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Oscar Isaac excels at addressing life after “Star Wars.” Last year, when asked if he would return to play intergalactic pilot Poe Dameron if given the opportunity, he said he’d consider it “if I need another house.” At the Venice Film Festival in September, when pressed to explain why he signed up to play the guilt-stricken, gambling veteran at the center of Paul Schrader’s “The Card Counter,” he called it a chance to escape “green screen alien space land.”

These cheeky replies almost certainly contain a kernel of truth, but in the case of “The Card Counter,” they only tell a fraction of a story that predates “Star Wars” by decades. The movie, which finds Isaac delivering a sullen, introverted performance as former Abu Ghraib soldier William Tell, feels like a natural extension of the self-defeatist pariahs he’s played in everything from the bashful musician of “Inside Llewyn Davis...

When Jeff Goldblum appeared on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” to promote his latest role as a lobotomist in “The Mountain,” the 66-year-old actor proclaimed that he lived more in 10 minutes than most people do in a lifetime. The next day, he proved it.

Sitting in midtown Manhattan traffic for 45 minutes en route to an NPR interview, Goldblum covered a lot of ground: revisiting his origins in theater, recalling early work with Philip Kaufman and Woody Allen, analyzing the psychology of his blockbuster performances in “Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom” and “Independence Day: Resurgence,” worrying about Donald Trump, and explaining his recent quest to discover world-class auteurs. At the end, he squeezed in an impromptu catch-up with Billy Crystal.

Long beloved as a lanky, bespectacled font of charisma and intellect, Goldblum is now a genuine a pop-culture force. Two decades after “Jurassic Park” and “Independence Day” made him a household name,...

Zach Coco is a man on a mission — and time is not on his side.

The California-based photographer wants to photograph and interview as many surviving WWII veterans as he can.

Through his non-profit Pictures For Heroes, Coco travels around the country with money raised on GoFundMe to meet and honor hero men and women.

“What I’m learning about the war and about our country in the past 100 years is so inspiring,” Coco, 30, tells People. “Most of them were teenagers at the time and every time I learn about their life history it sounds like a movie script.

“This...

Quiet Earth has debuted the trailer for Joe Miale's Revolt. Aka Prisoner of War, this sci-fi thriller was shot in South Africa. Completed in 2015, the film will see its premiere in Japan, this Summer. A North American release date remains elusive. Revolt stars Lee Pace (The Fall, 2006) as a U.S. soldier, fighting off an alien invasion. Though, the aliens look very robotic. Revolt also stars: Bérénice Marlohe and Amy Louise Wilson. The film's official trailer, courtesy of Dutch FilmWorks, is hosted here. The synopsis, from distribution house, Voltage Pictures, mentions a French aid worker. Together, Bo (Pace) and Nadia (Marlohe) stave off mankind's extinction as the world is overrun by robotic juggernauts. The war looks hopeless, unless new technology can be developed, to thwart the onslaught. The trailer shows some of the film's special effects. The alien force is almost entirely developed via CGI. Meanwhile, the settings show...

There's a chance we just might get a break from the terrible films that Nicolas Cage has been making lately. Director Paul Schrader (writer of Raging Bull and Taxi Driver) is entering espionage thriller territory with Dying of the Light, and Cage isn't playing the kind of protagonist you'd expect. Complete with grayed hair, and a shaky, elderly demeanor, Cage plays an ailing veteran CIA agent who is hellbent on taking down a terrorist who has evaded him for years. This doesn't look half bad, but Shrader hasn't directed the best films throughout his career. At least it looks better than Cage's other recent work. Watch? Here's the first trailer for Paul Schrader's Dying of the Light, originally from Apple: Dying of the Light is written and directed Paul Schrader (director of The Canyons, Adam Resurrected and writer of Taxi Driver and Raging Bull). Nicolas Cage ignites a powder...

Veronica Ferres has joined the cast of Nicolas Cage's thriller Pay the Ghost.

Based on Tim Lebbon's short story of the same name, Pay the Ghost stars Cage as a New York University English professor whose young son goes missing during a Halloween day parade.

German director Uli Edel is overseeing the film, which sees Sarah Wayne Callies play Cage's estranged wife.

The pair must work together with Ferres's professor to save their missing son from a supernatural ghost.

Timber Falls' Dan Kay is adapting the story.

Ferres appeared alongside Willem Dafoe and Jeff Goldblum in 2007's Adam Resurrected. She recently starred in Simon Pegg's Hector and the Search For Happiness.

German actress Veronica Ferres (Sans famille, Les Misérables, Schtonk) has joined the cast of Pay the Ghost, the Nicolas Cage supernatural thriller set to start lensing this week in Toronto. German helmer Uli Edel (The Baader Minhof Complex) is helming the pic, about a professor (Cage) who reunites with his estranged wife to track down the vengeful ghost who took their son years ago during a Halloween parade. Ferres will play a fellow professor and mentor to Cage who helps in the parents’ search for their child. The veteran actress has been making her way stateside in films like Adam Resurrected opposite Jeff Goldblum and Willem Dafoe and the upcoming the Toronto title Hector and the Search for Happiness, opposite Simon Pegg. Script is by Dan Kay, based on the short story by novelist Tim Lebbon. Voltage will be selling the film at Tiff. Ferres is repped by Resolution.

Awkward...

The Tribeca Film Festival announced its jurors for this year’s event, which runs from April 16-27. The list includes Toni Collette, Lake Bell, Whoopi Goldberg, Catherine Hardwicke, Heather Graham, Anton Yelchin, Paul Wesley and 26 other leaders of the filmmaking community.

In addition to the Festival’s main competition juries in seven categories, Tribeca named Delia Ephron, Natasha Lyonne, and Gary Ross to select the second annual Nora Ephron Prize, which awards $25,000 to a female writer or director.

Click below for the entire list of jurors, with biographical information courtesy of the Tribeca festival:

World Competition Categories

The jurors for...

Israeli novelist who became disillusioned with his homeland

The novelist Yoram Kaniuk, who has died aged 83 of bone marrow cancer, belonged to the generation that created the state of Israel. He fought in the 1948 war from which it emerged independent, but, along with some other writers of his generation, he became disillusioned with his homeland, disenchanted with its very spirit. "The state I took part in founding had ended long ago and I am not interested in what it has become. It is ludicrous, blunt, vile, dark, sick, and it will not last. We used to think it would be different."

In the half century up to his death, he published 29 books, most of them novels, with subjects ranging from the 1948 war, the Holocaust and the occupation of territories gained in 1967 to parent-child relationships and ageing. Among his best-known are Hemo, King of Jerusalem (1968), the story of a wounded soldier...

It's coming on five years since 2008's "Adam Resurrected," writer/director Paul Schrader's last feature film, but he's returning in a big way. Later this summer, his independently financed and Kickstarter-assisted "The Canyons," starring Lindsay Lohan and porn star James Deen, will see a release by IFC Films as well as make a splash overseas playing out-of-competition at the Venice Film Festival (where he'll also serve as President of the International Jury for the Orizzonti section of the fest). And lucky enough for fans of the director, we won't be waiting another five years for Schrader to mount his next feature. Catching up with the filmmaker by phone today to talk about "The Canyons," we asked him about his script for "The Dying Of The Light," a project Nicolas Winding Refn was gearing up to direct a couple of years back, until it fell apart. And the good news...

For his first feature film since 2008's "Adam Resurrected," famed screenwriter and director Paul Schrader is drawing on a particularly diverse and unique group of talent for "The Canyons." Boasting a script penned by Bret Easton Ellis with a cast featuring adult film star James Deen, Lindsay Lohan and up and comers Nolan Funk and Amanda Brook, another intriguing element has been added to the production. Broken Social Scene co-founder Brendan Canning has been selected to score "The Canyons." While the musician has found fame and acclaim both as a member of Bss and as a solo artist, he's no stranger to the movie world. Canning has scored films such as Bruce McDonald's “The Tracy Fragments” and “Trigger” as well as “Snow Cake.” And alongside Broken Social Scene, he's participated on soundtrack work for “Half Nelson”, “Scott Pilgrim vs. the World” and “It’s Kind of a...

Red Sea Media is experiencing its first Cannes. Founded in November 2011 by Roman Kopelevich and Roman Viaris, the company is backed by Russian investors. Its initial slate of films is quite strong for such a new company. Aside from the two action films Anchor Bay just acquired for all English speaking territories, Officer Down (Stephen Dorff and James Woods) and Pawn (Forest Whitaker, Ray Liotta and Nikki Reed), the slate includes A White Trash Christmas (Taryn Manning, Eric Roberts, Beverly D’Angelo), West Texas Lullaby (Val Kilmer), The Frozen (Brit Morgan), The Stoning Of Soraya M (Jim Caviezel) and Snowmen (Ray Liotta), and Frankie Go Boom (from Sundance). They get films from diverse sources, including from his attorney, Elsa Ramo who represents financiers and producers. He wants to establish a brand as a source of Russian films such as those by Serge Selyanov (Mongol) who is also a distributor in Russia (Nashe Kino). His main investor is Vadim Goryainov. The company was established when a friend of his mother (who is also in the business) approached him with 3 Moscow based companies.

While the company is new, Kopelevich himself has over 20 years of experience. Prior to Red Sea Media, he served as head of sales at Bleiberg Entertainment, where he sold the critically acclaimed films The Band’S Visit and Adam Resurrected (Jeff Goldblum). Previously, at Morgan Creek, Kopelevich sold the rights to The Good Shepherd (Matt Damon, Angelina Jolie and Robert De Niro) as well as Two For The Money (Al Pacino and Matthew McConaughey). Prior to that, he worked at Media 8 Entertainment, where he handled foreign rights for Academy Award winner Monster (Charlize Theron); The Upside Of Anger (Kevin Costner); Havoc (Anne Hathaway); Man About Town (Ben Affleck) and Running Scared (Paul Walker). His first film job was in 1991 with New World under Brandon Tartikoff and Ben Silverman who is currently the founder and CEO of Electus, a next generation entertainment studio staked by Iac's Barry Diller. His stint with New World continued after Ron Pearlman sold the company to Fox News Corps for $2 billion which helped to establish Fox Network into what it became 2 years later.

The first time we met Roman Kopelevich was during the internet bubble days of 2000 when FilmFinders was the acquired by iFilm and was the darling of all the film internet sites because it was one of two film databases in existence, Roman was working with FilmBazaar.com which covered Cannes that year with its Orange signage. We have since found out that he was born in Lithuania in 1971 and immigrated to America when he was seven years old with his twin sister and his parents who were Russian Jews.

The other Roman who owns the company is, Roman Viaris, formerly with Comerica Bank, as well as Nu Image Entertainment and served as the CFO of Voltage Pictures.

While Paul Schrader currently attempts to get financing for his next directorial effort, the Bret Easton Ellis-scripted drama The Canyons, he will also be penning another project. Coming from Cannes, The Wrap reports that the man behind Raging Bull, Taxi Driver, The Mosquito Coast, American Gigolo, Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters and more is set to pen a new project.

Schrader has been commissioned by the Kremlin, to script a biopic focusing on Mathilde Kschessinska, the famous Russian ballerina, who also played mistress to the country’s last tsar, Nicholas II. To attain a larger audience, the project will include an American cast and be shot in English. Check out Schrader’s comments below.

“Kschessinska’s life is a powerful metaphor for Russian culture and evokes the best of Russian arts. She was a first native prima ballerina in the country that saw the highest achievement in that art form.

With her statuesque beauty, Israeli-born actress Ayelet Zurer has made a strong impression in genre fare like “Vantage Point” and “Angels & Demons,” and especially heavy, hard-hitting dramas like “Fugitive Pieces,” ”Adam Resurrected” and Steven Spielberg’s “Munich,” in which she plays Eric Bana’s sympathetic wife and serves as his emotional mooring. Writer-director Lawrence Kasdan’s “Darling Companion,” then, represents a nice, unexpected change-up for Zurer, who plays Carmen, an exotic seasonal housesitter who ends up helping her employers (Diane Keaton and Kevin Kline) search for their missing dog, and in the process develops an unexpected connection with a member of their extended family, Bryan (Mark Duplass). ShockYa recently had a chance to sit down with Zurer one-on-one, and talk [ Read More ]...

'One reviewer said I looked like a giant gnome. I guess I do have prominent ears'

What got you started?

My parents always told me that if I found something I really loved doing, that was a good guidepost. I acted for the first time in a summer camp between fifth and sixth grade, and I was enthralled with it. As I got older, I became obsessed.

You've performed on stage in London and Broadway. Do you see any differences between the two scenes?

No. I was just at a fundraiser for the Old Vic, where Stephen Fry talked about the historical differences between British and American theatre acting. His final conclusion was that now, there are none: acting is instinctual. I agree.

What's the biggest myth about the movie business?

That you can skin the acting cat by improvising. While that may be true sometimes, there are directors who...

Another week, another Monday. So it’s time for the rundown of DVDs and Blu-rays hitting stores online and offline this week. It’s another packed week, with plenty of movies waiting to take you money, so let us breakdown the new releases and highlight what you should – and shouldn’t – be buying from today, January 30th 2012.

Pick Of The Week

Rolling Thunder (Blu-ray)

After spending eight years in a Vietcong prison camp, Major Charles Rane (William Devane, 24) returns home to a small town in Texas to be greeted as a hero with a Cadillac convertible and couple thousand dollars in silver coins, one for each day of his imprisonment. Struggling to go back to his former life, Rane faces another ordeal as a gang of thugs set their sights on his cash prize… Now living only for vengeance, he heads to Mexico to exact his own brand of justice on the fleeing crooks.

To celebrate Monday’s release of Adam Resurrected we’re giving you the chance to win one of three copies on DVD!

This extraordinary tale is masterfully adapted from prize winning author Yoram Kanuik’s 1968 novel and is brought to life by director Paul Schrader (Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, American Gigolo) with captivating performances from an impressive cast including Jeff Goldblum (Jurassic Park, Independence Day), Willem Dafoe (Spider-Man, The English Patient), Derek Jacobi (Gladiator, The King’s Speech) and Ayelet Zurer (Angels and Demons, Vantage Point).

Adam Stein (Goldblum). The funniest man in Germany. And a Jew. Taken to a Nazi concentration camp upon Hitler’s rise to power, Adam faces near-certain death in the gas chamber. Until he is spotted by the camp Commandant who recognises Adam as a performer and for his own sadistic pleasure, offers him a chance of staying alive…by becoming the Commandant’s pet...

To celebrate Monday’s release of Adam Resurrected we’re giving you the chance to win one of three copies on DVD. This extraordinary tale is masterfully adapted from prize winning author Yoram Kanuik’s 1968 novel and is brought to life by director Paul Schrader (Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, American Gigolo) with captivating performances from an impressive cast including Jeff Goldblum (Jurassic Park, Independence Day), Willem Dafoe (Spider-man, The English Patient), Derek Jacobi (Gladiator, The King’s Speech) and Ayelet Zurer (Angels and Demons, Vantage Point).

Adam Stein (Goldblum). The funniest man in Germany. And a Jew. Taken to a Nazi concentration camp upon Hitler’s rise to power, Adam faces near-certain death in the gas chamber. Until he is spotted by the camp Commandant who recognises Adam as a performer and for his own sadistic pleasure, offers him a chance of staying alive…by becoming the Commandant’s pet...

The critics and movie fans who attend Sundance can take to the web, Twitter, Facebook and any other outlet to report on the various films shown during the festival (and what they think of them), but it is the distributors that come to this snowy mountaintop to decide which of those films will make it to you. Having gone to college in Los Angeles you are bound to spend those years alongside classmates who graduate and become a part of this crazy world of entertainment. Nick Donnermeyer is not only a fellow Loyola Marymount University graduate (and good friend), he is now a producer and distributor for Bleiberg Entertainment who have released such films as Adam Resurrected and Robotropolis. We turned to Nick to get the perspective of someone attending the festival to not only watch new movies, but potentially purchase and distribute them as well. Nick is returning to Park City this year to see what...

To mark the release of Adam Resurrected on DVD 30th January, Trinity Film have given us three copies of the movie to give away. Adam Resurrected is directed by Paul Schrader and stars Jeff Goldblum, Willem Dafoe, Derek Jacobi and Ayelet Zurer.

Discover the fearless story of a Holocaust survivor, as the powerful World War II drama Adam Resurrected comes to DVD on 30 January 2012, courtesy of Trinity Films.

This extraordinary tale is masterfully adapted from prize winning author Yoram Kanuik’s 1968 novel and is brought to life by director Paul Schrader (Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, American Gigolo) with captivating performances from an impressive cast including Jeff Goldblum (Jurassic Park, Independence Day), Willem Dafoe (Spider-man, The English Patient), Derek Jacobi (Gladiator, The King’s Speech) and Ayelet Zurer (Angels and Demons, Vantage Point).

Adam Stein (Goldblum). The funniest man in Germany. And a Jew. Taken to a Nazi concentration camp upon Hitler’s rise to power,...

Although in the square of filming, Deadline has revealed a last-minute cast addition for Zack Snyder's Man Of Steel reboot; or rather a replacement. The site reports that actress Julia Ormond, who was attached to play Superman's Kryptonian Mother, Lara, has been replaced with Israeli actress Ayelet Zurer. Ayelet Zurer, the Israeli actress who starred in Angels & Demons, has been set to play the role of Lara Lor-Van, Superman’s Kryptonian mother in Man of Steel. That role was originally going to be played by Julia Ormond. I was unable to find out why director Zack Snyder made the last minute change. The site further claims Zurer will start filming this week. Ayelet Zurer, 42, is best known for her roles in Nina’s Tragedies, Adam Resurrected, Munich, and of course Angels & Demons. And playing 'Lara Lor-Van,' the actress will play alongside Academy Award-winner Russel Crowe and his 'Jor-El' role.

Bret Easton Ellis (Less Than Zero, American Psycho) has been working on two new scripts in the past couple years. One is the very tantalizing The Golden Suicides, which chronicles the fall of art-world power couple Jeremy Blake and Theresa Duncan, who trapped themselves in a bubble of paranoia that burst only with their double suicide. The other is Bait, a movie about a kid who feeds a bunch of rich people to sharks. Guess which one is getting made first, and with Taxi Driver writer Paul Schrader at the tiller? THR [1] reports on this one and provides a quick synopsis, which reiterates that the film should be a particularly overt and gory class warfare tale. How so? The site says the script, ...follows a young man itching to take his revenge against the wealthy. The man, who works at a posh beach club, angles his way on to a...

A foursome of horror movie news for you today: Up first, “Taxi Driver” and “Raging Bull” writer Paul Schrader is teaming up with Bret Easton Ellis (of “American Psycho” fame, pictured left) for a “shark-infested psychological horror project” called “Bait”. Shrader’s last film was 2008′s “Adam Resurrected”, but before that he took what I can only assume is a paycheck gig with 2005′s “Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist”. The film, about “a young man itching to take his revenge against the wealthy” will be directed by Shrader, who will work on the script with Ellis. This “Bait” is not to be mistaken with the similarly titled, shark-infested Russell Mulcahy survival flick “Bait”. ———-*———– You know what I was telling someone who may or may not actually exist the other day? I was telling him, “Hey, you, you know what we don’t have enough of these days? Voodoo-theme horror movies.

Last we heard, Paul Schrader ought to have been in post-production on The Jesuit right about now. The action thriller seems to have stalled, however, so Schrader has secured himself a new gig directing Brett Easton Ellis' Bait. He's replacing the previously-announced Jonas Pate (Caprica) behind the camera.This one is not to be confused with Bait 3D which Russell "Highlander" Mulcahy wrote and is currently finishing up in Australia. It's going to be hard not to mix them up though, given that they both involve sharks, joining an already crowded school that also includes imminent releases for Shark Night and Dark Tide.You might wonder why long-time Scorsese collaborator Schrader, most recently behind The Walker and Adam Resurrected, would be interested in Bait at all, but we're guessing Ellis is the reason. The American Psycho writer's original script seems to hit on his usual preoccupations, involving a sociopathic waiter...

Gail Simone's been plotting her approach to writing for the Marvel Universe one character at a time this week. Recently, she's sounded off about Thor and Wolverine, and today she questioned why Namor's smell doesn't play a more prominent role in his stories.

Bryan Lee O'Malley, meanwhile, would like someone to map out the X-Mansion in a clear way, and Chris Eliopoulos tried to assess Bristol Palin's income in easy-to-understand terms. Find out what he thinks after the jump, along with what David Mack's been watching while working on a Captain America cover.

I'm @brianwarmoth, and this is your Twitter Report for April 7, 2011.

@GailSimone If I ever write Namor, I will make it a point to talk about his fishy smell. I bet he smells like a yeast infection 24/7.

-Gail Simone, Writer ("Birds of Prey," "Wonder Woman")

@radiomaru I feel like the x-mansion is a nebulous space,...

This wasn't just a surprising ceremony. It was total humiliation. Intimate Grammar, Nir Bergman's moving story of a boy who mysteriously stops growing, was the favorite to win. Nominated for 12 awards, it was so highly favored to win that the printers were just waiting to complete the one sheet tagline, "Winner of Xx Ophir Awards." With a release date set exactly one day after the ceremony, this beautiful film didn't win a single award. Not even one. There's something fishy about why this went home empty-handed, since Bergman is very much appreciated in the industry, being involved in high profile projects in cinema (Broken Wings), and in television (In Treatment). However, the winner of this year's Ophir ceremony is the lovely crowd-pleaser The Mission of the Human Resources Manager, by director Eran Riklis. The story of a human resources manager in a bakery in Jerusalem, who sets out on...

Israeli documentary Precious Life marks an early pre-Toronto Film Festival sale as HBO acquires U.S. rights. Directed by Israeli broadcaster Shlomi Eldar and produced by Ehud Bleiberg and Yoav Ze’evi, Precious Life tells the story of a four-month-old Palestinian boy from Gaza who lacks an immune system and requires a bone marrow transplant. This can only be done in an Israeli hospital. As his doctor pleads for help, Israeli journalist Shlomi Eldar decides to document this complex drama about Israeli and Palestinian doctors’ attempt to save the kid's life. “We can’t imagine any other company releasing Precious Life," said producer Ehud Bleiberg of Bleiberg Entertainment (Adam Resurrected, The Assassin Next Door, The Band’s Visit). Precious Life will screen in Toronto's Real-to-Reel program, followed by its 2011 presentation on HBO.

Get ready Jeff Goldblum fans - tonight at 10:00 Pm on USA Network you can catch him on the Season 9 premiere of Law & Order: Criminal Intent.

We were lucky enough to participate in an interview with “The Fly” star this week and, as always, he did not disappoint. Sure he talked about the new season and all the controversial series changes. But he also covered those internet death rumors, his favorite hobby (he’s a jazz pianist), some of his movie roles, and our personal favorite Goldblum career highlight, Tenspeed and Brownshoe.

Read what Goldblum had to say and watch our red carpet interview with Goldblum at last summer’s Oceana event where he talked about bee keeping and curling. Here are some of our random thoughts of Jeff Goldblum.

Q: How was it being dead? And, how was it giving your own eulogy on the Colbert Report?

Jeff: Those are great questions.

Change is coming to USA's Law & Order: Criminal Intent. After eight seasons, Vincent D’Onofrio, Kathryn Erbe and Eric Bogosian say goodbye in a dramatic two-part season opener that begins Tuesday at 10 p.m. Est and concludes April 6. Jeff Goldblum, who joined the show last season as the offbeat Det. Zach Nichols, remains to welcome new additions Saffron Burrows (Det. Serena Stevens, Nichols' new partner) and Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio (Capt. Zoe Callas, who assumes control of the Major Case Squad). The always game Goldblum phoned PopWatch last Friday on his lunch break -- 5:30 p.m. -- before settling in for a long night shoot.

Berlin -- Sweden's NonStop Entertainment pulled out its checkbook at this year's European Film Market, snatching rights to Scandinavia, Iceland and the Baltics to Berlin competition film "Jew Suss – Rise and Fall," Forum entry "Winter's Bone;" horror/thriller "Exam" from Brit director Stuart Hazeldine; Nick Love's coming-of-age tale "The Firm" and fashion-themed drama "Valentino: The Last Emperor" from director Matt Tyrnauer.

NonStop also pre-bought "2 Days in New York," taking Scandinavian and Icelandic rights to Julie Delpy's planned sequel to her 2007 sleeper "2 Days in Paris."

Three more titles heading north from Berlin with NonStop include Paul Schrader's Holocaust-themed drama "Adam Resurrected"; Marcio Bellocchio's historical drama "Vincere" and sports drama "Big Fan," directed by "The Wrestler" screenwriter Robert D. Siegel. NonStop took Scandinavian rights on all three films.

Cologne, Germany -- Senator Entertainment, the German industry's comeback kid, has secured a new lease on life via a credit line from L.A.-based private equity group Winchester Capital International.

Senator did not disclose the size of the loan but said Winchester's cash injection will allow the German distributor/producer to bankroll its acquisition and marketing pipeline through 2010.

Winchester's parent company, Winchester Capital Management, is a major player in the indie film financing world and has backed recent features including George Clooney-starrer "The Men Who Stare at Goats," and "The Private Life of Pippa Lee," featuring Robin Wright Penn, Alan Arkin and Winona Ryder.

Senator came close to collapse last year but has pulled through after radically restructuring and outsourcing many of its key operations, including its production of German-language films, which is now handled by deutschfilm, a joint venture between Senator and former company executives Anatol Nitschke and Christoph Muller.

Cologne, Germany -- Berlin-based Senator Entertainment is changing its mother tongue, announcing plans Monday to open a Cologne-based operation to produce English-language features.

Ulf Israel, head of 3L Filmproduktion, a co-producer on Paul Schrader's "Adam Resurrected" and Julie Delpy's "Two Days in Paris," will shift to Senator in January to run the new company, together with Senator CEO Helge Sasse.

Senator is in talks with Cologne-based studio Mmc aimed at setting up a long-term production partnership. Mmc has such a production and services agreement in place with Andras Hamori's H20 Motion Pictures, which plans to shoot Samuel L. Jackson-starrer "Running Wild" and Alex Winter's "The Gate" at Mmc.

Sasse said Senator picked Cologne because of the "great potential" offered by regional subsidy body the Filmstiftung Nrw, which doles out more than $50 million a year in production aid.

The new production shingle will complement Senator's German-language joint venture Deutschfilm,...

Berlin -- German, Turkish and Israeli cinema will have pride of place at the 36th Ghent International Film Festival (Oct. 6 -17), with films from the three countries accounting for half of the titles in competition.

Andreas Dresen's "Whiskey With Vodka" and Florian Gallenberger's German Film Prize winner "John Rabe", the Israeli films "Zion and his Brother" from Eran Merav and "Eyes Wide Open" by Haim Tabakman and both Miraz Bezar's "The Children Of Diyarbakir" and "There" from directors Hakki Kurtulus and Melik Saracoglu will compete for this year's Ghent Grand Prize.

Other titles in the competition lineup include "Applause" from Danish director Martin Pieter Zandvliet, and "Altiplano" from Belgians Peter Brosens and Jessica Woodworth, Dutch director Ester Rots' drama "Can Go Through Skin," and Norwegian title "Troubled Water" by Erik Poppe.

Cyrus Nowrasteh's "The Stoning of Soraya M.," a drama set in 1980s Iran starring James Caviezel and Shohreh Aghdashloo,...

Rob Hunter loves movies.  He also loves writing bestselling mystery novels and helping hot detectives capture evil-doers. These two joys come together in the form of cash money payments that he receives every week and immediately uses to buy more DVDs.  So join us each week as he takes a look at new DVD releases and gives his highly unqualified opinion as to which titles are worth BUYing, which are better off as RENTals, and which should be AVOIDed at all costs. Click on any of the titles below to magically head over to Amazon.com and pick up the DVD.  And don't forget to check out Neil Miller's hilariously titled This Week In Blu-ray column for reviews on the latest high definition Blu-ray releases! 30 Rock: Season 3 Pitch: Just won the Emmy for Best Comedy Show.  Again. Proves that even the establishment gets it right once in a while. Again...

Jody Hill's answer to Paul Blart is out on DVD today as Seth Rogen goes off the deep end in the dark and hilarious Observe and Report. On the flipside, we've also got the Matthew McConaughey rom-com Ghosts of Girlfriends Past, the animated CG adventure Battle for Terra, and the direct-to-dvd Scooby Doo prequel Scooby Doo: The Mystery Begins. Some potential hidden gems include the Sundance hit Lymelife, Clive Barker's Book of Blood, and Rob Zombie's animated sex comedy The Haunted World of El Superbeasto. New releases on Blu-ray include the Criterion release of Monterey Pop, Edgar Wright's Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz, plus whole lot of Star Trek. See anything worth picking up? Observe and Report [1] (DVD, Blu-ray [2]) Ghosts of Girlfriends Past [3] (DVD, Blu-ray [4]) Lymelife [5] (DVD, Blu-ray [6]) Battle for Terra [7] (DVD, Blu-ray [8]) Scooby-Doo! The Mystery Begins [9] (DVD, Blu-ray [10]) The Haunted World of El Superbeasto [11] (DVD,...

DVD Links: DVD News | Release Dates | New Dvds | Reviews | RSS Feed The Paul Newman Tribute Collection I just received this box set earlier today so I haven't had a chance to do anything more than open it and peek through the 136-page book, which has details on each film included as well as accompanying images. The movies in the set are The Long, Hot Summer, Rally 'Round the Flag, Boys!, From the Terrace, Exodus, The Hustler Collector's Edition, Hemingway's Adventures of a Young Man, What a Way to Go!, Hombre, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid Collector's Edition, The Towering Inferno Special Edition, Buffalo Bill and the Indians Or Sitting Bull's History Lesson, Quintet and The Verdict Collector's Edition. The set is priced at $62.99 at Amazon, which means you are looking at approximately $4.89 per movie and as you can see you are getting the 2-disc collector's editions of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid,...

The full programme has been unveiled for this year's UK Jewish Film Festival. The festival will run from November 7 to November 19, and includes screenings of British, Israeli, American and other movies in cinemas across London. Among the films showing at the 13th year of the event are the Coen Brothers's A Serious Man, Paul Schrader's Adam Resurrected and Haim Tabakman's Eyes Wide Open. Founder and director Judy Ironside said: "To celebrate this special year we will be bringing you a selection of films with bar mitzvah themes, which will be launched by the inestimable Maureen Lipman, (more)...

Post the success of Danny Boyle's Slumdog Millionaire, Mumbai better brace itself for another slum saga from Hollywood. Paul Schrader is on the verge of finalizing his script for Extreme City which will be shot in and around the slums of Dharavi. Back from a hush-hush meeting with the director, producer Anubhav Sinha says, "I can't deny there's tremendous interest in another Mumbai slum saga after Slumdog Millionaire. But our project was firmed in much before Danny's film released." After Danny Boyle's dark and passionate look at Mumbai in Slumdog Millionaire, it's American super-director Paul Schrader's turn to do a hardcore Mumbai film, this one for an Indian producer Anubhav Sinha. In what's arguably the biggest collaboration ever between Bollywood and Hollywood, American writer-director Paul Schrader sneaked into Mumbai in July and met up with producer-director Anubhav Sinha for a Mumbai-based underworld drama called Extreme City. Mumbai...

Post the success of Danny Boyle's Slumdog Millionaire, Mumbai better brace itself for another slum saga from Hollywood. Paul Schrader is on the verge of finalizing his script for Extreme City which will be shot in and around the slums of Dharavi. Back from a hush-hush meeting with the director, producer Anubhav Sinha says, "I can't deny there's tremendous interest in another Mumbai slum saga after Slumdog Millionaire. But our project was firmed in much before Danny's film released." After Danny Boyle's dark and passionate look at Mumbai in Slumdog Millionaire, it's American super-director Paul Schrader's turn to do a hardcore Mumbai film, this one for an Indian producer Anubhav Sinha. In what's arguably the biggest collaboration ever between Bollywood and Hollywood, American writer-director Paul Schrader sneaked into Mumbai in July and met up with producer-director Anubhav Sinha for a Mumbai-based underworld drama called Extreme City. Mumbai...

The 24th Israel Film Festival, which runs from June 3-18 at the Fine Arts Theatre in Beverly Hills and Lammele's Fallbrook 7 in the San Fernando Valley, will kick off with Reshef Levy's autobiographical drama "Lost Islands," the top-grossing and most honored film in Israel last year.

At the opening-night and awards gala at Hollywood's Egyptian Theatre on June 3, Iff Awards will be presented to John Fishel, president of The Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles; producer Robert Lantos; producer Branko Lustig; and songwriter Diane Warren.

In addition to "Islands," the fest's feature film lineup consists of: Ronit Elkabets and Shlomi Elkabetz' "7 Days"; Paul Schrader's "Adam Resurrected"; Avraham Kushnir's "Bruriah"; Ori Ravid's "Eli & Ben"; Marco Carmel's "Father's Footsteps"; Dror Zahavi's "For My Father"; Eitan Green's "It All Begins at Sea"; Igal Burstyn's "Out of the Blue"; Omri Givon's "Seven Minutes in Heaven"; and Shmuel Beru's "Zrubavel."

The...

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26 Films licensed "Keep It Together" to Splendid for German speaking territories.

Absurda - A David Lynch Company has licensed "My Son, My Son What Have Ye Done?" to Kinowelt for German speaking territories. Unified has U.S. and Ws has Canada.

Alliance licensed its entire library to Talat Captaan for the Middle East including Iran. It will serve as the basis for Captaan's reentering the sales business.

American World Pictures licensed "Parasomnia" to KMY Films for Cambodia.

Bavaria’s "Van Dieman’s Land" went to U.K. (High Fliers). "Bad Day To Go Fishing" went to Greece (Pcv). "Everyone Else" aka "Alle Anderen" went to Cis (Russian Report). "Let The Right One In" went to Turkey(Bir), Hong Kong (Edko), Colombia (Cinecolombia). "Troubled Water" went to Taiwan (Khan).

Beta licensed "North Face" to Music Box Films for U.S.

Diane Keaton and Jeff Goldblum are set to star in the new Paramount Pictures comedy "Morning Glory," which already boasts Harrison Ford and Rachel McAdams in the line-up.

The story, penned by Aline Brosh McKenna ("The Devil Wears Prada"), will feature an aspiring news producer (McAdams) who must save a failing morning TV show by getting control of its bickering anchors (Ford and Keaton). Goldblum will be McAdams' boss.

As per Variety, J.J. Abrams is producing, while Roger Michell ("Notting Hill") will direct. Production will kick off in May in New York.

Keaton was last seen in the comedies "Mad Money" and "Smother," while Goldblum was in the German/Israeli drama "Adam Resurrected," which was released in Germany in January.

Jeff Goldblum and Diane Keaton have signed on to star alongside Harrison Ford and Rachel McAdams in the comedy Morning Glory for Paramount Pictures, report the trades. J.J. Abrams is producing the film through his Bad Robot banner. Roger Michell (Enduring Love, Notting Hill) is directing from a screenplay by Aline Brosh McKenna (27 Dresses, The Devil Wears Prada). Glory centers on an aspiring news producer (McAdams) who tries to save a failing morning show by getting control of its feuding anchors. Ford and Keaton will play the dueling on-air personalities. Goldblum will portray McAdams' boss. Goldblum, who just booked a role in Mandate Pictures' The Baster alongside Jason Bateman and Jennifer Aniston, most recently starred in Adam Resurrected. He also stars as Detective Zach Nichols on Law and Order: Criminal Intent. Keaton, who co-starred with McAdams in The Family Stone, most recently starred in the bank heist comedy Mad Money.

In Texas, the ongoing celebration of movies has moved from Austin to Dallas and with the change of location, new films enter the spotlight. This year's AFI Dallas lineup includes The Brothers Bloom, with Rachel Weisz, Mark Ruffalo and Adrien Brody; Adam Resurrected with Jeff Goldblum; and The Burning Plain with Charlize Theron. Check out what else the festival has in store.

Jeff Goldblum has signed on to star alongside Jennifer Aniston and Jason Bateman in Mandate Pictures' upcoming comedy "The Baster."

The film follows an insecure man (Bateman) who discovers his best friend (Aniston) plans to have an artifical insemination and secretly replaces her donor's semen with his own.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, Goldblum is set to play Bateman's business partner. The trade further describes his character as someone "whose idea of working out is walking slowly on the treadmill while eating a candy bar."

Allan Loeb, whose credits include "21" and "Things We Lost in the Fire," is writing the screenplay. "Blades of Glory" helmers Josh Gordon and Will Speck are set to direct.

Goldblum's recent big-screen credits include "Adam Resurrected" and "Man of the Year."...

Jeff Goldblum has joined the cast of The Baster, the upcoming romantic comedy starring Jennifer Aniston and Jason Bateman. The flick is being helmed by Will Speck and Josh Gordon, the duo behind the Will Ferrell figure skating comedy Blades of Glory. Alan Loeb (Things We Lost in the Fire) penned the screenplay. The story follows a man (Bateman) whose female best friend (Aniston) plans to become pregnant with artificial insemination, but he replaces the preferred sample with his own. Seven years later, she returns to New York with her son, and he is forced to live with the secret that he is the child's real father. Goldblum will play Bateman's business partner and confidant, whose idea of working out is walking slowly on the treadmill while eating a candy bar. Goldblum has been pretty low key as of late. In 2007 he hit the small screen in the short lived...

Jeff Goldblum has joined the cast of "The Baster," Mandate's romantic comedy starring Jennifer Aniston and Jason Bateman.

Directed by Will Speck and Josh Gordon, the story follows a man (Bateman) whose female best friend (Aniston) plans to become pregnant with artificial insemination, but he replaces the preferred sample with his own. Seven years later, she returns to New York with her son, and he is forced to live with the secret that he is the child's real father.

Goldblum will get to exercise his comedy chops by playing Bateman's business partner and confidant, whose idea of working out is walking slowly on the treadmill while eating a candy bar.

Ron Yerxa and Albert Berger are producing.

Goldblum is coming off a powerful dramatic turn in "Adam Resurrected," the Holocaust drama from Paul Schrader. He will finish a stint on "Law and Order: Criminal Intent" before shooting "Baster," which is...

More Berlinale coverage

Berlin -- Stephen Daldry will likely be holding his breath before Friday's Berlinale premiere of "The Reader."

The Oscar-nominated drama starring Kate Winslet and Ralph Fiennes already has drawn the slings and arrows of U.S. critics for its mixing of an erotic love story with the history of the Holocaust. Berlin will be the film's first screening in front of a German audience and Sturm und Drang from the local press seems inevitable.

But when it comes to the film's boxoffice prospects here, Daldry, "Reader" producers the Weinstein Co. and local distributor Senator Film can take heart. German audiences are still hungry for Holocaust drama.

"The Reader" is the latest in a seemingly unprecedented wave of films that deal, in some way, with the Nazi horror and its aftermath.

From Bryan Singer's "Valkyrie," to Paul Schrader's "Adam Resurrected," from Daniel Craig starrer "Defiance" to...

Berlin -- Richard Loncraine's "My One and Only," a '50s-era comedy starring Renee Zellweger and Kevin Bacon, was squeezed into the competition lineup for this year's Berlin International Film Festival, barely a week before the event kicks off.

Zellweger plays a glamorous single mom on the hunt for a rich man to foot the bill for her and her sons' lifestyle. Produced by Merv Griffith Entertainment and Ray Gun Prods., "My One and Only" will have its world premiere in Berlin. Essential Entertainment is handling international sales.

Berlin also added Lone Scherfig's Sundance favorite "An Education" with Peter Sarsgaard, Alfred Molina and Emma Thompson and Davis Guggenheim's music documentary "It Might Get Loud" for its Berlinale Special Galas, ensuring the films will get the red carpet treatment without any of the pressure of competition.

All three films should give an added boost of star power to...

Berlin -- Florian Gallenberger's World War II biopic "John Rabe," Paul Schrader's Jeff Goldblum starrer "Adam Resurrected" and Hermine Huntegeburth's adaptation of German classic "Effi Briest" are among the highlights of this year's Berlinale Special program.

Other titles that will get the red carpet gala treatment, minus the pressure of having to compete for the Golden Bear, include "Hilde," Kai Wessel's biography of legendary singer/actess Hildegard Knef; Claude Chabrol's "Bellamy," featuring Gerard Depardieu; and Christiana Yao's "Empire of Silver," with Aaron Kwok, Tie Lin Zhang and Hao Lei.

Four documentaries with get the full Specials treatment: James D. Stern and Adam Del Deo's "Every Little Step," "In Berlin" from Oscar-winning cinematographer Michael Ballhaus and Ciro Cappellari, "Food, Inc." by Robert Kenner and "Terra Madre" from Italian director Ermanno Olmi. The last two also swillcreen as part of Berlin's Culinary Cinema section.

The 59th Berlinale runs Feb.