The Star Online: Entertainment: Movies
The Star Online: Entertainment: Movies |
- Natalie Portman mulling two thrillers on top of 'Jackie' biopic
- Bond fans set to mark 50 years of big-screen style
- Pinewood Iskandar studios expected to generate more than RM2bil for local movie industry
| Natalie Portman mulling two thrillers on top of 'Jackie' biopic Posted: 03 Oct 2012 08:21 PM PDT Natalie Portman has been approached for lead roles in Code Name Sasha and Last Witness, according to Thewrap.com. Aged 31, the winner of the Oscar for best actress in 2011 is being actively courted by several studios. According to the website, Portman is in line for the title role in Code Name Sasha, a Paramount project in which she would play a single mom with an extensive rap sheet dating back to her teen years. She is offered a way out of trouble if she collaborates with authorities on a weapon trafficking sting. Fox Studios is also eyeing Portman for Last Witness, a drama in which she would play a psychologist dealing with the last survivor of a terrorist attack in a Boston café. Code Name Sasha and Last Witness join Jackie, a Jackie Kennedy biopic, among the numerous offers sent to Natalie Portman. After winning an Oscar and delivering a baby, the actress will be back in theaters in 2013 with Thor: The Dark World, Jane Got a Gun and an as yet untitled Terrence Malick drama. - AFP |
| Bond fans set to mark 50 years of big-screen style Posted: 03 Oct 2012 08:16 PM PDT LONDON: A series of events are to be held on Friday to mark the 50th anniversary of the James Bond films, the iconic spy saga that helped define half-a-century of cultural, political and technological upheaval. The suave British agent, code name 007, appeared on the silver screen for the first time in the 1962 classic "Dr. No", introducing himself with the immortal line "Bond... James Bond" over a high-stakes game of baccarat. Bond has been played by six different actors over the 22-series adventure, but has always maintained his obsession with fast cars, beautiful women, high-tech gadgets and vodka Martinis - shaken, not stirred. "For all the attempts at change, the core of the Bondian world remains the same: obsessed with sex and violence, hypermasculine, simplistically nationalistic, and addicted to conspicuous consumption," Christoph Lindner, editor of "The James Bond Phenomenon: A Critical Reader," told AFP. Worldwide events to celebrate Global Bond Day include an online charity auction, a survey to discover the favourite Bond film by country, a film retrospective at New York's Museum of Modern Art and a Music of Bond night in Los Angeles. London's Barbican Centre marked the occasion with an exhibition showcasing the design and style of "the world's most influential and iconic movie brand", which has moved on to Toronto where it opens on October 26. Britain's tourist agency has joined forces with the iconic spy for the first time, launching a campaign across 21 countries based around the slogan "Bond is GREAT Britain." A new feature documentary "Everything or Nothing: The Untold Story of 007", will be also be unveiled, focusing on producers Albert "Cubby" Broccoli and Harry Saltzman and author Ian Fleming, the three men most responsible for building the brand. The 23rd and latest film, "Skyfall", has its worldwide premiere in London on October 23 with Daniel Craig playing Bond for the third time. The "Skyfall" theme tune, sung by British diva Adele, will be released at 00:07 British time on Friday, although the track was leaked online on Tuesday. The release caps a busy year for 007, who provided one of the highlights of the London 2012 Olympic opening ceremony by "parachuting" into the event with Queen Elizabeth II. Few would have believed that Bond would become a global institution when "Dr. No", an adaptation of Fleming's 1958 novel, was released on October 5, 1962. Critical reaction to the film saga's first installment was mixed, with Time magazine calling Sean Connery's Bond "a great big hairy marshmallow". Critics have noted that Craig's muscular and moody performances are in sharp contrast to Roger Moore's light-hearted portrayals and Connery's old-fashioned machismo, mirroring changing social conventions. "The 007 series now presents a male hero who is emotionally vulnerable, fallible, and in many ways psychologically broken," explained Lindner. "Ironically, this is much closer to the 'screw-up' Bond of the original novels. "But attempts to modernise the so-called 'Bond girls' do not break with the formula, and the feminism - and, more recently, post-feminism - of the 'Bond girls' doesn't change the gender dynamics of the films," added the University of Amsterdam professor. Watt noted the development of Bond's attitude towards older women, saying "the idea that the sexist 'dinosaur'... could evolve into working for a female boss is very interesting." As well as evolving Bond's personality, the franchise has also adapted to shifting geopolitics. "We went from Cold War villains, to post-Communist villains, to post-9/11 terrorists, and so on," said Lindner. Watt said this ability to reflect the changing political world was crucial to the brand's survival. "We all know where the battle lines are drawn today," he stressed. "To stay current, current threats to the West have to be part of the picture." But Bond chiefs face a delicate task in staying loyal to Fleming's original vision and meeting the demands of the modern movie-goer, argued Watt. The Indiana University professor called the stripped-down 2008 release "Quantum of Solace" "a mundane action film" and urged the franchise to remember its roots. "The entire Bond lifestyle of the 1950s and 60s - of walking into the casino in a tuxedo, the exquisite and peculiar taste in food and in alcohol - all of this is extraordinarily exotic," he added. - AFP |
| Pinewood Iskandar studios expected to generate more than RM2bil for local movie industry Posted: 03 Oct 2012 06:33 PM PDT NUSAJAYA: The Pinewood Iskandar Malaysia Studios is expected to generate an estimated RM2.2bil in revenue for the local film industry. Information, Communication and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim said the money would help with the development of the local film industry. "About 5,000 workers are expected to directly benefit from the studios but there will also be plenty of opportunities for related industries to grow as well," he said. He was speaking to reporters after visiting the Pinewood site and attending a briefing here yesterday. Dr Rais said that currently, the Film Development Corporation Malaysia (Finas) was also looking at how to encourage foreign investors to produce their movies or television series here. "We have suggested several incentives for film and television production. Finas is studying the best way to implement tax exemptions and other incentives for both local and international filmmakers," he said. He added that the ministry would come up with special guidelines and set up a website for the purpose. Dr Rais expressed the hope that locals would be able to learn the latest film-making methods with the presence of Pinewood here. He added that this would help boost the local film industry and promote the country as an attractive film-making destination. Pinewood is located on a 20ha site and will be the largest independent integrated studio facility in South-East Asia. The studio complex is expected to open next year and will include TV studios, post-production suites, film stages and even a stage with a water tank for productions related to water. |
| You are subscribed to email updates from The Star Online: Entertainment: Movies To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
| Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610 | |
0 ulasan:
Catat Ulasan