Thursday, August 31, 2017
Star Wars Fans Invited to “Find the Force” As Unprecedented Augmented Reality Event Sweeps the Globe for Force Friday II
Fans to reveal a new The Last Jedi character via social media
New product line for Star Wars: The Last Jedi launches globally at 12:01 AM September 1
More than 20,000 retail locations worldwide will become home to
augmented reality Star Wars characters from September 1-3
GLENDALE, Calif. (August 24, 2017) – Following the global phenomenon of Force Friday in 2015, Disney and Lucasfilm today announced Find the Force, a global augmented reality (AR) event rolling out on Force Friday II (September 1) to commemorate the worldwide launch of new products inspired by Star Wars: The Last Jedi.
The pop-up AR treasure hunt aims to unite fans around the world in the battle against the dark side in a unique three-day event at over 20,000 retail locations across 30 countries. As fans turn up to take home new The Last Jedi products, they will have the opportunity to activate a unique augmented reality experience featuring Star Wars characters, including fan-favorites and new surprise additions from the film.
“Force Friday II is a major milestone in the countdown to Star Wars: The Last Jedi. Star Wars has always championed new technology, and we are excited that augmented reality will allow fans to experience the universe in a whole new way,” says Kathleen Kennedy, President of Lucasfilm.
From September 1-3, retailers around the world will invite fans to Find the Force by taking part in an AR treasure hunt. Here’s how it works: first, download the Star Wars App, which is your one-stop-shop for all things Star Wars (those who already have the app will need to download the latest version). Then, visit any one of 20,000 participating retail locations to find a graphic that contains the Find the Force logo. When you scan the graphic using the Star Wars App, you’ll reveal a character, who through augmented reality, will appear in the room with you. You can then take photos, record videos, and share the experience on social media. Come back each day to reveal new characters
(15 in total across the program’s three-day run). Click here for more information: www.starwars.com/findtheforce.
“Force Friday II puts fans right at the center of the action using augmented reality to bring our characters to life like never before. The technology theme continues in the Star Wars: The Last Jedi product line, which is our most innovative yet - we can’t wait for fans to see what’s in store.” said Jimmy Pitaro, Chairman, Disney Consumer Products and Interactive Media.
Fans can download the latest version of the Star Wars App (v. 2.3 or higher) beginning Aug. 24 for an early look at the new Porg characters in AR before the AR treasure hunt goes live at retail.
By sharing photos or videos featuring the in-store AR characters on Twitter or Instagram using #FindtheForce and #Sweepstakes throughout Force Friday II weekend, fans in select global markets can participate in a sweepstakes for the chance to win the ultimate fan experience: tickets to the Star Wars: The Last Jedi premiere in December.
No Purchase Necessary. Enter sweepstakes between August 31, 2017 at 7:00 a.m. Pacific Time (“PT”)/3:00 p.m. British Summer Time (“BST”) and September 4, 2017 at 2:59 a.m. PT/10:59 a.m. BST. Open to legal residents in 50 U.S. + D.C., Canada (excluding Quebec), Australia, United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland, France, South Korea and Chile who are 18+ or the age of majority in their place of residence, whichever is older. Limit 15 entries per person. There is 1 Grand Prize available to be won (ARV: US $4,500). Grand Prize winner must travel to Los Angeles, California USA on or about December 12, 2017. Visit starwars.com/findtheforce. for Official Rules including details on how to enter, additional eligibility requirements, prize descriptions and limitations. Void where prohibited. Sponsor: The Walt Disney Company (Australia) Pty. Limited, Level 5, Chapel Street, South Yarra, Victoria 3141, Australia.
More information about Find the Force and a how-to video is available at www.starwars.com/findtheforce.
Star Wars: The Last Jedi opens in U.S. theaters on December 15, 2017.
About Disney Consumer Products and Interactive Media
Disney Consumer Products and Interactive Media (DCPI) is the business segment of The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS) that brings our Company’s stories and characters to life through innovative and engaging physical products and digital experiences across more than 100 categories, from toys and t-shirts, to apps, books and console games. DCPI comprises four main lines of business: Global Licensing, Disney Retail, Publishing and Digital Media, and Games, Apps, and Labs. The segment is home to world-class teams of app and game developers, licensing and retail experts, a leading retail business (Disney Store), artists and storytellers, and technologists who inspire imaginations and bring the magic of Disney into the daily lives of families and fans around the world.
About Lucasfilm Ltd.
Lucasfilm Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company, is a global leader in film, television and digital entertainment production. In addition to its motion-picture and television production, the company’s activities include visual effects and audio post-production, cutting-edge digital animation, interactive entertainment software, and the management of the global merchandising activities for its entertainment properties including the legendary STAR WARS and INDIANA JONES franchises. Lucasfilm Ltd. is headquartered in northern California.
Lucasfilm, STAR WARS and related properties are trademarks and/or copyrights, in the United States and other countries, of Lucasfilm Ltd. and/or its affiliates. © & TM Lucasfilm Ltd.
ANDRA DAY RELEASES “STAND UP FOR SOMETHING” FEATURING COMMON ON MARSHALL OFFICIAL SOUNDTRACK ALBUM
ANDRA DAY RELEASES “STAND UP FOR SOMETHING” FEATURING COMMON ON MARSHALL OFFICIAL SOUNDTRACK ALBUM
FILM OPENS IN THEATERS OCTOBER 13
ORIGINAL SONG WRITTEN BY THE LEGENDARY DIANE WARREN
August 25th, 2017 — (Burbank, CA) — GRAMMY® Award-nominated platinum soul powerhouse Andra Dayreleases the moving anthem “Stand Up For Something” [feat. Common] from the forthcoming soundtrack album for Marshall.
The full soundtrack album for Marshall arrives in stores and at all digital retailers via Warner Bros. Recordson September 15th while the film opens in theaters everywhere Friday October 13.
Listen to “Stand Up For Something” HERE.
The original song was written for Marshall by GRAMMY®, Emmy®, and Golden Globe® Award-winning and eight-time Academy® Award-nominated legend Diane Warren and Academy® Award and GRAMMY® Award-winning hip-hop icon and actor Common. It spotlights Day’s show-stopping and stunning vocals over powerful production as well as thought-provoking rhymes from Common. In addition, Marshall marks Day’s on-screen debut in the film.
About “Stand Up For Something” and Marshall, Day comments, “I was so moved by the story of Thurgood Marshall. It was an incredible honor to not only be asked to record the lead single, but also appear in the movie. I’ve always dreamed of working with Diane and Common, and the experience was better than I could have ever imagined. This is such an important project. I’m thankful to be a part of it.”
“I am so honored to have worked with Andra and Common on this important song. I am more proud of this song than any other I have ever written,” said Warren.
Stay tuned for more details on the Marshall Soundtrack soon.
About Marshall:
Starring Chadwick Boseman, Josh Gad, Kate Hudson, Dan Stevens, Sterling K. Brown, and James Cromwell.MARSHALL is based on a true incident in the life of Thurgood Marshall, when he was a young lawyer, long before his appointment to the U.S. Supreme Court. As the nation teeters on the brink of WWII, a nearly bankrupt NAACP sends Marshall to conservative Connecticut to defend a black chauffeur against his wealthy socialite employer in a sexual assault and attempted murder trial that quickly became tabloid fodder. In need of a high profile victory but muzzled by a segregationist court, Marshall is partnered with Samuel Friedman, a young Jewish lawyer who has never tried a case. Marshall and Friedman struggle against a hostile storm of fear and prejudice, driven to discover the truth in the sensationalized trial which helped set the groundwork for the Civil Rights Movement to come. MARSHALL will be in theaters nationwide on October 13, 2017
About Andra Day:
Carried by enough conviction to incite cultural change, Andra Day’s full-length debut Cheers to the Fall[Warner Bros. Records] garnered a 2016 GRAMMY® Award nomination in the category of “Best R&B Album,” while its ubiquitous lead single “Rise Up” achieved a nod for “Best R&B Performance” and earned an RIAA Platinum certification in addition to amassing over 37 million Spotify streams. Andra quite literally performed everywhere: The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Ellen, Dancing with the Stars, The View, Hallmark’sNational Christmas Tree Lighting, Audience TV, the CMA Country Christmas, and the America’s Got Talent Holiday Spectacular.
Quietly recognized amongst some of music’s most legendary names, the singer paid tribute to Ray Charles at The Smithsonian and shared the stage for performances with everyone from Chinese piano virtuoso Lang Lang, Bonnie Raitt, and Stevie Wonder to Ellie Goulding, Alicia Keys, and John Legend. Her voice abounded throughout the halls of the historic 2016 Democratic National Convention as well as the “International Day of the Girl” event at The White House. Along the way, she covered Essence Magazine and achieved the prestigious “Powerhouse Award” at the Billboard Women in Music event. Expanding its influence into different genres, the Mstr Rogers Remix of “Rise Up” would also soundtrack a Google Home campaign.
2017 kicked off with two show-stopping performances by the chanteuse at the 48th Annual NAACP Image Awards and a knockout Bee Gees tribute during the 59th Annual GRAMMYs®. Hyatt welcomed Andra as the voice of its “For A World Of Understanding” campaign, breathing new life into the Burt Bacharach and Hal David classic, “What The World Needs Now Is Love.” As she continues to rise, work has already begun on her second full-length album due out this year.
For more information on Andra Day, visit http://www.andraday.com
Thursday, August 17, 2017
Wednesday, August 16, 2017
Molly's Game Trailer
MOLLY’S GAME
IN THEATERS NOVEMBER 22, 2017
CAST: Jessica Chastain, Idris Elba, Kevin Costner, Michael Cera, Jeremy Strong, Chris O’Dowd
WRITER/DIRECTOR: Aaron Sorkin
PRODUCERS: Mark Gordon, Amy Pascal
ABOUT MOLLY’S GAME:
MOLLY’S GAME is based on the true story of Molly Bloom, an Olympic-class skier who ran the world's most exclusive high-stakes poker game for a decade before being arrested in the middle of the night by 17 FBI agents wielding automatic weapons. Her players included Hollywood royalty, sports stars, business titans and finally, unbeknownst to her, the Russian mob. Her only ally was her criminal defense lawyer Charlie Jaffey, who learned that there was much more to Molly than the tabloids led us to believe.
Twitter: https://twitter.com/
Instagram: https://www.
#MollysGame
Monday, August 7, 2017
Sunday, August 6, 2017
Thursday, August 3, 2017
Detroit Review
This will not be easy to watch, but I'm sure you already knew that. I hope you also know, you MUST watch it. Not just to support the film, but because as Toure said during the Alamo Drafthouse livestream Q&A with Algee Smith (who played Larry) and Chris Chalk (who played Officer Frank), this true story is "50 years old and yesterday and tomorrow." It is a reminder of the generational pain of violence towards Black people in this country, one that Chris Chalk reminded the audience during the Q&A started even before Trayvon, and before Rodney King.
Director Kathryn Bigelow (The Hurt Locker, Zero Dark Thirty) directed this film, much of which included having the actors act without a script based solely on the circumstances of the scene. This fact, coupled with the other extreme of Bigelow's determination to get as close to the truth as possible, allowed for the Black pain and experience to both be so palpable in the film. With the intensity of the scenes, you cannot help but to experience emotions ranging from fist-clenched anger, weeping sorrow, life-threatening fear, and dare I admit at some level hatred.
I had both angry and sad tears stream down my face throughout the film, sometimes even in the less intense scenes. Much of this is due not just to the fact that this a true story, but also because it is so present today. I mean, just a few days ago Trump said to law enforcement, "When you see these thugs being thrown into the back of a paddy wagon. You see them thrown in rough. I said, 'Please don't be too nice. Like, don't hit their head and they've just killed somebody. I said, 'You can take the hand away, OK?'" And hearing officers cheer during this statement came to mind when the officers cheered in the courtroom scene in Detroit. When Krauss (Will Poulter) says they should have complied, it reminded me of my Facebook timeline (before I started unfriending and blocking for my own mental health). The pain of the family members in the film was a reminder of the families of the innocent lives taken by police in the last few years.
And when Larry struggles to go back to music, because he could no longer stand the thought of making music for White people to listen to, well it made me think of being at the Kendrick concert and watching the sea of White people singing along to "Alright." And not that I condone hate, but it was refreshing that Larry was allowed to sit in his feelings unapologetically. At no point in the film were we forced to watch him come to some realization or acceptance that maybe he should get over this anger, or what Algee Smith probably accurately described as PTSD.
By the way, Larry Reed was indeed an original member of The Dramatics before they made it big with hits like my all-time fave "Me and Mrs Jones." What could the trajectory of his life had been if not for this horrific event? What could the trajectory of the lives of those who have not survived police brutality have been?
I share the sentiment with those that say Detroit is a horror film, of the scariest variety. I recall when I was younger enjoying Scream more than a Child's Play or Nightmare on Elm Street, because it could actually happen. There were no ghost possessed dolls or demons with blades chasing you in your sleep. They were just people who didn't value humanity, and the same can be said of the story shared in Detroit. It can, has, and continues to happen time and time again.
So thank you, John Boyega, Algee Smith, Jacob Latimore, Jason Mitchell, Anthony Mackie, Nathan Davis Jr., Gbenga Akinnagbe, and the other amazing actors in the film, for enthralling yourselves in the pain of this true American story, a once seemingly untold story that desperately needs to be heard! The pain we have been feeling recently is not new pain for this country, but rather a continuation of the legacy of pain in this country. Let us speak and shine light on these pains, past and present, as we continue to fight for healing, justice and the true freedom to just be!
Please support this film!
10/10
The Dark Tower Review
I wasn't sure what to expect, not having read Stephen King's The Dark Tower. Based on the trailers I imagined a gunslinging super hero flick, and based on it being a Stephen King novel perhaps a bit of horror/sci-fi in the mix. And that is exactly what was delivered.
Roland Deschain (Idris Elba) was most certainly a gunslinging super hero, though he couldn't fight for anything! But when he worked those guns, O MY!! When the shots honed in on the perfect aim of the bullet as it travelled to its destination, the audience had verbal responses of awe and excitement! Elba was perfect for this complex role, complex much like his character Luther. On the one hand he has given up on his life purpose as a gunslinger, while also still being quite confident in his abilities as a gunslinger.
Roland finds his way back to his purpose with the help of Jake Chambers (Tom Taylor), the young man who believes and knows his visions are more than nightmares or mental issues. He'll soon discover his visions are part of an even greater power of his, which comes into play towards the end of the film. Taylor was very convincing in his role as Jake, encompassing a range of emotions from fear to loss to defiant and powerful.
Then there's the Man in Black (Matthew McConaughey), the villain who's so evil it's good! McConaughey was the perfect amount of evil, with the perfect sprinkle of comedy (just enough to get a quick laugh out of the audience without diminishing his evil factor). It was all in his tone and demeanor. In fact, in my opinion the hint of McConaughey's Texan accent and Elba's British accent really added to their characters in some ways. The casting was just dead on for the film!
Now if you're going for the gunslinging action, let me forewarn you, the beginning may be a bit slow for you. There is quite a bit of setup before the real action begins, but if you're here for the story you won't mind it and will likely appreciate it. It's not that it's slow, in fact it is not. It just doesn't have as much action as later in the film.
I was slightly thrown off by what seemed like 1980's special effects in some of the earlier scenes, however this may have been intentional. There was mention of the technology being older during one of the scenes in a village, and there was also this almost retro Stranger Things vibe to the early on usage of the portals and encounters with larger than life demons/creatures. While on the other hand, there were amazing effects used for Roland's gunslinging, and also a cool memory scene where the Man in Black has Jake's mom reveal memories of Jake drawing out his visions of Roland and the Man in Black.
Overall, the film was very enjoyable! Though I must admit the final showdown felt like it should have been a bit more challenging, in the sense that it should have required a more complex resolution. So I felt that was a bit of a let down, with the caveat that I haven't read the novel. So maybe that's how it's written, but that's never stopped Hollywood from changing up a story on the screen before. Either way, I say it's still worthwhile to check out!
7.5/10
Kidnap Review
They definitely messed with the wrong mother in Kidnap! Karla Dyson (Halle Berry) would stop at nothing to save her son from his kidnappers. She was clever, knew how to whip that minivan around, and most importantly was a fighter!
My nerves were on edge the entire film! The film never lets up from your initial anxiety at the beginning of the film anticipating the inevitable kidnapping of Frankie (Sage Correa) to the closing credits. Based on the way some of the shots were filmed early on, I knew the chase scenes were going to be full throttle. And sure enough the car scenes did not disappoint. Later in the film, when the chase scenes have subsided, the suspense and action still does not let up!
On top of this on the edge of your seat action, you can feel the earnest desperation of a parent who refuses to give up on rescuing her child. We witness the super powers that naturally come when mama bear is in cub protection mode, including scenes where for a moment you think she just might catch up with a car while on foot! Karla is faced with decisions regarding the safety of her son that left me questioning what would I do in such predicaments. Such thoughts only raised the level of anxiety I felt during the film, making for an even more intense experience. It could so easily happen to any parent, though I am not one for walking such distances away from a child I am responsible for in public spaces. However, her fight to get him back completely makes up for this less than stellar life choice in the beginning of the film.
This is a must see! I was literally on the edge of my seat for at least half of the film, literally! You'll leave wanting to keep a closer eye on your young ones and contemplating what you would do if you were in the same situation.
9/10
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