Posted by Terri Hardin under FilmResponses (0)

July is Harry Potter month: Today, the new movie, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, comes out, while the seventh Harry Potter book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, will be unleashed upon the world on Saturday, July 21.

Can’t get enough? Then make your reservations for Universal Orlando Resort in late 2009, when the Wizarding World of Harry Potter is scheduled to debut. The projected “theme park within a theme park” is expected to feature immersive rides, interactive attractions, experiential shops, and restaurants that will of inspirations of J.K. Rowling to 3-D life. (In fact, Rowling has said, “The plans I've seen look incredibly exciting, and I don't think fans of the books or films will be disappointed.”)

But if you can’t wait till 2009, then book your small group at the great table at New York’s Buddakan, where the downstairs dining room (pictured) bears more than a passing resemblance to the dining hall at Hogwarts.

Hail Gryffindor!

Posted by Mariana Lemann under FilmResponses (0)

Last night’s 79th annual Academy Awards telecast on ABC again proved to be one of the premier television events for advertisers with a 30-second spot during the ceremony cost $1.7 million, up 5 percent from last year, sources say in an article by the Hollywood Reporter.
Putting aside ratings, advertising expenditure and celeb factoids, though, the efforts put behind the scenes for the Governors Ball are equally impressive.
Surfing the Web, one finds a little more trivia about last night’s event. ABC News reported that for the 13th year in a row, Austria-born chef Wolfgang Puck created an “Oscar-worthy” menu for the post-award Academy’s Governors Ball. Dinner following the ceremony (in which An Inconvenient Truth won as best documentary) was made up completely of locally grown, sustainable, and organic ingredients.
Also according to ABC News, the event was pulled together with 350 culinary staff, 900 on-site staff in the ballroom, 150 technicians and 40 musicians and the following:

In the Kitchen
350 culinary staff members
6,000 pieces of flatware
3,200 mini kobe beef cheeseburgers
500 bottles champagne
2,000 bottles of wine
300 lbs. smoked salmon
100 lbs. Angus beef
600 spiny lobsters
10 lbs. Osetra caviar
250 whole chickens
16 lbs. black truffles
10 lbs. white truffles
15 whole yellowtail tunas
150 lbs. big eye tuna
300 lbs. jumbo shrimp
550 lbs. Wagyu beef
25 whole striped bass
1,200 oysters
100 lbs. black mussels
150 lbs. littleneck clams
500 lbs. Valrhona chocolate
4,600 mini chocolate Oscars

In the Ballroom
10,000 roses
750 floral arrangements
28,000 square feet carpet
30,000 square feet fabric
24,00 square feet wood flooring
3,600 feet timber
8 tons scaffolding
120 lighting color faders
2,500 feet trussing
1 mile rope lights

Posted by Kinley Levack under FilmResponses (0)

I have a lot of family the Portland area so I will admit my bias up-front, but the city has added yet another reason to be dubbed truly cool. The Living Room Theaters opened last month, offering six independent films in theaters that are, well, like living rooms.

In addition to comfy chairs and sofas, the theaters offer full dining menus (perhaps a wild mushroom and goat cheese crepe is a better accompaniment for the movie than stale pretzel bites and processed nacho cheese?) as well as coffees, cocktails, and wine.

Living Room Theaters are also available for groups and private events, including electronic whiteboards, translation services, and surround sound systems in addition to all of the projection and presentation equipment a planner could ask for. And the whole place is set up with Wi-Fi.

In the area? They are now showing: Alone with Her, Joyeux Noel, Mutual Appreciation, Cave of the Yellow Dog, Late Night Shopping, Unknown, and This Film is Not Yet Rated.

Thanks to the Springwise newsletter for yet another very cool idea! 

Posted by Vincent Alonzo under FilmResponses (0)

The Regent Almaty Hotel in Astana, (left) looks much more sophisticated than the depiction of Kasakhstan in the hit comedy, “Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Great Nation of Kazakhstan.” Officially, the government of Kazakhstan is offended by the wildly popular mockumentary film starring British comedian, Sasha Baron Cohen. But the entire country could end up laughing all the way to the bank. Hotels.com reported last week that there has be a 300 percent jump in Internet searches for hotel accommodations in Kasakhstan’s capital, Astana, since the film was released.

Continue reading "Borat Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan After All"

Posted by Will Ng under FilmResponses (2)

Over the weekend, I caught the box-office-leading comedy/social satire “Borat…”

Continue reading "The Horror of "Borat" "

Posted by Will Ng under FilmResponses (0)

Looking for something to do on a dreary Saturday afternoon, a friend and I caught Snakes On A Plane, and it was the most fun I have had in a movie theater since I can remember. Thinking back, in light of all the air incidents in recent days, not only was the tongue-in-cheek disaster flick perfect for late summer, it has been accidentally timely too.

Continue reading "Snakes On A Plane"

Posted by Terri Hardin under FilmResponses (0)

The movie about the book that sold 40 million copies around the world (12 million in the U.S. alone) is coming. Even if you’re like me, and think the book is a fun read but historically, a lot of hooey, you can’t deny the momentum of Dan Brown’s stupendous bestseller.

And, like it or not, there is a Da Vinci Code themed event in your future.

Thank heavens, Fodor’s just came out with an excellent guidebook,

Continue reading "Brace Yourself, the Da Vinci Code Is On the Way"