lifestyle MONDAY, JANUARY 26, 2015

Music & Movies

From left to right, producer Jeremy Kleiner, director Rupert Goold, producer Dede Gardner, executive producer Brad Pitt, and actor James Franco pose together at the premiere of “True Story” during the 2015 Sundance Film Festival.—AP Franco on ‘The Interview’s’ VOD release, superhero films ames Franco isn’t ruling out a return to had inspired the radicalism that led to the ‘Birdman’ wins PGA best film ahead of Oscars the superhero genre that helped make murders of staff members at the French ark comedy “Birdman” took have been a strong indicator of Jhis name with Sam Raimi’s “Spider- satirical magazine. “You want to under- home best movie at the Oscar winners in years past, with Man” films, although he doesn’t sound that stand where those terrorists are coming Producers Guild Awards some of its 6,700 members also tak- enthusiastic about donning a cape or mask. from, but it’s important for the world to say D Saturday, boosting its status ahead ing part in Academy Awards voting. “If it’s the right role, I guess,” said Franco that is beyond the pale,” said Goold. of the much-anticipated Oscars Fan favorite “The Lego Movie” won during an interview at the Sundance Film next month. The film, directed by best animated picture, after being Festival. “There’s a lot of graphic novels that Linked by officials Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, beat left out of the Oscar nominations, I like that aren’t superheroes.”In particular, Franco had his own similar experience industry favorites and leading while “Life Itself” by Steve James Franco said he was drawn to a graphic nov- with terrorism, albeit of the cyber-variety, Academy Awards contenders won best documentary. In the TV el by Derf Backderf entitled “My Friend when threats of violence and a massive including coming-of-age tale category, widely acclaimed Dahmer” that sounds pretty far removed hacking of Sony Pictures forced the studio “Boyhood”, stylish crime caper “The “Breaking Bad”, which ended in from the webspinner films. Backderf went to alter its release plans for his recent com- Grand Budapest Hotel” and World 2013 after five seasons, continued to high school with Dahmer, the infamous edy “The Interview.” The picture centered War II code-breaking thriller “The to shine, taking home the prize for serial killer, and paints a portrait of the mur- on an assassination attempt on North Imitation Game”. best television drama. derer as a disturbed young man. Korean dictator Kim Jong-un. The country “I feel humbled by this. All these The show’s star Bryan Cranston “He was a bit crazy in high school,” said has been linked by officials to the attack. films nominated this year have an said winning awards wasn’t the Franco. “Ten years after that, when Dahmer “The Interview” ultimately debuted in individual voice,” Inarritu told only measure of the program’s suc- was caught, somebody called up the writer several arthouse theaters and on-demand. Variety. “Birdman” is about a cess. “You only know that your and they were like, ‘Dude, somebody from Its digital and cable release has earned washed-up film actor played by show is a big hit when the location our high school just got arrested for all more than $40 million. Franco had mixed Michael Keaton trying to revive his signs are stolen,” he said in Variety. these murders,’ and he actually thought emotions about the results. “The fact is career on stage. This month, Netflix original series “Orange Is The that it was another guy, because there was they only charge $6 to view it online, to Inarritu won best screenplay and New Black” won best comedy, while Producer/director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu accepts the somebody who was even crazier in high rent it online, and the whole family could Keaton took home best musical or mini-series “Fargo” took home the Outstanding Producer of Theatrical Motion Pictures award for school.” Franco was at the mountainside watch it for $6,” he said. “That could have comedy actor at the Golden top trophy in its category. HBO’s ‘Birdman’ onstage.—AFP festival to promote “True Story,” which looks been five $14 tickets.” Franco expects that Globes, considered a dry-run for AIDS drama “The Normal Heart”, at another murderer, Christian Longo. He on-demand platforms will continue to the Oscars, the climax of starring Mark Ruffalo as activist and Hollywood heavyweights, includ- Washington were at the gala in stars as a man who killed his wife and three grow, particularly for smaller, offbeat films. Hollywood’s awards season. playwright Larry Kramer, won the ing Jennifer Lawrence, Adrian downtown Los Angeles.—AFP children in the bleak drama. “I can’t see that stopping, you know, this Birdman led the PGA nomina- Stanley Kramer Award for raising Brody, Sharon Stone, Ethan Hawke, The film’s director, Rupert Goold, said VOD outlet, which to me is sort of exciting, tions with four nods. PGA winners awareness of social issues. Eddie Redmayne and Kerry “True Story” is an indictment of modern especially as a person who likes to make society’s propensity to understand the root projects that are not ‘The Avengers,’” he causes of devious or criminal behavior as a said. Franco added that as a teacher of way of explaining horrible events. “It’s a graduate film classes, he was pleased that weirdly slightly Catholic, right-wing stand- there are more avenues for distribution point, which is not my politics at all, the available to rising talent. “I want my stu- idea that there is such a thing in the world dents to be able to find ways to make their as evil or the incomprehensible,” said movies,” said Franco. “The fact that (‘The Goold. “There are acts that need to be Interview’) kind of opened up a door in a defined as outside acceptability morally.” bigger way or at least made people aware The “True Story” director pointed to the that this is an option I think in some ways is coverage of the terrorist attacks on Charlie exciting.”—Reuters Hebdo, some of which indicated that Western exploitation of the Middle East

Box Office: ‘American Sniper’ shoots for $62 Million, Depp’s ‘Mortdecai’ flops ortdecai,” Johnny Depp’s lat- decline of just 30% and raise the film’s US est film, is tanking at the US cume to almost $200 million. Warner Bros’ “Mbox office. The comedy came “Sniper” wowed following a record-setting in seventh it opened to $1.5 million on wide opening over Martin Luther King Jr Friday and looks to finish the weekend in weekend. The biopic about Navy SEAL ninth place with a dismal $4.3 million. The Chris Kyle doubled projections in the $42 pic is far behind this weekend’s other new million to $50 million range. wide releasdise, Jennifer Lopez’s “The Boy Universal’s “The Boy Next Door” Next Door,” which is runner-up to Bradley launched to $5.7 million at the US box Cooper’s “American Sniper” as it continues office on Friday. The thriller will likely earn a Actress Makenzie Leigh, from left, director Josh Mond, actor Christopher Abbott, actress Cynthia Nixon, musician/actor Kid Cudi and actor to defy expectations with an estimated respectable $15.6 million this weekend. The David Call pose at the premiere of “James White” during the 2015 Sundance Film Festival on Friday.—AP weekend haul of $62 million. Lionsgate’s pic was produced by Jason Blum’s “Mortdecai,” which reportedly carries a $60 Blumhouse for a modest $4 million. “The million pricetag, grossed about a third of Wedding Ringer” brought in an estimated what had been expected. $3.3 million on Friday for a third place fin- ‘Racing Extinction’ documentary The movie marks the third Stateside dud ish. The comedy, starring Kevin Hart and in a row and one of the worst openings for Josh Gad, is headed for a sophomore ses- Depp, following “Transcendence” and “The sion of $11 million to $12 million, finishing Lone Ranger.” Aside from Disney’s mega- the weekend in fourth. The Sony pic looks a call to save the planet successful “Pirates of the Caribbean” fran- to earn just under $40 million by today. chise, the chameleonic actor’s most recent Last weekend, the film broke the record for t’s not too late to save the planet, but docu- rapher, explores how human beings are hasten- come from cars, heaters, factories and cows. films have bombed domestically (this is the No. 1 R-rated comedy opening of all mentarian Louis Psihoyos says the time is ing a “massive extinction event” the likes of “Livestock releases more greenhouse gases than excluding his non-starring role in “Into the time in January. Inow. The filmmaker behind 2009’s Oscar-win- which the planet hasn’t experienced since the the entire transportation sector,” Psihoyos said. Woods”). Depp’s two movies prior to “Lone The Weinstein Co.’s talking-bear come- ning documentary “The Cove” returns to the nat- dinosaurs disappeared. Filmmakers surreptitiously filmed the endan- Ranger,” “Dark Shadows” and “The Rum dy “Paddington” earned $3.4 million on ural environment for his latest film, “Racing Besides the illegal harvesting of shark fins gered animal trade in China, where manta rays Diary,” underperformed as well. Friday in its second weekend. It will likely Extinction,” which premiered Saturday at the and whales for exotic cuisine, the film points to and whale sharks continue to be killed for their Gwyneth Paltrow and Ewan McGregor make slightly less than $12.5 million this Sundance Film Festival. “Documentaries, to me, methane and carbon dioxide emissions as the purported medicinal properties. The film shows also star in “Mortdecai”-an adaptation of weekend, raising its total take to $40 mil- are the most powerful way to change the world,” key reasons more than half the world’s species an Indonesian shoreline littered with bloody Kyril Bonfiglioli’s novel “Don’t Point That lion. “Taken 3” rounded out the top five he said. “My hope is that if you can show people could become extinct in the next century. The manta ray carcasses. Thing at Me”-from director David Koepp. with $2 million on Friday. The Fox sequel the beauty of these animals, there’s a chance to ocean absorbs those gasses, making it more Conservationist Jane Goodall, who appears in Meanwhile, Clint Eastwood’s “American is set to earn $7 million-plus, crossing the save these things.” Where “The Cove” shone a acidic, which dissolves shells, corals and other the film, says despite the dire state of the planet, Sniper” is blowing the competition out of $75 million mark in its third frame. spotlight on the abuse of dolphins and other underwater animals. As the ocean warms, frozen “there’s still a lot worth fighting for.” Even after the water in its second weekend of wide Another new release, Disney’s “Strange underwater wildlife, “Racing Extinction” expands methane deep beneath its surface is melted and seeing such animal and environmental abuses release. The Iraq War drama made $18.3 Magic,” was tenth on Friday, launching to the scope to life on land, as well. Accompanied released. up close, Psihoyos is not giving up hope: “We’re million on Friday as it shoots for $62 mil- $1.3 million. The animated pic produced by scientists and environmental activists, The filmmakers used special cameras to show the only generation left that can save these ani- lion-plus this weekend-about four times by Lucasfilm is en route to a $5 million- Psihoyos, a former National Geographic photog- the methane and carbon dioxide emissions that mals.”—AP more than second-place finisher “The Boy plus weekend.—Reuters Next Door.” If estimates hold, this would mark a First Look: Reynolds charms in drama ‘Mississippi Grind’ wo wildly different strangers with a shared tion. Directors Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck (“Half and debilitating love of rainbows and poker Nelson”) keep the motives and backstories of their Ttake a high stakes gambling road trip from leads ambiguous for most of the film, which laces Dubuque, Iowa to New Orleans in “Mississippi every moment with tension and suspicion. Grind,” a deft, entertaining and messy look at While the mystery is compelling at the start, depression, addiction and the highs of winning that nothing is spoon-fed to the audience, which leads premiered Saturday at the Sundance Film Festival. to a few scenes that just don’t track at all. In the Ryan Reynolds co-stars as a slick drifter who’s Q&A an audience member asked the directors to always ready with charming, perfectly rehearsed explain one. Fleck joked that he didn’t know what story or joke. she was talking about since he wasn’t there that day The other party in question doesn’t even seem and moved on, eliciting some groans from audience to exist in the same universe as Reynolds’ Curtis. members expecting a more thoughtful answer. The Gerry, played by Australian actor Ben Mendelsohn, beautifully shot “Mississippi Grind” isn’t concerned is an empty shell of man who slumps through life in with answers, though, which could be infuriating dumpy trousers listening only to Joe Navarro books for some, but the charm of the film rests in the Actors Ryan Reynolds, left, and Ben on tape. The two meet on a lark and immediately hands of its tragic but intoxicating leads - not dis- Mendelsohn pose at the premiere of In this image released by Lionsgate, Gywneth Paltrow, left, and Johnny Depp appear take to one another, and it’s not just the enabling similar to the allure of gambling.—AP “Mississippi Grind” during the 2015 in a scene from “Mortdecai.”—AP that keeps them on a shared path of self-destruc- Sundance Film Festival.—AP