Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Blu-ray 9th February Releases

A Serious Man [Blu-ray]

Universal Studios / 2009 / 105 Minutes / Rated R
Street Date: February 09, 2010

Overall Grade 4 out of 5Highly recommended





Genres: Comedy, drama

Starring: Michael Stuhlbarg, Richard Kind, Fred Melamed, and Aaron Wolff
Director: Joel and Ethan Coen

Plot Synopsis: Academy Award®-winning directors Joel and Ethan Coen return to their comedy roots with this original and darkly humorous story about one ordinary man’s quest to become a serious man. Physics professor Larry Gopnik (Michael Stuhlbarg) can’t believe his life: His wife is leaving him for his best friend, his unemployed brother won’t move off the couch, someone is threatening his career, his kids are a mystery and his neighbor is tormenting him by sunbathing nude. Struggling to make sense of it all, Larry consults three different rabbis and their answers lead him on a twisted journey of faith, family, delinquent behavior and mortality in the film critics rave is “seriously awesome!”

  • Becoming Serious (HD, 17:04) This is a wonderful little feature where the Coen Brothers and various members of the cast and crew take you on a journey through the film's production, mixing talking head interviews with on-set behind-the-scenes footage.
  • Creating 1967 (HD, 13:43) This is a brief doc about creating the period look for the film, including the cars, houses, and costumes. This is an incredibly detail-oriented movie and this is an incredibly detail-oriented doc, and it's really captivating stuff.
  • Hebrew & Yiddish for Goys (HD, 2:14) This is basically the visual version of that Hebrew glossary they handed out at the press screening for the film.
Couples Retreat [Blu-ray]

Universal Studios / 2009 / 113 Minutes / Rated PG-13
Street Date: February 09, 2010







Genres: Comedy

Starring: Vince Vaughn, Jason Bateman, Jon Favreau, Kristen Bell, Jean Reno, Malin Akerman
Director: Peter Billingsley

Plot Synopsis: Four Midwestern couples embark on a journey to a tropical island resort. While one of the couples is there to work on their marriage, the other three set out to jet ski, spa and enjoy some fun in the sun.

They soon discover that participation in the resort's couples therapy is not optional. Suddenly, their group-rate vacation comes at a price.

The Time Traveler's Wife [Blu-ray]

New Line Cinema / 2009 / 107 Minutes / Rated PG-13
Street Date: February 09, 2010







Genres: Romance

Starring: Eric Bana, Rachel McAdams
Director: Robert Schwentke

Plot Synopsis: Lose yourself in timeless love with this gloriously romantic story of the journey of two hearts. Artist Clare Abshire (Rachel McAdams of The Notebook) shares a deep emotional bond with Henry De Tamble (Eric Bana of The Other Boleyn Girl), a handsome librarian who travels involuntarily through time. Knowing they can be separated without warning, Clare and Henry treasure the moments they have together, imbuing them with the yearning and passion of two people imprisoned by time…and set free by love. Based on the #1 bestseller, The Time Traveler's Wife weaves together destiny and devotion, past and future to turn an extraordinary love into an extraordinary love story.

Disc Features:
  • 'The Time Traveler's Wife' Love Beyond Words (HD, 21 min)

  • An Unconventional Love Story (HD, 26 min) – Rachel McAdams and Eric Bana give a somewhat in-depth discussion of their characters and the love story that develops between them.


The Stepfather [Blu-ray]

Sony / 2009 / 102 Minutes / Unrated
Street Date: February 09, 2010







Genres: Thriller, suspense

Starring: Dylan Walsh, Penn Badgley
Director: Nelson McCormick

Plot Synopsis: When Michael Harding (Penn Badgley, TV’s Gossip Girl) returns home from military school, he finds his mom is madly in love with her charming live-in boyfriend David (Dylan Walsh, TV’s Nip/Tuck). At first, David appears to be the ultimate nice guy and an ideal future husband and stepfather. But when Michael and his girlfriend (Amber Heard, Zombieland) start delving into David’s past, they begin to discover a dark and dangerous side to Michael’s new “daddy” in this riveting, chilling thriller.

Disc Features:
movieIQ (use logo) and BD-Live connect you to real-time information on the cast, music, trivia and more while watching the movie!
Commentary with Penn Badgley, Dylan Walsh and Director Nelson McCormick
Open House: Making the Film
Visualizing the Stunts
Gag Reel

Back Catalogue/ Other Blu-ray Releases:








Posted by at No comments:

Monday, February 8, 2010

"Avatar" Loses Box Office Crown To "Dear John"

In a surprise upset victory, the new romance saga Dear John booted seven-time champ Avatar from the number one spot at the North American box office powered by young women chasing after Hollywood hunk Channing Tatum. John Travolta (the Tatum of the late 1970s) saw his new action thriller From Paris With Love bomb settling for third place. Overall ticket sales slipped from last weekend thanks in part to the Super Bowl distracting millions of Americans.

The young ladies couldn't resist a man in uniform as the soldier story Dear John surged past industry expectations to capture the top slot at the multiplexes with an estimated $32.4M opening weekend. Invading 2,969 theaters, the PG-13 drama starring Tatum and Amanda Seyfried averaged a muscular $10,913 per site. Eager to take credit for the remarkable performance were Relativity Media which produced and Sony's Screen Gems unit which handled marketing and distribution duties. It was the biggest opening ever over Super Bowl weekend beating the $31.1M of the Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus 3D concert film from two years ago which played in just 683 locations but charged $15 per ticket for a scorching $45,561 average.

With Hollywood too busy in recent weeks rolling out underperforming films from over-50 actors like Travolta, Mel Gibson, and Harrison Ford, neglected teen girls found in Dear John the exact type of entertainment they were looking to pay top dollar for. According to Sony's research, a whopping 84% of the audience was female while 64% was under 21. The film opened better than From Paris With Love, Edge of Darkness, and Extraordinary Measures - combined. John even powered ahead of the $27.8M debut of the star-studded book-based date flick He's Just Not That Into You from exactly one year ago.

Reviews were mostly bad so the studio instead took its case directly to the customers scheduling many word-of-mouth screenings to build buzz and promoting the film with the U.S. Army and other military organizations. The lead actors were also sent to strategic locations for public appearances where, conveniently, teenage girls went into screaming frenzies. Dear John benefited from a release date just a week before Valentine's Day and had a built-in audience of readers of the Nicholas Sparks book. 2004's The Notebook, also based on one of his novels, turned into a major sleeper hit that summer. His next book-turned-movie The Last Song stars Miley Cyrus and hits cinemas at the end of next month over Easter weekend opposite the 3D actioner Clash of the Titans.

After its seven-week reign at the top of the box office, James Cameron's Oscar-nominated juggernaut Avatar slipped to second place but still generated a healthy $23.6M, according to estimates. Off 25%, the Fox smash boosted its domestic haul to $630.1M. It was only the second time in its entire run that the weekend decline was more than 20%, however much of that was due to the expected hit Sunday will take because of the Super Bowl. Compared to last weekend, Friday slipped by 19%, Saturday dipped by 18%, and Sunday is projected to fall by 39%. For this weekend, the studio is forecasting a rather low 48% drop from Saturday to Sunday. Most distributors are factoring in declines of over 60% because of the Big Game.

Overseas, Avatar grossed an estimated $75M this weekend, down 21%, lifting the record international tally to $1.58 billion and the global tally to an eye-popping $2.21 billion. Reaching $2.5 billion should be easy for the 3D extravaganza.

Action fans showed little interest in John Travolta's bald head and goatee as the actor's latest offering From Paris With Love bowed in third place with an estimated $8.1M from 2,722 theaters for a weak $2,983 average. The R-rated espionage thriller was directed by Pierre Morel whose hit thriller Taken was the big surprise winner over last year's Super Bowl frame. This time, moviegoers were not excited and mostly avoided the French-set action flick. Reviews were negative for the Lionsgate release.

Audiences abandoned Mel Gibson as his revenge thriller Edge of Darkness tumbled by 59% in its second weekend to an estimated $7M. After ten days, the Warner Bros. release has collected $29.1M and is headed for a finish of roughly $45M. On the other hand, Dwayne Johnson's kidpic The Tooth Fairy posted another good hold in its third round dropping 35% to an estimated $6.5M. Fox's 17-day total stands at $34.3M.

Falling a steep 55% in its second weekend was the romantic comedy When in Rome which grossed an estimated $5.5M putting the ten-day sum at a decent $20.9M for Buena Vista. Following in seventh was The Book of Eli with an estimated $4.8M, off 46%, giving Warner Bros. $82.2M to date.

Fox Searchlight expanded its Oscar contender Crazy Heart from 239 to 819 theaters and saw ticket sales climb 58% to an estimated $3.7M for an eighth place finish. Averaging $4,457 per site, the Jeff Bridges starrer scored three nods for Best Actor, Best Supporting Actress, and Best Song. The film has already earned many wins in the actor and song categories of other awards groups. Cume is now $11.2M.

Sony's supernatural thriller Legion tumbled 53% to an estimated $3.4M lifting its cume to $34.7M. Sherlock Holmes rounded out the top ten and broke the double century mark in the process. The Robert Downey Jr. pic fell 42% to an estimated $2.6M raising the total to $201.6M. It became the record tenth release of 2009 to jump the $200M mark. With $242.5M from overseas markets, the global tally for the Guy Ritchie-directed franchise-starter now stands at an impressive $444M.

# Title Feb 5 - 7


Weeks
Cumulative Distributor










1 Dear John $ 32,400,000


1
$ 32,400,000 Sony
2 Avatar 23,600,000


8
630,093,000 Fox
3 From Paris With Love 8,120,000


1
8,120,000 Lionsgate
4 Edge of Darkness 7,005,000


2
29,097,000 Warner Bros.
5 The Tooth Fairy 6,500,000


3
34,333,000 Fox
6 When in Rome 5,504,000


2
20,899,000 Buena Vista
7 The Book of Eli 4,835,000


4
82,163,000 Warner Bros.
8 Crazy Heart 3,650,000


8
11,188,000 Fox Searchlight
9 Legion 3,400,000


3
34,678,000 Sony
10 Sherlock Holmes 2,630,000


7
201,579,000 Warner Bros.
Posted by at No comments:

Saturday, February 6, 2010

In Theaters This Week 5th February 2010

From Paris With Love
Copyright © 2010 Lionsgate Pictures

A low-ranking intelligence operative (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) working in the office of the U.S. Ambassador in France takes on more than he bargained for when he partners with a wisecracking, fast-shooting, high-ranking U.S. agent (John Travolta) who’s been sent to Paris to stop a terrorist attack.







Dear John
Copyright © 2010 Screen Gems (Sony)

Based on the Nicholas Sparks book. Tatum stars as a soldier who, while home on leave, falls for a conservative college student.







Posted by at No comments:

Wednesday, February 3, 2010

82nd Academy Awards Nomination.

Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

- NOMINATIONS BY CATEGORY - 82ND AWARDS -

Performance by an actor in a leading role

  • Jeff Bridges in "Crazy Heart" (Fox Searchlight)
  • George Clooney in "Up in the Air" (Paramount in association with Cold Spring Pictures and DW Studios)
  • Colin Firth in "A Single Man" (The Weinstein Company)
  • Morgan Freeman in "Invictus" (Warner Bros.)
  • Jeremy Renner in "The Hurt Locker" (Summit Entertainment)

Performance by an actor in a supporting role

  • Matt Damon in "Invictus" (Warner Bros.)
  • Woody Harrelson in "The Messenger" (Oscilloscope Laboratories)
  • Christopher Plummer in "The Last Station" (Sony Pictures Classics)
  • Stanley Tucci in "The Lovely Bones" (DreamWorks in association with Film4, Distributed by Paramount)
  • Christoph Waltz in "Inglourious Basterds" (The Weinstein Company)

Performance by an actress in a leading role

  • Sandra Bullock in "The Blind Side" (Warner Bros.)
  • Helen Mirren in "The Last Station" (Sony Pictures Classics)
  • Carey Mulligan in "An Education" (Sony Pictures Classics)
  • Gabourey Sidibe in "Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire" (Lionsgate)
  • Meryl Streep in "Julie & Julia" (Sony Pictures Releasing)

Performance by an actress in a supporting role

  • Penélope Cruz in "Nine" (The Weinstein Company)
  • Vera Farmiga in "Up in the Air" (Paramount in association with Cold Spring Pictures and DW Studios)
  • Maggie Gyllenhaal in "Crazy Heart" (Fox Searchlight)
  • Anna Kendrick in "Up in the Air" (Paramount in association with Cold Spring Pictures and DW Studios)
  • Mo'Nique in "Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire" (Lionsgate)

Best animated feature film of the year

  • "Coraline" (Focus Features)Henry Selick
  • "Fantastic Mr. Fox" (20th Century Fox)Wes Anderson
  • "The Princess and the Frog" (Walt Disney)John Musker and Ron Clements
  • "The Secret of Kells" (GKIDS)Tomm Moore
  • "Up" (Walt Disney)Pete Docter

Achievement in art direction

  • "Avatar" (20th Century Fox)Art Direction: Rick Carter and Robert Stromberg
    Set Decoration: Kim Sinclair
  • "The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus" (Sony Pictures Classics)Art Direction: Dave Warren and Anastasia Masaro
    Set Decoration: Caroline Smith
  • "Nine" (The Weinstein Company)Art Direction: John Myhre
    Set Decoration: Gordon Sim
  • "Sherlock Holmes" (Warner Bros.)Art Direction: Sarah Greenwood
    Set Decoration: Katie Spencer
  • "The Young Victoria" (Apparition)Art Direction: Patrice Vermette
    Set Decoration: Maggie Gray

Achievement in cinematography

  • "Avatar" (20th Century Fox)Mauro Fiore
  • "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" (Warner Bros.)Bruno Delbonnel
  • "The Hurt Locker" (Summit Entertainment)Barry Ackroyd
  • "Inglourious Basterds" (The Weinstein Company)Robert Richardson
  • "The White Ribbon" (Sony Pictures Classics)Christian Berger

Achievement in costume design

  • "Bright Star" (Apparition)Janet Patterson
  • "Coco before Chanel" (Sony Pictures Classics)Catherine Leterrier
  • "The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus" (Sony Pictures Classics)Monique Prudhomme
  • "Nine" (The Weinstein Company)Colleen Atwood
  • "The Young Victoria" (Apparition)Sandy Powell

Achievement in directing

  • "Avatar" (20th Century Fox)James Cameron
  • "The Hurt Locker" (Summit Entertainment)Kathryn Bigelow
  • "Inglourious Basterds" (The Weinstein Company)Quentin Tarantino
  • "Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire" (Lionsgate)Lee Daniels
  • "Up in the Air" (Paramount in association with Cold Spring Pictures and DW Studios)Jason Reitman

Best documentary feature

  • "Burma VJ" (Oscilloscope Laboratories)
    A Magic Hour Films Production    		Anders Østergaard and Lise Lense-Møller
  • "The Cove" (Roadside Attractions)
    An Oceanic Preservation Society Production    		Nominees to be determined
  • "Food, Inc." (Magnolia Pictures)
    A Robert Kenner Films Production    		Robert Kenner and Elise Pearlstein
  • "The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers"
    A Kovno Communications Production    		Judith Ehrlich and Rick Goldsmith
  • "Which Way Home"
    A Mr. Mudd Production    		Rebecca Cammisa

Best documentary short subject

  • "China's Unnatural Disaster: The Tears of Sichuan Province"
    A Downtown Community Television Center Production    		Jon Alpert and Matthew O'Neill
  • "The Last Campaign of Governor Booth Gardner"
    A Just Media Production    		Daniel Junge and Henry Ansbacher
  • "The Last Truck: Closing of a GM Plant"
    A Community Media Production    		Steven Bognar and Julia Reichert
  • "Music by Prudence"
    An iThemba Production    		Roger Ross Williams and Elinor Burkett
  • "Rabbit à la Berlin" (Deckert Distribution)
    An MS Films Production    		Bartek Konopka and Anna Wydra

Achievement in film editing

  • "Avatar" (20th Century Fox)Stephen Rivkin, John Refoua and James Cameron
  • "District 9" (Sony Pictures Releasing)Julian Clarke
  • "The Hurt Locker" (Summit Entertainment)Bob Murawski and Chris Innis
  • "Inglourious Basterds" (The Weinstein Company)Sally Menke
  • "Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire" (Lionsgate)Joe Klotz

Best foreign language film of the year

  • "Ajami"(Kino International)
    An Inosan Production    		Israel
  • "El Secreto de Sus Ojos" (Sony Pictures Classics)
    A Haddock Films Production    		Argentina
  • "The Milk of Sorrow"
    A Wanda Visión/Oberon Cinematogràfica/Vela Production    		Peru
  • "Un Prophète" (Sony Pictures Classics)
    A Why Not/Page 114/Chic Films Production    		France
  • "The White Ribbon" (Sony Pictures Classics)
    An X Filme Creative Pool/Wega Film/Les Films du Losange/Lucky Red Production    		Germany

Achievement in makeup

  • "Il Divo" (MPI Media Group through Music Box)Aldo Signoretti and Vittorio Sodano
  • "Star Trek" (Paramount and Spyglass Entertainment)Barney Burman, Mindy Hall and Joel Harlow
  • "The Young Victoria" (Apparition)Jon Henry Gordon and Jenny Shircore

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original score)

  • "Avatar" (20th Century Fox)James Horner
  • "Fantastic Mr. Fox" (20th Century Fox)Alexandre Desplat
  • "The Hurt Locker" (Summit Entertainment)Marco Beltrami and Buck Sanders
  • "Sherlock Holmes" (Warner Bros.)Hans Zimmer
  • "Up" (Walt Disney)Michael Giacchino

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original song)

  • "Almost There" from "The Princess and the Frog" (Walt Disney)Music and Lyric by Randy Newman
  • "Down in New Orleans" from "The Princess and the Frog" (Walt Disney)Music and Lyric by Randy Newman
  • "Loin de Paname" from "Paris 36" (Sony Pictures Classics)Music by Reinhardt Wagner
    Lyric by Frank Thomas
  • "Take It All" from "Nine" (The Weinstein Company)Music and Lyric by Maury Yeston
  • "The Weary Kind (Theme from Crazy Heart)" from "Crazy Heart" (Fox Searchlight)Music and Lyric by Ryan Bingham and T Bone Burnett

Best motion picture of the year

  • "Avatar" (20th Century Fox)
    A Lightstorm Entertainment Production    		James Cameron and Jon Landau, Producers
  • "The Blind Side" (Warner Bros.)
    An Alcon Entertainment Production    		Nominees to be determined
  • "District 9" (Sony Pictures Releasing)
    A Block/Hanson Production    		Peter Jackson and Carolynne Cunningham, Producers
  • "An Education" (Sony Pictures Classics)
    A Finola Dwyer/Wildgaze Films Production    		Finola Dwyer and Amanda Posey, Producers
  • "The Hurt Locker" (Summit Entertainment)
    A Voltage Pictures Production    		Nominees to be determined
  • "Inglourious Basterds" (The Weinstein Company)
    A Weinstein Company/Universal Pictures/A Band Apart/Zehnte Babelsberg Production    		Lawrence Bender, Producer
  • "Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire" (Lionsgate)
    A Lee Daniels Entertainment/Smokewood Entertainment Production    		Lee Daniels, Sarah Siegel-Magness and Gary Magness, Producers
  • "A Serious Man" (Focus Features)
    A Working Title Films Production    		Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, Producers
  • "Up" (Walt Disney)
    A Pixar Production    		Jonas Rivera, Producer
  • "Up in the Air" (Paramount in association with Cold Spring Pictures and DW Studios)
    A Montecito Picture Company Production    		Daniel Dubiecki, Ivan Reitman and Jason Reitman, Producers

Best animated short film

  • "French Roast"
    A Pumpkin Factory/Bibo Films Production    		Fabrice O. Joubert
  • "Granny O'Grimm's Sleeping Beauty" (Brown Bag Films)
    A Brown Bag Films Production    		Nicky Phelan and Darragh O'Connell
  • "The Lady and the Reaper (La Dama y la Muerte)"
    A Kandor Graphics and Green Moon Production    		Javier Recio Gracia
  • "Logorama" (Autour de Minuit)
    An Autour de Minuit Production    		Nicolas Schmerkin
  • "A Matter of Loaf and Death" (Aardman Animations)
    An Aardman Animations Production    		Nick Park

Best live action short film

  • "The Door" (Network Ireland Television)
    An Octagon Films Production    		Juanita Wilson and James Flynn
  • "Instead of Abracadabra" (The Swedish Film Institute)
    A Directörn & Fabrikörn Production    		Patrik Eklund and Mathias Fjellström
  • "Kavi"
    A Gregg Helvey Production    		Gregg Helvey
  • "Miracle Fish" (Premium Films)
    A Druid Films Production    		Luke Doolan and Drew Bailey
  • "The New Tenants"
    A Park Pictures and M & M Production    		Joachim Back and Tivi Magnusson

Achievement in sound editing

  • "Avatar" (20th Century Fox)Christopher Boyes and Gwendolyn Yates Whittle
  • "The Hurt Locker" (Summit Entertainment)Paul N.J. Ottosson
  • "Inglourious Basterds" (The Weinstein Company)Wylie Stateman
  • "Star Trek" (Paramount and Spyglass Entertainment)Mark Stoeckinger and Alan Rankin
  • "Up" (Walt Disney)Michael Silvers and Tom Myers

Achievement in sound mixing

  • "Avatar" (20th Century Fox)Christopher Boyes, Gary Summers, Andy Nelson and Tony Johnson
  • "The Hurt Locker" (Summit Entertainment)Paul N.J. Ottosson and Ray Beckett
  • "Inglourious Basterds" (The Weinstein Company)Michael Minkler, Tony Lamberti and Mark Ulano
  • "Star Trek" (Paramount and Spyglass Entertainment)Anna Behlmer, Andy Nelson and Peter J. Devlin
  • "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" (DreamWorks and Paramount in association with Hasbro, Distributed by Paramount)Greg P. Russell, Gary Summers and Geoffrey Patterson

Achievement in visual effects

  • "Avatar" (20th Century Fox)Joe Letteri, Stephen Rosenbaum, Richard Baneham and Andrew R. Jones
  • "District 9" (Sony Pictures Releasing)Dan Kaufman, Peter Muyzers, Robert Habros and Matt Aitken
  • "Star Trek" (Paramount and Spyglass Entertainment)Roger Guyett, Russell Earl, Paul Kavanagh and Burt Dalton

Adapted screenplay

  • "District 9" (Sony Pictures Releasing)Written by Neill Blomkamp and Terri Tatchell
  • "An Education" (Sony Pictures Classics)Screenplay by Nick Hornby
  • "In the Loop" (IFC Films)Screenplay by Jesse Armstrong, Simon Blackwell, Armando Iannucci, Tony Roche
  • "Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire" (Lionsgate)Screenplay by Geoffrey Fletcher
  • "Up in the Air" (Paramount in association with Cold Spring Pictures and DW Studios)Screenplay by Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner

Original screenplay

  • "The Hurt Locker" (Summit Entertainment)Written by Mark Boal
  • "Inglourious Basterds" (The Weinstein Company)Written by Quentin Tarantino
  • "The Messenger" (Oscilloscope Laboratories)Written by Alessandro Camon & Oren Moverman
  • "A Serious Man" (Focus Features)Written by Joel Coen & Ethan Coen
  • "Up" (Walt Disney)Screenplay by Bob Peterson, Pete Docter
    Story by Pete Docter, Bob Peterson, Tom McCarthy

Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

- MOTION PICTURE NOMINATIONS - 82ND AWARDS

- NOMINATIONS BY PICTURE -

(This list does not include Short Films or Documentary Short Subjects)

"Ajami," an Inosan Production (Kino International) (1 nomination)
Best foreign language film (Israel)

"Avatar," a Lightstorm Entertainment Production (20th Century Fox) (9 nominations)
Art direction
Cinematography
Directing
Film editing
Original score
Best picture
Sound editing
Sound mixing
Visual effects

"The Blind Side," an Alcon Entertainment Production (Warner Bros.) (2 nominations)
Sandra Bullock - Performance by an actress in a leading role
Best picture

"Bright Star," a Jan Chapman/Bright Star Films Production (Apparition) (1 nomination)
Costume design

"Burma VJ," a Magic Hour Films Production (Oscilloscope Laboratories) (1 nomination)
Documentary feature

"Coco before Chanel," a Haut et Court Production (Sony Pictures Classics) (1 nomination)
Costume design

"Coraline," a LAIKA Production (Focus Features) (1 nomination)
Best animated feature film

"The Cove," an Oceanic Preservation Society Production (Roadside Attractions) (1 nomination)
Documentary feature

"Crazy Heart," an Informant Media/Butcher's Run Films Production (Fox Searchlight) (3 nominations)
Jeff Bridges - Performance by an actor in a leading role
Maggie Gyllenhaal - Performance by an actress in a supporting role
Original song - "The Weary Kind (Theme from Crazy Heart)"

"District 9," a Block/Hanson Production (Sony Pictures Releasing) (4 nominations)
Film editing
Best picture
Visual effects
Adapted screenplay

"An Education," a Finola Dwyer/Wildgaze Films Production (Sony Pictures Classics) (3 nominations)
Carey Mulligan - Performance by an actress in a leading role
Best picture
Adapted screenplay

"El Secreto de Sus Ojos," a Haddock Films Production (Sony Pictures Classics) (1 nomination)
Best foreign language film (Argentina)

"Fantastic Mr. Fox," an American Empirical Production (20th Century Fox) (2 nominations)
Best animated feature film
Original score

"Food, Inc.," a Robert Kenner Films Production (Magnolia Pictures) (1 nomination)
Documentary feature

"Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince," a Warner Bros. Production (Warner Bros.) (1 nomination)
Cinematography

"The Hurt Locker," a Voltage Pictures Production (Summit Entertainment) (9 nominations)
Jeremy Renner - Performance by an actor in a leading role
Cinematography
Directing
Film editing
Original score
Best picture
Sound editing
Sound mixing
Original screenplay

"Il Divo," an Indigo Film/Lucky Red/Parco Film/Babe Films Production (MPI Media Group through Music Box) (1 nomination)
Makeup

"The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus," a Poo Poo Pictures Production (Sony Pictures Classics) (2 nominations)
Art direction
Costume design

"In the Loop," a Loop Film/BBC Films and UK Film Council in association with Aramid Entertainment Production (IFC Films) (1 nomination)
Adapted screenplay

"Inglourious Basterds," a Weinstein Company/Universal Pictures/A Band Apart/Zehnte Babelsberg Production (The Weinstein Company) (8 nominations)
Christoph Waltz - Performance by an actor in a supporting role
Cinematography
Directing
Film editing
Best picture
Sound editing
Sound mixing
Original screenplay

"Invictus," a Liberty Pictures Production (Warner Bros.) (2 nominations)
Morgan Freeman - Performance by an actor in a leading role
Matt Damon - Performance by an actor in a supporting role

"Julie & Julia," a Columbia Pictures Production (Sony Pictures Releasing) (1 nomination)
Meryl Streep - Performance by an actress in a leading role

"The Last Station," an Egoli Tossell Film/Zephyr Films Production (Sony Pictures Classics) (2 nominations)
Christopher Plummer - Performance by an actor in a supporting role
Helen Mirren - Performance by an actress in a leading role

"The Lovely Bones," a Wingnut Films Production (DreamWorks in association with Film4, Distributed by Paramount) (1 nomination)
Stanley Tucci - Performance by an actor in a supporting role

"The Messenger," an All the King's Horses Production (Oscilloscope Laboratories) (2 nominations)
Woody Harrelson - Performance by an actor in a supporting role
Original screenplay

"The Milk of Sorrow," a Wanda Visión/Oberon Cinematogràfica/Vela Production (1 nomination)
Best foreign language film (Peru)

"The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers," a Kovno Communications Production (1 nomination)
Documentary feature

"Nine," a Weinstein Brothers/Marc Platt/Lucamar/Relativity Media Production (The Weinstein Company) (4 nominations)
Penélope Cruz - Performance by an actress in a supporting role
Art direction
Costume design
Original song - "Take It All"

"Paris 36," a Galatée Films Production (Sony Pictures Classics) (1 nomination)
Original song - "Loin de Paname"

"Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire," a Lee Daniels Entertainment/ Smokewood Entertainment Production (Lionsgate) (6 nominations)
Gabourey Sidibe - Performance by an actress in a leading role
Mo'Nique - Performance by an actress in a supporting role
Directing
Film editing
Best picture
Adapted screenplay

"The Princess and the Frog," a Walt Disney Pictures Production (Walt Disney) (3 nominations)
Best animated feature film
Original song - "Almost There"
Original song - "Down in New Orleans"

"The Secret of Kells," a Cartoon Saloon/Les Armateurs/Vivi Film Production (GKIDS) (1 nomination)
Best animated feature film

"A Serious Man," a Working Title Films Production (Focus Features) (2 nominations)
Best picture
Original screenplay

"Sherlock Holmes," a Warner Bros. UK Services Production (Warner Bros.) (2 nominations)
Art direction
Original score

"A Single Man," a Fade to Black and Depth of Field Production (The Weinstein Company) (1 nomination)
Colin Firth - Performance by an actor in a leading role

"Star Trek," a Bad Robot Production (Paramount and Spyglass Entertainment) (4 nominations)
Makeup
Sound editing
Sound mixing
Visual effects

"Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen," a Don Murphy/Tom DeSanto/di Bonaventura Pictures/Ian Bryce Production (DreamWorks and Paramount in association with Hasbro, Distributed by Paramount) (1 nomination)
Sound mixing

"Un Prophète," a Why Not/Page 114/Chic Films Production (Sony Pictures Classics) (1 nomination)
Best foreign language film (France)

"Up," a Pixar Production (Walt Disney) (5 nominations)
Best animated feature film
Original score
Best picture
Sound editing
Original screenplay

"Up in the Air," a Montecito Picture Company Production (Paramount in association with Cold Spring Pictures and DW Studios) (6 nominations)
George Clooney - Performance by an actor in a leading role
Vera Farmiga - Performance by an actress in a supporting role
Anna Kendrick - Performance by an actress in a supporting role
Directing
Best picture
Adapted screenplay

"Which Way Home," a Mr. Mudd Production (1 nomination)
Documentary feature

"The White Ribbon," an X Filme Creative Pool/Wega Film/Les Films du Losange/Lucky Red Production (Sony Pictures Classics) (2 nominations)
Cinematography
Best foreign language film (Germany)

"The Young Victoria," a GK Films Production (Apparition) (3 nominations)
Art direction
Costume design
Makeup

Posted by at No comments:

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Blu-ray 2nd February Releases

Zombieland [Blu-ray]

Sony Pictures / 2009 / 88 Minutes / Rated R
Street Date: February 02, 2010

Overall Grade 4 out of 5Highly recommended





Genres: Horror, suspense, comedy, zombies

Starring: Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone, Abigail Breslin
Director: Ruben Fleischer

Plot Synopsis: Nerdy college student Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg) has survived the plague that has turned mankind into flesh-devouring zombies because he’s scared of just about everything. Gun-toting, Twinkie-loving Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson) has no fears. Together, they are about to stare down their most horrifying challenge yet: each other’s company. Emma Stone and Abigail Breslin co-star in this double-hitting, head-smashing comedy.

Disc Features:
  • Exclusive to the Blu-ray: “Beyond the Graveyard” Behind the Scenes Picture-in-Picture Track
  • Commentary with Actors Woody Harrelson & Jesse Eisenberg, Director Ruben Fleischer,
    • Writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick
  • Go Behind-the-Scenes with “In Search of Zombieland”
  • “Zombieland is Your Land” - The zombification of the United States
  • Deleted Scenes
  • Visual Effects Progression Scenes
  • movieIQ
  • Theatrical Promo Trailers
  • PS3 Wallpaper

    • Love Happens [Blu-ray]

    Universal Studios / 2009 / 109 Minutes / Rated PG-13
    Street Date: February 02, 2010







    Genres: Romance

    Starring: Aaron Eckhart, Jennifer Aniston
    Director: Brandon Camp

    Plot Synopsis: When self-help author Dr. Burke Ryan (Eckhart) arrives in Seattle to teach a sold-out seminar, he unexpectedly meets florist Eloise Chandler (Aniston), the one person who might be able to help him help himself. But will two people who may have met the right person at exactly the wrong time be able to give love a chance? If they can, they’ll find that sometimes, when you least expect it…love happens.

    Amelia [Blu-ray]

    20th Century Fox / 2009 / 111 Minutes / Rated PG
    Street Date: February 02, 2010








    Genres: Drama

    Starring: Hilary Swank, Richard Gere, Ewan McGregor
    Director: Mira Nair

    Plot Synopsis: Two-time Academy Award Winner Hilary Swank delivers an unforgettable performance as Amelia Earhart, the legendary American aviatrix who boldly flew into the annals of history. Richard Gere co-stars as her charismatic business partner and adoring husband George Putnam. Bound by ambition and love, their enduring marriage could not be broken by Amelia's determination to fly - nor her passionate affair with Gene Vidal (Ewan McGregor). Equal parts gripping drama, stirring romance and epic adventure, Amelia will take your breath away and send your spirit soaring!

    Universal Soldier: Regeneration [Blu-ray]

    Sony / 2010 / 97 Minutes / Unrated
    Street Date: February 02, 2010







    Genres: Action, Science Fiction

    Starring: Jean-Claude Van Damme, Dolph Lundgren
    Director: Peter Hyams

    Plot Synopsis: With stolen top-secret technology, terrorists have created a next-generation Universal Soldier - an elite fighter genetically altered into a programmable killing machine. With this "UniSol" (Former UFC Heavyweight Champion Andrei "The Pit Bull" Arlovski) leading the way, they seize the crippled Chernobyl nuclear reactor, threatening to unleash a lethal radioactive cloud. The only one who can stop them is Luc Deveraux (Jean-Claude Van Damme), a UniSol who's been decommissioned for years. Reactivated and retrained, Deveraux must make a full-out assault on the heavily armed fortress. But inside, he'll discover not one but two of these virtually indestructible warriors. Andrew Scott (Dolph Lundgren), Deveraux's vicious UniSol enemy from the original Universal Soldier, has been secretly reanimated and upgraded. Now, these elite fighters are locked, loaded and programmed to kill; and the fate of millions hinges on this high-action showdown.

    Back Catalogue/ Other Blu-ray Releases:
















    Posted by at No comments:

    Monday, February 1, 2010

    Lucky 7 for Avatar Which Breaks $2 Billion

    Once again, it wasn't even close. James Cameron's 3D epic Avatar ruled the box office for the seventh consecutive time grossing more than the frame's two new releases combined. With another remarkably low decline, the sci-fi actioner put itself within inches of passing Titanic's all-time domestic record while incredible staying power overseas propelled the worldwide gross past the $2 billion mark. Picking up the crumbs were the new films Edge of Darkness with Mel Gibson which enjoyed a mediocre debut and the romantic comedy When in Rome which did better than expected in third place.

    With another $30M, according to estimates, Avatar had no problem defending its crown during its seventh weekend to remain the most popular movie choice in North America. Off a slim 14%, the Fox smash watched its total soar to an eye-popping $594.5M after only 45 days of release. The Na'vi pic is now only three days away from breaking the $600M mark and sailing past the $600.8M domestic record held by Titanic for twelve years.

    Of course, Avatar is benefiting from higher ticket prices for 2D films as well as surcharges from 3D and IMAX 3D screens where the bulk of the business is coming from. As for total audience size, Titanic sold roughly 125 million tickets while Avatar has sold in the neighborhood of 70 million and counting which is about equal to the tallies of 2004's Shrek 2 and 2002's Spider-Man. Studios generally do not reveal exact admissions figures. Still, movie fans have never emptied their wallets to this extent before.

    No film since the iceberg pic has spent at least seven weekends at number one and Avatar set a new record for grosses in the seventh weekend beating Titanic's $25.9M from 1998. As if the Pandora adventure needs any more momentum, Tuesday morning will bring the announcement of Academy Award nominations and Avatar is expected to score nods for Picture and Director in addition to several technical notices. In fact, it may be among the films with the most overall nominations which would serve to keep selling the film throughout February to the few who have not seen it yet. Shattering the $700M mark is all but guaranteed now and next weekend should see it at the top for the eighth straight time.

    More than tripling its domestic performance, Avatar grossed another $95M overseas this weekend for a slender 12% decline as the film's sensational legs are carrying it forward all around the world. The international total has now surged to $1.445 billion allowing the worldwide take to shatter the $2 billion barrier. The global gross stands at $2.039 billion and the current trajectory puts it on course to possibly reach a staggering $2.5 billion. Then again, every industry estimate for Avatar 's final gross has had to be revised upwards during its historic run.

    Mel Gibson's face returned to the big screen for the first time in nearly eight years with the revenge thriller Edge of Darkness which generated a decent but not stellar opening with an estimated $17.1M. Averaging a somewhat good $5,584 from 3,066 locations, the R-rated film about a Boston detective out to solve his daughter's murder earned generally positive reviews and played to an adult audience. But Darkness opened below the $21.2M of Gibson's 1999 film Payback, another R-rated gritty crime thriller released at this same time of year, which would be $30M at today's ticket prices. Edge also did not come close to the $24.7M bow of Liam Neeson's own daddy-wants-revenge thriller Taken from this weekend last year. Gibson attracted plenty of bad press over the last three years with his arrest and divorce and had mostly stayed away from the spotlight until now. Future films will show whether his starpower has truly faded or if moviegoers will still flock to him in big-ticket items.

    Opening better than expected in third place was the romantic comedy When in Rome starring Kristen Bell which grossed an estimated $12.1M from 2,456 theaters. Averaging a solid $4,912 per location, the PG-13 film about a New York career gal that travels to Italy to find love connected with female audiences not in the mood for blue aliens and gun-toting dads out for revenge. According to studio research, the critically panned film's audience was 69% female and 55% over 25. It easily bested the $9.2M bow of the Amy Adams flick Leap Year, another romantic comedy about a Yankee lady hopping the Atlantic to find Mr. Right.

    With no new kiddie movies opening, Fox's The Tooth Fairy enjoyed a solid hold dipping only 29% to an estimated $10M in its second weekend of release. But the Dwayne Johnson family comedy still only stands at $26.1M and could find its way to $50-60M. Denzel Washington's The Book of Eli is doing much better overall. Down 44% to an estimated $8.8M, the Warner Bros. pic has banked an impressive $74.4M in 17 days making it the only new film of 2010 to surpass $30M.

    Sony's supernatural thriller Legion collapsed in its second frame tumbling 61% to an estimated $6.8M for a $28.6M total. Budgeted in the $25-30M range, the R-rated film looks to reach about $40M by the end of its run. The Peter Jackson-helmed The Lovely Bones followed with an estimated $4.7M, down 44%, raising the sum to $38M.

    A trio of big boys from Christmas weekend with good holds rounded out the top ten. Sherlock Holmes took in an estimated $4.5M dropping 32% and pushed the cume to $197.6M for Warner Bros. Fox's Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel fell 38% to an estimated $4M for $209.3M to date. And the Meryl Streep comedy It's Complicated grossed an estimated $3.7M, off 36%, giving Universal $104M and a spot in the century club.

    Some interesting activity took place outside of the top ten. Sandra Bullock's The Blind Side scored another solid hold in its eleventh weekend of release dipping just 28% to an estimated $3M vaulting the total to an amazing $237.9M. The actress may earn an Oscar nomination this week for her role which would only help the sleeper hit's chances of passing the $250M mark. On the other hand, the Brendan Fraser-Harrison Ford drama Extraordinary Measures followed its weak debut with a dismal 57% tumble to an estimated $2.6M for a weak ten-day total of $10.4M. It represents a shaky start for new distributor CBS Films, however recent newbies Overture and Summit also flopped with their first releases only to score hits later on, most notably Summit with the Twilight series.

    With Jeff Bridges looking like the front-runner in the Best Actor race, Fox Searchlight expanded its music tale Crazy Heart from 93 to 239 theaters across many markets and took in an estimated $2.3M for a solid $9,414 average. Total is $6.6M and moviegoer interest is sure to see a boost once Academy Award nominations are announced on Tuesday. Bridges has already won trophies from the Golden Globes and the SAG Awards. Elsewhere, Disney crossed the $100M mark with its latest animated feature The Princess and the Frog.

    # Title Jan 29 - 31


    		Weeks
    		Cumulative Distributor










    1 Avatar $ 30,000,000


    		7
    		$ 594,472,000 Fox
    2 Edge of Darkness 17,120,000


    		1
    		17,120,000 Warner Bros.
    3 When in Rome 12,065,000


    		1
    		12,065,000 Buena Vista
    4 The Tooth Fairy 10,000,000


    		2
    		26,106,000 Fox
    5 The Book of Eli 8,770,000


    		3
    		74,373,000 Warner Bros.
    6 Legion 6,800,000


    		2
    		28,646,000 Sony
    7 The Lovely Bones 4,735,000


    		6
    		38,014,000 Paramount
    8 Sherlock Holmes 4,510,000


    		6
    		197,596,000 Warner Bros.
    9 Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel 4,000,000


    		6
    		209,298,000 Fox
    10 It's Complicated 3,720,000


    		6
    		104,027,000 Universal
    Posted by at No comments:
    Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)