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New Trailer For Frederick Wiseman’s “Monrovia, Indiana”

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By Creative Media Times

Directed by Frederick Wiseman, the documentary explodes small-town life in contemporary America, small midwestern farming community and its values. The film shows day-to-day experiences of living and working in Monrovia, its community organizations and institutions, religion and daily life.

The documentary is an official selection at Venice Film Festival, Toronto International Film Festival, New York Film Festival and many more.

Is set to open theatrically on October 26th at New York’s Film Forum as it begins a national theatrical rollout, then in Los Angeles on November 2nd with more locations expected in November and December.

Here is the film’s synopsis:

MONROVIA, INDIANA explores a small town in rural, mid-America and illustrates how values like community service, duty, spiritual life, generosity and authenticity are formed, experienced and lived along with conflicting stereotypes. The film gives a complex and nuanced view of daily life in Monrovia and provides some understanding of a way of life whose influence and force have not always been recognized or understood in the big cities on the east and west coasts of America and in other countries.

About the director:
Since 1967, Frederick Wiseman has directed 42 documentaries—dramatic, narrative films that seek to portray ordinary human experience in a wide variety of contemporary social institutions. His films include TITICUT FOLLIES, HIGH SCHOOL, WELFARE, JUVENILE COURT, BOXING GYM, LA DANSE, BALLET, CENTRAL PARK, BALLET, LA COMEDIE FRANCAISE, BELFAST, MAINE, and EX LIBRIS – The New York Public Library. He has directed a fiction film, THE LAST LETTER (2002). His films are distributed in theatres and broadcast on television in many countries.

MONROVIA, INDIANA Official Trailer from Zipporah Films on Vimeo.

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“Almost Famous” Musical Is Headed To Broadway

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By Armando

DreamWorks

Plans for a stage musical version of the iconic 2000 film “Almost Famous” was announced by producers on Tuesday.

This comes after the film’s writer and director Cameron Crowe teased on Twitter a video where we see composer Tom Kitt playing a piano while the camera pans to writings on paper that featured songs from the movie and some of its characters.

Crowe told Rolling Stone: “I remember the first day of filming Almost Famous, we were standing in downtown San Diego, shooting a scene with Phillip Seymour Hoffman on the very same street where I’d first met Lester Bangs. It felt surreal. It felt like a miracle. I called a friend of mine and said, ‘How did I get here?’ He laughed and said, ‘Enjoy it, this won’t happen again.’ The current miracle is that the feeling is coming alive again.”

The original coming-of age film was semi-autobiographical, wherein Crowe used his experience as a young music journalist to write and direct the movie. It tells the story of teenage music enthusiast named William (played by Patrick Fugit) who traveled on the road with a rock band Stillwater on assignment for Rolling Stone. Crowe himself have covered legendary bands such as Eagles and Led Zeppelin.

It was released in 2000 to critical acclaim, was named by many film critics as one of the best that year. It nominated in four Academy Awards and won Best Original Screenplay. Billy Crudup, Frances McDormand, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Jason Lee were also in the film. It also featured a breakthrough performance from Kate Hudson as Penny Lane, a role which won her an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress.

Though not a huge box-office success, the film has since gained a cult following. The film’s soundtrack, which features rock classics from Led Zeppelin, The Who, David Bowie, Elton John among others, also won Best Compilation Soundtrack Album for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media in 2001’s Grammy Award.

The cast for the musical adaptation and timeline details has not yet been announced.

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DC’s “Birds Of Prey” Release Date Set To February 2020

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By Creative Media Times

Birds of Prey vol.2 #1 cover art by Ed Benes

WB/DC’s upcoming female superhero team is set to hit theaters on Febraury 7, 2020, the studio announced on Monday.

With this new date, it appears that the studio ha moved up the released a week early from previously reserved February 14.

Cathy Yan is set to direct the film, with Margot Robbie reprising her “Suicide Squad” character Harley Quinn. The actress is also producing along with Sue Kroll and Brian Unkeless.

In this film, Robbie’s Harley Quinn is set to team with a trio of supervillains. There’s not a lot of released plot details, but according to a report from The Wrap this summer, that team would include Dinah Laurel Lance / Black Canary, Helena Bertinelli / Huntress, Cassandra Cain and Renee Montoya.

The original Birds of Prey comics series was conceived by Jordan B. Gorfinkel and has seen its setting move around various locations, from Batman’s popularly known residence Gotham City, then in Superman’s Metropolis and eventually settling in 2008 in “Platinum Flats” in California.

Originally a partnership between Dinah Lance and Barbara Gordon, the team has since expanded to include other DC superheroines.

Though the future of Warner Bros.’ DC cinematic universe remains unknown, the studio has been busy with plenty of its comicbook movie properties including the much-buzzed about Todd Phillips “Joker” film starring Joaquin Phoenix.

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SiriusXM To Acquire Pandora Streaming Service

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By Creative Media Times

Satellite radio giant SiriusXM is reportedly buying music streaming service Pandora Media Inc. in an all-stock deal said to be valued at $3.5 billion, a press release announced on Monday.

The merger will create “world’s largest audio entertainment company, with more than $7 billion in expected pro-forma revenue in 2018 and strong, long-term growth opportunities.”

SiriusXM has 36 million subscribers across North America while Pandora, a streaming music service founded in 2000, has 70 million-plus monthly active users, the largest digital audio audience in United State. Liberty Media is SiriusXM’s parent company.

There is some precedence that led to the deal. Back in Jun 2017, SiriusXM invested $480 million in Pandora, which gave it 19 percent stake in the streaming service.

Jim Meyer, Chief Executive Officer of SiriusXM, said, “We have long respected Pandora and their team for their popular consumer offering that has attracted a massive audience, and have been impressed by Pandora’s strategic progress and stronger execution. We believe there are significant opportunities to create value for both companies’ stockholders by combining our complementary businesses. The addition of Pandora diversifies SiriusXM’s revenue streams with the U.S.’s largest ad-supported audio offering, broadens our technical capabilities, and represents an exciting next step in our efforts to expand our reach out of the car even further. Through targeted investments, we see significant opportunities to drive innovation that will accelerate growth beyond what would be available to the separate companies, and does so in a way that also benefits consumers, artists, and the broader content communities. Together, we will deliver even more of the best content on radio to our passionate and loyal listeners, and attract new listeners, across our two platforms.”

Roger Lynch, Chief Executive Officer of Pandora, said, “We’ve made tremendous progress in our efforts to lead in digital audio. Together with SiriusXM, we’re even better positioned to take advantage of the huge opportunities we see in audio entertainment, including growing our advertising business and expanding our subscription offerings. The powerful combination of SiriusXM’s content, position in the car, and premium subscription products, along with the biggest audio streaming service in the U.S., will create the world’s largest audio entertainment company. This transaction will deliver significant value to our stockholders and will allow them to participate in upside, given SiriusXM’s strong brand, financial resources and track record delivering results.”

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“Kingsman 3” Officially Sets Release Date

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By Creative Media Times

20th Century Fox

20th Century Fox is officially moving forward with the third Kingsman film with its release date set on November 8, 2019.

Its interesting to note that the release date was once occupied by Bond 25, the upcoming film in the James Bond franchise which Kingsman has paid homage to.

Matthew Vaughn, who directed and co-wrote the original (Kingsman: The Secret Service) as well as last year’s sequel (Kingsman: The Golden Circle), is also back to write and direct.

No official synopsis has been revealed yet, as well as returning cast members and new characters or actors to the ensemble. Though there’s certainly a good chance that both Taron Egerton and Colin Firth will be back given that they are the series leads.

During a recent interview with Empire this summer, the English director stated that the upcoming film will be the “conclusion of the Harry Hart-Eggsy relationship,” with a spin-off titled “Kingsman: The Great Game” also on the way.

Kingsman action spy comedy films are based on the comic series “The Secret Service” by Dave Gibbons and Mark Millar.

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MediaMation’s (MMI) MX4D® Technology used in Screenvision’s Xbox commercial

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Screenvision Media and Xbox Push the Boundaries of Cinematic Advertising with Immersive Ad Experience using MediaMation’s (MMI) MX4D® Technology

Screenvision Media, a national leader in cinema advertising, has teamed up with Xbox to announce the national debut of two new cinematics that utilize MMI’s immersive MX4D Motion EFX technology in select theatres. The Xbox advertisements will provide moviegoers across America with a 4D motion ad experience that will run in select MX4D technology enabled theatres from September 14 – November 1.

“Screenvision Media strives to bring the newest and most innovative technology to our brand partners and we’re thrilled that Xbox will be the first advertiser to utilize this technology in all our MX4D enabled theatres nationwide,” said Christine Martino, executive vice president of Ad Sales, Screenvision Media. “MX4D gives our partners, like Xbox, the opportunity to seamlessly transform their traditional ads into disruptive, engaging and interactive experiences for moviegoers across the country.”

MMI’s MX4D technology is the newest evolution in the 4D cinema experience. It enables advertisers to convert any existing ad into an immersive experience via in-seat sensory technology and theatrical effects, including seat rumblers, wind generators, strobe lights, scent and more, allowing moviegoers to truly feel part of the action. Xbox’s advertisements, supporting the October 2 launch of open-world racing game “Forza Horizon 4” (September 14 – October 11) and Xbox Game Pass (October 12 – November 1), Microsoft’s gaming membership, are the first ads to utilize this technology to provide moviegoers a seat shifting, heart racing advertising experience.

“We’re proud to help Screenvision Media provide dynamic experiences and tailored, state-of-the art solutions to their advertising partners, like Xbox,” said Dan Jamele, Chief Innovation and Technology Officer, MMI. “We want to show how traditional ads can be further enhanced with MX4D technology and can’t wait to see the positive reaction in theatres.”

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Todd Phillips Shares Video of Joaquin Phoenix As The Joker

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By Creative Media Times

We know that director Todd Phillip has begun production of the currently untitled Warner Bros. Joker film with Joaquin Phoenix set to star. So we can look forward to plenty of updates from the highly guarded production, and potentially even leaks to float around the internet.

It only makes sense that the director himself reveals a first look of what we can expect from the film, and today he posts an eerie camera test video of the actor on instagram.

The haunting video shows Phoenix looking straight at the camera and wearing plain clothes. Though he looks expressionless, we do get a sense that he is somewhat deranged, a testament to Phoenix’s ability to convey characters merely from a look.

Set to The Guess Who’s “Laughing,” we see various images projected on Phoenix’s face, too quick to recognize at first until it ends with the actor in full character makeup and giving a sinister smile.

The upcoming Joker film is set for release on October 2019. Also in the film are Zazie Beetz, Robert De Niro, and Marc Maron. Todd Phillips co-produce the film with Bradley Cooper and Emma Tillinger Koskoff.

Warner Bros. has a slate of upcoming films based on the DC Comics including James Wan-directed Aquaman later this year.

View this post on Instagram

Camera test (w/ sound). Joker.

A post shared by Todd Phillips (@toddphillips1) on

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Maroon 5 Set Will Headline 2019 Super Bowl Halftime Show

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By Creative Media Times

222 – Interscope

It appears that the list has gotten shorter. Variety and Billboard are both reporting that Maroon 5 is set to perform at 2019 Super Bowl halftime, which is set to take place during the NFL championship game on Feb. 3, 2019 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia.

Given the band’s current hit “Girls Like You”, it is entirely possible that Cardi B will also make an appearance. Also potential guests are their recent collaborators SZA (“What Loves Do”) and Kendrick Lamar (“Don’t Wanna Know”)

In recent years, the band has expressed interest in playing at the halftime show. “I like the fact that we can talk about it, because I think the band would be like thrilled to do it,” Levine said in a 2015 interview with Howard Stern.

The pop rock band from Los Angeles, California consists of seven members (not five as their name suggest) which includes Adam Levine, Jesse Carmichael, Mickey Madden, James Valentine, Matt Flynn, PJ Morton and Sam Farrar. They have enjoyed longevity few pop rock bands have achieved during the past few decades. Since their 2002 debut album “Songs About Jane”, they have become one of the world’s best-selling acts, have won a grammy (for best new artist in 2005), and topped the Billboard singles chart three times.

The band’s frontman Levine is set to return as one of the coaches on NBC’s singing competition, The Voice which premieres next week Sept 24.

Maroon 5 is currently on tour, in support of their latest album “Red Pill Blues” which was released on November 3, 2017 by 222 and Interscope Records.

With the fact the Super Bowl itself is usually the most-watched television event every year in the United States, the halftime show have seen major pop acts take the stage including Lady Gaga, Coldplay, and Katy Perry. Last year, Justin Timberlake performed during the Super Bowl LII game’s halftime at the U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

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Horror Film “Luz” Acquired By Screen Media

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By Creative Media Times

Screen Media has acquired all North American rights to Tilman Singer’s psychotropic horror film “LUZ,” the company announced today, with a planned first quarter of 2019 theatrical release across the US.

The announcement comes ahead of the film’s US premiere at Fantastic Fest as part of it’s opening night. “Luz” premiered at the Berlin Film Festival this year, and is set to screen at next month’s Sitges Film Festival.

The film stars Luana Velis and Jan Bluthardt. Singer wrote and directed the film, as well as produced it with Dario Mendez Acosta.

“Luz” tells the story of a young cabdriver (Luana Velis) who drags herself into a run-down police station while being pursued by a woman (Julia Riedler) who is possessed by a demonic entity.

“Every so often there’s a film that really unnerves, and just flat-out scares us. LUZ does exactly that. Tilman has made a beautiful but truly terrifying movie that people are going to be talking about for sure,” Seth Needle from Screen Media commented.

“Now more than ever it is important for challenging and independent cinema to be given a platform and shown on the big screen. We’re thrilled to have found the right partner in Screen Media, who fully understand Tilman’s unique vision with LUZ and we look forward to the film being experienced – and inspiring audiences across North America,” Justin Timms on behalf Yellow Veil Pictures continued.

The film has so far received praise from critics, with Variety’s Dennis Harvey calling it “equal measures demonic-possession thriller, experiment in formalist rigor, and flummoxing narrative puzzle-box” while Hollywood Reporter’s John DeFore describing the film as “a refreshing take on demonic possession in which the usual fright-flick cliches are nowhere to be found.”

The film’s Writer and director Singer said, “to see this kind of reaction to our film, visit festivals and now release it in North America is a little bit like shooting a movie itself; It’s hard to fully grasp. Producing LUZ I had no idea where it would go and I am excited for the life that it will have.”

Luz Teaser from Yellow Veil Pictures on Vimeo.

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Post Malone, Carrie Underwood, Imagine Dragons To Perform At American Music Awards

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By Creative media Times

Carrie Underwood, Imagine Dragons and Post Malone featuring Ty Dolla $ign are set to perform at the 2018 American Music Awards, Dick Clark Productions and ABC announced today.

Carrie Underwood’s performance will make her return at the AMA stage since 2015. She is also a nominee in the Favorite Female Artist – Country category. Underwood recently released her sixth studio album “Cry Pretty.”

Post Malone is set to make his American Music Awards debut performance. He will be performing his Billboard Hot 100 number one hit “Psycho” with previous AMA nominee Ty Dolla $ign.

The fan-voted awards show will broadcast Tuesday, Oct. 9, 8 p.m. ET on ABC, live from Los Angeles’ Microsoft Theater. The event will be hosted for the second year in a row by actress Tracee Ellis Ross.

Rappers Drake and Cardi B leading the list of nominees. Drake is up for top trophies including “Artist of the Year” along with Imagine Dragons, Post Malone, Ed Sheeran, and Taylor Swift, while Cardi B is up for “Favorite New Artist of the Year.”

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