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

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!

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!

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!

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!

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

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

RED

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

Bradford International Film Festival!

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!

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!!!!!!!!! 

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!

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!

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!

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!

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

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

The Ghost Writer

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

The King's Speech

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

2010 Oscar Nominations!

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!!!

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

The Girl Who Played with Fire

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

The Girl With Dragon Tattoo

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

The American

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

Death at a Funeral (2010)

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

Mary and Max

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

Eat Pray Love

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

Ondine

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

Letters to Juliet

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

WATER FOR ELEPHANTS Trailer is Here

WATER FOR ELEPHANTS Trailer is Here

Top Books into Movies of 2010

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.