Cinephellas Podcast-Episode 5 (Luc Annest Interview)

Sans Acrobats:

A Review of NOLA Circus

By Christopher M. Rzigalinski

NOLA Circus, the latest film from writer/director/producer Luc Annest, focuses on an African American community in New Orleans. Friendships are tested, true love is put on trial, and a bunch of dudes get their asses kicked. Luc brings a French perspective to this dark comedy about two rival barbershops and their larger-than-life employees. I got the chance to talk with him about adjusting to cultural differences in the United States, looking beyond race to understand the film, and the importance of music in visual storytelling. After you listen to my conversation with Luc, check out NOLA Circus when it hits theaters on April 21st or when it hits VOD platforms and iTunes on April 25th.

 

STARZ’ Outlander Season Three Teaser Trailer is Released!

 

In Season Three of “Outlander,” the story picks up right after Claire travels through the stones to return to her life in 1948. Now pregnant, she struggles with the fallout of her sudden reappearance and its effect on her marriage to her first husband, Frank. Meanwhile, in the 18th century, Jamie suffers from the aftermath of his doomed last stand at the historic battle of Culloden, as well as the loss of Claire. As the years pass, Jamie and Claire attempt to make a life apart from one another, each haunted by the memory of their lost love. The budding possibility that Claire can return to Jamie in the past breathes new hope into Claire’s heart… as well as new doubt. Separated by continents and centuries, Claire and Jamie must find their way back to each other. As always, adversity, mystery, and adventure await them on the path to reunion. And the question remains: when they find each other, will they be the same people who parted at the standing stones, all those years ago?

Book Three is set to premiere in September 2017 and will include 13 episodes based upon the third of eight books in Diana Gabaldon’s international best-selling Outlander series, entitled Voyager. Production and filming on the third season continues in Cape Town, South Africa.

 

Check Out The New Ridley Scott Featurette from PHOENIX FORGOTTEN!

On behalf of Cinelou Films, we are pleased to share a new featurette from PHOENIX FORGOTTEN featuring Sir Ridley Scott .  

PHOENIX FORGOTTEN was produced by Ridley Scott(The Martian, Alien, Blade Runner), WES BALL (The Maze Runner franchise) and T.S. NOWLIN (Pacific Rim: Uprising, The Maze Runner franchise) who also co-wrote the film. JUSTIN BARBER co-writes and directs in his feature film debut.

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The LEGO Batman Movie is coming to DVD and Blu-Ray on June 13th!

Bring home the year’s funniest family adventure when “The LEGO® Batman Movie,” arrives onto Ultra HD Blu-ray Combo Pack, Blu-ray 3D Combo Pack, Blu-ray Combo Pack, DVD and Digital HD. The film features Will Arnett who reprises his starring role from “The LEGO Movie,” as the voice of LEGO Batman, aka Bruce Wayne.

The film also features Zach Galifianakis (the “Hangover” films, “Muppets Most Wanted”) starring as The Joker; Michael Cera (TV’s “Arrested Development”) as the orphan Dick Grayson; Rosario Dawson (TV’s “Daredevil”) as Barbara Gordon; and Ralph Fiennes (the “Harry Potter” films) as Alfred. “The LEGO Batman Movie” is directed by Chris McKay, and produced by Dan Lin, Phil Lord, Christopher Miller and Roy Lee, who worked together on “The LEGO Movie.” Jill Wilfert, Matthew Ashton, Will Allegra and Brad Lewis serve as executive producers. The story by Seth Grahame-Smith is based on LEGO Construction Toys characters from DC and the screenplay is written by Seth Grahame-Smith, Chris McKenna, Erik Sommers, Jared Stern and John Whittington.

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Chiller Films Releases ‘CAMERA OBSCURA’…

Chiller Films is pleased to announce the release of the anticipated horror thriller ‘CAMERA OBSCURA,’ in theaters on June 9 and on VOD and Digital HD on June 13.  The film is written by Aaron B. Koontz and Cameron Burns and marks the theatrical directing debut of Koontz. The cast includes Christopher Denham (“Billions,” “Argo”), Nadja Bobyleva (“Bridge of Spies”), Catherine Curtin (“Stranger Things,” “Orange is the New Black”), Chase Williamson (SIREN, “Beyond the Gates”) and Noah Segan (“The Mind’s Eye,” “Tales of Halloween”).

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Cinephellas Podcast-Episode 3 (Veronica Ferres Interview)

The Heart of the Matter:  An Interview with Veronica Ferres

by Chris Rzigalinski

Veronica Ferres is an artist that uses her acting talents to find the essential values of each character she plays. Despite massive popularity in her native Germany that Newsweek magazine once compared to that of Sharon Stone’s in America, Veronica moved to Hollywood and takes on the leading role in Werner Herzog’s latest film, Salt and Fire, out on VOD platforms and iTunes April 4th and in theaters April 7th. In Herzog’s adaptation of Tom Bissell’s Pushcart Prize-nominated short story, “Aral,” Veronica plays “Laura,” an international scientist thrust against her will into a role where she has to make sense of an ecological disaster in Bolivia caused by a misguided CEO, portrayed with intensity by Michael Shannon. “Laura” is forced to confront the lines between quantifiable data and human empathy in order to save her own life and possibly the entire world. I talked with Veronica about the film’s power to begin conversations about environmental justice, being a muse for the legendary Herzog, and finding hope in times of desperation.

 

Review – Ghost in the Shell (2017)

by Taylor Lunsford

‘Ghost In The Shell’ is a remake from internationally acclaimed futuristic Japanese hit in 1995, directed by Mamoru Oshi of the same name and based on Masamune Shirow manga published in 1989. I just saw it yesterday morning and in it’s first 10 minutes, I was starting to think that this could be one of the best, visually impressive dystopian sci-fi films ever put onscreen. The film has a vibe of Ridley Scott’s sci-fi masterpiece, Blade Runner, with the aura of The Wachowski Brothers’, The Matrix . It’s hard not to think of some other films we’ve seen in the past years that touch on the same subject as this movie, but Rupert Sanders was able to find ways to continuously make it seem new to us.

The year is set in 2019: Major (played terrifically by Scarlett Johansson) is a female human-android and being called the first of her kind, designed to kill world’s most dangerous criminals. Major has mind and soul, she was told that she was saved from a terrific accident and only her brain survived. She is having visions, memories from her past that led her to the truth why she was brought to Hanka, a corporation that develop state-of-the-art robotics.

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Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is released on Blu-Ray Today!

 

From Lucasfilm comes the first of the Star Wars standalone films, “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story,” an all-new epic adventure. In a time of conflict, a group of unlikely heroes band together on a mission to steal the plans to the Death Star, the Empire’s ultimate weapon of destruction. This key event in the Star Wars timeline brings together ordinary people who choose to do extraordinary things, and in doing so, become part of something greater than themselves.

The home video release includes never-before-seen Rogue One bonus material that aims to take fans behind the scenes with the cast and filmmakers and includes an intimate collection of stories reveals how the film came to life, as well as hidden Easter Eggs and film facts that audiences may have missed in the theater.

Behind-the-scenes interviews and footage are cut together into a series of ten short featurettes:

  • A Rogue Idea – Hear how ILM’s John Knoll came up with the movie’s concept – and why it’s the right film to launch the Star Wars stand-alone films.
  • Jyn: The Rebel – Get to know Rogue One’s defiant, resourceful survivor, and hear what it was like for Felicity Jones to bring her to life onscreen.
  • Cassian: The Spy – Diego Luna shares insights into his complex, driven character, who becomes a hero through selflessness, perseverance and passion.
  • K-2SO: The Droid – Explore the development of this reprogrammed Imperial droid, from initial pitch and character design through Alan Tudyk’s performance.
  • Baze & Chirrut: Guardians of the Whills – Go deeper into the relationship between these two very different characters, with Chinese superstars Jiang Wen and Donnie Yen.
  • Bodhi & Saw: The Pilot & The Revolutionary – Forest Whitaker and Riz Ahmed reflect on Saw Gerrera, the broken Rebel leader, and Bodhi Rook, the Imperial pilot who defects.
  • The Empire – Meet a dangerous new Imperial adversary…and cross paths once more with the most iconic villain of all time.
  • Visions of Hope: The Look of “Rogue One” – The filmmakers describe the challenges and thrills of developing a bold new look for the movie that can fit within the world of the original trilogy.
  • The Princess & The Governor – See what it took to bring the vibrant young princess of “Star Wars: A New Hope” – as well as one of her most memorable foes – back to the screen.
  • Epilogue: The Story Continues – Filmmakers and cast celebrate Rogue One’s premiere and look forward into the future, to the Star Wars stories yet to be told.
  • Rogue Connections – Uncover Easter eggs and film facts hidden throughout the movie that connect “Rogue One” to the Star Wars universe.