Germany Banning Video Games

According to reports, playing video games in Germany could lead to imprisonment if a bill before their parliament is passed.

The bill would outlaw the depiction of violent acts committed against human characters. It would apply to any video title played or distributed in Germany. Popular movie franchise video games falling under the 'violent' category include the entire "Star-Trek" series, "The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-Earth II;" and "Scarface: The World Is Yours".

Frank Sliwka, chairman of Deutscher eSport-Bund, a German electronic sports association, claims video games are being unjustly singled out.

Violent games are also attracting attention outside of Germany with the European Commission beginning an investigation into games and their effects.

The study is backed by British EC parliament member Michael Cashman.

CanWest Global Pays $2.3 Billion for Alliance Atlantis

CanWest Global Communications Corp. ("CanWest") and GS Capital Partners, a private equity affiliate of Goldman, Sachs & Co., announced that a new acquisition company has entered into a definitive agreement with Alliance Atlantis Communications Inc. ("Alliance Atlantis") to acquire all of its outstanding Class A voting and Class B non-voting shares at a purchase price of CDN$53.00 per share in cash for an aggregate price of approximately CDN$2.3 billion.

"Today's transaction is consistent with CanWest's strategy to enhance its existing television business and expand its presence in the fast growing specialty television sector," said Leonard Asper, President & CEO of CanWest.

"I believe this transaction represents great value for our shareholders," said Michael MacMillan, Executive Chairman of Alliance Atlantis and substantial shareholder of the company, with co-founder Seaton McLean.

Shareholders representing approximately 80% of the Class A voting shares, have agreed to vote their shares of Alliance Atlantis in favour of the shareholders' resolution approving the Arrangement.

The Arrangement is also subject to court approval as well as certain other customary conditions, including the receipt of regulatory approvals. Pending approval from the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission ("CRTC") for the change of ownership and transfer of control of the specialty television channels, the securities of the relevant regulated entities will be deposited with a trustee pursuant to a voting trust agreement approved by the CRTC.

A CanWest-controlled company will be the controlling shareholder of Alliance Atlantis following the closing of the transaction.

Upon receipt of CRTC approval, Alliance Atlantis' specialty TV business and CanWest's Canadian TV business will be ultimately combined, Alliance Atlantis' Motion Picture Distribution business will be controlled by a Canadian partner of GS Capital Partners and CBS will assume international distribution of "CSI", "CSI: Miami" and "CSI: NY".

Prime Directive: Barricade & Megatron

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Simpsons Movie: We Are The World

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Halle Kicks Up A Storm

Actress Halle Berry won the 'Favorite Female Action Star' Award at the People's Choice Awards January 9, for her role as the mutant 'Storm' in 20th Century Fox', comic book-to-film, Canadian-shot "X-Men" movies...

Berry is anxious to reprise her role as the Marvel Comics character, fuelling interest in another "X-Men" spin-off, alongside "Wolverine", "Magneto" and "Xavier's Academy"...


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Justice Patrols "Smallville"

Sneak peek the 'Justice' league from the January 18 episode of the CW's British Columbia-filmed TV series "Smallville".

Starring Kyle Gallner as 'Bart Allen/Impulse', Justin Hartley as 'Oliver Queen/Green Arrow', Tom Welling as 'Clark Kent', Alan Ritchson as 'Arthur Curry/Aquaman' and Lee Thompson Young as 'Victor Stone/Cyborg'...

Jack Sparrow and Elizabeth Swann

A Fusion of Obsession and Fragile Love

"Mount Pleasant" is where the middle-class meets the streets.

'Stephen Burrows' is a successful real estate agent, loving father and frequent patron of prostitutes in the 'Mount Pleasant' area. His wife, 'Anne' (Kelly Rowan), full time social coordinator, thinks her husband’s worst vice is coffee.

A few blocks away teenage drug addict 'Nadia' (Katie Boland) works the streets. Living in a slum with her boyfriend 'Nick' (Tygh Runyan), she looks for a windfall by resorting to blackmail.

"Mount Pleasant" was written/directed by Ross Weber, a production of L'étranger Film Productions in association with Christal Films.

"Rocket" and "Bon Cop" Lead Genie Noms

"The Rocket", a Quebec-produced, French-language feature focusing on the life and times of Montreal Canadiens hockey player Maurice Richard, leads the nominations for the Canadian film 'Genie' awards, to be presented in Toronto Feb 13.

The ceremony will be broadcast over CHUM owned specialty TV stations across Canada.

Montreal produced action comedy "Bon Cop, Bad Cop" landed ten nominations and "A Sunday in Kigali", a French-Quebec production shot in Rwanda earned seven nominations.

Leading English-language nominees include Terry "Fear and Loathing" Gilliam's prairie-shot "Tideland" with six nominations and Julia Kwan's "Eve and the Fire Horse" with five noms.

The Best Director category includes Erik Canuel for "Bon Cop", Jean-Francois Pouliot, "The Little Book of Revenge", Charles Biname, "The Rocket", Robert Favreau, "Kigali" and Stephane Lapointe, "The Secret Life of Happy People".

Best actor nominees are Roy "Nikita" Dupuis for "The Rocket", Colm Feore, "Bon Cop", Olivier Gourmet, "Congorama", Patrick Huard, "Bon Cop" and Luc Picard for "Kigali".

Best Picture nominees include "The Rocket", "Bon Cop. Bad Cop" and "Trailer Park Boys: The Movie".

'007' For 2007

Dr No

From Russia With Love

Goldfinger

Thunderball

You Only Live Twice

On Her Majesty's Secret Service

Diamonds Are Forever

Live And Let Die

The Man With The Golden Gun

The Spy Who Loved Me

Moonraker

For Your Eyes Only

Octopussy

A View To A Kill

The Living Daylights

Licence To Kill

Goldeneye

Tomorrow Never Dies

The World Is Not Enough

Die Another Day

Casino Royale

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'Martian Manhunter' Invades "Smallville"

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Fox Greenlights Cameron's $200 Million "Avatar"

According to reports, Fox has officially greenlit Oscar-winning director/producer James "Terminator" Cameron's "Avatar", targeting the big budget space-opera for a 2009 release.

The $200 million sci fi feature (aka "Project 880") will be exhibited in 3-D, showcasing new VFX designed by Cameron and Peter "King Kong" Jackson's Weta.

Production on live-action sequences begins April 2007 in Los Angeles.

"Believe it or not, the shooting is a very small part of it," Cameron said. "It's a very, very big project where the shooting is like a month and a half -- not really very much. There's just so much CG, and the visual effects are a huge component. A lot of it is performance capture..."

Premise of the film:

In the future, Jake, a paraplegic war veteran is brought to planet 'Pandora', inhabited by the 'Navi', a humanoid race with their own language and culture...Jake, angry and jaded, harbors a grudge against the world and his current situation. Highly intelligent and creative, he hides his softer side behind a wall of issues. Having suffered great tragedy, he is scarred both emotionally and physically.

Click here for more "Avatar"

"Bluesman" Hits The Right Note

Producers Jason Koornick and Lawrence Blume have optioned "Bluesman", a graphic novel from writer Rob Vollmar and artist Pablo Callejo for a big screen adaptation.

"Bluesman" follows musicians 'Lem' and 'Ironwood' throughout the US 'Deep South' in the 1920's.

"When I first read 'Bluesman', I was struck by Rob and Pablo's ability to convey the emotion of America's homegrown music in a compelling narrative story," Koornick said.

"Lem's journey is both archetypal and totally original. I'm excited to produce a film that is worthy of Rob and Pablo's fine work."

Koornick's producing credits include Revolution Studios' "Next".

Grammy-winning blues artist Keb' Mo' will produce the "Bluesman" soundtrack in addition to acting in a supporting role. The Epic Records singer-guitarist previously won three Grammys for Best Contemporary Blues Album, selling more than two million records.

Lois Lane Makes A Splash

You Will Believe A Dog Can Fly...

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Find Your Way With The "Golden Compass"...

Sneak Peek "Alien Vs. Predator 2"

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Hard To Shrug Off...

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Swords 'N Sandals

Click here to sneak peek the "300" trailer

P'Gell: The Maneater

Click here for Frank Miller's "The Spirit"

Smallville: Justice League Meeting Jan 18

2007
"Green Arrow", "Clark Kent", "Aquaman", "Impulse" and "Cyborg"

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