Category Archives: Movies

2011 Oscar nods are in!

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Today the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced the nominees for this year’s Academy Awards show.  Leading the pack is The King’s Speech with 12 nominations, followed by True Grit with 10.  In addition for being up for Best Picture, The King’s Speech is also being recognized for its actors (Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush, and Helena Bonham Carter are up for Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor, and Best Supporting Actress, respectively) director (Tom Hooper), and screenwriter (David Seidler).  True Grit is also up for Best Picture, Best Director (Joel & Ethan Coen), and Best Adapted Screenplay (the Coens).  Actors Jeff Bridges and the young but brilliantly talented Hailee Steinfeld nabbed Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor nods, respectively.  127 Hours, Black Swan, The Fighter, Inception, The Kids Are All Right, The Social Network, Toy Story 3, and Winter’s Bone round out the coveted Best Picture category.

Time to talk snubs.  First up: Christopher Nolan, the man behind Inception.  Though the fantastical mind trip nabbed 8 nods (including Best Picture and Screenplay), Nolan was not recognized for his superb direction.  Next: Andrew Garfield (The Social Network) and Mila Kunis (Black Swan) are noticeably absent from the Best Supporting Actor/Actress category.  Then there’s the Best Animated Feature category; though Toy Story 3 is locked for the win, Illumination Entertainment’s Despicable Me deserves a spot there amongst TS3 and How to Train Your Dragon.  As critically acclaimed as Ben Affleck’s The Town was this past year, the flick only picked up a nod for Best Supporting Actor (Jeremy Renner).  And finally there’s Tron: Legacy; it’s one thing not to nominate Daft Punk’s wonderfully electric score, but it’s quite laughable that the Academy did not nominate the movie for Best Visual Effects.

Look after the break to see the full rundown of all 24 award categories.  The 83rd Annual Academy Awards, hosted by James Franco and Anne Hathaway, airs live Sunday February 27 at 8PM on ABC.

[Via EW] Continue reading 2011 Oscar nods are in! →

Cameron’s house from ‘Ferris Bueller’s Day Off’ is on sale

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Who could forget that famous scene from Ferris Bueller’s Day Off when Cameron throws a fit and accidentally kicks his father’s Ferrari out the glass garage and into the woods.  Well, now you can own Cam’s home for a cool $1.65 million, because it recently hit the market!  The Highland Park, Illinois home is located at 370 Beech Street on a one acre lot with 43,560 square feet.  The house, designed by famous architects A. James Speyer and David Haid and built in 1953, contains 5,300 square feet of living space including 4 bedrooms, 4 baths, and floor-to-ceiling windows.  Interested?  Here’s the actual listing.  And don’t worry–the garage has been fixed up since the 1986 mishap.  You know what’d be really cool?  If the same person who won the auctioned Ferrari 250GT Spyder California used in the movie also purchased the home.  Check out shots of the interior after the break.

[Via HuffingtonPost] Continue reading Cameron’s house from ‘Ferris Bueller’s Day Off’ is on sale →

‘The Dark Knight Rises’ casting scoop: Anne Hathaway is Catwoman, Tom Hardy is Bane

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We’re finally starting to get idea about what Christopher Nolan’s third and final Batman film will be about, now that we know Catwoman and Bane are involved.  Anne Hathaway (Love and Other Drugs) has been cast as Selina Kyle (aka Catwoman).  Cue statement from Nolan: “I am thrilled to have the opportunity to work with Anne Hathaway, who will be a fantastic addition to our ensemble as we complete our story.”  Tom Hardy (Inception) is Bane, or as he’s better known as “the man who broke the Bat”; in the comics Bane is an abnormally strong villain who literally breaks Batman’s back and learns Batman’s secret identity.  Another statement from the director: “I am delighted to be working with Tom again and excited to watch him bring to life our new interpretation of one of Batman’s most formidable enemies.”

Movie buff?  The last time Catwoman and Bane made it to the big screen was in 1996’s Batman Returns (Michelle Pfeiffer) and 1997’s Batman and Robin (Robert Swenson).  I’m trying real hard to forget that 2004’s Catwoman (Halle Berry) was ever made.

Christian Bale, Hathaway, and Hardy are locked in; can’t wait to see who gets called in next.  The Dark Knight Rises opens July 20, 2012.

[Via Deadline]

Ben Stiller confirms ‘Zoolander 2’

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You guys ready for some really ridiculously good news?  Ben Stiller has confirmed to Empire Magazine that a sequel to 2001’s Zoolander is well on its way to actually being made!  He’s teaming up with director Justin Theroux again, and Owen Wilson’s Hansel will be back.  The script, written by Stiller and Theroux, is complete and now they’re waiting to hear back from the studio.  It’s not much but here’s what Stiller spilled, plot-wise: “It’s ten years later and most of it is set in Europe. I don’t want to give away too much, but it’s basically Derek and Hansel ten years later – though the last movie ended on a happy note a lot of things have happened in the meantime. Their lives have changed and they’re not really relevant anymore. It’s a new world for them.”  Will the hilarious and villainous Mugatu make a return?  “Will Ferrell is written into the script and he’s expressed interest in doing it,” Stiller shares. “I think Mugatu is an integral part of the Zoolander story, so yes, he features in a big way.”  Woot!  And last, in the rumor mill sits a cameo by Lady Gaga.  She is a prominent figure in today’s fashion industry, so it would make sense for her to appear in the Zoolander universe, so we’ll see.  Keep it right here for the latest Zoolander 2 developments.  Now strike a pose–Blue Steel!

[Via EmpireOnline]

2011 Golden Globe winners: ‘The Social Network’, ‘The Kids Are Alright’, ‘Boardwalk Empire’, ‘Glee’

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Honestly, every year the Golden Globes telecast just comes across as drab.  Where are the shiny musical numbers, the high-spirited jokes?  Host Ricky Gervais was funny, but he promoted a rather dreary atmosphere with his harsh jabs at many celebrities.  But let’s move on to the night’s big winners, shall we?

Movies… The Social Network was the night’s big winner.  In addition to winning Best Picture (drama), director David Fincher, screenwriter Aaron Sorkin, and composers Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross were recognized for their contributions to the film.  The Kids Are All Right was named Best Picture (comedy or musical), and Annette Bening beat out her co-star Julianne Moore for Best Actress (comedy or musical).  The Fighter took home a pair of wins; Christian Bale and Melissa Leo won Best Supporting Actor and Actress (drama), respectively.  Other notable mentions: Natalie Portman won Best Actress (drama) for her star role in Black Swan; Colin Firth won Best Actor (drama) for his role in The King’s Speech; Paul Giamatti was Best Actor (comedy or musical) for Barney’s Version; and joining Portman in the “duh!” category was Toy Story 3 for Best Animated Feature.  Quote of the night came from TS3‘s director Lee Unkirk when he described his film as “an animated movie that beat with a human heart.”  No love for Inception‘s brilliant director and soundtrack, unfortunately.

Television… Boardwalk Empire and Glee were the night’s big winners in the TV categories.  The HBO Prohibition-era show won Best Drama and its star Steve Buscemi took home Best Actor (drama); that’s right–Mad Men finally met its match.  Glee won Best Comedy or Musical for the second consecutive year, and Chris Colfer and Jane Lynch were crowned by Best Supporting Actors (comedy or musical).  Fun fact: Colfer and Lynch are the youngest and oldest Globe winners at 20 and 50 years old, respectively.  Other notable mentions: Jim Parsons won Best Actor (comedy or musical) for his fantastic role as Sheldon Cooper on The Big Bang Theory; Sons Of Anarchy‘s Katey Sagal (surprisingly) beat out Julianna Margulies, Elisabeth Moss, Piper Perabo, and Kyra Sedgwick for Best Actress (drama); and Laura Linney (The Big C) topped Tiny Fey, Collette, Falco, and Lea Michele for Best Actress (comedy or musical).  The Walking Dead and Modern Family will surely be recognized next year, let’s hope.

Click here for the full list of winners.

YouTube documentary ‘Life in a Day’ premieres January 27

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Remember that crowd-sourced documentary film attached to filmmakers Kevin Macdonald and Ridley Scott I was telling you about back in early July?  Well it’s almost complete and ready for us to enjoy!  Here’s a quick refresher if you need it.  Life in a Day is described as “a historic cinematic experiment to document a single day on Earth.”  Director Macdonald and producer Scott asked people all around the world to film their day on July 24, 2010.  Over 80,000 video clips of people’s lives were submitted (over 4500 hours of footage), and a team of editors managed to whittle it all down into a 90 minute documentary film “that gives an honest and inspiring glimpse of our world.”  Of the 80,000 clips originally submitted, 1,125 of them made it into the final cut.  One of these chosen clips is embedded above; the beautifully shot clip called “Slim Up” was shot by by Toniu Xou and Patricia Martinez del Hoyoa of Spain and features a young girl climbing a human castle in the small town of San Jaume dels Domenys in the Spanish province of Tarragona.  This is just a sneak peak into what the film will encompass.  The film “really gives you a flavor of what it was like to be alive on 24th July 2010,” says Macdonald.

Life in a Day will premiere January 27 at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival, and it will be broadcasted live on YouTube for everyone to see that day at 8PM EST.  Following the premiere the director of the Festival will conduct an interactive interview with Macdonald and the 20 top contributors of the film.  Starting Monday, January 24 you can submit questions and maybe yours will get picked when the interview is streamed after the film.

Bookmark the Life in a Day YouTube channel and check back there on the 27th at 8PM to watch what promises to be an exciting and curious look into a single day of humanity.  Look after the break to watch a recent and informative interview with Macdonald and editor Joe Walker.

Update: National Geographic has partnered up with YouTube to acquire the rights to bring the doc to the States. If you missed Life in a Day when it streamed online, it’s expected that Nat Geo will release it in theatres on July 24, 2011; yes, that is exactly one year after all the footage was shot.  A DVD release with bonus content will follow.

[Via YouTubeBlog; Deadline] Continue reading YouTube documentary ‘Life in a Day’ premieres January 27 →

Ridley Scott’s ‘Alien’ prequel is now ‘Prometheus’

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Back in the summer of 2007, director Ridley Scott made it official that he was on board to helm a prequel feature film to his original 1979 cult classic Alien.  What has been referred to as “The Alien prequel” since then has suddenly morphed into something new and quite original.  Today studio-backer 20th Century Fox came out and formally announced the film as Prometheus and tacked on a March 9th, 2012 release date.

While the film will contain some “Alien DNA”, says Scott, it will explore new themes.  “While Alien was indeed the jumping off point for this project, out of the creative process evolved a new, grand mythology and universe in which this original story takes place. The keen fan will recognize strands of Alien’s DNA, so to speak, but the ideas tackled in this film are unique, large and provocative. I couldn’t be more pleased to have found the singular tale I’d been searching for, and finally return to this genre that’s so close to my heart.”

Damon Lindelof (Lost, Star Trek) has been working closing with Scott on the script.  “In a world flooded with prequels, sequels and reboots, I was incredibly struck by just how original Ridley’s vision was for this movie,” says Lindelof. “It’s daring, visceral and hopefully, the last thing anyone expects. When I sat in a movie theater as a kid, feet raised off the floor for fear that something might grab my ankles, I never dreamed in my wildest imagination I would one day get to collaborate with the man responsible for it. Working alongside him has been nothing short of a dream come true.”

As for casting, only Noomi Rapace has been signed on to play scientist Elizabeth Shaw and Fox says other roles “would be cast soon.”  I’m really looking forward to Prometheus.  If you recall, the three Alien sequels were helmed by different directors (James Cameron, David Fincher, and Jean-Pierre Jeunet, respectively), and so I’m intrigued that Scott is so confident he can inject new life into his original creation.

[Via Deadline]

NEW LOOK! Chris Evans in full Captain America costume

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We’ve already seen Chris Evans dressed as Captain America on the cover of EW’s October issue this past fall.  But check out this new look where we find Evans dressed in the FULL Cap costume, wing-accented helmet and all! I’m really digging the bold colors and the rugged material of the suit.  In fact, according to EW, Cap’s uniform “was designed to resemble a tricked-out airman’s jumpsuit.”  I like it.  Here’s a fun fact for you: According to costume designer Anna Sheppard, it takes Evans about 25 minutes to gear up.  She spills, “He likes to do it all by himself. I think it helps him feel like a super hero.”  Captain America: The First Avenger opens July 22, 2011.

Update: Another image has surfaced!  Hop after the break and take a gander.

[Via EW; Deadline; thanks, Kunal S.] Continue reading NEW LOOK! Chris Evans in full Captain America costume →

FIRST LOOK: Andrew Garfield is Spider-Man

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Here’s your first look at Andrew Garfield as young Peter Parker donning his super sleek Spider-Man suit.  In an interview with The Guardian, the Social Network star shared what it felt like to experience the suit. “I feel like a kid in my [pajamas],” he said. “I can only say how it feels and it feels pretty special. It feels like a dream [realized] and a fantasy [realized] and I don’t take it lightly and feel very, very lucky that I get to wear spandex for the next few months!”

Guess we’ll have to wait a bit longer to see the mask; perhaps it will be unveiled in the first theatrical trailer.  The Spider-Man reboot hits theatres in 3D July 3, 2012.

[Via MTV]

Trailer #2: Paul

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The official U.S. trailer of the upcoming Simon Pegg/Nick Frost sci-fi road trip comedy has hit the ‘Net.  In it you should spot Jane Lynch, Jason Bateman, Kristen Wiig, Bill Hader, and other surprises.  If for some crazy reason you couldn’t recognize the alien’s voice–that’s Seth Rogen.  Feel free to rewatch the international trailer right here.  Paul hits theatres March 18, 2011.

Kiefer Sutherland transitions from ’24’ to upcoming web series ‘The Confession’

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The trials and tribulations of Jack Bauer have come to an end, so what’s next for the incredible actor who played our nation’s hero for eight years?  In a surprising move, Kiefer Sutherland has decided to test the Internet waters in an upcoming web series produced by Sutherland, Chris Young, Joseph Gomes, and Maura Mandt.  It’s called The Confession and Sutherland stars as “a hitman who has a theological discussion with a priest (played by English actor John Hurt) about why his victims deserved to die.”  The series, written and directed by Brad Mirman, was shot in New York during the snow storm last month over nine days.

Sutherland shared with EW his excitement about this new project.  The origin story: “It came about in such a different way,” Sutherland said.  “I was meeting a couple friends of mine, who wanted to introduce me to Chris Young (of Digital Broadcasting Group). I know so little about the internet, but that’s what a lot of friends do for work. Most of that stuff being produced for the internet is comedy, very much like Jackass kind of material, which is great but didn’t appeal to me. Chris started talking about wanting to do a drama, but his criteria was so different. A drama in five-minute episodes! It was one of those things, like a puzzle over the course of the lunch. It can’t be that complicated to figure out a story in five minutes, right? I couldn’t, and it frustrated the crap out of me. So I went home that night, still thinking about it, and it stayed with me for three days. I was falling asleep when I literally got this idea of a confessional.”

He thinks that creative content distributed over the Internet is the wave of the future.  “None of us were paid what we normally get paid,” Sutherland admitted. “Everybody found their own challenge in it, and that was the reason to do it. All of us believe very strongly that the internet is the future, the largest network in world, with the ability to reach a big audience.” Continue reading Kiefer Sutherland transitions from ’24’ to upcoming web series ‘The Confession’ →

Star Wars saga coming to Blu-ray in September with over 30 hours of bonus content

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George Lucas announced that the entire Star Wars saga was coming to Blu-ray in fall 2011, and this week he made good on that promise.  On September 30, 2011 you’ll be able to purchase the Blu-ray collection in one of three ways: (1) The Complete Saga (Episodes I-VI) for $139.99; (2) The Original Trilogy for $69.99; (3) The Prequel Trilogy for $69.99.  The Complete Saga set will come bundled with “more than 30 hours of extensive special features including never-before-seen deleted and alternate scenes, an exploration of the exclusive Star Wars archives, and much more.”  Full PR after the break.

The three sets are available to preorder at Amazon today at prices lower than the specified MSRP: Complete Saga ($89.99); Original Trilogy ($44.99); Prequel Trilogy ($44.99).  See what I did there?

[Via Gizmodo] Continue reading Star Wars saga coming to Blu-ray in September with over 30 hours of bonus content →