The LIA (London International Awards) has canceled its 2020 Awards Festival and Creative LIAisons event featuring speakers, workshops and panels due the global coronavirus pandemic and trying economic times. LIA founder and president Barbara Levy said, “Although we are a business too, and will feel the pain, I find it hard to contemplate celebrating even award-winning work when in fact so many people are and will be suffering.” LIA will return in 2021 to celebrate great work and educate and inspire the young creatives of the industry….
International production studio HAMLET has signed directing duo Julien & Quentin for representation in Belgium, Holland, MEA, Japan, South East Asia and China. Julien & Quentin’s most notable work is the lauded Puma “Flow” which shows two football fans discussing the fundamentals of “flow” which then proceeds to launch into a madcap medley of dance, poses and cameos from Luis Suarez and Marco Reus, among others….
The need for social distancing and sheltering in home during the COVID-19 pandemic could accelerate the adoption of cloud gaming services among new gamers who are looking for additional sources of entertainment, giving a bump to this market which has recently seen some lackluster launches and issues with content, reaffirming the original forecast of nearly $4.5 billion in revenue by 2024 – so long as cloud gaming services can support a higher load of concurrent users and provide a good first impression, according to global tech market advisory firm, ABI Research. Michael Inouye, principal analyst at ABI Research, said, “The impact of the COVID-19 has and will continue to take a toll on the global economy until it is contained. But not all markets are equally impacted, and the cloud services and content markets are a prime example”….
Review: Writer-Directors Scott Beck and Bryan Wood’s “Heretic”
"Heretic" opens with an unusual table setter: Two young missionaries from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are discussing condoms and why some are labeled as large even though they're all pretty much a standard size. "What else do we believe because of marketing?" one asks the other.
That line will echo through the movie, a stimulating discussion of religion that emerges from a horror movie wrapper. Despite a second-half slide and feeling unbalanced, this is the rare movie that combines lots of squirting blood and elevated discussion of the ancient Egyptian god Horus.
Our two church members — played fiercely by Sophie Thatcher and Chloe East — are wandering around trying to covert souls when they knock on the door of a sweet-looking cottage. Its owner, Mr. Reed, offers a hearty "Good afternoon!" He welcomes them in, brings them drinks and promises a blueberry pie. He's also interested in learning more about the church. So far, so good.
Mr. Reed is, of course, if you've seen the poster, the baddie and he's played by Hugh Grant, who doesn't go the snarling, dead-eyed Hannibal Lecter route in "Heretic." Grant is the slightly bumbling, bashful and self-mocking character we fell in love with in "Four Weddings and a Funeral," but with a smear of menace. He gradually reveals that he actually knows quite a bit about the Mormon religion — and all religions.
"It's good to be religious," he says jauntily and promises his wife will join them soon, a requirement for the church. Homey touches in his home include a framed "Bless This Mess" needlepoint on a wall, but there are also oddities, like his lights are on a timer and there's metal in the walls and ceilings.
Writer-directors Scott Beck and Bryan Wood — who also... Read More