Maleficent-Mistress of Evil, Review: Feynix rises from the ashes When a studio like Disney decides to give it the works, it usually works. It is difficult to find fault with the execution of the plot in Maleficent: Mistress of Evil, unless, of course you begin with the title itself. As viewers will discover early in the film, she is not the mistress of evil. Then you might consider the fact that there are several killings and a full-blooded war depicted, in a film aimed at young children and ...

Omerta, Review: Omer talk Alright, Omar, if you insist. His full name is Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh. If you see the film, you will discover that he is a hardcore terrorist who indulged in at least one act of barbaric butchery as well. With a name like that, he has to be a Pakistani or Pakistani sympathiser. Omerta spans the canvas from Bosnia to the hijacking of an Indian Airlines’ plane to the Mumbai terror attacks. The film derives its title from the Italian term for a criminal code of ...

A scrolling band of carnelian clouds circling clockwise, a boy in an Afghani folk costume swirling within, a radiant beam at the center: The opening frames of Nora Twomey’s animated film The Breadwinner tell a tale of light and shadow, conjuring dream imagery of the pyche’s quest towards wholeness in the larger world. In case you haven’t guessed, we’re in the realm of universal truth, seen from toon-spun Afghanistan. The allegory quickly blossoms into...

Unbroken, Review: Life of Pi meets Bhag Milkha Bhag meets Forrest Gump I know, Milkha was a real character and the others are fictional, so where does Unbroken meet these other three? Endurance against all odds at sea was seen in Pi, a small-town boy running for international glory was Milkha and Forrest Gump too ran a similar trail, albeit with the added dimension of a man having a mental condition. In the end, we will have to give it to Unbroken for originality, because it is largely true t...

Adrienne Papp has been a known insider in the industry as a writer on current, true and essential entertainment topics. Adrienne Papp and Jason Isaacs Adrienne Papp, President of Spotlight Media Productions Adrienne Papp has been a known insider in the industry as a writer on current, true and essential entertainment topics along with contemporary messages such as quantum physics and neuroscience, which she publishes throughinterviews, online and printed magazines in ...

Adrienne Papp has been a known insider in the industry as a writer on current, true and essential entertainment topics.   Adrienne Papp and Jason Isaacs Adrienne Papp, President of Spotlight Media Productions Adrienne Papp has been a known insider in the industry as a writer on current, true and essential entertainment topics along with contemporary messages such as quantum physics and neuroscience, which she publishes throughinterviews, online and printed maga...

Adrienne Papp has been a known insider in the industry as a writer on current, true and essential entertainment topics.   Adrienne Papp and Jason Isaacs Adrienne Papp, President of Spotlight Media Productions Adrienne Papp has been a known insider in the industry as a writer on current, true and essential entertainment topics along with contemporary messages such as quantum physics and neuroscience, which she publishes throughinterviews, online and printed maga...

  by Quendrith Johnson, Los Angeles Correspondent   So, ignore the horns and watch for spoiler alerts here: MALEFICENT is the role of a lifetime for Angelina Jolie. Yes, a lot of the credit goes to screenwriter Linda Woolverton (Lion King, Beauty & The Beast), who gets Angelina and wrote a touching life lesson disguised as a Disney movie. "We tried to bring you what you love about this story," Jolie says in the behind the scenes featurette (see it on http://screenma...

  By Adrienne Papp I get invited to a lot of social events  as a journalist / publicist, but there is nothing quite like the Oscars.  Excitement is in the air, everyone is full of wonder, looking forward to this fairytale-like evening with its never ending magic. The unexpected always happens just to keep things fresh year after year ( just likeU2 performing live  on stage.)  The 86th Oscars was really by far one of the best ever produced in Ho...

By Adrienne Papp I get invited to a lot of social events  as a journalist / publicist, but there is nothing quite like the Oscars.  Excitement is in the air, everyone is full of wonder, looking forward to this fairytale-like evening with its never ending magic. The unexpected always happens just to keep things fresh year after year ( just likeU2 performing live  on stage.)  The 86th Oscars was really by far one of the best ever produced in Hollywood. O...

  by Quendrith Johnson, Los Angeles Correspondent   With the recent Buzzfeed headline that last night's Golden Globes winner Jennifer Lawrence stars in "the First Film with a Female Lead to Top the Box Office in 40 Years," it still stuns many in Hollywood that Hunger Games 2 actually beat up Iron Man 3 in the money race. Catching Fire is the top-grosser of 2013, but, this movie also officially ushers in a new genre.  We've gone from Chick Flicks to Chicks ...

        Did the Octomom have Angelina Jolie envy?Is the ruin of America caused by the need for fame, money, and power?  Is life just one big Vaudeville act?  Will the “American Angels” save us all?   These are the questions you might get answered, starting Saturday night at The Fake Theatre, at 4319 Melrose Avenue in Hollywood.    You can witness "The American Psyche"  gone completely off the tracks for 62 minutes wit...

 Burt Young told me how excited he was to finally see Hal's version.  Hal Ashby's "Lookin' to Get Out" screened last night at the UCLA Billy WIlder Theatre We saw this film at CineVegas, where we met writer Al Swartz, along with his co-writer Jon Voight.  When I saw Jon, Sunday at the LA film festival award brunch, he invited us to see the film again last night at the UCLA Billy Wilder Theatre. During his introduction Jon announced that he wanted to sit in Billy Wilder's s...

Talk about art imitating life, or vice-versa – or something like that. Here’s the story: In 1981, Jon Voight signed on to star in a comedy called Lookin’ To Get Out, which he’d co-written. Co-starring would be Burt Young of Rocky fame, and the stunning Ann-Margret. Directing would be Hal Ashby, a maverick who’d made such hit flicks as Harold and Maude (1971), Shampoo (1975) and Being There (1979), and who would die of cancer 1988. Jon had been pa...

  “I think this is the most important role of my life,” Angelina Jolie remarked upon playing Mariane Pearl in A Mighty Heart. Pearl is the famous widow of fellow Wall Street Journal journalist Daniel Pearl, who was killed by terrorists in Pakistan. Pearl’s heart is mighty indeed, as the clips shown in Jolie’s conversation with film critic Pete Hammond reveal.   She graciously accepted the award presented by renowned actor and director Clint Eastwood. The two praised each other...

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