PVR MOVIES FIRST VOL. 15
YO U R WI ND O W IN TO T HE WORL D OF CIN EMA
DECEMBER 2016
TOTAL RECALL:
7 Greatest Biographical Movies Of All Time
STIC A T N FA FIVE
s tar s 5 the in ing mak
THE BEST NEW MOVIES PLAYING THIS MONTH: KAHAANI 2, BEFIKRE, COLLATERAL BEAUTY and ASSASSIN’S CREED PVR MOVIES FIRST
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GREETINGS ear Movie Lovers, Here’s the December edition of Movies First, your exclusive window to the world of cinema. Aamir Khan is back with the highly anticipated sports drama Dangal. Based on the life of former Indian wrestler Mahavir Singh Phogat and his two wrestler daughters’ struggle for glory in the face of societal oppression. George Lucas’ fabled Star Wars universe gets an expansion with a series of anthology films. The first instalment, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story hits the screens this month. Chris Pratt and Jennifer Lawrence star in Morten Tyldum’s sci-fi epic Passengers, while Ryan Gosling and
Emma Stone revive their chemistry as lovers in Damien Chazelle’s La La Land. A long wait ends: Sujoy Ghosh and Vidya Balan reboot their gritty thriller Kahaani with a sequel. Doused in the spirit of Paris, Aditya Chopra celebrates contemporary romance in Befikre, a free-spirited love story. We really hope you enjoy the issue. Wish you a fabulous month of movie watching. Regards Gautam Dutta CEO, PVR Limited
USING THE MAGAZINE We hope you’ll find this magazine easy to use but here’s a handy guide to the icons used throughout. You can tap the page once at any time to access full contents at the top of the page.
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CONTENTS
Aamir Khan makes a return to the big screen after two years with his highly anticipated sports drama Dangal.
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Movie of The Month
5 stars in the making
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MUST WATCH
FESTIVAL FLASH
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Architects of Cinema
Total Recall
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RELEASING THIS MONTH
A sneak-peEk into the big releases of the month!
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rogue one: A Star Wars Story
Jones), a Rebellion soldier, and a band of unlikely heroes she assembles as they attempt to steal the plans to the Death Star, which Jyn’s father Galen (Mads Mikkelsen) helped build.
Save the Rebellion. Save the dream.
It’s an awesome time to be a Star Wars fan. When Disney bought out Lucasfilm back in October of 2012, they laid out a plan to expand the world George Lucas created to a degree we’ve never seen before. First released in 1977, the original trilogy followed the adventures of Luke Skywalker and a band of rebels who fought against the iron fisted regime of Galactic Empire to save the galaxy. The films became a worldwide pop culture phenomenon and were followed by a trilogy of prequels and a sequel (Star Wars: The Force Awakens). The next in line is the first in a series of “anthology” films – Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. Set before the events of Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977) and five years after Star Wars Rebels (2014), Rogue One revolves around Jyn Erso (Felicity PVR MOVIES FIRST
arth Vader is going to be one of the key characters that we brought into this story because it leads up to ‘A New Hope’, and Vader was such a significant character. – Gareth Edwards, Director
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DID YOU KNOW?
Costume designer David Crossman stated that some of the costumes used in the original Star Wars trilogy i.e. Episode IV, V, and VI were re-used in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.
The Collection
Star Wars, the epic space opera was brought to the screen by George Lucas in 1977 with the release of Star Wars: A New Hope. The film went on to become a worldwide pop culture phenomenon. Here is a sneak peek of the original franchise:
Reason to Watch:
There is plenty to rejoice for the fans of classic Star Wars canon too. Jyn Jimmy Smits, who played Bail Organa in “Attack of the Clones” and “Revenge of the Sith,” will reprise his role in Rogue One. But, Bail Organa isn’t the only classic Star Wars returning to the screen. The trailers have confirmed that the big man himself, Darth Vader, would be making an appearance.
Episode IV: A New Hope (1977)
Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
rogue one: A Star Wars Story RELEASE 16 DECEMBER Genre: Adventure, Fantasy, Action Language: English Director: Gareth Edwards Cast: Felicity Jones, Mads Mikkelsen, Donnie Yen Studio: Lucasfilm Ltd. Pic Courtesy: Lucasfilm Ltd.
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Episode VI: Return of the Jedi (1983) PAGE 5
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DANGAL
Tagline: Are my daughters any lesser than the boys? Director: Nitesh Tiwari Star Cast: Aamir Khan, Sakshi Tanwar, Fatima Sana Shaikh Genre: Sport, Drama Rating: (U/A) Release Date: 23 December Studio: Disney World Cinema, Aamir Khan Productions
Bollywood’s current list of blockbusters boasts gritty sports dramas and powerful stories on women empowerment. The stupendous success of Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, Mary Kom, Queen and the more recent PINK, Sultan and MS Dhoni has compelled bigger studios and stars to invest in such stories. And of course, the millennial multiplex audience is loving the trend. Intense and highly anticipated, Aamir Khan’s Dangal is the latest entrant into the box office ring this month. Titled on the native name of wrestling pits in India, Dangal is a biographical sports drama based on the life PVR MOVIES FIRST
MOVIE OF THE MONTH
of former Indian wrestler Mahavir Singh Phogat and his two wrestler daughters’ struggle for glory in the face of societal oppression.
itesh has written a wonderful story. The topic is very important and dramatic. It highlights the discrimination that is meted out to the girl child in India. – Aamir Khan, Actor
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The film took almost four years to materialise from scratch and required Aamir to go through some drastic physical transformation and training to portray the role of a wrestler. THE PLOT: Dangal is the story of Mahavir Singh Phogat, a champion wrestler from Haryana who aims to bag a gold medal for India in International wrestling competitions. Unable to realise the dream himself, Phogat resolves that he’ll make his son accomplish what he himself couldn’t. But as fate would have it, Phogat’s wife Daya Kaur (Sakshi Tanwar) is unable to bear him a son and gives birth to four daughters - Geeta, Babita, Ritu, and Sangita. Although Phogat loves his daughters dearly, he is disappointed to see his dream crash as he believes that girls are not cut out for a tough sport like wrestling. However, when two of his daughters, Geeta and Babita are sent home from school for beating up two boys who were teasing them, Phogat realises how wrong he was and begins to rigorously train his daughters in wrestling even though he faces some backlash from the society. Phogat’s faith in his daughters is rewarded when Geeta and Babita qualify to represent India at the Commonwealth Games in 2010 and go on to win gold and silver medals respectively. Phogat was later awarded the prestigious Dronacharya Award by the Government of India.
hen we were narrated the story by (director) Nitesh Tiwari, we loved the fact that there was nothing fake in it. It was all about what actually happened in our lives. – Babita Kumari, Wrestler
up look of elder Mahavir Singh and the trimmed down version of his younger self. Keen to get the wrestling sequences as realistic as possible, he trained for more than a year under Arjun awardee wrestler Kripa Shankar Patel Bishnoi. Aamir’s sincerity and dedication left Bishnoi smitten who went on to compliment the actor as an “obedient student.”
AAMIR AS MAHAVIR SINGH PHOGAT: While the characters of Geeta and Babita are important to the story, the film is largely centered on Mahavir Singh Phogat, played on the screen by Mr. Perfectionist Aamir Khan. As the film transcends through different timelines, Aamir will be metamorphosing in two different looks: the 20-year-old wrestler and the 60-year-olds father and coach.
YOUNG DEBUTANTS
He trained under Mahesh Bhatt’s son Rahul Bhatt and Salman Khan’s personal trainer Rakesh to attain the bulked
• Zaira Wasim: Child actress and model Zaira will be seen playing the younger Geeta Phogat.
While the presence of Aamir is good enough to drive crowds in the theatre, Dangal will see quite a few debuts on the big screen: • Sanya Malhotra – A trained ballet dancer from Delhi, Sanya will be making her debut as Mahavir’s younger daughter Babita Kumari.
Sanya Malhotra
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Zaira Wasim
Aparshakti Khurana
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TRIVIA 01 02
After gaining 28 kgs for the initial shoot, Aamir Khan lost 25 kgs in 20 weeks to portray the younger, 25-year-old character of Mahavir Singh Phogat. About 21,000 girls auditioned for the role of Babita Kumari and Geeta Phogat, before the roles were bagged by Fatima Sana Sheikh and Sanya Malhotra.
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Geeta Phogat won India its first ever gold medal in wrestling at the Commonwealth Games in 2010. She is also the first Indian woman wrestler to have qualified for the Olympics.
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Within 24 hours of being posted, the trailer became the 3rd most-viewed video in the world, after “50 Shades Darker” and “Star Wars—The Force Awakens.”
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Although the story is based in Haryana, the film has been mostly shot in the villages of Ludhiana in Punjab. One of the locations is Dango, the ancestral village of veteran actor Dharmendra.
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Fatima Sana Sheikh, the actress who is essaying the role of Geeta Phogat, was first seen on the silver screen as a child actress when she played Tabu and Kamal Haasan’s daughter in Chachi 420.
• Aparshakti Khurana - Ayushmann Khurrana’s younger brother Aparshakti is a popular RJ and theatre actor. His resonating voice and dominating personality earned him a role in Dangal. • Pablo - Aamir’s nephew and Mansoor Khan’s son Pablo, will be making his debut as an assistant director in this film.
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7 Greatest Biographical Movies Of All Time
Total Recall
1980: Raging Bull
1984: Amadeus
Directed by Martin Scorsese, this emotionally devastating movie is based on the life of middleweight boxing champion Jake LaMotta. Nominated for eight Oscars, it won two, Best Actor for De Niro, and Best Film Editing. Robert De Niro excels as the obsessive Italian American boxer whose animalistic appetite destroyed his relationship with his wife and family. Did You Know: When the real Jake LaMotta saw the movie, he asked the real Vicki LaMotta, “Was I really like that?” Vicki replied, “You were worse!”
Set in late-18th-century Vienna, this fictionalized biography of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart is a visual feast. The film was nominated for 53 awards and received 40, which included eight Academy Awards, four BAFTA Awards, four Golden Globes. From his asylum cell, former court composer Antonio Salieri (Abraham) recounts his tale of bitter jealousy and revenge toward the upstart genius Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Hulce), who rose to fame before his eyes. Did You Know: In the movie, Mozart has an infectious obnoxious cackle. Hulce created the giggle after Forman asked him to come up with ‘something extreme.’
1982: Gandhi
A staggering epic on the life of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi. At the 55th Academy awards, ‘Gandhi’ won eight awards out of its eleven nominations, including Best Picture. Sir Richard Attenborough struggled for years to get financing for his huge but ‘non-commercial’ project. Did You Know: Dustin Hoffman, who declined the title role in Gandhi to play Tootsie, lost out on the Oscar that year to Ben Kingsley.
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1993: Schindler’s List
There are few films more powerful than ‘Schindler’s List,’ based on the life of Oskar Schindler, a German businessman who saved the lives of more than a thousand Polish-Jewish refugees during the Holocaust by employing them in his factories. It stars Liam Neeson as Schindler, Ralph Fiennes as Schutzstaffel (SS) officer Amon Goeth and Ben Kingsley as Schindler’s Jewish accountant Itzhak Stern. PAGE 10
Did You Know: Spielberg shot in black and white to reflect the draining of life during the Holocaust. He refused a salary on the project, considering any fee he might receive to be ‘blood money.’
2001: A Beautiful Mind
Did You Know: Scriptwriter David Seidler stammered as a child, and heard the king’s wartime speech as a child. As an adult, he wrote to the widow of George VI if he could make a film on the King’s story. She asked him not to during her lifetime, saying the memories were too painful. Seidler respected her request. A touching, emotionally charged film detailing the life of John Nash, a Nobel Laureate in Economics, who suffers from schizophrenia. Director Ron Howard presents both Nash’s genius and his mental illness in compelling terms. Russell Crowe brings the character to life. Did You Know: John Nash attended the Carnegie Institute of Technology on a full scholarship. One of his professors was so impressed with him that he wrote him a letter of recommendation for Princeton that contained only one line; “This man is a genius.”
2002: Catch Me If You Can
HAPPY BIRTHDAY
Woody Allen
A stylish Steven Spielberg film on the life of elusive con artist Frank Abagnale, who became so experienced that the FBI eventually turned to him for help in catching other check forgers. Leonardo DiCaprio as Abagnale is charm personified. Tom Hanks is superb as FBI agent Carl Hanratty, whose mission in life evolves into capturing Abagnale. Did You Know: The original choice for the lead role was Johnny Depp, but Leo was chosen for his youthful looks. Until he saw the results of Leo’s work, the real Frank Abagnale Jr. didn’t think DiCaprio was “suave” enough to play him.
2010: The King’s Speech
Tim Hooper directs Colin Firth as George VI who, to cope with a stammer, sees Lionel Logue, an Australian speech and language therapist (Geoffrey Rush). In the final scene, Firth makes his first wartime radio broadcast on Britain’s declaration of war on Germany in 1939. And when he speaks, the emotional impact leaves you speechless. PVR MOVIES FIRST
His droll sense of humour and close-to-the-bone stories make Woody Allen one of Hollywood’s legendary filmmakers. Here are 5 fun facts about the actor-director, who shares his December 01 birthday with yesteryear superstars Bette Midler and Richard Pryor. 1. When he was a teen, Woody Allen was offered an afterschool job as a joke-writer. He wrote up to 50 jokes a day, during his daily commute on the New York subway. He almost never found a seat on the crowded metro, and wrote all his gags standing and wobbling along the way. 2. He has an incredible number of phobias: arachnophobia (spiders), entomophobia (insects), heliophobia (sunshine), cynophobia (dogs), altophobia (heights), demophobia (crowds), carcinophobia (cancer), thanatophobia (death), misophobia (germs). He also admits to being terrified of hotel bathrooms. 3. At 81, Allen is quite deaf and has a shock of grey hair, but starts his day with a treadmill workout every single morning. 4. He always makes his own breakfast, despite having a retinue of cooks. And it’s always the same: a bowl of Cheerios with raisins, topped with a banana, which must be cut into exactly seven slices. 5. He has never written or received an email in his life. He does not even own a personal computer.
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MUST WATCH BOLLYWOOD BLOCKBUSTERS DEC
KAHAANI 2
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Genre: Thriller Language(s): Hindi Director: Sujoy Ghosh Cast: Vidya Balan, Arjun Rampal, Jugal Hansraj Certification: (U/A) Studio: Boundscript Motion Pictures, Pen India Limited Pic Courtesy: © Boundscript Motion Pictures
Another mother of a story..
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Reason to watch: The movie is a sequel to the 2012-hit Kahaani which went on to lap up three national awards. Did You Know: Initially, Sujoy Ghosh was planning a standalone film called “Durga Rani Singh” with other actors. But, as the story was too similar to Kahaani, the makers included the project as a sequel to Kahaani.
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Genre: Romance, Drama Language(s): Hindi Director: Aditya Chopra Cast: Ranveer Singh, Vaani Kapoor, Elisa Bachir Bey Certification: (U/A) Studio: Yash Raj Films Pic Courtesy: © Yash Raj Films
Those who dare to love
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Movie Plot: A mysterious woman (Vidya Balan) is charged with kidnapping and murder. A police officer (Arjun Rampal) tries to uncover if she really is a wanted fugitive or just a doting mother, who is desperately looking for her missing daughter.
DEC
BEFIKRE
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Movie Plot: Set in Paris, Befikre is a free spirited, contemporary love story of Dharam and Shyra, who find love in an impulsive, engaging series of experiences. Reason to watch: Doused in the spirit of Paris, it celebrates love sensual, carefree and focused on living life to the fullest. Did You Know: This is Aditya Chopra’s first directional venture not headlined by Shah Rukh Khan.
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WAJAH TUM HO
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Murder Goes Live Tonight Genre: Romance, Drama Language(s): Hindi Director: Vishal Pandya Cast: Gurmeet Choudhary, Sharman Joshi, Sana Khan Certification: (U/A) Studio: T-Series Films Pic Courtesy: © T-Series Films
Movie Plot: People get entangled in a mystery when a murder is committed on live television. Reason to watch: The film is loosely based on the 2008 American crime thriller film Untraceable. Did You Know: The film borrows its title from a song of the film Hate Story 3, which was also produced by Bhushan Kumar. PLAY TRAILER
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MUST WATCH HOLLYWOOD BLOCKBUSTERS DEC
MOANA
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Genre: Animation, Adventure, Comedy Language(s): English Director: Ron Clements Cast: Aulii Cravalho, Dwayne Johnson Certification: (U/A) Studio: Walt Disney Pictures, Walt Disney Animation Studios Pic Courtesy: © Walt Disney Pictures
The Ocean Is Calling
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UNDERWORLD 5: BLOOD WARS
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Genre: Action, Horror Language(s): English Director: Anna Foerster Cast: Kate Beckinsale, Theo James, Bradley James Certification: (U/A) Studio: Lakeshore Entertainment, Sketch Films Pic Courtesy: © Lakeshore Entertainment
Protect The Bloodline
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Movie Plot: A young woman uses her navigational talents to set sail for a fabled island. Joining her on the adventure is her hero, the legendary demi-god Maui.
Movie Plot: Vampire death dealer, Selene (Kate Beckinsale) fights to end the eternal war between the Lycan clan and the Vampire faction that betrayed her.
Reason to watch: Moana has been written and directed by John Musker and Ron Clements, who were responsible for directing the highly successful The Little Mermaid (1989) and Aladdin (1992). Maui, the legendary demigod has been voiced by none other than superstar Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson.
Reason to watch: The fifth installment in the Underworld franchise, this film is the sequel to Underworld: Awakening (2012), with Kate Beckinsale reprising her role as Selene.
Did You Know: Disney India roped in popular Indian music composer Bappi Lahiri to voice the character of Tamatoa in the Hindi-dubbed version of the movie.
Did You Know: It was originally thought that this was Kate Beckinsale’s last movie playing the character Selene, but Len Wiseman has confirmed a sixth movie is in development with Beckinsale reprising her character.
DEC
DEEPWATER HORIZON
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When faced with our darkest hour, hope is not a tactic Genre: Thriller, Drama Language(s): English Director: Peter Berg Cast: Mark Wahlberg, Kurt Russell, Douglas M. Griffin Certification: (U/A) Studio: Participant Media, Di Bonaventura Pictures, Closest to the Hole Productions, Leverage Entertainment Pic Courtesy: © Participant Media
Movie Plot: A dramatization of the April 2010 disaster when the offshore drilling rig, Deepwater Horizon, exploded and created the worst oil spill in U.S. history. Reason to watch: Mark Wahlberg’s sixth film based on a true story, it received a standing ovation after its premiere at the Toronto Film Festival. Did You Know: An oil rig was built just for this film, this rig is located in Chalmette, Louisiana where filming mostly took place. It has been coined as the largest set piece ever built. PLAY TRAILER
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MUST WATCH HOLLYWOOD BLOCKBUSTERS Office Christmas Party Party like your job depends on it
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DEC
09
Genre: Comedy Language(s): English Director: Josh Gordon, Will Speck Cast: Kate McKinnon, Olivia Munn, Jennifer Aniston Certification: (U/A) Studio: DreamWorks Pictures, Reliance Entertainment, Bluegrass Films, Entertainment 360 Pic Courtesy: © DreamWorks Pictures
COLLATERAL BEAUTY
Reason to watch: This is the fifth collaboration between Jason Bateman and Jennifer Aniston after their successful collaboration in “The BreakUp”, “The Switch”, “Horrible Bosses”, and “Horrible Bosses 2”. Did You Know: The title of the movie was inspired by a Saturday Night Live skit called “Office Christmas Party”
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Genre: Drama Language(s): English Director: David Frankel Cast: Will Smith, Kate Winslet, Keira Knightley Certification: (U/A) Studio: New Line Cinema, Village Roadshow Pictures, Anonymous Content, Overbrook Entertainment, PalmStar Media, Likely Story Pic Courtesy: © Line Cinema
We Are All Connected
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Movie Plot: When the CEO (Jennifer Aniston) tries to close her hardpartying brother’s branch, he (T.J. Miller) and his Chief Technical Officer (Jason Bateman) must rally their co-workers and host an epic office Christmas party in an effort to impress a potential client and close a sale that will save their jobs.
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Movie Plot: A successful New York advertising executive (Will Smith) experiences a deep personal tragedy and retreats from life entirely. His colleagues devise a drastic plan to force him to confront his grief in a surprising and profoundly human way. Reason to watch: The movie cast includes two Oscar winners, Kate Winslet and Helen Mirren, and three Oscar nominees: Will Smith, Edward Norton, and Keira Knightley. Did You Know: The alter ego for Love played by Keira Knightley is named Aimee Moore. Aimee comes from the French verb “aimer, ” or “to love, ” so her name arguably means “loved more.”
DEC
LA LA LAND
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Here’s to the fools who dream Genre: Musical, Drama Language(s): English Director: Damien Chazelle Cast: Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone, Amiée Conn Certification: (U/A) Studio: Gilbert Films, Impostor Pictures, Marc Platt Productions Pic Courtesy: © Gilbert Films
Movie Plot: A jazz pianist falls for an aspiring actress in Los Angeles. But, as success mounts, the dreams they worked so hard to maintain threaten to tear them apart. Reason to watch: Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone revive their chemistry as lovers, following the success of Crazy, Stupid, Love and Gangster Squad. Did You Know: Ryan Gosling then spent two hours a day, six days a week in piano lessons learning the music by heart. By the time filming had begun, Gosling was able to play all of the piano sequences seen in the film without the use of a hand double or CGI. PLAY TRAILER
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MUST WATCH HOLLYWOOD BLOCKBUSTERS DEC
ASSASSIN’S CREED Your destiny is in your blood
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Genre: History, Action, Adventure Language(s): English Director: Justin Kurzel Cast: Marion Cotillard, Michael Fassbender Certification: (U/A) Studio: Regency Enterprises, Ubisoft Entertainment, New Regency Pictures, Ubisoft Motion Pictures, DMC Film, The Kennedy/Marshall Company Pic Courtesy: © Ubisoft Motion Pictures
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SING
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Genre: Animation, Musical, Comedy Language(s): English Director: Garth Jennings Cast: Matthew McConaughey, Reese Witherspoon, Seth MacFarlane Certification: (U/A) Studio: Illumination Entertainment Pic Courtesy: © Illumination Entertainment
Auditions begin 2016
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Movie Plot: When Callum Lynch explores the memories of his ancestor Aguilar and gains the skills of a Master Assassin, he discovers he is a descendant of the secret Assassins society.
Movie Plot: A koala named Buster Moon has one final chance to restore his theater to its former glory by producing the world’s greatest singing competition.
Reason to watch: The film is based on the popular video game franchise of the same name.
Reason to watch: The film stars the voices of Matthew McConaughey, Reese Witherspoon, Seth MacFarlane, Scarlett Johansson, John C. Reilly, Tori Kelly, Taron Egerton, and Nick Kroll.
Did You Know: Michael Fassbender had never played any of the nine games in the series until just before filming commenced; he didn’t even know that the games existed until he was hired by Ubisoft.
Did You Know: The film will have more than 85 classic tracks from famous artists and an original song by Stevie Wonder and Ariana Grande called “Faith.”
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Incarnate
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Faith Has Failed Us Genre: Horror, Thriller Language(s): English Director: Brad Peyton Cast: Carice van Houten, Aaron Eckhart, David Mazouz Certification: (U/A) Studio: IM Global, Blumhouse Productions, WWE Studios, Deep Underground Films Pic Courtesy: © IM Global
Movie Plot: A scientist with the ability to enter the subconscious minds of the possessed must save a young boy from the grips of a demon with powers never seen before, while facing the horrors of his past. Reason to watch: The movie is produced by Jason Blum’s Blumhouse Production whose recent film “Insidious Chapter 2” enjoyed one of the US’s strongest opening weekends in the history of horror films. Did You Know: To prepare for the role, Aaron Eckhart disguised himself as a wheelchair-bound, mentally ill Vietnam War veteran and yelled at people on Venice Beach. PLAY TRAILER
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five
Fabulous
Women
You Will Meet at the Movies This Month Catalina Sandino Moreno Watch Her In: Thesupernatural thriller “Incarnate” opposite Aaron Eckhart Wow Factor: In 2004, Moreno became the first Columbian actress to be nominated for an Academy Award, for her Spanish language film “Maria Full of Grace.” Listed among People magazine’s “50 Most Beautiful People,” she has starred in “Paris je t’aime” and the highly acclaimed “Fast Food Nation,” besides toplining several popular TV series.
Fatima Sana Shaikh: Watch Her In: “Dangal”, where she plays Aamir Khan’s daughter Wow Factor: 24-year-old Sana started her career as Kamal Haasan and Tabu’s daughter in the film “Chachi 420”. She starred in Shah Rukh Khan and Juhi Chawla’s “One 2 ka 4” and played the role of Suman in the hit television series “AgleJanamMoheBitiya HiKijo.”This is her big Bollywood debut.
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FANTASTIC FIVE
Kate McKinnon Watch Her In: the year-end comedy “Office Christmas Party” Wow Factor: This American comedian and actress is best known for her sketch comedy work as a cast member on Saturday Night Live. You might also remember her as Dr. Jillian Holtzmann in the Ghostbusters reboot. Known for her impressions of pop singer Justin Bieber and Hilary Clinton, Mckinnon has been nominated for four primetime Emmys. Paired with the feisty Jennifer Aniston in the “Office Christmas Party,” she is sure to win your hearts.
Manini Chadha Watch Her In: An intriguing role in the thrillerKahaani 2 Wow Factor: She’s the daughter of awardwinning documentary filmmaker Arun Chadha and veteran television journalist Vineeta Deepak. Her stunning looks have made Manini a hot favourite on the ramp. She has starred in prime TV commercials for brandslike Titan, Apple and Fogg. With “Kahaani 2”, this feisty lady makes her first major motion picture appearance.
Rosemarie Dewitt Watch Her In: “La La Land” as Ryan Gosling’s sister Laura Wild Wow Factor: Rising rapidly from Broadway on to celluloid, Dewitt has dozens of awards and nominations under her belt. Her recent credits include the Jeremy Renner drama “Kill the Messenger” and the upcoming Orlando Bloom starrer “Digging for Fire.” And of course, you saw this lovely New York lady in the remake of “Poltergeist” last year. Dewitt is married to fellow Hollywood star Ron Livingstone.
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THE LIFE OF A LEGEND:
Tim Burton PVR MOVIES FIRST
ARCHITECTS OF CINEMA
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TIM BURTON
One of Hollywood’s most sought-after directors, Tim Burton is known for creating visually striking films that blend fantasy and humour. In a career spanning four decades, he has made imaginative blockbusters such as “Pee-wee’s Big Adventure”, “Batman”, “Batman Returns”, “Planet of the Apes”, ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’ and the $1 billion grosser “Alice in Wonderland”. At 58, the unstoppable Burton is directing live-action “Dumbo” for Disney, and conceptualising “Beetlejuice 2.” Early Life: Burton’s mother Jean Rae ran a cat-themed gift shop, and his father William Reed Burton worked for the local park. Young Tim spent most of his childhood as a recluse, drawing cartoons and watching old movies. In the ninth grade, his artistic talent was recognised by a local garbage company, when he won a prize for an anti-litter poster he designed. The company placed this poster on all of their garbage trucks for a year. A prodigious child, he would make short films in his backyard using crude stop-motion animation techniques or shoot them on 8 mm film without sound. His oldest surviving film is “The Island of Doctor Agnor,” made when he was 13. His future work would be heavily PVR MOVIES FIRST
ARCHITECTS OF CINEMA
influenced by the works of his childhood heroes Dr Seuss and Roald Dahl. His Films: Burton started off working as an apprentice animator at the Walt Disney Studios, but soon struck out on his own and made a 6-minute film called “Vincent,” inspired by his lifelong idol and inspiration Vincent Price.
f you’re passionate about something, it freaks people out. You’re considered bizarre or eccentric. To me, it just means you know who you are.
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DID YOU KNOW? Tim Burton and his wife Helena Bonham Carter live in two separate houses, connected by a grand hallway. Hers is girly and chintzy, while his has ‘skeletons and weird things’ and floor lights in neon shades.
costumes at leading museums and art galleries worldwide. • He is dyslexic. • He wears pin striped socks, his lucky charm at every premiere and special occasion.
Showcased at the Chicago Film Festival, it met with huge positive response. Then came “Frankenweenie,” another stop motion short. In1985, he directed “Pee-wee’s Big Adventure,” a huge cinematic success. “Bettlejuice” and “Batman” catapulted him into the league of top directors. “Batman Forever” brought Burton’s work on the superhero to a close. An admirer of Johnny Depp, he cast him in the title role of the cult film “Edward Scissorhands.” The magic they created for the big screen was electrifying! Together, they made “Ed Wood,” “Sleepy Hollow,” “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” “Corpse Bride,” “Sweeney Todd,” “Alice in Wonderland” and “Shadows.” Till today, theirs is the longest lasting partnership between an actor and a director. A Critic’s Tribute: Variety magazine’s entertainment editor Owen Gleiberman puts it best: “For 30 years now, Tim Burton has been Hollywood’s reigning pop poet of fractured-fairy-tale outsiders: the misfits and the oddballs, the jokers and the wackadoos, the headless horsemen and the humanoid apes, the cracked aesthetes and the misunderstood monsters. His movies are hellzapoppin’ comic nightmares populated by a rogues’ gallery of freaks. The Burton touch is that he dunks each of these characters in a sympathy so sincere that it’s downright haunting.”
QUICK FACTS BIRTH NAME: Timothy Walter Burton _______________________ OCCUPATION: Director, Producer, Artist, Writer, Animator _______________________ BIRTH DATE: 25 August, 1958 _______________________ PLACE OF BIRTH: Burbank, California _______________________
Tim Trivia
YEARS ACTIVE: 1979 – Present _______________________
• Despite a phobia of chimpanzees, Burton directed Planet of the Apes. It was here that he met his longterm partner, Helena Bonham Carter.
ALMA MATER: California Institute of the Arts
• Several of his movies are based on drawings that he made when he was a kid. A prolific artist, Burton has exhibited his drawings, paintings, photographs, moving-image works, storyboards, puppets and PVR MOVIES FIRST
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HISTORY
THIS MONTH 40 YEARS AGO
ROCKY: 1976
*Sylvester Stallone, Talia Shire, Burt Young, Burgess Meredith, Carl Weathers Director: John G. Avildsen
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HISTORY
THIS MONTH 40 YEARS AGO
The highest grossing movie of 1976, Rocky made Sylvester Stallone just the third person in history to earn Oscar nominations for both writing and acting in the same film. His company? Charlie Chaplin for The Great Dictator (1940) and Orson Welles for Citizen Kane (1941).
in his bank at the time, insisted he would sell it only on one condition—if he also starred as Rocky in the film. They agreed, on the condition that Stallone would work as a writer without a fee. Plot: Small-time boxer Rocky Balboa (Stallone) is in love with Adrian (Talia Shire), the mousy clerk at the local pet store. He gets a chance to prove his worth when world heavyweight champion Apollo Creed challenges him to wrest the title. Rocky, the Italian Stallion, accepts. He doesn’t win the fight, but wins his love and leaves us with a beautiful message: “Don’t stress about winning or losing; just go the distance.” Wow Factors: Stallone based the film on his own struggles as an actor. But he felt people would not care about the travails of an actor, so gave it a boxing theme instead. It is said that he wrote Rocky over one long weekend, pouring his underdog story out. The film’s basic premise and tagline — “His whole life was a million to one shot” — speak to something basic in us all — the notion that we are all capable of bettering ourselves. This was the emotion that powered the film, as audiences literally stood and cheered in theaters. ROCKY: 6 Fascinating Facts 1. The producers Irwin Winkler and Robert Chartoff were so impressed with the script that they offered Sylvester Stallone an unprecedented $3,50,000 for it. But Stallone, who had 32 rejected scripts under his belt and only $106
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2. Sylvester Stallone was so poor at the time of signing Rocky that he had to sell his dog for $50. A week later, he sold the script for Rocky and bought his dog back for $3000. Rocky’s dog, Buktus, was this same dog. 3. This is one of the first movies in which a Steadicam camera was used. The scene where Rocky runs up the Philadelphia Art Museum was shot with this camera, which tracks sideways up the stairs with him, then moves around for that iconic shot of him thrusting his arms triumphantly into the Philly skyline. It’s a beautiful metaphor for his own personal climb toward self-worth. Interestingly, Garrett Brown, who invented the Steadicam, was also the cinematographer for Rocky. 4. Rocky has six sequels, more than any other Best Picture winning film. It was also the first ever sports film to win an Oscar. 5. The film was made on such a small budget that the actors were requested to arrange for their own wardrobe and props. They also shared cramped dressing rooms. 6. It was sheer chance that Stallone got a chance to make Rocky. He had come to audition for a part, and failed. While leaving, he happened to mention that he was also a scriptwriter, and the panel asked him to submit a script. He did. They loved it, and the rest as they say...
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FILM FESTIVALS Monaco International Film Festival 2016 Festival Date: Nov 28 – Dec 1, 2015 Venue: Monte Carlo, Monaco Opening Film: Saint Fina’s Yellow Violets Closing Film: A True Life Story Jury: Dominique Frot, Tara Emerson, Dr. Martha Hart, Tammi Christopher, Myriam Charleins Acclaimed Movie THE JIM CROW HOLOCAUST
a Tasmanian couple. Twenty-five years later, he is haunted by the need to rediscover his lost family roots. MOVIE INFO Directed By: Garth Davis Written By: Saroo Brierley, Larry Buttrose Cast: Rooney Mara, Nicole Kidman, Dev Patel Genre: Drama
13th Dubai International Film Festival Festival Date: Dec 07– Dec 14, 2015 Venue: Dubai, UAE Plot: A young Muslim boy carries his heritage in the form of an item of clothing that he doesn’t want. He is ridiculed and attacked for wearing it, which then gets ripped from him and desecrated. A Jewish classmate witnesses his trials and she is moved to help him. The boy decides to burn this cloth that he believes poisons his chance of being otherwise accepted by his classmates. But the girl saves it before it is totally destroyed. She is able to repair it, and surprises him when she hands it back to him. A new friendship begins. MOVIE INFO Directed By: Jacob Hayek Written By: Jacob Hayek Cast: Efraiem Hanna, Alex O’Neal, Eman Fustok Genre: Drama
Acclaimed Movie LA LA LAND
Whistler Film Festival, 2016
Plot: Mia, an aspiring actress, serves lattes to movie stars in between auditions and Sebastian, a jazz musician, scrapes by playing cocktail party gigs in dingy bars, but as success mounts they are faced with decisions that begin to fray the fragile fabric of their love affair, and the dreams they worked so hard to maintain in each other threaten to rip them apart.
Acclaimed Movie LION Plot: A moving true story of a young boy who was separated from his family at the age of five and adopted by
MOVIE INFO Directed By: Damien Chazelle Written By: Damien Chazelle Cast: Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone, Amiée Conn Genre: Comedy, Drama, Musical
Festival Date: Nov 30 – Dec 4, 2015 Venue: Whistler, Canada Opening Film: La La Land Closing Film: Free Fire
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Out This DECEMBER MOVIE NAME (LANGUAGE)
GENRE
FORMAT
KAHAANI 2 (HINDI)
THRILLER
ATMOS
icons
RELEASE DATE
02 DEC
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ MOANA (ENGLISH)
ANIMATION / ADVENTURE / COMEDY
3D / 4DX
02 DEC
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ UNDERWORLD 5: BLOOD WARS (ENGLISH)
ACTION / HORROR
IMAX / 3D
02 DEC
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ DEEPWATER HORIZON (ENGLISH)
DRAMA / THRILLER
09 DEC
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ BEFIKRE (HINDI)
ROMANCE / DRAMA
ATMOS
09 DEC
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ OFFICE CHRISTMAS PARTY (ENGLISH)
COMEDY
09 DEC
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ WAJAH TUM HO (HINDI)
ROMANCE / DRAMA
16 DEC
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ROGUE ONE : A STAR WARS STORY (ENGLISH)
FANTASY / ADVENTURE / ACTION
3D / IMAX 3D / 4DX
16 DEC
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ COLLATERAL BEAUTY (ENGLISH)
DRAMA
16 DEC
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ LA LA LAND (ENGLISH)
ROMANTIC/DRAMA
16 DEC
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ DANGAL (HINDI)
SPORT / DRAMA
ATMOS
23 DEC
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ASSASSIN’S CREED (ENGLISH)
HISTORY / ACTION / ADVENTURE
3D
30 DEC
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ SING (ENGLISH)
ANIMATION / MUSICAL / COMEDY
30 DEC
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ INCARNATE (ENGLISH) PVR MOVIES FIRST
HORROR / THRILLER Subject to release at PVR. Movie schedule is subject to last minute change.
30 DEC PAGE 29
IN THE NEXT ISSUE:
Return of Xander Cage
EDITOR HARSHVARDHAN CONSULTANT EDITOR SHUBHRA DESIGNER VIJAY FEATURES WRITERS SIDDHARTH Conceptualized by Ranjeet Ahluwalia The views, ideas and content of this magazine are not of PVR’s. PVR shall not be held responsible for the outcome of any action or decision based on the information contained in this publication. PVR does not give any warranty for the completeness or accuracy for this publication’s content, explanation or opinion. To share your feedback about the magazine, write to us at pvrmoviesfirst@gmail.com
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