Wow, I need to find a way to see these!
Thu Mar 27, 2008
By Gavin J. Blair
TOKYO (Hollywood Reporter) - Copies of two of Japan's oldest animated films, thought to have been lost forever, were found in Osaka and have been digitally restored at the National Film Center of Modern Art in Tokyo.
The two films, "Namakura Katana" (The Fine Sword) and "Urashima Taro," will be shown alongside 94 other old and rediscovered movies at a film festival titled "Hakutsu sareta Eiga tachi (Unearthed Films) -- 2008," scheduled to run at the film center in April.
"Namakura Katana," the story of a samurai duped into buying a blunt sword, was drawn by Junichi Kouchi and released in June 1917 by the Kobayashi Shokai production company.
"Urashima Taro," a version of a classic Japanese fairy tale, was illustrated by Seitaro Kitayama, first seen in February 1918 and produced by Nikkatsu.
The films were discovered in a second-hand shop in July by Natsuki Matsumoto, a lecturer at Musashino Art University. The animated Japanese film previously thought to be the oldest in existence was released in August 1918.
Reuters/Hollywood Reporter
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Tobey Maguire hot for sci-fi "Afterburn"
Thu Mar 27, 2008
By Borys Kit
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Tobey Maguire is teaming up with the producer of the "Fast and the Furious" films to bring a new comic book series to the big screen.
"Afterburn," a sci-fi adventure set against the backdrop of a postapocalyptic Earth, revolves around a group of treasure hunters who for the right price extract such objects as the Mona Lisa, the Rosetta Stone and England's Crown Jewels while facing rival hunters, mutants and pirates along the way.
The first issue of the comic book hit stands in January via upstart Canadian publisher Red 5 Comics. Company founders Scott Chitwood and Paul Ens wrote "Afterburn," which is drawn by Wayne Nichols.
Maguire and Neal Moritz will produce the feature version. No writer for the adaptation is on board.
Maguire, who is also producing a live-action adaptation of the anime classic "Robotech," has a cameo in Ben Stiller's August 15 comedy release "Tropic Thunder." Moritz is developing the fourth installment of "Fast and the Furious," which reunites Vin Diesel and Paul Walker, the stars of the first film.
Reuters/Hollywood Reporter
Why, oh why do they have to ruin a classic like "Robotech" and do we really need to see a horrific 4th installment to the "Fast and the Furious"?
By Borys Kit
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Tobey Maguire is teaming up with the producer of the "Fast and the Furious" films to bring a new comic book series to the big screen.
"Afterburn," a sci-fi adventure set against the backdrop of a postapocalyptic Earth, revolves around a group of treasure hunters who for the right price extract such objects as the Mona Lisa, the Rosetta Stone and England's Crown Jewels while facing rival hunters, mutants and pirates along the way.
The first issue of the comic book hit stands in January via upstart Canadian publisher Red 5 Comics. Company founders Scott Chitwood and Paul Ens wrote "Afterburn," which is drawn by Wayne Nichols.
Maguire and Neal Moritz will produce the feature version. No writer for the adaptation is on board.
Maguire, who is also producing a live-action adaptation of the anime classic "Robotech," has a cameo in Ben Stiller's August 15 comedy release "Tropic Thunder." Moritz is developing the fourth installment of "Fast and the Furious," which reunites Vin Diesel and Paul Walker, the stars of the first film.
Reuters/Hollywood Reporter
Why, oh why do they have to ruin a classic like "Robotech" and do we really need to see a horrific 4th installment to the "Fast and the Furious"?
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Exclusive theater chain targets rich moviegoers
Tue Mar 25, 2008 10:01pm EDT
By Carl DiOrio
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Get ready for the $35 movie ticket.
That's the estimated price of tickets for a new deluxe cinema to open this year in suburban Chicago, one of 50 U.S. multiplexes set for construction during the next five years through a new $200 million joint venture headed by Australian entertainment conglomerate Village Roadshow.
The theaters will boast boosted amenities, including plush reserved seating, special parking privileges and upscale food and beverage offerings with seat-side waiter service.
Some or all of those offerings are already available at deluxe cinemas in select U.S. markets that charge $20 or less for movie tickets. But Gold Class auditoriums will feature a 40-seat-maximum patron capacity and an even higher-end atmosphere, officials said Tuesday.
"It's an absolutely different environment than anything else that exists," Village Roadshow CEO Graham Burke said.
In addition to the cinema in the wealthy Chicago suburb of South Barrington, Village Roadshow Gold Class Cinemas plans to open a site in Redmond, Wash., home of Microsoft Corp, by year's end. About 20 additional sites are planned for rollout by 2010.
"The demand for luxury moviegoing in the U.S. is very strong," said Kirk Senior, CEO of the new Burbank-based joint venture.
Companies partnering with Village Roadshow in the joint venture include Act III Entertainment, a company co-owned by Norman Lear and Hal Gaba; Michael Lambert's Lambert Entertainment; and the Retirement Systems of Alabama, a pension investment fund.
Village Roadshow operates more than 100 Gold Class screens in Australia, Singapore and Greece, part of its roughly 500-screen worldwide theater circuit.
Reuters/Hollywood Reporter
But does it guarantee no talkers or cell phones disruptions for that price??
By Carl DiOrio
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Get ready for the $35 movie ticket.
That's the estimated price of tickets for a new deluxe cinema to open this year in suburban Chicago, one of 50 U.S. multiplexes set for construction during the next five years through a new $200 million joint venture headed by Australian entertainment conglomerate Village Roadshow.
The theaters will boast boosted amenities, including plush reserved seating, special parking privileges and upscale food and beverage offerings with seat-side waiter service.
Some or all of those offerings are already available at deluxe cinemas in select U.S. markets that charge $20 or less for movie tickets. But Gold Class auditoriums will feature a 40-seat-maximum patron capacity and an even higher-end atmosphere, officials said Tuesday.
"It's an absolutely different environment than anything else that exists," Village Roadshow CEO Graham Burke said.
In addition to the cinema in the wealthy Chicago suburb of South Barrington, Village Roadshow Gold Class Cinemas plans to open a site in Redmond, Wash., home of Microsoft Corp, by year's end. About 20 additional sites are planned for rollout by 2010.
"The demand for luxury moviegoing in the U.S. is very strong," said Kirk Senior, CEO of the new Burbank-based joint venture.
Companies partnering with Village Roadshow in the joint venture include Act III Entertainment, a company co-owned by Norman Lear and Hal Gaba; Michael Lambert's Lambert Entertainment; and the Retirement Systems of Alabama, a pension investment fund.
Village Roadshow operates more than 100 Gold Class screens in Australia, Singapore and Greece, part of its roughly 500-screen worldwide theater circuit.
Reuters/Hollywood Reporter
But does it guarantee no talkers or cell phones disruptions for that price??
Author Strausbaugh says Americans are "sissies"
Wed Mar 26, 2008 8:20am
By Ellis Mnyandu
NEW YORK (Reuters Life!) - In a critical look at how the United States has changed since the end of World War Two, author John Strausbaugh in a new book argues that the country has grown fat, lazy and pampered.
Even as he hails progress signified by such iconic American inventions as the iPod, Strausbaugh rails about the loss of the nation's pioneering spirit.
"Sissy Nation -- How America Became a Culture of Wimps & Stoopits," is partly a call to action and tells of a country that he believes is in cultural dire straits.
According to Strausbaugh overmedicating, ignorance and a retreat into virtual reality, are just some of the predicaments that the United States will have to overcome.
The 56-year-old author spoke to Reuters about his writing and authors who have influenced him.
Q: How do you explain your latest work?
A: "Obviously it's a rant, a satirical rant but I think a pretty accurate one about where we are as a culture. We've become a sissy culture.
"As I was writing it I pictured myself standing in front of a crowd ranting at them for an hour. I wrote it in that vein. It's much quicker, shorter. It doesn't delve into much history. Obviously, sissies don't like long, thick books."
Q: Could you please define sissiness?
A: "I don't mean it in the old stereotype of the manly man versus the girly man, or the gay man versus a straight man, or even men versus women. I'm not calling any specific person a sissy. I'm talking about our culture a whole.
"Americans used to be known around the world as bold, brash, take-charge, don't tread-on-me pioneers, explorers, inventors, entrepreneurs. I think we've slid a long way from all of that to become this soft, bad, scared, over-indulging, decadent culture that we are now."
Click post title for complete article
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Tripplehorn, Weaver and Simmons go "Crazy"
By Gregg Goldstein
NEW YORK (Hollywood Reporter) - Jeanne Tripplehorn, Sigourney Weaver and J.K. Simmons are joining Tim Allen in his directorial debut, the ex-con comedy "Crazy on the Outside."
Allen will play a newly released prisoner who tries to persuade his single-mom parole officer (Tripplehorn) to date him. His struggle to rebuild his life is further complicated by a loving but manipulative older sister (Weaver) and her sarcastic, taunting husband (Simmons).
Ray Liotta, Kelsey Grammer and Julie Bowen also star in the independently financed film, which reunites Allen with his "Galaxy Quest" co-star Weaver and draws some parallels to his own experience as an ex-con. (He served time for cocaine possession.)
Tripplehorn stars in HBO's "Big Love," while Weaver is currently in theaters with "Be Kind Rewind" and "Vantage Point." Simmons played Ellen Page's dad in "Juno."
Reuters/Hollywood Reporter
NEW YORK (Hollywood Reporter) - Jeanne Tripplehorn, Sigourney Weaver and J.K. Simmons are joining Tim Allen in his directorial debut, the ex-con comedy "Crazy on the Outside."
Allen will play a newly released prisoner who tries to persuade his single-mom parole officer (Tripplehorn) to date him. His struggle to rebuild his life is further complicated by a loving but manipulative older sister (Weaver) and her sarcastic, taunting husband (Simmons).
Ray Liotta, Kelsey Grammer and Julie Bowen also star in the independently financed film, which reunites Allen with his "Galaxy Quest" co-star Weaver and draws some parallels to his own experience as an ex-con. (He served time for cocaine possession.)
Tripplehorn stars in HBO's "Big Love," while Weaver is currently in theaters with "Be Kind Rewind" and "Vantage Point." Simmons played Ellen Page's dad in "Juno."
Reuters/Hollywood Reporter
Lovett and Stanton hit "Open Road"
By Gregg Goldstein
NEW YORK (Hollywood Reporter) - Country singer Lyle Lovett and Harry Dean Stanton are traveling with Justin Timberlake and Jeff Bridges on "The Open Road."
Stanton will play the grandfather of Timberlake's character, a young man trying to reconcile with his father (Bridges) as he heads home to his ill mother's bedside. Lovett will play a Memphis bartender who lends a helpful ear to Timberlake.
Writer-director Michael Meredith ("Three Days of Rain") is shooting the project in Louisiana and other Southern locales.
Stanton and Timberlake co-starred in the suburban crime drama "Alpha Dog." Lovett appeared in "Three Days of Rain."
Reuters/Hollywood Reporter
NEW YORK (Hollywood Reporter) - Country singer Lyle Lovett and Harry Dean Stanton are traveling with Justin Timberlake and Jeff Bridges on "The Open Road."
Stanton will play the grandfather of Timberlake's character, a young man trying to reconcile with his father (Bridges) as he heads home to his ill mother's bedside. Lovett will play a Memphis bartender who lends a helpful ear to Timberlake.
Writer-director Michael Meredith ("Three Days of Rain") is shooting the project in Louisiana and other Southern locales.
Stanton and Timberlake co-starred in the suburban crime drama "Alpha Dog." Lovett appeared in "Three Days of Rain."
Reuters/Hollywood Reporter
"Star Wars" fans wield Force against Weinstein
Tue Mar 25, 2008 9:24am EDT
By Gregg Goldstein and Borys Kit
NEW YORK (Hollywood Reporter) - The geeks have been heard.
Faced with a grassroots boycott of its films, bicoastal protests at screenings of its Friday opener "Superhero Movie" and a campaign calling its co-chairman "Darth Weinstein," indie studio Weinstein Co. said Monday that it now plans to release two versions of its "Star Wars"-inspired comedy "Fanboys."
Weinstein said it will release the two versions on DVD, and a studio source later said that is exploring two theatrical versions.
"Fanboys," about four diehard "Star Wars" fans who break into George Lucas' Skywalker Ranch in order to see "The Phantom Menace" on the eve of its release, wrapped production two years ago and has been stuck in limbo as a tug-of-war between Harvey Weinstein and the filmmakers waged over competing versions of the movie.
... Mann -- along with producer Matthew Perniciaro, director Kyle Newman and writer Ernie Cline, who originated the story -- worked on "Fanboys" in 2003 with Kevin Spacey's Trigger Street production company coming on board in 2005. The cast, including then up-and-comers Jay Baruchel, Kristen Bell, Seth Rogen and Dan Fogler, all signed up for a script that one year made the Blacklist, the annual industry ranking of the top scripts in town. Footage began making the rounds at "Star Wars" festivals, while 40 minutes of "Fanboys"' rough cut was screened at Star Wars Celebration and Comic-Con, where it was enthusiastically received by a standing-room-only crowd last year.
The Weinstein Co. picked up the project in late 2005, and following production slated "Fanboys" for release August 17, 2007. That got pushed back to a January 18 release. Then it went off the grid altogether.
Insiders said the root of the problem was Weinstein's issue with the underlying story in "Fanboys." The cross-country adventure is put in motion because one of the characters is facing cancer. Late last year, the company decided it would do reshoots, hiring Judd Apatow's producing partner Shauna Robertson to oversee a $2 million reshoot of four scenes done by director Steve Brill ("Drillbit Taylor"). That, combined with re-editing, created a version that excised the cancer subplot.
"Harvey feels it's hard to market, especially with this cast," an insider said. "He wants to market to a more teen audience. The filmmakers wanted a dramedy along the vein of 'Stand by Me."'
The Weinstein Co. this year began testing both versions. Unprompted by the filmmakers, "Star Wars" fans began uniting to oppose the noncancer version, led by the 501st, a "Star Wars" fan group named after a fictional battalion. The group created the Web site here that provided updates on developments while also lampooning Harvey Weinstein by Photoshopping him in Darth Vader drag.
The test screenings yielded a minuscule win for the noncancer version -- one insider said the difference was only two test points -- but that only emboldened the geeks. And some of the producers remained unmoved.
"The original reason we wanted to get involved with this script was because it was a comedy with heart," Mann said. "In my opinion, when the cancer was taken out, the heart went with it."
The fans' ire was raised even more when they discovered that Brill had joined a chat session under the screen name "GL," which fans interpreted to be George Lucas. The online discussion turned nasty with threats from both sides.
The new announcement still leaves the movie up in the air. It still has no release date, only a promise that both versions will be available on DVD. Late Monday, a Weinstein source said, "We're making a very strong attempt to make both films available theatrically as well."
The 501st was unimpressed with the Weinstein Co.'s move.
"This is clearly a vain attempt by the Weinstein Co. to avert 'Star Wars' fans' impending boycott of all of their films," the group said. "It's not going to work, Darth Weinstein. There was never any doubt that you would release both versions of the movie on DVD, probably months apart, so as to leech as much money from 'Star Wars' fans as possible. Our boycott will continue until the Weinstein Co. announces that they are returning control of 'Fanboys' to the 'Star Wars' fans who made it, releasing the original version in theaters and doing away with their anti-fan version of the film altogether."
The company Monday acknowledged that it had received more than 300,000 e-mails, which factored in its decision.
"If they want to excise the cancer or reshoot again, I'll cooperate," Trigger Street producer Dana Brunetti said. "One tested better than the other, so I see both sides to it.
"We're too close to the movie to be objective, but we know which we consider better," he added with a laugh. "I've always been content with the (original cut of) the movie."
Harvey Weinstein has a history of tangling with filmmakers over their films' edits, earning him the moniker "Harvey Scissorhands" in some circles, but he seems to have met his match with a legion of "Star Wars" fans.
Click title for full article.
By Gregg Goldstein and Borys Kit
NEW YORK (Hollywood Reporter) - The geeks have been heard.
Faced with a grassroots boycott of its films, bicoastal protests at screenings of its Friday opener "Superhero Movie" and a campaign calling its co-chairman "Darth Weinstein," indie studio Weinstein Co. said Monday that it now plans to release two versions of its "Star Wars"-inspired comedy "Fanboys."
Weinstein said it will release the two versions on DVD, and a studio source later said that is exploring two theatrical versions.
"Fanboys," about four diehard "Star Wars" fans who break into George Lucas' Skywalker Ranch in order to see "The Phantom Menace" on the eve of its release, wrapped production two years ago and has been stuck in limbo as a tug-of-war between Harvey Weinstein and the filmmakers waged over competing versions of the movie.
... Mann -- along with producer Matthew Perniciaro, director Kyle Newman and writer Ernie Cline, who originated the story -- worked on "Fanboys" in 2003 with Kevin Spacey's Trigger Street production company coming on board in 2005. The cast, including then up-and-comers Jay Baruchel, Kristen Bell, Seth Rogen and Dan Fogler, all signed up for a script that one year made the Blacklist, the annual industry ranking of the top scripts in town. Footage began making the rounds at "Star Wars" festivals, while 40 minutes of "Fanboys"' rough cut was screened at Star Wars Celebration and Comic-Con, where it was enthusiastically received by a standing-room-only crowd last year.
The Weinstein Co. picked up the project in late 2005, and following production slated "Fanboys" for release August 17, 2007. That got pushed back to a January 18 release. Then it went off the grid altogether.
Insiders said the root of the problem was Weinstein's issue with the underlying story in "Fanboys." The cross-country adventure is put in motion because one of the characters is facing cancer. Late last year, the company decided it would do reshoots, hiring Judd Apatow's producing partner Shauna Robertson to oversee a $2 million reshoot of four scenes done by director Steve Brill ("Drillbit Taylor"). That, combined with re-editing, created a version that excised the cancer subplot.
"Harvey feels it's hard to market, especially with this cast," an insider said. "He wants to market to a more teen audience. The filmmakers wanted a dramedy along the vein of 'Stand by Me."'
The Weinstein Co. this year began testing both versions. Unprompted by the filmmakers, "Star Wars" fans began uniting to oppose the noncancer version, led by the 501st, a "Star Wars" fan group named after a fictional battalion. The group created the Web site here that provided updates on developments while also lampooning Harvey Weinstein by Photoshopping him in Darth Vader drag.
The test screenings yielded a minuscule win for the noncancer version -- one insider said the difference was only two test points -- but that only emboldened the geeks. And some of the producers remained unmoved.
"The original reason we wanted to get involved with this script was because it was a comedy with heart," Mann said. "In my opinion, when the cancer was taken out, the heart went with it."
The fans' ire was raised even more when they discovered that Brill had joined a chat session under the screen name "GL," which fans interpreted to be George Lucas. The online discussion turned nasty with threats from both sides.
The new announcement still leaves the movie up in the air. It still has no release date, only a promise that both versions will be available on DVD. Late Monday, a Weinstein source said, "We're making a very strong attempt to make both films available theatrically as well."
The 501st was unimpressed with the Weinstein Co.'s move.
"This is clearly a vain attempt by the Weinstein Co. to avert 'Star Wars' fans' impending boycott of all of their films," the group said. "It's not going to work, Darth Weinstein. There was never any doubt that you would release both versions of the movie on DVD, probably months apart, so as to leech as much money from 'Star Wars' fans as possible. Our boycott will continue until the Weinstein Co. announces that they are returning control of 'Fanboys' to the 'Star Wars' fans who made it, releasing the original version in theaters and doing away with their anti-fan version of the film altogether."
The company Monday acknowledged that it had received more than 300,000 e-mails, which factored in its decision.
"If they want to excise the cancer or reshoot again, I'll cooperate," Trigger Street producer Dana Brunetti said. "One tested better than the other, so I see both sides to it.
"We're too close to the movie to be objective, but we know which we consider better," he added with a laugh. "I've always been content with the (original cut of) the movie."
Harvey Weinstein has a history of tangling with filmmakers over their films' edits, earning him the moniker "Harvey Scissorhands" in some circles, but he seems to have met his match with a legion of "Star Wars" fans.
Click title for full article.
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Scott, DiCaprio team for 'Dweller'
March 21, 2008
Ridley Scott and Leonardo DiCaprio will reteam for a dark thriller titled "The Low Dweller" that Ryan Kavanaugh's Relativity Media has bought after a heated bidding war.
Scott and DiCaprio will produce the film, with DiCaprio attached to star and Scott eyeing to direct. The project has echoes of "The History of Violence" and "No Country for Old Men," is a spec from first-time writer Brad Ingelsby, a twentysomething working as an insurance salesman in Pennsylvania.
Ingelsby had been working on the script in his spare time and has yet to step foot in Hollywood. But he has hit the spec jackpot, with the project selling for mid-six against low-seven figures.
Set in Indiana in the mid-1980s, the movie centers on a man (DiCaprio) trying to assimilate into society after he's released from jail, only to find someone from his past pursuing him to settle a score. In addition to the pursuer, a third male character and a female love interest are said to figure prominently in the script.
... The movie would be the second for DiCaprio and Scott. They just wrapped the geopolitical thriller "Body of Lies" for Warners. DiCaprio next reteams with another A-list director when he begins shooting Martin Scorsese's period thriller "Shutter Island" this spring. Scott is prepping "Nottingham," the Robin Hood romance with Imagine/Universal.
Hollywood Reporter
U.S. denies entry to British sex and drugs memoir writer
CANBERRA (Reuters) - Controversial British author Sebastian Horsley was denied entrance into the United States as he arrived to promote his memoir of drug addiction, sex and his dysfunctional family, his publisher said on Wednesday.
Seale Ballenger, spokesman for HarperCollins Publishers, said Horsley was stopped by immigration officials at New York's Newark airport after flying in from London on Tuesday to promote his latest book "Dandy in the Underworld."
He said the flamboyant writer, wearing a top hat, three-piece suit and painted finger nails, was accused of "moral turpitude" in connection with his former drug use, pro-prostitution stance and controversial self-crucifixion in the Philippines in 2000.
Horsley, 45, claims to have slept with more than 1,000 prostitutes, worked as a male escort and been in and out of rehab to treat drug addiction, with video interviews of him talking about his drug use and sex life posted on the Internet.
"He is very honest about his life. That is who Sebastian is," Ballenger told Reuters from a party in New York that was meant to be the U.S. launch for the book but ended up being a rally for support to bring the author back to the United States.
Ballenger said after several hours of questioning by immigration officials, Horsley was put on a plane and returned to London.
No one from the New York office of United States Customs and Border Protection was immediately available to comment.
... But in an e-mail to the newspaper she explained that under a waiver program that allows British citizens to enter the United States without a visa, "travelers who have been convicted of a crime involving moral turpitude (which includes controlled-substance violations) or admit to previously having a drug addiction are not admissible."
Publisher Carrie Kania, from the HarperCollins' unit Harper Perennial that published the book in the United States, said she found it hard to understand why Horsley would be denied entrance into the U.S. for "his notoriety."
"It is unfortunate that his voice, in person, is being stifled," she said in a statement.
"Sebastian has written a cautionary tale of a life lived vividly ... an unapologetic, honest, funny and torturous book. Sebastian's memoir is about choice, some conventional, some unconventional."
Horsley's memoir was published last September in Britain with reviewers calling it both amusing and revolting.
(Writing by Belinda Goldsmith, editing by Todd Eastham)
Seale Ballenger, spokesman for HarperCollins Publishers, said Horsley was stopped by immigration officials at New York's Newark airport after flying in from London on Tuesday to promote his latest book "Dandy in the Underworld."
He said the flamboyant writer, wearing a top hat, three-piece suit and painted finger nails, was accused of "moral turpitude" in connection with his former drug use, pro-prostitution stance and controversial self-crucifixion in the Philippines in 2000.
Horsley, 45, claims to have slept with more than 1,000 prostitutes, worked as a male escort and been in and out of rehab to treat drug addiction, with video interviews of him talking about his drug use and sex life posted on the Internet.
"He is very honest about his life. That is who Sebastian is," Ballenger told Reuters from a party in New York that was meant to be the U.S. launch for the book but ended up being a rally for support to bring the author back to the United States.
Ballenger said after several hours of questioning by immigration officials, Horsley was put on a plane and returned to London.
No one from the New York office of United States Customs and Border Protection was immediately available to comment.
... But in an e-mail to the newspaper she explained that under a waiver program that allows British citizens to enter the United States without a visa, "travelers who have been convicted of a crime involving moral turpitude (which includes controlled-substance violations) or admit to previously having a drug addiction are not admissible."
Publisher Carrie Kania, from the HarperCollins' unit Harper Perennial that published the book in the United States, said she found it hard to understand why Horsley would be denied entrance into the U.S. for "his notoriety."
"It is unfortunate that his voice, in person, is being stifled," she said in a statement.
"Sebastian has written a cautionary tale of a life lived vividly ... an unapologetic, honest, funny and torturous book. Sebastian's memoir is about choice, some conventional, some unconventional."
Horsley's memoir was published last September in Britain with reviewers calling it both amusing and revolting.
(Writing by Belinda Goldsmith, editing by Todd Eastham)
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
"Body" builds with Brody and Simmons
By Borys Kit
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Adam Brody and J.K. Simmons have joined the cast of the dark comedy/horror feature "Jennifer's Body," Diablo Cody and Jason Reitman's follow-up collaboration to "Juno."
Cody's script centers on Jennifer (Megan Fox), a cheerleader possessed by a demon who starts feeding off the boys in a Minnesota farming town. Her bookish best friend (Amanda Seyfried) must take drastic measures to protect their town.
Brody will play Nikolai, a hot lead singer of an up-and-coming rock band with a penchant for evil. Simmons plays Mr. Wroblewski, a high school science teacher.
Karyn Kusama ("Girlfight") is directing the film for Fox Atomic, and Reitman is producing.
Brody worked with Reitman in "Thank You for Smoking." The actor is attached to play the Flash in Warner Bros.' still-in-development "Justice League" movie.
Simmons is quickly becoming a go-to player for Reitman. He appeared in "Thank You for Smoking" and "Juno," as the title character's father.
Reuters/Hollywood Reporter
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Adam Brody and J.K. Simmons have joined the cast of the dark comedy/horror feature "Jennifer's Body," Diablo Cody and Jason Reitman's follow-up collaboration to "Juno."
Cody's script centers on Jennifer (Megan Fox), a cheerleader possessed by a demon who starts feeding off the boys in a Minnesota farming town. Her bookish best friend (Amanda Seyfried) must take drastic measures to protect their town.
Brody will play Nikolai, a hot lead singer of an up-and-coming rock band with a penchant for evil. Simmons plays Mr. Wroblewski, a high school science teacher.
Karyn Kusama ("Girlfight") is directing the film for Fox Atomic, and Reitman is producing.
Brody worked with Reitman in "Thank You for Smoking." The actor is attached to play the Flash in Warner Bros.' still-in-development "Justice League" movie.
Simmons is quickly becoming a go-to player for Reitman. He appeared in "Thank You for Smoking" and "Juno," as the title character's father.
Reuters/Hollywood Reporter
Bridges joins Wahlberg in "Payne"
By Leslie Simmons
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Beau Bridges has joined the cast of the dramatic thriller "Max Payne," based on the hit Rockstar video game.
Mark Wahlberg plays the title character, a maverick cop determined to track down those responsible for the murder of his partner and family.
Bridges plays B.B. Hensley, a former cop and mentor figure to Payne, who helps him track down a cunning, ruthless killer.
The cast also includes Mila Kunis, as an assassin who teams up with Payne to avenge her sister's death.
John Moore -- whose credits include "Behind Enemy Lines" and the 2006 "Omen" remake -- is directing the 20th Century Fox film. Beau Thorne penned the script.
Bridges was nominated last year for an Emmy for guest actor in a comedy for his role as Carl Hickey, father of Jason Lee's Earl Hickey in NBC's "My Name Is Earl." He recently wrapped another episode of the sitcom and is set to film an additional episode this month.
Bridges also has had a regular role on the sci-fi series "Stargate: SG-1."
Reuters/Hollywood Reporter
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Beau Bridges has joined the cast of the dramatic thriller "Max Payne," based on the hit Rockstar video game.
Mark Wahlberg plays the title character, a maverick cop determined to track down those responsible for the murder of his partner and family.
Bridges plays B.B. Hensley, a former cop and mentor figure to Payne, who helps him track down a cunning, ruthless killer.
The cast also includes Mila Kunis, as an assassin who teams up with Payne to avenge her sister's death.
John Moore -- whose credits include "Behind Enemy Lines" and the 2006 "Omen" remake -- is directing the 20th Century Fox film. Beau Thorne penned the script.
Bridges was nominated last year for an Emmy for guest actor in a comedy for his role as Carl Hickey, father of Jason Lee's Earl Hickey in NBC's "My Name Is Earl." He recently wrapped another episode of the sitcom and is set to film an additional episode this month.
Bridges also has had a regular role on the sci-fi series "Stargate: SG-1."
Reuters/Hollywood Reporter
Cera ponders "Life" as slacker superhero
By Borys Kit
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Michael Cera, who played the title character's would-be boyfriend in "Juno," is in final negotiations to star in the adventure romance "Scott Pilgrim's Little Life."
"Life" tells the story of a young slacker (Cera) who meets the woman of his dreams but finds that he can only win her heart by battling and defeating her seven evil ex-boyfriends.
The project is based on the Oni Press graphic novel "Scott Pilgrim Volume 1: Scott Pilgrim's Precious Little Life," written by Bryan Lee O'Malley. Michael Bacall wrote the screenplay.
Edgar Wright ("Shaun of the Dead," "Hot Fuzz") is directing the feature for Universal Pictures.
Cera and Wright had mutual admiration for each other's work, which manifested itself when Wright stepped in to act alongside Cera and Jonah Hill in a viral promo for "Superbad." Wright acted as a snarky interviewer of an exasperated Cera and Hill.
Cera is filming the Judd Apatow-produced "Year One" with Jack Black. He next shoots the romantic comedy-drama "Youth in Revolt," with Miguel Arteta directing.
Reuters/Hollywood Reporter
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Michael Cera, who played the title character's would-be boyfriend in "Juno," is in final negotiations to star in the adventure romance "Scott Pilgrim's Little Life."
"Life" tells the story of a young slacker (Cera) who meets the woman of his dreams but finds that he can only win her heart by battling and defeating her seven evil ex-boyfriends.
The project is based on the Oni Press graphic novel "Scott Pilgrim Volume 1: Scott Pilgrim's Precious Little Life," written by Bryan Lee O'Malley. Michael Bacall wrote the screenplay.
Edgar Wright ("Shaun of the Dead," "Hot Fuzz") is directing the feature for Universal Pictures.
Cera and Wright had mutual admiration for each other's work, which manifested itself when Wright stepped in to act alongside Cera and Jonah Hill in a viral promo for "Superbad." Wright acted as a snarky interviewer of an exasperated Cera and Hill.
Cera is filming the Judd Apatow-produced "Year One" with Jack Black. He next shoots the romantic comedy-drama "Youth in Revolt," with Miguel Arteta directing.
Reuters/Hollywood Reporter
Sci Fi keeps fight going with "Battlestar" prequel
By Paul J. Gough
NEW YORK (Hollywood Reporter) - Sci Fi Channel's "Battlestar Galactica" will live on with "Caprica." At its "upfront" presentation to advertisers Tuesday in New York, the cable channel said that it has green-lighted a two-hour pilot for the prequel, which had been in development for two years.
"Caprica," which is set 50 years before the events in the departing "Battlestar," will begin production in the spring. It hails from the "Battlestar" masterminds Ronald D. Moore and David Eick.
As for "Battlestar," the series' final-season premiere will debut online nine hours before it airs on TV.
The channel also will expand its digital offerings with a game site launching in mid-April as well as "Battlestar" webisodes and a social game based on the show. An original Web series, "Starcrossed," is planned to debut in the fourth quarter.
Click post for full article.
NEW YORK (Hollywood Reporter) - Sci Fi Channel's "Battlestar Galactica" will live on with "Caprica." At its "upfront" presentation to advertisers Tuesday in New York, the cable channel said that it has green-lighted a two-hour pilot for the prequel, which had been in development for two years.
"Caprica," which is set 50 years before the events in the departing "Battlestar," will begin production in the spring. It hails from the "Battlestar" masterminds Ronald D. Moore and David Eick.
As for "Battlestar," the series' final-season premiere will debut online nine hours before it airs on TV.
The channel also will expand its digital offerings with a game site launching in mid-April as well as "Battlestar" webisodes and a social game based on the show. An original Web series, "Starcrossed," is planned to debut in the fourth quarter.
Click post for full article.
Sunday, March 16, 2008
Dan in Real Life
This was so good I watched it four times.
Jacket: "Advice columnist Dan Burns (Steve Carell) is an expert on relationships, but somehow struggles to succeed as a brother, a son and a single parent to three precocious daughters. Things get even more complicated when Dan finds out that the woman he falls in love with is actually his brother's new girlfriend." Cast includes Juliette Binoche, Dane Cook, John Mahoney and Dianne Wiest."
The soundtrack by Sondre Lerche is a must-have! I think I watched it so many times just to hear the music. Great tracks include "To Be Surprised," "Modern Nature" and "My Hands Are Shaking."
Hitman
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Hmm, yes, another video game film made for pre-teens.
IMDb: "A gun-for-hire known only as Agent 47 (Timothy Olyphant) is ensnared in a political conspiracy, which finds him pursued by both Interpol and the Russian FSB (The successor of the KGB).When one of his assassinations is botched, 47 sets out to find out who set him up. Along the way he encounters numerous other hitmen assigned to take him out."
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Outlaw
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There will be no excuses. The guilty will be punished. No one is above OUTLAW.
Jacket: "A group of ordinary men form a modern day posse to right what they believe are the wrongs of society. Returning from a tour of duty in Iraq former paratrooper Bryant (Sean Bean) is appalled by the crime that runs rampant and unchecked. Determined to do something about it, he assembles a group of like-minded men who resolve to restore the balance between good and evil by enforcing justice with a brutality equal to that of their enemies."
| BBC Films: Reviewed by Stella Papamichael |
"Following gangster flick The Business, cocknier-than-thou director Nick Love re-teamed with the even cocknier Danny Dyer for gritty drama Outlaw. Although predictably heavy on the macho posturing, Love also chucks in a bit of social commentary for this story of widespread vigilantism. He needn't have bothered though. It's a "simplistic" film that didn't impress critics or the paying punters."
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
State of Play
This was absolutely addictive. I couldn't watch the six epsiodes fast enough! I haven't watched a series this intriguing in years! (I found this available on Blockbuster Online.)
Wikipedia: "State of Play is a British television drama serial, first broadcast on BBC One in 2003. Produced in-house by the BBC, in association with independent production company Endor Productions, it was created and written by Paul Abbott, directed by David Yates and starred David Morrissey, John Simm, Kelly Macdonald, Polly Walker, Bill Nighy, and James McAvoy. It tells the story of a newspaper's investigation into the death of a young woman, and centres around the relationship between the leading journalist and his old friend, the woman's employer."
Plot: "The serial begins with the assassination of a young man, apparently a drugs killing, and the at first coincidental death of Sonia Baker, the young researcher for Member of Parliament Stephen Collins (Morrissey). As the deaths are investigated by journalist Cal McAffrey of The Herald (Simm) and his colleagues (including Kelly Macdonald as Della Smith and Bill Nighy as editor Cameron Foster) it appears that not only were the deaths connected, but that a conspiracy links them with oil industry-backed corruption of high-ranking British government ministers.
However, the investigation takes another turn when McAffrey discovers that his friend Collins may be even more directly implicated in the death of Baker, with whom he was having an affair."
The Guardian: "Reviewing the first episode for The Guardian newspaper the day after it had aired, Gareth McLean wrote that "...it's bloody magic. The story is gripping, the acting is ace and Paul Abbott's script is outstanding. His ear for dialogue, and for different voices, is exceptional. The exposition is swift, nifty and joyously unclunky. The characters are credible and rounded. If you can count the best dramas of recent years on the fingers of both hands, it's time to grow a new finger."[1]OH DEAR. WHY DO WE HAVE TO REMAKE IT?!!
CONT: As of January 2008, State of Play is being adapted into a feature film, scheduled for release in 2008. The plot will be similar to that of the original six-hour mini-series, retaining the main characters, but condensing and changing certain aspects in order to fit the two-hour format and changing the location to the United States. The film tells of a newspaper's probe into the suspicious death of a U.S. Congressman's mistress and will explore the topical subjects of journalistic independence and the relationship between politicians and the press.[7][8][9]
The adaptation is directed by Last King of Scotland helmer Kevin Macdonald and is written by Matthew Michael Carnahan.
Ben Affleck and Russell Crowe will appear in the lead roles,[14] with support from Helen Mirren,[15] Jason Bateman,[16] Robin Wright Penn,[15] Rachel McAdams,[15] and Michael Berresse.[17] Filming was originally scheduled for November 2007, but was postponed after Brad Pitt, who initially filled Crowe's role, left the project due to a disagreement with Universal over the direction of script rewrites.[18] The postponement also led to the departure of Edward Norton, who was replaced by Affleck.[14] Principal photography started on January 11, 2008.[19]
WB turns last "Potter" picture into two
By Borys Kit
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - The final "Harry Potter" book, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows," will be adapted into two films, Warner Bros. said Wednesday.
Titled "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1" and "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2," the movies are set to be released in November 2010 and May 2011.
They will be shot back-to-back by David Yates, who is directing the adaptation of the sixth novel, "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince," due in theatres November 21. Steve Kloves, who has written all but one of the "Potter" movies, also is returning to write the two-parter.
"Hallows," which sold more than 11 million copies in its first 24 hours of release, is J.K. Rowling's biggest book, weighing in at 784 pages. Adapting the novel would have resulted in truncating large swaths of it or making an extra-long feature in order to fit everything in.
The decision makes financial sense for Warners because the movies are surefire hits, and the "Potter" franchise has brought in billions of dollars for the studio.
The five "Harry Potter" films released to date make it among the most lucrative franchises, bringing in $4.8 billion at the box office worldwide.
It has been confirmed that the cast of the sixth movie, led by Daniel Radcliffe, will return for the final adaptation.
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - The final "Harry Potter" book, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows," will be adapted into two films, Warner Bros. said Wednesday.
Titled "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1" and "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2," the movies are set to be released in November 2010 and May 2011.
They will be shot back-to-back by David Yates, who is directing the adaptation of the sixth novel, "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince," due in theatres November 21. Steve Kloves, who has written all but one of the "Potter" movies, also is returning to write the two-parter.
"Hallows," which sold more than 11 million copies in its first 24 hours of release, is J.K. Rowling's biggest book, weighing in at 784 pages. Adapting the novel would have resulted in truncating large swaths of it or making an extra-long feature in order to fit everything in.
The decision makes financial sense for Warners because the movies are surefire hits, and the "Potter" franchise has brought in billions of dollars for the studio.
The five "Harry Potter" films released to date make it among the most lucrative franchises, bringing in $4.8 billion at the box office worldwide.
It has been confirmed that the cast of the sixth movie, led by Daniel Radcliffe, will return for the final adaptation.
More stars confess for "Shopaholic"
By Borys Kit
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - John Lithgow and Kristin Scott Thomas have joined the cast of "Confessions of a Shopaholic," which is shooting in the New York area.
Based on the best-selling novels by Sophie Kinsella and directed by P.J. Hogan, the Disney romantic comedy centers on a compulsive shopper (Isla Fisher) in Manhattan up to her neck in debt who becomes a financial-advice columnist.
Lithgow will play a publishing magnate, and Scott Thomas a magazine editor. Additionally, Leslie Bibb is on board as a fashion magazine staffer, Lynn Redgrave as a doyenne of a publishing empire, and Julie Hagerty as a business magazine assistant.
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - John Lithgow and Kristin Scott Thomas have joined the cast of "Confessions of a Shopaholic," which is shooting in the New York area.
Based on the best-selling novels by Sophie Kinsella and directed by P.J. Hogan, the Disney romantic comedy centers on a compulsive shopper (Isla Fisher) in Manhattan up to her neck in debt who becomes a financial-advice columnist.
Lithgow will play a publishing magnate, and Scott Thomas a magazine editor. Additionally, Leslie Bibb is on board as a fashion magazine staffer, Lynn Redgrave as a doyenne of a publishing empire, and Julie Hagerty as a business magazine assistant.
Patric joins Diaz in "Keeper"
By Gregg Goldstein
NEW YORK (Hollywood Reporter) - Jason Patric will play Cameron Diaz's husband in the family drama "My Sister's Keeper," which Nick Cassavetes is shooting in Los Angeles.
Based on Jodi Picoult's novel, the New Line project follows a former district attorney (Diaz) and her fireman husband (Patric) who are sued by their 13-year-old daughter (Abigail Breslin) for emancipation.
The daughter was conceived and underwent several operations to help save her ill older sister (Sofia Vassilieva). Alec Baldwin, Joan Cusack and Thomas Dekker also star.
NEW YORK (Hollywood Reporter) - Jason Patric will play Cameron Diaz's husband in the family drama "My Sister's Keeper," which Nick Cassavetes is shooting in Los Angeles.
Based on Jodi Picoult's novel, the New Line project follows a former district attorney (Diaz) and her fireman husband (Patric) who are sued by their 13-year-old daughter (Abigail Breslin) for emancipation.
The daughter was conceived and underwent several operations to help save her ill older sister (Sofia Vassilieva). Alec Baldwin, Joan Cusack and Thomas Dekker also star.
Bee Movie
The five-year-olds will be all a-buzz over this film, me, not so much.
IMDb: "Barry B. Benson, a bee who has just graduated from college, is disillusioned at his lone career choice: making honey. On a special trip outside the hive, Barry's life is saved by Vanessa, a florist in New York City. As their relationship blossoms, he discovers humans actually eat honey, and subsequently decides to sue us."
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Underworld director playing "Shell Game"
Tue Mar 11, 2008 1:30am EDT
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Len Wiseman, the writer/director of the "Underworld" movies, has signed on to shoot the futuristic detective thriller "Shell Game."
The Columbia Pictures release follows a detective who is faced with a moral dilemma while investigating the dangerous black-market business of immortality.
"It's a passion project of mine that I've wanted to make for over five years and is a very ambitious feature both creatively and logistically," Wiseman said.
Columbia's Screen Gems sibling released "Underworld" and "Underworld: Evolution." Wiseman is currently shooting" Underworld: Rise of the Lycans" in New Zealand.
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Len Wiseman, the writer/director of the "Underworld" movies, has signed on to shoot the futuristic detective thriller "Shell Game."
The Columbia Pictures release follows a detective who is faced with a moral dilemma while investigating the dangerous black-market business of immortality.
"It's a passion project of mine that I've wanted to make for over five years and is a very ambitious feature both creatively and logistically," Wiseman said.
Columbia's Screen Gems sibling released "Underworld" and "Underworld: Evolution." Wiseman is currently shooting" Underworld: Rise of the Lycans" in New Zealand.
Affleck Sharpens "Blade" for Big Screen
Tue Mar 11, 2008 2:04am EDT
By Borys Kit and Carly Mayberry
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Ben Affleck is reuniting with some of his "Gone Baby Gone" cohorts to bring another gritty crime novel to the big screen.
Miramax has acquired the rights to Marcus Sakey's debut novel "The Blade Itself," which Affleck will produce with Sean Bailey. They performed the same duties on Miramax's "Gone Baby Gone," which Affleck also directed.
The adaptation will be written by Aaron Stockard, who co-wrote "Gone Baby Gone" with Affleck.
"Blade" revolves around two Chicago childhood friends who made their reputation committing petty crimes as kids before choosing different paths in life. When they are reunited years later, one is forced to decide how far he will go to protect the secrets of his past. Esquire magazine named the novel one of the five best of 2007.
Affleck is currently filming "State of Play" for Universal.
By Borys Kit and Carly Mayberry
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Ben Affleck is reuniting with some of his "Gone Baby Gone" cohorts to bring another gritty crime novel to the big screen.
Miramax has acquired the rights to Marcus Sakey's debut novel "The Blade Itself," which Affleck will produce with Sean Bailey. They performed the same duties on Miramax's "Gone Baby Gone," which Affleck also directed.
The adaptation will be written by Aaron Stockard, who co-wrote "Gone Baby Gone" with Affleck.
"Blade" revolves around two Chicago childhood friends who made their reputation committing petty crimes as kids before choosing different paths in life. When they are reunited years later, one is forced to decide how far he will go to protect the secrets of his past. Esquire magazine named the novel one of the five best of 2007.
Affleck is currently filming "State of Play" for Universal.
Sunday, March 9, 2008
Studio digs "Bone" adaptation
Sun Mar 9, 2008 9:55pm EDT
By Borys Kit
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Warner Bros. has picked up the rights to "Bone," the independent comic book series from artist Jeff Smith.
The fantasy series followed three cousins from the Bone family who are small, white and bald human-like creatures with big noses. The trio are run out of their hometown and find themselves in a mysterious valley where they are separated and hunted by other creatures. They are taken in by a girl named Thorn and her grandmother and find out that valley is threatened by an evil force called the Lord of the Locusts.
The series ran irregularly from 1991-2004. Scholastic has been publishing the collected stories in graphic novel format
A decision on what kind of format "Bone" should take -- live action, animated or both -- has yet to be made.
An animated version was in development at Nickelodeon Films but fell through, partly because of Smith's displeasure over the fact that the studio was aiming the adaptation at kids and wanted the film to include pop songs.
By Borys Kit
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Warner Bros. has picked up the rights to "Bone," the independent comic book series from artist Jeff Smith.
The fantasy series followed three cousins from the Bone family who are small, white and bald human-like creatures with big noses. The trio are run out of their hometown and find themselves in a mysterious valley where they are separated and hunted by other creatures. They are taken in by a girl named Thorn and her grandmother and find out that valley is threatened by an evil force called the Lord of the Locusts.
The series ran irregularly from 1991-2004. Scholastic has been publishing the collected stories in graphic novel format
A decision on what kind of format "Bone" should take -- live action, animated or both -- has yet to be made.
An animated version was in development at Nickelodeon Films but fell through, partly because of Smith's displeasure over the fact that the studio was aiming the adaptation at kids and wanted the film to include pop songs.
Rendition
This is a film worth watching and discussing. It involves the U.S.'s practice of Extraordinary Rendition of suspected terrorists. Be sure to watch the documentary "Outlawed" in the bonus features.Jacket: "When a man mysteriously vanishes from an overseas flight, his disappearance sends shockwaves all the way to the nation's capitol. Desperate for the truth, his wife begins a search for the missing man which leads a CIA unit head and a novice agent into an international web of deceit, conspiracies and top-secret truths far more frightening than the lies that conceal them."
New York Times
by A.O Scott
When a Single Story Has a Thousand Sides
Given the tenor of political discussion these days, it is inevitable that someone with a loud voice and a small mind will label “Rendition” anti-American. (But look! A quick Internet search reveals that some people already have, many of them without even bothering to see the movie.) It is, after all, much easier to rant and rave about treacherous Hollywood liberals than to think through the moral and strategic questions raised by some of the policies of the American government. But it is just these questions that “Rendition” tries to address, in a manner that, while hardly neutral — it may not shock you to learn that the filmmakers come out against torture, kidnapping and other abuses — nonetheless tries to be evenhanded and thoughtful.
Click here to read full New York Times Review
Things We Lost in the Fire
This is definitely a tear-jerker. Benicio keeps proving that he can tackle any character with his convincing portrayal of a heroine junkie in this film.Jacket: "Audrey (Halle Berry) is reeling after a terrible loss, and impulsively invites a troubled life-long friend friend Jerry (Benicio del Toro) to stay with her and her two children. With each other's help, Audrey and Jerry discover hope and happiness in their new lives."
Thursday, March 6, 2008
Cyber-Rebels in Cuba Defy State’s Limits
“The government cannot control the information.”
You'd think it was a movie, such as V for Vendetta, but being blind to the outside world is a reality for the citizens of Cuba. You can't stop the advancement of technology nor the will of the people. Blog on!
New York Times
By JAMES C. McKINLEY Jr.
Published: March 6, 2008
Published: March 6, 2008
HAVANA — A growing underground network of young people armed with computer memory sticks, digital cameras and clandestine Internet hookups has been mounting some challenges to the Cuban government in recent months, spreading news that the official state media try to suppress.
Last month, students at a prestigious computer science university videotaped an ugly confrontation they had with Ricardo Alarcón, the president of the National Assembly.
Mr. Alarcón seemed flummoxed when students grilled him on why they could not travel abroad, stay at hotels, earn better wages or use search engines like Google. The video spread like wildfire through Havana, passed from person to person, and seriously damaged Mr. Alarcón’s reputation in some circles.
Something similar happened in late January when officials tried to impose a tax on the tips and wages of employees of foreign companies. Workers erupted in jeers and shouts when told about the new tax, a moment caught on a cellphone camera and passed along by memory sticks.
“It passes from flash drive to flash drive,” said Ariel, 33, a computer programmer, who, like almost everyone else interviewed for this article, asked that his last name not be used for fear of political persecution. “This is going to get out of the government’s hands because the technology is moving so rapidly.”
Cuban officials have long limited the public’s access to the Internet and digital videos, tearing down unauthorized satellite dishes and keeping down the number of Internet cafes open to Cubans. Only one Internet cafe remains open in Old Havana, down from three a few years ago.
Hidden in a small room in the depths of the Capitol building, the state-owned cafe charges a third of the average Cuban’s monthly salary — about $5 — to use a computer for an hour. The other two former Internet cafes in central Havana have been converted into “postal services” that let Cubans send e-mail messages over a closed network on the island with no links to the Internet.
... Yet the government’s attempts to control access are increasingly ineffective. Young people here say there is a thriving black market giving thousands of people an underground connection to the world outside the Communist country.
People who have smuggled in satellite dishes provide illegal connections to the Internet for a fee or download movies to sell on discs. Others exploit the connections to the Web of foreign businesses and state-run enterprises. Employees with the ability to connect to the Internet often sell their passwords and identification numbers for use in the middle of the night.
... Even the country’s top computer science school, the University of Information Sciences, set in a campus once used by Cuba’s spy services, has become a hotbed of cyber-rebels. Students download everything from the latest American television shows to articles and videos criticizing the government, and pass them quickly around the island.
“There is a whole underground market of this stuff,” Ariel said.
... Some young journalists have also started blogs and Internet news sites, using servers in other countries, and their reports are reaching people through the digital underground.
Yoani Sánchez, 32, and her husband, Reinaldo Escobar, 60, established Consenso desde Cuba , a Web site based in Germany. Ms. Sánchez has attracted a considerable following with her blog, Generación Y, in which she has artfully written gentle critiques of the government by describing her daily life in Cuba. Ms. Sánchez and her husband said they believed strongly in using their names with articles despite the possible political repercussions.
... Writing later about Raúl Castro’s first speech as president, she criticized his vague promises of change, saying they were as clear as the Rosetta Stone was when it was first found.
“The Internet has become the only terrain that is not regulated,” she said in an interview.
Because Ms. Sánchez, like most Cubans, can get online for only a few minutes at a time, she writes almost all her essays beforehand, then goes to the one Internet cafe, signs on, updates her Web site, copies some key pages that interest her and walks out with everything on a memory stick. Friends copy the information, and it passes from hand to hand. “It’s a solid underground,” she said. “The government cannot control the information.”
It is spread by readers like Ricardo, 28, a philosophy student at the University of Havana who sells memory sticks to other students. European friends buy blank flash drives, and others carry them into Cuba, where the drives available through normal channels are very expensive and scarce.
Like many young Cubans, Ricardo plays a game of cat and mouse with the authorities. He doubts that the government will ever let ordinary citizens have access to the Internet in their homes. “That’s far too dangerous,” he said.“Daddy State doesn’t want you to get informed, so it preventively keeps you from surfing.”
Pedro, a midlevel official with a government agency, said he often surfed Web sites like the BBC and The Miami Herald at work, searching for another view of the news besides the ones presented in the state-controlled media. He predicted that the 10,000 students studying the Internet and programming at the University of Information Sciences would transform the country over time, opening up more and more avenues of information.
“We are training an army of information specialists,” he said.
Sunday, March 2, 2008
Once
This is beauty, art and soul.
This is the little indie flick was made with $100,000 on two hand cameras.
As Glen shouted at the Oscars, "MAKE ART! MAKE ART!"
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