Michael Jai White is no stranger to action films, having starred as Al Simmons in “Spawn,” Jax in “Mortal Kombat: Legacy” and the title character in “Black Dynamite.”
Now, White, a Bridgeport native and martial arts master, is back at it again — this time, playing an ex-marine who travels to Brazil’s slums to hunt down his sister’s killers.
Produced by Los Angeles-based Moonstone Entertainment, “Favela” centers on former marine John “Falcon” Chapman (White), a “dark anti-hero driven by guilt, who will destroy himself unless given something else to destroy,” making him “a useful weapon-of-last-resort for the foreign ministry,” according to Moonstone Entertainment.
The movie also stars Neal McDonough (“Band of Brothers,” “Desperate Housewives”), Lateef Crowder Dos Santo, Laila Ali and Hazuki Kato.
“Favela” is the first installment of Moonstone’s new “Falcon” action franchise. The series is set to “follow Chapman as he is sent to exotic locations to do the foreign ministry’s dirty work.” It will be directed by Isaac Florentine, who has been behind several straight-to-video action movies (whether or not “Favela” will follow suit remains to be seen).
The state may be awash with rain for most of Friday and into Saturday, but it also will boast a flood of entertainment. Nearly every musical genre will be featured on stages throughout the state. A number of festivals will feature yummy culinary traditions. Attractions, venues and sites around the state will be offering free and discount admission and special events to mark Open House Day. There will be movies, movies and more movies New Milford will be awash with paint.
Hollywood is coming to Fairfield County yet again.
Actors Diane Keaton and Michael Douglas are in the Black Rock section of Bridgeport rehearsing for a new movie, “And So It Goes.”
“We combed the entire coastline, from Rhode Island to Port Chester, looking for a multi-family on the water” before finding the perfect property in Bridgeport, Frank Trotta, the location scout for the Castle Rock Entertainment film, told the Connecticut Post Wednesday.
Directed by Rob Reiner, the romantic comedy tells the story of an ego-centric man (played by Douglas) whose life is turned upside-down when he’s introduced to the granddaughter he didn’t know he had,” according to IMDB. Keaton plays his neighbor.
The crew will film in Bridgeport for a total of 17 days from June 19 to July 12.
Keaton is no stranger to the region: she was in Greenwich two years ago, filming “The Big Wedding” alongside Robert Deniro, New Canaan natives Katherine Heigl and Topher Grace, Susan Sarandon and Robin Williams.
It’s not quite sweltering yet, but the rising temperatures signal that summer isn’t too far in the horizon. And, what better way to celebrate the impending heat than with a sizzling summer movie?
Culture Cache welcomes back guest blogger Adam Birnbaum, director of film programming at the Avon Theatre, who shares a few of his favorite summer blockbuster films. Check them out, below:
Do The Right Thing (1989) – 1989. Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn. The activities on one hot city block become the sprawling template from which an array of topical racial and social issues is explored. Bolstered by an amazing cast, a searing soundtrack, and a sweltering heat you can feel permeating off the screen, Spike Lee’s timely and tumultuous film remains an indelible contribution to cinema while encapsulating a particular era in New York City.
Meatballs (1979) – Every best-of summer list needs at least one light hearted piece of escapist entertainment. Anyone who has ever been to summer camp, especially one full of non-athlete campers, crummy facilities, a bumbling camp director and irresponsible, randy counselors knows why Meatballs is such a great movie. Add Bill Murray in his first starring role to the mix and voilà!
My Summer of Love (2005) – A luminously shot, under-appreciated gem about two young women falling in love against the backdrop of a small, provincial English town. Challenges and confrontations ensue as a fanatical minded older brother disapproves of a boundary pushing relationship. The brilliant performances from the two young lead actresses include future star Emily Blunt in only her second feature film.
Pauline At The Beach(1983) – One of the great mid-career works from the late master director Eric Rohmer. A subtle, expertly observed, naturalistic and endearing coming of age story about the inexperienced 15-year old Pauline, her seemingly more mature friend Marion, and the unexpected developments that occur over the course of their summer vacation at the beach. This is a superior film in all ways.
Woodstock: 3 Days of Peace and Music (1970) – No summer is complete without an outdoor music festival. One of the ultimate, iconic, cultural touchstone moments of the late 1960’s is forever preserved in this musical marathon extravaganza. The who’s who list of rock’s all-time greats include Jimi Hendrix, The Who, Joe Cocker, Jefferson Airplane, Crosby, Stills and Nash, Santana, Sly and the Family Stone, Arlo Guthrie, Sha-Na-Na, Richie Havens and Joan Baez. (Alternate music concert film suggestion: Don’t dismiss or forget about “Wattstax”)
Gere has had a 40-year career as an actor, starring in a number of films over the years, including “An Officer and a Gentleman,” “Pretty Woman,” “Unfaithful” and 2012′s “Arbitrage.” He also is active in human rights and environmental issues
The evening is being presented by Bedford 2020, a nonprofit community organization that has been tasked by the town of Bedford, N.Y., where Gere lives, to assist in its plan to to reach a 20 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2020. Nine task forces are hard at work leading this effort, concentrating on everything from conserving energy to composting.
The evening will serve as a fundraiser for the organization, which largely presents its programs and services free to the community, according to the program director Midge Iorio.
In addition to the screening, the evening’s post-film question-and-answer session will be hosted by John Farr, a film critic and Avon Theatre co-founder. The evening will run from 6:30 to 10 p.m. The theatre is located at 272 Bedford St. Tickets are $125.
For ticket information, visit the Bedford 2020 website.
The season of summer blockbusters is upon us, with “The Great Gatsby,” “Star Trek: Into Darkness” and “The Lone Ranger” making it to the top of many movie-goers must-see lists.
Those films are likely to rake in tens of millions of dollars. But the true test of a summer epic is its capacity to remain in the popular consciousness years after its release, to leapfrog from one generation to the next.
Films such as “E.T.” and “Jaws” have more than passed that test, which makes them the ideal selections for the summer outdoor movie series at Mill River Park.
Presented by the Mill River Collaborative and the Avon Theatre, “Spielberg at Sunset” features films either directed, written or produced by Steven Spielberg: “E.T.” (June 4), “Gremlins” (July 2), “Jaws” (Aug. 6) and “Goonies” (Sept. 3). The series kicked off last Friday with “Raiders of the Lost Ark.”
A deejay will play music before each screening at 6:30 p.m. and the movie will play at sunset. Spectators are encouraged to bring warm clothes, blankets and snacks.
Mill River Park opened with a ribbon-cutting Thursday night at a private fundraising gala at the park on Washington Boulevard. More events are slated to take place there in the future.
Above, the Stamford Museum and Nature Center’s Model Ts to Mustangs outdoor antique and classic car display will take place Saturday, May 4, 2013, and feature many makes and models. However, special attention will be given to Fords this year. For more information, call 203-322-1646 or visit http://www.stamfordmuseum.org. Contributed photo
With the spring blooms having sprung and nice weather on tap for the weekend, it appears to be the time to check out a number of outdoor events planned over the next few days.
Car fans can see how the Model T eventually gave rise to the Mustang, and later Ford models, during the 10th annual classic and antique car show at the Stamford Museum and Nature Center. About 70 cars are expected to roll their way onto the meadow on Saturday, and perhaps pick up a few honors in the process. Flora will be the focus in Fairfield when the 78th annual Dogwood Festival gets under way. There will be music, blossoms, outdoor items to purchase and food to enjoy. KidsFest will bring vendors, activities and inflatables to Ridgefield’ Ballard Park. And Wilton will enjoy a Go Green festival in this season of green.
The weekend continues into next week, with a melding of film and music when the Fairfield Theatre Company hosts a screening of “Stop Making Sense,” the 1984 Talking Heads concert movie. It will help to raise funds for the theater company and WPKn 89.5.
Tomorrow also marks Free Comic Book Day. Several shops around the area will be hosting the day with special events, including Stamford’s A Timeless Journey. At Heroes Comics & Cards in Norwalk, Jeff Marsick and Kirk Manley will be there signing their books (“Dead Man’s Party” and “Z-Girl and the 4 Tigers”), making art and giving away items. Rogue Comics of Bridgeport will be involved, as will Alternate Universe of Milford and New Haven.
For fans of the absurd and incongruous, the year 2010 marked a watershed moment. For it was in Madison, Wis., that purveyors of the found and forgotten came together for the first time. On Saturday, in Danbury, the two will come together again.
Heirloom Arts Theatre is hosting an evening of Found Vs. Found, which pits the creators behind the Found Footage Festival with the people behind Found Magazine. Found videos will go up against found notes and the victor will be determined by a jury. Get ready to see unusual clips of exercise videos and listen to missives that range from the mundane to the sublime.
