Movie & TV News

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Sweet Land (2006)

When Lars Torvik's grandmother Inge dies in 2004, he is faced with a decision--sell the family farm on which she lived since 1920, or cling to the legacy of the land. Seeking advice, he turns to the memory of Inge and the stories that she had passed on to him. Inge arrives in Minnesota in 1920 to marry a young Norwegian farmer named Olaf but her German heritage and lack of official immigration papers...

Genres: Drama

Running Time: 1 hr. 50 min.

Release Date: October 13th, 2006 (limited)

MPAA Rating: PG for brief partial nudity and mild language.

Distributors: Forward Entertainment

Cast and Credits

Starring: Alan Cumming, Ned Beatty, Lois Smith, Tim Guinee, Elizabeth Reaser
Directed by: Ali Selim
Produced by: Gill Holland, Lillian Lasalle, Terry Moore (II)

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Little Miss Sunshine (2006)

The Hoover family treks from Albuquerque to the Little Miss Sunshine pageant in Redondo Beach, California, to fulfill the deepest wish of 7-year-old Olive, an ordinary little girl with big dreams. Along the way the family must deal with crushed dreams, heartbreaks, and a broken-down VW bus, leading up to the surreal Little Miss Sunshine competition itself. On their travels through this bizarre landscape,...

Running Time: 1 hr. 41 min.

Release Date: July 26th, 2006 (limited)

MPAA Rating: R for language, some sex and drug content.

Distributors: Fox Searchlight Pictures

Cast and Credits

Starring: Steve Carell, Greg Kinnear, Toni Collette, Alan Arkin, Paul Dano
Directed by: Valerie Faris, Jonathan Dayton
Produced by: Jeb Brody, Michael Beugg, David T. Friendly

[Rasputin]

کارلو پونتی، تهيه کننده سينما و همسر سوفيا لورن، بازيگر شهير ايتاليايی به سن 94 سالگی در شهر جنوا در شمال ايتاليا درگذشت.
بسياری از فيلمهای معتبر تاريخ سينما مانند جاده (فدريکو فلينی)، دکتر ژيواگو (ديويد لين) و آگرانديسمان ( ميکل آنجلو آنتونيونی) نام او را به عنوان تهيه کننده بر خود دارند.

در بيانيه ای که از سوی خانواده آقای پونتی منتشر شده، آمده است که او 10 روز پيش به دليل مشکلات ريوی در بيمارستان بستری شد.

الساندرا موسولينی، خواهر زاده سوفيا لورن گفت: " او شب گذشته (سه شنبه) درگذشت. مرگ آرامی داشت و مشکل خاصی وجود نداشت. همسر و فرزندانش در کنارش بودند. سوفيا (لورن) هميشه با او بود."


کارلو پونتی و سوفيا لورن در سال 1976

او در سال 1957 با سوفيا لورن 22 ساله ازدواج کرد که چندی بعد به دليل اينکه کليسای کاتوليک، طلاق پونتی را از ازدواج نخستش نپذيرفت، ازدواجش با لورن شکل رسمی به خود نگرفت و باطل اعلام شد.

مدتها طول کشيد تا پونتی بتواند از پرونده ای حقوقی که او را متهم به دو همسری می کرد، رهايی يابد.

اين دو نهايتا در سال 1966 و اين بار به عنوان شهروندان فرانسوی ازدواج کردند.

پونتی بار ديگر در اواخر سالهای 1970 و اوايل 1980 پايش به دادگاه ها کشيده شد. جعل اسناد، اختلاس و خروج غير قانونی ارز و عتيقه از جمله اتهامات او بود.

او در دادگاه محکوم شناخته شد؛ ويلايش مصادره و محکوم به تحمل حبس و پرداخت جريمه سنگينی شد. تابعيت فرانسوی او از استرداد او به ايتاليا برای اجرای احکامش جلوگيری کرد. هر چند بعدا تقريبا از تمام اتهامات تبرئه شد

کشف يک ستاره


پونتی برای تهيه دکتر ژيواگو نامزد دريافت اسکار بهترين فيلم شد

پونتی، لورن را نخستين بار زمانی ديد که هر دو در يک مسابقه ملکه زيبايی شرکت کرده بودند؛ پونتی 37 ساله داور مسابقه ای بود که سوفيای 15 ساله در آن با ديگران رقابت می کرد.

او مقدمات ستاره شدن سوفيا را آماده کرد؛ از فراگيری فن بازيگری گرفته تا آموختن درس زبان انگليسی.

پونتی نام او را نيز از سوفيا لاتزارو به سوفيا لورن تغيير داد و جايگاه او را به عنوان بازيگر فيلمهای کم هزينه ايتاليايی تثبيت کرد.

نقطه اوج فعاليت حرفه ای هر دو تقريبا همزمان بود. در سال 1962 سوفيا لورن برای بازی در فيلم دو زن به تهيه کنندگی پونتی، اسکار بهترين بازيگر زن نقش مکمل را برد و چهار سال بعد پونتی برای تهيه فيلم دکتر ژيواگو نامزد اسکار شد.

گذرگاه کاساندرا، بوکاچو 70، پول خون و زابريسکی پوينت از ديگر فيلمهای مهم اين تهيه کننده سينما بود.

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Shut Up & Sing (2006)

On stage at a 2003 London concert, Natalie Maines, lead singer of Texan trio the Dixie Chicks, spoke these 15 words to a small audience at the start of their sold-out international tour: "Just so you know, we're ashamed the president of the United States is from Texas." The comment was delivered on the eve of the American invasion of Iraq, and drew cheers from the decidedly anti-war and anti-Bush British...

Genres: Documentary, Musical/Performing Arts and Politics/Religion

Running Time: 1 hr. 39 min.

Release Date: October 27th, 2006 (limited)

MPAA Rating: R for language.

Distributors: The Weinstein Company

Cast and Credits

Starring: Natalie Maines, Martie Maguire, Emily Robison, Simon Renshaw
Directed by: Barbara Kopple, Cecilia Peck
Produced by: Daniel Voll, David Pritchard, Jim Czarnecki

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Shortbus (2006)

An urban dramedy that follows a varied group of seven people, among them a dominatrix and a sex therapist, as they navigate between the paths of sex and love in modern day New York City.

Genres: Comedy and Drama

Running Time: 1 hr. 42 min.

Release Date: October 4th, 2006 (limited)

MPAA Rating: Not Rated

Distributors: ThinkFilm

Cast and Credits

Starring: Sook Yin Lee, Lindsay Beamish, Raphael Barker, Jay Brannan, Justin Bond
Directed by: John Cameron Mitchell
Produced by: Wouter Barendrecht, Michael J. Werner (II), Alexis Fish

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Riding Alone for Thousands of Miles (2006)

For the first time in many years, Takata Gou-ichi takes the bullet train to Tokyo from the quiet fisherman's village where he lives on the northwest coast of Japan. His daughter-in-law, Rie, had telephoned to tell him that his son, Ken-ichi is seriously ill, and asking for his father. But when he arrives in the city, Takata finds that Rie was not entirely truthful: Ken-ichi has been hospitalized, but...

Genres: Art/Foreign and Drama

Running Time: 1 hr. 48 min.

Release Date: September 1st, 2006 (limited)

MPAA Rating: Not Rated

Distributors: Sony Pictures Classics

Cast and Credits

Starring: Ken Takakura, Qiu Lin, Li Jiamin, Shinobu Terajima, Kiichi Nakai (II)
Directed by: Yimou Zhang
Produced by: Xiu Jian (II), Zhang Weiping, Bill Kong

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Rocky Balboa (2006)

Former heavyweight champion Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) steps out of retirement and back into the ring, pitting himself against a new rival decades after his initial glory. When a computer simulated boxing match declares Rocky Balboa the victor over current champion Mason "The Line" Dixon, the legendary fighter's passion and spirit are reignited. But when his desire to fight in small, regional...

Genres: Action/Adventure, Drama, Sequel and Sports

Running Time: 102 min.

Release Date: December 20th, 2006 (wide)

MPAA Rating: PG for boxing violence and some language.

Distributors: MGM Distribution Company

Cast and Credits

Starring: Sylvester Stallone, Burt Young, Milo Ventimiglia, Antonio Tarver, Geraldine Hughes
Directed by: Sylvester Stallone
Produced by: Irwin Winkler, Robert Chartoff, Sylvester Stallone

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Curse of the Golden Flower (2006)

A period high drama that concerns the volatile balance of power between the King and the Queen and his three sons, which entails betrayal, deceit and passion--pitting the King against Queen and father against sons.

Genres: Art/Foreign, Drama, Romance and Adaptation

Running Time: 1 hr. 54 min.

Release Date: December 22nd, 2006 (limited)

MPAA Rating: R for violence.

Distributors: Sony Pictures Classics

Cast and Credits

Starring: Chow Yun-Fat, Gong Li, Liu Ye, Chen Jin, Jay Chou
Directed by: Yimou Zhang
Produced by: Bill Kong, Zhang Weiping, Zhang Zhenyan

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The Dead Girl (2006)

The murdered body of a young woman named Krista is found by Arden, a lonesome caretaker living with her irascible mother. This leads to Leah, a forensics graduate student whose sister went missing as a child, stumbling upon possible closure when Krista's body appears on her gurney. The story continues with Ruth, who in the midst of a long and intense love/hate relationship with her husband, discovers...

Genres: Drama and Thriller

Running Time: 1 hr. 25 min.

Release Date: December 29th, 2006 (limited)

MPAA Rating: R for language, grisly images and sexuality/nudity.

Distributors: First Look Pictures

Cast and Credits

Starring: Brittany Murphy, Toni Collette, Piper Laurie, Giovanni Ribisi, Rose Byrne
Directed by: Karen Moncrieff
Produced by: David Scott Rubin, Eric Reid (III), Terry A. McKay

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The Hitcher (2007)

Grace Andrews and Jim Halsey are a collegiate couple who are tormented by the mysterious hitchhiker John Ryder, a.k.a. The Hitcher. The young couple hit the road in a 1970 Oldsmobile 442, en route to spring break. But their pleasure trip soon turns into a waking nightmare. The initial encounters with Ryder are increasingly off-putting for Grace and Jim, and they bravely fight back when he ambushes...

Genres: Suspense/Horror, Thriller and Remake

Release Date: January 19th, 2007 (wide)

MPAA Rating: R for strong bloody violence, terror and language.

Distributors: Rogue Pictures (Focus)

Cast and Credits

Starring: Sean Bean, Sophia Bush, Zachary Knighton, Kyle Davis, Neal McDonough
Directed by: Dave Meyers
Produced by: Michael Bay, Andrew Form, Brad Fuller

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Arthur and the Invisibles (2006)

Ten-year-old Arthur has a lot on his plate: a real estate developer is about to snap up his grandma's home--and there's no way Arthur's going to hang around for his parents or grandparents to sort out the problem. Maybe the solution lies in his grandpa's treasure, which is hidden somewhere on the "other side" in the land of the Minimoys. The creatures that inhabit this world are just a tenth of an...

Genres: Art/Foreign, Kids/Family, Science Fiction/Fantasy, Animation and Adaptation

Running Time: 1 hr. 34 min.

Release Date: December 15th, 2006 (LA); January 12th, 2007 (wide)

MPAA Rating: PG for fantasy action and brief suggestive material.

Distributors: The Weinstein Company

Cast and Credits

Starring: Freddie Highmore, Mia Farrow, Calvin 'Snoop Dogg' Broadus, David Bowie, Penny Balfour
Directed by: Luc Besson
Produced by: Luc Besson, Emmanuel Prevost, Stephane Lecomte

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Stomp the Yard (2007)

DJ, a troubled youth from Los Angeles attending the historically black Truth University in Atlanta, Georgia. When adapting to his new environment proves difficult, DJ finds solace in joining a struggling fraternity where he begins implementing his street-style dance moves in an attempt to help the step team win the coveted National Step Show Championship. Before long DJ becomes the competing fraternity's...

Genres: Drama, Musical/Performing Arts and Teen

Running Time: 1 hr. 54 min.

Release Date: January 12th, 2007 (wide)

MPAA Rating: PG-13 for a scene of violence, some sexual material and language.

Distributors: Sony Pictures Releasing

Cast and Credits

Starring: Columbus Short, Brian J. White, Ne-Yo , Meagan Good, Darrin DeWitt Henson
Directed by: Sylvain White
Produced by: Rob Hardy, William Packer

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Unaccompanied Minors (2006)

It's Christmas Eve and a huge blizzard has just shut down the airport, threatening to ruin holiday plans for all stranded travelers. Snowed in en route to their father's house, two "Unaccompanied Minors"--dubbed UMs--Spencer and his little sister, Katherine, are ushered to the airport's Unaccompanied Minors Room, a holding cell for dozens of stranded, parent-free kids from all over the country. Caught...

Genres: Comedy, Kids/Family and Adaptation

Release Date: December 8th, 2006 (wide)

MPAA Rating: PG for mild rude humor and language.

Distributors: Warner Bros. Pictures Distribution

Cast and Credits

Starring: Wilmer Valderrama, Dyllan Christopher, Gina Mantegna, Quinn Shephard, Tyler J. Williams
Directed by: Paul Feig
Produced by: Ira Glass, Julie Snyder, Michael Lambert (III)

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For Your Consideration (2006)

Debut feature director Jay Berman steers cast and crew through a typically tumultuous independent film "Home for Purim," an intimate period drama about a Jewish family's turbulent reunion on the occasion of the dying matriarch's favorite holiday. When Internet-generated rumors begin circulating that three of the film's stars--faded luminary Marilyn Hack, journeyman actor and former hot dog pitchman...

Genres: Comedy

Running Time: 1 hr. 26 min.

Release Date: November 17th, 2006 (limited)

MPAA Rating: PG-13 for sexual references and brief language.

Distributors: Warner Independent Pictures

Cast and Credits

Starring: Catherine O'Hara, Eugene Levy, Harry Shearer, Christopher Guest, John Michael Higgins
Directed by: Christopher Guest
Produced by: Karen Murphy

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Tears of the Black Tiger (2007)

The tale of the ill-fated love affair between the bandit Black Tiger and the well-born lady Rumpoey. They have known each other since childhood, but her father has engaged her to marry Police Captain Kumjorn--who is charged with destroying the gang of which Black Tiger is a member. At one point Black Tiger very sportingly saves Kumjorn's life. As the wedding day approaches, will Kumjorn be man enough...

Genres: Action/Adventure, Art/Foreign, Drama, Romance and Western

Running Time: 1 hr. 50 min.

Release Date: January 12, 2007 (limited)

Distributors: Miramax Films, Magnolia Pictures

Cast and Credits

Starring: Chartchai Ngamsan, Stella Malucchi, Suppakorn Kitsuwan, Arawat Ruangvuth, Pairoj Jaisingha
Directed by: Wisit Sasanatieng
Produced by: Pracha Maleenont, Brian L. Marcar, Adirek Watleela