Dustin Hoffman Helps a Troubled Boy Find His Voice in “Boychoir”

Dustin Hoffman decided to become an actor he dreamed of a career as a classical pianist. Now, at age 77, Hoffman gets the chance to indulge his passion as Boychoir’s inscrutable Master Carvelle.

“I wanted to be a musician but I was never talented enough,” says Hoffman. Initially, he studied music at Santa Monica College before making the switch to acting.

“I have small hands so I can’t reach much more than an octave,” he says with his fingers stretched over an imaginary keyboard. “And, I think you have to have one of two qualifications; you have to have a really good ear or be a good sight-reader, and I’m neither.”

Directed by Canadian François Girard (The Red Violin), Boychoir stars Garrett Wareing as 11-year-old Stet, a troubled kid blessed with a golden singing voice.

When Stet’s mom dies, his long-lost dad (Josh Lucas) shows up and arranges for his son to attend the prestigious American Boychoir School (a real institute founded in 1937 and located in Princeton, New Jersey). The unruly boy comes under the watchful eye of Hoffman’s strict choirmaster Carvelle, who helps turn him into the star of the school’s world-renowned travelling choir.

It’s an unusual role for Hoffman; Carvelle is a steely disciplinarian and rather subdued. Hoffman’s performance lacks the lively exuberance we’ve come to expect from the actor whose résumé includes such classic movies as Midnight Cowboy, All the President’s Men and Tootsie.

But keeping Carvelle somewhat in the shadows was a conscious choice. “There was a discussion to keep the characters two-dimensional except for the lead, it’s the story about the boy,” says Hoffman, adding that the decision mirrors a choice made in another of his films.

Charlize Theron Solving A Horrific Mystery in ‘Dark Places’

Charlize Theron is looking for a killer who has plagued her for most of her life in the newly mystery thriller, ‘Dark Places’. The story is based on ‘Gone Girl‘ author Gillian Flynn’s worldwide best-selling novel, which has been on the NY Times best-seller list for over two years.

Libby Day (Charlize Theron) was only seven years old when her mother and two sisters were brutally murdered in their rural Kansas farmhouse. In court, the traumatized child pointed the finger at her brother, Ben (Tye Sheridan), and her testimony put the troubled 16-year-old in prison for life. Twenty-five years later, a broke and desperate Libby has run through donations from a sympathetic public and royalties from her sensational autobiography, without ever moving past the events of that night.

When Libby accepts a fee to appear at a gathering of true-crime aficionados led by Lyle Wirth (Nicholas Hoult), she is shocked to learn most of them believe Ben is innocent and the real killer is still at large. In need of money, she reluctantly agrees to help them reexamine the crime by revisiting the worst moments of her life. But as Libby and Lyle dig deeper into the circumstances surrounding the murders, her recollections start to unravel and she is forced to question exactly what she saw – or didn’t see. As long-buried memories resurface, Libby begins to confront the wrenching truths that led up to that horrific night.

Also stars Nicholas Hoult, Corey Stoll, Christina Hendricks, Chloë Grace Moretz and Tye Sheridan.

“DARK PLACES” is released and distributed by CAPTVE CINEMA.

 

MEET THE MORMONS – A Journey Into The World of the Mormons

                           MEET THE MORMONS – A Journey Into The World of the Mormons

Meet the Mormons examines the very diverse lives of six devout members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Church of Latter-day Saints more commonly known as Mormons).

Filmed on location and across the globe, Meet the Mormons takes viewers on a journey into the day-to-day realities of individuals living in the U.S., Costa Rica, Nepal and beyond. From their individual passions to their daily struggles, each story paints a picture as rich and unique as the next while challenging the stereotypes that surround the Mormon faith.

Meet the Mormons”, a feature-length documentary film produced by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is rated General Patronage (G) by the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board MTRCB).

This film is an opportunity for people to meet — in a very personal way — members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Filmed on location around the globe, “Meet the Mormons” takes viewers on a journey into the day-to-day lives of six Church members in the U.S., Costa Rica and Nepal. From their individual passions to their daily struggles, each story paints a picture as rich and unique as the next while challenging stereotypes that surround the Mormon faith.

Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints can be found at every level of society — in business and charity, education and the sciences, political parties and government, the entertainment industry and news media.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the fourth largest Christian church in America. More than half of its 14 million members live outside the United States. Yet despite the faith’s growth and presence, survey results continue to show that relatively few people are familiar with Mormon beliefs.

Describing the character of Latter-day Saints, Newsweek magazine wrote: “No matter where Mormons live, they find themselves part of a network of mutual concern; in Mormon theology everyone is a minister of a kind, everyone is empowered in some way to do good to others, and to have good done unto them: it is a 21st century covenant of caring.”

This caring is not limited to Church members alone, but extends far beyond. According to Church President Thomas S. Monson: “As a church we reach out not only to our own people but also to those people of goodwill throughout the world in that spirit of brotherhood which comes from the Lord Jesus Christ.”

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is a restoration of New Testament Christianity as taught by Jesus and his apostles. It is not Protestant, evangelical, Catholic or Orthodox. Nevertheless, the basic values of morality, civility and family espoused by the Church are similar to those of most other Christian faiths. Church members find refuge from the uncertainties of the world in the gospel message of hope and happiness. The reality that life has divine purpose, that God cares for each individual, and that everyone has the capacity for improvement through correct choices is a central theme of Mormon thought.

Latter-day Saints believe in a loving, personal God as our Heavenly Father. Since he is the Father of our spirits, all people are his children and thus all people are brothers and sisters. He

sent his Son, Jesus Christ, to redeem mankind from their sins. Church members try to model their lives on the Savior’s teachings. All individuals are entitled to personal revelation. God has called new apostles and prophets in our day through whom he reveals his word, as he did anciently. Thus, God still speaks to humankind. Mormons believe in the Holy Bible, both the Old and New Testaments. In addition, they use other scriptures, including the Book of Mormon, which serves as another witness to the ministry of Christ and his divinity. Used together, these scriptures offer insight into such vital questions as the nature of God, salvation, and the atonement.

Church members understand that families are the most important unit of society. Accordingly, those who follow Christ and keep His commandments are promised to live with their families forever in divinely instituted eternal relationships. Church President Thomas S. Monson recently described the ideal home: “Our homes are to be more than sanctuaries; they should also be places where God’s Spirit can dwell, where the storm stops at the door, where love reigns and peace dwells… The importance of strengthening the family is paramount. The values essential to the prosperity of any civilization are first instilled in the family — the fundamental unit of society — where a husband and wife work together for the betterment of the whole. The Church’s teachings and programs are designed to fortify the family. The time-honored virtues of charity, sacrifice, patience and forgiveness enable society to prosper, which are most effectively learned at home”.

Meet The Mormons, a Solar Pictures release, is showing on May 22 and 23, 2015 in selected theaters nationwide.

‘It Follows’ Is a Teen Horror Movie Like You’ve Never Seen It Before

David Robert Mitchell had an auspicious debut in 2010 when his first feature The Myth Of The American Sleepover, which he wrote and directed, premiered at SXSW and then went on to play Cannes Critics’ Week. Set in a seemingly timeless world, neither past nor present, Myth resonated with critics and audiences as a poetic depiction of teenage existence, in all its confusions and yearnings. The independent film world was understandably surprised and excited when it was announced that Mitchell’s sophomore project would be a horror film.

It Follows is indeed terrifying at times, but it’s unmistakably a product of the same mind as Myth. “I guess it wasn’t a big leap for me in my head,” Mitchell said of the transition. “I love horror movies. I want to make a lot of different movies and I like the idea of playing with genre. I thought that it would be interesting to take the tone of Myth and imagine characters with a similar feel to them, and put them into a scary situation and see how they would react. I tried to portray them with genuine qualities like those I tried to give the characters in Myth – I didn’t think, oh, because it’s a horror film that’s not necessary. I wanted them to be people that I cared about.” The characters in It Follows – all teenagers – feel notably akin to their precursors from Myth. Jay (Maika Monroe) is a college student living in the suburbs of Detroit. She has a close group of friends, including Yara (Olivia Luccardi), Paul (Keir Gilchrist), and her sister Kelly (Lili Sepe), all of whom will become endangered after Jay starts being followed by a nefarious supernatural presence of unknown origin.

The germinating idea of the film – of Jay being followed, slowly but consistently, by a monster – came from nightmares Mitchell had as a child. “I remember having nightmares where something is following you, and in the nightmare it’s sort of slow and persistent. In the dream I was at the school playground. I looked over across the parking lot and saw this other kid walking towards me. Somehow I knew this was a monster. Then I started running away. I would run down a whole block and wait a moment, and then it would step out and keep walking towards me. It’s about the idea that something is consistently coming after you and it always knows where you are. The nightmare always sat with me. Somewhere as an adult I had the idea to build it into a film. I wrote it really quickly – it took about a week.” Mitchell is an admirer of horror cinema, and as the film came together he and his key crew immersed themselves in numerous standbys of the genre. “I was watching Rosemary’s Baby,

The Shining, some Cronenberg. Halloween, Creature From The Black Lagoon, Blue Velvet, Eyes Without A Face, The Thing, Invasion of the Body Snatchers. Those are things I was looking at. There’s also a little Hitchcock influence in terms of how we used subjective point of view. There were also some photographers whose work we looked at like Gregory Crewdson and Todd Hido.” As It Follows began to come together, Mitchell was tasked with Finding the actress to play Jay, an incredibly demanding role that necessitated lots of physical strength and emotional hysterics. He found his leading lady in Maika Monroe, who in recent years has appeared in At Any Price, Labor Day, and The Guest. “Maika read for the part and she was fantastic,” Mitchell related. “There was a vulnerability to her. There was a scene where my reaction to her was, ‘Oh my gosh, this poor girl.’ It went beyond what I put on the page. There was an intensity to her.” For Monroe, trusting Mitchell was easy due to his commitment to executing his vision for the film. “I was impressed with how he spoke about the movie and how closely it touched him. When he sent over the information about what he wanted the film to look like, I was blown away by how specific  it all was, the details. I thought to myself, this guy is special. This guy is different from the rest. I was drawn to him and to the role.”

“IT FOLLOWS”  is released and distributed by CAPTIVE CINEMA.

SHOWING ON MAY 13. NATIONWIDE!

Maika Monroe Interview in ‘It Follows’

Though her performances in “The Guest” and “It Follows” have thrust her into the mainstream, Maika Monroe understandably doesn’t want to be shackled to the essentially meaningless moniker of ‘Scream Queen,’ which has been bestowed upon her after just two horror films. Her resume isn’t particularly long yet — she spent some time as a kiteboarder before veering into an acting career — but it’s already rife with well-regarded movies, highly-anticipated projects and at least one exploded bus.

In “It Follows,” her newest and most acclaimed film, Monroe plays Jay, a young girl who gets seduced by a mysterious young man and finds herself being pursued by a nameless, emotionless, excruciatingly slow creature who takes the form of average-looking people and possesses unknown evil powers. The super scary, fiercely self-aware film takes the old horror trope of sex leading to death, a concept rooted in a misreading of John Carpenter’s “Halloween” and perpetuated by “Friday the 13th” and its multitude of offspring, and makes it literal.

Why do you think “It Follows” has broken into the mainstream and had ubiquitous appeal?

I don’t know, but it’s been prett-y crazy, I’ll be honest. I had no idea it would be getting this kind of response. I think there’s something very unique about the film. I think a lot of people like the horror genre and like to be scared, so that draws people in, but there’s an elegance and simplicity to the film that people are really liking.

Was it scary making the film?

No, not at all. I wish it was, but it wasn’t. You know, I’m with the “Its,” the Tall Guy, and we’re trying to figure out how I’m gonna shoot a scene, so it was kind of routine, not very scary.

Did David Robert Mitchell do anything like that to get you to look terrified? 

No! David is one of the calmest people I’ve ever met in my life. He’s so…he’s the rock of the film. These crazy situations would happen and he would handle it with grace and he would pull me aside and try to work with me. “Let’s try this, why don’t we try that.” He’s very low-key. Probably meeting him you wouldn’t expect him to make a movie like this.

 

My favorite part of the movie — well, you’re very good, but I’m not supposed to say stuff like that [Monroe laughs] — was that awesome score. I don’t know how scary the movie would be without the music, it’s so integral to sustaining the mood. Did you have any idea what the music would sound like during filming?

No idea. I had no idea. They talked about doing some sort of synth-y kind of style, something ’80s, but I had no idea. When I saw it put together I was kind of in awe.

It definitely has that ’70s and ’80s vibe. 

Yeah we talked about it in wardrobe, picking the clothes and style of hair. You know, it almost doesn’t exist in time. It lacks things we have now, and then there’s things that don’t exist at all, and then there’s the ’70s and ’80s. It was fun to play around with that.

You’ve mentioned that you like “The Shining” and Kubrick, which has that great score. Why do you think filmmakers keep revisiting the same time period for inspiration? Even “The Guest” has that synth score going on.

“The Guest” is very much so like that. The soundtrack has become more and more important to these movies, and the music from that time fits perfectly. [Laughing] Well “The Shining” scares me so much. Movies that scare me?

Did you have a traumatic experience with knives? Like Carrie’s mom?

I’ve never had a traumatic experience with knives. No. Nope. [Shaking head] It’s just something… I’m terrified of them.

While filming “The 5th Wave,” you had an incident with a bus in Macon, Georgia. A bus exploded too much?

[Laughing] Oh. My. God. That was hysterical. Well, there’s a point in the movie where I have to throw a grenade into a bus. A very old bus. So they were doing the special effects and we decided to go up on a rooftop to watch it. It was…the biggest KABOOM I’ve ever heard. I mean, just massive. The apartments were all on fire, and I’m like, “Wow, okay, I did that. I like that, yeah!”

So people have heralded you as the new Scream Queen, whatever that even means. How do you feel about that? What’s that title even mean?

Oh gosh, I don’t even know. You know, by chance I did these two genre films back-to-back, both of which did very well, and people are loving it, so they’re like, “Okay, she’s a Scream Queen now.” But I don’t look at myself like that. I’ve done very different projects before this, and after this I’m going in a very different direction. I don’t look at myself as a Scream Queen and I don’t plan on continuing on this genre route. If anything, I want to go very different places. So. I dunno. It’s cool that people love these movies.

“It Follows” takes the deep-rooted horror trope of sex imminently leading to death and makes it literal. But some people have questioned the film’s sexual politics, saying maybe the film inadvertently takes a puritanical approach. What do you think about that? 

I don’t think that’s the message at all. People try to dig into it and find meanings behind everything. The idea came from David’s nightmares of this thing following him. Now we make it into a movie, so how are we gonna pass this thing along? Okay, let’s make it sex. There’s definitely meaning behind it, but I don’t see it as being a negative depiction of sex. I dunno, it’s interesting to see everyone’s different interpretation, and I like that. David’s been saying that too. I don’t wanna say what I think. I’ll leave it up to the people.

Did anything crazy happen while you were shooting “It Follows”?

The only thing I can think of is when I was strapped to that wheelchair. We filmed in this abandoned factory in Detroit, and we had to literally change our schedule because we found a body there. It’s a very dangerous place. We had to move locations because they were doing an investigation of this dead person. Kind of creepy.

You went from professional kiteboarding to getting huge. Not literally huge, I mean figuratively huge. Popular huge. [Monroe laughs] How do you feel about this abrupt ascension? 

It’s not actually so abrupt. It seems more abrupt on paper than it actually feels. It’s hard because I’m actually living it, so it seems sadly…I don’t want to say “normal,” but it’s like, “Okay, I’ve got this project now,” and “Okay, I’ve got to do press for this project now.” “Okay, the movie’s doing really well.” But there are times when I think it’s very important to be able to take a step back and go, “Wow.” I’ve worked so hard to get here. You know, take those moments to look back and see where you were, and where you’re going. I try to do that but it’s hard. Everything’s moving so fast.

Is there anything fun you want people to know about you?

[Laughs] The most fun fact I can think of is I was able to see James Brown live. My dad took me to see James Brown live, and that’s so cool, cause I don’t think many people my age can say they saw James Brown. I’m pretty proud of that. That’s the thing about me that no one really knows. I had to have been 6 or 7, but I remember it vividly. I remember the outfit he was wearing. I love James Brown, and as a baby I was always dancing to James Brown.

‘IT FOLLOWS’ is released and distributed by CAPTIVE CINEMA.

SHOWING ON MAY 13. NATIONWIDE!

PRESS RELEASE: MEET THE MORMONS – An Inside Peek Into The World of the Mormons

Meet the Mormons examines the very diverse lives of six devout members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Church of Latter-day Saints).

Meet the Mormons is a touching, newly released documentary that examines the life of six different members of Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (The Church of Latter-day Saints) from around the globe. A humanitarian, a football coach, the Candy Bomber, a fighter, a bishop, and a single mother all let their daily lives be filmed to show that religion and color should not be barriers to happiness. The individuals featured answer some tough questions as they are interviewed, letting the viewer get an inside peek into their world.

Filmed on location and across the globe, Meet the Mormons takes viewers on a journey into the day-to-day realities of individuals living in the U.S., Costa Rica, Nepal and beyond. From their individual passions to their daily struggles, each story paints a picture as rich and unique as the next while challenging the stereotypes that surround the Mormon faith.

After leaving his village to receive a degree in Engineering, Bishnu Adhikari returned to his home in Nepal with a newfound faith and a determination to help improve the living conditions of the area. Bishnu now travels to remote villages in the Himalayan Mountains to build roads, schools and water systems, all while living with his faith and respecting his culture and his family’s expectations.

With her husband’s help, extreme sports enthusiast Carolina Muñoz Marin has fought her way to the top of women’s amateur kickboxing in Costa Rica, challenging the traditional stereotypes of a Mormon woman. In between family time and training for competitions, Carolina and her husband run a charity to help those in Costa Rica who are less fortunate.

 

As Head Football Coach of the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, Ken Niumatalolo balances the pressures of his high-stress job by putting his family and faith first. In the competitive, high-stakes world of college football, he made the shocking decision to cancel staff meetings on Sundays, traditionally seen as critical to the team’s success, to instead honor the Sabbath day.

Jermaine Sullivan works full-time as an academic counselor to 200 students in order to support his wife and three kids. He also volunteers full-time as a Bishop of a Mormon church in Atlanta, Georgia. He leads his diverse congregation with youthful exuberance while shattering stereotypes of what it means to be a Mormon Bishop.

Dawn Armstrong, a struggling single mother, had hit rock bottom and lost all hope. Then she met some Mormon missionaries who helped her and her son get back on their feet and start a new life. Her son is now older and ready to fulfill his two-year voluntary missionary work. As she helps him prepare to leave home for the first time ever, she also prepares to say goodbye.

Known as “The Candy Bomber” during the 1940s Berlin Airlift, Col. Gail Halvorsen (ret.) sparked a movement when he started dropping candy tied to parachutes out of his airplane window to children below. This small act of kindness quickly became a life-saving boost to the morale of the people of West Berlin and soon caught worldwide attention and support.

Meet The Mormons, a Solar Pictures release, is showing on May 22 and 23, 2015 in selected theaters nationwide.

MINUSCULE : Valley of the Lost Ants

Press Release No 2: MINUSCULE : Valley of the Lost Ants , Won 2014 Mill Valley Film Festival Audience Award Best Children’s Feature Film, Nominated for Best Animated Film for the 87^th Oscar Awards this year.

The story begins with a normal setting out in the countryside. This is not CGI but real film. However, throughout the film the two are fantastically fused together. What you see from a human point of view uses standard film but watch when it goes to the micro world of insects, the CGI opens a totally new vista which works very,very well for the movie.

In that peaceful little clearing, the remains of a picnic hastily abandoned spark warfare between two tribes of ants. A bold young ladybug finds himself caught in the middle of the battle. He befriends one of the black ants, Mandible, and helps him save the anthill from the assault of the terrible red ant warriors, led by the fearful Butor.

A fantastic journey at ground level, the excursion opens with a bird’s eye wink at mankind: a young couple, out for a romantic afternoon drive in their bright red VW bug. However, this is not their story; rather, it follows the fate of their picnic supplies, left behind for tiny scavengers. In this spirit, a title card trumpets the heroism of a lone ladybug — the William Wallace of the insect world, Braveheart of the bugs — whom we see abandoned by his family and adopted by a colony of black ants under full-scale attack by a rival red-ant faction.

What follows is a very surreal war between the colonies—and the film accelerates tremendously towards an exciting conclusion. From time to time, the ladybug bumps into larger creatures intent on eating him — a frog, a

fish and a lizard as terrifying in its scale as the T-rex must have seemed to the humans in “Jurassic Park.” Employed in the battle between the black and red ants is an amusing range of virtual props. The attackers fire slingshots and carry a can of bug spray (a toxic weapon for both sides), while the defending black-ant colony hordes a stockpile of fireworks, but only one match.

The best thing about the film is simply how different it is from everything else. Too often films are derivative and familiar; however, here the filmmakers manage to create something wholly new and clever. The CGI is lovely—and different from what you’d see from other animation film outfits. More noticeable is the music. It’s almost magical and so unlike the typical child-oriented CGI film. It’s instead very classically inspired and perfect for the film. Finally, the film has a cute sense of humor. This is really a film to see for the entire family this Christmas Season.

The film already won the 2014 Mill Valley Film Festival Audience Award for Best Children’s Feature Film for Directors Thomas Szabo and Hélène Giraud and was nominated in three other film festival events. It was nominated for Cristal Best Feature Award at the Annecy International Animated Film Festival 2014 , the 2014 European Film Award for Best Animated Feature Film, and the 2013 Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival Award for Best Children’s Film. Now it is vying for the Best Animated Film for the 87^th Oscar Awards.

Directed by Thomas Szabo and Helene Giraud, MINUSCULE : Valley of the Lost Ants is distributed by Solar Pictures, Inc. A pre-Christmas treat for the entire family showing at your favorite theaters on December 3, 2014.

Press Release No 1: BACAO : A Compelling Story Revolving Around A Sensuous Barrio Lass Starring Michelle Madrigal

Bacao is a compelling story that revolves around a captivating barrio lass, Mayet (Michelle Madrigal), who blossomed into a sensuos and provocative woman desired by many men but whose heart belongs only to one – her husband Abel (Arnold Reyes).

Their sensual partnership is set against the backdrop of planting, growing and harvesting corn, or Bacao in the tribal Yogad term in the remote province of Isabela, which is their primary source of livelihood.

In her eager pursuit and desire to fulfill the very essence of her womanhood, which is bearing a child, Mayet falls trap to men with carnal desires, who capitalize on her vulnerability.

But just as bountiful corn harvest is brought about by a meticulous process aided by nature and human nurture, Mayet eventually reaps the steadfast efforts she sows to bear the fruit of her love for Abel against all odds. But not until sacrifice occurred.

This is the first ever starring role of the alluring actress Michelle Madrigal. She’s definitely not a newbie having been in the movie industry for ten years now. Insiders say that “Bacao” is tailor fit for Michelle, a beautiful and moving story master-megged by veteran director Edgardo “Boy” Vinarao for a very talented actress with a blooming showbiz career. The story zooms in on the desire of Mayet, Michelle’s character, to bear a child for her beloved husband Abel.

Looking at some inside scenes during the making of the film, we asked the star Michelle Madrigal some revealing questions:

“What was your reaction when you found out that you are to star in Bacao?” Michelle said, “I was initially nervous but Direk Boy Vinarao was so nice and accommodating yet precise in giving me instructions and helping me totally picture out the role I was playing. The rape scene was specially challenging to me but with the help of Direk Boy and co-star Direk Leo Martinez, it came out super artistic and yet realistic.”

Asked about Michelle Madrigal as an actress, Director Boy Vinarao has lots of good things to say about Michelle. Direk Boy says, “Michelle is an excellent actress, there is a certain depth in her acting. She’s easy to work with and fun to be with. She follows instructions to a “tee” and is highly professional, on the set early with the lines already memorized and internalized. I will always want her to be part of my future projects.”

Oro de Siete Productions, Inc.was organized and registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission on June 11, 2014. Its primary purpose is to engage in the business of producing and providing entertainment in the movie, television, and video industries. It consists of seven incorporators. The key officers are: Engr. Felizardo R. Sevilla, who is the Chairman of the Board; Rolando G. Peñaflor, President; Alberto Pascual, Vice President; Marilyn Ballesteros-Mariano, the Chief Finance Officer and Board Directors Amable Tolentino, Jaime Bartolome and Amelita Fernandez.

Oro de Siete’s maiden film offering is ”Bacao,” which is directed by award-winning master director Edgardo J. Vinarao.

Bacao directed by Edgardo J. “Boy” Vinarao and produced by Oro de Siete is one of the four entries to the Sineng Pambansa National Film Festival 2014 to be exhibited by the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP). It will be shown in all branches of SM cinemas nationwide starting on October 29, 2014.

Press Release No 2: A WALK AMONG THE TOMBSTONES: What Action Star Liam Neeson Has To Say About The Movie

Having established himself as an action star in his 50s, Irish actor Liam Neeson takes on yet another everyday hero in the Universal Pictures crime drama, “A Walk Among the Tombstones.”

Neeson plays an ex-New York cop turned private eye, who is hired by a drug kingpin to find the kidnapper who brutally murdered his wife. As Matt Scudder, he delves into the case, and discovers that he is not dealing with ordinary criminals, but twisted vigilantes who know their targets won’t turn to the law for help. The film also stars Dan Stevens, best known for his role as the doomed heir on the TV series “Downton Abbey.” The British actor easily slips into the drug kingpin role with an American accent.

A widower since the unfortunate 2009 skiing accident of his actress wife Natasha Richardson, Neeson recently spoke about his midlife rebirth as an action hero, what he liked about playing the flawed Block character and what’s ahead.

Below is a very revealing interview with Liam Neeson that says its all.

Q: Scott mentioned that some characters like yours have to find the worst in themselves, before they can find the best. Could you comment on that as part of your human role?

Neeson: Did Scott say that? He probably would. He’s a writer. Yes, he had mentioned that to me when we’d met. I wanted to find some kind of research I could do, other than reading Larry’s books. I know some policemen, and one of them I know very, very well. I was able to get access to documents on serial killers, and not just the crimes, but also the police work that went into tracking them down, which was very, very fascinating. Any little minutiae of evidence they would find, and put it together with this, and does it connect, and oh my God, it does connect. That was fascinating. I thought Scott had done that on a continual basis, and maybe, unbeknownst to himself, it brings out the good in (the character). I think Scudder is a good, righteous old-fashioned kind of man. I think he has certain pillars of ethics that never change, even though he’s kind of f***** up in a lot of ways. But he’s essentially a good man.

Q: What was it about this character and the characters you’ve played that draw you into playing them? Is it something specific about playing the character that’s real and a tough guy too?

Neeson: I I’ve always liked these grizzled characters, who have one foot on the side of law and order, and the other foot in the bad guy’s camp. They’re always treading a very delicate line. I just find them very appealing. It’s great to get a chance to do that. I’m glad you think they’re realistic, because that’s what we’re trying to do.

Q: Is there a reason why you choose these characters? Or is it just because you’re so good at it?

Neeson: Thank you. I appreciate the compliment, I really do. Listen, I was in my 50s, when this “Taken” movie came out. I was sure it was just a straight-to-video, good little European thriller, well made. And Fox Studios took it and did this amazing sell job. They showed the trailer at big sporting events and the film became a hit. I started to get sent these action scripts, in my 50s! It was very flattering, and I felt like a kid in a toy shop, so why not do them? I didn’t pretend like I was a 27-year-old. I try in these fight scenes to fight as a 50-year-old—even though I’m 62. I’m not playing a superhero.

Q: There’s flashback scene in “A Walk Among the Tombstones,” where you’re an undercover cop, and you have long hair…

Neeson: (joking) It’s all my own, too.

Q: It establishes why your character is the way he is later in the movie. Can you talk a little bit about doing this scene, because it’s kind of an extended scene, and it keeps coming up throughout the film?

Neeson: We shot it over two or three days. We had access to an area North of Manhattan. We had that whole set of steps, where the bad guy falls down and stuff. It was on a Saturday, and we shot that bar scene during that week. So it was really only two or three days of the wig. I wanted to avoid that classic drunk stuff. That’s really hard to do—to act drunk. My character is a functioning drunk.

Q: Do you have an exercise routine or special training to be ready for whatever role comes up?

Neeson: I keep pretty fit, in life. Before going into a role like this, I step up the regimen a couple of months before. It’s important to keep fit, and I’m not talking about having perfect abs or stuff, but you have to be on top of your game, especially if you’re playing the lead. You have to look after yourself.

Q: You’ve got a packed schedule and you’re raising two sons by yourself. How do you balance all the work you’re doing with spending quality time with your kids? Is it something you have to work at?

Neeson: Oh yeah, I’ve got to. Listen, I have a great support team, I really do. Fantastic family. If I’m away on a project, my mother-in-law (the British actress Vanessa Redgrave) moves in. We’re sort of like chess pieces. (He chuckles.) But yes, it’s always a balance. I’m very fortunate to get to play these characters at this stage in my life. I love doing it, and I’ll keep doing it as long as they keep sending me scripts. My kids are used to it, from the time they were born. One of them was born on location. So they’re used to dad being away for certain periods of time. So far, it’s worked out okay.

Based on LAWRENCE BLOCK’s best-selling series of mystery novels, A Walk Among the Tombstones stars LIAM NEESON (Non-Stop, Taken series) as Matt Scudder, Kenny Kristo (DAN STEVENS of television’s Downton Abbey as Kenny Kristo, BOYD HOLBROOK (Very Good Girls) as Peter Kristo, Kenny’s brother and a recovering drug addict, DAVID HARBOUR (Quantum of Solace) as Ray and ADAM DAVID THOMPSON (Martha Marcy May Marlene) as Albert, two demented serial killers, and BRIAN “ASTRO” BRADLEY (Earth to Echo) as TJ, a homeless young artist who befriends the ex-cop.

A WALK AMONG THE TOMBSTONES is produced by Jersey Films’ DANNY DEVITO (Erin Brockovich, Out of Sight), Double Feature Films’ MICHAEL SHAMBERG (Contagion, Erin Brockovich) and STACEY SHER (Django Unchained, Erin Brockovich), Exclusive Media’s TOBIN ARMBRUST (Begin Again, Rush) and Cross Creek Pictures ’ BRIAN OLIVER (Black Swan, The Woman in Black) and is directed by Scott Frank. It is distributed by Solar Pictures (not Solar Films). Showing at your favorite theaters on September 19.

 

Update – A WALK AMONG THE TOMBSTONES: A Blockbuster Suspense Thriller based on Lawrence Block’s Novel

Based on LAWRENCE BLOCK’s best-selling series of mystery novels, A Walk Among the Tombstones stars LIAM NEESON (Non-Stop, Taken series) as Matt Scudder, an ex-NYPD cop who now works as an unlicensed private investigator operating just outside the law. When Scudder reluctantly agrees to help heroin trafficker Kenny Kristo (DAN STEVENS of television’s Downton Abbey) hunt down the men who kidnapped and then brutally murdered his wife, the PI learns that this is not the first time these men have committed this sort of twisted crime…nor will it be the last. Blurring the lines between right and wrong, Scudder races to track the deviants through the backstreets of New York City before they kill again.

 

Co-starring in the suspense thriller are BOYD HOLBROOK (Very Good Girls) as Peter Kristo, Kenny’s brother and a recovering drug addict who enlists Scudder’s help tracking down the murderers; DAVID HARBOUR (Quantum of Solace) as Ray and ADAM DAVID THOMPSON (Martha Marcy May Marlene) as Albert, two demented serial killers whose ability to fade into the shadows allows them to stay one step ahead of the police; and BRIAN “ASTRO” BRADLEY (Earth to Echo) as TJ, a homeless young artist who befriends the ex-cop. LIAM NEESON stars as private detective Matt Scudder.

 

Supporting the key cast of the film are SEBASTIAN ROCHÉ (Beowulf ) as Yuri Landau, a Russian drug dealer racing to save his daughter before she becomes another innocent victim; MARK CONSUELOS (TV’s American Horror Story) as Reuben Quintana, who proves to have key intel during Scudder’s search; and ÓLAFUR DARRI ÓLAFSSON (Contraband) as James Loogan, a cemetery groundskeeper with disturbingly intimate knowledge of the crimes that have shaken the city. Led by Academy Award®-nominated filmmaker SCOTT FRANK

(writer/director of The Lookout and writer of Out of Sight, Minority Report, The Wolverine), who directs the film and adapted Block’s novel for the screen, A Walk Among the Tombstones has a multiple award-winning creative team that includes cinematographer MIHAI MALAIMARE, JR. (The Master, Tetro), production designer DAVID BRISBIN (The Lookout, The Twilight Saga: New Moon), editor JILL SAVITT (The Lookout, Secret Window), costume designer BETSY HEIMANN (Pulp Fiction, Almost Famous) and composer CARLOS RAFAEL RIVERA.

A WALK AMONG THE TOMBSTONES is produced by Jersey Films’ DANNY DEVITO (Erin Brockovich, Out of Sight), Double Feature Films’ MICHAEL SHAMBERG (Contagion, Erin Brockovich) and STACEY SHER (Django Unchained, Erin Brockovich), Exclusive Media’s TOBIN ARMBRUST (Begin Again, Rush) and Cross Creek Pictures ’ BRIAN OLIVER (Black Swan, The Woman in Black) and is directed by Scott Frank. It is distributed by Solar Pictures (not Solar Films). Showing at your favorite theaters on September 19.