For her role as Mammy, in Gone with the Wind (1939), Hattie McDaniel became the first African-American to be nominated for, and win, an Oscar (specifically: Best Actress in a Supporting Role). However, due to racial segregation issues at the time, Hattie was unable to attend the world premiere in Atlanta, Georgia.
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At $90 million, The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997) broke the record for the biggest opening weekend ever and held that record until the release of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone in November of 2001.
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For her role in Erin Brockovich (2000), Julia Roberts (Erin Brockovich) became the first actress to break the $20 million salary level for starring in a Hollywood film.
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Yes, I know. Everyone is tired of social networks. And I’ll be the first to admit that social networks are an internet genre that has been pretty much outplayed.
However, with all my searching (which actually was only a couple searches on Google and Wikipedia), I didn’t find a social network specifically for movie lovers. There were networks for music lovers, book lovers, college students only, etc., but none for lovers of movies.
And thus I took it upon myself to create just that and although it may not be much, with your help, it can be the next MySpace, Facebook or even Twitter! So come join the I’m A Movie Fan social network and let the world know how much you love movies!
The layout is simple (because I use the free version, being a penniless sitar player), but it is all we need to create something big for lovers of movies around the world. If you have any ideas for it, let me know, I have a profile on it already.
Just a little fun fact for you - I created the title graphic and the big sky/man walking graphic on the Welcome page. I’m proud of them.
- J
| TITLE: Equilibrium | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| MY SUMMARY: In a post-World War III world, the government has decided that the cause of violence and war is human emotion and thus has banned it. Within this strict totalitarian government is a branch of law keepers known as Clerics, the top-ranking being John Preston. After Preston misses his scheduled dose of the emotion-blocking drug Prozium, he discovers the ability to feel. The underground resistance has learned of this and has recruited him to take down the government. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| IMDB SUMMARY: In a futuristic world, a strict regime has eliminated war by suppressing emotions: books, art and music are strictly forbidden and feeling is a crime punishable by death. Cleric John Preston (Bale) is a top ranking government agent responsible for destroying those who resist the rules. When he misses a dose of Prozium, a mind-altering drug that hinders emotion, Preston, who has been trained to enforce the strict laws of the new regime, suddenly becomes the only person capable of overthrowing it. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| DIRECTOR: Kurt Wimmer | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ACTORS: Christian Bale, William Fichtner, Angus Macfadyen, Taye Diggs, Emily Watson, Sean Pertwee, Matthew Harbour | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| MY RATING: 7 out of 10 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ROTTEN TOMATOES RATING: 36% | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| MOVIEFONE RATING: 2 out of 5 stars | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ROGER EBERT RATING: 3 out of 5 stars | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| THE GOOD: This movie is a mixture of the novels “1984” and “Brave New World” and the movie “The Matrix”, just without some of the more interesting camera shots. However, even without the incredible special effects of some blockbuster sci-fi movies, many of the fights and the new type of martial arts made for the movie, the “gun kata”, are really cool and don’t need special effects to make you notice. The movie also leaves hints and clues throughout about who is a “sense offender” and by the end of the movie, you notice these hints. It makes the movie a little more interesting and fun. Although this isn’t an incredibly great film, I’d recommend it to anyone. The movie actually carries a message much like the novels mentioned above, but incorporates them in a more contemporary setting. So far, everyone I have recommended this movie to has enjoyed it. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| THE BAD: Because this movie didn’t have the budget of many of the high profile blockbusters, some of the special effects are pretty cheesy. A few of the fights are cheesy as well, but they didn’t bother me nearly as bad as some of the effects. However, the worst thing that always upsets me is that the ending seems rushed. The battle to get to Dupont seems too easy, the worst fight being with Brandt. After all that smack-talk and even showing his skills earlier in the movie against Preston, he gets taken down way too easily. The fight with Dupont is okay, but still a little too quickly ended. Other than that, the rest leading up to these fights is really good in my opinion. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Double Movie Trivia Saturdays:
Roman Holiday (1953), which starred Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck was the first American film to be filmed entirely in Italy.
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David Bamber (Adolf Hitler) was the only non-German cast member in the film Valkyrie, who speaks with a German accent. The filmmakers felt that audiences would be distracted by Hitler speaking in Bamber's natural British accent.
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So, I’ve decided to add a new feature to the blog; movie trivia of the day. I hope this will prove to be a good addition that everyone will enjoy as much as I do.
Brad Pitt, who played Achilles in Troy (2004), tore his left achilles tendon during the making of the film.
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| TITLE: Space Chimps | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| MY SUMMARY: An evil alien has taken over and enslaved his home planet with the help of Earth technology. Now, the descendent of the very first chimp in space, Ham III and his chimp team must fly to the alien planet and rescue the technology as well as the native alien race. However, there are many perils on the planet and much restlessness from the grumpy, scheming senator on Earth. Now, the fate of an alien planet and NASA rest in the furry hands of the space chimps. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| IMDB SUMMARY: Jeff Daniels, Stanley Tucci, Cheryl Hines, and Andy Samberg lend their voices to this computer-animated comedy following the descendants of the first chimps in space as they blast off for fun and adventure on a far-away planet. Ham III (Samberg) is the grandson of Ham, the first-ever chimp astronaut. This ne'er-do-well chimp may not be the most qualified ape for the job, but a scheming senator (Tucci) has recruited him for a most dangerous mission. It seems that a powerful tyrant (Daniels) has overtaken an alien world, and now it's up to Ham III and his trusty simian crew (Hines and Patrick Warburton) to help overthrow the deep-space despot. Perhaps with some training from Ham III's mentor (Kenan Thompson) and the help of a friendly alien (Kristin Chenoweth) this fearless group of anthropoids can make the universe a safer place for aliens and humans alike. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| DIRECTOR: Kirk De Micco | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ACTORS: Andy Samberg, Cheryl Hines, Jeff Daniels, Patrick Warburton, Stanley Tucci, Kristin Chenoweth, Jane Lynch | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| MY RATING: 4 out of 10 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ROTTEN TOMATOES RATING: 36% | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| MOVIEFONE RATING: 3 out of 5 stars | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ROGER EBERT RATING: 3 out of 5 stars | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| THE GOOD: So there isn’t a ton that I thought was super good about this movie, but it does have some redeeming qualities, though not many. The humor and graphics in the movie was nowhere near Pixar quality, but I was expecting as much. However, the graphics were better than I thought they would be for the most part. The areas that I thought they could have improved upon was the “freznar”, which looks like an amateur animated it using some chrome filter in photoshop and the flesh-eating beast scene. When watching this scene, I wasn’t entirely sure what exactly I was watching. The reason being that the background, the creature and the characters all look like they’re are completely separate elements made from different things. For example, it looks like the characters are CG, the creature is somehow real or a puppet with the silicon skin and the background (which is a cave) is real footage. It’s a weird scene, but I thought the creature was done really well and looked pretty realistic. The music in the movie was done by The Blue Man Group which you will notice as soon as the movie begins. The Blue Man Group is known for using their experimental instruments that they create themselves and it is these instruments that make the music of the alien world come alive in the opening scene. The humor, although nothing hilarious enough for quoting, isn’t too bad. If you have young kids (I have 3 under the age of 3 right now), chances are they will find it pretty funny. It’s colorful enough and has enough action and movement to keep them entertained for the most part. The humor is clichéd, but there were still a few parts that made me chuckle. You just can’t take the movie too seriously. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| THE BAD: Space Chimps has two different sides, the Earth/human/chimp side and the alien side. Now, the alien side has its own civil struggles because of our technology, but the movie doesn’t spend enough time (maybe 30 seconds worth actually) getting us used to and connected to the alien race, so we don’t feel any sympathy for them when the “evil” alien takes over. And that is another thing, the evil alien Zartog isn’t all that evil. His voice isn’t evil, his look isn’t evil and his actions aren’t all that evil. Sure, he may dunk the aliens in the freznar, but they don’t die, they just stay frozen. And the freznar doesn’t look all that bad since it cracks as easy as that chocolate topping for ice cream. All this adds to the lack of sympathy I have for the aliens. Something else that annoyed me through the whole movie is the fact that Houston’s voice didn’t seem to “mesh” with the other voices. It was almost otherworldly. I don’t know if he was standing too close to the mic or what, but it just doesn’t seem to fit for some reason. And the last thing that I thought was bad enough to be included in this section was the lack of good adult humor. Like I mentioned before, this movie is nowhere near what Pixar and Disney have come out with, but it’s almost like they didn’t really try in some parts. The script tries for some adult humor, but misses completely. Luckily, I’m more childish than I am responsible and adult-like, so it was the little-kid humor that made me smile. So, when you watch this movie, keep in mind that you have to watch it like you’re a young child and you’ll enjoy it more. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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So, I’ve decided to add a new feature to the blog; movie trivia of the day. I hope this will prove to be a good addition that everyone will enjoy as much as I do.
John Rhys-Davies, who played Gimli the dwarf in The Lord of the Rings trilogy, also provided the voice of Treebeard in The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002) and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003).
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Just when people thought Hollywood was running out of ideas for movies, Hollywood proves them right…
The Social Network - A story about the founders of the social-networking website, Facebook.
Based off the book The Accidental Billionaires: The Founding of Facebook, a Tale of Sex, Money, Genius and Betrayal by Ben Mezrich and directed by David Fincher (Fight Club, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button), the movie is a loose account of the history of Facebook and its founders.
In The Social Network, Jesse Eisenberg and Andrew Garfield will play Facebook co-founders Mark Zuckerberg and Eduardo Saverin, while Justin Timberlake will star as Sean Parker, the co-founder of Napster and the founding president of the site. The screenplay for The Social Network was penned by award winning writer Aaron Sorkin, and production on the film is slated to begin next month in Boston. The film will be produced and distributed by Columbia Pictures, Scott Rudin, and Kevin Spacey. – Screencrave.com
So far, the three people who have been confirmed for roles are Jesse Eisenberg (as Mark Zuckerberg), Justin Timberlake (as Sean Parker) and Andrew Garfield (as Eduardo Saverin).
The funny thing is that the book that The Social Network is based off of is not really doing so well according to Amazon user ratings. Out of 44 user ratings, the average is 3 out of 5 stars, but there are 10 one-star ratings (at the time of this post). That is not very good comparatively. Most of the lower-rating critics say Mezrich’s books are formulaic and his characters seem like puppets. But who knows? Never judge a book by its cover and never pre-judge a movie by its book – as we’ve seen with Twilight.
I was just going to blog about the upcoming Resident Evil movie, the fourth in the franchise, but while surfing the web, I have learned that they are already planning a fifth movie! The interesting/confusing part is that is sounds like it is basically a remake of the first film, yet the fourth film is supposed to begin a new Resident Evil trilogy… [breath]
Confused yet? Let me explain, beginning from the fourth movie.
Set for release September 17, 2010 (some sources say August 27, 2010), Resident Evil 4 is supposed to start a brand new trilogy for the Resident Evil film franchise. Shocktillyoudrop.com had an exclusive quote from writer/director Paul W.S. Anderson. One thing he mentioned is that this movie will be done in 3D (which seems to be the new/retro movie fad), using the same equipment as the upcoming movie Avatar by James Cameron.
Here’s what the site had to say about this fourth installment:
Anderson, who will write and direct, told us that the fourth film in the franchise will have the largest budget of all the films so far. "I always envisioned Resident Evil as a trilogy of films," he said. "And we've been very lucky where it's a trilogy where the audience has built and built. I wanted to kick off a brand new trilogy. I'm really excited we're doing it [in 3-D] and we're using the same camera system [James] Cameron used for Avatar. There are a lot of exciting things about this one. I don't regard it as Resident Evil 4, I regard it as a re-tooling and rebirth of the entire franchise."
Paul W.S. Anderson wrote and directed the first Resident Evil movie, but bowed out directing the following two sequels, yet he did write the screenplay for them. He also produced all three earlier installments and is producing this fourth one as well.
Shocktillyoudrop.com also talked to Anderson’s fiancé, Milla Jovovich about his preparations for the 3D element:
Anderson has really been getting prepared to make his return to directing the franchise since the first movie, especially with the 3D factor being added to the equation. "He's been really studying it and seeing all the different things they have and watching every 3D movie ever made pretty much," Milla told us. "Especially for a movie like this, because it's wild and a lot of action and a lot of potential for 3D to use the medium at its best. Paul has been going to every 3D company and he's now signed a deal to go with Jim Cameron's 3D company--they did 'Avatar'--It should be pretty interesting. I've never actually seen a 3D movie."
Resident Evil: Afterlife will start filming September 28th in Toronto, Canada.
So, even though they have just started filming the fourth movie, Sony Screen Gems, the studio that has brought the previous three Resident Evil movies, has announced a fifth movie. However, instead of continuing the story where Resident Evil: Afterlife leaves off, it is planned to do a “rehash” of the first movie, sans Alice (Milla Jovovich).
Bloody-disgusting.com has this to say:
Instead of moving forward with the ongoing story, the studio is planning a quasi-reboot, which is tentatively titled Resident Evil Begins. While it's a long, long, long way off, the idea is to redo the story of a special military unit who fights a powerful, out-of-control supercomputer and hundreds of scientists who have mutated into flesh-eating creatures after a laboratory accident.
This news comes as a bit of a surprise since we recently heard that Resident Evil: Afterlife, the fourth film in the franchise, would kick off a new trilogy. How can the fifth movie be a reboot and yet still be part of that trilogy? Is the term “reboot” being assigned too readily? And is it more along the lines of a sequel, just following a different set of people? It’s hard to tell at this very early stage in the game, but nonetheless, it’s a bit miffing.
However, I remember at the end of the first movie, you hear a man (I forget who, it’s been a while) order a group of people to re-open the Hive and find out what happened. My thoughts are that the fifth film will be about that group and what happened, but who knows…
| TITLE: Stick It | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
STATS:
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| MY SUMMARY: A troubled youth gets a second chance at a prison-free life after getting in trouble with the law when her father pays for her to basically come out of retirement and get back into gymnastics. She is rebellious in nature and has a hard time agreeing, but it is that or prison for her. Her rebelliousness eventually rubs off on her teammates and others at the world competition. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| IMDB SUMMARY: After a run-in with the law, Haley Graham (Missy Peregrym) is forced to return to the world from which she fled some years ago. Enrolled in an elite gymnastics program run by the legendary Burt Vickerman (Jeff Bridges), Haley's rebellious attitude gives way to something that just might be called team spirit. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| DIRECTOR: Jessica Bendinger | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ACTORS: Jeff Bridges, Missy Peregrym, Vanessa Lengies, Nikki SooHoo, Maddy Curley, Kellan Lutz, John Patrick Amedori | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| MY RATING: 6 out of 10 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ROTTEN TOMATOES RATING: 31% | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| MOVIEFONE RATING: 3 out of 5 stars | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ROGER EBERT RATING: 2 out of 5 stars | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| THE GOOD: Being a musician myself, the soundtrack to a movie is very important to me – a soundtrack can make or break a movie in my eyes (and ears). With this movie, although it wasn’t an original, instrumental soundtrack, I think the soundtrack fit the attitude that they were trying to go for, the pop-punk skater vibe. The soundtrack was basically a mixture of alternative rock and hip-hop with a few other songs sprinkled in. I liked it. As for the characters, I think Joanne made a very good innocently dumb girl. She was quite believable. Hopefully it was only good acting and not natural… I also liked the courtroom judge, Polly Holliday. I’ve grown up with her as Jill’s wife on “Home Improvement” and I just like her “essence”, for lack of a better word. Also, since I would like to be a film director one day, I put a lot of observation into special effects and cinematography. I don’t mean to say that I’m an expert in these fields except in what I like and I really liked the scene in which all the girls are competing in their own little civil competition in order to find out who is going to the main competition. I thought it was pretty neat how they timed everything out and overlapped it all. But I’m simple like that. Lastly, I do like when my questions that the movie brings up are answered and all loose ends are tied. For example, towards the end, we find out why Hailey left the Worlds competition and how Vick pays her restitution. Everything is finished and you’re left feeling pretty complete. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| THE BAD: One main thing that bugged me from the start is how it felt like the director was trying way too hard to make Hailey seem skater-ish. Now, I’ve known quite a bit of hardcore skaters and none of them have a room that looks anything like hers. First of all, their rooms are usually completely messy. Second, none of them took the time to artistically spray paint their furniture. Usually, they were too busy skating! Another thing that bugged me (and this is just because I am who I am) happens right after Hailey learns about how much her dad is paying Vick and her two friends pick her up. As they are driving down the road, there is a vehicle that is way too close behind them. Seriously, they are on the main characters’ tail! If those boys were as much punks as they were made out to be, they’d totally “brake check” that person. Just wait, once you notice it, you won’t be able to stop noticing it. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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For those of you not in the know (which usually includes me), there is a new movie based off of a video game coming out May 2010. It is Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time and it is produced by Jerry Bruckheimer, the king of summer blockbusters – both on the big screen and on TV.
I haven’t seen a whole lot of the movie yet and I’ll post a link to the trailer when I am able to find a good quality trailer, but it stars Jake Gyllenhaal, Ben Kingsley, and semi-newcomer Gemma Arterton.
Adapted from the popular Prince of Persia series of video games. Jake Gyllenhaal stars as Dastan, a sixth century prince who with help from a princess named Tamina (Gemma Aterton) fights to prevent a villainous noble from possessing a talisman called the Sands of Time, which can reverse time and make him ruler of the world. – CinemaBlend.com
Hopefully, this will be on the better end of the video game-turned movie spectrum and not anywhere near such flops as Double Dragon, Wing Commander and the worst of all – Super Mario Brothers.
So I completely gave in to my inner-child and “Munked Myself”. That is, I created a chipmunk character that speaks in honor of Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel coming Christmas Day, 2009.
Here is the image I created. You can click on it to hear the audio which I typed in and, using speech to audio technology, my character will speak to you.
You can “Munk Yourself” too, at MunkYourself.com
I was strolling around Hulu and found a clip of some visual effects concept test footage for Tron Legacy coming out mid-December 2010. So far, it looks pretty neat.
Inside the ENCOM computer system, a program called CLU, created by Kevin Flynn during the original fight against the Master Control Program, has been causing chaos and destruction across the grid. Sean Flynn, son of former ENCOM CEO Kevin Flynn, is in search of his missing father, but Sean discovers that his father's whereabouts are somehow connected to the program making a mess of the ENCOM system. In order to find his father, Sean has to go into the ENCOM system, and fight his way to CLU, but in the neon world of TRON, a lot has changed and new dangers await him at every turn.
One thing I like about Tron Legacy (so far from what I’ve seen) is that it has an updated look and feel, while still keeping the same spirit of the original Tron. Everything is dark, quiet, sleek and square-cut.
Check for yourself:
So, for those fans Pixar and Disney movies, a third installment of Toy Story is coming out in 2010, about 11 years after the second Toy Story came out. Good news is that it looks like the original cast of the Toy Story movies is coming back to reprise their roles in Toy Story 3. I love when sequels have the original cast. It makes it seem like people are actually working on creating a quality product.
Here is the teaser for Toy Story 3, thanks to Hulu:
This movie looks like it is going to include Ken (voiced by Michael Keaton) and Barbie (voiced by Jodi Benson) as well as the normal gang of toys. The storyline is:
Woody, Buzz, and the rest of their toy-box friends are dumped in a day-care center after their owner, Andy, departs for college.
And here’s the poster, brought to you by Movies Online:
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series
Winner: Glenn Close for "Damages" (2007)
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
Winner: Cherry Jones for "24" (2001)
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
Winner: Michael Emerson for "Lost" (2004)
Outstanding Variety, Music Or Comedy Series
Winner: "The Daily Show" (1996)
Outstanding Miniseries
Winner: "Little Dorrit" (2008)
Outstanding Made for Television Movie
Winner: Grey Gardens (2009) (TV)
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or Movie
Winner: Jessica Lange for Grey Gardens (2009) (TV)
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or Movie
Winner: Brendan Gleeson for Into the Storm (2009) (TV)
Winner: Ken Howard for Grey Gardens (2009) (TV)
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or Movie
Winner: Shohreh Aghdashloo for "House of Saddam" (2008)
Outstanding Reality Competition Program
Winner: "The Amazing Race" (2001)
Outstanding Host For A Reality Or Reality - Competition Program
Winner: Jeff Probst for "Survivor" (2000)
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series
Winner: Alec Baldwin for "30 Rock" (2006)
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series
Winner: Toni Collette for "United States of Tara" (2009)
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
Winner: Jon Cryer for "Two and a Half Men" (2003)
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
Winner: Kristin Chenoweth for "Pushing Daisies" (2007)
Outstanding Variety, Music Or Comedy Special (Previously Announced)
Winner: The 31st Annual Kennedy Center Honors (2008) (TV)
Outstanding Reality Program (Previously Announced)
Winner: "Intervention" (2005)
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series
Winner: Bryan Cranston for "Breaking Bad" (2008)
Outstanding Drama Series
Winner: "Mad Men" (2007)
Winner: "30 Rock" (2006)
The good people over at CinemaBlend.com have compiled a list of movies coming out in October that they think people should not miss this fall season. The descriptions are taken from Fandango.
The Invention of Lying
IMDB | Cinema Blend | Moviefone | Fandango
Ricky Gervais directs himself in The Invention of Lying, a comedy in which everyone in the world tells the truth except for one misfit in the film industry, who after discovering the act of lying, milks it to become the world's most phenomenal performer. Matthew Robinson will co-direct from his own script that he and Gervais collaborated on. Jennifer Garner, Rob Lowe, Jonah Hill, and Louis C.K. co-star in the Media Rights Capital production, with John Hodgman, Tina Fey, Christopher Guest, and Jeffrey Tambor rounding out the rest of the cast. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, All Movie Guide
Toy Story and Toy Story 2 in 3D
IMDB | Cinema Blend | Moviefone | Fandango
They’re toys, they talk—at least when people aren’t around—and they’re back… celebrating the return of the “Toy Story” franchise—this time in Disney Digital 3D! TOY STORY takes moviegoers back to that fun-filled journey, viewed mostly through the eyes of two rival toys— Woody (voice of TOM HANKS), the lanky, likable cowboy, and Buzz Lightyear (voice of TIM ALLEN), the fearless space ranger.
TOY STORY 2 picks up as Andy heads off to Cowboy Camp, leaving his toys to their own devices. Things shift into high gear when an obsessive toy collector named Al kidnaps Woody. At Al's apartment, Woody discovers that he is a collectible from a 1950s TV show called “Woody's Roundup," and he meets the other prized toys from that show - Jessie the cowgirl (voice of JOAN CUSACK), Bullseye the horse and Stinky Pete the Prospector.
Whip It!
IMDB | Cinema Blend | Moviefone | Fandango
Little Gertie from E.T. is now a full-blown filmmaker. For her directorial debut, Drew Barrymore casts Juno star Ellen Page as the newest member of an all-girl roller-derby team. Helping Page learn the rules of the rink is veteran derby queen Kristen Wiig – cast as the wonderfully named Malice in Wonderland.
Zombieland
IMDB | Cinema Blend | Moviefone | Fandango
A cowardly shut-in named Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg) is forced to join up with a seasoned zombie slayer named Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson) in order to survive the zombie apocalypse. As Tallahassee sets out on a mission to find the last Twinkie on Earth, the duo meets up with Wichita (Emma Stone) and Little Rock (Abigail Breslin), two young girls who have resorted to some rather unorthodox methods to survive amidst the chaos. Reluctant partners in the battle against the undead, all four soon begin to wonder if it might be better to simply take their chances alone. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
A Serious Man
IMDB | Cinema Blend | Moviefone | Fandango
Larry Gopnik (Michael Stuhlbarg) is a physics professor at a 1960s university, and his life is coming apart at the seams. His wife (Sari Lennick) is leaving him, his jobless brother (Richard Kind) has moved in, and someone is trying to sabotage his chances for tenure. Larry seeks advice from three different rabbis, but whether anyone can help him overcome his many afflictions remains to be seen.
Couples Retreat
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Vince Vaughn, Jason Bateman, Jon Favreau, Malin Akerman, Kristin Davis, Kristen Bell and Faizon Love star in Universal Pictures’ upcoming comedy "Couples Retreat." Based on an original idea of Vaughn’s, the comedy follows four Midwestern couples who 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. What follows is a hilarious look at real world problems faced by all couples. The film also stars Kali Hawk and Jean Reno.
Where The Wild Things Are
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The adventures of a young boy named Max who, after being sent to bed for misbehaving, imagines that he sails away to where the wild things are. Max is loved by the wild creatures who make him their King, though he soon longs to be back home with his family.
The Road 
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A father (Viggo Mortensen) and his son (Kodi Smit-McPhee) try to keep the dream of civilization alive as they wander through a post-apocalyptic landscape.
Amelia
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After becoming the first woman to fly across the Atlantic, Amelia was thrust into a new role as America's sweetheart - the legendary "goddess of light," known for her bold, larger-than-life charisma. Yet, even with her global fame solidified, her belief in flirting with danger and standing up as her own, outspoken woman never changed. She was an inspiration to people everywhere, from First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt (Cherry Jones) to the men closest to her heart: her husband, promoter and publishing magnate George P. Putnam (Richard Gere), and her long time friend and lover, pilot Gene Vidal (Ewan McGregor). In the summer of 1937, Amelia set off on her most daunting mission yet: a solo flight around the world that she and George both anxiously foresaw as destined, whatever the outcome, to become one of the most talked-about journeys in history.
Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant
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16-year-old Darren (Chris Massoglia) was like most kids in his suburban neighborhood. He hung out with his best friend Steve (Josh Hutcherson), got decent grades and usually stayed out of trouble. But when he and his buddy stumble upon a traveling freak show, things begin to change inside Darren. That’s the exact moment when a vampire named Larten Crepsley (John C. Reilly) turns him into something, well, bloodthirsty. Newly undead, he joins the Cirque Du Freak, a touring sideshow filled with monstrous creatures from a snakeboy and a wolfman to a bearded lady (Salma Hayek) and a gigantic barker (Ken Watanabe). As Darren flexes his newfound powers in this dark world, he becomes a treasured pawn between the vampires and their deadlier counterparts. And while trying to survive, one boy will struggle to keep their brewing war from devouring what’s left of his humanity.
Michael Jackson’s This Is It
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Prepare for Michael Jackson fans to go crazy when this movie is released in theaters. This Is It will be produced from over 80 hours of rehearsal and behind-the-scenes footage shot in preparation for Michael Jackson’s never-to-be-realized London concerts… R.I.P Michael Jackson…
Youth in Revolt 
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Superbad's Michael Cera discovers a vacation romance in Youth in Revolt, a teen comedy from Charlie Bartlett's screenwriter, Gustin Nash, and director Miguel Arteta (Chuck & Buck). The film is an adaptation of C.D. Payne's first book in a series of best-selling satirical novels starring Nick Twisp, a sexually charged 14-year-old whose intelligence and hormones get him into all sorts of adventures. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, All Movie Guide
Gentlemen Broncos
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Benjamin (Michael Angarano), home-schooled by his eccentric mother (Jennifer Coolidge), is a loveable loner whose passion for writing leads him on an offbeat and hilarious journey as his story first gets ripped off by the legendary fantasy novelist, Ronald Chevalier (Jemaine Clement) and then is adapted into a disastrous movie by the small town's most prolific homespun filmmaker.
I have added two films that Cinema Blend has left out of their list:
Astro Boy
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Set in futuristic Metro City, "Astro Boy" is about a young robot with incredible powers created by a brilliant scientist named Tenma (Nicolas Cage). Powered by positive “blue” energy, Astro Boy (Freddie Highmore) is endowed with super strength , x-ray vision, unbelievable speed and the ability to fly. Embarking on a journey in search of acceptance, Astro Boy encounters many other colorful characters along the way. Through his adventures, he learns the joys and emotions of being human, and gains the strength to embrace his destiny. Ultimately learning his friends and family are in danger, Astro Boy marshals his awesome super powers and returns to Metro City in a valiant effort to save everything he cares about and to understand what it takes to be a hero.
Law Abiding Citizen
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Clyde Shelton (Gerard Butler) is an upstanding family man whose wife and daughter are brutally murdered during a home invasion. When the killers are caught, Nick Rice (Jamie Foxx), a hotshot young Philadelphia prosecutor, is assigned to the case. Over his objections, Nick is forced by his boss to offer one of the suspects a light sentence in exchange for testifying against his accomplice. Fast forward ten years. The man who got away with murder is found dead and Clyde Shelton coolly admits his guilt. Then he issues a warning to Nick: Either fix the flawed justice system that failed his family, or key players in the trial will die.
For some reason, when I watch movies, I always unknowingly favor the character who dies in the movie. I don’t know if I have an inner “radar” for it or what, but it happens quite often.
It all started with The Lion King. Mufasa was my favorite character from the moment he came on screen, and yet, he was the one to die at the hands (or paws actually) of his own brother.
Here is a list of movies that this has happened – a list that is bound to expand…
Now I know that at least a couple of them, such as The Man in the Iron Mask, are based on the books, but I have not gotten around to reading these books yet, so I consider these legit. Otherwise, if I had read the book and the character dies in the book, I would expect it, and therefore it would not count.
- J
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