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Restored “Funny Girl” to Reopen Renovated Academy Theater in NYC

2010-11-06T09:31:00.007-05:00

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ “Monday Nights with Oscar^®” series returns with a screening of “Funny Girl” (1968), starring Barbra Streisand, on Monday, November 15, at 7 p.m. at the Academy Theater at Lighthouse International in New York City. The series had been on hiatus for most of the year as the theater underwent major renovations.

Nominated for eight Academy Awards^®, including Best Picture, “Funny Girl” is based on the hit 1964 Broadway musical. The film was directed by William Wyler from a screenplay by Isobel Lennart, who also wrote the Broadway book.

“Funny Girl” features an Oscar-nominated title song and score and such musical numbers as “Don’t Rain on My Parade,” “People,” and “My Man.” Streisand, reprising her onstage role as legendary Ziegfeld Follies comedienne Fanny Brice, gave a star-making performance that garnered her a Best Actress Oscar. The film co-stars Kay Medford in an Academy Award^®-nominated performance, as well as Walter Pidgeon, Lee Allen, and Omar Sharif as Brice’s husband, troubled gambler Nick Arnstein.

This recently restored print from the Sony Pictures vaults displays the vibrant Technicolor cinematography of Oscar nominee Harry Stradling, as well as costumes by Irene Sharaff.

Tickets for “Funny Girl” are $5 for the general public and $3 for Academy members and students with a valid ID. Tickets may be purchased online at www.oscars.org or by mail (a printable order form is available in the Events & Exhibitions section of the website). Tickets may also be purchased at the box office prior to the event (subject to availability). All seating is unreserved.

The Academy Theater is located at 111 East 59th Street in New York City. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. All seating is unreserved. For more information, visit www.oscars.org or call (212) 821-9251.

Animator John Musker Filmmaker Speaker Series Event: November 9 in Palm Springs

2010-11-05T09:02:00.003-05:00

The Palm Springs International Film Society & the Rancho Mirage Public Library
present filmmaker speaker series highlighting the unsung heroes of the big screen

Tuesday, November 9th
BEHIND THE SCENES FILMMAKER SPEAKER SERIES
7:00 pm - ADMISSION IS FREE
Rancho Mirage Public Library
71100 Highway 111, Rancho Mirage, CA

John Musker is no stranger to successful animated films. He and partner Ron Clements helped to refresh the Disney catalog and the animation field as a whole with outstanding films such as The Little Mermaid and Aladdin, creating a new generation of memorable characters. In a world of CG animation, Musker made a bold move to return to hand-drawn films which paid off by way of this year's Oscar nomination for The Princess and the Frog.

Musker went to college with Tim Burton, John Lasseter, and Brad Bird.

Selected Filmography: The Princess and the Frog, Waking Sleeping Beauty, Treasure Planet, Hercules, Aladdin, The Little Mermaid, The Great Mouse Detective, The Black Cauldron, and The Fox and the Hound.

Please check www.psfilmfest.org or www.ranchomiragelibrary.org for more information.

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Paul Haggis to Remake 'Cell 211'

2010-10-31T10:37:00.013-05:00

CBS Films is acquiring the remake rights to Daniel Monzon's Spanish language film "Celda 211" and has attached Paul Haggis (Crash) to write the script and possibly direct under his Highway 61 Films banner. The Americanized version will be titled Cell 211.

Plot: A newly hired prison guard wants to make a good impression on his bosses by coming in a day early to get a tour of the facility. Suddenly, a brutal prison riot breaks out and he is knocked unconscious. When he awakens, the guard is forced to assume the role of a prisoner alongside the most dangerous killers alive. He tries to defuse the uprising and escape before the prisoners realize who he really is.

The film is an action thriller that's been described as "Die Hard" in prison. The original was released last year and ended up winning Best Film, Best Director, Best Screenplay and five other awards at the Goya Awards (Spanish Oscars).

Source: Deadline

Guillermo del Toro Teaming up with Pixar Animator Rodrigo Blaas for Creepy Toy Story 'Alma'

2010-10-24T04:57:00.007-05:00

Guillermo del Toro has been getting involved with a number of animated films since signing a landmark deal with DreamWorks Animation last month.

DreamWorks is preparing to get creepy with a story about an ominous toy store and a little girl who gets sucked in by a rather familiar-looking doll.

Former Pixar animator Rodrigo Blaas is in negotiations for his directorial debut to bring his hot short film Alma about dolls and child-snatching into a full-length movie for DreamWorks Animation. Del Toro will godfather and executive produce the film.

Originally from Spain, Blaas has worked in animation for more than ten years, in Spain and in the United States. While hard at work on Pixar movies like Up, Wall-e, Ratatouille, Cars, The Incredibles, Finding Nemo, and Ice Age; animator Blaas decided to write and direct his own short called Alma his first short film as a director. This small passion project soon began winning awards like Best Animation at the L.A. Shorts Festival.

Blaas asked some of the best artists in their field to take part in this independent project: French animator Bolhem Bouchiba, character designer Carlos Grangel and Sergio Pablos, ArtDirector Alfonso Blaas, music composer Mastretta and sound designer Tom Myers.

Synopsis
Alma tells the story of children facing the specter of dark forces. Alma, a little girl, skips through the snow covered streets of a small town. Her attention is caught by a strange doll in an antique toy shop window. Fascinated, Alma decides to enter.

According to the LA Times Blaas is also in negotiations to co-direct, Trollhunters, with Del Toro, a movie based on a young-adult novel written by Del Toro.

There are similarities between Alma and Troll Hunters: Both are fairy tales about good children interacting with, and possibly victimized by, creatures that exist just below the surface of the world we know. Both have a Pan's Labyrinth vibe.

Since moving over from Disney, Del Toro has come on as a consultant and executive producer on the Kung Fu Panda sequel as well as Puss in Boots. But Alma and Troll Hunters take Del Toro in a more characteristically dark direction.

For the latest news on prolific multihyphenate Guillermo Del Toro's adventures in filmmaking join the Guillermo del Toro Facebook Group for fans.

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Source: LA Times

Guillermo del Toro Takes the 'The Fall' on the Late, Late Show

2010-09-29T10:22:00.016-05:00

Photosource: Gary Deocampo

"Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan's THE FALL"

Guillermo del Toro is ready to his his own comedy talkshow, really! Look out Jay leno!

In this interview (below) on the Late, Late Show with Craig Ferguson he talks about his At the Mountains of Madness project with James Cameron, "monsters', and his 'big fat cat' who has been diagnosed as "lazy". At the end he drops the bomb announcing he is working on a TV project with David Eick, the Executive producer and writer for the Battlestar Galactica TV series! WooHoo!

Photosource: Gary Deocampo
"Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan's THE FALL"

'THE FALL' BOOK TOUR DATES:

Wednesday, September 29

Guillermo Del Toro will be promoting The Fall
POWELL'S BOOKSTORE
Baghdad Theater 3702 SE Hawthorne Blvd Portland, OR 97214

Thursday, September 30

Guillermo Del Toro will be promoting The Fall
AMAZON

Guillermo Del Toro will be promoting The Fall
KIM RICKETTS BOOKS
325 Fifth Ave N Seattle Center Seattle, WA 98109

Saturday, October 02

Guillermo Del Toro will be promoting The Fall
BARNES & NOBLE
STE K 30 189 Grove Drive Los Angeles, CA 90036

Friday, October 08

Guillermo Del Toro will be promoting The Fall
CHELTENHAM LITERARY FESTIVAL

* Dates and times are subject to change. Please contact venue to confirm details.

Follow prolific multihyphenate Guillermo Del Toro's romp around the globe by joining the GDT Facebook Group.

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The Hobbit To Leave New Zealand?

2010-09-28T08:27:00.007-05:00

Hollywood executives have confirmed they are searching for a new location for The Lord Of The Rings prequel The Hobbit in the wake of a dispute with New Zealand actors' unions.

All three previous The Lord of the Rings movies were filmed in the country by director Peter Jackson. He will produce the prequel and has urged union executives to reconsider their planned boycott. Relocation would seriously harm New Zealand's entertainment industry.

The movie execs refuse to sign a deal with local unions amid allegations of "unfair treatment" of performers. Organisations in America, Canada and Britain have all backed the boycott.

Executives at the movie studios behind The Hobbit have now spoken out to condemn criticism of Jackson and his film crew, insisting they are "exploring all alternative options" to make sure filming goes ahead as planned.

The joint statement from New Line, Warner Bros. and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) reads, "(We) are concerned by the recent allegations of unfair treatment of actors in New Zealand... we believe that in this case the allegations are baseless and unfair to Peter Jackson and his team in Wellington who have been tireless supporters of the New Zealand motion picture community.

"Motion picture production requires the certainty that a production can reasonably proceed without disruption and it is our general policy to avoid filming in locations where there is potential for workforce uncertainty or other forms of instability. As such, we are exploring all alternative options in order to protect our business interests."

The union dispute is the latest production delay drama to hit The Hobbit in recent months. The film is currently on hold due to ongoing financial problems at MGM. Director Guillermo Del Toro quit in May due to the lengthy delays.

Previous The Hobbit Coverage:

Guillermo del Toro Reveals the Reasons Behind 'The Hobbit' Delays

'The Hobbit' News: WETA's Richard Taylor on 3D Hobbit | Time-Warner Tops MGM Bids

Production on THE HOBBIT Pushed to Mid-Summer 2010

MGM on the Verge of Bankruptcy |'The Hobbit' & James Bond in Jeopardy

'THE HOBBIT' (Part I): MGM Studios CASTING information in New Zealand, LA and London

Production on THE HOBBIT Pushed to Mid-Summer 2010

Guillermo Del Toro's Monster Cameo Appearance in 'The Hobbit'

'The Hobbit' News: WETA's Richard Taylor on 3D Hobbit | Time-Warner Tops MGM Bids

Production on THE HOBBIT Pushed to Mid-Summer 2010

MGM on the Verge of Bankruptcy |'The Hobbit' & James Bond in Jeopardy

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President Bill Clinton Confirms He’s ‘Experimenting’ With Vegan Diet

2010-09-19T09:46:00.010-05:00

President Bill Clinton recently confirmed in an interview with journalist Willow Bay that he is indeed eating a mainly vegan diet. In the interview, the former president explains the reason behind his decision to go vegan.

“I’m trying to be one of those experimenters,” said Clinton. “Since 1986, several hundred people who have tried essentially a plant-based diet, not ingesting any cholesterol from any source, has seen their bodies start to heal themselves — break up the arterial blockage, break up the calcium deposits around the heart. 82 percent of the people who have done this have had this result, so I want to see if I can be one of them.”

Ecorazzi's source received exclusive information from a friend of Clinton regarding first-hand conversations with the former president about his vegan diet.

The source states Clinton decided to adopt the diet in the early part of May. While he does occasionally eat fish, the former president otherwise follows a strict vegan diet.

What made him go vegan? According to the source, Clinton has read many books on the topic, including books by T. Colin Campbell, Caldwell Esselstyn and Dr. Dean Ornish. Although losing weight was a benefit of the dietary change, the choice to go vegan was about more than just losing weight.

“I’ve never known him not to say what’s on his mind,” says the Ecorazzi source. “And he knows quite a bit and likely has a lot to say about the benefits of a vegan diet. He has read The China Study, and he knows the issues. With time, I think it’s likely he could become the most outspoken proponent of a complete vegan diet.”

Check out the interview below and hear the former president talk about the health benefits of a plant based diet.

"Getting away from dairy, anything with a mother (dairy), anything with a face (ie beef, chicken, fish). The major behavior that has to change is, interestingly enough, our food. " –Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn

WE Y YOU BILL!

Y Y Y

Source: Ecorazzi.com

Still Gagging from Gaga's Drop Dead Carcass Rag at 2010 MTV MVA's

2010-09-14T10:44:00.027-05:00

Lady Gaga, MTV's Video Music Awards 2010, "Video of the Year" recipient
Photo credit: Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images

Ew . . . what's that smell?

As her final outfit at the MTV Video Music Awards, Lady Gaga put some meat on her bones -- a Franc Fernandez dress (plus boots, hat, and purse) cut together from what appeared to be slabs of raw meat. The outfit echoed the controversial meat bikini she recently wore for the cover of Vogue Hommes Japan.

After the show, in an interview with Ellen DeGeneres, Gaga tried to explain that the dress was a political statement. Discussing how she'd been escorted to the Nokia Theater in Los Angeles by members of the U.S. military who had been discharged from the service due to the Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy, Lady Gaga said: "It is a devastation to me that I know my fans who are gay ... feel like they have governmental oppression on them. That's actually why I wore the meat tonight."

Vegan DeGeneres, who speaks out on behalf of animal rights, pounced on the topic while keeping her distance from the dress. "It's certainly no disrespect to anyone that's vegan or vegetarian," Gaga responded. "As you know, I am the most judgment-free human being on the earth. It has many interpretations, but for me this evening, it's 'If we don't stand up for what we believe in, we don't fight for our rights, pretty soon we're gonna have as much rights as the meat on our bones."

AT the end of the interview DeGenerous presented Gaga with a kale bikini and grass skirt custom made for her. Maybe the next time she gets the urge to wear a garment fashioned from dead animal carcasses, she'll think twice.

Gesturing to the Japanese Vogue cover (above), she snarled and added, "And I am not a piece of meat." I hate to tell you this Gaga, but we are all made of meat -- no speciesism intended!

"I never thought I'd be asking Cher to hold my meat purse."

That was Lady Gaga's opening statement when she stepped onstage at MTV's Video Music Awards Sunday to receive her Video of the Year award from pop legend Cher.

The meat dress's designer, Franc Fernandez, has yet to issue any statements about his unusual gown -- or confirm whether it was truly made of actual meat -- but he retweeted Cher's compliment: "The way it was cut & fitted to her body was AMAZING ! Meat purse was genius ! As Art piece it was astonishing! No moral Judgement!" Fernandez, who has also dressed Beyoncé and Christina Aguilera, made the diamond headpiece Gaga wore in the video for "Bad Romance," which picked up seven of the singer's eight VMA wins last night.

PETA, was not a fan. The animal-rights advocacy organization quickly issued a statement condemning Gaga for her offbeat sartorial choice. "Meat is the decomposing flesh of a tormented animal who didn't want to die, and after a few hours under the TV lights, it would smell like the rotting flesh it is and likely be crawling in maggots -- not too attractive, really."

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Source:FrancoFernandez, Yahoo.com

'Priest' Official Trailer Released Online

2010-09-11T10:47:00.012-05:00

Paul Bettany and Josh Wingate © Screen Gems

Priest, a post-apocalyptic sci-fi thriller, is set in an alternate world -- one ravaged by centuries of war between man and vampires. The story revolves around a legendary Warrior Priest from the last Vampire War who now lives in obscurity among the other downtrodden human inhabitants in walled-in dystopian cities ruled by the Church.

Lilly Collins and Paul Bettany © Screen Gems

When his niece is abducted by a murderous pack of vampires, Priest breaks his sacred vows to venture out on a quest to find her before they turn her into one of them. He is joined on his crusade by his niece's boyfriend, a trigger-fingered young wasteland sheriff, and a former Warrior Priestess who possesses otherworldly fighting skills.

Maggie Q © Screen Gems

Starring: Paul Bettany, Cam Gigandet, Maggie Q, Karl Urban, Lily Collins, Stephen Moyer, Mädchen Amick, Christopher Plummer, Brad Dourif, Casey Pieretti, Josh Wingate
Directed by: Scott Stewart
Release Date: May 13, 2011 (US), Worldwide
Official Site: www.priest-themovie.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/PriestMovie

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Neill Blomkamp to Direct Hobbit movies -- Filming Begins Next Year

2010-09-10T23:00:00.005-05:00

TheOneRing.net reports Neill Blomkamp (District 9) will direct the two Hobbit movies based on J.R. R. Tolkien's books.

Martin Freeman is in negotiations with the studio to play the part of Bilbo.

Spyglass has filed a letter of intent to run MGM if a deal can be reached with MGM's creditors.

Filming of The Hobbit: PART 1 will begin next year.

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Oscar® Fans: Your Red Carpet Seats Await

2010-09-09T10:38:00.007-05:00

Oscar® fans will soon have a chance to vie for seats on the most coveted and glamorous spot on Hollywood Boulevard.

Beginning on Monday, September 13, at noon ET/9 a.m. PT, and continuing for only one week, fans from around world may apply online to take part in a random drawing for seats on the 83rd Academy Awards® red carpet.

There are only 700 seats available along the 500-foot-long walkway that leads into the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center®. Those who are selected will watch and cheer Oscar nominees, presenters and other ceremony guests as they arrive at the 83rd Academy Awards on Sunday, February 27, 2011. Following the red carpet arrivals, everyone seated in the bleachers will be invited to watch the Academy Awards telecast at a nearby location.

Red Carpet preparations showing bleacher seats at left. . .

The application form will be available at Oscars.org/bleachers. The online-only application process will close on Sunday, September 19, at midnight ET/9 p.m. PT.

To be eligible for the random drawing, an individual must complete the application form in its entirety. Applications may only be submitted online. Forms may not be returned via any other method.

Applicants may register for themselves and one guest. Duplicate registrations will not be accepted.

Those whose names are selected in the random drawing will be notified in late September. They will then be required to submit additional information for security purposes prior to final approval. Eligible attendees will receive a confirmation letter in early January with information pertinent to the event.

Only those individuals who have been pre-approved by the Academy will have access to the bleachers. Those who wait overnight to attempt admittance will not be granted entry.

The Academy will not be responsible for securing travel and/or hotel accommodations for bleacher fans.

In previous years, as many as 20,000 fans have applied online for the limited number of red carpet seats.

Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2010 will be presented on Sunday, February 27, 2011, at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center, and televised live by the ABC Television Network. The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 200 countries worldwide.

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Stephen King's 'The Dark Tower' Movie Trilogy & TV Series

2010-09-09T09:55:00.012-05:00

Universal Pictures and NBC Universal Televsion has acquired the rights to produce three films and an NBC series based on the seven novels, short stories and comic books from Stephen King’s The Dark Tower (2012). This massive undertaking comes from the Oscar-winning team behind A Beautiful Mind and The Da Vinci Code – Ron Howard, Brian Grazer and Akiva Goldsman. Ron Howard will direct the first film and the first season of the TV show.

More than 30 million copies of The Dark Tower have been sold in 40 countries. After the series of seven books was completed, a prequel of comic books based on one of the characters was also published.

“I’ve been waiting for the right team to bring the characters and stories in these books to film and TV viewers around the world,” said King, in a statement. “Ron, Akiva, Brian along with Universal and NBC have a deep interest and passion for the The Dark Tower series and I know that will translate into an intriguing series of films and TV shows that respect the origins and the characters in The Dark Tower that fans have come to love.”

Howard told Deadline's Mike Fleming “The approach we’re taking also stands on its own, but it’s driven by the material. I love both, and like what’s going on in TV. With this story, if you dedicated to one medium or another, there’s the horrible risk of cheating material. The scope and scale call for a big screen budget. But if you committed only to films, you’d deny the audience the intimacy and nuance of some of these characters and a lot of cool twists and turns that make for jaw-dropping, compelling television. We’ve put some real time and deep thought into this, and a lot of conversations and analysis from a business standpoint, to get people to believe in this and take this leap with us. I hope audiences respond to it in a way that compels us to keep going after the first year or two of work. It’s fresh territory for me, as a filmmaker.”

The Dark Tower revolves around Roland Deschain, the last living member of a knightly order of gunslingers, and humanity’s last hope to save a civilization that will crumble unless he finds the Dark Tower. Howard and Goldsman describe the world as “an alternate Americana, one part post-apocalyptic, one part Sergio Leone.”

The plan is to start with the feature film, and then create a bridge to the second feature with a season of TV episodes. That means the feature cast—and the big star who’ll play Deschain—also has to appear in the TV series before returning to the second film. After that sequel is done, the TV series picks up again, this time focusing on Deschain as a young gunslinger. Those storylines will be informed by a prequel comic book series that King was heavily involved in plotting. The third film would pick up the mature Deshain as he completes his journey. The same sets could be utilized for cast and crew for the movie and TV, which could help contain costs on what will be a financially ambitious undertaking.

"We will certainly be looking to maximize both creative and fiscal opportunities by creating one enterprise that encompasses TV and movies," Goldsman said. "Some of the shooting will likely encompass both platforms, and that has never been done before. It's thrilling, we feel like kids in a candy story."

“The worlds of Stephen King’s The Dark Tower series are richly detailed, inter-locking and deeply connected,” said Goldsman in a statement. “By telling this story across media platforms and over multiple hours—and with a view to telling it completely—we have our best chance of translating Roland’s quest to reach The Dark Tower onto screen. We are proceeding with tremendous excitement, fidelity to the source material and, quite frankly, no small amount of awe at this opportunity.”

Howard, Grazer and Goldsman will exec produce the TV series for Universal Media Studios. Kerry Foster will exec produce the first film for Weed Road, along with Imagine's Todd Hallowell and Erica Huggins.

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Source: Deadline.com

37th Annual Telluride Film Festival Releases Stellar Lineup

2010-09-02T21:20:00.036-05:00

Peter Weir, Danny Boyle, Mark Romanek and Errol Morris will be headlining this year's Telluride Film Festival, which kicks off tomorrow, Friday September 3rd and runs through Labor Day. The Telluride Film Festival is best known for its eclectic programming philosophy which keeps its film schedule secret until hours before the first screenings.

Attendees will have their choice of outdoor screenings, shorts programs, filmmaker panels and sneak peeks at some of the fall's new releases as the program unspools through Monday.

Unlike the Cannes and the Sundance Film Festival audiences, which are heavily composed of show-business types, or the Toronto International Film Festival, which has a more populist bent, Telluride is programmed by and for literate film geeks. Its attendees shell out $780 for passes year in and year out as an act of faith, having no idea what movies they will see after traveling thousands of miles to get there.

It's an intimate, high-altitude, real movie-lover's festival set in the lush box canyon in the western end of the San Juan Mountains -- at 13, 500 feet to be exact. The talent is not shuttling in an out of limousines like the pressure cooker of Toronto or Sundance. Stars are relaxed and at home in Telluride. Highlights of 2008 include chatting with actor Jeff Goldblum, director David Fincher, and scoring photo ops with Danny Boyle and Laura Linney at the Labor Day Picnic (below).

Director Danny Boyle & festival regular Terri "Cinephile" Atmore (right),
Telluride 2008

Telluride Film Festival regular actress Laura Linney, 2008

In recent years, Telluride patrons have been the first to see and embrace "Up in the Air," "Capote," "Brokeback Mountain," "The Last Station, "Lost in Translation," "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon," "The Last King of Scotland" — and other gems.

Three years ago the audience reaction to Jason Reitman's "Juno" was so enthusiastic that Fox Searchlight promptly threw it on its holiday schedule, and "Juno" not only received four Oscar nominations (winning for original screenplay), but also grossed more than $143 million in domestic release. The studio's Telluride experience was just as good in 2008, where it premiered Boyle's "Slumdog Millionaire." The movie went to win eight Academy Awards (including best picture), and grossed more than $141 million.

"Telluride is a unique film festival in that it is less dominated by industry insiders," says Steve Gilula, whose Fox Searchlight will have three movies in Telluride: 127 Hours, Boyle's account of how Aron Ralston (James Franco) was forced to cut off his hand after a hiking accident; Never Let Me Go, Romanek's adaptation of Kazuo Ishiguro's dystopian novel starring Carey Mulligan; and Black Swan, director Darren Aronofsky's disturbing look at a ballerina (Natalie Portman) trying too hard to perfect "Swan Lake."

Boyle will officially be on hand to present a special Sunday morning screening of his 2005 film "Millions." It is widely expected that he will also sneak in his new film 127 Hours ahead of its Toronto screening. Fox Searchlight has a November theatrical release scheduled for the drama, which stars James Franco as a hiker trapped under a boulder in Utah for days.

The Way Back, © Exclusive Film

Six-time Academy Award nominee Peter Weir will be in town to receive one of the fest's special tributes, the Silver Medallion Award, which will highlight the career that produced "The Last Wave," "Witness," "Dead Poet's Society," "Fearless" and "Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World." In addition to a special screening of his 1979 movie "The Plumber," the fest will screen his latest film, The Way Back, which features Ed Harris, Mark Strong and Colin Farrell as soldiers who escape a Siberian gulag in 1940 and walk all the way to India.

The other two Silver Medallion Award recipients include Claudia Cardinale and Colin Firth. The award recognizes an artist’s significant contribution to the world of cinema.

Italian film star Claudia Cardinale (8½, The Leopard, The Pink Panther) will receive the Silver Medallion followed by an onstage interview conducted by Hilton Als (Saturday) and Davia Nelson (Sunday). The program will include a screening of Valerio Zurlini’s Girl with a Suitcase (Italy, 1961).

Telluride audiences will be the first to see British actor Colin Firth’s performance in The King's Speech. The film will be preceded by a survey of Firth’s career (Pride and Prejudice, Girl with a Pearl Earring, A Single Man), the presentation of the Silver Medallion and an onstage interview with Davia Nelson (Sunday) and Todd McCarthy (Monday).

Alejandro González Iñárritu's 'Biutiful'
starring Javier Bardem to screen at Telluride

While Telluride is not known primarily as a sales festival, a handful of movies come to the festival without a domestic distributor and attract a deal in the days and weeks that follow — as was the case a year ago with the Leo Tolstoy drama "The Last Station." This year, the Telluride films looking for a home include Weir's prison escape drama "The Way Back," the animated musical "Chico and Rita," the Israeli-Palestinian documentary "Precious Life" and the inheritance drama "Incendies."

In keeping with Festival tradition, additional “Sneak Previews” are expected to surprise attendees over the weekend. Sneaks will be announced on the Telluride Film Festival webpage throughout the weekend.

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Source: TellurideFilmFestival

Ryan Bingham & The Dead Horses 'Junky Star' Hits Stores August 31st -- Hello Grammys!

2010-08-30T23:59:00.023-05:00

Oscar®-winning singer/songwriter Ryan Bingham's trademark voice is one stiff "Smokin' Americana" cocktail: one part each John Mellencamp, Bruce Springsteen, and Eddie Vedder -- shaken not stirred. His new album Junky Star produced by T Bone Burnett on Lost Highway Records hits stores August 31, 2010. Check out the killer single Depression (after the jump).
Great title song for a movie (directors -- give the album a spin).

This huge talent will clean up at the Grammy's BIG TIME -- mark my words! "The GRAMMY® Nominations Concert Live!! — Countdown To Music's Biggest Night®" will air live on the CBS Television Network on Wednesday, Dec. 1 at 10 – 11 p.m. ET/PT, and set the stage for the 53rd Annual GRAMMY Awards to be held at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles live on Sunday, Feb. 13, 2011.

Ryan Bingham & The Dead Horses

Its been a winding road for Bingham. . .

Bingham talks about his early days on the road, and about writing and performing the Oscar nominated song, The Weary Kind for the soundtrack of the movie Crazy Heart.

Upcoming Tour Dates

SEPT 01 - Los Angeles, CA : The Grammy Museum (with Q&A and Autograph Signing)

SEPT 03 - Yosemite, CA : Strawberry Festival :

SEPT 05 - Denver, CO : Red Rocks Amphitheater (w/Willie Nelson) :

SEPT 06 - Park City, UT : Snow Park Amphitheater

SEPT 07 - Boise, ID : Botanical Gardens (w/Willie Nelson) :

SEPT 08 - Reno, NV : Knitting Factory (w/Willie Nelson) :

SEPT 10 - Laughlin, NV : Harrah's Fiesta :

SEPT 12 - Bakersfield, CA : B Ryder's

Official Site
Facebook Page

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62nd Annual Primetime Emmy® Awards Broadcast Sunday August 29th at 8PM ET | Nominees

2010-08-28T15:18:00.038-05:00

It is one of the biggest events in Hollywood, and coming up tomorrow Sunday (August 29) at 8:00 PM ET/ 5:00 PM PT. The 62nd Annual Primetime Emmy Awards will be held at Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles and will feature Jimmy Fallon as this year’s host.

GREY GOOSE® Emmy®, is the signature cocktail of the 62nd Primetime Emmys Governors Ball. Watch how to make it for your Emmy Party guests and then settle in for a star-studded awards show evening!

Official 62nd Primetime Emmy ^® Awards At-Home Party Ballots

PDF download, 302kb

LIST OF MAJOR NOMINEES

OUTSTANDING COMEDY SERIES

"Curb Your Enthusiasm" (2000)

"Glee" (2009)

"Modern Family" (2009)

"Nurse Jackie" (2009)

"The Office" (2005)

"30 Rock" (2006)

OUTSTANDING DRAMA SERIES

"Breaking Bad" (2008)

"Dexter" (2006)

"The Good Wife" (2009)

"Lost" (2004)

"Mad Men" (2007)

"True Blood" (2008)

OUTSTANDING MADE FOR TELEVISION MOVIE

Endgame (2009/I)

Georgia O'Keeffe (2009) (TV)

Moonshot (2009) (TV)

The Special Relationship (2010) (TV)

Temple Grandin (2010) (TV)

You Don't Know Jack (2010) (TV)

OUTSTANDING MINISERIES

"The Pacific" (2010)

"Return to Cranford" (2007)

OUSTANDING LEAD ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES

Alec Baldwin for "30 Rock" (2006)

Steve Carell for "The Office" (2005)

Larry David for "Curb Your Enthusiasm" (2000)

Matthew Morrison for "Glee" (2009)

Jim Parsons for "The Big Bang Theory" (2007)

Tony Shalhoub for "Monk" (2002)

OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES

Kyle Chandler for "Friday Night Lights" (2006)

Bryan Cranston for "Breaking Bad" (2008)

Matthew Fox for "Lost" (2004)

Michael C. Hall for "Dexter" (2006)

Jon Hamm for "Mad Men" (2007)

Hugh Laurie for "House M.D." (2004)

OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTOR IN A MINSERIES OR MOVIE

Jeff Bridges for A Dog Year (2009)

Ian McKellen for "The Prisoner" (2009)

Al Pacino for You Don't Know Jack (2010) (TV)

Dennis Quaid for The Special Relationship (2010) (TV)

Michael Sheen for The Special Relationship (2010) (TV)

OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES

Toni Collette for "United States of Tara" (2009)

Edie Falco for "Nurse Jackie" (2009)

Tina Fey for "30 Rock" (2006)

Julia Louis-Dreyfus for "The New Adventures of Old Christine" (2006)

Lea Michele for "Glee" (2009)

Amy Poehler for "Parks and Recreation" (2009)

OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES

Connie Britton for "Friday Night Lights" (2006)

Glenn Close for "Damages" (2007)

Mariska Hargitay for "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" (1999)

January Jones for "Mad Men" (2007)

Julianna Margulies for "The Good Wife" (2009)

Kyra Sedgwick for "The Closer" (2005)

OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTRESS IN A MINISERIES OR MOVIE

Joan Allen for Georgia O'Keeffe (2009) (TV)

Claire Danes for Temple Grandin (2010) (TV)

Hope Davis for The Special Relationship (2010) (TV)

Judi Dench for "Return to Cranford" (2007)

Maggie Smith for Capturing Mary (2007) (TV)

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES

Ty Burrell for "Modern Family" (2009)

Chris Colfer for "Glee" (2009)

Jon Cryer for "Two and a Half Men" (2003)

Jesse Tyler Ferguson for "Modern Family" (2009)

Neil Patrick Harris for "How I Met Your Mother" (2005)

Eric Stonestreet for "Modern Family" (2009)

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES

Andre Braugher for "Men of a Certain Age" (2009)

Michael Emerson for "Lost" (2004)

Terry O'Quinn for "Lost" (2004)

Aaron Paul for "Breaking Bad" (2008)

Martin Short for "Damages" (2007)

John Slattery for "Mad Men" (2007)

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A MINISERIES OR MOVIE

Michael Gambon for "Emma" (2009)

John Goodman for You Don't Know Jack (2010) (TV)

Jonathan Pryce for "Return to Cranford" (2007)

Patrick Stewart for Hamlet (2009) (TV)

David Strathairn for Temple Grandin (2010) (TV)

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTTESS IN A COMEDY SERIES

Julie Bowen for "Modern Family" (2009)

Jane Krakowski for "30 Rock" (2006)

Jane Lynch for "Glee" (2009)

Holland Taylor for "Two and a Half Men" (2003)

Sofía Vergara for "Modern Family" (2009)

Kristen Wiig for "Saturday Night Live" (1975)

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES

Christine Baranski for "The Good Wife" (2009)

Rose Byrne for "Damages" (2007)

Sharon Gless for "Burn Notice" (2007)

Christina Hendricks for "Mad Men" (2007)

Elisabeth Moss for "Mad Men" (2007)

Archie Panjabi for "The Good Wife" (2009)

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A MINISERIES OR MOVIE

Kathy Bates for "Alice" (2009)

Catherine O'Hara for Temple Grandin (2010) (TV)

Julia Ormond for Temple Grandin (2010) (TV)

Susan Sarandon for You Don't Know Jack (2010) (TV)

Brenda Vaccaro for You Don't Know Jack (2010) (TV)

OUTSTANDING VARIETY, MUSIC OR COMEDY SERIES

"The Colbert Report" (2005)

"The Daily Show with Jon Stewart" (1996)

"Real Time with Bill Maher" (2003)

"Saturday Night Live" (1975)

"The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien" (2009)

OUTSTANDING REALITY COMPETITION

"The Amazing Race" (2001)

"American Idol" (2002)

"Dancing with the Stars" (2005/I)

"Project Runway" (2005)

"Top Chef" (2006)

OUTSTANDING HOST FOR A REALITY OR REALITY- COMPETITION PROGRAM

Jeff Probst for "Survivor" (2000) WINNER (previously announced)

Tom Bergeron for "Dancing with the Stars" (2005/I)

Phil Keoghan for "The Amazing Race" (2001)

Heidi Klum for "Project Runway" (2005)

Ryan Seacrest for "American Idol" (2002)

OUTSTANDING REALITY PROGRAM

"Food Revolution" (2010) WINNER (previously announced)

"Antiques Roadshow" (1997)

"Dirty Jobs" (2005)

"Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List" (2005)

"MythBusters" (2003)

"Undercover Boss" (2010)

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Christoph Waltz Rocks 'Paint it Black' Cover | First Set Stills from 'The Three Musketeers'

2010-08-28T09:13:00.034-05:00

Milla Jovovich and Christoph Waltz, 'The Three Musketeers' Photocall

Did you know the multi-talented Academy Award-winning actor Christoph Waltz (Inglorious Basterds), a Vienna native, was once an opera singer? Watch him perform the classic opera Der Humpink on the BBC TWO Biography Special as seen on Jimmy Kimmel Live (below).

ARE YOU CRAZY IMPRESSED YET? IF THIS WASNT ENOUGH . . .

Waltz rocks it 'Roy Black-style' with his cover version of the Rolling Stones classic Paint it Black (below).

F**K! Did he kill it or what? My body is still reverberating from the MegaDoze of UberSweetness!!!

The Three Musketeers

The Three Musketeers Photocall, August 20th, 2010 in Munich

Waltz is currently in Bamberg filming W.S. Paul Anderson's reboot of The Three Musketeers. He will portray Cardinal Richelieu alongside actors Orlando Bloom, Milla Jovovich, and Mads Mikkelsen. The action adventure also stars Matthew Macfadyen, Ray Stevenson, Luke Evans, Juno Temple, and James Corden.

ComingSoon.net has received the first photos from the Bamberg, Germany set. You can check out Mads Mikkelsen as Rochefort, Logan Lerman as D'Artagnan and Anderson in the photos below. The Three Musketeers opens in 3D on April 15, 2011.

Additional links

Christoph Waltz, Milla Jovovich and Orlando Bloom in Munich Promoting ‘The Three Musketeers’

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Guillermo del Toro's 'Julia's Eyes' Movie Trailer | TIFF 2010 Special Presentation

2010-08-26T12:14:00.026-05:00

Belén Rueda starred in the Guillermo del Toro produced film The Orphanage, which premiered at the Toronto Film Fest in 2007. Now Rueda is back in another GDT film: Julia’s Eyes, directed by Guillem Morales (The Uncertain Guest). Both films were shot by cinematographer Óscar Faura.

Julia’s Eyes will play as a Special Presentation at the Toronto International Film Festival.

TIFF Synopsis
Julia, a woman suffering from a degenerative eye disease, finds her blind twin sister Sara hanged in the basement of her house. Julia decides to investigate what she feels is a murder case, entering a dark world that seems to hide a mysterious presence. As Julia begins to uncover the terrifying truth about her sister’s death, her sight deteriorates further, until a series of unexplained deaths and disappearances cross her path. The film stars Belen Rueda and Lluis Homar (Broken Embraces).

TIFF SCREENING TIMES
Sat Sep 11, 9:45 PM – SCOTIABANK THEATRE 2
Sun Sep 12, 12:30 PM – AMC 3
Sat Sep 18, 9:00 PM – ISABEL BADER THEATRE

Subtitled version of the trailer (new):

Spanish language version:

Juia's Eyes Official site [ES]
IMDB
Facebook
GDT fans Facebook Group

Actress Belen Rueda

Additional Links:
International Trailer & Stills From Guillermo Del Toro's ‘Julia’s Eyes’

Lensing Has Begun on the Guillermo del Toro Produced Thriller 'Julia's Eyes' (Los ojos de Julia)

Guillermo del Toro Boards Spanish Thriller 'Julia's Eyes'

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Angelina Jolie Set To Write, Direct & Produce Bosnian War Love Story

2010-08-25T11:36:00.007-05:00

Academy Award-winning actress Angelina Jolie is set to make her feature film directorial debut. A love story set during the Bosnian war in the early '90s, the film focuses on a Serbian man and a Bosnian woman who meet on the eve of the war and the effect the war has on their relationship. She is working on the flick with GK Films which was founded by Academy Award-winning producer Graham King in 2007.

Based on an original screenplay written by Jolie, the actors will be solely compromised of various ethnicities from the region of the former Yugoslavia.

Jolie will produce the film alongside GK Films’ Academy Award winning producer Graham King and King’s business partner Tim Headington.

Jolie will not be in the film, and filming is expected to take place this fall, with no locations being announced due to security concerns. The Goodwill Ambassador for the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees frequently makes trips to the area, visited Sarajevo last weekend to discuss the refugee situation with some of the country's leaders.

"The film is a love story, not a political statement," Jolie said in a statement released by the UNHCR during her visit to the region last week. "I would like to involve as many local people as possible and learn as much as I can."

GK Films produced her upcoming Johnny Depp co-starring release, "The Tourist," set to hit theaters in December. She is also slated to star in Tim Burton's "Sleeping Beauty" as the film's evil queen, Maleficent, and will assume the title role in "Cleopatra."

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Source: GK Films Blog, MTV

Guillermo Del Toro Boards Jovanka Vuckovic's Debut Short 'The Captured Bird'

2010-08-24T18:52:00.009-05:00

Former Rue Morgue editor-in-chief Jovanka Vuckovic is preparing to shoot her debut short film, The Captured Bird, Executive Produced by Guillermo del Toro, Oscar-winning director of Pan's Labyrinth and the Hellboy films franchise.

Vuckovic was recently named by the Horror Society as one of the top thirteen most important women in the history of horror, alongside Mary Shelley, Kathryn Bigelow and Vamipra.

"Jovanka's vision has been honed to perfection and combines true poetry with savage instinct," says del Toro. "[It's] lyrical and brutal. Just what the doctor ordered."

Adds Vuckovic, "Having Guillermo [del Toro] on board as Executive Producer is like a dream come true for a first time filmmaker. His well of inspiration is as limitless as his generosity. Plus, The Captured Bird is just too ambitious to make without his guidance. I'm very grateful to have him as part of the team."

Mike Elizalde's Oscar-nominated special make-up effects studio Spectral Motion (Hellboy II, X-Men: The Last Stand) will provide creature effects. Emmy Award-nominated visual effects supervisor Tammy Sutton (Avatar, Spider-Man 2) as well as filmmakers Douglas Buck (Sisters) and Karim Hussain (La belle bête), will be serving as editor and director of photography, respectively.

"The Captured Bird is inspired in part by a childhood nightmare, the writings of H. P. Lovecraft, the fables of the Brothers Grimm and the paranormal phenomenon referred to as The Shadow People," explains writer-director Vuckovic. "It's sort of a dark fable that I hope people will find haunting, poetic and beautiful."

The Captured Bird.com, a feature-packed website will track the development of the film with regular blog updates from Vuckovic. The site will also feature videos of the film's progress, including location scouts, production meetings, and interviews with well-known genre filmmakers about how to approach making your first movie. Filmmakers such as del Toro, George Romero (Night of the Living Dead), John Landis (An American Werewolf in London) and Mick Garris (Masters of Horror) provide input.

The website makes use of "crowdfunding." Fans and supporters can make a donation in any amount towards production, which to date has raised thirty per cent of its budget through Canadian broadcaster Bravo!, which has first-time Canadian broadcast rights. All funders will receive a thank you credit in the film and donors of a certain amount are given special rewards, some of which include an autographed copy of Jovanka's forthcoming coffee-table book on zombies or a Pan's Labyrinth script autographed by del Toro.

The Captured Bird is scheduled to shoot in the spring of 2011 for a film festival tour through 2012. It has already been accepted to the prestigious Fantasia Film Festival in Montreal. Fantastic Fest in Austin, Texas and the Toronto After Dark Film Festival and several international festivals have also already shown interest.

For more information visit The Captured Bird

For the latest Guillermo del Toro breaking news join the GDT Facebook Group.

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An Evening with Guillermo del Toro and 'The Fall' -- Event & Book Signing in San Francisco September 28th! Buy Tix Online

2010-08-21T09:54:00.008-05:00

Film fans, young filmmakers and vampire and horror novel fans alike won't want to miss this very special event with prolific multihyphenate multi award-winning filmmaker Guillermo del Toro! The Fall, the second book in The Strain Trilogy book signing will follow a very special event at the Sundance Kabuki Theatre in San Francisco on September 28th.

A VIP ticket entitles you to a private pre-talk reception, at 6:30 PM, with Mr. Del Toro, including delicious food, a special bar drink, seat, and a copy of The Fall! Lucky you -- if you happen to be in San Francisco that day! Check it out ...

Date

From September 28, 2010 7:30 PM
Until September 28, 2010 9:00 PM

Location

Sundance Kabuki Theater
1881 Post Street at Fillmore
San Francisco, CA 94115

[map it!]

Price

$12.00 - $75.00

Info Line

415-863-8688

Website

http://www.booksmith.com

Contact

events@booksmith.com

Description

Born and raised in Guadalajara, Mexico, Guillermo del Toro made his feature directorial debut in 1993 with the film Cronos, and has since gone on to direct, among other films, Mimic, The Devil's Backbone, Blade II, Hellboy I, Hellboy II, and Pan's Labyrinth, which garnered enormous critical praise worldwide and won three Academy Awards. Del Toro has produced and written films numerous films. He is currently working on a remake of Frankenstein; it's been announced that James Cameron will produce Del Toro's 3-D At the Mountains of Madness, and that Del Toro will direct Disney's The Haunted Mansion.

With Chuck Hogan, Del Toro has become a novelist as well. Their first novel was The Strain, about which all that must be said is this:

They have always been here. Vampires. In secret and in darkness. Waiting. Now their time has come.

In one week, Manhattan will be gone. In one month, the country.

In two months -- the world.

"I cannot wait to see where Del Toro and Hogan take us next." -- James Rollins, New York Times bestselling author of The Doomsday Key

The wait is over! Guillermo Del Toro returns with The Fall -- the second blood-chilling volume in their critically acclaimed, New York Times bestselling Strain Trilogy. The Fall picks up where The Strain left off -- with a vampiric infection spreading like wildfire across America as a small band of heroes struggles to save the dwindling human race from the vampire plague. Horror fiction and dark fantasy fans will be swept up in this epic story that bestselling author Nelson DeMille describes as "Bram Stoker meets Stephen King meets Michael Crichton."

In addition to his multiple screen ventures, Del Toro is, with Chuck Hogan, writing the third volume in The Strain trilogy.

Advance ticket purchase encouraged; tickets at the door may not be available.

General admission $12.

VIP ticket for private pre-talk reception, at 6:30 PM, with Mr. Del Toro, including delicious food, a special bar drink, seat, and a copy of The Fall $75. (21+ only)

NOTE: No one under 21 years old will be admitted.

Notes

General seating ($12 tickets) begins at 6:45 PM.

Reserved seating for VIP reception ticket holders ($75 tickets) begins promptly at 7:15

Buy tickets online now.

Pre-Order The Fall online now!

Join the Guillermo del Toro Facebook fans Group.

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Christoph Waltz, Milla Jovovich and Orlando Bloom in Munich Promoting ‘The Three Musketeers’

2010-08-21T09:14:00.006-05:00

Shooting is about to begin on Paul W. S. Anderson's reboot of The Three Musketeers. Orlando Bloom, Milla Jovovich, Mads Mikkelsen and Christoph Waltz posed during a photocall (above) to promote the movie known in Germany as Die drei Musketiere on Friday, August 20th, 2010 in Munich.

Director Paul W.S. Anderson (hubby of Milla Jovovich) stated we can expect “a much sexier version” when his take of the French novelist Alexander Dumas’s adventure stories hit the big screen next September (2011).

Miranda Kerr and Orlando Bloom
Credit: Denise Truscello; Photos: WireImage

Oh, and 33 year old actor Orlando Bloom and his new bride Miranda Kerr are expecting a baby.

Orly told the UKPA this morning that he already making plans to visit wife Miranda Kerr while he’s in Munich filming!

“I’ll go home as often as possible. I’m really excited about it, it’s great. She’ll come out here too,” Orly said.

More pictures from The Three Musketeers photocall at JustJared and AccidentalSexiness.

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Naomi Watts and Sean Penn's 'Fair Game' Movie Trailer Released

2010-08-19T12:19:00.011-05:00

Naomi Watts (Valerie Plame) and Sean Penn (Joe Wilson) in Fair Game

Summit Entertainment has released the movie trailer for Doug Liman’s political drama Fair Game. The film stars Naomi Watts as real-life undercover CIA operative Valerie Plame and Sean Penn as her husband Joe Wilson.

The political story resulting from Plame’s identity leak is highly compelling. Check out the trailer after the jump.

Naomi Watts (Valerie Plame) in Fair Game

Official Synopsis
A suspense-filled glimpse into the dark corridors of political power, Fair Game is a riveting action-thriller based on the autobiography of real-life undercover CIA operative Valeria Plame (Naomi Watts), whose career was destroyed and marriage strained to its limits when her covert identity was exposed by a politically motivated press leak. As a covert officer in the CIA’s Counter-Proliferation Division, Valerie leads an investigation into the existence of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. Valerie’s husband, diplomat Joe Wilson (Sean Penn), is drawn into the investigation to substantiate an alleged sale of enriched uranium from Niger. But when the administration ignores his findings and uses the issue to support the call to war, Joe writes a New York Times editorial outlining his conclusions and ignites a firestorm of controversy.

Fair Game opens on Friday, November 5th, 2010 (limited release).

Links:
Fair Game Official Site
Facebook
IMDB

* * *

Interviews with the 'Glorious' Christoph Waltz

2010-08-18T13:46:00.007-05:00

Christoph Waltz fans will enjoy watching two amazing interviews with the multi award-winning actor on the Charlie Rose show.

Actor Christoph Waltz for 'Inglourious Basterds'
Monday, February 15, 2010 (60 minutes)

Charlie Rose Greenroom with Christoph Waltz
March 1, 2010 (5:16 minutes)
Christoph talks about:
First Job
Advice
Career low and high points
Favorite films and actors
Childhood dream job
On acting

Enjoy!

Christoph Waltz as August Rosenbluth, on set of 'Water for Elephants'

Waltz recently wrapped his role as Chudnofsky in The Green Hornet, and August Rosenbluth in Water for Elephants. He is currently prepping for his role as Cardinal Richelieu in Paul W. S. Anderson's The Three Musketeers alongside Milla Jovovich (M'lady De Winter) and Orlando Bloom (Duke of Buckingham)

* * *

Ric and Lincoln O'Barry's 'Blood Dolphins' World Premiere on Animal Planet, Friday, August 27 at 11 PM

2010-08-16T11:34:00.014-05:00

Pro-dolphin activist Ric O'Barry (left) and filmmaker son Lincoln

Ric O'Barry, lead activist of the Oscar-winning film, The Cove - and his son, filmmaker are two men driven by a single passion.

In Blood Dolphins, a three-part series that premieres August 27, on Animal Planet at the special time of 11 PM ET/PT, former Flipper trainer Ric continues on his redemptive mission to save dolphins at the peril of man.

Blood Dolphins begins back at The Cove—the remote location in Taiji, Japan that is witness to an annual mass slaughter of dolphins. The pair, along with a small crew, discover that the brutal massacre portrayed in the Academy Award-winning film continues in spite of the success and international awareness of The Cove. Despite the many obstacles father and son encounter, they forge on, continuing their mission.

"Having a higher media profile is a tool," Ric said during the TV Guide show's Television Critics Assocation summer session. The drawback is that in Japan "I am a marked man." Ric said there are four major dolphin trade groups from which he has to stay away. "Two of my associates have been murdered," he said.

Still, Ric said, he'll continue the work of education. "In some ways, the Japanese people are victims because they don't have the information," Ric said. "But we're here to listen and learn... We're not cultural imperialists."

After leaving Japan, the team travels to the Solomon Islands—a small nation consisting of nearly 1,000 islands where dolphin dealing is legal and big business. The islands are the nerve center of dolphin slaughter and trade. Threatened by annual hunts, dolphins are slaughtered by the thousands. The O’Barry’s dangerous mission is to confront cultural, political and economic forces that affect the world's dolphins. They met with high hopes as they learn that a prominent dealer is thinking of leaving the business.

Dolphins are victimized by a highly lucrative (at times cutthroat) captive trade, where a "prime specimen" can rake in up to $200,000 for the dolphin entertainment industry. Either scenario is a sad fate for one of the most remarkable, intelligent and loved creatures on the planet.

“Dolphins are highly intelligent, self-aware, complex creatures that should swim free without the threat of slaughter or captivity,” says Ric O’Barry. “Dolphins’ primary sense is sonar sound, and living within small confines causes sensory deprivation and distress, while also extremely limiting their range of space. The most important thing I can do…that my son can do…is show the world through projects like ‘Blood Dolphins’ just how threatened dolphins are so we can all do something about it.”

Lincoln O'Barry in Blood Dolphins

The animals you see at theme parks are part of the problem, Lincoln said. Viewers who watch the show, "hopefully, they won't buy a ticket, and it will faze out."

"It's not conservation," Ric said. "Flipper was a blood dolphin."

Animal Planet’s Blood Dolphins premiers on Friday, August 27 at 11 p.m. ET/PT following the season finale of Whale Wars.

Watch Ric O’Barry and son Lincoln talk about Blood Dolphins on CNN.

* * *

Jazz Singer Abbey Lincoln who appeared in 'Nothing But a Man' and 'For Love of Ivy', Passes Away at 80

2010-08-15T10:16:00.013-05:00

Abbey Lincoln in The Girl Can't Help It

Abbey Lincoln, a legendary signature jazz singer, tersely poetic songwriter, and accomplished actress, died Saturday in Manhattan at age 80. She lived in the Upper West Side of New York. She had been declining in health for the past year. Her death was confirmed by friend and filmmaker Carol Friedman, who has been working on a documentary on Lincoln's life. Born Anna Marie Wooldridge in Chicago as the tenth of 12 children, Ms. Lincoln grew up on a farm in the small township of Calvin Center, Michigan. She has earned a place among the “greats” of jazz.

Her career encompassed outspoken civil rights advocacy in the 1960s and fearless introspection in more recent years. Lincoln made records and acted in films in the 1950s and '60s, then saw her career surge again in the 1990s when she found new voice as a songwriter. From her romantic lead in Michael Roemer's Nothing But A Man (1964) to the knowing cameo Spike Lee had her play in Mo' Better Blues the lady was fierce. She starred opposite Sidney Poitier in For Love of Ivy (1968).

Her biggest impact and best art was in the musical realm, from her vibrantly angry declamations on We Insist!, a 1960 collaboration led by her soon-to-be-husband Max Roach (they married in 1962, divorced in 1970), to the astonishing solo work of many years later. Abbey and Roach began collaborating quiet frequently during the end of the 1950s and throughout the 1960s. During this time, the Civil Rights movement was on the rise, and they, along with Charles Mingus, Oscar Brown, Jr., John Coltrane, and other jazz musicians, were right in the thick of it.

Her career renaissance was in the form of this amazing run of recordings (beginning with 1990's The World Is Falling Down), for which she assembled the most sensitive and wide-ranging groups of players and sang a mix of American songbook standards, jazz classics, and nakedly honest originals. Really an artist of genius. Listen to Lincoln's jazz profile on NPR.

When everything is finished in a world, the people go to look for what the artists leave. It's the only thing that we have really in this world -- is an ability to express ourselves and say, "I was here."

-- Abbey Lincoln

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