Showing posts with label Benicio Del Toro. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Benicio Del Toro. Show all posts

Thursday, March 17, 2022

Review: "THE FRENCH DISPATCH" is Ultimate Wes Anderson

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 14 of 2022 (No. 1826) by Leroy Douresseaux

The French Dispatch of the Liberty, Kansas Evening Sun (2021)
Running time:  107 minutes (1 hour, 47 minutes)
MPA – R for graphic nudity, some sexual references and language
DIRECTOR:  Wes Anderson
WRITERS:  Wes Anderson; from a story by Wes Anderson, Roman Coppola, Jason Schwartzman, and Hugo Guinness
PRODUCERS:  Wes Anderson, Jeremy Dawson, and Steven Rales
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Robert Yeoman (D.o.P.)
EDITOR:  Andrew Weisblum
COMPOSER:  Alexandre Desplat

COMEDY/DRAMA/ANTHOLOGY with elements of fantasy

Starring:  Jeffrey Wright, Benicio del Toro, Adrien Brody, Lea Seydoux, Tilda Swinton, Frances McDormand, Timothée Chalamet, Lyna Khoudri, Liev Schreiber, Mathieu Amalric, Stephen Park, Willem Dafoe, Edward Norton, Winston Ait Hellal, and Owen Wilson and Anjelica Huston

The French Dispatch (full title: The French Dispatch of the Liberty, Kansas Evening Sun) is a 2021 comedy-drama and anthology film from writer-director Wes Anderson.  The film focuses on the French foreign bureau of a Kansas newspaper and the features magazine it produces.

The French Dispatch introduces Arthur Howitzer Jr. (Bill Murray).  When he was a college freshman, he convinces his father, the owner of the newspaper, the “Liberty, Kansas Evening Sun,” to fund his transatlantic trip.  Junior would in turn produce a series of travelogue columns, which would be published for local readers in the Evening Sun's magazine supplement “Sunday Picnic.”  Arthur, Jr. sets up shop in the (fictional) French town of Ennui-sur-Blasé.  Over the next decade, young Arthur assembles a team of the best expatriate journalists of the time.  In 1925, he transforms the Sunday Picnic into the weekly magazine, “The French Dispatch” (something like The New Yorker).

In 1975, fifty years after he left Kansas, Arthur Howitzer, Jr. dies suddenly of a heart attack.  Although it has half a million subscribers in 50 countries, as per his will, The French Dispatch will immediately cease publication following the release of a farewell issue that will feature Arthur's obituary and four articles by magazine's best writers:

In “The Cycling Reporter,” Herbsaint Sazerac (Owen Wilson) gives a sight-seeing tour.  It is “a day in Ennui over the course of 250 years” and demonstrates how much and yet how little has changed in Ennui over time.

In “The Concrete Masterpiece,” J.K.L. Berensen (Tilda Swinton) delivers a lecture at an art gallery.  She details the career of Moses Rosenthaler (Benicio del Toro), a mentally disturbed artist serving a sentence in the Ennui Prison-Asylum for murder and the two most important people in his lives.  The first is Simone (Lea Seydoux), a prison officer who becomes Moses' lover and his muse.  Moses paints a portrait of Simone, and that second important person, Julien Cadazio, an art dealer also serving a sentence for tax evasion, is immediately taken by the painting.  After buying the painting, Cadazio uses it to turn Moses into an international sensation.  However, Moses struggles with inspiration, and his relationship with Simone becomes complicated.

In “Revisions to a Manifesto,” Lucinda Krementz (Frances McDormand) reports on a student protest breaking out in the streets of Ennui, one that soon boils over into the “Chessboard Revolution.”  Krementz fails to maintain “journalistic neutrality” when she falls in love with Zeffirelli (Timothée Chalamet), a college boy who is the self-styled leader of the revolt.  She secretly helps him write his manifesto, but Juliette (Lyna Khoudri), a fellow revolutionary who has some feelings for Zeffirelli, is unimpressed with his manifesto – thus, creating a love triangle.

In “The Private Dining Room of the Police Commissioner,” Roebuck Wright (Jeffrey Wright) is the guest of a television talk show host (Liev Schreiber).  Wright recounts the story of his attending a private dinner with The Commissaire (Mathieu Amalric) of the Ennui police force.  The meal is prepared by the legendary police officer and chef, Lt. Nescaffier (Stephen Park).  Nescaffier is the creator of a kind of “haute cuisine” specifically designed to be eaten by police officers while they are working.  The dinner is disrupted when the Commissaire's inquisitive and bright son, Gigi (Winston Ait Hellal), is kidnapped and held for ransom by a large gang of criminals, led by a failed musician known as “The Chauffeur” (Edward Norton).

They mourn his death.  Now, the staff of The French Dispatch must put together a final issue with these four stories that Arthur Howitzer Jr. touched in some way?

The French Dispatch has been described as a film that is “a love letter to journalists set in an outpost of an American newspaper in a fictional twentieth century French city.”  The film presents four of the magazine's stories of the city.  Director Wes Anderson has apparently stated that this film is inspired by his love of the venerable weekly magazine, The New Yorker, and that some of the film's characters and events are based on real-life equivalents from that magazine.  During The French Dispatch's closing credits, there is a dedication to several writers and editors, many of whom wrote for The New Yorker.

To that end, The French Dispatch is a movie that celebrates magazine writers, illustrators, and editors and the stories they tell.  This film is a love letter to stories of local color and of locales written for magazines.  The film demands patience and attention on the part of the audience.  The French Dispatch is a hybrid.  It is an anthology of four main stories and of a few small chapters, although everything connects in the end.  The audience has to follow each of the main stories, paying attention from beginning to the end.  That is where the pay off comes.

In fact, each of the main stories seems like one thing in the beginning, but fully develops over the course of the narrative in something different.  At the end of each, I realized that the story was about wonderful characters living lives both ordinary and extraordinary.  In the extraordinary, Anderson gives us a reason to love what is so ordinary and human about them.

This is brilliant character writing on Anderson's part.  His gift is to make not only the lead and supporting characters fascinating, but he also makes even the characters who say little and the extras seem worth knowing – even when the narrative passes them by.  To that end, I think Roebuck Wright is the character that ties all the characters and stories together.  He is the narrator/writer of “The Private Dining Room of the Police Commissioner,” the final story.  Both his first meeting and final conversation with Bill Murray's Arthur coalesces the film's theme of expatriate writers, and he begins Arthur's obituary, which also brings together the film's shifts in time.  It would have been nice to see Wright receive a best supporting actor Oscar nomination for his work here, but The French Dispatch did not receive any Oscar nominations.

The film's production values:  art direction and production design, costumes, and cinematography all meet the wonderfully inventive and incredibly imaginative standards that audiences have come to expect from Wes Anderson's films.  The French Dispatch looks like no film I have ever seen.  Even Alexandre Desplat's score sounds like something entirely new in film music.  I described Anderson's 2014 film, The Grand Budapest Hotel, as Wes Anderson art for Wes Anderson's art sake.  The French Dispatch is Wes Anderson high art.

9 of 10
A+

Thursday, March 17, 2022


NOTES:
2022 BAFTA Awards:  3 nominations: “Best Costume Design” (Milena Canonero); “Original Score” (Alexandre Desplat), and “Best Production Design” (Adam Stockhausen and Rena DeAngelo)

2022 Black Reel Awards:  1 nomination: “Outstanding Supporting Actor” (Jeffrey Wright)

2021 Cannes Film Festival:  1 nomination: “Palme d'Or” (Wes Anderson)

2022 Golden Globes, USA:  1 nomination: “Best Original Score - Motion Picture” (Alexandre Desplat)


The text is copyright © 2022 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for syndication rights and fees.

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Friday, August 17, 2018

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from August 12th to 18th, 2018 - Update #21

Support Leroy on Patreon:

STAR WARS - From YahooEntertainment:  The first trailer for the new animated "Star Wars" TV series, "Star Wars Resistance," arrives.

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MOVIES - From Variety:  Did you that there is a Broadway musical adaptation of Tim Burton's 1998 film, "Beetlejuice?"  The show, which begins shows in October, has cast it leads.

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CELEBRITY - From Variety:  What’s Next for Jordan Peele and His House of Horrors

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SPORTS - From YahooSports:  Report: Kobe Bryant turns $6 million sports drink investment into $200 million

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POLITICS - From Politico:  Stephen Miller Is an Immigration Hypocrite. I Know Because I’m His Uncle.

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MOVIES - From ThePlaylist:  Neill Blomkamp wants original "Robocop" star, Peter Weller, to appear in his "Robocop" reboot/sequel.

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STREAMING - From Variety:  CBS All Access' "Star Trek" has cast is "Spock."  He is actor Ethan Peck, grandson of legendary actor, Gregory Peck (well, at least I remember him - Ed.).  Peck will appear as the beloved Vulcan in Season 2 of the series.

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MOVIES - From ThePlaylist:  Director Wes Anderson's next film will be set in post-WWII France, according to a French publication.

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BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficeMojo:  The winner of the 8/10 to 8/12/2018 weekend box office is "The Meg" with an box office total of $45.4 million.

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MOVIE - From Variety:  Oscar-winner Benicio del Toro joins Oscar-winning director Oliver Stone's film, "White Lies."

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LGBTQ - From YahooEntertainment:  Disney's pick to play its first openly gay character, in the film, "Jungle Cruise" with Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt, actor Jack Whitehall (who is not a gay man), has caused some controversy.

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BOX OFFICE - From THR:  "The Meg" leads the 8/10 to 8/12/2018 weekend box office with an estimated $44.5 million in domestic box office.

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MOVIES - From YesMagazine:  In this interview with Zenobia Jeffries, Danny Glover talks about the new film, "Sorry to Bother You," in which he appears, and the myth of the "postracial" United States of America.

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TECH - From TheRinger:  Was Oscar-winning screenwriter and Emmy-winning television producer, Aaron Sorkin, right in his critiques of the Internet?  [Mostly, he was. - Ed.]

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SPORTS - From YahooFinance:  LeBron James is building a new blueprint for athletes in business

From YahooHuffPost:  NBA superstar, Steph Curry, of the world champion Golden State Warriors, helped raise more than $21,000 for the family of Nia Wilson, the young African-American woman who was killed by racist-terrorist in Oakland.

ARETHA FRANKLIN:

From NYTimes:  Aretha Franklin, Indomitable ‘Queen of Soul,’ Dies at 76

From NYTimes:  Aretha Franklin Had Power. Did We Truly Respect It?

From YahooNews:  Presidents pay respect to Aretha Franklin.

From YouTube:  See Aretha Franklin sing at President Obama's 2009 inauguration.

From TheVillageVoice:  "Farewell to the Revolutionary, Influential, and Dazzling ‘Queen of Soul’ Aretha Franklin" by Michael Musto

OBITS:

From CNN:  Grammy winning singer, songwriter, and recording artist, Aretha Franklin, has died at the age of 76, Thursday, August 16, 2018.  Fans knew her worldwide as the "Queen of Soul."

From People:  Jazz singer and actress, Morgana King, died at the age of 87, back on March 22, 2018.  News of her passing is just breaking this week.  King played Marlon Brando's wife in "The Godfather."  Although she did not attain mainstream success, King pursued jazz as a passion and recorded 20 albums and was admired by greats including Billie Holiday and Frank Sinatra, among others.


Sunday, December 31, 2017

Negromancer's "Star Wars: The Last Jedi" Link-O-Rama - Update #98

Posted by Leroy Doureseaux - on Patreon.

From Negromancer:  My review of "The Last Jedi."

From Patreon:  My review of "The Last Jedi."

From YouTube:  "Star Wars: The Last Jedi" first official teaser trailer.

From YouTube:  "Star Wars: The Last Jedi" second official trailer.

From YouTube:  "Star Wars: The Last Jedi" -- "Awake" teaser.

From YouTube:  The Last Jedi - TV Spot #4

From YouTube:  The Last Jedi - "Tempt" TV spot

From WeGotThisCovered:  Here are two sneak previews of "The Last Jedi" trailer that will debut during the halftime show of ESPN's "Monday Night Football," Oct. 9th, 2017.

From YahooMovies:  A "Star Wars: The Last Jedi" behind-the-scenes reel, presents at D23 Expo 2017.

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From Variety:  "The Last Jedi" tops $1 billion in worldwide box office.

From Variety:  "The Last Jedi" approaches $1 billion in worldwide box office.

From ComicBook:  The Last Jedi's "Force Tree" explained.

From YahooHuffPost:  Mark Hamill is not exactly happy with the Luke Skywalker of "The Last Jedi."

From Deadline:  "The Last Jedi's" worldwide box office has now crossed $600 million.

From Movieweb:  Rian Johnson explains why he did not include Obi-Wan Kenobi in "The Last Jedi."

From THR:  Toy shipments for "The Last Jedi" are down from "The Force Awakens."

From TheWrap:  See Kelly Marie Tran's (Rose) audition with John Boyega (Finn).

From TheWrap:  In a commentary, Phil Hornshaw says that the Luke Skywalker in "The Last Jedi" does not feel like Luke Skywalker.

From Inverse:  Mark Hamill had a second secret role in "The Last Jedi,"which will be revealed in the Blu-ray release.

From BoxOfficeMojo:  "The Last Jedi" opens with the second largest weekend box office at $220 million, behind "The Force Awakens" at #1 with $247.9.

From YahooGMA:  SPOILER - Explaining that shock ending, involving Luke Skywalker.

From Variety:  "The Last Jedi" has the second largest Thursday preview night with an estimated haul of $45 million.  Of course, "The Force Awakens" has the record for the biggest Thursday preview night.

From the NYT:  The "Times" reviews "The Last Jedi."

From TheVerge:  The site offers what it claims is a spoiler free review of "The Last Jedi."

From Variety:  There are early reactions to "The Last Jedi," although full reviews are embargoes until Tuesday morning, Dec. 12th.

From YahooEntertainment:  Elaborate premiere for "The Last Jedi" celebrates Carrie Fisher.

From TheVerge:  Some begs, "Please don't let The Last Jedi be another remake of The Empire Strikes Back.

From ScreenRant:  There is a new TV spot for "The Last Jedi" which teases plenty of action.

From Yahoo:  Mark  Hamill reveals Luke Skywalker's relationship to the Dark Side.

From Yahoo:  New "Star Wars" teaser has Luke Skywalker moment fans have been waiting for.

From WeGotThisCovered:  New detailed character bios of key characters in "The Last Jedi."

From io9:  The latest poster for "The Last Jedi" puts General Organa/Princess Leia front and center.

From THR:  The new trailer for "The Last Jedi" will debut during the halftime show of Monday, Oct. 9th's telecast of "Monday Night Football" on ESPN.  The game will feature the Minnesota Vikings vs. the Chicago Bears in Chicago.

From WeGotThisCovered:  The next "Last Jedi" trailer arrives Monday, Oct. 9th.

From WeGotThisCovered:  Tickets for "The Last Jedi" go on sale next week, possibly as early as Monday, Oct. 9th.

From WeGotThisCovered:  "The Last Jedi" officially wraps production.

From THR:  Mark Hamill is begging fans not to read Star Wars #49 of the original Star Wars comics run by Marvel Comics.  It is also entitled "The Last Jedi."  Or is he just teasing...

From ThePlaylist:  Joseph Gordon-Levitt apparently has a cameo in "The Last Jedi."

From YahooMovies:  Rian Johnson explains the title, "The Last Jedi."

From YahooMoviesUK:  The name of Benecio del Toro's "Last Jedi" character is "D.J." What does that mean?

From YahooMoviesUK:  Laura Dern's "Last Jedi" character, Admiral Amilyn Holdo, may be the first openly LGBTQ character in the Star Wars universe.

From YahooNewsSPOILERS!! - A checklist of collectible cards from Topps may have spoiled the plot breakdown of "The Last Jedi."

From YahooNews:  There will be an evil goth version of BB-8, named BB-9E, in "The Last Jedi."

From YahooMovies - A look at the cool new "Last Jedi" toys in a slideshow of 81 images.

From YahooNews:  AT-ATs will operate differently in "The Last Jedi."

From Variety:  John Boyega hints that the rumors are true that Great Britain's Prince William and Prince Harry will have secret cameos in "The Last Jedi."

From YahooMovies:  New "Last Jedi" photos with some already released in this photo suite.

From CinemaBlend:  "The Last Jedi" dominates social media.

From CinemaBlend:  Maz Kanata's role in "The Last Jedi" will be smaller than it was in "The Force Awakens."

From EntertainmentWeekly:  The magazine has exclusive photos from the set of "The Last Jedi."

From BleedingCool:  John Boyega talks about Finn going undercover in "The Last Jedi."

From YahooNews:  John Boyega says "The Last Jedi" sends Princess Leia off in an amazing way.

From ExpressUK:  Supreme Commander Snoke may be revealed to be more fearsome than Emperor Palpatine in "The Last Jedi."

From ScreenRant: A new image brings Rey, Finn, and new character, "Rose," together.

From YahooMovies:  The 2017 San Diego Comic-Con began today.  At the previews last night, a new character for "The Last Jedi" was revealed.  "C'ai Threnalli" is a pilot and is Poe Dameron's wingman.

From ScreenRant:  "Last Jedi" director Rian Johnson compares his film to other Star Wars movies.

From io9:  See Kylo Ren's deadly new ship, the "TIE Silence."

From ScreenRant:  The "Star Wars: The Last Jedi" character posters are beautiful.

From ScreenRant:  Check out the first wave of LEGO sets from "The Last Jedi."

From ScreenRant:   Fans at the Disney fan convention, D23 2017, may see some behind-the-scenes footage from "The Last Jedi."

From SlashFilm:  Adam Driver says "The Last Jedi" creates new rules for franchise.

From TheDailyExpress:  Information on a purported scene between Supreme Commander Snoke and General Hux.

From Gamespot:  See "alien sea-creature" art from "The Last Jedi."

From ScreenRant:  Leaked action figure information may suggest that there will be a showdown between Luke Skywalker and Kylo Ren.

From ScreenRant:  Mark Hamill and John Boyega tease "Last Jedi" spoilers.

From ScreenRant:  "Last Jedi" director Rian Johnson takes to Twitter to answer concerns that his film may be recycling ideas and such from previous Star Wars.

From BleedingCool:  John Boyega shows off Finn's blaster for "The Last Jedi."

From FlickeringMyth:  A peek at LEGO toys for "The Last Jedi" may reveal Supreme Commander Snoke's costume.

From SideshowToys:  A selection of the striking "Last Jedi" images from Vanity Fair magazine's recent story.

From BleedingCool:  Vanity Fair articles reveal the identities of Benecio del Toro and Laura Dern's characters in "The Last Jedi."

From YahooNews:  Perhaps, "The Last Jedi" will end with a huge twist.

From Nerdist:  A "Force Ghost" to appear in "The Last Jedi?"

From ScreenRant:  First look at Kylo Ren's TIE fighter from "The Last Jedi."

From THR:  "Last Jedi" set photos reveal Carrie Fisher as General Leia Organa.

From io9:  There may be details of one of two key scenes featuring General Leia Organa in "The Last Jedi."

From SideshowToys:  "Last Jedi" director, Rian Johnson, is ready for your nitpicky Star Wars questions.

From CinemaBlend:  According to director Rian Johnson, "The Last Jedi" refers to Luke Skywalker.

From YahooMovies:  Meet "Rose" the biggest newcomer in "The Last Jedi."


From ScreenRant:  Rumors about the character Benicio del Toro will play in "The Last Jedi."

From TheHuffingtonPost:  Laura Dern talks a little about being "The Last Jedi."

From YahooMovies:  Disney shareholders were treated to some secret "Last Jedi" footage.  Lucky bitches.

From YahooMovies:  John Boyega said that "The Last Jedi" will carry on the tradition of awkward dialogue in a Star Wars movie.

From ScreenRant:  J.J. Abrams thinks Mark Hamill will win an Oscar for "The Last Jedi."

From the Express:  An official new image has fans questioning if Rey really is a Skywalker.

From CBR:  The Spanish and French versions of the title, "The Last Jedi," apparently affirm a key fan theory, "Jedi" is plural.

From THR:  "Star Wars Force Friday II" is moved to September 1 when products related to "The Last Jedi" will be revealed.

From Polygon:  Still hearing "maybe" on a trailer for "The Last Jedi" at Star Wars Celebration.

From EntertainmentWeekly:  "The Last Jedi" to get a prime spot upcoming "Star Wars Celebration."

From TheHollywoodReporter:  Jimmy Vee will take over as the iconic droid, R2-D2 in the wake of the Kenny Baker, who had played the droid since the original Star Wars film in 1977.

From CinemaBlend:  Benecio del Toro will reportedly appear in "The Last Jedi."  Could he be playing an adult version of "Ezra Bridger," a teen character in the animated series, "Star Wars Rebels."

From YahooStyle:  Here is an intriguing theory about who or what is "The Last Jedi."

From Wired:  The site has a bad feeling about that "Sith-colored" logo.

From CinemaBlend:  What does Mark Hamill think of "The Last Jedi" title?

From CinemaBlend:  What does "The Last Jedi" mean.

From CinemaBlend:  Rian Johnson shares a photo from the working process of "The Last Jedi."

From YahooNews:  Fans happy and confused by the title, "The Last Jedi."

From YahooMovies:  Star Wars Episode VIII now has an official title, "Star Wars: The Last Jedi."

From Wired:  Rumors say that Episode 8 will have its own goofy aliens a la Ewoks and Gungans.

From THR:  Tom Hardy being coy (or a dick) when it comes to rumors that he might be in Episode 8.

From THR:  "Star Wars" brain trust sets a meeting to discuss the future of Princess Leia in Episodes 8 and 9 in the wake of Carrie Fisher's death.


Saturday, September 17, 2016

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from September 11th to 17th, 2016 - Update #34

Support Leroy on Patreon.

BOX OFFICE - From Variety:  Looks like "Blair Witch" won't keep "Sully" from repeating as weekend box office champ.

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OBIT - From TheWrap:  The author, W.P. Kinsella, has died at the age of 81.  His 1982 novel, "Shoeless Joe," was the basis of director Phil Alden Robinson's 1989, Oscar-nominated film, "Field of Dreams," which starred Kevin Costner.

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OBIT-THEATER - From EW:  Legendary American playwright, Albert Albee, has died at the age of 88, Friday, September 16, 2016.  His best known play is "Who Afraid of Virginia Woolf?"

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MOVIE - From GQ:  See Shia LaBeouf as John McEnroe for the film, "McEnroe vs. Borg."

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MOVIE - From Variety:  Classic Western, "High Noon," is being remade, but that remake will be set in the present day.

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MOVIE - From THR:  After a dispute over Tom Cruise's money is resolved, "Mission: Impossible 6" resumes.

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MOVIES - From Variety:  Newcomer Cailee Spaeny is the female lead in "Pacific Rim: Maelstrom."

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TELEVISION - From YahooTV:  Remembering NBC's groundbreaking TV movie, "An Early Frost."

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SPORTS - From YahooSports:  U.S. soccer National Team member, Megan Rapinoe, still taking a knee during the National Anthem.

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TELEVISION - From TVLine:  Spike Lee's TV version of his debut film, "She's Gotta Have It" gets a 10-episode order from Amazon.

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MOVIES - From BuzzFeed:  Leonardo DiCaprio has a new eco-movie, "Before the Flood."

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TELEVISION - From TheWrap:  Actress - pitch woman Sofia Vergara is getting paid, y'all.

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STAR TREK - From YahooNews:  CBS' upcoming series, "Star Trek Discovery" has been delayed from its announced January 2017 release to May 2017.  I thought this would happen, especially as no casting had been announced.

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COMICS-FILM - From ComicBookMovie:  "Harley Quinn" spin-off from "Suicide Squad" moves forward.

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TELEVISION - From TheWrap:  What the hell is "American Horror Story" Season 6 about?  Try The Wrap's live blog.

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MOVIES - From THR:  A young actress, Storm Reid (12 Years a Slave), is the lead in Ava DuVernay's adaptation of "A Wrinkle in Time."

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MOVIES - From ShadowandAct:  Jordan Peele (of Key & Peele) has finished his directorial debut, which is a straight (not comic) horror film.

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MOVIE - From Deadline:  Anne Hathaway has a sci-fi film, "Colossal," which has been bought by a mystery Chinese buyer.

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MOVIES - From Variety:  Conrad Vernon, the co-director of the hit animated film, "Sausage Party," will helm a remake of "The Toxic Avenger."

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MOVIES - From Deadline:  Fox Searchlight picks up the much talk-about "Jackie" with Natalie Portman.

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MOVIES - From Deadline:  Benicio del Toro in talks to star in "Predator" reboot.

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MOVIES - From ScreenRant:  Rock legend Steven Tyler wants to be in "Guardians of the Galaxy 3."

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CELEBRITY - From YahooNews:  "Sully" Sullenberg for president says Clint Eastwood.

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SPORTS - From YahooSports:  A player can be penalized for "sexually suggestive" celebrations. That is what happened to to Antonio Brown of the Pittsburgh Steelers during a Monday Night Football game where the Steelers smashed the Washington Redskins.

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POLITICS - From TheIntercept:  U.S. Rep. Barbara Lee's "No" vote on Sept. 14, 2001 is timeless and remains powerful.

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EMMYS - From ShadowandAct:  RuPaul won his first Emmy Award for "Outstanding Host for a Reality or Reality-Competition Program" for “RuPaul’s Drag Race" (Logo).  This was announced at Saturday's 2016 Creative Arts Emmys.

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BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficeMojo:  The winner of the 9/9 to 9/11/2016 weekend box office is "Sully" with an estimated take of $35.5 million.

ECO - From DemocracyNow:  The state of North Dakota has issued a warrant for the arrest of journalist Amy Goodman, whose work revealed private security and their dogs attacking protestors of the Dakota Access Pipeline.

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COMICS-FILM - From Patreon:  I finally posted my review of "Batman v Superman."

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MUSIC - From YahooMusic:   Katy Perry wants Taylor Swift to apologize.

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OBIT - From Variety:  Transgender star, Alexis Arquette, has died at the age of 47, Sunday morning, September 11, 2016.  She was the sister of Oscar-winning actress Patricia Arquette and actor David Arquette.

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EMMYS - From Variety:  A complete list of winners at the 2016 Creative Arts Emmys, which "Game of Thrones" led with 7 wins.

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FESTIVALS - From TheWrap:  At the 2016 / 73rd Venice Film Festival, the best picture prize goes to director Lav Diaz's "The Woman Who Left."

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MOVIES - From IndieWire:  Brad Pitt calls Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ" a propaganda film.

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COMICS-FILM - From EW:  Voice actor, Ryan Potter (Big Hero 6) really wants to be Robin, so he made a video for Ben Affleck.

TRAILERS:

From YouTube:  Kim Burrell and Pharrell Williams perform the song "I See a Victory" from the upcoming film, "Hidden Figures" live at the 2016 Toronto International Film Festival.


Saturday, February 6, 2016

First Slate of Presenters Announced for 2016 Oscars Ceremony

THE ACADEMY ANNOUNCES FIRST SLATE OF PRESENTERS AND PERFORMERS FOR 88TH OSCARS

Oscars producers David Hill and Reginald Hudlin announced today the first slate of presenters for the 88th Oscars telecast. The Oscars, hosted by Chris Rock, will air live Oscar® Sunday, February 28, on ABC. 

The presenters and performers, including past Oscar winners and nominees, are:

     Benicio Del Toro
     Tina Fey
     Whoopi Goldberg
     Ryan Gosling
     Kevin Hart
     Lady Gaga
     Sam Smith
     Charlize Theron
     Jacob Tremblay
     The Weeknd
     Pharrell Williams

“Each of these artists brings a wonderfully distinctive element to the Oscars stage,” said Hill and Hudlin. “Together they represent the many thrilling ways stories can be shared about the human experience, and we’re honored they will be part of the celebration.”

The 88th Oscars will be held on Sunday, February 28, 2016 at the Dolby Theatre® at Hollywood & Highland Center® in Hollywood, and will be televised live by the ABC Television Network at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT.  The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 225 countries and territories worldwide

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Sunday, January 17, 2016

Central Ohio Film Critics Name "Spotlight" Best Film of 2015

The Central Ohio Film Critics Association (COFCA) was founded in 2002 and is made up of film critics based in Columbus, Ohio, and the surrounding areas.  Its membership currently consists of more than 21 print, radio, television, and new media critics.  Each January, COFCA votes on a number of awards, recognizing excellence in the film industry.

The 14th Annual Central Ohio Film Critics Association Awards, honoring the best in film for 2015, were announced on January 7, 2016.

2015 / 14th Central Ohio Film Critics Association Awards – winners:

Best Film
   1. Spotlight
   2. Inside Out
   3. Room
   4. Mad Max: Fury Road
   5. Ex Machina
   6. Sicario
   7. Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens
   8. The Revenant
   9. The Big Short
  10. The Martian

Best Director
  • Tom McCarthy - (Spotlight)
  • Runner-Up: George Miller - (Mad Max: Fury Road)

Best Actor
  • Leonardo DiCaprio - (The Revenant)
  • Runner-Up: Michael Fassbender - (Steve Jobs)

Best Actress
  • Brie Larson - (Room)
  • Runner-Up (tie): Saoirse Ronan - (Brooklyn)
  • Runner-Up (tie): Alicia Vikander - (The Danish Girl)

Best Supporting Actor
  • Benicio Del Toro - (Sicario)
  • Runner-Up: Oscar Isaac - (Ex Machina)

Best Supporting Actress
  • Alicia Vikander - (Ex Machina)
  • Runner-Up: Jennifer Jason Leigh - (The Hateful Eight)

Best Ensemble
  • Spotlight
  • Runner-Up: The Hateful Eight

Actor of the Year (for an exemplary body of work)
  • Alicia Vikander - (Burnt, The Danish Girl, Ex Machina, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., Seventh Son, and Testament of Youth)
  • Runner-Up: Domhnall Gleeson - (Brooklyn, Ex Machina, The Revenant, and Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens)

Breakthrough Film Artist
  • Alicia Vikander - (Burnt, The Danish Girl, Ex Machina, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., Seventh Son, and Testament of Youth) - (for acting)
  • Runner-Up: Sean Baker - (Tangerine) - (for producing, directing, screenwriting, film editing, cinematography, camera op)

Best Cinematography
  • Emmanuel Lubezki - (The Revenant)
  • Runner-Up: John Seale - (Mad Max: Fury Road)

Best Film Editing
  • Margaret Sixel - (Mad Max: Fury Road)
  • Runner-Up: Joe Walker - (Sicario)

Best Adapted Screenplay
  • Charles Randolph and Adam McKay - (The Big Short)
  • Runner-Up: Emma Donoghue - (Room)

Best Original Screenplay
  • Josh Singer and Tom McCarthy - (Spotlight)
  • Runner-Up: Pete Docter, Meg LeFauve, and Josh Cooley - (Inside Out)

Best Score
  • Ennio Morricone - (The Hateful Eight)
  • Runner-Up: Junkie XL - (Mad Max: Fury Road)

Best Documentary
  • The Look of Silence
  • Runner-Up: Amy

Best Foreign Language Film
  • Phoenix
  • Runner-Up: Wild Tales (Relatos salvajes)

Best Animated Film
  • Inside Out
  • Runner-Up: Anomalisa

Best Overlooked Film
  • The Tribe (Plemya)
  • Runner-Up: The Gift

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Friday, December 18, 2015

Chicago Film Critics Chooses "Mad Max: Fury Road" as Best Picture of 2015

The Chicago Film Critics Association (CFCA) is a tax-exempt, not-for-profit organization that hands out the Chicago Film Critics Awards, hold critics roundtables, and takes on industry and artists’ rights issues. The parent association was founded in 1990 by film critic Sue Kiner after the successful launch of the Chicago Film Critics Awards in 1989.

Now in its 26th year, the CFCA announced the winners of Chicago Film Critics Association Awards during their year-end awards dinner held on the evening of Wednesday, December 16, 2015.

2015 / 26th Annual Chicago Film Critics Association Award winners:

BEST PICTURE
Mad Max: Fury Road

BEST DIRECTOR
George Miller--Mad Max: Fury Road

BEST ACTOR
Leonardo DiCaprio--The Revenant

BEST ACTRESS
Brie Larson--Room

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Benicio Del Toro--Sicario

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Alicia Vikander--Ex Machina

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Spotlight--Tom McCarthy & Josh Singer

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
The Big Short--Adam McKay & Charles Randolph

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Mad Max: Fury Road--John Seale

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
The Hateful Eight--Ennio Morricone

BEST ART DIRECTION/PRODUCTION DESIGN
Mad Max: Fury Road

BEST EDITING
Mad Max: Fury Road--Jason Ballantine & Margaret Sixel

BEST FOREIGN-LANGUAGE FILM
Son of Saul (Hungary)

BEST DOCUMENTARY
Amy

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
Inside Out

MOST PROMISING PERFORMER
Jacob Tremblay--Room

MOST PROMISING FILMMAKER
Alex Garland--Ex Machina

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Saturday, March 7, 2015

Review: Imaginative "Guardians of the Galaxy" is Charming and Fun

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 12 (of 2015) by Leroy Douresseaux

Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)
Running time:  121 minutes (2 hours, 1 minute)
MPAA – PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi violence and action, and for some language
DIRECTOR:  James Gunn
WRITERS:  James Gunn and Nicole Perlman (based on the comic book created by Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning)
PRODUCER:  Kevin Feige
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Ben Davis
EDITORS:  Fred Raskin, Hughes Winborne, and Craig Wood
COMPOSER:  Tyler Bates
Academy Award nominee

SCI-FI/FANTASY and ACTION/ADVENTURE/COMEDY

Starring:  Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Lee Pace, Michael Rooker, Karen Gillan, Djimon Hounsou, John C. Reilly, Glenn Close, Peter Serafinowicz, Benicio Del Toro, Laura Haddock, Sean Gunn, Wyatt Oleff, Gregg Henry, Christopher Fairbank, Stan Lee, and the voices of Bradley Cooper and Vin Diesel with Josh Brolin

Guardians of the Galaxy is a 2014 science fiction action film and adventure comedy from director James Gunn and is produced by Marvel Studios.  The film is based on the comic book, Guardians of the Galaxy (2008), which was created by Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning.  The film focuses on a human and a ragtag band of aliens who take on a warlord bent on galactic destruction.

Guardians of the Galaxy opens in 1988 where a young boy named Peter waits in a hospital where his mother is dying.  Shortly after she passes, the boy is abducted by the Ravagers, a group of space pirates.  26 years later, Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) is Star-Lord, and he is also a wanted man.  He arrives on the planet Morag, where he steals a mysterious orb that he is supposed to give to the leader of the Ravagers, Yondu Udonta (Michael Rooker).

However, the orb holds incredible power, and a fanatical alien named Ronan (Lee Pace) wants to use the orb's power to destroy the planet Xandar.  Ronan sends an assassin to get the orb from Quill.  On the run, Quill unites a ragtag band of oddballs:  the assassin, Gamora (Zoe Saldana); the genetically-engineered raccoon, Rocket (Bradley Cooper); the tree-like humanoid, Groot (voice of Vin Diesel); and the revenge-seeking Drax (Dave Bautista).  They may be the only ones who can save the galaxy and maybe even the universe.

Guardians of the Galaxy was one of the surprise hits of the year, if not the surprise hit of the year.  It was the highest grossing film at the North American box office during the calendar year of 2014.  Some people joked that if Marvel Studios could make a hit of Guardians of the Galaxy, it could make a hit of anything.  That may be true.

Guardians of the Galaxy's production values rival and even exceed (in some cases) most recent science and space fantasy films, including the Star Wars prequels.  The artists behind this film's production design and art direction build an entire new galaxy filled with amazing worlds and places from the ground up, with eye-popping and dazzling results.  The costumes are as creative as what is worn in the kind of costume dramas that usually earn Oscar nods for their costume design.  The make-up, both effects and hair-styling, is probably the best ever seen in a film based on a comic book.

Visually, Guardians of the Galaxy is a most unusual and imaginative film, but it is also familiar.  It is thoroughly infused with the spirit of Star Wars (1977).  Like the original Star Wars film, Guardians of the Galaxy is a lavish sci-fi movie spectacle with elements of Western and pirate adventure films.  It is fun to watch, and by the end of it, I was eager for a sequel.

Maybe co-writer and director James Gunn has created Star Wars for a new generation.  He has a fine cast of actors; a cool universe populated with awesome beings, places, and things.  Gunn also has what seems like an imagination full of ideas that want to get out and sparkle on the big screen.  Gunn can do really good things with this film as the start of a new franchise.  In the meantime, we can enjoy this first film.  Like Men in Black and Independence Day, Guardians of the Galaxy is a sci-fi blast that thrills every viewer who can enjoy the wonder of a great space adventure.

7 of 10
A-

Wednesday, March 4, 2015


NOTES:
2015 Academy Awards, USA:  2 nominations: “Best Achievement in Makeup and Hairstyling” (Elizabeth Yianni-Georgiou and David White) and “Best Achievement in Visual Effects” (Stephane Ceretti, Nicolas Aithadi, Jonathan Fawkner, and Paul Corbould)

2015 BAFTA Awards:  2 nominations:  “Best Make Up/Hair” (Elizabeth Yianni-Georgiou and David White) and “Best Achievement in Special Visual Effects” (Stephane Ceretti, Paul Corbould, Jonathan Fawkner, and Nicolas Aithadi)

2015 Black Reel Awards:  2 nominations: “Outstanding Supporting Actress, Motion Picture” (Zoe Saldana) and “Outstanding Voice Performance” (Vin Diesel for playing "Groot")


The text is copyright © 2015 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for syndication rights and fees.


Tuesday, February 18, 2014

2014 Make-Up Artists and Hair Stylists Guild Award Winners

by Amos Semien

The 2014 Make-Up Artists & Hair Stylists Guild Awards were held Saturday, February 15, 2014 at the historic Paramount Theater on the Paramount Studios lot.  Winners received “The Artisan” award (a statuette) for both outstanding makeup and hair styling achievements.  Two special Lifetime Achievement Awards and a Distinguished Artisan award were also presented.

Academy Award-winning Make-Up Artist Dick Smith (Amadeus) received the “Make-Up Artists Lifetime Achievement Award” at the 2014 MUAHS.  Academy Award-winner Rick Baker, who was Smith’s apprentice, presented the award.

Academy Award-winning Hair Stylist Gail Ryan received the “Hair Stylists Lifetime Achievement Award” at the 2014 MUAHS.  Academy Award-winning actor Benicio Del Toro (Traffic) presented the award to Ryan.  Ryan won an Oscar for her work on How the Grinch Stole Christmas (with make-up artist Rick Baker).

Johnny Depp received the “Distinguished Artisan Award.”  The Make-up Artists and Hair Stylists Guild explained the honor in the following statement:

"Johnny Depp is one of the most prominent and talented actors working today.  The award-winning characters he consistently brings to life through film are uniquely enhanced with make-up and hair stylist artistry.  Beginning with Tim Burton’s Edward Scissorhands in 1990, Depp repeatedly creates indelible characterizations, making it hard to imagine any other actor in these roles.  His iconic performances in Sleepy Hollow, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, Alice in Wonderland; and, of course, the continuing Pirates of the Caribbean series, are among the 50 plus roles he has played, which have been brought to life in partnership with his gifted make-up artists and hair stylists."

2014 Make-Up Artists & Hair Stylists Guild Awards winners (for the year 2013):

FEATURE-LENGTH MOTION PICTURE

BEST CONTEMPORARY HAIR STYLING:
Lee Daniels’ The Butler - Candace Neal, Robert Stevenson

BEST CONTEMPORARY MAKEUP:
Prisoners - Donald Mowat, Pamela Westmore

BEST PERIOD AND/OR CHARACTER HAIRSTYLING::
American Hustle - Katherine Gordon, Michelle Johnson

BEST PERIOD AND/OR CHARACTER MAKEUP:
Dallas Buyers Club - Evelyne Noraz, Rachel Geary

BEST SPECIAL MAKE-UP EFFECTS:
Bad Grandpa - Stephen Prouty

TELEVISION and NEW MEDIA SERIES

BEST CONTEMPORARY HAIRSTYLING:
The Voice - Shawn Finch, Jerilynn Stephens

BEST CONTEMPORARY MAKEUP:
Breaking Bad - Tarra Day, Sheila Trujillo Gomez

BEST PERIOD AND/OR CHARACTER HAIRSTYLING:
Vikings - Dee Corcoran

BEST PERIOD AND/OR CHARACTER MAKEUP:
Boardwalk Empire - Michele Paris

BEST SPECIAL MAKEUP EFFECTS:
The Walking Dead - Greg Nicotero, Jake Garber

TELEVISION MOVIE or MINISERIES

BEST PERIOD AND/OR CHARACTER HAIRSTYLING:
Behind the Candelabra - Marie Larkin, Yvette Stone

BEST PERIOD AND/OR CHARACTER MAKEUP
Behind the Candelabra - Kate Biscoe, Deborah Rutherford:

THEATRICAL PRODUCTIONS:
Magic Flute - Darren Jinks, Samantha Wooten, 3rd Petition Brandi Strona


COMMERCIALS

BEST CONTEMPORARY MAKEUP
Wash the Day Away (Kohler) - Tyson Fountaine, Brian Penikas

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Friday, January 24, 2014

Make-up Artists-Hair Stylists Announce 2014 MUAHS Award Nominations

by Amos Semien

The Make-up Artists and Hair Stylists Guild (I.A.T.S.E. Local 706) represents make-up artists and hair stylists in feature films and television, commercials,  and “Live” network television, as wells as in theatrical productions and at Disneyland Theme Parks.

The Make-Up Artists & Hair Stylists Guild (MUAHS) also presents the annual Make-Up Artists & Hair Stylists Guild Awards (also known as “The MUAHS”).  The awards honor Hollywood makeup artists and hair stylists for outstanding achievements in motion pictures, television, commercials, and live theater.

The 2014 Make-Up Artists & Hair Stylists Guild Awards will be held Saturday, February 15, 2014 at the historic Paramount Theater on the Paramount Studios lot.  The Guild describes the awards as “a black tie evening that will bring together the artistic talents that create the characters we see on screen and stage, with the industries of entertainment, makeup and hair that support them.”  Winners will receive “The Artisan” award (a statuette) for both outstanding makeup and hair styling achievements.  Two special Lifetime Achievement Awards and a Distinguished Artisan award will also be presented.

Academy Award-winning Make-Up Artist Dick Smith (Amadeus) will receive the “Make-Up Artists Lifetime Achievement Award” at the 2014 MUAHS.  Academy Award-winner Rick Baker, who was Smith’s apprentice, will present the award.

Academy Award-winning Hair Stylist Gail Ryan will receive the “Hair Stylists Lifetime Achievement Award” at the 2014 MUAHS.  Academy Award-winning actor Benicio Del Toro (Traffic) will present the award to Ryan.  Ryan won an Oscar for her work on How the Grinch Stole Christmas (with make-up artist Rick Baker).

Voting for the 2014 MUAHS began online Tuesday, January 21, 2014 and closes Tuesday, February 11, 2014 at 5 p.m.  All MUAHS members can vote during the final balloting.

2014 Make-Up Artists & Hair Stylists Guild Awards nominations (for the year 2013):

FEATURE-LENGTH MOTION PICTURE

BEST CONTEMPORARY HAIR STYLING:
Unfinished Song - Lucy Cain
One Chance  - Christine Blundell, Donald McInnes
Lee Daniels’ The Butler - Candace Neal, Robert Stevenson

BEST CONTEMPORARY MAKEUP:
Prisoners - Donald Mowat, Pamela Westmore
August: Osage County - Carla White, Bjoern Rehbein
One Chance - Christine Blundell, Donald Mc Innes

BEST PERIOD AND/OR CHARACTER HAIRSTYLING::
American Hustle - Katherine Gordon, Michelle Johnson
The Lone Ranger - Gloria Pasqua Casny, Jules Holdren
Jobs - Nina Paskowitz, Michael Moore

BEST PERIOD AND/OR CHARACTER MAKEUP:
Dallas Buyers Club - Evelyne Noraz, Rachel Geary
The Lone Ranger - Joel Harlow, Mike Smithson, 3rd Petition Robin Beauschesne
The Great Gatsby - Maurizio Silvi, Lesley Vanderwalt

BEST SPECIAL MAKE-UP EFFECTS:
Bad Grandpa - Stephen Prouty
Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters - Mike Elizalde, Lufeng Qu
The Hunger Games – Catching Fire - Ve Neill, Nikoletta Skarlatos


TELEVISION and NEW MEDIA SERIES

BEST CONTEMPORARY HAIRSTYLING:
The Voice - Shawn Finch, Jerilynn Stephens
Breaking Bad - Georgie Sheffer, Carmen L. Jones
Bates Motel - Donna Bis

BEST CONTEMPORARY MAKEUP:
Glee - Kelley Mitchell, Jennifer Greenberg
Super Fun Night - Debbie Zoller, Tami Lane
Breaking Bad - Tarra Day, Sheila Trujillo Gomez

BEST PERIOD AND/OR CHARACTER HAIRSTYLING:
Vikings - Dee Corcoran
Hell on Wheels - Chris Glimsdale, Penny Thompson
Key and Peele - Amanda Mofield, Raissa Patton

BEST PERIOD AND/OR CHARACTER MAKEUP:
Boardwalk Empire - Michele Paris
Hell on Wheels - Sharon Toohey, Rose Gurevitch
Key and Peele - Scott Wheeler

BEST SPECIAL MAKEUP EFFECTS:
Vikings - Thomas McInerney
Longmire - Steve La Porte
The Walking Dead - Greg Nicotero, Jake Garber

TELEVISION MOVIE or MINISERIES

BEST PERIOD AND/OR CHARACTER HAIRSTYLING:
Behind the Candelabra - Marie Larkin, Yvette Stone
American Horror Story: Coven - Monte Haught
Killing Lincoln - Ardis Cohen, Greg Bazemore

BEST PERIOD AND/OR CHARACTER MAKEUP:
Behind the Candelabra - Kate Biscoe, Deborah Rutherford:
American Horror Story: Coven - Eryn Krueger Mekash, Christien Tinsley
Game of Thrones - Paul Engelen, Melissa Lackersteen

THEATRICAL PRODUCTIONS:
Falstaff - Darren Jinks, Brandi Strona, 3rd Petition Samantha Wooten
Magic Flute - Darren Jinks, Samantha Wooten, 3rd Petition Brandi Strona
Frank Zappa’s 200 Motels   - Vanessa Dionne, Cassandra Russek

COMMERCIALS

BEST CONTEMPORARY MAKEUP:
Wash the Day Away (Kohler) - Tyson Fountaine, Brian Penikas


http://www.local706.org/

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Wednesday, December 4, 2013

Review: "Thor: The Dark World" Improves on First Movie

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 80 (of 2013) by Leroy Douresseaux

Thor: The Dark World (2013)
Running time:  112 minutes (1 hour, 52 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for sequences of intense sci-fi action and violence, and some suggestive content
DIRECTOR:  Alan Taylor
WRITERS: Christopher L. Yost, Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely; from a story by Don Payne and Robert Rodat (based on the comic book and characters created by Stan Lee, Larry Lieber, and Jack Kirby)
PRODUCERS:  Kevin Feige p.g.a
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Kramer Morgenthau (D.o.P.)
EDITORS:  Dan Lebental and Wyatt Smith
COMPOSER:  Brian Tyler

SUPERHERO/ACTION/FANTASY/DRAMA

Starring:  Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Tom Hiddleston, Anthony Hopkins, Christopher Eccleston, Stellan Skarsgård, Idris Elba, Kat Dennings, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Jaimie Alexander, Zachary Levi, Ray Stevenson, Tadanobu Asano, Jonathan Howard, Chris O’Dowd, Clive Russell, Alice Krige, Stan Lee, and Rene Russo with (no screen credit) Chris Evans and Benecio Del Toro

Thor: The Dark World is a 2013 superhero movie from Marvel Studios.  It is a sequel to the 2011 film, Thor, and follows the 2012 film, Marvel’s The Avengers.  Thor is a Marvel Comics character that first appeared in the comic book, Journey into Mystery #83 (cover dated August 1962).  Created by artist Jack Kirby and writers (and siblings) Stan Lee and Larry Leiber, Thor is based on the Norse mythological deity of the same name.

In Thor: The Dark World, Thor finds himself facing a powerful enemy and is forced to embark on a perilous journey to the enemy’s ruined home world.  After The Avengers, I consider Thor: The Dark World to be the best film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (which currently includes eight films).  Like The Avengers, The Dark World is filled with the kind of big action scenes and battles between super-powered beings that are true to the spirit of superhero comic books.

Thor: The Dark World begins with a story.  Once upon a time (eons ago, in fact), Bor, the father of Odin (Anthony Hopkins), clashed with and defeated the Dark Elf Malekith (Christopher Eccleston), who sought to destroy the universe by using a weapon known as the Aether.  Now, Malekith is back.  He plans to use Aether during an upcoming event called the Convergence, a rare alignment of the Nine Realms, to destroy this universe.

Malekith and his Dark Elves prove to be quite successful at attacking Asgard, home of Thor (Chris Hemsworth) and the Norse gods.  Thor is forced to seek the help of his imprisoned brother and enemy, Loki (Tom Hiddleston).  Meanwhile, astrophysicist Dr. Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), Thor’s love interest, accidentally makes herself the object of Malekith’s attention.  With time running out, Thor and his allies are forced to make their last stand against Malekith in London, England.

Some 30 years ago, Stephen King, in an interview he gave to Time Magazine or Newsweek, compared his novels to either the “Big Mac” or McDonald’s menu items in general.  Marvel Studio’s films are meant to be pleasing like popular fast foot items, such as the “Big Mac,” but they are not necessarily some fast food product meant for quick consumption.  Marvel certainly wants to entertain, but high-stakes movie production means that you have to do more than create disposable entertainment.

Marvel uses modern movie technology, especially computer-generated imagery, to create worlds, creatures, and battles that, once upon a time, could only have been visualized in superhero comic books.  Thor’s battles with Malekith are a fanboy delight of ballet and destruction, but not in that overdone, desperate way that The Man of Steel did super-powered battles.  Thor: The Dark World left me wanting more battles.

Another thing that Thor: The Dark World does well is personal conflict.  There is not a moment when Thor and Loki’s rivalry and abhorrence for one another do not feel real.  Loki’s lust for revenge, his dishonesty, and the fact that it is hard to tell if he has any good feelings for anyone are the things that make the discord in the House of Odin as riveting as hot soap opera melodrama.  Chris Hemsworth as Thor and Tom Hiddleston as Loki give good, convincing performances that help the Thor-Loki feud and union carry this movie to its meat-and-potatoes final act – the big battle between Thor and Malekith.

Kudos to Natalie Portman and the filmmakers for making Jane Foster a real character in this film, that is necessary to the resolution, instead of being another action movie female appendage.  Of course, Anthony Hopkins throws it down for real, being a great actor, and giving this pop movie concoction the same effort he would to a “serious art movie” or stage drama.  Thor: The Dark World is successful in ways that the Marvel Studios movies, which focus on a single character, have not quite been since the first Iron Man movie back in 2008.  I hope the next Thor or Marvel movie is like Thor: The Dark World.

7 of 10
A-

Monday, December 02, 2013


The text is copyright © 2013 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for syndication rights and fees.



Monday, August 15, 2011

Review: Strong Performances Carry "21 Grams" (Happy B'day, Alejandro González Iñárritu)

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 98 (of 2004) by Leroy Douresseaux

21 Grams (2003)
Running time: 124 minutes (2 hours, 4 minutes)
MPAA – R for language, sexuality, some violence and drug use
DIRECTOR: Alejandro González Iñárritu
WRITER: Guillermo Arriaga
PRODUCERS: Alejandro González Iñárritu and Robert Salerno
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Rodrigo Prieto
EDITOR: Stephen Mirrione
COMPOSER: Gustavo Santaolalla
Academy Award nominee

DRAMA

Starring: Sean Penn, Naomi Watts, Benicio Del Toro, Eddie Marsan, Clea DuVall, Danny Huston, Melissa Leo, and Paul Calderon

In the heavy drama, 21 Grams, the lives of a former drug addict, Cristina Peck (Naomi Watts), a terminally ill mathematics professor, Paul Rivers (Sean Penn), and a spiritual ex-convict, Jack Jordan (Benicio Del Toro), intersect tragically and hopefully after a car accident. Jordan kills Cristina’s husband Michael (Danny Hutson) and her two daughters in a hit and run accident. After receiving Michael’s heart in a transplant operation, Rivers seeks and woos Cristina at the cost of his already deteriorating marriage.

The film by rising directorial star Alejandro González Iñárritu and screenwriter Guillermo Arriaga (the duo who collaborated on Academy Award nominee Amores Perros) is wrought with unpleasant circumstances in the lives of the characters. That’s not bad, but too much heartache and tragedy can become tragicomic. Verisimilitude becomes stark reality, and the drama is spoiled by harsh realism. The audience prefers the staged reality of drama to heavily dramatized reality. Iñárritu and Arriaga deliver the pain and suffering with the precision of sledgehammer blows, and it all becomes too much and can disengage the viewer from the characters.

That’s a pity, too, because the cast gives such good performances that make the viewer care about the characters, really get into their lives, and root for them. For this film, Ms. Watts earned an Oscar® nomination for “Best Actress in a Leading Role,” and Del Toro earned a nomination for “Best Actor in a Supporting Role.” Had Sean Penn not earned an Oscar nod for Mystic River in 2003 (which he later won), he certainly would have received a nomination for his work here.

21 Grams is worth a look for people who love to see exceptional acting, especially the kind delivered by the leads, but the supporting players also do some standout work.

6 of 10
B

NOTES:
2004 Academy Awards: 2 nominations: “Best Actor in a Supporting Role” (Benicio Del Toro) and “Best Actress in a Leading Role” (Naomi Watts)

2004 BAFTA Awards: 5 nominations: “Best Editing” (Stephen Mirrione), “Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role” (Benicio Del Toro), “Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role” (Sean Penn), “Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role” (Naomi Watts), “Best Screenplay – Original” (Guillermo Arriaga)

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Sunday, April 18, 2010

"Review: "Sin City" Crazy Good

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 56 (of 2005) by Leroy Douresseaux

Frank Miller’s Sin City (2005)
Running time: 126 minutes (2 hours, 6 minutes)
MPAA – R for sustained strong stylized violence, nudity, and sexual content including dialogue
DIRECTORS: Robert Rodriguez and Frank Miller (with special guest Quentin Tarantino)
WRITER: Robert Rodriguez (based upon the Sin City graphic novels created by Frank Miller)
PRODUCERS: Elizabeth Avellan, Robert Rodriguez, and Frank Miller
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Robert Rodriguez
EDITOR: Robert Rodriguez

CRIME/ACTION/DRAMA/THRILLER

Starring: Bruce Willis, Mickey Rourke, Jessica Alba, Clive Owen, Nick Stahl, Powers Boothe, Rutger Hauer, Elijah Wood, Rosario Dawson, Benicio del Toro, Jamie King, Devon Aoki, Brittany Murphy, Michael Clarke Duncan, Carla Gugino, Josh Hartnett, and Michael Madsen

Robert Rodriguez, director of films like Once Upon a Time in Mexico and the Spy Kids franchise, really wanted to direct a film adaptation of comic book creator Frank Miller’s series of graphic novels, Sin City. Miller, who blew up in the 80’s with by revitalizing and reworking Marvel Comics’ Daredevil and DC Comics Batman character in Batman: The Dark Knight Returns and Batman: Year One, had already said “no” about a dozen times, according to Newsweek magazine, with Rodriguez being the 12th.

However, Rodriguez wouldn’t give up. He invited Miller to Austin, TX for what was supposed to be a test shoot, but what was really Rodriguez’s opportunity to show Miller what he already done in pre-production to make the film look like Frank Miller’s Sin City and not Robert Rodriguez’s Sin City. Rodriguez had already shot a short piece, an adaptation of a Miller Sin City short story “The Customer is Always Right,” with Josh Hartnett and Marley Shelton playing the roles. Miller was convinced, and the footage reportedly also amazed the actors whom Rodriguez wanted to cast in the feature film when he showed it to them.

The film, Sin City, (or by its full title Frank Miller’s Sin City) is literally the comic book. This isn’t a film adaptation of a comic book character like the Spider-Man, X-Men, and Batman franchises. This is a movie as a comic book – a frame by frame (or panel by panel, in the case of a comic book) transfer of pictures from a comic book onto film and translated into moving pictures and a film narrative. Let it be called Rodriguez and Miller’s Sin City, and, thus far, it’s best movie I’ve seen this year.

The film adapts three of Miller’s Sin City graphic novels, which are set in and around Basin City or, as it’s better known, Sin City. The Hard Goodbye features Marv (Mickey Rourke, in prosthetics), a tough-as-nails, nearly impossible to kill street fighter/killing machine, who is out for revenge for the killing of a hooker named Goldie (Jamie King), who showed him a good time and the only touch of kindness he ever received. His search leads him to Kevin (Elijah Wood), a psycho serial killer who moves and bounces around like Spider-Man.

The second is The Big Fat Kill, which finds Dwight (Clive Owen), one of the few Sin City good guys, trying to help the hookers of Old Town, after they unknowingly kill Jackie Boy (Benicio del Toro), a cop – a corrupt cop, but still a cop, and his posse. Killing a cop will end the truce that’s protected the ladies of Old Town via a deal that keeps the mob and the cops out of Old Town, as long as the cops are paid off and the girls never kill a cop, even one who gets rough with them. Now, Dwight has to keep evidence of Jackie Boy’s death a secret (by making sure his body, and then later, his severed head, not get into the wrong hands). Dwight’s lover and leader of the Amazonian prostitutes, Gail (Rosario Dawson), and a ninja super ho named Miho (Devon Aoki) assist him, but they find themselves up against a ruthless one-eyed (the other is a gold ball) mob henchmen named Manute (Michael Clarke Duncan).

The final vignette is That Yellow Bastard, which is actually split in two. One part plays before “The Hard Goodbye” and “The Big Fat Kill” and the other closes the main section of the film. In the first part, Hartigan (Bruce Willis), a good cop with a bad ticker saves Nancy (Makenzie Vega) an 11-year girl, from Rourk, Jr. (Nick Stahl), a raging pedophile and the son of the powerful Senator Rourk (Powers Boothe). Although Hartigan saves the girl, his partner (Michael Madsen) shoots him down to keep him from killing Rourk, Jr.. In the second and closing installment, Hartigan ends up in prison on trumped up charges because of the senator’s influence. After getting out, he has to protect the grown up Nancy Callahan (Jessica Alba) from Yellow Bastard (Stahl), who is Rourk, his skin made yellow by the special medical treatments given to repair “the damage” Hartigan did to him in the first segment of Bastard.

Rodriguez, who insisted that Miller get a co-director credit (which forced Rodriguez to leave the Directors Guild of America because co-directors who aren’t siblings is a no-no), shot this film entirely before a green screen. The only things that are real are the actors, the objects they touch, and the cars they ride in. Everything else was digitally inserted later using special effects, such as in Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow. The result is a digital painting in stark black and white with dashes of vibrant color – a red dress, gold hair, a yellow-skinned bastard, etc.

But is this movie good? It’s as good as it is groundbreaking. For all it’s visual flair and the fact that it really looks like a comic book brought to digital film live, the story and the characters are also riveting and engaging. I couldn’t’ take my eyes off the screen. This is power slap to the face like Pulp Fiction and The Matrix, where you get the hard-boiled crime story that enthralls in the former and the eye-popping and mind-bending technical explosion of the latter. Hell, this is better than The Matrix and Sky Captain. Comic book geeks and aficionados, hard core action movie junkies, and the young male demographic will likely love this; this mean baby of a movie was born for them. Anyone else who likes the daring in cinema and can stomach the strangest art films can also handle this, even if they, in the end, don’t like it.

Sin City does seem to run on a little too long, but even this minor quibble is for the best. It gives the large cast (that was anxious to star in this maverick project) more film time in which to shine. There are some truly good performance here – Stahl, Rourke, and Owen for sure. How can a true fan of movies miss this? Yes, it’s vile and almost pornographically violent, but violence looks great on the big screen. Besides, the opportunity to see Jessica Alba’s gyrating dance, Rosario Dawson’s super duper fine ass, and Jamie King’s breasts of a goddess are worth it.

9 of 10
A+

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Sunday, February 14, 2010

Review: "The Wolfman" is Surprisingly Very Good

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 5 (of 2010) by Leroy Douresseaux

The Wolfman (2010)
Running time: 102 minutes (1 hour, 42 minutes)
MPAA – R for bloody horror violence and gore
DIRECTOR: Joe Johnston
WRITERS: Andrew Kevin Walker and David Self (based upon the 1941 screenplay by Curt Siodmak)
PRODUCERS: Sean Daniel, Benicio Del Toro, Scott Stuber, Rick Yorn
CINEMATOGRAHER: Shelly Johnson
EDITOR: Walter Murch, Dennis Virkler, and Mark Goldblatt (no screen credit)
COMPOSER: Danny Elfman
SPECIAL MAKEUP EFFECTS: Rick Baker

HORROR

Starring: Benicio Del Toro, Emily Blunt, Anthony Hopkins, Hugo Weaving, Art Malik, Nicholas Day, Michael Cronin, David Sterne, David Schofield, and Roger Frost

Universal Pictures’ new film, The Wolfman, the remake of the studio’s classic, The Wolf Man (1941), was originally supposed to debut in February 2009. The film also missed a November 2009 release date, and missed release dates sometimes means that a movie is probably mediocre, at best, or a disaster, at worst.

The Wolfman was worth the wait. This is one of those movies that puts the big bad monster back in the monster movie genre, and the audience is the better for it. Personally, I want to see The Wolfman again. It starts off slow, but when the monster shows up, The Wolfman proves to be all killer.

As in the 1941 film, The Wolfman focuses on Lawrence Talbot (Benicio Del Toro). Talbot is a haunted nobleman who mostly plies his trade as an actor in the United States. A letter from his brother’s fiancée, Gwen Conliffe (Emily Blunt), lures Lawrence back to his family estate in the sleepy hamlet of Blackmoor. Ben Talbot has vanished, but by the time Lawrence arrives at the family home, Blackmoor Estate, Ben’s corpse, ravaged and torn, has been found.

Lawrence is reunited with his estranged father, Sir John Talbert (Anthony Hopkins), an odd fellow who lives in the dark and musty family home with his assistant, Singh (Art Malik). Lawrence is determined to discover the mystery behind his brother, Ben’s gruesome death. Lawrence learns that a beast with brute strength and an insatiable bloodlust has been killing villagers, but his search for that creature will only lead to a horrifying destiny for himself.

The Wolfman is one of those movies where the argument can be made that none of the primary filmmakers and no one of among the main cast delivers their best work. However, all of them deliver the kind of high quality work and performances for which they’ve gained their good or, in some cases, superb reputations. For instance, Anthony Hopkins won an Oscar for playing legendary villain, Dr. Hannibal Lecter, in The Silence of the Lambs, and, while Sir John Talbot may not be Lecter, Hopkins plays Sir John with enough of Lecter’s menacing glee that people will want to see this new performance. Del Toro won an Oscar for the film Traffic, and he plays Lawrence Talbot with the same tremendous pathos and brooding passion that earned him his Academy Award. Even Danny Elfman presents a lovely gothic score that sets the right tone for The Wolfman.

The underrated and under-utilized Joe Johnston (Jurassic Park III) directs The Wolfman with shifting styles and tones that give the storytelling depth. Johnston weds this film to the 1941 original with class, and he adds visual touches that are similar to the movies of Italian director Mario Bava, which give the violence and gore here a touch of moody elegance. Johnston makes full use of the advances in cinematic science and technology to create a Hollywood blockbuster that offers special effects magic, but still looks, feels, and moves like an intimate horror flick. In spite of the visual splendor of CGI, Johnston makes sure that it feels real and that a viewer will believe that he is alone in a theatre with a terrifying monster.

Of course, six-time Oscar-winning special effects artist/god/maestro, Rick Baker, is also very important to this film. Are his design and makeup talents that transform Benicio Del Toro into the fearsome title character Baker’s best work? Sometimes, it seems as if each film for which Baker does makeup is his best work. The first good look you get at the monster’s face will probably tell you that The Wolfman is going to be a good film no matter what year in which you see it.

7 of 10
A-

Sunday, February 14, 2010

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