News

Charlie Cox and Zooey Deschanel know what the audience wants – more dogs!

Dogs are always the best part of a movie and they will have you smiling at your screen throughout. The cuteness is just too much to handle! Whether it’s a comedy like A Dog’s Journey or a heart-wrenching tale like Hachi: A Dog’s Tale, these four-legged animals know just how to grab our attention.

Hachi: A Dog’s Tale (2009)

Now, Charlie Cox and Zooey Deschanel are all set to star in a film in which their dog plays a huge part. Merv is a romantic comedy directed by Jessica Swale who has also worked on projects like Summerland and Ten Percent as a director. According to the premise of the film, Merv will focus on a broken-up couple who come together for the sake of their dog and fans couldn’t be more excited.

Zooey Deschanel and Charlie...

Shibuya♡Hachi , a TV anime based on the official mascot of the Shibuya City Tourism Association, has revealed a new key trailer, a new key visual (below), the main cast, and key staff members for the series. Shibuya♡Hachi will broadcast on TV Tokyo as part of the “eeny meeny miney mo” programming block beginning on April 6, 2024. The main cast for Shibuya♡Hachi includes : Hachi voiced by Misaki Watada Hachi character visual Mike voiced by Akio Suyama Mike character visual Nana voiced by Kana Ueda Nana character visual Harry voiced by Chihiro Uno Harry character visual Kuro voiced by Kou Bonkobara Kuro character visual Moyai voiced by Kenji Nomura Moyai character visual Based on original work by the Shibuya♡Hachi executive committee, Shibuya♡Hachi features animation production by Nippon Animation. Hachi performs the official theme song for the series, which is entitled “Dusk”. Shibuya♡Hachi key visual Related: Tourism...

Shibuya♡Hachi, the official mascot of the Shibuya City Tourism Association, is getting his own television anime adaptation that will broadcast on TV Tokyo in April 2024. The series is being developed as part of a project that celebrates the 100th anniversary of the birth of Hachiko , a dog renowned for his loyalty to his departed master, who has also been immortalized in a bronze statue located outside Shibuya Station in Shibuya City, Tokyo, Japan. Related: Pokémon Ultimate Journeys Anime Brings Ash’s Lifelong Quest to an End This June The Shibuya♡Hachi TV anime will follow the daily adventures of Hachi, a dog who enjoys a relaxed and cheerful life with his friends in modern day Shibuya. Source: Comic Natalie...

Seven Seas continued its Wonderful Wednesdays Twitter announcements today with three new titles set to release in a three-month window later this year, including a manga featuring Hatsune Miku and more. Hatsune Miku: Cantarella ~Poison of Blue~ by WhiteFlame and Ichika Hatsune Miku: Cantarella ~Poison of Blue~ is scheduled to release in September 2024. Synopsis: Cesare, the eldest child of the notorious Borgia household in fifteenth-century Italy, learns he has a sister he’s never met—Lucrezia. He is also given a poison called “Cantarella,” which has been handed down in the family for generations. The story unfolds after Cesare (here played by Kaito) meets Lucrezia (Hatsune Miku) for the first time... Cat Companions Maruru and Hachi by Yuri Sonoda Cat Companions Maruru and Hachi volume 1 is scheduled to release in August 2024. Synopsis: Maruru lived a pampered life till one day, he ran after a flock of sparrows and couldn’t find his way back home.

Seven Seas continued its Wonderful Wednesdays Twitter announcements today with three new titles set to release in a three-month window later this year, including a manga featuring Hatsune Miku and more. Hatsune Miku: Cantarella ~Poison of Blue~ by WhiteFlame and Ichika Hatsune Miku: Cantarella ~Poison of Blue~ is scheduled to release in September 2024. Synopsis: Cesare, the eldest child of the notorious Borgia household in fifteenth-century Italy, learns he has a sister he’s never met—Lucrezia. He is also given a poison called “Cantarella,” which has been handed down in the family for generations. The story unfolds after Cesare (here played by Kaito) meets Lucrezia (Hatsune Miku) for the first time... Cat Companions Maruru and Hachi by Yuri Sonoda Cat Companions Maruru and Hachi volume 1 is scheduled to release in August 2024. Synopsis: Maruru lived a pampered life till one day, he ran after a flock of sparrows and couldn’t find his way back home.

Japanese original was previously remade as ‘Hachi: A Dog’s Tale’, starring Richard Gere.

China’s iQiyi has closed fresh sales of Hachiko, a Chinese remake of Japanese feature Hachiko Monogatari, about a loyal dog who waited for his owner in the same spot even after his death.

The Chinese adaptation has been acquired for Latin America (Star Films) and Cis and Baltics (Kinologistika) with further deals pending.

Directed by Xu Ang and executive produced by Yeh Jufeng, film stars Da Huang, Feng Xiao-gang and Joan Chen.

Based on a true story, the 1987 Japanese feature was remade in the US as Hachi: A Dog’s Tale,...

Time is running out to stream the animated series “Bordertown,” the tearjerker classic “My Girl” and the cult favorite comedy “Galaxy Quest” on Netflix. These are among the handful of films and TV shows departing the streaming service in May, which also includes Steven Soderbergh’s Rooney Mara and Channing Tatum-fronted thriller “Side Effects,” the Hailee Steinfeld coming-of-age comedy “Edge of Seventeen” and the terrific animated film “Rango.”

Check out the full list of what’s leaving Netflix in May 2023 below.

Also Read:

What’s New on Netflix in May 2023 May 4

“Pup Star: World Tour”

May 10

“Bordertown” (Seasons 1-3)

May 13

“Weed the People”

May 14

“Booba: Food Puzzle” (Season 1)

May 16

“Side Effects”

May 18

“The Last Days”

May 27

“Collateral Beauty”

May 29

“The 2nd”

May 31

“Barbershop 2: Back in Business”

“The Boy”

“Edge of Seventeen”

“Galaxy Quest”

“Hachi: A Dog’s Tale”

“Little Boxes”

“Midnight Diner” (Seasons 1-3)

“My Girl”

“Rango”

“The Space Between Us...

New York-based investment firm Mep Capital, which previously acquired the library of Lotus Entertainment, is launching West Side Pictures, a new independent rights management banner.

Along with Lotus Entertainment, Mep also recently acquired the distribution rights to over 500 films and TV shows previously owned by Kew Media, including “Line of Duty,” “Thank You For Smoking” and “Jack Taylor” and “Rules of Engagement.”

Now boasting a library comprising more than 800 movies, TV series and documentaries, Mep Capital has signed deals with Magnolia and Abacus Media Rights to handle the distribution of these titles in the U.S. and internationally, across streamers and TV channels.

West Side Pictures will also own and manage ongoing debt and equity participations positions in the late Roger Michell’s “Blackbird” and The Jim Henson Company’s “Portable Door,” among a dozen of productions funded by Mep Capital.

Prior acquisitions consolidated in West Side Pictures include the...

In February 2023, Netflix will remove a bunch of movie and TV series from its library,

Netflix UK and Netflix US takes down numerous titles each month without fanfare, meaning that many things on your watchlist could suddenly disappear.

These removals are due to licencing deals coming to an end. Often, the titles make their way back to Netflix in the following year, but sometimes they leave to go to other platforms.

This month sees a selection of Netflix Originals being taken down, also.

To minimise surprise, we have put together a comprehensive list of everything being removed in both Netflix UK and US.

Find a full list of every movie and TV series being added to Netflix this month here.

Nb: The Independent compiled this list with help from What’s on Netflix.

UK

Movies

1 February

Amélie

Biking Borders

Christmas Under Wraps

The Cider House Rules

Collateral (2004)

Equilibrium

Event Horizon...

In February 2023, Netflix will remove a bunch of movie and TV series from its library,

Netflix UK and Netflix US takes down numerous titles each month without fanfare, meaning that many things on your watchlist could suddenly disappear.

These removals are due to licencing deals coming to an end. Often, the titles make their way back to Netflix in the following year, but sometimes they leave to go to other platforms.

This month sees a selection of Netflix Originals being taken down, also.

To minimise surprise, we have put together a comprehensive list of everything being removed in both Netflix UK and US.

Find a full list of every movie and TV series being added to Netflix this month here.

Nb: The Independent compiled this list with help from What’s on Netflix.

UK

Movies

1 February

Amélie

Biking Borders

Christmas Under Wraps

The Cider House Rules

Collateral (2004)

Equilibrium

Event Horizon...

In February 2023, Netflix will remove a bunch of movie and TV series from its library,

Netflix UK and Netflix US takes down numerous titles each month without fanfare, meaning that many things on your watchlist could suddenly disappear.

These removals are due to licencing deals coming to an end. Often, the titles make their way back to Netflix in the following year, but sometimes they leave to go to other platforms.

This month sees a selection of Netflix Originals being taken down, also.

To minimise surprise, we have put together a comprehensive list of everything being removed in both Netflix UK and US.

Find a full list of every movie and TV series being added to Netflix this month here.

Nb: The Independent compiled this list with help from What’s on Netflix.

UK

Movies

1 February

Amélie

Biking Borders

Christmas Under Wraps

The Cider House Rules

Collateral (2004)

Equilibrium

Event Horizon...

In February 2023, Netflix will remove a bunch of movie and TV series from its library,

Netflix UK and Netflix US takes down numerous titles each month without fanfare, meaning that many things on your watchlist could suddenly disappear.

These removals are due to licencing deals coming to an end. Often, the titles make their way back to Netflix in the following year, but sometimes they leave to go to other platforms.

This month sees a selection of Netflix Originals being taken down, also.

To minimise surprise, we have put together a comprehensive list of everything being removed in both Netflix UK and US.

Nb: The Independent compiled this list with help from What’s on Netflix.

UK

Movies

1 February

Amélie

Biking Borders

Christmas Under Wraps

The Cider House Rules

Collateral (2004)

Equilibrium

Event Horizon

Ferris Bueller’s Day Off

Guest House

Holmes & Watson

Hostel

The King’s Speech

Letters to Juliet

Love Happens...

Paul Mason, the screenwriter, producer and studio executive who penned episodes of Ben Casey, Ironside and CHiPs, created The Bold Ones: The New Doctors with Steven Bochco and served as president of Viacom Pictures, has died. He was 92.

Mason died Dec. 26 at his home in West Hills, his son Barry Jacobs announced.

At the start of his six-decade career, Mason co-wrote Angel Baby (1961), a drama that starred George Hamilton, Mercedes McCambridge, Joan Blondell and, in his film debut, Burt Reynolds.

Also for the big screen, Mason’s produced Nickel & Dime (1992) and executive produced The Further Adventures of Tennessee Buck (1988), Seven Hours to Judgment (1988), I, Madman (1989), Where Sleeping Dogs Lie (1991), The Amityville Horror (2005), Hachi: A Dog’s Tale (2009), A Common Man (2013), The House at the End of the Drive (2014) and Amityville: The Awakening (2017).

He, Bochco and Richard Landau created NBC’s The Bold Ones: The New Doctors, which ran from 1969-73 and starred E.G. Marshall,...

It’s almost the holiday season, which means that millions of travelers will soon find themselves in distant family members’ living rooms while Netflix blares on the TV. What Netflix shows and movies will be featured on those television sets? We now have a better idea as Netflix has released its list of new releases for December 2022.

It’s safe to say that movies are set to dominate this month. There is the usual holiday fare like Scrooge: A Christmas Carol on Dec. 2 but overall Netflix looks to be trying to end the year strong with some big ticket titles. Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio arrives on Dec. 9. That will be followed by Rian Johnson’s next Benoit Blanc detective story, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, on Dec. 2. The end of the month closes out with White Noise, Noah Baumbach’s adaptation of the classic Don DeLillo novel, on Dec.

Animal Lovers

If you are looking for a movie about VIP pets, then Adoring might be just the movie you need in your life. Adoring (宠爱 chǒng’ài) is a romantic comedy movie released in 2019. The movie follows the stories of six different people and their pets, finding out how they get love in their lives. A fun fact for those animal-loving fans is that the director of this movie found the email of an animal trainer from the Japanese hit movie Hachi online and contacted them directly.

Read further as we deep-dive into this film, giving you all the reasons why it should be on your list for your next movie night.

Review Synopsis

As mentioned previously, we will see a tale of six different stories. One of the stories is between Chen Le Yu and Jiang Nan. Childhood friends, going to the same high school, they’ve grown up together.

Tom Wlaschiha and Jazzy de Lisser (“Game of Thrones”) have joined the cast of Viaplay’s major English-language original feature “Hilma.” The film is written and directed by Lasse Hallström, the Oscar-nominated director of “The Cider House Rules” and “My Life as a Dog.”

The biopic, which explores the life of revolutionary Swedish artist and feminist pioneer Hilma af Klint, will bow this fall in theaters and on Viaplay, Scandinavia’s leading streaming service.

Wlaschiha stars as Rudolf Steiner, the Austrian artist and founder of the anthroposophical spiritual movement. Steiner became a key figure and mentor for Hilma af Klint who created more than a thousand striking paintings, sketches and watercolors that remained largely unknown until decades after her death.

The film explores the enigmatic life of Klint, who navigated through a male-dominated artistic scene to eventually become one of the Western world’s first abstract artists.

“Rudolf Steiner´s...

Arclight Films and Mep Capital Management are teaming up to acquire and license all available media rights to the library of The Lotus Entertainment.

That library consists of a mix of worldwide and foreign sales rights to 58 films released between 2005 to 2019, which earned more than 500 million at the global box office. Notable titles include “Just Friends” starring Ryan Reynolds, Amy Smart and Anna Faris; “The Grey” starring Liam Neeson; “Killing Them Softly” starring Brad Pitt; “Hachi: A Dog’s Tale” starring Richard Gere; “Freelancers” starring Robert DeNiro; “Jobs” starring Ashton Kutcher; “The Host” starring Saoirse Ronan; “Maggie” starring Arnold Schwarzenegger; “The Women” starring Meg Ryan, Annette Bening, and Eva Mendes; and “Kill Your Darlings” with Daniel Radcliffe and Michael C. Hall.

The deal was negotiated by Elizabeth Zavoyskiy, investment principal of Mep Capital, and Brian Beckmann, CFO of Arclight Films, with Jim Seibel, co-chairman of Lotus Entertainment. Arclight Films is handling...

Updated– Nordic Entertainment Group (Nent Group) is set to produce two major English-language films every year, kicking off with “Hilma,” a biopic of the revolutionary Swedish artist and feminist pioneer Hilma af Klint, starring Lena Olin (“Enemies”).

Lasse Hallström (‘The Cider House Rules”), one of Sweden’s most celebrated directors, is on board to write and direct the film.

“Hilma” will explore the enigmatic life of Klint, whose unconventional art remained largely unknown for decades. Klint navigated through a male-dominated artistic scene to eventually become one of the Western world’s first abstract artists.

Olin will play Klint in her later years, while Tora Hallström (‘Hachi: A Dog’s Tale’), Olin and Lasse Hallström’s daughter, will be portraying the artist in her younger years.

“I’ve spent three years trying to understand the mystery of Hilma af Klint. This is a story about an unwavering search for the truth about humanity and the universe,...

Nordic Entertainment Group (Nent Group), a leading digital player in Scandinavia, is committing to produce two English-language films per year that will debut directly on its Viaplay streaming service.

The first project will be Hilma, a biopic of the revolutionary Swedish artist and feminist pioneer Hilma af Klint, written and directed by Lasse Hallström, an Oscar nominee for The Cider House Rulesand My Life As A Dog. The pic will star Lena Olin as Klint, with Hallström’s daughter Tora Hallström (Hachi: A Dog’s Tale) portraying the artist in her younger days.

The project will debut exclusively on Nent Group’s Viaplay streaming service in 2022. The film is produced by Nent Studios with Helena Danielsson as producer and Josephine Zapata Genetay as executive producer.

“Hilma and our coming films make Nent Group’s ambitions clear. Nobody in the Nordic region is thinking as big as this,...

It’s safe to say that the Covid content drought is just about over. Netflix prides itself on being the most, let’s say, prolific streaming service in the game. With its list of new releases for May 2021 it’s once again revealing why.

There is a lot going on for Netflix this month and it all starts with some high profile original films. Zack Snyder’s latest zombie effort Army of the Dead premieres on May 21. That will be preceded by Monster, the adaptation of Walter Dean Myers’ classic YA book, on May 7 and Amy Adams Rear Window-esque The Woman in the Window on May 14.

Read more Games Castlevania Season 3: Infinite Corridor Explained By John Saavedra TV Lucifer Season 5: Devilish First Footage From Musical Episode Revealed By Kirsten Howard

Netflix’s TV offerings in May 2021 are just as packed. The adaptation of Millarworld superhero comic Jupiter’s Legacy...

Movies are slowly coming back to life at the cinemas. You can see it with each glowing report about a Godzilla vs. Kong or Mortal Kombat doing solid business. And for those with more discerning tastes, films like In the Heights and Those Who Wish Me Dead are definitely going to make their release dates.

Nonetheless, there are many who are understandably not ready to go back to theaters (or have yet to get an HBO Max subscription). Thus Netflix remains an old reliable option. While the Netflix movie selection can be narrow, each month offers some worthwhile gems to revisit or even discover. And May has a surprisingly robust group of Hollywood films from the last 40 years coming to the streaming service on May 1. Here are the best ones.

Back to the Future (1985)

Great Scott! Back to the Future is coming to Netflix. As one of the most beloved...

Top Chinese director Feng Xiaogang will step in front of the camera alongside Chinese-American actor-director Joan Chen in a local adaptation of the 2009 Hollywood tearjerker “Hachi: A Dog’s Tale,” which began shooting Thursday.

It is currently set to premiere on New Year’s Eve.

Feng is best known for his work as a director on films such as “Youth,” “I Am Not Madame Bovary” and “Cellphone,” but he has also frequently taken on acting roles, with his most recent starring role in 2015’s “Mr. Six.” China-born Chen is one of the few leading ladies with a robust career on both sides of the Pacific.

The Chinese “Hachi” remake will be helmed by Xu Ang, who previously directed “12 Citizens (2014),” a Chinese version of Reginald Rose’s “Twelve Angry Men,” and the popular Sohu TV police procedural web series “Medical Examiner Dr. Qin.” It is billed as an “original iQiyi productioni...

There has been a seemingly endless stream of American and European remakes of classic Asian movies for decades now. Some of them are faithful recreations. Others take the original concept and run with it in a wild, new direction. Others share a name or themes in common but suffer dramatically when it comes to quality. Here are seven of the best Western remakes of Asian films so far.

1. The Ring (2002)

Let’s start with a stone cold classic, which is a phrase that holds true of both the J-horror original and the American remake. In fact, the mainstream American movie with Naomi Watts is not the only remake of this film. There is a Korean remake and an additional American remake. The one from 2002 is one of the films responsible for starting the wave of J-horror remakes for western audiences, though.

2. Bangkok Dangerous (2008)

The American remake starring Nicolas Cage gets a bad rep,...

When a vampire wants information, they have a few different ways to acquire it—some of them more sinister than others. With Manhattan Undying coming out on VOD, DVD, and digital platforms beginning June 6th, Momentum Pictures has provided us with an exclusive clip from the film in which Vivian (Sarah Roemer) uses her chilling charms as a vampire to find out what she desires, while almost taking more than just information from her potential victim.

"Max is a talented young painter with a cult following for his hyper-realist style. Frustrated, he is squandering his life with drugs and excess until he learns that he has only weeks to live with advanced lung cancer. He decides to work on one last masterpiece instead of clinging to life with rigorous medical treatment. Vivian is a beautiful vampire preying on men who objectify women. She yearns to see her herself and understand the infatuation of her victims.

They thought they knew the score, but a group of thieves get more than they bargained for when they kidnap a girl possessed by a demon in House on Willow Street, coming to Blu-ray and DVD from Scream Factory this August. Today's Horror Highlights also includes a DVD contest for Glenn Douglas Packard's Pitchfork and release details and a trailer for Manhattan Undying.

House on Willow Street Blu-ray & DVD: From Scream Factory: "We are pleased to announce that we have a new IFC Midnight film planned for release on Blu-ray & DVD this August!

The House On Willow Street – The perfect kidnapping goes gruesomely awry in this shock-a-minute, supernatural wild ride. When a band of desperate criminals, led by the tough-as nails Hazel (Sharni Vinson, You're Next), abduct Katherine (Carlyn Burchell), the daughter of an ultra-wealthy family, they are certain they've found themselves an easy target for ransom. What...

"If I can get you licking and loving, I have my purpose." Aw, this looks adorable. Universal has debuted a trailer for the movie called A Dog's Purpose, directed by Swedish filmmaker Lasse Hallström (who also made the movie Hachi: A Dog's Tale ). Told from a dog's perspective, which is provided a voice by Josh Gad, the film does indeed attempt to show what a dog's purpose is - especially in connection with humans. The family film also stars Dennis Quaid, Peggy Lipton, Britt Robertson, K.J. Apa, Juilet Rylance, Luke Kirby, John Ortiz and Pooch Hall. There's more than one dog and they all look so friendly. As a huge dog lover, I have to say, this plays right to my emotions. Bring on the doggie love, can't wait to see this. Here's the first official trailer (+ poster) for Lasse Hallström's A Dog's Purpose, direct from YouTube: Based on...

Los Angeles, July 15: Actor Richard Gere says he behaves like a tough guy whenever he is on the movie sets and everybody has to listen to him.

The 63-year-old, who has given hits like "Pretty Woman", "Hachi: A Dog's Tale" and "Arbitrage", only lets his wife Carey Lowell dominate him when they are at home.

"I'm kind of a tough guy at work and I guess because I'm a big shot on set, everyone has to listen to me," Total Film magazine quoted Gere as saying.

"But I live with a very strong woman! Believe me, she doesn't say 'yes' very often. I'm the one that says 'yes'. I say, 'Yes, dear.' I don't even argue," he added.

Ians...

Bestselling romance author Nicholas Sparks is the king of damsels in distress fare. His latest flick to hit the big screen follows incognito Katie (Julianne Hough) who flees an abusive spouse to hideout in a small North Carolina town. She tries to forget her past, start anew  and be relationship-free. Check out her transformation from downer brunette to can-do blonde! Then shopkeeper Alex (Josh Duhamel) appears: a widower, with two kids, who fixes things, like bicycles and...broken hearts. Katie won't be able to resist for long. Obviously. We tease, but we fell for this old-fashioned romantic thriller. Director Lasse Hallström (Hachi: A Dog's Tale) pushes every emotional button, every warmly lit shot to...

Well, here's something we haven't really seen before from Lasse Hallström. The director, who has mostly been coasting on edgeless, forgettable, feel good fare for the past decade or longer ("Dear John," "Salmon Fishing In Yemen," "Hachi: A Dog's Tale," "The Hoax" etc.) has shifted gears considerably, getting behind the camera for the thriller "The Hypnotist," his first Swedish language film in 24 years. Starring Mikael Persbrandt ("In A Better World," "The Hobbit") and Lena Olin ("The Unbearable Lightness Of Being," "Chocolat"), the film is an adaptation of Lars Kepler's novel of the same name. The first in a trilogy -- the books are the second most successful crime series in Sweden following Stieg Larsson's 'Dragon Tattoo' novels -- the story follows Detective Joona Linna, who in this installment, investigates a grisly triple homicide where the only...

It's the immutable law of the serious dog movie: the canine always carks it in the end. Will Darling Companion be different?

Fans of serious dog movies have endured a lean few years since Marley & Me broke everyone's heart in 2008. Yes, there was Bolt, but that doesn't count because it was a cartoon. Yes, there was Hachi: A Dog's Tale, but that doesn't count because nobody actually paid to see it. And, yes, there was Marley & Me: the Puppy Years, but that doesn't count because you're not an idiot.

But with Darling Companion, the serious dog movie might be about to make a comeback. It's named after a Johnny Cash song. It's directed by the man behind The Bodyguard. It stars a brace of surprisingly big-name actors. Everything about it suggests that you'll spend the entire third act crying and blowing snot up and down your sleeve. But what actually happens in Darling Companion?...

Welcome to the first trailer for "Salmon Fishing in the Yemen," a British comedy about journalism, politics, love, and introducing non-native species into ecosystems.

Ewan McGregor and Emily Blunt star as a stodgy scientist and U.K. government representative, respectively, who are at odds over a sort of goodwill plan that, as you might guess from the title, involves fly-fishing in Yemen. Specifically, as a goodwill gesture of sorts, the Prime Minister's spokesperson (Kristin Scott Thomas) decides that one Sheikh's desire to enjoy his hobby closer to home would be a great human interest story during a time of turmoil.

Naturally, the dry riverbeds (a.k.a. wadis) of Yemen are not very hospitable to salmon, so Dr. Jones (McGregor) has to figure out how the heck to do that. He becomes buddies with the Sheikh (Amr Waked) and eventually succumbs to the charms of Harriet (Blunt), as well as the fish themselves.

When we saw that "Salmon Fishing In The Yemen," the latest from director Lasse Hallstrom had been added to the Tiff slate, we didn't go out of our way to find time to see it. The director, who impressed with "What's Eating Gilbert Grape" and "The Cider House Rules" has long settled into helming a string of increasingly mediocre films like "An Unfinished Life," "The Hoax," "Hachi: A Dog's Tale" and last year's intolerable "Dear John." So can you blame us if we didn't carve out time to see it in Toronto? Turns out the joke was on us, as…...

You can brand them as peddlers of Brad Pitt, as U.S based Inferno Entertainment have got some highly anticipated titles in their sales line-up and one matches Pitt with Andrew Dominik in Cogan's Trade (they worked together on Jesse James) and James Gray should be rolling out the cameras one of these days for The Lost City of Z with Pitt attached in the lead. Joe Carnahan's The Grey is on the map as well. Killer Elite by Gary McKendry - Post-Production The Grey by Joe Carnahan - Post-Production Cogan's Trade by Andrew Dominik - Post-Production The Entitled by Aaron Woodley - Completed Arabian Nights by Chuck Russell - Pre-Production Cane Toads: The Conquest by Mark Lewis - Completed Five Star Day by Danny Buday - Completed Hachiko: A Dog's Story by Lasse HALLSTRÖM - Completed Happy Tears by Mitchell Lichtenstein - Completed How To Make Love Like...

If I can sit through the Saw movies or The Human Centipede without my pulse missing a beat, it just means the tipping points have shifted

Back in 1976, when Taxi Driver first opened, I trotted off to see it with no idea what I was in for. Imagine that. I'd never heard of Martin Scorsese or Robert de Niro, and I hadn't read the reviews. It was my date's choice of movie; I was more of a Night of the Living Dead kind of girl. So I sat in the front row of the Leicester Square theatre, feeling slightly underwhelmed by the absence of zombies, until near the end. And then, suddenly, everything turned yellow, Bernard Herrmann's music was drilling into my skull, blood was dripping off De Niro's finger and I had to lean forward to stop myself fainting.

Incredibly, my date didn't notice anything amiss and I...

Richard Gere is close to signing a deal to appear in drama 'Arbitrage'. The 61-year-old star - best known for his roles in 'Pretty Woman' and 'An Officer and a Gentleman' - will star alongside Eva Green and Susan Sarandon in the Nicholas Jarecki-directed movie. The film tells the tale of a hedge fund magnate who is desperate to finish the sale of his business and winds up making an error forcing him to search for assistance from an unlikely source. Shooting is expected to start in New York in mid-April, with Laura Bickford, Kevin Turen, Bob Salerno and Justin Nappi producing. Mohammed al Turki and Brian Young will be executive producers on the project. Richard has been taken a short break from movies since 2009, where he was last seen in 'Hachi: A Dog's Tale'. He has a number of films coming up soon, including comedy project...

Brooklyn's Finest; Black Death; Frozen; The Collector; South of the Border

Being a diehard Richard Gere fan can be tough (Hachi: A Dog's Tale anyone?), but occasionally he reminds us why we fell in love with him. In Brooklyn's Finest (2009, Momentum, 18), Gere returns to form as one of three troubled cops, each facing a personal and professional crisis. He plays Eddie Dugan, disillusioned and days away from retirement, but suddenly saddled with a rookie to whom he must show the ropes. "Don't you want to do something good with your last few days?" asks his superior, to which Dugan replies: "No, not really."

Inevitably, the assignment leads to tragedy and chaos, with the possibility of redemption. "Instead of thinking 'B cop movie'," says a straight-faced Gere, practising his blinking in the behind-the-scenes extras, "we were thinking Othello and Richard III – big themes being played out with guys in uniform." Elsewhere,...

There ought to be a prize for the worst dog movie of the year. In 2009, it would have gone to the mirthless, sentimental Marley & Me starring Owen Wilson as a Florida journalist writing a popular column about rearing a labrador. This year, Lasse Hallström's Hachiko: A Dog's Story seemed likely to take the biscuit until the arrival of Marmaduke, the ingratiatingly cute tale of a Kansas family relocating to California with their great dane, apparently based on a newspaper comic strip that appears in 600 newspapers in more than 20 countries.

In this film, instead of owning the dog, Owen Wilson plays the lovable beast, or at least provides its voice. So expect this year's Lousy Lassie Award to go to Marmaduke.

FamilyOwen WilsonPhilip French

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Picture the scene. Hordes of eleven and twelve year-olds are arriving for that terrifying first day at a new secondary school and, like all the others, Greg Heffley is nervous about fitting in.

It doesn't start well. His mother shrieks: "Have a great day, sweetie pie' as she drops him off. Totally embarrassing.

And then Greg's uncool best friend Rowley Jefferson makes it worse by calling out: 'Do you want to come and play?' Middle school kids 'hang out'. They do Not play. More humiliation for poor Greg.

But this is not real life, it's the Vancouver set of the new comedy Diary of a Wimpy Kid, based on the book by Jeff Kinney and released in the UK on August 25.

We are at a suburban elementary school in a leafy suburb, which has been transformed into Westmore Middle School for the shoot.

After a long search for the...

Having directed the first two Harry Potter movies (and been executive producer for the entire franchise) Chris Columbus once again takes to the director's chair for a tale of a misfit schoolboy who discovers that he is actually the heir to a magical kingdom and is swiftly dispatched to superhero school where similarly gifted kids learn to fight dragons etc. Sadly, this is not the latest Jk Rowling adaptation, but the second-rate, sub-Hogwarts knock-off Percy Jackson & the Lightning Thief in which the earthbound offspring of Poseidon must visit Heaven and Hell in search of Zeus's missing fiery bolt – with the help of his stalwart new school-friends.

Even the publicity images look like dodgy Potter offcuts, with three teens (two boys, one girl) striking Potteresque poses against stormy skies which hide lurking beasties illuminated by Hammeresque gothic flashes.

The studio clearly thought that this adaptation of Rick Riordan's bestselling novel...

The inaugural Aruba International Film Festival (Aiff) has announced details of its program. The fest - which takes place June 4-11, 2010 - will showcase 28 films from 18 different countries, featuring several international premieres and many Caribbean/South American premieres. The lineup was announced by Aiff Artistic Director Claudio Masenza along with Festival founders Giuseppe Ciocarrelli and Jonathan Vieira. The fest will open with Lasse Hallstrom's "Hachiko: A Dog's Story," which ...

Supposedly, thrillers involving airplanes are not shown as in-flight movies, so as to avoid causing anxiety. There should be a similar rule that movies like Hachi: A Dog's Tale are not to be shown on airplanes, so as to avoid causing embarrassment. I'm not sure that my bawling my eyes out in the middle of a trans-Pacific flight really helped anyone. If you choked up at Marley & Me last year, you may want to keep an ambulance on stand-by for Hachi, which was unceremoniously dumped onto DVD a couple of weeks ago.

Which is not to say that the movie is cruel in any way, or harsh. It is emphatically G-rated, and contains not a single instance of violence, against human or dog. Rather, the reason for the tears is simply that, even with that awkward title, Hachi: A Dog's Tale is one of the most shamelessly effective movies I've...

In a fight for family film faces, Emma Thompson's Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang joined previews of How to Train Your Dragon in knocking off Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland from the top UK box office spot

The family face-off

Easter is still a few days away, but the contest for the seasonal family box office is already well under way. Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang opened on more than 500 screens, knocking off Alice in Wonderland from the top spot in its fourth weekend of play. But it was a close-run thing, Nanny's £2.59m comparing with Alice's £2.50m. Both films might have been stronger had they not faced additional competition on Saturday and Sunday from paid previews of DreamWorks Animation's How to Train Your Dragon.

The Nanny McPhee result compares with an almost-identical opening of £2.60m for the original film in 2005. Given the brand recognition established by the original film,...

Alice In Wonderland has topped the UK box office for the third week running. Tim Burton and Johnny Depp's fantasy movie sees off competition from new comedy releases The Bounty Hunter and I Love You Phillip Morris to secure the chart crown. Last week's runner-up Shutter Island slips a spot to number three, while action thriller Green Zone slides to five. Hachi: A Dog's Tale is the biggest faller, dropping four places from last week's debut at number five. Swedish thriller The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo continues to perform well on a limited release, taking in £300,000 on (more)...

Well, predictable when you consider that Carrey was starring in an edgy gay prison comedy and Aniston was in a romcom opposite Gerard Butler. Meanwhile, Alice in Wonderland continues its climb into the record books

The big battle

Jennifer Aniston battled Jim Carrey for box-office honours at the weekend, with action romcom The Bounty Hunter going head to head with edgy comedy I Love You Phillip Morris. Both opened on Wednesday, a strategy that boosted their respective "weekend" tallies to include takings from five days of play.

Those vital extra days helped The Bounty Hunter crack £2m in the UK and pushed I Love You Phillip Morris through the psychologically important £1m barrier. Strip out the previews and the films grossed a less-impressive £1.58m and £800,000 respectively. Aniston's last movie Marley & Me opened last spring with £4.41m, but the strong family appeal of the doggy tale makes that an unfair comparison.

Tim Burton's 3D fantasy remained the UK No 1, and together with Martin Scorsese and Paul Greengrass's latest films raked in £11.7m at the weekend

The big battle

As new movies from Martin Scorsese and Paul Greengrass prepared to go head to head over the weekend, there may have been a few anxious moments in the executive suites of Paramount and Universal. Both distributors had made hefty investments in films ostensibly competing for the same audience of discriminating cinemagoers with a 25-plus male skew.

In the event, both films emerged creditably, with Shutter Island scoring a convincing margin over Green Zone. Scorsese's 1950s-set thriller grossed £2.22m, against £1.55m over three days for Greengrass's Iraq war action film (£2.07m including previews on Wednesday and Thursday). Relative to the films' Us success, however, the UK results can be viewed differently. Shutter Island opened across the Atlantic a couple of weeks ago...

Richard Gere has admitted that he was apprehensive about meeting the dogs in his latest film Hachi: A Dog's Tale. The actor has said that it took him a lot of work to gain the dogs' trust. Gere told The Mail on Sunday: "Akitas are very discerning. I was nervous about meeting them. You can't buy them with treats - they have to trust you." The 60-year-old also (more)...

"Who is Clark Rockefeller" stars Eric McCormack ("Will & Grace") and Sherri Stringfield ("ER") in a tale of deceit and murder based on "the longest con the FBI's ever seen."

In the film, Clark Rockefeller (McCormack) cons his way into the life of Sandra Boss (Stringfield) by pretending to be one of the famous Rockefellers. The movie is based on the true story of Christian Karl Gerhartsreiter, who posed as a Rockefeller, married a successful female lawyer and then eventually abducted their daughter Reigh.

"Who is Clark Rockefeller" premieres on Lifetime Saturday, March 13 at 9 pm et/pt and encores on Sunday, March 14 and Monday, March 15 at 9 pm et/pt.

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'Hachi: A Dog's Tale...

Not a particularly exciting week for new releases on DVD and Blu-ray, with the exception of a couple Academy Award-nominated films trying to capitalize on their Oscar exposure (Up in the Air and Precious). Other major releases include Michael Moore's most recent film Capitalism: A Love Story and Troy Duffy's Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day, the Robin Williams/John Travolta comedy Old Dogs and the CG-animated Planet 51. Some other alternatives include a documentary from the producers of Moog called The Heart is a Drum Machine, the Sarah Michelle Gellar direct-to-dvd horror flick Possession, and the Richard Gere tearjerker Hachi: A Dog's Tale, about the iconic Japanese dog. Up in the Air [1] (+ Blu-ray [2]) Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire [3] (+ Blu-ray [4]) Capitalism: A Love Story [5] (+ Blu-ray [6]) Old Dogs [7] (+ Blu-ray [8]) Planet 51 [9] (+ Blu-ray [10]) The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day [11] (+ Blu-ray [12]) Possession [13] Nine Dead [14] The Stoning of Soraya M....

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Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire Before making this my top pick of the week I had to watch it again. I love this movie, but I wasn't about to make a purchasing recommendation without having watched it a second time myself. I didn't think that would be fair to you considering this is a hard film to watch at times. That said, after a second viewing, if I was given the duty of handing out the Best Picture Oscar, the producers of Precious would have walked home with the hardware on Sunday night. A Prophet remains my favorite film of 2009 from an entertainment perspective, and other films stack on top of Precious when it comes to movies I would watch repeatedly as evidenced by my top 25 of 2009 where Precious came in at #13, directly behind The Hurt Locker...

A little gem of a film that flew under the radar in North American but apparently tugged the audiences heartstrings everywhere else is Hachi: A Dog's Tale. Its based on a true story in Japan about a dog Hachikō who received national attention for his unwavering loyalty to his owner, even in death. His touching tale is so revered that a stature was build in his honor. If you hold a softspot for our man's best friend, then this is up your alley. Just be sure to keep a box of tissue on hand.

From Academy Award®-nominated director Lasse Hallström (2000, The Cider House Rules) comes Hachi: A Dog's Tale, a film based on one of the most treasured and heartwarming true stories ever told. Golden Globe® winner Richard Gere (2002, Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy, Chicago) stars as Professor Parker Wilson, a distinguished scholar who discovers a lost...