Mark Damon, who starred in the Vincent Price horror classic House of Usher and spaghetti Westerns before revolutionizing the foreign sales and distribution film business and producing features including 9 1/2 Weeks, Monster and Lone Survivor, has died. He was 91.
Damon died Sunday of natural causes in Los Angeles, his daughter, Alexis Damon Ribaut, told The Hollywood Reporter.
Damon spent the first 20 years of his career as an actor, including about a dozen as a leading man in Italian action movies, before he transitioned to the business side.
He had early success as an executive producer with two movies written and directed by Wolfgang Petersen: the German-language World War II drama Das Boot (1981), which received six Oscar nominations, and The NeverEnding Story (1984), a big-budget fantasy film that featured a Damon-commissioned score by Giorgio Moroder for non-German audiences.
He shared an Independent Spirit Award with director Patty Jenkins and others...
Damon died Sunday of natural causes in Los Angeles, his daughter, Alexis Damon Ribaut, told The Hollywood Reporter.
Damon spent the first 20 years of his career as an actor, including about a dozen as a leading man in Italian action movies, before he transitioned to the business side.
He had early success as an executive producer with two movies written and directed by Wolfgang Petersen: the German-language World War II drama Das Boot (1981), which received six Oscar nominations, and The NeverEnding Story (1984), a big-budget fantasy film that featured a Damon-commissioned score by Giorgio Moroder for non-German audiences.
He shared an Independent Spirit Award with director Patty Jenkins and others...
- 5/13/2024
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Jojo Rabbit opens in UK on $3m including previews.
January 6 Update: As Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker continues to march resolutely towards the $1bn global mark, Walt Disney Animation Studios’ Frozen II has become the highest grossing animated release of all time at the worldwide box office on $1.325bn.
Meanwhile Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker dominated the weekend and has reached $918.2m worldwide, while Greta Gerwig’s Little Women has raced to $20.4m from its first six markets via Sony, including $11.9m in its first 11 days in the UK. Fox Searchlight’s Jojo Rabbit opened in the UK...
January 6 Update: As Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker continues to march resolutely towards the $1bn global mark, Walt Disney Animation Studios’ Frozen II has become the highest grossing animated release of all time at the worldwide box office on $1.325bn.
Meanwhile Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker dominated the weekend and has reached $918.2m worldwide, while Greta Gerwig’s Little Women has raced to $20.4m from its first six markets via Sony, including $11.9m in its first 11 days in the UK. Fox Searchlight’s Jojo Rabbit opened in the UK...
- 1/5/2020
- by 36¦Jeremy Kay¦54¦
- ScreenDaily
Jojo Rabbit opens in UK on $3m including previews.
January 6 Update: As Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker continues to march resolutely towards the $1bn global mark, Walt Disney Animation Studios’ Frozen II has become the highest grossing animated release of all time at the worldwide box office on $1.325bn.
Meanwhile Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker dominated the weekend and has reached $918.2m worldwide, while Greta Gerwig’s Little Women has raced to $20.4m from its first six markets via Sony, including $12m in its first 11 days in the UK. Fox Searchlight’s Jojo Rabbit opened in the UK...
January 6 Update: As Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker continues to march resolutely towards the $1bn global mark, Walt Disney Animation Studios’ Frozen II has become the highest grossing animated release of all time at the worldwide box office on $1.325bn.
Meanwhile Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker dominated the weekend and has reached $918.2m worldwide, while Greta Gerwig’s Little Women has raced to $20.4m from its first six markets via Sony, including $12m in its first 11 days in the UK. Fox Searchlight’s Jojo Rabbit opened in the UK...
- 1/5/2020
- by 36¦Jeremy Kay¦54¦
- ScreenDaily
Variety has been given exclusive access to the Imax trailer, dubbed into English, to Fedor Bondarchuk’s sci-fi actioner “Invasion,” the sequel to his 2017 blockbuster “Attraction.”
In the first film Moscow becomes the battleground for all-out war against an army of alien invaders. In the sequel, an alien spaceship crash lands in Moscow, and an ordinary girl gains superpowers that make her the focus of study in secret government labs. But it’s not only the humans who are interested in her new powers, and she will have to decide which side she is on.
The cast includes Irina Starshenbaum, Rinal Mukhametov, Alexander Petrov and Yuriy Borisov. The script is written by Andrew Zolotarev and Oleg Malovichko. Sony Pictures will release the film, produced by Bondarchuk’s Art Pictures Studio, in Russia and Cis on Jan. 1, 2020. In January it will be released in Germany, Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania, Ex-Yugoslavia, Сyprus and Israel.
In the first film Moscow becomes the battleground for all-out war against an army of alien invaders. In the sequel, an alien spaceship crash lands in Moscow, and an ordinary girl gains superpowers that make her the focus of study in secret government labs. But it’s not only the humans who are interested in her new powers, and she will have to decide which side she is on.
The cast includes Irina Starshenbaum, Rinal Mukhametov, Alexander Petrov and Yuriy Borisov. The script is written by Andrew Zolotarev and Oleg Malovichko. Sony Pictures will release the film, produced by Bondarchuk’s Art Pictures Studio, in Russia and Cis on Jan. 1, 2020. In January it will be released in Germany, Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania, Ex-Yugoslavia, Сyprus and Israel.
- 12/16/2019
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
This year, 831 Loews is home to the “Created in Moscow” brand, which allies 17 Russian companies. The branding is supported by the Moscow Export Center, which recognizes the contribution made by the creative industries to the Russian economy. The “Created in Moscow” lineup will be featured in a presentation on the Venice stage at the Loews building on Nov. 7 at 10 a.m.
Although Russia has many fine arthouse auteurs, at Afm buyers can find a strong selection of commercial, mainstream titles from Russia, including many genre pics and CG animated features.
Eugenia Markova, director of industry relations at Russia’s Expocontent, says: “Russia is facing year-on-year 20% sales growth on the global market. The local film industry is not only about art-house and animation – although these two are traditionally strong. Russia is producing more and more original content of all types and genres, targeting wider audiences.”
Art Pictures Studio is selling helmer Fedor Bondarchuk’s “Invasion,...
Although Russia has many fine arthouse auteurs, at Afm buyers can find a strong selection of commercial, mainstream titles from Russia, including many genre pics and CG animated features.
Eugenia Markova, director of industry relations at Russia’s Expocontent, says: “Russia is facing year-on-year 20% sales growth on the global market. The local film industry is not only about art-house and animation – although these two are traditionally strong. Russia is producing more and more original content of all types and genres, targeting wider audiences.”
Art Pictures Studio is selling helmer Fedor Bondarchuk’s “Invasion,...
- 11/8/2019
- by Alissa Simon
- Variety Film + TV
"About his discussions with a frog..." Stage Russia has debuted an official trailer for a documentary titled Rezo, a film about the famous Georgian writer, artist and puppeteer Rezo Gabriadze. Rezo is best known as the screenwriter of the iconic Soviet movies Mimino and Kin-dza-dza. He has been awarded the title of Commander of the Order of Arts and Literature in France, and New Yorker recognized his Stalingrad as one the best theatrical performances of 2010. His sculptures adorn the streets of Saint Petersburg and Odessa. Timur Bekmambetov also produced the film, and says about it: "Rezo has become family for me. This movie is my homage to a senior colleague and a sign of the deepest recognition of his identity, talent and incredible charm. There is no room for indifference in his stories. They cut directly to the heart." Half of this film is drawn by Rezo himself, a mix of classic doc storytelling & animation.
- 10/13/2019
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Ledafilms has acquired all North American and Latin American rights to the Russian horror film “Baba Yaga: Terror of the Dark Forest,” whose producers include the Oscar-nominated producers of “Leviathan” and “Loveless,” and box office hit “Stalingrad.”
The movie is directed by Svyatoslav Podgaevsky, who directed horror pics “The Bride” and “Mermaid: Lake of the Dead.” Central Partnership is handling international sales.
Capelight Pictures has acquired all rights for Germany and German-speaking Europe for the movie while Garsu will release the film theatrically in the Baltic States. Purple Plan has picked up rights for Vietnam and Singapore, and the rest of Southeast Asia rights went to Suraya Filem.
The film tells the story of a young couple who hire a nanny to look after their newborn daughter. The nanny begins scaring their daughter and her older brother, Egor. One day Egor comes home to find that his sister has disappeared along with the nanny.
The movie is directed by Svyatoslav Podgaevsky, who directed horror pics “The Bride” and “Mermaid: Lake of the Dead.” Central Partnership is handling international sales.
Capelight Pictures has acquired all rights for Germany and German-speaking Europe for the movie while Garsu will release the film theatrically in the Baltic States. Purple Plan has picked up rights for Vietnam and Singapore, and the rest of Southeast Asia rights went to Suraya Filem.
The film tells the story of a young couple who hire a nanny to look after their newborn daughter. The nanny begins scaring their daughter and her older brother, Egor. One day Egor comes home to find that his sister has disappeared along with the nanny.
- 9/6/2019
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
By Peter Belsito‘For Sama’ is both an intimate and epic documentary journey into the female experience of war.
Self-shot from the perspective of Waad Al-Kateab, who was a student at the University of Aleppo when she began recording footage of her daily life in the city, she soon gave birth to a daughter, Sama, for whom the film is a visual letter.
For Sama is a very personal love letter from a young mother to her daughter, the film tells the story of Waad al-Kateab’s life through five years of the uprising in Aleppo, Syria as she falls in love, gets married and gives birth to Sama, all while cataclysmic conflict rises around her. Meanwhile she films everything. Her attempts to shield her very young daughter are the dramatic core here during the years we witness this.
The point of view is of civilians trying to survive the fighting.
Self-shot from the perspective of Waad Al-Kateab, who was a student at the University of Aleppo when she began recording footage of her daily life in the city, she soon gave birth to a daughter, Sama, for whom the film is a visual letter.
For Sama is a very personal love letter from a young mother to her daughter, the film tells the story of Waad al-Kateab’s life through five years of the uprising in Aleppo, Syria as she falls in love, gets married and gives birth to Sama, all while cataclysmic conflict rises around her. Meanwhile she films everything. Her attempts to shield her very young daughter are the dramatic core here during the years we witness this.
The point of view is of civilians trying to survive the fighting.
- 8/3/2019
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
Sports drama “Three Seconds” has become the highest grossing Russian film of all time in China, with an 85 million yuan ($12.3 million) gross.
Previous Russian hits in China include “The Snow Queen 3: Fire and Ice” (74.2 million yuan), “Stalingrad” (71.9 million yuan) and “Dragon” (60 million yuan).
Anton Megerdichev’s film tells the story of the Soviet national basketball team’s win at the 1972 Munich Olympics, when the U.S. team was defeated for the first time in 36 years. It is Russia’s top grossing film of all time in its home market.
“Three Seconds” has also become the second highest-grossing foreign sporting feature film in China, outstripping Sylvester Stallone’s “Creed II,” Brad Pitt’s “Moneyball,” and Emma Stone’s “Battle of the Sexes.”
The film opened in Chinese movie theaters on June 13 and has been on screens continuously since, so becoming the longest-screening Russian live-action feature in China.
The movie is produced by Three T Productions,...
Previous Russian hits in China include “The Snow Queen 3: Fire and Ice” (74.2 million yuan), “Stalingrad” (71.9 million yuan) and “Dragon” (60 million yuan).
Anton Megerdichev’s film tells the story of the Soviet national basketball team’s win at the 1972 Munich Olympics, when the U.S. team was defeated for the first time in 36 years. It is Russia’s top grossing film of all time in its home market.
“Three Seconds” has also become the second highest-grossing foreign sporting feature film in China, outstripping Sylvester Stallone’s “Creed II,” Brad Pitt’s “Moneyball,” and Emma Stone’s “Battle of the Sexes.”
The film opened in Chinese movie theaters on June 13 and has been on screens continuously since, so becoming the longest-screening Russian live-action feature in China.
The movie is produced by Three T Productions,...
- 7/3/2019
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
Shadowhunters may have come to a bittersweet conclusion, but another one of its actors had landed a new TV role.
Dominic Sherwood, who played Jace on the recently canceled Freeform drama, has joined the cast of Showtime's Penny Dreadful: City of Angels.
He is one of six new additions, joining the series alongside Adam Rodriguez, Michael Gladis, Lorenza Izzo, Thomas Kretschman, and Ethan Peck.
The new series is set in 1938 Los Angeles, and focuses on Det. Tiago Vega (Daniel Zovatto), who becomes embroiled in an epic story following a murder that shocks the city.
It quickly paves the way for Tiago and his family “grappling with powerful forces that threaten to tear them apart,” according to the official logline.
Related: Penny Dreadful Sequel Ordered to Series
Sherwood will play Kurt, the chauffer and bodyguard for Richard Goss (Kretschmann). There's more to Kurt than meets the eye: an unexpected depth and surprising background.
Dominic Sherwood, who played Jace on the recently canceled Freeform drama, has joined the cast of Showtime's Penny Dreadful: City of Angels.
He is one of six new additions, joining the series alongside Adam Rodriguez, Michael Gladis, Lorenza Izzo, Thomas Kretschman, and Ethan Peck.
The new series is set in 1938 Los Angeles, and focuses on Det. Tiago Vega (Daniel Zovatto), who becomes embroiled in an epic story following a murder that shocks the city.
It quickly paves the way for Tiago and his family “grappling with powerful forces that threaten to tear them apart,” according to the official logline.
Related: Penny Dreadful Sequel Ordered to Series
Sherwood will play Kurt, the chauffer and bodyguard for Richard Goss (Kretschmann). There's more to Kurt than meets the eye: an unexpected depth and surprising background.
- 6/25/2019
- by Paul Dailly
- TVfanatic
“Penny Dreadful: City of Angels” is rounding out its cast with the addition of six new actors.
Michael Gladis has joined the show as a series regular, while Lorenza Izzo, Adam Rodriguez, Thomas Kretschmann, and Dominic Sherwood will appear in recurring roles. Ethan Peck will guest star in multiple episodes. The six join previously announced cast members Natalie Dormer, Daniel Zovatto, Kerry Bishé, Adriana Barraza, Rory Kinnear, Jessica Garza, Johnathan Nieves, Nathan Lane, Amy Madigan, Brent Spiner, and Lin Shaye.
Described as a spiritual descendant of the original “Penny Dreadful,” the new series opens in 1938 Los Angeles. When a grisly murder shocks the city, Detective Tiago Vega (Zovatto) is embroiled in a story that reflects the history of Los Angeles: from the building of the city’s first freeways and its deep traditions of Mexican-American folklore, to the dangerous espionage actions of the Third Reich and the rise of radio evangelism.
Michael Gladis has joined the show as a series regular, while Lorenza Izzo, Adam Rodriguez, Thomas Kretschmann, and Dominic Sherwood will appear in recurring roles. Ethan Peck will guest star in multiple episodes. The six join previously announced cast members Natalie Dormer, Daniel Zovatto, Kerry Bishé, Adriana Barraza, Rory Kinnear, Jessica Garza, Johnathan Nieves, Nathan Lane, Amy Madigan, Brent Spiner, and Lin Shaye.
Described as a spiritual descendant of the original “Penny Dreadful,” the new series opens in 1938 Los Angeles. When a grisly murder shocks the city, Detective Tiago Vega (Zovatto) is embroiled in a story that reflects the history of Los Angeles: from the building of the city’s first freeways and its deep traditions of Mexican-American folklore, to the dangerous espionage actions of the Third Reich and the rise of radio evangelism.
- 6/25/2019
- by Joe Otterson
- Variety Film + TV
Cannes–Russian director Fedor Bondarchuk and his Art Pictures Studio have released the English-subbed teaser to “Attraction 2,” the sequel to Bondarchuk’s 2017 sci-fi blockbuster, which Variety has acquired exclusively.
The director behind record-breaking Russian films such as World War II epic “Stalingrad” was in Cannes this week, where he presented footage from Art Pictures’ slate of upcoming releases at an invitation-only event.
“Attraction 2” is the follow-up to the sci-fi actioner in which Moscow becomes the battleground for all-out war against an army of alien invaders. In the sequel, an alien spaceship crash lands in Moscow, and an ordinary girl gains superpowers that make her the focus of study in secret government labs. But it’s not only the humans who are interested in her new powers, and she will have to decide which side she is on.
Art Pictures Studio will release the film in Russia on Jan. 1, 2020.
Bondarchuk’s father,...
The director behind record-breaking Russian films such as World War II epic “Stalingrad” was in Cannes this week, where he presented footage from Art Pictures’ slate of upcoming releases at an invitation-only event.
“Attraction 2” is the follow-up to the sci-fi actioner in which Moscow becomes the battleground for all-out war against an army of alien invaders. In the sequel, an alien spaceship crash lands in Moscow, and an ordinary girl gains superpowers that make her the focus of study in secret government labs. But it’s not only the humans who are interested in her new powers, and she will have to decide which side she is on.
Art Pictures Studio will release the film in Russia on Jan. 1, 2020.
Bondarchuk’s father,...
- 5/23/2019
- by Christopher Vourlias
- Variety Film + TV
Cannes — Russian director Fedor Bondarchuk introduced four new productions from his Art Pictures Studio Saturday in Cannes, including “Attraction 2,” the sequel to his 2017 sci-fi blockbuster.
The invitation-only showcase at the Gray d’Albion hotel also unveiled footage from three new features that Bondarchuk is either directing or producing. Sci-fi thriller “Sputnik” is the story of a Russian cosmonaut who returns to earth with an alien inside him; “Ice 2” explores a tragic event that shatters the picture-perfect marriage of a top ice hockey player and a renowned figure skater; and “Fyodor Konyukhov” is an animated feature about a Russian explorer’s solo air balloon voyage around the world.
The films offered the latest evidence of Bondarchuk’s ambitions to break out of the Russian market. “Art Pictures produces films for a wide audience,” he told Variety after the presentation. The company’s global sales, he noted, have been steadily rising in recent years,...
The invitation-only showcase at the Gray d’Albion hotel also unveiled footage from three new features that Bondarchuk is either directing or producing. Sci-fi thriller “Sputnik” is the story of a Russian cosmonaut who returns to earth with an alien inside him; “Ice 2” explores a tragic event that shatters the picture-perfect marriage of a top ice hockey player and a renowned figure skater; and “Fyodor Konyukhov” is an animated feature about a Russian explorer’s solo air balloon voyage around the world.
The films offered the latest evidence of Bondarchuk’s ambitions to break out of the Russian market. “Art Pictures produces films for a wide audience,” he told Variety after the presentation. The company’s global sales, he noted, have been steadily rising in recent years,...
- 5/19/2019
- by Christopher Vourlias
- Variety Film + TV
In Russia, and increasingly beyond, Alexander Rodnyansky is a pretty big deal. Over the past 15 years, Rodnyansky, 57, has established himself as one of Russia’s most successful and, arguably, most internationally accomplished film producers.
His credits include the last two Russian Oscar nominees: Andrey Zvyagintsev’s Leviathan (2014) and Loveless (2017). He was also a producer on Fyodor Bondarchuk’s 2013 war epic Stalingrad, still Russia’s most successful local-language film, with a global gross of some $70 million.
The Great Patriotic War, as Russians call World War II, is also the backdrop for Beanpole, Rodnyansky’s latest production. The drama, from ...
His credits include the last two Russian Oscar nominees: Andrey Zvyagintsev’s Leviathan (2014) and Loveless (2017). He was also a producer on Fyodor Bondarchuk’s 2013 war epic Stalingrad, still Russia’s most successful local-language film, with a global gross of some $70 million.
The Great Patriotic War, as Russians call World War II, is also the backdrop for Beanpole, Rodnyansky’s latest production. The drama, from ...
- 5/17/2019
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
In Russia, and increasingly beyond, Alexander Rodnyansky is a pretty big deal. Over the past 15 years, Rodnyansky, 57, has established himself as one of Russia’s most successful and, arguably, most internationally accomplished film producers.
His credits include the last two Russian Oscar nominees: Andrey Zvyagintsev’s Leviathan (2014) and Loveless (2017). He was also a producer on Fyodor Bondarchuk’s 2013 war epic Stalingrad, still Russia’s most successful local-language film, with a global gross of some $70 million.
The Great Patriotic War, as Russians call World War II, is also the backdrop for Beanpole, Rodnyansky’s latest production. The drama, from ...
His credits include the last two Russian Oscar nominees: Andrey Zvyagintsev’s Leviathan (2014) and Loveless (2017). He was also a producer on Fyodor Bondarchuk’s 2013 war epic Stalingrad, still Russia’s most successful local-language film, with a global gross of some $70 million.
The Great Patriotic War, as Russians call World War II, is also the backdrop for Beanpole, Rodnyansky’s latest production. The drama, from ...
- 5/17/2019
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
It looks like Russia went out and made a badass historical epic called Furious. An awesome trailer for the film has dropped and it shows off some impressive and stunning visuals. This is a movie that I would love to see on the big screen! As you’ll see, it’s a very vibrant looking movie filled with beautiful landscapes and epic battles!
The movie is based on the incredible true story surrounding the Mongol capture of the Russian city of Ryazan in the 13th century. It follows an amnesiac soldier by the name of Evpatii Kolovrat, who vows to get his revenge on the Mongol army that plundered his village. Here’s the synopsis:
As the Mongol hordes begin ransacking Russia, the invaders pillage and burn down the cities, flooding Russian soil with blood, until a Ryazan takes up arms to defend his people. Kolovrat leads a detachment of...
The movie is based on the incredible true story surrounding the Mongol capture of the Russian city of Ryazan in the 13th century. It follows an amnesiac soldier by the name of Evpatii Kolovrat, who vows to get his revenge on the Mongol army that plundered his village. Here’s the synopsis:
As the Mongol hordes begin ransacking Russia, the invaders pillage and burn down the cities, flooding Russian soil with blood, until a Ryazan takes up arms to defend his people. Kolovrat leads a detachment of...
- 3/7/2019
- by Joey Paur
- GeekTyrant
As the Mongol hordes begin ransacking Russia, the invaders pillage and burn down the cities, flooding Russian soil with blood, until a Ryazan takes up arms to defend his people. Kolovrat leads a detachment of several hundred brave souls to avenge his love, his people, and his homeland.
A breath-taking story of courage, endurance and self-sacrifice for the sake of one's country. The legendary story of Kolvorat the Furious.
Furious, originally titled Legend of Kolovrat (or ??????? ? ?????????), is co-directed by Russian filmmakers Dzhanik Fayziev & Ivan Shurkhovetskiy (second unit director on Stalingrad).
The screenplay is written by Dmitriy Raevskiy, Evgeniy Raevskiy, and Sergei Udakov. This originally opened in Russia in late 20...
A breath-taking story of courage, endurance and self-sacrifice for the sake of one's country. The legendary story of Kolvorat the Furious.
Furious, originally titled Legend of Kolovrat (or ??????? ? ?????????), is co-directed by Russian filmmakers Dzhanik Fayziev & Ivan Shurkhovetskiy (second unit director on Stalingrad).
The screenplay is written by Dmitriy Raevskiy, Evgeniy Raevskiy, and Sergei Udakov. This originally opened in Russia in late 20...
- 3/6/2019
- QuietEarth.us
An Alien Spaceship Crashes Into Moscow, And Nothing Will Be The Same Attraction The Internationally Successful Action Blockbuster From the Director of ‘Stalingrad’ Comes to Digital Platforms, Blu-ray and DVD on December 4, 2018 A sinister unidentified flying object plummeting to Earth changes our view of humanity and life beyond our planet in the thrilling …
The post From The Director of Stalingrad Comes Attraction – Trailer Debut – VOD 12/4 appeared first on Hnn | Horrornews.net. Copyrights 2008-2018 - Horrornews.net...
The post From The Director of Stalingrad Comes Attraction – Trailer Debut – VOD 12/4 appeared first on Hnn | Horrornews.net. Copyrights 2008-2018 - Horrornews.net...
- 11/28/2018
- by Horrornews.net
- Horror News
Exclusive: Russian producer Alexander Rodnyansky has set Ziad Doueiri to direct an adaptation of Debriefing the President. Daniel Stiepleman, who scripted the upcoming Ruth Bader Ginsburg drama On the Basis of Sex, will adapt former CIA analyst John Nixon’s non-fiction book about his experience being the first American to identify and interrogate Saddam Hussein following his 2003 capture. The Lebanese-born Doueiri’s The Insult was last year nominated for the Best Foreign Language Oscar. His first film, West Beirut, won the Prix Francois Chalais at Cannes and he also directed The Attack.
Nixon was a senior leadership analyst with the CIA from 1998-2011 who regularly wrote for and briefed those at the most senior levels of the U.S. government and later taught leadership analysis to the new generation of analysts coming at the Sherman Kent School, the agency’s in-house analytic training center.
After confirming the prisoner was indeed the...
Nixon was a senior leadership analyst with the CIA from 1998-2011 who regularly wrote for and briefed those at the most senior levels of the U.S. government and later taught leadership analysis to the new generation of analysts coming at the Sherman Kent School, the agency’s in-house analytic training center.
After confirming the prisoner was indeed the...
- 9/28/2018
- by Mike Fleming Jr
- Deadline Film + TV
The $10m project was screened as a work-in-progress at Toronto.
Russian produciton and sales company outfit Mars Media has closed a number of eye-catching deals on Aleksey Sidorov’s $10m Second World War epic T-34. German rights have been taken by Tiberius while Dutch Filmworks has swooped for Benelux rights to the film. Garsu has taken Baltic rights.
The deals follow Mars Media’s buyer-only screening of a work-in-progress cut earlier this month at Tiff. T-34 is being touted as the biggest Russian war movie since Fedor Bondarchuk’s Stalingrad in 2013.
The film, due to be released in Russia in late December by Central Partnership,...
Russian produciton and sales company outfit Mars Media has closed a number of eye-catching deals on Aleksey Sidorov’s $10m Second World War epic T-34. German rights have been taken by Tiberius while Dutch Filmworks has swooped for Benelux rights to the film. Garsu has taken Baltic rights.
The deals follow Mars Media’s buyer-only screening of a work-in-progress cut earlier this month at Tiff. T-34 is being touted as the biggest Russian war movie since Fedor Bondarchuk’s Stalingrad in 2013.
The film, due to be released in Russia in late December by Central Partnership,...
- 9/27/2018
- by Geoffrey Macnab
- ScreenDaily
The sight of a soldier carrying his own severed arm is one of the many horrific images of “Saving Private Ryan,” which 20 years ago earned instant acclaim for its unflinching depiction of the brutality of D-Day. But it’s far from the only film to show the horrors of war. Here are some of the most brutal war movies ever made.
Fury (2014): This David Ayer WWII film starts with bits of brain being cleaned from the inside of a M4 Sherman tank, and continues to get uglier from there as a tank unit led by Staff Sgt. Don “Wardaddy” Collier (Brad Pitt) begins its final charge into Nazi Germany in 1945.
Full Metal Jacket (1987): While Stanley Kubrick’s Vietnam film is more known for its first half at boot camp, the second half shows a grisly battle as Private Joker (Matthew Modine) watches as his crew is slain by a hidden sniper.
Fury (2014): This David Ayer WWII film starts with bits of brain being cleaned from the inside of a M4 Sherman tank, and continues to get uglier from there as a tank unit led by Staff Sgt. Don “Wardaddy” Collier (Brad Pitt) begins its final charge into Nazi Germany in 1945.
Full Metal Jacket (1987): While Stanley Kubrick’s Vietnam film is more known for its first half at boot camp, the second half shows a grisly battle as Private Joker (Matthew Modine) watches as his crew is slain by a hidden sniper.
- 7/24/2018
- by Jeremy Fuster
- The Wrap
MaryAnn’s quick take… It has a spectacular opening sequence, and features a few minor tweaks to alien-invasion tropes. But the teen romance at its center reduces this to a very inconsequential first contact. I’m “biast” (pro): big science fiction geek
I’m “biast” (con): nothing
(what is this about? see my critic’s minifesto) women’s participation in this film
(learn more about this)
A few years ago, Fedor Bondarchuk directed the first ever Russian film shot in 3D IMAX, the historical action drama Stalingrad, which was a huge box office hit there. Now he’s back with Attraction, another huge hit in 3D IMAX in Russia last year. The film is not, alas, being released in 3D IMAX in the UK, which is a shame only because the spectacle of its opening sequence might just about make the movie worth paying for, too experience it in such a dramatic format.
I’m “biast” (con): nothing
(what is this about? see my critic’s minifesto) women’s participation in this film
(learn more about this)
A few years ago, Fedor Bondarchuk directed the first ever Russian film shot in 3D IMAX, the historical action drama Stalingrad, which was a huge box office hit there. Now he’s back with Attraction, another huge hit in 3D IMAX in Russia last year. The film is not, alas, being released in 3D IMAX in the UK, which is a shame only because the spectacle of its opening sequence might just about make the movie worth paying for, too experience it in such a dramatic format.
- 1/19/2018
- by MaryAnn Johanson
- www.flickfilosopher.com
Fedor Bondarchuk’s sci-fi drama serves up striking cityscapes and decent special effects but feels slightly tired
Fedor Bondarchuk is the Russian director who has emerged from the shadow of his celebrated father, Sergei, as a commercial force: his Afghanistan war movie 9th Company (2005) – avowedly inspired by Ridley Scott’s Black Hawk Down – made its mark, though his gung-ho 3D action film Stalingrad (2013) was misguidedly macho and gamer-ish. Now he has made this moderate sci-fi invasion movie, with special effects that are serviceable, if not exactly state-of-the-art. A big spaceship lands with an almighty crash on Moscow’s tough housing district Chertanovo: some very striking cityscape shots of bleak high-rise buildings, here, eerier than any UFO. An alien divests himself of his giant-bug exoskeleton, taking human form as a handsome young guy, Hijken (Rinal Mukhametov), who entrances Yulya (Irina Starshenbaum) the teen daughter of the military honcho tasked with repelling...
Fedor Bondarchuk is the Russian director who has emerged from the shadow of his celebrated father, Sergei, as a commercial force: his Afghanistan war movie 9th Company (2005) – avowedly inspired by Ridley Scott’s Black Hawk Down – made its mark, though his gung-ho 3D action film Stalingrad (2013) was misguidedly macho and gamer-ish. Now he has made this moderate sci-fi invasion movie, with special effects that are serviceable, if not exactly state-of-the-art. A big spaceship lands with an almighty crash on Moscow’s tough housing district Chertanovo: some very striking cityscape shots of bleak high-rise buildings, here, eerier than any UFO. An alien divests himself of his giant-bug exoskeleton, taking human form as a handsome young guy, Hijken (Rinal Mukhametov), who entrances Yulya (Irina Starshenbaum) the teen daughter of the military honcho tasked with repelling...
- 1/18/2018
- by Peter Bradshaw
- The Guardian - Film News
Author: Zehra Phelan
It’s no secret that Hollywood seems to think it continues to maintain the monopoly on the Alien invasion genre. Films like War of the Worlds, Independence Day and even Close Encounters of the Third Kind instantly spring to mind. In the latest venture of the sci-fi obsession, the Russians have jumped on the bandwagon. Having created — despite its low-budget margins of its English Language counterparts — a visually spectacular, yet subtly bizarre invasion come love story in Fyodor Bondarchuk’s current offering.
Related: Attraction Trailer
The opening sequence sets the pace as an unidentified object is spotted in the skies over Moscow during a meteor shower. Forced to believe they are under a substantial threat, the Russian Military follows orders to shoot the ship down causing major devastation as the large spiralling craft comes crashing to the earth, cutting through buildings like butter and killing innocent people.
It’s no secret that Hollywood seems to think it continues to maintain the monopoly on the Alien invasion genre. Films like War of the Worlds, Independence Day and even Close Encounters of the Third Kind instantly spring to mind. In the latest venture of the sci-fi obsession, the Russians have jumped on the bandwagon. Having created — despite its low-budget margins of its English Language counterparts — a visually spectacular, yet subtly bizarre invasion come love story in Fyodor Bondarchuk’s current offering.
Related: Attraction Trailer
The opening sequence sets the pace as an unidentified object is spotted in the skies over Moscow during a meteor shower. Forced to believe they are under a substantial threat, the Russian Military follows orders to shoot the ship down causing major devastation as the large spiralling craft comes crashing to the earth, cutting through buildings like butter and killing innocent people.
- 1/8/2018
- by Zehra Phelan
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Fox International's video game adaptation Hitman: Agent 47 has been pushed back six months from February 27, 2015, to August 28, 2015. The film, based on the popular video game, will star Homeland actor Rupert Friend as the title character while Zachary Quinto plays the lead villain. Thomas Kretschmann (Stalingrad) also plays a villain. Agent 47 centers on a bald-headed assassin who teams up with a woman (Hannah Ware) to help her find her father and uncover the mysteries of her ancestry. Aleksander Bach is directing the project, which is a sequel to the 2007 action movie Hitman. Sources
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- 10/14/2014
- by Rebecca Ford
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Blu-ray & DVD Release Date: May 13, 2014
Price: DVD $30.99, Blu-ray/Blu-ray 3D $35.99
Studio: Sony
An epic look at the battle that turned the tide of World War II, the foreign war drama Stalingrad ranks as the highest-grossing Russian film of all time and Russia’s official submission for Best Foreign Language Film to the 86th Academy Awards.
In the film, a band of determined Russian soldiers fight to hold a strategic building in their devastated city of Stalingrad against a ruthless German army, and in the process become deeply connected with two Russian women who have been living there.
Stalingrad is directed by acclaimed Russian hitmaker Fedor Bondarchuk (9th Company), who was introduced to the world of cinema at an early age, as the son of the Academy Award-winning director Sergei Bondarchuk.
The film stars Thomas Kretschmann (King Kong), Petr Fedorov, Mariya Smolnikova and Yanina Studilina.
The R-rated movie opened in U.
Price: DVD $30.99, Blu-ray/Blu-ray 3D $35.99
Studio: Sony
An epic look at the battle that turned the tide of World War II, the foreign war drama Stalingrad ranks as the highest-grossing Russian film of all time and Russia’s official submission for Best Foreign Language Film to the 86th Academy Awards.
In the film, a band of determined Russian soldiers fight to hold a strategic building in their devastated city of Stalingrad against a ruthless German army, and in the process become deeply connected with two Russian women who have been living there.
Stalingrad is directed by acclaimed Russian hitmaker Fedor Bondarchuk (9th Company), who was introduced to the world of cinema at an early age, as the son of the Academy Award-winning director Sergei Bondarchuk.
The film stars Thomas Kretschmann (King Kong), Petr Fedorov, Mariya Smolnikova and Yanina Studilina.
The R-rated movie opened in U.
- 4/9/2014
- by Laurence
- Disc Dish
• The Great Gatsby star Joel Edgerton will star opposite Twilight’s Robert Pattinson and Kill Your Darling’s Dane DeHaan in upcoming period drama, Life. Anton Corbijn (The American) will direct the film, which centers around the real life friendship that blossomed between photographer Dennis Stock (Pattinson) and actor James Dean (DeHaan) when Stock was commissioned to photograph the iconic movie star for Life magazine in 1955. Edgerton will portray Magnum Photography editor John Morris, the man who brokered the deal for the photographs with Life. [Variety]
• Starship Troopers’ Casper Van Dien and The Walking Dead’s Addy Miller have both signed...
• Starship Troopers’ Casper Van Dien and The Walking Dead’s Addy Miller have both signed...
- 3/15/2014
- by Pamela Gocobachi
- EW - Inside Movies
Ciaran Hinds has joined the cast of Agent 47, Fox International's sequel to the 2007 action movie Hitman, currently in production in Berlin. Rupert Friend is toplining the movie as the title character while Zachary Quinto plays the lead villain. Thomas Kretschmann (Stalingrad) also plays a villain. Story: Bryan Singer Talks 'X-Men: Apocalypse' The complete details of Hinds' role are being kept under wraps, but it is known to be about a pivotal event involving a scientist. Aleksander Bach is helming the movie, which will be produced by Chuck Gordon, Alex Young, and Adrian Askarieh. Daniel Alter is executive producing. Story: The
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- 3/14/2014
- by Borys Kit
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Video-game adaptations are a dime a dozen, but it’s rare that any of them are worth even a cursory glance. The Resident Evil franchise, BloodRayne and Silent Hill are just a few of many that have fallen completely flat in their attempts to replicate the thrills of their source material on the big screen. However, based on casting alone, 20th Century Fox’s upcoming Hitman remake Agent 47 may actually be worth checking out.
With Homeland actor Rupert Friend stepping into the title role (replacing the late Paul Walker), and Zachary Quinto set to play the main villain, Agent 47 already has more going for it than most video-game adaptations. Now, it looks like the film will boast more than one baddie, with news that Thomas Kretschmann has signed on to play Le Clerq, the chairman of an nefarious organization called Syndicate International, which schemes to build its own army of assassins.
With Homeland actor Rupert Friend stepping into the title role (replacing the late Paul Walker), and Zachary Quinto set to play the main villain, Agent 47 already has more going for it than most video-game adaptations. Now, it looks like the film will boast more than one baddie, with news that Thomas Kretschmann has signed on to play Le Clerq, the chairman of an nefarious organization called Syndicate International, which schemes to build its own army of assassins.
- 3/10/2014
- by Isaac Feldberg
- We Got This Covered
Thomas Kretschmann has been cast in Agent 47.
He will star opposite Rupert Friend and Zachary Quinto in the Hitman adaptation's sequel, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
The film will mark his second villain role after recently signing on to play Baron Strucker in Avengers: The Age of Ultron.
Kretschmann will play Le Clerq - the chairman of an organisation called Syndicate International - in the sequel to the 2007 film. Quinto will also take on a villainous role.
The actor can currently be seen in the Russian movie Stalingrad.
Kretschmann has signed a multi-film deal with Marvel Studios, and believes there are specific plans for Von Strucker in later movies.
The late Paul Walker was originally intended to star in Agent 47.
Director Aleksander Bach's Agent 47 will begin shooting this month.
He will star opposite Rupert Friend and Zachary Quinto in the Hitman adaptation's sequel, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
The film will mark his second villain role after recently signing on to play Baron Strucker in Avengers: The Age of Ultron.
Kretschmann will play Le Clerq - the chairman of an organisation called Syndicate International - in the sequel to the 2007 film. Quinto will also take on a villainous role.
The actor can currently be seen in the Russian movie Stalingrad.
Kretschmann has signed a multi-film deal with Marvel Studios, and believes there are specific plans for Von Strucker in later movies.
The late Paul Walker was originally intended to star in Agent 47.
Director Aleksander Bach's Agent 47 will begin shooting this month.
- 3/7/2014
- Digital Spy
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Thomas Kretschmann, who plays Baron Wolfgang von Strucker in the upcoming Avengers: Age of Ultron, and currently on IMAX screens in the Russian movie Stalingrad, has signed on to play another high-profile villain in Fox’s Hitman video game adaptation Agent 47.
Kretschmann will play Le Clerq, the chairman of an organization called Syndicate International, which is set on creating an army of unstoppable agent, in the film. I actually wanted to see him play Albino, since I’m a big fan of the game myself.
Rupert Friend is playing the title character in the movie, which was to have been a Paul Walker. The film was scripted by A Good Day To Die Hard‘s Skip Woods and Michael Finch, and is being helmed by commercial director Aleksander Bach.
Agent 47 is currently shooting in Berlin which also stars Zachary Quinto and Hannah Ware.
Kretschmann will play Le Clerq, the chairman of an organization called Syndicate International, which is set on creating an army of unstoppable agent, in the film. I actually wanted to see him play Albino, since I’m a big fan of the game myself.
Rupert Friend is playing the title character in the movie, which was to have been a Paul Walker. The film was scripted by A Good Day To Die Hard‘s Skip Woods and Michael Finch, and is being helmed by commercial director Aleksander Bach.
Agent 47 is currently shooting in Berlin which also stars Zachary Quinto and Hannah Ware.
- 3/7/2014
- by Kellvin Chavez
- LRMonline.com
Thomas Kretschmann, who is playing Baron Strucker in Marvel Studios' The Avengers: Age of Ultron, has signed on to play another high-profile villain. The actor, currently on Imax screens in the Russian movie Stalingrad, will play Le Clerq in Agent 47, Fox International's sequel to the 2007 action movie Hitman. Rupert Friend is playing the title character in the movie, which was to have been a Paul Walker vehicle and is based on the best-selling video game. Story: Zachary Quinto Joining 'Agent 47' Zachary Quinto is already on board as another villain. Kretschmann will play the chairman of an
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- 3/6/2014
- by Borys Kit
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Thomas Kretschmann, who can currently be seen in Stalingrad and plays Baron Wolfgang von Strucker in the upcoming Avengers: Age of Ultron , will play a villain in Fox's "Hitman" video game adaptation Agent 47 . He joins a cast that includes Rupert Friend, Zachary Quinto and Hannah Ware. Kretschmann will play Le Clerq, the chairman of an organization called Syndicate International, which is set on creating an army of unstoppable agent. Aleksander Bach is currently directing the film in Berlin. Alex Young, Chuck Gordon and Adrian Askarieh are producing, and Daniel Alter is executive producing. (Photo Credit: Getty Images)...
- 3/6/2014
- Comingsoon.net
• Leonardo DiCaprio is no longer attached to star as the scrappy Florida beach bum Travis McGee in the big-screen adaptation of John D. MacDonald’s The Deep Blue Good-by (the first in a 21-book series). Though it was being developed for DiCaprio, who earned an Academy nod for his performance in The Wolf of Wall Street, the actor decided to exit due to scheduling conflicts. Still, the project does seem to be moving forward for 20th Century Fox: It was just announced that Wolverine’s James Mangold is in negotiations to direct, and Mystic River’s Dennis Lehane penned the...
- 3/5/2014
- by Lindsey Bahr
- EW - Inside Movies
Stalingrad star Thomas Kretschmann is going to appear in not one but multiple, upcoming Marvel movies, beginning with a significant role in 2015′s Avengers: Age of Ultron, where he’ll star as the very serious sounding villain Baron Wolfgang von Strucker.
Kretschmann isn’t very well known to most American audiences, but has been working steadily since the late 1980s in films that range from The Karate Dog, Wanted and King Kong to the aforementioned Stalingrad, which has been performing very well overseas despite having limited to no presence here in the States.
Still, Marvel has an amazing track record when it comes to casting their movies, so we should all just chill out and be super confident about this particular casting choice, even though Baron on Strucker has a long and storied history in the Marvel Universe that is going to make expectations pretty lofty.
For those unfamiliar with the character,...
Kretschmann isn’t very well known to most American audiences, but has been working steadily since the late 1980s in films that range from The Karate Dog, Wanted and King Kong to the aforementioned Stalingrad, which has been performing very well overseas despite having limited to no presence here in the States.
Still, Marvel has an amazing track record when it comes to casting their movies, so we should all just chill out and be super confident about this particular casting choice, even though Baron on Strucker has a long and storied history in the Marvel Universe that is going to make expectations pretty lofty.
For those unfamiliar with the character,...
- 3/3/2014
- by Jimmy LeChase
- We Got This Covered
Back in January, we learned that King Kong and Stalingrad star Thomas Kretschmann had signed on for a villain role in The Avengers: Age of Ultron as Baron Wolfgang von Strucker, Nazi officer who becomes one of the heads of Hydra, the terrorist group from Captain America: The First Avenger. Now it sounds like Kretschmann will be sticking around the Marvel universe for more than one film as an interview with THR has the actor revealing "I have a multi-picture deal which means I will not only appear in [Age of Ultron], but they’re planning with me for a longer period of time.” Sounds like set up for Captain America 3. Kretschmann says, "I don’t know details yet, they’re keeping their cards close to their chest — top secret!” However, Badass Digest says, "Von Strucker appears in the opening scene of The Avengers: Age of Ultron and is quickly apprehended by our heroes,...
- 3/3/2014
- by Ethan Anderton
- firstshowing.net
Thomas Kretschmann is having a huge year, because he stars in Stalingrad, which has been a huge hit in Russia and is doing well in other countries even if it has slid quietly into American theaters. But Kretschmann will invade the Us multiplex in 2015 via a significant role in Avengers: Age of Ultron. He […]
The post Thomas Kretschmann Will Appear in Multiple Marvel Movies appeared first on /Film.
The post Thomas Kretschmann Will Appear in Multiple Marvel Movies appeared first on /Film.
- 3/3/2014
- by Russ Fischer
- Slash Film
Marvel.s multi-film experiment in continuity is great for regular viewers, but unfortunate if you read movie sites like this. Bringing the comics to life and the stories to fruition is great, but when a certain character is cast, it seems likely that they.re gonna stick around for multiple movies. Any suspense in regards to their fate will be absent, and you can only hope to enjoy your time spent with them. Multi-appearance arcs are a regular concept in comics, and now that concept is stretching into film. The latest to join the multi-appearance brigade is Thomas Kretschmann, who will be playing Baron Von Strucker in Avengers: Age Of Ultron. In an interview with B.Z. Berlin (via Comic Book Movie) to promote the recently-released Stalingrad, Kretschmann revealed that the Baron will be sticking around: "I have a multi-picture deal which means I will not only appear in the...
- 3/3/2014
- cinemablend.com
It was announced in January that German actor Thomas Kretschmann (Stalingrad) would be joining the cast of Marvel's Avengers: Age of Ultron as a classic Captain America villain, Baron Wolfgang von Strucker. Many have assumed that Baron Strucker would be more of a "level boss" or possibly even a throwaway character considering the tyrant robot Ultron is the "big bad," but Kretschmann recently disclosed to the German site Bz-Berlin that he signed a multi-picture deal with Marvel and that the studio has a "longer term" plan for his character. Additionally, Kretschmann revealed that he has already started shooting scenes with director Joss Whedon despite the fact that principal photography on Age of Ultron isn't slated to go into production until later this month. This has led many to speculate that the footage he has already shot might be for a post-credit scene in Captain America: The Winter Soldier.
Next Showing:...
Next Showing:...
- 3/3/2014
- by BJSprecher Sprecher
- Reelzchannel.com
Chicago – It does not take even a high school history class to understand the liberty used in “Stalingrad’s” presentation of its title siege. Boasted as the highest-grossing Russian movie ever, this IMAX 3D event is the country’s own adaptation of the hero glorification seen in “300”.
..complete with copious slow motion and overflowing testosterone. Made with great pride but also a somewhat goofy sense of war, “Stalingrad” is as irreverent with its filmmaking style as it is reverent to the country’s glory.
Rating: 2.5/5.0
Framed as a bedtime story passed on from a Russian humanitarian worker to a German woman trapped after a Japanese tsunami, “Stalingrad” focuses its title event around the lives of a few World War II Russian soldiers, and the woman whose crumbling apartment building they are living in. The year is 1942, and the Germans are ready to take over the city of Stalingrad to begin...
..complete with copious slow motion and overflowing testosterone. Made with great pride but also a somewhat goofy sense of war, “Stalingrad” is as irreverent with its filmmaking style as it is reverent to the country’s glory.
Rating: 2.5/5.0
Framed as a bedtime story passed on from a Russian humanitarian worker to a German woman trapped after a Japanese tsunami, “Stalingrad” focuses its title event around the lives of a few World War II Russian soldiers, and the woman whose crumbling apartment building they are living in. The year is 1942, and the Germans are ready to take over the city of Stalingrad to begin...
- 3/1/2014
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Stalingrad Columbia Pictures Reviewed for Shockya by Harvey Karten. Data-based on Rotten Tomatoes Grade: B Director: Fedor Boncarchuk Screenplay: Sergey Snezhkin, Ilya Tilkin Cast: Thomas Kretschmann, Yanina Studilina, Philippe Reinhardt, Mariya Smoknikova, Heiner Lauterbach Screened at: Review 1, NYC, 2/12/14 Opens: February 28, 2014 Since the movie begins around the current year, which serves as a framing device, the narrator might have noted one of the great ironies of the Battle of Stalingrad 1942-1943. Some decades after the brave Russian soldiers fought to defend their motherland as represented by Stalin against German occupation, the Soviet regime itself dismantled statues of Stalin and renamed the site of one [ Read More ]
The post Stalingrad Movie Review appeared first on Shockya.com.
The post Stalingrad Movie Review appeared first on Shockya.com.
- 2/28/2014
- by Harvey Karten
- ShockYa
Plot: A rag-tag group of Russian soldiers fighting in the battle of Stalingrad, hole-up in a decimated apartment block where they find a young woman, Katya (Maria Smolnikova). Their interactions with her give the men back a sense of their humanity, which they had to suppress for war, but with a determined German officer (Thomas Kretschmann) hot on their trail, the men must once again prepare to lay down their lives for the greater good. Review: Fedor Bondarchuk.s Stalingrad broke...
- 2/28/2014
- by Chris Bumbray
- JoBlo.com
In Soviet Russia, movie review You – but since we’re here in the good ol’ Us of A, I’ll be the one determining if Stalingrad is Russia’s spiritual equivalent to Steven Spielberg’s Saving Private Ryan. Credit director Fedor Bondarchuk with creating the first Russian film to be shot in 3D and IMAX 3D, as his efforts translated into the highest grossing box-office numbers in Russian history, but leave it to an American film critic to determine if Fedor actually did right by the Motherland. Come comrades, grab your sickle and your finest bottle of Popov – we’ve got a two hour Russian war epic to discuss that’s full of explosions, emotions, gunfire and heartbreak. Love and war are synonymous, no?
The battle of Stalingrad – a bloody, sacrificial battle during World War II that pitted a stubborn Adolf Hilter against a heroic Russian army refusing to budge.
The battle of Stalingrad – a bloody, sacrificial battle during World War II that pitted a stubborn Adolf Hilter against a heroic Russian army refusing to budge.
- 2/27/2014
- by Matt Donato
- We Got This Covered
Back in the U.S.S.R.: Bondarchuk’s Latest a Visual Feast and Narrative Folly
Arriving with a small coterie of distinctive firsts, actor/director Fedor Bondarchuk’s latest directorial effort happens to be the first Russian film to be presented in 3D (one would have assumed Timur Bekmambetov would have nabbed that distinction had he stayed in the motherland), as well as laying claim to number one at the Russian box office and nabbing the honor of being the Foreign Language submission for this year’s Academy Awards.
Digging deeper, Russian cineastes will recognize the famed Bondarchuk name—while Fedor has gone on to make a prolific name for himself as an actor turned director, he is the son of director Sergei Bondarchuk (War & Peace, 1966) and brother to actress Natalya Bondarchuk (star of Tarkovsky’s Solaris, 1972).
With such a rich history behind him, the decision to make...
Arriving with a small coterie of distinctive firsts, actor/director Fedor Bondarchuk’s latest directorial effort happens to be the first Russian film to be presented in 3D (one would have assumed Timur Bekmambetov would have nabbed that distinction had he stayed in the motherland), as well as laying claim to number one at the Russian box office and nabbing the honor of being the Foreign Language submission for this year’s Academy Awards.
Digging deeper, Russian cineastes will recognize the famed Bondarchuk name—while Fedor has gone on to make a prolific name for himself as an actor turned director, he is the son of director Sergei Bondarchuk (War & Peace, 1966) and brother to actress Natalya Bondarchuk (star of Tarkovsky’s Solaris, 1972).
With such a rich history behind him, the decision to make...
- 2/26/2014
- by Nicholas Bell
- IONCINEMA.com
Stranger By The Lake | Only Lovers Left Alive | Nymphomaniac | A New York Winter's Tale | A World Not Ours | Stalingrad | The Godfather: Part II | Highway
Stranger By The Lake (18)
(Alain Guiraudie, 2013, Fra) Pierre Deladonchamps, Christophe Paou, Patrick D'Assumçao, Jérôme Chapatte. 100 mins
Sex and death take a synchronised swim in this bold thriller, shot at a single lakeside location. It's a popular cruising spot, and the rituals of its regular (and regularly naked) male visitors are observed with a combination of frankness, lyricism and mischievous satire. But a more mysterious tone takes hold when newcomer Franck sees his Selleck-moustachio'd crush commit a terrible crime. The riptide of desire drags him into a dangerous game.
Only Lovers Left Alive (15)
(Jim Jarmusch, 2013, UK/Ger/Fra/Cyp/Us) Tom Hiddleston, Tilda Swinton, Mia Wasikowska. 123 mins
Making Twilight look like Sesame Street, Jarmusch gives us the coolest vampires imaginable – too cool to even do much vampire stuff.
Stranger By The Lake (18)
(Alain Guiraudie, 2013, Fra) Pierre Deladonchamps, Christophe Paou, Patrick D'Assumçao, Jérôme Chapatte. 100 mins
Sex and death take a synchronised swim in this bold thriller, shot at a single lakeside location. It's a popular cruising spot, and the rituals of its regular (and regularly naked) male visitors are observed with a combination of frankness, lyricism and mischievous satire. But a more mysterious tone takes hold when newcomer Franck sees his Selleck-moustachio'd crush commit a terrible crime. The riptide of desire drags him into a dangerous game.
Only Lovers Left Alive (15)
(Jim Jarmusch, 2013, UK/Ger/Fra/Cyp/Us) Tom Hiddleston, Tilda Swinton, Mia Wasikowska. 123 mins
Making Twilight look like Sesame Street, Jarmusch gives us the coolest vampires imaginable – too cool to even do much vampire stuff.
- 2/22/2014
- by Steve Rose
- The Guardian - Film News
Russia’s first 3D IMAX spectacle is visually intense — it’s set during “bloodiest battle in human history,” after all — but I never warmed to a story meant to be about human resilience. I’m “biast” (pro): nothing
I’m “biast” (con): nothing
(what is this about? see my critic’s minifesto)
It was Russia’s entry to the Oscars in the Foreign Language category (it wasn’t nominated). It’s the first Russian film shot in 3D IMAX. And it’s the highest-grossing Russian film ever at the Russian box office. I guess the Russians saw something in Stalingrad that eludes me.
Certainly, this is a visually intense film, from horrific combat sequences featuring things you won’t be able to unsee — in 3D IMAX! — to dismal vistas of a city ravaged by the “bloodiest battle in human history”; I was struck by one poignant moment when...
I’m “biast” (con): nothing
(what is this about? see my critic’s minifesto)
It was Russia’s entry to the Oscars in the Foreign Language category (it wasn’t nominated). It’s the first Russian film shot in 3D IMAX. And it’s the highest-grossing Russian film ever at the Russian box office. I guess the Russians saw something in Stalingrad that eludes me.
Certainly, this is a visually intense film, from horrific combat sequences featuring things you won’t be able to unsee — in 3D IMAX! — to dismal vistas of a city ravaged by the “bloodiest battle in human history”; I was struck by one poignant moment when...
- 2/20/2014
- by MaryAnn Johanson
- www.flickfilosopher.com
Director: Fyodor Bondarchuk; Screenwriters Sergey Snezhkin, Ilya Tilkin; Starring: Pyotr Fyodorov, Thomas Kretschmann, Mariya Smolnikova, Yanina Studilina; Running time: 131 mins; Certificate: 15
War. What is it good for? IMAX 3D movies that wallow in the spectacle of horrific real-life battles, judging by Stalingrad. A lavish Russian production based on the devastating World War II battle in 1942, Fyodor Bondarchuk's effort is watchable and sporadically gripping, but fails to convincingly depict the human drama lurking amidst the twisted metal and ruins.
Stalingrad follows a small group of Soviet reconnaissance soldiers who manage to take control of a building in a German occupied square in the derelict Russian city. The narrative seamlessly shifts between the opposing forces, seeking to focus on the humanising effects of women on Nazi officer Khan (Thomas Kretschmann) and rival Russian commander Gromov (Pyotr Fyodorov) as their men struggle for territorial superiority. Alas, the movie fails to resist the...
War. What is it good for? IMAX 3D movies that wallow in the spectacle of horrific real-life battles, judging by Stalingrad. A lavish Russian production based on the devastating World War II battle in 1942, Fyodor Bondarchuk's effort is watchable and sporadically gripping, but fails to convincingly depict the human drama lurking amidst the twisted metal and ruins.
Stalingrad follows a small group of Soviet reconnaissance soldiers who manage to take control of a building in a German occupied square in the derelict Russian city. The narrative seamlessly shifts between the opposing forces, seeking to focus on the humanising effects of women on Nazi officer Khan (Thomas Kretschmann) and rival Russian commander Gromov (Pyotr Fyodorov) as their men struggle for territorial superiority. Alas, the movie fails to resist the...
- 2/20/2014
- Digital Spy
More often than not, when we are treated to films from across Europe, they are minimalist art house productions, with filmmakers utilising their modest budget by focusing predominantly on the acting performances and narrative at hand. It’s therefore somewhat intriguing to see such an epic, big-budget war drama hailing from Russia – as Fedor Bondarchuk’s Stalingrad is the nation’s first ever fully 3D production, and also the first to be shot in the IMAX format.
We begin in present day Japan, as a Russian rescuer attempts to put a group of trapped German children at ease, by recounting the tale of his mother and his five fathers, which took place in Stalingrad during the Second World War. We then proceed to go back in time to the fateful set of events that occurred in the long, arduous autumn of 1942. Though renowned for being one of the bloodiest battles in history,...
We begin in present day Japan, as a Russian rescuer attempts to put a group of trapped German children at ease, by recounting the tale of his mother and his five fathers, which took place in Stalingrad during the Second World War. We then proceed to go back in time to the fateful set of events that occurred in the long, arduous autumn of 1942. Though renowned for being one of the bloodiest battles in history,...
- 2/18/2014
- by Stefan Pape
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Stalingrad was Russia’s hope for the Academy Award Nomination this year but did not make it to the shortlist. It is still worth mentioning here because it is Russia's first IMAX 3D feature and will be released here in the U.S. by Sony this February. Its grand scale is epic and indeed it is intended to be today’s epic of Russia in the classic sense of the term. An epic is something that all nations need in order to reconcile with wars which inevitably tear the fabric of society apart so drastically that it takes generations to recover.
The episodes, even though they may be fictional, provide an explanation for some of the circumstances or events in the history of a nation or people, an the action, often in battle, consists of courageous and heroic deeds, often revealing the superhuman strength of the heroes.
The Greek epics of The Iliad and The Odyssey, the Spanish Song of Roland and others attempted to bring together all the diverse aspects of a society at war and create a work to reconcile the people and forge a new unity. The U.S.’s main war was Vietnam. U.S. has continued to be at war ever since and never has it reconciled the crimes with a national forgiveness and cohesiveness. Director Fedor Bondarchuk and producers Alexander Rodnyansky, Dmitriy Rudovsky, Sergey Melkumov and Natalia Gorina consciously attempt to create a national epic based on this most devastating battle of all time and they deserve recognition for their bravery in doing that.
Directed by Fedor Bondarchuk, produced by Alexander Rodnyansky, Dmitriy Rudovsky, Sergey Melkumov and Natalia Gorina, written by Ilya Tllkin and Sergey Snezhkin, it runs 135 minutes. Sony Pictures Entertainment and Sony Pictures Releasing International hold all rights with IMAX who has 767 theaters (634 commercial ones in multiplexes, 19 commercial stand alones, and 114 in educational establishments in 54 countries. The first Russian IMAX 3D theater opened in 2003 in Moscow and today, after U.S. and China, it ranks third with 38 theaters that have been opened in Russia and the Cis with 20 more being designed. An interesting side note: IMAX in China is owned by Wanda, the owner of the U.S AMC theater chain, the largest owner of theater chains in the world, perhaps the largest real estate owner, now building a 10,000 square foot studio in China, advised in the U.S. By Koch Hawk, former president of AMPAS who has brought in former New York Film Society Director Rose Kuo to formulate a film festival strategy.
Before the end of 2013 the following IMAX films will be released in Russia; Gravity, Thor: The Dark World, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug and others. Stalingrad opened in October 2013 in Russia and the Cis and had blockbuster success. It was the first Russian motion picture released in IMAX format.
During the summer of 2012, Rosskino invited 25 or so U.S. distributors (we helped organize the invitation list and were included in this unforgettable trip to Russia.). There we screened films, met producers and visited St. . On St. Petersburg’s outskirts, in Sapyorniy village, we stopped to visit an unprecedented large scale set of Stalingrad. An amazing recreation of the war-torn city on a dizzly gray day, with German soldiers and Russian soldiers in the doorways of the ruin of an apartment building stunned us. Emily Russo of Zeitgeist and I got our shoes so muddy that Bondcharchuk invited us to wash them in his trailer’s shower.
Here are some pictures we took on the set:
Stalingrad sets the viewers right in the middle of the hardest won battle in World War II, one that turned the tables on the Germans. This movie is based on chapters from the novel by Vasiliy Grossman Life and Fate. The grandeur of the photography is a major accomplishment. The scene of burning Russians charging the Germans is incredibly affecting. The production designer Sergey Ivanov, deserves an Oscar. Arman Yakhin who supervised the visual effects, the first time they shot in stereo and 3D says “it took us about three months to develop and polish fire simulation with Houdini software. In addition to the pyrotechnicians’ work on location, the final version of the film also features a lot of digital fire sequences. Digital models of people were used in the sequences where the burning Red Army soldiers fall down the cliff. They were designed and animated in a 3D editing program, based on actors’ photos.
This extravagant feature brings the audience from the broad, beautiful and frightful battle of Stalingrad to the personal fates of five Russian soldiers, one Russian 19 year old girl surviving in the shell of what once was her home, a German soldier played by Kretschmann and his Russian victimized sexual partner.
It is a striking coincidence that director Fyodor Bondarchuk and the German lead, Thomas Kretschmann have been involved in three Stalingrads. The German Stalingrad was Kretschman’s first role in a film after having fled from the Gdr (East Germany). The German Stalingrad was about a group of Germans who froze to death not far from Stalingrad. In 1989, the same year that Kreschmann took part in it, I played a role in a Stalingrad film directed by Yuriy Ozerov, my teacher, as the sniper Zaitsev, “ said Bondarchuk.
This film had a crew of 250 people and 1,000 extras, all approved by Director Bondarchuk himself. The script was original but much documentary material was gathered including many interviews with the few surviving eyewitnesses which might become a separate project. “Stalingrad in 1942 was a place where the average life span was about one day long and the people who managed to survive for a week were considered to be veterans”, said Alexander Rodnyansky, one of the producers.
The episodes, even though they may be fictional, provide an explanation for some of the circumstances or events in the history of a nation or people, an the action, often in battle, consists of courageous and heroic deeds, often revealing the superhuman strength of the heroes.
The Greek epics of The Iliad and The Odyssey, the Spanish Song of Roland and others attempted to bring together all the diverse aspects of a society at war and create a work to reconcile the people and forge a new unity. The U.S.’s main war was Vietnam. U.S. has continued to be at war ever since and never has it reconciled the crimes with a national forgiveness and cohesiveness. Director Fedor Bondarchuk and producers Alexander Rodnyansky, Dmitriy Rudovsky, Sergey Melkumov and Natalia Gorina consciously attempt to create a national epic based on this most devastating battle of all time and they deserve recognition for their bravery in doing that.
Directed by Fedor Bondarchuk, produced by Alexander Rodnyansky, Dmitriy Rudovsky, Sergey Melkumov and Natalia Gorina, written by Ilya Tllkin and Sergey Snezhkin, it runs 135 minutes. Sony Pictures Entertainment and Sony Pictures Releasing International hold all rights with IMAX who has 767 theaters (634 commercial ones in multiplexes, 19 commercial stand alones, and 114 in educational establishments in 54 countries. The first Russian IMAX 3D theater opened in 2003 in Moscow and today, after U.S. and China, it ranks third with 38 theaters that have been opened in Russia and the Cis with 20 more being designed. An interesting side note: IMAX in China is owned by Wanda, the owner of the U.S AMC theater chain, the largest owner of theater chains in the world, perhaps the largest real estate owner, now building a 10,000 square foot studio in China, advised in the U.S. By Koch Hawk, former president of AMPAS who has brought in former New York Film Society Director Rose Kuo to formulate a film festival strategy.
Before the end of 2013 the following IMAX films will be released in Russia; Gravity, Thor: The Dark World, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug and others. Stalingrad opened in October 2013 in Russia and the Cis and had blockbuster success. It was the first Russian motion picture released in IMAX format.
During the summer of 2012, Rosskino invited 25 or so U.S. distributors (we helped organize the invitation list and were included in this unforgettable trip to Russia.). There we screened films, met producers and visited St. . On St. Petersburg’s outskirts, in Sapyorniy village, we stopped to visit an unprecedented large scale set of Stalingrad. An amazing recreation of the war-torn city on a dizzly gray day, with German soldiers and Russian soldiers in the doorways of the ruin of an apartment building stunned us. Emily Russo of Zeitgeist and I got our shoes so muddy that Bondcharchuk invited us to wash them in his trailer’s shower.
Here are some pictures we took on the set:
Stalingrad sets the viewers right in the middle of the hardest won battle in World War II, one that turned the tables on the Germans. This movie is based on chapters from the novel by Vasiliy Grossman Life and Fate. The grandeur of the photography is a major accomplishment. The scene of burning Russians charging the Germans is incredibly affecting. The production designer Sergey Ivanov, deserves an Oscar. Arman Yakhin who supervised the visual effects, the first time they shot in stereo and 3D says “it took us about three months to develop and polish fire simulation with Houdini software. In addition to the pyrotechnicians’ work on location, the final version of the film also features a lot of digital fire sequences. Digital models of people were used in the sequences where the burning Red Army soldiers fall down the cliff. They were designed and animated in a 3D editing program, based on actors’ photos.
This extravagant feature brings the audience from the broad, beautiful and frightful battle of Stalingrad to the personal fates of five Russian soldiers, one Russian 19 year old girl surviving in the shell of what once was her home, a German soldier played by Kretschmann and his Russian victimized sexual partner.
It is a striking coincidence that director Fyodor Bondarchuk and the German lead, Thomas Kretschmann have been involved in three Stalingrads. The German Stalingrad was Kretschman’s first role in a film after having fled from the Gdr (East Germany). The German Stalingrad was about a group of Germans who froze to death not far from Stalingrad. In 1989, the same year that Kreschmann took part in it, I played a role in a Stalingrad film directed by Yuriy Ozerov, my teacher, as the sniper Zaitsev, “ said Bondarchuk.
This film had a crew of 250 people and 1,000 extras, all approved by Director Bondarchuk himself. The script was original but much documentary material was gathered including many interviews with the few surviving eyewitnesses which might become a separate project. “Stalingrad in 1942 was a place where the average life span was about one day long and the people who managed to survive for a week were considered to be veterans”, said Alexander Rodnyansky, one of the producers.
- 2/16/2014
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
It’s not every day that we recommend you go out and discover what Russian cinema has to offer, but when the first big-budget Russian movie produced with 3D technologies and released in IMAX format becomes the highest-grossing Russian movie of all time, maybe it’s time to take note. Stalingrad, from director Fedor Bondarchuk, is gearing up for its exclusive engagement in IMAX 3D theaters nationwide when it opens February 28th, and we’ve got our first look at the World War II action thanks to an action-packed trailer.
Here’s a quick synopsis about the battle-heavy war drama:
Stalingrad is an epic look at the battle that turned the tide of World War II. A band of determined Russian soldiers fight to hold a strategic building in their devastated city against a ruthless German army, and in the process become deeply connected a Russian woman who has been living there.
Here’s a quick synopsis about the battle-heavy war drama:
Stalingrad is an epic look at the battle that turned the tide of World War II. A band of determined Russian soldiers fight to hold a strategic building in their devastated city against a ruthless German army, and in the process become deeply connected a Russian woman who has been living there.
- 2/7/2014
- by Matt Donato
- We Got This Covered
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