"The Double" On Blu-ray and DVD - January 31, 2012

The 2011 spy thriller, "The Double", from VVS Films, will be released on a DVD/Blu-ray combo pack, On Demand and Digital Download, January 31, 2012, in both English and French.

From a screenplay by Michael Brandt and Derek Haas, the co-writers of "Wanted" and "3:10 To Yuma", "The Double" is Brandt's directorial debut.

Cast includes Richard Gere, Martin Sheen, Topher Grace and Odette Yustman-Annabel :

"...when a US Senator is killed, the evidence points to a Soviet assassin code-named 'Cassius', who was long-thought to be dead.

"'Paul Shepherdson' (Gere), a retired CIA operative is paired with FBI Agent 'Ben Geary' (Grace), to stop Cassius before he finds his next target..."

Click the images to enlarge and Sneak Peek "The Double"...

2012: Enter The "Dragon Lady"

In celebration of the Chinese 'Year Of The Dragon', Sneak Peek creator Milton Caniff's 'Dragon Lady' character from the classic action adventure newspaper comic strip "Terry and the Pirates".

The character was based on a real woman pirate from the South China Sea named 'Lai Choi San'.

Inspired by movie characters played by actress Anna May Wong, the 'Dragon Lady' term has since been applied to powerful Asian women.

Caniff's 'Dragon Lady', aka 'Madam Deal', debuted in in the first "Terry and The Pirates" Sunday strip story (1934), as a beautiful, yet cold seductress, who unexpectedly fell in love with 'Pat Ryan'. In the years leading up to World War II, she organized the resistance against the Japanese invasion of China.

During the 1940's, actress Agnes Moorehead played the character on radio and in the "Terry and the Pirates" film serial (1940), the part was played by Sheila Darcy.

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"Coriolanus" Opens in Canada January 20, 2012

D Films reports that actor/director Ralph Fiennes’ feature film "Coriolanus" will open theatrically in Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal, January 20th, 2012 with further expansion across Canada TBA:

"...a feared and revered military commander courts tragedy when he enters the political arena in "Coriolanus', a driving action/drama that marks the directorial debut of the film’s star, two time Academy Award nominee Ralph Fiennes.

"Updating William Shakespeare’s late-period tragedy of ancient Roman setting to the 21st Century of guerrilla insurgencies, instant polling and 24-hour news networks, Fiennes delivers a trenchant tale of honor, power, politics and pride.

"'Caius Martius 'Coriolanus' (Fiennes), a Roman General is at odds with the city of Rome and his fellow citizens. Pushed by his controlling and ambitious mother 'Volumnia' (Vanessa Redgrave) to seek the exalted and powerful position of 'Consul', he is loath to ingratiate himself with the masses whose votes he needs in order to secure the office.

"When the public refuse to support him, Coriolanus' anger prompts a riot which culminates in his expulsion from Rome. The banished hero then allies himself with his sworn enemy 'Tullus Aufidius' (Gerard Butler) to take his revenge on the city..."

Click the images to enlarge and Sneak Peek "Coriolanus"...

"Tyrannosaur" Opens in Toronto- January 27, 2012

D Films reports that actor Paddy Considine’s award-winning first feature directorial debut, "Tyrannosaur", winner of three 2011 British Independent Film Awards, including Best British Independent Film, Best Debut Director and Best Actress (Olivia Colman), will open theatrically in Toronto, January 27th, 2012 :

"...'Joseph' (Peter Mullan) is a man plagued by violence and a rage that is driving him to self-destruction. As his life spirals into turmoil a chance of redemption appears in the form of 'Hannah' (Olivia Colman), a Christian charity shop worker. Their relationship develops to reveal that Hannah is hiding a secret of her own..."

"Tyrannosaur" was also the winner of the 2011 Sundance World Cinema Awards for Best Director and Best Acting for both Peter Mullan and Olivia Colman.

Click the images to enlarge and Sneak Peek "Tyrannosaur"...

Kinosmith Presents "The Divide" - January 20, 2012

Kinosmith presents director Xavier Gens' post-apocalyptic thriller, "The Divide", opening in Toronto, Friday, January 20, 2012 @ the Scotiabank Theatre .

The Canadian co-production starring Michael Biehn, Milo Ventimiglia, Michael Eklund, and Rosanna Arquette was shot in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

The theatrical cut, running close to 2 hours, contains 13 minutes of additional footage not included in the version that screened at festivals in 2011 :

"...nine strangers—all tenants of a New York high rise apartment—escape a nuclear attack by hiding out in the building’s bunker-like basement. Trapped for days underground with no hope for rescue, and only unspeakable horrors awaiting them on the other side of the bunker door, the group begins to descend into madness, each turning on one another.

"As supplies dwindle, and tensions flare, each act against one another becomes more depraved than the next. While everyone in the bunker allows themselves to be overcome by desperation and lose their humanity, one survivor holds onto a thin chance for escape even with no promise of salvation on the outside..."

Click the images to enlarge and Sneak Peek "The Divide"...

Russell Crowe In CBC's "Republic Of Doyle" - Tonight !

Oscar winning actor Russell Crowe ("Gladiator") guest-stars on the third season premiere of CBC's St. John's Newfoundland-based, private eye, comic-drama TV series "Republic of Doyle", airing January 11, 2012 @ 9 PM.

Co-created by by series' star Allan Hawco, "Doyle" will feature Crowe as a gang member alongside actors Kevin Durand, Scott Grimes and Great Big Sea singer Alan Doyle.

"Republic of Doyle" has been sold to dozens of international markets, with downtown St. John's as the backdrop for many of the plotlines.

"It was never my intention to sort of make a tourism ad," said Hawco. "I just wanted to show the city in its most beautiful light and the way that I've always seen it."

Click the images to enlarge and Sneak Peek Russell Crowe in "Republic Of Doyle"...

CW Gets Behind "The L.A. Complex"

The CW has acquired Bell Media's "The L.A. Complex," a six-part hour-long drama about "...the lives of six, sexy young performers pursuing their dreams in Hollywood", from Toronto-based executive producers Linda Schuyler and Stephen Stohn of Epitome Pictures ("Degrassi").

The show will debut on CW, spring 2012 and premiere in Canada on Bell Media's MuchMusic, Tuesday, January 10, 2012 :

"...'The L.A. Complex' is a dramatic look into the lives of six young performers striving for stardom in Hollywood. Living in an apartment-style motel for displaced dreamers, they now face the challenges and opportunities of a lifetime in the City of Angels. For every bona fide starlet, there are countless cocktail waitresses. For every true rock star, there are hundreds of buskers on the pier. For every comedian with a hit sitcom, there are dozens of guys cracking jokes while pouring your coffee. In LA your life can change in the blink of an eye. On Monday, you might score some face-time with a big-shot producer. On Wednesday, you might sign that multi-million dollar contract you've been dreaming of, but, until then, one thing is for sure: every month, the rent is due..."

"The L.A. Complex" is directed by Martin Gero and Stefan Brogren, written by Gero, Aaron Abrams, Matt Huether, Cole Bastedo, Karen Hill, and Brendan Gall.

Click the images to enlarge and Sneak Peek "The L.A. Complex"...

'Alice' Delivers Some "Re5ident Evil: Retribution"

Screen Gems have added a numeral '5' to the title of the upcoming Toronto-lensed 3D feature "Re5ident Evil: Retribution", directed by Paul W.S. Anderson, starring Milla Jovovich :

"...the deadly 'T-virus' from the 'Umbrella Corporation' continues to ravage the Earth, transforming the global population into legions of the 'Undead'. The human race’s last and only hope, 'Alice' (Jovovich), awakens in the heart of Umbrella's most clandestine operations facility and unveils more of her mysterious past as she delves further into the complex.

"Without a safe haven, Alice continues to hunt those responsible for the outbreak; a chase that takes her from Tokyo to New York, Washington, D.C. and Moscow, culminating in a mind-blowing revelation that will force her to rethink everything that she once thought to be true. Aided by newfound allies and familiar friends, Alice must fight to survive long enough to escape a hostile world on the brink of oblivion..."

Based on the Capcom video games, director Anderson first came to the "Resident Evil" movie series as writer/director of "Resident Evil" (2002), then writer/producer of "Resident Evil: Apocalypse" (2004) and "Resident Evil: Extinction" (2007). He directed the fourth Toronto-lensed installment, "Resident Evil: Afterlife" (2010) in 3D.

'The Umbrella Corporation' acts as the main antagonist in the series, a company responsible for a 'zombie apocalypse' as a result of the creation of the 'T-Virus'. 'Alice' (Jovovich), who was once a security operative working for Umbrella is granted super-human abilities after being tested on by Umbrella. Through her battle with the corporation, she eventually meets with the main antagonist, 'Chairman Albert Wesker' (Shawn Roberts).

The franchise of movies have collectively earned $700 million worldwide on budgets totalling $183 million.

Sony will release the new film, Sept. 14, 2012.

Click the images to enlarge and Sneak Peek "Re5ident Evil: Retribution"...

NBC Universal Takes Over Toronto

NBC Universal studios is currently producing five TV series in Ontario, with the Liberal government's 'all-spend' 25% tax credit a deciding factor.

US series include "Alphas", starting up again mid-March 2012, the third season of "Covert Affairs", shooting March to October 2012, "Warehouse 13" and the second season of "Suits".

Syfy's video game-linked pilot "Defiance" will also shoot in the city in 2012, produced by Universal Cable Productions and written by Rockne S. O’Bannon :

"...set on a future Earth, "Defiance" introduces players and viewers to a world where humans and aliens live together on a planet transformed by decades of conflict. The game combines the intense action of a console shooter, with the persistence, scale, and customization of an MMO, while its TV counterpart weaves the rich tapestry of the world into a series with the scope, characters, and drama of a classic sci-fi epic. Because they exist in a single universe, the show and the game will influence each other and evolve together over time, with actions in both mediums driving the overall story..."

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IMAX : Think Big

Toronto-based IMAX Corp., with headquarters in Los Angeles and New York, now has as many as 500 IMAX theaters in 48 countries, with a focus on China, where IMAX plans to increase its screens to 100 in 2012, up from 58 in 2011.

To keep bringing in audiences, IMAX plans to sign more deals with studios for IMAX preview screenings and cameras. The cameras make it possible to expand the sequences to fill an entire IMAX screen.

"The Amazing Spider-Man", "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" and "The Dark Knight Rises", will all be released in the IMAX format in 2012.

In a deal with Eastman Kodak Co., laser projection technology will allow IMAX to install digital projectors at its biggest screens and at domed screens "...to show films with more light and more colors..."

Strong results for "Transformers: Dark of the Moon" and "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2", enabled third-quarter box office receipts to rise 53 percent to $149 million in 2011.

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