THE PRESS ROOM BULLETIN – FEBRUARY 2011

Welcome to February, 2011! I trust you all enjoyed your summers? Good! Now, you must all be busy booking hot air balloon rides and de-thorning hundreds of thousands of roses in preparation for that most wondrous of sacred holidays, Valentine’s Day, so we have taken the liberty of doing your homework for you.

February sees the release of the poignant drama THE MESSENGER (starring Woody Harrelson in an Oscar®-nominated role); the fly-on-the-wall feature about the Queen of Obscene, JOAN RIVERS: A PIECE OF WORK; the edge-of-your-seat war doco RESTREPO; Donny Yen kicking much-arse in LEGEND OF THE FIST and much, much more!

THE MESSENGER

Poignant and touching, war drama THE MESSENGER stars Samantha Morton (CONTROL, MORVERN CALLAR), Ben Foster (X-MEN: THE LAST STAND, 3:10 TO YUMA) and Woody Harrelson (A PRAIRIE HOME COMPANION, THE PEOPLE VS LARRY FLYNT) in an Oscar®-nominated performance.

When Will Montgomery (Foster) returns from Iraq a decorated hero, he is angered to learn that his injuries mean he is assigned to the Army’s Casualty Notification service. Mentored by Capt. Tony Stone (Harrelson), he learns the full importance of his new role, informing families of the death of their loved one, and that the true scars of war are not wrought on the battlefield, but at home. However, his detachment dissolves when he meets Olivia (Morton)…

Release Date: 16th February, 2011

JOAN RIVERS: A PIECE OF WORK

The self-crowned Queen of Comedy, Joan Rivers, offers up her personal life as has never been seen before in the intimate fly-on-the-wall doco JOAN RIVERS: A PIECE OF WORK.

Following 75 year-old Joan as she goes about her grueling work schedule, this uncommonly intimate doco scrapes away the layers of Rivers’ larger-than-life public persona, to reveal a woman who is tormented by the ghosts of her past, fiercely determined, utterly tenacious and petrified of becoming irrelevant. Directors Ricki Stern and Anne Sundberg even manage to include footage of the famously vain Rivers sans make-up! Love her or hate her, one has to admire Joan’s work ethic!

Release Date: 16th February, 2011

AMREEKA

Winner of the FIPRESCI prize at Cannes Directors Fortnight last year, AMREEKA is a tender and touching film. When Muna wins a green card to live in the US, she and her son Fadi soon leave the West Bank to join Muna’s sister and her family in Illinois. But America is not the ‘Promised Land’ they’d hoped: Muna is unable to get the skilled bank work she had at home, and the US invasion of Iraq has stirred up anti-Arab sentiments at Fadi’s school, making him a target. But Muna is determined they will fit in, and starts flipping burgers at White Castle to prove it.

Release Date: 16th February, 2011

DOGTOOTH

Wildly unique and irreverent, DOGTOOTH is like the surreal Greek love-child of the films of Lars Von Trier and TV’s Big Brother – at once darkly funny and bleakly terrifying, it is like nothing you have ever seen before…

In order to shield them from the “evils” of the world, a couple forbids their children from leaving the family compound. With only their father allowed to leave in order to work, the teenagers entertain themselves by playing games and talking to their disobedient older brother, whom their parents say lives over the thick barrier hedge at the end of the garden. But when sexual curiosity begins to spread throughout the household, rebellion follows.

Release Date: 16th February, 2011

THE SUNSHINE BOY

In THE SUNSHINE BOY, award-winning Icelandic filmmaker Fridrik Thor Fridriksson travels to the U.S. with his compatriot, Margret Dagmar Ericsdotter and her autistic son, Keli – all the while filming her search for answers as to her son’s affliction.

In America, Margret meets experts who teach her the techniques to communicate with her as-yet unreachable son. Beautifully photographed and wonderfully uplifting, THE SUNSHINE BOY is a life-affirming and touching tale of the triumph of the human spirit.

Release Date: 16th February, 2011

THE 39 STEPS

Generally regarded as the best of Alfred Hitchcock’s pre-Hollywood films, THE 39 STEPS displays the knack for cloak and dagger, tension and sharp wit for which the ‘Master of Suspense’ has become renowned. Oscar®-winner Robert Donat (GOODBYE, MR CHIPS) stars as Richard Hannay, a Canadian tourist who meets the mysterious Annabella after a music hall mellée. She begs Hannay for help, insinuating dark forces at work, and he agrees to shelter her at his London digs; but when she is murdered in the dark of night, he is squarely in the frame.

Fleeing to Scotland, Hannay finds himself chased by both police and enemy agents, and on the lam with icy blonde Pamela (Madeleine Carroll). Desperate to clear his name, he must keep one step ahead of his pursuers and discover what on earth the 39 Steps are…

Release Date: 16th February, 2011

LEGEND OF THE FIST: THE RETURN OF CHEN ZHEN

The legendary character of Chen Zhen has been portrayed by martial arts masters Bruce Lee and Jet Li – but now it’s Donnie Yen’s (GRANDMASTER IP MAN) turn to step into Chen Zhen iconic shoes.

After a daring single-handed attack on German squads in the WWI trenches, Chen Zhen returns home to 1920s Shanghai to discover Japan’s imminent takeover of China. Disguised as a masked warrior at night, Chen now sets out to thwart the imminent Japanese invasion by rescuing as many people as he can from Japan’s “assassination list” while also finding himself enamoured by Kiki, the sultry songstress of the nightclub Casablanca.

Release Date: 2nd February, 2011

THE SILENT HOUSE

Presented in one single continuous shot of 78 minutes, THE SILENT HOUSE captures the terrifying night in which Laura and her father Wilson stay in a creepy cottage.

With a view to repairing the cottage the following morning, their night begins smoothly until Laura hears a sound that comes from outside, which gets louder and louder on the upper floor of the house. While Wilson ventures upstairs to investigate the noise, Laura remains downstairs on her own, waiting for him to return. After some time, Laura decides to look for her father but soon finds that the house holds a dark and terrible secret.

Release Date: 2nd February, 2011

180º SOUTH

In 1968, Yvon Chouinard and Doug Tompkins  – founders of Patagonia apparel and The North Face  respectively – embarked on a legendary adventure that took them by van from California to Argentina to scale the towering and potentially deadly Mount Fitzroy, stopping to surf and ski along the way.

Inspired by their wandering trek through Latin America, adventurer Jeff Johnson retraces the epic journey of his heroes almost 40 years later in 180° SOUTH. Travelling the coast via boat, along the way he is shipwrecked off Easter Island, experiences the unbelievable wildlife of the Galapagos Islands and surfs the longest wave of his life.

Release Date: 2nd February, 2011

LUKE NGUYEN’S VIETNAM 2

Luke Nguyen, acclaimed owner and chef of the Sydney restaurant ‘The Red Lantern’, returns to the country of his heritage to take a culinary journey through the northern regions of Vietnam. Starting in Hue, Luke travels through Vietnam’s spectacular northern countryside, visiting the natural wonders of Ha Long Bay, stopping at the French inspired Hanoi and all the way to the beautiful mountains of Sapa. Along the way he prepares dishes in locations that represent an authentic Vietnam, in all its chaotic vibrancy.

Release Date: 16th February, 2011

RESTREPO

Shortlisted for a Best Documentary Academy Award®, RESTREPO takes us to the remote Korengal Valley in eastern Afghanistan – considered one of the most dangerous postings of the war.

These soldiers of Second Platoon built and manned a remote and strategic outpost that they named “Restrepo”, in honour of their medic, PFC Juan Restrepo, who was killed in action. This is their story, in their words, of a group of men who came be considered the “tip of the spear” for American efforts in that area.

Release Date: 16th February, 2011

SHARK MEN

Racing through the ocean at over 40 kilometres an hour, with 300 razor-sharp teeth and 2,200 kilograms of bulk, just how do you capture a great white shark? As one of the planet’s most feared creatures, few people would search out a great white shark, let alone try and catch one.
Follow this elite team of anglers and scientists who go against the grain and actively try to track and study these beautiful, yet dangerous predators. On this nail-biting expedition, our team plan to lift them out of the water, examine them, tag them and then release them unharmed back into the ocean. They take to the high seas with their audacious scheme, but can they get close enough to these fearsome fish?

Release Date: 16th February, 2011

XAM’D: LOST MEMORIES COLLECTION 1

When a young boy on a peaceful island becomes the victim of a terrorist attack, he transforms into Xam’d, a powerful mecha capable of extreme power. Now he must discover the depth of his power and the role he plays in a world where metal and rock meet flesh, desire, and destiny.

This co-production with Studio Bones (FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST: BROTHERHOOD), Aniplex and Sony Computer Entertainment is a cutting-edge, stunningly animated series that made its debut on the PlayStation Network’s video download service in the U.S. and Japan.

Release Date: 16th February, 2011

THE VENTURE BROS. SEASON 4 PART 1

SEE the latest season of THE VENTURE BROS. Questions are answered and truths are revealed! Things are difficult for the boys as they deal with Brock Sampson’s absence, while Dr Venture is establishing a new working relationship with replacement bodyguard, Sgt. Hatred. Learn how Henchman 21 copes with life without 24. See what happens when Brock and the Venture family are forced to part ways. Discover the final fate of H.E.L.P.E.R. And all the while, the balance of the free world hangs in the hands of Dean Venture, who must kill Hitler. SEE THE VENTURE BROS.!

Release Date: 16th February, 2011

SESAME STREET: C IS FOR COOKIE MONSTER

C is for Cookie Monster and that’s good enough for everyone!

Celebrate all things Cookie Monster with this collection of sweet stories and scrumptious songs, including a special ‘C is for Cookie’ mash-up, the Cookie Monster story, ‘A Cookie is a Sometimes Food’, and the ‘Cookie Monster Disco Song’. This DVD is full of delicious Cookie Monster favourites made just for you.

Release Date: 2nd February, 2011

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