World renowned entertainment and lifestyle hospitality companies, Sbe and Zouk Group, are joining forces to bring Zouk to Los Angeles in 2024. Today, Sbe announced its new partnership with Zouk Group for the opening of Zouk LA, which will eventually occupy the Sbe nightclub space that currently houses the company’s Nightingale concept in West Hollywood.
In 2021, 32-year-old nightlife brand Zouk opened in Resorts World Las Vegas, following a longtime reputation as one of Asia’s best clubs and celebrated for broadening Singapore’s dance music scene.
“It is such an honor to be partnering with Zouk Group, my dear friend Hui and his seasoned team to breathe new air into Los Angeles’ nightlife scene,” Sam Nazarian, founder and CEO of Sbe, said in a statement shared with The Hollywood Reporter. “This opening is going to introduce Zouk Group’s constant dedication to innovating and elevating the nightlife experience to Los...
In 2021, 32-year-old nightlife brand Zouk opened in Resorts World Las Vegas, following a longtime reputation as one of Asia’s best clubs and celebrated for broadening Singapore’s dance music scene.
“It is such an honor to be partnering with Zouk Group, my dear friend Hui and his seasoned team to breathe new air into Los Angeles’ nightlife scene,” Sam Nazarian, founder and CEO of Sbe, said in a statement shared with The Hollywood Reporter. “This opening is going to introduce Zouk Group’s constant dedication to innovating and elevating the nightlife experience to Los...
- 6/6/2023
- by Evan Nicole Brown
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
A renowned estate with an illustrious pedigree in what is arguably the plummiest pocket of Los Angeles’s tony Bel Air community, owned for the last 25-plus years by Bill Bell, scion of the Bell family soap opera dynasty, and his former soap opera writer/producer wife Maria Arena Bell, has come up for sale with an asking price of $37.5 million. Designed in the early 1930s by esteemed high-society architect Wallace Neff for film producer and studio mogul Sol Wurtzel, the elegant Spanish Colonial mansion, represented by Kurt Rappaport at Westside Estate Agency, measures in at 13,361-square feet with five bedrooms and 7.5 bathrooms.
According to Michael Gross’s 2011 real estate page-turner Unreal Estate, the property was purchased in 1953 for a reported $125,000 by celebrity psychic and astrologer-to-the-stars Anthony Norvell, who claimed to have sublet it at various times to Howard Hughes, Prince Ranier of Monaco and, “The King” himself, Elvis Presley.
According to Michael Gross’s 2011 real estate page-turner Unreal Estate, the property was purchased in 1953 for a reported $125,000 by celebrity psychic and astrologer-to-the-stars Anthony Norvell, who claimed to have sublet it at various times to Howard Hughes, Prince Ranier of Monaco and, “The King” himself, Elvis Presley.
- 4/28/2018
- by Mark David
- Variety Film + TV
The stars are getting into the holiday season!
Zendaya and Chrissy Teigen buddied up at the debut of the new Forevermark Tribute Collection during a private cocktail event at West Edge in New York City’s Chelsea neighborhood on Nov. 7.
Reese Witherspoon may live in Southern California, but that didn’t stop her from trying on some very festive winter items from her Draper James line. “So I may be in denial that there’s a heat wave in La... ?? @draperjames,” she wrote on Nov. 20.
Also on the fashion front, pretty in pink Suki Waterhouse shared a shot of her rose-hued Rejina Pyoi velvet jumpsuit and Charlotte Simone bucket hat and white dress shoes on Nov. 28.
Miss Piggy was unveiled as the Swarovski red carpet presenter for the 2017 Fashion Awards 2017, which will take place in London, England, on Dec. 4. She even donned a replica of Jennifer Lopez's iconic green Versace dress for the big announcement!
Rumer Willis and her...
Zendaya and Chrissy Teigen buddied up at the debut of the new Forevermark Tribute Collection during a private cocktail event at West Edge in New York City’s Chelsea neighborhood on Nov. 7.
Reese Witherspoon may live in Southern California, but that didn’t stop her from trying on some very festive winter items from her Draper James line. “So I may be in denial that there’s a heat wave in La... ?? @draperjames,” she wrote on Nov. 20.
Also on the fashion front, pretty in pink Suki Waterhouse shared a shot of her rose-hued Rejina Pyoi velvet jumpsuit and Charlotte Simone bucket hat and white dress shoes on Nov. 28.
Miss Piggy was unveiled as the Swarovski red carpet presenter for the 2017 Fashion Awards 2017, which will take place in London, England, on Dec. 4. She even donned a replica of Jennifer Lopez's iconic green Versace dress for the big announcement!
Rumer Willis and her...
- 12/1/2017
- Entertainment Tonight
From Angelina Jolie to Nicolas Cage, Beverly Hills High School has educated a who’s who of A-list celebrities for generations.
The high school, which turns 90 this year, is even a bit famous in its own right. The memorable pool sequence from It’s a Wonderful Life was filmed in the gym, and it was also the inspiration for the high school in Beverly Hills, 90210.
In celebration of its 90th anniversary, The Hollywood Reporter spoke with a handful of notable past graduates, like Will & Grace co-creator Max Mutchnick and actress Joely Fiser, who dished on what their famous classmates were like before they became stars.
The high school, which turns 90 this year, is even a bit famous in its own right. The memorable pool sequence from It’s a Wonderful Life was filmed in the gym, and it was also the inspiration for the high school in Beverly Hills, 90210.
In celebration of its 90th anniversary, The Hollywood Reporter spoke with a handful of notable past graduates, like Will & Grace co-creator Max Mutchnick and actress Joely Fiser, who dished on what their famous classmates were like before they became stars.
- 8/18/2017
- by Mike Miller
- PEOPLE.com
Acs Security is about to go on trial for failing to alert cops when a prominent Bel-Air couple's mansion was burglarized ... and the outcome could have a major effect on other celeb victims. David Nazarian -- brother of Sbe Entertainment Group founder Sam Nazarian -- and his wife sued Acs after their home was hit by burglars who made off with 2 safes with $1.7 mil of their valuables. The Nazarians claim a major communication failure by Acs left them without protection.
- 6/15/2017
- by TMZ Staff
- TMZ
Sam Nazarian and his Sls Las Vegas threw a grand opening 3,500 person sleepover party with Iggy Azalea, Lenny Kravitz, Dita von Teese, fireworks, an influx of Hollywood stars like Emile Hirsch and Aaron Paul, and a “be our guest” parade through their high end nightlife and restaurant concepts on Friday night. It's the culmination of 39 months and a reported $415 million renovation of the former Sahara. Also read: MTV VMAs Parties Forecast: A Whisper in the Weekend On Friday, the entire hotel had a new car smell. Cabbies did not know where to pull in. There was a guestlist for the.
- 8/23/2014
- by Mikey Glazer
- The Wrap
This story first appeared in the Nov. 29 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. With the hip Ace Hotel about to open in the historic United Artists building on Broadway in downtown L.A., aesthetics-minded hospitality brand Sbe is looking to get into the boutique hotel action, too. Story: Beverly Hills Hotels to Celebrate the City's Centennial The Hollywood Reporter has learned that Sbe head Sam Nazarian -- who made his name with such posh L.A. nightclubs as Hyde by catering to the likes of Paris Hilton and Leonardo DiCaprio -- is in talks to open another iteration of his
read more...
read more...
- 11/21/2013
- by Merle Ginsberg & Gary Baum
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Hyde Bellagio hosted a star-studded New Year.s Eve event, Saturday, Dec. 31 at Bellagio Resort & Casino. Stars entered the sexy space to celebrate 2012 with close friends. Welcoming the New Year at Hyde Bellagio were Sofia Vergara, Joe Jonas, Leona Lewis, Eliza Dushku, Emile Hirsch, Wilmer Valderrama, Lauren Conrad, Stephanie Pratt, Eric Stonestreet, Amber Lancaster and the Lakers. Rick Fox, among others. Sam Nazarian, Founder and CEO of sbe, said, .Tonight is an amazing night, because sbe is coming to Las Vegas Bellagio has opened its beautiful home on the 50-yard line of the Bellagio Fountains [for Hyde Bellagio].. Referring to her Nye celebration at Hyde Bellagio, .Modern Family.s. Sofia Vergara said, .I.m very excited, because...
- 1/2/2012
- by April MacIntyre
- Monsters and Critics
David Beckham sipped on red wine during dinner with Hollywood mogul Sam Nazarian at his new restaurant, Cleo, in La last night. David's had a full schedule while Victoria is in NYC, including going shirtless during his soccer match and partying for the VMAs over the weekend. She showed her Victoria Beckham Collection during Fashion Week and sat down with the ladies of The View to promote her line of handbags, which are also featured in the October issue of Vogue. Since her designing duties have come to an end, she's heading back home in short shorts to be reunited with David and her boys. View 15 Photos › To see more David, just read more. View 15 Photos ›...
- 9/15/2010
- by PopSugar
- Popsugar.com
A Pair of rival billionaires set a new world record Thursday night at Les Caves du Roy nightclub in St. Tropez with an East vs. West contest to see who could order the most champagne. Zhen Low -- the younger brother of big-spending Malaysian billionaire Jho Low -- squared off against Winston Fisher of the prominent New York real-estate family. At the end of the night, Low was the "winner." The bill? A staggering 2 million euros, or $2.6 million, according to an announcement made at the club. Witnessing the revelry/rivalry were Thor Equities CEO Joseph Sitt, Sbe CEO Sam Nazarian and Paris Hilton,...
- 7/24/2010
- NYPost.com
Taking care of a few errands, Kristin Cavallari was spotted out and about in Westwood, California yesterday afternoon (March 31).
The “Laguna Beach” babe looked to be in good spirits as she chatted away on her mobile phone while toting a massive white designer handbag.
Earlier in the day, Kristin made a trip to Ralph’s Supermarket in Los Angeles to restock her refrigerator and pantry.
Now that she’s single (she broke up with nightclub guru Sam Nazarian) it seems Kristin is doing just fine as an independent woman.
The “Laguna Beach” babe looked to be in good spirits as she chatted away on her mobile phone while toting a massive white designer handbag.
Earlier in the day, Kristin made a trip to Ralph’s Supermarket in Los Angeles to restock her refrigerator and pantry.
Now that she’s single (she broke up with nightclub guru Sam Nazarian) it seems Kristin is doing just fine as an independent woman.
- 4/1/2010
- GossipCenter
Soon-to-be-former-Hills star Kristin Cavallari has lost a job and now has lost a man. Kristin had been dating much-older club owner Sam Nazarian for a few months but kicked him to the curb when she found out that he was cheating on her with a revolving door of other women. Apparently Kristin had stopped over at her boyfriend's house to pick up something and was greeted by another woman coming out of Sam's bathroom: Kristin made her way to the bedroom to retrieve her belongings and that’s when she saw a striking brunette exiting Sam’s bathroom. She knew right away what was...
- 3/31/2010
- by Celebuzz
- Celebuzz.com
She’s been dating nightclub guru Sam Nazarian as of late, but Kristin Cavallari kicked him to the curb when she discovered first-hand that he’d been cheating on her.
Last Thursday (March 25th) the “Hills” babe dropped over to his apartment in Los Angeles to retrieve a ring she’d left there, but what she found was much more than her jewelry- she found his New York girlfriend.
“Kristin had left a ring over at his house so she decided to pop over to pick it up on Thursday afternoon. Sam was working but she has a key.”
“Kristin made her way to the bedroom to retrieve her belongings and that’s when she saw a striking brunette exiting Sam’s bathroom. She knew right away what was going on. She asked the girl who she was and they bonded immediately. She called Sam from her phone but then...
Last Thursday (March 25th) the “Hills” babe dropped over to his apartment in Los Angeles to retrieve a ring she’d left there, but what she found was much more than her jewelry- she found his New York girlfriend.
“Kristin had left a ring over at his house so she decided to pop over to pick it up on Thursday afternoon. Sam was working but she has a key.”
“Kristin made her way to the bedroom to retrieve her belongings and that’s when she saw a striking brunette exiting Sam’s bathroom. She knew right away what was going on. She asked the girl who she was and they bonded immediately. She called Sam from her phone but then...
- 3/30/2010
- GossipCenter
• It's a double date! Tony Parker and wife Eva Longoria Parker enjoyed a quiet meal with pal Mario Lopez and his pregnant girlfriend Courtney Mazza at Sam Nazarian's Katsuya Hollywood. The four were originally seated in the private Dragon Room, but moved because they wanted a quieter spot. The group skipped alcohol - but sipped green tea with their dinner.
- 3/24/2010
- PEOPLE.com
Making quite the lovely new couple, Dane Cook and Julianne Hough were spotted out in West Hollywood, California on Wednesday (March 3).
Leaving their hotel, an onlooker tells that “Dane had Julianne in stitches at they strolled out to Hough's waiting limo before Cook got into his own vehicle as Julianne was driven to Lax airport.”
The sighting comes just after reports surfaced that the twosome may be more than just friends.
Having been spotted at Sam Nazarian's Katsuya restaurant in the private Dragon Room, a source dished, “They looked very happy together, and very affectionate.”...
Leaving their hotel, an onlooker tells that “Dane had Julianne in stitches at they strolled out to Hough's waiting limo before Cook got into his own vehicle as Julianne was driven to Lax airport.”
The sighting comes just after reports surfaced that the twosome may be more than just friends.
Having been spotted at Sam Nazarian's Katsuya restaurant in the private Dragon Room, a source dished, “They looked very happy together, and very affectionate.”...
- 3/4/2010
- GossipCenter
Another day, another date? Julianne Hough and comedian Dane Cook were spotted leaving a West Hollywood hotel Wednesday afternoon, laughing, as the dancer/country singer walked to her waiting car. She tweeted around 1 p.m. that she was getting picked up by a limo to go to Lax, and head back to Nashville. Over the weekend, the two were spotted sitting side by side in a private dining room at Sam Nazarian's Katsuya Hollywood, where they ate dinner after Hough, 21, attended Cook's comedy show at Hollywood's Laugh Factory. A source who saw Hough at the comedy club said that after the show,...
- 3/4/2010
- PEOPLE.com
Since her split from boyfriend Chuck Wicks in November, country and dancing darling Julianne Hough appears to be enjoying the single life. In December she was briefly linked to Kings of Leon bassist Jared Followill, and the Dancing with the Stars pro now seems to be spending some quality time with funnyman Dane Cook. Hough, 21, attended Cook's surprise performance at Hollywood's Laugh Factory Saturday night. A source says that after his set, the comedian walked over to Hough, who was seated at a private table, and "kissed her, and they quickly left together."The duo's night continued as they headed...
- 3/3/2010
- by Jennifer Garcia
- PEOPLE.com
If Joe Francis didn't know that Frankie Delgado was Brody Jenner's best friend, he's aware of it now. The Girls Gone Wild founder was thrown out of L.A.'s club Mi-6 last night during the opening party hosted by Delgado. While no one has said for sure why Francis was given the boot, we suspect it may have something to do with the ongoing battle between Francis and Jenner. The two got into a scuffle a couple of weeks ago after Francis got into an altercation Jenner's girlfriend, Jayde Nicole, at nightclub Guys & Dolls. Read on to find out all about the Mi-6 drama... "He's not coming in," Delgado told club owner Sam Nazarian, as Francis...
- 9/16/2009
- E! Online
Adult filmmaker Joe Francis had another run-in with the law during a night out in Hollywood on Tuesday when he had to be escorted from the premises of new Hollywood hotspot Club MI6.
The Girls Gone Wild founder stepped out to attend the lavish launch of the venue formerly known as Foxtail - but his night was cut short when he was stopped at the door by club security.
A source tells Hollyscoop.com, "Security told him he wasn't allowed inside and he went crazy. After he was escorted out he started screaming at the owner of the club and tried to make his way back in."
Cops from the Los Angeles Police Department were called to intervene when Francis attempted to barge past the doormen, and officers were forced to "drag him out" of the club.
Rumours suggest Francis was banned from the club's opening by MI6 part-owner, The Hills' Frankie Delgado, who is close friends with fellow reality TV star Brody Jenner.
Francis is currently under police investigation by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department following an altercation with Jenner and his girlfriend Jayde Nicole outside a nightclub last month.
However, Delgado's business partner and MI6 co-owner Sam Nazarian insists he has no problem with Francis.
Nazarian tells the website, "He's a good friend and I don't know what happened but we can resolve it tomorrow. He's a great guy, I think he was too excited for our grand opening."
The director also has a slew of other legal problems to face - he was this week (begs14Sep09) ordered to stand trial over charges of tax evasion on 14 October.
The Girls Gone Wild founder stepped out to attend the lavish launch of the venue formerly known as Foxtail - but his night was cut short when he was stopped at the door by club security.
A source tells Hollyscoop.com, "Security told him he wasn't allowed inside and he went crazy. After he was escorted out he started screaming at the owner of the club and tried to make his way back in."
Cops from the Los Angeles Police Department were called to intervene when Francis attempted to barge past the doormen, and officers were forced to "drag him out" of the club.
Rumours suggest Francis was banned from the club's opening by MI6 part-owner, The Hills' Frankie Delgado, who is close friends with fellow reality TV star Brody Jenner.
Francis is currently under police investigation by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department following an altercation with Jenner and his girlfriend Jayde Nicole outside a nightclub last month.
However, Delgado's business partner and MI6 co-owner Sam Nazarian insists he has no problem with Francis.
Nazarian tells the website, "He's a good friend and I don't know what happened but we can resolve it tomorrow. He's a great guy, I think he was too excited for our grand opening."
The director also has a slew of other legal problems to face - he was this week (begs14Sep09) ordered to stand trial over charges of tax evasion on 14 October.
- 9/16/2009
- WENN
Old Hollywood Glamour is coming back to Hollywood. Last week Sls Hotel opened it’s doors with a glamorous black tie affair and Hollywood' biggest stars came out to celebrate. The who’s who guest list included Paris Hilton, Jared Leto, Hilary Duff, Tyrese Gibson, Danny Masterson, Bijou Phillips, Jamie King, Taye Diggs, Michelle Trachtenberg, Dylan McDermott, and Jermaine Dupri just to name a few. The hotel is the creation of Sbe and its mastermind Sam Nazarian, who has completely revolutionized the lifestyle of Los Angeles. Designed by legendary designer Philippe Starck, the 297-room Sls Hotel at Beverly Hills...
- 12/8/2008
- Hollyscoop.com
When it comes to Hollywood, you either get recognition for your work, your drug habit or the religion you support. Tom Cruise got a lot of heat in the past few years for his undying support of the Church of Scientology. Several well-known celebrities are also advocates of the controversial religion, but not talking about it has helped us…well…not talk about them. Thursday night Danny Masterson stepped out with girlfriend Bijou Phillips for the grand opening of Sam Nazarian's Sls Hotel in Los Angeles, where he talked to Hollyscoop about Tom Cruise and their shared religion--...
- 12/5/2008
- Hollyscoop.com
This review was written for the theatrical release of "Mr. Brooks".Pushing coincidence and exaggeration to the point of near comic absurdity, "Mr. Brooks" begins as a steely cool examination of an unlikely serial killer, but it quickly tumbles off that edge into a quagmire of plot gimmicks and writer's tricks. "Brooks" is the second directing gig by screenwriter Bruce A. Evans ("Stand by Me") from a script he wrote with his longtime partner Raynold Gideon. These two are fine studio writers, but, unleashed from the shackles of the studio development system, they succumb to an urge to explore the dark side of life yet do so without dramatic logic or, for that matter, a moral compass.
The film feels sleazy and nasty -- but without the pulp kick of filmmakers who know how to do sleazy and nasty. The two key roles, wallowing in obsession and ambiguity, were superficially juicy enough to attract Kevin Costner (who even produces) and Demi Moore. But they have little to play: The characters are the equivalent of junkies who plunge needles into their veins over and over without the movie giving any reason for the compulsive, self-destructive behavior.
Fans might show up at theaters, but such roles are the kind likely to reduce that fan base. As counterprogramming to the summer silly season, this adult thriller might attract a decent turnout for a couple of weeks, after which the film will become a DVD curio.
Evans' serial killer, Earl Brooks (Costner), isn't just an ordinary guy with a secret life but Portland's Man of the Year in honor of his civic and philanthropic activities. And not just any philanthropist/serial killer but one with his own stalker, a peeping Tom photographer (Dane Cook) who saw him butcher a naked couple having sex, and a daughter (Danielle Panabaker) who comes home from college with a hatchet murder on her resume.
Evans' bulldog police detective Tracy Atwood (Moore) isn't just any ordinary cop but a $60 million heiress who undertakes police work as a hobby. And not just any detective/heiress but one with a nasty divorce that threatens her career and a deranged killer newly escaped from prison who vows revenge against her for putting him away.
Now would you believe that Brooks' stalker doesn't want to turn him into the police but rather wants to go along on his next kill? No? Well, would you believe that the serial killer just happens to spot the deranged killer and his tough-as-nails girlfriend at a convenience store so he can set in motion a plan to kill two birds with one stone, so to speak?
Clearly, this is one busy story but one that never digs beneath the surface in search of motives or insight. Brooks has an alter ego named Marshall who is personified by William Hurt. Marshall plays Id to Brooks' weak Superego, always urging him to be bad and enjoy the ride. The two discuss murder methods and the care to take so as to avoid getting caught. But they never really debate the merits of badness.
The film views the anti-hero's compulsion as an addiction. Brooks even attends AA meetings. And when his daughter gives in to her bloody impulses, he figures she has inherited his "disease." This is as far as any insight goes.
So all the film's characters, real or imagined, are either twisted or depraved save for the peripheral roles of wife (Marg Helgenberger) and cop sidekick (Ruben Santiago-Hudson). They aren't allowed to be very bright, though. One day our Mr. Brooks catches a plane for the Bay Area, performs a hatchet murder to cover up his daughter's tracks, flies back home and crawls into bed next to his wife. She thinks he has been downstairs the whole time playing with his pottery-making. Right.
The filmmaking is sleek and meticulous with well-upholstered sets and insistent mood music. It's all part of that conceit that a trash exploitation movie done with exquisite production values is somehow classy. It's not.
MR. BROOKS
MGM
Eden Rock Media/ElementFilms/Relativity Media/Tig Prods.
Credits:
Director: Bruce A. Evans
Screenwriters: Bruce A. Evans, Raynold Gideon
Producers: Jim Wilson, Kevin Costner, Raynold Gideon
Executive producers: Sam Nazarian, Adam Rosenfelt, Marc Schaberg, Thomas Augsberger
Director of photography: John Lindley
Production designer: Jeffrey Beecroft
Music: Ramin Djawadi
Costume designer: Judianna Makovsky
Editor: Miklos Wright
Cast:
Earl Brooks: Kevin Costner
Detective Tracy Atwood: Demi Moore
Mr. Smith: Dane Cook
Marshall: William Hurt
Emma Brooks: Marg Helgenberger
Hawkins: Ruben Santiago-Hudson
Jane: Danielle Panabaker
Running time -- 120 minutes
MPAA rating: R...
The film feels sleazy and nasty -- but without the pulp kick of filmmakers who know how to do sleazy and nasty. The two key roles, wallowing in obsession and ambiguity, were superficially juicy enough to attract Kevin Costner (who even produces) and Demi Moore. But they have little to play: The characters are the equivalent of junkies who plunge needles into their veins over and over without the movie giving any reason for the compulsive, self-destructive behavior.
Fans might show up at theaters, but such roles are the kind likely to reduce that fan base. As counterprogramming to the summer silly season, this adult thriller might attract a decent turnout for a couple of weeks, after which the film will become a DVD curio.
Evans' serial killer, Earl Brooks (Costner), isn't just an ordinary guy with a secret life but Portland's Man of the Year in honor of his civic and philanthropic activities. And not just any philanthropist/serial killer but one with his own stalker, a peeping Tom photographer (Dane Cook) who saw him butcher a naked couple having sex, and a daughter (Danielle Panabaker) who comes home from college with a hatchet murder on her resume.
Evans' bulldog police detective Tracy Atwood (Moore) isn't just any ordinary cop but a $60 million heiress who undertakes police work as a hobby. And not just any detective/heiress but one with a nasty divorce that threatens her career and a deranged killer newly escaped from prison who vows revenge against her for putting him away.
Now would you believe that Brooks' stalker doesn't want to turn him into the police but rather wants to go along on his next kill? No? Well, would you believe that the serial killer just happens to spot the deranged killer and his tough-as-nails girlfriend at a convenience store so he can set in motion a plan to kill two birds with one stone, so to speak?
Clearly, this is one busy story but one that never digs beneath the surface in search of motives or insight. Brooks has an alter ego named Marshall who is personified by William Hurt. Marshall plays Id to Brooks' weak Superego, always urging him to be bad and enjoy the ride. The two discuss murder methods and the care to take so as to avoid getting caught. But they never really debate the merits of badness.
The film views the anti-hero's compulsion as an addiction. Brooks even attends AA meetings. And when his daughter gives in to her bloody impulses, he figures she has inherited his "disease." This is as far as any insight goes.
So all the film's characters, real or imagined, are either twisted or depraved save for the peripheral roles of wife (Marg Helgenberger) and cop sidekick (Ruben Santiago-Hudson). They aren't allowed to be very bright, though. One day our Mr. Brooks catches a plane for the Bay Area, performs a hatchet murder to cover up his daughter's tracks, flies back home and crawls into bed next to his wife. She thinks he has been downstairs the whole time playing with his pottery-making. Right.
The filmmaking is sleek and meticulous with well-upholstered sets and insistent mood music. It's all part of that conceit that a trash exploitation movie done with exquisite production values is somehow classy. It's not.
MR. BROOKS
MGM
Eden Rock Media/ElementFilms/Relativity Media/Tig Prods.
Credits:
Director: Bruce A. Evans
Screenwriters: Bruce A. Evans, Raynold Gideon
Producers: Jim Wilson, Kevin Costner, Raynold Gideon
Executive producers: Sam Nazarian, Adam Rosenfelt, Marc Schaberg, Thomas Augsberger
Director of photography: John Lindley
Production designer: Jeffrey Beecroft
Music: Ramin Djawadi
Costume designer: Judianna Makovsky
Editor: Miklos Wright
Cast:
Earl Brooks: Kevin Costner
Detective Tracy Atwood: Demi Moore
Mr. Smith: Dane Cook
Marshall: William Hurt
Emma Brooks: Marg Helgenberger
Hawkins: Ruben Santiago-Hudson
Jane: Danielle Panabaker
Running time -- 120 minutes
MPAA rating: R...
- 5/29/2007
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Pride combines the two main themes in the current plethora of sports movies -- the inspirational victory and a Bad News Bears team that goes from ragtag to riches. Throw in historical black empowerment, too, which does occasionally crop up in films like Glory Road. Thus, the problem facing a film like Pride is that it feels like something we saw a month ago. Yes, Terrence Howard delivers another solid lead performance and competition swimming is a new arena for such films. Nonetheless, Pride is just plain trite.
The presence of Howard and popular comedian-actor Bernie Mac, who also is quite good, certainly will help the theatrical release by Lionsgate. Boxoffice probably will be in the midrange with perhaps greater potential on DVD.
The central figure is Jim Ellis, who has coached swim teams composed mostly of blacks from the Philadelphia Department of Recreation for more than 35 years. The screenplay, attributed to a pair of writing teams, Kevin Michael Smith & Michael Gozzard and J. Mills Goodloe & Norman Vance Jr., is a semi-fictional take on the early years when the Marcus Foster Recreational Center suffered from community neglect and was nearly shut down.
Jim (Howard) is no white knight when he initially walks into the graffiti-marred, unkempt facility in 1973. He's just guy who needs a job. In a scene heavy with portent of future showdowns, Jim is denied employment at a white school by a racist coach (Tom Arnold). But he does land a temporary job that amounts to little more than helping to shut down the Marcus Foster Rec Center.
When the city removes the basketball rims from the courts outside, local players drift into the center to discover a remarkably pristine swimming pool. Pretty soon, Jim, who swam competitively in college, is teaching them the butterfly and back strokes. Predictably, the guys are soon eager for competition. And, predictably, their first meet takes place against the preppy Main Line school team coached by Arnold. They get humiliated. One swimmer hits his head against the end of the pool. Another loses his trunks.
So the team buckles down to work, learns to swim much better and gets two more rematches with their nemesis team. In one, the white team refuses to compete in the Rec Center's pool. In the other, a state championship is on the line. The outcome also is predictable.
Howard glides through the story with professional elan, his natural charisma doing most of the work. Bernie Mac for once is playing a character who his not Bernie Mac, and he is terrific as the rec center custodian. Kimberly Elise can't do much with the routine role of a swimmer's sister and a city councilman who has the juice to help the center survive if she so chooses.
The movie supplies both a white and black villain. Along side Arnold's smirking coach is Gary Sturgis' ghetto hood, a character without much dimension or any rationale for harassing a swimming team.
The young actors playing the swimmers aren't given much to work with other than a single defining characteristic -- a stutter for one and glasses indicating braininess for another. But they are attractive actors and solid athletes.
Under the direction of neophyte Sunu Gonera, who might be the first Hollywood director to hail from Zimbabwe, the film is technically proficient. Matthew F. Leonetti's camerawork is polished and fluid, while designer Steve Saklad handles period details well. A soundtrack of Philly Soul -- familiar music from the songwriting team of Gamble and Huff -- makes for great listening.
PRIDE
Lionsgate
Cinerenta/Infinity Media
Credits:
Director: Sunu Gonera
Screenwriters: Kevin Michael Smith, Michael Gozzard, J. Mills Goodloe, Norman Vance Jr.
Story: Kevin Michael Smith, Michael Gozzard
Producers: Brett Forbes, Patrick Rizzotti, Michael Ohoven, Adam Rosenfelt, Paul Hall
Executive producers: Terrence Howard, Victoria Fredrick, Sam Nazarian, Eberhard Kayser, Malcolm Petal, Kimberly C. Anderson, Mike Paseornek, John Sacchi
Cinematographer: Matthew F. Leonetti
Production designer: Steve Saklad
Music: Aaron Zigman
Costume designer: Paul Simmons
Editor: Billy Fox
Cast:
Jim Ellis: Terrence Howard
Elston: Bernie Mac
Sue Davis: Kimberly Elise
Bink: Tom Arnold
Puddin Head: Brandon Fobbs
Walt: Alphonso McAuley
Willie: Regine Nehy
Hakim: Nate Parker
Andre: Kevin Phillips
Running time -- 108 minutes
MPAA rating: PG...
The presence of Howard and popular comedian-actor Bernie Mac, who also is quite good, certainly will help the theatrical release by Lionsgate. Boxoffice probably will be in the midrange with perhaps greater potential on DVD.
The central figure is Jim Ellis, who has coached swim teams composed mostly of blacks from the Philadelphia Department of Recreation for more than 35 years. The screenplay, attributed to a pair of writing teams, Kevin Michael Smith & Michael Gozzard and J. Mills Goodloe & Norman Vance Jr., is a semi-fictional take on the early years when the Marcus Foster Recreational Center suffered from community neglect and was nearly shut down.
Jim (Howard) is no white knight when he initially walks into the graffiti-marred, unkempt facility in 1973. He's just guy who needs a job. In a scene heavy with portent of future showdowns, Jim is denied employment at a white school by a racist coach (Tom Arnold). But he does land a temporary job that amounts to little more than helping to shut down the Marcus Foster Rec Center.
When the city removes the basketball rims from the courts outside, local players drift into the center to discover a remarkably pristine swimming pool. Pretty soon, Jim, who swam competitively in college, is teaching them the butterfly and back strokes. Predictably, the guys are soon eager for competition. And, predictably, their first meet takes place against the preppy Main Line school team coached by Arnold. They get humiliated. One swimmer hits his head against the end of the pool. Another loses his trunks.
So the team buckles down to work, learns to swim much better and gets two more rematches with their nemesis team. In one, the white team refuses to compete in the Rec Center's pool. In the other, a state championship is on the line. The outcome also is predictable.
Howard glides through the story with professional elan, his natural charisma doing most of the work. Bernie Mac for once is playing a character who his not Bernie Mac, and he is terrific as the rec center custodian. Kimberly Elise can't do much with the routine role of a swimmer's sister and a city councilman who has the juice to help the center survive if she so chooses.
The movie supplies both a white and black villain. Along side Arnold's smirking coach is Gary Sturgis' ghetto hood, a character without much dimension or any rationale for harassing a swimming team.
The young actors playing the swimmers aren't given much to work with other than a single defining characteristic -- a stutter for one and glasses indicating braininess for another. But they are attractive actors and solid athletes.
Under the direction of neophyte Sunu Gonera, who might be the first Hollywood director to hail from Zimbabwe, the film is technically proficient. Matthew F. Leonetti's camerawork is polished and fluid, while designer Steve Saklad handles period details well. A soundtrack of Philly Soul -- familiar music from the songwriting team of Gamble and Huff -- makes for great listening.
PRIDE
Lionsgate
Cinerenta/Infinity Media
Credits:
Director: Sunu Gonera
Screenwriters: Kevin Michael Smith, Michael Gozzard, J. Mills Goodloe, Norman Vance Jr.
Story: Kevin Michael Smith, Michael Gozzard
Producers: Brett Forbes, Patrick Rizzotti, Michael Ohoven, Adam Rosenfelt, Paul Hall
Executive producers: Terrence Howard, Victoria Fredrick, Sam Nazarian, Eberhard Kayser, Malcolm Petal, Kimberly C. Anderson, Mike Paseornek, John Sacchi
Cinematographer: Matthew F. Leonetti
Production designer: Steve Saklad
Music: Aaron Zigman
Costume designer: Paul Simmons
Editor: Billy Fox
Cast:
Jim Ellis: Terrence Howard
Elston: Bernie Mac
Sue Davis: Kimberly Elise
Bink: Tom Arnold
Puddin Head: Brandon Fobbs
Walt: Alphonso McAuley
Willie: Regine Nehy
Hakim: Nate Parker
Andre: Kevin Phillips
Running time -- 108 minutes
MPAA rating: PG...
- 3/19/2007
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Drake Bell, Kevin Covais, Andrew Caldwell and Haley Bennett are set to star in Element Films and State Street Pictures' youth comedy College, directed by Deb Hagan. Lionsgate will distribute through its long-term distribution deal with Element.
Also in the film are Gary Owens and Ryan Pinkston (Punk'd).
From a screenplay by Dan Callahan and Adam Ellison, College centers on three high school seniors who have the wildest weekend of their lives when they visit a nearby college campus as prospective freshmen. Element is producing in association with State Street Pictures and New Orleans-based LIFT Films.
Element will fully finance the project.
Producers are Element president and co-founder Adam Rosenfelt, vp production and development Julie Dangel and State Street's Robert Teitel. Rene Rigal of State Street will co-produce. Element co-founder Sam Nazarian and Element COO Marc Schaberg will executive produce with Malcolm Petal and Kim Anderson of State Street Pictures.
Bell stars in Nickelodeon's Drake and Josh. Repped by WMA, he most recently starred in Paramount's Yours, Mine and Ours.
Covais was an American Idol contestant in Season 5.
Also in the film are Gary Owens and Ryan Pinkston (Punk'd).
From a screenplay by Dan Callahan and Adam Ellison, College centers on three high school seniors who have the wildest weekend of their lives when they visit a nearby college campus as prospective freshmen. Element is producing in association with State Street Pictures and New Orleans-based LIFT Films.
Element will fully finance the project.
Producers are Element president and co-founder Adam Rosenfelt, vp production and development Julie Dangel and State Street's Robert Teitel. Rene Rigal of State Street will co-produce. Element co-founder Sam Nazarian and Element COO Marc Schaberg will executive produce with Malcolm Petal and Kim Anderson of State Street Pictures.
Bell stars in Nickelodeon's Drake and Josh. Repped by WMA, he most recently starred in Paramount's Yours, Mine and Ours.
Covais was an American Idol contestant in Season 5.
Lionsgate has resurrected "Tulia", the long-gestating Tollin-Robbins project starring Halle Berry as a lawyer investigating an infamous Texas drug bust. The producers are in negotiations with Carl Franklin to direct the feature.
The film centers on the 1999 arrests of 46 black men in the impoverished town of Tulia, Texas -- a sting effort where no money, drugs or illegal weapons were found on any of the suspects. Berry will portray the lead attorney for the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, which intervened to free the citizens wrongly convicted based on one crooked cop's testimony.
The story is based on the nonfiction book "Tulia: Race, Cocaine, and Corruption in a Small Texas Town" by Nate Blakeslee. Karen Croner wrote the screenplay.
The producers are: Mike Tollin, Brian Robbins and Sharla Sumpter for Tollin-Robbins Prods.; Berry and her manager, Vince Cirrincione; Jesse Beaton; Adam Rosenfelt and Sam Nazarian, both of Element Films, who will produce in conjunction with New Orleans-based LIFT Films.
The film centers on the 1999 arrests of 46 black men in the impoverished town of Tulia, Texas -- a sting effort where no money, drugs or illegal weapons were found on any of the suspects. Berry will portray the lead attorney for the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, which intervened to free the citizens wrongly convicted based on one crooked cop's testimony.
The story is based on the nonfiction book "Tulia: Race, Cocaine, and Corruption in a Small Texas Town" by Nate Blakeslee. Karen Croner wrote the screenplay.
The producers are: Mike Tollin, Brian Robbins and Sharla Sumpter for Tollin-Robbins Prods.; Berry and her manager, Vince Cirrincione; Jesse Beaton; Adam Rosenfelt and Sam Nazarian, both of Element Films, who will produce in conjunction with New Orleans-based LIFT Films.
Lionsgate has resurrected Tulia, the long-gestating Tollin-Robbins project starring Halle Berry as a lawyer investigating an infamous Texas drug bust. The producers are in negotiations with Carl Franklin to direct the feature.
The film centers on the 1999 arrests of 46 black men in the impoverished town of Tulia, Texas -- a sting effort where no money, drugs or illegal weapons were found on any of the suspects. Berry will portray the lead attorney for the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, which intervened to free the citizens wrongly convicted based on one crooked cop's testimony.
The story is based on the nonfiction book "Tulia: Race, Cocaine, and Corruption in a Small Texas Town" by Nate Blakeslee. Karen Croner wrote the screenplay.
The producers are: Mike Tollin, Brian Robbins and Sharla Sumpter for Tollin-Robbins Prods.; Berry and her manager, Vince Cirrincione; Jesse Beaton; Adam Rosenfelt and Sam Nazarian, both of Element Films, who will produce in conjunction with New Orleans-based LIFT Films.
The film centers on the 1999 arrests of 46 black men in the impoverished town of Tulia, Texas -- a sting effort where no money, drugs or illegal weapons were found on any of the suspects. Berry will portray the lead attorney for the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, which intervened to free the citizens wrongly convicted based on one crooked cop's testimony.
The story is based on the nonfiction book "Tulia: Race, Cocaine, and Corruption in a Small Texas Town" by Nate Blakeslee. Karen Croner wrote the screenplay.
The producers are: Mike Tollin, Brian Robbins and Sharla Sumpter for Tollin-Robbins Prods.; Berry and her manager, Vince Cirrincione; Jesse Beaton; Adam Rosenfelt and Sam Nazarian, both of Element Films, who will produce in conjunction with New Orleans-based LIFT Films.
Commercial director Deb Hagan will make her feature directorial debut with the comedy College, to be produced by Los Angeles-based Element Films and State Street Pictures. Lionsgate will distribute through its output deal with Element.
Based on a screenplay by Dan Callahan and Adam Ellison, College revolves around three high school seniors on a wild weekend adventure visiting a nearby college as prospective freshmen. Element Films will finance and produce the project, with Sam Nazarian and Marc Schaberg serving as executive producers. The company is producing in association with State Street Pictures and Lift.
Bob Teitel and George Tilman of State Street, who brought the project to Element, will serve as producers. Malcolm Petal and Morris Bart of Lift also will produce. Rene Rigal of State Street and Julie Dangel of Element will serve as co-producers.
Hagan previously directed numerous national commercials and a short film, Pee Shy, which played on the film festival circuit. She is represented by the Gersh Agency for features and television and managed by Alison Rosenzweig at Rosenzweig Films.
Based on a screenplay by Dan Callahan and Adam Ellison, College revolves around three high school seniors on a wild weekend adventure visiting a nearby college as prospective freshmen. Element Films will finance and produce the project, with Sam Nazarian and Marc Schaberg serving as executive producers. The company is producing in association with State Street Pictures and Lift.
Bob Teitel and George Tilman of State Street, who brought the project to Element, will serve as producers. Malcolm Petal and Morris Bart of Lift also will produce. Rene Rigal of State Street and Julie Dangel of Element will serve as co-producers.
Hagan previously directed numerous national commercials and a short film, Pee Shy, which played on the film festival circuit. She is represented by the Gersh Agency for features and television and managed by Alison Rosenzweig at Rosenzweig Films.
- 11/30/2006
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Los Angeles-based Element Films and New Orleans-based LIFT Films are partnering to create a fund that will bring a series of film productions to Louisiana over the next three years. The companies have entered a production-financing agreement that will allow for the development and funding of a slate of films to be shot exclusively in the state. The deal calls for a minimum of eight films and as many as 15 and could bring to Louisiana more than $200 million worth of productions. The projects also will take advantage of Louisiana's aggressive film incentives. Element, run by CEO Sam Nazarian and president Adam Rosenfelt, has financed and produced several films in the state with LIFT, including Waiting, starring Ryan Reynolds, and is a partner in LA Squared, a Louisiana-based film fund that is a combination of private equity, public financing, bank debt and Louisiana state tax credits. LIFT Films is a partnership between LIFT Prods., Louisiana's largest film and television production studio, and Bart Prods., formed by Louisiana attorney and producer Morris Bart.
- 9/15/2006
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Lionsgate and Element Films have signed a three-year deal for Element to develop, finance and produce three films a year for Lionsgate to distribute, the companies said Wednesday. Under the pact, Lionsgate gains a new source of independently financed product to bolster its slate of 18-20 films per year. Meanwhile, Sam Nazarian's Los Angeles-based Element, which will develop six of the nine pictures included in the pact, will benefit from having a long-term distribution partner while retaining creative autonomy. The other three films covered by the deal will come from Lionsgate's development slate. The first film under the agreement is The Prom, which comes from Lionsgate. The romantic teen comedy marks John Chu's feature directorial debut and is set to begin principal photography in early June in New Orleans.
- 3/23/2006
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Consider the ellipsis in the title a warning. Between a couple of funny scenes and a bunch of unfunny gags, there's not much going on in "Waiting ... ". The comedy uses gross-out "humor" with little inventiveness to ply the familiar territory of twentysomething limbo and workplace hell. Despite a solid ensemble, this would-be "Kitchen Confidential" for the chain-steakhouse set, which boasts as many producers as cast members, doesn't serve up enough laughs to build a theatrical following but could find life on video as a takeout item.
There comes a moment for many thinking people when job security takes on life-threatening proportions: a clear-eyed look at unhappy co-workers and the inept boss signals something's gotta give. For 22-year-old Dean (Justin Long), that moment of truth occurs four years into his job waiting tables at ShenaniganZ. Obsessed with the apparent success of a former classmate -- helpfully brought to his attention by his mother -- Dean feels himself languishing at work and at the community college where he and best friend Monty (Ryan Reynolds) are on-again, off-again students.
Dangling benies and "power" before him, clueless manager Dan (David Koechner), who conducts dispiriting staff meetings by the Dumpster, offers the hard-working but directionless Dean a promotion to assistant manager. He is shocked when Dean asks for time to think it over. Where this is headed is as predictable as the dinner-hour rush.
The ShenaniganZ staff spend most nights partying together after long days slinging baked potatoes, and co-worker couplings are inevitable. Dean avoids commitment to earnest waitress Amy (Kaitlin Doubleday), while Dan and Monty eye the underage hostess (Vanessa Lengies). Monty, whose snarkiness is his identity (a cameo by Wendie Malick as his mother makes clear where he gets it), also spends time being humiliated by his feisty ex, waitress Serena (Anna Faris), and showing the ropes to wide-eyed new guy Mitch (John Francis Daley).
Mainly the ropes consist of learning how to play a behind-the-scenes time-waster that Serena rightly calls "an exercise in retarded homophobia." Sleazeball cook Raddimus (Luis Guzman), the mastermind of the Penis-Showing Game, provides demos for Mitch using raw chicken parts. Besides workplace dystopia, this exhibitionist stupidity is the script's central thread.
First-time writer-director Rob McKittrick demonstrates a feel for the systematic hysteria of restaurant dynamics, but his observations lack the absurdist edge of "Clerks" and the truly idiosyncratic detail that would make his characters three-dimensional. Within limited roles, the cast does what it can. Chi McBride, an actor capable of sublime understatement, plays the sage philosopher-king dishwasher, dispensing wisdom to a crew that includes two gangsta-wannabe pothead busboys (Andy Milonakis and Max Kasch), the angriest waitress in the world (Alanna Ubach) and a spineless virgin Robert Patrick Benedict). Is it any wonder that -- in the film's funniest gag -- their birthday serenade to a young boy makes him cry?
Filmed in New Orleans but with no sense of the place, "Waiting ..". unfolds mainly within appropriately generic restaurant interiors. Refreshingly, McKittrick doesn't lean on canned pop tracks as mortar, but neither does he craft enough of a story to hold together the shtick.
WAITING ...
Lions Gate Films
An Element Films and Eden Rock Media production in association with Wisenheimer Films
Credits:
Director-screenwriter: Rob McKittrick
Producers: Adam Rosenfelt, Stavros Merjos, Jay Rifkin, Jeff Balis, Rob Green
Executive producers: Chris Moore, Jon Shestack, Sam Nazarian, Malcolm Petal, Marc Schaberg, Thomas Augsberger, Paul Fiore
Director of photography: Matthew Irving
Production designer: Devorah Herbert
Music: Adam Gorgoni
Co-producers: Chris Fenton, Dean Shull, Randy Winograd
Costume designer: Jillian Kreiner
Editors: David Finfer, Andy Blumenthal
Cast:
Monty: Ryan Reynolds
Serena: Anna Faris
Dean: Justin Long
Dan: David Koechner
Mitch: John Francis Daley
Tyla: Emmanuelle Chriqui
Amy: Kaitlin Doubleday
Nick: Andy Milonakis
T-Dog: Max Kasch
Naomi: Alanna Ubach
Calvin: Robert Patrick Benedict
Natasha: Vanessa Lengies
Bishop: Chi McBride
Raddimus: Luis Guzman
Monty's Mom: Wendie Malick
MPAA rating: R
Running time -- 93 minutes...
There comes a moment for many thinking people when job security takes on life-threatening proportions: a clear-eyed look at unhappy co-workers and the inept boss signals something's gotta give. For 22-year-old Dean (Justin Long), that moment of truth occurs four years into his job waiting tables at ShenaniganZ. Obsessed with the apparent success of a former classmate -- helpfully brought to his attention by his mother -- Dean feels himself languishing at work and at the community college where he and best friend Monty (Ryan Reynolds) are on-again, off-again students.
Dangling benies and "power" before him, clueless manager Dan (David Koechner), who conducts dispiriting staff meetings by the Dumpster, offers the hard-working but directionless Dean a promotion to assistant manager. He is shocked when Dean asks for time to think it over. Where this is headed is as predictable as the dinner-hour rush.
The ShenaniganZ staff spend most nights partying together after long days slinging baked potatoes, and co-worker couplings are inevitable. Dean avoids commitment to earnest waitress Amy (Kaitlin Doubleday), while Dan and Monty eye the underage hostess (Vanessa Lengies). Monty, whose snarkiness is his identity (a cameo by Wendie Malick as his mother makes clear where he gets it), also spends time being humiliated by his feisty ex, waitress Serena (Anna Faris), and showing the ropes to wide-eyed new guy Mitch (John Francis Daley).
Mainly the ropes consist of learning how to play a behind-the-scenes time-waster that Serena rightly calls "an exercise in retarded homophobia." Sleazeball cook Raddimus (Luis Guzman), the mastermind of the Penis-Showing Game, provides demos for Mitch using raw chicken parts. Besides workplace dystopia, this exhibitionist stupidity is the script's central thread.
First-time writer-director Rob McKittrick demonstrates a feel for the systematic hysteria of restaurant dynamics, but his observations lack the absurdist edge of "Clerks" and the truly idiosyncratic detail that would make his characters three-dimensional. Within limited roles, the cast does what it can. Chi McBride, an actor capable of sublime understatement, plays the sage philosopher-king dishwasher, dispensing wisdom to a crew that includes two gangsta-wannabe pothead busboys (Andy Milonakis and Max Kasch), the angriest waitress in the world (Alanna Ubach) and a spineless virgin Robert Patrick Benedict). Is it any wonder that -- in the film's funniest gag -- their birthday serenade to a young boy makes him cry?
Filmed in New Orleans but with no sense of the place, "Waiting ..". unfolds mainly within appropriately generic restaurant interiors. Refreshingly, McKittrick doesn't lean on canned pop tracks as mortar, but neither does he craft enough of a story to hold together the shtick.
WAITING ...
Lions Gate Films
An Element Films and Eden Rock Media production in association with Wisenheimer Films
Credits:
Director-screenwriter: Rob McKittrick
Producers: Adam Rosenfelt, Stavros Merjos, Jay Rifkin, Jeff Balis, Rob Green
Executive producers: Chris Moore, Jon Shestack, Sam Nazarian, Malcolm Petal, Marc Schaberg, Thomas Augsberger, Paul Fiore
Director of photography: Matthew Irving
Production designer: Devorah Herbert
Music: Adam Gorgoni
Co-producers: Chris Fenton, Dean Shull, Randy Winograd
Costume designer: Jillian Kreiner
Editors: David Finfer, Andy Blumenthal
Cast:
Monty: Ryan Reynolds
Serena: Anna Faris
Dean: Justin Long
Dan: David Koechner
Mitch: John Francis Daley
Tyla: Emmanuelle Chriqui
Amy: Kaitlin Doubleday
Nick: Andy Milonakis
T-Dog: Max Kasch
Naomi: Alanna Ubach
Calvin: Robert Patrick Benedict
Natasha: Vanessa Lengies
Bishop: Chi McBride
Raddimus: Luis Guzman
Monty's Mom: Wendie Malick
MPAA rating: R
Running time -- 93 minutes...
- 10/13/2005
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Sam Nazarian's film financing and production company Element Films has launched an international sales arm, Element Films International. Sales veteran John Fremes has been selected to head up the newly formed division. The new shingle has a mandate to acquire and produce as many as a dozen films annually in the $10 million-$20 million budget range. The company also plans to acquire libraries and manage entertainment assets. "As a natural extension of Element Films' continued growth and commitment, we are pleased to have John come on board to oversee all sales and acquisitions activities for the new division to distribute worldwide," Nazarian said.
Ellen Burstyn has signed on to the indie drama Down in the Valley for writer-director David Jacobson. Shooting is under way in Los Angeles with Element Films -- the combined company of Samy Boy Entertainment and HSI Entertainment -- fully financing. Set in the San Fernando Valley, the project revolves around a delusional man (Edward Norton) who believes that he's a cowboy and the relationship he starts with a rebellious young woman (Evan Rachel Wood). Burstyn will play the foster mother of Norton's character. Norton is producing Valley along with Holly Wiersma and Element's Adam Rosenfelt and Stavros Merjos. Element's Sam Nazarian is executive producing. Bill Migliore, Norton's producing partner at his Universal Pictures-based Class 5 Films, is serving in a producer capacity. Burstyn is repped by CAA and Benderspink's Courtney Kivowitz.
PARK CITY -- Hollywood's major talent agencies have hit Park City in full force with a volley of bashes to celebrate clients, films and corporate partners. First into the fray was ICM on Saturday night. The agency partnered with Samy Boy, Shelter and Exodus and returned to Village at the Lift -- host of ICM's bash last year -- for a packed party that turned out ICM's Shaun Redick, Nicole Clemens, Jeff Shumway, Carter Cohn, Renee Tab and Chris Hart along with Sam Nazarian, Adam Rosenfelt, the cast of Home of Phobia, Shannon Elizabeth, Joseph Reitman, Lance Bass and helmer Angela Robinson, who directed festival selection D.E.B.S.
- 1/21/2004
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Los Angeles-based production and distribution company Samy Boy Entertainment and its production partner HSI Entertainment have announced a new company name: Element Films. "Choosing Element as a formal name signifies the partnership between two distinct companies," Samy Boy CEO and founder Sam Nazarian said. The first project under the Element banner will be the previously announced Rob McKittrick-directed "Waiting", to star Ryan Reynolds. The project is a co-production with Media Ventures and Chris Moore.
- 1/16/2004
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.