News

“The Boys” star Tomer Capone is set to play a besotted suitor in a new romantic comedy series from Keshet International titled “Save the Date,” Variety has learned.

Starring comedian and “Dancing With the Stars (Israel)” winner Adi Havshush in the lead role, “Save the Date” follows the story of Dassy, a wedding planner who finds herself in a relationship slump after her longtime partner makes a shocking revelation. Turning to her grandmother for comfort, Dassy reluctantly agrees to take part in an ancient spell to summon her one true love – except instead of one, her overzealous bubbie manages to conjure up four suitors who set out to win Dassy’s heart.

“With a high-stakes wedding to organize in just two weeks for her high school nemesis, Dassy must navigate this romantic chaos and decide which man – if any – leads to her own happily ever after,” reads the synopsis for the six-part limited series.

Gangs of Galicia (Clanes) is a Spanish crime drama series directed by Roger Gual from a screenplay by Jorge Guerricaechevarría. The Netflix series is based on true events and it follows the story of Ana, a successful lawyer as he moves to the small town of Cambados in Galicia where she gets involved with Daniel, the son of a dangerous drug trafficker and the leader of the Padín clan. Gangs of Galicia stars Clara Lago and Tamar Novas in the lead roles with Chechu Salgado, Xosé A. Touriñán, Melania Cruz, Francesc Garrido, Miguel de Lira, and Diego Anido starring in supporting roles. So, if you loved the crime thriller and family drama aspect of Gangs of Galicia here are similar shows you could watch next.

Iron Reign (Netflix) Credit – Netflix

Iron Reign is a Spanish crime thriller miniseries directed by Lluis Quiliz from a screenplay by Quilez, Arturo Ruiz Serrano,...

Uri Marantz: 'I really like that how the guy talks is sort of one big stream of consciousness' Photo: Courtesy of Poff Uri Marantz’s King Khat is a high energy hybrid that, appropriately for a film about ‘legal highs’, is mixture of live action and animation filled with trippy visuals. It tells the story of Gabi Shalev (Oshri Cohen) who became an accidental - and extremely low key - drug lord, of sorts. A scientist with an expensive coke habit, his solution for the lack of cash in his bank account was to set about devising his own synthetic drug that mimicked the effects of the psychoactive plant khat. The resulting substance became a sensation in Israel and beyond, with this film charting the journey in parallel with recounting the love story between Gabi and his wife.

This latter element is crucial to the tale - and the...

Taking its nod from its subject - legal highs - matter Uri Marantz's documentary hybrid is a trippy little treat that mixes live action with animation and, one suspects, the truth with a whole lot more besides. He tells the story of nerdy Israeli chemist Gabi Shalev (Oshri Cohen), who after running out of cash to feed his coke habit and encountering the psychoactive plant khat, set about developing a synthetic drug that mimicked its effects.

Shalev - whose name has been changed for the purposes of this film - sets out his philosophy as he narrates the story. It's a perspective that views drug taking as a natural response to the inevitability of death. He argues that getting high is a "normal need", noting that there are plenty of other creatures in the animal kingdom that aren't averse to that. This opens the door for a story about elephants' desire.

Fasten your seat belts and put your flashiest sunglasses on before boarding on Uri Marantz' train to the glitzy world of drug-fuelled funfair based on a true story about a man who got away with it all. Before you get tempted to draw any parallels to Walter White, a loveable but fictive character created for the popular TV series “Breaking Bad” starring the one and only Brian Cranston, hold your horses: the man whose name was changed to Gabi (Oshri Cohen) to protect his identity, is really like you and me. Furthermore, unlike Walter, he didn't find a way and means to produce a known drug to earn a significant amount of cash, instead he invented a legal psychoactive drug from Cathinonec, a completely new substance, through his knowledge of chemistry and the need to feed his own personal beast.

King Khat screened at Tallinn Black Nights

As an...

Though raised in Brooklyn, actor turned producer/director Danny A. Abeckaser was born in Israel. Unfortunately, that birthright isn’t enough to lend authenticity to “The Engineer,” which feels very much like an American B-movie stab at turning Israeli anti-terrorist operations of 30 years ago into formulaic action fodder — without much action, even. A miscast Emile Hirsch plays a Shin Bet agent tasked with hunting down the mastermind behind a series of suicide bombings. Arriving at yet another low ebb in Israeli international relations over Palestinian issues, this frequently unconvincing and clunky would-be thriller will have a hard time stirring much enthusiasm in most territories. Lionsgate is releasing to limited U.S. theaters and home formats on August 18.

It begins, with a burst of explanatory onscreen text, in the fall of 1993, as Israeli Prime Minister Rabin and Plo leader Yasser Arafat were in Washington D.C. attempting to broker peace under the auspices of President Clinton.

The upcoming Israeli/U.S. crossover comedy Chanshi has cast The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel star Caroline Aaron in a lead role opposite the previously announced Henry Winkler. According to Deadline, Aaron will play the titular character’s stepmother, Babshi, in the series, about a young Jewish girl from Brooklyn who decides, just before her wedding, to abandon everything and immigrate to Israel. Babshi’s husband Tatty is played by Winkler, and the titular Chanshi is portrayed by Aleeza Chanowitz, who created the series. In addition to Aaron, Winkler, and Chanowitz, the show also stars Marnina Schon (Dollface), Tomer Machloof (Tehran), Lee Bader (Super Lady), Oshri Cohen (McMafia), Daniel Moreshet (The Big Nothing), Michal Birnbaum (Unorthodox), Roy Miller (Superdaddy), Roni Dalumi (Euphoria), and Dor Gvirtsmam. Production is underway on the series, which is produced by Kastina Communications and directed by Mickey Triest and Aaron Eva (Bracha). It is set to air...

Exclusive: The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel star Caroline Aaron has joined the cast of Israeli/U.S. Henry Winkler-starring crossover comedy Chanshi.

Aaron, who plays Shirley Maisel in Amazon’s 20-time Emmy Award-winning series, will feature as the titular character’s stepmother Babshi in Aleeza Chanowitz’s comedy for Israeli network Hot, which is currently being shopped to U.S. and international buyers.

Babshi’s husband is Tatty, played by Happy Days star Winkler, and the show is about a young religious girl from the Jewish community (played by Chanowitz) in Brooklyn who decides, just before her wedding and despite her family’s objections, to abandon everything familiar to her and immigrate to Israel.

Aaron has also appeared in Transparent and Curb Your Enthusiasm along with features including 21 Jump Street and Edward Scissorhands.

Filming is underway on Katina Communications’ Chanshi from Bracha directors Mickey Triest and Aaron Geva and...

Emmy-winning actor Henry Winkler is set to star in the new comedy series Chanshi, an Israeli/U.S. crossover currently in talks with U.S. and international broadcasters. According to Deadline, the series, created by actress/writer Aleeza Chanowitz, revolves around the titular Chanshi (Chanowitz), a young religious girl from the Jewish community in Brooklyn who decides to disobey her family and immigrate to Israel just before her wedding. The show follows Chanshi’s wild and reckless journey in the Holy Land as she transitions from a life of rules to a life of no rules at all. This unexpected culture change throws Chanshi into a whirlwind of new life experiences. Winkler will portray Tatty, Chanshi’s father, whose anxieties grow out of control as he demands that his daughter return home, get married, and save the family’s reputation. He will star alongside Marnina Schon (Dollface), Tomer Machloof (Tehran...

Hollywood veteran Henry Winkler is to lead Aleeza Chanowitz’s Israeli/U.S. crossover comedy Chanshi, with producers in talks with U.S. and international broadcasters.

Winkler will play Tatty, Chanshi’s (played by Chanowitz) father in the series for Israeli network Hot, which is being produced by Kastina Communications and directed by Bracha’s Mickey Triest and Aaron Geva.

Chanowitz’s Chanshi is a young religious girl from the Jewish community in Brooklyn who decides, just before her wedding and despite her family’s objections, to abandon everything familiar to her, and immigrate to Israel. In the Holy Land, Chanshi embarks on a wild and reckless journey, but the transition from a life with a clear set of rules to a life without any rules at all, is not at all what she was expecting and throws her into a whirlwind of life experiences.

Also starring in the series...

Veteran Hollywood actor Henry Winkler will star alongside Aleeza Chanowitz in “Chanshi,” a U.S.-Israel crossover comedy series for Israeli network Hot.

Chanowitz is also the series creator and writer of “Chanshi,” which is currently in production on location in and around Jerusalem.

Chanowitz plays Chanshi, a young religious girl from the Jewish community in Brooklyn who decides, just before her wedding and despite her family’s objections, to break off her engagement and immigrate to Israel. In the Holy Land Chanshi embarks on a wild and reckless journey, but the transition from a life with a clear set of rules to a life without any rules at all is not what she was expecting. Meanwhile, Chanshi’s father Tatty’s (Winkler) anxieties escalate and he demands that she return home, get married, and save her family’s reputation.

The cast also includes Marnina Schon (“Dollface”), Tomer Machloof (“Tehran...

A Jerusalem woman’s business career is ruined by her boss’ aggressive sexual behavior in this powerful Israeli drama.

The person who believes there’s never any excuse for putting up with the boss’s sexual harassment has probably never experienced any, let alone risked losing a position or needed salary if they complain.

Most women — and people in general — don’t have any choice but to put up with “a certain amount” of crap to get ahead at all and often is a real career advancement choice.

That’s the fix the heroine of Working Woman finds herself in: She’s wedged between the need for a job that greatly improves her young family’s prospects and the increasingly discomfiting behavior of her superior.

This second narrative feature by Israeli documentarian Michal Aviad is a strong drama that eschews melodramatic contrivance, making its points via cool (yet sometimes squirm-inducing) observation.

Michal Aviad on Glenn Close and Michael Douglas in Adrian Lyne's Fatal Attraction and Demi Moore and Douglas in Barry Levinson's Disclosure: "Before writing and while writing and researching I looked for films that deal with sexual harassment." Photo: Anne-Katrin Titze

Michal Aviad's Working Woman, co-written with Sharon Azulay Eyal and Michal Vinik, shot by Daniel Miller, stars Liron Ben-Shlush (Asaf Korman's Next to Her), Menashe Noy (Ronit Elkabetz and Shlomi Elkabetz' Gett: The Trial of Viviane Amsalem), and Oshri Cohen with Irit Sheleg (Rama Burshtein's Fill The Void), and is produced by Amir Harel (Eytan Fox's Walk On Water which starred Lior Ashkenazi) and Ayelet Kait.

Michal Aviad on Liron Ben-Shlush as Orna in Working Woman: "I want to know how does it feel to be inside the female protagonist and try to look at it from her point of view.

Now playing in New York City at the IFC Center, Marlene Meyerson Jcc of Manhattan, Working Woman is a timely and powerful "fictional account [that] left me shaken and disturbed," as I wrote in my review. It revolves around Orna (Liron Ben-Shlush), a strong woman who has been supporting her husband Ofer (Oshri Cohen) and their three children. She returns to the workforce and quickly becomes a valuable asset to real estate developer Benny (Menashe Noy), but almost as quickly finds herself dealing with sexual harassment by her powerful boss. Director Michal Aviad (pictured) was kind enough to answer a few questions about Working Woman: This is a completely absorbing film that feels like it was ripped out of someone's soul. How did you balance...

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

Israeli director Michal Aviad was inspired to make “Working Woman” after watching a range of films about sexual harassment in the workplace. Much to her surprise — and dismay — she discovered that most of them dismissed, demeaned, or even demonized the victims.

Aviad’s thoughtful response is a film that feels very contemporary, but will also resonate with generations of viewers who recognize the many small moments that lead up to and follow its quietly wrenching central experience.

The film opens as a smiling Orna (Liron Ben Shlush) leaves her first job interview in years. She’s the harried mother of three children, and her husband, Ofer (Oshri Cohen), has recently opened a small and still-struggling restaurant in Tel Aviv. Ofer is skeptical of the time his newly-employed wife will be spending away from home, but she’s approaching her return to the workplace with a mixture of practicality and excitement.

Working Woman (Isha Ovedet) Zeitgeist Films Reviewed for Shockya.com & BigAppleReviews.net by: Harvey Karten Director: Michal Aviad Screenwriter: Sharon Azulay Eyal, Michal Vinik, Michal Aviad Cast: Liron Ben Shlush, Menashe Noy, Oshri Cohen Screened at: Critics’ link, NYC, 2/16/19 Opens: March 27, 2019 It should not be difficult to discourage men who harass women (or […]

The post Working Woman Movie Review appeared first on Shockya.com.

Vulture Watch

What is in store for Alex Godman and his family? Has the McMafia TV show been cancelled or renewed for a second season on AMC? The television vulture is watching all the latest cancellation and renewal news, so this page is the place to track the status of McMafia, season two. Bookmark it, or subscribe for the latest updates. Remember, the television vulture is watching your shows. Are you?  

What's This TV Show About?

An AMC international crime thriller, McMafia stars James Norton, Juliet Rylance, David Strathairn, Faye Marsay, Aleksey Serebryakov, Mariya Shukshina, Oshri Cohen, Merab Ninidze, Kirill Pirogov, Yuval Scharf, Sofya Lebedeva, Clifford Samuel, Anna Levanova, and David Dencik. Inspired by Misha Glenny's book, the drama centers on 33 year-old Alex Godman (Norton). Although he was educated in a British boarding school, this self-made hedge...

A typical skeptic’s response to the #MeToo movement has been “Well, why didn’t she just get another job? Why would anyone keep working with a boss who behaves inappropriately?” This argument tends to overlook the fact that many women — and people in general — don’t have infinite employment options, bridge-burning may be seriously detrimental to their careers and many have to put up with “a certain amount” of crap to get ahead at all. The person who believes there’s never any excuse for putting up with harassment has probably never experienced any, let alone risked losing an advantageous position or salary if they complain.

That’s the fix the heroine of “Working Woman” finds herself in: She’s wedged between need for a job that greatly improves her young family’s prospects and the increasingly discomfiting behavior of her superior. This second narrative feature by Israeli documentarian...

Zeitgeist Films in association with Kino Lorber has acquired all North American rights to Israel director Michal Aviad’s timely Contemporary World Cinema selection Working Woman ahead of its anticipated international premiere in Toronto.

m-appeal handles international sales on the drama, which premiered at Jerusalem Film Festival and centres on Orna, an industrious, talented and ambitious woman who faces sexual harassment in the workplace.

Promoted by a boss who makes inappropriate advances, and married to a struggling restaurateur, Orna becomes the breadwinner for their three children and must find the strength to fight for her self-worth.

How's life for Alex Godman and his connected family, during the first season of the McMafia TV show on AMC? As we all know, the Nielsen ratings typically play a big role in determining whether the TV show McMafia is cancelled or renewed for season two. Unfortunately, most of us do not live in Nielsen households. Because many viewers feel frustration when their viewing habits and opinions aren't considered, we'd like to offer you the chance to rate all of the McMafia season one episodes. **Status update below.

An AMC international crime thriller, McMafia stars James Norton, Juliet Rylance, David Strathairn, Faye Marsay, Aleksey Serebryakov, Mariya Shukshina, Oshri Cohen, Merab Ninidze, Kirill Pirogov, Yuval Scharf, Sofya Lebedeva, Clifford Samuel, Anna Levanova, and David Dencik. Inspired by Misha Glenny’s book, the drama centers on 33 year-old...

"Marcia, Marcia, Marcia," was the refrain in the 1970s, but today it's, "Russia, Russia, Russia," so why should TV be any different? AMC has renewed its McMafia TV show for a second season, with a start date Tbd. The pickup comes a couple of months after the BBC's McMafia season two renewal.

An AMC international crime thriller, McMafia stars James Norton, Juliet Rylance, David Strathairn, Faye Marsay, Aleksey Serebryakov, Mariya Shukshina, Oshri Cohen, Merab Ninidze, Kirill Pirogov, Yuval Scharf, Sofya Lebedeva, Clifford Samuel, Anna Levanova, and David Dencik. Inspired by Misha Glenny’s book, the drama centers on 33 year-old Alex Godman (Norton). This British-educated, self-made hedge fund manager is the son of Russian exiles with connections to organized crime. When the family’s past returns to haunt them, Alex has to decide how far he will...

McMafia will be back ... in the UK at least. Recently, the BBC announced they've renewed the TV show for a second season.The drama, which aired its first season on AMC in the U.S., centers on 33 year-old Alex Godman (James Norton), a self-made hedge fund manager who is the son of Russian exiles with connections to organized crime. The cast also includes Juliet Rylance, David Strathairn, Faye Marsay, Aleksey Serebryakov, Mariya Shukshina, Oshri Cohen, Merab Ninidze, and Kirill Pirogov.Read More…...

In a Gold Derby exclusive, we have learned the category placements of the key Emmy Awards contenders for AMC and Sundance. While AMC does not have perennial favorite “Better Call Saul” eligible for this cycle, they do have new drama contender “McMafia” (starring James Norton), returning drama “The Walking Dead” (Andrew Lincoln) and limited series “The Terror” (Jared Harris). Sundance has limited series “Top of the Lake: China Girl” among their 2018 contenders.

See‘The Walking Dead’ creator on how show’s timeline connects with ‘Fear Twd’ crossover: Answers are ‘vaguely’ coming

Below, the list of AMC and Sundance lead, supporting and guest submissions for their comedy, drama and limited series plus unscripted programs. More names might be added by the network before final Emmy paperwork deadlines. Also note that performers not included on this list may well be submitted by their personal reps.

“Cold-blooded: The Clutter Family Murders”

Documentary Special...

In 2017, The Son, which is based on a novel of the same name, premiered on AMC, and it did well enough to be renewed for a second season. Now the cable network has introduced its McMafia TV show, which is inspired Misha Glenny’s book, McMafia: A Journey Through the Global Criminal Underworld. Since this new TV series is a fictionalized adaptation of a non-fiction account, does it have what it takes to hook the television audience in the same way? Will McMafia be cancelled or renewed for season two on AMC? Stay tuned. An international crime thriller from creators Hossein Amini and James Watkins, McMafia stars James Norton, Juliet Rylance, David Strathairn, Faye Marsay, Aleksey Serebryakov, Mariya Shukshina, Oshri Cohen, Merab Ninidze, Kirill Pirogov, Yuval Scharf, Sofya Lebedeva, Clifford Samuel, Anna Levanova, and David Dencik. The AMC drama centers on 33 year-old...

Network: AMC. Episodes: Ongoing (hour). Seasons: Ongoing. TV show dates: February 26, 2018 — present. Series status: Has not been cancelled. Performers include: James Norton, Juliet Rylance, David Strathairn, Faye Marsay, Aleksey Serebryakov, Mariya Shukshina, Oshri Cohen, Merab Ninidze, Kirill Pirogov, Yuval Scharf, Sofya Lebedeva, Clifford Samuel, Anna Levanova, and David Dencik. TV show description: From creators Hossein Amini and James Watkins, the McMafia TV show is an international crime drama inspired by Misha Glenny's book, McMafia: A Journey Through the Global Criminal Underworld. The thriller centers on Alex Godman (Norton). Although Alex was educated in a British boarding school, he is son of Russian exiles with connections to organized crime. For his entire life, Alex has...

Samuel Maoz’s Lebanon is a unique breed of film - one you won’t want to watch twice. There are no plot intricacies to wade through, no Easter eggs adorning the background. This is not an exercise in storytelling but a stalwart recreation of Maoz’s brief time as a trigger man on an Israeli tank crew during the 1982 Lebanon War. As one of several Israeli films in the last few years to deal with the emotional fallout affected the men who served in the 1982 war (Ari Folman’s lauded Waltz With Bashir leading the pack), Lebanon is a strong entry but effectively goes beyond cultural limitations. I would argue that it is an allegory dressed up as a funereal war film, but maybe that’s so key. The importance of Lebanon lies in experiencing and responding to the film, and in that regard it comes highly recommended.

Gunner...

Hitting movie theaters this weekend:

No Strings Attached – Natalie Portman, Ashton Kutcher, Kevin Kline

The Way Back – Ed Harris, Jim Sturgess, Colin Farrell (limited)

Movie of the Week

The Way Back

The Stars: Ed Harris, Jim Sturgess, Colin Farrell

The Plot: A group of gulag escapees journey 4,000 miles to their freedom.

The Buzz: This is Director Peter Weir’s latest — that’s enough buzz right there.

In watching the film’s trailer, one gets the feeling that The Way Back is more of an adventure tale than it is a tale about the gulag. But we’re not talking carefree adventure here; this looks to be a story predominantly about survival, and survival in the most brutal of conditions. Knowing the film is based on a true story, combined with the way in which it has been marketed, allows for one to somewhat safely assume a happy ending (otherwise it...

On Jan 18, Lebanon, starring Yoav Donat, Itay Tiran, Oshri Cohen, Reymond Amsalem and Ashraf Barhom (Clash of the Titans), comes to DVD and Blu-ray.

In celebration of the home video release, BuzzFocus and Sony Pictures Home Entertainment are teaming up to give away (1) copy of the Lebanon on DVD.

About Lebanon

In 1982, during the First Lebanon War, a tank manned by a novice crew of Israeli soldiers are led into a town previously bombed by the air force. Young men who have never fought before are now placed inside of a killing machine and thrown into a situation that quickly spins out of control, testing the mental toughness of the men inside of a confined space, with only the lens of a periscopic gun sight to see the madness outside. In Lebanon, writer-director Samuel Maoz has created a compelling, visceral drama in the tradition of Das Boot. Based on his...

It is possible that a 90 minute movie based in a tank is one of the best of the year...

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After watching The Hurt Locker, I had an idea for a feature. The film would follow a tank crew almost entirely within the tank itself. It would depict the boredom, excitement and sheer fear of watching a war through the barrel of a cannon ala Das Boot. Having not seen Lebanon at the time (it was originally released in Israel back in 2009), I didn't know that Samuel Maoz already made this movie. Lebanon is also a lot better than I ever could have expected.

It begins in a sunflower field, a quiet and colorful environment. Then the urban warfare kicks in. By then we are in the tank, spending our time with 4 bickering crew members. The colors turn black and green. The oil of moving parts oozes onto the dials, all of which don't work.

Lebanon

Stars: Yoav Donat, Oshri Cohen, Reymond Amsalem, Michael Moshonov | Written and Directed by Samuel Maoz

With an increasing number of movies being released about conflict in Iran and the “war on terror”, Lebanon comes almost as a breath of fresh air, dealing as it does with a conflict much less in the prevalent in the hearts and minds of most viewers.

Based on the personal experiences of Israeli director Samuel Maoz, Lebanon focuses on the early days of the First Lebanon War, and in particular the occupants of one of the Israeli Defence Force tanks. Young private Shmulik enters the tank fresh from the training field and finds himself suddenly in a warzone. (The Idf were there ostensibly to keep the peace but found themselves attacked by Syrian terrorists). As the tank gunner he fumbles the first encounter with a hostile force, unable to shoot on people, and his...

Writer-director Samuel Maoz exorcises his own trauma in his feature-film debut set during the initial 24 hours of the First Lebanon War in June 1982. Eschewing screenwriting conventions such as background, exposition and dramatic structure, he opts instead for an experiential approach from an extremely limited point of view. The effect is immediately claustrophobic, but the strategy quickly grows old: We can listen to a soldier piss within the confines of a tank only so many times before it starts to smell.

And that’s the limit of our experience: the confines of a tank. The audience is trapped inside with four twentysomething soldiers: Assi (Itay Tiran), the commander who struggles to control his men; Hertzel (Oshri Cohen), the troublemaking loader who is often mistaken for the leader; Shmuel (Yoav Donat), the gunner who has trouble pulling the trigger now that his targets are living, breathing human beings; and Yigal (Michael Moshonov), the naïve driver.

One of the most horrifying aspects of humanity is his/her ability to wage war. Also, One of the most bloody wars began in June 1982 in Lebanon and lasted until September of that same year. This battle would leave 5,000 civilians killed and 20,000 wounded, with director and writer Samuel Maoz in the heart of the conflict. Now, Maoz tells a tale of his own experiences "serving in the Israeli army during the 1982 Lebanon War" in the feature film Lebanon (Melbourne). Lebanon will show at the 2010 Melbourne Film Festival, which begins July 22nd. The film's trailer is below and the clip shows the battle through the tank crew's eyes alone. Get set for Lebanon in Melbourne and many more films as this film festival gets set for a summer run.

The plot summary for Lebanon here:

"The First Lebanon War – June, 1982. A lone tank is dispatched to search a hostile town that...

This is the trailer for Lebanon, directed by Samuel Maoz and stars Reymond Amsalem, Ashraf Barhom, Oshri Cohen, Yoav Donat, Guy Kapulnik, Michael Moshonov, Zohar Shtrauss, Dudu Tassa and Itay Tiran. Lebanon is a personal film, a film about four boys who had never been involved in anything violent before and found themselves killing people. A film about survival against a palpable threat of death, a situation in which the conflict between their basic instincts and human conscious claims its victims.

To build up the release of Lebanon, Pure Movies looks at other films where the main character 'loses it' including Apocalypse Now, Shutter Island, The Beach, Kids, Falling Down, A Streetcar Named Desire and The Shining. Lebanon is directed by Samuel Maoz and stars Reymond Amsalem, Ashraf Barhom, Oshri Cohen, Yoav Donat, Guy Kapulnik, Michael Moshonov, Zohar Shtrauss, Dudu Tassa and Itay Tiran.

Lebanon (15)

(Samuel Maoz, 2009, Israel) Yoav Donat, Oshri Cohen, Michael Moshonov. 93 mins

You can see why they made Top Gun about jet fighters. This is set entirely within the confines of an Israeli tank during the 1982 Lebanon war, and it's not much of a recruitment ad. The gimmick is both the movie's strength and its weakness. The space and visibility restrictions make this a neat minimalist thriller and a nervy, unpredictable combat experience, but it's one safely insulated from the questions – and victims – of the real-life conflict. Despite the sweat and grime, you feel like the really dirty stuff is going on elsewhere.

Robin Hood (12A)

(Ridley Scott, 2010, Us) Russell Crowe, Cate Blanchett, Max Von Sydow, Mark Strong. 140 mins

Scott attempts to pull another Gladiator, ditching the familiar tights and tropes and reimagining the legend through a combination of mangled history, epic set pieces and deadly earnest heroism. It's more of a prequel,...

Last week, we got to interview the director of new movie, Lebanon which is released in cinemas 14th May. The movie is a hard hitting tale about the men inside one of the tanks and almost all of the film is shot from their claustrophobic story within the tank itself. What makes this movie all the more impacting is that it’s based on the real life experiences of director Samuel Moaz who has experienced the war first hand. The movie stars Yoav Donat, Itay Tiran, Oshri Cohen, Michael Moshonov, Zohar Strauss and Dudu Tassa.

Our interview will go up next week but in the meantime, here’s some images and the trailer from the movie which will tell you a little more about it.

Synopsis: The First Lebanon War – June, 1982. A lone tank is dispatched to search a hostile town that has already been bombarded by the Israel Air Force.

Today's collection is a complete, eight-page look at all of the preliminary 2011 Oscar Contenders I've featured over the week in one complete post. There are a few I'll be adding, such as yesterday's Welcome to the RIleys suggestion and hopefully a few more documentaries, before the doors to the new "The Contenders" section opens up in April, but until then this is your one-stop-shop.

As we move along add any thoughts or films you think should be added in the comments below or send me an email directly if you have thoughts on additional contenders or news on any of those on this list. Your suggestions are welcomed and encouraged.

127 Hours Release Date: Release date not yet set Distributor: Fox Searchlight Pictures Directed By: Danny Boyle Cast: James Franco, Amber Tamblyn, Kate Mara Quick Thoughts: Directed by Danny Boyle whose last film, Slumdog Millionaire, racked up eight Oscars including Best Picture,...

As of right now, I have a list of 72 individual films that could potentially go on to become 2011 Oscar nominees. If you take into consideration the additional films I currently have listed as animated and documentary contenders the list grows to 85 films. As a result I am going to break up this preliminary list of Oscar contenders into four articles and on the fifth day, this coming Friday, I will publish the list in its entirety. I felt it would be easier to digest everything this way as opposed to offering one massive list you probably wouldn't be able to look over all at once.

As for the list itself, it should be looked at as a guide to potential nominees, not a guarantee, not a lock, but simply films that could potentially go on to be remembered at the year-end Oscar race. A few of these films may not...

I was trying to figure out a way to do a 2010 Preview that wouldn't simply be an overwhelming list of films that you would have to tirelessly slog through day-after-day so I sat down with a list of every single film set to be released in 2010 and trimmed it down to 50 total films. I think this list offers up a good mix of films from a couple of horror films, plenty of drama, some blockbusters and a selection of indies.

As a result some films had to be cut from the proceedings and hopefully some you may not have expected will be introduced. Today I give you the first 24 films of the preview and they are listed in alphabetical order with cast and director information, a look at the synopsis and a quick comment or two from yours truly. Tomorrow I will be here with another 26 (accidentally forgot to add...

• #3. Lebanon Director: Samuel Maoz Cast: Yoav Donat, Itay Tiran, Oshri Cohen, Michael Moshonov, Zohar StraussDistributor: Rights Available. Buzz: Another Golden Lion option at Venice this year, there are obvious comparisons between this debut and such recent examples as Beaufort and Waltz with Bashir, the difference is this first time filmmaker actually remembers the war. If he didn't make the film, Moaz's torture would have continued to god knows where. There is a lot of good product coming out of Israel this year - and this could be the country's selection as Best Foreign Language film.  The Gist: "I had just turned 19 in May of 1982. Life was beautiful. I was in love. Then I was requested to go to a military base. They assigned me to be the gunman of a tank, the first one to cross the Lebanese border. It was supposed to be a one day mission. It

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BERLIN -- While more somber than darkly comic, Joseph Cedar's "Beaufort" fits nicely into the tradition of war story absurdism pioneered by Joseph Heller's novel "Catch-22" and Robert Altman's film "MASH".

That it's an Israeli film may speak to a growing weariness in that country about being on a continual war footing. Given the futility of Israel's recent invasion of Lebanon, "Beaufort" is a cautionary tale that arrives perhaps a year too late.

The film has less to do with the Middle East than with war as an institution. Young soldiers with families and girlfriends fight and die, and often it is for a piece of ground that is more symbolic than strategic. Such a universal theme could find audiences outside of Israel in Europe and North America.

Cedar and Ron Leshem's screenplay, based on Ron Leshem's best-selling novel, "Im Yesh Gan Eden", focuses on the final weeks of the Israeli occupation of Beaufort Castle, a hilltop fortress in Lebanon dating back to the Crusades. The Israeli Army conquered the fort in 1982 in the early days of the first Lebanese war. Its continued occupation of the hill until 2000 signaled Israeli control of that part of Lebanon.

But after Israel announced its intention to withdraw from that country, the soldiers' presence at Beaufort is pointless. Exposed to continual danger from mortar shells and rocket attacks, the young men no longer have a viable mission. What they are defending is a mountain they will soon abandon.

The central figure is Liraz Liberti (Oshri Cohen), the 22-year-old commander. He probably is the only one at Beaufort who wants the job. Where once he took pride in his leadership, he is now paralyzed in his decisionmaking. The mission no longer has any point, yet here they sit amid raining mortar shells. The only intelligent command would be to withdraw, but it's one he refuses to issue until ordered to do so.

A bomb squad expert (Ohad Knoller) arrives to dismantle a bomb lying on a minor dirt road used only to bring supplies to the fortress. The mission is as dangerous as it is futile.

Then a powerful rocket attack kills a solider in an outpost, signaling renewed enemy interest in creating as many casualties as possible to make the Israeli withdrawal look like a chaotic retreat.

Finally, the evacuation draws near. The army wires the whole place to blow the fortress up. Yet on what should be a last night with only a dozen soldiers left, withdrawal orders do not arrive: Everyone must hold tight for another pathetic day.

Within the safe walls and an underground city of concrete, the young men develop a world onto themselves, cut off from friend and foe, with its own dark humor and rituals.

Does your mother know you're here? one soldier asks another. It turns out most of the men's families have no idea.

Another soldier idly says he's "guarding the mountain," then after a pause adds: "So it won't escape."

The movie doesn't completely escape war film conventions. The chief offense is the scene where we really get to know about a guy and his girl moments before he gets killed, a tradition that was old in John Wayne movies.

Otherwise, this is a solid effort with superb production values and a musical score by Ishai Adar that you hardly notice at all: It's just a low, anxious murmur throughout the movie.

BEAUFORT

United King Films/Metro Communications/Movie Plus

Credits:

Director: Joseph Cedar

Screenwriters: Ron Leshem, Joseph Cedar

Based on a novel by: Ron Leshem

Producers: David Silber, Joseph Cedar

Executive producers: Moshe Edery, Leon Edery

Director of photography: Ofer Yanov

Production designer: Miguel Markin

Music: Ishai Adar

Costume designer: Maya More

Editor: Zohar M. Sela

Cast:

Liraz: Oshri Cohen

Koris: Itay Tiran

Oshri: Eli Eltonyo

Ziv: Ohad Knoller

Zitlawy: Itay Turgeman

Running time -- 131 minutes

No MPAA rating...