Speed Racer to the IMAX

IMAX Corporation and Warner Bros. Pictures announced recently that “Speed Racer,” the action-packed adventure from the creators of "The Matrix" trilogy, will be simultaneously released to IMAX® and conventional theatres across the Philippines on May 7.
“Speed Racer,” based on the hit anime series created by Tatsuo Yoshida, is written and directed by The Wachowski Brothers. The film will be digitally re-mastered into the unparalleled image and sound quality of The IMAX Experience® with IMAX DMR® (Digital Re-mastering) technology.
"'Speed Racer' combines riveting action with stunning special effects, making it an ideal choice for IMAX's format," said Dan Fellman, President of Domestic Distribution at Warner Bros. Pictures. "We are delighted to release the film to IMAX theatres, where audiences can experience the next best thing to actually sitting in the driver's seat during this high speed adventure."
"'Speed Racer' is a fantastic addition to our 2008 film slate, and we are very pleased to welcome The Wachowski Brothers back to the world of IMAX," said IMAX Co-Chairmen and Co-CEOs Richard L. Gelfond and Bradley J. Wechsler. "The unique vision of these talented filmmakers has always been well suited to IMAX's format, and we're more than excited to be a part of this release."
"'Speed Racer' has all the elements for a powerful IMAX experience, with its broad appeal and spectacular effects," said Veronika Kwan-Rubinek, President of International Distribution, Warner Bros. Pictures. "We are excited to be exhibiting the film internationally in this unique format."
In the film, Speed Racer (Emile Hirsch) is a natural behind the wheel, hurtling down the track, careening around, over and through the competition. Born to race cars, Spe ed is aggressive, instinctive and, most of all, fearless. His only real competition is the memory of the brother he idoliz ed —the legendary Rex Racer, whose death in a race has left behind a legacy that Spe ed is driven to fulfill.
Spe ed is loyal to the family racing business, l ed by his father, Pops Racer (John Goodman), the designer of Spe ed ’s thundering Mach 5. When Spe ed turns down a lucrative and tempting offer from Royalton Industries, he not only infuriates the company’s maniacal owner (Roger Allam) but uncovers a terrible secret—some of the biggest races are being fix ed by a handful of ruthless moguls who manipulate the top drivers to boost profits. If Spe ed won’t drive for Royalton, Royalton will see to it that the Mach 5 never crosses another finish line.
The only way for Spe ed to save his family’s business and the sport he loves is to beat Royalton at his own game. With the support of his family and his loyal girlfriend, Trixie (Christina Ricci), Spe ed teams with his one-time rival—the mysterious Racer X (Matthew Fox)—to win the race that had taken his brother’s life: the death-defying, cross-country rally known as The Crucible.

Chris Evans Teams Up with Keanu

FLAMING on to be one of Hollywood’s next iconic actor of his generation, Chris Evans proves his mettle as he goes beyond his boy-next-door image in the hard-core action cop movie "Street Kings" with Keanu Reeves.

In "Street Kings," Evans plays Detective Paul Diskant, a homicide detective tasked to investigate on the death of Ludlow’s (Reeves) fellow officer, Washington (Terry Crews). While on the case, Ludlow and Diskant eventually teamed up as they try to uncover the obscure events surrounding the death of Washington. As they uncover more, they find out that the department’s exterior is just a door jammed with gray areas that will force them to go up against the system they’ve been a part of for years.

Director David Ayer and producer Erwin Stoff set out to put their own unique spin on the police-thriller genre. Unlike most other urban thrillers, "Street Kings" is steeped in realism and contemporary politics. "From the beginning we set out to make a movie that transcended the genre and not just hit the expected beats of the traditional police thriller," explains Stoff. "We made it a point to have the world inside this film populated with real characters with real dilemmas without being white-washed."

"What makes this story interesting to me is that there’s a nuance to these characters and everyone has a shade of gray," explains Ayer. "It’s an urban thriller, so everyone’s a little bit corrupt, but I think the same is true in real life. Nobody wakes up and thinks they’re the bad guy. In their eyes they have found themselves in situations that grew beyond their control and are trying to survive. The film is structured like a tragedy and feels like a train wreck, but there is incredible redemption there. There is a message that no matter how far gone you are, there is always a way back."

From his first feature film "Not Another Teen Movie," Evans gained following in the crime comedy "The Perfect Score" and the thriller "Cellular." Evans was catapulted into full stardom when he suited up in the action hits "Fantastic Four" in 2005 and "Fantastic Four: The Rise of the Silver Surfer" in 2007 as Johnny Storm a.k.a. The Human Torch with Ioan Gruffudd, Jessica Alba and Michael Chiklis.

His other film credits include "Sunshine," "The Nanny Diaries," "Fierce People," "London" and "The Orphan King."

Non-stop cop action starts April 16 when "Street Kings" opens in local cinemas from 20th Century Fox to be distributed by Warner Bros.

Matthew Fox: Hotter Than Ever

HE mesmerized worldwide audiences for playing the rugged hero Jack Shepard in the smash TV series “Lost.” Now, Matthew Fox vaults into the big screen with two back-to-back major films.

First up in February is Columbia Pictures’ explosive action-thriller “Vantage Point” where he stars with Dennis Quaid as Secret Service agents assigned to protect the American President at a landmark summit on the global war on terror. When the President is shot moments after his arrival in Spain , chaos ensues and disparate lives collide in the hunt for the assassin.

Fox follows that up with Warner Bros.’ high-octane family adventure “Speed Racer” based on the classic series created by anime pioneer Tatsuo Yoshida. The film combines revolutionary visual effects and cutting-edge storytelling that have become the benchmarks of the Wachowski brothers’ films (“The Matrix” series).

The actor talks about “Vantage Point” and “Speed Racer” in the following interview:

Question: You play a secret service agent in “Vantage Point.” What attracted you to the role?

Matthew Fox: I was attracted to the project because of [director] Pete Travis. I'm fascinated with the concept of perspective and vantage point. It's amazing to me how 10 people can look at the same events and depending on the point of view that they're looking at it from, they can see it differently. I'm constantly trying to remind myself of perspective and how much control I have over how I perceive things...I can't really talk a lot about the role without giving away parts of the picture, but that was attractive to me as well.

Q: Did you study at all with actual secret service agents?

Fox: Yeah. Pete was really amazing about trying to get us [trained], and those guys are really reticent to talk about their profession. So getting that opportunity was great and Pete really pushed for that to happen and then we had some research materials as well that we studied. And then we had people on the set all the time that were sort of consultants to make sure that what we were doing jives with reality.

Q: In May, you play Racer X in the Wachowski Brothers' highly anticipated “Speed Racer.” How did that come about?

Fox: I'm a cartoon and comic book fan, and I love anime. [But] I didn't know anything about “Speed Racer.” I grew up without a television. So when I found out that the Wachowskis were doing “Speed Racer” and were interested in me for it, I immediately went on the Internet, and as soon as I saw Racer X, I was like, I think that looks like me. I kinda think I would be a good Racer X. [Laughs] So then I was like, Dammit, I'm going to win this role! I went and read for it, and then waited quite a while.... It was the project last spring that I was dying to do, and I would have been so incredibly disappointed if I didn't.

Q: What can you say about your interpretation of Racer X?

Fox: Racer X is all about mystery. And it's all about not just disguise of suit, but it's disguise of voice — he's, like, impenetrable.... Part of the fun that I had was that I got to be a badass, and work with the most insane stunt guys. I'm proud I did it all. They didn't double me. The stunt guys were like, ''We think you can do everything. Do you want to do everything?'' ''Damn right I want to do everything. I want to do everything to the point where you think it looks like crap. That's when I need you to step in and help me out.'' [During] some of it I was just dying. I would do these fight sequences in this leather thing, and the amount of sweat was extraordinary. I was coming home ultra-dehydrated.

Q: Is your goal to make the leap into movies full-time?

Fox: There's no question. For me, it's more about my own quality of life. It's better for me to do films because it gives me much more flexibility in my life. I love the idea of becoming all-consumed in this one thing for four months, and then it's done, and I'm just floating around going, I don't know what I'm doing next. You're in that process of looking, and then you're like, Oh, this is the inevitable next thing. Then you dive into that. Also, I love to play new roles. [But] the beautiful thing about “Lost” is that even though I'm playing Jack Shephard, I get all these new things to do with him. It's not like playing Charlie Salinger on “Party of Five.” It was tough to play that same character for six years because I don't think I got to evolve that character and play new elements of him and have him be as many different things as Jack Shephard can be.

Twice the Terror in AVP2

IN ALIENS VS. PREDATOR – 2, the iconic creatures from two of the scariest film franchises in movie history wage their most brutal battle ever -- in our own backyard.

The science fiction-action-thriller captures the magic of the “Alien vs. Predator” comics, novels and videogames that established the “AVP” brand – while paying homage to the hallmarks of the film series that preceded it: Ridley Scott’s seminal work of science fiction and horror, “Alien”; James Cameron’s masterpiece of intense action, “Aliens”; and John McTiernan’s thriller about an extra-terrestrial warrior wreaking havoc in the jungle, “Predator.” At the same time AVP2, introduces an intriguing element new to the franchise, by having the Aliens and Predator wage war in a small American town.

Bringing these elements together are directors The Brothers Strause, Colin and Greg, whose visual effects house, Hydraulx, is renowned for its computer-generated wizardry on films such as “300,” “X-Men: The Last Stand,” and “Fantastic Four.”

It’s no accident that the Strause brothers are making their feature film helming debut on a story featuring Aliens and Predators – they’re unabashed fans of both film series. “Colin and Greg live Aliens and Predators,” says John Davis, who produced this film, as well as the original “Predator” and 2005’s “Alien vs. Predator.” “They’ve seen the movies countless times, know the [AVP] comics and played the [AVP] videogames. They really understand these characters.” Adds AVP2 screenwriter Shane Salerno: “The Strause brothers live, eat and breathe these films. The specificity they’ve given AVP2 is remarkable. They’re passionate about this material.”

The brothers’ passion extends to the film’s central notion of placing warring creatures in the middle of a small American town. To them, this idea heightened the stakes – and the scares. “What’s more frightening – a menace happening millions of miles away, or a threat in your own backyard,” says Greg Strause. “Obviously, we thought it was time to bring the Predator and Aliens into the thick of things here. It gets very primal; you’ve never seen anything like it on film. No one is safe in this movie!”

“The creatures are literally on our streets,” adds John Davis: “The idea to set the story in ‘Anywhere, U.S.A.’ – in a nice, recognizable town that is suddenly thrust into the middle of an epic battle and mounting carnage they can’t begin to fathom.”

The town under siege is Gunnison, a real-life locale situated in the mountains of central Colorado. “It’s small – but not too small,” says Shane Salerno who set the story in Gunnison after searching a U.S. map for a fresh take on the warring creatures. (Vancouver, British Colombia stood in for Gunnison.)

AVP2 exists in a familiar landscape – a town’s dark sewers, its rain-soaked streets, the concrete jungle of its electrical plant, and a hospital maternity ward – that become battlefields beyond the townspeople’s worst nightmares.

“While writing the script, I was constantly thinking about how regular people respond to the most extreme situations,” Salerno continues. “I looked at things like hurricanes and fires, where ordinary people – firefighters, police officers, teachers – become heroes.”

“We wanted to explore the lengths to which people would go to protect their families,” elaborates Colin Strause. “Who would they fight for… and die for?”

AVP2 is a 20^th Century Fox release, distributed by Warner Bros. Now showing in Philippine theaters.

LIST OF OSCAR 2008 NOMINEES

HERE are the announced nominations in major categories for the coming 80th Annual Academy Awards. The much awaited event will be held on February 24:

Best motion picture of the year
"Atonement" (Focus Features) A Working Title Production: Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner and Paul Webster, Producers
"Juno" (Fox Searchlight) A Dancing Elk Pictures, LLC Production: Lianne Halfon, Mason Novick and Russell Smith, Producers
"Michael Clayton" (Warner Bros.) A Clayton Productions, LLC Production: Sydney Pollack, Jennifer Fox and Kerry Orent, Producers
"No Country for Old Men" (Miramax and Paramount Vantage) A Scott Rudin/Mike Zoss Production: Scott Rudin, Ethan Coen and Joel Coen, Producers
"There Will Be Blood" (Paramount Vantage and Miramax) A JoAnne Sellar/Ghoulardi Film Company Production: JoAnne Sellar, Paul Thomas Anderson and Daniel Lupi, Producers

Performance by an actor in a leading role
George Clooney in "Michael Clayton" (Warner Bros.)
Daniel Day-Lewis in "There Will Be Blood" (Paramount Vantage and Miramax)
Johnny Depp in "Sweeney Todd The Demon Barber of Fleet Street" (DreamWorks and Warner Bros., Distributed by DreamWorks/Paramount)
Tommy Lee Jones in "In the Valley of Elah" (Warner Independent)
Viggo Mortensen in "Eastern Promises" (Focus Features)

Performance by an actress in a leading role
Cate Blanchett in "Elizabeth: The Golden Age" (Universal)
Julie Christie in "Away from Her" (Lionsgate)
Marion Cotillard in "La Vie en Rose" (Picturehouse)
Laura Linney in "The Savages" (Fox Searchlight)
Ellen Page in "Juno" (Fox Searchlight)

Performance by an actor in a supporting role
Casey Affleck in "The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford" (Warner Bros.)
Javier Bardem in "No Country for Old Men" (Miramax and Paramount Vantage)
Philip Seymour Hoffman in "Charlie Wilson's War" (Universal)
Hal Holbrook in "Into the Wild" (Paramount Vantage and River Road Entertainment)
Tom Wilkinson in "Michael Clayton" (Warner Bros.)

Performance by an actress in a supporting role
Cate Blanchett in "I'm Not There" (The Weinstein Company)
Ruby Dee in "American Gangster" (Universal)
Saoirse Ronan in "Atonement" (Focus Features)
Amy Ryan in "Gone Baby Gone" (Miramax)
Tilda Swinton in "Michael Clayton" (Warner Bros.)

Achievement in directing
"The Diving Bell and the Butterfly" (Miramax/Pathé Renn), Julian Schnabel
"Juno" (Fox Searchlight), Jason Reitman
"Michael Clayton" (Warner Bros.), Tony Gilroy
"No Country for Old Men" (Miramax and Paramount Vantage), Joel Coen and Ethan Coen
"There Will Be Blood" (Paramount Vantage and Miramax), Paul Thomas Anderson

Achievement in cinematography
"The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford" (Warner Bros.): Roger Deakins
"Atonement" (Focus Features): Seamus McGarvey
"The Diving Bell and the Butterfly" (Miramax/Pathé Renn): Janusz Kaminski
"No Country for Old Men" (Miramax and Paramount Vantage): Roger Deakins
"There Will Be Blood" (Paramount Vantage and Miramax): Robert Elswit

Best foreign language film of the year
"Beaufort" Israel
"The Counterfeiters" Austria
"Katyn" Poland
"Mongol" Kazakhstan
"12" Russia

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original song)
"Falling Slowly" from "Once" (Fox Searchlight) Music and Lyric by Glen Hansard and: Marketa Irglova
"Happy Working Song" from "Enchanted" (Walt Disney): Music by Alan Menken; Lyric by Stephen Schwartz
"Raise It Up" from "August Rush" (Warner Bros.): Nominees to be determined
"So Close" from "Enchanted" (Walt Disney): Music by Alan Menken; Lyric by Stephen Schwartz
"That's How You Know" from "Enchanted" (Walt Disney): Music by Alan Menken; Lyric by Stephen Schwartz


Achievement in visual effects
"The Golden Compass" (New Line in association with Ingenious Film Partners): Michael Fink, Bill Westenhofer, Ben Morris and Trevor Wood
"Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End" (Walt Disney): John Knoll, Hal Hickel, Charles Gibson and John Frazier
"Transformers" (DreamWorks and Paramount in association with Hasbro): Scott Farrar, Scott Benza, Russell Earl and John Frazier

Original screenplay
"Juno" (Fox Searchlight), Written by Diablo Cody
"Lars and the Real Girl" (MGM), Written by Nancy Oliver
"Michael Clayton" (Warner Bros.), Written by Tony Gilroy
"Ratatouille" (Walt Disney), Screenplay by Brad Bird; Story by Jan Pinkava, Jim Capobianco, Brad Bird
"The Savages" (Fox Searchlight), Written by Tamara Jenkins

Strait to 10,000 B.C.

FROM director Roland Emmerich (“The Day After Tomorrow,” “Independence Day”) comes “10,000 BC,” a sweeping odyssey into a mythical age of prophesies and gods, when spirits rule the land and mighty mammoths shake the earth.

Two of today’s most exciting young stars, Steven Strait (“The Covenant,” “Sky High”) and Camilla Belle (“When a Stranger Calls”) headline the film.

In a remote mountain tribe, the young hunter, D’Leh (Strait), has found his heart’s passion – the beautiful Evolet (Belle). When a band of mysterious warlords raid his village and kidnap Evolet, D’Leh is forced to lead a small group of hunters to pursue the warlords to the end of the world to save her.

Driven by destiny, the unlikely band of warriors must battle saber-tooth tigers and prehistoric predators and, at their heroic journey’s end, they uncover a Lost Civilization.

Their ultimate fate lies in an empire beyond imagination, where great pyramids reach into the skies. Here they will take their stand against a powerful god who has brutally enslaved their people.

Opening soon across the Philippines , “10,000 BC” is distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

Italian Film Fest at the Cultural Center of the Philippines

COMEDY is the theme of the 2008 Italian Film Festival which will begin with an invitational opening event on January 17, 2008 at the Cultural Center of the Philippines. The award-winning 1961 classic Divorzio All'Italiana (Divorce-Italian Style) starring Marcello Mastroianni, will open the film festival.
Released at a time when divorce was illegal in Italy, Divorce Italian Style was an international box office hit which won several international awards, including Oscar awards for Best Writing, Best Story and Best Screenplay-written directly for the Screen and Oscar nominations for Best Actor in a leading role (Marcello Mastroianni) and Best Director (Pietro Germi). The film tells the story of Baron Ferdinando Cefalu, a married Sicilian who falls in love with his cousin and vows to wed her. But with divorce illegal, he must concoct a crime of passion to do away with his wife. A light sentence for such a crime is possible if Ferdinando catches his lady committing adultery. Now, Ferdinando must find a lover for his wife.
The 2008 Italian Film Festival will feature 11 other Italian comedy films throughout the year. These are:
I Soliti Ignoti (Big Deal in Madonna Street, 1958) on February 12; Tre Uomini e Una Gamba (Three Men and A Leg, 1997) on March 11 ; Dillo con Parole Mie (Ginger and Cinnamon, 2003) on April 8; Sedotta e Abbandonata (Seduced and Abandoned, 1964) on May 13; Mimi Metallurgico Ferito Nell'Onore (The Seduction of Mimi, 1972) on June 17; Film d'Amore e d'Anarchia, Ovvero: "Stamattina Alle 10 In Via Dei Fiori Nella Nota Casa Di Tolleranza…" (Love and Anarchy, 1973) on July 8; C'eravamo Tanto Amati (We All Loved Each Other So Much, 1974) on August 12; Io Speriamo Che Me La Cavo (Ciao, Professore!, 1992) on September 9; Cosi e La Vita (Such is Life, 1998) on October 14; Agata e La Tempesta (Agatha and the Storm, 2004) on November 11 and Fatto di Sangue Fra Due Uomini Per Causa di Una Vedova-Si Sospettano Moventi Politici (Blood Feud, 1978) on December 9.
Regular screenings will be held at the CCP Tanghalang Manuel Conde (Dream Theater) at 4:00 P.M. and 7:00 P.M., every second Tuesday of the month.
The 2008 Italian Film Festival is a presentation of the CCP, Italian Embassy-Manila and the Philippine-Italian Association. For more information, please call the CCP Media Arts Division at tel. no. 832-1125 local 1704-05. -- from Raul Asis, CCP Office