The Empty Calories of "Into the Blue" are Surprisingly Tasty

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 150 (of 2005) by Leroy Douresseaux


Into the Blue (2005)
Running time: 110 minutes (1 hour, 50 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for intense sequences of action violence, drug material, some sexual content, and language
DIECTOR: John Stockwell
WRITER: Matt Johnson
PRODUCER: David Zelon
CINEMATOGRAPHERS: Shane Hurlbut with Peter Zuccarini (underwater)
EDITORS: Nicolas De Toth and Dennis Virkler

ACTION/ADVENTURE/CRIME/THRILLER

Starring: Paul Walker, Jessica Alba, Scott Caan, Ashley Scott, Josh Brolin, James Frain, Tyson Beckford, and Dwayne Adway

The subject of this movie review is Into the Blue, an underwater action movie and crime thriller starring Paul Walker and Jessica Alba. The film follows a group of friends who find both a sunken treasure and trouble from drug smugglers.

Recently fired from his job as a guide on scuba diving tour boat, Jared (Paul Walker) decides to pursue his dream of salvaging for lost treasure galleys in the deep, shark-infested waters of the Bahamas. His girlfriend, Sam (Jessica Alba), believes in him, of course, and is along for the ride, and so are his best friend, Bryce (Scott Caan), a young hotshot lawyer from New York City, and his latest conquest, Amanda (Ashley Scott), a young woman he just met a few days before. When the four young divers discover what may be a legendary shipwreck containing untold millions in gold, Jared believes his dream of finding buried treasure has come true.

However, near their salvage is a sunken plane containing the dead crew… and a large cargo of cocaine that may have a street value in the hundreds of millions. The friends make a vow to keep silent about both discoveries so that they can excavate the shipwreck and file a claim on it before rival treasure hunters (namely a challenger named Bates played by Josh Brolin) learn of their find and beat them to the gold. When two of the divers make a fatal decision regarding the cargo plane, drug smugglers looking for the plane turn the young treasure hunters into the hunted.

Into the Blue is the Sport’s Illustrated swimsuit issue version of a hard-edge action movie, but it has a campy edge that would make it suitable for the CBS Sunday Night Movie or a made-for-TV USA cable network action thriller; plus its PG-13 rating makes Into the Blue safe for all but those… well, 13-year olds. Director John Stockwell doesn’t turn Matt Johnson’s screenplay into a hyper-kinetic video game, but instead makes the film into a kind of crime film, imagine a R-rated, dumbed-down heist or caper film like Out of Sight for teens or for those who can’t stomach R-movie violence. Another good thing about Matt Johnson’s screenplay is that it emphasizes characters over action. Put a competent cast and crew behind a script like this and the audience gets a nice character-driven piece that makes the audience invest itself in the players – that’s Into the Blue. The script’s glaring error is that it seems stretched out, thus giving it a few huge dry patches in which the narrative is literally spinning its wheels or drowning.

Paul Walker (The Fast and the Furious franchise) and Jessica Alba aren’t close to being good actors. Walker comes from the Keanu Reeves school of acting, which means awkward and stiff dialogue delivery, but quite frankly, he’s beautiful and looks good on screen. His face can express more emotion that he ever could through speaking, and Walker’s eyes are indeed the windows into the soul of his characters. You learn just as much about what kind of man Jared is by watching Walker’s physical acting as you could by listening to Paul struggle with lines. Alba tries to be a serious actress, but her body is the Gromit to her acting’s Wallace. You don’t want her off screen; you want to see her, whether you’re a man or woman.

The setting and beautiful locations really sell this flick. I never thought I’d enjoy seeing people diving in and jumping out of the water so much (about 60 to 70 percent of the film); this is truly an underwater action/adventure. Add Josh Brolin’s Mephisto-like turn to the mix of lithe young bodies in motion, in danger, and in the water, and Into the Blue is a very entertaining thriller – fun in the water, the movie theatre, or at home.

6 of 10
B

"Dark Tide," Starring Halle Berry, Debuts on Video-on-Demand March 8th

DARK TIDE - LIONSGATE AND WREKIN HILL ENTERTAINMENT, IN ASSOCIATION WITH ROW 1 PRODUCTIONS, UNREEL DARK TIDE, STARRING ACADEMY AWARD® WINNER HALLE BERRY, WITH MULTI-TIER RELEASE STRATEGY

Film To Debut On Ultra VOD March 8th Prior To US Theatrical Run March 30th With Packaged Media To Follow

LIONSGATE® (NYSE: LGF), a leading diversified global entertainment company, and Wrekin Hill Entertainment, an LA based film production and distribution company, in association with Row 1 Productions, announced today their multi-tiered release strategy to distribute the Academy Award® winner Halle Berry and Olivier Martinez action thriller DARK TIDE. Wrekin Hill Entertainment, in association with Row 1 Productions, acquired the US rights to director John Stockwell’s deep sea adventure for theatrical exhibition. Lionsgate, as part of its agreement with Wrekin Hill Entertainment will release the film on Video-on-Demand (VOD), Electronic Sell-Through (EST) and packaged media. The distribution plan leads off with a three week Ultra VOD window on March 8th with a theatrical release on March 30th, culminating in a packaged media and Digital Download release.

“The star power that Halle Berry brings to DARK TIDE paired with a genre that hits VOD audiences make it a perfect addition to our Ultra VOD strategy.” said Jim Packer, Lionsgate President of Worldwide Television and Digital Distribution.

Noted Chris Ball, President and CEO of Wrekin Hill Entertainment: “We are thrilled to be working with our partners at Lionsgate to attack the U.S. with this terrifying suspense thriller. Our multiplatform release assures that audiences across the country will have the opportunity to be bitten by DARK TIDE.”

Director John Stockwell (BLUE CRUSH, INTO THE BLUE) returns to the ocean with the thrilling feature DARK TIDE starring Academy Award® winner Berry and award-winning actor Martinez in their first on-screen roles together. The film, written by Amy Sorlie and Ronnie Christensen and based on a story by Sorlie, was produced by Jeanette Buerling and Matthew Chausse.

Synopsis: Kate (Berry) is a shark expert whose business has been failing since a shark attack killed a fellow diver under her command. Once dubbed "the shark whisperer," Kate is haunted by the memory of the attack and unable to get back into the water. With bills piling up and the bank about to foreclose on Kate's boat, Kate's old flame Jeff (Martinez) presents her with a lucrative opportunity: lead a thrill-seeking millionaire businessman on a dangerous shark dive…outside the cage. Battling her self-doubts and fear, Kate accepts the proposal -- and sets a course for the world's deadliest feeding ground: Shark Alley.

The deal for DARK TIDE was negotiated by Ball and Rene Cogan for Wrekin Hill and Brandt Andersen on behalf of Row 1 Productions, with Stuart Ford and Jonathan Deckter of IM Global on behalf of the filmmakers.

YouTube Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Wn544fBnS0


ABOUT LIONSGATE
Lionsgate is a leading global entertainment company with a strong and diversified presence in motion picture production and distribution, television programming and syndication, home entertainment, family entertainment, digital distribution and new channel platforms. The Company has built a strong television presence in production of prime time cable and broadcast network series, distribution and syndication of programming through Debmar-Mercury and an array of channel assets. Lionsgate currently has 15 shows on more than 10 networks spanning its prime time production, distribution and syndication businesses, including such critically-acclaimed hits as "Mad Men," "Weeds" and "Nurse Jackie" along with the comedy "Blue Mountain State," the Golden Globe winning drama "Boss" and the syndication successes "Tyler Perry's House Of Payne," its spinoff "Meet The Browns," "The Wendy Williams Show" and "Are We There Yet?".

Its feature film business has been fueled by such recent successes as THE LINCOLN LAWYER, TYLER PERRY'S MADEA'S BIG HAPPY FAMILY, MARGIN CALL, THE EXPENDABLES, THE LAST EXORCISM, TYLER PERRY'S WHY DID I GET MARRIED TOO?, KICK ASS and the critically-acclaimed PRECIOUS, which won two Academy Awards®. The Company's home entertainment business has grown to more than 7% market share and is an industry leader in box office-to-DVD and box office-to-VOD revenue conversion rate. Lionsgate handles a prestigious and prolific library of approximately 13,000 motion picture and television titles that is an important source of recurring revenue and serves as the foundation for the growth of the Company's core businesses. The Lionsgate brand remains synonymous with original, daring, quality entertainment in markets around the world.

About Wrekin Hill Entertainment
WREKIN HILL ENTERTAINMENT is a Los Angeles-based production and distribution company, founded by the former Newmarket Films team of Chris Ball and Rene Cogan. Ball and Cogan built a reputation at Newmarket for producing and distributing such indie classics as MEMENTO, DONNIE DARKO, WHALE RIDER, MONSTER, and THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST. Wrekin Hill has a multi-year US home entertainment distribution deal with Lionsgate, and a three-year multi-platform output deal with Canadian distributor eOne. The company aims to distribute four to five quality theatrical releases each year, in addition to its ancillary driven output, with a focus on the same kind of director-driven specialty films on which the team has built its reputation. During 2011, Wrekin Hill has theatrically released such films as Peter Weir’s THE WAY BACK, and Spencer Susser’s HESHER starring Joseph Gordon Levitt and Natalie Portman. In early 2012, the company will release award-winning Chinese director Zhang Yimou’s (House of Flying Daggers, Hero) and producer Zhang Weiping’s THE FLOWERS OF WAR starring Academy Award® winning actor Christian Bale. The film, which has been nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Foreign Language Film, also had a highly successful one-week awards qualifying run in late 2011. Other 2012 releases include Academy Award®-nominated Morgan Spurlock's fanboy documentary COMIC-CON EPISODE IV - A FAN'S HOPE; and Ben Palmer’s UK box office phenomenon THE INBETWEENERS, based on the award-winning British TV series of the same name.

About Row 1 Productions
Row 1 Productions was founded by a group of private investors including world-renowned Orthopedic Surgeon Dr. Rick Lehman. In addition to his prestigious medical practice, Lehman also has several holdings which include entertainment, medicine and an ownership stake in the NHL's Florida Panthers. Row 1 Production's investments include domestic rights acquisition and early stage bridge financing for production. Row 1 has provided financing for Stephen Frears’ LAY THE FAVORITE, FROZEN GROUND starring Nicholas Cage, and BROKEN CITY starring Mark Wahlberg and Russell Crowe. Row 1 Productions is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California.

Happy Birthday, Anna Douresseaux

I would enjoy celebrating your 45th birthday with you.

Review: "This is Spinal Tap" Never Stops Being Funny (Happy B'day, Rob Reiner)

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 106 (of 2005) by Leroy Douresseaux

This is Spinal Tap (1984)
Running time: 83 minutes (1 hour, 23 minutes)
MPAA – R
DIRECTOR: Rob Reiner
WRITERS: Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, Harry Shearer, & Rob Reiner
PRODUCER: Karen Murphy
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Peter Smokler
EDITOR: Kent Beyda and Kim Secrist

COMEDY/MUSIC

Starring: Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, Harry Shearer, Rob Reiner, June Chadwick, Tony Hendra, RJ Parnell, Fran Drescher, Patrick MacNee, Bruno Kirby, Ed Begley, Jr., Billy Crystal, Dana Carvey, Howard Hessman, Fred Willard, Paul Shaffer, Gloria Gifford, and Anjelica Huston

The subject of this review is This is Spinal Tap, a faux documentary that parodies rock documentary films. Directed by Rob Reiner, the film also satirizes the behavior and attitudes of members of hard rock and heavy metal bands.

This is Spinal Tap basically says that, “It’s time to get personal with one of music history’s greatest and loudest rock bands… Spinal Tap.” Documentary filmmaker Marty DiBergi (Rob Reiner) is making a “rockumentary,” a rock documentary of the band’s 1982 tour in support of the release of its 15th album, but the band has falling on some hard times. They’re playing smaller venues in front of an ever-shrinking audience, and the band’s front men: guitarist/co-songwriter David St. Hubbins (Michael McKean), lead guitarist/co-songwriter Nigel Tufnel (Christopher Guest), and bassist Derek Smalls (Harry Shearer) are older and struggling with inner band turmoil. DiBergi’s documentary gives them a chance to talk about themselves, their history, and their music and gives the audience a behind the scenes look at rare footage and a chance to hear lots of music. Will Spinal Tap survive, or will we die laughing first?

This is Spinal Tap, Rob Reiner’s faux documentary, created a film genre, the “mockumentary” or mock documentary. This is Spinal Tap is a fake documentary that follows the life and times of an aged metal band on an less-than-successful American tour, and everyone involved, especially the band comes across as twits. They don’t, in all seriousness, see themselves as pathetically funny as they actually are. Reiner, Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, and Harry Shearer wrote all the songs for the fake band called Spinal Tap (which some movie audiences initial thought was a real band), and with the rest of the cast, adlibbed most of the dialogue.

Anyone with more than a passing knowledge of heavy metal music and the eccentricities of metal’s most famous practitioners will double over in laughter at this “behind the scenes” look at band infighting, groupies, cancelled concerts, impractical stage sets, musical and performance pretensions, tight pants, misogynistic music, and the long hair and makeup. Even if you don’t like music, This is Spinal Tab is still funny; in fact the magazine, Entertainment Weekly, named it the #1 cult film of all time.

The film’s strength is in the music; one is actors playing the front men are all competent musicians. Spinal Tap’s songs are so funny and so dead on rock and roll and heavy metal, that for all that they are satires of metal songs, they also work quite well as actually metal music. Great parodies have to work as the thing they are parodying; Mel Brooks has made a career on getting the setting right in such films as Young Frankenstein, which looked like the classic black and white Universal Studios Frankenstein films and Blazing Saddles, which looked and acted like a western. The film’s other strength is the cast. Everyone is so good at playing so many absurd situations and saying so many ridiculous things with the straightest faces, as if the entire Spinal Tap scenario were all real and serious. This is Spinal Tap is a must-see for lovers of comedy.

8 of 10
A

NOTES:
2002 National Film Registry: National Film Preservation Board, USA

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"The Lion King 1½" and "The Lion King" Now on Blu-ray

The Lion King 1½

Simba, Nala, Timon and Pumbaa are Back For a Limited Time, Includes a New Timon and Pumbaa Bonus Feature Available March 6, 2012 on Blu-ray™, DVD and Digital

Synopsis: Hilarity reigns in the motion picture comedy-adventure that takes you waaay back to the beginning before Simba’s tale began…now more fabulous than ever for the first time in a 2-disc Blu-ray Combo Pack!

From their uniquely hysterical perspective, Timon and his windy pal Pumbaa—the greatest unsung heroes of the savanna—reveal where they came from, how they helped Simba save the Serengeti and what really happened behind the scenes of The Lion King’s biggest events.

This essential chapter of The Lion King trilogy features your favorite characters voiced by the original cast (Nathan Lane, Matthew Broderick, Ernie Sabella plus Julie Kavner and Jerry Stiller) and music by Elton John and Tim Rice. You’ll feel the love for every outrageously funny moment.

Cast:
Nathan Lane (Broadway’s “The Producers”) as voice of Timon
Ernie Sabella (The Lion King) as voice of Pumbaa
Julie Kavner (TV’s “The Simpsons”) as voice of Mom
Jerry Stiller (TV’s “The King of Queens”) as voice of Uncle Max
Matthew Broderick (Ferris Bueller’s Day Off) as voice of Simba
Robert Guillaume (TV’s “Benson”) as voice of Rafiki
Moira Kelly (The Lion King) as voice ofNala
Whoopi Goldberg (voice in Snow Buddies) as voice of Shenzi
Cheech Marin (Cars) as voice of Banzai
Jim Cummings (Winnie The Pooh) as voice of Ed
Director: Bradley Raymond (Tinker Bell and Tinker Bell and the Great Fairy Rescue)

Bonus Features: Timon & Pumbaa’s Vacation Safari
This new animated bonus feature shows Timon & Pumbaa watching home movies of their animal friends at Disney’s Animal Kingdom theme park.

Deleted Scenes
Director Bradley Raymond and Producer George Mendoza explain why these segments did not make the final film.

1. Opening Concept #1
2. Opening Concept #2
3. Old Fearless Buzz
4. Timon talks to Dad
5. Timon, Dad & Mom
6. Intro to “Scurry, Flinch, Sniff”
7. Timon & Pumbaa look for Oasis

Timon: Behind the Legend
Hosted by Peter Graves, this mock-umentary traces Timon’s childhood. There are interviews with Timon’s mom, Uncle Max & Pumbaa, plus snapshots show him growing up.

Before the Beginning: The Making of Lion King 1 1?2
Director Bradley Raymond and Producer George Mendoza walk viewers through the film… from before the beginning. Brad and George are silhouetted against their own film with a remote, just like Timon and Pumbaa.

“Grazing in the Grass”
Music video performed by Raven.

Digital Bonus Features: Timon & Pumbaa’s Vacation Safari
Timon: Behind The Legend

Rating: G in U.S. and G in Canada
Bonus materials not rated.
Feature Run Time: Approximately 76 minutes
Suggested Retail Prices: 2-Disc Blu-ray (Blu-ray + DVD) = $39.99 U.S./$46.99 Canada
1-Disc DVD = $29.99 U.S./$35.99 Canada
High Definition Digital = $39.99 U.S./$46.99 Canada
Standard Definition Digital = $29.99 U.S./$35.99
Aspect Ratio: Blu-ray: 1.66: 1/1080p High Definition
DVD: 1.66:1/Widescreen
Sound: Blu-ray: English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, French and Spanish, 5.1 Dolby Digital
DVD: 5.1 Dolby Digital English, French andSpanish
Languages: English
Subtitles: English SDH, French and Spanish
Special Edition Available March 6, 2012 on Blu-ray™, DVD and Digital
Includes a New Timon and Pumbaa Animated Short




The Lion King 2

Synopsis: The king of animated films reigns in this final chapter of The Lion King trilogy, now breathtakingly beautiful for the first time in a 2-Disc Blu-ray Combo Pack! Experience the power of “Upendi”—which means “love”—as Kiara, Simba’s strong-willed daughter, seeks adventure away from her father’s watchful gaze. Timon and Pumbaa can do only so much to protect her, especially when she encounters an intriguing rival, Kovu, a cub who is being groomed to lead Scar’s pride.

As Kiara and Kovu search for their proper places in the great “Circle Of Life,” they discover that it may be their destiny to reunite their prides andbring peace to the Pride Lands.

Featuring the original all-star voice cast, breathtaking animation and enchanting songs, Kiara and Kovu’s adventure thrills audiences of all ages as the glorious “Circle Of Life” continues for a new generation.

Cast: Matthew Broderick (Ferris Bueller’s Day Off) as voice of Simba
Nathan Lane (Broadway’s “The Producers”) as voice of Timon
Ernie Sabella (The Lion King) as voice of Pumbaa
Neve Campbell (Scream) as voice of Kiara
Jason Marsden (TV’s “G.I. Joe: Renegades”) as voice of Kova
Andy Dick (TV’s “Community”) as voice of Nuka
Robert Guillaume (TV’s “Benson”) as voice of Rafiki
James Earl Jones (The Lion King) as voice of Mufasa
Moira Kelly (The Lion King) as voice ofNala

Directors: Darrell Rooney (Mulan II) and Rob LaDuca (Mickey’s Adventures in Wonderland)

Bonus Features: Timon & Pumbaa’s Insectapedia
In this new animated bonus feature, Timon & Pumbaa gaze at the night sky as the star constellations resemble their favorite meal, insects!

“One By One”
An original animated short with vocals by The Lion King vocalist Lebo Morake.

Timon & Pumbaa: Find Out Why
In this series of animated shorts, Timon and Pumbaa provide answers to some of life’s most puzzling questions including:

1. Why is there lightning and thunder?
2. Why do we sneeze?
3. Why don’t Pandas live in the desert?
4. Why is there wind?
5. Why does an airplane fly?

Proud of Simba’s Pride
A featurette that traces the making of the movie.

“Love Will Find a Way” Music Video
Performed by Kenny Lattimore and Heather Headley.

Digital Bonus Features: Timon & Pumbaa’s Insectapedia
“One By One”

Street Date: March 6, 2012
Rating: G in U.S. and G in Canada
Bonus materials not rated.
Feature Run Time: Approximately 81 minutes
Suggested Retail Prices: 2-Disc Blu-ray (Blu-ray + DVD) = $39.99 U.S./$46.99 Canada
1-Disc DVD = $29.99 U.S./$35.99 Canada
High Definition Digital = $39.99 U.S./$46.99 Canada
Standard Definition Digital = $29.99 U.S./$35.99
Aspect Ratio: Blu-ray: 1.78: 1/1080p High Definition
DVD: 1.78:1/Widescreen
Sound: Blu-ray: English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, French and Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital
DVD: 5.1 Dolby Digital English, French and Spanish
Languages: English
Subtitles: English SDH, French and Spanish

Review: "Hitch" is Funny and Sweet (Happy B'day, Eva Mendes)

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 22 (of 2005) by Leroy Douresseaux

Hitch (2005)
Running time: 115 minutes (1 hour, 55 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for language and some strong sexual references
DIRECTOR: Andy Tennant
WRITER: Kevin Bisch
PRODUCERS: Will Smith and Teddy Zee
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Andrew Dunn
EDITOR: Troy Takaki and Tracey Wadmore-Smith

COMEDY/ROMANCE

Starring: Will Smith, Eva Mendes, Kevin James, Amber Valletta, Julie Ann Emery, Robinne Lee, Nathan Lee Graham, Adam Arkin, Michael Rapaport, Jeffrey Donovan, and Matt Malloy

The subject of this movie review is Hitch, the 2005 romantic comedy starring Will Smith. In the film, directed by Andy Tennant, Smith plays a professional matchmaker.

Alex “Hitch” Hitchens (Will Smith) is a professional “date doctor,” who helps mostly shy, insecure, and nervous men learn to be confident enough to date the woman they just can’t get out their minds. His biggest project is to help a pleasantly plumb accountant named Albert (Kevin James) find his confidence so that he can woo his employer’s biggest client, wealthy playgirl, Allegra Cole (Amber Valletta). Hitch runs into his own complications when he becomes smitten with Sara (Eva Mendes), a New York gossip columnist. Both Hitch and Sara have dating issues, especially Sara, who usually erects an impenetrable wall whenever a man attempts to be friendly with her. However, Sara is determined to discover and publicize the identity of the mysterious “date doctor” about whom she’s been hearing in relation to the Allegra-Albert romance, even if it costs her personally.

Early reviews of the film suggest that Hitch is a trifle and a bit a fluff that Will Smith manages to save with his endearing film personality. Hitch is lightweight subject matter, but Will Smith and his co-conspirators make this a winning romantic comedy and comic romance. It’s not as good as When Harry Met Sally, but there is a lot more meat on Hitch’s film bones than on most romantic comedies about mismatches and misunderstandings. Will Smith does give this film vibrant life because he is a fine actor and a radiant movie star. He is comfortable and super confident on the big screen, and the camera loves him. If Denzel Washington is the heir to Sidney Portier, then, Smith is the black Cary Grant.

The rest of the cast, however, does it part. Eva Mendes is more like a co-star than supporting player. She carries this film, and there is an air about her that suggests she can go toe to toe with a man in the vein of Katherine Hepburn. No, Ms. Mendes isn’t yet as good as Ms. Hepburn, but she seems headed in the direction of being a movie star because in this film, she shows that she can carry a lead role by making her end of the story as engaging as that of the central character.

Kevin James is surprisingly delightful. I like him, but I’ve never quite enjoyed his CBS television comedy series, “The King of Queens.” James usually plays charming, fat guys, and everyone seems to love a fat guy who can make fun of himself. James is also witty and sarcastic; his self-effacing tendency and smart alec cool serves him well in Hitch, making him a scene-stealer.

After spending years directing episodic TV, director Andy Tennant has worked mostly on romantic comedies, Sweet Home Alabama being his biggest hit to date. At present, Hitch may be his best work as he took Kevin Bisch’s funny script and made it into a high-energy comic romp of misunderstandings and dating chess matches. Some might see this as a “chick flick,” but Hitch is simply funny. Like many films, the ending is too sweet by a mile. Still, it works, and Will Smith has another winner.

7 of 10
A-

NOTES:
2006 Black Reel Awards: 3 nominations: “Best Actor” (Will Smith), “Best Film” (Will Smith, Teddy Zee, and James Lassiter), and “Best Original Soundtrack”

2006 Image Awards: 2 nominations: “Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture” (Will Smith) and “Outstanding Motion Picture”

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Star Wars Artist Ralph McQuarrie Dies at 82

George Lucas did not do it alone.  Conceptual designer and illustrator Ralph McQuarrie has died.  He is best known for his work on the original Star Wars trilogy.  In 1975, George Lucas hired McQuarrie to illustrate scenes from his Star Wars script, and McQuarrie also designed many of the characters, including Darth Vader, R2-D2, and C-3PO.

McQuarrie did design and concept work for some of Steven Spielberg's films, including Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Raiders of the Lost Ark, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, and Jurassic Park.  McQuarrie won an Oscar for best visual effects for his work on the film Cocoon.

McQuarrie was born on June 3, 1929 in Gary, Indiana, and passed away Saturday, March 3, 2012 at his home in Berkeley, California.  R.I.P. Mr. McQuarrie.  You work continues to inspire me.