Month: November 2012

A Multitude Of New Clips From LES MISERABLES Are Here

The filmmakers of LES MISERABLES set out to find what director Tom Hooper often refers to as “the perfect storm of actors.” Elaborates producer Eric Fellner: “We needed three things from our cast: star power, gifted actors and accomplished singers, and we were blessed to hit a moment in time where that group of actors exists. The cast that we see in the film is pretty much everyone we originally went after.” This was a major attraction for Hooper when he considered an adaptation of a fully through-sung musical. He explains: “I wanted to take a risk and do something very different in a different genre. From the beginning, what excited me was the idea of doing it live. I don’t think I would have done it if it turned out not to be possible to direct the film live, because no matter how good the synchronization is of actors singing to playback, an audience can tell that there’s something unreal about it. It doesn’t feel connected to what is occurring on the screen.” Now you can decide for yourself in these 5 new clips from LES MISERABLES.

Anne Hathaway’s connection with the project began long before the filmmakers approached her to try out for the role of Fantine. When Hathaway was seven years old, Mackintosh had cast her mother in the U.S. national tour of Les Misérables as a factory girl; she also played Fantine a number of times during her time with the company. Truly, Hathaway had grown up with the music and loved it.

Supplies Hooper: “Annie is the female equivalent of Hugh in terms of having that extraordinary facility at knowing how to act through song. And it’s not just acting through song. It’s acting in close-up through song, the demands of which make it quite different from performing on stage.” The actress was in good company with Jackman. Hathaway also spent a three-hour audition with Hooper and waited a month before she learned she had the part of perhaps the most tragic of characters in Hugo’s story. Forced into prostitution after she is thrown out of the factory, her dissent into utter degradation is heartbreaking. “She just wants love and to be free to love,” explains Hathaway, “but the heart she wants to share becomes damaged and disregarded. The depth of Fantine’s suffering gives life to the love you experience in the rest of the film.”

Hathaway’s dedication to the role was by all accounts extraordinary, and her physical journey, as well as the emotional one, was just as intense as Jackman’s. Not only did she choose to have her own hair cut in the scene where Fantine sells her tresses, the already slim actress lost a great deal of weight to make completely believable Fantine’s physical decline from, and ultimately her death because of, consumption. “Over the course of five weeks, I lost 25 pounds,” relays Hathaway. “It was very intense and very extreme and to be honest, if I had stopped and really thought about what I was doing, it probably would have felt too hard. I knew that I had an end moment, and all I needed to do was keep my spirits up and keep my focus on that point. I’m not method,  but I was playing a martyr. So any kind of suffering that I was going through I wouldn’t feel it as suffering. I would have felt as she would, which was instant transformation.”

While many musicals have good portions of dialogue, Les Misérables is almost completely through-sung. That would prove an enormous challenge to the cast and crew as production was underway. Hathaway and Hooper discussed that she would be singing live, and she was prepared for the task. “I was supportive of the idea of singing it live,” says the performer. “There are musicals that have a certain sensibility to them, where doing it live wouldn’t make much of a difference. It’s probably easier to have a track and do it that way. But when you have a story this dramatic, where there’s no dialogue to see you through—and where everything is so in the moment—it’s a lot of pressure to have to sing all the time, but it’s still so spontaneous. You’re able to keep that and honor that and explore that. It’s a risk, but the benefits outweigh the potential cost.”

The filmmakers were determined to find a performer powerful enough to act opposite Jackman in the role of Javert. Academy Award®-winning actor Russell Crowe immediately came to mind. Hooper recalls: “I didn’t know Russell was such a commanding singer, or that he had started his career in musical theater. He had this burning passion  to do a musical. We could not believe our luck that one of the biggest movie stars on the planet and one of the world’s great actors was a passionate musical man with a background in music.”

Unlike the majority of his co-stars, Crowe did not see the show until after the filmmakers had approached him, but he understood its longevity right away. “There were so many powerful songs and themes with universal appeal,” he says. Very quickly, Crowe became excited about the challenge. “It was something I wanted to do. I wanted to spend that time with music in my life, surrounded by it, which so much of my life has been.” Crowe, like Jackman, had no problem auditioning for Hooper and the producers, and the call was set two months after his initial meeting with the director.

Explains producer Eric Fellner: “The actors understood auditioning was for their sake as much as ours. We wanted to make sure that they were comfortable singing and acting, and confident they could deliver over a 12-week shoot.”

The actor admits he took an unusual approach to the follow-up. Recalls Crowe: “I had this idea on the day of the audition that I should walk there, something I would have done when I was starting out, when the audition was basically the difference between eating and not eating or  being able to pay the rent or not. It was 28 blocks from where I was staying and pouring rain. I had the opportunity to jump in a cab, but I knew if I did the audition wouldn’t go right.” To the astonishment of the producers, Crowe arrived at the audition soaked to the skin. “I don’t think I’d been more excited about playing a character since John Nash in A Beautiful Mind.”

Key to Crowe’s portrayal of the legendary antagonist was fleshing out Javert’s motivation for why he doggedly tracks Valjean over the decades…and why he makes the ultimate sacrifice for law and order. Reflects Hayward: “It needed an actor of immense skills to plumb the depths of the character, as Russell has done, to understand why ultimately this man would take his own life.” Crowe offers some insight into the crucial dilemma Hayward mentions: “Javert is a man with a very specific morality and a specific understanding of the way the world works: what is good and what is evil. When he is proved wrong, when a man he believes to be bad turns out to be good, Javert is broken.”

As was true of his Valjean, Hooper’s Javert was fully committed to bringing the character to life. “Russell’s preparation for this role has been extraordinary, and he has been such an amazing person to work with,” compliments Hooper. “He has such fine intellect and such an extraordinary amount to bring to storytelling, which I have so enjoyed and benefitted from.” Echoing Jackman, Crowe recognizes the Herculean challenge Hooper gave himself: “Tom’s put every ounce of his being into this. He worked seven days a week and still managed to keep himself balanced. He’s a tough guy; when he wants something, he wants it and he’s going to have it, but that’s the kind of director you want to work with.”

Hooper required the entire cast to audition, and the director sat with Hugh Jackman approximately nine months before the film was to start principal photography. Of the meeting, Hooper exclaims: “It was the most thrilling audition I’ve ever done. Hugh’s command of acting through the medium of song is completely extraordinary. He can access an emotional life in himself through song almost more profoundly than through conventional dialogue. He is so fluent and so comfortable when he sings that one completely believes it’s his first choice of communication. He was the holy grail for me, a genius at both acting and singing.”

An incredibly charismatic performer of stage and screen, the Tony Award- and Emmy Award-winning Jackman had wanted to do a movie musical for some time. The Australian actor shares Hooper’s memory of his audition: “It lasted three hours. It was Tom’s first working session with the material, and it turned into a workshop. It was undoubtedly the most exhilarating audition of my life, but I eventually had to tell Tom I needed to go home and put my kids to bed.”

Already a fan of the show, Jackman had seen Les Misérables three times and had in fact sung “Stars” during one of his first auditions just out of drama school. “Valjean is one of the greatest literary characters of all time,” he notes. “You follow him for a 20-year span, having been released on parole as an ex-convict, to becoming mayor of a town, to becoming an outcast again. Throughout that time, you see all the ups and downs, the pain and the ecstasy that life brings. He is incredibly human, remarkably stoic and powerful and, ultimately, completely inspiring. His life is truly epic.”

Drawn as well to the universal themes of redemption that Hugo’s story evokes, Jackman says: “Valjean is the recipient of one of the most beautiful and touching moments of grace from the bishop and, in the shame of that moment, he decides to mend his ways and dedicate his life and his soul to God and to being of service to the community. He is constantly striving to be a better person, to live up to what he thinks God wants from him.”

Known as an action star, Jackman has endured grueling training regimens to play James Howlett, better known to legions of fans as Logan/Wolverine. Still, discussing the physicality of the part of Valjean, he says: “I’ve never had a role require more of me or take as much of a physical and emotional commitment. Valjean required everything I’ve done. All the things I’ve done leading up to this, whether it be on the stage or in film, I feel came together in this role. It’s the role of a lifetime.”

Jackman embraced the physical challenges and the changes required of the character as he goes from convict to outcast to mayor over several years. It was decided to shoot the scenes of the convict Valjean at the start of principal photography to allow Jackman to not  only lose weight, but also to grow his own beard. “It was important to tell the story that he had been in prison for 19 years,” notes Jackman. “I was surviving on very limited food, but Valjean was also known for his strength, so I was spending three hours in the gym. It was a tough beginning.” So committed was Jackman to the part, for 36 hours before he shot the opening sequences of the film, the performer also decided to go without water. This gave him the hollowness and gauntness befitting a convict of the era.

As the film’s lead, Jackman would go through war with Hooper and his fellow cast and crew, and the actor admits he can’t think of another director with whom he would do so: “Tom’s a perfect match for the material. He’s a slave to detail and history, as was Hugo. He’s incredibly smart, has a complete grasp of the material and total confidence with the musical form. I think he’s a great filmmaker, and he decided to take on the Mount Everest of filmmaking. He’s our fearless leader.”

The filmmakers had specific ideas about the talent who should play Cosette and Marius, and in Amanda Seyfried and Eddie Redmayne, the team found their embodiment of the young lovers. “I searched long and  hard for my Cosette,” sums Hooper. Known to audiences for her portrayal of Sophie, the young bride-to-be trying to find her real father in the global smash hit Mamma Mia!, and more recently for her starring roles in Dear John and Letters to Juliet, Seyfried delivered astonishing vocals that distinguished her from all others. On Hooper: “Amanda has that amazing ability to command both disciplines, and on top of that she is mesmerizing on screen.”

Seyfried’s exposure to Les Misérables first happened when she encountered the regional tour at age 11 in Philadelphia. Then at 15, she played Cosette at a school recital. “Cosette is the main source of light, hope and love in the story,” says the actress. “There’s a responsibility to bring this positivity to the role because it is so tragic in so many ways. It’s a wonderful character to play. She’s so full of life and possibility.”

Eddie Redmayne has been a colleague of Hooper’s since Hooper directed him in the television series Elizabeth I. Encouraged by Schönberg, who knew Redmayne socially, the actor decided to submit himself on tape to the filmmakers. For his audition, he sang Marius’ signature number, “Empty Chairs and Empty Tables.” Redmayne elaborates: “I’d heard Tom was doing this. I was in a trailer in North Carolina playing a cowboy, and I recorded the song on my iPhone. That was the start of the most  intensely rigorous audition process. It was completely terrifying.”

Hooper admits that he was thrilled to hear from his former actor: “That first taped audition got me incredibly excited. Eddie was my dream casting, and to learn he could sing at that level was the most fantastic discovery.”

Like Seyfried, Redmayne had discovered Les Misérables long before Hooper’s film was on his radar. “I saw the show as a child, and I obsessed about being Gavroche,” he laughs. “As a nine-year-old, I wanted to be the street urchin jumping in and out of barricades.” He was beyond thrilled when he landed the part of Marius, the politically engaged student who is passionate about the inequality in France and ready to fight for his cause when he falls in love with Cosette. Redmayne describes the event as “a Romeo and Juliet moment, which sends him spinning. It feels incredibly special to be part of this.”

The beautifully tragic Éponine is played by British actress Samantha Barks, making her feature-film debut in this production. Barks starred as Éponine in the London production of Les Misérables (from June 2010 to June 2011), and was handpicked by producer Cameron Mackintosh to play the role in the 25th anniversary concert of Les Misérables at the O2 arena. After he saw her play the role in her opening night at the Queens Theatre in London’s West End, the producer knew she was perfect to immortalize Éponine at the event. But, in fact, she was on Mackintosh’s radar since she had competed in a reality television series called I’d Do Anything. In the show, she was one of the finalists in the search for an unknown lead to play Nancy in Mackintosh’s Oliver!

Barks came in third, but eventually played Nancy in the U.K. tour of the show that opened in December 2010, and she is currently starring in the U.K. tour of Oliver!, having been given a leave of absence to appear in Les Misérables. It was on stage at the end of a performance in Manchester that Mackintosh announced she’d won the role of Éponine in the filmic version of Les Misérables. She tweeted that it was “the most incredible moment of my life.” Barks shares her connection to the classic figure: “I only have to hear the opening two bars of ‘On My Own,’ and it breaks my heart. I feel so close to Éponine. I’ve traveled so far with her. It makes me so proud to be playing her because she’s such a beautifully written character.” Hooper and Mackintosh’s fellow producers knew Mackintosh had discovered a very special talent. Sums Fellner about Barks’ time on the set of the film: “Samantha is a wonderfully trained theatrical singer, and you could just sit on the stage and listen to her singing ‘On My Own’ all day.”

The Working Title/Cameron Mackintosh production stars Hugh Jackman, Oscar winner Russell Crowe, Anne Hathaway, Amanda Seyfried, Eddie Redmayne, Aaron Tveit, Samantha Barks, with Helena Bonham Carter and Sacha Baron Cohen.

Set against the backdrop of 19th-century France, Les Misérables tells an enthralling story of broken dreams and unrequited love, passion, sacrifice and redemption – a timeless testament to the survival of the human spirit. Jackman plays ex-prisoner Jean Valjean, hunted for decades by the ruthless policeman Javert (Crowe) after he breaks parole. When Valjean agrees to care for factory worker Fantine’s (Hathaway) young daughter, Cosette, their lives change forever.

In December 2012, the world’s longest-running musical brings its power to the big screen in Tom Hooper’s sweeping and spectacular interpretation of Victor Hugo’s epic tale. With international superstars and beloved songs – including “I Dreamed a Dream,” “Bring Him Home,” “One Day More” and “On My Own” – Les Misérables, the show of shows, is now reborn as the cinematic musical experience of a lifetime.

LES MISERABLES is scheduled to be released on December 25, 2012 in the United States and on January 11, 2013 in the United Kingdom.

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Author Lee Child Talks Tom Cruise In New JACK REACHER Featurette

Global bestselling author Lee Child did not set out to be a bestselling author. After attending law school in his native Great Britain, Child signed on with the U.K.’s Granada Television, and spent the next 18 years working as a presentation director on some of the most respected shows and series during what some critics term “the golden age” of British television. But a corporate restructuring left Child without a job in 1995, and so he sat down to write a book, eventually titled Killing Floor. Published in 1997, his debut novel featured a central character named Jack Reacher, who immediately captivated readers. 17 Reacher novels later, Child’s (and the readers’) affinity for the character has not lessened.

“Jack Reacher” is based on One-Shot, the ninth in the series of Reacher novels, so why begin in the middle, as it were? Producer Don Granger says, “One Shot is perhaps the most cinematic of all of the books. Within the novel are presented several elements that we thought were important in a first movie. First, I think it’s got one of the very best introductions for Reacher—it’s a great way to bring him into the plot that’s already in motion. But secondly, and perhaps even more importantly, there’s a moral dilemma for him. He comes into the story believing one thing, and then has to realize that the facts are perhaps pointing in a different direction. He then has to decide whether to take the easy way out of this, or the tougher way, and in that decision, we get to realize why Jack Reacher’s different from any other movie hero.”

Granger remembers, “I spoke to Lee right after he first read the screenplay. And he said that now there were two people in the world who could write Jack Reacher: him and director/writer Christopher McQuarrie.” The movie, of course, is anchored by the title character, played by Tom Cruise.

“We really wanted to focus on an actor who could bring the gravitas the skill and the talent to make this a memorable role. And more importantly, someone who could bring out Reacher’s personality, which is very specific. When we told Lee who we were thinking about casting as Reacher and how we’d come to that conclusion, he was great about it. He said, ‘Why wouldn’t I want the biggest movie star who ever lived to play the character I created?’” McQuarrie says.

For Cruise, Child’s stamp of approval was key. “Firstly, I’m very sensitive to it. This is Lee’s book and Lee’s character. His blessing was crucial to me.  If he hadn’t, I wouldn’t have done it,” says Cruise.

Cruise was thrilled, of course, to play Reacher, an incredibly rich, compelling and unique force of nature with such an archetypal code of honor.

“Reacher is such a great character. He doesn’t have a cell phone, he doesn’t have email. He’s an analog guy in a digital age. He’s off the grid. He pays for things in cash.  People look at things through the prism of the colors of their life, but Jack Reacher does things the way we want to sometimes. In that sense, he’s sort of a Dirty Harry, a James Bond, a Josey Wales,” Cruise says.

While Cruise does not resemble Reacher as described in the books, Child says that Cruise captured Reacher’s ethos and that was more important than any physical likeness.

“Cruise, at his core, is a character actor in the most literal sense. He really gets into a role. He understood Jack Reacher. He projected his vibe. But the only real answer to that is, go see the movie. I guarantee you will come out of it, thinking, ‘What was I worried about?’” Child sums up.

Moreover, McQuarrie notes, the physical attributes described in the book are nearly impossible to find in any performer. Recalls McQuarrie: “We were never going to find an actor who fit the rather extreme physical characteristics as are described in the books, so we decided first thing that could not be our primary concern.”

More important, McQuarrie says, were the unique characteristics that make Reacher so captivating that he knew would resonate with Cruise on a personal level. Reacher is a man comfortable in his own skin, a quality that intrigued McQuarrie and especially appealed to him in terms of how Cruise might inhabit that.

“What I really like about Reacher is he’s a completely confident and centered individual, and a very comfortable loner. More than anything, he’s self-assured and very in tune with his environment,” MrQuarrie explains. “Most of the characters Tom is accustomed to playing in movies – he’s usually a man under intense pressure, and driven by the pursuit of the object of the plot. Reacher is somebody who never experiences pressure, who lets the entire story come to him. When you spend any time with Tom you realize that, as a person, he’s a lot more like Reacher.”

Which is not to say that Cruise is a vigilante or loner – rather, Cruise shares Reacher’s personable side. Even in the most stressful situations, Reacher displays a dry wit combined with a genuine concern. Reacher is not bombastic – he is thoughtful, deliberate and also, when he’s not under attack from bad guys, good company.

“What was really exciting to me,” McQuarrie continues, “was to be able to put Tom in a role where he’s playing somebody closer to himself, someone who’s a lot cooler, a lot more relaxed, a lot more amiable. What we were going for with Reacher is not really an intensity, but more a matter-of-factness. He seems to understand how everything is going to happen around him, and is just waiting for it to occur. Even down to his first big fight with the townies—he basically tells the guys, ‘This is the way the fight’s going to go,’ and that’s how it goes. He gives them every opportunity to walk away, and they don’t do it.”

On a mundane morning in an average town, five people are randomly shot dead while going about their everyday lives.  All of the evidence points to one man: A sharp-shooting assassin who also is ex-military, a trained sniper. He is swiftly apprehended and dragged into custody.

Despite a marathon interrogation, the prisoner offers up nothing except a cryptic demand he scribbles on a notepad in lieu of a confession: GET JACK REACHER.

Who is this Reacher? Not an easy question to answer  – in fact, it’s hard to prove that he even exists. Little matter – Jack Reacher (TOM CRUISE) is already on his way.  Ex-Army, erstwhile military investigator, the enigmatic Reacher prefers to avoid the company of others – but he knows this shooter. A news report about the killings compels him to come out of the shadows and share with the authorities what he knows about this prisoner, which is plenty. Based on lurid past history, Reacher believes they’ve got the right man.

By the time Reacher arrives, the accused killer lies in a coma, thanks to a brutal beating during transfer, and his defense attorney (ROSAMUND PIKE) is loaded with questions for Reacher:  What is her client’s history with Reacher, and why would he request help from a man who’s convinced of his guilt? Despite some trepidation, she honors her client’s request and hires Reacher to investigate. At first it seems the police have effectively and thoroughly examined the crime scene and, through their perfect detective work, captured the killer. But Reacher has a problem with perfection. Quick with a quip, easily self-sufficient and hyper-observant, he is attuned to tiny but specific false notes that escape others. The more he delves into the case, the less clear cut it proves to be.

So begins an extraordinary pursuit for the truth, where nothing is what it seems and friend and family may actually be foe. Tough and smart, with a disarming wit, no detail is too small for Reacher. Although he may be a loner who plays by his own rules, ultimately he is driven by a keen sense of justice. Reacher finds himself pitted against an unexpected and astute enemy, one with an enormous predilection for violence and a secret to keep, maybe one worth killing for. Reacher will have to use every ounce of cunning and strategy to anticipate and outwit his new adversary in order to protect the innocent and expose the truly guilty.

From The New York Times bestselling series author Lee Child comes one of the most compelling heroes to step from novel to screen – ex-military investigator “Jack Reacher.” Written and directed by Academy Award®-winning filmmaker Christopher McQuarrie, JACK REACHER stars Tom Cruise, Rosamund Pike, Robert Duvall, Richard Jenkins and Werner Herzog.

It is produced by Tom Cruise, Don Granger, Paula Wagner and Gary Levinsohn. Executive producers are Jake Myers, Ken Kamins, Kevin Messick, David Ellison, Dana Goldberg and Paul Schwake. Music is by Joe Kraemer. Costume designer is Susan Matheson. Kevin Stitt, A.C.E. is the editor. James Bissell is the production designer. Caleb Deschanel, A.S.C is the cinematographer. JACK REACHER is based on the book One Shot by Lee Child.

Watch JACK REACHER in theaters December 21st.
http://www.JackReacherMovie.com
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Mike Wazowski And Sulley Are Sportin’ Their Letterman Jackets in New MONSTERS UNIVERSITY Poster

“Scareonomics” and “Complete Monster Encyclopdedia” are on the syllabus of required reading at MONSTERS UNIVERSITY. Tickets are now on sale for MONSTERS, INC. 3D (December 19th) and, to celebrate, Disney and Pixar have debuted the first poster for MONSTERS UNIVERSITY, coming to theaters June 21st, 2013. Billy Crystal and John Goodman reprise their roles in the prequel as the wise-cracking Mike Wazowski and lovable Sulley.

Mike Wazowski and James P. Sullivan are an inseparable pair, but that wasn’t always the case. From the moment these two mismatched monsters met they couldn’t stand each other. MONSTERS UNIVERSITY unlocks the door to how Mike and Sulley overcame their differences and became the best of friends.

MONSTERS, INC., originally released on November 2, 2001, was nominated for four Oscars®: Best Animated Feature Film, Best Original Score, Best Sound Editing and Best Original Song – “If I Didn’t Have You,” for which it won. MONSTERS UNIVERSITY will hit U.S. theaters nearly 12 years after the “Monsters, Inc.” theatrical debut.

Screaming with laughter and fun, MONSTERS UNIVERSITY is directed by Dan Scanlon (“Cars,” “Mater and the Ghostlight,” “Tracy”) and produced by Kori Rae (“Up,” “The Incredibles,” “Monsters, Inc.”). The film opens in U.S. theaters on June 21, 2013, and will be shown in Disney Digital 3D™ in select theaters.

Visit Pixar’s official site: http://www.pixar.com/

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Oscar Host Seth MacFarlane Announces “The Oscar Experience College Search” Presented By The Academy And mtvU “Stand In” Series

mtvU, MTV’s 24-hour college network, today announced that comedian, writer, producer and this year’s host of the Oscars®, Seth MacFarlane, is the newest guest professor on the network’s ongoing, Emmy®-nominated “Stand In” series. mtvU followed MacFarlane as he travelled to the University of California Los Angeles campus to stun a class full of students during Professor Denise Mann’s “Overview of Contemporary Film Industry” course.

During the class, MacFarlane announced “The Oscar Experience College Search” presented by The Academy and mtvU, a national search for the next generation of Oscar hopefuls. College students who are interested in pursuing careers in film – writing, directing, producing, acting and more – are encouraged to vie for an opportunity to appear live onstage to deliver Oscar statuettes to telecast presenters. In addition to appearing on the Oscar show, winners will be flown to Los Angeles and provided hotel accommodations.

“In re-imagining what we want the Oscar show to be, we wanted everyone appearing on that stage to feel a deep commitment to film and its legacy, and most importantly, its future,” said telecast producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron. “That was the impetus in creating this special honor for young film students who will inspire a new generation to create the films that will be honored in the future.”

The Oscar Experience College Search will be featured on The Academy’s Facebook page and will run through January 19, 2013. To enter, college students need to demonstrate they’re destined for the Oscars by completing the Academy’s entry form and uploading a video answering the question: How will you contribute to the future of movies? The producers of this year’s Awards show will ultimately pick a minimum of six winners, who will be flown to Los Angeles to participate in the 85th Academy Awards on Oscar Sunday, February 24, 2013, at the Dolby Theatre™ at Hollywood & Highland Center.

“For a film student to go to the Oscars and be a part of presenting is a huge break,” said MacFarlane.

MacFarlane’s “Stand In” will premiere on mtvU to more than 750 college campuses nationwide and on-demand at mtvU.com beginning December 10 at 10 a.m. ET/PT.

MacFarlane is the latest cultural luminary to participate in mtvU’s “Stand In“ series. Each edition of the program features a guest professor teaching a class unique to his or her experience and background. Previous participants include Madonna, Kanye West, Trey Parker and Matt Stone, John Legend, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Russell Simmons, author Tom Wolfe, rapper Nas, Senator John McCain and Sting.

MacFarlane wrote, directed and provided the voice for the title character in the feature film “Ted,” which has grossed over $500 million worldwide, making it the top-grossing original R-rated comedy of all time. He is an Emmy Award winner and all-around entertainer best known as the creative force behind the television series “Family Guy.” MacFarlane also serves as executive producer, writer and voice actor on the animated series “American Dad!” which he co-created, and is currently executive producing “Cosmos: A Space-Time Odyssey,” a 13-part series updating Carl Sagan’s iconic exploration of the universe as revealed by science.

For more information on mtvU or “Stand In,” please visit www.mtvU.com.

Photos: Todd Wawrychuk / ©A.M.P.A.S.

FRANKENWEENIE On Blu-ray Combo Pack, Digital And On-Demand January 8, 2013

Disney and creative genius Tim Burton (creator of “The Nightmare Before Christmas”) proudly announce the home entertainment debut of “Frankenweenie” arriving as a 4-Disc Blu-ray™ Combo Pack, Digital and On Demand—January 8, 2013.

A must-add to any Tim Burton collection, the hilarious 3D stop-motion animated masterpiece is filled with quirky characters and unexpected twists. Boasting an electrifying variety of bonus materials, the4-Disc Combo Pack (Blu-ray 3D + Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Copy) includes an all-new original short “Captain Sparky vs The Flying Saucers”; an exciting behind-the-scenes featurette with Tim Burton “Miniatures in Motion: Bringing ‘Frankenweenie’ to Life”; a showcase of the film’s touring exhibit, “‘Frankenweenie’ Touring Exhibit”; Tim Burton’s original live-action short of the same name, and more.

The Blu-ray Combo Pack’s spectacular picture and sound enhances the tale of a boy who uses the power of science to bring his beloved dog back to life … and a whole town faces the unexpected and electrifying truth of what happens when monstrous experiments run wild!

“Frankenweenie” features an all-star cast including the voices of Emmy Award®-winner Catherine O’Hara, Tony Award®-winner Martin Short, Academy Award®-winner Martin Landau, Charlie Tahan, Atticus Shaffer, Robert Capron, Conchata Ferrell andGolden Globe®-winner Winona Ryder.

Synopsis:

From Disney and creative genius Tim Burton (“Alice in Wonderland,” “The Nightmare Before Christmas”) comes the hilarious and offbeat “Frankenweenie,” a heartwarming tale about a boy and his dog. After unexpectedly losing his beloved dog Sparky, young Victor harnesses the power of science to bring his best friend back to life—with just a few minor adjustments. He tries to hide his home-sewn creation, but when Sparky gets out, Victor’s fellow students, teachers and the entire town learn that getting a new ‘leash on life’ can be monstrous.

Complete with electrifying bonus features, “Frankenweenie” is alive with enchanting excitement in eye-popping Blu-ray 3D.

4-Disc Blu-ray Combo Pack  (Blu-ray 3D + Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Copy)—Includes:

·  All New Original Short: “Captain Sparky vs The Flying Saucers”—An exciting all-new short featuring Victor and Sparky’s home movie.
·  “Miniatures In Motion: Bringing ‘Frankenweenie’ To Life”—Viewers get an in-depth tour of the London set that includes never-before-seen footage showcasing the hundreds of artists who worked on the film.
·  “Frankenweenie” Touring Exhibit—Allows audiences to explore the artistry of the film’s puppets, sets and props in a showcase that’s traveling the world.
·  “Frankenweenie” Original Live Action Short—Burton’s original live-action short film.
·  Music Video—“Pet Sematary” performed by Plain White T’s

2-Disc Blu-ray Combo Pack  (Blu-ray + DVD) — Includes: All 4-Disc bonus features

·  “Captain Sparky vs The Flying Saucers”
·  “Miniatures In Motion: Bringing ‘Frankenweenie’ To Life”
·  “Frankenweenie” Touring Exhibit
·  “Frankenweenie” (original Live-Action Short)
·  “Pet Sematary” Music Video performed by Plain White T’s

1-Disc DVD

Includes:

·  “Frankenweenie” Touring Exhibit
·  “Pet Sematary” Music Video performed by Plain White T’s

SPECFICATIONS:

Street Date:  January 8, 2013
Direct Pre-Book:  November 13, 2012
Distributor Pre-Book:  November 27, 2012, 2012

Release Formats &  4-Disc Blu-ray Combo Pack =$49.99 US/$56.99 Canada
Suggested Retail      2-Disc Blu-ray Combo Pack =$39.99 US/$46.99 Canada
Pricing:                       1-Disc DVD =$29.99 US/$35.99 Canada

Digital and On-Demand =Consumers should check with their television provider or preferred digital retailer for pricing

Feature Run Time: 87 Minutes
Ratings:   U.S.: PG /Canada:  PG  Bonus Features Not Rated

Aspect Ratio:  

Blu-ray 3D and Blu-ray: 1080p High Definition Widescreen (1.85:1)
DVD: Widescreen (1.85:1) Enhanced for 16×9 Televisions

Audio:  

Blu-ray 3D and Blu-ray: English 7.1 DTS-HDMA, English DVS 2.0 Dolby Digital, French 7.1 DTS-HDHR, Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital
DVD: English, French, Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital, English DVS 2.0 Dolby Digital
Language Tracks:  English SDH, French and Spanish Subtitles

“Like” us on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/Frankenweenie
Visit the website at www.Disney.com/Frankenweenie

WARM BODIES Trailer # 2 From Director Jonathan Levine

Starring Nicholas Hoult, Teresa Palmer and John Malkovich, watch the new trailer for director Jonathan Levine’s funny new twist on a classic love story – WARM BODIES.

Now this is my type of chick flick! Zombies and romance – that’s awesome! I’m a loyal ‘Walking Dead’ viewer, loved 2011’s 50/50 (should’ve seen more love from the Oscars) and I’m a big fan of THE WACKNESS from 2008 (How great was it to see Josh Peck in something other than Nickelodeon’s ‘Drake and Josh’ ). I’m very excited to what looks to be Levine’s tale about the “power of human connection”…  and Zombies.

After a zombie epidemic, R (a highly unusual zombie) encounters Julie (a human survivor), and rescues her from a zombie attack. Julie sees that R is different from the other zombies, and as the two form a special relationship in their struggle for survival, R becomes increasingly more human – setting off an exciting, romantic, and often comical chain of events that begins to transform the other zombies and maybe even the whole lifeless world.

WARM BODIES will be in theaters February 1, 2013.

http://warmbodiesmovie.com/

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Follow on Twitter: https://twitter.com/warmbodies

KILLING THEM SOFTLY – The Review

The life of the gangster isn’t as glamorous in the movies as it once was. Sure the title characters of THE PUBLIC ENEMY, LITTLE CAESAR, and SCARFACE all met horrific deaths before the final fade-outs, but their lives of excess must have looked pretty great for depression audiences. And then the Hayes Office, the studios’ censorship board, cracked down. In James Cagney’s last great crime epic WHITE HEAT, his Cody Jarrett is a vicious psychopath. And later with the classic GOODFELLAS and TV’s “The Sopranos”, mob life was shown as dangerous, dirty work. The easy cash is never really easy. And so it is with KILLING THEM SOFTLY which re-teams star Brad Pitt with his THE ASSASSINATION OF JESSE JAMES director Andrew Dominik. Few films have been as gritty as this “simple” score that goes bad in a big, big way.

The tale begins on the very mean streets of New Orleans in 2008. Frankie (Snoot McNairy) is fresh out of prison and ready for some fast cash (job placement is just not working for him). Low level mobster Johnny Amato (Vincent Curalta) wants to hire him as part of a robbery crew. He explains this “can’t miss” plan. Markie Trattman (Ray Liotta) hosts illegal, secret big money card games attended by many local gangsters. A few years ago he gets the idea to hire a couple of thugs to rob his own game. Instead of getting a cut of the night, he (and his cohorts) take all the cash. After a brutal questioning from mob enforcer/hitman Dillon (Sam Shepard), Markie is believed innocent of involvement with the robbery. A couple of years later, after a night of high spirits, Markie laughingly admits to some pals that, yes, he did rob his own game. But he’s bringing in a lot of dough, so he’s given a pass. Amato believes that if the game is robbed again, all fingers will point to Markie. Much to Amoto’s chagrin Frankie brings in his pal Russell (Ben Mendelsohn), a dog-stealing wannabe drug dealer, to be join him in the stick-up. After the deal goes down, the local mob’s representative (Richard Jenkins) hires Dillon’s associate Jackie Cogan (Pitt) to get to the bottom of this fleeced card game. Jackie, aided by jaded East Coast pal Mickey (James Gandolfini), tries to track down and dispatch those responsible.

Of course the big alpha dog in this bunch of mutts is Mr.Pitt. With his slick pompadour and neatly trimmed goatee he’s the Mr. Cool of hit men. He’s also a hard-edged cynical guy who delivers a blistering monologue summing up his jaundiced view of the world in the film’s final scene. When he arrives at the thirty minute mark, Pitt’s assured, smooth performance carries the rest of the film. Before he enters, the film belongs to two guys that barely register on the cool meter. McNairy’s Frankie is a sleazy, motor-mouthed weasel that’s just looking to score and avoid heading back to “the joint”. He’s always going to be a mob foot soldier (or cannon fodder) and never a general. Hard to believe he’s the same actor who was so good as the most nervous “guest of Canada” in ARGO. Mendelson as Russell AKA “squirrel” is much more laid back, not doubt due to constant self-medication. You can almost smell the stench of flop sweat from the guy in addition to the constant canine aroma. The actor’s convinces us the he may be the absolute lowest of the lowlifes. The Mickey character may be too similar to Gandolfini’s signature role of Tony Soprano. He whines and complains in his big scenes with Pitt (he’s boozing too). There’s a real beaten-down Willy Loman vibe with Mickey that wears thin fairly quickly despite Gandolfini’s best efforts. His Sopranos co-star Curatola is very funny as the little man crafting big plans at the back of his dry cleaning shop. Jenkins also scores big laughs in his scenes relaying mob directives to Pitt. This guy sounds more like a mild-mannered accountant or mid-level manager. The always entertaining Liotta does a great comic riff on his GOODFELLAS persona. You just wish this easy-going guy wasn’t mixed up with these thugs (he’s perhaps the film’s most sympathetic character).

The film’s marketing team are selling this as a zany, crime comedy full of loveable screw-ups. Sure, there are some funny bits, but Dominik is aiming for something darker. With the opening image of McCain and Obama posters side by side, he’s striving to blend mob life with (still) current politics. Talk radio blares out of cars. TVs are constantly tuned to a news network or C-Span with then Senator Obama or President George W Bush (usually speaking on the financial lending collapse). The blaring media Greek chorus is sometimes heavy-handed, and most often distracting. Dominik does establish a dark mood with the constant grey skies and pounding rain (it’s coming down so hard we almost feel sorry for the two goons beating down a poor chump on the street). That ultra-violent smack-down is almost tame compared to the brutal gunplay (a slow-motion hit is almost balletic) There’s also a sequence of the two stick-up men trying to converse after “riding the H train” that goes from clever to tiresome quickly. KILLING THEM SOFTLY doesn’t achieve Coppola or Scorsese greatness, but features a few good performance that help prove what the old short subjects and 1950’s comic books tried to hammer home: crime does not pay.

3.5 Out of 5

The Academy Extends Deadline For Requesting Paper Ballots For Oscar Voting

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has extended the deadline for members to request a paper ballot to vote for the 85th Academy Awards® by two weeks, to Friday, December 14. (The original date was November 30.)  This is being done to ensure that all Academy members fully understand all the voting options that are available to them this year.

“In past years, once our members paid their dues, they would automatically be sent a ballot at the appropriate time,” said Ric Robertson, Academy COO.  “With the introduction of electronic voting this year, members must either register to vote electronically or request a paper ballot.  We’re extending the deadline for requesting paper ballots to make completely sure that no member who prefers this method misses the boat.”

The majority of Academy members have already registered to vote online. Those who have not may still register to vote through Wednesday, January 2, 2013. The voting period for nominations begins on Monday, December 17 and closes on Thursday, January 3.

This will be the first year the Academy will provide its membership the opportunity to vote electronically. Several voting resources will be available to members during the transition, including assisted voting stations in Los Angeles, New York and London, and a 24-hour support call center during voting periods.

The 85th Academy Awards nominations will be announced live on Thursday, January 10, 2013, at 5:30 a.m. PT in the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater. Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2012 will be presented on Oscar® Sunday, February 24, 2013, at the Dolby Theatre™ at Hollywood & Highland Center.

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TEXAS CHAINSAW 3D #ChainsawThursdays

Each week Lionsgate will be celebrating #ChainsawThursdays by hosting exclusive online events and debuts. Keep your ear to the ground, and your Twitter feed tuned in every Thursday and you’ll be first in line for all the freshest Leatherface news!

To kick off #ChainsawThursdays, Lionsgate presents an all-new social media widget, featuring the debut of an exclusive TEXAS CHAINSAW 3D trailer on Facebook and Twitter.

With this new widget you can watch Leatherface terrorize his latest victims, check out the best cast photos, and soak up all the latest Texas Chainsaw tweets… without ever leaving your newsfeed or Twitter stream. www.facebook.com/TexasChainsaw3D

That’s not all. Additionally, every Thursday night from now through January 4th @LionsgateHorror will give fans a chance to spread the #ChainsawThursdays gospel. Twitter users that tweet with the #ChainsawThursdays hashtag will automatically be entered to win free tickets to see TEXAS CHAINSAW 3D at their local theater, with DOZENS of winners each Thursday night. www.bit.ly/ChainsawThursdays

Lionsgate’s TEXAS CHAINSAW 3D continues the legendary story of the homicidal Sawyer family, picking up where Tobe Hooper’s 1974 horror classic left off in Newt, Texas, where for decades people went missing without a trace. The townspeople long suspected the Sawyer family, owners of a local barbeque pit, were somehow responsible. Their suspicions were finally confirmed one hot summer day when a young woman escaped the Sawyer house following the brutal murders of her four friends. Word around the small town quickly spread, and a vigilante mob of enraged locals surrounded the Sawyer stronghold, burning it to the ground and killing every last member of the family – or so they thought.

Decades later and hundreds of miles away from the original massacre, a young woman named Heather learns that she has inherited a Texas estate from a grandmother she never knew she had. After embarking on a road trip with friends to uncover her roots, she finds she is the sole owner of a lavish, isolated Victorian mansion. But her newfound wealth comes at a price as she stumbles upon a horror that awaits her in the mansion’s dank cellars…

With gruesome surprises in store for a whole new generation, TEXAS CHAINSAW 3D stars Alexandra Daddario, Dan Yeager, Tremaine ‘Trey Songz’ Neverson, Scott Eastwood, Tania Raymonde, Shaun Sipos, Keram Malicki-Sanchez, James MacDonald, Thom Barry, Paul Rae and Richard Riehle, along with special appearances from four beloved cast members from previous installments of the franchise: Gunnar Hansen (the original Leatherface), Marilyn Burns, John Dugan and Bill Moseley. The film is directed by John Luessenhop (TAKERS), from a screenplay by Adam Marcus & Debra Sullivan and Kirsten Elms, based on a story by Stephen Susco and Adam Marcus & Debra Sullivan and based on characters created by Kim Henkel and Tobe Hooper, and produced by Carl Mazzocone. Lionsgate presents a Millennium Films production and Main Line Pictures production.

In 1974, one movie changed the face of horror. In 2013, a dark new chapter begins… TEXAS CHAINSAW 3D opens nationwide January 4th, 2013

#TexasChainsaw3D
#ChainsawThursdays
https://www.facebook.com/TexasChainsaw3D
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THUNDERSTRUCK “Caption This” Giveaway

In celebration of THUNDERSTRUCK making its way down the court and into homes on Blu-ray Combo Pack, DVD and Digital Download on December 4th, we thought it would be a great idea to give away THUNDERSTRUCK on Blu-Ray Combo Pack. Since this is a sports movie, you have to play to win… and we’ve made this contest a bit more interesting. It’s a “Caption This” contest.

OFFICIAL RULES:

1. YOU MUST BE A US RESIDENT. PRIZE WILL ONLY BE SHIPPED TO US ADDRESSES. NO P.O. BOXES.

2. Use your imagination to create captions for the three photos below. Remember, keep your captions clean. 

3. SEND YOUR FULL NAME (first and last) AND EMAIL ADDRESS, ALONG WITH YOUR ANSWERS TO MELISSA@WEAREMOVIEGEEKS.COM. 

WINNERS WILL BE CHOSEN FROM ALL QUALIFYING ENTRIES. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. PRIZES WILL NOT BE SUBSTITUTED OR EXCHANGED

IMAGE #1

IMAGE #2

IMAGE #3

When Brian, a hopelessly uncoordinated young basketball fan magically switches talents with his hero (NBA superstar Kevin Durant, playing himself), he becomes the star of his high school team…while Kevin Durant suddenly can’t make a shot to save his life. But with the NBA playoffs approaching, Brian learns that being a true winner involves working hard at your own game, and he tries to make things right in time to prevent a catastrophic end to his hero’s season.

Own THUNDERSTRUCK on Blu-ray Combo Pack, DVD or Digital Download December 4 http://bit.ly/BuyThunderstruck