Even with new direction, McKellen feels Magneto's pull

LOS ANGELES — When Bryan Singer opted to abandon the third film in his dream X-Men franchise to live out another dream relaunching the Superman empire, a hoard of mutants were concerned. Perhaps none of the X-Men stars had more cause for wariness at the arrival of new director Brett Ratner than Sir Ian McKellen, an Oscar nominee and endlessly decorated British theater icon who first entered the Marvel Universe for the chance to reunite with his Apt Pupil director. [More]

Sir Ian to lead Europride Parade with Sir Elton John

Adele writes: The march will assemble at the top of Baker Street at noon on Saturday 1st July 2006 before VIP’s including Sir Elton John and Sir Ian McKellen lead the march down a new route along Oxford Street ending on Victoria Embankment. Events will also take place in Leicester Square and Trafalgar Square. [More]

University unveils summer topics

The mysteries of the Da Vinci Code and how football influences society are among topics to be addressed in new university courses in Glasgow. The subjects feature in the 140 classes and seminars on offer at Strathclyde University's Centre for Lifelong Learning this summer. There are also courses in Indian head massage and the deciphering of dreams. Centre director Lesley Hart said: "The programme gives everyone a unique chance to try something new." [More]

The Da Vinci Code and the girls of Riyadh

Dan Brown's novel 'The Da Vinci Code' has been translated into 40 languages, including Arabic. The book has been adapted into a film showing all over the world, reaping millions of dollars. The story, as the majority of people know, questions the life of Jesus and claims that he married Maria Magdalene and fathered her child. The suggestion has caused much controversy and has been strongly condemned by various Christian sects, which eventually led to the film being banned in Egypt and Lebanon (the book is sold in Egypt, but is censored in Lebanon). What was noticeable however was that the request for censorship in the Egyptian Parliament was made by Muslim MPs, who wanted to express their solidarity with the Copts and to defend Jesus. [More]

McKellen's 'A Knight Out in L.A.' Show in July

Geri writes: I just thought you like to know that Ian McKellen will perform a one-man show, "A Knight Out in L.A.," at the University of California, Los Angeles' Freud Playhouse (MacGowan Hall, 405 Hilgard Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90024) on July 22-23 to benefit the Los Angeles Young Actors' Company. [Tickets]

DVD Tuesday: Madea, Annapolis, Ultraviolet & More!

A ton of interesting new films are out on DVD this week. Take an early look on our 'DVD Tuesday' feature...every Monday! Check out Madea's Family Reunion, Find Me Guilty, Ultraviolet & more! [More]

ROKKAN Leverages Social Networking for Da Vinci Code Video Game Launch

New York, NY (PRWEB) June 26, 2006 -- Leading independent interactive agency ROKKAN, in cooperation with 2K Games, launched a breakthrough campaign for The Da Vinci Code Video Game, which leveraged social networking to create community around a puzzle-solving expedition. “While the concept of an online treasure hunt may not be revolutionary,” says Chung Ng, ROKKAN Co-founder and Managing Partner, “we wanted to leverage social networking to achieve cultural relevance for the Da Vinci Code brand with gamers.” To do this ROKKAN developed an integrated campaign that included social networking sites like MySpace and YouTube, as well as other online and retail partners. [More]

Egypt seizes 300 copies of 'The Da Vinci Code'

CAIRO (AFP) - Egyptian authorities seized 300 copies of the best-selling novel "The Da Vinci Code" at Cairo airport, after government warnings against distributing the book, an airport source told AFP. A package containing copies of the novel and addressed to an Egyptian publishing house arrived from Paris, the source said. Five other packages containing other books were given the green light to enter the country. Earlier this month, 2,000 pirated CD copies of the controversial film based on the novel by Dan Brown were seized and the owner of a local film production company was arrested. Days later, Culture Minister Faruq Hosni told parliament the film would be banned because "it profanes religions". [More]

H'bad theatre showing Da Vinci Code attacked

India: A group of Christian activists on Friday barged into Prasad Imax theatre, scheduled to screen The Da Vinci Code this afternoon after the Andhra Pradesh High Court quashed the Government ban on showing the film. The activists, holding banners and placards against the film, surprised the Imax staff and broke the glass planes of the booking counter to register their protest. The situation turned violent when the theatre's security personnel tried to stop the activists from entering the premises of the Imax. [More]

McKellen Donates Da Vinci Memorabilia to School

From Contactmusic: Hollywood actor SIR IAN MCKELLEN has donated the shirt and tie he wore in blockbuster THE DA VINCI CODE to the school he attended as a boy. MCKellen, 67, visited Bolton School in England earlier this week (begs19JUN06). The items donated will be auctioned off on website eBay to raise money to help fund clever children from less wealthy families attend the fee-paying school. A school spokeswoman says, "It was a surprise when Sir Ian handed over the memorabilia. He also bought the goody bag he was given at the Cannes Film Festival to be auctioned."

Da Vinci Expert Addresses Catholic Group in Camden, NJ

The recent movie "The Da Vinci Code" was on the menu Wednesday at a luncheon hosted by the Diocese of Camden, NJ. Diocese spokesperson Andy Walton says keynote speaker Amy Welborn knows the Da Vinci impact well. She's the author of 13 books including "Decoding Da Vinci" and "Da Vinci Code Mysteries." [More]

da Vinci painting or not, "Mona Lisa" look-alike draws interest

PORTLAND, Maine --Is the painting an authentic da Vinci? Or is it a copy? The answer may never be known about a work called "La Gioconda" that now hangs in the Portland Museum of Art. The painting, which bears a striking resemblance to Leonardo da Vinci's famous "Mona Lisa," was put on display last month the day before "The Da Vinci Code" movie began showing at theaters. In the weeks since, the painting has created a buzz among the curious. Museum officials think the painting, along with record rains, helped fuel a new attendance record for May; the crowds are on a record-setting pace for June, as well. [More]

American Samoa police to secure opening of Da Vinci Code

PAGO PAGO, American Samoa (AP) _ Police in American Samoa will patrol the opening of ``The Da Vinci Code'' later this month. They are worried about violence after a fight broke out between a priest and a theater manager over the film's content two weeks ago. Heather Wright is vice president of marketing of Hollywood Theaters. She says her company is just being cautious and wants to make sure its management team feels safe at the theater. [More]

INDIA: HC quashes ban on Da Vinci Code

Hyderabad --- The Andhra Pradesh High Court on Wednesday quashed the ban on the film The Da Vinci Code, holding the state government's June 1 order as "a highly irrational restriction on freedom of speech and expression." Petitioners Sony Entertainment and the distributor Lakshmi Enterprises were also awarded costs of Rs 10,000 each. Justice G Raghuram who delivered the order said the government had imposed the ban only because some individuals and organisations had demanded it. It had not assessed the likely consequences of its decision and the authorities had not even bothered to see the film to arrive at an informed opinion, as is required under the law. [More]

'Da Vinci Code' followers swarm Scottish chapel

ROSLIN, Scotland - There's no mystical rose line running through it, no Star of David carved into the floor or a hidden vault where the fabled Holy Grail may rest. Reality at Rosslyn Chapel is very different from the portrayal in Dan Brown's hit thriller, "The Da Vinci Code," but the novel has been a boost for a church in desperate need of repair. The book suggests the medieval stone building perched in the Pentland hills outside Edinburgh could be the repository of the Holy Grail - and with it the secret of whether Jesus and Mary Magdalene had a child. [More]

'Da Vinci Code' tops world box office for fifth straight week

LOS ANGELES (AFP) - "The Da Vinci Code," the film based on Dan Brown's best-selling novel, reportedly topped the world's box office for a fifth straight week, raking in some 680 million dollars in ticket sales. The US blockbuster generated 20 million dollars at the box office last weekend, five million in North America and the rest around the globe, Variety said. Directed by Ron Howard and produced on a 125-million-dollar budget, Sony Pictures's controversial conspiracy tale of the supposed marriage of Jesus Christ and Mary Magdalene has barreled past poor reviews from critics to become the world's biggest-selling film this year, ahead of the animated "Ice Age: The Meltdown." [more]

DVD Tuesday: Syriana, Eight Below, A Good Woman & More!

A ton of interesting new films are out on DVD this week. Take an early look on our 'DVD Tuesday' feature...every Monday! Check out Syriana, Night Watch, The Hills Have Eyes, Eight Below & more! [More]

Opus Dei's Earthly Weapon in Image Battle: Humor

So a guy walks up to the doorman at Opus Dei's red brick national headquarters in New York City, points at an upper floor and asks, "Is that where you keep the torture chamber?" "That's ridiculous!" says the doorman. "The torture chamber's in the basement." That's not just a joke. It's a true story as told by the doorman in question, Robert Boone. Boone's tendency to josh amid the scrutiny and ribbing that Opus Dei has been getting since the fictional "The Da Vinci Code" portrayed it as mysterious, brooding and tortured is catching on. Some former members of the group have used the book and movie as an opportunity to criticize Opus Dei as a controlling, authoritarian organization. [More]

Madras High Court to hear petition on release of "The Da Vinci Code"

Chennai: The Madras High Court will today hear a petition seeking to nullify a Tamil Nadu government order suspending the screening of "The Da Vinci Code". On May 31, the state government in its order stated that the controversial film, based on Dan Brown's novel by the same name, might hurt the people's sentiments and affect peace and calmness in Tamil Nadu. The novel claims Jesus married his female disciple Mary Magdalene and had a child with her. The petitions were filed by Sony Pictures India Ltd. and Anuroshi Films in Chennai. Anuroshi films also sought a direction from the High Court directing the authorities concerned to permit screening of the film in theatres across the state. [More]

"Musical evangelist" sets Da Vinci Code to music

AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - "The Da Vinci Code" is a goldmine not only for its creators but for a host of others producing spinoff merchandise like video games and guided tours that narrowly avoid using the novel’s full title. A new addition to the lengthening list is a CD called "Music Inspired by Da Vinci" -- after all, you can’t copyright the Renaissance master’s name. Dutch songwriter and producer Jan Kisjes said he composed the collection of 14 songs with religiously slanted titles like "Fear of the Unknown" and "Revelation o’ the Truth" to get people to re-examine Christianity and their faith. [More]

Egypt to confiscate Da Vinci Code novel

Cairo - Egyptian authorities will confiscate copies of the best-selling novel The Da Vinci Code and ban the film based on the book from showing in Egypt, the culture minister told parliament on Tuesday. To applause from members of parliament, minister Farouk Hosni said: "We ban any book that insults any religion... We will confiscate this book." Parliament was debating the book and film at the request of several Coptic Christian members who demanded a ban. [More]

Da Vinci controversy sees surge in book sale

New Delhi: The Supreme Court may have decided that the Da Vinci Code is a work of fiction and can't be banned but will protesters be satisfied? The film does carry a disclaimer at the beginning an in the end. If anything all this controversy has just meant that the book is flying off the shelves faster than ever. And now when one walks into a local bookstore, then you can't miss the Da Vinci Code corner, the book that started it all off. [More]

Sony Unveils Prototype Projector At Special Screening of "The Da Vinci Code"

The old Pacific Hollywood theater that opened in 1928, locked behind heavy black security gates seems like an unlikely place for Sony Electronics Inc. to debut a long-awaited concept 4K digital projector with 18K Lumen. Dan Brown's "Da Vinci Code" staring Tom Hanks showed Monday night at a special digital screening at the Hollywood, Calif., theater, now home to the Entertainment Technology Center at the University of Southern California (ETC-USC) digital cinema lab. The center screened the digital cinema release, courtesy of Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures, on the Sony SXRD 4K (4096 x 2160 pixel resolution) concept projector with 18K Lumen, the first public showing for a digital projector with these specification. [More]

'Da Vinci Code' becomes Sony's best ever overseas release

LOS ANGELES (AFP) - "The Da Vinci Code," the film based on Dan Brown's best-selling novel, has become Sony Pictures' best ever overseas release with 453 million dollars in ticket sales, the studio said. In total the film, which has sparked global controversy, has raked in 642 million dollars worldwide, including 189 million dollars in North America, Steve Elzer of Sony Pictures told the AFP. The film, a conspiracy tale surrounding the supposed marriage of Jesus Christ and Mary Magdalene, has ignited polemic and was banned from theaters for violating religious ethics in India, China, and Pakistan. [More]

TV Watch: Ron Howard on 'Ellen' Clip

A repeat airing of Ron Howard on 'The Ellen Degeneres Show' will air today. If you missed it, it's new to you. If you want to catch it online simply follow this link! [More]

The da Vinci Code - MAX Solves the Mystery...

The da Vinci Code game is based on the film by Oscar winning director Ron Howard, which is based on Dan Brown's best-selling novel. While attempting to solve a murder, Harvard professor Robert Langdon and French cryptographer Sophie Neveu uncover a 2000-year-old conspiracy through clues encoded in paintings by Leonardo Da Vinci. The da Vinci Code takes you on a heart-pounding race through Paris and through time to find the truth and protect a secret that could shake the world. [More]

Kenya: The Da Vinci Code Beats Them All

For the third weekend, The Da Vinci Code is still attracting the highest number of viewers since its release on May 19. On its first weekend, it hit the number one spot, and has stuck there. Last weekend, it was watched by 4,072 people across six screens in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. By then, total viewership was 34,145, surpassing Fanaa (Hindi), X-Men and Mission Impossible III which were second, third and fourth, respectively, just like they were in the weekend of May 28. [More]

India's Supreme Court rejects pleas to ban "Da Vinci Code"

NEW DELHI (AFP) - India's highest court has rejected pleas to ban the film "The Da Vinci Code", saying the plot which suggests Jesus was married was fiction and not offensive. A two-judge bench of the Supreme Court threw out separate petitions from the All India Christian Welfare Association and an individual to outlaw the film made by director Ron Howard. "When the censor board and the government has cleared the screening of the film, what is the objection?" the bench said in an order Monday. "You yourself accept it is fiction and not fact, then there should not have any objection," the two judges in their order told the association, which has been at the forefront of a Christian campaign to ban the film in India. [More]

Chinese Catholic Church applauds "Da Vinci Code" ban

China's government-backed Catholic church has applauded a decision by authorities to pull from theatres nationwide the controversial religious thriller film "The Da Vinci Code". "That it has been banned by the government is a good thing," Liu Bainian, vice president of the China Catholic Patriotic Association, told AFP. [More]

China pulls "Da Vinci Code," approves "MI3"

BEIJING (Reuters) - China ordered cinemas to pull the plug on controversial blockbuster "The Da Vinci Code," saying it wanted to allow more exposure for homegrown films, but it also announced "Mission Impossible III" would be released next month. The decision on "The Da Vinci Code" came after calls from several groups representing the Chinese film industry, the official English-language China Daily said, although it suggested the movie could continue to be shown. "We are not against foreign films," the newspaper quoted an unnamed official with one of the film's Chinese distributors as saying. "My company will continue to arrange their screenings in China according to market demand." A media source told Reuters on Thursday that domestic newspapers had received a notice from the central government propaganda department telling them to stop all references to the movie in print. The source said the decision to pull the film had been taken after protests from Chinese religious groups. [more]

Louvre Tourists Discover More Clues to Da Vinci Code

(PRWEB) - Nashville (PRWEB) June 6, 2006 -- While the Da Vinci Code movie based on Dan Brown’s novel makes box office history, its controversial nature has theologians, churches, and moviegoers buzzing. Meanwhile, a couple of tourists to the Louvre hope they may have found more clues, or at least more mystery to add to the legend. On a rainy evening in March, up-and-coming American filmmaker Darren Christianson (Stonesthrow Entertainment) and his publicist, Deborah Danker (Danker & Danker PR) were strolling in front of the Louvre, enjoying the ambiance and discussing the Da Vinci Code’s Paris filming. Looking down, they noticed yards and yards of 35mm film twisting around the sidewalk. Looking closer, they found an empty tin film canister with the label ripped off. [More]

Da Vinci Code: statement from the Anglican Bishops

“Some of us have been approached about our views on The Da Vinci Code novel and movie in recent weeks. We are also aware that a number of people believe that The Da Vinci Code story is real and that its description of Christian history is true. “We therefore feel it is important to say publicly that in 2005 a UK television archaeologist, Tony Robinson, edited and narrated a detailed rebuttal of the main arguments and facts of The Da Vinci Code, in the documentary The real Da Vinci Code. This documentary was shown on New Zealand television recently. [More]

'Da Vinci Code' gets Christians talking

"The Da Vinci Code," straight from Hollywood, is not boring. In fact, some reviewers' comments lean to the contrary. But neither is it fact, any more than a made-for-TV miniseries that showed an ice age descending on New York City in about five minutes. But the marriage of whodunit and pseudo-history has some church officials and churchgoers more than a little worried. Americans learn a lot of what they know from the big and little screens. [More]

Audrey Tautou Beats Tom Cruise on AceShowbiz.com’s Celebrity Buzz May 2006 Edition

(PRWEB) June 5, 2006 -- May 2006 was a great month for movie mania. Opened up with JJ. Abrams’ ‘Mission: Impossible 3’ then continued with ship sank movie ‘Poseidon’, Dan Brown’s novel-based movie ‘The Da Vinci Code’, the last week of May is closed with mutant movie ‘X-Men: The Last Stand’. As a result of that, most of the new entries to May buzz are movie stars. Her role as Sophie Neveu in ‘The Da Vinci Code’ has raised Audrey Tautou to the peak position of Celebrity Buzz May 2006 Edition besides led her to secure the label of new entry to the buzz. Meanwhile, fellow actor Paul Bettany who played the villainous albino Silas has also become another new entry on #44 of this month chart. [More]br clear=all.

Hanks' Da Vinci Code copy raises £2250 for charity

TOM HANKS' well-thumbed copy of The Da Vinci Code, purchased at Rosslyn Chapel, has confounded all expectations by raising more than £2000 for charity. Macmillan Cancer Relief placed the book, donated by the actor, on eBay with the hope of receiving £1000. The copy attracted bidders from across the globe, including people from the United States and Germany. However, it was Mr Tyco Ondude from Sweden who swooped in with a bid of £2250, just 20 seconds from the auction's close. "We were rooting for him all the way," said Kirsty Tomassi of the Macmillan Cancer Relief. "He started bidding from the start and got it at the last minute." [More]

7 of India's 29 states ban 'Da Vinci Code'

HYDERABAD, India - Seven of India's 29 states have banned "The Da Vinci Code," with officials in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh saying Friday the movie was insulting to Christians. Andhra Pradesh on Thursday became the latest Indian state to ban the film, which was to be released there on Friday. "We have taken the decision because the release of the movie could have led to demonstrations and trouble," Paul Bhuyan, the special chief secretary of Andhra Pradesh, told The Associated Press. "The minority organizations have pointed out that the film's story line attacked the very heart of the Holy Gospel, destroying the divinity of Jesus Christ," Bhuyan said. [More]

Egypt seizes 2,000 'Da Vinci Code' DVDs

CAIRO, Egypt - Police seized 2,000 pirated DVDs of "The Da Vinci Code" on Saturday, and the Egyptian Coptic Christian church demanded the film be banned in Egypt. The film has not been shown here and the government has not yet decided whether to permit it. Police arrested the owner of a local movie production company when they discovered he had 2,000 pirated DVDs of the film, a police source said, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to the media. The film version of Dan Brown's murder mystery is based around the premise that Jesus and one of his followers, Mary Magdalene, fathered children whose descendants are still alive. [More]

Muslim Pakistan bans "The Da Vinci Code"

ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Pakistan has banned "The Da Vinci Code" following calls from both minority Christians and majority Muslims, an official said on Sunday. The adaptation of Dan Brown's best-selling novel, the story of a Vatican cover-up involving Christ and his supposed offspring, has made hundreds of millions of dollars around the world since it opened last month. But the screening of the film in Pakistan, or possession of it on video cassettes or discs, was prohibited and unlawful, said Jalil Abbas, secretary of the Ministry of Culture. "The film is sacrilegious to all religions, that's why we did this," Abbas told Reuters. [More]

Creating Saint-Sulpice in Da Vinci Code, much more than smoke and mirrors

They say the imagination has no boundaries of what it can or can't create. The Da Vinci Code director Ron Howard wanted to film a night scene in the Saint-Sulpice church, but the Catholic Church, which has denounced the book of the same name, on which the movie is based, refused to allow the film crew to shoot any scenes inside the famous Parisian church. Furthermore, the church is not open at night. To the creative imaginations of the people at Rainmaker Animation and Visual Effects, the problem of how to shoot the scene without maiming, bribery or actually being there was solved. Pivotal to this solution was a green screen set and digital compositing, but it doesn't end there. [More]

From the Pulpit: ‘Da Vinci Code’ gives opportunity to discuss

When Dan Brown’s novel, “The Da Vinci Code,” hit the bookshelves a couple of years ago, I read it. And, I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was a cracking good story, I thought (and please notice that I said “story.” meaning it is fiction). Now that Ron Howard has made the story into a movie, there has been major noise made about it by some pastors and churches around the country. They should not have bothered. The film is a bust, in my opinion, hardly rivaling the book itself. [More]

'Da Vinci Code' compels play in new video game

You've read the book and seen the movie — now you can play the game. Based on Dan Brown's novel — currently in its 104th printing — and the Hollywood blockbuster of the same name, The Da Vinci Code is a controversial adventure game that challenges players to unravel a 2,000-year-old secret. Despite the bland performances by the game's two main protagonists, The Da Vinci Code fares well as a video game thanks to its clever puzzles, new story elements and extra locations not found in the book or film. [More]

Two more Indian states ban "The Da Vinci Code"

HYDERABAD, India (Reuters) - Two more Indian states have banned cinema screenings of the controversial "The Da Vinci Code," doubling the number of regions to have passed such orders after protests by minority Christians. Authorities in southern Andhra Pradesh state and Meghalaya in the Christian-dominated northeast blocked the film late on Thursday. Two other states, Punjab and Tamil Nadu, had earlier banned the film. The Andhra Pradesh government said many groups, including Christian organizations, had opposed the film which had been scheduled for release on Friday. [More]

`DaVinci' Casting Was Clue ToEnnui

By now everyone knows that the film adaptation of Dan Brown's best-selling page-turner "The Da Vinci Code" has failed to generate much in the way of rapture. Even if it is making enough money to justify talk of sequels, critics have pointed to problems with the script, the pace of Ron Howard's direction and the cumbersome conveyance of radical religious ideas at the heart of the story. But one problem that has been overlooked is the casting. Tom Hanks, modern cinema's protean, endlessly appealing Everyman, is no Robert Langdon, the book's Harvard symbology professor-turned-man-on-the-run. Even with the goofy long hair, which seems designed to give him the abstract air of a scholarly sort, Hanks is too soft around the edges, too genial, too sexless. [More]

Demons Director Buzz

June 2, 2006 - There have been some rumors swirling lately about who might direct Angels & Demons, Sony's follow-up to their blockbuster adaptation of Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code. While the rumor mill recently suggested that Steven Spielberg might helm the project, Variety said that Da Vinci director Ron Howard has first dibs at Angels. Star Tom Hanks, whose character Robert Langdon is the protagonist of both Da Vinci and Angels & Demons, is likewise not obligated to star in the prequel but has first crack at it. [More]

Decoding the flaws of 'Da Vinci Code' far too easy

On the face of this green Earth, I may be the only human being able to say, "I have not read The Da Vinci Code." Though I am not able to compare book and film, I can still say this: It didn't live up to the hype. The cast of the film was star-studded, with Tom Hanks, Audrey Tautou, Ian McKellen, Alfred Molina, Jean Reno and Paul Bettany. Hanks acted the part of Robert Langdon very well, but did not seem to fit the role. His character felt a little odd because his actions and tones seemed to indicate a much older man. Tatou perfectly portrayed Sophie Neveu as a real person troubled by the haunting image of a terrible past, and Reno played a very convincing asshole, Captain Fache. Ian McKellen turned in his usual terrific performance in the role of Leigh Teabing, an old, crippled former colleague of Langdon's. Bettany was excellent, if not all that intimidating, as the albino Silas. [More]

TV Watch: Tom Hanks on 'Letterman' Repeat

A repeat airing of Tom Hanks on 'The Late Show with David Letterman' will air tonight CBS. If you haven't seen it, it's new to you! Catch the episode tonight on CBS at 11:35PM or you can follow this link for the whole clip online. [More]