Central Ohio Film Critics Point to "Moonrise Kingdom"

The Central Ohio Film Critics Association (COFCA) named Moonrise Kingdom as the "Best Film of 2012" and its director, Wes Anderson, as "Best Director."  Argo and director Ben Affleck were runners-up in both categories.

COFCA was founded in 2002 and is made up of film critics based in Columbus, Ohio, and the surrounding areas. Each January, COFCA votes on a number of awards, recognizing excellence in the film industry.

2012 Central Ohio Film Critics Awards:

Best Film
1. "Moonrise Kingdom"
2. "Argo"
3. "Django Unchained"
4. "Zero Dark Thirty"
5. "The Cabin in the Woods"
6. "Silver Linings Playbook"
7. "Lincoln"
8. "Looper"
9. "The Master"
10. "Les Misérables"

Best Picture
"Moonrise Kingdom"

Best Director
Wes Anderson, "Moonrise Kingdom"
(Runner-up: Ben Affleck, "Argo")

Best Actor
Daniel Day-Lewis, "Lincoln"
(Runner-up: John Hawkes, "The Sessions")

Best Actress
Jennifer Lawrence, "Silver Linings Playbook"
(Runner-up: Naomi Watts, "The Impossible")

Best Supporting Actor
Christoph Waltz, "Django Unchained"
(Runner-up: Leonardo DiCaprio, "Django Unchained")

Best Supporting Actress
Anne Hathaway, "Les Misérables"
(Runner-up -- TIE -- Helen Hunt, "The Sessions" and Ann Dowd, "Compliance")

Best Adapted Screenplay
"Lincoln"
(Runner-up: "Argo")
Best Original Screenplay
"Moonrise Kingdom"
(Runner-up: "The Cabin in the Woods")

Best Cinematography
"Skyfall"
(Runner-up: "Life of Pi")

Best Score
"Moonrise Kingdom"
(Runner-up: "Cloud Atlas")

Best Animated Film
"ParaNorman"
(Runner-up: "Wreck-It Ralph")

Best Foreign Language Film
"The Kid with a Bike" (from Belgium, France, and Italy)
(Runner-up: "Headhunters" – from Norway)

Best Documentary
"How to Survive a Plague"
(Runner-up: "The Imposter")

Best Ensemble
"Moonrise Kingdom"
(Runner-up: "Lincoln")

Best Overlooked FIlm
"Killer Joe" (Runner-up: "Safety Not Guaranteed")

Breakthrough Film Artist
Bart Layton, "The Imposter"
(Runner-up: Quvenzhané Wallis, "Beasts of the Southern Wild")

Actor of the Year (for exemplary body of work)
Matthew McConaughey, "Bernie," "Killer Joe," "Magic Mike" and "The Paperboy"
(Runner-up: Anne Hathaway, "The Dark Knight Rises" and "Les Misérables")

http://www.cofca.org/

Happy Birthday, Ed

Wow! You are 64, and you were in your 40s when we first met.  Well, you have had many happy birthdays, so please have another.

Boston Online Critics Choose "Zero Dark Thirty"

The Boston Online Film Critics Association (BOFCA) named Zero Dark Thirty as the "Best Picture of 2012" and named the film's director, Kathryn Bigelow, as "Best Director."

BOFCA was founded in May 2012. According to the group, BOFCA fosters a community of web-based film critics and provides them with a supportive group of colleagues and a professional platform for their voices to be heard. They collect and link to their reviews every week at a website that also features original content by members, including filmmaker interviews and spotlights on Boston’s vital repertory film scene.

By widening professional membership to writers working in new media, BOFCA aims to encourage more diverse opinions in the field. The Boston Online Film Critics Association has gathered together critics writing for publications that collectively receive over 15 million impressions/page views per month. BOFCA is present on social media year-round with members’ film articles and essays.

Readers interested in how final decisions were made during the 2012 balloting can see the membership’s individual ballots at www.bofca.com.

Full list of 2012 BOFCA winners:

BEST PICTURE:
ZERO DARK THIRTY

BEST DIRECTOR:
Kathryn Bigelow, ZERO DARK THIRTY

BEST ACTOR:
Daniel Day-Lewis, LINCOLN

BEST ACTRESS:
Jessica Chastain, ZERO DARK THIRTY

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR:
Tommy Lee Jones, LINCOLN

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS:
Anne Hathaway, LES MISERABLES

BEST SCREENPLAY:
Tony Kushner, LINCOLN

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM:
OSLO, AUGUST 31ST (from Norway)

BEST DOCUMENTARY:
HOW TO SURVIVE A PLAGUE

BEST ANIMATED FILM:
PARANORMAN

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY:
Roger Deakins, SKYFALL

BEST EDITING:
William Goldenberg & Dylan Tichenor, ZERO DARK THIRTY

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE:
Jonny Greenwood, THE MASTER

BEST ENSEMBLE CAST:
MOONRISE KINGDOM

The Ten Best Films of the Year:
ZERO DARK THIRTY

BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD

LINCOLN

MOONRISE KINGDOM

DJANGO UNCHAINED

OSLO, AUGUST 31ST

HOLY MOTORS

THE MASTER

ARGO

CLOUD ATLAS

Cartoon Network Announces 2013-2014 Season

Cartoon Network Gets In Front of the Upfront

#1 Boys Network Breaks Tradition and Takes The Show on The Road To Over 15 Cities

New and Returning Hit Series to Highlight the 2013-2014 Season Following Cartoon Network’s Most-Watched Year Ever

ATLANTA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Armed with record-setting ratings success as the only top kids’ network to achieve across-the-board growth in 2012 and its most-watched year in Prime in its 20-year history, Cartoon Network is jumping ahead of the customary Kids Upfront season and taking its show on the road with the CARTOON NETWORKING ROAD TOUR. With more than a dozen new productions and multiple returning hit series now slated for the 2013 and early 2014 season, Cartoon Network brought its road-show presentation directly to key clients and promotional partners at their respective home bases the week of January 21 and will continue into March.

Network, ad sales, marketing and programming executives will travel to more than 15 key cities across the country to visit clients and promotional partners. Along with its presentation, the network also plans to “take over” the building at each of its visits with custom activations that will include the distribution of unique branded premiums to employees.

“As viewers continue to interact with the Cartoon Network brand and content across a variety of screens, our advertising partners look to us for more innovative and engaging opportunities that provide greater reach for their messages,” said Donna Speciale, president of Turner Entertainment and Young Adults Ad Sales. “This year, we are breaking away from a traditional upfront presentation to engage with advertisers in a series of conversations that will focus on the development of ideas that leverage our brand strength to meet the goals of our partners. As our success and momentum continue to grow across all screens, we believe it’s an ideal time for advertisers to reassess their investments and strategically increase their media budgets with Cartoon Network.”

Cartoon Network will announce an impressive line-up of new original and acquired programming that began last Thursday, Jan. 24, with the premiere of Incredible Crew, a half-hour live-action sketch comedy show from entertainer Nick Cannon. Additionally, Cartoon Network Studios will produce three new original animated comedy series—Steven Universe, Uncle Grandpa and Clarence—each developed from its vibrant and prolific shorts program. Also from Cartoon Network Studios, two new original animated specials based on the #1 network series hits Adventure Time and Regular Show, plus a brand new, redesigned and re-imagined CG-animated special starring three of Cartoon Network’s earliest stars, The Powerpuff Girls—which also includes an original song performed by Beatles legend Ringo Starr—will premiere later this year.

Partnering with powerhouse producers, Cartoon Network will introduce two new action-adventure half-hour series based on popular heroes from DC Comics and Warner Bros. Animation, Teen Titans Go! and Beware The Batman; a new animated series from LEGO, Legends of Chima; a new animated musical-comedy series, Grojband, from FremantleMedia Ltd.; an all-new series iteration of the world’s most famous cat-and-mouse duo, The Tom and Jerry Show, produced by Warner Bros. Animation; a new season of the hit animated Total Drama “reality” series from CAKE Distribution, Total Drama All Stars; and also from LEGO, three quarterly installment specials of The Yoda Chronicles, a new CG-animated foray into the “Original Saga” world of Star Wars.

“Building upon the success we achieved last year, we have secured even more new programming plus all-new episodes of current hit series that continue to define the global brand vision for Cartoon Network,” said Stuart Snyder, president and chief operating officer, Turner Broadcasting’s Animation, Young Adults and Kids Media (AYAKM). “With our network branding and content strategy in place and working, we couldn’t see any reason to wait to share it with our partners. So we’re taking our message directly to them to help set the stage for optimum growth into the 2013-14 season.”

Among the network’s returning series, the Monday night line-up (7-9 p.m.) of original animated comedies that has ranked #1 on all television throughout 2012 among boys will return this year with all-new seasons, including the pop-culture phenomenon Adventure Time, the Primetime Emmy® Award-winning Regular Show, and additional new episodes of the Web-originated sensation Annoying Orange. Also returning with new seasons/episodes are Cartoon Network’s exclusive animated hit comedies The Amazing World of Gumball, The Looney Tunes Show, MAD, Scooby-Doo! Mystery Inc. and Johnny Test.

On the action-adventure front, dramatic new seasons of key hit series have been slated, including the action-comedy series DreamWorks Dragons: Riders of Berk, based on the critically-acclaimed feature film, How to Train Your Dragon; and Ben 10 Omniverse, from the global franchise powerhouse Ben 10.

In addition, Cartoon Network announced that its successful and innovative shorts program will continue at Cartoon Network Studios, producing a new slate of original shorts in 2013 via its dedicated production unit.

“Our unique approach to animation development has paid off in the form of many successful returning series, each with a giant fan base behind them,” said Rob Sorcher, chief content officer for Cartoon Network. “These new animated series forge diverse, new ground, and stem from our Cartoon Network Studios pipeline, which continues to cultivate the most talented minds working in TV animation today.”

Further details of Cartoon Network’s programming announcements include the following:

CARTOON NETWORK NEW SERIES
•Incredible Crew: Incredible Crew, is a live-action, half-hour, sketch comedy series from producer and entertainer Nick Cannon. Every episode of this high-energy, fast-paced show delivers hilarious comedy bits, outrageous hidden camera pranks, original music videos and commercial parodies all with a distinct attitude—a contemporary blend of internet sensibility mixed with kid imagination. Incredible Crew showcases six up-and-coming young comedy stars featured in diverse roles in every genre Shauna Case (American Horror Story), Shameik Moore (Joyful Noise), Tristan Pasterick, Chanelle Peloso (Level Up), Jeremy Shada (Adventure Time) and Brandon Soo Hoo (Enders Game, Tropic Thunder). Nick Cannon serves as executive producer of Incredible Crew along with Michael Goldman and Scott Tomlinson. The series is produced by Cartoon Network Studios in association with NCredible Entertainment.

•Steven Universe: Slated to debut in 2013, Steven Universe is a coming-of-age story told from the perspective of Steven, the youngest member of a team of magical Guardians of the Universe. The animated series was conceived as part of the shorts development initiative at Cartoon Network Studios, and is created by Emmy® and Annie Award-nominated writer and storyboard artist Rebecca Sugar (Adventure Time). Sugar is Cartoon Network’s first solo female show creator.

•Uncle Grandpa: Also slated for 2013, Uncle Grandpa is based upon the Emmy®-nominated short of the same name and follows the exploits of Uncle Grandpa—everyone in the world's “magical” uncle and grandpa. Created and executive produced by Pete Browngardt (creator of Cartoon Network’s Emmy®, Annie and Annecy Cristal Award-winning Secret Mountain Fort Awesome), Uncle Grandpa was conceived as part of the shorts development program at Cartoon Network Studios.

•Clarence: From creator Skyler Page, Clarence is a new original animated series about an optimistic boy who wants to do everything. Because everything is amazing! Clarence was conceived as part of the shorts development program at Cartoon Network Studios.

•Teen Titans Go!: Featuring the return of Robin, Starfire, Raven, Beast Boy and Cyborg in all-new, comedic adventures, Teen Titans Go! will premiere in April 2013. Character-driven comedy is the order of the day as this new take on the superhero series focuses on the funny business that happens between saving the world and living together as teenagers without adult supervision. The series stars the principal voice cast from the original Teen Titans, and is produced by Warner Bros. Animation.

•Beware the Batman: A cool, new take on the classic Dark Knight franchise, Beware the Batman incorporates Batman’s core characters with a rogue gallery of new villains not previously seen in animated form. Along with backup from ex-secret agent Alfred and lethal swordstress Katana, the Dark Knight faces the twisted machinations of Gotham City’s criminal underworld led by the likes of Anarky, Professor Pyg, Mister Toad and Magpie. Produced by Warner Bros. Animation, this action-packed detective thriller deftly redefines what we have come to know as a “Batman show.” Featuring cutting-edge CGI visuals, Beware the Batman, based on characters from DC Comics, is coming to Cartoon Network’s DC Nation block in Summer 2013.

•Legends of Chima: In the mystical land of CHIMA, Laval the Lion and Cragger the Crocodile are the best of friends. An innocent escapade results in Cragger getting his first experience with the CHI, a powerful and sacred resource important to the delicate balance of CHIMA. The CHI gives awesome power to the user but needs to be managed carefully and certainly not by young adventurous animals. From LEGO, creator of Cartoon Network’s powerhouse action-adventure series Ninjago: Masters of Spinjitzu, Legends of Chima will premiere in Summer 2013.

•Grojband: 12-year-old Corey is the front man for a rockin’ garage band. There’s just one problem: Corey’s lyrics stink. He just can’t think of anything cool to write about, until…he finds his sister’s diary that’s full of “teen angst and junk” and decides to use each diary entry as inspiration for crowd pleasing, heart stopping, foot stomping hit songs. Grojband is distributed by FremantleMedia Ltd. and produced by Fresh TV, creator of the hit animated reality franchise Total Drama Island.

•The Tom and Jerry Show: The iconic cat and mouse rivals are back in The Tom and Jerry Show, a fresh take on the classic series. Preserving the look, characters and sensibility of the original, the all-new series shines a brightly colored, high-definition lens on the madcap slapstick and never-ending battle that has made Tom and Jerry two of the most beloved characters of all time. The Tom and Jerry Show is produced by Warner Bros. Animation.

•Total Drama All Stars: Total Drama is back, but this time the team at Fresh TV have assembled the best loved and most hated contestants from seasons past to compete - Heroes vs. Villains style! Total Drama Island is produced by Fresh TV and distributed by CAKE Distribution.

SPECIALS AND MOVIES
•Adventure Time Special: Highly-regarded comedic actors Neil Patrick Harris (How I Met Your Mother) and Donald Glover (Community) will be featured in a special episode of Cartoon Network’s hit animated series Adventure Time. The episode, “Bad Little Boy,” is slated to premiere February 18 as part of the series’ fifth and current season. Reprising his role as Prince Gumball from season three’s much-loved gender switch episode “Adventure Time with Fionna and Cake,” Neil Patrick Harris will join Donald Glover, as Marshall Lee, the musical male counterpart to fan favorite Marceline the Vampire Queen in this second installment of the Fionna and Cake (derived from Finn and Jake) saga. In this special episode, the princesses are sick and tired of Ice King’s crazy Fionna and Cake stories, so Marceline stops by the Ice Kingdom to show him how it’s done.

•Regular Show Special: Regular Show, Cartoon Network's Emmy® Award-winning animated comedy featuring best friends Mordecai, a six-foot-tall blue jay and Rigby, a hyperactive raccoon, is slated for a 30-minute Thanksgiving special, Regular Show style. Mordecai and Rigby accidentally ruin Thanksgiving and must find a way to save it before their families arrive for dinner. The gang pulls together to help make it the best Thanksgiving ever! Regular Show, currently in its' fourth season, has become an instant hit continually ranking #1 in its time period among all key boy demos across all of television according to Nielsen Media Research.

•The Powerpuff Girls Special: “Sugar, Spice and Everything Nice…plus a dash of mysterious Chemical X” were the essential ingredients that created Blossom, Bubbles and Buttercup—also known as The Powerpuff Girls. This groundbreaking and Emmy®-winning series, created by Craig McCracken, ran on Cartoon Network from 1998-2005 and will soar again as a brand-new, redesigned and re-imagined CG special coming in 2013 where the trio of pint-sized super heroines will be called upon to rescue not just the city of Townsville, but the USA and the world! Featuring an original song “I Wish I Was A Powerpuff Girl” performed by Beatles legend Ringo Starr, who also portrays Townsville’s most famous flamboyant mathematician, “Fibonacci Sequins,” this all-new original special comes from a powerhouse creative team featuring animation talent from around the globe including acclaimed director Dave Smith and award-winning art director Kevin Dart and is produced by Cartoon Network Studios in association with UK’s Passion Pictures. The special also features the original voice cast reprising their iconic roles and will premiere later this year.

•The Yoda Chronicles: LEGO Star Wars returns in epic style with THE YODA CHRONICLES, a thrilling, funny and action-packed new LEGO Star Wars story told in three animated TV specials! Set in the “Prequel” Star Wars timeline, THE YODA CHRONICLES stars the one and only Yoda—the Jedi Master who has seen it all, done it all, and taught generations of Jedi Knights—in an all-new adventure. With the help of a fresh class of Padawans, Yoda leads the Jedi in a desperate fight to stop Darth Sidious and his minions from creating a new super-weapon that could crush the Republic and win the war for the forces of Evil.

RETURNING SERIES/SPECIALS
•Adventure Time
•Regular Show
•Annoying Orange
•MAD
•The Amazing World of Gumball
•The Looney Tunes Show
•Ben 10 Omniverse
•Dreamworks Dragons: Riders of Berk
•Scooby-Doo! Mystery Inc.
•Johnny Test
•Pokémon Black & White: Adventures in Unova
•Beyblade Metal Fury
•Almost Naked Animals
•Scaredy Squirrel

Cartoon Network (CartoonNetwork.com) is the #1 U.S. television network among boys 6-11. Currently seen in 99 million U.S. homes and 194 countries around the world, Cartoon Network is Turner Broadcasting System, Inc.’s ad-supported cable service now available in HD offering the best in original, acquired and classic entertainment for kids and families. In addition to Emmy-winning original programming and industry-leading digital apps and online games, Cartoon Network embraces key social issues affecting families with solution-oriented initiatives such as Stop Bullying: Speak Up and the Move It Movement.

Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner company, creates and programs branded news, entertainment, animation and young adult media environments on television and other platforms for consumers around the world.

Review: "Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part 1" Captures Frank Miller's Original

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 8 (of 2013) by Leroy Douresseaux

Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part 1 (2012) – straight-to-video
Running minutes: 74 minutes (1 hour, 14 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for some intense sequences of violence and action
DIRECTOR: Jay Oliva
WRITER: Bob Goodman (based on the characters created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger and the comic book by Frank Miller and Klaus Janson)
EDITOR: Christopher D. Lozinski
COMPOSER: Christopher Drake
ANIMATION STUDIO: Moi Animation Studios

ANIMATION/SUPERHERO/ACTION

Starring: (voices) Peter Weller, Ariel Winer, David Selby, Wade Williams, Carlos Alazraqui, Dee Bradley Baker, Paget Brewster, Michael Jackson, Grey DeLisle, Michael McKean, Frank Welker, Gary Sturgis, and Greg Eagles

Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part 1 is a 2012 direct-to-video, superhero animated film from Warner Bros. Animation. Starring one of DC Comics’ most famous superheroes, Batman, this is also the 15th feature in the DC Universe Animated Original Movies line. Once again, Bruce W. Timm is an executive producer on the film,.

Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part 1 is an adaptation of the four-volume, comic book miniseries, Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, which was written and drawn by Frank Miller, with inks by Klaus Janson and colors by Lynn Varley. First published in early 1986, the series tells the story of a 55-year-old Bruce Wayne coming out of retirement to once again fight crime as Batman.

Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part 1 opens in a dystopian, near-future version of Gotham City, where Batman has not been seen for ten years. Meanwhile, a savage new breed of criminal, exemplified by a group called the Mutant Gang, terrorizes the Gotham. Gotham City police Commissioner James “Jim” Gordon (David Selby) looks forward to retirement, but his good friend, 55-year-old Bruce Wayne (Peter Weller), chafes at being retired as Batman.

Wayne is haunted both by visions of his past, in particular the deaths of his parents, and by what could have been if he’d remained Batman. The disappearance of Harvey Dent/Two-Face and the escalating violence of the Mutant Gang lead Wayne to return as Batman. Not everyone is happy to have the Batman back, even Bruce’s butler’s Alfred Pennyworth (Michael Jackson), is disapproving. Meanwhile, a young woman named Carrie Kelley (Ariel Winter) is inspired to fight crime by Batman’s return.

I was excited to hear that Warner Bros. Animation was adapting the Batman: The Dark Knight Returns comic book as one of their direct-to-DVD animated films. I also felt trepidation about the project. Would the filmmakers mess this up, one of my all-time favorite comic books, by delivering an inferior product? I didn’t need to worry. Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part 1 is actually quite good.

There are moments in this film, when the animation and/or production design manage to duplicate the graphic design and visual style of particular scenes or panels from Frank Miller’s comic book. This is a well-executed film, and there are very few dry or slow moments. The movie does seem a little odd, as if it weren’t quite a Batman story, although Frank Miller’s seminal comic book has always seemed like a real Batman thing to me.

I have to say that I find the voice acting to be mostly bad, but I’m so happy that the filmmakers captured Frank Miller’s first Dark Knight comic book so well that I can overlook that. I am anxious to see Part 2.

7 of 10
A-

Saturday, January 26, 2013

"Argo" Express Makes Stop at 2013 SAG Awards

At the 19th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards, Ben Affleck's film, Argo, won "Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture," which is essentially SAG's 'best picture" award.

The SAG Awards and the Oscars don't match up exactly, especially in the "Best Picture" race. It's anybody's guess on the acting categories, but the winners in the theatrical categories last night probably are the odds-on favorites to win the Oscars in their respecitve categories. I still think Jessica Chastain will win best actress instead of Jennifer Lawrence, though. I think Christoph Waltz could also win best supporting actor instead of Tommy Lee Jones.

The 19th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards® were simulcast live nationally on TNT and TBS on Sunday, January 27, 2013 from the Los Angeles Shrine Exposition Center.

19th ANNUAL SCREEN ACTORS GUILD AWARDS® RECIPIENTS:

THEATRICAL MOTION PICTURES

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role
DANIEL DAY-LEWIS / Abraham Lincoln - "LINCOLN” (Touchstone Pictures)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role
JENNIFER LAWRENCE / Tiffany - “SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK” (The Weinstein Company)

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role
TOMMY LEE JONES / Thaddeus Stevens - “LINCOLN” (Touchstone Pictures)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role
ANNE HATHAWAY / Fantine - “LES MISÉRABLES” (Universal Pictures)

Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture: ARGO (Warner Bros. Pictures)
Awarded Cast:
BEN AFFLECK / Tony Mendez
ALAN ARKIN / Lester Siegel
KERRY BISHÉ / Kathy Stafford
KYLE CHANDLER / Hamilton Jordan
RORY COCHRANE / Lee Schatz
BRYAN CRANSTON / Jack O’Donnell
CHRISTOPHER DENHAM / Mark Lijek
TATE DONOVAN / Bob Anders
CLEA DuVALL / Cora Lijek
VICTOR GARBER / Ken Taylor
JOHN GOODMAN / John Chambers
SCOOT McNAIRY / Joe Stafford
CHRIS MESSINA / Malinov

PRIMETIME TELEVISION

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries
KEVIN COSTNER / “Devil Anse” Hatfield - “HATFIELDS & McCOYS” (History)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries
JULIANNE MOORE / Sarah Palin - “GAME CHANGE” (HBO)

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series
BRYAN CRANSTON / Walter White - “BREAKING BAD” (AMC)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series
CLAIRE DANES / Carrie Mathison - “HOMELAND” (Showtime)

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series
ALEC BALDWIN / Jack Donaghy - “30 ROCK” (NBC)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series
TINA FEY / Liz Lemon - “30 ROCK” (NBC)

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series: DOWNTON ABBEY (PBS)
Awarded Cast:
HUGH BONNEVILLE / Robert, Earl of Grantham
ZOE BOYLE / Lavinia Swire
LAURA CARMICHAEL / Lady Edith Crawley
JIM CARTER / Mr. Carson
BRENDAN COYLE / John Bates
MICHELLE DOCKERY / Lady Mary Crawley
JESSICA BROWN FINDLAY / Lady Sybil Crawley
SIOBHAN FINNERAN / O’Brien
JOANNE FROGGATT / Anna
IAIN GLEN / Sir Richard Carlisle
THOMAS HOWES / William
ROB JAMES-COLLIER / Thomas
ALLEN LEECH / Tom Branson
PHYLLIS LOGAN / Mrs. Hughes
ELIZABETH McGOVERN / Cora, Countess of Grantham
SOPHIE McSHERA / Daisy
LESLEY NICOL / Mrs. Patmore
AMY NUTTALL / Ethel
DAVID ROBB / Dr. Clarkson
MAGGIE SMITH / Violet, Dowager Countess of Grantham
DAN STEVENS / Matthew Crawley
PENELOPE WILTON / Isobel Crawley

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series: MODERN FAMILY (ABC)
Awarded cast:
AUBREY ANDERSON-EMMONS / Lily Tucker-Pritchett
JULIE BOWEN / Claire Dunphy
TY BURRELL / Phil Dunphy
JESSE TYLER FERGUSON / Mitchell Pritchett
NOLAN GOULD / Luke Dunphy
SARAH HYLAND / Haley Dunphy
ED O’NEILL / Jay Pritchett
RICO RODRIGUEZ / Manny Delgado
ERIC STONESTREET / Cameron Tucker
SOFIA VERGARA / Gloria Delgado-Pritchett
ARIEL WINTER / Alex Dunphy

SAG AWARDS HONORS FOR STUNT ENSEMBLES

Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture:
SKYFALL (Columbia Pictures)

Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Television Series:
GAME OF THRONES (HBO)

LIFE ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

Screen Actors Guild 49th Annual Life Achievement Award: DICK VAN DYKE

Happy Birthday, Anna

You're seven. Wow!  It's getting hard to keep up.  I almost bought a card for a 6-year-old.  Have a great one.

Happy Birthday, Negromancer the Blog

Three years ago, Negromancer returned on Blogger.  Yeah, it should have returned earlier, as the Bin wanted and suggested several times.  Oh, well...

Producers Guild Names "Argo" Best Picture of 2012

The Producers Guild of America gave Ben Affleck's film, Argo, "The Darryl F. Zanuck Award for Outstanding Producer of Theatrical Motion Pictures," which is essentially the guild's 'best picture" award.  Right now, it seems as if Argo is just rolling its way to the best picture Oscar next month.

 

The 24th Annual Producers Guild Awards winners were announced last night, Saturday, January 26, 2013 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel. This year, the Producers Guild also presented special honors to Bob and Harvey Weinstein (Milestone Award), Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner (David O. Selznick Achievement Award in Theatrical Motion Pictures), J.J. Abrams (Norman Lear Achievement Award in Television), Russell Simmons (Visionary Award) and BULLY (Stanley Kramer Award).

 

I've included the winners in the television categories along with the winners in the theatrical film categories.

 

2013 Producers Guild Of America Award Winners:

 

The Darryl F. Zanuck Award for Outstanding Producer of Theatrical Motion Pictures:
"Argo” (Warner Bros.)
Producers: Ben Affleck, George Clooney, Grant Heslov

 

The Award for Outstanding Producer of Animated Theatrical Motion Pictures:
"Wreck-It Ralph” (Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)
Producer: Clark Spencer

 

The Award for Outstanding Producer of Documentary Theatrical Motion Pictures:
"Searching For Sugar Man” (Sony Pictures Classics)
Producers: Malik Bendjelloul, Simon Chinn

 

The Norman Felton Award for Outstanding Producer of Episodic Television, Drama
Homeland (Showtime)
Producers: Henry Bromell, Alexander Cary, Michael Cuesta, Alex Gansa, Howard Gordon, Chip Johannessen, Michael Klick, Meredith Stiehm

 

The David L. Wolper Award for Outstanding Producer of Long-Form Television
Game Change (HBO)
Producers: Gary Goetzman, Tom Hanks, Jay Roach, Amy Sayres, Steven Shareshian, Danny Strong

 

The Danny Thomas Award for Outstanding Producer of Episodic Television, Comedy
Modern Family (ABC)
Producers: Cindy Chupack, Paul Corrigan, Abraham Higginbotham, Ben Karlin, Steven Levitan, Christopher Lloyd, Jeff Morton, Dan O’Shannon, Jeffrey Richman, Chris Smirnoff, Brad Walsh, Bill Wrubel, Danny Zuker

 

The Award for Outstanding Producer of Non-Fiction Television:
American Masters (PBS)
Producers: Prudence Glass, Susan Lacy, Julie Sacks

 

The Award for Outstanding Producer of Competition Television
The Amazing Race (CBS)
Producers: Jerry Bruckheimer, Elise Doganieri, Jonathan Littman, Bertram van Munster, Mark Vertullo

 

The Award for Outstanding Producer of Live Entertainment & Talk Television
The Colbert Report (Comedy Central)
Producers: Meredith Bennett, Stephen Colbert, Richard Dahm, Paul Dinello, Barry Julien, Matt Lappin, Emily Lazar, Tanya Michnevich Bracco, Tom Purcell, Jon Stewart

 

The Award for Outstanding Sports Program
Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel (HBO)

 

The Award for Outstanding Children’s Program TIE
Sesame Street (PBS)
“The Weight of the Nation for Kids: The Great Cafeteria Takeover” (HBO)

 

The Award for Outstanding Digital Series
“30 Rock: The Webisodes” (www.nbc.com)

 

 

Review: "Ice Age: Continental Drift" - Same Old, Same Good

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 7 (of 2013) by Leroy Douresseaux


Ice Age: Continental Drift (2012)
Running time: 88 minutes (1 hour, 28 minutes)
MPAA – PG for mild rude humor and action/peril
DIRECTORS: Steve Martino and Michael Thurmeier
WRITERS: Michael Berg and Jason Fuchs; from a story by Michael Berg and Lori Forte
PRODUCERS: Lori Forte and John C. Donkin
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Renato Falcão
EDITORS: James Palumbo and David Ian Salter with Christopher Campbell
COMPOSER: John Powell

ANIMATION/COMEDY/ADVENTURE and FAMILY/FANTASY

Starring: (voices) Ray Romano, John Leguizamo, Denis Leary, Seann William Scott, Josh Peck, Peter Dinklage, Jennifer Lopez, Keke Palmer, Wanda Sykes, Alan Tudyk, Aubrey “Drake” Graham, Josh Gad, Nick Frost, Aziz Ansari, Nicki Minaj, Heather Morris, Joy Behar, with Queen Latifah and Chris Wedge

The subject of this movie review is Ice Age: Continental Drift, a 2012 computer-animated film from Blue Sky Studios and 20th Century Fox. This comedy-adventure movie is the fourth film in the Ice Age series. Continental Drift follows the original Ice Age trio of Manny, Diego, and Sid after they are separated from the rest of the herd.

As Ice Age: Continental Drift begins, the herd is living in peace in the vast land they call home. Manfred “Manny” the mammoth (Ray Romano) is at odds with his teenage daughter, Peaches (Keke Palmer), with mother, Ellie (Queen Latifah), caught in the middle. Family strife isn’t the only rumbling in the land. The continents are dividing, and an earthquake separates Manny, Sid the giant sloth (John Leguizamo), and Diego the saber-toothed tiger (Denis Leary) from Ellie and the rest of the herd.

Lost at sea, Manny, Sid, and Diego begin an epic journey to reunite with the herd, their family. Standing in their way are a vicious primate, Captain Gutt (Peter Dinklage), and his band of pirates, who sale the seas using a floating iceberg as their ship. Meanwhile, the prehistoric squirrel/rat, Scrat (Chris Wedge), continues to chase that acorn.

I expected Ice Age: Continental Drift to be more of the same when it comes to the Ice Age franchise, but that is not a bad thing, anyway. The Ice Age films have been entertaining, if not great, because the franchise’s shtick is both funny and familiar. Each Ice Age film is basically a prehistoric, domestic situation comedy featuring talking animals, and the situation always involves some adventurous mission.

Still, Continental Drift offers its own inventive high points: icebergs as pirate ships, a group of tricky sirens, and Scrat’s treasure hunt come to mind. Captain Gutt and his pirates are, in my estimation, the series’ scariest villains to date, with Peter Dinklage giving a wonderful, layered voice performance. The film actually has a number of good voice performances. Wanda Sykes delivers her funniest voiceover as Sid’s Granny, and Jennifer Lopez is just shockingly good as Shira, a saber-toothed tiger and one of Gutt’s crew.

Continental Drift underutilizes some characters, such as Louis the mole hog (Josh Gad), Peaches’ love-interest-of-sorts. Sometimes, the film is too laid back, but overall Ice Age: Continental Drift is quite good. I found myself laughing at and with the characters, and ultimately, I cared enough to cheer them on.

7 of 10
B+

Friday, January 25, 2013

Jordan Flaherty Names "Beasts of the Southern Wild" as 2012's Best Film

One of my favorite writers is journalist Jordan Flaherty, who is also a staffer with the Louisiana Justice Institute.  If there is a better journalist in Louisiana than Flaherty, he or she isn't better by much.  He has written a must-read piece on the year in movies for Truthout, "Best Films of 2012: Top Ten Picks From a Bumper Crop of Bold Creations."

You can read it here, but I am cheating and printing here, "Jordan Flaherty's Top Ten Movies for the Year 2012:"

1. Beasts of the Southern Wild

2. The Central Park Five

3. United in Anger: A History of ACT-UP

4. Middle of Nowhere

5. The Master

6. Red Hook Summer

7. Moonrise Kingdom

8. 5 Broken Cameras

9. Killing Them Softly

10. The Paperboy

New "Power Rangers Megaforce" Debuts Feb. 2, 2013

(Ciara Hanna, John Mark Loudermilk, Andrew Gray, Azim Rizk, and Christina Masterson as the Power Rangers Megaforce. Courtesy of Business Wire.)

Saban Brands Presents All-New Series, Power Rangers Megaforce, Premiering Saturday, Feb. 2, at 1 pm (ET/PT) on Nickelodeon

The Newest Installment Marks 20 Years for the Power Rangers Property and Features New Cast and Mega Action

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Saban Brands and Nickelodeon today announced Power Rangers, the number one show with Boys 2-11 and Boys 6-11 across all TV in its time period (Source: NMR, 4Q12 Premieres, Sat 1p-130p, Live + SD), will debut its all-new season, Saban’s Power Rangers Megaforce, on Saturday, Feb. 2, at 1 p.m. (ET/PT) on Nickelodeon. Power Rangers Megaforce marks the 20th anniversary of the franchise and kicks off its year-long celebration. Following the premiere, the show will air regularly Saturdays at 1 p.m. (ET/PT) on Nickelodeon, with encores airing Saturdays at 8 a.m. ET on Nicktoons.

“We are delighted to continue our partnership with Nickelodeon and introduce fans everywhere to a MEGA-installment of the 20 year franchise,” said Elie Dekel, President of Saban Brands. “Our collaboration will make the launch of the all new season, Power Rangers Megaforce, as strong as ever.”

Power Rangers Megaforce introduces a plot line that is sure to captivate audiences. The new series features Gosei, a supernatural guardian who for centuries has protected the earth with his robotic aide, Tensou. But when the evil Warstar aliens begin their massive invasion, Gosei calls upon five teenagers with talent and attitude to form the ultimate team...the Power Rangers Megaforce!

When the teens morph into Power Rangers, they gain superhuman strength, agility, and mastery over martial arts. With the aid of special Power Cards, the teens are able to control the earth’s elements to use in their defense, from crushing rock slides to powerful floods. The Power Cards also give them access to amazing combat moves, hi-tech weapons, massive Zord vehicles and the ability to combine these Zords into gigantic Megazord robots to help them battle their enemies. But defending the earth from the invading Warstar aliens is just the beginning of their heroic journey to save the world.

The all new Megaforce Rangers include Troy (Andrew Gray), the Red Ranger who is the new kid in town that loves martial arts; Noah (John Mark Loudermilk), the Blue Ranger who has a thirst for knowledge and a love for science; Gia (Ciara Hanna), the Yellow Ranger who is the prettiest, most successful yet toughest girl at school; Emma (Christina Masterson), the Pink Ranger who is a compassionate and charitable teen and Jake (Azim Rizk), the Black Ranger who is a fearless, fun-loving teen with a passion for soccer.

In addition to the series premiere, Saban Brands is launching its in-school emPOWER program for the third consecutive year in a row. The emPOWER program teaches kids and families how to put the Power Rangers values of teamwork, confidence, health and physical activity into action. The program provides free in-school healthy eating and exercise curriculum resources to more than 100,000 teachers annually, as well as resources, recipes, and tips online for parents through the website www.empower.powerrangers.com.

Beginning Feb. 18, fans can visit Nick.com to play the newest mini game, Power Rangers Megaforce: Never Surrender. In Never Surrender, players help their favorite rangers take on the pesky Loogies and fearsome Warstar Aliens. They can also form their own teams of two by choosing the ranger they wish to play with; from there they’ll battle their way through waves of oncoming enemies in familiar environments from the show. Each ranger has their own specialized combo attacks, augmented attacks and a team up Megaforce attack – along the way, players collect Gosei coins in order to redeem Megaforce Power Cards that grant their rangers enhanced weapon and elemental abilities.

For more information on Power Rangers Megaforce, please visit www.powerrangers.com.


About Saban’s Power Rangers Megaforce
Power Rangers Megaforce is the all-new season of the No.1 live-action kids action series on television. The new series, which airs Saturdays at 1p.m. (ET/PT) on Nickelodeon, delivers mega action, humor, excitement and entertainment, in addition to the core themes of friendship, teamwork, fitness, and helping others. Power Rangers Megaforce premieres as Saban Brands celebrates the 20th Anniversary of the Power Rangers franchise, which is helmed by Haim Saban, who created and produced the original Mighty Morphin Power Rangers series in 1993. Following its introduction, Power Rangers quickly became the most-watched children’s television program in the United States. The series followed the adventures of a group of ordinary young people who “morphed” into superheroes. It was seen in more than 60 countries, translated into numerous languages, and was a mainstay in the most prominent international children’s programming blocks. SCG Power Rangers LLC, which licenses and merchandises the Power Rangers brand, is an affiliate of Saban Brands. For more information, visit www.powerrangers.com.

About Saban Brands
Formed in 2010 as an affiliate of Saban Capital Group, Saban Brands (SB) was established to acquire and develop a world-class portfolio of properties and capitalize on the company’s experience, track record and capabilities in growing and monetizing consumer brands through content, media and marketing. SB applies a strategic transmedia management approach to enhancing and extending its brands in markets worldwide and to consumers of all ages. The company provides full-service management, marketing, promotion and strategic business development for its intellectual properties including comprehensive strategies unique to each brand, trademark and copyright management and enforcement, creative design, retail development, direct-to-consumer initiatives and specialized property extensions. SB is led by a superior management team with decades of experience in media, content creation, branding, licensing, marketing and finance. For more information, visit www.sabanbrands.com.

About Nickelodeon
Nickelodeon, now in its 33rd year, is the number-one entertainment brand for kids. It has built a diverse, global business by putting kids first in everything it does. The company includes television programming and production in the United States and around the world, plus consumer products, online, recreation, books, and feature films. Nickelodeon’s U.S. television network is seen in almost 100 million households and has been the number-one-rated basic cable network for 18 consecutive years. For more information or artwork, visit www.nickpress.com. Nickelodeon and all related titles, characters and logos are trademarks of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB).

DreamWorks Begins Production on "WikiLeaks" Movie

Production Begins on DreamWorks’ WikiLeaks Project “The Fifth Estate”

Drama Will Open in Theaters November 15, 2013

Participant Media Joins Project

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Principal photography has begun on the WikiLeaks drama “The Fifth Estate,” it was announced today by DreamWorks Studios. The film about the controversial website stars Benedict Cumberbatch as Julian Assange and Daniel Brühl as Daniel Domscheit-Berg, as well as Laura Linney, Anthony Mackie, David Thewlis, Peter Capaldi, Dan Stevens, Alicia Vikander and Carice van Houten.

“The Fifth Estate” will open in U.S. theaters on November 15, 2013 and be distributed domestically by Disney’s Touchstone label. Distribution internationally will be split among Disney, DreamWorks partner Reliance, and deals made through the studio’s partnership with Mister Smith Entertainment.

Following Daniel Domscheit-Berg (Brühl), an early supporter and eventual colleague of Julian Assange (Cumberbatch), “The Fifth Estate” traces the heady, early days of WikiLeaks, culminating in the release of a series of controversial and history changing information leaks. The website’s overnight success brought instant fame to its principal architects and transformed the flow of information to news media and the world at large.

Joining DreamWorks as a co-financier on “The Fifth Estate” is Participant Media. This will be the fifth collaboration between the two companies who previously partnered on Steven Spielberg’s “Lincoln,” the 2011 Academy Award-winning smash “The Help,” “The Kite Runner” and “The Soloist.” With a focus on real issues that shape our lives, Participant creates social action and advocacy programs to transform the impact of the media experience into individual and community action. Some of their other films include “An Inconvenient Truth,” “Good Night, and Good Luck,” “Food, Inc.,” “Charlie Wilson’s War,” “Waiting for ‘'Superman,’” “The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel” and the current Academy Award nominee for Best Foreign Language Film, “No.”

Bill Condon (“Kinsey,” “Dreamgirls,” "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn") will direct “The Fifth Estate” from a screenplay by Josh Singer (TV’s “Fringe,” “The West Wing”), based on “Inside WikiLeaks: My Time with Julian Assange at the World’s Most Dangerous Website” by Daniel Domscheit-Berg and “WikiLeaks: Inside Julian Assange’s War on Secrecy” by David Leigh and Luke Harding. The producers are Steve Golin and Michael Sugar, with Participant’s Jeff Skoll and Jonathan King joining Richard Sharkey as executive producers. “The Fifth Estate” is a coproduction between Afterworks and FBO, with Hilde De Laere co-producing for FBO. The film is supported by the Belgian Tax Shelter for Audiovisual Production.

Said director Bill Condon, “It may be decades before we understand the full impact of WikiLeaks and how it's revolutionized the spread of information. So this film won't claim any long view authority on its subject, or attempt any final judgment. We want to explore the complexities and challenges of transparency in the information age and, we hope, enliven and enrich the conversations WikiLeaks has already provoked.”


About DreamWorks Studios
DreamWorks Studios is a motion picture company formed in 2009 and led by Steven Spielberg and Stacey Snider in partnership with The Reliance Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group. The company’s recent releases include Spielberg's "Lincoln," starring Daniel Day-Lewis, Sally Field and Tommy Lee Jones. The film has grossed over $150 million at the U.S. box office and has been nominated for twelve Academy awards including Best Picture and Best Director. Other releases include “Real Steel,” starring Hugh Jackman and directed by Shawn Levy, Steven Spielberg’s “War Horse,” based on Michael Morpurgo’s award-winning book and was nominated for six Academy Awards including Best Picture, and “The Help,” which resonated with audiences around the country and earned over $200 million at the box office and received four Academy Award nominations with Octavia Spencer winning one for Best Supporting Actress. Upcoming films include the comedy "Delivery Man," starring Vince Vaughn, the WikiLeaks drama "The Fifth Estate," and car racing actioner "Need For Speed."

DreamWorks Studios can be found on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/DreamWorksStudios and on Twitter at http://twitter.com/dw_studios.

"Hansel and Gretel" Has Preview of G.I. Joe Sequel

EXCLUSIVE 3D FOOTAGE OF “G.I. JOE: RETALIATION” TO PLAY IN ADVANCE OF “HANSEL & GRETEL: WITCH HUNTERS” IN THEATERS ACROSS THE GLOBE

THE 4-MINUTE PREVIEW WILL BEGIN PLAYING JANUARY 24TH IN IMAX 3D, REALD 3D AND DIGITAL 3D LOCATIONS AROUND THE WORLD

Paramount Pictures, MGM and Skydance Productions, in association with Hasbro, will release a 4-minute preview of the highly anticipated “G.I. JOE: RETALIATION” in IMAX 3D, RealD 3D and digital 3D theaters in advance of Paramount and MGM’s “HANSEL & GRETEL: WITCH HUNTERS.”

This first-look at the film will play across the globe beginning January 24th and run throughout “HANSEL & GRETEL: WITCH HUNTER’S” theatrical engagement.

Based on the best-selling HASBRO characters, this follow-up to the 2009 release of “G.I. JOE: THE RISE OF COBRA,” which grossed more than $300 million worldwide, is di Bonaventura production and is presented by Paramount Pictures, MGM and Skydance Productions, in association with Hasbro.

In this sequel, the G.I. Joes are not only fighting their mortal enemy Cobra, they are forced to contend with threats from within the government that jeopardize their very existence. The film stars D.J. Cotrona, Byung-hun Lee, Adrianne Palicki, Ray Park, Jonathan Pryce, Ray Stevenson, Elodie Yung, Channing Tatum with Bruce Willis and Dwayne Johnson. Directed by Jon M. Chu, and produced by Lorenzo di Bonaventura and Brian Goldner of Hasbro, from a screenplay by Rhett Reese & Paul Wernick, based on Hasbro’s G.I. Joe® characters.

“G.I. JOE: RETALIATION” is in theaters everywhere March 29th, 2013.

“HANSEL & GRETEL: WITCH HUNTERS” stars Jeremy Renner and Gemma Arterton as Hansel and Gretel, who, after getting a taste for blood as children, become the ultimate vigilantes, hell bent on retribution. Now, unbeknownst to them, Hansel and Gretel have become the hunted, and must face an evil far greater than witches... their past. In addition to Renner and Arterton, the film stars Famke Janssen and Peter Stormare. Written and directed by Tommy Wirkola and produced by Will Ferrell, Adam McKay, Kevin Messick and Beau Flynn.

“HANSEL & GRETEL: WITCH HUNTERS” opens in the U.S. and Canada on January 24, 2013 with show times beginning at 10 p.m.


About Paramount Pictures Corporation
Paramount Pictures Corporation (PPC), a global producer and distributor of filmed entertainment, is a unit of Viacom (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB), a leading content company with prominent and respected film, television and digital entertainment brands. Paramount controls a collection of some of the most powerful brands in filmed entertainment, including Paramount Pictures, Paramount Animation, Paramount Vantage, Paramount Classics, Insurge Pictures, MTV Films, and Nickelodeon Movies. PPC operations also include Paramount Famous Productions, Paramount Home Media Distribution, Paramount Pictures International, Paramount Licensing Inc., and Paramount Studio Group.

About Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc.
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (“MGM”) is a leading entertainment company focused on the production and distribution of films and television content globally. The company owns one of the world’s deepest libraries of premium film and television programming. In addition, MGM has ownership interests in domestic and international television channels, including MGM-branded channels. For more information, visit www.mgm.com.

2013 Screen Actors Guild Award Nominations List

The Screen Actors Guild (SAG) is an American labor union that represents film and television performers worldwide. Most people probably know SAG for the various actors’ strikes or for the Screen Actors Guild Award, which SAG uses to honor outstanding performances by its members. The first SAG Awards ceremony was held in February 1995 (for films released in 1994).

The 19th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards® will be simulcast live nationally on TNT and TBS on Sunday, Jan. 27, 2013 at 8 p.m. (ET)/5 p.m. (PT) from the Los Angeles Shrine Exposition Center. An encore performance will air immediately following on TNT at 10 p.m. (ET)/7 p.m. (PT). Recipients of the stunt ensemble honors will be announced from the SAG Awards® red carpet during the tntdrama.com and tbs.com live pre-show webcasts, which begin at 6 p.m. (ET)/3 p.m. (PT).

19th ANNUAL SCREEN ACTORS GUILD AWARDS® NOMINATIONS:

MOTION PICTURE CATEGORIES:

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role
BRADLEY COOPER / Pat - “SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK” (The Weinstein Company)
DANIEL DAY-LEWIS / Abraham Lincoln - "LINCOLN” (Touchstone Pictures)
JOHN HAWKES / Mark - "THE SESSIONS" (Fox Searchlight)
HUGH JACKMAN / Jean Valjean - "LES MISÉRABLES" (Universal Pictures)
DENZEL WASHINGTON / Whip Whitaker - "FLIGHT" (Paramount Pictures)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role
JESSICA CHASTAIN / Maya - "ZERO DARK THIRTY” (Columbia Pictures)
MARION COTILLARD / Stephanie - “RUST AND BONE” (Sony Pictures Classics)
JENNIFER LAWRENCE / Tiffany - “SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK” (The Weinstein Company)
HELEN MIRREN / Alma Reville - “HITCHCOCK” (Fox Searchlight)
NAOMI WATTS / Maria - “THE IMPOSSIBLE” (Summit Entertainment)

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role
ALAN ARKIN / Lester Siegel - “ARGO” (Warner Bros. Pictures)
JAVIER BARDEM / Silva - "SKYFALL" (Columbia Pictures)
ROBERT DE NIRO / Pat, Sr. - "SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK" (The Weinstein Company)
PHILIP SEYMOUR HOFFMAN / Lancaster Dodd - “THE MASTER” (The Weinstein Company)
TOMMY LEE JONES / Thaddeus Stevens - “LINCOLN” (Touchstone Pictures)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role
SALLY FIELD / Mary Todd Lincoln - "LINCOLN" (Touchstone Pictures)
ANNE HATHAWAY / Fantine - “LES MISÉRABLES” (Universal Pictures)
HELEN HUNT / Cheryl - “THE SESSIONS” (Fox Searchlight)
NICOLE KIDMAN / Charlotte Bless - "THE PAPERBOY” (Millennium Entertainment)
MAGGIE SMITH / Muriel Donnelly - “THE BEST EXOTIC MARIGOLD HOTEL” (Fox Searchlight)

Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
ARGO (Warner Bros. Pictures):
BEN AFFLECK / Tony Mendez
ALAN ARKIN / Lester Siegel
KERRY BISHÉ / Kathy Stafford
KYLE CHANDLER / Hamilton Jordan
RORY COCHRANE / Lee Schatz
BRYAN CRANSTON / Jack O’Donnell
CHRISTOPHER DENHAM / Mark Lijek
TATE DONOVAN / Bob Anders
CLEA DUVALL / Cora Lijek
VICTOR GARBER / Ken Taylor
JOHN GOODMAN / John Chambers
SCOOT McNAIRY / Joe Stafford
CHRIS MESSINA / Malinov

THE BEST EXOTIC MARIGOLD HOTEL (Fox Searchlight)
JUDI DENCH / Evelyn Greenslade
CELIA IMRIE / Madge Hardcastle
BILL NIGHY / Douglas Ainslie
DEV PATEL / Sonny Kapoor
RONALD PICKUP / Norman Cousins
MAGGIE SMITH / Muriel Donnelly
TOM WILKINSON / Graham Dashwood
PENELOPE WILTON / Jean Ainslie

LES MISÉRABLES (Universal Pictures)
ISABELLE ALLEN / Young Cosette
SAMANTHA BARKS / Eponine
SACHA BARON COHEN / Thénardier
HELENA BONHAM CARTER / Madame Thénardier
RUSSELL CROWE / Javert
ANNE HATHAWAY / Fantine
DANIEL HUTTLESTONE / Gavroche
HUGH JACKMAN / Jean Valjean
EDDIE REDMAYNE / Marius
AMANDA SEYFRIED / Cosette
AARON TVEIT / Enjolras
COLM WILKINSON / Bishop

LINCOLN (Touchstone Pictures)
DANIEL DAY-LEWIS / Abraham Lincoln
SALLY FIELD / Mary Todd Lincoln
JOSEPH GORDON-LEVITT / Robert Todd Lincoln
HAL HOLBROOK / Preston Blair
TOMMY LEE JONES / Thaddeus Stevens
JAMES SPADER / W.N. Bilbo
DAVID STRATHAIRN / William Seward

SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK (The Weinstein Company)
BRADLEY COOPER / Pat
ROBERT DE NIRO / Pat, Sr.
ANUPAM KHER / Dr. Cliff Patel
JENNIFER LAWRENCE / Tiffany
CHRIS TUCKER / Danny
JACKI WEAVER / Dolores


PRIMETIME TELEVISION

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries
KEVIN COSTNER / “Devil Anse” Hatfield - “HATFIELDS & McCOYS” (History)
WOODY HARRELSON / Steve Schmidt - “GAME CHANGE” (HBO)
ED HARRIS / John McCain - “GAME CHANGE” (HBO)
CLIVE OWEN / Ernest Hemingway - “HEMINGWAY & GELLHORN“ (HBO)
BILL PAXTON / Randall McCoy - “HATFIELDS & McCOYS” (History)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries
NICOLE KIDMAN / Martha Gellhorn - “HEMINGWAY & GELLHORN” (HBO)
JULIANNE MOORE / Sarah Palin - “GAME CHANGE” (HBO)
CHARLOTTE RAMPLING / Eva Delectorskaya - “RESTLESS” (Sundance Channel)
SIGOURNEY WEAVER / Elaine Barrish Hammond - “POLITICAL ANIMALS” (USA)
ALFRE WOODARD / Ouiser - “STEEL MAGNOLIAS” (Lifetime)

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series
STEVE BUSCEMI / Enoch “Nucky” Thompson - “BOARDWALK EMPIRE” (HBO)
BRYAN CRANSTON / Walter White - “BREAKING BAD” (AMC)
JEFF DANIELS / Will McAvoy - “THE NEWSROOM” (HBO)
JON HAMM / Don Draper - “MAD MEN” (AMC)
DAMIAN LEWIS / Nicholas Brody - “HOMELAND” (Showtime)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series
CLAIRE DANES / Carrie Mathison - “HOMELAND” (Showtime)
MICHELLE DOCKERY / Lady Mary Crawley - “DOWNTON ABBEY” (PBS)
JESSICA LANGE / Sister Jude - “AMERICAN HORROR STORY: ASYLUM” (FX)
JULIANNA MARGULIES / Alicia Florrick - “THE GOOD WIFE” (CBS)
MAGGIE SMITH / Violet, Dowager Countess of Grantham - “DOWNTON ABBEY” (PBS)

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series
ALEC BALDWIN / Jack Donaghy - “30 ROCK” (NBC)
TY BURRELL / Phil Dunphy - “MODERN FAMILY” (ABC)
LOUIS C.K. / Louie - “LOUIE” (FX)
JIM PARSONS / Sheldon Cooper - “THE BIG BANG THEORY” (CBS)
ERIC STONESTREET / Cameron Tucker - “MODERN FAMILY” (ABC)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series
EDIE FALCO / Jackie Peyton - “NURSE JACKIE” (Showtime)
TINA FEY / Liz Lemon - “30 ROCK” (NBC)
AMY POEHLER / Leslie Knope - “PARKS AND RECREATION” (NBC)
SOFIA VERGARA / Gloria Delgado-Pritchett - “MODERN FAMILY” (ABC)
BETTY WHITE / Elka Ostrovsky - “HOT IN CLEVELAND” (TV Land)

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series
BOARDWALK EMPIRE (HBO)
STEVE BUSCEMI / Enoch “Nucky” Thompson
CHRIS CALDOVINO / Tonino Sandrelli
BOBBY CANNAVALE / Gyp Rosetti
MEG CHAMBERS STEEDLE / Billie Kent
CHARLIE COX / Owen Sleater
JACK HUSTON / Richard Harrow
PATRICK KENNEDY / Dr. Douglas Mason
ANTHONY LACIURA / Eddie Kessler
KELLY MACDONALD / Margaret Thompson
GRETCHEN MOL / Gillian Darmody
VINCENT PIAZZA / Lucky Luciano
PAUL SPARKS / Mickey Doyle
MICHAEL STUHLBARG / Arnold Rothstein
SHEA WHIGHAM / Elias “Eli” Thompson
ANATOL YUSEF / Meyer Lansky

BREAKING BAD (AMC)
JONATHAN BANKS / Mike Ehrmantraut
BETSY BRANDT / Marie Schrader
BRYAN CRANSTON / Walter White
LAURA FRASER / Lydia Rodart-Quayle
ANNA GUNN / Skyler White
RJ MITTE / Walter White, Jr.
DEAN NORRIS / Hank Schrader
BOB ODENKIRK / Saul Goodman
AARON PAUL / Jesse Pinkman
JESSE PLEMONS / Todd
STEVEN MICHAEL QUEZADA / Gomez

DOWNTON ABBEY (PBS)
HUGH BONNEVILLE / Robert, Earl of Grantham
ZOE BOYLE / Lavinia Swire
LAURA CARMICHAEL / Lady Edith Crawley
JIM CARTER / Mr. Carson
BRENDAN COYLE / John Bates
MICHELLE DOCKERY / Lady Mary Crawley
JESSICA BROWN FINDLAY / Lady Sybil Crawley
SIOBHAN FINNERAN / O’Brien
JOANNE FROGGATT / Anna
IAIN GLEN / Sir Richard Carlisle
THOMAS HOWES / William
ROB JAMES-COLLIER / Thomas
ALLEN LEECH / Tom Branson
PHYLLIS LOGAN / Mrs. Hughes
ELIZABETH McGOVERN / Cora, Countess of Grantham
SOPHIE McSHERA / Daisy
LESLEY NICOL / Mrs. Patmore
AMY NUTTALL / Ethel
DAVID ROBB / Dr. Clarkson
MAGGIE SMITH / Violet, Dowager Countess of Grantham
DAN STEVENS / Matthew Crawley
PENELOPE WILTON / Isobel Crawley

HOMELAND (Showtime)
MORENA BACCARIN / Jessica Brody
TIMOTHEE CHALAMET / Finn Walden
CLAIRE DANES / Carrie Mathison
RUPERT FRIEND / Peter Quinn
DAVID HAREWOOD / David Estes
DIEGO KLATTENHOFF / Mike Faber
DAMIAN LEWIS / Nicholas Brody
DAVID MARCIANO / Virgil
NAVID NEGAHBAN / Abu Nazir
JACKSON PACE / Chris Brody
MANDY PATINKIN / Saul Berenson
ZULEIKHA ROBINSON / Roya Hammad
MORGAN SAYLOR / Dana Brody
JAMEY SHERIDAN / Vice President Walden
HRACH TITIZIAN / Danny Galvez

MAD MEN (AMC)
BEN FELDMAN / Michael Ginsberg
JAY R. FERGUSON / Stan Rizzo
JON HAMM / Don Draper
JARED HARRIS / Lane Pryce
CHRISTINA HENDRICKS / Joan Harris
VINCENT KARTHEISER / Pete Campbell
ROBERT MORSE / Bertram Cooper
ELISABETH MOSS / Peggy Olson
JESSICA PARÉ / Megan Calvet Draper
TEYONAH PARRIS / Dawn Chambers
KIERNAN SHIPKA / Sally Draper
JOHN SLATTERY / Roger Sterling
RICH SOMMER / Harry Crane
AARON STATON / Kenneth Cosgrove

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series
30 ROCK (NBC)
SCOTT ADSIT / Pete Hornberger
ALEC BALDWIN / Jack Donaghy
TINA FEY / Liz Lemon
JUDAH FRIEDLANDER / Frank Rossitano
JANE KRAKOWSKI / Jenna Maroney
JACK McBRAYER / Kenneth Parcell
TRACY MORGAN / Tracy Jordan
KEITH POWELL / Toofer

THE BIG BANG THEORY (CBS)
MAYIM BIALIK / Amy Farrah Fowler
KALEY CUOCO / Penny
JOHNNY GALECKI / Leonard Hofstadter
SIMON HELBERG / Howard Wolowitz
KUNAL NAYYAR / Rajesh Koothrappali
JIM PARSONS / Sheldon Cooper
MELISSA RAUCH / Bernadette Rostenkowski

GLEE (FOX)
DIANNA AGRON / Quinn Fabray
CHRIS COLFER / Kurt Hummel
DARREN CRISS / Blaine Anderson
SAMUEL LARSEN / Joe Hart
VANESSA LENGIES / Sugar Motta
JANE LYNCH / Sue Sylvester
JAYMA MAYS / Emma Pillsbury
KEVIN McHALE / Artie Abrams
LEA MICHELE / Rachel Berry
CORY MONTEITH / Finn Hudson
HEATHER MORRIS / Brittany Pierce
MATTHEW MORRISON / Will Schuester
ALEX NEWELL / Wade Adams/Unique
CHORD OVERSTREET / Sam Evans
AMBER RILEY / Mercedes Jones
NAYA RIVERA / Santana Lopez
MARK SALLING / Noah “Puck” Puckerman
HARRY SHUM, JR. / Mike Chang
JENNA USHKOWITZ / Tina Cohen-Chang

MODERN FAMILY (ABC)
AUBREY ANDERSON-EMMONS / Lily Tucker-Pritchett
JULIE BOWEN / Claire Dunphy
TY BURRELL / Phil Dunphy
JESSE TYLER FERGUSON / Mitchell Pritchett
NOLAN GOULD / Luke Dunphy
SARAH HYLAND / Haley Dunphy
ED O’NEILL / Jay Pritchett
RICO RODRIGUEZ / Manny Delgado
ERIC STONESTREET / Cameron Tucker
SOFIA VERGARA / Gloria Delgado-Pritchett
ARIEL WINTER / Alex Dunphy

NURSE JACKIE (Showtime)
MACKENZIE ALADJEM / Fiona Peyton
EVE BEST / Dr. Ellie O’Hara
BOBBY CANNAVALE / Dr. Mike Cruz
JAKE CANNAVALE / Charlie Cruz
PETER FACINELLI / Dr. Fitch Cooper
EDIE FALCO / Jackie Peyton
DOMINIC FUMUSA / Kevin Peyton
ARJUN GUPTA / Sam
LENNY JACOBSON / Lenny
RUBY JERINS / Grace Peyton
PAUL SCHULZE / Eddie Walzer
ANNA DEAVERE SMITH / Gloria Akalitus
STEPHEN WALLEM / Thor Lundgren
MERRITT WEVER / Zoey Barkow

THE OFFICE (NBC)
LESLIE DAVID BAKER / Stanley Hudson
BRIAN BAUMGARTNER / Kevin Malone
CREED BRATTON / Creed Bratton
CLARKE DUKE / Clark
JENNA FISCHER / Pam Halpert
KATE FLANNERY / Meredith Palmer
ED HELMS / Andy Bernard
MINDY KALING / Kelly Kapoor
ELLIE KEMPER / Erin Hannon
ANGELA KINSEY / Angela Martin
JOHN KRASINSKI / Jim Halpert
JAKE LACY / Peter
PAUL LIEBERSTEIN / Toby Flenderson
B.J. NOVAK / Ryan Howard
OSCAR NUÑEZ / Oscar Martinez
CRAIG ROBINSON / Darryl Philbin
PHYLLIS SMITH / Phyllis Vance
CATHERINE TATE / Nellie Bertram
RAINN WILSON / Dwight Schrute


SAG AWARDS HONORS FOR STUNT ENSEMBLES

Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture
THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN (Columbia Pictures)
THE BOURNE LEGACY (Universal Pictures)
THE DARK KNIGHT RISES (Warner Bros. Pictures)
LES MISÉRABLES (Universal Pictures)
SKYFALL (Columbia Pictures)

Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Television Series
BOARDWALK EMPIRE (HBO)
BREAKING BAD (AMC)
GAME OF THRONES (HBO)
SONS OF ANARCHY (FX)
THE WALKING DEAD (AMC)

LIFE ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

Screen Actors Guild 49th Annual Life Achievement Award
DICK VAN DYKE

Review: "Looper" the Coop-o-Loop of Time Travel Films

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 6 (of 2013) by Leroy Douresseaux


Looper (2012)
Running time: 119 minutes (1 hour, 59 minutes)
MPAA – R for strong violence, language, some sexuality/nudity and drug content
WRITER/DIRECTOR: Rian Johnson
PRODUCERS: Ram Bergman and James D. Stern
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Steve Yedlin (D.o.P.)
EDITOR: Bob Ducsay
COMPOSER: Nathan Johnson

SCI-FI/DRAMA/THRILLER

Starring: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Bruce Willis, Emily Blunt, Paul Dano, Noah Segan, Piper Perabo, Jeff Daniels, Pierce Gagnon, Summer Qing, Tracie Thoms, Garret Dillahunt, Frank Brennan, and Nick Gomez

Looper is a 2012 science fiction-thriller from writer-director, Rian Johnson. The film stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt, who was also the lead in Johnson’s debut feature film, Brick (2005).

Looper opens in the year 2044, in a Kansas cornfield. We watch 25-year-old Joseph “Joe” Simmons (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) shoot a man who suddenly appears in front of him. In the year 2074, when the mob wants to get rid of someone, it sends the target 30 years into the past, where a hired gun, called a “looper,” awaits to do the killing. When the crime bosses want to end a looper’s contract, they send him back so that his younger self can do the killing. It’s called “closing the loop.”

One day, “Young Joe” (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) learns that it is time to close his loop when “Old Joe” (Bruce Willis) suddenly appears in front of him. After Old Joe escapes, Young Joe becomes the target of his boss, Abe (Jeff Daniels), leader of a Kansas City mafia company.

When I first saw Rian Johnson’s Brick several years ago, I was impressed. The film was basically a classic detective movie set in a modern, suburban high school with dysfunctional kids and juvenile delinquents playing the roles of the detective, the femme fatale, and the criminals. Looper is more than just a clever time travel story. For one thing, it is probably the most imaginative time travel film since 12 Monkeys (in which Bruce Willis played the lead).

I don’t want to give away any more of Looper’s delightful surprises, shocking twists, and stunning turns. I will say that Looper is not just about the affect of time travel on the characters. It is also about what time, chance, and opportunity mean to the lives of the characters. Thus, Looper is a character drama as much as it is a science fiction film. Of course, there is action; after all, this is a movie in which Bruce Willis plays a major part. His character, “Old Joe,” is so desperate, however, that he is despicable, and that allows Willis to show a range of emotions and to suggest the complicated thought processes going on behind his eyes in ways that Willis rarely gets to do.

Besides Willis, there are good performances all around. Joseph Gordon-Levitt proves himself (once again) as a leading man, and Noah Segan shines (and steals a few scenes) as the anxious-to-prove-himself, Kid Blue. My only complaints about Looper are that it is a bit too long, and it stumbles in places because of that. Still, Looper is thought-provoking and thrilling, and it is something rare, a truly imaginative time travel movie.

8 of 10
A

Sunday, January 20, 2013

Be in "Insidious Chapter 2" - The Contest

by Leroy Douresseaux

Remember Insidious, that really creepy horror movie from two years ago?  There is a sequel due this summer (2013).  And I just got this press release about a contest related to the sequel:

FilmDistrict is looking for the biggest Insidious fan ever with a chance to win a walk-on role in INSIDIOUS CHAPTER 2, directed by James Wan and written by Leigh Whannell, the team behind the original Insidious and Saw films. The lucky winner, to be personally selected by Wan, Whannell, and producer Jason Blum, will receive an all-expense paid trip for two to Los Angeles where he/she will get a walk-on role in the movie, filming now and due for release in theatres this summer.


HOW TO ENTER: Fans can enter by logging on to www.insidiouscastingcall.com, starting Tuesday, January 22nd and uploading a video to the Official Insidious: Chapter 2 YouTube or Facebook Page that tells James why he/she is the biggest Insidious fan and deserves to be cast alongside stars Patrick Wilson and Rose Byrne in the sequel. The contest closes on February 4th, 2013.

The filmmakers have recorded a personal video explaining the contest for fans that can be seen at: http://www.youtube.com/insidiousmovie

Winners will be announced on February 8th on the Official Insidious: Chapter 2 Facebook Page.


ABOUT INSIDIOUS: CHAPTER 2 (In Theatres – AUGUST 13, 2013)
INSIDIOUS CHAPTER 2 is the sequel to 2010’s hit film that captivated horror movie audiences worldwide. Patrick Wilson, Rose Byrne, Lin Shaye and Ty Simpkins return to reprise their roles in the film, directed by James Wan from a script by Leigh Whannell, who also wrote the first film. www.insidiouscastingcall.com

"Iron Man 3" Opens Early in IMAX

Marvel's Iron Man 3 Flies Into IMAX® Theatres Worldwide Starting April 25

LOS ANGELES, Jan. 22, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- IMAX Corporation (NYSE:IMAX; TSX:IMX), and Marvel Entertainment, a division of The Walt Disney Company (NYSE: DIS), today announced that Marvel's Iron Man 3(TM), the latest installment of the film franchise that has grossed more than $1.2 billion at the global box office, will be digitally re-mastered into the immersive IMAX(®) 3D format and released to IMAX(®) theatres internationally starting April 25 and domestically on May 3.

Marvel's Iron Man 3 marks the fourth Marvel Entertainment film to be presented in IMAX theatres, following the releases of Iron Man 2 in 2010, Thor in 2011 and Marvel's The Avengers in 2012 - which all delivered record breaking performances in IMAX theatres.

"Marvel and IMAX are a perfect one-two punch and the Iron Man franchise has become a global phenomenon that resonates with fans around the world," said Greg Foster, Chairman and President of IMAX Filmed Entertainment. "We look forward to moviegoers experiencing this highly-anticipated next installment of Tony Stark's latest adventures in IMAX 3D."

"With Iron Man 3 building on the events of Marvel'sThe Avengers, audiences are in for yet another incredible moviegoing experience from Marvel Studios," said Dave Hollis, Executive Vice President of Motion Picture Distribution for The Walt Disney Studios. "We're thrilled to be able to offer that to fans in the larger-than-life action of IMAX 3D."

The IMAX 3D release of Marvel's Iron Man 3 will be digitally re-mastered into the image and sound quality of The IMAX Experience(®) with proprietary IMAX DMR(®) (Digital Re-mastering) technology. The crystal-clear images, coupled with IMAX's customized theatre geometry and powerful digital audio, create a unique environment that will make audiences feel as if they are in the movie. You can learn more about Marvel's Iron Man 3 by visiting Marvel's official site at http://marvel.com/ironman3.


About Iron Man 3
Marvel's Iron Man 3 pits brash-but-brilliant industrialist Tony Stark/Iron Man against an enemy whose reach knows no bounds. When Stark finds his personal world destroyed at his enemy's hands, he embarks on a harrowing quest to find those responsible. This journey, at every turn, will test his mettle. With his back against the wall, Stark is left to survive by his own devices, relying on his ingenuity and instincts to protect those closest to him. As he fights his way back, Stark discovers the answer to the question that has secretly haunted him: does the man make the suit or does the suit make the man?

Starring Robert Downey, Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle, Guy Pearce, Rebecca Hall, Stephanie Szostak, James Badge Dale with Jon Favreau and Ben Kingsley, Marvel's Iron Man 3 is directed by Shane Black from a screenplay by Drew Pearce & Shane Black and is based on Marvel's iconic super hero Iron Man, who first appeared in the pages of Tales of Suspense #39 in 1963 and had his solo comic book debut with The Invincible Iron Man # in May of 1968.

Marvel's Iron Man 3 is presented by Marvel Studios in association with Paramount Pictures and DMG Entertainment. Marvel Studios' President Kevin Feige is producing and Jon Favreau, Louis D'Esposito, Charles Newirth, Victoria Alonso, Stephen Broussard, Alan Fine, Stan Lee and Dan Mintz are executive producers. The film releases May 3, 2013, and is distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures.

About Marvel Entertainment, LLC
Marvel Entertainment, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company, is one of the world's most prominent character-based entertainment companies, built on a proven library of over 8,000 characters featured in a variety of media over seventy years. Marvel utilizes its character franchises in entertainment, licensing and publishing. For more information, visit http://www.marvel.com/.

About IMAX Corporation
IMAX, an innovator in entertainment technology, combines proprietary software, architecture and equipment to create experiences that take you beyond the edge of your seat to a world you've never imagined. Top filmmakers and studios are utilizing IMAX theatres to connect with audiences in extraordinary ways, and, as such, IMAX's network is among the most important and successful theatrical distribution platforms for major event films around the globe.

IMAX is headquartered in New York, Toronto and Los Angeles, with offices in London, Tokyo, Shanghai and Beijing. As of Sept. 30, 2012, there were 689 IMAX theatres (556 commercial multiplex, 20 commercial destination and 113 institutional) in 52 countries.

IMAX®, IMAX® 3D, IMAX DMR®, Experience It In IMAX®, An IMAX 3D Experience®, The IMAX Experience® and IMAX Is Believing® are trademarks of IMAX Corporation. More information about the Company can be found at www.imax.com. You may also connect with IMAX on Facebook (www.facebook.com/imax), Twitter (www.twitter.com/imax) and YouTube (www.youtube.com/imaxmovies).

This press release contains forward looking statements that are based on IMAX management's assumptions and existing information and involve certain risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ materially from future results expressed or implied by such forward looking statements. These risks and uncertainties are discussed in IMAX's most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and most recent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q.

Indiana Film Critics Name "Safety Not Guaranteed" 2012's Best Film

The Indiana Film Journalist Association (IFJA) named Safety Not Guaranteed, an indie comedy-drama inspired by a joke classified ad in Backwoods Home Magazine, as the "Best Film of 2012."  Quentin Tarantino was named "Best Director" for Django Unchained.

The IFJA is a film critics’ organization only formed in recent years. It seeks to promote film criticism in the state of Indiana and also gives out its annual awards in December.

The full list of 2012 Indiana Film Journalist Association Awards:

Best Film
"Safety Not Guaranteed"
(Runner-up: "Beasts of the Southern Wild")

Best Director
Quentin Tarantino, "Django Unchained"
(Runner-up: Kathryn Bigelow, "Zero Dark Thirty")

Best Actor (TIE):
Bradley Cooper, "Silver Linings Playbook"
Daniel Day-Lewis, "Lincoln"

Best Actress
Jessica Chastain, "Zero Dark Thirty"
(Runner-up: Jennifer Lawrence, "Silver Linings Playbook")

Best Supporting Actor
Tommy Lee Jones, "Lincoln"
(Runner-up: Christoph Waltz, "Django Unchained")

Best Supporting Actress
Anne Hathaway, "Les Misérables"
(Runner-up: Helen Hunt, "The Sessions")

Best Adapted Screenplay
"The Perks of Being a Wallflower"
(Runner-up: "Silver Linings Playbook")

Best Original Screenplay
"Safety Not Guaranteed"
(Runner-up: "Django Unchained")

Best Musical Score
"Skyfall"
(Runner-up: "Life of Pi")

Best Animated Feature
"Rise of the Guardians"
(Runner-up: "ParaNorman")

Best Foreign Language Film
"The Raid: Redemption" (Indonesia)
(Runner-up: "Amour" – from Austria)

Best Documentary
"Searching for Sugar Man"
(Runner-up: "Room 237")

Original Vision Award
"Beasts of the Southern Wild"
(Runner-up: "Django Unchained")

The Hoosier Award
Jon Vickers, Founding Director of Indiana University Cinema

"George Washington" Appropriate for MLK Day

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 10 (of 2006) by Leroy Douresseaux


George Washington (2000)
Running time: 89 minutes (1 hour, 29 minutes)
WRITER/DIRECTOR: David Gordon Green
PRODUCERS: Sacha W. Mueller, Lisa Muskat, and David Gordon Green
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Tim Orr
EDITOR: Zene Baker and Steven Gonzales

DRAMA

Starring: Candace Evanofski, Donald Holden, Damian Jewan Lee, Curtis Cotton III, Rachael Handy, Paul Schneider, and Eddie Rouse

The subject of this movie review is George Washington, a 2000 indie drama film from writer-director, David Gordon Green. The film, which earned four nominations at the 2001 Independent Spirit Awards, is set in a depressed North Carolina town and follows a group of children covering up a tragic mistake.

In poor rural North Carolina, three children cover up a tragic accident, and this group decision affects all their lives. It begins when Nasia (Candace Evanofski), girl on the cusp on being a teenager, leaves her boyfriend, Buddy (Curtis Cotton III), because she thinks he acts too young, and falls for Buddy’s friend, the enigmatic George Richardson (Donald Holden). George, on the other hand, has his mind on being something bigger – being a hero who saves lives – but he has a secret to hide.

David Gordon Green made a splash among critics and fans of independent cinema with his film, George Washington. Green’s film emphasizes mood, atmosphere, and emotion, and his film is certainly more meditative and contemplative than most mainstream American films. Green’s natural dialogue sounds wonderful in the mouths of the young cast (all novices), and George Washington is one of the few times when an entire cast of child actors gives such tight performances that ring true to the ears and delight the eyes. The film is a bit slow at times, almost as if Green is determined to make a film that is so different from standard Hollywood fare – kind of like an indie/student art film. It’s perfect for that audience, but may be slow for audiences used to movie fast food.

6 of 10
B

Sunday, January 15, 2006

2013 Eddie Award Nominations Announced

The American Cinema Editors (ACE) is an honorary society of motion picture editors founded in 1950. According to the group’s website, film editors are voted into membership on the basis of their professional achievements, their dedication to the education of others and their commitment to the craft of editing. Since 1962, ACE has given its own annual award of merit, the Eddie Award.

NOMINEES FOR 63rd ANNUAL ACE EDDIE AWARDS:

BEST EDITED FEATURE FILM (DRAMATIC):
Argo - William Goldenberg, A.C.E.

Life of Pi - Tim Squyres, A.C.E.

Lincoln - Michael Kahn, A.C.E.

Skyfall - Stuart Baird, A.C.E.

Zero Dark Thirty - Dylan Tichenor, A.C.E. & William Goldenberg, A.C.E.

BEST EDITED FEATURE FILM (COMEDY OR MUSICAL):
The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel - Chris Gill

Les Misérables - Melanie Ann Oliver & Chris Dickens, A.C.E.

Moonrise Kingdom - Andrew Weisblum, A.C.E.

Silver Linings Playbook - Jay Cassidy, A.C.E. & Crispin Struthers

Ted - Jeff Freeman, A.C.E.

BEST EDITED ANIMATED FEATURE FILM:
Brave - Nicholas C. Smith, A.C.E. & Robert Grahamjones, A.C.E.

Frankenweenie - Chris Lebenzon, A.C.E. & Mark Solomon

Rise of the Guardians - Joyce Arrastia

Wreck-It Ralph - Tim Mertens

BEST EDITED DOCUMENTARY (FEATURE):
Samsara - Ron Fricke & Mark Magidson

Searching for Sugar Man - Malik Bendjelloul

West of Memphis - Billy McMillin

BEST EDITED DOCUMENTARY (TELEVISION):
American Masters – Phil Ochs: There But For Fortune: Pamela Scott Arnold

The Dust Bowl – Episode 1: The Great Plow Up: Craig Mellish

The Weight of the Nation: Episode 1: Consequences: Paula Heredia

BEST EDITED HALF-HOUR SERIES FOR TELEVISION:
Girls: “Pilot” - Robert Frazen, A.C.E. & Catherine Haight

Modern Family: “Mistery Date” - Ryan Case

Nurse Jackie: “Handle Your Scandal” - Gary Levy

BEST EDITED ONE-HOUR SERIES FOR COMMERCIAL TELEVISION:
Breaking Bad: “Dead Freight” - Skip Macdonald A.C.E.

Breaking Bad: “Gliding Over All” - Kelley Dixon, A.C.E.

Mad Men: “The Other Woman” - Tom Wilson

Nashville: “Pilot” - Keith Henderson

Smash: “Pilot” - Andrew Weisblum, A.C.E.

BEST EDITED ONE-HOUR SERIES FOR NON-COMMERCIAL TELEVISION:
Homeland: “The Choice” - Terry Kelley, A.C.E.

Homeland: “State of Independence” - Jordan Goldman

The Newsroom: “We Just Decided To (Pilot)” - Anne McCabe, A.C.E.

BEST EDITED MINISERIES OR MOTION PICTURE FOR TELEVISION:
Game Change - Lucia Zucchetti, A.C.E.

Hatfields & McCoys, Part 1 - Don Cassidy

Hemingway & Gellhorn - Walter Murch, A.C.E.

BEST EDITED NON-SCRIPTED SERIES:
Beyond Scared Straight: “Oklahoma County, OK – The Weight” - Rob Goubeaux, A.C.E., Mark S. Andrew, A.C.E., Paul J. Coyne, A.C.E., Mark Baum, Jeremy Gantz, Johnny Skaare, J.C. Solis & Ken Yankee

Frozen Planet: “Ends of the Earth” - Andy Netley & Sharon Gillooly

Deadliest Catch: “I Don’t Want to Die” - Josh Earl, A.C.E. & Alex Durham

Review: Berserk: The Golden Age Arc 1 – The Egg of the King

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 5 (of 2013) by Leroy Douresseaux


Berserk: The Golden Age Arc 1 – The Egg of the King (2012)
Running time: 77 minutes (1 hour, 17 minutes)
DIRECTOR: Toshiyuki Kubooka
WRITER: Ichirô Ôkôchi (based on the manga by Kentaro Miura)
PRODUCERS: Eiichi Kamagata, Mitsuru Ohshima, Akira Shimada, and Eiko Tanaka

ANIME/WAR/FANTASY/ACTION/DRAMA

Starring: (voices) Marc Diraison, Kevin T. Collins, Carrie Keranen, Doug Erholtz, Jesse Corti, Christopher Kromer, Rachael Lillis, Marc Thompson, and Patrick Seitz

Berserk: The Golden Age Arc 1 – The Egg of the King is a 2012 Japanese animated film (anime) from anime director Toshiyuki Kubooka. Kubooka directed the “Working Through Pain,” segment of the 2008 direct-to-DVD film, Batman: Gotham Knight.

Berserk: The Golden Age Arc 1 is based on Berserk, a Japanese manga (comic book) series written and illustrated by Kentaro Miura. Berserk is set in a fantasy world that is modeled on medieval Europe. The story centers around the two characters, Guts (Marc Diraison), an orphaned mercenary, and Griffith (Kevin T. Collins), the leader of a mercenary group called the Band of the Hawk.

As the story begins, Guts is a mercenary on the loosing side of a battle, but he turns the tide of that battle when he defeats the Goliath-like, Bazuso (Russell Nash). This victory earns Guts a contest of skills with the Band of the Hawk, a band of mercenaries so feared that they are called the “grim reapers of the battlefield. The group’s leader, Griffith, convinces Guts, a loner, to join his band of mercenaries.

Soon, the Band of the Hawk is hired by the King of Midland to fight in the Midlanders’ war against their enemy, Chuder. Guts becomes indispensable to Griffith, but a monstrous fighter named Nosferatu Zodd has something to tell Guts about the strange jewel-like object Griffith wears around his neck. It is called the Egg of the King – the Crimson Behelit. And it has the power to shape Guts’ destiny.

When I first looked at the DVD box art for Berserk: The Golden Age Arc 1 – The Egg of the King, I thought that the movie would not amount to much. I was delightfully surprised; in fact, by the end of the movie, I wanted more. As it is set in a medieval Europe-inspired fantasy world, the viewer would expect violent battle scenes and sword fighting, and the film delivers that. The fights and battles are well designed and staged, and the fight between Guts and Nosferatu Zodd features a 360-degree spin of the camera that recalls the bullet time effects in The Matrix. There is a lot of violence, and some of it shocked even me, who, dear reader, has seen some appalling, outrageous, and disgusting depictions of violence over my lifetime as a film semi-fanatic.

The Egg of the King is simply full of surprises. Another of the surprises is the drama. The movie is almost stiff in the way the film depicts the characters’ motivations and conflicts, as if this were a British film of manners. The character drama, however, is intense, and demands that the viewer engage with various conflicts, motivations, and intrigue. Guts and Griffith are appealing characters, and the palace intrigue and court conspiracies are engrossing. The story grasps with many themes, including those of friendship and the nature of good and evil in humans, and the question of why men are so bloodthirsty often arises.

The animation is very good, often beautiful. It is a mixture of computer-animation (3D), some hand-drawn (2D) animation, and what looks like the computer-animation process of cel shading, which makes computer-animation look like hand-drawn animation. Some of the backgrounds, castles, interiors, landscapes, encampments, and battlefronts have the quality of paintings and fantasy illustration.

Berserk: The Golden Age Arc 1 – The Egg of the King is simply an all-around, high-quality, exceptional film. As an anime, this movie seems to be off in its own corner. It seeks to be more than just another fantasy war movie, and that it is.

8 of 10
A

Thursday, January 17, 2013