"Metro Manila" Tops 2013 British Independent Film Awards

by Amos Semien

The British-Filipino film, Metro Manila, was named "Best British Independent Film" by the British Independent Film Awards.  The crime drama won three awards, including "Best Director" for Sean Ellis.  Metro Manila follows a man who moves his family from the rural Philippines to Manila and finds peril in his new life and job.

The British Independent Film Awards (BIFA) were created in 1998.  This film award celebrates merit and achievement in independently funded British filmmaking, honors new film talent, and promotes British films and filmmaking to a wider public.  The awards are currently sponsored by Moët & Chandon Champagne.

The winners of the 2013 edition of the BIFA were announced at the 16th Moët British Independent Film Awards ceremony on Sunday, December 8, 2013 held at the Old Billingsgate in London and hosted by BIFA-winning actor, James Nesbitt.

The 16th Annual Moët British Independent Film Awards winners:

BEST BRITISH INDEPENDENT FILM (Sponsored by Moët & Chandon):
Metro Manila

BEST DIRECTOR (Sponsored by AllCity & Intermission):
Sean Ellis – Metro Manila

THE DOUGLAS HICKOX AWARD [BEST DEBUT DIRECTOR] - Sponsored by 3 Mills Studios:
Paul Wright – For Those in Peril

BEST SCREENPLAY:
Steven Knight – Locke

BEST ACTRESS (Sponsored by M.A.C Cosmetics):
Lindsay Duncan – Le Week-end

BEST ACTOR (Sponsored by BBC Films):
James McAvoy – Filth

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS:
Imogen Poots – The Look Of Love

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR (Sponsored by Sanderson & St Martins Lane):
Ben Mendelsohn – Starred Up

MOST PROMISING NEWCOMER (Sponsored by Studiocanal):
Chloe Pirrie – Shell

BEST ACHIEVEMENT IN PRODUCTION (Sponsored by Company3):
Metro Manila

BEST TECHNICAL ACHIEVEMENT (Sponsored by LightBrigade Media):
Amy Hubbard – Casting – The Selfish Giant

BEST DOCUMENTARY:
Pussy Riot - A Punk Prayer

BEST BRITISH SHORT (Supported by BFI NET.WORK):
Z1

BEST INTERNATIONAL INDEPENDENT FILM:
Blue is the Warmest Colour

THE RAINDANCE AWARD (Sponsored by Wentworth Media and Arts):
The Machine

THE RICHARD HARRIS AWARD (for outstanding contribution by an actor to British Film):
Julie Walters

THE VARIETY AWARD:
Paul Greengrass

THE SPECIAL JURY PRIZE:
Sixteen Films & Friends (AKA Team Loach)

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

END

Review: "Out of the Past" is an Entertaining Film-Noir (Happy B'day, Kirk Douglas)

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 44 (of 2005) by Leroy Douresseaux

Out of the Past (1947) – Black & White
Running time: 97 minutes (1 hour, 37 minutes)
NR – not rated by the MPAA
DIRECTOR:  Jacques Tourneur
WRITERS:  Geoffrey Homes (based upon the novel Build My Gallows High by Geoffrey Homes)
PRODUCER:  Warren Duff
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Nicholas Musuraca
EDITOR:  Samuel E. Beetley
COMPOSER: Roy Webb

FILM-NOIR/DRAMA/THRILLER

Starring:  Robert Mitchum, Jane Greer, Kirk Douglas, Rhonda Fleming, Richard Webb, Steve Brodie, Virginia Houston, Paul Valentine, Dickie Moore, and Ken Niles with (no screen credit) Theresa Harris, Caleb Peterson, and Wallace Scott

The subject of this movie review is Out of the Past, a 1947 film noir drama and thriller from director Jacques Tourneur.  The film is based on the 1946 novel, Build My Gallows High, by Geoffrey Homes (the penname of author Daniel Mainwaring), who also wrote the screenplay adapting his novel for this film.  Frank Fenton and James M. Cain also contributed to the writing of the screenplay, but did not receive screen credit.

Out of the Past stars Robert Mitchum as a private eye who escapes his past and runs a gas station in a small town.  Kirk Douglas and Jane Greer star as the hood and his dame (respectively), and they are the past that catches up to the former private eye.

Out of the Past is a definitive classic of film noir; some even consider it the best noir film ever.  It is certainly a film that stands the test of time because it is not only fondly remembered and on the National Film Registry, it was also remade as the 1984 film, Against All Odds.  Who can forget Phil Collins’ powerful theme song for the film?

Jeff Bailey (Robert Mitchum) is a gas station owner with a troubled past.  It catches up with him when a tough looking, film heavy named Joe Stephanos (Paul Valentine) comes looking for Jeff and tells him he needs to take a trip.  Stephanos and his employer are “acquaintances” of Jeff’s.  So Jeff’s trip is to pay a visit to that old friend, gambler and mobster, Whit Sterling (Kirk Douglas).  It turns out Jeff was once a private eye named Jeff Markham (told in a flashback) whom Sterling hired to find his mistress, Kathie Moffat (Jane Greer), a drop-dead gorgeous woman who’d shot Sterling several times and disappeared with 40,000 of Sterling’s dollars.  Bailey did find her, but the unexpected (or expected) occurs.  Now, Sterling wants payback, so he coerces Bailey into taking another job for him, one that might cost Jeff his neck or a trip to the gas chamber.

Out of the Past has all the things that marks a movie as film noir, especially the lighting, the dangerous dames, menacing thugs, snappy dialogue, and hard-living hero.  The film actually seems longer than its running time, and that’s good.  The director and screenwriters pack a lot of twists and turns into this film.  It’s beautifully shot, and the dialogue is not only snappy (which might take some getting used to for people not familiar with noir or movies from the 1930’s and 40’s), but it’s also quite witty, sharp, and biting.  The film is engaging and almost compels the viewer to keep watching.

They really don’t make movies like this anymore or movie stars like this.  Robert Mitchum is an electric and magnetic presence, so much so that he almost steals the film from his co-stars.  It’s obvious why every female character in the film wants to disrobe for his Jeff Bailey.  In fact, if it weren’t for Kirk Douglas’ own super-powered film presence, his Whit Sterling couldn’t register as a dangerous adversary for Mitchum’s Bailey.

With nearly ever scene revealing another twist or surprise, Out of the Past is an absolute delight and a must-see for fans of the cast and film noir.  It’s only shortcoming is that the script brushes aside too many characters, and while those characters’ motivations aren’t contrived, they’re turned into a kind of short hand or footnote, although if developed only a little more, they’d enhance the story.  In places, the film lacks meat on its bones and lacks the emotional resonance to fully sell the various relationship triangles.  That said, this is still very entertaining film-noir.

8 of 10
A

NOTES:
1991 National Film Preservation Board, USA:  National Film Registry

Updated:  Monday, December 09, 2013

The text is copyright © 2013 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for syndication rights and fees.

"The Great Beauty" Tops 2013 European Film Awards

by Amos Semien

Director Paolo Sorrentino’s La Grande Bellezza (The Great Beauty), an Italian and French co-production, was the big winner at the 26th European Film Awards.  The film won four awards, including best picture, director, and actor (for Toni Servillo).  This year’s Cannes winner, Blue is the Warmest Color, did not win any awards.  Although the European Film Awards are the European continent’s equivalent of the Academy Awards (Oscars), they have practically no bearing on the Oscar race.

26th European Film Awards (2013) – Complete list of winners:

European Film:
LA GRANDE BELLEZZA (The Great Beauty)

European Director:
Paolo Sorrentino for LA GRANDE BELLEZZA (The Great Beauty)

European Actress:
Veerle Baetens in THE BROKEN CIRCLE BREAKDOWN

European Actor:
Toni Servillo in LA GRANDE BELLEZZA (The Great Beauty)

European Screenwriter:
François Ozon for DANS LA MAISON (In the House)

European Comedy:
Love Is All You Need, Susanne Bier, Denmark

European Discovery - Prix FIPRESCI:
Oh Boy!, Jan Ole Gerster, Germany

European Animated Feature Film:
The Congress, Ari Folman, Israel, Germany, Poland, Luxembourg, France and Belgium

European Documentary:
The Act of Killing, Joshua Oppenheimer, Denmark, Norway and UK

European Short Film:
Dood Van Een Schaduw (Death of a Shadow), Tom Van Avermaet, Belgium and France, 20'

Carlo di Palma European Cinematographer Award:
Asaf Sudry for Lemale et Ha'Halal (Fill The Void), Israel

European Editor:
Cristiano Travaglioli for La Grande Bellezza (The Great Beauty), Italy and France

European Production Designer:
Sarah Greenwood for Anna Karenina, UK

European Composer:
Ennio Morricone for The Best Offer, Italy

European Costume Designer:
Paco Delgado for Blancanieves, Spain and France

European Sound Designer:
Matz Müller and Erik Mischijew for Paradies: Glaube (Paradise: Faith), Austria, Germany and France

Jay Z Leads 56th Grammy Awards Nominations

by Amos Semien

The Grammy Awards (or Grammys) are given out by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States.  The Grammy is an accolade that recognizes outstanding achievement in the music industry.  It is the music industry equivalent to the Academy Awards for film, the Emmy Awards for television, and the Tony Awards for stage.

Jay Z leads the 56th annual Grammy Awards pack with nine nominations, but none came in the “Big Three” categories of album, song, or record of the year.  The following acts each had seven nominations:  Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Kendrick Lamar, Pharrell Williams, and Justin Timberlake  With her nomination in the "Best Rap/Sung Collaboration" category ("Part II (On The Run)" - Jay Z Featuring Beyoncé), Beyoncé becomes the most nominated woman in Grammy Awards history with her 46th nomination.

The eligibility period for the 56th Annual Grammy Awards is October 1, 2012 to September 30, 2013.  The 56th annual Grammys awards ceremony will be held at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California and will air on CBS on Sunday, January 26, 2014.  See a complete list of nominees at http://www.grammy.com/nominees

NOTE:  Scroll to the bottom to see the "Music for Visual Media" categories, which may be of particular interest to movie fans.

Nominees in select categories for the 56th annual Grammy Awards:

ALBUM OF THE YEAR
"The Blessed Unrest" - Sara Bareilles
"Random Access Memories" - Daft Punk
"Good Kid, M.A.A.D City" - Kendrick Lamar
"The Heist" - Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
"Red" - Taylor Swift

SONG OF THE YEAR
"Just Give Me A Reason" - Jeff Bhasker, Pink & Nate Ruess, songwriters
(Pink Featuring Nate Ruess)
"Locked Out Of Heaven" - Philip Lawrence, Ari Levine & Bruno Mars,
songwriters (Bruno Mars)
"Roar" - Lukasz Gottwald, Max Martin, Bonnie McKee, Katy Perry & Henry
Walter, songwriters (Katy Perry)
"Royals" - Joel Little & Ella Yelich O'Connor, songwriters (Lorde)
"Same Love" - Ben Haggerty, Mary Lambert & Ryan Lewis, songwriters
(Macklemore & Ryan Lewis Featuring Mary Lambert)

RECORD OF THE YEAR
"Get Lucky" - Daft Punk & Pharrell Williams
"Royals" - Lorde
"Locked Out Of Heaven" - Bruno Mars
"Radioactive" - Imagine Dragons
"Blurred Lines" - Robin Thicke Featuring T.I. & Pharrell

BEST NEW ARTIST
James Blake
Kendrick Lamar
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
Kacey Musgraves
Ed Sheeran

BEST POP SOLO PERFORMANCE
"Brave" - Sara Bareilles
"Royals" - Lorde
"When I Was Your Man" - Bruno Mars
"Roar" - Katy Perry
"Mirrors" - Justin Timberlake

BEST POP DUO/GROUP PERFORMANCE
"Get Lucky" - Daft Punk & Pharrell Williams
"Just Give Me A Reason" - Pink Featuring Nate Ruess
"Stay" - Rihanna Featuring Mikky Ekko
"Blurred Lines" - Robin Thicke Featuring T.I. & Pharrell
"Suit & Tie" - Justin Timberlake & Jay Z

BEST POP INSTRUMENTAL ALBUM
"Steppin' Out" - Herb Alpert
"The Beat" - Boney James
"Handpicked" - Earl Klugh
"Summer Horns" - Dave Koz, Gerald Albright, Mindi Abair & Richard Elliot
"Hacienda" - Jeff Lorber Fusion

BEST POP VOCAL ALBUM
"Paradise" - Lana Del Rey
"Pure Heroine" - Lorde
"Unorthodox Jukebox" - Bruno Mars
"Blurred Lines" - Robin Thicke
"The 20/20 Experience - The Complete Experience" - Justin Timberlake

BEST DANCE RECORDING
"Need U (100%)" - Duke Dumont Featuring A*M*E & MNEK
"Sweet Nothing" - Calvin Harris Featuring Florence Welch
"Atmosphere" - Kaskade
"This Is What It Feels Like" - Armin Van Buuren Featuring Trevor Guthrie
"Clarity" - Zedd Featuring Foxes

BEST DANCE/ELECTRONICA ALBUM
"Random Access Memories" - Daft Punk
"Settle" - Disclosure
"18 Months" - Calvin Harris
"Atmosphere" - Kaskade
"A Color Map Of The Sun" - Pretty Lights

BEST TRADITIONAL POP VOCAL ALBUM
"Viva Duets" - Tony Bennett & Various Artists
"To Be Loved" - Michael Bublé
"The Standards" - Gloria Estefan
"Cee Lo's Magic Moment" - Cee Lo Green
"Now" - Dionne Warwick

BEST ROCK PERFORMANCE
"Always Alright" - Alabama Shakes
"The Stars (Are Out Tonight)" - David Bowie
"Radioactive" - Imagine Dragons
"Kashmir" - Led Zeppelin
"My God Is The Sun" - Queens Of The Stone Age
"I'm Shakin'" - Jack White

BEST METAL PERFORMANCE
"T.N.T." - Anthrax
"God Is Dead?" - Black Sabbath
"The Enemy Inside" - Dream Theater
"In Due Time" - Killswitch Engage
"Room 24" - Volbeat Featuring King Diamond

BEST ROCK SONG
"Ain't Messin 'Round" - Gary Clark Jr., songwriter (Gary Clark Jr.)
"Cut Me Some Slack" - Dave Grohl, Paul McCartney, Krist Novoselic &
Pat Smear, songwriters (Paul McCartney, Dave Grohl, Krist Novoselic,
Pat Smear)
"Doom And Gloom" - Mick Jagger & Keith Richards, songwriters (The
Rolling Stones)
"God Is Dead?" - Geezer Butler, Tony Iommi & Ozzy Osbourne,
songwriters (Black Sabbath)
"Panic Station" - Matthew Bellamy, songwriter (Muse)

BEST ROCK ALBUM
"13" - Black Sabbath
"The Next Day" - David Bowie
"Mechanical Bull" - Kings Of Leon
"Celebration Day" - Led Zeppelin
"...Like Clockwork" - Queens Of The Stone Age
"Psychedelic Pill" - Neil Young With Crazy Horse

BEST ALTERNATIVE MUSIC ALBUM
"The Worse Things Get, The Harder I Fight, The Harder I Fight, The
More I Love You" - Neko Case
"Trouble Will Find Me" - The National
"Hesitation Marks" - Nine Inch Nails
"Lonerism" - Tame Impala
"Modern Vampires Of The City" - Vampire Weekend

BEST R&B PERFORMANCE
"Love And War" - Tamar Braxton
"Best Of Me" - Anthony Hamilton
"Nakamarra" - Hiatus Kaiyote Featuring Q-Tip
"How Many Drinks?" - Miguel Featuring Kendrick Lamar
"Something" - Snarky Puppy With Lalah Hathaway

BEST TRADITIONAL R&B PERFORMANCE
"Please Come Home" - Gary Clark Jr.
"Get It Right" - Fantasia
"Quiet Fire" - Maysa
"Hey Laura" - Gregory Porter
"Yesterday" - Ryan Shaw

BEST R&B SONG
"Best Of Me" - Anthony Hamilton & Jairus Mozee, songwriters (Anthony Hamilton)
"Love And War" - Tamar Braxton, Darhyl Camper, Jr., LaShawn Daniels &
Makeba Riddick, songwriters (Tamar Braxton)
"Only One" - PJ Morton, songwriter (PJ Morton Featuring Stevie Wonder)
"Pusher Love Girl" - James Fauntleroy, Jerome Harmon, Timothy Mosley &
Justin Timberlake, songwriters (Justin Timberlake)
"Without Me" - Fantasia Barrino, Missy Elliott, Al Sherrod Lambert,
Harmony Samuels & Kyle Stewart, songwriters (Fantasia Featuring Kelly
Rowland & Missy Elliot)

BEST URBAN CONTEMPORARY ALBUM
"Love And War" - Tamar Braxton
"Side Effects Of You" - Fantasia
"One: In The Chamber" - Salaam Remi
"Unapologetic" - Rihanna
"New York: A Love Story" - Mack Wilds

BEST R&B ALBUM
"R&B Divas" - Faith Evans
"Girl On Fire" - Alicia Keys
"Love In The Future" - John Legend
"Better" - Chrisette Michele
"Three Kings" - TGT

BEST RAP PERFORMANCE
"Started From The Bottom" - Drake
"Berzerk" - Eminem
"Tom Ford" - Jay Z
"Swimming Pools (Drank)" - Kendrick Lamar
"Thrift Shop" - Macklemore & Ryan Lewis Featuring Wanz

BEST RAP/SUNG COLLABORATION
"Power Trip" - J. Cole Featuring Miguel
"Part II (On The Run)" - Jay Z Featuring Beyoncé
"Holy Grail" - Jay Z Featuring Justin Timberlake
"Now Or Never" - Kendrick Lamar Featuring Mary J. Blige
"Remember You" - Wiz Khalifa Featuring The Weeknd

BEST RAP SONG
"F***in' Problems" - Tauheed Epps, Aubrey Graham, Kendrick Lamar,
Rakim Mayers & Noah Shebib, songwriters (ASAP Rocky Featuring Drake, 2
Chainz & Kendrick Lamar)
"Holy Grail" - Shawn Carter, Terius Nash, J. Harmon, Timothy Mosley,
Justin Timberlake & Ernest Wilson, songwriters (Kurt Cobain, Dave
Grohl & Krist Novoselic, songwriters) (Jay Z Featuring Justin
Timberlake)
"New Slaves" - Christopher Breaux, Ben Bronfman, Mike Dean, Louis
Johnson, Malik Jones, Elon Rutberg, Sakiya Sandifer, Che Smith, Kanye
West & Cydell Young, songwriters (Anna Adamis & Gabor Presser,
songwriters) (Kanye West)
"Started From The Bottom" - W. Coleman, Aubrey Graham & Noah Shebib,
songwriters (Bruno Sanfilippo, songwriter) (Drake)
"Thrift Shop" - Ben Haggerty & Ryan Lewis, songwriters (Macklemore &
Ryan Lewis Featuring Wanz)

BEST RAP ALBUM
"Nothing Was The Same" - Drake
"Magna Carta...Holy Grail" - Jay Z
"Good Kid, M.A.A.D City" - Kendrick Lamar
"The Heist" - Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
"Yeezus" - Kanye West

BEST COUNTRY SOLO PERFORMANCE
"I Drive Your Truck" - Lee Brice
"I Want Crazy" - Hunter Hayes
"Mama's Broken Heart" - Miranda Lambert
"Wagon Wheel" - Darius Rucker
"Mine Would Be You" - Blake Shelton

BEST COUNTRY DUO/GROUP PERFORMANCE
"From This Valley" - The Civil Wars
"Don't Rush" - Kelly Clarkson Featuring Vince Gill
"Your Side Of The Bed" - Little Big Town
"Highway Don't Care" - Tim McGraw, Taylor Swift & Keith Urban
"You Can't Make Old Friends" - Kenny Rogers With Dolly Parton

BEST COUNTRY SONG
"Begin Again" - Taylor Swift, songwriter (Taylor Swift)
"I Drive Your Truck" - Jessi Alexander, Connie Harrington & Jimmy
Yeary, songwriters (Lee Brice)
"Mama's Broken Heart" - Brandy Clark, Shane McAnally & Kacey
Musgraves, songwriters (Miranda Lambert)
"Merry Go 'Round" - Shane McAnally, Kacey Musgraves & Josh Osborne,
songwriters (Kacey Musgraves)
"Mine Would Be You" - Jessi Alexander, Connie Harrington & Deric
Ruttan, songwriters (Blake Shelton)

BEST COUNTRY ALBUM
"Night Train" - Jason Aldean
"Two Lanes Of Freedom" - Tim McGraw
"Same Trailer Different Park" - Kacey Musgraves
"Based On A True Story" - Blake Shelton
"Red" - Taylor Swift

BEST NEW AGE ALBUM
"Lux" - Brian Eno
"Illumination" - Peter Kater
"Final Call" - Kitaro
"Awakening The Fire" - R. Carlos Nakai & Will Clipman
"Love's River" - Laura Sullivan

BEST IMPROVISED JAZZ SOLO
"Don't Run" - Terence Blanchard, soloist
"Song For Maura" - Paquito D'Rivera, soloist
"Song Without Words #4: Duet" - Fred Hersch, soloist
"Stadium Jazz" - Donny McCaslin, soloist
"Orbits" - Wayne Shorter

BEST JAZZ VOCAL ALBUM
"The World According To Andy Bey" - Andy Bey
"Attachments" - Lorraine Feather
"Liquid Spirit" - Gregory Porter
"WomanChild" - Cécile McLorin Salvant
"After Blue" - Tierney Sutton

MUSIC FOR VISUAL MEDIA

Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media:

• Django Unchained – Various Artists
• The Great Gatsby (Deluxe Edition) – Various Artists
• Les Misérables (Deluxe Edition) – Various Artists
• Muscle Shoals – Various Artists
• Sound City: Real to Reel – Dave Grohl & Various Artists

Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media:

• Argo - Alexandre Desplat, composer
• The Great Gatsby - Craig Armstrong, composer
• Life of Pi - Mychael Danna, composer
• Lincoln - John Williams, composer
• Skyfall - Thomas Newman, composer
• Zero Dark Thirty - Alexandre Desplat, composer

Best Song Written for Visual Media:
"Atlas" (from The Hunger Games: Catching Fire)
Guy Berryman, Jonny Buckland, Will Champion & Chris Martin, songwriters (performed by Coldplay)

"Silver Lining (Crazy 'Bout You)" (from Silver Linings Playbook)
Diane Warren, songwriter (performed by Jessie J)

"Skyfall" (from Skyfall)
Adele Adkins & Paul Epworth, songwriters (performed by Adele)

"We Both Know" (from Safe Haven)
Colbie Caillat & Gavin DeGraw, songwriters (performed by Colbie Caillat featuring Gavin DeGraw)

"Young and Beautiful" (from The Great Gatsby)
Lana Del Rey & Rick Nowels, songwriters (performed by Lana Del Rey)

"You've Got Time" (from "Orange Is the New Black")
Regina Spektor, songwriter (performed by Regina Spektor)


END

"Veronica Mars" Movie Due March 14, 2014

Warner Bros.’ “Veronica Mars” Movie Opens on March 14, 2014

Kickstarter Campaign, Launched by Rob Thomas and Kristen Bell, Brings “Veronica Mars” to the Big Screen at AMC Theatres through Record-Breaking Fan Support

BURBANK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Warner Bros. has announced a spring release date for the Rob Thomas-written and directed “Veronica Mars” feature film, based on the beloved and acclaimed television series of the same name. The film will open in the U.S. on March 14th in AMC Theatres in select markets across the country. The announcement was made today by Dan Fellman, President, Domestic Distribution, Warner Bros. Pictures.

“This project has been a labor of love for everyone involved -- me, the cast, my producing partners. We are so grateful for the outpouring of support from the Kickstarter backers. This movie wouldn’t have happened without them.”

“We are tremendously excited to work with our friends at AMC Theatres in bringing this fan favorite to the big screen,” said Fellman. “Rob has made a high-spirited film with comedy, romance and mystery, and we’re confident its appeal will go well beyond the core group of Kickstarter supporters.”

“We at AMC are excited to partner with Warner Bros. to bring ‘Veronica Mars’ to theatres,” said Nikkole Denson-Randolph, vice president of special and alternative content at AMC Theatres. “Enthusiastic fans of the popular television series helped make this movie a reality, and AMC is proud to serve our guests by playing it in their communities, as well as providing a national platform for the movie to reach a broader audience.”

The “Veronica Mars” movie was made possible by a record-breaking Kickstarter campaign driven by fans of the television show, which ran from 2004 – 2007. Launched by Thomas and series star Kristen Bell, the Kickstarter campaign unleashed an unprecedented level of fan enthusiasm and support, reaching the project goal of $2 million in just 10 hours. At the end of the 31-day campaign, fans contributed $5.7 million, making Veronica Mars the number one funded project in the film category and the third-highest funded project in Kickstarter history. It is the most widely supported Kickstarter campaign ever with more than 91,000 backers, who have remained engaged throughout production with frequent behind-the-scenes updates from Thomas and the film’s cast and crew.

Added Thomas, “This project has been a labor of love for everyone involved -- me, the cast, my producing partners. We are so grateful for the outpouring of support from the Kickstarter backers. This movie wouldn’t have happened without them.”

Fans of the show and the upcoming film can follow its progress, see cast and filmmaker diaries, exclusive content and release information by following the film’s social media presence, including:

Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/TheVeronicaMarsMovie) Twitter (http://twitter.com/VeronicaMars) Instagram http://www.instagram.com/TheVeronicaMarsMovie) YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/veronicamarsmovie) Pinterest (http://pinterest.com/theveronicamars/) Tumblr (http://tumblr.com/OfficialVeronicaMars)

Fans can also get information about the film by following Rob Thomas on Twitter at @RobThomas.

Written and directed by series creator Thomas, “Veronica Mars” stars original show cast members Kristen Bell (“House of Lies,” “Forgetting Sarah Marshall”), Jason Dohring (“The Ringer”), Chris Lowell (“The Help,” “Up in the Air”), Ryan Hansen (“G.I. Joe: Retaliation”), Krysten Ritter (“Don’t Trust the B---- in Apartment 23”), Percy Daggs III (“Detention”), Tina Majorino (“True Blood,” “Grey’s Anatomy”), Francis Capra (“Blood and Bone”), Ken Marino (“Party Down,” “Burning Love”) and Enrico Colantoni (“Just Shoot Me”).

The screenplay for “Veronica Mars” is written by Thomas & Diane Ruggiero from a story by Thomas. The film is produced by Thomas, Dan Etheridge and Danielle Stokdyk. Joel Silver, Kristen Bell and Jennifer Hinkey are serving as executive producers.

In the film, Veronica Mars has put Neptune and her amateur sleuthing days behind her on the eve of graduating law school. While interviewing at high-end law firms, Veronica gets a call from her ex-boyfriend Logan who has been accused of murder. Veronica heads back to Neptune just to help Logan find an attorney, but when things don’t seem right with how Logan’s case is perceived and handled, Veronica finds herself being pulled back into a life she thought she had left behind.

A Warner Bros. Digital presentation, the film will be distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

Down to 10 in 2014 Visual Effects Oscar Race

10 Contenders Remain in VFX Oscar® Race

BEVERLY HILLS, CA — The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences today announced that 10 films remain in the running in the Visual Effects category for the 86th Oscars®.

The films are listed below in alphabetical order:

         “Elysium”
         “Gravity”
         “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug”
         “Iron Man 3”
         “The Lone Ranger”
         “Oblivion”
         “Star Trek Into Darkness”
         “Thor: The Dark World”
         “Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures Pacific Rim”
         “World War Z”

The Academy's Visual Effects Branch Executive Committee determined the shortlist.  All members of the Visual Effects Branch will now be invited to view 10-minute excerpts from each of the shortlisted films on Thursday, January 9, 2014.  Following the screenings, the members will vote to nominate five films for final Oscar consideration.

Oscars nominations will be announced live on Thursday, January 16, 2014, at 5:30 a.m. PT in the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater.

Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2013 will be presented on Oscar Sunday, March 2, 2014, 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 and territories worldwide.

Review: Vincent Price and Agnes Moorehead Play to Type in "The Bat" (Happy B'day, Anges Moorehead)

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 110 (of 2006) by Leroy Douresseaux

The Bat (1959) – B&W
Running time:  80 minutes (1 hour, 20 minutes)
DIRECTOR:  Crane Wilbur
WRITER:  Crane Wilbur – screenplay and screen story (based upon the play by Avery Hopwood and Mary Roberts Reinhart)
PRODUCER:  C.J. Tevlin
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Joseph Biroc
EDITOR:  William Austin
COMPOSER:  Louis Forbes

MYSTERY/THRILLER with elements of horror

Starring:  Vincent Price, Agnes Moorehead, Gavin Gordon, John Sutton, Lenita Lane, Elaine Edwards, Darla Hood, John Bryant, Harvey Stephens, Robert B. Williams, Mike Steele, and Riza Royce

The subject of this movie review is The Bat, a 1959 mystery-thriller starring Vincent Price and Agnes Moorhead.  The film is based on the 1920 Broadway play, The Bat, by Avery Hopwood and Mary Roberts Reinhart.  The play was adapted as a motion picture three times:  in 1926 as The Bat, in 1930 as The Bat Whispers, and again in 1959 as The Bat (the subject of this review).  The 1959 movie version focuses on a crazed killer, known as “The Bat,” who is on the loose in a mansion full of people.

Best-selling mystery author, Cornelia van Gorder (Agnes Moorehead, best known as “Endora,” the spiteful mother-in-law on the TV series, “Bewitched”), and her staff are summering at The Oaks, a fine estate near the small town of Zenith.  It is at The Oaks where Cornelia finds that she can write her hugely successful murder mysteries.  This summer, however, the locals are falling dead, and a mysterious, possible supernatural, killer known as The Bat is on the loose.

After The Oaks’ owner, John Fleming (Harvey Stephens), who also owns the local bank, dies, suspicions about the whereabouts of one million dollars in missing money from the bank, land squarely on The Oaks.  Soon, a bevy of townsfolk including the local coroner, Dr. Malcolm Wells (Vincent Price), Fleming’s nephew, Mark (John Bryant), the local law official, Lt. Andy Anderson (Gavin Gordon), and more are hanging around the mansion looking for the loot – with the threat of gruesome death at the hands (and claws) of The Bat hovering over them.

The Bat is one of those “spooky old house thrillers,” and is based upon a novel and play that was apparently very popular in the 1920 and 30’s.  This was the third film version of the story (the first was a silent film), and by 1959, this sub-genre of mystery films must have seemed quaint.  In fact, scary stories – the kind that take place in creaky old house riddled with secret passage ways where lies hidden money that is in turned hunted for by a masked villain – was soon to be (if not by the time of this movie’s release) children’s fare.  This is pretty much the template for most “Scooby-Doo” cartoons and other Hanna-Barbera cartoons like it.  Still, it’s very entertaining, and Vincent Price and Agnes Moorehead play to type.  This is a nice treat for the genre it represents.  In fact, The Bat holds the identity of its villain to the very end surprisingly well.

6 of 10
B

Tuesday, May 23, 2006

Updated:  Friday, December 06, 2013

The text is copyright © 2013 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for syndication rights and fees.