Authors: Douglas Reese
Location: Clarksville, Ohio
"Abbott and Costello Meet Their Biography”
Directed by Stephen Gallagan
Written by Andrew Fleming and Stephen Gallagan
Produced by Jerry Seinfeld
Cinematography by Russell Carpenter
Editing by Thelma Schoonmaker
Music by Howard Shore
Principal Cast:
Jeff Daniels … William Alexander Abbott
Nathan Lane …Louis Francis Cristillo
Patricia Clarkson … Morgan Abbott
Alan Alda … Carl Laemmie
Missy Crider … Sarah Woodrow
Frances McDormand … Leona Abbott / Evelyn Cristillo
Tagline: "They made you laugh. They made you cry. They made you laugh harder. That’s about it"
Synopsis: Jeff Daniels is William Abbott, a 36-year old vaudeville star who becomes friends when he works as straight man to the 25-year old vaudeville comedian Lou Cristillo (Nathan Lane). It is from here where they become the funniest duo in town and sprout many fans and end up getting a contract to do a comedy film for Universal Studios. Abbott and “Costello” become international stars with their first film ‘One Night in the Tropics’, they spring forth to be America’s most loved comedic stars and make more movies, perform on stage, and become the best of friends! Stephen Gallagan’s deliciously captivating picture focuses on the productions of the duo’s films, the lives at home, the secrets storming up behind the scenes, and the conspiracy of Costello’s hair… It is a sure fact that Stephen Gallagan has delivered a movie masterpiece making the viewer of the film feel as if they are watching Abbott and Costello one last time!
What the press would say:
Shot in glorious black-and-white by ‘Titanic’ director of photography Russell Carpenter and scored beautifully by Howard Shore, ‘ABBOTT AND COSTELLO MEET THEIR BIOGRAPHY’ is a film to remember! Nathan Lane won the Critics Choice Award for Best Actor for his splendid portrayal as Lou Costello! Jeff Daniels was nominated for the same award for his grand performance as Bud Abbott! Richard Roeper of Ebert & Roeper says,
“Daniels and Lane were born to play these roles, especially Lane who pulls off the best comedic performance of the year as Lou Costello. Ten minutes into the film we forget it is Lane acting and we believe that Lou is on the screen. He has risen from the dead!”
Gallagan’s take on making the biopic into a slapstick comedy with the style of Abbott and Costello’s films using black-and-white, full frame, a little grainy picture, old-fashioned musical score, nice corny dialogue, slapstick comedy, it prevails in the end to be a great “old-timers” movie. The film is well-done given the fact that it keeps a family-friendly status with a “G” rating and staying funny without being raunchy or senile.
‘ABBOTT AND COSTELLO MEET THEIR BIOGRAPHY’ is sure to be an instant classic and Gallagan may receive the Director award that he rightfully deserves for delivering such a masterwork of true comical genius!
“Fast-paced, hilarious, touching, one of the best films of the year!” – Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
Quote:
Lou: “Okay so we gonna split it 60/40.”
Bud: “Okay, how ‘bout not!”
Lou: “Fine, I can use more doe!”
For Your Consideration:
Picture
Director – Gallagan
Original Screenplay
Actor - Lane
Actor – Daniels
Friday, June 20, 2008
The Angel in Hells Alley
Author(s): Tony
Location: Pittsburgh
"The Angel in Hells Alley”
Directed by Stephen Frears
Written by Anthony Minghella
Producted by Tim Bevan
Music by Rachel Portman
Principal Cast:
William Sadler as Jerry Burnett
Adam Zolotin as Luke Harper
Alexander Conti as Young Luke
Sharon Stone as Deidre Burnett
Stanley Tucci as Dr. Francis Murray
Ralph Fiennes as Maxwell Harper
Marcia Gay Harden as Claudia Harper
John Hurt as William 'Bill' Burnett
Marc Musso as Jerry Burnett JR
Tagline: "A homeless man and an affluent boy meet in a dark alley...it was the best thing to happen to them both"
Synopsis: Passion and pain arouse in this highly dramatic fable about the relationship through the lives of one character on top of the world, and another at the bottom, the one on top is a 13 year old boy.
Luke Harper is a 13 year old kid with plenty of wealth behind him. His parents, Maxwell and Claudia (Fiennes and Harden) have mostly guided him throughout his life and have been very influential. However the conflict is Fiennes is a highly important government official who wants Luke to grow up in his fathers name. Luke is a boy with plenty ambition and hope towards whatever he decides to be.
However, deep in the city lie urban legends and myths. One being Hells Valley, which has been rumored no child should ever dare into, a rumor that's lived on for years. One day, careless Luke with nothing to lose decides to explore the heart of Hells Valley, only to meet a man (Sadler) cuddled into the corner behind a trash can. He awakes and together the two bind a tremendous relationship, with Luky being Jerrys only real contact ever since his lifestyle had changed to this, and Lukes only real freedom.
About three days a week Luke would meet Jerry in Hells Alley bringing him supplies that's needed for every day life, but every day seemed more painful for Luke, as his father continued to persuade him to be in shoes one day. Jerry teaches Luke the values of life and lectures him on making right decisions for himself day after day. However when Jerry is asked about his tormented past, he falls apart inside and wont let out an answer. It was finally until Luke asked him one more time about it and Jerry would throw a conniption. Frightening Luke so much he would then keep away from the alley for several months. However after feeling alone for a certain amount of time he revisits Jerry in Hells Alley, only to witness a rotting corpse behind a dumpster. Luke falls down in tears as he notices his friend has taken his own life, but a letter is left in his hand stating Luke was the best thing to happen in his life, for once he could express himself, but his troubled past he couldn't let him go.
The film then starts ten years later, where Luke is now a young adult with a lovely girlfriend and great apartment. Deciding to take a different road from his fathers wishing, Luke was a writer. He realizes it's the ten year anniversary since the death and realizes he must know what happened to the angel in Hells Valley that made him do such a thing. He gets in contact with Deidre, Jerrys ex-wife. Hear he learns more than imagined. The film then takes place in the past where Jerry and Deidre lived a beautiful life together, but money was low. Jerry was dealing with alcoholism, chemical dependency, and his father (John Hurt) being a victim of parathyroid cancer. Jerry was a changed man after this, which led to the affair Deidre had with her psychiatrist (Tucci). Never did Jerry know after he left her she conceived his child (Musso). Jerry left all he had behind, but left what he knew to Luke, saving Luke from ever truly knowing the meaning of life, to live it at the fullest, and be grateful for the things with and ahead of him.
What the press would say:
My hats off to the emotion packed gut wrenching drama with many symbolic meanings and forceful performances, "The Angel in Hells Alley". The two stories are told behind two persons eyes, Luke and Deidre. One of which is full of hope, happiness and warmth, while the other is full of agony, deception, and torment. William Sadler is terrific in this film, and whom happens to be the only connection with both stories. The first half of this feature is a kind gentle hearted individual, while the second we see character development that flies off the charts. Sadlers performance is one to not be taken lightly and should create some serious contention. Adam Zolotin touches our souls in his performance in "Jack" and yet saddens it in "The Angel in Hells Alley". The scene after Deidre tells her story and we see Zolotin in the car ride home letting all his emotions out, knowing what he has now is a mark in this young actors career, and he will be remembered for it. Fiennes brings out his old Schindlers List character (less violent of course) as the uptight father urging his son to be something he doesn't want to be, a supporting role nomination would be fit. Remember Casino? Remember Stone? Yeah, forget about it, the less annoying character she plays in Angel blows anything she's ever done out of the water. a lovable wife that is caught up in all her husbands emotions which eventually leads to more frustration from her actions afterwards. Take time in life to learn and appreciate every day life experiences, lovable or tragic, and go see this film. "The Angel in Hells Alley" delivers, and delivers hard!
Possible Nominations:
Best Picture - Anthony Minghella and Tim Bevan
Best Director - Stephen Frears
Best Actor in Leading Role - William Sadler
Best Actor in Supporting Role - Adam Zolotin
Best Actor in Supporting Role - Ralph Fiennes
Best Actress in Supporting Role - Sharon Stone
Best Original Screenplay - Anthony Minghella
Best Film Editing
Best Original Score
Best Original Song - "Further Between Us" - Trent Reznor
Location: Pittsburgh
"The Angel in Hells Alley”
Directed by Stephen Frears
Written by Anthony Minghella
Producted by Tim Bevan
Music by Rachel Portman
Principal Cast:
William Sadler as Jerry Burnett
Adam Zolotin as Luke Harper
Alexander Conti as Young Luke
Sharon Stone as Deidre Burnett
Stanley Tucci as Dr. Francis Murray
Ralph Fiennes as Maxwell Harper
Marcia Gay Harden as Claudia Harper
John Hurt as William 'Bill' Burnett
Marc Musso as Jerry Burnett JR
Tagline: "A homeless man and an affluent boy meet in a dark alley...it was the best thing to happen to them both"
Synopsis: Passion and pain arouse in this highly dramatic fable about the relationship through the lives of one character on top of the world, and another at the bottom, the one on top is a 13 year old boy.
Luke Harper is a 13 year old kid with plenty of wealth behind him. His parents, Maxwell and Claudia (Fiennes and Harden) have mostly guided him throughout his life and have been very influential. However the conflict is Fiennes is a highly important government official who wants Luke to grow up in his fathers name. Luke is a boy with plenty ambition and hope towards whatever he decides to be.
However, deep in the city lie urban legends and myths. One being Hells Valley, which has been rumored no child should ever dare into, a rumor that's lived on for years. One day, careless Luke with nothing to lose decides to explore the heart of Hells Valley, only to meet a man (Sadler) cuddled into the corner behind a trash can. He awakes and together the two bind a tremendous relationship, with Luky being Jerrys only real contact ever since his lifestyle had changed to this, and Lukes only real freedom.
About three days a week Luke would meet Jerry in Hells Alley bringing him supplies that's needed for every day life, but every day seemed more painful for Luke, as his father continued to persuade him to be in shoes one day. Jerry teaches Luke the values of life and lectures him on making right decisions for himself day after day. However when Jerry is asked about his tormented past, he falls apart inside and wont let out an answer. It was finally until Luke asked him one more time about it and Jerry would throw a conniption. Frightening Luke so much he would then keep away from the alley for several months. However after feeling alone for a certain amount of time he revisits Jerry in Hells Alley, only to witness a rotting corpse behind a dumpster. Luke falls down in tears as he notices his friend has taken his own life, but a letter is left in his hand stating Luke was the best thing to happen in his life, for once he could express himself, but his troubled past he couldn't let him go.
The film then starts ten years later, where Luke is now a young adult with a lovely girlfriend and great apartment. Deciding to take a different road from his fathers wishing, Luke was a writer. He realizes it's the ten year anniversary since the death and realizes he must know what happened to the angel in Hells Valley that made him do such a thing. He gets in contact with Deidre, Jerrys ex-wife. Hear he learns more than imagined. The film then takes place in the past where Jerry and Deidre lived a beautiful life together, but money was low. Jerry was dealing with alcoholism, chemical dependency, and his father (John Hurt) being a victim of parathyroid cancer. Jerry was a changed man after this, which led to the affair Deidre had with her psychiatrist (Tucci). Never did Jerry know after he left her she conceived his child (Musso). Jerry left all he had behind, but left what he knew to Luke, saving Luke from ever truly knowing the meaning of life, to live it at the fullest, and be grateful for the things with and ahead of him.
What the press would say:
My hats off to the emotion packed gut wrenching drama with many symbolic meanings and forceful performances, "The Angel in Hells Alley". The two stories are told behind two persons eyes, Luke and Deidre. One of which is full of hope, happiness and warmth, while the other is full of agony, deception, and torment. William Sadler is terrific in this film, and whom happens to be the only connection with both stories. The first half of this feature is a kind gentle hearted individual, while the second we see character development that flies off the charts. Sadlers performance is one to not be taken lightly and should create some serious contention. Adam Zolotin touches our souls in his performance in "Jack" and yet saddens it in "The Angel in Hells Alley". The scene after Deidre tells her story and we see Zolotin in the car ride home letting all his emotions out, knowing what he has now is a mark in this young actors career, and he will be remembered for it. Fiennes brings out his old Schindlers List character (less violent of course) as the uptight father urging his son to be something he doesn't want to be, a supporting role nomination would be fit. Remember Casino? Remember Stone? Yeah, forget about it, the less annoying character she plays in Angel blows anything she's ever done out of the water. a lovable wife that is caught up in all her husbands emotions which eventually leads to more frustration from her actions afterwards. Take time in life to learn and appreciate every day life experiences, lovable or tragic, and go see this film. "The Angel in Hells Alley" delivers, and delivers hard!
Possible Nominations:
Best Picture - Anthony Minghella and Tim Bevan
Best Director - Stephen Frears
Best Actor in Leading Role - William Sadler
Best Actor in Supporting Role - Adam Zolotin
Best Actor in Supporting Role - Ralph Fiennes
Best Actress in Supporting Role - Sharon Stone
Best Original Screenplay - Anthony Minghella
Best Film Editing
Best Original Score
Best Original Song - "Further Between Us" - Trent Reznor
Animal Farm
Author(s): Alex / Daniel Crooke
Location: Washington State / Ohio
"Animal Farm”
Directed by: Oliver Stone
Screenplay by: Dan Futterman
Score by: James Horner
Principal Cast:
Principal Cast:
George Clooney as Theodore 'Napoleon' Richter
Denzel Washington as James 'Snowball' Jacobs
Paul Giamatti as Michael 'Squealer' Clark
Liam Neeson as Alex 'Boxer' Stevens
Jon Voight as Jameson 'Old Major' Doyal
Virginia Madsen as Sandra 'Clover' Miller
Steve Buscemi as "Moses"
Reese Witherspoon as Mollie Jones
Gene Hackman as Benjamin Washington
Patricia Clarkson as Muriel DiMarco
Rachel Weisz as Jessie Robertson
Maria Bello as Melissa 'Bluebell' Browning
Jack Nicholson as Mr. Samuel Jones
Donald Sutherland as Norbert Pilkington
Robert Duvall as Steven Frederick
Tommy Lee Jones as Jon Whymper
Tagline: "All employees are equal, but some employees are more equal than others"
Synopsis: A New York City office building. Jameson Doyal, a department head at Jones Inc., has a dream that the employees will rise up over their boss, Samuel Jones. Jones is the worst boss anyone could have. He keeps his employees late, makes them come in on weekends, underpays them, and is just an overall not a very nice man. Soon after Doyal tells his workers of his dream, he has a heart attack and dies. Theodore Ritchie (who is called Napoleon by his friends because of a daring trade deal he managed to make with a French company) and James Jacobs (who was called Snowball by his childhood friends and the name stuck) were Doyal's favorite deputies. The two desperately wanted to make sure that Doyal's dream would come true. So, they led a Class Action lawsuit against Jones. They constantly argue over who should run the business. The company's spokesperson, Michael Clark, and the hardest worker to most of the interns and employees, Alex Stevens, are both convinced into going along with Ritchie. At the trial to decide who is granted control of the office, Jones or the employees, Jacobs is called to the stand and gives a riveting speech on how cruel life at the office was under Jones. Not only do the employees win their case, but Jacobs is praised by the other employees, for his speech, and is expected to win the upcoming election between him and Ritchie to see who will hold the position of CEO and who will stay department head. It is at about this time that Ritchie and Jacobs issue the new office rules or "Seven Commandments" as they were nicknamed around the office. The rules state that every employee is equal and that they all will never enforce the tyranny that Jones did.
Ritchie now sees Jacobs as even more of a threat to his lust for power. It is then discovered that two other department heads, Jessie Robertson and Melissa Browning, lent Ritchie a total of nine interns. These nine interns, along with Clark, were then used to gather damaging information about Jacobs for Ritchie in order to get him fired. They were, as one could say, a secret police. Clark tells everyone that Jacobs was working for Jones when he gave his infamous speech. Ritchie fires Jacobs and intimidates the other employees into naming him CEO, and then promotes Stevens to department head. It turns out that only one employee was absent from the trial. Mollie Jones. Mollie Jones is Stevens' secretary and Samuel Jones' daughter. She loved the fact that she was treated differently from everyone else. She was never forced to stay late or had any of the inconveniences the other employees had. Clark is fed up with her complaining about her not getting special treatment any longer, and pushes her to resign and leave town. The only employee of Jones' to stay after he leaves is Benjamin Washington, the rusty old chief of security. The only reason why he does stay is because he really doesn't care what happens or how it is done and pretty much keeps to himself. This begins the "purification" of the office by Ritchie. Now that Ritchie is fully secure in his position, he decides to open up trade deals to make some money for the struggling business. Muriel DiMarco, head of the personnel office hires Jon Whymper to be the middle man in the soon to be announced trade summit. Norbert Pilkington is the CEO of Foxwood, INC based in London. Steven Frederick is the CEO of Pinchfeild, CO based in Berlin. Both companies are eager to pay the highest price. It looks like Ritchie is about to close the deal with Pilkington, but he decides instead to sell to Frederick. His reasoning? Jacobs is presumably now working as a top consultant to Pilkington.
It's about now that a homeless Christian fanatic starts to live in their parking garage. He is known only as "Moses", and is obsessed with Armageddon and the coming of next coming of Christ. He is seen only as an annoyance to most of the employees, as well as Ritchie. "Moses" begins to fill the employees' minds with a much better place then where they are already working. He tries to excite the employees into leaving the company. "Moses" disappears. With the money acquired from the deal with Frederick, Ritchie introduces a plan for an extension for their office building (which was originally Jacobs' idea). As soon as its completed, a really nasty storm tears down its foundation. Although this is true, Ritchie tells Clark to report to the employees that it was an act of sabotage by Jacobs, and that he was trying to bomb them to slow progress. The employees believe this and police put out a warrant for his arrest. Sandra Miller is Ritchie's assistant. She walks in on him breaking one of the "Seven Commandments". It stated that "No alcohol shall be consumed in the office". As several other commandments are broken, Ritchie believed that it was about time for a revision in the so called "Seven Commandments". In order to make sure he could do whatever he wanted, he revised the rules so that it only consisted of one. The one and only rule was "All employees are equal, but some employees are more equal than others". Soon Steven gets in a car accident and is immediately hospitalized. He has the third highest paying job and will be on the payroll while lying in bed. Instead of keeping him onboard, Ritchie fires him to save money. no employees shall be fired. Miller gets suspicious again, and is told by DiMarco that. At the end of the film there's a giant party hosted by Pilkington to congratulate Ritchie on a job well done. As they are talking, Ritchie starts to tell Pilkington of the new low wages and long hours to be announced the next day. It turns out that the company really hasn't gotten anywhere since Jones left. It got worse. At least for the common employees. Ritchie and his private staff were living the high life. All employees are equal, but some employees are more equal than others.
What the press would say:
Oliver Stone's newest film "Animal Farm" is one of the greatest adaptations I have seen in over a decade. The film is a parallel to the famous novel by George Orwell, which is also a parallel. Instead of animals on a farm, this film features businessmen and women in a major New York City business. The film has an outstanding cast with George Clooney and Denzel Washington as the lead actors, Theodore "Napoleon" Richter and James "Snowball" Jacobs. A few standouts are Steve Buscemi as the homeless Christian fanatic only known as "Moses", Paul Giamatti as Napoleon's right hand man Michael "Squealer" Clark, Liam Neeson as the extremely dedicated Alex "Boxer" Stevens, and Reese Witherspoon as Mollie Jones, the daughter of the boss, Mr. Jones (Jack Nicholson, in an outstanding portrayal), who is at times extremely frivolous and overly happy. Virginia Madsen and Patricia Clarkson play Sandra "Clover" Miller and Muriel DiMarco, respectively. Both were more than good and will for sure get Golden Globe nominations. Hopefully, both will end up with final Oscar nominations. The screenplay is brilliantly adapted by Dan Futterman. The film is edited beautifully with a great directing eye from Oliver Stone. The film has already won a few precursor awards including the Best Actor award at Venice for George Clooney and outstanding reviews from Toronto.Overall, "Animal Farm" is one of my favorite films of this fierce awards season and will be winning a few awards come Oscar time.
Nominations:
Best Picture
Best Director (Oliver Stone)
Best Actor (George Clooney, Denzel Washington)
Best Supporting Actor (Steve Buschemi, Paul Giamatti, Liam Neeson)
Best Supporting Actress (Virginia Madsen, Reese Witherspoon, Patricia Clarkson)
Best Adapted Screenplay (Dan Futterman)
Best Film Editing
Location: Washington State / Ohio
"Animal Farm”
Directed by: Oliver Stone
Screenplay by: Dan Futterman
Score by: James Horner
Principal Cast:
Principal Cast:
George Clooney as Theodore 'Napoleon' Richter
Denzel Washington as James 'Snowball' Jacobs
Paul Giamatti as Michael 'Squealer' Clark
Liam Neeson as Alex 'Boxer' Stevens
Jon Voight as Jameson 'Old Major' Doyal
Virginia Madsen as Sandra 'Clover' Miller
Steve Buscemi as "Moses"
Reese Witherspoon as Mollie Jones
Gene Hackman as Benjamin Washington
Patricia Clarkson as Muriel DiMarco
Rachel Weisz as Jessie Robertson
Maria Bello as Melissa 'Bluebell' Browning
Jack Nicholson as Mr. Samuel Jones
Donald Sutherland as Norbert Pilkington
Robert Duvall as Steven Frederick
Tommy Lee Jones as Jon Whymper
Tagline: "All employees are equal, but some employees are more equal than others"
Synopsis: A New York City office building. Jameson Doyal, a department head at Jones Inc., has a dream that the employees will rise up over their boss, Samuel Jones. Jones is the worst boss anyone could have. He keeps his employees late, makes them come in on weekends, underpays them, and is just an overall not a very nice man. Soon after Doyal tells his workers of his dream, he has a heart attack and dies. Theodore Ritchie (who is called Napoleon by his friends because of a daring trade deal he managed to make with a French company) and James Jacobs (who was called Snowball by his childhood friends and the name stuck) were Doyal's favorite deputies. The two desperately wanted to make sure that Doyal's dream would come true. So, they led a Class Action lawsuit against Jones. They constantly argue over who should run the business. The company's spokesperson, Michael Clark, and the hardest worker to most of the interns and employees, Alex Stevens, are both convinced into going along with Ritchie. At the trial to decide who is granted control of the office, Jones or the employees, Jacobs is called to the stand and gives a riveting speech on how cruel life at the office was under Jones. Not only do the employees win their case, but Jacobs is praised by the other employees, for his speech, and is expected to win the upcoming election between him and Ritchie to see who will hold the position of CEO and who will stay department head. It is at about this time that Ritchie and Jacobs issue the new office rules or "Seven Commandments" as they were nicknamed around the office. The rules state that every employee is equal and that they all will never enforce the tyranny that Jones did.
Ritchie now sees Jacobs as even more of a threat to his lust for power. It is then discovered that two other department heads, Jessie Robertson and Melissa Browning, lent Ritchie a total of nine interns. These nine interns, along with Clark, were then used to gather damaging information about Jacobs for Ritchie in order to get him fired. They were, as one could say, a secret police. Clark tells everyone that Jacobs was working for Jones when he gave his infamous speech. Ritchie fires Jacobs and intimidates the other employees into naming him CEO, and then promotes Stevens to department head. It turns out that only one employee was absent from the trial. Mollie Jones. Mollie Jones is Stevens' secretary and Samuel Jones' daughter. She loved the fact that she was treated differently from everyone else. She was never forced to stay late or had any of the inconveniences the other employees had. Clark is fed up with her complaining about her not getting special treatment any longer, and pushes her to resign and leave town. The only employee of Jones' to stay after he leaves is Benjamin Washington, the rusty old chief of security. The only reason why he does stay is because he really doesn't care what happens or how it is done and pretty much keeps to himself. This begins the "purification" of the office by Ritchie. Now that Ritchie is fully secure in his position, he decides to open up trade deals to make some money for the struggling business. Muriel DiMarco, head of the personnel office hires Jon Whymper to be the middle man in the soon to be announced trade summit. Norbert Pilkington is the CEO of Foxwood, INC based in London. Steven Frederick is the CEO of Pinchfeild, CO based in Berlin. Both companies are eager to pay the highest price. It looks like Ritchie is about to close the deal with Pilkington, but he decides instead to sell to Frederick. His reasoning? Jacobs is presumably now working as a top consultant to Pilkington.
It's about now that a homeless Christian fanatic starts to live in their parking garage. He is known only as "Moses", and is obsessed with Armageddon and the coming of next coming of Christ. He is seen only as an annoyance to most of the employees, as well as Ritchie. "Moses" begins to fill the employees' minds with a much better place then where they are already working. He tries to excite the employees into leaving the company. "Moses" disappears. With the money acquired from the deal with Frederick, Ritchie introduces a plan for an extension for their office building (which was originally Jacobs' idea). As soon as its completed, a really nasty storm tears down its foundation. Although this is true, Ritchie tells Clark to report to the employees that it was an act of sabotage by Jacobs, and that he was trying to bomb them to slow progress. The employees believe this and police put out a warrant for his arrest. Sandra Miller is Ritchie's assistant. She walks in on him breaking one of the "Seven Commandments". It stated that "No alcohol shall be consumed in the office". As several other commandments are broken, Ritchie believed that it was about time for a revision in the so called "Seven Commandments". In order to make sure he could do whatever he wanted, he revised the rules so that it only consisted of one. The one and only rule was "All employees are equal, but some employees are more equal than others". Soon Steven gets in a car accident and is immediately hospitalized. He has the third highest paying job and will be on the payroll while lying in bed. Instead of keeping him onboard, Ritchie fires him to save money. no employees shall be fired. Miller gets suspicious again, and is told by DiMarco that. At the end of the film there's a giant party hosted by Pilkington to congratulate Ritchie on a job well done. As they are talking, Ritchie starts to tell Pilkington of the new low wages and long hours to be announced the next day. It turns out that the company really hasn't gotten anywhere since Jones left. It got worse. At least for the common employees. Ritchie and his private staff were living the high life. All employees are equal, but some employees are more equal than others.
What the press would say:
Oliver Stone's newest film "Animal Farm" is one of the greatest adaptations I have seen in over a decade. The film is a parallel to the famous novel by George Orwell, which is also a parallel. Instead of animals on a farm, this film features businessmen and women in a major New York City business. The film has an outstanding cast with George Clooney and Denzel Washington as the lead actors, Theodore "Napoleon" Richter and James "Snowball" Jacobs. A few standouts are Steve Buscemi as the homeless Christian fanatic only known as "Moses", Paul Giamatti as Napoleon's right hand man Michael "Squealer" Clark, Liam Neeson as the extremely dedicated Alex "Boxer" Stevens, and Reese Witherspoon as Mollie Jones, the daughter of the boss, Mr. Jones (Jack Nicholson, in an outstanding portrayal), who is at times extremely frivolous and overly happy. Virginia Madsen and Patricia Clarkson play Sandra "Clover" Miller and Muriel DiMarco, respectively. Both were more than good and will for sure get Golden Globe nominations. Hopefully, both will end up with final Oscar nominations. The screenplay is brilliantly adapted by Dan Futterman. The film is edited beautifully with a great directing eye from Oliver Stone. The film has already won a few precursor awards including the Best Actor award at Venice for George Clooney and outstanding reviews from Toronto.Overall, "Animal Farm" is one of my favorite films of this fierce awards season and will be winning a few awards come Oscar time.
Nominations:
Best Picture
Best Director (Oliver Stone)
Best Actor (George Clooney, Denzel Washington)
Best Supporting Actor (Steve Buschemi, Paul Giamatti, Liam Neeson)
Best Supporting Actress (Virginia Madsen, Reese Witherspoon, Patricia Clarkson)
Best Adapted Screenplay (Dan Futterman)
Best Film Editing
Antonie
Author(s): James Somerton
Location: NS, Canada
"Antoine.”
Directed By: Brian DePalma
Written By: James Somerton
Principal Cast:
Joaquin Phoenix as Antoine Sergeni
Jason Cerbone as Antoine Sergeni (1970’s)
Felicity Huffman as Patricia Referno
Haley Joel Osment as Blake Referno
Jamie Lynn Sigler as Kristin Referno
Brendan Filone as Michael Referno (1970’s)
Al Pacino as Anthony DeLetto
Tagline: "There’s a story behind every murder. So imagine a massacre"
Synopsis:
(1970’s)
Antoine Sergeni has just entered college when he meets Michael Referno, a well-known collector for the DeLetto family whom Antoine’s mother owes money. Antoine convinces Michael to excuse the debt but only by assisting him on a hit. Antoine only plans on watching but ends up killing a man to save Michael’s life. The problem is, that man was a police officer and now the only people who can protect him are the DeLetto’s.
(1980’s)
Antoine Sergeni is now one of the most prominent members of the DeLetto crime family. He’s even in the running to take over as boss once Anthony DeLetto, who is dying of lung cancer, dies. Michael Referno wants the job too though but is too respectful of Antoine to do anything about it. But once Antoine is caught in bed with Michael’s wife, Patricia, all bet’s are off. And the birth of a son sends everyone into panic. When Anthony DeLetto dies, Michael and Antoine break the family into two and an all out war begins.
(2000’s)
The Referno Crime Family is now all but extinct. The Sergeni Crime Family is flourishing in the new millennium and so is Antoine. Now that he has his son back, he can be the father he always wanted to be. But when he is taken to jail on RICO charges, his son, Blake, is forced into the family business. Now he must choose between the business created by the man who raised him, or the father that abandoned him.
What the press would say:
Very rarely does a sequel overshadow it’s predecessor but with “Antoine.”, it has been managed. However, “Antoine.” Is a very different film from “Lost in America”. “Lost in America” was a coming of age story that took place in the world of organized crime. “Antoine.” Is a full on mafia thriller that takes places in three different decades; the 70’s, the 80’s, and the 2000’s. I suppose that “Lost in America” took place in the 90’s seeing as how that decade is skipped over. The film’s writing is very powerful, jumping back and forth from decade to decade, all the while making sure that each and every plotline (and there are many) is taken care of nicely. The characters, many of which were introduced in “Lost in America”, are completely fleshed out in this film. Antoine Sergeni, who was a supporting player in “Lost in America”, becomes such a realistic and vibrant character that we find ourselves rooting for him even after seeing him commit some of the most heinous acts in film history. Another character that truly comes to light in this film is Blake Referno, played by Haley Joel Osment. Osment gives the performance of a lifetime in this movie, pulling out all the stops and creating a character so sympathetic that anyone would side with him.
This is perfect, especially when Blake starts committing his own heinous acts. Felicity Huffman returns as Patricia Referno and steals her scenes away from the male leads but the real scene-stealer of this movie is Al Pacino as Anthony DeLetto. The aging mob boss gives Pacino the perfect palate from which to work. His scenes with Phoenix are some of the best of his career. Now, I know that this is a sequel and that sequels are rarely as good as the originals, and almost never better, but “Antoine.” Really pulls it off.
The script and the actors compliment each other so well that director Brian DePalma has only to make it look interesting. He uses different techniques in all three stories to give them all a different feel. When you watch “The 70’s” you feel like you’re watching a movie from that era. When you watch “The 80’s” you feel like your watching a movie from that era too. This movie is nearly three hours long but it doesn’t feel that long. There were some moments near the end that I was wishing that the story would go on for another decade. To see what happens next. Maybe there will be another sequel to show us that. This is definitely one of the most interesting movies of the year. So interesting, in fact, that The New York Times has called it “Mesmerizing”. A real Winner!
POSSIBLE NOMINATIONS:
Best Picture
Best Director – Brian DePalma
Best Original Screenplay – James Somerton
Best Actor - Joaquin Phoenix
Best Supporting Actress – Felicity Huffman
Best Supporting Actor – Haley Joel Osment
Best Supporting Actor – Al Pacino
Location: NS, Canada
"Antoine.”
Directed By: Brian DePalma
Written By: James Somerton
Principal Cast:
Joaquin Phoenix as Antoine Sergeni
Jason Cerbone as Antoine Sergeni (1970’s)
Felicity Huffman as Patricia Referno
Haley Joel Osment as Blake Referno
Jamie Lynn Sigler as Kristin Referno
Brendan Filone as Michael Referno (1970’s)
Al Pacino as Anthony DeLetto
Tagline: "There’s a story behind every murder. So imagine a massacre"
Synopsis:
(1970’s)
Antoine Sergeni has just entered college when he meets Michael Referno, a well-known collector for the DeLetto family whom Antoine’s mother owes money. Antoine convinces Michael to excuse the debt but only by assisting him on a hit. Antoine only plans on watching but ends up killing a man to save Michael’s life. The problem is, that man was a police officer and now the only people who can protect him are the DeLetto’s.
(1980’s)
Antoine Sergeni is now one of the most prominent members of the DeLetto crime family. He’s even in the running to take over as boss once Anthony DeLetto, who is dying of lung cancer, dies. Michael Referno wants the job too though but is too respectful of Antoine to do anything about it. But once Antoine is caught in bed with Michael’s wife, Patricia, all bet’s are off. And the birth of a son sends everyone into panic. When Anthony DeLetto dies, Michael and Antoine break the family into two and an all out war begins.
(2000’s)
The Referno Crime Family is now all but extinct. The Sergeni Crime Family is flourishing in the new millennium and so is Antoine. Now that he has his son back, he can be the father he always wanted to be. But when he is taken to jail on RICO charges, his son, Blake, is forced into the family business. Now he must choose between the business created by the man who raised him, or the father that abandoned him.
What the press would say:
Very rarely does a sequel overshadow it’s predecessor but with “Antoine.”, it has been managed. However, “Antoine.” Is a very different film from “Lost in America”. “Lost in America” was a coming of age story that took place in the world of organized crime. “Antoine.” Is a full on mafia thriller that takes places in three different decades; the 70’s, the 80’s, and the 2000’s. I suppose that “Lost in America” took place in the 90’s seeing as how that decade is skipped over. The film’s writing is very powerful, jumping back and forth from decade to decade, all the while making sure that each and every plotline (and there are many) is taken care of nicely. The characters, many of which were introduced in “Lost in America”, are completely fleshed out in this film. Antoine Sergeni, who was a supporting player in “Lost in America”, becomes such a realistic and vibrant character that we find ourselves rooting for him even after seeing him commit some of the most heinous acts in film history. Another character that truly comes to light in this film is Blake Referno, played by Haley Joel Osment. Osment gives the performance of a lifetime in this movie, pulling out all the stops and creating a character so sympathetic that anyone would side with him.
This is perfect, especially when Blake starts committing his own heinous acts. Felicity Huffman returns as Patricia Referno and steals her scenes away from the male leads but the real scene-stealer of this movie is Al Pacino as Anthony DeLetto. The aging mob boss gives Pacino the perfect palate from which to work. His scenes with Phoenix are some of the best of his career. Now, I know that this is a sequel and that sequels are rarely as good as the originals, and almost never better, but “Antoine.” Really pulls it off.
The script and the actors compliment each other so well that director Brian DePalma has only to make it look interesting. He uses different techniques in all three stories to give them all a different feel. When you watch “The 70’s” you feel like you’re watching a movie from that era. When you watch “The 80’s” you feel like your watching a movie from that era too. This movie is nearly three hours long but it doesn’t feel that long. There were some moments near the end that I was wishing that the story would go on for another decade. To see what happens next. Maybe there will be another sequel to show us that. This is definitely one of the most interesting movies of the year. So interesting, in fact, that The New York Times has called it “Mesmerizing”. A real Winner!
POSSIBLE NOMINATIONS:
Best Picture
Best Director – Brian DePalma
Best Original Screenplay – James Somerton
Best Actor - Joaquin Phoenix
Best Supporting Actress – Felicity Huffman
Best Supporting Actor – Haley Joel Osment
Best Supporting Actor – Al Pacino
The Awakening
Authors: Gabby
Location: NY
"The Awakening”
Produced by Harvey Weinstein
Written & Directed by Jane Campion
Music by Michael Nyman
Original Music – Peter Gabriel
Principal Cast:
Reese Witherspoon - Edna Pontellier
Liam Neeson - Léonce Pontellier
Ryan Gosling - Robert Lebrun
Hayden Christensen - Alcée Arobin
Anjelica Huston - Mademoiselle Reisz
Kathy Baker - Madame Lebrun
Hilary Swank - Adèle Ratignolle
Jeff Bridges - Doctor Mandelet
Tagline: "There is always some madness in love. But there is also always some reason in madness"
October 20th 2007
Synopsis: The Awakening takes place in the late 1800’s. It begins at a crisis point in twenty-eight year-old Edna Pontellier's life. Edna is a passionate and artistic woman who finds few acceptable outlets for her desires in her role as wife and mother of two sons living in conventional Creole society. Unlike the married women around her, whose sensuality seems to flow naturally into maternity, Edna finds herself wanting her own emotional and sexual identity. During one summer while her husband is out of town, her frustrations find an outlet in an affair with a younger man. Energized and filled with a desire to define her own life, she sends her children to the country and removes herself to a small house of her own: Her triumph is short-lived, however, destroyed by a society that has no place for a self-determined, unattached woman. Her story is a tragedy and one of many clarion calls in its day to examine the institution of marriage and woman's opportunities in an oppressive world.
What the press would say:
The Awakening is a continuation of Australian director Jane Campion's exploration of the unique ways women express soul. In the best performance of her career, Reese Witherspoon conveys Edna's multidimensional journey into passion. Robert, played to perfection by Ryan Gosling is the first to recognize her passion. Liam Neeson plays Léonce, who is frightened of his wife's intensity and put off by her efforts to have her own way. He is very convincing as the absent minded husband. Reese’s best scene of the film occurs during the ending with a dramatic incident at sea; Edna walks into the ocean and chooses death over her unsatisfying life. The Awakening is the most sense-luscious film to reach the screen in years. It shows how soul is revealed through the fusion of body, desire, and feeling. The evocative quality of Jane Campion’s screenplay is one of the strengths of The Awakening. This film boasts one of the most incredible casts ever assembled on screen, all wanting the chance to work with acclaimed director Jane Campion. Award nominations look bright in the future. The safest nominees at this point are.
Best Picture – Harvey Weinstein
Best Director – Jane Campion
Best Actress – Reese Witherspoon
Best Supporting Actor – Ryan Gosling
Best Supporting Actor – Liam Neeson
Best Adapted Screenplay – Jane Campion
Best Original Score – Michael Nyman
Best Original Song – Peter Gabriel
Best Costume Design
Best Cinematography
Best Art / Set Direction
Location: NY
"The Awakening”
Produced by Harvey Weinstein
Written & Directed by Jane Campion
Music by Michael Nyman
Original Music – Peter Gabriel
Principal Cast:
Reese Witherspoon - Edna Pontellier
Liam Neeson - Léonce Pontellier
Ryan Gosling - Robert Lebrun
Hayden Christensen - Alcée Arobin
Anjelica Huston - Mademoiselle Reisz
Kathy Baker - Madame Lebrun
Hilary Swank - Adèle Ratignolle
Jeff Bridges - Doctor Mandelet
Tagline: "There is always some madness in love. But there is also always some reason in madness"
October 20th 2007
Synopsis: The Awakening takes place in the late 1800’s. It begins at a crisis point in twenty-eight year-old Edna Pontellier's life. Edna is a passionate and artistic woman who finds few acceptable outlets for her desires in her role as wife and mother of two sons living in conventional Creole society. Unlike the married women around her, whose sensuality seems to flow naturally into maternity, Edna finds herself wanting her own emotional and sexual identity. During one summer while her husband is out of town, her frustrations find an outlet in an affair with a younger man. Energized and filled with a desire to define her own life, she sends her children to the country and removes herself to a small house of her own: Her triumph is short-lived, however, destroyed by a society that has no place for a self-determined, unattached woman. Her story is a tragedy and one of many clarion calls in its day to examine the institution of marriage and woman's opportunities in an oppressive world.
What the press would say:
The Awakening is a continuation of Australian director Jane Campion's exploration of the unique ways women express soul. In the best performance of her career, Reese Witherspoon conveys Edna's multidimensional journey into passion. Robert, played to perfection by Ryan Gosling is the first to recognize her passion. Liam Neeson plays Léonce, who is frightened of his wife's intensity and put off by her efforts to have her own way. He is very convincing as the absent minded husband. Reese’s best scene of the film occurs during the ending with a dramatic incident at sea; Edna walks into the ocean and chooses death over her unsatisfying life. The Awakening is the most sense-luscious film to reach the screen in years. It shows how soul is revealed through the fusion of body, desire, and feeling. The evocative quality of Jane Campion’s screenplay is one of the strengths of The Awakening. This film boasts one of the most incredible casts ever assembled on screen, all wanting the chance to work with acclaimed director Jane Campion. Award nominations look bright in the future. The safest nominees at this point are.
Best Picture – Harvey Weinstein
Best Director – Jane Campion
Best Actress – Reese Witherspoon
Best Supporting Actor – Ryan Gosling
Best Supporting Actor – Liam Neeson
Best Adapted Screenplay – Jane Campion
Best Original Score – Michael Nyman
Best Original Song – Peter Gabriel
Best Costume Design
Best Cinematography
Best Art / Set Direction
Bad Habits
Authors: Josh P.
Location: Chicago, IL
"Bad Habits”
Directed by Bill Condon
Screenplay by Bill Condon
Produced by Michael London
Music by Danny Elfman
Principal Cast:
Jim Carrey (Phil Howard)
Kate Winslet (Margaret Domer)
Kathy Bates (Aunt Josephine)
Blythe Danner (Aunt Daphne)
Brad Garrett (James Howard)
Paul Giamatti (Dr. Newton)
Gregory Itzin (George “Richard Nixon” Howard)
Stephen Rea (Officer Jim O’ Kelly)
Nathan Lane (Reverend Henry Jimson)
Kiefer Sutherland (Detective Williams)
Alan Alda (Captain O’ Henry)
Robin Williams (Dr. Arnold Watson)
Tagline: "What can two old ladies with a bottle of wine do for charity?"
Synopsis: A re-working of the play Arsenic and Old Lace, as well as the Frank Capra film, focuses on the character Phil (Carrey), a notorious bachelor who has preached so much about staying one that he keeps it a secret he’s about to wed his sweetheart (Winslet). Before he goes off to Paris for his honeymoon, he visits his two, sweet aunts in the countryside of Springfield, Illinois (Bates, Danner). However, he finds an unexpected surprise: there’s a dead body in the window seat, and his aunts killed him with poisoned wine out of charity. To try and save his aunts from conviction, he tries to pin it on his mentally ill cousin (Itzin), who can’t stop believing he’s Richard Nixon. However, there’s more trouble coming. His estranged brother (Garrett), who bears an uneasy resemblance to Fred Gwyne’s Herman Munster, has returned to the childhood home with a plastic surgeon (Giamatti), both on the run as fugitives and with a dead body of their own. It’s a comedic mess in epic proportions.
What the press would say:
An extraordinary and clever re-working of one of the great classic comedies is brought up before the screen. Writer/Director Bill Condon provides a tight and witty script as well as a marvelous sense of comic direction. The ensemble is full of energy: Jim Carrey is hilarious and provides a nice balance of wit and slapstick, Brad Garrett is ultimately uproarious as
he can now move on from “Everybody Loves Raymond” and the pairing of great comedic talents such as Kathy Bates and Blythe Danner is sublime. The rest of the supporting cast is marvelous as well. The campaign consideration:
Best Picture
Best Director: Bill Condon
Best Actor: Jim Carrey
Best Supporting Actor: Brad Garrett
Best Supporting Actress: Kathy Bates
Best Supporting Actress: Blythe Danner
Best Adapted Screenplay: Bill Condon
Best Art Direction
Best Original Score
Location: Chicago, IL
"Bad Habits”
Directed by Bill Condon
Screenplay by Bill Condon
Produced by Michael London
Music by Danny Elfman
Principal Cast:
Jim Carrey (Phil Howard)
Kate Winslet (Margaret Domer)
Kathy Bates (Aunt Josephine)
Blythe Danner (Aunt Daphne)
Brad Garrett (James Howard)
Paul Giamatti (Dr. Newton)
Gregory Itzin (George “Richard Nixon” Howard)
Stephen Rea (Officer Jim O’ Kelly)
Nathan Lane (Reverend Henry Jimson)
Kiefer Sutherland (Detective Williams)
Alan Alda (Captain O’ Henry)
Robin Williams (Dr. Arnold Watson)
Tagline: "What can two old ladies with a bottle of wine do for charity?"
Synopsis: A re-working of the play Arsenic and Old Lace, as well as the Frank Capra film, focuses on the character Phil (Carrey), a notorious bachelor who has preached so much about staying one that he keeps it a secret he’s about to wed his sweetheart (Winslet). Before he goes off to Paris for his honeymoon, he visits his two, sweet aunts in the countryside of Springfield, Illinois (Bates, Danner). However, he finds an unexpected surprise: there’s a dead body in the window seat, and his aunts killed him with poisoned wine out of charity. To try and save his aunts from conviction, he tries to pin it on his mentally ill cousin (Itzin), who can’t stop believing he’s Richard Nixon. However, there’s more trouble coming. His estranged brother (Garrett), who bears an uneasy resemblance to Fred Gwyne’s Herman Munster, has returned to the childhood home with a plastic surgeon (Giamatti), both on the run as fugitives and with a dead body of their own. It’s a comedic mess in epic proportions.
What the press would say:
An extraordinary and clever re-working of one of the great classic comedies is brought up before the screen. Writer/Director Bill Condon provides a tight and witty script as well as a marvelous sense of comic direction. The ensemble is full of energy: Jim Carrey is hilarious and provides a nice balance of wit and slapstick, Brad Garrett is ultimately uproarious as
he can now move on from “Everybody Loves Raymond” and the pairing of great comedic talents such as Kathy Bates and Blythe Danner is sublime. The rest of the supporting cast is marvelous as well. The campaign consideration:
Best Picture
Best Director: Bill Condon
Best Actor: Jim Carrey
Best Supporting Actor: Brad Garrett
Best Supporting Actress: Kathy Bates
Best Supporting Actress: Blythe Danner
Best Adapted Screenplay: Bill Condon
Best Art Direction
Best Original Score
The Bang-Bang Club
Authors: D.W. Dillon
Location: Las Vegas, Nevada
"The Bang-Bang Club"
Directed by Julian Schnabel
Written by John Irving
Music by Sean Moore and James Dean Bradfield
Produced by James Nachtwey
Principal Cast:
Kiefer Sutherland - Kevin Carter (photojournalist)
Rebecca Miller - Nancy Buirski (Time Magazine editor)
Johnny Depp - Ken Oosterbroek (photojournalist)
Charlize Theron - Monica Oosterbroek (wife)
Jeffrey Wright - Joao Silva (photojournalist)
Tim Robbins - Greg Marinovich (photojournalist)
Jeremy Piven - Gary Bernard (photojournalist)
And
Daniel Day-Lewis as James Nachtwey (photojournalist)
Tagline: "Their pictures opened our eyes, but it took their souls"
Synopsis: During the Apartheid period of the late 80's and early 90's, six photo journalists entered the battle zones of South Africa to capture pictures of war, poverty and death. Headed by famed photographers Kevin Carter (Kiefer Sutherland), his best friend Ken Oosterbroek (Johnny Depp) and the veteran James Nachtwey (Daniel Day-Lewis), they hoped to take images that would change the way people see the rest of the world and finally take notice. Their noble intentions would lead them all down a road of guilt and pain. Known as the "Bang-Bang Club" because of their all too realistic shots of gunfire and war, they would soon find themselves in the line of fire. Each taking bullets, each trying to save one another on several occasions, and not without facing fatalities amongst themselves. But the real horror was yet to come after Kevin Carter takes a photo of a vulture circling a passed out Sudanese toddler who had succumbed to hunger and exhaustion. Within months he was awarded with the Pulitizer Prize, but the guilt of not helping the toddler and the death of his friends and the South African people would drive him to an early grave.
What the press would say:
From the director that brought you the intimate films such as Basquiat and Before Night Falls comes The Bang-Bang Club. Director Julian Schnabel brings to life a portrait of self-doubt, self-worth and self-loathing in this film that tells the story of six photo journalists who risk their lives to capture images of war and poverty in South Africa. Kiefer Sutherland stars as Kevin Carter, the most enthusiastic photographer of the group who ends up feeling more pain than he could ever capture on film. A truly tragic character who cannot find redemption. Kiefer Sutherland, brilliantly showcases a list of emotions that would most likely drain any other actor. Johnny Depp and Daniel-Day Lewis round out the supporting roles as Kevin Carters' trusted friends and colleagues, but they too cannot avoid the horrors they see. Charlize Theron, a native to South Africa takes on her role of the widowed wife of Carter's best friend with complete sympathy and anguish. Writer John Irving (Cider House Rules) does more with less, by letting the actors expressions and the pictures speak for themselves compiling a script of a few words making those words mean more when they're spoken. A well put together film could not be accomplished without the immediate and and in-your-face score put together by the Welsh musicians James Dean Bradfield and Sean Moore of the Manic Street Preachers fame. Their 1995 U.K. hit song "Kevin Carter" is reworked to a haunting acoustical ballad. An important film on so many levels that dive into the selfish behavior our society has fallen under. Hi Time Magazine, hi Pulitizer Prize, hi Academy Awards.
Best Picture
Best Director - Julian Schnabel
Best Actor - Kiefer Sutherland
Best Supporting Actor - Daniel Day-Lewis
Best Supporting Actor - Johnny Depp
Best Supporting Actress - Charlize Theron
Best Original Screenplay - John Irving (Cider House Rules)
Best Cinematography - Caleb Deschanel (Apocolypse Now, The Passion Of The Christ)
Best Editing - Claire Simpsons (Constant Gardener, Salvador)
Best Art Direction - Andy Nicholson (Live From Bagdad, Band Of Brothers)
Best Score - Sean Moore & James Dean Bradfield (Manic Street Preachers)
Best Original Song - "Kevin Carter" by The Manic Street Preachers
Location: Las Vegas, Nevada
"The Bang-Bang Club"
Directed by Julian Schnabel
Written by John Irving
Music by Sean Moore and James Dean Bradfield
Produced by James Nachtwey
Principal Cast:
Kiefer Sutherland - Kevin Carter (photojournalist)
Rebecca Miller - Nancy Buirski (Time Magazine editor)
Johnny Depp - Ken Oosterbroek (photojournalist)
Charlize Theron - Monica Oosterbroek (wife)
Jeffrey Wright - Joao Silva (photojournalist)
Tim Robbins - Greg Marinovich (photojournalist)
Jeremy Piven - Gary Bernard (photojournalist)
And
Daniel Day-Lewis as James Nachtwey (photojournalist)
Tagline: "Their pictures opened our eyes, but it took their souls"
Synopsis: During the Apartheid period of the late 80's and early 90's, six photo journalists entered the battle zones of South Africa to capture pictures of war, poverty and death. Headed by famed photographers Kevin Carter (Kiefer Sutherland), his best friend Ken Oosterbroek (Johnny Depp) and the veteran James Nachtwey (Daniel Day-Lewis), they hoped to take images that would change the way people see the rest of the world and finally take notice. Their noble intentions would lead them all down a road of guilt and pain. Known as the "Bang-Bang Club" because of their all too realistic shots of gunfire and war, they would soon find themselves in the line of fire. Each taking bullets, each trying to save one another on several occasions, and not without facing fatalities amongst themselves. But the real horror was yet to come after Kevin Carter takes a photo of a vulture circling a passed out Sudanese toddler who had succumbed to hunger and exhaustion. Within months he was awarded with the Pulitizer Prize, but the guilt of not helping the toddler and the death of his friends and the South African people would drive him to an early grave.
What the press would say:
From the director that brought you the intimate films such as Basquiat and Before Night Falls comes The Bang-Bang Club. Director Julian Schnabel brings to life a portrait of self-doubt, self-worth and self-loathing in this film that tells the story of six photo journalists who risk their lives to capture images of war and poverty in South Africa. Kiefer Sutherland stars as Kevin Carter, the most enthusiastic photographer of the group who ends up feeling more pain than he could ever capture on film. A truly tragic character who cannot find redemption. Kiefer Sutherland, brilliantly showcases a list of emotions that would most likely drain any other actor. Johnny Depp and Daniel-Day Lewis round out the supporting roles as Kevin Carters' trusted friends and colleagues, but they too cannot avoid the horrors they see. Charlize Theron, a native to South Africa takes on her role of the widowed wife of Carter's best friend with complete sympathy and anguish. Writer John Irving (Cider House Rules) does more with less, by letting the actors expressions and the pictures speak for themselves compiling a script of a few words making those words mean more when they're spoken. A well put together film could not be accomplished without the immediate and and in-your-face score put together by the Welsh musicians James Dean Bradfield and Sean Moore of the Manic Street Preachers fame. Their 1995 U.K. hit song "Kevin Carter" is reworked to a haunting acoustical ballad. An important film on so many levels that dive into the selfish behavior our society has fallen under. Hi Time Magazine, hi Pulitizer Prize, hi Academy Awards.
Best Picture
Best Director - Julian Schnabel
Best Actor - Kiefer Sutherland
Best Supporting Actor - Daniel Day-Lewis
Best Supporting Actor - Johnny Depp
Best Supporting Actress - Charlize Theron
Best Original Screenplay - John Irving (Cider House Rules)
Best Cinematography - Caleb Deschanel (Apocolypse Now, The Passion Of The Christ)
Best Editing - Claire Simpsons (Constant Gardener, Salvador)
Best Art Direction - Andy Nicholson (Live From Bagdad, Band Of Brothers)
Best Score - Sean Moore & James Dean Bradfield (Manic Street Preachers)
Best Original Song - "Kevin Carter" by The Manic Street Preachers
Benny
Authors: Pierre Davis
Location: Columbus, Ohio
“Benny”
Directed by Brian De Palma
Screenplay by Edwin Torres and David Koepp
Music by Various Artists
Principal Cast:
Benny Blanco: John Leguizamo
Sarah Foster: Scarlett Johansson
Vinnie Foster: Michael Imperioli
Laurence Lewis: Matt Damon
Johnnie Franks: Robert De Niro
Rebecca Franks: Michelle Monaghan
Tagline: "Remember me Benny Blanco from the Bronx"
Synopsis: From acclaimed director Brian De Palma comes another classic with the resurrected character Benny Blanco. Since killing Carlito Brigante Benny Blanco has taken control of the New York crime syndicate and owns respect from everyone. With money and power Benny knows that everyone is gunning for him but with the trust in his best friend Vinnie he knows that at least one person is behind him watching for anyone aiming for the bullseye that is on his back. But when Benny begins a romantic relationship with Vinnies sister Sarah everything changes between them. With the bulls eye wide open different people are taking their chances at controlling what goes on in New York City and with the new hot head Laurence around there is no telling what will happen with Benny’s fate. Now that he is on the run the only person Benny can go to is Johnnie who is the man who has given him the knowledge that he has used to control what he has now. What Benny doesn’t know is that Johnnies daughter Rebecca has a relationship with Vinnie and will do anything to keep the man that she loves happy. With Vinnie working with Laurence, Rebecca lets them know where Benny is. Will Benny Blanco from the Bronx survive and be able to live a life with the woman that he loves or will karma interfere with his life like it did with Carlito Brigante?
What the press would say:
After not getting recognition with the movie “Carlitos Way” Brian De Palma is sure to gain enough recognition for a Academy Award nomination for Best Director. With a surprisingly outstanding performance as the runaway gangster Benny Blanco John Leguizamo is sure to come up with nominations come award season. Even though she has a small role, with the recognition she has had in the past and reaching her prime as an outstanding actress Scarlett Johansson is sure to gain a supporting actress nomination come March. As the hot head Laurence Matt Damon is also a possible nominee because of the way he portrays the manic character. Even though Robert De Niro hasn’t had any roles that have grabbed the attention of the audience in the past couple years he is sure to grab and hold their attention with the way he portrays Johnnie Franks plus the academy loves when old nominees comes back with a fantastic performance. Also don't count out the performance by Michelle Monaghan who is the perfect counter part to Michael Imperioli, she should gain an possible golden globe nomination and if everything goes well the academy will be knocking on her door.If this movie is campaigned right then 8 possible nominations could come with this fantastic movie.
Awards:
Best Picture
Best Director: Brian De Palma
Best Original Screenplay: Edwin Torres and David Koepp
Best Actor: John Leguizamo
Best Supporting Actress: Scarlett Johansson
Best Supporting Actor: Robert De Niro
Best Supporting Actor: Matt Damon
Best Cinematography
Best Film Editing
Location: Columbus, Ohio
“Benny”
Directed by Brian De Palma
Screenplay by Edwin Torres and David Koepp
Music by Various Artists
Principal Cast:
Benny Blanco: John Leguizamo
Sarah Foster: Scarlett Johansson
Vinnie Foster: Michael Imperioli
Laurence Lewis: Matt Damon
Johnnie Franks: Robert De Niro
Rebecca Franks: Michelle Monaghan
Tagline: "Remember me Benny Blanco from the Bronx"
Synopsis: From acclaimed director Brian De Palma comes another classic with the resurrected character Benny Blanco. Since killing Carlito Brigante Benny Blanco has taken control of the New York crime syndicate and owns respect from everyone. With money and power Benny knows that everyone is gunning for him but with the trust in his best friend Vinnie he knows that at least one person is behind him watching for anyone aiming for the bullseye that is on his back. But when Benny begins a romantic relationship with Vinnies sister Sarah everything changes between them. With the bulls eye wide open different people are taking their chances at controlling what goes on in New York City and with the new hot head Laurence around there is no telling what will happen with Benny’s fate. Now that he is on the run the only person Benny can go to is Johnnie who is the man who has given him the knowledge that he has used to control what he has now. What Benny doesn’t know is that Johnnies daughter Rebecca has a relationship with Vinnie and will do anything to keep the man that she loves happy. With Vinnie working with Laurence, Rebecca lets them know where Benny is. Will Benny Blanco from the Bronx survive and be able to live a life with the woman that he loves or will karma interfere with his life like it did with Carlito Brigante?
What the press would say:
After not getting recognition with the movie “Carlitos Way” Brian De Palma is sure to gain enough recognition for a Academy Award nomination for Best Director. With a surprisingly outstanding performance as the runaway gangster Benny Blanco John Leguizamo is sure to come up with nominations come award season. Even though she has a small role, with the recognition she has had in the past and reaching her prime as an outstanding actress Scarlett Johansson is sure to gain a supporting actress nomination come March. As the hot head Laurence Matt Damon is also a possible nominee because of the way he portrays the manic character. Even though Robert De Niro hasn’t had any roles that have grabbed the attention of the audience in the past couple years he is sure to grab and hold their attention with the way he portrays Johnnie Franks plus the academy loves when old nominees comes back with a fantastic performance. Also don't count out the performance by Michelle Monaghan who is the perfect counter part to Michael Imperioli, she should gain an possible golden globe nomination and if everything goes well the academy will be knocking on her door.If this movie is campaigned right then 8 possible nominations could come with this fantastic movie.
Awards:
Best Picture
Best Director: Brian De Palma
Best Original Screenplay: Edwin Torres and David Koepp
Best Actor: John Leguizamo
Best Supporting Actress: Scarlett Johansson
Best Supporting Actor: Robert De Niro
Best Supporting Actor: Matt Damon
Best Cinematography
Best Film Editing
Blood in the Classroom
Authors: Dpac
Location: Appleton
"Blood in the Classroom”
Directed by Brian De Palma
Produced by Martin Bregman
Screenplay by David Mamet
Music by Howard Shore
Principal Cast:
Jennifer Connelly as Mona Bing
Angela Bassett as Rachel
Joan Allen as Gail Kim
Edward Norton as Josh Olivier
Marcia Gay Harden as Anna Allen
Liam Aiken as Jeremy Mann
Tagline: "If school and getting away with murder were just so easy"
Synopsis: Gail Kim was a woman of power and was renowned in the society. She added Sherwood High School to her list of conquests by becoming the principal of the school. Idealistic in nature, she plotted a scheme which would assure that all the students in the school would pass with high grades and flying colors......She gave the average and not-so-bright students the answers to the questions of all the exams.
Mona, a new and devoted teacher, was told by her colleague about this school secret. Mona was taken aback and threatened to go to the board of education. Panicking, Rachel killed Mona. Gail and Rachel burnt Mona's body. Mona's application to the Teacher Exchange System of the UN was accepted and when the representative came he was forced to believe that Mona died a few weeks ago. But this sparked a suspicion as the TES official that came was Mona's high school sweetheart, Josh Olivier.
Josh had a feeling in his gut that forced him to act on this suspicion and so he came as a sub to the school. But in the course of time, Josh figured out the truth but wanted to know it out of Gail's mouth. So, one day he went into Gail's office and asked her to tell him the truth. Planning to shoot him later, she did spill the beans. During the conversation, Jeremy, a student, was caught for playing with his mobile in class and was sent to the principal's office alongside his friend. Outside the office, Jeremy, decided to take a video of the office with his mobile camera and the next thing he heard were 3 gun shots and his world went black, but the camera was still running. Rachel had witnessed this and knowing that the mobile had recorded everything, before anyone could realize what had just happened, Rachel took the mobile and hid it, but Josh had seen this.
Now, five years later, Josh is in jail as the police believed the story that Rachel gave about Josh killing the kids and Gail and placing the gun in her hands to make it look like it was a suicide. Anna was a missionary who has been preaching to the jailers once a week for 3 months now. Josh confided in Anna after finding out that Anna was Liam's mother. Anna, convinced that Josh is telling the truth and sure that Rachel hasn't discarded that video, sets out to find Rachel and reveal the truth which all started from cheating in an exam......
What the press would say:
Amazing! Amazing! Brain DePalma follows his critical failure Black Dahlia with a sure-to-be-a-hit movie. Brian does an excellent job directing this movie about how an idealistic principal somewhere in her twisted mind thought it was okay to go against the very meaning of an exam and supply the answers tot the students, beforehand. But little did she know that this world has also devoted teachers who wouldn't tolerate that, and one of which is Mona, a true teacher who just couldn't agree with that new policy and had to pay with her life. Joan Allen is amazing and is flawless as the principal Gail Kim. Her performance is meticulous and disappears into the powerful and very striking character of Gail. Edward Norton is also another gem to this movie. He is a standout as the TES representative who relies on his instincts and acts on the suspicion and nearly solves the case before he realizes the mess he's gotten himself in. Edward Norton remarkably portrays Josh with near perfection. But the real jewels in the crown are Angela Bassett and Marcia Harden. Angela is the diabolical Rachel who began this mess by killing Mona and Marcia is the preacher Anna, who helps Josh to solve the case and in finding Rachel. Both Angela and Marcia are sure locks in the nominations for the Actress and Best Supporting Actress categories, respectively. I'm sure of that as their performances are undoubtedly the best this year. Both sink deep into their roles and make us believe that they are who they are portraying on screen. With many twists and turns in the storyline, this movie will keep you glued to your seats once it hooks you in.....
All in all...Blood in the Classroom is by far the best work of Brian and will bag many awards come awards season.
Possible Nominations
Best Picture
Best Director
Best Original Screenplay
Best Actor - Edward Norton
Best Actress - Angela Bassett
Best Supporting Actress - Joan Allen and Marcia Gay Harden
Best Original Score
Best Set Direction
Best Film Editing
Best Cinematography
Location: Appleton
"Blood in the Classroom”
Directed by Brian De Palma
Produced by Martin Bregman
Screenplay by David Mamet
Music by Howard Shore
Principal Cast:
Jennifer Connelly as Mona Bing
Angela Bassett as Rachel
Joan Allen as Gail Kim
Edward Norton as Josh Olivier
Marcia Gay Harden as Anna Allen
Liam Aiken as Jeremy Mann
Tagline: "If school and getting away with murder were just so easy"
Synopsis: Gail Kim was a woman of power and was renowned in the society. She added Sherwood High School to her list of conquests by becoming the principal of the school. Idealistic in nature, she plotted a scheme which would assure that all the students in the school would pass with high grades and flying colors......She gave the average and not-so-bright students the answers to the questions of all the exams.
Mona, a new and devoted teacher, was told by her colleague about this school secret. Mona was taken aback and threatened to go to the board of education. Panicking, Rachel killed Mona. Gail and Rachel burnt Mona's body. Mona's application to the Teacher Exchange System of the UN was accepted and when the representative came he was forced to believe that Mona died a few weeks ago. But this sparked a suspicion as the TES official that came was Mona's high school sweetheart, Josh Olivier.
Josh had a feeling in his gut that forced him to act on this suspicion and so he came as a sub to the school. But in the course of time, Josh figured out the truth but wanted to know it out of Gail's mouth. So, one day he went into Gail's office and asked her to tell him the truth. Planning to shoot him later, she did spill the beans. During the conversation, Jeremy, a student, was caught for playing with his mobile in class and was sent to the principal's office alongside his friend. Outside the office, Jeremy, decided to take a video of the office with his mobile camera and the next thing he heard were 3 gun shots and his world went black, but the camera was still running. Rachel had witnessed this and knowing that the mobile had recorded everything, before anyone could realize what had just happened, Rachel took the mobile and hid it, but Josh had seen this.
Now, five years later, Josh is in jail as the police believed the story that Rachel gave about Josh killing the kids and Gail and placing the gun in her hands to make it look like it was a suicide. Anna was a missionary who has been preaching to the jailers once a week for 3 months now. Josh confided in Anna after finding out that Anna was Liam's mother. Anna, convinced that Josh is telling the truth and sure that Rachel hasn't discarded that video, sets out to find Rachel and reveal the truth which all started from cheating in an exam......
What the press would say:
Amazing! Amazing! Brain DePalma follows his critical failure Black Dahlia with a sure-to-be-a-hit movie. Brian does an excellent job directing this movie about how an idealistic principal somewhere in her twisted mind thought it was okay to go against the very meaning of an exam and supply the answers tot the students, beforehand. But little did she know that this world has also devoted teachers who wouldn't tolerate that, and one of which is Mona, a true teacher who just couldn't agree with that new policy and had to pay with her life. Joan Allen is amazing and is flawless as the principal Gail Kim. Her performance is meticulous and disappears into the powerful and very striking character of Gail. Edward Norton is also another gem to this movie. He is a standout as the TES representative who relies on his instincts and acts on the suspicion and nearly solves the case before he realizes the mess he's gotten himself in. Edward Norton remarkably portrays Josh with near perfection. But the real jewels in the crown are Angela Bassett and Marcia Harden. Angela is the diabolical Rachel who began this mess by killing Mona and Marcia is the preacher Anna, who helps Josh to solve the case and in finding Rachel. Both Angela and Marcia are sure locks in the nominations for the Actress and Best Supporting Actress categories, respectively. I'm sure of that as their performances are undoubtedly the best this year. Both sink deep into their roles and make us believe that they are who they are portraying on screen. With many twists and turns in the storyline, this movie will keep you glued to your seats once it hooks you in.....
All in all...Blood in the Classroom is by far the best work of Brian and will bag many awards come awards season.
Possible Nominations
Best Picture
Best Director
Best Original Screenplay
Best Actor - Edward Norton
Best Actress - Angela Bassett
Best Supporting Actress - Joan Allen and Marcia Gay Harden
Best Original Score
Best Set Direction
Best Film Editing
Best Cinematography
Bloody Hell Margarita
Authors: Ryan
Location: New Jersey
"Bloody Hell Margarita”
Directed by Mark Neveldine & Brian Taylor
Written by Quentin Tarantino & Robert Rodriguez
Music by Robert Rodriguez
Principal Cast:
Jason Statham (Paul Grace)
Charlize Theron (Bobbi)
Bruce Willis (Chief Schroeder)
Zach Braff (Chris Friedman)
Jennifer Tilly (Victoria Friedman)
Kate Beckinsale (Amy Grace)
Tagline: "I woke up finding out that my WIFE is DEAD and that I DID IT.” 2/16/07
Synopsis: Paul Grace (Jason Statham) is a special F/X guy for movies. He is one of the best in the business. He has a loving wife actress Amy Grace (Kate Beckinsale) and his best friend, actor Chris Friedman (Zach Braff) and model wife Victoria Friedman (Jennifer Tilly). They are at their weekly poker game when Amy and Paul have a terrible fight.Paul wakes up the next morning in a hotel room. He turns on the TV and sees that his wife has been murdered and that Paul did it. He seeks help from his friends Chris and Victoria who reluctantly believe him. He uses his special F/X skills to make him look like someone else. However, Police Chief Schroeder (Bruce Willis) is on the case and isn’t about to give up.
However, the only things that Paul can remember about what happened after the poker game was a stripper named Bobbi (Charlize Theron) and three seemingly meaningless words: Bloody Hell Margarita.
Now he needs to find Bobbi, the murder of his wife, prove his innocence, and not get caught by the cops.
What the press would say:
“Two thumbs up!”-Ebert & Roeper
“Sure looks like Oscar Bait to me!”- People
“A+! Bloody Hell is one Bloody Hell of a film!”-Entertainment Weekly
“Unbelievable rare non-stop action, sexy, thriller that is Oscar worthy. An unbelievable feat. One hard R.”-Rolling Stone Magazine
Bloody Hell Margarita is a sexy thriller about a man trying to find his wife’s killer, a stripper and prove his innocence. It is an interesting film to look at and is surprisingly original with its plot. It is a marvel to look at and the cast is amazing. Charlize Theron goes from Ugly roles to Beautiful ones and Jason Statham proved that any action hero can have Oscar worthy talent.
Best Picture
Best Director: Mark Neveldine & Brian Taylor
Best Screenplay: Quentin Tarantino & Robert Rodriguez
Best Original Score: Robert Rodriguez
Best Actor: Jason Statham
Best Supporting Actor: Bruce Willis
Best Actress: Kate Beckinsale
Best Supporting Actress: Jennifer Tilly
Location: New Jersey
"Bloody Hell Margarita”
Directed by Mark Neveldine & Brian Taylor
Written by Quentin Tarantino & Robert Rodriguez
Music by Robert Rodriguez
Principal Cast:
Jason Statham (Paul Grace)
Charlize Theron (Bobbi)
Bruce Willis (Chief Schroeder)
Zach Braff (Chris Friedman)
Jennifer Tilly (Victoria Friedman)
Kate Beckinsale (Amy Grace)
Tagline: "I woke up finding out that my WIFE is DEAD and that I DID IT.” 2/16/07
Synopsis: Paul Grace (Jason Statham) is a special F/X guy for movies. He is one of the best in the business. He has a loving wife actress Amy Grace (Kate Beckinsale) and his best friend, actor Chris Friedman (Zach Braff) and model wife Victoria Friedman (Jennifer Tilly). They are at their weekly poker game when Amy and Paul have a terrible fight.Paul wakes up the next morning in a hotel room. He turns on the TV and sees that his wife has been murdered and that Paul did it. He seeks help from his friends Chris and Victoria who reluctantly believe him. He uses his special F/X skills to make him look like someone else. However, Police Chief Schroeder (Bruce Willis) is on the case and isn’t about to give up.
However, the only things that Paul can remember about what happened after the poker game was a stripper named Bobbi (Charlize Theron) and three seemingly meaningless words: Bloody Hell Margarita.
Now he needs to find Bobbi, the murder of his wife, prove his innocence, and not get caught by the cops.
What the press would say:
“Two thumbs up!”-Ebert & Roeper
“Sure looks like Oscar Bait to me!”- People
“A+! Bloody Hell is one Bloody Hell of a film!”-Entertainment Weekly
“Unbelievable rare non-stop action, sexy, thriller that is Oscar worthy. An unbelievable feat. One hard R.”-Rolling Stone Magazine
Bloody Hell Margarita is a sexy thriller about a man trying to find his wife’s killer, a stripper and prove his innocence. It is an interesting film to look at and is surprisingly original with its plot. It is a marvel to look at and the cast is amazing. Charlize Theron goes from Ugly roles to Beautiful ones and Jason Statham proved that any action hero can have Oscar worthy talent.
Best Picture
Best Director: Mark Neveldine & Brian Taylor
Best Screenplay: Quentin Tarantino & Robert Rodriguez
Best Original Score: Robert Rodriguez
Best Actor: Jason Statham
Best Supporting Actor: Bruce Willis
Best Actress: Kate Beckinsale
Best Supporting Actress: Jennifer Tilly
Catch-22
Authors: Matt
Location: Illinois
"Catch-22”
Directed By: Oliver Stone
Adapted Screenplay By: Robert Rodat
Produced By: Steven Spielberg and Michael Bay
Principal Cast:
Josh Hartnett as Yossarian
Adrien Brody as Milo Minderbinder
Jesse Bradford as Nately
Ryan Philippe as Clevinger
Heath Ledger as Dunbar
Francesca Neri as Nately' Whore
Penelope Cruz as Luciana
Natalie Portman as Nurse Duckett
Jake Gyllenhaal as Snowden
Haley Joel Osment as Hupple
Dustin Hoffman as Doc Daneeka
Kiefer Sutherland as Major Major Major Major
Michael Douglas as Major Danby
Gary Sinese as Colonel Cathcart
Michael Keaton as Lieutenant Colonel Korn
Tom Hanks as The Chaplain
Tagline: "Yossarian claimed to be insane, in order to escape the war. However, it was written somewhere that any man who was smart enough to claim insanity, to get away from the fighting, was clearly sane. In war, there's always a catch"
Memorable Quote: "That's some catch, that Catch-22. It's the best there is" - Doc Daneeka
Synopsis: During the second half of World War II, a soldier named Yossarian is stationed with his Air Force squadron on the island of Pianosa , in the Mediterranean Sea . Yossarian and his pilot friends endure an absurd existence, defined by bureaucracy and violence. They are seen as inhuman resources by their superior officers, like Colonel Cathcart and Korn. Throughout the war, the men are thrown into brutal combat situations and bombing runs, in which many of them are killed. Plus, it becomes more important for the squadron members to capture good aerial photographs of explosions than to destroy their targets. Colonel Cathcart continues to raise the number of missions that Yossarian and his friends must complete in order to retire from the Air Force. Nobody, besides Yossarian, seems to understand that a war is going on. The Colonels don't care about their squadron, and the soldiers are occupied with other things, including prostitutes and the black market. Milo Minderbinder, forms a capitalist market that trades with various countries around the Mediterranean . Nately, another pilot, sparks a bond with a whore in Rome . Clevinger even argues with Yossarian over topics including loyalty, country, and duty. Yossarian becomes obsessed with escaping the violence, and begins to claim insanity. His superior officers are not easily swayed, and he is forced to remain in Pianosa. Day after day, the pilots encounter the death of various friends. For example, Yossarian is constantly haunted by a squadron member's death. The man, Snowden, died in Yossarian's arms in a mission over Avignon . Yossarian feels bad about the gruesome deaths that all of his friends have gone through, and he fears that death is inevitable. Eventually, Yossarian becomes so fed up with faking illness and asks advice from The Chaplain. He eventually decides to risk receiving a punishment and fleas to Sweden , leaving his superior officers, and the fighting and brutality of war behind.
What the press would say:
The best movie of the war genre ever made. Oliver Stone directs the film with such power, which makes the film even more of a success. He takes a stance, and does not shy away from the violence, sadness, and cruelty of war. Robert Rodat, the screenwriter of Saving Private Ryan, adapts Joseph Heller's Catch-22 with great accuracy. He understands what is important to the plot of the film, and what could be left out. Rodat included great conversations and large battle scenes into the screenplay, which is often satirical. The film showcases various elements of war, such as, the lives of soldiers and the role of an economy in the fighting. Catch-22 is an amazing look at war, in an age when war is more apparent than ever. It is very controversial, yet worth-watching for its influential directing, impressive screenplay, and the amazing performances from a male-dominated cast. The following actors and actresses give the best performances in Catch-22:
Josh Hartnett is perfect for the main role of Yossarian. After other solid performances in war films, like Pearl Harbor and Black Hawk Down, Hartnett takes his acting to the next level. He is superb. Hartnett perfectly balances his character's hate for war, but love for his friends. All in all, he plays the role of a paranoid lead bombardier to a tee.
Adrien Brody plays Milo Minderbinder, a fantastically powerful mess officer, who controls an international black market syndicate. The actor appears confident in the role, as he should, since his character rakes in profits and is a great cook. Brody gives his best performance since The Pianist, and he deserves another Oscar.
Dustin Hoffman returns to the big leagues and gives the best performance of his career. His character Doc Daneeka is responsible for some comedic lines, which Hoffman delivers flawlessly. Still, the actor allows the audience to feel sorry for his character, because the war has interrupted his lucrative, private, medical practice.
Tom Hanks becomes The Chaplain. He is delightful as the timid and thoughtful man, haunted by deja vu and constantly questioning his faith in God. The Chaplain is a role model for Yossarian, and after Tom's performance, he should be a role model to all of the other young actors in the film.
As Colonel Cathcart, Gary Sinese portrays an ambitious, yet unintelligent officer in charge of Yossarian's squadron. The character is usually scheming to move up in the ranks, in order to become a general. Gary Sinese is just right as the antagonist, and sinister Cathcart. Michael Keaton, as Sinese's side-kick, is also worth mentioning.
Jesse Bradford, after okay performances in Swimfan and Bring It On, graduates to a higher level of filmmaking. He gives his first outstanding performances as a good-natured boy, Nately, in Yossarian's squadron, who generally tries to keep his fellow soldiers out of trouble.
Francesca Neri, from Hannibal, is the best Italian actress out there. She is captivating as Nately's whore. Neri shows her skill in that she plays a loving, yet strong woman. For example, once she is informed that Nately had been killed on a mission, she seeks revenge. However, the only person she can blame is Yossarian, for he was the bearer of bad news.
Penelope Cruz is astounding as Luciana, a beautiful woman Yossarian sleeps with in Rome. Yossarian falls in love and asks the woman to marry him. Unfortunately, she thinks he is crazy, and will not commit to a relationship with him. This is ironic, in that the officers will not believe that Yossarian is insane.
Jake Gyllenhaal does what he can with a small role. He plays Snowden, an Air Force bombardier who dies in Yossarian's arms over Avignon. Snowden's demise is gradually revealed through the course of the film. Gyllenhaal's scenes end up being some of the most powerful in Catch-22.
Possible Academy Award Nominations
Best Picture
Best Director: Oliver Stone
Best Adapted Screenplay: Robert Rodat
Best Cinematography
Best Make-up
Best Art Direction
Best Sound
Best Actor: Josh Hartnett
Best Supporting Actor: Gary Sinese
Best Supporting Actor: Tom Hanks
Best Supporting Actor: Adrien Brody
Best Supporting Actress: Francesca Neri
Best Supporting Actress: Penelope Cruz
Location: Illinois
"Catch-22”
Directed By: Oliver Stone
Adapted Screenplay By: Robert Rodat
Produced By: Steven Spielberg and Michael Bay
Principal Cast:
Josh Hartnett as Yossarian
Adrien Brody as Milo Minderbinder
Jesse Bradford as Nately
Ryan Philippe as Clevinger
Heath Ledger as Dunbar
Francesca Neri as Nately' Whore
Penelope Cruz as Luciana
Natalie Portman as Nurse Duckett
Jake Gyllenhaal as Snowden
Haley Joel Osment as Hupple
Dustin Hoffman as Doc Daneeka
Kiefer Sutherland as Major Major Major Major
Michael Douglas as Major Danby
Gary Sinese as Colonel Cathcart
Michael Keaton as Lieutenant Colonel Korn
Tom Hanks as The Chaplain
Tagline: "Yossarian claimed to be insane, in order to escape the war. However, it was written somewhere that any man who was smart enough to claim insanity, to get away from the fighting, was clearly sane. In war, there's always a catch"
Memorable Quote: "That's some catch, that Catch-22. It's the best there is" - Doc Daneeka
Synopsis: During the second half of World War II, a soldier named Yossarian is stationed with his Air Force squadron on the island of Pianosa , in the Mediterranean Sea . Yossarian and his pilot friends endure an absurd existence, defined by bureaucracy and violence. They are seen as inhuman resources by their superior officers, like Colonel Cathcart and Korn. Throughout the war, the men are thrown into brutal combat situations and bombing runs, in which many of them are killed. Plus, it becomes more important for the squadron members to capture good aerial photographs of explosions than to destroy their targets. Colonel Cathcart continues to raise the number of missions that Yossarian and his friends must complete in order to retire from the Air Force. Nobody, besides Yossarian, seems to understand that a war is going on. The Colonels don't care about their squadron, and the soldiers are occupied with other things, including prostitutes and the black market. Milo Minderbinder, forms a capitalist market that trades with various countries around the Mediterranean . Nately, another pilot, sparks a bond with a whore in Rome . Clevinger even argues with Yossarian over topics including loyalty, country, and duty. Yossarian becomes obsessed with escaping the violence, and begins to claim insanity. His superior officers are not easily swayed, and he is forced to remain in Pianosa. Day after day, the pilots encounter the death of various friends. For example, Yossarian is constantly haunted by a squadron member's death. The man, Snowden, died in Yossarian's arms in a mission over Avignon . Yossarian feels bad about the gruesome deaths that all of his friends have gone through, and he fears that death is inevitable. Eventually, Yossarian becomes so fed up with faking illness and asks advice from The Chaplain. He eventually decides to risk receiving a punishment and fleas to Sweden , leaving his superior officers, and the fighting and brutality of war behind.
What the press would say:
The best movie of the war genre ever made. Oliver Stone directs the film with such power, which makes the film even more of a success. He takes a stance, and does not shy away from the violence, sadness, and cruelty of war. Robert Rodat, the screenwriter of Saving Private Ryan, adapts Joseph Heller's Catch-22 with great accuracy. He understands what is important to the plot of the film, and what could be left out. Rodat included great conversations and large battle scenes into the screenplay, which is often satirical. The film showcases various elements of war, such as, the lives of soldiers and the role of an economy in the fighting. Catch-22 is an amazing look at war, in an age when war is more apparent than ever. It is very controversial, yet worth-watching for its influential directing, impressive screenplay, and the amazing performances from a male-dominated cast. The following actors and actresses give the best performances in Catch-22:
Josh Hartnett is perfect for the main role of Yossarian. After other solid performances in war films, like Pearl Harbor and Black Hawk Down, Hartnett takes his acting to the next level. He is superb. Hartnett perfectly balances his character's hate for war, but love for his friends. All in all, he plays the role of a paranoid lead bombardier to a tee.
Adrien Brody plays Milo Minderbinder, a fantastically powerful mess officer, who controls an international black market syndicate. The actor appears confident in the role, as he should, since his character rakes in profits and is a great cook. Brody gives his best performance since The Pianist, and he deserves another Oscar.
Dustin Hoffman returns to the big leagues and gives the best performance of his career. His character Doc Daneeka is responsible for some comedic lines, which Hoffman delivers flawlessly. Still, the actor allows the audience to feel sorry for his character, because the war has interrupted his lucrative, private, medical practice.
Tom Hanks becomes The Chaplain. He is delightful as the timid and thoughtful man, haunted by deja vu and constantly questioning his faith in God. The Chaplain is a role model for Yossarian, and after Tom's performance, he should be a role model to all of the other young actors in the film.
As Colonel Cathcart, Gary Sinese portrays an ambitious, yet unintelligent officer in charge of Yossarian's squadron. The character is usually scheming to move up in the ranks, in order to become a general. Gary Sinese is just right as the antagonist, and sinister Cathcart. Michael Keaton, as Sinese's side-kick, is also worth mentioning.
Jesse Bradford, after okay performances in Swimfan and Bring It On, graduates to a higher level of filmmaking. He gives his first outstanding performances as a good-natured boy, Nately, in Yossarian's squadron, who generally tries to keep his fellow soldiers out of trouble.
Francesca Neri, from Hannibal, is the best Italian actress out there. She is captivating as Nately's whore. Neri shows her skill in that she plays a loving, yet strong woman. For example, once she is informed that Nately had been killed on a mission, she seeks revenge. However, the only person she can blame is Yossarian, for he was the bearer of bad news.
Penelope Cruz is astounding as Luciana, a beautiful woman Yossarian sleeps with in Rome. Yossarian falls in love and asks the woman to marry him. Unfortunately, she thinks he is crazy, and will not commit to a relationship with him. This is ironic, in that the officers will not believe that Yossarian is insane.
Jake Gyllenhaal does what he can with a small role. He plays Snowden, an Air Force bombardier who dies in Yossarian's arms over Avignon. Snowden's demise is gradually revealed through the course of the film. Gyllenhaal's scenes end up being some of the most powerful in Catch-22.
Possible Academy Award Nominations
Best Picture
Best Director: Oliver Stone
Best Adapted Screenplay: Robert Rodat
Best Cinematography
Best Make-up
Best Art Direction
Best Sound
Best Actor: Josh Hartnett
Best Supporting Actor: Gary Sinese
Best Supporting Actor: Tom Hanks
Best Supporting Actor: Adrien Brody
Best Supporting Actress: Francesca Neri
Best Supporting Actress: Penelope Cruz
Dali
Author(s): Daniel Crooke
Location: Ohio
"Dalí”
Produced, Directed, and Written by: Tim Burton
Score by: Danny Elfman
Principal Cast:
John Turturro as Salvador Dalí
Izabella Scorupco as Gala Dali
Steve Buscemi as Luis Bunuel
Andy Garcia as Paul Eluard
Penelope Cruz as Ana Maria Dali
David Strathairn as Walt Disney
Alan Arkin as Pablo Picasso
Gael Garcia Bernal as Federico Garcia Lorca
Tagline: "Everyone has dreams. But only he painted them"
Synopsis: Salvador Dalí was a Spanish surrealist artist. Known for being eccentric and extremely different, he was one of the leaders of the surrealist movement of the 20th century. His works are still celebrated today, with his most famous piece of work being "The Persistence of Memory". "Dalí" goes in and out of being Dalí's story and what was going on inside of his head. This is done with animation and claymation. Dalí helped shape was surrealist art has become.
Dalí studied at the San Fernando School of Fine Arts in Madrid. Even then he was known for being eccentric. His moustache, clothing, haircut, and personality helped to define his social status, then and later in his life. At school he met a few of his best friends, Federico Lorca and Luis Bunuel. Dalí was expelled from the school after insulting the staff, which was a very Dali-like thing to do. Dalí went to France after being expelled and he then met Pablo Picasso. Picasso and Dalà became good friends and Picasso became one of Dalí's greatest influences.
In 1929, Dalí started to make films with his friend from college, Luis Bunuel. Dalí met Gala while filming and became extremely infatuated with her. By this time, Dalí had begun to paint. His most famous work, "The Persistence of Memory" was finished in 1931. Dalí and Gala married in 1934, and again in 1958. As Dalí continued with his life, he painted more famous paintings such as "The Temptation of St. Anthony", "Dream Caused by the Flight of a Bee around a Pomegranate a Second Before Awakening", and "The Discovery of America by Christopher Columbus". Dalí teamed up with Walt Disney to make their Academy Award winning (posthumously) animated short film "Destino". Dalí was known for having extremely different ways of finding inspiration. Whether it had been wild sex parties or standing on his head, Dalí did it all.
Gala died in 1982. This greatly disturbed Dalí and he soon followed Gala in 1989. Dalí is often regarded as one of the world's greatest painters. His artwork still is commended today and his spirit lives on through his famous works.
What the press would say:
[Dalí" is the latest work of Tim Burton. Let me say now that it is one of his best films to date. John Turturro, in a dynamite performance, plays the infamous, eccentric painter, Salvador Dalí. Dalí is film is John Turturro's best performance he has ever given. The film shows DalÃ, not only in the real world, but also his dreams. A large deal of the film deals with Dalí's dreams and visions. In the supporting category, Alan Arkin plays another famous painter, Pablo Picasso. Arkin's portrayal is also one of his best. Arkin has already won numerous precursor awards. He is Dalí's idol in the film and inspires much of his work. This is the perfect Tim Burton project and this is the perfect individual for Burton to make a biopic of. The film itself is very trippy, for lack of a better word. It is also very imaginative and inspiring. The way Dalí would apply himself and the way he would get his inspiration is just so interesting. John Turturro captures the eccentricities of Dali perfectly. Turturro will most likely get nominated, and he could possibly win. A nice little cameo from David Strathairn, reprising his role as Walt Disney, is included and his is featured during the famous collaboration between Disney and Dalí on their Academy Award winning animation "Destino". Danny Elfman is once again pairing up with Burton to do the score. It is the frontrunner for Best Original Score. Overall, "Dalí" is a must see for moviegoers. It is definitely a Burton film. It is creepy at times. Sad at times. Happy at times. Philosophical at times. Historical at times. This film has it all. "Dalí" is an enjoyable experience for start to finish. "Dalí" is an incredible experience and I recommend it to everyone who loves film...and everyone who doesn't.
Nominations
Best Picture- Tim Burton
Best Director- Tim Burton
Best Actor- John Turturro
Best Supporting Actor- Alan Arkin
Best Original Screenplay- Tim Burton
Best Film Editing
Best Costume Design
Best Original Score- Danny Elfman
Location: Ohio
"Dalí”
Produced, Directed, and Written by: Tim Burton
Score by: Danny Elfman
Principal Cast:
John Turturro as Salvador Dalí
Izabella Scorupco as Gala Dali
Steve Buscemi as Luis Bunuel
Andy Garcia as Paul Eluard
Penelope Cruz as Ana Maria Dali
David Strathairn as Walt Disney
Alan Arkin as Pablo Picasso
Gael Garcia Bernal as Federico Garcia Lorca
Tagline: "Everyone has dreams. But only he painted them"
Synopsis: Salvador Dalí was a Spanish surrealist artist. Known for being eccentric and extremely different, he was one of the leaders of the surrealist movement of the 20th century. His works are still celebrated today, with his most famous piece of work being "The Persistence of Memory". "Dalí" goes in and out of being Dalí's story and what was going on inside of his head. This is done with animation and claymation. Dalí helped shape was surrealist art has become.
Dalí studied at the San Fernando School of Fine Arts in Madrid. Even then he was known for being eccentric. His moustache, clothing, haircut, and personality helped to define his social status, then and later in his life. At school he met a few of his best friends, Federico Lorca and Luis Bunuel. Dalí was expelled from the school after insulting the staff, which was a very Dali-like thing to do. Dalí went to France after being expelled and he then met Pablo Picasso. Picasso and Dalà became good friends and Picasso became one of Dalí's greatest influences.
In 1929, Dalí started to make films with his friend from college, Luis Bunuel. Dalí met Gala while filming and became extremely infatuated with her. By this time, Dalí had begun to paint. His most famous work, "The Persistence of Memory" was finished in 1931. Dalí and Gala married in 1934, and again in 1958. As Dalí continued with his life, he painted more famous paintings such as "The Temptation of St. Anthony", "Dream Caused by the Flight of a Bee around a Pomegranate a Second Before Awakening", and "The Discovery of America by Christopher Columbus". Dalí teamed up with Walt Disney to make their Academy Award winning (posthumously) animated short film "Destino". Dalí was known for having extremely different ways of finding inspiration. Whether it had been wild sex parties or standing on his head, Dalí did it all.
Gala died in 1982. This greatly disturbed Dalí and he soon followed Gala in 1989. Dalí is often regarded as one of the world's greatest painters. His artwork still is commended today and his spirit lives on through his famous works.
What the press would say:
[Dalí" is the latest work of Tim Burton. Let me say now that it is one of his best films to date. John Turturro, in a dynamite performance, plays the infamous, eccentric painter, Salvador Dalí. Dalí is film is John Turturro's best performance he has ever given. The film shows DalÃ, not only in the real world, but also his dreams. A large deal of the film deals with Dalí's dreams and visions. In the supporting category, Alan Arkin plays another famous painter, Pablo Picasso. Arkin's portrayal is also one of his best. Arkin has already won numerous precursor awards. He is Dalí's idol in the film and inspires much of his work. This is the perfect Tim Burton project and this is the perfect individual for Burton to make a biopic of. The film itself is very trippy, for lack of a better word. It is also very imaginative and inspiring. The way Dalí would apply himself and the way he would get his inspiration is just so interesting. John Turturro captures the eccentricities of Dali perfectly. Turturro will most likely get nominated, and he could possibly win. A nice little cameo from David Strathairn, reprising his role as Walt Disney, is included and his is featured during the famous collaboration between Disney and Dalí on their Academy Award winning animation "Destino". Danny Elfman is once again pairing up with Burton to do the score. It is the frontrunner for Best Original Score. Overall, "Dalí" is a must see for moviegoers. It is definitely a Burton film. It is creepy at times. Sad at times. Happy at times. Philosophical at times. Historical at times. This film has it all. "Dalí" is an enjoyable experience for start to finish. "Dalí" is an incredible experience and I recommend it to everyone who loves film...and everyone who doesn't.
Nominations
Best Picture- Tim Burton
Best Director- Tim Burton
Best Actor- John Turturro
Best Supporting Actor- Alan Arkin
Best Original Screenplay- Tim Burton
Best Film Editing
Best Costume Design
Best Original Score- Danny Elfman
Dancing in November
Authors: Ian
Location: New Jersey
"Dancing in November”
Directed by: Sam Mendes
Screenplay by: Alan Ball
Principal Cast:
Kevin Kline – Ronny Samuels
Kevin Spacey – Darren Samuels
Joseph Gordon-Levitt – Matthew Samuels
Idina Menzel – Samantha Reed
Holly Hunter – Annie Samuels
Jennifer Connelly – Emily Tompkins
Phillip Seymour Hoffman – Blake Williams
Tagline: "In this town, the more you open your eyes, the darker it gets"
Synopsis: “November” follows seven people all connected and how each of their final days is shared with each other. Ronny (Kevin Kline) is the owner of the local diner and is in deep debt, so the (seemingly, at least) ruthless Samantha (Idina Menzel) comes along and shuts down his business. Ronny’s son Matthew (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is fighting a torturous battle with cancer. Ronny’s disturbed brother Darren (Kevin Spacey) is stalking Emily (Jennifer Connelly), who is, unknowingly to her, the love of his life. Ronny’s ex-wife Annie (Holly Hunter) and struggling songwriter boyfriend Blake (Phillip Seymour Hoffman) have dangerous drug addictions with crystal meth and cocaine, respectively. And on November 28, all seven will be put out of their misery.
What the press would say:
“Dancing In November” is one of the darkest films I’ve ever seen, and it also happens to be a modern masterpiece. I haven’t watched a movie this brilliant in years, there’s not a less than stellar thing about the whole movie. Alan Ball and Sam Mendes get special kudos for proving that “American Beauty” was not a fluke…at all. Everyone’s very good, but it’s the supporting players that’ll blow you away. Spacey is absolutely horrifying, you can feel Hunter’s performance down your spine, and Menzel is a huge surprise, upstaging everyone with her remarkable portrayal of the deeply troubled Samantha. Though depressing to watch, “November” is also a very important film and I cannot see it getting anything but acceptance when awards season comes around. Beware, Oscar contenders, you’ve got one hell of a powerful film to take down.
FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION
Best Picture
Best Director
Best Original Screenplay
Best Actor – Kevin Kline
Best Supporting Actor – Kevin Spacey
Best Supporting Actress – Idina Menzel
Best Supporting Actress – Holly Hunter
Best Film Editing
Location: New Jersey
"Dancing in November”
Directed by: Sam Mendes
Screenplay by: Alan Ball
Principal Cast:
Kevin Kline – Ronny Samuels
Kevin Spacey – Darren Samuels
Joseph Gordon-Levitt – Matthew Samuels
Idina Menzel – Samantha Reed
Holly Hunter – Annie Samuels
Jennifer Connelly – Emily Tompkins
Phillip Seymour Hoffman – Blake Williams
Tagline: "In this town, the more you open your eyes, the darker it gets"
Synopsis: “November” follows seven people all connected and how each of their final days is shared with each other. Ronny (Kevin Kline) is the owner of the local diner and is in deep debt, so the (seemingly, at least) ruthless Samantha (Idina Menzel) comes along and shuts down his business. Ronny’s son Matthew (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is fighting a torturous battle with cancer. Ronny’s disturbed brother Darren (Kevin Spacey) is stalking Emily (Jennifer Connelly), who is, unknowingly to her, the love of his life. Ronny’s ex-wife Annie (Holly Hunter) and struggling songwriter boyfriend Blake (Phillip Seymour Hoffman) have dangerous drug addictions with crystal meth and cocaine, respectively. And on November 28, all seven will be put out of their misery.
What the press would say:
“Dancing In November” is one of the darkest films I’ve ever seen, and it also happens to be a modern masterpiece. I haven’t watched a movie this brilliant in years, there’s not a less than stellar thing about the whole movie. Alan Ball and Sam Mendes get special kudos for proving that “American Beauty” was not a fluke…at all. Everyone’s very good, but it’s the supporting players that’ll blow you away. Spacey is absolutely horrifying, you can feel Hunter’s performance down your spine, and Menzel is a huge surprise, upstaging everyone with her remarkable portrayal of the deeply troubled Samantha. Though depressing to watch, “November” is also a very important film and I cannot see it getting anything but acceptance when awards season comes around. Beware, Oscar contenders, you’ve got one hell of a powerful film to take down.
FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION
Best Picture
Best Director
Best Original Screenplay
Best Actor – Kevin Kline
Best Supporting Actor – Kevin Spacey
Best Supporting Actress – Idina Menzel
Best Supporting Actress – Holly Hunter
Best Film Editing
Dark Side of the Moon
Authors: Chris
Location: Morristown, NJ
"Dark Side of the Moon "
(The Syd Barrett Story)
Written and Directed by Scott Hicks
Principal Cast:
Johnny Depp as Roger Keith “Syd” Barrett
Jonathan Rhys Meyers as “David Gilmour”
Joseph Fiennes as “Roger Waters”
Glenda Jackson as “Winefred Flack-Barrett” Syds mother
Christian Bale as “Nick Mason” the Drummer of Pink Floyd
James McAvoy as “Richard Wright” the Keyboardist of Pink Floyd
Helen Mirren as “Rosemary” Syds Sister
Daniel Craig as “Bob Klose” founding member of Pink Floyd (Cameo)
Tagline: "So you think you can tell Heaven from Hell?"
November 2007
Synopsis: Scott Hicks the acclaimed writer and director of Shine tells the story of the founding member of the legendary group Pink Floyd, Roger Keith “Syd” Barrett. The film chronicles his battles with drug abuse and mental illness, which ultimately leads to his ousting from the band. He must now watch from the sidelines and see his creation take off without him.
One of the most emotional scenes of the film takes place in 1975 with the band in the recording studio working on the album ‘Wish You Were Here’ and Syd unexpectedly drops in. Having shaved his head and gained weight the band does not recognize him at first, but when they do they have a highly emotional reunion. With Barrett no longer able to contribute musically the band invites him to stay during the sessions, ultimately making this album about him. It is the last time all original members of Pink Floyd will be together.
The Film ends with Syd’s death. Once again the remaining members gather for his funeral. The credits role and the song “Wish You Were Here” plays.
What the press would say:
Riding high on a wave of Oscar buzz, Depp proved himself worthy of all the hype by portraying mentally ill rock legend Roger Keith "Syd" Barrett in a warts-and-all performance that Barret approved shortly before his death in July 2006. Despite a few dramatic embellishments of actual incidents, the film does a remarkable job of summarizing Barret's strengths as a musical innovator who formed one of the greatest and most influential bands of all time and his weaknesses as a philandering LSD addict. Depp seems to be channeling Barret himself, and as he did with the life of Australian piano prodigy David Helfgott, director Scott Hicks (Shine) gets most of the period details absolutely right as he chronicles Barret's rise from "London club circuit" performer in the early '60s to his much-deserved elevation to legendary status as one of the all-time great musicians. Depp expertly lip-syncs to Syd Barrets classic recordings, but you could swear he's the real deal in a film that honors Syd Barret without sanitizing his once-messy life.
This incredible picture should be remembered quite fondly come nomination time. The film should do very well with acting nominations. Gaining almost as much attention as Depp, is Dame Glenda Jackson, a two time Academy Award winning actress who makes her triumphant return to film playing the part of Syds long suffering mother. This is her first performance in over two decades and it is impeccable. Some of the most dramatic scenes involve her trying to nurse her son back to health but ultimately fails. She dies without seeing her son escape his mental prison. Look out for Jonathan Rhys Meyers who will score his first nomination for his accurate portrayal of David Gilmour. Meyers chews up the dialogue in this film, definitely a role he was born to play. His reaction to Barret in the recording studio is what wins Oscars. Very few actors could display the range of emotions that he did in that scene. Other strong performances that have a chance at nominations are Joseph Fiennes as disgruntled rock star Roger Waters, and Helen Mirren, in the short but effective role of Rosemary, Syds sister and last care taker. Her character is quite subtle but manages to leave an impression, proving again what a terrific actress she is. It will be impossible to be overlooked for what Critics are calling the crowning achievement of Scott Hicks career.
Dark Side of the Moon (The Syd Barrett Story) could be nominated in the following categories:
Best Picture
Best Director – Scott Hicks
Best Actor – Johnny Depp
Best Supporting Actor – Jonathan Rhys Meyers
Best Supporting Actor – Joseph Fiennes
Best Supporting Actress – Glenda Jackson
Best Supporting Actress – Helen Mirren
Best Original Screenplay – Scott Hicks
Original Score – Howard Shore
Location: Morristown, NJ
"Dark Side of the Moon "
(The Syd Barrett Story)
Written and Directed by Scott Hicks
Principal Cast:
Johnny Depp as Roger Keith “Syd” Barrett
Jonathan Rhys Meyers as “David Gilmour”
Joseph Fiennes as “Roger Waters”
Glenda Jackson as “Winefred Flack-Barrett” Syds mother
Christian Bale as “Nick Mason” the Drummer of Pink Floyd
James McAvoy as “Richard Wright” the Keyboardist of Pink Floyd
Helen Mirren as “Rosemary” Syds Sister
Daniel Craig as “Bob Klose” founding member of Pink Floyd (Cameo)
Tagline: "So you think you can tell Heaven from Hell?"
November 2007
Synopsis: Scott Hicks the acclaimed writer and director of Shine tells the story of the founding member of the legendary group Pink Floyd, Roger Keith “Syd” Barrett. The film chronicles his battles with drug abuse and mental illness, which ultimately leads to his ousting from the band. He must now watch from the sidelines and see his creation take off without him.
One of the most emotional scenes of the film takes place in 1975 with the band in the recording studio working on the album ‘Wish You Were Here’ and Syd unexpectedly drops in. Having shaved his head and gained weight the band does not recognize him at first, but when they do they have a highly emotional reunion. With Barrett no longer able to contribute musically the band invites him to stay during the sessions, ultimately making this album about him. It is the last time all original members of Pink Floyd will be together.
The Film ends with Syd’s death. Once again the remaining members gather for his funeral. The credits role and the song “Wish You Were Here” plays.
What the press would say:
Riding high on a wave of Oscar buzz, Depp proved himself worthy of all the hype by portraying mentally ill rock legend Roger Keith "Syd" Barrett in a warts-and-all performance that Barret approved shortly before his death in July 2006. Despite a few dramatic embellishments of actual incidents, the film does a remarkable job of summarizing Barret's strengths as a musical innovator who formed one of the greatest and most influential bands of all time and his weaknesses as a philandering LSD addict. Depp seems to be channeling Barret himself, and as he did with the life of Australian piano prodigy David Helfgott, director Scott Hicks (Shine) gets most of the period details absolutely right as he chronicles Barret's rise from "London club circuit" performer in the early '60s to his much-deserved elevation to legendary status as one of the all-time great musicians. Depp expertly lip-syncs to Syd Barrets classic recordings, but you could swear he's the real deal in a film that honors Syd Barret without sanitizing his once-messy life.
This incredible picture should be remembered quite fondly come nomination time. The film should do very well with acting nominations. Gaining almost as much attention as Depp, is Dame Glenda Jackson, a two time Academy Award winning actress who makes her triumphant return to film playing the part of Syds long suffering mother. This is her first performance in over two decades and it is impeccable. Some of the most dramatic scenes involve her trying to nurse her son back to health but ultimately fails. She dies without seeing her son escape his mental prison. Look out for Jonathan Rhys Meyers who will score his first nomination for his accurate portrayal of David Gilmour. Meyers chews up the dialogue in this film, definitely a role he was born to play. His reaction to Barret in the recording studio is what wins Oscars. Very few actors could display the range of emotions that he did in that scene. Other strong performances that have a chance at nominations are Joseph Fiennes as disgruntled rock star Roger Waters, and Helen Mirren, in the short but effective role of Rosemary, Syds sister and last care taker. Her character is quite subtle but manages to leave an impression, proving again what a terrific actress she is. It will be impossible to be overlooked for what Critics are calling the crowning achievement of Scott Hicks career.
Dark Side of the Moon (The Syd Barrett Story) could be nominated in the following categories:
Best Picture
Best Director – Scott Hicks
Best Actor – Johnny Depp
Best Supporting Actor – Jonathan Rhys Meyers
Best Supporting Actor – Joseph Fiennes
Best Supporting Actress – Glenda Jackson
Best Supporting Actress – Helen Mirren
Best Original Screenplay – Scott Hicks
Original Score – Howard Shore
The Dreams of Sarah Breedlove
Authors: Josh P.
Location: Chicago, IL
"The Dreams of Sarah Breedlove”
Directed by Steven Spielberg
Screenplay by Paul Haggis and Eric Roth
Based on the play by Regina Taylor
Music by John Williams
Principal Cast:
S. Epatha Merkerson (Sarah Breedlove/Madame C.J. Walker)
Michael Clarke Duncan (C.J. Walker- Husband)
Halle Berry (Lelia- Madame’s daugter)
Loretta Devine (Nola- Madame’s friend)
Jamie Foxx (Freeman B. Ransom- Madame’s lawyer)
Raven Symoné (Mae- Madame’s granddaughter)
Tagline: "With every fortune, there lie greater misfortunes"
Synopsis: Based on the raved-reviewed play of the same name, the story centers on the life of Sarah Breedlove, a.k.a. Madame C.J. Walker (Merkerson), a freed black woman who slowly built a gigantic empire in hair fashion and became the first black millionaire in the country. In her early life, she tries her best just to work hard and support her daughter (Berry). Lelia is a wild woman who does not know of the discipline that her mother gives her and does start to descend into an obstructed path full of liquor and racism. C.J. Walker (Duncan) quickly turns their marriage into one of deceit and betrayal as he starts to question the importance in their relationship. Nola (Devine) has been Madame’s friend since childhood but once she becomes part owner of one of the stores in Madame’s possession, their friendship turns bitter sweet. Ransom (Foxx) always tries to look out for Madame’s best interest and her granddaughter, Mae (Symoné), can only watch from the sidelines as her family seems to self-destruct. Madame C.J. Walker had a lot to accomplish and a lot to resolve.
What the press would say:
Spielberg provides another fantastic period masterpiece to his collection. His grand sense as director fills every frame with much sophistication as we are reminded once again why Spielberg is one of the most prestigious directors of our time. Oscar-winning writers Paul Haggis and Eric Roth churn out an excellent screenplay filled with all the intensity and emotion of the original stage play. The ensemble, headed by S. Epatha Merkerson, is amazing. Merkerson has all the talents here to play the Madame and the supporting players match her just as much. The campaign consideration:
Best Picture
Best Director: Steven Spielberg
Best Actress: S. Epatha Merkerson
Best Supporting Actor: Michael Clarke Duncan
Best Supporting Actress: Halle Berry
Best Supporting Actress: Loretta Devine
Best Adapted Screenplay: Paul Haggis and Eric Roth
Best Art Direction
Best Costume Design
Best Cinematography
Best Film Editing
Best Original Score
Best Sound
Location: Chicago, IL
"The Dreams of Sarah Breedlove”
Directed by Steven Spielberg
Screenplay by Paul Haggis and Eric Roth
Based on the play by Regina Taylor
Music by John Williams
Principal Cast:
S. Epatha Merkerson (Sarah Breedlove/Madame C.J. Walker)
Michael Clarke Duncan (C.J. Walker- Husband)
Halle Berry (Lelia- Madame’s daugter)
Loretta Devine (Nola- Madame’s friend)
Jamie Foxx (Freeman B. Ransom- Madame’s lawyer)
Raven Symoné (Mae- Madame’s granddaughter)
Tagline: "With every fortune, there lie greater misfortunes"
Synopsis: Based on the raved-reviewed play of the same name, the story centers on the life of Sarah Breedlove, a.k.a. Madame C.J. Walker (Merkerson), a freed black woman who slowly built a gigantic empire in hair fashion and became the first black millionaire in the country. In her early life, she tries her best just to work hard and support her daughter (Berry). Lelia is a wild woman who does not know of the discipline that her mother gives her and does start to descend into an obstructed path full of liquor and racism. C.J. Walker (Duncan) quickly turns their marriage into one of deceit and betrayal as he starts to question the importance in their relationship. Nola (Devine) has been Madame’s friend since childhood but once she becomes part owner of one of the stores in Madame’s possession, their friendship turns bitter sweet. Ransom (Foxx) always tries to look out for Madame’s best interest and her granddaughter, Mae (Symoné), can only watch from the sidelines as her family seems to self-destruct. Madame C.J. Walker had a lot to accomplish and a lot to resolve.
What the press would say:
Spielberg provides another fantastic period masterpiece to his collection. His grand sense as director fills every frame with much sophistication as we are reminded once again why Spielberg is one of the most prestigious directors of our time. Oscar-winning writers Paul Haggis and Eric Roth churn out an excellent screenplay filled with all the intensity and emotion of the original stage play. The ensemble, headed by S. Epatha Merkerson, is amazing. Merkerson has all the talents here to play the Madame and the supporting players match her just as much. The campaign consideration:
Best Picture
Best Director: Steven Spielberg
Best Actress: S. Epatha Merkerson
Best Supporting Actor: Michael Clarke Duncan
Best Supporting Actress: Halle Berry
Best Supporting Actress: Loretta Devine
Best Adapted Screenplay: Paul Haggis and Eric Roth
Best Art Direction
Best Costume Design
Best Cinematography
Best Film Editing
Best Original Score
Best Sound
Eclipse
Authors: Marcus Dennis
Location: N/A
"Eclipse”
Directed by Steven Spielberg
Written by Eric Roth and Paul Haggis
Cinematography by Thierry Arbogast (Leon, The Fifth Element)
Makeup by The Weta Workshop
Visual Effects by Industrial Lights and Magic
Score by John Williams
Principal Cast:
Ed Harris-Jonathan Hammel
Jack Nicholson-William Stokely
Nicolas Cage-Raymond
George Clooney-John Tyler
Ron Perlman-Deacon Fearonone
Vin Diesel-Akril Fearonone
Kimberly Elise-Elizabeth
Tagline: "Their are no winners in war"
Synopsis: In an alternate galaxy, there are two main worlds: Earth & Erigold. An alien species known as Lackins resides on Erigold. Humans and Lackins have co-existed and lived together on their respected planets for years. However, during the last decade, animosity between the two species has started to rise, because of Earth’s bullying of Erigold’s government. The tension potboils over when a group of Lackin terrorists murder over a hundred humans. This causes immediate tension between the two governments. Earth’s secretary of defense launches an attack on a city in Lackin. This results in an all-out galactic war. Erigold’s ruler is Deacon Fearonone (Ron Perlman). He is honorable, but sometimes soft. His second-in-command is his younger brother, Akril (Vin Diesel). Akril is violent and believes that humans are an inferior species. He tries to force his views on Deacon, but his brother will not listen. Akril longs for the day that Lackins rule the galaxy as a dictatorship.
Earth’s ruler is Jonathan Hammel (Ed Harris). He is very peaceful and detests war. His secretary of defense is Williams Stokely (Jack Nicholson). William is a violent man who, like Akril, detests the opposite species. After a group of terrorists (Lead by Peter Saarsgard) murder hundreds of Humans. William goes behind Jonathan’s back and launches an attack on a city in Lackins. Deacon chalks this up as a misunderstanding and refuses to launch war. In a fit of anger, his brother Akril murders him and assumes command of Lackins. He then launches a full-scale attack on Earth and takes over it’s most beloved city, New York. Williams & Jonathan must put aside their personal differences and save Earth from annihilation.
Raymond (Nicolas Cage) and Elizabeth (Kimberly Elise) love each other, like any other couple. Their only problem is that Elizabeth comes from a wealthy Lackin family and Raymond is a struggling human actor. Their relationship is mildly hectic because of this, but their love for each other is immense. During the war, they question whether they’re species will affect the world’s views on their relationship. John Tyler (George Clooney) spearheads the team assigned to take back New York. This battle will decide the fate of the universe.
What the press would say:
This epic masterpiece directed by the master of atmosphere, Steven Spielberg, will no doubt be the frontrunner at the Oscars. The makeup, done by the same company who perfected “The Lord of the Rings Trilogy” completely masks the actors and aids them into becoming a character. The visual effects are so realistic that many viewers cried in theatres during the destruction of New York. Ron Perlman and Vin Diesel give great performances as brothers who trying to convert the others to do what they think is right. Vin Diesel really surprises here with this aggressive, yet emotional performance. Jack Nicholson takes his usual tough guy performance to another level. His intensity and fearness works great with Ed Harris’ calmness, sensitivity, and patience. Nicolas Cage and Kimberly Elise give the best performances in the entire film as mismatched lovers whose love is tested during war. With battle scenes that can scare a viewer and a commanding score by the legendary John Williams, Eclipse will definitely take the Golden Man.
Best Picture
Best Director: Steven Spielberg
Best Orig. Screenplay: Paul Haggis & Eric Roth
Best Actor: Vin Diesel
Best Supporting Actor: Nicolas Cage
Best Supporting Actor: Jack Nicholson
Best Supporting Actress: Kimberly Elise
Best Cinematography
Best Art Direction
Best Makeup
Best Sound
Best Editing
Best Sound Editing
Best Visual Effects
Best Score: John Williams
Location: N/A
"Eclipse”
Directed by Steven Spielberg
Written by Eric Roth and Paul Haggis
Cinematography by Thierry Arbogast (Leon, The Fifth Element)
Makeup by The Weta Workshop
Visual Effects by Industrial Lights and Magic
Score by John Williams
Principal Cast:
Ed Harris-Jonathan Hammel
Jack Nicholson-William Stokely
Nicolas Cage-Raymond
George Clooney-John Tyler
Ron Perlman-Deacon Fearonone
Vin Diesel-Akril Fearonone
Kimberly Elise-Elizabeth
Tagline: "Their are no winners in war"
Synopsis: In an alternate galaxy, there are two main worlds: Earth & Erigold. An alien species known as Lackins resides on Erigold. Humans and Lackins have co-existed and lived together on their respected planets for years. However, during the last decade, animosity between the two species has started to rise, because of Earth’s bullying of Erigold’s government. The tension potboils over when a group of Lackin terrorists murder over a hundred humans. This causes immediate tension between the two governments. Earth’s secretary of defense launches an attack on a city in Lackin. This results in an all-out galactic war. Erigold’s ruler is Deacon Fearonone (Ron Perlman). He is honorable, but sometimes soft. His second-in-command is his younger brother, Akril (Vin Diesel). Akril is violent and believes that humans are an inferior species. He tries to force his views on Deacon, but his brother will not listen. Akril longs for the day that Lackins rule the galaxy as a dictatorship.
Earth’s ruler is Jonathan Hammel (Ed Harris). He is very peaceful and detests war. His secretary of defense is Williams Stokely (Jack Nicholson). William is a violent man who, like Akril, detests the opposite species. After a group of terrorists (Lead by Peter Saarsgard) murder hundreds of Humans. William goes behind Jonathan’s back and launches an attack on a city in Lackins. Deacon chalks this up as a misunderstanding and refuses to launch war. In a fit of anger, his brother Akril murders him and assumes command of Lackins. He then launches a full-scale attack on Earth and takes over it’s most beloved city, New York. Williams & Jonathan must put aside their personal differences and save Earth from annihilation.
Raymond (Nicolas Cage) and Elizabeth (Kimberly Elise) love each other, like any other couple. Their only problem is that Elizabeth comes from a wealthy Lackin family and Raymond is a struggling human actor. Their relationship is mildly hectic because of this, but their love for each other is immense. During the war, they question whether they’re species will affect the world’s views on their relationship. John Tyler (George Clooney) spearheads the team assigned to take back New York. This battle will decide the fate of the universe.
What the press would say:
This epic masterpiece directed by the master of atmosphere, Steven Spielberg, will no doubt be the frontrunner at the Oscars. The makeup, done by the same company who perfected “The Lord of the Rings Trilogy” completely masks the actors and aids them into becoming a character. The visual effects are so realistic that many viewers cried in theatres during the destruction of New York. Ron Perlman and Vin Diesel give great performances as brothers who trying to convert the others to do what they think is right. Vin Diesel really surprises here with this aggressive, yet emotional performance. Jack Nicholson takes his usual tough guy performance to another level. His intensity and fearness works great with Ed Harris’ calmness, sensitivity, and patience. Nicolas Cage and Kimberly Elise give the best performances in the entire film as mismatched lovers whose love is tested during war. With battle scenes that can scare a viewer and a commanding score by the legendary John Williams, Eclipse will definitely take the Golden Man.
Best Picture
Best Director: Steven Spielberg
Best Orig. Screenplay: Paul Haggis & Eric Roth
Best Actor: Vin Diesel
Best Supporting Actor: Nicolas Cage
Best Supporting Actor: Jack Nicholson
Best Supporting Actress: Kimberly Elise
Best Cinematography
Best Art Direction
Best Makeup
Best Sound
Best Editing
Best Sound Editing
Best Visual Effects
Best Score: John Williams
Ellen Foster
Authors: Gabby
Location: NY
"Ellen Foster”
Produced by Chris Noonan
Written by George Miller
Directed by Chris Noonan
Music by Philip Glass
Principal Cast:
Abigail Breslin - Ellen Foster
Sean Penn – Daddy (Abusive Alcoholic. Out of Work. Drinks Himself to Death)
Gillian Anderson – Mama (Very Sickly, suffers from depression, kills herself)
Keke Palmer – Starletta (Ellens best friend, she protects Ellen from her father)
Laura Dern - New Mama (Ellen's foster mother.)
Lauren Bacall - Mama's Mama (Grandmother. She treats Ellen with the utmost cruelty)
Dennis Haysbert – Mavis (A kind field hand on Ellen's grandmother's farm)
Annette Benning – Nadine (Ellen’s miserable Aunt, who spoils her child, ignores Ellen)
Dakota Fanning – Dora (Ellen’s spoiled cousin, hates Ellen)
Catherine Zeta Jones – Betsy (Wealthy aunt. She is petty and bickers with Nadine)
Julianne Moore – Julia (Art Teacher, who temporarily cares for Ellen)
John C. Reilly – Roy (Julia’s hippy husband.)
Tagline: "When I was little I would think of ways to kill my daddy. I would figure it out this or that way and run it down through my head until it got easy"
Christmas 2007
Synopsis: Ellen Foster, the title character is an 11-year-old orphan who refers to herself as "old Ellen," an appellation that is disturbingly apt. Ellen is an old woman in a child's body; her frail, unhappy mother dies, her abusive father alternately neglects her and makes sexual advances on her, and she is shuttled from one uncaring relative's home to another before she finally takes matters into her own hands and finds herself a place to belong. Ellen is at the mercy of predatory adults, with only her own wit and courage and the occasional kindness of others to help her through. That she does, in fact, survive her childhood and even rise above it is the film's bittersweet victory.
What the press would say:
The acclaimed duo that brought us Babe team up again, this time to create the most powerful and moving film of the year. Abigail Breslin leads this all-star cast which mixes some of today's and yesterday's finest actors. Breslin carries this movie on her shoulders; she conveys a child's depression from her situation and rising beyond the hopelessness by doing something about it. Her subtle gestures and myriad facial expressions equal the performance of an Academy Award winner. Watch for standout performances from Sean Penn as Ellen’s abusive alcoholic father and from Gillian Anderson as Ellen’s depressed mother who kills herself. Lauren Bacall shall finally hear her name from the Oscar podium this year with her fantastic portrayal of Ellen’s cruel Grandmother, who gains legal custody of her just to punish her no good father. The other noteworthy performance from this ensemble is young Keke Palmer, who plays Starletta, Ellen’s best friend who tries with the best of her abilities to protect Ellen. Chris Noonan has directed another classic to add to his resume. This near-perfect ensemble film could easily become the most serious Oscar contender of the year, with a strong campaign in the following categories:
Best Picture – Chris Noonan
Best Director – Chris Noonan
Best Actress – Abigail Breslin
Best Supporting Actor - Sean Penn
Best Supporting Actress – Gillian Anderson, Lauren Bacall, Keke Palmer
Best Adapted Screenplay - George Miller
Best Original Score – Philip Glass
Best Film Editing
Best Cinematography
Location: NY
"Ellen Foster”
Produced by Chris Noonan
Written by George Miller
Directed by Chris Noonan
Music by Philip Glass
Principal Cast:
Abigail Breslin - Ellen Foster
Sean Penn – Daddy (Abusive Alcoholic. Out of Work. Drinks Himself to Death)
Gillian Anderson – Mama (Very Sickly, suffers from depression, kills herself)
Keke Palmer – Starletta (Ellens best friend, she protects Ellen from her father)
Laura Dern - New Mama (Ellen's foster mother.)
Lauren Bacall - Mama's Mama (Grandmother. She treats Ellen with the utmost cruelty)
Dennis Haysbert – Mavis (A kind field hand on Ellen's grandmother's farm)
Annette Benning – Nadine (Ellen’s miserable Aunt, who spoils her child, ignores Ellen)
Dakota Fanning – Dora (Ellen’s spoiled cousin, hates Ellen)
Catherine Zeta Jones – Betsy (Wealthy aunt. She is petty and bickers with Nadine)
Julianne Moore – Julia (Art Teacher, who temporarily cares for Ellen)
John C. Reilly – Roy (Julia’s hippy husband.)
Tagline: "When I was little I would think of ways to kill my daddy. I would figure it out this or that way and run it down through my head until it got easy"
Christmas 2007
Synopsis: Ellen Foster, the title character is an 11-year-old orphan who refers to herself as "old Ellen," an appellation that is disturbingly apt. Ellen is an old woman in a child's body; her frail, unhappy mother dies, her abusive father alternately neglects her and makes sexual advances on her, and she is shuttled from one uncaring relative's home to another before she finally takes matters into her own hands and finds herself a place to belong. Ellen is at the mercy of predatory adults, with only her own wit and courage and the occasional kindness of others to help her through. That she does, in fact, survive her childhood and even rise above it is the film's bittersweet victory.
What the press would say:
The acclaimed duo that brought us Babe team up again, this time to create the most powerful and moving film of the year. Abigail Breslin leads this all-star cast which mixes some of today's and yesterday's finest actors. Breslin carries this movie on her shoulders; she conveys a child's depression from her situation and rising beyond the hopelessness by doing something about it. Her subtle gestures and myriad facial expressions equal the performance of an Academy Award winner. Watch for standout performances from Sean Penn as Ellen’s abusive alcoholic father and from Gillian Anderson as Ellen’s depressed mother who kills herself. Lauren Bacall shall finally hear her name from the Oscar podium this year with her fantastic portrayal of Ellen’s cruel Grandmother, who gains legal custody of her just to punish her no good father. The other noteworthy performance from this ensemble is young Keke Palmer, who plays Starletta, Ellen’s best friend who tries with the best of her abilities to protect Ellen. Chris Noonan has directed another classic to add to his resume. This near-perfect ensemble film could easily become the most serious Oscar contender of the year, with a strong campaign in the following categories:
Best Picture – Chris Noonan
Best Director – Chris Noonan
Best Actress – Abigail Breslin
Best Supporting Actor - Sean Penn
Best Supporting Actress – Gillian Anderson, Lauren Bacall, Keke Palmer
Best Adapted Screenplay - George Miller
Best Original Score – Philip Glass
Best Film Editing
Best Cinematography
Eyes For Politics
Authors: Jason
Location: New York
"Eyes for Politics”
Directed by: Oliver Stone
Written by: Oliver Stone
Music by: John Williams
Principal Cast:
Joseph Sandaker- Leo DiCaprio
Professor Richard McFarland - Ed Harris
Helen Sandaker- Meryl Streep
William Devans- Philip Seymour Hoffman
Frank Conolly- Joaquin Phoenix
Tagline: "All he was looking for was a chance, even if he couldn't see it"
Synopsis: Joseph Sandaker was a poor boy who grew up during the 1920's in South Carolina . When he was 2 years old, he became blind. His mother, Helen Sandaker, grew a quick dislike towards him and blamed him for most of her problems. When Joseph was 6, his father abandoned him and his mother and moved to New York . Soon after, Joseph began to receive both physical and mental abuse from his mother. Helen would consistently call him stupid, when in fact, Joseph really was not. He was naturally smart and knew that he had to work hard to break away from his disappointing life. He knew that wasn't going to get anywhere through the use of reading and writing since they were acts that he could not perform. He decided that the best thing for him was to become politician. He was very much into politics and he understood all about it. He would listen to the radio and hear all about how the government worked and about the lifestyles of those in office. Helen thought it was a crazy idea and kicked him out of the house when he was 20, forcing him to live on the streets.
Just when he was about to give up on his dream, he met up with his former high school professor, Richard McFarland. Joseph told professor McFarland about how he had no place to live and how he was giving up his dream of becoming a politician. McFarland, an unmarried lonely man, decided to take in Joseph and help him reach his goal. After 20 years of guidance and support from professor McFarland, Joseph felt that he was ready for the world of politics. However, nobody wanted to give him a chance. Joseph ran for governor for three elections and lost every time. Nobody wanted a blind man as a part of their state's government. Joseph was very angry when in the last election, an unqualified candidate beat him. He wanted to make a difference and decided to run for president in the upcoming election. Along the way, he faced much criticism and many hardships. However, a new and open-minded political party gave him a chance and made him their final candidate for president. Joseph was determined to beat out his competitors and become the first blind man to be elected as President of the United States . His campaign began to grow and his speeches became more and more convincing and powerful. By the time November came around, it was a 3-way race for president with no clear frontrunner in sight.
What the press would say:
Oliver Stone delivers his latest masterpiece with "Eyes for Politics". The story is touching, inspiring, and very powerful. Leonardo DiCaprio stars as Joseph Sandaker, a blind man who does not want his disability to hold him back from life's opportunities. We follow his struggles as he tries to become a politician, and later the President of the United States . DiCaprio perfectly captures Sandaker's saddened yet motivated attitude. Sandaker receives much aid from his former professor, Richard McFarland, played by Ed Harris. There are no words to describe Harris' incredible performance in this role. He beautifully portrays Sandaker's mentor who helps him gain the knowledge and spirit to accomplish his goals. Meryl Streep is at her finest playing Joseph's nasty and inconsiderate mother, Helen Sandaker. In the race for president, Sandaker is running against Republican candidate William Devans (Philip Seymour Hoffman) and Democratic candidate Frank Conolly (Joaquin Phoenix). Both actors deliver solid performances. "Eyes for Politics" is a revolutionary film and will have everybody talking come Oscar season!
Oscar Nominations:
Best Picture
Best Director: Oliver Stone
Best Actor: Leonardo DiCaprio
Best Supporting Actor: Ed Harris
Best Supporting Actress: Meryl Streep
Best Original Screenplay: Oliver Stone
Best Cinematography
Best Film Editing
Best Original Song
Best Original Score
Location: New York
"Eyes for Politics”
Directed by: Oliver Stone
Written by: Oliver Stone
Music by: John Williams
Principal Cast:
Joseph Sandaker- Leo DiCaprio
Professor Richard McFarland - Ed Harris
Helen Sandaker- Meryl Streep
William Devans- Philip Seymour Hoffman
Frank Conolly- Joaquin Phoenix
Tagline: "All he was looking for was a chance, even if he couldn't see it"
Synopsis: Joseph Sandaker was a poor boy who grew up during the 1920's in South Carolina . When he was 2 years old, he became blind. His mother, Helen Sandaker, grew a quick dislike towards him and blamed him for most of her problems. When Joseph was 6, his father abandoned him and his mother and moved to New York . Soon after, Joseph began to receive both physical and mental abuse from his mother. Helen would consistently call him stupid, when in fact, Joseph really was not. He was naturally smart and knew that he had to work hard to break away from his disappointing life. He knew that wasn't going to get anywhere through the use of reading and writing since they were acts that he could not perform. He decided that the best thing for him was to become politician. He was very much into politics and he understood all about it. He would listen to the radio and hear all about how the government worked and about the lifestyles of those in office. Helen thought it was a crazy idea and kicked him out of the house when he was 20, forcing him to live on the streets.
Just when he was about to give up on his dream, he met up with his former high school professor, Richard McFarland. Joseph told professor McFarland about how he had no place to live and how he was giving up his dream of becoming a politician. McFarland, an unmarried lonely man, decided to take in Joseph and help him reach his goal. After 20 years of guidance and support from professor McFarland, Joseph felt that he was ready for the world of politics. However, nobody wanted to give him a chance. Joseph ran for governor for three elections and lost every time. Nobody wanted a blind man as a part of their state's government. Joseph was very angry when in the last election, an unqualified candidate beat him. He wanted to make a difference and decided to run for president in the upcoming election. Along the way, he faced much criticism and many hardships. However, a new and open-minded political party gave him a chance and made him their final candidate for president. Joseph was determined to beat out his competitors and become the first blind man to be elected as President of the United States . His campaign began to grow and his speeches became more and more convincing and powerful. By the time November came around, it was a 3-way race for president with no clear frontrunner in sight.
What the press would say:
Oliver Stone delivers his latest masterpiece with "Eyes for Politics". The story is touching, inspiring, and very powerful. Leonardo DiCaprio stars as Joseph Sandaker, a blind man who does not want his disability to hold him back from life's opportunities. We follow his struggles as he tries to become a politician, and later the President of the United States . DiCaprio perfectly captures Sandaker's saddened yet motivated attitude. Sandaker receives much aid from his former professor, Richard McFarland, played by Ed Harris. There are no words to describe Harris' incredible performance in this role. He beautifully portrays Sandaker's mentor who helps him gain the knowledge and spirit to accomplish his goals. Meryl Streep is at her finest playing Joseph's nasty and inconsiderate mother, Helen Sandaker. In the race for president, Sandaker is running against Republican candidate William Devans (Philip Seymour Hoffman) and Democratic candidate Frank Conolly (Joaquin Phoenix). Both actors deliver solid performances. "Eyes for Politics" is a revolutionary film and will have everybody talking come Oscar season!
Oscar Nominations:
Best Picture
Best Director: Oliver Stone
Best Actor: Leonardo DiCaprio
Best Supporting Actor: Ed Harris
Best Supporting Actress: Meryl Streep
Best Original Screenplay: Oliver Stone
Best Cinematography
Best Film Editing
Best Original Song
Best Original Score
Fact or Fiction
Authors: Pierre Davis
Location: Columbus, Ohio
“Fact or Fiction”
Directed by: Quentin Tarantino
Written by: Quentin Tarantino
Produced by: Quentin Tarantino, Danny DeVito and Samuel L. Jackson
Principal Cast:
Jules (Samuel L. Jackson)
Frank (Joaquin Phoenix)
Louie (Derek Luke)
Marsellus Wallace (Ving Rhames)
Mia Wallace (Uma Thurman)
Tim Roth (Pumpkin)
Amanda Plummer (Honey Bunny)
Tagline: "In life, sometimes you have to choose between Fact or Fiction”
Or
“Give me fries, coke and a Royal with cheese"
Synopsis: From the mind of Oscar winner Quentin Tarantino comes a story about lies and deceit with a funky twist. When Vincent died and Jules decided to take a trip of enlightenment Marcellus need two new hit men to give his point across to buyers and anyone else who didn’t catch his drift. The two men that he decides to hire are men by the names of Frank and Louie who was connected to Marcellus for a long time but never got the chance to show what they had to offer. Louie is Jules nephew and knows everything he needs to know about the hit man business from his uncle, maybe too much sometimes and tries to transfer his knowledge to the by any means necessary Frank. What Louie doesn’t know is that the attitude of Frank has attracted someone that is not to be touched by anyone but the boss Mia Wallace.
Pumpkin and Honey Bunny has been on the run for almost 8 years because of an eye witness who identified them in a restaurant robbery they committed or tried to commit. Needing money to escape to Mexico Pumpkin comes across a man who has a problem and needs them to kill a man and his wife because she is cheating. The offer is 100,000 and too good to not accept.
With Jules back in town this is his chance to reconnect with Marcellus Wallace for some much needed cash. When Marcellus comes to him with a job to let Marcellus know that he can be trusted again Jules accepts. What Jules doesn’t know is that the job is to kill his nephew because Marcellus knows that if he doesn’t kill Louie then he will come back with a vengeance. Will Jules choose the fact which is him choosing his nephew which is the only real family he has in a long time or the fiction which is money that doesn’t last longer than family does.
What the press would say:
Coming from the mind of acclaimed director Quentin Tarantino is another pop culture phenomenon that is sure to stir up minds again. With strong characters played by Joaquin Phoenix, Derek Luke, Ving Rhames, Uma Thurman, Samuel L. Jackson Tim Roth and Amanda Plummer. With a strong cast that could win best ensemble at the Golden Globes this movie has to get Oscar recognition. Led by the direction of Quentin Tarantino everyone in the world will get a taste of what has been missing in movies. A masterpiece that is sure to get recognition come award season and if it doesn’t then this could be the biggest bust since “Shakespeare in Love” outdoing “Saving Private Ryan” in 1998. With a possibility of 11 nominations including 6 acting awards this could go down as one of the top 100 movies of all time.
Academy Award Nominations:
Best Picture: Quentin Tarantino, Danny DeVito and Samuel L. Jackson
Best Director: Quentin Tarantino
Best Actor: Samuel L. Jackson and Joaquin Phoenix
Best Supporting Actor: Derek Luke, Ving Rhames and Tim Roth
Best Actress: Uma Thurman
Best Original Screenplay
Best Film Editing
Best Cinematography
Location: Columbus, Ohio
“Fact or Fiction”
Directed by: Quentin Tarantino
Written by: Quentin Tarantino
Produced by: Quentin Tarantino, Danny DeVito and Samuel L. Jackson
Principal Cast:
Jules (Samuel L. Jackson)
Frank (Joaquin Phoenix)
Louie (Derek Luke)
Marsellus Wallace (Ving Rhames)
Mia Wallace (Uma Thurman)
Tim Roth (Pumpkin)
Amanda Plummer (Honey Bunny)
Tagline: "In life, sometimes you have to choose between Fact or Fiction”
Or
“Give me fries, coke and a Royal with cheese"
Synopsis: From the mind of Oscar winner Quentin Tarantino comes a story about lies and deceit with a funky twist. When Vincent died and Jules decided to take a trip of enlightenment Marcellus need two new hit men to give his point across to buyers and anyone else who didn’t catch his drift. The two men that he decides to hire are men by the names of Frank and Louie who was connected to Marcellus for a long time but never got the chance to show what they had to offer. Louie is Jules nephew and knows everything he needs to know about the hit man business from his uncle, maybe too much sometimes and tries to transfer his knowledge to the by any means necessary Frank. What Louie doesn’t know is that the attitude of Frank has attracted someone that is not to be touched by anyone but the boss Mia Wallace.
Pumpkin and Honey Bunny has been on the run for almost 8 years because of an eye witness who identified them in a restaurant robbery they committed or tried to commit. Needing money to escape to Mexico Pumpkin comes across a man who has a problem and needs them to kill a man and his wife because she is cheating. The offer is 100,000 and too good to not accept.
With Jules back in town this is his chance to reconnect with Marcellus Wallace for some much needed cash. When Marcellus comes to him with a job to let Marcellus know that he can be trusted again Jules accepts. What Jules doesn’t know is that the job is to kill his nephew because Marcellus knows that if he doesn’t kill Louie then he will come back with a vengeance. Will Jules choose the fact which is him choosing his nephew which is the only real family he has in a long time or the fiction which is money that doesn’t last longer than family does.
What the press would say:
Coming from the mind of acclaimed director Quentin Tarantino is another pop culture phenomenon that is sure to stir up minds again. With strong characters played by Joaquin Phoenix, Derek Luke, Ving Rhames, Uma Thurman, Samuel L. Jackson Tim Roth and Amanda Plummer. With a strong cast that could win best ensemble at the Golden Globes this movie has to get Oscar recognition. Led by the direction of Quentin Tarantino everyone in the world will get a taste of what has been missing in movies. A masterpiece that is sure to get recognition come award season and if it doesn’t then this could be the biggest bust since “Shakespeare in Love” outdoing “Saving Private Ryan” in 1998. With a possibility of 11 nominations including 6 acting awards this could go down as one of the top 100 movies of all time.
Academy Award Nominations:
Best Picture: Quentin Tarantino, Danny DeVito and Samuel L. Jackson
Best Director: Quentin Tarantino
Best Actor: Samuel L. Jackson and Joaquin Phoenix
Best Supporting Actor: Derek Luke, Ving Rhames and Tim Roth
Best Actress: Uma Thurman
Best Original Screenplay
Best Film Editing
Best Cinematography
Fahrenheit 451
Authors: Matt
Location: Illinois
"Fahrenheit 451”
Directed By: Andrew Adamson
Written By: Andrew Adamson
Based on the Novel By: Ray Bradbury
Produced By: Peter Jackson and Stephen Spielberg
Original Score By: Howard Shore
Principal Cast:
Viggo Mortensen as Guy Montag
Gwyneth Paltrow as Mildred Montag
Daniel Day-Lewis as Captain Beatty
Michael Caine as Professor Faber
Natalie Portman as Clarisse McClellan
Morgan Freeman as Granger
Julia Roberts as Mrs. Phelps
Kathy Bates as Mrs. Bowles
Sissy Spacek as Old Woman
Tagline: "In a society where people don't read, don't think, and start fires instead of putting them out, who wouldn't want to escape?"
Synopsis: In a futuristic American city, a war is apparent. Guy Montag is a fireman of Fahrenheit 451. However, in this society, firemen start fires instead of putting them out. Guy and his fellow firemen burn books, which are outlawed. The people in this city do not think freely, enjoy nature, spend time alone, have meaningful conversations, or read. The citizens occupy their time by driving, watching Television on wall-sized sets, and listening to the radio. Montag's life is an ordinary one, when it comes to the standards of his culture, until a night when he meets Clarisse McClellan. Clarisse is a young woman, who opens Guy's eyes to the emptiness of his life by questioning love, nature, and friendship. Around the same time that Guy and Clarisse meet, a few disturbing experiences happen to Montag. Guy's wife, Mildred, attempted suicide by swallowing too many sleeping pills. The next day, an old woman is discovered to have been possessing books. When the firemen dowse her house in kerosene, the woman refuses to watch her books burn, and she strikes a match and burns herself along with her literature. Later that night, Guy was informed that his new acquaintance, Clarisse, had been hit by a speeding car. Guy Montag began to feel even more terrible about his life, and so, he took refuge in the books that he had hidden in an air-conditioning vent. Over the years, he had been collecting books from the fires that he had started. After Montag fails to show up for work, his chief, Captain Beatty, visits Guy at his home. Beatty is suspicious that Montag had taken a book from the old woman's house and says that he can have a day to try to find anything worth-reading in the books, and then he would have to turn them in to be burned. Mildred can not see why Guy would want to read in the first place. Guy's only support comes from Professor Faber, a retired English teacher, who Guy had met in a park a few years ago. The two form a bond and Faber helps Guy become more literate. The men later conspire to reprint books and disperse them through the community. One day, following a meeting with Faber, Guy enters his home to see his wife and her friends watching the Television, as usual. He reads the women a passage, and Mrs. Phelps becomes overwhelmed. She is reminded of her husband, who is currently at war. Mrs. Bowles is equally offended. Mildred gets angry with Guy, since he had disrespected her friends and their Television date. Then, Guy leaves his home feeling sick about the women's reaction. He travels to the fire station and hands in a book to Captain Beatty. A call comes in, and the men rush to their target to burn books. They end up in front of Montag's house. Mildred had called the department and turned Guy in for all of the books he had hidden. She gets into a taxi cab and fleas. Guy is left to defend himself. He has the choice of burning his house and books or dying. Montag doesn't think that either of those options is very appealing, and he fights back, eventually burning Beatty. The now fugitive runs and eventually escapes to a river. The river leads him away from the city and to a camp of outcasts, including a man named Granger. Granger and his followers are focused on keeping literature alive, and they plan on waiting until a chance for them to restart society, with books, free-thinking, and conversation. Within a few days, enemy fighter jets fly over the groups' heads and bomb the city. The time had come for Granger, Montag, and the others to rebuild a new society.
What the press would say:
Fahrenheit 451 is the best film of the year; it has a little bit of everything. Andrew Adamson, who struck gold with The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe, outdoes himself. His adaptation of Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451 is impeccable. The adapted screenplay is a perfect mixture of social satire and conversational drama. Adamson knew what characters were essential to the storyline, and which one he could leave out. This movie is ten times better than the classic novel, and is ten times better than any other film this year. Adamson is just as great at directing as he was at writing. Howard Shore releases another beautiful score. The performances in this film are the best that any of the actors have ever given. Viggo Mortensen, who was amazing in A History of Violence, gives another amazing performance as Guy Montag. He is believable as the man who is very confused with his thoughts and how they fit into society. Gwyneth Paltrow, coming off of Proof, is dazzling as Mildred. She is hardly recognizable as the sickly, often depressed, wife. Natalie Portman is a breath of fresh air. Her performance, in the earlier part of the film, is one that requires great range and skill. Portman is so memorable, and her presence and the ideas of her character fill the rest of the film with life. Daniel Day Lewis was the perfect choice to play Captain Beatty. He was amazing as a somewhat psychotic, and controlling, chief fireman. Day-Lewis's performance sticks in the viewers head, as his character sticks in Montag's head. Sissy Spacek gives her best performance since In the Bedroom, and it is only an appearance of about 10 minutes. Her scene, however, is one of the most emotional and tragic scenes in the film. Julia Roberts and Kathy Bates really capture the characters of what society was like in the city. Morgan Freeman is the man! He is amazing in his short amount of screen time, and delivers some of the best dialogue in the film. Without Freeman and his performance, the film and its meaning would not have been the same. All of these amazing performances, the great score, and the wonderful screenplay and direction make Fahrenheit 451 the best film of the year.
Memorable Quote: "The time has come" - Ganger, Morgan Freeman
Possible Oscar Nominations
Best Picture
Best Director: Andrew Adamson
Best Adapted Screenplay: Andrew Adamson
Best Original Score: Howard Shore
Best Actor: Viggo Mortensen
Best Actress: Gwyneth Paltrow
Best Supporting Actor: Morgan Freeman
Best Supporting Actor: Daniel Day-Lewis
Best Supporting Actress: Natalie Portman
Best Supporting Actress: Sissy Spacek
Location: Illinois
"Fahrenheit 451”
Directed By: Andrew Adamson
Written By: Andrew Adamson
Based on the Novel By: Ray Bradbury
Produced By: Peter Jackson and Stephen Spielberg
Original Score By: Howard Shore
Principal Cast:
Viggo Mortensen as Guy Montag
Gwyneth Paltrow as Mildred Montag
Daniel Day-Lewis as Captain Beatty
Michael Caine as Professor Faber
Natalie Portman as Clarisse McClellan
Morgan Freeman as Granger
Julia Roberts as Mrs. Phelps
Kathy Bates as Mrs. Bowles
Sissy Spacek as Old Woman
Tagline: "In a society where people don't read, don't think, and start fires instead of putting them out, who wouldn't want to escape?"
Synopsis: In a futuristic American city, a war is apparent. Guy Montag is a fireman of Fahrenheit 451. However, in this society, firemen start fires instead of putting them out. Guy and his fellow firemen burn books, which are outlawed. The people in this city do not think freely, enjoy nature, spend time alone, have meaningful conversations, or read. The citizens occupy their time by driving, watching Television on wall-sized sets, and listening to the radio. Montag's life is an ordinary one, when it comes to the standards of his culture, until a night when he meets Clarisse McClellan. Clarisse is a young woman, who opens Guy's eyes to the emptiness of his life by questioning love, nature, and friendship. Around the same time that Guy and Clarisse meet, a few disturbing experiences happen to Montag. Guy's wife, Mildred, attempted suicide by swallowing too many sleeping pills. The next day, an old woman is discovered to have been possessing books. When the firemen dowse her house in kerosene, the woman refuses to watch her books burn, and she strikes a match and burns herself along with her literature. Later that night, Guy was informed that his new acquaintance, Clarisse, had been hit by a speeding car. Guy Montag began to feel even more terrible about his life, and so, he took refuge in the books that he had hidden in an air-conditioning vent. Over the years, he had been collecting books from the fires that he had started. After Montag fails to show up for work, his chief, Captain Beatty, visits Guy at his home. Beatty is suspicious that Montag had taken a book from the old woman's house and says that he can have a day to try to find anything worth-reading in the books, and then he would have to turn them in to be burned. Mildred can not see why Guy would want to read in the first place. Guy's only support comes from Professor Faber, a retired English teacher, who Guy had met in a park a few years ago. The two form a bond and Faber helps Guy become more literate. The men later conspire to reprint books and disperse them through the community. One day, following a meeting with Faber, Guy enters his home to see his wife and her friends watching the Television, as usual. He reads the women a passage, and Mrs. Phelps becomes overwhelmed. She is reminded of her husband, who is currently at war. Mrs. Bowles is equally offended. Mildred gets angry with Guy, since he had disrespected her friends and their Television date. Then, Guy leaves his home feeling sick about the women's reaction. He travels to the fire station and hands in a book to Captain Beatty. A call comes in, and the men rush to their target to burn books. They end up in front of Montag's house. Mildred had called the department and turned Guy in for all of the books he had hidden. She gets into a taxi cab and fleas. Guy is left to defend himself. He has the choice of burning his house and books or dying. Montag doesn't think that either of those options is very appealing, and he fights back, eventually burning Beatty. The now fugitive runs and eventually escapes to a river. The river leads him away from the city and to a camp of outcasts, including a man named Granger. Granger and his followers are focused on keeping literature alive, and they plan on waiting until a chance for them to restart society, with books, free-thinking, and conversation. Within a few days, enemy fighter jets fly over the groups' heads and bomb the city. The time had come for Granger, Montag, and the others to rebuild a new society.
What the press would say:
Fahrenheit 451 is the best film of the year; it has a little bit of everything. Andrew Adamson, who struck gold with The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe, outdoes himself. His adaptation of Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451 is impeccable. The adapted screenplay is a perfect mixture of social satire and conversational drama. Adamson knew what characters were essential to the storyline, and which one he could leave out. This movie is ten times better than the classic novel, and is ten times better than any other film this year. Adamson is just as great at directing as he was at writing. Howard Shore releases another beautiful score. The performances in this film are the best that any of the actors have ever given. Viggo Mortensen, who was amazing in A History of Violence, gives another amazing performance as Guy Montag. He is believable as the man who is very confused with his thoughts and how they fit into society. Gwyneth Paltrow, coming off of Proof, is dazzling as Mildred. She is hardly recognizable as the sickly, often depressed, wife. Natalie Portman is a breath of fresh air. Her performance, in the earlier part of the film, is one that requires great range and skill. Portman is so memorable, and her presence and the ideas of her character fill the rest of the film with life. Daniel Day Lewis was the perfect choice to play Captain Beatty. He was amazing as a somewhat psychotic, and controlling, chief fireman. Day-Lewis's performance sticks in the viewers head, as his character sticks in Montag's head. Sissy Spacek gives her best performance since In the Bedroom, and it is only an appearance of about 10 minutes. Her scene, however, is one of the most emotional and tragic scenes in the film. Julia Roberts and Kathy Bates really capture the characters of what society was like in the city. Morgan Freeman is the man! He is amazing in his short amount of screen time, and delivers some of the best dialogue in the film. Without Freeman and his performance, the film and its meaning would not have been the same. All of these amazing performances, the great score, and the wonderful screenplay and direction make Fahrenheit 451 the best film of the year.
Memorable Quote: "The time has come" - Ganger, Morgan Freeman
Possible Oscar Nominations
Best Picture
Best Director: Andrew Adamson
Best Adapted Screenplay: Andrew Adamson
Best Original Score: Howard Shore
Best Actor: Viggo Mortensen
Best Actress: Gwyneth Paltrow
Best Supporting Actor: Morgan Freeman
Best Supporting Actor: Daniel Day-Lewis
Best Supporting Actress: Natalie Portman
Best Supporting Actress: Sissy Spacek
Field Order 15
Authors: Matthew LaRusso
Location: New Jersey
"Field Order 15”
Directed by: Terence Malick
Written by: Terence Malick and Djimon Hounsou
Music by: James Horner
Principal Cast:
Tom Hanks as General William T. Sherman
Geoffrey Rush as President Andrew Johnson
Willem Dafoe as General Rufus Saxton
Djimon Hounsou as Joseph
Cuba Gooding Jr., as Beck
Rosario Dawson as Dinah
Jennifer Hudson as Cooba
Tagline: "The War gave them freedom, Field Order 15 gave them hope"
Synopsis: In post civil war America, there were nearly 4 million freed slaves in the United States with no where to go. In 1865, General William Sherman (Hanks) provided Field Order 15. A doctrine that promised that freed slaves would get 40 acres of land each in the South Carolina low country to live peacefully. However, some 40,000 slaves were squeezed onto 4,000 acres of land, hardly what they were promised. This film follows the acceptance of Field Order 15 and how it affects two ex-slave couples looking to start a normal life after years of servitude. After the huge disappointment of Field Order 15, the couples escape to the North and settle in Pennsylvania. We see the impact of the Field Order from both sides: The sides of the slaves it was supposed to protect, and the sides of some of the most powerful men in the country as they try to rebuild their nation.
What the press would say:
In the shadow of “The Thin Red Line” and “The New World” comes Terence Malick’s newest period piece, “Field Order 15”. The film is sure to clean up in the tech categories at the Oscars, especially for Art Direction and Cinematography, always a staple of Malick’s films. Horner’s score is morose and powerful, and gives the character’s depth.
Best Picture
Best Director
Best Actor- Geoffrey Rush
Best Supporting Actor- Djimon Hounsou
Best Supporting Actress- Jennifer Hudson
Best Original Screenplay
Best Cinematography
Best Art Direction
Best Original Score
Best Costume Design
Location: New Jersey
"Field Order 15”
Directed by: Terence Malick
Written by: Terence Malick and Djimon Hounsou
Music by: James Horner
Principal Cast:
Tom Hanks as General William T. Sherman
Geoffrey Rush as President Andrew Johnson
Willem Dafoe as General Rufus Saxton
Djimon Hounsou as Joseph
Cuba Gooding Jr., as Beck
Rosario Dawson as Dinah
Jennifer Hudson as Cooba
Tagline: "The War gave them freedom, Field Order 15 gave them hope"
Synopsis: In post civil war America, there were nearly 4 million freed slaves in the United States with no where to go. In 1865, General William Sherman (Hanks) provided Field Order 15. A doctrine that promised that freed slaves would get 40 acres of land each in the South Carolina low country to live peacefully. However, some 40,000 slaves were squeezed onto 4,000 acres of land, hardly what they were promised. This film follows the acceptance of Field Order 15 and how it affects two ex-slave couples looking to start a normal life after years of servitude. After the huge disappointment of Field Order 15, the couples escape to the North and settle in Pennsylvania. We see the impact of the Field Order from both sides: The sides of the slaves it was supposed to protect, and the sides of some of the most powerful men in the country as they try to rebuild their nation.
What the press would say:
In the shadow of “The Thin Red Line” and “The New World” comes Terence Malick’s newest period piece, “Field Order 15”. The film is sure to clean up in the tech categories at the Oscars, especially for Art Direction and Cinematography, always a staple of Malick’s films. Horner’s score is morose and powerful, and gives the character’s depth.
Best Picture
Best Director
Best Actor- Geoffrey Rush
Best Supporting Actor- Djimon Hounsou
Best Supporting Actress- Jennifer Hudson
Best Original Screenplay
Best Cinematography
Best Art Direction
Best Original Score
Best Costume Design
Forward
Authors: James Somerton
Location: NS, Canada
"Forward"
Directed By: David Fincher
Written By: James Somerton
Principal Cast:
Jodie Foster as Jan Cassidy
Jake Gyllenhaal as Marc Forest/WebMaster
Morgan Freeman as Agent Jack Morris
Evan Rachel Wood as Leslie Cassidy
Jarred Leto as Officer Jim Terrence
Tagline: "One Girl. Three Days. A Million Leads"
Synopsis: Leslie Cassidy has been missing for almost a month now and the police still don’t have any leads. Her mother, Jan, has fallen into a self-induced exile from the world, feeling that it’s her fault that her daughter has gone missing. If only she has watched her closer. The case is nearly shut until Jan receives an e-mail with tiny blue lettering directing her to a web page. When she clicks on it, she sees her daughter’s face…with blood all over it. She reads the words “I wanted you to watch as she dies. Dehydration. Three days.”
The police are still baffled. Every e-mail they receive from the man, who is calling himself “WebMaster” is coming from a different public computer. And the Libraries he has been sending them from don’t have any recollection of them.
A day has past. The FBI sends in their best agent, Jack Morris. These forwarded e-mails have happened before. Five times before but the FBI was never consulted before the girls died. Agent Morris thinks he knows how the find “WebMaster”. They find him in a Starbucks watching Leslie’s live webcam.
Two Days have passed. Jan is losing her mind as “WebMaster”, who says his real name is Marc Forest, refuses to tell anyone where Leslie is. She watches the webcam nonstop. Time is winding down.
Twelve Hours. Now if the FBI knew Marc Forest’s real name, or would at least let Jan see him, they would be able to find Leslie. Marc Forest, also known as Gregory Smith, is Jan’s next-door neighbor.
What the press would say:
Jodie Foster returns to the genre that last saw her win Oscar Gold in “Forward”; a technological crime thriller that keeps the audience guessing for two hours, dropping hints along the way that never add up until the very last piece of the puzzle is dropped. Foster plays the mother of a teenaged girl who has been missing for over a month. The police have all but given up on her but the public is still rooting for her return. When Foster’s character receives an e-mail inviting her to view a live-webcam of her daughter being tortured with starvation and dehydration, the FBI is called in. Enter Morgan Freeman as a brilliantly sarcastic FBI agent who writes off every theory the local authorities have cooked up and spins his own theory that eventually leads to the arrest of the torturer, nicknamed “WebMaster”. The only problem is, he won’t talk and the young girl should be dying soon due to dehydration. From this point on it’s a battle of wits as “Webmaster” toys with everyone’s minds and sends them on wild chases that lead to nowhere. Meanwhile, Foster’s character is helplessly watching her daughter die. This cast is utterly amazing; Foster and Freeman are joined by Evan Rachel Wood as Foster’s lost daughter. Although Wood is seen very rarely in the film, her character managed to get deep inside the audience so that they never forget that the movie is really about her, not the warped games “Webmaster” plays. Jake Gyllenhaal plays “Webmaster” and his alter ego, Marc Forest. Gyllenhaal uses his boyish good looks to his advantage as this twisted killer. Watching this movie, I was always hoping that it wasn’t really his character that was responsible for these events. The screenplay is cleverly written with twists and turns everywhere that take you so far from where you thought you were that you should be careful not to get lost along the way. Strangely enough though, there are no plot holes. In two hours and twelve minutes, every last lose end is neatly tied up, although some end up a little messier than other. It’s the clever dialogue that drives this movie to the conclusion though. David Fincher has mastered the thriller genre and uses his talents to make sure that the screenplay works visually. This is a dark and brooding film that gets under the skin of the viewer. There is no gore and no loud shocks but I left the theatre more afraid than I ever have. The Internet is such a part of our day-to-day lives now that we never really pay attention to some of the terrible things that take place there. And the fact that this film is loosely based on a real case in BC, Canada makes it all the more terrifying.
POSSIBLE NOMINATIONS:
Best Picture
Best Director – David Fincher
Best Original Screenplay – James Somerton
Best Actress – Jodie Foster
Best Supporting Actor – Morgan Freeman
Best Supporting Actor – Jake Gyllenhaal
Location: NS, Canada
"Forward"
Directed By: David Fincher
Written By: James Somerton
Principal Cast:
Jodie Foster as Jan Cassidy
Jake Gyllenhaal as Marc Forest/WebMaster
Morgan Freeman as Agent Jack Morris
Evan Rachel Wood as Leslie Cassidy
Jarred Leto as Officer Jim Terrence
Tagline: "One Girl. Three Days. A Million Leads"
Synopsis: Leslie Cassidy has been missing for almost a month now and the police still don’t have any leads. Her mother, Jan, has fallen into a self-induced exile from the world, feeling that it’s her fault that her daughter has gone missing. If only she has watched her closer. The case is nearly shut until Jan receives an e-mail with tiny blue lettering directing her to a web page. When she clicks on it, she sees her daughter’s face…with blood all over it. She reads the words “I wanted you to watch as she dies. Dehydration. Three days.”
The police are still baffled. Every e-mail they receive from the man, who is calling himself “WebMaster” is coming from a different public computer. And the Libraries he has been sending them from don’t have any recollection of them.
A day has past. The FBI sends in their best agent, Jack Morris. These forwarded e-mails have happened before. Five times before but the FBI was never consulted before the girls died. Agent Morris thinks he knows how the find “WebMaster”. They find him in a Starbucks watching Leslie’s live webcam.
Two Days have passed. Jan is losing her mind as “WebMaster”, who says his real name is Marc Forest, refuses to tell anyone where Leslie is. She watches the webcam nonstop. Time is winding down.
Twelve Hours. Now if the FBI knew Marc Forest’s real name, or would at least let Jan see him, they would be able to find Leslie. Marc Forest, also known as Gregory Smith, is Jan’s next-door neighbor.
What the press would say:
Jodie Foster returns to the genre that last saw her win Oscar Gold in “Forward”; a technological crime thriller that keeps the audience guessing for two hours, dropping hints along the way that never add up until the very last piece of the puzzle is dropped. Foster plays the mother of a teenaged girl who has been missing for over a month. The police have all but given up on her but the public is still rooting for her return. When Foster’s character receives an e-mail inviting her to view a live-webcam of her daughter being tortured with starvation and dehydration, the FBI is called in. Enter Morgan Freeman as a brilliantly sarcastic FBI agent who writes off every theory the local authorities have cooked up and spins his own theory that eventually leads to the arrest of the torturer, nicknamed “WebMaster”. The only problem is, he won’t talk and the young girl should be dying soon due to dehydration. From this point on it’s a battle of wits as “Webmaster” toys with everyone’s minds and sends them on wild chases that lead to nowhere. Meanwhile, Foster’s character is helplessly watching her daughter die. This cast is utterly amazing; Foster and Freeman are joined by Evan Rachel Wood as Foster’s lost daughter. Although Wood is seen very rarely in the film, her character managed to get deep inside the audience so that they never forget that the movie is really about her, not the warped games “Webmaster” plays. Jake Gyllenhaal plays “Webmaster” and his alter ego, Marc Forest. Gyllenhaal uses his boyish good looks to his advantage as this twisted killer. Watching this movie, I was always hoping that it wasn’t really his character that was responsible for these events. The screenplay is cleverly written with twists and turns everywhere that take you so far from where you thought you were that you should be careful not to get lost along the way. Strangely enough though, there are no plot holes. In two hours and twelve minutes, every last lose end is neatly tied up, although some end up a little messier than other. It’s the clever dialogue that drives this movie to the conclusion though. David Fincher has mastered the thriller genre and uses his talents to make sure that the screenplay works visually. This is a dark and brooding film that gets under the skin of the viewer. There is no gore and no loud shocks but I left the theatre more afraid than I ever have. The Internet is such a part of our day-to-day lives now that we never really pay attention to some of the terrible things that take place there. And the fact that this film is loosely based on a real case in BC, Canada makes it all the more terrifying.
POSSIBLE NOMINATIONS:
Best Picture
Best Director – David Fincher
Best Original Screenplay – James Somerton
Best Actress – Jodie Foster
Best Supporting Actor – Morgan Freeman
Best Supporting Actor – Jake Gyllenhaal
Fosse
Author(s): Alex
Location: Washington State
"Fosse”
Directed by Robert Altman
Written by Bill Condon
Produced by Rob Marshall
Music by John Kander
Creative Consulting by Liza Minnelli, Joel Grey, Chita Rivera, and Ben Vereen
Principal Cast:
Woody Harrelson (Bob Fosse)
Cate Blanchett (Gwen Verdon)
Toni Collette (Liza Minnelli)
Alan Cumming (Joel Grey)
Catherine Zeta-Jones (Chita Rivera)
Hugh Jackman (Jerry Orbach)
Terrence Howard (Ben Vereen)
Kevin Spacey (John Kander)
John Cusack (Fred Ebb)
Rachel McAdams (Joan McCracken)
Tagline: "This October prepare to be Razzle Dazzled!"
Synopsis: The film starts in 1958 when Bob Fosse is choreographing Damn Yankees, where he meets Gwen Verdon. Soon after he meets her he divorces then wife Joan McCracken. He then directed and choreographed Sweet Charity starring his new wife Gwen Verdon. This is third show to give him a Tony Award (after “The Pajama Game” and “Damn Yankees”). He then does six more shows including “How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying” and “Sweet Charity” (the later starring Verdon). Jump to November 20, 1966. It’s “Cabaret”’s opening night on Broadway, and there’s Bob Fosse in the audience. Swept away by the musical, he starts production and eventually gets it done in 1972 starring Judy Garland’s star struck daughter Liza Minnelli and original cast member Joel Grey. When it opens in theatres it’s an absolute hit. It goes on to win Fosse, Minnelli, and Grey Academy Awards. He won his Oscar in the same year he won a Tony for “Pippin” (starring Ben Vereen) and an Emmy for “Liza with a Z” (also starring Minnelli). In 1975 writes, choreographs, and directs “Chicago” which stars Verdon, Chita Rivera, and Jerry Orbach. They aren’t very far into “Chicago”’s run when Verdon is injured. It looks as if it will stop until Minnelli offers to play Verdon’s part while she recovers. This is where the film “Fosse” ends, and his ever-growing legacy takes a life of it’s own.
What the press would say:
In a role he was born to play, Woody Harrelson absolutely shines as Bob Fosse! By far his best film ever, Harrelson is tremendously talented and this is his role! Rob Marshall presents us with a wonderful show helmed by the great Robert Altman (and though he’s never won a competitive Oscar this will most likely win him his). After showing he understands Bob Fosse’s writing and dance numbers (via the “Chicago” movie musical), Bill Condon takes Fosse’s own life and puts in his magnificently crafted screenplay. Cate Blanchett gives a stunning performance as Gwen Verdon. Alan Cumming and Hugh Jackman are perfect casting choices as Joel Grey and the late Jerry Orbach, but if anyone from this cast (besides Harrelson) is to be awarded it’s Toni Collette as the young diva who brought Fosse to stardom, Liza Minnelli. Overall, the best biopic of the century with a great campaign in these categories:
Best Picture (Rob Marshall)
Best Director (Robert Altman)
Best Actor (Woody Harrelson)
Best Actress (Cate Blanchett)
Best Supporting Actor (Alan Cumming, Hugh Jackman)
Best Supporting Actress (Toni Collette)
Best Original Screenplay (Bill Condon)
Best Original Score (John Kander)
Best Costume Design
Best Cinematography
Location: Washington State
"Fosse”
Directed by Robert Altman
Written by Bill Condon
Produced by Rob Marshall
Music by John Kander
Creative Consulting by Liza Minnelli, Joel Grey, Chita Rivera, and Ben Vereen
Principal Cast:
Woody Harrelson (Bob Fosse)
Cate Blanchett (Gwen Verdon)
Toni Collette (Liza Minnelli)
Alan Cumming (Joel Grey)
Catherine Zeta-Jones (Chita Rivera)
Hugh Jackman (Jerry Orbach)
Terrence Howard (Ben Vereen)
Kevin Spacey (John Kander)
John Cusack (Fred Ebb)
Rachel McAdams (Joan McCracken)
Tagline: "This October prepare to be Razzle Dazzled!"
Synopsis: The film starts in 1958 when Bob Fosse is choreographing Damn Yankees, where he meets Gwen Verdon. Soon after he meets her he divorces then wife Joan McCracken. He then directed and choreographed Sweet Charity starring his new wife Gwen Verdon. This is third show to give him a Tony Award (after “The Pajama Game” and “Damn Yankees”). He then does six more shows including “How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying” and “Sweet Charity” (the later starring Verdon). Jump to November 20, 1966. It’s “Cabaret”’s opening night on Broadway, and there’s Bob Fosse in the audience. Swept away by the musical, he starts production and eventually gets it done in 1972 starring Judy Garland’s star struck daughter Liza Minnelli and original cast member Joel Grey. When it opens in theatres it’s an absolute hit. It goes on to win Fosse, Minnelli, and Grey Academy Awards. He won his Oscar in the same year he won a Tony for “Pippin” (starring Ben Vereen) and an Emmy for “Liza with a Z” (also starring Minnelli). In 1975 writes, choreographs, and directs “Chicago” which stars Verdon, Chita Rivera, and Jerry Orbach. They aren’t very far into “Chicago”’s run when Verdon is injured. It looks as if it will stop until Minnelli offers to play Verdon’s part while she recovers. This is where the film “Fosse” ends, and his ever-growing legacy takes a life of it’s own.
What the press would say:
In a role he was born to play, Woody Harrelson absolutely shines as Bob Fosse! By far his best film ever, Harrelson is tremendously talented and this is his role! Rob Marshall presents us with a wonderful show helmed by the great Robert Altman (and though he’s never won a competitive Oscar this will most likely win him his). After showing he understands Bob Fosse’s writing and dance numbers (via the “Chicago” movie musical), Bill Condon takes Fosse’s own life and puts in his magnificently crafted screenplay. Cate Blanchett gives a stunning performance as Gwen Verdon. Alan Cumming and Hugh Jackman are perfect casting choices as Joel Grey and the late Jerry Orbach, but if anyone from this cast (besides Harrelson) is to be awarded it’s Toni Collette as the young diva who brought Fosse to stardom, Liza Minnelli. Overall, the best biopic of the century with a great campaign in these categories:
Best Picture (Rob Marshall)
Best Director (Robert Altman)
Best Actor (Woody Harrelson)
Best Actress (Cate Blanchett)
Best Supporting Actor (Alan Cumming, Hugh Jackman)
Best Supporting Actress (Toni Collette)
Best Original Screenplay (Bill Condon)
Best Original Score (John Kander)
Best Costume Design
Best Cinematography
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