Review: "Hotel Transylvania" is the Place for Surprises

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 12 (of 2013) by Leroy Douresseaux

Hotel Transylvania (2012)
Running time: 91 minutes (1 hour, 31 minutes)
MPAA – PG for some rude humor, action and scary images
DIRECTOR: Genndy Tartakovsky
WRITERS: Peter Baynham and Robert Smigel; from a story by Todd Durham and Dan Hageman, and Kevin Hageman
PRODUCER: Michelle Murdocca
EDITOR: Catherine Apple
COMPOSER: Mark Mothersbaugh
Golden Globe nominee

ANIMATION/FANTASY/COMEDY/FAMILY with elements of horror

Starring: (voices) Adam Sandler, Andy Samberg, Selena Gomez, Kevin James, Fran Drescher, Steve Buscemi, Molly Shannon, David Spade, CeeLo Green, Jon Lovitz, Brian George, Lunell, Robert Smigel, Rob Riggle, Jim Wise, and Jackie Sandler

Hotel Transylvania is a 2012 3D computer-animated comedy and fantasy from Sony Pictures Animation. Distributed by Columbia Pictures, the film is directed by Genndy Tartakovsky, the creator of such Cartoon Network animated series as Dexter’s Lab and Samurai Jack. Hotel Transylvania focuses on a version of Dracula who operates a resort outside the human world and who is an overprotective father of a teen-aged daughter.

After the death of his wife, Martha, Count Dracula (Adam Sandler) builds Hotel Transylvania, a high-end resort and hotel away from the human world. It serves two purposes. First, it is a place where the monsters of the world can be safe from humans, who want to kill them. Secondly, it is a place where Dracula can keep his daughter, Mavis Dracula (Selena Gomez), safe from the kind of humans who kill monsters.

For Mavis’ 118th birthday, Dracula throws a huge party and invites some of the most famous monsters. They are Frankenstein (Kevin James) and his wife, Eunice (Fran Drescher); Wayne Werewolf and his wife, Wanda (Molly Shannon); Murray the Mummy (CeeLo Green); and Griffin the Invisible Man (David Spade), to name a few. Mavis, however, is looking for a big change in her life; she’s ready to see the world and really isn’t interested in a birthday party. Then, a 21-year-old human named Jonathan (Andy Samberg) stumbles into Hotel Transylvania and creates havoc. Dracula goes into overprotective mode, but Mavis finds herself attracted to the young man.

Although I’d heard some unfavorable things about the movie, I really liked Hotel Transylvania. It is a 3D cartoon that looks and acts like an old 2D cartoon, especially the cartoon shorts Tex Avery, whom director Genndy Tartakovsky mentioned in an interview about Hotel Transylvania. Hotel Transylvania also reminded me of the 1963 Bugs Bunny “Merrie Melodies” cartoon short, Transylvania 6-5000, which was directed by Chuck Jones (with Maurice Noble) and written by John Dunn. I can also see the influence of director Tim Burton and of Charles Addams, The New Yorker cartoonist best known for creating “The Addams Family.”

Influences aside, Hotel Transylvania is a lively, fun film. The character design by Carlos Grangel and Carter Goodrich recalls Warner Bros.’ Looney Tunes cartoons (some of which the aforementioned Tex Avery directed). The production design (by Marcelo Vignali) turns Dracula’s private hotel/resort/home into a wonderland in which no two places really resemble each other.

Like Jim Carrey, Adam Sandler is a cartoon character as much as he is an actor, so it is no surprise that Sandler gives a voice performance as Count Dracula that is both layered and dynamic and cartoonish and wacky that it seems like a live-action performance. Andy Samberg almost matches him as Jonathan, and Selena Gomez makes Mavis more than just Daddy’s girl. The rest of the main cast also deliver excellent performances, with Kevin James creating a Frankenstein unlike any other and Grammy Award-wining singer-songwriter, CeeLo Green, sparkling as Murray the Mummy, a surprisingly good character.

I have not seen all of Genndy Tartakovsky work as a director of animated television series, but what I’ve seen, I’ve found to be exceptional, even great. Still, I’m surprised with the quality of his first feature film. Hotel Transylvania leaves me wanting more.

7 of 10
A-

NOTES:
2013 Golden Globes, USA: 1 nomination: “Best Animated Film”

Tuesday, February 05, 2013

2013 Independent Spirit Award Nominations - Complete List

Film Independent Spirit Awards (formerly known as the Independent Spirit Awards) were founded in 1984 and are awards dedicated to independent filmmakers. Film Independent is the non-profit arts organization that produces the Spirit Awards and also the Los Angeles Film Festival.

The 28th Annual Film Independent Spirit Awards winners will be announced at the Spirit Awards on Saturday, February 23, 2013. The awards ceremony will be held as a daytime luncheon in a tent on the beach in Santa Monica, and the premiere broadcast will air later that evening at 10:00 pm ET/PT on IFC.

The Nominees for the 2013 Film Independent Spirit Awards:

BEST FEATURE:

Beasts of the Southern Wild
PRODUCERS: Michael Gottwald, Dan Janvey & Josh Penn

Bernie
PRODUCERS: Liz Glotzer, Richard Linklater, David McFadzean, Dete Meserve, Judd Payne, Celine Rattray, Martin Shafer, Ginger Sledge, Matt Williams

Keep the Lights On
PRODUCERS: Marie Therese Guirgis, Lucas Joaquin, Ira Sachs

Moonrise Kingdom
PRODUCERS: Wes Anderson, Jeremy Dawson, Steven Rales, Scott Rudin

Silver Linings Playbook
PRODUCERS: Bruce Cohen, Donna Gigliotti, Jonathan Gordon

BEST DIRECTOR
Wes Anderson - Moonrise Kingdom
Julia Loktev - The Loneliest Planet
David O. Russell - Silver Linings Playbook
Ira Sachs - Keep the Lights On
Benh Zeitlin - Beasts of the Southern Wild

BEST SCREENPLAY
Wes Anderson & Roman Coppola - Moonrise Kingdom
Zoe Kazan - Ruby Sparks
Martin McDonagh - Seven Psychopaths
David O. Russell - Silver Linings Playbook
Ira Sachs & Mauricio Zacharias - Keep the Lights On

BEST FIRST FEATURE (Award given to the director and producer)

Fill the Void
DIRECTOR: Rama Burshtein
PRODUCER: Assaf Amir

Gimme the Loot
DIRECTOR: Adam Leon
PRODUCERS: Dominic Buchanan, Natalie Difford, Jamund Washington

Safety Not Guaranteed
DIRECTOR: Colin Trevorrow
PRODUCERS: Derek Connolly, Stephanie Langhoff, Peter Saraf, Colin Trevorrow, Marc Turtletaub

Sound of My Voice
DIRECTOR: Zal Batmanglij
PRODUCERS: Brit Marling, Hans Ritter, Shelley Surpin

The Perks of Being a Wallflower
DIRECTOR: Stephen Chbosky
PRODUCERS: Lianne Halfon, John Malkovich, Russell Smith

BEST FIRST SCREENPLAY
Rama Burshtein - Fill the Void
Derek Connolly - Safety Not Guaranteed
Christopher Ford - Robot & Frank
Rashida Jones & Will McCormack - Celeste and Jesse Forever
Jonathan Lisecki - Gayby

JOHN CASSAVETES AWARD - Given to the best feature made for under $500,000. Award given to the writer, director, and producer. Executive Producers are not awarded.

Breakfast with Curtis
WRITER/DIRECTOR/PRODUCER: Laura Colella

Middle of Nowhere
WRITER/DIRECTOR/PRODUCER: Ava DuVernay
PRODUCERS: Howard Barish, Paul Garnes

Mosquita y Mari
WRITER/DIRECTOR: Aurora Guerrero
PRODUCER: Chad Burris

Starlet
WRITER/DIRECTOR: Sean Baker
WRITER: Chris Bergoch
PRODUCERS: Blake Ashman-Kipervaser, Kevin Chinoy, Patrick Cunningham, Chris Maybach, Francesca Silvestri

The Color Wheel
WRITER/DIRECTOR/PRODUCER: Alex Ross Perry
WRITER: Carlen Altman

BEST FEMALE LEAD
Linda Cardellini - Return
Emayatzy Corinealdi - Middle of Nowhere
Jennifer Lawrence - Silver Linings Playbook
Quvenzhané Wallis - Beasts of the Southern Wild
Mary Elizabeth Winstead - Smashed

BEST MALE LEAD
Jack Black - Bernie
Bradley Cooper - Silver Linings Playbook
John Hawkes - The Sessions
Thure Lindhardt - Keep the Lights On
Matthew McConaughey - Killer Joe
Wendell Pierce - Four

BEST SUPPORTING FEMALE
Rosemarie DeWitt - Your Sister’s Sister
Ann Dowd - Compliance
Helen Hunt - The Sessions
Brit Marling - Sound of My Voice
Lorraine Toussaint - Middle of Nowhere

BEST SUPPORTING MALE
Matthew McConaughey - Magic Mike
David Oyelowo - Middle of Nowhere
Michael Péna - End of Watch
Sam Rockwell - Seven Psychopaths
Bruce Willis - Moonrise Kingdom

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Yoni Brook - Valley of Saints
Lol Crawley - Here
Ben Richardson - Beasts of the Southern Wild
Roman Vasyanov - End of Watch
Robert Yeoman - Moonrise Kingdom

BEST DOCUMENTARY (Award given to the director and producer)

How to Survive a Plague
DIRECTOR: David France
PRODUCERS: David France, Howard Gertler

Marina Abramović: The Artist is Present
DIRECTOR: Matthew Akers
PRODUCERS: Maro Chermayeff, Jeff Dupre

The Central Park Five
DIRECTORS/PRODUCERS: Ken Burns, Sarah Burns, David McMahon

The Invisible War
DIRECTOR: Kirby Dick
PRODUCERS: Tanner King Barklow, Amy Ziering

The Waiting Room
DIRECTOR/PRODUCER: Peter Nicks
PRODUCERS: Linda Davis, William B. Hirsch

BEST INTERNATIONAL FILM (Award given to the director)

Amour (France)
DIRECTOR: Michael Haneke

Once Upon A Time in Anatolia (Turkey)
DIRECTOR: Nuri Bilge Ceylan

Rust And Bone (France/Belgium)
DIRECTOR: Jacques Audiard

Sister (Switzerland)
DIRECTOR: Ursula Meier

War Witch (Democratic Republic of Congo/Canada)
DIRECTOR: Kim Nguyen

16th ANNUAL PIAGET PRODUCERS AWARD – The 16th annual Piaget Producers Award honors emerging producers who, despite highly limited resources demonstrate the creativity, tenacity, and vision required to produce quality, independent films. The award includes a $25,000 unrestricted grant funded by Piaget.

Nobody Walks
PRODUCER: Alicia Van Couvering

Prince Avalanche
PRODUCER: Derrick Tseng

Stones in the Sun
PRODUCER: Mynette Louie

19th ANNUAL SOMEONE TO WATCH AWARD – The 19th annual Someone to Watch Award recognizes a talented filmmaker of singular vision who has not yet received appropriate recognition. The award includes a $25,000 unrestricted grant.

Pincus
DIRECTOR: David Fenster

Gimme the Loot
DIRECTOR: Adam Leon

Electrick Children
DIRECTOR: Rebecca Thomas

STELLA ARTOIS TRUER THAN FICTION AWARD – The 18th annual Truer Than Fiction Award is presented to an emerging director of non-fiction features who has not yet received significant recognition. The award includes a $25,000 unrestricted grant.

Leviathan
DIRECTOR: Lucien Castaing-Taylor and Véréna Paravel

The Waiting Room
DIRECTOR: Peter Nicks

Only the Young
DIRECTOR: Jason Tippet & Elizabeth Mims

ROBERT ALTMAN AWARD - (Given to one film’s director, casting director, and its ensemble cast)
Starlet
Director: Sean Baker
Casting Director: Julia Kim
Ensemble Cast: Dree Hemingway, Besedka Johnson, Karren Karagulian, Stella Maeve, James Ransone

Review: "Live Free or Die Hard" - I Really Liked It, Didn't I?

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 102 (of 2007) by Leroy Douresseaux


Live Free or Die Hard (2007)
Running time: 130 minutes (2 hours, 10 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, language, and a brief sexual situation
DIRECTOR: Len Wiseman
WRITERS: Mark Bomback; from a story by Bomback and David Marconi (based upon the article “A Farewell to Arms” by John Carlin and certain original characters by Roderick Thorp)
PRODUCERS: Michael Fottrell, John McTiernan, Arnold Rifkin, and Bruce Willis
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Simon Duggan (D.o.P.)
EDITOR: Nicolas de Toth
COMPOSER: Marco Beltrami

ACTION/THRILLER/SCI-FI

Starring: Bruce Willis, Timothy Olyphant, Justin Long, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Maggie Q, Cliff Curtis, Jonathan Sadowski, Andrew Friedman, Tim Russ, and Kevin Smith

The subject of this movie review is Live Free or Die Hard, the fourth film in the Die Hard movie franchise. Bruce Willis returns as John McClane, a character created by the late novelist, Roderick Thorp, for his 1979 novel, Nothing Lasts Forever.

According to pop culture magazine Entertainment Weekly, after watching Underworld: Evolution with his daughters, Bruce Willis knew that’d he found in Underworld franchise director, Len Wiseman, the man to helm the long in gestation fourth Die Hard film. Willis’ Die Hard character John McClane is perhaps the actor’s signature role, and in the new film, Live Free or Die Hard, Willis proves that he and McClane are great in these movies. Meanwhile, Wiseman doesn’t just make a good movie. He makes damn great movie.

On the July 4th holiday, a mysterious figure attacks the United States digital infrastructure, and he’s figured out every angle, except old school, tough guy cop, John McClane (Bruce Willis). When’s he’s asked to escort Matt Farrell (Justin Long), a talented young hacker, into FBI custody, New York Police Detective McClane thinks of it as just another pain-in-the-butt favor keeping him enjoying his time off. When heavily armed and highly-trained killers come gunning for Matt and literally obliterate the young man’s apartment with gunfire, McClane knows Matt is part of something really big. Soon, McClane is dragging Matt across Washington DC, simultaneously trying to save his life and hunt down the cyber-terrorist who has brought America to a standstill.

Live Free or Die Hard practically hits the ground running, giving the viewer very little time to take a deep breath before diving into this smorgasbord of chase scenes, gun fights, and hand-to-hand combat that is a buffet of international fighting techniques. Of course, this is pretty much the way Underworld: Evolution opened – throw gasoline on the fire and then, throw that in the viewer’s face. Wiseman, however, does stay true to Die Hard’s roots. This is the kind of macho, big budget, special effects laden action filmmaking that thrived from the late 1980’s and into the 90’s. The 1988 Die Hard helped to give birth not only to sequels but to films that relied on gargantuan sound and complicated stunts like Bad Boys, Con Air, Face/Off, The Long Kiss Goodnight, and The Rock among others.

Willis is so good here that I hope he not only gives us more Die Hard flicks, but I also hope that he makes more action films just like this. Here, he certainly satisfied even the die-hardest Die Hard fan, but he does this with a good supporting cast. Justin Long is the perfect tag-along as Matt Farrell, who is basically a hand-held device – giving macho, blue collar McClane the lay of the geek-techie land, and Long seems perfectly happy to play that part. Timothy Olyphant’s brilliant smart bad guy, Thomas Gabriel, is the perfect foil for Willis’ comin’-to-kick-your-ass hero. Mary Elizabeth Winstead hits the right note as Lucy McClane, the fruit of John McClane’s loins.

Live Free or Die Hard may not seem like a great work of film art, but when McClane uses a car to “kill” a helicopter, you know that this is more than just another action movie. When a fighter jet takes on an 18-wheeler with McClane behind the wheel, you know Live Free or Die Hard is extra-special, and that’s not even the climax.

9 of 10
A+

Sunday, July 08, 2007

Berry, Bullock, Kidman, and Witherspoon to Present at 2013 Oscars

Best Actress Oscar® Winners – Halle Berry, Sandra Bullock, Nicole Kidman And Reese Witherspoon – To Present

BEVERLY HILLS, CA – Academy Award® winners Halle Berry, Sandra Bullock, Nicole Kidman and Reese Witherspoon will present on the Oscar telecast, show producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron announced today. All four have previously won the award for Best Actress.

Berry won the award for her performance in "Monster's Ball" (2001), Bullock for "The Blind Side" (2009), Kidman for "The Hours" (2002) and Witherspoon for "Walk the Line" (2005).

Berry, Bullock, Kidman and Witherspoon join a stellar list of previously announced Oscar presenters including Mark Wahlberg, Ted and "Marvel's The Avengers" cast members Robert Downey Jr., Samuel L. Jackson, Chris Evans, Jeremy Renner and Mark Ruffalo; returning 2011 Oscar winners Jean Dujardin, Christopher Plummer, Octavia Spencer and Meryl Streep; "Chicago" cast members Richard Gere, Queen Latifah, Renée Zellweger and Catherine Zeta-Jones; special guests Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Daniel Radcliffe, Channing Tatum and Charlize Theron; and performers Adele, Dame Shirley Bassey, Norah Jones and Barbra Streisand.

Oscars® for outstanding film achievements of 2012 will be presented on Oscar Sunday, February 24 at the Dolby Theatre™ at Hollywood & Highland Center®, and will be hosted by Seth MacFarlane live on the ABC Television Network. The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 225 countries worldwide. For more information go to Oscar.com or download the official Oscars app.


ABOUT CRAIG ZADAN AND NEIL MERON
Craig Zadan and Neil Meron are producers of critically acclaimed and award-winning feature films, television movies, series, and Broadway productions. Their feature films include The Bucket List, Footloose, Hairspray, and Chicago, which won six Academy Awards including one for “Best Picture.” For television, they’ve produced films of “Steel Magnolias,” ”Life with Judy Garland,” and “A Raisin in the Sun,” among many others and the series “Smash” and “Drop Dead Diva.” They recently returned to their roots in live theater by producing Broadway revivals of the Tony-winning ”Promises, Promises” and the Tony-winning 50th Anniversary revival of “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.”

Florida Film Critics Fly "Argo"

by Leroy Douresseaux

The Florida Film Critics Circle named Argo the "Best Picture of 2012," and its director, Ben Affleck, as the "Best Director."  Daniel Day-Lewis also received one of his many, many "Best Actor" awards.

The FFCC was founded in 1996 is comprised of writers from various state-based publications 

Complete list of 2012 winners:

Best Picture
"Argo"

Best Director
Ben Affleck, "Argo"

Best Actor
Daniel Day-Lewis, "Lincoln"

Best Actress
Jessica Chastain, "Zero Dark Thirty"

Best Supporting Actor
Philip Seymour Hoffman, "The Master"

Best Supporting Actress
Anne Hathaway, "Les Misérables"

Best Adapted Screenplay
"Argo"

Best Original Screenplay
"Looper"

Best Art Direction/Production Design
"Anna Karenina"

Best Cinematography
"Skyfall"

Best Visual Effects
"Life of Pi"

Best Animated Film
"Frankenweenie"

Best Foreign Language Film
"The Intouchables" (from France)

Best Documentary
"The Queen of Versailles"

Pauline Kael Breakout Award
Quvenzhané Wallis, "Beasts of the Southern Wild"

Cast of "Marvel's The Avengers" Presents at 2013 Oscar Ceremony

"The Avengers Cast" – Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Samuel L. Jackson, Jeremy Renner and Mark Ruffalo – to Present on Oscar® Show

BEVERLY HILLS, CA – “Marvel’s The Avengers” cast mates Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Samuel L. Jackson, Jeremy Renner and Mark Ruffalo will present together on the Oscar stage, show producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron announced today.

"We are happy to re-unite the ‘Avengers’ cast to present on our show," said Craig Zadan and Neil Meron. "Audiences who enjoyed the year's biggest box office hit will be excited to see these terrific actors back together again."

Downey has twice been nominated for an Oscar, for his leading role in “Chaplin” (1992) and for his supporting role in “Tropic Thunder” (2008).

Evans, who will be making his first Oscar show appearance, will be seen in the upcoming “The Iceman.”

Jackson was nominated in 1994 for his supporting role in “Pulp Fiction.” He can also be seen in this year’s Best Picture nominee “Django Unchained.”

Renner was nominated for his leading role in 2009 Best Picture winner “The Hurt Locker” and for his supporting role in “The Town” (2010). Renner had roles in this year’s “The Bourne Legacy” and “Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol” (2011).

Ruffalo received his first nomination for his supporting role in 2010 Best Picture nominee “The Kids Are All Right.”

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


ABOUT CRAIG ZADAN AND NEIL MERON
Craig Zadan and Neil Meron are producers of critically acclaimed and award-winning feature films, television movies, series, and Broadway productions. Their feature films include The Bucket List, Footloose, Hairspray, and Chicago, which won six Academy Awards including one for “Best Picture.” For television, they’ve produced films of “Steel Magnolias,” "Life with Judy Garland," and "A Raisin in the Sun," among many others and the series “Smash” and “Drop Dead Diva.” They recently returned to their roots in live theater by producing Broadway revivals of the Tony-winning “Promises, Promises” and the Tony-winning 50th Anniversary revival of “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.”

Cast of Oscar-Winning "Chicago" Reunite at 2013 Oscars

Reunion Of "Chicago" Stars – Richard Gere, Queen Latifah, Renée Zellweger, And Catherine Zeta-Jones – To Present On 10th Anniversary Of The Film's Oscar® Win

Academy Award® winners Renée Zellweger and Catherine Zeta-Jones will join their "Chicago" cast mates Richard Gere and Queen Latifah to present together on-stage at the Oscars®, show producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron announced today.

"We are very excited to reunite the stars of 'Chicago' to present on the Oscars, on the 10th anniversary of the movie's win for Best Picture," said Craig Zadan and Neil Meron.

Zellweger, Zeta-Jones and Queen Latifah received nominations for their performances in the film. Jones and Queen Latifah were nominated for their supporting roles, Jones took home the Oscar that year. Zellweger, who was nominated for her lead performance in the film, has been nominated three times, and won in 2003 for her supporting role in "Cold Mountain."

Gere, Queen Latifah, Zellweger and Zeta-Jones join a stellar list of previously announced Oscar presenters including Mark Wahlberg, Ted, and "The Avengers" cast members Robert Downey Jr., Samuel L. Jackson, Chris Evans, Jeremy Renner and Mark Ruffalo; returning 2011 Oscar winners Jean Dujardin, Christopher Plummer, Octavia Spencer and Meryl Streep; special guests Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Daniel Radcliffe, Channing Tatum and Charlize Theron; and performers Adele, Dame Shirley Bassey, Norah Jones and Barbra Streisand.

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


ABOUT CRAIG ZADAN AND NEIL MERON
Craig Zadan and Neil Meron are producers of critically acclaimed and award-winning feature films, television movies, series, and Broadway productions. Their feature films include The Bucket List, Footloose, Hairspray, and Chicago, which won six Academy Awards including one for “Best Picture.” For television, they’ve produced films of “Steel Magnolias,” "Life with Judy Garland," and "A Raisin in the Sun," among many others and the series “Smash” and “Drop Dead Diva.” They recently returned to their roots in live theater by producing Broadway revivals of the Tony-winning “Promises, Promises” and the Tony-winning 50th Anniversary revival of “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.”