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Oscar 2010: Oscar Balloting “Secrets”
4 hours ago
Penelope Cruz in Broken Embraces (Emilio Pereda & Paola Ardizzoni / El Deseo / Sony Pictures Classics) At The Wrap, Steve Pond offers some cool insights into the Oscar ballots. For instance, in all but one category, voters are supposed to write down the name of the film — not the talent — on the ballot. So, if your best director picks for the 2010 Academy Awards are Pedro Almodóvar for Broken Embraces, Kiyoshi Kurosawa for Tokyo Sonata, and Michael Haneke for The White Ribbon (one can always dream), you have to write down Broken Embraces, Tokyo Sonata, and The White Ribbon. The one exception to this rule is the acting category, in which Acting Branch voters must write down the name [...] »
- Andre Soares
Up, Fantastic Mr. Fox Dominate Animated Field at Year-End Us Critics’ Awards
5 hours ago
Pete Docter’s Up (Disney / Pixar) (top); Wes Anderson’s Fantastic Mr. Fox (Fox Searchlight Pictures) (bottom) Although Pete Docter’s Up was expected to have the animation year-end awards field all to itself, it ultimately had to face tough competition from Wes Anderson’s Fantastic Mr. Fox, which features the voices of George Clooney, Meryl Streep, and Jason Schwartzman, among others. Up has won awards from at least 14 Us-based groups, while Fantastic Mr. Fox has won 7. Both are up for a Golden Globe and for a best animated feature Annie Award. Coraline is the only other animated feature to win an award this season, from the San Francisco film critics. It’s also up for a Golden Globe and an Annie Award. Tomm Moore’s [...] »
- Andre Soares
Avatar Box Office: Another Record-Breaking Tuesday
6 hours ago
Zoe Saldana in Avatar (Weta / 20th Century Fox) Avatar now has the #3 spot in the Box Office Mojo chart of the biggest Tuesday box-office earnings ever (not adjusted for inflation or higher 3D/IMAX ticket prices). But wait. Avatar was #3 last week as well. And still is. Yesterday, James Cameron’s sci-fi epic adventure grossed an outstanding $18.2 million — its 12th day out. The previous week, Avatar had grossed $16m. Now, Avatar is both #3 and #4 on the chart. And it’s #1 and #2 for the best Tuesday box-office grosses in December. Michael Bay’s Transformers, with $27.8m on opening day, and Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight, with $20.8m on Day 5, occupy the top spots on the list. Both [...] »
- Michelle Hutton
Ang Darling Kong Aswang Vampire a Hit at Metro Manila Film Festival
6 hours ago
Tony Y. Reyes‘ Ang Darling Kong Aswang, starring comedian Vic Sotto, is the 2009 Metro Manila Film Festival’s #2 hit. Apparently Filipinos, like movie audiences elsewhere, have been craving for stories featuring vampires. But unlike the worldwide megahits Twilight and The Twilight Saga: New Moon, in which the vampire is a sexy male (Robert Pattinson), in Ang Darling Kong Aswang the undead is a sexy woman, Christine Reyes. Ang Panday has been this year’s top film. At the other extreme, boxer-turned-actor Manny Pacquiao’s vehicle Wapakman has thus far come in last at the box office. Also of interest, Philippine News offers the Metro Manila festival’s criteria for the Best Picture award: "artistry, creativity and technical excellence, [...] »
- Irene Young
Marion Cotillard, Quentin Tarantino to Be Honored in Palm Springs
7 hours ago
Marion Cotillard (right) and Quentin Tarantino will be honored at the 2010 Palm Springs Film Festival. Cotillard, one of the stars of Rob Marshall’s Nine, will receive the Desert Palm Achievement Actress Award while Tarantino will get the Sonny Bono Visionary Award. Presented by Cartier, the Palm Springs Awards Gala will take place on Tuesday, January 5, at the Palm Springs Convention Center. The event will be hosted by Entertainment Tonight’s Mary Hart. Other 2010 honorees are Jeff Bridges, T Bone Burnett, Mariah Carey, Morgan Freeman, Anna Kendrick, Helen Mirren, Jason Reitman and Jeremy Renner. The Festival runs January 5-18, 2010. In Nine, a musical adaptation of Federico Fellini’s [...] »
- Anna Robinson
Peter Jackson Knighted
8 hours ago
Peter Jackson, Saoirse Ronan - The Lovely Bones (Matt Mueller / DreamWorks/Paramount) New Zealand-born Peter Jackson has become Sir Peter Jackson in his native country. Jackson is now a knight as a result of his "services to film." Among the films he’s provided services for are the horror-comedy Braindead (1992); Heavenly Creatures (1994), Kate Winslet’s feature-film debut; the 2005 King Kong remake, starring Naomi Watts; and the adaptations of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. Jackson’s latest, The Lovely Bones, starring Mark Wahlberg, Rachel Weisz, Saoirse Ronan, Stanley Tucci, and [...] »
- Anna Robinson
Katharine Hepburn, William S. Hart, Tom Mix, Gene Autry on 2010 Us Postage Stamps
8 hours ago
Multiple Oscar winner Katharine Hepburn (right), pioneering black filmmaker Oscar Micheaux, and cowboys Gene Autry, William S. Hart, Tom Mix and Roy Rogers will be featured on Us postage stamps in 2010. Until early 2000, Katharine Hepburn held the actors’ record for most Academy Award nominations: 12. That year, Meryl Streep tied with Hepburn, and in early 2003 surpassed her. Hepburn, however, still holds the record for most wins by an actor: four in all, for Morning Glory (1932-33*), Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner (1967), The Lion in Winter (1968, tied with Barbra Streisand), and On Golden Pond (1981). Oscar Micheaux made more than 40 films, nearly all of them between 1920 and 1940. His most celebrated efforts are the silent dramas [...] »
- Andre Soares
Nicole Kidman, Steven Spielberg, Sam Worthington: Golden Globes 2010 Presenters
9 hours ago
Nicole Kidman, Steven Spielberg and Avatar’s Sam Worthington have been set as presenters at 2010 Golden Globes ceremony on Sunday, January 17. They join previously announced presenters Jennifer Aniston, Halle Berry, Colin Farrell, Matthew Fox, Julia Roberts and Mickey Rourke. Additionally, Robert De Niro and Leonardo DiCaprio will present the Hollywood Foreign Press Association’s Cecil B. DeMille Award to Martin Scorsese for his "outstanding contribution to the entertainment field." Nicole Kidman has been nominated for seven best actress Golden Globes; she won three: for To Die For (1995, comedy or musical), Moulin Rouge! (2001, comedy or musical), and The Hours (2002, drama). Steven Spielberg has been nominated for 11 Golden Globes (10 as a director; 1 as a screenwriter), winning [...] »
- Anna Robinson
The Cove Is Us Critics Groups’ Top Documentary
22 hours ago
Louie Psihoyos‘ The Cove (above), about the annual slaughter of dolphins at a small Japanese village, has thus far been the various Us critics groups’ favorite documentary. The runner-up is Sacha Gervasi’s Anvil! The Story of Anvil, which has been referred to as This Is Spinal Tap for real. (However, there have been accusations that Anvil! isn’t technically a "documentary" as its chronology is supposed to have been twisted around for dramatic effect.) Of the seven documentaries listed below, only four have a chance of getting shortlisted for the 2010 Academy Awards: The Cove, Robert Kenner’s Food, Inc., James D. Stern and Adam Del Deo’s Every Little Step, and Agnès Varda’s The Beaches of Agnès. The others either were [...] »
- Steve Montgomery
The Loss Of A Teardrop Diamond Interview II
29 December 2009 3:46 PM, PST
Bryce Dallas Howard in The Loss of a Teardrop Diamond The Loss Of A Teardrop Diamond Q&A with Jodie Markell: Part I You come from a stage background. But what was it like directing actors for film? Having worked as an actress in both mediums, I understand the similarities and the differences. The craft of acting for both film and theater is rooted in the same basic goal — to find the truth in each moment. And then communicate that truth to the audience — calibrating for the appropriate scale — whether it is a Broadway house or the lens of a camera. As a stage actress, I know the value of rehearsal and we were able to build into our schedule about [...] »
- Andre Soares
The Loss Of A Teardrop Diamond: Q&A with Jodie Markell
29 December 2009 3:45 PM, PST
Bryce Dallas Howard, Chris Evans, Ellen Burstyn, and Ann Margret star in Jodie Markell’s handsome production of a long "lost" Tennessee Williams screenplay, The Loss of a Teardrop Diamond, which opens tomorrow in New York City at the Quad Theater and in the Los Angeles area at the Laemmle 4 in Santa Monica and the Laemmle 5 in West Hollywood. The story of a young, privileged and willful Southern woman (Howard) in love with a young man (Evans) whose family has seen better days, The Loss of a Teardrop Diamond was written directly for the screen sometime in the late ’50s. The film’s title refers to the loss of one diamond earring given to the heroine by her aunt (Ann-Margret), [...] »
- Andre Soares
SAG Awards 2010: Ballots Mailed
29 December 2009 1:17 PM, PST
Ballots to select the winners of the 2010 Screen Actors Guild Awards in five film and eight primetime television categories and for the SAG honors for film and television stunt ensembles are being mailed today to SAG’s entire active membership. Nearly 100,000 actors will receive ballots and may vote by mail or secure Internet eBalloting. According to SAG’s press release, "votes must be received by noon Pst on Thursday, Jan. 21, 2010 at Integrity Voting Systems, where results will be tallied and sealed until they are opened by the presenters at the 16th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards® ceremonies on Saturday, Jan. 23 at the Los Angeles Shrine Exposition Center. "Recipients of the stunt ensemble honors will be announced from the SAG [...] »
- Anna Robinson
Robert Pattinson, Megan Fox Sexiest Stars; The Twilight Saga: New Moon Best Film
29 December 2009 12:57 PM, PST
Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart in The Twilight Saga: New Moon (Kimberley French / Summit Entertainment) (top); Megan Fox in Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (Jaimie Trueblood / Dreamworks / Paramount) We all know what movie critics’ like, since they’ve been getting together to announce the year’s best since early December. But what about movie fans? Or at least those movie 200,000+ fans who’ve bothered to vote in a poll at Moviefone.com? Michael Haneke’s The White Ribbon was chosen — oops! Wrong poll. Let me try again: At Moviefone.com, Chris Weitz’s The Twilight Saga: New Moon was named best movie (global box office: $662 million) with more than 40 percent of the vote. The film’s male star, Robert Pattinson, was chosen the sexiest [...] »
- Anna Robinson
Avatar Box Office: James Cameron’s Sci-Fi Adventure Breaks Another Monday Record
29 December 2009 12:01 PM, PST
Sam Worthington in Avatar (Mark Fellman / 20th Century Fox) James Cameron’s Avatar has broken its own "Monday in December" record. According to the Box Office Mojo Monday chart, yesterday Avatar earned an estimated $19.4 million ($5,619 per screen) at the Us/Canada box office, landing in the chart’s #7 slot. Last Monday, Cameron’s sci-fi adventure had grossed $16.3m. Still ahead of Avatar are Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man 2 ($27.6m), with Tobey Maguire; Steven Spielberg’s Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull ($26,7m), with Harrison Ford and Cate Blanchett; the Johnny Depp vehicle Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End ($25m); Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight, with Christian Bale and Heath Ledger ($24.4m); Andrew Adamson, Kelly Asbury, and Conrad Vernon’s animated feature [...] »
- Michelle Hutton
Sin Nombre, The White Ribbon, Summer Hours: Foreign Language Film Favorites of 2009
29 December 2009 10:53 AM, PST
Paulina Gaitan, Edgar Flores in Cary Fukunaga’s Sin Nombre (Focus Features)(top); The White Ribbon by Michael Haneke (Films du Losange / Sony Pictures Classics) (middle); Penelope Cruz in Pedro Almodóvar’s Broken Embraces (Emilio Pereda & Paola Ardizzoni / El Deseo / Sony Pictures Classics) (bottom) Sin Nombre, a Mexican-American co-production directed by Cary Fukunaga and featuring Stockholm Film Festival best actor winner Edgar Flores, has thus far been the Us-critics’ favorite foreign-language film of 2009, with six wins. Additionally, Fukunaga’s drama about a Honduran family’s dramatic trek north to the United States, has landed Critics Choice and Spirit Award nominations. Michael Haneke’s European Film Award winner The White Ribbon, about strange occurrences in a small German town shortly before the outbreak [...] »
- Steve Montgomery
The Hurt Locker Is Us Critics’ Favorite
28 December 2009 10:44 PM, PST
Jeremy Renner in The Hurt Locker (Jonathan Olley / Summit Entertainment) Thus far, The Hurt Locker is the top choice among American film critics. The Iraq War drama directed by Kathryn Bigelow and written by Mark Boal, has won about a dozen awards from Us-based critics’ groups, including those from the country’s three largest metropolitan areas: New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago. Although The Hurt Locker is surely going to get an Oscar nomination come next February, the film’s chances of actually winning the award remain iffy in spite of a SAG nomination (and likely win) for best ensemble. Either Jason Reitman’s dramatic comedy Up in the Air, in which George Clooney plays a corporate-downsizing expert, or James Cameron’s generally well-received [...] »
- Steve Montgomery
Avatar Grosses $75.6m Over the Weekend, Tops $212m to Date
28 December 2009 3:57 PM, PST
With some final box-office figures in by now, according to the Box Office Mojo chart Avatar earned pretty much exactly what had been expected: $75.6 million over the Christmas weekend. Its total domestic take currently stand at $212.7 million. Directed by James Cameron, the ecologically conscious sci-fi epic stars Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, and Sigourney Weaver. Thanks to the success of Avatar, movie-business "experts" are now predicting that 3D films will dominate the market, that movie stars are a thing of the past, and that "originality" — as in something not derived from a videogame or comic strip — is now the thing. Considering the myriad predictions by "experts" from movie-time immemorial, predictions that have been way, way [...] »
- Michelle Hutton
Ang Panday Tops 2009 Metro Manila Film Festival
28 December 2009 2:36 PM, PST
Starring a Filipino politician, senator Ramon ‘Bong’ Revilla Jr, the adventure tale Ang Panday ("The Blacksmith") was the big winner at the 2009 edition of the Metro Manila Film Festival, it was announced Monday evening. According to reports on the festival’s awards, a film’s grosses represents about 40% of its merits, so it should be no surprise that Ang Panday was chosen the best film. With revenues estimated at more than P20 million (approx. Us$430,000), Revilla’s vehicle has led the Metro Manila festival’s box office in its first three days. (See full list of winners below.) In addition to its best film win, Ang Panday earned awards for best actor Revilla, best supporting actor Phillip Salvador, and best production [...] »
- Irene Young
Oscar 2010: 5,777 Nomination Ballots Mailed
28 December 2009 12:57 PM, PST
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has announced that nomination ballots for the 2010 Academy Awards were mailed today to its 5,777 voting members. According to the Academy’s press release, "completed ballots must be returned to PricewaterhouseCoopers by 5 p.m. on Saturday, January 23, 2010. Ballots received after the deadline will not be counted. "Nomination and final Awards ballots are tabulated by PricewaterhouseCoopers to ensure that all aspects of the balloting process are conducted with fairness and accuracy. "Prior to mailing, the PricewaterhouseCoopers staff administers a thorough verification process to ensure that there are no duplicate ballots and that none are missing. In addition to being counted and sorted, the ballots [...] »
- Anna Robinson
Halle Berry, Matthew Fox, Colin Farrell: Golden Globes 2010 Presenters
28 December 2009 12:50 PM, PST
Halle Berry, Colin Farrell and Matthew Fox have been announced as three more presenters at the 2010 Golden Globe ceremony on Sunday, January 17. They join Jennifer Aniston, Mickey Rourke and Julia Roberts, in addition to Robert De Niro and Leonardo DiCaprio, who will present the Hollywood Foreign Press Association’s Cecil B. DeMille Award to Martin Scorsese for his "outstanding contribution to the entertainment field." Halle Berry has been nominated for two Golden Globes: for Marc Forster’s 2001 drama Monster’s Ball, which earned her an Oscar, and the 2005 TV movie Their Eyes Were Watching God. Berry won one Globe for the 1999 TV production Introducing Dorothy Dandridge. Colin Farrell won a Best Actor (Comedy or Musical) Golden [...] »
- Anna Robinson
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