Archive for the ‘Internet ’08’ Category

Transforming a Reluctant Hero

Monday, March 2nd, 2009

Hayden Christensen is best known as Anakin Skywalker but as David Rice he can teleport himself. So why do people wan tto kill him? Jumper director Doug Liman explains.

Most people know what teleportation is thanks to the “Beam me up Scotty” scene in Star Trek. But instead of needing a machine to be instantly transported to the next room or across huge distances, what if you could do it at will?

American sci-fi writer Alfred Bester explored the possibilities in 1956 in his novel The Stars My Destination, now a classic of the genre. But it has never been fully explored in film.

In television show Heroes, Japanese office worker Hiro Nakamura has a similar kind of ability – but has little control over where he can travel to in space or time.

But in new movie Jumper, from Doug Liman, who directed The Bourne Identity and Mr and Mrs Smith, David Rice – played by Hayden Christensen – discovers that he can teleport instantly to any spot on Earth.

He can have breakfast while watching the sun come up over the Sphinx in Cairo, spend the day surfi ng in Australia, jump to Paris for dinner and have dessert in Japan.

There are only two limits to his power. He can only jump to any place that he can see, even in a photograph, or to anywhere that he’s been before, so long as he has a strong visual memory of it.

In the film Rice zaps around the world through wormholes in the fabric of space and time.

Some of the visual effects were created in Wellington by Oscarwinning studio Weta Digital. Rice has made himself wealthy – he can even jump into bank safes.

Everything is dandy till he encounters another “jumper”, Griffin – played by Jamie Bell, last seen in Peter Jackson’s King Kong – and discovers that there are many like him with the same genetic anomaly.

He also finds out that a secret organisation has sworn to kill all jumpers and they have been waging a secret war for centuries.

“Most of the stories we see about superheroes were actually written a century ago,” Liman points out.

“But what I loved about Jumper is that it felt very fresh and modern. Ultimately, it became the biggest creative challenge of my career.”

The film is based on two books for young adults by Steven Gould. But screenwriter David Goyer – who wrote Blade and Batman Begins – expanded on the story, including new character Griffin.

“What I loved about David Goyer’s original draft is that it was about somebody who gets superpowers and the first thing he does with them is go out and rob a bank. I really liked the honesty of that,” says Liman.

“It was something I hadn’t seen before and as a character-driven director it really interested me. I was also drawn to how imaginative and outrageous this canvas would allow me to be. Having done two action films in a row, I was attracted to the challenge of working with these profoundly human, complex characters.”

In developing the film, producer Simon Kinberg gathered a team that researched beliefs about teleportation in religion and history, as well as cuttingedge theories in physics that could make teleportation possible.

“We talked to a lot of physicists so we could understand the science of how teleportation might work and we used that to ground the story in reality. But we also researched the mythology of teleporting, which has been part of the cultural imagination for thousands of years,” says Kinberg.

“Sufi and Hindu mystics supposedly practised teleportation centuries ago. I think the idea of being able to put yourself instantly on a mountain that no one can climb, or just the ability to do mundane, everyday things in life such as being able to skip over the line in the passport office, offers huge appeal to the imagination.”

But producer Lucas Foster says the wide-open nature of jumping also offers equal opportunities for evil-doers.

“Instead of using jumping to do cool, fun things like eating breakfast on top of the Sphinx then going surfing in Australia in the blink of an eye, someone with bad intentions could take a nuclear weapon and drop it in the White House, or do other evil things. So while jumping is amazing, it can also be a kind of curse.”

That fear is part of the reason for the secret organisation – the Paladins – that has been trying to stop jumpers. They use electronic weapons known as “tethers” to ground, trace and eventually eliminate their teleporting nemeses.

But despite the fantastic concept, the film-makers wanted the film grounded in reality.

“We wanted this story to feel like it could truly take in our world in our time. It’s not something you’ve seen before in the superhero world. It’s not the bright and shiny universe of Spider-Man. It’s not the dark and gothic netherworld of Batman. Doug’s strong sense of realism brings some very fresh blood to the superhero genre, and twists and tweaks it in playful ways,” says Kinberg.

“David Rice doesn’t wear a cape, he doesn’t have a code ring. In most ways he’s an ordinary guy with a single incredible, abnormal ability – and how he deals with that is really the core of our movie. How would any of us react if we suddenly discovered we’d inherited an ability that could make our lives very exciting and free?”

” David has a very human impulse to use his teleportation to better his own life. It’s only in the course of the story that he learns that he can do much more than just rob banks and live in penthouses. He begins to see that he can help his loved ones and even strangers.”

Christensen, best known as Anakin Skywalker in the recent Star Wars movies, said despite being another venture into sci-fi , Rice was different to any other character he’s played.

“Although David has become very acclimated to life as a jumper it’s a very solitary life because he has this secret he can’t share with anyone,” he says.

“He has every toy any man could want but he’s still insecure and lonely. He really believes that he just wants to be left alone. But I think what’s so interesting about David is that he begins to change. He’s a very reluctant hero who resists his transformation into one the whole way, which makes him so interesting. The events around him force him to mature, to come clean and face his past as well as his uncertain future.”

Popularity: 2% [?]

‘Jumper’ special effects challenged actor

Monday, March 2nd, 2009

Obviously, Hayden Christensen is digitally inserted on top of the Sphinx in “Jumper,” but not because no one tried to get him up there for real.

Christensen says the producer tried to negotiate for the right to allow him to be airlifted by helicopter and lowered down onto the Sphnix.

That didn’t work out. But the producer did get permission to film some scenes below the Coliseum in Rome.

The Coliseum was shut down for a few days so Christensen could film scenes “where they used to keep the gladiators and the lions.”

Source: ABC News

Popularity: 2% [?]

Hayden Christensen opens up about farming dreams

Monday, March 2nd, 2009

Hayden Christensen has revealed he has as many farming ambitions as acting ones.

The Star Wars prequels actor told Man About Town magazine recently: “I would say I have an ambition, but not an ambition that fits with any sort of greater endeavor, you know?”

“I got the farm about a year ago and just really turned my hand to it. Organic farming interests me.”

“Although, so far I’ve only planted a small vegetable patch but I definitely want to get the pigs, cattle and horses.”

“It’s a new endeavor and I’m not very good at it yet but I’m trying to figure it out. I’m learning new things and it’s a great challenge.”

“It’s also really pleasurable. There’s throwing the dirt around, getting your hands dirty and watching things grow.”

Source: Heather

Popularity: 2% [?]

Jamie: Hayden stepped up my game

Monday, March 2nd, 2009

Jamie Bell has admitted that working with Hayden Christensen in sci-fi flick Jumper was beneficial to him.

The duo play teleporting Jumpers in the film, and the Billy Elliot star reveals: “Hayden really stepped up my game. We just reacted off each other so well.”

Their partnership has a rocky start but soon evolves into mutual understanding.

“Every good relationship starts with a punch,” says the 21-year-old, laughing.

“Griffin (Bell) has lived a renegade existence since his parents were killed and so, at first, he sees David (Christensen) as a liability. But I think he also secretly enjoys the fact that he is able to teach him the rules, to teach him to defend himself and to really open up the world of Jumping to him.”

Jamie admits he was magnetically drawn to the concept of Jumper.

“There was something about the script that I really connected to, something that reminded me of being a kid desperately searching for a way out. Teleportation is the ultimate out,” he says.

“You can go anywhere at any time. Who doesn’t dream of that? As for Griffin, he’s incredibly wild, colourful and funny. He has this intense, kinetic kind of energy, he doesn’t have anything that’s permanent, he doesn’t have any sense of family or a social life, and in fact he has no real social skills at all. But I think all that makes him a really dynamic and interesting character,” he adds.

Source: news.uk.msn.com

Popularity: 2% [?]

Samuel L. Jackson Jumpstarts a New Trilogy

Monday, March 2nd, 2009

In a dense jungle in a far-flung corner of the globe, another Jumper must die. Trussed up in a tree with shock nets and electric cords, he begs for his life. But his pursuer, the Paladin leader Roland, is not about to show mercy. His smile is a grimace that hints at the pleasure he takes in ridding our world of these genetic freaks that have the ability to teleport themselves to any location. He pulls out a huge glinting blade and plunges into his screaming victim. Roland is a fervent leader of the Paladins, who have been waging a war against Jumpers for centuries and will stop at nothing in order to locate and eradicate the enemy.

Crowned with a head of silver hair, Samuel L. Jackson is Roland in Doug Liman’s multi-location action sci-fi thriller and is hell-bent on tracking down David Rice (Hayden Christensen), a young, fun-loving Jumper based in New York who has a taste for robbing banks and living the life of a playboy adventurer. But as Roland closes in on his quarry, David finds help from Griffin (Jamie Bell), a reclusive but savvy Jumper who’s spent much of his life devising ways to protect himself from the Paladins. On a set that was marked by constant changes to the script and cast and marred by accidents, including the death of a set dresser and head injuries to Christensen, Jackson rolled with the ups and downs of working on Jumper. Here he chats about acting opposite his former Star Wars co-star again, how he learned his character is driven by religious zealotry, and the fight sequences that ended up on the cutting room floor.

So did you enjoy getting a little bit of revenge on Hayden (Christensen) because he killed you in Star Wars?
No, actually I didn’t think about it. I’ll try and enjoy it more now.

What do you hope audience members take away from this?
I don’t know. I hope they like it enough that it makes enough money that they make the other two. That’s what I’m looking forward to. Seeing how the whole trilogy sort of plays out and fleshing out the stories of who the Paladins are and what the history is of the Jumper-Paladin war and all that stuff.

Were you familiar with the books prior to this?
No… When Doug first approached me about doing the film, the books were not out of print, but they were hard to find. And then all of a sudden — I guess now that the movie’s coming out — they’re back. But they weren’t easy to find at that time. And my character doesn’t show up until the last book anyway.
How much did you want or need to know about your character, and do you think there’s enough up there on the screen? When we first see him, he’s killing someone brutally and it looks like he’s having a good time doing it. And he obviously wants to kill David as well. But as the audience, we’re wondering why?
Well, I didn’t want a lot… There were other explanations when we were shooting. Or there were things that were shot or things that were in the script or were different from what I guess [were] left [in the final edit]. But at one point I talk to my son about the history of who we are and what I do, because I’m leaving home and his birthday is coming up, and he wants to know if I’ll be back for his birthday. And I’m telling him: “Well, I have to go out and do this job, and your great-great-grandfather did it. And your grandmother did it. And I’m doing it. And hopefully one day you’ll do it. These people are very dangerous and I have to go out and do this thing.” And I guess that’s not there now. That explanation is gone. Then we did some enhancement shots and all of a sudden Doug is saying: “Oh yeah, there’s this thing now. Only God should have the power [to teleport].” And [I realize] now I’m a religious kind of zealot. But that’s Doug. One day you’re in this place and the next day you’re in this other place and you kind of got to flow with it. So it’s not something that I had to play with the whole time we were shooting… I knew I have some history with Jamie [Bell]‘s character. Apparently he put the scar on my face and I did some things to him and killed his parents. But I guess that story will come out somewhere else.

So when the film came to you, it was packaged in a way that there possibly could be three films?
Yeah, of course. I was looking forward to doing three jobs, not one. That’s always an enticement.

Why did it appeal to you?
Well, I like the genre. I love science fiction. I think the concept is great and I’m sure most kids or most people sitting [in the audience] wish they could do that very same thing. We’ve all been stuck in an airport or had our flight delayed, wishing we could just be there. Or been in a car driving, thinking: “Damn, I wish I could get there!” So it would be great to be just beam down somewhere, like we used to see on Star Trek. “Beam me down, Scotty.” Beam me down here. Beam me down there. So it’s kind of a great thing to do, and a great super power to have. Better than invisibility. I liked the idea of there being this kind of conflict between the Paladins and those Jumpers. And not necessarily being the bad guy, [even though that] is kind of hard to say. These kids jump into banks, and they steal money, they steal things. I think that at some point they all go bad, whatever that means. That must be somewhere [further] down the line; we’ll see what that is. But you can actually see that Hayden was very different from Jamie and that Hayden has fun jumping. He jumps in banks, takes money and goes on dates, goes on vacation. Jamie is isolated, kind of psychotic, fixated on killing me and whoever else works for me. But he’s been jumping longer. So maybe the longer you jump, the most twisted you get, or something. We don’t know yet. And they also leave these rips in the atmosphere that could be environmentally dangerous. We don’t know yet. So I could be a good guy working for Greenpeace or something. Who knows? What about your hair and its real stylized look? Was that your idea or was that Doug’s idea?
That was my idea. I had a little fight with the producer about it but he finally ended up being okay about it. For me, Roland is this kind of timeless guy. I think he’s older than most people think he is but he’s still very virile — and kind of indestructible in an interesting sort of way and very strong and dedicated to this war. Doug and I talked about it as a comic book sort of film in a way… [and] I think of characters in comics as being very distinctive in specific kinds of ways. And I think what makes Roland kind of stand out in a group of people [is that he stands] out as a leader. And he wears his hair kind of like a crown. He kind of runs the Paladins. There’s a lot of stuff about him that may end up on the DVD and may not. He teaches at a university. He has a closet full of things, like that baton that you see. There’s a whole big discussion about that machine being made that holds the rips open so that we can follow the Jumpers through them.

If this film is a blockbuster, would you concede Doug made all the right choices? And if it bombs, will you question why Doug did not put the background in for your character, thinking then that the audience needed that?
I don’t know. Most films either make it on marketing or don’t make it on marketing. If you market it right, people go and see it. I think there are enough elements there. Most kids don’t care about that stuff. [Actors] care about it because we watch films in another kind of way, or we read scripts or we like information. The majority of kids haven’t read the books. They might go out and read the books now and get the information that way… But the majority of kids that are going to see it just want to see these kids jump and see them taking stuff out of the bank and look at [Hayden's] nice apartment and go: “Wow! If I could do that, I would have this in my house. And I’d go here and I’d go there.” And that’s kind of cool. And then they like watching the fight sequences, which are kind of cool too. And maybe eventually somebody will want to know all that other stuff. But the hope is that they get to make all three [films]. I wouldn’t blame Doug or anybody else for the success or failure of the material.

So there were loads of fantastic locations but if I look carefully, it doesn’t look like you went to that many of them.
Did you look carefully? Because I can tell you, I didn’t. I was in Toronto and I had another job, actually, so I had a stop date. So when I finished, my stunt double got to go… And he worked almost three times longer on this film than I did. He went to Tokyo and Rome, Tokyo again. He was back and forth a lot. He had a lot of frequent flyer miles. Do you do much of your action filming, or do you let your stunt double take your punches?
I let him fall. That’s what he’s paid to do. I jump off things with my wire on. It’s kind of nice to throw Hayden around and do that stuff. But in the end, he’s paid to go in there and get banged around. Plus, they choreographed all this stuff so tightly that we would shoot stuff with Doug and then they had a whole unit that just did stunts… I had a fight with Jamie that’s actually not in the film that it was me, Jamie, and these two Chinese kids dressed as Jamie. So when I would swing at one, the other one would come from another direction, and I had to do a lot of spinning, turning, moving out of the way. And they would crisscross like he was “jumping” while he was fighting me. And it was pretty fun to do but it was crazy… They hired this one French kid who came in to be me. He was a breakdancer, a street dancer… Jamie sets him on fire, and he has to go into like an airplane spin, do a flip, turn up, and start fighting again. It was all badass. And it’s kind of cool when people do that stuff for you.

Have you had much reaction from Star Wars fans at all about working with Hayden again?
Star Wars fans? I haven’t looked into that. No, [but] some people wrote some really harsh things about Hayden over the years, especially Star Wars fans or people who hate George [Lucas] in another kind of way cause he made three more Star Wars films that didn’t kind of go along with what they thought Star Wars should have been. Some harsh things have been written about him. So yeah, a couple of times I read things like hopefully when they get together this time Jackson will die a better death than he did last time. Or he’ll teach Hayden some new tricks — some harsh stuff. Hayden’s a good kid. I enjoyed working with him. I’m always amazed at the amount of growth that he’s shown from the first time he showed up till now. And we have a level of comfort with each other that kind of works on set. It’s nice.

Did you keep the Taser you use in Jumper?
Oh, yeah. I have it at home.

Does it actually work?
Well no, there’s no electricity that comes out of it. No, it’s not like a real Taser. No, but the blades pop up and out of it. I got that one.

Source: Premiere.com

Popularity: 2% [?]

Christensen to produce, act in ‘Beast of Bataan’

Monday, March 2nd, 2009

Congratulations to the cast and crew of “The Amazing Truth About Queen Raquela,” described by Variety as “about a Filipino lady-boy prostitute who fancies herself the true queen of France,” for winning the best feature Teddy at the Berlinale’s Teddy Queer Film Awards last Thursday.

Raquela Rios stars as herself in the feature co-produced by Arleen Cuevas and directed by Olaf de Fleur Johannesson. ***

Hayden Christensen, who played the plum Anakin Skywalker role in two “Star Wars” prequels, confirmed to us that he will produce and star in “Beast of Bataan,” a courtroom drama about the Japanese general in charge of the Bataan Death March.

In an interview in New York last Monday, the star of “Jumper,” a science fiction thriller, said that award-winning actors Willem Dafoe and William Hurt will play General Douglas MacArthur and General Jonathan Wainwright, respectively, in the film adaptation of Lawrence Taylor’s book, “A Trial of Generals: Homma, Yamashita, MacArthur.”

War crimes trial

Christopher Carlson and Mark Jean’s screenplay will focus on the war crimes trial of Lt. Gen. Masaharu Homma, the presumed architect of the Bataan Death March and who was known as the “Beast of Bataan.” Thousands of American and Filipino prisoners of war (POWs) suffered and died on the forced march from Mariveles, Bataan to Capas,Tarlac.

The website of Film Bridge International, which is described as “overseeing the financing” for “Beast of Bataan,” posted the film’s plot details:

“1945 Tokyo/Philippines. Four young military lawyers receive the least desirable assignment in the entire postwar occupation of Japan from Supreme Commander Douglas MacArthur—they are to represent a Japanese general who has been accused of being res-ponsible for the notorious Bataan Death March.

Villains, heroes

“At first, they do their best to evade their new career-destroying assignment. Then they begin to discover that General Homma, known as the ‘Beast of Bataan,’ is a good and honorable man who was not, in fact, involved with the crimes for which he was accused. But MacArthur bears a secret grudge against Homma, who was the only Japanese officer to ever defeat him in battle.

“The young American military lawyers endeavor to save Homma from his obvious fate, fighting not only their own commanding officers but also Homma himself, who knows he is destined to die.

“This is a story in which villains turn out to be heroes, heroes turn out to be villains, and a group of young soldiers, along with an imprisoned alleged war criminal, provide a lesson in courage.”

Filming in RP?

While Hayden confirmed that the movie will be filmed in Australia, Hayden said everything is “still up in the air.” So let’s keep our fingers crossed that Hayden and his colleagues will consider filming in the Philippines.

“I’m not really sure though when we’re going to put this movie into production,” the Vancouver, Canada native admitted. “But this is definitely a movie that I want to do. I don’t know if this movie will necessarily be my next project but it will definitely be one of the next couple of projects.”

“Willem Dafoe is involved, as is William Hurt,” said the actor who impressed critics as the plagiarist Stephen Glass in the true story, “Shattered Glass,” and as a disaffected son in “Life as a House.”

Courtroom drama

Here is Hayden’s description of “Beast”: “It’s a courtroom drama about the trial of this Japanese general, Masaru Homma, who is being tried for these war crimes committed during the Bataan Death March. I play an American soldier returning from the war who is assigned to defend him. My character has no business being in a courtroom. He just studied law briefly before he went to serve in the war. It is really quickly evident that the General is being given poor counsel and is set up to take the fall even though he’s not really entirely guilty.”

“It’s really a touching story,” Hayden added. “A lot of the scenes in the courtroom are taken from actual transcripts of the case. I believe it was the first documented court case (during that time).”

Crucial titular role

The name of Hayden’s young military lawyer character is Major John Skeen. Kôji Yakusho, who landed the crucial titular role, memorably played Rinko Kikuchi’s father in the acclaimed film, “Babel.”

Paul Verhoeven, who megged “Basic Instinct,” was set to direct. But he has been replaced by Fred Schepisi, the filmmaker behind Meryl Streep’s awards and nominations as an Australian woman accused of murdering her baby in “A Cry in the Dark.” Fred’s other credits include “Six Degrees of Separation,” “Roxanne,” and “Empire Falls,” which starred Paul Newman, Joanne Woodward and Ed Harris and won the 2006 Golden Globe for Best Mini-Series or Movie Made for Television.

“It’s a way for me to comment on the war without having to actually talk about what’s going on today,” said the 26-year-old actor-producer.

Another reader, GML wrote: “Hayden’s performance in ‘Shattered Glass’ shows he is well prepared to take on real life topics and play a character in conflict under difficult circumstances.”

Exploring the world

In “Jumper,” Hayden’s character has the ability to instantly teleport himself any place in the world. Asked where he would go if he had such a power, the Darth Vader in the making in the “Star Wars Episodes II and III,” replied, “I would probably go to parts of the world that you can’t get to by any means of transportation, like the top of mountains. I would explore areas of the world that are untouched.”

Jamie Bell (“Billy Elliot,” all grown up) and the very appealing Rachel Bilson (“The OC”) also star in “Jumper.”

Relishing freedom

In the meantime, Hayden relishes freedom on a more realistic level: “Obviously, it takes me a lot longer to get to places, but just the ability to travel to different locations and experience different cultures makes me aware of my freedom. The freedom to decide what I want to do when I wake up and not be obligated to routine and ritual is a great freedom. I recently got a farm just north of Toronto. I have a bit of land. Getting to go and walk on the property and be on my own is a very liberating experience for me.”

* * *
“I’m making a new film in March,” Auraeus Solito recently told us via e-mail. “It’s going to be a surprise film.” The seemingly whimsical way the award-winning director embarks on a new movie made us think that Filipino indie filmmakers have more freedom, in a sense, than their American counterparts.

While Auraeus and his colleagues, who are winning awards in international film festivals, merrily and quickly make films, American directors are not as lucky—they are bogged down by contract negotiations and lengthy legal negotiations before they can shoot the first scene.

I hope “Pisay,” Auraeus’ ode to his high school years, gets a warm homecoming at the box-office in Manila when it is shown locally starting this Wednesday, Feb. 20. Auraeus and other Pinoy indie filmmakers still cherish the appreciation of their own countrymen the most.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer

Popularity: 2% [?]

Hayden Christensen’s drunk movie

Monday, March 2nd, 2009

Hayden Christensen filmed a drunken home movie with his ‘Jumper’ co-star Jamie Bell.

The pair – who star as ‘jumpers’ who can teleport anywhere in the world in the new action film – were bored on a flight from Canada to Italy and decided to shoot their own ‘mockumentary’.

Hayden said: “After a few beers we decided it would be fun to make a mockumentary of what it would be like for jumpers who couldn’t jump having to travel on a plane and deal with the nuisances of regular transport.

“I have footage of Jamie reeking havoc in this airport and me poking fun at everyone on this plane. He has got an amazing sense of humour.”

Hayden also revealed if he could have any superpower it would be the ability to teleport.

He said: “I might go for teleportation. The practicality of it was really appealing to me. To not have to sit on planes and be stuck in traffic and all the things that get under my skin. Being anywhere whenever I wanted, that would have to be my superpower.”

Source: M & G

Popularity: 1% [?]

‘Jumper’ makes the leap to No. 1

Monday, March 2nd, 2009

Two potential film franchises, 20th Century Fox’s science-fiction thriller “Jumper” and Paramount Pictures’ family fantasy “The Spiderwick Chronicles,” opened to solid business over the extended holiday weekend, while Walt Disney Co.’s “Step Up 2 the Streets” kept an established series humming.

“Jumper,” starring Hayden Christensen as a man who can teleport himself anywhere and Samuel L. Jackson as a mysterious agent on his trail, was headed for a five-day total of close to $40 million, including Thursday’s opening for Valentine’s Day.

“Step Up 2 the Streets,” the sequel to summer 2006′s sleeper hit “Step Up,” was headed for No. 2 in U.S. and Canadian box office with at least $29 million for five days, based on this morning’s studio estimates.

“Spiderwick” was on track for about $27 million and third place. It was faring slightly better than Disney’s dance drama over the official four-day weekend but didn’t open as strongly on Thursday.

The audience for “Jumper,” as expected, skewed male and younger than 25, said Bert Livingston, Fox’s senior vice president for domestic distribution. Fox and New Regency Pictures, which produced the film for about $85 million, may go ahead with one or more sequels, he said.

“When you do this kind of business, you always have to think about it,” Livingston said.

“Jumper” also got off to an encouraging start abroad, taking in $28.2 million and ranking No. 1 in most of its 30 territories.

Despite the respectable openings, industrywide results in the U.S. and Canada were down about 14% from the holiday weekend in 2007, according to data tracker Media by Numbers.

That’s because Sony Pictures’ action thriller “Ghost Rider” opened a year ago to a record $52 million.

Source: LA Times

Popularity: 1% [?]

Box-office force was with Hayden Christensen’s Jumper

Monday, March 2nd, 2009

Hayden Christensen leaves his Darth Vader past behind him going to the bright side of the weekend box office. Yes, the force was with him. Christensen’s sci-fi action thriller topped the rest of the weekend offerings with $27.2 million take over a three-day period. Not Star Wars prequel standards but not many movies are.

And while Jumper will likely drop by more than 50% next weekend, the hefty Jumper opening will serve the Toronto-based actor well for his near and future negotiations.

Arriving at a distant second was the dance sequel Step Up 2 the Streets cashing in on its 2006 past with a respectable $19.7 haul, which guarantees there will be at least a third Step Up in a year of two, probably straight to DVD.

On the kids front, The Spiderwick Chronicles, based on a series of popular fantasy books, did just fine with a $19 million box office weekend. Expect another Chronicle in a few years as the authors prepare a round two of books.

Meanwhile, what happened to the hearts and flowers crowd? Romantic comedies didn’t do nearly as well as expected for the Valentine’s Day weekend. While the Kate Hudson-Matthew McConaughey charmer did just OK with a $13 million take on its second weekend, the Ryan Reynolds love laugh-er Definitely, Maybe was jilted at only no. 5 scoring $9.5 million.

Not exactly a romantic comedy, but funny just the same is the Oscar-honoured Juno, which kept it steady with another decent showing of $4.6 million bringing its total to near $125 million.

Ditto The Bucket List with a $4.1 million weekend, giving it $81 million since its release last December. That’s thanks to the acting efforts of Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson.

Source: Nationalpost

Popularity: 2% [?]

Hayden Christensen likes to get down and dirty

Monday, March 2nd, 2009

It may not sound glamorous, but actor Hayden Christensen says he really digs digging in the dirt.

“I got the farm about a year ago and just really turned my hand to it. Organic farming interests me,” the Canadian actor told Man About Town magazine, the UK’s Sun reported.

“Although, so far I’ve only planted a small vegetable patch, but I definitely want to get the pigs, cattle and horses. It’s a new endeavor and I’m not very good at it yet, but I’m trying to figure it out. I’m learning new things, and it’s a great challenge. It’s also really pleasurable. There’s throwing the dirt around, getting your hands dirty and watching things grow.”

Source: Calsun.canoe

Popularity: 1% [?]

Soundtrack For Jumper

Monday, March 2nd, 2009

FROM THE DIRECTOR OF MR. & MRS. SMITH AND THE BOURNE IDENTITY COMES JUMPER
LAKESHORE RECORDS RELEASES THE SOUNDTRACK FOR

JUMPER, COMPOSED BY JOHN POWELL
(January 28, 2008- Los Angeles, CA) – Lakeshore Records will release the original motion picture soundtrack for JUMPER on iTunes February 12th and in stores on February 19th. The album features original music by John Powell (UNITED 93, SHREK).

Composer John Powell has written music for animated films (HAPPY FEET, SHREK, ICE AGE: THE MELTDOWN) and comedies (PLUTO NASH, ALFIE, MR. 3000) but is probably best known for his work in the action film genre on such films as MR. AND MRS. SMITH, X-MEN: THE LAST STAND, FACE/OFF, THE ITALIAN JOB, and the BOURNE series of films (THE BOURNE IDENTITY, THE BOURNE SUPREMACY, THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM). Powell’s work on these action scores seamlessly blends orchestral and electronic elements.

The British born Powell began originally trained as a violinist. In 1995 he founded a London based commercial music house before moving to the United States 2 years later. He is one of the best known former members of the Remote Control (formerly Media Ventures) team of composers, where he first teamed with Harry Gregson-Williams, his collaborator on several scores (ANTZ, CHICKEN RUN, SHREK).

From the director of MR. & MRS. SMITH and THE BOURNE IDENTITY, Doug Liman, comes JUMPER. A genetic anomaly allows a young man to teleport himself anywhere. He discovers this gift has existed for centuries, and finds himself in a war that has been raging for thousands of years between “jumpers” and those who have sworn to kill them. The film stars Hayden Christensen, Samuel L. Jackson, and Diane Lane, based on the novels by Steven Gould.

Regency and 20th Century Fox present JUMPER, in theaters on February 15. The Lakeshore Records recording will be available on iTunes on February 12, 2008 and in stores on February 19, 2008.

Source: CineMedia Promotions

Popularity: 1% [?]

Hayden Christensen says celebrities have control over their exposure

Monday, March 2nd, 2009

Actor Hayden Christensen says that celebrities have control over how often they are seen in the public eye.

Speaking about fame, the Canadian says: “I think that people’s exposure is in your realm of control.

“It’s largely just a function of your choices, and if you don’t want to be seen, they don’t see you.

“Sure, fame has its affectation, but you can still lead the life you want to lead.”

The 26-year-old’s comments come as some politicians in Hollywood are calling to rein the paparazzi in. They are particularly homing in on the pack of photographers that follow Britney Spears, which they believe is becoming a risk to public safety.

But Hayden, whose face was instantly recognisable when he played Anakin Skywalker in two Star Wars movies, is philosophical about fame. “When it happened, for a while I wouldn’t leave the house,” says the actor whose image was used in posters and made into action figures.

“I mean since my face was in every convenience store, that meant everyone would recognise me and that’s really odd.

“So I just sort or hermitized [sic].”

It’s a typical reaction for a man who has been acting since he was seven but denied it to friends even though he regularly made TV appearances. “I did a few commercials,” he says in an interview with the LA Times.

“Growing up it was a means to get a day off of school, and more money than you could earn with a paper route, but at the same time I profusely denied it…

“Yeah, like if someone said they had seen me in a commercial, I’d say: ‘What are you talking about? That wasn’t me’.

“I was playing competitive hockey and the kids I was hanging out with weren’t really the theater crowd.”

In his new movie, Jumper, Christensen plays a man who teleports himself around the world. It’s a far cry from his roles in Shattered Glass and even Stars Wars Episodes II and III, in which he has been known to get emotional, even teary-eyed.

That’s after Christensen’s characters – usually angry and misunderstood – go through a period of enlightenment.

He says: “There is an underlying theme.

“I like characters that have an interesting growth, when there’s change, and they’re affected by the elements of the story.

“I’ve always believed that conflict is the essence of drama.”

Christensen says that there is another difference between the way he has approached Jumper and the way he tackled the Star Wars films, for example.

He says: “Doug [Liman the director of Jumper] really wanted the actors’ insight into the story, asking us to script meetings, which was a treat, you know, how collaborative he was.

“It was really satisfying.”

However, the experience with George Lucas, creator and director of the Star Wars films, was far different.

Christensen says: “George came up to me on the set one day during my first Star Wars and said something that I never fully understood until after we were done filming.

“He said: ‘As an actor, you have to think of yourself as a ditch digger…’

“What he was implying was that on his movie I needed to think of myself as a ditch digger, because it wasn’t the proper arena for actual creative expression.

“This was his thing. It was all very thought out in his head and I needed to show up to make his wants a reality.

“And so really, what he was saying to me was: ‘Don’t let this experience discourage you from what acting can really be about, because that’s not what this is’.

“I just wish I would’ve figured that out a little sooner.”

There is a thread that joins his experience on all of his movies together, according to Christensen – shoes.

The man who recently bought a farm in south Toronto says he is looking forward to moving his film memorabilia from his parents’ home to his own. They include his Star Wars props such as his Jedi plait.

He says: “I did [keep my Star Wars stuff] – only because it was my first Star Wars, and I wanted to keep as much as I could.

“I got a light sabre, of course, and then I had to keep my boots. I keep all my characters’ shoes, actually.

“Yeah, it’s sort of the first bit of my character that I sort of decide on while I’m figuring them out.

“Because that’s what grounds me and it informs how I walk and how I feel on my feet.”

No word yet on whether or not he has kept his shoes from the filming of the period piece Virgin Territory. It was filmed in Florence last year with actress Mischa Barton but has yet to be given a release date.

He says: “You know about that one? Damn. I’m not sure what they’re calling it now and it’s hard to speak to, because I haven’t seen the film in its current state and I haven’t heard boo from the people who made it.

“That stuff always shocks me. How people can be so flippant with money.

“And that for me was a real departure. It’s a comedy, you know, which I’ve never done.”

Source: Showbizspy

Popularity: 2% [?]

Jumper leaps to top of UK chart

Monday, March 2nd, 2009

Sci-fi thriller Jumper, starring Hayden Christensen and Jamie Bell, is the top film in the UK and Ireland.

Its opening weekend takings of £3.06m means it is now the top-earning movie on both sides of the Atlantic.

Jack Nicholson comedy The Bucket List proved less attractive to cinemagoers, however, making its debut in sixth place with weekend takings of £602,248.

Last week’s chart topper, Nicolas Cage action sequel National Treasure: Book of Secrets, falls down a place to two.

Teen pregnancy comedy Juno also dropped a place to three, with children’s film, The Water Horse, climbing one place to four.

Bollywood romance Jodhaa Akbar was the only other new entry in this week’s top 10, appearing in tenth place with weekend takings of £365,785.

UK AND IRELAND BOX OFFICE
1. Jumper – £3.06m
2. National Treasure: Book of Secrets – £1.49m
3. Juno – £1.34m
4. The Water Horse – £0.79m
5. Cloverfield – £0.71m
Source: Screen International

On a screen-for-screen basis, though, it was the week’s most popular title – despite playing at just 46 sites.

Jumper tells of a young man, played by Christensen, who has the power to teleport himself across the globe.

Its director, Doug Liman, previously began the Jason Bourne franchise with 2002 thriller The Bourne Identity.

Oscar contender There Will Be Blood climbed from 11th to seventh place after opening nationwide.

The Daniel Day-Lewis drama had previously only been playing in central London.

This week sees the release of Jack Black comedy, Be Kind Rewind, and the latest instalment in Sylvester Stallone’s Rambo series.

Source:BBC News

Popularity: 2% [?]

Young Christensen Hopes to Build on Historic Legacy

Monday, March 2nd, 2009

HAYDEN CHRISTENSEN no longer yearns to teleport himself away from interviews. He saves that skill for his new movie, “Jumper.”

Christensen folds his 6-foot-2 frame into a cramped dressing room at MTV’s “TRL” studio. He wears a black Navy peacoat throughout the interview and Chuck Taylors that probably won’t touch the snowy streets outside too much.

He’s on a promotional whirlwind in Manhattan after junkets in London, Rome and Cairo, Egypt. Talking about himself and his movies, even in a quickie chat, is reflex now.

He occupies a significant place in cinema history, having played Anakin Skywalker and eventually his incarnation Darth Vader in the “Star Wars” prequels “Attack of the Clones” (2002) and “Revenge of the Sith” (2005).

He’s probably part of cinema’s future, too. Only it is far less certain what that future is. Christensen, just 26, is looking to gain traction post-George Lucas.

He made a movie called “Virgin Territory,” set during the plague, and its domestic release has stalled. He co-starred with Jessica Alba in the ticket-repelling “Awake.”

In a slump are you, Yoda might say. “I don’t really think about that stuff,” Christensen says. “That’s someone else’s job to stress about.”

“Jumper” gives the actor a high-profile chance to re-emerge as the master of his universe. It has cool-science cachet “” its inhabitants can beam themselves to wherever by willing it. Its director is the cool-geeky Doug Liman, who jump-cut his way into spy-franchise prominence with 2002′s “The Bourne Identity.”

And it gave an actor fated for the dark side in a popcorn space opera to experiment once again with being naughty, after Liman substituted him for the original actor who was cast, Tom Sturridge (“Being Julia”). Christensen’s character, David, steals and shows off for his screen (and rumored real-life) girlfriend Rachel Bilson (“The O.C.”) until a mysterious cop played by Samuel L. Jackson tries to stop him.

Christensen is using his already-iconic self to move and shake off-screen, too. He became a producer for the first time in developing “The Beast of Bataan,” in which he also will play the lawyer for the Japanese general who led the World War II death march.

“It’s really just a means to be more proactive in my career,” he says, “going out and getting stories that are of interest instead of waiting for them to come my way.”

He got into the business by doing commercial and TV work in Toronto, then earned notices south of the border with his goth crybaby in “Life as a House” (2001).

In 2003, critics cheered his portrayal of nebbish desperation as the fibbing journalist Stephen Glass in “Shattered Glass.” Meanwhile, the “Star Wars” prequels gave the actor a glimpse of how quickly opinion can change. Many crucified Lucas for his wooden dialogue and Christensen for enabling it with a stiff performance.

“Obviously it’s preferable when people respond to your work in a positive light,” he says. “I sort of think it’ll take people some time before they’ll look at it with an objective perspective. Twenty years from now how people see those films and my work in those films will matter to me.”

Popularity: 1% [?]

Christensen Leaps Into New Realm With ‘Jumper’

Sunday, March 1st, 2009

Since he signed on to play Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader for the second and third films in the “Star Wars” prequel trilogy, there’s no doubt that Hayden Christensen has done his share of cinematic traveling.

But there’s a distinct difference between Christensen’s trip to “a galaxy far, far away” and his destinations in the new box office hit “Jumper.”

“Other than the stuff in Cairo, everything else we more or less were able to do for real,” Christensen said in a recent @ The Movies interview, referring to an awe-inspiring computer-generated shot atop a sphinx in Egypt.
That’s because, he added, the last thing director Doug Liman (“The Bourne Identity,” “Mr. & Mrs. Smith”) wanted was to make the film “in front of a blue screen where he was interchanging backgrounds.”

“He really wanted us to go to the locations and let the environment have an effect on us. So, everything that you see is there,” said Christensen, who has scenes spanning across the world from Tokyo to the Roman Coliseum to New York City. “Of course, we obviously weren’t falling from the Empire State building, but we filmed a little bit on top of it.”

Christensen stars as David Rice, a young man with a genetic anomaly that allows him to bend time and space and teleport to anywhere in the world in a split second. Discovering his capabilities as a teen, David primarily uses his superpower for personal purposes, all the way from teleporting to exotic destinations throughout the world, to moving from one side of his couch to another.

But as fast as David can move, he’s still being tracked down by Roland (“Star Wars” star Samuel L. Jackson), a modern-day leader of the Paladins, a mysterious organization that has for centuries battled “Jumpers” like David in order to protect the world from being destroyed by his kind.

“Jumper” is interesting in that it relates to comic book superhero themes and characters — most notably the teleporting Nightcrawler in “X-Men” — yet is not a comic book film, per se. Given the fact that he was a fan of the comic book genre growing up, combined with the world of possibilities “Jumper” presented, the 26-year-old actor, well, jumped, at the chance of doing the film. To be a part of this movie was exciting, not only because I get to do something in the genre, but yet create something original,” Christensen said. “It felt like a very fresh and contemporary take on what it would actually be like to have a super power.”

To do so, Christensen said, Liman weaved the mythology of teleportation into “a reactionary world to make the film feels as truthful as possible.”

“It asks, ‘What would happen if you got a superpower? Are you really going to go and make a costume and try to go and save the world?’ Probably not — you’re probably more likely to find out how to use it for your own benefit at first. I really responded to that,” Christensen said. “It’s a world that could involve further exploration. There’s a lot you can do with the concept of teleportation and the war that is being set up between the Paladins and the Jumpers. I find that conflict really interesting in that it’s not black and white. You don’t have such an obvious good and bad.”

In addition to reveling in the ambiguity of the characters, Christensen is excited by the way Liman executed the story in “Jumper” because it works on so many levels: Not only does it have thrilling visual effects sequences for those into action and adventure films, but also layered within is subtle commentary on the overall dangers of religious fanaticism and attitudes towards people like the Paladins, who deem Jumpers as “abominations.”

“Doug is a very smart filmmaker. He’s built this film in a way that it will allow people who like to intellectualize about those concepts to go ahead and do that within the context of this story,” Christensen observed. “I don’t think the film really labors or dwells on the point. It’s very subtle, but I think it’s something that Doug is consciously inserting into the story. It’s great subtext. It’s a lot of fun to go to work and have Doug raise those points of discussion.”While Christensen and Jackson’s involvement in “Jumper” symbolized a return of the Jedi to the big screen, in a sense, the actor said he wouldn’t mind taking another trip for real through the George Lucas’ “Star Wars” universe.

The obvious opportunity at this point would be the recently announced “Clone Wars” computer animated feature film — a springboard for a television series slated for this fall. But having only learned about the upcoming film and television project about the same time it was made public, Christensen said that he doesn’t know yet whether he or any other of his “Star Wars” cast mates will be involved.

“Obviously, if they’d ask me, I’d do it in a heartbeat,” Christensen said. “Sam Jackson mentioned the project to me and said that he was going to give George a call and see if he could get involved.”

Whether he’s a part of the “Clone Wars” project at some point or not, Christensen said that he’s happy to forever remain a part of the “Star Wars” family. And while some actors bristle at the notion of being associated with a particular character throughout their career, Christensen is more than happy that The Force remains strong with him.

“Obviously, ‘Star Wars’ was a huge opportunity for me and opened a lot of doors, but just on a basic cool level, I got to play Darth Vader,” Christensen enthused. “It’s not often where you get to work on a film and run around everyday with a lightsaber … I really have no qualms about that character following me for the rest of my life.”

Popularity: 1% [?]

Like Jumpers in Arms

Sunday, March 1st, 2009

Have a cup of coffee in Paris, ride the surf in Maldives, eat a sandwich on top of the Sphinx and get a girl’s phone number in a bar in Rio de Janeiro–just a day in the life of David, a “jumper” who has the supernatural ability to teleport.

The days of Hayden Christensen, who plays David, are just as busy as his character’s, except that Christensen’s days come with a bit of jet-lag.

“We traveled an awful a lot in this movie, sometimes for extended periods. Like when we came here, we were here for a couple of weeks and then when we were in Rome, we were filming there for a couple of weeks as well, but then we took off to Paris for a day–like a day trip to Paris for a few shots,” he told The Daily Yomiuri during his recent visit to Tokyo to promote his latest science-fiction action movie, Jumper, adding that it was a good experience, especially as the use of “green-screen” special effects in moviemaking is on the increase.

In Jumper, David discovers his super-powers during childhood, when he almost drowns in a river, and the next thing he knows he finds himself soaking wet in a library. He begins to control his powers and steals money by “jumping” into a bank vault. Later, he leaves his hometown in Michigan to live a life of luxury in a penthouse apartment in New York City in between traveling around the world.

“He [David] is someone who discovers that he has a super-power and doesn’t go off and try to save the world and make himself a costume made out of tights and he doesn’t do any of that stuff. He is someone who uses the power for his own benefit at the beginning and that just felt like a very honest, truthful reaction to what it would be like to have that super power,” Christensen said.

Christensen added that he can identify with David’s internal nature to a degree. “He’s someone who experiences everything, sort of, on his own since he discovered that he had this super-power. He’s been living the life of a recluse and I feel at times that I sort of hermitize and also experience things for myself.”

One day, David is attacked by a mysterious gray-haired man, Roland (Samuel L. Jackson)–the head of a secret organization formed by a group of people called Paladins. Paladins have killed Jumpers since ancient times, believing that Jumpers’ ability threatens the world.

David meets another jumper, Griffin (Jamie Bell), and learns about Jumpers and their fate. He also discovers that Paladins are after the people who are close to David, including his girlfriend Millie (Rachel Bilson).

The fighting takes place in real locations around the world. Christensen–whom audiences know as the young Anakin Skywalker in the most recent installments of the Star Wars movies–finds it easier to act in real surroundings.

“I felt comfortable in front of the blue screen ’cause I did a lot of it in the Star Wars movie, but there’s nothing like having real things to interact with and being able to touch things that are tangible and having people that you can talk to. You can’t really compare the two,” he said.

Rome’s Colosseum and Tokyo are interesting place to “jump” into. In Rome, the crew got permission to shoot the fighting scenes involving David, Griffin and Paladins in a circular arena that is usually not open to visitors.

“It was the perfect place for a great fight scene…We were given access to, like, the underbelly of the Colosseum, where they used to keep the gladiators, and even up in the upper bleachers where they don’t let tourists go–we got to go up there and film–and so it was really cool getting to touch parts of brick that no one else has touched in a very long time,” Christensen said.

In Tokyo, David and Griffin steal a silver Mercedes from a Ginza showroom and drive fast and recklessly around the crowded Shibuya, Shinjuku and Shimbashi areas.

The idea of using teleportation to hop around the best parts of the world is appealing, but Christensen said that building David’s character was important for him and director Doug Liman to “get the film right.”

“To a certain extent, our story is a little bit of an origin story in that you have a guy who’s sort of involved in this war that he doesn’t want anything to do with; he really doesn’t want to fight the fight. It’s not until the very end of the movie that he’s actually in a place where he can fill those shoes and become the person who he is gonna be and fight in this war against the Paladins. And so we had to get there, that’s where the character had to end…and Doug really made the point of holding it off to the very, very end,” he said.

The actor admitted that there were parallels between the character of David and his own life. “Some of the things I learned I sort of already knew, but just had to be reminded of, but…we’re both people who had very internal experiences.

“I guess something that David comes to realize is that in order for any of it to mean anything he has to have someone to share it with. I think that something I’m coming to really appreciate is having someone to share the nice things in my life with,” Christensen mused.

“Jumper” opens today.

Popularity: 2% [?]

Fiennes Trumps Ledger As Top Movie Villain

Sunday, March 1st, 2009

RALPH FIENNES’ LORD VOLDEMORT character in the HARRY POTTER films has been named the best movie villain of all time – beating HEATH LEDGER’s THE JOKER into fifth place.

Ledger’s performance in new Batman sequel The Dark Knight, the last movie he completed before his death in January (08), has been lauded by critics and tipped for an Oscar nomination.

But editors of Moviefone rank him behind Fiennes; James Earl Jones and Hayden Christensen’s Darth Vader; Margaret Hamilton’s Wicked Witch of the West and Sir Anthony Hopkins’ Hannibal Lector in the onscreen evil stakes.

A Moviefone editor explains the decision to crown Voldemort the most dastardly, “He is the most powerful dark wizard to ever wave a wand. What’s more, he schemes to dominate the whole world. Without his slithering presence, would J.K. Rowling be the best-selling author of all time? The answer, a resounding “No.”

The top ten is as follows:

1: Lord Voldemort, Harry Potter – Ralph Fiennes

2: Darth Vader, Star Wars -James Earl Jones, Hayden Christensen

3. Wicked Witch Of The West, The Wizard Of Oz – Margaret Hamilton

4. Hannibal Lecter, Silence Of The Lambs – Anthony Hopkins

5. Joker, The Dark Knight – Heath Ledger

6. Goldfinger, Goldfinger – Gert Frobe

7. Chigurgh, No Country For Old Men – Javier Bardem

8. Hans Gruber, Die Hard – Alan Rickman

9: Queen, Snow White And The Seven Dwarves – Lucille La Verne.

Popularity: 1% [?]

Virgin Territory (R2) in August

Sunday, March 1st, 2009

Momentum Pictures have announced the UK Region 2 DVD release of Virgin Territory on 18th August 2008 priced at £15.99. Hayden Christensen, Mischa Barton, Tim Roth, Matthew Rhys and Rupert Friend star in this film by director David Leland which is inspired by Giovanni Boccaccio’s The Decameron.

14th century Italy and a beautiful princess (Barton) in left penniless and alone after her wealthy parents perish during an outbreak of plague. Seizing on this opportunity the evil Gerbino de la Ratta (Roth) pressures her to marry him as an escape from financial ruin. The fate of the Princess now rests with a mysterious stranger, Lorenzo (Christensen), a travelling rogue who swears to win her affection and overthrow his long-time nemesis, the brutal de la Ratta.

Extras include a 22-minute making of featurette (includes interviews with Christensen & Barton) and the original trailer.

Popularity: 2% [?]

Do Something and BusRadio Announce New Public Service Partnership

Sunday, March 1st, 2009

DoSomething.org, one of the largest not-for-profits for teens and social change in the US, and BusRadio, a national radio network that brings age-appropriate music, news and public service messages to 1 million kids during their daily bus ride, announced a new partnership today. Do Something’s original PSAs featuring top teen celebrities, including Jordin Sparks, Rachel Bilson and Hayden Christensen, and ways for teens to take action in their communities will be broadcast to BusRadio’s expansive young audience of elementary, middle and high school age youth.

The partnership will help promote youth volunteerism and the belief that any teen can take action and make change in their communities right now. Do Something is committed to reaching teens wherever they are and making it as easy as possible for them to get involved. What better place to reach teens than on their bus on their way to school.

“Do Something is very excited to team up with BusRadio as we work to inspire a generation to take action in their communities,” said Aria Finger, CMO, Do Something. “BusRadio’s wide reach among young people in school districts across 24 states will allow Do Something to reach thousands more young people every day.”

“BusRadio is thrilled to share Do Something’s message of encouraging young people to get involved in their communities with our listeners. We understand the importance of volunteering and we’re proud to be a part of Do Something’s mission,” said Steven Shulman, president and co-founder of BusRadio.

About BusRadio

BusRadio is a national radio network that brings age-appropriate music, original programming, and public service messages to more than 1 million listeners between the ages of 6 and 18 every weekday during their daily bus ride. BusRadio reaches more than 10,000 buses in 160 school districts in 24 states. BusRadio is the fastest growing national media network in the youth music space, a better alternative to inappropriate FM radio.

About Do Something

Do Something believes teenagers have the power to make a difference. We leverage communications technologies to enable teens to convert their ideas and energy into positive action. We inspire, empower and celebrate a generation of doers: teenagers who recognize the need to do something, believe in their ability to get it done, and then take action. Plug in at www.dosomething.org.
Website: http://www.dosomething.org/
Website: http://www.busradio.net/

Popularity: 1% [?]

Trailer – Mischa Barton and Hayden Christensen Explore ‘Virgin Territory’

Sunday, March 1st, 2009

Surely, you’ve had this happen to you: You’re flipping the channels one weekend, stumble onto a famous face and you can’t figure out what the hell the movie is.

You try to pinpoint when it was made hoping that might jog your memory, and then somebody else equally famous walks on screen and you can’t believe these two people ever made a movie together.

“Why haven’t I ever heard of this,” you ask aloud.

Then Tim Roth shows up to give the proceedings an air of respectability, and you’re beside yourself. You’ve got nothin’.

Just so that it doesn’t happen to you with this flick, Virgin Territory appears to be a raunchy period comedy starring Hayden Christensen and Mischa Barton. That’s right: Anakin has made out with both girls from The OC.

I say this looks raunchy because, well, there’s some brief nudity in the trailer. You’ve been warned or tipped off or however you want to look at it. When will you get to see Virgin Territory in theaters? You won’t. Despite its cast and studio backing, this one’s going straight to DVD, where you can pick it up beginning August 26th.

Popularity: 2% [?]