A stunt performer has been seriously injured during a production of "The Hangover 2" in Thailand, reports say. Queensland-raised stunt driver Scott McLean is reportedly in coma after involved in an accident on the set of the film on December 17.
Words are, McLean was performing a stunt which went awry when two cars traveling at high speed crashed into each other in Bangkok as part of the stunt. It is said that McLean was taken to a hospital in Bangkok. There is no word on how the accident affects the shooting.
Following the success of 2009 "The Hangover" which was mainly set in Las Vegas, "The Hangover 2" is made with Todd Phillips still tackling the helming duty. Beside filmed in Thailand, the sequel is also shot in Los Angeles.
Bradley Cooper, Zach Galifianakis, Ed Helms, Justin Bartha and Ken Jeong return to reprise their respective roles. The upcoming comedy is slated to be dropped in the U.S. on Memorial Day or May 26, 2011.
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
A Performer Has Been Seriously Injured During A Production of 'The Hangover 2'
Friday, December 24, 2010
TLC Choose to Premiere A New Reality TV Called 'Strange Addiction'
TLC choose to premiere a new reality TV called "My Strange Addiction" this holiday. A preview had been released before but this new one shows more people with bizarre and odd addictions such as eating toilet paper and living with a plastic doll.
Some of these people have gone through trauma which explained their strange addictions. Like the case with a mother who eats cleaning stuff because she was once molested and felt dirty inside. "The biggest secret I had was that I was molested. Maybe I felt dirty inside," the woman said in the promo.
Then there's Lori Broady who is obsessed with sleeping while a hairdryer is on. This has cost her a relationship with men because they think it's strange. It was also dangerous for the hairdryer once fell and caught ablaze. "That's why I did the show. I knew it was a problem", Broady told the Today Show this morning after realizing that her daughter picks up the same habit.
Meanwhile, Keisha likes to nibble on toilet paper and keeps some on her desk. "I love the way the toilet paper feels on my tongue. When I'm in my car I keep a roll in my glove compartment box," she said. "[My mum] doesn't understand that I've tried and I can't stop." An expert told her that it could be fatal when her intestine is ruptured inside.
"My Strange Addictions" airs Wednesday, December 29 on TLC.
The first trailer of 'Cedar Rapids'
The first trailer of "Cedar Rapids", a movie which would let Ed Helms shines, has been released via Apple. Helms is Tim Lippe, a "naive" insurance agent who never left his small hometown and never stayed at a hotel. His father then sends him to Cedar Rapids, Iowas to attend an annual insurance convention where he learns how to loosen up.
Tim is soon distracted by three convention veterans (John C. Reilly, Anne Heche and Isiah Whitlock Jr.) who will show him the ropes and push his boundaries. For a guy who plays everything by the book, this convention will be anything but conventional.
Helms has been one fourth of "The Hangover" gang and one of the staff in Dunder Mifflin on "The Office", but this time he's taking the lead role. The movie, directed by "The Good Girl" helmer Miguel Arteta, is to premiere at the Sundance Film Festival next month. There is no theatrical release date announced yet.
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Brad Womack May Be Allowed to Re-enter 'The Bachelor' Arena
Brad Womack may be allowed to re-enter "The Bachelor" arena but producers wanted him to confront his past first. As it has been reported, Womack came face to face with DeAnna Pappas and Jenni Croft, the final two women whom he both rejected in season 11. In a sneak peek provided by ET, viewers get to find out how intense the meeting would be.
Pappas and Croft will be in the season premiere on January 3. Chris Harrison mediated the meeting, asking the two women how they felt on the day Womack dumped them. "I was very embarrassed," Croft admitted. "I felt that I went into the whole thing with an open heart. I was just confused about: Why would he even do that? Why not give DeAnna a chance?"
Pappas who looked like she held more grudge said, "I don't wear my heart on my sleeve. It is real hard for someone to get to the real part of me. So for me the final day was brutal because I felt the one person that I trusted most let me down."
The clip was cut just as Harrison asked the women whether they believe Womack is a changed man this time around. The American entrepreneur said numerous times in the promos that he had sought therapy and admitted that his heart was not open the first time on the show.
His reaction of meeting Pappas and Croft is, "It was a complete shock, because I truly had no idea they were going to be there and that conversation is something that I wanted to take place long before then. So, I was very happy to learn that they were there."
"But you know Jenni and DeAnna are very incredible women. They were not going to back down, so they were a little bit tough on me, but after we talked for a while all was forgiven and the three of us moved on." Pappas is now engaged while Croft is married.
The London Critics Circle Announced The Nominees for Its Upcoming Awards Show
The London Critics Circle has announced the nominees for its upcoming awards show. Dominating the list are none other than Oscar favorites "The King's Speech" and "The Social Network". The former leads in number as it gets seven nods, while the latter follows with five.
Both drama movies will have a tight battle to get Film of the Year Title, competing against each other in addition to "Black Swan", "The Kids Are All Right" and "Toy Story 3" in the category. "King's Speech" and "Social Network" also have equal chance to take home Screenwriter of the Year kudo.
The two films also put their lead actors, Colin Firth and Jesse Eisenberg, in contention for Actor of the Year title. Other contenders for the honor include Jeff Bridges ("True Grit"), Ryan Gosling ("Blue Valentine") and Edgar Ramirez ("Carlos").
Firth gets another nod in British Actor of the Year category, which is also given for his performance in "King's Speech". Meanwhile, Eisenberg's "Social Network" co-star Andrew Garfield is among British Actor in a Supporting Role nominees.
Another British film, "Another Year", is also hailed by The London Critics Circle with seven nominations. Helmed by Mike Leigh, the drama which will be released in limited U.S. theaters in late this month will fight for British director, British actress and British actor prizes among others.
People will get to know the winners of 2011 London Critics' Circle Film Awards in a gala taking place at the National Film Theatre at BFI Southbank on February 10. The full nominations list can be seen here.
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Jeff Bridges Closed The 2010 'Saturday Night Live' Edition with A High Note
Jeff Bridges closed the 2010 "Saturday Night Live" edition with a high note. The "Tron Legacy" actor appeared in some impressive sketches which include a duet with Cookie Monster, a Nick Nolte impression, and a Dog the Bounty Hunter imprint.
In celebration of Christmas, Bridges sang a holiday tune "Silver Bells" with the help of Cookie Monster who auditioned for a part on the variety show last month. The blue monster wished for an iPad from Santa but then corrected, "cookieeeees". At the end of the song, Bridges pulled out two broken pieces of cookies from his back pocket for the "Sesame Street" character.
Bridges appeared as Nolte in "The Miley Cyrus Show" which has now become a regular sketch on "SNL". Vanessa Bayer plays Miley, admitting that she was "really high" in a video tape where she was seen smoking from a bong. Then she invited Nolte to find out how he recovered from the scandal and whether he's "a hundred years old".
Bridges also assisted Fred Armisen in his spoof of Larry King's farewell episode recently. But he was not involved in the Digital Short which boasted celebrity cameos from Jessica Alba, Akon, John McEnroe, and Blake Lively in addition to "SNL" regulars Andy Samberg and Jorma Taccone.
"SNL" will return January 8 with Jim Carrey as host and The Black Keys as musical guest.
- Cookie Monster
'Survivor' Has Done All-star Editions
"Survivor" has done all-star editions, pitted the young and the old, and put heroes and villains at each other's throat. In its 22nd year, the reality show is in need of a big twist in the rule and so the producers came up with "Survivor: Redemption Island". Fresh off crowning Jud 'Fabio' Birza as the "Nicaragua" winner, CBS releases the trailer while EW publishes an interview with host Jeff Probst.
The trailer shows a familiar terrain because the new season was also shot in San Juan del Sur Beach in Nicaragua. But there will be a separate island which would accommodate the outcast. "How it works is very simple," Probst explained to EW. "When you're voted out at Tribal Council, you don't go home. You're not out of the game. You go to Redemption Island and you live alone."
"And at a certain point in the game another person will join you. You will compete in a duel. The winner stays. The loser goes home. So you're continuing to live out there on your own with very basic supplies. But you're still in the game. And at a certain point you'll be allowed to reenter the game and have a shot at the money."
Probst admitted that they did try a similar format previously but there was a flaw. "We did a haphazard version of Redemption Island a few years ago called the Outcasts and it didn't work and it didn't please the audience and there was one fundamental flaw: We didn't tell people up front it was going to happen," Probst said.
"I just told everybody [at the opening] it's going to happen," the host said after filming. "Make no mistake: When you're voted out, you're not going home, and somebody that you vote out could come back and bite you in the ass. So I have no problem with people coming back into the game because everybody knows up front. A rule can't be unfair if you know going in. It's an equal opportunity."
Saying this is exciting, Probst had to admit, "We have no idea what's gong to happen. It's a big risk. It could fail miserably. I don't think it's going to." The new season which was shot in August will premiere on February 16, 2011.
Monday, December 20, 2010
Neil Patrick Harris Admitted That He Feels Bad for Attacking Eric Braeden
After a spur of moment, Neil Patrick Harris admitted that he feels bad for attacking Eric Braeden just because the actor pulled at the last minute as the guest star on "How I Met Your Mother". He tweeted, "Now I feel bad for the D-bag comment. Don't know the guy personally. I'm just fiercely protective of our show."
Few hours before that, Harris called Braeden a "D-bag" on Twitter. "Eric Braeden is a D-Bag. the actor, (Robin's dad) agreed to a cameo, then last night bailed, saying the part wasn't 'substantial' enough," he wrote. Then he slammed further, "We've recast with Ray Wise, a fantastic actor who makes any part 'substantial'. Super excited to welcome him to the family!"
Braeden then responded with a statement to EW. He said with a laugh, "I really don't know who that fellow is. He's a guy who stars in that series. It's very unfortunate. First of all, I came back from hip surgery. I was off for three weeks. I've doubled my work, 30 to 50 pages a day for me, alone. Everyone knows that I'm exhausted. I was not about to appear on a show for two lines, because that's what it amounted to."
Braeden, who plays Robin's father on the CBS sitcom, said he was happy working there the first time in November 2008. But he's not happy with Harris this time. "His choice of words bothered me," Braeden added. "It seems to me like a young whippersnapper, having seen himself on a few covers, who's received a few awards, is now suddenly suffering from the first signs of hubris. I've been in the business for 50 years. I've seen people come and go and I'm still here."
But Braeden is willing to shake off the rift, saying "If he is a worthy adversary, he'd better not cross my path. I will let bygones be bygones."
Sunday, December 19, 2010
2011 SXSW's Opening Film Is 'Source Code'
The South by Southwest (SXSW) Film Conference and Festival has picked the film that will kick off this year's festival. On December 16, it has been announced that "Source Code" is the official opening film of 2011 SXSW.
Thus, the movie from director Duncan Jones will be screened for attendees at the SXSW on March 11, 2011, the same day it is released in U.K. Meanwhile, in the U.S. the action thriller will only open wide a few weeks later on April 1.
"Source Code" follows soldier Captain Colter Steven, portrayed by Jake Gyllenhaal, who wakes up in the body of an unknown man. He learns that he is part of an experimental government program investigating a terrorist incident, reliving a harrowing train bombing until he can find who is responsible for the attack. Vera Farmiga and Michelle Monaghan take other roles.
2011 SXSW will run from March 11 to 19, 2011. Complete line-up will be announced in early February.
Jenny McCarthy Wants to Back to 'Two and a Half Men'
Actress Jenny McCarthy is keeping her fingers crossed for a future return to Charlie Sheen's hit TV comedy "Two and a Half Men" - because screenwriters chose not to kill off her character.
The busty blonde recently reprised her guest role as Sheen's con artist girlfriend on the show, but her stint came to an end earlier this month when the characters broke up. But McCarthy is hoping the door will always be open for a comeback because she had so much fun filming with the cast and crew.
She says, "They didn't kill me, so I take it as I might be back. I had a great time on the show, it was a fun character to play... We had a really good time, he's a great guy. He was so super cool, sweet."
'Bound to You', Which Aguilera Sings in 'Burlesque'
Songs performed by Christina Aguilera, Justin Bieber and Gwyneth Paltrow are among the 41 shortlisted for Academy Awards glory in 2011. "Bound to You", which Aguilera sings in "Burlesque", Bieber's collaboration with Jaden Smith, "Never Say Never" from "The Karate Kid", and two tracks from Paltrow's movie "Country Strong" have been named among the favorites to land the Best Original Song prize on February 27, 2011.
Other tracks tipped to become nominees when the list is narrowed down on January 2011 include Carrie Underwood's "There's a Place for Us" from "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader" and Randy Newman's "We Belong Together" from "Toy Story 3".
The songs will compete with other tracks from films including "Despicable Me", "Dinner for Schmucks", "Eat Pray Love" and "How to Train Your Dragon".
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Annie Lennox Was Left Red-faced
Annie Lennox was left red-faced after she missed her cue to perform on a U.S. talk show on Tuesday, December 14, just minutes after she insisted she no longer suffered nerves about messing up on stage.
The Scottish singer was a guest on "Live with Regis and Kelly" on Tuesday morning to promote her new Christmas album and sing her rendition of festive favorite "The Holly and the Ivy" for the studio audience.
In an interview with the hosts, Lennox admitted she had overcome her nerves about performing years ago. She said, "I used to get really badly nervous, but I've been through so many things now. There's no point. I think there comes a time when you're a performer you have to get over your stage fright... Why be nervous?"
But Lennox appeared to speak too soon - she immediately missed her cue to start singing and had to be tapped on the back by her guitarist. After failing to catch up, she decided to scrap the set and start again.
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
The Sneak Peek of Oprah's 'Ultimate Australian Adventure'
Audience of "The Oprah Winfrey Show" will get a clue of how big her "Ultimate Australian Adventure" show will be. Several photos from the taped episode have revealed the guests that she brings over to a massive outdoor stage. They include Australia's iconic family, the Irwins.
Terri Irwin, the widow of "The Crocodile Hunter" Steve Irwin, is seen in the picture with her kids, Bindi and Bob. She choked up when talking about her husband who died in 2006 after being pierced in the chest by a stingray barb. News.com.au reported that Bindi Irwin told Oprah Winfrey that she still watches her dad's tapes everyday. "That way it's like he's still there," she said. "He was the best dad ever." Terri meanwhile said, "When we lost him the wind stopped."
The Irwins were not Oprah's first guest. It was New Zealand-born actor Russell Crowe who took the host for boating over the weekend. "When you live in a city like this it's easy to be friendly," he said in reference to Sydney. He also analyzed that Americans lived to work, but Aussies worked to live.
Oprah's next guest was Jay-Z who took the opportunity to display a footage of him visiting Canterbury Boys High School, in Sydney's southwest. "It was great. I see myself in their eyes, I believe in opportunities," said the rapper who went jamming with the student in music class.
As the musical presentation, Oprah invited Bon Jovi to perform "It's My Life" and "Livin' on a Prayer". Jon Bon Jovi then sat briefly with Oprah and he greeted the crowd, "Great to see you in Sydney. We've traveled this country now for a quarter of a century so we've seen so much of it."
Before closing the show, Oprah told her audience that the experience has been "divine" for her, adding "That is the greatest reward of my life." Earlier that day, she handed a $250,000 check to Australian couple Christian and Rachel Anderson, the husband who was diagnosed with liver and bowel cancer last year.
The King's Speech Leads Golden Globe Nominations
The King's Speech is leading the charge for the 2011 Golden Globe Awards after landing seven nominations.
The cinematic tale about the British monarchy is heading up the main categories with nominations for Best Picture (Drama) and Best Director for Tom Hooper, while Colin Firth, Helena Bonham Carter and Geoffrey Rush have all received acting nods.
Boxing film The Fighter and Facebook-inspired movie The Social Network trailed with six nominations apiece, including mentions in the Best Picture (Drama) category, which also saw nods to ballet movie Black Swan and sci-fi blockbuster Inception.
Meanwhile nominees in the Best Picture (Musical or Comedy) category include Alice In Wonderland, Burlesque, The Kids Are All Right, action movie Red and Angelina Jolie and Johnny Depp's romantic thriller The Tourist.
Robert De Niro, an eight-time Globe nominee who won a best actor prize for Raging Bull, will receive the Cecil B. DeMille Award for lifetime achievement.
The 68th annual Golden Globe Awards, hosted by British comic Ricky Gervais, will take place on 16 January 2011 in Los Angeles.
The main categories are as follows:
Best Picture (Drama)
- Darren Aronofsky (Black Swan)
- David Fincher (The Social Network)
- Tom Hooper (The Kingâs Speech)
- Christopher Nolan (Inception)
- David O. Russell (The Fighter)
- Jesse Eisenberg (The Social Network)
- Colin Firth (The Kingâs Speech)
- James Franco (127 Hours)
- Ryan Gosling (Blue Valentine)
- Mark Wahlberg (The Fighter)
- Halle Berry (Frankie and Alice)
- Nicole Kidman (Rabbit Hole)
- Jennifer Lawrence (Winterâs Bone)
- Natalie Portman (Black Swan)
- Michelle Williams (Blue Valentine)
- Johnny Depp (Alice In Wonderland)
- Johnny Depp (The Tourist)
- Paul Giamatti (Barneyâs Version)
- Jake Gyllenhaal (Love And Other Drugs)
- Kevin Spacey (Casino Jack)
- 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)
- Christian Bale (The Fighter)
- Michael Douglas (Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps)
- Andrew Garfield (The Social Network)
- Jeremy Renner (The Town)
- Geoffrey Rush (The Kingâs Speech)
- Amy Adams (The Fighter)
- Helena Bonham Carter (The Kingâs Speech)
- Mila Kunis (Black Swan)
- Melissa Leo (The Fighter)
- Jacki Weaver (Animal Kingdom)
- Danny Boyle, Simon Beaufoy (127 Hours)
- Lisa Cholodenko, Stuart Blumberg (The Kids Are All Right)
- Christopher Nolan (Inception)
- David Seidler (The Kingâs Speech)
- Aaron Sorkin (The Social Network)
- Biutiful (Spain)
- The Concert (France)
- The Edge (Russia)
- I Am Love (Italy)
- In a Better World (Denmark)
- Alexandre Desplat (The Kingâs Speech)
- Danny Elfman (Alice in Wonderland)
- A.R. Rahman (127 Hours)
- Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross (The Social Network)
- Hans Zimmer (Inception)
- Bound to You (Burlesque)
- Coming Home (Country Strong)
- I See the Light (Tangled)
- Thereâs a Place for Us (The Chronicles of Narnia)
- You Havenât Seen the Last of Me (Burlesque)
- Steve Buscemi (Boardwalk Empire)
- BryanCranston (Breaking Bad)
- Michael C. Hall (Dexter)
- Jon Hamm (Mad Men)
- Hugh Laurie (House M.D.)
- Julianna Margulies (The Good Wife)
- Elisabeth Moss (Mad Men)
- Piper Perabo (Covert Affairs)
- Katey Sagal (Sons of Anarchy)
- Kyra Sedgwick (The Closer)
- Alec Baldwin (30 Rock)
- Steve Carell (The Office)
- Thomas Jane (Hung)
- Matthew Morrison (Glee)
- Jim Parsons (The Big Bang Theory)
- Toni Collette (United States of Tara)
- Edie Falco (Nurse Jackie)
- Tina Fey (30 Rock)
- Laura Linney (The Big C)
- Lea Michele (Glee)
- Scott Caan (Hawaii Five-O)
- Chris Colfer (Glee)
- Chris Noth (The Good Wife)
- Eric Stonestreet (Modern Family)
- DavidStraithairn (Temple Grandin)
- Hope Davis (The Special Relationship)
- Jane Lynch (Glee)
- Kelly McDonald ( Boardwalk Empire)
- Julia Stiles (Dexter)
- Sofia Vergara (Modern Family)
- Carlos
- The Pacific
- Temple Grandin
- You Don't Know Jack
- The Pillars of the Earth
- Idris Elba (Luther)
- Ian MacShane (Pillars of the Earth)
- Al Pacino (You Don't Know Jack)
- Dennis Quaid (The Special Relationship)
- EdgarRamirez ( Carlos)
- Hayley Atwell (Pillars of the Earth)
- Claire Danes (Temple Grandin)
- Judi Dench (Return to Cranford)
- Romola Garai (Emma)
- Jennifer Love Hewitt (The Client List)
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Sam Worthington and Mia Wasikowska Win Prizes at The AFI Awards
Sam Worthington and "Alice in Wonderland" 's Mia Wasikowska both went home with prizes at the Australian Film Institute (AFI) Awards on Saturday, December 11. Worthington won the International Award for Best Actor at the event in his homeland for his turn in Avatar while newcomer Wasikowska walked away with the female equivalent.
The night's biggest winner was gritty crime thriller "Animal Kingdom", which took home trophies for Best Film, Best Direction (David Michod), Best Lead Actor (Ben Mendelsohn) and Best Lead Actress (Jacki Weaver). The ceremony was hosted by actor Shane Jacobson at Melbourne's Regent Theatre.
For the nominees under each category and the winners, head on to the official site.
Thursday, December 9, 2010
The Episode Promos of 'NCIS' and 'NCIS: L.A.' Holiday
Next week would be the Holiday episode of "NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigative Service" and "NCIS: Los Angeles" but crime doesn't take a holiday. In the former show, the NCIS team investigates the disappearance of a Navy petty officer who is the sole witness in an upcoming murder trial.
"False Witness" presents a dead turkey that the victim hunted when he was murdered. It becomes the team's only link to find out what happened in the woods. Speaking of the episode which mood is lightened up, co-executive producer of the series Steven Binder who wrote the episode said, "Let's just say that Tony DiNozzo will be behaving very differently from what we're used to."
Meanwhile in "NCIS: L.A.", Kensi connects personally with a discharged Navy Intelligence officer suffering from post traumatic stress disorder who is the sole survivor of a deadly dispute being investigated by the NCIS team. "Disorder" airs right after "False Witness" on December 14.
- NCIS
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
'Star Wars' Director Has Been Buying up The Rights to Films
"Star Wars" master George Lucas has been buying up the rights to films featuring late screen legends in the hope of using technology to put them together in a new movie. The director plans to use advanced special effects to bring late stars such as Orson Welles and Barbara Stanwyck back to life and depict them alongside present day actors.
Lucas' pal, British actor Mel Smith, explains, "George has been buying up the film rights to dead actors in the hope of using computer trickery to put them all together, so you'd have Orson Welles and Barbara Stanwyck alongside today's stars."
Beside this project, George Lucas is preparing to release "Star Wars" saga in 3-D, starting with "Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace" which is allegedly set to come out in February 2012.
George Clooney to Turned West End's 'Enron' Stage into A Movie
George Clooney has planned to turned West End's "Enron" stage into a movie, The Observer reports. The site additionally says the American actor/filmmaker will make the big screen adaptation without hiring the original director and cast members.
Rumor has it, the "The American" star is on board to produce and is likely to serve as director for the film, too. Lucy Prebble, who wrote the U.K. play, is reportedly booked to provide a script for the upcoming movie project.
Rupert Goold, who won Best Director award at the 2010 Olivier Awards for his work on "Enron", is reportedly frustrated not to be involved in the film. Philip Hedley, former director of the Theatre Royal Stratford East, says about the original team exclusion, "It's a great shame that the original talent hasn't been able to follow through, to put on to film what they've originally created," while another unnamed prominent theater director adds, "Everything works on celebrity and famous names."
Meanwhile, Laura Ziskin who obtains the film rights and will produce the movie along with Clooney claims, "Once you've done something... you've done it. Let that stand on its own." Stating that "this is an American story," she hints the movie will have a different "take" while being true to Prebble's vision.
"Enron" recounts the spectacular decline of the energy company, once the seventh largest U.S. corporation. The theater production has successfully toured the U.K. but failed to impress American audience.
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
2011 Independent Spirit Awards's Nominations List
The nominations of 2011 Film Independent Spirit Awards have been announced on Tuesday, November 30 in Los Angeles by Jeremy Renner and Eva Mendes. And some movies which have received Oscar buzz such as "127 Hours" and "Black Swan" are touted for Best Feature at the upcoming Spirit Awards.
For this title, the two movies will fight against "Greenberg", "The Kids Are All Right" and "Winter's Bone". The latest mentioned flick, which is fresh from grabbing two kudos at Gotham Independent Film Awards, has a chance to be a big winner at Spirits Awards since it takes the most nods.
The drama leads Debra Granik to be a contender for Best Director prize. She will face a tight competition with Darren Aronofsky, Danny Boyle in addition to Lisa Cholodenko and John Cameron Mitchell for this title.
The cast including Jennifer Lawrence, Dale Dickey and John Hawkes are additionally up for Best Female Lead, Best Supporting Female and Best Supporting Male respectively. More notable actresses Annette Bening, Greta Gerwig, Nicole Kidman, Natalie Portman and Michelle Williams will challenge Lawrence to get her Spirit Award.
The other nods for "Winter's Bone" are obtained from Best Screenplay and Best Cinematography categories.
In Best Male lead, "127 Hours" actor James Franco will battle it out with Aaron Eckhart ("Rabbit Hole"), Ronald Bronstein ("Daddy Longlegs"), John C. Reilly ("Cyrus") and Ben Stiller ("Greenberg"). In the meantime, "Please Give" has been picked as a recepient of Robert Altman Award.
The winners of upcoming Independent Spirit Awards will be unveiled at a ceremony held on February 26 in Santa Monica. Tapped to serve as the host is "Community" star Joel McHale.
Full Nominations List of 2011 Film Independent Spirit Awards:
Best Feature:
- Darren Aronofsky, "Black Swan"
- Danny Boyle, "127 Hours"
- Lisa Cholodenko, "The Kids Are All Right"
- Debra Granik, "Winter's Bone"
- John Cameron Mitchell, "Rabbit Hole"
- Stuart Blumberg & Lisa Cholodenko, "The Kids Are All Right"
- Debra Granik & Anne Rosellini, "Winter's Bone"
- Nicole Holofcener, "Please Give"
- David Lindsay-Abaire, "Rabbit Hole"
- Todd Solondz, "Life During Wartime"
- Annette Bening, "The Kids Are All Right"
- Greta Gerwig, "Greenberg"
- Nicole Kidman, "Rabbit Hole"
- Jennifer Lawrence, "Winter's Bone"
- Natalie Portman, "Black Swan"
- Michelle Williams, "Blue Valentine"
- Ronald Bronstein, "Daddy Longlegs"
- Aaron Eckhart, "Rabbit Hole"
- James Franco, "127 Hours"
- John C. Reilly, "Cyrus"
- Ben Stiller, "Greenberg"
- Ashley Bell, "The Last Exorcism"
- Dale Dickey, "Winter's Bone"
- Allison Janney, "Life During Wartime"
- Daphne Rubin-Vega, "Jack Goes Boating"
- Naomi Watts, "Mother and Child"
- John Hawkes, "Winter's Bone"
- Samuel L. Jackson, "Mother and Child"
- Bill Murray, "Get Low"
- John Ortiz, "Jack Goes Boating"
- Mark Ruffalo, "The Kids Are All Right"
- "Exit Through the Gift Shop"
- "Marwencol"
- "Sweetgrass"
- "Restrepo"
- "Thunder Soul"
- "Kisses" (Ireland)
- "Mademoiselle Chambon" (France)
- "Of Gods and Men" (Morocco)
- "The King's Speech" (United Kingdom)
- "Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives" (Thailand)
- Adam Kimmel, "Never Let Me Go"
- Matthew Libatique, "Black Swan"
- Jody Lee Lipes, "Tiny Furniture"
- Michael McDonough, "Winter's Bone"
- Harris Savides, "Greenberg"
- "Everything Strange and New"
- "Get Low"
- "Night Catches Us"
- "The Last Exorcism"
- "Tiny Furniture"
- Diane Bell, "Obselidia"
- Lena Dunham, "Tiny Furniture"
- Nik Fackler, "Lovely, Still"
- Bob Glaudini, "Jack Goes Boating"
- Dana Adam Shapiro, Evan M. Wiener, "Monogamy"
- "Daddy Longlegs"; Writer/Directors: Benny Safdie, Josh Safdie, Producers: Casey Neistat, Tom Scott
- "Lbs."; Director: Matthew Bonifacio, Writer/Producers: Matthew Bonifacio, Carmine Famiglietti
- "Lovers of Hate"; Writer/Director: Bryan Poyser, Producer: Megan Gilbride
- "Obselidia"; Writer/Director: Diane Bell, Producers: Chris Byrne, Mathew Medlin
- "The Exploding Girl"; Writer/Director: Bradley Rust Gray, Producers: Karin Chien, Ben Howe, So Yong Kim
- Hossein Keshavarz, "Dog Sweat"
- Laurel Nakadate, "The Wolf Knife"
- Mike Ott, "Littlerock"
- In-Ah Lee, "Au Revoir Taipei"
- Adele Romanski, "The Myth of the American Sleepover"
- Anish Savjani, "Meek's Cutoff"
- Ilisa Barbash, Lucien Castaing-Taylor, "Sweetgrass"
- Jeff Malmberg, "Marwencol"
- Lynn True, Nelson Walker, "Summer Pasture"
- "Please Give" - Director: Nicole Holofcener; Casting Director: Jeanne McCarthy; Ensemble Cast: Ann Guilbert, Rebecca Hall, Catherine Keener, Amanda Peet, Oliver Platt, Lois Smith, Sarah Steele
Monday, November 29, 2010
'Glee'Will Show on 'The X Factor' U.K.
It is now confirmed that the cast of "Glee" would fly across the pond to appear on "The X Factor". This would be the first time the group appear live on a TV stage outside the U.S. "Glee" would perform during semi-finals weekend on Sunday, December 5.
Lea Michele, Cory Monteith, Amber Riley, Kevin McHale, Chris Colfer, Mark Salling, Dianna Agron and the rest of the main cast are confirmed to participate along with recurring character Chord Overstreet. However, AP said Matthew Morrison and Jane Lynch would not be joining them.
What have not been revealed are whether the remaining contestants of the "X Factor" would perform with them and what would they present.
Meanwhile, tickets to "Glee" road tour in U.K. will go on sale on Friday, November 26 at LiveNation.co.uk at 9 A.M. Set to kick off on June 22 at Manchester's MEN Arena, "Glee Live! In Concert!" is a unique concert experience that will include live performances of some of the show's most memorable musical numbers from seasons one and two.
Leonardo DiCaprio Agrees 'Inception' Was Confusing
Leonardo DiCaprio was so baffled by the script for "Inception", he had to ask director Christopher Nolan to explain the film's complex plot. The actor struggled to comprehend the complicated twists and turns of the sci-fi movie and spent hours talking with Nolan about his character Dominic Cobb, a thief who steals information from his unconscious victims while they dream.
DiCaprio tells the Hollywood Reporter, "I needed to know implicitly where we were. It got incredibly confusing at certain points in the beginning, but the more we talked, the more I understood."
Meanwhile "Inception" 's producer Emma Thomas, filmmaker Nolan's wife, has praised DiCaprio for making the movie more accessible for fans, adding, "The work (Leo) did on his character with Chris made the movie less of a puzzle and more of a story of a character audiences could relate to."
Darth Vader Costume From 'Star Wars' Remains in Possession of A London Auction House
A rare Darth Vader costume from "Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back" remains in possession of a London auction house after failing to sell on Thursday, November 25. The full outfit from the 1980 movie, comprising of a helmet, mask, shoulder armor and shin guards, was bought by a private U.S. collector in 2003.
The costume is thought to be the first complete one to be put up for sale at auction, but it failed to spark a bidding frenzy when it went under the hammer at Christie's. Instead, bidding stopped at $236,505, falling short of the reserve price, which remains confidential.
A spokesperson for the auction house had previously priced the costume at $340,000.
Anna Faris' Representative Debunked A Story That The Actress Had Joined 'Ghostbusters 3'
Anna Faris' representative recently debunked a story that the actress had joined "Ghostbusters 3", but it does not entirely rule out her possible involvement in the project. Responding to wide casting rumors surrounding his upcoming film, Dan Aykroyd tells WGN Radio Chicago (via Bloody Disgusting) that the "Scary Movie" beauty and Bill Hader have been mentioned as "strong possibilities" but it's still too early to call.
The depicter of Dr. Raymond Stantz in the "Ghostbusters" film series additionally confirms that they are casting right now and open to finding some fresh faces. He affirms an already known scoop that Bill Murray and Sigourney Weaver will return to third film, and once again mentions Eliza Dushku's name.
Beside the above mentioned names, Will Forte has also been rumored as an actor who could star in "Ghostbusters 3" but he has not been confirmed. Aykroyd reportedly has written the script for the action comedy, which eyes May 2011 start date.
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Justin Bieber Sat Down with Barbara Walters in An Empty Stadium
Justin Bieber sat down with Barbara Walters in an empty stadium for an interview as part of her annual "10 Most Fascinating People" special. Walters announced on Monday, November 22 morning during an episode of "The View", saying "I am in my plug a day. ...Justin Bieber is one of our 10 most fascinating people of 2010".
According to Examiners, Walters further said that Bieber may cut or change the style of his famous hair during the interview. The 16-year-old is expected to talk about his relationship with mentor Usher, and him being courted by Justin Timberlake to join his record company.
Walters' interview with Bieber will air December 9 at 10 P.M. E.T. on ABC. The talk show host did not reveal further who else would join Bieber apart from Sarah Palin. The ex-vice presidential candidate would tell Walters about her plan to run for the White House among others.
In its 18th year, "Barbara Walters Presents: The 10 Most Fascinating People" highlights the achievement and career of a year's most prominent names in entertainment, sports, politics and pop culture.
Natalie Portman Felt Strangely for First 'Black Swan' Clip
Fox Searchlight Pictures has debuted the first clip for "Black Swan" to tease audience before the film hits limited U.S. theaters on December 3. It sees Natalie Portman's Nina who is shocked after looking her weird reflection in a mirror. But she gets furious after learning that her rival Mila Kunis' Lily is in the same room with her.
Nina is the best ballerina in a New York City ballet company and lives with her retired ballerina mother who zealously supports her daughter's professional ambition. When artistic director Thomas Leroy (Vincent Cassel) decides to replace prima ballerina Beth MacIntyre (Winona Ryder) for the opening production of their new season, Swan Lake, Nina is his first choice. But Nina has competition: a new dancer, Lily, who impresses Leroy as well.
Nina fits the role of the White Swan with innocence and grace, but Lily is the personification of the Black Swan who represents guile and sensuality. As the two young dancers expand their rivalry into a twisted friendship, Nina begins to get more in touch with her dark side with a recklessness that threatens to destroy her.
"The Wrestler" director Darren Aronofsky is behind the lens of "Black Swan", which has received praises after being screened at several film festivals. Sebastian Stan, Barbara Hershey and more support the cast ensemble of the supernatural thriller.
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
'Exit Through the Gift Shop' and 'Rise and Fall of Eliot Spitzer' Nominated for Oscar
Films about quirky British artist Banksy and disgraced former New York Governor Eliot Spitzer have been named among the 15 documentaries shortlisted for Oscar consideration. "Banksy's "Exit Through the Gift Shop" and "Client 9: The Rise and Fall of Eliot Spitzer" will compete with "Gasland", "The Lottery", "Enemies of The People" and "Genius Within: The Inner Life of Glenn Gould", among others, for an Academy Awards nomination in January 2011.
The Best Documentary Feature Oscar will be presented at the 83rd Academy Awards on February 27, 2011.
As for Oscars favorites for movie of the year are "The King's Speech" and "The Social Network". The 83rd Academy Awards nominations will be announced on January 25, 2011.
First 'Source Code' Trailer Released by Apple
Jake Gyllenhaal's Captain Colter Stevens wakes up in a moving train, confused of how he ended up in a different body. In the first trailer of "Source Code" which was released by Apple, it is explained that Stevens' mission is to find a bomber of a Chicago commuter train. The only way to find out is to go with government's program called "Source Code" which enables him to cross over into another man's identity in the last 8 minutes of his life.
The official synopsis describes this movie as a smart action-thriller with "mind-boggling twists and heart-pounding suspense". The twists here could refer to, among others, Stevens' attempt to save the woman he meets inside the train. The government insists that "Source Code" doesn't work that way but true to suspense film, Gyllenhaal's character decides to go against their way.
Coming from Summit Entertainment and directed by Duncan Jones of "Moon", "Source Code" is to hit the theaters in U.S. on April 15, 2011. It also stars Oscar nominated actress Vera Farmiga as one of the government staff and Michelle Monaghan as the woman Stevens is trying to save from death.