LOS ANGELES - "The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian" dethroned "Iron Man" as ruler at the box office, pulling down $56.6 million, according to studio estimates Sunday.
The Walt Disney Co.'s action sequel took in less domestically in its opening weekend than "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe," which sold $65.6 million in North America in its debut weekend in December 2005. "Caspian" also raked in $20.7 million overseas.
But Disney expects the PG-rated movie, based on the C.S. Lewis fantasy series, to ride high through the coming Memorial Day weekend. The first "Narnia" tale grossed $745 million worldwide over its theatrical run.
"This is a film that we think is going to play all summer long and it's got nothing but school holidays in front of it," said Mark Zoradi, president of the Walt Disney Studios Motion Picture Group.
Disney is in pre-production on the third of the series, "The Chronicles of Narnia: Voyage of the Dawn Treader," set for release in the summer of 2010.
Marvel Studios' "Iron Man" slipped to second place after two weeks at No. 1 with $31.2 million, bringing its domestic total to $222.5 million.
Paul Dergarabedian, president of tracking firm Media By Numbers LLC, said the flawed superhero flick is holding its appeal better than "Spider-Man 3" did the previous May.
"'Iron Man' continues to hold very well," he said. "It's definitely cutting into audiences across the board."
The 20th Century Fox comedy "What Happens in Vegas," starring Cameron Diaz and Ashton Kutcher, came in third, with $13.9 million in its second weekend. Its domestic total reached $40.3 million, well above its $35 million budget.
"It's clearly the comedy, non-family movie in the marketplace right now," said Chris Aronson, a Fox senior vice president.
Warner Bros.' disappointing "Speed Racer" slowed to $7.6 million for fourth place, driving in $29.8 million over two weeks.
The studio said it was not ready to call it game over on the Wachowski brothers movie, which cost $120 million to make.
Jeff Goldstein, Warner Bros.' executive vice president of distribution, said next weekend was "do or die" for the movie.
Overture Films' acclaimed drama, "The Visitor," crept into 10th place at the box office with $687,000.
The distributor picked up the indie film, about a professor who discovers a couple living in his little-used New York apartment, at the Toronto Film Festival for a reported $1 million. It has grossed $3.4 million so far.
"It's good to know that you don't have to have special effects in your movie to make money," said Overture Films' senior vice president Adam Keen.
"Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull," which received a somewhat ho-hum reaction at the Cannes Film Festival on Sunday, whips its way into theaters on Thursday.
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Media By Numbers LLC. Final figures will be released Monday.
1. "The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian," $56.6 million.
2. "Iron Man," $31.2 million.
3. "What Happens in Vegas," $13.9 million.
4. "Speed Racer," $7.6 million.
5. "Baby Mama," $4.6 million.
6. "Made of Honor," $4.5 million.
7. "Forgetting Sarah Marshall," $2.5 million.
8. "Harold Sony Pictures, Sony Screen Gems and Sony Pictures Classics are units of Sony Corp.; DreamWorks, Paramount and Paramount Vantage are divisions of Viacom Inc.; Disney's parent is The Walt Disney Co.; Miramax is a division of The Walt Disney Co.; 20th Century Fox and Fox Searchlight Pictures are owned by News Corp.; Warner Bros., New Line, Warner Independent and Picturehouse are units of Time Warner Inc.; MGM is owned by a consortium of Providence Equity Partners, Texas Pacific Group, Sony Corp., Comcast Corp., DLJ Merchant Banking Partners and Quadrangle Group; Lionsgate is owned by Lionsgate Entertainment Corp.; IFC Films is owned by Rainbow Media Holdings, a subsidiary of Cablevision Systems Corp.; Marvel Studios is a division of Marvel Entertainment Inc.
Sabtu, 31 Mei 2008
Mike Tyson shows his sweet side in documentary (Reuters)
CANNES (Hollywood Reporter) - When hes not pounding very large men to the ground, ex-fighter Mike Tyson speaks directly to the camera in James Tobacks film "Tyson," and its hard not to flinch.
More a testimony for the defense than a documentary, its a sympathetic portrait of a complex man driven by an anger that still bubbles beneath the surface.
The former world champions eyes, which were as devastating as his piston-fast fists in the boxing ring, reveal little, but his self-serving words tell everything. His candor appears sometimes unwitting, but the result is a powerful film that will appeal to sports fans and those who respond to the visceral clamor of the fight world.
Using split screens, overdubs and a mixture of interior closeups and exterior long shots, Toback allows the boxer to portray himself as a gentle soul born on mean streets where constant bullying forced him to employ his brute strength to survive. A broken home, crime, correction facilities and finally the boxing ring -- its a familiar tale.
Not so familiar were the fighters extraordinary dedication, steeped in the lessons of the great champions, and his unflinching impulse to drive toward and destroy his opponent. Toback shows nearly all of Tysons knockouts and tracks his rise to the big titles, big money and world fame, and then the falls from grace, including failed marriages, a spell in prison on a rape conviction and ultimately the loss of his titles and most of his money.
In every circumstance in his life, Tyson believes himself to be the innocent party. He became a ferocious fighter to avoid being humiliated. His marriage broke down because they were both kids. His rape charge was "false" and the victim was "a wretched swine of a woman." A big-time boxing promoter was "a slimy reptilian mother
-------------------------
er." He bit opponent Evander Holyfields ear off because the man kept head-butting him and made him insane in the ring.
But Tyson says he made sure his six kids got some of all that money; he found Islam in prison; and hes been through rehabilitation. Now, he says, his anger is directed only toward himself. "Im not an animal anymore," he says in his high-pitched lisp staring at the camera through a dramatic Maori facial tattoo.
For some reason, Toback never mentions Tysons voice, not that you can blame him.
Reuters/Hollywood Reporter
More a testimony for the defense than a documentary, its a sympathetic portrait of a complex man driven by an anger that still bubbles beneath the surface.
The former world champions eyes, which were as devastating as his piston-fast fists in the boxing ring, reveal little, but his self-serving words tell everything. His candor appears sometimes unwitting, but the result is a powerful film that will appeal to sports fans and those who respond to the visceral clamor of the fight world.
Using split screens, overdubs and a mixture of interior closeups and exterior long shots, Toback allows the boxer to portray himself as a gentle soul born on mean streets where constant bullying forced him to employ his brute strength to survive. A broken home, crime, correction facilities and finally the boxing ring -- its a familiar tale.
Not so familiar were the fighters extraordinary dedication, steeped in the lessons of the great champions, and his unflinching impulse to drive toward and destroy his opponent. Toback shows nearly all of Tysons knockouts and tracks his rise to the big titles, big money and world fame, and then the falls from grace, including failed marriages, a spell in prison on a rape conviction and ultimately the loss of his titles and most of his money.
In every circumstance in his life, Tyson believes himself to be the innocent party. He became a ferocious fighter to avoid being humiliated. His marriage broke down because they were both kids. His rape charge was "false" and the victim was "a wretched swine of a woman." A big-time boxing promoter was "a slimy reptilian mother
-------------------------
er." He bit opponent Evander Holyfields ear off because the man kept head-butting him and made him insane in the ring.
But Tyson says he made sure his six kids got some of all that money; he found Islam in prison; and hes been through rehabilitation. Now, he says, his anger is directed only toward himself. "Im not an animal anymore," he says in his high-pitched lisp staring at the camera through a dramatic Maori facial tattoo.
For some reason, Toback never mentions Tysons voice, not that you can blame him.
Reuters/Hollywood Reporter
Sharon Stone: Was China quake `bad karma?' (AP)
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Sharon Stone's "karma" comment is having an instant effect on her movie-star status in China.
The 50-year-old actress suggested last week that the devastating May 12 earthquake in China could have been the result of bad karma over the government's treatment of Tibet. That prompted the founder of one of China's biggest cinema chains to say his company would not show her films in his theaters, according to a story in The Hollywood Reporter.
"I'm not happy about the way the Chinese are treating the Tibetans because I don't think anyone should be unkind to anyone else," Stone said Thursday during a Cannes Film Festival red-carpet interview with Hong Kong's Cable Entertainment News. "And then this earthquake and all this stuff happened, and then I thought, is that karma? When you're not nice that the bad things happen to you?"
Ng See-Yuen, founder of the UME Cineplex chain and the chairman of the Federation of Hong Kong Filmmakers, called Stone's comments "inappropriate," adding that actors should not bring personal politics to comments about a natural disaster that has left five million Chinese homeless, according to the Reporter.
UME has branches in Beijing, Shanghai, Chongqing, Hangzhou and Guangzhou, China's biggest urban movie markets.
During the brief interview, which has also surfaced on YouTube, Stone also said she cried when she received a letter from the Tibetan Foundation asking her to help quake victims.
"They wanted to go and be helpful, and that made me cry," she said. "It was a big lesson to me that sometimes you have to learn to put your head down and be of service even to people who aren't nice to you."
Stone's words created a swell of anger on the Internet, including at least one Chinese Web site devoted solely to disparaging her comments.
"To Sharon Stone's comment, it's unlikely that we will respond," said a woman who answered the phone at the Foreign Ministry in Beijing. She refused to give her name or position.
After-hours phone calls and email to a representative for Stone were not immediately returned Tuesday night.
According to the Web-based database imdb.com, Stone has at least four movies coming up between now and 2010, including "Streets of Blood," "Five Dollars a Day" and "The Year of Getting to Know Us."
The 50-year-old actress suggested last week that the devastating May 12 earthquake in China could have been the result of bad karma over the government's treatment of Tibet. That prompted the founder of one of China's biggest cinema chains to say his company would not show her films in his theaters, according to a story in The Hollywood Reporter.
"I'm not happy about the way the Chinese are treating the Tibetans because I don't think anyone should be unkind to anyone else," Stone said Thursday during a Cannes Film Festival red-carpet interview with Hong Kong's Cable Entertainment News. "And then this earthquake and all this stuff happened, and then I thought, is that karma? When you're not nice that the bad things happen to you?"
Ng See-Yuen, founder of the UME Cineplex chain and the chairman of the Federation of Hong Kong Filmmakers, called Stone's comments "inappropriate," adding that actors should not bring personal politics to comments about a natural disaster that has left five million Chinese homeless, according to the Reporter.
UME has branches in Beijing, Shanghai, Chongqing, Hangzhou and Guangzhou, China's biggest urban movie markets.
During the brief interview, which has also surfaced on YouTube, Stone also said she cried when she received a letter from the Tibetan Foundation asking her to help quake victims.
"They wanted to go and be helpful, and that made me cry," she said. "It was a big lesson to me that sometimes you have to learn to put your head down and be of service even to people who aren't nice to you."
Stone's words created a swell of anger on the Internet, including at least one Chinese Web site devoted solely to disparaging her comments.
"To Sharon Stone's comment, it's unlikely that we will respond," said a woman who answered the phone at the Foreign Ministry in Beijing. She refused to give her name or position.
After-hours phone calls and email to a representative for Stone were not immediately returned Tuesday night.
According to the Web-based database imdb.com, Stone has at least four movies coming up between now and 2010, including "Streets of Blood," "Five Dollars a Day" and "The Year of Getting to Know Us."
Move Over, George and Martha - 'Stitching''s Stu and Abby to Get U.S. Premiere (Playbill)
Adamanto Productions in association with Liebman Entertainment present the limited run of the "twisted, intricate drama that keeps you on the edge of your seat" at The Wild Project on East 3rd Street in the East Village. Opening is June 25.
Acclaimed Israeli actress Meital Dohan and Gian Murray Gianino are featured as Abby and Stu, who "love each other so madly, theyre driving each other crazy," according to the producers. "Stitching follows the increasingly disturbing and inventive games the couple plays in order to connect. As they circle and test each other, they role-play with reality and fantasy to the point where even they dont seem sure what is real anymore. When Abby discovers shes pregnant, the choices they make will haunt them forever. The visceral poetry and physicality between the lovers creates a surprisingly tender, often humorous, brutal romance. Stitching challenges the notions of modern romance in an increasingly complex world."
Performances continue to July 19 at The Wild Project, 195 East Third Street, between Avenues A & B.
Neilson is part of the "In Your Face" theatre movement in Great Britain, where Stitching was a controversial title. Neilson has been compared to Pinter and Ravenhill. His plays include The Menu (National Theatre), Welfare My Lovely, Normal, Penetrator, The Years of the Family, Heredity, The Censor (winner of the Writers Guild Award for Best Fringe Play 1997), Amazing Feats of Loneliness, The Lying Kind (Royal Court) and The Wonderful World of Dissocia. Neilson directed the U.K. premiere of the John Adams opera The Death of Klinghoffer for Edinburgh International Festival/Scottish Opera (Herald Angel Award). His new play Relocated will be presented at The Royal Court in June 2008.
Director Haskells credits include the critical and popular hit of the stage version of Road House (Barrow Street Theatre), the 14-month run of I Love Paris (about Paris Hilton) at the Blue Heron Arts Center, Fatal Attraction (starring Corey Feldman) at the East 13th Street Theatre and the extended martial arts fantasy The Jaded Assassin at the Ohio Theatre. He is also the originator and creative director of the very popular haunted house franchise Nightmare, approaching its fifth year in New York City and opening in Miami Beach, FL, in October 2008.
Dohan was recently seen as Yael Hoffman, the sexy rabbinical scholar, in the hit Showtime series "Weeds." Dohan was born and raised in Israel, and graduated from Nissan Nativ, the countrys prestigious acting school, and has starred in many theatre, television and film productions. She earned Israeli Oscar nominations for her performances in "Gods Sandbox" (2002 Manchester Film Festival winner) and "Giraffes" (2003 Scottsdale Arizona Film Festival winner). Dohan played a central comedy role in "Ugliest Esti" - the Israeli "Ugly Betty," which won the Israeli Emmy for Best Comedy Series. Her theatre credits include Best Friends at Cameri Theater, for which she won the Israeli Tony for Most Promising New Actress in 2000. Other credits include Romeo and Juliet, and in 2002 she gave an award-winning performance in Bad Children (the role was especially written for her by the celebrated Israeli playwright Edna Mazya). Dohan co-wrote and starred in Bath Party at Here Theatre.
Actor Giannos credits include Paradise Park, Eurydice, Radio Macbeth, Bone Portraits, Psyche, bobrauschenbergamerica and Salome with Al Pacino.
The design team for Stitching includes Garin Marshall (set and costume design), Wendy Ang (costume design), Brooklyn Art Department/Justin and Aaron Haskell (prop design) and Daron Murphy (sound design). Maggie MacDonald will be the fight choreographer.
Stitching will play Mondays and Tuesdays at 7 PM; Wednesdays-Fridays at 8 PM; Saturdays at 2 PM & 8 PM.
Tickets are $45 and can be arranged through www.OvationTix.com or by calling (212) 352-3101.
A limited number of student rush tickets will be available for purchase at the box office (cash only) two hours prior to each performance. For more information please visit www.StitchingThePlay.com.
Acclaimed Israeli actress Meital Dohan and Gian Murray Gianino are featured as Abby and Stu, who "love each other so madly, theyre driving each other crazy," according to the producers. "Stitching follows the increasingly disturbing and inventive games the couple plays in order to connect. As they circle and test each other, they role-play with reality and fantasy to the point where even they dont seem sure what is real anymore. When Abby discovers shes pregnant, the choices they make will haunt them forever. The visceral poetry and physicality between the lovers creates a surprisingly tender, often humorous, brutal romance. Stitching challenges the notions of modern romance in an increasingly complex world."
Performances continue to July 19 at The Wild Project, 195 East Third Street, between Avenues A & B.
Neilson is part of the "In Your Face" theatre movement in Great Britain, where Stitching was a controversial title. Neilson has been compared to Pinter and Ravenhill. His plays include The Menu (National Theatre), Welfare My Lovely, Normal, Penetrator, The Years of the Family, Heredity, The Censor (winner of the Writers Guild Award for Best Fringe Play 1997), Amazing Feats of Loneliness, The Lying Kind (Royal Court) and The Wonderful World of Dissocia. Neilson directed the U.K. premiere of the John Adams opera The Death of Klinghoffer for Edinburgh International Festival/Scottish Opera (Herald Angel Award). His new play Relocated will be presented at The Royal Court in June 2008.
Director Haskells credits include the critical and popular hit of the stage version of Road House (Barrow Street Theatre), the 14-month run of I Love Paris (about Paris Hilton) at the Blue Heron Arts Center, Fatal Attraction (starring Corey Feldman) at the East 13th Street Theatre and the extended martial arts fantasy The Jaded Assassin at the Ohio Theatre. He is also the originator and creative director of the very popular haunted house franchise Nightmare, approaching its fifth year in New York City and opening in Miami Beach, FL, in October 2008.
Dohan was recently seen as Yael Hoffman, the sexy rabbinical scholar, in the hit Showtime series "Weeds." Dohan was born and raised in Israel, and graduated from Nissan Nativ, the countrys prestigious acting school, and has starred in many theatre, television and film productions. She earned Israeli Oscar nominations for her performances in "Gods Sandbox" (2002 Manchester Film Festival winner) and "Giraffes" (2003 Scottsdale Arizona Film Festival winner). Dohan played a central comedy role in "Ugliest Esti" - the Israeli "Ugly Betty," which won the Israeli Emmy for Best Comedy Series. Her theatre credits include Best Friends at Cameri Theater, for which she won the Israeli Tony for Most Promising New Actress in 2000. Other credits include Romeo and Juliet, and in 2002 she gave an award-winning performance in Bad Children (the role was especially written for her by the celebrated Israeli playwright Edna Mazya). Dohan co-wrote and starred in Bath Party at Here Theatre.
Actor Giannos credits include Paradise Park, Eurydice, Radio Macbeth, Bone Portraits, Psyche, bobrauschenbergamerica and Salome with Al Pacino.
The design team for Stitching includes Garin Marshall (set and costume design), Wendy Ang (costume design), Brooklyn Art Department/Justin and Aaron Haskell (prop design) and Daron Murphy (sound design). Maggie MacDonald will be the fight choreographer.
Stitching will play Mondays and Tuesdays at 7 PM; Wednesdays-Fridays at 8 PM; Saturdays at 2 PM & 8 PM.
Tickets are $45 and can be arranged through www.OvationTix.com or by calling (212) 352-3101.
A limited number of student rush tickets will be available for purchase at the box office (cash only) two hours prior to each performance. For more information please visit www.StitchingThePlay.com.
'Indiana Jones' debut survives Cannes critics (AP)
CANNES, France (AP) -- Indiana Jones received louder applause going in than he did coming out.
His latest adventure, "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull," earned a respectful -- though far from glowing -- reception Sunday at the Cannes Film Festival, avoiding the sort of thrashing the event's harsh critics gave to "The Da Vinci Code" two years ago.
Yet Indy's fourth big-screen romp is not likely to go down as one of the most memorable. Some viewers at its first press screening loved it, some called it slick and enjoyable though formulaic, some said it was not worth the 19-year wait since Steven Spielberg, George Lucas and Harrison Ford made the last film.
"They should have left well enough alone," said J. Sperling Reich, who writes for FilmStew.com. "It really looked like they were going through the motions. It really looked like no one had their heart in it."
Alain Spira of French magazine Paris Match found "Crystal Skull" a perfectly acceptable "Indiana Jones" tale, a sentiment echoed by the solid applause the movie received as the final credits rolled.
"It's good. It's a product that is polished, industrial, we're not getting ripped off in terms of quality," Spira said. "You know what you're going to see, you see what you get, and when you leave you're happy."
The applause was louder at the outset, though. Fans at the early afternoon showing, which preceded the film's glitzy formal premiere with cast and crew Sunday night, cheered and clapped wildly at an announcement that the screening was about to start. Some even hummed the Indiana Jones fanfare as the lights went down.
The applause at the end was more subdued.
Cast and crew were unconcerned about how critics might dissect the film.
"I'm not afraid at all. I expect to have the whip turned on me," Ford told reporters after the screening. "It's not unusual for something that is popular to be disdained by some people, and I fully expect it.
But, he said: "I work for the people who pay to get in. They are my customers, and my focus is on providing the best experience I can for those people."
The filmmakers kept the movie shrouded in secrecy, skipping the rounds of press screenings often held for big studio movies and going for a big blowout at Cannes.
Spielberg said he and his collaborators decided "that the fair thing to do and the fun thing to do would be to view it where the entire world is come together every year at this wonderful festival, and we thought that was the best place to introduce Indiana Jones to you again after 19 years."
The film received none of the derisive laughter or catcalls that mounted near the end of the first press screening for "Da Vinci Code."
There were a few titters from the "Crystal Skull" crowd early on over co-star Cate Blanchett's thick, Boris-and-Natasha accent as a Soviet operative racing against Indy to find an artifact of immeasurable power. The rather corny romantic ending also drew a chuckle or two.
In between, the film packed a fair amount of action, though some viewers found the middle portion dull. Conchita Casanovas, of Spain's RNE radio, said she was "bored to death."
The new movie hurls archaeologist Jones into the Cold War in 1957. He survives a nuclear blast in the desert in typically creative fashion and is reunited with "Raiders" flame Marion Ravenwood (Karen Allen).
As speculated, the film has an alien connection, though far more subdued than the "Indiana Jones and the Saucer Men From Mars" story Lucas once envisioned.
There are melancholy nods to Sean Connery, who played Indy's dad in 1989's "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade" but declined to return for the new movie, and the late Denholm Elliott, Indy's college dean in two of the previous movies.
And the film reveals the relationship between Indy and his new sidekick, an angry young motorcycle rebel played by Shia LaBeouf.
As with "Da Vinci Code," which went on to gross $758 million worldwide, "Crystal Skull" is so hotly anticipated that it will be virtually immune from critics' opinions. The film is expected to put up blockbuster box-office numbers when it opens globally Thursday.
"The movie was absolutely effective enough to score with audiences everywhere," said Anne Thompson, deputy editor of Hollywood trade paper Variety. "This played way better than 'Da Vinci Code.' No one was gunning for it. They were excited going in, hooting for it in a positive way."
Dozens of fans prowled outside the Palais, the Cannes headquarters, holding signs saying they needed tickets for "Crystal Skull."
Amelia Sims, a 19-year-old University of Georgia student studying abroad, held a sign reading "I (heart) Indy." She managed to get a pass to the press screening and loved the movie.
"I guess I've been waiting 19 years for this," Sims said. "You could say I've been waiting my whole life."
But Christian Monggaard, who is reviewing "Crystal Skull" for Danish newspaper Information, said he grew up with the "Indiana Jones" films and came away from this one disappointed, finding the climax an "overblown special-effects extravaganza."
"Talk about a woman scorned," Monggaard said. "A fan scorned is even worse."
___
Associated Press writer Angela Doland in Cannes, France, contributed to this report.
His latest adventure, "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull," earned a respectful -- though far from glowing -- reception Sunday at the Cannes Film Festival, avoiding the sort of thrashing the event's harsh critics gave to "The Da Vinci Code" two years ago.
Yet Indy's fourth big-screen romp is not likely to go down as one of the most memorable. Some viewers at its first press screening loved it, some called it slick and enjoyable though formulaic, some said it was not worth the 19-year wait since Steven Spielberg, George Lucas and Harrison Ford made the last film.
"They should have left well enough alone," said J. Sperling Reich, who writes for FilmStew.com. "It really looked like they were going through the motions. It really looked like no one had their heart in it."
Alain Spira of French magazine Paris Match found "Crystal Skull" a perfectly acceptable "Indiana Jones" tale, a sentiment echoed by the solid applause the movie received as the final credits rolled.
"It's good. It's a product that is polished, industrial, we're not getting ripped off in terms of quality," Spira said. "You know what you're going to see, you see what you get, and when you leave you're happy."
The applause was louder at the outset, though. Fans at the early afternoon showing, which preceded the film's glitzy formal premiere with cast and crew Sunday night, cheered and clapped wildly at an announcement that the screening was about to start. Some even hummed the Indiana Jones fanfare as the lights went down.
The applause at the end was more subdued.
Cast and crew were unconcerned about how critics might dissect the film.
"I'm not afraid at all. I expect to have the whip turned on me," Ford told reporters after the screening. "It's not unusual for something that is popular to be disdained by some people, and I fully expect it.
But, he said: "I work for the people who pay to get in. They are my customers, and my focus is on providing the best experience I can for those people."
The filmmakers kept the movie shrouded in secrecy, skipping the rounds of press screenings often held for big studio movies and going for a big blowout at Cannes.
Spielberg said he and his collaborators decided "that the fair thing to do and the fun thing to do would be to view it where the entire world is come together every year at this wonderful festival, and we thought that was the best place to introduce Indiana Jones to you again after 19 years."
The film received none of the derisive laughter or catcalls that mounted near the end of the first press screening for "Da Vinci Code."
There were a few titters from the "Crystal Skull" crowd early on over co-star Cate Blanchett's thick, Boris-and-Natasha accent as a Soviet operative racing against Indy to find an artifact of immeasurable power. The rather corny romantic ending also drew a chuckle or two.
In between, the film packed a fair amount of action, though some viewers found the middle portion dull. Conchita Casanovas, of Spain's RNE radio, said she was "bored to death."
The new movie hurls archaeologist Jones into the Cold War in 1957. He survives a nuclear blast in the desert in typically creative fashion and is reunited with "Raiders" flame Marion Ravenwood (Karen Allen).
As speculated, the film has an alien connection, though far more subdued than the "Indiana Jones and the Saucer Men From Mars" story Lucas once envisioned.
There are melancholy nods to Sean Connery, who played Indy's dad in 1989's "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade" but declined to return for the new movie, and the late Denholm Elliott, Indy's college dean in two of the previous movies.
And the film reveals the relationship between Indy and his new sidekick, an angry young motorcycle rebel played by Shia LaBeouf.
As with "Da Vinci Code," which went on to gross $758 million worldwide, "Crystal Skull" is so hotly anticipated that it will be virtually immune from critics' opinions. The film is expected to put up blockbuster box-office numbers when it opens globally Thursday.
"The movie was absolutely effective enough to score with audiences everywhere," said Anne Thompson, deputy editor of Hollywood trade paper Variety. "This played way better than 'Da Vinci Code.' No one was gunning for it. They were excited going in, hooting for it in a positive way."
Dozens of fans prowled outside the Palais, the Cannes headquarters, holding signs saying they needed tickets for "Crystal Skull."
Amelia Sims, a 19-year-old University of Georgia student studying abroad, held a sign reading "I (heart) Indy." She managed to get a pass to the press screening and loved the movie.
"I guess I've been waiting 19 years for this," Sims said. "You could say I've been waiting my whole life."
But Christian Monggaard, who is reviewing "Crystal Skull" for Danish newspaper Information, said he grew up with the "Indiana Jones" films and came away from this one disappointed, finding the climax an "overblown special-effects extravaganza."
"Talk about a woman scorned," Monggaard said. "A fan scorned is even worse."
___
Associated Press writer Angela Doland in Cannes, France, contributed to this report.
Gandolfini selling 'Sopranos' wardrobe for charity (AP)
NEW YORK - Tony Soprano is shedding his wardrobe for charity. James Gandolfini, who starred on the hit HBO series, is selling off 24 outfits, including the button-down blue shirt he wore in the opening credits and the bathrobe he donned to fetch the morning newspaper.
Proceeds from the June 25 pop culture auction at Christie's will go to the Wounded Warrior Project, a nonprofit group that assists severely wounded soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan. Estimates for the costumes start at $500.
Gandolfini's wardrobe, which includes many outfits with the original production tags attached, is expected to bring up to $36,500.
The actor's contract allowed him to keep the clothes after the show ended its six-season run last year, Christie's said. He has authenticated all the outfits in the sale.
A tan cotton bathrobe with lavender trim and "S" insignia on the breast pocket, featured in the pilot when he got the newspaper and fed the ducks in his pool, may bring as much as $1,500.
The auction house is also offering the blood-splattered costume worn in the scene when Tony is shot by a demented Uncle Junior. Consisting of a black-and-beige short-sleeve polo shirt, white tank top and black pants, the costume could fetch up to $3,000.
Another 37 costumes worn by other lead "Sopranos" characters, including Paulie Walnuts, Christopher Moltisanti and A.J. Soprano, also are being sold, though the proceeds from those sales will not benefit the Jacksonville, Fla.-based veterans' organization.
The costumes for the series were designed by Juliet Polsca, who earned two Emmy nominations and a Costume Designers Guild Award.
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HBO is owned by Time Warner Inc.
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On the Net:
http://www.christies.com
http://www.woundedwarriorproject.org
Proceeds from the June 25 pop culture auction at Christie's will go to the Wounded Warrior Project, a nonprofit group that assists severely wounded soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan. Estimates for the costumes start at $500.
Gandolfini's wardrobe, which includes many outfits with the original production tags attached, is expected to bring up to $36,500.
The actor's contract allowed him to keep the clothes after the show ended its six-season run last year, Christie's said. He has authenticated all the outfits in the sale.
A tan cotton bathrobe with lavender trim and "S" insignia on the breast pocket, featured in the pilot when he got the newspaper and fed the ducks in his pool, may bring as much as $1,500.
The auction house is also offering the blood-splattered costume worn in the scene when Tony is shot by a demented Uncle Junior. Consisting of a black-and-beige short-sleeve polo shirt, white tank top and black pants, the costume could fetch up to $3,000.
Another 37 costumes worn by other lead "Sopranos" characters, including Paulie Walnuts, Christopher Moltisanti and A.J. Soprano, also are being sold, though the proceeds from those sales will not benefit the Jacksonville, Fla.-based veterans' organization.
The costumes for the series were designed by Juliet Polsca, who earned two Emmy nominations and a Costume Designers Guild Award.
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HBO is owned by Time Warner Inc.
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Country stars: Brooks will be back performing soon (AP)
LAS VEGAS - Like other country music stars, the guys from Montgomery Gentry aren't buying the idea that Sunday was the last time they'd see Garth Brooks perform for a while.
"If he has a passion for music, which we know he does like Eddie (Montgomery) and I do, you can't stay retired," Troy Gentry told The Associated Press as he strolled into the 43rd annual Academy of Country Music Awards.
"It's the worst drug in the world, because there's no cure for it," Montgomery said. "Once it's in your blood, you gotta have it."
Brooks planned to perform a medley of his hits on the telecast and was accepting the inaugural Crystal Milestone Award at the show known for showcasing new artists and up-and-comers.
"Garth is my hero, he changed my entire life's direction," said Rodney Atkins, who was nominated for six awards, including top male vocalist, song of the year and album of the year.
"Garth is gonna play music until the good Lord takes him home," he said. "I think once music is a part of you never really stop."
Brooks announced his retirement in 2000 and said he wanted to focus on raising his three kids with wife Sandy Mahl. Brooks and Mahl divorced in 2001, and he married fellow country superstar Trisha Yearwood in 2005.
He's performed occasionally since, for charity and to promote his latest album, a three-disc compilation set called "The Ultimate Hits."
"If he has a passion for music, which we know he does like Eddie (Montgomery) and I do, you can't stay retired," Troy Gentry told The Associated Press as he strolled into the 43rd annual Academy of Country Music Awards.
"It's the worst drug in the world, because there's no cure for it," Montgomery said. "Once it's in your blood, you gotta have it."
Brooks planned to perform a medley of his hits on the telecast and was accepting the inaugural Crystal Milestone Award at the show known for showcasing new artists and up-and-comers.
"Garth is my hero, he changed my entire life's direction," said Rodney Atkins, who was nominated for six awards, including top male vocalist, song of the year and album of the year.
"Garth is gonna play music until the good Lord takes him home," he said. "I think once music is a part of you never really stop."
Brooks announced his retirement in 2000 and said he wanted to focus on raising his three kids with wife Sandy Mahl. Brooks and Mahl divorced in 2001, and he married fellow country superstar Trisha Yearwood in 2005.
He's performed occasionally since, for charity and to promote his latest album, a three-disc compilation set called "The Ultimate Hits."
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