Thursday, December 29, 2011

Christopher Rosen's Favorite Movies of 2011: 'Harry Potter,' 'Midnight in Paris,' 'The Artist' and 'Moneyball'

The conclusion of year is all about one factor: lists! Ahead, the most popular 11 movies of 2011, from Harry Potter to Billy Beane. Apologies in advance just in case your fave didn't increase the risk for cut! 11. 'Harry Potter as well as the Deathly Hallows Part 2' The Harry Potter films were more often than not disappointing, but both regions of the 'Deathly Hallows' were great movies rather than live-action book bloodstream pressure dimensions. Everything ended ... well. Also, R.I.P. Snape. 10. 'Midnight in Paris' Reasons 'Midnight in Paris' is hella charming: Owen Wilson's non-Woodsy Allen impersonation (very hard task searching for you, Will Ferrell, Kenneth Branagh, Josh Brolin, Scarlett Johansson), everything Corey Stoll states as Ernest Hemingway, Alison Pill's Zelda Fitzgerald, Marion Cotillard. Reasons it is not: Rachel McAdams. Charming wins! Easily among Woody's least heavy and several enjoyable films shortly. 9. 'War Horse' Be brave. 'War Equine,' Steven Spielberg's latest epic, complements a psychological ringer -- also to the advantage -- before suggesting that hope can spring forth within the pitch-dark places in the world. Using the youthful adult novel by Michael Morpurgo (and modified for your screen by Richard Curtis and Lee Hall), 'War Horse' is often as wordless as fellow Best Picture contender 'The Artist.' Such as the film is told from the objective of take a look at Joey the equine -- from his upbringing while using Narracot family (Jeremy Irvine, Peter Mullan and Emily Watson, offering up sturdy, 19 fifties-era performances) to his first encounters using the First World War (don't blink or you'll miss Tom Hiddleston since the kindest soldier ever). Unabashedly schmaltzy, 'War Horse' can be a throwback to an occasion when people reserve their versions for your greater good. This Season, that idea is quaint possibly 'War Horse' may help help help remind everyone that quaint isn't necessarily bad. 8. 'The Girl While using Dragon Tattoo' In the event you needed any proof about the value of the director inside the filmmaking process, cast your gaze toward 'The Girl While using Dragon Tattoo,' which David Fincher transforms in the stock thriller into something much more. Part of that's because of his success with stars. Since the titular inked female, Rooney Mara becomes an instantaneous star by getting an legendary performance as Lisbeth Salander. As her cohort, disgraced journalist Mikael Blomkvist, Difficulties provides needed stability, whilst getting more fun than he ever seems to inside the Jason Bourne films. Due to Fincher's expert technique, 'The Girl While using Dragon Tattoo' might be the mainstream movie of year ... for grownups. No small task, that certain provides round the hype. 7. 'Warrior' You almost certainly didn't see 'Warrior,' the shame since it was among 2011's most psychologically satisfying products of adult drama. The story of two estranged brothers and sisters (Joel Edgerton and Tom Sturdy) who meet inside the octagon-created ring from the ufc -- a log line which certainly provides ample opportunity for schmaltz -- 'Warrior' plays things getting a detailed-to-the-vest honesty that handful of 2011 releases even attempted. Edgerton and Sturdy are outstanding as two sides of the gold gold coin, while Nick Nolte, their alcoholic and formerly abusive father, steals his moments while using gusto from the guy gunning with an Oscar nomination. In the just world, Nolte, Sturdy and author/director Gavin O'Connor would get some good Academy recognition for 'Warrior' sadly, as 'Warrior' proves in content and reception, the earth isn't necessarily just. 6. '50/50' The best bromantic cancer comedy ever? Possibly! '50/50' can be a near impossible sell -- can you wanna spend two several hours watching a young guy endure his cancer diagnosis? -- but people who needed the chance were paid out getting an interesting and honest film about associations and the way people deal with illness. Demerits for Bryce Dallas Howard's one-note lady villain are balanced through the bonuses acquired by "Yellow Ledbetter" being selected since the film's closing music signal. 5. 'Young Adult' The non-feel-good movie of 2011. Written with welcome vitriol by Diablo Cody and directed, remarkably, without any cloying pretense by Jason Reitman, 'Young Adult' focuses on Mavis Gary (Charlize Theron), a busted YA author who wallows in booze, Diet Coke, one-evening stands as well as the idea she's still destined for your greatness that her high-school years as Full Bee guaranteed. Mavis is self-destructive and mostly awful, however, you will sympathise along with her sometimes ultimately, who not harbor anticipation for "greater than this"? Well, maybe one person: Matt Freehauf (Patton Oswalt), a vintage high-school classmate of Mavis which has extended closed off his heart to just a his lot around. The bond that forms between Mavis and Matt comprises nearly all this anti-romcom, and hurtles 'Young Adult' toward its unwavering climax. This is often a movie that basically should not are actually managed to get was -- that Mavis, as around the face unlikable a lead character as has embellished the screen shortly, can be obtained -- is great news for audiences. Also, not so great, since 'Young Adult' can make you request some harsh queries about yourself during your search inside the mirror. 4. 'Beginners' Or, a sum happen if Wes Anderson and Woodsy Allen stood a baby? 'Beginners,' director Mike Mills's second feature following 'Thumbsucker,' might be the indie naval-gazer that people that don't like indie naval-gazers will enjoy. In regards to the changing relationship from the father and boy (Christopher Plummer and Ewan McGregor) following a elder guy arrives as homosexual at 75 (Mills based the film, simply, by themself existence), 'Beginners' squeezes a good deal into its 100 minute running-time: love, loss, commitment-fear, Woodsy Allen-like jazz music, together with your dog that talks in subtitles. A buffet of mish-mashed emotion, the film never strays off course, due to some deft sleight-of-hands by Mills and also the amazing cast. Plummer is becoming deserved Oscar buzz for his role since the recently out Hal, but it's Ewan McGregor who drives 'Beginners' along with his sad-sack lost-boy performance. 3. 'The Artist' It's a gimmick film, that's true. And within reach of a less-gifted creative group than director Michel Hazanvicius and stars Jean Dujardin and Berenice Bejo, 'The Artist' would most likely be an intolerable twee exercise that hipsters, real and faux, embrace as a bit of old-school awesome. Exactly why is Hazanavicius's quiet black-and-white-colored curio exceed that fray? At its core, 'The Artist' is among the evolution of society in the fee for your old guard. It's a poignant indication the very best dogs won't constantly be on top, but that doesn't mean we have to discard all of them with no care or concern. (Especially Uggie.) Every year of feel-good movies, 'The Artist' is amongst the feel-good-y it's also one of the better -- despite just what the growing cacophony of haters might have you believe. 2. 'Crazy Stupid Love' Certainly, the romantic comedy of year -- potentially years. Buoyed having a winning cast (Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone, Julianne Moore), 'Crazy Stupid Love' doesn't make an effort to reinvent the rom-com wheel rather, it revels inside the genre cliches, yet feels new by remembering that people desire to fall deeply deeply in love with figures. The final results are enjoyable beyond belief. Credit for 'Crazy Stupid Love' visits company company directors Glenn Ficarra and John Requa (for doing their utmost James L. Brooks impersonation), film author Serta Fogelman (for doing his best Cameron Crowe impersonation), together with the enjoyable cast. For Gosling completists, this might be his ultimate performance -- a charm offensive including many moments in the Gos, sans shirt. Hey, girl, indeed. 1. 'Moneyball' You actually can't call 'Moneyball' a home run. Not as it is this kind of hack pun connected using the premise of Bennett Miller's adaptation of Michael Lewis's seminal book about how precisely record analysis changed baseball forever, but because 'Moneyball' isn't about home runs. It comes down lower towards the small things. This is often a movie which includes a montage devoted to taking pitches for goodness sake. Oh, sure: there's a bit of on-area gallantry inside the third act, but even that's fleeting ultimately, it takes place in September through the standard season instead of October as well as the World Series. This can be baseball since it has not been described onscreen before: 'Moneyball' is full of small failures, small accomplishments, and doesn't conclude getting a trophy. Kaira Pitt can get the role of his existence as Billy Beane -- his golden hair and golden-er skin recalls a far more youthful Robert Redford -- nevertheless the real surprise in the cast is Jonah Hill as Pitt's onscreen apprentice. The most effective baseball movie ever, as well as the best movie of 2011 in 'Moneyball' terms, it's a lot better than a home run -- it'll access it base. [Photo: The brand new the new sony] The Most Effective Movies of 2011 The Most Effective Movies of 201150. 'Breaking Beginning཭. 'Transformers: Dark in the Moonཬ. 'The Tripཫ. 'Warriorཪ. 'Cave of Forgotten Dreamsཀྵ. 'The Iron Ladyཨ. 'We Bought a Zooཧ. 'Mission: Impossible -- Ghost Protocolས. 'Horrible Bossesཥ. 'Contagionཤ. 'Winnie the Poohལ. 'Win Winཡ. 'Tinker Tailor Soldier Spyར. 'Hannaའ. 'Extremely Noisy and very Closeཟ. 'The Interruptersཞ. 'Crazy, Stupid, Loveཝ. 'The Guardཛྷ. 'Captain America: The Initial Avengerཛ. 'The Ides of Marchཚ. 'Beginnersཙ. 'Martha Marcy May Marleneམ. 'A Dangerous Methodབྷ. 'The Adventures of Tintinབ. 'Bill Cunningham NYཕ. 'We Need to Discuss Kevinཔ. 'Young Adultན. 'My Week With Marilynདྷ. 'Margin Callད. 'X-Males: Top Qualityཐ. 'Attack the Blockཏ. 'Shameཎ. 'Super 8ཌྷ. 'Melancholiaཌ. 'The Muppetsཋ. 'Rise in the Planet in the Apesཊ. 'Tree of Existenceཉ. 'Rango཈. 'The Helpཇ. 'Moneyballཆ. ཮/50Ə. 'DriveƎ. 'The Girl While using Dragon Tattooƍ. 'Harry Potter as well as the Deathly Hallows, Part IIƌ. 'Midnight in ParisƋ. 'BridesmaidsƊ. 'The DescendantsƉ. 'War Equineƈ. 'The ArtistƇ. 'Hugo' See All Moviefone Galleries » Follow Moviefone on Twitter Like Moviefone on Facebook

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Relativity pushes 'Safe Haven' to 2013

Relativity Media has pressed back the discharge of their Nicholas Sparks adaptation "Safe PlaceInch to Feb 14, 2013, positioning the Lasse Hallstrom-directed love story for achievement over Valentine's weekend. Pic was initially skedded to spread out June 1, 2012, however with Hallstrom yet to begin casting, the development delay was inevitable. "Safe PlaceInch follows a youthful lady who moves to some small New York town to be able to escape her past. She rapidly falls for any loving widowed father who heals her heart helping her escape the risk that intends her. Dana Stevens ("Town of Angels") authored the script, which Jamie Linden ("120 MonthInch) lately did a rewrite on. Sparks is creating with Relativity Boss Ryan Kavanaugh and Temple Hill Entertainment principals Wyck Godfrey and Marty Bowen, while Relativity prexy Tucker Tooley will professional produce. Hallstrom isn't any stranger to Sparks' work, getting formerly helmed the bigscreen adaptation from the best-selling author's novel "Dear John," which Kavanaugh funded and Temple Hill created. That pic made nearly $115 million worldwide. Relativity acquired the privileges to "Safe PlaceInch inside a heated putting in a bid war in August 2010, when the organization introduced it might be fast-monitoring the project. Grand Central Posting launched it the next month, and Relativity provided marketing and marketing support through its Rogue Network along with other shops. Contact Shaun Sneider at shaun.sneider@variety.com

Reginald Collin dies at 84

Reginald Collin, a producer and director for British television, died of heart and chest problems in Shaftesbury, Dorset, England, on Friday, 12 ,. 16. He was 84. Collin produced the esteemed, dark espionage drama "Callan," which went from 1967-72 and starred Edward Woodward. More youthful crowd written and directed some episodes, which he was nominated for just two BAFTA Honours for his target the series Woodward won a BAFTA for his performance. Collin grew to become part of ABC Television (later Thames TV) in 1959. Just like a director inside the features department, he created the 1963-65 arts series "Tempo" and helmed some episodes. Later he produced the series "Sat'day While Sunday," "Special Branch," "Six Occasions of Justice," "Napoleon and Love" and "Armchair Cinema." Collin was produced london and left school at 14. His first job was just like a lab boy inside a London hospital within the height in the blitz. Throughout service following a war inside the RAF, he will be a shorthand typist at Headquarters Bomber Command but spent lots of his time running the amateur drama group. After departing the military he won a scholarship for the Old Vic Theater School and spent some undertaking in repertory, then a long time through which he directed pantomime and summer season shows. Furthermore to his BAFTA noms, Collin received a Royal Television Society fellowship (the RTS' finest award) in "recognition from the outstanding contribution for the furtherance of television" additionally to nods for intend to the from BAFTA and Kodak. Collin also composed it "BAFTA Behind the Mask: Personal Reminiscences." Children include Collin's wife, Pamela Lonsdale, a BAFTA Award champion for your preschool program "Rainbow," which she created. Contact Variety Staff at news@variety.com

Friday, December 16, 2011

The X Factor's Marcus Canty: Fate Brought Me to L.A. Reid

Marcus Canty It was kind of inevitable. After three consecutive weeks in the The X Factor's Bottom 2, Thursday night was Marcus Canty's night to go. But the 20-year-old Maryland native has no hard feelings about the elimination. "People picked who they wanted to be in the final, and I think everybody that's left in the competition is extremely talented - they deserve it," he said. The X Factor's most zen-like elimination ever Despite his elimination, Canty truly feels the competition changed him for the better. He described a "two-year window" his mother had given him to pursue a career in music before auditioning for The X Factor. Not surprisingly, she's granted him an extension. "Before the competition I got a little lazy about my career," Canty said. "Everything that happened, my mom did for me, so I didn't have to work that much. But this competition matured me. I had to keep fighting. And going back, and seeing how many people loved and supported me... it made me want to work even harder. I won't give up on my dream." Cheers & Jeers: Nicole Scherzinger - The X Factor's ex-judge? Even though he just missed the finals, Canty wouldn't have done it any other way - especially when it came to his mentor. "LA [Reid]'s a great guy," he said. "He was perfect mentor for me. He shaped so many of the careers I look up to. It was just fate - it felt like fate to me. "I walked into this competition and I wasn't going to feel any regrets," he added. "I wouldn't change a thing." The X Factor finale airs Thursday, Dec. 22, at 8/7c on Fox.

'One Guy,' two theaters

"One Guy, Two Guvnors" The Nation's Theater manufacture of honours-magnet comedy "One Guy, Two Guvnors" will transfer with a brand new cast to the second West Finish home, the Theater Royal Haymarket, for any run that starts March 2.Owain Arthur, who's understudying charge role produced by James Corden, will require over when Corden leaves using the original company for that Gotham transfer, opening April 18 at Broadway's Music Box. Further casting for that Theatre Royal Haymarket transfer has not yet been introduced.Helmed by Nicholas Hytner, "One Guy, Two Guvnors" exits its current home in the Adelphi Theater to create method for the transfer of Jonathan Kent's Chichester Festival Theater manufacture of Sondheim's "Sweeney Todd," which starts perfs March 10. Contact David Benedict at benedictdavid@mac.com

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Suits' Patrick J. Adams Responds to His Surprising SAG Honours Nomination

Patrick J. Adams When nominations for your 18th Annual Screen Stars Guild Honours were revealed today, nobody was more surprised in comparison to surprise drama actor nominee themselves, Suits star Patrick J. Adams. "I'm so embarrassed to be also honest, however i really didn't know this have been introduced today," Adams recognized to TV Guide Magazine several hours once you have what is the news. "It had been my newbie of virtually everything properly, so something pretty wonderful has happened." Audiences may recognize the 30-year-old Adams from small roles on Lost and Pretty Little Liars, but this summer season he began as leading guy Mike Ross inside the popular USA Network legal drama. "It had been really my first large gig, I even got fired in the show somewhat within year before Suits," unveils Adams, that can go facing honours show veterans like Kyle Chandler (Friday Evening Lights) and Steve Buscemi (Boardwalk Empire) inside the category. "They're individuals who're teachers - they are masters in the things they are doing - therefore i really achieve consider myself students from the work," states Adams. "Being nominated or possibly in the identical sentence because they people is actually an recognition." For his Suits costars, Adams states these referred to as immediately to discuss their congratulations. "Gabriel [Macht] was the first one to achieve out, with Ron Hoffman being easily easily the funniest,In . laughs Adams. "It absolutely was merely a litany of curse words coupled with screams of enjoyment - typical Ron Hoffman a reaction to something he's happy about." To ensure that as Suits prepares to shoot its second season, Adams recognizes the value of current day nomination to individuals on / off screen. "It provides something to keep our hat on and encourage us to go to further, search much much deeper and taking risks just like a show," according to him. "It's a huge responsibility, but we're up for your challenge." The 18th Annual Screen Stars Guild Honours air survive Sunday, Jan. 29 at 8/7c around the best spinner's and TNT. Subscribe to TV Guide Magazine now!

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

George Clooney to Star in Dustin Lance Black's Proposition 8 Play

George Clooney has signed to star in the West Coast premiere of 8, a stage play chronicling the historic federal court trial overturning Proposition 8, the ballot measure that denied gay and lesbian Californians the right to marry.our editor recommendsStar-Studded Cast Debuts Dustin Lance Black's Prop. 8 Play AFM 2011: Rob Reiner Planning Film on Proposition 8 Legal CaseCalifornia's Prop. 8 Moves Closer to a Showdown in U.S. Supreme Court. Related Topics•Politics The production -- directed by Rob Reiner and written by Dustin Lance Black -- will run one night only at Los Angeles' Wilshire Ebell Theatre on March 3. Proceeds will benefit the American Foundation for Equal Rights in its national fight for marriage equality. PHOTOS: George Clooney's Career in Pictures "It is astonishing that gay and lesbian Americans are still treated as second-class citizens," Clooney said. "I am confident that, very soon, the laws of this nation will reflect the basic truth that gay and lesbian people -- like all human beings -- are born equal in dignity and rights." Opponents of Proposition 8 have called on the court to unseal the video of the federal trial for the public to see. A ruling is expected soon. In the meantime, the limited showing of 8 will have to suffice. "People need to witness what happened in the Proposition 8 trial," says Black, the Oscar-winning writer of the Harvey Milk biopic Milk as well as this year's J. Edgar, "if for no other reason than to see inequality and discrimination unequivocally rejected in a court of law where truth and facts matter." STORY: Dustin Lance Black Debuts Prop. 8 Play in NY The move west follows a successful performance of the play in NY in September featuring a cast including Morgan Freeman, Ellen Barkin, John Lithgow and Bradley Whitford. In the L.A. version, Clooney will be joined by another all-star cast who will play the roles of the legal teams, plaintiffs and witnesses for both sides of the case, which is now on appeal. Additional cast members will be announced soon. "This play will continue to show Americans -- one by one -- that prejudice and fear cannot stand up to truth and justice," said AFER Board president Chad Griffin. "Our Constitution neither knows nor tolerates the treatment of gays and lesbians as second-class citizens." PHOTO GALLERY: View Gallery George Clooney: Career in Pictures Related Topics Dustin Lance Black George Clooney Politics

Friday, December 9, 2011

George Clooney And Sony Pictures Plan Feature On TVs The Smothers Brothers

EXCLUSIVE: Sony Pictures and Smokehouse partners George Clooney and Grant Heslov will turn the story of 60s comedians Tom and Dicky Smothers into a feature film. They’ve optioned the David Bianculli book Dangerously Funny: The Uncensored Story Of The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, and they’ve set Brian Hecker and Craig Sherman to write the script. Clooney and Heslov will produce. It’s too early to determine whether or not Clooney will star or direct. The show ran from 1967-69 on CBS, and the brothers, who famously squabbled on and off screen, were transformed by the period’s social upheaval. They went from squeaky clean comics to counterculture troublemakers. They were aided by a writing staff that included Steve Martin, and Rob Reiner and they were the first to introduce liberal hippie politics into the mainstream, as well as cutting edge rock acts like The Who, Jefferson Airplane and The Doors. All this earned them a spot on President Richard Nixon’s enemies list and ultimately got them fired by CBS. Hecker and Sherman most recently scripted Atari, a Black List script about 27-year old rebel genius Nolan Bushnell, who created the video game industry and Atari, gave Steve Jobs a job, and paved the way for the computer age. Paramount and Appian Way are developing the project. Original Artists reps the scribes. Clooney and Heslov are in the Oscar race with The Ides of March and Clooney is also in the Best Actor mix for The Descendants.

Five Reasons To See 'Young Adult'

As Mavis Gary lounges in her Hello Kitty T-shirt, swigging a 2-liter of Diet Coke for breakfast while the Kardashians drone in the background, it's clear the title "Young Adult" (out today in limited release) refers not just to Mavis' occupation as a teen-lit author, but to the protagonist herself, whom at the age of 30-something, has never quite grown up. And she doesn't apologize for it. The Diablo Cody-penned, Jason Reitman-directed comedy follows Mavis as she returns home to Mercury, Minnesota, to win back her high-school sweetheart Buddy Slade (played by Patrick Wilson), who's now married with a newborn baby. But, again, Mavis doesn't care too much about that. The film is a hilarious (and at times cringe-inducing) tale of perpetual adolescence that you won't want to miss. Here are five reasons to see "Young Adult." Charlize Theron Is Fearless It takes a certain self-confidence to portray a character with so few redeeming qualities, and Theron has it in spades. In fact, director Jason Reitman told Theron she was the only actress he envisioned in the role. "[It's] so nice, but also a bit of a back-handed compliment," Theron recently joked to MTV News. Sorry, Charlize. We couldn't agree with Jason more. Patton Oswalt: Leading Man Sure, Patrick Wilson fills the stereotypical heartthrob role here, but it's Oswalt who nearly steals the show with his geeky Matt Freehauf, a high school classmate of Mavis', who's now handicapped after being the victim of a hate crime. (The jocks thought he was gay...but he's not.) Mavis and Matt's unlikely friendship is one of the few soft spots in "Young Adult," and it's a relationship you oddly can't help but root for. Diablo Cody Lite The Oscar-winning scribe of "Juno" has a penchant for quirky sight gags (hamburger phone, anyone?) and catchphrase-friendly dialogue ("Honest to blog!"), but Cody is pleasantly restrained in "Young Adult," not allowing quippy lines to upstage the story. (Though kudos for that "textual chemistry" pun, Diablo...) The Ending Without spoiling the movie's conclusion, we'll just say things aren't wrapped up with a big red bow—something Theron said makes the story more true to life. "I sometimes watch movies, and I call them 'movie people,'" she said. "I don't know these people who have massive revelations and turn their lives around." Neither do we. Strangely, You Might Just Relate As despicable as Mavis can be, it's hard not to commiserate with a small-town gal done (sort of) good, who returns home to find not much has changed. If you've gone back for a high school reunion, you know what we're talking about. Do you plan on seeing "Young Adult"? Tell us in the comments and on Twitter!

'Cinderella' targets Broadway

Beane Goodman A new version of Rodgers and Hammerstein tuner "Cinderella" is targeting a Broadway run, skedding a spring workshop staging ahead of a proposed Rialto berth in the 2012-13 season.Scribe Douglas Carter Beane ("Xanadu," "The Little Dog Laughed"), whose musical "Lysistrata Jones" opens next week on Broadway, writes the all-new book, which incorporates the familiar fairy tale elements but gives the tale a girl-power twist. Robyn Goodman ("Avenue Q," "Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo") and her shingle Aged in Woods Prods. will produce.Penned for TV, the 1957 "Cinderella" has never played Broadway, although legit adaptations began hitting stages soon after bow of TV tuner, which starred Julie Andrews. Subsequent tube incarnations include a 1965 version toplined by Lesley Ann Warren and a 1997 adaptation that starred Brandy.A City Opera version most recently played Gotham in 2004, while another adaptation -- with a book assembled from multiple versions of the musical -- is playing at Seattle's 5th Avenue Theater.Because the original clocked in at less than 80 minutes, most newer versions interpolate other songs from the Rodgers and Hammerstein catalog. The latest version does the same, although some of them are songs that were cut from other tuners, including the opening number, according to Goodman.Production targets the all-ages crowd that has helped propel shows such as "The Lion King" to B.O. success, with the producer describing Beane's adaptation as a balance between kid-friendly fairytale trappings and a smart, satirical tone.Producers are gearing up for a developmental workshop staging in April. Contact Gordon Cox at gordon.cox@variety.com

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Michael Bay on 'Transformers 4': 'Studio's are Passing Gossips however i am Unsure Things I am Doing?'

Viggo Mortensen can be a celebrity -- a title he does not seem to consider everything seriously. Due to the fact he was inside the finest-grossing film series ever (the 'Lord in the Rings' trilogy) does not necessarily mean he must perform the other Celebrities do. He washes their very own dishes. He talks about dying and Russian poetry. He once written a script for just about any quiet movie set 1,000 years formerly and shipped to Leonardo DiCaprio (he switched it lower). They are basically a few in the information site visitors can gain understanding in the cover story in this particular week's T Magazine, properly titled 'Viggo Talks and Talks.' So! What were a couple of from the highlight quotes from the feature article? Let's examine. Viggo's applying for grants dying and understanding "'I'm unafraid of dying,' he mentioned, wiping lower a counter getting a moist cloth, 'but I resent it. In my opinion it's unfair and irritating. Every time I see something beautiful, I not merely want to return to it, nevertheless it makes me need to visit other beautiful things. I realize I'm not dealing with any the places If only to visit. I'm not prone to read all the books If only to see ... There's a restriction ... I'm speaking about, I recognize limits are ideal for character and many types of that, however would rather live forever.'" The writer on Viggo's very unsexy laugh "More youthful crowd has, that it's worth, one of the oddest and unsexiest laughs in the united states: a kind of abrupt, feminine cackle that's liable that will help you jump if you're not expecting it." The writer on Viggo's dish-washing abilities "The counter being clean now, Mortensen cleaned out his cloth and switched his target the dirty dishes. (The reporter must have offered some assistance at this time around, however the look at Aragorn along with his hands in the sinkful of Fairy Liquid was too beguiling: visitors, she sitting back and seen.)" Viggo on his distaste of hotels "However when the hired day folded around, Mortensen had moved in the Ritz-Carlton. Existence, he mentioned, was short to stay inside a 'prison' that you couldn't open the house home windows and where the lobby was always full of industry people." Viggo (type of) making obvious his earlier applying for grants dying "'I know I mentioned I desired to reside in forever which i wouldn't be bored, however, it's probably kind of sad to reside in forever if you're alone sticking around. I guess dealing with injuries and disease is rather hard too, so I am unsure -- maybe growing older is not this kind of great factor ... Anyway, whatever, I am unsure if a number of this matters. However guess what happens I'm saying is, I'd accept another 150 years.'" Clearly, Viggo is not your typical A-lister. This will not come just like a surprise -- ultimately, he's starred in three David Cronenberg movies -- but his genuine bizarreness is obviously refreshing. Browse the whole article over on T Magazine Viggo's latest film, 'A Dangerous Method,' is at theaters now. [via T Magazine and Gawker] [Photo: Getty] Follow Moviefone on Twitter Like Moviefone on Facebook

Sundance Unveils Lineup Of Narrative, Documentary, Animated Shorts

Sundance Institute unveiled Tuesday the short films selected for the 2012 Sundance Film Festival. Sixty-four short films were chosen from a record 7,675 submissions a 16% increase over submissions for the 2011 fest. The festival runs January 19-29 in Park City, Salt Lake City, Ogden and Sundance, Utah. The 2012 short film program is presented by Yahoo, which will feature some of the shorts on Yahoo! Screen, Yahoo’s premium video destination, where viewers can vote for their favorite. The winning filmmaker will be presented with the Yahoo! Audience Award at the end of the festival. U.S. SHORT FILMS This year’s 32 U.S. short films were selected from 4,083 submissions. U.S. NARRATIVE SHORT FILMS 92 Skybox Alonzo Mourning Rookie Card (Director: Todd Sklar, Screenwriters: Todd Sklar, Alex Rennie) Jim and Dave are brothers who haven’t spoken in years and don’t like each other very much, but are forced to come together for a week when their dad dies in Kansas City. A limited edition 1992 Skybox Series Alonzo Mourning rookie card is a point of contention. The Arm (Directors and screenwriters: Brie Larson, Sarah Ramos, Jessie Ennis) In an attempt to keep up with social pressure in a technologically advanced world, Chance starts a texting relationship with Genevieve, a girl he meets at a yogurt shop. The Black Balloon (Directors: Benny Safdie, Josh Safdie) The Black Balloon strays from the herd and experiences what life as an individual is like. He explores NY City in the deepest way, seeing all of its characters. Dol (First Birthday) (Director and screenwriter: Andrew Ahn) A gay Korean American man yearns for a family life just out of reach. Famous Person Talent Agency: Pearls of Asia (Director: Ivan Hurzeler, Screenwriter: Cami Delavigne) Jackie Diamond is a luckless talent agent who never stops dreaming. He believes in his clients and he believes in show business. Jackie reaches for the stars from a shabby office in Queens the Famous Person Talent Agency. FISHING WITHOUT NETS (Director: Cutter Hodierne, Screenwriters: Cutter Hodierne, John Hibey) A story of pirates in Somalia, told from the perspective of the pirates themselves. The Fort (Director and screenwriter: Andrew Renzi) On a rainy day, a young boy builds a fort in the woods when a man appears and offers to help. FOURPLAY: TAMPA (Director: Kyle Henry, Screenwriter: Carlos Trevino) Louis loops into a local mall to grab lunch in the food court and a quickie in the public restroom. Paranoid about his own small package and clearly nervous about the situation, he scouts for possible partners, letting his imagination take over when reality proves thoroughly unsatisfying. Hellion (Director and screenwriter: Kat Candler) Little seven-year-old Petey falls prey to his older brothers’ hellion ways. Henley (Director: Craig Macneill, Screenwriters: Craig Macneill, Clay McLeod Chapman) Meet nine-year-old Ted Henley, budding motel manager and roadkill entrepreneur. L TRAIN (Director and screenwriter: Anna Musso) Sunny is a self-regarding teenager fighting her way through an inner city blizzard, until she encounters someone who forces her to consider an altruistic, if not absurd, action. Life and Freaky Times of Uncle Luke (Director: Jillian Mayer, Screenwriter: Lucas Leyva) A modern Miami adaptation of the 1962 French short film La Jetee, the film recounts Luke’s (Uncle Luke, legendary rapper from the hip-hop group 2 Live Crew) rise to fame as he changes the face of hip-hop and fights for first amendment rights- and later as he ushers Miami into a golden era of peace and prosperity as Mayor. OK BREATHE AURALEE (Director and screenwriter: Brooke Swaney) Auralee wants a baby and will go to great lengths to get what she wants. Rolling on the Floor Laughing (Director and screenwriter: Russell Harbaugh) Two grown brothers return home for their widowed mother’s birthday, only to find themselves competing with a strange man for her affection. Song of the Spindle (Director and screenwriter: Drew Christie) An animated, humorous and informative conversation between a sperm whale and a man. Each one tries to convince the other that his brain is bigger. spoonful (Director and screenwriter: Jene LaMarque) Three sisters return to their childhood home after the death of their father in order to pack up the family house. To make matters worse, the oldest sister has been separated from her baby for the first time. The Thing (Director: Rhys Ernst, Screenwriters: Rhys Ernst, Avery McTaggart) Zooey has spent weeks planning a road trip to a mysterious roadside attraction known as ‘The Thing’ in the hopes that she and Tristan will reconnect. Both Tristan, an FTM transman, and his fluffy cat Steven struggle to find places to comfortably pee, while Zooey learns the open road isn’t everything she hoped it would be. UNA HORA POR FAVORA (Director and screenwriter: Jill Soloway) A woman hires a day laborer for an hour and gets more than she bargained for. U.S. DOCUMENTARY SHORT FILMS AQUADETTES (Directors: Drea Cooper, Zackary Canepari) The Aquadettes are a group of elderly synchronized swimmers from Leisure World, a retirement community nestled in Orange County, California. One of them, Margo Bauer, is fighting multiple sclerosis and using medical marijuana to ease her pain and to keep on swimming. The Debutante Hunters (Director: Maria White) In the Lowcountry of South Carolina a group of true Southern belles reveal their more rugged side, providing a glimpse into what drives them to hunt in the wild. Family Nightmare (Director: Dustin Guy Defa) A dizzy trip through the mid-1990s with a dysfunctional American family. Reliving a distracted child’s birthday party, an emotionless wedding, a Halloween in a garage and a Christmas marked with alcohol, drugs and perversion, the film is a crumpled letter from a filmmaker to his family: a shattered kaleidoscope of the destructive patterns that have trapped and wounded its members. The Meaning of Robots (Director: Matt Lenski) The benevolent Mike Sullivan, age 65, has been shooting an epic stop-motion robot sex film in his apartment for the last 10 years. Obsessed with constructing the miniature robot porn stars, his apartment now overflows with thousands of them. The Movement: One Man Joins an Uprising (Directors: Greg I. Hamilton, Kurt Miller) In 2004 Rick Finkelstein was paralyzed in a ski accident on Aspen Mountain. With a severed spine and severe internal trauma, he wasn’t expected to live. Six years, nine surgeries, and a lifetime of rehab later, cameras captured his dramatic return to Aspen and skiing. Odysseus Gambit (Director: lex Lora Cercs) A gambit is a chess opening in which a player sacrifices a pawn with the hope of achieving a resulting advantageous position. The protagonist is a Cambodian American guy looking for his place in the game. Pluto Declaration (Director: Travis Wilkerson) Restore the classical definition of planet! Bring back planet Pluto! The solar system is 12! The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom (Director: Lucy Walker) Survivors in the areas hardest hit by Japan’s recent tsunami find the courage to revive and rebuild as cherry blossom season begins. A visual haiku about the ephemeral nature of life and the healing power of Japan’s most beloved flower. U.S. ANIMATED SHORT FILMS 38-39 C (Director and screenwriter: Kangmin Kim) A man with a big birthmark on his back enters an old public bathhouse. He falls into a dream where he confronts his father who has the same birthmark. Avocados (Director and screenwriter: Kataneh Vahdani) A journey with many characters in one day through a city. Dr Breakfast (Director and screenwriter: Stephen Neary) One day at breakfast, a man’s soul bursts out of his eyeball. A surreal meditation on the quirky but rejuvenating nature of friendship. Its Such a Beautiful Day (Director and screenwriter: Don Hertzfeldt) Bill wakes to find himself in a hospital struggling with memory problems, in this third and final chapter to Don Hertzfeldt’s EVERYTHING WILL BE OK. Night Hunter (Director and screenwriter: Stacey Steers) In this handmade film, composed of more than 4,000 collages and shot in 35mm color, the actress Lillian Gish is seamlessly appropriated from silent-era cinema and plunged into a new and haunting role. Once It Started It Could Not End Otherwise (Director and screenwriter: Kelly Sears) Terrifying and strange happenings descend on a 1970s high school. INTERNATIONAL SHORT FILMS This years 27 international short films from 16 countries were selected from a record 3,592 submissions. INTERNATIONAL NARRATIVE SHORT FILMS Barbie Blues / Israel (Director and screenwriter: Adi Kutner) When Mika, a suburban teenager finds a disturbing creature in her swimming pool she asks her neighbor Gershon for help. What starts off as a friendly encounter between two neighbors turns into an unexpected lesson on the borders of control. BEAR / Australia (Director: Nash Edgerton, Screenwriters: Nash Edgerton, David Michd) Jack means well, but sometimes good intentions have horrible consequences. Dont Hug Me Im Scared / United Kingdom (Directors: Joseph Pelling, Rebecca Sloan) A short film about teaching creativity by This Is It Collective. Frozen Stories (Opowiesci z chlodni) / Poland (Director and screenwriter: Grzegorz Jaroszuk) Two worst employees of a supermarket have been ordered to find a goal in their lives. Fungus (Svamp) / Sweden (Director and screenwriter: Charlotta Miller) Katrin decides to face her old boyfriend, who is back to collect some of his stuff. Girl / Sweden (Director: Fijona Jonuzi, Screenwriter: Gustaf Boman Brnngrd) Hanna, 32, randomly finds a party consisting of of five 20-year-old boys. At first she feels uncomfortable, but after a little adjusting, she soon feels like shes one of them. The Hidden Smile (El somriure amagat) / Spain (Director: Ventura Durall, Screenwriters: Ventura Durall, Miguel Llans) Following a 10-year-old kid who arrives at the Ethiopian capital after escaping from his home and his misfortunes to integrate into a street children group, The Hidden Smile constructs a realistic tale on the values that flourish in a society formed by children. Juku / Bolivia (Director: Kiro Russo, Screenwriters: Gilmar Gonzales, Kiro Russo) The dark mass between the screen and the room can beat again like once the first darkness did. Deep in it a man moves. He has a lamp, and the light it makes forms the rocks that will end up taking over the screen. About ten thousand people enter daily into Posokoni, the largest tin mine in Bolivia. Killing the Chickens to Scare the Monkeys / Sweden (Director and screenwriter: Jens Assu) Nine scenes unfold in the grey area between black and white, where national politics and strategy have unforeseen consequences on a young teachers life. Las Palmas / Sweden (Director and screenwriter: Johannes Nyholm) A middle-aged lady on a holiday in the sun tries to make new friends and have a good time. LAZAROV / France (Director and screenwriter: Nieto) Refusing to accept the decline of the USSR, a handful of Russian scientists work secretly to resurrect the Soviet power. Here are some new images of the mysterious program Lazarov. Long Distance Information / United Kingdom (Director and screenwriter: Douglas Hart) Da always said not to talk to strangers…but you’ve got to phone home sometimes. Moxie / United Kingdom (Director and screenwriter: Stephen Irwin) A pyromaniac bear misses his mother. Playtime (Spielzeit) / Germany (Director and screenwriter: Lucas Mireles) A seamless journey of German youth and innocence on a Sunday afternoon. Random Strangers / United Kingdom (Director: Alexis Dos Santos, Screenwriters: Laurence Coriat, Alexis Dos Santos) Rocky and Lulu live in opposite sides of the planet: they bump into each other in ChatRoulette and decide to stay in touch. Using video diaries, secret confessions, fictional representations of facts of their lives made with toys, dance performances and songs, they create a place where they can truly be themselves. But how real is their world? The Return (Kthimi) / Kosovo (Director: Blerta Zeqiri, Screenwriter: Shefqet Gjocaj) A man comes back from a Serb prison to his wife and son. Much has changed since he was declared missing and continuing where they left off four years ago may not be as easy as it seems. Surveillant / Canada (Director and screenwriter: Yan Giroux) It’s another quiet summer day in Park Dufresne. The neighborhood youth loiter around the park until a new park monitor appears for his first day of work. Two universes clash and a territorial struggle begins. Tootys Wedding / United Kingdom (Director: Frederic Casella, Screenwriters: Laura Solon, Ben Willbond) A young couple’s marriage hilariously hits the rocks during a weekend wedding in the country. Tumult / United Kingdom (Director and screenwriter: Johnny Barrington) A tribe of Norse warriors traipse across a barren land after battle. Bloodied and wounded, their chief is near death. He is about to hand over power to his son when an army of a completely different kind descends upon them. INTERNATIONAL DOCUMENTARY SHORT FILMS Into the Middle of Nowhere / United Kingdom (Director: Anna Frances Ewert) The documentary is about the uniqueness of childhood and the exploration of the human mind. In an outdoor nursery based in the woods, children create their own individually constructed worlds and can test out the boundaries of reality. Stick Climbing / Austria, Switzerland (Director: Daniel Zimmerman) A contemplative walk leads to a bizarre climbing tour going from everyday village life to a seemingly impossible ascent. INTERNATIONAL ANIMATED SHORT FILMS 663114 / Japan (Director: Isamu Hirabayashi) I am a 66-year-old cicada. There was a big earthquake. There was a big tsunami. There also was a big accident. Belly / United Kingdom (Director: Julia Pott) Oscar is coming of age, against his better judgment. In doing so he must experience the necessary evil of leaving something behind, but he can still feel it in the pit of his stomach. BOBBY YEAH / United Kingdom (Director: Robert Morgan) Bobby Yeah is a petty thug who lightens his miserable existence by brawling and thieving stuff. One day, he steals the favorite pet of some very dangerous individuals, and finds himself in deep trouble. He really should learn, but he just can’t help it. A Morning Stroll / United Kingdom (Director: Grant Orchard) When a NYer walks past a chicken on his morning stroll, we are left to wonder which one is the real city slicker. Robots of Brixton / United Kingdom (Director: Kibwe Tavares) The trials and tribulations of young robots surviving at the sharp end of inner city life, living the predictable existence of a populous hemmed in by poverty, disillusionment and mass unemployment. Slow Derek / United Kingdom (Director: Dan Ojari) The tale of Derek, an office worker, as he struggles with the true speed of planet earth. NEW FRONTIER SHORT FILMS An electrifying celebration of innovation in filmmaking, these New Frontier shorts, through bold color and thought-provoking messaging, electrify and energize the mind. The Conquerors (Les Conqurants) / Canada, France (Directors and screenwriters: Sarolta Szabo, Tibor Banoczki) What exactly we need to build new civilization? Bravery? Courage? Power? Or the only thing we need is to successfully destroy an already existing one. The Diatom / U.S.A. (Director: Chris Peters) The diatom is the most numerous species on the planet, the basis of the aquatic food chain, produces most of the oxygen on earth, and is a key scientific indicator of the health of a water system. In order to understand our place in the world this mixed-mode ‘science film’ observes renowned Utah-based scientist Sam Rushforth and his team in the wide isolated landscape then in the lab and finally goes through the microscope to the diatom itself. Fragments of Dissolution / U.S.A. (Director: Travis Wilkerson) A poetic, anguished cry from the heart of a rotting empire. Four women describe their own unique hells. Children, brothers, and friends burned alive while simply trying not to freeze. Husbands and sons deployed over and over, who kill themselves rather than fighting again. From Ft. Lewis to Detroit, the empire is devouring its own intestines. Moving Stories / Belgium (Director and screenwriter: Nicolas Provost) Two young passengers adventure towards a mysterious future. SEEKING THE MONKEY KING (Director: Ken Jacobs) The film could have well been called KICKING AND SCREAMING but that only describes me in the process of making it, questioning its taste. Cut through the flashy swastikas and one sees the German Nazis were Christians fulfilling historic obligation (The Final Solution) with relatively few so well-read as to imagine themselves Nietzscheans. SEEKING THE MONKEY KING is a reversion to my mid-20s and that sense of horror that drove the making of STAR SPANGLED TO DEATH.

Monday, December 5, 2011

The gift of giving

Something special with a favorite charitable organization inside the title from the client can be a significant approach to thanks, and contains become progressively well-loved by Hollywood. Some everyone inside the biz features a favorite, below are a handful of worthy industryconnected non-profits that is probably not prominent round the radar.Saban Free ClinicFounded in 1967 since the L.A. Free Clinic, the Saban Free Clinic (endowed by Haim and Cheryl Saban) has four locations where handle roughly 90,000patients. The Saban Free Clinic, 8405 Beverly Blvd., La, 90048 Phone: (323) 653-8622HOLA (Heart of los angeles)Situated close to downtown L.A., HOLA aimsto aid at-risk youth by delivering activities that them in the streets. Volunteers result from all fields and will include professional sports sports athletes and showbiz professionals that are dedicated to helping these children find success.Heart of los angeles,2701 Wilshire Blvd., Ste. 100,La, 90057Phone: (213) 389-1148Global Alliance for Clean CookstovesWoodsmoke exposure from cooking over open fires causes greater than 2 million early deaths yearly inside the under developed.This worldwide private-public partnership, headed by Secretary of Condition Hillary Clinton, seeks to distribute energyefficient cookstoves Jennifer Aniston is global ambassador.Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves1800 Massachusetts Ave. NW, Ste. 400,Washington, D.C., 20036Phone: (202) 650-5345p class="contact"> Contact the number newsroom at news@variety.com

Friday, December 2, 2011

Jimmy Fallon to produce Comedy Album in 2012

Ray Mickshaw / FOX. Thursday saw a general change in energy within the last regular evening of programming on friday, thanks mainly with a block of repeats from CBS. Fox won the evening while using X Factor results show together with a brand new episode of Bones. X Factor was up a tenth inside the desirable grownups 18-49 set, getting in the 3.1 rating due to its 8:00 p.m. broadcast. Bones, within the fourth outing of the year, matched up up its previous broadcast's scores. It won the 9:00 p.m. hour getting a couple.8 rating inside the demo. The web averaged 3. for your evening. PHOTOS: Fall TV Dying Pool: Which New Show Will Probably Be Axed? ABC's broadcast in the CMA Country Christmas elevated the network with a second place finish in grownups 18-49, calculating a few.1 rating. A broadcast of Santa Claus is Going to Town (2.2 rating) introduced to the two-hour musical special, which averaged a few.1 rating among the key demo between 9:00 p.m. and 11:00 p.m. The block of repeats from CBS -- The Big Bang Theory, Rules of Engagement, Person of curiosity, The Mentalist -- narrowly assigned NBC's original options for your evening. The web averaged single.9 rating among grownups 18-49, operated through the 8:00 p.m. encore of huge Bang, which introduced in the 2.9. It tied Work with second finest showing in the evening inside the demo. On NBC, Community released its most effective showing among grownups 18-49 since Sept. 29 getting single.7 rating. Parks and Entertainment built on its lead-in but was lower two tenths in the last original broadcast with a 1.8 rating inside the demo. Work matched up up its latest performance getting a couple.9 among 18-49-ers, as did Whitney having its 1.9. Prime Suspect averaged single.3, up an irrelevant two tenths in the last showing. For your CW, repeats in the Vampire Journals as well as the Secret Circle introduced by 50 percent solid several hours from the .4 rating among grownups 18-49. Thursday, 12 ,. 1, Overnight Ratings: 8 p.m. Fox: The X Factor (10.2 million audiences, 3.1 rating in grownups 18-49) CBS: The Big Bang Theory (R) (10.45 million, 2.9) ABC: Santa Claus is Going to Town (7.2 million, 2.2) NBC: Community (3.9 million, 1.7) The CW: The Vampire Journals (R) (1.millions of, .4) 8:30 p.m. CBS: Rules of Engagement (R) (8.millions of, 2.2) NBC: Parks and Entertainment (3.7 million, 1.8) 9 p.m. NBC: Work (5.7 million, 2.9) Fox: Bones (8.8 million, 2.8) ABC: CMA Country Christmas (9.3 million, 2.2) CBS: Person of curiosity (R) (8 million, 1.6) The CW: The Important Thing Circle (R) (855,000, .4) 9:30 p.m. NBC: Whitney (4. million, 1.9) 10 p.m. ABC: CMA Country Christmas (8.7 million, 2.) CBS: The Mentalist (R) (7.9 million, 1.6) NBC: Prime Suspect (4.6 000 0000, 1.3) PHOTO GALLERY: View Gallery 10 Tv Shows Canceled Faster Than 'The Playboy Club' TV Ratings

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Paramount Responds to Massive Fraud Lawsuit, Claims Finance Partner 'Ignores the True Facts'

Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images "I kind of feel like I should apologize to everyone we're nominated with," says Seth Rogen, nommed for a Spirit Award on Nov. 29 as producer of the cancer comedy 50/50, which also nabbed a supporting nom for Anjelica Huston and best first screenplay nom for Will Reiser.our editor recommends'The Artist,' 'Take Shelter' Dominate Indie Spirit Award Nominations'50/50's' Seth Rogen Reveals 'Most Challenging' Part of Filming (Video)Watch Seth Rogen and Joseph Gordon-Levitt in '50/50' Trailer PHOTOS: Seth Rogen Unlikely Superhero "Alexander Payne never deserved to be uttered in the same breath with us. 50/50 really came from the same mindset and creative attitude as Superbad and Pineapple Express," Rogen tells The Hollywood Reporter. All three films were comic riffs on the writers' real lives. "I feel like I'm trespassing in the indie world and they seem to have accepted it," he says. "I hope people don't get mad at me for bringing my studio past into their world." STORY: What Moviegoers are Saying about '50/50' "I didn't even know the nominations were announced this morning," says Reiser. "But I'm pitching an animated movie next week and the nomination will benefit that. It's a project I've been waiting to pitch for six years, so I'm excited I'm in a place careerwise where I can pitch it." Told that now he has to get in touch with his inner Harvey Weinstein and promote the film, Rogen says, "That's the scariest thing anyone's ever said to me. I've had enough experiences with the outer Harvey." But Weinstein must be in a good mood because The Artist, which many thought was ineligible for most Spirit Awards because its director is French, nonetheless got five noms, right? "Yeah, no shit!" says Rogen. Rogen and Reiser are happily working on their next with 50/50 director Jonathan Levine, Jamaica, inspired by the time 14-year-old Reiser lost his Alzheimer's-afflicted grandma on a Jamaican vacation. "I don't know of another Alzheimer's comedy," says Reiser. "It'll be a first." PHOTO GALLERY: View Gallery Seth Rogen: Unlikely Superhero Seth Rogen 50/50 Spirit Awards 2012

Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part I Surpasses $500 Million In Global Box Office

If Summit Entertainment is actually serious about a merger or a sale, the company has the benefit of wheeling and dealing while it is at a high-water mark. Summit announced today that The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn — Part 1, flew past $500 million in global box office in just 12 days. The film is at $508 million today. It was released November 18 and single-handedly has brightened the overall box office picture. The film has generated $223 million domestic, making it one of only 12 films to reach $220 million in 10 days. Creatively, I thought the movie would have been much better had director Bill Condon finished Stephenie Meyer’s Breaking Dawn book in one movie. Let’s face it, the Bella (Kristen Stewart) and Edward (Robert Pattinson) wedding and subsequent pregnancy were sooooo drawn out, and nothing much happened. But then again, I am not a teenage girl or a Summit executive looking at another half-billion dollar haul once the second installment comes out next November 16. Said Summit Entertainments co-chairmen Rob Friedman and Patrick Wachsberger: We couldnt be more pleased with the success of this film and a franchise that the fans have continued to support over the past several years. Thank you to all involved with the films from the actors, filmmakers and Stephenie Meyer to the most important group of all, the global fan base that continues to drive a desire for more Edward, Jacob and Bella.”

Gabriel Sunday on Becoming Archie for 'Final Project'

Gabriel Sunday on Becoming Archie for 'Final Project' By Melinda Loewenstein November 28, 2011 Photo by Big Air Studios Gabriel Sunday in "Archie's Final Project" "Put in something really sexy about how I'm about to break in the United States cinema like a tsunami wave of talent and expressive excitement," jokes Gabriel Sunday, but his energy and enthusiasm for life and his craft speaks for itself. Sunday isn't afraid to throw himself completely into a character. Take "Archie's Final Project," in which Sunday, 26, plays the title character, a 17-year-old who plans to film his own suicide. Sunday got involved with the film early in the development stage. "I've been able to really live this character from the inside out and understand what he'd been going through and understand his struggle and the main theme of the film, which is connection," he says. "The film is about suicide in some ways, but it's mostly about connection and reaching outside of your own narcissistic self to try to connect with somebody else."Producer Eric J. Adams met Sunday while he was developing interactive material for a haunted house in Northern California. Adams was working with director David Lee Miller on developing the idea of a ranting kid making a movie about his own suicide. Sunday says, "They were looking for an actor who would really submerge himself deeply into the mindset and the living situation of this character Archie. They wanted an actor who could also hold a camera on himself, film himself, edit himself, and that was me." So Sunday packed up and moved to Los Angeles, where he lived on the set of the movie and "became" Archie: "I slept next to the computer. I had a little green screen that I would talk in front of and cameras all around, and that was my home. And when I'd get inspired to record some dialogue or do a little talking to the camera, or pickups or reshoots or whatever it was, I would just do it," Sunday notes. "David really wanted the youth voice to come through, and so he really engaged young people like me to really get that across." Says Sunday, "Young audiences just latch on to this movie like nothing else." Nearly every time he goes to a screening of the film, kids will approach him, "and they look at me and my character and they go, 'Well, that's me. I'm an Archie.' It doesn't necessarily have to be exactly like Archie, but they find some kind of connection with him. It's just great. I think it comes from the fact that I was really able to find an honest voice with him from the inside out through the whole process. And just be really honest." It was important to Sunday to give Archie an authentic voice, because he feels a lot of movies depict teenagers as robotic; he believes "kids today are more emotional than they've ever been. They've got a lot to scream about, and I really wanted that to be this character."Questioning Roles As a young actor, Sunday feels he's at a point in his life where he doesn't have a lot of answers, but he has a lot of questions. Archie "was really a way for me to follow some of the questions I have about life," he says. "There's a few roles that if you're lucky enough to play, they let you work out some of your inner demons or at least latch into something where you can come up with some answers yourself. I just did a play at the Geffen [Jane Anderson's "The Escort"], and the whole play was about shame and about what shame does to our society. I came out at the end of that play feeling a lot more confident about myself. A lot more at ease either with choices I had made or choices I want to make.""Archie's Final Project" taught Sunday about connection and stepping outside himself to help others. He says, "It completely changed my life. Suicide is one of the biggest killers of kids, and it's skewing younger and younger. It feels great to be able to make a statement that might help somebody." Sunday says suicide prevention groups were involved during the development process: "We really wanted to make sure we were saying the right things. This is not a suicide prevention film, but it definitely starts a dialogue." Sunday is continuing the dialogue with teens by acting as admin on the film's official Facebook page.Be Prepared Sunday recalls one memorable audition where the girl acting opposite him hit her nose on the back of his head. He says, "She just started bleeding everywhere, and she got really embarrassed and ran into the waiting room, where all these girls were waiting to audition, and see this bloody girl running through crying. Bad stories like that, those things happen, but I think the worst thing is just to not be prepared."Although he does his best to make sure he's always prepared, he says not knowing the dialogue or understanding the character's voice is the worst feeling. "It makes you feel like a bad actor. It makes you feel like a bad human." But for Sunday, auditioning is almost a holy experience, and he has come to enjoy it. One of his best auditioning experiences happened during his run in "The Escort." He went in for an audition for a Vietnam film, and "this big giant scary guy"one of the producers whom the story was based onwas sitting there. Sunday nailed his audition. The big scary man congratulated him and asked if he'd read the whole script. Sunday hadn't had time and told him so, and the man shook his hand and said, "Goddamn, I appreciate your honesty." Sunday says he walked out of the room floating. "I didn't end up getting the movie, but that was a damn good audition," he says. When approaching a role, whether for an audition or for a project he's been cast in, Sunday says his main objective is to get it as simple as possible. He recalls a quote from Einstein: "If you can't explain something simply, you don't understand it," and says, "That makes sense to me when taking on a role. It needs to be simple and clear, or else it's just going to get lost and jumbled." Whether it's acting, writing, shooting, producing, or even editing his own material, Sunday says, "I will never face the inability to be in front of people. There's never an excuse for anybody to not be in front of people and performing and making a movie or acting somehow. If the content's good and you're good, people will watch it. And 'Archie's Final Project' is really the perfect example of that. You couldn't stop us." Outtakes Sunday's first job was as a magician at a pizza shop.He is co-writing a biopic about Daniel Johnston in which he will play the musician-artist.> He says the "Harry Potter" novels were his inspiration to begin writing; he was about 13 when he decided he was going to write the American version. Gabriel Sunday on Becoming Archie for 'Final Project' By Melinda Loewenstein November 28, 2011 Gabriel Sunday in "Archie's Final Project" PHOTO CREDIT Big Air Studios "Put in something really sexy about how I'm about to break in the United States cinema like a tsunami wave of talent and expressive excitement," jokes Gabriel Sunday, but his energy and enthusiasm for life and his craft speaks for itself. Sunday isn't afraid to throw himself completely into a character. Take "Archie's Final Project," in which Sunday, 26, plays the title character, a 17-year-old who plans to film his own suicide. Sunday got involved with the film early in the development stage. "I've been able to really live this character from the inside out and understand what he'd been going through and understand his struggle and the main theme of the film, which is connection," he says. "The film is about suicide in some ways, but it's mostly about connection and reaching outside of your own narcissistic self to try to connect with somebody else."Producer Eric J. Adams met Sunday while he was developing interactive material for a haunted house in Northern California. Adams was working with director David Lee Miller on developing the idea of a ranting kid making a movie about his own suicide. Sunday says, "They were looking for an actor who would really submerge himself deeply into the mindset and the living situation of this character Archie. They wanted an actor who could also hold a camera on himself, film himself, edit himself, and that was me." So Sunday packed up and moved to Los Angeles, where he lived on the set of the movie and "became" Archie: "I slept next to the computer. I had a little green screen that I would talk in front of and cameras all around, and that was my home. And when I'd get inspired to record some dialogue or do a little talking to the camera, or pickups or reshoots or whatever it was, I would just do it," Sunday notes. "David really wanted the youth voice to come through, and so he really engaged young people like me to really get that across." Says Sunday, "Young audiences just latch on to this movie like nothing else." Nearly every time he goes to a screening of the film, kids will approach him, "and they look at me and my character and they go, 'Well, that's me. I'm an Archie.' It doesn't necessarily have to be exactly like Archie, but they find some kind of connection with him. It's just great. I think it comes from the fact that I was really able to find an honest voice with him from the inside out through the whole process. And just be really honest." It was important to Sunday to give Archie an authentic voice, because he feels a lot of movies depict teenagers as robotic; he believes "kids today are more emotional than they've ever been. They've got a lot to scream about, and I really wanted that to be this character."Questioning Roles As a young actor, Sunday feels he's at a point in his life where he doesn't have a lot of answers, but he has a lot of questions. Archie "was really a way for me to follow some of the questions I have about life," he says. "There's a few roles that if you're lucky enough to play, they let you work out some of your inner demons or at least latch into something where you can come up with some answers yourself. I just did a play at the Geffen [Jane Anderson's "The Escort"], and the whole play was about shame and about what shame does to our society. I came out at the end of that play feeling a lot more confident about myself. A lot more at ease either with choices I had made or choices I want to make.""Archie's Final Project" taught Sunday about connection and stepping outside himself to help others. He says, "It completely changed my life. Suicide is one of the biggest killers of kids, and it's skewing younger and younger. It feels great to be able to make a statement that might help somebody." Sunday says suicide prevention groups were involved during the development process: "We really wanted to make sure we were saying the right things. This is not a suicide prevention film, but it definitely starts a dialogue." Sunday is continuing the dialogue with teens by acting as admin on the film's official Facebook page.Be Prepared Sunday recalls one memorable audition where the girl acting opposite him hit her nose on the back of his head. He says, "She just started bleeding everywhere, and she got really embarrassed and ran into the waiting room, where all these girls were waiting to audition, and see this bloody girl running through crying. Bad stories like that, those things happen, but I think the worst thing is just to not be prepared."Although he does his best to make sure he's always prepared, he says not knowing the dialogue or understanding the character's voice is the worst feeling. "It makes you feel like a bad actor. It makes you feel like a bad human." But for Sunday, auditioning is almost a holy experience, and he has come to enjoy it. One of his best auditioning experiences happened during his run in "The Escort." He went in for an audition for a Vietnam film, and "this big giant scary guy"one of the producers whom the story was based onwas sitting there. Sunday nailed his audition. The big scary man congratulated him and asked if he'd read the whole script. Sunday hadn't had time and told him so, and the man shook his hand and said, "Goddamn, I appreciate your honesty." Sunday says he walked out of the room floating. "I didn't end up getting the movie, but that was a damn good audition," he says. When approaching a role, whether for an audition or for a project he's been cast in, Sunday says his main objective is to get it as simple as possible. He recalls a quote from Einstein: "If you can't explain something simply, you don't understand it," and says, "That makes sense to me when taking on a role. It needs to be simple and clear, or else it's just going to get lost and jumbled." Whether it's acting, writing, shooting, producing, or even editing his own material, Sunday says, "I will never face the inability to be in front of people. There's never an excuse for anybody to not be in front of people and performing and making a movie or acting somehow. If the content's good and you're good, people will watch it. And 'Archie's Final Project' is really the perfect example of that. You couldn't stop us." Outtakes Sunday's first job was as a magician at a pizza shop.He is co-writing a biopic about Daniel Johnston in which he will play the musician-artist.> He says the "Harry Potter" novels were his inspiration to begin writing; he was about 13 when he decided he was going to write the American version.

Monday, November 28, 2011

Kyle Chandler Visiting Broken City

He'll be a political operativeHe was last seen trying to keep his son and the lad's friends from being menaced by a marauding alien (and the US army) in Super 8, but for his next trick, Kyle Chandler is going to dabble in politics, joining the cast of Allen Hughes' thriller Broken City.Mark Wahlberg is starring as a Noo Yoik detective hired by a powerful local mayor (Russell Crowe) to find out who has been having it away with his wife (Catherine Zeta Jones).But when Wahlberg eventually tracks down the man, he suddenly turns up dead and the detective starts to delve into a far darker conspiracy.Barry Pepper is also aboard, playing a mayoral candidate who is challenging Crowe, and Chandler will be one of the main players in his campaign. Griffin Dunne, James Ransone, Jeffrey Wright, Justin Chambers and Alona Tal are all in the cast.Hughes is busy shooting the film right now, which has a US release date set for January 18, 2013.Chandler has been doing rather well for himself since getting plenty of notice (and a surprise Emmy win this year) for his work on TV drama Friday Night Lights. He'll next be seen in Ben Affleck's hostage drama Argo.

Sunday, November 20, 2011

Dog x Police: The K-9 Force (Dog x Police: Jyunpaku no kizuna)

A Toho presentation of a Nippon Television Network Corp., "Dog x Police" Film Partners production in association with Toho Corp., Yomiuri Telecasting Corp., VAP, D.N. Dream Partners, Twins Japan, Sapporo Television, MMT, Shizuoka Dai Ichi Television, Chukyo Television Broadcasting, Hiroshima Television, Fukuoka Broadcasting Corp. (International sales: Nippon Television Network Corp., Tokyo.) Produced by Shosaku Oyama, Naoki Suganuma, Atsuyuki Shimoda. Executive producers, Hiroshi Miyazaki, Seiji Okuda. Directed by Go Shichitaka. Screenplay, Tetsuya Oishi, Chihiro Masuda, based on the novel by Yoichi Komori.With: Hayato Ichihara, Erika Toda, Jun Murakami, Takanori Takeyama, Shinnosuke Abe, Kenichi Yajima, Kitaro, Keisuke Horibe, Katsuya Kobayashi, Hirotaro Honda, Kazuyuki Aijima, Kitaro, Masato Ibu, Ryuya Wakaba, Yutaka Matsushige, Saburo Tokito.A solid, entertaining hybrid of pooch pic and cop thriller, "Dog x Police: The K-9 Force" follows in the paw prints of canine-themed Japanese hits "Quill" and "Rokku: Wanko no shima," and has retrieved more than $9 million locally since its October preem. Story revolves around a maverick cop who needs to learn about teamwork, played by handsome thesp Hayato Ichihara, though auds have mostly been drawn by his albino canine co-star, Shiro (Japanese for "white"). Offshore, pic will work for Asia-themed sidebars that are unabashedly entertainment-focused, but will die like a dog elsewhere. A strong opening sequence depicts the confused aftermath of a bomb explosion in a Tokyo shopping plaza. While administering crowd control, cop Yusaku Hayakawa (Ichihara) thinks he spots the culprit and gives chase, only to collide with a veterinarian (Kitaro) on a bicycle; after apprehending his suspect, Hayakawa helps the vet deliver four puppies to a troubled German shepherd, even rescuing an albino pup thought to be stillborn. When his suspect turns out not to be the bomber, Hayakawa is assigned to the dog squad as punishment for disregarding procedure. Slow to adjust to this puppy purgatory, Hayakawa has trouble fitting in with his colleagues, who have such intimate bonds with their charges that they even test the dog food themselves. Hayakawa's attitude changes when he is paired with the same white dog, Shiro (Shiro), whose life he saved in the opening sequence. Moral lessons about teamwork dovetail well with the pic's action elements as the hunt continues for the still-at-large bomber (Ryuya Wakaba), who is ruthlessly targeting high-tech corporations, the names of which play on famous Japanese conglomerates. Unfortunately, the script's credibility takes a nosedive with the appearance of a black-clad, bespectacled computer visionary called Steven Jubs, which swings the film into "Naked Gun" territory at its climax just as it should be taking on a greater solemnity. (Nevertheless, Nipponese B.O. was not affected, nor the distributor humbled, by the death of Steve Jobs during the pic's local release.) This misjudgment aside, tube helmer Go Shichitaka manages to keep the drama ticking, particularly in the tense, well-handled negotiation scenes between the police and the bomber. The director also avoids presenting his various canine thesps in too cloying a fashion; Ichihara ("Rookies," "All About Lily Chou-Chou") has good chemistry with his four-legged co-star and effectively walks a thin line between sympathetic and insubordinate. Erika Toda ("Death Note") is strong as the skeptical dog trainer who becomes Hayakawa's love interest, and Wakaba nails a sinister-sicko role at least partially cribbed from Dennis Hopper's bomber in "Speed." Decision to eschew CGI effects in favor of more traditional means of rendering explosions gives the pic a strong, realistic and visceral impact. For the record, Shiro is not an albino dog but a white shepherd, a breed in its own right.Camera (color, widescreen), Koichi Saito; editor, Hiroshi Matsuo; music, Naoki Sato; production designer, Yasuaki Harada; sound (Dolby Digital), Kunio Ashihara; visual effects supervisor, Norio Ishii. Reviewed on DVD, Sydney, Nov. 5, 2010. (In Tokyo Film Festival -- market.) Running time: 104 MIN. Contact the Variety newsroom at news@variety.com

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Navy Shuts Call Questionable New Book About Bin Laden Killing 'Not True'

In the rare public comment, a representative for Navy SEAL Admiral Bill McRaven referred to as account in the killing of Osama Bin Laden inside the new book SEAL Target Geronimo by Chuck Pfarrer "not the situation.Inchour editor recommends'Act of Valor' Trailer Shows Real Navy Shuts around the Imaginary Mission (Video)Kathryn Bigelow's Navy Shuts Project striking Theaters March. 12, 2012Second Trailer for Navy SEAL Movie 'Act of Valor' Hits the internet (Video)Kathryn Bigelow's Navy Seal Team 6 Film striking Theaters in 2012 The U.S. Special Methods Command is calling the first sort Navy SEAL's book wrong over its states describe the "real" version in the raid that destroyed Osama bin Laden. PHOTOS: Best Presidents in Film and tv It attracted attention in Hollywood when agents looked the manuscript to producers inside the days before publication. SEAL Target Geronimo might be the most recent in many book and film projects in regards to the elite Navy special methods forces generally as well as the Bin Laden raid particularly. SEAL Team Six: Memoirs from the Elite Navy SEAL Sniper by Howard Wasdin and Stephen Templin, which fortunately showed up in this area just days after Bin Laden's dying, showed up round the NY Occasions best-seller list. The Hurt Locker team of director Kathryn Bigelow and author Mark Boal are generating a movie in regards to the raid for that new the new sony. STORY: Bin Laden Filmmakers Kathryn Bigelow, Mark Boal Shoot Back at Republican Congressman Another Navy Shuts movie, Act of Valor, is scheduled striking theaters in February from Relativity Media. That film, produced while using cooperation in the military and including actual soldiers, doesn't particularly deal with the Bin Laden killing. In SEAL Target Geronimo:The Inside Story in the Mission for Kill Osama bin Laden, Pfarrer, a classic SEAL, has an alternative version in the raid fighting the SEAL team shot bin Laden within 90 seconds of arriving the Pakistan compound where the al-Qaida mastermind was holed up. Pfarrer claims the White-colored House launched a imaginary and dangerous account in the raid that made the Shuts look inept. According to him Leader Barack Obama's fast acknowledgement in the raid will be a political move that made many of the intelligence collected round the raid useless. Pfarrer also called the White-colored House version of bin Laden's shooting - he was unarmed but trying to evade them - "murder." He mentioned his version, which has bin Laden getting a gun, helps to make the killing legal. "It's just not the situation,Inch U.S. Special Methods Command representative Col. Tim Nye mentioned regarding Admiral McRaven. "It is not the actual way it happened." Pfarrer has came out on Fox News, CNN too as with other venues to market the completely new book. It broke into Amazon's top 20 book sales list the other day and presently sits at no. 49. "I have truth in my side," Pfarrer mentioned inside an interview while using Connected Press. "I spoke for the males on the ground too as with the secondary bird," he mentioned, mentioning for the aircraft full of another SEAL team that was there in order to save the initial whether or not this received attack up to now inside Pakistan's edges. "We've never come forward and gone following a author and say, 'that can be a lie,'" Nye mentioned. "That notifies you ways remote the aim we're feeling this book is." Nye states Pfarrer did not have utilization of any troops connected to the mission. He mentioned there will not be any analysis into whether individual Shuts spoke to Pfarrer. The Connected Press brought for the report. Related Subjects Kathryn Bigelow Mark Boal Osama Bin Laden

Ashton Kutcher's Twitter Fumble: Is Social Media Still Safe for Celebrities?

It's no understatement that people went nuts after "Two and a Half Men" star Ashton Kutcher tweeted a misguided protest against the firing of Penn State coach Joe Paterno. He was soon bombarded with angry responses as the actor realized that he had made a very uninformed move."When you do things on the internet, the internet doesn't forget," TheNextWeb's West Coast Editor, Drew Olanoff, tells "The Hollywood Reporter." "So, when you tweet something, especially when you have as many followers as he does, it's going to get captured."It wasn't the first time, or even the second time, Kutcher had been blasted for a misguided tweet. But, it was certainly the one that took him out of the game."He misspoke, OK, fine, he's human," Olanoff says of how the star handles the volatile situation after the tweet. "The social media mistake was that he deleted the tweet -- then he did apologize, which is great -- then, he erratically wrote that he's not going to tweet for a while until he had a solution. I thought it was a snap reaction to a situation that sucks."With more than eight million followers, Kutcher was a trailblazer on the social media site, adopting its 140 character-capped method of communication way before many other stars even knew what it was. When he joined the medium, late night comedians still made fun of it for being a worthless source of information saying things like "No one cares what you had for lunch, people."Now, those same late night hosts have very active Twitter accounts and celebrities are considered out of touch if they're not on the site. And, by the way, food companies and restaurants would pay a good amount of money to be mentioned in a celebrity's "what I had for lunch" tweet today.But, Kutcher, was not only an early adopter of the site, but he's an investor in businesses in the tech space. If anyone should know how to use Twitter, it should be him. So, what does it mean that he has now turned his Twitter account over for others to manage? And what does that say for celebrities in general on Twitter?Beck Media and Marketing President, Todd Beck, feels that there is definitely a code of behavior social media users should adhere to. His entertainment and technology PR and marketing firm with offices in Los Angeles and NY City counts several major broadcast and cable networks, studios, production companies, and tech companies among its clientele."Celebrities really benefit from showing their true selves on social media," Beck says. "But they need to be aware of the risks, and be prepared to deal with consequences. If they're not informed, they should get informed. If they make a mess, they should do everything they can to clean it up quickly and completely. Those who follow these rules, celebrity or not, tend to be the best and most respected citizens of the social web."In his mea culpa, Kutcher expresses the belief that the site has changed from what it was when he first joined. No longer does the star believe that it's a place for "healthy debate" in which one can state something and then have the conversation with others shape and/or support the claim."It seems that today that twitter has grown into a mass publishing platform, where one's tweets quickly become news that is broadcast around the world and misinformation becomes volatile fodder for critics," Kutcher writes in the statement in which he announces he's giving control of his account over to handlers.Olanoff, who has been covering social media for eight years, disagrees on Kutcher's assessment of what Twitter has become. "I was really bummed when Ashton said it used to be about personal communication, but now it's a publishing platform," he says. "It's always been both. It depends on how you use it."So, the question remains. When a famous person like Kutcher, who has been a longtime user of Twitter and even counts himself an expert on the medium, can make such a huge gaffe and then give up control of his account, is that a sign that less knowledgeable celebrity users of the medium should follow suit? THR's experts agree that it doesn't."Artists should populate social networks through their own voice," John Scholz of Career Artist Management, which manages bands and recording artists including Maroon 5, Sara Bareilles, and Gavin Degraw, tells "THR." "Fans are engaged by personality and compelling content which can only be generated by the artists themselves," he says, stressing that this is his personal opinion and not the company he works for."Social feeds populated by management [or] media teams are transparent and often abandoned, rendering them much less effective." The Hollywood Reporter

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Despite Failures, Systems Attempt More Series Reboots

Ray Hagman ABC's Charlie's Angels redux did not work, and NBC's new undertake Question Lady never even managed to get to air. But similar to the feature film world - where from Footloose to Conan the Barbarian continues to be lately up-to-date - TV executives still mine the vaults looking for more classic game titles to reboot. Among individuals up next: TNT's new undertake Dallas (which mixes a brand new generation of Southfork figures with original cast people like Patrick Duffy, Ray Hagman and Linda Grey) premieres next summer time Fox has purchased two new up-to-date assumes its early the nineteen nineties sketch comedy In Living Color, from original executive producer Keenen Ivory Wayans and NBC comes with an adaptation from the Tom Cruise movie The Firm set to air in midseason. In development for next season are another round of remakes, like a new undertake the CBS eighties drama Beauty and also the Animal, now being up-to-date in the CW. CBS is searching to build up a contemporary version from the sixties sitcom Bewitched NBC is searching at new assumes The Munsters, Romancing the Stone and Wiseguy and ABC is dealing with Marvel to bring back The Incredible Hulk. This week, CBS confirmed it had acquired privileges to produce a new undertake classic black-and-whitened series The Rifleman. "It is not difficult development," one studio leader states of TV's current reboot mania. "There's already a built-in foundation for which you are doing. You are not building on your own. Using the audience so fragmented, you need to stack the advantage, and when you allow people a title they remember fondly, it's not hard to market." In choosing game titles to reboot, The CW executive v . p . Thom Sherman states he's searching for concepts that will still resonate today no matter it could be a remake. "Is the show play with no title?" he asks. "But does the title provide you with an additional benefit, marketing-smart?" Sherman and also the CW have effectively cut back new versions of Beverly Hillsides, 90210 and La Femme Nikita. Other reboots which have labored recently include CBS' Hawaii Five- and Syfy's Battlestar Galactica (inside a rare situation of the remake that's globally considered much better than the initial) MTV hopes to possess a hit using the just-relaunched Beavis and Butt-mind. But like the majority of TV series, reboot failures far over-shadow the success tales. Joining Charlie's Angels within the primetime graveyard are lots of other recent attempts at refreshing old faves, including Bionic Lady, Dark night Driver, V and Melrose Place. "Shall we be all kidding ourselves that the title increases your chances?" asks one studio professional. "Many of them haven't labored." But the systems continue to be bullish on remakes. Despite their limited rate of success, reboots provide immediate built-in awareness - as well as in this chronilogical age of hypercompetition in primetime, TV executives give in to something that might provide them with an advantage. "I believe there's lots of fear at this time about taking chances on original content," states one studio executive. "They are searching for how they may hedge their bets. There's a lot development t the systems are less about [story] and much more about branding." But it is a double-edged sword. Sometimes audiences have such strong reminiscences of the original the latest version can't ever compare. Even shows criticized within their time, like Charlie's Angels and Dark night Driver, are actually nostalgia outings appreciated fondly by audiences - and hard functions to follow along with. "You need to meet the pedigree of the items the company is, even when this content wasn't exceptional,Inch the studio professional states. States another professional: "If you are just likely to depend around the nostalgia from it you are type of sunk." Adds Sherman: "You wouldn't want fans from the original visiting that first episode and saying, 'That really drawn.' They are high bars, and you need to match or exceed that bar... You need to do feel an obligation towards the original show." Sometimes, like 90210 and Dallas, that may be assisted by returning familiar faces before focusing the interest on new stars. Within the situation of Nikita, a lot of versions already been around (the films and also the USA series) it was simple enough for that CW introducing another take. And Hawaii Five- incorporated enough nods towards the original, such as the same theme song, to placate fans. It's whenever a remake strays to date in the original that audiences appear to get rid of interest. The only real factor potentially preventing the systems from refreshing much more qualities are privileges issues. With the much entertainment industry consolidation through the years, it's sometimes difficult to determine who is the owner of a bit of certain qualities. Based on associates, reboots still being pitched out and about, but unsold due to possession questions, include Mork and Mindy and also the Mod Squad. For the moment, it seems TV continues to follow along with that old cliché that eventually everything old will end up new again. Sign up for TV Guide Magazine now!

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Henry Cavill Talks Supermans New Look

First Published: November 8, 2011 5:42 PM EST Credit: Getty Images Caption Henry Cavill arrives at the Immortals premiere in Los Angeles on November 7, 2011LOS ANGELES, Calif. -- New Superman Henry Cavill is sporting a look fans have never seen on the caped hero no trademark red underpants, a beard and he appears to go shirtless in at least one scene. On Monday, the British actor chatted about the comic book characters new updated look. During an appearance on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Henry was asked about Supermans new all-blue pants and the 28-year-old actor appeared to be a bit intimidated by the revealing attire. Why wear underpants when you can be far more revealing? he said with a laugh. Later on Tuesday night at the premiere of his latest movie, Immortals, Access Hollywood asked why his Clark Kent/Superman is seen sporting a beard while shooting the superhero reboot. Youll see! Henry coyly said with a smile. Also during his interview with Leno, the actor revealed that he was up for the Daniel Craigs role in Casino Royale, and that Stephenie Meyer originally wanted him for the role of Edward Cullen in The Twilight Saga. By the time it came around to casting, I was too old, Henry said of the part that would go to Robert Pattinson. Immortals hits theaters on Friday and Man of Steel is slated for release on June 14, 2013. Copyright 2011 by NBC Universal, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Micrograms Eyes Summits Puzzle Structure

EXCLUSIVE: Summit Entertainment is within talks with Micrograms to direct Puzzle Structure, the cop drama script by David Guggenheim. Summit acquired the project in a pitch early this past year from Guggenheim following the scribe offered the spec script Safe House to Universal, which set Daniel Espinoza to direct Denzel Washington and Ryan Reynolds. Puzzle Structure has been created by Temple Hill partners Wyck Godfrey and Marty Bowen, who produce the Twilight series for Summit. Micrograms most lately directed the twentieth Century Fox comedy What This Means Is War with Chris Pine, Tom Sturdy and Reese Witherspoon. Micrograms is repped by WME and Management 360.

Is a Mob Story the Right Good Will Hunting Follow-Up For Ben Affleck and Matt Damon?

Yesterday it was announced that Ben Affleck and Matt Damon will tackle their first major feature project together since Good Will Hunting — a biopic about Boston mob boss Whitey Bulger that will star Damon and be directed by Affleck. It’s worth wondering though — is a mob film the right follow-up to the esteemed break-out project that earned both actors/screenwriters Academy Awards and established them as marketable Holllywood stars? In 1997, childhood friends Affleck and Damon rose to fame with the release of the drama they co-wrote and starred in. The Gus Van Sant-directed Good Will Hunting — about a wayward blue collar math genius forced to evaluate himself and his relationships — launched both actors/screenwriters into the A-list stratosphere where they immediately separated professionally to prove that they were talented individual entities. Damon found success onscreen with The Rainmaker, Saving Private Ryan, Ocean’s Eleven and the Bourne franchise. Affleck meanwhile transitioned a lucrative acting career (Armageddon, Pearl Harbor, The Sum of All Fears) into a successful directing stretch (Gone Baby Gone and The Town). Although the pair reunited to act in the odd ensemble project (Dogma), produce (Matchstick Men, American Pie 2 and others under their LivePlanet shingle) and to participate in the occasional late night gag, the pair have not reunited for a real picture partnership since Good Will Hunting. The Bulger biopic is definitely a safe project considering that like Affleck’s first two directorial endeavors, the Warner Bros. film will be a gritty crime drama set in Boston. It is also unsafe in that Damon will have to convince audiences that he is not just a wholesome amnesiac assassin but James “Whitey” Bulger, the notorious Boston crime boss who spent over a dozen years on the FBI Most Wanted List and was wanted for 19 murders before his arrest last year at the age of 82. Damon has played deceitful characters (The Talented Mr. Ripley, Ocean’s Eleven) and based-on-real-life characters (Invictus and The Informant) before but it may be hard pursuading viewers that Damon is a cold-blooded criminal mastermind. Oh, and then there is that weird Departed coincidence. Damon co-starred in Martin Scorsese’s 2006 crime thriller which featured Jack Nicholson as a coke-loving crime boss largely based on Bulger. Not only will Damon have two Bulger-related titles on his resume, but he is also setting himself up for inevitable comparisons to Nicholson’s gravelly portrayal of the criminal. Deadline reports that unlike The Departed, the Affleck-Damon film will chronicle Bulger’s youth, the time he spent behind bars in Alcatraz and his life as a crime boss. This time, Affleck and Damon are leaving the screenwriting duties to Boardwalk Empire creator Terence Winter. If it works, it could push Affleck and Damon one step closer to becoming one of our great filmmaking twosomes — like Tim Burton and Johnny Depp, Martin Scorsese and Robert De Niro and Quentin Tarantino and Uma Thurman. And if not, it could have us wishing that the Boston-bred pair had opted for Good Will Hunting 2. Enjoy this classic scene from their 1997 breakout before weighing in below. Follow Julie Miller on Twitter. Follow Movieline on Twitter. · Affleck, Damon reteam on Bulger bio [Variety]

Monday, October 24, 2011

'Lovely Molly' to Content

Content has snapped up Eduardo Sanchez's haunted-house thriller "Lovely Molly," which premiered in Toronto's Midnight Madness section last month. Content announced the deal Monday. Sanchez, who directed "The Blair Witch Project," helmed "Molly" from his own script. Gretchen Lodge, Johnny Lewis and Alexandra Holden star, with Lodge making her bigscreen debut. A release date has not been set. Story centers on a newlywed who returns to her long-abandoned family home where frightful reminders of a nightmarish childhood begin seeping into her new life. She soon begins descending into an evil that blurs the lines between psychosis and possession. "Molly" is produced by "Blair Witch" producers Robin Cowie and Gregg Hale of Haxan, Jane Fleming ("The Frozen Ground") and Mark Ordesky (exec producer of "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy) of Amber Entertainment. The transmedia team that worked on "The Blair Witch Project" has also worked on "Lovely Molly," with multilayered viral marketing including Internet videos, web sites, mockumentaries and paid ads. The 1999 "Blair Witch" was a surprise hit with over $140 million in domestic grosses. The "Molly" deal was negotiated by Graham Taylor of WME & Stuart Rosenthal of BHDRL on behalf of the production and Jamie Carmichael on the Content side. Contact Dave McNary at dave.mcnary@variety.com

ShowEast Hall of Fame 2011

Released: Mon., March. 24, 2011, 4:00am PTBy VianeCarrollZeltnerSeddonCiaramelloAt the Wednesday ceremony in Miami/Hollywood, Fla., honorees includes Wally Disney Co.'s Chuck Viane, Warner Bros.' Frank Carroll, Clearview Cinemas' Craig Zeltner, CMCI Booking's Danny Seddon and Coca-Cola Co.'s Kathleen Ciaramello. Marty Zeidman and Steve Friedstrom will probably be honored posthumously. Chuck Viane, who outdated within this summer time after two-and-a-half decades within the Wally Disney Co., was most recently prexy of worldwide distribution for Wally Disney Art galleries Movies. Frank Carroll, Warner Bros. Pictures' senior V . p . for domestic distribution's eastern division, remains with Warners since 1973 and contains done disseminating the "Harry Potter," and "Hangover" franchises. Craig Zeltner, who's within the 14th year as Clearview Cinemas' V . p . of film, has spent 46 years inside the entertainment industry, following inside the actions of his father who was simply with MGM for 42 years. Danny Seddon, prexy of CMCI Booking (the film-buying division of Belmont Capital, remains using the organization for thirty years. Kathleen Ciaramello was responsible for Coca-Cola's partners while using entertainment industry as V . p . of a good partnership marketing. Now she's V . p . in the company's east region.SHOWEAST 2011 Five 3d myths that will not dieHonoreesShow "E" Award: Jim Amos Al Shapiro Distinguished Service Award: John C. Hall Salah M. Hassanein Humanitarian Award: Kurt Hall ShowEast Hall of Fame 2011 Contact the number newsroom at news@variety.com

Upgrades give a new luxe on existence

Before its official opening, Lulu was the web site of non-public occasions, like the 2011 Palm Springs short fest closing evening fete in JuneThe desert social calendar is jammed for your season: very good news for La event coordinators that are frequently referred to as onto produce occasions within the customers hands Springs area. Growing planners' attraction to Palm Springs is the fact greater than $180 million in hotel refurbishments and upgrades within the last three years has brought to finer facilities for your desert enclave.The summer season starts while using Palm Springs Film Festival (Jan. 5-16), that's adopted shortly with the Humana Challenge Golf Tournament (Jan 19-22 at PGA West). Formerly the Bob Hope Classic, the extended-running professional-am tourney is becoming became a member of with former Leader Clinton's foundation. March makes two major tennis occasions: the BNP Paribas Open March 5-15 (in Indian Wells) as well as the K-Swiss Desert Smash March 6-7 within the La Quinta Resort. The LPGA championship tourney then hits Rancho Mirage March 26-April 1.Also round the calendar: typically the most popular Modernism Week (Feb. 16 -26), a celebration of 25,000 mid-century modern art, architecture and design fans. The cooler weather season culminates while using Coachella Music Festival, trying out two weekends in 2012, April 13-15 and April 20-22 even though the music activity fest is at Indio, the entire valley fills tabs on revelers and ancillary occasions.Possibly the highest space to start for the public in 2012 will be the Annenberg Retreat at Sunnylands in Rancho Mirage, devoted to confabs fostering worldwide cooperation. Sunnylands' heart can be a 25,000-square-ft A. Quincy Manley-designed manse possessed with the late media magnate and U.S. ambassador Walter Annenberg and also the wife, Leonore, and visited by seven U.S. presidents together with other world leaders. Despite the fact that retreat is not a public event space, groups are welcomed for the adjacent center the Palm Springs fest situated filmmakers for just about any retreat within the center taken and may return in 2012.Improving Palm Springs' social cachet is its growing recognition as SoCal's wedding destination associated with preference. Because you will discover lots of grand private estates within gated cities, complete privacy can be achieved. In addition, choose hideaway boutique hotels, such as the Willows, the Parker, Movie Colony Hotel and Viceroy Palm Springs, lend themselves to wedding buyouts.Each season brings additions: Carrying out a $2 million restoration, LuLu California Bistro opened up up for the public in August, trying out a great downtown location which were vacant for any very long time.Just before its official opening, LuLu was the web site of non-public occasions, like the Palm Springs short fest closing evening fete in June. It's a multilevel space, with two mezzanine rooms together with a banquet room that seats 150. JDV Hospitality is aboard to handle first kind 249-room Holiday Motel on Palm Canyon Drive that was bought with the Sydell Group in September, designers in the Ace Hotels in NY and Palm Springs. The region will undergo a whole stylish update and re-open in spring.EVENT PLANNER'S GUIDE Social engineering Upgrades give a new luxe on existence Space craft Contact the number newsroom at news@variety.com