The movie has good performances by Charlize Theron and especially Patton Oswalt, but a not-great script by Diablo Cody.
The official word: A brilliant and bittersweet comedy about the harsh realities of growing up, YOUNG ADULT debuts on Blu-ray and DVD (both with UltraViolet™) on March 13, 2012, as well as On Demand and for Digital Download on March 9, 2012 from Paramount Home Media Distribution. Nominated for a 2012 Golden Globe® for Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture—Comedy or Musical, Charlize Theron is “a comic force of nature” (Peter Travers, Rolling Stone) as Mavis Gary, a former prom queen and current writer of young adult novels who returns to her hometown in order to win back her now-married high school sweetheart. The film reunites director Jason Reitman (Up In The Air) with screenwriter Diablo Cody, whose work was nominated for Best Original Screenplay by the Writers Guild of America and the Broadcast Film Critics Association. Hailed as a “one-of-a-kind comedy” (Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment Weekly), YOUNG ADULT also stars Patton Oswalt as one of Mavis’ former classmates, a role that earned him nominations for Best Supporting Actor from the Los Angeles, Chicago, Toronto and Broadcast Film Critics Associations.

The YOUNG ADULT Blu-ray includes commentary by director Jason Reitman and additional crew, a look at the making of the film, a Q&A featuring Jason Reitman and film critic Janet Maslin, deleted scenes and a scene deconstruction. The DVD includes the commentary, scene deconstruction and select deleted scenes. All Blu-ray and DVD releases available for purchase will be enabled with UltraViolet, a new way to collect, access and enjoy movies. With UltraViolet, consumers can add movies to their digital collection in the cloud, and then stream or download them – reliably and securely – to a variety of devices.

More after the jump.

YOUNG ADULT Blu-ray

The YOUNG ADULT Blu-ray is presented in 1080p high definition with English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, French 5.1 Dolby Digital, Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital and English Audio Description, and with English, English SDH, French, Spanish and Portuguese subtitles. Special features are as follows:

o Commentary by director Jason Reitman, director of photography
Eric Steelberg and first assistant director/associate producer
Jason A. Blumenfeld

o Misery Loves Company: The Making of Young Adult

o The Awful Truth: Deconstructing a Scene

o Q&A featuring Janet Maslin & Jason Reitman at the Jacob Burns Film Center

o Deleted Scenes

YOUNG ADULT DVD

The DVD is presented in widescreen enhanced for 16:9 televisions with English 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround, French 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround, Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround and English Audio Description, and with English, French and Spanish subtitles. Special features are as follows:

o Commentary by director Jason Reitman, director of photography
Eric Steelberg and first assistant director/associate producer
Jason A. Blumenfeld

o The Awful Truth: Deconstructing a Scene

o Deleted Scenes

About YOUNG ADULT

Jason Reitman directs and produces “Young Adult” along with producers Lianne Halfon (“Juno,” “The Libertine”), Russell Smith (“Juno,” “The Libertine”), Mason Novick (“Jennifer’s Body,” “500 Days of Summer”) and Diablo Cody. Helen Estabrook (“Up in the Air”) serves as executive producer with Steven Rales (“Fantastic Mr. Fox,” “The Darjeerling Limited”) Nathan Kahane (“The Switch,” “Whip It”) and John Malkovich (“The Perks of Being a Wallflower”).

YOUNG ADULT

Street Date: March 13, 2012 (Blu-ray & DVD)

March 9, 2012 (On Demand & Digital Download)

SRP: $29.99 U.S. (Blu-ray)

$19.99 U.S (DVD)

Runtime: 93 minutes

U.S. Rating: R for language and some sexual content

Canadian Rating: 14A for coarse language and mature theme

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The official word: Continuing to focus on New Orleans in the aftermath of Katrina, the second season of the critically-acclaimed HBO series Treme tells the colorful, interwoven stories of a group of ordinary people who endure in the midst of unthinkable loss and hardship. From creators/executive producers David Simon and Eric Overmyer (HBO's The Wire®), the show has been hailed as "remarkable" (Chicago Tribune) and "riveting" (Reuters) with "fascinating characters" (The Washington Post). Releasing April 17, 2012, Treme: The Complete Second Season on Blu-ray ($79.98), DVD ($59.99) and Digital Download contain engaging featurettes that explore the vibrant culture and music that makes New Orleans one of America's most distinctive cities.

It's now 14 months post-Katrina and residents of the Crescent City are finding it harder than ever to rebuild their lives, much less hold on to their special cultural and musical identity. Some have left to become expatriates in places like New York City; others have been forced to sell their homes to outside developers. Those who remain cope with high crime levels and dwindling federal support. Still, the proud, even defiant spirit that defines the city lingers among its faithful inhabitants.

To complement a series that so authentically captures the flavor of the Big Easy and its compelling characters; the BD and DVD sets contain extraordinary behind-the-scenes features that delve deeper into the city's unique heritage.

Content includes:
"Down in the Treme: A Look at the Music and Culture of New Orleans" (BD only) – Learn more about New Orleans' unique culture including its music, cuisine and landmarks with this in-episode viewing mode.
"The Music of Treme" – Discover more about the songs featured throughout the series with this in-episode viewing mode. The BD features an enhanced, interactive version of this feature.
"Behind Treme: Food For Thought" – New Orleans chefs and restaurateurs John Besh and Alon Shaya discuss local cuisine and its importance to the cultural tradition of the city.
"Behind Treme: Clarke Peters & the Mardi Gras Indians" – Actor Clarke Peters (Albert Lambreaux) and Mardi Gradi Indian Chief Otto DeJean (George Cotrell) discuss the rich tradition of the Mardi Gras Indian in New Orleans.
"The Art of Treme" – A Tulane University symposium dedicated to Treme featuring David Simon, Eric Overmyer and Clarke Peters.
Music commentaries – Every episode features commentary by WBGO's Josh Jackson and NPR Music's Patrick Jarenwattananon on select music performances.
Audio commentaries – Four commentaries with David Simon, executive producer Nina Kostroff Noble, supervising producer/director Anthony Hemingway, director Brad Anderson, writer George Pelecanos, music supervisor Blake Leyh and cast members Clarke Peters, Rob Brown, Kim Dickens, Lucia Micarelli and Wendell Pierce.

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The official word: TV Land has picked up its hit original sitcom, “The Exes,” for a second season, it was announced today by Larry W. Jones, president, TV Land. “The Exes,” written by “Frasier” scribe Mark Reisman, stars critically-acclaimed actors Donald Faison (“Scrubs”), Wayne Knight (“Seinfeld,” “Hot in Cleveland”), David Alan Basche (“The Starter Wife”), Kelly Stables (“Two and a Half Men”) and Kristen Johnston (“3rd Rock From The Sun”).

Season two is set to premiere in June of this year along with the network’s new original sitcom, “Have Faith” (working title), starring Cedric “The Entertainer” and Niecy Nash. To date, “The Exes” has averaged an audience of 1.5 million total viewers, earning a .65 Adults 25-54 rating and a .81 among Women 25-54 (Source: Nielsen, 11/30/11-1/25/12, Wed 10:30p-11p, most current data). Guest stars this season have included Judith Light (“Who’s The Boss?”), Diedrich Bader (“The Drew Carey Show”), Janina Gavankar (“True Blood”), Ken Marino (“Party Down”) and NBA star Amar’e Stoudemire.

“‘The Exes’ has proven to be an excellent addition to our primetime line-up,” said Jones. “This cast of seasoned comedy performers and a writing team led by Mark Riesman are what keep our viewers coming back week after week. We can’t wait to get started on the second season.”

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I am still throwing up over the University of Akron (one of my alma maters and a sometime employer) hiring Jim Tressel. But entertainment news goes on. Here are some official words from CIFF:

There are only seven weeks until the 36th CIFF and only four weeks until CIFF members get to purchase tickets a week before the general public and at a discount price! Not a member? We can fix that for you. Click here to see which level of membership fits your film appetite. Want to avoid the ticket lines altogether? Check out any of our top three membership levels that include all-access passes (no tickets necessary!).

CIFF members will also enjoy discounts on tickets and merchandise, as well as access to such website features as film schedule builders and film comment and rating tools.

The 36th CIFF’s program information will be available at www.clevelandfilm.org the week of February 20th, with 36th CIFF Program Guides hitting the streets the first week in March.

To become a member, click here or contact Debbie Marshall (216.623.3456 x10 or marshall@clevelandfilm.org).

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The official word: It's no secret that all good things must come to an end. The final season of this fan-favorite series will be available on Blu-ray Hi-Def and DVD on May 8, 2012 from Warner Home Video. Chuck: The Complete Fifth and Final Season includes all 13 episodes from Season Five plus over 3 hours of never-before-seen bonus features, including six brand-new featurettes, two full-length commentaries, deleted scenes, gag reel, and an extended version of the series finale episode. The Blu-ray will be released in 1080p Full HD Video and will feature DTS-HD Master Audio for English 5.1. Chuck: The Complete Fifth and Final Season is priced to own at $39.98 SRP on DVD and $49.99 SRP on Blu-ray.

In the fifth and final season, Chuck is ready to take Operation Bartowski freelance. Chuck's spy abilities will be put to a new test when he and his team must save mankind without the help of the CIA. Instead, they'll use the cover of the Buy More electronics store to fund their own operations, leading to new missions, new stakes and new obstacles. With Chuck and Sarah as newlyweds and his family in on his secret, it has never been harder for Chuck to separate his spy life from his personal life. …

Chuck: The Complete Fifth and Final Season DVD and Blu-ray releases will also include a NEW UltraVioletTM Digital Copy which allows consumers to download and stream all 13 episodes via Wi-Fi to computers and compatible iOS and Android devices. …

BLU-RAY & DVD FEATURES

· Chuck: The Final Episode – An intimate look at the climactic shooting of the final episode (featurette)

· Sandwiches and Superfans: The Saving of a Show (featurette)

· Spy Tunes: Scoring the World of Chuck (featurette)

· Chuck: The Beginnings (featurette)

· Chuck: Through the Years (featurette)

· Chuck: The Future (featurette)

· 2 full-length audio commentaries on the final two episodes by executive producers and key cast members

· “Declassified” scenes

· Gag Reel

· Full versions of the Buy More TV commercials with Big Mike and Captain Awesome

· Extended version of the series finale episode

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The official word on the Oscar-nominated film: Things aren’t always as they seem in the Oscar®-nominated, suspenseful, and stylish thriller from director Tomas Alfredson (Let the Right One In), based on the classic novel by John le Carré. Focus Features’ Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy will be available on Blu-ray™Combo Pack with UltraViolet™,on DVD,on Digital Download and On-Demand March 20, 2012, from Universal Studios Home Entertainment. At the height of the Cold War, Britain’s Secret Intelligence Service (SIS), a.k.a. MI6 and code-named the Circus, has been compromised. An ever-watchful former top lieutenant and career spy, George Smiley (Gary Oldman, The Dark Knight, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix ), is called out of retirement by the government to help identify and track a suspected mole at the top of the agency. The list of suspects is narrowed to five men. Even before the startling truth is revealed, the emotional and physical tolls on the players enmeshed in the deadly international spy game will escalate…Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is Academy Award®-nominated for Best Actor (Gary Oldman), Best Adapted Screenplay (Bridget O’Connor & Peter Straughan), and Best Original Score (Alberto Iglesias); and is nominated for 11 BAFTA Awards including Best Film and Best Actor.

Also starring Oscar® winner Colin Firth (The King’s Speech) with Benedict Cumberbatch (“Sherlock”), David Dencik (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo), Tom Hardy (Inception), Ciarán Hinds (The Debt), Oscar® nominee John Hurt (Midnight Express), Toby Jones (The Hunger Games), and Mark Strong (Robin Hood), Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is “a pleasurably sly and involving puzzler” (Manohla Dargis, The New York Times) and showcases “easily one of the year’s best pictures – Gary Oldman gives a performance that is flawless in every detail.” (Peter Travers, Rolling Stone).

Included with the Blu-ray™ Combo Pack is an all-new UltraViolet™ copy of the film. UltraViolet™ is the revolutionary new way for consumers to collect movies and TV shows, put them in the cloud and download and stream instantly to computers, tablets and smartphones and soon, consumers can download to devices of their choice too. The Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy Blu-ray™ Combo Pack also includes a Digital Copy of the film which is compatible with iTunes®, iPad®, iPhone®, iPod™ touch, Android or other retail partners. So now, consumers can truly enjoy their movies and TV shows anytime, anywhere, on the platform of their choice!

More details after the jump.
BONUS FEATURES EXCLUSIVE TO Blu-rayTM : Unleash the power of your HDTV with perfect hi-def picture and perfect hi-def sound.

TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY: FIRST LOOK
DELETED SCENES
INTERVIEW WITH AUTHOR JOHN LE CARRÉ
BD-LIVETM : Access the BD-Live™ Center through your Internet-connected player to watch the latest trailers and more!
pocket BLUTM app: The groundbreaking pocket BLU™ app uses iPad®, iPhone®, iPod® touch, Android™, PC and Mac® to work seamlessly with a network-connected Blu-ray™ player. Plus iPad® and Android™ tablet owners can enjoy a new, enhanced edition of pocket BLU™ made especially to take advantage of the tablets’ larger screen and high resolution display. Consumers will be able to browse through a library of Blu-ray™ content and watch entertaining extras on-the-go in a way that’s bigger and better than ever before. pocket BLU™ offers advanced features such as:
Advanced Remote Control: A sleek, elegant new way to operate your Blu-ray™ player. Users can navigate through menus, playback and BD-Live™ functions with ease.
Video Timeline: Users can easily bring up the video timeline, allowing them to instantly access any point in the film.

BONUS FEATURES EXCLUSIVE TO Blu-rayTM CONTINUED:

Mobile-To-Go: Users can unlock a selection of bonus content with their Blu-ray™ discs to save to their device or to stream from anywhere there is a Wi-Fi network, enabling them to enjoy content on the go, anytime, anywhere.
Browse Titles: Users will have access to a complete list of pocket BLU™-enabled titles available and coming to
Blu-ray™ Hi-Def. They can view free previews and see what additional content is available to unlock on their device.
Keyboard: Entering data is fast and easy with your device’s intuitive keyboard.
uHEAR™: Never miss another line of dialogue with this innovative feature that instantly skips back a few seconds on your
Blu-ray™ disc and turns on the subtitles to highlight what you missed.

BONUS FEATURES (BLU-RAY™ and DVD):

INTERVIEWS WITH ACTORS GARY OLDMAN, COLIN FIRTH, TOM HARDY; DIRECTOR TOMAS ALFREDSON; AND SCREENWRITER PETER STRAUGHAN
FEATURE COMMENTARY WITH DIRECTOR TOMAS ALFREDSON AND ACTOR GARY OLDMAN

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The date is set. And, if you've missed the very weird trailer for the new season, here it is:

And here is the official word on the new season debut: Army Wives, Lifetime’s most
successful series in the network’s history, will return for its sixth season
with all-new episodes beginning Sunday, March 4 at 9 p.m. ET/PT.  Immediately
following at 10pm ET/PT will be new episodes of Coming Home, Lifetime’s
award-winning docu-series featuring U.S. armed forces service members’ surprise
family reunions.

Army Wives follows the struggles, dreams and friendships of a diverse group of women – and one man – living with their spouses and families on an active army post.
The series stars Kim Delaney, Sally Pressman, Brigid Brannagh, Brian
McNamara, Sterling K. Brown, Wendy Davis, Drew Fuller, Terry Serpico and
Catherine Bell.  Television icon Susan Lucci (All My Children) is set to
make several special guest star appearances this season as Audrey, the wife of a
retired Brigadier General, reuniting her with her former All My Children co-star
Delaney.

The sixth season of Army Wives will see significant changes
to the tribe.  As they prepare to leave the recently decommissioned Fort Marshall and go their separate ways, one of them will be bidding a final farewell. In the season premiere, Roxy
(Pressman) is having a hard time adjusting to the idea of moving away from her close knit group of friends, especially Pamela (Brannagh), while Michael (McNamara) and Claudia Joy (Delaney) face a tough decision about their future.  Despite the turmoil, Denise (Bell) and Frank
(Serpico) are planning a party for Molly's first birthday, which may be the last
time the group gathers to celebrate a milestone.  But when Joan (Davis) gets word of a potentially deadly event that will descend on Fort Marshall, the tribe must
band together yet again and prepare for their lives to change in an
instant. …

Coming Home follows the unforgettable and inspiring surprise reunions of members of all five branches of the military with their spouses, children, parents and other loved ones as they return home from active duty throughout the world.  Hosted by former American Idol finalist Matt Rogers, each episode highlights multiple reunions featuring service members and their emotional stories.

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Don Cornelius in 1973 (Getty Images)

The "Soul Train" host and impresario has died; initial reports indicated it was a suicide but now stories are backing away from that. The New York Times has a report here.

I remember watching his show faithfully in my younger years; it was a bracing alternative to the increasingly bland "American Bandstand," as well as the imprimatur for any artist wanting to establish black-music credibility; David Bowie in his "Young Americans"/"Station to Station" period was a guest. But Cornelius never quite reached the success level of Dick Clark, battling to get good clearances for his show; he complained more than once about lousy time slots in Cleveland, where his show would air at 2 a.m.

After the jump, I have posted a 1995 interview with Cornelius by Lynn Elber of the Associated Press, marking "Soul Train's" 25th anniversary.

Here's the story as it ran in the Akron Beacon Journal on Aug. 6, 1995.

Don Cornelius fondly calls it "that little dance show."
He's talking about Soul Train, the syndicated program he created, which is celebrating its 25th season this fall.
Soul Train, once dubbed the black American Bandstand, is clearly more than just a musical showcase. It brought a black presence to television at a time when such representation was rare.
The show, with the whimsical cartoon train and whistle that opens each edition and its sharp eye for talent, has become the cornerstone of a Cornelius entertainment empire.
Since he worked as producer-host-salesman to launch Soul Train as a local offering on Chicago's WCIU-TV, Cornelius has gone from independent producer to partnership with Tribune Entertainment Co., now the show's distributor. (It airs locally at 2 a.m. Sunday on WKYC, Channel 3.)
He joined this year with the likes of famed musician-producer Quincy Jones and TV host Geraldo Rivera in a Tribune-backed TV station ownership venture. Cornelius continues to expand black-oriented programming with a series of Soul Train award shows.
His latest effort, Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards, airs in syndication tonight through Aug. 20 and salutes such performers as Aretha Franklin, Whitney Houston, En Vogue and Janet Jackson.
The ceremony's hosts are model-actress Tyra Banks, singer Gladys Knight and musician Brian McKnight.
Cornelius, to be inducted this fall into the Broadcasting & Cable Hall of Fame, took time recently to reflect on his career, his role as a black entrepreneur and the philosophy that supports him.
"My thing is to always take it (an idea) as far as your ability allows you," he offers. "It's a modest, measured point of view that everyone would do well to practice."
And this: "You have to dream," Cornelius says. "I dreamed everything. I used to introduce Marvin Gaye in my living room. So when the time came that I was going to really introduce guys like Marvin Gaye and Steve Wonder, I had done it before."
On racism and coping with it: "Every day there is something I am entitled to that is not available to me because I'm black." But, he adds, "Why dwell … I preach this within the company: Don't let 'em break your stride."
Finally this: "You gotta know when to take the shot and when to pass the ball off and say 'You all play with it awhile.' I have to, in all modesty, concede that when I was given the ball, I made the shot."
The ex-Marine started taking his shots in performing as a radio disc jockey at Chicago station WVON. That's where listeners first heard the distinctively measured and rich Cornelius rumble.
He later worked as a sportscaster and news announcer in TV (he was good, he says, but didn't have the "chops" of a Walter Cronkite) before he gave birth to Soul Train.
The impetus: He saw a void that needed to be filled, Cornelius said. And a goal he was confident of meeting.
"You want to do what you're capable of doing. If I saw (Dick Clark's) American Bandstand and I saw dancing and I knew black kids can dance better; and I saw white artists and I knew black artists make better music; and if I saw a white host and I knew a black host could project a hipper line of speech, and I did know all these things," he said, then it was reasonable to try.
Cornelius served as Soul Train host from 1970 to 1993. He now turns the job over to a different celebrity each week.
The Soul Train awards shows began, Cornelius says, because he saw another unfulfilled need.
"There'd been grumbling in the industry as far back as I could remember that people didn't like the way black music was treated in the established award shows," he said.
"Black music, as big and important as it was, was an afterthought at somebody else's party. So we said we'll make sure it has its own party" — the Soul Train Music Awards.
"We're basically doing the same thing about women. They're just too important in this business to ignore," Cornelius said.
Despite his track record, the producer says it's an ongoing battle for minority programming to gain TV ground. Despite the large black populations of St. Louis and Cleveland, he says, Soul Train airs at obscure times.
"What is the programming you are providing blacks in this market that satisfies them to the extent you can put Soul Train on at 3 o'clock in the morning? Nobody can answer that."

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The official word: Television and movie legend William Shatner will bring his one man show SHATNER’S WORLD: WE JUST LIVE IN IT (www.shatnersworld.com) to the State Theatre in Cleveland, OH on April 14. Tickets go on sale February 3rd at 10:00 a.m. The show will play a three week run at Broadway’s Music Box Theatre from February 14 – March 4.

Tickets can be purchased at the State Theatre box office or at www.playhousesquare.org. Ticket prices range from $29.00 – $299.00.

The two-hour show will take audiences on a voyage through Shatner’s life and career, from Shakespearean stage actor to internationally known icon and raconteur, known as much for his unique persona as for his expansive body of work on television and film.

“I’m looking forward to taking this show on the road and playing for audiences across the country, says William Shatner. “It’s taken me 80 years to get this show right! “

SHATNER’S WORLD: WE JUST LIVE IN IT is produced by Innovation Arts & Entertainment; Larry A Thompson Organization; Adam Troy Epstein; Larry A Thompson; Seth Keyes; and Josh Sherman. The show is directed by Scott Faris. Other creative team members include: Edward Pierce, Scenic Design; Ken Billington, Lighting Design; and Peter Fitzgerald, Sound Design.

For tour updates follow @WilliamShatner or on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/ShatnersWorld

More info after the jump.

William Shatner is an award-winning actor, director, producer, writer, recording artist, philanthropist and horseman. In 1966, he originated the role of Captain James T. Kirk in the TV series Star Trek, which spawned a film franchise where he returned as Kirk in seven of the movies, one of which he directed. He played the title role in the hit series T.J. Hooker before hosting TV’s first reality-based series, Rescue 911. He won Emmys and his first Golden Globe for his portrayal of Denny Crane on The Practice and Boston Legal and received four more Emmy nominations as well as Golden Globe and SAG Award nods. His interview series, Shatner's Raw Nerve, aired on Bio, and he recorded the critically acclaimed album Has Been. The Milwaukee Ballet performed “Common People,” which was set to songs from the record; the event is featured in the documentary Gonzo Ballet. Seeking Major Tom, featuring a number of heavy metal covers and songs by U2, Frank Sinatra, Queen and Pink Floyd, was released last year. Shatner has authored nearly 30 best-sellers.
His autobiography, Up Till Now, was a New York Times best-seller, and Shatner Rules was released in 2011. His comic book series,William Shatner Presents is based on his novels Tek War, Man O’ War, and Quest for Tomorrow, along with a new title: Chimera. He has also been successful in another area – horse breeding. A dedicated breeder of American Quarter horses, he has had enormous success with the American Saddlebred, developing and riding world champions and has won numerous world championships in several events. He united his passions for horses and philanthropy with the Hollywood Charity Horse Show, benefitting L.A.-based children’s charities. He appeared on Broadway in A Shot in the Dark, The World of Suzie Wong, and Tamburlaine the Great. And no, there is nothing this man does not do.
2012 U.S. Tour Dates
March 10 Los Angeles, CA Pantages Theatre
March 11 San Francisco, CA Orpheum Theatre
March 13 Philadelphia, PA Merriam Theater
March 15 Minneapolis, MN Orpheum Theatre
March 16 Chicago, IL Auditorium Theatre
March 18 Milwaukee, WI Riverside Theatre
March 20 Denver, CO Temple Hoyne Buell Theatre
March 22 Dallas, TX Majestic Theatre
March 23 Houston, TX Jones Hall
April 12 St. Louis, MO Peabody Opera House
April 13 Cincinnati, OH Proctor and Gamble Hall
April 14 Cleveland, OH State Theatre
April 15 Columbus, OH Ohio Theatre
April 17 Charlotte, NC Blumenthal Center
April 19 Detroit, MI Opera House

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On Super Bowl Sunday, no less. The official word:
On Sunday, February 5th, beginning at 9:00am ET/PT, ABC Family will air a “Bring it On-a-Thon,” airing the five movies in the popular franchise back-to-back, featuring such ABC Family stars as Ashley Benson (“Pretty Little Liars”), Francia Raisa (“The Secret Life of the American Teenager”) and Cassie Scerbo (“Make It or Break It”). Following the marathon, the network will air “Mamma Mia,” at 7:00pm ET/PT, and “Dirty Dancing” at 9:30pm ET/PT.

Sunday, February 5 (all times Eastern/Pacific)

9:00AM Bring It On Again starring Anne Judson-Yager and Bree Turner
When the leaders of the varsity cheerleading squad alienate the wrong people, they find themselves in a battle against an alternative cheer squad to represent the university.

11:00AM Bring It On: In It to Win It starring Ashley Benson, Cassie Scerbo and Michael Copon
A high-school senior (Ashley Benson) falls for a fellow cheerleader (Michael Copon), not realizing that he is on a rival squad.

1:00 PM Bring It On starring Kirsten Dunst, Eliza Dushku and Gabrielle Union
An urban cheerleading squad accuses a champion team's captain (Kirsten Dunst) of stealing its choreography on the eve of a national competition.

3:00PM Bring It On: Fight to the Finish starring Christina Milian and Rachele Brooke Smith
After her widowed mother remarries a wealthy man, Lina (Christina Milian) must transfer from her high school in East LA to a posh, West Los Angeles high school where she clashes with Avery (Rachele Brooke Smith), the snobby, ultra-competitive cheerleading captain when she tries to qualify for the team.

5:00PM Bring It On: All or Nothing starring Hayden Panettiere, Solange Knowles, and Francia Raisa
When her family moves across town, a teenager (Hayden Panettiere) must win over the head cheerleader (Solange Knowles) to make the squad.

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That's two days after the Oscars…

The official word: Renowned director Martin Scorsese’s groundbreaking and original adventure HUGO makes its highly-anticipated debut on Blu-ray 3D, Blu-ray and DVD, all with UltraViolet™, On Demand and for Digital Download on February 28, 2012 from Paramount Home Media Distribution. Recipient of more Academy Award nominations than any other film, HUGO was honored with 11 total—including Best Picture and Best Director—and has already won Martin Scorsese the Golden Globe for Best Director, was named the best film of 2011 by the National Board of Review, and was cited by more than 150 critics as one of the top 10 films of the year. . . .

HUGO will be available in a three-disc Blu-ray 3D/Blu-ray/DVD combo pack, as well as a two-disc Blu-ray/DVD combo pack, each of which boast nearly an hour of behind-the-scenes special features including an illuminating making-of featurette, a retrospective on the extraordinary genius of filmmaker Georges Méliès, a look at the mechanical man at the heart of HUGO, plus interviews with the cast and crew and more. The film will also be available as a single-disc DVD. All Blu-ray and DVD releases available for purchase will be enabled with UltraViolet, a new way to collect, access and enjoy movies. With UltraViolet, consumers can add movies to their digital collection in the cloud, and then stream or download them – reliably and securely – to a variety of devices.

Details after the jump.

HUGO Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack

The HUGO Blu-ray is presented in 1080p high definition with English 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, French 5.1 Dolby Digital, Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital, Portuguese 5.1 Dolby Digital and English Audio Description and English, English SDH, French, Spanish and Portuguese subtitles. The DVD in the combo pack is presented in widescreen enhanced for 16:9 TVs with Dolby Digital English 5.1 Surround, French 5.1 Surround, Spanish 5.1 Surround and English Audio Description and English, French, Spanish and Portuguese subtitles. The combo pack includes access to a digital copy of the film as well as the following:

Blu-ray

· Feature film in high definition

· Shoot the Moon (The Making of Hugo)

· The Cinemagician, Georges Méliès

· The Mechanical Man at the Heart of Hugo

· Big Effects, Small Scale

· Sacha Baron Cohen: Role of a Lifetime

DVD

· Feature film in standard definition

HUGO Blu-ray 3D/Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack

Available for $44.99, the HUGO Blu-ray 3D/Blu-ray/DVD combo pack includes all of the above, plus a Blu-ray 3D presented in 1080p high definition with English 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, French 5.1 Dolby Digital, Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital, Portuguese 5.1 Dolby Digital and English Audio Description and English, English SDH, French, Spanish and Portuguese subtitles. Available for $39.99, the Blu-ray 3D includes the feature film presented in high definition and 3D.

HUGO Single-Disc DVD

Available for $29.99, the single-disc DVD is presented in widescreen enhanced for 16:9 TVs with Dolby Digital English 5.1 Surround, French 5.1 Surround, Spanish 5.1 Surround and English Audio Description and English, French and Spanish subtitles. The disc includes the feature film in standard definition and Shoot The Moon (The Making of Hugo).

HUGO Synopsis

Welcome to a magical world of spectacular adventure! When wily and resourceful Hugo discovers a secret left by his father, he unlocks a mystery and embarks on a quest that will transform those around him and lead to a safe and loving place he can call home. Academy Award-winning** filmmaker Martin Scorsese invites you to experience a thrilling journey that critics are calling “the stuff dreams are made of.” (Peter Travers, Rolling Stone).

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I have seen "Beginners" (which is also on video), and it's quite good, especially Christopher Plummer, who is considered the favorite for the supporting-actor Oscar. Still trying to get to "My Week With Marilyn," which is hard to find right now, so this may be a good opportunity. Tickets are $5. The info from the Palace:

"Beginners" February 2nd & 4th 7:30pm
“Beginners” commences as Oliver (Ewan McGregor) is cleaning out the house after his father
Hal (Christopher Plummer – Nominateed for Best Supporting Actor) has lost his battle with
Stage 4 cancer. Oliver nonchalantly recounts via voice-over his father’s announcing his gay predilections after wife Georgia (Mary Page Keller) passed away, then subsequently joining
gay social clubs and carousing at gay discos before meeting a much younger boyfriend,
Andy (Goran Visnjic). Oliver jogs his memory further back to his parents’ perfunctory, love-
less marriage that has spelled doom for his own series of love affairs. But if blame is to be cast,
it is only cast toward a time when people thought therapy or marriage could “fix” homosexuality.
Rated R for language some sexual content.
105 minutes Comedy/Drama

“My Week with Marilyn” February 9th, 10th & 12th 7:30pm
In the summer of 1956, Hollywood star Marilyn Monroe (Michelle Williams) arrived on British
soil to produce & star in ‘The Prince and the Showgirl’, co-starring & directed by acting legend
Sir Laurence Olivier (Kenneth Branagh). On the same shoot was then 23 year-old Colin Clark (Eddie Redmayne), an Oxford graduate from a well-established family who was desperate to
make it as a filmmaker, and as a third aassitant director on the film, found himself in the most intimate situation with the screen siren, who confided in him during one magical week. Nominations for Best Actress & Best Supporting Actor.
Rated R for some language 99 minutes Drama

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I did not watch the ceremony, since I try to live on a low-awards-show diet. And, looking at the list, I have some issues. But for those of you who do care, here's the recap:

THEATRICAL MOTION PICTURES

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role
JEAN DUJARDIN / George – "THE ARTIST" (The Weinstein Company)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role
VIOLA DAVIS / Aibileen Clark – “THE HELP” (DreamWorks Pictures / Touchstone Pictures)

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role
CHRISTOPHER PLUMMER / Hal – “BEGINNERS” (Focus Features)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role
OCTAVIA SPENCER / Minny Jackson – “THE HELP” (DreamWorks Pictures / Touchstone Pictures)

Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
THE HELP (DreamWorks Pictures / Touchstone Pictures)
JESSICA CHASTAIN / Celia Foote
VIOLA DAVIS / Aibileen Clark
BRYCE DALLAS HOWARD / Hilly Holbrook
ALLISON JANNEY / Charlotte Phelan
CHRIS LOWELL / Stuart Whitworth
AHNA O’REILLY / Elizabeth Leefolt
SISSY SPACEK / Missus Walters
OCTAVIA SPENCER / Minny Jackson
MARY STEENBURGEN / Elaine Stein
EMMA STONE / Skeeter Phelan
CICELY TYSON / Constantine Jefferson
MIKE VOGEL / Johnny Foote

PRIMETIME TELEVISION

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries
PAUL GIAMATTI / Ben Bernanke – “TOO BIG TO FAIL” (HBO)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries
KATE WINSLET / Mildred Pierce – “MILDRED PIERCE” (HBO)

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series
STEVE BUSCEMI / Enoch “Nucky” Thompson – “BOARDWALK EMPIRE” (HBO)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series
JESSICA LANGE / Constance – “AMERICAN HORROR STORY” (FX)

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series
ALEC BALDWIN / Jack Donaghy – “30 ROCK” (NBC)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series
BETTY WHITE / Elka Ostrovsky – “HOT IN CLEVELAND” (TV Land)

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series
BOARDWALK EMPIRE (HBO)
STEVE BUSCEMI / Enoch “Nucky” Thompson
DOMINIC CHIANESE / Leander Cephas Whitlock
ROBERT CLOHESSY / Ward Boss Jim Neary
DABNEY COLEMAN / Commodore Louis Kaestner
CHARLIE COX / Owen Sleater
JOSIE & LUCY GALLINA / Emily Schroeder
STEPHEN GRAHAM / Al Capone
JACK HUSTON / Richard Harrow
ANTHONY LACIURA / Eddie Kessler
HEATHER LIND / Katy
KELLY MACDONALD / Margaret Schroeder
RORY & DECLAN McTIGUE / Teddy Schroeder
GRETCHEN MOL / Gillian Darmody
BRADY & CONNOR NOON/ Tommy Darmody
KEVIN O’ROURKE / Mayor Edward Bader
ALEKSA PALLADINO / Angela Darmody
JACQUELINE PENNEWILL / Lilian
VINCENT PIAZZA / Lucky Luciano
MICHAEL PITT / Jimmy Darmody
MICHAEL SHANNON / Agent Nelson Van Alden
PAUL SPARKS / Mickey Doyle
MICHAEL STUHLBARG / Arnold Rothstein
PETER VAN WAGNER / Isaac “Icky” Ginsburg
SHEA WHIGHAM / Sheriff Elias Thompson
MICHAEL KENNETH WILLIAMS / Chalky White
ANATOL YUSEF / Meyer Lansky

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series
MODERN FAMILY (ABC)
AUBREY ANDERSON-EMMONS / Lily
JULIE BOWEN / Claire
TY BURRELL / Phil
JESSE TYLER FERGUSON / Mitchell
NOLAN GOULD / Luke
SARAH HYLAND / Haley
ED O’NEILL / Jay
RICO RODRIGUEZ / Manny
ERIC STONESTREET / Cameron
SOFIA VERGARA / Gloria
ARIEL WINTER / Alex

SAG HONORS FOR STUNT ENSEMBLES
Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture
HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS: PART 2 (WARNER BROS. PICTURES)
Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Television Series
GAME OF THRONES (HBO)

LIFE ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Screen Actors Guild Awards 48th Annual Life Achievement Award
MARY TYLER MOORE

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I meant to get around to recommending "Namath," which premiered Saturday on HBO (and which you should stil give a look). My interest was not only professional but personal. Here's why:

Not long after the above issue of Sports Illustrated appeared in 1970, the magazine published a host of letters denouncing the image and the man, Joe Namath, showcased on the cover. (The woman, by the way, is actress Victoria George, who was co-starring with Namath in a movie called "The Last Rebel.") And not long after that, a letter appeared in the magazine saying the following:

After noting the mass indignation (19TH HOLE, Aug. 31) that greeted your Aug. 17 cover portrait of Joe Namath, I can only feel that the cover summed up Joe perfectly. He is doing what he wants, the way he wants, in the face of criticism.

I wrote that letter; it was my first writing in print outside of school publications. I was 19 years old and a Namath fan. I had watched his Super Bowl triumph over the Baltimore Colts. I had seen his commercials. I had not seen his movies, which was probably a good thing; being other people was never Namath's forte. BUt I was, and am, fascinated by the guy, maybe more so because of "Namath."

Geena Davis will be speaking locally on Monday, and I chatted with her last week. The interview is here.

This week's video column is here. It includes comments about "Transformers: Dark of the Moon," "Drive," "The Big Year," "Texas Killing Fields" and the new release of "To Kill A Mockingbird."

I neglected to note that "Dark of the Moon" was also released a few months ago; this new release includes a 3D version and extras, which were absent from the previous release.

I have not found my review of "Luck," which premieres on HBO tonight, online yet. So, based on the four episodes I have seen (out of nine), I recommend it here. From David Milch and Michael Mann, with a large and fine cast topped by Dustin Hoffman, it is effective throughout.

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The Regal Independence offered this warning to moviegoers…

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From the folks at the Cinematheque: Don Hertzfeldt, an Oscar-nominated indie animator with a huge nationwide following, will make a special in-person appearance on Friday, February 24, at 7:30 pm at the Cleveland Institute of Art Cinematheque, 11141 East Boulevard in University Circle. “An Evening with Don Hertzfeldt” will include the Cleveland premiere of Hertzfeldt’s latest work, the 23-min. It’s such a beautiful day, the third and final part of his “Bill” trilogy. (A character named Bill stars in all three movies.) The other two parts of the trilogy, Everything will be OK (2006) and I am so proud of you (2008), another Cleveland premiere, also will be shown, along with other Hertzfeldt short films.

Hertzfeldt’s distinctive, hand-drawn, stick-figure-filled cartoons include some of the funniest and most popular short films ever shown at the Cinematheque – among them Billy’s Balloon, Rejected, and Ah, L’Amour. His movies can be surreal and absurdist, sick and twisted, poignant and tragicomic, or all of the above. Though only 35, Hertzfeldt has already won the Jury Prize at Sundance (for Everything Will Be OK), been nominated for the Short Film Palme d’Or at Cannes (for Billy’s Balloon), and been nominated for an Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film (for Rejected). His films have been shown on MTV, Bravo, the Sundance Channel, Showtime, and the Cartoon Network, among others. In 2003 he and Mike Judge founded and curated The Animation Show, a biennial tour of outstanding animated short films. (The first three Animation Shows played in Cleveland exclusively at the Cinematheque.)

Admission to “An Evening with Don Hertzfeldt” is $12; Cinematheque members and Cleveland Institute of Art I.D. holders $9; ages 25 & under $7 (with proof of age). Advance $12 and $9 tickets can be purchased online at www.brownpapertickets.com/event/216679. $7 tickets will be sold only at the door — after 6:45 pm on February 24. (end announcement)

The Cinematheque has also set showings of Lars von Trier's "Melancholia" on Feb. 12 and 13. The description of the film: Named Best Film of 2011 by both the National Society of Film Critics and the European Film Awards, Lars von Trier’s latest movie is a visually stunning drama with an all-star cast (Kirsten Dunst, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Kiefer Sutherland, Charlotte Rampling, Stellan Skarsgård, John Hurt, et al.). Set at a lavish estate, the film follows two sisters at a disaster-laden, dusk-to-dawn wedding reception—and later at the mansion as a rogue planet heads toward earth on a possible collision course. Essential viewing! 35mm color & scope print! In English. 136 min. www.melancholiathemovie.com

UNIVERSITY OF AKRON NEWS

The official word: A new documentary about the 35-year search by Argentinian grandmothers to find their missing grandchildren will be shown at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 2, at The University of Akron’s Student Union Theater, 303 E. Carroll St.

The UA School of Communication is sponsoring the free screening of "Las Abuelas de Plaza de Mayo and The Search for Identity" as part of campus activities during UA’s fifth annual “Rethinking Race: Black, White and Beyond” Jan. 27-Feb. 10.

The members of Las Abuelas de Plaza de Mayo en Argentina are committed to finding their lost grandchildren, stolen, they believe, by the government of their country some 30 years ago.

At least 10,000, and, some estimate, as many as 30,000 dissidents of the military dictatorship were kidnapped, tortured and killed during Argentina's Dirty War (1976-1983). They became known as Los Desaparecidos — the disappeared.

Some of the women were pregnant or were new mothers when they were captured, and their infants ended up in homes of government officials and others sympathetic to the regime. So far Las Abuelas has located more than 100 of the missing children, many who had no knowledge of their past or true identities. Some 400 remain missing.

Visit http://searchforidentitydocumentary.com for more information about the documentary. Visit http://www.uakron.edu/race/ for more information about “Rethinking Race: Black, White and Beyond” at UA.

(Consumer advisory: I have a graduate degree from UA and have taught there.)

EPSTEIN GONE

You may have seen the news of the death of Robert Hegyes, who played Epstein on "Welcome Back, Kotter." One obit is here and Hegyes' website is here. I interviewed him many years ago when I was working in Schenectady and he was touring in the Groucho Marx play. I remember him as being very formal and businesslike, almost coldly so; even though he was staying a short hop from my office, he did the interview by telephone because he was working on some other projects at the same time. But his work on "Kotter" was certainly funny. and I think of Epstein as getting more past the catchphrases and single-topic jokes than others on the show.  And he went on to other respectable work, including on "Cagney & Lacey" in its later seasons. There's an interesting take on what he meant to many viewers here.

ANOTHER "CSI" DEPARTURE

The two-part farewell to Willows (Marg Helgenberger) on "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" just reminded of what the show used to be. Often displaying a coolness about science, it has gotten melodramatic more often in recent years and went full-bore for these episodes. Shootouts! Burnt bodies! Conspiracies! Betrayal! And through it all, I kept thinking that Grissom never would have approved; indeed, when it proved that bugs were a key clue in the case, I kept hoping that someone would give Gil a call. Instead, we got a seemingly elaborate plot which wasn't all that clever. (You should have been suspicious the moment we saw burned bodies. I know I was. And the CSI's should have been more so.) And Willows' farewell speech felt flat, forced. And no one can top the "I treasure you people" moments on "The Mary Tyler Moore Show."

That being said, "CSI" survived Grissom's departure, at least for me.  (It is also the only "CSI" I watch consistently.) I liked where Laurence Fishburne took his character, and am finding Ted Danson really intriguing. But the show has a tougher task in replacing Willows, not only because Helgenberger is good, but because she was a crucial link between modern Las Vegas and the old Vegas whose history keeps playing a role in the "CSI" cases. Now the link will have to be forged in some other, likely more awkward way – that, or Willows' new job will still allow for occasional reconnections with the "CSI" gang.

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The official word: WMJI 105.7 FM will host the 2012 Moondog Coronation Ball Saturday, March 31, at
7 p.m. at Quicken Loans Arena. This marks the 60th Anniversary of the original Moondog Coronation Ball
held at the Cleveland Arena in 1952.
Moondog 2012 will feature Creedence Clearwater Revisited, KC and The Sunshine Band, Mickey
Dolenz of the Monkees and Sam Moore of “Sam & Dave”. . . . .
Tickets, $67.50, $52.50 & $37.50 go on sale Friday, February 3rd at 10:00am at the Q Box Office, charge by phone at 888-894-9424, online at theQarena.com and at all northern Ohio Discount Drug Marts.

Performer details after the jump.

Stu Cook and Doug "Cosmo" [Clifford] are founding members of Creedence Clearwater Revival. They may not have intended it, but their band Creedence Clearwater Revisited has taken on a startling life of its own.Stu and Cosmo along with lead singer/rhythm guitar player John Tristao lead guitarist Kurt Griffey and multi-instrumentalist Steve Gunner add a new chapter to their legacy with vibrant and exhilarating energy and pure American spirit. As the Hollywood Reporter's music critic John Lappen wrote about a Creedence Clearwater Revisited concert in Los Angeles, "Their set was an amazing list of hit after hit that was done serious justice by the players involved…”. Creedence Clearwater Revival was inducted in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1993. The band enjoyed 12 Top 40 hits and 5 of those were 2-sided hits.
Harry Wayne Casey, better known as the founder and leader of KC and The Sunshine Band, created his
"Sunshine Soundı a mix of Pop, Reggae and Latin back in 1973. His music originated with humble
beginnings in Hialeah, Florida and KC has never moved farther than 10miles away. KC & The Sunshine
Band became the first act to score four #1 pop singles in one12-month period since the Beatles in 1964.
In all, these Grammy-Award winners have sold in excess of 100 million records, have been featured on
more than 200 motion picture film soundtracks and scored 11 Top 40 hits.
Micky Dolenz auditioned for "The Monkees" TV series in 1965, and on the strength of his audition won a
role and became the group's designated crazy one. Assigned as a drummer, Micky worked to learn the
instrument well enough to bluff his way through filming. With the eventual break-up of The Monkees, he
found work in cartoon voice-over roles and touring former Monkee Davy Jones. His breakthrough came
when he moved to London and began to direct, a trade he first began with The Monkees TV series.
Micky stayed in London for many years and honed his directorial skills before returning to the US.The
Monkees enjoyed 12 Top 40 hits and 3 number one singles.
For years Sam Moore was best known for his work with the historic soul duo Sam & Dave, 1992 Rock &
Roll Hall of Fame inductees. The rapid-fire style, built on the call and response of gospel, was fashioned
and pioneered by Sam and became the trademark of the duo. Songs like “Hold On I’m Coming,” “I Thank
You,” ‘When Something Is Wrong With My Baby,” and his monster hit “Soul Man”. Sam & Dave sold
more than 10 million records worldwide. The music and sound of Sam & Dave became so popular that
the duo served as the inspiration for The Blues Brothers parody by Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi.
Though he has tremendous love and respect for the music he created as “the voice” of the duo, Sam,
who has been called “the blast furnace of soul,” has maintained his appeal and his stardom as a solo
artist and continues to tour scoring critical acclaim for his work.
Moondog 2012 is presented by Runyon & Sons Roofing and Nature Stone flooring, in Association with
Klaben Autostores and Ameriprise Financial.

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This is my latest video for WEWS's Saturday-morning news. Still learning as I go, especially about things like choosing the clips to integrate into the pieces. Thanks to Joe McGee of WEWS for making me look better. And my questions for all of you: What do you think of these pieces compared to the longer videos I used to do, and what sort of topics would you like me to talk about? So far, I've done a couple on movies, one on entertainment books and this one, tied to a home-video release.

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I am working my way through the Oscar nominees I have not seen and recently viewed "War Horse." Best picture? Really? Better than "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo," which did not get a best-pic nomination? Better than "Drive"? "The Ides of March"?  Better than Harry Potter?

I think not.

I will explain after the jump.

There's a stretch of about 20 minutes late in War Horse where all its labors finally add up to something, when the expected emotional impact is what you would expect from a deeply felt Steven Spielberg movie. The stretch includes suffering, and redemption (both for horses and humans), and unbearably gorgeous lighting and images. But even that stretch is followed by a stretched-out finale tying up every possible loose end before going to another gorgeously lit scene, this one driving home the message that "War Horse" is Spielberg's take on "The Searchers" — but with a much less melancholy ending. (There are times, to be sure, when the horse seems to be standing in for John Wayne, but others where the horse is Natalie Wood.)

Indeed, "War Horse" is about as thorough an homage to John Ford as Spielberg has tried to date, in its visuals and in a narrative that is as interested in character-driven digressions as it is in a formal plot. But it is also overlong, both as an entire movie and in individual scenes. Spielberg's love of a grand screen beauty is at odds with the content of the film; the horrors of battle are too bright, too colorful, even when individual parts are a mess. And the point about the end of 19th-century pastoralism and the emergence of mechanized destruction is made again and again, to the point that the horse's battles with machines become numbing — until the violence of modern warfare becomes pointedly specific.

As you may already know, "War Horse" — based on a book by Michael Morpurgo — involves a boy's love of a marvelous horse, his constant attempts to keep the horse in his life, and both the boy's and the horse's descents into the battlefields of World War I. The horse is a powerful character, demonstrating the values of loyalty and determination which men are struggling to maintain in the middle of their blood-spattered, mud-caked hells. Indeed, the horse is miraculous in its effect on the people it encounters; by example and personality it brings out the best in humanity.

Of course, that goes along with the message about life versus machines, about old values against the decline of the new, about the use of imagery from our greatest American western to talk about the machine age's assault on ideals from the Old West. As should be clear, I was not immune to the force of Spielberg's filmmaking, at least for that one stretch. But too often I found myself watching the clock, or wondering why the frame had to be so very, very pretty, or thinking about how much better some scenes could have been cut. "War Horse" has been praised by some as a great example of old-fashioned filmmaking. But in tone and tale it does not really stand up against the old masters, or against more Oscar-worthy films from 2011.

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You can find links to my reviews of some of the Oscar contenders here. These include "The Descendants," "Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close," "The Help," "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo," "The Iron Lady," "Tree of Life" and "The Ides of March."

There are some other contenders I have dealt with in video columns. "Midnight in Paris" is here. There's a brief note about "Margin Call" here. Some notes about "Rango" are here. I expect to add some more posts as we go through Oscar season, and to post about films I have not seen as I get to them.

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Robinson put it this way on Facebook: I have news I can share with all of you who have been my "rock" over the last few weeks. I get to stay in the town I love! I have accepted an anchor position at 19 Action News! I could not be happier. Thanks so much for all of your messages and prayers. My first day is on air is Feb. 2nd

The official word from the station: Seven time Emmy Award winner Romona Robinson has found a new broadcast home. Ms. Robinson is joining 19 Action News where she will be anchoring afternoon and evening newscasts.

One of the most respected journalists in Northeast Ohio, Romona began her career as an award winning anchor of the 10pm news on WUAB. Her first day on air will be February 2nd.

“Romona Robinson is a perfect fit for 19 Action News.” comments WOIO/WUAB CBS 19 Vice President and General Manager Bill Applegate. “She’s a dynamic personality. Her years of community involvement have earned a special place in the hearts of Clevelanders. We welcome her with open arms.”

Romona adds, “I love this city and what I've come to realize, particularly over the last few weeks, is that the people of Northeast Ohio have truly become my family. I can't put into words how excited I am to join 19 Action News.
They have embraced my journalistic values and my commitment to the community and I can't wait to get started on this new adventure. There's no place like home!”

“Romona Robinson is an accomplished journalist that has earned the trust of Clevelanders”, 19 Action News Director Dan Salamone comments. “19 Action News always has the viewer in its best interest, through an ongoing commitment to breaking news and weather, as well as investigative reporting. It’s a perfect format for Romona to continue to do what she does best.”

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A list in progress…

Best picture
Midnight in Paris, The Tree of Life, The Help and Moneyball are on video. The Descendants, The Artist, Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close and War Horse are currently in area theaters.

Directing
Midnight in Paris and The Tree of Life on video. Hugo, The Descendants and The Artist in theaters.

Best actor
A Better Life (Demian Bechir), Moneyball (Brad Pitt) are on video. The Descendants (George Clooney), The Artist (Jean Dujardin) and Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (Gary Oldman) are in theaters now. But Tinker Tailor will lose at least one theater this weekend; a video release is set for March 20.

Best actress
The Help (Viola Davis) is on video. The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo (Rooney Mara) and The Iron Lady (Meryl Streep) are in theaters. Dragon Tattoo may also be gone soon but a video release is set for March 20. My Week With Marilyn (Michelle Williams) has come and gone for now; it is reportedly due on video on March 6. Albert Nobbs (Glenn Close) opens locally on Friday, including at the Cedar Lee and Cinemark Valley View.

Best supporting actor
See above re My Week With Marilyn (Kenneth Branagh), Moneyball (Jonah Hill) and Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close (Max von Sydow). Warrior (Nick Nolte) and Beginners (Christopher Plummer) are on video.

Best supporting actress
See above re The Artist (Berenice Bejo), The Help (Octavia Spencer and Jessica Chastain) and Albert Nobbs (Janet McTeer). Bridesmaids (Melissa McCarthy) is on video.

Adapted screenplay
See above re The Descendants, The Artist, The Iron Lady, Hugo, Moneyball and Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. The Ides of March is on video.

Original screenplay
See above re The Artist, Bridesmaids and Midnight in Paris. Margin Call (written by College of Wooster alum J.C. Chandor) is on video. A Separation is due at Cedar Lee on Feb. 17.

Animated films
Rango and Kung Fu Panda 2 are on video, and Puss in Boots is due on Feb. 24. I have no current information on Chico & Rita or A Cat in Paris, except that I have seen imported videos for sale on Amazon.com.

Documentary Features
Hell and Back Again, and If A Tree Falls are on video. Purgatory 3 is currently playing on HBO. Pina opens Feb. 10. I don't have any information right now on Undefeated (a football documentary, not the Sarah Palin film).

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The official word: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band will be touring extensively in the US and Europe in 2012, making a stop April 17th at Quicken Loans Arena. Tickets for the concert go on sale this Saturday, January 28th at 10am.
Bruce Springsteen's new album Wrecking Ball has been set for March 6th release on Columbia Records. Marking it his 17th studio album, Wrecking Ball features 11 new Springsteen songs and was produced by Ron Aniello with Bruce Springsteen and executive producer Jon Landau. A special edition of 'Wrecking Ball' will also be available and include two bonus tracks and exclusive artwork and photography.
"Bruce has dug down as deep as he can to come up with this vision of modern life. The lyrics tell a story you can't hear anywhere else and the music is his most innovative in recent years. The writing is some of the best of his career and both veteran fans and those who are new to Bruce will find much to love on 'Wrecking Ball'" said long-time manager Jon Landau.
'Wrecking Ball' is available for pre-order now on Amazon and iTunes.
For more official Bruce Springsteen touring news and ticket information: www.brucespringsteen.net
General Admission Floor: $98
Reserved Seat: $98 / $62.50 / $42.50
Tickets go on sale Saturday, January 28th at 10:00am and will be available at www.livenation.com,
all Northern Ohio Discount Drug Marts,
the Quicken Loans Arena Box Office, charge by phone (888) 894-9424
Ohio Valley

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From the motion picture academy …

84TH ANNUAL ACADEMY AWARDS®
OSCAR® NOMINATIONS FACT SHEET
Best Motion Picture of the Year:
The Artist (The Weinstein Company) [Produced by Thomas Langmann.] – This is the first nomination for Thomas Langmann.
The Descendants (Fox Searchlight) [Produced by Jim Burke, Alexander Payne and Jim Taylor.] – This is the first nomination for Jim
Burke.
This is the first nomination in this category for both Alexander Payne and Jim Taylor. They won Oscars® for their Adapted Screenplay
for Sideways (2004) and were nominated in the same category for Election (1999). Alexander Payne was also nominated in the
Directing category for Sideways and is nominated this year in the Directing and Adapted Screenplay categories for The Descendants.
Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close (Warner Bros.) [Produced by Scott Rudin.] – This is the fifth nomination in this category for
Scott Rudin, who won the award in 2007 for No Country for Old Men. He was also nominated for The Hours (2002), The Social
Network (2010) and True Grit (2010).
The Help (Touchstone) [Produced by Brunson Green, Chris Columbus and Michael Barnathan.] – This is the first nomination for all
three.
Hugo (Paramount) [Produced by Graham King and Martin Scorsese.] – This is the third nomination for Graham King, who won the
award for The Departed (2006). He was also nominated for The Aviator (2004).
This is the first nomination for Martin Scorsese in this category. He won an Oscar in the Directing category for The Departed
(2006) and has received Directing nominations for Raging Bull (1980), The Last Temptation of Christ (1988), Good Fellas (1990),
Gangs of New York (2002), The Aviator (2004) and this year for Hugo. He was also nominated for the adapted screenplays for
Good Fellas and The Age of Innocence (1993).
Midnight in Paris (Sony Pictures Classics) [Produced by Letty Aronson and Stephen Tenenbaum.] – This is the first nomination for
both Letty Aronson and Stephen Tenenbaum.
Moneyball (Sony Pictures Releasing) [Produced by Michael De Luca, Rachael Horovitz and Brad Pitt.] – This is the second
nomination in this category for Michael De Luca. His previous Best Picture nomination was for The Social Network (2010).
This is the first nomination for Rachael Horovitz.
This is the first nomination for Brad Pitt in this category. He was nominated for his supporting role in 12 Monkeys (1995) and for
his leading role in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008). He is also nominated this year for his leading role in Moneyball.
The Tree of Life (Fox Searchlight) [Nominees to be determined.]
War Horse (Touchstone) [Produced by Steven Spielberg and Kathleen Kennedy.] – This is the seventh nomination in this category
for Steven Spielberg, who won the award in 1993 for Schindler's List. His other Best Picture nominations were for E.T. The
Extra-Terrestrial (1982), The Color Purple (1985), Saving Private Ryan (1998), Munich (2005) and Letters from Iwo Jima
(2006). He has six Directing nominations, for Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977), Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), E.T.
The Extra-Terrestrial, Schindler's List and Saving Private Ryan – these last two resulting in Oscars – and Munich. He also
received the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award in 1986.
This is the seventh nomination in this category for Kathleen Kennedy. Her previous nominations were for E.T. The Extra-
Terrestrial (1982), The Color Purple (1985), The Sixth Sense (1999), Seabiscuit (2003), Munich (2005) and The Curious Case of
Benjamin Button (2008).

Achievement in Directing:
The Artist – Michel Hazanavicius – This is his first nomination in this category. He is also nominated in the Original Screenplay and
Film Editing categories this year.
The Descendants – Alexander Payne – This is his second nomination in this category. His previous Directing nomination was for
Sideways (2004). He was nominated in the Adapted Screenplay category for Election (1999) and won the award for Sideways.
He is also nominated in the Best Picture and Adapted Screenplay categories this year.
Hugo – Martin Scorsese – This is his seventh nomination in this category. His previous Directing nominations were for Raging Bull
(1980), The Last Temptation of Christ (1988), Good Fellas (1990), Gangs of New York (2002), The Aviator (2004) and The
Departed (2006), for which he won the award. He was also nominated for the adapted screenplays for Good Fellas and The Age
of Innocence (1993). He is also nominated in the Best Picture category this year.
Midnight in Paris – Woody Allen – This is his seventh nomination in this category. His previous Directing nominations were for
Annie Hall (1977), for which he won the award, Interiors (1978), Broadway Danny Rose (1984), Hannah and Her Sisters (1986),
Crimes and Misdemeanors (1989) and Bullets over Broadway (1994). He won Oscars for his original screenplays for Annie Hall
and Hannah and Her Sisters. He received Writing nominations for Interiors, Manhattan (1979), Broadway Danny Rose, The
Purple Rose of Cairo (1985), Radio Days (1987), Crimes and Misdemeanors, Alice (1990), Husbands and Wives (1992), Bullets
over Broadway, Mighty Aphrodite (1995), Deconstructing Harry (1997), Match Point (2005) and again this year. He also
received an acting nomination for his leading role in Annie Hall.
The Tree of Life – Terrence Malick – This is his second nomination in this category. He was nominated in the Directing and Adapted
Screenplay categories for The Thin Red Line (1998).

Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role:
Demián Bechir ("Carlos Galindo" in A Better Life) – This is his first nomination.
George Clooney ("Matt King" in The Descendants) – This is his third nomination in this category. He won an Oscar for his
supporting role in Syriana (2005) and was also nominated for his leading roles in Michael Clayton (2007) and Up in the Air
(2009). He received Directing and Original Screenplay nominations for Good Night, and Good Luck. (2005). He is also
nominated this year in the Adapted Screenplay category for The Ides of March.
Jean Dujardin ("George Valentin" in The Artist) – This is his first nomination.
Gary Oldman ("George Smiley" in Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy) – This is his first nomination.
Brad Pitt ("Billy Beane" in Moneyball) – This is his third nomination and the second in this category. He was nominated for his
supporting role in 12 Monkeys (1995) and for his leading role in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008). He is also
nominated in the Best Picture category this year for Moneyball.

More after the jump.

Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role:
Kenneth Branagh ("Sir Laurence Olivier" in My Week with Marilyn) – This is his fifth nomination and the first in this category. He
was nominated for his leading role in Henry V (1989), for which he also received a Directing nomination. His other nominations
were for Live Action Short Film for Swan Song (1992) and Adapted Screenplay for Hamlet (1996).
Jonah Hill ("Peter Brand" in Moneyball) – This is his first nomination.
Nick Nolte ("Paddy Conlon" in Warrior) – This is his third nomination and the first in this category. His previous nominations were
for his leading roles in The Prince of Tides (1991) and Affliction (1998).
Christopher Plummer ("Hal" in Beginners) – This is his second nomination in this category. His previous nomination was for The
Last Station (2009).
Max von Sydow ("The Renter" in Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close) – This is his second nomination and the first in this category.
He was nominated for his leading role in Pelle the Conqueror (1988).

Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role:
Glenn Close ("Albert Nobbs" in Albert Nobbs) – This is her sixth nomination and the third in this category. She was nominated for
her leading roles in Fatal Attraction (1987) and Dangerous Liaisons (1988), and in the supporting category for The World
According to Garp (1982), The Big Chill (1983) and The Natural (1984).
Viola Davis ("Aibileen Clark" in The Help) – This is her second nomination and the first in this category. She was nominated for her
supporting role in Doubt (2008).
Rooney Mara ("Lisbeth Salander" in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo) – This is her first nomination.
Meryl Streep ("Margaret Thatcher" in The Iron Lady) – This is her 17th nomination and the 14th in this category. Her other leading
role nominations were for The French Lieutenant's Woman (1981), Sophie's Choice (1982), for which she won the Oscar,
Silkwood (1983), Out of Africa (1985), Ironweed (1987), A Cry in the Dark (1988), Postcards from the Edge (1990), The Bridges
of Madison County (1995), One True Thing (1998), Music of the Heart (1999), The Devil Wears Prada (2006), Doubt (2008) and
Julie & Julia (2009). Her supporting role nominations were for The Deer Hunter (1978), Kramer vs. Kramer (1979), for which
she took home the Oscar, and Adaptation (2002).
Michelle Williams ("Marilyn Monroe" in My Week with Marilyn) – This is her third nomination and the second in this category. She
was nominated for her supporting role in Brokeback Mountain (2005) and for her leading role in Blue Valentine (2010).

Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role:
Bérénice Bejo ("Peppy Miller" in The Artist) – This is her first nomination.
Jessica Chastain ("Celia Foote" in The Help) – This is her first nomination.
Melissa McCarthy ("Megan" in Bridesmaids) – This is her first nomination.
Janet McTeer ("Hubert Page" in Albert Nobbs) – This is her second nomination and the first in this category. She was previously
nominated for her leading role in Tumbleweeds (1999).
Octavia Spencer ("Minny Jackson" in The Help) – This is her first nomination.

Achievement in Writing (Adapted Screenplay):
The Descendants – Screenplay by Alexander Payne and Nat Faxon & Jim Rash (based on the novel by Kaui Hart Hemmings). – This is
the fourth nomination for Alexander Payne and the third in this category. He was nominated for Election (1999) and won an Oscar for
Sideways (2004), for which he also received a Directing nomination. He is also nominated in the Best Picture and Directing categories
this year.
These are the first nominations for Nat Faxon and Jim Rash.
Hugo – Screenplay by John Logan (based on the book entitled The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick). – This is his third
nomination. He was nominated for the original screenplays for Gladiator (2000) and The Aviator (2004).
The Ides of March – Screenplay by George Clooney & Grant Heslov and Beau Willimon (based on the play Farragut North by Beau
Willimon). – This is the second nomination for George Clooney in this category. He won an Oscar for his supporting role in
Syriana (2005) and was also nominated for his leading roles in Michael Clayton (2007), Up in the Air (2009) and this year for The
Descendants. He also received nominations in the Directing and Original Screenplay categories for Good Night, and Good Luck.
(2005).
This is the third nomination for Grant Heslov and the second in this category. He received Best Picture and Original Screenplay
nominations for Good Night, and Good Luck. (2005).
This is the first nomination for Beau Willimon.
Moneyball – Screenplay by Steven Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin. Story by Stan Chervin (based on the book by Michael Lewis). – This
is the fourth nomination for Steven Zaillian. He won an Oscar for his adapted screenplay for Schindler's List (1993). He was
nominated for the adapted screenplay for Awakenings (1990) and the original screenplay for Gangs of New York (2002).
This is the second nomination for Aaron Sorkin, who won an Oscar last year for his adapted screenplay for The Social Network.
This is the first nomination for Stan Chervin.
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy – Screenplay by Bridget O’Connor and Peter Straughan (based on the novel by John le Carré). – This is
the first nomination for both.

Achievement in Writing (Original Screenplay):
The Artist – Written by Michel Hazanavicius. – This is his first nomination in this category. He is also nominated in the Directing and
Film Editing categories this year.
Bridesmaids – Written by Annie Mumolo & Kristen Wiig. – This is the first nomination for both.
Margin Call – Written by J.C. Chandor. – This is his first nomination.
Midnight in Paris – Written by Woody Allen. – This is his fourteenth nomination in this category. He won Oscars for his original
screenplays for Annie Hall (1977) and Hannah and Her Sisters (1986). He was also nominated for the original screenplays for
Interiors (1978), Manhattan (1979), Broadway Danny Rose (1984), The Purple Rose of Cairo (1985), Radio Days (1987), Crimes
and Misdemeanors (1989), Alice (1990), Husbands and Wives (1992), Bullets over Broadway (1994), Mighty Aphrodite (1995),
Deconstructing Harry (1997) and Match Point (2005). He won in the Directing category for Annie Hall and received nominations
in that category for Interiors, Broadway Danny Rose, Hannah and Her Sisters, Crimes and Misdemeanors and Bullets over
Broadway and this year for Midnight in Paris. He also received an acting nomination for his leading role in Annie Hall.
A Separation – Written by Asghar Farhadi. – This is his first nomination.

Best Foreign Language Film:
Bullhead (Belgium) [Directed by Michaël R. Roskam.] – This is the sixth nomination for Belgium. Previous nominations were for
Paix Sur Les Champs (1970), The Music Teacher (1988), Daens (1992), Farinelli: Il Castrato (1994) and Everybody Famous!
(2000).
Footnote (Israel) [Directed by Joseph Cedar.] – This is the tenth nomination for Israel. Previous nominations were for Sallah (1964),
The Policeman (1971), I Love You Rosa (1972), The House on Chelouche Street (1973), Operation Thunderbolt (1977), Beyond
the Walls (1984), Beaufort (2007), Waltz with Bashir (2008) and Ajami (2009).
In Darkness (Poland) [Directed by Agnieszka Holland..] – This is the eighth nomination for Poland. Previous nominations were for
Knife in the Water (1963), Pharaoh (1966), The Deluge (1974), Land of Promise (1975), Nights and Days (1976), The Maids of
Wilko (1979), Man of Iron (1981) and Katyń (2007).
Monsieur Lazhar (Canada) [Directed by Philippe Falardeau.] – This is the sixth nomination for Canada. Previous nominations were
for The Decline of the American Empire (1986), Jesus of Montreal (1989), The Barbarian Invasions, which won the Oscar for
2003, Water (2006) and Incendies (2010).
A Separation (Iran) [Directed by Asghar Farhadi.] – This is the second nomination for Iran. Its previous nomination was for
Children of Heaven (1998).

Best Animated Feature Film:
A Cat in Paris (GKIDS) – Alain Gagnol and Jean-Loup Felicioli – This is the first nomination for both.
Chico & Rita (GKIDS) – Fernando Trueba and Javier Mariscal – This is the first nomination for both.
Kung Fu Panda 2 (DreamWorks Animation, Distributed by Paramount) – Jennifer Yuh Nelson – This is her first nomination.
Puss in Boots (DreamWorks Animation, Distributed by Paramount) – Chris Miller – This is his first nomination.
Rango (Paramount) – Gore Verbinski – This is his first nomination

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From the motion picture academy:

This year's balloting rules allowed for the possibility of between five and ten Best Picture nominees, and for the first time in Academy history, nine films have been nominated in that category.

With his two nominations for Original Score this year, John Williams now has a total of 47 nominations. He ranks second to Walt Disney as the most-nominated individual in Oscar® history. Among living persons, Woody Allen, who is also nominated twice this year for a total of 23 nominations, is second only to Williams.

Meryl Streep extends her lead as the most-nominated performer in Oscar history with her 17th nomination this year.
In the acting categories, nine individuals are first-time nominees. Two of the nominees (George Clooney, Meryl Streep) are previous acting winners. Only Michelle Williams was also nominated last year, for her leading role in Blue Valentine.

Kathleen Kennedy and Steven Spielberg, with their nominations for War Horse, now share the record for most Best Picture nominations for individual producers with seven each. Kennedy's previous nominations were for E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial (1982), The Color Purple (1985), The Sixth Sense (1999), Seabiscuit (2003), Munich (2005) and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008). Spielberg's other Best Picture nominations were for E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial, The Color Purple, Schindler's List (1993), for which he won the award, Saving Private Ryan (1998), Munich and Letters from Iwo Jima (2006).

With his nominations for directing and writing Midnight in Paris, Woody Allen passes Billy Wilder in becoming a seven-time double nominee for Directing and Writing on the same film.

A Separation is the first screenplay written in Farsi to receive a Writing nomination.

For the second time, George Clooney has received nominations in two different categories for two different feature films in the same year. He is nominated for his leading role in The Descendants and in the Adapted Screenplay category for The Ides of March. In 2005, he was named Best Supporting Actor for Syriana and was nominated in the Original Screenplay category for Good Night, and Good Luck.

Pina is the first 3D film nominated in the Documentary Feature category.

The Artist is the tenth predominantly black-and-white film to be nominated for Cinematography since 1967, when the separate category for black-and-white cinematography was eliminated. Previously nominated films were In Cold Blood (1967), The Last Picture Show (1971), Lenny (1974), Raging Bull (1981), Zelig (1983), Schindler's List (1993), The Man Who Wasn't There (2001), Good Night, and Good Luck. (2005) and The White Ribbon (2009).

Best Picture Release Dates:
Midnight in Paris – May 20, 2011
The Tree of Life – May 27, 2011
The Help – August 10, 2011
Moneyball – September 23, 2011
The Descendants – November 16, 2011
Hugo – November 23, 2011
The Artist – November 25, 2011
Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close – December 25, 2011
War Horse – December 25, 2011

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The complete nomination list is here. Early thoughts: Tough year for Ryan Gosling, with three great performances and no nominations. Several major nominees are on video already, including Moneyball, Tree of Life, Midnight in Paris, The Help, Bridesmaids, A Better Life, Warrior, Beginners and animation nominees Rango and Kung Fu Panda 2. So you can start your viewing festival now. More later.

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Limited extras. While I am a huge fan of Clint Eastwood as a director, this was not his best work, too restrained, too dry. But it has good performances by Leonardo DiCaprio as J. Edgar Hoover and Armie Hammer as Hoover's longtime associate Clyde Tolson.

The official word: As the face of law enforcement in America for almost 50 years, J. Edgar Hoover was feared and admired, reviled and revered. Discover the man behind the secrets when “J. Edgar,” arrives onto Blu-ray Combo Pack, DVD and Digital Download February 21 from Warner Home Entertainment Group. As seen through the eyes of Hoover himself, “J. Edgar” explores the personal and public life and relationships of a man who could distort the truth as easily as he upheld it during a life devoted to his own idea of justice, often swayed by the darker side of power.

Oscar® winner Clint Eastwood (“Million Dollar Baby,” “Unforgiven”) directed the film from a screenplay by Oscar® winner Dustin Lance Black (“Milk”). Academy Award® nominee Leonardo DiCaprio (“Inception,” “The Aviator”) stars in the title role. ”J. Edgar” also stars Academy Award® nominee Naomi Watts (“21 Grams”) as
Helen Gandy, Hoover’s longtime secretary; Armie Hammer (“The Social Network”) as Hoover’s protégé Clyde Tolson; Josh Lucas (“The Lincoln Lawyer”) as the legendary aviator Charles Lindbergh, whose son’s kidnapping changes the public profile of the F.B.I.; and Oscar® winner Judi Dench (“Shakespeare in Love”) as Hoover’s over-protective mother, Annie Hoover.

The Blu-ray Combo Pack and DVD include an UltraViolet Digital Copy of the standard definition theatrical version of the film, which allows consumers to download the film to a PC or Mac plus instantly stream it from a digital cloud to many computers, tablets or smartphones.

Continues after the jump.

SYNOPSIS

During his lifetime, J. Edgar Hoover would rise to be the most powerful man in America. As head of the Federal Bureau of Investigation for nearly 50 years, he would stop at nothing to protect his country. Through eight presidents and three wars, Hoover waged battle against threats both real and perceived, often bending the rules to keep his countrymen safe. His methods were at once ruthless and heroic, with the admiration of the world his most coveted, if ever elusive, prize.

Hoover was a man who placed great value on secrets—particularly those of others—and was not afraid to use that information to exert authority over the leading figures in the nation. Understanding that knowledge is power and fear poses opportunity, he used both to gain unprecedented influence and to build a reputation that was both formidable and untouchable.

He was as guarded in his private life as he was in his public one, allowing only a small and protective inner circle into his confidence. His closest colleague, Clyde Tolson, was also his constant companion. His secretary, Helen Gandy, who was perhaps most privy to Hoover’s designs, remained loyal to the end… and beyond. Only Hoover’s mother, who served as his inspiration and his conscience, would leave him, her passing truly crushing to the son who forever sought her love and approval.

“J. Edgar” will be available on Blu-ray Combo Pack, featuring a hi-definition, a standard definition and a digital copy of the film, for $35.99 and on single disc DVD for $28.98.

On February 21, “J. Edgar” can be purchased for permanent download or rented on iTunes, Amazon Instant Video, and Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 game consoles.

BLU-RAY AND DVD ELEMENTS

Blu-ray Combo Pack:

· J. Edgar: The Most Powerful Man in the World

DVD:

· J. Edgar- A Complicated Man

Warner Bros. is taking Digital Copy to a whole new level. UltraViolet Digital Copy includes a Standard Definition Digital Copy of the theatrical version of the film. Restrictions apply. See packaging for details.

BASICS

PRODUCT SRP

Blu-ray Combo Pack $35.99

Single disc Amaray (WS) $28.98

Standard Street Date: February 21, 2012

DVD Languages: English, Parisian French

BD Languages: English, Parisian French

DVD Subtitles: ESDH, Latin Spanish, Parisian French

BD Subtitles: ESDH, Latin Spanish, Parisian French

Running Time: 137 minutes

Rating: R for brief strong language

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As part of the Beacon Journal's news partnership with WEWS (Channel 5), I have begun making weekly videos to air on the station's Saturday-morning newscast. These are different from the videos I have been doing for Ohio.com; they are significantly shorter (about 90 seconds vs. several minutes on the older videos) and, for that reason, tending to be more narrowly focused. I've done three so far; the latest, on "Haywire," is posted above. If I get access to the previous ones, I will add them, too. The basic plan is to get them on Ohio.com on a regular basis.

(To anticipate some of your questions: The gig for Channel 5 is unpaid, nonexclusive (I have appeared on Channel 8 since starting this) and will have no effect on my judgments about Channel 5 or any other station.)

I am still getting used to these new videos. The length is especially challenging. We'll see how it goes.

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I never seem to have enough time for all the pop-culture things I want to do; there are always more movies, more TV shows to catch up with. So it should tell you how much I like "The Descendants" when I say I have seen it twice so far. Nor is my admiration unique, since it is expected to do very well in the Academy Awards nominations tomorrow, and George Clooney's performance has reportedly made him one of the favorites for a best actor Oscar. (One of his major competitors may be Brad Pitt in "Moneyball." More about that film and performance in another post.)

Directed by Alexander Payne, and based on a book, "The Descendants" is a deeply felt movie about loss and choice in life, and especially about the feelings that a man may face when suddenly pushed into a single-father role. The first time I saw this was in close proximity to another suddenly-single-dad movie, "We Bought a Zoo" with Matt Damon*, and the contrast was stark. While "We Bought a Zoo" had some merits, it felt theatrical in comparison to the naturalness of "The Descendants," contrived and too smoothly resolved when "The Descendants" knew about the uncertainty that lingers even after post-loss catharsis. And, while "The Descendants" is accomplished across the board, Clooney is remarkable; he was even better on second viewing than the first, when I could watch even more closely his character's confusion, emotional containment and struggles with his own mounting rage.

Continues after the jump.

In "The Descendants," Clooney plays Matt King, a lawyer in Hawaii whose wife is comatose after a boating accident. As he awaits her recovery, Matt must oversee his 10-year-old daughter, who is dealing with her mother's situation in aggressive ways, and later with his 17-year-old daughter, who has a bevy of problems, not least of which is conflict with her mother. At the same time, Matt oversees a trust for his family involving a huge tract of Hawaiian land; he has to decide whether to sell the land, and to whom, or to keep it and risk losing it all in seven years when the trust will lose it. While the parenting and the business are enough by themselves for one man to handle, Matt is confronted with more. His wife is not going to get better; in fact, she is going to die and it's time to take her off life support. And, while it's clear almost immediately that their marriage has been less than ideal, Matt learns more about her than anyone would want to know — and has to figure out how to deal with that information.

The dealing, all the dealing, takes Matt, his daughters and his oldest girl's friend around Hawaii, talking with friends and family, searching for answers — basically a long quest by Matt on his way to a decision. Along the way, we see more about him: how uneasy he is with direct displays of emotion and affection, how strained his relations are with some other people (notably his hard-edged father-in-law, played by Robert Forster), how fundamentally clueless he is about anything outside of a legal document; indeed, at least once he seeks shelter in paperwork, and his quest finds him turning to odd confidants, since he has apparently made no real friends on his own.

It's not that Matt is a bad guy, but he is a flawed one, and especially on second viewing "The Descendants" made very clear that the problems in Matt's marriage rested heavily on him. Clooney as Matt creates an assumption of likability which the script nibbles at, and which Clooney himself takes advantage of; the other side of Clooney cool is an emotional remoteness, and that is what Matt has to deal with. It's not even clear that he makes the right decision about the land, or what his specific motivations are; instead, it's noteworthy mainly that he has made a decision at all.

The movie takes full advantage of its Hawaiian landscape, both its untouched beauty and its urban sprawl; it at once made me long to go back there and reminded me of the drabness of its cities and the annoyances of its traffic. But the real virtue of the movie is how personally real it feels, how right in its seeming arbitrariness. Matt tells another character "Nothing just happens, only to be told back, "Everything just happens." And it does. You or I can no more predict what will happen in our lives than Matt has been able to predict his. And in its messiness, in the open-endedness of it, The Descendants presents lives worth watching in all their laughter, pain and uncertainty.

*Damon also found himself in a single-parent situation in "Contagion," Steven Soderbergh's bleak global-plague exercise.

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The official word: One of the year’s best-loved family comedies and among the best reviewed films of 2011, Disney’s “The Muppets,” starring Jason Segel, Academy Award®-nominee Amy Adams, and favorite celebrity couple Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy — debuts March 20 on Blu-ray™ Combo Pack, DVD, Digital Download and On-Demand formats. A must-own movie the entire family can enjoy, Disney’s “The Muppets” in-home release includes the DVD and music soundtrack packaged together and also offered as the ultimate Muppets experience, a ‘Wocka-Wocka Value Pack,’ which contains the movie on Blu-ray high definition, DVD and Digital Copy (three discs), plus a download card which allows fans to own all the songs from the film’s hugely popular soundtrack.

Disney’s “The Muppets” Blu-ray Combo Pack, with its flawless picture and pitch perfect sound, comes with a fantastic slate of bonus content including the laugh out loud “The Longest Blooper Reel Ever Made (In Muppet History––We Think).” The exciting release also includes the hilarious featurette “A Little Screen Test on the Way to the Read Through,” which follows Jason Segel, Kermit, The Great Gonzo, Fozzie Bear, Miss Piggy and others as they get ready for the first day of production, and much more fun.

“Blu-ray is a great way to bring the Muppets into your home without having to worry about cleaning up after us,” said Kermit the Frog, commenting on the announcement. “And the behind-the-scenes extras are a revealing tell-all look at what it took to bring our movie to the big screen. It’s a must-see for fans of bloopers, flubs and slip-ups – which pretty much describes our act.”

Miss Piggy is equally thrilled at the movie’s Blu-ray release, “Now you can watch moi whenever you want! Ooh! Lucky vous!”

More details after the jump.
Additional fun-filled features on Disney’s “The Muppets” Blu-ray include a groundbreaking industry first — ‘Disney Intermission,’ a hilarious all-new feature that allows viewers to press Pause on their remote control and watch as the Muppets take over the screen and entertain until the movie resumes playing. The release also includes “Explaining Evil: The Full Tex Richman Song,” an extended version of the rollicking rap song by villain Tex Richman (Academy Award® winner Chris Cooper) who provides the hilarious backstory of why he hates the Muppets. Audio commentaries with screenwriter and star Jason Segel, director James Bobin and screenwriter Nicholas Stoller are also included.

With the Muppet’s signature irreverent comedy, songs and dancing, Muppet fans of all ages will cheer as the gang reunites to put on a benefit show to save the crumbling Muppet Studios from being razed by nefarious oil baron Tex Richman. New fans and long-time devotees will find the rainbow connection when they bring Disney’s “The Muppets” into their very own homes.

Release Formats & Suggested Retail Pricing:
3-Disc Blu-ray with Soundtrack (‘Wocka-Wocka Value Pack’) = $49.99 U.S./$56.99 Canada
2-Disc Blu-ray = $39.99 U.S./$46.99 Canada
1-Disc DVD with Soundtrack = $34.99/$41.99 Canada
1-Disc DVD = $29.99 U.S./$35.99 Canada
High Definition Digital = $39.99 U.S./$44.99 Canada
Standard Definition Digital = $29.99 U.S./$35.99 Canada
On-Demand = check with your television provider or favorite digital retailer for pricing

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