Showing posts with label Jodie Foster. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jodie Foster. Show all posts

Tuesday, May 31, 2022

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from May 22nd to 31st, 2022 - Update #41

by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURE NEWS:

BOX OFFICE - From Deadline:  In the final tally, the Memorial Day holiday weekend domestic box office take for "Top Gun: Maverick" is a record 160.5 million dollars.

From BoxOfficePro:  The winner of the 5/27 to 5/29/2020 weekend box office is Paramount Pictures' "Top Gun: Maverick" with an estimated take of 124 million dollars.

From TheWrap:  With an estimated 156 million dollars at the domestic box office, "Top Gun: Maverick" has broken the Memorial Day weekend box office record. The surpasses "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End" which grossed 153 million dollars during the 2007 Memorial Day weekend.

From Here:  Here is my review of "Top Gun: Maverick."

From THR:  On review aggregator, "Rotten Tomatoes," "Top Gun: Maverick" has tied "Mission: Impossible - Fallout" (2018) as the best reviewed Tom Cruise movie of all time.

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MOVIES - From TheWrap:  Indie entertainment company, A24's horror films ranked from best to worse.

MOVIES - From Variety:  Here is a first look at Oscar-nominee, Bradley Cooper, as legendary Broadway composer, Leonard Bernstein, "Maestro."

MOVIES - From WorldofReelDavid Cronenberg says that he has an idea for a movie starring "Twilight Saga" costars, Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart.

TELEVISION - From Deadline:  Oscar-winning actress Jodie Foster will appear in the fourth season of HBO's anthology series, "True Detective."  Entitled, "True Detective: Night Country," it will be Foster's first major adult TV role.

SCANDAL - From CNN:  Former reality TV star, Josh Duggar ("19 Kids and Counting") was sentenced to 12.5 years in prison, a $10,000 fine, and 20 years of supervised release, during which he cannot have contact with minors.  In December 2021, Duggar was found guilty of "receipt of child pornography" and "possession of child pornography"

ANIMATION - From DeadlineSamuel L. Jackson will join Chris Pratt's in Alcon Entertainment's animated "Garfield" film.

TRAILERS - From TheWrap:  Paramount Pictures has debuted the first trailer for "Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One (the seventh film).  The film is due July 14, 2023.

BOX OFFICE - From Variety:  The winner of the 5/20 to 5/22/2022 weekend box office is Marvel Studios' "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness" with an estimated take of 31.6 million dollars.

From Here:  My review of "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness."

NETFLIX - From TheWeekNetflix is apparently trying to end its "war" with movie theaters, but the streamer will have to make deals with its adversaries, AMC Theaters and Regal Cinemas.

POLITICS - From WashPostRussia has permanently banned 963 U.S. citizens from entering the country.  The list includes President Joe Biden and Vice-President Kamala Harris and even actor Morgan Freeman.

CANNES - From Variety:  "Three Thousand Years of Longing," the new film from director George Miller ('Mad Max" series), received a six-minutes standing ovation during its world premiere at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival.  The film stars Tilda Swinton as a solitary academic and Idris Elba as the genie she finds.

OBITS:

From Deadline:   Tytyana Miller, the daughter of rapper Master P, has died at the age of 29.  Paramedics found her unresponsive early Saturday, May 28, 2022.  She had appeared in the WE TV series, "Growing Up Hip Hop."

From Deadline:  The television and film actor, Bo Hopkins, has died at the age of 84, Saturday, May 28, 2022.  He was best known for appearing in films such as "The Wild Bunch" (1969), "American Graffiti" (1973), and "Midnight Express" (1978).  I remember him for his appearance in two mid-1970s films, "White Lightning" (1973), with Burt Reynolds, and "Posse" (1975), which was led by Kirk Douglas. A prolific TV actor, Hopkins appeared in over 100 films and TV series.

From Deadline:   Actor Ray Liotta has died at the age of 67, Thursday, May 26, 2022.  Liotta was best known for playing mobster Henry Hill in the 1990 Martin Scorsese film, "Goodfellas."  He was also known for playing Shoeless Joe Jackson in "Field of Dreams" (1989) and "Ray Sinclair" in "Something Wild" (1986).  He was currently experiencing a career resurgence.

From Deadline:  Hollywood mourns and remembers Ray Liotta.  This article includes comments from co-star Robert De Niro ("Goodfellas").

UVALDE, TEXAS MASS SHOOTING:

From YahooAP:  An 18-year-old gunman slaughtered 19 children and two teachers on Tues., May 24th, 2022 in Uvalde, Texas.  All 21 victims were in the same 4th grade classroom at Robb Elementary.

From DallasNewsJoe Garcia, the husband of Irma Garcia, one of the two teachers killed at Robb Elementary in Uvalde, Texas, has died of a heart attack two days after the murder of his wife.  They had been married for 24 years and had been high school sweethearts.

From Axios:  Texas gubernatorial candidate, Beto O'Rourke, interrupted Texas Gov. Greg Abbott's gaslighting press conference on the Uvalde elementary school mass shooting.

From USAToday:  Beto O'Rourke's outburst at Gov. Greg Abbott's Uvalde news conference shows the spine Democrats need.

From BostonGlobeSteve Kerr, head coach of the NBA's Golden State Warriors, asks "When are we going to do something?"

From NBCNews:  A Robb Elementary teacher describes "the longest 35 minutes of my life" and the terror she now feels.

From NBCNews:  The Uvalde school district had an extensive safety plan, but 19 children were killed at Robb Elementary anyway.  Even security plans that appear to be up to the latest research-based standards may have gaps and fall short of preventing the worst-case scenario, experts said.

From MSNAngeli Rose Gomez, the mother who was handcuffed outside Robb Elementary in Uvalde, Texas, was able to get inside the school and rescue her two children.

From YahooNews:   Daniel Defense, the maker of the rifles used by the Uvalde massacre killer, has used "incendiary ads" in the past, including one in which a toddler holds one of its rifles.

From TheIntercept:  The police aren't obligated to protect anyone NOT in their custody, as the Supreme Court has ruled twice.

From RollingStone:  Right wing lies about the Second Amendment and why they tell them are killing America's childrne.

From Vice:  The law enforcement personnel in Texas that arrived at Robb Elementary in Uvalde, Texas on Tues., May 24th did the opposite of what their own training documentary videos show.

From Vox:  Uvalde police keep changing their story.

From TheDailyBeast:  The families in Uvalde, Texas who lost loved one in the Robb Elementary massacre say that the cops there are "Nothing more than cowards" and that they need to pay for doing nothing while a gunman rampaged through the school last Tues, May 24th.

From TheNewYorker:  Thoughts and prayers, Uvalde, Texas. This is the America that Republicans and the right wing have being thinking about and praying for all these decades.

BLM-BUFFALO:

From ABCNews:  A 18-year-old white MAN shot 13 people, killing 10 at a Buffalo, New York Tops Friendly Markets supermarket on Saturday, May 14, 2021.

From Truthout:  The racist attack in Buffalo at the Tops Friendly supermarket was crafted to terrorize us.  We can fight back, and here’s how we fight back.

From WGRZ:  Who are the victims of the Buffalo Tops Friendly Markets grocery store shooting. This comes from local station WGRZ Channel 2 and includes video and some victim photos.

From BuffaloNews:  One of the 10 Black murder victims of the Buffalo massacre was Katherine "Kat" Massey.  She was a leader in her community and civil rights activist and advocate for education.

From NewYorkPost:  One of the 10 Black murder victims of the Buffalo massacre was Andre Mackniel. He was at TOPS Supermaket to pick up a birthday cake for his son.

From Truthout:  The racist attack in Buffalo, NY at the Tops supermarket was crafted to terrorize us, so here is how we fight back.

From CNN:  What is known about the 18-year-old MAN, Payton Gendron.

From NPR:  198 mass shooting this year ... so far.

From Truthout:  White supremacist massacre of 10 people in Buffalo, NY shows that the “Alt-Right” ideology leads to murder.

From RollingStone:  Buffalo rampage killing is "Straight Up Racially Motivated Hate Crime."

From InformedCommentRene Binet, the originator the "great replacement" was a French Nazi, and he saw all American as "Negroes," an "impure mestizo 'race'."

From WashPost:  Only 22 people saw the live-stream of a white terrorist kill Black shoppers at the Buffalo Tops Friendly Markets supermarket, but millions have seen it since...

From GuardianUK:  Buffalo Tops Friendly Markets shooter may have been motivated by "eco-fascism," a focus on overpopulation and environmental degradation.

From RSN:  "What Lessons Have We Learned From the Buffalo Shooting?" by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

From Truthout:  “Innocent” White People Are Also Complicit in the Anti-Black Murders in Buffalo by George Yancy.

From Truthout:  "Black Lives Matter" cofounder discovered that Alicia Garza has learned that her name is mentioned in the Buffalo Tops supermarket killer's manifesto.

From GuardianUK:   Cornell West says, "Trump isn't out there with a gun, but he's enabled this war against Black people.

From Slate:  From the Tulsa Race Massacre to the Buffalo Tops Friendly Markets shootings: the legacy of anti-Black violence.

From Truthout:  After mass shootings, Republicans shield white supremacists from scrutiny

UKRAINE:

From TheDailyBeast:  Russian soldiers allegedly raped and killed a 1-year-old Ukrainian boy and have reportedly raped or sexually abused children as young as 9 months old.


Saturday, February 20, 2021

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from February 14th to 20th, 2021 - Update #29

by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURE NEWS

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Edgar Wright ("Baby Driver") will co-write and direct a new film adaptation of Stephen King's 1982 novel, "The Running Man" (published under the pen name Richard Bachman).  It will not be a remake of the 1987 film adaptation of the novel, which starred Arnold Schwarzenegger.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Thanks to various sexual harassment and misconduct allegations, Hollywood power house, Brett Ratner, has not directed a film since 2014's Hercules.  He is ready to make his comeback with a biopic of disgraced musical act, "Milli Vanilli." 

DISNEY - From YahooEntertainment:   Disney's new animated film, "Raya and the Last Dragon" introduces the first Southeast Asian Disney princess and heroine.

TELEVISION - From BleedingCool:  AMC and streaming service Shudder are developing a horror anthology series that showcases horror stories from Black directors and writers.

AWARDS - From Deadline: The nominations for the 2021 / 21st annual Black Reel Awards have been announced.

TELEVISION - From Deadline:  CBS has cancelled its long-running sitcom, "Mom," after eight seasons.  The finale is set for May 6th, 2021.

From Deadline:  CBS is ending "NCIS: New Orleans" after seven seasons.  The series finale will end May 16th, 2021.

TRAILER - From YouTube:   This is the first  "official restricted trailer" for the "Mortal Kombat" reboot, which arrives on HBO Max April 16, 2021.

CELEBRITY - From Deadline:  Ashley Judd is sharing photos and details about her recent African misadventure, which included shattering her leg in a jungle in the Congo last week.

MOVIES - From Variety:   Oscar-winning will produce and star in a film about Shirley Chisholm, the first Black congresswoman.  Oscar-winning screenwriter, John Ridley, will write and direct the film.

STREAMING - From ShadowandAct:   Netflix's Kevin Hart-Wesley Snipes drama series, "True Story," adds Lauren London, Will Catlett and more new cast.

MOVIES - From Deadline:   Keke Palmer will star in director Jordan Peele's next film.  Little is known about the film, and Oscar-nominated actor, Daniel Kaluuya, is in negotiations to also star in the film.

MOVIES - From IndieWire:   Oscar-winning director Martin Scorsese takes aim at streaming’s lack of curation and core: "cinema Is being devalued by content."

AWARDS - From Deadline:   The nominations for the 2021 / 73rd annaul Writers Guild of America Awards have been announced.

DISNEY - From Vulture:   Disney unveils new "Cruella" poster featuring Emma Stone.

POLITICS - From Truthout:  An alarming revelation from a Republican senator, Sen. Tommy Tuberville, on Wednesday night suggests that former President Donald Trump continued to incite his mob of loyalists during the Capitol breach on January 6 even after learning that his then-vice president, Mike Pence's life was in danger.

MOVIES - From CBR:  As Zack Snyder awaits the release of his new film, "Zack Snyder's Justice League," he talks about developing a faithful adaptation of the King Arthur legend.

DISNEY - From THR:   Digital TV Research says that the streaming service, Disney+, will have more subscribers in 2026 than Netflix's streaming service.  However, it says that Disney+ will only have more subscribers than Netflix in only one country - India.

MUSIC - From CNN:   Rapper Nicki Minaj's father, 64-year-old Robert Maraj, dies in hit-and-run that occurred in Mineola, Long Island, police say.

BOX OFFICE - From Deadline:   The winner of the 2/12 to 2/14/2021 weekend box office is "Croods: A New Age" with an estimated take of 2.66 million dollars.  The film, from DreamWorks Animation, was originally a Thanksgiving 2020 release.

From Variety:   The Chinese New Year led to a record-breaking holiday weekend at the Chinese box office - 775 million dollars.  "Detective Chinatown 3" lead the way with a record 424 million dollar debut.

From Deadline:  Director Nate Parker's "American Skin" becomes distributor, Vertical Entertainment's highest grossing PVOD (premium video on demand) release.

From Deadline:   "The Mauritanian," "The World To Come," and "Willy’s Wonderland" battle at the specialty box office.

CRIME - From YahooNews:  Attacks on older Asians stoke fear as Lunar New Year begins

CULTURE - From CNN:  People reflect on losing parents to the QAnon conspiracy.

COMICS TO MOVIES - DC CINEMA - From YouTube:   There is a new trailer (Sun., Feb. 14th) for the film now known as "Zack Snyder's Justice League."

MOVIES - From YahooEntertainment:   This year is the 30th anniversary of the release of the eventual "Best Picture" Oscar winner, "Silence of the Lambs."  Star Jodie Foster admits in a new interview that she was afraid of co-star Anthony Hopkins, who played the infamous "Hannibal Lecter."

MUSIC - From Variety:   In the wake of accusations of sexism and misogyny against Justin Timberlake regarding his treatment of former girlfriend Britney Spears, and the “wardrobe malfunction” with Janet Jackson at the Super Bowl in 2004, he has apologized to both women in an Instagram post.

OBITS:

From Deadline:   Stage, film, and television actor, Christopher Pennock, has died at the age of 76, Friday, February 12, 2021.  He is best know for playing "Gabriel Collins" on the final season of the former ABC soap opera, "Dark Shadows" (1966-1971).  Pennock also appeared in numerous other daytime and primetime soap operas, including "General Hospital," "The Young and the Restless," and "Knots Landing," to name a few.

From YahooSports:   Former NFL player, Vincent Jackson, has died at the age of 38, Monday, February 15, 2021.  He was found dead in a hotel in Brandon, a suburb of Tampa, Florida.  He played 12 years in the NFL as a wide receiver, first for the San Diego Chargers (2005-2011) and then, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2012-2016).  He was a three-time Pro Bowl player (2009-2011).



Saturday, January 6, 2018

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from January 1st to 6th, 2018 - Update #35

Support Leroy on Patreon.

STREAMING - From ScreenDaily:  Kiernan Shipka will be the star of the untitled "Sabrina the Teenage Witch" series that is based on the horror comic book, "The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina."

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SCANDAL - From THR:  Four women accuse Oscar-winning filmmaker, Paul Haggis, of sexual misconduct, including two rapes.

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COMICS-FILM - From Local10:  Black Panther movie causing excitement around the country.

From Comicsverse:   This Is Everything You Need to Know About 2018 Comic Book Movies and TV Shows Coming Out in 2018.

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MOVIES - From Variety:  Ridley Scott in talks to direct "Merlin Saga" for Disney.  The movie would be based on the book series by T.A. Barron.

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CULTURE - From TheNewRepublic:  "Water in the raw," the latest stripped-down lifestyle scam.

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COMICS-FILM - From THR:  Marvel Studios' "Captain Marvel" has cast DeWanda Wise (Netflix's "She Gotta Have It") in an unspecified supporting role.  The film stars Oscar-winner Brie Larson and Oscar-nominee Jude Law and is directed by Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck.  The movie is scheduled to open March 8, 2019.

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STREAMING - From TVLine:  Hulu is reviving "Animaniacs."  The animated TV series originally aired for 1993 to 1998, first on Fox Kid and Kids' WB, neither of which exist anymore.  Steven Spielberg will return to executive produce.

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CANNES - From Variety:  Cate Blanchett has been named Cannes Jury President for this year's film festival (the 71st edition of the festival), which begins May 8th and ends May 19th, 2018.

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STREAMING - From ShadowandAct:  The sequel to the Will Smith Netflix's film, "Bright," directed by David Ayer and co-starring Joel Edgerton, is official.  Max Landis will not be returning as writer.  [By the way, this film is not in theaters; viewers can stream it on Netflix.

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STREAMING - From ShadowandAct:  Hulu developing a period comedy/drama about drag queen icon and celebrity, RuPaul, entitled "Queen."  J.J. Abrams is producing.

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COMICS-FILM - From ShadowandAct:  Grammy-winner Kendrick Lamar and TDE are producing the "Black Panther" soundtrack.  The soundtrack album will contain music featured in the film and inspired by the film.  This is the first time that Marvel Studios will integrate multiple original songs in a Marvel Cinematic Universe film.

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SPORTS - From ESPN:  What does NBS star hope to find with the Boston Celtics?

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STREAMING - From Variety:  Netflix's stock reaches an all-time high, $206.21 per share before closing at $205.05, coming off good news about the Will Smith-David Ayer film, Bright.

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MOVIE - From Variety:  Will Smith and James Lassiter's production company, Overbrook Entertaiment, has decided not to re-up its first-look deal with Sony Pictures.

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STAR TREK - From Variety:  It's the 25th anniversary of "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine."

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CULTURE - From Wired:  Teens aren't partying anymore.

From TheNewYorker:  What If Parents Loved Strangers’ Children As Much As Their Own?

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JAMES BOND - From BleedingCool:  The next actor to play James Bond, after Daniel Craig, could be black or a woman, says Bond producer Barbara Broccoli.

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HEALTHCARE - From MotherJones:  Go Fund Yourself - crowdfunding personal medical crisis.

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BOX OFFICE - From Variety:  "Star Wars: The Last Jedi" wins the four-day New Year's Day weekend, 12/29/2017 to 1/1/2018 with an estimated take of $68.4 million.

From TheWrap:  For the first time since 1959, the top three movies at the North American box office feature female leads - "Star Wars: The Last Jedi," "Beauty and the Beast," and "Wonder Woman."

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MUSIC - From Variety:  Actor-recording artist Justin Timberlake announces a new music album to be released Feb. 2nd, 2018.  Entitled "Man of the Woods," it is first studio LP since the two-set "The 20/20 Experience."  The first single arrives Friday, Jan. 5th.

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MUSIC-CULTURE - From TheNewRepublic:  Have the richie-poos taken over the British pop music scene.

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STREAMING - From BleedingCool:  Stephen King says that he is in the dark about the development of "Castle Rock," the Stephen King-theme series on Hulu.

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TELEVISION - From ShadowandAct:  30 highly anticipated projects from featuring African-Americans in front of or behind the camera that were announced in 2017.

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STREAMING - From ShadowandAct:  "She's Gotta Have It" gets a second season from Netflix.  The film is based on Spike Lee's 1986 film.

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POLITICS - From NYT:  Nigerians live in huts.  It can no longer be denied - President Trump is a racist and a bigot.

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POLITICS - From TIME:  Robert Redford: The GOP 'Tax Scam' Is a 'Dirty Deal' for America.

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MOVIE - From TheWrap:  Jodie Foster says big-budget, superhero blockbusters are ruining movie.

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BLM - From NewYorkMagazine:  An interview with the late Erica Garner, the anti-police brutality activist and civil rights activist, who died recently.  She was the daughter of Eric Garner, who died as the result of police brutality.

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CELEBRITY - From THR:  Zac Efron shares the story of his phone call with the late Michael Jackson that had both of them in tears.

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VIDEO:

From BleedingCool:  Shannon Tindle, the creator of "Kubo and the Two Strings" has been working on an animated series based on Disney's "The Haunted Mansion," to which Disney still has not committed.  Tindle shared a 60-second animated teaser for the potential series.

From BET:  The cast of "Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle" on the importance of diversity.

OBITS:

From TMZ:  Actor and comedian, Jerry Van Dyke, has died at the age of 86, Friday, January 5, 2018.  Jerry is best known for his supporting role in the former ABC series, "Coach" (1989 to 1997), alongside series star, Craig T. Nelson.  Jerry is also the younger brother of legendary entertainer, Dick Van Dyke.

From Newsweek:  Singer and child actor, Jon Paul Steuer, has died at the age of 33, Monday, January 1, 2018.  Star Trek fans know Steuer as the first actor to play the child Klingon, Alexander, the son of Worf in "Star Trek: The Next Generations."  He also appeared in the ABC comedy series, "Grace Under Fire."

From CBS:  In a video, CBS Sunday Morning Says "Hail and Farewell" to those we lost in 2017.


Saturday, January 17, 2015

2015 Directors Guild Awards Nominations - Television Categories

The Directors Guild of America (DGA) is the entertainment labor union that represents film and television directors.  The DGA gives out the Directors Guild of America Award each year to honor outstanding achievement.

Directors Guild of America President Paris Barclay today announced the DGA’s nominees for “Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Television, Commercials and Documentary” for 2014 on Wednesday, January 14, 2015.

The nominees for the “Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Dramatic Series for 2014” are (in alphabetical order):

DAN ATTIAS
Homeland, "13 Hours in Islamabad"

(Showtime)

Mr. Attias's Directorial Team:
    Unit Production Managers: Angela Phillips, Michael Klick
    First Assistant Director: Nick Heckstall Smith
    Second Assistant Director: Wendy Bledsoe

This is Mr. Attias's fourth DGA Award nomination. He previously won in this category in 2008 for The Wire, “Transitions.” He was also nominated in 2002 for Six Feet Under, “Back to the Garden” and in 1999 for The Sopranos, “46 Long.”

JODIE FOSTER
House of Cards, "Chapter 22"

(Netflix)

Ms. Foster's Directorial Team:
    Unit Production Manager: Boris Malden
    First Assistant Director: Christo Morse
    Second Assistant Director: Annie Tan
    Second Second Assistant Director: Tim Blockburger

Ms. Foster was nominated twice this year and these are her first DGA Award nominations. She is also nominated for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Comedy Series for Orange is the New Black, "Thirsty Bird."

CARY JOJI FUKUNAGA
True Detective, "Who Goes There"

(HBO)

Mr. Fukunaga's Directorial Team:
    Unit Production Manager: Carol Cuddy
    First Assistant Director: Jon Mallard
    Second Assistant Director: Scott August
    Second Second Assistant Director: Cali Pomés
    Additional Second Assistant Director: Nathan Parker
    Location Manager: Batou Chandler

This is Mr. Fukunaga's first DGA Award nomination.

LESLI LINKA GLATTER
Homeland, "From A to B and Back Again"

(Showtime)

Ms. Glatter’s Directorial Team:
    Unit Production Managers: Angela Phillips, Michael Klick
    First Assistant Director: Nick Heckstall Smith
    Second Assistant Director: Wendy Bledsoe

This is Ms. Glatter's fifth DGA Award nomination. She previously won in this category in 2009 for Mad Men, “Guy Walks into an Advertising Agency.” She was also nominated in 2013 and 2012 for Homeland episodes “The Star” and “Q & A,” as well as in 1990 for Twin Peaks, “Episode 32006.”

ALEX GRAVES
Game of Thrones, “The Children”

(HBO)

This is Mr. Graves's second DGA Award nomination. He previously was nominated in this category in 2002 for The West Wing, “Posse Comitatus.”

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The nominees for the “Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Comedy Series for 2014” are (in alphabetical order):

LOUIS C.K.
Louie, "Elevator: Part 6"

(FX)

Mr. C.K.'s Directorial Team:
    Unit Production Manager: M. Blair Breard
    First Assistant Director: Adam Escott
    Second Assistant Director: Nick Vanderpool
    Location Manager: Jeff Caron

This is Mr. C.K.'s third DGA Award nomination. He previously was nominated for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Variety/Talk/News/Sports – Specials in 2013 for Louis C.K.: Oh My God and for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Comedy Series in 2012 for the “New Year’s Eve” episode of Louie.

JODIE FOSTER
Orange is the New Black, "Thirsty Bird"

(Netflix)

Ms. Foster's Directorial Team:
    Unit Production Managers: David Price, Neri Kyle Tannenbaum
    First Assistant Director: Robert C. Albertell
    Second Assistant Director: Joseph Turner
    Second Second Assistant Director: Emily Evashevski
    Location Manager: Lauri Pitkus

Ms. Foster was nominated twice this year and these are her first DGA Award nominations. She is also nominated for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Dramatic Series for House of Cards, “Chapter 22.”

MIKE JUDGE
Silicon Valley, "Minimum Viable Product"

(HBO)

Mr. Judge's Directorial Team:
    Unit Production Manager: Chrisann Verges
    First Assistant Director: Nicholas Mastandrea
    Second Assistant Director: Yumiko Takeya
    Second Second Assistant Directors: Heidi Hinzman, Jessica Faires

This is Mr. Judge's first DGA Award nomination.

GAIL MANCUSO
Modern Family, "Vegas"

(ABC)

Ms. Mancuso's Directorial Team:
    Unit Production Manager: Sally Young
    First Assistant Director: Alisa Statman
    Second Assistant Director: Helena Lamb
    Second Second Assistant Director: Matthew W. Heffernan

This is Ms. Mancuso's second DGA Award nomination. She was nominated in this same category last year for the “My Hero” episode of Modern Family.

JILL SOLOWAY
Transparent, "Best New Girl"

(Amazon Prime)

Ms. Soloway's Directorial Team:
    Unit Production Manager: Victor Hsu
    First Assistant Director: Bill Purple
    Second Assistant Director: Allan Monteiro Fortes

This is Ms. Soloway's first DGA Award nomination.

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The nominees for the “Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Movies for Television and Mini-Series for 2014” are (in alphabetical order):

ROB ASHFORD (Directed by)
GLENN WEISS (Live Television Direction By)
Peter Pan Live!

(NBC)

Directorial Team:
    Associate Directors: Ken Diego, Susan Kopensky                       
    Key Stage Manager: Lynn Finkel
    Stage Managers: Peter Epstein, Jeffry Gitter, Andrew Gottlieb, Isiah James, Jeff Markowitz, Bill Miller, Cyndi Owgang, Jeffrey L. Pearl, Annette Powlis, Elise Reaves, Lauren Class Schneider, Tom Ucciferri, Karen Tasch Weiss

This is Mr. Ashford's second DGA Award nomination. He was nominated in this category last year, together with Beth McCarthy-Miller, for The Sound of Music Live!

This is Mr. Weiss's twelfth DGA Award nomination. He is also nominated this year for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Variety/Talk/News/Sports – Specials for The 68th Annual Tony Awards. He previously won the DGA Award in 2007, 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013 for the 61st, 64th, 65th, 66th, and 67th Annual Tony Awards. He was also nominated in 2001, 2002, 2005, 2006 and 2008 for the 55th, 56th, 59th, 60th, and 62nd Annual Tony Awards.

LISA CHOLODENKO
Olive Kitteridge

(HBO)

Ms. Cholodenko's Directorial Team:
    Unit Production Manager: David Coatsworth
    First Assistant Director: Jesse Nye
    Second Assistant Director: Mark Constance
    Second Second Assistant Director: Elizabeth MacSwan

This is Ms. Cholodenko's first DGA Award nomination.

ULI EDEL
Houdini

(History Channel)

This is Mr. Edel's second DGA Award nomination. He previously was nominated in this category in 1996 for Rasputin.

RYAN MURPHY
The Normal Heart

(HBO)

Mr. Murphy's Directorial Team:
    Unit Production Managers: Scott Ferguson, Erica Kay
    First Assistant Director: Leo Bauer
    Second Assistant Directors: Becky Chin, Amy Lauritsen
    Second Second Assistant Directors: Heather Verbeke, Josh Muzaffer, Travis Rehwaldt, Brian Papworth
    Location Manager: Kip Davis Myers

This is Mr. Murphy's third DGA Award nomination. He previously was nominated for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Comedy Series in 2009 for the Glee pilot and in 2010 for “The Power of Madonna” episode.

MICHAEL WILSON
The Trip to Bountiful

(Lifetime)

Mr. Wilson's Directorial Team:
    Unit Production Manager: Dominic Cancilla
    First Assistant Director: Bobby Bastarache
    Second Assistant Director: Rhonda Guthrie

This is Mr. Wilson's first DGA Award nomination.

The winners in all categories will be announced at the 67th Annual DGA Awards on Saturday, February 7, 2015 at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza.

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Thursday, August 8, 2013

"Elysium" Makes Worldwide Landing in IMAX Theatres

Sony's Elysium Lands In IMAX® Theatres Worldwide Starting August 9

LOS ANGELES, PRNewswire/ -- IMAX Corporation (NYSE:IMAX; TSX:IMX), along with TriStar Pictures and Media Rights Capital today announced that Elysium, filmmaker Neill Blomkamp's (District 9) futuristic action film starring Matt Damon and Jodie Foster, will be digitally re-mastered into the immersive IMAX® format and released in IMAX® theatres worldwide beginning August 9.

"Neill Blomkamp is the kind of innovative, creative storyteller that moviegoers seek out, and we are thrilled to bring this highly anticipated film to IMAX audiences worldwide," said Greg Foster, CEO of IMAX Entertainment and Senior Executive Vice President IMAX Corp.

"Elysium is one of the most highly anticipated films of the summer, so we're pleased that audiences will have the chance to see Neill Blomkamp's vision for the future in IMAX's immersive format," said Rory Bruer, president, Worldwide Distribution for Sony Pictures.

The IMAX release of Elysium 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.

For more information about Elysium, please visit Sony's official website at http://www.itsbetterupthere.com/site/.

About Elysium
In the year 2154, two classes of people exist: the very wealthy, who live on a pristine man-made space station called Elysium, and the rest, who live on an overpopulated, ruined planet. The people of Earth are desperate to escape the crime and poverty that is now rampant throughout the land. The only man with the chance to bring equality to these worlds is Max (Matt Damon), an ordinary guy in desperate need to get to Elysium. With his life hanging in the balance, he reluctantly takes on a dangerous mission - one that pits him against Elysium's Secretary Delacourt (Jodie Foster) and her hard-line forces - but if he succeeds, he could save not only his own life, but millions of people on Earth as well.  Written and directed by Neill Blomkamp.  The QED International / Alphacore Studios / Kinberg Genre production is produced by Bill Block, Neill Blomkamp, and Simon Kinberg.

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 March 31, 2013, there were 738 IMAX theatres (606 commercial multiplexes, 19 commercial destinations and 113 institutions) in 53 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.


Saturday, December 15, 2012

2013 Golden Globe Awards Nominations - Movie Categories

The Golden Globe Award is a movie accolade bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA). The award recognizes excellence in both film and television. The annual awards ceremony is a major part of the film industry’s award season.

Jodie Foster will receive the “Cecil B. DeMille Award” for career achievement at the 2013 awards ceremony. The 70th Annual Golden Globes Awards to be held Sunday, January 13, 2013.

2013 Golden Globe Nominations:

1. BEST MOTION PICTURE – DRAMA
a. ARGO
Warner Bros. Pictures, GK Films, Smokehouse Pictures; Warner Bros. Pictures

b. DJANGO UNCHAINED
The Weinstein Company, Columbia Pictures; The Weinstein Company/Sony Pictures Releasing

c. LIFE OF PI
Fox 2000 Pictures; Twentieth Century Fox

d. LINCOLN
DreamWorks Pictures, Twentieth Century Fox; Touchstone Pictures

e. ZERO DARK THIRTY
Columbia Pictures and Annapurna Pictures; Sony Pictures Releasing

2. BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE – DRAMA
a. Jessica Chastain - ZERO DARK THIRTY
b. Marion Cotillard - RUST AND BONE
c. Helen Mirren - HITCHCOCK
d. Naomi Watts - THE IMPOSSIBLE
e. Rachel Weisz - THE DEEP BLUE SEA

3. BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE – DRAMA
a. Daniel Day-Lewis - LINCOLN
b. Richard Gere - ARBITRAGE
c. John Hawkes - THE SESSIONS
d. Joaquin Phoenix - THE MASTER
e. Denzel Washington - FLIGHT

4. BEST MOTION PICTURE – COMEDY OR MUSICAL
a. THE BEST EXOTIC MARIGOLD HOTEL 

Blueprint Pictures/Participant Media; Fox Searchlight Pictures

b. LES MISERABLES
Universal Pictures, A Working Title Films/Cameron Mackintosh Productions; Universal Pictures

c. MOONRISE KINGDOM
Indian Paintbrush; Focus Features

d. SALMON FISHING IN THE YEMEN
CBS Films; CBS Films

e. SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK
The Weinstein Company; The Weinstein Company

5. BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE – COMEDY OR MUSICAL
a. Emily Blunt - SALMON FISHING IN THE YEMEN
b. Judi Dench - THE BEST EXOTIC MARIGOLD HOTEL
c. Jennifer Lawrence - SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK
d. Maggie Smith - QUARTET
e. Meryl Streep - HOPE SPRINGS

6. BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE – COMEDY OR MUSICAL
a. Jack Black - BERNIE
b. Bradley Cooper - SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK
c. Hugh Jackman - LES MISERABLES
d. Ewan McGregor - SALMON FISHING IN THE YEMEN
e. Bill Murray - HYDE PARK ON HUDSON

7. BEST ANIMATED FEATURE FILM
a. BRAVE
Walt Disney Pictures, Pixar Animation Studios; Walt Disney Pictures

b. FRANKENWEENIE
Walt Disney Pictures; Walt Disney Pictures

c. HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA
Columbia Pictures / Sony Pictures Animation; Sony Pictures Releasing

d. RISE OF THE GUARDIANS
DreamWorks Animation LLC; Paramount Pictures

e. WRECK-IT RALPH
Walt Disney Pictures, Walt Disney Animation Studios; Walt Disney Pictures

8. BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
a. AMOUR (AUSTRIA)
Les Films Du Losange, X Filme Creative Pool, Wega Film; Sony Pictures Classics

b. A ROYAL AFFAIR (DENMARK)
(En kongelig affære) 
Zentropa Entertainment; Magnolia Pictures

c. THE INTOUCHABLES (FRANCE)
(Les Intouchables) 
The WeinstenCompany, Quad Productions, Gaumont, TF1 Films Production, Ten Films, Chaocorp; The Weinstein Company

d. KON-TIKI (NORWAY/UK/DENMARK)
Nordisk Film Production, Recorded Picture Company; The Weinstein Company

e. RUST AND BONE (FRANCE)
(De rouille et d’os) 
Page 114, Why Not Productions; Sony Pictures Classics

9. BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MOTION PICTURE
a. Amy Adams - THE MASTER
b. Sally Field - LINCOLN
c. Anne Hathaway - LES MISERABLES
d. Helen Hunt - THE SESSIONS
e. Nicole Kidman - THE PAPERBOY

10. BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MOTION PICTURE
a. Alan Arkin - ARGO
b. Leonardo DiCaprio - DJANGO UNCHAINED
c. Philip Seymour Hoffman - THE MASTER
d. Tommy Lee Jones - LINCOLN
e. Christoph Waltz - DJANGO UNCHAINED

11. BEST DIRECTOR – MOTION PICTURE
a. Ben Affleck - ARGO
b. Kathryn Bigelow - ZERO DARK THIRTY
c. Ang Lee - LIFE OF PI
d. Steven Spielberg - LINCOLN
e. Quentin Tarantino - DJANGO UNCHAINED

12. BEST SCREENPLAY – MOTION PICTURE
a. Mark Boal - ZERO DARK THIRTY
b. Tony Kushner - LINCOLN
c. David O. Russell - SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK
d. Quentin Tarantino - DJANGO UNCHAINED
e. Chris Terrio – ARGO

13. BEST ORIGINAL SCORE – MOTION PICTURE
a. Mychael Danna - LIFE OF PI
b. Alexandre Desplat - ARGO
c. Dario Marianelli - ANNA KARENINA
d. Tom Tykwer, Johnny Klimek, Reinhold Heil - CLOUD ATLAS
e. John Williams - LINCOLN

14. BEST ORIGINAL SONG – MOTION PICTURE
a. “FOR YOU” — ACT OF VALOR
Music by: Monty Powell, Keith Urban
Lyrics by: Monty Powell, Keith Urban

b. “NOT RUNNING ANYMORE”—STAND UP GUYS
Music by: Jon Bon Jovi
Lyrics by: Jon Bon Jovi

c. “SAFE & SOUND” — THE HUNGER GAMES
Music by: Taylor Swift, John Paul White, Joy Williams, T Bone Burnett
Lyrics by: Taylor Swift, John Paul White, Joy Williams, T Bone Burnett

d. “SKYFALL”—SKYFALL
Music by: Adele, Paul Epworth
Lyrics by: Adele, Paul Epworth

e. “SUDDENLY” — LES MISERABLES
Music by: Claude-Michel Schonberg
Lyrics by: Herbert Kretzmer, Alain Boublil

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Review: "Inside Man" is Slick Entertainment, Nothing More (Happy B'day, Spike Lee)

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 130 (of 2006) by Leroy Douresseaux

Inside Man (2006)
Running time: 128 minutes (2 hours, 8 minutes)
MPAA – R for language and some violent images
DIRECTOR: Spike Lee
WRITER: Russell Gewirtz
PRODUCER: Brian Grazer
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Matthew Libatique (director of photography)
EDITOR: Barry Alexander Brown
COMPOSER: Terrence Blanchard

DRAMA/CRIME with elements of a thriller

Starring: Denzel Washington, Clive Owen, Jodie Foster, Christopher Plummer, Willem Dafoe, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Carlos Andrés Gómez, Kim Director, James Ransone, Bernard Rachelle, Peter Gerety, Victor Colicchio, and Cassandra Freeman

Inside Man is a 2006 crime drama from director Spike Lee. Lee was basically a director-for-hire of this story of a peculiar bank heist, which was originally going to be directed by Ron Howard.

Four people dressed in painters outfits march into the Manhattan Trust Bank and take 50 customers and employees hostage, and then put the bank under a surgically planned siege. Detective Keith Frazier (Denzel Washington) and Detective Bill Mitchell (Chiwetel Ejiofor) are dispatched to the seemingly airtight heist by their precinct captain, with Frazier acting as the hostage negotiator. Frazier is hopeful of resolving the situation quickly, but Dalton Russell (Clive Owen), the bank robbers’ leader, is exceedingly clever, uncannily calm, and totally in command. Not only does he manage to disorient his hostages, but he’s also managing to confuse the police and stall for time.

Meanwhile, the bank’s chairman of the board of directors (ostensibly the owner), Arthur Case (Christopher Plummer), has used his vast and considerable political connections to arrange a meeting between Madeline White (Jodie Foster), a shadowy power player, and Russell – much to the chagrin of Detective Frazier. White is vague with Frazier about what she and Russell discuss during their brief meeting, but it seems as if looting a bank full of money isn’t Russell’s only objective. Detective Frazier needs to unravel this puzzle though, because he’s running out of time to keep this standoff from turning ugly and bloody for both hostages and hostage takers. The police high command is about to unleash Emergency Services Unit (ESU) Captain John Darius (Willem Dafoe) and his tactical unit to go in and settle the situation – to kill if necessary - and Frazier still isn’t sure just who is pulling the invisible strings of this strange case.

Inside Man may be Spike Lee’s most purely enjoyable film to date, being that it is almost totally free of his usual political drama and social commentary. The film is clever and Spike expertly extracts the unexpected turns and labyrinthine twists of writer Russell Gewirtz’s script. Lee adds the big time gloss to Gewirtz’s screenplay, his first produced for the big screen (He’d previously written for the late ABC TV series “Blind Justice.”). Lee makes the plot’s crafty tricks practical for a movie aimed at a broad audience.

Gewirtz’s script is rife with good characters, but it is obviously up to the director to set the tone and the actors to create by giving flesh to the concepts. There’s a natural humor to the characters, especially in their dialogue, and Lee allows that to play out, which brings the right amount of levity to this crime drama – a nice touch since this bank heist/hostage situation really isn’t about blood, guts, and guns. Lee also makes the most of the match of wits or chess game between Clive Owen’s Dalton Russell and Denzel Washington’s Keith Frazier.

This is the fourth collaboration between Spike and Denzel, after Mo’ Better Blues, Malcolm X, and He Got Game. Lee also seems familiar with Clive Owen, as he comfortable taps into Owen’s understated air of menace – the charming rogue. Jodie Foster makes the most of her part and creates an adversary that engages the audience as much as she engages the other characters. Foster’s Madeline White is a charming reptile; like the actress, the character has a natural intelligence that is obvious the first time someone meets her, but Foster adds the twist of making Madeline the perfect trouble-shooting witch.

Still, Inside Man is a bit too clever for its own good. Gewirtz never really taps into the raw emotional power of the devastating secret at the heart of his heist story, and Lee seems more in love with the shiny bauble the plot is, with all its unexpected shifts and revelations in the narrative, than he is with the consequences of malfeasance and with genuine evil. As a police procedural and heist film, Inside Man is as crafty as its colorful cast of cunning and wily characters makes it, and that’s craftiness by the carload – enough to keep your mind fighting with the puzzle for just about all of this film. The last 20 minutes or so of Inside Man is a bit of a stumble, as the filmmakers avoid the meat of an ugly subject matter, but getting to the end was still fun to watch.

Once upon a time – not that long ago – Spike would have readily ignored the genre aspects of this story in favor of tackling the issues of bigotry, public corruption, and appalling evil this story raises. Oh, well. At least he proved that he can be a very capable director-for-hire.

6 of 10
B

Thursday, June 15, 2006

NOTES:
2007 Black Reel Awards: 1 win: “Best Director” (Spike Lee); 3 nominations: “Best Actor” (Denzel Washington), “Best Film” (Brian Grazer and Jonathan Filley), “Best Original Score” (Terence Blanchard)

2007 Image Awards: 1 win: “Outstanding Directing in a Feature Film/Television Movie - Comedy or Drama” (Spike Lee); 1 nomination: “Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture” (Denzel Washington)

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Thursday, November 17, 2011

Review: "Taxi Driver" Can Still Astound (Happy B'day, Martin Scorcese)

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 42 (of 2003) by Leroy Douresseaux

Taxi Driver (1976)
Running time: 113 minutes (1 hour, 53 minutes)
MPAA – R
DIRECTOR: Martin Scorcese
WRITER: Paul Schrader
PRODUCERS: Julia Phillips and Michael Phillips
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Michael Chapman
EDITORS: Tom Rolf and Melvin Shapiro
Academy Award nominee

DRAMA

Starring: Robert De Niro, Cybill Shepherd, Peter Boyle, Jodie Foster, Harvey Keitel, Leonard Harris, and Albert Brooks

Some consider Taxi Driver to Martin Scorcese’s signature film and more than enough reason why this famed director should have been awarded an Oscar as Best Director a long time ago. One of the best-remembered film’s of the 1970’s, Taxi Driver is also one of the most influential American films ever made. It lives up to the hype.

Travis Bickle (Robert De Niro) is a mentally unstable former Marine and Vietnam veteran who takes a job as a nighttime taxi cab driver to pass the time because of his insomnia. He perceives New York City as decadent, sleazy, and filled with phony people, and this perception feeds an urge growing in him to lash out at something or anything.

He first fixates on Betsy (Cybill Shepherd), a worker in a senator’s presidential campaign. He convinces her to accompany him on a date, but later he frightens and angers her when he takes her to a bizarre foreign pornographic film. After Betsy dumps him, Travis becomes obsessed with killing the presidential candidate Charles Palantine (Leonard Harris), who hires Travis’s taxi one evening. He also becomes fixated on a second female, Iris Steensma (Jodie Foster), a 12 year-old runaway and current prostitute. They become friends, and he urges her to leave her pimp, Sport (Harvey Keitel). These fixations and obsessions move Travis quickly down a path of shocking violence that leads to an equally shocking ending.

Bickle is one of De Niro’s most famous performances, and it earned him an Academy Award nomination. It’s a tricky role and character. Bickle could be likable, but he’s mostly pathetic, the very definition of a loser. Much of what Bickle has to say is done as voiceovers that give clues to the character’s plans, if not necessarily his motivations. What De Niro does is reveal the depths of the character almost entirely through exquisite body language and facial expressions. When it comes right down to it, Bickle doesn’t have a whole lot to say that would interest anyone outside of the police and head doctors. We learn the character by carefully watching De Niro. In gestures, both subtle and gregarious, in a face both serene and incensed, De Niro’s builds Bickle layer by layer, brick by brick. In fleeting moments, he makes Bickle pitiable and sympathetic, in others, dull and selfish. Sometimes Bickle’s rage is quietly focused; other times, it’s mad twister leaving feelings and bodies on the floor. Although a star and recognizable face at the time of this film’s release, De Niro transforms himself into Bickle, but leaves enough of himself in view to make Bickle fleetingly attractive, to use his matinee idol status to attract our attention to his disturbed character.

Scorcese deserves a lot of credit for allowing De Niro to roam, but it is Scorcese the director who channels the spirit of Bickle into an engaging movie. He has a deft touch at building the other characters and the story as a framework around De Niro’s painting. He knows who his subject is, but he also knows how to keep De Niro from banishing Paul Schrader’s excellent script to the background. Scorcese apparently realized that every element of the film worked: script, music, editing, actors, but he realized that De Niro was going to sell the total package to the audience.

You can’t like movies and have never seen Taxi Drive unless you’re very squeamish about dark subject matter and dislike stark realism. Still, that’s not enough reason to miss one of the great films.

9 of 10
A+

NOTES:
1977 Academy Awards: 4 nominations: “Best Actor in a Leading Role” (Robert De Niro), “Best Actress in a Supporting Role” (Jodie Foster), “Best Music, Original Score’ (Bernard Herrmann), and “Best Picture” (Michael Phillips and Julia Phillips)

1977 BAFTA Awards: 3 wins: “Anthony Asquith Award for Film Music” (Bernard Herrmann), “Best Supporting Actress” (Jodie Foster), and “Most Promising Newcomer to Leading Film Roles” (Jodie Foster); 4 nominations: “Best Actor” (Robert De Niro), “Best Direction” (Martin Scorsese), “Best Film,” and “Best Film Editing” (Marcia Lucas, Tom Rolf, and Melvin Shapiro)

1977 Golden Globes: 2 nominations: “Best Motion Picture Actor – Drama” (Robert De Niro) and “Best Screenplay - Motion Picture” (Paul Schrader)

1994 National Film Preservation Board: National Film Registry

1976 Cannes Film Festival: 1 win: “Palme d'Or” (Martin Scorsese)

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Friday, October 1, 2010

Review: "Panic Room" is a Sweet Thriller

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 25 (of 2002) by Leroy Douresseaux

Panic Room (2002)
Running time:  112 minutes (1 hour, 52 minutes)
MPAA - R for violence and language
DIRECTOR: David Fincher
WRITER: David Koepp
PRODUCERS: Ceán Chaffin, Judy Hofflund, David Koepp, and Gavin Polone
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Conrad W. Hall (D.o.P.) and Darius Khondji (D.o.P.)
EDITORS: James Haygood and Angus Wall
COMPOSER: Howard Shore

THRILLER

Starring: Jodie Foster, Kristen Stewart, Forest Whitaker, Dwight Yoakum, Jared Leto, and Patrick Bauchau

Meg Altman (Jodie Foster) has left a messy divorce and is looking for a new home for her and her daughter Sarah (Kristen Stewart). She finds a beautiful mansion style brownstone/townhouse with a panic room, a sort of safe room or medieval keep with cameras, monitors, and supplies in which one can hide from and hold up against intruders. When three men (Forest Whitaker, Jared Leto, and Dwight Yoakum) break in her home, Meg and Sarah barely escape into the panic room only to learn that what the three men want is inside room with them.

Directed by David Fincher (Seven, The Fight Club), Panic Room is the kind of adult thriller of a quality that is truly scarce. It is the kind of movie that relies on the skill of a capable and talented director, which Fincher continually proves himself to be with each film. He begins to build levels of intensity, layer upon layer, from the film’s opening shots (with a beautiful and evocative opening credit reel over the New York City skyline) to the closing shots that only barely lets up as the film fades.

Fincher puts the actors through the paces, but they are up to whatever the task at hand. Jodie Foster in insanely intense and intensely dramatic. Of all the cast, she has to not only sell this movie, but a successful execution of the premise relies on her. From fear to bravery, from delirium to determination, Ms. Foster is the face of Fincher’s dramatic exercise. The rest of the cast is also quite good. Ms. Stewart plays Sarah as definitely being her mother’s daughter, mirroring a range of emotions similar to her mother’s. Although Leto’s Junior is the criminal mastermind of the operation, Whitaker’s Burnham and Yoakum’s Raoul carry the show, both quietly mixing a sense of dread and fear that makes their characters more desperate and more dangerous.

Fincher also puts his camera through the paces. It weaves, dodges, and chases, making surprising discovers in a mad dash to create intensity. However, the film itself isn’t a reckless, mad dash. It is evenly paced, and though Fincher uses some of his pictorial and stylistic quirks needlessly, he creates a drama with a sense of terror in the tradition of Rear Window. That, in an era of hyped up SFX films, in refreshing. The genre elements of a thriller: terror and suspense are but beautiful window dressing to the drama.

In Panic Room, every character has a story that makes them more than stock characters. This is a testament to veteran screenwriter David Koepp’s skill in making three-dimensional characters. Whatever fate a thriller has in store for its characters holds more thrill if the characters are more than paper cutouts. If we care for them, we don’t want them in danger. If the villains have real motivation, there are more dangerous.

Kudos to Fincher above all else. Panic Room is that proverbial edge of your seat thriller, but he doesn’t eschew the meat of the story to serve his style. He remains visionary because he can turn the story into powerful visual images. He’s patient and allows the camera, our eyes to survey the scene of the brilliant cat and mouse game. Instead of choppy and quick editing, Panic Room is deliberate, almost sexy in the suspense that it unveils before us. This is the kind of special film that you know you want to see.

8 of 10
A

NOTES:
2003 Black Reel Awards: 1 nomination: “Theatrical - Best Supporting Actor” (Forest Whitaker)
 
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