Cronenberg Plugs Back Into "Videodrome"

The start of year-long programming @ Toronto's TIFF Bell Lightbox, will include a live appearance from Toronto-based director David Cronenberg, Thursday, September 23, 2010 at 9:15pm and Friday, September 24, 2010 at 9:30pm, introducing a special screening of his 1983, science fiction thriller "Videodrome".

"Videodrome", written/directed by Cronenberg, was loosely-inspired by Moses Znaimer's 1970's soft-core 'Baby Blue' porno programming @ Toronto's CITY-TV (before Znaimer declared himself a genius, programming music videos supplied free of charge by MTV).

The Toronto-lensed "Videodrome", starring James Woods, Sonja Smits, and singer Deborah Harry, followed the CEO of a small cable station who stumbles upon a broadcast signal that causes brain damaging hallucinations. As 'Max' gets closer to discovering the origins of the signal, he gets sucked into a world of sadomasochistic sex, left-wing conspiracies and physical transformations.

"...'Max Renn' (Woods) is the president of CIVIC-TV, a sleazy Toronto UHF television station specializing in exploitation programming. Displeased with his station's current lineup of mostly softcore pornography, he is summoned to the office of 'Harlan' (Peter Dvorsky), who operates CIVIC-TV's satellite dish which can pirate broadcasts.

"Harlan shows him 'Videodrome', a plotless television show apparently broadcast out of Malaysia, depicting the torture of anonymous victims in a bizarre, reddish-orange chamber. Believing this to be the future of television, Max orders Harlan to begin pirating the show.

"Appearing on a talk show, Max defends his station's programming choices to 'Nikki Brand' (Harry), a psychiatrist and 'Professor Brian O'Blivion' (Jack Creley), a pop-culture analyst and philosopher, who hijacks the interview and rants about a future where TV supplants real life.

"Max dates Nikki and has sex with her while as they watch an episode of 'Videodrome', broadcast out of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, not Malyasia. Nikki, eager to audition for the show, goes to Pittsburgh, but when she fails to return to Toronto, Max contacts 'Masha' (Lynne Gorman), a feminist with long-standing ties to the porn community and asks her to help him find out the truth about Videodrome..."

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

Veninger Sells "MODRA" to Mongrel

Following its world premiere @ TIFF, September 15, Canadian-based writer/producer/director Ingrid Veninger's new feature "MODRA", "a snapshot of repressed teen desire and confusion" has sold off Canadian distribution rights to Mongrel Media.

"...'Lina' (Hallie Switzer) is 17 years old and lives in Toronto with her mother. For one week during the summer holidays she plans to visit her extended family in 'Modra', a small town in Slovakia. When Lina is dumped by her boyfriend, she invites 'Leco', a boy from school, to accompany her instead. Not long after arriving in Modra, Lina and Leco discover they have little in common. To make matters worse, Lina's family mistakenly assumes they’re a couple. So far from home, they are forced to confront one another, setting off an unconventional romance..."

Born in Bratislava, and raised in Canada, Veninger is a graduate of the Canadian Film Centre (CFC).

"MODRA" is a pUNK films production produced with the participation of Telefilm Canada.

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

Image Picks Up Glazer's "Passion Play"

As TIFF 2010 wrapped up in Toronto, (excluding many of our Jewish film-making friends, by scheduling Gala screenings and parties during the solemn 'High Holidays' of 'Rosh Hashanah' and 'Yom Kippur'), Image Entertainment managed to finalize their US distribution acquisition of the dramatic thriller "Passion Play", director Mitch Glazer's debut feature, starring Mickey Rourke ("The Wrestler", Megan Fox ("Transformers"), Bill Murray ("Ghostbusters") and Bud Cort ("Harold And Maude").

Set in 1950's Los Angeles, "Passion Play" follows jazz trumpeter 'Nate' (Rourke), who is targeted by underworld boss 'Happy Shannon' (Murray). Rourke manages to elude Shannon, finding solace in the company of 'Lily' (Fox), a circus, side-show 'freak' with wings, that is the main attraction at a Mexican carnival.

"...When a jazz trumpeter is taken to the desert, with a gun held to his head, we are at the beginning of a fable about romance and dreams. When he meets a beautiful woman who works as the 'Bird Woman' in a circus, he falls madly in love and persuades her to run away with him only to find that life is a little more complicated than simply living one’s fantasies..."

"Passion Play" is produced by Daniel Dubiecki, Megan Ellison, Jonah Hirsch and Rebecca Wang.

Click the images to enlarge and Sneak Peek "Passion Play"...

Sneak Peek "Kick-Ass 2: Balls To The Wall"

Sneak Peek the cover to Marvel Comics' "Kick-Ass 2: Balls To The Wall", the 32-page comic book sequel to the Toronto-lensed feature "Kick-Ass", from writer Mark Millar and artist John Romita Jr., available October 6, 2010.

"...As everybody's favorite psychotic 11-year-old, 'Hit Girl', trains 'Kick-Ass' to be...well, a bad-ass, 'Red Mist' gathers a team of super-villains to take them down..."

Click the images to enlarge and Sneak Peek "Kick-Ass"...

"The King's Speech" Rules @ TIFF

Director Tom Hooper's British/Australian feature "The King's Speech" won the 'fan fave' award @ TIFF 2010 September 19, starring actors Colin Firth as a stammering 'King George VI', Geoffrey Rush as his Australian speech therapist and Helena Bonham Carter as the 'Queen Mother'.

Quebec director Denis Villeneuve's French-language family drama, "Incendies," was named best Canadian film, winning a $30,000 prize, as well as a US pickup with Sony Pictures. "Incedies" is based on the 2003 play by Montreal playwright Wajdi Mouawad.

Canadian director Deborah Chow won $15,000 for 'the best first feature' with her bilingual drama "The High Cost of Living," starring Zach Braff as a drug dealer and Isabelle Blais as a pregnant Montrealer.

Other TIFF winners included Sturla Gunnarsson's "Force of Nature: The David Suzuki Movie", Vincent Biron's "Les Fleurs de l'age" and Jim Mickle's "Stake Land" (USA).

Click the images to enlarge and Sneak Peek "The King's Speech"...

...

Willis and Mirren Are Very Well "Red"

Sneak Peek DC comics newest Wildstorm issues, picturing actors Bruce Willis and Helen Mirren, supporting Summit Entertainment's upcoming release of the Toronto-lensed, comic book adaptation "Red".

The cast of the "Red"movie, also includes Mary-Louise Parker ("Weeds") , Morgan Freeman ("Unforgiven")", Karl Urban, Brian Cox, Richard Dreyfuss ("The Goodbye Girl"), Ernest Borgnine ("The Wild Bunch"), Julian McMahon, James Remar ("The Warriors") and Rebecca Pidgeon.

"...Red is the story of 'Frank Moses' (Willis), a former black-ops CIA agent, who is now living a quiet life. That is, until the day a hi-tech assassin shows up intent on killing him. With his identity compromised and the life of the woman he cares for, Sarah (Parker), endangered, Frank reassembles his old team (Freeman, Malkovich and Mirren) in a last ditch effort to survive..."

Directed by Robert Schwentke ("The Time Traveler's Wife") from a screenplay by Jon Hoeber and Erich Hoeber ("Whiteout"), "Red" is produced by di Bonaventura Pictures' Lorenzo di Bonaventura and Mark Vahradian ("Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen").

Executive producers are Jake Myers ("Hollywoodland"") and Gregory Noveck ("Jonah Hex"). Di Bonaventura Pictures' production exec David Ready is co-producer.

"Red" reunites Schwentke with DP Florian Ballhaus ("Marley & Me") and Oscar-winning editor Thom Noble ("Thelma & Louise") .

"Red" is scheduled for release, October 15, 2010.

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

Lionsgate Digs "Rabbit Hole"

In another major film acquisition @ TIFF, Lionsgate has picked up North American rights to the drama "Rabbit Hole", targeting a December 2010 release in time for awards season.

Directed by John Cameron Mitchell, the film is based on David Lindsay-Abaire's Pulitzer Prize-winning play, produced by and starring actress Nicole Kidman ("Eyes Wide Shut").

Additional producers include Olympus Productions' Leslie Urdang, Dean Vanech and Odd Lot Entertainment's Gigi Pritzker.

"...'Howie' (Aaron Eckhart) and 'Becca Corbett' (Kidman) are a happily married couple whose perfect world is forever changed when their young son is taken from them in a tragic accident. As Becca redefines her place among friends and family, she finds solace in a mysterious relationship with the young driver (Miles Teller) of the car that killed her son..."

Click the images to enlarge and Sneak Peek "Rabbit Hole"...

Lionsgate And Roadside Acquire Redford's "Conspirator"

Lionsgate and Roadside Attractions have acquired US distribution rights to The American Film Company’s "The Conspirator", directed by Robert Redord from a screenplay by James Solomon.

A spring 2011 release is planned.

Based on the the true story of the only woman charged in the conspiracy to assassinate president Abraham Lincoln and the attorney forced to defend her, "The Conspirator" stars Robin Wright and James McAvoy with Kevin Kline, Evan Rachel Wood, Tom Wilkinson, Alexis Bledel, Danny Huston, Justin Long, Colm Meaney and James Badge Dale.

"...A riveting thriller, 'The Cosnpirator' tells the powerful story of a woman who would do anything to protect her family and the man who risked everything to save her. In the wake of Abraham Lincoln’s assassination, seven men and one woman are arrested and charged with conspiring to kill the President, Vice President and Secretary of State.

"The lone woman charged, 'Mary Surratt' (Wright) owns a boarding house where 'John Wilkes Booth' (Kebbell) and others met and planned the simultaneous attacks. Against the ominous back-drop of post-Civil War Washington, newly-minted lawyer, 'Frederick Aiken' (McAvoy), a 28-year-old Union war-hero, reluctantly agrees to defend Surratt before a military tribunal..."

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

Weinstein Makes A Splash With "Submarine"

There was another big film sale at this year's TIFF as the Weinstein Co. has acquired North American (US/Canada) rights to Warp Films Brit 'comedy-drama' "Submarine", directed by Richard Ayoade.

Starring Noah Taylor and Sally Hawkins, "Submarine" was executive produced by Ben Stiller.

The film adapts the novel "Submarine" by author Joe Dunthorne.

"...Fifteen-year-old 'Oliver Tate' (Craig Roberts) has two big ambitions: to save his parents’ marriage via carefully plotted intervention and to lose his virginity before his next birthday. Worried that his mom (Sally Hawkins) is having an affair with 'Graham' (Paddy Considine), Oliver monitors his parents’ sex life by charting the dimmer switch in their bedroom. He also forges suggestive love letters from Mom to Dad. His love interest 'Jordana' (Yasmin Paige) is complicated; a self-professed pyromaniac, she supervises Oliver’s journal writing – especially the bits about her. When necessary, she orders him to cross things out..."

The Weinstein Co. will release "Submarine" in 2011.

Click the images to enlarge...

Telefilm Awards $10,000 To "Kill Shakespeare"

"Kill Shakespeare", a 'multimedia mash-up' pitch for a film project that includes a feature and ancillary merchandising, has won this year's "Telefilm Canada Pitch This!" contest, held @ the TIFF Bell Lightbox.

Toronto-based partners Anthony Del Col and Conor McCreery won $10,000 in development funds. The duo have so far raised $350,000 in private equity to support the first phase of "Kill Shakespeare".

Premise includes both heroes and villains from over a dozen of the bard's public domain plays, participating in an epic, supernatural adventure revolving around the wizard 'Will Shakespeare'.

"Kill Shakespeare", a 12-title comic book series from US-based IDW Publishing, launched April 2010, with a trade paperback compiling the first six issues now available.

Click the images to enlarge...

"Dredd" Is The Law @ TIFF

According to reports, Stuart Ford of IM Global has landed more than $30 million in foreign pre-sales @ the Toronto International Film Festival for DNA Films upcoming sci fi, comic book-to-film feature "Dredd".

The $45 million 3D adaptation of comic book character "Judge Dredd" directed by Pete Travis will start in South Africa this November.

The "Dredd" deal, signing up 90% of world rights, signifies that TIFF also functions as a reputable market for pre-sales. "Dredd" is financed by IM Global and Reliance Big Entertainment.

Territories sold include Germany (Universum), Spain (Aurum), Australia (Icon), Canada (Alliance), Russia (CP Media), Benelux (eOne), Latin America (IDC) and Scandinavia (Svensk).

Click the images to enlarge...

Katrin Bowen's "Amazon Falls"

We attended a great party September 13 @ Toronto's Queen Street West rock venue "The Bovine Sex Club", as Vancouver-based director Katrin Bowen, celebrated the Canada First TIFF screening of her debut feature "Amazon Falls".

The film is described as Bowen's take on her personal 'B-movie' experiences, as a performer in Los Angeles, "...unapologetically exposing the grit behind the glitz of fame..."

Cast includes April Telek as 'Jana', William B Davis as 'Calvin', Zak Santiago as 'Aron', Anna Mae Routledge as 'Li', Ben Ratner as 'Derek',
Tom Braidwood as 'Tommy' and Gabrielle Rose as 'Margaret'.

"...'Jana' is a fading B-movie actress who was famous for her roles in Amazon movies playing a variety of pre-'Xena' warrior-princesses. Nearing 40 she is desperately trying to keep her leg in the B-movie game and decides to pursue her fading career with a zealous fervor. But new roles are elusive and the clock is ticking. Will she admit defeat or finally get her break?..."

Click the images to enlarge and Sneak Peek "Amazon Falls"...