Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Happy Birthday, Darby

Happy Birthday, dear friend.  I won't say your age, but as The Police song goes, you were born in the 50s.

Tuesday, December 11, 2012

San Diego Film Critics Announce 2012 Winners Today - Nominees List

The members of the San Diego Film Critics Society (SDFCS) write and/or broadcast for a San Diego County-based outlet.  Sunday (December 9, 2012), the group announced its nominees for Best Achievements in Film for 2012. The final vote will take place Tuesday, Dec. 11th and results will appear on its site (http://www.sdfcs.org/) after they have been determined.

BEST FILM –
ARGO
DJANGO UNCHAINED
SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK
THE MASTER
ZERO DARK THIRTY

BEST DIRECTOR –
Ang Lee, LIFE OF PI
Ben Affleck, ARGO
David O. Russell, SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK
Kathryn Bigelow, ZERO DARK THIRTY
Paul Thomas Anderson, THE MASTER

BEST ACTRESS –
Helen Hunt, THE SESSIONS
Jennifer Lawrence, SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK
Jessica Chastain, ZERO DARK THIRTY
Michelle Williams, TAKE THIS WALTZ
Naomi Watts, THE IMPOSSIBLE

BEST ACTOR –
Bradley Cooper, SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK
Daniel Day-Lewis, LINCOLN
Hugh Jackman, LES MISERABLES
Joaquin Phoenix, THE MASTER
John Hawkes, THE SESSIONS

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS –
Amy Adams, THE MASTER
Anne Hathaway, LES MISERABLES
Emma Watson, THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER
Rebel Wilson, PITCH PERFECT
Samantha Barks, LES MISERABLES

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR –
Alan Arkin, ARGO
Christoph Waltz, DJANGO UNCHAINED
Christopher Walken, SEVEN PSYCHOPATHS
Matthew McConaughey, KILLER JOE
Philip Seymour Hoffman, THE MASTER

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY –
Quentin Tarantino, DJANGO UNCHAINED
Wes Anderson and Roman Coppola, MOONRISE KINGDOM
Sarah Polley, TAKE THIS WALTZ
Drew Goddard and Joss Whedon, THE CABIN IN THE WOODS
Paul Thomas Anderson, THE MASTER

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY –
Chris Terrio, ARGO
David Magee, LIFE OF PI
Tony Kushner, LINCOLN
David O. Russell, SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK
Stephen Chbosky, THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM –
AMOUR
HEADHUNTERS
HOLY MOTORS
THE INTOUCHABLES
THE KID WITH A BIKE

BEST DOCUMENTARY –
BULLY
JIRO DREAMS OF SUSHI
QUEEN OF VERSAILLES
SAMSARA
THE INVISIBLE WAR

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY –
Ben Richardson, BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD
Robert Richardson, DJANGO UNCHAINED
Danny Cohen, LES MISERABLES
Claudio Miranda, LIFE OF PI
Mihai Malaimare Jr., THE MASTER

BEST ANIMATED FILM –
BRAVE
FRANKIEWEENIE
PARANORMAN
RISE OF THE GUARDIANS
WRECK-IT RALPH

BEST EDITING –
William Goldenberg, ARGO
Brian A. Kates and John Paul Horstmann, KILLING THEM SOFTLY
Tim Squyres, LIFE OF PI
Leslie Jones and Peter McNulty, THE MASTER
William Goldenberg and Dylan Tichenor, ZERO DARK THIRTY

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN –
Sarah Greenwood, ANNA KARENINA
Sharon Seymour, ARGO
Hugh Bateup and Uli Hanisch, CLOUD ATLAS
Eve Stewart, LES MISERABLES
Adam Stockhausen, MOONRISE KINGDOM

BEST SCORE –
Alexandre Desplat, ARGO
Benh Zeitlin and Dan Romer, BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD
Mychael Danna, LIFE OF PI
Alexandre Desplat, MOONRISE KINGDOM
Jonny Greenwood, THE MASTER

BEST ENSEMBLE PERFORMANCE–
ARGO
DJANGO UNCHAINED
LES MISERABLES
SEVEN PSYCHOPATHS
THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER

BODY OF WORK FOR 2012–
Winner to be determined on day of vote.

KYLE COUNTS AWARD–
Winner to be determined on day of vote.

104 Compete for 5 Best Score Oscar Nominations

104 Original Scores in 2012 Oscar® Race

One hundred four scores from eligible feature-length motion pictures released in 2012 are in contention for nominations in the Original Score category for the 85th Academy Awards®, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced today.

The eligible scores along with their composers are listed below in alphabetical order by film title:

"Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter," Henry Jackman, composer

"After the Wizard," Stephen Main, composer

"Alex Cross," John Debney and Sebastian Morton, composers

"The Amazing Spider-Man," James Horner, composer

"Anna Karenina," Dario Marianelli, composer

"Argo," Alexandre Desplat, composer

"Battleship," Steve Jablonsky, composer

"The Bay," Marcelo Zarvos, composer

"Beasts of the Southern Wild," Dan Romer and Benh Zeitlin, composers

"Being Flynn," Damon Gough, composer

"The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel," Thomas Newman, composer

"Big Miracle," Cliff Eidelman, composer

"Booker's Place: A Mississippi Story," David Cieri, composer

"Brave," Patrick Doyle, composer

"Brooklyn Castle," B. Satz, composer

"Chasing Ice," J. Ralph, composer

"Chasing Mavericks," Chad Fischer, composer

"Chicken with Plums," Olivier Bernet, composer

"Chimpanzee," Nicholas Hooper, composer

"Cloud Atlas," Reinhold Heil and Johnny Klimek, composers

"Compliance," Heather McIntosh, composer

"Contraband," Clinton Shorter, composer

"The Dark Knight Rises," Hans Zimmer, composer

"Dark Shadows," Danny Elfman, composer

"Darling Companion," James Newton Howard, composer

"Deadfall," Marco Beltrami and Buck Sanders, composers

"The Dictator," Erran Baron Cohen, composer

"Dr. Seuss' The Lorax," John Powell, composer

"End of Watch," David Sardy, composer

"Ethel," Miriam Cutler, composer

"Flight," Alan Silvestri, composer

"For a Good Time, Call..." John Swihart, composer

"For Greater Glory: The True Story of Cristiada," James Horner, composer

"Frankenweenie," Danny Elfman, composer

"Fun Size," Deborah Lurie, composer

"Girl in Progress," Christopher Lennertz, composer

"The Grey," Marc Streitenfeld, composer

"The Guilt Trip," Christophe Beck, composer

"Hidden Moon," Luis Bacalov, composer

"Hitchcock," Danny Elfman, composer

"The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey," Howard Shore, composer

"Hotel Transylvania," Mark Mothersbaugh, composer

"House at the End of the Street," Theo Green, composer

"The Hunger Games," James Newton Howard, composer

"Hyde Park on Hudson," Jeremy Sams, composer

"Ice Age Continental Drift," John Powell, composer

"The Impossible," Fernando Velázquez, composer

"Jack Reacher," Joe Kraemer, composer

"John Carter," Michael Giacchino, composer

"Journey 2: The Mysterious Island," Andrew Lockington, composer

"Lawless," Nick Cave and Warren Ellis, composers

"Life of Pi," Mychael Danna, composer

"Lincoln," John Williams, composer

"Lola Versus," Will Bates and Philip Mossman, composers

"Looper," Nathan Johnson, composer

"The Lucky One," Mark Isham, composer

"LUV," Nuno Malo, composer

"The Man with the Iron Fists," RZA and Howard Drossin, composers

"Marvel's The Avengers," Alan Silvestri, composer

"The Master," Jonny Greenwood, composer

"Men in Black 3," Danny Elfman, composer

"Middle of Nowhere," Kathryn Bostic, composer

"Mirror Mirror," Alan Menken, composer

"The Odd Life of Timothy Green," Geoff Zanelli, composer

"On the Road," Gustavo Santaolalla, composer

"The Pardon," Ashley Irwin, composer

"Parental Guidance," Marc Shaiman, composer

"People Like Us," A.R. Rahman, composer

"The Possession," Anton Sanko, composer

"Prometheus," Marc Streitenfeld, composer

"Promised Land," Danny Elfman, composer

"The Raid: Redemption," Mike Shinoda and Joseph Trapanese, composers

"Red Tails," Terence Blanchard, composer

"Rise of the Guardians," Alexandre Desplat, composer

"Ruby Sparks," Nick Urata, composer

"Safe House," Ramin Djawadi, composer

"Safety Not Guaranteed," Ryan Miller, composer

"Saint Dracula," Sreevalsan J. Menon, composer

"Savages," Adam Peters, composer

"Seeking a Friend for the End of the World," Rob Simonsen and Jonathan Sadoff, composers

"The Sessions," Marco Beltrami, composer

"Sinister," Christopher Young, composer

"Skyfall," Thomas Newman, composer

"Smashed," Eric D. Johnson and Andy Cabic, composers

"Snow White and the Huntsman," James Newton Howard, composer

"Taken 2," Nathaniel Mechaly, composer

"Ted," Walter Murphy, composer

"Think Like a Man," Christopher Lennertz, composer

"This Means War," Christophe Beck, composer

"A Thousand Words," John Debney, composer

"The Three Stooges," John Debney, composer

"Trashed," Vangelis, composer

"Trouble with the Curve," Marco Beltrami, composer

"21 Jump Street," Mark Mothersbaugh, composer

"The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2," Carter Burwell, composer

"Until They Are Home," Jamie Dunlap, composer

"War of the Worlds The True Story," Jamie Hall, composer

"The Watch," Christophe Beck, composer

"West of Memphis," Nick Cave and Warren Ellis, composers

"Where Do We Go Now?" Khaled Mouzanar, composer

"Won't Back Down," Marcelo Zarvos, composer

"The Words," Marcelo Zarvos, composer

"Wreck-It Ralph," Henry Jackman, composer

"Zero Dark Thirty," Alexandre Desplat, composer

A Reminder List of works submitted in the Original Score category will be made available with a nominations ballot to all members of the Music Branch, who shall vote in the order of their preference for not more than five achievements. The five achievements receiving the highest number of votes will become the nominations for final voting for the award.

To be eligible, the original score must be a substantial body of music that serves as original dramatic underscoring, and must be written specifically for the motion picture by the submitting composer. Scores diluted by the use of tracked themes or other preexisting music, diminished in impact by the predominant use of songs, or assembled from the music of more than one composer shall not be eligible.

The 85th Academy Awards nominations will be announced live on Thursday, January 10, 2013, at 5:30 a.m. PT in the Academy's Samuel Goldwyn Theater.

Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2012 will be presented on Oscar Sunday, February 24, 2013, at the Dolby Theatre™ at Hollywood & Highland Center®, and televised live on the ABC Television Network. The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 225 countries worldwide.

American Film Institute Announces 2012 Awards

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.

Some of the "best film" selections are expected, such as Zero Dark Thirty, Lincoln, and Beasts of the Southern Wild (which seems to be gaining not just momentum, but also a big head of steam).  The Dark Knight Rises, which I found to be loud and self-important (acceptable traits if you're a film critic), would make my bottom ten.  I have not watched any of the honored television series, and I've grown tired of "Modern Family."

AFI MOVIES OF THE YEAR – 2012:

ARGO

BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD

THE DARK KNIGHT RISES

DJANGO UNCHAINED

LES MISÉRABLES

LIFE OF PI

LINCOLN

MOONRISE KINGDOM

SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK

ZERO DARK THIRTY

AFI TV PROGRAMS OF THE YEAR:

AMERICAN HORROR STORY: ASYLUM

BREAKING BAD

GAME OF THRONES

GIRLS

HOMELAND

LOUIE

MAD MEN

MODERN FAMILY

THE WALKING DEAD

AFI has stated that it will honor the creative ensembles for each of the selections at an invitation-only luncheon on Friday, January 11, 2013 in Los Angeles, California.

Monday, December 10, 2012

"Broken" is British Indie Film Awards Best Picture of 2012

Created in 1998, The British Independent Film Awards, by its own description, celebrates merit and achievement in independently funded British filmmaking, honor new film talent, and promote British films and filmmaking to a wider public.  The 15th Annual Moët British Independent Film Awards ceremony was held last night (Sunday, December 9, 2012) in London.

The coming-of-age drama, Broken, won the "Best Film" award.  Berberian Sound Studio, a psychological thriller set at a 1970s Italian horror movie studio, was the big winner, capturing 4 awards, including "Best Director" for Peter Strickland.

The 15th Annual Moët British Independent Film Awards Winners:

BEST BRITISH INDEPENDENT FILM- Sponsored by Moët & Chandon
Broken

BEST DIRECTOR - Sponsored by AllCity & Intermission
Peter Strickland – Berberian Sound Studio

THE DOUGLAS HICKOX AWARD [BEST DEBUT DIRECTOR] - Sponsored by 3 Mills Studios
Bart Layton – The Imposter

BEST SCREENPLAY - Sponsored by BBC Films
Alice Lowe, Steve Oram, Amy Jump – Sightseers

BEST ACTRESS- Sponsored by M.A.C
Andrea Riseborough (as Colette McVeigh) – Shadow Dancer

BEST ACTOR
Toby Jones (as Gilderoy) – Berberian Sound Studio

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Olivia Colman (as Queen Elizabeth) – Hyde Park on Hudson

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR- Sponsored by Sanderson & St Martins Lane
Rory Kinnear (Bob Oswald) – Broken

MOST PROMISING NEWCOMER - Sponsored by Studiocanal
James Floyd (Rashid) – My Brother the Devil

BEST ACHIEVEMENT IN PRODUCTION - Sponsored by Company3
Berberian Sound Studio

BEST TECHNICAL ACHIEVEMENT - Sponsored by LightBrigade Media
Joakim Sundström, Stevie Haywood AMPS IPS– Sound Design – Berberian Sound Studio

BEST DOCUMENTARY
The Imposter

BEST BRITISH SHORT- Supported by the BFI
Volume

BEST INTERNATIONAL INDEPENDENT FILM
The Hunt (from Denmark)

THE RAINDANCE AWARD
Strings

THE RICHARD HARRIS AWARD (for outstanding contribution by an actor to British Film)
Sir Michael Gambon

THE VARIETY AWARD
Jude Law

THE SPECIAL JURY PRIZE
Sandra Hebron

http://www.bifa.org.uk/

Sunday, December 9, 2012

Tom Cruise Movie "Oblivion" Debuts Trailer and Poster

Radical Studios’ Oblivion, starring Tom Cruise debuts one-sheet, trailer online

Radical Studios is thrilled to announce the online debut of the teaser one-sheet, trailer and select images of its first major motion picture: Oblivion, being released by Universal Pictures. The sci-fi epic is based on a yet to be released Radical Publishing graphic novel, original concept by TRON: Legacy director Joseph Kosinski, written by Arvid Nelson and art by Andrée Wallen.

The film is directed by Joseph Kosinski, stars Tom Cruise, Andrea Riseborough, Olga Kurylenko, Morgan Freeman, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau and Melissa Leo. Oblivion is produced by Peter Chernin, Dylan Clark, Joseph Kosinski, Duncan Henderson and Radical President Barry Levine, with executive producers David Morrison, Radical Executive Vice President Jesse Berger and Justin Springer. The film is set for an April 12, 2013 IMAX release and an April 19, 2013 worldwide release. The graphic novel is expected to release in 2014.

Fans can check out the teaser one-sheet of Oblivion at http://www.ign.com and visit the film’s newly launched website at www.oblivionmovie.com, facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/oblivion and twitter at www.twitter.com/oblivionmovie #OBLIVION. On December 9, 2012 the trailer will make its online debut at http://trailers.apple.com.

Here is the official plot synopsis for the movie:
“Jack Harper (Cruise) is one of the last few drone repairmen stationed on Earth. Part of a massive operation to extract vital resources after decades of war with a terrifying threat known as the Scavs, Jack’s mission is nearly complete.

Living in and patrolling the breathtaking skies from thousands of feet above, his soaring existence is brought crashing down when he rescues a beautiful stranger from a downed spacecraft. Her arrival triggers a chain of events that forces him to question everything he knows and puts the fate of humanity in his hands."

This news comes on the heels of Radical’s recent announcement that its best-selling original graphic novel Hercules: The Thracian Wars will be adapted as a motion picture by MGM and Paramount Pictures. Hercules stars Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and will be directed by Brett Ratner. Production is scheduled to start in early 2013.

Please visit http://radicalstudios.com/ to learn more about Oblivion, Hercules: The Thracian Wars, and the rest of Radical’s amazing library of titles. All books are available for purchase on the site as well as digitally through iTunes and Amazon.

Radical Studios will continue to release news and updates surrounding both Oblivion and Hercules. Stay informed by liking Radical’s Facebook page at www.Facebook.com/RadicalPublishing, following Radical’s YouTube channel at www.YouTube.com/RadicalPublishing, and following @radicalstudios on Twitter.

About Radical Studios: Radical Studios is a multimedia studio centralized around a catalog of stories and characters. The company is currently focused on licensing its intellectual properties in both domestic and international markets, in physical and digital publishing, feature films, television, merchandise, recorded music, digital and online media applications and mobile and social games. Radical is represented by David Schiff of The Schiff Company and Phil Rosen of Rosen Law Group.

Review: "Art School Confidential" Has an Artful Cast (Happy B'day, John Malkovich)

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 216 (of 2006) by Leroy Douresseaux

Art School Confidential (2006)
Running time: 102 minutes (1 hour, 42 minutes)
MPAA – R for language including sexual references, nudity, and a scene of violence
DIRECTOR: Terry Zwigoff
WRITER: Daniel Clowes (based on the comic by Daniel Clowes)
PRODUCERS: Lianne Halfon, John Malkovich, and Russell Smith
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Jamie Anderson, A.S.C. (director of photography)
EDITOR: Robert Hoffman
COMPOSER: David Kitay

COMEDY/DRAMA with elements of romance

Starring: Max Minghella, Sophia Myles, John Malkovich, Jim Broadbent, Matt Keeslar, Ethan Suplee, Joel David Moore, Nick Swardson, Anjelica Huston, Adam Scott, Jack Ong, Michael Lerner, and Ezra Buzzington

The subject of this movie review is Art School Confidential, a 2006 comedy-drama from director Terry Zwigoff. The film is based on a four-page comic book short story written and drawn by Daniel Clowes and published in Clowes’ comic book series, Eightball #7 (Fantagraphics Books). Clowes wrote the screenplay for Art School Confidential, the second film collaboration between him and Zwigoff. Zwigoff directed and Clowes wrote the screenplay for Ghost World, a film based on a Clowes graphic novel.

In Art School Confidential, an ambitious art school student tries desperately to get the girl of his dreams, but she’s attracted to a dumb jock type whose simplistic pop art paintings have taken the art class by storm. This the second film from the team of Terry Zwigoff and Daniel Clowes that gave us the Oscar-nominated, Ghost World. Clowes is a comic book artist, and Art School Confidential, like Ghost World, is adapted from his comics.

Jerome Platz (Max Minghella) wants to be the greatest artist of the 21st Century, and to that end he escapes his suburban home and terrible high school to a tiny East Coast art school, the Strathmore Institute. However, the beauty and craft of his portraiture does not win him any friends among his fellow students in the anything-goes art class. He finds this new world filled with a collection of offbeat characters: his worldly, but obnoxious classmate, Bardo (Joel David Moore); a roommate exploding with the desire to make a cinematic masterpiece of blood and violence, Vince (Ethan Suplee); his self-involved art teacher, Professor Sandiford (John Malkovich); and a failed artist and Strathmore grad who is drowning in alcohol and self-pity, Jimmy (Jim Broadbent).

Jerome does find his eye drawn to the girl of his dreams, Audrey Baumgarten (Sophia Myles), an artist’s model (who models nude for Jerome’s class) and daughter of an acclaimed artist. Audrey is initially attracted to Jerome, whose attitude is refreshing and not like the affectations of the local art crowd. However, a fellow art student and jock-type named Jonah (Matt Keeslar) becomes the toast of the art school with his pop art paintings. When Audrey turns her attentions to Jonah, Jerome concocts various plans to win back her affections, which all fail, but his next one will put Jerome’s future at stake, as well as the lives of those in and around Strathmore.

While Art School Confidential comes across as a satire of art schools, the faculty, and students, it is also a love story and youth relationship drama. It works well as all three. As a work of satire, Clowes’ script is matter-of-fact about art school politics. All his characters exist more in their own worlds than they do in the larger world in which they also co-exist, whether or not they believe they do. It seems as if they tolerate people and desire others attentions mostly so others should validate their art, agendas, and careers.

As for the romance and drama: Max Minghella certainly makes Jerome Platz a likeable underdog for whom we root. He may a bit aloof and may be naïve in terms of his expectations, but he’s honest and his ignorance and rudeness are endearing. We want him to get the girl, and we love the girl, too. Sophia Myles plays Audrey, the object of desire, quite well – mainly because she’s an “It” girl with that kind of classic look that works so well in film.

Still, the question that’s on everyone’s mind, “Is Art School Confidential funny?” I thought it uproariously funny, although it goes dry at the beginning of the last act. Clowes views humanity with a sanguine eye, even when his work seems cynical. His comics are matter-of-fact about humanity – warts and all. He may privately pass judgment, but in his comics, he lets the reader make up his own mind. His movie writing is like that, and Zwigoff is adept at picking up both the subtle nuances and broad strokes of his screenwriting collaborators. That allows Zwigoff to spend his time letting his talented cast have fun with the script and story. The result is fun, even exceptionally good flicks like Art School Confidential.

8 of 10
A

Friday, October 20, 2006