Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Will Matt Smith Leave Doctor Who Too?

Matt Smith and Karen Gillan Just because The Doctor's companions are saying farewell, that doesn't mean Doctor Who's titular character will be going through a regeneration anytime soon. Doctor Who's Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill to exit series next season Following the news that Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill, who play companions Amy Pond and Rory Williams, would exit the show after the upcoming season, 11th Doctor Matt Smith set the record straight on whether he'd be following them off the series. "No," he said on The Graham Norton Show's special holiday episode. "I am very happy to stay. I love it and love making the show." However, Smith stressed that he would miss Gillan, who succeeded previous companions such as Catherine Tate and Billie Piper. "I'll miss Karen because she's my best mate," he said. "She's mad as a box of cats, but she's a firecracker!" Doctor Who boss and Karen Gillan on River Song, how her parents met and Hitler "I've known for a while," he said of her impending exit, which head writer and executive producer Steven Moffat announced earlier this month. "There comes a time when a story reaches its conclusion, and the essence of the show is that it constantly reinvents itself." Earlier this year, Smith hinted at this own departure from the series, but he is signed on to appear in at least 14 more episodes, which would premiere sometime in 2012 and run through 2013.

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Suspect arrested in Chinese murder

BEIJING -- In a footnote to one of the most popular Chinese pics of recent years, "Mountain Patrol," Chinese police have arrested a suspect in the 17-year-old murder of a ranger that was the basis for the film about Tibetan antelope poaching."Mountain Patrol" was the breakthrough success for Chinese helmer Lu Chuan in 2003. Since then Lu has gone on to make the critically acclaimed "City of Life and Death."The movie drew attention to the plight of the Tibetan antelope, which became endangered after being hunted for its wool that is used to make luxury shahtoosh shawls.The suspect, surnamed Mu, was arrested in the city of Golmud in Qinghai province on Sunday night, after six others surrendered to police for the 1994 murder of Sonam Dargye, the Xinhua news agency reported.Sonam Dargye was shot during an exchange of fire when he confronted a group of 18 poachers during a patrol on the remote northwestern grassland plateau, while he was trying to protect the near-extinct Tibetan animals. Police are still searching for the last four members of the group. Contact the Variety newsroom at news@variety.com

Sunday, December 18, 2011

Vaclav Havel dies at 75

Havel PRAGUE-- Vaclav Havel wove theater into revolution, leading the charge to silently bring lower communism in the regime he earned fun of as "Absurdistan" and showing the power of individuals to conquer totalitarian rule.Shy and bookish, getting a wispy mustache and ungroomed hair, the dissident playwright was an unlikely hero of Czechoslovakia's 1989 "Velvet Revolution" after 4 decades of imprisoning repression -- along with the epic struggle that ended the wider Cold War.He was his country's first democratically selected leader, leading it using the early challenges of democracy which is peaceful 1993 breakup to the Czech Republic and Slovakia, though his image experienced as his people discovered the lower sides of altering their society.A classic chain-smoker who had past chronic breathing problems dating back to his years in communist jails, Havel died Sunday morning at his weekend home inside the northern Czech Republic, his assistant Sabina Tancevova mentioned. His wife Dagmar together with a nun who had previously been being careful of him the ultimate handful of several days of his existence were by his side, she mentioned. He was 75."A great fighter for your freedom of nations too for democracy has died," mentioned Lech Walesa, the fellow anti-communist activist who founded neighboring Poland's Solidarity movement."It is a great pity together with an excellent loss. His outstanding voice of understanding will probably be missed," Walesa mentioned. "I am praying for your peace of his soul."Among his many honors were Sweden's exclusive Olof Palme Prize as well as the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the finest U.S. civilian award, presented on him by Leader George W. Rose rose bush to become "among liberty's great heroes."An avowed peacenik whose heroes incorporated rockers for instance Frank Zappa, he never quite shed his flower-child past and sometimes signed his title getting a little heart just like a flourish."Truth and love must prevail over lies and hate," Havel infamously mentioned. It increased being his revolutionary motto they mentioned he always strove to reside in by."It's interesting that we had an adventurous existence, even though I am no adventurer by character. It absolutely was fate and history that triggered my existence being adventurous rather than me as someone who seeks adventure," he once told Czech radio, in the typically modest comment.Havel first developed a status for themselves following a 1968 Soviet-introduced invasion that crushed the Prague Spring reforms of Alexander Dubcek together with other liberally minded communists using what wound up being Czechoslovakia.Havel's plays were banned as hard-card inserts installed by Moscow snuffed out every whiff of rebellion. But he ongoing to produce, creating numerous undercover essays that stand while using work of Soviet dissident Andrei Sakharov since the most incisive and eloquent analyses from the products communism did to society as well as the individual.Among his best-known essays, "The Power as well as the Powerless" developed in 1978, given slyly within the immortal opening kind of the mid-1800s Communist Manifesto, writing: "A specter is haunting eastern Europe: the threat of the items within the civilized world is called 'dissent.'"Inside the essay, he dissected what he referred to as "dictatorship of ritual" -- the ossified Soviet bloc system under Leonid Brezhnev -- and imagined what continues when an regular greengrocer stops showing communist slogans and begins "residing in reality," rediscovering "his hidden identity and dignity."Havel understood that suppression firsthand.Born March. 5, 1936, in Prague, the little one from the wealthy family which lost extensive property to communist nationalization in 1948, Havel was declined an effective education, eventually producing a qualification throughout the evening school and from theater just like a stagehand.His political activism began in serious within the month of the month of january 1977, when he co-written an individuals rights manifesto Charter 77, as well as the cause came widening attention within the civilized world.Havel was detained numerous occasions and spent four years in communist jails. His letters from prison to his wife increased being among his best-known works. "Letters to Olga" combined deep philosophy getting a stream of stern advice for the spouse he saw as his mentor and nearest friend, and who tolerated his reputed philandering together with other mistakes.The occasions of August 1988 -- the 20th anniversary in the Warsaw Pact invasion -- first suggested that Havel and also the pals might eventually replace the faceless apparatchiks who jailed them.thousands of mostly youthful people marched through central Prague, yelling Havel's title which in the playwright's hero, Tomas Garrigue Masaryk, the philosopher who was simply Czechoslovakia's first leader after it absolutely was founded in 1918.Havel's arrest within the month of the month of january 1989 at another street protest and also the subsequent trial created anger fitness center abroad. Pressure for change am strong the communists released him again in May.That fall, communism began to interrupt lower across Eastern Europe, too as with November the Berlin Wall fell. Eight days later, communist police very separate an exhibit by thousands of Prague students.It absolutely was the signal that Havel and also the country had anticipated. Within 48 several hours, a comprehensive new opposition movement was founded, together with each day later, hundreds of thousands of Czechs and Slovaks needed for the streets.In three heady days, communist rule was broken. Mick Jagger as well as the Moving Gems turned up similar to the Soviet military was departing. Posters in Prague introduced: "The tanks are leaving -- the Gems are relocating.InchOn 12 ,. 29, 1989, Havel was selected Czechoslovakia's leader with the country's still-communist parliament. 72 hrs later, he told the nation in the public New Year's address: "From gifted and sovereign people, the regime made us little screws in the monstrously large, rattling and stinking machine."Although he ongoing being regarded as like a moral voice while he decried the flaws of his society under democracy, he eventually bent for the dictates of convention and. His watchwords -- "just what the heart thinks, the tongue talks" -- must be modified for day-to-day politics.Within This summer time 1992, it increased being apparent the Czechoslovak federation was vulnerable to a split. Considering it a person failure, Havel resigned as leader.But he ongoing to become popular and was selected leader in the new Czech Republic uncontested.He was small, but his presence and wit could fill a place. Even late around, he maintained a specific impishness and boyish grin, shifting easily from philosophy to jokes or common Prague gossip.In December 1996, just 11 several days after his first wife, Olga Havlova, died of cancer, he lost another of his right lung throughout surgery to eliminate a 15-millimeter (half-inch) malignant tumor.He put within the towel smoking and married Dagmar Veskrnova, a dashing actress almost 2 decades his junior.Holding a publish of immense prestige but little energy, Havel's attempts to reconcile rival people in politics were considered by many people people as unconstitutional utilizes, and also the pleas for political leaders to create a "social society" based on respect, tolerance and individual responsibility went largely not-clarified.Media critique, once unthinkable, increased being unwavering. Serious newspapers requested his political visions tabloids focused mainly on his private existence and also the fancy second wife.Havel left office in 2003, 10 years after Czechoslovakia separate and basically several days before both nations grew to become an associate from the Eu. He was credited with relaxing the work that introduced his Czech Republic to the 27-nation bloc in 2004, and was leader if the grew to become an associate of NATO in 1999.Balance of office, the diminutive Havel ongoing to become a global figure. He was part of the "new Europe" -- inside the coinage of then-U.S. Defense Secretary Jesse Rumsfeld -- of ex-communist nations which was up for your U.S. when the democracies of "old Europe" opposed the 2003 Iraq invasion.Havel was nominated several occasions for your Nobel Peace Prize, and collected a lot of other accolades worldwide for his efforts just like a global ambassador of conscience, defended the downtrodden from Darfur to Myanmar.Inside an October 2008 interview while using Connected Press, Havel rebuked Russia for entering Georgia two several days earlier, and informed EU leaders against appeasing Moscow."We have to not turn a blind eye ... It's a large test for your West," he mentioned.Havel also mentioned he saw the world and European economic crisis just like a warning not to abandon fundamental human values inside the scramble to achieve success.InchIt's a warning against the notion that we know the world, that we believe how everything works," he told the AP at work in Prague. The cramped work space was filled with his books, plays and rock memorabilia.Havel themselves acknowledged that his handling of domestic issues never matched up up his flair for foreign matters. However, if the Czech Republic grew to become an associate of NATO as well as the EU his dreams came true."I am unable to stop rejoicing that Home is this time around around and could be a part of it," Havel exulted.At the beginning of 2008, Havel returned to his first love: happens. He launched a completely new play, "Departing," in regards to the struggles from the leader on his solution of office, as well as the work acquired critical acclaim.Theater, he told the AP, used to be more his major interest."My return to the stage wasn't easy," he mentioned. "It is not an average factor for an individual to take part in theater, be considered a leader, after which it return.Inch Contact the number newsroom at news@variety.com

Friday, December 16, 2011

'Mission,' 'Holmes' do more than $1 mil at midnight

'Mission: Impossible -- Ghost Protocol''Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows'Paramount ignited its week-early domestic run of ''Mission: Impossible -- Ghost Protocol'' in high fashion, with the pic earning $1.1 million from just 425 large-format midnight and late-night screenings.By comparison, the last ''Mission: Impossible'' earned the same amount from more than 2,000 midnight runs.Warner Bros. also screened this weekend's wide release of "Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows" late night Thursday for a total $1.25 million from 1,650 locations. (The first "Sherlock" opened Christmas Day 2009 without late-night showtimes.)Par, which partnered mostly with Imax, released ''Ghost Protocol'' a week before its nationwide release on Dec 21. exclusively at large-format houses -- a first-ever strategy meant to appeal that format's core fanboy audience. ''Ghost Protocol'' expands over the Christmas frame to more than 3,000 Stateside engagements.The large-format engagement benefited from an average $3.50 to $5 premium ticket surcharge, however. Contact Andrew Stewart at andrew.stewart@variety.com

Friday, December 9, 2011

Kenneth Branagh feted at BAFTA

BranaghLONDON -- Kenneth Branagh, who received the Variety Award at the British Independent Film Awards on Sunday, took a break from filming the third series of detective series "Wallander" recently to attend a career tribute at BAFTA. Asked if this would be the last series of the BBC show he said, "The audience decides." He added that there were two Wallander books, "The Troubled Man" and "The White Lioness," that hadn't been adapted by the BBC yet, so a fourth series was in the cards. Looking back at his career, Branagh made frequent references to the career of Laurence Olivier, to whom he has been compared and who he plays in his latest pic, "My Week with Marilyn." The film focuses on the period when Olivier was shooting "The Prince and the Showgirl" with Marilyn Monroe, when Olivier was at a turning point in his career. "It was a kind of mid-life crisis for him," Branagh said. "He was looking to Marilyn to renew him, to associate him with the new and the youthful, the vigorous and the sexy." Branagh said that as well as getting the look of Olivier right, with the use of a prosthetic chin with the distinctive cleft, he had also worked hard to get the voice right. Branagh listened to Olivier's readings from the Bible, for example. "He was one of those people who was very quiet when he wanted people's attention, so people would learn forward. He had complete command over his voice," he said.Branagh said that Olivier's true personality was an enigma to many who worked with him. "He was a chameleon actor. So in the course of any one day people like Mr. (Anthony) Hopkins and Mr. (Derek) Jacobi, who both worked with him extensively, would say he'd be many, many parts, all of them wonderful. But (John) Gielgud used to say of him that it was sometimes hard to find the man himself."Branagh noted the changes in film production technology from his first film as a director, 1989's "Henry V," when he did not have video assist, so he didn't have playback, to this year's 3D pic "Thor," with its extensive use of special effects. "It was exhausting in the way nothing else has been, and stimulating in a quite a different way," he said. "It was ludicrously exciting to walk on set on the first day, even though your heart is a-pounding." Contact Leo Barraclough at leo.barraclough@variety.com

Thursday, December 8, 2011

REVIEW: Theron, Reitman and Cody Mix For Stark, Sublime Youthful Adult

I don’t pretend to become feminist in addition to understand feminism beyond accepting the fundamental concept of gender equality. That has always made an appearance straightforward enough, no matter the vagaries and complications apparent in myriad cultural good good examples from Bachmann Desired to Margaret Cho to Diablo Cody, the stripper-switched-scribe whose three produced scripts so far — Juno, Jennifer’s Body which week’s Youthful Adult — constitute numerous contemporary cinema’s rangier ruminations on feminism. Or otherwise a few things i think is feminism. Not to be reductive, either. Reteaming Cody with Juno director Jason Reitman, Youthful Adult offers intriguing perspectives about plenty of subjects: The difficulties of nostalgia the mythology of middle age crises the requirement for community as well as the futility of self-loathing come immediately inside your ideas — while not extended just before your brain hurtles towards the continuity of Cody’s women. Much has furthermore been disseminated and spoken about in regards to the film author’s leap into “maturity” here, as though purchasing and selling the infamously pulsing patois and quirk of Juno and Jennifer’s Body for your clipped, unfettered cruelty of Youthful Adult signifies some form of creative enlightenment. It'll create a great speaking point, I am in a position to’t lie. But ultimately, it’s all a distraction within the central struggle of Mavis Gary (Charlize Theron), whose journey from strong-willed, middle-class Minnesotan to homecoming full to uneasy youthful bride to pseudonymous novelist and booze-bleeding urban waster is less a trajectory when compared to a bold underscore beneath the question: Let us say feminism means obtaining the liberty to fuck up? I realize, I realize: Define “fuck up.” The reason behind Youthful Adult — the objective of all Cody’s heroines, really, who both endure and perpetrate functions of social alienation, romantic predation, emotional abuse, sexual violence, in addition to ritual murder. These women are products from the atmosphere only insofar as they may be, just like the problem of Jennifer’s Body, inside the wrong devote the incorrect time. (Clearly, Megan Fox’s character looked for that incorrect place, but that’s another story altogether.) In Mavis, we're faced having a lady virtually possessed by her ease of agency. Reitman, Cody and Theron hone this relief starting with drawing her within periodic inertia: a diet plan Coke-swigging, Kardashian-peeping youthful-adult novelist in Ontario with no factor to demonstrate on her behalf pending deadline. Only following a few daily cycles from the will she argue she was triggered to action, talking about a grainy picture of her high-school sweetheart’s baby getting a buddy, evaluating its receipt in the bulk e-mail to have an act of war by mentioned sweetheart’s wife. The friend’s glassy-eyed takeaway reflects Mavis’s true instinct in the viewer, who looks on as Mavis flees the aftermath from the one-evening will drive to her suburban hometown of Mercury, Minn. Her mission: To reunite with Buddy (Patrick Wilson), the sweetheart and new father who may have become away inside their flannel-swaddled adolescence. Hardly an inhospitable habitat round the tundra, Mercury nevertheless welcomes its onetime darling back getting a tableau of huge-box stores and chain restaurants that return Mavis’s wary sneers. She resists its ordinariness each and every turn, repel costly hotels clerk who inquires in regards to the toy dog wriggling in their purse, slurping lower mid-tier bourbon and faking Rim messages rather than build associations the dive-bar residents. Incorporated within this, however, she meets Matt (Patton Oswalt), an erstwhile classmate whose crippling beating Mavis only recalls because of Matt being the mark of especially vicious homophobes. Much less he’s really gay — among Mavis’s many anticipation that fall away as her impulses attune for the stark, quiet mechanics from the community they not only didn’t avoid, but who've really passed her by. Ugliness evolves. Mavis non-stop puts the progresses Buddy, humiliates his wife Jesse (Elizabeth Reaser), evades her parents, and torments Matt’s confidence. The film drags and sulks into its climax, which comprises three moments that hone Youthful Adult’s perspective with the idea to a bracingly honest or suicidally smug point. You select: It culminates with Mavis obtaining a confessor in Matt’s sister Sandra (carried out enchantingly by Collette Wolfe, matching Theron note for note), and what continues next needs to date has tended to galvanize the film’s competitors and embolden its supporters. For your record (and review reasons, I suppose), I’m among the latter. Youthful Adult might be the to start Reitman’s films which i haven’t felt him choking out an email ironically, its rawness yields the humanity he thought he was wringing from Up up particularly, which got nowhere by assaying only the effect and not the reason behind various recession-era ruthlessness. He and Cody have switched that rock over, with Theron doing the impossibly heavy-lifting of making a girl inclined to envy, irresponsibility and condescension in some manner worth our a while and interest — mostly because this film is specific inside a generation to whom all Mavis’s pitch-dark compulsions should never be definately not a unique. Indeed, it’s easy to resent Mavis due to not acting better — for delivering unthinkable malevolence around the populace that can't or will not defend itself for reasons unknown — to be able to dismiss Cody and Reitman as simply charlatans hamfistedly bending the sun's rays in the zeitgeist. But keeping Youthful Adult’s large reveal in your head, the look ultimately forces people around Mavis — both onscreen and off — to reconcile whatever they will and won’t tolerate in the lady. Enjoy it or hate it, this really is really the ethical root note famous Cody’s build up to now. Formerly muddled inside the cultural noise of Oscar season or possibly a number one lady’s intransigence (discuss not receiving the freedom to fuck up!), that challenge synchronizes today using the type of We must Discuss Kevin and Sleeping Beauty — other wonderful new work about girls that face the deeply uncomfortable results of repel expectation. But simply what does it mean? And why now? Maybe it’s a sheer thematic coincidence one of the chorus of movies featuring boys acting badly, strongly, childishly, or even the 3. But from what Let me tell, It’s much more likely — even beneath the spiritual pall of Youthful Adult — that Cody and her peers guiding us onto a frontier high’s nothing left to accomplish but listen. Ready or else, in addition to gentlemen, it’s time. Follow S.T. VanAirsdale on Twitter. Follow Movieline on Twitter.

Jolie makes pic & gets an education

Julian Schnabel and Angelina Jolie It was a family affair Monday night at Manhattan's School of Visual Arts. Angelina Jolie, accompanied by Brad Pitt, her brother and his parents saw "In the Land of Blood and Honey," the actress' writing-directing debut."I hope it makes people think about these universal conflicts around the world," Jolie said of the FilmDistrict release. A benefit for Women for Women Intl., "Land" was hosted by Christiane Amanpour and the Council for Foreign Relations. "My passion was to get a great education in Bosnia and somehow it led to this film," Jolie said. "I met the people from the region and I just followed their lead. I didn't have to teach these people what it was like to live through war, they had to teach me."According to guest Julian Schnabel, Jolie made "a ballsy, important movie. It says that we have to be human beings and it's bigger than the issue about Bosnia and Serbia. It's about women's rights and women being casualties of wars that men put on. It also shows Muslim people as victims and not terrorists."Also at the preem were cast members who filmed two versions, English and Bosnian. Contact the Variety newsroom at news@variety.com

Monday, December 5, 2011

Indie 'Killcam' exploits social networking

Wade Waterstone Entertainment, which lately wrapped "The Stare" with James Franco and Wynona Ryder, originates aboard indie horror thriller "Killcam."The film, presently in production in La, was produced by producer and actor April Wade ("Women! Women! Women!") and Canyon Prince. Wade is creating together with Waterstone's Shaun Kalligheri with John Darko pointing from Spence Griffeth's script.Mike Leonard, Emily Dykes, Billy Towers, Tracy Clifton and April Wade star.Story follows several students because they voluntarily accept take part in a social experiment look around the results of reliance on technology and social networking -- with students isolated from one another and the only method to communicate via social networking. However throughout the experiment, someone includes a different agenda in your mind as things begin to have a turn for that worse.Producer have used a "Killcam: Live" preview which enables audiences to have interaction directly with figures in the movie and influence story lines via video, Facebook, Twitter an internet-based chat. The internet elements have received nearly two million sights since production started on Halloween evening. Contact Dork McNary at dork.mcnary@variety.com

Thursday, December 1, 2011

Sundance Film Festival Announces Out-of-Competition Films

Matt Carr/Getty ImagesJoe Swanberg The Sundance Film Festival introduced Thursday the programs for four of the 2012 out-of-competition groups: Spotlight, Park City during the night time, NEXT <=> and New Frontier. Typically home of more experimental fare, these sections will feature work from prolific returning low-budget filmmakers for instance Lynn Shelton, Katie Aselton and Joe Swanberg.our editor recommendsSundance Film Festival Reveals 2012 Competition LineupPlacebo To Rock Sundance London Opening Evening Shelton's new film Your Sister's Sister, which IFC Films acquired from Toronto this fall, may have in Sundance's Spotlight program. The filmmaker's Humpday had its premiere competing within the 2009 fest. Aselton's new thrillerBlack Rock, which starsLake BellandKate Bosworth, might have its first showing neighborhood City during the night time program. The actor-author-director laststarred in and directed The Free offer, that have its premiere over the following <=> section this season. Swanberg, whose Uncle Kent examined the primary attraction section this season, is part of the ensemble acting-pointing found-footage horror film V/H/S that's also playing in Park City during the night time. PHOTOS: Stars and Filmmakers of Sundance 2011 The Evening time section, made up of seven world premieres that frequently participate in the frightening as well as the silly, includes Nicholas McCarthy's The Pact, Richard Bates, Junior.'s Excision(featuring Traci Lords and John Waters!) and Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim's Tim and Eric's Large Movie, a nutty comedy which will Ferrell, John C Reilly and Zach Galifianakis also appear. Comics in the Funny or Die generation, Heidecker and Wareheim may even are available in the U.S. narrative competition entry The Comedy from Ron Alverson. "They bring their sensibility with this social critique from the products free airline is all about at this time around,Inch director of programming Trevor Groth states in the Comedy. "Between people two films, In my opinion they will probably produce a significant stir at Sundance. That We am all for." The 28th annual Sundance festival runs The month of the month of january 19-29 with tests and occasions in Park City, Salt Lake City, Ogden and Sundance, Utah. The whole 2012 program features 110 feature-length films from 31 nations, including 88 world premieres. The condition competition program was introduced Wednesday the relaxation from the out-of-competition sections, Premieres and Documentary Premieres, will probably be revealed 12 ,. 5. The Next <=> program features nine world premieres that frequently veer from traditional storytelling techniques.Craig Zobel's Compliance, David Zellner's Kid-Factor, Laurence Thrush's Mission for Loneliness and Aurora Guerrero's Mosquita y Mari are a few of the overall game game titles that will screen."Each year it's taken alone shape and existence, partly by design and partly with the films that individuals get published to us," states Groth, who launched the section three years ago. "It is not only a discovery of people which we don't know, it's about fresh techniques for telling tales and supporting people visions inside the festival." PHOTOS: Behind the curtain within the Sundance Film Festival Much like Shelton's film, movies featured the primary attraction section frequently have formerly carried out in other festivals. Gareth Evans's action film The Raid stood a great showing at Toronto, and Valérie Donzelli's drama Commitment Of War had its world premiere at Cannes, as did Nadine Labaki's drama Which Side We Proceed Now? The Completely New Frontier section, which was gone after the Miners Hospital a year ago, will participate in in the lately built venue, a sizable warehouse on Kearns Blvd. involving the Yarrow Hotel as well as the Park City Marriott. Festival director John Cooper states the brand new loft-like location, which was built-in consultation with Sundance, is way better appropriate for any couple of from the multimedia performances and installations, sections and tests define the higher experimental category. The venue also provides gallery and lounge space. Incorporated inside the New Frontier program are Denis Côté's Bestiaire, which explores the bond between character and humanity Rodney Ascher's Room 237, which compares the idea of Stanley Kubrick's The Shining and Eve Sussman Rufus Corporation's whiteonwhite:algorithmicnoir, which involves an energetic algorithmic performance of music, dialogue, appear and footage shot in Kazakhstan. No matter the fringe facets of a couple of of those out-of-competition films, they often times find audiences outdoors the festival. Within the 2011 NEXT <=> program, Evan Glodell's Bellflower got a release through Oscilloscope, Joshua Leonard's The Lie was acquired by Screen Media Films and Zal Batmanglij and Brit Marling's Appear of My Voice was acquired by Fox Searchlight, even though it is not released. The 2010 Spotlight section featured two nominees to find the best foreign-language film Oscar that year, Denis Villeneuve's Incendies and Susanne Bier's In the Better World, which won the award. Below might be the entire collection-up: SPOTLIGHT Corpo Celeste/ Italia (Director and film author: Alice Rohrwacher) - After moving to southern Italia along with her mother and older sister, 13-year-old Marta struggles to discover her place, restlessly testing the restrictions from the unfamiliar city as well as the catechism in the Catholic chapel. Cast: Yle Vianello, Salvatore Cantalupo, Anita Caprioli, Renato Carpentiere. To Harmful Business 1 2 next last

Complete List: Grammy Honours Nominations In Top Groups

First Launched: December 1, 2011 11:13 AM EST Credit: Getty Premium La, Calif. -- Caption Kanye works within the 84th Annual Macys Thanksgiving day parade testing at Macys Herald Square in NY City on November 22, 2010Nominees introduced Wednesday in top groups for your 54th annual Grammy Honours: Record of year: Moving inside the Deep, Adele Holocene, Bon Iver Grenade, Bruno Mars The Cave, Mumford & Sons Firework, Katy Perry. Album of year: 21, Adele Wasting Light, Foo Mma fighters Born Using This Method, Rhianna Doo-Wops & Hooligans, Bruno Mars Noisy, Beyonce. Song of year: All of the Lights, Rob Bhasker, Malik Manley, Warren Trotter and Kanye, songwriters (completed by Kanye, Beyonce, Kid Cudi and Fergie) The Cave, Ted Dwane, Ben Lovett, Marcus Mumford and Country Winston, songwriters (Mumford & Sons) Grenade, Brody Brown, Claude Kelly, Philip Lawrence, Ari Levine, Bruno Mars and Andrew Wyatt, songwriters (Bruno Mars) Holocene, Justin Vernon, songwriter (Bon Iver) Moving inside the Deep, Adele Adkins & Paul Epworth, songwriters (Adele). New Artist: This Rock Band Perry, Bon Iver, J. Cole, Nicki Minaj, Skrillex. Pop Vocal Album: 21, Adele The Lady Killer, Cee Lo Eco-friendly Born Using This Method, Rhianna Doo-Wops & Hooligans, Bruno Mars Noisy, Beyonce. Rock Album: Rock n Roll Party Adoring Ces Paul, Rob Beck Wasting Light, Foo Mma fighters Plainly Sunset, Nobleman of Leon Im Together With You, Sought After Chili A myriad of all kinds of peppers The Whole Love, Wilco. R&B Album: F.A.M.E., Chris Brown Second Chance, El DeBarge Love Letter, R. Kelly Items of Me, Ledisi Kelly, Kelly Cost. Rap Album: Watch the Throne, Jay-Z and Kanye Tha Carter IV, Lil Wayne Lasers, Lupe Fiasco Pink Friday, Nicki Minaj My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, Kanye. Country Album: My Kinda Party, Jason Aldean Chief, Eric Chapel Own the Evening, Lady Antebellum Red-colored-colored River Blue, Blake Shelton For a lot of fun, George Strait Speak Now, Taylor Quick. Latin Pop, Rock or Urban Album: Entren Los Que Quieran, Calle 13 Entre La Ciudad y El Scar, Gustavo Galindo Nuestra, La Vida Bohme Much Less Commercial, Los Amigos Invisibles Drama y Luz, Guy. Jazz Vocal Album: Round Evening time, Karrin Allyson The Range Project, Terri Lyne Carrington&Various Artists The Gate, Kurt Elling American Road, Tierney Sutton (Band) The Music Activity of Randy Newman, Roseanna Vitro. Contemporary Classical Composition: Elmer Gantry, Robert Aldridge and Herschel Garfein The Ghosts of Alhambra, George Crumb String Quartet No. 3, Jefferson Friedman Lonely Motel-Music from Slide, Steven Mackey Piano Concerto No. 2, Poul Ruders. Copyright 2011 with the Connected Press. All rights reserved. These elements is probably not launched, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Disney Funnel befriends 'Frenemies'

'Frenemies'Disney Funnel "Shake UpInch co-stars Bella Thorne and Zendaya can look within an original movie anthology for that cabler, "Frenemies."Stefanie Scott ("A.N.T. Farm"), Nick Robinson ("Melissa and Joey") and Mary Mouser ("Body of Proof") will co-star within the project, which follows three pairs whose relationships they fit in risk. The telepic will premiere Jan. 13, having a sneak preview starting on Disney Funnel When Needed 1 week earlier.Daisy Mayer ("The Guru") is pointing a script by Dava Savel ("That's So Raven"), Wendy Weiner and Jim Krieg. Leslie Morgenstein and Bob Levy are professional creating for Alloy Entertainment and Gold coin Switch Prods. "Shake Up,Inch now in the second season, was through its first 26 episodes no. 1 series ever in cable among tweens 9-14. Contact Jon Weisman at jon.weisman@variety.com

Barbara Walters Picks 10 Best People of the season

Barbara Walters Who're The Ten Best People of the season?Barbara Walters will tell us together with her annual special Wednesday, 12 ,. 14 at 9:30/8:30c on ABC.Gen. David Petraeus is Barbara Walters' Best Person from the YearThe 90-minute program, the 19th annual edition, will feature producer/judge extraordinaire Simon Cowell, Eric Stonestreet and Jesse Tyler Ferguson who take part in the loveable gay couple on Modern Family, NY Yankees' shortstop Derek Jeter, business mogul Jesse Trump, pop star Katy Perry, reality TV family, The Kardashians, and royal relative (most qualified bachelorette) Pippa Middleton.Walters will disclose the entire list and who snagged no. 1 just right the show.Any forecasts on who probably the most fascinating person is going to be? Exactly what do you think about their email list?

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

The new sony Pictures Classics Delivering The Raid

EXCLUSIVE: The new sony Pictures Classics continues to be set release a The Raid, the Gareth Evans-directed fighting techinques film that won the Night time Madness Award in the recent Toronto Film Festival. It's also rumored to become on the way to the approaching Sundance Film Festival, through which time it'll have a brand new soundtrack from Linkin Park. For SPC, the film is really a departure from the current honours challengers which include Take Shelter and Night time In Paris, however the film was certainly probably the most buzzed-about films at Toronto for that industry crowd. It will be a putting in a bid fight in the festival, however the domestic distribution privileges have been smartly collared through the The new sony Pictures Worldwide Purchases Group back at Cannes, a buy made on partial footage which gave The new sony the news on remake privileges. The remake was placed at Screen Gems, and today SPC’s Tom Bernard and Michael Barker will release the initial next spring. For Evans, he’s returning to Jakarta to shoot a bigger-scale film that includes the stars and story lines in the Raid. Heres a clip:

Monday, November 28, 2011

Hammond: 2013 Oscar Show Might Not Be Moving Earlier

EXCLUSIVE: With Monday evening’s Gotham Honours and Tuesday’s announcement from the Independent Spirit Award nominations and those who win from the NY Film Experts honours (more about that below), honours months are under way and that we are barely past Thanksgiving. It appears as though the growing season has become a literal hurry to judgment with tests beginning only now for many large game titles like the Girl Using The Dragon Tattoo, Very Noisy and extremely Close and Julia Roberts’s Within The Land of Bloodstream and Honey. But things could become much more hurried when the Academy of movement Picture Arts & Sciences really follows through on the much-spoken about intend to move the Academy awards earlier in 2013 up to per month. Probably the most-talked about date may be the last Sunday of The month of january that year — the 27th. The present season’s Academy awards is going to be on Sunday Feb 26th. But because it works out, I've found that a considerably earlier Oscarcast is extremely unlikely for 2013 as well as 2014. The current thinking is the fact that an early on Academy awards would thankfully shorten the lengthy honours season making them more competitive using the slew of movie honours implies that precede the Oscars starting with now’s occasions (The Nation's Board of Review will even announce their those who win on Thursday). Past Academy Leader Sid Ganis and current Leader Tom Sherak happen to be recognized to favor an early on honours date but sources near to the discussions let me know you will find complications. I checked all of this out after hearing that a minimum of two prominent Guilds that hands out their very own honours usually at the end of The month of january/early Feb were very concerned about the Academy making this type of major move and were advised a comment might be imminent. One guild source stated it might cause complete chaos with everybody’s agendas meaning there will be a pileup of honours and clearly each show such as the BAFTAs, Golden Globes, various Guild honours yet others would really attempt to move much earlier too. BAFTAchief executiveAmanda Berrywhose show airs two days prior to the Academy awards explained she'd certainly need to think about a move instead of following a Oscars. One guild professional angrily explained, “I don’t know why they'd do that. The Academy awards would be the Super Bowl. What do they need to be worried about? Everybody else, including us, are just like playoff games.” Really the actual Super Bowl is area of the problem. The Academy’s broadcast partner ABChas a say during these plans and I've been relayed through a really informed Acad source the The month of january 27, 2013 date continues to be eliminated and also the earliest they might go is Feb 3. Issue is that unexpectedly happens to function as the date from the Super Bowl so clearly that Sunday has gone out. Same with the following Sunday next to have an undisclosed reason meaning the first the show may go is Feb 17 and franklymy sources saythey will need to consider the need for moving it simply 1 week earlier than already. Academy voters are already done situps with an array of films to look at and losing that extra week might just 't be well worth the minimum return the Acad will get in upgrading a couple of days. The calendar for 2014 includes a much the same configuration and is definitely the identical scenario. Obviously they might always move the show to Monday where it broadcast for several years before landing around the a lot more desirable Sunday berth a couple of years back. Word is the fact that’s not seriously considered. Actually I've been told simply no decision is going to be made before the Academy has determined how you can implement online voting. Some experimentation is happening now but there won’t be considered a large test untillater early in the year. After they know they are able to securely result in the switch from paper to electronic ballots with anxiety about getting compromised or getting election totals uncovered by some enterprising college kid, they'll decide assuming the show can move. Obviously for the majority of the experts groups moving earlier isn't any large deal simply because they generally are the initial to determine the films. As well as bigger nearly 6,000 member Academy includes a hell of the time attempting to see virtually all of the challengers because it is, especially around the giant screen rather than via screeners that is exactly what the Academy is positively advocating people to complete. Another guild professional recommended that “moving earlier might have the unwanted effect of creating experts groups as well as their options much more influential because so many Oscar voters might have only time for you to watch what these groupsvote for.” That apparentlywas the bone-headed thinking this season when theNY Film Experts, under new leader John Anderson strongly increased their honours voting by two days so they may be first and beat the nation's Board of Review which normally have that first slot.Initially these were to possess chosen today however Scott Rudin said excitedly he couldn’tpossibly demonstrate to them The Lady With TheDragon Tattoo any sooner than today.Thinking about the film was directed bylast year’s NYFCC darling David Fincher they decided to move their election to Tuesday.However another Rudin film, one having a special NewYork connection, the publish 9/11 drama Very Noisy and IncrediblyClose wasn't ready over time and Warner Bros. needed to turn lower the NYFCC’s request to determine it earlycausing a war of wordsbetween the experts group and also the studio — also it won’t be looked at.Isn’t this early move a situation from the tail wagging your dog? Regardless of what honours the groupdoes or doesn’t give on Dragon Tattoo it’s a lose-lose situation with a few people worrying strongly. One explained,”If I'm able to’t see everything, I simply won’t election.” Possibly therein lies bad weather warning for that Academy’s early bird advocates too.

Spike Lee's Oldboy Will Feature New Elements, Figures to 'Throw In the Audience'

Oldboy producer Roy Lee recently seeping some vague particulars on Spike Lee’s Josh Brolin-starring remake, promising a “darker” retelling of Park Chan-wook’s Korean thriller also modified within the original manga. “It’s very similar, but we’ve added new elements. Or, Mark Protosevich has develop new elements in it that will screw up everyone else who've seen the first movie because you will discover new figures and new situations that promote themselves with techniques that changes the story but eventually use the identical direction.” Sure, Spike. Let me go get my hammer… [Collider via Slashfilm]

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Gale Anne Hurd Developing Area 51 Series

EXCLUSIVE: From zombies to aliens. The Walking Dead executive producer Gale Anne Hurd and her Valhalla Entertainment have optioned Annie Jacobsen’s book Area 51: An Uncensored Good reputation for America’s Top Secret Military Base for any potential TV series. The hourlong project, which is removed towards the systems shortly, is going to be compiled by feature scribe Karl Gajdusek. It'll follow two males focusing on the bottom who're thrust into danger once they uncover secrets the government will safeguard no matter what. Gajdusek, who had been introduced in by Valhalla executive Beatrice Springborn, assists as showrunner and executive produce with Hurd. Jacobsen is a talking to producer. Jacobsen’s Area 51 sheds light around the highly classified military base, that has been the topic of numerous conspiracy ideas declaring that it's the place to find aliens, subterranean tunnel systems, nuclear facilities or perhaps the lunar landing, allegedly staged and shot there. Jacobsen questioned 19 males who offered the bottom and the other 55 who had links to Area 51, including living and dealing there for longer periods. It stories what's really gone on within the Nevada desert, from testing nuclear weapons to building super-secret, supersonic jets to going after the Fight against Terror. Area 51 was released in May and spent 8 days around the NY Occasions Bestseller List. Gajdusek, who began off in TV on Showtime’s Dead Much Like Me, lately authored the Tom Cruise film Oblivion for Universal, with Frederick Kosinski pointing, and also the Last Times Of American Crime for Radical/IM Global. Gajdusek, repped by Verve and Management 360, is presently writing Last Measure, an airplane pilot script for ABC executive created by Shawn Ryan and Viking for Working Title.

Saturday, November 19, 2011

Sheriff: Robert Wagner Not A Suspect In Natalie Wood Death

First Published: November 19, 2011 2:33 PM EST Credit: WireImage LOS ANGELES, Calif. -- Caption Natalie Wood and Robert Wagner at The Godfather premiere on August 9, 1972Actor Robert Wagner is not a suspect in the 30-year-old drowning of his actress wife, Natalie Wood, and there is nothing to indicate a crime, even though the investigation has been re-opened, a sheriffs detective said Friday. Her death was an accident, an accidental drowning, said Sheriffs Lt.John Corina. Officials would not say why they were taking another look at the case, although the captain of the boat where the couple had stayed blamed Wagner for Woods death. Natalie Woods sister, Lana Wood, told CNNs Piers Morgan in an interview Friday that she doesnt believe her sister fell off the boat. Lana Wood told Morgan that she has spoken several times with the boats captain Dennis Davern and he has told her that Wagner was involved in her plunge into the sea on Nov. 29, 1981. But Lana Wood said she does not believe that whatever happened was deliberate. I dont think she fell, I dont know if she was pushed, I dont know whether there was an altercation and it happened accidentally but she shouldnt have died and that does stay with me and hurt, Lana Wood said. I would prefer to always believe that RJ (Wagner) would never do anything to hurt Natalie and that he loved her dearly, which he did, and I dont believe that whatever went on was deliberate. Ive always cared about him. I always will care about him, she said. Lana Wood wrote in a biography on her sister after her death, What happened is that Natalie drank too much that night. There have always been questions about Woods death on Nov. 29, 1981, with renewed attention on the case as the anniversary neared. The cases re-opening and a public call for information are the first hint that the official account may need revision. Within hours of the announcement, Corina said, several people emerged offering their recollections of what happened in the waters off Southern Californias Santa Catalina Island. But he quickly noted that nothing the agency has received so far has prompted it to change the view that there was no foul play. Davern, said Friday on NBCs Today show that he lied to investigators about events on theyacht Splendour when he was interviewed after Woods death. Davern accused Wagner of having a fight with Wood before she went missing and delaying the search for her after she disappeared. Wagners family released a statement through a spokesman that said they trusted detectives to evaluate any new information and determine whether it came from a credible source or sources other than those simply trying to profit from the 30-year anniversary of her tragic death. It did not mention Davern by name, and noted that detectives hadnt contacted Wagner or his family. On the show, Davern mentioned a book he co-wrote last year on Woods death, but refused to say precisely why he blamed Wagner for the three-time Oscar nominees death. Davern also denied that he was seeking to profit from interest in the case. Vanity Fair and the television program 48 Hours Mystery have teamed up and are including Woods case for a television special airing this weekend. Corina said his agency would talk to Davern at some point and other witnesses would likely be interviewed. He downplayed the role Daverns book or the anniversary would play on the investigation. Were not concerned with the anniversary date, Corina said. It may have jarred some other peoples memories. Wood, who was 43 when she died, received three Academy Award nominations, for Rebel Without a Cause, 'Splendor in the Grass and Love with the Proper Stranger. She appeared in numerous other Hollywood classics, including West Side Story. Wood and Wagner were married twice, first in 1957 before divorcing six years later. They remarried in 1972. Her death during the Thanksgiving weekend in 1981 has long sparked tabloid speculation that foul play was involved. Wood, Wagner and actor Christopher Walken and Davern spent time on Thanksgiving weekend1981 both on Catalina Island and drinking on the yacht. Wagner has dismissed any suggestion that the actress death was anything more than an accident. In a 2008 autobiography, he recounted drinking with Wood and Walken at a restaurant and on the boat. Wood went to the master cabin during an argument between the two men, Wagner said. The last time Wagner saw his wife, she was fixing her hair at a bathroom vanity and she shut the door, he wrote. Despite various theories about what led Wood to the water, which she feared, he said, it was impossible to know what happened. Nobody knows, he wrote. There are only two possibilities; either she was trying to get away from the argument, or she was trying to tie the dinghy. But the bottom line is that nobody knows exactly what happened. Coroners officials said at the time that she was possibly attempting to board the dinghy and had fallen into the water, striking her face. Wood was found wearing a flannel nightgown, socks and a red down jacket, and Davern identified her body for authorities, according to an autopsy report. Her body had superficial bruises, according to the report, but those were considered consistent with drowning. Assistant Chief Coroner Ed Winter said the agency hadnt been asked to do any additional investigation into Woods case. Wagner, star of the television series Hart to Hart, wrote in his book that he blamed himself for his wifes death. Did I blame myself? If I had been there, I could have done something, he wrote. But I wasnt there. I didnt see her. Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Kevin Clash, the Man Behind Elmo, on Jim Henson, Puppetry, and Jason Segel's The Muppets

The Muppets are legendary TV and film characters, but there’s something about Sesame Street’s giggliest resident, Elmo, that makes small children perk up. Constance Marks, the director of the new documentary Being Elmo: A Puppeteer’s Journey, put Elmo’s appeal this way: “Kids sit up, pay attention, and turn on. There’s that bright red fur and adorable bulgy eyes, but it’s the soul of the puppeteer that people are responding to. It’s an amazing gift.” That soul belongs to Kevin Clash, Elmo’s Emmy-winning creator and a Muppet veteran since 1983. As the subject of Marks’ documentary, Clash is a solid, seemingly unflappable performer who has enjoyed a tremendous run as a puppeteer: He began as a youngster in Baltimore who tore up coats to build puppets, ended up honing his craft alongside Jim Henson, and watched awestruck as the Tickle Me Elmo phenomenon took over Christmas in 1997. We phoned Clash to talk about his favorite Muppets, the influence of Jim Henson (and Henson’s amazing memorial in 1990), and Elmo’s single proudest accomplishment. At the beginning of the documentary, you say that Grover was your favorite Muppet as a kid. Why? Oh man. Listen, I was lucky first of all to see him on television and love the character, but to watch Frank Oz perform Grover was just amazing to me. He was very, very funny. The manipulation, the silliness he’d do with the character was amazing to me always. There seems to be a great bond among puppeteers. Do you find that puppeteers approach the work the same way As far as the way we create a character and the sense of humor, yes, because there’s a limit that we can go to as far as we go with the edginess — but we learned that through Jim. As far as our work ethic, we all block our scripts in different ways and manipulate the puppets in different ways. But as how we perform? That’s the same. We try to crack each other up. Jim Henson is truly Christlike to certain fan contingent. All these years after his death, do his voice and influence linger over your work? When you said that, I thought, “Jesus Christ! Superstar!” You know, we never looked at him that way, because he never acted like our boss. He just wanted to collaborate with us and have a good time. I just think we were lucky to have a boss who was the ultimate boss, the type of boss you want, the type of boss who wanted to have everyone work together and make it fun and make it something that everyone else can laugh at and enjoy also. And that’s why when we don’t talk about him like [laughs] this “Christ” character, because it was always a lot of fun. Another thing that Jim did, because it was such a deifferent medium and everyone respected what he did, when he said, “This is the way you shoot a puppet for TV or film,” everyone respected him. For all of us who worked under him, it was not a challenge. We had one person who said how to do it in puppet and film, and we miss that immensely. He had that vision and helped all of us that way. Jim Henson’s memorial service is one of the most emotional things I’ve ever seen. There’s a clip of it in the documentary. Can you reflect on that day? That memorial service ran for five hours, and everyone walked away from that memorial service saying it felt like a half an hour. It was the most beautiful and most unbelievable moment of love, respect, and emotion for this man who’d be missed. It was an unbelievable evening. It definitely takes me back every time, even with the short clip that’s in the doc — where I was at, who I was with, who I came with, what we talked about that day. It was packed at that church, and everybody became one. Another thing that was amazing that day, Big Bird walked out in that church and sang “Being Green,” Kermit’s signature song, and then Bird looked up to the top of the church and said, “Thank you, Jim.” It was the most poignant and beautiful and emotional thing. We all crumbled after that, seeing Big Bird say that. Is there a strong desire to come up with new characters? That’s the direction that all the puppeteers are going. Jim and Frank, Steve Whitmire, Dave Gold, Jerry Nelson, and Richard Hunt created The Muppet Show, and Jim wanted those characters go on, but those characters are Jim and Frank, and we know that. That’s why we love that Dave is still around to do Gonzo and Steve Whitmire is around to keep Kermit going, but we all want to go in the direction of creating new characters, the new Kermit and Miss Piggy for this generation and others. We’re all looking forward to creating new characters. That’s where Elmo originally came from. In the documentary, we see you teaching puppetry to a couple of kids. Is there a “You have it or you don’t” quality to puppetry, in terms of who can be successful at it? You’re right. It is “You have it or you don’t.” We find a lot of time the potential is there, and as you begin to train and add more to what you need to know, sometimes it goes away with certain puppeteers. Others keep striving and building and building. So definitely there are some stages that will happen. You get really excited at the beginning, like “Wow! That’s really cool! It’s there!” Then sometimes [laughs] in the next two or three steps, it goes away. The really exciting ones, you see the potential and it just grows. What do you think of the approach of the new Muppets film? Frank Oz was critical of it. It’s a new era and a new time. Jim is not there and everybody felt that, but he really thought these characters should go on. What I’m hearing with the final, the puppeteers are excited about it. Do you worry about the vitality of puppetry? Are there ways for the medium to grow and evolve? Well, that’s one of the main reasons I said yes to doing the doc. Over six years ago, we had challenges as far as the last few movies that had come out — they didn’t do very well. I saw the surge of computer generation projects that were happening definitely in film but also on television. There are so many animated programs that do really well, the same with Pixar. That medium was overshadowing puppetry, and that’s one of the main reasons I said yes to Connie — to talk about puppetry and kind of “cheerleader” puppetry. You say in the documentary that you develop a character voice well after the puppet is built — almost as a secondary trait. That surprised me. A lot of the times over the years I’ve been given the title “Voice of Elmo.” That’s not what we do! We use our hands. The voice was always secondary. Jim always thought that way. It was all about creating a character and a personality. The voice would always come second. That’s the way we were trained, and that’s how Jim saw it. If you can get a good character or personality out of a puppet, the voice comes. That’s why voice acting is not what we do. Mel Blanc was brilliant at it, and he said so many different voices, but he was a “voice actor.” He didn’t use his voice. What was the height of Tickle Me Elmo’s mania like for you? It was a challenge for me because I had never done that many interviews before. I’d done interviews, but man, when that hit? I was in and out cars going back and forth to different talk shows going back and forth for, like, three weeks. It was during the winter, so my voice got kind of compromised. That was a challenge. I thought I was going to lose my voice. Once it slowed down, I ran to a throat doctor to make sure everything would be cool. It was amazing to me, the amount of press that happened with Tickle Me Elmo. Finally, what’s Elmo’s proudest accomplishment? Elmo’s proudest accomplishment is writing his name for the first time and also counting one to ten, definitely. He almost lost his mind on both of those occasions. Being Elmo is in select theaters now.

Monday, November 14, 2011

Brad Pitt Wants To Retire: Picking His Last Five Films

When news broke that Brad Pitt had told "60 Minutes Australia" he would like to retire in three years, most people justifiably took it as the actor speaking in the hypothetical, with no serious threat of him leaving business behind. Pitt is only the most recent of many actors and directors who have come out to declare their plans for retirement, few of which—if any—have actually followed through. But let's assume for a second that Pitt is serious, and that in three year's time, he will say goodbye to acting forever. With 26 films listed as "in development" on his IMDb profile, three years doesn't leave time for much. Even though most of those credits are projects he hopes to produce one day with his company Plan B, it would be safe to say that Pitt's final acting credits are listed there and that he won't get to everything. If Pitt only has roughly five movies left in him, which should he choose? Here are our picks for Brad Pitt's last five films. "The Night Manager" With "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" headed for theaters in December and two more adaptations in the pipeline, British spy novelist John le Carré has found himself back in the zeitgeist. Based on his 1993 novel of the same name, the story follows the night manager of a Cairo hotel who is recruited to spy on dangerous arms dealers. Plan B purchased the rights in 2009, and now seems like an opportune time to bring the spy thriller to the big screen. "Dark Void" Back in late 2009, Plan B snatched up the rights to Capcom's then-upcoming video game release, "Dark Void," as a possible starring vehicle for Pitt. The game didn't garner great reviews or financial success, but the concept, which follows a WWII-era pilot transported to an alien world and equipped with a jet pack, earned the game's best praise. Even if it was disassociated from the middling game, the premise screams for a big screen adaptation and a star like Pitt. "The Imperfectionists" Based on Tom Rachman's novel about the goings-on at an Italian English-language newspaper and the foreign correspondents running the place, "The Imperfectionists" suits Pitt and his globe-hopping ways. The book earned mostly positive reviews among literary circles when it debuted in 2010 and definitely fits within Pitt's wheelhouse of comedy balancing out drama. "The Mission" What could be the next film from "The Fighter" director David O. Russell after "The Silver Linings Playbook," "The Mission" chronicles the real-life operation to free three captive Americans in Colombia. Warner Bros., the studio behind the film, supposedly wants Pitt to star. Pitt expressed his urge to take on more serious roles as he gets older, and this would certainly fit the bill. "The Book of Joe" If Pitt was looking for a more grown-up comedy to help polish off his career, may we suggest "The Book of Joe," a film based on Jonathan Trooper's book of the same name. "Joe" follows a bestselling author who returns to the hometown he slandered in order to gain his literary fame. The novel's emotional range would allow Pitt to play up his comedy chops while still maintaining a more serious tone. Do you think Brad Pitt will retire in three years? Let us know in the comments below and on Twitter!

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Did an old ESPN Professional Create a Large Mistake Suing On the Crude Erin Andrews Story? (Analysis)

Wesley Hitt/Getty ImagesESPN's Erin Andrews. A week ago, former ESPN executive Keith Clinkscalessued a friend who allegedly shared an incorrect story aboutClinkscales self pleasuring on the flight while sitting alongside ESPN reporter Erin Andrews. The complaint alleging defamation is quite thin -- just six pages -- and boosts an issue about whether Clinkscales designed a wise relocate acting so rapidly to create this matter right into a NY federal court. The law suit happened just like the sports blog Deadspin was investigatingwhat happened on that flight. Clinkscales, who until lately would be a senior v . p . of content development and businesses at ESPN, made the decision he didn't wish to wait to discover the claims on Deadspin. So he required action by filing what's being called like a "pre-emptive" suit. What intrigues us here's not what went down on the flight, but instead just what the ESPN executive wished to achieve if you take this tact. By filing the suit so rashly, Clinkscales virtually assured the strange masturbation claims could be covered in media and over the dunia ngeblog. When the Herman Cain sexual harassment coverage has trained us anything, it's that innuendo becomes ripe for media as long as you will find official charges lodged or money compensated out. The main difference between salacious gossip and investigative confirming is becoming, for better or worse, a document trail. Maybe Deadspin might have released the Clinkscalesstory anyway. But Clinkscales' allegedly "pre-emptive" suit didn't do anything to alter that. No injunction was asked for. The legal claim was unlikely to scare away Deadspin in the story nor substantially change how other media shops would treat a raunchy allegation which had Andrews like a character. The only real factor the fast suit may have transformed is really a calculation of damages, whether it's proven the defendant Joan Lynch did indeed maliciously spread lies about Clinkscales, and also the situation against her will get that far. Clinkscales may state that Lynch's gossip-mongering hurt his status, but could he provethat the storyline that did probably the most to break his image might have ever released had he not first filed the suit? In filing his claims, Clinkscales gave Deadspin a handy news peg to the story, in most probability insulation the web site from the separate defamation claim and raising the problem whether he led to, instead of mitigated, the exposure from the masturbation story. The defamation claim is becoming a power outlet for sensitive politicians to strike back against unsavory news tales, but these kind of cases also often incite huge news coverage. It could feel great for that complaintant, but we question if this sounds like a mistake both on the PR and legal front. Here's a duplicate of Clinkscales' accusations, which we'll admit to possess i never thought of discussing been with them not be a federal suit: E-mail: eriqgardner@yahoo.com Twitter: @eriqgardner

Thursday, November 3, 2011

The 15 Worst Movie Game titles ever

Six movies open a few days ago, only two have unbelievably awful game titles: 'Young Goethe in Love' and 'The Boy of Nobody.A The first is all about a man named Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, who's, y'know, for each other! The 2nd stars Channing Tatum and Al Pacino, and perhaps includes a guy who in some way materializes from nothing. Because he's the boy of nobody. Anyway, our point: Movies with bad game titles aren't only a new phenomenon. They have existed for a long time! Some company directors figure that naming their project something absurd can get them press (which sometimes works see: 'Snakes on the Plane') others unconsciously title their film something which really just stinks. Alas. In recognition of 'Young Goethe' and also the aforementioned miracle boy, Moviefone is definitely the Worst Game titles in Movie History. The 15 Worst Movie Game titles ever 'Chopping Mall''Santa Claus Conquers the Martians''The Incredibly Strange Animals Who Stopped Living and Grew to become Mixed-Up Zombies''Eegah''Operation Dumbo Drop''Highlander II: The Quickening''Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo''Martha Marcy May Marlene''Young Goethe for each other''Freddy Got Fingered''The Boy of Nobody''Extremely Noisy & Incredibly Close''Frankenhooker''You Got Offered: Beat the planet''Stop! Or My Mother Will Shoot' See All Moviefone Art galleries » Follow Moviefone on Twitter Like Moviefone on Facebook

Monday, October 31, 2011

Moviefone Open Thread: Is Justin Timberlake a Movie Star?

This past weekend was the the best pretty-good of times and worst not-great of times for Justin Timberlake. He was offered one of the lead roles in 'Inside Llewyn Davis,' the new drama from the Coen brothers about the Greenwich Village folk scene in 1960s NY. That's pretty good! Unfortunately, the offer came when his first foray as an action star was scuffling at the box office. Released on over 3000 screens, 'In Time' earned only $12 million, finishing a distant third behind 'Puss in Boots' and 'Paranormal Activity 3.' Not great! Which raises the question: Is Justin Timberlake actually a movie star? The short answer is a resounding yes. After all, Timberlake is an actor who appears in movies; by simple definition, he is a movie star. But is he a star? You know, the type of actor audiences flock to see on opening weekend, regardless of whether their movie just looks plain bad? There are two ways of looking at Timberlake's burgeoning career. On the one hand, if 'In Time' would have starred Hugh Jackman or Tom Cruise, it seems likely that the film would have doubled its opening weekend receipts. This doesn't work all the time -- hello, Johnny Depp and 'The Rum Diary'! -- but when stars are stars, they attain an almost Teflon quality. On the other, Timberlake still has a ways to go before he can even be considered a true leading man, something that has more to do with opportunity than anything else. His financial successes as an actor ('Shrek the Third,' 'The Social Network,' 'Bad Teacher') have come with supporting roles; as a lead, he's gotten two chances: 'Friends With Benefits,' which opened with $18 million over the summer on its way to $55 million, and now 'In Time.' Neither were wash-outs, which only means he'll get more chances to prove himself in the future. (Though since 'Inside Llewyn Davis' is poised to be another ensemble -- and comes from the Coen brothers -- don't expect that to be his box-office breakout.) So, is Timberlake a movie star? Not yet. But unlike Ryan Reynolds -- about whom this debate was brought up with unspectacular results over the summer -- Timberlake is a bona fide celebrity. He's easily one of the 15 famous males on the planet -- a personality that you, your mother, your cousin and even grandmother has not only heard of, but probably likes. That counts for something. Whether Timberlake can capitalize on that fame remains to be seen. The floor is yours, dear Moviefone readers: do you consider JT a movie star? Or just a pop star and celebrity who happens to appear in movies? [Photo: Getty] Follow Moviefone on Twitter Like Moviefone on Facebook RELATED

Friday, October 28, 2011

Fairly Legal: Ryan Johnson Lawyers Up as New Series Regular

Ryan Johnson Court is in session for Ryan Johnson, who has joined the cast of Fairly Legal's upcoming second season, TVGuide.com has confirmed. Johnson will play Ben Grogan, a sharp trial attorney whose star is on the rise. Ben is good at bringing in the big bucks ( he's known around town for his bus ads) and sees no problem in putting his own financial gain above doing what's right. Ben also has no qualms saying what's on his mind, which should make him an interesting foil for Kate (Sarah Shahi). Fairly Legal renewed for Season 2 - creative changes ahead Fairly Legal tells the story of Kate, who, in the wake of her father's death, gave up being a lawyer to become a mediator and struggles to navigate her complicated relationships with her estranged husband and stepmother/boss. Johnson is best known for his work on the soap Home and Away, based in his native Australia, and Ghost Rider. Fairly Legal, which debuted last January, began production on Season 2 Friday. A premiere date for the new season has not been set.

Thursday, October 27, 2011

Regal Entertainment Beats 3Q Estimations With Record Attendance And Price Cuts

The exhibition company’s per share earnings of 16 cents narrowly beat the 15 cents that experts expected. However the 3Q revenues of $743.6M, up 6.8% in the period this past year, were well in front of the $729.2M forecast. Net gain arrived at $25M, lower from $42.6M this past year — but that incorporated a $31.4M one-time gain in the purchase of stock in National CineMedia. “We are content that industry attendance growth coupled with our ongoing concentrate on cost control permitted us to attain significant development in both Modified EBITDA and Modified EBITDA margin for that second consecutive quarter,”CEO Amy Miles stated. She added that the organization is “encouraged through the record summer time box office and remain(s) positive concerning the approaching holiday film slate.” Additionally towards the earnings news, Regaldeclared a cash dividend of 21 cents a share that it'll pay onDecember 16 to stockholders of record on December 7. Regal states it “intends to pay for a normal quarterly dividend for that expected future.”

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

'X Factor' strong for Fox

Fox led primetime among young adults Tuesday as a special, 150-minute edition of ''The X Factor'' produced the show's best numbers since its bow last month. CBS held strong with its ''NCIS'' combo, as both dramas grew week to week. Also of note, a visit by President Obama led to the highest overnight score for a Tuesday edition of NBC's ''The Tonight Show With Jay Leno'' since March 2010. For a second straight week, ''The X Factor'' shifted to Tuesday in a week when the World Series was scheduled for its two regular nights, and an expanded episode averaged a strong 4.3 rating/11 share in adults 18-49 and 11.8 million viewers overall from 8 to 10:30. It was up about 10% from last week's two-hour episode and is expected to match the show's premiere demo score of 4.4 when the same-day nationals are released by Nielsen later today. ''X Factor'' won its final three half-hours in all key demos, peaking with a 4.9/13 in 18-49 from 10 to 10:30, which certainly helped its program average. Fox led the night in 18-49 and 25-54. CBS, second on the night in demos and first in total viewers, saw both ''NCIS'' (4.0/11 in 18-49, 19.0 million viewers overall) and ''NCIS: Los Angeles'' (3.7/9 in 18-49, 15.9 million viewers overall) post week-to-week gains, with the original rising 2% from last week, beating ''X Factor'' in 18-49 and 25-54 while standing as the night's most-watched program overall. ''NCIS: Los Angeles,'' facing reality shows on ABC, NBC and Fox, was up 9% in 18-49. And holding steady at 10 p.m. was rookie drama ''Unforgettable'' (2.5/7 in 18-49, 11.3 million viewers overall), which CBS has picked up for the rest of the season. At ABC, Tim Allen comedy ''Last Man Standing'' dipped a bit more in its third outing (2.8/8 in 18-49, 9.8 million viewers overall) but is still at a good number for the net in the timeslot. The Alphabet again lost 3 share points, though, at 8:30 p.m. with ''Man Up'' (1.9/5 in 18-49, 6.7 million viewers overall), which was down about 20% week to week. The half-hours were followed by the ''Dancing With the Stars'' results show (2.5/6 in 18-49, 13.8 million viewers overall) and ''Body of Proof'' (1.9/5 in 18-49, 9.6 million viewers overall), both in line with last week. NBC's ''The Biggest Loser'' (1.9/5 in 18-49, 5.4 million viewers overall) maintained its week-ago rating, and was followed by a special repeat of first-year drama ''Prime Suspect'' (1.0/3 in 18-49, 2.9 million viewers overall), which the net is trying to expose to a larger audience by airing multiple airings of the show this week. And at 11:35 p.m., President Obama's appearance on ''The Tonight Show'' generated a 4.1 household rating/11 share in Nielsen's 56 metered markets , the best for the show in 19 months. In the same latenight hour, CBS' ''Late Show With David Letterman'' did d 2.7/7 in the overnights, and ABC's 25-minute ''Nightline'' earned a 3.6/9, followed by a 1.8/6 for ''Jimmy Kimmel Live'' at midnight. CW aired repeats of ''Ringer'' at both 8 (0.4/1 in 18-49, 1.0 million viewers overall) and at its regular time at 9 (0.3/1 in 18-49, 0.8 million viewers overall). Preliminary 18-49 averages for the night: Fox, 4.3/11; CBS, 3.4/9; ABC, 2.3/6; NBC, 1.6/4; Univision, 1.5/4; CW, 0.3/1. In total viewers: CBS, 15.4 million; Fox, 11.8 million; ABC, 10.6 million; NBC, 4.6 million; Univision, 3.3 million; CW, 0.9 million. Contact Rick Kissell at rick.kissell@variety.com

Monday, October 24, 2011

New Trailer For Land Of Blood stream & Honey

Angelina Jolie's directorial debut You're nearly the famous lady in the world with cast-iron A-list status, a loving family plus an military of devoted fans. Just what can you next? Create a house made entirely of gold and bezel it with rubies and sapphires? Hire Slider from Top Gun to fly your private jet? Reoccupy the Rhineland?If you're Jennifer Aniston, the answer might be none of people things. Rather you'd probably turn both hands at writing and pointing your individual film. Something nice light to start with. The Balkan War, for instance. Take using a scoop of salt, clearly. Knowing by its new trailer, Jolie's directorial debut - hatched and written while she was recovering within the flu - is shaping around be not lightweight. Inside The Land Of Blood stream And Honey notifies the story in the forbidden love from the Muslim lady together with a Serbian guy through the Balkan conflict. Together lie vicious ethnic divides, the bonds of family, and, relating to this evidence, about 6 000 0000 snipers.The story seems like it'll test Jolie's directorial capabilities for the limit. Action beats sit mouth area-by-jowl with elevated tender moments, as well as the written content clearly comes freighted with a lot of its own baggage. Jolie switched with a local cast for your film, including Zana Marjanović, Rade &Scaronerbedija and Taken's Goran Kostic.Inside The Land Of Blood stream And Honey makes its US bow within the finish of year. Meanwhile, prepare to chalk another one inside the 'Angelina Jolie might be the brand new Clint Eastwood' column.

Melanie Griffith in Foretells Star in Lifetime Pilot, 'American Housewife'

Lifetime is ongoing its push into noisy programming with bold-faced talent.our editor recommends'Puss in Boots' Premiere Red-colored Carpet ArrivalsAntonio Banderas and Melanie Griffith Holding Obama Fundraising event at Their House The feminine-skewing cable network has purchased an airplane pilot for any drama tentatively entitled American Housewife, in regards to a well-to-do housewife that starts hearing voices. PHOTOS: 'Puss in Boots' Premiere Red-colored Carpet Arrivals The project, which is created by Fox TV Galleries, has been setup like a star vehicle for Melanie Griffith, who's in discussions to do something and executive produce. Her actor husband Antonio Banderas is within foretells function as a professional producer around the project, that they produced with fellow Air and pilot scribe Erik Jendresen (Gang of Siblings). STORY: Antonio Banderas and Melanie Griffith Holding Obama Fundraising event at Their House Ray Ricard can also be in foretells executive produce the project alongside Griffiths, Banderas and Jendresen, with Eclipses' David Slade to direct the pilot. Banderas is repped by CAA Griffiths and Slade are repped by WME. Related Subjects Antonio Banderas Melanie Griffith Lifetime TV Development

Thursday, October 20, 2011

Elizabeth Olsen together with other Stars Who Walked Using their Siblings' Shadows

When Elizabeth Olsen started garnering buzz on her behalf performance in 'Martha Marcy May Marlene,' lots of people responded with "There's another Olsen sister?'" At any given time where like a famous person's sister is almost work alone (yes, I'm searching for you, Khloe Kardashian. And you also, Trace Cyrus. Et vous, Ali Lohan), it's almost astonishing the earth's most well-known twin brothers and sisters, Ashley and Mary-Kate, have observed a similarly cute little sister hiding inside the wings such a long time. A lot more amazing: Elizabeth can definitely act. Instead of opportunistically riding her sisters' coattails into the family business, Elizabeth remains quietly honing her craft and leading a very private existence. She's presently a theatre student at NY College, where she met 'Martha' director Sean Durkin, an NYU grad. Her effort appears being needing to repay. She acquired rave reviews from experts when 'Martha' first demonstrated at Sundance. Next, she'll co-star alongside Robert DeNiro and Sigourney Weaver in 'Red Lights,' directed by Rodrigo Cortes. Very good for just about any newbie. &ltcenter/&gt Clearly, Olsen isn't the initial celebrity sister to depart a famous sibling's ever-pending shadows. While you will discover certainly more Khloes and Traces than you will discover Elizabeths, it is not completely uncommon for siblings and siblings to destroy through and prove themselves as worthy themselves. Sometimes, siblings and siblings round the back-writers even eclipse their trailblazing options. Understanding that, here's all of the my 5 best favorite stars who required to leave their siblings' shadows. Warren Beatty It's tough to consider this legendary awesome guy was ever in anyone's shadow. However, if Shirley MacLaine may be the sister, that's exactly how the situation is. Since the story goes, little Warren thought he'd try his hands at acting after he saw how effective his large sister was becoming in Hollywood. Fortunately, he'd the chops to back his high aspirations, and also the other star inside the Beatty family was produced. &ampampampampampampampampampltcenter/&ampampampampampampampampampgt Jason Bateman Jason and also the sister Justine are usually acting vets, but through the peak in the 'Family Ties' recognition inside the eighties, Justine was certainly the bigger star. Remember when 'Teen Wolf Too' showed up in this area? I am unsure about yourself, but also for a while I understood it the film starring the brother of Mallory from 'Family Ties.' Now, clearly, the tables have switched, and Jason's star is shining vibrant. For the moment. (I smell a comeback, Mallory!) &ampampampampampampampltcenter/&ampampampampampampampgt Maggie Gyllenhaal While Maggie also came out inside the movie that shot brother Mike to fame, 'Donnie Darko,' she didn't land on people radar until yearly later, when she went fannying in regards to the office getting a deviant James Spader in 'Secretary.' While she's less than accomplished Jake's amount of fame, Maggie is unquestionably a correctly-respected actress within their right. She's relationship debate again in 'Hysteria,' in regards to the invention in the ahem, vibrator. &ampampampampampampltcenter/&ampampampampampampgt Kevin Dillon How could I leave Johnny Drama off this list? He certainly knows a couple of reasons for dwelling in someone's shadow, since the little brother of heartthrob Matt Dillon in solid existence, as well as the large bro to celebrity Vinnie Chase on 'Entourage.' Kevin has certainly proven themselves just like a great comic actor on 'Entourage.' Here's wanting they can continue his career's momentum because the show comes from the environment. &ampampampampampltcenter/&ampampampampampgt Elle Fanning People Fanning women unquestionably are difficult employees. Just 13, Elle provides extensive film and TV credits, you will need to scroll lower on her behalf account IMDB page to find out these. Dakota's little sister got her start playing a young Dakota in movies like 'I am Sam' and 'Taken,' She co-headlined this summer's thriller 'Super 8,' and appears next alongside Matt Damon and Scarlett Johansson inside the much-buzzed-about 'We Bought a Zoo.' &ampampampampltcenter&ampampampampgt&ampampltcenter/&ampampgt '

UTA Signs Showrunner Ken Sanzel

EXCLUSIVE: Veteran showrunner Ken Sanzel has signed with UTA where he will be represented by a team of agents in TV and film. He was most recently at WME. Former NY City cop, who was a member of the Decoy Squad of the NYC Transit Police Department, serves as executive producer/showrunner on CBS’ midseason drama The 2-2, executive produced by Robert De Niro. Before that, Sanzel spent several years as executive producer/showrunner on CBS’ long-running drama Numb3rs and did a brief stint at the helm of another CBS drama, Blue Bloods. Sanzel continues to be managed by Jeff Field of Field Entertainment and attorneys Bob Wallerstein and Ryan Nord.

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Ti West involved with VHS horror project

VHS, a found footage horror comprised of shorts from six different company directors continues to be introduced.Ti West (Home of the Demon) and Adam Wingard (A Terrible Method to Die) are leading the project and therefore are keen to help keep particulars under systems. VHS has been referred to as "The Shining meets Blair Witch Project." Which sounds pretty damn awesome to us.Kaira Miska is keeping his cards near to his chest, but has tweeted that "It is a new type of found footage horror film in the outlook during several genre filmmakers we personally know and love."In addition to Wingard and West being associated with the project, David Bruckner (The Signal), Joe Swanberg (Silver Bullets), Glenn McQuaid (I Sell the Dead) and Chad Villella also have registered for this.VHS has already been in production and being funded by Hollywood management company The Collective.

Sunday, October 16, 2011

Ole Apparent buys MusicBox

Ole Apparent, the expansion music branch of Canadian music author Ole, has acquired L.A.-based production music company MusicBox. Creating and controlling 17 production music libraries made up of greater than 24,000 tracks, MusicBox was started in 2002 by composers Joel Goodman and Daniel Stein, with composer and former Universal Music Production Library creative director Jonathan Firstenberg coming onboard as senior V . p . this season. MusicBox's staff will remain and advise Ole on matters connected using its libraries. Ole Boss Robert Ott mentioned in the statement: "Joel and Serta have created a great company at MusicBox. We take seriously our responsibility to continue the legacy of great customer care and artistic at MusicBox and may make an effort to create clients and sub-launched companies an unrivaled experience." Contact the number newsroom at news@variety.com

Friday, October 14, 2011

Ray Hagman Of Dallas Identified With Cancer

First Released: October 14, 2011 9:23 PM EDT Credit: Access Hollywood Caption Access Hollywood Live: Ray Hagman Auctions Off I Imagine Jeannie & Dallas Memorabilia NY, N.Y. -- Ray Hagman continues to be identified with cancer. The 80-year-old actor is known for playing J.R. Ewing on Dallas. Inside a statement Friday, he stated: As J.R. I possibly could pull off anything bribery, blackmail and infidelity. However I got caught by cancer. Hagman rejected to specify what type of cancer hes contracted, but stated its one such and curable form. He intends to continue focusing on a brand new reboot of Dallas for TNT, which starts production Monday. The brand new Dallas concentrates on the Ewing offspring because they clash over the way forward for the household empire. The initial prime-time cleaning soap opera broadcast on CBS from 1978 to 1991. Hagman went through a liver transplant within the mid-the nineteen nineties. Stated Hagman: As everyone knows, you cannot keep J.R. lower! Copyright 2011 through the Connected Press. All privileges reserved. These components might not be released, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Morning Grind: Who Will Play John McClane Jr. in 'Die Hard 5'?

Things are moving crisply on the 'Die Hard 5' front. This week the film got an official release date (Feb. 14, 2013) and official title (the hilariously bad 'A Good Day to Die Hard'), and now reports are circulating that it might also soon find an onscreen son for Bruce Willis. Variety states that screen tests are underway, with names like Ben Foster, Aaron Paul and Paul Dano on the short list of possibilities. The role of John McClane Jr. will likely be highly coveted on the chance that whoever gets cast could inherit the franchise from Willis in the future. According to Twentieth Century Fox, no actor has an inside track just yet. [Variety] Oscar Isaac, Carey Mulligan's ne'er-do-well husband in 'Drive,' has scored the lead role in 'Inside Llewyn Davis,' the latest film from the Coen brothers. 'Davis' focuses on the '60s folk scene in Greenwich Village. No studio is attached yet, but Scott Rudin will produce. Per Deadline, a cavalcade of Hollywood's best are hoping to score a part in the film. Good job, Oscar! [Deadline] Rade Sherbedgia has been cast as the villain in 'Taken 2,' meaning Liam Neeson will kill Rade Sherbedgia onscreen in 'Taken 2.' Good job, Rade? [THR/Heat Vision] For the first time in over 30 years, Woody Allen has changed an already-announced title. The Rome-set 'Bop Decameron' will now be known as 'Nero Fiddled.' "I couldn't believe how few people had heard of the Decameron, even in Rome," Allen said in a statement. "And the few that did assumed the movie was based on Boccaccio's tales, which it's not. Anyhow, I changed the title to 'Nero Fiddled,' which is the first time I've changed a title since my last minute switch of 'Anhedonia' to 'Annie Hall.'" 'Fiddled' stars Jesse Eisenberg, Alec Baldwin, Greta Gerwig, Ellen Page, Roberto Benigni, Penelope Cruz and Allen himself. [Variety] Guillermo del Toro's 'Pacific Rim' will hit theaters on May 10, 2013, two months earlier than expected. [Coming Soon] Director Joel Schumacher releases 'Trespass' this weekend, and hopefully it will have better luck than his last outing, 'Twelve.' That film earned just over $183,000 during its theatrical run, making it one of the biggest busts of 2010. Not that Schumacher has any hard feelings. "It's the number-one most pirated film in Shanghai in the month of May!" he told Movieline. "Friends of mine live over there; they have a list of not the top 10 movies but the top 10 pirated movies. 'Twelve' was number one for the month of May. Actually, it means millions of people have seen your movie, and the people who bought it got f-cked because they didn't make a dime." [Movieline] [Photo: WireImage] Follow Moviefone on Twitter Like Moviefone on Facebook RELATED

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Lee Cowan Back At CBS News After Four Years At NBC

Lee Cowan will return to CBS News as National Correspondent, CBS News Chairman and 60 MINUTES Executive Producer Jeff Fager and David Rhodes, President, CBS News, announced today. Cowan will contribute to CBS News broadcasts and platforms across the division and he will be a substitute anchor for CBS SUNDAY MORNING. He will be based in Los Angeles. His appointment is effective November 1. Lee Cowan is a first class reporter and one of the best storytellers in his generation of broadcast journalists, said Fager. Its a real thrill that he is coming home to us. Lee embodies our commitment to original reportingto presenting a good story, well told, said Rhodes. We are so excited to have him back in the fold. “With his style and grace, Lee Cowan is one of a kind — and a Sunday Morning natural.” said Rand Morrison, Executive Producer of CBS SUNDAY MORNING. “To say that we’re thrilled to have him back on our team is an understatement.” Most recently, Cowan has been a correspondent for NBC News since 2007, contributing to various NBC News shows, including “NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams,” “Today,” and MSNBC broadcasts. While there, he covered major news stories and events, including presidential candidate Barack Obama during the historic 2008 presidential election campaign and the tsunami that devastated Japan in March 2011. Prior to joining NBC, Cowan was a CBS News correspondent for the CBS Evening News. In that role, he reported on a variety of stories of national and international importance, which included coverage from Ground Zero on the September 11 attacks, the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the 2006 conflict in Beirut and the 2006 tsunami in Indonesia. Previously, Cowan served as a correspondent for CBS Newspath, CBS News 24-hour news service, for which he provided national and global coverage for CBS News U.S. affiliates. Cowan joined CBS News in 1996 after serving as an anchor and reporter for WLWT-TV in Cincinnati. Prior to that, he was an anchor and reporter WWMT-TV, in Kalamazoo, Mich., and a weekend anchor for KCOY-TV in Santa Maria, Calif. Before joining KCOY-TV, Cowan held positions as news director and anchor at NBC affiliate KIEM-TV Eureka, Calif. Cowan began his career in journalism in 1988 as a researcher, first for “CBS News Nightwatch” and then for the “CBS Evening News” in Washington, D.C. Born in Salt Lake City, Cowan graduated in 1988 from the University of Washington with a double major in communications and speech communications.

All3Media sells drama package to Netflix

LONDON -- The distribution arm of U.K. "super-indie" All3Media has offered Netflix 175 hrs of drama. All3Media International's package incorporates "Apparitions," produced by Lime Pictures, and "Accused," produced by RSJ Pictures. Both shows were commissioned through the BBC in Blighty. Paul Corney, v . p . of digital distribution for All3Media Worldwide, stated there is "significant appetite" for British shows within the U.S. He added: "Netflix supplies a fantastic chance for audiences to locate these acclaimed shows." In the recent Mipcom sales market Netflix agreed an offer with Zodiak Privileges for supernatural saga "Being Human," both original U.K. show and also the U.S. remake. Marketers are progressively striking handles on-demand platforms for example Netflix. Contact the range newsroom at news@variety.com

Friday, October 7, 2011

Oscar rejects Puerto Rico's foreign-lingo film entry

Despite getting sent 11 photos for foreign-language film Oscar consideration since 1986, Puerto Rico continues to be shut from the race this season due to its status like a U.S. protectorate. However, the Dominican Republican won an attract get its pic into account. "We desired to obvious up an inconsistency that permitted a U.S. territory to compete inside a category intended for nations outdoors the U.S.," stated AMPAS chief operating officer Ric Robertson. "We said excitedly within our letter this past year that 2010 will be the last time they might submit an entry." Based on Puerto Rico's film commissioner Mariella Perez, the Academy informed her in August 2010 from the rule. "After asking it to reconsider, the Academy responded that it is decision was final, but that Puerto Rico could make an application for the other groups," Perez stated. "I informed the filmmakers of the new rule however they sent their film anyway." Naturally, the Academy declined helmer Sonia Fritz's The spanish language-language "America," starring Edward James Olmos, Tony Plana and Lymari Nadal. Puerto Rican commentators allege the Academy bowed to pressure from Hispanic filmmakers in other states who felt that Puerto Rico had been given a preferred status. They question why Puerto Rico is known as a completely independent country in sporting occasions. "Different organizations have different rules," stated Robertson. Puerto Rico continues to be posting records since Marcos Zurinaga's 1986 pic "La gran fiesta" (The Large Party) was the hopeful within the 59th Oscars later. In 1989, Jacobo Morales' "What Went Down to Santiago" grew to become the very first local pic to clinch a nom. This Year, Rafi Mercado's "Miente" (Lie) vied for any foreign-lingo film Oscar nom. Fritz will still are able in a foreign-lingo Oscar slot through tobago pic she co created, "La Hija Natural" (Love Child) by Leticia Tonos. It was initially declined through the Academy on the technicality but was recognized after tobago become a huge hit. The nation had unsuccessful to submit what they are called of their selection committee people towards the org prior to the March. 3 deadline. The 84th Oscars is going to be held February. 26 in the Kodak Theater in Hollywood. Contact the range newsroom at news@variety.com

Thursday, October 6, 2011

2011 U.S. Album Sales Still Strong After 75 %

Because the year heads into its home stretch, situations are searching for for that U.S. music business -- sales take presctiption track to improve over the year before, something which hasn't happened since 2004. PHOTOS: MTV VMAs 2011: Red-colored Carpet Arrivals With nine several weeks of 2011 lower, album sales stand at 228.5 million, based on Nielsen SoundScan -Up 3.3% in the 221.a million albums offered within the corresponding duration of 2010. Overall U.S. unit sales, meanwhile, are up 7.2% to at least one.18 billion, from 1.1 billion this past year. So when albums including track counterparts are taken into consideration -- whereby 10 song downloads count as you album unit - albums have leaped 5.4%, to 323.7 million from 307.a million. The positive showing for album sales can mainly be credited towards the gifs, in which the configuration's scans are up 19.7% to 74.a million models, in comparison to 61.9 million models this year's first nine several weeks. PHOTOS: The Background Music Industry's Finest Givers However it's not just digital amounts which are encouraging. Though physical sales are lower from this past year, the dip isn't as drastic as music professionals had lengthy grown accustomed to. Compact disc sales have decreased only 3.6% this season, after going through declines varying between 18%-20% in each one of the five previous years. A banner year from Adele has assisted overall. Her album 21 has moved nearly 3.8 million models, as the best-selling title in the corresponding time this past year -- Eminem's Recovery -- had received 2.7 million models through the finish from the third quarter. PHOTOS: Top Ten Greatest Compensated Artists With 1.3 million models offered electronically, 21 is the greatest-selling album within the gifs since SoundScan started monitoring such sales in 2003. Adele's song "Moving Within The Deep," with 5.two million compensated downloads, is the very best-selling title within the gifs. Where share of the market can be involved, Universal Group has finally drawn from The new sony Music Entertainment, which in fact had been getting upset close at its heels for that first six several weeks of 2011. In the finish from the nine-month period, UMG's share of the market totalled 30.3%, while The new sony's was at 28.9%. Meanwhile, the Warner Group's share of the market totaled 18.7% and EMI's arrived at 9%. Independent labels' share of the market, as based on distribution possession, totaled 12.6%. Billboard will show a far more comprehensive article on third-quarter stats, including share of the market by label possession, within the future. Related Subjects Eminem Adele

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

R.I.P. Joseph R. Aceti

The Directors Guild announced today thatretired TV broadcast network sports director and DGA Lifetime Achievement recipient Joseph R. Aceti has died. Here is the statement by DGA President Taylor Hackford: We are saddened to hear of the passing of Joseph R. Aceti, beloved DGA member and the ninth recipient of the DGA Lifetime Achievement Award in Sports Direction. Joe received the Lifetime Achievement Award in 2006, capping a career that by all measures placed him in the pantheon of sports direction. Present at most of the seminal sporting events since the late 1960s, Joe worked for all four major networks on every type of major sporting event including: the 1968, 1972, 1976, 1980 and 1992 Olympic games; the 1990, 1991 and 1992 World Series and numerous Playoff Series; World Figure Skating Championship from 1983-1990; the U.S Open Tennis Tournament from 1984-87; NBA and NCAA basketball; NFL and collegiate football; Major League and Collegiate baseball; and 10 years of directing ABC’s Wide World of Sports with some 300 shows as the coordinating director. With 80 major boxing matches to his credit, Joe was also the guiding hand on broadcasts of some of the all-time greatest bouts, including: Ali vs. Frazier aka The Thrilla in Manila; Ali vs. Spinks II; Cooney vs. Holmes; and Hearns vs. Duran. By all accounts, Joe was a kind and dedicated teacher and mentor to many he met along the way. After Joe was announced as recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award in Sports Direction in 2006, he told us, I think I did a good job, but the thing Im most proud of is that I was able to help so many young people during my career. Ive never been afraid to pass on what I know and I tried to be fair and kind to people. My wife has a saying, You cant be a teacher and not be kind. I think shes right.

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