"Moneyball" is Money

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 2 (of 2012) by Leroy Douresseaux


Moneyball (2011)
Running time: 133 minutes (2 hours, 13 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for some strong language
DIRECTOR: Bennett Miller
WRITERS: Steven Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin; from a story by Stan Chervin (based upon Michael Lewis’s book "Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game")
PRODUCERS: Michael De Luca, Rachael Horovitz, and Brad Pitt
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Wally Pfister (D.o.P.)
EDITOR: Christopher Tellefsen
COMPOSER: Mychael Danna

DRAMA/SPORTS/BIOPIC

Starring: Brad Pitt, Jonah Hill, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Robin Wright, Chris Pratt, Stephen Bishop, Brent Jennings, Ken Medlock, Nick Searcy, Glenn Morshower, Reed Thompson, and Kerris Dorsey

Moneyball is a 2011 sports drama and biographical film starring Brad Pitt. The film is a fictionalized version of events in the 2002 season of the Major League Baseball team, the Oakland Athletics (A’s). Moneyball follows the real-life A’s general manager (GM), Billy Beane, as he uses computer-generated analysis to field (or put together) a competitive and winning baseball team. The Moneyball movie is based on Michael Lewis’ 2003 book of the same name, and Oscar-winner Scott Rudin is also one of the film’s executive producers.

Oakland Athletics’ general manager Billy Beane (Brad Pitt) is upset that his team lost to the New York Yankees during the 2001 playoffs. The end of the 2001 season also means that several of the A’s star players are leaving to sign with other teams for much more money than the A’s are willing to or have the ability to pay. As GM, Beane is constrained by the lowest payroll in baseball, so he needs to find another competitive advantage. Beane meets Peter Brand (Jonah Hill), a young Yale economics graduate with radical ideas about how to assess a baseball player’s value and about how to put a team together. But this new approach is controversial, and as the A’s lose, the pressure mounts on Beane.

Acclaimed film and television writer, Aaron Sorkin wrote the third version of Moneyball’s screenplay. Sorkin also wrote The Social Network, for which he won an Academy Award. Like The Social Network, Moneyball is a film about someone who introduces something radical and controversial to an institution, in this case baseball, which everyone insists cannot be changed. Another thing Moneyball has in common with The Social Network is that Moneyball is also about a guy who goes out and makes something and does it as well as or better than other men that have many more resources than he has.

Director Bennett Miller (Capote) makes this story work as a film by focusing on Beane, and to a lesser extent Brand. Millers puts Beane’s struggles and the A’s ups and downs side by side. Separately, Beane and the A’s are compelling, but together, their story is exhilarating.

As Billy Beane, Brad Pitt gives one his more unusual performances. To sell this story, Pitt, as the lead character, does not rely on his star power or handsome looks. Indeed, whenever his “muscle-ly” arms make an appearance, they seem out of place. Pitt’s performance is subtle, quiet, and graceful. When Pitt needs to be intense, he is intense, so much so that I could feel it coming off the screen; however, Pitt delivers this intensity in an entirely non-intense way. I believed that Pitt was Billy Beane.

Of all the biographical sports dramas I’ve seen, Moneyball is like no other. This is a baseball movie for baseball people, but this is also a good movie for good movie people.

8 of 10
A

Friday, January 13, 2012

2012 Golden Globe Awards Nominations - Complete List

The ceremony for the 69th Annual Golden Globes Awards, which are given out by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, is tomorrow night - Sunday, Jan. 15th 2012, beginning at 8:00 EST - Live on NBC.

2012 Golden Globe Awards Nominations (For the year ended December 31, 2011):

MOVIES

BEST PICTURE: DRAMA
“The Descendants”
“The Help”
“Hugo”
“The Ides of March”
“Moneyball”
“War Horse”

BEST PICTURE: COMEDY OR MUSICAL
“50/50”
“The Artist”
“Bridesmaids”
“Midnight in Paris”
“My Week With Marilyn”

BEST DIRECTOR
Woody Allen (“Midnight in Paris”)
George Clooney (“The Ides of March”)
Michel Hazanavicius (“The Artist”)
Alexander Payne (“The Descendants”)
Martin Scorsese (“Hugo”)

BEST ACTOR: DRAMA
George Clooney (“The Descendants”)
Leonardo Dicaprio (“J. Edgar”)
Michael Fassbender (“Shame”)
Ryan Gosling (“The Ides of March”)
Brad Pitt (“Moneyball”)

BEST ACTRESS: DRAMA
Glenn Close (“Albert Nobbs”)
Viola Davis (“The Help”)
Rooney Mara (“The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo”)
Meryl Streep (“The Iron Lady”)
Tilda Swinton (“We Need to Talk About Kevin”)

BEST ACTRESS: COMEDY OR MUSICAL
Jodie Foster (“Carnage”)
Charlize Theron (“Young Adult”)
Kristen Wiig (“Bridesmaids”)
Michelle Williams (“My Week With Marilyn”)
Kate Winslet (“Carnage”)

BEST ACTOR: COMEDY OR MUSICAL
Jean Dujardin (“The Artist”)
Brendan Gleeson (“The Guard”)
Joseph Gordon-Levitt (“50/50”)
Ryan Gosling (“Crazy, Stupid, Love”)
Owen Wilson (“Midnight in Paris”)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Berenice Bejo (“The Artist”)
Jessica Chastain (“The Help”)
Janet McTeer (“Albert Nobbs”)
Octavia Spencer (“The Help”)
Shailene Woodley (“The Descendants”)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Kenneth Branagh (“My Week With Marilyn”)
Albert Brooks (“Drive”)
Jonah Hill (“Moneyball”)
Viggo Mortensen (“A Dangerous Method”)
Christopher Plummer (“Beginners”)

BEST ANIMATED FILM
“The Adventures of Tintin”
“Arthur Christmas”
“Cars 2”
“Puss in Boots”
“Rango”

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
“The Flowers Of War” (China)
“In The Land of Blood and Honey” (USA)
“The Kid With a Bike” (Belgium)
”A Separation” (Iran)
“The Skin I Live In” (Spain)

BEST SCREENPLAY
”The Artist” – Michel Hazanavicius
“The Descendants” – Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon, and Jim Rash
“The Ides of March” – George Clooney, Grant Heslov, and Beau Willimon
“Midnight in Paris” – Woody Allen
“Moneyball” Stan Chervin, Steven Zaillian, and Aaron Sorkin

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
Ludovic Bource, “The Artist”
Abel Korzeniowski, “W.E.”
Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, “The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo”
Howard Shore, “Hugo”
John Williams, “War Horse”

BEST ORIGINAL SONG
“Hello Hello,” “Gnomeo & Juliet” Music by Elton John, Lyrics by Bernie Taupin
“The Keeper,” “Machine Gun Preacher” Music & Lyrics by Chris Cornell
“Lay Your Head Down,” “Albert Nobbs” Music by Brian Byrne, Lyrics by Glenn Close
“The Living Proof,” “The Help” Music by Thomas Newman, Mary J. Blige and Harvey Mason, Jr.; Lyrics by Mary J. Blige, Harvey Mason, Jr. and Damon Thomas
“Masterpiece,” “W.E.” Music & Lyrics by Madonna, Julie Frost and Jimmy Harry

TELEVISION

BEST ACTRESS, TV COMEDY
Laura Dern (“Enlightened”)
Zooey Deschanel (“New Girl”)
Tina Fey (“30 Rock”)
Laura Linney (“The Big C”)
Amy Poehler (“Parks and Recreation”)

BEST ACTRESS, TV DRAMA
Claire Danes (“Homeland”)
Mireille Enos (“The Killing”)
Julianna Margulies (“The Good Wife”)
Madeleine Stowe (“Revenge”)
Callie Thorne (“Necessary Roughness”)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR, TV SERIES, MINI-SERIES or MOVIE
Peter Dinklange (“Game of Thrones”)
Paul Giamatti (“Too Big to Fail”)
Guy Pearce (“Mildred Pierce”)
Tim Robbins (“Cinema Verite”)
Eric Stonestreet (“Modern Family”)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS, TV SERIES, MINI-SERIES or MOVIE
Jessica Lange (“American Horror Story”)
Kelly Macdonald (“Boardwalk Empire”)
Maggie Smith (“Downton Abbey (Masterpiece)")
SofiaVegara (“Modern Family”)
Evan Rachel Wood (“Mildred Pierce”)

BEST ACTOR, TV COMEDY
Alec Baldwin (“30 Rock”)
David Duchovny (“Californication”)
Johnny Galecki (“The Big Bang Theory”)
Thomas Jane (“Hung”)
Matt LeBlanc (“Episodes”)

BEST COMEDY SERIES, TV
“Enlightened”
“Episodes”
“Glee”
“Modern Family”
“New Girl”

BEST DRAMA SERIES, TV
“American Horror Story”
“Boardwalk Empire”
“Boss”
“Game of Thrones”
“Homeland”

BEST MINI-SERIES OR TV MOVIE
“Cinema Verite”
“Downton Abbey”
“The Hour”
“Mildred Pierce”
“Too Big to Fail”

Cecil B. DeMille Award: Morgan Freeman

Critics' Choice Chooses "The Artist" Best Film; "The Help" Best Ensemble

The Broadcast Film Critics Association bestowed the 17th annual Critics' Choice Awards last night (Thurs., Jan. 12) in a ceremony aired live on VH1.

17th Annual Critics' Choice Awards: Complete List of Winners for the Year in Film – 2011 (WINNER in bold):

BEST PICTURE
WINNER - "The Artist"
"The Descendants"
"Drive"
"Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close"
"The Help"
"Hugo"
"Midnight in Paris"
"Moneyball"
"The Tree of Life"
"War Horse"

BEST DIRECTOR
Stephen Daldry – "Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close"
WINNER - Michel Hazanavicius – "The Artist"
Alexander Payne – "The Descendants"
Nicolas Winding Refn – "Drive"
Martin Scorsese – "Hugo"
Steven Spielberg – "War Horse"

BEST ACTOR
WINNER - George Clooney – "The Descendants"
Leonardo DiCaprio – "J. Edgar"
Jean Dujardin – "The Artist"
Michael Fassbender – "Shame"
Ryan Gosling – "Drive"
Brad Pitt – "Moneyball"

BEST ACTRESS
WINNER - 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

Kenneth Branagh – "My Week With Marilyn"
Albert Brooks – "Drive"
Nick Nolte – "Warrior"
Patton Oswalt – "Young Adult"
WINNER - Christopher Plummer – "Beginners"
Andrew Serkis – "Rise of the Planet of the Apes"

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Berenice Bejo – "The Artist"
Jessica Chastain – "The Help"
Melissa McCarthy – "Bridesmaids"
Carey Mulligan – "Shame"
WINNER - Octavia Spencer – "The Help"
Shailene Woodley – "The Descendants"

BEST YOUNG ACTOR/ACTRESS
Asa Butterfield – "Hugo"
Elle Fanning – "Super 8"
WINNER - Thomas Horn – "Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close"
Ezra Miller – "We Need to Talk About Kevin"
Saoirse Ronan – "Hanna"
Shailene Woodley – "The Descendants"

BEST ACTING ENSEMBLE
"The Artist"
"Bridesmaids"
"The Descendants"
WINNER - "The Help"
"The Ides of March"

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY"The Artist" – Michel Hazanavicius
"50/50" – Will Reiser
WINNER - "Midnight in Paris" – Woody Allen
"Win Win" – Screenplay by Tom McCarthy, Story by Tom McCarthy & Joe Tiboni
"Young Adult" – Diablo Cody

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
"The Descendants" – Alexander Payne and Nat Faxon & Jim Rash
"Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close" – Eric Roth
"The Help" – Tate Taylor
"Hugo" – John Logan
WINNER - "Moneyball" – Steven Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin, Story by Stan Chervin

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
"The Adventures of Tintin"
"Arthur Christmas"
"Kung Fu Panda 2"
"Puss in Boots"
WINNER - "Rango"

BEST ACTION MOVIE
WINNER - "Drive"
"Fast Five"
"Hanna"
"Rise of the Planet of the Apes"
"Super 8"

BEST COMEDY
WINNER - "Bridesmaids"
"Crazy, Stupid, Love"
"Horrible Bosses"
"Midnight in Paris"
"The Muppets"

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
"In Darkness"
"Le Havre"
WINNER - "A Separation"
"The Skin I Live In"
"Where Do We Go Now"

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
"Buck"
"Cave of Forgotten Dreams"
WINNER - "George Harrison: Living in the Material World"
"Page One: Inside the New York Times"
"Project Nim"
"Undefeated"

BEST ART DIRECTION
"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

WINNER - "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 CINEMATOGRAPHY (TIE)
"The Artist" – Guillaume Schiffman
"Drive" – Newton Thomas Sigel
"Hugo" – Robert Richardson
WINNER - "The Tree of Life" – Emmanuel Lubezki
WINNER - "War Horse" – Janusz Kaminski

BEST COSTUME DESIGN
WINNER - "The Artist" – Mark Bridges
"The Help" – Sharen Davis
"Hugo" – Sandy Powell
"Jane Eyre" – Michael O’Connor
"My Week With Marilyn" – Jill Taylor

BEST EDITING
"The Artist" – Michel Hazanavicius and Anne-Sophie Bion
"Drive" – Matthew Newman
WINNER - "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo" – Kirk Baxter and Angus Wall
"Hugo" – Thelma Schoonmaker
"War Horse" – Michael Kahn

BEST MAKEUP
"Albert Nobbs"
WINNER - "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2"
"The Iron Lady"
"J. Edgar"
"My Week With Marilyn"

BEST SONG
"Hello Hello" – performed by Elton John and Lady Gaga/written by Elton John and Bernie Taupin – "Gnomeo & Juliet"

WINNER - "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
WINNER - "The Artist" – Ludovic Bource
"Drive" – Cliff Martinez
"The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo" – Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross
"Hugo" – Howard Shore
"War Horse" – John Williams

BEST SOUND
WINNER - "
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2"
"Hugo"
"Super 8"
"The Tree of Life"
"War Horse"

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2"
"Hugo"
WINNER - "Rise of the Planet of the Apes"
"Super 8"
"The Tree of Life"

Review: Mark Wahlberg Has Magnum Force in "Shooter"

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 124 (of 2007) by Leroy Douresseaux

Shooter (2007)
Running time: 126 minutes (2 hours, six minutes)
MPAA – R for strong graphic violence and some language
DIRECTOR: Antoine Fuqua
WRITER: Jonathan Lemkin (based upon the novel Point of Impact by Stephen Hunter)
PRODUCERS: Lorenzo di Bonaventura and Ric Kidney
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Peter Menzies, Jr. ASC
EDITOR: Eric Sears, A.C.E.

ACTION/DRAMA/THRILLER

Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Michael Peña, Danny Glover, Kate Maria, Elias Koteas, Rhona Mitra, Rade Sherbedgia, Lane Garrison, and Ned Beatty

Academy Award-nominated actor Mark Wahlberg (The Departed) joins Antoine Fuqua, the director of Training Day and Tears of the Sun, for the film, Shooter, a razor sharp action/thriller about an honorable man framed as an assassin.

After a mission in Ethiopia goes badly, Marine Corps scout sniper, Bob Lee Swagger (Mark Wahlberg), walks away from the Corps for what he sees as a devastating betrayal. He moves to a remote mountain cabin and leaves the world behind, except for his loyal dog. One day, Colonel Isaac Johnson (Danny Glover) comes calling and tells Swagger that his country desperately needs him to help Col. Johnson foil an assassination attempt on the President of the United States. Johnson tries to convince Swagger that only his lethal skills and expertise in long-range ballistics can help stop the assassin.

Johnson appeals to Swagger’s sense of patriotism, and he decides to do this "one last time" thing. After this new mission goes badly and the mystery assassin gets off a shot, Swagger becomes a hunted man, and he has to uncover a dark conspiracy in the heart of the American government in order to clear his name. Swagger will have to discover who the real hit men are, but he’ll have to hit them before they hit him.

A mixture of the Matt Damon “Jason Bourne” films (The Bourne Identity) and the Harrison Ford-led “Jack Ryan” films, in particularly, Clear and Present Danger, Shooter is a slick, fast-paced film that draws the viewer in at the very beginning and holds him or her in a vice like grip until the picture fades to black. Shooter isn’t as smart as the recent The Bourne Ultimatum, nor is it really an insider/conspiracy movie like Clear and Present Danger. Shooter is the good old boy, ass-kickin’ version of those films – smart, tough, but most of all street savvy.

The performances are good, and Wahlberg, a former Top 40 rapper and pretty boy underwear model, has turned out to be a strong actor who is authentic in very masculine roles. In other words, he’s plays the don’t-mess-with-him badass very well. Some of the credit for Shooter’s success must also go to Antoine Fuqua. He does movies featuring men with guns and films featuring combat and the military very well. One can say he’s almost an artist with these types of movies, and Shooter is his most polished effort yet, and a damn enjoyable movie about men who are super good at shooting super guns.

8 of 10
A

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"Bringing Down the House" Brings Laughs

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 31 (of 2003) by Leroy Douresseaux


Bringing Down the House (2003)
Running time: 105 minutes (1 hour, 45 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for language, sexual humor and drug material
DIRECTOR: Adam Shankman
WRITER: Peter Filardi
PRODUCERS: Ashok Amritraj and David Hoberman
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Julio Macat (D.o.P.)
EDITOR: Jerry Greenberg
COMPOSER: Lalo Schifrin

COMEDY

Starring: Steve Martin, Queen Latifah, Eugene Levy, Joan Plowright, Jean Smart, Kimberly J. Brown, Angus T. Jones, Missi Pyle, Michael Rosenbaum, Betty White, and Steve Harris

Critics and naysayers have been lying in wait for Bringing Down the House almost immediately after the first trailers and advertisements were aired. A straight-laced, older white man and a down to earth hip hop queen - racism and stereotypes of course – it couldn’t be anything but that. Well, they were wrong.

Peter Sanderson (Steve Martin) is a lonely, divorced, tax attorney who meets Charlene Morton (Queen Latifah) in an online chat room. He assumes she’s a young, curvaceous blond, but she’s actually an African American prison inmate, which he discovers when she shows up on his doorstep one, fine evening. Charlene wants Peter’s help to clear her of a crime she says she didn’t commit, but his life is already complicated by mild turmoil. He misses his ex-wife Kate (Jean Smart) and their two children, Sarah (Kimberly J. Brown) and Gregory (Angus T. Jones). His bosses at his high-pressure job have given him the assignment of bringing a frugal heiress’s (Joan Plowright) billion-dollar account to the company. To make matter worse, the FBI is searching for Charlene, as is her creepy boyfriend (Steve Harris), and Peter’s friend Howie (Eugene Levy) really has a jones for Charlene.

First, I should say that Bringing Down the House is hilarious, laugh out loud, knee-slapping funny. It’s the best comedy I’ve seen a long time, and I haven’t laughed, really laughed, at a movie in a while. I could call Bringing a “feel good” movie because it made me feel good. Looking at the poster and seeing commercials for the film might give people the idea that this is an un-politically correct film in a PC age, but it really is about making new friends, people with different social and economic backgrounds. If that sounds a little high brow, it might be, but it’s the long way around saying that birds of different feathers can flock together.

As for as the it’s politics, you have to watch the film really close to notice something I think becomes obvious half way through the picture. The film parodies the stereotypical portrayal in popular culture of white people’s stereotypical reactions to black people. It’s not making fun of black people; it’s poking fun of the way whites are played as sheltered nerds who only know a skewered version of black culture.

Queen Latifah’s character Charlene is actually well rounded, and Latifah plays her as a brassy, self-reliant, never-say-die woman who takes the initiative to defend herself. What you see is what you get, and Charlene is certainly not one of those women of ill repute who actually has a heart of gold. Latifah takes her character seriously and plays her with a sense of humor. Charlene, though loud and confident, is sensitive and doesn’t look out for her own interests without regards for other people.

Martin could make a career out of playing the odd straight man to black comedians; he worked quite well with Eddie Murphy in Bowfinger. His chemistry with Latifah is as good as or better than the chemistry between him and his white co-stars. He gives Peter a dual edge; you can laugh at him and with him, and you care about him. And if you’ve seen the part of the ad that shows Martin in a black club thuggin’ it out while wearing “street” gear, do know that it’s damned funny and not stereotypical. In fact, he plays the scene as a white guy who likes hip hop and hanging out with black people instead of playing it as a naïve white guy with a stereotypical idea of how to be “black.”

But to heck with all the social politics. This is a funny movie. It lags at the end as it tries to tie everything up for a feel good end, and there were some good characters that would have made this movie even funnier if they had a little more screen time. However, I give Peter Filardi credit for writing a funny movie that gives the finger to its critics. Martin, Queen Latifah, and the rest of the cast put on a good show, not a coon show. To miss this is to miss a rare treat, a film that makes you laugh and feel so good that you probably wouldn’t mind seeing it again.

7 of 10
B+

NOTES:
2004 Black Reel Awards: 1 nomination: “Film: Best Actress” (Queen Latifah)

2004 Image Awards: 1 win: “Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture” (Queen Latifah)

Chewbacca Actor, Peter Mayhew" at 2012 Wizard World New Orleans

Peter Mayhew (Photo by Tanya McConnell)

Wookiee Wonders: Original 'Chewbacca,' Peter Mayhew, Added To 2012 Wizard World New Orleans Comic Con, January 28-29 At Ernest N. Morial Convention Center

Actor Who Portrayed Beloved Character in Four STAR WARS Films Also to Read from his Children's Book, 'My Favorite Giant'; Joins Stars William Shatner, Stan Lee, Adam Baldwin, Mary McDonnell, James Marsters And Others Scheduled To Appear

Peter Mayhew, who brought the beloved character “Chewbacca” to life in four STAR WARS films, will attend the 2012 Wizard World New Orleans Comic Con, January 28-29 at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. Mayhew, who portrayed the loyal Wookiee in the original trilogy STAR WARS (1977), THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK (1980), RETURN OF THE JEDI (1983), and the 2005 prequel REVENGE OF THE SITH, will meet fans, pose for photos, sign autographs, and perform a special reading of his latest children's book “My Favorite Giant” during the show.

Mayhew, who stands 7'3", was a hospital worker in his native England when he landed the role of Chewbacca. Between STAR WARS and THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK, Mayhew worked at Mayday Hospital in suburban London. He resumed this position after EMPIRE, only leaving the hospital again to join his colleagues on the set of RETURN OF THE JEDI. Interestingly, when writer/director George Lucas began searching for a tall actor who could accurately portray Chewbacca, he initially turned to David Prowse. The bodybuilder opted for the part of the sinister Darth Vader, leaving Lucas free to seek out Mayhew for the role of the Wookiee.

Mayhew will read from “My Favorite Giant,” which he co-wrote with his wife Angie Mayhew, on Sunday, Jan. 29, at 1 p.m., in Panel Room A. The book is intended to help little ones understand that being different doesn't have to be a bad thing. The reading is part of full day of kids events on Sunday, which includes a costume contest, mosaic building workshop and a “passport” program in which kids complete activities all over New Orelans Comic Con.

Other top celebrities to attend New Orleans Comic Con include William Shatner, Stan Lee, Adam Baldwin, Mary McDonnell, James Marsters, Michael Biehn, WWE® Diva Kelly Kelly™ and WWE® Superstar Zack Ryder™. The event, produced by Wizard World, Inc. (WIZD.PK) will bring together thousands of fans of all ages and dozens of celebrities and industry professionals to celebrate the best in pop-fi, pop culture, movies, graphic novels, comics, toys, video gaming, television, sci-fi, gaming, original art, collectibles, contests and more.

New Orleans Comic Con is the first stop on Wizard World's 2012 North American tour. Hours are Saturday, January 28, 10 a.m. - 7 p.m.; and Sunday, January 29, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Tickets are available in advance online at http://www.wizardworldcomiccon.com/neworleans.html at a savings over tickets purchased at the door. Advance adult single-day tickets are priced at $30 ($40 on site); weekend all-session tickets are $45 ($55 on site), and tickets are free for children age 10 and under when accompanied by a paid adult (limit two children per adult). VIP packages with special entry and exclusive items are also available on a limited basis.


About Wizard World:
Wizard World produces Comic Cons and pop culture conventions across North America that celebrate graphic novels, comic books, movies, TV shows, gaming, technology, toys and social networking. The events often feature celebrities from movies and TV, artists and writers, and events such as premieres, gaming tournaments, panels, and costume contests.

"Bond 50" Gathers 22 James Bond Films in a Blu-ray Box Set

[Apparently, the box set will not include the two Bond films that EON did not produce:  The 1967 Casino Royale and the 1983 rogue film, Never Say Never Again, which had Sean Connery reprising the role of James Bond.]
 
James Bond Celebrates Fifty Incredible Years with Golden Anniversary Blu-Ray Collection BOND 50
 
The World’s Most Successful Secret Agent Meets the World’s Best Home Entertainment Experience
 
Available for Worldwide Pre-Order Starting Today
 
LAS VEGAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--In celebration of James Bond’s monumental golden anniversary, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios and Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment today unveiled BOND 50, a collectible box-set featuring all 22 James Bond films on Blu-ray Disc for the first time in one complete offering. The longest running film franchise of all time, the Bond 50 collection marks the debut of nine James Bond films previously unavailable in high definition Blu-ray. Fans around the world can pre-order now with participating online retailers.

Acclaimed Bond directors John Glen (five Bond films including For Your Eyes Only, Octopussy, A View to a Kill, The Living Daylights & Licence To Kill), Martin Campbell (GoldenEye, Casino Royale) and Michael Apted (The World Is Not Enough) with special guests Olga Kurylenko (Quantum of Solace) and Caterina Murino (Casino Royale) made the Blu-ray announcement today during a Directors’ Panel discussion in the Panasonic Booth at the annual Consumer Electronics Show.

BOND 50 showcases fifty years of Bond neatly packaged into one cool, sleek collectable box-set featuring all six iconic James Bond actors. Produced using the highest possible picture quality and audio presentation, the collection includes all 22 James Bond feature films from Dr. No to Quantum of Solace and more than 130 hours of bonus features including some new and exclusive content.

“With all 22 feature films available on Blu-ray in one collection for the first time this is a great way for fans to catch up on 007’s epic journey before Skyfall hits theaters next Fall,” said Michael Brown, Senior Vice President, MGM Home Entertainment. “Now viewers can enjoy the intense action of the innovative franchise in the most immersive home experience possible.”

“We have a whole program of exciting activities planned for our 50th anniversary year, beginning with today’s announcement, by Fox, of the release of all 22 films on Blu-ray for the very first time,’’ added Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli, with EON Productions. “We are also delighted that Fox has unveiled a specially designed anniversary poster which we hope the fans will love as much as we do. Our website, 007.com will be regularly updated with all the latest anniversary news and events.”

ABOUT EON PRODUCTIONS
EON Productions Limited and Danjaq LLC are wholly owned and controlled by the Broccoli/Wilson family. Danjaq is the US based company that owns, together with MGM, the James Bond franchise. EON Productions, an affiliate of Danjaq, is the UK based production company which makes the James Bond films. The 007 franchise is the longest running in film history with twenty-two films produced since 1962. Michael G Wilson and Barbara Broccoli took over the franchise from Albert R ‘Cubby’ Broccoli in 1995 and have produced some of the most successful Bond films ever including CASINO ROYALE and QUANTUM OF SOLACE. The twenty-third film entitled SKYFALL is currently in production.

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.

ABOUT METRO-GOLDWYN-MAYER STUDIOS INC.
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. is actively engaged in the worldwide production and distribution of motion pictures, television programming, home video, interactive media, music, and licensed merchandise. The company owns the world’s largest library of modern films, comprising around 4,100 titles. Operating units include Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures Inc., United Artists Films Inc., MGM Television Entertainment Inc., MGM Networks Inc., MGM Distribution Co., MGM International Television Distribution Inc., Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Home Entertainment LLC, MGM ON STAGE, MGM Music, MGM Consumer Products and MGM Interactive. In addition, MGM has ownership interests in domestic and international TV channels reaching over 130 countries. For more information, visit http://www.mgm.com/.