And to help kickoff this new partnership, Override is sponsoring a filmmaking contest that asks filmmakers to make a 60 second film that tells the Override story.

Override is network of retailers including Irving Oil, Shaw’s Supermarkets and Dunkin’ Donuts that helps customers lower their price of gas at the pump in the Northeast.

“You can be a student filmmaker, a professional, or an amateur, it doesn’t matter,” said Lars Trodson, U.S. spokesperson for Irving Oil. “You can make it animated, you can use live actors, you can make a musical, or you can make a silent movie. All you have to be is very clever in 60 seconds.”

The grand prize for the winning film, which will make its debut at NHFF this October, is $5,000. Second and third place prizes will also be awarded.

The Override story is simple: Override is your answer to high gas prices. Customers who do their everyday shopping at a participating Shaw’s in New Hampshire, Maine, Vermont and Massachusetts, or a participating Dunkin’ Donuts restaurant to receive savings off the price of gas at more than 160 Irving fuel locations. Override makes it easy to save on the price of gas.

“The filmmakers should concentrate on the more human aspects of this story: how people can use their savings, how they can better manage their household budgets, what it means to them to lower their own price of gas,” said Trodson. “Making a how-to manual for the program would be fine, but we want local artist’s to tap into the most emotional aspects of the story, if they can.”

There are a few rules. The filmmaker must be at least 18 years old to be eligible. The film must include the Override logo (which can’t be altered) at least once. Eligible filmmakers must be legal residents of New Hampshire, Maine, Vermont or Massachusetts, or a full-time student enrolled in one of these four states. Submissions are due no later than Sept. 30, 2008. The film can be no longer than 60 seconds. For a complete list of terms and conditions, and to download an entry form, visit Override.com.

“This is a great way to challenge the creativity of the filmmaking community,” said Executive Director Nicole Gregg. “We’re always privileged to look at the amazing work coming out of the New England filmmaking community, and this contest provides all our local filmmakers with yet another avenue to channel their energy and ideas.”

The New Hampshire Film Festival kicks off this year on Oct. 16 and runs through Oct. 19. The award-winning filmmakers will be invited to attend the premiere of their film.

“We look forward to seeing the entries,” said Trodson. “And we hope the prizes will help the filmmakers begin the process of making their next film.”

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Here are the details:
THE BAT POD
DATE:  Wednesday, July 9th
LOCATION: National Amusements Showcase REVERE
565 Squire Road
Revere, MA 02151
781-284-5700

TIME:
11:00 AM - Event begins
3:00 PM - Event concludes

*The public will be invited to attend and visit the Bat Pod close up. They will be able to bring cameras to take photos of the Bat Pod and/or have their photo taken with it.  Promo items will be handed out, advance screening tickets, prizes, etc.

ABOUT THE DARK KNIGHT:
The follow-up to the action hit “Batman Begins,” “The Dark Knight” reunites director Christopher Nolan and star Christian Bale, who reprises the role of Batman/Bruce Wayne. With the help of Lieutenant Jim Gordon and District Attorney Harvey Dent, Batman sets out to destroy organized crime in Gotham for good.  The triumvirate proves to be effective, but they soon find themselves prey to a rising criminal mastermind known as The Joker. The film also stars Michael Caine as Alfred; Heath Ledger as arch-villain The Joker; Gary Oldman as Lieutenant Jim Gordon; Aaron Eckhart as District Attorney Harvey Dent; Maggie Gyllenhaal as Rachel Dawes; and Morgan Freeman as Lucius Fox.

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 CULVER CITY, CA, June 24, 2008 - In keeping with the spirit of their upcoming film Hancock, Columbia Pictures is launching a contest to pay off a family’s home mortgage.

Hancock’s Helping Hand Mortgage payoff contest was inspired by the film.  Hancock is a misunderstood superhero who is encouraged to improve his public image when he meets a good-hearted public relations executive.

Columbia Pictures will pay off the mortgage debt of one deserving family, with a grand prize worth up to $360,000.  To enter and find the official contest rules, log on to www.Hancockmovie.com.  Entrants will write a 200 word essay explaining why they are deserving of the grand prize.  The program begins immediately and runs through July 6.

Hancock, the action-comedy from Columbia Pictures, opens in theatres everywhere July 2, 2008, with special advance screenings beginning nationwide at 7:00 pm on Tuesday, July 1.

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I was a fan of the show, in all its HBO glory. I thought network TV watered the raunchy out of the series on the WB/CW a bit much.

The movie bridged the two styles well, in a story that tied into the show well while also standing on its own.

I won’t write much about the plot here — don’t want to spoil it for others.

But there is some major drama, explicit sex scenes and teary romantic moments.

(OK, teary for me.)

Loved the fact that the film’s audience looked like it was attended a red carpet premiere (especially the shoes, which were great) and that everyone applauded at the end.

Even though Carrie, Miranda, Charlotte and Samantha weren’t there, they deserved the praise nonetheless.

While its great that this movie did great at the box office (the highest haul ever for an R-rated comedy) news of a sequel kind of disturbs me.

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I caution you, if you read further, there will be spoilers — so if you don’t want to know, don’t read.

I loved this series as a kid (in fact, I wanted to be an archeologist) as a child. “Crystal Skull” doesn’t disappoint.

The Plot: The Soviets are trying to develop paranormal weapons for the Cold War. Indiana Jones gets tangled in their quest for finding alien artifacts. Just when he thinks he’s out of the equation, he receives a visit from a young punk named Mutt on a motorcyle (Shia LaBeouf channeling Marlon Brando in “The Wild One”). Mutt tells Indy his old friend, Professor “Ox” Oxley is in danger and needs his help. Indy and Mutt catch a plan to Peru, and there he tangles with Soviets, lead by Irina Spalko (Kate Blanchette channeling Natasha from “Rocky and Bullwinkle”). There Indy meets Mutt’s mother, his former flame Marion.

You can probably guess what happens from there.

While I generally liked “Crystal Skull” for the the adventure and the return of beloved characters — including Marion Ravenwood — I did have a few issues with the movie:

• While there were a lot of supernatural elements to Indiana Jones movies, having an alien presence in this movie was kind of weird. Having Indiana Jones get SciFi was just plain strange.
• It’s pretty clear, early on, that LaBeouf’s character is Indiana Jones’ son. But did his character really have to be named Mutt? I mean, come on. Everyone knows (well if they saw “Last Crusade”) that Jones’ real name is Henry — that Indiana was the name of his dog. But Mutt? Hit the audience over the head with a hammer, why don’t you.
• Finally, too many things got glossed over. Too many questions were left, the main one being: Why did Indiana call of his wedding to Marion? Then there are a host of other questions: Why did she easily forgive him. How does Mutt feel about his new found father and his mother, who didn’t tell him about his biological father?
• This movie could have easily been another hour long — and frankly, I would have been OK with that if it meant a little more character development.

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The X-Files live again in a movie.

Sex in the City will also see a comeback in a movie.

A Clinton is running for office.

And 90210 is set to return to the tube.

This is weird, right?

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“WHO-VILLES” ACROSS THE USA PREPARE FOR HORTON HEARS YOU HOMETOWN CHALLENGE

Communities nationwide ready to raise their voices and proclaim, “We are Here!”

WHO: Prospective “Who-Villes” across the USA.

WHAT: Twentieth Century Fox and its animated event movie DR. SEUSS’ HORTON HEARS A WHO! starring Jim Carrey, Steve Carell and Carol Burnett, challenged communities across the USA to raise their voices in one designated area and proclaim “We Are Here!” — just as Who-ville’s Whos do in the film’s thrilling climax. They’ll be listening for the loudest gatherings in each community.

WHERE: Communities across the USA that will become, for one day, “Who-villes, USA.” The loudest “Who-ville” will win a special hometown screening of DR. SEUSS’ HORTON HEARS A WHO!

WHEN:

• March 8 & 9: “We Are Here!”/ “DR. SEUSS’ HORTON HEARS A WHO! event takes place. Decibel levels will be measured by special sound meters at each city’s gathering.
• March 12: Winner announced in USA TODAY and online at www.hortonmovie.com/hometownchallenge
• March 13: Special screening in winning community.

WHY: A “who’s who” of comedy, led by Jim Carrey and Steve Carell, bring to life DR. SEUSS’ beloved HORTON HEARS A WHO! An imaginative elephant named Horton (Carrey) hears a faint cry for help coming from a tiny speck of dust floating through the air. Although Horton doesn’t know it yet, that speck houses an entire city named Who-ville, inhabited by the microscopic Whos, led by the Mayor (Carell). Despite being ridiculed and threatened by his neighbors who think he has lost his mind, Horton is determined to save the particle…because “a person’s a person no matter how small.”

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This past week Salem has been hosting what is hoped to be its first annual film fest at the Salem Cinema. To say the least, it has been amazing. My wife and I made to This Is Nollywood and Genghis Blues on a whim on Saturday. We were so impressed with the films and hearing the stories of the film makers, we went ahead and bought all day passes for Sunday and camped out at the theater for 4 documentaries and 2 short films. If this had been in Boston we would have been just as excited about the films, but the fact that a film festival right in our little Salem put together such a high caliber group of movies and brought in the award winning directors too blew us both away.

Tonight (Wednesday, March 5) they will be showing three of the winners; Manufactured Landscapes, 4:30, Buddha’s Lost Children, 6:30, and Beyond The Call at 8:30. It will all come to an end tomorrow with Rejected and Poem in Action. If you’re able to, do yourself the favor and try to make it to as many of these as possible. With any luck the success of this years festival will carry over into next year. Salem could use something to help beat the doldrums of winter when the witches, goblins, and tourist dollars are the furthest away.

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Click here to view the trailer.

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If you missed it, the winner for Best Song, along with Glen Hansard from the film “Once,” was music-overed when she got to the mike.

If you cut down just a little on the retrospectives, people, everyone would have a enough time to thank  people.

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