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Building on a legacy that profoundly shaped national culture, ‘City of God: The Fight Rages On’ had a significant challenge to face: not only honoring the original film’s narrative but also updating the story to reflect more contemporary issues. City of God ‘City of God’ (2002) is a critically acclaimed Brazilian crime drama set in the favelas (slums) of Rio de Janeiro directed by Fernando Meirelles and co-directed by Kátia Lund. The film is based on the 1997 novel of the same name by Paulo Lins, which was inspired by real events of the rise of organized crime in the neighborhood called “Cidade de Deus” (City of God). Based on the work of the original novel’s writer Paulo Lins, the spin-off takes place twenty years after the events of the feature film, in the early 2000s. Based on the memories of Buscapé “Rocket” (Alexandre Rodrigues), the production portrays the impact of conflicts between rival gangs,...

It almost invariably is a pet peeve of mine when something’s said to counter a critique, and this might be the first time I’m about to do the same. Most critics’ complaint that City of God: The Fight Rages On isn’t as fiery as the original is practically holding the spin-off accountable for being authentic to the sociopolitical scenario of Brazil. And how ironic is it that when Fernando Meirelles and Katia Lund’s film came out, it was widely condemned for fetishizing violence when all it did was stay grounded in reality? And then there’s the factor that, as a 2-hour long movie, City of God could afford to be one kill after another with intervals for other criminal activities. How fair would it be to expect the show to pack just as much punch while also allotting enough time to develop the characters that...

It’s only normal that there’s skepticism aplenty about the soon-to-be-out HBO original City of God: The Fight Rages on. If you’re a fan of the 2002 City of God, you’d know how much of its edge would need to be blunted for the spin-off to be palatable in today’s time. If Fernando Meirelles and Katia Lund’s film was condemned for over-exploitation of violent themes back when people had stronger stomachs, the world’s certainly not ready for something in the same line now. But there’s a silver lining in City of God getting a spin-off series under a banner as reliable as HBO and Max. It’s been a while since the original masterpiece has been a part of the Zeitgeist. So, if it takes an HBO original to bring it back to the forefront again, aside from the fact that this is...

When Fernando Meirelles and Kátia Lund’s City of God came out in 2002, it was generally acclaimed — countless Top 10 lists, four Oscar nominations, etc. But it did not go without criticism. There were some who found the violent coming-of-age drama to be exploitative, fetishizing poverty and crime in the Brazilian favelas without digging deeper than misery.

In very meta terms, it’s a duality that haunts the lead of HBO Latino and Max’s new spinoff series, City of God: The Fight Rages On. Wilson (Alexandre Rodrigues) grew up in the sprawling lower-income suburbs of Rio de Janeiro and, after watching many of his friends and rivals die in the film’s escalating violence, found his escape through his camera. Though he’s become one of the country’s most famous photojournalists, even he’s exhausted by how much of his success has come from capturing images of death.

Wilson...

This August, Paramount+ is bringing you a lot of entertainment with the highly anticipated streaming release of the biographical film Bob Marley: One Love and a very weird but humorous and heartfelt film Sasquatch Sunset, which follows the daily lives of a Sasquatch family. However, for the purposes of this article, we are only including the films that are coming to Paramount+ this month and have a 90% or higher Rotten Tomatoes score. So, check out the 10 best films that are coming to Paramount+ in August 2024 with a 90% or higher Rotten Tomatoes score.

Airplane! (August 1)

Airplane! is a disaster absurdist comedy film written and directed by Jim Abrahams, David, and Jerry Zucker. Based on the 1957 drama film Zero Hour! by Arthur Hailey, Hall Bartlett, and John Champion, the 1980 film follows Ted Striker, a former pilot with a fear of flying as he finds himself in the impossible situation of landing a...

As House of the Dragon Season 2 comes to an end on August 4, Max subscribers will be wondering about what’s next. The Warner Bros. Discovery streaming service has a lot to offer in the upcoming month including as many classic and new content comes out on the service. Just like every month there is a lot of content on the way and just like every month, we have sorted out the best movies and TV shows you should invest your time in. So, here are the 7 best movies and TV shows coming to Max in August 2024.

Beetlejuice (August 1)

Beetlejuice is a fantasy comedy horror movie directed by Tim Burton from a screenplay co-written by Michael McDowell and Warren Skaaren. The 1988 film follows the story of a ghost married couple Barbara and Adam, who lead a peaceful life but when their house gets sold to new people, they call on the...

City Of God: The Fight Rages On is a television sequel to the acclaimed 2002 film, City Of God. Here’s the trailer.

City Of God is a modern classic, insofar as 2002 can be considered modern. Written by Bráulio Mantovani and directed by Fernando Meirelles and Kátia Lund, the film received praise for its stark depiction of the lives of its characters and for filming in real favelas in Rio de Janeiro. It went on to be nominated for four Oscars and is often cited as one of the best films of the 21st century.

A spin-off television drama, City Of Men, ran for four series in 2002 to 2005, which was adapted into a film in 2007.

Back in the present, City Of God: The Fight Rages On is described as a direct sequel to the film, with Alexandre Rodrigues – who played budding photographer Rocket in the original 2002 film – reprising his role.

The...

“City of God: The Fight Rages On” is a 6-episode sequel to a 2002 ‘crime drama’ series, directed by Fernando Meirelles and Kátia Lund, starring Alexandre Rodrigues, Roberta Rodrigues, Thiago Martins, Sabrina Rosa, Kiko Marques, Edson Oliveira, Andréia Horta, Marcos Palmeira, Eli Ferreira, Luellem de Castro, Jefferson Brasil, Otávio Linhares, Rafael Lozano, Leandro Daniel, and Luiz Bertazzo, streaming August 25, 2024 on Max:

“…two decades have passed as a photojournalist finds himself dropped into an ongoing drug war. The battle for control over the ‘City of God’ rages on, as ‘Rocket’ finds himself caught up in a daily fight that only seems to escalate.

“Then a young drug dealer from prison puts ‘Cidade de Deus’ right back into conflict. As residents become ensnared between drug traffickers, militias and public authorities, the need to escape this cycle makes the community unite to face the oppression…”

Click the images to enlarge…...

The I.P. proverb remains true: if you’ve got a popular film brand, a spin-off on television seems inevitable. While it’s more than 20 years later, “City Of God: The Fight Rages On” is a spin-off series based on the Oscar-nominated “City Of God” crime thriller which launched the career of Brazilian director Fernando Meirelles (though it was also co-directed by Kátia Lund).

Continue reading ‘City Of God’ Trailer: ‘The Fight Rages On’ In New TV Spin-Off Of Beloved Oscar-Winning Film at The Playlist.

"City of God" is so much more than just Brazil's answer to "GoodFellas,". One of the most acclaimed Brazilian films of all time, Fernando Meirelles and Kátia Lund's 2001 masterpiece is a portrait of Rio de Janeiro and its reality, the ugly and the beautiful sides of it. Set in the favelas of Rio in the '70s, the film centers on two men, each following a different path they say is forced on them by their Dickensian circumstances. One becomes a photographer documenting the drug-related violence that is rapidly increasing in the neighborhood, while the other becomes an ambitious drug dealer climbing the ladder.

In addition to gathering universal acclaim for its acting, cinematography, writing and portrayal of the favelas, "City of God" also got four nominations at the Academy Awards, including Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Director. Now, over 20 years after the release of the original, Max has announced a sequel series.

Independent titles lead the openers at this weekend’s UK-Ireland box office, with Thea Sharrock’s comedy Wicked Little Letters starting in 685 sites through Studiocanal.

Written by Jonny Sweet and based on a true scandal from 1920s England, Wicked Little Letters centres on an English seaside town targeted by a series of obscene letters, that are investigated by a group of women from the area.

Olivia Colman and Jessie Buckley lead the cast, that also includes Anjana Vasan, Malachi Kirby and Timothy Spall. Buckley, Vasan and Kirby were named Screen Stars of Tomorrow in 2017, 2021 and 2013.

It is the third feature from UK filmmaker Sharrock,...

Paramount’s “Bob Marley: One Love” debuted atop the U.K. and Ireland box office with £6.9 million ($8.7 million), according to numbers from Comscore.

Universal’s animation “Migration” dropped a spot to second place with £2.7 million in its third weekend and now has a total of £13.5 million. Sony’s “Madame Web” debuted in third position with £2.2 million.

In fourth place, in its third weekend, Universal’s “Argylle” earned £544,846 for a total of £5 million. Rounding off the top five was Warner Bros.’ “Wonka” that collected £424,825 in its 11th weekend for a total of £62.1 million.

There were no other debuts in the top 10.

The midweek release coming up is the 48th & 1/2 anniversary, as the makers style it, re-release of Terry Gilliam and Terry Jones’ cult 1975 comedy “Monty Python and the Holy Grail,” starring John Cleese, Eric Idle, Michael Palin, Graham Chapman, Gilliam and Jones, from Graft Entertainment. It opens Wednesday, Feb. 21.

“All of Us Strangers...

Middle East distributor Front Row Filmed Entertainment is gearing up to theatrically release iconic Oscar-nominated Rio de Janeiro gangland drama City of God across the Gulf countries of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates for the first time.

Co-directed by Brazilian directors Fernando Meirelles and Kátia Lund, the movie made waves back in 2002 for its realistic depiction of the rise of gang violence in the favelas of Rio de Janeiro with a young unprofessional cast.

At the time, Dubai-based Front Row originally released the film straight to DVD in the Gulf due to a variety of local restrictions but some two decades later it has set a theatrical re-release in a sign of how the region is opening up.

The planned February 22 Gulf launch coincides with the 21st anniversary of the movie’s 2003 theatrical release following its Out of Competition world premiere at Cannes in...

Fernando Meirelles’ epic crime drama ‘City of God’ is returning to cinemas to mark the movie’s 21st anniversary.Over two decades on from its original release, this visually stunning and gripping reflection of life on the mean streets of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, is back on the big screen – courtesy of Paris-based distributor The Festival Agency partnering with sales company Wild Bunch - for a new generation to experience.The film is an adaptation of Paulo Lins’ 1997 novel of the same name – which is based on real events – that weaves together the compelling stories of a group of kids growing up in the poverty-stricken favelas of Rio from the 1960s to the 1980s. Narrator Rocket – played by Alexandre Rodrigues - tries to avoid being drawn into the spiral of violence and crime to become a photographer and win over the beautiful Angélica (Alicia Braga), whilst gun-toting L’il Zé...

A mother’s greatest grief is losing her child, and that is exactly what has been portrayed in the series Love Is for the Strong. The suffering of Rita after losing her child brings out the issues in Brazilian democracy. The able direction of Katia Lund, Yasmin Thayná, and Daniel Lieff has given the series good shape. The cast of the series includes Tatiana Tibúrcio, Breno Ferreira, and others. The ways in which Kevin and his mother fight to ensure he gets justice have been portrayed effectively in Love Is For The Strong. Will Kevin be able to attain justice? In what way will Rita and Sinistro seek justice? We will find the answers to these questions as we progress through the series!

Spoilers Ahead

What Happens To Kevin?

Kevin wanted to surprise his mom, Rita, on Mother’s Day. As he goes out to get flowers for her, something catastrophic happens!

Anna Kendrick’s directorial debut Woman Of The Hour and family drama Mother Couch, starring Ewan McGregor and Ellen Burstyn, are headed to the third edition of Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea International Film Festival, running from November 30 to December 9 in the port city of Jeddah.

The titles will play in the Festival Favorites sidebar which was announced on Thursday alongside the event’s Red Sea: Treasures strand.

Kendrick directs and stars in Netflix-acquired drama Woman Of The Hour as a woman whose path crosses notorious serial killer Rodney Alcala, whilst in Niclas Larsson’s first film Mother Couch, McGregor plays a man whose mother squats the family furniture store.

Further films in the line-up – showcasing 21 buzzy festival titles from the last 12 months – include the David Oyelowo produced documentary Allihopa: The Dalkurd Story; Women’s World Cup doc Copa 71, executive produced by Serena and Venus Williams, Jennifer Esposito’s Fresh Kills,...

There’s no joint like a Spike Lee Joint, but what other movies does the director love?

Over four decades and 30 films, Brooklyn-raised Lee has established himself as the type of director whose work can’t be replicated. The traits that make a Spike Lee Joint a Spike Lee Joint are easy to spot: the fiery and often political subject matter, the mix of humor with drama, those iconic floaty dolly shots, and an everything-but-the-kitchen-sink approach to stylistic experimentation.

Lee’s fearlessness as a director makes for a fascinating mixed-bag of a filmography. The auteur has at least three undeniable masterpieces under his belt: 1989’s “Do the Right Thing,” a searing drama about police violence and racism; 1992’s “Malcolm X,” an epic starring Denzel Washington as the titular Civil Rights leader; and 2002’s “25th Hour,” the greatest portrait of life in New York after 9/11 put to film. Depending on who you ask,...

Rio De Janeiro — In Brazil, where the majority of the population are of African origin, persons of color are traditionally under-represented on above-the-line TV and film production. This, however, is gradually changing.

For the past years, Poc talents, as well as residents from the impoverished urban areas, LGBTQ and indigenous people, have gained ground in the still white-male dominated production sector.

The diversity drive resisted four years of an extreme-right government and ironically benefited indirectly from it, in the view of director and screenwriter Janaina Oliveira, vice-president of local Association of Black Audiovisual Professionals (Apan).

As the Bolsonaro administration (2019-2022) withheld coin from government incentives, said 42-year-old Oliveira, indie producers resorted to commissions from the large international streaming companies.

“Netflix, Amazon and the other streaming companies have adopted policies that stimulate diversity in their productions, especially after the Black Lives Matter movement, and they enforced them in Brazil. George Floyd had an impact here,...

Warner Bros. Discovery is on track to launch the merged HBO Max Discovery+ streaming service in Latin America before the end of 2023, marking out the region as the first territory outside the U.S. to bow the combined streamer.

Wbd is also fully “committed” to combining global U.S. content with “extremely compelling IP created locally” in Latin America, Fernando Medín, Wbd president and MD Latin America and U.S. Hispanic, told Variety, citing two titles from Brazil, true crime docuseries “A Brutal Pact: The Murder of Daniella Perez,” and the development of “City of God,” a series continuation from the Fernando Meirelles and Katia Lund’s four time Oscar-nominated 2002 movie.

Mexico’s “Mariachis,” ”Coyotl” and Argentina’s “Felices los 6”feature among scripted series set to bow on HBO Max in 2023 or 2024.

In a first interview since his appointment this April, Medin also talked about Wbd’s working on telenovela...

“He is so, so talented,” gushes director Adil El Arbi when speaking to Variety about Brendan Fraser. The actor played villain Firefly in the now discarded Warner Bros. Discovery film “Batgirl,” directed by El Arbi in collaboration with his long-time partner, Bilall Fallah. “The way he played that character… It was one of the most memorable villains, so we’ll see. Maybe when he wins his Oscar they’ll want to show the movie,” concluded Adil, referring to Fraser’s Oscar buzz for Darren Aronofsky’s “The Whale.”

“[Fraser] is the nicest guy I’ve ever met in my life,” agrees Bilall, who fondly remembers the seven months of shooting “Batgirl” in Glasgow, Scotland. “I never had an experience like that, the whole city was working with us to make it possible. I hope we can get back.”

“We might have it somewhere,” Adil says of the footage. Back in August,...

City of God was Alice Braga‘s first film. Could a first acting job get much better than that? Co-directed by Fernando Meirelles and Kátia Lund, City of God remains a special movie, a raw, bruising portrait of life in the crime-ridden Cidade de Deus suburb of Rio de Janeiro. Nobody forgets seeing it for the first time. And […]

The post Alice Braga on the Staying Power of ‘City of God,’ 20 Years After the Brazilian Crime Classic Was Shot appeared first on /Film.

Writer/director Catherine Hardwicke talks about her favorite intense movies with Josh.

Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode

Citizen Kane (1941)

Thirteen (2003)

Lords of Dogtown (2005)

Heat and Sunlight (1987)

Angelo My Love (1983)

Kids (1995)

Out Of The Blue (1980)

The Wanderers (1979)

Mean Streets (1973)

A Woman Under The Influence (1974)

Husbands (1970)

City of God (2002)

Boys Don’t Cry (1999)

The Next Karate Kid (1994)

Million Dollar Baby (2004)

Hair (1979)

The Hangover (2009)

Porky’s (1981)

Hamburger: The Motion Picture (1986)

Twilight (2008)

The Nativity Story (2006)

Pariah (2011)

Mudbound (2017)

Sex And The City: The Movie (2008)

The Florida Project (2017)

Tangerine (2015)

The Ocean of Helena Lee (2015)

Other Notable Items

Rob Nilsson

Sundance Film Festival

Robert Duvall

Larry Clark

Peanuts comic strip (1950-2000)

Charles M. Schulz

Chloe Sevigny

Rosario Dawson

Heath Ledger

Linda Manz

Dennis Hopper

Philip Kaufman

Ken Wahl

The Wanderers novel by Richard Price (1974)

Robert De Niro

John Cassavetes

Gena Rowlands

Fernando Meirelles

Kátia Lund

Kimberly Pierce

Hillary Swank

Scarlett Johansson

Treat Williams

John Savage

The Eli...

Netflix pulled out all the stops towards the end of 2019, as the company launched the most robust slate of awards season titles in its brief history. Of course, the Oscar gold rush doesn’t leave the streamer or any of its competitors with much to offer at the start of the new year, and so Netflix’s January is extremely light on original fare.

To make up for it, the company is offering a grab bag of irrefutable favorites, many of which feed into current awards campaigns in one way or another. Anyone still high off the “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” fumes will be happy to find “Catch Me if You Can” and “Kill Bill” back on the platform, while “Joker” fans can parse “The Master” for shades of Arthur Fleck. Other gems, like Hikari’s “37 Seconds” and Max Joseph’s criminally dismissed “We Are Your Friends” are...

With Netflix only recently announcing it would give Martin Scorsese’s gangster epic “The Irishman” a nearly four-week exclusive theatrical release before it becomes available to stream, Hollywood is watching closely as the streamer continues to hone its distribution strategy, especially for awards contenders. The growing heavyweight recently confirmed it would give nine other fall movies a similar theaters-first rollout, and of the nine, only “The Two Popes” is receiving the same nearly four-week theatrical as “The Irishman.” Netflix recently released the first trailer for the religious drama, and it could spell Oscar campaigns for lead actors Anthony Hopkins and Jonathan Pryce.

The two heavyweights play Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Francis, respectively, in this intimate look at a historic turning point in the Catholic Church. From the trailer, the drama appears to be a two-hander revolving around conversations between the two men who would come to symbolize the tension...

The Kinoki Film Festival is a yearly celebration hosted by the Universidad Iberoamericana (Ibero), one of the most recognized universities in Mexico. From March 28 to April 5, the 14th edition of Kinoki will have Brazil as the spotlight country, with a trio of films from different periods: Glauber Rocha’s Black God, White Devil (aka Deus e o Diabo na Terra do Sol), Fernando Meirelles and Kátia Lund’s City of God and Eryk Rocha’s Cinema Novo. Both actor Jesús Ochoa, better known in the United States for such movies as Man on Fire and Quantum of Solace, and director Alonso Ruizpalacios, will he honored by the festival, each hosting a master class. Kinoki will also offer some special presentations of recent Mexican films,...

[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...

Fresh off the biggest fall season of Netflix’s brief history — a span defined by “Roma,” “Private Life,” and several more of the best original movies the streaming giant has released thus far — the monolithic content provider is heading into 2019 with the wind at its back and swagger in its step. The company’s January lineup may be light on much-anticipated new titles, but it’s heavy on major Hollywood fare.

Some recent blockbusters, like 2018’s “Solo: A Star Wars Story,” are looking for a second life on streaming. Others, like “The Dark Knight,” are perennial favorites that should be offered by any web platform worth its subscription cost. And all of them will be joining one of the most beloved movie franchises of all time, as the complete “Indiana Jones” series finally makes it way to Netflix, arriving just in time for you to sit on the couch and...

August is finally over, the summer movie season is in the rear-view mirror, and we’re entering that magical time of year when the studios actually care about the quality of the films they put out into the world. Netflix, always eager to provide the public with a good reason to stay home, is responding to the sudden uptick in must-see Hollywood fare by busting out the big guns and releasing an absolutely killer line-up of modern classics (click here for the complete list).

From the defining indie of the 21st century to the greatest romance of the 21st, these are the seven best films that are coming to Netflix in September.

Read More:7 New Netflix Shows to Binge in September 2017, and The Best Episodes of Each 7. “Vincent N Roxxy” (2016)

Unfolding like a Nicholas Winding Refn-directed remake of “Shotgun Stories,” Gary Michael Schultz’s “Vincent N Roxxy” is a nasty...

No genre illustrates the evolution of cinema better than the crime film. As recently as the ’90s, Hollywood regularly released stories of cops-and-robber showdowns and mystery-thrillers based on best-selling novels — but as the middle class continues to disappear from Hollywood films, smart crime stories moved to television (see: “The Sopranos,” “The Wire,” “Breaking Bad,” “The Night Of,” et. al.).

Outside the studios, there is a longstanding tradition – from the B-movies to the Coen brothers – of new directors showcasing their filmmaking chops with dark, stylish, and intense crime sagas. A surge of new filmmakers in the ’90s brought fresh interpretations to the genre, from the pastiche of “Reservoir Dogs” to the unnerving realism in “Boyz n the Hood.”

Read MoreThe 50 Best Films of the ’90s, From ‘Pulp Fiction’ to ‘Groundhog Day’

These days, many of the best contemporary directors — including Martin Scorsese, David Fincher, Mann, the Coens, Park Chan-wook and Spike Lee – still love the genre,...

If you’ve ever wondered what happened to the young actors in Fernando Meirelles’ and Kátia Lund’s 2002 Brazilian crime drama “Cidade de Deus” (or “City Of God”), here’s a film that should satisfy your curiosity. Titled “Cidade De Deus – 10 Anos… Continue Reading →...

When I was approached about contributing to the BBC’s list of the top hundred films of the 21st century, I was excited to participate precisely because I have such conflicting feelings about lists in general. Personal lists make sense to me. If I’m making a list of my ten favorite films of last year or my twenty favorite films of all time or the best movies of the 2000s or, if I ever felt really ambitious, my 1000 favorite films ever made, that makes sense because it’s a personal point of view. Ranking films side by side is, when you really look at it, a crazy endeavor. How can you compare two things as profoundly different in intent, execution, and voice as Enter The Void and The Incredibles or Mulholland Drive and Bridesmaids or whatever head-to-head you want to name, and honestly say that one is “better” than...

Last year, the BBC polled a bunch of critics to determine the 100 greatest American films of all time and only six films released after 2000 placed at all. This year, the BBC decided to determine the “new classics,” films from the past 16 years that will likely stand the test of time, so they polled critics from around the globe for their picks of the 100 greatest films of the 21st Century so far. David Lynch’s “Mulholland Dr.” tops the list, Wong Kar-Wai’s “In The Mood For Love” places second, and Paul Thomas Anderson and the Coen Brothers both have 2 films in the top 25. See the full results below.

Read More: The Best Movies of the 21st Century, According to IndieWire’s Film Critics

Though the list itself is fascinating, what’s also compelling are the statistics about the actual list. According to the the BBC, they polled 177 film critics from every continent except Antarctica.

Ryan Lambie Aug 23, 2016

A critics' survey puts Mullholland Drive at the top of the list of the best films since 2000. Did yours make the cut?

Movie critics love Linklater, Studio Ghibli, the Coens and the surrealist stylings of David Lynch. At least, that's if a newly-published list of the 100 greatest films of the 21st century is anything to go by.

BBC Culture commissioned the poll, which took in responses from 177 film critics from all over the world. As a result, the top 100 includes an eclectic mix of the mainstream to independent movies, from dramas to sci-fi and off-beat comedies. Feew would be surprised to see things like Paolo Sorrentino's handsome Italian confection The Great Beauty propping up the lower end of the list, or that such acclaimed directors as Wes Anderson or the aforementioned Coens feature heavily.

What is pleasing to see, though, is how much good genre stuff has made the cut,...

Although we’re only about 16% into the 21st century thus far, the thousands of films that have been released have provided a worthy selection to reflect on the cinematic offerings as they stand. We’ve chimed in with our favorite animations, comedies, sci-fi films, and have more to come, and now a new critics’ poll that we’ve taken part in has tallied up the 21st century’s 100 greatest films overall.

The BBC has polled 177 critics from around the world, resulting in a variety of selections, led by David Lynch‘s Mulholland Drive. Also in the top 10 was Wong Kar-wai‘s In the Mood For Love and Terrence Malick‘s The Tree of Life, which made my personal ballot (seen at the bottom of the page).

In terms of the years with the most selections, 2012 and 2013 each had 9, while Wes Anderson, Apichatpong Weerasethakul, Christopher Nolan, the Coens, Michael Haneke, and...

Wes Anderson’s underrated 2004 film “The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou” follows Steve Zissou (Bill Murray), an eccentric oceanographer, and his large crew on a revenge mission to kill a rare “jaguar shark” that murdered his partner. In the film, Brazilian singer Seu Jorge plays Pelé dos Santos, a member of Zissou’s crew, who memorably sings Portuguese acoustic covers of David Bowie songs. Jorge later released a collection of these covers on an album entitled “The Life Aquatic Studio Sessions Featuring Seu Jorge.” Bowie himself remarked about Jorge’s covers, “Had Seu Jorge not recorded my songs in Portuguese I would never have heard this new level of beauty which he has imbued them with.”

Read More: The 8 Essential Movie Performances Of David Bowie

Now, Jorge has announced a tour where he will play these Bowie covers live. According to Pitchfork, images from “The Life Aquatic” will play on screens shaped like boat sails.

A feature documentary we first alerted you to 3 years ago, is scheduled to screen at the Pan African Film Festival in Los Angeles, which kicks off in 2 days - February 5 - and runs through the 16th. If you've ever wondered what happened to the young actors in Fernando Meirelles' and Kátia Lund's 2002 Brazilian crime drama "Cidade de Deus" (or "City Of God"), here's a film that should satisfy your curiosity. Titled "Cidade De Deus - 10 Anos Depois" ("City Of God - 10 Years Later"), the documentary shows what exactly has changed in the lives of the actors from the 2002 feature film. According to the film's...

One of my ten favourite movies released in 2002 is City of God, the Brazilian crime drama directed by Fernando Meirelles and co-directed by Kátia Lund. The story was adapted by Bráulio Mantovani from the 1997 novel of the same name written by Paulo Lins, with a plot loosely based on real events. It depicts the shocking and disturbing, but always compelling look at life in the slums of Cidade de Deus, a suburb of Rio de Janeiro, between the end of the 1960s and the beginning of the 1980s, with the closure of the film depicting the war between the drug dealer Li’l Zé and criminal Knockout Ned. City of God is a harsh, visceral experience and an honest look a the spiral of violence that draws kids into a life of crime. Recently, the New York based company Famp Art, chose City of God to kick off its new endeavour,...

City of God (original title: Cidade de Deus)

Co-directed by Fernando Meirelles and Kátia Lund

Screenplay by Bráulio Mantovani, based on the 1997 novel by Paulo Lins

Starring Alexandres Rodrigues, Leandro Firmino, Phellipe Haagensen, Seu Jorge and Alice Braga

Brazil, 2002

For modern film fans, 2002’s City of God is a key entry in Brazilian cinema. Based on Paulo Lins’s 1997 semi-autobiographical crime fiction novel, the film adaptation promotes themes of adulthood, survival and pessimism in one of Rio da Janiero’s favelas. City of God follows young aspiring photographer Rocket (Rodrigues) and his childhood and subsequent adolescence in the Cidade de Deus favela. Set between the end of 1960s’ and the beginning of the 1980s’, it documents the growth of organised crime in the Cidade de Deus.

The consistent theme of pessimism is reinforced by the life of crime that is immediately introduced to the film. Within the first ten minutes,...

Who? Kátia Lund, the co-director, alongside Fernando Meirelles, of “City of God” - the breakout Brazilian drama nominated for four Oscars in 2004. So why are you talking about it now? Because the controversial policy which saw Meirelles nominated for Best Director but Lund denied looks set to hit again next week. Christine Cynn, co-director of “The Act of Killing”, is likely to join Lund in failing to be Oscar-nominated while her fellow director Joshua Oppenheimer is tipped for a nod. I don’t get it. The Coen Brothers were nominated as co-directors. It’s a different scenario. The Coen Brother each receive a “director” credit, and are co-directors because there are two of them. But while Oppenheimer is also credited as director, Cynn’s credit is “co-director”. And that doesn’t qualify her for directing awards? It depends. If “The Act of Killing” does receive a nomination on Thursday, it...

A feature documentary Sergio first alerted you to last fall, is one of 20 feature films selected for Premiere Brazil 2013, a traveling screening series that begins in Brazil, with at least one stop in New York City. Although I don't have exact dates for when that'll happen just yet, so stay tuned. If you've ever wondered what happened to the young actors in Fernando Meirelles' and Kátia Lund's 2002 Brazilian crime drama Cidade de Deus (or City Of God), here's a film that should satisfy your curiosity. Titled Cidade De Deus - 10 Anos Depois (City Of God - 10 Years Later), the documentary is said to show what exactly has changed in the lives of the actors...

National Geographic Channel, together with Coca-Cola Latin America, has announced the launch of documentary series “Viviendo Positivamente” (Living Positively). The series premiered in 19 countries across Latin America on Nov. 6, 2012.

The documentary covers 40,000 kilometers, five countries and eight stories in the course of four episodes about the lives of everyday heroes who have overcome major social, environmental and economic challenges to make an impact on their communities and the world. All of the protagonists are supported by Coca-Cola Latin America’s Living Positively program, part of the company’s commitment to social and environmental values.

The documentaries were directed by world-renowned Latin American filmmakers: Kátia Lund (“City of God”) from Brazil, Carlos Carrera (“The Crime of Father Amaro”) from Mexico, Natalia Smirnoff (“Puzzle”) from Argentina, and Ciro Guerra (“The Wandering Shadows”) from Colombia. Each of the four installments will focus on a different social cause: creating opportunities for work and education in impoverished communities, encouraging healthy bodies and minds, recycling, and agriculture. The heroes and their projects are based countries throughout the region, including Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Haiti, Mexico and Peru.

“The stories in ‘Viviendo Positivamente’ inspire viewers to become aware, to get involved, to change, to contribute to their community and improve their own lives,” said Guido Rosales, Integrated Marketing Communications Director for Coca-Cola Latin America. “Together with the National Geographic Channel and high-caliber directing talent, we are conveying these messages in a compelling and powerful way. Our organizations share a lot of synergy, and we’re pleased to be working with a leader of innovative and educational programming with such impressive scale in the region.”

“We found in each protagonist a powerful human and social value that deserved to be documented and shared with society,” said Fernando Semenzato, Svp of Content for Fox International Channels Latin America. “Nat Geo and Coca-Cola share a passion for sustainable development and environmental preservation, and we’re thrilled we had the opportunity to work together to produce special content that aims to inform, entertain, and educate audiences about our world and the environment in which we live.”

The documentary series was first introduced with stories from Argentina and Mexico, directed by Natalia Smirnoff and Carlos Carrera.

In Argentina, high in the mountains of Rosario de Lerma, live extremely isolated communities. There, Ana Virasoro leads the Alfarcito Foundation and a school that provides technical education and the only possibility for young people to improve their lives. Nat Geo followed their work, and shares this source of inspiration.

Later, the Nat Geo team tells the story of Salvador Casteñeda, whose life was changed radically by education. Even though he had to struggle against his education to preserve his indigenous language and customs, it made it possible for him to fight for the rights of indigenous groups today.

The documentary serves as the latest example of Coca-Cola’s innovative approach to creating content, and highlights the company’s commitment to sustainability and sharing happiness. You can download the trailer reel and a sneak peek of the first episode here.

For more information on Coca-Cola’s Live Positively program, visit http://livepositively.com or http://viviendopositivamente.com.

For more information on National Geographic Channels, visit www.natgeotv.com.

Article by Dan Clark

With the recent release of Lawless it had me thinking about one of my favorite movie genres. I’m not sure what it is but the crime genre has produced some of the greatest films of all time. That made creating this list even more difficult. One thing I did do to ease my pain a little was I didn’t include Westerns. I figured I would save those for their own list. After much frustration I was finally able to break it down to the Top 30 Crime Films of All Time. I’m sure some of the list will surprise you while others choices will be far more obvious.

Here’s the Top 10, and for the rest check out the full Top 30 rundown on Gcrn.

10) No Country for Old Men

Directed By: Ethan Coen, Joel Coen

Written By: Ethan Coen, Joel Coen, and Cormac McCarthy

Starring: Tommy Lee Jones,...

Retro-action! Volumes 1-3

It's a common occurrence: you buy a box set of a show you fondly yet vaguely remember, then, after you've got the buzz of seeing the title sequence again and reacquainted yourself with the characters, you find that maybe the whole series wasn't as good as your rose-tinted vision had you believe.

That's why these compilation discs are such a great move. All the shows here (one episode of each) are from Itc, a UK production company run by the legendary showbiz impresario Lord Lew Grade and responsible for much of our world-class TV output during the 1960s and 1970s. Itc shot everything on film rather than video (so everything here looks stunning) and made full use of all the writers, directors, actors, craftsmen and technicians the British film industry had to offer. Over three separately available discs you get the pick of such classics as The...

Fernando Meirelles, 2002

This ground-level report on gang life in the slums of Rio de Janeiro exploded with thrilling and terrible force. An electrifying piece of cinema packed full of visual invention and dazzling set-pieces, it owes a debt to Martin Scorsese's Goodfellas and audaciously pays it off. Though it unfolds at an exhilarating pace and crackles with danger, the film never allows itself to become seduced by the abundant violence of favela life. Instead, it keeps its lens trained on the attendant horrors, which mount up as the narrative jumps forward in time. What is most horrifying of all is how those caught up in the violence – victims and perpetrators alike – keep getting younger and younger.

The film begins in the relative innocence of the late 60s, soon after the City of God (a real-life Rio slum, ironically named) was constructed. Rocket (Alexandre Rodrigues) is an 11-year-old at the margins of gang life.

When Dustin "Cinnamon" Rowles assigned me to produce a canon of the top ten foreign language films of the aughts, I felt incredibly intimidated. When Dustin assured me that I was the critic for the job, as I had probably seen the most foreign films out of the entire staff, my anxiety only deepened. I admit that I watch a lot of foreign language flicks, thanks to Netflix, the American Cinematheque's wonderful programming, and owning a region-free DVD player. However, when I spoke to my cinema and media studies classmates and colleagues, I quickly began to realize that I had still missed a torrent of films that could have made this list (Caché, Downfall, 4 Months, 3 Weeks, and 2 Days, Maria Full of Grace, and Werckmeister Harmonies to name a few). Moreover, to consolidate all the films I had seen over the past decade from all the non-English speaking countries around the world was,...

Variety is reporting that Kátia Lund, co-director of City of God (2002) will write and direct a film about Mukhtar Mai, a Pakistani woman who endured a tribal council-sanctioned gang rape and fought back against the system. The film will be produced by Jay Roach (Recount) and Jennifer Perini (Smother).

Roach told Variety, "Kátia wrote a treatment, we took it to every studio, and they all found it inspiring but couldn't imagine financing it." They finally did find funding via a partnership with Ary Digital (Pakistan's first independent TV network) and Passport Capital.

Mai's story made headlines around the world in 2002. After her adolescent brother was accused of sexually assaulting a young woman from another clan, a tribal council ordered that Mai be publicly gang-raped as punishment in order to shame her family. Variety writes, "While most victims of this authorized crime commit suicide rather than exist as a pariah, Mai fought back.

CANNES -- John Woo and Ridley Scott are two of seven acclaimed directors attached to participate in a uniquely ambitious multinational production called All the Invisible Children, which is being produced by MK Film Prods. and co-produced by RAI Cinema. All the Invisible Children -- composed of seven segments, each representative of a geographical region -- will unite Woo and Scott, who will direct the China and the U.K. sections, respectively, along with Stefano Veneruso (Italy), Katia Lund (Brazil), Mehdi Charef (Africa) and Emir Kusturica (Serbia-Montenegro). Jordan Scott, daughter of Ridley, will co-direct the U.K. segment. The director representing the final seventh region has yet to be announced. Each of the seven segments will delve into the hurdles and plights of respective child protagonists facing the vicissitudes of life in various parts of the world.

City of God co-director Katia Lund has been tapped by MGM and Artists Production Group to direct the Lil' Romeo-starrer Lil' Romeo and Lil' Juliet. Originally set up as a pitch, the project is a teenage/hip-hop take on Shakespeare's classic Romeo and Juliet, with the violence in the original tale expressed through music and dance. Lund is expected to take a serious approach to the material, with a realistic approach to the gang lifestyle, much like her work in City of God. Dallas Jackson penned the screenplay, with another writer expected to board the project shortly to do a rewrite.