by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"
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ENTERTAINMENT NEWS:
TELEVISION - From TheWrap: Black Neff, the writer most responsible for the shit that Fox News personality, Tucker Carlson, spews from his mouth, has resigned from Fox after CNN Business discovered a Neff's racist and sexist post on an online forum.
BLM - From YahooEntertainment: Actress and activist, Rashida Jones, is the daughter of an African-American man (music legend Quincy Jones) and a white actress (Peggy Lipton). Regarding Black Lives Matter protests mean that this is the time for the country to show what it can be.
MOVIES - From Deadline: Actors Zendaya and John David Washington made a secret movie during the COVID-19 pandemic with Euphoria creator, Sam Levinson. The film, entitled "Malcolm & Marie," has already completed production.
POLITICS - From RSN: Former U.S. Secretary of Labor Robert Reich warns of a looming even worse "Great Recession."
DISNEY - From Variety: Jude Law is in talks to portray Captain Hook in Disney's live-action Peter Pan film, "Peter Pan & Wendy."
CELEBRITY - From YahooEntertainment: Oscar, Emmy, and Tony Award winning actress Viola Davis' "Black Meryl Streep" speech goes viral again.
COVID-19 - From LATimes: Tom Hanks is baffled by people who don't take COVID-19 seriously. Hanks and his wife, film producer/singer Rita Wilson, both contracted COVID-19.
CELEBRITY - From Vulture: The Emmy Award-winning actress, Thandie Newton, gives up juicy details in this career-spanning interview with "Vulture."
DISNEY - From Variety: Blacklisted NFL quarterback, Colin Kaepernick, has signed a first look deal with the Walt Disney Company. Part of the deal includes a documentary series produced by ESPN Films.
DISNEY - From YahooEnterainment: Why "Song of the South" is still a cultural flashpoint...
BLM - From YahooNews: Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley said that some soldiers deployed to Washington, D.C. to possibly assist in thwarting Black Lives Matter protests were issued bayonets, USA TODAY has confirmed.
CULTURE - From Slate: How Being Bullied Affects Your Adulthood
STAR TREK-ANIMATION - From Deadline: The new Star Trek animated comedy series, "Star Trek: Lower Decks," debuts August 6th, 2020 on the streaming service, CBS All Access.
CELEBRITY - From THR: The lovely Sarah Jessica Parker is developing a dating show for the Lifetime cable network.
COVID-19/CELEBRITY - From YahooEntertainment: Acclaimed actress Jennifer Aniston pleads with her fans to wear masks to prevent the spread of #COVID19.
ANIMATION - From Deadline: Mike Judge has signed a 2-season deal with Comedy Central to revive his animated creation, "Beavis and Butt-Head," which includes spin-offs and specials.
MOVIES - From Deadline: Apple will pay a record amount for the Antoine Fuqua-Will Smith project, "Emancipation." The deal may exceed $120 million.
MOVIES - From Vulture: The site asks if it is safe to go to the movies right now.
OBITS:
From Variety: The Italian film composer, Ennio Morricone, has died at the age of 91, Monday, July 6, 2020. Morricone is best known to American audiences for scoring director Sergio Leone's "Dollars" trilogy, and Morricone's score for the the third film in that trilogy, "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly," is considered one of the most influential film scores in history. Morricone received an "Honorary Academy Award" in 2007. He received six competitive Academy Award nominations, finally winning the "Best Original Score" Oscar for his work on Quentin Tarantino's "The Hateful Eight" (2015).
From Deadline: Screen and television writer, Bettina Gilois, has died at the age of 58, Sunday, July 5, 2020. She was best known for co-writing the 2015 HBO TV miniseries, "Bessie," (for which she earned an Emmy nomination) and for co-writing two sports films, 2006's "Glory Road" and 2015's "McFarland USA."
From Deadline: Broadway and television actor, Nick Cordero, has died at the age of 41, Sunday, July 5, 2020, of complications of COVID-19. He had been battling the disease since early April. Cordero received a Tony Award nomination for his role in "Bullets Over Broadway," and appeared in such productions as "A Bronx Tale," "Rock of Ages," and "Waitress."
From THR: Trailblazing Black British actor, Earl Cameron, died at the age of 102, Friday, July 3, 2020. Born in Bermuda, Cameron became the first Black actor to play a role in a mainstream British film with his appearance in the 1951 film, "Pool of London." Cameron's character in the film, "Johnny Lambert," also has an interracial romance, which also broke ground in British cinema.
From THR: The broadcaster, television host, and news anchor, Hugh Downs, has died at the age of 99, Wednesday, July 1, 2020. Downs game to fame a co-host of NBC's "Today" from 1962 to 1971. He was probably best known as the anchor of ABC News television magazine, "20/20," from 1978 to 1999.
From Deadline: Pioneering television comedy writer and director, Carl Reiner has died at the age of 98, Monday, June 29, 2020. Reiner is best known as the creator and writer-director and actor on "The Dick Van Dyke Show (1961-66). Five of the 9 Primetime Emmy Awards Reiner won were for his work on the show. He first came to big TV fame and acclaim working on Sid Ceasar's TV series, "Your Show of Shows" (NBC, 1950-54) and "Ceasar's Hour" (NBC, 1954-57). Reiner was also famous for being the son of television and film writer, director, and actor, Rob Reiner.
From Deadline: Mel Brooks pays homage to his friend, the late, great Carl Reiner.
BLACK LIVES MATTER NEWS:
From RSN: The four corners of police violence
From TheIntercept: Black Lives Matter Wants to End Police Brutality. History Suggests It Will Go Much Further.
From YahooNews: "The Confederacy of California": life in the valley where Robert Fuller was found hanged
From CNN: Colorado police officers involved in the death of Elijah McClain reassigned for safety reasons.
From Truthout: " Three North Carolina Police Fired for Racist Rants, Threats to Kill Black People" - and what they said is crazy and scary
From Truthout: Bryant Gumbel Gives Powerful Commentary on the 'Black Tax,' the 'Added Burden' of Being Black
From YahooEntertainment: Oscar-nominated songwriter and Grammy Award-winning recording artist, Ray Parker, Jr., may be best known for writing the theme to the film, "Ghostbusters," but when he was a teenager, Parker was beaten by Detroit police officers.
From RSNewYorker: Jelani Cobb: An American Spring of Reckoning.
From NBCNews: Baton Rouge, LA activist, Gary Chambers, makes an impassioned speech about changing the name of Robert E. Lee High School in Baton Rouge.
From YahooNews: Racial violence and a pandemic: How the Red Summer of 1919 relates to 2020
From DemocracyNow: Fear Grows of Modern-Day Lynchings as Five People of Color Are Found Hanged
From NYPost: Caramel, Indiana Catholic priest suspended for comparing Black Lives Matters activists to maggots.
From NBCNews: NYPD is disbanding a unit that is the 'last chapter' of stop-and-frisk
From YahooLifestyle: A history of the "Karen."
CORONAVIRUS/COVID-19 NEWS:
From CDC: The Centers for Disease Control has a "COVID Data Tracker."
From YahooNews: Why does COVID-19 kill some people and hardly affects others?
From YahooNews: Yahoo has a dedicated page of links updating news about COVID-19.
From Deadline: The news site "Deadline" has a dedicated page for news about coronavirus and the film, TV, and entertainment industries.
From TheNewYorker: The venerable magazine has a dedicate COVID-19 page free to all readers.
From YahooNews: Re: the federal government's response to COVID-19: What if the most important election of our lifetime was the last one - 2016?
From YahooLife: What is "happy hypoxia?" And do you have this COVID-19 symptom?
From JuanCole: Remeber when President Donald went crazy and suggested that we ingest household cleaning supplies and UV light to fight COVID-19. Here is the video and commentary from Juan Cole.
From TheIntercept: The federal government has ramped up security and police-related spending in response to the COVID-19/coronavirus pandemic, including issuing contracts for riot gear, disclosures show. The purchase orders include requests for disposable cuffs, gas masks, ballistic helmets, and riot gloves...
From NPR: A sad milestone: over 100,000 American have died due to COVID-19.
From TheAtlantic: The Coronavirus Was an Emergency Until Trump Found Out Who Was Dying. The pandemic has exposed the bitter terms of our racial contract, which deems certain lives of greater value than others.
From ProPublica: Hospital's Secret COVID-19 Policy Separated Native American Mothers From Their Newborns
From Truthout: Trump Moves to End Federal Support for Testing Sites Amid Record COVID Spikes
From TheGuardian: More than 20 million Americans could have contracted COVID-19, experts say.
From RSN/WashPost: The COVID-19 mutation that has taken over the world.
From NYPost: Students in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, are reportedly throwing “COVID parties” with their friends and gambling on who will get sick first, according to local officials.
From KABB: Alice Guzman, the stepmother of Congressman Joaquin Castro and former Democratic presidential candidate Julian Castro, has died of COVID-19. Their father is also ill with the virus.
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Showing posts with label Mike Judge. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mike Judge. Show all posts
Saturday, July 11, 2020
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.”
-------------------------------------------------
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.
-----------------------------------------------------
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.
--------------------------------
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.”
-------------------------------------------------
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.
-----------------------------------------------------
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.
--------------------------------
Thursday, October 17, 2013
Review: "Idiocracy" is Brilliant and Prophetic (Happy B'day, Mike Judge)
Idiocracy (2006)
Running time: 84 minutes (1 hour, 24 minutes)
MPAA – R for language and sex-related humor
DIRECTOR: Mike Judge
WRITERS: Mike Judge and Etan Cohen; from a story by Mike Judge
PRODUCERS: Mike Judge and Elysa Koplovitz
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Tim Suhrstedt
EDITOR: David Rennie
COMPOSER: Theodore Shapiro
COMEDY/SCI-FI
Starring: Luke Wilson, Maya Rudolph, Dax Shepard, Terry Alan Crews, Anthony Campos, David Herman, and Brad “Scarface” Jordan
The subject of this movie review is Idiocracy, a 2006 science fiction and satirical comedy film from writer-director, Mike Judge (Office Space). The film focuses on an “average American” who awakens from a hibernation project five centuries in the future, where he discovers a society that is so incredibly dumbed-down that he is easily the most intelligent person alive.
Idiocracy was essentially produced and abandoned. 20th Century Fox released the film to an estimated 130 theatres – much less than 600 theatres, the number that is usually considered the minimum for a film to be in wide release. Fox also did little in the way of promotion, and did not screen the movie for film critics.
To test its top secret Human Hibernation Project, U.S. Army officials chose the most average American male they can find, an Army private named Joe Bauers (Luke Wilson). The most average woman they find is Rita (Maya Rudolph), a prostitute. Joe and Rita are only supposed to stay in hibernation for one year, but they are forgotten and reawaken 500 years later. They find civilization so incredibly dumbed-down that they are the smartest people on earth. The President of the United States of Uhh-merica, Dwayne Elizondo Camacho (Terry Alan Crews), a former professional wrestler, wants Joe to solve the country’s problems (chiefly crop failures), or Camacho will have him rehabilitated – meaning killed.
Idiocracy is director Mike Judge’s long-awaited follow up to his cult hit, Office Space. Judge is also the creator of the popular animated television series “Beavis and Butt-head” (for MTV) and, co-creator with Greg Daniels of “King of the Hill” (for FOX). In this comic sci-fi flick, Judge and his co-screenwriter Etan Cohen transport the audience to a satirical future populated by dumb humans who do nothing but watch TV and who are too dumb to irrigate their crops with water (using instead a sports drink).
Watching this movie, it would not be hard to get the idea that Judge and his creative staff are being unnecessarily cynical, especially when one of the film’s tenets is that dumb people (rednecks, trailer trash, hood rats, etc.) breed too much, while smart people don’t have enough babies. An underemployed man who lives in poverty and has many children with two or more baby mamas isn’t necessarily dumb, nor are his offspring destined to be big dummies. To fixate on this, however, would be to take an anal view of the film. Besides, like much satire, Judge’s Idiocracy is preaching to the choir.
Combine genetic devolution with a populace enslaved to crass media that sells rampant commercialism and entertainment that emphasizes hypersexuality, and you might have a primary ingredient for a dystopian future, even if it isn’t as comically inept as the one presented here. Judge is trying to make a point about an America where so many people are stubbornly uncurious about their world, the people who live in it, and how their actions affect anyone beyond themselves and maybe the small circle of people around them. Yet those same people slavishly fixate on the habits and lifestyles of celebrities and assorted public figures. Judge smartly makes his point with outrageous humor, and truthfully, the film isn’t elitist, it’s just relentlessly and unapologetically funny about making fun of and satirizing its targets.
Luke Wilson is great as a sort of nobody everyman. He’s the kind of average Joe who tends his little patch of green earth while the rest of the world is engaged in a rat race. In Wilson’s quiet but well-played role as someone who just doesn’t want to make waves, Judge has the perfect character by which to offer as a contrast to a world of people who are nothing but spoiled dumb children. They want to be fed, entertained, and pleasured, but they don’t care to clean up after themselves and are too lazy to earn their treats. Before I make Idiocracy sound like a school lesson, it’s easily one of the year’s funniest flicks. Referencing Mad Max, 1984, Planet of the Apes, Soylent Green, and other classic cautionary speculative, science fiction, this is the gold standard in satirical comedies.
9 of 10
A+
Sunday, January 21, 2007
Updated: Thursday, October 17, 2013
The text is copyright © 2013 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for syndication rights and fees.
Friday, September 20, 2013
Review: "Office Space" is Still a Classic (Happy B'day, Gary Cole)
Office Space (1999)
Running time: 89 minutes (1 hour, 29 minutes)
MPAA – R for language and brief sexuality
DIRECTOR: Mike Judge
WRITER: Mike Judge (based upon his animated short films, Milton)
PRODUCERS: Daniel Rappaport and Michael Rotenberg with Mike Judge
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Tim Suhrstedt
EDITOR: David Rennie
COMPOSER: John Frizzell
COMEDY
Starring: Ron Livingston, Jennifer Aniston, Ajay Naidu, David Herman, Gary Cole, Stephen Root, Richard Riehle, Joe Bays, John C. McGinley, Paul Wilson, Diedrich Bader, Kinna McInroe, Todd Duffey, Greg Pitts, Orlando Jones, and Kyle Scott Jackson
The subject of this movie review is Office Space, a 1999 workplace comedy from writer-producer-director, Mike Judge. The film follows a group of workers at a software company who hate their jobs and decide to rebel against their greedy boss.
In 1999, 20th Century Fox released a comedy by “Beavis and Butt-head” creator Mike Judge that quickly disappeared from theatres. This is, however, one of the instances since the advent of widespread home video entertainment that videocassettes and DVD’s have saved a great film from obscurity, and thankfully so. Anyone who has ever worked as a drone in a thankless job will thrill at the outrageous and dead-on comedy of Judge’s film, Office Space.
Peter Gibbons (Ron Livingston) is a software engineer at the company Initech. Peter is a cog at the company, writing code in an ultimately thankless job, but the job is only one portion of a seemingly meaningless life. His difficult girlfriend takes him one Friday evening to a hypno-therapist who promptly dies after putting Peter in a state of total bliss. From then on, Peter takes a new look at his life, and his new dismissive attitude about his job catches the attention of efficiency experts hired by Initech to fire extraneous employees.
The efficiency dudes get Peter a promotion, but get his co-workers, Michael Bolton (David Herman) and Samir Nagheenanajar (Ajay Naidu), fired. The trio then hatches a plan to steal money from an Initech corporate account using a computer virus. But a coding error may get the guys caught and in a federal “pound me in the ass” prison, and Peter may not be able to win back his new girlfriend, Joanna (Jennifer Aniston).
All props to Judge for getting the most traction out of many of the film elements. The script has an uncanny sense of verisimilitude about the workplace, especially the corporate cubicle world of white-collar labor, but the humor and themes capture the dead spirit of most workaday jobs. Judge’s direction is light, breezy, and quick, and he still manages to capture the right moods in which to communicate particular messages, ideas, and themes to the audience. Also, his use of music, he particularly 80’s, old school, gangsta and hardcore rap somehow really works for this film.
What especially makes Office Space memorable is its cast. Ron Livingston sells himself as both the everyday working man and the frustrated white-collar worker. Gary Cole is slimy, smooth, and cool as Peter Gibbons' do-nothing, pencil-pushing boss, Bill Lumbergh. However, the star-making turn in the film is Stephen Root’s nerd, percolating psychopath, Milton Waddams. I don’t know if viewers recognize Milton in themselves or their co-workers, but maybe we all just find him so funny.
If it has one major flaw, it is that Office Space is a riot of laughs almost to the halfway point until it slips on a subplot. When the script takes the film deeply into the genre plot about the money scam, the film seems to lose focus of the fact that it’s the workers versus their workplace annoyances that really make Office Space a gem, not some half-assed sub-plot. Thankfully, the film returns to the workers’ trials and tribulations before it closes.
8 of 10
A
Updated: Friday, September 20, 2013
The text is copyright © 2013 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for syndication rights and fees.
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Review: "South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut" is a Great 1999 Film (Happy B'day, Trey Parker)
South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut (1999) - animated
Running time: 81 minutes (1 hour, 21 minutes)
MPAA – R for pervasive vulgar language and crude sexual humor, and for some violent images
DIRECTOR: Trey Parker
WRITERS: Matt Stone and Trey Parker and Pam Brady (based upon the TV series created by Matt Stone and Trey Parker)
PRODUCERS: Trey Parker and Matt Stone
EDITOR: John Venzon
Academy Award nominee
ANIMATION/COMEDY/MUSICAL/WAR
Starring: (voice) Trey Parker, Matt Stone, Mary Kay Bergman, Isaac Hayes, George Clooney, Brent Spiner, Minnie Driver, Dave Foley, Eric Idle, Nick Rhodes, Stewart Copeland, and Mike Judge
I could list several films that were better than Oscar® winner for “Best Picture” of 1999, American Beauty. One of them is South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut, the film version of the hit animated series, “South Park,” on cable television channel, Comedy Central. The film did earn an Oscar® nomination in the category of “Best Music, Original Song,” and it should have won. But where it really counts, the film won – it is as good as the best episodes of the series.
Our heroic quartet: Stan Marsh (Trey Parker), Eric Cartman (Parker), Kyle Broslofski (Matt Stone), and Kenny McCormick (Stone) sneak into a theatre to see the R-rated film of Canadian bad boy duo, Terrance & Phillip, entitled Asses of Fire. The film, a wall-to-wall profanity-laden musical, warps the little boys’ minds, and they begin to freely used the most vulgar language in everyday speech. Kyle’s mother, Sheila Broslofski (Mary Kay Bergman), is horrified, so she leads the other boys’ parents in a massive crusade against Terrance and Phillip.
In true fanatical organized censorship fashion, her coalition against filth goes overboard. The parents pressure the United States government to declare war on Canada (because they generate lots of filth that finds it way to America), and to have Terrance and Phillip publicly executed just before the U.S. military invades Canada. Meanwhile, in Hell, Satan and his homosexual lover, Saddam Hussein (Stone), eagerly await the execution. For when Terrance & Phillip’s blood touches the earth, it will open a portal from Hell to Earth from which Satan and Saddam will launch an invasion.
The quality of the animation (crude and crudely manipulated paper cutout animated figures) and comedy (naughty) of the film is about the same as the TV series, except the hardcore R-rated vulgarity and profanity that would be edited out of even the series makes its way to the film. What the film has that the show doesn’t is a wonderfully satirical and farcical song score. There are certainly better musical and song scores in film history, but none are as ribald, as bold, and as hilarious as these songs.
The most important thing about South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut is that it is so subversive. The TV series has always used satire and farce to make political and social commentary. Creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone take their hardest hits at ultra conservative, too liberal, bigoted, and politically correct America. But the part of the U.S. that takes the biggest hit is the dishonesty of adults: lying to children, not explaining to them why they should be protected from certain things, cheating, stealing, and selfishness. Parker and Stone do it while making you laugh so hard at their outrageous sense of humor. I don’t know which is their best talent, humor or commentary; they do both so well that’s it’s unfair to most others who try both.
9 of 10
A+
NOTES:
2000 Academy Awards: 1 nomination: “Best Music, Original Song” (Trey Parker and Marc Shaiman for the song "Blame Canada")
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