News

Mike Mitchell, founding member and guitarist for the “Louie Louie” hitmakers the Kingsmen, died Friday on his 77th birthday.

Kingsmen drummer Dick Peterson confirmed Mitchell’s death to Rolling Stone in a statement. No cause of death was provided other than Mitchell “peacefully passed away.”

“We are deeply saddened by Mike’s passing. He was the kindest and most generous man on the planet,” Peterson, a Kingsmen since 1963, said in a statement, “For the past 57 years, we have been playing colleges, fairs, and festivals, vintage car shows and rock n’ roll shows throughout the USA.

Dominique Boutonnat, president of France’s powerful National Film Board (Cnc), has been indicted for attempted rape and sexual assault on Thursday following a complaint filed by his 22-year-old godson on Oct. 7.

The news was confirmed by the court of Nanterre near Paris to the Afp. Boutonnat had been held in custody since Wednesday morning. The alleged sexual assault occurred in August during a holiday in Greece. Along with the indictment, Boutonnat is also being banned from contacting the alleged victim.

The lawyer of the alleged victim, Caroline Toby, told the Afp that Boutonnat was a paternal figure for her client even though they were not related by blood.

Boutonnat’s lawyer, Emmanuel Marsigny, said on Wednesday that his client was denying the allegations against him, and said today that the indictment was “precipitated” since there hadn’t been a “confrontation” between Boutonnat and the alleged victim in front of French authorities during the custody.

Dominique Boutonnat, president of France’s powerful National Film Board (Cnc), is being sued for attempted rape and sexual assault by his 22-year-old godson. He has been held in custody since Wednesday morning.

The news was first reported by news channel Bfm TV. The complaint was filed by Boutonnat’s godson on Oct. 7 and the alleged sexual assault occurred in August during a holiday in Greece.

“Dominique Boutonnat contests having committed any wrongdoing, he is fully serene about the outcome of this procedure,” Boutonnat’s lawyer Emmanuel Marsigny told the Afp. The Nanterre prosecutor told Le Figaro newspaper that Boutonnat’s custody could end on Thursday or Friday.

Variety has contacted the Cnc for comment.

The org 50/50, whose mandate is to help victims of sexual violence and increase gender parity and diversity in the industry, has demanded that Boutonnat step down from his position for the time being, so that...

How to Stuff a Wild Bikini

Blu ray

Olive Films

1965 / 2.35 : 1 / 93 Min.

Starring Annette Funicello, Dwayne Hickman, Mickey Rooney

Cinematography by Floyd Crosby

Directed by William Asher

Sam Arkoff and James Nicholson, the men behind such teen-friendly drive-in fare as Reform School Girl and High School Hellcats, caught a monster wave with 1963’s Beach Party and hung on for three long years before sinking into the sunset with Ghost in the Invisible Bikini, a haunted house spoof starring Tommy Kirk and a frail Boris Karloff.

It was a wild ride sustained by Annette Funicello, Frankie Avalon and a rotating cast of fun-loving deadbeats who would become as familiar to 60’s audiences as Eugene Pallette and Hugh Herbert were to depression era movie fans. As weighty as a cherry popsicle in July, the movies were aimed at high schoolers but the gags were older than dirt – vaudeville humor with that Coppertone tan.

There was a minor kerfuffle during the Berlinale press conference for Benoît Jacquot’s “Eva” when a journalist asked star Isabelle Huppert how she achieved such a degree of eroticism in the film without getting nude. “You have a very bizarre idea of eroticism,” came the actress’ withering second-degree burn of a reply.

And, to Huppert’s credit, it was a ridiculous question. Ridiculous because French cinema has spent more than a century illustrating that T&A has precious little to do with screen sensuality, ridiculous because Huppert could make a Haneke movie feel erotic, and ridiculous because Jacquot’s overblown melodrama is a film about people who disguise themselves by how they dress.

A limp, sudsy adaptation of James Hadley Chase’s 1945 novel “Eve” (a potboiler that Joseph Losey once spun into a Jeanne Moreau vehicle of the same name), “Eva” begins with an engaging sequence that instantly sets the...

The Berlinale has revealed the first films within its Competition and Berlinale Special lineups.

Source: Amazon

Don’t Worry, He Won’t Get Far On Foot

The Berlin Film Festival (15 - 25 Feb) has revealed the first films within its Competition and Berlinale Special lineups.

Directors including Benoit Jacquot, Gus Van Sant, Alexey German Jr., Małgorzata Szumowska, Philip Gröning, Thomas Stuber and Laura Bispuri will compete in this year’s Competition while Isabel Coixet and Lars Kraume feature in the Berlinale Special strand.

Alongside the previously announced opening film, Isle of Dogs by Wes Anderson, seven productions and co-productions from France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Switzerland, Serbia, the Russian Federation, and the USA are announced for the Competition.

Gus Van Sant’s drama Don’t Worry, He Won’t Get Far, which will debut at Sundance, is the only film announced today which is not a world premiere. Joaquin Phoenix, Jonah Hill,...

The Berlinale has revealed the first films within its Competition and Berlinale Special lineups.

Source: Amazon

Don’t Worry, He Won’t Get Far On Foot

The Berlin Film Festival (15 - 25 Feb) has revealed the first films within its Competition and Berlinale Special lineups.

Directors including Benoit Jacquot, Gus Van Sant, Alexey German Jr., Małgorzata Szumowska, Philip Gröning, Thomas Stuber and Laura Bispuri will compete in this year’s Competition while Isabel Coixet and Lars Kraume feature in the Berlinale Special strand.

Alongside the previously announced opening film, Isle of Dogs by Wes Anderson, seven productions and co-productions from France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Switzerland, Serbia, the Russian Federation, and the USA are announced for the Competition.

Gus Van Sant’s drama Don’t Worry, He Won’t Get Far, which will debut at Sundance, is the only film announced today which is not a world premiere. Joaquin Phoenix, Jonah Hill, Rooney Mara and [link...

George Wechsler was determined to see his ex-girlfriend and her three children despite her repeated requests to leave them alone, according to police officials. A few days ago, he asked to bring Christmas presents to the children and, once again, she said no.

On Monday, Wechsler broke into the woman’s Albuquerque home when they weren’t there and waited for them. When they arrived, according to the Albuquerque Police Department, he ambushed the family and shot them. The children died. Their mother remains in critical condition at the hospital.

“Evidence shows the mother fought valiantly to try to save...

A formerly homeless teen entrepreneur has closed his designer bath products business in order to focus entirely on making and donating soaps to people with nowhere to live. Donovan Smith, 13, plans to make 600 soaps per month in order to give back to the shelters that helped him and his mom during a time when they would have been out on the streets. "People helped us and now I want to help others," Donovan tells People. "It's my way of saying thank you." Donovan and his mom, Casey Smith, fell onto hard times three years ago when Casey, a Navy veteran with a service-connected disability,...

A formerly homeless teen entrepreneur has closed his designer bath products business in order to focus entirely on making and donating soaps to people with nowhere to live. Donovan Smith, 13, plans to make 600 soaps per month in order to give back to the shelters that helped him and his mom during a time when they would have been out on the streets. "People helped us and now I want to help others," Donovan tells People. "It's my way of saying thank you." Donovan and his mom, Casey Smith, fell onto hard times three years ago when Casey, a Navy veteran with a service-connected disability,...

The Cannes Film festival was an exceptional edition for French films this year. A focus on the rising generation of French actors and directors that have been highlighted in Cannes and will most certainly be the stars of tomorrow was compiled by Unifrance chief Isabelle Giordano.

They are a force to be reckoned with. Unifrance films is ready to bet that you will certainly hear about these ten talented people. They represent the French cinema of today and will soon be on the screens worldwide.

Emmanuelle Bercot

An actress and a director, Emmanuelle Bercot began by enrolling at the Cours Florent drama school and taking dancing lessons after her baccalaureate. She graduated from Femis in 1998, after winning the Prix du Jury at the Cannes Film Festival for her short film "Les Vacances," in 1997. After her first few roles in the films of Jean-François Richet and Michel Deville, her career as an actress took off when Claude Miller gave her one of the main roles in "La Classe de neige" (1998). The following year, she made the headlines with the medium-length film she directed called "La Puce," presented in the selection of Un Certain Regard at Cannes. This film tells of the love affair between a 35-year-old man and a 14-year-old girl, played by Isild Le Besco.

Her first feature-length film, "Clément" (2001), is about the life of a troubled woman who has one adventure after another with various men until she meets a 14-yearold boy. Her second film, "Backstage" (2004), continues to explore teenage angst through a relationship between a hit singer and a young obsessional fan. She earned her first critical and public acclaim with "On My Way" (2013), the third film written by the director for Catherine Deneuve, in which the star plays a woman who has decided to leave everything behind and hit the road in France.

She was indisputably the most talked about person during the Cannes Film Festival 2015, both as an actress and a director. Thierry Frémaux surprised everyone by announcing that "Standing Tall," Emmanuelle Bercot’s fourth feature-length film would open the 68th Cannes Film Festival. Emmanuelle Bercot says that she has rediscovered the social fiber of her beginnings with this tale of juvenile delinquency. After the enthusiastic and unanimous reception of her film, she won the Best Actress Award for her role as a woman under the influence of love in the film "Mon Roi" by Maïwenn, with whom she co-wrote the script for "Polisse," which won the Prix du Jury at the Cannes Film Festival in 2012

Thomas Bidegain

Thomas Bidegain may well be one of the best known French screenwriters in the profession today, but it took him ten years to achieve this status. His career path in film is anything but ordinary. He started out in the 1990s by distributing and producing independent American films: "Ice Storm" by Ang Lee and "Chasing Sleep" by Michael Walker. He came back to France and joined MK2 where he became director of distribution. In 1999, he returned to production for "Why Not." In 2007, he told the story of his attempt to stop smoking in "Arrêter de fumer tue," a personal diary that was turned into a documentary, then a book.

In the meantime, he began screenwriting and worked on several projects. In 2009, he wrote the screenplay for Jacques Audiard’s film, "A Prophet," alongside Nicolas Peufaillit and Abdel Raouf Dafri, which won the Grand Prix du Jury in 2009. He participated in Audiard’s next film, "Rust and Bone" and "Our Children" by Joachim Lafosse. He was also the co-writer for "Saint Laurent" by Bertrand Bonello. Winning a César for the best original script and a César for the best adaptation, he presented "Cowboys" at the Quinzaine des Réalisateurs in Cannes this year, his first film as a director. He is also co-writer of "Ni le ciel ni la terre" by Clément Cogitore, presented during the Semaine de la Critique, as well as co-writer of the script for Jacques Audiard’s latest film, "Dheepan," which won the Palme d’Or.

Louise Bourgoin

Louise Bourgoin attended the Ecole des Beaux Arts for five years, during which she began her career as a model. After she graduated from art school in 2004, she radically changed direction and became a presenter on cable TV. She was Miss Météo in Le Grand Journal on Canal + from 2006 to 2008. Her slot became essential viewing and attracted a wide audience, including the attention of the film industry.

She began her acting career in "The Girl from Monaco" by Anne Fontaine, and her performance earned her a César nomination for Most Promising Actress. This recognition led to a whole series of roles and launched her career in film. She headed the bill of several films in 2010 ("White as Snow" by Christophe Blanc, "Sweet Valentine" by Emma Luchini, and "Black Heaven" by Gilles Marchand). The same year, Luc Besson selected her for the leading role in "The Extraordinary Adventures of Adèle Blanc-Sec."

Since then, Louise Bourgoin has played in film after film, and has taken her first steps in the international scene with her part in the American film "The Love Punch" by Joel Hopkins. She attracted attention at the Cannes Film Festival this year with her unusual role in Laurent Larivière’s first film, "I Am a Soldier," presented at Un Certain Regard.

Anaïs Demoustier

Her passion for acting started at a very young age and rapidly pushed her to take drama classes. She auditioned, when still a teenager, and got her first role alongside Isabelle Huppert in "Time of the Wolf" by Michael Haneke. After this, her career was launched and she played in a series of films among which "L’Année suivante" by Isabelle Czajka, "Hellphone" by James Huth, "The Beautiful Person" by Christophe Honoré, "Sois sage" by Juliette Garcias, "Sweet Evil" by Olivier Coussemacq, "Dear Prudene" by Rebecca Zlotowski, "Snows of Kilimanjaro" by Robert Guédiguian, "Thérèse Desqueyroux" by Claude Miller, "Quai d’Orsay" by Bertrand Tavernier, "Paris Follies" by Marc Fitoussi, etc.

A filmography rich of 30 films for an actress who isn’t 30 years old yet. In 2014, the press talked about the blooming of Anaïs Demoustier because her face and poise became essential to cinema. Present in "Bird People" by Pascale Ferran, "Caprices" by Emmanuel Mouret, "À trois on y va" by Jérôme Bonnell and "The New Girlfriend" by François Ozon, she is Marguerite in the last Valérie Donzelli’s film, "Marguerite et Julien" screened in Official selection in Cannes.

Louis Garrel

The son of actress Brigitte Sy and the director Philippe Garrel, he began his career in film thanks to his father, who started filming him at the age of six in "Emergency Kisses," alongside his mother and his grandfather, Maurice Garrel. He went onto study drama at the Conservatoire National d’Art Dramatique. He made his real cinema debut in 2001 in the film "Ceci est mon corps" by Rodolphe Marconi. Two years later, he played opposite Michael Pitt and the future Bond girl, Eva Green, in "The Dreamers" by Bernardo Bertolucci.

He then starred in another of his father’s films, "Regular Lovers". His performance earned him the César for the Most Promising Actor in 2005. Since then, he has played alongside the greatest, such as Isabelle Huppert in "Ma mère" by Christophe Honoré. This marked the beginning of a long collaboration between the filmmaker and the actor. They worked together in the film "In Paris" with Romain Duris, then in 2007 in "Love Songs" with Ludivine Sagnier, in "The Beautiful Person" with Léa Seydoux, in "Making Plans" for Lena with Chiara Mostroianni and, finally, in " Beloved" with Catherine Deneuve. He also topped the bill with Valéria Bruni Tedeschi in "Actresses," whom he worked with again in 2013 in "A Castle in Italy."

In 2010, he directed a short film, "The Little Tailor," in which he directed Léa Seydoux. He performed once again in one of his father’s films, "A Burning Hot Summer," followed by "Jealousy." In 2014, he starred in Bertrand Bonello’s film "Saint Laurent," a role which led to another César nomination, but this time in the best supporting role category. His first feature-length film, "Two Friends," presented at a Certain Regard, was applauded by the critics. He also starred in "Mon Roi," Maïwenn’s fourth feature-length film, alongside Emmanuelle and Vincent Cassel, presented as part of the official selection.

Guillaume Gouix

After studying at the Conservatoire in Marseille and the Ecole Régionale d’Acteur de Cannes, Guillaume Gouix began his career in television. He played the male lead in "The Lion Cubs," by Claire Doyon, in 2003. Noted for his performance, especially the highly physical aspect of it and his intense gaze, he then played a series of supporting roles as a young hoodlum in "Les Mauvais joueurs" by Frédéric Balekdjian and in "Chacun sa nuit," by Jean-Marc Barr and Pascal Arnold. He featured in the 2007 war film "Intimate Enemies" by Florent Emilio Siri, thus confirming his taste for complex characters.

The following year, he was applauded for his performance in the film "Behind the Walls" by Christian Faure. In 2010, he starred in "22 Bullets" by Richard Berry and in 2011, he established his reputation with roles in "Nobody Else But You" by Gérald Hustache-Mathieu, "Et soudain, tout le monde me manque" by Jennifer Devoldere, and "Jimmy Rivière," Teddy Lussi-Modeste’s film debut.

He also appeared in "Midnight in Paris" by Woody Allen. He more recently starred in "Attila Marcel," by Sylvain Chomet, in which he played the lead role, in "French Women" by Audrey Dana, and "The Connection" by Cédric Jimenez with Jean Dujardin and Gilles Lelouche. He performed in three films presented at Cannes this year ("Les Anarchistes" by Elie Wajeman, which opened the Semaine de la Critique, "La Vie en grand" by Mathieu Vadepied, which closed the week, and in "Enragés" by Eric Hannezo, screened at the Cinéma de la Plage). He also directed his first short film "Alexis Ivanovitch, vous êtes mon héros" in 2011 and will soon start on a feature-length film, which is currently being written. He will be topping the bill in 2015 with "Braqueurs," a thriller by Julien Leclercq.

Ariane Labed

Born in Greece to French parents, Ariane Labed has always navigated between her two countries. She studied drama at the University of Provence and began her acting career treading the boards. After setting up a company combining dance and theater, Ariane Labed returned to live in Greece where she played at the National Theater of Athens. 2010 was the year of her first film, "Attenberg," directed by Athiná-Rachél Tsangári. "Alps" by Yorgos Lanthi-mos, the following year, confirmed the talent of this strangely charming actress. Two years later, she starred in "Before Midnight" by Richard Linklater where she played the role of Anna. The follow-up to "Before Sunrise" and "Before Sunset," this third part of the saga was a great success, making Labed known to a wider audience.

In 2014, she played a young sailor in "Fidelio, Alice’s Odyssey," who is torn between faithfulness and her desire to live her life. Winning the best actress award at the Locarno Film Festival and nominated for a César, the French actress gives a brilliant performance in Lucie Borleteau’s first feature-length film. She joined Yorgos Lanthimos in Cannes in 2015, where he won the Prix du Jury for his film "The Lobster."

Vincent Macaigne

Vincent Macaigne is the leading light in young French cinema. He joined the Conservatoire National Supérieur d’Art Dramatique in Paris in 1999, appearing on stage and assuming the role of director. His free adaptations of the great classics of literature and drama earned him public and critical acclaim. He directed "The Idiot" by Dostoïevski and presented "Au moins j’aurai laissé un beau cadavre in Avignon," inspired by Hamlet. He also rapidly made a name for himself in demanding art-house films. In 2001, he was seen for the first time in "Replay" by Catherine Corsini. In 2007, he starred in "On War" by Bertrand Bonello and in 2010, in "A Burning Hot Summer" by Philippe Garrel.

Since 2011, Vincent Macaigne’s presence in short, medium and full-length films has gradually increased. Faithful to his directors, he has starred in several of their films. As is the case with his friend Guillaume Brac, who directed him in "Le Naufragé," "Tonnerre" and "Un monde sans femmes." He was awarded the Grand Prix and the Prix Télérama at the Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival, and the Prix Lutin for Best Actor in this film. Under the direction of Vincent Mariette, he played in "Les Lézards" then "Fool Circle." In 2013, we find the funny and touching thirty-something in "La fille du 14 juillet" by Antonin Peretjatko, "Age of Panic" by Justine Triet, and "2 Autumns, 3 Winters" by Sébastien Betbeder.

He was discovered by the general public at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival. Considered a figurehead of the revival of French cinema, Vincent has drawn the attention of the Cahiers du Cinéma, and even the British newspaper The Observer, which referred to him as the “new Gérard Depardieu”. In 2011, he directed "What We’ll Leave Behind," a very well-received medium-length film which won the Grand Prix at the Clermont-Ferrand Festival. He also starred in Mia Hansen-løve’s 2014 film "Eden." He plays one of the main roles in the actor Louis Garrel’s first feature-length film, "Two Friends," presented during the Semaine de la Critique. He also featured in his 2011 film, La Règle de trois.

Vimala Pons

From the Conservatoire National Supérieur d’Art Dramatique, where she attended drama classes even though she wanted to be a screenwriter, to circus tents, Vimala Pons is an acrobat in all senses of the word. The 29-year-old actress has established her physical and poetic presence in French art-house films. She began her career in film with Albert Dupontel in "Enfermés dehors" in 2006. She then starred in "Eden Log" by Franck Vestiel in 2007, then in "Granny’s Funeral" by Bruno Podalydès in 2012.

Since then, we have seen her cross France in a little blue dress in "La Fille du 14 juillet," (she plays the girl) by Antonin Peretjatko, and changing into a lioness in "Métamorphoses," by Christophe Honoré. The impetuous muse of French independent film, Vimala Pons played in "Vincent" by Thomas Salvador this year. The actress has made a name for herself in 2015, in particular with "Comme un avion" by Bruno Podalydès, "Je suis à vous tout de suite" by Baya Kasmi, "La vie très privée de Monsieur Sim" by Michel Leclerc, and "L’Ombre des femmes" by Philippe Garrel (presented at the Quinzaine des Réalisateurs this year in Cannes). She has also begun an international career, with a leading role in Paul Verhoeven’s latest film, "Elle."

Alice Winocour

The director Alice Winocour started out at Femis. After going into law, she returned to film and won three prizes for her short film "Kitchen: Prix TV5" for the best French-language short film, best international short film and the Silver Bear at the Festival of Nations (Ebensee). For "Magic Paris," she was awarded the jury prize at the St. Petersburg International Documentary, Short Film and Animated Film Festival.

She continued her career by writing the script for the film "Ordinary," by Vladimir Perisic. At the Cannes Film Festival 2012, Alice Winocour made a marked entry in the international arena with a film by a woman about women and the unchanging way of looking at them. In the film "Augustine," we are told the story of a professor and his patient, played by Vincent Lindon and Soko respectively. In 2015, she brought out her second feature-length film, "Maryland," which was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 68th Cannes Film Festival. She is also the co-writer of "Mustang," by Denis Gamze Ergüven, presented at the Quinzaine des Réalisateurs.

Jack Ely, singer of the 1963 classic “Louie Louie,” has died at his home in Redmond, Oregon. He was 71. His son, Sean Ely, confirmed the death on Tuesday according to media reports, but because of his father’s religious beliefs, his family is unsure what illness claimed Jack’s life. Ely was the lead singer of the Kingsmen, a cover band that in 1963 produced a cheap recording of Richard Berry’s 1950s song “Louie Louie.” That version of the song became a classic, even with its unintelligible lyrics that band members attributed to the low-quality recording. Also Read: Suzanne Crough, 'Partridge Family' Star,...

Paul Revere, the organist and leader of the Raiders rock band, has died. He was 76. Manager Roger Hart says Revere died Saturday at his home in Idaho. No other details were provided. Revere, born Paul Revere Dick, became known as "the madman of rock and roll" for his theatrical colonial wardrobe and infectious stage persona with the band. Read more Paul McCartney Recites Shakespeare, Delivers 'A Show for the Ages' in San Antonio: Concert Review The group launched its career in 1963 with a popular rendition of Richard Berry's "Louie, Louie" before releasing its own hits like "Kicks," ''Hungry"

read more...

With Juliette Binoche starring in A Thousand Times Good Night, out in cinemas now, it’s her former co-star of Caché (Hidden), Daniel Auteuil also taking on a lead role, in Philippe Claudel’s Before the Winter Chill. However while there are certainly similarities between this brooding drama and Michael Haneke’s stunning piece, both of men drenched in paranoia – this merely pales in comparison, as the audience are left as frustratingly in the dark as the protagonist himself.

Auteuil plays Paul, a popular neurosurgeon who is confronted by Lou (Leïla Bekhti), a former patient, at a nearby bar, who claims the doctor was an inspiration to her in how he handled her operation. Though somewhat touched, when Paul starts to receive an influx of anonymous flowers, he soon feels unnerved, and struggles to comprehend exactly why this is going on. Frightened, anxious, yet ultimately somewhat curious, he takes some...

Blu-ray & DVD Release Date: July 22, 2014

Price: Blu-ray/DVD Combo $124.95

Studio: Criterion

French director Jacques Demy launched his glorious feature filmmaking career in the Sixties, a decade of astonishing invention in his national cinema. He stood out from the crowd of his fellow New Wavers, however, by filtering his self-conscious formalism through deeply emotional storytelling. Fate and coincidence, doomed love, and storybook romance surface throughout his films, many of which are further united by the intersecting lives of characters who either appear or are referenced across titles.

Six of Demy’s films are collected in The Essential Jacques Demy. Ranging from musical to melodrama to fantasia, all are triumphs of visual and sound design, camera work, and music, and they are galvanized by the great stars of French cinema at their centers, including Anouk Aimée (8 1/2), Catherine Deneuve (Belle de Jour), and Jeanne Moreau (Jules and Jim).

The six works here, made...

If you’re a true Jean Reno fan, I suspect you’ve already seen Richard Berry’s crime pic “22 Bullets” (aka “L’immortel”). It’s only been out overseas for the last three years, after all. But hey, if you’re one of those latecomers, no worries, because Cinedigm is bringing the revenge thriller to U.S. theaters next month. Obviously we’re talking selected theaters here and nothing resembling a wide release, so sure to check your local listings and such. Until then, here’s a new U.S. trailer fresh from wherever it is they cut U.S. trailers. I particularly like the line in the trailer about how, after being shot 22 times, our hero decides to forgive them anyway, but then they had to go and try to kill his Family, too. Man, now that’s just not cool! (And oh, I reviewed the film way back...

Exclusive: Drama reunites Kristin Scott Thomas with director Philippe Claudel.

Metrodome has taken UK rights to Telluride drama Before the Winter Chill (Avant l’hiver) which reunites Kristin Scott Thomas with I’ve Loved You So Long director Philippe Claudel.

Daniel Auteuil, Richard Berry and Leila Bekhti star alongside Scott Thomas in the French drama about a man in the autumn of his life, torn between a loving wife and his dangerous attraction for a troubled, mysterious young woman.

The deal was negotiated by Gregory Chambet for TF1 International and Metrodome’s head of acquisitions Giles Edwards for a 2014 release.

Producers are Yves Marmion and Romain Rojtman of Les Films du 24.

Claudel’s acclaimed 2008 debut I’ve Loved You So Long took £1.2m ($1.8m) in the UK and scored the Best Foreign Language Film BAFTA, a Cesar for Best First Film and two Golden Globe nominations.

Upcoming Metrodome releases include David Gordon Green’s Prince Avalanche and Lukas Moodysson...

I have to write about this great series because after all, I am a Los Angelina myself!

Los Angeles Filmforum was started in 1975 by Terry Cannon. Adam Hyman became director in 2003 as an act of love for films which would not reach the light of day without his work. That Moca is supporting him in this series is also important and it shows that Los Angeles has a sense of itself and finds the sense in preserving what film history has created.

Los Angeles Filmforum at Moca is supported through both organizations by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors through the Los Angeles County Arts Commission; the Department of Cultural Affairs, City of Los Angeles; and at Moca by Catherine Opie.

Additional support of Filmforum's screening series comes from the Mike Kelley Foundation for the Arts. Additional support to Filmforum generously provided by American Cinematheque. They also depend on our members, ticket buyers, and individual donors.

Los Angeles is perhaps the most photographed, yet least understood city in the world. For all of the countless images, it is as though few people have actually seen the city well enough to depict it. Coinciding with A New Sculpturalism: Contemporary Architecture from Southern California, Los Angeles Filmforum at Moca presents a program of recent films that break this mold, and in so doing document the changing landscape of the city in the 21st century. Thom Andersen, Alexandra Cuesta, and Clay Dean use poignant and at times even poetic images of buildings, immigrant neighborhoods, deteriorating signage, and readymade still lifes to give us a sense of place as well as the uncanny. Serving as an elegiac prologue to this recent efflorescence of observational cinema is Kent MacKenzie’s heartbreaking Bunker Hill 1956, a rich documentary memorializing the site whose destruction preceded downtown’s current incarnation as a corporate office block (and home to Moca).

In person: Thom Anderson and Clay Dean

What: Los Angeles Filmforum at Moca Presents: This is the City

When: Thursday, July 11, 2013 – 7pm

Where: Moca Grand Avenue, Ahmanson Auditorium, 250 South Grand Avenue, Los Angeles 90012

Tickets: $12 general admission; $7 students with valid ID

Tickets available at moca.org

Free for Moca and Los Angeles Filmforum members; must present current membership card to claim free tickets

Info 213/621-1745 or education[a]moca.org

“Get Out [of the Car]” began as an outgrowth of “Los Angeles Plays Itself,” inspired by a peeling billboard. The film became a 30-minute symphony devoted to the remnants of a vanished Los Angeles of neighborhood farms and demolished concert halls. —Saul Austerlitz, New York Times

“Although Los Angeles has appeared in more films than any other city, I believe that it has not been well served by these films. San Francisco, New York, London, Paris, Berlin, Tokyo have all left more indelible impressions. It happens that many film-makers working in Los Angeles don’t appreciate the city, and very few of them understand much about it, but their failures in depicting it may have more profound causes.

“In Los Angeles Plays Itself, I claimed that the city is not cinematogenic. ‘It’s just beyond the reach of an image.’ Now I’m not so sure. In any case, I became gradually obsessed with making a proper Los Angeles city symphony film.” —Thom Andersen, “Get Out of the Car: A Commentary”

Screening:

Kent MacKenzie, Bunker Hill 1956

1956, 16mm, black and white, sound; 18min.

Print courtesy of USC.

Before making his landmark feature The Exiles, Kent MacKenzie produced this intelligent and sensitive portrait of the Bunker Hill neighborhood, which was already in 1956 under very serious threat of total redevelopment and eradication. The film focuses in particular on the single, elderly pensioners who lived in the neighborhood, and proposes that far from being a slum, Bunker Hill was a very defined and beloved community. —Mark Toscano

Alexandra Cuesta, Despedida (Farewell)

2013; 16mm, color, sound; 10 min.

Shot in Boyle Heights in East Los Angeles, this transitory neighborhood resonates with the poetry of local resident Mapkaulu Roger Nduku. Verses about endings, looking and passing through open up the space projected. A string of tableaus gather a portrait of a place and compose a goodbye letter to an ephemeral home. —AC

Clay Dean, Not West of Western

2011; 16mm, black and white, sound; 13.5 min.

Walking within parameters that define the heart of Los Angeles, Not West of Western explores the cross section of still photography and cinema while at the same time calling attention to the unique cross-cultural landscape of the city. —CD

Thom Andersen, Get Out of the Car

2010; 16mm, color, sound; 35 min.

Direction: Thom Andersen; camera: Madison Brookshire, Adam R. Levine; editing: Adam R. Levine; sound: Craig Smith

Get Out of the Car is a city symphony film in 16mm composed from advertising signs, building facades, fragments of music and conversation, and unmarked sites of vanished cultural landmarks (including El Monte Legion Stadium and the Barrelhouse in Watts). The musical fragments compose an impressionistic survey of popular music made in Los Angeles (and a few other places) from 1941 to 1999, with an emphasis on rhythm’n’blues and jazz from the 1950s and corridos from the 1990s. The music of Richard Berry, Johnny Otis, Leiber and Stoller, and Los Tigres del Norte is featured prominently. —Ta

Total Running Time: 76.5 min.

Programmed by Madison Brookshire

Los Angeles Filmforum at Moca furthers Moca’s mission to be the defining museum of contemporary art by adding a bimonthly series of film and video screenings organized and co-presented by Los Angeles Filmforum—the city’s longest-running organization dedicated to weekly screenings of experimental film, documentaries, video art, and experimental animation.

Blu-ray & DVD Release Date: Sept. 25, 2012

Price: DVD $24.95

Studio: Hen’s Tooth

Gerard Depardieu and Jean Reno are on the lam in Shut Up!

Jean Reno (Margaret) and Gerard Depardieu (Potiche) star in the 2003 French caper movie Shut Up!.

In the comedy, Quentin (Depardieu) is an amiable idiot who drives everyone crazy with his mindless, incessant chatter. After a botched hold-up, he’s thrown in a prison cell with Ruby (Reno), a hard-boiled thief who refuses to speak at all.

After the unlikely pair escape from jail together, Ruby is unable to shake the cumbersome but oddly helpful Quentin. But Quentin might be just the kind of person that Ruby needs when he finds himself pursued by his former gang and the police, both hoping to lay their hands on the 20 million Euros he has secretly stashed away.

Written and directed by Francis Veber (The Dinner Game), Shut Up! (or Tais-toi!

Following the news of Etta James's death at 73, Digital Spy takes a look at some of her most memorable songs below: > Etta James 1938-2012: Reactions

> Etta James 1938-2012: A career in pictures 'Good Rocking Daddy' (1955)

James scored her second chart hit in 1955 with this rock 'n' roll-meets-r&B number. Penned by Richard Berry and backed by the Maxwell Davis Orchestra, the track peaked at number six in the Us, and serves as an early indication of her soon-to-be world renowned vocal. 'At Last' (1960)

James's rendition of the song, which originally featured in the 1942 musical Orchestra Wives by a different artist, eventually became synonymous with the star. Released in 1960, it was her first R&B/pop crossover hit and launched her into the mainstream Billboard chart. In 1999, her version was honoured (more)...

A businessman has been sentenced to 10 months behind bars for racking up almost $190,000 on director Peter Jackson's American Express card. The moviemaker used his card to purchase items online from the Michigan Toy Soldier Company, which is owned by Richard Berry.

Berry then used the card details to make his own purchases in 2008 and 2009, spending a total of $189,902. The Detroit-based businessman, who has paid back more than half of the money to American Express, entered into a plea agreement in September, in which he admitted to billing charges to the director's credit card.

In December, he apologized for his actions, telling a judge, "I am truly sorry for this and all the trouble it has caused everyone. I was led to do this because so many people were relying on me and the thought of failure and letting all these people down weighed so heavily on me that I...

A businessman has been sentenced to 10 months behind bars for racking up almost $190,000 (£126,000) on director Peter Jackson's American Express card.

The moviemaker used his card to purchase items online from the Michigan Toy Soldier Company, which is owned by Richard Berry.

Berry then used the card details to make his own purchases in 2008 and 2009, spending a total of $189,902 (£126,613).

The Detroit-based businessman, who has paid back more than half of the money to American Express, entered into a plea agreement in September, in which he admitted to billing charges to the director's credit card.

In December, he apologised for his actions, telling a judge, "I am truly sorry for this and all the trouble it has caused everyone. I was led to do this because so many people were relying on me and the thought of failure and letting all these people down weighed so heavily on me that I made some very foolish and terrible decisions.

"When the economy turned bad, my business started to suffer and funds started to dry up which led me to make these bad choices. None of this justifies what I have done in this case. I took advantage of someone who I thought might not notice."

However, U.S. District Court Judge Robert Cleland sentenced Berry to 10 months jail time earlier this week (begs07Feb11), along with three years' probation, according to the Detroit Free Press.

Wellington, Feb 10 – A man has been sentenced to 10 months in prison after billing nearly 250,000 dollars in bogus charges to Sir Peter Jackson’s credit card.

Richard Berry, owner of the Michigan Toy Soldier Company in Royal Oak, made the fraudulent charges after Jackson used his American Express card in 2007 to buy items from the toy store, reports stuff.co.nz.

The.

From the shores of France comes Richard Berry's 22 Bullets (2010), a surprisingly average gangster thriller starring everyone’s favourite French gunsmith Jean Reno. Reno plays Charley Mattei, a former gangster who has given up the thrill of life in the criminal underworld to spend time with his children. However, a hit is put out on him and he is gunned down in a parking lot by a rival mob. The attackers put a horrific 22 bullets into Charley’s body and leave him to die; yet he miraculously survives – which means that Jean Reno is officially tougher than 50 Cent.

What makes 22 Bullets slightly more interesting film is that it doesn’t follow the clichéd conventions. If you read the aforementioned plot and assumed that Reno goes gunning for revenge, you'd be wrong to think so. In fact, we see Charley slowly recover in hospital before vowing to return to his family life.

To celebrate the Jan 31 release of 22 Bullets on DVD and Blu-ray, we are giving 5 lucky winners a copy of the film on DVD.

22 Bullets, starring Jean Reno (Leon, Ronin) and directed by Richard Berry (The Black Box), is a thriller inspired by the real-life events in the world of the Marseille Mafia. Reno plays Charly Matteï, a man who has turned his back on his life as an outlaw. For the last three years, he’s led a peaceful life devoting himself to his wife and two children. Then, one winter morning, he’s left for dead in the parking garage in Marseille’s Old Port, with 22 bullets in his body.

Against all the odds, he doesn’t die…

22 Bullets comes to DVD & Blu-ray 31 January 2011. Pre-order your copy now on Amazon or rent it here.

To enter, simply answer the following question using the form below:

In which city is 22 Bullets set?...

22 Bullets (aka L’Immortel)

Stars: Jean Reno, Marina Foïs, Kad Merad | Written by Eric Assous, Richard Berry | Directed by Richard Berry

Inspired by the real-life events in the world of the Marseilles Mafia, 22 Bullets tells the story of former mafia member Charly Mattei who, after giving up his shares in all mafia business and turning his back on the lifestyle, has spent the past three years leading a peaceful life with his wife and two children. Then one morning when out with his son he is shot 22 times and left for dead in a Marseilles parking lot. Only against all odds, Charly doesn’t die… and then all hell breaks loose.

You know, I seem to say this over and over again, but damn it, if the French aren’t making some of the best action (and horror) films out there today. 22 Bullets continues the EuropaCorp’s tradition of making...

Richard Berry’s French crime film “22 Bullets” (aka L’immortel”) is 80% Jean Reno and 20% brutal violence. If you’re keeping score, that’s not such a bad balance to have in a movie. Set against the backdrop of the French underworld, it stars Reno, the epitome of French cool, as Charly Mattei, a retired French gangster who discovers that retirement ain’t so easy. When his past comes back to haunt him in the form of 22 bullets pumped into his twisting body one lazy weekend, Charly resolves to find the culprits responsible. His search leads him to drug kingpin Tony Zacchia (Kad Merad), one of Charly’s very close friends from his youth. Apparently ol Tony has not kept his bond of “friends til death”, which means Charly has to decide to get revenge on a very good friend or forgive the trespass. Alas, soon even forgiveness is taken away from him,...

The Last Exorcism (15)

(Daniel Stamm, 2010, Us) Patrick Fabian, Ashley Bell. 87 mins

There's an epic, gothic Dennis Wheatley-style horror struggling to get out of this curiously lightweight mockumentary, in which a jaded Louisiana evangelical priest (Fabian) takes on a local case of possession to prove that demons only exist in the mind. Stamm orchestrates some good old-fashioned in-camera shocks, but the handheld format is limiting, and what ought to be a truly horrific climax ends in a tired Blair Witch fizzle rather than a bang.

Certified Copy (12A)

(Abbas Kiarostami, 2010, Fr/It/UK) Juliette Binoche, William Shimell, 107 mins

Slightly wooden but deceptively memorable meta romance, in which a woman (Binoche) meets a man (Shimell) who may or may not be her husband.

Dinner For Schmucks

(12A) (Jay Roach, 2010, Us) Steve Carell, Paul Rudd, Zach Galifianakis. 114 mins

Rudd is an aspiring exec who takes Carell to his boss's who-can-bring-the-biggest-nerd dinner party.

Jean Reno and 22 Bullets producer Luc Besson have created some great slow burning, character based thrillers in their time with Reno being one of the most famous Frenchmen in Hollywood.

In their new film, directed by Richard Berry, Reno is the retired goon plugged with exactly twenty two bullets and left for dead.

Thankfully for us he survives and 22 Bullets deals with Reno’s character returning to the underworld, seeking revenge and coming to face with his past.

Our friends at Upbeat spoke to Reno to get his take on the film, which is out in UK cinemas today.

Here’s the video,...

Like the screech of car tyres burning rubber before thundering off into the cold dark night, Richard Berry’s French mafia flick opens with much energy, a hail of bullets – 22 Bullets (to be exact) – and pools of ‘shedded’ blood.

Acting legend Jean Reno stars as a retired Marseille gangland boss, a man so feared and psycho, he once flew a private jet to Algeria to kill somebody who owed him money. In other words, if he’s wronged, he’ll track you down, make you pay – and then really make you pay.

Based on a biography of a real-life Marseille hard nut, Reno delivers a master class in emoting and kicking arse. He might be a total bastard, but he’s honourable and won’t tolerate anybody messing with his family.

The opening act attempts to keep the audience guessing which one of a parade of underworld bosses ordered the hit,...

Coming from producer Luc Besson and director Richard Berry, 22 Bullets (aka L’Immortel) stars Jean Reno in a film inspired by true events and adapted from Franz-Olivier Giesbert’s novel by actor/director/writer Berry. The film chronicles:

…the vengeance wrought by former Marseille mobster Charly Matteï (Reno) who having been left for dead with 22 bullets in him somehow survives and goes looking for the only man who would dare to try to kill him.

Empire have debuted a new clip from the film which is released in the UK on September 3rd.

The chaps at Empire have released a brand new clip from Jean Reno’s 22 Bullets which is directed by Richard Berry who previously brought us the Liam Neeson action movie, Taken.

The movie is based on the book by Franz-Olivier Giesbert with the movie being directed by Richard Berry. As well as Reno, the movie stars Gabriella Wright and Kad Merad.

Synopsis: Inspired by true events 22 Bullets chronicles the vengeance wrought by former Marseille mobster Charly Matteï (Reno) who having been left for dead with 22 bullets in him somehow survives and goes looking for the only man who would dare to try to kill him.

It’s set for release in the UK 3rd September.

Protagonists in thrillers should really know better than to use multistorey carparks. While the rest of us scrabble around to find change for the pay-and-display, they're inevitably crouching behind a BMW, sweating profusely and generally hoping not to be shot by the stalking goons in bay 3. Unfortunately, this is a lesson Charly Matteï (Jean Reno) fails to heed in 22 Bullets. As the clip below demonstrates in spectacular fashion. In between not making enough use of public transport and soaking up the opera, Matteï is a retired gangster, dedicated to his family and living the quiet life away from all the drive-bys and all that endless late night poker. The past, though, catches up with him. Twenty two bullets worth.  But like Jacques Mesrine, nobody kills Matteï until he says so, leaving the masked men plenty of reason to regret their actions*. This is Leon, after all. 22 Bullets is French director...

Here’s a brand new poster for Jean Reno’s 22 Bullets which is directed by Richard Berry who previously brought us the Liam Neeson action movie, Taken.

The movie is based on the book by Franz-Olivier Giesbert with the movie being directed by Richard Berry. As well as Reno, the movie stars Gabriella Wright and Kad Merad.

Synopsis: Inspired by true events 22 Bullets chronicles the vengeance wrought by former Marseille mobster Charly Matteï (Reno) who having been left for dead with 22 bullets in him somehow survives and goes looking for the only man who would dare to try to kill him.

It’s set for release in the UK 3rd September.

Source: Empire...

Un, deux, trois, quartre, cinq, six, sept, huit, neuf, dix, onze … you get the idea. In Jean Reno’s latest revenge flick, he takes 22 Bullets to his body and lives to tell the tale – and get his revenge. It’s been a very long time since we last Reno playing a kick-ass dude and he returns to such a role with aplomb, grace and savagery. I’ve seen the film and it won’t disappoint! We will put out the review closer to its release date in September.

In the meantime, check out this new poster (via Empire). Directed by Richard Berry, and based on a non-fiction crime book detailing the inner-workings of the Marseille mafia, Reno plays a former gangland boss living a retired life with his family. Somebody wants him dead. Who? That’s what he wants to know. While parking his car in an underground garage, he...

Year: 2010

Directors: Richard Berry

Writers: Richard Berry & Mathieu Delaporte & Franz-Olivier Giesbert (novel) & Alexandre de La Patellière (adaptation)

IMDb: link

Trailer: link

Review by: projectcyclops

Rating: 6.5 out of 10

"I'm in a strange business, once you get in you can really never get out."

Jean Reno gets shot 22 times by his French gangster rivals, gets pissed, gets revenge. This is the basic premise of 22 Bullets, a film that sees Reno giving a wink to his great performance in Leon The Professional and dishing out some old school revenge. Having 'retired' from his days as a vicious gangster in order to spend more time with his wife and family, the past catches up with him in the run-up to an all out gang war. Does it work? Parts do. Read on if you'd like to know more.

Charly visits his mother with his young son and they share an enchanting afternoon together, and...

Anchor Bay have just sent us a batch of new images from Jean Reno’s new movie, 22 Bullets (or L’immortel). The movie is based on the book by Franz-Olivier Giesbert with the movie being directed by Richard Berry. As well as Reno, the movie stars Gabriella Wright and Kad Merad.

Synopsis: Inspired by true events 22 Bullets chronicles the vengeance wrought by former Marseille mobster Charly Matteï (Reno) who having been left for dead with 22 bullets in him somehow survives and goes looking for the only man who would dare to try to kill him.

22 Bullets is released in the UK 19th June.

Two highly-anticipated second feature films from U.S. underground filmmakers will be making their World Premieres all the way over at the 64th annual Edinburgh International Film Festival, which will run for twelve days on June 16-27. The films are Rona Mark’s The Crab and Zach Clark’s Vacation!.

The Crab, which screens on June 21, is the touching story of a verbally abusive man born with two enormous, mutant-like hands; while Vacation!, which screens on June 20, tracks four urban gals let loose in a sunny seaside resort down South.

Both Mark and Clark previously screened their debut features at Eiff. Mark’s Strange Girls screened there in 2008 and Clark’s Modern Love Is Automatic screened in 2009. Both films also ended up as runners-up in Bad Lit’s annual Movie of the Year award, again Strange Girls in 2008 and Modern Love in 2009. Sadly, these two masterpieces are still unavailable on...

Year: 2009

Directors: Richard Berry

Writers: Richard Berry & Mathieu Delaporte & Franz-Olivier Giesbert (novel) & Alexandre de La Patellière (adaptation)

IMDb: link

Trailer: link

Review by: The Crystal Ferret

Rating: 3.25 out of 10

[Editor's note: We've been sitting on this for a couple of months but were asked to hold off on posting it, but now, without further ado, here it is.]

After a long, brutal and successful career as a mafia tycoon in Marseilles, Charly Matteï has finally gone into retirement. For some years, he has lived a quiet life devoted to his mother, wife and two young children. Then, one morning, he is left for dead in a subterranean parking near the old port with 22 bullets in his body. Somehow he survives, gets his nickname of “l’Immortel” out of it, and goes looking for revenge.

*Dramatic chords*

There. That’s the pitch. This is Richard Berry latest movie, starring Jean Reno, Kad Merad, Jean Pierre Daroussin and Marina Foïs. It’s adapted from the eponym Franz-Olivier Giesbert's novel, narrating and improving the “thrilling” life of a real French mafia tycoon: Jacky Imbert.

To a certain extent Jean Jeno and Luc Besson will always be linked in the minds of film lovers.  Reno's performance as the lead in Besson's 1994 international breakout hit Leon (The Professional) made both of their reputations in North America but, surprisingly, they have scarcely worked together since. Since Leon Besson and Reno have been involved in only two films together - 2004's Crimson Rivers 2 and 2001's Wasabi - but a third title is about to be added to that list.

Produced by Besson's Europa Corp and directed by Richard Berry - a veteran actor who plays a part in the film as well as being credited with the screen play - upcoming crime drama L'Immortel (22 Bullets in the English speaking world) puts Besson back in the lead.

After a long, brutal and successful career in the Marseille mafia, Charly Matteï has gone straight. For three years, he has lived...

After sitting through the first fifteen minutes of “Couples Retreat”, I was beginning to wonder if acclaimed French actor Jean Reno had lost his edge. It’s a wretched movie, one that I honestly couldn’t bring myself to finish. The guy’s incredible when he’s in a picture that allows him to do this thing, but more often than not, he seems to be phoning his performances in front another universe altogether. That’s why I’m glad to see that his latest effort, Richard Berry’s 2010 thriller “L’immortel” (aka “22 Bullets”), allows the gifted actor to dip his toes into darker waters. Reno stars as former mafia tough guy who embarks on a mission to locate the rapscallion who plugged him full of holes. 22 holes, to be exact. The trio of teasers below are worthy of your attention, especially if you have fond memories of the actor’s earlier work.

Think you think of French actor Jean Reno you can’t help but hark back to those heady days of “Nikita” and “Leon” in the 90s, when he was a great actor playing very Bad men. Then the noughties arrived and it all went a little….well…wrong. That was then, this is now, and it seems he may be back on form with his latest work - a hard hitting Mafia, revenge, thriller - directed by Richard Berry, L'immortel (aka 22 bullets). The official site has just gone live so you can check out a very stylish (being French, would it be anything else?) the teaser trailer in Hi-def. L'immortel opens in France in March. Synopsis: After a long, brutal and successful career in the Marseille mafia, Charly Matteï has gone straight. For three years, he has lived a quiet life devoted to his wife and two young children. Then,...

Based on a best selling novel by Franz-Olivier Giesbert and directed by Richard Berry, L'immortel aka 22 Bullets stars Jean Reno. Reno plays Charly Matteï a former hit-man in the ranks of a Marseilles based crime syndicate. After three peaceful years in retirement, he is attacked and left for dead. 22 bullets hit their mark, but Charly lives and he's somewhat pissed.

www.limmortel-2010.com

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tags: action, french cinema, jean reno, trailer...

Oh hello? Is it possible? Could Jean Reno be making a come back? You know, that Jean Reno, the one that once starred in Nikita, The Professional and Ronin before going on to make a load of films so bad they’re not even worth mentioning.

It looks like there is light at the end of a very long and dark tunnel. Reno is signed on to star in 22 Bullets (L'Immortel) an actioner being directed by actor-turned-director Richard Berry (who is no stranger to working with Reno - the two have appeared together in a number of films) and adapted from Franz-Olivier Giesbert's bestselling novel. But why all the excitement? This is why:

After a long, brutal and successful career in the Marseille mafia, Charly Matteï has gone straight. For three years, he has lived a quiet life devoted to his wife and two young children. Then, one winter morning,...