The Bee Gees, Pierre Boulez, Buddy Guy, George Harrison, Flaco Jimenez, Louvin Brothers and Wayne Shorter Honored with The Recording Academy® Lifetime Achievement Award
Richard Perry, Barry Mann & Cynthia Weil and George Wein Honored with Trustees Award
Ray Kurzweil to Receive Technical GRAMMY® Award
SANTA MONICA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Recording Academy® announced its Special Merit Awards recipients, and this year's honorees are: the Bee Gees, Pierre Boulez, Buddy Guy, George Harrison, Flaco Jiménez, Louvin Brothers, and Wayne Shorter as Lifetime Achievement Award recipients; Richard Perry, Barry Mann & Cynthia Weil, and George Wein as Trustees Award honorees; and Ray Kurzweil as the Technical GRAMMY® Award recipient. A special invitation-only ceremony will be held during GRAMMY Week on Saturday, Feb. 7, 2015, and a formal acknowledgment will be made during the 57th Annual GRAMMY Awards® telecast, which will be held at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles on Sunday, Feb. 8, 2015 and broadcast live at 8 p.m. ET/PT on the CBS Television Network. For GRAMMY® coverage, updates and breaking news, please visit The Recording Academy's social networks on Twitter and Facebook.
"This year we pay tribute to exceptional creators who have made prolific contributions to our culture and history," said Recording Academy President/CEO Neil Portnow. "It is an honor and a privilege to recognize such a diverse group of talented trailblazers, whose incomparable bodies of work and timeless legacies will continue to be celebrated for generations to come."
The Lifetime Achievement Award honors performers who have made contributions of outstanding artistic significance to the field of recording, while the Trustees Award recognizes such contributions in areas other than performance. Both awards are determined by vote of The Recording Academy's National Board of Trustees. Technical GRAMMY Award recipients are determined by vote of The Academy's Producers & Engineers Wing® Advisory Council and Chapter Committees, as well as The Academy's Trustees. The award is presented to individuals and companies who have made contributions of outstanding technical significance to the recording field.
About the Lifetime Achievement Award Honorees:
The Bee Gees, comprising of brothers Barry, Maurice* and Robin Gibb*, were one of the most successful groups in pop history with hits such as "Stayin' Alive," "How Can You Heal A Broken Heart" and "How Deep Is Your Love." The trio's contributions to the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack made it one of the best-selling soundtracks of all time, selling more than 15 million copies in the United States and garnering the group four GRAMMYs, including Album Of The Year and Producer Of The Year.
French composer Pierre Boulez is internationally renowned having conducted the Südwestfunk Orchestra, Cleveland Orchestra and BBC Symphony Orchestra. He served as musical director of the New York Philharmonic from 1971-1977. The 26-time GRAMMY winner continues to be one of the most influential music creators within the classical genre.
Six-time GRAMMY winner Buddy Guy is one of the most celebrated blues guitarists of all time. Throughout his more than 50-year career, Guy has influenced generations of guitar players with his unique sound and style. Guy released his most recent album, Rhythm & Blues in 2013, and continues to tour.
Multi-instrumentalist and singer/songwriter George Harrison* achieved international fame as a member of the Beatles, one of the most influential groups of all time. The 12-time GRAMMY winner's embrace of Indian music is often credited with helping introduce world music to the West. As a solo artist, Harrison achieved success with projects such as his GRAMMY Hall Of Fame® inducted album All Things Must Pass and The Concert For Bangladesh, the latter of which garnered an Album Of The Year GRAMMY.
Five-time GRAMMY winner Flaco Jiménez has enjoyed a career that has spanned more than six decades, throughout which, he has collaborated with artists such as Bob Dylan, Ry Cooder, Doug Sahm, and Carlos Santana among others. Jiménez has maintained a huge influence on the Tex-Mex genre by continuing to record and tour, as he upholds his status as the definitive Tex-Mex accordionist.
Ira and Charlie Loudermilk, better known as the Louvin Brothers*, rank among the top duos in country music history. Originally beginning their careers in gospel music, and eventually incorporating secular pop songs, they landed a record deal with Capitol Records and quickly became household names in the 1950's. Eventually the brothers launched solo careers, continuing to set a blueprint for future generations of country and rock musicians.
Saxophonist and composer Wayne Shorter began his jazz career at the tender age of 16. With a successful solo career, his tenure with Weather Report and his milestone collaborations with Miles Davis and John Coltrane, Shorter has distinguished himself as a leading figure in jazz. As a composer, the 10-time GRAMMY winner is best known for jazz standards such as "Footprints" and "JuJu," among others.
About the Trustees Award Honorees:
Richard Perry is one of the most successful producers in pop music history with a career spanning more than four decades. He has produced classic recordings for such legendary artists as Ray Charles, Neil Diamond, Carly Simon, Ringo Starr, and Barbra Streisand among others. In 1978 Perry launched Planet Records, an independent label that produced many successful hits for artists including the multi-GRAMMY-winning group the Pointer Sisters. Perry continues to work as an independent producer.
The two-time GRAMMY-winning songwriting duo of Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil has created such an impressive body of work within the past four decades that their compositions have been described as "a soundtrack of our lives." This husband-and-wife team has written hit songs such as "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" (with Phil Spector), "On Broadway" (with Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller), "Here You Come Again," "Never Gonna Let You Go," "Just Once," and "We Gotta Get Out Of This Place" among others. Mann and Weil have also composed scores for several film and theatre projects and they continue to explore new creative avenues.
American jazz promoter and producer George Wein is recognized as the founder of the Newport Jazz Festival, which celebrated its 60th anniversary in August 2014. Wein's pioneering spirit includes incorporating sponsor association along with partnering the original concept of an outdoor music event that would later serve as the impetus for festivals: Monterey Jazz Festival, Woodstock, Lollapalooza, Coachella, and Bonnaroo. Through his production company Festival Productions, he would go on to produce the Newport Folk Festival, which he created with folk icon Pete Seeger in 1959, and the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, which he founded in 1970. Wein celebrated his 90th birthday in October 2014 and continues to creatively influence and advance the concept of live music.
About the Technical GRAMMY Award Recipients:
Ray Kurzweil is an American author, computer scientist, inventor, and is the current director of engineering at Google. He is credited as the principal innovator of omni-front optical character recognition, text-to-speech synthesis, and speech recognition technology.
Kurzweil founded Kurzweil Music Systems and in 1984 introduced the Kurzweil K250, the first computer-based instrument that could realistically recreate the musical response of a grand piano and other orchestra instruments. PBS selected Kurzweil as one of its "They Made America" series.
*Denotes posthumous.
Established in 1957, The Recording Academy is an organization of musicians, songwriters, producers, engineers and recording professionals that is dedicated to improving the cultural condition and quality of life for music and its makers. Internationally known for the GRAMMY Awards — the preeminent peer-recognized award for musical excellence and the most credible brand in music — The Recording Academy is responsible for groundbreaking professional development, cultural enrichment, advocacy, education and human services programs. The Academy continues to focus on its mission of recognizing musical excellence, advocating for the well-being of music makers and ensuring music remains an indelible part of our culture. For more information about The Academy, please visit www.grammy.com. For breaking news and exclusive content, follow @TheGRAMMYs on Twitter, like "The GRAMMYs" on Facebook, and join The GRAMMYs' social communities on Google+, Instagram, Tumblr and YouTube.
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Saturday, December 20, 2014
"The Last: Naruto the Movie" to Make U.S. Theatrical Run
Don’t Miss The Climactic Cinematic Adventure As The World’s Most Popular Ninja Stars In His Latest Action-Packed Feature Film
VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), the largest distributor and licensor of manga and anime in North America, announces that it will team up with Los Angeles-based film distribution company ELEVEN ARTS to present U.S. anime fans and filmgoers nationwide with a very special opportunity to catch THE LAST: NARUTO THE MOVIE in a limited theatrical engagement happening in select U.S. cities beginning on February 20, 2015.
THE LAST: NARUTO THE MOVIE will initially screen in 20 major U.S. cities including New York, Boston, Houston, Dallas, Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, and more!
Tickets go on sale starting in mid-January 2015. Additional ticket information and a complete list of theatre locations and screening dates will be available on ELEVEN ARTS’s website at that time. The film will be presented with original Japanese dialogue with English subtitles. Attendees also will receive a special commemorative NARUTO film poster (while supplies last). Additional cities and screenings may be added; check the ELEVEN ARTS’s webpage for future updates.
THE LAST: NARUTO THE MOVIE is based on the internationally bestselling NARUTO manga (graphic novel) series created by Masashi Kishimoto. In the film, the moon is approaching dangerously close to Earth! Unless something is done, the moon will disintegrate, showering the earth with gigantic meteorites. As the clock ticks towards the end of the world, can Naruto save the earth from this crisis?
“Earth’s days are numbered and Naruto will have to tap every bit of his ninjutsu skills and knowledge to save the planet and defeat his enemies in this amazing and highly anticipated addition to the NARUTO saga,” says Charlene Ingram, VIZ Media Senior Marketing Manager, Animation. “Don’t miss the epic big screen action in the exciting theatrical premieres happening across the U.S. in February!”
In the NARUTO manga and animated series, Naruto Uzumaki wants to be the best ninja in the land. He's done well so far, but Naruto knows he must train harder than ever and leaves his village for intense exercises that will push him to his limits. NARUTO SHIPPUDEN begins two and a half years later, when Naruto returns to find that everyone has been promoted up the ninja ranks – except him. Sakura’s a medic ninja, Gaara’s advanced to Kazekage, and Kakashi…well he remains the same. But pride isn’t necessarily becoming of a ninja, especially when Naruto realizes that Sasuke never returned from his search for Orochimaru. Plus, the mysterious Akatsuki organization is still an ever-present danger. As Naruto finds out more about the Akatsuki’s goals, he realizes that nothing in his universe is as it seems. Naruto is finding that he’s older, but will he also prove wiser and stronger?
Additional information on NARUTO and NARUTO SHIPPUDEN is available at www.Naruto.com.
For more information on manga titles available from VIZ Media, please visit www.VIZ.com.
About ELEVEN ARTS:
ELEVEN ARTS is the Los Angeles based film distribution company that has brought many acclaimed Japanese films, live-action and animated features, to North American audiences. ELEVEN ARTS’s major live-action titles include Japan Academy Awards winner Memories of Tomorrow (starring Ken Watanabe) and Oscar nominated director (with The Twilight Samurai in 2004) Yoji Yamada’s samurai film Love and Honor. ELEVEN ARTS is also a respected distributor of popular animation titles such as the Evangelion franchise, Fullmetal Alchemist: The Sacred Star of Milos, and Puella Magi Madoka Magica The Movie Part 1: Beginnings/ Part 2: Eternal/ Part 3: Rebellion, TIGER & BUNNY THE MOVIE: The Rising, and Short Peace. For additional information, go to www.elevenarts.net.
About VIZ Media, LLC
Headquartered in San Francisco, California, VIZ Media distributes, markets and licenses the best anime and manga titles direct from Japan. Owned by three of Japan's largest manga and animation companies, Shueisha Inc., Shogakukan Inc., and Shogakukan-Shueisha Productions, Co., Ltd., VIZ Media has the most extensive library of anime and manga for English speaking audiences in North America, the United Kingdom, Ireland and South Africa. With its popular digital manga anthology WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP and blockbuster properties like NARUTO, BLEACH and ONE PIECE, VIZ Media offers cutting-edge action, romance and family friendly properties for anime, manga, science fiction and fantasy fans of all ages. VIZ Media properties are available as graphic novels, DVDs, animated television series, feature films, downloadable and streaming video and a variety of consumer products. Learn more about VIZ Media, anime and manga at www.VIZ.com.
Negromancer News Bits and Bites for December 14th to 20th, 2014 - Updated #9
NEWS:
From Variety: "The Interview," Seth Rogen and James Franco's comedy about a silly assassination plot against Kim Jong-un (North Korean dictator), will not get a theatrical release. It may not get any kind of release.
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From Variety: Steve Carell's North Korea-set thriller dropped by New Regency.
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From Vulture: Frank Rich interviewed Chris Rock.
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From YahooMovies: It was 75 year ago today that the Gone with the Wind premiere was held in Atlanta. Oops, none of the black actors could attend, even eventual Oscar-winner, Hattie McDaniel.
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From Variety: FOX's Exodus: Gods and Kings was the #1 film at the box office for the weekend of Fri., Dec. 12th to 14th, 2014 with an estimated take of $24.5 million.
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From Arstechnica: Marvel reveals plot details about "Ant-Man."
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From LATimes: Sony emails about Obama. Actually, they aren't terrible.
COMICS:
From Screengonzo: News of a possible "meeting of the minds" between Marvel and Sony about Spider-Man.
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From IGN: Joss Whedon talks about a big surprise in Avengers: Age of Ultron.
STAR WARS:
From EntertainmentWeekly: Oscar-nominated screenwriter and director, Jason Reitman stages a live reading of The Empire Strikes Back, with surprise performances by Mark Hamill and Rainn Wilson.
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From EntertainmentWeekly: 10 things Andy Serkis can say about Episode 7.
MISC:
From YahooSports: Kobe Bryant passes Michael Jordan for third place on the National Basketball Association (NBA) scoring list.
Friday, December 19, 2014
Women Dominate IMDb "Top Stars of 2014" Lists
IMDb Announces the Top 10 Stars of 2014; Women Sweep the Top 10 for the First Time Ever; Shailene Woodley Dethrones Jennifer Lawrence
IMDb Premieres New Web Show (The IMDb Countdown) and New Top 10 List (Movers & Shakers); Margot Robbie Is The #1 Breakout Star of 2014
SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--IMDb (www.imdb.com), the world’s most popular and authoritative source for movie, TV and celebrity content, today unveiled the Top 10 Stars of 2014, the Top 10 Breakout Stars of 2014, and a new list, the Top 10 Movers & Shakers of 2014. Rather than base its annual rankings on small statistical samplings, reviews of professional critics or box office performance, these definitive top 10 lists are determined by the actual page views of the more than 200 million monthly unique visitors to IMDb.
“Although theatrical blockbusters deeply influenced this year’s list, the perennial popularity of TV title Game of Thrones ensured that Emilia Clarke, known to fans as Daenerys Targaryen, the Mother of Dragons, earned her seat on the Top 10 Stars list at #4”
IMDb’s just-launched Best of 2014 section (www.imdb.com/bestof2014) features a variety of additional top 10 lists, the IMDb Top 100 Stars of 2014 list, and other compelling year-end editorial coverage. In-depth IMDb STARmeter rankings are available exclusively on IMDbPro (http://www.imdbpro.com), the subscription version of IMDb designed for entertainment industry professionals.
To celebrate the 10th anniversary of IMDb’s annual end-of-year top 10 lists, IMDb will premiere a new IMDb original web series, The IMDb Countdown. Hosted by Brooke Anderson of Entertainment Tonight, The IMDb Countdown brings IMDb’s top 10 lists to life, featuring expert commentary from IMDb’s editors and celebrity acceptance speeches. The first episode, focused on the Top 10 Stars of 2014, premieres today (December 9) in IMDb’s Best of 2014 section (www.imdb.com/bestof2014) which is accessible via IMDb’s homepage and mobile apps. The second episode, which explores IMDb’s Top 10 Breakout Stars of 2014, will premiere on December 11. The third episode, which will reveal the Top 10 Movies of 2014 as determined by IMDb user ratings, will premiere on December 13. The fourth episode, which announces the Top 10 TV Series of the year as determined by page views on IMDb, will premiere on December 15.
And the 2014 winners are:
The IMDb Top 10 Stars of 2014 List*
1. Shailene Woodley
2. Jennifer Lawrence
3. Margot Robbie
4. Emilia Clarke
5. Scarlett Johansson
6. Nicola Peltz
7. Chloë Grace Moretz
8. Rosamund Pike
9. Emma Stone
10. Eva Green
*The 10 stars who consistently ranked the highest on the IMDb weekly STARmeter chart throughout 2014. IMDb STARmeter rankings are based on the actual page views of IMDb’s more than 200 million unique monthly visitors.
The IMDb Top 10 Breakout Stars of 2014 List*
1. Margot Robbie
2. Nicola Peltz
3. Rosamund Pike
4. Chris Pratt
5. Naomi Grossman
6. Theo James
7. Jared Leto
8. Taryn Manning
9. Taylor Schilling
10. Jamie Dornan
*Among the select group of stars who charted on IMDb’s annual Top 100 list for the first time in their careers in 2014, these 10 stars consistently ranked the highest on the IMDb weekly STARmeter chart throughout the year. IMDb STARmeter rankings are based on the actual page views of IMDb’s more than 200 million unique monthly visitors.
“This is the 10th anniversary of calculating IMDb’s Top 10 Stars and this is the first time women have swept every spot on the list, reflecting the fact that strong roles for women and breakthrough performances by women permeated 2014, ” said Keith Simanton, IMDb’s Managing Editor. “Leonardo DiCaprio, who ranked #3 in 2013 and #4 in 2010, was the highest performing actor in 2014 (ranking #11 for the year). 2014 was quite a year for Shailene Woodley, who dethroned last year’s #1 star (Jennifer Lawrence) by consistently being of interest to IMDb’s users throughout the year with her lead performances in early spring hit Divergent and summer’s hit The Fault In Our Stars. Margot Robbie catapulted to the top of our Breakout Stars list this year, fueled by intense fan interest in her role in The Wolf of Wall Street.”
“Although theatrical blockbusters deeply influenced this year’s list, the perennial popularity of TV title Game of Thrones ensured that Emilia Clarke, known to fans as Daenerys Targaryen, the Mother of Dragons, earned her seat on the Top 10 Stars list at #4,” said Melanie McFarland, IMDb’s TV editor. “Joining her is Eva Green (#10), who not only co-starred in the action flicks 300: Rise of an Empire and Sin City: A Dame of Kill For during 2014, but thrilled fans as the mysterious Vanessa Ives in Showtime’s rising hit Penny Dreadful -- which, like Green, is fast becoming a fan favorite.”
“Among IMDb’s 2014 Breakout stars are a few prominent TV/film crossovers. Yes, Chris Pratt (#4) may be known as Star-Lord nowadays, but long before winning the lead in Guardians of the Galaxy, he was the lovably dopey Andy Dwyer on NBC’s Parks and Recreation,” continued Melanie McFarland. “Similarly, the man the world will soon know as Christian Grey might be more familiar to TV viewers as Paul Spector on BBC’s The Fall. But among the three TV stars on the list, while it’s interesting to see Orange is the New Black’s Taylor Schilling (#9) and Taryn Manning (#8) on our year end Break-Out Stars list, the quick rise of American Horror Story star Naomi Grossman at #5 is a terrific story. Grossman’s transformation into Pepper on American Horror Story’s Asylum and Freak Show seasons is simply astounding, and her portrayal has piqued a lot of curiosity about her among our users.”
IMDb also revealed a new end-of-year top 10 list, Movers & Shakers. Among the rising stars who ranked on IMDb’s annual Top 200 STARmeter List in 2014, the stars on IMDb’s new Movers & Shakers list experienced the largest increase in their best weekly STARmeter ranking in 2014 as compared to 2013. The list follows:
The IMDb Top 10 Movers & Shakers of 2014 List*
1. Camren Bicondova
2. Emily Ratajkowski
3. Lupita Nyong’o
4. Dave Bautista
5. Danielle Panabaker
6. Ansel Elgort
7. Michelle Monaghan
8. Imogen Poots
9. Uzo Aduba
10. Dane DeHaan
*The rising stars on this list experienced the largest increase in their best weekly STARmeter ranking in 2014 as compared to 2013.
About IMDb
IMDb is the world’s most popular and authoritative source for movie, TV and celebrity content. The IMDb consumer site (www.imdb.com) is the #1 movie website in the world with a combined web and mobile audience of more than 200 million unique monthly visitors. IMDb offers a searchable database of more than 180 million data items including more than 3 million movies, TV and entertainment programs and more than 6 million cast and crew members. Consumers rely on the information IMDb provides -- including local movie showtimes, ticketing, trailers, critic and user reviews, personalized recommendations, photo galleries, entertainment news, quotes, trivia, box-office data, editorial feature sections and a universal Watchlist – when deciding what to watch and where to watch it. IMDb’s portfolio of leading entertainment apps (http://www.imdb.com/apps/) includes its popular “Movies & TV” app for iPhone, iPad, Kindle Fire, Android phones, Android tablets and its mobile-optimized website. To date, there have been more than 115 million downloads of IMDb’s mobile apps worldwide. IMDb's X-Ray for Movies & TV (www.imdb.com/x-ray) is a feature that revolutionizes the viewing experience by bringing the power of IMDb directly to Kindle Fire HD and Wii U devices. IMDb’s Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/imdb) and official Twitter account (https://twitter.com/imdb) are followed by more than 7 million passionate entertainment fans. IMDbPro (http://www.imdbpro.com) is a subscription version of IMDb designed exclusively for professionals who work in the entertainment industry. IMDbPro provides a casting service, contact information, in production listings for film and television projects, exclusive STARmeter rankings that are determined by user searches on IMDb, and a mobile optimized website. IMDb’s original web series, What to Watch (http://www.imdb.com/whattowatch), helps fans discover and dive deeply into movies and TV shows they’ll love. Additionally, IMDb owns and operates Withoutabox (http://www.withoutabox.com), a marketplace for film festivals and filmmakers, and Box Office Mojo (http://www.boxofficemojo.com), the leading online box-office reporting service. IMDb.com is operated by IMDb.com, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) (http://www.amazon.com). To learn more, go to: http://www.imdb.com/press.
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IMDb Premieres New Web Show (The IMDb Countdown) and New Top 10 List (Movers & Shakers); Margot Robbie Is The #1 Breakout Star of 2014
SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--IMDb (www.imdb.com), the world’s most popular and authoritative source for movie, TV and celebrity content, today unveiled the Top 10 Stars of 2014, the Top 10 Breakout Stars of 2014, and a new list, the Top 10 Movers & Shakers of 2014. Rather than base its annual rankings on small statistical samplings, reviews of professional critics or box office performance, these definitive top 10 lists are determined by the actual page views of the more than 200 million monthly unique visitors to IMDb.
“Although theatrical blockbusters deeply influenced this year’s list, the perennial popularity of TV title Game of Thrones ensured that Emilia Clarke, known to fans as Daenerys Targaryen, the Mother of Dragons, earned her seat on the Top 10 Stars list at #4”
IMDb’s just-launched Best of 2014 section (www.imdb.com/bestof2014) features a variety of additional top 10 lists, the IMDb Top 100 Stars of 2014 list, and other compelling year-end editorial coverage. In-depth IMDb STARmeter rankings are available exclusively on IMDbPro (http://www.imdbpro.com), the subscription version of IMDb designed for entertainment industry professionals.
To celebrate the 10th anniversary of IMDb’s annual end-of-year top 10 lists, IMDb will premiere a new IMDb original web series, The IMDb Countdown. Hosted by Brooke Anderson of Entertainment Tonight, The IMDb Countdown brings IMDb’s top 10 lists to life, featuring expert commentary from IMDb’s editors and celebrity acceptance speeches. The first episode, focused on the Top 10 Stars of 2014, premieres today (December 9) in IMDb’s Best of 2014 section (www.imdb.com/bestof2014) which is accessible via IMDb’s homepage and mobile apps. The second episode, which explores IMDb’s Top 10 Breakout Stars of 2014, will premiere on December 11. The third episode, which will reveal the Top 10 Movies of 2014 as determined by IMDb user ratings, will premiere on December 13. The fourth episode, which announces the Top 10 TV Series of the year as determined by page views on IMDb, will premiere on December 15.
And the 2014 winners are:
The IMDb Top 10 Stars of 2014 List*
1. Shailene Woodley
2. Jennifer Lawrence
3. Margot Robbie
4. Emilia Clarke
5. Scarlett Johansson
6. Nicola Peltz
7. Chloë Grace Moretz
8. Rosamund Pike
9. Emma Stone
10. Eva Green
*The 10 stars who consistently ranked the highest on the IMDb weekly STARmeter chart throughout 2014. IMDb STARmeter rankings are based on the actual page views of IMDb’s more than 200 million unique monthly visitors.
The IMDb Top 10 Breakout Stars of 2014 List*
1. Margot Robbie
2. Nicola Peltz
3. Rosamund Pike
4. Chris Pratt
5. Naomi Grossman
6. Theo James
7. Jared Leto
8. Taryn Manning
9. Taylor Schilling
10. Jamie Dornan
*Among the select group of stars who charted on IMDb’s annual Top 100 list for the first time in their careers in 2014, these 10 stars consistently ranked the highest on the IMDb weekly STARmeter chart throughout the year. IMDb STARmeter rankings are based on the actual page views of IMDb’s more than 200 million unique monthly visitors.
“This is the 10th anniversary of calculating IMDb’s Top 10 Stars and this is the first time women have swept every spot on the list, reflecting the fact that strong roles for women and breakthrough performances by women permeated 2014, ” said Keith Simanton, IMDb’s Managing Editor. “Leonardo DiCaprio, who ranked #3 in 2013 and #4 in 2010, was the highest performing actor in 2014 (ranking #11 for the year). 2014 was quite a year for Shailene Woodley, who dethroned last year’s #1 star (Jennifer Lawrence) by consistently being of interest to IMDb’s users throughout the year with her lead performances in early spring hit Divergent and summer’s hit The Fault In Our Stars. Margot Robbie catapulted to the top of our Breakout Stars list this year, fueled by intense fan interest in her role in The Wolf of Wall Street.”
“Although theatrical blockbusters deeply influenced this year’s list, the perennial popularity of TV title Game of Thrones ensured that Emilia Clarke, known to fans as Daenerys Targaryen, the Mother of Dragons, earned her seat on the Top 10 Stars list at #4,” said Melanie McFarland, IMDb’s TV editor. “Joining her is Eva Green (#10), who not only co-starred in the action flicks 300: Rise of an Empire and Sin City: A Dame of Kill For during 2014, but thrilled fans as the mysterious Vanessa Ives in Showtime’s rising hit Penny Dreadful -- which, like Green, is fast becoming a fan favorite.”
“Among IMDb’s 2014 Breakout stars are a few prominent TV/film crossovers. Yes, Chris Pratt (#4) may be known as Star-Lord nowadays, but long before winning the lead in Guardians of the Galaxy, he was the lovably dopey Andy Dwyer on NBC’s Parks and Recreation,” continued Melanie McFarland. “Similarly, the man the world will soon know as Christian Grey might be more familiar to TV viewers as Paul Spector on BBC’s The Fall. But among the three TV stars on the list, while it’s interesting to see Orange is the New Black’s Taylor Schilling (#9) and Taryn Manning (#8) on our year end Break-Out Stars list, the quick rise of American Horror Story star Naomi Grossman at #5 is a terrific story. Grossman’s transformation into Pepper on American Horror Story’s Asylum and Freak Show seasons is simply astounding, and her portrayal has piqued a lot of curiosity about her among our users.”
IMDb also revealed a new end-of-year top 10 list, Movers & Shakers. Among the rising stars who ranked on IMDb’s annual Top 200 STARmeter List in 2014, the stars on IMDb’s new Movers & Shakers list experienced the largest increase in their best weekly STARmeter ranking in 2014 as compared to 2013. The list follows:
The IMDb Top 10 Movers & Shakers of 2014 List*
1. Camren Bicondova
2. Emily Ratajkowski
3. Lupita Nyong’o
4. Dave Bautista
5. Danielle Panabaker
6. Ansel Elgort
7. Michelle Monaghan
8. Imogen Poots
9. Uzo Aduba
10. Dane DeHaan
*The rising stars on this list experienced the largest increase in their best weekly STARmeter ranking in 2014 as compared to 2013.
About IMDb
IMDb is the world’s most popular and authoritative source for movie, TV and celebrity content. The IMDb consumer site (www.imdb.com) is the #1 movie website in the world with a combined web and mobile audience of more than 200 million unique monthly visitors. IMDb offers a searchable database of more than 180 million data items including more than 3 million movies, TV and entertainment programs and more than 6 million cast and crew members. Consumers rely on the information IMDb provides -- including local movie showtimes, ticketing, trailers, critic and user reviews, personalized recommendations, photo galleries, entertainment news, quotes, trivia, box-office data, editorial feature sections and a universal Watchlist – when deciding what to watch and where to watch it. IMDb’s portfolio of leading entertainment apps (http://www.imdb.com/apps/) includes its popular “Movies & TV” app for iPhone, iPad, Kindle Fire, Android phones, Android tablets and its mobile-optimized website. To date, there have been more than 115 million downloads of IMDb’s mobile apps worldwide. IMDb's X-Ray for Movies & TV (www.imdb.com/x-ray) is a feature that revolutionizes the viewing experience by bringing the power of IMDb directly to Kindle Fire HD and Wii U devices. IMDb’s Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/imdb) and official Twitter account (https://twitter.com/imdb) are followed by more than 7 million passionate entertainment fans. IMDbPro (http://www.imdbpro.com) is a subscription version of IMDb designed exclusively for professionals who work in the entertainment industry. IMDbPro provides a casting service, contact information, in production listings for film and television projects, exclusive STARmeter rankings that are determined by user searches on IMDb, and a mobile optimized website. IMDb’s original web series, What to Watch (http://www.imdb.com/whattowatch), helps fans discover and dive deeply into movies and TV shows they’ll love. Additionally, IMDb owns and operates Withoutabox (http://www.withoutabox.com), a marketplace for film festivals and filmmakers, and Box Office Mojo (http://www.boxofficemojo.com), the leading online box-office reporting service. IMDb.com is operated by IMDb.com, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) (http://www.amazon.com). To learn more, go to: http://www.imdb.com/press.
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New Trailer and Poster for "Hot Tub Time Machine 2"
Lou Dorchen founder CEO of LouNET, the Internet powerhouse responsible for Lougle™, LougleMaps™, and LouMail™ writes exclusively for Mashable about how he makes Internet magic happen.
Read now: http://mashable.com/2014/12/10/lou-dorchen-went-to-the-future-brought-back-a-new-hot-tub-time-machine-2-trailer/
Watch now: http://youtu.be/qlPja0-7ALk
When Lou (Rob Corddry) finds himself in trouble, Nick (Craig Robinson) and Jacob (Clark Duke) fire up the hot tub time machine in an attempt to get back to the past. But they inadvertently land in the future with Adam Jr. (Adam Scott). Now they have to alter the future in order to save the past... which is really the present, in the sequel from the same team that brought you the original cult hit.
HOT TUB TIME MACHINE 2 is in theaters February 20th, 2015
Site: http://www.hottubtimemachine.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hottubtimemachine
Twitter: http://www.hottubtimemachine.com/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/HotTubTimeMachine2
#HotTubTimeMachine
Thursday, December 18, 2014
Detroit Film Critics Name "Boyhood" the Best Film of 2014
The Detroit Film Critics Society was founded in Spring 2007 and currently consists of a group of 20 Michigan film critics (as December 2013) who write or broadcast in the Detroit area as well as other major cities within a 150-mile radius of the city including Ann Arbor, Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, Lansing, and Flint, Michigan.
2014 Detroit Film Critics Society Awards winners:
BEST FILM
Winner: Boyhood
BEST DIRECTOR
Winner: Richard Linklater, Boyhood
BEST ACTOR
Winner: Michael Keaton, Birdman
BEST ACTRESS
Winner: Rosamund Pike, Gone Girl
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Winner: JK Simmons, Whiplash
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Winner: Patricia Arquette, Boyhood
BEST ENSEMBLE
Winner: Birdman
BREAKTHROUGH
Winner: Damien Chazelle, Whiplash (director, screenplay)
BEST SCREENPLAY
Winner: Richard Linklater, Boyhood
BEST DOCUMENTARY
Winner: CitizenFour
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2014 Detroit Film Critics Society Awards winners:
BEST FILM
Winner: Boyhood
BEST DIRECTOR
Winner: Richard Linklater, Boyhood
BEST ACTOR
Winner: Michael Keaton, Birdman
BEST ACTRESS
Winner: Rosamund Pike, Gone Girl
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Winner: JK Simmons, Whiplash
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Winner: Patricia Arquette, Boyhood
BEST ENSEMBLE
Winner: Birdman
BREAKTHROUGH
Winner: Damien Chazelle, Whiplash (director, screenplay)
BEST SCREENPLAY
Winner: Richard Linklater, Boyhood
BEST DOCUMENTARY
Winner: CitizenFour
---------------------
Benefit Screenings of "American Sniper" Announced
Chris Kyle Frog Foundation to Host Multi-City Benefit Screenings of “American Sniper”
BURBANK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Warner Bros. Pictures will join forces with the Chris Kyle Frog Foundation (CKFF) on special pre-release screenings of “American Sniper,” directed by Oscar-winning filmmaker Clint Eastwood and starring Bradley Cooper as Chris Kyle and Sienna Miller as his wife, Taya. Based on Chris Kyle’s autobiography, “American Sniper” recounts the personal story of the most lethal sniper in U.S. military history.
Eight cities have been chosen to host the CKFF benefit event on Wednesday, January 14, 2015: Dallas, Kansas City, Chicago, San Diego, Norfolk/Virginia Beach, Miami, Denver, and San Antonio.
Chris Kyle Frog Foundation was launched this past Veterans Day, with Taya Kyle presenting the organization’s vision of establishing a nationwide connection of service members and first responder families.
Taya stated, “I am so happy to welcome everyone to enjoy these special screenings of this inspiring, powerful and meaningful film, which captures Chris’s spirit and his character in telling the story of our family’s military experiences. ‘American Sniper’ not only reflects our story but also those of all military and first responder families; we honor them and their service to God and country. On behalf of the Chris Kyle Frog Foundation, I also want to express our deep appreciation to those who have supported our mission and made these screenings possible, especially Warner Bros. and our cinema partners, which are all listed on our website.”
Warner Bros. is proud to be a part of this special event, which will aid in introducing the foundation to the selected cities and beyond.
Tickets for these multi-city benefit screenings can be purchased beginning Thursday, December 18th. For more information about tickets, please visit: chriskylefrogfoundation.org.
ABOUT CHRIS KYLE FROG FOUNDATION
Chris Kyle Frog Foundation is a nonprofit organization whose mission is TO SERVE THOSE WHO SERVE US by providing meaningful interactive experiences enriching family relationships. Embracing Loyalty, Empowerment, Integrity and Excellence, Chris Kyle Frog Foundation experiences are designed to support its vision of a country of connected and thriving service member and first responder families. Each experience helps to build resilience while providing time and space without the distractions of everyday life. chriskylefrogfoundation.org
ABOUT “AMERICAN SNIPER”
From director Clint Eastwood comes “American Sniper,” starring Bradley Cooper as Chris Kyle, whose skills as a sniper made him a hero on the battlefield. But there was much more to him than his skill as a sharpshooter.
Navy SEAL Chris Kyle is sent to Iraq with only one mission: to protect his brothers-in-arms. His pinpoint accuracy saves countless lives on the battlefield and, as stories of his courageous exploits spread, he earns the nickname “The Legend.” However, his reputation is also growing behind enemy lines, putting a price on his head and making him a prime target of insurgents. He is also facing a different kind of battle on the home front: striving to be a good husband and father from halfway around the world. Despite the danger, as well as the toll on his family at home, Chris serves through four harrowing tours of duty in Iraq, personifying the spirit of the SEAL creed to “leave no one behind.” But upon returning to his wife, Taya (Sienna Miller), and kids, Chris finds that it is the war he can’t leave behind.
Two-time Oscar nominee Bradley Cooper (“Silver Linings Playbook,” “American Hustle”) heads the cast, which also includes Sienna Miller, Luke Grimes, Jake McDorman, Cory Hardrict, Kevin Lacz, Navid Negahban and Keir O’Donnell. Eastwood directed “American Sniper” from a screenplay written by Jason Hall, based on the book by Chris Kyle, with Scott McEwen and Jim DeFelice. The autobiography was a runaway bestseller, spending 18 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list, 13 of those at number one. The film is produced by Eastwood, Robert Lorenz, Andrew Lazar, Bradley Cooper and Peter Morgan. Tim Moore, Jason Hall, Sheroum Kim, Steven Mnuchin and Bruce Berman served as executive producers.
Warner Bros. Pictures presents in association with Village Roadshow Pictures, A Mad Chance Production, A 22nd & Indiana Production, “American Sniper.” Opening in limited release on December 25, 2014, and wide on January 16, 2015, the film will be distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company and in select territories by Village Roadshow Pictures. “American Sniper” has been rated R for strong and disturbing war violence and language throughout, including some sexual references. americansnipermovie.com
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BURBANK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Warner Bros. Pictures will join forces with the Chris Kyle Frog Foundation (CKFF) on special pre-release screenings of “American Sniper,” directed by Oscar-winning filmmaker Clint Eastwood and starring Bradley Cooper as Chris Kyle and Sienna Miller as his wife, Taya. Based on Chris Kyle’s autobiography, “American Sniper” recounts the personal story of the most lethal sniper in U.S. military history.
Eight cities have been chosen to host the CKFF benefit event on Wednesday, January 14, 2015: Dallas, Kansas City, Chicago, San Diego, Norfolk/Virginia Beach, Miami, Denver, and San Antonio.
Chris Kyle Frog Foundation was launched this past Veterans Day, with Taya Kyle presenting the organization’s vision of establishing a nationwide connection of service members and first responder families.
Taya stated, “I am so happy to welcome everyone to enjoy these special screenings of this inspiring, powerful and meaningful film, which captures Chris’s spirit and his character in telling the story of our family’s military experiences. ‘American Sniper’ not only reflects our story but also those of all military and first responder families; we honor them and their service to God and country. On behalf of the Chris Kyle Frog Foundation, I also want to express our deep appreciation to those who have supported our mission and made these screenings possible, especially Warner Bros. and our cinema partners, which are all listed on our website.”
Warner Bros. is proud to be a part of this special event, which will aid in introducing the foundation to the selected cities and beyond.
Tickets for these multi-city benefit screenings can be purchased beginning Thursday, December 18th. For more information about tickets, please visit: chriskylefrogfoundation.org.
ABOUT CHRIS KYLE FROG FOUNDATION
Chris Kyle Frog Foundation is a nonprofit organization whose mission is TO SERVE THOSE WHO SERVE US by providing meaningful interactive experiences enriching family relationships. Embracing Loyalty, Empowerment, Integrity and Excellence, Chris Kyle Frog Foundation experiences are designed to support its vision of a country of connected and thriving service member and first responder families. Each experience helps to build resilience while providing time and space without the distractions of everyday life. chriskylefrogfoundation.org
ABOUT “AMERICAN SNIPER”
From director Clint Eastwood comes “American Sniper,” starring Bradley Cooper as Chris Kyle, whose skills as a sniper made him a hero on the battlefield. But there was much more to him than his skill as a sharpshooter.
Navy SEAL Chris Kyle is sent to Iraq with only one mission: to protect his brothers-in-arms. His pinpoint accuracy saves countless lives on the battlefield and, as stories of his courageous exploits spread, he earns the nickname “The Legend.” However, his reputation is also growing behind enemy lines, putting a price on his head and making him a prime target of insurgents. He is also facing a different kind of battle on the home front: striving to be a good husband and father from halfway around the world. Despite the danger, as well as the toll on his family at home, Chris serves through four harrowing tours of duty in Iraq, personifying the spirit of the SEAL creed to “leave no one behind.” But upon returning to his wife, Taya (Sienna Miller), and kids, Chris finds that it is the war he can’t leave behind.
Two-time Oscar nominee Bradley Cooper (“Silver Linings Playbook,” “American Hustle”) heads the cast, which also includes Sienna Miller, Luke Grimes, Jake McDorman, Cory Hardrict, Kevin Lacz, Navid Negahban and Keir O’Donnell. Eastwood directed “American Sniper” from a screenplay written by Jason Hall, based on the book by Chris Kyle, with Scott McEwen and Jim DeFelice. The autobiography was a runaway bestseller, spending 18 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list, 13 of those at number one. The film is produced by Eastwood, Robert Lorenz, Andrew Lazar, Bradley Cooper and Peter Morgan. Tim Moore, Jason Hall, Sheroum Kim, Steven Mnuchin and Bruce Berman served as executive producers.
Warner Bros. Pictures presents in association with Village Roadshow Pictures, A Mad Chance Production, A 22nd & Indiana Production, “American Sniper.” Opening in limited release on December 25, 2014, and wide on January 16, 2015, the film will be distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company and in select territories by Village Roadshow Pictures. “American Sniper” has been rated R for strong and disturbing war violence and language throughout, including some sexual references. americansnipermovie.com
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