News

Exclusive: LA’s Micheaux Film Festival will officially run at The Culver Theater in Culver City from October 21 to October 27 with a selection of short and feature projects with talent such as Viola Davis and Morris Chestnut. Scroll down to see the featured lineup.

The festival, launched by Courtney L. Branch and Noel Braham to honor the legendary Oscar Micheaux, celebrates its sixth anniversary this year. The festival’s theme will be Champions, a celebration of “the resilience and determination of filmmakers who overcome countless obstacles to bring their visions to life.”

This year’s lineup includes more than 250 short films, feature films, and new media series with additional projects screening virtually. Titles include The Ebony Canal, a 46-minute feature on Black infant mortality rates narrated by Viola Davis. Also screening is The Origin, a project produced by Morris Chestnut, and Tea, a short project from filmmaker Blake Winston Rice featuring Michael Gandolfini.

Exclusive: Indie horror film If It Bleeds has added four to its cast.

Khleo Thomas (Holes), Vanessa Decker (Stiletto), Adam Bucci (Brute 1976) and Maren Altman have joined lead actress Catherine Corcoran (Terrifier) in Matthew Hersh’s debut feature, which is billed as an “anthology-style” thriller.

It also stars Justin Miles, Krsy Fox, (Terrifier 3), Kirby Bliss Blanton (The Green Inferno), Gigi Gustin, (Night of the Missing) and genre staples Doug Jones (The Shape of Water) Bonnie Aarons (The Nun), Dee Wallace, (Cujo), John Kassir (Tales from the Crypt) and Constance Forsland (Village of the Damned).

If It Bleeds follows genre actor Corcoran as young and ambitious news reporter Diane Winters and her cameraman Simon (Miles), as they uncover a mysterious series of gruesome murders that unfold throughout the course of a chaotic and violent day. As events unfold, the duo become players in a sinister situation even...

Jessica Alba is back in action after her break of nearly four years. Directed by Mouly Surya from a screenplay co-written by John Brancato, Josh Olson, and Halley Gross, the Netflix film titled Trigger Warning follows the story of Parker, a Special Forces commando, as she returns to her hometown to take ownership of her family’s bar after her father suddenly dies. But soon, she finds herself fighting against a dangerous, violent gang terrorizing her hometown. So, if you like the action and thrills of Trigger Warning, here are some similar action films you should check out next.

The Equalizer (Netflix & Rent on Prime Video) Credit – Sony Pictures

The Equalizer is an action thriller film directed by Antoine Fuqua from a screenplay by Richard Wenk. Based on a 1980s series of the same name created by Michael Sloan and Richard Lindheim, the 2014 film follows the story of Robert McCall,...

Chicago – “Scrap” is a scrappy new film that is building anticipation through the film festival circuit. The writer, director and lead actor of “Scrap” is Vivian Kerr, and it also features familiar character actors Anthony Rapp and Lana Parrilla. The release date for this set-in-Los Angeles family drama is to be determined.

Beth (Vivian Kerr) has recently been laid off and struggles to maintain the appearance of a successful middle-class lifestyle as she bounces around Los Angeles. Hoping to land a new job and change her situation before her estranged older brother Ben (Anthony Rapp) finds out, Beth must confront her own pride in order to reconnect with him and provide for her young daughter Birdy (Julianna Layne). Meanwhile, Ben and his wife Stacy (Lana Parrilla) – a successful attorney – consider a third round of IVF, while she begins to re-evaluate her own conflicted relationship with motherhood.

Scrap

Photo credit: Rue...

The NAACP Image Awards has revealed its fourth round of winners in the non-televised categories, including outstanding writing in a motion picture, directing, animated motion picture and more.

Thursday night’s awards were presented during a gala event at the Hollywood Palladium, hosted by Sherri Shepherd.

Winners include Ava DuVernay, who took home the award for best directing in a motion picture for Origin, and Cord Jefferson, who won outstanding writing in a motion picture for American Fiction.

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse also won the award for outstanding animated motion picture. And Abbott Elementary won two awards: outstanding comedy series and best supporting actor in a comedy series (William Stanford Davis). And Ayo Edebiri added to her awards season haul with a best supporting actress in a comedy series prize for The Bear. Best drama series went to Queen Charlotte while the supporting actor and actress in a drama series...

The NAACP Image Awards has announced its second round of winners in non-televised categories such as outstanding variety show, reality program, reality competition or game show and children’s program.

Tuesday’s winners included DC Young Fly for outstanding host in a reality/reality competition, game show or variety (series or special) for Celebrity Squares; Leslie Jones for outstanding performance in a shortform series in The Daily Show After the Cut; Kyla Pratt for outstanding character voice-over performance (television) in The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder; Issa Rae for outstanding character voice-over performance (motion picture) in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse; and Eboni K. Brown for outstanding news and information podcast in Holding Court with Eboni K. Williams.

Khleo Thomas hosted the virtual awards presentation. Additional non-televised awards in other categories will be handed out in a Wednesday night virtual event as well as during a Sherri Shepherd hosted dinner on...

H.E.R., Megan Thee Stallion and Usher were among the winners during Night 1 of the NAACP Image Awards, which were unveiled Monday during a virtual ceremony.

Usher was named outstanding male artist, H.E.R. won the award for outstanding female artist, and Megan Thee Stallion won for outstanding hip-hop/rap song for “Cobra.”

Other winners included Victoria Monét, Tems, Kirk Franklin and Chris Brown.

Khleo Thomas hosted the NAACP Virtual Image Awards show. Non-televised awards in other categories will be handed out in virtual shows on Tuesday and Wednesday. Additional awards will be handed out at a dinner hosted by Sherri Shepherd on Thursday and at a fashion show hosted by Brandee Evans on Friday. Frankie Beverly will be honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award at Thursday’s dinner, while June Ambrose will receive the NAACP Vanguard Award for Fashion at Friday’s Fashion Show.

On Saturday, the 55th NAACP...

While Barbie turned the world pink in the lead up to its premiere, another major entertainment brand was leaning into the dark side of culture for its marketing campaign — and it worked.

In its first month, more than 10 million people spent more than 700 million hours playing Diablo IV — the latest installment in the franchise of hellish action role-playing games — and it set a record for Blizzard, selling more units than any other title at that stage of release. Blizzard also had a record quarter with more than $1 billion in net bookings, according to its July 19 earnings report, which the company says was driven by the successful Diablo IV launch.

“Diablo IV is the strongest story we’ve ever done in the franchise,” says Diablo general manager Rod Fergusson. “We know for new players story is very important. We’re really proud of it. Don’t be scared of the four.

The hottest red carpet accessory in 2023? The influencer.

With the explosion of TikTok, content creators have become mainstays at big premieres and awards shows, popping up at events for all the major studios and streamers as well as at Cannes, the Golden Globes, Grammys and Oscars. Film and TV red carpets in particular have transformed into two-hour-plus events, with portions devoted to influencers and their content, taking selfies, going live on social or filming dance videos and elaborate TikTok trends against the step and repeat for the first hour, followed by the project’s stars making their way down press lines for the second. Some creators are paid, some are not; some have millions of followers, others have smaller but highly engaged audiences in a demographic that the studio or event is seeking. All this is making for a complicated, competitive business that goes beyond posting a photo.

Chris Olsen,...

Quinta Brunson, the cast of “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” and creators of “The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder” were among the winners at the third night of the virtual NAACP Image Awards, which honored short-form series, children’s programs and limited television series.

Ashlei Sharpe Chestnut (“Star Trek: Picard”), Carl Tart (“Grand Crew”) and Skyh Black (“All the Queen’s Men”) presented the outstanding ensemble performance, short form series awards and character voice-over performances at the virtual awards show.

Quinta Brunson received the outstanding breakthrough creative (television) award, for her ABC sitcom, “Abbott Elementary.” While the sitcom is only in its second season, the series has received three Emmys, two Critics Choice awards, three Golden Globes and received nine NAACP Image nominations.

Marvel’s “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” took home the outstanding ensemble cast in a motion picture award. The Marvel sequel has a total of 11 nominations, including outstanding motion picture,...

The 2023 NAACP Image Awards is announcing winners in several non-televised categories via streaming presentations all week long leading up to the live ceremony.

During night one, hosted by actor Khleo Thomas, the NAACP presented a number of awards in the outstanding recording categories. Presenters included Crystal Renee Hayslett, Echo Kellum and Jotaka Eaddy.

On Monday night, Beyoncé took home the most awards, including outstanding female artist, outstanding soul/R&b song for “Cuff It” and outstanding album for Renaissance. The next top winner was Chris Brown with two awards for outstanding male artist and outstanding duo, group or collaboration (contemporary) with Wizkid for “Call Me Every Day” from his album Breezy.

Rihanna also picked up a win for outstanding music video/visual album for her song “Lift Me Up” from the film Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.

Other notable winners include Silk Sonic for outstanding duo, group or collaboration (Traditional) for “Love’s Train,...

WME is expanding its gaming and esports division with two new hires and nine new clients.

On the hiring side, the agency has brought in former Twitch staffer Ben Lindemer and former Team Liquid exec Jake Schwartz.

Lindemer spent two years at Twitch, working on influencer relations and brand partnerships within the platform’s Twitch Brand Partnership Studio. Prior to joining Twitch, he was a talent manager at Whistle Sports, and prior to that, he worked on sponsorships and investment strategy at Omnicom‘s esports/gaming group Zero Code.

He’ll be based out of WME’s New York office, where he’ll “focus on growing the agency’s presence in the space through his deep relationships in the industry,” a rep tells Tubefilter.

Schwartz, as mentioned above, comes from Team Liquid, where he led global partnerships and talent sales. A rep tells Tubefilter Schwartz has expertise in brand partnerships,...

The NAACP and BET have announced the performers and presenters for the 53rd NAACP Image Awards.

Nine-time Grammy Award winner and recent Super Bowl halftime show headliner Mary J. Blige will perform at the live show. The ceremony will also feature Samuel L. Jackson, who will be honored with the NAACP Chairman’s Award, and New York Times editor and journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones, who will be presented with the Social Justice Impact Award. During the ceremony, members of the Mexican American Legislative Caucus, Texas House Democratic Caucus, and Texas Legislative Black Caucus will receive the Roy Wilkins Civil Rights Award, for their work protecting the freedom to vote in Texas.

Presenters for the awards show include Issa Rae, Kerry Washington, LL Cool J, Michael Strahan, Morgan Freeman, Paula Patton, Questlove, Simu Liu, Tiffany Haddish, Zendaya, NAACP President Derrick Johnson and NAACP Board Chairman Leon W. Russell.

The annual Image Awards...

Exclusive: Once Upon a Time alum Lana Parrilla has been set to star alongside Anthony Rapp and writer-director Vivian Kerr in Scrap, an indie drama from producer Rachel Stander and her A Season of Rain banner. Beth Dover, Khleo Thomas, Brad Schmidt and Julianna Layne have also joined the cast of the pic, which is now shooting.

Kerr plays Beth, who has recently been laid off and struggles to maintain the appearance of a successful middle-class lifestyle as she bounces around Los Angeles. Hoping to land a new job and change her situation before her estranged older brother Ben (Rapp) finds out, Beth must confront her own pride before she can reconnect with him and provide for her young daughter Birdy (Layne).

Parrilla, whose most recent credits include Paramount+’s Why Woman Kill, will play Ben’s wife, a successful attorney who is secretly struggling with IVF and re-evaluating her own conflicted relationship with motherhood.

Looking for a hook-up? True love? Threesome? Someone to pay you back for a smoothie? These days, there really is an app for all that — and the show Relationship Status explores the pros and cons of our online dating habits.

Executive-produced by This Is Us star Milo Ventigmiglia, Relationship Status explores the romantic entanglements of 20- and 30-somethings and returns this fall on Verizon’s go90.

“We are very excited to share with the world the next chapters of Relationship Status, as well as continue the partnership with Full Fathom Five, Haven, StyleHaul and go90,” Ventimiglia says in a statement.

Even when he doesn’t ask, Justin Bieber’s fans make him a trending topic on Twitter almost instantly! How cool!

Justin Bieber was hanging out with his friend, rapper Khleo Thomas, and snapped a photo together and put it on Instagram Aug. 12. Within minutes, “Justin & Khleo” was trending on Twitter. Beliebers are amazing!

After tweeting the pic, Khleo, 22, wrote, “Shout out to all the #Beliebers. Much love and respect y’all. Shout out to @JustinBieber dude is too real. #Swag.”

You probably remember Khleo best from his role as Zero in the movie Holes with Shia Labeouf a few years back. However, he’s also a rapper…so perhaps he’s collaborating with the Biebs on his third studio album. That would be awesome! Justin’s next album cannot come out fast enough.

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Justin Bieber Plays Twitter Matchmaker for Kendall Jenner!

Remember Shia Labeouf’s little buddy in Holes? Khleo Thomas is going the Drake route with a rap/singing combo. I didn’t realize he was making music until I saw his name trending on Twitter, but apparently he’s rallying his fans together to help him get the chance to play Thresh in the upcoming film The Hunger Games. This type of social media campaign is reminiscent of Donald Glover’s #Donald4Spiderman last year. If Khleo gets his way he’ll be starring alongside Jennifer Lawrence (Winter’s Bone), Josh Hutcherson (The Kids Are All Right) and Liam Hemsworth (The Last Song).

“In a not-too-distant future, North America has collapsed, weakened by drought, fire, famine, and war, to be replaced by Panem, a country divided into the Capitol and 12 districts. Each year, two young representatives from each district are selected by lottery to participate in The Hunger Games.

Opens

Friday, April 2

This might not be your father's Buford Pusser, but the remake of "Walking Tall" remains the tale of a vigilante with a badge -- and a very big stick. As a man of few words who takes on the forces of pure evil in his rural hometown, WWE star-turned-actor Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson is a self-possessed, charismatic screen presence. Drawing on his fans and tapping into hero hunger, the film should find solid footing at the boxoffice.

Like the 1973 Joe Don Baker starrer -- a hit that spawned two sequels, a telefilm and a short-lived series -- this version is inspired by the true story of Tennessee sheriff Pusser. But here the central character, unmarried and ultra-buff, is not an unlikely savior. To the well-chosen strains of Gregg Allman's "Midnight Rider", we first see Chris Vaughn as a solitary figure on a ferry to Washington state, returning home after eight years in the Army Special Forces.

It's a relief that "Walking" strips Mort Briskin's original screenplay of its cloying family-man angle and tragic elements. That helps to lessen the self-righteousness of an uneasy, if popular, combination of moralizing and head-slamming. But that combustible mix is still the heart of the story.

Paying tribute to the central character's weapon of choice -- a hunk of wood -- the story has been moved to lumber country (Vancouver subs for Kipsat County, Wash.). Expecting to work in the town's mill, like his Father John Beasley), Chris finds it's been shuttered by Jay Hamilton (Neal McDonough, whose ice-blue eyes spell "villain"). After inheriting the plant, the town's lifeblood, Jay has turned his entrepreneurial efforts to a lucrative casino, the front for an even more lucrative drug operation. Emblematic of the Wild Cherry's grip on the town, Chris High' school girlfriend, Deni (Ashley Scott), dances in a peep show at the sensory-overload venue.

For Chris, the casino is an assault on small-town integrity. Ever-vigilant to corruption and wrongdoing, he crosses the powers that be and winds up sliced and left for dead by Jay's goons. Denied legal recourse by the sheriff (Michael Bowen), who considers the casino a "no-fly zone," Chris puts a huge stick of cedar to use in the name of justice and ends up in jail. After baring his impressive torso and its gruesome scars for a jury, he's elected sheriff.

He deputizes his pal Ray (Johnny Knoxville of "Jackass"), a recovering addict, to help him crack Jay's speed-manufacturing business. Adding drugs to the corrosive stew of gambling and prostitution, the adaptation ups the ante on moral certainty with broad strokes: Chris' young teen nephew (Khleo Thomas) has an unspecified medical emergency relating to the ingestion of crystal meth, and Chris and Ray are wholesomely abusive cops as they set out to rid their town of vice.

This lean retelling mercifully compresses the physical attacks on the hero and his family, albeit into unbelievably brazen simultaneous ambushes on the precinct and the Vaughn home. As the senior Vaughn, Beasley makes an impression as a former soldier who must overcome his aversion to guns to protect his wife (Barbara Tarbuck) and single-mom daughter (Kristen Wilson).

Director Kevin Bray keeps the action tight and brutal, from the first casino brawl to the final face-off between Jay and Chris (hatchet vs. tree branch). The cast acquits itself well, with the Rock evincing a quiet balance between humor and brawn. Unlike Baker's Pusser, Chris is not a conflicted man, and the pared-down action loses some of its dramatic tension because there's no doubt that the Rock will prevail -- driving home the point is a low-angle shot of the jeans-clad sheriff, wooden club in hand.

Production designer Brent Thomas and costume designer Gersha Phillips achieve a lived-in look that never calls attention to itself. Glen MacPherson's camerawork captures the setting's natural riches and economic straits, while well-chosen '70s rock tunes help propel the proceedings.

WALKING TALL

MGM Pictures

A Hyde Park Entertainment/Mandeville Films production in association with Burke/Samples/Foster Prods. and WWE Films

Credits:

Director: Kevin Bray

Screenwriters: David Klass, Channing Gibson, David Levien, Brian Koppelman

Based on a screenplay by: Mort Briskin

Producers: Jim Burke, Lucas Foster, Paul Schiff, Ashok Amritraj, David Hoberman

Executive producers: Keith Samples, Vince McMahon

Director of photography: Glen MacPherson

Production designer: Brent Thomas

Music: Graeme Revell

Co-producer: Bill Bannerman

Costume designer: Gersha Phillips

Editors: George Bowers, Robert Ivison

Cast:

Chris Vaughn: Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson

Ray Templeton: Johnny Knoxville

Jay Hamilton: Neal McDonough

Michelle Vaughn: Kristen Wilson

Deni: Ashley Scott

Pete Vaughn: Khleo Thomas

Chris Vaughn Sr.: John Beasley

Connie Vaughn: Barbara Tarbuck

Sheriff Stan Watkins: Michael Bowen

Booth: Kevin Durand

Running time -- 86 minutes

MPAA rating: PG-13...

Malcolm Lee's roller-skating comedy Roll Bounce is moving forward with a cast that includes Chi McBride, Bow Wow, Nick Cannon, Khleo Thomas, Mike Epps, Meagan Good and Rick Gonzalez. The Fox Searchlight/Fox 2000 co-production is due to start lensing June 28 in Chicago with State Street Pictures producing. From a script by Norman Vance Jr., the late '70s-inspired coming-of-age comedy centers on a time when roller skating was a way of life. X (Bow Wow) and his pals rule supreme at their local roller-skating rink, but when the doors close, the boys venture into foreign territory -- uptown's Sweetwater Roller Rink, complete with over-the-top skaters and beautiful girls. Through his preparation for the showdown of the season, X manages to find himself and also help his dad (McBride) get back on track. Brandon Jackson, Marcus Paulk and Jurnee Smollett round out the cast.

Opens

Friday, April 2

This might not be your father's Buford Pusser, but the remake of "Walking Tall" remains the tale of a vigilante with a badge -- and a very big stick. As a man of few words who takes on the forces of pure evil in his rural hometown, WWE star-turned-actor Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson is a self-possessed, charismatic screen presence. Drawing on his fans and tapping into hero hunger, the film should find solid footing at the boxoffice.

Like the 1973 Joe Don Baker starrer -- a hit that spawned two sequels, a telefilm and a short-lived series -- this version is inspired by the true story of Tennessee sheriff Pusser. But here the central character, unmarried and ultra-buff, is not an unlikely savior. To the well-chosen strains of Gregg Allman's "Midnight Rider", we first see Chris Vaughn as a solitary figure on a ferry to Washington state, returning home after eight years in the Army Special Forces.

It's a relief that "Walking" strips Mort Briskin's original screenplay of its cloying family-man angle and tragic elements. That helps to lessen the self-righteousness of an uneasy, if popular, combination of moralizing and head-slamming. But that combustible mix is still the heart of the story.

Paying tribute to the central character's weapon of choice -- a hunk of wood -- the story has been moved to lumber country (Vancouver subs for Kipsat County, Wash.). Expecting to work in the town's mill, like his Father John Beasley), Chris finds it's been shuttered by Jay Hamilton (Neal McDonough, whose ice-blue eyes spell "villain"). After inheriting the plant, the town's lifeblood, Jay has turned his entrepreneurial efforts to a lucrative casino, the front for an even more lucrative drug operation. Emblematic of the Wild Cherry's grip on the town, Chris High' school girlfriend, Deni (Ashley Scott), dances in a peep show at the sensory-overload venue.

For Chris, the casino is an assault on small-town integrity. Ever-vigilant to corruption and wrongdoing, he crosses the powers that be and winds up sliced and left for dead by Jay's goons. Denied legal recourse by the sheriff (Michael Bowen), who considers the casino a "no-fly zone," Chris puts a huge stick of cedar to use in the name of justice and ends up in jail. After baring his impressive torso and its gruesome scars for a jury, he's elected sheriff.

He deputizes his pal Ray (Johnny Knoxville of "Jackass"), a recovering addict, to help him crack Jay's speed-manufacturing business. Adding drugs to the corrosive stew of gambling and prostitution, the adaptation ups the ante on moral certainty with broad strokes: Chris' young teen nephew (Khleo Thomas) has an unspecified medical emergency relating to the ingestion of crystal meth, and Chris and Ray are wholesomely abusive cops as they set out to rid their town of vice.

This lean retelling mercifully compresses the physical attacks on the hero and his family, albeit into unbelievably brazen simultaneous ambushes on the precinct and the Vaughn home. As the senior Vaughn, Beasley makes an impression as a former soldier who must overcome his aversion to guns to protect his wife (Barbara Tarbuck) and single-mom daughter (Kristen Wilson).

Director Kevin Bray keeps the action tight and brutal, from the first casino brawl to the final face-off between Jay and Chris (hatchet vs. tree branch). The cast acquits itself well, with the Rock evincing a quiet balance between humor and brawn. Unlike Baker's Pusser, Chris is not a conflicted man, and the pared-down action loses some of its dramatic tension because there's no doubt that the Rock will prevail -- driving home the point is a low-angle shot of the jeans-clad sheriff, wooden club in hand.

Production designer Brent Thomas and costume designer Gersha Phillips achieve a lived-in look that never calls attention to itself. Glen MacPherson's camerawork captures the setting's natural riches and economic straits, while well-chosen '70s rock tunes help propel the proceedings.

WALKING TALL

MGM Pictures

A Hyde Park Entertainment/Mandeville Films production in association with Burke/Samples/Foster Prods. and WWE Films

Credits:

Director: Kevin Bray

Screenwriters: David Klass, Channing Gibson, David Levien, Brian Koppelman

Based on a screenplay by: Mort Briskin

Producers: Jim Burke, Lucas Foster, Paul Schiff, Ashok Amritraj, David Hoberman

Executive producers: Keith Samples, Vince McMahon

Director of photography: Glen MacPherson

Production designer: Brent Thomas

Music: Graeme Revell

Co-producer: Bill Bannerman

Costume designer: Gersha Phillips

Editors: George Bowers, Robert Ivison

Cast:

Chris Vaughn: Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson

Ray Templeton: Johnny Knoxville

Jay Hamilton: Neal McDonough

Michelle Vaughn: Kristen Wilson

Deni: Ashley Scott

Pete Vaughn: Khleo Thomas

Chris Vaughn Sr.: John Beasley

Connie Vaughn: Barbara Tarbuck

Sheriff Stan Watkins: Michael Bowen

Booth: Kevin Durand

Running time -- 86 minutes

MPAA rating: PG-13...

TORONTO -- As the Toronto International Film Festival wound down, Sony Pictures Classics made its third acquisition, according to sources, sealing a deal to acquire North American rights to Mario Van Peebles' cinematic ode to his filmmaking father, "How to Get the Man's Foot Outta Your Ass." The film screened in the fest's Planet Africa section and stars Van Peebles in the lead role, with Khleo Thomas, T.K. Carter, Ossie Davis and Nia Long. "Foot" follows the story of seminal helmer Melvin Van Peebles ("Sweet Sweetback's Baad Asssss Song"), who ushered in the era of Blaxploitation movies in the 1970s.

Opens

Friday, April 18

In "Holes", Walt Disney Pictures bravely attempts to retool the studio's live-action family film. The story features such traditional elements as rambunctious boys, heroic feats, a family curse and buried treasure. But it adds such adult elements as bigotry, interracial romance, assault, murder and corruption in a youth detention facility. The film also runs nearly two hours and has a PG rating. The intention is a good one, but the blending of disparate ingredients under Andrew Davis' direction is often jarring.

The film is based on an acclaimed children's book by Louis Sachar -- who adapted his story to the screen -- so perhaps enthusiastic readers will forgive the disjointed production. The uninitiated viewer, however, must confront three stories in different time periods told simultaneously and acting styles belonging to different movies.

Theatrical prospects are hard to forecast. The release of a movie based on a well-known literary property over Easter weekend should generate healthy boxoffice. The film's two young stars, Shia LaBeouf and Khleo Thomas, are terrific, so good word-of-mouth among adolescents and teens could give the film legs. But Sachar's book has clearly made an awkward transition to the big screen.

In the present-day story, which is the main narrative thread, Stanley Yelnats IV (LaBeouf) -- the family's running joke as the last name is the first name spelled backward -- is sentenced to a youth penal facility despite being innocent of any lawbreaking. All this owes to a family curse of bad luck that has similarly afflicted his father (Henry Winkler) and grandfather (Nathan Davis).

At the misnamed Camp Green Lake, in the middle of a dry lake bed, Stanley encounters a collection of kids, most of whom appear nearly as innocent as he is. All go by colorful nicknames, such as Squid, Armpit and ZigZag. The camp's adult supervisors are another matter. This trio of rascals is led by the mean and shrill Warden (Sigourney Weaver), who is aided by her strutting, sideburned sidekick Mr. Sir (Jon Voight) and the pedantic Dr. Pendanski Tim Blake Nelson). Here a noticeable shift in acting style occurs, turning the adults into exaggerated caricatures reminiscent of, well, old Disney family films, where villainy is broad and not very threatening.

All day long, the boys dig holes in order "to build character." You immediately suspect the camp heads are looking for something beneath the cracked lake bed. And this is where the other two stories kick in.

One concerns a kissing bandit (Patricia Arquette) who ruled this Texas territory in the Old West, a school marm-turned-outlaw when a black man (Dule Hill) she fancies is put to death by a white mob. Her calling card is a red-lipstick kiss on all the corpses she leaves strewn in her wake. The other tale relates the origin of the Yelnats family curse, which goes back to 18th century Latvia and involves a fortuneteller named Madame Zeroni (a still-feisty Eartha Kitt).

LaBeouf and Thomas anchor the contemporary tale despite the adult actors' attempt to hijack the story for the Disney animation department. The friendship between Stanley and Zero -- as everyone calls the reticent youth -- achieves genuine poignancy, and the two actors affect a natural, easygoing manner. But a story about endless hole-digging has limitations both narratively and visually. Also, you wonder why no one cottons on to the conspiracy among the camp heads. The historical stories never take on any life of their own, being too skimpy and inconsequential except for how they relate to the present-day situation.

The use of locations near California's Death Valley, the stunts, cinematography and design all mark a considerable upgrade of the Disney family film. It's just that the story is a sometimes thing.

HOLES

Buena Vista Pictures

Walt Disney Pictures in association with Walden Media

Credits:

Director: Andrew Davis

Screenwriter: Louis Sachar

Based on the novel by: Louis Sachar

Producers: Mike Medavoy, Andrew Davis, Teresa Tucker-Davies, Lowell Blank

Executive producers: Marty Ewing, Louis Phillips

Director of photography: Stephen St. John

Production designer: Maher Ahmad

Music: Joel McNeely

Costume designer: Aggie Guerard Rodgers

Editors: Tom Nordberg, Jeffrey Wolf

Cast:

Warden: Sigourney Weaver

Mr. Sir: Jon Voight

Dr Pendanski: Tim Blake Nelson

Stanley: Shia LaBeouf

Zero: Khleo Thomas

Sam: Dule Hill

Father: Henry Winkler

Grandfather: Nathan Davis

Kissin' Kate: Patricia Arquette

Madame Zeroni: Eartha Kitt

Running time -- 117 minutes

MPAA rating: PG...