Joe Wright
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Hanna Review
April 05, 2011 5:52am ESTLater this year you will likely flock to your local movie theater to watch a young man become a super soldier at the height of WWII. This month you can see a somewhat less stylized but no less sensational story about a young girl who was born into a similar life of action and international adventure. Her name is Hanna and she can kill you with your own knife while it’s still in your hand. Joe Wright (Atonement) directs this well-balanced coming of age story set within the cold and unforgiving world of assassins and espionage. The film follows the titular heroine who has lived a reclusive life in the forest with her rogue CIA-agent father on a vengeful mission that takes her all across the map. Trained to survive in the harshest conditions and fight like the spawn of Lara Croft and Rambo she is pursued by deadly adversaries as she inches closer to her primary target a ruthless CIA handler who had mysterious past dealings with her Dad all while discovering what life outside the woods is like. While star Saoirse Ronan’s visceral turn is a marvel to observe so too is Wright’s. Like his protagonist he ventures into the unknown with this material taking the reigns of a film that couldn’t be any more foreign to him. Coming off of past projects grounded in romance and realism he forges new territory with Hanna delivering a fresh approach to the at-times tired spy thriller. He presents the major plot points of the story patiently delicately hinting at the big picture and always leaving you pining for more. Though the twist is ultimately predictable the fun part is putting the pieces of the puzzle together on your own. You’ll find more brilliance in his method by dissecting the picture piece by piece. His use of sound in both the film’s abstract score (from the sorely missed Chemical Brothers) and its effects which phase in and out at calculated points is in part a cinematic experiment that plays with perception in ways that audiences may not have experienced in a mainstream movie. There are also a few visual motifs in select scenes (most notably a killer fight sequence that ends with Eric Bana exterminating a handful of Agency henchman) that tell a parallel visual tale to supplement the narrative. Thematically Hanna is even more complex. Screenwriters Seth Lochhead and David Farr explore the limitations of a disconnected mind in their Black List-certified script giving their curious character the opportunity to learn much about society and her self while hitchhiking across continents. Of greater significance is the culture clash of Western materialism and Eastern minimalism manifested in the form of a British family traveling abroad that Hanna befriends (the young daughter played by Jessica Barden is a poster child for consumerism) and the contrast between Cate Blanchett’s Marissa Wiegler and Bana’s Erik Heller. Provoking thought while providing plentiful doses of popcorn entertainment the film works on so many levels and is a unique entry in the collective canon of assassin-on-the-run flicks. Its story is far from groundbreaking but Wright’s surreal visuals and anti-establishment attitude make Hanna a radically original action experience.
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Source Code Review
March 30, 2011 3:50pm ESTIn Duncan Jones’s sci-fi thriller Source Code Jake Gyllenhaal plays Captain Colter Stevens a U.S. Army helicopter pilot who awakens after an enemy ambush to find himself sitting on a Chicago-bound commuter train surrounded by strangers with absolutely no idea how he got there. As he struggles to process his strange new milieu he’s pestered with small-talk by a perky fellow-passenger (Michelle Monaghan) whom he doesn’t recognize but who clearly seems to know him. When he looks into a mirror staring back at him is the image of a man who while handsome is certainly no Jake Gyllenhaal. What Hitchcockian hell has Captain Stevens wandered into? Could it all be a dream? Before Colter can ponder matters further a massive explosion sends him hurtling into oblivion from which he emerges intact strapped to a chair inside a dark capsule-like enclosure. A woman Goodwin (Vera Farmiga) pops up on a video screen and tersely informs him that he is now part of a new high-tech front in the War on Terror: Source Code an experimental program that allows a person to assume the identity of someone else during the last eight minutes of his or her life. Whoever planted the bomb on the train is said to be readying another far deadlier attack to unleash on Chicago in a matter of hours. The only hope for preventing it is for Colter to repeatedly scour the memory of one of the train's deceased passengers in the hopes of finding clues that might help them determine the identity of the bomber. Soon Colter finds himself in an existence not unlike that of Bill Murray’s character in Groundhog Day revisiting the same eight-minute scenario over and over again. As a soldier his first instinct is to try and prevent the explosion from happening and save the lives of the innocents on board. But doing so is futile Source Code’s creepy and condescending inventor Dr. Walter Rutledge (Jeffrey Wright) glibly explains. Source Code is not a time-travel machine but rather a “time-reassignment” device built on principles of quantum mechanics and parabolic calculus that Colter's feeble mind couldn’t possibly comprehend. The train bombing is a part of the past which is unalterable; Stevens’ actions to prevent its occurrence however heroic have no real-world ramifications. He is simply a detective whose crime scene is the residual consciousness – the “after-image” – of a dead man’s brain. But if that were true Colter wouldn’t be able to exit the train make cell phone calls strike a romantic chord with Monaghan’s character or engage in various other activities that we see him perform in the film activities that lie well beyond the experiential purview of the dead man’s final memories. Could it be that the Source Code program is actually something more profound perhaps a kind of portal to a parallel universe? (Jones’s usage of Scott Bakula star of TV’s Quantum Leap in a clever cameo as the Colter's father provides a strong hint.) Colter's own experiences seem to confirm as much: Each time the train-bombing scenario unfolds he notices subtle differences in seemingly trivial details like the timing of a coffee spill. No two universes after all can ever be exactly alike. This little twist exposes some potential issues with Source Code’s underlying logic chief among them being questions about the reliability of any “evidence” uncovered by Colter in his quantum adventures. The narrative asks us to take a few logical leaps of faith and I humbly suggest you comply. Source Code is more than strong enough as a film – an intelligent probing sci-fi thriller that packs a surprisingly strong emotional punch – to withstand any nitpicking about its theoretical veracity. Director Jones’s ambitions are grander his aim more mainstream his tone more hopeful this time around than in his haunting 2009 breakout hit Moon but the result is just as resonant.
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The Cast Of 'Paul' Speaks!
March 18, 2011 12:11pm ESTEarlier this month I had the wonderful opportunity to talk with the cast of Universal Pictures new sci-fi comedy Paul. Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Jason Bateman, Kristen Wiig, Joe Lo Truglio, Bill Hader, Blythe Danner and director Greg Mottola were all in attendance, spilling the beans about their funny new film, the on-set antics the ensued during the production and whether or not they believe in aliens. It was a fun event and I wish you all could've been there to meet the hilarious cast, but since I don't own a time machine (well, not that I know of) I'm doing the next best thing: providing you with some of the most informative and entertaining quotes given by the actors and director about Paul. Click here to read my review of the film and read on below for select quotes: Greg Mottola on how he got involved in the project: The way this film came about was I got a call from my agent that Simon Pegg had a movie that he was writing with Nick Frost about an alien. Much like the kind of pop culture mash-ups he had done on Spaced, Hot Fuzz and Shaun of the Dead, this was going to be their sci-fi love letter. They weren’t going to be able to do it with Edgar Wright, he was going off to do Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, and they wanted an American director. I met with Simon the day Superbad opened, we met in NYC. Simon had been shooting a film all night long. They had the wrap party and he was still drunk the next morning. I was very nervous because my first ever studio movie was coming out and he told me the plot and they were still in the middle of writing it. I said please let me do it. I warned them that I’m not as good as Edgar Wright and that it’ll be something else, something different. I love Edgar and I was intimidated to do a film with these guys who had done incredible work. I had to try, it was too fun to pass up. Simon Pegg & Nick Frost on how their road trip across the southwestern United States influenced the writing of Paul. SP: It was the most important thing we did prior to writing the film. NF: It was the only thing we did. SP: We’ve traveled around America a lot, but we go apple to apple and its not until you drive that you realize how enormous and breathtaking and beautiful and scary and lonely and varied and extraordinary this country is. And the fact that it has so many people in it and yet you can go a whole day and not see anyone. A lot of what we experienced on the road, and the adventures we had went into the script. The only thing that didn’t happen to us on the trip was meeting the alien. We made that up. I confess. A bird hit the window. We ran into some scary hunter... Kristen Wiig on playing a closed-minded, conservative Christian and Jason Bateman on creationism: KW: I wasn't bothered by it because I didn't feel like we were making fun of it. I think it's just an interesting character choice for someone who's about to see an alien for the first time. Because, you know, if you see one or we realize that they're there, that does ask a lot of questions in regards to religion. And I think they took that and made it a funny character trait rather than making fun of anyone or making a statement or anything like that. JB: Maybe I'm an idiot, which I've been called, but the religious creationism thing -- seeing an alien wouldn't necessarily debunk that, because wouldn't the creationist then say, "Yeah, they created the aliens as well. He didn't just create life on Earth. He created life on all these other places we just haven't been able to see them yet." Kristen Wiig on having fun on set and breaking character during a scene: We did a game called "Stop, Stop, The Robber Is Coming." And each time we took a turn, there were really no rules, we kind of made them up before each turn, and I really think that was why I had to run a mile. But we did a lot of off-camera fun and games and stuff like that. Personally, I know that once I laugh, I can't go back. As I'm about to say it the second time I feel like everyone is wondering if I'm going to do it again, so then I just start laughing. So for me, I just have to not do it or else we'll be there all night. And that's kind of the other thing. If you start laughing, you start feeling bad because everyone is like, "Okay, that was funny for a second but we've really got to get out of here." Jason Bateman on working with Pegg and Frost: I like their British humor. It tends to be a little drier, a little less winky than what we ding-dongs do over here. So that was fun. I tried to learn as much as I could. Mostly, I was really taken by how kind and nice and enthusiastic they were. They wrote a movie and a big studio gave them a bunch of money to shoot it and they got to hire all of their friends and it was just a great place to go to work. Bill Hader and Joe Lo Truglio on what attracted them to Paul: BH: What made me want to do it was that I was a huge fan of Simon Pegg and Nick Frost from Spaced and Shaun of the Dead. I knew them socially and thought they were good guys. And I had worked with Greg Mottola times. It was kind of like I heard they were just working together and I was like, yeah I'd love to be involved. JLT: Same. I'd been fans of Simon and Nick since Shaun of the Dead -- I'm a big horror movie fan. While watching that movie, I just knew that I was watching people who loved what I loved. So I jumped the chance to work with them. And of course, it was great working with Greg and Bill. And I knew Kristin. It was just a dream opportunity. They didn't twist my arm too much (laughs) to do it. Joe Lo Truglio on being the physical stand-in for Paul: It was a thrill to do. I had never been in a movie with so many visual effects so as a lover of film I was very interested in being part of that whole process. And then hanging out with Simon and Nick every day was such a treat. It was fun because Seth [Rogen] did such a great job with bringing what he wanted to bring to it and then I'd throw in some ideas and some lines and they'd add things. There was just a lot of people throwing their two cents in to this character that, if it didn't work, the movie doesn't work. It was a thrill to be part of bringing him to life. And my knees were saved from any scrapes because I was wearing knee pads. Bill Hader on why Judd Apatow's work resonates so well with contemporary audiences: When you work with him on stuff, it's never about just being funny. It's like, yeah, we know it's funny but where's it coming from? If you watch all of his movies, everything is coming from a kind of personal place. What do you know, where's the emotion in it? It's really smart and it taught me a lot, working with him in that way. Superbad, I mean, that was such a personal movie, obviously. I mean, Seth and Evan named the guys after them. But he was smart enough to be like, Greg Mottolla, I'm a fan of yours and I trust you guys to just go do your thing, you know? And Greg brought so much heart to that movie. That whole end scene in the Escalade is just touching, you know? It's also about letting people do their thing, you know? He's really smart about that. He's also sort of a fan of people. Any time I hang out with him, all we really talk about is comedy that's inspired us. Comedy albums. You know what I mean? Lorne Michaels is the same way. You talk to him and it's just like, this is a big comedy nerd, like us. They're just great guys, you know.
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'Anna Karenina' To Cast Jude Law, Aaron Johnson?
March 18, 2011 11:19am ESTAccording to Variety, Jude Law and Aaron Johnson are in talks to join Keira Knightley in Anna Karenina, the Joe Wright-directed adaptation of Leo Tolstoy's classic novel, penned by Tom Stoppard. For those readers who slept through that part of their high school literature class, the classic novel follows a woman (to-be-played by Knightley) who finds herself trapped in a loveless marriage as she feels attracted to a soldier. Right now, there's no word as to who Law or Johnson will play, but we imagine it will be some type of leading role -- considering they are both pretty big names and the fact that the major roles still need to be cast. But, the best part about all of this? Since, you know, Mr. Law has always seemed a little, well, dumb, we might finally get the answer to that secretly wondered question of if he can actually read. If he in fact cannot, then starring in a film based on a classic novel is certainly the right way to play it. Source: Variety
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Paul Review
March 15, 2011 10:47am ESTIf a major motion picture studio gave you $50 million to make the movie of your choice what would it be like? If you’re producers Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner and writers Simon Pegg and Nick Frost it’d be a loving lampoon of geek culture and an homage to the films of the Spielberg/Lucas revolution but nostalgia is both an advantage and disadvantage in director Greg Mottola’s Paul. Pegg and Frost star as a pair of nerds from across the pond who fulfill lifelong dreams when they fly to San Diego for the annual Mecca of nerdom Comic-Con. The doofy duo extend their trip to tour America’s extraterrestrial hot spots including Area 51 where they pick up an unexpected alien hitchhiker on the run from the proverbial men in black. Across the country they go getting into trouble picking up more passengers and building bromantic bonds as the little green man Paul inches closer to his escape from planet Earth and the shadowy government official who has been exploiting his knowledge of the universe since he crash landed in Wyoming over 60 years ago. Fan-favorite filmmakers since 2004’s Shaun of the Dead Pegg and Frost have been making geek chic for years now and continue to create identifiable roles for themselves while finding humorous ways to write their like-minded friends into their movies. Their collection of wacky characters is charming if incredibly derivative but for better or worse they are the heart and soul of the film. Jason Bateman Kristen Wiig Bill Hader and Jo Lo Truglio turn in fun performances but I expected a bit more from the Jane Lynch David Koechner and Sigourney Weaver cameos. Still Seth Rogen’s vocal performance as Paul adds significant layers to an already adorable alien and enlivens the adequately rendered CG character. The comedy is surprisingly sweet and doesn’t bite like Mottola’s Superbad though there are enough religious jabs and signs of anti-establishment fervor to call it mildly subversive. Lack of laughs isn’t the issue here; lack of originality is. Mottola is too dependent on pop-culture references and inside jokes pertaining to E.T. Star Wars and Close Encounters of the Third Kind so much so that the film ultimately becomes a parody of itself as its storyline mirrors that of Steven Spielberg’s massive 1982 blockbuster (in this world the movie mogul actually consults the incarcerated alien for inspiration for his beloved family film). While these nods are all amusing they’re not enough to carry the film and Mottola/Frost/Pegg offer little else. At its worst Paul will give you a reason to revisit those classic sci-fi staples and remember the good old days. At best it provides a few mindless chuckles and gives you good reason to give the geek next to you a great big hug.
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83rd Academy Awards Winners List
February 27, 2011 3:03pm ESTHere we have it, the results of Hollywood's biggest night as they happen. We'll be covering all the biggest honors (and maybe even a few upsets) so check back to see how your favorites fared. BEST PICTURE The King's Speech WINNER Black Swan The Fighter The Social Network Toy Story 3 Inception True Grit The Kids Are All Right 127 Hours Winter's Bone BEST ACTOR Colin Firth, The King's Speech -WINNER Javier Bardem, Biutiful Jesse Eisenberg, The Social Network James Franco, 127 Hours Jeff Bridges, True Grit BEST ACTRESS Natalie Portman, Black Swan - WINNER Michelle Williams, Blue Valentine Nicole Kidman, Rabbit Hole Jennifer Lawrence, Winter's Bone Annette Bening, The Kids Are All Right BEST DIRECTION Tom Hooper, The King's Speech - WINNER David Fincher, The Social Network The Coen Brothers, True Grit Darren Aronofsky, Black Swan David O. Russell, The Fighter BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR Christian Bale, The Fighter WINNER John Hawkes, Winter's Bone Jeremy Renner, The Town Mark Ruffalo, The Kids Are All Right Geoffrey Rush, The King's Speech BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS Melissa Leo, The Fighter -WINNER Amy Adams, The Fighter Helena Bonham Carter, The King's Speech Hailee Steinfeld, True Grit Jacki Weaver, Animal Kingdom BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY The King's Speech, David Seidler -WINNER Another Year, Mike Leigh The Fighter, Screenplay by Scott Silver and Paul Tamasy & Eric Johnson Inception, Christopher Nolan The Kids Are All Right, Lisa Cholodenko & Stuart Blumberg BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY The Social Network by Aaron Sorkin - WINNER 127 Hours by Danny Boyle & Simeon Beaufoy Toy Story 3 by Michael Arndg; Story by John Lasseter, Andrew Stanton and Lee Unkrich True Grit by Joel Coen & Ethan Coen Winter's Bone by Debra Granik & Anne Rosellini BEST ANIMATED FEATURE Toy Story 3 -WINNER How To Train Your Dragon The Illusionist BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM In A Better World - WINNER Biutiful Dog Tooth Outside The Law Incendies BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE Inside Job - WINNER Exit through the Gift Shop Gasland Restrepo Waste Land BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT Strangers No More - WINNER Killing in the Name Poster Girl Sun Come Up The Warriors of Qiugang BEST LIVE ACTION SHORT God of Love - WINNER The Confession The Crush Na Wewe Wish 143 BEST ANIMATED SHORT The Lost Thing -WINNER Day & Night The Gruffalo Let's Pollute Madagascar, carnet de voyage (Madagascar, a Journey Diary) BEST ORIGINAL SCORE The Social Network, Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross WINNER Inception, Hans Zimmer How to Train Your Dragon, John Powell The King's Speech, Alexandre Desplat 127 Hours, A.R. Rahman BEST ORIGINAL SONG We Belong Together, from Toy Story 3 Music and Lyric by Randy Newman WINNER Coming Home, from Country Strong Music and Lyric by Tom Douglas, Troy Verges and Hillary Lindsey I See the Light, from Tangled Music by Alan Menken Lyric by Glenn Slater If I Rise, from 127 Hours Music by A.R. Rahman Lyric by Dido and Rollo Armstrong BEST SOUND EDITING Inception, Richard King - WINNER Toy Story 3, Tom Myers and Michael Silvers Tron: Legacy, Gwendolyn Yates Whittle and Addison Teague True Grit, Skip Lievsay and Craig Berky Unstoppable, Mark P. Stoeckinger BEST SOUND MIXING Inception, Lora Hirschberg, Gary A. Rizzo and Ed Novick - WINNER The King's Speech, Paul Hamblin, Martin Jensen and John Midgley Salt, Jeffrey J. Haboush, Greg P. Russell, Scott Millan and William Sarokin The Social Network, Ren Klyce, David Parker Michael Semanick and Mark Weingarten True Grit, Skip Lievsay, Craig Berkey, Greg Orloff and Peter F. Kurland BEST ART DIRECTION Alice in Wonderland - WINNER Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 Inception The King's Speech True Grit BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY Inception, Wally Pfister - WINNER Black Swan, Matthew Libatique The King's Speech, Danny Cohen The Social Network, Jeff Cronenweth True Grit, Roger Deakins BEST MAKEUP The Wolfman, Rick Baker and Dave Elsey - WINNER Barney's Version, Adrien Morot The Way Back, Edouard F. Henriques, Gregory Funk and Yolanda Toussieng BEST COSTUME DESIGN Alice in Wonderland, Colleen Atwood - WINNER I Am Love, Antonella Cannarozzi The King's Speech, Jenny Beavan The Tempest, Sandy Powell True Grit, Mary Zophres BEST FILM EDITING Angus Wall and Kirk Baxter, The Social Network WINNER Andrew Weisblum, Black Swan Pamela Martin, The Fighter Tariq Anwarr, The King's Speech Jon Harris, 127 Hours BEST ORIGINAL VISUAL EFFECTS Inception, Paul Franklin, Chris Corbould, Andrew Lockley and Peter Bebb WINNER Alice in Wonderland Ken Ralston, David Schaub, Carey Villegas and Sean Phillips Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 Tim Burke, John Richardson, Christian Manz and Nicolas Aithadi Hereafter, Michael Owens, Bryan Grill, Stephan Trojanski and Joe Farrell Iron Man 2, Janek Sirrs, Ben Snow, Ged Wright and Daniel Sudick
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2011 Grammy Awards Winners List
February 14, 2011 4:53am EST1. Record Of The Year Lady Antebellum Lady Antebellum Lady Antebellum & Paul Worley, producers; Clarke Schleicher, engineer/mixer Track from: Need You Now [Capitol Records Nashville] Nothin' On You B.o.B Featuring Bruno Mars The Smeezingtons, producers; Ari Levine & Mike Wilson, engineer/mixers Track from: The Adventures Of Bobby Ray [Rebel Rock/Grand Hustle/Atlantic] Love The Way You Lie Eminem Featuring Rihanna Alex Da Kid & Makeba Riddick, producers; Alex Da Kid, Eminem, Mike Strange & Marcos Tovar, engineers/mixers Track from: Recovery [Aftermath/Shady Records/Interscope] F*** You Cee Lo Green The Smeezingtons, producers; Manny Marroquin & Graham Marsh, engineers/mixers [Elektra] Empire State Of Mind Jay-Z & Alicia Keys Angela Hunte, Jane't "Jnay" Sewell-Ulepic & Shux, producers; Ken "Duro" Ifill, Gimel "Young Guru" Keaton & Ann Mincieli, engineers/mixers Track from: The Blueprint 3 [Roc Nation] 2. Album Of The Year The Suburbs Arcade Fire Arcade Fire & Markus Dravs, producers; Arcade Fire, Markus Dravs, Mark Lawson & Craig Silvey, engineers/mixers; George Marino, mastering engineer [Merge Records] Recovery Eminem Kobe, Lil Wayne, Pink, Rihanna & Slaughterhouse, featured artists; Alex Da Kid, Mark Batson, Boi-1da, Nick Brongers, Dwayne "Supa Dups" Chin-Quee, DJ Khalil, Dr. Dre, Eminem, Jason Gilbert, Havoc, Emile Haynie, Jim Jonsin, Just Blaze, Magnedo7, Mr. Porter, Robert Reyes, Makeba Riddick & Script Shepherd, producers; Alex Da Kid, Dwayne "Supa Dups" Chin-Quee, Kal "Boogie" Dellaportas, Dr. Dre, Eminem, Mauricio "Veto" Iragorri, Just Blaze, Brent Kolatalo, Ken Lewis, Robert Marks, Alex Merzin, Matthew Samuels, Joe Strange, Mike Strange, Marcos Tovar & Ryan West, engineers/mixers; Brian "Big Bass" Gardner, mastering engineer [Aftermath/Shady Records/Interscope] Need You Now Lady Antebellum Lady Antebellum & Paul Worley, producers; Clarke Schleicher, engineer/mixer; Andrew Mendelson, mastering engineer [Capitol Records Nashville] The Fame Monster Lady Gaga Beyoncé, featured artist; Ron Fair, Fernando Garibay, Tal Herzberg, Rodney Jerkins, Lady Gaga, RedOne, Teddy Riley & Space Cowboy, producers; Eelco Bakker, Christian Delano, Mike Donaldson, Paul Foley, Tal Herzberg, Rodney Jerkins, Hisashi Mizoguchi, Robert Orton, Dan Parry, Jack Joseph Puig, RedOne, Teddy Riley, Dave Russel, Johnny Severin, Space Cowboy, Mark Stent, Jonas Westling & Frank Wolf, engineers/mixers; Gene Grimaldi, mastering engineer [Streamline/KonLive/Cherrytree/Interscope] Teenage Dream Katy Perry Snoop Dogg, featured artist; Ammo, Benny Blanco, Dr. Luke, Kuk Harrell, Max Martin, Stargate, Chris "Tricky" Stewart, Sandy Vee & Greg Wells, producers; Nick Chahwala, Steve Churchyard, Mikkel S. Eriksen, Serban Ghenea, John Hanes, Sam Holland, Jaycen-Joshua, Damien Lewis, Ian MacGregor, Chris O'Ryan, Carlos Oyanedel, Paris, Phil Tan, Brian Thomas, Pat Thrall, Lewis Tozour, Miles Walker, Emily Wright & Andrew Wuepper, engineers/mixers; Brian Gardner, mastering engineer [Capitol Records] 3. Song Of The Year Need You Now Dave Haywood, Josh Kear, Charles Kelley & Hillary Scott, songwriters (Lady Antebellum) Track from: Need You Now [Capitol Records Nashville; Publishers: Warner-Tamerlane Publishing/DWHaywood Music/Radiobulletspublishing, EMI Foray Music/Hillary Dawn Songs, Year of the Dog Music, Darth Buddha Music] Beg Steal Or Borrow Ray LaMontagne, songwriter (Ray LaMontagne And The Pariah Dogs) Track from: God Willin' & The Creek Don't Rise [RCA Records; Publishers: Sweet Mary Music/Chrysalis Music] F*** You Brody Brown, Cee Lo Green, Ari Levine, Philip Lawrence & Bruno Mars, songwriters (Cee Lo Green) [Elektra] The House That Built Me Tom Douglas & Allen Shamblin, songwriters (Miranda Lambert) Track from: Revolution [Columbia Records; Publishers: Sony/ATV Tree Publishing/Tomdouglasmusic, Built On Rock Music] Love The Way You Lie Alexander Grant, Skylar Grey & Marshall Mathers, songwriters (Eminem Featuring Rihanna) Track from: Recovery [Aftermath/Shady Records/Interscope; Publishers: Songs of Universal/Shroom Shady Music/Universal Music Publishing/Universal Music-Z Songs/Hotel Bravo Music/M. Shop Publishing] 4. Best New Artist Esperanza Spalding Justin Bieber Drake Florence & The Machine Mumford & Sons 5. Best Female Pop Vocal Performance Bad Romance Lady Gaga Track from: The Fame Monster [Streamline/KonLive/Cherrytree/Interscope] King Of Anything Sara Bareilles Track from: Kaleidoscope Heart [Epic] Halo (Live) Beyoncé Track from: I Am...Yours: An Intimate Performance At Wynn Las Vegas [Columbia Records/Music World Music] Chasing Pirates Norah Jones Track from: The Fall [Blue Note Records] Teenage Dream Katy Perry Track from: Teenage Dream [Capitol Records] 6. Best Male Pop Vocal Performance Just The Way You Are Bruno Mars [Elektra] Haven't Met You Yet Michael Bublé Track from: Crazy Love [143/Reprise] This Is It Michael Jackson Track from: This Is It [Epic] Whataya Want From Me Adam Lambert Track from: For Your Entertainment [RCA Records / 19 Recordings LLC.] Half Of My Heart John Mayer Track from: Battle Studies [Columbia Records] 7. Best Pop Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals Hey, Soul Sister (Live) Train [Columbia Records] Don't Stop Believin' (Regionals Version) Glee Cast Glee Cast Featuring Lea Michele, Cory Monteith, Naya Rivera, Mark Salling, Amber Riley, Kevin McHale, Chris Colfer & Jenna Ushkowitz Track from: Journey To Regionals [Columbia Records] Misery Maroon 5 Track from: Hands All Over [A&M/Octone] The Only Exception Paramore Track from: Brand New Eyes [Fueled By Ramen/Atlantic] Babyfather Sade Track from: Soldier Of Love [Epic] 8. Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals Imagine Herbie Hancock, Pink, India.Arie, Seal, Konono No 1, Jeff Beck & Oumou Sangare Track from: The Imagine Project [Hancock Records] Airplanes, Part II B.o.B, Eminem & Hayley Williams Track from: The Adventures Of Bobby Ray [Rebel Rock/Grand Hustle/Atlantic] If It Wasn't For Bad Elton John & Leon Russell [Decca] Telephone Lady Gaga & Beyoncé Track from: The Fame Monster [Streamline/KonLive/Cherrytree/Interscope] California Gurls Katy Perry & Snoop Dogg Track from: Teenage Dream [Capitol Records] 9. Best Pop Instrumental Performance Nessun Dorma Jeff Beck Track from: Emotion & Commotion [Rhino] Flow Laurie Anderson Track from: Homeland [Nonesuch] No Mystery Stanley Clarke Track from: The Stanley Clarke Band [Heads Up International] Orchestral Intro Gorillaz Track from: Plastic Beach [Virgin Records] Sleepwalk The Brian Setzer Orchestra Track from: Don't Mess With A Big Band [Surfdog Records] 10. Best Pop Instrumental Album Take Your Pick Larry Carlton & Tak Matsumoto [335 Records, Inc.] Pushing The Envelope Gerald Albright [Heads Up International] Heart And Soul Kenny G [Concord Records] Singularity Robby Krieger [Oglio Records] Everything Is Everything: The Music Of Donny Hathaway Kirk Whalum [Rendezvous Music/Mack Avenue] 11. Best Pop Vocal Album The Fame Monster Lady Gaga [Streamline/KonLive/Cherrytree/Interscope] My World 2.0 Justin Bieber [Island] I Dreamed A Dream Susan Boyle [Sony/SYCO Music/Columbia Records] Battle Studies John Mayer [Columbia Records] Teenage Dream Katy Perry [Capitol Records] 12. Best Dance Recording Only Girl (In The World) Rihanna Kuk Harrell, Stargate & Sandy Vee, producers; Phil Tan & Sandy Vee, mixers [Island Def Jam] Rocket Goldfrapp Alison Goldfrapp & Will Gregory, producers; Mark 'Spike' Stent, mixer Track from: Head First [Mute] In For The Kill La Roux Elly Jackson & Ben Langmaid, producers; Serban Ghenea & John Hanes, mixers Track from: La Roux [Cherrytree/Interscope/Polydor/Big Life] Dance In The Dark Lady Gaga Fernando Garibay & Lady Gaga, producers; Robert Orton, mixer Track from: The Fame Monster [Streamline/KonLive/Cherrytree/Interscope] Dancing On My Own Robyn Patrik Berger & Robyn, producers; Niklas Flyckt, mixer Track from: Body Talk Pt. 1 [Konichiwa Records/Cherrytree/Interscope] 13. Best Electronic/Dance Album La Roux La Roux [Cherrytree/Interscope/Polydor/Biglife] These Hopeful Machines BT [Nettwerk Records] Further The Chemical Brothers [Astralwerks] Head First Goldfrapp [Mute] Black Light Groove Armada [OM Records] 14. Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album Crazy Love Michael Bublé [143/Reprise] The Greatest Love Songs Of All Time Barry Manilow [Arista Records] Let It Be Me: Mathis In Nashville Johnny Mathis [Columbia Records] Fly Me To The Moon…The Great American Songbook: Volume V Rod Stewart [J Records] Love Is The Answer Barbra Streisand [Columbia Records] 15. Best Solo Rock Vocal Performance Helter Skelter Paul McCartney Track from: Good Evening New York City [Hear Music/Universal/Concord] Run Back To Your Side Eric Clapton Track from: Clapton [Duck/Reprise] Crossroads John Mayer Track from: Battle Studies [Columbia Records] Silver Rider Robert Plant Track from: Band Of Joy [Rounder] Angry World Neil Young Track from: Le Noise [Reprise] 16. Best Rock Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals Tighten Up The Black Keys Track from: Brothers [Nonesuch] Ready To Start Arcade Fire Track from: The Suburbs [Merge Records / Sonovox] I Put A Spell On You Jeff Beck & Joss Stone Track from: Emotion & Commotion [Rhino/ATCO] Radioactive Kings Of Leon [RCA Records] Resistance Muse Track from: The Resistance [Warner Bros.] 17. Best Hard Rock Performance New Fang Them Crooked Vultures Track from: Them Crooked Vultures [DGC/Interscope] A Looking In View Alice In Chains [Virgin Records] Let Me Hear You Scream Ozzy Osbourne Track from: Scream [Epic] Black Rain Soundgarden Track from: Telephantasm [A&M/UMe] Between The Lines Stone Temple Pilots Track from: Stone Temple Pilots [Atlantic] 18. Best Metal Performance El Dorado Iron Maiden Track from: The Final Frontier [UMe] Let The Guilt Go Korn Track from: Korn III: Remember Who You Are [Roadrunner Records] In Your Words Lamb Of God Track from: Wrath [Epic] Sudden Death Megadeth [Roadrunner Records] World Painted Blood Slayer Track from: World Painted Blood [Columbia Records/American Records] 19. Best Rock Instrumental Performance Hammerhead Jeff Beck Track from: Emotion & Commotion [Rhino] Black Mud The Black Keys Track from: Brothers [Nonesuch] Do The Murray Los Lobos Track from: Tin Can Trust [Shout! Factory] Kundalini Bonfire Dave Matthews & Tim Reynolds Track from: Live In Las Vegas [RCA Records/Bama Rags Recordings LLC] The Deathless Horsie Dweezil Zappa Track from: Return Of The Son Of... [Z Tornado/Razor & Tie Entertainment] 20. Best Rock Song Angry World Neil Young, songwriter (Neil Young) Track from: Le Noise [Reprise; Publisher: Silver Fiddle Music] Little Lion Man Ted Dwane, Ben Lovett, Marcus Mumford & Country Winston, songwriters (Mumford & Sons) Track from: Sigh No More [Glassnote Records] Radioactive Caleb Followill, Jared Followill, Matthew Followill & Nathan Followill, songwriters (Kings Of Leon) [RCA Records] Resistance Matthew Bellamy, songwriter (Muse) Track from: The Resistance [Warner Bros.; Publisher: Warner Chappell] Tighten Up Dan Auerbach & Patrick Carney, songwriters (The Black Keys) Track from: Brothers [Nonesuch; Publisher: McMoore McLeest Publishing] 21. Best Rock Album The Resistance Muse [Warner Bros.] Emotion & Commotion Jeff Beck [Rhino/ATCO] Backspacer Pearl Jam [Monkeywrench] Mojo Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers [Reprise] Le Noise Neil Young [Reprise] 22. Best Alternative Music Album Brothers The Black Keys [Nonesuch] The Suburbs Arcade Fire [Merge Records / Sonovox] Infinite Arms Band Of Horses [Columbia Records/Brown/FatPossum] Broken Bells Broken Bells [Columbia Records] Contra Vampire Weekend [XL Recordings] 23. Best Female R&B Vocal Performance Bittersweet Fantasia Track from: Back To Me [J Records / 19 Recordings LLC / S Records] Gone Already Faith Evans [E1 Music] Everything To Me Monica Track from: Still Standing [J Records] Tired Kelly Price [My Block/ Sang Girl!/ Malaco] Holding You Down (Going In Circles) Jazmine Sullivan [J Records] 24. Best Male R&B Vocal Performance There Goes My Baby Usher Track from: Raymond V Raymond [LaFace/Jive] Second Chance El DeBarge [Geffen] Finding My Way Back Jaheim Track from: Another Round [Atlantic] Why Would You Stay Kem [Universal Motown] We're Still Friends (Kirk Whalum &) Musiq Soulchild Track from: Everything Is Everything [Rendezvous Music/Mack Avenue] 25. Best R&B Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals Soldier Of Love Sade Track from: Soldier Of Love [Epic/Sony Music] Love Chuck Brown, Jill Scott & Marcus Miller Track from: We Got This [Raw Venture Records & Tapes, Inc.] Take My Time Chris Brown & Tank Track from: Graffiti [Jive Records] You've Got A Friend Ronald Isley & Aretha Franklin [Island/Def Jam Recordings] Shine John Legend & The Roots Track from: Wake Up! [G.O.O.D. Music/Columbia Records/Home School Records] 26. Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance Hang On In There John Legend & The Roots Track from: Wake Up! [G.O.O.D. Music/Columbia Records/Home School Records] When A Woman Loves R. Kelly [Jive Records] You're So Amazing Calvin Richardson [Shanachie Entertainment/Numo Records] In Between Ryan Shaw Track from: In Between [45 Records/Form Records] Go [Live] Betty Wright [MsB Records] 27. Best Urban/Alternative Performance F*** You Cee Lo Green [Elektra] Little One Bilal Track from: Airtight's Revenge [Plug Research Music] Orion Carolyn Malachi [Carolyn Malachi/Smart Chicks Inc.] Tightrope Janelle Monáe & Big Boi Track from: The ArchAndroid [Bad Boy/Wondaland/Atlantic] Still Eric Roberson [Blue Erro Soul] 28. Best R&B Song Shine John Stephens, songwriter (John Legend & The Roots) Track from: Wake Up! [G.O.O.D. Music/Columbia Records/Home School Records; Publisher: John Legend Publishing] Bittersweet Charles Harmon & Claude Kelly, songwriters (Fantasia) Track from: Back To Me [J Records/19 Recordings/S Records; Publishers: Chuck Harmony's House/Normaharris Music Publishing/Strauss Co./EMI April Music,Studio Beast Music/Warner Tamerlane Publishing, 3M Holdings] Finding My Way Back Ivan "Orthodox" Barias, Curt Chambers, Carvin "Ransum" Haggins, Jaheim Hoagland & Miguel Jontel, songwriters (Jaheim) Track from: Another Round [Atlantic; Publishers: Tetragrammation Music/Universal Music, Nivrac Tyke Publishing, Miquel Jontel Publishing, Curt Chambers Publishing, Jasane Dramma Publishing] Second Chance E. DeBarge & Mischke, songwriters (El DeBarge) [Geffen; Publishers: myElmusic, mischemusic/Universal Music] Why Would You Stay K. Owens, songwriter (Kem) [Universal Motown] 29. Best R&B Album Wake Up! John Legend & The Roots [G.O.O.D. Music/Columbia Records/Home School Records] The Love & War Masterpeace Raheem DeVaughn [Jive] Back To Me Fantasia [J Records / 19 Recordings LLC / S Records] Another Round Jaheim [Atlantic] Still Standing Monica [J Records] 30. Best Contemporary R&B Album Raymond V Raymond Usher [Jive] Graffiti Chris Brown [Jive] Untitled R. Kelly [Jive] Transition Ryan Leslie [Universal Motown/Casablanca] The ArchAndroid Janelle Monáe [Bad Boy/Wondaland/Atlantic] 31. Best Rap Solo Performance Not Afraid Eminem Track from: Recovery [Aftermath/Shady Records/Interscope] Over Drake Track from: Thank Me Later [Cash Money/Young Money/Universal Motown] How Low Ludacris Track from: Battle Of The Sexes [DTP/Def Jam Recordings] I'm Back T.I. [Grand Hustle/Atlantic] Power Kanye West [Def Jam Recordings/Roc-A-Fella] 32. Best Rap Performance By A Duo Or Group On To The Next One Jay-Z & Swizz Beatz Track from: The Blueprint 3 [Roc Nation] Shutterbugg Big Boi, Bosko, Cutty & Mouche Track from: Sir Lucious Left Foot...The Son Of Chico Dusty [Def Jam Recordings] Fancy Drake, T.I. & Swizz Beatz Track from: Thank Me Later [Cash Money/Young Money/Universal Motown] My Chick Bad Ludacris & Nicki Minaj Track from: Battle Of The Sexes [DTP/ Def Jam Recordings] Lose My Mind Young Jeezy & Plies [Def Jam Recordings] 33. Best Rap/Sung Collaboration Empire State Of Mind Jay-Z & Alicia Keys Track from: The Blueprint 3 [Roc Nation] Nothin' On You B.o.B & Bruno Mars Track from: The Adventures Of Bobby Ray [Rebel Rock/Grand Hustle/Atlantic] Deuces Chris Brown, Tyga & Kevin McCall [Jive Records] Love The Way You Lie Eminem & Rihanna Track from: Recovery [Aftermath/Shady Records/Interscope] Wake Up Everybody John Legend, The Roots, Melanie Fiona & Common [G.O.O.D. Music/Columbia Records/Home School Records] 34. Best Rap Song Empire State Of Mind Shawn Carter, Angela Hunte, Alicia Keys, Jane't "Jnay" Sewell-Ulepic & Alexander Shuckburgh, songwriters (Burt Keyes & Sylvia Robinson, songwriters) (Jay-Z & Alicia Keys) Track from: The Blueprint 3 [Roc Nation; Publishers: Carter Boys Music/Al Shuckburgh/Global Talent Publishing/Foray Music/Masani Elshabazz Music/EMI April Music/J Sewell Publishing/Lellow Productions/Twenty Nine Black Music/Gambi Music] Love The Way You Lie Alexander Grant, Skylar Grey & Marshall Mathers, songwriters (Eminem & Rihanna) Track from: Recovery [Aftermath/Shady Records/Interscope; Publishers: Songs of Universal/Shroom Shady Music/Universal Music Publishing/Universal Music-Z Songs/Hotel Bravo Music/M. Shop Publishing] Not Afraid M. Burnett, J. Evans, Marshall Mathers, Luis Resto & M. Samuels, songwriters (Eminem) Track from: Recovery [AftermathShady Records/Interscope; Publishers: Songs of Universal/Shroom Shady Music/Resto World Music/1damentional Publishing/Sony ATV Tunes/1daniable Publishing] Nothin' On You Philip Lawrence, Ari Levine, Bruno Mars & Bobby Simmons Jr., songwriters (B.o.B & Bruno Mars) Track from: The Adventures Of Bobby Ray [Rebel Rock/Grand Hustle/Atlantic; Publishers: Ham Squad Music/Songs of Universal/Shady Music Publishing/Mars Force Music/Northside Independent Music/Bug House/Roc Cor Publishing/Music Famamanem/Toy Plane Music/Art For Arts Sake Music/Bughouse] On To The Next One Shawn Carter, J. Chaton & K. Dean, songwriters (G. Auge & X. De Rosnay, songwriters) (Jay-Z & Swizz Beatz) Track from: The Blueprint 3 [Roc Nation; Publishers: Carter Boys Music/Swizz Beatz/Universal Tunes/Irish Town Songs/Blue Mountain Music/Universal Music-MGB Songs] 35. Best Rap Album Recovery Eminem [Aftermath/Shady Records/Interscope] The Adventures Of Bobby Ray B.o.B [Rebel Rock/Grand Hustle/Atlantic] Thank Me Later Drake [Cash Money/Young Money/Universal Motown] The Blueprint 3 Jay-Z [Roc Nation] How I Got Over The Roots [Def Jam Recordings] 36. Best Female Country Vocal Performance The House That Built Me Miranda Lambert Track from: Revolution [Columbia Records] Satisfied Jewel Track from: Sweet And Wild [The Valory Music Company] Swingin' LeAnn Rimes [Curb] Temporary Home Carrie Underwood Track from: Play On [Arista] I'd Love To Be Your Last Gretchen Wilson Track from: I Got Your Country Right Here [Redneck Records] 37. Best Male Country Vocal Performance 'Til Summer Comes Around Keith Urban [Capitol Records Nashville] Macon Jamey Johnson [Mercury Records] Cryin' For Me (Wayman's Song) Toby Keith Track from: American Ride [Show Dog-Universal Music] Turning Home David Nail Track from: I'm About To Come Alive [MCA Nashville] Gettin' You Home Chris Young Track from: The Man I Want To Be [RCA Records Label] 38. Best Country Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals Need You Now Lady Antebellum Track from: Need You Now [Capitol Records Nashville] Free Zac Brown Band Track from: The Foundation [Home Grown/Big Picture/Atlantic] Elizabeth Dailey & Vincent Track from: Dailey & Vincent Sing The Statler Brothers [Rounder] Little White Church Little Big Town [Capitol Records Nashville] Where Rainbows Never Die The SteelDrivers Track from: Reckless [Rounder] 39. Best Country Collaboration With Vocals As She's Walking Away Zac Brown Band & Alan Jackson Track from: You Get What You Give [Southern Ground/Atlantic] Bad Angel Dierks Bentley, Miranda Lambert & Jamey Johnson Track from: Up On The Ridge [Capitol Records Nashville] Pride (In The Name Of Love) Dierks Bentley, Del McCoury & The Punch Brothers Track from: Up On The Ridge [Capitol Records] Hillbilly Bone Blake Shelton & Trace Adkins Track from: Hillbilly Bone [Warner Bros.] I Run To You Marty Stuart & Connie Smith Track from: Ghost Train: The Studio B Sessions [Sugar Hill Records] 40. Best Country Instrumental Performance Hummingbyrd Marty Stuart Track from: Ghost Train: The Studio B Sessions [Sugar Hill Records] Tattoo Of A Smudge Cherryholmes Track from: Cherryholmes IV Common Threads [Skaggs Family Records] Magic #9 The Infamous Stringdusters Track from: Things That Fly [Sugar Hill Records] New Chance Blues Punch Brothers [Nonesuch] Willow Creek Darrell Scott Track from: A Crooked Road [Full Light] 41. Best Country Song Need You Now Dave Haywood, Josh Kear, Charles Kelley & Hillary Scott, songwriters (Lady Antebellum) Track from: Need You Now [Capitol Records Nashville; Publishers: Warner-Tamerlane Publishing/DWHaywood Music/Radiobulletspublishing, EMI Foray Music/Hillary Dawn Songs, Year of the Dog Music, Darth Buddha Music] The Breath You Take Casey Beathard, Dean Dillon & Jessie Jo Dillon, songwriters (George Strait) Track from: Twang [MCA Nashville; Publishers: Sony/ATV Music Publishing/Unwound Music, Immokalee Music/Bluebird In My Heart Music, Revelry Music/Nettwerk One Music (Canada) Ltd., Six Ring Circus] Free Zac Brown, songwriter (Zac Brown Band) Track from: The Foundation [Home Grown/Big Picture/Atlantic; Publisher: Weimerhound Music] The House That Built Me Tom Douglas & Allen Shamblin, songwriters (Miranda Lambert) Track from: Revolution [Columbia Records; Publishers: Sony/ATV Tree Publishing/Tomdouglasmusic, Built On Rock Music] I'd Love To Be Your Last Rivers Rutherford, Annie Tate & Sam Tate, songwriters (Gretchen Wilson) Track from: I Got Your Country Right Here [Redneck Records] If I Die Young Kimberly Perry, songwriter (The Band Perry) [Republic Nashville; Publisher: Pearlfeather Publishing] 42. Best Country Album Need You Now Lady Antebellum [Capitol Records Nashville] Up On The Ridge Dierks Bentley [Capitol Records Nashville] You Get What You Give Zac Brown Band [Southern Ground/Atlantic] The Guitar Song Jamey Johnson [Mercury Nashville] Revolution Miranda Lambert [Columbia Records]
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The 83rd Annual Academy Awards Nominations!
January 25, 2011 4:00am ESTThough most of 2010 proved to be a breeding ground for bad cinema, the last month of the year brought us beautiful and bad-ass films like Black Swan, The Fighter, True Grit and The King's Speech - breathtaking pieces of art that nearly redeemed the rest of the fiscal year of follies. Today, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences officially announced their nominations for the 83rd Academy Awards ceremony and many of the late-bloomers were honored along with the very best of the year. Read on below for the full list of nominees and be sure to catch the 83rd Academy Awards live from the Kodak Theater in Hollywood on February 27th!!! BEST PICTURE Black Swan The Fighter The Social Network The King's Speech Toy Story 3 Inception True Grit The Kids Are All Right 127 Hours Winter's Bone BEST ACTOR Colin Firth, The King's Speech Javier Bardem, Biutiful Jesse Eisenberg, The Social Network James Franco, 127 Hours Jeff Bridges, True Grit BEST ACTRESS Natalie Portman, Black Swan Michelle Williams, Blue Valentine Nicole Kidman, Rabbit Hole Jennifer Lawrence, Winter's Bone Annette Bening, The Kids Are All Right BEST DIRECTION David Fincher, The Social Network The Coen Brothers, True Grit Darren Aronofsky, Black Swan David O. Russell, The Fighter Tom Hooper, The King's Speech BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR Christian Bale, The Fighter John Hawkes, Winter's Bone Jeremy Renner, The Town Mark Ruffalo, The Kids Are All Right Geoffrey Rush, The King's Speech BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS Melissa Leo, The Fighter Amy Adams, The Fighter Helena Bonham Carter, The King's Speech Hailee Steinfeld, True Grit Jacki Weaver, Animal Kingdom BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY Another Year, Mike Leigh The Fighter Screenplay by Scott Silver and Paul Tamasy & Eric Johnson; Story by Keith Dorrington & Paul Tamasy & Eric Johnson Inception, Christopher Nolan The Kids Are All Right, Lisa Cholodenko & Stuart Blumberg The King's Speech, David Seidler BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY 127 Hours by Danny Boyle & Simon Beaufoy The Social Network by Aaron Sorkin Toy Story 3 by Michael Arndt; Story by John Lasseter, Andrew Stanton and Lee Unkrich True Grit by Joel Coen & Ethan Coen Winter's Bone by Debra Granik & Anne Rosellini BEST ANIMATED FEATURE Toy Story 3 How To Train Your Dragon The Illusionist BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM Biutiful DogTooth In A Better World Outside The Law Incendies BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE Exit through the Gift Shop Gasland Inside Job Restrepo Waste Land BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT Killing in the Name Poster Girl Strangers No More Sun Come Up The Warriors of Qiugang BEST LIVE ACTION SHORT The Confession The Crush God of Love Na Wewe Wish 143 BEST ANIMATED SHORT Day & Night The Gruffalo Let's Pollute The Lost Thing Madagascar, carnet de voyage (Madagascar, a Journey Diary) BEST ORIGINAL SCORE How to Train Your Dragon, John Powell Inception, Hans Zimmer The King's Speech, Alexandre Desplat 127 Hours, A.R. Rahman The Social Network, Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross BEST ORIGINAL SONG Coming Home, from Country Strong Music and Lyric by Tom Douglas, Troy Verges and Hillary Lindsey I See the Light, from Tangled Music by Alan Menken Lyric by Glenn Slater If I Rise, from 127 Hours Music by A.R. Rahman Lyric by Dido and Rollo Armstrong We Belong Together, from Toy Story 3 Music and Lyric by Randy Newman BEST SOUND EDITING Inception, Richard King Toy Story 3, Tom Myers and Michael Silvers Tron: Legacy, Gwendolyn Yates Whittle and Addison Teague True Grit, Skip Lievsay and Craig Berkey Unstoppable, Mark P. Stoeckinger BEST SOUND MIXING Inception, Lora Hirschberg, Gary A. Rizzo and Ed Novick The King's Speech, Paul Hamblin, Martin Jensen and John Midgley Salt, Jeffrey J. Haboush, Greg P. Russell, Scott Millan and William Sarokin The Social Network, Ren Klyce, David Parker Michael Semanick and Mark Weingarten True Grit, Skip Lievsay, Craig Berkey, Greg Orloff and Peter F. Kurland BEST ART DIRECTION Alice in Wonderland Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 Inception The King's Speech True Grit BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY Black Swan, Matthew Libatique Inception, Wally Pfister The King's Speech, Danny Cohen The Social Network, Jeff Cronenweth True Grit, Roger Deakins BEST MAKEUP Barney's Version, Adrien Morot The Way Back, Edouard F. Henriques, Gregory Funk and Yolanda Toussieng The Wolfman, Rick Baker and Dave Elsey BEST COSTUME DESIGN Alice in Wonderland, Colleen Atwood I Am Love, Antonella Cannarozzi The King's Speech, Jenny Beavan The Tempest, Sandy Powell True Grit, Mary Zophres BEST FILM EDITING Andrew Weisblum, Black Swan Pamela Martin, The Fighter Tariq Anwarr, The King's Speech Jon Harris, 127 Hours Angus Wall and Kirk Baxter, The Social Network BEST VISUAL EFFECTS Alice in Wonderland Ken Ralston, David Schaub, Carey Villegas and Sean Phillips Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 Tim Burke, John Richardson, Christian Manz and Nicolas Aithadi Hereafter, Michael Owens, Bryan Grill, Stephan Trojanski and Joe Farrell Inception, Paul Franklin, Chris Corbould, Andrew Lockley and Peter Bebb Iron Man 2, Janek Sirrs, Ben Snow, Ged Wright and Daniel Sudick
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The Films We’re Looking Forward To At Sundance 2011
December 02, 2010 1:11pm ESTThere are 115 films selected for this year’s Sundance Film Festival. Even the most die-hard film buff couldn’t see each one that Park City, Utah has to offer but luckily we have selected the few that look most promising based solely on their loglines, cast, etc. (for a full list of competing films go here, for a full list of non-competing films here). Check out our top picks below! Cedar Rapids (Director: Miguel Arteta; Screenwriter: Phil Johnston) —A wholesome and naive small-town Wisconsin man travels to big city Cedar Rapids, Iowa to represent his company at a regional insurance conference. Cast: Ed Helms, John C Reilly, Anne Heche, Isiah Whitlock Jr., Alia Shawkat, Sigourney Weaver. Ed Helms helped write the movie. That alone should sell the film to you. The Details (Director and screenwriter: Jacob Aaron Estes) —When hungry raccoons discover worms living under the sod in a young couple’s backyard, the pest problem sets off a wild and absurd chain reaction of domestic tension, infidelity, organ donation and murder by way of bow and arrow.Cast: Tobey Maguire, Elizabeth Banks, Laura Linney, Ray Liotta, Dennis Haysbert. A movie with raccoons, infidelity, Elizabeth Banks, and a death by bow and arrow? Sold. Life in a Day (Director: Kevin Macdonald) —Life in a Day is a historic global experiment to create the world’s largest user-generated feature film. On July 24, 2010, professional and amateur filmmakers captured a glimpse of their lives on camera and uploaded the footage to YouTube, serving as a time capsule for future generations. While the film may be boring, the fact that they did this makes the film worth watching. The Music Never Stopped (Director: Jim Kohlberg; Screenwriters: Gwyn Lurie and Gary Marks, based on the story “The Last Hippie” by Oliver Sacks) — A father struggles to bond with his estranged son who suffers a brain tumor that prevents him from forming new memories. He learns to embrace his son’s choices and to try to connect with him through the power of music. Cast: J.K. Simmons, Julia Ormond, Cara Seymour, Lou Taylor Pucci, Mia Maestro. While this sounds a little too sad for my tastes, J.K. Simmons is the man. He alone could get me into any movie so I guess I’ll stick it out for this one. My Idiot Brother (Director: Jesse Peretz; Screenwriters: Evgenia Peretz and David Schisgall) — After serving time for selling pot, Ned successively moves in with each of his three sisters as he tries to get back on his feet. His best intentions quickly bring the family to the cusp of chaos and ultimately the brink of clarity. Cast: Paul Rudd, Elizabeth Banks, Zooey Deschanel, Emily Mortimer. If the cast alone isn’t working for you, Zooey Deschanel plays a lesbian with Rashida Jones. Don’t forget to breathe. Perfect Sense (Director: David Mackenzie; Screenwriter: Kim Fupz Aakeson) —A poetic and magnetic love story about two people who start to fall in love just as the world begins to fall apart. Cast: Ewan McGregor, Eva Green, Ewen Bremner, Stephen Dillane, Denis Lawson and Connie Nielsen. I only included this one for its ridiculous logline. Red State (Director and screenwriter: Kevin Smith) — A group of misfits encounter extreme fundamentalism in Middle America. Cast: Michael Parks, Michael Angarano, Kyle Gallner, John Goodman, Melissa Leo. Let’s see how well Kevin Smith handles the horror genre. He’s been talking about this one for years, time for him to put up or shut up. Though something tells me that won’t happen any time soon. Salvation Boulevard (Director: George Ratliff; Screenwriters: Doug Max Stone and George Ratliff, based on the novel by Larry Beinhart) —An evangelical preacher who has captivated a city with his charm frames an ex-hippie for a crime he did not commit. Cast: Pierce Brosnan, Jennifer Connelly, Ed Harris, Greg Kinnear, Marisa Tomei. There is something alluring about the prospect of a preacher framing someone for something they didn’t do. Add this cast in and we’re definitely excited. The Son of No One (Director and screenwriter: Dito Montiel) —Two men in post-9/11 New York are forced to relive two murders they committed as young boys. Their lives start to unravel by the threat of the revelation of these shocking and personal secrets. Cast: Channing Tatum, Al Pacino, Katie Holmes, Tracy Morgan, Ray Liotta, Juliette Binoche. The closing night film doesn’t sound too interesting except that it has Tracy Morgan. Color me intrigued and let me stroke my long and gorgeous goatee. Bobby Fischer Against the World (Director: Liz Garbus) — The drama of late chess-master Bobby Fischer's career was undeniable,as he careened from troubled childhood, to World Champion and Cold War icon, to a fugitive on the run. Bobby Fishcer is one of the most fascinating people to ever become a grand champion of chess. His story has been told before but personally I don’t think one more will hurt. The Greatest Movie Ever Sold (Director: Morgan Spurlock) — A documentary about branding, advertising and product placement is financed and made possible by branding, advertising and product placement. A film buff endorsing a movie from one of the best documentarians working in his new film about the film business? You must be crazy. Bellflower (Director and screenwriter: Evan Glodell) — A ballad for every person who has ever loved and lost – with enough violence, weapons, action and sex to tell a love story with apocalyptic stakes. Cast: Evan Glodell, Jessie Wiseman, Tyler Dawson, Rebekah Brandes. Case in point of a second half of a sentence completely saving the sentence from the first half. Lord Byron (Director: Zack Godshall; Screenwriters: Zack Godshall and Ross Brupbacher) — When he's not pursuing women, Byron is smoking weed and loafing around. But he's grown restless in his middle-age and feels the need to escape – he just doesn't know where to go. Cast: Paul Batiste, Gwendolyn Spradling, Kayla Lemaire. We’re definitely not wanting to see this looking for advice. Definitely not. The Off Hours (Director and screenwriter: Megan Griffiths) — A passing truck driver brings an unfamiliar sense of optimism to a woman working the night shift at a quiet diner, reminding her it's never too late to become the person you always wanted to be. Cast: Amy Seimetz, Ross Partridge, Scoot McNairy, Lynn Shelton, Bret Roberts, Tony Doupe. I love truck drivers. I’m pretty sure I still want to be one. If this doesn’t have a killer country soundtrack I want my money back (which is whopping zero dollars, but whatever). to.get.her (Director and screenwriter: Erica Dunton) — Five girls come together for one fateful night where anything goes. They all had secrets, but their friendship was the only thing they knew to be true. Cast: Jazzy De Lisser, Chelsea Logan, Adwoa Aboah, Jami Eaton, Audrey Speicher. BLUGH. Kaboom (Director and screenwriter: Gregg Araki)— A science fiction story centered on the sexual awakening of a group of college students. Cast: Thomas Dekker, Haley Bennett, Chris Zylka, Roxane Mesquida, Juno Temple. A science fiction film about sexual awakening? I’m there. Meek’s Cutoff (Director: Kelly Reichardt; Screenwriter: Jon Raymond) — In 1845, three families who have hired mountaineer Stephen Meek to guide their wagons over the Cascade Mountains get lost and face hunger, thirst and a lack of faith in their instincts for survival. Cast: Michelle Williams, Paul Dano, Zoe Kaza, Bruce Greenwood, Shirley Henderson. So this is basically a period piece of Alive with two of the best actors around. Done. Submarine (Director: Richard Ayoade; Screenwriter: Richard Ayoade from the novel by Joe Dunthorne) — Fifteen-year-old Oliver Tate has two big ambitions: to save his parents' marriage and to lose his virginity before his next birthday. Cast: Craig Roberts, Paddy Considine, Sally Hawkins, Yasmin Paige. This film had a big showing at this years Toronto Film Festival. I just want to see it already! Uncle Kent (Director: Joe Swanberg; Screenwriters: Joe Swanberg and Kent Osborne) — A pothead cartoonist in Los Angeles spends a weekend trying to sleep with his visiting house guest – a woman from New York he met on Chatroulette. Cast: Kent Osborne. While the premise sounds awesome, basing around the already past its prime fad Chatroulette seems like a wrong move. Hobo with A Shotgun (Director: Jason Eisener; Screenwriter: Johnathan Davies) — A hobo hops from a train with dreams of a fresh life in a new city, but instead finds himself trapped in an urban hell. When he witnesses a brutal robbery, he realizes the only way to deliver justice is with a shotgun in his hands and two shells in the chamber. Cast: Rutger Hauer, Molly Dunsworth, Gregory Smith, Brian Downey. Looks like we found the winner for Best Title. Codependent Lesbian Space Alien Seeks Same (Director and screenwriter: Madeleine Olnek) — A shy greeting card store employee unknowingly falls for a lesbian space alien while two government agents closely track their romance. Cast: Lisa Haas, Susan Ziegler, Jackie Monahan, Cynthia Kaplan, Dennis Davis, Alex Karpovsky, Rae C Wright. Just kidding about the best title thing from above. This is the clear winner. Troll Hunter (Trolljegeren) (Director: Andre Ovredal) — A group of student filmmakers get more than they bargained for when tangling with a man tasked with protecting Norway from giant trolls. Cast: Otto Jespersen, Glenn Erland Tosterud, Hans Morten Hansen, Johanna Mørch, Tomas Alf Larsen. Norwegian giant trolls, what more could you ask for? Corman’s World: Exploits Of A Hollywood Rebel (Director: Alex Stapleton) — Tracks the triumphant rise of Hollywood’s most prolific writer-director-producer, the true godfather of independent filmmaking. Cast: Jack Nicholson, Ron Howard, Martin Scorsese, Robert De Niro, James Cameron, Roger Corman. Just look at who all is involved and tell why you wouldn’t watch this? Now shut up and learn something. Jess + Moss (Director: Clay Jeter; Screenwriters: Clay Jeter and Debra Jeter) — Without immediate families that they can relate to, and lacking friends their own age, second cousins Jess and Moss only have each other. A series of visceral vignettes conjure memories of companionship and sexual awakening during a summer shared together on their Kentucky farm. Cast: Sarah Hagan, Austin Vickers. So it’s like George Michael and Maebe make a movie? Whatever, I’ll watch. The Nine Muses (Director and screenwriter: John Akomfrah) — An allegorical fable divided into overlapping musical chapters, this film retells the history of mass migration to post-war Britain through the suggestive lens of Homer's epic poem, The Odyssey. And the Most Pretentious Sounding Film award goes to The Nine Muses. Thanks for playing. Benavides Born (Director: Amy Wendel; Screenwriters: Daniel Meisel and Amy Wendel) — A high school senior in a forgotten town has earned admission to the University of Texas at Austin but can't afford to go. Her one shot is a scholarship for winning the State Powerlifting Championship. Cast: Corina Calderon, Jeremy Ray Valdez, Joseph Julian Soria, Julia Vera, Julio César Cedillo. Female Powerlifting hasn’t exactly gotten the best films attached to it. I hope this film changes that. Homework (Director and screenwriter: Gavin Wiesen) — Quirky, rebellious George has no ambitions other than to cut his next class. But one day, one girl gives him the perfect reason to figure out who he really is. Cast: Freddie Highmore, Emma Roberts, Michael Angarano, Elizabeth Reaser with Rita Wilson and Blair Underwood. This sounds stupid but Emma Roberts is kind of cute, so who knows. The Ledge (Director and screenwriter: Matthew Chapman) — Perched on a ledge, a man says he must jump by noon, while a cop races against time to get to the bottom of it. Cast: Charlie Hunnam, Liv Tyler, Patrick Wilson and Terrence Howard with Christopher Gorham. Early reviews of this film say its really good. So I’ll go along for now. Like Crazy (Director: Drake Doremus; Screenwriters: Drake Doremus and Ben York Jones) — A young American guy and a young British girl meet in college and fall in love. Their love is tested when she is required to leave the country and they must face the challenges of a long-distance relationship. Cast: Anton Yelchin, Felicity Jones, Jennifer Lawrence, Charlie Bewley, Alex Kingston. UGH... wait, it’s Anton Yelchin and Jennifer Lawrence? Never mind, this is going to be awesome. Take Shelter (Director and screenwriter: Jeff Nichols) — A working-class husband and father questions whether his terrifying dreams of an apocalyptic storm signal something real to come or the onset of an inherited mental illness he's feared his whole life. Cast: Michael Shannon, Jessica Chastain, Shea Whigham, Katy Mixon, Kathy Baker. This looks super serious, and that’s great, but I really just want to see Katy Mixon. Terri (Director: Azazel Jacobs; Screenwriters: Patrick Dewitt and Azazel Jacobs) — Orphaned to an uncle who is fading away, mercilessly teased by his peers and roundly ignored by his teachers, Terri is alienated and alone. When the dreaded vice-principal sees something of himself in Terri, they establish a friendship which opens Terri up to the possibility that life is not something to be endured, but something to be shared, and even enjoyed. Cast: Jacob Wysocki, John C. Reilly, Creed Bratton, Olivia Crocicchia, Bridger Zadina. Ok, I know this film sounds ridiculous, but it has Creed Bratton in it. That’s gotta count for something, right? The Untitled Sam Levinson Project (Director and screenwriter: Sam Levinson) — A pair of reckless siblings are dragged into a chaotic family wedding by their overwrought mother. Cast: Demi Moore, Kate Bosworth, Jeffrey DeMunn, Ellen Barkin, Ellen Burstyn, Thomas Haden Church. Wedding movies involving dis-functional families are always the best. BEING ELMO: A Puppeteer’s Journey (Director: Constance Marks) — The Muppet Elmo is one of the most beloved characters among children across the globe. Meet the unlikely man behind the puppet – the heart and soul of Elmo – Kevin Clash. A movie about the guy who has his hand up Elmo’s butt all day? Actually, that sounds kind of sweet. Page One: A year inside the New York Times (Director: Andrew Rossi; Screenwriters: Kate Novack and Andrew Rossi) — Unprecedented access to theNew York Times newsroom yields a complex view of the transformation of a media landscape fraught with both peril and opportunity. Something tells me it will be more than bored journalists checking Twitter all day. The Redemption of General Butt Naked (Directors: Eric Strauss and Daniele Anastasion) — A brutal warlord who murdered thousands during Liberia's horrific 14-year civil war renounces his violent past and reinvents himself as an Evangelist, facing those he once terrorized. And the award for logline least like the film the title suggests goes to this film. Abraxas (Director: Dai Sako; Screenwriters: Dai Sako and Naoki Kato) — After botching a speech on career guidance at a local high school, a depressed Zen monk with a heavy metal past realizes that only music can revive his spirit.Cast: Suneohair, Rie Tomosaka, Manami Honjou, Ryouta Murai, Kaoru Kobayashi. Zen monks and heavy metal? This nirvana goes to 11. All Your Dead Ones (Todos Tus Muertos) (Director Carlos Moreno; Screenwriters: Alonso Torres and Carlos Moreno) — One morning, a peasant wakes to find a pile of bodies in the middle of his crops. When he goes to the authorities, he quickly realizes that the dead ones are a problem nobody wants to deal with. Cast: Alvaro Rodríguez, Jorge Herrera, Martha Marquez, Harold Devasten, John Alex Castillo. Sounds gross to find a bunch of dead bodies amongst your crops, but it does sound like a great film. Happy, Happy (Sykt Lykkelig) (Director: Anne Sewitsky; Screenwriter: Ragnhild Tronvoll) — A perfect housewife, who just happens to be sex-starved, struggles to keep her emotions in check when an attractive family moves in next door. Cast: Agnes Kittelsen, Henrik Rafaelsen, Maibritt Saerens, Joachim Rafaelsen. You had me at sex-starved Norwegian housewife. Vampire (Director and screenwriter: Iwai Shunji) — On the surface, Simon seems like a fairly normal, average young man, devoted to his teaching job and ailing mother. Secretly, he is compelled to hunt through online chat rooms and message boards, searching for the perfect girl who will ensure his own survival. Cast: Kevin Zegers, Keisha Castle-Hughes, Rachel Leigh Cook, Kristin Kreuk, Aoi Yu and Adelaide Clemens. A Japanese film about creepy guys hunting girls? Surely you jest. KNUCKLE (Director: Ian Palmer) — An epic 12-year journey into the brutal and secretive world of Irish Traveler bare-knuckle fighting, this film follows a history of violent feuding between rival clans. I hope this film will make me want to break a bottle over my head and throw someone out a pub window. Project Nim (Director: James Marsh) — From the Oscar-winning team behind Man on Wire comes the story of Nim, the chimpanzee who was taught to communicate with language as he was raised and nurtured like a human child. I’ve often dreamed of a world where men and monkeys live as one. Also I’ve always wanted to ask a Gorilla if he wanted to play video games with me. Shut Up Little Man! An Audio Misadventure (Director:Matthew Bate) — When two friends tape-recorded the fights of their violently noisy neighbors, they accidentally created one of the world's first 'viral' pop-culture sensations. And with a great title and an intriguing logline, this film has me wanting more. Sounds delightful.
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Wright returns to puppet roots
November 03, 2010 5:00am ESTThe Pride & Prejudice filmmaker started his career as a teenager helping at the Little Angel Theatre in Islington, north London, a venue founded by his late father in 1961. Now Wright has signed up to work with his mother and puppeteer sister to create a production based on a short story by famed author Gabriel Garcia Marquez. Artistic director at the Little Angel Theatre, Peter Glanville, says, "In the past Joe has talked quite eloquently about how the experience of growing up in Little Angel helped him develop his visual imagination. It is wonderful to have him involved." The puppet show will run next year (11) to mark the theatre's anniversary.
