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Tag: Christian Bale

  • Five serial killer movies guaranteed to terrify you

    Five serial killer movies guaranteed to terrify you

    Mumbai: Horror movies are one of the most enthralling genres in mainstream cinema. The 80s gave birth to some legendary horror movies that excel at jump scares and send shivers down your spine, thanks to groundbreaking scriptwriting, cinematography, and performances. With unforgettable characters and spine-chilling scenes, the Saw universe has made a significant contribution to the world of horror, and John “Jigsaw” Kramer has become synonymous with childhood nightmares. Fast forward to 2023, and the Saw franchise is back with its deadliest story yet. Saw X was released on 28 September 2023. As we eagerly await its release, here are five movies you shouldn’t miss before watching Saw X.

       SE7EN – 8.6

    It’s one of the most unpredictable thriller movies ever made. The audience was surprised to see Brad Pitt taking a different path in this film as David Mills, a character typically associated with action and drama. This crime thriller was among the most successful movies of 1995 and is still regarded as one of Brad Pitt and Kevin Spacey’s best performances.

       American Psycho – 7.6

    American Psycho can arguably be one of the best satires Hollywood has ever seen with Christian Bale’s phenomenal performance as Patrick Bateman. The movie is weaved with black comedy and nuanced parody that has stood with time and notoriously depicted the 80’s hippie culture.

       Perfume: The Story of a Murderer – 7.5

    The movie is inspired by the famous book named Perfume: The Story of a Murderer. It embraces the Mexican tonality brilliantly, and the film is much darker than presumed from the book. With spine-chilling scenes and the brilliance of cinematography, the film has a fantastic cast who have each performed brilliantly.

       Hannibal – 6.8

    The sequel to the iconic movie “Silence of the Lambs” with Anthony Hopkins reprising the character of the infamous Hannibal Lecter is a continuation of the original film as it tries to retain the essence with memorable performances from the cast.

       Friday The 13 – 5.5

    Hailed as one of the pioneers of the 80’s horror flicks, this franchise has a different fan base to all the horror film enthusiasts, with the iconic mask being so famous that there are references in many movies for the same. The movie has been popular for generations and remains one of the most iconic horror movies ever made.    

    If you want to witness a movie where you are terrified yet excited? Then Saw X is just the one for you. Witness John Kramer visiting Mexico at the nearest PVR INOX theatres this Thursday onwards.

  • American Psycho TV series in the works at Lionsgate

    American Psycho TV series in the works at Lionsgate

    NEW DELHI: It was in 2000 that the Christian Bale-starrer cult classic American Psycho hit theatres worldwide. The film based on Bret Easton Ellis’s 1991 novel of the same name received positive responses from audiences, and it’s popularity endures to this day among movie enthusiasts. And now, Lionsgate has confirmed that a television adaptation of the film is currently in development. 

    Lionsgate TV chairman Kevin Beggs confirmed the news in a recent interview given to Deadline.

    “We’ve just wrapped up Dear White People which was a really good experience, Blindspotting is coming up, American Psycho is in development. We’re always exploring what we can do in television with something like the Saw franchise, so that’s a conversation,” said Beggs. 

    American Psycho follows the story of Patrick Bateman, who is a Wall Street trader by day and moonlights as a serial killer at night. The major highlight of American Psycho was Christian Bale’s performance as Patrick Bateman. As a television adaptation of this movie has been announced, audiences are eagerly waiting to know about the actor who will portray the role of Bateman once again on screen. 

    An American Psycho TV series had been reported as far back as 2013, and at that time, several media outlets reported that the series will narrate the story of Bateman who is currently in his 50s, but still continues to pursue his killing spree. 

    In the meantime, Lionsgate is expanding the universe of John Wick with a TV show named The Continental. The cast and crew of The Continental are expected to be announced in the coming weeks. 

  • &flix launches #FML (Flix Movie League) with Hollywood’s biggest heroes in an innovative league format

    &flix launches #FML (Flix Movie League) with Hollywood’s biggest heroes in an innovative league format

    MUMBAI: This summer, pick your favourite hero every night as you watch Hollywood’s biggest blockbuster movies only on &flix and cheer him to victory! With the summer heat on and the T20 league just getting started, &flix plans to add to the excitement and the fan frenzy as it brings The Flix Movie League (#FML) to your television screens. As the destination for Hollywood’s biggest blockbuster hits and television premieres, the channel will dish out back-to-back blockbusters featuring Hollywood’s most celebrated Heroes. Through the month, movie fans will witness the likes of Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, Christian Bale, Chris Hemsworth, Chris Evans, Will Smith, Tom Cruise and several other Hollywood Superstars. The channel has developed an exciting format where Hollywood’s biggest and badass heroes will go face to face in a unique 9PM Vs 11PM battle in #FML.

    Starting April 1, weeknights at 9PM and 11PM only on &flix, the league promises to leave the viewers spoilt for choice as they watch the best of Hollywood play out for six weeks! About 60 blockbusters from Hollywood will be played on the channel, under #FML.

    Fans can take to social media and cheer for their favourite heroes as the channel will equip them with interesting trivia and stats about these celebrated Heroes. From Dwayne Johnson and team entering the jungle to play out Jumanji to Arnold Schwarzenegger’s iconic “I am back” moment, from the entertaining and daring stunt legend – Jackie Chan to the very ferocious Wolverine, &flix has curated movies in the league that promises to deliver several riveting moments that will make the thrill-seeking audience #LeapForth with adrenaline and excitement! The spectacular line-up of films includes titles like Men in Black, Amazing Spider-Man 2, Iron Man 3, Ant-Man and Transformers to name a few. The Marvel Cinematic Universe will also feature as a part of the #FML league adding to a delightful movie watching experience all through the month.

    Speaking about the league format and the campaign, Shaurya Mehta, Head, Premium Channels, Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (ZEEL), said, “With the T20 league on, the number of viewers tuning into television does see an increase, thereby providing an opportunity for the Movies genre as well. There is demand for engaging and differentiated content, which we aim to fulfil by curating the best of Hollywood content on &flix. The Flix Movie League is an innovative format where movie enthusiasts will be able to enjoy some of our best Hollywood Titles back-to-back every night at 9pm and 11pm. The collection of Hollywood Blockbuster Hits playing out in #FML is bound to get the movie enthusiast in you excited.”

    &flix has conceptualized an exciting ‘sports’ themed campaign that blends the world of Hollywood movies with the thrills of a sporting arena. The is sure to inspire the audience to break out of the orbit of sameness and #leapforth into the exciting world of their favourite hits. The campaign is promoted through a strong social media engagement plan where sports and movie fans alike can engage in banter and cheer for their favourite Heroes using the #FML.

    &flix offers the best in Hollywood movies and the most number of television premieres and is available in the Zee Prime English Pack that includes 4 premium channels – &flix, Zee Café, LF and WION at a very attractive price of Rs 15/- per month only. The HD channels bouquet includes &PrivéHD, for 5 premium HD channels at Rs. 25/- per month only. For further information, contact your operator.

  • Christian Bale, Brad Pitt, Ryan Gosling, Steve Carell cast in ‘The Big Short’

    Christian Bale, Brad Pitt, Ryan Gosling, Steve Carell cast in ‘The Big Short’

    MUMBAI: In a casting coup of sorts, Paramount Pictures’ has roped in Christian Bale, Brad Pitt, Ryan Gosling and Steve Carell to star in The Big Short.

     

    The movie is being produced by Paramount Pictures along with New Regency and Plan B Entertainment. It will be directed by Adam McKay. The film also stars Melissa Leo and Marisa Tomei. 

     

    The film’s screenplay is written by McKay, from a script by Charles Randolph, based on Michael Lewis’ bestselling non-fiction book The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine. 

     

    The Big Short is the remarkable true story of the genius contrarian investors who, recognizing just how insane the housing bubble had become, figured out how to “short” the market prior to the financial collapse of 2008.

     

    Rounding out the cast is Tracy Letts, Hamish Linklater, John Magaro, Byron Mann, Rafe Spall, Jeremy Strong and Finn Wittrock.

     

    Pitt, Dede Gardner and Jeremy Kleiner will produce the movie via their Plan B Entertainment banner.  Production has begun in New Orleans.

  • Warner Bros. begins principal photography of ‘The Jungle Book’ movie

    Warner Bros. begins principal photography of ‘The Jungle Book’ movie

    MUMBAI: Principal photography has begun on Warner Bros. Pictures’ new big-screen, 3D adaptation of Rudyard Kipling’s beloved classic The Jungle Book, marking the feature film directorial debut of Andy Serkis. Blending live action and performance capture, the film features an impressive roster of stars, including Oscar winners Christian Bale and Cate Blanchett and Oscar nominee Benedict Cumberbatch.

     

    The story follows the upbringing of the human child Mowgli, raised by a wolf pack in the jungles of India. As he learns the often harsh rules of the jungle, under the tutelage of a bear named Baloo and a panther named Bagheera, Mowgli becomes accepted by the animals of the jungle as one of their own. All but one: the fearsome tiger Shere Khan. But there may be greater dangers lurking in the jungle, as Mowgli comes face to face with his human origins.

     

    The actors performing the roles of the story’s central animal characters are: Benedict Cumberbatch as the tiger – Shere Khan; Cate Blanchett as Kaa – the snake; Christian Bale as the panther – Bagheera; Andy Serkis as Baloo, the bear; Peter Mullan as the leader of the wolf pack, Akela; Tom Hollander as the scavenging hyena – Tabaqui; Naomie Harris as Nisha, the female wolf, who adopts the baby Mowgli as one of her cubs; Eddie Marsan as Nisha’s mate – Vihaan; and Jack Reynor as Mowgli’s Brother Wolf. On the human side, young actor Rohan Chand will play the boy raised by wolves – Mowgli.

     

    The film is being produced by Steve Kloves, who wrote seven of the Harry Potter films, and Jonathan Cavendish, with Nikki Penny serving as executive producer. The screenplay is by Callie Kloves, based on the stories by Kipling.

     

    Among those collaborating with Serkis behind the scenes are production designer Gary Freeman, Oscar-winning editor Mark Sanger and Oscar-winning costume designer Alexandra Byrne.

     

    The film is slated for release on 6 October, 2017.

  • Egypt bans ‘Exodus: Gods and Kings’

    Egypt bans ‘Exodus: Gods and Kings’

    MUMBAI: Exodus: Gods and Kings which stars Christian Bale as Moses, has been banned in Egypt and reportedly also in Morocco. Censors described the film, which is based on the Biblical book of Exodus, as historically inaccurate.

     

    According to the head of the censorship board, the film has depicted that the Jews had built the pyramids, and that an earthquake, not a miracle by Moses, caused the red sea to part.

     

    However according to the book of Exodus, Jewish slaves were led to freedom by Moses. The pyramids are believed to have been built about 1,000 years before the story of the Exodus. The Biblical story tells how the red sea was parted by a miracle performed by God through Moses, allowing the Jewish people to escape from the pursuing Egyptian army.

     

    Exodus: Gods and Kings, which cost a reported $140m, made $24.5m on its debut weekend. The film’s opening was not up to the mark compared to other modern Biblical films, including Darren Aronofsky’s Noah which took $43.7m on its opening weekend in March and 2004’s The Passion of the Christ, which made $83.3m.

     

    Although the state-run Moroccan Cinema Centre (CCM) had given the film the green signal, Moroccan business website Medias24.com said that officials had decided to ban the movie from being screened the day before its premiere.

  • ‘Exodus’ dethrones ‘The Hunger Games’ at the box office

    ‘Exodus’ dethrones ‘The Hunger Games’ at the box office

    MUMBAI:  Exodus: Gods and Kings, which stars Christian Bale, in the lead has topped the U.S. box office with a whopping $24.5 million debut, leaving behind The Hunger Games: Mockingjay — Part 1, which had held the No. 1 position for the past three weeks. The Hunger Games, now it its fourth week, slid only 40 per cent, earning $13.2 million for a domestic total of $277.4 million.

     

    While reviews of Exodus were not all positive as the makers faced criticism for casting mainly Caucasian actors, Fox points out that Exodus’ opening weekend audience was quite diverse, which is promising for the film’s future. The audience was 54 per cent male, and 65 per cent were over 25 years of age. 20 per cent of the audience were African-American while 18 per cent Latino. Top grossing theaters ranged from major metropolitan cities to smaller towns such as San Antonio. Exodus also opened in several international territories, earning $43.3 million around the globe.

     

    Although December openings are known for their slower starts and longer burns, Exodus, which cost $140 million to make after tax breaks, has earned exactly what box office insiders had expected for the weekend. In the upcoming weeks, the movie will face strong competition from the forthcoming movies – The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies, family musical Annie, Disney’s Into the Woods and Fox’s threequel Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb.

     

  • Hollywood see’s a return to Biblical-themed films with ‘Exodus: God and Kings’

    Hollywood see’s a return to Biblical-themed films with ‘Exodus: God and Kings’

    MUMBAI:  Ten Commandments, The Bible: In the Beginning, Ben-Hur, The Passion of Christ; Biblical themed movies have inspired many filmmakers to recreate medieval events on a grand scale.

    The latest in the offering is Exodus: Gods and Kings and as the name suggests the film is about the mass departure of the Hebrews from Egypt. The film stars Batman-turned-Moses Christian Bale, Joel Edgerton, John Turturro, Aaron Paul and Ben Kingsley. The 150 minute film is directed by Ridley Scott and written by Steven Zaillian.

    The plot revolves around the defiant leader Moses rising up against the Egyptian Pharaoh Ramses played by   Edgerton. The first half is about Moses discovering he does not belong to the lineage of the Egyptians (he is raised as a brother to Ramses) and after a wakeup call from God, who is portrayed as a kid (Yes, as a kid who goes about guiding  Moses!), returns from exile to free his people and guide them to the promised land.

    While the storyline seems like old wine in new bottle, there are few new twists (spoilers ahead!).  Instead of Moses dipping his staff into the river of Nile, God sends monstrous crocodiles to destroy the river life, giving rise to multiple plagues that command most of the second half of the movie. And instead of the prophet’s staff that works miracles, it is a sword here.

    The movie ends with both Moses and Pharaoh surviving the parting of the Red Sea. The added 3-D effects definitely bring to life the old tale especially the mammoth animals that turn the blessed city of Egypt into a ruin.
    It is produced by 20th Century Fox studios.

     

  • Are you a Secret Keeper yet?

    Are you a Secret Keeper yet?

    MUMBAI: When you are passionate about something, success is inevitable. An initiative that was born out of such love and care, a movement that was long overdue in India – #StarMoviesSecretScreening. The reason for its success is testimony to the power and drive of its Secret Keepers – the elite community of movie lovers from across the country.

     

    The initiative began a few months ago and its first installment saw Star Movies launch the first ever #StarMoviesSecretScreening communication only on social media with one intention – celebrate good cinema with a great experience.

     

    The first #StarMoviesSecretScreening showcased ‘The Maze Runner’, two weeks before the international release starting off the cult movie movement. They repeated the experience again with another Hollywood masterpiece – ‘The Gone Girl’.

     

    Now in its third edition the secret was bigger than ever, the experience; grander than before. #StarMoviesSecretScreening along with Fox Studios treated the Secret Keepers to the cinematic brilliance of Ridley Scott’s EXODUS – a journey that set the screen ablaze on 3rd December 2014 in Mumbai, Delhi and Bangalore. This film is an interpretation of the exodus of the Hebrews from Egypt as led by Moses and related to the Old Testament Book of Exodus.

     

    The movie starring Christian Bale, Ben Kingsley and other mighty actors narrates the epic story of one man’s courage to take on the might of an empire. The Secret Keepers were thrilled to be a part of this journey and their love parted the twitter feeds as #StarMoviesSecretScreening was trending nationally.

     

    On the occasion, Kevin Vaz, General Manager – English Cluster, Star India said, “At Star Movies we’ve always tried to create new and exciting experiences for our viewers. The Secret Screening was a result of great consumer insight meeting the perfect idea. We’ve had great response from our Secret Keepers and we are certain that this property will continue to intrigue and thrill audiences.”

     

    Shikha Kapur, CMO, Fox Star Studios India, added – “Exodus: Gods and Kings is as epic a movie as it gets. Mounted on a lavish scale with some stunning visual display, soldered with top notch performances from a solid cast, and with the solid reins in the hands of the master director Ridley Scott, this film has had audiences waiting for its release with peaking anticipation.

     

    #StarMoviesSecretScreening was just the right platform to debut this colossal movie experience with the legions of fans across cities. May the tribe of Secret Keepers flourish! We are confident that Fox Star Studios will be there at every secret screening, enthralling and exciting all, with our cinema.”

                                                                                                                                                                                              

    Secret Keepers rejoice. Our journey has just begun. Together, we shall and we will build our brotherhood, one secret at a time.

     

    #StarMoviesSecretScreening… Ssshhhh… it’s still the best kept secret!

     

  • Zee Studio unveils its brand new ideology-‘See it all’

    Zee Studio unveils its brand new ideology-‘See it all’

    MUMBAI: One of India’s English movie channels, Zee Studio has unveiled its brand new ideology ‘See it all’ for its viewers. The channel revealed it’s all new look with a newer library of movie collection that offers a range of genres including action, comedy and animation.  

     

    Speaking about the new brand strategy Zee Studio and Zee Café executive vice president and business head Anurag Bedi said that their study reflected that with vast globalization, the reach and perception of Hollywood movies has changed over a decade in the country. The study further revealed that English cinema is not limited to a certain niche elite class anymore and the younger generation has a lot of exposure to western entertainment and that has led to massive change in consumption patterns.

     

    He further goes on to add, “With Zee Studio’s refreshed look we aim to give the viewer what he is looking for. Additionally, the research revealed that today’s tech savvy young generation who is major chunk of our viewer base expects greater quality content and a high definition experience from television channels. Hence the effort to renew Zee Studio’s look and content is a landmark moment for our business and brand.”

     

    Throwing light on an extensive marketing plan specially designed for the refresh, Zee Studio and Zee Café marketing head Sharlton Menezes commented, “As part of our 360 degree communication plan, we detailed out a multi-media, multi-touch point campaign to ensure that the refresh delivers the brand promise of ‘See it all’. Larger than life movies, big stars and famous characters are the most tangible strengths of Hollywood, which will be leveraged to endorse the channel’s refreshed imagery.”

     

    Tapping the potential to engage with the youth via a multi-layered engagement platform, this campaign will be present at over 30 trade media agencies across Mumbai, Delhi and Bangalore. Zee Studio is inviting fans to click pictures with the 10 feet tall Transformer stationed at Cyber City, MPG, Arena, Dentsu, Signature Tower, Cyber Plaza in Delhi and Phoenix mall in Mumbai.

     

    Furthermore, ‘See it All’ will be supported with a social media leg across Twitter, Facebook and YouTube. For 15 days, starting 3 October 2014 the channel has started a ‘See it All” contest for its viewers to tune-in to the 9 pm movie and answer simple questions to win gadgets like iPhones and iPads.

     

    Zee Studio’s new identity was introduced in conjunction with the channel premiere of Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol that was telecasted on Friday, 3 October at 1pm and 9 pm respectively. Legendary actors such as Tom Cruise, Leonardo DiCaprio, Mark Ruffalo, Christian Bale and others will be also scorching the screens throughout the month and beyond.