Category: Film News

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Happy 57th Birthday, Daryl Hannah!

 

Happy 57th Birthday to Daryl Hannah! The actress is known for several movies, such as her roles in Splash, Blade Runner, and in Steel Magnolias. Daryl Hannah also had a role in the Kill Bill films, directed by Quentin Tarantino. In her personal life, she deals with personal issues of autism. As she told People Magazine, doctors wanted to send her to an institution when she was a child, but her mother did not want her to be taken to any such place. As she told the magazine, she fell in love with movies and she ended moving from Chicago to LA when she was just 17 years old to pursue her acting career.

 

 

Hannah is also a very active environmental activist and continues to work toward saving and preserving the environment. Speaking of which, she is featured heavily in the 2009 documentary film Welcome to Eden, which focuses on the former largest urban farm in the nation in South Central Los Angeles. While developers had plans for its demolition and retail development, she fought for the right of inner-city dwellers to have access to fresh food and community. While she didn’t protest by living in one of the trees at the farm land, she certainly spoke out with passion to assist in keeping their community farm alive.

 

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Happy Birthday to Actor Li Baotian!

 

World World Motion Pictures Corporation would like to wish actor Li Baotian a very Happy Birthday! Li is a member of the China Film Association and the China Television Artists Association. His past accolades include one Flying Apsaras Award, six China Golden

Eagle Awards, and a Hundred Flowers Award.

(Li Baotian in the 2013 film The Nightingale)

Actor Li Baotian began studying drama in 1960 in his hometown of Xuzhou. He graduated from the prestigious Central Academy located in China and later started teaching at the academy. Li also spent ten years learning how to dance and sing during the Cultural Revolution. His first film,

From Place to Place, was a success and brought him to the attention of the Chinese audience. He then starred in the critically-acclaimed film The Wanderer and The Sun in 1985.

( Li Baotian in the 1990 Chinese Drama Ju Dou)

Li won the highly coveted Most Popular Actor award at the 19th Child Golden Eagle Awards.

for his work on the popular TV show Policeman: Li Jiuping. 2003 was a successful year for the actor, where his portrayal of Xi Lalie in the historical television series The Great Doctor: Xi Lalie won him two China Golden Eagle Awards and a Flying Apsaras award. He also starred in the 2013 film The Nightingale. The film tells the story of an elderly man and his granddaughter who travel together through China to fulfill a promise to his late wife. The movie was selected as the official Chinese entry for Best Foreign Language Film at the 87th Academy Awards.

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Give Thanks This Year With These 3 Family Films!

 

It was the autumn of 1621 when 50 Pilgrims and 90 Wampanoag Indians held the first Thanksgiving to celebrate a successful harvest. 200 years later, it became a national holiday that is still celebrated today. Thanksgiving is a day to be grateful. It is a day when Americans gather together with family to enjoy delicious traditional foods like turkey, stuffing, gravy, and pumpkin pie! It is a day to enjoy some football and classical movies. Here is a list of films to enjoy this Thanksgiving.

A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving (1973)

We all remember watching this instant classic as kids. In this holiday special, Charlie Brown attempts to have a Thanksgiving dinner after Peppermint Patty invites herself and her friends to his house. Snoopy, Linus, Woodstock, and the whole gang get together for a dinner filled with large ice cream sundaes and whipped cream. Since its premiere in 1973, A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving has continued to air every November as a Thanksgiving special. This Emmy award winning animation is based upon the popular comic strip Peanuts, by Charles M. Schulz. Although, it might be for kids, who can resist a good classic with Charlie Brown and Snoopy?

Planes, Trains, & Automobiles (1987)

Planes, Trains, & Automobiles is a hilarious and heartwarming classic about two men trying to make it home for Thanksgiving. In this comedy, Neal Page (Steve Martin) and Del Griffith (John Candy) get trapped in Kansas after all the flights are canceled due to a massive snowstorm. All Neal truly wants is to get home in Chicago to spend Thanksgiving with his wife and kids. Unfortunately, he gets stuck traveling with Del Griffith who he finds is extremely annoying. According to the Hollywood Reporter, the film “has become a holiday traveler’s staple” and is a must watch during this holiday season.

The Nightingale (2015)

The Nightingale, directed by Philippe Muyl, is a beautiful family film that follows the journey of an elderly man and his spoiled granddaughter. The pair travel to rural, southwestern China with a caged bird in order to keep a promise made to a loved one. Through this bonding journey, Ren Xing, the granddaughter, goes through a humbling transformation as she begins to understand the simple life that her grandfather experienced. This heartening film examines family values, traditions, and generational differences. This was China’s official selection for the 87th Academy Awards. It is the perfect movie to watch with family on Thanksgiving. It will surely make you laugh, cry, and be thankful for family.

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HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

 

We’re creeping towards Halloween again, and that means it is time to start finding scary movies to watch. With the amount of horror films that get released each year, it is easy to fall behind, and trying to look for the right film can get overwhelming. Here is a list of must-watch movies and TV shows for Halloween.

STRANGER THINGS 2

Stranger Things season 2 begins nearly a year after the first installment, on Halloween in Hawkins, Indiana. Will has rejoined his pals after being rescued from the show’s alternate dimension, the Upside Down. I recently finished watching season 1 of Stranger Things on Netflix and I was hooked from the opening scene. If you haven’t already watched it, I would recommend starting season 1 now. Season 2 of Stranger Things is set to be released exclusively on Netflix on October 27.   

Twin Peaks: The Return

Set 25 years after the original Twin Peaks, the new series focuses on a number of storylines, many which are connected through association with FBI Special Agent Dale Cooper. Twin Peaks is unlike any show on television and if you haven’t seen it yet, you need to stop what you’re doing right now and go watch it. It is by far my favorite TV show of the year (possibly of all time). Seasons 1 and 2 of Twin Peaks are currently available on Netflix, and the new season 3 is available on Showtime.  

Nosferatu

An absolute classic! In this highly influential 1922 silent horror film, the mysterious Count Orlok summons Thomas Hutter to his remote Transylvanian castle in the mountains.  After Orlok reveals his vampire nature, Hutter struggles to escape the castle. It is no wonder the film considered an all-time great. I first watched Nosferatu at a film class in college and I couldn’t believe how many themes in this film are still used today. We are proud to have this film in our collection. A must-watch for film lovers everywhere.

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Paprika Steen’s 53rd Happy Birthday

 

53 years ago today a star was born in the great Paprika Steen -- famously known for her role in the 2009 hit drama, Applause. Paprika Steen was born in the beautiful city of Frederiksberg, Denmark, just a few miles away from Copenhagen, the capital of Denmark. Starting at a very young age, Paprika showed interest in acting. And how could she not show such interest, considering that her mother, Avil Sagild, was a famous actress herself? Let’s also not forget about her father, who is a famous musician and conductor to this day. It’s easy to see that, growing up, Paprika’s family had a lot of influence over her decision to become an actress and eventually a director.

Because of her parent’s stardom, many might think that her path to becoming an actress was a walk in the park, but in reality, it was much harder than that. When Paprika turned 24 she was finally accepted to the acting school of her dreams -- the acting school of Odense. We say “finally” because it turns out she had to apply thirteen times before being accepted. Paprika’s family name alone was not enough to get her into the acting school of her dreams, so she had to do what most successful people do, and that is to work hard.  

All of the hard work and constant determination that Paprika has shown in her life has led her to become one of the greatest Danish actresses of all time. Paprika has been able to display her talent in great films such as Festen, Open Hearts, Silent Heart, and our very own Applause. That being said, let's take a brief moment to applaud and wish the great Paprika Steen a very Happy Birthday and a joyful fifty-third!

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Happy Birthday to Director Tamar Simon Hoffs

 

From everyone at World Wide Motion Pictures Corporation, we would like to wish director Tamar Simon Hoffs a very Happy Birthday! The inspirational Tamar Simon Hoffs is an award-winning director, writer, and producer who was born in Johnstown, Pennsylvania.

Director Tamar Simon Hoffs became the first woman to receive the triple director, writer, producer credit in 1987 for The Allnighter, a major studio feature film. Hoffs began her directing career when she was selected to participate in the American Film Institute's Directing Workshop for Women in 1980. She debuted a short film, The Haircut, starring John Cassavetes which was later acquired by Universal Studios in 1983. The film went on to be the official selection at Cannes Film Festival, Telluride Film Festival, Toronto Film Festival, and Sundance Film Festival.

According to San Diego State’s Center for the Study of Women in Television and Film, presented by the Hollywood Reporter, women make up only 7% of all directors on the top 250 films. As an established filmmaker, Tamar Simon Hoffs is a great inspiration for women in the industry and I had the pleasure to speak with her. To make it in the film industry, Hoffs advised women to get involved in film festivals and make short, quality films to establish a reputation. Hoffs also advised that your work must be personal and you must love what you do; if not, it is just a lot of work.

Today, Tamar Simon Hoffs is best known for directing independent films Red Roses and Petrol (2003) and Pound of Flesh (2010), starring actor Malcolm McDowell. Red Roses and Petrol won first place at the Avignon Film Festival in 2005. It was also an official selection at AFI, Bangkok, Galway and Deauville Festivals, and Toronto’s Film Circuit.The Irish film is “a story about love, life, and loss… with a splash of whiskey,” and can be found on indiemoviestore.com.