I’ve never understood the success and popularity of Cheech and Chong, but they are making comeback to the big screen. But then I’ve never been a fan of pot humor. The Weinstein Company (TWC) have partnered with Cheech Marin, Tommy Chong, and their managers Ben Feigin and Josh Klein to produce a concert movie to memorialize the comic duo’s reunion and first tour together in 25 years. The announcement was made today by Barry Gordon, executive vice president of home entertainment at TWC. As part of the arrangement, TWC has worldwide theatrical, home video, digital and television rights.  The feature-length program, which will portray a live concert experience of the “Cheech & Chong: Light Up America” tour, is expected to make a major TV premiere, followed by the DVD release. TWC International will handle foreign sales beginning at AFM this week. “The Cheech and Chong Concert Movie” will be an historic, must-experience event for the many fans that grew up listening to their recordings and watching their movies,” said Barry Gordon, EVP of Home Entertainment at TWC.  “For the millions of new fans who have discovered Cheech and Chong over the years as cultural icons, this will be the first time many of them will be able to enjoy the artistry and one-of-kind magic that is Cheech and Chong live on stage. This is the comedy event of the decade."  "It’s great to get a chance to cap a long career with a show of where we are now,” said Marin. Chong stated, "I really like Harvey because he picked up my dinner tab."  Start of production and official release dates are to be announced. The “Cheech & Chong: Light Up America” reunion tour officially kicked off on September 26, 2008 and has been selling out across the country. Many of the dates have needed to add multiple shows each night to meet demand. The tour will continue through 2009, and will bring the duo overseas to multiple continents.

I just watched the Original Inglourious Bastards on DVD last week and enjoyed the heck out of it. The one special feature on it was a 20 minute interview between Quentin Tarantino and the director Enzo G. Castellari. Of course Tarantino’s version sounds like it’s going to be radically different from the original and I’m sure he’s going to work in the judicious use of the N word - which really pisses me off about Tarantino films. The ahole gets away with it because he has his black characters use it every other word, so that somehow makes it alright. Quentin Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds (yes this is how they are spelling it) began principal photography last week on location in Germany.  The ensemble cast of Inglourious Basterds includes Brad Pitt, Diane Kruger, Mélanie Laurent, Christoph Waltz, Daniel Brühl, Eli Roth, Samm Levine, B.J. Novak, Til Schweiger, Gedeon Burkhard, Paul Rust, Michael Bacall, Omar Doom, Sylvester Groth, Julie Dreyfus, Jacky Ido, August Diehl, Martin Wuttke, Richard Sammel, Christian Berkel, Sönke Möhring, Michael Fassbender, Mike Myers, Rod Taylor, Denis Menochet and Cloris Leachman.

Inglourious Basterds reunites Tarantino with Academy Award-nominated editor Sally Menke, Academy Award-winning director of photography Bob Richardson, and production designer David Wasco.  Joining Tarantino for the first time is Academy Award-nominated costume designer Anna Sheppard.
Academy Award-nominee Lawrence Bender is producing Inglourious Bastards. Erica Steinberg and Lloyd Phillips, and Bob and Harvey Weinstein are the film’s executive producers.  The co-producers are Charlie Woebcken, Christoph Fisser and Henning Molfenter. Pilar Savone is the associate producer.
The Weinstein Company and Universal Pictures, through its newly formed International Studio, are co-financing and co-presenting the film with TWC handling domestic distribution and Universal handling international distribution. The two companies are partners on the project.
Zehnte Babelsberg Film, a subsidiary of Studio Babelsberg AG, is producing Inglourious Basterds.  The film will shoot at Studio Babelsberg as well as in Berlin, Saxony and Paris.

Inglourious Basterds begins in German-occupied France, where Shosanna Dreyfus (Mélanie Laurent) witnesses the execution of her family at the hand of Nazi Colonel Hans Landa (Christoph Waltz).  Shosanna narrowly escapes and flees to Paris, where she forges a new identity as the owner and operator of a cinema.   
Elsewhere in Europe, Lieutenant Aldo Raine (Brad Pitt) organizes a group of Jewish soldiers to engage in targeted acts of retribution.  Known to their enemy as “The Basterds,” Raine’s squad joins German actress and undercover agent Bridget Von Hammersmark (Diane Kruger) on a mission to take down the leaders of The Third Reich.  Fates converge under a cinema marquee, where Shosanna is poised to carry out a revenge plan of her own…

Spend the night with Leonardo and Russell Crowe as EclipseMagazine.com and Warner Brothers team up to bring you the Washington, DC Screening of Body of Lies. The Screening will be held Tuesday, October 7, 2008 (that’s tomorrow night!) at Gallery Place in DC. I’m working with Warners on automating our contests, so we’re testing out this cool new system. To get your tickets, CLICK HERE!!! and enter the code ECLP9886.  This movie looks amazingly good so go, enter the code, download your pass, it’s that simple.

Roger Ferris (Leonardo DiCaprio) is the best man U.S. Intelligence has on the ground, in places where human life is worth no more than the information it can get you.  In operations that take him around the globe from the Middle East to Washington, Ferris’s next breath often depends on the voice at the other end of a secure phone line – CIA veteran Ed Hoffman (Russell Crowe).  Waging war from a laptop in the suburbs, Hoffman is on the trail of an emerging terrorist leader who has orchestrated a campaign of bombings while eluding the most sophisticated intelligence network in the world.  To lure the terrorist out into the open, Ferris will have to penetrate his murky world, but the closer he gets to the target, the more he discovers that trust is both a dangerous commodity and the only one that will get him out alive.

The film stars Oscar nominee Leonardo DiCaprio ("Blood Diamond," "The Aviator," "The Departed"), Oscar winner Russell Crowe ("Gladiator," "A Beautiful Mind"), Mark Strong ("Stardust"), Iranian actress Golshifteh Farahani ("M for Mother"), Oscar Isaac ("The Nativity Story") and Simon McBurney ("The Golden Compass").

"Body of Lies" is directed by Academy Award nominee Ridley Scott ("Black Hawk Down," "Gladiator") from a screenplay by Oscar winner William Monahan ("The Departed") based on the novel by former Washington Post columnist David Ignatius.  Donald De Line ("The Italian Job") and Ridley Scott are the producers, with Michael Costigan ("American Gangster," "Brokeback Mountain") and Charles J.D. Schlissel ("The Prestige") serving as executive producers.

The behind-the-scenes creative team is led by cinematographer Alexander Witt ("American Gangster"), Oscar-nominated production designer Arthur Max ("American Gangster," "Gladiator") Oscar-winning editor Pietro Scalia ("Black Hawk Down"), and Oscar-winning costume designer Janty Yates ("Gladiator").  Marc Streitenfeld ("Kingdom of Heaven") composed the score.

Opening nationwide on October 10, 2008, "Body of Lies" will be distributed by Warner Bros Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.  The film has been rated "R" by the MPAA for "strong violence, including some torture, and language throughout."

Last week our own Tiffany did a series of great interviews with the amazing cast of The Secret Life of Bees. Those interviews will be posted over the next few days. But coincidently the folks at Oprah sent over this trailer.  Queen Latifah, Dakota Fanning, Jennifer Hudson, Alicia Keys and Sophie Okonedo will sit down with Oprah to discuss the film and answer viewer questions.  Alicia Keys will close out the show with her hit song “Superwoman”! To think, Tiffany sat down with them before Oprah.  This eppy airs this Thursday.

Lots of interesting projects are in the works for some of Hollywood’s big names and we’ve got the lowdown on several of them.

Funny man David Spade is set to star in a new comedy feature titled Divorced Guys. The movie from Wind Dancer Films and executive produced by Matt Williams and Judd Payne and written by Fred Wolf centers around a group of divorced men who take a road trip to figure out why their marriages fell apart. No production date has been given as of yet.

20^th Century Fox has announced that the lovely and talented Nicole Kidman is attached to star and produce in their newest action/adventure movie The Eighth Wonder. The film, which is being penned by Simon Kinberg who also wrote the scripts for The X-Men: Last Stand and Jumper, centers on an archeological discovery that triggers a globe-spanning race.

Warner Bros has tapped into actor/director/writer Ben Affleck for their new project titled The Town. Affleck, who will be stepping in to do a rewrite of a recent draft done by Peter Craig is also set to direct and star in an adaptation of the Chuck Hogan novel The Prince of Thieves, which will be set in Boston.

Here is something interesting. One of my favorite things to do is attend a Cirque Du Soleil performance. They are truly unique and innovative, if you are ever in Vegas, catch "O" at the Ballagio it’s a visually stunning and beautiful production. I’ve seen almost every traveling show. If you don’t know what Cirque is, I like to describe it as the Circus for the pretentious set. But it’s much more than freaky clowns and lions. Their shows are amazing. And here’s a rare treat, next week for one week only, their Delirium show will hit select theaters. This actually sucks, because usually the theaters in my area never show these satellite beamed shows. But if you are near one of these theaters you should run out and see it. Don’t even think about it. You can get the tickets at  http://www.DELIRIUM.thehotticket.net. The shows will be, August 20^th, 21^st, 23^rd and 24^th Here’s the official press release and more screenshots.  

On, August 20^th, 21^st, 23^rd and 24^th Sony Pictures Releasing’s new special programming division The Hot Ticket will bring audiences the groundbreaking live music and dance extravaganza DELIRIUM in HD from Cirque du Soleil. For the first time ever, special limited engagement presentations of DELIRIUM will be available to audiences in select movie theaters across the US and Canada.

"We couldn’t be more delighted and proud to kick off our inaugural slate of Hot Ticket programming with Cirque du Soleil’s DELIRIUM,” said Rory Bruer, President of Domestic Distribution for Sony Pictures Releasing. “It’s the perfect marriage to have such a visually exciting multimedia show as DELIRIUM showcased in theaters in state-of-the-art high definition presentation. It is stunning to experience the show in this way and it sounds amazing. It’s truly the next best thing to being there and experiencing the show "live" and I believe audiences will be blown away by the incredibly creative and talented artists, acrobats and performers that make up the world renowned Cirque du Soleil troupe."

With visually stunning tableaux in which music and projections meld together, DELIRIUM is a mesmerizing production. "We are happy to take this opportunity to bring the Cirque du Soleil experience to a new entertainment environment,” explained Jacques Méthé, Executive Producer at Cirque du Soleil Images. “We believe that DELIRIUM in HD will offer audiences a memorable experience in movie theaters because of its magnitude, the energy of the performers and the diversity of its music going from percussion to electronic music."

Audiences throughout North America will discover or rediscover the journey of Bill, the main character who is searching for balance in a world increasingly out of sync with reality. This incandescent journey filmed under the highest standards will be seen with a state-of-the-art digital projection and surround sound.

Said David Mallet, director of the film, “I am really happy with this one-of-a-kind production since the use of twenty cameras allowed us to both capture the spectacular scale and nature of the show along with the incredible skill and intimate interaction of the fabulous Cirque du Soleil artists. This unique cinema experience will be a delight for the viewers. "

The experience is unique for the viewers who can now enjoy the performances of dancers, singers, musicians and acrobats on a large screen in digital theaters. The result is an entertainment experience that is available for a limited time.

For further information and to purchase tickets for DELIRIUM please visit http://www.DELIRIUM.thehotticket.net.

While his character of Dean Winchester on the hit Warner Bros/CW Network series Supernatural went to hell in the 3^rd season finale No Rest for the Wicked, actor Jensen Ackles went off to the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania area to take on the lead role of Tom Hanninger in the Lionsgate Films remake of My Bloody Valentine.  The movie, which also stars Jamie King and Kerr Smith, is an updated version of the 1980’s cult classic horror movie about a killer stalking a small coal mining town and was filmed in the latest high tech version of the 3D technology that’s been hitting the movie screens in such projects as the most recent remake of Journey to the Center of the Earth.

The boyishly handsome 30 year-old actor, who was looking awesome as usual and was very pumped up about his work on the 4^th season of Supernatural and the new direction for his character Dean Winchester, was also happy to take some time to talk about his new action/horror movie coming out in January of 2009.

“I spent a little over two months in Pittsburgh and about four weeks of that was spent stuck in a coal mine,” Ackles says of his filming schedule while working on My Bloody Valentine 3D.

In My Bloody Valentine 3D, Jensen Ackles play Tom Hanninger, a troubled young man who is looking for a healing homecoming and chance to reconnect with former love interest Sarah Palmer (Jamie King) when he returns to his hometown on the tenth anniversary of the Valentine’s night massacre that claimed the lives of twenty-two people. Instead, Tom finds that Sarah is married to local law enforcement officer Axel Palmer (Kerr Smith). Tom also finds himself to be considered the prime suspect in the murders, and is hard pressed to prove his innocence especially when things turn from bad to worse for Tom as the killings begin again.Ackles tells us that his perception of his working schedule during the process of being caught up in the very rigorous filming process involved in making an action/horror movie shot in 3D was very different from how it seemed to him once the process was completed. “The seven weeks I was there felt like seven months, but then as soon as I left, it felt like seven minutes. It’s just amazing how quickly that went by.”

Ackles tells us that things are moving along really well for My Bloody Valentine 3D as the movie goes through the post production stages and comes closer to being ready for its premiere date in January 2009. “I got a call from the director Patrick Lussier and he said that the poster is up downstairs at Comic Con [in the exhibit hall] and it was getting a good response and that it [the movie] was coming together really well, better than he had even hoped in fact.”

 So how is Ackles feeling about being involved in the action/horror movie My Bloody Valentine 3D, which was of course shot in 3D, now that it’s getting ready to hit the theaters in January of 2009?

 “I’m excited just to watch it in 3D. I think it’s going to be quite a spectacle.”

 We’re excited to see it too Jensen!

While fans are waiting to see Jensen Ackles take on all the dimensions of his character Tom Hanniger in My Bloody Valentine 3D, they can catch this talented young actor in his role as Dean Winchester in the premiere episode of Supernatural season Lazarus Rising airing on the CW Network Thursday September 18^th at 9PM EST.

 Check out these two EM exclusive videos of Jensen Ackles at the Supernatural autograph signing this past Sunday at the Warner Bros booth at the 2008 San Diego Comic Con.

 Supernatural Signing One

  Supernatural Signing Two

Actor Tony Napoli as just one of the many 'Sexy Jesus' to make an appearance at the 2008 San Diego Comic Con

The 2008 San Diego Comic Con was descended upon by a horde of roaming ‘Sexy Jesus’ to promote the new comedy movie ‘HAMLET 2′ which was written by ‘SOUTH PARK alumi Pam Brady and HAMLET 2 director Andrew Fleming who theaters on August 22nd.

HAMLET 2, which stars Steve Coogan, Catherine Keener, David Arquette and Elizabeth Shue and is a hilariously funny satirical comedy about Dana Marschz (Coogan) a failed actor who seems to becomes an even bigger loser as a high school drama teacher until he decides to save the school drama program for being closed down by writing a very politically incorrect musical ‘sequel’ to William Shakespeare’s classic play Hamlet and creating a new character for the story in the form ‘sexy Jesus’.

HAMLET 2 was a late addition to the 2008 Sundance film festival line-up that became the highest selling independent film with an overnight bidding war being won by Focus Film paying $10 million for the distribution rights.

HAMLET 2 will be premiering in theaters on August 22, 2008.

Your EM Roving Comic Con Reporter gets surrounded by 'Sexy Jesus' to promote Hamlet 2

Alex Murphy/RoboCop

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures (MGM) has signed Darren Aronofsky to direct and David Self to write a new installment for its ROBOCOP franchise. Aronofsky, the director of The Fountain, and Self, the writer of Road to Perdition, make a formidable creative team, fast tracking the ROBOCOP motion picture and spotlighting it as one of the most anticipated new films for 2010.

“Darren is undeniably one of the most talented, original and visceral film makers, and David is one of the greatest writers in Hollywood. All of us at MGM couldn’t be more excited,” said Mary Parent Mary Parent, Chairman, Worldwide Motion Picture Group, MGM in statement made to the press to announce this new movie venture for MGM.

The original ROBOCOP, which premiered in 1987 and starred Peter Weller as officer Alex Murphy, was “part man, part machine and all cop.” The film’s storyline focused on the future of law enforcement as a terminally wounded cop Murphy returns to the police force as a powerful cyborg haunted by submerged memories. The original film was nominated for two Academy Awards – Best Film Editing and Best Sound. Since the film’s debut, ROBOCOP has become one of the most successful titles in MGM’s vast film library. The franchise continues as a worldwide phenomenon, especially in the U.S., Japan, Germany and the United Kingdom. ROBOCOP, ROBOCOP 2, and ROBOCOP 3 have sold approximately 4.1 million gross DVD units worldwide.

Also on board for this exciting new development project is Phoenix Pictures’ Mike Medavoy, Arnold Messer, Brad Fischer and David Thwaites will produce ROBOCOP. Cale Boyter, Executive Vice President Production at MGM will oversee the project for the studio. “After making the first ROBOCOP at Orion more than 20 years ago, I’m thrilled to be helping to return this character to the screen with our partners at MGM and through the eyes of Darren Aronofsky and David Self,” Medavoy stated with enthusiasm over being able to bring RoboCop ‘back on line’ for a new movie.

Phoenix co-presidents Brad Fischer and David Thwaites added: “With a filmmaker of Darren Aronofsky’s vision and imagination and a writer of David Self’s caliber, we are poised to bring to the screen an entertaining and provocative film, which will now be under the creative guidance of two of the best storytellers working in our industry today.”

The 4th Annual HollyShorts Film Festival (HSFF) will kick off it’s 2008 four day short film gala on Thursday, August 7, 2008 with a marquee opening night celebration featuring a number of high profile short film projects. The opening night event, which takes place at the Egyptian Theatre in conjunction with the American Cinematheque, will feature director Bill Purple’s short film “Hole in the Paper Sky,” which stars Jessica Biel (“I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry”), and Gary Marshall (“The Other Sister”); Wireimage co-founder Jeff Vespa’s short “Nosebleed,” which stars David Arquette (“Scream”). 

Other events taking place over the course of the four-day celebration include festival’s inaugural HollyShorts Music Video celebration, showcasing clips from some of the world’s fastest rising new music video directors at the Nacional in Hollywood on Friday, August 8. The film festival core screenings and industry panels take place at Laemmle Sunset 5 theatres Saturday, August 9 and Sunday, August 10.

The recent ranking of the HollyShorts Film Festival as one of MovieMaker Magazine’s ‘Top 25 Film Festivals worth the entry fee’, has prompted the festival to receive over 650 submissions from 25 countries for the 2008 edition, which has set a festival record.

This record setting submission of short films has HollyShorts Film Festival director and co-founder Daniel Sol excited about the upcoming event. “We are stepping up our Hollywood presence in a major way this year with a marquee opening night celebration in conjunction with the American Cinematheque, a new music video category and an official a lineup of high profile short films. With networking events, super-panels and after-parties accompanying our strong lineup, we look forward to providing filmmakers, movie enthusiasts and industry executives a platform to unite, do business and have a great time!”

Tickets pricing and a full schedule of events for the HollyShorts Film Festival can be found at the HollyShorts Festival site

In 1984 MGM released the original movie action movie RED DAWN, which has since become a cult classic and starred a veritable ‘who’s who’ among young Hollywood including Patrick Swayze, C. Thomas Howell and Jennifer Grey, was a dramatic depiction of teenagers forced to defend their home against foreign invaders. Now, Mary Parent, Chairman of MGM’s Worldwide Motion Pictures Group has announced that MGM has assembled its production team for a new installment of the classic action movie Red Dawn and that the production team includes some of the hottest names in movie business today.

At the writing helm for this latest installment of Red Dawn is Carl Ellsworth, who will be writing the script and will be moving forward with a draft based on a story by Jeremy Passmore who is currently writing The Prince, for Circle of Confusion, and Summer’s End, for Rogue Pictures. Ellsworth, who began his career as a writer on the popular television series “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” for Warner Bros. is a top notch veteran when it comes to writing action movies having penned the such suspense thrillers as Disturbia for Paramount Pictures and Red Eye for Dreamworks SKG and is currently writing Y: The Last Man for New Line.

On board in the director’s chair for this action packed feature film is Dan Bradley, who is one of Hollywood’s most sought after 2nd Unit Director and Stunt Coordinator, having worked on such high profile projects as: Spiderman 2, Spiderman 3, Panic Room, Crank, Swordfish, Being John Malkovich, Seabiscuit, and Three Kings. He was also 2nd Unit Director and Stunt Coordinator on The Bourne Supremacy, and The Bourne Ultimatum, and is the 2nd Unit Director of MGM and Columbia Pictures’ New James Bond movie Quantum of Solace, which hits theatres in the U.S. November 7, 2008.

Contrafilm’s Tripp Vinson and Beau Flynn, who are currently producing MGM’s Bobism, are attached to produce Red Dawn. Producer Vince Newman, whose credits include A Man Apart for New Line Cinema, is also attached to produce and they are very excited to begin working on this project along with Ellsworth.

“Carl Ellsworth’s great character writing mixed with Dan Bradley’s innovative action will take RED DAWN to a whole new level,” said Flynn. He is also looking forward to working with Cale Boyter, Executive Vice President, Production and Becky Sloviter, Vice President, Production who will oversee the project for MGM. “We look forward to partnering with MGM on the new installment of this cult classic.”

Vinson feels that the concept of the story of Red Dawn has a very real place in today’s society. “Red Dawn’s story covers a big canvas but ultimately it’s a very personal story about the lengths you’ll go through to protect your hometown.”

Boyter agrees with the assessment that Red Dawn is still as relevant today as it was twenty-eight years ago: “I’m a huge fan of the original RED DAWN. I actually had the movie poster on my wall growing up, and it remains a great concept to this day as it represents an opportunity to make an emotionally charged action movie.”

To this day, Beverly Hills Cop 1 remains one of my all time favorite Buddy/Cop comedies.  This is the movie that showcased Eddie Murphy in his prime and had everything. Then came the sequels, Beverly Hills Cop 2 would have been great if it was such a carbon copy of the first film and the 3rd film is just an abortion. I’m more than ready to see a Beverly Hills cop film that takes Axl back to his roots. Especially if they decide to totally ignore the 3rd film. Here’s the story from Reuters. 

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - If Indiana Jones can make a successful comeback after almost 20 years, why not the Beverly Hills Cop?

Paramount Pictures has given the go-ahead for a fourth installment of its "Beverly Hills Cop" franchise, with Eddie Murphy on board to return to the role that launched his movie career, the studio said on Thursday.

Brett Ratner, the filmmaker behind the similarly themed "Rush Hour" movies starring Chris Tucker and Jackie Chan, is in negotiations to direct the latest "Beverly Hills Cop" adventure, a Paramount spokesman said.

Lorenzo di Bonaventura ("Transformers") will produce.

The film is expected to begin filming next year for a summer 2010 release.

According to Daily Variety, it was Murphy, 47, who approached the Viacom Inc-owned studio about reviving the film series in which he plays a Detroit police detective, Axel Foley, who ends up chasing crooks in Beverly Hills, California.

The original 1984 film and its two sequels, the last of which opened in 1994, collectively grossed more than $735 million in theaters worldwide, according to Box Office Mojo. The first movie alone took in over $316 million globally.

The decision to make "Beverly Hills Cop IV" follows Paramount’s success with the revival of its "Indiana Jones" franchise after 19 years. The fourth film in that series, "The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull," opened last Thursday and grossed nearly $152 million in its first five days in domestic release.

Murphy’s last two films, the live-action comedy "Norbit" and the animated storybook satire "Shrek the Third," in which he supplied the voice of a talking donkey, grossed $159 million and $799 million worldwide, respectively, according to Box Office Mojo.

Reuters/Nielsen

I always said that if you want to get some insight into a popular upcoming film, look no further than the Video Game Tie-In.  I saw The Incredible Hulk Game at New York Comic-Con a few weeks ago and it looks amazingly beautiful - if empty. There are some awe inspiring moments like when you jump off a 30 story building and you see the entire city around you, without any popup or draw-in. Looks gorgeous. But at the same it looked strangely, "antiseptic," with no people or dirt or grime. The game play and design seems to be exactly the same as the last Hulk game, only prettier. But the last Hulk game was pretty darn good for a movie game, so why mess with a winning formula.  Take a look at this latest Making of trailer.

The Oscars are tonight and somehow I just can’t seem to care. Last year was a really lackluster year for films as evidenced by the fact that Michael Clayton one of the most convoluted boring films that I’ve ever walked out on is nominated for best picture.  Is it me or does it seem like there is a noticeable lack of buzz for this year’s awards race?  Is because the film’s nominated are kind of “meh?” Or did the three month long writers strike take the micky out of everything? I don’t know, but I’m not enthused. Granted I pretty much never watch award shows anyway, but tonight I don’t know.  I’ll Tivo it and will watch Across the Universe on Blu-ray before I catch a few minutes of tonight’s show.  There’s no way I could watch it live so I have to give my DVR a good 2 hr head start before I even think about turning it on. With that said here are my picks.  I really don’t expect any surprises tonight. But I would love to see Juno pull an upset and Once get best song. While I liked Enchanted I thought the music in it SUCKED and can’t believe it got three freaking music nominations and Once only got one - and for the worst song in the film. 

Performance by an actor in a leading role

Daniel Day-Lewis in “There Will Be Blood” (Paramount Vantage and Miramax)

Performance by an actor in a supporting role

Javier Bardem in “No Country for Old Men” (Miramax and Paramount Vantage)

Performance by an actress in a leading role

Julie Christie in “Away from Her” (Lionsgate)

Performance by an actress in a supporting role

Ruby Dee in “American Gangster” (Universal)

(I think it’ll be Amy Ryan for Gone Baby Gone, but Ruby Dee could be the sentimental favorite)

Best animated feature film of the year

“Ratatouille” (Walt Disney) Brad Bird

Achievement in art direction

“Atonement” (Focus Features)
Art Direction: Sarah Greenwood
Set Decoration: Katie Spencer

Achievement in cinematography

“Atonement” (Focus Features) Seamus McGarvey

Achievement in costume design

“Atonement” (Focus Features) Jacqueline Durran

Achievement in directing

“No Country for Old Men” (Miramax and Paramount Vantage) Joel Coen and Ethan Coen

Best documentary feature

“No End in Sight” (Magnolia Pictures)
A Representational Pictures Production
Charles Ferguson and Audrey Marrs

Achievement in film editing

“The Bourne Ultimatum” (Universal) Christopher Rouse

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original song)

“Falling Slowly” from “Once”
(Fox Searchlight)
Music and Lyric by Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova

Best motion picture of the year

“No Country for Old Men” (Miramax and Paramount Vantage)
A Scott Rudin/Mike Zoss Production
Scott Rudin, Ethan Coen and Joel Coen, Producers

Original screenplay

“Juno” (Fox Searchlight)
Written by Diablo Cody

Generally, I don’t report news like this on the site because I don’t have anything to say when someone dies. Especially someone that I don’t know.  But I feel that I must comment on the death of Heath Ledger. He was probably one of my top 5 favorite actors. I loved everything that he’s done, he was always interesting, charismatic and made really good choices. Even when he wasn’t the star of a film and just part of an ensemble cast. Where most young stars play it safe, he took chances and his body of work was really diverse.  Heath was found dead in a New York City apartment today. I’m not going to speculate on the cause of death.  His talent will be missed.

Heath Ledger always enjoyed acting in school plays, and was usually cast in the lead. At the age of 10 he volunteered with a local theater company, and at 16 he landed his first professional role in Blackrock, a dead-serious Australian movie about rape and its aftermath. At 17 he played a gay cyclist on Sweat, a down-under TV series about elite athletes. He said he wanted that role because there were so few gays on television, he figured he could get some attention if he did the role justice. And he did. On the strength of Sweat, he was offered Roar, an action-adventure series for America’s Fox TV in 1997, with a pre-Felicity Keri Russell as the princess who loved him. True to the show’s title, Ledger, playing a fifth-century Celtic prince seeking vengeance for his brother’s murder, would roar before going into battle, but the show went out with a whimper in less than two months.

He was still virtually unknown in America when he played a young lad with a shady past wooing Julia Stiles in 10 Things I Hate About You, based on Shakespeare’s Taming of the Shrew. In The Patriot he played Mel Gibson’s son, kidnapped by the British. In A Knight’s Tale, very loosely based on Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Knight’s Tale, Ledger swashbuckled and jousted with Rufus Sewell and established himself as a rising star. In Monster’s Ball he played Billy Bob Thornton’s vomiting, suicidal son, in Lords of Dogtown he played the surf shop owner who took skateboarding to the extreme, and in Brokeback Mountain he played the manly ranch hand who herds sheep with Jake Gyllenhaal. He met his fiancé, Michelle Williams, on the set of Brokeback Mountain, and Gyllenhaal is their daughter’s godfather.

Studios are getting smarter about web marketing. What is Sweding you ask? Sweding is what YouTube is all about! It’s when you take something you love and make it your own. Like Jerry (Jack Black) and Mike (Mos Def) do when they make their own versions of GHOSTBUSTERS, ROBOCOP, and RUSH HOUR.  Now you can show your creative filmmaking skills on the Be Kind Rewind YouTube page http://youtube.com/bekindmovie by shooting and posting an interpretation of your favorite film. Fans are already starting to Swede, check out the Lord of the Rings videos and others in the Favorites gallery. Yours could be there next!!  Official Synopsis: Jack Black stars in Be Kind Rewind, a one-of-a-kind comedy from the mind of writer/director Michel Gondry (Dave Chappelle’s Block Party, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind). Black stars as a loveable loser stuck in a life that’s too small for his big dreams. But when he unintentionally erases all the tapes in a video store where his best friend works, he devises a plan to satisfy the store’s few loyal customers by re-creating and re-filming every movie they decide to rent. Be Kind Rewind features a cast that includes Mos Def, Danny Glover, and Mia Farrow. It is scheduled for a February 22, 2008 release. Release Date: February 22, 2008 To get Sweded, visit the official site at: http://www.bekindmovie.com

Hey everyone, I’ve been hearing some buzz about JJ Abram’s new flick Cloverfield.  Not sure what it’s about, but here’s the first look at the film!

Atonement led all Golden Globe film nominees with seven nods, including Best Drama and Best Acting honors for stars Keira Knightley and James McAvoy. The ceremony airs Jan. 13 on NBC. Here’s the complete list of nominations for the 65th Annual Golden Globes:

FILM

Best Motion Picture-Drama

• American Gangster
• Atonement
• Eastern Promises
• The Great Debaters
• Michael Clayton
• No Country for Old Men
• There Will Be Blood

Best Actor in a Motion Picture, Drama

• George Clooney, Michael Clayton
• Daniel Day-Lewis, There Will Be Blood
• James McAvoy, Atonement
• Viggo Mortensen, Eastern Promises
• Denzel Washington, American Gangster

Best Actress in a Motion Picture, Drama

• Cate Blanchett, Elizabeth: The Golden Age
• Julie Christie, Away From Her
• Jodie Foster, The Brave One
• Angelina Jolie, A Mighty Heart
• Keira Knightley, Atonement

Best Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy

• Across the Universe
• Charlie Wilson’s War
• Hairspray
• Juno
• Sweeney Todd

Best Actor, Musical or Comedy

• Johnny Depp, Sweeney Todd
• Ryan Gosling, Lars and the Real Girl
• Tom Hanks, Charlie Wilson’s War
• Philip Seymour Hoffman, The Savages
• John C. Reilly, Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story

Best Actress, Musical or Comedy

• Amy Adams, Enchanted
• Nikki Blonsky, Hairspray
• Helena Bonham Carter, Sweeney Todd
• Marion Cotillard, La Vie en Rose
• Ellen Page, Juno

Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture, Drama

• Cate Blanchett, I’m Not There
• Julia Roberts, Charlie Wilson’s War
• Saoirse Ronan, Atonement
• Amy Ryan, Gone Baby Gone
• Tilda Swinton, Michael Clayton

Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture, Drama

• Casey Affleck, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
• Javier Bardem, No Country for Old Men
• Philip Seymour Hoffman, Charlie Wilson’s War
• John Travolta, Hairspray
• Tom Wilkinson, Michael Clayton

Best Director

• Tim Burton, Sweeney Todd
• Ethan Coen and Joel Coen, No Country for Old Men
• Julian Schnabel, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
• Ridley Scott, American Gangster
• Joe Wright, Atonement

Best Screenplay

• Diablo Cody, Juno
• Ethan Coen and Joel Coen, No Country for Old Men
• Christopher Hampton, Atonement
• Ronald Harwood, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
• Aaron Sorkin, Charlie Wilson’s War

Best Foreign Language Film

• 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days (Romania)
• The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (France/U.S.)
• The Kite Runner (U.S.)
• Lust, Caution (Taiwan)
• Perseopolis (France)

Best Animated Film

• Bee Movie
• Ratatouille
• The Simpsons Movie

Best Original Score

• Michael Brook, Kaki King, Eddie Vedder, Into the Wild
• Clint Eastwood, Grace is Gone
• Alberto Iglesias, The Kite Runner
• Dario Marianelli, Atonement
• Howard Shore, Eastern Promises

Best Original Song

• “Despedida,” Love in the Time of Cholera
• “Grace is Gone,” Grace is Gone
• “Guaranteed,” Into the Wild
• “That’s How You Know,” Enchanted
• “Walk Hard,” Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story

TELEVISION

Best Series in a Drama

• Big Love
• Damages
• Grey’s Anatomy
• House
• Mad Men
• The Tudors

Best Actor in a Drama Series

• Michael C. Hall, Dexter
• Jon Hamm, Mad Men
• Hugh Laurie, House
• Jonathan Rhys Meyers, The Tudors
• Bill Paxton, Big Love

Best Actress in a Drama

• Patricia Arquette, Medium
• Glenn Close, Damages
• Minnie Driver, The Riches
• Edie Falco, The Sopranos
• Sally Field, Brothers & Sisters
• Holly Hunter, Saving Grace
• Kyra Sedgwick, The Closer

Best Series in a Musical or Comedy

• 30 Rock
• Californication
• Entourage
• Extras
• Pushing Daisies

Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy

• Christina Applegate, Samantha Who?
• America Ferrera, Ugly Betty
• Tina Fey, 30 Rock
• Anna Friel, Pushing Daisies
• Mary-Louise Parker, Weeds

Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy

• Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock
• Steve Carell, The Office
• David Duchovny, Californication
• Ricky Gervais, Extras
• Lee Pace, Pushing Daisies

Best Supporting Actress in a Series, Miniseries or Movie

• Rose Byrne, Damages
• Rachel Griffiths, Brothers & Sisters
• Katherine Heigl, Grey’s Anatomy
• Samantha Morton, Longford
• Anna Paquin, Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee
• Jamie Pressly, My Name is Earl

Best Supporting Actor in a  Series, Miniseries or Movie

• Ted Danson, Damages
• Kevin Dillon, Entourage
• Jeremy Piven, Entourage
• Andy Serkis, Longford
• William Shatner, Boston Legal
• Donald Sutherland, Dirty Sexy Money

Best Miniseries or Movie

• Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee
• The Company
• Five Days
• Longford
• The State Within

Best Actress, Miniseries or Movie

• Bryce Dallas Howard, As You Like It
• Debra Messing, The Starter Wife
• Queen Latifah, Life Support
• Sissy Spacek, Pictures of Hollis Woods
• Ruth Wilson, Jane Eyre (Masterpiece Theatre)

Best Actor, Miniseries or Movie

• Adam Beach, Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee
• Ernest Borgnine, A Grandpa for Christmas
• Jim Broadbent, Longford
• Jason Isaacs, The State Within
• James Nesbitt, Jekyll

39 Washington, DC area Film Critics (WAFCA - of which I’m one) huddled together in a small broom closet this weekend to do our annual duty of selected the best of the year. In the last three weeks we were hit with an avalanche of DVD Screeners (about 50) and had a bunch of screenings to attend (about 100) and walked away with our eventual best Picture selection. Generally, I disagree with my fellow members, but last year and this year they got everything right, with the exception of Clooney for Michael Clayton - a film I absolutely HATED. I’m still mixed on No Country for Old Men, which is why I haven’t written a review yet. The first 90 minutes I sat there thinking, I’m watching the clear Best Picture of the Year, but then that weird ass last 20 minutes just ruins the entire film for me. I left the theater really angry and wondering what the f just happened. I’m still not entirely sure if the last 20 minutes is enough to throw out the first 90 minutes of brilliance or not. Ultimately, I did cast my ballad for No Country and am glad that it won. Because the other selections where two films that I absolutely loathe (Atonement and Michael Clayton.) So we did good this year and I’m happy with the results. Without Further adieu……

BEST PICTURE
Winner: No Country for Old Men

BEST DIRECTOR
Winner: Ethan and Joel Coen (No Country for Old Men)

BEST ACTOR
Winner: George Clooney (Michael Clayton)

BEST ACTRESS
Winner: Julie Christie (Away from Her)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Winner: Javier Bardem (No Country for Old Men)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Winner: Amy Ryan (Gone Baby Gone and Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead)

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Winner: Aaron Sorkin (Charlie Wilson’s War)

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Winner: Diablo Cody (Juno)

BEST ENSEMBLE
Winner: No Country for Old Men

BEST ANIMATED FILM
Winner: Ratatouille

BEST DOCUMENTARY FILM
Winner: Sicko

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
Winner: The Diving Bell and the Butterfly

BEST ART DIRECTION
Winner: Sweeney Todd

BEST BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMANCE
Winner: Ellen Page (Juno)

Last month I caught up with Morgan Freeman at the LA Press day for Feast of Love, a small Indie film that had a limited release a few weeks ago with the hopes of having it go wide in the coming weeks. Feast of Love is a small indie film that talks about the various stages of love from the perspective of 3 different couples - one young couple in love, to the middle aged couple who end up getting a divorce and Freeman and his wife who have been together for several years. Check out my review. Morgan was in a great mood for this round table interview and was surprisingly funny and was a little reluctant to talk about Batman, but our friend Frosty over at Collider kept at him till Morgan gave us a quote. It’s funny Frosty and I was battling over who gets to ask the Batman question and I told him to go for it. Check out the interview it was fun, and I expect the studio will do an award campaign around this film. In this really weak year, it wouldn’t surprise me to see Morgan get some attention in the supporting actor category for this.

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO MORGAN FREEMAN - INTERVIEW RUNTIME - 17 MINUTES

Here’s a little music to brighten your day, it’s a music video from the recently released Into the Wild, which
has been getting some amazing notices. This is from Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder’s “Hard Sun.”

[coolplayer width="480" height="380" autoplay="0" loop="0" charset="utf-8" download="1" mediatype=""]
Into The Wild Music Video from Eddie Vedder
[/coolplayer]