With the usual rush of sequels and comicbook adaptations, 2009 is a lot like any other year when it comes to Hollywood's output. When it comes to the marketing those films, however, it may be anything but traditional. As Warner Bros. proved last year with The Dark Knight, a successful viral marketing campaign is now crucial to the success of a film. It's no longer enough to rush television sets with 15 second spots and plaster billboards up in major metropolitan areas. A buzz needs to be created. Welcome to Facebook.
Read moreDespite being born and raised in Sweden, An American Affair director William Sten Olsson found that he was able to relate to a lot of the mystery, intrigue and sadness that surrounded John F. Kennedy's presidency. Affair deals with a 13-year-old boy (Cameron Bright, X-Men: The Last Stand who discovers that his next-door neighbor (Gretchen Mol, Rounders ) is having an affair with JFK. Naturally, as is the case with most films about the late president, conspiracy theories come into play.
Read moreAs expected, Slumdog Millionaire was the big winner at the Oscars. The Fox Searchlight release snagged a total of eight wins, including Best Picture and Best Director. In the much debated Best Actor race, Sean Penn was able to edge past Mickey Rourke. The two actors took turns winning major awards this year, and now the final vote has been cast. In one of the night's only genuine surprises, Departures topped the heavily favored Waltz with Bashir in the Best Foreign Film category.
Read moreIt's official, The Dark Knight has hit the $1 billion mark as far as worldwide box office is concerned. The Warner Bros. release is now a member of the same club as Titanic, Lord of the Rings: Return of the King and Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead's Man Chest. After its successful theatrical run this past summer, Warner Bros. released Knight back into theatres on January 23rd, which helped it add nearly $2 million to its already very impressive haul.
Read moreThe difficulties surrounding most of Hollywood's literary adaptations sound like minor squabbles when compared to the story behind Gomorrah, an unconventional mob film from Italian writer/director Matteo Garrone. Robert Saviano, the author of the book Gomorrah has been under police protection since October 13, 2006. His book exposed some of the inner workings of the pervasive Italian crime syndicate known as the Camorra, which plagues such as Italian provinces as Naples and Caserta. The Camorra has its fingers in everything from illegal drugs to construction, but the most disturbing fact of all may be that they have even bought shares in the reconstruction of the Twin Towers in New York City.
Read moreWhether he’s ready or not, Matthew Goode is about to become more recognizable to film fans everywhere. The British character actor has flirted with fame since making his Hollywood debut with Mandy Moore in 2004's Chasing Liberty but has decided to keep a low profile the last few years. Most people will recognize him from his strong supporting turns in Match Point and The Lookout, but next month he will be seen in one of the lead roles in the comic book epic Watchmen. Goode is also on DVD shelves this month in the period love story Brideshead Revisited, a commentary on class and power that played art houses last summer.
Read moreThanks to the surprisingly strong performance of Friday the 13th this weekend, 2009 has continued its hot streak. While final numbers are due Tuesday, this Presidents' Day weekend is going to set a record for overall box office revenue. B OXOFFICE.com is estimating that the final tally for the four-day weekend could be as high as $225 million. That number is going to easily trump other Presidents' Day weekends even after inflation. Up until this year, 2007's Presidents' Day weekend held the highest box office gross. In 2007, Ghost Rider topped the box office with $45.4 million from Friday-Sunday, and another $6.6 million on Presidents' Day.
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