"Vincere," written/directed by Marco Bellocchio, surrounds the secret life of Italian dictator Benito Mussolini. The film, which is currently screening in the United States, was released by IFC Films.
Vincere: Letters from Mussolini and his Lover Ida
December 10, 2009 by
"Vincere," written/directed by Marco Bellocchio, surrounds the secret life of Italian dictator Benito Mussolini. These are transcripts of letters sent from Mussolini and his lover Ida Dalser. "Vincere," which is currently screening in the United States, was released by IFC Films.
Invictus: A Rare Rugby Film
December 2, 2009 by
"Invictus," is directed by Clint Eastwood, and stars Morgan Freeman and Matt Damon. The film is being released December 11 by Warner Bros.
In order to be ready to portray a veteran rugby player, Damon also got help from another star member of the 1995 Springboks, Chester Williams, who was then the only black member of the team. On "Invictus," Williams served as a coach for the onscreen rugby players and was an invaluable resource for the filmmakers.
Ninja Assassin: Revamping the Ninja Genre
November 28, 2009 by
"Ninja Assassin," directed by James McTeigue and starring Rain, is about a young ninja who turns against the orphanage that raised him. The film was released November 25 by Warner Bros.
In an attempt to revamp the ninja genre and make it as cinematic as possible, the martial arts performed in the film are a hybrid of several styles. To design the fight sequences, the filmmakers turned to their stunt partners from the "Matrix" films and "V for Vendetta," award-winning stuntmen Chad Stahelski and Dave Leitch, who run their own stunts and training company, 87Eleven. Both served as stunt coordinators as well as second unit directors on "Ninja Assassin."
Little Bird of Heaven by Joyce Carol Oates
November 7, 2009 by
Book Review by Andrew Minnick
In "Little Bird of Heaven," Joyce Carol Oates re-visits a very recognizable territory. The prolific writer uses a Western New York town, like those in many of her other novels including the bestseller The Gravediggers Daughter (2008), as epicenter of a tale about lives irreconcilably altered by a single traumatic event. Oates also resorts to common themes by exploring the devastating, and almost irrationally enthralling, societal and individual effects of sudden, violent, male physicality.
