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The HOT Report - by Craig Hill

Movies USA - The HOT Report

2009 Oscar Winners Complete List

February 23rd 2009 05:37
Best Picture: Slumdog Millionaire

Actor in a Leading Role: Sean Penn, Milk

Actress in a Leading Role: Kate Winslet, The Reader

Director: Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire

Foreign Language Film: Departures (Japan)

Original Song: "Jai Ho," A.R. Rahman and Gulzar; Slumdog Millionaire

Original Score: A.R. Rahman, Slumdog Millionaire

Slumdog Millionaire Best Picture 2009 Oscars


Film Editing: Slumdog Millionaire

Sound Mixing: Slumdog Millionaire

Sound Editing: The Dark Knight

Visual Effects: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Documentary Short Subject: Smile Pinki

Documentary Feature: Man on Wire

Actor in a Supporting Role: Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight

Live Action Short Film: Spielzeugland (Toyland)

Cinematography: Slumdog Millionaire

Makeup: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Costume Design: The Duchess

Art Direction: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Animated Short Film: La Maison en Petits Cubes

Animated Feature Film: WALL-E

Adapted Screenplay: Simon Beaufoy, Slumdog Millionaire

Original Screenplay: Dustin Lance Black, Milk

Actress in a Supporting Role: Penélope Cruz, Vicky Cristina Barcelona

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Posted By: KC Hill - Category: Movies, Celebrities, USA
   


Oscars Red Carpet Quotes

February 23rd 2009 05:27
"He doesn't speak English. He isn't saying anything." They were the words of one of the little kids from Slumdog Millionaire, translating on behalf of another little kid from Slumdog Millionaire.

Unfortunately, many better known people feel obliged to say as much as they can, so here are some more of the quotes from the red carpet at the 2009 Oscars:

"I said to myself, 'I would rather have Loki for another two years than have an Oscar,' and I told her that, you know. But she stayed as long as she could."
—Mickey Rourke, still mourning the death six days ago of his beloved dog

Mickey Rourke Oscars 2009
Mickey Rourke At The Oscars 2009


"I said to my daughter, 'If I did win the big prize, what do you think I should say?' And she said, 'I just think you should be really crazy and emotional'. I thought, 'You're no good.' "
—Kate Winslet, nominated for her performance in The Reader

"I did a rehearsal and messed it up. I am probably going to be the letdown of the entire show."
—Robert Pattinson, not really getting it

"I've been sitting on one butt cheek the whole ride over here, which is difficult. People don't have a clue what goes into it."
—Heidi Klum, on high fashion

"I thought it was a joke. First of all, how can I play his mother? I'm black. He's white."
—Taraji P. Henson, on being cast as Brad Pitt's mom in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

"She just said, 'Don't let anything affect you; enjoy this is, your moment.' "
—Freida Pinto, relaying advice she received from Angelina Jolie at the SAG Awards

"I just wanted to go 15 rounds with her and still be on my feet. I didn't want to stink."
—Viola Davis, on acting alongside Meryl Streep, the "500-pound gorilla of acting"

"It came together very very quickly, so it's not too demanding, but it is very exciting."
—Zac Efron, doing his best to sell the hell out of...whatever it is he's doing there

"Angelina Jolie—she can adopt me if she wants to."
—Miley Cyrus, when asked by Ryan Seacrest what star she was excited to see tonight

"Someone put a black bag over my head and took me somewhere and hypnotized me. It might have been a rehearsal, but I can't say for sure."
—Kevin Kline, reacting to the cloak-and-dagger secrecy of this year's awards

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Posted By: KC Hill - Category: Movies, Celebrities, USA
   


Kung Fu Panda Smashes Competition At Annie Awards

January 31st 2009 11:11
A butt-kicking panda cleaned up at the annual Annie Awards this year.

Kung Fu Panda took home 10 trophies, including best animated feature, at the awards show that honors the year's best in animation.

The Dreamworks flick, which features the voices of Angelina Jolie and Jack Black, beat out Disney's Bolt and Pixar's critically-acclaimed WALL-E for the top title.

Read more...

Kung Fu Panda
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Narnia's Dawn Treader Set To Sail Under Fox

January 29th 2009 10:26
Weeks after Disney decided not to bankroll another sequel in The Chronicles of Narnia series due to spiraling costs, 20th Century Fox has swooped in and rescued the big-screen franchise from almost certain doom by agreeing to team up with Walden Media to cofinance, market and distribute the next installment, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader.

According to Variety, Fox had first dibs on Dawn Treader because it already markets and distributes Walden movies under its Fox Walden label.

Walden, which owns the rights to the seminal C.S. Lewis fantasy novels, needed a new partner after the Mouse House pulled out, citing "budgetary and logistical reasons."

Read more...

Narnia Prince Caspian

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Posted By: KC Hill - Category: Movies, Celebrities, USA
   


Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Report

January 26th 2009 10:33
At points it seemed as if the 15th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards was following the same script as the Golden Globes Awards that took place two weeks ago, but the ceremony did feature a few variations, despite the fact that Slumdog Millionaire, Heath Ledger, Kate Winslet, Mad Men and 30 Rock still won a whole new slew of shiny trophies.

As Slumdog Millionaire continued to bust out of its little-film-that-could shell by winning the evening's final award, Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture, Ledger and Winslet racked up more supporting-actor ammo heading into next month's Academy Awards.

Winslet was honored again for her role as a former concentration camp guard who has a lusty affair with a teenager in The Reader (a role for which she's competing in the Best Actress Oscar race), while Ledger seemingly cemented his Oscar-frontrunner status for his still-resonating performance in The Dark Knight.
Meryl Streep Kevin Winter/Getty Images

"It is a great honor to be asked to accept this on behalf of Heath," said costar Gary Oldman. "He was an extraordinary young man with an extraordinary talent. And it is wonderful that you have acknowledged that and honored that talent tonight. On behalf of Heath, his family, and his family on The Dark Knight, I thank you."

30 Rock Cast SAG Awards
30 Rock Cast At The SAG Awards


But Winslet couldn't make it a double Sunday because it was the grande dame of nights such as these, Meryl Streep, who won for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role for her turn as a strict and relentless nun in Doubt.

"I didn't even buy a dress!" a breathless Streep exclaimed. "I'm really, really, really shocked! And even though awards mean nothing to me anymore, I'm really happy."

"Can I just say, there is no such thing as the best actress," she continued. "There is no such thing as the greatest living actress. I am in a position where I have secret information, that I know this to be true. I am so in awe of the work of the women this year—nominated, not nominated. So proud of us girls!"
Sean Penn Kevin Winter/Getty Images

Taking some of the wind out of Mickey Rourke's sprint to Oscar, meanwhile, was Milk star Sean Penn, who took home Lead Actor prize for playing pioneering gay politico Harvey Milk.

"Thank you, and good evening, comrades," Penn began. "That was for O'Reilly." (Bill, we presume.)

As for the rest… lots of déjà vu all over again.

Tina Fey and her merry band of 30 Rockers continued to feel the love this awards season. The NBC sitcom snagged its first win for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a TV Comedy, as well as Fey's second straight win for Lead Female Actor in a Comedy and Alec Baldwin's third consecutive victory in the Lead Male category.

"I don't know who I want to make out with more tonight, [Anthony] Hopkins or Diane Lane—Tony looks so good!" joked Baldwin before going on to thank his fellow castmembers.
30 Rock, Screen Actors' Guild Awards AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill

Fey, meanwhile, dedicated her win to her young daughter, Alice, and Jane Krakowski did the honors when 30 Rock won SAG's equivalent of a best comedy series award.

"A great ensemble should be better than the sum of its parts, and that is definitely the case here because some of these people are just weirdos we picked up off the street," Krakowski said, pointedly adding, "Jack McBrayer," under her facetious breath.

John Adams' first couple, Paul Giamatti and Laura Linney, also relived their Golden Globes glory, sweeping the performance categories for acting in a TV movie or miniseries.

Not that the members of SAG agreed with the Hollywood Foreign Press about everything. The cast of Mad Men was singled out for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series, while House cornerstone Hugh Laurie notched his second consecutive SAG win for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series.

"I fancied I knew instantly that this was an extraordinary character that could go the distance," Laurie said. "That was a complete lie. I had no idea, and this is absolutely amazing to me now to look back."

And while the good doc is known to thank those members of the crew who are often overlooked come awards season, Laurie gave a shout-out this time to the couple who run the set's craft services table, the purveyors of the "finest cheesy eggs this side of the Rio Grande."

Seven-time nominee Sally Field then won her first ever SAG Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama for playing Brothers & Sisters matriarch Nora Walker.

"I've been an actor for 45 years," said the reliably long-winded Field. "I am so proud to be an actor and so proud that my fellow actors would give me this. We inspire, we provoke, we entertain, and never before has that been so needed in the country than it is right now."

Also quite proud of his profession was James Earl Jones, the recipient of this year's Life Achievement Award.

"I don't mean to embarrass anybody by comparing the actor to God," the sonorous thesp began, "but once we've taken a role, we have a similar responsibility, to breathe life into that character, and only the actor can do that."

And to his fellow actors: "I love the work you do, sometimes it simply knocks me out. In this gathering of gifted artists, I'd like to raise a salute. Paul Newman, somebody down here likes you."

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Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards Complete List

January 26th 2009 10:30
The following is the complete list of winners from the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards, 2009

FILM

Cast in a Motion Picture: Slumdog Millionaire

Male Actor in a Leading Role: Sean Penn, Milk

Female Actor in a Leading Role: Meryl Streep, Doubt

Male Actor in a Supporting Role: Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight

Female Actor in a Supporting Role: Kate Winslet, The Reader

Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture: The Dark Knight

Sean Penn
Sean Penn


TELEVISION

Ensemble in a Drama Series: Mad Men

Ensemble in a Comedy Series: 30 Rock

Male Actor in a Drama Series: Hugh Laurie, House

Female Actor in a Drama Series: Sally Field, Brothers & Sisters

Male Actor in a Comedy Series: Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock

Female Actor in a Comedy Series: Tina Fey, 30 Rock

Male Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries: Paul Giamatti, John Adams

Female Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries: Laura Linney, John Adams

Stunt Ensemble in a Television Series: Heroes


Life Achievement Award: James Earl Jones

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Drew Barrymore Ready For Charlie's Angels Again

January 24th 2009 05:56
Drew Barrymore has said she's ready to make a third installment of her supersuccessful Charlie's Angels movie franchise.

"I'm so into it," Barrymore said while promoting her new star-filled romantic comedy, He's Just Not That Into You. "I’m so into Charlie's Angels III!"

Barrymore kicked off an updated retelling of the 1970s television series nine years ago with Cameron Diaz and Lucy Liu. Three years later, they returned with Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle.

"It's percolating up," said Nancy Juvonen, Barrymore's Flower Films producing partner. "It's rising to the surface."

Barrymore added, "They're hard movies to make, but they're fun." And lucrative! The franchise grossed $544 million worldwide, according to boxofficemojo.com.

Charlie's Angels


Ideas are being kicked around, including the possible introduction of a fourth Angel. It happened in the original Aaron Spelling series when Cheryl Ladd joined the cast in 1977 as Kris Munroe, sister of Farrah Fawcett's iconic Jill.

Let's not forget about a villain. Sam Rockwell and Crispin Glover were among the baddies the first time around. Demi Moore appeared in Full Throttle as Madison Lee, a former Angel turned vamped-up villainess. For the next flick, they say they'll probably go with another guy.
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Heath Ledger's Family On Oscar Nominations

January 23rd 2009 05:08
On the first anniversary of his death, the now two-time Oscar nominee's three sisters spoke out in Australia about their brother, his legacy and how deeply they still feel the loss. It's been a year since Heath Ledger so suddenly, shockingly and tragically passed away, and his nomination was exactly on the anniversary.

"Today is the anniversary of Heath's passing," sister Kate Ledger told Australian media Thursday, reading from a prepared statement obtained by E! News. "To us (his family) it seems like merely yesterday and we are still all nursing broken hearts. Like anyone who loses a family member, it has opened our eyes to the intense suffering and painful journey that is death.

"We feel truly blessed to have Heath's beautiful daughter, Matilda, and her lovely mom, Michelle, in our lives. And although we are physically challenged at times by the tyranny of distance, we are always in constant contact and take every opportunity possible to catch up. Michelle is doing an amazing job with 'our girl' and together we will cherish every moment of her steps through life."

Heath Ledger The Joker


Added Heath's half-sister, Ashleigh Bell: "Today is also a day for us to celebrate, with the news of Heath's Oscar nomination. Although we would love to have him here with us, we are so proud and so excited on his behalf. In Heath's words, he had 'the time of his life' portraying the Joker and said that it was the most fun he'd ever had making a film. On Heath's behalf we thank the Motion Picture Academy for recognizing his work.

"What an unbelievable legacy he has left for Matilda and our family. We will take this opportunity today to honor his wonderful life and take comfort in knowing Heath will continue to touch future generations through this amazing art form."

Ledger received an Academy Award nomination today for Best Supporting Actor for his chilling turn as the Joker in The Dark Knight. He is also up for a Screen Actors Guild Award this weekend, and director Christopher Nolan accepted the Golden Globe on his behalf Jan. 18.

A year ago, the 28-year-old star was found dead of an accidental prescription overdose in his New York loft.
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Academy Awards 2009 Complete Nomination List

January 23rd 2009 01:59
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is the most nominated movie at this year's Academy Awards, with 13 nominations, including Best Picture and Best Actor. Slumdog Millionaire is next with ten, and third is The Dark Knight and Milk, with eight nominations each.

Meryl Streep has received her fifteenth nomination, Best Actress for Doubt, making her the most nominated performer in Oscars history.

Academy Awards Complete List 2009


The awards will be handed out Feb 22 at the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles. Here's the complete list of nominees:

Best Motion Picture of the Year

* The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
* Frost/Nixon
* Milk
* The Reader
* Slumdog Millionaire

Achievement in Directing

* David Fincher, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
* Ron Howard, Frost/Nixon
* Gus Van Sant, Milk
* Stephen Daldry, The Reader
* Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire

Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role

* Richard Jenkins, The Visitor
* Frank Langella, Frost/Nixon
* Sean Penn, Milk
* Brad Pitt, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
* Mickey Rourke, The Wrestler

Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role

* Josh Brolin, Milk
* Robert Downey Jr., Tropic Thunder
* Philip Seymour Hoffman, Doubt
* Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight
* Michael Shannon, Revolutionary Road

Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role

* Anne Hathaway, Rachel Getting Married
* Angelina Jolie, Changeling
* Melissa Leo, Frozen River
* Kate Winslet. The Reader
* Meryl Streep, Doubt

Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role

* Amy Adams, Doubt
* Penélope Cruz, Vicky Cristina Barcelona
* Viola Davis, Doubt
* Taraji P. Henson, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
* Marisa Tomei, The Wrestler

Best Animated Feature Film of the Year

* Bolt
* Kung Fu Panda
* Wall-E

Original Screenplay

* Dustin Lance Black, Milk
* Courtney Hunt, Frozen River
* Mike Leigh, Happy-Go-Lucky
* Martin McDonagh, In Bruges
* Andrew Stanton and Jim Reardon, WALL-E

Adapted Screenplay

* Eric Roth and Robin Swicord, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
* John Patrick Shanley, Doubt
* Peter Morgan, Frost/Nixon
* David Hare, The Reader
* Simon Beaufoy, Slumdog Millionaire

Best Foreign Language Film of the Year

* The Baader Meinhof Complex (Germany)
* The Class (France)
* Departures (Japan)
* Revanche (Austria)
* Waltz With Bashir (Israel)

Original Score

* Alexandre Desplat, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
* James Newton Howard, Defiance
* Danny Elfman, Milk
* A.R. Rahman, Slumdog Millionaire
* Thomas Newman, WALL-E

Original Song

* "Down to Earth," Peter Gabriel and Thomas Newman; WALL-E
* "Jai Ho," A.R. Rahman and Gulzar; Slumdog Millionaire
* "O Saya," A.R. Rahman and Maya Arulpragasam; Slumdog Millionaire

Achievement in Art Direction

* Changeling
* The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
* The Dark Knight
* The Duchess
* Revolutionary Road

Achievement in Cinematography

* Changeling
* The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
* The Dark Knight
* The Reader
* Slumdog Millionaire

Achievement in Costume Design

* Australia
* The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
* The Duchess
* Milk
* Revolutionary Road

Best Documentary Feature

* The Betrayal (Nerakhoon)
* Encounters at the End of the World
* The Garden
* Man on Wire
* Trouble the Water

Best Documentary Short Subject

* The Conscience of Nhem En
* The Final Inch
* Smile Pinki
* The Witness—From the Balcony of Room 306

Achievement in Film Editing

* The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
* The Dark Knight
* Frost/Nixon
* Milk
* Slumdog Millionaire

Achievement in Makeup

* The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
* The Dark Knight
* Frost/Nixon
* Milk
* Slumdog Millionaire

Best Animated Short Film

* La Maison en Petits Cubes
* Lavatory—Lovestory
* Oktapodi
* Presto
* This Way Up

Best Live Action Short Film

* Auf der Strecke (On the Line)
* Manon on the Asphalt
* New Boy
* The Pig
* Spielzeugland (Toyland)

Achievement in Sound Editing

* The Dark Knight
* Iron Man
* Slumdog Millionaire
* WALL-E
* Wanted

Achievement in Sound Mixing

* The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
* The Dark Knight
* Slumdog Millionaire
* WALL-E
* Wanted

Achievement in Visual Effects

* The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
* The Dark Knight
* Iron Man

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Dakota Fanning Ready For New Moon

January 22nd 2009 04:15
Fourteen year old Dakota Fanning is in talks to play Jane opposite Robert Pattinson & Co in New Moon, the upcoming sequel to box office megahit Twilight. “There were no auditions,” a source reveals. “They just offered it to her outright, and now they’re in negotiations. They’ve been going back and forth.”

Jane is a member of Italy’s Volturi, the most deadly group of bloodsucking killers in author Stephenie Meyer’s best-selling series.

In the casting notice we got our hands on earlier this month, Jane is described as a petite blonde with a “Botticelli angel-like face…[and] crimson irises.” While fellow Volturi guards Demetri & Felix “are three times the size of her, they are terrified of her,” the casting notice reads.

Coincidentally (or maybe not), an online petition started by a Twilight fan already asks the studio, Summit Entertainment, to cast Fanning because she would be “perfect” for the role.

Dakota Fanning
Dakota Fanning


Early last month, Entertainment Weekly suggested Pushing Daisies star and Broadway diva Kristin Chenoweth. “Her voice is certainly high enough, and at 4'11'', she's also short enough,” writer Amy Wilkinson proposed.

Director Chris Weitz is expected to start shooting New Moon in March in the U.S. and Italy. If all goes as planned, the movie will hit theaters on Nov 20.
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Golden Globes Complete Winners List

January 12th 2009 12:20
MOVIES

Motion Picture, Drama
Slumdog Millionaire

Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy
Vicky Cristina Barcelona

Director, Motion Picture
Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire

Actress, Motion Picture, Drama
Kate Winslet, Revolutionary Road

Actor, Motion Picture, Drama
Mickey Rourke, The Wrestler

Actress, Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy
Sally Hawkins, Happy-Go-Lucky

Actor, Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy
Colin Farrell, In Bruges

Supporting Actor, Motion Picture
Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight

Supporting Actress, Motion Picture
Kate Winslet, The Reader

Best Screenplay
Simon Beaufoy, Slumdog Millionaire

Foreign-Language Film
Waltz With Bashir, Israel

Motion Picture, Animated
WALL-E

Original Score
A.R. Rahman, Slumdog Millionaire

Original Song
"The Wrestler," The Wrestler; music and lyrics by Bruce Springsteen

Dev Patel Freida Pinto Slumdog Millionaire
Dev Patel and Freida Pinto in "Slumdog Millionaire"


TELEVISION

Television Series, Drama
Mad Men

Television Series, Comedy or Musical
30 Rock

Actress, Television Series, Musical or Comedy
Tina Fey, 30 Rock

Actor in a TV Series, Comedy or Musical
Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock

Actress, Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television
Laura Linney, John Adams

Actor in a Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television
Paul Giamatti, John Adams

Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television
John Adams

Actress in a Television Series, Drama
Anna Paquin, True Blood

Actor in a Television Series, Drama
Gabriel Byrne, In Treatment

Supporting Actress in a Series, Miniseries or TV Movie
Laura Dern, Recount

Supporting Actor in a Series, Miniseries or TV Movie
Tom Wilkinson, John Adams
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Heath Ledger Wins Golden Globe

January 12th 2009 09:45
Awards season continued to be good to Heath Ledger's memory, as the Australian actor, who died almost one year ago, was named Best Supporting Actor for his still-chilling turn in The Dark Knight, solidifying his Oscar chances.

"All of us who worked with Heath on The Dark Knight accept this with an awful mixture of sadness and incredible pride," said director Christopher Nolan, whose speech followed a specially prepared clip from the film. "For any of us lucky enough to have worked with him, and those of us lucky enough to have enjoyed his performances, he will be eternally missed—but he will never be forgotten."

Coincidentally, the Academy Award nominations will be announced on the exact first anniversary of his death, on 22nd January 2009.

Heath Ledger Joker Dark Knight
Heath Ledger as The Joker in "The Dark Knight"
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Mickey Rourke Wins Golden Globe For The Wrestler

January 12th 2009 09:30
Mickey Rourke, whose comeback took a turn for the legitimate as he pinned down the win for Best Actor for The Wrestler, gave a Hollywood-outsider-style acceptance speech that, like Winslet's overwhelmed batch of thank-yous, provided both amusing and heartfelt entertainment.

"Several years ago, I was almost out of this business, and a young man kinda got in touch with me, and he kinda put his whole career on the line, saying he wanted to represent me," Rourke said. "So I want to thank David Unger for having the balls. And I want to thank his boss at ICM for not putting him back in the mailroom."

Director Darren Aronofsky "brought the best out of me," Rourke continued. "He hates it when I say he's tough, but he's one tough son of a bitch." (Aronofsky rewarded the sentiment by good-naturedly giving his star the finger.) "If you're not in shape, the man will bring you down, because I always say he's smarter than the rest of us—maybe not Steven," he added, meaning the night's Cecil B. DeMille Award recipient, Steven Spielberg.

Mickey Rourke Wrestler
Mickey Rourke in "The Wrestler"
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Kate Winslet Wins Two Golden Globes

January 12th 2009 09:15
Kate Winslet proved a one-woman victory machine, sweeping the Best Actress, Drama, and Supporting Actress categories for her drastically different turns as a discontented 1950s-era housewife in Revolutionary Road and as a guilt-ridden former concentration camp guard who has an affair with a teenager in The Reader.

"I am so sorry, Anne, Meryl, Kristin; oh God, who's the other one?! Angelina! This is, OK now, forgive me...Is this really happening?" stuttered the flabbergasted actress as she capped off her night with the win for Revolutionary Road.

Leonardo DiCaprio Kate Winslet Revolutionary Road
Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet in "Revolutionary Road"
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Slumdog Millionaire tops Golden Globes

January 12th 2009 09:00
Slumdog Millionaire took a big bite out of the celluloid competition, and a big step toward Oscar, with four awards, including Best Picture, Drama and Best Director for Danny Boyle at the 66th Annual Golden Globe Awards.

While Slumdog Millionaire and John Adams tied with the most wins with four, the three leading nominees coming into the evening were completely shut out. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Frost/Nixon and Doubt each went 0-for-5. But at least the drinks were free.

Dev Patel Freida Pinto Slumdog Millionaire
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Smith, Downey, Bale Top Quigley Poll

January 3rd 2009 08:59
As far as 2008 was concerned, it was Will Smith who banked the Benjamins Hancock-over-fist, with the action hero just being named the Top Moneymaking Star of the past year. It is interesting that the top three all starred in superhero movies last year.

The A-lister with the most appeal was determined, per usual, by the annual Quigley Poll. The results are based on which stars movie theater owners and film buyers believe to be the year's biggest box-office draws—believe to be being the operative words.

While Smith unarguably banked a bundle last year, with grosses from Hancock and Seven Pounds earning a combined $271.8 million per Box Office Mojo, his total was mere chump change compared with a few ranked below him.

Will Smith Hancock
Will Smith As Hancock


Robert Downey Jr., who came second on the Quigley list, had a total film gross of $432.7 million in 2008, $567.2 million if his cameo in The Incredible Hulk is factored in.

Even Christian Bale, who ranked third, made more money, with his sole 2008 release—The Dark Knight, as if you had to ask—lining theater owners' pockets to the tune of $530.9 million.

Rounding out the top 10 were the bankable likes of Shia LaBeouf, Harrison Ford, Adam Sandler, Reese Witherspoon, George Clooney, Angelina Jolie and Daniel Craig.
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Quentin Tarantino Directs Brad Pitt In Basterds

January 2nd 2009 13:59
Quentin Tarantino's Brad Pitt-starring, spell-check-eschewing, controversial World War II-era epic Inglourious Basterds has received a release date courtesy of distributor the Weinstein Co., with the Nazi-hunting drama set to open Aug. 21.

The film, Tarantino's first solo directorial effort in more than four years, went into production in Germany back in October.

In addition to Pitt, Diane Kruger, B.J. Novak, Mike Myers and the Rose Queen herself, Cloris Leachman, star in the film, which follows a band of Jewish-American soldiers as they hunt down and gorily dispatch their German counterparts in France.

Inglorious Basterds
Inglorious Basterds
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Super Heroes Are Emotionally Unstable

January 2nd 2009 03:18
It seems there are a lot of comic book character movies coming out over the next few years, and one cannot help but feel some pity for these characters. They are generally alienated from the mainstream of society, rarely have meaningful social interaction, and are precluded from normal family life by the very genetics that makes them heroes.

Take for instance Superman. It is impossible for him to have normal intimate relationships with any Earth woman. In the throes of passion, he would probably crush her death, or cause her severe internal injuries during the act of procreation.

Even artificial insemination would cause problems. All those millions of super-sperms battling for one or two available egg cells would create havoc. Such super-cells would be able to easily tear through human tissue to be the first to reach the egg. This would cause incredible amounts of microscopic internal bleeding.

The idea of implanting a fertilised egg is also without merit. Imagine when the newly-forming child started to kick. Again, no mortal woman could survive that.


Superman and Wonder Woman Lovers
Would Superman And Wonder Woman Work As A Couple?


There would be similar problems with Wonder Woman killing her partner during lovemaking. Also, could a human baby survive in Wonder Woman's womb, or would it be crushed.

The Hulk already has severe social issues, not improved by his inability to form a meaningful relationship with anyone of either sex. And as for starting a family, there would be few that would want to mix genes with the Hulk. Also, like Superman, there are the physical impossibilities and dangers to any potential partners.

And so it goes on. Marvel and DC comics are full of the emotional turmoil these superheroes are forced to endure. They are freaks, and they know it. Coupled with being unable to fulfil their normal physical needs, such as intimacy, the problems are compounded.


The possibility of pairing them off with each other is also frought with danger. Wonder Woman would easily dominate the meek and mild Clark Kent. What happens if Kent decides to hit the bottle to drown his sorrows. The troubles he could cause if he decided to smash the bar up in frustration at being unable to function normally.

Superheroes also tend to hide their identities. The obvious result is identity crisis on a massive scale. While they no doubt crave for recognition of their feats, as all normal people do, they have to go through mundane lives unrecognised. Look at the troubles Peter Parker (Spiderman) has.

Even attempts to form social groups lead to dismal failure. The Avengers lasted one issue before the internal fighting started, and the Hulk went off to try to find a Lady Hulk, or whatever. Captain America moved in, and the ensuing power struggle saw all the original Avengers ousted, and new ones coming and going with frightening regularity. Any organisation that had such high staff turnover would be calling in logistical experts to sort out the problems. But who's going to tell these guys what they're doing wrong?

Henry Pym, one of the original Avengers (Ant-Man) epitomises the plight of the superhero. He underwent a complete breakdown, kept changing his super powers, costume, physical appearance and name, and ended up in jail for spousal abuse against his wife, The Wasp.

Hancock addressed a solution to this problem, but it meant that, to have a "normal" life, they had to give up their super powers.

It is hoped that the movies that come out in the next few years don't just glamorise how great it is to be a superhero. There are social issues that have not yet been adequately addressed, and the moviemakers would be irresponsible not to point out the perils to young children planning careers as superheroes. The moviemakers need to address the real issues as addressed by the superheroes creators in the original comic books.

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Posted By: KC Hill - Category: Movies, USA
   


Disney Dumps Narnia

December 28th 2008 10:04
The lion, the witch and the wardrobe crew is getting the boot from the Magic Kingdom. Proving that not even Mickey is immune to the downturn, Disney has decided against coproducing and distributing the third film in the Chronicles of Narnia series, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader.

And that means Walden Media, the production company behind the C.S. Lewis adaptations, will have to find a new partner for the big-screen franchise to continue.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, Disney's departure is based on "budgetary and logistical reasons," though reps for both declined to comment beyond that.

Prince Caspian
Prince Caspian


Dawn Treader was staring at a budget in the $200 million range but was an uncertain prospect at the box office.

The first film in the series, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, grossed $292 million domestically and an additional $453 million overseas, per Box Office Mojo; this summer's Prince Caspian dipped to $141 million and $278 million, respectively.

In fact, aside from the Harry Potter movies, kid-friendy fantasy flicks have produced diminishing returns (see: The Golden Compass, The Spiderwick Chronicles) of late.

The Mouse House had hoped to begin shooting Dawn Treader for a May 2010 release, with Michael Apted directing and the key holdover players from Caspian in place (Ben Barnes, Georgia Henley, William Moseley and Anna Popplewell).

But with Walden scrambling for a new backer (20th Century Fox is reportedly a possibility) and reduced costs, it remains to be seen whether the principals will stay on board.

One thing we're certain of: Mickey and Aslan didn't exchange fruitcakes this year.
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Posted By: KC Hill - Category: Movies, USA, Pacific
   


Star Wars Holiday Special Thirtieth Anniversary

December 25th 2008 11:47
A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, there began a perilous adventure involving Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, Chewbacca, Han Solo…and Bea Arthur and Bruce Vilanch?

That's right, this year is the 30th anniversary of the Star Wars Holiday Special, the notorious television event in which Chewbacca's family celebrated Life Day, Carrie Fisher's Princess Leia serenaded her Wookiee friends, and the future Golden Girl Arthur entertained the cantankerous cantina crowd. Even Mark Hamill and Harrison Ford were on hand, if perhaps not entirely willingly.

Star Wars creator George Lucas, it's been said, is not a big fan. (He reportedly called it a "travesty," and the special, broadcast on CBS on Nov. 17, 1978, has never aired again.) But on a positive note, the special also introduced the bounty-hunter character Boba Fett, so there's that.

Star Wars Holiday Special
Star Wars Holiday Special


While the special has long held a special place on the Internet, whether on the fansites, Wikipedia or more recently even StarWars.com, this year Vanity Fair has a terrific piece on the making of the special, which became an unwieldy mix of Star Wars characters and lore and thickly applied variety-show shtick written by Vilanch and others.

It was a combination that was ultimately more forced than The Force.

Although the Jefferson Starship landed perhaps its easiest booking ever, even the band's guitarist Craig Chaquico still marvels at the result.

“It was such a strange iteration of the original big-screen-movie concept and your regular variety-show, Carol Burnett vibe,” he says. “I was like tripping on it myself, man.”

Still, it's Star Wars, and for that reason it holds a place in the hearts of those who watched it so many years ago and were baffled by it, and those who watch it today and continue to be baffled by it. Like The Force, it unites us.
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Posted By: KC Hill - Category: Movies, USA
   


Chinese Censors Deter Batman Dark Knight

December 24th 2008 10:30
The Batman is bowing out of China. In a move based more on political considerations than financial ones, Warner Bros has opted not to release The Dark Knight in the Chinese market.

"Based on a number of prerelease conditions that are being attached to The Dark Knight as well as cultural sensitivities to some elements of the film, we have opted to forgo a theatrical release of the film in China," the studio says in a statement.

Since most batfans on the mainland have likely seen the film on a pirated DVD, the move is unlikely to hurt the film's ticket sales ($996 million so far) but will keep Dark Knight from creeping closer to Titanic's all-time record $1.8 billion.

Batman Dark Knight And The Joker
Christian Bale as Batman and Heath Ledger as The Joker


Studio execs were undoubtedly wary of offending the communist government's touchy Ministry of Culture, which has to approve all films for release in the country.

In particular, The Dark Knight features some pretty intense action sequences set in Hong Kong—the Caped Crusader kidnaps a Chinese executive to circumvent extradition laws and hauls him back for a little Gotham City justice.

There's no word exactly what "prerelease conditions" Chinese censors demanded from the studio. But it wouldn't be too much of a stretch to suggest they wanted Warners to dramatically alter the sequence, which could be deemed an affront to national pride in suggesting that Batman operates above Chinese law.

And that would have been a nonstarter, since the studio and director Christopher Nolan felt the rendition scenes are integral to the film's plot.

Those Chinese censors are more daunting than the Joker and Two-Face combined. And that is not meant to imply they are two-faced jokers...
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Posted By: KC Hill - Category: Movies, USA, Asia
   


Ben Stiller Breaks Hand

December 23rd 2008 07:37
Ben Stiller has no problem with Tropic Thunder. But snowy hills aren't so easy.

The actor-director required a trip to the hospital over the weekend after a downhill mishap, in which he broke his hand. "I can confirm he broke his hand snowboarding," said publicist Kelly Bush.

The 43-year-old funnyman was admitted Sunday to New York's Mount Sinai Hospital, where he was treated for the fracture. He is now on the mend.

Ben Stiller Night At The Museum Smithsonian
Ben Stiller in Night At The Museum: Battle Of The Smithsonian


No further officials details have been released, but the New York Daily News reports that one of Mount Sinai's top hand specialists was called in to patch up Stiller.

He'll be fully healed in time for the publicity rounds for his next probable blockbuster, Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian, due in May.

23 Dec 2008
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Posted By: KC Hill - Category: Movies, Celebrities, USA
   


Robert Mulligan (To Kill A Mockingbird Director) Dies

December 22nd 2008 11:06
He wasn't a household name, but Robert Mulligan crafted what is undeniably one of the greatest films of all time: To Kill a Mockingbird. The filmmaker, who received an Oscar nomination for helming the classic 1962 adaptation of the Harper Lee novel, died of heart disease Friday at his Connecticut home. He was 83.

The workman-like Mulligan was known as an actor's director, guiding Gregory Peck to an Oscar as Mockingbird's iconic Atticus Finch and hiring the likes of Robert Redford, Natalie Wood, Anthony Perkins, Ellen Burstyn and Richard Gere. Mulligan also discovered Reese Witherspoon, casting her in 1991's The Man in the Moon, her first feature.

Robert Mulligan To Kill A Mockingbird Director
Robert Mulligan - Director Of To Kill A Mockingbird


His credits also include Fear Strikes Out, Inside Daisy Clover, Love With the Proper Stranger, Summer of '42 and Same Time, Next Year, but Mulligan will always be remembered for Mockingbird, which was named the No. 25 film of all time on the latest countdown from the American Film Institute and was selected for immortality as part of the National Film Registry.
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Posted By: KC Hill - Category: Movies, Celebrities, USA
   


Screen Actors Guild Postpones Strike Vote

December 22nd 2008 06:40
Hollywood has issued a preemptive shush to talk of a strike. In the face of growing opposition to the entire prospect, the Screen Actors Guild announced Monday that it has postponed a strike-authorisation vote that was originally scheduled for Jan. 2.

Instead, according to SAG's national executive director and lead negotiator, Doug Allen, the vote will not take place until after the board convenes for an emergency meeting Jan. 12 and 13.

While a fair number of big-name actors—Mel Gibson, Ed Harris, Holly Hunter, etc.—have lent their support to SAG's leadership, come rain or come strike, plenty of A-listers have urged the board not to even consider what could prove to be an economically debilitating and industry-demoralising actors' strike.

The strike authorisation would require 75 percent approval from those who cast a ballot—an unlikely proposition considering the proposed walkout would be coming barely a year after the 100-day Writers Guild of America strike sent the spring 2008 scripted-TV season grinding to a halt and punched a billion-dollar hole in Los Angeles County's revenue for the year.

Screen Actors Guild
Screen Actors Guild


"This division does not help our effort to get an agreement from the Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers that our members will ratify,'' Allen wrote in a memo to SAG's membership, per Variety. "This will provide us with more time to conduct member education and outreach on the referendum before the balloting."

"While almost 100 high profile members and 2,524 total members have endorsed the strike authorisation vote mandated by the national board, more than 100 high profile actors and 1,373 actors have lent their names to the opposition campaign."

Those opposed include George Clooney, Alec Baldwin, Tom Hanks and Cameron Diaz. And with the 15th Annual SAG Awards coming up, not to mention the Globes and the Oscars, no one wants to have the red carpets split into for and against aisles, right?
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Posted By: KC Hill - Category: Movies, Celebrities, USA
   




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