2013 Annie Award Nominations - Complete List

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

The 40th Annual Annie Awards will take place on February 2, 2013 at UCLA’s Royce Hall, in Los Angeles, California.

40th (2013) Annual Annie Awards Nominees:

PRODUCTION CATEGORIES

Best Animated Feature
•Brave – Pixar Animation Studios
•Frankenweenie – The Walt Disney Studios
•Hotel Transylvania – Sony Pictures Animation
•ParaNorman – LAIKA/Focus Features
•Rise of the Guardians – DreamWorks Animation
•The Pirates! Band of Misfits – Aardman Animations and Sony Pictures Animation
•The Rabbi’s Cat – GKIDS
•Wreck-It Ralph – Walt Disney Animation Studios

Best Animated Special Production
•Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part 1 – Warner Bros. Animation
•Beforel Orel – Trust – Starburns Industries, Inc.
•Despicable Me: Minion Mayhem – Illumination Entertainment
•Disney Tron: Uprising – Beck’s Beginning – Disney TV Animation
•Dragons: Gift of the Night Fury – DreamWorks Animation
•Justice League: Doom – Warner Bros. Animation

Best Animated Short Subject
•Brad and Gary – Illumination Entertainment
•Bydlo – The National Film Board of Canada
•Eyes on the Stars – StoryCorps
•Goodnight Mr. Foot – Sony Pictures Animation
•Kali the Little Vampire – Folimage Studios, Ciclope Filmes, The National Film Board of Canada and Studio GDS
•Maggie Simpson in ‘The Longest Daycare’ – Gracie Films
•Paperman – Walt Disney Animation Studios
•The Simpsons – ‘Bill Plympton Couch Gag’ – Gracie Films in Association with 20th Century Fox TV

Best Animated Television Commercial
•NO NOMINATIONS

Best Animated Television Production For Preschool Children
•Bubble Guppies ‘A Tooth on the Looth’ – Nickelodeon Animation Studios
•Chuggington ‘Magnetic Wilson’ – Ludorum
•Jake & The Never Land Pirates ‘Peter Pan Returns’ – Disney TV Animation
•Doc McStuffins ‘The Right Stuff’ – Brown Bag Films
•Justin Time ‘Marcello’s Meatballs’ – Guru Studio

Best Animated Television Production For Children
•Adventure Time ‘Princess Cookie’ – Cartoon Network Studios
•Dragons: Riders of Berk ‘How to Pick Your Dragon’ – DreamWorks Animation
•LEGO Star Wars ‘The Empire Strikes Out’ – Threshold Animation Studios
•Penguins of Madagascar ‘Action Reaction’ – Nickelodeon Animation Studios
•SpongeBob SquarePants ‘It’s a SpongeBob Christmas!’ – Nickelodeon Animation Studios
•The Amazing World of Gumball ‘The Job’ – Cartoon Network Studio Europe
•The Fairly OddParents ‘Farm Pit’ – Nickelodeon Animation Studios
•The Legend of Korra ‘Welcome to Republic City’/’A Leaf in the Wind’ - Nickelodeon Animation Studios

Best General Audience Animated Television Production
•Archer ‘Space Race, Part 1’ – Floyd County Production and FX Productions for FX
•Bob's Burgers ‘Earsy Rider’ – 20th Century Fox TV
•Motorcity ‘Blond Thunder’ – Disney TV Animation
•MAD ‘FrankenWinnie/ParaMorgan’ – Warner Bros. Animation
•Robot Chicken ‘DC Comics Special’ - Stoopid Buddy Studios
•South Park ‘Raising the Bar’ – Central Productions

Best Animated Video Game
•Borderlands 2 – Gearbox Software
•Family Guy – Back to the Mutiverse – Heavy Iron Studios
•Journey – Sony Computer Entertainment America
•Skullgirls – Lab Zero Games

Best Student Film
•Can We Be Happy Now – Tahnee Gehm
•Defective Detective – Avner Geller & Stevie Lewis
•Head Over Heels – Timothy Reckart
•I Am Tom Moody – Ainslie Henderson
•Ladies Knight – Joseph Rothenberg
•Origin – Jessica Poon
•The Ballad of Poisonberry Pete – Adam Campbell, Elizabeth McMahill, Uri Lotan
•Tule Lake – Michelle Ikemoto

INDIVIDUAL ACHIEVEMENT CATEGORIES

Outstanding Achievement, Animated Effects in an Animated Production
•Andrew Nawrot, Joe Gorski, Grant Laker – ‘ParaNorman’ – LAIKA/Focus Features
•Andrew Schneider ‘Ice Age: Continental Drift’ – Blue Sky Studios
•Andy Hayes, Carl Hooper, David Lipton - Rise of the Guardians – DreamWorks Animation
•Bill Watral, Chris Chapman, Dave Hale, Keith Klohn, Michael K. O’Brien ‘Brave’ – Pixar Animation Studios
•Brett Albert – ‘Wreck-It Ralph’ – Walt Disney Animation Studios
•Jihyun Yoon – ‘Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted’ – DreamWorks Animation
•Joel Aron – ‘Star Wars: The Clone Wars’ – Lucasfilm Animation Ltd.

Outstanding Achievement, Animated Effects in a Live Action Production
•Jerome Platteaux, John Sigurdson, Ryan Hopkins, Raul Essig, Mark Chataway ‘The Avengers’ – Industrial Light & Magic
•Stephen Marshall, Joseph Pepper, Dustin Wicke – ‘The Amazing Spiderman – Sony Pictures Imageworks
•Sue Rowe, Simon Stanley-Clamp, Artemis Oikonomopoulou, Holger Voss, Nikki Makar, Catherine Elvidge ‘John Carter’ - Cinesite
•Willi Geiger, Rick Hankins, Florent Andorra, Florian Witzel, Aron Bonar ‘Battleship’ – Industrial Light & Magic

Outstanding Achievement, Character Animation in an Animated Television or other Broadcast Venue Production
•Dan Driscoll ‘SpongeBob SquarePants: It's a SpongeBob Christmas!’ – Nickelodeon Animation Studios
•Jennifer Dickie ‘Justin Time: Yodel Odel Day’ – Guru Studio
•Keith Kellogg ‘Star Wars: The Clone Wars: Revenge’ – Lucasfilm Animation Ltd.
•Savelen Forrest ‘SpongeBob SquarePants: It's a SpongeBob Christmas!’ – Nickelodeon Animation Studios
•Shi Zimu ‘Dragons: Riders of Berk’ – DreamWorks Animation
•Sihanouk Mariona ‘Beforel Orel: Trust’ – Starburns Industries, Inc.
•Teri Yam ‘Dragons: Riders of Berk’ – DreamWorks Animation
•Yan Jiazhuang ‘Dragons: Riders of Berk’ – DreamWorks Animation

Outstanding Achievement, Character Animation in a Feature Production
•Dan Nguyen ‘Brave’ – Pixar Animation Studios
•David Pate ‘Rise of the Guardians’ – DreamWorks Animation
•Jaime Landes ‘Brave’ – Pixar Animation Studios
•Philippe LeBrun ‘Rise of the Guardians’ – DreamWorks Animation
•Pierre Perifel ‘Rise of the Guardians’ – DreamWorks Animation
•Travis Hathaway ‘Brave’ – Pixar Animation Studios
•Travis Knight “ParaNorman’ – LAIKA/Focus Features
•Will Becher ‘The Pirates! Band of Misfits’ – Aardman Animations and Sony Pictures Animation

Outstanding Achievement, Character Animation in a Live Action Production
•Erik de Boer, Amanda Dague, Matt Brown, Mary Lynn Machado, Aaron Grey ‘Life of Pi - Orangutan’ – Rhythm & Hues Studio
•Erik de Boer, Matt Shumway, Brian Wells, Vinayak Pawar, Michael Holzl ‘Life of Pi - Tiger’ – Rhythm & Hues Studio
•Jakub Pistecky, Maia Kayser, Scott Benza, Steve King, Kiran Bhat ‘The Avengers’ – Industrial Light & Magic
•Mike Beaulieu, Roger Vizard, Atsushi Sato, Jackie Koehler, Derek Esparza, Richard Smith, Max Tyrie – The Amazing Spiderman - Sony Pictures Imageworks

Outstanding Achievement, Character Design in an Animated Television or other Broadcast Venue Production
•Andy Bialk ‘Dragons: Riders of Berk: Alvin and the Outcasts’ – DreamWorks Animaton
•Andy Suriano ‘DC Nation-Plastic Man: The Many and the Fowl’ – Big Hair Productions, Inc.
•Bryan Konietzko, Joaquim Dos Santos, Ki-Hyun Ryu, Kim Il Kwang, Kim Jin Sun ‘The Legend of Korra: Welcome to Republic City’ – Nickelodeon Animation Studios
•“C” Raggio IV ‘Kick Buttowski: Petrified’ – Disney TV Animation
•Derrick Wyatt, Chap Yaep, Steven Choi, Shakeh Haghnazarian ‘Ben 10: Omniverse: The More Things Change, Pt. 2’ – Cartoon Network Studios
•Gordon Hammond ‘T.U.F.F. Puppy: Dudley Do-Wrong’ – Nickelodeon Animation Studios
•Robert Valley ‘Disney Tron: Uprising: The Renegade, Part I’ – Disney TV Animation
•Thaddeus Paul Cauldron ‘Secret Mountain Fort Awesome: Secret Mountain Uncle Grandpa’- Cartoon Network Studios

Outstanding Achievement, Character Design in an Animated Feature Production
•Bill Schwab, Lorelay Bove, Cory Loftis, Minkyu Lee ‘Wreck-It Ralph’ – Walt Disney Animation Studios
•Carlos Grangel ‘Hotel Transylvania’ – Sony Pictures Animation
•Carter Goodrich ‘Hotel Transylvania’ – Sony Pictures Animation
•Craig Kellman ‘Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted’ – DreamWorks Animation
•Heidi Smith ‘ParaNorman’ – LAIKA/Focus Features
•Yarrow Cheney, Eric Guillon, Colin Stimpson ‘Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax’ – Illumination Entertainment

Outstanding Achievement, Directing in an Animated Television or other Broadcast Venue Production
•Howy Parkins ‘Jake and The Never Land Pirates: Peter Pan Returns!’ – Disney TV Animation
•John Eng ‘Dragons: Riders of Berk: Animal House’ – DreamWorks Animation
•Mark Caballero, Seamus Walsh ‘SpongeBob SquarePants: It’s a Spongebob Christmas!’’ – Nickelodeon Animation Studios
•Mic Graves ‘The Amazing World of Gumball: The Job’ – Cartoon Network Studio Europe
•Michael Chang ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Never Say Xever’ - Nickelodeon Animation Studio
•Zack Keller, Ed Skudder ‘Dick Figures: Kung Fu Winners’ – Six Point Harness

Outstanding Achievement, Directing in an Animated Feature Production
•Genndy Tartakovsky ‘Hotel Transylvania’ – Sony Pictures Animation
•Joann Sfar, Antoine Delesvaux ‘The Rabbi’s Cat - GKIDS
•Remi Bezancon, Jean-Christophe Lie ‘Zarafa’ - GKIDS
•Rich Moore ‘Wreck-It Ralph’ – Walt Disney Animation Studios
•Sam Fell, Chris Butler ‘ParaNorman’ – LAIKA/Focus Features

Outstanding Achievement, Music in an Animated Television or other Broadcast Venue Production
•Adam Berry ‘Penguins of Madagascar: Private and the Winky Factory’ – Nickelodeon Animation Studios
•Alf Clausen ‘The Simpsons: Treehouse of Horror XXIII’ – Gracie Films in Association with 20th Century Fox TV
•Frederik Wiedmann ‘Green Lantern The Animated Series: Into the Abyss’ - F. Wiedmann, Composer
•Guy Moon ‘T.U.F.F. Puppy: Really Big Mission’ – Nickelodeon Animation Studios
•John Paesano ‘Dragons: Riders of Berk: How to Pick Your Dragon’ – DreamWorks Animation
•Michael Rubin, John Angier ‘Bubble Guppies: Bubble Puppy’s Fintastic Fairytale!’ – Nickelodeon Animation Studios

Outstanding Achievement, Music in an Animated Feature Production
•Alexandre Desplat ‘Rise of the Guardians’ – DreamWorks Animation
•Bruce Retief ‘Adventures in Zambezia’ – Triggerfish
•Henry Jackman, Skrillex, Adam Young, Matthew Thiessen, Jamie Houston, Yasushi Akimoto ‘Wreck-It Ralph’ – Walt Disney Animation Studios
•Joel McNeely, Brendan Milburn, Valerie Vigoda ‘Secret of the Wings’ – DisneyToon Studios
•John Powell, Adam Schlesinger, Ester Dean ‘Ice Age: Continental Drift’ – Blue Sky Studios
•John Powell, Cinco Paul ‘Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax’ – Illumination Entertainment
•Mark Mothersbaugh ‘Hotel Transylvania’ – Sony Pictures Animation
•Patrick Doyle, Mark Andrews, Alex Mandel ‘Brave’ – Pixar Animation Studios

Outstanding Achievement, Production Design in an Animated Television or other Broadcast Venue Production
•Alberto Mielgo ‘Tron: Uprising: The Stranger’ – Disney TV Animation
•Ian Worrel ‘Gravity Falls – Tourist Trapped’ – Disney TV Animation
•Lynna Blankenship, Sean Coons, Hugh Macdonald, Debbie Peterson, Charles Ragins, Lance Wilder, Darrel Bowen, John Krause, Kevin Moore, Brent M. Bowen, Brice Mallier, Steven Fahey, Dima Malanitchev, Karen Bauer, Eli Balser, Anne Legge - ‘The Simpsons: Moe Goes From Rags to Riches’ – Film Roman
•Nick Jennings, Martin Ansolabehere, Sandra Calleros, Ron Russell, Santino Lascano, Derek Hunter, Catherine E. Simmonds - ‘Adventure Time – The Hard Easy’ – Cartoon Network Studios
•Peter Martin, Chris Grine, Ira Baker, Ramon Olivera, Scott Brown ‘hoops & yoyo Haunted Halloween’ – Hallmark
•Brandon James Scott, Keith Lee ‘Justin Time: The Rubbery Dumplings’ – Guru Studio

Outstanding Achievement, Production Design in an Animated Feature Production
•Kendal Cronkhite-Shaindlin, Shannon Jeffries, Lindsey Olivares, Kenard Pak ‘Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted’ – DreamWorks Animation
•Marcelo Vignali ‘Hotel Transylvania’ – Sony Pictures Animation
•Nash Dunnigan, Arden Chan, Jon Townley, Kyle Macnaughton ‘Ice Age: Continental Drift’ – Blue Sky Studios
•Nelson Lowry, Ross Stewart, Pete Oswald, Ean McNamara, Trevor Dalmer ‘ParaNorman’ – LAIKA/Focus Features
•Norman Garwood, Matt Perry ‘The Pirates! Band of Misfits’ – Aardman Animation and Sony Pictures Animation
•Patrick Hanenberger, Max Boas, Jayee Borcar, Woonyoung Jung, Perry Maple, Peter Maynez, Stan Seo, Felix Yoon ‘Rise of the Guardians’ – DreamWorks Animation
•Rick Heinrichs ‘Frankenweenie’ – The Walt Disney Studios
•Steve Pilcher ‘Brave’ – Pixar Animation Studios

Outstanding Achievement, Storyboarding in an Animated Television or other Broadcast Venue Production
•Andy Kelly ‘Doc McStuffins: Righty-On-Lefty’ – Brown Bag Films
•Cole Sanchez, Rebecca Sugar ‘Adventure Time: Lady & Peebles’ – Cartoon Network Studios
•Doug Lovelace ‘Dragons: Riders of Berk: Portrait of Hiccup as a Buff Man’ – DreamWorks Animation
•Holly Forsyth ‘Sofia the First: Once Upon a Princess’ – Disney TV Animation
•Irineo Maramba, Ciro Nieli ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: I Think His Name is Baxter Stockman’’ – Nickelodeon Animation Studios
•Robert Valley, Kalvin Lee ‘Tron: Uprising: The Reward’ – Disney TV Animation
•Ryan Kramer, Paul Linsley, Kenji Ono, Le Tang, Alice Herring, Mike Mullen, Aaron Hammersley ‘Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness: Enter the Dragon’ – Nickelodeon Animation Studios
•Tom Herpich, Skyler Page ‘Adventure Time: Goliad’ – Cartoon Network Studios

Outstanding Achievement, Storyboarding in an Animated Feature Production
•Emmanuela Cozzi ‘ParaNorman’ – LAIKA/Focus Features
•Johanne Matte ‘Rise of the Guardians’ – DreamWorks Animation
•Leo Matsuda ‘Wreck-It Ralph’ – Walt Disney Animation Studios
•Lissa Treiman ‘Wreck-It Ralph’ – Walt Disney Animation Studios
•Rob Koo ‘Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted’ – DreamWorks Animation

Outstanding Achievement, Voice Acting in an Animated Television or other Broadcast Venue Production
•James Patrick Stuart as Private ‘Penguins of Madagascar: High Moltage’ – Nickelodeon Animation Studios
•Jeff Bennett as Keswick ‘T.U.F.F. Puppy: Pup Daddy’ – Nickelodeon Animation Studios
•Jessica Walter as Malory Archer ‘Archer: Lo Scandolo’ – Floyd County Production and FX Productions for FX
•Kevin Michael Richardson as Willem Viceroy ‘Randy Cunningham: 9th Grade Ninja: Gossip Boy’ – Titmouse Inc./Boulder Media
•Kristen Schaal as Mabel Pines ‘Gravity Falls: Tourist Trapped’ – Disney TV Animation
•Mae Whitman as April O'Neil – ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Rise of the Turtles’ – Nickelodeon Animation Studios
•Sam Witwer as Darth Maul ‘Star Wars: The Clone Wars: Revenge’ – Lucasfilm Animation Ltd.
•Tom McGrath as Skipper ‘Penguins of Madagascar: The Otter Woman’ – Nickelodeon Animation Studios

Outstanding Achievement, Voice Acting in an Animated Feature Production
•Adam Sandler as Dracula ‘Hotel Transylvania’ – Sony Pictures Animation
•Alan Tudyk as King Candy ‘Wreck-It Ralph’ – Walt Disney Animation Studios
•Atticus Shaffer as "E"Gore ‘Frankenweenie’ – The Walt Disney Studios
•Catherine O'Hara as Weird Girl ‘Frankenweenie’ – The Walt Disney Studios
•Imelda Staunton as Queen Victoria ‘The Pirates! Band of Misfits’ – Aardman Animations and Sony Pictures Animation
•Jim Cummings as Budzo ‘Adventures in Zambezia’ – Triggerfish
•Jude Law as Pitch ‘Rise of the Guardians’ – DreamWorks Animation
•Kelly MacDonald as Merida ‘Brave’ – Pixar Animation Studios

Outstanding Achievement, Writing in an Animated Television or other Broadcast Venue Production
•Doug Langdale - Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness: Kung Fu Day Care’ - Nickelodeon Animation Studios
•Eric Horsted – Futurama: The Bots and the Bees’ – Gracie Films in Association with 20th Century Fox TV
•Gabe Garza – ‘Penguins of Madagascar: Endangerous Species’ - Nickelodeon Animation Studios
•Ian Maxtone-Graham, Billy Kimball ‘The Simpsons: How I Wet Your Mother’ - Gracie Films in Association with 20th Century Fox TV
•Kacey Arnold – ‘Robot and Monster: The Blimp’ – Nickelodeon Animation Studios
•Mike Teverbaugh, Linda Teverbaugh - Dragons: Riders of Berk: Animal House’ – DreamWorks Animation
•Stephanie Gillis ‘The Simpsons: A Tree Grows in Springfield’ – Gracie Films in Association with 20th Century Fox TV
•Trey Parker – ‘South Park: Jewpacabra’ – Central Productions

Outstanding Achievement, Writing in an Animated Feature Production
•Chris Butler - ParaNorman – LAIKA/Focus Features
•Gideon Defoe - The Pirates! Band of Misfits – Aardman Animations and Sony Pictures Animation
•Hayao Miyazaki, Keiko Niwa, Karey Kirkpatrick - From Up on Poppy Hill - GKIDS
•John August - Frankenweenie – The Walt Disney Studios
•Mark Andrews, Steve Purcell, Brenda Chapman, Irene Mecchi - Brave – Pixar Animation Studios
•Phil Johnston, Jennifer Lee - Wreck-It Ralph – Walt Disney Animation Studios

Outstanding Achievement, Editorial in an Animated Television or other Broadcast Venue Production
•Bret Marnell ‘Puss in Boots: Three Diablos’ – DreamWorks Animation
•Chris Hink ‘Robot and Monster: Cheer Up Mr. Wheelie’ – Nickelodeon Animation Studios
•Hugo Morales, Adam Arnold, Davrick Waeden, Otto Ferraye ‘Kung Fu Panda: ‘Monkey in the Middle’ – Nickelodeon Animation Studios
•Hugo Morales, Adam Arnold, Davrick Waeden, Otto Ferraye ‘Kung Fu Panda - Enter the Dragon’ – Nickelodeon Animation Studios
•Jason Tucker, A.C.E. ‘Star Wars: The Clone Wars: Revival’ – Lucasfilm Animation Ltd.
•Lynn Hobson ‘Dragons: Riders of Berk: Animal House’ – DreamWorks Animation
•Pieter Kaufman ‘Sofia the First: Once Upon a Princess’ – Disney TV Animation
•Steffie Lucchesi, Matt Steinauer, Amy Blaisdell ‘Dan Vs Monster Under The Bed’ – Film Roman

Outstanding Achievement, Editorial in an Animated Feature Production
•Catherine Apple ‘Hotel Transylvania’ – Sony Pictures Animation
•Joyce Arrastia ‘Rise of the Guardians’ – DreamWorks Animation
•Mark Rosenbaum ‘Secret of the Wings’ – DisneyToon Studios
•Nicholas C. Smith, A.C.E, Robert Grahamjones, A.C.E., David Suther ‘Brave’ – Pixar Animation Studios
•Tim Mertens ‘Wreck-It Ralph’ – Walt Disney Animation Studios

JURIED AWARDS:
Winsor McCay Award — Oscar Grillo, Terry Gilliam, Mark Henn

June Foray Award — Howard Green

Ub Iwerks Award — Toon Boom Animation Pipeline

Review: "Dredd" is Dredd-fully Great

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 10 (of 2013) by Leroy Douresseaux


Dredd (2012)
Running time: 95 minutes (1 hour, 35 minutes)
MPAA – R for strong bloody violence, language, drug use and some sexual content
DIRECTOR: Pete Travis
WRITERS: Alex Garland (based on characters created by John Wagner and Carlos Ezquerra)
PRODUCERS: Alex Garland, Andrew Macdonald, and Allon Reich
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Anthony Dod Mantle
EDITOR: Mark Eckersley
COMPOSER: Paul Leonard-Morgan

SCI-FI/ACTION

Starring: Karl Urban, Olivia Thirlby, Lena Heady, Wood Harris, Rakie Ayola, Warrick Grier, Langley Kirkwood, Edwin Perry, Karl Thaning, Michele Levin, Domhnall Gleeson, Daniel Hadebe, Francis Chouler, and Nicole Bailey

Dredd is a 2012 British-South African science fiction film. Originally released in 3D, this film is based on the comic strip Judge Dredd, which appears in the British science fiction comics anthology, 2000 AD. The title character, Judge Dredd, first appeared in 2000 AD #2 (March 5, 1977) and was created by writer John Wagner (who is a consulting producer on this film) and artist Carlos Ezquerra. Dredd the movie finds the title character teamed with a trainee as he tries to take down a powerful drug gang.

In the future, Earth is an irradiated wasteland. Most humans reside in one of the huge Mega-Cities. Mega-City One is a violent metropolis where 800 million people reside and where 17,000 crimes are reported daily. There, the justice system is maintained by the Hall of Justice and its corps of Judges, who are judge, jury, and executioner – basically police officers with instant field judiciary powers. Currently, Mega-City One is dealing with a new addictive drug, the reality-altering “Slo-Mo,” which slows the user’s perception of time down to one percent.

Early in the film, Judge Dredd (Karl Urban) is tasked by the Chief Judge (Rakie Ayola) with evaluating a new recruit for Judge, Cassandra Anderson (Olivia Thirlby). She is a powerful psychic, but has failed the aptitude tests to be a judge. Dredd and Anderson are sent to Peach Trees to investigate a triple homicide. Peach Trees is a mega-block, a 200-story slum tower block of apartments. After arresting a thug named Kay (Wood Harris), Dredd and Anderson run afoul of his boss, Madeline Madrigal aka “Ma-Ma” (Lena Heady), a powerful, female drug kingpin and gang boss. Now, Dredd and Anderson have to fight their way out of Peach Trees, with no back-up coming to help them.

The first adaptation of Judge Dredd to comics, the 1995 film, Judge Dredd, was really a Sylvester Stallone movie. With its realistic, visceral look, Dredd is truer to the Dredd comics. It is a futuristic cop movie that looks like a modern day crime and gangster flick. The science fiction visual elements, such as the city’s massive tower blocks, are blended into the South African locales where this film was shot. Thus, Dredd looks as if it takes place in real city rather than in some urban landscape created entirely with the use of computer imagery.

Simply and honestly, I love this movie. I think that it is a more-than reasonable adaptation of a comics series that is hard to adapt because of the uniqueness of the comics. Dredd lacks the satire of the Judge Dredd comics, but the film has plenty of gallows humor. Rather than being over the top with the ultra-violence, the film delivers the bloodshed in intervals that are like lovely layers of lasagna. So the amount of carnage always seems just right, but leaves you wanting more, because it actually seems like you never get enough – at least to me.

This well-timed mayhem looks quite good, thanks the high-quality of Dredd’s film editing, which is some of the year’s best and which is an example of the film’s excellent production and technical values. Another instance: Paul Leonard-Morgan’s musical score is certainly a delicious bag of ear-candy, accentuating the film’s drama, giving the character bits the same power as the action violence and gun battles.

The film has many good performances. Lena Heady is a subtle beast as Ma-Ma; I wish the character was onscreen more. Wood Harris makes his character, Kay, matter. Olivia Thirlby takes a part that could have been a middling sidekick and makes the character up to the challenge that being next to Dredd poses.

Speaking of Dredd, Karl Urban gives one of the best performances ever in a movie based on a comic book. His deadpan delivery of the intractable Dredd actually has color and depth. Perhaps Dredd does not change from the beginning to the end of the film, but, in Urban’s hands, Dredd gains something, somewhere in him. Because of the helmets that the Judges wear, the audience does not see Dredd’s head or the top half of his face. We only see from the bottom of Dredd’s nose and to his neck. So Urban turns Dredd’s perpetual frown and stiff chin into supporting characters. Urban’s imitation-Clint Eastwood voice tops it off, allowing for the creation of a mesmerizing Judge Dredd.

Why was Dredd a box office disappointment? I wish I knew what kept the film’s box office low. It is exceptionally good, and credit for this should also go to the film’s writer/co-producer, Alex Garland. Hopefully, at least Urban and Garland, can return to make another film like Dredd, one of 2012’s very best films; at least, I think so.

9 of 10
A+

Friday, February 01, 2013

Review: "Judge Dredd" Simply a Stallone Movie

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 9 (of 2013) by Leroy Douresseaux


Judge Dredd (1995)
Running time: 96 minutes (1 hour, 36 minutes)
MPAA – R for continuous violent action
DIRECTOR: Danny Cannon
WRITERS: William Wisher and Steven E. de Souza; from a story by Michael De Luca and William Wisher (based on characters created by John Wagner and Carlos Ezquerra)
PRODUCERS: Charles M. Lippincott and Beau E.L. Marks
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Adrian Biddle
EDITORS: Harry Keramidas and Alex Mackie
COMPOSER: Alan Silvestri

SCI-FI/ACTION

Starring: Sylvester Stallone, Armand Assante, Rob Schneider, Jurgen Prochnow, Max von Sydow, Diane Lane, Joan Chen, and Balthazar Getty

The subject of this movie review is Judge Dredd, a 1995 science fiction movie starring Sylvester Stallone. The film is based on the comic strip Judge Dredd, which appears in the British science fiction comics anthology, 2000 AD. The title character, Judge Dredd, first appeared in 2000 AD #2 (March 5, 1977) and was created by writer John Wagner and artist Carlos Ezquerra. Judge Dredd the movie is set in a dystopian future, where Dredd, the most famous judge, is falsely convicted of a crime.

In the 3rd millennium, much of Earth is a desert wasteland. Most humans reside in one of the huge Mega-Cities. There, the justice system is maintained by a corps of Judges who are police officer, judge, jury, and executioner – basically a cop with instant field judiciary powers. In Mega-City One, the most famous is Judge Joseph Dredd (Sylvester Stallone), best known as simply Judge Dredd.

Dredd’s brother, Rico (Armand Assante), and the corrupt Judge Griffin (Jurgen Prochnow) hatch a plot to frame Judge Dredd for the murder of the muck-racking journalist, Vardas Hammond and his wife. After the prison transport ship that is taking him to a penal colony crashes, Dredd and another prisoner, Herman “Fergie” Ferguson (Rob Schneider), return to Mega-City One to set things straight and stop a conspiracy.

The people behind Judge Dredd the movie basically took characters and situations from the Judge Dredd comics series. Then, they used them to make a Sylvester Stallone movie, specifically a Sylvester Stallone science fiction/action movie. Once you accept that this is not really a Judge Dredd the comic strip movie, then, you can decide if you like this Sylvester Stallone science fiction/action movie.

I do like it. Sure, it is a moronic 1980s action movie, feeling a bit behind the times because of its mid-1990s release date, but it is harmless fun. There are some things that stand out as being good about Judge Dredd. For one, it has a sense of humor. The second thing is Armand Assante’s performance. He does a slight impersonation of Stallone, without mocking him, but it is enough to convince viewers that his character, Rico, is the brother of Dredd – as played by Stallone.

The production values: art direction, sets, costumes, etc. are unexpectedly good and surprisingly colorful. The visual effects are also good, although dated. These unexpected things make Judge Dredd a bit of a surprise. I remember not liking this movie the first time I saw it, but now, I have to admit that I enjoyed it.

5 of 10
C+

NOTES:
1996 Razzie Awards: 1 nomination: “Worst Actor” (Sylvester Stallone, also for Assassins-1995)

Saturday, January 26, 2013

Disney's Official Statement on J.J. Abrams and Star Wars: Episode VII

This press release from Walt Disney Studios announcing J.J. Abrams as the director of Star Wars: Episode VII is a week old.  I waited to post it this month so that it would be on the post list for at least one entire month.  Since this release, I have read that Abrams is not sure if he will adhere to the announced 2015 release date for Episode VII - Leroy.

J.J. Abrams to Direct Star Wars: Episode VII

J.J. Abrams will direct Star Wars: Episode VII, the first of a new series of Star Wars films to come from Lucasfilm under the leadership of Kathleen Kennedy. Abrams will be directing and Academy Award-winning writer Michael Arndt will write the screenplay.

"It's very exciting to have J.J. aboard leading the charge as we set off to make a new Star Wars movie," said Kennedy. "J.J. is the perfect director to helm this. Beyond having such great instincts as a filmmaker, he has an intuitive understanding of this franchise. He understands the essence of the Star Wars experience, and will bring that talent to create an unforgettable motion picture."

George Lucas went on to say "I've consistently been impressed with J.J. as a filmmaker and storyteller. He's an ideal choice to direct the new Star Wars film and the legacy couldn't be in better hands."

"To be a part of the next chapter of the Star Wars saga, to collaborate with Kathy Kennedy and this remarkable group of people, is an absolute honor," J.J. Abrams said. "I may be even more grateful to George Lucas now than I was as a kid."

J.J., his longtime producing partner Bryan Burk, and Bad Robot are on board to produce along with Kathleen Kennedy under the Disney Lucasfilm banner.

Also consulting on the project are Lawrence Kasdan and Simon Kinberg. Kasdan has a long history with Lucasfilm, as screenwriter on The Empire Strikes Back, Raiders of the Lost Ark and Return of the Jedi. Kinberg was writer on Sherlock Holmes and Mr. and Mrs. Smith.

Abrams and his production company Bad Robot have a proven track record of blockbuster movies that feature complex action, heartfelt drama, iconic heroes and fantastic production values with such credits as Star Trek, Super 8, Mission: Impossible Ghost Protocol, and this year's Star Trek Into Darkness. Abrams has worked with Lucasfilm's preeminent postproduction facilities, Industrial Light & Magic and Skywalker Sound, on all of the feature films he has directed, beginning with Mission: Impossible III. He also created or co-created such acclaimed television series as Felicity, Alias, Lost and Fringe.

Feb. 2013: Black History Battles Negromancer for the Month

It is February 2013.  Welcome to Negromancer, a ComicBookBin blog (www.comicbookbin.com). This is rebirth of the former movie review website as a movie review and movie news website and blog.

All images and text appearing on this blog are © copyright and/or trademark their respective owners.

Central Ohio Film Critics Point to "Moonrise Kingdom"

The Central Ohio Film Critics Association (COFCA) named Moonrise Kingdom as the "Best Film of 2012" and its director, Wes Anderson, as "Best Director."  Argo and director Ben Affleck were runners-up in both categories.

COFCA was founded in 2002 and is made up of film critics based in Columbus, Ohio, and the surrounding areas. Each January, COFCA votes on a number of awards, recognizing excellence in the film industry.

2012 Central Ohio Film Critics Awards:

Best Film
1. "Moonrise Kingdom"
2. "Argo"
3. "Django Unchained"
4. "Zero Dark Thirty"
5. "The Cabin in the Woods"
6. "Silver Linings Playbook"
7. "Lincoln"
8. "Looper"
9. "The Master"
10. "Les Misérables"

Best Picture
"Moonrise Kingdom"

Best Director
Wes Anderson, "Moonrise Kingdom"
(Runner-up: Ben Affleck, "Argo")

Best Actor
Daniel Day-Lewis, "Lincoln"
(Runner-up: John Hawkes, "The Sessions")

Best Actress
Jennifer Lawrence, "Silver Linings Playbook"
(Runner-up: Naomi Watts, "The Impossible")

Best Supporting Actor
Christoph Waltz, "Django Unchained"
(Runner-up: Leonardo DiCaprio, "Django Unchained")

Best Supporting Actress
Anne Hathaway, "Les Misérables"
(Runner-up -- TIE -- Helen Hunt, "The Sessions" and Ann Dowd, "Compliance")

Best Adapted Screenplay
"Lincoln"
(Runner-up: "Argo")
Best Original Screenplay
"Moonrise Kingdom"
(Runner-up: "The Cabin in the Woods")

Best Cinematography
"Skyfall"
(Runner-up: "Life of Pi")

Best Score
"Moonrise Kingdom"
(Runner-up: "Cloud Atlas")

Best Animated Film
"ParaNorman"
(Runner-up: "Wreck-It Ralph")

Best Foreign Language Film
"The Kid with a Bike" (from Belgium, France, and Italy)
(Runner-up: "Headhunters" – from Norway)

Best Documentary
"How to Survive a Plague"
(Runner-up: "The Imposter")

Best Ensemble
"Moonrise Kingdom"
(Runner-up: "Lincoln")

Best Overlooked FIlm
"Killer Joe" (Runner-up: "Safety Not Guaranteed")

Breakthrough Film Artist
Bart Layton, "The Imposter"
(Runner-up: Quvenzhané Wallis, "Beasts of the Southern Wild")

Actor of the Year (for exemplary body of work)
Matthew McConaughey, "Bernie," "Killer Joe," "Magic Mike" and "The Paperboy"
(Runner-up: Anne Hathaway, "The Dark Knight Rises" and "Les Misérables")

http://www.cofca.org/

Happy Birthday, Ed

Wow! You are 64, and you were in your 40s when we first met.  Well, you have had many happy birthdays, so please have another.