Source Media News Bulletins
New Mexico landfill to be dug up in search of ‘buried’ ET video games
ET is one of the most successful movies of all time, but the Atari video game it inspired proved one of the biggest flops in history and ended, legend has it, with the mass burial of millions of unsold games and the near-collapse of the gaming company. On Saturday, a team of contractors, guided by … Read more
Four Weddings and a Funeral 20 years on: Richard Curtis remembers
In the early 1990s, when screenwriter Richard Curtis and producer Duncan Kenworthy were brought together by Working Title to make a film – a mid-budget comedy to be directed by Mike Newell, something about weddings, strong on morning suits, one-liners, obscenity – Curtis made a suggestion. He told Kenworthy: keep bits. Put aside what mementos … Read more
Should film critics care about cinematic technique?
The debate about critics and film-making missing a point: Hollywood needs policing on its weaknesses, not its strengths The first debate in 2014 about the future of film criticism is under way, this time touching down on both sides of the Atlantic, so that must make it official. First out of the gate were the … Read more
Top Gun sequel will see Tom Cruise competing with military drones
Tom Cruise will compete against robotic drone pilots in the long-gestating sequel to Top Gun, according to Jerry Bruckheimer, the producer of the 1986 original. Bruckheimer said Top Gun 2 would update the world of aviation to reflect modern realities, with Cruise positioned as an old-school pilot fighting to prove that man will always triumph … Read more
Forget suing filesharers: in 2014, anti-piracy efforts follow the money
Taking individual filesharers to court is now a discredited anti-piracy strategy for even the most hawkish music, film and software industry rightsholders. Their preferred approach in 2014 is to follow the money instead. That means focusing their efforts on piracy sites, through three main tactics: pressuring search engines to remove links to infringing files and … Read more
Russell Crowe defends Noah movie from critics
Russell Crowe has hit out at critics of his controversial biblical epic Noah, many of whom he says have attacked the film before even seeing it. The New Zealand-born actor praised Pope Francis for agreeing earlier this month to meet a delegation from the film, including Crowe and director Darren Aronofsky, despite the controversies that … Read more
UK films take lowest share of global box office since 2009
Despite high-profile productions such as Gravity, box office earnings of UK-based films more than $1bn down year-on-year. This year’s Oscars may have been awash with British accents, thanks to the dominance of Gravity and 12 Years a Slave’s best picture win. But the UK’s share of the 2013 global box office actually fell to its … Read more
Silver screen to small screen: why film directors are taking over TV
After the success of True Detective, award-winning film-makers are being lured to TV with the promise of more creative control, Does this herald a new golden age for viewers? There was a time when American movie stars and big-ticket directors wouldn’t touch TV. Now, thanks to hit series such as True Detective, not only movie … Read more
Nicolas Cage at SXSW 2014: ‘It really sucks being famous right now’
Actor bemoans era of the ‘celebutard’ and slams critics for focusing on actors’ personal lives instead of their acting Nicolas Cage has said film critics must try harder to ignore an actor’s fame when reviewing movies, or risk contributing to a culture where artists are known only for their celebrity and not their work in … Read more
Wolf of Wall Street says his life of debauchery ‘worse’ than in film
Jordan Belfort, who was jailed for 22 months for securities fraud, admits that the Oscar-nominated film based on his memoir had no need to exaggerate the sex and drugs The controversial figure whose memoir formed the basis of Leonardo DiCaprio’s unhinged stockbroker in Martin Scorsese’s Oscar-nominated black comedy The Wolf of Wall Street has revealed … Read more
Amazon takes on Netflix with rebrand of LoveFilm VOD service
Amazon is hitting back at Netflix in the UK by rebranding its LoveFilm video-on-demand service. LoveFilm, bought out by Amazon three years ago in a deal worth nearly £200m, will be folded into the online retailer’s British website next week, creating a one-stop service for digital streaming, DVD rental and books. “Consumers will be able … Read more
Pinewood to set up new film studio in Cardiff
Film company Pinewood is to set up a new studio in Cardiff. The deal was announced today by Wales’s First Minister Carwyn Jones and Pinewood Shepperton chief executive Ivan Dunleavy. A new 180,000 sq ft complex will be established at the former Energy Centre building in Wentloog, Cardiff, and will form part of Pinewood’s global … Read more
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