US Townhall RealStories presents BATMAN movie producer, Michael Uslan
Written by Scott Katz
Sunday, 14 November 2010 19:28
We had the pleasure of sitting down to talk with one of the most successful producers in Hollywood: Michael Uslan, who is the Executive Producer of the Batman series of films that began with Tim Burton's imaginative take on the character back in 1989 and continues to this day with Christopher Nolan in the director's chair.
Mr. Uslan is a longtime fan of comic books, and he acquired the rights to produce Batman movies back in the late 1970s. We spoke about his 10+ year journey to get Batman on to the big screen with Tim Burton's 1989 smash hit, Batman. There's a new Batman film due in Summer 2012, The Dark Knight Rises, and director Christopher Nolan and star Christian Bale will both be back to deliver another thrilling installment in the successful franchise.
Among Mr. Uslan's other film projects are the Swamp Thing movies and its associated cable television series, The Spirit, Constantine, Catwoman, and National Treasure. Another of Mr. Uslan's many accomplishments is that he is the first person to teach an accredited course on the serious study of comic books – "The Comic Book in America" at Indiana University.
To listen to the interview, click the "play" button on the graphic below.
US Townhall RealStories presents: Eliana Ujueta, writer-director of BENEATH THE ROCK
Written by Scott Katz
Thursday, 30 September 2010 02:22
(l-r) Eliana Ujueta (writer-director, Beneath the
Rock), Bryan Ujueta (& band Twin Sister, music)
On Tuesday, September 28, we interviewed Eliana Ujueta, an independent filmmaker who has recently completed her first feature, Beneath the Rock. It was created as her thesis project for her Masters of Fine Arts degree while she was a student at the School of Visual Arts in Manhattan.
Beneath the Rock concerns itself with the neighborhood of Bushwick, Brooklyn, which, in Ms. Ujueta's fictionalized depiction of this real-life community, is run by crooked cops with their civilian cohorts, and has been for generations. The death of an innocent little girl kickstarts a series of events into motion that may finally end the stranglehold these cops have on the area. However, whether hero or villain, no one emerges from this story unscathed.
We bring you Ms. Ujueta's story in the hopes of not only introducing a new voice into the world of film, but also bringing to light the practical realities of self-producing one's own film, shepharding it from the idea stage to filming to post-production to seeking distribution. We think Eliana's experiences will be instructive to the novice and aspiring filmmakers in our audience.
To find out more about Ms. Ujueta and her film, Beneath the Rock, please visit www.beneaththerock.com
Click on the triangular "play" button on the audio player below to listen to the interview.
US Townhall RealStories presents BOB DOWLING, Chairperson of the 3D Entertainment Summit
Written by Scott Katz
Wednesday, 08 September 2010 18:18
This episode of US Townhall RealStories was recorded on Thursday, September 9 at 2pm Eastern.
Join us for a special chat with Bob Dowling, the Chairperson for the upcoming 3D Entertainment Summit in Los Angeles. This summit brings together the major players from the worlds of entertainment and finance in order to have them engage in discussion and debate regarding current and future developments in the 3D marketplace. Many Hollywood studios will attend this event along with the major names in electronics manufacturing. In addition to Mr. Dowling, featured speakers include Jeffrey Katzenberg, the CEO and President of DreamWorks Animation SKG and writer-director, M. Night Shyamalan.
Click on the triangular "play" button below to listen to the episode right here on this site!
Movie News: Ryan Reynolds cast as Green Lantern
Written by Scott Katz
Thursday, 16 July 2009 23:05
On July 11, 2009, it was announced that actor Ryan Reynolds, who is now starring opposite Sandra Bullock in the film The Proposal, would become the latest actor to headline a comic book superhero movie franchise. Set for release on June 17, 2011 is a $150 million epic based on the long-running comic book character, Green Lantern. This film will be distributed by Warner Bros. and will be written by Greg Berlanti, Mark Guggenheim, and Michael Green. Martin Campbell (GoldenEye, Casino Royale) is currently slated to direct.
Don't be embarassed if you've never heard of Green Lantern because, outside of comic books, the character has made scant few appearances in other media. So, just who is "Green Lantern," anyway? With the kind of cash that Warners is laying on the line, it's a sure bet that they hope a lot of people care. To help you out, what follows is a brief overview of the character who has enjoyed a 50 year career in comics.