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Solo Sunny review – a rueful East German gem of ambition, loneliness and faded dreams

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Konrad Wolf’s 1980 drama follows a singer trying to escape the drab compromises of GDR life, capturing the melancholy of thwarted ambition with warmth and wit The terrible sadness, tattiness and poisoned idealism of the old GDR is preserved as if in a time capsule in this East German film from 1980; it could be a kind of B-side to Bob Fosse’s Cabaret. The heroine, would-be solo pop singer Sunny, is told by her ungallant MC that she is no Liza Minnelli; Cabaret fans might well incidentally recognise here the brusque German word “bumsen”. Solo Sunny is the work of Konrad “Koni” Wolf, a director with an impressive and strange pedigree: he was a garlanded state-sanctioned artist in East Germany, much admired at the Berlin film festival, whose older brother Markus happened to be one of the highest-ranking officials in the Stasi. It makes Wolf the second most politically compromised German film-maker in history. (The disillusioned communist East German character in Jenny Erpenbeck’s novel Ka...
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EXCLUSIVE: Spider-Man: Brand New Day tickets priced at MEGA BLOCKBUSTER rates, yet slightly below Dhurandhar The Revenge’s pricing; Gaiety-Galaxy, Maratha Mandir among FEW cinemas in India selling tickets below Rs. 200

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With just five days to go for the release of Spider-Man: Brand New Day, the excitement is tremendous, to say the least. Advance ticket sales are extremely strong, indicating that the superhero film is set to record one of the biggest opening-day collections ever in India. Given the extraordinary buzz, the studio has decided to position the film in the highest ticket-pricing category. A trade source told Bollywood Hungama, “The studio has sent an email to exhibitors stating that Spider-Man: Brand New Day is the most anticipated film of the year, and not merely of the season. Hence, ‘keeping with the scale, legacy and premium positioning of this release’, it has decided to implement mega-blockbuster pricing bands for the film.” The mega-blockbuster pricing category is a relatively recent phenomenon and has previously been implemented for films that generated tremendous pre-release buzz, such as Pushpa 2 – The Rule, War 2 and Dhurandhar The Revenge. In accordance with this directive, the...
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‘People who commit heinous crimes can be victims’: Michael Mann on the provocative power of Manhunter at 40

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As a stunning 4K restoration arrives in theaters, the director and cast reflect on creating the disturbing descent into a criminal underworld Michael Mann has shown time and again in films like Thief , Heat , Miami Vice and Public Enemies that he is one of American film’s greatest explorers of the underworld. “It’s like a kind of cultural anthropology,” Mann tells me from his office in Los Angeles. “If you make films, you get to do that in a different place with a different subject every few years. For me, the exploration is the high.” With its unsettling atmosphere and soaring beauty, Mann’s 1986 film Manhunter reimagined how a thriller could look, sound and feel in an early high point for the director. To commemorate its 40th anniversary Manhunter: The Final Cut , a 4K restoration and director’s cut with three minutes of new footage, will see a theatrical release in New York and Los Angeles this weekend with a nationwide US rollout to follow. Continue reading... from Film | The ...
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Shabana Azmi diagnosed with swine flu after Jantar Mantar protest, misses Mumbai demonstration; says she stands in solidarity with students

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Veteran actor Shabana Azmi has revealed that she has been diagnosed with H1N1 (swine flu), forcing her to miss the student protest held at Mumbai's Shivaji Park on Friday. The actor shared the health update on social media, saying she has been advised to remain in isolation for the next five days. Azmi has been one of the most prominent public figures supporting the student-led protests over the alleged NEET paper leak. Over the past three days, she actively participated in demonstrations at Delhi's Jantar Mantar, where she marched alongside students, joined the "Chalo Sansad" rally and extended support to those on hunger strike. Shabana Azmi shares health update Informing her followers about her absence from the Mumbai protest, Azmi wrote that she had planned to join demonstrators but was unable to do so after being diagnosed with H1N1. She wrote, “"My dear Mumbaikars, I was meant to join your protest yesterday, but I've come down with H1N1 and need to rema...
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PVR INOX Q1 results: Profit at Rs 56.5 crore, revenue up 10.4%, box office surges

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PVR INOX reported a strong turnaround in the first quarter of FY27, posting a profit after tax (PAT) of Rs 56.5 crore, compared to a Rs 54 crore loss during the same period last year. The multiplex operator also recorded a 10.4 percent increase in consolidated revenue, which rose to Rs 1,622.2 crore from Rs 1,469 crore a year ago. The company's performance comes alongside a robust recovery in the theatrical business, with India's total box office collections growing 20 percent year-on-year during the quarter. Strong film slate boosts admissions PVR INOX credited the quarter's performance to a healthy mix of Hindi, regional and Hollywood films. Among Hindi releases, Bhoot Bangla, Cocktail 2 and Main Wapas Aunga emerged as strong performers. Regional cinema also delivered impressive growth, led by films such as Raja Shivaji (Marathi), Drishyam 3 (Malayalam) and Karuppu (Tamil). Hollywood titles also contributed significantly, with non-franchise films including Project Hail M...
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Chuck Russell, director of The Mask and The Blob, dies aged 74

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The film-maker, also behind A Nightmare on Elm Street 3, died on Wednesday in his San Diego home Director Chuck Russell, who helped propel actors such as Jim Carrey , Cameron Diaz and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson to the Hollywood A-list, was found dead in his San Diego, California, home on Wednesday. He was 74. Russell directed several box office hits in his decades-long career including A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors, The Blob and The Mask. In 2002, his film The Scorpion King featured The Rock in his first leading role. Continue reading... from Film | The Guardian https://ift.tt/w2junr8 via IFTTT
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‘It was the moment I lost innocence’: how a childhood stop-and-search led to the British debut movie of the year

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When Imran Perretta was young, he was abruptly pulled by police into a van for questioning. That experience, as well as the death of his mother, inspired him to make Ish, a coming-of-age tale set amongst the British Muslim community. He talks about trauma, designing toilets and making Luton look magnificent Imran Perretta always knew that the title of his debut feature film would be “Ish” – short for Ishmail, the name of the 12-year-old boy from Luton at the heart of his story. Only later did people point out the similarity to other coming-of-age films with three letters in the title: Kes by Ken Loach, and Satyajit Ray’s Apu trilogy. Now, as the reviews trickle in, the comparisons to Kes and Apu keep coming. Like them, Ish is a poetic film that grabs you by the heart and pulls you into a child’s perspective on the world. The response has been lovely, says Perretta, and a relief. “It’s nice that people have compared Ish to those films rather than Kidulthood. I did worry about that.” Why...
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Ahaan Panday and Sharvari’s next with Ali Abbas Zafar to release on March 26, 2027

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Yash Raj Films has officially locked March 26, 2027, which falls on Good Friday, as the theatrical release date for director Ali Abbas Zafar’s upcoming untitled romantic action drama. The announcement marks a major calendar slot for the project produced by Aditya Chopra. The film features Ahaan Panday and Sharvari in the lead roles, alongside Aaishvary Thackeray and Bobby Deol. It continues the successful working relationship between Chopra and Zafar. Fifth Collaboration Between Aditya Chopra and Ali Abbas Zafar This marks the fifth producer-director pairing for Aditya Chopra and Ali Abbas Zafar. Their earlier films together include Mere Brother Ki Dulhan, Gunday, Sultan and Tiger Zinda Hai. The new project returns Zafar to the YRF banner for a large-scale romantic action drama after a gap. Ahaan Panday, who recently gained attention with Saiyaara, takes on a central role that reports describe as carrying strong intensity. Sharvari joins him as the female lead in what is positioned as...
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Amol Palekar offers legal and financial support to students protesting over NEET paper leak: “Do not allow anger to harden into hatred”

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Veteran actor and filmmaker Amol Palekar has voiced his support for students protesting over the NEET paper leak by writing an open letter expressing solidarity with the youth-led movement. As demonstrations continue in Delhi demanding accountability and education reforms, the actor praised the courage of students and said they are carrying forward the unfinished work of democracy. Addressing the protesters as "Dear brave students," Palekar wrote that he was writing not only in solidarity but also with gratitude. "Every generation inherits the unfinished work of democracy. Yours has accepted both the burden and the privilege of carrying it forward," he wrote. Draws parallels with history and literature In his letter, Palekar referred to Albert Camus' Caligula, saying the play reflects how unchecked power can become detached from moral responsibility. He added that the recent developments in Delhi reminded him of those themes. The veteran actor also cited histor...
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Ramayana trailer postponed as Sony Pictures comes on board for global release outside India; Namit Malhotra calls it historic moment

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Prime Focus Studios has announced a landmark partnership with Sony Pictures Entertainment, which will distribute Ramayana across international markets outside India. The announcement marks a significant milestone for the ambitious mythological epic, even as the makers confirmed that the film's much-awaited trailer launch has been postponed to a later date. Producer Namit Malhotra shared the update through a detailed note on social media, revealing that the global partnership prompted the decision to reschedule the trailer launch. “Today is a very special moment for our "Ramayana", my dream of taking Ramayana to the world is now a reality with our partnership with Sony Pictures Entertainment. In light of the above we will be launching our trailer now globally at a later date. In over 100+ years of Indian Cinema this will become a moment of great pride where Ramayana will be shown to the entire world like any major global Hollywood film. This is special as it opens the doo...
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Alia Bhatt backs students amid NEET protest in heartfelt note: “Their courage humbles me”

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Actor Alia Bhatt has become the latest celebrity to speak out on the ongoing protests over the alleged NEET paper leak and the violence reported during demonstrations at Delhi's Jantar Mantar. In an emotional note shared on Instagram, the actor expressed solidarity with the students and praised their courage and determination. Reflecting on the developments over the past few days, Alia wrote that the events had left her heartbroken while also giving her hope. "The last few days have broken my heart and then mended it, again and again, with hope," she wrote. Alia Bhatt says students represent hope and sacrifice The actor said every student participating in the movement represents years of hard work, sacrifice, and the aspirations of their families. She added that their fight extends beyond their own future and could create a better path for generations to come: "Behind every student standing their ground is a dream, a family's hope, a journey of countless sacrifi...
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