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Movie Trailer: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

LEDGER HONOURED WITH AUSTRALIAN ACTING PRIZE
[CBC, 12/7/08]
The late actor Heath Ledger has been handed one of his country's highest film honours: the Australian Film Institute's (AFI) international award for best actor for his portrayal of the Joker in The Dark Knight. The 28-year-old actor died of an accidental overdose of painkillers and other medicines in a New York apartment in January, 2008. "Heath was never one to accept mediocrity. He put his heart and soul into achieving what he believed was required and followed his passions with great enthusiasm and an insatiable curiosity," Sally Ledger said of her son. Sister Kate stood alongside her parents as they accepted the award Saturday night at a film institute gala in Melbourne. "It has been without a doubt the most difficult year, losing such a loved family member," Kate Ledger said, fighting back tears. "We are so proud of him and humbly accept this award on behalf of his beautiful daughter [Matilda], who we will cherish forever." Audience members rose to their feet as the award was announced. The AFI also paid tribute to Ledger as a "ground-breaking actor trapped in the body of a leading man." Ledger was nominated for an Oscar playing a gay cowboy in 2005's Brokeback Mountain. The Dark Night will be re-released to cinemas in January the day after this year's Oscar nominations are disclosed. Cate Blanchett won the Australian Film Institute's female acting award for her role in Elizabeth: The Golden Age. Meanwhile, The Black Balloon — about a teenage boy learning to live with an autistic brother — captured best film. Heading into the awards with 11 nominations, The Black Balloon also took home trophies for best supporting actor and actress for Luke Ford and Toni Collette, while director and co-writer Elissa Down won for best direction and original screenplay. In the TV category, the acclaimed crime drama Underbelly, about Melbourne's gang world, garnered six of eight awards for which it was nominated, including best TV drama series and best acting for its male and female leads.

ITALIAN FILM WINS BEST PICTURE AWARD IN EUROPE
[AP, 12/7/08]
"Gomorra," a movie by Italian director Matteo Garrone about Naples' criminal underworld, has won the best film prize at the 21st annual European Film Awards. Garrone also has won the best director award for the movie by the European Film Academy on Saturday, December 6. Looking ahead, "Gomorra" is considered Italy's best hope for the Best Foreign Language Film award at the Academy Awards. At the European Film Awards, Kristin Scott Thomas won best actress for her role in "I've Loved You So Long," while Toni Servillo won best actor in two movies, "Gomorra" and "Il Divo" by director Paolo Sorrentino. Garrone's film is based on a best-selling book by Roberto Saviano, denouncing the Naples-based Camorra crime syndicate's hold on everything from fashion to waste disposal. In accepting the best film award, Garrone said he regretted that Saviano could not attend the Copenhagen ceremony because he lives in hiding in fear he could be slain. "I want to thank everyone who has participated in this dangerous movie," Garrone said. The movie also grabbed the award for best screenplay. British actress Dame Judi Dench was honored by the European Film Academy with a lifetime achievement award. "I am completely overwhelmed," a visibly moved Dench said after receiving a standing ovation. Singer Marianne Faithfull handed over similar awards to the Danish director quartet that conceived the filmmaking principles known as Dogma in the mid-1990s. Lars von Trier, Soeren Kragh-Jacobsen, Thomas Vinterberg and Kristian Levring stripped props and lighting. The Dogma rules also forbade sound editing and any equipment other than hand-held cameras. British director David Yates received the People's Choice Awards for "Harry Potter and The Order of the Phoennix," a recognition given by European moviegoers. The annual event, held this year in the Danish capital, celebrated the continent's film industry as a European counterweight to the Academy Awards. The audience included Crown Prince Frederik, his Australian-born wife, Crown Princess Mary, and Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen.

SCI-FI "CREATOR" FORREST ACKERMAN DIES
[BBC, 12/7/08]
Forrest Ackerman, a writer and editor credited with discovering the author Ray Bradbury and coining the term "sci-fi", has died, aged 92. Ackerman died of heart failure at his home in Los Angeles, said a spokesman. Ackerman's achievements included founding the sci-fi pulp magazine Famous Monsters of Filmland. But he is probably best known for finding Bradbury, author of The Martian Chronicles, when looking for people to join a sci-fi club he was starting up. Ackerman was also the owner of a huge private collection of science-fiction movie and literary memorabilia. "He became the Pied Piper, the spiritual leader, of everything science fiction, fantasy and horror," said Kevin Burns, trustee of Ackerman's estate. After finding the then teenage Bradbury, Ackerman went on to give him the money to start his own science-fiction magazine Futuria Fantasia. He also paid for Bradbury to go to New York for a writers' meeting that the author said helped launch his career. "I hadn't published yet, and I met a lot of these people who encouraged me and helped me get my career started, and that was all because of Forry Ackerman," Bradbury told the Associated Press news agency in 2005. As a literary agent, Ackerman represented Bradbury, Isaac Asimov and numerous other science-fiction writers. He said the term "sci-fi" came to him in 1954 when he was listening to a car radio and heard an announcer mention the word "hi-fi." "My dear wife said, 'Forget it, Forry, it will never catch on,"' he said. He began using the term in his magazine Famous Monsters of Filmland, which he helped create in 1958 and edited for 25 years. Ackerman also appeared in many films including Queen of Blood, Dracula Vs Frankenstein and Amazon Women on the Moon, to name but a few. Ackerman once said he fell in love with science fiction when he was nine years-old and saw a magazine called Amazing Stories, which he kept for the rest of his life.

ANCIENT EPIC "THE WARLORDS" VICTORIA AT GOLDEN HORSE AWARDS
[CBC, 12/7/08]
The 19th-century war epic The Warlords won top movie at the Golden Horse Film Awards in Taiwan, considered the Chinese-language Oscars. Directed by Hong Kong helmer Peter Ho-sun Chan, the film chronicles the battle between a general in imperial China and the brother he turns against. Chan was also handed the directing trophy. "I want to thank the audiences who went to the theatres to watch not only my film but others such as Cape No. 7. They are the hopes for Chinese-language films," the director said in reference to a rival film. Although Chan's entry had 12 nods going in, it missed out on most of the other prizes except for best visual effects. Instead, the Taiwanese comedy Cape No. 7 went home with the trophies for best supporting actor (Ma Ru-long), best original film score and best original film song. Director Wei Te-sheng got Taiwanese filmmaker of the year and Cape No. 7 was honoured as Taiwanese film of the year, too. "I want to thank the audiences in Taiwan who helped promote the movie by word of mouth," Wei said after receiving his statuettes from Oscar-winning Taiwanese director Ang Lee. Cape No. 7, the highest-grossing Chinese-language film of all time in Taiwan, follows a romance between an aspiring Taiwanese singer and a Japanese publicist. China's Zhang Hanyu, with his performance as a soldier in the Chinese civil war drama Assembly, beat best-actor favourite Jet Li from The Warlords. Meanwhile, Hong Kong performer Prudence Liew won best actress for playing a drug-addicted prostitute in True Women for Sale.

AWARDS HONOURING BLACK U.K. PERFORMERS CANCELLED SUDDENLY
[Aceshowbiz, 12/7/08]
An annual awards event honouring black film and television performers in Britain has been cancelled after a key partner pulled out due to the global economic slump. Organizers for the 2008 Screen Nation Awards announced Friday, December 5 they have cancelled Sunday's gala in London. "I regret to announce this sudden setback to the awards. However I promise and assure you that the extraordinary pool of outstanding talent that we have here in the U.K. will be celebrated at a later date," organizer and awards founder Charles Thompson said in a statement. Thompson refused to name the company that had pulled out but said the event lost 30 per cent of its funding as a result. The event's website lists 18 sponsors, including the BBC, Virgin Nigeria airlines, Barclay's Wealth banking institution, Becca cosmetics and Black Heritage Today magazine. The event would have honoured actors Whoopi Goldberg, Chiwetel Ejiofor and Don Warrington and writer-producer Trix Worrel. Singers Leona Lewis and Estelle were slated to perform. Established in 2003, the awards are known in the industry as the "black BAFTAs." The BAFTAs are the annual British Academy Film Awards. Thompson has pledged to seek alternative backers and to hold the event in early 2009.

"HALF-BLOOD PRINCE" FINISHED, "HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS" PRODUCTION ADDRESSED
[Aceshowbiz, 12/7/08]
"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I" production may start differently for its stars. Talking to a group of reporters when promoting for "Nobel Son" on December 2 in Culver City, California, Alan Rickman, who plays Professor Snape in the series, shared what he knows of the shooting schedule for the next "Harry Potter" film. Revealing that he will film his part at the same time with Ralph Fiennes, he said as quoted by Sci Fi Wire, "Well, because they have to get me and Ralph Fiennes together, it means I don't start shooting it until the end of next year, which means I get room now in this coming year." He further continued to hint on when Helena Bonham Carter will start for her role, adding, "I was talking to Helena yesterday. I think she starts in June, and she goes on for a long time." In other news related to "Harry Potter" franchise, "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" has finally been finished. In an interview with Sci Fi Wire on December 3 in Beverly Hills, California, producer David Heyman claimed that there will be no additional work on the fantasy movie until its U.K. and U.S. release on July 17, 2009. Of it, he stated, "No need to [do more work]. If we had to come out now, we'd be fine." He then added that the delay in releasing the film was taken due to Warner Bros.' request, saying, "Warners asked it because of the writers' strike, because of various reasons. They have a shortage of product for next summer, and they asked if it's OK [to delay the release]." "Deathly Hallows", the last of "Harry Potter" series will be made into two films, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I" and "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II". Both have been set to be directed once again by "Half-Blood Prince" helmer David Yates. While "Part I" is slated for November 19, 2010 release in U.K. and U.S., "Part II" eyes May 2011 release.

$5 MILLION BROADWAY MUSICAL POSTPONED DUE TO LACK OF FUNDING
[CBC, 12/7/08]
The economic downturn continues to lash Broadway, with a new $5-million US musical postponed because of a lack of funding. Vanities, originally slated to open at the end of February, is a musical version of a big off-Broadway hit. "The reason it was so challenging to raise the money was because people were afraid about selling tickets. If you get the show up, will there be anybody to buy tickets to see it?" lead producer Sue Frost acknowledged. "We just have to regroup and figure it out," said Frost, who added that she hopes to open the musical later in the season. The musical rendition of Jack Heifner's play was to have starred Lauren Kennedy, Sarah Stiles and Anneliese van der Pol as three friends who go from high school cheerleaders to adulthood over a 30-year span. The original stage version, whose cast included Oscar-winner Kathy Bates, ran for more than 1,300 performances off-Broadway, from 1976 to 1979. A re-vamped, musical version was originally produced at TheatreWorks in Palo Alto, Calif., in the summer of 2006. Frost said she'd like to retain the same cast. "Their belief and commitment to the project is overwhelming," she said. "They love it." Vanities is the latest Broadway victim of a faltering economy. Just a few months ago, five other shows were yanked due to a lack of funds, including revivals of Godspell and For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow Is Enuf.

WILL SMITH'S NEW DRAMA "SEVEN POUNDS"
[Reuters/Hollywood Reporter, 12/6/08]
Will Smith's new drama "Seven Pounds" is rolling out to tastemakers ahead of its December 19 release, having largely flown below blogger radars until now. Smith's role in the Sony film, as an Internal Revenue Service functionary who mysteriously drops into the lives of strangers in an apparent bid to help them, comes in a movie steeped in melancholy. That makes the drama an anomaly: It features the world's biggest movie star in a film that also is one of the season's most serious. There are grace notes about penance and sacrifice, but this isn't Tom Cruise in "Jerry Maguire." While awards pundits this year have followed the time-honored tradition of priming the pump for movies like Brad Pitt's "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" even before they began screening, "Seven Pounds" has avoided such attention. Part of that is because of the presence of a global box office star; those types of A-listers historically have had to work harder to get awards attention. And partly it's the movie itself, whose pleasures derive from orienting oneself on its map and figuring out just what exactly is going on. That's why some marketing materials have been opaque on the film's plot, while the movie's handlers have asked entertainment writers to avoid giving much away. Since it's so much weightier than anything he's done before, the role will be a litmus test of Smith's previously unbreakable box office mettle; "The Pursuit of Happyness" almost looks like "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" by comparison. (Both "Seven Pounds and "The Pursuit of Happyness" were directed by Gabriele Muccino.) But there's also an interesting question on the awards side -- namely, what kind of chance the movie, and specifically Smith, has at the Oscars. And the role and movie don't come in with as much preset recognition as some of the competition -- it's not a historical picture like "Milk" or "Frost/Nixon" or an adaptation of a well-known work like "Doubt." Smith, nominated for both "The Pursuit of Happyness" and "Ali," is one of them. In fact, Smith isn't just going dramatic here; he's pushing his screen persona. There are elements of past Smith characters in "Pounds": the everyman struggle of "Pursuit of Happyness," the mysterious stranger of "Six Degrees of Separation," even a little bit of the tortured soul of "Hancock." But the nuances are very different. If Smith does get in as best actor, it suddenly makes the field a lot more crowded. Assuming Sean Penn and Frank Langella are pretty much locks and Pitt is a decent bet, a Smith nomination means there will be only more slot for a long list of hopefuls: Richard Jenkins, Clint Eastwood, Josh Brolin, Leonardo DiCaprio. A big movie star coming out of left field to upend a race isn't something you see every day.

GREASE REVIVAL TO CLOSE ON BROADWAY
[CBC, 12/6/08]
A Broadway revival of the musical Grease sparked by an NBC TV talent competition to cast the lead roles of Danny and Sandy is to close in January. The 1950s musical will close January 4, 2009 after 554 performances, the latest in a series of New York musicals to announce an end date. Also closing in January are Hairspray, Spring Awakening, Irving Berlin's White Christmas, Boeing-Boeing and Spamalot. "Grease" opened in August 2007 after Laura Osnes and Max Crumm were cast in the lead roles at the end of a reality show-style talent competition called Grease: You're the One That I Want. American Idol contestants Taylor Hicks and Ace Young have also been part of the cast. Hicks is currently starring in a national tour of "Grease". "Grease" first played Broadway in 1972, and the 1978 movie starring Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta made the musical a household name. The current production includes songs such as Hopelessly Devoted to You, Grease and You're the One That I Want from the movie.

RICHARD CURTIS' "THE BOAT THAT ROCKED" U.K. TRAILER
[Aceshowbiz, 12/6/08]
In 1966, Britain was terrorized by a boat that rocked," a narrator begins his introduction on the U.K. trailer of "The Boat That Rocked". Highlighting on the phenomenon of British pirate radio revolution in the '60s, the trailer shares glimpses of the comedy movie, giving idea about what the movie is all about. Telling the romance story between the young people of the '60s and pop music, "The Boat That Rocked" follows a band of rogue DJs that captivated Britain from a large rusty metal fishing trawler moored off the coast of England. Forefronting the UK pirate radio movement, they play the music that defines a generation, and stand up to a government that, incomprehensibly, preferred jazz. From the creator of "Four Weddings and a Funeral", "Notting Hill" and "Love Actually", Richard Curtis, comes this ensemble period comedy. It puts together a star-studded cast ensemble that include Philip Seymour Hoffman, Bill Nighy, Rhys Ifans, Nick Frost and Kenneth Branagh. The Universal Pictures movie will be released sometime in 2009.

"HANCOCK" SEQUEL CONFIRMED
[Aceshowbiz, 12/6/08]
Being one of the summer blockbuster movies, "Hancock" will reportedly be getting a sequel treatment. When talking to Joblo while promoting his upcoming movie "Seven Pounds", the action drama's star Will Smith has come up with a confirmation that "Hancock 2" is "definitely" happening. Despite insisting that another "Hancock" movie will be seen in the future, the 40-year-old didn't give direct answer when asked whether he will reprise his role as the sarcastic and misunderstood superhero. Instead, he stated that "there are a lot of unexplored characters in the Hancock universe that would be ripe for a sequel." Opened in U.S. theaters on July 2, "Hancock" has debuted atop the North American box office with $62.6 million over the July 4 three-day weekend. The Peter Berg-directed movie, which is starred also by Charlize Theron and Jason Bateman, has since pulled in $227.9 million from the North American sales and $624.4 million worldwide.

FULL-LENGTH TRAILER OF "FRIDAY THE 13TH" HITS
[Aceshowbiz, 12/6/08]
"Did you know a young boy drowned here?" a woman asks in the beginning of the recently-released trailer of "Friday the 13th". As the woman continues to explain further about the boy, the promotional video moves on with a shot of a lake and woods before suddenly a van jumps to the scene. Inside, a group of friends are having the time of their lives as they head into the cabin owned by the parents of one of the youngsters. As they soak up the fun, danger lurks in the corner. Filled with many never-before-seen footage, the fresh trailer is considerably longer than the previous videos. It also brings in more on the horror unleashed by serial slasher Jason Voorhees as he targets the group for his next victims. Towards the end of the 2 minutes thirty seconds video, a counting up of the victims is done, each number teases on who will be dead next. The counting ends when it strikes number 13. Bringing the story to where it all started, camp crystal lake, "Friday the 13th" re-imagines the Sean S. Cunningham's 1980 classic horror movie. Directed by Marcus Nispel and penned by Damian Shannon and Mark Swift, it stars Derek Mears, Jared Padalecki, Danielle Panabaker and Amanda Righetti. It will be opened in the U.S. theaters on February 13, 2009.

"DARK KNIGHT" TO GET U.S. RE-RELEASE
[BBC, 12/6/08]
Batman film The Dark Knight is to be re-released in U.S cinemas in January, upping its chances of its box-office takings crossing the $1 billion mark. According to the tracking website Box Office Mojo, its current worldwide takings stand at $996 million (£678 million). Meanwhile, the British star of the film has been commenting on its chances of winning Academy Awards next year. According to Christian Bale, the late Heath Ledger and director Christopher Nolan should be in contention. "The serious contenders in this movie in my mind are Heath, Chris for director because he's done an extraordinary job, and I do believe best picture as well," said Bale on Wednesday, December 3. Released in cinemas in July, "The Dark Knight" is the most financially successful film of 2008 at the North American box office. Its re-release on 23 January will come one day after the announcement of this year's Oscar nominations. It also follows the film's DVD release in the UK and US next week. "We wanted to provide one more opportunity for moviegoers to experience it on the big screen as it was meant to be seen," said Dan Fellman, president of Warner Brothers' domestic distribution in the U.S. Only three films have grossed more than $1 billion worldwide - Titanic, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest and The Return of the King, the third Lord of the Rings film.

"L WORD" IS KILLING ONE OF ITS MAJOR CHARACTERS
[AP, 12/6/08]
Dead is the word when "The L Word" returns. Showtime's drama about a circle of lesbian friends and lovers is going to kill off one of its major characters on the premiere of its sixth — and final — season. The victim is Jenny Schecter, Showtime has disclosed. Jenny, a would-be writer and accomplished two-timer, has long been embraced by fans as the character they most love to hate. The episode, which airs January 18, begins with a splash as Jenny's body is discovered in a swimming pool. Accident, or murder — and whodunit? Viewers will have to wait for those answers. Meanwhile, she won't be absent from the show: The remainder of the season is heavy with flashbacks of Jenny (played by Mia Kirshner) in the swim with her enemies and pals.

TYLER PERRY TAKES THE STAND IN COPYRIGHT LAWSUIT
[AP, 12/5/08]
Actor-screenwriter Tyler Perry testified in a copyright infringement lawsuit Wednesday, December 3 that he did not steal material from a woman's play for his blockbuster movie "Diary of a Mad Black Woman." Donna West is suing Perry in federal court, arguing that he lifted material from a script she wrote titled "Fantasy of a Black Woman," which was based primarily on her own experiences. She wants a jury to award her family all the profits made from Perry's 2005 film, which earned some $50 million. Perry insisted that his screenplay is an original work, but under questioning by West's attorney, said he did not know whether anyone actually saw him write the script, The Marshall News Messenger reported for its Thursday editions. Perry's attorney said his client doesn't have an original copy of his script because he sends all his work to the Library of Congress for a copyright. West's attorney, Aubrey "Nick" Pittman, suggested that Perry copied ideas from other movies and incorporated them into his box office hit. He asked Perry whether he had taken concepts from "Mrs. Doubtfire," "The Color Purple," "An Officer and a Gentleman" and Martin Lawrence's role in "Big Momma's House." "I never stole anything from anybody — never," Perry said, locking his eyes with the jury. Jurors on Tuesday watched the film and listened to a reading of the script from West's play which was performed in 1991 at the Junior Black Academy of Arts and Letters at the Dallas Convention Center. L.D. Dabney, an associate of West and a theater arts enthusiast of the Dallas area, testified earlier Wednesday that when he first saw Perry's film in July 2006, he thought it was based on West's play because he knew what was going to happen from one scene to the next. Testimony was expected to resume Thursday, December 5, 2008.

CW LOOKING TO SPIN OFF "GOSSIP GIRL"
[Reuters/Hollywood Reporter, 12/5/08]
CW entertainment president Dawn Ostroff said the network is in discussions with the "Gossip Girl" producers as to how a new show could be done next season. But she said nothing has been finalized and there's no imminent announcement. "Nothing really tangible yet, but we're talking about it," Ostroff told the Hollywood Reporter. "Gossip Girl" is averaging 3.5 million viewers so far this season -- its second -- up from 2.7 million at the same point last year. The show, which revolves around privileged teens in Manhattan, stars Blake Lively, Leighton Meester and Penn Badgley.

"SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE" WINS BEST FILM FROM NATIONAL BOARD OF REVIEW
[CBC, 12/5/08]
The National Board of Review has picked Slumdog Millionaire, the story of a poor boy made good in Mumbai, as the year's best film. The board, a group of film historians, students and educators, is closely watched because its picks are considered a harbinger of the Academy Awards. The board picked last year's Oscar winner, No Country for Old Men, and singled out independent films such as Juno, which also won awards at the Oscars. "Slumdog Millionaire", directed by Danny Boyle, stars Dev Patel, whom the board honoured with the award for best breakthrough performance by an actor. Simon Beaufoy, writer of "Slumdog", shared the award for best screenplay with The Curious Case of Benjamin Button's Eric Roth. "Benjamin Button", one of several films considered Oscar contenders that has not had commercial release, also earned a best director win for David Fincher. Other winners, announced Thursday, December 4, include Anne Hathaway as best actress for her performance as the junkie sister in Rachel Getting Married and Clint Eastwood as best actor in not-yet-released Gran Torino. Penelope Cruz was named best supporting actor for role as the crazy artist in Woody Allen's Vicky Christina Barcelona and Josh Brolin was best supporting actor for Milk. The National Board gave a best ensemble award to Doubt, an adaptation of a Pulitzer Prize-winning play, starring Meryl Streep and Philip Seymour Hoffman. Viola Davis, also from "Doubt", won for breakthrough performance by an actress. Man on a Wire, a 2008 documentary by James Marsh about Philippe Petit's 1974 high-wire walk between the twin towers of New York's World Trade Center, won the award for best documentary. WALL*E was best animated film and Mongol best foreign-language film. The awards will be handed out January 14, 2009 in a New York gala hosted by Whoopi Goldberg.

U.K. COMIC RUSSELL BRAND DEVELOPING "ARTHUR" REMAKE
[Reuters/Hollywood Reporter, 12/5/08]
Russell Brand might soon be caught between the moon and New York City. The controversial British comedian is developing a remake of "Arthur," the 1981 comedy that starred Dudley Moore, as a potential starring vehicle. He is meeting with scribes to write the screenplay for Warner Bros. The original movie followed a boozy playboy rascal who is set to inherit a fortune if he marries an heiress his family thinks will make something out of him. However, he falls in love with a working-class woman and turns to his valet for help when his family makes him choose between money and love. Moore was nominated for an Oscar as was Steve Gordon, the film's writer-director. John Gielgud won the Oscar for his supporting role as the valet, and the movie's theme song, "Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)," sung by Christopher Cross, won for original song. Brand already has a rascally reputation, not only for his past sex-, drugs- and alcohol-infused lifestyle but also for on-air radio pranks that recently led him to being suspended by the BBC. He subsequently resigned. American audiences got their first taste of Brand in "Forgetting Sarah Marshall," in which he played a rock star lothario. He next appears with Adam Sandler in "Bedtime Stories," which opens on Christmas Day, 2008. Brand is filming Julie Taymor's adaptation of Shakespeare's "The Tempest," and will reunite his "Marshall" cohorts for "Get Him to the Greek."

NEW CANADIAN PRODUCTION OF "JERSEY BOYS" TO OPEN NEXT WEEK
[CBC, 12/5/08]
A Canadian production of the hit show Jersey Boys opens Friday, December 12 in Toronto, with a new, mainly Canadian cast. Jersey Boys has been a hit for Dancap Productions, filling the huge Toronto Centre for the Arts in north Toronto night after night. But the show that opened last August, with veterans of the New York production in many of the lead roles, ends this weekend, and the show goes dark for four nights until Friday, December 12. That down time allows a new cast, still directed by Stratford's Des McAnuff and with dance direction by Sergio Trujillo, to complete technical rehearsals. When the show reopens, all but two cast members will be new, and three of the four lead roles will be played by Canadians. "Jersey Boys" is the story of the Four Seasons, the musical group comprised of four guys from New Jersey that created hits such as Sherry, Walk Like a Man and Can't Take My Eyes Off You. This week, the new cast is in rehearsal 12 hours a day. Dan says he bought the set to the original Toronto show, so he's going into the Canadian production with all the technical details in place. Jersey Boys is scheduled to run Dec. 12, 2008–Feb. 1, 2009.

THREE TEENAGERS' JOY AT PLAYING "MICHAEL JACKSON" IN "THRILLER LIVE"
[BBC, 12/5/08]
Three teenagers who are to play Michael Jackson in the new West End show Thriller Live have spoken of their excitement at portraying their idol. Layton Williams from Bury, Sterling Williams from London and Kieran Alleyne from Leicester - all aged 13 - will play the pop superstar in rotation. They appeared at the Lyric Theatre dressed in 1970s clothes and performed Jackson 5 hit I Want You Back. "It's quite scary that we have to be him as he was so amazing," said Layton. Layton, the most experienced performer of the three, was the first black Billy Elliot. "I'm just going to have to do my best," he added. "I really like just getting on stage and, when I finish, for the audience to appreciate it and applaud you. It's a really good buzz. "Working on stage is what I want to do for the rest of my life." Sterling, who has played Simba in Lion King in the West End, said: "I love singing his [Jackson's] songs, so this is the perfect role for me." The less-experienced Kieran beat 60 other hopefuls in open auditions to become one of the Michael Jacksons. "I've always looked up to Michael Jackson. He has always been an idol to me and I've always been trying to follow in his footsteps and to get into a singing career. "I'm really overwhelmed to be performing in a show which is a tribute to him," he said. The opening performance of the show, which celebrates Jackson's career and features his hits, will take place on 2 January 2009. The singer is not involved in the production.

TORONTO DIRECTOR'S FIRST FILM TO DEBUT AT SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL
[CBC, 12/5/08]
Toronto writer David Bezmozgis' debut feature film Victoria Day is to have its premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in January, 2009. The Sundance Film Festival, the most important U.S. forum for independent films, announced a slate of films in competition on Wednesday, December 3. "Victoria Day", a coming-of-age story based on one of Bezmozgis's acclaimed short stories, will compete in the world cinema dramatic competition. Two other Canadian movies — Nollywood Babylon and Prom Night in Mississippi — appear in the world cinema documentary competition. "Victoria Day" tells the story of a week in the life of a teenaged boy in May 1988 in which he gets caught up in the search for a missing boy, has a romance with the boy's sister, follows the Stanley Cup finals and participates in a peculiar Vietnam re-enactment with Victoria Day firecrackers. Bezmozgis, whose Natasha and Other Stories was chosen for Canada Reads, completed a director's and screenwriter's lab for "Victoria Day" at the Sundance Institute in 2006. " Nollywood Babylon", a feature documentary about the popularity of Nigeria's film industry, is directed by Ben Addelman and Samir Mallal. It is the third documentary collaboration for Addelman and Mallel, who met at the National Film Board in Montreal. They investigate Nigeria's brash, inventive B-movie culture and its films combining voodoo, magic and urban storylines. " Nollywood Babylon" previously screened at Festival du Nouveau Cinéma in Montreal. Emmy-winning Canadian director Paul Saltzman is creator of Prom Night in Mississippi, which tells the story of Charleston High School's first integrated prom. Actor Morgan Freeman had made a long-standing offer that he would pay for prom night if the school created a prom for black and white students together and the school finally took him up on it. The world documentary competition has 16 entries including: Afghan Star: director Havana Marking follows four singers risking their lives to compete in the Afghanistan version of American Idol; Thriller in Manila: about the 1975 heavyweight match between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier, one of the most bitter sporting rivalries ever, chronicled by British director John Dower; Burma VJ: Danish filmmaker Anders Oestergaard looks at the Saffron Revolution, the September 2007 uprising in Burma and how journalists there risked going to prison to send pocket-camera images to the rest of the world. The feature competition includes buzzed about film Paper Heart in which director Nicolas Jasenovec follows the real-life romance of comedian Charlene Yi and Canadian actor Michael Cera. A film adapted from a novel by late writer David Foster Wallace, who committed suicide in September, has been created by writer-director John Krasinski, the actor who plays the mild-mannered Jim on NBC's The Office. Brief Interviews With Hideous Men is about a woman played by Julianne Nicholson who dissects her breakup by talking to other men about their bad behaviour. Also on the drama lineup: Cold Souls: directed and written by Sophie Barthes and starring Paul Giamatti as a fading actor; The Greatest: written and directed by Shana Feste and starring Pierce Brosnan and Susan Sarandon as a couple who have lost their son; Peter and Vandy: a romance written and directed by Jay DiPietro and starring Jason Ritter and Jess Weixler; Push: writer-director Lee Daniels' film about a Harlem girl inspired by her teacher, starring Paula Patton, comedian Mo'Nique and rocker Lenny Kravitz. The Sundance Film Festival runs Jan. 15-25, 2009 in Park City, Utah.

KAZAKH FILM "TULPAN" ADDS MORE TROPHIES TO FESTIVAL HAUL
[CBC, 12/4/08]
The lighthearted Kazakh film Tulpan, about a young man's search for romance and his dream of becoming a shepherd, has picked up the top prize at the close of the International Film Festival of India. Though writer-director Sergey Dvortsevoy has four documentaries under his belt, the southern Kazakhstan-set "Tulpan" is his feature film debut. In addition to "Tulpan" winning the Golden Peacock trophy for best film, the jury named Dvortsevoy its choice for best director. "I am happy the jury understood and appreciated our [Kazakh way of] life and the story I told about the people of Kazakhstan," the filmmaker said after his win Tuesday, December 2. Other winners included actress Malani Fonseka, who won a special jury prize for her turn in the Sri Lankan film Akasa Kumsum [Flowers of the Sky]. The 10-day festival ended on a more sombre note after last week's Mumbai attacks as well as the unrelated death of former Indian prime minister V.P. Singh. After the attacks, organizers reined in the festival, cancelling some related events and paid tribute to the victims of the attack. The awards presentation itself was a simple ceremony at the Kala Academy in Goa. "Tulpan" has won praise for its beautiful cinematography and engaging, witty performances. It picked up the Un Certain Regard prize at this year's Cannes film festival, the prestigious Louve d'Or prize at Montreal's Festival du Nouveau Cinéma and best film at the Asia-Pacific Screen Awards, as well as other accolades this year. It is also Kazakhstan's official submission for consideration for the foreign-language film Oscar.

FONDA, NICHOLSON TO JOIN CALIFORNIA HALL OF FAME
[AP, 12/4/08]
Hollywood stars Jane Fonda and Jack Nicholson are among the latest notable figures being inducted into the California Hall of Fame. Musicians Dave Brubeck and Quincy Jones, fitness guru Jack LaLanne, sculptor Robert Graham and chef Alice Waters will also be inducted at the Dec.15, 2008 ceremony in Sacramento. "Dr. Seuss" author Theodor Geisel, photographer Dorothea Lange, architect Julia Morgan, scientist Linus Pauling and former Gov. Leland Stanford will be inducted posthumously. First lady Maria Shriver started the program in 2006 to honor those who've helped shape the state. Fonda's induction comes nearly 30 years after the state Senate rejected her nomination to the California Arts Council because of her campaign against the Vietnam War.

PETER KELEGHAN WINS ACTRA HONOUR
[CBC, 12/4/08]
Actor Peter Keleghan, a familiar face from TV shows like The Newsroom, Made in Canada and The Red Green Show, will be honoured with an award from Canada's largest English-language performers union. ACTRA Toronto announced Keleghan as the 2009 winner of its award of excellence on Wednesday, December 3. The annual prize pays tribute to a Canadian performer for a body of work and for efforts to improve the acting community and Canadian culture overall. Keleghan will receive the honour during the Toronto branch's Feb. 20, 2009 awards show, which will also recognize a host of outstanding performances over the past year. In addition to his prolific film and TV schedule, the Montreal-born Keleghan is also an active arts advocate, Karl Pruner, president of the Toronto branch, said in a statement. "Peter has repeatedly found time in a busy career to stand up for his fellow performers," Pruner said. "In January of this year, ACTRA members will celebrate the launch of Creative Arts Savings & Credit Union, a financial institution created for freelance film and television professionals. The performer who conceived of and tirelessly advocated for this project? Peter Keleghan." Past winners of the prize include Sarah Polley, Gordon Pinsent, Eric Peterson, Paul Gross and Wendy Crewson. ACTRA Toronto represents more than 11,000 of the union's approximately 21,000 members across the nation.

"MAUDE" STAR AMONG TV HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES
[AP, 12/4/08]
"Maude" and "Golden Girls" star Bea Arthur is happily poised to enter the TV Academy Hall of Fame, but she acknowledges it's her own fault the recognition didn't come sooner. Arthur says the academy approached her five years ago about her joining the ranks of past honorees, who include Lucille Ball, Johnny Carson and Bill Cosby. "I said, 'So sorry, very nice of you, but I can't possibly accept. There are so many talented people in the business,'" Arthur recalled. "When I hung up, I thought, 'Why the hell did I do that?' I had vaguely heard that George C. Scott had turned down the Academy Award, which I thought was kind of cool," Arthur said. The Hall of Fame ceremony is scheduled for Dec. 9, 2008 in Beverly Hills, and Arthur said she's "delighted" to be included. Other inductees are TV and movie writer Larry Gelbart ("M-A-S-H," "Tootsie"), the late talk show host and producer Merv Griffin ("Wheel of Fortune," "Jeopardy!"), writer-producer Sherwood Schwartz ("Gilligan's Island," "The Brady Bunch") and former Capital Cities/ABC executives Thomas Murphy and Daniel B. Burke. "It's so important to hold up great examples of people who have done something exceptional," said John Shaffner, TV Academy chairman and CEO. "It not only reminds us of what can be accomplished but it inspires us." Arthur, 86, speaks fondly of Maude Findlay, the outspoken liberal character created for her by writer-producer Norman Lear and first introduced on "All in the Family." The spin-off "Maude" aired on CBS from 1972-78. As for "The Golden Girls," the 1985-92 NBC series about four older single women created by Susan Harris, it was simply "brilliant," Arthur said. Ask Arthur about the highlight of her long career, and she points to her role in 1954's off-Broadway premiere of Kurt Weill and Bertolt Brecht's "The Threepenny Opera." "A lot of that had to do with the fact that I felt, 'Ah, yes, I belong here,'" Arthur said.

WINNERS OF 2008 GOTHAM INDEPENDENT FILM AWARDS ANNOUNCED
[Aceshowbiz, 12/4/08]
"Frozen River" has come out victorious at the 18th Annual Gotham Independent Film Awards. On December 2 at Cipriani Wall Street in New York City, the Sony Pictures Classics dramatic thriller has been awarded with two kudos from the awards presented to independent films and those who make them. The Courtney Hunt-directed drama about a New York mother getting into the world of illegal immigrant smuggling has been recognized as Best Feature, beating out "Ballast", "Synecdoche, New York", "The Visitor" and "The Wrestler". Accepting the coveted award, Hunt said, "I did not see this one coming, I did not see this coming." Apart from the Best Picture prize, the movie also helped its star Melissa Leo to earn the Breakthrough Actor kudo. Other winners included "Synecdoche, New York" and "Vicky Cristina Barcelona" which were tied for the title of Best Ensemble Performance. In the meantime, the awards for Breakthrough Director went to Lance Hammer for his work on "Ballast", and for Best Documentary was given to "Trouble the Water". The awards gala was hosted by "The Daily Show" correspondent Aasif Mandvi. On the special event, actress Penelope Cruz, filmmakers Gus Van Sant and Melvin Van Peebles, and HBO documentary maven Sheila Nevins were honored with Tribute awards. Winners List of 2008 Gotham Independent Film Awards: Best Feature: "Frozen River" • Best Documentary: "Trouble the Water" • Best Ensemble Performance (Tied): "Synecdoche, New York" - Philip Seymour Hoffman, Samantha Morton, Michelle Williams, Catherine Keener, Emily Watson, Dianne Wiest, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Hope Davis and Tom Noonan • "Vicky Cristina Barcelona" - Scarlett Johansson, Rebecca Hall, Javier Bardem and Penelope Cruz • Breakthrough Director: Lance Hammer, "Ballast" • Breakthrough Actor: Melissa Leo, "Frozen River" • Best Film Not Playing at a Theater Near You: "Sita Sings the Blues".

ENTERTAINMENT ONE TO EXPAND FILM BUSINESS IN CANADA
[Reuters, 12/4/08]
British audio and visual media group Entertainment One Ltd posted an unchanged first-half loss that met company expectations, and said it would continue to expand its Canadian film business. Chief Executive Darren Throop also said he remained confident about the company's outlook despite wider economic uncertainty, given a strong second-half line-up including films such as Twilight, Knowing and Pride and Glory. On September 24, the Cayman Islands-based company acquired Canadian TV production and distribution businesses Barna-Alper, Blueprint, Oasis and Maximum for 28 million pounds ($42 million) to expand its business in the North American market. Entertainment One shares were indicated up 7.7 percent at 35 pence in early trading, moving away from the record low at 32 pence seen earlier this week. The company listed on AIM in March 2007 when it placed shares at 100 pence. The London-listed distributor of home entertainment products, television programs and music content in North America reported a half-year pretax loss of 5.5 million pounds for the six months to September 30, after a 5.4 million loss a year ago. "The overall performance of the group was in line with our expectations and reflects our growth in filmed entertainment," Throop said.

COPYRIGHT DOCUMENTARY WINS AUDIENCE AWARD AT FILM FESTIVAL IN AMSTERDAM
[CBC, 12/3/08]
Montreal filmmaker Brett Gaylor's documentary exploring copyright issues in the information age has won the top audience award at the 21st International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam. His RiP: A Remix Manifesto won the 5,000-euro ($7,900 Cdn) Dioraphte Audience Award on Saturday, November 29. It is voted on by the 40,000 audience members at the Amsterdam documentary festival who rate each film from "hopeless" to "superb." RiP: A Remix Manifesto is an open source documentary that investigates the implications of the current legal climate that has movie studios and record producers suing ordinary citizens. The film was created over six years, collaboratively remixing the work of hundreds of people who contributed to a website. Gaylor is an internet activist who promotes the spread of open source filmmaking, in which filmmakers, musicians and new media artists make samples of their work available to other creators so new works can be created. In his film, Gaylor follows Montreal's Girl Talk, a mash-up musician known for his sample-based songs and has footage from experts such as Creative Commons' founder Lawrence Lessig and pop culture critic Cory Doctorow. All his documentary footage is open source material and is offered up as a way to kickstart more creation. Produced by EyeSteelFilm and the National Film Board of Canada, RiP: A Remix Manifesto can be seen at the Whistler Film Festival Dec. 4 to 8, 2008. It also will be broadcast on Documentary and Canal D in Canada.

'RACHEL', 'RIVER', LEAD SPIRIT AWARD NOMINEES
[AP, 12/3/08]
Anne Hathaway's family drama "Rachel Getting Married," the border-smuggling tale "Frozen River" and the Deep South saga "Ballast" lead the nominees for the Spirit Awards with six nominations each, including best picture. Other best-picture nominees announced Tuesday, December 2: Michelle Williams' down-on-her-luck drama, "Wendy and Lucy," and Mickey Rourke's broken-down athlete tale "The Wrestler." Hathaway and Williams have lead-actress nominations, along with Melissa Leo for "Frozen River," Summer Bishil for "Towelhead" and Tarra Riggs for "Ballast." Rourke has a best-actor nomination, along with Javier Bardem for "Vicky Cristina Barcelona," Richard Jenkins for "The Visitor," Sean Penn for "Milk" and Jeremy Renner for "The Hurt Locker." The awards honor independent film.

FOR GOLDEN GLOBES, STRATEGY HAS STARRING ROLE
[Reuters/Hollywood Reporter, 12/3/08]
The Golden Globes are getting a lot of support. The Hollywood Foreign Press Association, parent organization of the annual film and television awards event, has accepted bids from several film studios to classify actors in its supporting rather than lead categories despite their having significant screen time. The HFPA allowed Miramax's push for Philip Seymour Hoffman's complicated cleric Father Flynn in "Doubt" and Dev Patel's soft-spoken Jamal Malik in Fox Searchlight's "Slumdog Millionaire" as supporting roles in the Golden Globes race, nominations for which will be announced December 11, 2008. And after what was said to be heated discussion, the organization ultimately accepted the Weinstein Co.'s positioning of Kate Winslet's portrayal of Nazi guard Hanna Schmitz in "The Reader" as a supporting role, ensuring that the star of "Revolutionary Road" will not compete against herself in the leading actress category. Ralph Fiennes and David Kross, who play younger and older versions of conflicted lawyer Michael Burk in the drama, also were accepted as supporting actors, making the movie a rarity: a non-ensemble film with no lead. The abundance of borderline cases that will be treated as supporting performances will turn a usually sparsely populated field into a relatively crowded one. Studios often prefer supporting categories because the roomier field increases nomination chances, but the cases this year could upend the conventional wisdom. Supporting categories also are more limited because they aren't split into comedy/musical and drama, as the lead acting categories are, which doubles the number of nominees. At the other end of the spectrum, the HFPA accepted three leads for Woody Allen's "Vicky Cristina Barcelona" in Javier Bardem, Scarlett Johansson and Rebecca Hall and also allowed David Sheen as a lead for his performance as David Frost in presidential talker "Frost/Nixon." On the best-film front, the HFPA allowed Overture's push for "Last Chance Harvey" as a comedy/musical, which will mean that leads Dustin Hoffman and Emma Thompson will face a less densely packed field in their acting categories than they would on the drama side. The group also allowed Sony to position "Cadillac Records" as a comedy/musical. The HFPA rejected, however, Lionsgate's bid to consider "W." as a comedy/musical, a move that would have put it in a less crowded field. "Slumdog Millionaire" had been the subject of early rumours as a potential comedy/musical entry, but Fox Searchlight submitted it as a drama, which the HFPA accepted.

"STREET FIGHTER: THE LEGEND OF CHUN-LI" EXPOSES KRISTIN KREUK'S CHUN-LI IN ACTION
[Aceshowbiz, 12/3/08]
More fresh photos from "Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li" have been exposed. Highlighting on the titular character, some of the new pictures let out the action as Chun-Li played by Kristin Kreuk can be seen to be involved in a fight with several thugs. Another image displays her in a meditation position surrounded by a circle of candles. Adapted from the famous series of fighting video games by Capcom, "Legend of Chun-Li" focuses its story on the undercover Interpol agent Chun-Li. Using a script from Justin Marks, it will follow the character known for her 'ox-horns' hairstyle as she searches for justice. Aside from Kristin Kreuk, the 20th Century Fox film also stars Michael Clarke Duncan as Balrog, Chris Klein as Charlie Nash, Neal McDonough as M. Bison, Moon Bloodgood as Detective Maya Sunee, Taboo as Vega and many others. Directed by Andrzej Bartkowiak, it will come out in U.S. theaters on February 27, 2009.

SHATNER BOLDLY LAUNCHES CHAT SHOW
[BBC, 12/3/08]
Actor William Shatner is promising to uncover the truth about the guests on his new U.S TV chat show, which airs for the first time on Tuesday, December 2. The Biography Channel program, Raw Nerve, will see the 77-year-old interview other celebrities, including former Star Trek co-star Leonard Nimoy. An appearance by Star Trek actor George Takei has also been mooted. Shatner was upset after not being invited to the I'm A Celebrity star's wedding to his partner in September. Takei's mananger told Reuters that the actor would like to appear on the show in the future after Shatner issued an invitation. Shatner has already recorded 13 interviews, including with former Frasier star Kesley Grammer, Tim Allen - who will be in the debut show - and Jon Voight, the father of film star Angelina Jolie. The actor appeared in the 1960s TV version of Star Trek and a number of subsequent films. His other recent ventures include a business in which he signs keepsakes for fans while being filmed.

SHIA BACK ON RIGHT SIDE OF THE LAW
[E! Online, 12/3/08]
For his next big-screen project, Shia LaBeouf is sticking with what he knows—or at least, what he has come to know via a few high-profile, rather embarrassing incidents—the legal system. In a nice change of pace, this time around the actor will be the one in the right, signing on to star in the latest cash cow adaptation of a John Grisham novel, The Associate. According to Variety, LaBeouf will play a fresh graduate of Yale Law School who is manipulated into accepting a job at a prestigious law firm and who soon becomes privy to inside information about a billion-dollar lawsuit. In other words, every Grisham book ever written. Paramount Pictures acquired the book rights even before it was published, so sure studio suits are of its box-office prowess. The crime thriller won't be published until January. There's no word yet on when the film will go into production. In other casting news, Courtney B. Vance and Pirates of the Caribbean romantic foil Jack Davenport have become the first actors to join ABC's drama pilot Flash Forward. According to the Hollywood Reporter, the show is being touted as a companion piece to Lost and is based on Robert J. Sawyer's sci-fi novel that chronicles what happens when everyone in the world simultaneously blacks out for 2 minutes and 17 seconds and experiences a strange vision of the future.

BUSCEMI EYES ROLE IN HBO's "BOARDWALK EMPIRE"
[Reuters/Hollywood Reporter, 12/2/08]
Actor Steve Buscemi is in talks to star as a powerful racketeer in "Boardwalk Empire," Martin Scorsese's period drama pilot for HBO. Also in talks, for a co-starring role in the project, is Kelly Macdonald. Written by Terrence Winter and to be directed by Scorsese, "Empire" is based on Nelson Johnson's non-fiction book, which chronicles the 1920s origins of Atlantic City, New Jersey. Buscemi would play Nucky Johnson, a cunning businessman who runs a liquor distribution ring at the onset of Prohibition. Scottish-born Macdonald would play Margaret, a smart Irish immigrant who married the wrong man to get out of her parents' house. "Empire" is executive produced by Scorsese, his "Departed" star Mark Wahlberg, Stephen Levinson and Winter. The pilot reunites Buscemi with HBO after his stint on the pay cable network's mob drama "The Sopranos," which earned him Emmy nominations for directing in 2001 and acting in 2004. He landed another Emmy nomination this year for his guest appearance on the NBC comedy "30 Rock." Buscemi's upcoming features include Miguel Arteta's comedy-drama "Youth in Revolt" and "Rage," by British filmmaker Sally Potter. Macdonald is another familiar face at HBO. She won an Emmy for her role in the HBO/BBC movie "The Girl at the Cafe." Her recent big-screen roles included the Oscar-winning "No Country for Old Men" and the indie "Choke."

SELENA GOMEZ TO HOST DISNEY CHANNEL'S "TOTALLY NEW YEAR"
[Aceshowbiz, 12/2/08]
Celebrating the upcoming new year, Disney Channel gives fans a chance to vote for their favorite performers, episodes, music video, and many more for the mouse house's "Totally New Year" programming line-up. It has been reported that the "Totally New Year" show is scheduled to air on December 31 starting from 5 P.M. to 11:30 P.M. Furthermore, "Wizards of Waverly Place" cast members, Selena Gomez, David Henrie, Jake T. Austin, and Jennifer Stone, will serve as the host of the show. Meanwhile, other Disney Channel's celebrities, including Miley Cyrus, Emily Osment, Demi Lovato, Brandon Smith, Brenda Song, Mitchel Musso, and Jonas Brothers, are reported to help celebrate the "Totally New Year" gala. "Totally New Year" will present 21 categories to vote for, such as Totally Best Guest, Totally Silly Siblings, Totally Hair-Raising and Totally Random Relatives. The online poll now is open at Disney Channel until December 31, 2008.

HARRY CONNICK JR. AND HUGH JACKMAN TO GUEST STAR ON "THE VIEW"
[Aceshowbiz, 12/2/08]
Emmy award-winning talk show, "The View", will have more guest-star actors appearing on the ABC's show. Harry Connick Jr. from "P.S. I Love You" and Hugh Jackman from "X-Men Origins: Wolverine", are some of the actors who are reported to make time for an interview on the show. Though Connick Jr. and Jackman have been set to come to the talk show this week, they will not be interviewed on the same day. While Connick will get an interview on Thursday, December 4, Jackman will be on the hot-seat on Friday, December 5. Apart from Harry Connick Jr. and Hugh Jackman, several other celebrities, such as Randy Jackson, Patricia Heaton, Kristin Chenoweth, Jennifer Esposito, and Jeff Goldblum, will also be seen on the show throughout the week. Jackson, in particular, will promote his book "Body With Soul". "The View" is the ABC Daytime's morning chatfest which airs at 11 A.M. weekdays.

KUNG FU PANDA A FAVOURITE FOR "ANNIE AWARDS" NOMINATIONS
[CBC, 12/2/08]
Kung Fu Panda has kicked its way to the head of the field in the Annie Awards, with a leading 16 nominations for the annual prizes from the Hollywood branch of the International Animated Film Society. "Kung Fu Panda", a Dreamworks production directed by John Stevenson and Mark Osborne, earned nominations for best animated feature, best character animation, character design, directing, music, production design, storyboarding, voice work and writing. A video game based on the movie earned a 17th nomination for the franchise. Three of its stars — Dustin Hoffman, James Hong and Ian McShane — have earned nominations for best voice work. They're competing against Jeff Gabor of Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears A Who and Victor Navone of Wall-E. Also nominated for best feature are Disney's dog story Bolt, Sherman Pictures $9.99, a stop motion feature based on the stories of Etgar Keret, Pixar's sci-fi story Wall-E and Sony Pictures's Waltz With Bashir, an animated documentary about the aftermath of war that was a hit at the Toronto International Film Festival. In the TV categories the contenders for best animated production include King Of the Hill, Moral Oral, Robot chicken: Star Wars Episode II, Phineas and Ferb and The Simpsons. The nominees for best animated short subject are: Glago's Guest, Walt Disney Animation Studios; Hot Dog, Bill Plympton Studio; Presto, Pixar Animation Studios; Sebastian's Voodoo, Joaquin Baldwin and Wallace & Gromit: A Matter of Loaf and Death, Aardman Animations Ltd. The nominees for best children's TV show are: A Miser Brothers Christmas, Warner Bros; Avatar: The Last Airbender, Nickelodeon; Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends, Destination Imagination, Cartoon Network; The Mighty B! Nickelodeon and Underfist: Halloween Bash, Cartoon Network. The Annies will be handed out Jan. 20, 2009 in Los Angeles.

TORONTO CRITICS ANNOUNCE $10,000 CANADIAN MOVIE PRIZE
[CBC, 12/2/08]
Toronto's film critics have launched a $10,000 award celebrating Canadian filmmakers. The Toronto Film Critics Association (TFCA), which traditionally issues its pick of the year's best films in December, will now also present the new Rogers Best Canadian Film Award. "The TFCA wants to bring together all sides of the industry to celebrate the best films of the year, including the finest Canadian work," group president and Maclean's critic Brian D. Johnson said in a statement. "Given Toronto's stature as a film capital, the pre-eminence of [the Toronto International Film Festival], and the vitality of film criticism in this city, it's only fitting to have an awards dinner on a par with events held by critics' groups in New York and Los Angeles." The new prize is open to all Canadian features released to theatres during 2008. The first winner for the prize will be announced by filmmaker and actress Sarah Polley at the group's annual awards dinner on Jan. 6, 2009. The Toronto group, comprising film critics who write for more than two dozen of the city's print and electronic media outlets, named Polley's feature directorial debut Away From Her its top Canadian film and best first feature last year. Other categories honoured by the group include best performances (male and female, lead and supporting), direction, screenplay, animated feature, documentary and foreign language film.

"THE READER" DELVES INTO COMPLEXITIES OF POSTWAR GUILT
[Reuters/Hollywood Reporter, 12/2/08]
"The Reader" is the last project of producers Sydney Pollack and Anthony Minghella, both of whom passed away during the film's making. It's a testament to the kind of productions each was associated with -- films of entertainment, often with stars, that also reach out in terms of situations, themes and settings to embrace larger issues that confront society. "The Reader" is a well-told coming-of-age yarn about a young boy growing up in postwar West Germany and experiencing his first love affair. But the outreach is to an issue crucial in that country and genuinely disturbing to any viewer. This is the troubling dilemma of Germany's so-called "second generation," which had to come to terms with the Nazi era and a Holocaust perpetuated by parents, teachers and even lovers. Certainly "The Reader," for all its erotic scenes involving Kate Winslet, presents a difficult marketing challenge. The lively, nonlinear structure imposed by screenwriter David Hare and tight, focused direction from Stephen Daldry make this an engaging period drama. But German postwar guilt is not the most winning subject matter for the holiday season. The Weinstein Co. release opens December 10, 2008, expands Christmas Day and goes national January 9, 2009. "The Reader," based on Bernhard Schlink's controversial German novel, deliberately places a Holocaust perpetrator at the story's focal point. But since we first meet her in an entirely different light, as a kind, loving and passionate woman, it explores the challenges of this second generation in navigating a welter of deeply psychological and morally complex issues. The film opens in 1995 Berlin, where Ralph Fiennes plays aloof, emotionally numb attorney Michael Berg. We're swiftly conveyed back to 1958, when his younger self (very well played by David Kross) has a chance encounter that will forever affect him. Coming down with what he later learns is scarlet fever, he is helped home by a stranger, Hanna (Winslet). Upon recovering, he looks her up to thank her and finds himself losing his virginity to her. They embark on an affair with its own kind of feverish urgency. To Winslet and Kross belong the gutsy, intense performances of the film. Lena Olin, as an unyielding camp survivor, and Bruno Ganz, as a sagacious law professor, put in memorable appearances. Fiennes is solid as the elder Berg, but by this stage of life the "oldness" Hanna once exhibited has caught up with him too, making his a somewhat listless role. Superior production work in Germany by top professionals -- led by two of the world's finest cinematographers, Chris Menges and Roger Deakins -- gives what is a very tough story a fine professional polish.

SMALL THINGS "FROST/NIXON" COULD DO WITHOUT
[Reuters, 12/2/08]
Sir David Frost says a new film about his historical interview with former U.S. President Richard Nixon is better than the stage play it is based on, but "there are one or two small bits it could do without." Director Ron Howard's "Frost/Nixon" is based on Peter Morgan's Tony Award-winning play of the same name and stars the same actors who played the characters on stage in London and New York -- Michael Sheen (Frost) and Frank Langella (Nixon). Morgan also wrote the screenplay for the film, which debuts in major U.S. cities on December 5 and elsewhere across the United States and the world in coming months. "There is about 10 percent fiction," Frost, 69, who now hosts a show on the Al Jazeera English network, told Reuters in a recent interview. "It's just minor things in the fiction that really can be summed up as the things that Peter was doing to try and build me up as an underdog." "To build up the ending so he left out all the things I'd done by the time of the Nixon interviews -- three prime ministers, three ex-presidents, all sorts of stuff," he said. Frost's 1977 interview, three years after Nixon was forced to resign over the Watergate scandal, gripped viewers around the world as the former president admitted for the first time he had made mistakes and let the American people down. Critics at the time had scoffed at whether the British TV personality could hold is own against former lawyer Nixon. Howard told Reuters that Morgan, nominated for an Oscar for writing 2006's "The Queen," accentuated parts of Frost's character to show why people may have doubted his abilities. Frost paid Nixon some $600,000 for interviews that produced nearly 29 hours of footage and took place over 12 days, two days of which was dedicated to questions on Watergate. Frost is releasing "Frost/Nixon: The Original Watergate Interviews" on DVD on Tuesday, December 2, 2008. Frost said his goal was always to give Nixon "the trial that he never had" and that "to a certain extent we did achieve more than we could have hoped."

"SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE" SCOOPS BRITISH INDEPENDENT FILM AWARDS
[BBC, 12/1/08]
A movie about a poor Indian boy who wins a game show fortune has taken three prizes, including best film, at the British Independent Film Awards. Slumdog Millionaire, which is not out in the U.K until January, 2009, also won best director for Danny Boyle and best newcomer for 18-year-old Dev Patel. Political drama Hunger also took three prizes, with Michael Fassbender named best actor for playing Bobby Sands. Harry Potter star David Thewlis picked up an outstanding contribution prize. The 45-year-old, who plays Remus Lupin in the wizarding franchise, is also known for his roles in Mike Leigh's Naked and Ridley Scott's Kingdom of Heaven. His co-star in concentration camp drama The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas, Vera Farmiga, took home the best actress award from the London ceremony. Hitman comedy In Bruges, which had received seven nominations, only picked up one trophy - for best screenplay. Mike Leigh's Happy-Go-Lucky, the tale of a North London schoolteacher whose optimism tends to exasperate those around her, scooped two prizes. Eddie Marsan took best supporting actor for his role as Scott, a driving instructor with rage issues. Alexis Zegerman was named best supporting actress as the heroine's long-suffering flatmate, Zoe. Michael Sheen, who plays David Frost in the film adaptation of Frost/Nixon, was honoured with the Variety Award for bringing global recognition to the British film industry. Best foreign film went to political animation, Waltz With Bashir. However, two of the ceremony's highest-profile nominees, Keira Knightley and Ralph Fiennes failed to win awards. Knightley had received a best actress nod for her role in The Duchess, while Fiennes, who is currently appearing at the National Theatre in Oedipus, was up for best supporting actor in both The Duchess and In Bruges. This year's jury included Atonement director Joe Wright, photographer Rankin and the actress Anne Marie Duff. Johanna von Fischer and Tessa Collinson, co-directors of the awards said it had been a "stellar year" for independent films in Britain. The prizes for Slumdog Millionaire will almost certainly boost Oscar buzz for the film, which has already won the influential People's Choice Award at the Toronto International Film Festival.

INTERNATIONAL PRESS ACADEMY ANNOUNCES AWARDS NOMINATIONS
[Reuters/Hollywood Reporter, 12/1/08]
Getting a jump on rival awards groups, the International Press Academy announced its nominees Sunday, November 30 for its 13th annual Satellite Awards. Vying for best motion picture drama are "The Reader," "Slumdog Millionaire," "Revolutionary Road," "Frost/Nixon," "Milk" and "Frozen River." In the best comedy or musical motion picture category, the nominees are "Happy-Go-Lucky," "Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist," "Vicky Christina Barcelona," "Tropic Thunder," "In Bruges" and "Choke." The 12-year-old entertainment press organization also announced its 10 best films of 2008, citing, in alphabetical order, "Ballast," "Changeling," "Doubt," "The Dark Knight," "Frost/Nixon," "Frozen River," "Milk," "The Reader," "Revolutionary Road" and "Slumdog Millionaire." Among the TV nominees, the best drama series contenders are "Brotherhood," "In Treatment," "Primeval," "Life on Mars," "Dexter" and "Mad Men." Best comedy or musical series nominees are "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia," "30 Rock," "Pushing Daisies," "State of the Union," "The Colbert Report" and "Skins." The group chose nominees in 22 film categories, 12 TV categories, six DVD categories and five DVD categories. The winners will be announced at awards ceremonies December 14, 2008 at the InterContinental Hotel in Century City.

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