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'Up In the Air' Takes Top Film Award from National Board of Review
59 minutes ago
Hey there, my prediction came true, and perhaps this gut feeling I have about Jason Reitman's Up In the Air is accurate as the National Board of Review just named the Paramount pic the best film of 2009.
Continuing its reign, George Clooney also won Best Actor in a shared prize with Morgan Freeman who stars in Invictus as Nelson Mandela, and my current pic to win the Oscar Best Actress, Carey Mulligan, took top honors in the Best Actress category for An Education.
Anna Kendrick continued the Up In the Air love with a Best Supporting Actress win and Reitman was also recognized for Best Adapted Screenplay.
However, Eastwood maintained his Nbr presence with a Best Director win as well as seeing Invictus get listed as one of the top ten films of the year alongside the likes of Star Trek, Where the Wild Things Are, Inglourious Basterds and 500 Days of Summer. »
- Brad Brevet
Oscar Update: Latest Batch of Predictions Find 'Up In the Air' In the Lead
10 hours ago
Next week I see Invictus, Nine and Avatar and if this week's screening of The Lovely Bones hadn't been bumped I would pretty much have the major Oscar contenders in the bag. I recently received screeners for Broken Embraces and The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus which means The Last Station and Crazy Heart are really the only other two films evading me at the moment. Even though I would like to see what all the fuss about The White Ribbon is, but due time should take care of that.
Now, before we get to the predictions you should know we are coming up on the time of year when critic circles and organizations begin handing out their top ten lists and today will see the first of those lists as the National Board of Review will be doling out their awards later today. Last year Slumdog Millioniare won the org's »
- Brad Brevet
New Oscar Scripts: 'Basterds,' 'Nine,' 'The Road' and 'A Single Man'
10 hours ago
Photo: The Weinstein Co. The Weinstein Co. has opened up the doors to their awards site and with it comes four new scripts bringing the total number of Oscar contending scripts available online up to 23. The films we now have screenplays for include Inglourious Basterds, The Road, Nine and A Single Man. I have added direct links to each screenplay directly below along with the previous 19 scripts for films from Sony Pictures Classics, Focus Features, Warner Bros., Lionsgate, Overture Films and Universal Pictures.
Below you will get links to the award sites as well as links to each screenplay, with the newest scripts marked as such. Remember to bookmark our The Contenders section and/or subscribe to the Contenders RSS Feed for continuous awards updates.
The Weinstein Co. (visit awards site) Inglourious Basterds Download the Scriptandlaquo; New! Nine Download the Scriptandlaquo; New! The Road Download the Scriptandlaquo; New! A Single Man Download the Scriptandlaquo; New! »
- Brad Brevet
Film Stars Recreate Their Iconic Roles for Empire
17 hours ago
Mel Gibson recreating his role from Braveheart
Photo: Empire Magazine Empire has debuted a 30 image gallery featuring the likes of Christian Bale, Tom Cruise, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Mel Gibson, Gerard Butler, Keira Knightley, James McAvoy, Matt Damon, Clint Eastwood, Jack Nicholson, Laurence Fishburne and so on and so on, recreating some of their iconic film roles.
I have included a select few in this post, but to check all of them out click here. Too bad they didn't get Ewan McGregor in there to recreate his Trainspotting toilet scene.
Arnold Schwarzenegger recreating his role from The Terminator
Photo: Empire Magazine Anthony Hopkins and Jodie Foster recreating their roles from The Silence of he Lambs
Photo: Empire Magazine Tom Cruise recreating his role from Minority Report
Photo: Empire Magazine Christian Bale, Gerard Butler and Laurence Fishburne recreating their roles from American Psycho, 300 and The Matrix
Photo: Empire Magazine »
- Brad Brevet
First Looks at Kristen Stewart in Sundance Entry 'Welcome to the Rileys'
19 hours ago
Kristen Stewart in Welcome to the Rileys
Photo: Argonaut Pictures One film sure to make a splash at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival, whether it is liked or not, is Jake Scott's Welcome to the Rileys starring James Gandolfini, Kristen Stewart and Melissa Leo and I have your first five looks at the film. Yes, it's because it stars the Twilight star Kristen Stewart, but it's the role she is playing that is going to attract watchful eyes.
Stewart plays a lap dancer and prostitute in the film, which follows a damaged man (Gandolfini) who seeks salvation while on a business trip to New Orleans. Salvation is apparently sought by caring for Stewart's character, Mallory, a troubled young woman. Gandolfini's character and his wife (Leo) were driven apart by grief after losing their daughter.
The first stills from the film have just come in and while they don't show any skin, »
- Brad Brevet
2010 Sundance Film Festival Line-up Unveiled
22 hours ago
Photo: Sundance Today the Sundance Institute announced the films that will be in competition at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival in both the U.S. and International dramatic and documentary categories. The festival will run from January 21-31 in Park City, Utah. There are a few changes this year as there will be no opening-night picture and the festival will take select festival films to eight cities during as the fest plays out.
Last year notable films such as this year's major Oscar contenders Precious and An Education debuted at Sundance 2009 as did audience and critical favorite (500) Days of Summer.
As for this year's crop I have highlighted a few titles among the list below in red, but I have primarily done so considering the names attached to the pictures not necessarily based on any advanced buzz I've heard around any of the films. Names to look out for include Ryan Gosling, »
- Brad Brevet
A Second 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows' Image Arrives
23 hours ago
Daniel Radcliffe in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I
Photo: Warner Bros. Thanks to Jeremy at Hpana I am alerted to a second image from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I via Yahoo UK.
Jeremy seems to believe the image to be Harry at Grimmauld Place, the home of the Black family.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I hits theaters on November 19, 2010. »
- Brad Brevet
Latest MPAA Ratings: Bulletin No: 2098
2 December 2009 1:00 PM, PST
Here are the new MPAA ratings from Bulletin No: 2098.
Daybreakers Rated R For strong bloody violence, language and brief nudity. Release Date: January 8, 2010 Did You Hear About The Morgans? Rated PG-13 For some sexual references and momentary violence. Release Date: December 18, 2009 In Concert 3D: Larger Than Life in 3D: feat. Dave Matthews Band, Ben Harper and Relentless7, Gogol Bordello Rated PG For some mild language. Letters To God Rated PG For thematic material. Mother Rated R For language, some sexual content, violence and drug use. Release Date: Tba 2010 The No Sit List Rated PG For mischievous behavior and mild language. Order Of Chaos Rated R For sexual content, pervasive language and some violence. Shadowland Rated R For some bloody violence. Pending Appeal Intends To Appeal To The C.A.R.A. Appeals Board A Single Man Rated R For some disturbing images and nudity/sexual content. Release Date: December 11, 2009 (NY »
- Brad Brevet
23 New Images from 'The Lovely Bones' Makes a Packed Gallery
2 December 2009 12:59 PM, PST
Stanley Tucci and Saoirse Ronan in The Lovely Bones
Photo: DreamWorks Studios Paramount and DreamWorks Studios have just revealed 23 new images from The Lovely Bones, which hits limited theaters on December 11 and expands throughout the month and I know this is my third image post of the day, but that one above just struck me as quite impressive for those of us that have read the book (or perhaps a few Sergio Leone fans out there in what is a wild alternative to the traditional standoff). I just wish it was in widescreen and not cropped, as I imagine there is a bit of additional room to the left and right of the two characters in the actual shot in the film.
You can check the complete gallery of 36 images by clicking here.
The Lovely Bones stars Rachel Weisz, Saoirse Ronan, Stanley Tucci, Susan Sarandon, Michael Imperioli and Mark Wahlberg »
- Brad Brevet
Our 'Avatar' Gallery Grows with 17 New Images
2 December 2009 12:15 PM, PST
Photo: 20th Century Fox I think we have reached the limit in terms of how large our gallery of images for the upcoming Avatar will grow as 17 new images have found their way in and a few of them you have most likely seen before in a variety of editorials around the web. However, considering we are now operating with 71 images I have to assume there are a few in there you haven't seen yet.
Check the complete gallery out by clicking here.
Avatar hits theaters on December 18 and is the first feature film for director James Cameron since 1997's mega blockbuster Titanic. The film stars Sam Worthington as an ex-Marine who finds himself thrust into hostilities on an alien planet filled with exotic life forms. As an Avatar, a human mind in an alien body, he finds himself torn between two worlds, in a desperate »
- Brad Brevet
Take a Look at Four International 'Wolfman' Posters
2 December 2009 12:09 PM, PST
These posters have been floating around recently, but Universal just sent over hi-res versions of all four international posters for The Wolfman and I bring you preview images of each directly below and with a click of the mouse you can check out all four in much higher resolution in our gallery along with 56 other images from the film.
The Wolfman stars Benicio del Toro, Anthony Hopkins, Emily Blunt and Hugo Weaving and is set to hit theaters on February 12, 2010. To check out the complete gallery you can click here or on any of the posters below.
Clockwise from top left: Latin America, France, Southeast Asia and Russia »
- Brad Brevet
'Twilight: Breaking Dawn' Will be Made, and It Sounds Crazy!
1 December 2009 1:58 PM, PST
In the Making Of interview to the right, Twilight franchise producer Wyck Godfrey briefly discusses the plans to turn the fourth novel in Stephenie Meyer's "Twilight" franchise into a feature film. He says: We are about to embark on that. Getting New Moon and Eclipse finished in the amount of time we did, given that Twilight came out just last year has kind of taken all of our efforts. There's every intention of making Breaking Dawn and that'll begin November 21, figuring out the stage and what the time schedule is for it. Considering The Twilight Saga: New Moon was just released and is already breaking records having amassed $230 million domestically and nearly $474 million worldwide in just ten days you may be thinking this is an absolute no-brainer. So why is this a story that has hit every website today and why hasn't Summit already announced The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn? »
- Brad Brevet
'Coraline' Tops the List with Ten Annie Award Nominations
1 December 2009 11:29 AM, PST
The nominees for the 2010 Annie Awards were also announced today and Focus Features' Coraline topped the list of feature nominees with 10 with Pixar's Up following with 9 and Disney's Princess and the Frog scoring 8. All three films were included in the running for Best Animated feature along with Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, The Secret of Kells and Fantastic Mr. Fox.
Last year the Annie Awards came under some scrutiny as Kung Fu Panda blanked the soon-to-be Oscar winner Wall-e. The reason for the uproar being DreamWorks was one of the org's top sponsors (which they still are). This year Monsters vs. Aliens is the only DreamWorks Animated feature making any noise (4 nominations), but it looks like Sony Pictures Animation has bumped up their contributions to become a "Gold Sponsor". Will there again be uproar if Pixar's Up doesn't walk away with the top prizes or Disney's The Princess and the Frog. »
- Brad Brevet
'Last Station' and 'Precious' Lead the 2010 Independent Spirit Award Nominees
1 December 2009 10:41 AM, PST
This morning, Film Independent, the non-profit arts organization that produces the Spirit Awards and the Los Angeles Film Festival, announced the nominees for the 25th Film Independent Spirit Awards. The leading nomination getters where Sony Pictures Classics' The Last Station and Lionsgate's Precious, both of which earned five nominations including Best Feature along with Amreeka, 500 Days of Summer and Sin Nombre. Precious also enjoyed nominations in Best Director (Lee Daniels), Best Actress (Gabourey Sidibe), Best Supporting Actress (Mo'Nique) and Best First Screenplay.
The leading studios where Fox Searchlight and Sony Classics, each of which took home 7 nominations, Searchlight even earning one for the critically loathed Gentlemen Broncos with Jemaine Clement earning a Best Supporting Male nod.
I'm very happy to see Christian McKay for Me and Orson Welles enjoying some love and hope it can translate to an Oscar nomination and I wonder if Samantha Morton's nomination for »
- Brad Brevet
Updated: First 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows' Pic and Naked Harry?
1 December 2009 4:54 AM, PST
Update: We now have a full hi-res version of the new still in our gallery right here.
USA Today debuted the pic you see to the right serving as the first officially released image from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I. I am sure I will have a hi-res version in the next couple of days from Warner Bros. and wouldn't be surprised if they offered a couple more in conjunction. Then again, that could just be my wishful thinking.
Along with the image, director David Yates said the first part is "going to feel very real" in comparison with the six previous Potter features. "We're going for a verite approach. Being away from Hogwarts, they're like these three refugees on the run. They're out in the big bad world, facing real danger, unguarded by those wonderful benign wizards at Hogwarts. They don't have a home to go to. »
- Brad Brevet
Too Sexy! 34 New Gorgeous Looks at 'Nine' Plus a New Trailer
1 December 2009 3:56 AM, PST
Photo: The Weinstein Co. Yesterday Apple debuted a third trailer for the December 18 release of Nine, which you can watch just to the right or in high definition right here, but even more importantly RopeofSilicon has just scored 34 new brand spanking new images from the musical adaptation of Federico Fellini's 8 1/2 and you simply don't want to deny yourself the pleasure of perusing these beauties.
I am finally seeing this film next Tuesday and have done my best to avoid any advance word and have done well so far. Directed by Rob Marshall (Chicago), Nine is described as a vibrant and provocative musical following the life of world famous film director Guido Contini (Daniel Day-Lewis) as he reaches a creative and personal crisis of epic proportion, while balancing the numerous women in his life including his wife (Marion Cotillard), his mistress (Penelope Cruz), his film star »
- Brad Brevet
Greengrass Bounces Out of Directing 'Bourne 4'
1 December 2009 2:23 AM, PST
The Playlist is reporting Paul Greengrass has bailed on directing a fourth Jason Bourne film.
The reasons given include the August revelation that Josh Zetumer was brought on by Universal to write what sounded like a completely new draft of the script following the one turned in by George Nolfi (The Bourne Ultimatum). Greengrass is said to have not been included in the decision.
Next is an apparent spat between director and studio regarding the ballooning cost of Greengrass's upcoming war film Green Zone which has bounced all over the release schedule and is now slated for a March 12, 201o release. Word is Greengrass has been reshooting and editing the picture and the price tag has continued to go up in the process.
Considering this is another war film set in the Middle East I can certainly understand the studio's concern. As The Playlist points out, Green Zone star Matt Damon revealed to Empire, »
- Brad Brevet
Guess What, Tarantino Talks a Third 'Kill Bill'
1 December 2009 2:20 AM, PST
Here we have a short tidbit from MTV as they spoke with Quentin Tarantino about a third film in the Kill Bill franchise and his confidence is always encouraging, but his delivery is rarely reliable as reporting on Tarantino projects has taught me a lot over the past six years.
So, when he says, "There's no script; there are just ideas and notes," I believe him and I think most everyone else does as well. However, I would be willing to bet hard cash Tarantino has ideas and notes on hundreds of films, so to say that about another Kill Bill is like saying the sky is blue. But, when he adds, "I won't do that next, but it could very well be the thing I do after next," I get a bit more of a feeling we are on to something as this is Tarantino backing away from saying »
- Brad Brevet
This Week On DVD and Blu-ray: December 1, 2009
1 December 2009 2:16 AM, PST
DVD Links: DVD News | Release Dates | New Dvds | Reviews | RSS Feed
I guess the next three DVD/Blu-ray previews I write up could also be looked at as potential gift guides as we are now counting our way down to Christmas. Perhaps you'll find a little something for yourself as well as someone on your list. Let's get into it...
A Christmas Tale (Criterion Collection) I just posted my review of the Blu-ray edition and it's a film I am already interested in revisiting and expect I will have a different reaction to each time. As it stands I enjoyed it, but wasn't completely bowled over and in terms of special features this one is a bit light when it comes to Criterion standards with only a making-of interview featurette and Desplechin's 2007 documentary about the selling of his family home, which is actually quite good. For my full review click here. »
- Brad Brevet
Blu-ray Review: A Christmas Tale (Criterion Collection)
1 December 2009 1:13 AM, PST
I heard faint rumblings regarding Arnaud Desplechin's A Christmas Tale last year after I had already missed the screening; I'm not even sure it was even in Seattle theaters for longer than a couple of weeks. I wasn't too worried though, "faint rumblings" typically indicate a quality film that won't knock your socks off, and in those terms the French-language A Christmas Tale delivers, but through the eyes of others this one could be so much more.
The setting is kept simple as the film focuses on the Vuillard family during the winter holiday season. It's the members of this family, both blood and by marriage and/or friendship, that complicate matters.
There is hardly a lead role, but the story revolves around the recent knowledge the Vuillard matriarch Junon (Catherine Deneuve) has been diagnosed with cancer and is in need of a bone marrow transplant from a blood relative. »
- Brad Brevet
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