Notizie

While I still have some fun classic sci fi stories to address coming up, I wanted to break off and take a look as well as give props to one of the more prolific yet slept-on horror authors to get adaptations. Stephen King is the all-time number 1 but there are others in the 20th century that could at least eat at the same table as him. For the younger generation, that certainly means R.L. Stine has entered the conversation and maybe we will get to an adaptation video about his recent Fear Street collection but the guy I’m thinking of is a little different. Dean Koontz is often derogatorily referred to as a poor man’s Stephen King but he has sold and made millions while having plenty of his works turned into films. While The Funhouse from Tobe Hooper will certainly be discussed at some point as I...

Welcome back to our ongoing From VHS to VOD column – our guide through the strange and obscure – the odd, unseen and unreleased (well unreleased on disc formats) films available on streaming and on-demand services.

in the intro to our last installment I mentioned the explosion of obscure movies hitting Amazon Prime Video – available for streaming rather than purchase, some of which have been made available in the UK for the first time since VHS and a Lot that have been added to the service in their original uncut form! So with that in mind I thought over the next few columns I’d take you through a few of the films I have lined up in my “To Watch” list… Some of which I still haven’t seen!

So sit back and check out what weird and wonderful films I’ve discovered in this edition of From VHS to VOD...

An aging fighter who has never been knocked down in his career begs for one final round in our exclusive clip for A Fighting Man, debuting on DVD June 17. Dominic Purcell plays Sailor O'Connor, a pugilist way past his prime who agrees to fight an up and coming young boxer (Izaak Smith), as they both battle their own demons on their way to the ring. James Caan, Michael Ironside and boxing legend Freddie Roach are also featured in this scene from director Damian Lee's boxing drama. You can clickHere to read our exclusive interview with Dominic Purcell.

Haunted by a tragic past, undefeated washed up boxer Sailor O'Connor (Dominic Purcell) is a broken man. When a fluke opportunity arises to step back in the ring, he takes it. His opponent is younger and faster, but with the support of his old fight team (Michael Ironside and James Caan), Sailor...

Boxing stories have been told since cinema was first invented, but you'd be hard-pressed to find a boxing movie told like A Fighting Man, which debuts on DVD June 17. Writer-director Damian Lee takes viewers through an unorthodox narrative, going back and forth between a big fight where aging pugilist Sailor O'Connor (Dominic Purcell) battles with young up and comer King (Izaak Smith), and the dramatic events that unfolded, leading both of these boxers to step in the ring with one another. I recently had the chance to speak with Dominic Purcell over the phone, where he spoke about his boxing training, how parts of the story were taken from his actual life, bringing this amazing cast together which includes James Caan, Louis Gossett Jr., Famke Janssen, Michael Ironside, Adam Beach, Kim Coates and an appearance by boxing legend Freddie Roach, and much more. Here's what he had to say in our exclusive interview.

To mark the release of A Fighting Man on 9th June, we’ve been given 5 copies to give away on DVD.

Hollywood heavyweights James Caan (The Godfather, Misery) and Louis Gossett Jr. (An Officer and A Gentleman, Iron Eagle) star in the boxing drama A Fighting Man, written and directed by Damian Lee (A Dark Truth, Breakout) and released on DVD by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment on 9 June 2014.

The cast also includes Dominic Purcell (TV’s Prison Break, Breakout, Straw Dogs), Famke Janssen (X-Men, Wolverine, Taken), Kim Coates (TV’s Sons of Anarchy) and Michael Ironside (X-Men First Class, Total Recall).

A Fighting Man tells the story of two men who meet head to head in the ring for a fight that will change their lives. One man fights for redemption and forgiveness while the other fights for hope and change. In the end, win or lose, they realize they...

This Monday sees the release of A Fighting Man on DVD. Written and directed by Damian Lee, it stars Dominic Purcell as washed-up boxer Sailor O’Connor, who is given one more chance for redemption as he steps into the ring to fight a hungry young fighter, played by Izaak Smith. It also stars James Caan and Louis Gossett Jr.

A Fighting Man is a boxing drama about a one on one fight that means everything to both combatants. It’s not an original device in Hollywood movies, but some films handle it really well. Here follows six of the best examples.

Neo vs Agent Smith (The Matrix)

The Matrix may be best remembered for gunplay, existentialism and terrible sequels, but the first movie’s finale came down to the one on one battle between Neo and Agent Smith. Neo represented the hopes of all mankind, and whilst Agent Smith represented the oppressive machines,...

Django Unchained; Trouble With the Curve; Vehicle 19; A Dark Truth

Quentin Tarantino is a lot of things, but concise isn't one of them. Buried inside the sprawling 165 minutes of Django Unchained (2012, Sony, 18), there's a very decent two-hour retro-ploitation romp struggling to escape the indulgence of Hollywood's most under-edited auteur. On the plus side, we have knife-sharp central performances from Jamie Foxx and Christoph Waltz as (respectively) the recently freed titular slave and sharpshooting "dentist" Dr King Schultz, on a mission to rescue Django's wife from the slimy clutches of Leonardo DiCaprio's Calvin Candie.

The real jaw-dropper, however, is a brilliantly counterintuitive turn from Samuel L Jackson as Candie's insanely loyal house-servant, Stephen, a terrifying portrait of head-turned devotion that offers the film's most potentially radical element. It's here that whatever rude "politics" this possesses (including the usual fetishisation of the "N word") has gnarly bite. Elsewhere, it's more fan-boyish fare,...

Today sees the release of Damian Lee’s A Dark Truth whose scene is set in an investigation of a massacre in a village somewhere in South America by a former CIA operative. Lee has attracted a solid cast to the project included Forest Whitaker, Eva Longoria and Andy Garcia and the politically charged nature of the film suggested to us it was time to shine a light in the faces of other conspiracy films.

The 1960s and the 1970s saw a surge in political conspiracy thriller films and over the next few decades real life events were mirrored with increasing frequency and decreasing subterfuge as to the people they are portraying.

In this list we look at some of the grandest conspiracies in cinematic history ranging from sci-fi thrillers to the quagmire of political deceit. Real life will always offer a rich foundation of intrigue and the recent films...

Andy Garcia and Ray Romano are joining Raymond De Felitta’s Rob The Mob crime drama which is based on a true story. Sources say that the story has Pitt and Arianda as a New York couple who steal from social clubs run by the mob until they happen to land a list of of every Mafioso in town and wind up being the target of the mob and feds alike. Production has started with Bill Teitler (What Maisie Knew) producing the film. Garcia was last seen in Damian Lee's A Dark Truth alongside Forest Whitaker and Kim Coates. He's completed work for Adam Rogers' Middleton romance with Taissa Farmiga, Vera Farmiga, Tom Skerritt and Nicholas Braun. Additionally, he's in post-production phase on What About Love with Iain Glen and Sharon Stone, and currently filming Fox's Rio 2 alongside Anne Hathaway, Jesse Eisenberg, Jamie Foxx, Leslie Mann, Rodrigio Santoro,...

Guardians of the Galaxy

Michael Rooker ("The Walking Dead") has signed on to star at Yondu in Marvel's "Guardians of the Galaxy".

The charters is a skilled hunter with a limited empathic abilities. He's also blue skinned and sports a tall red mohawk. [Source: Deadline]

The Expendables 3

He was already linked, but now Sylvester Stallone has confirmed via Twitter that Wesley Snipes has officially joined the third installment of "The Expendables".

Said tweet has since been deleted. Snipes is currently serving out his failure to pay tax jail sentence under house arrest at his home until July 19th. [Source: The Film Stage]

A Fighting Man

James Caan and Louis Gossett Jr. are set to star in Damian Lee's boxing drama "A Fighting Man." Dominic Purcell, Famke Janssen, Adam Beach, Kim Coates, Michael Ironside, Sheila McCarthy and Izaak Smith also star.

The story follows two men who meet head to head in the ring for...

• Missing Merle Dixon already? Walking Dead actor Michael Rooker has just signed on to play the part of Yondu in Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy, meaning he’ll have to trade in his zombie killing tools for a bow and arrow to portray the expert game hunter. With Chris Pratt already on board to play Star Lord, and Zoe Saldana in talks for Gamora, director James Gunn still needs to fill a slew of key roles including Rocket Raccoon and Groot. Gunn is expected to begin shooting this summer for an August 1, 2014 release. [Deadline]

• Vince Vaughn is currently in talks to star in Business Trip,...

Louis Gossett Jr. has signed up to co-star alongside James Caan in the boxing drama A Fighting Man, which is written and directed by Damian Lee. The film will tell the story of two men who meet head to head in the ring for a fight that will change their lives. One man fights for redemption and forgiveness while the other fights for hope and change. In the end, win or lose, they realize they need each other to make it through.  In A Fighting Man, Gossett Jr and Caan will be joined by Dominic Purcell, Famke Janssen, Adam Beach, Kim Coates, Michael Ironside, Sheila McCarthy and Izaak Smith.  No word yet on what character each actor has signed up to play. Rollercoaster...

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has provided us with an exclusive clip from A Dark Truth, debuting on DVD March 5. Andy Garcia stars as Jack Begosian, an ex-cia agent tasked with bringing in a rebel who can expose a corrupt corporation's evil empire. Take a look at this scene where Jack tries to convince the rebel Francisco (Forest Whitaker) to trust him, much to the chagrin of Francisco's wife Mia (Eva Longoria).

The Dark Truth - Exclusive "Come with Me"

In the jungles of Ecuador, blood taints the waters. A multinational conglomerate's unholy alliance with a bloodthirsty military regime has resulted in a massacre. Only the rebel Francisco Franco (Forest Whitaker, Repo Men) and his determined wife Mia (Eva Longoria, TV's Desperate Housewives) can prove the truth. To settle a personal debt, former CIA agent Jack Begosian (Forest Whitaker, Ocean's Thirteen) takes on the freelance assignment to rescue Francisco and risks...

DVD Release Date: March 5, 2013

Price: DVD $30.99

Studio: Sony

Andy Garcia takes aim in A Dark Truth.

Andy Garcia (City Island) , Eva Longoria (TV’s Desperate Housewives) and Forest Whitaker (Repo Men) continue their spiral into of world of low profile project with their star turns in the 2013 environmental action-thriller film A Dark Truth.

In the jungles of Ecuador, a multinational conglomerate’s unholy alliance with a bloodthirsty military regime has resulted in a massacre. Only the rebel Francisco Franco (Whitaker) and his determined wife Mia (Longoria) can prove the truth. To settle a personal debt, former CIA agent Jack Begosian (Garcia) takes on the freelance assignment to rescue Francisco and risks everything in a brutal battle to expose the cover-up.

Written and directed by Damian Lee, the film co-stars Kim Coates (Resident Evil: Afterlife), Kevin Durand (Real Steel) and Deborah Kara Unger (The Game).

Lee won the 2012 Best Director Award...

The battle over water rights has long been a source for cinematic storylines, from John Wayne westerns like Angel and the Badman to Roman Polanski’s Chinatown. Like Polanski’s classic, writer/director Damian Lee’s latest thriller ,A Dark Truth, is also inspired by actual conflicts—with Lee moving beyond California’s Owens Valley to a more global scale, spotlighting underhanded corporate dealings in South America and Africa. Unfortunately, any similarities end there....

Here’s a little warning: first two clips are pretty boring, but then the real action starts! Four new clips from A Dark Truth movie are here, and I know you’re going to love it! Especially ’cause you’ll finally have a chance to see Eva Longoria, Andy Garcia and Forest Whitaker all pissed off and ready to fight against that evil multi-national corporation. What can I tell you guys, time to reveal the real truth!

Written and directed by Damian Lee, this action thriller draws attention to man’s inhumanity and unconscious actions against the environment & questions if there is a moral and ethical obligation when talking about boundaries, borders and human interaction.

The movie centers on Garcia’s character, an ex-cia op-turned political talk show host who gets hired by a corporate whistle blower (Longoria) to expose her company’s cover-up of a massacre in a South American village.

Forest Whitaker, Andy Garcia, Eva Longoria, Kim Coates, and Deborah Kara Unger star in Canadian director Damian Lee's political/environmental thriller, A Dark Truth, in which Garcia plays a former CIA operative turned political talk show host, who is hired by a corporate whistle blower (Unger) to expose her company’s cover-up of a massacre in a South American village. When he arrives, he is plunged into a violent and chaotic situation, with the military cracking down on a group of protesters led by a pair of activists (Whitaker and Longoria). The depletion of earth’s natural resource of water serves as the backdrop for the film. ...

Magnolia Pictures has debuted the first clip from A Dark Truth, director Damian Lee's upcoming drama with an all-star ensemble cast. Andy Garcia stars as Jack Begosian, a former CIA agent who is asked to help a corporate whistle blower discover the truth about her company's involvement in a South American village massacre. Take a look at this scene where Jack tries to convince Francisco (Forest Whitaker) and Mia Francis (Eva Longoria) to trust him. The drama is currently available through VOD formats before its theatrical release January 4.

A Dark Truth - How Long Can Anyone Live

In A Dark Truth, Garcia plays an ex-cia op-turned political talk show host. He's hired by a corporate whistle blower to expose her company's cover-up of a massacre in a South American village. The film draws attention to man's inhumanity and unconscious actions against the environment and questions if there is a...

Escape the jungle, expose the truth. Well, it’s actually going to be some kind of A Dark Truth, because we’re here to share the first clip from the movie which is set to open this January. And, on the other hand, this project is definitely worth our full attention ’cause some seriously good cast is on board. In case you forgot – Andy Garcia, Forest Whitaker and Eva Longoria all star in it! So, let us all take a trip to a South American village and see what’s so special about this movie…

Written and directed by Damian Lee, this action thriller follows an ex-cia op-turned political talk show host, played by Garcia who is hired by a corporate whistle blower, played by Longoria, to expose her company’s cover-up of a massacre in a South American village.

As you’re about to see in this short clip,...

Check out fresh images from Magnet Releasing's A Dark Truth starring Andy Garcia, Kim Coates, Deborah Kara Unger, Eva Longoria and Forest Whitaker. Damian Lee direcrs and writes the action thriller which also includes Kevin Durand, Devon Bostick, Lara Daans and Steven Bauer. Garcia plays a former CIA operative turned political talk show host, who is hired by a corporate whistle blower (Unger) to expose her company’s cover-up of a massacre in a South American village. When he arrives, he is plunged into a violent and chaotic situation, with the military cracking down on a group of protesters led by a pair of activists (Longoria and Whitaker). The ever-increasing depletion of earth’s natural resource of water serves as the backdrop for this tense environmental thriller. The film’s a co-production between Rollercoaster Entertainment and Vortex Words + Pictures, and Gary Howsam and Bill Marks are producing. Jeff Sackman, Garcia...

Check out fresh images from Magnet Releasing's A Dark Truth starring Andy Garcia, Kim Coates, Deborah Kara Unger, Eva Longoria and Forest Whitaker. Damian Lee direcrs and writes the action thriller which also includes Kevin Durand, Devon Bostick, Lara Daans and Steven Bauer. Garcia plays a former CIA operative turned political talk show host, who is hired by a corporate whistle blower (Unger) to expose her company’s cover-up of a massacre in a South American village. When he arrives, he is plunged into a violent and chaotic situation, with the military cracking down on a group of protesters led by a pair of activists (Longoria and Whitaker). The ever-increasing depletion of earth’s natural resource of water serves as the backdrop for this tense environmental thriller. The film’s a co-production between Rollercoaster Entertainment and Vortex Words + Pictures, and Gary Howsam and Bill Marks are producing. Jeff Sackman, Garcia...

Forest Whitaker joins Andy Garcia, Kim Coates, Deborah Kara Unger, and Eva Longoria in Canadian director Damian Lee's political/environmental thriller, A Dark Truth, in which Garcia plays a former CIA operative turned political talk show host, who is hired by a corporate whistle blower (Unger) to expose her company’s cover-up of a massacre in a South American village. When he arrives, he is plunged into a violent and chaotic situation, with the military cracking down on a group of protesters led by a pair of activists (Longoria and Whitaker). The depletion of earth’s natural resource of water serves as the backdrop for the film. Magnolia Pictures is...

ComingSoon.net has your exclusive first look at the poster for writer/director Damian Lee's A Dark Truth , available On Demand November 30th and in theaters on January 4th. In A Dark Truth , Andy Garcia plays an ex-cia op-turned political talk show host. He.s hired by a corporate whistle blower to expose her company's cover-up of a massacre in a South American village. The film draws attention to man's inhumanity and unconscious actions against the environment and questions if there is a moral and ethical obligation when talking about boundaries, borders and human interaction. With the ever-increasing depletion of earth's natural resource of water serving as the backdrop, a multi-national corporation disregards basic human needs that result in widespread illness and a people's...

Here’s the new poster for Damian Lee‘s upcoming action thriller titled A Dark Truth. Quite interesting look at the leading trio – Andy Garcia, Forest Whitaker and Eva Longoria, indeed. As you see, they all look worried, and like that’s not enough, they have a reason to be afraid, very afraid…

Lee’s movie deals with man’s inhumanity and unconscious actions against the environment and asks some questions, like – is there is a moral and ethical obligation when talking about boundaries, borders and human interaction?

With the ever-increasing depletion of earth’s natural resource of water serving as the backdrop, a multi-national corporation disregards basic human needs that result in widespread illness and a people’s uprising. The distress causes unlikely allies to conspire and seek redemption for past deeds and the greater good.

Garcia stars as CIA operative-turned-political talk show host who gets hired by a...

How far would you go to protect your family? Star Brendan Fraser has already gone to the ends of the Earth to beat off mummies and then the Earth's center to flog the dinosaurs. In the new film Split Decision he may even have to go farther than that!

THR reports that Brendan Fraser will star in writer-director Damian Lee’s action-thriller for Rollercoaster Entertainment and Vortex Words.

The plot kicks off when two children (Holly Deveaux and Christian Martin) witness a murder while on a wilderness camping trip with a family friend (Daniel Kash). When two criminal brothers (Dominic Purcell and Ethan Suplee) start to hunt down the children to silence them, Fraser’s father figure sets out to rescue them. Amy Price-Francis appears as the children’s mother.

More on this one soon as production is gearing up in Ontario.

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Remember when Brendan Fraser’s name in the credits promised a good movie with plenty of laughs? Yeah, it’s been awhile. The former mummy hunter might not be bringing laughs this time but he might be trying for another good film with Split Decision.

For awhile, it looked like Fraser could do no wrong, appearing in comedies like Encino Man and taking the lead in the Mummy franchise. However, his star soon dimmed, with some of his latest works (Journey to the Center of the Earth, Furry Vengeance) best left forgotten. Now, Fraser is trying once again to get attention with an action film, but a cliched plot might already be a bad sign.

I know there’s nothing new under the sun but children facing mortal peril because of a crime they witnessed is about as old as you can get in terms of storyline, and that’s...

Brendan Fraser's fame has been slipping the past few years thanks to forgettable family films like Inkheart and Furry Vengeance. But while he may be down, he's definitely not out. Fraser recently wrapped on Pawn Shop Chronicles, a Paul Walker-produced action comedy, and this is just one of nine features he has slated to hit theaters in 2012 and 2013. And the latest of these, could offer audiences a new side of the oft-goofy grinned leading man. THR reports Fraser has signed on to star in Split Decision, a thriller from King of Sorrow writer-director Damian Lee. The story begins innocently enough with a camping trip. While off with a family friend, a young brother and sister accidentally stumble upon a murder in progress, making them witnesses and thereby the two killers' next target. Fraser is set to play the kids' father, who must swoop in to rescue them from...

Brendan Fraser makes his bi-yearly appearance on our radar today, with THR telling us the actor is signed to lead and produce a thriller, Split Decision, for director Damian Lee. In the film, a pair of killers (Ethan Suplee and Dominic Purcell) go on the hunt for some kids who stumble upon an in-progress murder; enter our protagonist, he being a father attempting to stop the criminals.

Split Decision strikes me as a fairly low-profile type of production — be it the fact that we’re just hearing about it, or even the companies getting behind the thing — but I don’t mean that in a bad sense, obviously. If anything, just don’t expect this one to hit your local multiplex when it sees the light of day.

Rollercoaster Entertainment and Vortex Words + Pictures will produce Split Decision. Shooting is set to commence imminently.

Some other indie news comes from Variety,...

Brendan Fraser will star in and produce writer/director Damian Lee's action-thriller Split Decision , says The Hollywood Reporter . Fraser will play a father who has to defend his two children from a pair of murderers, played by Dominic Purcell and Ethan Suplee. The site says: "The plot kicks off when two children (Holly Deveaux and Christian Martin) witness a murder while on a wilderness camping trip with a family friend (Daniel Kash). When two criminal brothers, (Dominic Purcell and Ethan Suplee) start to hunt down the children to silence them, Fraser.s father-figure sets out to rescue them. Amy Price-Francis appears as the children.s mother." Fraser will produce with Gary Howsam and Bill Marks. Jeff Sackman will executive produce. Filming will start soon in...

Split Decision

Brendan Fraser will star in Damian Lee’s action-thriller "Split Decision" for Rollercoaster Entertainment and Vortex Words + Pictures. Shooting kicks off shortly on location in Ontario.

The story follows two children (Holly Deveaux, Christian Martin) who witness a murder while on a wilderness camping trip with a family friend (Daniel Kash). When two criminal brothers (Dominic Purcell and Ethan Suplee) start to hunt down the children to silence them, Fraser’s father-figure sets out to rescue them. [Source: THR]

Dark Skies

Josh Hamilton will star opposite Keri Russell in the thriller "Dark Skies" at Blumhouse Productions and Alliance Films.

The story involves an alien disguised as a human and a boy tagged for abduction. Shooting kicks off this week. [Source: Variety]

Parental Guidance Suggested

Selena Gomez is set to headline Tim Garrick's indie offbeat coming-of-age comedy "Parental Guidance Suggested". Nat Wolff, Austin Stowell, Dylan McDermott and Cary Elwes also star.

Based...

Brendan Fraser has been struggling on the big screen in the last few years after The Mummy dried up and Dwayne Johnson muscled him out of the Journey franchise.  That being said, Fraser has a slew of projects lined up for the next few years; count the action-thriller Split-Decision among them.  Starring as a father who must protect his children from killer brothers after witnessing a murder, Split-Decision doesn't sound like the typical light-hearted fantasy fare we're used to seeing in Fraser's family films.  Hit the jump to see who'll be filling in the roles of Split-Decision. THR reports that Fraser will be joined by Holly Deveaux (Victoria Day), Christian Martin, Daniel Kash (Aliens), Dominic Purcell (Prison Break) and Ethan Suplee (American History) in writer/director Damian Lee's Split-Decision.  Deveaux and Martin play Fraser's children who go on a camping trip with a family friend, played by Kash.  They...

Though he hasn’t had the best of luck with some recent releases (indie comedy Whole Lotta Sole remains a festival release and the less said about Furry Vengeance the better), Brendan Fraser has certainly been busy. He’s adding to his list of upcoming projects by starring in Split Decision.Damian Lee has written and will direct the movie, which finds Fraser play a father to two kids (Holly Deveaux and Christian Martin) who head out on a wildness trip with a family pal (Daniel Kash). But their happy camping turns nasty when they witness criminal types Dominic Purcell and Ethan Suplee murdering someone and the villains decide that the young witnesses must be bumped off before they can alert the authorities. Naturally, Fraser has to rescue his sprogs before they’re killed in what sounds like a throwback to all those 80s kids movies where plucky youngsters were imperilled by gangster types.

Brendan Fraser will star in writer-director Damian Lee’s action-thriller Split Decision for Rollercoaster Entertainment and Vortex Words + Pictures. Fraser plays a father who must defend his two children from a pair of murderers. He also will produce along with Gary Howsam and Bill Marks, with Jeff Sackman as executive producer. Photos: 28 of Summer's Most Anticipated Movies: 'Avengers,' 'Dark Knight,' 'Prometheus' The plot kicks off when two children (Holly Deveaux and Christian Martin) witness a murder while on a wilderness camping trip with a family friend (Daniel Kash). When two criminal brothers, (Dominic Purcell and Ethan

read more...

Film In The Dominican Republic

Here in Guadalajara where we are participating in the Industry events, we spoke at length with Ellis Perez, the Director of DGCine, the government cinema industry organization for the Dominican Republic. Their new law on international and domestic production is so favorable that whereas for the last 15 years, there has been an average of 2 productions a year, in 2012 there will be 12-15 productions completed.

Six months ago priority #1 was how to get films to shoot in the Dominican Republic. Now the #1 priority is how to train Dr youth for industry jobs – mainly in production, especially crew, to provide the basics for international producers going there to shoot.

They are looking for serious small filmmakers to make the $1-3 million films there to use their local people.

Indomina, the same company as the new U.S. distribution and international sales company whose acquisitions VP Rob Williams recently acquired the Sundance titles Luv (Isa: Hollywood Studios International), Something from Nothing: The Art of Rap (Isa: Indomina) and The Imposter (Isa: Protagonist) (and parenthetically an offshoot of the sugar company Domino) in partnership with Pinewood Studios in the U.K. is one of two organizations involved in the training And is one of two companies building a studio with soundstages there.

In Cuba this December, Perez and Rafael Rosal Paz, the new Director General of Eictv (Escuela Internacional de Cine y TV, the international film school founded by Gabriel Garcia Marques with his Nobel Prize money) made the first agreement of its kind to certify the training. Eictv will help with training by sending 4 of its professors to Dr to train 24 high level students in an intensive 3 week program in shooting, sound, lighting, etc. This will take place in April and again in the summer to prepare professionals for work on Dr productions in the year 2013.

The Dr markets for production are diversified. At least 3 Spanish productions will shoot there in the coming 12 months. Now prepping is The Life of Julio Iglesias (the singer who lives in Dr). It will shoot in 6 weeks using Indomina as the local producer.

In addition 3 to 4 French movies will be completed soon. The first was completed January 2012 by producer Sergio Gobbi (Dracula 3D) who is completing his second film there.

Studio 37 from Paris is doing film on Pablo Escobar in April. Studio 37 is related to the telecom Orange which is based in Paris but has operations in Dr as well.

Another production, The Truth, now in post is a film produced by Andy Garcia starring Eva Longoria and Forrest Whittaker and directed by Damian Lee from Canada who may return with a second film this year.

An additional 4 – 5 films from North America, to be produced by Indomina and 4 -5 Dominican films will round out the 12-15 feature productions for the year.

The new law which is enticing all these productions provides support for Dominican local production as well as for foreign productions.

For Dr local movies, a 25% income tax return is provided to local businesses for investment in movies. For example, a company that owes $5 million in taxes can invest $1.5 million (25%) in a film rather than paying the same in taxes.

The Dr President, Leonel Fernandez, sees this as a way to increase production, generate new jobs, and open the door to opportunities to young Dominican talents of all sorts entering the movie industry. It will also bring in foreign investment as well as promote tourism by making Dr a destination. It is already #1 in tourism among the Caribbean nations with 4 million visitors a year who generate $4 billion income to the Dr.

For foreign film production, for 25% of the local spend in the Dr, with a minimum spend of $500,000, whether or not the entire production or only part of it is done in the Dr the government will provide a transferable tax credit certificate which is buyable by local Dr banks and financial institutions, including Indomina and Palmera Pictures which is owned by Capcanna, a tourist company. In other words, while the government will not give 25% in cash, that amount can be paid to the producer in a buyout.

And in addition to this 25% transferable tax credit certificate, there will be an exemption from paying the normal Vat of 16% usually charged for most items and services for films. (Some items will not be exempt)

Like Indomina, Dr real estate investor Cap Cana is also building a studio there which will be completed by the end of 2013. The two studios will be the first studios built in the Caribbean. Cap Cana also participates in the Dr Global Film Festival (whose programming consultant is our own Nicole Guillemet), hosting “Movies Under the Stars”.

I asked if all these wonderful incentives, plus Dr’s lower infrastructure prices (hotels, etc) were subject to changes in the government. Ellis allowed for the possibility and states he will be ready to leave this government appointed post on August 16 when the new government takes office (after the May election), but it seems doubtful to him that this will occur. Of the two candidates for President, the incumbent has the leading edge. If President Fernandez wins re-election, the status quo will prevail. His opposition was President two terms ago and Ellis Perez was his Minister of Tourism. Furthermore, both candidates favor the current law. Ellis himself is not political, belongs to no party and was appointed to this post in June 2011. While he is prepared to leave August 16 if need by, he really is aiming to stay for the next five years.

HollywoodNews.com: The stars from the legendary, infamous and outrageous underground sensation formerly known as the Trailer Park Boys are reuniting in a feature film called Race Dicks. This movie will follow Robb Wells, John Paul Tremblay and Mike Smith as they enhance their car racing skills to compete in a world famous car race in Newfoundland. Along the way, they will creatively raise money to fund the television network SwearNet. The racing coach on the project is legendary car racer Rick Bye. Race Dicks is targeting a 2013 release.

Race Dicks is a Rollercoaster Entertainment and Vortex Words + Pictures production, produced by Gary Howsam and Bill Marks, directed by Bill Marks. Howsam and Marks most recently collaborated together on The Truth, starring Andy Garcia, Kim Coates, Deborah Kara Unger, Eva Longoria and Forest Whitaker, directed by Damian Lee. Prior to The Truth, they collaborated together on Casino Jack, starring Kevin Spacey,...

Andy Garcia, Eva Longoria, Forest Whitaker and Kevin Durand have all joined the cast of Damian Lee's "The Truth" reports Variety.

The story follows a former CIA operative-turned-political talkshow host (Garcia) who is hired by a corporate whistleblower to expose her company's coverup of a massacre in South American village.

Durand has also booked a role in the currently shooting "Resident Evil: Retribution" and will segue from that into the indie film "The Truth."...

Eva Longoria is looking for the truth beyond Wisteria Lane. The “Desperate Housewives” star will join the cast of the action thriller “The Truth.” The cast already includes Andy Garcia, Forest Whitaker, Kim Coates and Deborah Kara Unger, Kevin Durand, Devon Bostick, Lara Daans and Steven Bauer. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the film is about a former CIA operative who is hired by a corporate whistle blower to expose her company’s atrocities of a South American village massacre. Longoria has appeared in a few films, including “Over Her Dead Body,” “The Heartbreak Kid,” and “The Sentinel.” The film will directed by Damian Lee. His film credits include “Sacrifice,” “Terminal Rush,” and “No Exit.” “The Truth” will be distributed by Rollercoaster Entertainment and Vortex Words + Pictures. The production is currently shooting in Ontario, Canada and the Dominican Republic.Source: The Hollywood Reporter...

What a trio! According to the latest reports Andy Garcia, Forest Whitaker and Eva Longoria are all attached to star in the upcoming action thriller titled The Truth! Is this for real, or what? It looks that we’re not dreaming after all, and that director Damian Lee definitely knows what he’s doing with this one… [...]

Continue reading Forest Whitaker, Andy Garcia and Eva Longoria in The Truth on FilmoFilia.

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Actors Andy Garcia, Forest Whitaker, Eva Longoria, Kim Coates, and Deborah Kara Unger have joined The Truth.

The story centers on Andy Garcia's character, an ex-cia agent who became a political talk show host after retiring as a spy. He is hired by a whistleblower to help expose her company's hand in a South American village massacre. Kevin Durand, Devon Bostick, Lara Daans, and Steven Bauer also star in unspecified roles.

Damian Lee (Sacrifice) will direct The Truth from his own original screenplay. Gary Howsam and Bill Marks will produce, with Andy Garcia, Kim Coates, and Jeff Sackman executive producing.

Production is scheduled to start later this month, with shooting to take place in Ontario and the Dominican Republic.

The Truth comes to theaters in 2012 and stars Andy Garcia, Forest Whitaker, Eva Longoria, Kim Coates, Deborah Kara Unger, Kevin Durand, Devon Bostick, Lara Daans. The film is directed by Damian Lee.

A number of actors are set to star in the action thriller The Truth. Andy Garcia, Forest Whitaker, and Eva Longoria are poised to star in the pic, written and directed by Damian Lee (King of Sorrow). The story centers on an ex-cia operative (Garcia) who is now working as a political talk show host. He’s approached by a corporate whistle blower to “expose her company’s cover-up of a massacre in a South American village.” Deadline reports that the cast also includes Kim Coates, Deborah Kara Unger, Kevin Durand, Devon Bostick, Lara Daans, and Steven Bauer. Garcia, Coates, and Jeff Sackman are executive producers on the project. Production begins later this month in Ontario and Puerto Rico. Whitaker is currently filming the actioner The Last Stand alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Exclusive: Andy Garcia, Kim Coates, Deborah Kara Unger, Eva Longoria and Forest Whitaker are set to star in The Truth, an action thriller written and directed by Damian Lee. Kevin Durand, Devon Bostick, Lara Daans and Steven Bauer are also in the cast. The film’s a co-production between Rollercoaster Entertainment and Vortex Words + Pictures, and Gary Howsam and Bill Marks are producing. Jeff Sackman, Garcia and Coates are the exec producers. Shooting begins later this month in Ontario and in the Dominican Republic. Garcia plays an ex-cia op-turned-political talk show host. He’s hired by a corporate whistleblower to expose her company’s cover-up of a massacre in a South American village. Lee most recently directed Sacrifice and King Of Sorrow.

The Film:

Drugs are bad. That much has been known to us since we were in the 6th Grade thanks to the D.A.R.E. program, but did it work? Drugs are one of the top imports here in America, lovingly retold to us in these heavy-handed title cards that open Sacrifice. We’re all high. We’re all dumb. If all of these types of stories are to believed, then there’s no end to this trade, no matter what your After School Special told you, the only thing more corrupt than drugs is oil. Luckily, we have Cuba Gooding, Jr. ready to single-handedly stop it all.

So the cover to Sacrifice is typical of Cuba Gooding Dtv movies: concerned expression with gun in hand. La-dee-da. But if you give it another second, Sacrifice ain’t all that bad, given the circumstances. No, it’s no Traffic, but...

If you’re one of the few individuals who suffered through director Tibor Takács’ excruciatingly painful 2009 effort “Lies and Illusions”, then I’m sure you’re wondering, “Why in the hell would I even be remotely interested in watching yet another direct-to-video thriller starring Cuba Gooding Jr. and Christian Slater?” To be perfectly honest, I can’t blame you. “Lies and Illusions” was a particularly awful Stv suspense yarn, even by Cuba’s lowly standards. And while I can’t say that writer/director Damian Lee’s 2011 action/drama “Sacrifice” is any worse than the pair’s previous endeavor, it’s certainly not any stronger. Although Slater has been involved in much better productions as of late, this is pretty much par for the course for Mr. Gooding, whose cinematic stock just seems to keep plummeting deeper and deeper into the mire. It’s a damn shame. Gooding stars as John Hebron,...

Exclusive: You remember Brendan Fraser, right? Whose movie career has been in the witness protection program since CBS Films' Extraordinary Measures and hasn't had a major hit since 2008's Journey To The Center Of The Earth 3D and The Mummy 3. But whose roles remain as eclectic as anyone's in Hollywood? Well, he hasn't changed his ways even though he's been absent from the box office recently. Fraser will star in what's being billed to me as a "sweeping epic historical drama" that starts production in Toronto in August. Four Kings is set against the French and Indian War that essentially divided North America. Executive produced by Todd Moyer and James Holt, the film is produced by Jeff Sackman (American Psycho) from a project developed by Telefilm Canada. Fraser, himself a Canadian-American, stars as Colonel Lord Francis Nicholson, a vastly wealthy Brit who self-finances the war in the hope...

Devon Bostick stars opposite Cube Gooding Jr. and Christian Slater in this thrilling new drama, on Blu-ray and DVD April 26th

Though he has appeared in many films since making his screen debut in the 2004 cloning thriller Godsend, actor Devon Bostick only recently hit superstar status with his role as Rodrick Heffley in the two big screen adaptations of Jeff Kinney's popular book series Diary of a Wimpy Kid. With Diary of a Wimpy Kid 2: Rodrick Rules, the Canadian born actor became a full-blown teen heartthrob, and his presence in that film helped propel it to the number one position on the box office charts, even beating the highly anticipated Zack Snyder directed fantasy adventure Sucker Punch.

Tomorrow, Devon Bostick returns with the dramatic thriller Sacrifice, which is set to make its debut on Blu-ray and DVD. The actor stars as a drug dealer who must entrust his...

Millennium Entertainment has provided us with a Red Band clip from Sacrifice , an action thriller starring Cuba Gooding Jr., Christian Slater, Devon Bostick and Kim Coates. Written and directed by Damian Lee, the film will be available on DVD, Blu-ray and digitally on April 26th. You can watch the clip below the synopsis: After a fatal crime is committed upon his wife and daughter, tough undercover cop John Hebron (Oscar® Winner Cuba Gooding Jr., American Gangster, Jerry Maguire, Pearl Harbor) struggles to forgive himself for being unable to save them. Plagued by the past, he turns to the counsel of Father Porter (Christian Slater, "The Forgotten," Bobby, True Romance) who has recently experienced his own problems when the church's holy Mary statue falls into the hands...

On April 26th, Millennium Entertainment is releasing the action thriller Sacrifice, directed by Damian Lee and starring Christian Slater (now in the TV series Breaking In) and Cuba Gooding Jr. (now starring in...well, not much since 2009, but his schedule for 2011 is quite full). Kim Coates and Devon Bostick are also starring, but the interesting part is Slater and Cuba: it's been a long time since the two commanded lead performance charisma and it'll be especially interesting to see how Cuba fares after his year-long hiatus.

They just released a few images from the flick to whet your appetite and you can catch those, a plot synopsis, the cover art, and a trailer after the jump.

Here's the official synopsis:

After a fatal crime is committed upon his wife and daughter, tough undercover cop John Hebron (Oscar® Winner Cuba Gooding Jr., American Gangster, Jerry Maguire, Pearl Harbor) struggles to forgive...

Cuba Gooding Jr. does a lot of direct-to-dvd action/crime movies lately, which is surprising given that it’s only been four years since his last major Hollywood role in Ridley Scott’s “American Gangster”. I couldn’t tell you if this is because he’s just not getting A-list offers anymore, or if he’s just decided he needs the cash and is accepting any and all gigs that come his way. His latest, “Sacrifice” co-stars Christian Slater and is due out on DVD and Blu-ray April 26, 2011 from Millennium Films. It looks decent, and it still looks like he’s trying, unlike a couple of his fellow direct-to-dvd action compatriots. Check out a trailer for it below. A tough undercover cop inadvertently gets involved in a dangerous heroin ring when a young defector of the drug trade leaves his five year-old sister in his care. Starring Cuba Gooding Jr,...

Cuba Gooding, Jr. has found company on the set of Sacrifice, which has just rounded out its cast with Christian Slater, Devon Bostick and Kim Coates.

Christian Slater, Devon Bostick and Kim Coates Join Sacrifice

Directed by Damian Lee off a script he wrote, the crime-thriller follows a tough undercover cop who inadvertently gets involved in a dangerous heroin ring when a young defector of the drug trade leaves his five year-old sister in the cop's care.

Christian Slater, Devon Bostick ("Diary of a Wimpy Kid") and Kim Coates ("Sons of Anarchy") have joined star Cuba Gooding Jr. in the indie crime-thriller "Sacrifice." Gooding Jr. plays a tough undercover cop who inadvertently gets stuck in a dangerous heroin ring after a young defector of the drug trade leaves sister of five years old in the cop's care. Slater is in a cameo appearance as an unconventianal priest with a miliary mission in Afghanistan. Shooting began this week in Ottawa. Damian Lee ("Four Kings") writes and directs. The film is produced by Michael Baker and Robert Menzies. Slater's other recent credits include DVD releases "Dolan's Cadillac" with Emmanuelle Vaugier...