Hollywood on Oakton Street

Oscar, Oscar, Oscar!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2012-01-27T18:23:00.000-08:00

Most of the things I’m going to talk about here are not original ideas (meaning that though they are my opinions, I’m not the first and only person to voice these comments). I try my best to be original, but alas, others might not be more original, but they are QUICKER with getting their opinions out there. I’m digressing…here are my thoughts on the 84th Oscar nominations announced on Tuesday, January 24th and to be presented on Sunday, February 26^th.

I was ECSTATIC about Demian Bichir in A Better Life getting a Best Actor nomination and even though a lot of people wanted poor Leonardo DiCaprio to get a nod for J. Edgar, watch both A Better Life and J. Edgar and I dare you to tell me that Leo was robbed! (Be prepared with your pillow for J. Edgar!)

No Young Adult nominations, especially none for potential Best Actress Charlize Theron. This one, I disagree with…I think Charlize deserved a nod here for this tough, honest performance about life after high school.

I also disagree with no David Fincher nomination for Best Director for The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Instead, Terrance Mallick for The Tree of Life gets the nomination. Really? Has the Academy seen The Tree of Life? Can they explain it to me? Yes, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is not a perfect film, but it is highly stylized and exceptionally shot. The Tree of Life is just exceptionally dull, confusing and BLAH.

No Best Supporting Actress nomination for Shailene Woodley from The Descendents…rather Janet McTeer got a nod for Albert Nobbs. Haven’t see Nobbs yet, but I think Shailene Woodley doesn’t have much to be upset about. She’s young and has a full career as an exceptional actress ahead of her. She’ll get a nomination one day.

No Drive nominations, including nothing for much-talked-about Best Supporting Actor candidate Albert Brooks. Instead, in this category, the Academy honored Jonah Hill from Moneyball and Max von Sydow from Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close. I haven’t seen Drive or Extremely Loud so I cannot speak about those, but I did see Moneyball and I fail to see what is the big deal about Jonah Hill’s performance. Brad Pitt, I understand, but Hill is just so-so. Any actor could have played this part. There is nothing exceptional in that performance.

Lastly, I have a MAJOR bone to pick with only ONE nomination for The Ides of March for Adapted Screenplay — notably missing is a Best Picture nod. The BRILLIANT (sarcasm) Academy decided to give Best Picture nods to instead to Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close and My FAV (sarcasm) The Tree of Life. The Ides of March is a strong film. It is a thriller, a drama, a political statement, a moral dilemma, and a statement of the current political situation in this country. It is not dull and confusing and mind-boggling, ala The Tree of Life. Again, I have yet to see Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close so I cannot speak of that one, but NO IDES OF MARCH is a travesty. The Academy was very proud of themselves when they announced in 2011 that there would not be a set number of Best Picture nominations…that the amount of Best Picture noms would be based on percentage of votes. Well, there must be a VERY LARGE percentage of the Academy sniffing glue!

OK – enough of me complaining. Here are the MAJOR categories with who I think is going to win IN BOLD and who I would love to see win IN RED. Where there is a just a RED pick, that means what I want to win and what I think will win are one in the same!

BEST PICTURE

‘The Artist’

‘The Descendants’

‘Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close’

‘The Help’

‘Hugo’

‘Midnight in Paris’

‘Moneyball’

‘The Tree of Life’

‘War Horse’

BEST DIRECTOR

Woody Allen, ‘Midnight in Paris’

Michel Hazanavicius, ‘The Artist’

Terrence Malick, ‘The Tree of Life’

Alexander Payne, ‘The Descendants’

Martin Scorsese, ‘Hugo’

BEST ACTOR

Demian Bichir, ‘A Better Life’

George Clooney, ‘The Descendants’

Jean Dujardin, ‘The Artist’

Gary Oldman, ‘Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy’

Brad Pitt, ‘Moneyball’

BEST ACTRESS

Glenn Close, ‘Albert Nobbs’

Viola Davis, "The Help"

Rooney Mara, ‘The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo’

Meryl Streep, ‘The Iron Lady’

Michelle Williams, ‘My Week With Marilyn’

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Kenneth Branagh, ‘My Week With Marilyn’

Jonah Hill, ‘Moneyball’

Nick Nolte, ‘Warrior’

Christopher Plummer, ‘Beginners’

Max Von Sydow, ‘Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close’

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Berenice Bejo, ‘The Artist’

Jessica Chastain, ‘The Help’

Melissa McCarthy, ‘Bridesmaids’

Janet McTeer, ‘Albert Nobbs’

Octavia Spencer, ‘The Help’

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

‘Midnight in Paris’

‘Margin Call’

‘A Separation’

‘The Artist’

‘Bridesmaids’

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

‘The Descendants’

‘Hugo’

‘The Ides of March’

‘Moneyball’

‘Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy’

The Classics on DVD Decade by Decade From The National Film Registry

2012-01-16T12:25:00.000-08:00

1900s-1920s

Blacksmithing Scene (1893) (part of the Treasures From American Film Archives)

Great Train Robbery, The (1903)

From The Manger to the Cross (1912)

In the Land of the War Canoes (1914)

Birth of a Nation, The (1915)

The Cheat (1915)

Regeneration (1915)

Hell's Hinges (1916) (part of the Treasures From American Film Archives)

Intolerance (1916)

The Immigrant (1917) (part of the Chaplin Mutuals)

Broken Blossoms (1919)

The Last of the Mohicans (1920)

The Kid (1921)

Tol’Able David (1921)

Foolish Wives (1922)

Nanook of the North (1922)

Salome (1922)

Safety Last (1923) (part of the Harold Lloyd Comedy Collection)

The Chechahcos (1924) (part of the Treasures From American Film Archives)

The Iron Horse (1924)

Peter Pan (1924)

Sherlock, Jr. (1924)

The Thief of Bagdad (1924)

Clash of the Wolves (1925) (part of the More Treasures From American Film Archives)

The Freshman (part of the Harold Lloyd Comedy Collection)

The Gold Rush (1925)

Lady Windermere's Fan (1925) (part of the More Treasures From American Film Archives)

The Lost World (1925)

Phantom of the Opera (1925)

Black Pirate, The (1926)

Mighty Like a Moose (1926) (part of the Charley Chase Collection)

Son of the Sheik, The (1926)

The Strong Man (1926) (part of the Harry Langdon Forgotten Clown collection)

Flesh and the Devil (1927)

General, The (1927)

It (1927)

Jazz Singer, The (1927)

Sunrise (1927)

The Cameraman (1928) (part of the Buster Keaton Collection)

The Fall of the House of Usher (1928) (part of the Treasures From American Film Archives)

There it is (1928) (part of the More Treasures From American Film Archives)

Applause (1929)

Big Business (1929) (Laurel and Hardy)

Hallelujah (1929)

1930s

All Quiet on the Western Front (1930)

The Big Trail (1930)

Little Caesar (1930)

City Lights (1931)

Dracula (1931)

Frankenstein (1931)

Front Page, The (1931)

Tabu (1931)

Freaks (1932)

Grand Hotel (1932)

I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang (1932)

Love Me Tonight (1932)

The Music Box (1932) (Laurel and Hardy)

Scarface (1932)

Trouble In Paradise (1932)

42nd Street (1933)

Baby Face (1933) (part of the Forbidden Hollywood Collection 1 set)

Duck Soup (1933)

The Emperor Jones (1933)

Footlight Parade (1933)

Gold Diggers Of 1933 (1933)

Invisible Man, The (1933)

King Kong (1933)

She Done Him Wrong (1933)

Imitation of Life (1934)

It Happened One Night (1934)

Punch Drunks (1934) (Three Stooges)

Tarzan and His Mate (1934)

The Thin Man (1934)

Twentieth Century (1934)

Bride of Frankenstein (1935)

A Night at the Opera (1935)

Top Hat (1935)

Dodsworth (1936)

Flash Gordon serial (1936)

Fury (1936)

Modern Times (1936)

My Man Godfrey (1936)

Swing Time (1936)

The Awful Truth (1937)

The Life of Emile Zola (1937)

The Prisoner of Zenda (1937)

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)

The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938)

Bringing Up Baby (1938)

Jezebel (1938)

Love Finds Andy Hardy (1938)

Destry Rides Again (1939)

Gone With the Wind (1939)

Gunga Din (1939)

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)

Ninotchka (1939)

Stagecoach (1939)

The Wizard Of Oz (1939)

The Women (1939)

Young Mr. Lincoln (1939)

1940s

Mark of Zorro, The (1940)

The Bank Dick (1940)

Dance Girl Dance (1940)

Fantasia (1940)

The Grapes of Wrath (1940)

The Great Dictator (1940)

His Girl Friday (1940)

Melody Ranch (Gene Autry) (1940)

The Philadelphia Story (1940)

Pinocchio (1940)

The Shop Around The Corner (1940)

The Blood of Jesus (1941)

Citizen Kane (1941)

How Green Was My Valley (1941)

The Lady Eve (1941)

The Maltese Falcon (1941)

Sergeant York (1941)

Sullivan's Travels (1941)

Casablanca (1942)

Cat People (1942)

Mrs. Miniver (1942)

Now, Voyager (1942)

Road to Morocco (1942)

To Be or Not To Be (1942)

Woman of the Year (1942)

Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942)

Lassie Come Home (1943)

The Ox-Bow Incident (1943)

Shadow of a Doubt (1943)

Stormy Weather (1943)

Why We Fight (Series Of Films) (1943)

Double Indemnity (1944)

Going My Way (1944)

Laura (1944)

Meet Me in St. Louis (1944)

Miracle of Morgan's Creek (1944)

National Velvet (1944)

The Lost Weekend (1945)

Mildred Pierce (1945)

Story of G.I. Joe, The (1945)

Tree Grows in Brooklyn, A (1945)

The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)

The Big Sleep (1946)

Detour (1946)

It's a Wonderful Life (1946)

Killers, The (1946)

My Darling Clementine (1946)

Notorious (1946)

Miracle on 34th Street (1947)

Out of the Past (1947)

Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948)

Force of Evil (1948)

Letter from an Unknown Woman (1948)

Louisiana Story (1948)

The Naked City (1948)

Red River (1948)

The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948)

Adam's Rib (1949)

All the King's Men (1949)

Gun Crazy (1949)

The Heiress (1949)

Twelve O’clock High (1949)

White Heat (1949)

1950s

All About Eve (1950)

Asphalt Jungle, The (1950)

D.O.A. (1950)

In a Lonely Place (1950)

Sunset Boulevard (1950)

The African Queen (1951)

An American in Paris (1951)

The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)

A Place in the Sun (1951)

A Streetcar Named Desire (1951)

The Thing from Another World (1951)

The Bad and the Beautiful (1952)

Bambi (1952)

High Noon (1952)

Singin' In the Rain (1952)

The Band Wagon (1953)

The Big Heat (1953)

Duck Amuck (1953) (Looney Tunes cartoon)

From Here to Eternity (1953)

The Hitch-Hiker (1953)

The Little Fugitive (1953)

The Naked Spur (1953)

Roman Holiday (1953)

Shane (1953)

War of the Worlds (1953)

Carmen Jones (1954)

Johnny Guitar (1954)

On The Waterfront (1954)

Rear Window (1954)

Sabrina (1954)

Salt of the Earth (1954)

Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (1954)

A Star Is Born (1954)

All That Heaven Allows (1955)

Kiss Me Deadly (1955)

Marty (1955)

The Night of the Hunter (1955)

Oklahoma (1955)

Rebel Without a Cause (1955)

The Court Jester (1956)

Giant (1956)

Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)

The Searchers (1956)

The Ten Commandments (1956)

12 Angry Men (1957)

The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)

Face in the Crowd, A (1957)

Incredible Shrinking Man, The (1957)

Jailhouse Rock (1957)

Paths of Glory (1957)

Sweet Smell of Success (1957)

7th Voyage of Sinbad, The (1958)

Gigi (1958)

Touch Of Evil (1958)

Vertigo (1958)

Ben-Hur (1959)

Jazz On a Summer's Day (1959)

North by Northwest (1959)

Pillow Talk (1959)

Shadows (1959)

Some Like It Hot (1959)

1960s

The Apartment (1960)

The Fall of the House of Usher (1960)

Primary (1960)

Psycho (1960)

Dog Star Man (1961-1964) (By Brakhage collection)

Exiles, The (1961)

Flower Drum Song (1961)

The Hustler (1961)

A Raisin in the Sun (1961)

West Side Story (1961)

How the West Was Won (1962)

Lawrence of Arabia (1962)

The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962)

The Manchurian Candidate (1962)

The Music Man (1962)

Ride the High Country (1962)

To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)

The Nutty Professor (1963)

Shock Corridor (1963)

Dr. Strangelove (1964)

Nothing but a Man (1964)

Point Of Order (1964)

Pink Panther, The (1964)

The Sound Of Music (1964)

Pawnbroker, The (1965)

The Endless Summer (1966)

Bonnie and Clyde (1967)

Cool Hand Luke (1967)

Don't Look Back (1967)

The Graduate (1967)

In Cold Blood (1967)

In The Heat of the Night (1967)

2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)

Bullitt (1968)

Faces (1968)

Night of the Living Dead (1968)

Planet of the Apes (1968)

The Producers (1968)

Once Upon a Time in the West (1968)

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)

Easy Rider (1969)

Medium Cool (1969)

Midnight Cowboy (1969)

Salesman (1969)

The Wild Bunch (1969)

1970s

Five Easy Pieces (1970)

M*A*S*H (1970)

Patton (1970)

Woodstock(1970)

The French Connection (1971)

McCabe and Mrs. Miller (1971)

The Hospital (1971)

Shaft (1971)

Cabaret (1972)

Deliverance (1972)

The Godfather (1972)

Harold and Maude (1972)

Exorcist, The (1973)

The Last Picture Show (1972)

American Graffiti (1973)

Badlands (1973)

Enter the Dragon (1973)

Mean Streets (1973)

The Sting (1973)

Antonia: A Portrait Of The Woman (1974)

Blazing Saddles (1974)

Chinatown (1974)

The Conversation (1974)

The Godfather, Part II (1974)

A Woman Under the Influence (1974)

Young Frankenstein (1974)

Dog Day Afternoon (1975)

Hester Street (1975)

Jaws (1975)

Nashville (1975)

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975)

The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)

All the President’s Men (1976)

Grey Gardens (NF) (1976)

Harlan County, U.S.A. (1976) (NF)

Network (1976)

The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976)

Rocky (1976)

Taxi Driver (1976)

Annie Hall (1977)

Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)

Saturday Night Fever (1977)

Star Wars (1977)

Animal House (1978)

Days of Heaven (1978)

The Deer Hunter (1978)

Eraserhead (1978)

Halloween (1978)

Alien (1979)

All That Jazz (1979)

Apocalypse Now (1979)

The Black Stallion (1979)

Manhattan (1979)

Norma Rae (1979)

1980s-1990s

Airplane (1980)

Atlantic City (1980)

Empire Strikes Back, The (1980)

Raging Bull (1980)

Return of the Secaucus 7 (1980)

Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)

Blade Runner (1982)

Chan is Missing (1982)

E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial (1982)

Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982)

Tootsie (1982)

Koyaanisqatsi (1983)

Stranger Than Paradise (1984)

Terminator, The (1984)

This Is Spinal Tap (1984)

Back to the Future (1985)

Hoosiers (1986)

Sherman's March (1986)

The Thin Blue Line (1988)

Do the Right Thing (1989)

Sex, Lies and Videotape (1989)

Dances with Wolves (1990)

Goodfellas (1990)

Beauty and the Beast (1991)

Boyz N the Hood (1991)

Daughters of the Dust (1991)

Silence of the Lambs (1991)

El Mariachi (1992)

Malcolm X (1992)

Unforgiven (1992)

Groundhog Day (1993)

Schindler's List (1993)

Forrest Gump (1994)

Hoop Dreams (1994) (NF)

Toy Story (1995)

Fargo (1996)

69th Annual Golden Globe Awards nominees and WINNERS

2012-01-16T07:21:00.000-08:00

Best motion picture - Drama
The Descendants
The Help
Hugo
The Ides of March
Moneyball
War Horse

Best performance by an actress in a motion picture - Drama
Glenn Close, Albert Nobbs
Viola Davis, The Help
Rooney Mara, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady
Tilda Swinton, We Need to Talk About Kevin

Best performance by an actor in a motion picture - Drama
George Clooney, The Descendants
Leonardo DiCaprio, J. Edgar
Michael Fassbender, Shame
Ryan Gosling, The Ides of March
Brad Pitt, Moneyball

Best animated feature film
The Adventures of Tintin
Arthur Christmas
Cars 2
Puss in Boots
Rango

Best foreign language film
The Flowers of War (China)
In the Land of Blood and Honey (USA)
The Kid with a Bike (Belgium)
A Separation (Iran)
The Skin I like In (Spain)

Best Director - Motion Picture
Woody Allen, Midnight in Paris
George Clooney, The Ides of March
Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist
Alexander Payne, The Descendants
Martin Scorsese, Hugo

Best original song - Motion Picture
"Hello Hello" - Gnomeo & Juliet
"The Keeper" - Machine Gun Preacher
"Lay Your Head Down" - Albert Nobbs
"The Living Proof"- The Help
"Masterpiece" - W.E.

Best Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical
50/50
The Artist
Bridesmaids
Midnight in Paris
My Week with Marilyn

Best performance by an actress in a motion picture – Comedy or Musical
Jodie Foster, Carnage
Charlize Theron, Young Adult
Kristen Wiig, Bridesmaids
Michelle Williams, My Week with Marilyn
Kate Winslet, Carnage

Best performance by an actor in a motion picture - Comedy or Musical
Jean Dujardin, The Artist
Brendan Gleeson, The Guard
Joseph Gordon-Levitt, 50/50
Ryan Gosling, Crazy, Stupid, Love.
Owen Wilson, Midnight in Paris

Best performance by an actress in a supporting role in a motion picture
Berenice Bejo, The Artist
Jessica Chastain, The Help
Janet McTeer, Albert Nobbs
Octavia Spencer, The Help
Shailene Woodley, The Descendants

Best performance by an actor in a supporting role in a motion picture
Kenneth Branagh, My Week With Marilyn
Albert Brooks, Drive
Jonah Hill, Moneyball
Viggo Mortensen, A Dangerous Method
Christopher Plummer, Beginners

Best screenplay - Motion Picture
Midnight in Paris
The Ides of March
The Artist
The Descendents
Moneyball

Best original score - Motion Picture
The Artist
W.E.
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Hugo
War Horse

DVD Titles Of 2011 -- Feature Film/TV Titles acquired by Niles Public Library in 2011

2012-01-13T17:16:00.000-08:00

127 Hours (R)
30 Minutes or Less (R)
30 Rock: Season 5 (NR)
90210: Season 3 (2010) (NR)
Adjustment Bureau, The (PG-13)
Agatha Christie’s The Pale Horse (2011) (NR)
All Good Things (R)
American, The (R)
Animal Kingdom (R)
Another Earth (PG-13) (catalog says blu-ray–we circulate the NON blu-ray disc)
Another Year (PG-13) (catalog says blu-ray–we circulate the NON blu-ray disc)
Apollo 18 (PG-13)
Art of Getting By, The (PG-13)
Arthur (2011) (PG-13)
Bad Teacher (R)
Barney’s Version (R) (catalog says blu-ray–we circulate the NON blu-ray disc)
Battle: Los Angeles (PG-13)
Beastly (PG-13)
Beaver, The (PG-13)
Bedlam: Season 1 (NR)
Beginners (R)
Being Human: Season 1 (NR)
Bellflower (R)
Bending All the Rules (NR)
Big Bang Theory, The: Season 4 (NR)
Big C, The: Season 1 (NR)
Big Love: Season 5 (NR)
Big Momma’s House: Like Father, Like Son (PG-13)
Biutiful (Spanish) (R)
Black Swan (R)
Blitz (R)
Bloodworth (R)
Blue Bloods: Season 1 (NR)
Blue Valentine (R)
Bones: Season 6 (NR)
Bored to Death: Season 2 (NR)
Borgias, The: Season 1 (NR)
Breaking Bad: Season 3 (NR)
Bridesmaids (Unrated)
Brighton Rock (NR)
Buried (R)
Burlesque (PG-13)
Burn Notice: Season 4 (NR)
Californication: Season 4 (NR)
Camelot: Season 1 (NR)
Cape, The: Complete Series
Captain America: The First Avenger (PG-13)
Case 39 (R)
Case Histories (NR)
Castle: Season 3 (NR)
Catch .44 (R)
Catfish (PG-13)
Cave of Forgotten Dreams (NF) (G)
Cedar Rapids (R)
Change-Up, The (R)
Chuck: Season 4 (NR)
Client List, The (NR)
Closer, The: Season 6 (NR)
Colombiana (Unrated)
Company Men, The (R)
Conan the Barbarian (2011) (R)
Conspirator, The (PG-13)
Conviction (R)
Country Strong (PG-13)
Covert Affairs: Season 1 (NR)
Cowboys and Aliens (PG-13)
Crazy on the Outside (PG-13)
Crazy, Stupid Love (PG-13)
Criminal Minds: Season 6 (NR)
Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior – Season 1 (NR)
Damages: Season 3 (NR)
Dark Blue: Season 1 (NR)
Debt, The (R)
Devil’s Double, The (R)
Dexter: Season 5 (NR)
Dilemma, The (PG-13)
Dinner for Schmucks (PG-13)
Doc Martin: The Movies (NR)
Doctor Who: Series 6, Part 2 (NR)
Doctor Who: The Movie (NR)
Drive Angry (R)
Due Date (R)
Dylan Dog - Dead Of Night (PG-13)
Eagle, The (PG-13)
Eastbound and Down: Season 2 (NR)
Easy A (PG-13)
Eat Pray Love (PG-13)
Entourage: Season 7 (NR)
Everwood: Season 4 (NR)
Every Day (R)
Fair Game (PG-13)
Everything Must Go (R)
Fast Five (Unrated)
Faster (R)
Fighter, The (R)
Final Destination 5 (R)
For Colored Girls (R)
Four Lions (R)
Friday Night Lights: Season 5 (NR)
Friends with Benefits (R)
Fright Night (2011) (R)
Fringe: Season 3 (NR)
Get Low (PG-13)
Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest, The (Swedish) (R)
Glee: Season 2 (NR)
Glee: The Concert Movie (NR)
Good Wife, The: Season 2 (NR)
Grace Card, The (PG-13)
Greatest Movie Ever Sold, The (NF) (PG-13)
Green Hornet, The (PG-13)
Green Lantern (PG-13)
Grey’s Anatomy: Season 7 (NR)
Hall Pass (R)
Hangover, Part II, The (R)
Hanna (PG-13)
Hawthorne: Season 2 (NR)
Heart Specialist, The (R)
Help, The (PG-13)
Hereafter (PG-13)
Horrible Bosses (R)
Hot in Cleveland: Season 2 (NR)
Hour, The (NR)
How Do You Know (PG-13)
How I Met Your Mother: Season 6 (NR)
Howl (NR)
Hung: Season 2 (NR)
I Am Number Four (PG-13)
I Love You Phillip Morris (R)
Illusionist, The (PG) (catalog says blu-ray–we circulate the NON blu-ray disc)
In a Better World (Danish) (R) (catalog says blu-ray–we circulate the NON blu-ray disc)
In Her Skin (NR)
In Plain Sight: Season 3 (NR)
In Treatment: Season 3 (NR)
Inception (PG-13)
Inside Job (NF) (PG-13)
Insidious (PG-13)
It’s Kind of a Funny Story (PG-13)
Jack Goes Boating (R)
Jackass 3 (Unrated)
Jane Eyre (2011) (PG-13)
Jesse Stone: Innocents Lost (NR)
Jumping The Broom (PG-13)
Just Go With It (PG-13)
Justified: Season 1 (NR)
Kennedys, The (2011) (NR)
Kill the Irishman (R)
King’s Speech, The (R)
Lark Rise to Candleford: Season 3 (NR)
Larry Crowne (PG-13)
Last Exorcism, The (PG-13)
Last Night (2010) (R)
Law and Order UK: Season 2 (NR)
Law and Order: Los Angeles – Complete Series (NR)
Let Me In (R)
Leverage: Season 3 (NR)
Lie to Me: Season 3 (NR)
Life As We Know It (PG-13)
Limitless (Unrated)
Lincoln Lawyer, The (R)
Little Fockers (PG-13)
Louie: Season 1
Love and Other Drugs (R)
Luther: 2 (tv series) (NR)
Machete (R)
Mad Men: Season 4 (NR)
Made in Dagenham (R)
Main Street (PG)
Mao’s Last Dancer (PG)
Margin Call (R)
Mechanic, The (R)
Meek’s Cutoff (PG)
MI:5 - Volume 9 (NR)
Middle Men (R)
Middle, The: Season 2 (NR)
Midnight in Paris (PG-13)
Midsomer Murders: Set 18 (NR)
Mike and Molly: Season 1 (NR)
Modern Family: Season 2 (NR)
Monte Carlo (PG)
Morning Glory (PG-13)
My Soul to Take (R)
NCIS: Season 8 (NR)
Never Let Me Go (R)
New Tricks: Season 5 (NR)
Next Three Days, The (PG-13)
Nikita: Season 1 (NR)
No Strings Attached (R)
Nowhere Boy (R)
N-Secure (R)
Nurse Jackie: Season 2 (NR)
Off the Map: Complete Series (NR)
One Day (PG-13)
Other Woman, The (R)
Our Idiot Brother (R)
Page One: Inside the New York Times (NF) (R)
Paranormal Activity 2 (Unrated)
Parenthood: Season 2 (NR)
Paul (Unrated)
Peep World (NR)
Pie in the Sky: Series 5 (NR)
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (PG-13)
Poirot: Movie Collection 6 (NR)
Priest (2011) (PG-13)
Prohibition (Ken Burns) (NF) (NR)
Psych: Season 5 (NR)
Queer as Folk: Original UK Series (NR)
Rabbit Hole (PG-13)
Red (PG-13)
Red Riding Hood (PG-13)
Rescue Me: Season 6 (Final) (NR)
Resident Evil—Afterlife (R)
Resident, The (NR)
Ricky Gervais Show, The: Complete First Season (NR)
Rise of the Planet of the Apes (PG-13)
Rite, The (PG-13)
Rizzoli and Isles: Season 1 (NR)
Romantics, The (PG-13)
Roommate, The (PG-13)
Royal Pains: Season 2 (NR)
Sanctum (R)
Sarah’s Key (French) (PG-13)
Saw: The Final Chapter (R)
Scream 4 (R)
Season of the Witch (PG-13)
Secretariat (PG)
Set Up (R)
Shameless: Season 1 (NR)
Simpsons, The: Season 14 (NR)
Skyline (PG-13)
Small Town Murder Songs (R)
Smallville: Season 10 (NR)
Snow Flower and the Secret Fan (PG-13)
Social Network, The (PG-13)
Something Borrowed (PG-13)
Somewhere (R)
Sons of Anarchy: Season 3 (NR)
Soul Surfer (PG)
Source Code (PG-13)
South Park: Season 14 (NR)
Spartacus: Gods of the Arena (NR)
Stone (R)
Sucker Punch (PG-13)
Super (R)
Super 8 (PG-13)
Sympathy for Delicious (R)
Take Me Home Tonight (R)
Takers (PG-13)
Tempest, The (2010) (PG-13)
Thor (PG-13)
Touch of Frost: Season 15 (NR)
Tourist, The (PG-13)
Town, The (R)
Transformers: Dark of the Moon (PG-13)
Tree of Life, The (PG-13) (catalog says blu-ray–we circulate the NON blu-ray disc)
Treme: Complete First Season (NR)
Trespass (2011) (R)
Trip, The (NR)
Tron: Legacy (PG)
True Blood: Season 3 (NR)
True Grit (2010) (PG-13)
Two and a Half Men: Season 8 (NR)
Two Mrs. Carrols, The (NR)
Tyler Perry’s Madea’s Big Happy Family (PG-13)
United States of Tara, The: Season 3 (NR)
Unknown (PG-13)
Unstoppable (PG-13)
Upstairs, Downstairs (2010) (NR)
V: Season 2 (NR)
Vampire Diaries, The: Season 2 (NR)
Virginity Hit, The (R)
Waiting for Superman (NF) (PG)
Walking Dead, The: Season One (NR)
Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps (PG-13)
Warrior (PG-13)
Warrior’s Way, The (R)
Water for Elephants (PG-13)
Weeds: Season 6 (NR)
Welcome to the Riley’s (R)
White Collar: Season 2 (NR)
Wild Target (PG-13)
Win Win (R)
Winter in Wartime (Dutch) (R) (catalog says blu-ray–we circulate the NON blu-ray disc)
Wish Me Luck: Series 3 (NR)
Wrecked (R)
X-Men: First Class (PG-13)
You Again (PG)
You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger (R)
Your Highness (Unrated)

Niles AV STAFF PICKS of the Best DVDs from 2011

2011-12-19T14:14:00.000-08:00

Friends with Benefits

The Greatest Movie Ever Sold, The (NF)

Guard, The

Help, The

Horrible Bosses

I Don’t Know How She Does It

Page One: Inside the NY Times (NF)

Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn, Pt 1

Water For Elephants

Win Win

DVDs to Commemorate the 10 Year Anniversary of September 11, 2001

2011-08-23T13:54:00.000-07:00

World Trade Center
By Stone, Oliver
2008-02 - Paramount Home Video
0097361199542 Check Our Catalog

World Trade Center is a film about heroism and the best in all of us, raves Good Morning Americas Joel Siegel. Academy Award winner, Nicolas Cage stars in the unforgettable true story of the courageous rescue and survival of two Port Authority policemen who were trapped in the rubble on September 11, 2001 after they volunteered to go in and help. Academy Award winning director, Oliver Stone reveals an intimate look at the events of the day as seen through the eyes of the survivors, their families and their rescuers. …More

United 93
By Greengrass, Paul
2008-01 - Universal Home Video
9781417083053 Check Our Catalog

A drama that tells the story of the passengers and crew, their families on the ground and the flight controllers who watched in dawning horror as United Airlines Flight 93 became the fourth hijacked plane on the day of the worst terrorist attacks on American soil: September 11, 2001. United 93 recreates the doomed trip in actual time, from takeoff to hijacking to the realization by those onboard that their plane was part of a coordinated attack unfolding on the ground beneath them. The film attempts to understand the abject fear and courageous decisions of those who--over the course of just 90 minutes--transformed from a random assembly of disconnected strangers into bonded allies who confronted an unthinkable situation. …More

The Guys
By Simpson, Jim
2004-01 - Universal Home Video
0783280335 Check Our Catalog

In the aftermath of 9/11, a fire captain who lost eight men in the World Trade Center collapse, turns to an editor to write his men's eulogies as he deals with the pain of their loss. …More

102 Minutes That Changed America
By
2008-10 - A & E Home Video
0733961144635 Check Our Catalog

New York City, September 11, 2001. The morning everything changed. 102 minutes passed between the first plane's impact into World Trade Center One and the tower's ultimate collapse. In that time, people around New York experienced a range of emotions. Despite the horror and the incomprehensibility of what was happening, many knew, somehow, that they had a unique responsibility to record what they saw. They reached for their cameras. This unprecedented documentary special joins hundreds of pieces of their footage and audiotape into a single, seamless historical record. It is an intensely personal perspective of the tragedy, communicating for the first time that morning's events, as they were experienced by people around New York. It is an evocative, authentic and reverential memorial to one of the most cataclysmic events in world history. The film is followed by I-Witness to 9/11, an 18-minute documentary short featuring nine of the stories behind these unforgettable images and sounds. …More

The 11th of September: Moyers in Conversation
By A & E Home Video
2002-01 - New Video Group
0767044835 Check Our Catalog

Just hours after the attacks on America, award-winning journalist Bill Moyers began a unique dialogue with an unparalleled and diverse group of guests. Instead of dwelling on the horrific images imprinted indelibly in our minds, these poised and clear voices provided perspective and soothed a wounded, yet resilient, nation. Intimate and timeless, "The 11th of September: Bill Moyers in Conversation is both a snapshot of our nation's reactions on 9/11, and a testament to the indomitable human spirit for all time. A portion of all proceeds will go to the New York Police and Fire Widows' and Children's Benefits Fund. …More

Saint of 9/11
By Holsten, Glenn
Narrated by McKellan, Ian
2007-08 - Virgil Films and Entertai
0829567041024 Check Our Catalog

THE SPIRIT OF A GAY PRIEST, FATHER MYCHAL JUDGE, IS CELEBRATED IN THIS UPLIFTING & POIGNANT DOCUMENTARY ABOUT THE COMPASSIONATE CHAPLAIN OF THE NEW YORK FIRE DEPARTMENT WHO WAS AMONG THE FIRST TO RUSH TO THE WORLD TRADE CENTER ON SEPTMEBER 11, 2001. …More

Twin Towers
By Port, Bill Guttentag Rober
Director Guttentag, Bill
Director Port, Robert David
2004-10 - Universal Home Video
9781417038039 Check Our Catalog

TWO BROTHERS, ONE A FIREFIGHTER, ONE A POLICE OFFICER, ARE REMEMBERED FOR THEIR BRAVERY IN NEW YORK CITY ON SEPTEMBER 11. …More

WTC: The First 24 Hours
By Sauret, Etienne
2002-06 - New Video Group
9780767047814 Check Our Catalog

Beginning with the horrifying image of the north tower on fire and ending with the haunting pictures of a debris-covered lower Manhattan the following day. This documents Ground Zero in the immediate aftermath of the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001 with raw and powerful honesty. …More

Happy Birthday to HITCHCOCK!

2011-08-13T09:42:00.000-07:00

Sir Hitchcock

Happy Birthday to the best film director ever (my opinion, of course)...Sir Alfred Hitchcock. Born in Leytonstone, London, England on August 13, 1899. Come into the library to check out the films by The Master of Suspense on DVD!

Cheers, Hitch!!!!!!!!

Summer in Provence -- without leaving your home!

2011-07-16T10:01:00.000-07:00

Summer in Provence sounds good to me. Since this year I cannot afford to go, I’m rewatching two of my favorite Provence films. If you are in the same boat as me (no money), try watching the South of France go by on your TV, rather than running up your credit card. Two films come to mind in particular that breathe new life into the Provence region of France…an area consumed with lavender, wine and the art of kicking back! Can anything be better than that?!?!?!

Both films are based on books by British native and Provence transplant Peter Mayle, a former ad man in London who, along with his wife, decides to retire early in a farmhouse in Provence’s Luberon region. Mayle began writing both fiction and nonfiction once in France and all of his books reflect the art of fun, sun and relaxation that Provence seems to have perfected.

Mayle’s most famous book, A Year in Provence, tells the story of his first months in Provence and what hurdles he and his wife had to overcome to adjust to French living. It was later made into a mini-series starring Inspector Morse’s John Thaw and is a true experience of the culture, people and general “soul” of the place. You get a true sense of the area, the people and the lifestyle that the French call La Dolce Vita…which means The Good Life. A Year in Provence is filled with the “air” of Provence…the images, the language, the smells, the culture, etc. This is a FUN time…there is something for everybody: scenery, humor, culture, beauty. How can you miss?!?!?!

A Good Year is based on a novel by Mayle about a London financial wizard who returns to Provence to sell the estate left to him by his late uncle. This film transported me to Provence…body, mind and spirit. It is a charming, fun-loving film that made me not only want to go to Provence, but wanted to buy a chateau and vineyard there for a permanent move. And of course, fall in love there. Will any of this happen? Probably not, but watching A Good Year will bring all of us about as close to those things as we’re ever going to get. This movie really brought the region and its people and its sense of romance alive. And when I say romance, I do not only mean love. I mean a romantic feel in the charm and the general air of the locale. Basically, the romance of life. In this story, the Russell Crowe character has a life with NO romance in London. He’s money-driven and career-obsessed. He even has lost touch with his expatriate uncle who had a winery in Provence where Crowe’s character used to vacation as a child. Why did he lose contact with the uncle? Well, because money and his job and his quest to be the best got in his way. After his uncle passes, he finds out the chateau has been left to him. Most people (myself, most definitely) would jump at the chance to live in France rent-free but, of course, this just gets in the Crowe’s character’s way in his pursuit of power. Once he gets there, though, it is another matter. And that’s pretty much the power Provence has over someone even as career-minded as Crowe. And it’s also pretty much the same power this film had over me.

So instead of heading to the airport, head to Niles to check out these titles that are set in a region in France that hopefully we will all visit one day. Until then…these movies will have to do!

SUPER SILLY SUMMER SALE on Film Punches during JULY!

2011-06-08T12:07:00.000-07:00

For the entire month of July, come to any ADULT film program and receive TWO (that's 2!) punches on your Hollywood on Oakton punch card. WOW! What a deal!

Here are the THREE eligible July programs:

Sat., Jul. 2, 2-3:45pm -- The Switch (PG-13)

Thurs., Jul. 21, 2-4:10pm -- Hereafter (PG-13) (Closed Captioned)

Thurs., Jul. 28, 2-4:30pm -- Housefull (Not Rated) 2010 (In Hindi with English subtitles)

To get a Hollywood on Oakton punch card, just show up at any of NPLD's film programs and we will start you off!

Summer movies @ Niles Library!

2011-04-12T09:42:00.001-07:00

New Releases (NR)

The King’s Speech

Sat., Jun. 4, 2-4pm R

The story of King George VI of Britain, his impromptu ascension to the throne and the speech therapist who helped the unsure monarch become worthy of it.

The King’s Speech

Thurs., Jun. 16, 2-4pm R

The Switch

Sat., Jul. 2, 2-3:45pm PG-13

Kassie, despite her best friend Wally's objections, decides to have a baby with a little help from a sperm donor. Unbeknownst to her, a last-minute switch isn't discovered until seven years later.

Hereafter

Thurs., Jul. 21, 2-4:10pm PG-13

George has a connection to the afterlife as a result of a childhood illness. Marie has a near-death experience. Marcus loses the person closest to him. Each is forever changed by what they believe exists in the hereafter.

Closed Captioned

Black Swan

Sat., Aug. 6, 2-3:50pm R

A psychological thriller set in the world of New York City ballet. An insecure ballet dancer wins the lead in Swan Lake but slowly loses her grip on sanity when a seductive newcomer is out to steal her role.

The Tourist

Thurs., Aug. 18, 2-3:45pm PG-13

During an impromptu trip to Europe to mend a broken heart, Frank finds himself in a flirtatious encounter with Elise. Their romance quickly evolves as they find themselves thrust into a deadly game of cat and mouse.

Closed Captioned

International Film Series (NR)

Housefull

Thurs., Jul. 28, 2-4:30pm 2010, Not Rated

Aarush is the world's unluckiest man. He believes his bad luck can vanish if he finds true love. In his quest for love, one lie leads to another resulting in total chaos and mayhem. (In Hindi with English subtitles)

Cairo Time

2011-04-07T10:08:00.000-07:00

http://niles.patch.com/articles/cairo-time-takes-intelligent-look-at-love-betrayal

RED

2011-04-07T10:06:00.000-07:00

http://niles.patch.com/articles/seeing-red-will-elicit-laughter-not-anger

Bradford International Film Festival!

2011-04-02T11:15:00.000-07:00

While I was on vacation recently, I attended the first days of the Bradford International Film Festival (BIFF) in Bradford, UK in the Yorkshire region of England. The festival is sponsored by and held at the National Media Museum…which is one of the most visited museums in England outside of London. Bradford itself has always been known for film…causing UNESCO to give Bradford the first “UNESCO City of Film” designation. How did I find out about this relatively small festival? Well, one of my favorite travelogue books is Notes from a Small Island by Bill Bryson, where Bryson tours his adopted homeland of Great Britain one more time before he moves back to America. In Notes, Bryson talks of stopping in Bradford and checking out the only Cinerama screen in all of Europe. Being both an Anglophile and a film lover, I just had to do more research on this place! Cinerama, for all of those who are not film obsessed, was the three-camera mega-widescreen process developed in the 1950s to compete with the television market. In the early 1950s, movie producers were losing millions and millions to television…meaning why should people go to the movies anymore since they had this great new medium of TV right in their homes? So, Hollywood answered by giving the public something TV could never provide (today’s widescreen TVs try but are still not even close)… MAMMOTH SCREENS and the widest pictures ever imaginable. Now, I know we have IMAX and even Omnimax now but still, Cinerama was superior. Wikipedia describes this MUCH better than I ever could.
Ok, I digress…basically what all of that means is that I HAD to check Bradford out. When I found out they had an annual film festival, I knew one year I would have to go. So, I did.
Held in March since 1994, the BIFF is not “international” in the same sense as Cannes or Venice or Toronto. I mean they show foreign films like the big festivals do, but there is little media coverage, very few people from abroad (I felt like the token American…not counting the few American filmmakers and dignitaries that were there), and the big celebrity names are limited to the award recipients, instead of the attendees (this year, Claire Bloom and Terry Gilliam were honored). But, regardless of that, it was still an excellent festival. I saw foreign films, documentaries, Canadian films, and many British films. Most of the films were independents that might not make it to the Chicagoland area.
I would estimate that about only 20% of the new releases I saw will have a snowball’s chance of making it to the Chicagoland area…even on DVD. The others are VERY, very small films with limited budgets and limited releases. And this is why film festivals are key: at festivals, small films have a chance to been seen and noticed and even to thrive.
Would I go again? YES…in a heartbeat. Mostly because during my five days in Bradford, I never did get a chance to see a Cinerama film, which was my initial reason for wanting to come here. Oh well, I will just have to go back!

8th Annual Niles Oscar Night!

2011-03-02T19:45:00.000-08:00

Thank you to all of our loyal Oscar fans for making our 8th Oscar night at the NPLD a rousing success! The show might have lagged some in places, but the ever-devoted fans persevered and had a fabulous time!

A special SHOUT OUT of THANKS to the Friends of the Niles Library for donating our fabulous door prizes and contest prizes!

See you all again next year for the 84th Annual Academy Awards!!!!!!!!!

2011-03-02T19:42:00.000-08:00

Winners and Nominees for the 83rd Academy Awards

Actor in a Leading Role

* Colin Firth in “The King’s Speech”
Javier Bardem in “Biutiful”
Jeff Bridges in “True Grit”
Jesse Eisenberg in “The Social Network”
James Franco in “127 Hours”

Actor in a Supporting Role

* Christian Bale in “The Fighter”
John Hawkes in “Winter’s Bone”
Jeremy Renner in “The Town”
Mark Ruffalo in “The Kids Are All Right”
Geoffrey Rush in “The King’s Speech”

Actress in a Leading Role

* Natalie Portman in “Black Swan”
Annette Bening in “The Kids Are All Right”
Nicole Kidman in “Rabbit Hole”
Jennifer Lawrence in “Winter’s Bone”
Michelle Williams in “Blue Valentine”

Actress in a Supporting Role

* Melissa Leo in “The Fighter”
Amy Adams in “The Fighter”
Helena Bonham Carter in “The King’s Speech”
Hailee Steinfeld in “True Grit”
Jacki Weaver in “Animal Kingdom”

Animated Feature Film

“Toy Story 3” Lee Unkrich
“How to Train Your Dragon” Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois
“The Illusionist” Sylvain Chomet

Art Direction

* “Alice in Wonderland”
Production Design: Robert Stromberg; Set Decoration: Karen O’Hara
“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1”
Production Design: Stuart Craig; Set Decoration: Stephenie McMillan
“Inception”
Production Design: Guy Hendrix Dyas; Set Decoration: Larry Dias and Doug Mowat
“The King’s Speech”
Production Design: Eve Stewart; Set Decoration: Judy Farr
“True Grit”
Production Design: Jess Gonchor; Set Decoration: Nancy Haigh

Cinematography

* “Inception” Wally Pfister
“Black Swan” Matthew Libatique
“The King’s Speech” Danny Cohen
“The Social Network” Jeff Cronenweth
“True Grit” Roger Deakins

Costume Design

* “Alice in Wonderland” Colleen Atwood
“I Am Love” Antonella Cannarozzi
“The King’s Speech” Jenny Beavan
“The Tempest” Sandy Powell
“True Grit” Mary Zophres

Directing

* “The King’s Speech” Tom Hooper
“Black Swan” Darren Aronofsky
“The Fighter” David O. Russell
“The Social Network” David Fincher
“True Grit” Joel Coen and Ethan Coen

Documentary (Feature)

* “Inside Job” Charles Ferguson and Audrey Marrs
“Exit through the Gift Shop” Banksy and Jaimie D’Cruz
“Gasland” Josh Fox and Trish Adlesic
“Restrepo” Tim Hetherington and Sebastian Junger
“Waste Land” Lucy Walker and Angus Aynsley

Documentary (Short Subject)

* “Strangers No More” Karen Goodman and Kirk Simon
“Killing in the Name” Jed Rothstein
“Poster Girl” Sara Nesson and Mitchell W. Block
“Sun Come Up” Jennifer Redfearn and Tim Metzger
“The Warriors of Qiugang” Ruby Yang and Thomas Lennon

Film Editing

* “The Social Network” Angus Wall and Kirk Baxter
“Black Swan” Andrew Weisblum
“The Fighter” Pamela Martin
“The King’s Speech” Tariq Anwar
“127 Hours” Jon Harris

Foreign Language Film

* “In a Better World” Denmark
“Biutiful” Mexico
“Dogtooth” Greece
“Incendies” Canada
“Outside the Law (Hors-la-loi)” Algeria

Makeup

* “The Wolfman” Rick Baker and Dave Elsey
“Barney’s Version” Adrien Morot
“The Way Back” Edouard F. Henriques, Gregory Funk and Yolanda Toussieng

Music (Original Score)

* “The Social Network” Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross
“How to Train Your Dragon” John Powell
“Inception” Hans Zimmer
“The King’s Speech” Alexandre Desplat
“127 Hours” A.R. Rahman

Music (Original Song)

* “We Belong Together” from “Toy Story 3″ Music and Lyric by Randy Newman
“Coming Home” from “Country Strong” Music and Lyric by Tom Douglas, Troy Verges and Hillary Lindsey
“I See the Light” from “Tangled” Music by Alan Menken Lyric by Glenn Slater
“If I Rise” from “127 Hours” Music by A.R. Rahman Lyric by Dido and Rollo Armstrong

Best Picture

* “The King’s Speech” Iain Canning, Emile Sherman and Gareth Unwin, Producers
“Black Swan” Mike Medavoy, Brian Oliver and Scott Franklin, Producers
“The Fighter” David Hoberman, Todd Lieberman and Mark Wahlberg, Producers
“Inception” Emma Thomas and Christopher Nolan, Producers
“The Kids Are All Right” Gary Gilbert, Jeffrey Levy-Hinte and Celine Rattray, Producers
“127 Hours” Christian Colson, Danny Boyle and John Smithson, Producers
“The Social Network” Scott Rudin, Dana Brunetti, Michael De Luca and Ceán Chaffin, Producers
“Toy Story 3” Darla K. Anderson, Producer
“True Grit” Scott Rudin, Ethan Coen and Joel Coen, Producers
“Winter’s Bone” Anne Rosellini and Alix Madigan-Yorkin, Producers

Short Film (Animated)

* “The Lost Thing” Shaun Tan and Andrew Ruhemann
“Day & Night” Teddy Newton
“The Gruffalo” Jakob Schuh and Max Lang
“Let’s Pollute” Geefwee Boedoe
“Madagascar, carnet de voyage (Madagascar, a Journey Diary)” Bastien Dubois

Short Film (Live Action)

* “God of Love” Luke Matheny
“The Confession” Tanel Toom
“The Crush” Michael Creagh
“Na Wewe” Ivan Goldschmidt
“Wish 143” Ian Barnes and Samantha Waite

Sound Editing

* “Inception” Richard King
“Toy Story 3” Tom Myers and Michael Silvers
“Tron: Legacy” Gwendolyn Yates Whittle and Addison Teague
“True Grit” Skip Lievsay and Craig Berkey
“Unstoppable” Mark P. Stoeckinger

Sound Mixing

* “Inception” Lora Hirschberg, Gary A. Rizzo and Ed Novick
“The King’s Speech” Paul Hamblin, Martin Jensen and John Midgley
“Salt” Jeffrey J. Haboush, Greg P. Russell, Scott Millan and William Sarokin
“The Social Network” Ren Klyce, David Parker, Michael Semanick and Mark Weingarten
“True Grit” Skip Lievsay, Craig Berkey, Greg Orloff and Peter F. Kurland

Visual Effects

* “Inception” Paul Franklin, Chris Corbould, Andrew Lockley and Peter Bebb
“Alice in Wonderland” Ken Ralston, David Schaub, Carey Villegas and Sean Phillips
“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1” Tim Burke, John Richardson, Christian Manz and Nicolas Aithadi
“Hereafter” Michael Owens, Bryan Grill, Stephan Trojansky and Joe Farrell
“Iron Man 2” Janek Sirrs, Ben Snow, Ged Wright and Daniel Sudick

Writing (Adapted Screenplay)

* “The Social Network” Screenplay by Aaron Sorkin
“127 Hours” Screenplay by Danny Boyle & Simon Beaufoy
“Toy Story 3” Screenplay by Michael Arndt; Story by John Lasseter, Andrew Stanton and Lee Unkrich
“True Grit” Written for the screen by Joel Coen & Ethan Coen
“Winter’s Bone” Adapted for the screen by Debra Granik & Anne Rosellini

Writing (Original Screenplay)

* “The King’s Speech” Screenplay by David Seidler
* “Another Year” Written by Mike Leigh
* “The Fighter” Screenplay by Scott Silver and Paul Tamasy & Eric Johnson;
Story by Keith Dorrington & Paul Tamasy & Eric Johnson
* “Inception” Written by Christopher Nolan
* “The Kids Are All Right” Written by Lisa Cholodenko & Stuart Blumberg

OSCAR Night!

2011-03-02T19:37:00.000-08:00

Well, the show was OK — not great, but not awful. All in all, I would say that James Franco will NEVER be asked back — though Anne Hathaway might, since she seemed excited to be there. Franco seemed to be back in NYC in school rather than on one of the greatest stages in the world. I have been to the Kodak Theater in Hollywood myself and even took a tour. We were able, on the tour, to stand on the stage and look out to the seats like Franco and Hathaway did on Sunday night. No, the Kodak was not all glitzed and glammed up like it was Sunday, but I still felt that it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Also, I have held an Oscar — not at the Kodak but at the Shops at North Bridge on Michigan Avenue. The lavish mall, where the Nordstroms is, holds an annual venue where people can come and get their picture taken with an actual Oscar statue. They also ha

ve photos from some of the previous ceremonies and other information on the awards. It’s like a mini-Academy Awards museum for filmies around the Chicagoland area! It was a blast. So, even though I probably will never hold an Oscar up on the stage of the Kodak Theater, I can at least say I have been there, done that…though in two different cities and two different years!

BAFTA winners and nominees!

2011-02-14T12:43:00.000-08:00

The British Academy of Film and Television Arts announced their winners on February 13th!

ACADEMY FELLOWSHIP

CHRISTOPHER LEE

OUTSTANDING BRITISH CONTRIBUTION TO CINEMA

THE HARRY POTTER FILMS

BEST FILM

THE KING’S SPEECH Iain Canning, Emile Sherman, Gareth Unwin

BLACK SWAN Mike Medavoy, Brian Oliver, Scott Franklin

INCEPTION Emma Thomas, Christopher Nolan

THE SOCIAL NETWORK Scott Rudin, Dana Brunetti, Michael De Luca, Céan Chaffin

TRUE GRIT Scott Rudin, Ethan Coen, Joel Coen

OUTSTANDING BRITISH FILM

THE KING’S SPEECH Tom Hooper, David Seidler, Iain Canning, Emile Sherman, Gareth Unwin

127 HOURS Danny Boyle, Simon Beaufoy, Christian Colson, John Smithson

ANOTHER YEAR Mike Leigh, Georgina Lowe

FOUR LIONS Chris Morris, Jesse Armstrong, Sam Bain, Mark Herbert, Derrin Schlesinger

MADE IN DAGENHAM Nigel Cole, William Ivory, Elizabeth Karlsen, Stephen Woolley

OUTSTANDING DEBUT BY A BRITISH WRITER, DIRECTOR OR PRODUCER

FOUR LIONS Chris Morris (Director/Writer)

THE ARBOR Clio Barnard (Director), Tracy O’Riordan (Producer)

EXIT THROUGH THE GIFT SHOP Banksy (Director), Jaimie D’Cruz (Producer)

MONSTERS Gareth Edwards (Director/Writer)

SKELETONS Nick Whitfield (Director/Writer)

DIRECTOR

THE SOCIAL NETWORK David Fincher

127 HOURS Danny Boyle

BLACK SWAN Darren Aronofsky

INCEPTION Christopher Nolan

THE KING’S SPEECH Tom Hooper

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

THE KING’S SPEECH David Seidler

BLACK SWAN Mark Heyman, Andrés Heinz, John McLaughlin

THE FIGHTER Scott Silver, Paul Tamasy, Eric Johnson

INCEPTION Christopher Nolan

THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT Lisa Cholodenko, Stuart Blumberg

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

THE SOCIAL NETWORK Aaron Sorkin

127 HOURS Danny Boyle, Simon Beaufoy

THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO Rasmus Heisterberg, Nikolaj Arcel

TOY STORY 3 Michael Arndt

TRUE GRIT Joel Coen, Ethan Coen

FILM NOT IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE

THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO Søren Stærmose, Niels Arden Oplev

BIUTIFUL Alejandro González Iñárritu, Jon Kilik, Fernando Bovaira

I AM LOVE Luca Guadagnino, Francesco Melzi D’Eril, Marco Morabito, Massimiliano Violante

OF GODS AND MEN Xavier Beauvois, Pascal Caucheteux, Etienne Comar

THE SECRET IN THEIR EYES Mariela Besuievsky, Juan José Campanella

ANIMATED FILM

TOY STORY 3 Lee Unkrich

DESPICABLE ME Chris Renaud, Pierre Coffin

HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON Chris Sanders, Dean DeBlois

LEADING ACTOR

COLIN FIRTH The King’s Speech

JAVIER BARDEM Biutiful

JEFF BRIDGES True Grit

JESSE EISENBERG The Social Network

JAMES FRANCO 127 Hours

LEADING ACTRESS

NATALIE PORTMAN Black Swan

ANNETTE BENING The Kids Are All Right

JULIANNE MOORE The Kids Are All Right

NOOMI RAPACE The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

HAILEE STEINFELD True Grit

SUPPORTING ACTOR

GEOFFREY RUSH The King’s Speech

CHRISTIAN BALE The Fighter

ANDREW GARFIELD The Social Network

PETE POSTLETHWAITE The Town

MARK RUFFALO The Kids Are All Right

SUPPORTING ACTRESS

HELENA BONHAM CARTER The King’s Speech

AMY ADAMS The Fighter

BARBARA HERSHEY Black Swan

LESLEY MANVILLE Another Year

MIRANDA RICHARDSON Made in Dagenham

ORIGINAL MUSIC

THE KING’S SPEECH Alexandre Desplat

127 HOURS AR Rahman

ALICE IN WONDERLAND Danny Elfman

HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON John Powell

INCEPTION Hans Zimmer

CINEMATOGRAPHY

TRUE GRIT Roger Deakins

127 HOURS Anthony Dod Mantle, Enrique Chediak

BLACK SWAN Matthew Libatique

INCEPTION Wally Pfister

THE KING’S SPEECH Danny Cohen

EDITING

THE SOCIAL NETWORK Angus Wall, Kirk Baxter

127 HOURS Jon Harris

BLACK SWAN Andrew Weisblum

INCEPTION Lee Smith

THE KING’S SPEECH Tariq Anwar

PRODUCTION DESIGN

INCEPTION Guy Hendrix Dyas, Larry Dias, Doug Mowat

ALICE IN WONDERLAND Robert Stromberg, Karen O’Hara

BLACK SWAN Thérèse DePrez, Tora Peterson

THE KING’S SPEECH Eve Stewart, Judy Farr

TRUE GRIT Jess Gonchor, Nancy Haigh

COSTUME DESIGN

ALICE IN WONDERLAND Colleen Atwood

BLACK SWAN Amy Westcott

THE KING’S SPEECH Jenny Beavan

MADE IN DAGENHAM Louise Stjernsward

TRUE GRIT Mary Zophres

SOUND

INCEPTION Richard King, Lora Hirschberg, Gary A Rizzo, Ed Novick

127 HOURS Glenn Freemantle, Ian Tapp, Richard Pryke, Steven C Laneri, Douglas Cameron

BLACK SWAN Ken Ishii, Craig Henighan, Dominick Tavella

THE KING’S SPEECH John Midgley, Lee Walpole, Paul Hamblin, Martin Jensen

TRUE GRIT Skip Lievsay, Craig Berkey, Greg Orloff, Peter F Kurland, Douglas Axtell

SPECIAL VISUAL EFFECTS

INCEPTION Chris Corbould, Paul Franklin, Andrew Lockley, Peter Bebb

ALICE IN WONDERLAND Ken Ralston, David Schaub, Sean Phillips, Carey Villegas

BLACK SWAN Dan Schrecker, Henrik Fett, Michael Capton, William ‘Brad’ Kalinoski

HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS PART 1 Tim Burke, John Richardson, Nicolas Aithadi, Christian Manz

TOY STORY 3 Guido Quaroni, Michael Fong, David Ryu

MAKE UP; HAIR

ALICE IN WONDERLAND Valli O’Reilly, Paul Gooch

BLACK SWAN Judy Chin, Geordie Sheffer

HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS PART 1 Amanda Knight, Lisa Tomblin, Nick Dudman

THE KING’S SPEECH Frances Hannon

MADE IN DAGENHAM Lizzie Yianni Georgiou

SHORT ANIMATION

THE EAGLEMAN STAG Michael Please

MATTER FISHER David Prosser

THURSDAY Matthias Hoegg

SHORT FILM

UNTIL THE RIVER RUNS RED Paul Wright, Poss Kondeatis

CONNECT Samuel Abrahams, Beau Gordon

LIN Piers Thompson, Simon Hessel

RITE Michael Pearce, Ross McKenzie, Paul Welsh

TURNING Karni Arieli, Saul Freed, Alison Sterling, Kat Armour-Brown

THE ORANGE WEDNESDAYS RISING STAR AWARD (voted for by the public)

TOM HARDY

GEMMA ARTERTON

ANDREW GARFIELD

AARON JOHNSON

EMMA STON

SAG Award Winners and Nominees -- 2010!

2011-02-06T14:04:00.000-08:00

Outstanding performance by a cast in a motion picture
(Winner) "The King's Speech""Black Swan"
"The Fighter"
"The Kids Are All Right"
"The Social Network"

Outstanding performance by a male actor in a leading role
(Winner) Colin Firth, "The King's Speech"
Jeff Bridges, "True Grit"
Robert Duvall, "Get Low"
Jesse Eisenberg, "The Social Network"
James Franco, "127 Hours"

Outstanding performance by a female actor in a leading role
(Winner) Natalie Portman, "Black Swan"
Annette Bening, "The Kids Are All Right"
Nicole Kidman, "Rabbit Hole"
Jennifer Lawrence, "Winter's Bone"
Hilary Swank, "Conviction"

Outstanding performance by a male actor in a supporting role
(Winner) Christian Bale, "The Fighter"
John Hawkes, "Winter's Bone"
Jeremy Renner, "The Town"
Mark Ruffalo, "The Kids Are All Right"
Geoffrey Rush, "The King's Speech"

Outstanding performance by a female actor in a supporting role
(Winner) Melissa Leo, "The Fighter"
Amy Adams, "The Fighter"
Helena Bonham Carter, "The King's Speech"
Mila Kunis, "Black Swan"
Hailee Steinfeld, "True Grit"

Outstanding performance by a stunt ensemble in a motion picture
(Winner) "Inception"
"Green Zone"
"Robin Hood"

Golden Globe Nominees and Winners -- 2010!

2011-02-05T10:59:00.000-08:00

Best Motion Picture, Drama
The Social Network
Black Swan
The Fighter
Inception
The King’s Speech

Best Motion Picture, Comedy or Musical
The Kids Are All Right
Alice in Wonderland
Burlesque
Red
The Tourist

Best Director - Motion Picture
David Fincher -- The Social Network
Darren Aronofsky -- Black Swan
Tom Hooper -- The King's Speech
Christopher Nolan -- Inception
David O. Russell -- The Fighter

Best Actor in a Motion Picture, Drama
Colin Firth -- The King's Speech
Jesse Eisenberg -- The Social Network
James Franco -- 127 Hours
Ryan Gosling -- Blue Valentine
Mark Wahlberg -- The Fighter

Best Actress in a Motion Picture, Drama
Natalie Portman -- Black Swan
Halle Berry -- Frankie and Alice
Nicole Kidman -- Rabbit Hole
Jennifer Lawrence -- Winter's Bone
Michelle Williams -- Blue Valentine

Best Actor in a Motion Picture, Comedy
Paul Giamatti -- Barney's Version
Johnny Depp -- Alice in Wonderland
Johnny Depp -- The Tourist
Jake Gyllenhaal -- Love and Other Drugs
Kevin Spacey -- Casino Jack

Best Actress in a Motion Picture, Comedy
Annette Bening -- The Kids Are All Right
Anne Hathaway -- Love and Other Drugs
Julianne Moore -- The Kids Are All Right
Emma Stone -- Easy A
Angelina Jolie -- The Tourist

Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture
Melissa Leo -- The Fighter
Amy Adams -- The Fighter
Helena Bonham Carter -- The King's Speech
Mila Kunis -- Black Swan
Jacki Weaver -- Animal Kingdom

Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture
Christian Bale -- The Fighter
Michael Douglas -- Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps
Andrew Garfield -- The Social Network
Jeremy Renner -- The Town
Geoffrey Rush -- The King's Speech

Best Foreign Language Film
In a Better World

Biutiful
The Concert
The Edge
I am Love

Best Screenplay - Motion Picture
The Social Network
127 Hours
The Kids Are All Right
The King's Speech
Inception

Best Original Score - Motion Picture
Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross -- The Social Network
Alexandre Desplat -- The King's Speech
Danny Elfman -- Alice in Wonderland
A.R. Rahmin -- 127 Hours
Hans Zimmer -- Inception

Inception

2011-01-29T09:52:00.001-08:00

http://niles.patch.com/articles/imaginative-thriller-scores

The Ghost Writer

2011-01-29T09:49:00.000-08:00

http://niles.patch.com/articles/the-best-film-of-2010-leaves-you-guessing

The King's Speech

2011-01-29T09:47:00.003-08:00

http://niles.patch.com/articles/drama-comedy-make-film-shine

2010 Oscar Nominations!

2011-01-25T09:55:00.000-08:00

Performance by an actor in a leading role
Javier Bardem in “Biutiful”
Jeff Bridges in “True Grit”
Jesse Eisenberg in “The Social Network”
Colin Firth in “The King's Speech”
James Franco in “127 Hours”

Performance by an actor in a supporting role
Christian Bale in “The Fighter”
John Hawkes in “Winter's Bone”
Jeremy Renner in “The Town”
Mark Ruffalo in “The Kids Are All Right”
Geoffrey Rush in “The King's Speech”

Performance by an actress in a leading role
Annette Bening in “The Kids Are All Right”
Nicole Kidman in “Rabbit Hole”
Jennifer Lawrence in “Winter's Bone”
Natalie Portman in “Black Swan”
Michelle Williams in “Blue Valentine”

Performance by an actress in a supporting role
Amy Adams in “The Fighter”
Helena Bonham Carter in “The King's Speech”
Melissa Leo in “The Fighter”
Hailee Steinfeld in “True Grit”
Jacki Weaver in “Animal Kingdom”

Best animated feature film of the year
“How to Train Your Dragon” Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois
“The Illusionist” Sylvain Chomet
“Toy Story 3” Lee Unkrich

Achievement in art direction
“Alice in Wonderland”
“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1”
“Inception”
“The King's Speech”
“True Grit”

Achievement in cinematography
“Black Swan” Matthew Libatique
“Inception” Wally Pfister
“The King's Speech” Danny Cohen
“The Social Network” Jeff Cronenweth
“True Grit” Roger Deakins

Achievement in costume design
“Alice in Wonderland” Colleen Atwood
“I Am Love” Antonella Cannarozzi
“The King's Speech” Jenny Beavan
“The Tempest” Sandy Powell
“True Grit” Mary Zophres

Achievement in directing
“Black Swan” Darren Aronofsky
“The Fighter” David O. Russell
“The King's Speech” Tom Hooper
“The Social Network” David Fincher
“True Grit” Joel Coen and Ethan Coen

Best documentary feature
“Exit through the Gift Shop”
“Gasland”
“Inside Job”
“Restrepo”
“Waste Land”

Best documentary short subject
“Killing in the Name”
“Poster Girl”
“Strangers No More”
“Sun Come Up”
“The Warriors of Qiugang”

Achievement in film editing
“Black Swan” Andrew Weisblum
“The Fighter” Pamela Martin
“The King's Speech” Tariq Anwar
“127 Hours” Jon Harris
“The Social Network” Angus Wall and Kirk Baxter

Best foreign language film of the year
“Biutiful”
Mexico
“Dogtooth”
Greece
“In a Better World”
Denmark
“Incendies”
Canada
“Outside the Law (Hors-la-loi)”
Algeria

Achievement in makeup
“Barney's Version”
“The Way Back”
“The Wolfman”

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original score)
“How to Train Your Dragon” John Powell
“Inception” Hans Zimmer
“The King's Speech” Alexandre Desplat
“127 Hours” A.R. Rahman
“The Social Network” Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original song)
“Coming Home” from “Country Strong”
“I See the Light” from “Tangled”
“If I Rise” from “127 Hours”
“We Belong Together” from “Toy Story 3”

Best motion picture of the year
“Black Swan” (Fox Searchlight)
“The Fighter” (Paramount)
“Inception” (Warner Bros.)
“The Kids Are All Right” (Focus Features)
“The King's Speech” (The Weinstein Company)
“127 Hours” (Fox Searchlight)
“The Social Network” (Sony Pictures Releasing)
“Toy Story 3” (Walt Disney)
“True Grit” (Paramount)
“Winter's Bone” (Roadside Attractions)

Best animated short film
“Day & Night”
“The Gruffalo”
“Let's Pollute”
“The Lost Thing”
“Madagascar, carnet de voyage (Madagascar, a Journey
Diary)”

Best live action short film
“The Confession”
“The Crush”
“God of Love”
“Na Wewe”
“Wish 143”

Achievement in sound editing
“Inception” Richard King
“Toy Story 3” Tom Myers and Michael Silvers
“Tron: Legacy” Gwendolyn Yates Whittle and Addison Teague
“True Grit” Skip Lievsay and Craig Berkey
“Unstoppable” Mark P. Stoeckinger

Achievement in sound mixing
“Inception”
“The King's Speech”
“Salt”
“The Social Network”
“True Grit”

Achievement in visual effects
“Alice in Wonderland”
“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1”
“Hereafter”
“Inception”
“Iron Man 2”

Adapted screenplay
“127 Hours” Screenplay by Danny Boyle & Simon Beaufoy
“The Social Network” Screenplay by Aaron Sorkin
“Toy Story 3” Screenplay by Michael Arndt
“True Grit” Written for the screen by Joel Coen & Ethan Coen
“Winter's Bone” Adapted for the screen by Debra Granik & Anne Rosellini

Original screenplay
“Another Year” Written by Mike Leigh
“The Fighter” Screenplay by Scott Silver and Paul Tamasy & Eric Johnson
“Inception” Written by Christopher Nolan
“The Kids Are All Right” Written by Lisa Cholodenko & Stuart Blumberg
“The King's Speech” Screenplay by David Seidler

Golden Globe WINNERS!!!

2011-01-18T09:09:00.001-08:00

http://www.thewrap.com/awards/column-post/full-list-globes-nominees-23885

The Girl Who Played with Fire

2011-01-10T08:54:00.000-08:00

http://niles.patch.com/articles/second-movie-seals-stieg-larsson-based-series-as-spectacular

The Girl With Dragon Tattoo

2011-01-10T08:53:00.000-08:00

http://niles.patch.com/articles/swedish-version-of-girl-with-dragon-tattoo-lives-up-to-hype

The American

2011-01-10T08:52:00.000-08:00

http://niles.patch.com/articles/methodical-thriller-scores

Death at a Funeral (2010)

2011-01-10T08:51:00.000-08:00

http://niles.patch.com/articles/comedy-remake-of-death-keeps-its-edge

Mary and Max

2011-01-10T08:50:00.000-08:00

http://niles.patch.com/articles/claymation-makes-mary-and-max-characters-endearing

Eat Pray Love

2011-01-10T08:40:00.000-08:00

http://niles.patch.com/articles/eat-pray-love-scores-in-film-version

Ondine

2011-01-10T08:37:00.000-08:00

http://niles.patch.com/articles/ondine-trips-the-fantastic-lightly

Letters to Juliet

2011-01-10T08:28:00.000-08:00

http://niles.patch.com/articles/letters-to-juliet-offers-rom-com-fun

WATER FOR ELEPHANTS Trailer is Here

2010-12-21T11:54:00.000-08:00

WATER FOR ELEPHANTS Trailer is Here

Top Books into Movies of 2010

2010-12-15T14:02:00.000-08:00

Every year, adaptations rule the movie theaters, but this year, some of the most popular novels in recent times came out with big screen versions:

Eat Pray Love -- 2006 book by Elizabeth Gilbert, movie directed by Ryan Murphy
Shutter Island -- 2003 book by Dennis Lehane, movie directed by Martin Scorsese
Dear John -- 2006 book by Nicholas Sparks, movie directed by Lasse Hallstrom
The Last Song -- 2009 book by Nicholas Sparks, movie directed by Julie Anne Robinson
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows (Part 1 is 2010) -- 2007 book by J.K. Rowling, movie directed by David Yates
The Twilight Saga: Eclipse -- 2007 book by Stephanie Meyer, movie directed by David Slade

The 3 Stieg Larsson books, based on his Millennium Trilogy (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Girl Who Played with Fire, and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest) were all made and produced as films in SWEDEN in 2009 and released in the USA in 2010. By the end of 2010, all three Swedish movies will be out on DVD. An American/English version of the first book, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, is filming and should be out in 2011.

Other adaptations expected out in 2011:
The Help, 2009 book by Kathryn Stockett
Water for Elephants , 2006 book by Sara Gruen
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows: Part 2, 2007 book by J.K. Rowling

The 68th Annual Golden Globe Awards NOMINATIONS

2010-12-14T10:08:00.000-08:00

BEST MOTION PICTURE – DRAMA
BLACK SWAN
THE FIGHTER
INCEPTION
THE KING’S SPEECH
THE SOCIAL NETWORK

BEST PERFORMANCE IN A MOTION PICTURE – DRAMA
Actress
HALLE BERRY FRANKIE AND ALICE
NICOLE KIDMAN RABBIT HOLE
JENNIFER LAWRENCE WINTER’S BONE
NATALIE PORTMAN BLACK SWAN
MICHELLE WILLIAMS BLUE VALENTINE
Actor
JESSE EISENBERG THE SOCIAL NETWORK
COLIN FIRTH THE KING’S SPEECH
JAMES FRANCO 127 HOURS
RYAN GOSLING BLUE VALENTINE
MARK WAHLBERG THE FIGHTER

BEST MOTION PICTURE – COMEDY OR MUSICAL
ALICE IN WONDERLAND
BURLESQUE
THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT
RED
THE TOURIST

BEST PERFORMANCE IN A MOTION PICTURE – COMEDY OR MUSICAL
Actress
ANNETTE BENING THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT
ANNE HATHAWAY LOVE AND OTHER DRUGS
ANGELINA JOLIE THE TOURIST
JULIANNE MOORE THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT
EMMA STONE EASY A
Actor
JOHNNY DEPP ALICE IN WONDERLAND
JOHNNY DEPP THE TOURIST
PAUL GIAMATTI BARNEY’S VERSION
JAKE GYLLENHAAL LOVE AND OTHER DRUGS
KEVIN SPACEY CASINO JACK

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE FILM
DESPICABLE ME
HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON
THE ILLUSIONIST
TANGLED
TOY STORY 3

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
BIUTIFUL (MEXICO/SPAIN)
THE CONCERT (FRANCE)
THE EDGE (RUSSIA)
I AM LOVE (ITALY)
IN A BETTER WORLD (DENMARK)

BEST PERFORMANCE IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MOTION PICTURE
Actress
AMY ADAMS THE FIGHTER
HELENA BONHAM CARTER THE KING’S SPEECH
MILA KUNIS BLACK SWAN
MELISSA LEO THE FIGHTER
JACKI WEAVER ANIMAL KINGDOM
Actor
CHRISTIAN BALE THE FIGHTER
MICHAEL DOUGLAS WALL STREET: MONEY NEVER SLEEPS
ANDREW GARFIELD THE SOCIAL NETWORK
JEREMY RENNER THE TOWN
GEOFFREY RUSH THE KING’S SPEECH

BEST DIRECTOR – MOTION PICTURE
DARREN ARONOFSKY BLACK SWAN
DAVID FINCHER THE SOCIAL NETWORK
TOM HOOPER THE KING’S SPEECH
CHRISTOPHER NOLAN INCEPTION
DAVID O. RUSSELL THE FIGHTER

BEST SCREENPLAY – MOTION PICTURE
DANNY BOYLE, SIMON BEAUFOY 127 HOURS
LISA CHOLODENKO, STUART BLUMBERG THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT
CHRISTOPHER NOLAN INCEPTION
DAVID SEIDLER THE KING’S SPEECH
AARON SORKIN THE SOCIAL NETWORK

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE – MOTION PICTURE
ALEXANDRE DESPLAT THE KING’S SPEECH
DANNY ELFMAN ALICE IN WONDERLAND
A.R. RAHMAN 127 HOURS
TRENT REZNOR, ATTICUS ROSS THE SOCIAL NETWORK
HANS ZIMMER INCEPTION

BEST ORIGINAL SONG – MOTION PICTURE
“BOUND TO YOU” — BURLESQUE
“COMING HOME” — COUNTRY STRONG
“I SEE THE LIGHT” — TANGLED
“THERE’S A PLACE FOR US” — CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: THE VOYAGE OF THE DAWN TREADER
“YOU HAVEN’T SEEN THE LAST OF ME” — BURLESQUE

BEST TELEVISION SERIES – DRAMA
BOARDWALK EMPIRE (HBO)
DEXTER (SHOWTIME)
THE GOOD WIFE (CBS)
MAD MEN (AMC)
THE WALKING DEAD (AMC)

BEST PERFORMANCE IN A TELEVISION SERIES – DRAMA
Actress
JULIANNA MARGULIES THE GOOD WIFE
ELISABETH MOSS MAD MEN
PIPER PERABO COVERT AFFAIRS
KATEY SAGAL SONS OF ANARCHY
KYRA SEDGWICK THE CLOSER
Actor
STEVE BUSCEMI BOARDWALK EMPIRE
BRYAN CRANSTON BREAKING BAD
MICHAEL C. HALL DEXTER
JON HAMM MAD MEN
HUGH LAURIE HOUSE

BEST TELEVISION SERIES – COMEDY OR MUSICAL
30 ROCK (NBC)
THE BIG BANG THEORY (CBS)
THE BIG C (SHOWTIME)
GLEE (FOX)
MODERN FAMILY (ABC)
NURSE JACKIE (SHOWTIME)

BEST PERFORMANCE IN A TELEVISION SERIES –COMEDY OR MUSICAL
Actress
TONI COLLETTE UNITED STATES OF TARA
EDIE FALCO NURSE JACKIE
TINA FEY 30 ROCK
LAURA LINNEY THE BIG C
LEA MICHELE GLEE
Actor
ALEC BALDWIN 30 ROCK
STEVE CARELL THE OFFICE
THOMAS JANE HUNG
MATTHEW MORRISON GLEE
JIM PARSONS THE BIG BANG THEORY

BEST MINI-SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
CARLOS (SUNDANCE CHANNEL)
THE PACIFIC (HBO)
PILLARS OF THE EARTH (STARZ)
TEMPLE GRANDIN (HBO)
YOU DON’T KNOW JACK (HBO)

BEST PERFORMANCE IN A MINI-SERIES OR MADE FOR TV MOVIE
Actress
HAYLEY ATWELL PILLARS OF THE EARTH
CLAIRE DANES TEMPLE GRANDIN
JUDI DENCH RETURN TO CRANFORD
ROMOLA GARAI EMMA
JENNIFER LOVE HEWITT THE CLIENT LIST
Actor
IDRIS ELBA LUTHER
IAN MCSHANE PILLARS OF THE EARTH
AL PACINO YOU DON’T KNOW JACK
DENNIS QUAID THE SPECIAL RELATIONSHIP
EDGAR RAMIREZ CARLOS

BEST PERFORMANCE IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A SERIES, MINI-SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
Actress
HOPE DAVIS THE SPECIAL RELATIONSHIP
JANE LYNCH GLEE
KELLY MACDONALD BOARDWALK EMPIRE
JULIA STILES DEXTER
SOFIA VERGARA MODERN FAMILY
Actor
SCOTT CAAN HAWAII FIVE-O
CHRIS COLFER GLEE
CHRIS NOTH THE GOOD WIFE
ERIC STONESTREET MODERN FAMILY
DAVID STRATHAIRN TEMPLE GRANDIN

The Social Network

2010-10-10T11:51:00.000-07:00

Go see it! Even if you are not on Facebook, this is a very interesting film. I did not get into Facebook until well after it was created as I was already out of college so it was interesting to see it from its genesis.

The film describes how Facebook creator Mark Zuckerberg developed what is now Facebook as a Harvard sophomore from his dorm room. It began as an exclusive website for Harvard students, but as its popularity grew, it expanded to other universities, and eventually to everyone over the age of 13 in the entire world. The film switches back and forth from the present where Zuckerberg is involved in 2 different lawsuits, and flashes back to his days at Harvard creating Facebook with co-founder Eduardo Saverin, and subsequently his days in Palo Alto where he worked with Sean Parker, most notably know for creating Napster.

Being a Facebook user for about 4 years now, it was interesting to learn of all the drama and conflict that accompanied Zuckerberg in the early phases of Facebook. I really enjoyed seeing the evolution and growth of this colossal social network.

Triage

2010-09-14T08:04:00.000-07:00

Whoever said “war is hell” was sure on target. And that saying applies not only to the frontlines but also the home front. What these men and women see during war makes it impossible to forget and move on to lead normal, fulfilling lives once they arrive back home. In Triage, Colin Farrell does not play a soldier…rather a frontline photojournalist who is known for capturing some of the most gritty war footage out there. He seems to thrive on the blood and the gore, at first. Nothing seems to faze him. Or does it? In Kurdistan, where he is covering the latest hotspot of violence, he is injured…in circumstances we do not see. He seems relatively well, physically, but after he comes home, something is wrong…both physically and emotionally. This is a man who had witnessed bodies getting torn apart, piles of corpses waiting to get disposed of, disgusting hospital conditions (even calling it a hospital is a sick joke) and a doctor who marks the “untreatable” soldiers and takes them out and shoots them to end their suffering. So, what makes anything worse than the everyday norm? We later find out that there was something that happened that involved someone he cares about a great deal. And he blocked it out of his mind, as an emotional safety net. Can we blame him? Colin Farrell here is top-notch…some of his best work ever. Trying to convey bottled up emotions can be harder to portray than behaving like an emotional mess and Farrell does the job well. Not for the faint of heart, but this one is a must-see for anyone who likes powerful, riveting dramas.

United States of Tara

2010-09-13T09:54:00.001-07:00

The overused word DYSFUNCTIONAL could have been coined about the Gregson family. The matriarch of this mess is Tara, who has several diverse and loony multiple personalities, including a teenage-like wild girl, a June Cleaver-esque housewife, and a MALE Vietnam Vet who smokes and drinks way too much. Her kids and husband are all very aware that this personality disorder is something their mother is afflicted with. Often, the personalities come out at the most inopportune times, causing havoc in the kids’ lives. Like I said, dysfunctional with a capital D! And, most times, I stay clear from families-in-crisis shows (like Married With Children, etc.) but this time, Tara and her antics make the show so appeal and fun. I also felt myself drawn to the kids’ plights and what their lives must be like with a mother like Tara . Their frequent frustration is believable and not overdone in anyway. But, I would have to say that Tara and her “alters” as she calls them is the reason to watch this one. Toni Collette has won raves and awards for her portrayal of Tara and I think she is key to the show’s appeal and quality. If Tara were not as believable as she is, the show would not hold together and the audience would lose interest fast. Collette’s strong acting and huge range allow this show to be a hit rather than a miss.

Nurse Jackie

2010-09-13T09:52:00.001-07:00

Why, oh why, did I keep watching this? Maybe because I had no choice – it’s addicting…in a “bad girl” kind of way. What do I mean? Well, the main character, Jackie, is UNLIKEABLE in a rebellious, mean-spirited, devious sort of way. She is a compulsive liar when it suits her, is a drug addict, and almost has two complete different personalities…NURSE Jackie who is nice ONLY when she has to be and MOM/WIFE Jackie who is A LITTLE softer. And its hard to like either of the two Jackies. She has this close-to-idyllic family life…a loyal, hardworking husband and sweet kids…but she has a steady boyfriend and sex partner at the hospital where her NURSE alter-ego works. She pops pills on a regular basis…right before or after scolding others for even thinking of doing the same. She’s a warped, unholy mess of a woman, but somehow, she’s highly watchable. Maybe because you want to see her get caught (which she “kind-of” does at the end of season one (her hospital boyfriend (who did not even know she had kids must less was married) catches her with her husband). Maybe because the SOFT side she shows all too infrequently (a good mom, a compassionate (at times) nurse) is likeable and we cheer for GOOD Jackie to come out more often. All I know is that I really couldn’t stop watching. I think much of this has to do with Edie Falco, who, has in the past, taken unlikeable characters and made them tolerable. Even when Jackie is being bad, there always is a little humor behind her demeanor, which Falco allows the audience to glimpse. And, because of Falco, Jackie and all of her flaws becomes a watchable, interesting character that we need to keep tabs on. Considering how unlikeable Jackie is, that’s a very impressive mountain to climb.

Into the Storm

2010-08-25T16:07:00.000-07:00

Can Winston Churchill be exciting? In this second installment of HBO’s film on Churchill (the first being The Gathering Storm with Albert Finney playing Churchill), the old English Bulldog is pretty darn exciting. Maybe I should preface that by saying the ERA that this film takes place in is much more exhilarating than the timeframe of the Finney film (pre-WWII). Churchill during WWII was a force to be reckoned with. He and FDR formed a powerful, menacing alliance that took the world and Hitler by storm. In The Gathering Storm, Finney did a fabulous job of embodying the Prime Minister, but there was always something a little too “regal” about him. I mean after all, it was Albert Finney under all of that make-up and the years of classical acting seemed to hinder the rough, brash Churchill exterior from coming all the way through. Here, in this film, Irish actor Brendan Gleeson does not have any problem being a true, unadulterated curmudgeon. Gleeson’s performance is truly phenomenal…he’s all fire and brimstone when he needs to be but in the scenes with Churchill and his wife Clemmie, Gleeson shine’s as he lets slivers of Churchill’s soft side peek out. All around, an excellent film about a traumatic time in history…and about the man who made sure Great Britain got though that trauma mostly unscathed.

Eclipse

2010-07-28T13:36:00.000-07:00

With fast pacing, great action scenes and a whole lot less Bella (Kristen Stewart) moping, Eclipse out sparkles Twilight and New Moon. In the prior movies there were huge scenes that lagged and lingered too long. Director David Slade tightly condenses a long book into a good combination of love, action, and vampire becoming scenes.

Humor is a strong element and the characters seem more realistic for it. I laughed out loud when Edward (Robert Pattinson) stated “Does he own a shirt” when six pack Jacob (Taylor Lautner) arrived to protect precious Bella. Bella’s dad Charlie Swan (Billy Burke) delivers great lines and shows what strength he brings to this movie saga.

In the book the Cullen vampire family are really strong characters and Jasper (Jackson Rathbone) and Rosalie (Nikki Reed) give very good performances in the movie. The costume people finally got their act together in the hair-wig department and vampire make-up was a bit better. The Edward Bella Jacob love triangle has a great moment in the tent before the “Big Fight”.

The action scenes star in Eclipse. They move the story line in a quick effective manner. The newborn vampire scenes were vivid and wicked Victoria (Bryce Dallas Howard) comes across as pure evil.

Eclipse is a must see for the Twilight fans and it offers others a summer escape from reality.

Whip It, Whip it (not so) Good

2010-07-10T08:45:00.000-07:00

So I finally got to watch the film Whip It. This was one of those films that I wanted to see immediately after seeing a preview for it. It was quite apropos because I had just re-discovered my love for roller skating, and who doesn’t love Ellen Page? Yet for some reason, I never made it out to see it in the theater. So one evening I had a hankering for something funny and lighthearted. Flipping through the channels I was pleasantly surprised when I saw that Whip It was available on pay-per-view. I don’t normally order movies on PPV, but this seemed like a wise investment.

Four dollars and ninety nine cents later, I was pumped to finally see this film, directed by Drew Barrymore and starring several well known actors such as Ellen Page, Kristen Wig, Juliette Lewis, Eve, Jimmy Fallen to name a few. Ellen Page stars as Bliss, a 17 year old misfit from a small town outside of Austin, Texas, who stumbles upon Roller Derby, which is quite a departure from her history of competing in pageants. She joins and suddenly within weeks her life changes. Bliss who has chosen the derby name “Babe Ruthless” is a timid character, and yet she fits in almost instantly with the tough derby chicks including Maggie Mayhem, Bloody Holly, and Eva Destruction, and in no time becomes the star of the team. Her presence on the team energizes them and the once apathetic Hurl Scouts become fired up and determined to win. All the while she falls for Oliver, your typical indie band rocker, with whom she has a whirlwind romance. The rest of the film deals with her mending her relationship with her bestie Pash, and her mother, whom she has been lying to for weeks.

When the film was over I was wishing I had my $4.99 back. It was an overall disappointment. The plot was so predictable you knew exactly what was going to occur before it happened. It was also fairly unrealistic. Do you know any misfits who double as beauty pageant contestants at age 17? I sure don’t. How do you go from that to roller derby? And how does one become such a skilled roller skater in just weeks? I know it’s just a movie, but still all this bothered me. The love story between Bliss and Oliver was so cheesy you needed crackers just to get through it. Had I not gone into this with such high expectations, I may have enjoyed it a bit more, as it did at least provide a few laughs. In short, I would only recommend this film if you are looking to enjoy a couple hours of mindless entertainment.

The Ghost Writer

2010-06-23T18:53:00.000-07:00

A sensational thriller from Oscar-winner Roman Polanski who has filmed one of the best final shots I’ve ever seen on the screen. To me, it’s a simply perfect ending to an already great film. This one leaves you guessing all the way…and even once you think you know what’s going on, you’re usually wrong. Ewan McGregor stars as a ghost writer for a scandal-ridden British Prime Minister, Adam Lang (Pierce Brosnan). While writing the PM’s memoirs, the writer gets himself involved with the same political and sexual shenanigans as his subject. The McGregor character is teeming with intensity and confusion. He knows something is going on, but WHAT? Brosnan does a great job of capturing the scorned political figure who might not be guilty of all he is accused of but is guilty of enough. This is a film, especially that fantastic ending, that you will want to watch over and over again to pick up on all of the slight nuances of each of the characters…not to mention the plot twists! The film Polanski has made here competes with Woody Allen’s Match Point as one of the best thrillers of the 21st Century (so far). The Ghost Writer: Rated PG-13, 128 minutes, directed by Roman Polanski, starring Ewan McGregor, Pierce Brosnan, Olivia Williams, and Kim Cattrall. The Niles Public Library will have copies of this DVD when it is released on August 3.

Invictus

2010-06-17T07:30:00.000-07:00

As with other films, the background I have about this film was limited. South Africa -- nada. Rugby -- less than nada. But, it's an Eastwood film and it has two of my favorite actors, so what the heck. And, boy, what a great film. Morgan Freeman does a spectular job of playing Mandela...he's less about the looks of the Nobel Prize winner and more about the persona. So, at the start of the film in the early 1990s, Mandela gets out of jail and is elected to president. Apartheid is over. Mandela sees rugby and it's "whites" only popularity as a way to try and help some of the white South Africans that he determined to unite his racially divided country. Matt Damon plays the rugby team captain who is in awe of the inspiring Mandela. Some believe (both black and white) that Mandela's focus on rugby as a uniting tool is fooling. The blacks want to know why he is focusing this much attention on a white sport. And the whites don't believe he is sincere and feel he has some sort of ulterior motive. South African politics are a big part of this film, as is rugby. Knowing next to nothing about those subjects did not hinder my enjoyment here. The story is intense and passionate enough sustain interest throughout. This film is about heart and friendship. It's about determination and spirit. It's a movie for all -- not only political or sports junkies.

Valentine's Day

2010-05-28T18:07:00.001-07:00

Not being the biggest fan of multiple vignette movies, I didn’t have high expectations here. I find that usually, in vignette ensemble movies like this one, ala Short Cuts, Crash, I get so upset with one story that no matter what is happening in the others, I lose interest in the whole thing. But, this had such a great cast, how could I pass it up? And, thankfully, it’s MUCH sweeter and more enjoyable than I expected. The storylines are all pretty much what you would expect from a Garry Marshall-directed romantic comedy. They are all about love in its various forms…broken love, falling in love, old love, love that’s not really love at all, friendship love, etc. The sweetest storyline would have to be the two friends who THINK that are having great fortune in the love department. Then, all of a sudden, one of the relationships crashes and the other soon does as well. The friends come together to find solace in each other and end up finding love as well. Also, the plotline with an older couple (played by Marshall rom com regular Hector Elizondo and the fabulous Shirley MacLaine) finding their way back together after a past betrayal is heartfelt and endearing. Basically, this film lives up to its goal…to make us all feel like going out and falling in love! If only it were that easy…

Leap Year

2010-05-26T18:04:00.001-07:00

Yes, it’s a cutsie rom com. We know this because there are two good-looking, youngish people starring in the film and on the cover of the DVD, etc, plus there is instant sexual chemistry, though, naturally, the two do not like each other at first. Your typical rom com fare. Here the good-looking couple who are determined NOT to fall in love are Amy Adams (so irresistibly perky and vibrant) and Matthew Goode (so brooding…doing his best “I do not want to be lovable” routine). The two of them almost make us forget that not only have we “sort of” seen this type of material before, we have seen almost EXACTLY the same material in a 1995 Lawrence Kasdan film, French Kiss with rom con queen Meg Ryan and Kevin Kline. There, Ryan, like Adams, runs off to follow her boyfriend abroad where she meets Kline, a Frenchman, and naturally nature takes its course and soon the boyfriend is forgotten and Kline is the ONE! So, Goode is Irish not French and plotwise, the boyfriend in French Kiss met another woman in Paris and in Leap Year, it’s that said boyfriend hasn’t proposed yet. But, still, they are pretty similar. And, to top that off, I LOVE French Kiss. It’s one of my favorite films from the 1990s and definitely one of my favorite contemporary romantic comedies. And I still like Leap Year, with its copied and clichéd characters, plot, etc.? Yes, I do. Amy Adams and Matthew Goode are so likeable (separately, but mostly together) that we do not care that we already know the ending and have heard much of the dialogue and seen much of the plot before. Another bonus here is Ireland…the lush scenery, the vistas, the gloom and rain... Well, you can’t have sunshine everyday, right? Think again – it’s sunshiny everyday in Romantic Comedy Land.

The Diary of Anne Frank (2009)

2010-04-23T18:55:00.000-07:00

I have yet to see all of the 1959 film with Shelley Winters of the same title, based on the same diary, so I cannot compare the two. But, I can say, that this 2009 BBC production is heartfelt and striking. Anne here, played by Ellie Kendrick, is a robust girl (in personality, not in physicality). She’s no nonsense and has to be reeled in from trouble by her ever-attentive father and her nervous mother. And, trouble is not wise for a teenage girl living in an attic above her father’s former place of business…hiding ever-so-delicately from the Nazis in early 1940s Amsterdam. Trouble here could get her killed. And her entire family and the other family living with them killed. Trouble here is not just usual adolescent rebellion, as it is with most teenagers. Trouble, here, is strictly taboo. So, trying her best to stay out of trouble, Anne has to experience her coming of age without privacy, friends, or any of the outside world. She’s worse off than those around her since they are not restricted as much as she is. Anne is restricted from both the world and also from the natural process of growing up. Kendrick does a superb job of capturing the right amount of adolescent frustration and mixing it with anger at the entire situation. And, the other actors are all top-notch also, especially British TV regular Nicholas Farrell, who plays Albert Dussel, the only non-family member (from both families) in the attic. Dussel and Anne share a small room together and he does his best to deal with his own pain while Anne is acting out. Yes, we all know the ending here, but unlike most movies where the ending is inevitable, the filmmakers do an especially good job of focusing on the characters and not the plot. But, this also adds to the sorrow of the story: the characters, especially Anne, are fleshed out so vividly that when their sad fate comes to a close, it’s all the more poignant and heart-wrenching.

Pirate Radio

2010-04-23T18:53:00.000-07:00

Right off the bat I will say it: NOT MY KIND OF MOVIE. But, oh well, it has a great cast so I though I would give it a whirl. And, when it began, I almost said “I told you so” to myself. But, then the plot really kicked in and the characters all came to life right on the screen…and boom, before I knew it, I was hooked. Not by the music (most of which is pretty much the kind of music I like), not by the 60s culture, but by the characters. You REALLY get involved and attached to the characters…all of them. They all have their own quirks that really give each of them panache…and then all of them together give the movie a special touch that resonates with audiences…because they will all know characters like this. In a cast lead by Oscar-winner Philip Seymour Hoffman (the token American), other British actors including Bill Nighy, Kenneth Branagh, Nick Frost and even Oscar-winner and icon Emma Thompson all lend their own spice to add color and vibe to the film that already rock with 1960s British pop. The story is based in reality – in the 1960s, Britain had bans on rock radio stations. So, to get around the law, tons of “pirate” stations popped up all over, most on the waters surrounding the small island. Not that the politicians couldn’t find them, but the bureaucracy just had no grounds to shut these little stations down…until now. But, being a character-driven story, this film is less about WHAT happens and much more about WHO it happens to. Mostly told from the point-of-view of “Young” Carl, a young man who’s been sequestered off on this ship in the middle of the North Sea by his mother in order to learn a lesson, all of the characters become equally dear to us…we love some, we hate some, we empathize with some, with are jealous of some. Make sure you check out this little gem of a film that is part romance, part drama, part comedy, part historical, ALL FUN!

2010-04-15T12:24:00.000-07:00

This Saturday, 4/17, I'm doing a film discussion of 1941 version THE MALTESE FALCON with fellow filmie Doug Deuchler at Golf Mill Shopping Center, Milwaukee Ave. & Golf Rd. in Niles. The film is at 10:30 a.m. with our discussion following. Please come into Niles Public Library (6960 Oakton in Niles) to pick up a pass for your free ticket. It should be FUN!

An Education

2010-04-06T13:46:00.000-07:00

An Education is a charming, intelligent film filled with excellent performances, especially from Carey Mulligan, who shines as the curious ingénue. Mulligan’s character, Jenny, is bookish school girl from suburban London who meets an older, sophisticated attractive man, David (played perfectly by Peter Sarsgaard), who drives a sports car and who sweeps her off her feet. David even convinces her strict, driven parents with his “respectable” act. Jenny is hooked completely…so much so even school is no longer important. When David’s true colors surface, she seems left with nothing, but is she? Based on the memoir by Lynn Barber, An Education was adapted for the screen by British novelist and humorist Nick Hornby, who uses his satiric, dry wit to bring the characters, especially Jenny and her family, to life. Though this film is mostly a serious drama, Hornby’s knack for writing vibrant and vivid characters comes across in this touching and heartwarming story. Nominated for three Academy Awards (Best Actress (Mulligan), Best Adapted Screenplay (Hornby) and Best Picture), this film is one of the best of the year.

Brothers

2010-04-06T13:44:00.000-07:00

A tough film to sit through, Brothers is a powerful drama that stays with you long after it ends. My appreciation for this film only increased as I thought more and more about its messages and meaning. Based on a Danish film from 2004, Brødre, this intense story revolves around two brothers. At the beginning of the film, one son, Tommy, just is released from prison. He, naturally, is the black sheep of the family. The “favorite” son, Sam, is soon to be heading off to Afghanistan for another tour of duty. While in the Middle East, Sam is presumed dead in a helicopter accident. This family, naturally, makes do the best they can to pick up the pieces and Tommy really steps up and helps out Sam’s wife and daughters. The daughters, in particular, become very attached to Tommy. Sam’s wife, Grace, borders precariously on some romantic feelings for her brother-in-law, though nothing is ever shared between them but a kiss. So, director Jim Sheridan (In America, My Left Foot) melds these images of sadness and sorrow with Sam in Afghanistan, alive and taken prisoner. Then, Sam comes home. He comes home a different man entirely. He simply cannot “kick” the images and bloodshed from his head…he can not get past what he had to do to survive. His daughters are now afraid of the “new” Sam and want their Uncle Tommy. Even his wife sees her resurrected husband as a stranger. The climatic ending still causes a chill down my spine just thinking about it. Brothers is not only an underrated film that is a must see, but it also is filled with dynamite performances by all of the major players. An excellent, yet disturbing film.

The Black Balloon

2010-04-06T13:42:00.001-07:00

The Black Balloon is a touching, engaging Australian drama about a family with two teenage sons, one of whom is autistic. At the start of the film, the mother is pregnant again, trying her best to manage the two boys she already has, plus a husband and a household. The autistic son, Charlie, naturally takes up a great deal of both parents’ time as well as the time and attention of the other son, Thomas. When Thomas brings a girlfriend home for dinner, things do not go exactly as planned, as with most things when the ever-unpredictable but sweet Charlie is around. All of the performances in this film are stellar, especially the two boys. I even had to watch the DVD special features to find out if the actor who pays Charlie was autistic or not (he is not). Sometimes, acting performances of characters with special needs go too over the top or are too unrealistic. Here, Charlie is a non-verbal, highly inquisitive young man who likes structure and regiment, but is not seen as a victim or a character in need of sympathy from the audience. He is just a teenage boy. He is happy in his own world with his own games. And the relationship between the two brothers is also not sugarcoated at all. There even is a very emotional scene when the brothers fight; it’s tough to watch since they are so close. The strong performances and convincing script are what make us so attached to these characters. No cardboard characters here!

HACHI: A DOG'S STORY

2010-03-29T14:03:00.000-07:00

Although this is a movie with Richard Gere, it is definitely NOT about Richard Gere. Rather, this is about an Akita, adopted by a kindly professor. This is not an animal tale where the dog "speaks" through creepy animated lips. It is a movie with simple themes: grief, canine loyalty, progression of time and death. I am not spoiling the movie (the trailers show much of the plot) by saying that the dog is "adopted" by Richard Gere"s character. Gere and the dog develop a special relationship, one not shared by Gere's wife (played by Joan Allen).The dog waits outside the train station each night for him to return from work. One day, he does not return, and Haichi just waits.....and waits.

"Hachi" is based on a true story from the 1920's, and this movie is a remake of a 1987 Japanese movie called "Hachiko Monogatari".

I can't say the movie is a blockbuster. In fact, it by-passed the theaters and went straight to DVD. "Hachi" is very sentimental, but not the kind of sentimental one usually sees in these types of films. It is not gushy nor will you hear swelling music or slo-mo scenes of Haichi and his master cavorting on the beach. Gere "shines" during his time on screen, and supporting characters played by Erick Avari and Jason Alexander give solid performances. I found Joan Allen, as Gere's wife, to be somewhat distracting. But, for anyone who loves dogs, and believe animals exhibit the human feelings of loss, this is a three-hankie can't be missed.

Taking Woodstock

2010-03-12T17:32:00.001-08:00

I must admit, I had serious doubts about this one. I’m not much into music…especially 70s music. And I am not really interested in the 1970s in general. But, it’s directed by Ang Lee, so I gave it a chance and it turns out to be a very strong film. It’s part comedy/part drama and all heart. The story starts off with a dinky “resort” in upstate New York that has seen better days (or more likely…it never saw a good day). It’s run by a comical, loud Jewish family whose son, Jake, is the only normal member (the mother is maniacal and the father hardly ever speaks). Jake runs a yearly musical festival in the town…which most of the old-timers of the town love…it’s classical or jazzy music mostly…nothing too severe for the townspeople who are VERY set in their ways. When Jake reads that the Woodstock Festival has lost their location, he suggests his town. And, of course, plans work out. This is where the fun begins for Jake. He’s hated by much of the town for bringing these “hippies” in. He’s loved by others for bringing in more cash than they’ve ever seen in their lives. The actor who plays Jake (Henry Goodman) is spot-on as the befuddled, naïve young man. And director Lee sticks to Jake’s story...and point-of-view. Lee never really shows the Woodstock stage to the audience…since Jake never makes it to see the music. And Liev Schreiber is a MUST SEE as a philosophical drag-queen. Over-all, it’s a fun film…about a wild and carefree period in our history.

The September Issue

2010-03-12T17:30:00.000-08:00

What I know about Haute Couture, I could fit in a shoebox. Maybe that is why I found this film SO fascinating. If I knew more about the lifestyle these people were talking about, maybe I would have been bored. Instead, I was riveted. Could people really be this focused on clothes and shoes and, most shocking of all, accessories? Well, this film and the real characters in it proves that yes, people can be this focused on all areas of fashion. Anna Wintour is the “star” of the film. A British ex-pat who came to New York and the world-renowned Vogue (American VOGUE, that is) from British Vogue and is now Vogue’s editor-in-chief. Wintour is a fierce woman…who can make or break a designer’s career with just the shake of her head. She’s the character the DEVIL in The Devil Wears Prada is based on. She pretty much is the face of the New York fashion scene – simply put…what she says or wants GOES and if she doesn’t want it, it’s gone. More interesting, I thought, was her creative director at Vogue, Grace Coddington, who clashes often with Wintour and always loses (since Anna always gets her way). How Grace copes with her losses and her set-backs at Vogue and still manages to come to work every morning is beyond me. The dynamic between these two independent, strong and very alike and different (at the same time) women is what made this film work for me.

Everybody's Fine

2010-03-10T18:54:00.001-08:00

This movie got panned in the theatrical release reviews. But, it is a good film. Not the best about families and how family situations change as time goes by, but it’s a strong movie that’s worth while seeing…ESPECIALLY if you are a parent or have middle-aged to older parents. One of the reasons this film has a soft spot for me is that the De Niro character reminded me of my father. Approximately the same age, both my dad and the De Niro character are sorts of aimless, lost men. De Niro’s reasoning behind this aimlessness is that he is recently widowed. My father’s is just that he likes to be aimless (my mother is still very much alive). Now back to the movie…the De Niro character, after having all four of his grown children cop out on coming to visit him for a family reunion of sorts, he decides to go to them instead. What lies ahead of him is an odyssey he never anticipated. No, it’s not a GREAT movie. But, over-all, it’s a tender movie with lots of heart.

The Damned United

2010-03-10T18:48:00.000-08:00

I am an Anglophile, and I have studied a lot about England and its culture and habits. But, their sports (rugby, cricket, and football (or rather, soccer)) are a mystery to me. This film is about what WE (Americans) call soccer and what THEY (Brits) call football. OK – so I’ve heard of soccer and seen soccer played (well, in movies…) and I know that you cannot touch the ball with your hands – only with your feet. So, when I watched this film, I thought I was prepared for everything I would need to know. Well, I was wrong. The Damned United goes DEEP into the deep recesses of soccer to live and breath the sport. It is a good film. The story is strong. And, not having any idea about the inner-workings of British football did not hinder my enjoyment. The story is based on a real character in British football history…and a real period in their football’s legacy. Brian Clough works his way up the ranks from lowly football manager to a highly successful team manager, finally managing to lead what many in Britain in the 1970s would have considered the finest football team in the country…Leeds United. The problem is, though, that Leeds was always a rival of Brian’s former team…not exactly endearing the Leeds players to him. Can he win them over? Can he gain their trust? I’m assuming most of the population in the UK knew the answers to these questions well before they watched the film. I, on the other hand, did not. So I enjoyed thoroughly finding out what was going to happen next. Part drama, part thriller, all sports film, The Damned United is quite an entertaining flick, whether you’re British, American, a soccer fan, or just enjoy a good movie!

Coco Before Chanel

2010-02-26T18:51:00.001-08:00

What was Coco Chanel like before she became the name behind an empire? Was she always interested in fashion? Did she grow up wearing haute couture? Does she know how to sew or is she just the visionary behind the clothing empire? Well, all of these questions, plus many more, will be answered after watching this engaging movie. Coco, born Gabrielle, was abandoned at a young age by her father to an orphanage. From that rocky start, in adulthood, she found herself working as a cabaret dancer at a less-than-respectable bar. There, she meets a man who will change her life...taking her into his life and his home. But, even after her life switches from poverty to affluence, it is not an easy road. The major problem I had with this film is that it moves from her opening a modest but elegant millenary shop (Coco's start was in making hats for herself and friends, one of whom was well-known stage actress) in Paris to models wearing her designs parading down the runaway. I know that the point of this film must have been her pre-success life, but how she went from hats to evening gowns still mystifies me. That aside, this is a wonderful film that really captures the early essence of this remarkable woman.

Adam

2010-02-26T18:48:00.000-08:00

Adam is a strong film that is tough to watch. I continuously felt sorry for the main character, Adam, who has Asperger's Syndrome. But, feeling sorry for Adam is part of the story...the script is written so that we do feel bad for him. The film opens with his father passing away and he now lives alone, which is new territory for Adam. Asperger's, which is a form of autism, prevents him from living a so-called normal life...he has few, if any, friends and he lives his life through habits he knows. When he meets a new neighbor, Beth, his insulated world threatens to either unravel or expand to include her. A touching, sweet film, Adam is part love story and part drama, but no matter which part you prefer, you will admire the strong performances here by both Hugh Dancy, who plays Adam and Rose Byrne as Beth. Dancy's Adam has more of an edge than other mentally challenged characters of late (Sean Penn in I Am Sam and Cuba Gooding Jr. in Radio). Adam is a hard person to get to know, be involved with, and especially to love and I feel Dancy conveys that difficulty to the audience through his stellar performance. Over-all, it is worth all of the uncomfortability for this one...it's a great film.

Serious and Single Men

2010-02-15T15:03:00.000-08:00

Two very different stories, but both main characters have similar existential questions.... "Why did this happen to me?"

Leading men Colin Firth and Michael Stuhlbarg are excellent in their respective roles. Firth, known for his rather "fluffy" roles (Bridget Jones, Mama Mia) is riveting in this dark and melancholy film. Stuhlbarg, with a handful of minor film roles to his credit, plays a bemused and believable character.

Both men are in the teaching profession. George (Firth) , a university professor in 1962, is a single homosexual whose lover of 18 years died eight months prior in a car accident. A still grieving George who now sees his life as meaningless, makes plans to end this day with suicide. Firth displays very little emotion throughout the movie. He has had to hold many secrets "close to the chest" during his lifetime. He is good at it. However, there are scenes that subtly display, through the look in his eyes, the absolute disintegration of his soul and the question, "Why is this happening to me?" Because of George's quite demeanor and bravado, the film and it's ending left me deeply moved.

Stuhlbarg's character, Larry, is also a university professor in 1967. In an unhappy Midwestern Jewish family, Larry, a physics professor is awaiting the decision on his receiving tenure. In the meantime, his wife is leaving him for his so-called best friend and his kids "raid" his wallet daily. His daughter is saving up for a nose job, and his son is paying money to the neighborhood brute to ward off being beaten up on his walk home from school. His crazy brother-in-law has taken up residence on the living room sofa, and one of Larry's students gives him a cash bribe to assure a passing grade in his class. You're waiting for Larry to say "oy vey". However, Stahlbarg plays Larry not as a whiner, but as a hopeful man wondering, "Why is this happening to me?" and "What else can go wrong?" He visits three rabbis from his synagogue in hopes of finding an answer. Each visit ending with some humorous parable, but no answers. The ending is wryly true to the Coen brothers spirit of the malevolent.

Classic Love Stories and Romantic Comedies for Valentine's Day

2010-02-11T10:49:00.001-08:00

Adam’s Rib
Affair to Remember, An
All That Heaven Allows
Annie Hall
Apartment, The
Awful Truth, The
Bachelor and the Bobby Soxer, The
Barefoot in the Park
Born Yesterday
Breakfast at Tiffany’s
Bride Came C.O.D., The
Brief Encounter
Bringing Up Baby
Casablanca
Come September
Desire Under the Elms
Desk Set
Doctor Zhivago
From Here to Eternity
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes
Gilda
Glass Bottom Boat, The
Gone With the Wind
Graduate, The
His Girl Friday
Holiday (1938)
Houseboat
How to Marry a Millionaire
Indiscreet
Intermezzo
It Happened One Night
It’s a Wonderful Life
Lady Eve, The
Last Time I Saw Paris
Love in the Afternoon
Love is a Many-Splendored Thing
Love Story
Lover Come Back
Magnificent Obsession
Manhattan
Meet John Doe
Move Over, Darling
Mr. and Mrs. Smith
Mr. Deeds Goes to Town
My Favorite Wife
My Man Godfrey
Ninotchka
Notorious
Now, Voyager
Pat and Mike
Philadelphia Story, The
Pillow Talk
Place in the Sun, A
Random Harvest
Robin and Marion
Roman Holiday
Romeo and Juliet (1968)
Sabrina (1954)
Same Time, Next Year
Sandpiper, The
Send Me No Flowers
Shop Around the Corner, The
Summer Place, A
Talk of the Town
Teacher's Pet
That Touch of Mink
Three Coins in the Fountain
Thrill of It All, The
To Catch a Thief
To Have and Have Not
Touch of Class, A
Two for the Road
Way We Were, The
Wife vs. Secretary
With Six You Get Eggroll
Women in Love
Young at Heart