The post Amundsen (SF Studios) Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

The 1988 U.S. Presidential race seemed to be a sure thing.

Colorado Senator and Democratic hopeful, Gary Hart was clearly miles ahead of his closest rival George Bush Snr.

As the U.S.  braced itself with a transition from a long running Reagan Administration, change was in the air and this by all accounts appeared to be the quick witted, smooth talking, Hart.

The late 80’s rockstar on the political podiums Hart was on fire as he traveled around varying States getting to know each town, each city, it’s people and their troubles.

With policies that made logical sense, expertly crafted speeches, Gary Hart was the front runner, the clear favourite for the upcoming election.

But, he also came from the ‘old’ way of doing things and times had clearly changed.

Media, both tabloid and mainstream loved scandals.

The late 80’s gave rise to popular talk shows, real people, real problems, risqué and for all the world to see.

Hart (played by Hugh Jackman), who had a penchant for pretty young ladies, preached to the U.S. public about morals and family traditions, not aware that his ‘extra-curricular’ activities would get noticed.

When he meets a young model on a party boat called Donna Rice (Sara Paxton) and soon after this having an awkward interview with a young and nervous journalist from the Washington Post about his personal relationships history, he invites the journalist to follow him around, see what he gets up to in his own time.

A fumbly reporter from the Miami Herald sees that as an open invitation, knowing that Hart is possibly cheating on his wife with the young model. After a tip off, the Miami Herald tracks down the model in question and follows her to Washington D.C. With a hired photographer, they snap Hart and the ‘mystery woman’ together as she enters his private residence in Washington.

When it comes to light in the media, Hart brushes it off, not thinking anything of it. His Campaign team on the other hand, know that these are sensationalist times and do their best to try and keep it all controlled.

With Hart still very dismissive about the issue he focuses on continuing his Election Campaign across the nation – while media camps build at his rallies and even outside his family home, effectively imprisoning his wife and daughter.

The Front Runner is an outstanding film that depicts the true events that see the unravelling of a promising would-be President as he goes from the publics favourite to hot property in scandalous media.

J. K. Simmons stands out as Bill Dixon, Gary Harts Campaign Manager and asides from an absorbing portrayal from Hugh Jackman as Gary Hart and Vera Farmiga as his wife, another firm nod needs to go out to Molly Ephram as a supportive role as Irene Kelly within the Campaign Team.

If you remember the scandal that this film is based on from the late 80’s, The Front Runner offers a window of the how, why and what went on behind the scenes.

A perfectly enjoyable watch.

The post The Front Runner (Columbia Pictures) 2019 appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

To commemorate the 25th Anniversary release of Steven Spielberg’s masterpiece Schindler’s List – one of the most significant endeavours in the history of cinema – Universal Pictures will re-release the film with picture and sound digitally remastered for a limited theatrical engagement from January 24th, 2019 in select cinemas.

“It is difficult to believe that it’s been 25 years since Schindler’s List first arrived in theatres,” said Spielberg.  “The true stories of the magnitude and tragedy of the Holocaust are ones that must never be forgotten, and the film’s lessons about the critical importance of countering hatred continue to reverberate today.  I am honoured that audiences will be able to experience the journey once again on the big screen.”

“We are proud to bring the remastered Schindler’s List, one of the most important movies of the 20th Century, to a new generation of filmgoers,” said Ron Meyer, Vice Chairman of NBCUniversal.  “The lesson that one person—during one of the darkest chapters in humankind’s history—can make a difference is as relevant now as ever before.”

Schindler’s List will be showing in select cinemas in Auckland, Tauranga, Wellington, Nelson and Dunedin in New Zealand from January the 24th, 2019.

Winner of seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director, this incredible true story follows the enigmatic Oskar Schindler (Liam Neeson), who saved the lives of more than 1,100 Jews during the Holocaust.

Oskar Schindler

It is the triumph of one man who made a difference and the drama of those who survived one of the darkest chapters in human history because of what he did.  Meticulously restored from the original film negative in pristine high definition and supervised by Spielberg, Schindler’s List is a powerful story whose lessons of courage and faith continue to inspire generations.

The film also earned Oscars for composer John Williams, screenwriter Steven Zaillian and director of photography Janusz Kaminiski, as well as art directors Allan Starski and Ewa Braun, editor Michael Kahn and producers Spielberg, Gerald R. Molen and Branko Lustig.

The post UNIVERSAL PICTURES COMMEMORATES 25TH ANNIVERSARY OF SCHINDLERS LIST appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Metro Goldwyn Mayer Pictures (MGM) announced today acclaimed stage director Liesl Tommy, the first black woman to earn a Tony Award nomination for Best Direction of a Play, is set to direct Respect, a feature film based on the life of music icon Aretha Franklin.

As previously announced, Academy Award, Golden Globe, Screen Actors Guild, BAFTA and Grammy Award winner Jennifer Hudson was personally handpicked by Ms. Franklin to portray her on the big screen.  Academy Award winner Callie Khouri (Thelma & Louise, creator of Nashville) will pen the screenplay following the rise of Ms. Franklin’s career, from a child singing in her father’s church’s choir to an iconic and international superstar. The announcement was made today by Jonathan Glickman, President, Motion Picture Group.

Tradecraft’s Scott Bernstein who produced the groundbreaking bio pic Straight Outta Compton about the infamous gangster rappers N.W.A., which garnered an Academy Award Nomination for Best Screenplay, and Harvey Mason, Jr., renowned Grammy Award nominated music producer who has written and produced songs for both Aretha Franklin and Jennifer Hudson, will produce. Glickman and Adam Rosenberg, MGM’s Co- President of Production, are overseeing the project on behalf of the studio.

Tommy is a multi-award winning stage director, who garnered six Tony Award nominations for Eclipsed including Best Director. She is known for both her provocative world premieres and re-imagining classics with racially diverse casts in several shows including a 2012 production of Hamlet at California Shakespeare Theatre and an internationally acclaimed production of Les Misérables. She is also on board to direct Born A Crime, the film adaptation of the autobiography by the same name by Trevor Noah starring Lupita Nyong’o for Paramount Players. In addition to developing and directing Frozen Live, the multi-media theatrical extravaganza adaptation of the Disney film for the Hyperion Theater in Disneyland, Tommy has also directed episodes of AMC’s Walking Dead, HBO’s Insecure and OWN’s Queen Sugar created by Ava DuVernay.

Respect is the remarkable true story of Aretha Franklin’s journey to find her voice in the midst of the turbulent social and political landscape of 1960s America. Ms. Franklin landed over 100 singles in the Billboard charts, including 17 Top 10 pop singles and 20 No. 1 R&B hits, winning 18 Grammy Awards and was the first female to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Franklin’s reinvention of Otis Redding’s “Respect” as a feminist anthem transformed her into an icon of the civil rights and women’s movements. Her cultural impact was felt throughout her career, from her singing at Dr. Martin Luther King’s memorial service to performing at three presidential inaugurations.  In addition to “Respect,” her countless hits including “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman,” “Do Right Woman – Do Right Man,” and “Think” were beloved around the world and will be featured in the motion picture.

“Over the years and in our many meetings and countless conversations with Aretha, we came to understand the stories she most wanted to share and the moments in her life that made her who she was. It was an honor to have gotten that insight directly from Ms. Franklin and we are now taking the utmost care in upholding her legacy. We are thrilled that Jennifer, Ms. Franklin’s first choice, will be portraying her as we bring this inspirational and legendary life story on the big screen as she wanted,” said Mason, Jr. and Bernstein.

Tommy said, “The story of Aretha Franklin’s journey from child prodigy in Detroit to international supernova is rife with struggle and triumph, making her life one of the great American stories of all time. As a filmmaker there is no greater gift than to be able to bring this transcendent chronicle of a woman’s fight for self-realization to visual life with the enormous talents of the soulful Jennifer Hudson, Callie Khouri, and our incredible producers.”

“It is an absolute honor to be a part of bringing Ms. Franklin’s story to audiences who adore her around the world. She is one of the most iconic and talented artists of all time and what a dream come true it is to portray her extraordinary life on screen. I could not be more excited to be working alongside Liesl Tommy, a brilliant and thoughtful director, who is no doubt the perfect choice to lead the film,” said Hudson.

“Aretha Franklin was indisputably one of the most important cultural and musical forces the world has ever seen.  Along with our producers, we could not be more excited to have assembled such a tremendous team of Liesl, Callie and the incomparable Jennifer Hudson to bring the Queen of Soul’s iconic story and music to big screens around the world,” said Glickman.

MGM recently released Steven Caple Jr.’s Creed II, starring Michael B. Jordan and Sylvester Stallone, setting the record for highest grossing live action opener across Thanksgiving.

Upcoming on the MGM film slate is Fighting With My Family, a comedy-drama written and directed by Stephen Merchant, based on the true personal story of WWE Superstar Paige and her family of professional wrestlers, starring Florence Pugh, Vince Vaughn and Dwayne Johnson, in New York and Los Angeles on February 14th, 2019, expanding wide on February 22nd, 2019 is The Hustle, a hilarious new comedy starring Academy Award winner Anne Hathaway and Rebel Wilson, which will be released in theaters on May 10th, 2019.

The feature adaptation of Nicola Yoon’s best-selling novel The Sun Is Also A Star with Warner Bros. Pictures, directed by Ry Russo-Young and starring Yara Shahidi and Charles Melton, in theaters on May 17th, 2019, Conrad Vernon and Greg Tiernan’s animated adaption of The Addams Family featuring the voices of Oscar Isaac, Charlize Theron, Chloë Grace Moretz, Finn Wolfhard, Nick Kroll, Bette Midler and Allison Janney, in theaters on October 18th, 2019 and the 25th installment of EON Productions, MGM and Universal Pictures’ James Bond film directed by Cary Fukunaga and starring Daniel Craig which will be released theatrically in the U.S. on February 14th, 2020.

Legally Blonde 3 starring Reese Witherspoon in her return to the beloved character Elle Woods, is scheduled for release on May 8th, 2020; and Candyman, a re-imagining of the 1992 horror classic, directed by Nia DaCosta and written and produced by Jordan Peele, in theaters on Jun 12th, 2020.

The post LIESL TOMMY TO DIRECT ARETHA FRANKLIN’S BIOPIC appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Rapper, actor and revolunist, there’s no denying that Tupac Shakur defined hip hop music during the mid to late 1990’s.

Roadshow Films’ biopic film All Eyez On Me goes much more deeper than the gangster rap that he is known for and we get a window in to the tumultuous life that he lived.

From growing up with activist parents and his father being on the FBI’s Most Wanted list, his small family was terrorised from a young age by the law.

An eventual move to Compton in L.A. saw both heartache and successes for the young artist.

Leaving behind his closest friend Jada Pinkette TuPac (aka 2Pac) finds his footing in local theater, schooling in classical acting covering Shakespearean plays.

All the while America as a whole began to change as race relations between Police and African-Americans intensified, something his parents had been fighting against in the 60’s and 70’s.

After a few brushes with the law himself Tupac begins putting pen to paper and writing lyrics.

After some mild success Tupac is incarcerated on a questionable rape charge.

In steps the infamous and domineering Suge Knight, co-founder of Death Row Records. Giving Tupac a means for his creativity, his music and paying his $1 Million bail, teamed up with Producer, Dr. Dre, we get to the album release of All Eyez On Me.

From birth to his untimely death in 1996, the film All Eyez On Me is a no holds barred drama on his enigmatic character and how he was a part of a highly controversial music revolution.

Having a cross over with 2009’s Notorious B.I.G. film and 2015’s Straight Outta Compton (about N.W.A.) we see familiar faces from both films.

All Eyez On Me is a MUST watch for any Tupac fan, but it’s more than that. It’s a depiction of life struggles in the U.S., the heated race relations, which are still present today and how one man, no matter what came up against him rose above it all putting his frustration in to rap music.

The post All Eyez On Me (Voltage| Open Road- 2017) Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

A brand spanking new Netflix original is always one to keep an eye out for. As time goes on, Netflix’s original content is increasing its reputation for producing quality television shows and films you can’t get anywhere else. The Crown is one of Netflix’s latest projects. The biographical drama provides a fascinating insight into the world of Queen Elizabeth II and the circumstances that surrounded her ascendance to the throne in the late 1940s.

Similar to Stranger Things (another Netflix original television show), both 2016 series have climbed the ranks and are nominated for various awards this season such as the prestigious Golden Globes.

The Crown balances both the majestic side of royalty and the domestic side of everyday life. Perhaps a tad slow to some at points of the narrative, it was a relief to watch a story (especially such a known one) that wasn’t rushed because of a confining two-hour time slot.

Focusing on the rich royal history of the 20th Century and post-war Britain, The Crown is respectively written and acted in a charming and realistic way. Although stories taken from real-life tend to raise questions of its legitimacy, it’s easy to get lost in The Crown’s world and sit there with curiosity at the backstory behind our current Monarch.

Relationships play a huge part in driving the show’s story-line. A part from obvious royal duties and historical events that helped drive the show’s narrative, Elizabeth’s relationship with her husband Prince Philip and her sister Princess Margaret was where the heart of the show lied. Ultimately, The Crown is about the contrast between the crown (the professional) and family (the personal) and the reality of attempting to balance it.

The attention to detail is impeccable, featuring beautiful costumes and lavish environments. Historical accuracy is a must for a successful period drama especially when it’s characters are based on people that still live today or have lived in the same generation.

With multiple seasons already on the way, this ten-episode series is worthy of a binge watch. Unlike some, The Crown doesn’t scrap around the edges, providing top-notch quality television.

*Check out my personal Blog for more Movie and TV goodness HERE.

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