Entertainment News
Entries from February 2011
The Last Airbender has won several major "awards" in the annual Razzies ceremony, designed to honor the worst achievements in filmmaking for the previous year. Click here for the full list of "winners".
Pinewood Studios Group has signed a deal with Indomina Group, a major producer and distributor of films and TV series in the Latin American market, to open a major film studio in the Dominican Republic near Santo Domingo. Pinewood Indomina Studios will provide state-of-the-art facilities and hopes to attract major productions from around the world. The British-based Pinewood, long time home of the James Bond series, operates the legendary studio facility on the outskirts of London and has recently expanded its reach into other nations. For more click here
Grammy-winning film composer David Arnold has been named Music Director for the closing ceremonies for the London 2012 Olympics. Arnold is the long-time composer of the James Bond films. For more click here
If you think all that's wrong with the film industry today can be cured by a remake of the 1983 Michael Keaton comedy Mr. Mom, you'll be able to sleep better: MGM is planning to redo the film now that it is operating with cash from new investors. Also in the possible remake stage: Poltergeist and Robocop. Yes, folks, this is the studio that once gave us Gone With the Wind and The Wizard of Oz. For more click here
By Lee Pfeiffer
A.M.P.A.S. is still desperately trying to attract younger viewers for its annual Oscar telecast. Once considered to be "must-see" TV, the broadcast's ratings have declined in recent years. This resulted is an annual pledge to do something radical to attract younger viewers. The most contentious plan was to change the rules to include ten nominees for Best Picture, double the usual number. However, since only five director's can be nominated, everyone realizes that the other five are largely superfluous choices designed to honor films that stand no chance of winning. Consider this a sop to fans of The Dark Knight who complained that the Academy wasn't hip enough to nominate the blockbuster for Best Picture. Changes this year include getting rid of the tag-team of Barbie and Ken types who present an Oscar together amidst the God-awful "spontaneous" banter. Instead, there will be more responsibility on the two hosts, James Franco and Anne Hathaway, who are the youngest people ever to host the event. The fact that most people over the age of 30 may not have even heard of them may result in a lack of enthusiasm for the older audience that remains Oscar's most loyal viewers. There also won't be film montages of classic genres. The gimmick is being retired after last year's awful tribute to horror movies that was compiled by people who think modern slasher films merited more time than the Universal monsters classics or Hammer horror flicks. They are also going to do away with dispensing with the Best Song nominees in a collective number and once again present the songs in their entirety. Given the fact that it seems there hasn't been a memorable song nominated since Ronald Reagan sat in the White House, this should ensure plenty of bathroom breaks for those viewers with weak bladders. There will also be the cringe-inducing gimmick of watching a selected groups of mothers and grandmothers, who will be referred to as "Mominees", to Tweet their observations about the broadcast on their Twitter accounts. That's the final straw for me. I'll be on vacation in the Dominican Republic and I was reluctant to leave the temptation of island drinks and cigars to be cooped up in a hotel room watching the Oscar broadcast. I'll now leave it to friends who are house sitting for me to give me their observations, but it might constitute cruel and unusual punishment. For the Hollywood Reporter's story about the changes to Oscar, click here
In an insightful piece for GQ, writer Mark Harris examines the sad state of today's film industry. Executives are more timid than ever about investing in off-beat, envelope-pushing movies and meaningful, adult dramas are left to the realm of art house films. Instead, the industry is stuck in a pattern of investing in mega-budget but "safe" action movies based on comic book characters, amusement park rides and toys. Click here to read
Although he was one of the most beloved people of the 20th century, Walt Disney's personal life has always been controversial. Among the less-than-flattering aspects to his life were accusations that he was an FBI informant, an anti-Semite and that, as a boss, he made Captain Bligh look like a saint. For more click here
There is a fund-raising drive on behalf of Robocop fans to erect a statue of theor hero in his "home town" of Detroit. Just what the city needs- a depiction of the notion that it is a crime-ridden hellhole that has to rely on a super hero to keep order. That should really help spur the tourist trade! Click here for more
In an interview with the Los Angeles Times, the Farrelly brothers give insights into their vision of the long-delayed Three Stooges feature film was is finally going into production soon. Among the nuggets: they want to approach Cher to star as a Mother Superior who is victimized by the Stooges' antics. For more click here
Hollywood legend Mickey Rooney has filed with the court to get a restraining order against his stepson, whom he accuses of keeping him a prisoner in his own home. The 90 year-old Oscar winner also says his stepson is manipulating his finances, forces him to make personal appearances to raise money and verbally abuses him, leaving him in fear. A temporary retraining order has been granted, pending a court hearing on February 24. For more click here
New York Times film critics Manphla Dargis and A.O. Scott collaborate on a fascinating and thought-provoking examination of the state of race in contemporary American cinema. The two critics review the various signs of progress when it comes to providing stories pertaining to the African American community and conclude that, despite some high profile exceptions, the situation is regressing. Click here to read.
Columbia Pictures is going back to the basics with the title of the next Spiderman movie, which is now shooting. The official title will be The Amazing Spider-Man, with the hyphen harkening back to the hero's first appearance in his own comic book for Marvel. (He was actually introduced in Amazing Fantasy comics #15). The Social Network's Andrew Garfield will star. For more click here
Cinema Retro has received the following press release:
The Sammy Awards (or Sammys) are named after movie lyricist Sammy Cahn (1913-1993), who received 4 Oscars for his songs, and was nominated more than any other songwriter, 26 times in all. Cahn said he was “flattered and honored†to have these movie music awards named after him. His Oscar-winning songs are: “Three Coins in the Fountainâ€; “All the Wayâ€; “High Hopesâ€; and “Call Me Irresponsible.†All four songs were recorded by Frank Sinatra, a big fan of Sammy’s lyrics. Now in their twenty-third (23rd) year, the Sammys are the longest running awards for film music recordings. The Sammys are chosen each year by Roger Hall, a film music historian, member of the International Film Music Critics Association, author of the book, A Guide to Film Music – Songs and Scores, and editor of the long-running online magazine, Film Music Review – www.americanmusicpreservation.com/fmr.htm Here are the Sammys for film music CDs of 2010:
Best New Film Score CD: THE KING’S SPEECH – Music by Alexandre Desplat (Decca)
Best Overlooked Film Score CD: THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: THE VOYAGE OF THE DAWN TREADER – Music by David Arnold (Sony Classical)
Most Overrated New Film Score CD: INCEPTION – music by Hans Zimmer (Water Tower Music)
Best Golden Age Film Score CD: CITIZEN KANE and HANGOVER SQUARE - music by Bernard Herrmann (Chandos CD)
Best Silver Age Film Score CD: THE ALAMO (Complete Score) - music by Dimitri Tiomkin (Prometheus 3 CD Box Set)
Best Bronze Age Film Score CD: PATTON – music by Jerry Goldsmith (Intrada 2 CDs)
Best Vintage Compilation CD: THE SEA HAWK – music by Erich Wolfgang Korngold (RCA CD)
Best Newly Recorded Vintage Score CD: LAWRENCE OF ARABIA (Complete Score) – music by Maurice Jarre (Tadlow 2 CDs)
Special Preservation Award - Best Album Producer: Robert Townson for SPARTACUS (6 CDs, 1 DVD with illustrated book)
Lifetime Achievement Award: John Barry (1933-2011) – 5 Oscars
To read about these awards, go to:
http://www.americanmusicpreservation.com/sammys2011.htm
Robert Redford's forthcoming directorial effort The Conspirator deals with unanswered questions about the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln. Looks like quite a good period thriller. Click here to view trailer
By Lee Pfeiffer
As anticipated, The King's Speech has swept the BAFTA awards - with one notable exception. The low-budget film that has taken Britain and much of the rest of the world by storm is the kind of old-fashioned, intelligent movie-making that many people thought might be obsolete in the age of special effects-driven epics. The film won Best Film, Outstanding British Film, Best Original Screenplay and all three leads - Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush and Helena Bonham Carter- all took home awards. In one of those inexplicable, bizarre scenarios, however, the film's driving force, director Tom Hooper, was passed over in favor of David Fincher for The Social Network. Movie fans have often pondered how the Best Film could not go hand-in-hand with the Best Director award. Despite the glaring snub to Hooper, the BAFTA attention should only reinforce the film's status as the favorite for the major Oscar awards later this month. For full coverage, click here
The Hollywood Reporter has compiled a slide show of who they believe represent the top eleven artists snubbed for Academy Award nominations this year. See if you agree. Click here to view
The tangled web that is the Church of Scientology is getting more tangled. The New Yorker reports that the FBI is investigating charges that church members were used as virtual slave labor to perform personal tasks for prominent Scientologists. How all of this involves Tom Cruise and Oscar winning director and ex-Scientolgist Paul Haggis is too complex to summarize here. The Church maintains it is the victim of a witchhunt. Church critics call it a cult, not a legitimate religion. Click here for more info
By Lee Pfeiffer
Spiderman is making a new move- and joining the legendary Fantastic Four- or rather the Fantastic Three. Seems that Johnny Storm, aka The Human Torch, was recently killed off in the group he has been a part of since debuting in the Marvel comic book in the early 1960s. Spidey will now join Mr. Fantastic, the Invisible Woman and the Thing to fight crime when the group changes its name to The Future Foundation. I dunno...do you like it? Sounds like some firm by those financial planning representatives you go out of your way to avoid at cocktail parties. Maybe Spidey is looking for more secure employment in case things don't work out in his trouble-plagued Broadway musical production. For more click here
By Lee Pfeiffer
Warner Brothers has confirmed that Rachel McAdams will make a cameo appearance in the new Sherlock Holmes film, presumably as Irene Adler, the character she played in the last film. Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law will reprise as Holmes and Dr. Watson. McAdams' presence became known when a French TV crew released footage of the shoot and she was seen on the set. Not be unchivalrous, but McAdams was the weakest link in the otherwise highly enjoyable previous movie. She made no attempt to act as though she was in the Victorian period and delivered her lines like she was in an episode of Desperate Housewives. The Girl With Dragon Tattoo star Noomi Rapace will have the female lead this time around. This film will feature Holmes' nemesis Prof. Moriarty, who will be played by Jared Harris of Mad Men. Click here for more and to view the French video report from the set.
At this Sunday's BAFTA awards, an oversight will be addressed when Sir Christopher Lee will be awarded an honorary fellowship in recognition of his long career in the film industry. The acting icon has never been nominated for a BAFTA for any of his performances, despite a career that extends back to the 1940s. Sir Christopher is anticipating being at the ceremony in London to personally accept the award. The legendary 88 year-old star also anticipates reprising his role as Saruman in Peter Jackson's film The Hobbit, a prequel to The Lord of the Rings. For more click here
We were recently contacted by the good ladies who run the Barefoot Aphrodite web site. The long-running site specializes in reviewing movies that women may find sensuous. Before all you male hounddogs start letting your fantasies get out of hand, we should point out that the site reviews mainstream movies and emphasizes elements in them that many women may find a turn-on. The site came about when some of the women decided to rent porn movies years ago and came to the conclusion that what turns guys on is often what alienates the women in their lives. Sadly, this is true. How many guys think they'll get their date in the mood by watching one woman interact with 35 men simultaneously? The site features reviews from women of different ages and backgrounds and includes such diverse fare as Sirens, Il Postino and Casino Royale (not the Woody Allen version!). In case you think it's prudish, Barefoot Aphrodite also offers links to sites specializing in erotic products and even offers a personal "sensuality test". If they ever have a convention, we'll be the first to buy tickets. Click here to visit the site.
By Lee Pfeiffer
For the benefit of our many international readers who did not see the Super Bowl, we're providing this link to the most memorable ads that were broadcast during this year's game. There was an era when the Super Bowl was about football, but that was a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away. Today, it's about overblown hype for products and DeMille-sized musical half time productions (this year's was God-awful). Companies spend amounts equal to a small nation's gross national product to produce ads to air during the game. The big winner in terms of "buzz" was a Volkswagen spot tied into Star Wars, which is rather charming. Click here to view, along with all of the other ads.
The Royal Family has let it be known that Queen Elizabeth was "moved" by the film The King's Speech, which chronicles her father's trials and tribulations at conquering a speech impediment as he prepared to rally the British people against the threat of Hitler. What has become known is that screenwriter David Seidel intended to bring the movie to the screen many years ago, but was asked by the Queen Mother not to do so until her death, as she felt it would have been too emotional for her to have those memories brought to the fore. Seidel bowed to her wishes. The film is now winning many major awards and is the favorite for the Best Picture Oscar. It may sound like faint praise that the Queen is simply said to have been "moved" by the movie, but this is what constitutes a rave among royal watchers. The Royal Family is very careful about public comments that could be misconstrued as blatant commercial endorsements. For more click here
Joe Dante's fabulous Trailers From Hell website, which features prominent people in the film industry providing commentaries on classic and cult trailers, has a week-long tribute to Alfred Hitchcock. Trailers to be shown are I Confess (with commentary by Guillermo del Toro!), Rope (with commentary by Darren Bousman) and Frenzy (commentary by Josh Olson). Click here to view
Looks like the remake bandwagon keeps rolling on, whether we like it or not. It's been dog years since Stephen King's books made for good box-office, and dogs fit into plans to revive one of his bestellers on the big screen. Pet Sematary will be remade as a feature film. The book was originally adapted for the movies in 1989 but didn't overwhelm either critics or audiences. To remind you, the plot centers on a family living next to an old Native American graveyard that is haunted by spirits. (Have you ever seen a Native American graveyard depicted on film that wasn't haunted?) Due to factors too convoluted and boring to relate here, dead animals, including household pets, end up rising from their graves and terrorizing the neighborhood. We told you to be nicer to Fido...For more click here
A decade ago the prospect of Blockbuster entering bankruptcy would have been unthinkable. Now, however thee DVD rental chain, which has over 3,000 stores, is bleeding red ink. The company has already filed for bankruptcy under Chapter 11 protection, a victim of the growing enthusiasm for mail order and kiosk movie rentals. Blockbuster had negotiated with creditors to continue getting new product on the proviso that the new inventory would be paid for promptly. However, Summit, the corporation that supplied Blockbuster with DVDs of the hit Twilight movies says they still have not been paid. They are petitioning the court to force blockbuster to pay over $9 million or send back all the DVDs. Depending on the outcome of the situation, Blockbuster could be forced to liquidate its assets and, in essence, go out of business. The chain already plans to close 1,000 of its stores. For more click here
Now that Johnny Depp has dropped out of consideration for the role, James Franco may be the latest actor to assume the mantle of the great and powerful Oz, in a new quasi-prequel to the 1939 classic The Wizard of Oz. Click here for details
Sultry Eva Green is in talks with director Tim Burton about playing the witch Angelique in his big screen version of the 1960s soap opera Dark Shadows. Johnny Depp will star as vampire Barnabas Collins. Green first made an international splash with her performance in the 2006 James Bond blockbuster Casino Royale. For more click here
There are signs that director Baz Luhrmann may be getting cold feet about his highly-hyped third screen version of F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby which is to star Leonardo DiCaprio and Carey Mulligan. Luhrmann's rep made a public statement that expressed cautious optimism about his participation, but also dropped the bomb, "Baz is currently in Los Angeles ensuring all the creative and fiscal elements are in place to give 'Gatsby' everything it requires. Whether this is possible or not, he will know by the end of the week or early next week." This is the Hollywood-speak for saying there may be trouble in paradise. Luhrmann raised a lot of eyebrows with his declaration that he may film the classic love story in 3-D, which is kinda like envisioning Citizen Kane in Cinerama. Industry sources say that Luhrmann is quite enthused about directing the screen version of Strictly Ballroom. Click here for more
Click here for an official press release about the status of the forthcoming remake of the 1966 crime caper Gambit which starred Michael Caine and Shirley MacLaine. Joel and Ethan Coen have written the script which guarantees it will be elevated from the realm of lame, unnecessary remakes.
Stephen King's epic, War and Peace-sized novel The Stand, will be remade as a feature film - or perhaps a series. The bestseller had been adapted once before as a TV movie in 1994. King will be involved to some degree in the new production, which centers on the struggles of survivors of a world-wide deadly virus to re-establish civilzation. For more click here
Director Andrew Stanton has confirmed that major photography has wrapped on the film adaptation of Edgar Rice Burrough's John Carter of Mars which chronicles the adventures of a Civil War veteran on the angry red planet. Stanton says, with tongue slightly in cheek, it will be a historically accurate Martian film. We assume he's done painstaking research on all of the Civil War veterans who visited Mars and chronicled their experiences. For more click here
In an unusually open and frank interview with London's Daily Mail, Jack Nicholson reflects on the problems of aging. While the old adage that getting old stinks but it beats the alternative may be true, Nicholson says he is far more aware of his mortality at age 73. He is saddened by the steady passing of friends and believes he will never find true love. For more click here
Red-hot Oscar nominee and Golden Globe winner Christian Bale says he's always assumed that his next portrayal of Batman in Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight Rises would be his final association with the franchise. However, Bale might well have a taken a lesson from Sean Connery who vowed never to play James Bond again after quitting the series in 1967, only to return in the 1971 film Diamonds Are Forever and again in 1983 to play Bond in the renegade production of Never Say Never Again. Bale says he's quite open to playing the Caped Crusader in a fourth film if Nolan wants him to. Refreshing to see that his recent accolades have not diminished his respect for the cape and cowl. In other Bat News, Robin Williams has been dismissive of rumors he will play the villain Dr. Strange in the next Batman flick. For more click here
The third time's the charm for British actor Henry Cavill. After unsuccessfully auditioning for the roles of Batman and James Bond, Cavill has landed the much-coveted role of the Man of Steel in Warner Brothers' forthcoming revival of the Superman film series. The last entry in the franchise, Superman Returns was deemed a boxoffice disappointment and star Brandon Routh took the blame. We thought Routh acquitted himself well in the role, but Hollywood has to blame someone and it wasn't going to be the execs who opted to sink $270 million into the pic. For more click here
Those wonderfully crazy blokes at the UK web site HeyUguys have posted a sequel to their original "100 Greatest Movie Insults of All Time"...click here to watch some clever videos of the original list and the sequel of "other" 100 greatest movie insults.
Barbra Streisand will team with Seth Rogen in the comedy My Mother's Curse, mother-son road movie opus. For details click here
Considering Donald Sutherland has been a major star for 40 years, it's baffling that it's taken this long to honor him with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Better late than never. Sutherland's star was placed next to that of his son, Kiefer Sutherland. The veteran actor says he'll die working, as retirement in inconceivable. For more click here
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