ITV

Category: Movies

  • Image Ent licenses over 30 titles of Handmade Films

    MUMBAI: Chatsworth-based home entertainment distributor Image Entertainment has licensed the 30-plus-title Handmade Films library that includes films like Time Bandits, The Long Good Friday and Mona Lisa.


    The Handmade Films library contains some of the greatest and most influential films of the past thirty years. We look forward to making these classics available for the first time on Blu-ray and digital download for a new generation of fans.


    Handmade was launched in 1978 by former Beatle George Harrison and producer Denis O‘Brien and the label‘s first theatrical release was Terry Gilliam‘s Time Bandits in 1981. Other titles include Withnail and I, How To Get Ahead In Advertising, A Private Function and Water.
     

  • Sony 3D Experience to open at Las Vegas soon

    MUMBAI: The CBS Television City will have a Sony 3D Experience center in the MGM Grand in Las Vegas in the next two weeks.


    It may be noted that CBS originally opened Television City-a consumer research venture-to test pilots, internet content and new technology.


    Sony will be the sponsor for a 3,000 sq. foot addition in the city that is dedicated to 3D research and will open its 3D elements there. 


    Said Sony Electronics senior vp strategy and alliances Randy Waynick, “3D is making its way into the living room. We are trying to move forward in the space.”


    A small theatre environment has also been built where Sony and CBS are constructing models of various rooms in a home and bringing in Sony 3D TVs to test viewing of stereo games, Blu-ray titles and 3D-converted television.


    Visitors will have the opportunity to see the technology, ask questions and participate in focus groups, surveys, one-on-one interviews and other types of research, some of which will be used exclusively by Sony and CBS and some that will be made available to the public.

  • Dreaworks selects Dakota Goyo for Real Steel

    MUMBAI: After doing a wide search for its search of a young actor to play Hugh Jackman‘s son in Real Steel, DreamWorks and director Shawn Levy have zeroed in on 11-year-old Canadian Dakota Goyo for the part.


    The story, set in a future world where robot-boxing has replaced human mano-a-mano, follows a former boxer (Jackman) who gets a shot at redemption when he teams up with his long lost son to train an unusual robot for a shot at the championships. 


    DreamWorks, that is making its first film under its deal with Disney, had issued a public casting search in early February and also conducted open auditions in Chicago and New York looking for someone to essay a “street-smart, tough, charming kid with a hard, untrusting outer shell that hides a warm enthusiastic spirit beneath.”


    Goyo, who has worked mainly in Canadian television, may be best known Stateside for his work with Samuel L. Jackson and Josh Hartnett in 2007‘s Resurrecting the Champ.


    Production of Steel is set to begin in June with Disney releasing the film on 8 November, 2011.
     

  • Avatar transformed 3D cinema exhibition

    MUMBAI: More than the year-end boost James Cameron’s Avatar gave to the exhibition sector, its effect on the embrace of 3D was even more dramatic.


    That was a clear sentiment among a group of exhibitors talking of exhibition trends and challenges at ShoWest’s opening-day offerings.


    Said Dallas-based Rave circuit’s CEO Tom Stephenson, “For each new technology, there is a transforming event and for 3D it was Avatar.” 


    The panelists said a 3D footprint in many foreign territories that‘s even smaller than in the US has them dreaming of times when the fledgling format can throw off truly extra-dimensional revenue.


    With just 10 per cent or less of the screens in markets such as Latin America, Russia and even the U.K. equipped for digital projection, exhibitors there have added 3D capabilities in virtually all existing digital auditoriums.


    ” Avatar is still doing superb business for us, but we‘re going to have to let those screens go to dragon-lovers,” said Paul Heth, chief of the Rising Star circuit in Russia that‘s to open 3D animated feature How to Train Your Dragon.


    Treading into the controversial topic of tighter theatrical windows for select films, some of the panelists talked about the inevitability of the shortening windows.
     

  • Film industry planning major celebration to mark centenary of Indian cinema in 2013

    MUMBAI: Eminent filmmaker Yash Chopra, who is chairperson of the Ficci Entertainment Committee, said today that the film industry was planning to mark the centenary of Indian cinema in a major manner in 2013.


    He announced at the inauguration of Ficci Frames 2010 that the centenary celebrations were being launched from this meet.


    Seeking support of the state government and Chief Minister Ashok Chavan, he said cinema had seen its birth in Maharashtra with the making of the first indigenous feature film ‘Raja Harishchandra’ by D G Phalke (known as Dadasaheb Phalke) in 1913.


    He also said the film industry was passing through great crisis and needed support. He said that the police was generally efficient but greater help was needed to curb piracy which was threatening the very existence of the industry.
     

  • 3 lessons to learn from Hollywood: Shah Rukh

    MUMBAI: Bollywood Badshah Shah Rukh Khan today stressed the need for greater synergy between Hollywood and Bollywood but said what India needs is expertise and experience more than investments.


    In his keynote address, Shah Rukh listed some fields in which this could be achieved: treating screenplay writing as a science and not merely an art; using VFX and animation to its full potential; and improving the science of marketing to build a symbiotic relationship with Hollywood.


    Khan staunchly defended the star system in India and the United States and said this had sustained the cinemas in the two countries.


    Khan referred to Jim Gianopolous of Fox Entertainment quoting him on seeing films being akin to brushing teeth in the morning in India and said entertainment had become the most important need of the people in India after ‘roti, kapda aur makaan’.


    He said entertainment was being seen as the backbone of the economy with the country moving forward positively. He also referred to many Indian film conglomerates like UTV, Reliance ADAG and Studio18 teaming up with Hollywood giants to make films and said this emphasized the need for synergy.


    He strongly criticized the use of the word cross-over films and said he had never been able to understand what it implied. At the same time, he said that Indian films could not cross the seven seas unless they learnt that three-hour films full of song and dance will not necessary sell in other countries. There was clearly a need for quid pro quo from the side of Hollywood as well, and so producers from there should be allowed to make films here.
     

  • India does not need a second censorship for films: Chavan

    MUMBAI: The largest meet on the business of entertainment in Asia, Ficci-Frames 2010, got off today with a political statement when Chief Minister Ashok Chavan categorically said that India “does not need another censor board”, clearly alluding to the recent controversy relating to the film My Name is Khan.


    Chavan assured the film fraternity, which included eminent filmmakers Yash Chopra and Karan Chopra apart from Shah Rukh Khan himself, that the state government will not allow any second censorship when the country already has the Central Board of Film Certification, indirectly referring to the Shiv Sena protests against My Name is Khan after Shah Rukh Khan‘s statement about Pakistanu cricketers not being taken by the IPL (Indian Premier League) franchises.


    Chavan said that there was need to send out the message that one needed to uphold the Constitution of the country and support democratic means.


    He claimed that the phased release of the film ‘My name is Khan’ in the face of protestors was not a mere political stunt but a well thought out strategy to send out a message to those who fomented trouble.


    Addressing the inaugural session, Chavan also assured all help to the film industry in curbing piracy which was resulting in huge losses. He said there were adequate laws to deal with the menace but there was need for greater implementation and enforcement.


    He also assured both the Ficci and the film industry that the state government would extend all help in marking the centenary of Indian cinema in 2013 and he would personally look into any suggestions in this regard. 


    He said the aim was to work towards the best infrastructure support for the entertainment industry in the state.
     

  • Lukewarm response for IPL matches in theatres

    MUMBAI: Besides last week‘s releases of Right Yaa Wrong, Hide & Seek and Na Ghar Ke Na Ghaat Ke, it was the screening of IPL matches in select single-screens and multiplexes that was catching attention.


    IPL is being screened at Inox, PVR and Big Cinema, amongst others. The multiplexes are using cheerleaders in the hall, celebrity visits and stalls offering a variety of cuisines.


    Till Sunday, the multiplexes could not pull in the expected crowd. Says Cinemax vice president Devang Sampat, “The response is not that encouraging, may be because the league is in its initial days. I‘m sure, as the tournament progresses, crowds will start coming in big numbers.”


    Despite all these marketing tactics, the ‘not-so-good‘ seems a little discouraging.
    Avers trade analyst Taran Adarsh, “Cricket has always been a strong opponent and I foresee movie business taking a backseat during evening and night shows, during the tournament. The period is also not conducive, since school and college examinations are underway and not just kids, their parents too prefer staying indoors.”


    Meanwhile, the opening of the three films that was released last week was poor. Though the reports of Right Yaa Wrong and Na Ghar Ke Na Ghaat Ke have been good, footfalls to theatres receded because of two reasons. One, the films were not promoted properly and second, people were glued to their TV sets and didn‘t want to venture to the theatres.


    This week will see the release of films like Love Sex aur Dhoka, Lahore, Shaapit and Idiot Box.

  • Big Cinemas opens at Manhattan

    MUMBAI: With the reopening of ImaginAsian Theatre as Big Cinemas Manhattan in Midtown East – New York, Big Cinemas has strengthened its global footprint.


    After undergoing major renovations over the last few months, including aesthetic, audio and visual enhancements, the theatre, in its new form, now features brand new and comfortable recliner seating, remodeled restrooms, expanded lobby with an updated concession stand, LCD screens and box-office as well as BARCO 2k digital projection.


    The theatre strives to bring the best of movie-going experience and customer service to its patrons. It will host several premier and special shows in keeping with its aim to provide a distinguished programming plan to its patrons.


    New York has a large and affluent Asian Indian population with over 300,000 Indians having a strong affinity towards Indian movies and the theatre will now provide a destination for a luxurious cinematic experience.


    Says Reliance MediaWorks CEO Anil Arjun, “New York, with its fast-growing and prosperous population of Indians, is the epicenter of growth for us and we see considerable opportunity here in the exhibition infrastructure space starting with the redevelopment of Big Cinemas Manhattan. The theatre has undergone some remarkable changes and we are proud to present it as such a distinguished movie destination with best of amenities, services and film programming.”


    Similarly to its strategy in India, Big Cinemas is setting up standalone properties and cinemas in malls in the US and existing properties are being taken over, renovated and operated by the company while taking advantage of their already considerable infrastructure and brand value.


    Big Cinemas has aggregated a network of over 188 screens in 27 theaters across East Coast, Midwest and West Coast that now regularly screen Hindi, Tamil, Telugu and Punjabi movie features, in addition to Hollywood.

  • Kareena Kapoor and Kambakht Ishq win awards for worst of Bollywood in 2009

    NEW DELHI: ‘Kambakkht Ishq’ which starred some Hollywood personalities, has been voted the worst film of 2010, wits its heroine Kareena Kapoor being voted the worst actor in the Second Annual Golden Kela Awards held over the weekend.


    Actor Harman Baweja and director Ashutosh Gowariker won the worst awards in their respective categories for the film “What’s Your Rashi”.


    Interestingly, Hollywood stars Sylvester Stallone and Denise Richards won the ‘Bawra Ho Gaya Hai Ke’ award for ‘Kambakkht Ishq’. The avant garde filmmaker Madhur Bhandarkar won the ‘Bas Kijiye Bahut Ho Gaya Award‘, asking him to stop making films.


    The Golden Kela Awards are generally patterned on the Razzies, the awards for the worst of Hollywood. About 3,00,000 people voted online for their ‘favourites‘ this year.


    But the main attraction of the evening was Chief Guest Cyrus Broacha, who was awarded the Cyrus Broacha Memorial Award, on which he said, “It‘s great, I‘m thrilled …I hope to win this award every year “.


    Rani Mukerji and Shahid Kapoor won the worst pair award for ‘Dil Bole Hadippa’, which also won the awards for the most ‘Original‘ Story as it is based on “She‘s the Man”.


    The Worst Supporting Male and female actor awards went to Ranvir Shorey and Deepika Padukone (in her role as ‘Meow Meow’) in ‘Chandni Chowk to China’, which also won the Insensitivity Award. 


    Jackie Bhagnani in ‘Kal Kissne Dekha’ and Shruti Haasan in ‘Luck’ won the world newcomer awards for male and female respectively.


    The Most Irritating Song was ‘Love mera hit hit’ (Billu) while the most Atrocious Lyrics were ‘Love me love me’ (Wanted).


    The Lajja Award for Worst Treatment of a Serious Issue went to Kabir Khan and Aditya Chopra for ‘New York’. The Dara Singh Award for Worst Accent was given to Abhishek Bachchan for ‘Dilli 6’, while his starrer with father Amitabh Bachchan got the Black Award for Emotional Blackmail.


    Taran Adarsh was named for the Critic‘s Award, while Fox got the award for ‘When Did This Come Out’.


    Reacting to his award on twitter, Abhishek said “Another milestone in my career. I won the golden kela award 4 worst accent in Delhi 6. Chalo at least delhi 6 won something. I‘m overjoyed!!”


    John Wilson, Founder / Head RAZZberry of the Razzies, said: “If our having given Sylvester Stallone 30 nominations and 10 statuettes in the course of our history, and also having awarded Denise Richards a Worst Supporting Actress dis-honor for ‘The world is not enough’ played a part in the two of them sneaking off to India to continue their bad film-making careers, please accept our most sincere apologies. Our intentions were for Stallone and Richards to be punished — not Indian movie-goers!”


    Jatin Varma, Organizer of the Golden Kelas, said: “More and more people are joining our ranks every year to get back at Bollywood. This year, 300,000 people voted. Next year we hope to touch the 3 billion mark set by 3 Idiots.”