Posts tagged film
Rolls-Royce Makes The World Stand Still
Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Wraith will launch a film called “And the World Stood Still.” Recently it has been accepted into the British Film Institute National Archive. That is home to the world’s most significant collection of film and TV. In honor of this event, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars has created Wraith ‘Inspired by Film’, which will debut at the 2015 New York Auto Show tomorrow, 1 April 2015.
The film won a Gold Award at the 26th International Visual Communications Association Awards. Then it caught the attention of the BFI’s Senior Curator for Non-Fiction Films, Patrick Russell, who considered it a striking piece of contemporary cinematography and so decided to accept it into the archive.
“We are delighted to see Rolls-Royce’s Wraith launch film enter the BFI’s collection,” commented Russell. “We selected it for preservation as it is an outstanding and award-winning example of modern corporate promotional filmmaking. It’s a powerful use of the film medium for product launch purposes, executed with impeccable craftsmanship.”
Marc Mielau, Global Head of Marketing, Rolls‑Royce Motor Cars, said, “It is a great honor to see ‘And the World Stood Still’ accepted into the BFI National Archive. It is testament to Rolls-Royce’s unique position in the public consciousness as the makers of ‘The Best Car in the World’ and the passion, innovation and creativity of the entire team involved.”
The film introduced Wraith as the most powerful and technologically-advanced Rolls-Royce in history. Filmed at a secret location near Barcelona, the shoot included an innovative ‘Timeslice’ (frozen time) sequence created using 100 SLR cameras; the longest purpose-built camera rig in Europe; an award-winning film director; 36 computers; 1.5km of cables and one prototype Rolls‑Royce Wraith. A behind the scenes film was also launched after the Company was inundated with requests from fans across social media networks worldwide.
To view the Wraith Launch Film, ‘And the World Stood Still’ visit http://www.rolls-roycemotorcars.com/wraith/inspiredbyfilm
Mar 31st
Check Out The New Fantastic Four Official Teaser Trailer
Fantastic Four | Official Teaser Trailer: FANTASTIC FOUR, a contemporary re-imagining of Marvel’s original and longest-running superhero team, centers on four young outsiders who teleport to an alternate and dangerous universe, which alters their physical form in shocking ways. Their lives irrevocably upended, the team must learn to harness their daunting new abilities and work together to save Earth from a former friend turned enemy.
Jan 27th
Tyler Mitchell Tells MANjr. Who “The Angriest Man In Brooklyn” Is.
This weekend “The Angriest Man in Brooklyn,” starring Robin Williams, Mila Kunis, Melissa Leo and Peter Dinklage, will be released by Lionsgate in select theaters. The film centers on Henry Altmann, who is played by Robin Williams. He seems to always be having a bad day. In the film we find Henry waiting impatiently at the doctor’s office. When he is finally seen by Dr. Sharon Gill. Sharon, played by Mila Kunis, who is enduring her own bad day, she gives him some bad news.
She tells Henry that he has a brain aneurysm. This news makes Henry even angrier and he starts yelling at Sharon as he demands to know how much time he has left. Faced with Henry’s anger and insults, Sharon abruptly tells him he has only 90 minutes. Shocked and reeling by this news, Henry storms out of the office leaving Sharon stunned by what she has just done in a lapse of judgment. As Sharon goes on a city-wide search, Henry struggles with his diagnosis, determined to make amends with everyone he has hurt in his life.
One of the producers from this film is Tyler Mitchell. He is a film and television producer, writer and executive whose credits include “The Incredible Burt Wonderstone” and “Lucky Number Slevin.”
Mitchell began his career in film at age 19, doing summer internships with producers Arnold Kopelson, Jim Jacks and Sean Daniel, as well as working for New Line Cinema. After graduating college, he gained hands-on production knowledge as a director’s assistant on such films as “The Whole Nine Yards,” before joining the Agent Training Program at International Creative Management, where he worked for Ken Kamins, Executive Vice President and Head of International Operations.
In 2001, Mitchell departed ICM for upstart production/finance company FilmEngine, where he served as Vice President of Production and Head of Development. Mitchell oversaw the development, production and financing of six films in the company’s first four years, including “The Butterfly Effect,” starring Ashton Kutcher and Amy Smart, and “The Rum Diary”, starring Johnny Depp. During his tenure, FilmEngine landed a four year, first-look production and financing deal at New Line Cinema.
Mitchell is currently a partner at Landscape Entertainment. Landscape has a First-Look deal with Entertainment One for television and a First-Look deal with Fox Studios for Event Series, with projects in active development at: HBO, USA, TNT, FOX, WGN, and Amazon.
I was able to catch up with Tyler to ask him about “The Angriest Man in Brooklyn,” the difference between directing and producing, and much more. Click here to listen to the interview.
May 22nd
Big Apple Film Festival Cocktail Ideas
While I was enjoying my time at the Big Apple Film Festival I wanted to make sure I was taking in all the sights, sounds, and tastes. Yes, that is right I said tastes. You might ask yourself what kind of tastes would there be at a film fest. Believe it or not there were some great foods and cocktails to experience at the festival.
After movie screenings there would be the occasional after party. These parties were a blast to attend. I had the good fortune to talk with some of the actors or directors of those films. These actors and directors took the time to give me some in depth analysis of the films that they were in.
Another cool aspect about these parties was the fact that everyone was so down to Earth. The actors were happy to engage in some conversation about their roles and what their mindset was as shooting began. I learned a great deal from these discussions.
The chats with the actors and directors were fun all by itself, but having the opportunity to try out some of the inspired cocktails for the film fest was icing on the cake. So for those who were not able to check out the Big Apple Film Festival, here are some of the cocktail recipes from the fest that I think you will enjoy.
First Take
1 ½ oz. Bulleit Bourbon
2 lemon wedges
3 oz. tonic
Preparation: Build in a highball glass, serve over ice.
The Big Apple Manhattan
1 oz. Bulleit Rye
.25 oz Sweet Vermouth
3 dash Angostura Bitters
Preparation: Stir. Strain. Serve over ice in a rocks glass with a cherry.
Kentucky Calling
.75 oz. Bulleit Bourbon
.25 oz. East India Solera sherry
.25 oz. Ramazotti
2 dash Bittermens Mole bitters
Preparation: Stir and strain into a Nick and Nora glass. Garnish with an orange twist.
Nov 15th
Michael Jai White Interview
Michael Jai White will be starring in the CW hit show “Arrow” as Bronze Tiger. White is not a stranger to roles in the comic book world. He played main character in the film “Spawn” and was cast as Jax in the “Mortal Kombat: Legacy” series. He also was in “The Dark Knight.” You can also see Michael in the Tyler Perry sitcom “For Better or Worse.”
White also is a student of martial arts, which in my interview with him I found that he has a great passion for.
Art Eddy: You are going to be on the hit CW show “Arrow” as Bronze Tiger who was a member of both the League of Assassins and the Suicide Squad in the DC comic books series. When news broke at San Diego Comic Con this year a lot of people were excited including myself. What is your take on stepping into this series?
Michael Jai White: Hey man this is my area. I enjoy doing things like this. It has been a minute since I stepped into that world of the superhero, but I welcomed it.
AE: Before you took this role how much back story did you know on the character and Green Arrow?
MJW: Only a little bit, but of course I learned more when I took on the role. It was a cursory knowledge of it.
AE: You have played a great cast of memorable characters already like Jax from “Mortal Kombat.” For the characters of Jax and Bronze Tiger there is a certain amount of normalcy to these characters. The shows move away from the cartoony and comic book quality and make these characters look like they could be in real life. Do you like that style for these shows?
MJW: Oh yeah. I think that is really the way to go about it. When you have these fantastic type of characters it best to make them as close to reality as possible. The closer to reality the more it affects you. When we went into do the reimagining of the “Mortal Kombat” thing we really wanted to get really close into real macabre that makes you David Fincher it a little bit.
AE: For the “Mortal Kombat” web series. I loved the concept. When they came to you about this project what was your take on it? Were you a fan of the game?
MJW: Yea I used to play it quite often. I was supposed to be in the two films of “Mortal Kombat,” but unfortunately, well fortunately certain things didn’t work out. I happened to be doing a movie called “Spawn” instead of doing the “Mortal Kombat” movie. They were shooting at the same time.
AE: Speaking of “Spawn,” you were great in that film. Do you still have fans of that film talk to you about that role?
MJW: Yea quite a bit. I think the most asked question of my lifetime is if there will be a “Spawn 2.”
AE: Okay. So is there? (Both laugh.)
MJW: Well I don’t know. It is so out of my control. I am actually intrigued with the idea of possibly taking a hand in producing it so people could stop asking me. (Both laugh.)
AE: “Spawn,” “Arrow,” and “Mortal Kombat” are big at comic cons. Do you go to those conventions?
MJW: Usually I do. This is the only one I missed. This past one because I was shooting in Romania at the time.
AE: How much has your martial arts training helped your acting career?
MJW: Yeah. My martial arts training has helped me in my life period. It is really about the discipline. Once you discipline your mind you can pretty much accomplish anything. It really shows in every aspect of my life.
AE: What forms of martial arts are you trained in? Do you have a favorite?
MJW: My favorite style is called Kyokushin. It is actually the biggest, most respected style in the world. It is not known very much in this country because it is so stringent. It is kind of like the Navy Seals of martial arts. It is pretty hard.
As such the people who tend to make black belt in that system rest assured your discipline is at another level than other martial arts. That is why I like that because it takes a lot more out of you.
AE: I thought you did an outstanding job in “The Dark Knight.” Tell me a bit of your experience working on that 
film.
MJW: Well it was a surprising experience because knowing the work of Christopher Nolan you figure oh my God this guy is just genius. He is going to be really artistic. He is probably going to be very opinionated. Nothing could be further from the truth.
The guy was the easiest going and it was one of the most fun shoots to be on. I think I just had an assigned image. This guys is one of the coolest guys you would ever meet in your life. I ran into in the court room and he was doing jury duty. He was called and he was like ‘Right here.’ I was like that is Christopher Nolan and no one in the room realizes it. I mean do you know who is doing jury duty with you? He was just so laid back and was doing jury duty. He is one of the most brilliant directors ever.
Oct 3rd
Don Jon Prize Pack Giveaway
Jon Martello (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is a strong, handsome, good old fashioned guy. His buddies call him Don Jon due to his ability to “pull” a different woman every weekend, but even the finest fling doesn’t compare to the bliss he finds alone in front of the computer watching pornography. Barbara Sugarman (Scarlett Johansson) is a bright, beautiful, good old fashioned girl. Raised on romantic Hollywood movies, she’s determined to find her Prince Charming and ride off into the sunset. Wrestling with good old fashioned expectations of the opposite sex, Jon and Barbara struggle against a media culture full of false fantasies to try and find true intimacy in this unexpected comedy written and directed by Joseph Gordon-Levitt.
- $30 Fandango gift-card
- Don Jon mints
- Don Jon air freshener
- Don Jon branded tank top
- Don Jon branded tissues
- Don Jon branded gym bag
To enter, just follow us on Twitter (@MANjr) and drop us an email below. Good luck!
Sep 18th
The Family Prize Pack Giveaway
In the dark action comedy “The Family”, a Mafia boss and his family are relocated to a sleepy town in France under the Witness Protection Program after snitching on the mob. Despite Agent Stansfield’s (Tommy Lee Jones) best efforts to keep them in line, Fred Blake (Robert De Niro), his wife Maggie (Michelle Pfeiffer) and their children, Belle (Dianna Agron) and Warren (John D’Leo), can’t help resorting to old habits by handling their problems the “family” way. Chaos ensues as their former Mafia cronies try to track them down and scores are settled in the unlikeliest of settings, in this subversively funny film by Luc Besson.
You can win a mobster themed prize pack (valued at over $100) in anticipation of THE FAMILY. The prize pack includes the following items:
- Classic fedora
- Mug Shots (infamous mobster shot glasses)
- A gun-shaped ice cube tray
- Thumb-shaped USB flash drive
- Branded “brass knuckle” mug
- A copy of the novel MALAVITA (which the film is based upon)
- A poker set
- Branded BBQ apron
- Mini ‘The Family’ poster
To enter, just follow us on Twitter (@MANjr) and drop us an email below. Good luck!
Sep 11th
Adrian Holmes chats “Elysium,” “Arrow,” and His Upcoming Projects
Adrian Holmes can be seen in this summer’s hit “Elysium.” Adrian plays the role of Manuel, opposite Matt Damon, Jodi Foster, Sharlto Copley, Diego Luna, and Alice Braga.
Besides being in that film you might have seen Adrian in “Red Riding Hood” starring opposite Amanda Seyfried and Gary Oldman. He also worked with Academy Award winner Adrien Brody in “Wrecked.”
Adrian has been on many television shows as well. He is on “Arrow,” “Continuum,” and “King & Maxwell.” Adrian was kind enough to answers some of my questions about “Elysium” as well as other questions on his work on TV.
Art Eddy: You are in the summer blockbuster film “Elysium.” Tell me about your role in the film?
Adrian Holmes: I play Manuel who is a gangster and weapons expert. A tough guy that gets the job done by any means necessary.
AE: What was the audition process like?
AH: It was the same as any other project really. I had originally gone in for Krugar and then was called in for Manuel and got another call back and the rest is history. I was very happy, as you can imagine.
AE: Any cool stories behind the scenes stories from that set?
AH: We had some cool poker nights in Matt’s hotel room while shooting in Mexico City. A lot of laughs and good times had. Was like a real family experience.
AE: What do you hope people will take away from this film?
AH: I think there are a lot of themes to be explored in this film. Very thought provoking and subject to interpretation. One message is, that the course of the future is not static but changeable if we are willing to change ourselves.
AE: I like your role on “Arrow” as Lt. Frank Pile. Tell me a bit about working on that set.
AE: Everyone is very cool actually. I love working on Arrow and I really enjoy playing a very authoritative character like Lt. Pike.
AE: You also worked on “Smallville.” As a comic book geek and you being in a few of these comic book themed shows I have to ask are you fan of comics as well?
AH: Yeah I read a few but not too crazy. However I am a HUGE Superman fan so getting to be a part of “Smallville” was a real treat for me.
AE: In the film “Red Riding Hood” you got to work with one of my favorite actors Gary Oldman. How was it like to work with him?
AH: The best acting class I could ever ask for. I learned a lot from one of the greats for sure! He was very down to earth and we got along very well. Great level of focus, and we shared a lot of laughs.
AE: Another thing I saw that you did was the voice of Mace Windu for “Lego Star Wars: The Yoda Chronicles – The Phantom Clone.” I am a big “Star Wars” geek. So I have to ask how was it to take on the role of Mace Windu?
AH: That makes two of us! (Laughs) I love me some “Star Wars!” It was a huge honor and surprise when I got the opportunity. I am a fan of Sam Jackson as well so to step into his shoes as Mace was so surreal. I hope it’s foreshadowing for the next “Star Wars” movies they’re about to make. Would love to play a decedent of Mace Windu and keep the purple lightsaber alive!
AE: I have read two of your personal quotes, “Walk by faith not by sight” and “Be ready so you don’t have to get ready!” I like those. Are those your motivational phrases?
AH: Yeah they’re two of a few quotes I use to keep my sword sharp. Gotta stay positive!
AE: What is the next project you are looking out for?
AH: I’ll be going to Montreal next to be the lead in a new series called “19-2” that I’m very excited about. It’s a cop drama that will be a nice change for me from the sci-fi world for a while. After that I would love to do another big action film. I just love to be versatile and try new things.
Aug 15th
Interview with Writer and Actor Juddy Talt
“Language of a Broken Heart” is a new romantic comedy that is now out in theaters. It follows a guy named Nick looking to repair his heart after a devastating breakup. Nick is a best-selling author on love, and he finds his fiancé with another man. His heartbreak drives him crazy and he starts reflecting on his many romantic failures.
I was able to talk with the writer and actor Juddy Talt, who plays Nick in the film. The movie also stars Oscar Nunez, Kate French, and Julie White. Juddy and I talk about how he came up with the concept of the film and the process of getting the film from paper to the big screen.
Art Eddy: You wrote and star in the film “Language of a Broken Heart”. Tell me about the film and how you came up with the story?
Juddy Talt: This has been a long process. When I graduated at the University of Southern California I knew I wanted to make my own film. For this film it stems from a breakup. Well I should say a combination of a lot of breakups, but mostly on one that took some time for me to get over. It helps that I am a fan of movies like “Say Anything” and a lot of Woody Allen films. There are a lot of neurotic characters in Woody Allen films so that was something I thought about as I was doing my film.
I had a tough breakup so I decided that I needed to do a film about that. What did Henry Miller once say? It was something like the best way to get over a woman is to turn her into literature. A therapist once told me the best way to get over a woman is to get under another one. To me that sounded as odd and inappropriate advice.
So I went with the film route. I wrote it from my experience and it came out pretty quickly. It is a highly fictionalized version of this breakup. I find that breakup stories are such a universally accepted topic and people can relate to this story. My character has a broken heart, but you see him go through things that are sad and humorous at the same time. When I was dealing with a break up in my real life I looked back and thought there was some funny things I did. My dad even told me that I needed to get laid. It is funny now as I reflect on that and I think people will see the humor in what my character goes through in the film.
My character goes home and repairs his relationship with his mother and viewers start to see that this broken heart keeps on going around to different characters in the film. We have been getting great reviews so far and I am pleased with the viewer’s reaction to the film.
AE: Since you wrote the story for the film, did you feel that acting in that role was easier than other projects that you were in before?
JT: I would say yes and no. I think it is very easy in a sense since you have been with the material for so long. Yet that can be a big downfall because you can hire an actor who brings something to the script that you never thought of before. It is fun when an actor comes and surprises you with a new take on the role. I have similarities to this character obviously. Yet this character is very obsessive and very neurotic and I hope that I am not like that in real life. (Laughs) The jury is still out. 
AE: The film also stars also stars Oscar Nunez, Kate French, and Julie White. Were you part of the casting process to get these actors?
JT: Absolutely. When I was in Los Angeles I got Ronnie Yeskel to be the casting director for the film. She is a well-known casting director and she responded well to the script. I was very much involved with her in casting for the film. We read with Kate (French) and Lara Pulver. Then we read with Ethan Cohn, who plays Cubbie in the film.
For Julie White and Oscar Nunez they were just straight out offers. We really wanted them. We were about to start shooting the film and we didn’t even have them yet. We shot the film in New York and in Dallas. We heard that Julie was in Dallas so we thought that this was our chance to get her for the film.
Two weeks before we started filming in Dallas we started stalking Julie since she was in Dallas. We knew she was at her mother’s house. We wondered if we should just show up at the house and just drop off the script. The funny thing about the whole stalking Julie thing was that it goes right along with a scene in the film. The main character’s ex-girlfriend says to my character to stop stalking her and stop leaving notes and things on her car and house. My character then says something like what is the difference between stalking and being romantic. Luckily Julie liked the script and we got her for the film.
AE: How long did it take to bring the film from concept to screen?
JT: It was pretty long. I also produced it too. I was out there raising a lot of the money for the film. Even once I had the script I would say that it took about a year to a year and a half to start filming. I was also trying to get another project off the ground at that time. I switched my focus to this film because the other one was starting to get really expensive.
Yet overall all after the script for “Language of a Broken Heart” was done we were able to start shooting in a year or so. Now the film is in select theaters and that was not an easy task, so I am happy that it is in theaters.
AE: Do you preference of acting or writing?
JT: Every day I can wake up and write. It is a great way to get out what I need to get out. I really enjoy writing. I grew up on the stage acting. I did a bunch of community theatre growing up in Pasadena. I continued with that passion as I grew older. I love the both so it is nice to be able to do both.
AE: Are there any type of stories you would you like to tell that you feel the film industry has not touched on yet?
JT: Definitely. I think that this is a good starting point for me. This film doesn’t reinvent the wheel. It is a very poignant little film. Viewers really responded well to it so far. If you go on sites like Fandango you see that audiences are really behind this film and are encouraging people to go check this film out. I don’t have a big marketing budget so word of mouth is great.
For me, I love to mix comedy and drama. It is a tough thing to do, but I want to keep on making films like that. I want to show people how life is and that there will be good and bad times in everyone’s life. I love films like “Almost Famous” and “Say Anything” since the blend drama and comedy is done so well. Even in stories that are tragic I want to show some sense of humor in part of that story. People will walk away from those films saying that is true to life. That is what I want to do in the future.
Apr 17th
