Negromancer News Bits and Bites from February 19th to 28th, 2023 - Update #19

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

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURE NEWS:

CANNES - From Deadline:  Two-time Palme d'Or winner Ruben Ostlund will be the Cannes Film Festival jury president at the 76th edition of the festival, which runs from May 16th and 27th, 2023.

CELEBRITY - From THR:  Actress-producer Keke Palmer has given birth to a baby boy she has named "Leo."  Palmer's boyfriend, Darius Jackson, is the father.

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro:  The winner of the 2/24 to 2/26/2023 weekend box office is Marvel Studios' "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania" with an estimated take of 32.2 million dollars.

From Here:  Leroy Douresseaux's review of "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania."

AWARDS - From Deadline:  At the 2023 NAACP Image Awards, Angela Bassett was named "Entertainer of the Year."  She also won two other awards, "Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series" ("9-1-1") and "Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture" ("Black Panther: Wakanda Forever").  "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" won 9 awards, including "Outstanding Motion Picture."

SCANDAL - From Deadline:  Harvey Weinstein was sentenced Thursday, Feb. 23rd in downtown Los Angeles to 16 years in prison for rape and other sex crimes. The disgraced Oscar-winning producer was also sentenced to 23 years in prison for similar crimes in Manhattan in March 2020.

TELEVISION - From Deadline:  Director Andy Muschietti and partner Barbara Muschietti are expanding the universe of their films, "IT" and "IT Chapter Two," with an "IT" prequel television series, "Welcome to Derry," for HBO Max.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  New Line Cinemas and Warner Bros Pictures are planning more "Lord of the Rings" movies.

OSCARS - From Deadline:  Producer Barbara Broccoli talks about her film "Till" and the Academy Awards reaction to it.

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro:  The winner of the 2/17 to 2/19/2023 weekend box office is Disney/Marvel Studios' "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania" with an estimated take of 104 million dollars.

AWARDS - From Deadline:  The winners list at the 2023 BAFTAs might not look diverse, but the nominations list seems to be more diverse than the 2023 Academy Awards nominees list.

SCANDAL - From Deadline:  Actor and producer Alec Baldwin will now face reduced charges due to the fatal shooting on the set of the Western film, "Rust," in October 2021.

DISNEY - From Deadline:  Disney is producing a live-action version of its beloved animated film, "Lilo & Stitch."  "Marcel the Shell With Shoes On" director Dean Fleischer Camp will helm the film and actor Zach Galifianakis will star in the film.

OBITS:

From Deadline:  Film producer and former studio executive, Walter Mirisch, has died at the age of 101, Friday, February 24, 2023.  Mirisch won an Oscar for producing "In the Heat of the Night" (1967).  Along with his brothers, Marvin and Harold, Mirisch formed the production company, The Mirisch Company.  It would go on to produce several movies, including the early entries in the "Pink Panther" film series.  Mirisch had also been the oldest living Oscar winner.

From Deadline:  Stand-up comedian and actor, Richard Belzer, has died at the age of 78, Sunday, February 19, 2023.  Belzer began his career in the early 1970s and release the comedy album "Another Lone Nut" in 1997.  As an actor, he is best known for playing the character, Det. John Munch on the former NBC crime drama, "Homicide: Life on the Streets" (1993-99) and on the NBC drama, "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" (1999-2016).

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AWARDS:

From Oscar:  The nominations for the 2023 / 95th Academy Awards have been announced.  The winners will be announced Sunday, March 12, 2023.

From Deadline:  The winners at the 2023 / 29th annual Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards have been announced.  "Everything Everywhere All at Once" wins the big prize, "Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture," one of four awards the film won.

From Deadline:  The winners at the 2023 / 34th annual Producers Guild Awards have been announced.  "Everything Everywhere All at Once" wins the top prize, "Darryl F. Zanuck Award for Outstanding  Producer of Theatrical Motion Pictures."

From Deadline:  At the 2023 / 50th annual Annie Awards (for animated productions), "Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio" wins the "Best Feature" award, one of its four wins.  "Best Indie Feature" goes to "Marcel the Shell with Shoes On."

From Variety:  The winners of the 2023 EE BAFTA Film Awards have been announced.  The French film, "All Quiet on the Western Front" wins a record seven awards including "Best Film."  "The Banshees of Inisherin" won four, including "Best British Film."

From Deadline:  The winners of the 75th annual Directors Guild Awards have been announced.  The top honor, "Outstanding Directorial Achievment in a Theatrical Feature Film," went to Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert for "Everything Everywhere All at Once."

From Deadline:   The winners at the 2023 / 21st annual VES Awards, handed out by the Visual Effects Society, have been announced.  "Avatar: The Way of Water" topped the night with 9 wins.

From Deadline:  "Top Gun: Maverick" wins "Best Picture" at the "AARP Movies for Grownups Awards" held Saturday night in Beverly Hills.

From Variety:  The nominations for the 2023 Writers Guild Awards have been announced.  Winners will be announced Sunday, March 5, 2023.

From Variety:  The nominations for the 2023 EE BAFTA Awards have been announced. The Netflix World War I drama, "All Quiet on the Western Front," leads with 14 nominations.  The winners will be announced Sunday, February 19, 2023.

From Deadline:  The winners were announced at the 2023 / 28th annual Critics Choice Awards.  "Everything Everywhere All at Once" was named "Best Picture."

From Deadline:  The nominees for the 2023 / 34th Producers Guild of America Awards have been announced in both film and TV categories.  The winners will be announced Sat. Feb. 25th, 2023.

From Deadline:  The nominations for the 2023 / 29th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards have been announced.  The winners will be announced Sun., Feb. 26th, 2023.

From Deadline:  The National Society of Film Critics has named "Tar" its "Best Picture" of 2023 and its star, Cate Blanchette, as "Best Actress."

From Deadline:  The nominations for the 2023 / 23rd Annual Black Reel Awards have been announced.  "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" and "The Woman King" have tied for the lead in nominations with 14 apiece.  The winners will be announced February 6, 2023.

From Deadline:  The Black Film Critics Circle named "The Woman King" the "Best Film" of 2022.

From Deadline:  The winners of the 2022 Los Angeles Film Critics Association (LAFCA) Awards have been announced.  "Everything Everywhere All at Once" and "Tar" tie for "Best Picture" award.

From Deadline:  The nominations for the 2023 / 80th annual Golden Globes Awards were announced today (Mon., Dec. 12th).  "The Banshees of Inisherin" led the film field with eight nominations. ABC's "Abbot Elementary" lead the TV side with five nominations.  The winners will be announced January 10, 2023.

From Deadline:  The American Film Institute (AFI) has named its "AFI Awards Film" list of "Top 10 Films of 2022."  The list includes "Avatar: The Way of Water," "Top Gun: Maverick," and "The Woman King."

From THR:  The African-American Film Critics Association name "The Woman King" the "Best Film of 2022."

From Deadline:  The nominations for the "2023 Critics Choice Awards" in the television categories have been announced.  ABC's sitcom, "Abbot Elementary" leads the nominations.  The winners will be announced Sunday, January 15, 2023 and broadcast on The CW.

From Variety:  The 2022 / 88th Annual New York Film Critics Circle (NYFCC) Awards have been announced.  Todd Field's "Tar" wins "Best Film" and "Best Actress" (Cate Blanchett).  Keke Palmer wins "Best Supporting Actress" for her performance in "Nope."

From Deadline:  "Everything Everywhere All at Once" wins the "Best Feature" award at the 2022 / 32nd Annual Gotham Awards, one of two wins for the film.

From IndieWire:  The nominations for the 2023 Film Independent Spirit Awards have been announced.   "Everything Everywhere All at Once" leads with eight nominations.  The winners will be announced March 4th, 2023.

From Variety:  The nominations for the 2022 / 32nd Annual Gotham Awards were announced a month ago.  Todd Field's "Tar" leads with five nominations.  The winners will be announced Monday, November 28th.

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TYRE NICHOLS:

From NBCNews:  Tyre Nichols' death: A summary and timeline of his encounter with Memphis police officers

From YahooNews:  In the 67 minutes of the Tyre Nichols video, brutality followed by nonchalance.

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BRITTNEY GRINER:

From CBSNews:  WNBA star Brittney Griner has been released from her Russian imprisonment in a one-for-one prisoner swap for notorious international arms dealer, Viktor Bout.

From NBCNews:   Brittney Griner will enter a system of isolation, grueling labor and psychological torment when she is transferred to a penal colony, the successor to the infamous Russian gulag, to fulfill a nine-year sentence handed down Tuesday in Moscow, former prisoners and advocates said.

From NBCNews:  A Russian court has rejected Brittney Griner's appeal of her nine-year prison sentence on (fake) drug charges.

From Reuters:  Russia says that it is ready to talk prisoner swamp for Brittney Griner and U.S. Marine veteran Paul Whelan, but also scolds the U.S. Embassy.

From TheDailyBeast:   Legendary NBA bad boy and champion (Detroit Pistons, Chicago Bulls), Dennis Rodman claims that he has been given permission to go to Russia and help free imprisoned hostage, WNBA star, Brittney Griner.

From Vox:  Vox's Jonathan Guyer talks the Brittney Griner case with Danielle Gilbert, a Dartmouth professor who is writing a book about states and rogue actors that take hostages.

From ESPN:   A Russian court sentenced WNBA star Brittney Griner to nine years in prison Thursday, Aug. 4th.  Griner was arrested Feb. 17 for bringing cannabis into the country and pleaded guilty July 7, though the case continued under Russian law.

From ESPN:  The Biden administration has offered a deal to Russia aimed at bringing home WNBA star Brittney Griner and another jailed American, Paul Whelan, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Wednesday.

From RSN:  "Will Support From LeBron James, Joe Rogan, Kim Kardashian, and Other Celebrities Help Free Brittney Griner From a Russian Prison?" by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar via Substack

From ESPN:  Detained WNBA star Brittney Griner pleaded guilty on Thursday to bringing hashish oil into Russia, telling a judge that she had done so "inadvertently" while asking the court for mercy.

From CBSSports:  The Brittney Griner situation explained.

From RSN:  According to The Washington Post Editorial Board: "Brittney Griner is a hostage, plain and simple."

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#28DaysofBlack Review: "A WRINKLE IN TIME" is Wonderfully Weird

 

[I imagine that The Walt Disney Company had to make “A Wrinkle in Time” an accounting write-off.  The film under-performed at the box office, which is a shame.  It is one of the most original science fiction and fantasy films of the 21st century.  I also honestly believe that this film is such a unique vision because it was directed by an African-American woman, Ava DuVernay.]

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 18 of 2021 (No. 1756) by Leroy Douresseaux

A Wrinkle in Time (2018)
Running time:  109 minutes (1 hour, 49 minutes)
MPAA – PG for thematic elements and some peril
DIRECTOR:  Ava DuVernay
WRITERS:  Jennifer Lee and Jeff Stockwell (based on the novel by Madeleine L'Engle)
PRODUCERS:  Catherine Hand and Jim Whitaker
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Tobias Schliessler (D.o.P.)
EDITOR:  Spencer Averick
COMPOSER:  Ramin Djawadi

SCI-FI/FANTASY/ADVENTURE/FAMILY/DRAMA

Starring:  Storm Reid, Oprah Winfrey, Reese Witherspoon, Mindy Kaling, Levi Miller, Deric McCabe, Chris Pine, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Zach Galifianakis, Michael Pena, Andre Holland, Rowan Blanchard, and David Oyelowo

A Wrinkle in Time is a 2018 science fiction and fantasy-adventure film directed by Ava DuVernay.  The film is based on Madeleine L'Engle's 1962, A Wrinkle in Time, the first book in her “Time Quintet” series.  A Wrinkle in Time the movie follows a young girl, her brother, and a school friend as they set off on a quest across the universe to find the girl's missing father.

A Wrinkle in Time introduces 13-year-old Meg Murry (Storm Reid).  She continues to struggle to adjust at school four years after the disappearance of her father, Alex Murry (Chris Pine), a renowned astrophysicist.  Meg and her gifted younger brother, Charles Wallace (Deric McCabe), have also been in trouble with their school's Principal Jenkins (Andre Holland).  Even their mother, Dr. Kate Murry (Gugu Mbatah-Raw), struggles in the wake of the disappearance of her husband.  However, Meg has made a new friend, her classmate, Calvin O'Keefe (Levi Miller).

Then, the Murrys and Calvin start to get unusual visitors.  They call themselves “the Misses.”  They are Mrs. Which (Oprah Winfrey), Mrs. Whatsit (Reese Witherspoon), and Mrs. Who (Mindy Kaling), a trio of astral beings who claim that the “tesseract,” a method of space travel that Alex Murry was studying, is real.  These astral travelers reveal that they have come to help find Alex, who has transported himself across the universe.  They need Meg, Charles Wallace, and Calvin's help, and they need them to be “warriors.”  However, Meg doubts her own abilities and really doesn't like herself all that much, and that will make her vulnerable to the powerful enemy that awaits them, “The IT.”

The cinematography by Tobias A. Schliessler, the costume design by Paco Delgado, and the production design by Naomi Shohan come together to create one of the most visually beautiful science fiction films that I have seen in a decade.  The film editing by Spencer Averick and the gorgeous score by Ramin Djawadi make that beauty move and feel vibrant, creating a film like no other.

Beyond the high production values, director Ava DuVernay has fashioned a big-hearted film that is one of the most ambitious science fiction and fantasy films in recent memory.  I have never read Madeleine L'Engle's now legendary novel, so I assume that screenwriters Jennifer Lee and Jeff Stockwell (and any other writers that contributed to the final product) condensed the character drama in order to focus on Meg Murry.  However, DuVernay and the writers, through Meg, tell a story in which love and imagination and determination and fortitude can send humans on a voyage that traverses not only our galaxy, but also the universe.

Young actress Storm Reid as Meg Murry is poignant and engaging as the young hero who must learn to both love and accept herself and to believe in herself.  Her teen (or 'tween) struggles seem honest and genuine.  In a movie full of offbeat performances of odd characters, Reid makes Meg seem solid and the driving force of this narrative.

Young Deric McCabe seems supernaturally self-assured as Charles Lawrence Murry, making the young brother an important counterpart to Meg.  Levi Miller is a pleasant addition as Calvin O'Keefe whose main role is to believe in Meg even when she doesn't believe in herself, but the story also gives Calvin his own poignant journey.

I get why adults, especially film critics, had mixed feelings about the film.  I think young viewers will get it, and this film adaptation of A Wrinkle in Time is important because Ava DuVernay, once again, reinvents what a black female can be on screen in a Hollywood film.  A Wrinkle in Time may be a fantasy film dressed in the many multi-colored robes of science fiction, but this film introduces new kinds of warriors in service of the universe.  And one of those new colors is a young black girl, and that makes A Wrinkle in Time an exceptional film for this time.

9 of 10
A+

Monday, February 22, 2021


2019  Black Reel Awards”  3 nominations: “Outstanding Cinematography” (Tobias A. Schliessler), “Outstanding Costume Design” (Paco Delgado), and “Outstanding Production Design” (Naomi Shohan)


The text is copyright © 2021 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved.  Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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Negromancer News Bits and Bites from April 22nd to 30th, 2018 - Update #22

Support Leroy on Patreon:

MOVIES - From Deadline:  John Woo and Universal Pictures are looking to remake Woo's 1989 Hong Kong crime classic, "The Killer."  Lupita Nyong'o is targets as the film's star.

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BOX OFFICE - From Deadline:  "Avengers: Infinity War" has an even bigger opening weekend than first thought.  As of Monday tallies, it is slightly over $258 instead of Sunday's estimate of $250 million.

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EMMYS - From Variety:  The 2018 Daytime Emmys - Winners list.

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BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficeMojo:  The winner of the 4/27 to 4/29/2018 is "Avengers: Infinity War" with an estimated $250 million.  That is a record for an opening weekend at the domestic box office; the previous record holder was "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" which had an opening box office weekend of $247.9.

From Deadline:  "Avenger: Infinity War's" international box office debut, $630 million, is also a record.

From Deadline:  With a $179 million in international box office, "Avengers: Infinity War" is looking at a record global bow.

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MOVIES - From THR: Oscar-winning filmmaker, Bernardo Bertolucci criticizes Ridley Scott for removing Kevin Spacey from "All the Money in the World" and replacing his with Christopher Plummer.

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MOVIES - From YahooEntertainment:  Actor John David Washington talks about the best advice he got from  his father, famed Oscar-winning actor, Denzel Washington.

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SCANDAL - From NBCNews:  Famed comedian, actor, and author Bill Cosby has been found guilty of three counts of "indecent sexual assault."  Cosby could face 10 years in prison on each count.

From YahooEntertainment:  You can say that this bit in a Hannibal Buress standup started the downfall of Bill Cosby.

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ANIMATION - From TheWrap:  Hugh Jackman, Zoe Saldana, and Zach Galifianakis to Star in Laika’s New Animated Feature for Annapurna.

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MOVIES - From TheWrap:  Topher Grace is playing David Duke in Spike Lee's "BlackKkKlansman," which will apparently be "in contention" at this year's Cannes Film Festival.

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ANIMATION - From IndieWire:  Revered Japanese animation studio, Studio Ghibli, will have a theme park based on its films, which included "Princess Monoke" and the Oscar-winning, "Spirited Away."  Concept art for the park, which will open in 2020, has been revealed.

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COMICS-FILM - From JoBlo:  Antoine Fuqua talks about directing a film starring two Marvel characters, "Morbius, the Living Vampire" and "Blade."

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MUSIC - From SeattleTimes:  Rapper Meek Mill freed after several months in prison over a parole violation of decade-old gun and drug charges.

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MOVIES - From THR:  Quentin Tarantino and Leonard DiCapri tease their "Manson murders" movie, "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood," which is due August 2019.  Tarantino compared it to his Oscar-winning film, "Pulp Fiction."

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ANIMATION-STREAMING - From BleedingCool:  DreamWorks Animation Television and Netflix are working on an animated version of the "Fast & Furious" franchise.

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BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficeMojo:  The winner of the 4/20 to 4/22/2018 weekend box office is "A Quiet Place" with an estimated take of $22 million.

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STREAMING - From ShadowandAct:  Casting begins for Ava DuVernay's "Central Park Five" project for Netflix.

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MOVIES - From IndieWire:  James Cameron hopes for "Avengers fatigue," as there are other sci-fi stories to tell.  [Is there "Terminator" fatigue, this editor asks?]

OBITS:

From THR:  The British film director, Michael Anderson, died at the age of 98, Wednesday, April 25, 2018.  Anderson received a best director Oscar nomination for directing the 1956 version of "Around the World in 80 Days."  He is also known for working in the sci-fi genre, particularly for "Logan's Run" (1976).  Anderson worked with some of the most famous British leading men, including Michael Redgrave and Alec Guinness.

From TheWrap:  Jazz musician Bob Dorough has died at the age of 94, Monday, April 23, 2018.  Dorough was instrumental in the 1970s educational cartoon series, "Schoolhouse Rock!" (ABC).  He wrote and performed iconic Schoolhouse Rock songs, "My Hero, Zero" and "Three is a Magic Number."

From Variety:  The film producer, Philip D'Antoni, died at the age of 89, Sunday, April 15, 2018.  In 1972, D'Antoni won a Golden Globe and an Oscar for producing 1971 best picture Academy Award winner, "The French Connection."  D'Antoni also produced the Steve McQueen classic, "Bullitt," the first film he produced.

LEGO Dark Knight Eclipses Worldwide Box Office

“The LEGO® Batman Movie” Builds at the Box Office, Crossing $200 Mllion Worldwide

BURBANK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Audience enthusiasm continues to build for “The LEGO® Batman Movie,” pushing the latest LEGO animated adventure to $202 million in global box office after just two weeks in release. The announcement was made today by Sue Kroll, President of Worldwide Marketing and Distribution, Warner Bros. Pictures.

    “We are proud and happy to mark another resounding success for our LEGO film franchise. Congratulations to our partners at the LEGO Group, to director Chris McKay and to the multitude of talented individuals who made this film such an extraordinary cinema experience for the whole family.”

Scoring the biggest box office opening of 2017, the new film from director Chris McKay and the team behind the 2014 blockbuster “The LEGO Movie” took the top spot in its first weekend in North America, and registered an A- Cinemascore. It ranked first again in its second weekend, and has so far earned over $118 million on the domestic front.

It simultaneously made a robust debut in day-and-date engagements in 60 markets across Europe, Asia and Latin America. The film has maintained the number one spot in the UK since its opening, and has continued to hold strong overseas for an international cume of $84 million, to date.

Just as much a hit with critics as with fans, “The LEGO Batman Movie” is Certified Fresh at 91% on Rotten Tomatoes.

The film will continue its international run in additional territories yet to open, including Japan, China, Australia and New Zealand.

In making the announcement, Kroll said, “We are proud and happy to mark another resounding success for our LEGO film franchise. Congratulations to our partners at the LEGO Group, to director Chris McKay and to the multitude of talented individuals who made this film such an extraordinary cinema experience for the whole family.”

In the irreverent spirit of fun that made “The LEGO Movie” a worldwide phenomenon, the self-described leading man of that ensemble – LEGO Batman – stars in his own big-screen adventure. But there are big changes brewing in Gotham City, and if he wants to save the city from The Joker’s hostile takeover, Batman may have to drop the lone vigilante thing, try to work with others and maybe, just maybe, learn to lighten up.

“The LEGO Batman Movie” stars Will Arnett, Zach Galifianakis, Michael Cera, Rosario Dawson and Ralph Fiennes. Directed by Chris McKay, it is produced by Dan Lin, Phil Lord, Christopher Miller, and Roy Lee. The executive producers are Jill Wilfert, Matthew Ashton, Will Allegra and Brad Lewis. The screenplay is by Seth Grahame-Smith and Chris McKenna & Erik Sommers and Jared Stern & John Whittington; story by Seth Grahame-Smith, based on LEGO Construction Toys and based on characters from DC. Batman is created by Bob Kane with Bill Finger; Superman is created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster.

From Warner Bros. Pictures and Warner Animation Group, in association with LEGO System A/S, a Lin Pictures/Lord Miller/Vertigo Entertainment production, “The LEGO Batman Movie” will be distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

It will play in theaters in 3D, 2D and IMAX. This film is rated PG for rude humor and some action. www.legobatman.com

BATMAN and all related characters and elements are trademarks of and © DC Comics.

LEGO, the LEGO logo, the Minifigure and the brick and knob configuration are trademarks of the LEGO Group. © 2017 The LEGO Group. Used with permission. All rights reserved.

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Norman Lear, Shonda Rhimes Bring "America Divided" to EPIX

EPIX Announces ‘America Divided’, a Provocative New Documentary Series That Examines the Greatest Social Crisis Facing America Today – Inequality

Executive Producers — Norman Lear, Common and Shonda Rhimes

Featuring Common, America Ferrera, Zach Galifianakis, Norman Lear, Amy Poehler, Peter Sarsgaard and Jesse Williams

NEW YORK & MIAMI--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Premium TV network EPIX® announced at the NATPE Conference in Miami the launch of an ambitious new Original Documentary series on inequality, America Divided. Created by Solly Granatstein, Lucian Read, and Richard Rowley, with executive producers Norman Lear, Common and Shonda Rhimes, and produced by Divided Films in association with RadicalMedia, America Divided will uncover dramatic untold stories illustrating how record levels of inequality are undermining the American dream. America Divided will make its World Television Premiere on EPIX in Fall 2016 in the run-up to the presidential election.

    “The promise of the American dream was a united country where everyone is treated equal”

“EPIX is committed to presenting thought-provoking documentaries that deal head-on with hot-button topics that affect our society,” said Mark S. Greenberg, CEO & President of EPIX. “America Divided is a nonpartisan investigation of the key issues shaping the presidential campaign, and we are confident our viewers will find each episode compelling and accessible.”

“This series cuts to the heart of the inequality crisis, exploring life-and-death struggles around the economic, social and political divide,” said the show creators. “Our aim is to expose the damage extreme inequality inflicts on all Americans, reveal its systemic causes, and celebrate real-world heroes fighting for solutions.”

America Divided will feature high-profile correspondents exploring aspects of inequality related to their own biographies. Oscar®-winning hip-hop artist Common returns to his hometown of Chicago — ground zero for disparities in the criminal justice system. Emmy®- and Golden Globe®-winning actress America Ferrera travels to Texas to witness battles around access to the ballot and healthcare for poor women. Actor and comedian Zach Galifianakis investigates the political landscape in his home state of North Carolina and considers how it’s emblematic of the country's deepening political divide during the 2016 campaign. Legendary TV producer Norman Lear, an original member of the Television Academy Hall of Fame, reports on the housing crisis in New York — from people who have no homes to luxury apartments purposely kept vacant. Actress and producer Amy Poehler witnesses the complex challenges faced by domestic workers who maintain an intimate relationship with the families that employ them while also struggling for better conditions. Actor and activist Peter Sarsgaard explores the addiction crisis ravaging a heartland beset by unemployment and the shuttering of America’s factories. And, “Grey’s Anatomy” star and former teacher Jesse Williams goes back to the classroom and becomes immersed in the battle to fix inequality in education.

“Addressing the ramifications of inequality, is hugely important to me,” said executive producer and correspondent Common. “The more we explore the subject and build a dialog around the issues, the more we can do to create change.”

“Foremost among the Founding Fathers’ promises was equality under the law,” reflected Norman Lear, who is also serving as an executive producer and correspondent. “It's up to us to help them keep their promise."

“The promise of the American dream was a united country where everyone is treated equal,” said executive producer Shonda Rhimes. “That promise has clearly been broken; all you have to do is look around to see that our reality has been built on the back of inequality. It's my hope that this series will inspire audiences to be part of a change that leads us into a stronger, more equal future.”

America Divided, an EPIX Original Documentary series, is executive produced by Solly Granatstein (“Years Of Living Dangerously,” “60 Minutes”), Lucian Read (“Years of Living Dangerously,” 99%), Richard Rowley (Dirty Wars, “Years of Living Dangerously”), Norman Lear (“All in the Family,” “Maude”), Common (Selma, John Wick 2), Shonda Rhimes (“Grey’s Anatomy,” “Scandal”) Jon Kamen (The Fog of War, Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory), Justin Wilkes (What Happened, Miss Simone?, Under African Skies) and Dave O’Connor (Whitey: The United States v. James J. Bulger, You Don’t Know Bo). Nicole Dow and Derek Dudley (Freedom Road Productions), and Brent Miller (Norman Lear: Just Another Version of You) are co-executive producers. Solly Granatstein, Lucian Read and Richard Rowley also serve as directors. Rebecca Teitel and Jesse Williams (Senior Producer, Farword Films) are senior producers. Abby Ellis and Leah Thomas are producers. Mark S. Greenberg, Jocelyn Diaz, Ross Bernard and Jill Burkhart are executive producers for EPIX.


About EPIX
EPIX is a premium movie and original programming entertainment network delivering the latest movie releases, classic film franchises, original documentaries, comedy and music events on TV, on demand, online and on digital devices. Launched in October 2009, EPIX has pioneered the development and proliferation of “TV Everywhere.” It was the first premium network to provide multi-platform access to its content online at EPIX.com and to launch on Xbox, PlayStation®, Android phones and tablets, and Roku® players. EPIX is also available across Chromecast, Apple® iPhones® and iPads®, Android TV and more and is the only premium service providing all its programming on all platforms, delivering more movies than any other premium network, with thousands of titles available for streaming.

EPIX is a joint venture between Viacom Inc., its Paramount Pictures unit, Lionsgate and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (MGM). Through relationships with cable, satellite and telco partners, EPIX is available to over 50 million homes nationwide. For more information about EPIX, go to www.EPIX.com. Follow EPIX on Twitter @EpixHD (http://www.twitter.com/EpixHD) and on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/EPIX), YouTube (http://youtube.com/EPIX), Instagram (http://instagram.com/EPIX), Google+ (http://plus.google.com/+EPIX), Pinterest (http://pinterest.com/EPIX) and Vine (https://vine.co/EPIX).

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Review: As a Character Study, "Birdman" Has Wings

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 45 (of 2015) by Leroy Douresseaux

[A version of this review originally appeared on Patreon.]

Birdman: Or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) (2014)
Running time:  119 minutes (1 hour, 59 minutes)
MPAA – R for language throughout, some sexual content and brief violence
DIRECTOR:  Alejandro G. Iñárritu
WRITERS:  Alejandro González Iñárritu, Nicolás Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris Jr., and Armando Bo
PRODUCERS:  Alejandro G. Iñárritu, John Lesher, Arnon Milchan, and James W. Skotchdopole
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Emmanuel Lubezki (D.o.P.)
EDITORS:  Douglas Crise and Stephen Mirrione
COMPOSER:  Antonio Sanchez (drum score)
Academy Award winner, including “Best Picture”

DRAMA/COMEDY

Starring: Michael Keaton, Emma Stone, Edward Norton, Zach Galifanakis, Naomi Watts, Andrea Riseborough, and Amy Ryan with Lindsay Duncan

Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) is a 2014 drama and black comedy film from director Alejandro G. Iñárritu.  The film focuses on a Hollywood actor, who once starred in a series of popular superhero movies, as he tries to forge a comeback with a Broadway play.  Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance), commonly known as Birdman, won four Oscars, including “Best Picture,” at the 87th Academy Awards (February 22, 2015).

Birdman introduces Riggan Thomson (Michael Keaton).  He is a washed-up Hollywood actor and former movie star best known for playing the iconic superhero, Birdman, two decades ago in a series of blockbuster films.  Riggan hopes to reinvent his career by writing, directing, and starring in a Broadway production.  Riggan's play is a loosely based adaptation of “What We Talk About When We Talk About Love,” a short story written by the late Raymond Carver (and first published in the former literary journal, Antaeus, in 1981).

Unfortunately, Riggan's play is beset by complications.  The play is produced by Riggan's best friend and lawyer, Jake (Zach Galifanakis), who is very demanding and high-strung.  The film's two actresses are Riggan's girlfriend, Laura (Andrea Riseborough), who claims to be pregnant, and a first-time Broadway actress, Lesley (Naomi Watts), who has a worried mind.  Riggan's daughter, Samantha (Emma Stone), a recovering addict, serves as her father's assistant.  The other male actor in the play is Mike Shiner (Edward Norton), a brilliant actor who is also volatile, disruptive, and attention-seeking.  The biggest complication, however, is the spirit of Birdman, which haunts Riggan with a mocking, critical voice, and that voice wants another Birdman movie.

Taking what the movie gives us, which is a little over one hour and fifty minutes of film narrative, Birdman is an extraordinary character study about the life of a struggling actor in a particular moment in time.  This moment in time is a two-week period, of which we only observe in select pieces.  People who watch this movie have to take Riggan at face value because the film is vague about whatever happened to Riggan's life prior to the two-week period that it depicts.

This situation helps to make Birdman ambiguous, and I think the director and his co-writers wanted their film to have many ambiguities.  Is this film a true black comedy?  Is it a drama about domestic and professional failures?  Is it real, or surreal, or both (when considering Riggan's powers)?  Is the last act and the ending a resolution via rebirth or by closure?  Birdman is a complex, different and fascinating work of cinema.

Considering its subject matter, that of a failed movie star in the tailspin of a midlife crisis, it is fairly obvious why the film was so attractive to so many Oscar voters.  How many members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), which votes on the Oscars, have experienced something similar to Riggan's experiences or how many know they will... eventually.  I think that this is a tremendous movie, and I can see why it won the Oscars that it did.

On the other hand, Edward Norton and Emma Stone are good in Birdman, but there is little in their work here, in terms of substance or character portrayal, that says that either one of them gave a top five performance in the respective categories for which they were nominated for Oscars.  I also find Michael Keaton a little uneven.  He is at his best when he is emoting without dialogue and when he is giving voice to Birdman.  When he tries to give voice to anger and frustration, he is over-the-top, in his now trademark manner, familiar to us who remember him as Batman and as Beetlejuice.

Many people seem to think that Keaton was perfect for the role of Riggan Thomson who played a superhero at the height of his career and fame in Hollywood because Keaton played the title role in Batman (1989) and Batman Returns (1992) at the height of his film career.  Keaton's career seemed to diminish after Batman, gradually though, until he had seemingly disappeared from Hollywood films.  The truth is Keaton is a good actor whose full talent has rarely been utilized.

Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) gives him a chance, and there are moments in which Keaton shines.  This film is unique and has many moments of brilliance, in which Alejandro G. Iñárritu shows us that cinematic magic is indeed real.  Birdman has it, revealing that drama need not be tied to the ground nor to be framed in notions of stiff realism.  Birdman has a sense of wonder and of curiosity, believing that it is as exciting to explore a man's life as it is to explore a faraway magical kingdom or an island full of dinosaurs.

9 of 10
A+

Tuesday, September 15, 2015


NOTES:
2015 Academy Awards, USA:  4 wins: “Best Motion Picture of the Year” (Alejandro González Iñárritu, John Lesher, and James W. Skotchdopole), “Best Achievement in Directing” (Alejandro González Iñárritu), “Best Writing, Original Screenplay” (Alejandro González Iñárritu, Nicolás Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris, and Armando Bo), and “Best Achievement in Cinematography” (Emmanuel Lubezki); 5 nominations: “Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role” (Michael Keaton), “Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role” (Edward Norton), “Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role” (Emma Stone), “Best Achievement in Sound Mixing” (Jon Taylor, Frank A. Montaño, and Thomas Varga) and “Best Achievement in Sound Editing” (Aaron Glascock and Martín Hernández)

2015 Golden Globes, USA:  2 wins: “Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical” (Michael Keaton) and “Best Screenplay - Motion Picture” (Alejandro González Iñárritu, Nicolás Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris, and Armando Bo); 5 nominations: “Best Director - Motion Picture” (Alejandro González Iñárritu), “Best Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical,” “Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture” (Emma Stone), “Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture” (Edward Norton) and “Best Original Score - Motion Picture” (Antonio Sanchez)

2015 BAFTA Awards:  1 win “Best Cinematography” (Emmanuel Lubezki); 9 nominations: “Best Film” (Alejandro González Iñárritu, John Lesher, and James W. Skotchdopole), “Best Leading Actor” (Michael Keaton), “Best Supporting Actor” (Edward Norton), “Best Supporting Actress” (Emma Stone), “Best Editing” (Douglas Crise and Stephen Mirrione), “Best Original Music” (Antonio Sanchez), “Best Sound” (Thomas Varga, Martín Hernández, Aaron Glascock, Jon Taylor, and Frank A. Montaño), “Best Original Screenplay” (Alejandro González Iñárritu, Nicolás Giacobone, and Alexander Dinelaris, and Armando Bo), and “David Lean Award for Direction” (Alejandro González Iñárritu)


The text is copyright © 2015 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

2014 Creative Arts Emmy Winners - Complete List

by Leroy Douresseaux

The Creative Arts Emmys are a class of Emmy Awards.  They recognize technical and other similar achievements in American television programming and honor behind-the-scenes personnel.  This includes art directors, costume designers, cinematographers, casting directors, and sound editors.  The Creative Arts category also includes awards for outstanding animated programs and guest acting.

Both the Primetime and Daytime awards each present their own Creative Arts Emmys at separate Creative Arts ceremonies prior to their respective main ceremonies.

The 2014 Creative Arts Emmys were handed out Saturday night, August 16, 2014 at the Nokia Theatre at L.A. LIVE.  The awards show took place just over a week before the 2014 Primetime Emmy Awards ceremony, which will be held, Monday, Aug. 25, 2014.  The 2014 Creative Arts Emmys are the first ceremony of the 66th Emmy Awards.

During Saturday's ceremony, casting director Marion Dougherty (“All in the Family”) was honored posthumously with the 2014 Governor's Award.  Also, Sarah Jones was the 27-year-old camera assistant who died earlier this year when she was struck by a train in Georgia while filming the Gregg Allman biopic, “Midnight Rider.”  Jones was remembered during the “In Memoriam” montage during Saturday's Creative Arts Emmys.

For a complete list of 2014 Creative Arts Emmys winners, including the individual names of winners in all categories, go here or http://www.emmys.com/sites/default/files/Downloads/2014-creative-arts-winners-v1.pdf

2014 Creative Arts Emmys winners (in bold) and nominees:

Outstanding Guest Actress In A Comedy Series
Uzo Aduba, Orange Is the New Black (WINNER)
Natasha Lyonne, Orange Is the New Black
Laverne Cox, Orange Is the New Black
Tina Fey, Saturday Night Live
Melissa McCarthy, Saturday Night Live
Joan Cusack, Shameless

Outstanding Host For A Reality Or Reality-Competition Program
Jane Lynch, Hollywood Game Night (WINNER)
Betty White, Betty White’s Off Their Rockers
Tom Bergeron, Dancing With The Stars
Heidi Klum and Tim Gunn, Project Runway
Cat Deeley, So You Think You Can Dance
Anthony Bourdain, The Taste

Outstanding Unstructured Reality Program
Deadliest Catch (WINNER)
Alaska: The Last Frontier
Flipping Out
Million Dollar Listing New York
Wahlburgers
Wild Things With Dominic Monaghan

Outstanding Structured Reality Program
Shark Tank (WINNER)
Antiques Roadshow
MythBusters
Undercover Boss
Who Do You Think You Are?

Outstanding Variety Special
AFI Life Achievement Award: A Tribute To Mel Brooks (WINNER)
The Beatles: The Night That Changed America
Best Of Late Night With Jimmy Fallon Primetime Special
Billy Crystal: 700 Sundays
The Kennedy Center Honors
Sarah Silverman: We Are Miracles

Outstanding Writing For A Variety Series
The Colbert Report (WINNER)
The Daily Show With Jon Stewart
Inside Amy Schumer
Portlandia

Outstanding Directing For A Variety Series
Saturday Night Live (WINNER)
The Colbert Report
The Daily Show With Jon Stewart
Portlandia
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon

Outstanding Choreography
So You Think You Can Dance • Routines: Puttin’ on the Ritz / Gold Rush / Run the World (WINNER)
Dancing With The Stars • Routines: Human / Ameksa / Too Darn Hot
So You Think You Can Dance • Routines: Trigger / Sand / The Gravel Road
So You Think You Can Dance • Routines: Edge of Glory / Feelin’ Good / I Can’t Make You Love Me
So You Think You Can Dance • Routines: Hanging by a Thread / Wicked Game / Medicine

Outstanding Interactive Program
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon Digital Experience (WINNER)
Comedy Central’s @midnight
Game of Thrones Premiere – Facebook Live and Instagram
The Voice

Outstanding Short-Format Nonfiction Program
30 For 30 Shorts (WINNER)
Comedians In Cars Getting Coffee
Cosmos: A National Geographic Deeper Dive
I Was There: Boston Marathon Bombings
Jay Leno’s Garage
Park Bench With Steve Buscemi

Outstanding Short-Format Live-Action Entertainment Program
Between Two Ferns with Zach Galifianakis: President Barack Obama (WINNER)
Childrens Hospital
Parks And Rec In Europe
The Soup: True Detective
Super Bowl XLVIII Halftime Show Starring Bruno Mars

Outstanding Special Class Program
67th Annual Tony Awards (WINNER)
The 71st Annual Golden Globe Awards
The Oscars
Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games Opening Ceremony
The Sound Of Music Live!

Outstanding Informational Series Or Special (TIE)
Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown (WINNER)
Vice (WINNER)
Inside The Actors Studio
Through The Wormhole With Morgan Freeman
The Writers’ Room

Outstanding Documentary Or Nonfiction Special
JFK (American Experience) (WINNER)
Paycheck To Paycheck: The Life And Times Of Katrina Gilbert
Running From Crazy
The Sixties: The Assassination Of President Kennedy
The Square
Whoopi Goldberg Presents Moms Mabley

Outstanding Documentary Or Nonfiction Series (TIE)
American Masters (WINNER)
Years Of Living Dangerously (WINNER)
Cosmos: A SpaceTime Odyssey
Pioneers Of Television
The World Wars

Exceptional Merit In Documentary Filmmaking
Life According To Sam (WINNER)
The Amish: Shunned (American Experience)
Brave Miss World
Hillsborough (30 For 30 Soccer Stories)

Outstanding Writing For Nonfiction Programming
Cosmos: A SpaceTime Odyssey (WINNER)
Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown
JFK (American Experience)
The World Wars
Years Of Living Dangerously

Outstanding Directing For Nonfiction Programming
The Square (WINNER)
The Amazing Race
Cosmos: A SpaceTime Odyssey
Regular Show
Robot Chicken
Project Runway
Shark Tank

Outstanding Cinematography For A Multi-Camera Series
How I Met Your Mother (WINNER)
The Exes
Last Man Standing
Mike & Molly
2 Broke Girls

Outstanding Cinematography For A Single-Camera Series
True Detective (WINNER)
Breaking Bad
Game Of Thrones • Two Swords
Game Of Thrones • The Lion and the Rose
Homeland
House Of Cards

Outstanding Cinematography For A Miniseries Or Movie
Sherlock: His Last Vow (WINNER)
Fargo • Buridan’s Ass
Fargo • The Crocodile’s Dilemma
Fleming: The Man Who Would Be Bond
Killing Kennedy
The Normal Heart

Outstanding Cinematography For Nonfiction Programming
The Square (WINNER)
Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown • Tokyo
Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown • Punjab
Cosmos: A SpaceTime Odyssey
Vice

Outstanding Cinematography For Reality Programming
Deadliest Catch (WINNER)
Alaska: The Last Frontier
The Amazing Race
Project Runway
Survivor

Outstanding Commercial
Misunderstood • Apple (WINNER)
Childlike Imagination • General Imagination
Hero’s Welcome • Budweiser
Possibilities • Nike
Puppy Love • Budweiser

Outstanding Narrator
Jeremy Irons, Game Of Lions (WINNER)
Daniel Craig, One Life
Jane Lynch, Penguins: Waddle All The Way
Henry Strozier, Too Cute!
Whoopi Goldberg, Whoopi Goldberg Presents Moms Mabley

Outstanding Children’s Program
One Last Hug: Three Days At Grief Camp (WINNER)
Degrassi
Dog With A Blog
Good Luck Charlie
Nick News With Linda Ellerbee – Family Secrets: When Violence Hits Home
Wynton Marsalis – A YoungArts Masterclass

Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance
Harry Shearer, The Simpsons (WINNER)
Chris Diamantapolous, Disney Mickey Mouse
Stephen Full, Dog With A Blog
Seth MacFarlane, Family Guy
Maurice LaMarche, Futurama
Seth Green, Robot Chicken DC Comics Special II: Villains In Paradise

Outstanding Stunt Coordination For A Comedy Series Or A Variety Program
Brooklyn Nine-Nine (WINNER)
Community
It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia
Sam & Cat
Shameless

Outstanding Stunt Coordination For A Drama Series, Miniseries Or Movie
The Blacklist (WINNER)
Game Of Thrones
Grimm
Hawaii Five-0
Revolution
True Blood

Outstanding Special And Visual Effects
Game Of Thrones (WINNER)
Almost Human
Cosmos: A SpaceTime Odyssey
The 100
Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

Outstanding Special And Visual Effects In A Supporting Role
Black Sails (WINNER)
Da Vinci’s Demons
Hawaii Five-0Mob City
Vikings
The Walking Dead

Outstanding Guest Actor In A Comedy Series
Jimmy Fallon, Saturday Night Live (WINNER)
Bob Newhart, The Big Bang Theory
Nathan Lane, Modern Family
Steve Buscemi, Portlandia
Louis C.K., Saturday Night Live
Gary Cole, Veep

Outstanding Lighting Design/Lighting Direction For A Variety Series
Dancing With The Stars (WINNER)
America’s Got Talent
Saturday Night Live
The Voice

Outstanding Lighting Design/Lighting Direction For A Variety Special
Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games Opening Ceremony (WINNER)
The Beatles: The Night That Changed America
The 56th Grammy Awards
The Oscars

Outstanding Technical Direction, Camerawork, Video Control For A Series
Dancing With The Stars (WINNER)
The Big Bang Theory
The Daily Show With Jon Stewart
Jimmy Kimmel Live
Saturday Night Live
The Voice

Outstanding Technical Direction, Camerawork, Video Control For A Miniseries, Movie Or A Special
The Sound Of Music Live! (WINNER)
The Oscars
Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games Opening Ceremony
67th Annual Tony Awards

Outstanding Original Music And Lyrics
67th Annual Tony Awards • Song Title: Bigger! (WINNER)
A Christmas Carol – The Concert • Song Title: No Trouble
Key & Peele • Substitute Teacher #3 / Song Title: Les Mis
Saturday Night Live • Song Title: Home For The Holiday (Twin Bed)
Sofia The First: The Floating Palace • Song Title: Merroway Cove
Sons Of Anarchy • Song Title: Day Is Gone

Outstanding Music Composition For A Miniseries, Movie Or A Special (Original Dramatic Score)
Sherlock: His Last Vow (WINNER)
American Horror Story: Coven
Clear History
Fargo
Herblock: The Black & The White
The Sound Of Music Live!
67th Annual Tony Awards

Outstanding Main Title Design
True Detective (WINNER)
Black Sails
Cosmos: A SpaceTime Odyssey
Masters Of Sex
Silicon Valley

Outstanding Music Composition For A Series (Original Dramatic Score)
Cosmos: A SpaceTime Odyssey (WINNER)
Downton Abbey
Game Of Thrones
House Of Cards
True Detective

Outstanding Music Direction
The Beatles: The Night That Changed America (WINNER)
Barbra Streisand: Back to Brooklyn
The Oscars
Saturday Night Live

Outstanding Original Main Title Theme Music
Cosmos: A SpaceTime Odyssey (WINNER)
Black Sails
Magic City
Sleepy Hollow
The Spoils Of Babylon

Outstanding Sound Mixing For A Comedy Or Drama Series (One Hour)
House Of Cards (WINNER)
Breaking Bad
Game Of Thrones
Homeland

Outstanding Sound Mixing For A Miniseries Or A Movie
Treme (WINNER)
American Horror Story: Coven
Fargo
Killing Kennedy
Sherlock: His Last Vow

Outstanding Sound Mixing For A Comedy Or Drama Series (Half-Hour) And Animation
Modern Family (WINNER)
Californication
Nurse Jackie
The Simpsons
Veep

Outstanding Sound Mixing For A Variety Series Or Special
The 56th Grammy Awards (WINNER)
The Beatles: The Night That Changed America
The Kennedy Center Honors
The Oscars
The Voice

Outstanding Sound Mixing For Nonfiction Programming
American Masters (WINNER)
The Amazing Race
Cosmos: A SpaceTime Odyssey
Deadliest Catch

Outstanding Makeup For A Single-Camera Series (Non-Prosthetic)
True Detective (WINNER)
Boardwalk Empire
Breaking Bad
Game Of Thrones
Mad Men

Outstanding Makeup For A Multi-Camera Series Or Special (Non-Prosthetic)
Saturday Night Live (WINNER)
Dancing With The Stars
Key & Peele
So You Think You Can Dance
The Voice

Outstanding Makeup For A Miniseries Or A Movie (Non-Prosthetic)
The Normal Heart (WINNER)
American Horror Story: Coven
Anna Nicole
Bonnie & Clyde
Fargo

Outstanding Prosthetic Makeup For A Series, Miniseries, Movie Or A Special
Game Of Thrones (WINNER)
American Horror Story: Coven
Boardwalk Empire
Breaking Bad
The Normal Heart

Outstanding Sound Editing For A Series
Black Sails (WINNER)
Boardwalk Empire
Breaking Bad
Game Of Thrones
The Walking Dead

Outstanding Sound Editing For A Miniseries, Movie Or A Special
Sherlock: His Last Vow (WINNER)
American Horror Story: Coven
Bonnie & Clyde
Fargo
Klondike
Mob City

Outstanding Sound Editing For Nonfiction Programming (Single Or Multi-Camera)
Cosmos: A SpaceTime Odyssey (WINNER)
The Amazing Race
Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown
Vice
The World Wars

Outstanding Guest Actress In A Drama Series
Allison Janney, Masters of Sex (WINNER)
Margo Martindale, The Americans
Diana Rigg, Game of Thrones
Kate Mara, House of Cards
Jane Fonda, The Newsroom
Kate Burton, Scandal

Outstanding Hairstyling For A Single-Camera Series
Downton Abbey (WINNER)
Boardwalk Empire
Game Of Thrones
Mad Men

Outstanding Hairstyling For A Multi-Camera Series Or Special
Saturday Night Live (WINNER)
Dancing With The Stars
Key & Peele
The Originals
The Oscars
The Voice

Outstanding Hairstyling For A Miniseries Or A Movie
American Horror Story: Coven (WINNER)
Bonnie & Clyde
Mob City
The Normal Heart
The White Queen

Outstanding Costumes For A Series
Game Of Thrones (WINNER)
Boardwalk Empire
Downton Abbey
Mad Men
Once Upon A Time

Outstanding Costumes For A Miniseries, Movie or Special
American Horror Story: Coven (WINNER)
The Normal Heart
House Of Versace
Sherlock: His Last Vow (Masterpiece)
The White Queen

Outstanding Short-Format Animated Program
Disney Mickey Mouse (WINNER)
Adventure Time
Disney Phineas and Ferb
Regular Show
Robot Chicken

Outstanding Animated Program
Bob’s Burgers (WINNER)
Archer
Futurama
South Park
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Manhattan Project

Outstanding Art Direction For A Period Series, Miniseries Or A Movie (Single-Camera)
Boardwalk Empire (WINNER)
American Horror Story: Coven
Downton Abbey
Mad Men
Masters Of Sex

Outstanding Art Direction For A Contemporary Program (Half-Hour Or Less)
House Of Lies (WINNER)
The Big Bang Theory
Modern Family
Silicon Valley
Veep
HBO

Outstanding Art Direction For Variety, Nonfiction, Reality or Reality-Competition Program
The Oscars (WINNER)
Cosmos: A SpaceTime Odyssey
Portlandia
Saturday Night Live
Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games Opening Ceremony
The Voice

Outstanding Art Direction For A Contemporary Or Fantasy Series (Single-Camera)
Game Of Thrones (WINNER)
House Of Cards
Justified
True Blood
True Detective

Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing For A Drama Series
Breaking Bad • Felina (WINNER)
Breaking Bad • Tohajillee
Breaking Bad • Granite State
True Detective

Outstanding Multi-Camera Picture Editing For A Comedy Series
The Big Bang Theory (WINNER)
The Colbert Report
The Daily Show With Jon Stewart
How I Met Your Mother
Jimmy Kimmel Live

Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing For A Comedy Series
Orange Is The New Black • Tit Punch (WINNER)
Modern Family
Orange Is The New Black • Can’t Fix Crazy
Orange Is The New Black • Tall Men With Feelings
Portlandia

Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing For A Miniseries Or A Movie
Sherlock: His Last Vow (WINNER)
Fargo • The Crocodile’s Dilemma
Fargo • The Rooster Prince
Fargo • Buridan’s Ass
The Normal Heart

Outstanding Guest Actor In A Drama Series
Joe Morton, Scandal (WINNER)
Paul Giamatti, Downton Abbey
Dylan Baker, The Good Wife
Reg E. Cathey, House Of Cards
Robert Morse, Mad Men
Beau Bridges, Masters of Sex

Outstanding Picture Editing For Short-Form Segments And Variety Specials
The Daily Show With Jon Stewart (WINNER)
AFI Life Achievement Award: A Tribute To Mel Brooks
Billy Crystal: 700 Sundays
The Colbert Report • People Destroying America: Vicco Mayor Johnny Cummings (Segment)
The Colbert Report • StePhfest Colbchella ‘013

Outstanding Picture Editing For Nonfiction Programming
The Square (WINNER)
American Masters
Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown
Cosmos: A SpaceTime Odyssey
The Sixties: The Assassination Of President Kennedy

Outstanding Picture Editing For Reality Programming
Deadliest Catch (WINNER)
The Amazing Race
Naked And Afraid
Project Runway
Survivor
The Voice

Outstanding Casting For A Miniseries, Movie Or A Special
Fargo (WINNER)
American Horror Story: Coven
The Normal Heart

Outstanding Casting For A Drama Series
True Detective (WINNER)
Breaking Bad
Game Of Thrones
The Good Wife
House Of Cards
Sherlock: His Last Vow (Masterpiece)
Treme

Outstanding Casting For A Comedy Series
Orange Is The New Black (WINNER)
Louie
Modern Family
Nurse Jackie
Showtime
Veep

-----------------------------------------

Review: "The Hangover Part II" Not Quite the Same

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 36 (of 2013) by Leroy Douresseaux


The Hangover Part II (2011)
Running time: 102 minutes (1 hour, 42 minutes)
MPAA – R for pervasive language, strong sexual content including graphic nudity, drug use and brief violent images
DIRECTOR: Todd Phillips
WRITERS: Craig Mazin, Scot Armstrong, and Todd Phillips (based on characters created by Jon Lucas and Scott Moore)
PRODUCERS: Daniel Goldberg and Todd Phillips
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Lawrence Sher (D.o.P.)
EDITOR: Debra Neil-Fisher and Mike Sale
COMPOSER: Christophe Beck

COMEDY/MYSTERY

Starring: Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis, Justin Bartha, Ken Jeong, Paul Giamatti, Mason Lee, Sasha Barrese, Jamie Chung, Jeffrey Tambor, Nirut Sirichanya, Bryan Callen, Mike Tyson, and Nick Cassavetes

The subject of this movie review is The Hangover Part II, a 2011 comedy from director Todd Phillips. The film is a sequel to the 2009 hit comedy, The Hangover. Most of the cast returns for this sequel, including Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis, and Justin Bartha, the characters the comprise “the Wolfpack.” In The Hangover Part II, another pre-wedding get-together turns bad, this time in Thailand.

The Hangover Part II opens two years after the Wolfpack’s escapade in Las Vegas, Nevada. Now, dentist Dr. Stuart “Stu” Price (Ed Helms) is getting married, but the nuptials are in Thailand, the home of Stu’s bride-to-be, Lauren (Jamie Chung). Stu invites Phil Wenneck (Bradley Cooper), Doug Billings (Justin Bartha), and reluctantly, Alan Garner (Zach Galifianakis) to attend the wedding.

In addition to the usual pre-wedding jitters, there is some other tension. Lauren’s father, Fohn Srisai (Nirut Sirichanya), hates Stu, and Alan does not like that Teddy (Mason Lee), Lauren’s little brother, is tagging along with the Wolfpack. Stu, Phil, Doug, Alan, and Teddy decide to spend one night around a campfire on the beach, drinking beers and roasting marshmallows. The following morning, Stu, Phil, and Alan wake up in a dirty hotel room in Bangkok. They can’t remember what happened after the campfire, and someone is missing again.

The Hangover Part II is not The Hangover. For one thing, the sequel lacks the element of surprise that made the first film such a delight. The Hangover practically came out of nowhere and caught audiences unaware, with its twists and turns that made Las Vegas seems like a wonderland of playful raunchiness and good-humored naughtiness. In spite of all the R-rated fun, The Hangover was joyful, and the danger was less about jeopardy and more about merriment.

I can’t say that The Hangover Part II is darker than the first film, because The Hangover wasn’t a film with a dark mood or even dark undertones. The Hangover Part II is just plain dark. It is raunchier, as if to say “Bangkok don’t play!” I also wouldn’t say that the story is especially cruel to the characters, but the screenplay does seem to be putting Phil, Stu, and Alan through their paces. It is as if fate doesn’t really care one way or the other about them. Whatever made Las Vegas a special, but safe playground for the Wolfpack isn’t a privilege the friends will get everywhere they go. Sometimes, in some city, one of the Wolfpack will get f***** up the a**, and it won’t be any bigger a deal than getting a bad tattoo after getting pissy drunk.

However, The Hangover Part II is funny, not as funny as the original, but funny in its own foul and revolting way. It is a sequel, but it is also basically a remake of the first movie, set in a new “sin city,” with some changes in circumstances, and a few new supporting characters.

Four years ago, I wrote that the fun in The Hangover was in getting the surprises. The fun in The Hangover Part II is being surprised that you are more amused than you are disgusted by the Wolfpack’s one night in Bangkok.

6 of 10
B

NOTES:
2012 Razzie Awards: 2 nominations: “Worst Prequel, Remake, Rip-Off or Sequel” (Both a Remake and a Sequel) and “Worst Supporting Actor” (Ken Jeong, also for Transformers: Dark of the Moon-2011, Zookeeper-2011, and Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son-2011)

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

"The Hangover Part III" Starts Shooting for May 2013 Release

Cameras Roll on “The Hangover Part III”

Director Todd Phillips takes stars Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms and Zach Galifianakis on one last wild ride

BURBANK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Principal photography is underway on Warner Bros. Pictures’ and Legendary Pictures’ “The Hangover Part III,” the third and final film in director Todd Phillips’ record-shattering comedy franchise.

This time, there’s no wedding. No bachelor party. What could go wrong, right? But when the Wolfpack hits the road, all bets are off.

“The Hangover Part III” reunites Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis and Justin Bartha as Phil, Stu, Alan and Doug. Returning to the ensemble are Ken Jeong, Heather Graham, Jeffrey Tambor and, as the guys’ long-suffering wives, Gillian Vigman, Sasha Barrese and Jamie Chung. John Goodman joins the cast as well.

Phillips directs from a screenplay he wrote with Craig Mazin, who also collaborated with him on the screenplay for “The Hangover Part II.” Phillips is producing the film under his Green Hat Films banner, together with Dan Goldberg. Thomas Tull, Scott Budnick, Chris Bender and J.C. Spink are the executive producers.

Also back for another round are Phillips’ behind-the-scenes creative team from the first two films: director of photography Lawrence Sher, editor Debra Neil-Fisher and costume designer Louise Mingenbach. They are joined by production designer Maher Ahmad (upcoming “Gangster Squad”) and editor Jeff Groth (“Project X”).

A presentation of Warner Bros. Pictures, in association with Legendary Pictures, “The Hangover Part III” is scheduled for release on May 24, 2013, and will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

Review: Antonio Banderas Stomps the Yard in "Puss in Boots"

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 41 (of 2012) by Leroy Douresseaux

Puss in Boots (2011)
Running time: 90 minutes (1 hour, 30 minutes)
MPAA – PG for some adventure action and mild rude humor
DIRECTOR: Chris Miller
WRITERS: Tom Wheeler; from a story by Will Davies and Brian Lynch (based upon the character created by Charles Perrault)
PRODUCERS: Joe M. Aguilar and Latifa Ouaou
EDITOR: Eric Dapkewicz
COMPOSER: Henry Jackman
Academy Award nominee

ANIMATION/FANTASY/ADVENTURE/COMEDY with elements of a Western

Starring: (voice) Antonio Banderas, Salma Hayek, Zach Galifianakis, Billy Bob Thornton, Amy Sedaris, Constance Marie, and Guillermo del Toro

I don’t think DreamWorks Animation gets enough credit. They aren’t a weak sister to Pixar Animation Studios. In fact, in 2011, Pixar unleashed the god-awful Cars 2, but DreamWorks more than surpassed that with two excellent films, Kung Fu Panda 2 and the subject of this movie review…

Puss in Boots is a 2011 computer-animated adventure comedy film from DreamWorks Animation. The film stars Antonio Banderas, giving voice to the outlaw cat, Puss in Boots, the character that first appeared in Shrek 2 (2004). Puss in Boots the movie is both a spin-off of and prequel to the Shrek film franchise.

The story details the origins of Puss in Boots (Antonio Banderas) and tells how he became an outlaw. He was an orphaned kitten who finds a home at an orphanage run by the kind Imelda (Constance Marie) in the town of San Ricardo. While attempting to steal magic beans (from “Jack and the Beanstalk), Puss is reunited with his long-estranged childhood friend, the talking egg Humpty Alexander Dumpty (Zach Galifianakis). Puss is drawn to Humpty’s ally, Kitty Softpaws (Salma Hayek), a street-savvy Tuxedo cat.

The trio hatches a plan to steal the beans from the current owners, the outlaw couple, Jack (Billy Bob Thorton) and Jill (Amy Sedaris). The task, however, proves more difficult than Puss imagined, as he must survive a strange world and also a plot against his loved ones.

Part Zorro and part Valentino, Puss in Boots is a charming rogue, the kind of character that can drive a swashbuckling adventure film to success. Puss in Boots the movie is part Raiders of the Lost Ark with the style of a spaghetti Western plus the cracked fairy tale approach that defined the Shrek movies.

Puss in Boots isn’t groundbreaking, nor is it as technically dazzling as other DreamWorks Animations films, such as the Kung Fu Panda films and Megamind. Puss in Boots does, however, have enough bubbly charm and effervescence to share with less fortunate films.

Those less fortunate films would be movies that don’t have Antonio Banderas, an actor born to be loved by the camera, or, in the case of voice acting in an animated film, an actor with a bejeweled voice. Together with the artists that animated the Puss in Boots character, Banderas turned on the wit and magnetism, so that Puss in Boots virtually has no faults – as long as Puss in Boots is the center of attention. I appreciate the people involved with this movie, because I plan on watching Puss in Boots many more times.

8 of 10
A

NOTES:
2012 Academy Awards: 1 nomination: “Best Animated Feature Film of the Year” (Chris Miller)

2012 Golden Globes, USA: 1 nomination: “Best Animated Feature Film”

Tuesday, May 22, 2012

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"The Muppets" is Muppet-ational

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 25 (of 2012) by Leroy Douresseaux


The Muppets (2011)
Running time: 103 minutes (l hour, 43 minutes)
MPAA – PG for some mild rude humor
DIRECTOR: James Bobin
WRITERS: Jason Segel and Nicholas Stoller
PRODUCERS: David Hoberman and Todd Lieberman
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Don Burgess
EDITOR: James Thomas
COMPOSER: Christophe Beck
Academy Award winner

FANTASY/COMEDY/FAMILY/MUSICAL

Starring: Jason Segel, Amy Adams, Chris Cooper, Rashida Jones, and Jack Black and The Muppets: (voices) Peter Linz, Steve Whitmire, Eric Jacobson, Dave Goelz, Bill Barretta, David Rudman, Matt Vogel, Tyler Bunch, and Alice Dinnean with Emily Blunt, Whoopi Goldberg, and Zach Galifianakis

The Muppets is a 2011 live-action, musical comedy and fantasy film from Walt Disney Pictures. This Oscar-winning film stars The Muppets, the puppet characters created by the late Jim Henson, specifically the characters that appeared on the television series, “The Muppets” (1976-81). This film finds The Muppets reuniting to save their old theatre from a crooked oil tycoon.

Walter (voice of Peter Linz) is a man born as a Muppet. He lives in Smalltown (presumably a small town in the American Midwest) with his brother, Gary (Jason Segel). Gary has planned a vacation to Los Angeles with his girlfriend, Mary (Amy Adams), for their tenth anniversary, and he invites Walter along, so that he can tour the Muppet Studios.

Once in L.A., the trio finds the studio lot abandoned and Muppet Theatre decrepit. Walter happens to overhear Tex Richman (Chris Cooper), a greedy oil tycoon, plotting to seize control of Muppet Theatre, which he also plans to destroy. Walter, Gary, and Mary travel to the mansion of Kermit the Frog (Steve Whitmore), and convince him to reunite The Muppets. Kermit wants to put on a telethon to raise the ten million dollars needed to save Muppet Theatre, but The Muppets have not performed together in years and are scattered around the country. Even if Kermit reunites his friends, no television network thinks that The Muppets are still popular or relevant enough to give them the television time they will need to raise so much money.

With the release of The Muppets last year, I got a chance to rediscover my love for these characters. I watched the first television series, The Muppet Show, during its original run and later, in syndication for several years. I must say that I’m pleased with this new movie, which was critically well-received and performed well at the box office. For the most part, these are still The Muppets that I knew and loved and still love.

The new songs are better than I thought they would be. The beguiling, Elton John-esque “Man or Muppet” (written by Bret McKenzie) won a best original song Oscar, but I prefer two other McKenzie-penned songs. “Life’s a Happy Song” and “Me Party” (co-written by Paul Roemen) are the kind of catchy tunes that can stand on their own as lively jingles outside The Muppets (or even be used in another movie).

Early in the film, I found the characters played by Jason Segel and Amy Adams intolerable and intrusive. I was only a little more tolerant of nouveau-faux Muppet, Walter. As Segel’s Gary and Adams’ Mary recede more into the background and take their place as supporting characters, they grew on me… a little. Besides, I find it hard not to like Amy Adams. Truthfully, Gary, Mary, and Walter seem like minor gateway characters that create the contrivances which in turn bring The Muppets back into the picture. By the end of the movie, I liked that the new characters were part of the film.

Of course, the best thing in The Muppets are The Muppets. Whenever they’re singing and dancing and squabbling and trying to keep their stuff together, The Muppets have their mojo, and their mojo is back. By the end of The Muppets, I was sad because I wanted the movie to be longer.

8 of 10
A

NOTES:
2012 Academy Awards: 1 win: “Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Song” (Bret McKenzie for the song "Man or Muppet")

Saturday, March 24, 2012

"The Hangover III" Announced for May 2013

Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures Are Ready for Another “Hangover”

Director Todd Phillips will reunite with Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms and Zach Galifianakis for Part III of the blockbuster comedy franchise, to open on May 24, 2013

BURBANK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures are reteaming with Todd Phillips for “The Hangover Part III,” the third installment in the record-breaking comedy franchise, which is slated for release on May 24, 2013. The announcement was made today by Jeff Robinov, President Warner Bros. Pictures Group.

“The Hangover Part III” will star Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms and Zach Galifianakis, who will reprise the roles of Phil, Stu and Alan, collectively known to moviegoers as “the Wolfpack.” In the previous two films, the three friends’ attempts to plan a celebration have resulted in disaster for them, but led to a combined billion-dollar success at the worldwide box office.

In making the announcement, Robinov stated, “We are extremely pleased to have Todd Phillips and the guys back together again for another ‘Hangover,’ and we look forward to collaborating with them on another great movie.”

Phillips said, “I’m so excited to embark on another ‘Hangover’ film with Bradley, Ed and Zach. We’re going to surprise a lot of people with the final chapter we have planned. It will be a fitting conclusion to our three-part opera of mayhem, despair and bad decisions.”

Phillips is writing the screenplay with Craig Mazin, who also collaborated with him on the screenplay for “The Hangover Part II.” Phillips is again producing the film under his Green Hat Films banner, together with Dan Goldberg. Thomas Tull and Scott Budnick will serve as executive producers.

Production on the film is projected to begin in September 2012.

A presentation of Warner Bros. Pictures, in association with Legendary Pictures, “The Hangover Part III” will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

"The Campaign" with Will Ferrell Ready for August 2012 Release

Will Ferrell and Zach Galifianakis Wrap Production on Jay Roach Comedy “The Campaign”

Film Opens Nationwide this Summer

BURBANK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Filming has concluded on “The Campaign,” starring Will Ferrell and Zach Galifianakis as competing candidates in a no-holds-barred race for Congress. The new comedy from “Meet the Parents” director Jay Roach is scheduled to open in theaters on August 10, 2012.

The film also stars Jason Sudeikis, Dylan McDermott and Katherine LaNasa, with John Lithgow, Dan Aykroyd and Brian Cox.

In “The Campaign,” when long-term congressman Cam Brady (Ferrell) commits a major public gaffe before an upcoming election, a pair of ultra-wealthy CEOs plot to put up a rival candidate and gain influence over their North Carolina district. Their man: naïve Marty Huggins (Galifianakis), director of the local Tourism Center. At first, Marty appears to be the unlikeliest possible choice but, with the help of his new benefactors’ support, a cutthroat campaign manager and his family’s political connections, he soon becomes a contender who gives the charismatic Cam plenty to worry about. As election day closes in, the two are locked in a dead heat, with insults quickly escalating to injury until all they care about is burying each other, in this mud-slinging, back-stabbing, home-wrecking battle that takes today’s political circus to its logical next level. Because even when you think campaign ethics have hit rock bottom, there’s room to dig a whole lot deeper.

Directed by Jay Roach and written by Chris Henchy & Shawn Harwell, the film is produced by Will Ferrell, Adam McKay, Jay Roach and Zach Galifianakis. Amy Sayres, Jon Poll and Chris Henchy serve as executive producers.

The creative filmmaking team includes director of photography Jim Denault (Emmy nominee for HBO’s “Carnivàle”); production designer Michael Corenblith (Oscar® nominee for “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” and “Apollo 13”); editors Craig Alpert (“Knocked Up,” “Borat”) and Jon Poll (“Meet the Fockers”); and costume designer Daniel Orlandi (“The Blind Side”).

“The Campaign” was filmed in and around New Orleans, beginning in October of 2011. Set for an August 10, 2012 release, it will be distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

The Hangover Part II: It Can't Be Stopped!!

The Wolfpack Tears up the Box Office Again with a Record-Breaking Opening for “The Hangover Part II”

Comedy Sequel Has Now Crossed the $200 Million Mark Worldwide

BURBANK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Warner Bros. Pictures’ and Legendary Pictures’ “The Hangover Part II” made it a memorable Memorial Day weekend at the box office. The blockbuster comedy has now crossed $200 million worldwide, the fastest of any comedy to surpass that benchmark. The joint announcement was made today by Warner Bros. Pictures President of Domestic Distribution Dan Fellman, and President of International Distribution Veronika Kwan-Rubinek. To date, “The Hangover Part II” has grossed more than $205 million globally.

Domestically, the Todd Phillips-directed comedy raked in more than $135 million dollars in its first five days in release, smashing multiple records along the way, beginning with its $10.4 million dollar midnight opening and first-day Thursday gross of over $31.6 million. “The Hangover Part II” broke the three-day, four-day and five-day opening records for a comedy film opening of any rating. Additionally, the film shattered both the Memorial Day weekend record and the Friday-to-Monday holiday record for an R-rated film, with a total of $103.5 million, more than doubling the previous records.

Fellman remarked, “We could not imagine a better way to kick off our summer and, based on audience reactions and strong word-of-mouth, we expect this ‘Hangover’ to last throughout the summer. Cheers to Todd Phillips and the ‘Wolfpack,’ who are back in a big way and who made ‘The Hangover Part II’ an experience no one will forget.”

In addition, “The Hangover Part II,” which was released in 40 territories, woke up to a staggering international gross, topping the box office with $70.05 million on 5193 screens through Monday.

Kwan-Rubinek stated, “With the unprecedented success and continuing popularity of the first film, expectations were incredibly high for ‘The Hangover Part II.’ This fantastic opening shows that the movie not only met but exceeded those expectations on a global level. We applaud Todd, his fantastic cast, and everyone involved in the film, all of whom share in this extraordinary success.”

In “The Hangover Part II” Phil (Bradley Cooper), Stu (Ed Helms), Alan (Zach Galifianakis) and Doug (Justin Bartha) travel to exotic Thailand for Stu’s wedding. With the memory of Doug’s nearly disastrous bachelor party in Las Vegas still fresh—or at least well-documented—Stu is taking no chances. He has opted for a safe, subdued, pre-wedding trip brunch, with pancakes, coffee…and no alcohol. However, things don’t always go as planned. Two nights before the big day, at a fabulous resort in Thailand, Stu relents. One beer each. In sealed bottles. What could go wrong?

What happens in Vegas may stay in Vegas, but what happens in Bangkok can’t even be imagined.

“The Hangover Part II” is director Todd Phillips’ follow-up to his 2009 smash hit “The Hangover,” which became the highest-grossing R-rated comedy of all time and also won the Golden Globe for Best Film – Comedy or Musical.

Reprising their roles, Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis, and Justin Bartha star in the film. Ken Jeong and Jeffrey Tambor also return from the first film, and Mason Lee, Jamie Chung and Paul Giamatti join the ensemble.

The screenplay is by Craig Mazin & Scot Armstrong & Todd Phillips. Phillips also produced the film under his Green Hat Films banner, together with Dan Goldberg. Thomas Tull, Scott Budnick, Chris Bender and J.C. Spink are the executive producers, with David A. Siegel and Jeffrey Wetzel serving as co-producers.

“The Hangover Part II” is a presentation of Warner Bros. Pictures, in association with Legendary Pictures, and will be distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company. The film has been rated R for pervasive language, strong sexual content including graphic nudity, drug use and brief violent images.