Choke (2008)

September 19, 2008 by omprakash  
Filed under Drama, HOLLYWOOD

Synopsis:
Victor Mancini, in an effort to pay for his once radical, now demented mother’s expensive care in a private hospital, engages in a brazen scam. While dining in upscale restaurants, he deliberately chokes on his food, allowing himself to be “saved” by good Samaritans who grow so close to him in the wake of their heroic Heimlich Maneuvers, they lavish him with checks. His day job is no more conventional: he portrays an indentured Irish servant in full 18th Century garb at a historical theme park. And when he isn’t busy being a put upon Pilgrim, gagging violently or visiting the mother who doesn’t recognize him, Victor is attending sexaholic recovery meetings (or having forbidden encounters in the meeting hall bathroom). It’s no wonder Victor feels adrift. But when his declining mother hints that she might be ready to spill the secret identity of his long lost father, Victor hopes it can finally provide the answers he has been searching for. With the help of his fellow sex addict Denny, Victor befriends his mother’s alluring young physician, who leads him to believe his origins may be far more shockingly divine that he ever could have imagined. So is Victor Mancini still the no-good loser he has always thought he would be for the rest of his life or could he possibly be some crazy kind of savior.
Theatrical Release
9/26/2008

Director Credit
Clark Gregg Director
Cast Credit
Sam Rockwell Victor Mancini
Anjelica Huston Ida Mancini
Kelly MacDonald Paige Marshall
Brad Henke Denny
Joel Grey Phil
Clark Gregg Lord High Charlie
Bijou Phillips Ursula
Heather Burns Internet Date/Gwen
Gillian Jacobs Beth/Cherry Daiquiri
Yolonda Ross Cute Teacher
Isiah Whitlock Jr Detective Palmer
Matt Gerald Detective Ryan
Don Rizzo Guard Captain Norm
jonah bobo Young Victor
Paz De La Huerta Nico
Viola Harris Eva Muller
Kathryn Alexander Mousy Girl / Agnes
Teodorina Bello Jamaican Lady
Kate Blumberg Edwin’s Wife
Wilma Willi Burke Deranged Socialite
David Fonteno Edwin
Michelle Hurst Shapely Nurse
Jen Jones Old Lady with Note
Jordan Lage Mob Member #1
Matt Malloy Detective Foushee
Mary McCann Detective Dorfman
Alice Barrett Mitchell Lanky Woman on Airplane
Martin Murphy Second Trooper
Neil Pepe Zoo Security Guard
Peggy Pope Sister Angela
Denise Raimi Pretty Foster Mom
Judith Anna Roberts Elegant Lady
Michael S Ryan Lonnie
Solo Scott Mob Member #2
Suzanne Shepherd Waitress
David Shumbris First Trooper
Sebastian Sozzi Tito
Kate Udall Tall Nurse
Melinda Wade Mob Leader
Production Credits Credit
Lisa M. Zambri Associate Producer
Mike S Ryan Executive Producer
Beau Flynn Producer
Derrick Tseng Executive Producer
Johnathan Dorfman Producer
Laurie May Associate Producer
temple fennell Producer
Mia Lee Associate Producer
Gary Ventimiglia Executive Producer
Tripp Vinson Producer
Mary Vernieu Executive Producer
Production Companies Credit
Contrafilm Production Company
ATO Pictures Production Company
Aramid Entertainment Production Company
Dune Entertainment Production Company
Distribution Companies Credit
Fox Searchlight Pictures Domestic Theatrical Distributor
Fox Searchlight Pictures Foreign Distribution Rights
Locations
New Jersey, USA
Writer Credit
Chuck Palahniuk Source Material
Clark Gregg Screenplay
Accounting Credit
Kathy Welch Post-Production Accountant
Michael Wiggins Production Accountant
Paul Myers Assistant Accountant
Ross Miller Production Insurance - Insurance
Jenny Lovin Assistant Production Accountant - Accounting Production Assistant
Art Department Credit
Adriano Valle Set Dresser - On-Set Dresser
Naomi Bombardi-Wilson Art Assistant - Art Production Assistant
Roshelle Berliner Production Designer
Kate Foster Set Decorator
Matteo De Cosmo Art Director
Melissa B. Miller Art Department Coordinator
Eduardo Garabal Dresser
Cathy Wassylenko Scenic Artist - Camera Scenic
Justin Bennett Set Dresser
Kristen Emery Scenic Artist - Charge Scenic
Darin Patterson Art Assistant - Art Production Assistant
Max Sherwood Dresser - On-Set Dresser
David Brenner Set Dresser
Chuck Varga Scenic Artist - Journey Scenic
Brandon T Connelly Set Dresser
Linette Mccoun Set Dresser
Chris Potter Set Dresser
Brendan Russell Set Dresser
Gerardo Villarroel Set Dresser - Set Dressing Production Assistant
Casting Credit
Suzanne Crowley Casting Director
Karen E Etcoff Extras Casting
Lindsay Graham Casting Associate (Los Angeles)
Bill Tripician Extras Casting Assistant
Paul Schnee Casting Associate (New York)
Mary Vernieu Casting Director
Craft Services Credit
Dan Lasik Catering - Chef
Danielle Wilson Craft Service
Jorge Pina Catering - Chef
Anthony Torre Catering - Chef
Film Camera Credit
Jessica Miglio Photography - Stills Photographer
Tim Orr Director of Photography
Albino Marsetti Camera Operator
Craig Pressgrove Assistant Camera
Shannon K Hall Dailies - Dailies Project Manager
Alex Hernandez Film Lab - Imaging
Maceo Bishop Steadicam Operator
Matt Pebler Loader - Film Loader
Mike Underwood Colorist - Digital Film Colorist
Anne Lopez Film Lab - Imaging
Steve Calitri Camera Operator
Ira Schweitzer Colorist - Dailies Colorist
Meg Kettell Assistant Camera
Eduardo Cisneros Film Lab - Imaging
John Gardiner Assistant Camera - Telecine Assistant
Daniel Ishi Cruz Film Lab - Imaging
John Flores Film Lab - Imaging
Elizabeth Ostermann Film Lab - Digital Restoration
Paola Varvaro Film Lab - Digital Restoration
Film Sales Financing Credit
Wild Bunch Film Financier
Legal Credit
Joseph J Dapello Legal Services
Alan D Sacks Legal Services
Music Credit
Alice Wood Music Editor
Ben Kweller Song
Ben Kweller Song Performer
Lyle Hysen Music Supervisor
Nathan Larson Composer
Matthew Friedberger Song
Fiery Furnaces Song Performer
Ken Weinstein Music Supervisor
Aiko Hasegawa Song Performer
Eleanor Friedberger Song
Aiko Hasegawa Song
Ms Tyree Jones (Sugar) Song Performer
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah Song Performer
William Harris Song
Ed McCoy Song
Smokey Hormel Song Performer
Heather Harper Song Performer
Alec Ounsworth Song
Smokey Hormel Song
Jessye Norman Song Performer
Alap Momin Song
Alap Momin Song Performer
Twilight Singers Song Performer
Greg Dulli Song
Radiohead Song Performer
Thomas Yorke Song
Colin Greenwood Song
Edward O’Brien Song
Philip Selway Song
Jonathan Greenwood Song
Physical Effects Credit
Michael Angelo Stunts
Manny Siverio Stunt Coordinator
Elliot Santiago Stunts
Jeff Ward Stunt Coordinator
Kimberly Shannon Murphy Stunts
Paul Marini Stunts - Stunt Driver
Production Management Credit
Tony Hernandez Unit Production Manager
Louis Zuppardi Location Manager
Stuart J C Williams Assistant Director
Joshua Huffman Production Coordinator - Production Office Coordinator
John Portnoy Post-Production Supervisor
Joan Malloch Post-Production Coordinator
Kirsten Kearse Script Supervisor
David Occhino Assistant Location Manager
Thalia Harithas Assistant Production Coordinator - Assistant Production Office Coordinator
Grace Doherty Location Scout
Richard Bartholomay Location Assistant
Beth Dettmore Location Assistant
Nicholas R Bell Assistant Director
Boryan Jovanovich Assistant Director
Michael Brettler Location Assistant - Location Intern
Jay Scrimizzi Location Assistant - Location Intern
Gregory Walsh Location Assistant - Location Intern
Josh Wasserman Location Assistant - Location Intern
Sound Credit
Christopher Gebert Sound Mixer - Location Sound Mixer
Joey Bilger Assistant Sound Editor
Dave Davenport Audio Post-Production - Post Audio Coordinator
John Green ADR/Dialogue Editor - Dialogue Editor
Georgia Simon ADR Voice Casting - ADR Casting
Albert Gasser Sound Designer
Moosie Drier Looping Coordinator - Loop Group
John Benson Foley Editor
Neil Danziger Boom Operator
Richard Taylor Supervising Sound Editor
Tamara Johnson Rerecording Mixer
Bob Lacivita ADR Mixer
Robb Navrides ADR Editor
Eddie Frierson Looping Coordinator - Loop Group
Griffin Richardson Sound Mixer
Steve Stuhr ADR/Dialogue Editor - Dialogue Editor
Christian Buenaventura ADR Editor
Dave Hancock Sound Mixer - Mix Tech
Bridget Hoffman Looping Coordinator - Loop Group
Maribina Jaimes Looping Coordinator - Loop Group
Michelle Ruff Looping Coordinator - Loop Group
Georgia Simon Looping Coordinator - Loop Group
Skip Stellrecht Looping Coordinator - Loop Group
Visual Effects Credit
John Portnoy Titles - Titles and VFX
George Zidd Software Engineer - Data Wrangling
Kevin Raper Graphics
Reza Amidi Titles and Opticals - Digital Conform & Opticals
Michael L Holland Visual Effects Producer - Digital Intermediate Producer
Tim Heugele Software Engineer - Data Wrangling
Alicia van Couvering Graphics
Jojo Li Graphics
Kevin Lomet Software Engineer - Data Wrangling
Wardrobe Hair Makeup Credit
Elizabeth Dran Costumes - Costume Intern
Cameron Folan Assistant Costume Designer
Christine Fennell Hair Stylist
Stacey Panepinto Makeup Artist
Suzanne Kelly Set Costumer
Diana J Collins Wardrobe Supervisor
Catherine George Costume Designer
Charles McKenna Hair Stylist
Cyndie Boehm Makeup Artist

Review & Summary :

After watching Choke, it occurred to me that the association with Fight Club may do more to harm the viewer’s experience than help. Although I can’t argue with the logic that it will help bring audiences into the theaters if they know that Choke is based on a novel written by the same author, Chuck Palahniuk, fans may come without the realization that Choke is a simpler and often more understated story. This is the very reason actor Clark Gregg was able to make this his directorial debut, using the same socially satirical sense-of-humor as the previous Palahniuk adaptation, but this time on a much smaller scale. Fight Club was an ambitious visual achievement for known perfectionist David Fincher once he had reached a higher level of success with Se7en, whereas Choke provided the opportunity for Gregg to start a career with a promising independent film.

Gregg adapted the story to screenplay and also acts in his film, but wisely gives himself a supporting role. In the leading role of Victor Mancini, a man with many identity issues after a rough childhood being kidnapped by his mother from foster homes, Sam Rockwell fits perfectly. In order to keep his negligent mother (Anjelica Huston) in a top-care facility during her last days battling Alzheimer’s, Victor working days as a historical re-enactor at a Colonial Williamsburg theme park, but when that isn’t enough he finds a brilliant scam where he pretends to choke while eating in public. Not only do the people that rescue him send him money in birthday cards, he also finds himself addicted to the feeling of being saved.

Being comforted and supported by strangers isn’t Victor’s only addiction, attending sex addicts meetings each week if only to sleep with the nymphomaniac he is a sponsor to. Random strangers are Victor’s preference, although he finds himself unable to sleep with a woman he actually begins to care about. When one of his mother’s doctors, Paige Marshall (Kelly Macdonald) tries to exploit Victor’s reputation by insisting he impregnate her before she will translate his mother’s diary from Italian to English, Victor is unable to perform for the first time. Victor believes that the diary will give him the answers to his childhood, but he is unprepared for the shocking truth that is translated to him from the secret diary.

Palahniuk’s novels are nearly all filled with internal dialogue and commentary, which was transferred to film with a unique style and voice that separates it from the film version of Fight Club. Palahniuk has such a rich prose, as well as a gift for matching social and human issues with particularly warped or disillusioned protagonists, and while reading his books I am always struck by how visually lush the stories become in my imagination. As easily as the world is created by Palahniuk’s words I usually tend to find the idea of a film version nearly insurmountable, which is why I was pleasantly surprised to find that Clark Gregg’s Choke brings the story to life in an understated way that allows the story to retain and even enhance some of the more poignant elements.

The cast is pitch perfect and immediately following the film I had the urge to return to the novel to read it again with the actor’s faces in mind, which in my mind is the perfect marriage of mediums. Countless times I have debated whether to read a novel when I know that it is being made into a film certain that seeing the film will be disappointing if I have already read the source material. Although there is something to be said for Palahniuk’s distinct literary voice, even he has declared satisfaction with this latest adaptation.

Rent: Filmed Live on Broadway (2008)

September 19, 2008 by omprakash  
Filed under Drama, HOLLYWOOD

Synopsis:
In New York City’s gritty East Village, a group of bohemians struggle to live and pay their rent. “Measuring their lives in love,” these starving artists strive for success and acceptance while enduring the obstacles of poverty, illness and the AIDS epidemic.
Theatrical Release
9/24/2008

Distribution Companies Credit
Sony Pictures Entertainment Domestic Theatrical Distributor
The Hot Ticket Domestic Theatrical Distributor
Writer Credit
Jonathan Larson Source Material

Review & Summary :

Set in New York City’s gritty East Village, the revolutionary rock opera RENT tells the story of a group of bohemians struggling to live and pay their rent. “Measuring their lives in love,” these starving artists strive for success and acceptance while enduring the obstacles of poverty, illness and the AIDS epidemic. RENT is Jonathan Larson’s Pulitzer and Tony Award winning musical, one of the longest running shows on Broadway.

A Thousand Years of Good Prayers (2008)

September 18, 2008 by omprakash  
Filed under Drama, HOLLYWOOD

Synopsis:
Mr. Shi is a retired widower from Beijing. When his daughter Yilan, who lives in the US, divorces, he decides to visit her in the small town where she works as a librarian. His intention is to stay with her until he helps her recover from the trauma. Mr. Shi likes to tell the people he meets in America that he’s a “rocket scientist”, enjoying their attention. But Yilan is less enthusiastic about his showing off, nor is she interested in his plan to rescue her marriage and reconstruct her life. When Mr. Shi insists on finding out the reason for the divorce, Yilan starts to avoid him.

Theatrical Release
9/19/2008

Director Credit
Wayne Wang Director
Cast Credit
Henry O Mr. Shi
Rick Ehrenstrasser - Cast
Pavel Lychnikoff Boris
Yu Feihong - Cast
Vida Ghahremani Madame
Wes Deitrick Antique Store Owner
Lonny Waddle - Cast
Faye Yu Yilan
Production Credits Credit
Rich Cowan Producer
Yasushi Kotani Executive Producer
Yukie Kito Producer
Lee Joo-ick Executive Producer
Taizo Son Executive Producer
Wayne Wang Producer
Production Companies Credit
North By Northwest Productions Production Company
Entertainment Farm Production Company
Boram Entertainment Production Company
Good Prayers Production Company
Distribution Companies Credit
KarmaFilms (Spain) Foreign Theatrical Distributor
Mikado Film Foreign Theatrical Distributor (Italy)
Magnolia Pictures Domestic Theatrical Distributor
Locations
Spokane, Washington, USA
Writer Credit
Yiyun Li Screenplay
Yiyun Li Source Material
Art Department Credit
Dan Beyer Set Decorator
Amber Grunte Set Dresser
Vincent DeFelice Production Designer
Casting Credit
Todd Thaler Casting Director
Philip Huffman Casting Director
Film Camera Credit
Patrick Lindenmaier Director of Photography
Film Sales Financing Credit
The Match Factory GmbH Distribution Sales International Sales
Music Credit
Deva Anderson Music Supervisor
Lesley Barber Music
Delphine Robertson Music Supervisor
Production Management Credit
Rich Cowan Assistant Director
Cheryl Cowan Script Supervisor
Sound Credit
Tom Taylor Sound Mixer
Lewis Goldstein Rerecording Mixer
Lewis Goldstein Supervising Sound Editor
Wardrobe Hair Makeup Credit
Lisa Caryl Costume Designer
Trista Jordan Makeup Artist
Traci Van Leuven Makeup Artist

Review & Summary :

Mr. Shi is a retired widower from Beijing. When his daughter Yilan, who lives in the US, divorces, he decides to visit her in the small town where she works as a librarian. His intention is to stay with her until he helps her recover from the trauma. Mr. Shi likes to tell the people he meets in America that he’s a “rocket scientist,” enjoying their attention. But Yilan is less enthusiastic about his showing off, nor is she interested in his plan to rescue her marriage and reconstruct her life. When Mr. Shi insists on finding out the reason for the divorce, Yilan starts to avoid him.

Hounddog (2007)

September 17, 2008 by omprakash  
Filed under Drama, HOLLYWOOD

Synopsis:
In rural Alabama in the late 1950s, spirited young girl Lewellen struggles to rise above the repression that surrounds her. Lewellen lives with her stern religious zealot grandmother, Grammie, but spends most of her time down the hill with her much-adored Daddy in his falling down shack. Daddy is wild and rough and frequently brings home a beautiful but troubled woman who has a mysterious history with him and comes and goes when his drink and abuse becomes too much for her. But while she’s around, Lewellen’s longing heart reaches for her love. Lewellen is deeply talented and finds comfort and safety, as well as a place to put her hurt and rage, in the music of Elvis Presley. When Elvis Presley comes to town for a concert, Lewellen is desperate to go but has no money for a ticket. Her best friend, Buddy, trying to get her a ticket, arranges for her to do her Elvis impersonation for a local teenager in exchange for tickets to the concert. During the impersonation, the teenager attacks Lewellen and steals her innocence. The attack leaves Lewellen feeling alone and hopeless. It is only the caretaker Charles who can see the spirit in Lewellen and save her soul. He teaches her to use The Blues to turn her tragedy into a gift. Lewellen ultimately finds her true voice, giving her the strength and courage to walk away from her past and into her future.
Theatrical Release
9/19/2008

Director Credit
Deborah Kampmeier Director
Cast Credit
Dakota Fanning Lewellen
Robin Wright-Penn Stranger Lady
David Morse Daddy
Isabelle Fuhrman Grasshopper
Cody Hanford Buddy
Piper Laurie Grammie
Afemo Omilami Charles
Ryan Pelton Elvis Presley
Christoph Sanders Wooden’s Boy
Jill Scott Big Momma Thornton
Frank Hoyt Taylor Doctor
Jody Thompson Preacher
Tom Oppenheim Mechanic
Sean Wallace Boy 1
William Yelton Boy 2
Oliver Clayton-Luce Boy 3
Grenaldo Frazier Musician 1 (vocals)
Charlie Lucas Musician 2 (guitar)
Herman McCloud Musician 3 (drums)
Charlie Smalls Musician 4 (bass)
Chandler McIntyre Buddy’s Mother
Tim Parati Bartender
Production Credits Credit
Kelly R Tenney Co-Producer
Deborah Kampmeier Producer
John P McAteer Associate Producer
Robin Wright-Penn Executive Producer
Richard Bosworth Associate Producer
Stacey Bakula Executive Producer
Kathi Scharer Co-Producer
Raye Dowell Producer
Terry Leonard Producer
Kerri Watts Associate Producer
Henri Kessler Executive Producer
Gabrielle Berberich Co-Producer
Scott Franklin Producer
Chris Hanley Co-Producer
Rebecca Cleary Executive Producer
Roberta Hanley Producer
Jim Czarnecki Co-Producer
Corey Ribotsky Executive Producer
Jennifer Gatien Producer
Sam Froelich Executive Producer
Lawrence Robins Producer
Production Companies Credit
Full Moon Films Production Company
Hand Picked Films Production Company
Motion Picture Group Production Company
Deerjen Productions Production Company
Distribution Companies Credit
Empire Film Group Domestic Theatrical Distributor
Locations
Wilmington, North Carolina, USA
Writer Credit
Deborah Kampmeier Screenplay
Accounting Credit
Pamela Williamson Production Accountant
Art Department Credit
Timothy Grimes Production Designer
Casting Credit
Craig Fincannon Casting Director
Lisa Mae Wells Fincannon Casting Director
Mary Vernieu Casting Director
Film Camera Credit
Stephen Thompson Photography
Jim Denault Director of Photography
Edward Lachman Director of Photography
Music Credit
Gisburg Smialek Music
Budd Carr Music Producer
Nora Felder Music Producer
Physical Effects Credit
John Copeman Stunt Coordinator
Production Management Credit
Matthew V Campbell Assistant Director
Kelly R Tenney Production Manager
Sound Credit
Michael Rayle Sound Mixer
Wardrobe Hair Makeup Credit
Leigh Leverett Costume Designer
Jo Jo Stephens Hair Stylist
Victoria Wood Wig Maker
Joelle Troisi Makeup - Makeup Department Head
Jason Willis Special Makeup Effects

Review Summary

A precocious but troubled young girl living in 1950s-era Alabama seeks solace in the music of Elvis Presley in director Deborah Kampmeier’s controversial tale of childhood trauma and musical healing. War of the Worlds star Dakota Fanning takes the lead for a period drama that made its debut at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Fraulein (2007)

September 16, 2008 by omprakash  
Filed under Drama, HOLLYWOOD

Synopsis:
Ruza left Belgrade more than 25 years ago to seek a new life in Zurich. Now in her fifties, she has completely detached herself from the past. She owns a cafeteria and maintains an orderly, joyless existence. Mila, a waitress there, is a good-humored Croatian woman who also emigrated decades ago, but, unlike Ruza, she dreams of returning to a house on the Croatian coast. Both of them receive a jolt when Ana, a young, itinerant woman who has fled Sarajevo, breezes into the cafeteria looking for work. Ruza hires her but is annoyed by Ana’s impulsive and spirited efforts to inject life into the cafeteria. Gradually the acrimony will dissipate, as Ana, who hides a tragic secret under her passionate spirit, begins to thaw Ruza’s chill, and their relationship will change both women in ways they never anticipated
 
Theatrical Release  
9/19/2008  

Director Credit
Andrea Staka Director
Cast Credit
Ljubica Jovic Mila
Marija Skaricic Ana
Mirjana Karanovic Ruza
Andrea Zogg Franz
Pablo Aguilar Fredi
Zdenko Jelcic Ante
David Imhoof Stefan
Sebastian Krahenbuhl Young Man
Oliver Zgorelec Violinist
Annette Wunsch Doctor
Kenneth Huber Doctor
Aniko Donath Pharmacist
Hans Suter Old Man
Stefan Suske Car Driver
Vera Bommer Sheila
Robin Rehmann Momo
Tiziana Jelmini Artist
Sanja Ristic Vera
Production Credits Credit
Sascha Schwill Executive Producer
Susann Rudlinger Producer
Samir Producer
Mirjam Quinte Producer
Davor Pusic Producer
Production Companies Credit
Quinte Film Production Company
Dschoint Ventschr Filmproduktion AG Production Company
SF Schweizer Fernsehen Production Company
F.I.S.T DOO Production Company
Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen (ZDF) Production Company
Das Kleine Fernsehspiel Production Company
Distribution Companies Credit
Film Movement Domestic Theatrical Distributor
Film Movement Domestic Distribution Rights
Look Now! Filmverleih Foreign Theatrical Distributor
Writer Credit
Andrea Staka Screenplay
Barbara Albert Screenplay
Marie Kreutzer Screenplay
Art Department Credit
Sue Erdt Production Designer
Casting Credit
Corinna Glaus Casting
Sanja Ristic Casting
Film Camera Credit
Igor Martinovic Director of Photography
Stefan Stefanini Camera
Film Sales Financing Credit
Dschoint Ventschr Filmproduktion AG Distribution Sales International Sales
Music Credit
Peter Von Siebenthal Original Music - Music
Till Wyler Original Music - Music
Daniel Jakob Original Music - Music
Production Management Credit
Florian Engelhardt Assistant Director
Sascha Schwill Production Manager
Sound Credit
Max Vornehm Sound
Jorge Elsner Sound Designer
Serge Timmons Sound - Sound Assistant
Wardrobe Hair Makeup Credit
Bettina Marx Costume Designer
Simone Pfluger Makeup

Review & Summary :

 

Three very different women from former Yugoslavia try to get by in Zurich in Das Fräulein (Fraulein) from Swiss director of Yugoslav-origins Andrea Stacka. Featuring outstanding performances from the protagonists and a keen eye for detail, the film continues to expand the cinematic exploration of the heritage of the Balkan Wars from a female point of view after Berlinale-winner Grbavica (which also starred Mirjana Karanovic). Being less overly melodramatic and more cinematic in its language than Grbavica but lacking the prestige of a Golden Bear (though it did win the Golden Leopard in Locarno), Das Fräulein should stand about an equal chance of finding niche distribution in arthouses across the continent.
In the pre-title sequence, Balkan folk music plays, as a hand is seen pruning branches from a bare tree. The message is clear: the branches can be removed to stimulate growth and fruition in the future, but the roots stay where they are. Ruza (Karanovic) runs a canteen in Zurich and leads the classical example of an orderly but lonely life — without heartbreak but also without passion. She is originally from Belgrade but arrived in Switzerland before the Balkan Wars. In her kitchen works the elderly Mila (Ljubica Jovic), who is from the Croatian coast and is married and has her children and husband in Zurich. She saves all her money for a house they are constructing back home. Into their lives comes the force of nature Ana (Marija Skaricic), a young girl who lived through the siege of Sarajevo and who seems to want to live each moment as if it were here last.
 
Stacka, who also wrote the screenplay for Das Fräulein, uses this basic premise to weave together a tapestry of three women who are all on foreign ground and have experiences in common though the country they were born in does no longer exist as one unity. In the film’s strongest scene, Ruza and Ana — who on the surface seem to be two polar opposites in character, age and experience — have punch together in a mountaintop café. Here Stacka hits all the rights notes, cleverly using apparently innocent dialogue to not only advance the plot and reveal character but also to talk about the story’s more buried themes of nationalism and homesickness at the same time. Elsewhere, Stacka uses surprising shots and mise-en-scene to drive home her points: a single-take overhead shot of a dancing woman is beyond delirious, but illustrates her ecstasy as well as anything.
 
Though some symbolism involving a casino and a late plot contrivance that influences the film’s outcome do seem to lead the story into the arena of melodrama, on the whole Das Fräulein is thankfully devoid of tear-inducing material. Instead, it touches on some themes that are much more abstract but therefore perhaps also more satisfying when visualised (as they are here): immigrant life, regrets, living between two cultures and surviving wars, love, family and other catastrophes.

 

 

Ghost Town (2008)

September 16, 2008 by omprakash  
Filed under Comedy, HOLLYWOOD, Romantic Comedy

Synopsis:
Bertram Pincus is a man whose people skills leave much to be desired. When Pincus dies unexpectedly, but is miraculously revived after seven minutes, he wakes up to discover that he now has the annoying ability to see ghosts. Even worse, they all want something from him, particularly Frank Herlihy, who pesters him into breaking up the impending marriage of his widow Gwen. That puts Pincus squarely in the middle of a triangle, with spirited results.
Theatrical Release  
9/19/2008  

Studio Credit
DreamWorks SKG Studio Studio
Director Credit
David Koepp Director
Cast Credit
Ricky Gervais Bertram Pincus
Greg Kinnear Frank Herlihy
Tea Leoni Gwen
Kristen Wiig Surgeon
Jordan Carlos - Cast
Monte Bezell - Cast
Billy Campbell Richard
Dana Ivey Mrs. Pickthall
Aasif Mandvi Dr. Jahangir Prashar
Production Credits Credit
Joseph Iberti Co-Producer
Roger Birnbaum Executive Producer
Gavin Polone Producer
Gary Barber Executive Producer
Ezra Swerdlow Executive Producer
Production Companies Credit
Spyglass Entertainment Group Production Company
Pariah Production Company
Distribution Companies Credit
Paramount Pictures Worldwide Theatrical Distributor
Paramount Pictures Domestic Theatrical Distributor
Writer Credit
David Koepp Screenplay
John Kamps Screenplay
Art Department Credit
Howard Cummings Production Designer
Debra Schutt Set Decorator
Tina Khayat Art Department Coordinator
Nicholas Lundy Art Director
Casting Credit
Dylan Jury Casting Assistant
Jennifer Cram Casting Associate
John Papsidera Casting Director
Pat McCorkle Casting Director
Film Camera Credit
Fred Murphy Director of Photography
Music Credit
Geoff Zanelli Original Music
Physical Effects Credit
Jeffrey Lee Gibson Stunt Coordinator
Production Management Credit
Jeffrey T Bernstein Assistant Director
Evan Perazzo Location Manager
Leda Nomang Production Coordinator
Joseph Iberti Project Manager
Publicity Credit
Peter J Silbermann Publicity
Sound Credit
James Sabat Sound
Visual Effects Credit
Steve Kirshoff Special Effects
Mark Bero Special Effects
Lorenzo Hall Special Effects
Wardrobe Hair Makeup Credit
Sacha Quarles Hair - Hair Department
Sarah Edwards Costume Designer

Review & Summary :

In the romantic comedy “Ghost Town,” Bertram Pincus (Ricky Gervais), is a man whose people skills leave much to be desired. When Pincus dies unexpectedly, but is miraculously revived after seven minutes, he wakes up to discover that he now has the annoying ability to see ghosts. Even worse, they all want something from him, particularly Frank Herlihy (Greg Kinnear) who pesters him into breaking up the impending marriage of his widow Gwen (Téa Leoni). That puts Pincus squarely in the middle of a triangle with spirited result.

My Best Friend’s Girl (2008)

September 16, 2008 by omprakash  
Filed under Comedy, Comedy Drama, HOLLYWOOD

Synopsis:
Smart, beautiful and headstrong, Alexis is the girl of Dustin’s dreams. But after only five weeks of dating, the love-struck Dustin is coming on so strong that Alexis is forced to slow things down–permanently. Devastated and desperate to get her back, Dustin turns to his best friend, Tank, the rebound specialist. A master at seducing–and offending–women, Tank gets hired by freshly dumped guys to take their ex-girlfriends out on the worst date of their lives–an experience so horrible it sends them running gratefully back to their beaus. But when Tank works his magic on Alexis, he ends up meeting the challenge of a lifetime. Alexis is the first girl who knows how to call his bluff, and Tank soon finds himself torn between his loyalty to Dustin and a strange new attraction to his best friend’s girl.
Theatrical Release  
9/19/2008  

Studio Credit
Lionsgate Studio
Director Credit
Howard Deutch Director
Cast Credit
Dane Cook Tank
Kate Hudson Alexis
Alec Baldwin Professor Turner
Jason Biggs Dustin
Lizzy Caplan Ami
Riki Lindhome Hilary
Diora Baird Rachel
Taran Killam Josh
Andrew Caldwell Sad Dork
Jenny Mollen Colleen
Eamon Brooks Random Guy
Rakefet Abergel Heavily Pierced Kid
Malcolm Barrett Dwalu
Hilary Pingle Claire
Faye Grant Merrilee
Mini Anden Lizzy
Nate Torrence Craig
Richard Snee Brian
Amanda Brooks Carly
Alberto Bonilla Pedro
michael O’toole Michi Yamana
Sally Pressman Courtney
Kate Albrecht Laney the Babysitter
Maureen Keiller Seamstress
Tom Kemp Priest
Tony V Chef Slava
Jacqui Holland Kindly Stripper
Don Bagley Rabbi
Andria Blackman Ms. Barber
Georgia Lyman Hot Coed
Melina Lizette Ms. Reiling
Josh Alexander Burt
Angel M Wagner Mariachi Band Leader
Julio C Bare Mariachi Band Musician
Rafael B Rodriguez Mariachi Band Musician
Scott Winters Annoying Co-Worker
Frank Hsieh Band Leader
Mike Elliot Man in Bathroom
Seth Child Young Kid
Nancy Sadsad Random Guy’s Girl
Denise McDonald Office Employee
Jay Hall Office Employee
Gretchen Arntz Office Employee
Micah Sherman Office Employee
Christopher Nesmith Office Employee
Rob rota Lee
Edna Panaggio Grandmother
Production Credits Credit
Jerry P Jacobs Co-Producer
Adam Herz Producer
Michael Paseornek Executive Producer
Mike Elliot Executive Producer
Jordan Cahan Co-Producer
Gregory Lessans Producer
Doug Johnson Producer
John Sacchi Executive Producer
Josh Shader Producer
Guymon Casady Producer
Dane Cook Producer
Barry Katz Producer
Brian Volk-Weiss Producer
Production Companies Credit
Terra Firma Films Production Company
Management 360 Production Company
SuperFinger Entertainment Production Company
New Wave Entertainment Production Company
Distribution Companies Credit
Lionsgate Domestic Theatrical Distributor
Locations  
Boston, Massachusetts USA
Writer Credit
Jordan Cahan Screenplay
Accounting Credit
Brian Kingman Production Insurance - Insurance
Emily Rice Post-Production Accountant
Janette Evans Assistant Accountant
Eric Layne Production Accountant
Jim Schiro Accountant - Payroll Accountant
Mark Pedante Production Accountant - Manager of Production Accounting
Abby Coon Accountant - Accounting Clerk
Jen Byrne Post-Production Accountant
Elizabeth Ridley Hagan Assistant Accountant
Art Department Credit
E Paul coggins Art Department - Draftsman
J. M. Hunter Art Department Coordinator
Alcinio Melim Gang Boss
Tim Jackson Set Dresser - Set Dressing Gang Boss
Kyra Friedman Set Decorator
Jason Garner Graphics Coordinator - Graphic Designer
Robert Ellison Knight Scenic Artist - Charge Scenic
Timothy Kirkpatrick (’TK’) Art Director
Jane Ann Stewart Production Designer
Amy Morrison Assistant Set Decorator
Janet Kusnick Storyboard Artist
Butch McCarthy Leadman
Nancy A Knight Scenic Artist - Scenic Foreman
Danica Chipman Assistant Set Decorator
Matthew Harrington Set Dresser
Denis Leining Set Decorator - Set Decorating Coordinator
Deborah Kehs Art Department - Shop Person
Ellen Sklar Abbott Graphics Coordinator - Graphic Designer
Nicholas Tzikas Art Department - Art Department Production Assistant
Elizabeth Flaum Set Decorator - Set Decorating Production Assistant
Abel Barbour Set Dresser
Eric Knight Scenic Artist - Camera Scenic
Joe Barry Set Dresser
Jacqui Baker Art Department - Art Department Production Assistant
Rachel Burgio Art Department - Art Department Production Assistant
William T Costello Set Dresser
Vanessa Pyne Art Department - Art Department Production Assistant
Robin Everett McGuirl Set Dresser
Zack Gorman Set Dresser
Gabor Medveczky Set Dresser
Jack Luizzo Set Dresser
Cled Wang Set Dresser
Etienne Marchiere Set Dresser
Elizabeth Fisher Set Dresser
Kip A Bartlett Set Dresser - On Set Dresser
Casting Credit
Maura Tighe Casting
Kevin Fennessy Extras Casting
Anne McCarthy Casting Director (Los Angeles)
Kellie Gesell Casting Associate (Los Angeles)
Rhiannon Westott Casting Assistant (Los Angeles)
Aaron Kahl Extras Casting Assistant
Wayne A Morse Casting Associate (Los Angeles)
Jay Scully Casting Director (Los Angeles)
Angela Peri Extras Casting
Freddy Luis Casting Director (Los Angeles)
Melissa Paradice Casting Associate (Boston)
Matthew Smith Casting Associate (Boston)
Craft Services Credit
Marco A Ramirez Catering - Chef
Ethan Fox Craft Service
Tracy Spiegel Craft Service
Joshua Dupre Catering - Assistant Chef
Joseph Gagnepain Craft Service
pablo herrera Catering - 2nd Assistant Chef
Nicole Anderson Craft Service
Jerome Sullivan Catering - 3rd Assistant Chef
William Ryan Baker Craft Service
Film Camera Credit
Jack N Green Director of Photography
Claire Folger Photography - Still Photographer
Justin Webber Camera - Wescam Technician
David Thompson Steadicam Operator
David Thompson Camera Operator
Lucas Solomon Video Playback - Playback Operator
Dan Furst Video Assist/Playback - Video Assist Operator
Tom Sartori Colorist - Video Dailies Colorist
Dan Muscarella Color Timer
Mark Van Horne Dailies - High Definition Dailies Transfers
Walter Volpatto Film Lab - Digital Intermediate Artist
Mark Killian Camera Assistant - Camera Production Assistant
Joshua Friz Loader
Peter C N Green Assistant Camera - Assistant A Camera
Regan Copeland Film Lab - Digital Intermediate Editing
Eric Bidinger Colorist - Preview Colorist
John Levy Video Assist/Playback - Video Assist Operator
Lance Rieck Camera - Scorpio Remote Technician
Christian Hollyer Assistant Camera - Assistant B Camera
Brian Heller Director of Photography - Aerial Director of Photography
Tim Sweeney Assistant Camera - Assistant A Camera
Peter C N Green Director of Photography
Eric Woody Woods Film Lab - Digital Intermediate Editing
Bill Schultz Film Lab - GM Digital Film Services
Patrick Quinn Assistant Camera - Assistant B Camera
David Jaeckin Film Lab - DFS Coordinators
Kelley Moore Film Lab - DFS Coordinator
Jose Avitia Film Lab - DFS Coordinator
Paul Lavoie Film Lab - Digital Intermediate Producer
Garrett Bryan Film Lab - Scanning/Recording
Jerry Callaghan Film Lab - Scanning/Recording
Rick Lopez Film Lab - Scanning/Recording
Les Meek Film Lab - Scanning/Recording
Alex Sanchez Film Lab - Scanning/Recording
Nate Tufts Film Lab - Scanning/Recording
Les Vary Film Lab - Scanning/Recording
Bob Bright Film Lab - Dustbusting
Lawrence Stoll Film Lab - Dustbusting
Josh Moore Film Lab - Lab Contact
Music Credit
Jeanne Fay Music - Music Clearance
Diana Beas Music Coordinator
Jay Faires Music Supervisor
Brad Dechter Orchestrations
Sandy DeCrescent Music Contractor - Orchestral Contractor
Vicki Hiatt Music Editor
John Debney Music Conductor - Orchestra Conductor
Ric Ocasek Song
Shawn Murphy Score Mixing - Mixing
Shawn Murphy Score Recording - Recording
The Cars Song Performer
Andrew Silver Music Editor
Frank Bennett Orchestrations
Jimmy Hoyson Score Recording - Recording
Jean Knight Song Performer
Peter Rotter Music Contractor - Orchestral Contractor
Jeanne Fay Music - Music Licensing
Tricia Holloway Music Supervisor
Lola Debney Music Coordinator - Music Score Coordinator
Kenny Gamble Song
Chris Fagot Music - Soundtracks
Kevin Kaska Orchestrations
Didier Rachou Song Performer
Melanie Mullens-Hoyson Music Supervisor - Score Production Supervisor
Leon Huff Song
Jeff Carson Music Editor
Erik Swanson Score Recording - Scoring Digital Recordist
Jim Harrison Music Editor
Robert Beltran Song
mariachi fantasia Song Performer
2 Live Crew Song Performer
Rick Garcia Song
Larry Hochman Song
Blowing Trees Song Performer
Linda Ronstadt Song Performer
Didier Rachou Song
David Farnon Song
Will Hoge Song Performer
Samuel Song
Jeff Cardoni Song Performer
Maurice Jarre Song Performer
Weatherly Song
Leslie Mills Song Performer
Mark D Ross Song
David Hobbs Song
Michael Sean O’Neal Song Performer
Luther Campbell Song
iZler Song Performer
Chris Wong Won Song
Mark Weigle Song Performer
Chris Maddin Song
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers Song Performer
Rich Cronin Song Performer
Edwin Stephens Song
Drew Pierce Song
Dorothy Moore Song Performer
Teddy Thompson Song Performer
Clint Ballard Jr Song
The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra Song Performer
Will Hoge Song
Miles Kurosky Song
Roma Band Song Performer
The Kooks Song Performer
Jeff Cardoni Song
Alex North Song
Nena Song Performer
Duffy Song Performer
Hy Zaret Song
Leslie Mills Song
Tommy James & the Shondells Song Performer
Chris Pelcer Song
Steve Maglio Song Performer
Evan Langford Song
Johnny Cash Song Performer
Erwin Lehn Song Performer
Michael Sean O’Neal Song
Fil Eisler Song
Werner Tautz Song Performer
Edward Christian Song
Beantown Swing Orchestra Song Performer
Etta James Song Performer
Tom Petty Song
Bill Leeb Song
Moody Rivers Song Performer
Leigh Nash Song
Hassam Ramzy Song Performer
Phil Thornton Song Performer
Roy Salmond Song
matt catingub Song Performer
Dow Brain Song
John Hiatt Song Performer
Brad Young Song
Sweet Song Performer
Rich Cronin Song
Stephan M Sechi Song Performer
Pablo Signori Song
Sidney Anthony Miller Song
Beulah Song Performer
Karaoke Classics Song Performer
Samantha Michelle Barbera Song
Mark Andrew Pontius Song
Jeff Alan Song Performer
Nick Oliver Ruth Song
Jesse Stone Song
Teddy Thompson Song
George Friedrich Handel Song
Jimmy Kennedy Song
Wilhelm Grosz Song
Paul Garred Song
Hugh Harris Song
Luke Pritchard Song
Max Rafferty Song
Joern-Uwe Fahrenkrog-Peterson Song
Aimee Ann Duffy Song
Steve Booker Song
Tommy James Song
Peter Lucia Song
Sammy Cahn Song
James Van Heusen Song
John R Cash Song
Erwin Lehn Song
Werner Tautz Song
Mack Gordon Song
Harry Warren Song
Moody Rivers Song
George Philip Thornton Song
matt catingub Song
Louis Prima Song
John Hiatt Song
Trevor Griffin Song
Andrew Scott Song
Stephan M Sechi Song
Jeff Alan Song
Carlo Karges Song
Physical Effects Credit
Steve Ritzi Stunt Coordinator
Paul Marini Stunts
Mike Burke Stunts
Jeff Gibson Stunt Coordinator
Samantha MacIvor Stunts
Janet Paparazzo Stunts
Production Management Credit
Blythe Robertson Assistant Production Coordinator
Darwin Zook Location Coordinator
Gregory Chiodo Assistant Location Manager
Cortney Haile Post-Production Coordinator
Mark W McCoy Production Manager - Post Production Manager
Carl Pedregal Post-Production Supervisor
Michael Nickodem Location Manager
Paul Regan Location Assistant
Frances Simonovich Production Coordinator
Rebecca Robertson-Szwaja Script Supervisor
Will Toubman Location Scout
Amanda Shamis Clearance Coordinator - Clearance Supervisor
K.C. Colwell Assistant Director
Sharon C Dietz Production Supervisor
Jerry P Jacobs Unit Production Manager
Craig Comstock Assistant Director
Karen Stark Assistant Location Manager
Franses Simonovich Production Coordinator
Elona Culwell Post-Production Coordinator
Joe Piasecki Location Scout
Hyunsoo Moon Location Assistant
Lucas J Nalepinski Location Assistant
Mara Alcaly Location Scout
David Eric Chapman Assistant Director
Benjamin C Dewey Location Scout
Nathan Ehrlich Location Assistant
Gillian E O’Kelley Location Assistant
Publicity Credit
Amy Leigh Johnson Unit Publicity
Yon Elvira Publicity - Vice President, Assets and Unit Publicity
Sound Credit
Peter Brown Supervising Sound Editor
Edward Tise Sound Mixer
Jason S Johnston Boom Operator
Glynna Grimala ADR Editor
Glynna Grimala ADR/Dialogue Editor - Dialogue Editor
Paul Flinchbaugh Assistant Sound Editor
Phil Lee Sound Recordist
Orest Sushko Rerecording Mixer - Sound Rerecording Mixer
Greg Steele ADR Mixer
Greg Zimmerman ADR - ADR Recordist
Diane Marshall Foley Artist
Caitlin McKenna-Wilkinson ADR Voice Casting
Jarrett Simon Sound - Utility
Peter Staubli Sound Effects Editor
George Pereyra Foley Editor
Brett Voss Foley Mixer
Seth Tallman Boom Operator
Jon Mete ADR/Dialogue Editor - Dialogue Editor
Tami Treadwell ADR - ADR Recordist
Robert Deschaine ADR Mixer
Adam Jenkins Rerecording Mixer - Sound Rerecording Mixer
Ron Bedrosian ADR Mixer
Julio Carmona ADR - ADR Recordist
Dean St John ADR Mixer
Julie Altus ADR - ADR Recordist
Kat Cressida ADR - ADR Cast
Kerry Gutierrez ADR - ADR Cast
Caitlin McKenna ADR - ADR Cast
Richard Miro ADR - ADR Cast
Paul Pape ADR - ADR Cast
Justin Shenkarow ADR - ADR Cast
Dennis Singletary ADR - ADR Cast
Pepper Sweeney ADR - ADR Cast
Claudette Wells ADR - ADR Cast
Lynnanne Zager ADR - ADR Cast
Josh Daugherty ADR - ADR Cast
Visual Effects Credit
Casey Leming Graphics - Electronic Graphics
Trinh Baxter Matte Painter
Lee N Johansson Special Effects Technician
David Rosenthal Visual Effects Supervisor - I/O Supervisor
Roger Mocenigo Digital Effects Artist - Compositor
Brian Ricci Special Effects
Jamie Baxter 3-D Artist
William Jakielaszek Special Effects Foreman
Richard McMillan Special Effects Technician
Nick Clifford Special Effects - Special Effects Assistant
Corina Zuniga Graphics - Electronic Graphics
Mike Uguccioni Visual Effects Supervisor
Geoff Leavitt 3-D Artist
Gary Newell Special Effects Technician
Paul Raymond Special Effects Technician
Stephen R Ricci Special Effects Technician
Wardrobe Hair Makeup Credit
Hope B Slepak Costume Supervisor
Trish Seeney Makeup Artist - Department Head Make-Up Artist
Brenda McNally Makeup - Makeup Department
Brenda McNally Hair Stylist - Department Head Hairstylist
Marilyn Vance Costume Designer
Parrish Kennington Costumer - On Set Costumer
Janna Pederson Seamstress Supervisor - Seamstress
Laura Angotti Assistant Costume Designer
Liz Bernstrom Makeup Artist
Cheryl Daniels Hair Stylist
Caroline Errington Costumer
Robert Fitz Makeup Artist
Dana Schaefer Costumer
Beatrice de Alba Hair Stylist - Personal Hairstylist
Negin Zand Hair Stylist - Colorist
Rosa J Colon Costumer
Ronnie Specter Makeup Artist
Victoria M Porter Hair Stylist
Alyson Macinnis Costumer
Jean Carney Makeup Artist
Kristen Barry Hair Stylist
Rob Fitz Makeup Artist
Rebecca Frye Makeup Artist
Jeri Lashay Makeup Artist
Vicki Morgenstern Makeup Artist
Nichole M Fleau Makeup Artist
Christina LaPointe Makeup Artist
Molly Smith Makeup Artist
Sherryn Smith Makeup Artist
Mark Nieman Makeup Artist - Special Effects Make-Up Artist
Joe Rossi Makeup Artist - Special Effects Make-Up Artist

Review & Summary :

A master at seducing – and offending – women, Tank is a professional “My Best Friend’s Girl.” When guys get dumped, they hire Tank to take their ex-girlfriends out on the worst date of their lives – an experience so horrible it sends them running gratefully back to their beaus. So when Tank’s best friend, Dustin, is dumped by his new girlfriend, Tank naturally offers to help out… and ends up meeting the challenge of a lifetime. Smart, beautiful and headstrong, Alexis is the first girl who knows how to call his bluff, and Tank soon finds himself torn between his loyalty to Dustin and his love for his best friend’s girl.An outrageous, sexy, no-holds-barred romantic comedy, Lionsgate’s “My Best Friend’s Girl” stars Dane Cook and Kate Hudson, and is directed by Howard Deutch from a script by Jordan Cahan.
    

The Duchess (2008)

September 16, 2008 by omprakash  
Filed under Action Thriller, Drama, HOLLYWOOD, Romantic Comedy

Synopsis:

Long before the concept existed, the Duchess of Devonshire, Georgiana Spencer, was the original “It Girl.” Like her direct descendent Princess Diana, she was ravishing, glamorous and adored by an entire country. Determined to be a player in the wider affairs of the world, she proved that she could out-gamble, out-drink and outwit most of the aristocratic men who surrounded her. She helped usher in sweeping changes to England as a leader of the forward-thinking Whig Party. But even as her power and popularity grew, she was haunted by the fact that the only man in England she seemingly could not seduce was her very own husband, the Duke. And when she tried to find her own way to be true to her heart and loyal to her duty, the resulting controversies and convoluted liaisons would leave all of London talking
Theatrical Release
9/19/2008

Director Credit
Saul Dibb Director
Cast Credit
Keira Knightley Georgiana
Ralph Fiennes The Duke
Dominic Cooper Charles Grey
Hayley Atwell Bess Foster
Charlotte Rampling Lady Spencer
Simon McBurney Charles Fox
Aidan McArdle Richard Sheridan
John Shrapnel General Grey
Alistair Petrie Heaton
Patrick Godfrey Dr Neville
Michael Medwin Speechmaker
Justin Edwards Macaroni
Richard McCabe Sir James Hare
Calvin Dean Devonshire House Servant
Hannah Stokely Devonshire House Maid
Andy Armour Burleigh
Emily Jewell Nanny
Bruce MacKinnon Sir Peter Teazle
Georgia King Lady Teazle
Luke Norris Footman
Eva Hrela Charlotte (Age 3)
Poppy Wigglesworth Charlotte (Age 9)
Emily Cohen Harryo
Mercy Fiennes Tiffin Little G
Sebastian Applewhite Augustus
Angus McEwan Lord Robert
Kate Burdette Lady Harriet
Laura Stevely Lady Elizabeth
Ben Garlick Lord Ambrose
Max Bennett Lord Walter
Camilla Arfwedson Lady Charlotte
Fiona Sheehan Young Girl in Theatre
Sarah Wyatt Servant Girl
Thomas Arnold Dealer
Gilbert Wynne Althorpe Servant
Richard Curzon Heaton’s Clerk
Sophia Johnston Guest at Lady Melbourne’s Ball
Katerina Tana Guest at Lady Melbourne’s Ball
Production Credits Credit
Jill Tandy Associate Producer
Colleen Woodcock Co-Producer
Carolyn Marks Blackwood Executive Producer
Michael Kuhn Producer
Francois Ivernel Executive Producer
Gabrielle Tana Producer
Malcolm Ritchie Associate Producer
Alexandra Arlango Co-Producer
Mark Woolley Associate Producer
Cameron McCracken Executive Producer
Christine Langan Executive Producer
Andrew Semans Associate Producer
David M. Thompson Executive Producer
Amanda Foreman Executive Producer
Production Companies Credit
Qwerty Films Production Company
Magnolia Mae Productions Production Company
BBC Films Production Company
Pathe Renn Productions Production Company
BIM Distribuzione Production Company
Distribution Companies Credit
Pathe Distribution Foreign Theatrical Distributor
Paramount Vantage Domestic Theatrical Distributor
Paramount Vantage Domestic Distribution Rights
Best Films Foreign Distribution Rights
Filmes Lusomundo Foreign Distribution Rights
Paramount Vantage Foreign Theatrical Distributor
Tiglon Foreign Distribution Rights
Cineart Foreign Theatrical Distributor
AQS Foreign Distribution Rights
Shani Films Foreign Theatrical Distributor
Acme Film Foreign Theatrical Distributor
Myndform Foreign Distribution Rights
Worldwide Entertainment Group (WEG) Foreign Distribution Rights
CP Digital Foreign Distribution Rights
Central Partnership Foreign Distribution Rights
Golden Village Foreign Distribution Rights
Media Pro Film Distribution Foreign Distribution Rights
Writer Credit
Amanda Foreman Source Material
Jeffrey Hatcher Screenplay
Anders Thomas Jensen Screenplay
Saul Dibb Screenplay
Accounting Credit
Tarn Harper Post-Production Accountant
Jackie O’Sullivan Assistant Accountant
Rachel Plose Production Accountant
James Clarke Finance Manager - Finance Director
Richard Slinn Accountant - Accounts Cashier
Charlotte Mukalazi Accountant - Management Accountant
Sarah Hunt Assistant Accountant
Linda Bowen Post-Production Accountant - Post Production Assistant Accountant
Ciaran Moran Assistant Accountant
Animal Training Handling Credit
Gill Raddings Animal Services - Animal & Livestock Handling
Gerard Naprous Animal Services - Horse Master
Daniel Naprous Animal Services - Horse Master
Art Department Credit
Lucy Eyre Assistant Set Decorator
Tim Browning Art Department - Draftsman
Kathy Heaser Graphics Coordinator - Graphic Designer
Rebecca Alleway Set Decorator
Gillian Campbell Painter - HOD Scenic Painter
Michael Carlin Production Designer
Karen Wakefield Art Director
James Collins Assistant Art Director
Rebecca Thomas Art Department - Art Department Assistant
Jody Raynes Painter - Scenic Painter Supervisor
Ben Munro Art Director - Standby Art Director
Viv Ball Painter - Scenic Painter
Athene Macrae Art Department - Art Department Runner
Colin Fox Art Department - Drapesman
Alex MacDonald Painter - Scenic Painter
Mark McCabe Art Department - Drapesman
Dean Hawley Painter - Scenic Painter
Nick Wood Painter - Scenic Painter
Miara Vazeou Art Department - Drapesmaster’s Assistant
Jim Dyson Painter - Standby Painter
Casting Credit
Ruth Key Casting Assistant
Lucy Bevan Casting
Craft Services Credit
Fiona Gilbert Catering - Caterer
Michael Gilbert Catering - Caterer
Film Camera Credit
Elliot Dupuy Camera Trainee
Gerry Vasbenter Camera Operator
Peter Mountain Photography - Stills Photographer
Nick Kenealy Videotape Operator - Video Operator
Gyula Pados Director of Photography
Rawdon Hayne Assistant Camera Operator
Adam Inglis Colorist
Iain MacKay Loader - Camera Loader
Paul Doogan Film Lab - Scan and Record
John Hurley Loader - Camera Loader
Andrew Lim Colorist
Dermot Hickey Assistant Camera Operator
Alan Stewart Camera Operator - Lighting Camera Operator
Marc Neale Film Lab - Scan and Record
Rodrigo Gutierrez Camera Operator
Dan Perry Film Lab - Scan and Record
Chris McAleese Loader - Camera Loader
Bob Roach Film Lab - Scan and Record
Clive Noakes Film Lab - Laboratory Contact
Film Sales Financing Credit
Pathe International Film Financier
BBC Films Film Financier
BIM Distribuzione Film Financier
Pathe Pictures International Foreign Distribution Sales
Legal Credit
Robert Norris Legal Services - Production Legal Services
Richard Philipps Legal Services - Production Legal Services
Music Credit
Rachel Portman Music Producer - Score Producer
The Mozarteum Quartet Song Performer
Jeff Atmajian Orchestrations
Johann Sebastian Bach Song
Chris Dibble Music Engineer - Recording Engineer
Yann McCullough Music Editor
David Snell Music Conductor
Rick Wentworth Music - Pre-Records Musical Director
Anne Collis Music Contractor - On Set Music Contractor
Nyree Pinder Music Coordinator - On Set Music Co-Ordination
Abbie Lister Music Coordinator - On Set Music Co-Ordination
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Song
Jan Holzner Music Engineer - Recording Engineer
Jonathan Allen Music - On Set Music Recorder
Rachel Portman Orchestrations
Andrew Dudman Music - On Set Music Recorder
George Friedrich Handel Song
James Fitzpatrick Orchestrations - Orchestral Contractor
Youki Yamamoto Music - Music Associate
Pietro Locatelli Song
Chris Cozens Music - Auricle
Ludwig Van Beethoven Song
Jiri Simunek Music - Music Preparation
Antonio Vivaldi Song
Georg Philipp Telemann Song
Petr Matejak Music - Solo Violin
Pavel Belousek Music - Solo Cello
Joseph Haydn Song
Physical Effects Credit
Marc Cass Stunt Performer
Lee Sheward Stunt Coordinator
Maxine Whittaker Stunt Double - Double
Stuart Clark Stunt Performer
Tidd James Stunt Performer
Seon Rogers Stunt Performer
Production Management Credit
Sam Donovan Script Supervisor
Nick Laws Production Manager
Josh Robertson Assistant Director
Andrew Warren Line Producer
Peter Tullo Location Assistant
Ben Gladstone Location Manager
Tom Stourton Assistant Location Manager
Tania Blunden Post-Production Supervisor
John David Gunkle Unit Manager
Emma Olrich-Smith Assistant Production Coordinator
Nicky Earnshaw Production Coordinator
Kate Penlington Clearance Coordinator - Clearance & Neg Checking
Faye Stevens Post-Production Coordinator
Andrew Dalmahoy Location Scout
Dermot McDermott Unit Manager - Unit Operations
rebecca davis Assistant Location Manager
Matthew Vizard Production Coordinator - Production & Delivery Co-Ordinator
Jamie Lengyel Location Manager
Toby Hosking Assistant Director
Nick Shuttleworth Assistant Director - Crowd 2nd Assistant Director
Tom Brewster Assistant Director
Sandrine Loisy Assistant Director - Crowd 3rd Assistant Director
Paul Cathie Assistant Director
Publicity Credit
Emma Davie Unit Publicist
Sound Credit
Alex Ellerington Sound Editor
Louis Elman Amps ADR Voice Casting
Andi Derrick Foley Artist
Ben Norrington Foley Editor
Simon Fraser Sound Mixer
Howard Halsall ADR/Dialogue Editor - Dialogue Editor
Paul Hamblin Rerecording Mixer
Catherine Hodgson Supervising Sound Editor
Paul Botham Boom Operator
Marco Itta Sound - Sound Assistant (2nd Unit)
Forbes Noonan Foley Recordist
Mike Turner Sound Mixer (2nd Unit)
Grant Bridgeman Boom Operator (2nd Unit)
Alexandros Sidiropoulos Rerecording Mixer
Oliver Bunker Sound - Sound Assistant (2nd Unit)
Abigail Barbier ADR Voice Casting
Andrea King Foley Artist
Noel Thompson Sound Mixer (2nd Unit)
Martin Williams Sound Mixer (2nd Unit)
Visual Effects Credit
Timo-Pekko Nieminen Animation Director - FX TD
Paul Raeburn 2-D Artist - 2D Supervisor
James Davis Special Effects Technician
Mark Holt Special Effects Supervisor
Charlie Noble Visual Effects Supervisor
Fay McConkey Visual Effects Producer
Mark Michaels Digital Effects Artist - Compositor
Edward Cross Visual Effects Editor - VFX Editorial
Zishaan Ajmal Software Engineer - Data Operations
Kristine-Joeann Jasper Visual Effects - Matchmove Artist
Adam Hammond Digital Effects Artist - Compositor
Bradley Bayliss Software Engineer - Data Operations
Adam Gascoyne Visual Effects Supervisor
Josh Sutcliffe Visual Effects Editor - Editorial
Becky Roberts Visual Effects Producer
Hugh Goodbody Special Effects Technician
Pete Hanson Visual Effects - Studio
Elodie Ichter Visual Effects Editor - Editorial
Miles Drake Visual Effects - Studio
Marcus Alexander Visual Effects Producer - Producer
Faye Walkington Software Engineer - Data Operations
Jan Body Digital Effects Artist - Cleanup Artist
Jan Staines Special Effects Technician
Jamie Weguelin Special Effects Technician
Nam Vu Software Engineer - Data Operations
Dave Scott Visual Effects - Tech
Jonathan Dixon Visual Effects Producer - Producer
Steve Lynn Visual Effects - Tech
Simon Duke Visual Effects - VT Supervisor
Wardrobe Hair Makeup Credit
Clarice Gill Hair Assistant - Crowd Hair Trainee
Daniel Phillips Makeup Designer
Lucy Donowho Costumes - Costume Buyer
Lou Sheppard Hairdresser
Jane Bogunovic Seamstress Supervisor - Seamstress
Michael O’Connor Costume Designer
Dee Walsh Wardrobe - Wardrobe Mistress
Tapio Salmi Makeup Artist
Anna Kot Assistant Costume Designer
Ann Maskrey Costume Department - Chief Costume Cutter
Gordon Harmer Wardrobe Supervisor
Anthony Brookman Costume Supervisor - Crowd Fitting Supervisor
Jan Archibald Hair - Hair Designer
Jo Korer Costume Supervisor - Crowd Fitting Supervisor
Luan Placks Assistant Costume Designer
Barbara Taylor Hairdresser
Kathryn Blight Wardrobe - Principal Wardrobe Standby
Christine Whitney Hair - Crowd Hair Supervisor
Rosy Coppola Seamstress Supervisor - Seamstress
Sally Davis Costumes - Costume Assistant
Corinne Bossu Makeup Artist
Rachael Speke Makeup Artist
Stephanie Hovette Hairdresser - Wig Maker & Hairdresser
Ann Cartwright Seamstress Supervisor - Seamstress
Vandra Howard Wardrobe - Principal Wardrobe Standby
Sarah Touaibi Costume Supervisor - Crowd Set Costume Supervisor
Andrew Joslin Costumes - Costume Assistant
Susan Ignatius Hairdresser - Crowd Hairdresser
Tracey Millar Costumes - Costume Assistant
Barbara Kuznar Seamstress Supervisor - Seamstress
Wyn Vaughan-Humphreys Wardrobe - Principal Wardrobe Standby
Saffron Cullane Seamstress Supervisor - Trainee Seamstress
rose warder Hairdresser - Crowd Hairdresser
Marie Ross Costumes - Costume Assistant
Carin Hoff Costumes - Costume Assistant
Jo Adams Hairdresser - Daily Crowd Hairdresser
Ashwin Makan Costumes - Costume Assistant
Gill Bunker Hairdresser - Daily Crowd Hairdresser
Mark Pilcher Hairdresser - Daily Crowd Hairdresser
Jools Osborne Costumes - Costume Assistant
Jacqueline Thomas Costumes - Costume Assistant
Anita Burger Hairdresser - Daily Crowd Hairdresser
Maureen Hetherington Hairdresser - Daily Crowd Hairdresser
Lupt Utama Costumes - Costume Assistant
Manny Stirpe Hairdresser - Daily Crowd Hairdresser
Sophie Bugeaud Costumes - Costume Trainee
Ian Foweraker Costumes - Costume Trainee
Rosanna Normanton Costumes - Costume Trainee
Daisy Thistlethwayte Costumes - Crowd Costume Trainee
abbie woods Costumes - Crowd Costume Trainee

Review & Summary :

The scandalous rise and fall of the Georgina, Duchess of Devonshire. Like Princess Diana, her direct descendent, she was beautiful, glamorous and adored by the public.

Keira Knightley will play the 18th century aristocrat Georgiana, duchess of Devonshire. An ancestor of Princess Di, she lived an extravagant, profligate and promiscuous life of political and romantic intrigue, becoming an important powerbroker amid Britain’s ruling elite but also running up catastrophic gambling debts. She was alternately feted and reviled, and widely caricatured by the popular press.

Virtual JFK: Vietnam If Kennedy Had Lived (2008)

September 16, 2008 by omprakash  
Filed under Documentary, HOLLYWOOD, Politics & Government

Synopsis:

Investigates one of the most debated “what if” scenarios in the history of U.S. foreign policy: What would President John F. Kennedy have done in Vietnam if he had not been assassinated in 1963, and had he been re-elected in 1964? Employed is what Harvard historian Niall Ferguson calls “virtual history,” assessing the plausibility of counterfactuals–”what ifs”–and the outcomes they might have produced. Using an array of resources including recently declassified and never-before-seen archival footage, documents, and audio tapes, and testimony from a critical oral history conference, including Kennedy and Johnson administration officials, the question is asked: Does it matter who is president on issues of war and peace?
 
Theatrical Release  
9/17/2008  

Director Credit
Koji Masutani Director
Production Credits Credit
James Blight Producer
Michael Paszt Co-Producer
Janet M Lang Producer
Koji Masutani Producer
David A Welch Producer
Peter Almond Producer
Writer Credit
James Blight Screenplay
Janet M Lang Screenplay
Koji Masutani Screenplay
David A Welch Screenplay
Film Camera Credit
Edward Huff Cinematographer
Koji Masutani Cinematographer
Curt Worden Cinematographer
 

 Review & Summary:

 
First-time filmmaker Koji Masutani and Brown University professor James G. Blight ask: “Can a president make a decisive difference in matters of war and peace… or, are the forces that drive a nation into war a lot more impersonal, out of the control of any single human being, even a president?” In 1963 the US had 16,000 military advisors in Vietnam . By 1968, President Lyndon Johnson had sent 500,000 troops. “Virtual JFK” rethinks Kennedy’s legendary 1,000-day presidency, selecting from more than 250 hours of archival material some of the brightest, funniest moments from his press conferences, as well as some of the scariest ones, when the Cold War threatens to turn hot.The film considers Kennedy’s modus operandi in foreign affairs, looking closely at how he deals with six crises, including a belligerent Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev during the Cuban Missile Crisis and the building of the Berlin Wall. Kennedy advisors Robert McNamara, Adlai Stevenson and General Maxwell Taylor appear in the film, as does a particularly telling exchange between JFK and General Curtis LeMay (the inspiration for General Jack D. Ripper in Stanley Kubrick’s “Dr. Strangelove”). The 800-pound gorilla in the room is, of course, George W. Bush, his war in Iraq and the bellicose noises his administration have been making toward Iran What would JFK have done in Vietnam? And what would he do today?  

Ballet Shoes (2008)

September 14, 2008 by omprakash  
Filed under Action Comedy, HOLLYWOOD

Synopsis:

In 1930’s London, three orphans, Pauline, Petrova and Posy Fossil, are adopted by an eccentric explorer and raised as sisters by his selfless niece. Each of the girls has her own destiny to fulfill; Pauline wants to act, Petrova yearns to be an aviator, and Posy is born to dance. Amidst adversity, the three orphans vow to keep their family together, embarking on an journey to realize their dreams.

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