David Oyelowo, Chris Pratt Among Presenters at 87th Oscars

Jennifer Aniston, Sienna Miller, David Oyelowo, Chris Pratt, John Travolta and Kerry Washington To Present At 87th Oscars®

Jennifer Aniston, Sienna Miller, David Oyelowo, Chris Pratt,  John Travolta and Kerry Washington will be presenters at this year’s Oscars, show producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron announced today. The Oscars, hosted by Neil Patrick Harris, will air on Sunday, February 22, 2015 live on ABC.

Aniston has starred in such films as “Cake” (2014), “We’re the Millers” (2013), “Horrible Bosses” (2011), “Marley & Me” (2008) and “Bruce Almighty” (2003). She also starred in all ten seasons of “Friends,” for which she won the 2002 Emmy® Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series.

Miller co-stars in “American Sniper” and “Foxcatcher,” both of which have garnered multiple Oscar® nominations this year. She previously appeared in such features as “Factory Girl” (2006) and “Layer Cake” (2005).  Her upcoming films include “High-Rise,” “Adam Jones” and “Lost City of Z.”

Oyelowo portrayed Martin Luther King, Jr. in this year’s Best Picture nominee “Selma.” His other recent feature credits include “A Most Violent Year” (2014), “Interstellar” (2014), “Lee Daniels’ The Butler” (2013) and “Jack Reacher” (2012).  He will next be seen in “Captive” due out later this year.

Pratt starred in two of 2014’s biggest box office hits, “Guardians of the Galaxy” and “The Lego Movie.” He previously appeared in the Best Picture nominees “Her” (2013), “Zero Dark Thirty” (2012) and “Moneyball” (2011), and co-starred in all seven seasons of the comedy series “Parks and Recreation.” He will next be seen in “Jurassic World,” in theaters June 12th of this year.

Washington is the star of the hit television drama “Scandal,” and received two Emmy® nominations for her role. Her film roles have included “She Hate Me” (2004), "Mr. & Mrs. Smith" (2005), “I Think I Love My Wife” (2007), “Lakeview Terrace” (2008), “For Colored Girls” (2010) and “Django Unchained” (2012).

Travolta is a two-time Oscar nominee, for his leading roles in “Pulp Fiction” (1994) and “Saturday Night Fever” (1977). He also has starred in such features as “Savages” (2012), “The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3” (2009), “Hairspray” (2007) “Face/Off” (1997), “Get Shorty” (1995) and “Grease” (1978). His upcoming film, “The Forger” will be out later this year.

The 87th Oscars will be held on Sunday, February 22, 2015, at the Dolby Theatre® at Hollywood & Highland Center® in Hollywood, and will be televised live on the ABC Television Network at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT. The Oscars, produced by Zadan and Meron, also will be televised live in more than 225 countries and territories worldwide.

---------------------

Full List of Stars Appearing at 2014 Oscar Ceremony Released

Stars Come Out to Celebrate On Oscar® Sunday

BEVERLY HILLS, CA – Oscar producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron today announced the complete slate of stars who will present Oscars at the ceremony. The Oscars®, hosted by Ellen DeGeneres, will air on Oscar Sunday, March 2, live on ABC.

The presenters, including several past Oscar winners and nominees, will be:

Amy Adams
Kristen Bell
Jessica Biel
Jim Carrey
Glenn Close
Bradley Cooper
Penélope Cruz
Benedict Cumberbatch
Viola Davis
Daniel Day-Lewis
Robert De Niro
Zac Efron
Sally Field
Harrison Ford
Jamie Foxx
Andrew Garfield
Jennifer Garner
Whoopi Goldberg
Joseph Gordon-Levitt
Anne Hathaway
Goldie Hawn
Chris Hemsworth
Kate Hudson
Samuel L. Jackson
Angelina Jolie
Michael B. Jordan
Anna Kendrick
Jennifer Lawrence
Matthew McConaughey
Ewan McGregor
Bill Murray
Kim Novak
Tyler Perry
Brad Pitt
Sidney Poitier
Gabourey Sidibe
Will Smith
Kevin Spacey
Jason Sudeikis
Channing Tatum
Charlize Theron
John Travolta
Christoph Waltz
Kerry Washington
Emma Watson
Naomi Watts

“We are very excited that the Hollywood community will be turning out in force for Sunday’s Oscar ceremony,” said Zadan and Meron.  “We sought to include a tremendous diversity of stars to represent not only this year’s nominees, but the legacy of the motion picture business as well.”

For a full gallery of Oscar presenters, visit www.oscar.com.

Review: Silly "LiTTLE MAN" Offers Big Laughs (Happy B'day, Shawn Wayans)

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 149 (of 2006) by Leroy Douresseaux

Little Man (2006)
Running time:  90 minutes (1 hour, 30 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for crude and sexual humor throughout, language and brief drug references
DIRECTOR:  Keenen Ivory Wayans
WRITERS:  Keenen Ivory Wayans, Marlon Wayans, and Shawn Wayans
PRODUCERS:  Rick Alvarez, Lee R. Mayes, Keenen Ivory Wayans, Marlon Wayans, and Shawn Wayans
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Steven Bernstein
EDITORS:  Michael Jackson and Nick Moore
COMPOSER:  Teddy Castellucci

COMEDY/CRIME

Starring:  Marlon Wayans, Shawn Wayans, Kerry Washington, Tracy Morgan, John Witherspoon, Lochlyn Munro, Fred Stoller, Damien Dante Wayans, Gary Owen, Chazz Palminteri, Alex Borstein, Brittany Daniel, John DeSantis, Dave Sheridan, Molly Shannon, and David Alan Grier with Rob Schneider (no screen credit)

The subject of this movie review is Little Man (also stylized as LiTTLE MAN), a 2006 crime comedy from director, Keenen Ivory Wayans, and starring his brothers, Marlon and Shawn Wayans.  The film focuses on a wannabe dad who mistakenly believes that a short-of-stature criminal is his newly adopted son.

As soon as diminutive criminal, Calvin (Marlon Wayans provides the face; Linden Porco and Gabriel Pimental provide the body), leaves prison, he joins his dim and hapless homeboy, Percy (Tracy Morgan, priceless as the criminally inept doofus), in the theft of a large diamond.  With the police hot on their trail, Calvin passes the diamond off to a suburban couple, Darryl (Shawn Wayans) and Vanessa (Kerry Washington).

Calvin and Percy follow the couple back to their home where they learn that the couple is struggling with whether or not they should have a child.  Percy convinces the short-statured Calvin to disguise himself as a baby, and Percy leaves Calvin on Darryl and Vanessa’s doorstep.  After discovering the “baby” Calvin on their doorstep, the couple takes him in, deciding to keep the toddler for at least the weekend until they can turn him over to child welfare authorities on Monday.  Now a part of the family, baby Calvin makes his move to retrieve the diamond he hid in Vanessa’s bag, but Pops (John Witherspoon, in a scene stealing role), Vanessa’s father who lives with them, doesn’t trust this new foundling and keeps his eyes on him.  Meanwhile, Walken (Chazz Palminteri), the cheap hood for whom Calvin and Percy stole the diamond, is moving in to retrieve his booty and he just may kill anyone in his way.

A midget or diminutive criminal passing himself off as a baby to be taken in by a naïve civilian who then unwittingly hides bogus baby from the law is a staple of Warner Bros. Looney Tunes cartoon shorts – 1954 Baby Buggy Bunny comes to mind.  The family team of director/co-writer Keenen Ivory Wayans and co-writers/stars Marlon Wayans and Shawn Wayans make the concept their own in the new comedy, Little Man.  Coming from the people who gave us the Fox sketch comedy series, “In Living Color,” and the reviled, but popular 2004 film, White Chicks ($113 million in worldwide box office, $42.2 of that earned internationally), we would expect Little Man to be in bad taste, and boy, is it in bad taste.

It’s grosser than most gross-out comedies.  In terms of sexual innuendo, bawdy humor, and sexual humor, it actually crosses the line.  There are moments that either outright offended me or stunned and shocked me into silence – killing my laughter as if someone hit an off switch.  This concept is ridiculous except in Bugs Bunny cartoons.  The execution of the narrative is illogical, implausible, improbable, and filled with impossibilities.

The CGI and visual effects that mold Marlon Wayans body with that of two dwarf  actors to create Calvin is some amazing movie technology, but it doesn’t totally work.  Marlon’s head often movies awkwardly, and sometimes his head still looks way too big for such a small body.  Sometimes the seams between the computer-created Calvin and reality are painfully obvious, and Calvin just looks as if he’s been pasted in.  On the other hand, about half the time, the “little man” in Little Man actually looks quite good.

But after all is said and done, Little Man is just frickin’ funny.  It’s laugh-out-loud funny, howl with laughter in the theatre funny, choke-on-laughter funny, funny funny, etc.  Those who like the Wayans’ unabashedly low brow humor, chocked full of bad taste and taboo busting will find this a hilarious treat.  Little Man isn’t the classic great film, but it’s the classic make-you-laugh comedy.  What Little Man lacks in serious artistic merit, it makes up for in laughter inducing nonsense.  That’s the low art of high comedy.

6 of 10
B

Saturday, July 15, 2006

NOTES:
2007 Razzie Awards:  3 wins: “Worst Actor” (Marlon Wayans, Shawn Wayans), “Worst Screen Couple” (Shawn Wayans, Kerry Washington, Marlon Wayans, Shawn Wayans and either Kerry Washington or Marlon Wayans), and “Worst Remake or Rip-Off” (Rip-Off of the 1954 Bugs Bunny cartoon Baby Buggy Bunny-1954); 4 nominations: “Worst Picture,” “Worst Actor” (Rob Schneider for The Benchwarmers), “Worst Director” (Keenen Ivory Wayans), and “Worst Screenplay” Keenen Ivory Wayans, Marlon Wayans, Shawn Wayans)

Updated:  Sunday, January 19, 2014

The text is copyright © 2014 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for syndication rights and fees.

2014 Golden Globe Awards Nominations - Television Categories List

The 71st Annual Golden Globe Awards nominees: TELEVISION CATEGORIES – complete list:

Best TV Series - Comedy/Musical
"Big Bang Theory"
"Brooklyn Nine Nine"
"Girls"
"Modern Family"
"Parks & Recreation"

Best Miniseries Or Motion Picture Made For Television
"American Horror Story: Coven"
"Behind The Candelabra"
"Dancing On The Edge
"Top Of The Lake"
"The White Queen"

Best TV Drama
"Breaking Bad"
"Downton Abbey"
"The Good Wife"
"House Of Cards"
"Masters Of Sex"

Best Actress - Drama TV Series
Julianna Marguiles - "The Good Wife"
Tatiana Maslany - "Orphan Black"
Taylor Schilling - "Orange Is The New Black"
Kerry Washington - "Scandal"
Robin Wright - "House Of Cards"

Best Actor - TV Drama
Bryan Cranston - "Breaking Bad"
Liev Schreiber - "Ray Donovan"
Michael Sheen - "Masters Of Sex"
Kevin Spacey - "House Of Cards"
James Spader - "The Blacklist"

Best Actress - Miniseries
Helena Bonham-Carter - "Burton & Taylor"
Rebecca Ferguson - "The White Queen"
Jessica Lange - "American Horror Story: Coven"
Helen Mirren - "Phil Spector"
Elisabeth Moss - "Top Of The Lake"

Best Actor - Miniseries
Matt Damon - "Behind The Candelabra"
Michael Douglas - "Behind The Candelabra"
Chiwetel Ejiofor - "Dancing On The Edge"
Idris Elba - "Luther"
Al Pacino - "Phil Spector"

Best Actress - Comedy TV Series
Zooey Deschanel - "New Girl"
Lena Dunham - "Girls"
Edie Falco - "Nurse Jackie"
Julia Louis-Dreyfus - "Veep"
Amy Poehler - "Parks & Recreation"

Best Actor - Comedy TV Series
Jason Bateman - "Arrested Development"
Don Cheadle - "House Of Lies"
Michael J Fox - "The Michael J Fox Show"
Jim Parsons - "The Big Bang Theory"
Andy Samberg - "Brooklyn Nine Nine"

Best Supporting Actor - TV
Josh Charles - "The Good Wife"
Rob Lowe - "Behind The Candelabra"
Aaron Paul - "Breaking Bad"
Corey Stoll - "House Of Cards"
Jon Voight - "Ray Donovan"

Best Supporting Actress - TV
Jacqueline Bisset - "Dancing On The Edge"
Janet McTeer - "The White Queen"
Hayden Panetierre - "Nashville"
Monica Potter - "Parenthood"
Sofia Vergara - "Modern Family"

END

2014 Screen Actors Guild Awards Nominations - TV Categories List

by Amos Semien

The Screen Actors Guild (SAG) is an American labor union that represents film and television performers worldwide.  Most people probably know SAG for the various actors’ strikes or for the Screen Actors Guild Award, which SAG uses to honor outstanding performances by its members.  The first SAG Awards ceremony was held in February 1995 (for films released in 1994).

The 20th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards nominations were announced on Wednesday, December 11, 2013.  In the television categories, Breaking Bad led with 4 nominations.  “The Big Bang Theory,” “Modern Family,” and “30 Rock” each had three nominations.

Winners will be announced at the 20th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards® ceremony.  The ceremony will be simulcast live nationally on TNT and TBS on Saturday, Jan. 18, 2014 at 8 p.m. (ET)/5 p.m. (PT) from the Los Angeles Shrine Exposition Center.

An encore presentation will air immediately following live telecast on TNT only at 10 p.m. (ET)/7 p.m. (PT).  A live stream of the SAG Awards can also be viewed online through the TBS and TNT websites, as well as through the “Watch TBS” and “Watch TNT” apps for iOS or Android.  Apparently, viewers who want to use these apps must sign in using their TV provider user name and password in order to view the live stream.

20th ANNUAL SCREEN ACTORS GUILD AWARDS NOMINATIONS - TELEVISION PROGRAMS

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries:
MATT DAMON / Scott Thorson – “BEHIND THE CANDELABRA” (HBO)

MICHAEL DOUGLAS / Liberace – “BEHIND THE CANDELABRA” (HBO)

JEREMY IRONS / King Henry IV – “THE HOLLOW CROWN” (WNET/Thirteen)

ROB LOWE / John F. Kennedy – “KILLING KENNEDY” (National Geographic Channel)

AL PACINO / Phil Spector – “PHIL SPECTOR” (HBO)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries:
ANGELA BASSETT / Coretta Scott King – “BETTY & CORETTA” (Lifetime)

HELENA BONHAM CARTER / Elizabeth Taylor – “BURTON AND TAYLOR” (BBC America)

HOLLY HUNTER / G.J. – “TOP OF THE LAKE” (Sundance Channel)

HELEN MIRREN / Linda Kenney Baden – “PHIL SPECTOR” (HBO)

ELISABETH MOSS / Robin Griffin – “TOP OF THE LAKE” (Sundance Channel)

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

BRYAN CRANSTON / Walter White – “BREAKING BAD” (AMC)

JEFF DANIELS / Will McAvoy – “THE NEWSROOM” (HBO)

PETER DINKLAGE / Tyrion Lannister – “GAME OF THRONES” (HBO)

KEVIN SPACEY / Francis Underwood – “HOUSE OF CARDS” (Netflix)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series:
CLAIRE DANES / Carrie Mathison – “HOMELAND” (Showtime)

ANNA GUNN / Skyler White – “BREAKING BAD” (AMC)

JESSICA LANGE / Fiona Goode – “AMERICAN HORROR STORY: COVEN” (FX)

MAGGIE SMITH / Violet, Dowager Countess of Grantham – “DOWNTON ABBEY” (PBS)

KERRY WASHINGTON / Olivia Pope – “SCANDAL” (ABC)

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

JASON BATEMAN / Michael Bluth – “ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT” (Netflix)

TY BURRELL / Phil Dunphy – “MODERN FAMILY” (ABC)

DON CHEADLE / Martin “Marty” Kaan – “HOUSE OF LIES” (Showtime)

JIM PARSONS / Sheldon Cooper – “THE BIG BANG THEORY” (CBS)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series:
MAYIM BIALIK / Amy Farrah Fowler – “THE BIG BANG THEORY” (CBS)

JULIE BOWEN / Claire Dunphy – “MODERN FAMILY” (ABC)

EDIE FALCO / Jackie Peyton – “NURSE JACKIE” (Showtime)

TINA FEY / Liz Lemon – “30 ROCK” (NBC)

JULIA LOUIS-DREYFUS / Vice President Selina Meyer – “VEEP” (HBO)

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series:

BOARDWALK EMPIRE (HBO)
PATRICIA ARQUETTE / Sally Wheet
MARGOT BINGHAM / Daughter Maitland
STEVE BUSCEMI / Enoch “Nucky” Thompson
BRIAN GERAGHTY / Agent Warren Knox
STEPHEN GRAHAM / Al Capone
ERIK LA RAY HARVEY / Dunn Purnsley
JACK HUSTON / Richard Harrow
RON LIVINGSTON / Roy Phillips
DOMENICK LOMBARDOZZI / Ralph Capone
GRETCHEN MOL / Gillian Darmody
BEN ROSENFIELD / Willie Thompson
PAUL SPARKS / Mickey Doyle
MICHAEL STUHLBARG / Arnold Rothstein
NISI STURGIS / June Thompson
JACOB WARE / Agent Selby
SHEA WHIGHAM / Elias “Eli” Thompson
MICHAEL KENNETH WILLIAMS / “Chalky” White
JEFFREY WRIGHT / Valentin Narcisse

BREAKING BAD (AMC)
MICHAEL BOWEN / Uncle Jack
BETSY BRANDT / Marie Schrader
BRYAN CRANSTON / Walter White
LAVELL CRAWFORD / Huell
TAIT FLETCHER / Lester
LAURA FRASER / Lydia Rodarte-Quale
ANNA GUNN / Skyler White
MATTHEW T. METZLER / Matt
RJ MITTE / Walter White Jr.
DEAN NORRIS / Hank Schrader
BOB ODENKIRK / Saul Goodman
AARON PAUL / Jesse Pinkman
JESSE PLEMONS / Todd
STEVEN MICHAEL QUEZADA / Gomez
KEVIN RANKIN / Kenny
PATRICK SANE / Frankie

DOWNTON ABBEY (PBS)
HUGH BONNEVILLE / Robert, Earl of Grantham
LAURA CARMICHAEL / Lady Edith Crawley
JIM CARTER / Mr. Carson
BRENDAN COYLE / John Bates
MICHELLE DOCKERY / Lady Mary Crawley
KEVIN DOYLE / Molesley
JESSICA BROWN FINDLAY / Lady Sybil Crawley
SIOBHAN FINNERAN / Sarah O’Brien
JOANNE FROGGATT / Anna Bates
ROB JAMES-COLLIER / Thomas Barrow
ALLEN LEECH / Tom Branson
PHYLLIS LOGAN / Mrs. Hughes
ELIZABETH McGOVERN / Cora, Countess of Grantham
SOPHIE McSHERA / Daisy
MATT MILNE / Alfred
LESLEY NICOL / Mrs. Patmore
AMY NUTTALL / Ethel
DAVID ROBB / Dr. Clarkson
MAGGIE SMITH / Violet, Dowager Countess of Grantham
ED SPELEERS / Jimmy
DAN STEVENS / Matthew Crawley
CARA THEOBOLD / Ivy
PENELOPE WILTON / Isobel Crawley

GAME OF THRONES (HBO)
ALFIE ALLEN / Theon Greyjoy
JOHN BRADLEY / Samwell Tarly
OONA CHAPLIN / Talisa Maegyr
GWENDOLINE CHRISTIE / Brienne of Tarth
EMILIA CLARKE / Daenerys Targaryen
NIKOLAJ COSTER-WALDAU / Jaime Lannister
MACKENZIE CROOK / Orell
CHARLES DANCE / Tywin Lannister
JOE DEMPSIE / Gendry
PETER DINKLAGE / Tyrion Lannister
NATALIE DORMER / Margaery Tyrell
NATHALIE EMMANUEL / Missandei
MICHELLE FAIRLEY / Lady Catelyn Stark
JACK GLEESON / Joffrey Baratheon
IAIN GLEN / Ser Jorah Mormont
KIT HARINGTON / Jon Snow
LENA HEADEY /Cersei Lannister
ISAAC HEMPSTEAD WRIGHT / Brandon “Bran” Stark
KRISTOFER HIVJU / Tormund Giantsbane
PAUL KAYE / Thoros of Myr
SIBEL KEKILLI / Shae
ROSE LESLIE / Ygritte
RICHARD MADDEN / Robb Stark
RORY McCANN / Sandor “The Hound” Clegane
MICHAEL McELHATTON / Roose Bolton
IAN McELHINNEY / Barristan Selmy
PHILIP McGINLEY / Anguy
HANNAH MURRAY / Gilly
IWAN RHEON / Ramsay Snow
SOPHIE TURNER / Sansa Stark
CARICE VAN HOUTEN / Melisandre
MAISIE WILLIAMS / Arya Stark

HOMELAND (Showtime)
F. MURRAY ABRAHAM / Dar Adal
SARITA CHOUDHURY / Mira Berenson
CLAIRE DANES / Carrie Mathison
RUPERT FRIEND / Peter Quinn
TRACY LETTS / Sen. Andrew Lockhart
DAMIAN LEWIS / Nicholas Brody
MANDY PATINKIN / Saul Berenson
MORGAN SAYLOR / Dana Brody

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series:

30 ROCK (NBC)
SCOTT ADSIT / Pete Hornberger
ALEC BALDWIN / Jack Donaghy
KATRINA BOWDEN / Cerie
KEVIN BROWN / Dot Com
GRIZZ CHAPMAN / Grizz
TINA FEY / Liz Lemon
JUDAH FRIEDLANDER / Frank Rossitano
JANE KRAKOWSKI / Jenna Maroney
JOHN LUTZ / Lutz
JAMES MARSDEN / Criss
JACK McBRAYER / Kenneth Parcell
TRACY MORGAN / Tracy Jordan
KEITH POWELL / Toofer

ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT (Netflix)
WILL ARNETT / George Oscar “G.O.B.” Bluth II
JASON BATEMAN / Michael Bluth
JOHN BEARD / Himself
MICHAEL CERA / George-Michael Bluth
DAVID CROSS / Tobias Fünke
PORTIA DE ROSSI / Lindsay Bluth Fünke
ISLA FISHER / Rebel Alley
TONY HALE / Buster Bluth
RON HOWARD / Narrator/Himself
LIZA MINNELLI / Lucille Austero
ALIA SHAWKAT / Maeby Fünke
JEFFREY TAMBOR / George Bluth, Sr./Oscar Bluth
JESSICA WALTER / Lucille Bluth
HENRY WINKLER / Barry Zuckerkorn

THE BIG BANG THEORY (CBS)
MAYIM BIALIK / Amy Farrah Fowler
KALEY CUOCO / Penny
JOHNNY GALECKI / Leonard Hofstadter
SIMON HELBERG / Howard Wolowitz
KUNAL NAYYAR / Rajesh Koothrappali
JIM PARSONS / Sheldon Cooper
MELISSA RAUCH / Bernadette Rostenkowski

MODERN FAMILY (ABC)
JULIE BOWEN / Claire Dunphy
TY BURRELL / Phil Dunphy
AUBREY ANDERSON EMMONS / Lily Tucker-Pritchett
JESSE TYLER FERGUSON / Mitchell Pritchett
NOLAN GOULD / Luke Dunphy
SARAH HYLAND / Haley Dunphy
ED O’NEILL / Jay Pritchett
RICO RODRIGUEZ / Manny Delgado
ERIC STONESTREET / Cameron Tucker
SOFIA VERGARA / Gloria Delgado-Pritchett
ARIEL WINTER / Alex Dunphy

VEEP (HBO)
SUFE BRADSHAW / Sue Wilson
ANNA CHLUMSKY / Amy Brookheimer
GARY COLE / Kent Davidson
KEVIN DUNN / Ben Cafferty
TONY HALE / Gary Walsh
JULIA LOUIS-DREYFUS / Vice President Selina Meyer
REID SCOTT / Dan Egan
TIMOTHY SIMONS / Jonah Ryan
MATT WALSH / Mike McLintock

Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Comedy or Drama Series:
BOARDWALK EMPIRE (HBO)
BREAKING BAD (AMC)
GAME OF THRONES (HBO)
HOMELAND (Showtime)
THE WALKING DEAD (AMC)

END

65th Annual Primetime Emmy Award Nominations List

by Lucy Troy

The Emmy Award is a television production award that is considered the television equivalent of the Academy Awards in film and the Grammy Awards in music.  Negromancer’s focus is usually on the Primetime Emmy Awards.  It is presented by the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.

The 65th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards will honor the best in television programming (at least as the members of the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences see it) from June 1, 2012 to May 31, 2013.  The awards ceremony will be held on September 22, 2013 and televised by CBS (in the United States).

Netflix made history by earning the first Primetime Emmy Award nominations for original, online-only, web television as three of its series, “Arrested Development,” “Hemlock Grove,” and “House of Cards” earned nominations.

65th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards (2013) nominees:

Drama Series
•Breaking Bad
•Downton Abbey
•Game of Thrones
•House of Cards
•Homeland
•Mad Men

Comedy Series
•30 Rock
•The Big Bang
•Girls
•Louie
•Modern Family
•Veep

Miniseries or Movie
•American Horror Story
•Behind the Candelabra
•The Bible
•Phil Spector
•Political Animals
•Top of the Lake

Lead Actor in a Drama Series
•Hugh Bonneville, Downton Abbey
•Bryan Cranston, Breaking Bad
•Jeff Daniels, The Newsroom
•Jon Hamm, Mad Men
•Kevin Spacey, House of Cards
•Damian Lewis, Homeland

Lead Actress in a Drama Series
•Connie Britton, Nashville
•Claire Danes, Homeland
•Michelle Dockery, Downton Abbey
•Vera Farmiga, Bates Motel
•Kerry Washington, Scandal
•Robin Wright, House of Cards

Outstanding Lead Actor In A Miniseries Or A Movie
•Benedict Cumberbatch, Parade’s End
•Michael Douglas, Behind The Candelabra
•Matt Damon, Behind The Candelabra
•Toby Jones, The Girl
•Al Pacino, Phil Spector

Outstanding Lead Actress In A Miniseries Or A Movie
•Jessica Lange, American Horror Story: Asylum
•Laura Linney, The Big C: Hereafter
•Helen Mirren, Phil Spector
•Elisabeth Moss, Top of the Lake
•Sigourney Weaver, Political Animals

Outstanding Host For A Reality Or Reality-Competition Program
•Ryan Seacrest, American Idol
•Betty White, Betty White’s Off Their Rockers
•Tom Bergeron, Dancing With The Stars
•Heidi Klum and Tim Gunn, Project Runway
•Cat Deeley, So You Think You Can Dance
•Anthony Bourdain, The Taste

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series
•Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock
•Jason Bateman, Arrested Development
•Louis C.K., Louie
•Don Cheadle, House of Lies
•Matt LeBlanc, Episodes
•Jim Parsons, The Big Bang Theory

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series
•Laura Dern, Enlightened
•Lena Dunham, Girls
•Edie Falco, Nurse Jackie
•Tina Fey, 30 Rock
•Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Veep
•Amy Poehler, Parks and Recreation

Reality-Competition Series
•The Amazing Race
•Dancing With the Stars
•Project Runway
•So You Think You Can Dance
•Top Chef
•The Voice

Variety Series
•The Colbert Report
•The Daily Show
•Late Night With Jimmy Fallon
•Jimmy Kimmel Live
•Saturday Night Live
•Real Time With Bill Maher

Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Drama Series
•Bobby Cannavale, Boardwalk Empire
•Jonathan Banks, Breaking Bad
•Aaron Paul, Breaking Bad
•Jim Carter, Downton Abbey
•Peter Dinklage, Game Of Thrones
•Mandy Patinkin, Homeland

Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Drama Series
•Anna Gunn, Breaking Bad
•Maggie Smith, Downton Abbey
•Emilia Clarke, Game Of Thrones
•Christine Baranski, The Good Wife
•Morena Baccarin, Homeland
•Christina Hendricks, Mad Men

Outstanding Guest Actor In A Drama Series
•Nathan Lane, The Good Wife
•Michael J. Fox, The Good Wife
•Rupert Friend, Homeland
•Robert Morse, Mad Men
•Harry Hamlin, Mad Men
•Dan Bucatinsky, Scandal

Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Comedy Series
•Adam Driver, Girls
•Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Modern Family
•Ed O’Neill, Modern Family
•Ty Burrell, Modern Family
•Bill Hader, Saturday Night Live
•Tony Hale, Veep

Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Comedy Series
•Mayim Bialik, The Big Bang Theory
•Jane Lynch, Glee
•Julie Bowen, Modern Family
•Merritt Wever, Nurse Jackie
•Sofia Vergara, Modern Family
•Jane Krakowski, 30 Rock
•Anna Chlumsky, Veep

Outstanding Guest Actor In A Comedy Series
•Bob Newhart, The Big Bang Theory
•Nathan Lane, Modern Family
•Bobby Cannavale, Nurse Jackie
•Louis C.K., Saturday Night Live
•Justin Timberlake, Saturday Night Live
•Will Forte, 30 Rock

Outstanding Guest Actress In A Drama Series
•Margo Martindale, The Americans
•Diana Rigg, Game Of Thrones
•Carrie Preston, The Good Wife
•Linda Cardellini, Mad Men
•Jane Fonda, The Newsroom
•Joan Cusack, Shameless

Outstanding Writing For A Drama Series
•George Mastras, Breaking Bad • Dead Freight
•Thomas Schnauz, Breaking Bad • Say My Name
•Julian Fellowes, Downton Abbey • Episode 4
•D.B. Weiss and David Benioff, Game Of Thrones • The Rains Of Castamere
•Henry Bromell, Homeland • Q&A

Outstanding Directing For A Drama Series
•Tim Van Patten, Boardwalk Empire • Margate Sands
•Michelle MacLaren, Breaking Bad • Gliding Over All
•Jeremy Webb, Downton Abbey • Episode 4
•Lesli Linka Glatter, Homeland • Q&A
•David Fincher, House Of Cards

Outstanding Guest Actress In A Comedy Series
•Molly Shannon, Enlightened
•Dot-Marie Jones, Glee
•Melissa Leo, Louie
•Melissa McCarthy, Saturday Night Live
•Kristen Wiig, Saturday Night Live
•Elaine Stritch, 30 Rock

Outstanding Writing For A Comedy Series
•Jeffrey Klarik and David Crane, Episodes • Episode 209
•Louis C.K and Pamela Adlon, Louie • Daddy’s Girlfriend (Part 1)
•Greg Daniels, The Office • Finale
•Robert Carlock and Jack Burditt, 30 Rock • Hogcock!
•Tina Fey and Tracey Wigfield, 30 Rock

Outstanding Directing For A Comedy Series
•Lena Dunham, Girls • On All Fours
•Paris Barclay, Glee • Diva
•Louis C.K., Louie • New Year’s Eve
•Gail Mancuso, Modern Family • Arrested
•Beth McCarthy-Miller, 30 Rock • Hogcock! / Last Lunch

Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Miniseries Or A Movie
•James Cromwell, American Horror Story: Asylum
•Zachary Quinto, American Horror Story: Asylum
•Scott Bakula, Behind The Candelabra
•John Benjamin, The Big C: Hereafter
•Peter Mullan, Top Of The Lake

Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Miniseries Or A Movie
•Sarah Paulson, American Horror Story: Asylum
•Imelda Staunton, The Girl
•Ellen Burstyn, Political Animals
•Charlotte Rampling, Restless
•Alfre Woodard, Steel Magnolias

Outstanding Writing For A Miniseries, Movie Or A Dramatic Special
•Richard LaGravenese Behind The Candelabra
•Abi Morgan, The Hour
•Tom Stoppard, Parade’s End
•David Mamet, Phil Spector
•Gerard Lee and Jane Campion, Top Of The Lake

Outstanding Directing For A Miniseries, Movie Or A Dramatic Special
•Steven Soderbergh, Behind The Candelabra
•Julian Jarrold, The Girl
•David Mamet, Phil Spector
•Allison Anders, Ring Of Fire
•Garth Davis and Jane Campion, Top Of The Lake • Part 5

Outstanding Variety Special
•The Kennedy Center Honors
•Louis C.K.: Oh My God
•Mel Brooks Strikes Back! With Mel Brooks And Alan Yentob
•Saturday Night Live: Weekend Update Thursday (Part One)
•12-12-12: The Concert For Sandy Relief

Outstanding Writing For A Variety Series
•The Colbert Report
•The Daily Show With Jon Stewart
•Jimmy Kimmel Live
•Portlandia
•Real Time With Bill Maher
•Saturday Night Live

Outstanding Writing For A Variety Special
•Louis C.K.: Oh My God
•Night Of Too Many Stars: America Comes Together For Autism Programs
•Saturday Night Live: Weekend Update Thursday (Part One)
•66th Annual Tony Awards

Outstanding Directing For A Variety Series
•James Hoskinson, The Colbert Report
•Chuck O’Neil, The Daily Show With Jon Stewart
•Andy Fisher, Jimmy Kimmel Live
•Jerry Foley, Late Show With David Letterman
•Jonathan Krisel, Portlandia
•Don Roy King, Saturday Night Live

Outstanding Directing For A Variety Special
•Louis J. Horvitz, The Kennedy Center Honors
•Hamish Hamilton and Bucky Gunts, London 2012 Olympic Games Opening Ceremony
•Louis C.K, Louis C.K.: Oh My God
•Don Mischer, The Oscars
•Michael Dempsey, 12-12-12: The Concert For Sandy Relief

2013 NAACP Image Award Winners - Complete List

It took George Lucas over two decades to bring Red Tails to the big screen, and Friday night it was named the "Best Motion Picture of 2012."  Kerry Washington had a big night winning three awards, including won as a supporting actress for Django Unchained.

The NAACP Image Award an award bestowed by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). The award honors outstanding achievements by people of color in film, television, music, and literature. The awards are voted on by members of the NAACP.

The 2013 NAACP Image Awards were presented live on NBC, Friday, February 1 at 8pm.

44th NAACP Image Awards winners:

MOTION PICTURE CATEGORIES

Motion Picture:
"Beasts of the Southern Wild" (Fox Searchlight Pictures)
"Django Unchained" (The Weinstein Company)
"Flight" (Paramount Pictures)
"Red Tails" (Lucasfilm) WINNER
"Tyler Perry's Good Deeds" (Lionsgate)

Writing in a Motion Picture - (Theatrical or Television)
Elizabeth Hunter - "Abducted: The Carlina White Story" (Lifetime) WINNER
John Gatins - "Flight" (Paramount Pictures)
John Ridley, Aaron McGruder - "Red Tails" (Lucasfilm)
Keith Merryman, David A. Newman - "Think Like a Man" (Screen Gems)
Ol Parker - "The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel" (Fox Searchlight Pictures)

Actor in a Motion Picture:
Denzel Washington - "Flight" (Paramount Pictures) WINNER
Jamie Foxx - "Django Unchained" (The Weinstein Company)
Morgan Freeman - "The Magic of Belle Isle" (Magnolia Pictures)
Suraj Sharma - "Life of Pi" (20th Century Fox)
Tyler Perry - "Alex Cross" (Summit Entertainment)

Actress in a Motion Picture:
Emayatzy Corinealdi - "Middle of Nowhere" (AAFRM)
Halle Berry - "Cloud Atlas" (Warner Bros. Pictures)
Loretta Devine - "In The Hive" (Eone Entertainment)
Quvenzhané Wallis - "Beasts of the Southern Wild" (Fox Searchlight Pictures)
Viola Davis - "Won't Back Down" (20th Century Fox) WINNER

Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture:
David Oyelowo - "Middle of Nowhere" (AFFRM)
Don Cheadle - "Flight" (Paramount Pictures)
Dwight Henry - "Beasts of the Southern Wild" (Fox Searchlight Pictures)
Lenny Kravitz - "The Hunger Games" (Lionsgate)
Samuel L. Jackson - "Django Unchained" (The Weinstein Company) WINNER

Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture:
Amandla Stenberg - "The Hunger Games" (Lionsgate)
Gloria Reuben - "Lincoln" (The Walt Disney Studios)
Kerry Washington - "Django Unchained" (The Weinstein Company) WINNER
Phylicia Rashad - "Tyler Perry's Good Deeds" (Lionsgate)
Taraji P. Henson - "Think Like a Man" (Screen Gems)

Independent Motion Picture:
"Beasts of the Southern Wild" (Fox Searchlight Pictures) WINNER
"Chico & Rita" (GKIDS)
"Red Tails" (Lucasfilm)
"Unconditional" (Harbinger Media Partners)
"Woman Thou Art Loosed: On the 7th Day" (Codeblack)

International Motion Picture:
"Chico & Rita" (GKIDS)
"For Greater Glory: The True Story of Cristiada" (ARC Entertainment)
"Special Forces" (eOne Films)
"The Intouchables" (The Weinstein Company) WINNER
"The Raid: Redemption" (Sony Pictures Classics)

DOCUMENTARY – Documentary - (Theatrical or Television)
"Black Wings" (Smithsonian Channel)
"Brooklyn Castle" (Producers Distribution Agency)
"First Position" (IFC Films)
"Marley" (Magnolia Pictures)
"On the Shoulders of Giants - The Story of the Greatest Team You've Never Heard Of" (Showtime) WINNER

TELEVISION CATEGORIES

Comedy Series:
"Glee" (Fox)
"Modern Family" (ABC)
"The Game" (BET) WINNER
"The Mindy Project" (Fox)
"The Soul Man" (TV Land)

Writing in a Comedy Series:
Karin Gist - "House of Lies" - Mini-Mogul (Showtime)
Marc Wilmore - "The Simpsons" - The Spy Who Learned Me (FOX) WINNER
Michael Shipley - "Last Man Standing" - High Expectations (ABC)
Prentice Penny - "Happy Endings" - Meet the Parrots (ABC)
Vali Chandrasekaran, Robert Carlock - "30 Rock" - Murphy Brown Lied to Us (NBC)

Actor in a Comedy Series:
Anthony Anderson - "Guys with Kids" (NBC)
Damon Wayans, Jr. - "Happy Endings" (ABC)
Don Cheadle - "House Of Lies" (Showtime) WINNER
Donald Faison - "The Exes" (TV Land)
Hosea Chanchez - "The Game" (BET)

Actress in a Comedy Series:
Amber Riley - "Glee" (Fox)
Cassi Davis - "Tyler Perry's House of Payne" (TBS) WINNER
Kellita Smith - "The First Family" (Syndicated)
Tatyana Ali - "Love That Girl" (TV One)
Wendy Raquel Robinson - "The Game" (BET)

Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series:
Aziz Ansari - "Parks and Recreation" (NBC)
Craig Robinson - "The Office" (NBC)
Donald Glover - "Community" (NBC)
Lance Gross - "Tyler Perry's House of Payne" (TBS) WINNER
Tracy Morgan - "30 Rock" (NBC)

Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series:
Anna Deavere Smith - "Nurse Jackie" (Showtime)
Gabourey Sidibe - "The Big C" (Showtime)
Gladys Knight - "The First Family" (Syndicated)
Rashida Jones - "Parks and Recreation" (NBC)
Vanessa Williams - "Desperate Housewives" (ABC) WINNER

Drama Series:
"Boardwalk Empire" (HBO)
"Grey's Anatomy" (ABC)
"Scandal" (ABC) WINNER
"Treme" (HBO)
"True Blood" (HBO)

Writing in a Dramatic Series
Cheo Hodari Coker - "SouthLAnd" - God's Work (TNT) WINNER
Janine Sherman Barrios - "Criminal Minds" - The Pact (CBS)
Shonda Rhimes - "Grey's Anatomy" - Flight (ABC)
Shonda Rhimes - "Scandal" - Sweet Baby (ABC)
Zoanne Clack - "Grey's Anatomy" - This Magic Moment (ABC)

Actor in a Drama Series:
Dulé Hill - "Psych" (USA)
Hill Harper - "CSI: NY" (CBS) WINNER
LL Cool J - "NCIS: Los Angeles" (CBS)
Michael Clarke Duncan - "The Finder" (FOX)
Wendell Pierce - "Treme" (HBO)

Actress in a Drama Series:
Chandra Wilson - "Grey's Anatomy" (ABC)
Kerry Washington - "Scandal" (ABC) WINNER
Khandi Alexander - "Treme" (HBO)
Regina King - "SouthLAnd" (TNT)
Sandra Oh - "Grey's Anatomy" (ABC)

Supporting Actor in a Drama Series:
Clarke Peters - "Treme" (HBO)
Dev Patel - "The Newsroom" (HBO)
Omar Epps - "House M.D." (FOX) WINNER
Rockmond Dunbar - "Sons of Anarchy" (FX)
Rocky Carroll - "NCIS" (CBS)

Supporting Actress in a Drama Series:
Archie Panjabi - "The Good Wife" (CBS)
Joy Bryant - "Parenthood" (NBC)
Loretta Devine - "Grey's Anatomy" (ABC) WINNER
Lucy Lui - "SouthLAnd" (TNT)
Rutina Wesley - "True Blood" (HBO)

Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special:
"Abducted: The Carlina White Story" (Lifetime)
"Hallmark Hall of Fame's FIRELIGHT" (ABC)
"Raising Izzie" (GMC TV)
"Steel Magnolias" (Lifetime) WINNER
"Sugar Mommas" (GMC TV)

Actor in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special:
Afemo Omilami - "Steel Magnolias" (Lifetime)
Cuba Gooding, Jr. - "Hallmark Hall of Fame's FIRELIGHT" (ABC) WINNER
Michael Jai White - "Somebody's Child" (GMC TV)
Rockmond Dunbar - "Raising Izzie" (GMC TV)
Tory Kittles - "Steel Magnolias" (Lifetime)

Actress in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special:
Alfre Woodard - "Steel Magnolias" (Lifetime) WINNER
Jill Scott - "Steel Magnolias" (Lifetime)
Keke Palmer - "Abducted: The Carlina White Story" (Lifetime)
Phylicia Rashad - "Steel Magnolias" (Lifetime)
Queen Latifah - "Steel Magnolias" (Lifetime)

Actor in a Daytime Drama Series:
Aaron D. Spears - "The Bold and the Beautiful" (CBS)
Erik Valdez - "General Hospital" (ABC)
James Reynolds - "Days of Our Lives" (NBC)
Kristoff St. John - "The Young and the Restless" (CBS) WINNER
Rodney Saulsberry - "The Bold and the Beautiful" (CBS)

Actress in a Daytime Drama Series:
Angell Conwell - "The Young and the Restless" (CBS)
Julia Pace Mitchell - "The Young and the Restless" (CBS)
Kristolyn Lloyd - "The Bold and the Beautiful" (CBS)
Shenell Edmonds - "One Life to Live" (ABC)
Tatyana Ali - "The Young and the Restless" (CBS) WINNER

News/ Information - (Series or Special):
"Ask Obama Live: An MTV Interview with The President" (MTV)
"Judge Mathis" (Syndicated)
"Save My Son with Dr. Steve Perry" (TV One)
"Unsung" (TV One) WINNER
"Washington Watch with Roland Martin" (TV One)

Talk Series:
"Don't Sleep!" (BET)
"Oprah's Lifeclass" (OWN)
"Oprah's Next Chapter" (OWN)
"The View" (ABC) WINNER
"Totally Biased with W. Kamau Bell" (FX)

Reality Series:
"Dancing with the Stars" (ABC)
"Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel" (HBO)
"The X Factor" (FOX)
"Tia & Tamera" (Style)
"Welcome to Sweetie Pie's" (OWN) WINNER

Variety Series or Special:
"Black Girls Rock" (BET) WINNER
"Oprah and the Legendary Cast of Roots 35 Years Later" (OWN)
"Oprah's Master Class" (OWN)
"The First Graduating Class: Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls" (OWN)
"Verses & Flow" (TV One)

Children’s Program:
"Degrassi" (TeenNick)
"Kasha and the Zulu King" (BET) WINNER
"The Legend of Korra" (Nickelodeon)
"The TeenNick HALO Awards 2012" (Nick@Nite)
"The Weight of the Nation for Kids" (HBO)

Performance in a Youth/ Children’s Program - (Series or Special):
China Anne McClain - "A.N.T. Farm" (Disney Channel)
Keke Palmer - "Winx Club" (Nickelodeon)
Loretta Devine - "Doc McStuffins" (Disney Junior block on Disney Channel) WINNER
Nick Cannon - "The TeenNick HALO Awards 2012" (Nick@Nite)
Tyler James Williams - "Let It Shine" (Disney Channel)

RECORDING CATEGORIES

New Artist:
Elle Varner (MBK / RCA) WINNER
Gary Clark, Jr. (Warner Bros. Records)
Lianne La Havas (Nonesuch Records Inc. / Warner Bros. Records)
Melanie Amaro (Epic Records)
The OMG Girlz (Pretty Hustle / Grand Hustle / Streamline / Interscope)

Male Artist:
Bruno Mars (Atlantic)
Lupe Fiasco (Atlantic)
Miguel (ByStorm / RCA)
Trey Songz (Atlantic)
Usher (RCA Records) WINNER

Female Artist:
Alicia Keys (RCA Records) WINNER
Elle Varner (MBK / RCA)
Estelle (Atlantic)
Missy Elliott (Atlantic)
Tamela Mann (Tillymann Music Group)

Duo, Group or Collaboration:
Chuck D, Johnny Juice, Will.i.am, Herbie Hancock (Iconomy Multi-Media & Entertainment)
fun. feat. Janelle Monae (Atlantic)
Lupe Fiasco feat. Guy Sebastian (Atlantic)
Mary Mary (Columbia) WINNER
Ne-Yo, Herbie Hancock, Johnny Rzeznik, Delta Rae, Natasha Bedingfield (Forward Song, LLC)

Jazz Album:
"Bone Appetit [Vol. 1 and 2]" - Jeff Bradshaw (Hidden Beach)
"Dreams" - Brian Culbertson (Verve Records)
"Renaissance" - Marcus Miller (Concord Jazz)
"Seeds From The Underground" - Kenny Garrett (Mack Avenue Records)
"The Preservation Hall 50th Anniversary Collection" - The Preservation Hall Jazz Band (Legacy) WINNER

Gospel Album - (Traditional or Contemporary):
"Best Days" - Tamela Mann (Tillymann Music Group)
"Go Get It" - Mary Mary (Columbia) WINNER
"God, Love & Romance" - Fred Hammond (Verity Gospel Music Group)
"I Win" - Marvin Sapp (Verity Gospel Music Group)
"Le'Andria Johnson The Experience" - Le'Andria Johnson (Music World Gospel / Music World)

World Music Album:
"Ayah Ye! Moving Train" - KG Omulo (KG Omulo)
"Country, God, Or The Girl" - K'NAAN (A&M / Octone Records)
"Diversionary" - Brother B (King Chero Records)
"Wonderful Life" - Estelle (Atlantic) WINNER

Music Video:
"Adorn" - Miguel (ByStorm / RCA)
"Girl On Fire" - Alicia Keys (RCA Records) WINNER
"Locked Out Of Heaven" - Bruno Mars (Atlantic)
"This Christmas" - CeeLo Green (Elektra)
"You're On My Mind" - KEM (Universal Motown)

Song:
"Be Mine for Christmas" - KEM (Universal Motown)
"Glorify the King" - KEM (Universal Motown)
"I Look To You" - Whitney Houston and R. Kelly (RCA Records) WINNER
"Locked Out Of Heaven" - Bruno Mars (Atlantic)
"You're On My Mind" - KEM (Universal Motown)

Album:
"Bad - 25th Anniversary Deluxe Edition" - Michael Jackson (Legacy / Epic)
"Girl On Fire" - Alicia Keys (RCA Records)
"I Will Always Love You: The Best Of Whitney Houston" - Whitney Houston (RCA Records) WINNER
"On the Shoulders of Giants - The Soundtrack" - Chuck D, Will.i.am, Herbie Hancock, Nikki Yannofsky (Iconomy Multi-Media & Entertainment )
"Perfectly Imperfect" - Elle Varner (MBK / RCA)

LITERATURE CATEGORIES

Literary Work – Fiction:
"A Wish and a Prayer: A Blessings Novel" - Beverly Jenkins (HarperCollins Publishers (William Morrow Paperbacks))
"Destiny's Divas" - Victoria Christopher Murray (Touchstone / Simon & Schuster)
"Silent Cry" - Dywane Birch (Strebor Books)
"The Reverend's Wife" - Kimberla Lawson Roby (Grand Central's Wife) WINNER
"The Secret She Kept" - ReShonda Tate Billingsley (Gallery Books, a division of Simon & Schuster)

Literary Work - Non-Fiction:
"Fraternity" - Diane Brady (Spiegel & Grau (Random House))
"Guest of Honor: Booker T. Washington, Theodore Roosevelt, and the White House Dinner That Shocked a Nation" - Deborah Davis (Atria Books / Simon & Schuster)
"Power Concedes Nothing: One Woman's Quest for Social Justice in America, from the Courtroom to the Kill Zones" - Connie Rice (Scribner)
"The Courage to Hope" - Shirley Sherrod (Atria Books)
"The Oath: The Obama White House and the Supreme Court " - Jeffrey Toobin (Doubleday) WINNER

Literary Work - Debut Author:
"A Cupboard Full of Coats" - Yvvette Edwards (HarperCollins Publishers (Amistad))
"Antebellum" - R. Kayeen Thomas (Strebor Books)
"Congo: Spirit of Darkness" - Mayi Ngwala (Genet Press)
"Nikki G: A Portrait of Nikki Giovanni in Her Own Words" - Darryl L. Lacy (Darryl L. Lacy-iUniverse) WINNER
"The Sister Accord: 51 Ways To Love Your Sister" - Sonia Jackson Myles (The Sister Accord, LLC)

Literary Work - Biography/ Auto-Biography:
"Across That Bridge: Life Lessons and a Vision for Change" - John Lewis (Hyperion) WINNER
"Interventions: A Life in War and Peace" - Kofi Annan (The Penguin Press)
"The Black Count: Glory, Revolution, Betrayal, and the Real Count of Monte Cristo" - Tom Reiss (Crown Publishers)
"The Good Food Revolution: Growing Healthy Food, People, and Communities " – Will Allen (Gotham Books)
"The One: The Life and Music of James Brown" - RJ Smith (Gotham Books)

Literary Work – Instructional:
"12 Ways to Put Money in Your Pocket Every Month Without A Part Time Job; The Skinny Book That Makes Your Wallet Fat" - Jennifer Matthews (Pickett Fennell Publishing Group)
"Formula 50: A 6-Week Workout and Nutrition Plan That Will Transform Your Life " – 50 Cent (Avery (Penguin Group))
"Health First: The Black Woman's Wellness Guide" - Eleanor Hinton Hoytt, Hilary Beard (SmileyBooks) WINNER
"It's Complicated (But It Doesn't Have to Be): A Modern Guide to Finding and Keeping Love" - Paul Carrick Brunson (Gotham Books)
"The No Excuse Guide to Success: No Matter What Your Boss or Life Throws at You" - Jim Smith, Jr. (Career Press)

Literary Work – Poetry:
"Hurrah's Nest" - Arisa White (Virtual Artists Collective)
"Maybe the Saddest Thing" - Marcus Wicker (HarperCollins Publishers (Harper Perennial))
"Speak Water" - Truth Thomas (Cherry Castle Publishing) WINNER
"The Ground" - Rowan Ricardo Phillips (Farrar, Straus and Giroux)
"Thrall" - Natasha Trethewey (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)

Literary Work – Children:
"Fifty Cents and a Dream" - Jabari Asim (Author), Bryan Collier (Illustrator) (Little,nBrown Books for Young Readers)
"Harlem's Little Blackbird" - Renee Watson (Author), Christian Robinson (Illustrator) (Random House Books for Young Readers (Random House Children's Books))
"In the Land of Milk and Honey" - Joyce Carol Thomas (Author), Floyd Cooper (Illustrator) (HarperCollins / Amistad)
"Indigo Blume and the Garden City" - Kwame Alexander (Word of Mouth Books)
"What Color is My World?" - Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (Author), Raymons Obstfeld (Author), A.G. Ford (Illustrator) (Candlewick Press) WINNER

Literary Work - Youth/Teens:
"Fire in the Streets" - Kekla Magoon (Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing)
"Obama Talks Back: Global Lessons - A Dialogue With America's Young Leaders" - Gregory Reed (Amber Books) WINNER
"Pinned" - Sharon G. Flake (Scholastic Press)
"The Diary of B. B. Bright, Possible Princess" - Alice Randall (Author), Caroline Williams (Author), Shadra Strickland (Illustrator) (Turner Publishing Company)
"The Mighty Miss Malone" - Christopher Paul Curtis (Wendy Lamb Books-Random House Children's Books)

President's Award: Kerry Washington

Spingarn Medal (consists of a gold medal and is the NAACP’s highest honor): Harry Belafonte

Review: "Django Unchained" is Off the Hook

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 1 (of 2013) by Leroy Douresseaux

Django Unchained (2012)
Running time: 165 minutes (2 hours, 45 minutes)
MPAA – R for strong graphic violence throughout, a vicious fight, language and some nudity
WRITER/DIRECTOR: Quentin Tarantino
PRODUCERS: Stacey Sher, Reginald Hudlin and Pilar Savone
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Robert Richardson
EDITOR: Fred Raskin

WESTERN/DRAMA/ACTION

Starring: Jamie Foxx, Christoph Waltz, Leonardo DiCaprio, Kerry Washington, James Remar, Walton Goggins, Laura Cayouette, and Samuel L. Jackson

Django Unchained is a 2012 American Western film and revenge movie from Oscar-winning screenwriter and director Quentin Tarantino (Pulp Fiction). Like his previous film, Inglourious Basterds, Django Unchained is an alternate-history movie.

Django Unchained focuses on a slave-turned-bounty hunter who, with the help of his mentor, sets out to rescue his wife from a brutal Mississippi plantation owner. The name “Django” comes from the 1966 Italian “Spaghetti Western,” Django, which inspired Tarantino’s film. Franco Nero, the actor who portrayed Django in the 1966 movie, also has a cameo in Django Unchained.

The film opens in 1858. Dr. King Schultz (Christoph Waltz), a German dentist turned bounty hunter, buys a slave, Django (Jamie Foxx). Shultz wants Django because the slave can identify the Brittle Brothers, a gang of ruthless killers. Recognizing that the slave’s talents that could make him a good bounty hunter, Schultz offers Django two things: (1) he will free Django and (2) he will help Django find his wife, Broomhilda Von Shaft (Kerry Washington), who is still a slave. In return, Shultz wants Django’s help collecting bounties.

However, Broomhilda is now owned by a charming but brutal slave owner named Calvin J. Candie (Leonardo DiCaprio). Candie owns the plantation, Candyland, in Greenville, Mississippi. There, male slaves are trained to fight for sport (“Mandingo fighting”) and female slaves are sold into prostitution. Infiltrating Candyland and collecting Broomhilda will be Django and Shultz’s most difficult bounty.

Now that I look back on Inglourious Basterds, I like it now more than I did when I first saw it back in 2009. I gave it a grade of “B” (6 of 10). Tarantino’s screwball take on World War II history in that movie prepared me for the freedom with history that Tarantino takes with Django Unchained. Of the movies released in 2012, Django Unchained is the best one I’ve seen so far.

As in all his works, Tarantino’s imagination, inventiveness, and, of course, his encyclopedic knowledge of films results in a screenplay full of outrageous notions, scandalous scenarios, shocking sequences, and mind-blowing scenes. So we get great cinema. Tarantino makes spellbinding films filled with hypnotic characters, plots twists, and settings. And Django Unchained is no exception; it is simply great

Django Unchained is essentially three movies: a quasi-slave narrative, a gun-slinging Western, and a revenge movie that come together as a Spaghetti Western, more so than as an American Western film, especially the ones made before the 1960s. This film looks and acts like a Western, only, the cowboy hero is a slave-turned-bounty hunter and the Old West town in need of taming is a Mississippi plantation.

The result of Tarantino’s genius screenwriting is that the actors cast in his films have the material to fashion great characters, regardless of the individual actor’s level of talent. When the talent is Jamie Foxx, Christoph Waltz, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Samuel L. Jackson, magic happens. Foxx reveals the evolution of Django from slave to free man in a way that allows the viewer to share the change; Foxx makes Django passionate, vulnerable, and a true cowboy movie hero.

I initially was not crazy about Christoph Waltz as the Nazi colonel and “Jew hunter,” Hans Landa, in Inglourious Basterds, but I’ve grown to love that performance. Landa was not a fluke; here, Waltz fashions a man of many of colors in Dr. King Shultz, a performance which deserves at least an Oscar nomination. Leonardo DiCaprio is a blazing star as Calvin J. Candie, simply because DiCaprio creates a monster in Candie by not being what people probably expect – over the top and inflammatory. There is some subtlety, grace, and depth in DiCaprio’s performance here.

Sam Jackson won’t get the Oscar he deserves for creating Stephen, the ultimate / major domo “house nigger” and Candie’s right-hand man. As great as Foxx, Waltz, and DiCaprio are, Jackson creates a supporting character that is as good as the best in American cinematic history. Stephen is so reprehensible and is odious to the point of being intolerable, and the character is embarrassingly real in the context of the history of American slavery. Jackson will likely be left out because the Academy that hands out Oscar nominations will likely pay more attention to Waltz and perhaps, DiCaprio than Jackson. Besides, Stephen may be a bit too much for conservative Oscar voters to take.

But that is the magic of what Quentin Tarantino can create. He is the best director of his generation – better than the likes of such stalwarts as Chris Nolan and David Fincher. Django Unchained proves it.

10 of 10

Saturday, December 29, 2012

------------------------

Review: "Fantastic Four" is Fantastic for the Entire Family

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 109 (of 2005) by Leroy Douresseaux

Fantastic Four (2005)
Running time: 106 minutes (1 hour, 46 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for sequences of intense action and some suggestive content
DIRECTOR: Tim Story
WRITERS: Michael France and Mark Frost (based upon the Marvel Comics characters created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby)
PRODUCERS: Avi Arad, Michael Barnathan, and Bernd Eichinger
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Oliver Wood
EDITOR: William Hoy
COMPOSER: John Ottman

SUPERHERO/ACTION/SCI-FI/ADVENTURE with elements of comedy

Starring: Ioan Gruffudd, Jessica Alba, Chris Evans, Michael Chiklis, Julian McMahon, Hamish Linklater, Kerry Washington, and Stan Lee

Marvel Comics longest running comic book series is the Fantastic Four, subtitled “The World’s Greatest Comic Book Magazine,” but Spider-Man is Marvel’s best known characters, while the X-Men are the most popular characters in North American comic book publishing; both the Spider-Man and the X-Men are also successful film franchises. However, there has been a nearly ten-year struggle to bring the Fantastic Four to the screen, and now, it’s finally happened. Fresh off Barbershop (2002) and the Queen Latifah vehicle, Taxi (2004), director Tim Story wows audiences with the Fantastic Four, the long-awaited silver screen appearance of Marvel’s first family, and unlike some other comic book to film adaptations (Sin City to name one), Fantastic Four is a joy ride for kids.

Reed Richards (Ioan Gruffudd), financially strapped scientific genius, has an important experiment that requires his use orbital space lab of his long-time rival, the jealous and grudge-holding Victor Von Doom (Julian McMahon). Von Doom insists on accompanying Richards to the station. Also aboard the station for the research mission is Reed’s ex-girlfriend, Sue Storm (Jessica Alba), who now works for Von Doom, Sue’s brother, hot shot pilot Johnny Storm (Chris Evans), and Reed’s long-time friend, Ben Grimm (Michael Chiklis), who more or less is Reed’s bodyguard. However, something goes wrong, and all five of them are exposed to an intense band of radiation that transforms their DNA and their bodies. Reed suddenly can stretch any part of his anatomy. Sue can turn invisible and create an invisible force field. Johnny can turn his body into living flame. Ben becomes a monster with a rock-like body. Victor’s skin eventually turns metallic and can absorb electricity.

After their powers become public, Johnny gives his compatriots names: Reed is Mr. Fantastic; Sue is the Invisible Girl; Ben is The Thing; and Johnny is the Human Torch. Together, they become known as the Fantastic Four, and though Reed, Sue, and Ben would like to be cured of their powers and new found physical gifts (or curses), they must band together as a quartet to save New York City from Victor, who becomes the super villain, Dr. Doom, a man bent on destroying the Fantastic Four and ruling the world.

The Incredibles was kind of an update or riff off the Fantastic Four, which is as much superhero action/adventure and fantasy fun as The Incredibles was, although FF is not nearly as well written and directed as the Pixar computer-animated hit. Still the emphasis is on fun. The Human Torch’s firepower is constantly on display, as he blazes across the sky like a pretty Christmas light with a rocket engine on it. Also, the Thing’s physical appearance and his monstrous strength are perfect for youngsters looking for vicarious wish fulfillment, because the brute wrecks, squashes, smashes, and breaks a lot during the course of the film. And I can’t forget that Mr. Fantastic’s stretching powers will cause a giggle or two, and they certainly made my eyes widen on a few occasions. The Fantastic Four comic book never made the Invisible Woman’s powers look as good as they do on the big screen.

The acting is good. Ioan Gruffudd is thoughtful and straight-laced as the serious and contemplative Reed Richards/Mr. Fantastic. He’s not the infinitely intelligent leader that he is in the comic, and sometimes he comes across in the film as a bit too befuddled. Still, he’s more human and likeable here; I get the feeling that the filmmakers either didn’t know quite what to do with him or they didn’t like the character enough to make him the big boss he is in the comics.

For all her acting woes, Jessica Alba is a little spitfire as Sue Storm/Invisible Woman who keeps the boys in line. She’s a heroine for today; she doesn’t consider herself to be a second-class citizen. Yes, she’s boy crazy about Reed, but she’ll speak her mind to him. Even better, she won’t back down one bit in a fierce battle. Her screen chemistry with Gruffudd gets better as the film goes along, although it’s limp at first. I figure the relationship between the two characters will be tinkered with in any potential sequel, giving the actors more with which to work.

Michael Chiklis gives a surprisingly good turn as The Thing; even under the heavy and very thick suit he has to wear to portray the Thing, he gives the character a range of emotions and the air of the tragic, misunderstood monster. Chiklis plays the Thing as a heavily burdened man whose life is suddenly destroyed by his transformation into a monster. Sometimes the down-on-life bit gets too thick, but Chiklis still gives a good performance under all that makeup and costume, and his portrayal of Ben Grimm the human is pure action movie hero. It would be good to see more of that Ben Grimm in the Thing and less “woe is me” in a sequel.

The Thing is my number two favorite character in the film after Chris Evans’ hilarious and energetic ball of fire, Johnny Storm, the Human Torch. Evans is superb comic relief for the film; his antics, handsomeness, and cockiness is the much-needed smoke and mirrors for this film. Sometimes Johnny’s comic clowning around hides some serious flaws in this film, but he’s still fun to watch. Evans really seems to enjoy the role (as does the rest of the cast), and that comes across in the performance and entertainment value of the film.

The costumes, sets, makeup effects, and special effects are very good – not as good as Star Wars or War of the Worlds, but good enough to bring the Fantastic Four to life in a fashion that couldn’t have been done cost-effectively a decade ago or at all 15 to 20 years ago. The Human Torch’s special effects are quite simply great, and the Thing’s suit makes him look like a real, living, breathing monster. The Fantastic Four’s blue one-piece costumes are quite nice and look like they belong on comic book heroes, which makes them three times better than most of the Batsuits in the Batman film franchise.

The script, by Michael France (The Hulk and The Punisher) and Mark Frost, co-creator of the cult TV series, “Twin Peaks,” is weak; it’s mostly story-driven, rather than relying on a plot. That’s not a problem. What is the problem is that the hero/villain conflict takes too long to get going. We know early on that Victor Von Doom (nicely played by “Nip/Tuck’s” Julian McMahon as an anal, self-centered, egomaniac) is the bad guy, but the film is nearly over by the time he really tussles with the Fantastic Four. Also, the script seems to emphasize action and effects over character, and that’s a shame because the characters have so much potential. The Incredibles, the film that is so close to the FF, got a lot of mileage out of playing up individual characters and their quirks. In the end, it’s director Tim Story’s ability to weave action and comedy as he did so well in Taxi (2004) that glosses over the clunk in the script.

Combine high quality sci-fi/fantasy production values with a cast that believes in their characters and enthusiastically brings them to life and you have the makings of a very good film. The final product is a superhero movie that is more for the kids than Batman Begins (the youngsters that I saw this flick with were totally into the film), and Fantastic Four recaptures what it felt like to read a great adventure comic. There aren’t many of those around anymore, but thankfully this new Fantastic Four movie will make up for what today’s juvenile and “tween” readers can no longer get. Nothing says that better than seeing Ben Grimm, the Thing in action and the Human Torch blazing across the city sky like a flaming rocket.

7 of 10
B+

-----------------------------

Review: "Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer" Does Not Rise Much

TRASH IN MY EYES No. 97 (of 2007) by Leroy Douresseaux

Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007)
Running time: 92 minutes (1 hour, 32 minutes)
MPAA – PG for sequences of action violence, some mild language, and innuendo
DIRECTOR: Tim Story
WRITERS: Don Payne and Mark Frost; from a story John Turman and Mark Frost (based upon the characters created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby)
PRODUCERS: Avi Arad, Bernd Eichinger, and Ralph Winter
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Larry Blanford (D.o.P.)
EDITORS: Peter S. Elliot, William Hoy, and Michael McCusker
COMPOSER: John Ottman

SCI-FI/SUPERHERO/ACTION/ADVENTURE/FAMILY

Starring: Ioan Gruffudd, Jessica Alba, Chris Evans, Michael Chiklis, Julian McMahon, Kerry Washington, Andre Braugher, Laurence Fishburne (voice), Beau Garrett, and Doug Jones

Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, like it predecessor, the 2005 surprise hit, Fantastic Four, is a superhero blockbuster aimed squarely at younger children. That sets this franchise apart from most superhero films, which while ostensibly family films, tend to skew older with darker stories.

As the film begins, the members of the dysfunctional family known as the Fantastic Four have their hands full. Reed Richards/Mr. Fantastic (Ioan Gruffudd) and Susan Storm/Invisible Woman (Jessica Alba) are getting married, but Sue can’t keep Reed’s mind off his work and on wedding planning. Meanwhile, Ben Grimm/The Thing (Michael Chiklis) has found peace and love in his relationship with the blind artist, Alicia Masters (Kerry Washington). And Johnny Storm/The Human Torch (Chris Evans)? Well, Johnny just wants to market the FF as a brand that attracts sponsors, advertisers, and media willing to pay for exclusive access to the team.

The nuptials are interrupted by the arrival on Earth of an enigmatic being that Reed dubs The Silver Surfer. The Surfer is actually an intergalactic herald for a planet devouring being called Galactus. As the Surfer races on his board around the world wreaking havoc, the Fantastic Four must unravel the mystery of the Surfer and confront their mortal enemy Victor Von Doom a.k.a. Dr. Doom (Julian McMahon, who is terrible in this role), as he returns claiming to want to help defeat the Surfer. All of this puts stress on the delicate bonds of this fragile family called the Fantastic Four.

Director Tim Story’s second film attempt at the Fantastic Four is harmless fun, but it’s also vapid. It’s entertaining, but mostly empty. Lacking a good script (although the main plot is fun), Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer is the kind of dumb, silly, and simple-minded entertainment that many people think of when they do think of comics. This isn’t bad, but FF: TROTSS just lacks the kind of epic scope and widescreen sensibilities that the original comics by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby had.

There are few good thinks about this film. Chris Evans plays Johnny Storm as a skirt-chasing, smart ass, and his presence just makes the Fantastic Four films better. To create the Silver Surfer, Doug Jones provides the physical acting, and Laurence Fishburne gives voice to the Silver Surfer. CGI finishes the work, and we have a cool looking, scene-stealing character. Every moment the Surfer is on screen the movie suddenly doesn’t seem like a slightly awkward, self-consciously clumsy kids’ flick. So adults beware; this is a mild amusement, but it’s even better for the young viewers.

5 of 10
B-

Thursday, June 21, 2007

Review: Forest Whitaker is Magnificent in "The Last King of Scotland" (Happy B'day, Forest Whitaker)

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 260 (of 2006) by Leroy Douresseaux

The Last King of Scotland (2006)
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: UK
Running time: 121 minutes (2 hours, 1 minute)
MPAA – R for some strong violence and gruesome images, sexual content, and language
DIRECTOR: Kevin MacDonald
WRITERS: Peter Morgan and Jeremy Brock (based upon the novel by Giles Foden)
PRODUCERS: Andrea Calderwood, Lisa Bryer, and Charles Steel
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Anthony Dod Mantle, DFF, BSC
EDITOR: Justine Wright
Academy Award winner

DRAMA/HISTORICAL/THRILLER

Starring: Forest Whitaker, James McAvoy, Kerry Washington, Simon McBurney, and Gillian Anderson, Adam Kotz, David Oyelowo, and Abby Mukiibi

Instead of going into medical practice with his father, Nicholas Garrigan (James McAvoy) heads to Uganda to work at the mission clinic run by a Dr. Merrit (Adam Kotz) and his wife, Sarah (Gillian Anderson). Garrigan has a chance encounter with the newly self-appointed president of Uganda, Idi Amin (Forest Whitaker), who is impressed with Garrigan’s brazen attitude in a moment of crisis. Amin handpicks Garrigan to be his personal physician, and although Garrigan is at first reluctant to take the position, he eventually does and becomes fascinated with Amin. However, before long, Garrigan begins to see just how savage and unstable Amin is, and Garrigan realizes that he’s been complicit in some of Amin’s barbarity. Garrigan is knee deep in trouble, even having an affair with Kay Amin (Kerry Washington), one of Amin’s wives, and he may not be able to get out of the country alive.

Idi Amin, president, dictator, and tyrant of Uganda (1971-79) remains a reviled figure even after his 2003 death while in exile in Saudi Arabia. Director Kevin MacDonald’s The Last King of Scotland is a film dramatization of Amin as seen through the eyes of his personal physician, a young Scotsman.

Forest Whitaker, a thoroughly underrated and under-appreciated actor (at least to general movie audiences) gives the performance of a career in creating a film version of Amin. Think of Whitaker’s breathtaking performance as an actor creating a human monster. From the moment Whitaker’s Amin first appears on screen, as he climbs on an improvised stage to speak to a large crowd of fellow Ugandans, the fearsome power of the actor’s creation radiates from the screen, throbbing with the unpredictable power of a wild storm. Whitaker’s turn as Amin literally transforms The Last King of Scotland into a horror flick. Still for all Amin’s viciousness, Whitaker reveals a complex character, making this as much a study of human nature as it is an indictment of the real Amin.

MacDonald deserves credit on two fronts: for allowing Whitaker to show his up-to-now largely untapped talent and for keeping this movie from being strictly about Whitaker’s Amin. Just as director Ron Howard took Russell Crowe’s great performance and transformed A Beautiful Mind into a compelling and riveting film, so has MacDonald taken Whitaker’s generous performance and made The Last King of Scotland into the kind of thriller than crawls into your belly and then sits on your chest. Of course, a skilled creative staff ably abets MacDonald, especially his costume designer and production designer who both meld earthy, indigenous costumes and sets and ill-placed Western attire together. Cinematographer Anthony Dod Mantle also saturates both rural and urban Uganda in colors that complement the nation’s fertile land.

The usual forgotten person in all the praise for The Last King of Scotland is James McAvoy as Nicholas Garrigan (a fictional character). McAvoy, who played Mr. Tumnus the Faun in The Chronicles of Narnia in 2005, makes Garrigan Amin’s scratching post, and through McAvoy’s superb co-lead role (it’s not really a supporting part), Whitaker gets to strut his stuff. Garrigan mirrors Uganda’s initial excitement and then eventual dread of Amin. McAvoy holds The Last King of Scotland together so Whitaker can give his great performance and MacDonald can make a scary, political thriller about the disintegration of a country that leaves the viewer on edge. That’s worth something.

8 of 10
A

Friday, January 26, 2007

NOTES:
2007 Academy Awards: 1 win: “Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role” (Forest Whitaker)

2007 BAFTA Awards: 3 wins: “Alexander Korda Award for Best British Film” (Andrea Calderwood, Lisa Bryer, Charles Steel, Kevin Macdonald, Peter Morgan, and Jeremy Brock), and “Best Actor in a Leading Role” (Forest Whitaker), and “Best Screenplay – Adapted” (Peter Morgan and Jeremy Brock); 2 nominations: “Best Actor in a Supporting Role” (James McAvoy) and “Best Film” (Andrea Calderwood, Lisa Bryer, and Charles Steel)

2007 Golden Globes: 1 win: “Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama” (Forest Whitaker)

2007 Black Reel Awards: 1 win “Best Actor” (Forest Whitaker); 1 nomination: “Best Supporting Actress” (Kerry Washington)

2007 Image Awards: 1 win: “Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture” (Forest Whitaker); 1 nomination: “Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture” (Kerry Washington)

-------------

Review: "Mother and Child" Honest and Real

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 25 (of 2011) by Leroy Douresseaux

Mother and Child (2009/2010)
Running time: 127 minutes (2 hour, 7 minutes)
MPAA – R for sexuality, brief nudity, and language
WRITER/DIRECTOR: Rodrigo García
PRODUCERS: Lisa Maria Falcone and Julie Lynn
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Xavier Pérez Grobet (D.o.P.)
EDITOR: Steven Weisberg
Image Award winner

DRAMA

Starring: Naomi Watts, Annette Bening, Kerry Washington, Jimmy Smits, Samuel L. Jackson, S. Epatha Merkerson, Cherry Jones, Elpidia Carrillo, Shareeka Epps, David Morse, Eileen Ryan, Amy Brenneman, and David Ramsey

Mother and Child is an ensemble drama film released in 2010, after premiering at the 2009 Toronto International Film Festival. Focusing on the complications and complexities of motherhood and adoption, the film is poignant, powerful, and even beautiful. It is also sometimes grueling to watch.

Mother and Child opens almost 40 years earlier on a scene in which a 14-year-old girl prepares to have sex with a teen boy. She gets pregnant and later gives up her baby for adoption. 37 years later, we learn that the baby is Elizabeth Joyce (Naomi Watts), a high-powered attorney returning to Los Angeles, the place of her birth. Elizabeth takes a job at a law firm owned by a man named Paul (Samuel L. Jackson). Elizabeth begins an affair with Paul, but this is but one affair of many for a woman who uses her sex appeal to have the upper hand in situations in which she does not have control.

Meanwhile, her birth mother, Karen (Annette Bening), is a 50-something physical therapist still riddled by the guilt of giving up her baby. Although initially resistant, she begins a relationship with Paco (Jimmy Smits), a co-worker who seems to be therapeutic for Karen. At the same time, a small businesswoman, Lucy (Kerry Washington), and her husband, Joseph (David Ramsey), begin the process of adoption. However, the birthmother, a difficult young woman named Ray (Shareeka Epps), interrogates Lucy and seems hostile to Joseph.

Top to bottom, Mother and Child is filled with splendid acting, and there isn’t an actor, regardless of the size of his or her part, who does not deliver the kind of first-class performance that a professional actor should always give. Naomi Watts, Annette Bening, Sam Jackson, and Shareeka Epps give distinctive performances that add both surprising nuance to a film that rages with dark emotions and strong feelings (particularly anger, bitterness, and regret).

Writer and director Rodrigo García composed a sumptuous screenplay rich with characters and vivid characterizations. It is Garcia’s directing, however, that is the star here, as he gives his actors the space they need to develop these characters and to deliver on the characters’ promise without slowing the film.

Still, there are moments in Mother and Child that feel contrived and overwrought, as if Garcia doesn’t trust his cast to deliver or his audience to understand his film, which is as spiritual as it is dramatic. Garcia captures how vulnerable people are when they open themselves to relationships, and he accurately depicts the bitterness people feel over perceived betrayals. Sometimes the raw emotions are too much to bear (or watch). As good as this film is, and Mother and Child is exceptionally good, I sometimes got a feeling or a notion that things were a little overdone. But don’t let that keep you from seeing one of 2010’s very best films.

8 of 10
A

NOTES:
2011 Black Reel Awards: 2 nominations: “Best Supporting Actor” (Samuel L. Jackson) and “Best Supporting Actress” (Shareeka Epps)

2011 Image Awards: 1 win: “Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture” (Samuel L. Jackson); 2 nominations: “Outstanding Independent Motion Picture” and “Outstanding Writing in a Motion Picture-Theatrical or Television” (Rodrigo García)

----------------------

"Night Catches Us" Dominates 2011 Black Reel Awards

The Academy Awards are tomorrow night.  As we get closer, I'm catching up on movie awards from other organizations.  A few weeks ago, the winners of the Black Reel Awards were announced.  Night Catches Us dominated, while Tyler Perry's For Colored Girls only won 3 of the 10 nominations it received.  It is a shame that neither film received a single Oscar nomination.

2011 Black Reel Award winners:

Outstanding Film
Night Catches Us, distributed by Magnolia Pictures

Outstanding Director
Albert Hughes, Allen Hughes-The Book of Eli

Outstanding Actor
Anthony Mackie – Night Catches Us

Outstanding Actress
Kerry Washington – Night Catches Us

Outstanding Supporting Actor
Wesley Snipes – Brooklyn’s Finest

Outstanding Supporting Actress
Phylicia Rashad – For Colored Girls

Outstanding Score
The Roots – Night Catches Us

Outstanding Song
“Shine” by John Legend from Waiting for Superman

Outstanding Ensemble
For Colored Girls, distributed by Lionsgate

Outstanding Breakthrough Performance
Tessa Thompson - For Colored Girls

Outstanding Feature Documentary
Waiting for Superman

Outstanding Independent
Preacher’s Kid, distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures

Outstanding Independent Short
Katrina’s Son - Ya’ke

Outstanding Independent Documentary
For the Best and For the Onion

Outstanding Television Documentary
If God is Willing and Da Creek Don’t Rise


http://blackreelawards.wordpress.com/

Review: "For Colored Girls" is Sho Enuf Good

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 15 (of 2011) by Leroy Douresseaux

For Colored Girls (2010)
Running time: 134 minutes (2 hours, 14 minutes)
MPAA – R for some disturbing violence including a rape, sexual content and language
DIRECTOR: Tyler Perry
WRITER: Tyler Perry (based upon the play For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow Is Enuf by Ntozake Shange)
PRODUCERS: Roger M. Bobb, Paul Hall, and Tyler Perry
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Alexander Gruszynski
EDITOR: Maysie Hoy

DRAMA

Starring: Kimberly Elise, Janet Jackson, Loretta Devine, Thandie Newton, Anika Noni Rose, Kerry Washington, Tessa Thompson, Phylicia Rashad, Whoopi Goldberg, Macy Gray, Michael Ealy, Omari Hardwick, Richard Lawson, Hill Harper, and Khalil Kain

For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow Is Enuf is a 1975 stage play written by American playwright and poet, Ntozake Shange. It is my understanding that the Obie Award-winning play is a series of 20 poems or poetic monologues that express the struggles and obstacles that African-American women face throughout their lives.

Tyler Perry, the playwright turned prolific film director, adapted Shange’s play into the 2010 film, For Colored Girls. The film explores the lives of nine modern African American women, interconnected by one way or another, and uses poetic vignettes to illuminate their struggles, suffering, and conflicts (abuse, rape, and abortion, among others).

Among the characters is Joanne “Jo” Bradmore (Janet Jackson), a magazine publisher whose husband, Carl Bradmore (Omari Hardwick), is unfaithful. Promiscuous Tangie Adrose (Thandie Newton) and troubled teenager, Nyla (Tessa Thompson), are estranged sisters who find their mother, Alice Adrose (Whoopi Goldberg), to be the thing between them. Crystal Wallace (Kimberly Elise), who works for Jo, fails to see the true danger her abusive boyfriend, war veteran Beau Willie Brown (Michael Ealy), poses to her and her children. Meanwhile, watching everything and hoping to bring everyone together is apartment manager, Gilda (Phylicia Rashad).

I’ve always thought that Tyler Perry is as capable of directing moving film dramas as he is at staging broad comedies, and For Colored Girls affirms that, although 2009’s I Can Do Bad All By Myself already proved Perry could do drama. I’m surprised that this film has gotten such negative reviews, especially because Perry has taken the black social pathologies this story depicts and has transformed them into riveting tales of human pathology with a universal appeal.

Perry’s nuanced staging and graceful directing of the camera transform what could have been downbeat into a mesmerizing panorama of compelling character dramas. Seriously, if For Colored Girls looked exactly the same and a white filmmaker like Stephen Daldry, David Fincher, or Christopher Nolan was credited as the director, film critics would be turning verbal cartwheels to praise this film. Perry’s work here as a director can be described as, at least, occasionally virtuoso, and while his screenwriting here is weaker than his directing, Perry, as both writer and director, has done a superb job turning these poetic vignettes into a powerful film.

Perry gets some fantastic performances from his cast, especially the actresses, who all hit strong emotional notes. I hate to single out any, but if I had to pick favorites, I would go with Kimberly Elise, Thandie Newton, and Phylicia Rashad. Every moment she is onscreen, Elise delivers magic; her every move and glance makes you believe that Crystal Wallace is real. Thandie Newton is effortless in her brilliance (as usual), and Rashad shows colors, shades, and textures in a performance that certainly surprised me. I never knew she was that good.

However, all the women in this film shine, giving stirring performances that help For Colored Girls to ring true. Even if Tyler Perry doesn’t get his due from critics and haters, he has given us our due – a great African-American drama about Black women.

9 of 10
A+

Friday, February 18, 2011

-----------------------

Review: "Night Catches Us" Captures Mackie, Washington, and Hamilton in Fine Form

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 12 (of 2010) by Leroy Douresseaux

Night Catches Us (2010)
Running time: 90 minutes (1 hour, 30 minutes)
MPAA – R for language, some sexuality and violence
WRITER/DIRECTOR: Tanya Hamilton
PRODUCERS: Sean Costello, Jason Orans, and Ron Simons
CINEMATOGRAPHER: David Tumblety
EDITORS: John Chimples and Affonso Gonçalves
COMPOSERS/SONGS: The Roots

DRAMA

Starring: Kerry Washington, Anthony Mackie, Wendell Pierce, Jamie Hector, Tariq Trotter, Ron Simons, Amari Cheatom, Tariq Rasheed, and Jamara Griffin

Films set in the past can be timely or relevant to the times in which they are released. For instance the 1970 film, MASH, is set during the Korean War (1950-53), but the film was relevant in the Vietnam era and can be viewed as being about the Vietnam War.

Released in 2010, Night Catches Us, an independent film drama from writer/director Tonya Hamilton, is set in 1976. Not only is it timely in addressing current social ills, but the film is also timeless in the way it depicts an oppressed group’s inability to move on from past hurts and persistent bitterness. Plus, Night Catches Us is an extra damn fine movie and dramatic piece of work.

The film focuses on Marcus Washington (Anthony Mackie), a former Black Panther who returns to his Philadelphia neighborhood in 1976 for his father’s funeral. Marcus immediately clashes with his brother, Bostic (Tariq Trotter), and also with much of the rest of this race-torn Philly neighborhood that is not so happy to see the return of a prodigal son. Marcus is still blamed for the death of a revered Panther, Neil Wilson (Tariq Rasheed), at the hands of the hated police years earlier.

One person who is welcoming to Marcus is Patricia Wilson (Kerry Washington), a local attorney and Neil’s widow. Marcus has deep feelings for her, and he quickly befriends Patricia and Neil’s daughter, an intelligent and inquisitive 9-year-old named Iris (Jamara Griffin). However, the police, mainly in the form a shady detective named David Gordon (Wendell Pierce), and “DoRight” Miller (Jamie Hector), a former minor Panther turned local boss, have targeted Marcus for their own benefit.

In Night Catches Us, Anthony Mackie and Kerry Washington give performances that are not only stunning, but also affirm their places as two of the best American actors. Generally, audiences don’t have a chance to see them since both are underutilized by the major American film studios. In this film, both actors give layered, textured performances that bring to the surface the thoughts and feelings of the characters. With subtly and grace, Washington reveals that which ultimately holds back Patricia, while Mackie bares Marcus’ steadfast believe in hope and change. (Yeah, he’s like President Obama, but with a touch of Clint Eastwood.)

Although they are exceptionally talented, one of the reasons both actors are so good in Night Catches Us is because the material is so good. Writer/director Tonya Hamilton reportedly spent a decade writing the script, and the extensive development shows in the writing’s intricacy It has the depth, complexity, philosophical underpinnings, and social themes of a great American novel.

Night Catches Us is timely because it speaks to the same ills that plague African-Americans living in poor neighborhoods, such as a lack of good jobs and the presence of police that are intolerant of the very people they are supposed to help. The screenplay’s timeless quality is the story’s ability to grapple with issues that have plagued African-Americans nearly for the entirety of our presence in America. Like many Black folk (generally speaking), most of the characters cannot escape to better because they fight with the bitterness of past hurts instead of trying to leave some of that past behind them. We can’t find happiness here, Kerry Washington’s Patricia Wilson declares at one point, but the film asks a more pointed question. Why won’t they and we leave?

What testifies to Hamilton’s skill as a director in Night Catches Us is the fact that she gets topnotch performances from her entire cast. It takes cinematic talent to get a multifaceted performance even from a child actor the way Hamilton does with Jamara Griffin as Iris Wilson. Night Catches Us is not just a great Black movie (which it is); it is also simply a superb American film.

9 of 10
A+

Monday, February 07, 2011

--------------------------

Review: "Ray" is Still an Incredible Bio Film (Happy B'day, Jamie Foxx)

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 222 (of 2004) by Leroy Douresseaux

Ray (2004)
Running time: 152 minutes (2 hours, 32 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for depiction of drug addiction, sexuality, and some thematic elements
DIRECTOR: Taylor Hackford
WRITERS: James L. White; from a story by Taylor Hackford and James L. White
PRODUCERS: Howard Baldwin, Karen Elise Baldwin, Stuart Benjamin, and Taylor Hackford
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Pawel Edelman
EDITOR: Paul Hirsch
Academy Award winner

DRAMA/MUSIC/BIOPIC

Starring: Jamie Foxx, Kerry Washington, Regina King, Clifton Powell, Harry J. Lennix, Bokeem Woodbine, Aunjanue Ellis, Sharon Warren, C.J. Sanders, Curtis Armstrong, Richard Schiff, Larenz Tate, Kurt Fuller, and Chris Thomas King

Biographical films, or biopics, as they are often called, often disappoint, not because they are so often historically inaccurate to varying degrees, but because they generally desperately try to fit a long life into about two hours and change of movie running time. Ray, director Taylor Hackford’s film about the life of the seminal blues, jazz, rock, and country recording artist, the late Ray Charles, doesn’t suffer from that malady.

Hackford and his co-writer, James L. White, smartly tackle the first two decades or so of Ray Charles’ (Jamie Foxx) career. They treat the story of his tragic childhood, his relationship with his mother Aretha Robinson (Sharon Warren), and the onset of his blindness in childhood as a short fable. In it, a mother teaches her son who is losing his sight to stand on his own feet because the world won’t pity him, and she also teaches him to learn to use his remaining senses after his sight is gone. When the time comes, the mother sends the son on his way to a special school where he can grow his immense musical talents and his gift of superb hearing. The rest of the movie focuses on Ray’s public career, which saw him crossing musical genres and styles with shocking ease to tremendous acclaim and success, and his tumultuous personal life that included infidelity and drug addiction.

Hackford and White understood that Ray Charles was a great man, and their film shows it. Hackford makes excellent use of Charles’ music and gives much time to his creative process and to his explosive live shows, be they in small clubs or large public auditoriums. The writers smartly distill Charles’ life into a few subplots (with his music being the main plot) that they extend throughout the film narrative.

Whereas many biopics seem to hop around a famous person’s life, Ray, with it’s focus on subplots that run the length of the film seems like one stable narrative with a definite beginning, middle, and end. The fact that his infidelity, drug use, creative process, and financial acumen are the focus for the length of the film gives the film the sense of being about one coherent and intact story. Ray’s music is the film, and the subplots follow his musical career giving it character, color, and drama.

As much as Hackford and White deserve all the credit for making a great biopic (one of the few great films about a famous black person), they needed an actor to play Ray Charles without the performance seeming like an imitation or something from a comic skit. Surprisingly, it’s a comedian and comic actor, Jamie Foxx, who takes the role and delivers a work of art. One of the great screen performances of the last two decades, Foxx could have easily and simply done a Ray Charles impersonation (which he may have done before for “In Living Colour,” the early 90’s Fox Network comedy sketch show). Instead, Foxx seems to channel the spirit of the classic Ray Charles and creates a separate, idealized, and fully realized character from whole cloth. Foxx’s performance is so credible that you may never once think that you’re watching an actor play Ray Charles.

For from being downbeat or arty, Ray is indeed a work of art, but most of all, it is an inspiring film that celebrates the life of a great musician by being a celebration of his great music and how he created it all. Awash, in the vibrant life of a performer and filled to the brim with great songs, Ray is a special movie meant for you to enjoy.

9 of 10
A+

NOTES:
2005 Academy Awards: 2 wins: “Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role” (Jamie Foxx) and “Best Achievement in Sound Mixing” (Scott Millan, Greg Orloff, Bob Beemer, and Steve Cantamessa); 4 nominations: “Best Achievement in Costume Design” (Sharen Davis), “Best Achievement in Directing” (Taylor Hackford), “Best Achievement in Editing” (Paul Hirsch), and “Best Motion Picture of the Year” (Taylor Hackford, Stuart Benjamin, and Howard Baldwin)

2005 BAFTA Awards: 2 wins: “Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role” (Jamie Foxx) and “Best Sound” (Karen M. Baker, Per Hallberg, Steve Cantamessa, Scott Millan, Greg Orloff, and Bob Beemer); 2 nominations: “Anthony Asquith Award for Film Music” (Craig Armstrong) and “Best Screenplay – Original” (James L. White)

2005 Golden Globes: 1 win: “Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy” (Jamie Foxx); 1 nomination: “Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy”

-----------------