WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE WORLD OF ENTERTAINMENT?

• CHRISTMAS BOX OFFICE BOOST

Despite the economic turmoil abiding both in the US and the rest of the world, it seems like this year’s movie ticket sales may even exceed those of last year.

Marley & Me, featuring Jennifer Aniston and Owen Wilson, has the lead with $72.5 million dollars of revenues generated in only 7 days. Other titles that are attracting major attention include the F. Scott Fitzgerald adaptation The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, starring Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett, The Spirit, Valkyrie, and Bedtime Stories with Adam Sandler.

Fox senior VP of distribution Chris Aronson explains why Marley & Me is doing so well not just on the weekends, but during the week as well, when he says, “What it proves is that ‘Marley’ is a true crowd pleaser and an all-audience movie.” The movie’s success also boosts Fox’s morale since the company has been suffering a difficult year at the domestic box office.

To read this article, please visit: www.variety.com/article/VR1117997906.html?categoryid=13&cs=1

* Got any news to spread? Send them to eg@filmannex.com and we’ll publish it on our next newsletter!


WHAT'S NEW ON FILM ANNEX?

• THE STORY OF STUFF WITH ANNIE LEONARD

The Story of Stuff is a 20-minute, fast-paced, fact-filled look at the underside of our production and consumption patterns. Written and narrated by Annie Leonard and directed by Louis Fox, The Story of Stuff is entertaining, humorous, teaching, and is filled with great animation. By taking a look at what we do with all the stuff in our lives, this short film explores all stages of consumerism, such as extraction, production, distribution, consumption, disposal, and all the issues between each stage that remain invisible to most people.

The Story of Stuff calls every one of you to embrace and create a more sustainable world. To watch the movie for free now, visit: www.filmannex.com/movie/independent/TheStoryofStuff/the_story_of_stuff/3874


WHAT SHOULD I WATCH ON FILM ANNEX?

JESUS VERSUS THE MESSIAH

Synopsis: Jay claims to be the son of God running from a destiny he was supposed to fulfill over two thousand years ago. The Messiah has been sent to find Jay and make sure he dies as written...by any means necessary. Sally is caught in the middle and doesn't know what to believe. Written and Directed by Alan Ronald, Jesus Versus The Messiah is an action/adventure/comedy never before seen on this type of micro-budget. Shot on location in Scotland with a crew of only five individuals, Jesus Versus The Messiah displays truly independent cinema.

To watch this film, go to: www.filmannex.com/movie/independent/most_discussed/jesus_versus_the_messiah/615


CLEAR WATER

Synopsis: Stumbling through a fog of nightmares and restless insomnia, "Clear Water" unravels a man's decline as he confronts AIDS by clinging to a romance that's quickly slipping away. Starring Marc Forget and Sandriel Frank, with sound designed by Grammy Award winning Peter Wade Keusch, "Clear Water" appeared as part of a multimedia installation by NYC-based artist and filmmaker, Natalie Mooallem, and represents one of the first collaborations of WaNa.

To watch this film go to: www.filmannex.com/movie/independent/most_discussed/clear_water/121


WHAT ELSE IS PLAYING? WHAT'S GOOD?

• THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON

"I was born under unusual circumstances." And so begins "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," adapted from the 1920s story by F. Scott Fitzgerald about a man who is born in his eighties and ages backwards: a man, like any of us, who is unable to stop time. We follow his story, set in New Orleans from the end of World War I in 1918, into the 21st century, following his journey that is as unusual as any man's life can be. Starring Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett, “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” is story about love, loss, life, people, and where they all stand within the limits of time.

*Playing everywhere.


• THEATER OF WAR

Directed by John Walters, (How to Draw a Bunny, 2002) Theater of War is an inspiring documentary about art, history, politics, street and stage theater, all explored through looking at the a Public Theater production of Bertolt Brecht’s epic play “Mother Courage and Her Children” in Central Park. The movie mainly focuses on a particular staging of the character “Mother Courage” played by Meryl Streep and delves into the theme of human failing by studying “The Song of the Great Capitulation” that Mother Courage gives voice to.

The documentary touches upon many social issues and politics of today, including the war in Iraq, and Walters divides the film into thematic chapters, achieving to “show and not tell.” Perhaps, the most mesmerizing element of the film is watching Merly Streep recite her lines in dozens of different styles in order to be able to find her character “Mother Courage.”

For more information about the movie and show times, visit: www.filmforum.org/films/theater.html

Seen anything good? Send your reviews to eg@filmannex.com and we’ll publish them on our next newsletter!


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