See the first clip from Gore Verbinski’s A CURE FOR WELLNESS featuring Dane DeHaan and Jason Isaacs!
An ambitious young executive is sent to retrieve his company’s CEO from an idyllic but mysterious “wellness center” at a remote location in the Swiss Alps. He soon suspects that the spa’s miraculous treatments are not what they seem. When he begins to unravel its terrifying secrets, his sanity is tested, as he finds himself diagnosed with the same curious illness that keeps all the guests here longing for the cure. From Gore Verbinski, the visionary director of THE RING, comes the new psychological thriller, A CURE FOR WELLNESS.
Sometimes a movie is worth waiting for. If you know anything about the production of motion pictures you may know that it can take years, sometimes decades, to get a film made. One such Hollywood story was the movie Jacob’s Ladder, the script for which became legendary as having been read by almost every producer, director and actor who works in the production of movies. When it finally did get made, well, if you’ve seen it, you probably know its pretty damn good.
In the 1980s I read Robyn Davidson’s book Tracks about her crossing the Australian Outback with camels starting at Alice Springs, the largest town in the outback. The journey was almost 2000 miles and was covered by a photographer from National Geographic, at Robyn Davidson’s request.
Her book was fascinating, and at the time,( this was in the 1980s,) I thought it would make a great movie. Her story was filled with irony and very poignant memories. She went into great detail about the problems involved with rounding up camels and training them to carry your gear and supplies. The Australian Outback is a rough place and, as she was told repeatedly, not really a place for a young, single woman. She took a job as a bartender and had to scramble to find enough money for the trip.
She wrote to National Geographic offering them the rights to her story and to take photos in exchange for some funding. She would come to regret that as one of the main goals of her trek across the outback was to be alone. Davidson was disillusioned and frustrated with main stream society and, at the same time with the counter culture, and with humanity in general. She found more comfort and peace in the company of animals and decided she wanted to walk across the Outback, starting at Alice Springs, all the way to the Indian Ocean, a trip of over 1,700 miles, with camels carrying her gear and a dog, (named Diggity) for companionship.
Her book and the movie go into great detail about how hard it was to raise money for this journey. We get a lot of the “nuts and bolts” of training camels. My fiancé Radah was surprised to learn there are camels in Australia. They are not native but have been there for decades, brought in to help with settling and exploring the Outback and a great many of them got loose. The Aussies assumed they would die out, no, they flourish in the wild, go feral and can be quite dangerous if aroused.
Davidson finds a professional camel trainer and we see, possibly too much, of how a camel is neutered. Trust me guys you may not want to see this part, painful to see! Human testicles are tiny by comparison! The movie doesn’t spend a lot of time on Davidson’s preparation for the trip. If I recall in the book she said it took a couple of years to get ready.
We learn that camels are really huge, can be very dangerous and each has their own distinct personality. Davidson give names to each camel and eventually even we the viewer have no trouble telling them apart.
As you would expect she encounters obstacles all along the way. The Australian Outback is not a nice place, drawing parallels with the American Wild West even in the town of Alice Springs it looks like a hard place to live in. Every person in town gives her a hard time and tries to talk her out of her plans. National Geographic sends a photographer, Rick Smolan (Adam Driver) who immediately pisses her off by always being around, and getting in the way. He has to constantly remind her she asked for National Geographic’s help in getting the trip underway. Worse yet word gets out about her trip and tourists come from all over the world to see “the camel Lady.” Several times she actually hides to avoid these encounters. Her wish to be alone with her camels and dog are constantly thwarted. She also wanted to get to know Aboriginal people who mostly live in the outback at “missions”, Australia’s version of our Native American “reservations.” She succeeds in this and manages to find Mr. Eddy a tribal elder who helps her part of the way and offers advice on how to survive in the Outback. In a great irony she comes to depend on Rick the photographer who goes ahead of her to leave containers of water in a particularly arid part of the Outback.
Her worst heart break comes when her faithful dog Diggity eats poison meant for Outback nuisance animals. This part is also hard to watch, if you have ever loved a dog this is truly wrenching. In fact Davidson encounters opposition at every turn. Every single person she tells about her goal advises her not to even try it, even the Aborigines are aghast at her plans. Adam Driver’s character is truly dumb founded by her and constantly tries to get her to stop. She ends up having sex with him at one point and we get the idea she did that to make him stop talking. This part is also just a bit queasy, in her book and as is obvious in the movie, Robyn Davidson did not get much chance to wash regularly. I’m sure you can imagine what I’m talking about here.
It’s part of my post duty orders here at We Are Movie Geeks to shine a light on movies that get lost in the shuffle. Tracks is certainly one of those movies that got lost, if it had a theatrical release I did not hear of it. Tracks came out about the same time as another “based on a true story of someone taking a long walk,” namely Wild, 2014, with Reese Witherspoon, a good movie in its own right, (although my friend here on the website Tom Stockman did not care for it much – his review HERE.) We also had A Walk in the Woods, 2015, with Robert Redford and Nick Nolte, also based on a true story. And in 2010 there was The Way with Martin Sheen about a father walking the El camino de Santiago in Spain to honor his deceased son.
These movies in one way or another are about taking a long walk as a spiritual journey or a journey of self discovery or both. Tracks isn’t really about either of those themes. Tracks is a long meditation on what it really means to be human. Why do we do the things we do? Why does one person stay within fifty miles of where they grew up and another travels all over the world trying to visit every country on Earth? Is either way of living better? We all have choices we make and who is to say what is a better way to live? Just as an example I have never been attracted to or tried gambling very much, many people become addicted to gambling and have to enter rehab to stop placing bets. Gambling is one of those things that I just don’t get. Does that make me any better or more intelligent than someone who likes to play poker every Saturday night? Doubtful. So if we don’t “get” why Robyn Davidson took that long walk with her camels does that make her wrong or crazy for doing it? As Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay famously said, when asked why they climbed Mt. Everest “because it’s there!” She rounded up her camels, took a long walk and that’s all we really need or want to know.
After losing her beloved dog and being bone weary from her journey she actually is ready to give it up at one point. Rick the photographer, of all people, talks her into continuing. Sunburned, dirty and exhausted she and her camels finally reach the ocean and a certain closure to this remarkable adventure.
In one of the best making of documentaries I have ever seen we meet the real Robyn Davidson who admits even she does not know why she did it. And we realize just how great and spot on the casting of this movie is. Mia Wasikowska looks and sounds so much like the real Robyn Davison it is spooky. She is proving herself one of the best young actresses working today, her take on Davidson brings an obvious intelligence, determination and at the same time a forlorn quality to the role. This young woman is obviously very unhappy and we don’t know if her long walk across the Australian Outback will bring her any hope or comfort. Likewise Adam Driver (who is also proving himself an excellent actor with a tremendous range) not only looks like the photographer he is portraying he sounds exactly like him, their voices match! The entire movie was filmed along the same route that Davidson and her camels took. It has been years since I read her book but the movie, as clearly as I can recall follows every last detail, as written.
And finally one can’t help but compare this film to another long walk across the Outback movie, the now legendary Walkabout, which if you have not seen I would highly advise you experience this remarkable classic film as soon as possible. There are several moments that recall Walkabout, but that was yet another spiritual journey, and a clash of cultures story. Tracks is about something else altogether.
Was it worth the wait to see this remarkable film made from an incredible book? Absolutely, I’m glad it finally got made and it deserves a bigger audience. And I highly recommend reading Robyn Davidson’s book first. At one time I even had the National Geographic issue with all of photos we see being taken in the movie, if you can locate it that is also rewarding. I have to give Tracks five out of five stars, please see this movie.
A TV icon for sure, star one of the best sitcoms of all time, but Mary Tyler Moore left a mark with her big screen work including her Oscar-nominated turn in the 1980 Best Picture winner ORDINARY PEOPLE. She co-starred with Charles Bronson in X-15, Elvis in a A CHANGE OF HABIT, Julie Andrews in THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE, and played Ben Stiller’s mom in David O. Russel’s FLIRTING WITH DISASTER. Her ORDINARY PEOPLE performance was wonderful and incredibly surprising at the time but it’s her TV work, from Happy Hotpoint, the Hotpoint Appliance elf in the mid-50’s, to The Dick Van Dyke Show to her winning three Emmys as Mary Richards on The Mary Tyler Moore Show. Ms Moore live for many years with Type 1 diabetes and passed away this morning at age 80.
From The New York Times:
” Mary Tyler Moore, whose witty and graceful performances on two top-rated television shows in the 1960s and ’70s helped define a new vision of American womanhood, died on Wednesday in Greenwich, Conn. She was 80.Her family said her death, at Greenwich Hospital, was caused by cardiopulmonary arrest after she had contracted pneumonia…..”
Madea returns in TYLER PERRY’S BOO! A MADEA HALLOWEENavailableon Blu-ray (plus Digital HD), DVD, Digital HD and On Demand January 31 from Lionsgate Home Entertainment. Also on January 31, TYLER PERRY’S MADEA ON THE RUN (THE PLAY) will be available on Blu-ray (plus Digital HD), DVD, Digital HD and On Demand.
Kick off the new year, and those well-intentioned resolutions, with the Matriarch herself in Tyler Perry’s Boo! A Madea Halloween on Blu-ray (plus Digital HD), DVD, Digital HD and On Demand January 31 from Lionsgate. NAACP Image Award-winning director Tyler Perry returns as Madea along with fan favorites Aunt Bam and Hattie to prevent her teenage niece from attending the crazy frat party next door. The outrageously funny return of Madea – after a three-year theatrical hiatus – was number one at the box office two weekends in a row with a $74 million-dollar worldwide box office. The laugh-out-loud film also features appearances by Cassi Davis (TV’s “House of Payne”), Patrice Lovely (TV’s “Love Thy Neighbor”), Yousef Erakat (FOUSEYTUBE), Liza Koshy (TV’s “Freakish”) Bella Thorne (The Duff), Diamond White (TV’s “Transformers: Rescue Bots”), Rap Artist Tyga, Lexy Panterra (Dirt), J.C. Caylen (TV’s “Tagged”) and Jimmy Tatro (22 Jump Street).
Tyler Perry’s BOO! A Madea Halloween tells the story of Madea being summoned to keep a watchful eye on Brian’s (Tyler Perry) teenage daughter and keep her out of trouble. Little does Madea know, the trouble is coming for her. Fortunately, or not, she has her posse of Bam (Davis), Hattie (Lovely) and Joe to shield off ghosts and killer clowns.
Also on January 31, following a nine-month nationwide tour, Tyler Perry’s Madea on the Run (The Play) will be available on Blu-ray (plus Digital HD), DVD, Digital HD and On Demand. On the run from the law, Madea hides out at Bam’s house, thinking she will lie low. Unfortunately, Bam’s house is packed with rambunctious family and friends, and Madea finds herself needing to lay down her own law and drop the hammer!
Tyler Perry’s BOO! A Madea Halloween home entertainment release bonus material features a look back at what makes audiences love Madea, and how this film came to be. Tyler Perry’s BOO! A Madea Halloween will be available on Blu-ray and DVD for $39.99 and $29.95, respectively. Tyler Perry’s Madea on the Run will be available on Blu-ray and DVD for $24.99 and $19.98, respectively.
TYLER PERRY’S BOO! A MADEA HALLOWEEN BLU-RAY/DVD/DIGITAL SPECIAL
In this interplanetary adventure, a space shuttle embarks on the first mission to colonize Mars, only to discover after takeoff that one of the astronauts is pregnant. Shortly after landing, she dies from complications while giving birth to the first human born on the red planet – never revealing who the father is. Thus begins the extraordinary life of Gardner Elliot – an inquisitive, highly intelligent boy who reaches the age of 16 having only met 14 people in his very unconventional upbringing.
While searching for clues about his father, and the home planet he’s never known, Gardner begins an online friendship with a street smart girl in Colorado named Tulsa. When he finally gets a chance to go to Earth, he’s eager to experience all of the wonders he could only read about on Mars – from the most simple to the extraordinary. But once his explorations begin, scientists discover that Gardner’s organs can’t withstand Earth’s atmosphere.
Eager to find his father, Gardner escapes the team of scientists and joins with Tulsa on a race against time to unravel the mysteries of how he came to be, and where he belongs in the universe.
Stars Gary Oldman, Asa Butterfield, Carla Gugino, and Britt Robertson.
WAMG invites you to enter for the chance to win TWO (2) seats to the advance screening of THE SPACE BETWEEN US on FEBRUARY 1 at 7PM in the St. Louis area.
Answer the following:
What’s the name of the biggest rover ever sent Mars to explore an intriguing region of the Red Planet?
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2. No purchase necessary. A pass does not guarantee a seat at a screening. Seating is on a first-come, first served basis. The theater is overbooked to assure a full house. The theater is not responsible for overbooking.
“This is one time where television really fails to capture the true excitement of a large squirrel predicting the weather.”
So you have to relive the same day over and over again? Think of what you would do? Harold Ramis did and developed it into the beloved 1993 comedy GROUNDHOG DAY. Bill Murray plays Phil, an obnoxious weatherman trapped in a day he can’t escape. No matter what he does every morning he wakes and its Groundhog Day again. There’s no explanation of how this happened to him (good!!) but its great watching him deal with it. His main challenge is to make Andi McDowell love him and his attempts are wonderfully funny. If you haven’t seen GROUNDHOG DAY, you’ll have your chance when it screens exclusively at Marcus-Wehrenberg Theaters on Wednesday February 1st and Thursday, February 2nd at 7pm. If you have seen it, watch it again. Admission is only $5! See it for the laughs, for Andi McDowell’s beauty, for the performance of a great cast (Bill Murray is truly superb), or see it to make life feel a little bit better.
The documentary THE BAD KIDS screens at the Missouri History Museum (5700 Lindell Blvd, St. Louis, MO 63112) Wednesday January 25th at 7:00pm as part of the Indie Lens Pop-Up Film Series. A panel discussion will follow the screening with the April Brown, Director, Intern Leadership Program at Cardinal Ritter College Prep High School, Dr. Elizabeth Bender – Associate Superintendent of College & Career Readiness at St. Louis Public Schools, and Michael Maclin – Coordinator for Alternative Programming at Parkway School District. This is a FREE event.
Located in an impoverished Mojave Desert community, Black Rock Continuation High School is an alternative school for students at risk of dropping out. Every student here has fallen so far behind in credits that they have no hope of earning a diploma at a traditional high school. Black Rock is their last chance. Extraordinary educators believe that empathy and life skills, more than academics, give these underserved students command of their own futures. This coming-of-age story watches education combat the crippling effects of poverty in the lives of these so-called “bad kids.”
Check out the film’s trailer:
About Indie Lens Pop-Up:
Indie Lens Pop-Up is a neighborhood series that brings people together for film screenings and community-driven conversations. Featuring documentaries seen on the PBS series Independent Lens, Indie Lens Pop-Up draws local residents, leaders, and organizations to discuss what matters most, from newsworthy topics to family and relationships. Make friends, share stories, and join the conversation. Can’t attend in person? Find Independent Lens on Facebook for information on our online Pop-Up events.
Academy President Cheryl Boone Isaacs, joined by Oscar-winning and nominated Academy members Demian Bichir, Dustin Lance Black, Glenn Close, Guillermo del Toro, Marcia Gay Harden, Terrence Howard, Jennifer Hudson, Brie Larson, Jason Reitman, Gabourey Sidibe and Ken Watanabe, announced the 89th Academy Awards nominations today (January 24).
This year’s nominations were announced in a pre-taped video package at 5:18 a.m. PT via a global live stream on Oscar.com, Oscars.org and the Academy’s digital platforms; a satellite feed and broadcast media. In keeping with tradition, PwC delivered the Oscars nominations list to the Academy on the evening of January 23.
Academy members from each of the 17 branches vote to determine the nominees in their respective categories – actors nominate actors, film editors nominate film editors, etc. In the Animated Feature Film and Foreign Language Film categories, nominees are selected by a vote of multi-branch screening committees. All voting members are eligible to select the Best Picture nominees.
Active members of the Academy are eligible to vote for the winners in all 24 categories beginning Monday, February 13 through Tuesday, February 21.
Nominations for the 89th Academy Awards –
Performance by an actor in a leading role
Casey Affleck in “Manchester by the Sea”
Andrew Garfield in “Hacksaw Ridge”
Ryan Gosling in “La La Land”
Viggo Mortensen in “Captain Fantastic”
Denzel Washington in “Fences”
Performance by an actor in a supporting role
Mahershala Ali in “Moonlight”
Jeff Bridges in “Hell or High Water”
Lucas Hedges in “Manchester by the Sea”
Dev Patel in “Lion”
Michael Shannon in “Nocturnal Animals”
“I am thrilled! Loved making this film. I would work with Tom Ford anytime, anywhere. Jake Gyllenhaal and Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Karl Glusman made it easy for me. Nice to get some good news in the midst of all the carnage, so to speak.” – Michael Shannon, Academy Award nominee for Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role (NOCTURNAL ANIMALS)
Performance by an actress in a leading role
Isabelle Huppert in “Elle”
Ruth Negga in “Loving”
Natalie Portman in “Jackie”
Emma Stone in “La La Land”
Meryl Streep in “Florence Foster Jenkins”
Performance by an actress in a supporting role
Viola Davis in “Fences”
Naomie Harris in “Moonlight”
Nicole Kidman in “Lion”
Octavia Spencer in “Hidden Figures”
Michelle Williams in “Manchester by the Sea”
Best animated feature film of the year
“Kubo and the Two Strings” Travis Knight and Arianne Sutner
“Moana” John Musker, Ron Clements and Osnat Shurer
“My Life as a Zucchini” Claude Barras and Max Karli
“The Red Turtle” Michael Dudok de Wit and Toshio Suzuki
“Zootopia” Byron Howard, Rich Moore and Clark Spencer
Achievement in cinematography
“Arrival” Bradford Young
“La La Land” Linus Sandgren
“Lion” Greig Fraser
“Moonlight” James Laxton
“Silence” Rodrigo Prieto
“I’m extremely proud to be part of the team who made LION and I’m humbled the Academy has nominated me. My crew, both Indian, and Australian, deserve a massive shout out. Their skill and support meant everything to this film.
“It’s an incredible privilege to be acknowledged among the diverse and talented DPs of the cinematography world, so many of whom are doing amazing work. And so many whom I count as close, personal friends.”
“I’d like to say thank you to our extremely talented director Garth Davis for allowing me to help make his wonderful vision a reality – as well as the people of India and Australia, who were so accommodating during our shoot.” – LION Cinematographer Greig Fraser, ASC ACS
Achievement in costume design
“Allied” Joanna Johnston
“Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” Colleen Atwood
“Florence Foster Jenkins” Consolata Boyle
“Jackie” Madeline Fontaine
“La La Land” Mary Zophres
Achievement in directing
“Arrival” Denis Villeneuve
“Hacksaw Ridge” Mel Gibson
“La La Land” Damien Chazelle
“Manchester by the Sea” Kenneth Lonergan
“Moonlight” Barry Jenkins
Best documentary feature
“Fire at Sea” Gianfranco Rosi and Donatella Palermo
“I Am Not Your Negro” Raoul Peck, Rémi Grellety and Hébert Peck
“Life, Animated” Roger Ross Williams and Julie Goldman
“O.J.: Made in America” Ezra Edelman and Caroline Waterlow
“13th” Ava DuVernay, Spencer Averick and Howard Barish
Best documentary short subject
“Extremis” Dan Krauss
“4.1 Miles” Daphne Matziaraki
“Joe’s Violin” Kahane Cooperman and Raphaela Neihausen
“Watani: My Homeland” Marcel Mettelsiefen and Stephen Ellis
“The White Helmets” Orlando von Einsiedel and Joanna Natasegara
Achievement in film editing
“Arrival”Joe Walker
“Hacksaw Ridge” John Gilbert
“Hell or High Water” Jake Roberts
“La La Land” Tom Cross
“Moonlight” Nat Sanders and Joi McMillon
Best foreign language film of the year
“Land of Mine” Denmark
“A Man Called Ove” Sweden
“The Salesman” Iran
“Tanna” Australia
“Toni Erdmann” Germany
Achievement in makeup and hairstyling
“A Man Called Ove” Eva von Bahr and Love Larson
“Star Trek Beyond” Joel Harlow and Richard Alonzo
“Suicide Squad” Alessandro Bertolazzi, Giorgio Gregorini and Christopher Nelson
Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original score)
“Jackie” Mica Levi
“La La Land” Justin Hurwitz
“Lion” Dustin O’Halloran and Hauschka
“Moonlight” Nicholas Britell
“Passengers” Thomas Newman
Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original song)
“Audition (The Fools Who Dream)” from “La La Land”
Music by Justin Hurwitz; Lyric by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul
“Can’t Stop The Feeling” from “Trolls”
Music and Lyric by Justin Timberlake, Max Martin and Karl Johan Schuster
“City Of Stars” from “La La Land”
Music by Justin Hurwitz; Lyric by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul
“The Empty Chair” from “Jim: The James Foley Story”
Music and Lyric by J. Ralph and Sting
“How Far I’ll Go” from “Moana”
Music and Lyric by Lin-Manuel Miranda
Best motion picture of the year
“Arrival” Shawn Levy, Dan Levine, Aaron Ryder and David Linde, Producers
“Fences” Scott Rudin, Denzel Washington and Todd Black, Producers
“Hacksaw Ridge” Bill Mechanic and David Permut, Producers
“Hell or High Water” Carla Hacken and Julie Yorn, Producers
“Hidden Figures” Donna Gigliotti, Peter Chernin, Jenno Topping, Pharrell Williams and Theodore Melfi, Producers
“La La Land” Fred Berger, Jordan Horowitz and Marc Platt, Producers
“Lion” Emile Sherman, Iain Canning and Angie Fielder, Producers
“Manchester by the Sea” Matt Damon, Kimberly Steward, Chris Moore, Lauren Beck and Kevin J. Walsh, Producers
“Moonlight” Adele Romanski, Dede Gardner and Jeremy Kleiner, Producers
Achievement in production design
“Arrival” Production Design: Patrice Vermette; Set Decoration: Paul Hotte
“Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” Production Design: Stuart Craig; Set Decoration: Anna Pinnock
“Hail, Caesar!” Production Design: Jess Gonchor; Set Decoration: Nancy Haigh
“La La Land” Production Design: David Wasco; Set Decoration: Sandy Reynolds-Wasco
“Passengers” Production Design: Guy Hendrix Dyas; Set Decoration: Gene Serdena
Best animated short film
“Blind Vaysha” Theodore Ushev
“Borrowed Time” Andrew Coats and Lou Hamou-Lhadj
“Pear Cider and Cigarettes” Robert Valley and Cara Speller
“Pearl” Patrick Osborne
“Piper” Alan Barillaro and Marc Sondheimer
Best live action short film
“Ennemis Intérieurs” Sélim Azzazi
“La Femme et le TGV” Timo von Gunten and Giacun Caduff
“Silent Nights” Aske Bang and Kim Magnusson
“Sing” Kristof Deák and Anna Udvardy
“Timecode” Juanjo Giménez
Achievement in sound editing
“Arrival” Sylvain Bellemare
“Deepwater Horizon” Wylie Stateman and Renée Tondelli
“Hacksaw Ridge” Robert Mackenzie and Andy Wright
“La La Land” Ai-Ling Lee and Mildred Iatrou Morgan
“Sully” Alan Robert Murray and Bub Asman
Achievement in sound mixing
“Arrival” Bernard Gariépy Strobl and Claude La Haye
“Hacksaw Ridge” Kevin O’Connell, Andy Wright, Robert Mackenzie and Peter Grace
“La La Land” Andy Nelson, Ai-Ling Lee and Steve A. Morrow
“Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” David Parker, Christopher Scarabosio and Stuart Wilson
“13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi” Greg P. Russell, Gary Summers, Jeffrey J. Haboush and Mac Ruth
Achievement in visual effects
“Deepwater Horizon” Craig Hammack, Jason Snell, Jason Billington and Burt Dalton
“Doctor Strange” Stephane Ceretti, Richard Bluff, Vincent Cirelli and Paul Corbould
“The Jungle Book” Robert Legato, Adam Valdez, Andrew R. Jones and Dan Lemmon
“Kubo and the Two Strings” Steve Emerson, Oliver Jones, Brian McLean and Brad Schiff
“Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” John Knoll, Mohen Leo, Hal Hickel and Neil Corbould
“As much as Kubo and the Two Strings is an homage to Japanese culture and to woodblock artists including Kiyoshi Saito, it is also a tribute to special effects pioneers Ray Harryhausen, Willis O’Brien, Jim Danforth, and the many innovative FX artists who tell stories using in-camera effects, puppets, and human hands. We’re thrilled for the artists at LAIKA who put years into realizing Kubo. For all of us at the studio, being recognized alongside such distinguished and talented members of the VFX community is truly an honor.” – Steve Emerson, Oliver Jones, Brian McLean & Brad Schiff, Academy Award nominees for Achievement in Visual Effects (KUBO AND THE TWO STRINGS)
Adapted screenplay
“Arrival” Screenplay by Eric Heisserer
“Fences” Screenplay by August Wilson
“Hidden Figures” Screenplay by Allison Schroeder and Theodore Melfi
“Lion” Screenplay by Luke Davies
“Moonlight” Screenplay by Barry Jenkins; Story by Tarell Alvin McCraney
Original screenplay
“Hell or High Water” Written by Taylor Sheridan
“La La Land” Written by Damien Chazelle
“The Lobster” Written by Yorgos Lanthimos, Efthimis Filippou
“Manchester by the Sea” Written by Kenneth Lonergan
“20th Century Women” Written by Mike Mills
With 14 nominations, La La Land ties the record held by All about Eve (1950) and Titanic (1997). Arrival and Moonlight received 8 nominations, Hacksaw Ridge, Manchester By The Sea and Lion saw 6 nods each, followed by Fences and Hell Or High Water with 4.
With their Best Picture nominations for Moonlight, Dede Gardner and Jeremy Kleiner become the first individual producers to have nominations in the Best Picture category in four consecutive years.
La La Land is the first musical with original music and story to receive a Best Picture nomination since All That Jazz (1979) and the second since Anchors Aweigh (1945).
With his Best Picture nomination for Manchester by the Sea, Matt Damon becomes only the third individual to be nominated in the Acting, Writing and Best Picture categories. The others are Warren Beatty and George Clooney.
Denzel Washington is the seventh individual to receive Acting and Best Picture nominations for the same film, joining Warren Beatty, Kevin Costner, Clint Eastwood, Brad Pitt, Leonardo DiCaprio and Bradley Cooper.
In the acting categories, seven individuals are first-time nominees (Andrew Garfield, Mahershala Ali, Lucas Hedges, Dev Patel, Isabelle Huppert, Ruth Negga and Naomie Harris). Six of the nominees are previous acting winners (Denzel Washington, Jeff Bridges, Natalie Portman, Meryl Streep, Nicole Kidman and Octavia Spencer). Meryl Streep extends her lead as the most nominated performer with her 20th nomination.
Kubo and the Two Strings is the second fully animated film to be nominated in the Visual Effects category. The first was The Nightmare before Christmas (1993).
“I’m over the moon! An Academy Award nomination is an extraordinary and cherished gift. Two nominations is more than anyone could hope for. Every filmmaker dreams of a moment like this. But the truth is, I already lived my dream by making this film. Movies have always given me great joy. They enriched my life. They inspired me to dream. That’s the kind of film our team at LAIKA sought to make with KUBO AND THE TWO STRINGS. A film is a slice of a hundred souls. In this case many more. An incredible, immense community of artists gave ceaselessly and selflessly to breathe life into this story. I’m so thankful for their talents and efforts and so proud of what we’ve done together. I’m profoundly grateful to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, who somehow saw fit to include us among the finest storytellers in film. It is a tremendous honor to stand alongside them.” – Travis Knight, Academy Award nominee as director and producer of KUBO AND THE TWO STRINGS, Best Animated Feature Film
With a running time of 7 hours 47 minutes, Documentary Feature nominee O.J.: Made in America is the longest film ever nominated for an Academy Award.
Mica Levi, nominated for Original Score for Jackie, is the eighth woman to be nominated in the music scoring categories.
Thomas Newman’s nomination for Original Score for Passengers is his 14th and brings the total for members of the Newman family (Alfred, Lionel, Emil, Thomas, David and Randy) to 90, more than any other family. Stuart Craig has the most nominations for Production Design of any living person with 11. The all-time record in the category belongs to Cedric Gibbons with 38 nominations.
Kevin O’Connell and Andy Nelson, each with 21 nominations for Sound Mixing, are tied for the most nominations in the category since nominations began going to individuals in 1961.
With their nomination for Sound Editing for La La Land, Ai-Ling Lee and Mildred Iatrou Morgan become the first female team to be nominated in the category. Six other women have a combined total of 10 nominations and five wins for Sound Editing. Kim Magnusson, with his sixth nomination for Live Action Short Film, has produced the most films nominated in the short film categories of any living person. “The Empty Chair” from Jim: The James Foley Story is the seventh song from a documentary feature to be nominated and the fifth in the past five years.
Best Picture Release Dates:
Hell or High Water – August 11, 2016
Moonlight – October 10, 2016
Hacksaw Ridge – November 2, 2016
Arrival – November 10, 2016
Manchester by the Sea – November 17, 2016
Lion – November 24, 2016
La La Land – December 8, 2016
Fences – December 15, 2016
Hidden Figures – December 24, 2016
The 89th Oscars will be held on Sunday, February 26, 2017, at the Dolby Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center in Hollywood, and will be televised live on the ABC Television Network at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT. Hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, the Oscars also will be televised live in more than 225 countries and territories worldwide.
Contributed by Michelle McCue and Melissa Thompson
Nicolas Cage stars in USS INDIANAPOLIS: MEN OF COURAGE, a wartime action drama directed by Mario Van Peebles arriving on Blu-ray (plus Digital HD) and DVD January 24 from Lionsgate.. After delivering parts for the atomic bomb that would later be dropped on Hiroshima in 1945, the naval cruiser USS Indianapolis is torpedoed by a Japanese submarine while patrolling the Philippine Sea. Left with no option but to abandon ship, Captain Charles McVay (Nicolas Cage) and hundreds of his crew are left stranded in open seas with no food or water. Enduring extreme hunger and thirst for days, things soon go from bad to worse as a group of sharks begin to prey on the men as they sit helplessly awaiting rescue.USS INDIANAPOLIS: MEN OF COURAGE also stars Golden Globe® nominees Tom Sizemore (Saving Private Ryan) and Thomas Jane (Deep Blue Sea)
Now you can own the Blu-ray of USS INDIANAPOLIS: MEN OF COURAGE. We Are Movie Geeks has five copies to give away! All you have to do is leave a comment answering this question: What is your favorite movie from the last three years that starred Nicolas Cage. There’s plenty to choose from (mine is DOG EAT DOG). It’s so easy!
Good Luck!
OFFICIAL RULES:
1. YOU MUST BE A US RESIDENT. PRIZE WILL ONLY BE SHIPPED TO US ADDRESSES. NO P.O. BOXES. NO DUPLICATE ADDRESSES.
2. WINNERS WILL BE CHOSEN FROM ALL QUALIFYING ENTRIES.
No purchase necessary
Special Features:
Includes ”The Making of USS INDIANAPOLIS: MEN OF COURAGE” featurette
Everyone’s worst fears about the evil that hides in the dark come to life in the nightmare-inducing horror film The Monster, arriving on Blu-ray (plus Digital HD) and DVD January 24 from Lionsgate. Somewhere deep in the dark woods lurks a bloodthirsty creature that targets an unsuspecting mother and daughter on a late-night road trip. Starring Primetime Emmy® Award nominee Zoe Kazan (TV’s “Olivia Kitteridge”) and Teen Choice Award nominee Scott Speedman (Underworld franchise), the shocking and terrifying modern monster movie will have you “peeking through your fingers as the blood goes splat” (The New York Times).
Now you can own the Blu-ray of THE MONSTER. We Are Movie Geeks has five copies to give away! All you have to do is leave a comment answering this question: What is your favorite movie with the word ‘Monster‘ in the title? (mine is MAD MONSTER PARTY). It’s so easy!
Good Luck!
OFFICIAL RULES:
1. YOU MUST BE A US RESIDENT. PRIZE WILL ONLY BE SHIPPED TO US ADDRESSES. NO P.O. BOXES. NO DUPLICATE ADDRESSES.
2. WINNERS WILL BE CHOSEN FROM ALL QUALIFYING ENTRIES.
No purchase necessary
Acclaimed horror filmmaker Bryan Bertino (The Strangers) wrote and directed this suspenseful and scary film, in which a divorced mother (Zoe Kazan) and her headstrong daughter must make an emergency late-night road trip to see the girl’s father. As they drive through deserted country roads on a stormy night, they suddenly have a startling collision that leaves them shaken but not seriously hurt. Their car, however, is dead, and as they try in vain to get help, they come to realize they are not alone on these desolate backroads — a terrifying evil is lurking in the surrounding woods, intent on never letting them leave.
