Poster For "Emperor" Starring Tommy Lee Jones & Matthew Fox

A gripping tale of love and honor forged between fierce enemies of war, EMPEROR tells the story, inspired by true events, of the bold and secret moves that won the peace in the shadows of post-war Japan. Starring Academy Award-winner Tommy Lee Jones, Matthew Fox, and newcomer Eriko Hatsune, EMPEROR brings to life the American occupation of Japan in the perilous and unpredictable days just after Emperor Hirohito's World War II surrender. As General Douglas MacArthur (Jones) suddenly finds himself the de facto ruler of a foreign nation, he assigns an expert in Japanese culture - General Bonner Fellers (Fox), to covertly investigate the looming question hanging over the country: should the Japanese Emperor, worshiped by his people but accused of war crimes, be punished or saved?

EW INSIDE MOVIES

"Coalition" Trailer, Co-Written & Produced by Baltimore Ravens’ Terrell Suggs

Dating a professional athlete opens up an A-list whirlwind of VIP nightclubs, charity galas, upscale spas, and lavish gifts - but it can also lead to a world of deception, cheating and heartache. A group of women form an unlikely alliance to get revenge on a superstar baller and his friends for playing them. For these playboys used to getting whatever they want when they want it - all that’s about to change. But in this game of who’s playing who, some discover that revenge has a price all its own.

"Love Free Or Die" Debuts On DVD April 9

Director Macky Alston’s (Family Name, Hard Road Home) critically-acclaimed documentary LOVE FREE OR DIE debuts across all digital platforms beginning March 12th and lands on DVD April 9th from Wolfe Video. The uncompromising film challenges the long held belief, supported by most of the world’s religions, that homosexuality is in direct conflict with faith. Gene Robinson, the first openly gay person to be elected bishop in Christendom, takes on the church’s stance and claims a place for all people.

In addition to its U.S. Documentary Special Jury Prize for An Agent of Change at 2012 Sundance Film Festival, LOVE FREE OR DIE also won the Human Rights Award at the 2012 River Run International Film Festival, the Best Documentary Award at the 2012 Philadelphia QFest, the Audience Award for Best Documentary at the 2012 Connecticut Gay & Lesbian Film Festival, a 2012 Wilbur Award for Best Feature Documentary, and the Audience Awards at the 2012 Palm Beach International Film Festival and 2012 NewFest LGBT Film Festival.

Following theatrical runs in New York and Los Angeles, LOVE FREE OR DIE aired as part of PBS’ “Independent Lens” series on November 12, 2012.  It has a runtime of 83 minutes and is not rated. DVD bonus features will include deleted scenes.

SYNOPSIS: LOVE FREE OR DIE is a film about religion, homosexuality and human rights; how tradition and scripture are used by many to reject a faithful minority and amid the growing calls in the US and beyond to adopt inclusion. The film follows Bishop Gene Robinson, the first openly gay person to be elected bishop in the high church traditions of Christendom. Bishop Robinson's elevation in the sleepy New Hampshire diocese in 2003 ignited a worldwide debate in the Anglican Communion, one that has become so heated that there is still a chance of a schism in the 80 million-member denomination.

Taking on the church’s stance against homosexuality, Bishop Robinson has become a lightning rod, standing at the crossroads of religion and sexuality. One year after being muzzled by the Archbishop of Canterbury, he finds himself speaking from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial at Barack Obama’s 2008 Inauguration. Gene Robinson confronts those who use religion as an instrument of oppression, and claims a place in the church and society, not just for LGBT people, but for all people.   

Creepy Poster For "The Silence"

The Silence begins 23 years ago on a hot summer day, when a young girl named Pia is brutally murdered in a field of wheat.  Now, on the exact same date in the present, 13-year-old Sinikka is missing, her bicycle abandoned in the same spot.  As Krischan, the retired investigator of the unresolved case, and his younger colleague David struggle to solve the mystery of these parallel crimes, Sinikka’s distraught parents are trapped in an agonizing period of waiting and uncertainty.  Meanwhile, their daughter’s fate rips open old wounds in the heart of Pia’s mother, who is visited by an unexpected guest with an eerie connection to her daughter.  The unrelenting summer heat lies over the quaint family homes like a bell jar and behind closed doors, worlds begin to fall apart.

In his strikingly commanding debut feature The Silence, Swiss-born Baran bo Odar adapts Jan Costin Wagner’s bestselling novel with his own unmistakable signature. Mesmerizing performances by top European actors - headed by Ulrich Thomsen (The Celebration, Brothers), Sebastian Blomberg (The Baader Meinhof Complex), Katrin Sass (Good Bye, Lenin!) and Burghart Klaussner (The White Ribbon, The Edukators) - enrich this intense drama far beyond the crime genre.

"Sushi Girl" Trailer, On DVD & Blu-Ray February 19, 2013.

Fish has spent six years in jail. Six years alone. Six years keeping his mouth shut about the robbery, about the other men involved. The night he is released, the four men he protected with silence celebrate his freedom with a congratulatory dinner. The meal is a lavish array of sushi, served off the naked body of a beautiful young woman. The sushi girl seems cationic, trained to ignore everything in the room, even if things become dangerous. Sure enough, the four unwieldy thieves can’t help but open old wounds in an attempt to find their missing loot.

Magnolia Pictures Acquires "Best Man Down"

The Wagner/Cuban Company’s Magnolia Pictures announced today that they’ve acquired North American rights to BEST MAN DOWN, a warmly funny new comedy from writer/director Ted Koland, starring Justin Long, Jess Weixler, Tyler Labine, Addison Timlin and Frances O’Connor. The film was produced by David Abbitt, Jen Roskind and Sharyn Steele. 

When their obnoxious and over-served best man, Lumpy (Labine) unexpectedly dies at their destination wedding in Phoenix, bride and groom Kristin (Weixler) and Scott (Long) are forced to cancel their honeymoon and fly home to the snowy Midwest to arrange for his funeral. But when they arrive they realize that there was a lot more to their friend than met the eye.

“We are pleased to be handling BEST MAN DOWN, a charming film that features excellent performances from a completely winning cast,” said Magnolia President Eamonn Bowles.

"It's incredibly exciting to partner with Magnolia on my first film, a company that's made a brand for itself by bringing unique, compelling stories to the screen," said writer/director Ted Koland

Magnolia plans a summer release through their Ultra VOD program, debuting the film on all VOD platforms a month prior to its theatrical release.

The deal was negotiated by Magnolia’s Director of Acquisitions Peter Van Steemberg with Preferred Content and Gersh on behalf of the filmmakers. BEST MAN DOWN was financed by Koda Entertainment.

"The Great Magician" Debuts On Blu-ray & DVD March 19

Adapted from the Zhang Haifan novel and led by award-winning director Derek Yee (One Nite in Mongkok, Shinjuku Incident), THE GREAT MAGICIAN debuts on Blu-ray™, DVD and Digital March 19th from Well Go USA Entertainment. The deliriously entertaining film deftly blends vaudeville-style humor, vivid magic sequences and ruthless political gamesmanship while featuring the three of the most powerful stars in Chinese cinema – Tony Leung Chiu-wai (Hero, Red Cliff), Lau Ching-wan (Mad Detective) and Zhou Xun (Cloud Atlas). Village warlord Bully Lei (Ching Wan Lau) is accused of using magic to recruit soldiers to his cause. New arrival Zhang (superstar Tony Leung), upset to find out Lei is holding a former flame of his captive, aims to thwart these plans with an ambitious kidnap scheme and various tricks of his own. When the plan goes awry, the two match wits in an ongoing battle to see who is the more adept illusionist.  Bonus materials include the behind-the-scenes featurette “Making the Magic.”

Synopsis:

In the years after the Revolution that overthrew the Qing Dynasty in China and established the Republic, the country is broken up into fiefdoms held by warlords, who are busy fighting each other. A lieutenant is using magic to scare convicts into joining a warlord's army. His warlord has imprisoned a girl and he wants to be his seventh wife, but he's too honorable to force her. The local revolutionaries want to kill the warlord and bring back the Republic. The lieutenant is secretly a member of the Qing Dynasty Remnant and wants to bring back the Empire. A local Japanese businessman is actually trying to take over with help of the local Blackhawk gang. Into this chaos, a stranger returns from aboard with mastery of magic, and is back to recover the girl he loved (daughter of his master/teacher). Who is tricking whom and who will win at the end?

Bonus Features:

§  “Making the Magic” Featurette

U.S. Poster For "Mental"

Set in the fictional town of Dolphin Heads, MENTAL is written and directed by PJ Hogan and produced by Jerry Zucker, Janet Zucker, Todd Fellman and Jocelyn Moorhouse. It stars Golden Globe® Winner Toni Collette (United States of Tara, Little Miss Sunshine, About A Boy, The Sixth Sense) in a film that re-unites her with PJ Hogan for the first time since the iconic Muriel’s Wedding seventeen years ago.

The Moochmore girls are all certain they suffer from some sort of mental illness, because if they’re not crazy they’re just unpopular. The combination of Shirley’s five rambunctious daughters and her philandering husband Barry becomes too much for her to bear and she is committed to a mental institution.

Barry, a small time politician is left to take care of five girls who he barely knows. Overwhelmed, he impulsively picks up Shaz, a colorful hitchhiker on the side of the road, and installs her as the girls’ nanny. Shaz is charismatic, hot tempered, inspiring, and completely nuts. However she proves to be exactly what the Moochmore family needs.

THE PLAYLIST

"Into The White" Trailer

At the beginning of World War II a hostile chance encounter in the skies above the harsh Norwegian wilderness leaves two aircraft – one British, one German – shot down in a remote and isolated region. By strange coincidence the crews seek shelter in the same cabin. They must battle to survive the brutal winter in order to get back to the war – and to fighting one another. Although war has made them enemies, as the days go by animosity proves hard to maintain. Mutual need leads to unlikely friendships, and the rules of war must be put aside.

Legendary Pictures Starts Casting Godzilla, I Yawned

While Frank Darabont continues to pound away on the keyboard developing the latest draft of Godzilla Legendary Pictures is in talks with Elizabeth Olsen & Bryan Cranston to star. According to Variety, Aaaron Johnson is also negotiating with the studio to come aboard the project which is scheduled to stomp it's way into theaters May 16, 2014.

I'm still flabbergasted that the Legendary Pictures is willing to throw a monstrous amount of money into a Godzilla movie. I really can't picture this film doing well with the general public. Kids aren't playing with Godzilla toys and no teenager has a Godzilla poster on their wall. Nostalgia isn't going to help build a box office foundation and I'm not sure a monster smashing things is going to translate to dollar signs by default.

Maybe a cameo by King Kong?