Film Archives - Luxe Beat Magazine

Dreamscape Virtual Reality Experience

Posted by Jill Weinlein | Entertaining, Featured, Film |

Live out the fantasy of free-flying at the newly launched Dreamscape “DreamWorks Dragons Flight Academy.” This new immersive virtual reality interactive experience is now at the Westfield Century City in Los Angeles, and Dallas’ famed NorthPark Center. Dreamscape VR destinations will soon be in Columbus, Ohio and the New York/New Jersey metro area later this year and into 2020. This thrilling storytelling experience is ideal for a birthday, date night or family fun activity. Inspired by DreamWorks Animation‘s critically acclaimed film trilogy – “How to Train Your Dragon”, this interactive experience allows eight VR participants a reserved time to experience the...

Soulful Keanu Reeves Makes Hollywood history

Posted by Jill Weinlein | Arts & Culture, California Dreaming, Columns, Editor's Picks, Featured, Film, Trending News |

Right before the premier of JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 3 – PARABELLUM, celebrity actor and producer Keanu Reeves (John Wick) was invited to participate in the oldest honor in Hollywood – to sign his name and put his hands and footprints in wet cement on the forecourt of the TCL Chinese Theatre IMAX. Near the stage was International artist and painter Rob Prior, sweeping fluid strokes of colorful paint to the beat of music. His art is a mesmerizing combination of entertainment and excitement, drawing fans to watch him paint Keanu Reeves as John Wick. Soon many of Keanu’s John Wick cast...

Hollywood Glamour Meets Moroccan Style

Posted by luxebeat | Arts & Culture, Film, Morocco, Trending News |

This year, the glamourous Es Saadi Marrakech Resort in Morocco is continuing its long-standing partnership with the International Film Festival de Marrakech. Acting as a base and hosting a variety of events throughout the week-long festival, the prestigious hotel will maintain its 50-year reputation as a celebrity hangout as it lights up with Hollywood glamour this November. From 30th November, Marrakech will be awash with the bright and beautiful – from internationally acclaimed film stars to celebrated directors, cast and crew – all there to attend the 17th Annual International Film Festival of Marrakech, of which Es Saadi Marrakech Resort has...

James Picard: “The Dark & The Wounded” Paints Hope

Posted by Randi Winter | Arts & Culture, Columns, Featured, Film, Passionate Travel |

James Picard, a mixed media and experiential artist, sculptor, documentary filmmaker and humanitarian screened his multi-award (15+) winning documentary short, The Dark & The Wounded. May 14th, at the Cannes Film Festival (2018), The Buzz of the Day at Cannes confirmed that Picard’s film has captured many hearts at the 71st festival, billing it as “the sleeper hit of the festival.” While James Picard’s name and his artwork are not familiar to many, they will be very soon. His work already has caught the attention of collectors worldwide and hangs in many museums next to art by some of...

Interview with Storyteller Alan Trustman

Posted by Kimberly Fisher | Celebrity, Featured, Film |

The name Alan Trustman might not ring a bell, but some of his work might. Trustman is the writer of The Thomas Crowne Affair, Bullitt and They Call Me Mr. Tibbs! as well as an American lawyer, pari-mutuel operator and currency trader. We sat down with Alan to to ask him 10 questions. He kept his answers, like his writing, short but sweet. You wrote The Thomas Crown Affair, which is one of the best films of all time starring Steve McQeen and Faye Dunaway. What was the inspiration behind the story? I worked at The First National Bank of...

Paris Can Wait: An Elegant Cinematic Travelogue

Posted by Jill Weinlein | Arts & Culture, Celebrity, Featured, Film, Lifestyle, Wine & Spirits |

While watching actress Diane Lane tour Southern France in Eleanor Coppola’s first motion picture, Paris Can Wait, I thought: This movie will appeals to women and lovers of good food and travel. Eleanor Coppola is the wife of Academy Award winning filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola, and mother to filmmakers Sofia and Roman Coppola. She caught the movie-making virus from her family while in her 70s. Married to Francis for 54 years, she accompanied him with her children while he made such blockbuster films as Apocalypse Now. Later, Eleanor helmed behind-the-scenes documentaries for her husband and daughter. After telling a friend...

Best Sports Films Of All Time

Posted by luxebeat | Arts & Culture, Featured, Film, Infographic |

A graphic from SBO.net shows that boxing films are a weight-class above productions about other sports when it comes to big earnings and strong reviews. Sports are about more than watching one team or player win or lose. Supporting competitors can be family traditions, places to find new friends, or even a life-defining event. So it’s only fitting that sports films are popular – they can carry with them a deep love of a sport. But which ones are the most genre-defining? Or which ones surpass the genre entirely? Newresearch from SBO.net has found the sports films which had the highest...

Chicago with Tauck and Ken Burns

Posted by John and Sandra Nowlan | Arts & Culture, Featured, Film, Museums |

In Chicago we met Al Capone, Louis Armstrong and Frank Lloyd Wright. Well, sort of. We were part of a group of 120 guests who experienced The Tauck Chicago Event, organized by North America’s oldest touring company in cooperation with famed filmmaker Ken Burns. What he calls “The Most American of Cities” has been the focus of several Emmy winning PBS documentaries: Prohibition, Frank Lloyd Wright and Jazz. All focus on Chicago and its remarkable history, architecture and music. Tauck planned the Event so guests could meet Ken Burns, experience many of the elements in those three films and...

Legendary Film Director Francis Ford Coppola

Posted by Jill Weinlein | Arts & Culture, Celebrity, Featured, Film, Lifestyle |

Sitting next to one of Hollywood’s greatest film directors–Francis Ford Coppola–was a thrill for me. Both of us graduated from UCLA Theater and Film School. The night I met Coppola, he was receiving a special honor and award at the 25th annual UCLA TFT Film Festival Directors Spotlight along with a talented group of film students. Sitting in a large theater at the Director’s Guild of America on Sunset Blvd. in Hollywood, I watched UCLA Dean Teri Scwartz honor Francis Ford Coppola with the Distinguished Vanguard Director Award Presentation. She enlightened guests with the history of Coppola’s career and had...

Jason Baffa: Wine and Filmmaker

Posted by Sherrie Wilkolaski | Arts & Culture, Columns, Cookies & Cocktails, Featured, Film, Interviews, Lifestyle, Wine & Spirits |

Organic wine is a popular luxury that wine enthusiasts are putting at the top of their shopping lists. One of the things I find most charming about organic wine, is the history behind the vineyard and the winemakers. One such winery I’ve discovered is the Italian family and friend collaboration, ZIOBAFFA. This wine story has it all, including a film connection. Jason Baffa is a film-maker turned wine-maker and just all seems to make sense. He graciously made time for an interview and told me more about what makes ZIOBAFFA, such a unique find. SHERRIE WILKOLASKI: Let’s start with...

Four Cinderellas: A Delightful Time Warp

Posted by Norman Hill | Arts & Culture, Celebrity, Featured, Film, History |

Who would’ve thought that today I’d be close to owning four versions on DVDs of the same classic fairy tale—three down, one to go? From the early 1950s, the Disney animated version was first. It was brilliantly drawn, and contained several timeless songs. Two comic tunes were “Cinderella, Cinderella” and “Bippety Boppety Boo.” In 1957 and 1964 there were two TV special versions. Both featured musical scores by Rogers and Hammerstein II, although some of the songs differed. Fourth, still being shown, the latest non-musical version of Cinderella has other aspects to recommend it. The animated version did a...