By Darren Allison
Before inheriting the title "Master of Disaster", a perfectly justified honour for his reputation of creating some of the greatest disaster movies of the 1970s, Irwin Allen was also the man responsible for some of the classic TV shows to emerge in the 1960’s. Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, The Time Tunnel, and Land of the Giants have all survived the test of time and become immortalised among the best in terms of cultural importance. However, above all others, Lost in Space (1965-1968) is arguably the series that endured. Very loosely inspired by Johan David Wyss's classic 1812 adventure novel “Swiss Family Robinson”, the premise for the show was fairly uncomplicated and followed the adventures of the Robinson family, a crew of space colonists who encounter a number of strange and otherworldly situations after their ship is sabotaged and thrown off its original course. A great...
Before inheriting the title "Master of Disaster", a perfectly justified honour for his reputation of creating some of the greatest disaster movies of the 1970s, Irwin Allen was also the man responsible for some of the classic TV shows to emerge in the 1960’s. Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, The Time Tunnel, and Land of the Giants have all survived the test of time and become immortalised among the best in terms of cultural importance. However, above all others, Lost in Space (1965-1968) is arguably the series that endured. Very loosely inspired by Johan David Wyss's classic 1812 adventure novel “Swiss Family Robinson”, the premise for the show was fairly uncomplicated and followed the adventures of the Robinson family, a crew of space colonists who encounter a number of strange and otherworldly situations after their ship is sabotaged and thrown off its original course. A great...
- 12/18/2017
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
Let’s face it, most of us have a soft spot for things blowing up in movies, and for a long time movies have been happy to feed our appetite for destruction. But it wasn’t always that way.
I know it’s hard to imagine, but there was a time when explosions weren’t so common in movies. Back then, big-budget movies had dancing and singing, and everyone had a merry time. After WWII though, things started to change. In newspapers and magazines, Americans were being exposed to terrible images of war-torn Europe and Japan. This imagery was haunting, yet it sparked some imaginations. At first, Hollywood was careful not to glamorize it. They figured out a way to show massive destruction and violence while making it fun and moderately profitable instead of soul-crushing and distasteful. The 50’s became known for its low-budget cheese-fests; sci-fi B movies featuring such...
I know it’s hard to imagine, but there was a time when explosions weren’t so common in movies. Back then, big-budget movies had dancing and singing, and everyone had a merry time. After WWII though, things started to change. In newspapers and magazines, Americans were being exposed to terrible images of war-torn Europe and Japan. This imagery was haunting, yet it sparked some imaginations. At first, Hollywood was careful not to glamorize it. They figured out a way to show massive destruction and violence while making it fun and moderately profitable instead of soul-crushing and distasteful. The 50’s became known for its low-budget cheese-fests; sci-fi B movies featuring such...
- 9/14/2015
- by feeds@cinelinx.com (G.S. Perno)
- Cinelinx
We may remember Independence Day, The Matrix, The Phantom Menace. But what about these forgotten 90s sci-fi films? And are any worth seeing?
Think back to the science fiction cinema of the 1990s, and some of the decade's biggest box-office hits will immediately spring to mind: The Phantom Menace, Jurassic Park, Independence Day, Men In Black, Armageddon and Terminator 2 were all in the top 20 most lucrative films of the era.
But what about the sci-fi films of the 1990s that failed to make even close to the same cultural and financial impact of those big hitters? These are the films this list is devoted to - the flops, the straight-to-video releases, the low-budget and critically-derided. We've picked 50 live-action films that fit these criteria, and dug them up to see whether they're still worth watching in the 21st century.
So here's a mix of everything from hidden classics to forgettable dreck,...
Think back to the science fiction cinema of the 1990s, and some of the decade's biggest box-office hits will immediately spring to mind: The Phantom Menace, Jurassic Park, Independence Day, Men In Black, Armageddon and Terminator 2 were all in the top 20 most lucrative films of the era.
But what about the sci-fi films of the 1990s that failed to make even close to the same cultural and financial impact of those big hitters? These are the films this list is devoted to - the flops, the straight-to-video releases, the low-budget and critically-derided. We've picked 50 live-action films that fit these criteria, and dug them up to see whether they're still worth watching in the 21st century.
So here's a mix of everything from hidden classics to forgettable dreck,...
- 7/16/2015
- by ryanlambie
- Den of Geek
The disaster movie hits the next level a week from now with the release of Into the Storm, a drama that sees a tornado rip through a small American town on the day of high school graduation. Directed by James Cameron protégé Steven Quale, the film introduces the found footage aesthetic to a story of a father (Richard Armitage) desperately trying to save his son (Max Deacon). There are multiple perspectives juggled, too, notably a pair of redneck daredevils getting close to the action in a bid to make a viral video and a professional storm-chasing outfit led by Matt Walsh's documentary maker. Think of it as Twister turned up to 11.
"The journey all these characters go through, I was hoping to do that in a more intimate way to show a disaster as opposed to the wide, epic, sweeping shots that a cinematic movie would traditionally do," Quale tells Digital Spy.
"The journey all these characters go through, I was hoping to do that in a more intimate way to show a disaster as opposed to the wide, epic, sweeping shots that a cinematic movie would traditionally do," Quale tells Digital Spy.
- 8/15/2014
- Digital Spy
If you're like us, you can't wait for the first day of every month, because you know that Netflix is going to add a ton of new movies and TV shows. You refresh your account over and over again at midnight, hoping that those titles listed in the "Recently Added" section update with something new and exciting rather than the same ol' titles you've been staring at for the last four weeks.
Well, lo and behold, we've gathered the most exciting movies and TV shows being added to America's most popular streaming service, straight from Netflix themselves.
"Rocky" fans will be pumped to know that the first five boxing flicks (sorry, "Rocky Balboa" fans) will be added August 1, joining other '70s, '80s, and '90s movie favorites "Face/Off" (slow-motion doves!), "Mad Max" (apocalyptic leather!), "Spice World" (spice up your life!), "The Birdcage" (Calista Flockhart was in this,...
Well, lo and behold, we've gathered the most exciting movies and TV shows being added to America's most popular streaming service, straight from Netflix themselves.
"Rocky" fans will be pumped to know that the first five boxing flicks (sorry, "Rocky Balboa" fans) will be added August 1, joining other '70s, '80s, and '90s movie favorites "Face/Off" (slow-motion doves!), "Mad Max" (apocalyptic leather!), "Spice World" (spice up your life!), "The Birdcage" (Calista Flockhart was in this,...
- 7/30/2014
- by Tim Hayne
- Moviefone
In Pompeii, the ancient Roman city of the title (circa 79 A.D.) is about to be destroyed all over again; this time for fun and profit! The second half of director Paul W.S. Anderson's (known for all those Resident Evil movies) attempt at delivering a respectable historic disaster picture is so much quaking and rumbling that one might be inclined to check behind a crackling pillar or two for the ghost of Irwin Allen (the 1970s "Master of Disaster" responsible for The Towering Inferno). Colosseums will crumble, smoking lava streaks will awesomely shoot by leaving a deathly smoke trail hanging in the sky, and scores of extras dressed in bedsheets and belts will run for the safety of the nearest green-screen. But no one is safe...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
- 2/20/2014
- Screen Anarchy
The last of our three interviews with the White House Down cast and crew ends with the Master of Disaster Roland Emmerich. Emmerich has previously directed the likes of Independence Day, 2013 and The Day After Tomorrow. In this latest movie, we get to see Emmerich based in one place rather than a global scale disaster movie as he takes on destroying some of Washington DC’s best known landmarks.
Using the likes of Channing Tatum as a Secret Service wannabe and Jamie Foxx as President James Sawyer, we see the duo combine in an epic action movie which is set to rial the recent Olympus Has Fallen which had a very familiar storyline. Nonetheless, White House Down is well worth a watch. Roland Emmerich talks about designing their own White House (or a couple to be more precise so they could blow one up), working with the likes of Tatum...
Using the likes of Channing Tatum as a Secret Service wannabe and Jamie Foxx as President James Sawyer, we see the duo combine in an epic action movie which is set to rial the recent Olympus Has Fallen which had a very familiar storyline. Nonetheless, White House Down is well worth a watch. Roland Emmerich talks about designing their own White House (or a couple to be more precise so they could blow one up), working with the likes of Tatum...
- 9/12/2013
- by David Sztypuljak
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Yesterday we heard from Maggie Gyllenhaal for her new movie White House Down and today it’s the turn of the two leads, Channing Tatum and Jamie Foxx. In the interview, we get to hear what it was like working with the ‘Master of Disaster’ Directory Roland Emmerich whose previous works includes the likes of 2012 and Independence Day. The duo also talk about filming in the car nicknamed ‘The Beast’ and how a short scene can still take days to shoot.
White House Down hits UK cinemas this Friday 13th September and keep your eyes peeled for our review which will be going live on the site later this afternoon here. Tomorrow we’ll hear from Director Roland Emmerich himself so be sure to check back for that one.
The post The HeyUGuys Interview – Channing Tatum and Jamie Foxx Talk White House Down appeared first on HeyUGuys.
White House Down hits UK cinemas this Friday 13th September and keep your eyes peeled for our review which will be going live on the site later this afternoon here. Tomorrow we’ll hear from Director Roland Emmerich himself so be sure to check back for that one.
The post The HeyUGuys Interview – Channing Tatum and Jamie Foxx Talk White House Down appeared first on HeyUGuys.
- 9/11/2013
- by David Sztypuljak
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
From Jesus Quintana to Apollo Creed, via a Sheffield United hero and a chubby wide-eyed tricycle-loving kid called Champion
1) Jimmy Muir (When Saturday Comes, 1996)
Football has never really lent itself to the silver screen. Somehow things just don't work – the movement is too forced, the celebrations too cartoonish, the plots too hackneyed, the acting too stilted, the need to get a few real-life players in there (for some reason) too hard to resist. When Saturday Comes is no different. The football scenes don't work, the plot would've been turned down by Boy's Own for being too far-fetched, and Mel Sterland and Tony Currie pop up and make Ally McCoist look like Robert De Niro. The climax should be pretty clear before the opening titles have ended.
If you're expecting an "And yet …" at this point, think again. You can't dress this up as a moment of cinematic brilliance any more...
1) Jimmy Muir (When Saturday Comes, 1996)
Football has never really lent itself to the silver screen. Somehow things just don't work – the movement is too forced, the celebrations too cartoonish, the plots too hackneyed, the acting too stilted, the need to get a few real-life players in there (for some reason) too hard to resist. When Saturday Comes is no different. The football scenes don't work, the plot would've been turned down by Boy's Own for being too far-fetched, and Mel Sterland and Tony Currie pop up and make Ally McCoist look like Robert De Niro. The climax should be pretty clear before the opening titles have ended.
If you're expecting an "And yet …" at this point, think again. You can't dress this up as a moment of cinematic brilliance any more...
- 9/6/2013
- by Barry Glendenning, John Ashdown
- The Guardian - Film News
In March 2012, Sony Pictures and Millennium Films each purchased action spec scripts that were described, for better or worse, as "'Die Hard' in the White House." Released in March, Millennium's lower-profile "Olympus Has Fallen" took in $30.3 million its opening weekend en route to a domestic haul of $98.7 million. Sony waited three months to open the bigger-budget, star-powered "White House Down," which grossed $24.8 million this past weekend against tougher competition. Also read: How the Master of Disaster's 'White House Down' Can Stand Out in the Summer of the...
- 7/2/2013
- by Jeff Sneider
- The Wrap
Julianne Moore is in early talks to join the cast of "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay," an individual familar with the project has told TheWrap. The Oscar nominee would play President Alma Coin -- the leader of the autocratic society behind the gladiatorial games -- in the two-part finale. Moore joins a cast that will include heavyweights Philip Seymour Hoffman and Jennifer Lawrence and heartthrobs Liam Hemsworth and Josh Hutcherson. Also read: How the Master of Disaster's 'White House Down' Can Stand Out in the Summer of the Apocalypse She previously co-starred with Hutcherson...
- 6/27/2013
- by Brent Lang & Jeff Sneider
- The Wrap
Watch the trailer for White House Down in HD. The film stars Channing Tatum and Jamie Foxx, as well as Maggie Gyllenhaal, Jason Clarke, Joey King, James Woods, Gary Wasniewski, Richard Jenkins, Rachelle Lefevre and Lance Reddick. I'm curious to see how this one from Sony turns out as FilmDistrict's Olympus Has Fallen was just an absolute action blast and a kick-ass popcorn flick. We've had a series of posters being added, so this new trailer's welcome, but I must admit, I'm getting some serious Déjà vu after watching the trailer. Roland Emmerich, Mr. Master of Disaster (Independence Day, The Day After Tomorrow, 2012) directs from the script by James Vanderbilt, and the film hits venues on June 28th, snagging summer cinema-goers.
- 3/28/2013
- Upcoming-Movies.com
Watch the trailer for White House Down in HD. The film stars Channing Tatum and Jamie Foxx, as well as Maggie Gyllenhaal, Jason Clarke, Joey King, James Woods, Gary Wasniewski, Richard Jenkins, Rachelle Lefevre and Lance Reddick. I'm curious to see how this one from Sony turns out as FilmDistrict's Olympus Has Fallen was just an absolute action blast and a kick-ass popcorn flick. We've had a series of posters being added, so this new trailer's welcome, but I must admit, I'm getting some serious Déjà vu after watching the trailer. Roland Emmerich, Mr. Master of Disaster (Independence Day, The Day After Tomorrow, 2012) directs from the script by James Vanderbilt, and the film hits venues on June 28th, snagging summer cinema-goers.
- 3/28/2013
- Upcoming-Movies.com
Watch: New Trailer For Channing Tatum's 'White House Down,' Plus Our Rundown Of New Footage Screened
No one quite suits the title of Master of Disaster quite like Roland Emmerich, the director behind such bombastically apocalyptic visions as "Independence Day," "Godzilla," "The Day After Tomorrow" and "2012." Emmerich has gleefully destroyed major monuments, turning the White House into kindling and New York City into a giant frozen puddle. In his latest oversized spectacle "White House Down," starring Channing Tatum as a put-upon would-be Secret Service agent and Jamie Foxx as the endangered Commander-in-Chief, Emmerich returns to the location of his most iconic detonation, this time exploring the bonds between father and daughter while also blowing up a lot of stuff and having many people get shot in gloriously violent ways. Earlier today we got a peek at the trailer (which you can watch below) as well as a glimpse of about ten minutes of additional footage. While the movie doesn’t come out until June 28th, we're...
- 3/26/2013
- by Drew Taylor
- The Playlist
Politics is a dirty, mean-spirited, no-good business, and even the purest of souls who enter come out the other end tainted by the unavoidable compromises necessary to survive the experience. This comes as news to no one of course, least of all the filmmakers behind the new film Knife Fight… but that doesn’t mean they fully agree with it. Paul Turner (Rob Lowe) is a campaign manager happily saddled with the nickname “The Master of Disaster.” When politicians are discovered in bed with a dead girl, a live boy or a quadriplegic orangutang Turner and his assistant Kerstin (Jamie Chung) are the ones they rely on to spin things back in their favor. His current slate includes an infidelity-prone Kentucky governor (Eric McCormack) in a tight re-election race and a California Senator (David Harbour) accused of sexual impropriety during a massage. Also begging for his assistance is a Mission District doctor (Carrie-Ann Moss) who’s decided...
- 1/31/2013
- by Rob Hunter
- FilmSchoolRejects.com
Ah FrightFest how I love thee. Yes, my annual excursion to Scotland for Glasgow FrightFest continues this year, and I couldn’t be happier! This years line-up is strong, Very strong, with plenty of variety and some great film picks by Alan, Ian, Paul and Greg. Plus the appearance of Norwegian drama Hellsfjord! Of all the films showing this year there’s one that I most excited to see – Detention of the Dead… I’ve tried my hardest to cover the film as much as possible over the past year as it looks like my “cup of tea”, so for it to show at FrightFest is awesome (although to be fair I already knew that was in the line-up). However the real big surprise is the appearance of Neil Jordan’s Byzantium in the line-up – the Scottish crowd is notoriously “blood-thirtsy” so I hope Jordan’s film isn’t too sedate for the Glasgow crowd.
- 1/17/2013
- by Phil
- Nerdly
Anybody who has ever been to a high school reunion (and I’ve been to my share) will tell you that the calendar and the clock can be incredibly cruel (particularly when combined with the long-term effects of gravity, but let’s not go there).
Time punishes creative works as well. Some work grows dated, stale, stiff. Time and the evolving form of the given art leaves a once vibrant and exciting work behind looking dead and obsolete.
More cruel, perhaps, is work that is simply…forgotten. Not for any good reason. Good as it was, maybe it was simply not successful enough to lodge very deeply in the popular consciousness; working well enough in its day, but soon lost among the ever-growing detritus of a lot of other pieces of yesterday.
Movie music is particularly vulnerable to the cruelties of time. Outside of the form’s devotees, it rarely...
Time punishes creative works as well. Some work grows dated, stale, stiff. Time and the evolving form of the given art leaves a once vibrant and exciting work behind looking dead and obsolete.
More cruel, perhaps, is work that is simply…forgotten. Not for any good reason. Good as it was, maybe it was simply not successful enough to lodge very deeply in the popular consciousness; working well enough in its day, but soon lost among the ever-growing detritus of a lot of other pieces of yesterday.
Movie music is particularly vulnerable to the cruelties of time. Outside of the form’s devotees, it rarely...
- 1/14/2013
- by Bill Mesce
- SoundOnSight
When I reflect on the big box office successes of the 1970s, I think most about the disaster film genre dominated by producer and "Master of Disaster" Irwin Allen. Airport, Earthquake, The Towering Inferno and The Poseidon Adventure are the most well known films where characters must overcome natural calamities to escape and survive in the wake of destruction. Most of these movies relied on various subplots based on relationships between the survivors.
This year's Fantastic Fest featured Aftershock, a fictional disaster movie that pays homage to and amplifies Allen's legacy while adding an overwhelming dose of horror. Based on actual events surrounding an earthquake that struck Chile in 2010, the film stars actor/writer/producer Eli Roth (Inglourious Basterds, Hostel). The movie was shot in many of the same Chilean locations impacted by the 8.0 earthquake.
The storyline came about after a conversation between Roth and Aftershock writer/director Nicolas Lopez,...
This year's Fantastic Fest featured Aftershock, a fictional disaster movie that pays homage to and amplifies Allen's legacy while adding an overwhelming dose of horror. Based on actual events surrounding an earthquake that struck Chile in 2010, the film stars actor/writer/producer Eli Roth (Inglourious Basterds, Hostel). The movie was shot in many of the same Chilean locations impacted by the 8.0 earthquake.
The storyline came about after a conversation between Roth and Aftershock writer/director Nicolas Lopez,...
- 10/9/2012
- by Debbie Cerda
- Slackerwood
Eli Roth makes a fun earthquake survivor in otherwise predictable Aftershock The core plot of an Irwin “Master of Disaster” Allen movie; think his ’79 TV movie Cave In; collides with the survivor horror genre in co-writer/director Nicolás López’s Chilean-set Aftershock. With fan favorite Eli Roth in the lead and an impressive series of escalating deaths, each one more gruesome than the other, Aftershock promises plenty of scares. Unfortunately, López and co-writers Roth and Guillermo Amodeo deliver predictable twists instead of legitimate surprises. López credits a terrifying 2010 Chilean earthquake for inspiring Aftershock but his make-believe version clearly lacks the horror of the original disaster.
- 9/15/2012
- Upcoming-Movies.com
Eli Roth makes a fun earthquake survivor in otherwise predictable Aftershock The core plot of an Irwin “Master of Disaster” Allen movie; think his ’79 TV movie Cave In; collides with the survivor horror genre in co-writer/director Nicolás López’s Chilean-set Aftershock. With fan favorite Eli Roth in the lead and an impressive series of escalating deaths, each one more gruesome than the other, Aftershock promises plenty of scares. Unfortunately, López and co-writers Roth and Guillermo Amodeo deliver predictable twists instead of legitimate surprises. López credits a terrifying 2010 Chilean earthquake for inspiring Aftershock but his make-believe version clearly lacks the horror of the original disaster.
- 9/15/2012
- Upcoming-Movies.com
If you hear the names Moon Lee and Yukari Oshima, then you will probably know that when they come to fight, they bring us hard hitting action. It was the movie Angel(1986) that made people stand up and take notice with Moon, along with her co-star Yukari Oshima now on their way to becoming action stars.
Moon Lee
Other names: 李赛凤
Lee Choi Fong
Moon Lee
Birth date: 14/2/1965
Nationality: Hong Kong
Workplace: Hong Kong
Selected Filmography
1983: Zu: Warriors From The Magic Mountain
1985:The Protector
1985:Mr.Vampire
1986:Angel
1989:Princess Madam
1990:New Killers In Town
1992:Beauty Investigator
2008:Only The Way
Bio
From age 6 to 12, Moon lived in Kaohsiung, Taiwan for 6 years with her father, who had business there. She attended Youchang Elementary School. During her stay in Taiwan, she learned mandarin Chinese and developed her piano and dance expertise. As a result, she often had performances.
When she first...
Moon Lee
Other names: 李赛凤
Lee Choi Fong
Moon Lee
Birth date: 14/2/1965
Nationality: Hong Kong
Workplace: Hong Kong
Selected Filmography
1983: Zu: Warriors From The Magic Mountain
1985:The Protector
1985:Mr.Vampire
1986:Angel
1989:Princess Madam
1990:New Killers In Town
1992:Beauty Investigator
2008:Only The Way
Bio
From age 6 to 12, Moon lived in Kaohsiung, Taiwan for 6 years with her father, who had business there. She attended Youchang Elementary School. During her stay in Taiwan, she learned mandarin Chinese and developed her piano and dance expertise. As a result, she often had performances.
When she first...
- 6/28/2012
- by kingofkungfu
- AsianMoviePulse
Next stop for Channing Tatum: Washington, DC.
The "21 Jump Street" star has signed on to save 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. from evil with the lead role in "White House Down," according to Deadline.
The film has been described as "'Die Hard' in the White House" (say no more; we're there) as it focuses on a paramilitary takeover of the President's home. Tatum will play a Secret Service agent — and, we're guessing, America's Last Hope.
"White House Down" is being directed by Roland Emmerich, the Master of Disaster who allegedly destroyed the world for the last time in "2012" and has since moved on to exploring such tantalizing topics as whether or not Shakespeare actually wrote all those plays (gasp!). The script was written by James Vanderbilt, who also wrote this summer's "The Amazing Spider-Man".
This sounds like the film that could make Channing Tatum a bona fide action star after...
The "21 Jump Street" star has signed on to save 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. from evil with the lead role in "White House Down," according to Deadline.
The film has been described as "'Die Hard' in the White House" (say no more; we're there) as it focuses on a paramilitary takeover of the President's home. Tatum will play a Secret Service agent — and, we're guessing, America's Last Hope.
"White House Down" is being directed by Roland Emmerich, the Master of Disaster who allegedly destroyed the world for the last time in "2012" and has since moved on to exploring such tantalizing topics as whether or not Shakespeare actually wrote all those plays (gasp!). The script was written by James Vanderbilt, who also wrote this summer's "The Amazing Spider-Man".
This sounds like the film that could make Channing Tatum a bona fide action star after...
- 5/15/2012
- by Bryan Enk
- NextMovie
When famed cataclysm junkie Roland Emmerich announced he was going to tackle Shakespeare and look towards futuristic sci-fi, we imagine the world’s landmarks and most famous cities breathed a collective sigh of relief that the Master Of Disaster was giving them a break. But Los Angeles and its surrounding areas can’t be complacent, because New Line is looking to hit them with a massive earthquake in San Andreas: 3D.According to the La Times, Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps writer Allan Loeb has been cranking out a first draft that sees the titular fault line open up between California and Nevada, leading to major destruction. Through the madness, a man must head out to reconcile with his children and with his ex-wife, who is living with someone else. Hhhm… A bit like John Cusack in 2012, then? Disasters always seem to bring out our need to be together. Presumably...
- 12/2/2011
- EmpireOnline
Filed under: Celebrity Interviews, Toronto Film Festival, Movie News
Roland Emmerich knows what you think of him. "The Master of Disaster," famous for directing films such as '2012' and Independence Day,' gleefully recalled his reputation during an interview about the new Shakespeare conspiracy film 'Anonymous' at the Toronto International Film Festival on Sunday. There are no explosions in 'Anonymous' and the world isn't on the brink of disaster -- is the director worried audiences won't take a "Roland Emmerich Shakespeare film" seriously? "There are a lot of things against this movie," Emmerich admits -- his reputation being one of them. So, why didn't Emmerich take a cue from his own movie and release it anonymously? As it turns out, that was his initial plan.
Continue Reading...
Roland Emmerich knows what you think of him. "The Master of Disaster," famous for directing films such as '2012' and Independence Day,' gleefully recalled his reputation during an interview about the new Shakespeare conspiracy film 'Anonymous' at the Toronto International Film Festival on Sunday. There are no explosions in 'Anonymous' and the world isn't on the brink of disaster -- is the director worried audiences won't take a "Roland Emmerich Shakespeare film" seriously? "There are a lot of things against this movie," Emmerich admits -- his reputation being one of them. So, why didn't Emmerich take a cue from his own movie and release it anonymously? As it turns out, that was his initial plan.
Continue Reading...
- 9/12/2011
- by Mike Ryan
- Moviefone
Considering that Salmon Fishing in the Yemen stars Ewan McGregor and Emily Blunt, wouldn’t it be stranger if it didn’t get picked up? Well, it’s found a home with CBS Films, as THR tells us that the company has acquired the Lasse Halström comedy for distribution — and at a hefty price of $4-to-5 million. After premiering last night to mixed reviews, a bidding war started over the film that centers on a fish scientist asked by an Arab Sheik “to do the seemingly impossible – introduce British salmon to the wadis of the Yemen.”
Based on the novel by Paul Torday, it’s scripted by Oscar-winning Slumdog Millionaire writer Simon Beaufoy. It sounds like a wholly inoffensive (if concurrently forgettable) affair, but the cast has me interested enough, so I think I’ll be willing to check the film out whenever it hits.
Another Toronto acquisition has occurred with Myriad,...
Based on the novel by Paul Torday, it’s scripted by Oscar-winning Slumdog Millionaire writer Simon Beaufoy. It sounds like a wholly inoffensive (if concurrently forgettable) affair, but the cast has me interested enough, so I think I’ll be willing to check the film out whenever it hits.
Another Toronto acquisition has occurred with Myriad,...
- 9/12/2011
- by jpraup@gmail.com (thefilmstage.com)
- The Film Stage
Sunday, September 11, 2011, Toronto….. Myriad Pictures will handle sales outside North America for Academy® Award-winner Bill Guttentag’s political drama Knife Fight, starring Rob Lowe (“The West Wing”, “Parks & Recreation”, Breakaway), Julie Bowen (“Modern Family”, Horrible Bosses, “Boston Legal”), Jamie Chung (Sucker Punch, The Hangover, Part II), Carrie-Anne Moss (The Matrix trilogy, Disturbia, Chocolat), Eric McCormack (“Will & Grace”, Textuality, “The New Adventures of Old Christine”) and Richard Schiff (“The West Wing”, Solitary Man, The Lost World: Jurassic Park). The screenplay was written by Guttentag and prominent political consultant Chris Lehane who as a White House advisor to President Bill Clinton earned the reputation as “Master of Disaster” and later served as Al Gore’s Press Secretary. This is Lehane’s first feature film script. The film follows three political candidates running for public office. Rob Lowe plays a hard-ball political crisis manager in the middle of the dirty campaigns whose clients...
- 9/11/2011
- by MIKE FLEMING
- Deadline
At the June 21 memorial service for legendary E Street Band saxophonist Clarence Clemons, Bruce Springsteen delivered a moving tribute to his longtime friend and bandmate. Springsteen has posted the eulogy in its (slightly revised) entirety on his website, and his words are marked with great esteem but also honesty, revealing Clemons to be a great if imperfect man. “As you boys [Clemons’ sons] know your pop was a not a day at the beach. ‘C’ lived a life where he did what he wanted to do and he let the chips, human and otherwise, fall where they may,” Springsteen said during the eulogy. “Like a lot of us your pop was capable of great magic and also of making quite an amazing mess.”
That said, The Boss also spoke to the familial relationship he and Clemons shared. “From the first time I saw my pal striding out of the shadows of a...
That said, The Boss also spoke to the familial relationship he and Clemons shared. “From the first time I saw my pal striding out of the shadows of a...
- 6/30/2011
- by John Mitchell
- MTV Newsroom
In the wake of, what the Midwest has dubbed the Snowpocalypse, and with the upcoming release of Sanctum, it seems only fitting to pay mother nature a tribute…
Nature is a powerful force with the ability to change at any given time. Hurricanes, blizzards, earthquakes, and freezing temperatures are just some of the many ways that mother nature can put us in our places! So, without further adieu…
Top Ten Man/Woman Vs. Nature Films 10. Waterworld
If ever there was a film that exemplifies the whole Man vs Nature scenario, it.s Waterworld. Set in an apocalyptic future, after global warming has melted the polar ice caps and flooded civilization, the movie.s hero, The Mariner (Kevin Costner), is a man who has adapted by growing gills and a survivalist living on a boat on which he is growing a precious tomato plant. When he tries to sell the plant...
Nature is a powerful force with the ability to change at any given time. Hurricanes, blizzards, earthquakes, and freezing temperatures are just some of the many ways that mother nature can put us in our places! So, without further adieu…
Top Ten Man/Woman Vs. Nature Films 10. Waterworld
If ever there was a film that exemplifies the whole Man vs Nature scenario, it.s Waterworld. Set in an apocalyptic future, after global warming has melted the polar ice caps and flooded civilization, the movie.s hero, The Mariner (Kevin Costner), is a man who has adapted by growing gills and a survivalist living on a boat on which he is growing a precious tomato plant. When he tries to sell the plant...
- 2/1/2011
- by Movie Geeks
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
In real life the world's bees may be facing decimation from colony collapse, but that apparently hasn't stopped filmmakers from deciding to launch a remake of the 1978 Irwin Allen disaster film The Swarm, in which killer South American bees join forces to launch a massive attack on humans.
On the other hand, maybe it's time the bees had a little payback for man's mistreatment of the planet…and maybe the filmmakers — Roy Lee (The Ring) and Steven Schneider (Paranormal Activity) — will have the foresight to factor that into their story. And there is recent precedent for such an occurrence, though from Africanized bees.
The original film starred Michael Caine as an entomologist who learns that killer bees from South America have been coming together to form huge swarms. He sets out to stop the military from attacking and worsening the imbalance in nature, ultimately teaming up with them to prevent...
On the other hand, maybe it's time the bees had a little payback for man's mistreatment of the planet…and maybe the filmmakers — Roy Lee (The Ring) and Steven Schneider (Paranormal Activity) — will have the foresight to factor that into their story. And there is recent precedent for such an occurrence, though from Africanized bees.
The original film starred Michael Caine as an entomologist who learns that killer bees from South America have been coming together to form huge swarms. He sets out to stop the military from attacking and worsening the imbalance in nature, ultimately teaming up with them to prevent...
- 11/17/2010
- CinemaSpy
In case you haven’t heard, the aliens are coming. To destroy us, not to hold hands and sing campfire songs, though that would be kind of cool in its own, cute way. But nope. There are really, really bad aliens out there, apparently. Or at least, that’s the going assumption in Hollywood, which at last count has about a half dozen major Alien Invasion movies set to destroy the planet Earth in the next few years. Now you can add Roland Emmerich to the list. The Master of Disaster behind “2012″, “Independence Day”, “Godzilla”, and “Stargate” has been quietly (but apparently not quietly enough) prepping his own little alien invasion movie called “The Zone”. Except this one will take the “Found Footage” route, meaning the entire movie will be shot/shown through a videocamera, cause, you know, there isn’t nearly enough of that. According to Heat Vision, the plot involves two male leads,...
- 10/30/2010
- by Nix
- Beyond Hollywood
Anthony Breznican of USA Today has all-important details about the next entry in the Transformers franchise, including the release date, July 1st, 2011 (a.k.a. Superhero Summer), and the new villain, Shockwave (not to be confused with Soundwave), but none more important, at least to me, than the confirmation that Transformers 3 (in 3D, of course) will be the last film in the trilogy. When I sat down to see Transformers, the big-screen adaptation of the 80s' cartoon and the toy line, three years ago, a trilogy was the last thing on my mind. I wanted to see what even casual fans of the series and toy line wanted to see: giant, transforming robots, realistically rendered by the best CG Hollywood money could buy, knocking each other around, destroying property (but hopefully not taking lives) in the process. In that respect, Michael Bay (Bad Boys II, Pearl Harbor, Armageddon, The Rock,...
- 6/11/2010
- by Mel Valentin
- Cinematical
Good morning all. Welcome back to the Atomic DVD Shelf.
As usual, there’s an armada of new films getting released this week and we don’t have quite enough time to tackle them all. So, I’ve assembled a tasty sampling of several new pics hitting this week, and I’ve also got a longer look at Where the Wild Things Are Blu-ray via the link below:
Dvd Showcase: Where the Wild Things Are Blu-ray
Ok, now that we have that out of the way, lets get started by heading under the sea to visit…
Ponyo
Nate’s rating:
★★★½☆
Since Lasseter and the gang have been doing their thing at Disney, the studio has done a wonderful job of handling the U.S. releases of Studio Ghibli’s animated work. The Japanese based Ghibli, run by anime maestro Hayao Miyazaki, has produced some of the most beautiful and captivating family films available.
As usual, there’s an armada of new films getting released this week and we don’t have quite enough time to tackle them all. So, I’ve assembled a tasty sampling of several new pics hitting this week, and I’ve also got a longer look at Where the Wild Things Are Blu-ray via the link below:
Dvd Showcase: Where the Wild Things Are Blu-ray
Ok, now that we have that out of the way, lets get started by heading under the sea to visit…
Ponyo
Nate’s rating:
★★★½☆
Since Lasseter and the gang have been doing their thing at Disney, the studio has done a wonderful job of handling the U.S. releases of Studio Ghibli’s animated work. The Japanese based Ghibli, run by anime maestro Hayao Miyazaki, has produced some of the most beautiful and captivating family films available.
- 3/3/2010
- by Nathan Bartlebaugh
- Atomic Popcorn
Arguably the biggest news doing the rounds this past Friday was that of “Master of Disaster” Roland Emmerich and his plans for a two-part Independence Day followup. Sharing his ideas with MTV (and thus inadvertently with the entire world), Emmerich’s musings were taken by some to be a green light for the sequels.
However, the IESB, aiming to go one better and get confirmation on the project’s screenwriter, approached Fox directly to confirm a few details and of course they were told in no uncertain terms that there is no Independence Day movie in production. From their own lips:
A few days ago, IESB was given a tip that there was some possible movement on a sequel with a new screenwriter, when IESB spoke to various Fox reps to confirm the name of screenwriter we were told point blank, there are no sequels to ID4 in development.
So...
However, the IESB, aiming to go one better and get confirmation on the project’s screenwriter, approached Fox directly to confirm a few details and of course they were told in no uncertain terms that there is no Independence Day movie in production. From their own lips:
A few days ago, IESB was given a tip that there was some possible movement on a sequel with a new screenwriter, when IESB spoke to various Fox reps to confirm the name of screenwriter we were told point blank, there are no sequels to ID4 in development.
So...
- 11/16/2009
- by Craig Sharp
- FilmShaft.com
If you don’t know about 2012 by now, then you either don’t own a television, live somewhere where billboards are banned, have no Internet access or haven’t been keeping track of Starlog’s coverage of the blockbuster Sf-action film that premiered Friday to record box office. And if you don’t know about 2012 director Roland Emmerich by now, then you must not be a fan of disaster flicks, because the 21st Century’s “Master of Disaster” is also the man behind Independence Day, Godzilla and The Day After Tomorrow.
The end of the Mayan calendar is the source of the seismic and end-of-the-world events that are central to 2012’s storyline. “I was working on a project about Gonzalo Guerrero, who was the first of a small group of Spaniards who stepped foot on the Yucatan and encountered the Mayans,” Emmerich explains. “So because of that, I had studied the Mayan culture.
The end of the Mayan calendar is the source of the seismic and end-of-the-world events that are central to 2012’s storyline. “I was working on a project about Gonzalo Guerrero, who was the first of a small group of Spaniards who stepped foot on the Yucatan and encountered the Mayans,” Emmerich explains. “So because of that, I had studied the Mayan culture.
- 11/16/2009
- by no-reply@starlog.com (Allan Dart)
- Starlog
Roland Emmerich, aka the Master of Disaster, has easily taken the number one slot in both the Us and worldwide box office charts this weekend, with his latest disaster movie 2012 raking in $65m at the Us box office and an estimated $225m worldwide - the fifth best opening worldwide ever, and the highest for a non-sequel.Emmerich, who we like to think directs every scene by simply saying "Make it bigger, then blow it up", may be disappointed that the film did slightly less well than The Day After Tomorrow, but mostly he'll probably be relieved that he looks set to easily outstrip 10,000Bc, his 2008 film where the world didn't end and audiences mostly stayed home.Another big winner on this week's chart was Precious: Based on the novel Push by Sapphire, which expanded to a still-tiny 174 screens and took a whopping $6.1m and fourth place. Just to put that in perspective,...
- 11/16/2009
- EmpireOnline
By Michael Adams
1. The Master of Disaster Still Has It
“2012” is a massive -- the most massive -- eruption of molten B-movie cheese in history -- not that that’s a bad thing. In fact, it’s hard to think of many better pure-popcorn experiences this year. What genocidal levels of destruction played for fun says about us and our civilization, I’m not too sure. But I know we’ve been doing it on screen for over 100 years now. Will audiences stampede to this one? I’m betting it exceeds expectations and hauls in $70m+.
2."...
1. The Master of Disaster Still Has It
“2012” is a massive -- the most massive -- eruption of molten B-movie cheese in history -- not that that’s a bad thing. In fact, it’s hard to think of many better pure-popcorn experiences this year. What genocidal levels of destruction played for fun says about us and our civilization, I’m not too sure. But I know we’ve been doing it on screen for over 100 years now. Will audiences stampede to this one? I’m betting it exceeds expectations and hauls in $70m+.
2."...
- 11/13/2009
- by Lew Harris
- The Wrap
2012
Starring John Cusack, Amanda Peet, Chiwetel Ejiofor, and Woody Harrelson
Directed by Roland Emmerich
Rated PG-13
A common complaint leveled at movie critics, almost exclusively with big budget blockbusters, is that we expect them to be something they're not. True, not everything tries to win Oscars and bad acting and writing can often be overlooked, but some films are so bad even on the basis that they should be evaluated that you can only forgive so much in the interest of entertainment.
Within its own little universe, 2012 really only wants to create the apocalypse to end all apocalypses, and it's pretty successful at it, frankly.
Director Roland Emmerich is The Master of Disaster, having helmed a few movies that put human civilization on the brink of extinction from one cause or another. There's always an unlikely hero, seldom a likely one, and familiar monuments get demolished rather convincingly through computer animation.
Starring John Cusack, Amanda Peet, Chiwetel Ejiofor, and Woody Harrelson
Directed by Roland Emmerich
Rated PG-13
A common complaint leveled at movie critics, almost exclusively with big budget blockbusters, is that we expect them to be something they're not. True, not everything tries to win Oscars and bad acting and writing can often be overlooked, but some films are so bad even on the basis that they should be evaluated that you can only forgive so much in the interest of entertainment.
Within its own little universe, 2012 really only wants to create the apocalypse to end all apocalypses, and it's pretty successful at it, frankly.
Director Roland Emmerich is The Master of Disaster, having helmed a few movies that put human civilization on the brink of extinction from one cause or another. There's always an unlikely hero, seldom a likely one, and familiar monuments get demolished rather convincingly through computer animation.
- 11/13/2009
- by Colin Boyd
- GetTheBigPicture.net
Following in the footsteps of Irwin Allen, Roland Emmerich is this generation’s “Master of Disaster.” The former gave us such catastrophic films as The Poseidon Adventure, The Towering Inferno and When Time Ran Out... The latter has directed Independence Day, Godzilla, The Day After Tomorrow and now 2012. The two filmmakers have much in common: They’re fond of end-of-the-world stories, ensemble casts featuring well-known actors and long running times. The Towering Inferno clocked in at 165 minutes; 2012 isn’t too far behind at 158. End of the world? How about end of the Movie? By the time the great tsunami tidal waves were wiping out the planet, I was worried about another type of great flood—and made a 50-yard dash for the bathroom.
Natural disasters and apocalyptic events are the MacGuffins in an Emmerich movie—they set the story in motion, but does it Really matter what the cataclysmic cause is?...
Natural disasters and apocalyptic events are the MacGuffins in an Emmerich movie—they set the story in motion, but does it Really matter what the cataclysmic cause is?...
- 11/13/2009
- by no-reply@starlog.com (Allan Dart)
- Starlog
Day 2 of Wamg’s series on 2012 will take a look at some of the clips from the film as well as a few other disaster films. The money shots like the one up above are what gets our butts into the seats. It really is a guilty pleasure… disaster pornography, if you will. We return time and time again for the thrill of the ride to see how the filmmaker will kill off the species, whether it be through invading aliens, massive tidal waves, shattering earthquakes or engulfing tornadoes, and Emmerich has become ”King-of-All-He-Surveys” over it.
He loves taking out our national landmarks too. I think its become a summer thing with him. Only with 2012, every country’s landmarks are up for grabs. He decimates Rio de Janeiro, Rome, and Tibet. I will say this for Emmerich, he sure knows how to blow stuff up, with the main characters always...
He loves taking out our national landmarks too. I think its become a summer thing with him. Only with 2012, every country’s landmarks are up for grabs. He decimates Rio de Janeiro, Rome, and Tibet. I will say this for Emmerich, he sure knows how to blow stuff up, with the main characters always...
- 11/10/2009
- by Michelle
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
A couple of more pics from Master of Disaster Roland Emmerich’s latest disaster porn, “2012″. These features more of the ladies of “2012″, including Thandie Newton as the Prez’s daughter, and Amanda Peet as the suffering wife of John Cusack’s Everyman Hero character. “2012″ ravages your city November 13, 2009, which should give you a three year head start on that whole apocalypse deal. Can you say, “Party like it’s 1999″?...
- 11/8/2009
- by Nix
- SciFiCool.com
German director Roland Emmerich, aka the man who made death porn on a global scale (aka disaster films) popular again, blames the lack of a sequel to “Independence Day” on the studio’s unwillingness to pay Will Smith his due. And oh yeah, that guy George W. Bush is also to blame, too. In a roundtable interview with critics, Emmerich tells CinemaBlend that the reason why he hasn’t been enthusiastic about making an “ID4″ earlier is that Bush was in office at the time and, apparently, he didn’t want to make a movie about a heroic President rallying the world against evil alien invaders. Says the Master of Disaster: “In Independence Day, it was about a king who leads his country into a fight against an outside invader. I didn’t want to make that movie during the Bush years. It was not thought that George W. Bush...
- 11/6/2009
- by Nix
- SciFiCool.com
Telling Latino Review that "there's a very really good great story, a very cool one" for a possible Independence Day sequel, director Roland Emmerich says a follow-up has been in negotiations for some time now.
The Master of Disaster has 2012 in theaters next month, but there has been talk about this sequel (or at least a sequel) to Independence Day for years and years. It was one of the ten biggest movies of the 1990s, so you'd think sequel talk would be a natural, although some of the other blockbusters in that same category from the previous decade were one-and-dones, too.
The big question is what to do about Will Smith. He was not the world's biggest movie star in 1996, so if he were to come back for a sequel to the movie that solidified his standing as a box office draw, somebody would be backing the truck up, as...
The Master of Disaster has 2012 in theaters next month, but there has been talk about this sequel (or at least a sequel) to Independence Day for years and years. It was one of the ten biggest movies of the 1990s, so you'd think sequel talk would be a natural, although some of the other blockbusters in that same category from the previous decade were one-and-dones, too.
The big question is what to do about Will Smith. He was not the world's biggest movie star in 1996, so if he were to come back for a sequel to the movie that solidified his standing as a box office draw, somebody would be backing the truck up, as...
- 10/12/2009
- by Colin Boyd
- GetTheBigPicture.net
Last night Sony premiered two minutes of footage from Roland Emmerich’s latest disaster movie, 2012. The commercial played on 450 TV outlets in the top 70 North American markets to approximately 110 million people. Reports are saying its the largest “roadblock” in U.S. television history.
Now you can see an extended version of the clip, which also happens to be the same footage shown at the San Diego Comic-Con a few months ago. Some consider Emmerich to be the “Master of Disaster,” while others don’t really get the mass destruction movies. If you like his work or the over-the-top action of Michael Bay films, you’ll probably like this clip and subsequently the movie in November.
This 5-minute preview stars John Cusack, Amanda Peet, and Thomas McCarthy riding in a limo and a small plane as Los Angeles crumbles around them. Watch the clip below and pay extra attention to Cusack...
Now you can see an extended version of the clip, which also happens to be the same footage shown at the San Diego Comic-Con a few months ago. Some consider Emmerich to be the “Master of Disaster,” while others don’t really get the mass destruction movies. If you like his work or the over-the-top action of Michael Bay films, you’ll probably like this clip and subsequently the movie in November.
This 5-minute preview stars John Cusack, Amanda Peet, and Thomas McCarthy riding in a limo and a small plane as Los Angeles crumbles around them. Watch the clip below and pay extra attention to Cusack...
- 10/2/2009
- by Jeff Leins
- newsinfilm.com
Blame it on Irwin Allen. The producer who towered over the Golden Age of disaster movies in the 1970s may not have been the first to hit upon the winning formula of mixing an all-star cast, multiple plotlines, and mortal peril, but the Master of Disaster elevated watching stars struggle for survival to an art. We invite you to sit back, relax, and enjoy Darwinism in action in the...
- 3/11/2009
- AMC Filmcritic's Top Ten
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.