Filed under: Drama, Foreign Language, Independent, Romance, Celebrities and Controversy, Politics

It's time for yet another story about people taking cinema way too seriously. Fortunately, most stories don't have disastrous results, but sometimes the fiery words lead to a scary reality, like the murder of filmmaker Theo van Gogh. Pakistani pop singer Ali Haider isn't willing to take that chance. The BBC reports that he has backed out of the lead role in an upcoming Bollywood film called Osama after being threatened over his potential involvement.

Not about the infamous Bin Laden directly, the film will follow a Kashmir boy named Osama who is at the World Trade Center during the 9/11 attacks. Haider says that the film was a love story that he hoped would change the image of Pakistani people: "It was to show the world the other side of the coin. I felt it was my responsibility as a Muslim. But I have to look after a family of which I am the sole bread-winner."

In November, he started getting threats over the phone (up to 10 a day), and said that those dealing the threats knew "everything about my movements; when I am at the jogging track, or when I am in the gym." After the assassination of Benazir Bhutto, he wondered what would happen to someone like him, and pulled out of the role -- a decision he says cost him $160,000. There is no word yet on who will replace him in the film.

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Filed under: Drama, Independent, Celebrities and Controversy

There's nothing like media lawsuits filed a long time after the fact. Whether the claims are true or not, these people must realize how much the passage of time hurts their case, or at least makes things sound fishy. Nevertheless, The Louisville Courier-Journal reports that a local businessman, writer, and owner of a hip-hop recording business, James Lee White, has filed a law suit against Spike Lee. He claims that the famous director's 2004 film, Sucker Free City, is based on his own 2002 script, Mixed Up. White says that Lee created the film with screenwriter Alex Tse within a few months of the new writer submitting his own script to Lee's production company, 40 Acres and a Mule, in 2002, and that the released version has 85 similarities to White's work.

The Louisville businessman claims that he didn't realize that Sucker Free City had, well, made him a sucker (so to speak), until he rented the Showtime pilot last year. The lawsuit alleges that the films are similar in "the arrangement of the scenes, the expression of the scenes, substantially similar core plot foundation, dialog, settings, characters, characters' personalities, and a substantial similar feel, look, and pace."

White says: "I'm a black man, and Spike Lee of 40 Acres and a Mule -- you are a black man. And you stole from a black man and you know it. What do you call that? A hypocrite." That being said, White isn't looking for a big cash cow. He just wants compensation for his script, up to Writers Guild standards, and the opportunity to write more for both Showtime and 40 Acres. I get the Showtime bit, but if Lee stole from him, and is a hypocrite, why would this guy want to work with him in the future? That sort of takes the wind out of his own sails.

[via Film Stew]

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CHICAGO, Jan. 16, 2008 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- Chicago area history teacher Bruce David Janu never intended to make a feature length documentary about the situation in Sudan. But then he met Brian Burns and his life changed.

COMMACK, N.Y., Jan. 16, 2008 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- TitleMatch Entertainment Group, a subsidiary of Protocall Technologies Incorporated (OTCBB:PCLI), and Pioneer Home Entertainment (NYSE:PIO) today provided a wrap-up of last week's International Consumer Electronics Show, where the companies collaborated in a demonstration of newly designed DVD recorder drives developed by Pioneer specifically for burn-on-demand production of movies.

Filed under: Celebrities and Controversy

Brad Renfro, 25 year-old star of such films as The Client, Apt Pupil, and Bully, was found dead in his Los Angeles home early this morning, reports the Associated Press. Renfro's lawyer, Richard Kaplan, broke the tragic news. The cause of death is currently unknown, but Renfro had been drinking with friends the night before. Foul play is not suspected. Renfro led a troubled life, and there had been several run-ins with the law over the years, for drugs, DUI, and more. In May 2006, he served ten days in jail after he plead no contest to drunk driving and guilty to attempted possession of heroin. His most notable recent film appearance was opposite Adrien Brody in The Jacket, and he recently completed work on the Bret Easton Ellis adaptation The Informers.

Renfro began acting when he was only twelve years old. At twelve, he played the title role in Joel Schumacher's adaptation of John Grisham's The Client, which starred Susan Sarandon and Tommy Lee Jones. He was a terrific young actor, and since he was roughly my age, I followed his career from his younger roles in The Cure and Tom and Huck, through more mature fare like Telling Lies in America and Sleepers. My favorite roles of his were later ones: Todd in Bryan Singer's Apt Pupil, Marty in Larry Clark's highly disturbing Bully, and Josh in Terry Zwigoff's modern classic Ghost World. Kaplan tells the AP, "He was working hard on his sobriety. He was doing well. He was a nice person." We at Cinematical mourn the loss of a real talent, and our sympathies are with his family and friends.

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ATLANTA, Jan. 15, 2008 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- Delta Air Lines (NYSE:DAL) is once again proudly supporting independent film as a returning sponsor and Official Airline of the Sundance Film Festival. The airline will roll out the red carpet for filmmakers, VIPs and Festival attendees with the opening of SKY360* by Delta - Park City, a two-story, stylish sky lodge experience available Jan. 17 - 26. Throughout the 2008 Festival, SKY360* - Park City will host private premiere parties and events. It will also serve as the exclusive location for the WireImage Portrait Studio where filmmakers, cast members and industry executives will have their official Festival portraits taken.