start working with Tom Hanks when he is out of quarantine in two weeks.”

The story delves into the complex dynamic between Presley and Parker spanning over 20 years, from Presley’s rise to fame to his unprecedented stardom, against the backdrop of the evolving cultural landscape and loss of innocence in America.  Central to that journey is one of the most significant and influential people in Elvis’s life, Priscilla Presley.

Luhrmann directs from the current screenplay written by Luhrmann and Craig Pearce.  Luhrmann is also producing the film, alongside Catherine Martin, Gail Berman, Patrick McCormick and Schuyler Weiss, with Andrew Mittman executive producing.

The director’s behind-the-scenes creative team includes director of photography Mandy Walker (“Mulan,” “Australia”), Oscar-winning production designer and costume designer Catherine Martin (“The Great Gatsby,” “Moulin Rouge!”), editors Matt Villa (“The Great Gatsby,” “Australia”) and Jonathan Redmond (“The Great Gatsby”) and composer Elliott Wheeler (“The Get Down”).

Principal photography on “Elvis” is taking place in Queensland, Australia with the support of the Queensland Government, Screen Queensland and the Australian Government’s Producer Offset program.  The film will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures.

30Mar

[FILM FEATURE] Hollywood’s Darkest Days

Posted in Film, Film and TV Articles, Home Page | Leave a comment

 

They say that the lights never go out in Hollywood. Well if they aren’t fully out at the moment then they are certainly very, very dim. As the Covid-19 virus goes on its deadly wave right across the planet Hollywood and the world’s film industry has become one of its biggest victims.

Right now as i write this this most of the world’s cinemas are in darkness – the projectors have stopped and the doors are closed. In Thailand cinemas are closed until April 1st while in America the cinemas are closed indefinitely. In Australia the cinema chains desperately tried to keep the doors open, but finally the week came where only one new film opened in cinemas and as people had started to fear going out in public the film was playing to empty cinemas. When you consider that film was The Current War starring the likes of Benedict Cumberbatch, Michael Shannon and Tom Holland the fact it wasn’t drawing an audience just went to show how afraid people really were. Luckily the nation’s Prime Minister Scott Morrison made the decision for the cinema bosses when he included cinemas in the list of non-essential services that had to close as the nation went into a Stage One lockdown.

For the rest of the world the first inkling that Covid-19 was going to hit the cinema industry hard was when Sony Pictures made the announcement that they were postponing the release date of the latest Bond film No Time To Die. Sony, it seemed made the right call especially after we all saw the hit that the much-hyped Bloodshot starring Vin Diesel took upon its released. Its studio decided to brave the Covid affected cinema numbers and released the film amidst the chaos – the result was taking just nine million dollars at the box office in its first week of release in the USA. Desperate not to see the same fate happen to Diesel’s other blockbuster – Fast & Furious 9 – its studio decided to push its release back to 2021.

Some companies decided to get creative. Realising that they were going to have a captive housebound audience for potentially the next few months Universal Pictures have decided to chance its arm and in some territories has released potential blockbusters The Invisible Man and Trolls World Tour onto streaming services. It now seems likely that Disney will do the same with the eagerly anticipated Pixar animation Onward.

While the release dates of some of the year’s biggest films seem to be moving around like chess pieces on a board it leaves us with one big question – if Thailand’s cinemas do re-open on April 1st what do audiences have to look forward to? While films such as Daniel Radcliffe’s all action affair Guns Akimbo and new horror film Fantasy Island are slated for release not long after the doors open for several months audiences will have to watch locally made films and smaller international films while Hollywood prepares to re-launch itself with their all-conquering blockbusters. That is not necessarily a bad thing though as it means for awhile locally made films will have very little competition at the box-office for awhile.

Of course box office aside Covid-19 has also had catastrophic affect on the people of Hollywood and film industries right around the world. At the moment every major studio in America has shutdown production meaning that hundreds of thousands of people are currently out of work – many not knowing when those studio doors will open again.

The human side of Covid-19 in Hollywood became even more apparent when two of its biggest stars tested positive to the deadly virus. In Australia working on a new movie about the life of Elvis Presley Oscar winning actor Tom Hanks and his wife Rita Wilson contracted the virus resulting in Australia’s Nine Network television network having to place some of their on-air talent in isolation after they had come in contact with the pair. It was later proven that Nine’s head Entertainment Reporter Richard Wilkins had actually contracted Covid-19 after interviewing Wilson.

The next Hollywood celebrity to test positive to Covid-19 was Thor: Ragnarok and Star Trek Beyond star Idris Elba and only a few hours ago it was confirmed that former Hollywood producer and convicted rapist Harvey Weinstein has tested positive to the virus in prison.

Globally nobody has been able to safely predict when the Covid-19 crisis might be over but the one thing we do know is it is going to take a long time for Hollywood to recover from cinema’s darkest days.

10Feb

[FILM NEWS] 2020 Academy Award Winners Announced

Posted in Film, Film News, Home Page, News | Leave a comment

Tonight saw the 2020 Academy Award winners announced. Here are all the major winners:

 

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

WINNER: Brad Pitt (Once Upon A Time In Hollywood)

NOMINEES: Tom Hanks (A Beautiful Day In The Neighbourhood), Al Pacino (The Irishman), Joe Pesci (The Irishman), Anthony Hopkins (Two Popes)

 

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE FILM

 

WINNER: Toy Story 4

NOMINEES: How To Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World, I Lost My Body, Klaus, Missing Link

 

BEST ANIMATED SHORT FILM

WINNER: Hair Love

NOMINEES:  Dcera (Daughter), Kitbull, Memorable, Sister

 

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

WINNER: Bong Joon Ho & Han Jin Wor (Parasite)

NOMINEES: Rian Johnson (Knives Out), Noah Baumbach (Marriage Story), Sam Mendes (1917), Quentin Tarantino (Once Upon A Time In Hollywood)

 

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

WINNER: Taika Waititti (Jo Jo Rabbit)

NOMINEES: Steve Zaillan (The Irishman), Todd Phillips & Scott Silver (Joker), Greta Gerwig (Little Women), Anthony McCarten (Two Popes)

 

BEST LIVE ACTION SHORT FILM

WINNER: The Neighbour’s Widow

NOMINEES: Brotherhood, Nefta Football Club, Saria, A Sister

 

ACHIEVEMENT IN PRODUCTION DESIGN

WINNER: Barbara Ling and Nancy Haigh (Once Upon A Time In Hollywood)

NOMINEES: Bob Shaw and Regina Greaves (The Irishman), Ra Vincent and Nora Sopkova (Jo Jo Rabbit), Dennis Gassner and Lee Sandales (1917), Lee Ha Jun and Cho Won Woo (Parasite)

 

ACHIEVEMENT IN COSTUME DESIGN

WINNER: Jacqueline Durran (Little Women)

NOMINEES: Sandy Powell and Christopher Peterson (The Irishman), Mayes C. Rubeo (Jojo Rabbit), Mark Bridges (Joker), Arianne Phillips (Once Upon A Time In Hollywood)

 

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE FILM

WINNER: American Factory

NOMINEES: The Cave, The Edge Of Democracy, For Sama, Honeyland

 

BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT SUBJECT

WINNER: Learning To Skateboard In A War Zone (If You’re A Girl)

NOMINEES: In The Absence, Life Overtakes Me, St. Louis Superan, Walk Run Cha-Cha

 

BEST ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

WINNER: Laura Dern (Marriage Story)

NOMINEES: Kathy Bates (Richard Jewell), Scarlett Johansson (Jojo Rabbit), Florence Pugh (Little Women), Margot Robbie (Bombshell)

 

 

ACHIEVEMENT IN SOUND EDITING

WINNER: Donald Sylvester (Ford vs Ferrari)

NOMINEES: Alan Robert Murray (Joker), Oliver Tarney and Rachael Tate (1917), Wyllie Stateman (Once Upon A Time In Hollywood), Matthew Wood and David Acord (Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker)

 

 

ACHIEVEMENT IN SOUND MIXING

WINNER: Mark Taylor and Stuart Wilson (1917)

NOMINEES: Gary Rydstrom, Tom Johnson and Mark Ulano (Ad Astra), Paul Massey, David Giammarco and Steven A. Morrow (Ford vs Ferrari), Tom Ozanich, Dean Zupancic, Tod Maitland (Joker), Michael Minkler, Christian P. Minkler, Mark Ulano (Once Upon A Time In Hollywood)

 

ACHIEVEMENT IN CINEMATOGRAPHY

WINNER: Roger Deakins (1917)

NOMINEES: Rodriego Prieto (The Irishman), Lawrence Sher (Joker), Jarin Blaschke (The Lighthouse), Robert Richardson (Once Upon A Time In Hollywood)

 

ACHIEVEMENT IN FILM EDITING

WINNER: MichaeL McCusker and Andrew Buckland (Ford vs Ferrari)

NOMINEES: Thelma Schoonmaker (The Irishman), Tom Eagles (Jojo Rabbit), Jeff Groth (Joker), Yang Jinmo (Parasite)

 

ACHIEVEMENT IN VISUAL EFFECTS

WINNER: Guillaume Rocheron, Greg Butler and Dominic Tuohy (1917)

NOMINEES: Dan DeLeeuw, Russell Earl, Matt Aitken and Dan Sudick (Avengers: Endgame), Pablo Helmann, Leandro Estebecorena, Nelson Sepulveda-Fauser and Stephanie Grabli (The Irishman), Robert Legato, Adam Valdez, Andrew R. Jones and Elliott Newman (The Lion King), Roger Guyett, Neal Scanlan, Patrick Tubach, Dominic Tuohy (Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker)

 

ACHIEVEMENT IN MAKE-UP AND HAIR STYLE

 

WINNER: Kazu Hiro, Anne Morgan and Vivican Baker (Bombshell)

NOMINEES: Nicki Ledermann and Kay Georgiou (Joker), Jeremy Woodhead (Judy), Paul Gooch, Arjen Tuiten and David White (Maleficent: Mistress Of Evil), Naomi Donne, Tristan Versluis and Rebecca Cole (1917)

 

BEST INTERNATIONAL FEATURE FILM

WINNER: Parasite

NOMINEES: Corpus Christi, Honeyland, Les Miserables, Pain And Glory

 

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE

WINNER: Hildur Guonadottir (Joker)

NOMINEES: Alexandre Desplat (Little Women), Randy Newman (Marriage Story), Thomas Newman (1917), John Williams (Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker)

 

BEST ORIGINAL SONG

WINNER: ‘(I’m Gonna) Love Me Again’ – Elton John and Bernie Taupin (Rocketman)

NOMINEES: ‘I Can’t Let You Throw Yourself Away’ – Randy Newman (Toy Story 4), ‘I’m Standing With You’ – Diane Warren (Breakthrough), ‘Into The Unknown’ – Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez (Frozen II), ‘Standing Up’ – Joshuah Brian Campbell and Cynthia Erivo (Harriet)

 

BEST ACHIEVEMENT IN DIRECTING

WINNER: Bong Joon Ho (Parasite)

NOMINEES: Martin Scorcese (The Irishman), Todd Phillips (Joker), Sam Mendes (1917), Quentin Tarantino (Once Upon A Time In Hollywood)

 

BEST ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE

WINNER: Joaquin Phoenix (Joker)

NOMINEES: Antonio Banderas (Pain & Glory), Leonardo DiCaprio (Once Upon A Time In Hollywood), Adam Driver (Marriage Story), Jonathan Pryce (Two Popes)

 

BEST ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE

WINNER: Renee Zellweger (Judy)

NOMINEES: Cynthia Erivo (Harriet), Scarlett Johansson (Marriage Story), Saorise Ronan (Little Women), Charlize Theron (Bombshell)

 

BEST PICTURE

WINNER: Parasite

NOMINEES: Ford v Ferrari, The Irishman, Jojo Rabbit, Joker, Little Women, Marriage Story, 1917, Once Upon A Time In Hollywood