The Somnambulists

An RJ Films presentation of a No Bad Films production. (International sales: No Bad Films, London.) Produced by Richard Jobson, Alan Mckenna. Directed, written by Richard Jobson.With: Jack Monaghan, Michael Nardone, Jack O'Connell, Rhonda Lewis, Belinda Everett, Paul Thornley, Tom Padley, Jonathan Kerrigan, Alan Mckenna, David Fynn, Tobi Bakare, Joseph Creeth, Steven Robertson, Jessye Romeo, Scott Arthur. (English dialogue)The devastating psychological damage experienced by British soldiers who have served in Iraq is presented via straight-to-camera monologues in "The Somnambulists," the sincere but painfully earnest latest feature from Scottish helmer Richard Jobson ("16 Years of Alcohol"). Although credited as written by Jobson, the script is based on extensive interviews with real soldiers, and only the stoniest heart could fail to sympathize with the physical and psychological pain recounted here. Unfortunately, thesping is too often stagy and stilted, as emphasized by the severely stylized approach. Pic should sleepwalk through fests, but is likely to wake up on cable stations. Per press notes, the pic's look and title were inspired by Joanna Kane's recent exhibition of monochrome photographs of death- and life-masks impressed between 150 and 200 years ago, in which the silvery faces stand out against an inky black background. Likewise, the 15 thesps here deliver their monologues (shot in color) from inside a darkened studio, with the framing capturing mostly just their faces, sometimes in extreme closeup, or their bodies from the torso up. At the end of each turn, location-filmed tracking shots (mostly in black-and-white, apart from one or two digitally colored photographs situated somewhere in the scene) show places and people the soldier in question has just mentioned. Each shot ends with someone, presumably a loved one, looking grief-stricken as if remembering the dead. None of the speakers is named (credits list them only as "Man 1," "Man 2" and so on), but from their words, it can be inferred that they represent a spectrum of military personnel, ranging from infantrymen to officers, gung-ho snipers to medics. Some talk about their sense of alienation when returning to civilian life, such as the first (Jack Monaghan) and the last (Scott Arthur), while others focus on traumas experienced on Basra's battlefields. The dust and relentless heat of Iraq rep unsurprisingly recurrent motifs, as does a sense of anger and betrayal directed at all kinds of targets, from Iraqis themselves to former Prime Minister Blair and the civilians back home who would rather forget the war's existence. On paper, the speeches might have a more resounding ring of veracity, but the perfs here are so strident, over-rehearsed and portentously delivered as to drain much of the impact from the stories being told. Helming thesps has never been Jobson's strong suit (aside from Kevin McKidd in "16 Years of Alcohol"), and as with the semi-pro cast of "The Purifiers," he particularly underserves the young actors here who most need a strong directorial hand to reign them in. Elsewhere, the use of visual effects to show the harrowing things these men and women have seen, by "projecting" scenes onto their eyes, is simply tacky. For all Jobson's talk about the visual inspirations for the film, the whole thing might have been more effective if it had simply been made for radio.Camera (color/B&W, HD), James Stoneley; editor, Steven Sander; music, Tim Stevens, Andrew Jones; production designer, Jude Hanly; costume designer, Francessca Oddi; sound (DTS/SDDS/Dolby Digital), Martin Ormond, Myles Hayden; sound designers, Stevens, Jones; visual effects supervisor, Solomon Rogers; visual effects, Rewind FX; stunt coordinator, Marc Cass; line producer, Richard Adams; second unit camera, Adam Duckworth, Jobson; casting, Lucy Jenkins, Sooki McShane. Reviewed at London Film Festival (New British Cinema), Nov. 12, 2011. Running time: 97 MIN. Contact the Variety newsroom at news@variety.com

Access Hollywood Live: Candice Kumais Cold & Flu Fighting Healthy Recipes

First Published: November 11, 2011 1:54 PM EST Credit: Access Hollywood Caption Candice Kumai shares her immunity-boosting recipes on Access Hollywood LiveLOS ANGELES, Calif. -- Chef Candice Kumai stopped by Access Hollywood Live to share some great immunity-boosting recipes for foods that can help you & your family fight cold & flu season! Fall Greens Salad Ingredients: 1/4 cup sunflower seeds 1/2 bunch kale, chopped 1/2 bunch Swiss chard, chopped (I love Rainbow Chard, but any variety will do) 1 cup butternut squash ribbons (thinly shaved raw slices) 1/4 cup dried cranberries 2 tablespoons crumbled chevre For the Orange Vinaigrette: 1/2 cup orange juice 1 tablespoon Dijon 1/4 teaspoon sea salt to taste 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 teaspoon herbs de Provence Roasted Garlic + Lemon Flatbreads: Serves 8, appetizer portions Preheat oven to 350 degrees 1. Cut a whole garlic clove in half. Wrap garlic in foil, with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, and roast for approximately an hour and a half. Ingredients: 1 store-bought pizza dough 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided 1 head of garlic, roasted 1/4 fresh lemon, cut into thin slices 1/4 medium red onion, halved and thinly sliced 1/2 cup arugula 1/2 cup fresh goat cheese (Chevre) Directions: 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees 2. Wrap garlic in foil, with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, and roast for approximately an hour and a half 3. Toss lemon slices in olive oil, and arrange in a single layer on a sheet pan. Bake until the rinds are soft, and begin to brown 4. Roll out pizza dough, on a floured surface, to a thickness of 1/2 inch. Brush the dough with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and sprinkle with salt. Bake for 5-7 minutes. Remove the crust from the oven. and use the back of a spoon to spread a thick layer of roasted garlic over the surface 5. Spread the lemon, red onion, arugula, and goat cheese over the crust 6. Bake for 12-15 minutes, until the crust is golden, and the greens are slightly wilted. (Recipes courtesy Candice Kumai) Copyright 2011 by NBC Universal, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

'Dark from the Moon' transforms Viacom's fortunes

"Transformers: Dark from the Moon" set Viacom burning last quarter as net gain tripled to $576 million. Revenue for Viacom's 4th quarter led to September increased 22% to $4.05 billion. Shot entertainment profits alone brought by Vital increased to $185 million from $52 million -Up 250%. Division revenue leaped 46% to $1.8 billion, primarily around the shoulders of "Transformers" in theatrical and home video marketplaces, in addition to greater ancillary revenues from digital distribution. Viacom's other core biz, media systems, brought by MTV, Nickelodeon, Comedy Central, and Wager, saw profits rise 10% to $958 million and revenue grow 8% to $2.3 billion. The uptick originated from a 7% rise in advertising revenue and 11% development in worldwide affiliate costs. Both worldwide and domestic advertising revenues rose 7% within the quarter. Worldwide affiliate revenues elevated of $883 million were driven usually by rate increases. Boss Philippe Dauman reported "consistent purchase of innovative programming at our marquee media systems." And that he stated the studio "is reaping helpful benefits from the disciplined franchise-centric approach which has created an unparalleled quantity of hits within the domestic and worldwide box office." "Our budget is really as strong as ever, which enables us to carry on to purchase the development in our companies, including new top quality television systems within the U.S. and worldwide, and Paramount's lately released animation label," he added. Viacom also introduced a significant growth of its stock repurchase intend to $10 billion from $4 billion. Contact the range newsroom at news@variety.com

Gay-Rees: Driving force behind high-profile docs

James Gay-ReesAlthough he has been involved in the film business for 20 years, James Gay-Rees isn't jaded. If anything, he finds producing, which he has been doing since 2002, invigorating."It's kind of addictive," says Gay-Rees, who took doc "Exit Through the Gift Shop" to Sundance in 2010 (it later nabbed an Oscar nom) and earlier this year brought "Senna" to the Park City fest, where it won an audience award.Based in London, the producer started his film career at Miramax in 1991 after graduating from England's Southampton U. with a degree in economics and accounting. (His stepfather, director Mel Smith, helmed "Tall Guys" for the studio in 1989.)After a year in NY, Gay-Rees joined Orbit Prods. on the Paramount lot in Los Angeles as head of development, but eventually left to pursue a career in producing.Directed by secretive street artist Banksy, "Exit Through the Gift Shop" marked Gay-Rees' first time producing a documentary. While many critics and viewers speculated that pic was some kind of hoax, it was one of last year's highest-grossing docus."It would have been so hard to engineer that," says Gay-Rees. "It's almost too surreal to be a hoax."Just a year later, the producer made another splash at Sundance with Asif Kapadia's "Senna," about legendary Brazilian Formula 1 racing driver Ayrton Senna."It's very important with documentaries that you focus on great stories that stand out. The backdrop, for instance, Formula 1, comes second to the human drama."Gay-Rees is producing a narrative, "The Wedding Video," directed by Nigel Cole ("Calendar Girls") as well as another doc, tentatively titled "The Pappas Brothers" about Australian skateboarders who self destruct."I wouldn't say that it was an accident that I got into producing, but I don't think if you knew how hard producing was you would not necessarily go into it in the first place. It certainly doesn't get any easier as you get films made. It's just that once you do it, even though you know how hard it is, it gets under your skin and you keep on coming back for more. Rightly or wrongly."10 PRODUCERS TO WATCH 2011Jason Michael Berman | Borderline Films | Tyler Davidson & Sophia Lin | James Gay-Rees | Lawrence Inglee | Red Granite Pictures | Laura Rister | Jonathan Schwartz | Diarmid Scrimshaw | Kevin Walsh Contact Addie Morfoot at news@variety.com

Campion to direct Sundance/BBC small

Sundance Funnel and BBC Worldwide have inked a deal to co-produce "The top of Lake," a seven-episode scripted miniseries directed by "Vibrant Star" helmer Jane Campion and Garth Davis, and starring "Mad Males" thesp Elisabeth Moss and Campion's "Piano" collab (and Oscar champion for your role) Carol Hunter. The little, composed by Campion and Gerard Lee, may even star Peter Mullan and David Wenham, and you'll be produced by See-Saw Films' Emile Sherman and Iain Canning ("The King's Speech"), and Escapade Pictures' Philippa Campbell. It's the second scripted greenlight from Sundance now, while using net's first wholly-possessed project, scripted drama "Rectify," broken by Variety this year's week. You will discover more later on, according to Sundance g.m. and professional veep Sarah Barnett. "We're undertaking greater than we've required to scripted drama on Sundance," Barnett mentioned in the phone interview. "You need to unveil an effective volume of scripted shows." Asked for how a internet would distinguish itself from drama-centric sister cabler AMC since it ramped up its slate, Barnett mentioned she thought the town was big enough for each of them. "They're brought by a thing that type of defies formula, similar to we," she mentioned. "You will discover a whole lot projects -- enough for everybody, and then we don't get worried about walking on toes." Contact Mike Thielman at mike.thielman@variety.com

Russia a tough cost indies

'How To not Save a Princess'Russia has become an progressively try to sell you for independent movies.Inside a country where box office broke with the $1 billion barrier this past year, local film's share of this gold coin has stepped from 30% 5 years ago to simply 13% now. Half-year figures this season show box office at $603 million, up 8% on a single period this year, recommending Russia is on the right course for an additional billion-dollar-plus year. The majority of the box office is taken by Hollywood blockbusters.The figures reflect a rise in ticket prices admission are slightly up by 1.7%, based on St. Petersburg-based Nevafilm Research."Russian audiences have forfeit belief within the make of Russian movies," states local producer Anatoly Maksimov.He's banking on the prosperity of the discharge of his film (created in colaboration with Paul Heth and The new sony Picture Russia topper Michael Schlicht's company Monumental Pictures) "Vysotsky: Thankfully I am Alive!"It is a $12 million Russian-language biopic in regards to a famous Soviet-era singer, actor and playwright Vladimir Vysotsky, who grew to become an emblem for any generation stymied through the dreary times of the seventies.It's slated for any 1,500-print 12 ,. 1 release having a major P&An offer.Indie imports think it is a difficult market, although "The Nutcracker in three dimensional" required in $13.7 million, while "The Tourist" made $18.9 million.Quantity of screens: 2,528Number of three dimensional screens: 1,181Top indie distribs and box office*: Central Partnership ($100 million) Paradise ($$ 30 million) Caro Premier/Caro Prokat ($28.49 million) Nashe Kino ($24.95 million) Bazelevs ($22.8 million)Typical minimum guarantee compensated: Not availableTop 5 indie films: "Six Levels of Separation" ($22.8 million) "What not Save a Princess" ($19 million) "The Tourist" ($18.9 million) "The Nutcracker in three dimensional" ($13.7 million) "Lucky Trouble" ($12.4 million)Box office share split between marketers and participants: 50/50Upcoming indie pick-ups: "You Shouldn't Be Scared of the Dark," "Red-colored Condition," "The One Thing," "Everything Must Go," "Immortals"* half-year figures only Contact the range newsroom at news@variety.com

Warner Bros. Readying 'Clash of the Titans 3' (Exclusive)

Courtesy of Warner Bros. "Clash of the Titans" Titans will clash for the third time, if Warner Bros. has its way.our editor recommendsLiam Neeson: Back as Zeus in 'Clash of the Titans' SequelRosamund Pike in Negotiations for 'Clash of the Titans' SequelSam Worthington Apologizes For 'Clash of the Titans' The studio, which is in post-production with Legendary Pictures on Clash of the Titans sequel Wrath of the Titans, is developing the next installment of the tales inspired by the Greek myths, even though Wrath doesn't open until March 30, 2012. VIDEOS: Top 10 Highest Grossing Films of 2010 Dan Mazeau and David Leslie Johnson, who co-wrote Wrath's screenplay with Steven Knight and also share story credit with Greg Berlanti, have been enlisted to develop and write a treatment for the threequel, which would continue the adventures of Perseus, played by Sam Worthington. Insiders say that Agenor, a sidekick-like character played by Toby Kebbell, may also figure into the new story, as the second movie leaves the door open for the character's return. The producing team behind Wrath, Basil Iwanyk and Polly Johnsen among it, would return for the new installment should it go forward as would Wrath Jonathan Liebesman, though no deals are in place. Titans, directed by Louis Leterrier, grossed $163 million domestically and a whopping $330 million overseas. Wrath again reunites not only Worthington but Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes and Danny Huston as Greek gods, and throws in actors Edgar Ramirez, Rosamund Pike and Bill Nighy among others. Mazeau and Johnson are not a writing team but became one for the Titans movies. Both were well-liked by Warners: Mazeau, repped by CAA and Circle of Confusion, worked on The Flash and Jonny Quest for the studio while Johnson, repped by Paradigm, worked on 2009's The Oprhan and 2011's Red Riding Hood. Email: Borys.Kit@thr.com Twitter: @Borys_Kit Liam Neeson Sam Worthington Warner Bros. Ralph Fiennes