GRUNGECAKE

Category: Films and Movies

  • Blackwater Lane, the best-selling Horror/Thriller book, comes to life in Jeff Celentano’s direction: Watch the trailer

    A supernatural thriller

    [media-credit name=”Photo: Courtesy of Lionsgate” width=693 align=”center”][/media-credit]

    Today, Lionsgate released the official movie trailer to its latest Horror/Thriller titled ‘Blackwater Lane’ starring Minka Kelly, Maggie Grace, Dermot Mulroney, Alan Calton, and Natalie Simpson. According to the description, the lead actress (Minka Kelly) witnessed a grisly tragedy on a dangerous country road. Subsequently, the frantic woman is visited by a ghostly presence that starts to question her sanity. Based on what occurs in the preview, no one in her life believes her experiences and it’s written off as a result of her recent medication use. It comes out in theatres, digitally and on-demand on June 21, 2024. Check out the creepy PG-13-rated trailer for yourselves below.

    [youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nwtUswJKRs4&h=315]

  • Watch ‘Adiós Buenos Aires’, a feature film centred around the 2001 crisis and how it affected one man’s plans to leave for good

    Expect the unexpected, always.

    Set in November 2001, months after the FIFA World Youth Championship in Argentina, Julio Färber, a man who planned to leave his country for a new life in Germany, sold everything he owned to make his dream a reality. In a stream of unfortunate events, the main character faces a nasty car accident on a bridge caused by a local female taxi driver and resistance from his teenage daughter. In my opinion, what pulled me in about the film was the five-piece working-class Tango band’s tenacity to perform their music, only to get three empanadas each per gig. Eventually, the government aired a public service announcement on Hoy TV, declaring the cease of its citizen’s wages—allowing them to withdraw up to a maximum of 250 pesos a month (approximately $14.89 in today’s economy) or $1,000 a month (roughly about $59.58). It led to many violent protests, leaving the police overwhelmed, with many wounded and one person dead in Rosario due to the use of tear gas and bullets. During what Argentines call “the “Corralito” (little stall)”, people were hungry and desperate.

    Today, in North America, one could consider themselves lucky to feed a family of three with $250 a week. Could you imagine what life would be like to go to the bank and hear you can only withdraw approximately $15 of your hard-earned money? You would lose it, too.

    The feature film is out now, playing in select theatres. Watch the official German Kral-directed trailer below. It is in English subtitles.

    [youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e8SQ6ripXCk&h=315]

    Listen to the incredible movie soundtrack, too.

    [youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YUBn_MYWysc&h=315]

  • Trailer: Under The Skin

    (Scarlett Johansson) Under The Skin movie poster

    Based on the Novel “Under the Skin” by Michel Faber

    From visionary director Jonathan Glazer (Sexy Beast, Birth) comes a stunning career transformation, a masterpiece of existential science fiction that journeys to the heart of what it means to be human, extraterrestrial — or something in between. A voluptuous woman of unknown origin (Scarlett Johansson) combs the highways in search of isolated or forsaken men, luring this succession of lost souls into an otherworldly lair. They are seduced, stripped of their humanity, and never heard from again. Based on the novel by Michel Faber (The Crimson Petal and the White), Under The Skin examines human experience from the perspective of an unforgettable heroine who grows too comfortable in her borrowed skin, until she is abducted into humanity with devastating results.

    Starring: Scarlett Johansson
    Directed by: Jonathan Glazer
    Written by: Jonathan Glazer and Walter Campbell
    Running time: 108 minutes
    Rated: R

  • Trailer: UWANTME2KILLHIM?

    UWANTME2KILLHIM? movie poster

    UWANTME2KILLHIM? is intense

    16-year-old Mark (Jamie Blackley, And While Were Here), a handsome and popular high school student, races home every day to chat with his online girlfriend Rachel. Besotted, he promises to do anything for her — even agreeing to befriend her loner brother John (Toby Regbo, “Reign”), the perpetual target of school bullies. But when Rachel is killed by her abusive boyfriend and Mark and John vow to avenge her death, their actions draw the attention of an MI5 agent (Joanne Froggatt, “Downton Abbey”). Soon, a devastating crime has been committed — and an unbelievable truth is revealed.

    [youtube=://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qlAG9RTP_wo&h=315]

    Running Time: 92 Minutes
    Rating: Not Rated

    For more movie trailers, just click here.

  • Trailer: Dancing In Jaffa

    Dancing In Jaffa poster

    After decades abroad, renowned ballroom dancer Pierre Dulaine returns to his hometown of Jaffa, Israel, nostalgic for the streets of his youth but nervous and dismayed by the strong current of racial animosity that now serves as the norm. Fueled by his belief in dancing’s power to build self-esteem and social awareness, Dulaine brings his popular Dancing Classrooms program to three diverse, Jaffa-based schools where he teaches ballroom basics to the ethnically mixed population of children. Dulaine selects the most focused dancers to train for a citywide competition, pairing Palestinians with Jews, putting many of the children’s and, more pointedly, their families’ beliefs to the test.

    As Dulaine’s passion for dance and no-nonsense style of teaching rubs off on the reluctant children, the competition offers the perfect window into their lives. Hilla Medalia’s story beautifully shows these historical archenemies forging an innocent but ultimately meaningful relationship that quickly takes on a much larger significance than what initially meets the eye. Dancing in Jaffa is a sweet and incredibly moving tale filled with moments of truth, poignancy and humor, offering a glimmer of hope in the in the intractable conflict.

    Running time: 88 Minutes
    Rated: Unrated
    In Theaters and VOD: April 11

    For more movie trailers, just click here.

  • Trailer: Dancing In Jaffa

    Dancing In Jaffa poster

    After decades abroad, renowned ballroom dancer Pierre Dulaine returns to his hometown of Jaffa, Israel, nostalgic for the streets of his youth but nervous and dismayed by the strong current of racial animosity that now serves as the norm. Fueled by his belief in dancing’s power to build self-esteem and social awareness, Dulaine brings his popular Dancing Classrooms program to three diverse, Jaffa-based schools where he teaches ballroom basics to the ethnically mixed population of children. Dulaine selects the most focused dancers to train for a citywide competition, pairing Palestinians with Jews, putting many of the children’s and, more pointedly, their families’ beliefs to the test.

    As Dulaine’s passion for dance and no-nonsense style of teaching rubs off on the reluctant children, the competition offers the perfect window into their lives. Hilla Medalia’s story beautifully shows these historical archenemies forging an innocent but ultimately meaningful relationship that quickly takes on a much larger significance than what initially meets the eye. Dancing in Jaffa is a sweet and incredibly moving tale filled with moments of truth, poignancy and humor, offering a glimmer of hope in the in the intractable conflict.

    Running time: 88 Minutes
    Rated: Unrated
    In Theaters and VOD: April 11

    For more movie trailers, just click here.

  • Trailer: Vampire Academy

    Vampire Academy poster

    Based on author Richelle Mead’s worldwide bestselling series, Vampire Academy tells the legend of Rose Hathaway (Zoey Deutch) and Lissa Dragomir (Lucy Fry), two 17-year-old girls who attend a hidden boarding school for Moroi (mortal, peaceful Vampires) and Dhampirs (half-vampire / half-human guardians). Rose, a rebellious Guardian-in-training and her best friend, Lissa – a royal vampire Princess – have been on the run when they are captured and returned to St. Vladamirs Academy, the very place where they believe their lives may be in most jeopardy. Thrust back into the perils of Moroi Society and high school, Lissa struggles to reclaim her status while Rose trains with her mentor and love-interest, Dimitri (Danila Kozlovsky), to guarantee her place as Lissa’s guardian. Rose will sacrifice everything to protect Lissa from those who intend to exploit her from within the Academy walls and the Strigoi (immortal, evil vampires) who hunt her kind from outside its sanctuary.

    [youtube=://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-_TxtG1CVw&h=315]

    Running time: 104 Minutes
    Rated: PG-13
    In Theaters Nationwide: February 7, 2014

    For more movie trailers, just click here.

  • The Jerusalem Challenge

    National Geographic Entertainment, The Distributors of “Jerusalem” The Movie, and the Canadian Friends of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem launches The Jerusalem Challenge

    National Geographic Entertainment has teamed up with the Canadian Friends of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (CFHU) to support the launch of The Jerusalem Challenge, a competition sponsored by CFHU, in conjunction with the North American launch of the giant screen film, Jerusalem. The Jerusalem Challenge will be an opportunity for people in the US and Canada to share their work or ideas on how to build awareness and understanding between people of different backgrounds, cultures and beliefs. The grand prize winner in each of two age categories is a trip for two to Jerusalem and $2,500 to put toward the work already being done by the winner or to help make the winning idea a reality. One of the trips will be provided by Nat Geo Expeditions.

    Now through March 2, 2014, entrants should submit applications online via this link, the Facebook page for Jerusalem. A judging panel comprised of Jerusalem producer/writer/director Daniel Ferguson, Provost of the Rothberg International School at the Hebrew University Professor Mimi Ajenstadt, filmmaker, author and athlete Paul Saltzman, and Fiona Eberts, wife of Jerusalem Executive Producer, the late Jake Eberts, will determine the challenge finalists based on the essay or video responses to the question: What ideas do you have or what are you already doing to make the world a better place by bringing people together from different cultures, backgrounds, or beliefs?

    The judging panel will choose the top 5 submissions in each of two age categories: 15 years old and under who have a parent’s permission to enter; and 16 years and older. The 10 finalists will be unveiled on March 24, 2014, when the public will be tasked to vote for the top 2 winners, each of whom will win $2500 and a trip for 2 to Jerusalem hosted by National Geographic and the Canadian Friends of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. The winner in the 15-years old and under category will also be gifted a one-year subscription to National Geographic Magazine and a one-year membership to their local museum and IMAX® theater, as well as a trip for two to Jerusalem provided by Nat Geo Expeditions.

    [quote]The Jerusalem Challenge exemplifies National Geographic’s mission to build awareness and understanding between people of different backgrounds, cultures and beliefs,” said Lisa Truitt, president of National Geographic Entertainment. “The competition will encourage the discussion and give several lucky fans the opportunity to discover the distinctive sites featured in our Jerusalem film firsthand, and explore why the Old City is so unique and beloved.[/quote]

    In addition to The Jerusalem Challenge, online visitors to the Facebook page for Jerusalem The Movie can test their Jerusalem I.Q. by answering a variety of trivia questions about Jerusalem every week for the opportunity to win prizes, including National Geographic film collections and magazine subscriptions, cookbooks and film posters. Everyone who answers the trivia questions will be entered into a weekly drawing, with winners chosen randomly every Monday.

    Filmed for the first time in 3D for IMAX® and Giant Screen theaters, Jerusalem immerses audiences into one of the world’s most beloved cities. Discover why this tiny piece of land is sacred to three major religions, representing over half the world’s population, through the stories of Jewish, Christian and Muslim families who call Jerusalem home. Join renowned archaeologist, Dr. Jodi Magness, as she travels underground to solve some of this city’s greatest mysteries. Find out why, after thousands of years, Jerusalem and the Holy Land continue to stir the imagination of billions of people. Unprecedented access to the city’s holiest sites cherished by billions, as well as rare and breathtaking aerial footage of the Old City, combine to make Jerusalem a unique and stunning cinematic experience.

    For more information about the film Jerusalem, including Theater Listings, links to the trailer, and behind-the-scenes videos as well as The Jerusalem Challenge and IQ Trivia Contest, visit www.jerusalemthemovie.com. Become a fan on Facebook and answer the trivia questions, and follow us on Twitter, #jerusalemfilm.

    About National Geographic Cinema Ventures/National Geographic Entertainment

    National Geographic Cinema Ventures / National Geographic Entertainment is responsible for production and distribution of giant screen, 3-D and specialty films. Over the last decade, NGCV / NGE has produced or released a number of successful films, including Oscar-nominated documentaries “Restrepo” and “The Story of the Weeping Camel”; giant-screen award-winning films “Sea Monsters: A Prehistoric Adventure,” “U2 3D,” “Mysteries of Egypt” and “Forces of Nature”; and feature-length films “The Last Lions” and “Life in a Day.” Lisa Truitt is president of NGCV / NGE, and Mark Katz is president of NGCV / NGE distribution. For more information, visit this link.

    About the Canadian Friends of the Hebrew University

    The Canadian Friends of the Hebrew University (CFHU) facilitates academic and research partnerships between Canada and Israel as well as establishing scholarships, supporting research, cultivating student and faculty exchanges and recruiting Canadian students to attend the university. The Hebrew University of Jerusalem (HU), founded in 1918, is ranked internationally among the 100 leading universities in the world (59th in 2013) and first among Israeli universities. HU lies at the forefront of the international academic and scientific communities, many top prizes and awards have been won by its graduates and faculty including eight Nobel Prizes and the Fields Medal in Mathematics.

    Albert Einstein, Martin Buber, and Sigmund Freud, were among the university’s founders, they were thinkers and visionaries whose genius inspired a university that would have no limits or borders. HU is a pluralistic institution where science and knowledge are advanced for the benefit of humankind in an atmosphere free of discrimination and prejudice. Visit this link.

    No purchase necessary. A purchase will not increase your chances of winning. Many will enter, few will win. To obtain Official Rules go to this link. Open only to legal residents of the United States and Canada (including Quebec) who are under 15 years old with permission of a parent, and 16 years old plus. Employees of Canadian Friends of the Hebrew University and Jerusalem 3D US LP (the “Sponsor”), National Geographic Entertainment, and related parties are ineligible. Entries must be submitted between December 9th and March 2, 2014. Limit one entry per person; limit one essay and/or video per person. To enter, write an original personal essay in English up to 300 words. You may include a video (up to 60 seconds) telling us what is your idea or what are you already doing to make the world a better place by bringing people together from different cultures, backgrounds, or beliefs? Visit this link for rules and regulations. One (1) Grand Prize winner from the 15 years old and under category will win a trip for two for a week to Jerusalem, Israel provided by National Geographic Expeditions (ARV US $10,000), as well as $2,500 US. One (1) Grand Prize winner from the 16 years old and up category will win a trip for two for a week to Jerusalem, Israel provided by the Canadian Friends of the Hebrew University (ARV US $5,000), as well as $2,500 US. If winner is a minor and under the age of majority the winner will have to be accompanied on the trip by his/her parent or legal guardian. Dates of prize trips are subject to change at discretion of Sponsor. Contest is void where prohibited by law. The odds of winning depend on the number of entries received and skill of the entrant.

  • Kenneth Cole at 92Y: Fashion From A Humanitarian Perspective

    Image:
    Image: via

    I had the pleasure of attending the Fashion Icons with Fern Mallis: Kenneth Cole Discussion and Screening with Simon Doonan and Alan Cumming.

    Upon my arrival at 92nd Street and Lexington Avenue, realizing I was a few minutes behind schedule for 7:30, I quickly picked up the press ticket and was promptly seated in the Kaufman Concert Hall for the talk and screening of the new HBO documentary “The Battle of amfAR”. When I settled in, the wonderful Fern Mallis was at the podium about to introduce Kenneth Cole to the stage. Visionary Fern Mallis is creator of Fashion Week in New York City. Mallis brings Cole out and they briefly discuss his upbringing, his first job selling peanuts at a baseball stadium, the start of well known shoe company “Candies”, being named the sexiest business man of the year in 1988 by People Magazine and finally the start of his Kenneth Cole business.

    An extraordinary career

    By far his legacy is full of moments of creative genius, as he told us the endearing story of when he started up his business with limited capital and couldn’t afford to showcase his shoes at the trade show. When he phoned the mayor’s office and inquired about how he could park a forty foot trailer across the street from the trade show for 3 days in Manhattan, he was told only production, and utility companies with a permit could do so. Later, he subsequently changed his company name to Kenneth Cole Productions Inc. This story made everyone in attendance giggle, and he followed up with some wise advice that only a seasoned creator could give.

    [quote]The best ideas won’t always be the most expensive but usually the most creative that works.[/quote]

    Cole went on to describe how he sold over 40,000 shoes in just under 3 days from his forty foot trailer parked on 1370 6th Avenue, across from the New York Hilton on the day of the shoe show. The audience was in total awe. Once Kenneth Cole started his company in 1982, he then went public in 1984 and later came to question his decision to do so as he felt it compromised his brand. Although, Cole was delighted to tell the audience that buying his business back in 2012 was the most exhilarating experience, and they have been privately owned for about 1 year. Congratulations to Kenneth Cole!

    Fashion from a humanitarian

    Among his many accomplishments, Kenneth Cole started a shoe drive initiation to support the homeless and distributed through Help USA. He also raised funding to build a healthcare facility in Port Au Prince, Haiti after the disaster, and he is the Chairman of the AIDS organization amFAR. In his own words Cole said, he “believes his platform in fashion is an opportunity to do something greater.” This is something he lives by. The adage “with great power comes great responsibility” is the theme here. The fashion industry as a whole, and it’s lovers are usually viewed as very superficial, or snobby elitist without a care for the common cause. However, designers like Kenneth Cole and many others disprove this ideal. Cole’s humility was apparent in his mannerisms and the way he held his head down and looked at his feet at times when being questioned by Fern Mallis. Truly fashion is wonderful, but what is more amazing than the companies, manufacturers, products, models, clothing etc. is the force behind the brand. What does your brand represent, and once you have a platform will you let the superficial ideals of the industry define you? Clearly, Kenneth Cole does not.

    The documentary is about 2 women from totally different worlds coming together and uniting for a common good, and working together to create something awesome. Mathilde Krim, Ph.D., was a researcher at New York’s Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, who formed the New York-based AIDS Medical Foundation in 1983 with Dr. Joseph Sonnabend, Michael Callen, and several others. While, in Los Angeles, Dr. Michael S. Gottlieb and Elizabeth Taylor spearheaded the creation of the National AIDS Research Foundation. These two organizations merged in September 1985 to become the american foundation for AIDS Research (amfAR).

    When amfAR was founded, Dr. Krim and Dr. Gottlieb were named Founding Chairmen and Elizabeth Taylor became Founding National Chairman. Twenty-eight years later, amfAR remains one of the world’s leading organizations dedicated to fighting the AIDS epidemic, and has invested more than $340 million in support of its mission to find a cure for the AIDS epidemic.

    [youtube=://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GG-ynO0Hux8&h=315]

    The film was well put together, and was in short, an eye opening experience for me and I’m sure many others. Growing up in the 80’s, I do not remember the details of the AIDS epidemic. What I do remember were children saying you couldn’t go near or even touch someone with the disease. This brief memory reemerged after watching the horrifying way the general public, and the government treated those suffering with the disease as outcasts and less than human. I was disgusted, and astonished at how the government refused to even acknowledge the issue, and did their best to avoid dealing with the epidemic altogether — as if it would just go away. It didn’t. amfAR‘s work has been crucial in the progress towards AIDS research and it’s publicized success.

    Overall, I found it interesting that I attended the event to learn about Kenneth Cole and his rise to fame in the designer shoe and fashion industry, but I left with an acute knowledge and respect for the AIDS epidemic, the efforts of Elizabeth Taylor and the philanthropy of Kenneth Cole. While most choose to watch the mayhem from a distance, Kenneth Cole and others like him remind us that we can use our platform and power to affect change, educate and inspire the masses no matter the industry. Bravo!

    Visit Kenneth Cole’s site by clicking this link.

  • Trailer: S#X ACTS

    S#X ACTS poster

    Sexy sex and more sex, usually, celebrated in voyeurism

    Naïve teen Gili (Sivan Levy) changes schools and is determined to improve her social status by hooking up with the most popular guys. But as she pushes her own limits with every new encounter — offering a succession of sexual favors and allowing herself to be photographed and filmed — the line of consent begins to blur. Israeli filmmaker Jonathan Gurfinkel’s provocative debut is raw, racy, and immediately recognizable. This is a must-see, for sure. We’re curious to know how it ends. You should totally come watch it with us or see it at one of the amazing select theaters in New York on December 6th or watch it on demand on December 3rd. Whichever works best.

    [youtube=://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jvp9NOJDy5I&h=315]

    Running time: 96 Minutes
    Rated: Unrated
    VOD and iTunes: December 3
    In Select Theaters: December 6