Amazon Announces "Julian Fellowes Presents Doctor Thorne" to its Original Series Lineup

Amazon Prime Video Adds the Latest Series from The Weinstein Company and Oscar and Emmy-winner Julian Fellowes, Julian Fellowes Presents Doctor Thorne, to its Original Series Lineup

Julian Fellowes Presents Doctor Thorne, which is based on the book series by Anthony Trollope and stars Tom Hollander, Ian McShane and Alison Brie, will premiere exclusively for Prime members in the U.S. on May 20

SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--(NASDAQ: AMZN)—Amazon announced it has added the period drama series Julian Fellowes Presents Doctor Thorne to its lineup of Amazon Original Series, and is scheduled to premiere the series on Prime Video in the U.S. on May 20, 2016.

A production from The Weinstein Company, Julian Fellowes Presents Doctor Thorne is the latest series from Oscar and Emmy-winning writer Julian Fellowes; and is directed by Niall MacCormick and stars Tom Hollander (Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation) as Doctor Thorne, Ian McShane (Ray Donovan) as Sir Roger Scatcherd, and Alison Brie (Mad Men) as Miss Martha Dunstable.

The series—a story of love, vanity, arrogance and illegitimacy—will debut on Prime Video in the U.S. for Prime members to stream and download at no additional cost to their membership. The Weinstein Company had previously picked up the North American rights to series from Hat Trick International earlier last year. Amazon Prime members can watch the entire first season of Julian Fellowes Presents Doctor Thorne using the Amazon Video app for TVs, connected devices including Amazon Fire TV, and mobile devices, or online at Amazon.com/originals. Customers who are not already Prime members can sign up for a free trial at Amazon.com/prime.

    “Doctor Thorne’s multilayered storytelling coupled with an outstanding ensemble cast is an exciting addition to our line-up”

Fellowes’ PBS hit Downton Abbey garnered three Golden Globe Awards and 47 other awards. The series is extremely popular with customers and has nearly doubled in streaming hours year-over-year on Prime Video.

“Doctor Thorne’s multilayered storytelling coupled with an outstanding ensemble cast is an exciting addition to our line-up,” says Roy Price, Vice President, Digital Video and Amazon Studios. “Prime members have loved having access to Downton Abbey, making each season a top streamed show on Prime Video since 2011, and we hope to make Prime Video the home for even more of Julian Fellowes future projects.”

“Downton Abbey captivated audiences for six incredible seasons and it’s a tremendous thrill to be part of creator Julian Fellowes’ next endeavor Doctor Thorne. Amazon Prime is the perfect home to bring Fellowes’ beautiful, smart, and creative world to US audiences,” said Harvey Weinstein, Co-Chairman of The Weinstein Company. “Amazon’s millions of fans who tuned into Downton Abbey will love this new show. Each episode will feature an exclusive, special introduction from Julian Fellowes himself. And we hope this is the first of many Julian Fellowes Presents that we plan on creating with Amazon and our UK partner at Hat Trick.”

Doctor Thorne is a beautiful book written by Anthony Trollope and considered a classic in many countries. Trollope may not be a household name like Jane Austen or Charles Dickens, but there are many people who believe he belongs alongside them in the literary pantheon. Julian Fellowes has adapted this story with the same love and care he gave to Downton Abbey and Gosford Park—for which he won the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay.

In the series, Dr. Thomas Thorne (Hollander) lives a quiet life with his niece Mary (Stefani Martini, Endeavour) in the English village of Greshambury, which is ruled with an iron fist by the terrifying Lady Arabella Gresham (Rebecca Front, Humans). But Lady Arabella’s world is forever changed when she learns that her beloved son is planning to elope with common-born Mary, rather than follow through on his arranged marriage to the rich American heiress Martha Dunstable (Brie). Unbeknownst to the rest of the town, the prestigious Gresham family has all but lost their fortune after their patriarch Francis Gresham Senior (Richard McCabe, Cinderella) squandered it on one of his many fruitless pursuits; they’re now forced to take loans from drunken millionaire Sir Roger Scatcherd (McShane) in order to survive. Lady Arabella’s scheme to regain their fortune through the arranged marriage now seems poised for disaster; but Lady Arabella is not one to be easily dissuaded, and thus resolves to achieve her goal by any means necessary.

Julian Fellowes Presents Doctor Thorne also stars Phoebe Nicholls (Fortitude) as Countess de Courcy, Gwyneth Keyworth (Game Of Thrones) as Lady Augusta Gresham, Kate O’Flynn (No Offence) as Lady Alexandrina de Courcy, Harry Richardson (Looking for Grace) as Frank Gresham, Cressida Bonas (Tulip Fever) as Patience Oriel, Danny Kirrane (Critical) as Mr. Moffatt, Janine Duvitski (Benidorm) as Lady Scatcherd, and Tom Bell (Humans) as Lord Porlock.

Julian Fellowes Presents Doctor Thorne is executive produced and written by Julian Fellowes, The Weinstein Company’s Bob and Harvey Weinstein, Hat Trick’s Mark Redhead, Christopher Kelly and Ted Childs. Helen Gregory (The Catch) serves as producer.


About Amazon Video
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In addition to Prime Video, the Prime membership includes unlimited Free Two-Day Shipping on millions of items across all categories, more than one million songs and thousands of playlists and stations with Prime Music, early access to select Lightning Deals all year long, free secure, unlimited photo storage in Amazon Cloud Drive with Prime Photos, access to borrow books with the Kindle Owners’ Lending Library, and more. To sign-up for Prime or to find out more visit: www.amazon.com/prime.

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Review: "Citizenfour" Records the Revolution

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 44 (of 2015) by Leroy Douresseaux

[A version of the review first appeared on Patreon.]

Citizenfour (2014)
Running time:  114 minutes (1 hour, 54 minutes)
MPAA – R
DIRECTOR:  Laura Poitras
PRODUCERS:  Mathilde Bonnefoy, Laura Poitras, and Dirk Wilutzky
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Kirsten Johnson, Trevor Paglen, Laura Poitras, and Katy Scoggin
EDITOR:  Mathilde Bonnefoy
Academy Award winner

DOCUMENTARY – Politics, Society

Starring:  Edward Snowden, Glenn Greenwald, William Binney, Ewan MacAskill, Jeremy Scahill, Jonathan Man, and Julian Assange with Laura Poitras and Barack Obama (archive)

Citizenfour (stylized as CITIZENFOUR) is a 2014 documentary film from director Laura Poitras.  The film focuses on Edward Snowden, who provided the information that revealed the illegal wiretapping of American citizens' communications by American intelligence agencies.  Citizenfour won the Oscar for “Best Documentary Feature” at the 87th Academy Awards (February 22, 2015).  Oscar-winning director, Steven Soderbergh, is one of this film's executive producers.

Citizenfour's narrative begins in January 2013 when documentarian Laura Poitras receives an encrypted email from an unknown person who calls himself “Citizenfour.”  He offers her inside information about the illegal wiretapping practices of the United States National Security Agency (NSA) and other intelligence agencies.  The NSA was recording and observing the phone calls of American citizens beyond the scope of what the U.S. Congress had authorized.

In June 2013, accompanied by investigative journalist Glenn Greenwald and The Guardian intelligence reporter, Ewen MacAskill, Poitras travels to Hong Kong for the first meeting with Citizenfour, who identifies himself as Edward Snowden.  Edward Joseph Snowden works for the CIA via his employer, Booz Allen Hamilton, a job that gives him access to highly sensitive and classified information about the wiretapping practices of the NSA, both in the U.S. and abroad.

On Monday, June 3, 2013, Poitras uses her camera to begin filming what would be a four-day interview, in which Snowden reveals to Greenwald and MacAskill the details of domestic surveillance of American citizens.  When Snowden's information becomes “breaking news” around the world, however, none of the participants in this interview feel safe in The Mira, the Hong Kong hotel where Snowden is staying.

Although it chronicles a momentous time in American history, Citizenfour is strangely quiet, even intimate.  This movie is not an all-encompassing survey of domestic surveillance and spying; it is the story of the first quiet days and then, frantic weeks when Snowden whispered the sour nothings that fully revealed the deceitful face of the American government.  It is as if Snowden, Poitras, and Greenwald said to us that we, the people of the United States, should finally, finally and really pay attention to that man behind the curtain.

Even if one is familiar with Edward Snowden and the furious sound of his whistle-blowing, Citizenfour still feels shocking.  Perhaps, this is because Poitras is recording the revelations and the resulting media and political fallout in real time.  This immediacy makes paranoia seem like a more than sensible and reasonable state of mind for any American and even for the rest of the world.

Citizenfour is one of the best films of the year (2014), and it is probably the most important film of the year.  Poitras proves that the documentary and the non-fiction film narrative are more important than ever.

9 of 10
A+

NOTES:
2015 Academy Awards, USA:  1 win “Best Documentary, Feature” (Laura Poitras, Mathilde Bonnefoy, and Dirk Wilutzky)

2015 BAFTA Awards:  1 win “Best Documentary” (Laura Poitras, Mathilde Bonnefoy, and Dirk Wilutzky)

Monday, September 7, 2015


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

Review: "It Follows" is Old-Fashioned Scary Movie Gold

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 39 (of 2015) by Leroy Douresseaux

[A version of this review first appeared on Patreon.]

It Follows (2014)
Running time:  100 minutes (1 hour, 40 minutes)
MPAA – R for disturbing violent and sexual content including graphic nudity, and language
WRITER/DIRECTOR:  David Robert Mitchell
PRODUCERS:  Rebecca Green, David Kaplan, Erik Rommesmo, and Laura D. Smith
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Mike Gioulakis
EDITOR:  Julio Perez IV
COMPOSER:  Rich Vreeland (as Disasterpeace)

HORROR/MYSTERY/THRILLER

Starring:  Maika Monroe, Keir Gilchrist, Daniel Zovatto, Lili Sepe, Olivia Luccardi, Jake Weary, Debbie Williams, and Baily Spry

It Follows is a 2014 supernatural horror film from writer-director David Robert Mitchell.  The film focuses on a young woman who discovers that her life has taken a mysterious and sinister turn after a casual sexual encounter transmits a curse to her.  The film was released to North American theaters in March of 2015.

It Follows introduces Jaime “Jay” Height (Maika Monroe), a carefree college student living at home with her parents and sister in a suburb of Detroit, Michigan.  She starts dating a young man named Hugh (Jake Weary), who is determined to have sexual intercourse with her.  Eventually, Jay does have sex with Hugh in the backseat of his car, after which, he incapacitates her.

Jay awakens to find herself tied to a wheelchair.  Hugh explains that through sex he has passed on a curse to Jay.  A malignant entity that is visible only to those that have received the curse will now pursue Jay at a walking pace.  Even if Jay were to go far away, it would relentlessly pursue her at a walking pace and find her regardless of how long that would take.  The entity can take on many different appearances, and if it catches Jay, it will kill her.  To free herself of this entity, Jay must have have sex with a new partner and pass it on to that person...

It Follows is a kind of old-fashioned horror movie.  The directing, acting, plot, score, and cinematography, but not special effects is what makes this movie work.  I would say that the score, sometimes layered synthesizer and sometimes pounding keys, is some of the best film music in a horror film since John Carpenter's 1978 film, Halloween.  In fact, It Follows may be the truest heir to Carpenter's classic slasher flick.

It Follows is creepy, and when the music isn't making the viewer's skin crawl, the wide screen cinematography, with its matter-of-fact eye and its surreal interpretations, takes that viewer to the edge of his seat.  Mitchell, his cinematographer (Mike Gioulakis), and his editor (Julio Perez IV) are at their best when they blithely depict the approach of the entity as if it were delivering a candy-gram and not savage death.  I have to say that as good as the cast is, Mitchell, Gioulakis, and Perez could have achieved the same blood-chilling results with a wildly different cast.

The general interpretation of It Follows is that it is a parable about sex, concerning sexually-transmitted diseases (AIDS), the sexual revolution, and/or anxieties around intimacy.  The film can also be seen as thematically addressing mortality, with “it” or the entity representing the inevitability of death or perhaps, the existential dread of one's inevitable demise.

I think the film's Detroit and Detroit-area locales can open the film up to socioeconomic and political interpretations.  If the suburbs are a safe haven from the dangers of urban Detroit, suburbanites would naturally expect that they left or passed on the troubles, dangers, and problems of the city to “them,” those other people they left behind.  “It” the entity is a trouble that one passes on to another, like a problem that is out of sight or out of mind, except that it doesn't work that way.  “White flight” might allow one to ignore trouble, but that does not mean the trouble ceased to exist.

Eventually, the person who passes on the curse will have to deal with the trouble of the entity again.  Several times in It Follows, the story takes the characters through the abandoned, desolate, ruined landscape of Detroit “south of 8 Mile.”  One of the characters might be tempted to leave his troubles in the “slums,” but he knows that “it,” like many problems, cannot be stopped by walls or borders – real or imagined.

Ultimately, It Follows has dream or nightmare-like qualities that push it closer to the realms of horror and dark fantasy and a little away from social themes and artistic interpretations.  Although it stumbles a little in the last act, It Follows is a chilling contemporary thriller that harkens back to the stylish, classic horror movies of the past.  It is skillful rather than ironic (like the first Scream film).  It is scary and scary again.

7 of 10
A-

Tuesday, August 11, 2015


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

Review: Amy Adams and Christoph Waltz Shine in "Big Eyes"

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 25 (of 2015) by Leroy Douresseaux

Big Eyes (2014)
Running time:  106 minutes (1 hour, 46 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for thematic elements and brief strong language
DIRECTOR:  Tim Burton
WRITERS:  Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski
PRODUCERS:  Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski, Tim Burton, and Lynette Howell
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Bruno Delbonnel
EDITOR:  JC Bond
COMPOSER:  Danny Elfman
Golden Globe winner

DRAMA/BIOPIC

Starring:  Amy Adams, Christoph Waltz, Danny Huston, Krysten Ritter, Jason Schwartzman, Terence Stamp, Jon Polito, Delaney Raye, Madeleine Arthur, and James Saito

Big Eyes is a 2014 biographical drama from director Tim Burton.  The film is a dramatization of the complicated relationship between American pop-art painter, Margaret Keane, and her husband, Walter Keane.  Brothers Bob Weinstein and Harvey Weinstein are executive producers on the film.

Margaret Keane is famous for her “big eyes” paintings, which are paintings featuring children as waifs with big doe eyes.  For a decade, Margaret's second husband, Walter Keane, took credit for the paintings because, as he told Margaret, people would take her paintings seriously if they were credited to a man.  Margaret's paintings became hugely popular in the 1960s and earned the couple a large fortune, but Walter became more domineering the more prominence “big eyes” art attained.

Big Eyes opens in 1958 in Northern California.  Margaret Ulbrich (Amy Adams), a painter, leaves her husband and takes her young daughter, Jane (Delaney Raye), with her.  Mother and child arrive in North Beach, San Francisco where Margaret's friend, DeAnn (Krysten Ritter), lives.  One day, Margaret in selling drawings in a local park when she catches the attention of Walter Keane (Christoph Waltz), a painter who is also selling his art in the park.

Margaret and Walter marry, and Walter begins to try to sell both their paintings.  People ignore Walter's paintings, but the “big eyes” paintings of his new wife, Margaret Keane (Amy Adams), soon become a sensation.  Walter lies when people ask him and claims to be the creator of the “big eyes” art, and Margaret goes along with him.  The “big eyes” become a sensation, but Margaret cannot truly find peace of mind.  Can she ever break away from Walter and take credit for her work?

When director Tim Burton's 2003 film, Big Fish, debuted, some critics said that Burton had finally made an adult film instead of his usual, a fantasy film.  Big Fish actually had its share of surrealism and eccentricity, like practically all Burton's work.  I think Burton's first adult film was the fanciful biopic, Ed Wood, which was more humorous than dramatic.

One might call Big Fish an adult film, but I found it dull and stiff.  Burton's 2014 movie, Big Eyes, is a drama, and it is similar to Ed Wood in that both movies focus on an outside or cult artist.  Big Eyes simply plays the biographical matter in a straighter fashion than Ed Wood.  In that movie, Ed Wood and his band of merry filmmakers were weirdos (and I'm not saying this in a pejorative manner).  Margaret Keane's art may be weird, but the screenwriters, Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski, and even director Tim Burton take her life seriously.  Their movie is a fictional account of Keane's life that details the path she took to independence and to an awakening.

Since her coming-out-party in the indie film, Junebug, Amy Adams has been one of the best American actresses of the last decade.  As Margaret Keane, she gives one of her best performances, if not her best.  She embodies in herself and shows the struggle of a woman who is trying to break free of everything that holds her back – including herself.  In her face and in her emotions, Adams conveys the trials of the artist trying to claim her own work and of a woman living in an era when the wife must be “the little wifey” and little more.

It is a testament to Christoph Waltz's skill as an actor and a performer that he keeps Walter Keane from being burned in the radiance of Adams' performance.  Waltz makes it impossible to believe much of what Walter says, but he also keeps the fraudulent painter from becoming a caricature.  In his hands, Walter is a fully realized character, which I realized when I noticed that I was sympathetic to him (just a little) by the end of the film.

Big Eyes, which is essentially a low-budget independent film, is Tim Burton's first good movie in a few years.  With Ed Wood 20 years ago and with Big Eyes now, he shows that he sympathizes and identifies with artists who are off the beaten path, but who take their art as seriously as the “elite” artists.  Burton does indeed know how to let the best dramatic actors do some of their best work.  While I like a “serious” film (or Burton's version of it) such as Big Eyes, I do want more Tim Burton movies like Beetlejuice and Sleepy Hollow, which are both Oscar-winners, by the way.

8 of 10
A

Thursday, June 11, 2015


NOTES:
2015 Golden Globes, USA:  1 win: “Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical: (Amy Adams); 2 nominations: “Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical” (Christoph Waltz) and “Best Original Song - Motion Picture” (Lana Del Rey and Daniel Heath for "Big Eyes")

2015 BAFTA Awards:  2 nominations: “Best Leading Actress” (Amy Adams) and “Best Production Design” (Rick Heinrichs and Shane Vieau)

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Review: "Snowpiercer" is Unique and Thrilling

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 11 (of 2015) by Leroy Douresseaux

Snowpiercer (2013)
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN:  South Korea
Running time:  126 minutes (2 hours, 6 minutes)
MPAA – R for violence, language and drug content
DIRECTOR:  Bong Joon Ho
WRITERS: Joon-ho Bong and Kelly Masterson; from a screen story by Joon-ho Bong (based on the comic book,  Le Transperceneige by Jacques Lob, Benjamin Legrand, and Jean-Marc Rochette)
PRODUCERS:  Tae-sung Jeong, Wonjo Jeong, Miky Lee, Tae-hun Lee, Steven Nam, and Chan-wook Park
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Kyung-pyo Hong
EDITORS:  Steve M. Choe and Changju Kim
COMPOSER:  Marco Beltrami

SCI-FI/DRAMA/ACTION

Starring:  Chris Evans, Song Kang Ho, Tilda Swinton, Ko Asung, Octavia Spencer, Jamie Bell, John Hurt, Ewen Bremner, Vlad Ivanov, Marcanthonee Jon Reis, Emma Levie, Allison Pill, and Ed Harris

Snowpiercer is a 2013 South Korean science fiction film from director Bong Joon Ho.  The film is based on a series of French graphic novels that began in 1982 with the first book, Le Transperceneige (Snowpiercer).  Snowpiercer the movie takes place on a class strife-ridden train that is the only home of the last humans alive on Earth.

At the beginning of Snowpiercer, we learn that humans made an attempt to halt global warming by spraying the chemical, CW-7, into the atmosphere.  That backfired, and the result was the start of an ice age so severe that almost all life on Earth was destroyed.

The only human survivors are now living in Snowpiercer, a massive train that travels on a globe-spanning train track.  However, a rigid class system pervades Snowpiercer with the elites living in the front of the train; people useful to the elites occupying in the middle; and the utterly poor and destitute inhabiting the tail of the train.

In the year 2031, the tail inhabitants prepare to launch another rebellion against the elites.  Although past rebellions have failed, this new rebellion may have finally found the one man who can lead the poor people to the very front door of Wilford (Ed Harris), the creator of the train.  This new leader's name is Curtis Everett (Chris Evans), and he has a plan to get past Snowpiercer's security system and its armed guards.  In order for his plan to work, however, Curt must rely on Nam Kung Min Soo (Song Kang Ho), a drug addict who doesn't speak a word of English, and also on his kooky daughter, Yona (Ko Asung).

Snowpiercer is one of the best films of 2014.  Everything about it is high-quality, especially its beautiful cinematography and its production design, which is both imaginative and inventive.  Considering the narrow spaces with which production designer Ondrej Nekvasil had to work, he managed to recreate a diverse cross section of modern humanity's interior living environments in a way that is almost too impressive for words.

The ensemble cast is also excellent, with Tilda Swinton delivering a splendid performance as Mason.  This is a character that is so odd that anyone other than a highly-talented and skilled actor would fumble.  My favorite performance, however, is that of Chris Evans as Curtis Everett.

Evans began his rise as a movie star by showing his ability to be funny or to deliver light comic flourishes whenever a film in which he appeared desperately needed some genuine humor.  He was often the saving grace of 20th Century Fox's 2005-2007 Fantastic Four film franchise.  Evans then showed that he could be an action movie star in Marvel Studio's Captain America films by bring dramatic heft and gravitas to both Captain America films and to Marvel's The Avengers, in which he also appeared as Captain America.

In Snowpiercer, Evans puts a lock on leading man status.  He looks like a leader, and, in this performance, he carries and embodies this film's social commentary in Curtis Everett's physicality and his emotions, and especially in his spirit.  Evans leaves no doubt that he is not only the real deal as a movie star, but also as an actor.

Co-writer and director Bong Joon Ho (or Joon-ho Bong) gives Snowpiercer visual scope, creating a big picture in a setting that is both intimate and claustrophobic.  Bong shows that science fiction can be more than just imaginative and speculative about the future.  It can and should speak to the modern condition; the genre wants to be more than just escapism.  I still wish that Snowpiercer had spent more time with more of its amazing cast of characters.  That does not keep me from declaring that this is a unique science fiction film because its themes and ideas are both non-fiction and important.

8 of 10
A

Tuesday, February 24, 2015


NOTES:
2015 Black Reel Awards:  1 nomination: “Outstanding Supporting Actress, Motion Picture” (Octavia Spencer)


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

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2015 USC Scripter Award Goes to "The Imitation Game"

‘The Imitation Game’ Outplays Competition to Win USC Libraries Scripter Award

Graham Moore and Andrew Hodges take the 27th-anniversary honor.

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Screenwriter Graham Moore and author Andrew Hodges received the 27th-annual USC Libraries Scripter Award for “The Imitation Game.” Selection committee chair Howard Rodman announced the winners at the black-tie event on Saturday, Jan. 31, 2015 at USC’s historic Doheny Memorial Library.

    “Our Cinematic Arts Library is a tangible embodiment of cinema history and of the cultural history of the world”

Moore based his adaptation on “Alan Turing: The Enigma,” a 1983 biography by Hodges of the brilliant British World War II code-breaker and computer pioneer who was later persecuted for his homosexuality. Rodman accepted the award on behalf of Hodges, who teaches mathematics at Oxford University’s Wadham College.

“Alan Turing never got to stand on a stage and hear people applaud his name,” Moore said in his acceptance speech. “And I do right now, and that is a profound injustice. All that I can do is spend the rest of my life endeavoring to repair it.”

“The Imitation Game’s” Scripter win adds to the accolades for the Weinstein Co. film, which has been nominated for eight Academy Awards and eight BAFTAs.

Scripter, established by the Friends of the USC Libraries in 1988, honors the screenwriter of the year’s most accomplished cinematic adaptation as well as the author of the written work upon which the screenplay is based. Scripter is the only award of its kind that recognizes authors of the original work alongside the adapting screenwriters.

USC Libraries Dean Catherine Quinlan welcomed the attendees gathered in the Los Angeles Times Reference Room of Doheny Memorial Library, and noted that the proceeds from the night’s event benefited the USC Cinematic Arts Library.

“Our Cinematic Arts Library is a tangible embodiment of cinema history and of the cultural history of the world,” Quinlan said. “It connects our students and scholars from near and far with knowledge that exists nowhere else but here, knowledge that makes possible their discoveries in the art, craft, and business of making films.”

Chaired by USC screenwriting professor and vice president of the Writers Guild of America, West, Howard Rodman, the Scripter selection committee chose “The Imitation Game” from a field of 97 eligible films.

Rodman also presented writer Walter Mosley with the Literary Achievement Award for his prizewinning career encompassing a range of genres from mystery to science fiction, erotica to nonfiction.

Mosley, a native of Southern California, has set much of his work there, including his “Easy” Rawlins series that features a black detective working in post-war Los Angeles. He is currently working on a Broadway version of his first novel, “Devil in a Blue Dress,” which was adapted in 1995 into a film starring Denzel Washington.

“In one stroke, Walter stood the crime genre on its head,” Rodman said. “And in doing so, over the course of a 25-year career, has triumphantly turned the world 180 degrees.”

In receiving the award, Mosley credited libraries for their central role in guaranteeing intellectual freedom and a civil society, “By making libraries stronger we make America stronger.”

This year’s event featured a silent auction, the proceeds of which support the renovation of USC’s Cinematic Arts Library. In-kind donors to the event and auction included AOC, Actuant Corporation, Al Brooks Tickets, Alexander Denk, Allison Adato, Alma Books Ltd., American Eye Institute, Anchor Distilling Company, Ann Hill, Anthony Solorzano, At Your Side Private Exercise, Averill's Flathead Lake Lodge, Bacara Resort & Spa, Badgley Mischka, BENJAMIN with Negin Zand, Bennett Farms, Bonny Doon Vineyard, Bouchon Bistro, Broadway Books, Burton Morris, Carol Muske-Dukes, Carol Soucek King, Richard King, Chris Lahti, Christine Ofiesh, Cynthia Baseman, Daryle Ann and Mark Giardino, David Lebovitz, David St. John, Del Mar Thoroughbred Club and the San Diego County Fair, Faith & Flower, Feld Entertainment, Final Draft, Focus Features, Fox Searchlight, Fred Kayne, Gearys Beverly Hills, Geffen Playhouse, Glenn Sonnenberg, Gloria Kaplan, Hang Zhang, Hayley Kaplan, Health Allie, Hector Aguilar, Hotel Del Coronado, Hotel Indigo Del Mar, Hotel Kabuki, Howard Rodman, Jack Lindquist, Jar, Joel Prell, Jon Summers, Katherine Schwarzenegger, Kenneth Breisch, KFK Jewelers, LA Contemporary Dance Company, LA Opera, LA Phil, LACMA, Laila Lalami, Lake Arrowhead Resort and Spa, Laura Casner, Left Brain Travel, Leo Braudy, Lisa Barkett, Lisa Dixon, Loews Regency Hotel, Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, Los Angeles Clippers, Los Angeles Dodgers, M. Kantor & Associates, Mark Danielewski, Mark Koenig, Matthew Kenney Cuisine, Maureen Furniss, Michael Kheshvadjian, Motif Seattle and Frolik Kitchen + Cocktails, Myrna Oken and Montage Hotels & Resorts, Neal Baseman and Twentieth Century Fox Television, Oheka Castle Hotel & Estate, Oliverio at Avalon Hotel, One of A Kind Glass Designs and Patsy Dewey, Osteria Mozza, Pacific Dining Car, Penguin Books, Piel Skin Care, Porta Via, Pro SUP Shop, Richelle Gribble, Robert Plumleigh, Sandra Tsing Loh, Save Our Heritage Organization (SOHO) San Diego, Seattle Seahawks, Shelley Berman, Silver King, South Beverly Grill, St. Regis San Francisco, Stephen's Hay and Grain, Steven Travers, T.C. Boyle, Tank Town USA, Ted Ushirogata and the Academy of Magical Arts, Inc., The Belvedere at the Peninsula Hotel, The Fearey Group, The Kitchen for Exploring Foods, The Rosenzweig Company, The Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts, The Weinstein Company, U.S. Senator Dean Heller, United Artists Media Group, USC Athletics, USC Office of the President, Villa Aurora, Warner Bros. Pictures, Will Ferrell, Wilshire Center Dental Group, and Wine of the Month Club.

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2015 Directors Guild Award Nominations - Feature Film Category

The Directors Guild of America (DGA) is the entertainment labor union that represents film and television directors.  The DGA gives out the Directors Guild of America Award each year to honor outstanding achievement.

Directors Guild of America President Paris Barclay announced the five nominees for the “DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film for 2014” on Tuesday, January 13, 2015.

“In a year full of excellent films, DGA members have nominated a stellar group of passionate filmmakers,” said Barclay. “Inspiring and artistic, these five directors made films that left an indelible impact not only on their fellow directors and members of the director’s team, but on audiences around the world. Congratulations to all of the nominees for their terrific work.”

Negromancer covers five DGA Award categories:  Feature Film, Documentary Films and the television categories:  Dramatic Series, Comedy Series, and Movies for Television and Mini-Series.  There are five other television categories that Negromancer does not cover:  Variety/Talk/News/Sports – Regular, Variety/Talk/News/Sports – Specials, Reality Programs, Children's Programs, Commercials

The DGA Award winners will be named at the 67th Annual DGA Awards Dinner on Saturday, February 7, 2015 at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza in Los Angeles.

2015 / 67th DGA Award in Feature Film the nominees for the year 2014 (in alphabetical order):
   
WES ANDERSON
The Grand Budapest Hotel
(Fox Searchlight Pictures)

Mr. Anderson’s Directorial Team:
    Unit Production Manager: Miki Emmrich
    First Assistant Director: Josh Robertson
    Second Assistant Director: Ben Howard

This is Mr. Anderson’s first DGA Award nomination.

CLINT EASTWOOD
American Sniper
(Warner Bros. Pictures)

Mr. Eastwood’s Directorial Team:
    Unit Production Manager: Tim Moore
    First Assistant Director: David M. Bernstein
    Second Assistant Director: Paula Case
    Second Second Assistant Director: Clark Credle
    First Assistant Director (Morocco Unit): Ahmed Hatimi
    Second Assistant Director (Morocco Unit): Yann Mari Faget
    Second Second Assistant Directors (Morocco Unit): Andrew Madden, Khalil Zghayou

This is Mr. Eastwood’s fourth DGA Award nomination, all in this category. He won the DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film for Million Dollar Baby in 2004 and for Unforgiven in 1992. He was also nominated in this same category for Mystic River in 2003. Mr. Eastwood was honored with the DGA Lifetime Achievement Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film in 2006.

ALEJANDRO G. IÑÁRRITU
Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
(Fox Searchlight Pictures)

Mr. Iñárritu’s Directorial Team:
    Unit Production Managers: James W. Skotchdopole, Robert Graf
    First Assistant Director: Peter Kohn
    Second Assistant Director: Amy Lauritsen
    Second Second Assistant Director: Catherine Feeny
    Location Manager: Joaquin Prange

This is Mr. Iñárritu’s third DGA Award nomination. He was previously nominated in this category for Babel in 2006. He won the DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Commercials for “Best Job” (Proctor and Gamble) in 2012.
   
RICHARD LINKLATER
Boyhood
(IFC Films)

Mr. Linklater’s Directorial Team:
    Unit Production Manager: Cathleen Sutherland
    First Assistant Director: Vince Palmo Jr.
    Second Assistant Directors: Susana Jasso, Kathleen Tull
    Second Second Assistant Directors: Mary Beth Chambers, Brian Franklin

This is Mr. Linklater’s first DGA Award nomination.

MORTEN TYLDUM
The Imitation Game
(The Weinstein Company)

Mr. Tyldum’s Directorial Team:
    Production Manager: Suzie Shearer
    First Assistant Director: Phil Booth
    Second Assistant Director: James Manning

This is Mr. Tyldum’s first DGA Award nomination.

The winner in the Feature Film category will be announced at the 67th Annual DGA Awards on Saturday evening, February 7, 2015 at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza. The DGA Awards will be hosted by actor Jane Lynch.

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Review: "14 Blades" is Martial Arts with Western and Persian Stylings

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 41 (of 2014) by Leroy Douresseaux

14 Blades (2010)
Jin yi wei – original Chinese title
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN:  Hong Kong/China; Language:  Mandarin Chinese
Running time:  113 minutes (1 hour, 53 minutes)
Rating:  MPAA – R for violence and bloody images
DIRECTOR:  Daniel Lee
WRITERS:  Daniel Lee, Kwong Man Wai, Tin Shu Mak, and Ho Leung Lau; from a story by Daniel Lee and Siu Cheung Chan
PRODUCERS:  Xiang Dong, Zhang He-Yun, Zhang Hong, Si Jian-Jun, Zhao Ping, Xu Ping-An, Wang Qi-Shun, Yi'an Sun, Susanna Tsang, Tianyun Wang, and Cui Xiao-Wen
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Cheung Tung Leung
EDITORS:  Ka Fai Cheung and Man To Tang
COMPOSER:  Henry Lai

MARTIAL ARTS/DRAMA/HISTORICAL

Starring:  Donnie Yen, Wei Zhao, Chun Wu, Kate Tsui, Yuwu Qi, Ma Wu, Kar-Ying Law, Xiang Dong Xu, Chen Zhi Hui, Sammo Hung, and Loi Kwan Kam

14 Blades is a 2010 martial arts (wuxia) and historical drama from director Daniel Lee.  The film, a co-production of China and Hong Kong, received a limited theatrical release in August 2014 after making a film festival appearance in 2011.  14 Blades focuses on an imperial secret agent who is hunted while he tries to stop a conspiracy against the Emperor.

14 Blades opens in China during the late Ming dynasty (a period taking place from 1368 to 1644).  It is a time when the imperial court is plagued by corruption, and the young emperor is incompetent and seems more interested in pleasure than in governing.  He is protected by the Jinyiwei (the Brocade Guard), a secret police force and clandestine royal guard.  They ensure peace and stability and have the authority to execute almost anyone.  Their leader is called Qinglong (Donnie Yen), and he carries with him the Fourteen Blades, a box containing 14 different steel blades with which he executes his duties... and people.

Far from the imperial Forbidden City, the Emperor's uncle, Prince Quing (Sammo Hung), hatches a conspiracy with the traitorous royal eunuch, Jia Jingzhong (Kar-Ying Law).  Their plot involves taking control of the Jinyiwei and betraying Qinglong.  They succeed, and Qinglong soon finds himself wounded, hunted, and on the run.  He finds shelter with Boss Yong Qiao (Ma Wu) and his men in the Justice Escort Agency.  Boss' daughter, Hua Qiao (Wei Zhao), becomes attracted to Qinglong and is determined to assist him in his fight to protect the Emperor and the country from chaos and destruction.

My summary of 14 Blades does not do this epic film justice.  There are enough supporting characters with their own causes and motivations to turn 14 Blades into a television miniseries.  However, the film's core, Qinglong, remains strong, and when the beautiful Hua is added, 14 Blades suddenly has heart, an emotional center to go with the lust for revenge and the film's blistering marital artist action.

Donnie Yen and Wei Zhao give heartfelt, deeply emotional, thoughtful, and strong performances.  They make everything about their respective characters:  external conflicts, internal struggles, motivations, ideals, wants, and love seem genuine and honest.  They are believable and likeable; they draw the viewer to this film.  In fact, like a superstar athlete does for his teammates, Yen and Zhao make their fellow actors betters.  Their characters make the other characters even more interesting and engaging.  I would love to see these two actors in another movie similar to 14 Blades or in a romantic drama.

14 Blades is obviously a martial arts film, but the film also has suggestions of an Ancient Persian romance and an American Western film.  The former comes through in some of the locales, in the costumes, and in certain musical strains in Henry Lai's score.  The latter is also suggested by some of the settings, but also by the staging of some scenes and sequences and in the poses and attitudes of both heroes and villains.  Most notable is the Clint Eastwood-like pose and attitude that Donnie Yen frequently strikes.

That makes 14 Blades something different, even if the story occasionally becomes a bit muddled.  Still, its colorful characters and lavish costumes; to say nothing of the flashy fight choreography makes this movie thoroughly enjoyable.  With its attractive lead couple, 14 Blades, while different enough to stand out from other marital arts films, tells a familiar story of love and bravery that will captivate audiences.

7 of 10
B+

Saturday, September 6, 2014


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

Review: "Fruitvale Station" Heartbreakingly Beautiful and Beautifully Heartbreaking

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 30 (of 2014) by Leroy Douresseaux

Fruitvale Station (2013)
Running time:  85 minutes (1 hour, 25 minutes)
MPAA – R for some violence, language throughout and some drug use
WRITER/DIRECTOR:  Ryan Coogler
PRODUCERS:  Nina Yang Bongiovi and Forest Whitaker
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Rachel Morrison (D.o.P.)
EDITORS:  Claudia S. Castello and Michael P. Shawver
COMPOSER:  Ludwig Girabsson

DRAMA/HISTORICAL

Starring:  Michael B. Jordan, Melonie Diaz, Octavia Spencer, Ariana Neal, Kevin Durand, Chad Michael Murray, Anha O’Reilly, Kenan Coogler, and Trestin George

Fruitvale Station is a 2013 drama from writer-director Ryan Coogler.  A docu-drama and quasi-historical film, Fruitvale Station is a dramatization of the last day in the life of Oscar Louis Grant III, a real-life African-American man who was shot to death by a police officer.  Actor Forest Whitaker is one of the film’s producer (although he does not appear in the film), and Harvey Weinstein is one the film’s executive producers, although he does receive a screen credit in the film as such.

Oscar Grant, a 22-year-old San Francisco Bay Area resident, and his friends were traveling on a Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) train during the early hours of New Year’s Day 2009.  After a fight on the train, Grant and his friends were detained by BART Police officers at Fruitvale Station in Oakland, California.  While being restrained Grant, who was lying face down and allegedly resisting arrest, was fatally shot by BART Police officer Johannes Mehserle.  Grant was pronounced dead around 9 a.m. that morning at Highland Hospital in Oakland.

The incident at the train station is the basis of Ryan Coogler’s Fruitvale Station.  The film follows Oscar Grant (Michael B. Jordan) from the early morning of New Year’s Eve 2008 to his death.  The film examines his relationship with his girlfriend, Sophina (Melonie Diaz), who is the mother of his child, Tatiana (Ariana Neal).  The film also pays particular attention to Grant’s close relationship with Tatiana and his relationship with his mother, Wanda (Octavia Spencer), which had improved since Oscar’s stint in jail.  By illustrating the energy he brought to life, the film celebrates how much Oscar meant to his family and friends.

I often dread watching films based on real-life events when I know that the lead character died or was killed.  It took me three days to watch Fruitvale Station because I knew the heartbreak that was coming, and this film is indeed poignant and heartbreaking.  It eulogizes Oscar Grant, while simultaneously mourning a unique soul lost through senseless death.  By portraying Oscar’s relationships, Coogler emphasizes what a tragic loss Oscar was for his friends and family.  However, Coogler makes that sense of loss feel genuine in ways that films about real life people often do not.  Some movies about the senseless killing of person can make the viewer feel outrage.  Fruitvale Station simply cause hurt deep in the soul.

Michael B. Jordan as Oscar and Octavia Spencer as his mother, Wanda, give tremendous performances.  Spencer (who is one of the co-executive producers of this film) shows that she can build characters that seem real right down to their souls.  I can see why many thought that she would get an Oscar nod for her work here, which she ultimately did not.

Jordan is so good; it is as if he disappeared and then, reappeared as the real Oscar Grant.  After such a performance, people will obviously think that the sky is the limit for this bright and talented young actor.  Because of his performance, I don’t think I could watch Fruitvale Station again.  I cannot let Jordan, Spencer, and Coogler break my heart and make me cry again.

9 of 10
A+

NOTES:
2014 Black Reel Awards:  9 nominations:  “Outstanding Motion Picture” (Forest Whitaker-producer and Nina Yang Bongiovi-producer – The Weinstein Company), “Outstanding Actor, Motion Picture,” (Michael B. Jordan), “Outstanding Supporting Actress, Motion Picture” (Melonie Diaz), “Outstanding Supporting Actress, Motion Picture” (Octavia Spencer), “Outstanding Director, Motion Picture” (Ryan Coogler), “Outstanding Screenplay-Adapted or Original, Motion Picture” (Ryan Coogler), “Outstanding Ensemble” (Nina Henninger-Casting Director), “Outstanding Score” (Ludwig Göransson), and “Outstanding Breakthrough Performance, Female” (Melonie Diaz)

2014 Image Awards:  1 win: “Outstanding Independent Motion Picture;” 4 nominations: “Outstanding Motion Picture,” “Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture” (Michael B. Jordan), “Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture” (Octavia Spencer), and “Outstanding Writing in a Motion Picture - Theatrical or Television” (Ryan Coogler)

Thursday, July 03, 2014


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

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"Mad Men" Creator Matthew Weiner to Be Honored at 2014 Austin Film Festival

Matthew Weiner to Receive “Outstanding Television Writer” Award at 2014 Austin Film Festival & Screenwriters Conference

“The Writers Festival” announces Panelists for 21st Anniversary, featuring Neil LaBute, Terry George, Cary Fukunaga, William Broyles, Whit Stillman, Michelle Ashford, and more

AFF Screenplay and Film Competitions to include jurors hailing from AMC, The Black List, The Weinstein Company, Oscilloscope, and FilmBuff

AUSTIN, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Austin Film Festival (AFF), the premier film festival that recognizes the writers’ and filmmakers’ impact on film and television is thrilled to announce accomplished creator, Executive Producer, writer, and director of Mad Men, Matthew Weiner, as the 2014 recipient of the “Outstanding Television Writer” Award. In addition to his television credits, Weiner has written and directed the feature film, Are You Here, which stars Owen Wilson, Zach Galifianakis and Amy Poehler. The film will open in theaters on Friday, August 22.

Weiner has been nominated for a total of 11 Emmys for Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series. He won the award for the series pilot, as well as for the Second Season episode, “Meditations in an Emergency”, with Kater Gordon, and for the Third Season episode, “Shut the Door. Have a Seat.” with Erin Levy. Most recently, Weiner won the WGA Award for Best Episodic for the Season Five episode, “The Other Woman,” with Semi Chellas.

Austin Film Festival annually recognizes an Outstanding Television Writer for their contribution to the culture of television. Previous recipients include Vince Gilligan, David Simon, Chris Carter, David Milch, Mike Judge, David Chase, and Mitch Hurwitz.

Weiner joins Distinguished Screenwriter honoree, Jim Sheridan, along with a strong roundup of Panelists confirmed to speak at the 21st annual Austin Film Festival & Screenwriters Conference such as Neil LaBute (writer/director The Shape of Things), Terry George (writer/director Hotel Rwanda), Whit Stillman (writer/director Metropolitan), Richard Kelly (writer/director Donnie Darko), Emma Tillinger Koskoff (President of Production at Sikelia Productions), Cary Fukunaga (director True Detective), screenwriters behind American Hustle, The Fault in Their Stars, Saving Mr. Banks, and the creators of Fargo, Masters of Sex, Halt and Catch Fire, TURN, and Better Call Saul.

Additional Conference participants include select jurors from AFF’s Film and Screenplay Competitions. Jurors include representatives from AMC, The Weinstein Company, FilmBuff, Sundance Institute, Oscilloscope, The Black List, P.O.V., and Frank Darabont’s production company, Darkwoods Productions.

For a list of confirmed 2014 Panelists, visit www.austinfilmfestval.com. Austin Film Festival and Conference takes place October 23rd through 30th, 2014. Badges and Passes are available for purchase online 24 hours a day at www.austinfilmfestival.com or at 1-800-310-FEST from 10am to 6pm CST.

ABOUT AUSTIN FILM FESTIVAL:
Austin Film Festival is a non-profit organization dedicated to furthering the art, craft, and business of filmmakers and screenwriters and is funded and supported in part by a grant from the Texas Commission on the Arts, City of Austin Economic Growth & Redevelopment Services Office/Cultural Arts Division believing an investment in the Arts is an investment in Austin’s future.

2014 USC Scripter Award Nominees Revealed

USC Libraries Name Finalists for 26th-Annual Scripter Award

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The USC Libraries have named the authors and screenwriters of Captain Phillips, Philomena, The Spectacular Now, 12 Years a Slave, and What Maisie Knew as finalists for the 26th-annual USC Libraries Scripter Award. Scripter honors the screenwriter or screenwriters of the year’s most accomplished cinematic adaptation as well as the author or authors of the written work upon which the screenplay is based.

The finalists are, in alphabetical order by film title:

•Richard Phillips with Stephan Talty, authors of A Captain’s Duty: Somali Pirates, Navy SEALs, and Dangerous Days at Sea, and screenwriter Billy Ray, for Captain Phillips

•For Philomena, author Martin Sixsmith, who wrote the book The Lost Child of Philomena Lee, and screenwriters Steve Coogan and Jeff Pope

•Novelist Tim Tharp and screenwriters Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber for The Spectacular Now

•Solomon Northup, author of Twelve Years a Slave, and screenwriter John Ridley for 12 Years a Slave

•Screenwriters Carroll Cartwright and Nancy Doyne for What Maisie Knew, adapted from the novel by Henry James

The Friends of the USC Libraries established Scripter in 1988. Previous Scripter winners include the screenwriters and authors of Argo, The Descendants, No Country for Old Men, and The English Patient.

Co-chaired by Golden Globe-winning screenwriter Naomi Foner and USC professor and vice president of the Writers Guild of America, West, Howard Rodman, the 2014 Scripter selection committee selected the five finalists from a field of 86 eligible adaptations.

Serving on the selection committee, among many others, are film critics Leonard Maltin and Kenneth Turan; authors Michael Chabon, Michael Ondaatje and Mona Simpson; screenwriters Geoffrey Fletcher, Callie Khouri and Steve Zaillian; and USC deans Elizabeth Daley of the School of Cinematic Arts, Madeline Puzo of the School of Dramatic Arts and Catherine Quinlan of the USC Libraries.

The studios distributing the finalist films and the publishers of the original stories are:

•Captain Phillips—Columbia Pictures and Hyperion Books
•Philomena—Weinstein Company and Macmillan
•The Spectacular Now—A24 and Alfred A. Knopf
•12 Years a Slave—Fox Searchlight and Derby & Miller
•What Maisie Knew—Millennium Entertainment and Herbert S. Stone

The USC Libraries will announce the winning authors and screenwriters at a black-tie ceremony on Saturday, Feb. 8, 2014 in the historic Edward L. Doheny Jr. Memorial Library on the University Park campus of the University of Southern California. Academy Award winners Helen Mirren and Taylor Hackford will serve as honorary dinner chairs.

Current silent auction donors and other event sponsors include AOC, Arthur Murray Santa Monica, At Your Side Private Exercise, Bouchon Beverly Hills, The Chopra Center for Wellbeing, Corvain Wine Access System, Del Mar Thoroughbred Club, Fess Parker Inn, Flight Deck, Frank Lloyd Wright Preservation Trust, French Reflections, The Geffen Playhouse, Daryle Ann and Mark Giardino, The Grammy Museum, The Grill, The Kitchen For Exploring Foods, Knock, Knock, Montage Beverly Hills, The LA Opera, The Los Angeles Clippers, Lee Olvera, OPI, Pebble Beach Concors d' Elegance, Pica Peru, Mr. and Mrs. Robert Plumleigh, Porto Via Beverly Hills, Poseidon Stand Up Paddleboards, Rivera, SBE Restaurant Group, Total Wine and More, USC Athletics, and WEN Chaz Dean.

For more information about Scripter—including ticket availability, additional sponsorship opportunities, and an up-to-date list of sponsors—please email scripter@usc.edu or visit scripter.usc.edu.

"Vampire Academy" Movie Soundtrack Due February 11, 2014

Universal Music Enterprises to Release VAMPIRE ACADEMY Soundtrack out February 11, 2014

Featured artists include Katy Perry, Sky Ferreira, Goldfrapp, Iggy Azalea, Natalia Kills, Au Revoir Simone, Jaymes Bullett, Max Frost, Bear In Heaven, Rainy Milo and an exclusive track from CHVRCHES

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Universal Music Enterprises announced today that it will release the soundtrack album from the upcoming movie VAMPIRE ACADEMY on February 11. The line-up of artists includes Katy Perry, Goldfrapp, Sky Ferreira and more. Indie darlings CHVRCHES (Iain Cook, Martin Doherty and Lauren Mayberry) will contribute a self-produced exclusive track of the Bauhaus cover “Bela Lugosi's Dead.” The Weinstein Company will release VAMPIRE ACADEMY in theaters nationwide on February 14th.

The full album track list features an eclectic line-up, with “In Your Grave” by Jaymes Bullet (unreleased), “Red Lips” by Sky Ferreira, “Nice and Slow” by Max Frost, “Thea” by Goldfrapp, “Boys Don’t Cry” by Natalia Kills, “Bounce” by Iggy Azalea, ”Sinful Nature” by Bear In Heaven, “Think About It” by Naughty Boy, “Rats” by Rainy Milo (unreleased), “Spiritual” by Katy Perry, “Crazy” by Au Revoir Simone and the aforementioned exclusive CHVRCHES “Bela Lugosi's Dead.” CHVRVCHES says, "’Bela Lugosi's Dead’ is a genre defining classic. It was equal parts thrilling and daunting to attempt a reworking of such an incredible song. We can only hope that we did The Count proud." Adds Howard Paar, music supervisor, "I think we all felt a big responsibility to capture the spirit of the books with the songs that were chosen. I hope everyone has as much fun listening to the soundtrack as we did making it."

Director Mark Waters explains, "I had happily planned a career as a doctor when I first saw 'The Hunger' in the early eighties. I was immediately enraptured by it and its unforgettable use, in the classic opening sequence, of the seminal Bauhaus song, 'Bela Lugosi's Dead.' I saw the movie again the next day and, by the end of the week, I no longer wanted to be a doctor.

"If and when my journey as a filmmaker took me down the dark alley of the Vampire genre, I knew I'd want to pay homage to The Hunger, Bauhaus, and 'Bela Lugosi's Dead' in a way that took it all to another level. It was remarkable good luck we could hitch onto the comet that is CHVRCHES. I dare anyone to try walking out on the closing credits when their version of Bela is playing!"

From Mark Waters, the director of MEAN GIRLS, and his brother Daniel Waters, the screenwriter of HEATHERS, comes VAMPIRE ACADEMY, a film based on the best-selling book series by Richelle Mead.

St. Vladimir's is like any boarding school -- it’s got cute boys, gossip queens, and a strict curfew, but that’s only because when you’re a vampire the sun is annoying. Rose Hathaway (Zoey Deutch), is the 17-year-old half human/half vampire guardian of her best friend, Princess Lissa Dragomir (Lucy Fry), the last in line to become queen of the Vampire Moroi. Someone or something wants Lissa dead. To keep her alive, Rose will have to keep her hormones in check and actually learn from her hot guardian instructor Dimitri. Only then will she be able to fight off crazed vampires, deadly fire-spells, and murderous psi-hounds. If you thought high school was cut throat….

VAMPIRE ACADEMY is a best-selling series of six young-adult paranormal romance novels by author Richelle Mead. The first book in the series, Vampire Academy, was published in 2007. By 2013 the series had sold over 8 million copies in 35 countries. With its irreverent characters and Richelle's distinct voice, Vampire Academy has set itself apart from anything else the Young Adult world is reading.

VAMPIRE ACADEMY will be released through the Weinstein Company, was financed by Reliance and is produced by Don Murphy and Susan Montford of NATURAL BORN KILLERS, BULLY, REAL STEEL & TRANSFORMERS, Deepak Nayar of BEND IT LIKE BECKHAM, BUENA VISTA SOCIAL CLUB & LOST HIGHWAY and Michael Preger of the upcoming DAY OF THE TRIFFIDS.

Women Dominate 2014 DGA Awards Documentary Nominations

by Amos Semien

The Directors Guild of America recently announced the nominations in the category of "DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Documentaries for 2013."  Three of the five nominations went to women filmmakers, including Sarah Polley for her much-honored 2012 Canadian doc, Stories We Tell.

The Directors Guild of America (DGA) is the entertainment labor union that represents film and television directors.  The DGA gives out the Directors Guild of America Award each year to honor outstanding achievement.

The 66th Annual DGA Awards Dinner will be held on Saturday, January 25, 2014 at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza in Los Angeles

DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Documentaries for 2013

ZACHARY HEINZERLING
Cutie and the Boxer
(Radius TWC, Ex Lion Tamer, Cine Mosaic)

This is Mr. Heinzerling’s first DGA Award nomination.

JEHANE NOUJAIM
The Square
(Netflix, Participant Media, Noujaim Films, Maktube Productions, WorldView, Roast Beef Productions

This is Ms. Noujaim’s third DGA Award nomination.  She won the DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Documentary for Startup.com in 2001 (together with Chris Hegedus) and was also nominated in this category in 2004 for Control Room.

JOSHUA OPPENHEIMER
The Act of Killing
(Final Cut for Real APS, Drafthouse Films, Piraya Films, Novaya Zemlya Ltd., Spring Films Ltd.)

This is Mr. Oppenheimer’s first DGA Award nomination.

SARAH POLLEY
Stories We Tell
(Roadside Attractions, The National Film Board of Canada)

This is Ms. Polley’s first DGA Award nomination.

LUCY WALKER
The Crash Reel
(HBO Documentary Films, KP Rides Again, LLC, Impact Partners, Tree Tree Tree Production)

This is Ms. Walker’s first DGA Award nomination.


http://www.dga.org/

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African-American Film Critics Crown "12 Years a Slave" Best of 2013

by Amos Semien

The African-American Film Critics Association named director Steve McQueen's 12 Years a Slave the "Best Film" of 2013, with McQueen also receiving the "Best Director" prize.  Many other critics organizations have named Chiwetel Ejiofor and Lupita Nyong'o of 12 Years a Slave best actor and best supporting actress, respectively.  However, the AAFCA went with two of the cast members of Lee Daniels: The Butler as "Best Actor" (Forest Whitaker) and "Best Supporting Actor" (Oprah Winfrey).  I've included the text of the press release with which the AAFCA announced its 2013 film awards at the bottom of this post.

The African-American Film Critics Association (AAFCA) is a group of African-American film critics that give various awards for excellence in film at the end of each year.  The association was founded in 2003 by Gil L. Robertson IV and Shawn Edwards.

2013 African-American Film Critics Association Awards winners:

Best Actor                               Forest Whitaker, Lee Daniels: The Butler (TWC)

Best Actress                            Sandra Bullock, Gravity (Warner Bros.)

Best Supporting Actress         Oprah Winfrey, Lee Daniels: The Butler (TWC)

Best Supporting Actor            Jared Leto, Dallas Buyers Club (Focus Features)

Best World Cinema                Mother of George (Oscilloscope Laboratories)

Breakout Performance            Lupita Nyong’o, 12 Years a Slave (Fox Searchlight)

Best Director                           Steve McQueen, 12 Years a Slave (Fox Searchlight)

Best Screenplay                      John Ridley, 12 Years a Slave (Fox Searchlight)

Best Music                              Raphael Sadiq, Black Nativity (RCA Inspirational)

Best Independent Film           Fruitvale Station (TWC)

Best Animation                       Frozen (Walt Disney Pictures)

Best Documentary                  American Promise (Rada Film Group)

The African-American Film Critics Association’s Top Ten Films of 2013 are as follows in order of distinction:

1. 12 Years a Slave

2. Lee Daniels: The Butler

3. Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom

4. American Hustle

5. Gravity

6. Fruitvale Station

7.  Dallas Buyers Club

8. Saving Mr. Banks

9. Out of the Furnace

10. 42


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Press Release:

AFRICAN-AMERICAN FILM CRITICS ASSOCIATION NAMES 12 YEARS A SLAVE AS TOP FILM OF 2013

Forest Whitaker, Sandra Bullock, Oprah Winfrey and Jared Leto Also Receive Wins from the Nation’s Premiere African American Critics Group

Los Angeles, CA (December 13, 2013) – The African-American Film Critics Association (AAFCA) has named 12 Years a Slave as the Best Picture of 2013.  The Fox Searchlight film’s also earned Best Director, Best Screenplay and Best Newcomer honors for Steve McQueen, John Ridley and Lupita Nyong’o. The organization, which represents the leading African-American film critics nationwide, will formally present its awards during a private ceremony on Friday, January 31, 2014 hosted by Orlando Jones at the Taglyan Complex in Hollywood, CA.

In the acting categories, Forest Whitaker won Best Actor for his performance in Lee Daniels: The Butler and Sandra Bullock was named Best Actress for Gravity. Oprah Winfrey received Best Supporting Actress 2013 for her role in The Butler and Jared Leto earned Best Supporting Actor 2013 for his performance in Dallas Buyers Club.

Rounding out the 2013 AAFCA Award winners are Fruitvale Station, for Best Independent Film, Frozen Best Animated Feature; Mother of George, for Best World Cinema and American Promise, from Joe Brewster and Michèle Stephenson.  Producer Raphael Saadiq won in the Best Music category for Black Nativity.

As previously announced, AAFCA’s Special Achievement honors will be awarded to AMPAS President Cheryl Boone Isaacs, TWC’s Bob and Harvey Weinstein, FOX SEARCHLIGHT’s Zola Mashariki and DGA’s President Paris Barclay. AAFCA’s Inaugural Roger Ebert Award will be given to Justin Chang of Variety.  “The film industry reached an incredibly high benchmark in 2013 in terms of the level of performance and diversity on screen,” says AAFCA President and Founder, Gil Robertson. “From the dramatic and heartwarming performances given by Whitaker and Winfrey, to Jared Leto’s incredible transformation as a transgender, the performances this year represented some of the finest examples of the acting craft.”

The organization’s Top Ten list of films includes 12 Years a Slave, Lee Daniels: The Butler, Gravity, American Hustle and Mandela.  “Hollywood did an excellent job in providing filmgoers with excellent examples of cinema that examine the core of the humanity. We hope this trend continues,” says AAFCA’s East Coast V.P. Daryle Lockhart, owner of Black Box Office.com.

About AAFCA
The African-American Film Critics Association (AAFCA) is the premiere organization of African-American film media professionals. Founded in 2003, AAFCA’s members represent a geographically diverse cross-section of media covering the cinematic arts. The organization honors excellence in cinema by creating awareness for films with universal appeal to black communities, while emphasizing film about the black experience and those produced written, directed and starring performers of African descent. The association actively reviews the quality and standard of black talent, content and media coverage. AAFCA also supports the development of future black film critics and filmmakers. AAFCA is based in Los Angeles.

END of release

Producers Guild of America to Honor "Fruitvale Station"

Producers Guild To Honor 'Fruitvale Station' With 2014 Stanley Kramer Award

The Producers Guild of America (PGA), announced today that the critically acclaimed feature FRUITVALE STATION will be honored with the 2014 Stanley Kramer Award at the 25th Annual Producers Guild Awards ceremony.  The awards ceremony will be held on Sunday, January 19, 2014 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles.

The Stanley Kramer Award was established in 2002 to honor a production, producer or other individual whose achievement or contribution illuminates and raises public awareness of important social issues.  Stanley Kramer created some of the most powerful work in the history of American motion pictures, including such classics as INHERIT THE WIND, ON THE BEACH, THE DEFIANT ONES, and GUESS WHO’S COMING TO DINNER.

"FRUITVALE STATION is an important film that raises awareness about an injustice that we encounter in the news with grim regularity.  First time writer/director Ryan Coogler has captured the hearts and minds of both audiences and critics with his poignant portrayal of the true story of Oscar Grant,” said PGA Awards Co-Chairs Lori McCreary (INVICTUS, "Through the Wormhole with Morgan Freeman”) and Michael De Luca (CAPTAIN PHILLIPS, MONEYBALL, THE SOCIAL NETWORK).  "FRUITVALE STATION has well earned the honor of the 2014 Stanley Kramer Award and we look forward to celebrating this extraordinary film.”

Forest Whitaker said, "We are very excited that FRUITVALE STATION is being honored with the Stanley Kramer Award. It is a testament to the director, the production team and the incredible efforts of the many talented people in our crew and cast who worked so hard because they believed in the message of this movie. Many thanks to the Producers Guild of America for this recognition. Our producing team is thrilled to have been able to tell a story that puts a human face on the issue of social injustice. We hope the film continues to have a positive impact on the ongoing dialogue that surrounds these issues.”

Previous recipients of the Stanley Kramer Award include: THE GREAT DEBATERS, AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH, HOTEL RWANDA, IN AMERICA, ANTWONE FISHER, PRECIOUS, IN THE LAND OF BLOOD AND HONEY, and the 2013 honoree, BULLY.

Winner of both the Grand Jury Prize for dramatic feature and the Audience Award for U.S. dramatic film at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival, FRUITVALE STATION follows the true story of Oscar Grant (Michael B. Jordan), a 22-year-old Bay Area resident who wakes up on the morning of December 31, 2008 and feels something in the air. Not sure what it is, he takes it as a sign to get a head start on his resolutions: being a better son to his mother (Octavia Spencer), whose birthday falls on New Year's Eve, being a better partner to his girlfriend Sophina (Melonie Diaz), with whom he hasn't been completely honest with as of late, and being a better father to Tatiana (Ariana Neal), their beautiful four year-old daughter. Crossing paths with friends, family and strangers, Oscar starts out well, as the day goes on, he realizes that changes are not going to come easily. His resolve takes a tragic turn, however, when BART officers shoot him in cold blood at the Fruitvale subway stop on New Year's Day. Oscar's life and tragic death would shake the Bay Area – and, ultimately, a worldwide audience - to its very core.

The Weinstein Company presents FRUITVALE STATION, written and directed by Ryan Coogler, produced by Nina Yang Bongiovi and Forest Whitaker.

Sponsors of the 2014 Producers Guild Awards include Cadillac, an official automotive sponsor of the PGA; Delta Air Lines, the sponsor of this year's Producers Guild Visionary Award; Panavision, the sponsor of the cocktail reception; PRG, Production Resource Group, an annual sponsor of the PGA; and Tiffany & Co.

"Inside Llewyn Davis" Wins "Best Picture" at 2013 Gotham Awards

by Amos Semien

Inside Llewyn Davis, the newest film from the brothers Joel and Ethan Coen, won the "Best Feature" Award at the 2013 Gotham Awards last night.  Alleged Oscar favorite, 12 Years a Slave, was shut out of the winners' circle.  [This is just the first step in proving what I've said before - 12 Years a Slave - is not destined for Oscar glory.  I wish that it were, but reality bites.]  The only film to win more than one award last night was "Fruitvale Station," winning two: "Breakthrough Director" for Ryan Coogler and "Breakthrough Actor" for Michael B. Jordan."

The Gotham Awards is an annual film awards ceremony that honors independent films.  The Gotham Awards are part of The Independent Filmmaker Project (IFP), the nation’s oldest and largest organization of independent filmmakers.  The Gotham Awards also signal the kick-off to the film awards season.

Nominees are selected by groups of distinguished film critics, journalists, festival programmers, and film curators. Separate juries of writers, directors, actors, producers, editors and others directly involved in making films determine the final Gotham Award recipients.

The 2013 Gotham Awards were announced Monday, December 2, 2013 at the 2013 Gotham Independent Film Awards™.

23rd Annual Gotham Independent Film Awards winners:

Best Feature:
Inside Llewyn Davis
Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, directors; Scott Rudin, Joel Coen, Ethan Coen, producers (CBS Films)

Best Documentary:
The Act of Killing
Joshua Oppenheimer, director; Signe Byrge, Joshua Oppenheimer, producers (Drafthouse Films)

Best Actor:
Matthew McConaughey in Dallas Buyers Club (Focus Features)

Best Actress:
Brie Larson in Short Term 12 (Cinedigm)

Bingham Ray Breakthrough Director:
Ryan Coogler for Fruitvale Station (The Weinstein Company)

Breakthrough Actor:
Michael B. Jordan in Fruitvale Station (The Weinstein Company)

euphoria CK Spotlight on Women Filmmakers ‘Live the Dream’ grant:
Gita Pullapilly, director, Beneath the Harvest Sky

Audience Award powered by Festival Genius
Jake Shimabukuro: Life on Four Strings - Tadashi Nakamura

http://gotham.ifp.org

Comic That Inspired New Chris Evans' Flick "Snowpiercer" Coming to America

TITAN COMICS RELEASES SNOWPIERCER – THE GRAPHIC NOVEL THAT INSPIRED THE NEW CHRIS EVANS FILM!

Translated from the highly acclaimed French classic, soon to be a major motion picture starring Captain America star Chris Evans!

Titan Comics is proud to announce a world-first English translation of the acclaimed French comic, in a pair of graphic novels hitting stores in early 2014 ahead of the US release of the film! Volume 1: The Escape is released January 29, 2014, with Volume 2: The Explorers following February 25, 2014

Coursing through an eternal winter, on an icy track wrapped around the frozen planet Earth, there travels Snowpiercer, a train one thousand and one carriages long. From fearsome engine to final car, all surviving human life is here: a complete hierarchy of the society we lost…

The elite, as ever, travel in luxury at the front of the train – but for those in the rear coaches, life is squalid, miserable and short.

Proloff is a refugee from the tail, determined never to go back. In his journey forward through the train, he hopes to reach the mythical engine and, perhaps, find some hope for the future…

The thrilling original graphic novels have been adapted into an astounding new film directed by Joon-ho Bong (The Host), starring Chris Evans (Captain America), Alison Pill (Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World), Tilda Swinton (The Chronicles of Narnia, We Need To Talk About Kevin), Jamie Bell (Billy Elliott, The Adventures of Tintin), Ed Harris (A History of Violence, The Abyss, Apollo 13) and John Hurt (Hellboy, V For Vendetta, Alien, Doctor Who), and distributed in the U.S. by The Weinstein Company, and due for release in Q1 2014

Check out the trailer here.

Written by the late Jacques Lob, winner of the Grand Prix de la ville d'Angoulême, and Benjamin Legrand, the author of numerous thriller novels, screenplays, and comic scripts, Snowpiercer is illustrated by Jean-Marc Rochette, who has worked across a variety of projects and genres, from science fiction comics to children’s cartoons – including adaptations of Voltaire’s Candide and Homer’s Odyssey.

Retailers can order Snowpiercer vol. 1: The Escape from November PREVIEWS (order code: NOV131240). Snowpiercer vol. 2: The Explorers will be available to order from December PREVIEWS.

To keep up-to-date with news about Snowpiercer join Titan Comics on Facebook or follow @comicstitan on Twitter.

For more information about Titan Comics, visit www.titan-comics.com

About Snowpiercer Vol.1 The Escape
From fearsome engine to final car, all surviving human life is here: a complete hierarchy of the society we lost.

The elite, as ever, travel in luxury at the front of the train – but for those in the rear coaches, life is squalid, miserable and short.

Proloff is a refugee from the tail, determined never to go back. In his journey forward through the train, he hopes to reach the mythical engine and, perhaps, find some hope for the future…

Translated from the highly acclaimed French classic, soon to be a major motion picture starring megastar Chris Evans.

Jacques Lob/Benjamin Legrand/Jean-Marc Rochette
Details: HC, 8x11, 112pgs, B/W, $19.99/£14.99
Released: January 29, 2014
Diamond PREVIEWS order code: NOV131240

About Snowpiercer Vol.2 The Explorers
A second train also travels through the snow on the same track, its inhabitants living in constant fear of crashing into the first Snowpiercer.

And from this second train, a small group of scavenging explorers emerges, risking their lives in the deadly cold...

Benjamin Legrand/Jean-Marc Rochette
Details: HC, 8x11, 144 pgs, B/W, $24.99/£19.99
Released: February 25, 2014

About Titan Comics
Titan Comics, a new venture from publishing giant, Titan, offers the best in original creator-owned comics alongside new and classic graphic novels.

Launching in July 2013, Titan Comics has already captured the imaginations of readers, reviewers and retailers with its strong focus on quality, creativity and diversity of genre!

Each new release will also be available on the iPhone, iPad, Web, Android and Kindle Fire.

To keep up-to-date with news on all these new series and future releases from Titan Comics, visit www.titan-comics.com

Connect with Titan Comics:
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