All Screen articles in 23 March 2005 – Page 3

  • Reviews

    Exorcist: The Prequel

    2005-03-21T00:00:00Z

    Dir:Paul Schrader. US. 2005. 111mins.Shroudedin controversy, almost buried at birth by its producers Morgan Creek (whocommissioned an alternative version by Renny Harlin), Paul Schrader's Exorcistprequel is a far richer affair than its troubled production history mightsuggest. A notable improvement on Harlin's rushed job (released to mediocrebusiness and largely damning reviews ...

  • News

    HDNet Films readies drama One last Thing

    2005-03-21T00:00:00Z

    HDNet Films has greenlightedthe drama One Last Thing, whichrecounts the struggle of a terminally ill young boy and his mother and willstar Cynthia Nixon and Michael Angarano.Barry Stringfellow wrote the screenplay and Alex Steyermark will direct, withHDNet Films co-presidents Jason Kliot and Joana Vicente serving as producersalong with Susan Stover.Todd ...

  • News

    The Ring Two dominates the field

    2005-03-21T00:00:00Z

    DreamWorks' horror sequel TheRing Two dominated the NorthAmerican box office over the weekend, opening top on an estimated $36m.Fox's animated champion of last weekend, Robots, fell to second place on $21.8m for a $66.9m runningtotal, while Buena Vista's family hit The Pacifier fell one to third on $12.5m and has ...

  • News

    Pinewood Shepperton hit by weak dollar, tax uncertainty

    2005-03-21T00:00:00Z

    The UK's Pinewood SheppertonStudios warned on Monday that its first half results for this year would bedown year on year, citing a weak dollar and an unstable tax landscape in theUK.The studio combine warnedthat the two factors had caused delays in the timing of some key productionsprovisionally booked at Pinewood ...

  • News

    Voyage sails off with Mar del Plata prize

    2005-03-21T00:00:00Z

    Ismael Ferroukhi's French-Moroccan co-production Le GrandVoyage was awarded the Golden Astro for best feature film at the 20thanniversary edition of Argentina's Mar del Plata International Film Festival(March 10-20)Le Grand Voyage star Mohamed Majid also won bestactor for his work in the film, a road movie with a twist about a ...

  • News

    The Ring Two scares off the competition

    2005-03-21T00:00:00Z

    DreamWorks' horror sequel TheRing Two dominated the NorthAmerican box office over the weekend, opening top on an estimated $36m.Fox's animated champion of last weekend, Robots, fell to second place on $21.8m for a $66.9m runningtotal, while Buena Vista's family hit The Pacifier fell one to third on $12.5m and has ...

  • News

    Malaga festival unveils first films in competition line-up

    2005-03-21T00:00:00Z

    The 8th annual editionof the Spanish Film Festival of Malaga (April 22-30) has unveiled the first five featuresset to compete in its official line-up, which kicks off with opening film AntsIn The Mouth by Mariano Barroso.The five competitors, representing some of the most anticipated new filmsout of Spain this season, ...

  • News

    Hotel checks out with Diagonale top prize

    2005-03-21T00:00:00Z

    Jessica Hausner's psychological thriller Hotelwas the big winner at this year's Diagonale - Festival of Austrian Cinemapicking up the Euros 25,000 Diagonale Grand Prix and the Euros 11,000 ThomasPluch Screenplay Prize. Hotel was shown at theDiagonale as an Austrian premiere and has been re-edited since it wasoriginally presented in the ...

  • News

    New Line announces Final Destination 3 leads

    2005-03-21T00:00:00Z

    RyanMerriman and Mary Winstead have been cast in the leads for New Line's upcomingthriller franchise instalment Cheating Death: Final Destination 3.An Apr 1 production start has been slated for the story, which takes place sixyears after the events of Final Destination 2 and centres on a high school senior who ...

  • Reviews

    Miss Congeniality 2: Armed And Fabulous

    2005-03-21T00:00:00Z

    Dir: John Pasquin. US.2005. 112mins.Released four years ago,the first Miss Congeniality proved to be an amiable comedy, filled withamusing, if predictable, pratfalls and a few out-loud laughs. The real draw wasSandra Bullock, whose gift for comedy makes almost any movie she is inwatchable - apart from, possibly, Miss Congeniality 2: ...

  • News

    Hitch, Constantine close in on $100m

    2005-03-21T00:00:00Z

    Hitch remained the top international picture for the thirdweekend in a row and should pass $100m on Monday after adding an estimated $23mon 5,160 prints in 48 markets for a $98m running total through Sony PicturesReleasing International (SPRI).Highlights were a number one $4.4m debut in France on 569 prints despite ...

  • News

    Hong Kong's inaugural Expo lures international players

    2005-03-20T00:00:00Z

    HongKong's first ever Entertainment Expo (March 22 - April 6) gets underwaytonight with a splashy opening ceremony attended by local stars including HongKong's "Entertainment Ambassador" Tony Leung Chiu-wai andsinger Coco Lee. Starting from tomorrow, three of the film events within Expo- FilMart, the Hong Kong-Asia Film Financing Forum (HAF) and ...

  • News

    Nippon Herald woes lead to stock market delist

    2005-03-20T00:00:00Z

    Leading Japanese distributor Nippon Herald is to be delistedfrom the Japanese stock-market after recently posting an annual loss of $43.4m.Kadokawa Holdings, the core company of the expandingKadokawa media group, is instead to make Nippon Herald a wholly ownedsubsidiary through a share swap. Kadokawa has purchased 43 percent of outstanding NipponHerald ...

  • News

    Magician conjures up top prize at Guadalajara

    2005-03-20T00:00:00Z

    The 20th Guadalajara International Film Festival wrapped onFriday night (March 18) with The Magician( El Mago), by first time director Jaime Aparicio, named bestfilm in the Mexican competition section.The jury, which comprised Mexican screenwriter Paz AliciaGarciadiego and Spanish directors Gerardo Herrero and Fernando Trueba, handedthe best director prize to another ...

  • News

    Cannes names de France as mistress of ceremonies

    2005-03-20T00:00:00Z

    Belgian actress Cecile deFrance has been named mistress of ceremonies for this year's Cannes FilmFestival (May 11-22), reports Agence France Presse. De France will oversee theopening and closing ceremonies.The actress, who is in her late twenties, has been very busyin the past few years notably making a splash in Cedric ...

  • News

    ...as Hong Kong producers focus on big budget films

    2005-03-20T00:00:00Z

    While the inaugural Entertainment Expo looks set toreinforce the local film industry's international status, it takes placeduring a difficult chapter in the evolution of Hong Kong cinema. Production levels haverecently shrunk to record lows as producers opt for fewer but bigger-budgetproductions and the industry faces a fresh onslaught from new ...

  • News

    Israel opens up film funds to international producers

    2005-03-18T04:00:00Z

    Internationalfilm producers can now apply to Israeli film funds for financing thanks torecent changes in the Israeli Film Law.A new clause recently added to the Film Law allows localfilm funds to invest in international film productions whose themes promoteIsrael's national interests - whether there is Israeli participation in thefilm's production ...

  • News

    German distributor Solo files for insolvency

    2005-03-18T04:00:00Z

    Munichbased distributor Solo-Film has become the latest casualty in the Germandistribution scene's seemingly never ending round of insolvencies.Solo's managing director Peter Heinzemann confirmed toScreenDaily.com that his company had been forced to file for insolvency onWednesday (March 16) after a key licensing company called for payment due on afilm license.Heinzemannstressed, though, ...

  • News

    S. Africa admissions to surge as exhibitor slashes prices

    2005-03-18T04:00:00Z

    South Africa's largest exhibitor Ster-Kinekorhas slashed the price of its cinema tickets in a move that is expected to leadto a surge in admissions in the country.Ster Kinekor said that movie tickets will cost just$2.3 (R14) at the majority of its cinemas nationwide from this Friday - downfrom $5.75m (R35). ...

  • Reviews

    Sepet

    2005-03-18T00:00:00Z

    Dir/scr: Yasmin Ahmad.Malay. 2004.104minsWhile it may be foolhardyto doubt the power of love to sell cinema tickets around the world, it isunlikely that star-crossed Malaysian tearjerker Sepet will enjoy muchgood fortune beyond home.Yasmin Ahmad's saga, whichupdates Romeo & Juliet to a modern south-east Asian locale, hascarried some weight at the ...