And The Nominations Go To...

The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences have announced the 2008 nominations for the upcoming, count it, 80th, Oscar awards ceremony to be broadcast Feb 24th:

Best motion picture of the year:

• “Atonement” (Focus Features)
  A Working Title Production
  Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner and Paul Webster, Producers

• “Juno” (Fox Searchlight)
  A Mandate Pictures/Mr. Mudd Production
  Lianne Halfon, Mason Novick and Russell Smith, Producers

• “Michael Clayton” (Warner Bros.)
  A Clayton Productions, LLC Production
  Sydney Pollack, Jennifer Fox and Kerry Orent, Producers

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

• “There Will Be Blood” (Paramount Vantage and Miramax)
  A JoAnne Sellar/Ghoulardi Film Company Production
  JoAnne Sellar, Paul Thomas Anderson and Daniel Lupi, Producers
  

Performance by an actress in a leading role:

• Cate Blanchett in “Elizabeth: The Golden Age” (Universal)
• Julie Christie in “Away from Her” (Lionsgate)
• Marion Cotillard in “La Vie en Rose” (Picturehouse)
• Laura Linney in “The Savages” (Fox Searchlight)
• Ellen Page in “Juno” (Fox Searchlight)

Performance by an actor in a leading role:

• George Clooney in “Michael Clayton” (Warner Bros.)
• Daniel Day-Lewis in “There Will Be Blood” (Paramount Vantage and Miramax)
• Johnny Depp in “Sweeney Todd The Demon Barber of Fleet Street”
• (DreamWorks and Warner Bros., Distributed by DreamWorks/Paramount)
• Tommy Lee Jones in “In the Valley of Elah” (Warner Independent)
• Viggo Mortensen in “Eastern Promises” (Focus Features)

Performance by an actress in a supporting role:

• Cate Blanchett in “I’m Not There” (The Weinstein Company)
• Ruby Dee in “American Gangster” (Universal)
• Saoirse Ronan in “Atonement” (Focus Features)
• Amy Ryan in “Gone Baby Gone” (Miramax)
• Tilda Swinton in “Michael Clayton” (Warner Bros.)

Performance by an actor in a supporting role:

• Casey Affleck in “The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford” (Warner Bros.)
• Javier Bardem in “No Country for Old Men” (Miramax and Paramount Vantage)
• Philip Seymour Hoffman in “Charlie Wilson’s War” (Universal)
• Hal Holbrook in “Into the Wild” (Paramount Vantage and River Road Entertainment)
• Tom Wilkinson in “Michael Clayton” (Warner Bros.)

Achievement in directing:

• “The Diving Bell and the Butterfly” (Miramax/Pathé Renn) Julian Schnabel
• “Juno” (Fox Searchlight) Jason Reitman
• “Michael Clayton” (Warner Bros.) Tony Gilroy
• “No Country for Old Men” (Miramax and Paramount Vantage) Joel Coen and Ethan Coen
• “There Will Be Blood” (Paramount Vantage and Miramax) Paul Thomas Anderson

I always find it fascinating when a picture wins a nomination but its director doesn't. (Everyone else in the production was sooo good that the director was unnecessary? Hmmmm...) ATONEMENT is nominated, but its director gets snubbed.

What's also funny is the director for THE DIVING BELL AND THE BUTTERFLY is nominated, but neither the film nor a single actor or actress in the film is considered good enough. So somehow the director was the only good thing? Makes you wonder what the voters are on when they cast their ballots. LOL

It should be interesting to see if Cate Blanchett can pull off getting both a leading and a supporting actress Oscar in the same year. It's the 11th time someone's been nominated in both categories, but no one has managed the 'double win' yet. Given the stiff competition in both categories, this would definitely be a coup...

 

Rest In Peace - Heath Ledger

Another light in the Hollywood Heavens has dimmed and gone out. May he and his family find peace regardless of the why's and how's of what happened and may others learn some sort of lesson from whatever the outcome so it will have had some sort of meaning.

Goodbye too soon to another young actor.

Movie Trailer Music - More Interesting Than the Movie?

Have you ever been hooked by some movie trailer music and wanted to see the movie just based on that?

I hate working in total silence, so usually have a music channel or some sort of TV show/movie playing in the background. Recently I had on PRINCESS DIARIES 2 - ROYAL ENGAGEMENT on The Disney Channel while I was working on my computer. I've seen it so many times, I don't need to actually watch every minute any more - I just glance up every now and then as certain favorite scenes pop up. (Supposedly that way I actually get something accomplished - yeah, right.)

However, I suddenly stopped what I was doing when they started playing the movie trailer/promo for MINUTEMEN featuring the new music video "Run It Back Again" by Corbin Blue (GALAXY QUEST, HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL). I'd never heard it before, and it really was catchy, with a great dance beat and interesting lyrics, something I don't find in most kid pop songs. I found myself surfing the web, looking for a way to hear it again and then looking for more info on the movie.

Since I 'm a big sci fi fan, and the movie's a comedy about time travel, I'll probably check it out. However, since it is a Disney TV movie, the odds are that I'll probably find the movie trailer music more interesting than the movie. (Of course, that's not always true - I have to admit that I watch HOCUS POCUS over and over, both for the movie AND the music... BWAHAHAHA.)

So if you want to hear the Corbin Bleu "Run It Back Again" video music promo, check it out below:

What movies have you seen because you liked the movie trailer music?

Did you buy the movie or just the soundtrack or just the single that got you hooked in the first place?

 

No Budget FilmMaking

Have you ever watched a film and thought, I could have done a much better job of that! (That is if only I had a few million dollars, a production deal, and some major studio backing me??) I know I have, quite a few times, but have never figured I had the time and money to go to film school, build up a resume and break into the business.

Well, these guys think that you don't need to waste years of your life learning how to make movies...everything you need to know can be learned from just a few books. They have compiled that info, along with the essential forms, contracts, and software that you need...and it is all in the No Budget Filmmaking Ultra-Pack!!!


















For about the price of going to 2 movies with a friend nowadays, you can get the whole kit and start thinking about making your own, maybe becoming the next Robert Rodriguez (who made EL MARIACHI on a budget of only $7,000 and then was given $7 Million by the studios to make DESPERADO and has gone on to even bigger movies with SPY KIDS.)

If this is something you've always dreamed of doing, then check out their No Budget FilmMaking site!

Happy New Year!

May your favorite actors all come out with wonderful memorable movies, may the quality of all new releases be better than ever, and may you, your family and friends have a happy, healthy, prosperous and fun 2008!

Golden Globe Nominees Announced

This year's HOLLYWOOD FOREIGN PRESS ASSOCIATION (HPFA) Golden Globe Award Nominees are out and here are some of the 'biggies':

Cecil B DeMille Award - Stephen Spielberg

BEST MOTION PICTURE - DRAMA
American Gangster
Imagine Entertainment/Scott Free Productions; Universal Pictures
Atonement
Working Title Films Limited; Focus Features
Eastern Promises
Kudos Pictures/Serendipity Point Films; Focus Features
The Great Debaters
Harpo Films; The Weinstein Company/MGM
Michael Clayton
Samuels Media and Castle Rock Entertainment a Mirage Enterprises/Section 8 Production; Warner Bros. Pictures
No Country For Old Men
A Scott Rudin/Mike Zoss Production; Miramax Films/Paramount Vantage
There Will Be Blood
A Joanne Sellar/Ghoulardi Film Company Production; Paramount Vantage/Miramax Films

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE - DRAMA

Cate Blanchett – Elizabeth: The Golden Age
Julie Christie – Away From Her

Jodie Foster – The Brave One

Angelina Jolie – A Mighty Heart

Keira Knightley – Atonement

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE - DRAMA

George Clooney – Michael Clayton
Daniel Day-Lewis – There Will Be Blood

James McAvoy – Atonement

Viggo Mortensen – Eastern Promises

Denzel Washington – American Gangster

BEST MOTION PICTURE - MUSICAL OR COMEDY

Across The Universe
Revolution Studios; Sony Pictures Releasing
Charlie Wilson's War
Universal Pictures/Relativity Media/Participant Productions/Playtone; Universal Pictures
Hairspray
Zadan/Meron Productions / New Line Cinema in association with Ingenious Film Partners; New Line Cinema
Juno
Mandate Pictures/Mr. Mudd Production; Fox Searchlight Pictures
Sweeney Todd
Parkes/MacDonald and Zanuck Company; DreamWorks/Paramount Distribution / Warner Bros. Pictures

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE - MUSICAL OR COMEDY

Amy Adams – Enchanted
Nikki Blonsky – Hairspray

Helena Bonham Carter – Sweeney Todd

Marion Cotillard – La Vie En Rose

Ellen Page – Juno

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE - MUSICAL OR COMEDY

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

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MOTION PICTURE

Cate Blanchett – I'm Not There
Julia Roberts – Charlie Wilson's War

Saoirse Ronan – Atonement

Amy Ryan – Gone Baby Gone

Tilda Swinton – Michael Clayton

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MOTION PICTURE

Casey Affleck – The Assassination Of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford
Javier Bardem – No Country For Old Men
Philip Seymour Hoffman – Charlie Wilson's War
John Travolta – Hairspray
Tom Wilkinson – Michael Clayton

BEST DIRECTOR - MOTION PICTURE

Tim Burton – Sweeney Todd
Ethan Coen, Joel Coen – No Country For Old Men

Julian Schnabel – The Diving Bell And The Butterfly

Ridley Scott – American Gangster

Joe Wright – Atonement

(I'd like to see SWEENEY TODD win big... Who do you like? ;)

HARRY POTTER AND THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX

It's funny, but even after reading all 7 Harry Potter Books, I still look forward to each new movie when it comes out, seeing it as soon as possible and then buying the DVDs as soon as they're available so I can watch them again and again. It's like going over to an old friends' place and seeing new things about them you didn't notice the last time you visited, catching up with any changes, seeing them in a new and different light than what you remember sometimes, but hopefully having a fun, fond visit.

The first 4 movies were excellent adaptations in my opinion, managing to reduce the huge tomes down to very watchable, entertaining 2-3 hour movies that were true to the spirit and characters of the stories. So I had high hopes for HARRY POTTER AND THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX, getting a chance to revisit a story I hadn't read for a while. (I try not to reread the book that goes with the movie right before seeing it, trying to let the movie stand on its own merits first, then going back to refresh my memory.)

Unfortunately, somewhere between the screenwriter, the editor and the director, (or maybe even the studio), it was decided that the people watching HARRY POTTER movies were looking for shorter and shorter movies, as if we don't have the attention span needed to sit and watch a movie that would do justice to J. K. Rowling's book, so this one got compressed and chopped up and speeded up so much that quite a bit of the storyline is lost and so is much of the message of this volume. It feels like they felt that substituting dark and brooding lighting and quick-cut flashbacky type scenes would be enough for audiences to 'get' the story, thus cutting out an extra, but much needed, 20-30 minutes from the film to make it fit what they felt was a more 'commercial' amount of time for a movie.

It's too bad because this book becomes a lynch pin in the story line, setting up the impending battle for the last two books, putting people into place, setting up sides for the final outcome. For anyone who hasn't read the books and only knows the stories from the movies, this one skips over too much or doesn't give enough screen time to important plot points for viewers to appreciate the intricacies. There's great cinematography and amazing sets, but no scene ever seems to last long enough to really establish the story - like quick dark sketches stitched together, almost more like a music video than a movie...

The actors, as always, are wonderful, though. The casting of these movies has always been spot on and make them worth watching in and of themselves, even with the odd editing. By using all Brits, the movies retain the very English look, feel and sensibilities of the books, something I appreciate.

Now if only the Powers That Be could figure out that Harry Potter fans would sit for 3 hours or even longer for a movie if it was done right, especially with such great actors, people I can't get enough of most times. Maybe they'll do a better job with movie 6, HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE. However, it's supposed to be by the same director as ORDER OF THE PHOENIX, but with the writer of the earlier ones doing the screenplay, so I'm hopeful they can work together this time to create the best HARRY POTTER movie yet...

In the meantime, off to go buy a copy of HPATOTP - while not my favorite of the series, still very watchable overall, and something to keep me in the Harryverse until the next one is released. (That and rereading the books, of course...) Plus I want to see the deleted scenes and other neat material included with the 2 DVD set. Probably a lot of what I missed in the movie hit the cutting room floor and this may finally be my chance to see what it was. (Or if I find a really good deal, I'd rather get the 3-disc set. Off bargain hunting on eBay and Amazon I go...)

(2007) Rated PG-13 for sequences of fantasy violence and frightening images

Starring Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Michael Gambon, Maggie Smith, Gary Oldman, Alan Rickman (and Many Many More!)

On Sale at eBay
On Sale at Amazon