NEW YORK -- After a decade as a top indie film production and video distribution outfit, Hart Sharp Entertainment founders John Hart and Jeffrey Sharp are heading their separate ways. Hart is forming the new film and theater production company Evamere.
Evamere will launch production on two films this year: Todd Solondz's dark comedy of sexual obsession, Life During Wartime, and the James Solomon-penned biopic of a woman involved in the Abraham Lincoln assassination, The Conspirator.
Other new projects include Alice Goes to Harlem, a potential animated feature that finds Alice in Wonderland meeting such artists as The Nicholas Brothers and Whoopi Goldberg on a journey celebrating the Harlem Renaissance. Geoffrey Holder and Hilton Als are in talks to write the screenplay. Also set for 2008 is Come Like Shadows, a surreal period adaptation of Macbeth, with John Maybury in negotiations to direct.
Hart will oversee management of the company's existing private-equity funds, True Film Fund I and II, which will continue to finance Hart Sharp projects that Hart will now produce.
Evamere will launch production on two films this year: Todd Solondz's dark comedy of sexual obsession, Life During Wartime, and the James Solomon-penned biopic of a woman involved in the Abraham Lincoln assassination, The Conspirator.
Other new projects include Alice Goes to Harlem, a potential animated feature that finds Alice in Wonderland meeting such artists as The Nicholas Brothers and Whoopi Goldberg on a journey celebrating the Harlem Renaissance. Geoffrey Holder and Hilton Als are in talks to write the screenplay. Also set for 2008 is Come Like Shadows, a surreal period adaptation of Macbeth, with John Maybury in negotiations to direct.
Hart will oversee management of the company's existing private-equity funds, True Film Fund I and II, which will continue to finance Hart Sharp projects that Hart will now produce.
- 2/15/2007
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Tony-award winning actor and dancer Gregory Hines, who wowed audiences onstage as well as in film and television, died Saturday in Los Angeles of cancer, according to his publicist, Allen Eichorn; Hines was 57. A boisterous performer with seemingly unending energy, who made tap dancing look both elegant and effortless, Hines first gained fame as a child star alongside his brother, fellow dancer Maurice Hines, and their father as part of the tap-dancing act "Hines, Hines and Dad." In the `70s, Hines went on to worldwide acclaim and Broadway stardom, most notably in Eubie! , Comin' Uptown and Sophisticated Ladies, all of which earned him Tony nominations. Hines first film role came almost by accident in Mel Brooks' History of the World, Part I, where he was a last-minute replacement for Richard Pryor and stole scenes from old pros Brooks and Madeline Kahn. He went on later that year to co-star in the thriller Wolfen, and then in 1984 danced for the first time onscreen with brother Maurice in The Cotton Club, where the two played characters based on Broadway stars The Nicholas Brothers. Film hits White Nights (opposite Mikhail Baryshnikov) and Running Scared (with Billy Crystal) followed in the `80s, and the actor went on to travel effortlessly between stage, screen and television in the `90s. Hines won a Tony in 1993 for Jelly's Last Jam, appeared in 1995's Waiting to Exhale, starred in sitcom The Gregory Hines Show in 1997, and portrayed Bill "Bojangles" Robinson in the acclaimed 2001 TV movie Bojangles. Most recently he hosted the 2002 Tony Awards broadcast with Bernadette Peters and had a recurring role on TV hit Will and Grace. --Prepared by IMDb staff...
- 8/10/2003
- IMDb News
Tony-award winning actor and dancer Gregory Hines, who wowed audiences onstage as well as in film and television, died Saturday in Los Angeles of cancer, according to his publicist, Allen Eichorn; Hines was 57. A boisterous performer with seemingly unending energy, who made tap dancing look both elegant and effortless, Hines first gained fame as a child star alongside his brother, fellow dancer Maurice Hines, and their father as part of the tap-dancing act "Hines, Hines and Dad." In the `70s, Hines went on to worldwide acclaim and Broadway stardom, most notably in Eubie!, Comin' Uptown and Sophisticated Ladies, all of which earned him Tony nominations. Hines first film role came almost by accident in Mel Brooks' History of the World, Part I, where he was a last-minute replacement for Richard Pryor and stole scenes from old pros Brooks and Madeline Kahn. He went on later that year to co-star in the thriller Wolfen, and then in 1984 danced for the first time onscreen with brother Maurice in The Cotton Club, where the two played characters based on Broadway stars The Nicholas Brothers. Film hits White Nights (opposite Mikhail Baryshnikov) and Running Scared (with Billy Crystal) followed in the `80s, and the actor went on to travel effortlessly between stage, screen and television in the `90s. Hines won a Tony in 1993 for Jelly's Last Jam, appeared in 1995's Waiting to Exhale, starred in sitcom The Gregory Hines Show in 1997, and portrayed Bill "Bojangles" Robinson in the acclaimed 2001 TV movie Bojangles. Most recently he hosted the 2002 Tony Awards broadcast with Bernadette Peters and had a recurring role on TV hit Will and Grace. --Prepared by IMDb staff...
- 8/10/2003
- WENN
A swan dive into the dangerous human flotsam of an L.A. skid row hotel, with an ensemble cast of non-stars playing losers and psychos, the indie production "Night at the Golden Eagle" is both admirable -- for attempting to show everyday violence (usually against women) in all its sickening unavoidableness -- and a trial to sit through because of its unevenness and half-realized literary ambitions. Produced and released by Shangri-La Entertainment, "Night" is strictly art house fare, with potential post-theatrical buzz coming from critics and enthusiastic fans.
Writer-director Adam Rifkin ("The Chase", "Detroit Rock City") was inspired by the two most memorable male characters, who are played by newcomer (and real-life ex-mafioso) Donnie Montemarano and Vinny Argiro ("Molly"). Longtime friends in real life, the former is an oppressively menacing presence as just-out-of-prison Tommy, while Argiro, as longtime best friend Mic, deftly handles all the shifts of his character. One is reminded at times of Orson Welles and Joseph Calleia in "Touch of Evil", and it's natural to predict that bad things will happen in the end.
But for all the authentic-sounding patter and dingy atmosphere, "Night" veers into territory that Rifkin and crew struggle to make completely convincing. There's also not much of a theme or sense of justice. This amoral, cold universe can have its brief moments of warmth between characters, but through the impatient filmmaking and stark tone in general, one just waits grimly for the next shock without developing much attachment to the characters.
Natasha Lyonne and Ann Magnuson are thoroughly immersed in their roles as hard-living hookers who make use of the Golden Eagle Hotel, where aging small-time criminals Tommy and Vinny agree to stay one night and then leave on the bus for legitimate jobs and normal lives in Las Vegas. Dream on, boys. They'll get away only if Tommy can control his urges to be bad and the environment doesn't get them first.
Rifkin's take on human nature is bleaker than the surroundings, while fate is cruel to just about everyone. Condensed into a single day, the omnitragic story includes two cold-blooded murders and a fatal heart attack. There's also the brutal introduction to prostitution of a young runaway (Nicole Jacobs), with the help of Magnuson and Lyonne's abusive pimp (Vinnie Jones). James Caan appears for mere seconds at the beginning as a prison warden, while other auspicious supporting actors include singer Sam Moore, tap dancer Fayard Nicholas (of The Nicholas Brothers) and Kitten Natividad.
After her solid work as a working girl, Lyonne makes the most out of impersonating a corpse through half the film. Likewise, there's much to praise in the performances of Magnuson, Jacobs and secondary players like Miles Dougal, as the sleazy desk clerk. Nonetheless, too much rides on one embracing the performance of Montemarano, whose Tommy is pathologically unthinking in his struggle to survive. And overall "Night" can seem endless, while it's trying to give one nightmares.
NIGHT AT THE GOLDEN EAGLE
Shangri-La Entertainment
Credits:
Writer-director: Adam Rifkin
Producer: Steve Bing
Executive producers: Mindy Marin, Morgan Sackett
Director of photography: Francesco Varese
Editor: Peter Schink
Music: Tyler Bates
Casting: Mindy Marin
Cast:
Tommy: Donnie Montemarano
Mic: Vinny Argiro
Amber: Natasha Lyonne
Sally: Ann Magnuson
Loriann: Nicole Jacobs
Rodan: Vinnie Jones
Mr. Maynard: Fayard Nicholas.
Running time -- 91 minutes
MPAA rating R...
Writer-director Adam Rifkin ("The Chase", "Detroit Rock City") was inspired by the two most memorable male characters, who are played by newcomer (and real-life ex-mafioso) Donnie Montemarano and Vinny Argiro ("Molly"). Longtime friends in real life, the former is an oppressively menacing presence as just-out-of-prison Tommy, while Argiro, as longtime best friend Mic, deftly handles all the shifts of his character. One is reminded at times of Orson Welles and Joseph Calleia in "Touch of Evil", and it's natural to predict that bad things will happen in the end.
But for all the authentic-sounding patter and dingy atmosphere, "Night" veers into territory that Rifkin and crew struggle to make completely convincing. There's also not much of a theme or sense of justice. This amoral, cold universe can have its brief moments of warmth between characters, but through the impatient filmmaking and stark tone in general, one just waits grimly for the next shock without developing much attachment to the characters.
Natasha Lyonne and Ann Magnuson are thoroughly immersed in their roles as hard-living hookers who make use of the Golden Eagle Hotel, where aging small-time criminals Tommy and Vinny agree to stay one night and then leave on the bus for legitimate jobs and normal lives in Las Vegas. Dream on, boys. They'll get away only if Tommy can control his urges to be bad and the environment doesn't get them first.
Rifkin's take on human nature is bleaker than the surroundings, while fate is cruel to just about everyone. Condensed into a single day, the omnitragic story includes two cold-blooded murders and a fatal heart attack. There's also the brutal introduction to prostitution of a young runaway (Nicole Jacobs), with the help of Magnuson and Lyonne's abusive pimp (Vinnie Jones). James Caan appears for mere seconds at the beginning as a prison warden, while other auspicious supporting actors include singer Sam Moore, tap dancer Fayard Nicholas (of The Nicholas Brothers) and Kitten Natividad.
After her solid work as a working girl, Lyonne makes the most out of impersonating a corpse through half the film. Likewise, there's much to praise in the performances of Magnuson, Jacobs and secondary players like Miles Dougal, as the sleazy desk clerk. Nonetheless, too much rides on one embracing the performance of Montemarano, whose Tommy is pathologically unthinking in his struggle to survive. And overall "Night" can seem endless, while it's trying to give one nightmares.
NIGHT AT THE GOLDEN EAGLE
Shangri-La Entertainment
Credits:
Writer-director: Adam Rifkin
Producer: Steve Bing
Executive producers: Mindy Marin, Morgan Sackett
Director of photography: Francesco Varese
Editor: Peter Schink
Music: Tyler Bates
Casting: Mindy Marin
Cast:
Tommy: Donnie Montemarano
Mic: Vinny Argiro
Amber: Natasha Lyonne
Sally: Ann Magnuson
Loriann: Nicole Jacobs
Rodan: Vinnie Jones
Mr. Maynard: Fayard Nicholas.
Running time -- 91 minutes
MPAA rating R...
Monday, April 6
By Frank Scheck
This tribute to The Nicholas Brothers, two of the greatest, if not the greatest, dancers ever captured on film, was beautifully presented, lovingly produced and long overdue.
Would that the evening had been televised, as Ben Vereen remarked, to movie lovers around the world.
Fayard Nicholas and his younger brother Harold started performing 68 years ago, and they still have the style and charisma of born stars. As film clips during the evening reminded us, their dazzling routines in such films as "Stormy Weather" and "Down Argentine Way" have never been equaled.
The all-star cast of "From Harlem to Hollywood: A Tribute to the Nicholas Brothers" was led by the irreverent Bill Cosby. "This is your life", he announced to the beaming pair, "and I'm Ralph Edwards." The cast then paid tribute to the two dancers, who sat at a table on one side of the stage.
Of course there was plenty of dancing, from veterans (the ageless Jimmy Slyde), current stars (Savion Glover and the cast of "Bring in 'da Noise..".) and even children (Fayard's 10- and 12-year old granddaughters, who danced in front of a film clip of the brothers and brought down the house).
There was also great music, from such singers as Bobby Short, Kevin Mahogany (a smoky "In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning") and Gail Nelson (a sultry "Here's to Life"). Christian McBride performed a version of "Night in Tunisia" that made that classic seem written for the bass.
There were moving verbal tributes from people like Maurice Hines, who remembered how much the brothers' work had influenced him and his brother Gregory, and Lena Horne, who reminisced about their days together at the Cotton Club. The brothers, too, performed; Harold sang a quiet and affecting version of "Mr. Bojangles" that received a standing ovation, and also performed "Everyday I Have the Blues" while Fayard "conducted" the orchestra.
Although both Fayard and Harold used canes, they still retain enough grace and charisma to garner huge applause with every dance gesture, however slight. The love these two veterans have for each other, and the adoration that radiated from the sold-out house, was enough to make everyone in the audience feel like dancing.
By Frank Scheck
This tribute to The Nicholas Brothers, two of the greatest, if not the greatest, dancers ever captured on film, was beautifully presented, lovingly produced and long overdue.
Would that the evening had been televised, as Ben Vereen remarked, to movie lovers around the world.
Fayard Nicholas and his younger brother Harold started performing 68 years ago, and they still have the style and charisma of born stars. As film clips during the evening reminded us, their dazzling routines in such films as "Stormy Weather" and "Down Argentine Way" have never been equaled.
The all-star cast of "From Harlem to Hollywood: A Tribute to the Nicholas Brothers" was led by the irreverent Bill Cosby. "This is your life", he announced to the beaming pair, "and I'm Ralph Edwards." The cast then paid tribute to the two dancers, who sat at a table on one side of the stage.
Of course there was plenty of dancing, from veterans (the ageless Jimmy Slyde), current stars (Savion Glover and the cast of "Bring in 'da Noise..".) and even children (Fayard's 10- and 12-year old granddaughters, who danced in front of a film clip of the brothers and brought down the house).
There was also great music, from such singers as Bobby Short, Kevin Mahogany (a smoky "In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning") and Gail Nelson (a sultry "Here's to Life"). Christian McBride performed a version of "Night in Tunisia" that made that classic seem written for the bass.
There were moving verbal tributes from people like Maurice Hines, who remembered how much the brothers' work had influenced him and his brother Gregory, and Lena Horne, who reminisced about their days together at the Cotton Club. The brothers, too, performed; Harold sang a quiet and affecting version of "Mr. Bojangles" that received a standing ovation, and also performed "Everyday I Have the Blues" while Fayard "conducted" the orchestra.
Although both Fayard and Harold used canes, they still retain enough grace and charisma to garner huge applause with every dance gesture, however slight. The love these two veterans have for each other, and the adoration that radiated from the sold-out house, was enough to make everyone in the audience feel like dancing.
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