Film Web Blog

Ryan Stewart
Filed under: Action, Drama, Casting, Sony, Fandom, James Bond, Remakes and Sequels, Daniel Craig

The British Times has gotten word that Bond 22 will be filming a scene next week at the Barbican, a performing arts center in the north of London. The center is typically used to host music concerts, art exhibitions and theater productions, and according to the paper the “a sign has gone up giving warning that next week it will be the venue for the filming of a scene from the next James Bond film, currently working title Bond 22, which will again star Daniel Craig. Relax, ladies, Craig won’t be there as far as I know, but in the Sculpture Court … they will film a man talking on a mobile phone, the sign says. We’ll have to wait for the release of the film, set for November, to see why it was necessary to go to the Barbican to film someone talking on their mobile phone.” And that’s it. At first blush, this sounds to me a lot like the Miami Body Worlds scene in Casino Royale, doesn’t it?

Meanwhile, a source who would know tells me that Eon Productions has yet to release any information whatsoever on Bond casting to Sony, and that includes a thumbs up or down on Gemma Arterton having a role in the film. In other words, they are trying their level best to keep all of this information secret for the time being. Still, I bet that whoever the actress is, she’ll eventually be spotted lunching or walking down the street with Barbara Broccoli or Michael Wilson and the game will be up. The last time a major hiring decision was made — Marc Forster — the press knew about it before the release could be put out, because the press knew that Daniel Craig was incongruously walking down the street with Broccoli in L.A, obviously to talk business.

Tags: barbara broccoli, BarbaraBroccoli, bond 22, Bond22, daniel craig, DanielCraig, marc forster, MarcForster, michael wilson, MichaelWilson

Source: ‘Bond 22′ Shoots in London Next Week, Eon Silent on Gemma Casting

Peter Martin
Filed under: Action, Drama, Foreign Language, Independent, Box Office, Cinematical Indie

Here in America, our box office returns show that we’re awash in aliens, predators, chipmunks, secrets and a self-made legend, but Swedish cinema lovers supported one of their own when it opened on Christmas Day. Variety reports that Arn: The Knight Templar has earned a robust $2.2 million in its first two days of release. That breaks down to a per-screen average of $10,821 at 207 engagements and is the “biggest opening ever” for a Swedish film in its homeland.

As I reported in August, Arn is the most expensive film and TV project ever made in Scandanavia, budgeted at $30 million to adapt the trilogy by Jan Guillou into two movies and a TV series. The books revolve around a fictional character forced into service as a Knight Templar during the Crusades. Variety says that local reviews “ranged from positive to negative with the majority falling somewhere in-between,” but producer Valdemar Bergendahl gave the mixed reaction a positive spin: “It was expected. But I’m happy with all the copy that has been written about the film. It has shown what great interest there is in it.” There’s a good producer for you: any news is good news!

Arn will expand from Sweden and Norway into Denmark and Finland in the next two months, with the second feature film scheduled for release next fall. In the meantime, an international version will be stitched together from the two features; already it’s been sold in 10 territories. With a cast that includes Stellan Skarsgård (Breaking the Waves), Mads Mikkelsen (After the Wedding), Vincent Perez (Queen Margot), Bibi Andersson (Persona), Simon Callow (A Room with a View) and Michael Nyqvist (Next Door), we’ll wait to see if any US festivals or distributors display an interest.

Tags: bibi andersson, cinematical, jan guillou, mads mikkelsen, michael nyqvist, simon callow, stellan skarsgard, valdemar bergendahl, vincent perez

Source: ‘Arn: The Knight Templar’ Slays Swedish Box Office

Hey there Folks. As promised many months ago, we have now made my documentary, “Prince of Peace - God of War” available for purchase by digital download. The DVD is still available for ordering at $17 (we’ve sold just a little over 1000 copies since the end of of November), but you now have the option of downloading the digital file of the movie for just $4.99

For those of you who may be new around here, here’s a little synopsis at what the movie is about:

WHAT THE CRITICS ARE SAYING ABOUT PRINCE OF PEACE - GOD OF WAR

“Central to John Campea’s engaging documentary is the question of how it is that 87 percent of self-defined Christians are able to rally fists in support of war when one would assume that conflict is not what Jesus would do.”
The Orlando Weekly

“Loved It! An Extensive look at how Christians went from preaching about love and peace to fighting for war.”
Peter Sciretta - Slahfilm.Com

“I was gripped the entire run time”
Kurt Halfyard - Twitchfilm.Net

“People should definitely see this… they’re going to love it”
Andrew Olson - MoviePatron.Com

“I urge you to give it a look and in all honesty, if your Religious Philosophy professor puts Just War on the curriculum, you may want to suggest he add this film as an introduction.”
Marina Antunes - MadAboutMovies.Net

“the documenary does a great job at presenting the facts, with the leading experts on Theology and Christianity and making you stop and think long and hard on a tough topic. ”
MoviesOnline.Ca

SYNOPSIS

“But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also.”

~Jesus Christ
LUKE 6:27-29

No narrator. No rock themes video montages. Just an honest conversation about the issue. For the first three centuries that the church existed, those belonging to the faith of Christianity understood the words and example of Jesus to be a clear directive to never be involved with violence. To be a Christian was to be a Pacifist, and during those formative years the church endured several persecutions at the hands of the Roman Empire itself without ever considering taking up the sword against their aggressors.

How did this faith, known and identified for its non-violent beliefs, go on to conduct the crusades, the inquisitions, witch hunts, and today have 87% of white evangelical Christians support President George W. Bush’s decision to go to war with Iraq? How did this religion, founded by a Pacifist and known (even criticized) for non-violence, become a religion known for its aggression, war, political power and embracing of violence?

Prince of Peace – God of War is a non-sensationalized visual record of Director John Campea’s (a former evangelical Christian and minister) journey across North America, speaking with historians, professors and religious leaders about these issues. The basic question is a simple one: “Should Christians kill people?”

FEATURING

Dr. Tony Campolo
Best selling author, Former Spiritual Advisor to President Bill Clinton
Professor at Eastern University - St. Davids PA

Dr. Brian McLaren
Listed on TIME Magazine’s 25 Most Influential Evangelicals In America

Bruxy Cavey
Author of “The End Of Religion”
Minister of “The Meeting House” - Canada’s largest Church

You can check out the first 5 minutes of the movie (low-res) here
You can download a copy of the movie here.

Thank you again to everyone who pre-ordered and ordered copies of the DVD. Your support has been amazing and greatly appreciated!

Source: Prince of Peace - God of War Now Available For Digital Download

For anyone that lives in the UK (or can get access to UK programs somehow) you may have watched the 10th anniversary edition of the AFI’s Top 100 Films of All Time. Now if I’m not mistaken this is the updated list (and not just a rerun), the one they put out a few months ago. I know most of you keep your eye on the AFI’s list but since I was just reminded of it by the three-hour showcase last night I thought I would remind you all too.

Here is the complete list (sorry from the wrong order):

1. “Citizen Kane” (1941)
2. “The Godfather” (1972)
3. “Casablanca” (1942)
4. “Raging Bull” (1980)
5. “Singin’ in the Rain” (1952)
6. “Gone With the Wind” (1939)
7. “Lawrence of Arabia” (1962)
8. “Schindler’s List” (1993)
9. “Vertigo” (1958)
10. “The Wizard of Oz” (1939)
11. “City Lights” (1931)
12. “The Searchers” (1956)
13. “Star Wars” (1977)
14. “Psycho” (1960)
15. “2001: A Space Odyssey” (1968)
16. “Sunset Boulevard” (1950)
17. “The Graduate” (1967)
18. “The General” (1927)
19. “On the Waterfront” (1954)
20. “It’s a Wonderful Life” (1946)
21. “Chinatown” (1974)
22. “Some Like It Hot” (1959)
23. “The Grapes of Wrath” (1940)
24. “E.T. — The Extra-Terrestrial” (1982)
25. “To Kill a Mockingbird” (1962)
26. “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington” (1939)
27. “High Noon” (1952)
28. “All About Eve” (1950)
29. “Double Indemnity” (1944)
30. “Apocalypse Now” (1979)
31. “The Maltese Falcon” (1941)
32. “The Godfather, Part II” (1974)
33. “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” (1975)
34. “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” (1937)
35. “Annie Hall” (1977)
36. “The Bridge on the River Kwai” (1957)
37. “The Best Years of Our Lives” (1946)
38. “The Treasure of the Sierra Madre” (1948)
39. “Dr. Strangelove” (1964)
40. “The Sound of Music” (1965)
41. “King Kong” (1933)
42. “Bonnie and Clyde” (1967)
43. “Midnight Cowboy” (1969)
44. “The Philadelphia Story” (1940)
45. “Shane” (1953)
46. “It Happened One Night” (1934)
47. “A Streetcar Named Desire” (1951)
48. “Rear Window” (1954)
49. “Intolerance” (1916)
50. “Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring” (2001)
51. “West Side Story” (1961)
52. “Taxi Driver” (1976)
53. “The Deer Hunter” (1978)
54. “MASH” (1970)
55. “North by Northwest” (1959)
56. “Jaws” (1975)
57. “Rocky” (1976)
58. “The Gold Rush” (1925)
59. “Nashville” (1975)
60. “Duck Soup” (1933)
61. “Sullivan’s Travels” (1941)
62. “American Graffiti” (1973)
63. “Cabaret” (1972)
64. “Network” (1976)
65. “The African Queen” (1951)
66. “Raiders of the Lost Ark” (1981)
67. “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” (1966)
68. “Unforgiven” (1992)
69. “Tootsie” (1982)
70. “A Clockwork Orange” (1971)
71. “Saving Private Ryan” (1998)
72. “The Shawshank Redemption” (1994)
73. “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid” (1969)
74. “The Silence of the Lambs” (1991)
75. “In the Heat of the Night” (1967)
76. “Forrest Gump” (1994)
77. “All the President’s Men” (1976)
78. “Modern Times” (1936)
79. “The Wild Bunch” (1969)
80. “The Apartment” (1960)
81. “Spartacus” (1960)
82. “Sunrise” (1927)
83. “Titanic” (1997)
84. “Easy Rider” (1969)
85. “A Night at the Opera” (1935)
86. “Platoon” (1986)
87. “12 Angry Men” (1957)
88. “Bringing Up Baby” (1938)
89. “The Sixth Sense” (1999)
90. “Swing Time” (1936)
91. “Sophie’s Choice” (1982)
92. “Goodfellas” (1990)
93. “The French Connection” (1971)
94. “Pulp Fiction” (1994)
95. “The Last Picture Show” (1971)
96. “Do the Right Thing” (1989)
97. “Blade Runner” (1982)
98. “Yankee Doodle Dandy” (1942)
99. “Toy Story” (1995)
100. “Ben-Hur” (1959)

So what do you think of the list? What’s missing that should be there? What’s there that shouldn’t? Please feel free to comment.

Source: AFI’s 100 Years - 100 Movies - 10th Anniversary Edition

Australian soap star turned late-90’s pop singer Natalie Imbruglia (remember her one hit wonder Torn?) auditioned for a role in Gavin Hood’s X-Men Origins: Wolverine. The singer/songwriter supposedly tested two weeks ago for a role in the upcoming X-Men prequel/spin-off film starring Hugh Jackman. No word on the role that she read for, or if she got the part.

Last month it was rumored that Maggie Q was the front runner for the role of Silver Fox, Wolverine’s love interest. I wonder if things have changed. And if so, why Natalie Imbruglia is even being considered for a part in this film? Can’t be good news for comic book fans.

source: Australia’s Herald Sun