Review: Judi Dench is Fun in "Mrs. Henderson Presents" (Happy B'day, Judi Dench)

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 82 (of 2006) by Leroy Douresseaux


Mrs. Henderson Presents (2005)
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: UK
Running time: 103 minutes (1 hour, 43 minutes)
MPAA – R for nudity and brief language
DIRECTOR: Stephen Frears
WRITER: Martin Sherman
PRODUCER: Norma Heyman
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Andrew Dunn
EDITOR: Lucia Zucchetti
Academy Award nominee

COMEDY/DRAMA/MUSIC/HISTORICAL

Starring: Judi Dench, Bob Hoskins, Will Young, Kelly Reilly, Thelma Barlow, Michael Culkin, and Christopher Guest

After her husband Robert dies in 1937, Laura Henderson (Judi Dench) struggles to find a hobby to occupy her time, and one day, chance affords an opportunity when she passes by an old movie theatre on London’s West End. She buys the theatre and rebuilds it as The Windmill, a venue for musical theatre. Mrs. Henderson takes on a salty theatre manager and showman, Vivian Van Damm (Bob Hoskins), and together they make their show, a kind of musical theatre they call “Revudeville,” a hit, even if they are occasionally at odds with one another.

However, other theatres are soon copying The Windmill’s winning formula. It is then that Mrs. Henderson proposes an idea that has been in her heart for a long time – have nude actresses on stage (similar to what the Moulin Rouge in Paris does). That raises eyebrows, but the nude musical revue is an even bigger hit. But all isn’t happiness and sunshine; the show that Mrs. Henderson presents must struggle to go on as World War II arrives and the Germans bomb London.

Mrs. Henderson Presents, based on a true story, is a movie of two minds. The first 50 minutes or so of the film is a delightful comedy of manners, class divisions, creative differences, and musical theatre. The fest of the film is a dour, World War II drama that clunks about as if the filmmakers weren’t sure just what kind of “Masterpiece Theatre” movie this picture should be. Mrs. Henderson Presents is indicative of director Stephen Frears work – when he’s on (High Fidelity and Dirty Pretty Things), he’s really on, but when he stumbles, his films are uneven (The Grifters and Hero), and there’s a bit of both here.

A few things make this a good movie. There is a scene of full frontal nudity featuring Bob Hoskins. Sandy Powell’s colorful costumes are eye-catching, and I found myself always waiting to see what she’d give us next. The musical theatre (the songs more than the acting and dancing, although both are good) is fun and bubbly. Finally, Judi Dench delivers her usual stellar work. She’s witty and delightful and wields screenwriter Martin Sherman’s dialogue and character of Mrs. Henderson with the assurance of a master fencer. She’s just fun to watch, and her fans shouldn’t miss Mrs. Henderson Presents.

6 of 10
B

NOTES:
2006 Academy Awards: 2 nominations: “Best Achievement in Costume Design” (Sandy Powell) and “Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role” (Judi Dench)

2006 BAFTA Awards: 4 nominations: “Anthony Asquith Award for Film Music” (George Fenton), “Best Costume Design” (Sandy Powell), “Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role” (Judi Dench), and “Best Screenplay – Original” (Martin Sherman)

2006 Golden Globes: 3 nominations: “Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy,” “Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture” (Bob Hoskins), and “Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy” (Judi Dench)

Wednesday, April 19, 2006

New People Screens Three Films for Holiday Season

NEW PEOPLE KICKS OFF THE HOLIDAY FUN JAPANESE STYLE WITH THREE SPECIAL FILM SCREENINGS ON DECEMBER 17th

Japanese Pop Culture Venue Welcomes The Holiday Season And Presents Eatrip, DOCUMENTARY Of AKB48 to be continued, And GANTZ II: Perfect Answer At The Bay Area’s Hottest Movie Theatre

NEW PEOPLE, the nation’s only entertainment complex dedicated to Japanese popular culture, has announced a trio of Japanese live-action films to screen on Saturday, December 17th at the venue’s SF Film Society NEW PEOPLE Cinema. The screenings will include the culinary documentary Eatrip, which plays at 1:00pm, the newly released music biopic, DOCUMENTARY of AKB48 to be continued, which plays at 3:00pm and again at 8:30pm, and finally the action-packed conclusion of the celebrated GANTZ sci-fi saga with a showing of GANTZ II: Perfect Answer at 5:00pm. Tickets are $10.00 each per film. Information and advance tickets are available at: http://www.newpeopleworld.com/.

Filmgoers that bring their movie ticket to NEW PEOPLE, The Store, located in the building’s lobby, before or after each show will receive $10.00 off any NEW PEOPLE Entertainment DVD or Blu-ray release that day.

Eatrip - Screens at 1:00pm
The film takes audiences on an intriguing journey throughout Japan and features interviews with interesting personalities from a variety of walks of life to look at how life can be led richly through the daily ritual of eating. To eat is more than a necessity – it’s a universal experience all human beings share. In the film, Yuri Nomura embarks on an insightful journey throughout Japan to examine the daily rituals of eating among people from different walks of life. Actor Tadanobu Asano, singer UA, and fashion designer Jurgen Lehl are among those featured. From the Tsukiji fish market to a farm in Okinawa, Eatrip offers poignant interviews with intriguing personalities including the head monk of a famous Buddhist temple; a distributor of Japanese soup stock (Bonito broth); an Okinawan woman leading a self-sustainable lifestyle devoid of modern conveniences; a tea ceremony master, and a musician and writer who recites poems about food. Eatrip is available now on DVD from NEW PEOPLE Entertainment.

DOCUMENTARY of AKB48 to be continued - Screens at 3:00pm & 8:30pm
The new music biopic follows the unstoppable all-female Japanese pop idol group, AKB48, on their incredible rise to fame. AKB48 was conceived in 2005 by Yasushi Akimoto, one of Japan’s most respected music producers. Beginning as a small all-girl singing group based in the Akihabara district of Tokyo – the city’s bustling electronics and anime/pop culture shopping Mecca – AKB48 has grown to 60 members and topped Japan’s Oricon music charts with the two best-selling pop singles in 2010 as well as another two singles ranking in the Top 10. The film was just released by NEW PEOPLE Entertainment on DVD on December 1st.

GANTZ II: Perfect Answer - Screens at 5:00pm
The GANTZ saga meets its ultimate conclusion in GANTZ II: Perfect Answer, which offers an intensely gripping story-line yet to be known to even readers of the original manga series. Determined to resurrect his friends who have died on previous missions, Kei and other members trapped in the world of GANTZ aim to score the 100 points needed to break through and regain their freedom. But with the emergence of a mysterious man investigating the Gantz members, Gantz begins to act up and the next target shocks the members. Some fight for love, some for justice but what will each member have to sacrifice? GANTZ is based on a popular manga series created by Hiroya Oku and star leading Japanese actors Kazunari Ninomiya (Letters from Iwo Jima) and Kenichi Matsuyama (Death Note, Detroit Metal City). GANTZ II: Perfect Answer will be released by NEW PEOPLE Entertainment on DVD and Blu-ray on January 17th, 2012.


The SF Film Society
NEW PEOPLE Cinema is a 143-seat subterranean theatre located at 1746 Post Street in San Francisco’s Japantown and features plush seating, digital as well as 35mm projection, and a THX®-certified sound system.

About NEW PEOPLE, Inc.
Based in San Francisco, California, NEW PEOPLE, Inc. (http://www.newpeopleworld.com/) offers the latest films, art, fashion and retail brands from Japan through its unique entertainment destination as well as through licensing and distribution of selective Japanese films. NEW PEOPLE Entertainment (www.newpeopleent.com), a film division of NEW PEOPLE, Inc. strives to offer the most entertaining motion pictures straight from the "Kingdom of Pop" for audiences of all ages, especially the manga and anime generation, in North America. Some titles include DEATH NOTE, GANTZ, KAMIKAZE GIRLS, and THE TASTE OF TEA.

Review: "Bridge to Terabithia" is Beautiful and Heartbreaking (Happy B'day, AnnaSophia Robb)

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 103 (of 2007) by Leroy Douresseaux

Bridge to Terabithia (2007)
Running time: 96 minutes (1 hour, 36 minutes)
MPAA – PG for thematic material including bullying, some peril, and mild language
DIRECTOR: Gabor Csupo
WRITERS: Jeff Stockwell and David Paterson (based upon the book by Katherine Paterson)
PRODUCERS: Lauren Levine, Hal Lieberman, and David Paterson
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Michael Chapman
EDITOR: John Gilbert

DRAMA/FANTASY

Starring: Josh Hutcherson, AnnaSophia Robb, Zooey Deschanel, Robert Patrick, Bailee Madison, Kate Butler, Devon Wood, Emma Fenton, Grace Brannigan, Latham Gaines, Judy McIntosh, Lauren Clinton, Cameron Wakefield, and Elliot Lawless

Bridge to Terabithia, the beloved Newberry Medal-winning book by Katherine Paterson, finally makes it to the big screen in a film produced by Walden Media. The film is co-written and co-produced by Katherine’s son, David Paterson, for whom she wrote the book a little over three decades ago. (There was a 1983 TV version produced by WonderWorks and broadcast on PBS.)

Jesse Aaron (Josh Hutcherson) is an outcast at home and at school. His parents seem to focus all their attention on his two older and two young sisters and have little time for their only son, the middle child. At school, he is a loner and his interest in drawing only makes his isolation worse. In this situation arrives a new classmate, Leslie Burke (AnnaSophia Robb), the only daughter of well-to-do writers. Her free-spirited ways and mall punk fashion sense also don’t fit in well with her new rural home.

Although Jesse at first resists, he eventually accepts Leslie’s overtures of friendship. She takes him deep into the local woods, and together, with Leslie’s imagination as the catalyst, the duo creates the make-believe kingdom of Terabithia, a magical land of giants, trolls, and assorted fantastical monsters and creatures where they’re free to be themselves. In Terabithia, the outcast duo reigns supreme and plot revenge against their fellow schoolmates who bully them, but tragedy will test the fate of their creation.

Although I haven’t read the book as of writing this, I have to wonder that Bridge to Terabithia the book must be wonderful source material. Walt Disney’s advertising campaign for the film’s theatrical release is deceptive. Bridge to Terabithia is not a fantasy like The Chronicles of Narnia and Harry Potter. It’s a heartfelt drama about childhood friendships and the trials and adversities of pre-teen life, and the real lives of Jesse and Leslie, not Terabithia, is where the story and its themes largely exist. The make-believe world of Terabithia represents a place of total freedom, where the two heroes can be who they want to be free of the judgments and criticisms of the real world.

Taking its cue from Katherine Paterson’s book, the film focuses on the complexities of making friendships and of family dynamics. Friendships can be formed between people who are not at all alike, whether the differences are because of personality or socio-economic status, the film says. The story also emphasizes that families are not perfect, nor are the relationships within families perfect, as parents may show more favor or attention to some children than others.

Director Gabor Csupo (of Klasky-Csupo, the creators of “Rugrats” and “The Wild Thornberrys,” among others) shows great restrain in focusing the film on the relationship dynamics, and makes the film an engaging drama and universal story. The film does have moments of magic and fantasy when CGI brings the creatures of Terabithia to life. However, Bridge to Terabithia uses the magic of imagination and make-believe to enhance real life. Terabithia is a source of strength and unquestioning love that carries over into the real world to help our two heroes survive the pratfalls and obstacles of childhood. That is why this film sticks with me and makes me wish “if only we all had a Terabithia.”

8 of 10
A

Wednesday, July 11, 2007

54th Annual Grammy Awards Nominations Shine on Kanye West and Adele

Oops!  I forgot to post the Grammy nominations.  The Grammys are the American music industry's premiere award.  I'm publishing a list of nominees in select categories.  For a complete nominations list, visit http://www.grammy.com/.

The 54th Annual GRAMMY Awards will be held on "GRAMMY Sunday," Feb. 12, 2012, at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles.  The awards ceremony will once again be broadcast live in high-definition TV and 5.1 surround sound on CBS from 8 – 11:30 p.m. (ET/PT). For updates and breaking news, please visit The Recording Academy's social networks on Twitter and Facebook: www.twitter.com/thegrammys, www.facebook.com/thegrammys.

The following is a sampling of nominations in 78 categories from the GRAMMY Awards' 30 Fields:

GENERAL FIELD

Album Of The Year:
• 21 — Adele
• Wasting Light — Foo Fighters
• Born This Way — Lady Gaga
• Doo-Wops & Hooligans — Bruno Mars
• Loud — Rihanna

Record Of The Year:
• "Rolling In The Deep" — Adele
• "Holocene" — Bon Iver
• "Grenade" — Bruno Mars
• "The Cave" — Mumford & Sons
• "Firework" — Katy Perry

Best New Artist:
• The Band Perry
• Bon Iver
• J. Cole
• Nicki Minaj
• Skrillex

Song Of The Year:
• "All Of The Lights" — Jeff Bhasker, Malik Jones, Warren Trotter & Kanye West, songwriters
• (Kanye West, Rihanna, Kid Cudi & Fergie)
• "The Cave" — Ted Dwane, Ben Lovett, Marcus Mumford & Country Winston, songwriters (Mumford & Sons)
• "Grenade" — Brody Brown, Claude Kelly, Philip Lawrence, Ari Levine, Bruno Mars & Andrew Wyatt, songwriters (Bruno Mars)
• "Holocene" — Justin Vernon, songwriter (Bon Iver)
• "Rolling In The Deep" — Adele Adkins & Paul Epworth, songwriters (Adele)

POP FIELD

Best Pop Solo Performance
• "Someone Like You" — Adele
• "Yoü And I" — Lady Gaga
• "Grenade" — Bruno Mars
• "Firework" — Katy Perry
• "F***in' Perfect" — Pink

Best Pop Duo/Group Performance:
• "Body And Soul" — Tony Bennett & Amy Winehouse
• "Dearest" — The Black Keys
• "Paradise" — Coldplay
• "Pumped Up Kicks" — Foster The People
• "Moves Like Jagger" — Maroon 5 & Christina Aguilera

DANCE FIELD

Best Dance Recording:
• "Raise Your Weapon" — Deadmau5 & Greta Svabo Bech
• "Barbra Streisand" — Duck Sauce
• "Sunshine" — David Guetta & Avicii
• "Call Your Girlfriend" — Robyn
• "Scary Monsters And Nice Sprites" — Skrillex
• "Save The World" — Swedish House Mafia

ROCK FIELD

Best Rock Performance:
• "Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall" — Coldplay
• "Down By The Water" — The Decemberists
• "Walk" — Foo Fighters
• "The Cave" — Mumford & Sons
• "Lotus Flower" — Radiohead

Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance:
• "On The Backs Of Angels" — Dream Theater
• "White Limo" — Foo Fighters
• "Curl Of The Burl"— Mastodon
• "Public Enemy No. 1" — Megadeth
• "Blood In My Eyes"— Sum 41

Best Rock Album:
• Rock 'N' Roll Party Honoring Les Paul — Jeff Beck
• Wasting Light — Foo Fighters
• Come Around Sundown — Kings Of Leon
• I'm With You — Red Hot Chili Peppers
• The Whole Love — Wilco

ALTERNATIVE FIELD

Best Alternative Music Album
• Bon Iver — Bon Iver
• Codes And Keys — Death Cab For Cutie
• Torches — Foster The People
• Circuital — My Morning Jacket
• The King Of Limbs — Radiohead

R&B FIELD

Best Traditional R&B Performance:
• "Sometimes I Cry" — Eric Benét
• "Fool For You" — Cee Lo Green & Melanie Fiona
• "Radio Message" — R. Kelly
• "Good Man" — Raphael Saadiq
• "Surrender" — Betty Wright & The Roots

Best R&B Album:
• F.A.M.E. — Chris Brown
• Second Chance — El DeBarge
• Love Letter — R. Kelly
• Pieces Of Me — Ledisi
• Kelly — Kelly Price

RAP FIELD

Best Rap/Sung Collaboration:
• "Party" — Beyoncé & André 3000
• "I'm On One" — DJ Khaled, Drake, Rick Ross & Lil Wayne
• "I Need A Doctor" — Dr. Dre, Eminem & Skylar Grey
• "What's My Name?" — Rihanna & Drake
• "Motivation" — Kelly Rowland & Lil Wayne
• "All Of The Lights" — Kanye West, Rihanna, Kid Cudi & Fergie

Best Rap Performance:
• "Look At Me Now" — Chris Brown, Lil Wayne & Busta Rhymes
• "Otis" — Jay-Z & Kanye West
• "The Show Goes On" — Lupe Fiasco
• "Moment 4 Life" — Nicki Minaj & Drake
• "Black And Yellow" — Wiz Khalifa

COUNTRY FIELD

Best Country Solo Performance:
• "Dirt Road Anthem" — Jason Aldean
• "I'm Gonna Love You Through It" — Martina McBride
• "Honey Bee" — Blake Shelton
• "Mean" — Taylor Swift
• "Mama's Song" — Carrie Underwood

Best Country Song:
• "Are You Gonna Kiss Me Or Not" — Jim Collins & David Lee Murphy, songwriters (Thompson Square)
• "God Gave Me You" — Dave Barnes, songwriter (Blake Shelton)
• "Just Fishin'" — Casey Beathard, Monty Criswell & Ed Hill, songwriters (Trace Adkins)
• "Mean" — Taylor Swift, songwriter (Taylor Swift)
• "Threaten Me With Heaven" — Vince Gill, Amy Grant, Will Owsley & Dillon O'Brian, songwriters (Vince Gill)
• "You And Tequila" — Matraca Berg & Deana Carter, songwriters (Kenny Chesney Featuring Grace Potter)

AMERICAN ROOTS FIELD

Best Americana Album:
• Emotional Jukebox — Linda Chorney
• Pull Up Some Dust And Sit Down — Ry Cooder
• Hard Bargain — Emmylou Harris
• Ramble At The Ryman — Levon Helm
• Blessed — Lucinda Williams

Best Blues Album:
• Low Country Blues — Gregg Allman
• Roadside Attractions — Marcia Ball
• Man In Motion — Warren Haynes
• The Reflection — Keb' Mo'
• Revelator — Tedeschi Trucks Band

Best Folk Album:
• Barton Hollow — The Civil Wars
• I'll Never Get Out Of This World Alive — Steve Earle
• Helplessness Blues — Fleet Foxes
• Ukulele Songs — Eddie Vedder
• The Harrow & The Harvest — Gillian Welch

This year's Producer Of The Year, Non-Classical nominations go to Danger Mouse, Paul Epworth, the Smeezingtons (Philip Lawrence, Ari Levine, Bruno Mars), Ryan Tedder, and Butch Vig.

39th Annual Annie Award Nominations - Complete List

ASIFA-Hollywood, the Los Angeles, California branch of the International Animated Film Society, presents the Annie Awards. The Annie honors achievements in animation as a whole, including current animated productions, as well as career and lifetime achievements. At the beginning of this week, the group announced the nominations and award recipients for the 39th Annual Annie Awards.

Award recipients will claim their trophies at the 39th Annual Annie Awards. The ceremony is scheduled for Saturday, February 4, 2012 at UCLA's Royce Hall in Los Angeles, California.

PRODUCTION CATEGORIES

Best Animated Feature
• A Cat in Paris – Folimage
• Arrugas (Wrinkles) - Perro Verde Films, S.L.
• Arthur Christmas – Sony Pictures Animation, Aardman Animations
• Cars 2 – Pixar Animation Studios
• Chico & Rita – Chico & Rita Distribution Limited
• Kung Fu Panda 2 – DreamWorks Animation
• Puss In Boots – DreamWorks Animation
• Rango – Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon Movies present A Blind Wink/GK Films Production
• Rio – Blue Sky Studios
• Tintin – Amblin Entertainment, Wingnut Films and Kennedy/Marshall

Annie Award for Best Animated Special Production
• Adventure Time: Thank You – Cartoon Network Studios
• Batman: Year One – Warner Bros. Animation
• Ice Age: A Mammoth Christmas – Blue Sky Studios
• Kung Fu Panda – Secrets of the Masters – DreamWorks Animation
• Prey 2 – Blur Studio
• Star Tours – Industrial Light & Magic

Best Animated Short Subject
• Adam and Dog – Minkyu Lee
• I Tawt I Taw A Puddy Tat – Warner Bros. Animation
• La Luna – Pixar Animation Studios
• (Notes on) Biology – Ornana Films
• Paths of Hate – Platige Image
• Sunday – National Film Board of Canada
• The Ballad of Nessie –Walt Disney Animation Studios
• The Girl and the Fox – Base14
• Wild Life – National Film Board of Canada and Studio GDS

Best Animated Television Commercial
• Audi “Hummingbird” – The Mill
• Geico “Foghorn” – Renegade Animation
• McDonald’s “Apple Tree”– Duck Studios/Kompost
• McDonald’s “Suzi Van Zoom” – Duck Studios/Kompost
• Norton “Stuff”– Psyop
• O2 “Niggles & Narks” –The Mill
• Statoil “Good Night” – Studio AKA
• “The Pirate” – Meindbender
• Twinings “Sea” – Psyop

Best General Audience Animated TV Production
• Archer – FX Productions
• Green Lantern: The Animated Series – Warner Bros. Animation
• Hoops & YoYo Ruin Christmas – Hallmark
• MAD – Warner Bros. Animation
• Mary Shelley’s Frankenhole Season 2 – Starburns Industries, Inc.
• Prep & Landing: Naughty vs. Nice – Walt Disney Animation Studios
• Star Wars: The Clone Wars – Lucasfilm Animation, Ltd.
• The Simpsons – Gracie Films

Best Animated Television Production - Preschool
• Chuggington – Ludorum plc
• Disney Jake and the Never Land Pirates – Disney Television Animation
• Disney Mickey Mouse Clubhouse – Disney Television Animation
• The WotWots Season 2 – Pukeko Pictures

Best Animated Television Production – Children
• Fanboy and Chum Chum – Nickelodeon and Frederator
• Kung Fu Panda – Nickelodeon and DreamWorks Animation
• Penguins of Madagascar – Nickelodeon and DreamWorks Animation
• The Amazing World of Gumball – Cartoon Network in Association with Dandelion Studios, Boulder Media & Studio Soi

Best Animated Video Game
• Bumpy Road – Simogo
• Catherine – Atlus
• Gears of War 3 – Epic Games
• Gesundheit – Konami Digital Entertainment
• Ghost Trick: “Phantom Detective” – Capcom
• Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet – Shadow Planet Productions, Gagne/Fuelcell
• Ratchet and Clank: All 4 One – Insomniac Games
• Rayman Origins – Ubisoft Montpellier
• Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception – Naughty Dog

INDIVIDUAL ACHIEVEMENT CATEGORIES

Animated Effects in an Animated Production
• Can Yuksel “Puss In Boots” – DreamWorks Animation
• Chase Cooper “Rango” – Industrial Light & Magic
• Dan Lund “Winnie The Pooh” – Walt Disney Animation Studios
• Dave Tidgwell “Kung Fu Panda 2” – DreamWorks Animation
• Eric Froemling “Cars 2” – Pixar Animation Studios
• Jason Mayer “Kung Fu Panda 2” – DreamWorks Animation
• Joel Aron “Star Wars: The Clone Wars” – Lucasfilm Animation, Ltd.
• Jon Reisch “Cars 2” – Pixar Animation Studios
• Kevin Romond “Tintin” – Amblin Entertainment, Wingnut Films and Kennedy/Marshall
• Willi Geiger “Rango” – Industrial Light & Magic

Animated Effects in a Live Action Production
• Branko Grujcic “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides”– Industrial Light & Magic
• Florent Andarra “Transformers: Dark of the Moon” – Industrial Light & Magic
• Gary Wu “Cowboys & Aliens”– Industrial Light & Magic
• Lee Uren “Cowboys & Aliens” – Industrial Light & Magic

Character Animation in a Television Production
• Chad Sellers “Prep & Landing: Naughty vs. Nice” – Walt Disney Animation Studios
• Michael Franceschi “Kung Fu Panda” – Nickelodeon
• Rebecca Wilson Bresee “Prep & Landing: Naughty vs. Nice” – Walt Disney Animation Studios
• Sihanouk Mariona “Mary Shelley’s Frankenhole Season 2” – Starburns Industries, Inc.
• Tony Smeed “Prep & Landing: Naughty vs. Nice” – Walt Disney Animation Studios

Character Animation in a Feature Production
• Andreas Deja “Winnie The Pooh” – Walt Disney Animation Studios
• Dan Wagner “Kung Fu Panda 2” – DreamWorks Animation
• Jeff Gabor “Rio” – Blue Sky Studios
• Mark Henn “Winnie The Pooh” – Walt Disney Animation Studios
• Olivier Staphylas “Puss In Boots” – DreamWorks Animation
• Patrik Puhala “Rio” – Blue Sky Studios
• Pierre Perifel “Kung Fu Panda 2” – DreamWorks Animation

Character Animation in a Live Action Production
• Andy Arnett “HOP” – Rhythm & Hues, Illumination Entertainment
• David Lowry “Paul” – Double Negative Visual Effects for Universal Productions/ Relativity Media/Working Title Films/Big Talk Productions
• Eric Reynolds “Rise of the Planet of the Apes” – 20th Century Fox
• Mike Hull “Paul” – Double Negative Visual Effects for Universal Productions/Relativity Media/Working Title Films/Big Talk Productions

Character Design in a Television Production
• Bill Schwab “Prep & Landing” – Walt Disney Animation Studios
• Carl Raggio “Disney Kick Buttowski” – Disney Television Animation
• Chad Hurd “Archer” – FX Productions
• Chris Battle “Dan Vs.” – Starz Film Roman
• Eric Robles “Fanboy and Chum Chum” – Nickelodeon & Frederator
• Gordon Hammond “TUFF Puppy” – Nickelodeon
• Mike Dougherty “TUFF Puppy” – Nickelodeon
• Robert Ryan Cory “Secret Mountain Fort Awesome” – Cartoon Network Studios

Character Design in a Feature Production
• Jay Shuster “Cars 2” – Pixar Animation Studios
• Mark “Crash” McCreery “Rango” – Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon Movies present A Blind Wink/GK Films Productions
• Patrick Mate “Puss In Boots” – DreamWorks Animation
• Peter de Seve “Arthur Christmas” – Sony Pictures Animation, Aardman Animations
• Sergio Pablos “Rio” – Blue Sky Studios

Directing in a Television Production
• Brian Sheesley “Dan Vs.” – Starz Film Roman
• Chris Savino & Clay Morrow “Disney Kick Buttowski” – Disney Television Animation
• Dan Riba “Ben 10 Ultimate Alien” – Cartoon Network Studios
• Duke Johnson “Community” – 23 D Films, Inc.
• Gabe Swarr “Kung Fu Panda” – Nickelodeon
• Ken Bruce “TUFF Puppy” – Nickelodeon
• Kevin Deters & Stevie Wermers-Skelton “Prep & Landing: Naughty vs. Nice”– Walt Disney Animation Studios
• Matthew Nastuk “The Simpsons” – Gracie Films
• Mic Graves & Ben Bocquelet “The Amazing World of Gumball” – Cartoon Network Europe in association with Dandelion Studios, Boulder Media & Studio Soi
• Peter Hausner “Ninjago: Masters of Spinjitzu” – Wil Film
• Steve Loter, Christo Stamboliev, Shaun Cashman, David Knott “Penguins of Madagascar” – Nickelodeon and Technicolor
• Tony Craig “Hoops & YoYo Ruin Christmas” – Hallmark

Directing in a Feature Production
• Carlos Saldahna “Rio” – Blue Sky Studios
• Chris Miller “Puss In Boots” – DreamWorks Animation
• Don Hall & Stephen Anderson “Winnie The Pooh” – Walt Disney Animation Studios
• Gore Verbinski “Rango” – Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon Movies present a Blind Wink/GK Films Productions
• Jennifer Yuh Nelson “Kung Fu Panda 2” – DreamWorks Animation
• Kelly Asbury “Gnomeo & Juliet” – Touchstone Pictures

Music in a Television Production
• Adam Berry, Bob Schooley, Mark McCorkle “Penguins of Madagascar” – Nickelodeon and Technicolor
• Ben Locket “The Amazing World of Gumball” – Cartoon Network Europe in association with Dandelion Studios, Boulder Media & Studio Soi
• Frederik Wiedmann “Green Lantern The Animated Series” – Warner Bros. Animation
• Grace Potter, Michael Giacchino “Prep & Landing: Naughty vs. Nice” – Walt Disney Animation Studios
• Joel McNeely, Brendan Milburn and Valerie Vigoda “Pixie Hollow Games”– DisneyToon Studios
• Kevin Kliesch “Thundercats” – Warner Bros. Animation and Cartoon Network
• Shawn Patterson, Zeb Wells “Robot Chicken” – ShadowMachine and Stoopid Monkey in association with Adult Swim

Music in a Feature Production
• Henry Jackman “Puss In Boots” – DreamWorks Animation
• John Williams “Tintin” – Amblin Entertainment, Wingnut Films and Kennedy/Marshall
• Mikael Mutti, Siedah Garrett, Carlinhos Brown, Sergio Mendes, John Powell, “Rio” – Blue Sky Studios
• Zooey Deschannel, Kristen Anderson-Lopez, Henry Jackman, Robert Lopez “Winnie The Pooh” – Walt Disney Animation Studios

Production Design in a Television Production
• Mark Bodnar, Chris Tsirgiotis, Sue Mondt and Daniel Elson “Secret Mountain Fort Awesome” – Cartoon Network Studios
• Peter Martin “Hoops & YoYo Ruin Christmas” – Hallmark

Production Design in a Feature Production
• Harley Jessup “Cars 2” – Pixar Animation Studios
• Paul Felix “Winnie The Pooh” – Walt Disney Animation Studios
• Raymond Zilbach “Kung Fu Panda 2” – DreamWorks Animation
• Tom Cardone, Kyle MacNaughton & Peter Chan “Rio” – Blue Sky Studios

Storyboarding in a Television Production
• Barry W. Johnson “Prep & Landing: Naughty vs. Nice” – Walt Disney Animation Studios
• Benton Connor “Regular Show” – Cartoon Network Studios
• Brian Kesinger “Prep & Landing: Naughty vs. Nice” – Walt Disney Animation Studios
• Dave Thomas “TUFF Puppy” – Nickelodeon
• Fred Gonzalez “TUFF Puppy” – Nickelodeon
• Joe Mateo “Prep & Landing: Naughty vs. Nice” – Walt Disney Animation Studios
• Justin Nichols “Fanboy & Chum Chum” – Nickelodeon & Frederator
• Katie Rice “Fanboy & Chum Chum”– Nickelodeon & Frederator
• Rebecca Sugar “Adventure Time” – Cartoon Network Studios

Storyboarding in a Feature Production
• Bob Logan “Puss In Boots” – DreamWorks Animation
• Delia Gosman “Rango” – Paramount Pictures & Nickelodeon Movies present A Blind Wink/GK Films Production
• Gary Graham “Kung Fu Panda 2” – DreamWorks Animation
• Jeremy Spears “Winnie The Pooh” – Walt Disney Animation Studios
• Josh Hayes “Rango” – Paramount Pictures & Nickelodeon Movies present A Blind Wink/GK Films Production
• Kris Pearn “Arthur Christmas” – Sony Pictures Animation, Aardman Animations
• Nelson Yokota “Gnomeo and Juliet” – Touchstone Pictures
• Philip Craven “Kung Fu Panda 2” – DreamWorks Animation
• Scott Morse “Cars 2” – Pixar Animation Studios

Voice Acting in a Television Production
• Carlos Alazraqui as Denzel Crocker “Fairly OddParents” – Nickelodeon
• Dan Harmon as Jekyll “Mary Shelley’s Frankenhole Season 2” – Starburns Industries, Inc.
• Daran Norris as Cosmo “Fairly OddParents” – Nickelodeon
• Dee Bradley Baker as Clone Troopers “Star Wars: The Clone Wars”– Lucasfilm Animation, Ltd.
• Diedrich Bader as Batman “Batman: The Brave and the Bold” – Warner Bros. Animation
• H. Jon Benjamin as Sterling Archer “Archer” – FX Productions
• Jeff Bennett as Kowalski “Penguins of Madagascar” – Nickelodeon and Technicolor
• Jeff B. Davis as Victor Frankenstein “Mary Shelley’s Frankenhole Season 2” – Starburns Industries, Inc.
• Jessica Walter as Malory Archer “Archer” – FX Productions
• Judy Greer as Cheryl Tunt “Archer” – FX Productions
• Logan Grove as Gumball “The Amazing World of Gumball” – Cartoon Network Europe in association with Dandelion Studios, Boulder Media & Studio Soi
• Nika Futterman as Asajj Ventress “Star Wars: The Clone Wars” – Lucasfilm Animation, Ltd.
• Scott Adsit as the Creature “Mary Shelley’s Frankenhole Season 2” – Starburns Industries, Inc.
• Tara Strong as Timmy Turner “Fairly OddParents – Operation: Dinkleberg” – Nickelodeon

Voice Acting in a Feature Production
• Ashley Jensen as Bryony “Arthur Christmas” – Sony Pictures Animation, Aardman Animations
• Bill Nighy as Grandsanta “Arthur Christmas” – Sony Pictures Animation, Aardman Animations
• Gary Oldman as Shen “Kung Fu Panda 2” – DreamWorks Animation
• James Hong as Mr. Ping “Kung Fu Panda 2” DreamWorks Animation
• Jemaine Clement as Nigel “Rio” – Blue Sky Studios
• Jim Cummings as Featherstone “Gnomeo and Juliet” – Touchstone Pictures
• Zach Galifianakis as Humpty Alexander Dumpty “Puss In Boots” – DreamWorks Animation

Writing in a Television Production
• Blake Lemons, William Reiss, C.H. Greenblatt, Derek Evanick, Diana Lafyatis, Neil Graf “Disney Fish Hooks – Fish School Musical” – Disney Television Animation
• Carolyn Omine “The Simpsons -Treehouse of Horror XXII” – Gracie Films
• Dani MIchaeli, Sean Charmatz, Nate Cash, Luke Brookshier, Paul Tibbitt “SpongeBob SquarePants - Patrick’s Staycation” – Nickelodeon
• Josh Weinstein “Futurama - All The President’s Heads” – The Curiosity Company in association with 20th Century Fox Television
• Kevin Sullivan, Will Schifrin, Ray DeLaurentis “TUFF Puppy Thunder Dog” – Nickelodeon
• Matt Maiellaro, Dave Willis “Aqua Unit Patrol Squad 1 – The Creditor” – Williams Street Studios, Adult Swim
• Ray DeLaurentis, Will Schifrin, Kevin Sullivan “Fairly OddParents “Invasion of the Dads” – Nickelodeon
• Steve Wermers-Skelton, Kevin Deters “Prep & Landing: Naughty vs. Nice” – Walt Disney Animation Studios

Writing in a Feature Production
• Andy Riley, Kevin Cecil, Mark Burton, Kathy Greenburg, Emily Cook, Rob Sprackling, John R. Smith, Kelly Asbury, Steve Hamilton “Gnomeo & Juliet” – Touchstone Pictures
• Brian Kesinger, Kendelle Hoyer, Don Dougherty, Clio Chang, Don Hall, Stephen Anderson “Winnie The Pooh” – Walt Disney Animation Studios
• John Logan, Gore Verbinski and James Byrkit “Rango” – Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon Movies present A Blind Wink/GK Films Productions
• Sarah Smith, Peter Baynham “Arthur Christmas” – Sony Pictures Animation, Aardman Animations
• Steve Moffat, Edgar Wright, Joe Cronish “Tintin”– Amblin Entertainment, Wingnut Films and Kennedy/Marshall

Editing in Television Production
• Garret Elkins “Mary Shelley’s Frankenhole Season 2” – Starburn Industries, Inc.
• Hugo Morales, Davrick Waltjen, Adam Arnold “Kung Fu Panda” Nickelodeon
• Jason W.A. Tucker “Star Wars: The Clone Wars” – Lucasfilm Animation, Ltd.
• Paul D. Calder “Futurama” – The Curiosity Company in association with 20th Century Fox Television
• Ted Machold, Jeff Adams, Doug Tiano, Bob Tomlin “Penguins of Madagascar” – Nickelodeon and Technicolor

Editing in a Feature Production
• Clare Knight, A.C.E. “Kung Fu Panda 2” – DreamWorks Animation
• Craig Wood, A.C.E. “Rango” – Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon Movies present A Blind Wink/GK Films Productions
• Eric Dapkewicz “Puss In Boots” – DreamWorks Animation
• Michael Kahn “Tintin”– Amblin Entertainment, Wingnut Films and Kennedy/Marshall
• Stephen Schaffer, A.C.E. “Cars 2” – Pixar Animation Studios

JURIED AWARDS
Winsor McCay Award —Walt Peregoy, Borge Ring, Ronald Searle
June Foray — Art Leonardi
Special Achievement — Depth Analysis

"Super 8" Not Super, but Wonderfully Evokes Classic Spielberg

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 101 (of 2011) by Leroy Douresseaux


Super 8 (2011)
Running time: 112 minutes (1 hour, 52 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi action and violence and some drug use
WRITER/DIRECTOR: J.J. Abrams
PRODUCERS: Steven Spielberg, J.J. Abrams and Bryan Burk
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Larry Fong (D.o.P.)
EDITORS: Maryann Brandon and Mary Jo Markey
COMPOSER: Michael Giacchino

SCI-FI/MYSTERY/THRILLER

Starring: Joel Courtney, Kyle Chandler, Elle Fanning, Riley Griffiths, Gabriel Basso, Ryan Lee, Zach Mills, Ron Eldard, Noah Emmerich, David Gallagher, Brett Rice, Richard T. Jones, and Glynn Turman

Super 8 is a 2011 science fiction/mystery/thriller written and directed by J.J. Abrams, perhaps best known as the co-creator of the former ABC television series, Lost. Abrams also co-produced the film with Steven Spielberg. In fact, Super 8 is inspired by Spielberg’s films from the 1970s and 80s, and while Super 8 is fun to watch, it in no way measures up to early Spielberg classics.

The film is set in the summer of 1979 in the fictional small town of Lillian, Ohio. The story focuses on Joseph “Joe” Lamb (Joel Courtney), a 14-year-old boy whose mother was recently killed in a workplace accident. Four months after the accident, Joe and his father, sheriff’s Deputy Jackson “Jack” Lamb (Kyle Chandler), are distant from one another. Joe spends his time helping his friend, budding filmmaker Charles Kaznyk (Riley Griffiths), make a low-budget, zombie movie on Super 8 film, with the help of their other friends, a small circle of boys.

The boys are able to convince an attractive teen girl, Alice Dainard (Elle Fanning), who also has access to a car, to play a role in the film. The youngsters head out to an abandoned train depot where they witness a massive train accident. Shockingly, the U.S. Air Force quickly arrives to secure the crash site, but Joe’s father, Jack, thinks that there is more to this crash than the Air Force is telling the locals. Soon people and animals begin to disappear and panic spreads. Separately, Joe and Jack begin to uncover the truth behind a closely guarded mystery that is decades old and hides a fantastic secret.

Anyone who is familiar with Steven Spielberg’s early movies knows that Super 8 is a pastiche of those films. While it is entertaining, Super 8 is dishwater to the champagne that is two particular Spielberg classics, Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977) and E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982). I found myself entertained by Super 8, but I wouldn’t go so far as to say that it is a classic summer movie, as some have declared. I will say that the one superior thing about it is the score by Oscar-winner Michael Giacchino (Pixar’s Up), which accounts for much of Super 8’s dramatic punch.

For all its plagiarizing of Spielberg, Super 8 has some excellent set pieces, a lot of really good moments, and some good characters, but the characters are where the film goes wrong. They are largely empty and underdeveloped – even under-utilized. There is a potent conflict and wall between Jack Lamb and his son, Joe; in fact, the troubled father-son relationship is a familiar theme in Spielberg films. Here, the father-son rift is just something to tack onto what is essentially just a monster movie. The great moments that are Jack and Alice together are few and far between and largely wasted – for various reasons. Also, for the most part, the characters are shallow, mere window dressing, and are no more than bit players to move us closer to big action scenes and scary moments.

In fact, much of this movie feels empty, yet I found myself endeared to quite a bit of it. It is technically well made, and there is potential in the characters, subplots, and setting for something really great. But the emotions are contrived and stunted (like the father-son reunion in the last act). J.J. Abrams was so busy making a Spielberg movie that he made something that is more a love letter to his idol and than it is a movie. Perhaps, what I like about Super 8 is that it reminds me of the good feelings I had watching Spielberg films when I was a kid.

6 of 10
B

Tuesday, December 06, 2011

First Six Minutes of "The Dark Knight Rises" Released December 16th

Opening Sequence of “The Dark Knight Rises” Will Be Unwrapped Just in Time for the Holidays

The film’s prologue will be released exclusively in select IMAX® 70mm film theatres.

BURBANK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Warner Bros. Pictures’ “The Dark Knight Rises”—the epic conclusion to filmmaker Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy—is one of the most anticipated films of 2012, but moviegoers won’t have to wait until next year to see the six-minute opening sequence of the film. The film’s prologue will be unveiled exclusively in select 70mm IMAX® theatres worldwide. The announcement was made today by Dan Fellman, President of Domestic Distribution, and Veronika Kwan-Rubinek, President of International Distribution, Warner Bros. Pictures.

The Prologue will be released in North America on December 16, and in the UK on December 21, 2011. Additional international dates vary by territory and will be announced soon.

In making the 2008 blockbuster “The Dark Knight,” Nolan was the first to use IMAX® cameras in a major motion picture release, and, as now, audiences were given an advance look at that film’s prologue months prior to the Summer 2008 opening. Nolan employed the extremely high-resolution cameras even more extensively on “The Dark Knight Rises”—including the film’s prologue—to achieve unprecedented crispness and clarity and a truly immersive experience for the moviegoers.

Christopher Nolan stated, “Our experience on ‘The Dark Knight’ shooting and projecting IMAX 15 perf 65mm/70mm film was inspiring. The immersive quality of the image goes beyond any other filmmaking tool available, and in revisiting Gotham, we were determined to shoot even more of the movie in this unique format. Giving the fans an early look at an IMAX sequence is a great way to draw attention to what I believe will be an incredible way to experience our story when it comes out next summer.”

Following is a list of the theatres in North America in which the Prologue of “The Dark Knight Rises” will be revealed on December 16th:

Market-Theatre, City
Austin, TX-IMAX Theater Austin, Austin
Boston, MA-Jordan's IMAX. Natick
Boston, MA-IMAX 3D Theatre in Reading, Reading
Calgary, AB-Scotiabank Theatre Chinook 16 + IMAX, Calgary
Chantilly, VA-Washington, DC-Udvar-Hazy Center IMAX, Chantilly
Chicago, IL-Navy Pier IMAX Theatre, Chicago
Des Moines, IA-SCI IMAX Dome Theater, Des Moines
Detroit, MI-Henry Ford IMAX, Dearborn
Edmonton, AB-Scotiabank Theatre Edmonton + IMAX, Edmonton
Harrisburg, PA-The Whitaker Center for Science & the Arts IMAX, Harrisburg
Houston, TX-Houston Marq*e Stadium 22 + IMAX, Houston
Indianapolis-White River IMAX, Indianapolis
Los Angeles, CA-Irvine Spectrum 20 + IMAX, Irvine
Los Angeles, CA-RAVE 18 + IMAX, Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA-Ontario Palace Stadium 22 + IMAX, Ontario
Los Angeles, CA-Citywalk Stadium 19 with IMAX, Universal City
Madison, WI-Star 18 Fitchburg with IMAX, Fitchburg
Miami, FL-AutoNation IMAX, Fort Lauderdale
Minneapolis, MN-Great Clips IMAX, Apple Valley
Montreal, QC-Cinema Banque Scotia Montreal + IMAX, Montreal
Nashville,TN-Opry Mills Stadium 20 + IMAX, Nashville
New York, NY-Lincoln Square 13 with IMAX, New York
New York, NY-Palisades IMAX, West Nyack
Omaha, NE-Star Cinema 16 with IMAX, Council Bluffs
Orlando, FL-Pointe Orlando Stadium 20 + IMAX, Orlando
Ottawa, ON-Silvercity Gloucester + IMAX, Gloucester-Ottawa
Palm Springs (Los Angeles)-Desert IMAX Theatre, Cathedral City
Philadelphia, PA-IMAX & the Tropicana, Atlantic City
Philadelphia, PA-Tuttleman IMAX - Franklin Institute, Philadelphia
Phoenix, AZ-Arizona Mills 25 with IMAX, Tempe
Providence, RI-Providence Place 16 with IMAX, Providence
Quebec City, QC-IMAX Le Theatre At Quebec, Quebec City
Sacramento, CA-Esquire IMAX, Sacramento
San Antonio, TX-IMAX at RiverCenter, San Antonio
San Francisco, CA-Metreon 16 with IMAX & ETX, San Francisco
Seattle, WA-Boeing IMAX - Pacific Science Center, Seattle
Tampa, FL-Museum of Science and Industry (MOSI), Tampa
Toronto, ON-Coliseum 12 Mississauga + IMAX, Mississauga
Toronto, ON-Scotiabank Theatre Toronto + IMAX, Toronto
Toronto, ON-Colossus 18 Woodbridge + IMAX, Woodbridge-Vaughan
Vancouver, BC-Colossus Langley + IMAX, Langley
Vancouver, BC-Silvercity Riverport 18 + IMAX, Richmond

Below is a list of the theatres in the UK in which the Prologue of “The Dark Knight Rises” will be revealed on December 21st:

UK-BFI London, London
UK-National Media Museum IMAX Bradford, Bradford
UK-Glasgow Science Centre IMAX Cinema, Glasgow
UK-Odeon Manchester IMAX @ The Printworks, Manchester

Opening on July 20, 2012, “The Dark Knight Rises” features an international all-star cast, led by Oscar® winner Christian Bale (“The Fighter”) in the dual role of Bruce Wayne/Batman. The film also stars Anne Hathaway, as Selina Kyle; Tom Hardy, as Bane; Oscar® winner Marion Cotillard (“La Vie en Rose”), as Miranda Tate; and Joseph Gordon-Levitt, as John Blake. Reprising their roles from both “Batman Begins” and “The Dark Knight,” Oscar® winner Michael Caine (“The Cider House Rules”) plays Alfred; Gary Oldman is Commissioner Gordon; and Oscar® winner Morgan Freeman (“Million Dollar Baby”) plays Lucius Fox.

Nolan directed “The Dark Knight Rises” from a screenplay by Jonathan Nolan and Christopher Nolan, story by Christopher Nolan & David S. Goyer. The film is produced by Emma Thomas, Christopher Nolan and Charles Roven, who previously teamed on “Batman Begins” and the record-breaking blockbuster “The Dark Knight.” Benjamin Melniker, Michael E. Uslan, Kevin De La Noy and Thomas Tull are the executive producers, with Jordan Goldberg serving as co-producer. “The Dark Knight Rises” is based upon characters appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. Batman created by Bob Kane.

“The Dark Knight Rises” will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company. The prologue has been rated PG-13 by the MPAA for “some violence.” http://www.thedarkknightrises.com/