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Film News
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|  |  | | by Peter van Mokum, in Films & Books , posted 27 July 2006 |
Behind the Scenes
Positive ‘Counter Action’ Da Vinci Code
It is obvious that there is a lot of discussion about “The Da Vinci Code” and whether it breaches religious sensitivities or not. There’s a lot of squabbling going on but not every Christian group thinks that’s a bad thing. On the contrary: right before the release of the much talked about motion picture on the 17th of May, a 10 DVD edition of the New Testament will be presented to fuel the arguments even more.
“We think it’s important to keep the dialogue on religion alive and we consider ‘The Da Vinci Code’ a positive platform,” David Kirkpatrick, director of Good News Holdings, the publisher of the DVDs, says. “I think ‘The Da Vinci Code’ is a very good piece of fiction and the movie will do very well in the Box Office.” Leading actor Tom Hanks agrees that the movie could have a positive effect on churches. “I think the movie can help the church in her work. If they put up a poster saying ‘Tonight we discuss religion’ twelve people will show up. If they use a sign saying ‘Wednesday we’ll discuss ‘The Da Vinci Code’ they’ll get 800 people guaranteed.”
Clooney Opens Eyes
Ten thousands of people recently demonstrated in Washington urging for intervention in the ongoing genocide in Darfur. The American actor George Clooney was also present. He addressed the American government directly in his press conference to wake up and face the bitter fact of genocide in the African nation. The actor knows what he’s talking about from experience. He recently visited the area together with his father and a camera crew, and documented life in the refugee camps.
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He showed images of this trip during his press conference to enforce his message. “The American government’s response is much too late, as usual,” says Clooney. “We have to undertake action today. If we don’t, thousands of people will have died by the end of this week again!
It is a fact we called it ‘genocide’ over two years ago already and it’s only getting worse. We really have to do something now.” Clooney’s last few movie projects have shown his critical stand towards the American government already: “Syriana” is a direct attack on the international oil industry, America’s dirty role included. The drama “Good Night, and Good Luck” targets the witch-hunt on communists in the Fifties. Because of his daring initiatives Clooney has made it to Time’s Top 100 of most influential people in the world.
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Explosive Promotion For M:i:III
There’s no account for musical taste, but you can take it too far... The explosive emergency team of Los Angeles added some explosives to the “M.i:III” publicity campaign by blowing up the musical promotion material. The device concerned, playing the movie’s soundtrack, was mistaken for a life-threatening bomb. Rather unfortunate as the digital music box was quite expensive. The “Los Angeles Times” delivered almost 5000 of these devices to newspaper boxes.
When readers open the little case they hear the soundtrack of “Mission Impossible.” Very resourceful, but the little thing shouldn’t get loose. This one had, so it was seen as a possible bomb. Anyway, the promotion campaign started with a big bang. How convenient: the film has just hit the cinemas. Secret agent Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) takes center stage again in “M.I:III.” He accepts the most dangerous assignment of his life and comes face to face with a merciless criminal (Philip Seymour Hoffman). |
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At the Cinema
Take the Lead
The professional ballroom dancer Pierre Dulaine (Antonio Banderas) decides to start teaching at a college in New York as a volunteer; ballroom dancing lessons to be precise, to a group of troublemakers on detention. Needless to say the students are very skeptical at first, but his determination wins them over one by one. They even take it a step further by integrating the classic dance moves with their own hip-hop techniques.
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Dulaine pushes them to take part in a prestigious dance contest. In exchange he teaches them to have pride, respect and honor. The movie “Take the Lead” is based on the true story of Pierre Dulaine, a professional ballroom dancer, who indeed teaches in secondary schools in New York City. Producer Diane Nabatoff recognized the potential for a motion picture. After she had convinced New Line Cinema, Dianne Houston was assigned to write a scenario.
Music video maker Liz Friedlander was hired as director and then they only had to find the lead character. Banderas (“The Legend of Zorro”) was their first choice. Actor Rob Brown, known from “Finding Forrester” and “Coach Carter,” plays one of the New York students.
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The Omen 666
On 6-6-06 a remake of the classic horror movie, in which the devil reincarnates into the nasty little boy Damien, will be released. The American diplomat Robert Thorne and his pregnant wife Katherine are visiting Rome. On the 6th of June Katherine gives birth to a stillborn, but unbeknownst to his wife Robert and a priest decide to replace it with the newly born orphan Damien. Damien however, is not a normal child at all. He seems to invoke mysterious and bloody events. Robert slowly discovers that his son is the actual incarnation of the devil.
“The Omen” is one of the most terrifying horror movies of the last thirty years. The original, directed in 1976 by Richard Donner, had three sequels, but “The Omen 666” is a total remake of the original. The worldwide release on the 6th of June 2006 is of course no coincidence: triple six is the birthmark of the devil found on the body of the boy. John Moore, known from “Behind Enemy Lines” and “Flight of the Phoenix,” took on the direction.
The movie features Liev Schreiber, Julia Stiles, Mia Farrow, David Thewlis, Pete Postlethwaite and the little Seamus Davey-Fitzpatrick as Damien Thorne. |
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Marie-Antoinette
Kirsten Dunst as the young Austrian princess Marie Antoinette becoming queen of France in this biographical costume drama by Sophia Coppola. Marie Antoinette marries Louis XVI (Jason Schwartzman) at a very young age and arrives at the court of Versailles. As her indifferent husband ascends his father’s throne a couple of years later, she becomes queen of France. Because of her Austrian descent she’s not popular with the population. She is said to have a bad influence on the French court and is accused of being involved in lots of scandals.
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“Marie-Antoinette” is Sofia Coppola’s third movie, after “The Virgin Suicides” and “Lost in Translation.” The scenario was based on the book “Marie Antoinette: The Journey” by Antonia Fraser, in which the famous queen is portrayed as a young girl trapped in the wrong place at the wrong time. “Marie-Antoinette” was filmed at Versailles and Coppola was even allowed to use the mirror hall, which was being renovated at the time.
For the lead character Coppola returned to the actress from her debut film: Kirsten Dunst. Jason Schwartzman (also a member of the Coppola family), Rip Torn, Asia Argento en Steve Coogan also star in the movie.
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