Wednesday, December 14, 2011

"The Artist" and "Hugo" Dominate 2011 Critics' Choice Award Nominations

The Broadcast Film Critics Association (BFCA) has announced the nominees for the 17th annual Critics' Choice Movie Awards. The winners will be announced at the Critics' Choice Movie Awards ceremony on Friday, January 12, 2012.

BEST PICTURE

Nominees:
The Artist
The Descendants
Drive
Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close
The Help
Hugo
Midnight in Paris
Moneyball
The Tree of Life
War Horse

BEST ACTOR

Nominees:
George Clooney – “The Descendants”
Leonardo DiCaprio – “J. Edgar”
Jean Dujardin – “The Artist”
Michael Fassbender – “Shame”
Ryan Gosling – “Drive”
Brad Pitt – “Moneyball”

BEST ACTRESS

Nominees:
Viola Davis – “The Help”
Elizabeth Olsen – “Martha Marcy May Marlene”
Meryl Streep – “The Iron Lady”
Tilda Swinton – “We Need to Talk About Kevin”
Charlize Theron – “Young Adult”
Michelle Williams – “My Week With Marilyn”

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Nominees:
Kenneth Branagh – “My Week With Marilyn”
Albert Brooks – “Drive”
Nick Nolte – “Warrior”
Patton Oswalt – “Young Adult”
Christopher Plummer – “Beginners”
Andrew Serkis – “Rise of the Planet of the Apes”

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Nominees:
Berenice Bejo – “The Artist”
Jessica Chastain – “The Help”
Melissa McCarthy – “Bridesmaids”
Carey Mulligan – “Shame”
Octavia Spencer – “The Help”
Shailene Woodley – “The Descendants”

BEST YOUNG ACTOR/ACTRESS

Nominees:
Asa Butterfield – “Hugo”
Elle Fanning – “Super 8”
Thomas Horn – “Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close”
Ezra Miller – “We Need to Talk About Kevin”
Saoirse Ronan – “Hanna”
Shailene Woodley – “The Descendants”

BEST ACTING ENSEMBLE

Nominees:
The Artist
Bridesmaids
The Descendants
The Help
The Ides of March

BEST DIRECTOR

Nominees:
Stephen Daldry – “Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close”
Michel Hazanavicius – “The Artist”
Alexander Payne – “The Descendants”
Nicolas Winding Refn – “Drive”
Martin Scorsese – “Hugo”
Steven Spielberg – “War Horse”

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

Nominees:
“The Artist” – Michel Hazanavicius
“50/50” – Will Reiser
“Midnight in Paris” – Woody Allen
“Win Win” – Screenplay by Tom McCarthy, Story by Tom McCarthy & Joe Tiboni
“Young Adult” – Diablo Cody

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

Nominees:
“The Descendants” – Alexander Payne and Nat Faxon & Jim Rash
“Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close” – Eric Roth
“The Help” – Tate Taylor
“Hugo” – John Logan
“Moneyball” – Steven Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin, Story by Stan Chervin

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

Nominees:
“The Artist” – Guillaume Schiffman
“Drive” – Newton Thomas Sigel
“Hugo” – Robert Richardson
“The Tree of Life” – Emmanuel Lubezki
“War Horse” – Janusz Kaminski

BEST ART DIRECTION

Nominees:
“The Artist” – Production Designer: Laurence Bennett, Art Director: Gregory S. Hooper
“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2” – Production Designer: Stuart Craig, Set Decorator: Stephenie McMillan
“Hugo” – Production Designer: Dante Ferretti, Set Decorator: Francesca Lo Schiavo
“The Tree of Life” – Production Designer: Jack Fisk, Art Director: David Crank
“War Horse” – Production Designer: Rick Carter, Set Decorator: Lee Sandales

BEST EDITING

Nominees:
“The Artist” – Michel Hazanavicius and Anne-Sophie Bion
“Drive” – Matthew Newman
“The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo” – Kirk Baxter and Angus Wall
“Hugo” – Thelma Schoonmaker
“War Horse” – Michael Kahn

BEST COSTUME DESIGN

Nominees:
“The Artist” – Mark Bridges
“The Help” – Sharen Davis
“Hugo” – Sandy Powell
“Jane Eyre” – Michael O’Connor
“My Week With Marilyn” – Jill Taylor

BEST MAKEUP

Nominees:
Albert Nobbs
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
The Iron Lady
J. Edgar
My Week With Marilyn

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS

Nominees:
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
Hugo
Rise of the Planet of the Apes
Super 8
The Tree of Life

BEST SOUND

Nominees:
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
Hugo
Super 8
The Tree of Life
War Horse

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE

Nominees:
The Adventures of Tintin
Arthur Christmas
Kung Fu Panda 2
Puss in Boots
Rango

BEST ACTION MOVIE

Nominees:
Drive
Fast Five
Hanna
Rise of the Planet of the Apes
Super 8

BEST COMEDY

Nominees:
Bridesmaids
Crazy, Stupid, Love
Horrible Bosses
Midnight in Paris
The Muppets

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM

Nominees:
In Darkness
Le Havre
A Separation
The Skin I Live In
Where Do We Go Now

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE

Nominees:
Buck
Cave of Forgotten Dreams
George Harrison: Living in the Material World
Page One: Inside the New York Times
Project Nim
Undefeated

BEST SONG

Nominees:
“Hello Hello” – performed by Elton John and Lady Gaga/written by Elton John and Bernie Taupin – Gnomeo & Juliet
“Life’s a Happy Song” – performed by Jason Segel, Amy Adams and Walter/written by Bret McKenzie – The Muppets
“The Living Proof” – performed by Mary J. Blige/written by Mary J. Blige, Thomas Newman and Harvey Mason, Jr. – The Help
“Man or Muppet” – performed by Jason Segel and Walter/written by Bret McKenzie – The Muppets
“Pictures in My Head” – performed by Kermit and the Muppets/written by Jeannie Lurie, Aris Archontis and Chen Neeman – The Muppets

BEST SCORE

Nominees:
“The Artist” – Ludovic Bource
“Drive” – Cliff Martinez
“The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo” – Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross
“Hugo” – Howard Shore
“War Horse” – John Williams


About The Broadcast Film Critics Association:
The Broadcast Film Critics Association (BFCA) is the largest film critics organization in the United States and Canada, representing 250 television, radio and online critics. BFCA members are the primary source of information for today's film going public. The very first opinion a moviegoer hears about new releases at the multiplex or the art house usually comes from one of its members.

AFI Names Its Top 10 Films and TV Series of 2011

The American Film Institute (AFI) describes itself as “America’s promise to preserve the history of the motion picture, to honor the artists and their work and to educate the next generation of storytellers.” Their awards focus on American feature films and television programs.

AFI’s Ten Films of 2011:
BRIDESMAIDS

THE DESCENDANTS

THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO

THE HELP

HUGO

J. EDGAR

MIDNIGHT IN PARIS

MONEY BALL

THE TREE OF LIFE

WAR HORSE

AFI’s Ten TV Programs of 2011:
Breaking Bad

Boardwalk Empire

Curb Your Enthusiasm

Game of Thrones

The Good Wife

Homeland

Justified

Louie

Modern Family

Parks and Recreation

AFI gave special awards to the film, The Artist, and the entire “Harry Potter” film series.

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

"Star Wars" Satire Makes 2011 Black List

The Black List is an annual collection of the “most-liked” unproduced screenplays of the year. The list is the child of Overbrook Entertainment executive, Franklin Leonard, and is selected by 307 industry readers.

The Top 10 (title, author(s), author representation, and development company:

1. The Imitation Game by Graham Moore (CAA, The Safran Co.)

2. When the Street Lights Go by Chris Hutton & Eddie O'Keefe (WME, Tariq Merhab Management)

3. Chewie by Evan Susser & Van Robichaux (WME, Industry Entertainment)

4. The Outsider by Andrew Baldwin (CAA, Anonymous Content)

5. Father Daughter Time: A Tale of Armed Robbery and Eskimo Kisses by Matthew Aldrich (CAA, Silent R Management)

6. In the Event of a Moon Disaster by Mike Jones (CAA, The Gotham Group)

7. TIE: Maggie by John Scott III (CAA, Trevor Kaufman) and The Current War by Michael Mitnick (WME, Fourth Floor Productions)

8. The End by Aron Eli Coleite (CAA)

9. Beyond the Pale by Chad Feehan (CAA, Management 360)

10. Ezekiel Moss by Keith Bunin (CAA, Kaplan/Perrone)

Chewie is apparently a satire of Star Wars, and there is at least one zombie movie in the top ten. As a side note, I had a rude encounter with Anonymous Content (see #4) over a science fiction comic book I created almost a decade ago. An employee at Anonymous Content feigned interest in the comic as a property they wanted to develop. After I spent my time and money to get them material, the employee just left me hanging. Next time I’ll do more than just play hard to get; I’m going to cuss a mutha out if they bother me.

For the complete 2011 Black List, including the screenplays that finished out of the top ten, go to http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/risky-business/black-list-2011-top-screenplays-272332

Boston Film Critics Pick "The Artist"

The Boston Society of Film Critics was formed in 1981. The group claims that its mission is to make “Boston's unique critical perspective heard on a national and international level by awarding commendations to the best of the year's films and filmmakers and local film theaters and film societies that offer outstanding film programming.”

2011 Winners:

Best Picture - The Artist

Best Actor - Brad Pitt for Moneyball

Best Actress - Michelle Williams for My Week with Marilyn

Best Supporting Actor - Albert Brooks for Drive

Best Supporting Actress - Melissa McCarthy for Bridesmaids

Best Director - Martin Scorsese for Hugo

Best Screenplay - Steven Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin for Moneyball

Best Cinematography - Emmanuel Lubezki for The Tree of Life

Best Documentary - Project Nim

Best Foreign-Language Film - Incendies

Best Animated Film - Rango

Best Film Editing (awarded in memory of Karen Schmeer) - Christian Marclay for The Clock

Best New Filmmaker (awarded in memory of David Brudnoy) - Sean Durkin for Martha Marcy May Marlene

Best Ensemble Cast - Carnage

Best Use of Music in a Film - TIE: Drive and The Artist

"The Help" Passes $200 Million in Worldwide Box Office

DreamWorks Pictures and Participant Media’s “The Help” Surpasses $200M Worldwide

BURBANK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--DreamWorks Pictures announced Dec. 8 that its empowering film “The Help” has surpassed $200 million in worldwide ticket sales. “The Help,” directed and written for the screen by Tate Taylor, is based on the New York Times best-selling novel by Kathryn Stockett.

“The Help” has resonated with audiences around the globe, sparking conversation and comments across all media platforms from such notables as Oprah, Scott Fujita, Tyler Perry, Russell Simmons, Katy Perry, Diane Sawyer, Jason Whitlock, Jackie Jackson and others.

“The Help” stars Emma Stone (“Easy A”) as Skeeter, Academy Award®–nominated Viola Davis (“Doubt”) as Aibileen and Octavia Spencer as Minny—three very different, extraordinary women in Mississippi during the 1960s, who build an unlikely friendship around a secret writing project that breaks societal rules and puts them all at risk. Also starring Bryce Dallas Howard (“Hereafter”), Allison Janney (“Juno”), Academy Award®–winner Sissy Spacek (“In the Bedroom,” “Coal Miner’s Daughter”) and Jessica Chastain (“Tree of Life”), “The Help” is deeply moving, filled with poignancy, humor and hope—a timeless and universal story about the ability to create change.

Rounding out the cast are Ahna O’Reilly (“Forgetting Sarah Marshall”), Cicely Tyson (“Sounder,” “Fried Green Tomatoes”), Chris Lowell (“Up in the Air”), Mike Vogel (“Blue Valentine”), Aunjanue Ellis (“Ray”) and Mary Steenburgen (“Did You Hear About the Morgans?”).

From DreamWorks Pictures and Reliance Entertainment, in association with Participant Media and Imagenation Abu Dhabi, “The Help” was produced by Brunson Green, Chris Columbus and Michael Barnathan.

“The Help” is distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures.

Monday, December 12, 2011

Los Angeles Film Critics Vote "The Descendants" Best Picture

The Los Angeles Film Critics Association (LAFCA) is a professional organization of Los Angeles-based, professional film critics working in the Los Angeles print and electronic media. Since 1975, LAFCA members vote on the year's Achievement Awards each December, honoring screen excellence on both sides of the camera.

37th Annual (2011) Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards:

BEST PICTURE: "The Descendants"
Runner-up: "The Tree of Life"

BEST DIRECTOR: Terrence Malick, "The Tree of Life"
Runner-Up Martin Scorsese, "Hugo"

BEST ACTOR: Michael Fassbender, "A Dangerous Method", "Jane Eyre", "Shame", "X-Men: First Class"
Runner-up: Michael Shannon, "Take Shelter"

BEST ACTRESS: Yun Jung-hee, "Poetry"
Runner-up: Kirsten Dunst ("Melancholia")

Best Supporting Actor: Christopher Plummer, "Beginners"
Runner-up: Patton Oswalt ("Young Adult")

Best Supporting Actress: Jessica Chastain, "Coriolanus," "The Debt," "The Help," "Take Shelter," "Texas Killing Fields," "Tree of Life"
Runner-up: Janet McTeer ("Albert Nobbs")

BEST Screenplay: Asghar Farhadi, “A Separation"
Runner-up: Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon, Jim Rash ("The Descendants")

BEST Cinematography: Emmanuel Lubezki, "The Tree of Life"
Runner-up: Cao Yu ("City of Life and Death")

Best Production Design Dante Ferretti, "Hugo"
Runner-up: Maris Djurkovic ("Tinker Tailor Solider Spy")

Best Music Score "Hanna" The Chemical Brothers
Runner-up: "Drive" Cliff Martinez

Best Foreign-Language Film: "City of Life and Death" Directed by CHUAN LU
Runner-up: "A Separation" directed by Asghar Farhadi

Best Documentary/Non-Fiction Film "Cave of Forgotten Dreams" directed by Werner Herzog
Runner-up: "The Arbor" directed by Clio Barnard

Best Animation: "Rango" directed by Gore Verbinski
Runner-up: "The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn" directed by Steven Spielberg

New Generation: Antonio Campos, Sean Durkin, Josh Mond and Elizabeth Olsen, "Martha Marcy May Marlene"

Career Achievement: Doris Day

The Douglas Edwards Experimental/Independent Film/Video Award: Bill Morrison, "Spark of Being"

http://www.lafca.net/

"Family Guy Volume 9" Now Arriving on DVD

Spice up the holidays with new FAMILY GUY DVD collection available December 13

 
Bring the Griffins home this holiday season with FAMILY GUY Volume 9 DVD arriving in stores on December 13th. The three-disc DVD set features 14 episodes from the hysterical eighth and ninth seasons including the popular 150th episode, an extended version of And Then There Were Fewer and never-before-seen extras consisting of:
  • ­Uncensored footage
  • Deleted scenes
  • ­Side-by-side animatics
  • 3 Featurettes
  • ­An episode of The Cleveland Show with a special introduction from Mike Henry
  • Audio commentaries

 
America’s most dysfunctional family, the Griffins, return with another outrageous and hilarious, uncensored volume. Follow unconventional dad Peter Griffin (SETH MACFARLANE) as he gets up to plenty of antics with the reluctant help of his caring wife Lois (ALEX BORSTEIN), their awkward daughter Meg (MILA KUNIS), dorky son Chris (SETH GREEN), maniacal baby Stewie (MacFarlane) and Brian, the family dog who is both a ladies man and a heavy drinker.

 
FAMILY GUY Volume 9 is available on a three-disc DVD set on December 13 and is perfectly priced for the holiday gift-giving season.

 
About Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment
Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, LLC (TCFHE) is a recognized global industry leader and a subsidiary of Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation, a News Corporation company. Representing 75 years of innovative and award-winning filmmaking from Twentieth Century Fox, TCFHE is the worldwide marketing, sales and distribution company for all Fox film and television programming, acquisitions and original productions on DVD, Blu-ray Disc Digital Copy, Video On Demand and Digital Download. The company also releases all products globally for MGM Home Entertainment. Each year TCFHE introduces hundreds of new and newly enhanced products, which it services to retail outlets from mass merchants and warehouse clubs to specialty stores and e-commerce throughout the world.

 
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