TRASH IN MY EYE Reviews

Sunday, December 15, 2013

"12 Years a Slave" Leads Chicago Film Critics Awards Nominations

by Amos Semien

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

The nominations for the 2013 Chicago Film Critics Awards were recently announced. Director Steven McQueen's 12 Years a Slave led all contenders for the group’s annual awards with a stunning 11 nominations. The highly acclaimed drama is a harrowing adaptation of the memoir of a free black man who was kidnapped and sold into slavery in the pre-Civil War era Deep South. Tying for second place with seven nominations each are the films, Gravity and Her.

The Chicago Film Critics Association will announce its winners in a ceremony to be held on the evening of Monday, December 16, 2013.

2013 Chicago Film Critics Awards nominees:

BEST PICTURE
12 Years A Slave
American Hustle
Gravity
Her
Inside Llewyn Davis

BEST DIRECTOR
Joel & Ethan Coen--Inside Llewyn Davis
Alfonso Cuaron--Gravity
Spike Jonze--Her
Steve McQueen--12 Years A Slave
David O. Russell--American Hustle

BEST ACTOR
Bruce Dern--Nebraska
Chiwetel Ejiofor--12 Years A Slave
Oscar Isaac--Inside Llewyn Davis
Matthew McConaughey--Dallas Buyers Club
Robert Redford--All Is Lost

BEST ACTRESS
Cate Blanchett--Blue Jasmine
Sandra Bullock--Gravity
Adele Exarchopoulos--Blue is the Warmest Color
Brie Larson--Short Term 12
Meryl Streep--August: Osage County

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Barkhad Abdi--Captain Phillips
Michael Fassbender--12 Years A Slave
James Franco--Spring Breakers
James Gandolfini--Enough Said
Jared Leto--Dallas Buyers Club

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Scarlett Johansson--Her
Jennifer Lawrence--American Hustle
Lupita Nyong'o--12 Years A Slave
Lea Seydoux--Blue is the Warmest Color
June Squibb--Nebraska

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
American Hustle--Eric SInger & David O. Russell
Blue Jasmine--Woody Allen
Her--Spike Jonze
Inside Llewyn Davis--Joel & Ethan Coen
Nebraska--Bob Nelson

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
12 Years A Slave--John Ridley
August: Osage County--Tracey Letts
Before Midnight--Richard Linklater, Julie Delpy & Ethan Hawke
Philomena--Steve Coogan & Jeff Pope
The Wolf of Wall Street--Terrence Winter

BEST FOREIGN-LANGUAGE FILM
The Act of Killing
Blue is the Warmest Color
The Hunt
Wadjda
The Wind Rises

BEST DOCUMENTARY
20 Feet from Stardom
The Act of Killing
The Armstrong Lie
Blackfish
Stories We Tell

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
The Croods
From Up on Poppy Hill
Frozen
Monsters University
The Wind Rises

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
12 Years A Slave--Sean Bobbitt
Gravity--Emmanuel Lubezki
Her--Hoyte Van Hoytema
Inside Llewyn Davis--Bruno Delbonnel
Prisoners--Roger Deakins

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
12 Years A Slave--Hans Zimmer
Blancanieves--Alfonso de Vilallongo
Gravity--Steven Price
Her--Arcade Fire
Spring Breakers--Cliff Martinez and Skrillex

BEST ART DIRECTION/PRODUCTION DESIGN
12 Years A Slave
Gravity
The Great Gatsby
Her
Inside Llewyn Davis

BEST EDITING
12 Years A Slave--Joe Walker
American Hustle--Alan Baumgarten, Jay Cassidy & Crispin Struthers
Gravity--Alfonso Cuaron & Mark Sanger
Upstream Color--Shane Carruth & David Lowery
The Wolf of Wall Street--Thelma Schoonmaker

MOST PROMISING FILMMAKER
Lake Bell--In A World
Ryan Coogler--Fruitvale Station
Destin Cretton--Short Term 12
Joseph Gordon-Levitt--Don Jon
Joshua Oppenheimer--The Act of Killing

MOST PROMISING PERFORMER
Barkhad Abdi--Captain Phillips
Chadwick Boseman--42
Adele Exarchopoulos--Blue is the Warmest Color
Lupita Nyong'o--12 Years A Slave
Tye Sheridan--Mud

http://www.chicagofilmcritics.org/

END

Sony Pictures to Expand "Spider-Man" Film Franchise

SONY PICTURES ENTERTAINMENT TO EXPAND THE SPIDER-MAN UNIVERSE ON SCREEN WITH ALL-STAR WRITING TEAM

Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci, Jeff Pinkner, Ed Solomon, and Drew Goddard to Collaborate with Marc Webb and Producers Avi Arad and Matt Tolmach on Developing the Universe and Expanding the Story in The Amazing Spider-Man 3, Venom, and The Sinister Six

CULVER CITY, Calif., December 12, 2013 - In a move to forge a new legacy in the story of Peter Parker on screen, Sony Pictures Entertainment, in association with Marvel Entertainment, is developing several new projects in the Spider-Man franchise, with Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci, Jeff Pinkner, Ed Solomon, and Drew Goddard to collaborate on overseeing the developing story over several films that will be produced by Avi Arad and Matt Tolmach, it was announced today by Doug Belgrad, president of Columbia Pictures, and Hannah Minghella, president of Production for the studio.

The five writers, along with the two producers and Marc Webb, have formed a franchise brain trust to expand the universe for the brand and to develop a continuous tone and thread throughout the films. Under the deals, the studio announced that Kurtzman & Orci & Pinkner are writing the screenplay for The Amazing Spider-Man 3, which the studio hopes Webb will return to direct; the film will go into production next fall for release on June 10, 2016. In addition, the team will build on the cinematic foundation laid by Webb, Arad, and Tolmach in the first two movies. They will expand the franchise as Kurtzman & Orci & Solomon will write the screenplay for Venom, which Kurtzman will direct; also, Goddard will write, with an eye to direct, The Sinister Six, focusing on the villains in the franchise. Hannah Minghella and Rachel O’Connor will oversee the development and production of these films for the studio.

In tapping these five writers, the studio and the producers are guiding the future of the franchise with the writer/producers who have each played significant and key roles in developing such highly successful franchises, films, and series as Star Trek, Transformers, Alias, Fringe, Men in Black, Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure, World War Z, Lost, Cloverfield, The Cabin in the Woods, and Marvel's upcoming Daredevil series.

Commenting on the announcement, Belgrad said, "The Spider-Man film franchise is one of our studio’s greatest assets. We are thrilled with the creative team we have assembled to delve more deeply into the world that Marc, Avi and Matt have begun to explore in The Amazing Spider-Man and The Amazing Spider-Man 2. We believe that Marc, Alex, and Drew have uniquely exciting visions for how to expand the Spider-Man universe in each of these upcoming films."

Arad and Tolmach added, "This collaboration was born out of the great experience we and Marc had working with Alex, Bob, and Jeff on The Amazing Spider-Man 2. With more than fifty years' wealth of stories in the comic books to draw upon for inspiration, the Spider-Man universe is truly boundless; in addition, the Spider-Man comics have the greatest rogues gallery of any series, and to have the chance to explore that on film is truly thrilling. Until now, we have approached each film as a separate, self-contained entity, but with this move, we have the opportunity to grow the franchise by looking to the future as we develop a continuous arc for the story. That is what Alex, Bob, Jeff, Ed, and Drew will do in this unprecedented collaboration, and we’re excited about the directions they are taking the character and the world."

The most successful franchise in the history of Columbia Pictures, Spider-Man is embraced all over the world. The four Spider-Man films to date have taken in over $3.2 billion worldwide. Spider-Man, Venom, The Sinister Six and other Spider-Man related characters are licensed to Sony by Marvel Entertainment.

ABOUT SONY PICTURES ENTERTAINMENT
Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) is a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Sony Corporation. SPE's global operations encompass motion picture production and distribution; television production and distribution; home entertainment acquisition and distribution; a global channel network; digital content creation and distribution; operation of studio facilities; development of new entertainment products, services and technologies; and distribution of entertainment in more than 142 countries. For additional information, go to http://www.sonypictures.com/.

ABOUT MARVEL ENTERTAINMENT
Marvel Entertainment, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company, is one of the world's most prominent character-based entertainment companies, built on a proven library of more than 8,000 characters featured in a variety of media over seventy years. Marvel utilizes its character franchises in entertainment, licensing and publishing. For more information visit marvel.com.

Saturday, December 14, 2013

Washington DC Film Critics Choose "12 Years a Slave"

by Amos Semien

The Washington DC Area Film Critics Association named director 12 Years a Slave the "Best Film" of 2013. Steve McQueen's acclaimed film led all films with 11 nominations and ultimately won six, including "Best Actor" for Chiwetel Ejiofor and "Best Supporting Actress" for Lupita Nyong'o.

Founded in 2002, The Washington DC Area Film Critics Association (WAFCA) is comprised of professional DC-based film critics with affiliations in television, radio, print and the internet. As of 2013, WAFCA has grown to include 58 dedicated members from the District, Maryland and Virginia.

THE 2013 WAFCA AWARD WINNERS:

Best Film:
12 Years a Slave

Best Director:
Alfonso Cuarón (Gravity)

Best Actor:
Chiwetel Ejiofor (12 Years a Slave)

Best Actress:
Cate Blanchett (Blue Jasmine)

Best Supporting Actor:
Jared Leto (Dallas Buyers Club)

Best Supporting Actress:
Lupita Nyong'o (12 Years a Slave)

Best Acting Ensemble:
12 Years a Slave

Best Youth Performance:
Tye Sheridan (Mud)

Best Adapted Screenplay:
John Ridley (12 Years a Slave)

Best Original Screenplay:
Spike Jonze (Her)

Best Animated Feature:
Frozen

Best Documentary:
Blackfish

Best Foreign Language Film:
The Broken Circle Breakdown

Best Art Direction:
Production Designer: Catherine Martin, Set Decorator: Beverley Dunn (The Great Gatsby)

Best Cinematography:
Emmanuel Lubezki, ASC, A.M.C. (Gravity)

Best Editing:
Alfonso Cuarón, Mark Sanger (Gravity)

Best Original Score:
Hans Zimmer (12 Years a Slave)

The Joe Barber Award for Best Portrayal of Washington, DC:
Lee Daniels' The Butler

http://www.wafca.com/index.htm

END

Review: "High School Musical" is a Feel-Good Classic (Happy B'day, Vanessa Hudgens)

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 116 (of 2007) by Leroy Douresseaux

High School Musical (2006) – TV movie
Running time: 98 minutes (1 hour, 38 minutes)
TV-G
DIRECTOR: Kenny Ortega
WRITER: Peter Barsocchini
PRODUCERS: Bill Borden and Barry Rosenbush (executive producers) and Don Schain
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Gordon C. Lonsdale (D.o.P.)
EDITOR: Seth Flaum
COMPOSER: David Lawrence

MUSICAL with elements of comedy, drama, romance, and sports

Starring: Zac Efron, Vanessa Anne Hudgens, Ashley Tisdale, Lucas Grabeel, Corbin Bleu, Monique Coleman, Bart Johnson, Alyson Reed, Chris Warren, Jr., Olesya Rulin, and Socorro Herrera

When it debuted on the Disney Channel on January 20, 2006, High School Musical was just another “Disney Channel Original Movie” …to some. To others, especially the so-called “‘tween” audience (usually described as 10 to12-years old), the telefilm was something special. It was a smash hit in its time slot when just under eight million viewers tuned in to watch the premier, and the numerous repeat broadcasts since then also remain highly watched. The High School Musical soundtrack album has been certified quadruple platinum, and the various DVD releases have also sold almost 8 million copies. So what’s it all about?

High School Musical (HSM) is a twist on Romeo & Juliet and a kind of 21st century take on the hugely successful 1978 film, Grease (itself adapted from a Broadway musical). HSM is set in Albuquerque, New Mexico and takes place mostly on the campus of East High School, home of the Wildcats. Troy Bolton (Zac Efron), the basketball team’s star player, and Gabriella Montez (Vanessa Anne Hudgens), a brainiac and the new girl in school, fall in puppy love. They also end up auditioning for the school winter musical, performing a duet that earns them a call back.

However, Troy and Gabriella find themselves at odds with their family and friends who think that the two should “stick to what they know.” For Troy, that means devotion to the Wildcats basketball team and the upcoming championship game against West Side High. Troy feels the most heat from Coach Jack Bolton (Bart Johnson), who is also Troy’s father, and Chad Danforth (Corbin Bleu), Troy’s best friend who is devoted to basketball. For Gabriella, her friends in the Science Club, especially Taylor McKessie (Monique Coleman), think that Gabriella should focus on the upcoming Scholastic Decathlon.

Meanwhile, the school’s reigning musical duo, fraternal twins, Sharpay Evans (Ashley Tisdale) and her brother, Ryan (Lucas Grabeel, who has a strong, beautiful singing voice), don’t want anyone competing with them for the leads in the winter musical. Also, Ms. Darbus (Alyson Reed), the school’s drama teacher, isn’t sure she wants a basketball player in her musical, especially Troy because Ms. Darbus and Coach Bolton are often at odds.

Despite that, Troy and Gabrielle get together with fellow student Kelsi Nielsen (Olesya Rulin), a pianist and the winter musical’s composer, and practice their singing. When Troy’s teammates and Gabriella’s fellow science clubbers learn that the duo is serious about the musical, they conspire to break them apart, but will they end up wishing they’d kept Troy and Gabriella together.

Simply put, I’m a fan of this hugely fun and highly entertaining movie. I don’t really know why it works. Perhaps, it’s Disney magic. I’m not being silly. Shortly into the film, after two strangers, Troy Bolton and Gabriella Montez, come together and start singing in harmony as if it were always meant to be, one has to believe only Disney can get away with this. Just feel the magic and charm of this flick and go with it.

The songs are really good, and some of them are just good enough to move the narrative forward or flesh out a plot point, character, or mood. The acting is credible if not often very good, but when the cast sings or when a song becomes an elaborate song and dance number, the move becomes even more fun. Maybe, part of its appeal is that many wish their high schools were like East Side High, but since we can’t have that, we can dream. High School Musical is that happy dream.

7 of 10
B+

NOTES:
2006 Primetime Emmy Awards: 2 wins: “Outstanding Children’s Program” (Bill Borden, Barry Rosenbush, and Don Schain) and “Outstanding Choreography” (Kenny Ortega, Charles Klapow, and Bonnie Story); 4 nominations: “Outstanding Casting for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special” (casting by Jason La Padura and Natalie Hart), “Outstanding Directing for a Miniseries, Movie or a Dramatic Special” (Kenny Ortega), “Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics” (Ray Cham, Greg Cham, and Drew Seeley for the song: "Get'cha Head In The Game"), and “Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics” (Jamie Houston-writer and producer for the song "Breaking Free")

2007 Image Awards: 2 nominations: “Outstanding Children's Program” and “Outstanding Performance in a Youth/Children's Program - Series or Special” (Corbin Bleu)

Friday, August 17, 2007

Updated: Saturday, December 14, 2013

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

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"12 Years a Slave" Leads Washington DC Critics Awards Nominations

by Amos Semien

The Washington DC Area Film Critics Association (WAFCA) recently announced the winners and nominees of their annual film awards. I'll post the nominations first.

The 2013 WAFCA AWARD NOMINEES:

Best Film:

American Hustle

Gravity

Her

Inside Llewyn Davis

12 Years a Slave

Best Director:

Alfonso Cuarón (Gravity)

Spike Jonze (Her)

Baz Luhrmann (The Great Gatsby)

Steve McQueen (12 Years a Slave)

Martin Scorsese (The Wolf of Wall Street)

Best Actor:

Leonardo DiCaprio (The Wolf of Wall Street)

Chiwetel Ejiofor (12 Years a Slave)

Matthew McConaughey (Dallas Buyers Club)

Joaquin Phoenix (Her)

Robert Redford (All Is Lost)

Best Actress:

Cate Blanchett (Blue Jasmine)

Sandra Bullock (Gravity)

Judi Dench (Philomena)

Meryl Streep (August: Osage County)

Emma Thompson (Saving Mr. Banks)

Best Supporting Actor:

Daniel Brühl (Rush)

Michael Fassbender (12 Years a Slave)

James Franco (Spring Breakers)

James Gandolfini (Enough Said)

Jared Leto (Dallas Buyers Club)

Best Supporting Actress:

Scarlett Johansson (Her)

Jennifer Lawrence (American Hustle)

Lupita Nyong'o (12 Years a Slave)

Octavia Spencer (Fruitvale Station)

June Squibb (Nebraska)

Best Acting Ensemble:

American Hustle

August: Osage County

Prisoners

12 Years a Slave

The Way, Way Back

Best Youth Performance:

Asa Butterfield (Ender's Game)

Adéle Exarchopoulos (Blue Is the Warmest Color)

Liam James (The Way, Way Back)

Waad Mohammed (Wadjda)

Tye Sheridan (Mud)

Best Adapted Screenplay:

Julie Delpy, Ethan Hawke & Richard Linklater (Before Midnight)

Billy Ray (Captain Phillips)

Michael H. Weber & Scott Neustadter (The Spectacular Now)

John Ridley (12 Years a Slave)

Terence Winter (The Wolf of Wall Street)

Best Original Screenplay:

Eric Warren Singer & David O. Russell (American Hustle)

Woody Allen (Blue Jasmine)

Nicole Holofcener (Enough Said)

Spike Jonze (Her)

Joel Coen & Ethan Coen (Inside Llewyn Davis)

Best Animated Feature:

The Croods

Despicable Me 2

Frozen

Monsters University

The Wind Rises

Best Documentary:

The Act of Killing

Blackfish

Leviathan

Stories We Tell

20 Feet from Stardom

Best Foreign Language Film:

Blue Is the Warmest Color

The Broken Circle Breakdown

The Hunt

The Past

Wadjda

Best Art Direction:

Production Designer: Andy Nicholson, Set Decorator: Rosie Goodwin (Gravity)

Production Designer: Catherine Martin, Set Decorator: Beverley Dunn (The Great Gatsby)

Production Designer: K.K. Barrett, Set Decorator: Gene Serdena (Her)

Production Designer: Jess Gonchor, Set Decorator: Susan Bode Tyson (Inside Llewyn Davis)

Production Designer: Adam Stockhausen, Set Decorator: Alice Baker (12 Years a Slave)

Best Cinematography:

Emmanuel Lubezki, ASC, A.M.C. (Gravity)

Simon Duggan, ACS (The Great Gatsby)

Hoyte Van Hoytema, F.S.F., N.S.C. (Her)

Bruno Delbonnel, AFC, ASC (Inside Llewyn Davis)

Sean Bobbitt, BSC (12 Years a Slave)

Best Editing:

Alfonso Cuarón, Mark Sanger (Gravity)

Eric Zumbrunnen, A.C.E., Jeff Buchanan (Her)

Dan Hanley, A.C.E., Mike Hill, A.C.E. (Rush)

Joe Walker (12 Years a Slave)

Thelma Schoonmaker, A.C.E. (The Wolf of Wall Street)

Best Original Score:

Christophe Beck (Frozen)

Arcade Fire (Her)

Steven Price (Gravity)

Thomas Newman (Saving Mr. Banks)

Hans Zimmer (12 Years a Slave)

The Joe Barber Award for Best Portrayal of Washington, DC:

Lee Daniels' The Butler

The East

Olympus Has Fallen

Philomena

White House Down

http://www.wafca.com/index.htm

END

Friday, December 13, 2013

END

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