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Weekend Newsreel: November 18,
2005
Compiled by the FilmBuffOnLine Staff
Film Memorabilia For Sale:
Lots of
important film memorabilia showing up at auctions recently and in
the near future. . . A rare original poster for the 1927 German
science-fiction classic Metropolis was sold this past week
for a record $690,000 to a private collector in the United State,
announced a London art gallery which arranged the sale. Designed by
graphic artist Heinz Schulz-Neudamm, the poster is one of four
copies known to exist- New York’s Museum of Modern Art and Berlin’s
Film museum each own one while the remaining poster is owned by a
private collector. . . Charlie Chaplin’s bowler hat and cane used by
his Little Tramp character hit the auction block on Wednesday at
Bonham’s in London as part of a large auction of rock and roll and
pop culture memorabilia and was expected to fetch upwards to 150,000
pounds. . . The Aston Martin DB5 driven by Sean Connery in the James
Bond films Goldfinger (1964) and Thunderball (1965)
will be going up for auction in Arizona on January 20, 2006. The car
is one of four Aston Martins that were modified with an array of
gadgets for use in the films and for promotional appearances. Two of
the other cars are owned by private collectors while the fourth was
stolen in 1997 from the Florida airport hanger where it was being
stored by its owner, another private collector, and has never been
recovered.
Academy Makes Donation To ‘Orphan’ Films:
The Academy of
Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced a donation of $250,000 to
the National Film Preservation Foundation this past Monday. The
money will go towards the preservation of so-called ‘orphan’ films-
movies whose studios no longer exist and they have fallen into
public domain. "Film preservation is an activity closest to the
Academy's heart," said Academy President Sid Ganis in an Academy
press release. "And we feel particularly fond — and proud — of the
work the NFPF is doing to preserve the historically and culturally
significant films that no one has an economic incentive to save.
This effort represents the last line of defense against the complete
disappearance of major moments in the history of our art form." This
is the third such contribution that the Academy has made to
Foundation in the 8 years of the Foundation’s existence.
Academy Announces Best Animated and Documentary Oscar Contenders:
The Motion
Picture Academy of Arts and Sciences has announced the list of films
eligible for nomination for the Best Animated Feature and Best
Documentary Feature 2006 Academy Award. You can see the list of
films in consideration for Best Animated Feature
here
and for Best Documentary Feature
here.
Kung Fu Hustle Sweeps Golden Horse Awards:
Comedian/actor/director Stephen Chow’s Kung Fu Hustle won five
Golden Horse awards- the Chinese language film equivelant of an
Academy Award- including Best Director and Best Picture. You can
read FilmBuffOnLine’s full coverage
here.
Déjà View:
An English-language remake of the hit Japanese film The Mission
from director Johnnie To has been announced by Universal Studios who
will be producing the film in conjunction with Vertigo
Entertainment. Dario Scardapane, who penned the Mario Van Peeples
1993 western Posse, will be scripting with Peter Berg set to
direct. The story centers on an aging mobsters bodyguards and how
their loyalty to one another is tested when it appears that one of
them has betrayed their trust. . . Walden Media and New Line have
announced a modern adaptation of the classic Jules Verne novel
Journey To The Center Of The Earth entitled Journey 3-D
to be shot in the same 3-D cameras developed for James Cameron’s
documentaries Ghosts Of The Abyss and Aliens Of The Deep.
Eric Brevig will direct from a script by D. V. DeVincentis. The
novel had been previously filmed by Hollywood in 1959 with James
Mason.
In
Remembrance-
Moustapha Akkad-
The Syrian-born
producer who backed the Halloween slasher
franchise has passed away at age 75.
Sheree North-
The
platinum blond who was originally hired to be a
replacement for Marilyn Monroe but went on to forge
her own screen persona has passed away at age 72.
Opening This Week-
November 18
-
Blackmail Boy (NY)
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Breakfast On Pluto (LA)
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Harry Potter And The
Goblet Of Fire
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Moonlight (limited)
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Paradise Now (top 25
markets)
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Private (NY)
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Taj Mahal- An Eternal Love
Story (limited)
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Walk The Line
November 23
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