| Variety.com Updated : Painted Skin (Hua pi) Film Reviews: Dubiously billing itself as "the first Eastern supernatural movie from China" -- what about "The Promise," for starters? -- costumer "Painted Skin" weighs in as an off-the-shelf drama-actioner that would have seemed much better 20 years ago. Assembled by a largely Hong Kong tech crew, but starring mostly Mainland thesps, yarn about a mysterious femme who's actually a flesh-eating fox-devil is the third and weakest pic version of the famous classical short story in the past 40 years. Opening across East Asia in late September, film scored good opening numbers in China but likely will be an ancillary item in Western markets. Publ.Date : Thu, 2 Oct 2008 20:36:10 EST China blocks N.Y. Times' website Business News: Beijing government defends censorship -- China has blocked access to the New York Times website, days after the Beijing government defended its right to censor online content it considers illegal. Publ.Date : Sun, 21 Dec 2008 14:12:09 EST RIAA stops piracy lawsuit strategy Music News: Org to stop targeting individual song swappers -- The Recording Industry Assn. of America said Friday that it has abandoned its policy of suing people for sharing songs protected by copyright and will work with Internet service providers to cut abusers' access if they ignore repeated warnings. Publ.Date : Sun, 21 Dec 2008 11:44:46 EST Arcana picks up 'Paradox' Exclusives: Studio to adapt Gage's comicbook series -- Arcana Studios is developing a feature version of the comicbook series “Paradox,” which centers on a police detective using unorthodox methods of investigation in a world powered by magic. Publ.Date : Sun, 21 Dec 2008 21:00:00 EST Maggie Q Players: Player Publ.Date : Sun, 21 Dec 2008 13:34:33 EST Zift Film Reviews: A widescreen black-and-white genre thrill ride navigating a stylized 1960s Sofia underworld, "Zift," from Bulgarian theater vet and first-time helmer Javor Gardev, stakes out a style somewhere between Aki Kaurismaki and Guy Ritchie, making it work through sheer chutzpah. This is an instant midnight fest fave that could see limited specialized action before finding true cult status on homevid. Publ.Date : Thu, 11 Sep 2008 18:33:02 EST Last Chance Harvey Film Reviews: There's never a doubt that the losers-at-love of British writer-director Joel Hopkins' "Last Chance Harvey" are on intersecting arcs, that they'll meet cute and stroll off into a sooty London sunset. But stars Dustin Hoffman and Emma Thompson are so disarmingly charming that even the most treacly moments work an emotional magic. Publ.Date : Sun, 9 Nov 2008 08:37:25 EST Marissa Jaret Winokur Players: Player Publ.Date : Sun, 21 Dec 2008 13:25:43 EST The Curious Case of Benjamin Button Film Reviews: "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" represents a richly satisfying serving of deep-dish Hollywood storytelling. This odd, epic tale of a man who ages backwards is presented in an impeccable classical manner, every detail tended to with fastidious devotion. Publ.Date : Sun, 23 Nov 2008 16:27:36 EST HBO seals deal with Maria Bello TV News: Actress developing crime series with Lennon -- HBO has sealed a deal with thesp Maria Bello ("The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor") to develop and star in a new series for the pay cabler. Publ.Date : Sun, 21 Dec 2008 21:00:00 EST Fox Searchlight finds niche at B.O. Front Page: Snow can't slow 'Wrestler,' 'Slumdog Millionaire' -- Fox Searchlight wrestled key victories out of the weekend box office for Mickey Rourke starrer "The Wrestler" and awards favorite "Slumdog Millionaire." Publ.Date : Sun, 21 Dec 2008 15:34:42 EST Largo Winch Film Reviews: In a surefire sign of current economic woes, the titular hero of transnational thriller "Largo Winch" seems less concerned with fighting for justice than with preserving his own multibillion-dollar inheritance. Publ.Date : Fri, 19 Dec 2008 16:40:15 EST City of Ember Film Reviews: A fabulously designed underground metropolis proves more involving than the teenagers running through its streets in "City of Ember," a good-looking but no more than serviceable adaptation of Jeanne Duprau's 2003 novel. Publ.Date : Thu, 9 Oct 2008 13:00:00 EST Bedtime Stories Film Reviews: While the comedy -- about a hotel handyman whose outlandish tales spring to life -- clearly skews to a younger demo, there's enough sophomoric humor here to reassure the Sandler faithful. Publ.Date : Sun, 21 Dec 2008 22:01:00 EST Seven Pounds Film Reviews: "Seven Pounds" is an endlessly sentimental fable about sacrifice and redemption that aims only at the heart at the expense of the head. Publ.Date : Wed, 17 Dec 2008 11:33:10 EST The Tale of Despereaux Film Reviews: Kate DiCamillo's delectable novel about rodents, royals and the restorative properties of soup gets the star-laden, CG-animated bigscreen treatment in "The Tale of Despereaux." Publ.Date : Sun, 14 Dec 2008 14:00:00 EST Connor Trinneer Players: Player Publ.Date : Sun, 21 Dec 2008 13:26:56 EST Marley & Me Film Reviews: All that really counts for a movie like "Marley & Me" is that the climactic scenes empty the audiences' tear ducts, and in this it succeeds to the point that theater managers may need to mop the floors afterward. Publ.Date : Sun, 21 Dec 2008 01:01:55 EST The Baader Meinhof Complex (Der Baader Meinhof Komplex) Film Reviews: An explosive performance by Johanna Wokalek gives some relief to an otherwise long and humdrum series of characters, blow-'em-ups and prison locations in German terrorist drama "The Baader Meinhof Complex." Publ.Date : Thu, 25 Sep 2008 13:29:10 EST 'Yes Man' premieres in L.A. Weekly: Jim Carrey rolls to screening -- Proving that he will indeed say yes to just about anything, Jim Carrey arrived at the Dec. 17 "Yes Man" premiere inside an 8-foot hamster-like plastic ball that rolled through the streets of Westwood before landing on the red carpet. Publ.Date : Fri, 19 Dec 2008 19:46:11 EST Increase Web Traffic |