Classy move, Downey.  Classy move.

And what it speaks to more than anything is the roller coaster ride that life can be.  That’s why it’s so important to reach back and help a fallen camrade.  To build a culture of healing where we take time to lift someone out of the murky pooh they’ve fallen into.  Not in some condescending way, but as a wise man said, “As one beggar telling another where to find bread.”

You never know when it’s going to be your turn on the down-and-out.  Just around every corner could be a piece of news that’s going to set you back.  Knock the wind out of you.  It happens.

Thank you, Mel Gibson for paying it forward to Robert Downey, jr.  Helping him out of a pickle.  And thank you Downey for reaching back.  For being the dude behind the dude, playing another dude.  Okay that Tropic Thunder quote had nothing to do with any of the rest of this post, but it’s a fun one to whip out on any occasion!

Anyway, lesson of the day?  No man left behind.

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In 1998, broadway hit Les Miserables hit the silver screen with Liam Neeson, Geoffrey Rush and Uma Thurman.  It’s a fantastic story, one of the best redemptive films I’ve ever seen.  But if you’ve ever seen the Musical on stage, you know how much power is in the Music and lyrics — none of which was in that film version because of course it was a straight up movie.

Fine.  I get it.  A LOT disappointment for me, but I get it.

Well, now, 14 years later, we’re going to get the Musical Film version.  And not like the BBC version or some Lifetime D-List actor version or some campy Disney candy-coated version either.  Anne Hathaway has just signed on and already attached were Hugh Jackman and Russell Crowe.  The Director?  None other than “The King’s Speech” helmer Tom Hooper.

Move over Mamma Mia.  Jean Valjean is coming to town.  December 2012.

For more info:

Deadline New York: Hathaway joins ‘Les Mis’ cast

NME: King’s Speech Director planning ‘Les Mis’ remake

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Mpower Pictures (“The Stoning of Soraya M.”) and Beloved Pictures are teaming to co-produce C.S. Lewis’ fantasy novel “The Great Divorce.”  Veteran producer and Mpower CEO Steve McEveety will lead the production team.

Lewis, who wrote the “Chronicles of Narnia” books and often wove Christian themes into his works, published “The Great Divorce” in 1945. Story centers on a man who learns that the sprawling, dim metropolis where he’s been living is actually Hell; he hops on a bus headed for the outskirts of Elsewhere, only to discover that the one place worse than Hell, for a self-absorbed ad executive, just might be Heaven.

Mpower was created by McEveety in 2007 after he’d been a longtime exec at Mel Gibson’s Icon Prods. He produced “The Passion of the Christ” and “We Were Soldiers” and exec produced “Braveheart” and “What Women Want.”

Mpower president of production John Shepherd brought in the project. The Beloved Pictures team includes CEO Michael Ludlum, president Caleb Applegate and VP and Bob Abramoff.

Read the FULL ARTICLE HERE.

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While many may recognize the 38-year-old Farmiga’s face, they might not be as acquainted with her name. After all, there’s not much room in the limelight for actors who work alongside stars like Matt Damon and George Clooney, as she has done in “The Departed” and “Up In The Air.”

Actor-Director Vera Farmiga

Though Farmiga plays the lead role in “Higher Ground,” it is also the first film that she has directed, and the job sort of fell into her lap.

“I was attached to the project as an actress with honestly no intention of directing,” she said.

The story is based on a Carolyn S. Briggs memoir called “This Dark World,” and after participating in the script’s development and spending time working with Briggs, Farmiga decided that she could take on directing.

“I did not want to make a film about the rights and wrongs of religion,” she writes in a statement. “I wanted to be reverent and respectful, and I did not want to infect the story with bias. It is about those moments in life where you lose sight of who you are, what you believe, and where you are going. Those moments of stumbling. The film is about finding your footing, finding higher ground.”

The film has been named an official selection of the 2011 Sundance, Tribeca, and Los Angeles film festivals. The film isn’t for everyone, however, and is rated “R” for language and sexual content.

“Higher Ground” opens in New York and Los Angeles on Friday.

Read the FULL ARTICLE HERE.

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Calling All Filmmakers!
Now Accepting Film Submission Entries!

SAICFF is pleased to announce that we are now accepting film, treatment and score entries for the 2012 San Antonio Independent Christian Film Festival held February 23-25, 2012. Make history as we stand together in furtherance of distinctively biblical, independent Christian filmmaking. Submit your entries for the opportunity to become a semi-finalist and compete for the largest single cash prize in America for any film festival, and the largest single festival prize ever given to an independent Christian filmmaker — the $101,000 Best of Festival Jubilee Award!

Film Submission Pricing & Deadline Information:

• Early Bird Deadline: August 15th, 2011
• Regular Deadline:
• Feature Films: October 31st, 2011
• All Others: September 30th, 2011

Before submitting, we encourage all applicants to please carefully read theFestival Objectives & Contest Guidelines, as well as the Entry Rules.

Learn More About Pricing , Details
And How to Submit Your Entry!

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I mean, it’s mesmerizing and puzzling all at the same time.   Now, I’m a little rusty with my late Jurassic period non-verbal skills but luckily for you, that’s where my advanced Mass Comm education and training kicks in.  I mean, not to bore you with all the Maslow and Pavlovian and Sallie Mae jibber jabber, but it appears exactly as if this baby lizard is Velocer-ravenous!  He’s hungry, Jack!  Or she.  Worse than that, it is having a moral and existential crisis because he (she?) totally wants to take a bite outta the Lamb of God.

I mean, look at those slotted yellow eyes.  Full of mischief.  Jehovah Rapha is 10 seconds away from becoming Jehovah Snack-uh.  Sadly enough, what we’re looking at here could, in fact, be the REAL reason dinosaurs became extinct.

You may disagree, but think about it…if you’re one of the trinity and one of your creatures attempts to make Nom Noms outta 1/3 of your holy personage…you get a little ticked.  Remember, at this time, we didn’t have New Testament “Your Sins are Forgiven” “My Grace is Sufficient for Thee” God.  This was still Old OLD Testament “Eye for an Eye” “Touch my ark and Fry” God.  It’s not mentioned as much in Deuteronomy, because it was more of an understood rule of thumb that devouring the Son of God was highly frowned upon.

Of course Jesus got over it by the New Testament and in fact ran with the idea.  ”This bread? Yeah, it’s my flesh.  Eat it.”  Cause why?  Cause that was part of his redemption plan.  Dino redemption.  It was His way of saying, “Sorry Dinosaurs.  Didn’t mean to wipe most of you off the planet and shrink the rest of you into Iguanas and Horned Toads.  We cool?”

Also, as I pondered this unHoly visage…what I like to call the Calm before the Storm…I remembered an announcement from over the weekend at San Diego Comic-Con where Spielberg spoke of plans for a new Jurassic Park sequel (#4 in the series for those still counting) which could be coming down the pipeline in two or three years from now.  (Read more about it at Digital Journal.)

But not much else was revealed.  And then suddenly my Journalistic instincts (second only to my Jurassic and Theological and Mathematical instincts) kicked in and I knew what was happening.  Astute readers will recall when Wired4Film — with Nostradamus-like precision — revealed that “Finding Nemo” was just a reboot of a “Jaws” prequel that some studios had laying around.  That’s the kind of journalistic insider-track nuggets you’ve come to expect.  Well you’re about to have your minds blown again.

I suspect that the above picture is an unfinished Poster for what some people assume to be “Jurassic 4″ but we now know to be a Jurassic Park Prequel Reboot.  Whew!  Mind = blown!  Oops, and by the way….Spoiler Alert!  Hmmm.  Maybe too late for that one.   Anywho, you’re welcome, America.  And my Cambodian reader.

So here now, is what could be…oh, who are we kidding…so, here now, is what WILL be coming down the pipeline in a few years.  Expect it!

Jesus Loves the Little Raptors of the World...or Does He?!?

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Eryn Sun writing for the Christian Sun Reporter talks about some details on the new upstart service.

(EXCERPT) As Netflix loyalties are changing with the recent price hike, Walmart is looking to take advantage by integrating their own DVD service complete with streaming into their website.

VUDU, which was bought by Walmart in 2010, offers viewers the chance to watch HD movies instantly, with a “pay for what you watch” fee. Unlike Netflix, there are no subscriptions, contracts, or package deals.

Movie rentals range from $0.99 to $5.99, depending on the title, and can be streamed directly through nearly any device with Internet access, including game systems, computers, TVs or Blu-ray Players.

Purchases vary from $4.99 to $19.99. 3D movie rentals and purchases are also offered at competitive prices.

With over 20,000 HD films, including new to DVD titles as well, customers can choose from thousands of flicks and even watch the first few minutes for free as well.

“By incorporating digital movie content into the Walmart.com entertainment shopping experience, we’re enabling customers to easily choose how they want to enjoy their entertainment content – whether that be through a physical DVD, digital streaming or both.”

“We are excited about the opportunity to take our company’s vision to the next level,” Lichty added.

Walmart.com, which is one of the fastest growing online retailers in the U.S. and boasts of more than a million hits per day, will likely give Netflix another hurdle to overcome, already dealing with backlash from their new costly subscription plans and drop in share price.

According to CNN, Nave stated that Walmart was “in e-commerce to win and not to play,” which by the looks of it might possibly happen.

Read the whole article here at ChristianFilmmaker.com.

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(EXCERPT)
#2. Comic-Con is no longer just about the convention center (or even the nearby Hilton Bayfront)
With Zachary Levi’s Nerd HQ, Comedy Central’s “South Park” experience, Conan O’Brien’s “Flaming C” art gallery and so much more located outside of the usual venue, venturing out into downtown San Diego is more of a must than ever before.

# 4. “Twilight” isn’t going away anytime soon
Twi-hards were there once again in big numbers, for better or worse.

# 6. It’s tough for short people
The crowds are so much, especially in the convention center, that if the top of the person’s head in front of you is too tall you won’t be able to see anything. People under 5’5, beware.

#8. Comic books are still popular at Comic-Con
It’s easy to forget them, but Wednesday night’s huge turnout at Dark Horse Comics’ booth event showed that there is still a lot of interest in the comics themselves, not just the movies made out of them. Independent retailers had a steady flow of customers thumbing through back issues as well.

# 9. Some people just like the spectacle
Several people we spoke to weren’t particularly fans of any comic book, TV series or film, they were just there to people-watch. San Diego Comic-Con has enough of a reputation now that you don’t need a reason to go.

# 10. Steven Spielberg shows no signs of slowing down
Fresh off of “Transformers: Dark of the Moon” and “Super 8,” the most well-known film director/producer made his first appearance at Comic-Con to promote “The Adventures of Tintin” – which he directed.

Read the entire article at CNN.

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Sarah Pulliam Bailey over at the Wall Street Journal has an article recently about the changing perspective of the Christian Community towards young Wizard Harry and his pals.

(EXCERPT) After praising the “Harry Potter” books in 2001, author Connie Neal said that she opened her inbox to see death threats scattered among the reactions from fellow Christians. The one time the California-based writer found her book, “What’s a Christian Got to Do with Harry Potter?,” at a Christian bookstore, it was on the occult/New Age shelf.

In its early years, “Harry Potter” was a litmus test of orthodoxy for some conservative Christians, who expressed concern over its portrayal of witchcraft. A Christian lawyer sued a public library for encouraging young readers to check out the series. Texas Pastor John Hagee called the books a “precursor to witchcraft.” In 2005 a Canadian website published a letter opposing the books written by Pope Benedict XVI when he was Cardinal Ratzinger. (In 2009, the Vatican’s newspaper L’Osservatore Romano published a favorable review, seeming to reverse course on the series.)

The hysteria has largely died down, and not many religious leaders asked their flocks to avoid the final movie, which opens today. Potter observers cite a few possible reasons for the waning concern, including a natural desire to move on to other entertainment issues, but also an interest in the themes that unfolded.

Christians today are certainly not universally enchanted by the series. Over time, however, more readers have begun to express praise for its honest depiction of fear, loneliness and sacrifice as Harry faces the evil wizard Lord Voldemort. Many Christians have cheered the portrayals of loyalty, courage and love, as the main character repeatedly risks his life.

“These books are not written for people who have a mechanical faith,” says John Granger, author of “Looking for God in Harry Potter.” “For Christians who are consumed with moral elements and symbolism, Potter mania was ironic beyond words.” Spoiler detail about the movie aside, the idea that sacrificial love conquers power, including magical power, is strongly suggested in the final book.

“Harry Potter” author J.K. Rowling, a member of the Church of Scotland that has Presbyterian roots, initially avoided talking explicitly about her faith. “To me, the religious parallels have always been obvious,” Ms. Rowling said in 2007. “But I never wanted to talk too openly about it, because I thought it might show people who just wanted the story where we were going.”

Ms. Rowling is hardly the first author to face misunderstanding from a religious audience. Before C.S. Lewis became well known as a Christian, he noted that most British reviewers missed the underlying theology in his science fiction “Space” trilogy. Christian writer Madeleine L’Engle was criticized by some for the magic elements in “A Wrinkle in Time.” On the other hand, J.R.R. Tolkien’s “The Lord of the Rings” appeared to escape similar scrutiny despite his characters’ use of magic.

Since the seventh Potter book came out in 2007, Ms. Rowling—who acknowledged the influence of Tolkien and Lewis on her work—has drawn more explicit religious parallels. She suggested that the two Bible verses found on tombstones in the final book almost epitomized the whole series: “And the last enemy that shall be defeated is death” and “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

Mr. Waliszewski suggests that Christian families whose children express interest in the books use them as a teachable moment. “When you see self-sacrifice, heroism, the strong power of friendship, applaud it,” he said. “I am more concerned about non-Christians reading the books because I do think it puts witchcraft in a light that is more favorable and positive than it deserves biblically.”

Ms. Neal, for her part, is not worried about anyone reading the books. Rather than being a means for corrupting the youth with witchcraft and the like, she says, “The Harry Potter phenomenon was the greatest evangelistic opportunity that the church has missed.”

For the full article head over to the Wall Street Journal.

(EXCERPT) “Holy Rollers” chronicles what happens when two normally well-separated worlds collide. Its subjects are a group of young Christians, mostly from the Pacific Northwest, who realized they could make rent and devote more time to the Lord’s business by training themselves to count cards at casino blackjack tables. Treated as a sort of jaunty nonfiction caper by helmer Bryan Storkel, pic doesn’t probe deep but sustains the entertaining lure of its novel premise.

Protagonists might easily be taken for 30-ish hipsters, but appearances deceive: They’re all pastors, church leaders and/or congregants very much dedicated to their faith. (Pic’s major omission is that it doesn’t describe the precise tenets or logistics of their spiritual practices, though their sincerity is never in doubt.) Most struggle to support young families and spend time in worship-related activities while working as public schoolteachers, in construction, etc.

Then Seattle-based friends Ben Crawford and Colin Jones hit upon the idea of counting cards. Despite some hand wringing, they rationalize that taking funds from exploitative institutions in order to have more free time for family and flock does not constitute a sin. They consider it a calling, not a hustle.

This, however, is not an opinion shared by casino staff and gambling officials. While card counting isn’t actually illegal — being, as one person says, just “addition and division” — the venues certainly consider it cheating, and are quick to escort out, detain and/or ban any player whom their extensive surveillance suspects of using a system to beat house odds.

Despite being repeatedly thrown out of joints as a result (Crawford particularly enjoys donning outlandish disguises to elude that fate), the “Church Team” at first succeeds beyond its wildest dreams, enabling some to work at blackjack tables a mere 40 hours a month for a sustaining income distributed evenly among all investors.

But despite rigorous training and recurrent self-testing, their luck turns and they pile up some scary losses after a half-year winning streak. Some team members, with life savings or mortgages at stake, get cold feet. As the range of players and participants expands beyond a close circle of church friends, trust ebbs, and suspicions arise that someone might be stealing from the collective kitty.

Though it often seems money inevitably corrupts, the principal subjects here (most identified only by first name) are convincingly idealistic, taking this bizarre, even unseemly route not to get rich quick, but simply to better support their loved ones and ministries. Still, we find out far less about the faith that plays such a big part in their lives than we do about the gambling team’s process and the defensive tactics of highly unamused casino personnel.

Sounds like “21″ meets “Rainman” meets “700 Club”.   This totally needs to be a Feature Film, btdubs.

Read the FULL ARTICLE HERE.

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