CINEMA SCENE by Seymore Flix

For Cinemas, Summer Started April 1st

Furious Stars, Michelle Rodriques and the late Paul Walker

The summer box office season started yesterday.  That's right, the summer blockbusters are here and it started with 'Furious 7' which raked in a huge $67+ million on Friday. It's now Saturday evening, as I compose this post, and I believe 'Furious 7's weekend gross will top $145 million. We are talking high altitude, thin air numbers where records will be broken, and the best part about it is that it's only the beginning of April!

2015 is going blow the top off of the 2013 box office record and it's going to do so in a big way. Finally, cinemas get their fair share and it's all coming from the high-impact, action, fantasy films - the very films that the Hollywood hoi polloi castigate yet which bring in the big paydays and support all of the other 'junk'. Yes, I said it - junk - perfect examples of which were most of this year's Oscar winners.

The cinema needs more films like 'Furious 7' and 2015 will have its share - to the betterment of the entire cinema industry - junk and all.

Box office bruisers to come: 'The Avengers', 'Batman vs. Superman', 'Ant-Man', 'Star Wars - The Force Awakens', 'Jurassic World', 'The Fantastic Four', X-Men - Apocalypse' and many others.

Tataouine Becomes Isis Stronghold

Tataouine littered with 'Star Wars' 'stuff'

The Tunisian town of Tataouine, with its ancient domed structures, was the model used by George Lucas for the 'Star Wars' planet Tatooine, Luke Skywalker's  home. The town and the surrounding area in Tunisia has become a destination for die-hard 'Star Wars' fans but is now unsafe to visit as it has become a way point for Isis Islamic fighters traveling to and from training bases in Libya.

Although the upcoming 'Star Wars - The Force Awakens' will feature Tatooine, JJ Abrams, the film's director, did not return to Tunisia for filming but instead used locations in Abu Dhabi.  It will be a big blow to Tunisia's economy if the tourist trade dries-up so it appears the Tunisian authorities are pushing back against the insurgents. who killed 23 people on March 8th in Tunis, the capitol of Tunisia. Government forces have now set up a buffer zones between Tunisia and both Libya and Algeria.

Weinstein Joins The List

Ambra Battilana

Accused of assaulting  a 22 year-old model he met the day before, Harvey Weinstein, (owner of Weinstein studios) is now under investigation by the NYPD for the alleged sexual abuse. The incident took place at the Tribeca Film Center where Weinstein has an office.

Ambra Battilana, told police that Weinstein, 63, sexually assaulted her by grabbing her breasts and asking her "are these real". She asked him to stop, but he then put his hand up her skirt and asked her to "kiss him".  She told him "No" and left his office. She then went to the police station and reported the incident.

Weinstein - Accused of Sexual Assault

Ms. Battilana had met Weinstein the day before at the red-carpet premiere of  'The Rockettes Spectacular' that he had co-produced.  "He initiated the contact" a NYPD source said of Weinstein. "He saw her and spoke to her. She didn't know who he was until he approached her." Ms. Battilana, a former Miss Italy runner-up, reported that Weinstein gave her his business card and they exchanged emails and agreed to meet the next afternoon. She went to Weinstein's office at "his request to talk business".

NYPD Special Victims Unit interviewed Weinstein the next day. He requested that he speak with his lawyer and was allowed to leave the police station.

Reportedly, Battilana has turned down offers of up to $100.000 from media outlets to go public with her story - but so far has refused.  Good luck Harvey.

Best,
Seymore