All articles by John Hazelton – Page 14
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Reviews
Final Destination 3
Dir: James Wong. US. 2005.92mins.With its original writers and director back at thecontrols, the Final Destinationfranchise cruises efficiently but not very excitingly through its third outing,a cartoonishly gory horror romp with an all-new castof little known young actors. The franchise has proved surprisingly profitablefor New Line: the first film grossed ...
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News
Capote starts international run after Berlin premiere
Fresh from its European premiere at the Berlin FilmFestival, major Oscar contender Capote gets its first internationalopenings this weekend, a weekend that will otherwise see a few Hollywoodofferings starting their international runs and a few more continuing their roll-outs. Biographical drama Capote, with Philip SeymourHoffman starring as author Truman Capote, ...
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News
Les Bronzes 3 stays in front of international pack
French smash Les Bronzes 3: Amis Pour La Viewas once again the biggest money-maker in the international marketplace thisweekend, grossing more in its home territory than Hollywood movies including Munich,Chicken Little and Walk The Line could manage from multiplemarkets.In its second weekend in France, the Gallic hit,distributed by Warner Bros ...
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News
New Pink Panther purrs at US box office
MGM/Columbia's The Pink Panther won a tightrace at the North American box office this weekend, as four new wide releasesfound their respective audiences and took the top four spots on the box officechart. With an estimated gross of $21.7m, The PinkPanther edged out New Line's Final Destination 3, while Universal's ...
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News
New Pink Panther purrs at US box office
MGM/Columbia's The Pink Panther won a tightrace at the North American box office this weekend, as four new wide releasesfound their respective audiences and took the top four spots on the box officechart. With an estimated gross of $21.7m, The PinkPanther edged out New Line's Final Destination 3, while Universal's ...
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News
New Pink Panther purrs at US box office
MGM/Columbia's The Pink Panther won a tightrace at the North American box office this weekend, as four new wide releasesfound their respective audiences and took the top four spots on the box officechart. With an estimated gross of $21.7m, The Pink Pantheredged out New Line's Final Destination 3, while Universal's ...
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News
New Pink Panther purrs at US box office
MGM/Columbia's The Pink Panther won a tightrace at the North American box office this weekend, as four new wide releasesfound their respective audiences and took the top four spots on the box officechart. With an estimated gross of $21.7m, The PinkPanther edged out New Line's Final Destination 3, while Universal's ...
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News
Munich leads international box office field
Major Oscar nominees dominated the international box officethis weekend, with Munich holding on at the head of the pack, Memoirsof a Geisha expanding well and Walk the Line making a good start.Over the second weekend of its international rollout,Universal's Munich - which got five Academy Award nominations last week,including a ...
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News
Stranger top at North American box office
Screen Gems' horror-thriller When a StrangerCalls was the box office champion in North America over the traditionallyslow Super Bowl weekend, opening with an estimated gross of $22m.Fox's Big Momma's House 2, last week'sleader, dropped to second, with an estimated $13.4m, and Universal's NannyMcPhee came in third with an estimated $9.9m. ...
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News
Stranger top at North American box office
Screen Gems' horror-thriller When a StrangerCalls was the box office champion in North America over the traditionallyslow Super Bowl weekend, opening with an estimated gross of $22m.Fox's Big Momma's House 2, last week'sleader, dropped to second, with an estimated $13.4m, and Universal's NannyMcPhee came in third with an estimated $9.9m. ...
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News
Stranger tops US box office
Screen Gems' horror-thriller When a StrangerCalls was the box office champion in North America over the traditionallyslow Super Bowl weekend, opening with an estimated gross of $22m.Fox's Big Momma's House 2, last week'sleader, dropped to second, with an estimated $13.4m, and Universal's NannyMcPhee came in third with an estimated $9.9m. ...
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Reviews
Curious George
Dir: Matthew OCallaghan. US. 2005. 77mins.Curious George, the mischievous monkey known togenerations of kids from the classic picture books by Margretand H A Rey, finally makes it to the big screen inthis slight but sweet animated tale from Imagine and Universal.Aimed firmly at youngerchildren (probably in the three- to eight-year-old ...
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Reviews
Firewall (Firewall)
Dir: Richard Loncraine. US. 2005. 100mins.Though it boasts a rare star turn by Harrison Fordand a strong supporting cast, Firewallis a kidnap thriller that's driven more by its high tech gadgets than by itsunder-pressure characters. Ford's presence, the story's family theme and theappeal to digital age paranoia could help the ...
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Reviews
Underworld: Evolution
Dir: Len Wiseman. US. 2005.106mins.The mostly young male horror fans who turned 2003vampires-vs-werewolves saga Underworld into a surprise hit will probably find what they'reafter in this sequel: plenty of gory action, some cool effects and even a bit ofsex.Broader audiences won't havemuch patience with the tediously convoluted plot and unvarying ...
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Reviews
Tristan & Isolde
Dir: Kevin Reynolds. UK-Ger-CzRep. 2005. 125mins.It's not the Wagner opera but the original Tristan& Isolde legend that gets the Hollywood treatmentin this period romance from 20th Century Fox and Scott Free Entertainment. Inthe hands of Kevin Reynolds (director of RobinHood: Prince Of Thieves) the Dark Ages legendbecomes a tragic love ...
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News
US majors' international take drops 6% in '05
The US majors' aggregate international box office revenuedeclined 6% in 2005 to $7.93bn. The international drop was slightly bigger thanthe 4% fall-off in the majors' domestic take -- but it came after a 2004 thatsaw the studios' international theatrical revenues reach an all-time high of$8.5bn. Veronika Kwan-Rubinek, president of internationaldistribution ...
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News
Hi-def DVD rivals reveal US product slates
Backers of the two rivalformats for high definition DVDs have announced their initial US productrelease plans and further details of player availability.In a publicity blitz at the ConsumerElectronics Show in Las Vegas, the five Hollywood studios backing Sony'sBlu-ray disc format revealed their initial slates for the next-generation DVDplayer.Sony Pictures HomeEntertainment ...
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US video spending dips in 2005
US consumers spent $22.8bn buying and renting DVDs in 2005,an 8% increase on 2004, according to figures from trade organisation theDigital Entertainment Group (DEG). But overall US consumer spending on video- including VHS rental and sell-through as well as DVD - actuallydeclined slightly, from $24.5bn in 2004 to $24.3bn. The ...
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Jon Stewart to host Academy Award ceremony
JonStewart, best known as host of US political satire series The Daily Show, has been set to hostthe 78th Academy Awards ceremonyand TV presentation on March 5.Stewarttakes over the job from Chris Rock, who made his first appearance as Oscar hostlast year.Besideshosting cable channel Comedy Central's acclaimed Daily Show, Stewart ...
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Amy Israel joining Paramount Classics
Former Miramaxacquisition executive Amy Israel is joining Paramount Classics as executivevice president of production and acquisitions. The appointment is one of thefirst made by John Lesher, named president of the Paramount specialty label twomonths ago. Israel worked atMiramax for eight years during the nineties and was responsible for theacquisition and ...