Thursday, February 28, 2013

Spielberg Announces New Shoah Foundation Challenge

Steven Spielberg Announces the Launch of the USC Shoah Foundation’s IWitness Video Challenge

“I implore educators not to allow the Holocaust to be a footnote in history, please teach this in your schools. There are 350,000 experts who just want to be useful for the remainder of their lives. Please listen to the words and the echoes and the ghosts and please teach this in your schools.” - Steven Spielberg

Steven Spielberg, USC Shoah Foundation Executive Director Dr. Stephen Smith and USC Shoah Foundation Director of Education Dr. Kori Street commemorated the Schindler’s List 20th Anniversary Limited Edition Blu-ray™ release with the global launch of the USC Shoah Foundation’s IWitness Video Challenge on Wednesday, February 27, 2013 at The Chandler School in Pasadena, CA. They were joined by middle and high school students who had participated in the program while in Beta.

IWitness Video Challenge is an online program from the USC Shoah Foundation – The Institute for Visual History and Education aimed at middle and high school students that brings thousands of taped testimonies of Holocaust survivors into the classroom for guided exploration, connecting kids with the past while engaging them in the present. For more information, please visit http://iwitness.usc.edu

Inspired by the experience of making Schindler’s List, Steven Spielberg established the USC Shoah Foundation in 1994 to videotape interviews with survivors and other witnesses of the Holocaust. Since the Foundation's inception, nearly 52,000 eyewitness testimonies have been recorded in 56 countries and in 32 languages. Today the Institute is committed to teaching with testimony, endeavoring to make the power of each story accessible to students, educators, scholars, and the general public on every continent. A powerful reminder of the heroism and humanity of those willing to stand up against intolerance, Schindler’s List will be available for the first time on Blu-ray™ on March 5, 2013. Digitally restored in high-definition from the original film negative, the Blu-ray™ release will expose the film to a whole new generation of viewers.

An edited video piece from the event is now available at:  http://youtu.be/jUbhE0k3nn0


Happy Birthday, Tracy

On the age thing - I won't go there, for the whole electronic world to see.  Have a Happy Birthday and many, many, many more.

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Oscar-Winner Anne Hathaway Returns to the Cast of "Rio 2"

Twentieth Century Fox Animation Announces RIO 2 Casting

Anne Hathaway, Jesse Eisenberg and the Rest of the Original Gang Are Back for the Follow-up to the 2011 Animated Hit

An Exciting Lineup of Top Acting and Musical Talents Joins the 'RIO' Family

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The starring voice cast of Twentieth Century Fox's 2011 animated smash RIO is reuniting for the follow-up, RIO 2, and they are joined by a flock of top actors and musical talents new to the franchise, it was announced today by Vanessa Morrison, president of Twentieth Century Fox Animation.

The film is now in production at Blue Sky Studios. Twentieth Century Fox's international rollout begins March 20, 2014, followed by its domestic release on April 11, 2014.

Returning to RIO 2, a world rich with grandeur, character, color and music are Anne Hathaway, Jesse Eisenberg, Jemaine Clement, will.i.am, Tracy Morgan, George Lopez, Leslie Mann, Rodrigo Santoro, Brazilian singer Bebel Gilberto, Jake T. Austin, and Jamie Foxx.

Carlos Saldanha, who was inspired to create RIO based upon his experiences growing up in that city, is back as director, as are producers John C. Donkin and Bruce Anderson.

In RIO 2 we find Blu, Jewel and their three kids living the perfect domesticated life in that magical city. When Jewel decides the kids need to learn to live like real birds, she insists the family venture into the Amazon. As Blu tries to fit in with his new neighbors, he worries he may lose Jewel and the kids to the call of the wild.

Joining the RIO 2 team are Oscar® nominee Andy Garcia, Grammy® winner Bruno Mars, Emmy®/Tony® winner Kristin Chenoweth, Oscar®/Emmy®/Tony®/Grammy® winner Rita Moreno, "The Hunger Games'" Amandla Stenberg, singer/actress Rachel Crow, "Looper's" Pierce Gagnon, and "Today" news anchor Natalie Morales.

Brazilian music legend and RIO executive music producer Sergio Mendes returns along with composer John Powell. RIO 2 will feature new Brazilian artists and original music by Janelle MonĂ¡e and The Wondaland Arts Society, who also voices a role in the film. Soundtrack will be released on Atlantic Records.

Released worldwide in April 2011, RIO's global box office tally is $486 million. It also was a huge hit on DVD and Blu-ray disc.


About 20th Century Fox Film
One of the world’s largest producers and distributors of motion pictures, 20th Century Fox Film produces, acquires and distributes motion pictures throughout the world. These motion pictures are produced or acquired by the following units of 20th Century Fox Film: Twentieth Century Fox, Fox 2000 Pictures, Fox Searchlight Pictures, Fox International Productions, and Twentieth Century Fox Animation.

Review: "The Raid: Redemption" Simply Terrific

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 14 (of 2013) by Leroy Douresseaux


The Raid: Redemption (2011)
Serbuan maut – original title
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: Indonesia; Language: Indonesian
Running time: 101 minutes (1 hour, 41 minutes)
Not rated by the MPAA
EDITOR/WRITER/DIRECTOR: Gareth Huw Evans
PRODUCER: Ario Sagantoro
CINEMATOGRAPHERS: Matt Flannery (D.o.P.) and Dimas Imam Subhono (D.o.P.)
COMPOSERS: Aria Prayogi and Fajar Yuskemal (Indonesian version); Mike Shinoda and Joseph Trapanese (U.S. release)

ACTION/CRIME/MARTIAL ARTS

Starring: Iko Uwais, Joe Taslim, Doni Alamsyah, Yayan Ruhian, Pierre Gruno, Ray Sahetapy, Tegar Satrya, Iang Darmawan, Eka “Piranha” Rahmadia, and Verdi Solaiman

The Raid: Redemption is a 2011 Indonesian martial arts and crime film from director Gareth Evans. The film, which was released in the United States in 2012, showcases “pencak silat,” the traditional Indonesian martial arts. The Raid: Redemption stars Iko Uwais as a member of a SWAT team trapped in a notorious tenement building and forced to fight off ruthless criminals.

Rama (Iko Uwais) is a rookie cop and expectant father. The morning that the film begins, he joins a unit of Detachment 88 (kind of the Indonesian equivalent of an American SWAT team) as it prepares to raid one of Jakarta, Indonesia’s most notorious apartment blocks. Led by Sergeant Jaka (Joe Taslim) and Lieutenant Wahyu (Pierre Gruno), Rama and the other officers infiltrate the building in order to capture Tama Riyadi (Ray Sahetapy), a legendary mobster. But the team soon finds itself trapped in the building and forced to fight its way out. Tama’s right-hand men, Andi (Doni Alamsyah) and Mad Dog (Yayan Ruhian), lead an army of killers and thugs ready and willing to claim the bounty Tama has placed on the cops.

On the surface, The Raid: Redemption seems like a “no frills” film, but the breathtaking pencak silat brawls, duels, fights, etc are a celebration of the cinematic ballet that martial arts can be in film. This is bone-crunching frills, a kind of body-smashing version of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon’s exquisite martial arts duels and clashes.

The Raid: Redemption is also the kind of movie that is especially the work of the director, film editor, and fight choreographer(s). Gareth Evans is editor and director, and actors, Iko Uwais and Yayan Ruhian, designed the fight choreography. For all the fights there are, one doesn’t resemble the other. Each fight is its own thrilling thing. It helps that Mike Shinoda and Joseph Trapanese’s musical score for the U.S. release heightens the sense of impending doom and nerve-wracking action; this is a score worth owning.

Evans manages to make a tense cop thriller full of action, without the movie turning into the ridiculous thrill machine that many Hollywood action films are. Evan also gets a number of good performances from his cast. Few gun-toting movie thugs and street-level cops are as interesting as the ones in The Raid: Redemption. Because the performances successfully construct the characters, you hate to see many of them blown away.

Sometimes, I am reluctant to recommend even movies that I really like, but I heartily recommend The Raid: Redemption. If you don’t want to read subtitles, the DVD has an English dub, so don’t use a foreign language as a reason not to see one of the best action movies in a long, long time.

9 of 10
A+

NOTES:
2013 Image Awards: 1 nomination: “Outstanding International Motion Picture”

Friday, February 22, 2013

Last "Twilight" Film Dominates 2013 Razzie Awards

by Leroy Douresseaux

The Golden Raspberry Award or, as it is best known, the Razzie Award, is basically the opposite of the Academy Awards (the Oscars). This award honors the worst achievements in film in a calendar year, as determined by the paid membership of the Golden Raspberry Award Foundation.

The nominations for 33rd Annual Razzie Awards were announced on January 8, 2013, and the 33rd Annual Razzie Awards were announced Saturday, February 23, 2013, one day before the Academy Awards ceremony. This is the tradition, although the previous awards ceremony (32nd) was held on April Fool’s Day.

Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2 won 7 of the 10 categories at the 33rd Annual Razzie Awards.  Adam Sandler continued his recent reign as a performer at the Razzie Awards, winning "Worst Actor" for That's My Boy.  I am a fan of the Twilight films (though I've only read the first two books in the series), and I think the Razzie voters are just haters when it comes Twilight.  In fact, I think they're haters in general.  The Razzies are the mirror image of the Oscars.  Why?  Both focus, for the most part, on the Hollywood industry - highlighting big names to serve their own self-interests.  Anyway, here are the winners/losers...

Here, are the nominees and winners of the 2013 Razzie Awards, with the winners in bold and with “WINNER” next to their name or title:

Worst Picture:
Battleship
Oogieloves in the Big Balloon Adventure
That’s My Boy!
A Thousand Words
Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2 WINNER

Worst Actress:
Katherine Heigl, One For The Money
Milla Jovovich, Resident Evil #5: Retribution
Tyler Perry (In Drag), Madea’s Witless Protection
Kristen Stewart, Snow White and The Huntsman & Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2 WINNER
Barbra Streisand, Guilt Trip

Worst Actor:
Nicolas Cage, Ghost Rider 2: Spirit of Vengeance & Seeking Justice
Eddie Murphy, A Thousand Words
Robert Pattinson, Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2
Tyler Perry (Not in Drag), Alex Cross & Tyler Perry’s Good Deeds
Adam Sandler, That’s My Boy! WINNER

Worst Supporting Actress:
Jessica Biel, Playing For Keeps & Total Recall
Brooklyn Decker, Battleship &What To Expect When You’re Expecting
Ashley Green, Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2
Jennifer Lopez, What to Expect When You’re Expecting
Rihanna, Battleship WINNER

Worst Supporting Actor:
David Hasselhoff (as “Himself”), Pirannha 3-DD
Taylor Lautner, Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2 WINNER
Liam Neeson, Battleship & Wrath of the Titans
Nick Swardson, That’s My Boy!
Vanilla Ice (as “Himself”), That’s My Boy!

Worst Screen Couple:
Any Combination of Two Cast Members from Jersey Shore, The Three Stooges
Mackenzie Foy (as “Little Renesmee”) & Taylor Lautner, Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2 WINNER
Robert Pattinson & Kristen Stewart, Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2
Tyler Perry & His Drag Get-Up, Tyler Perry’s Madea’s Witless Protection
Adam Sandler and either Leighton Meester, Andy Samberg, or Susan Sarandon, That’s My Boy!

Worst Director:
Sean Anders, That’s My Boy!
Peter Berg, Battleship
Bill Condon, Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2 WINNER
Tyler Perry, Good Deeds & Madea’s Witless Protection
John Putch, Atlas Shrugged: Part II

Worst Screen Ensemble:
The Entire Cast of Battleship
The Entire Cast of Oogieloves inThe Big Balloon Adventure
The Entire Cast of That’s My Boy!
The Entire Cast of Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2 WINNER
The Entire Cast of Madea’s Witless Protection

Worst Screenplay:
Atlas Shrugged: Part II
Battleship
That’s My Boy! WINNER
A Thousand Words
Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2

Worst Prequel, Remake, Rip-off or Sequel (selected by the general public via the Razzie Award website):
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2 WINNER
Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance
Tyler Perry's Madea's Witness Protection
Piranha 3DD
Red Dawn

http://www.razzies.com/

Tuesday, February 26, 2013

National Society of Film Critics Names "Amour" Top Film of 2012

by Leroy Douresseaux

More 2012 awards clean up.  I covered The National Society of Film Critics last year, so I feel that I need to do so this year.  They went with the hot Austrian film, Amour, and named its star, Emmanuelle Riva, "Best Actress" and its writer/director, Michael Haneke, "Best Director."

The National Society of Film Critics was founded in New York City in 1966 and is currently made of 60 of the country’s most prominent movie critics. Known for their highbrow tastes, these critics form one of the most prestigious film groups on the United States. Current members include some of my favorite film critics: Roger Ebert, David Edelstein, and J. Hoberman, among others. The society has produced several anthologies about movies, including the must-have for film fans, Produced and Abandoned: The Best Films You’ve Never Seen (1990).

The National Society of Film Critics voted Michael Haneke’s “Amour” as the “Best Picture” of 2012. Below is the full list of the awards, with the winner designated by an asterisk and the first and second runners-up listed with the number of votes each received.

47th Annual (2012) National Society of Film Critics Awards (* denotes winner):

BEST PICTURE
*1. Amour – 28
2. The Master – 25
3. Zero Dark Thirty – 18

BEST ACTOR
*1. Daniel Day-Lewis (Lincoln) – 59
2. Denis Lavant – 49
2. Joaquin Phoenix – 49

BEST ACTRESS
*1. Emmanuelle Riva (Amour) – 50
2. Jennifer Lawrence – 42
3. Jessica Chastain– 32

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
*1. Matthew McConaughey (Magic Mike, Bernie) – 27
2. Tommy Lee Jones – 22
3. Philip Seymour Hoffman – 19

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
*1. Amy Adams (The Master) – 34
2. Sally Field – 23
3. Anne Hathaway – 13

BEST DIRECTOR
*1. Michael Haneke (Amour) – 27
2. Kathryn Bigelow – 24
2. Paul Thomas Anderson – 24

BEST NONFICTION
*1. The Gatekeepers – 53
2. This Is Not a Film – 45
3. Searching for Sugar Man – 23

BEST SCREENPLAY
*1. Lincoln (Tony Kushner) – 59
2. The Master (P.T. Anderson)– 27
3. Silver Linings Playbook (David O. Russell) – 19

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
*1. The Master (Mihai Malaimare, Jr.) – 60
2. Skyfall– 30
3. Zero Dark Thirty – 21

EXPERIMENTAL: This Is Not a Film (Jafar Panahi)

FILM HERITAGE
• To Laurence Kardish, Senior Film Curator at MoMA, for his extraordinary 44 years of service, including this year’s Weimar Cinema retrospective.

• To Milestone Film & Video for their ongoing Shirley Clarke project.

DEDICATION: This year’s awards are dedicated to the late Andrew Sarris, one of the most original and influential American film critics as well as a founding member of the Society

http://www.nationalsocietyoffilmcritics.com/

London Film Critics Choose "Amour"

by Leroy Douresseaux

I'm still tying up some loose ends from the 2012 movie award season.  I just remembered that I did not post the result of a critics organization awards ceremony, although I did post its nominations earlier.  So...

The acclaimed Austrian film, Amour, won the "Film of the Year" award for 2012 at the 33rd annual edition of the London Critics' Circle Film Awards.  Amour also earned an "Actress of the Year" award for Emmanuelle Riva and a "Screenwriter of the Year" award for its writer/director, Michael Haneke.  "Director of the Year" went to Ang Lee for Life of Pi.  Lee surprised quite a few people at the Oscars this past Sunday night by winning the best director Oscar for Life of Pi.

The 33rd annual edition London Critics' Circle Film Awards took place on Sunday, January 20, 2013, in a ceremony held at the May Fair Hotel.

33rd London Film Critics’ Circle Awards Winners:

The Sky Movies Award: FILM OF THE YEAR
Amour (Artificial Eye)

FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM OF THE YEAR
Rust and Bone (StudioCanal)

DOCUMENTARY OF THE YEAR
The Imposter (Picturehouse/Revolver)

The Attenborough Award: BRITISH FILM OF THE YEAR - presented by The May Fair Hotel
Berberian Sound Studio (Artificial Eye)

Top 10 Films
1. Amour (Artificial Eye)
2. The Master (Entertainment)
3. Life of Pi (Fox)
4. Argo (Warners)
5. Beasts of the Southern Wild (StudioCanal)
6. Zero Dark Thirty (Universal)
7. Once Upon a Time in Anatolia (New Wave)
8. Django Unchained (Sony)
9. Tabu (New Wave)
10. Rust and Bone (StudioCanal)

The American Airlines Award: DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR
Ang Lee – Life of Pi (Fox)

ACTOR OF THE YEAR - Sponsored by Spotlight
Joaquin Phoenix – The Master (Entertainment)

ACTRESS OF THE YEAR - Sponsored by Spotlight
Emmanuelle Riva – Amour (Artificial Eye)

SUPPORTING ACTOR OF THE YEAR
Philip Seymour Hoffman – The Master (Entertainment)

SUPPORTING ACTRESS OF THE YEAR
Anne Hathaway – Les Miserables (Universal)

BRITISH ACTOR OF THE YEAR - In association with Cameo Productions
Toby Jones – Berberian Sound Studio (Artificial Eye)

BRITISH ACTRESS OF THE YEAR
Andrea Riseborough – Shadow Dancer (Paramount)

YOUNG BRITISH PERFORMER OF THE YEAR
Tom Holland – The Impossible (eOne)

SCREENWRITER OF THE YEAR - Sponsored by Distrupol
Michael Haneke – Amour (Artificial Eye)

BREAKTHROUGH BRITISH FILM-MAKER
Alice Lowe and Steve Oram, writers – Sightseers (StudioCanal)

The Sky 3D Award: TECHNICAL ACHIEVEMENT
Life of Pi – Bill Westenhofer, visual effects (Fox)

DILYS POWELL AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN FILM - sponsored by Premier
Helena Bonham Carter

http://www.criticscircle.org.uk/