"I'm here to answer all of your questions about Rampart." With that sly nod to Woody Harrelson's infamous fiasco of an internet Q&A, Molly Ringwald arguably won Reddit's Ask Me Anything (AMA) for all of eternity -- and that was even before she named Nights of Cabiria as her all-time favorite movie, answered Redditor memes with other memes, quoted American Psycho, and told tales about John Hughes and The Breakfast Club and applying lipstick with her boobs.
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The theatrical specialty release space has a new contender joining the fray. Chicago-based entertainment company MPI Media Group is launching a new theatrical distribution label with an initial slate of seven titles and have tapped veteran execs to spearhead operations. MPI's EVP Greg Newman will oversee the newly dubbed MPI Pictures, which will be led by former Wellspring co-chief and producer Marie Therese Guirgis who will serve as Head of Theatrical Distribution. Guirgis and Newman will attend the upcoming Cannes Film Market to acquire more titles for release under its label.
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Sad news out of Manhattan: Amos Vogel, whose championing of foreign and independent film changed the direction of modern cinema over the last half-century, has passed away. He was 91. Vogel's Cinema 16 events, introduced in 1947, battled censors and opened viewers' eyes to the likes of Roman Polanski, Yasujirō Ozu, Robert Bresson, John Cassavetes and scores of other auteurs — in some cases before the word "auteur" meant anything. He also co-founded the New York Film Festival, which this year celebrates its 50th anniversary as the city's leading light of movie culture.
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Unveiling 10 minutes of Hobbit footage in 3-D at the revolutionary frame rate of 48 frames per second (vs. the standard 24 fps), as Warner Bros. did Tuesday at CinemaCon, should have been the first big buzz moment for Peter Jackson's return to Middle Earth. The immediate reaction to the presentation, however, was anything but good news for the studio or for proponents of the kind of cutting-edge high frame rate cinema technology Jackson and folks like James Cameron and Douglas Trumbull have been championing as the future of film. Instead, it left members of the blogger corps. calling it "jarring," "non-cinematic," and "like a made for television BBC movie," predicting that audiences will be split in embracing the brave new advance.
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"He then began threatening the exhibitors to put his movie in their theaters, or else he said he might detonate imaginary bombs underneath their seats. 'Is that chewing gum underneath your seat? Certainly they are not plastic explosives,' he teased. 'Trust me, there are bigger bombs in John Carter. Just shoot the executive behind that. Oh — wait, you did,' he said, referring to [Rich] Ross's recent departure from Disney. But perhaps the harshest zinger was aimed at Steven Spielberg's DreamWorks. To urge CinemaCon attendees to see a screening of The Dictator later Monday evening, Cohen promised free Rolexes, blood diamonds, and young girls — 'or boys, if you are from DreamWorks.'" [LAT]
This Friday Jason Statham charges into theaters as a cage-fighting ex-NYPD officer who protects a 12-year-old Chinese girl from the Triads, the Russian mob, and corrupt city officials in Boaz Yakin's throwback actioner Safe. So what better way to celebrate the stone-cold suaveness of Britain's most bad-ass action export than by penning a 10-word review of any one of his films? Transport yourself into Statham mode, crank up the chaos, and expend your best critique for your chance to snatch up the grand prize. UPDATE: Contest is now closed. Read the winning 10-word review!
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Twilight fans need to hear just one word to understand why this rather standard-looking pillow is going for thousands on Ebay: "Feathers." Yes, that's right -- the prop pillow that Edward Cullen shredded during his in flagrante honeymoon sexing with Bella Swan in The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1 is up for auction by the prop reseller Hollywood Parts, which guarantees the authenticity of the item with this lovely detail: "Make up stains from the main actors can be seen on the pillow." (Butter-colored, I presume?) Somehow it's still available for the low, low Buy It Now price of $2,999.99. And I thought shoes from the future were a good investment... [eBay via Examiner]
In an interview with EW, Lone Ranger co-star Johnny Depp explained the startling new look of his character, Tonto, who wears feathers and black and white face paint but, more importantly, has a bird sitting on his head. Inspiration came from a painting entitled "I Am Crow" by artist Kirby Sattler: "It seemed to me like you could almost see the separate sections of the individual, if you know what I mean," Depp said. Nobody knows what this means, but sure. WHAT ABOUT THE BIRD??
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Don't let the overseas Battleship hype fool you: "Allen's Rome-set pic, consisting of four non-intersecting vignettes, one of which starring Roberto Benigni — making a rare appearance in a film not directed by himself — pulled more alone than the total weekend gross of the five titles that follow it in Italy's weekend box office chart: Battleship, Titanic 3D, Street Dance 2, Mirror Mirror and The Intouchables, which together totaled $3.54 million this weekend. 'The combined effect of Allen and Benigni proved to be huge magnet,' said one Italo exhibber." Related: I am totally calling my next band Italo Exhibber. [Variety
Movieline received many varied submissions in our John Cusack-themed 10-word review contest, inspired by films from Say Anything... to Grosse Pointe Blank to Bullets Over Broadway and beyond. "Alas!" quoth the raven. "There can only be one winner!" (That's how the old Edgar Allan Poe saying goes, right?) Hit the jump to read the winning submission and congratulate the lucky Movieliner that gets to attend the L.A. premiere of Cusack's The Raven next week.
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After today's big Rich Ross news, I can't pass up the chance to share a Rick Ross item. As in "Freeway" Rick Ross, the notorious '80s drug lord with ties to Iran-Contra/social networking guru/film producer who has a Nick Cassavetes-penned biopic in the works (not to be confused with Rick Ro$$ the rapper). It's early yet, but with Scarface producer Martin Bregman allegedly interested, the former drug kingpin gave Shadow & Act an update on the project.
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Okay, Terryl Whitlatch: We'll forgive you now for Jar Jar Binks. Take a gander at the neat-o sketches by the illustrator and Lucasfilm creature creator (who's responsible for concocting the most annoying character known to the Star Wars universe and maybe mankind) in which members of Marvel's The Avengers are re-envisioned... as dinosaurs. Why not?
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After two and a half years running Disney, during which time the Mouse House released hits like Pirates of the Caribbean 4, Alice in Wonderland, Toy Story 3, The Muppets, and The Help -- but also a string of disappointments topped by last month's quarter-billion dollar bomb John Carter -- studio head Rich Ross is out. "The best people need to be in the right jobs, in roles they are passionate about, doing work that leverages the full range of their abilities," Ross said in a statement. "It's one of the leadership lessons I've learned during my career, and it's something I've been giving a great deal of thought to as I look at the challenges and opportunities ahead... I no longer believe the Chairman role is the right professional fit for me." [Deadline]
You've likely spotted a new byline on Movieline in recent days, one that's overdue for a formal introduction: Welcome Brian Brooks, our new managing editor, to the ML family!
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LAPD detective Brett Goodkin helped bring down the infamous "Bling Ring" of young thieves who lifted jewels and other valuables from the homes of the Hollywood elite (and Paris Hilton). That made him an ideal consultant for Sofia Coppola's dramatization of the affair, currently underway with Emma Watson (pictured on set) in the leading role. Well, sort of ideal, except for one huge conflict of interest.
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