Tag: Steven Spielberg

ACE Film Editors To Honor Director Steven Spielberg On February 16 At 63rd Annual ACE Eddie Awards

Steven_Spielberg_by_Brian_Bowen_Smith

Award winning filmmaker Steven Spielberg has been selected by the Board of Directors of the American Cinema Editors (ACE) to be honored with the organization’s prestigious ACE Golden Eddie Filmmaker of the Year Award. The award will be presented at the 63rd Annual ACE Eddie Awards ceremony on Saturday, February 16, 2013 in the International Ballroom of the Beverly Hilton Hotel, it was announced today by the ACE Board of Directors. The previously announced ACE Eddie Award nominees in nine categories of film, TV and documentaries is available online: http://ace-filmeditors.org/ace-eddie-awards/nominees-recipients/ .

“Steven Spielberg is a cinematic treasure,” stated the ACE Board of Directors. “For over four decades he has been moving audiences around the world with his unique, powerful brand of storytelling.  As one of the most successful directors in history, he has brought us beloved films, which have not only delighted us but have been indelibly woven into our cultural fabric.  Throughout it all, he has worked side by side with the great Michael Kahn, A.C.E., forming a director-editor partnership that has lasted decades.  It is our pleasure to recognize him with the ACE Golden Eddie Filmmaker of the Year honor, especially in a year where he has, once again, created a masterpiece with his latest film, Lincoln.”

Spielberg is one of the entertainment industry’s most successful and influential filmmakers and a principal partner of DreamWorks Studios.  He is the top-grossing director of all time, having helmed such blockbusters as JAWS, E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial, the Indiana Jones franchise and Jurassic Park, earning billions at the box office.  He is a three-time Academy Award® winner, having won his first two for Best Director and Best Picture for Schindler’s List, which received a total of seven Oscars® that year.  He won his third Oscar® for Best Director for the WWII epic drama Saving Private Ryan. It was also one of the year’s most honored films, earning four additional Oscars®, as well as two Golden Globes for Best Picture and Best Director.  He also earned Academy Award® nominations for Best Director for Munich, E.T The Extra-Terrestrial, Raiders of the Lost Ark and Close Encounters of the Third Kind.  Throughout his career he has also earned a staggering eleven DGA Award nominations, making him the most honored member of the DGA.  Last year he successfully took on the challenge of working in 3D animation with The Adventures of Tintin, which won the Golden Globe for Best Animated Feature.  Last year he also directed War Horse, which earned six Oscar® nominations including Best Picture.

LINCOLN

Most recently, Spielberg directs two-time Academy Award® winning actor Daniel Day-Lewis in LINCOLN, based in part on Doris Kearns Goodwin’s “Team of Rivals,” with a screenplay by Tony Kushner. The film opened November 9th to critical acclaim and has earned over $145 million at the domestic box office to date. It will release internationally in early 2013.

Founded in 1950, ACE is the entertainment industry’s honorary society of film editors and is comprised of over 700 accomplished editors working in film and television.  The ACE Eddie Awards recognize outstanding editing in nine categories of film, television and documentaries.

For more information visit: WWW.AMERICANCINEMAEDITORS.COM.

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SCHINDLER’S LIST Comes To Blu-ray March 5, 2013

Experience one of the most historically significant films like never before when Academy Award®-winning director Steven Spielberg ‘s Schindler’s List marks its 20th anniversary with a Limited Edition Blu-ray™ Combo Pack – featuring DVD, Digital Copy & UltraViolet™ – on March 5, 2013 from Universal Studios Home Entertainment. Schindler’s List 20th Anniversary Limited Edition has been meticulously restored from the original film negative in pristine high definition, supervised by Steven Spielberg and includes bonus features that shed unprecedented light on the story of Oskar Schindler , a member of the Nazi party who risked his own life to save more than 1,100 Jews during the Holocaust.

One of the most meaningful films of our generation, Schindler’s List tells an extraordinary true story of courage and faith that continues to inspire. Spielberg personally supervised the extensive high-definition restoration of the film from the 35mm film original negative so that viewers can see this powerful story as never before. The Blu-ray™ Combo Pack allows viewers to watch Schindler’s List anytime, anywhere on the platform of their choice. It includes a Blu-ray™ disc, a DVD, a Digital Copy and UltraViolet™ for the ultimate, complete viewing experience.

“Schindler’s List is a rare masterpiece of filmmaking that remains as riveting and moving today as it was for moviegoers 20 years ago,” said Craig Kornblau , President of Universal Studios Home Entertainment. “It stands as a powerful reminder of the heroism and humanity of those willing to stand up against intolerance.”

With its initial release in 1993, Schindler’s List rapidly became one of the most honored films of all time, garnering twelve Academy Award® nominations and taking home seven Oscars®, including Best Director and Best Picture for Spielberg.

The film also earned Oscars® for composer John Williams (E.T., Star Wars), screenwriter Steven Zaillian (Gangs of New York, Mission: Impossible) and director of photography Janusz Kaminiski , as well as art directors Allan Starski and Ewa Braun , editor Michael Kahn and producers Gerald R. Molen and Branko Lustig .

Liam Neeson (Taken, Gangs of New York) received a Best Actor Academy Award® nomination for his portrayal of Oskar Schindler . Ralph Fiennes ‘ (The English Patient, the Harry Potter series) star-making performance as the cruel Nazi commander, Amon Goeth , was nominated for Best Supporting Actor, as was Oscars®-winner Ben Kingsley (Gandhi, Hugo) in the role of Schindler’s Jewish accountant, Itzhak Stern .

The historic release of Schindler’s List on Blu-ray™ also marks the beginning of the 20th year of the USC Shoah Foundation – The Institute for Visual History and Education.  Inspired by the experience of making Schindler’s List, Steven Spielbergestablished the organization in 1994 to videotape interviews with survivors and other witnesses of the Holocaust. The USC Shoah Foundation’s Visual History Archive contains nearly 52,000 testimonies, each encompassing a complete personal history of life before, during and after a subject’s first-hand experience with genocide. Through its extensive educational initiatives, including the IWitness website for middle and high school students, hundreds of college courses based on the archive that are being taught at universities on four continents, numerous teacher training programs offered in over 20 countries, and major global research partnerships, the USC Shoah Foundation is dedicated to making its Visual History Archive a compelling voice for education and action.  Spielberg considers this the most important work of his professional life and the legacy of Schindler’s List. Learn more and view testimony at sfi.usc.edu.

The Schindler’s List 20th Anniversary Limited Edition Blu-ray™ Combo Pack includes:

  • Blu-ray™ disc unleashes the power of your HDTV and is the best way to watch movies at home, featuring perfect hi-def picture and hi-def sound.
  • DVD offers the flexibility and convenience of playing movies in more places, both at home and away.
  • Digital Copy provides consumers with a choice of formats from a variety of partners, including options to watch on iPhone®, Android™, computers and more.
  • UltraViolet™ is a revolutionary new way for consumers to collect their movies and TV shows in the cloud. UltraViolet™ lets consumers instantly stream and download to tablets, smartphones, computers and TVs. Now available in both the United States and Canada.

Bonus Features on Both the Blu-rayTM and DVD

  • Voices from the List:  Featuring documentary with testimonies from those who survived the Holocaust thanks to Oskar Schindler .
  • USC Shoah Foundation Story with Steven Spielberg : The director shows how filming Schindler’s list inspired him to establish the USC Shoah Foundation.

SYNOPSIS

Adapted from the novel by Thomas Keneally , Steven Spielberg ‘s masterful film tells the incredible true story of the courageous Oskar Schindler ( Liam Neeson ). Initially a member of the Nazi party, the Catholic Schindler risks his career and life, and ultimately goes bankrupt, to employ 1,100 Jews in his crockery factory during the Holocaust. Schindler’s Jewish accountant ( Ben Kingsley ) serves as his conscience, as Schindler conducts business with an obstinate and cruel Nazi commander (Ralph Fiennes ), who viciously kills Jewish prisoners from the balcony of his villa overlooking a prison camp. Filmed entirely in black-and-white on location in Poland, Schindler’s List does not downplay the faults of its magnanimous and unlikely hero, but relates a story of the triumph of the human spirit in the face of horrific devastation and tragedy.

FILMMAKERS
Cast: Liam Neeson , Ben Kingsley, Ralph Fiennes, Caroline Goodall, Jonathan Sagall, Embeth Davidtz
Director: Steven Spielberg
Screenwriter: Steven Zaillian , based on a novel by Thomas Keneally
Producers: Branko Lustig, Gerard R. Molen, Steven Spielberg
Co-Producer: Lew Rywin
Executive Producer: Kathleen Kennedy
Associate Producers:  Irving Glovin, Robert Raymond
Director of Photography: Janusz Kaminski
Production Designer: Allan Starski
Editor: Michael Kahn

TECHNICAL INFORMATION
BLU-RAY™
Street Date: 3/5/13
Copyright: 2013 Universal Studios. All Rights Reserved.
Selection Numbers: 61124840 (US) / 61125744 (Canada)
Running Time: 3 hours, 16 minutes
Layers: BD-50
Aspect Ratio: Widescreen, 1.85:1
Rating: R for language, some sexuality and actuality violence
Technical Info: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, Spanish/French DTS Digital Surround 5.1
Subtitles: English SDH, French and Spanish

DVD
Street Date: 3/5/13
Copyright: 2013 Universal Studios. All Rights Reserved.
Selection Numbers: 61124821 (US) / 61121205 (Canada)
Running Time: 3 hours, 16 minutes
Layers: Dual layers
Aspect Ratio: Anamorphic widescreen, 1.85:1
Rating: R for language, some sexuality and actuality violence
Technical Info: English Dolby Digital 5.1, Spanish/French Dolby Digital 5.1
Subtitles: English SDH, French and Spanish

JURASSIC PARK 4 Coming To Theaters June 13, 2014

Universal Pictures has announced a release date for the long-awaited JURASSIC PARK 4. Let the cheering and roaring begin! The epic action-adventure will be shot in 3D and released on June 13, 2014. No word yet on a director or actors, but according to Deadline Steven Spielberg will produce the next chapter in the groundbreaking series. Universal will utilize RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES screenwriters, Amanda Silver and Rick Jaffa, for JP4.

In July 2012, producer Frank Marshall (RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK, THE SIXTH SENSE) confirmed on Twitter that he’s also on board.

Other big films that will be unleashed upon audiences in 2014 – MALEFICENT, NOAH, CAPTAIN AMERICA – THE WINTER SOLDIER, THE HOBBIT: THERE AND BACK AGAIN, HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON  2, GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY, DAWN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES, TRANSFORMERS 4, GODZILLA, THE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY, PART 1 and THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2.

In anticipation of the 4th chapter in the franchise, Universal and IMAX announced last week that Spielberg’s epic JURASSIC PARK will return to the big screen with a one-week 3D engagement in IMAX® theatres worldwide simultaneous with the film’s wide release beginning April 5, 2013. The 1993 story of genetically recreated dinosaurs run amuck won three Oscars for Best Sound Editing, Best Sound Mixing and Best Visual Effects at the 66th Academy Awards. Starring Sam Neill, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, Samuel L. Jackson and Richard Attenborough, the film based on the novel by Michael Crichton is produced by Kathleen Kennedy and Gerald R. Molen.

To keep up on the latest JURASSIC PARK 3D and JURASSIC PARK 4 news, visit:

http://www.jurassicpark.com/.

https://www.facebook.com/JurassicPark

https://twitter.com/JurassicPark3D

http://www.youtube.com/user/jurassicpark

Universal Pictures’ JURASSIC PARK To Be Released In IMAX 3D For The First Time On April 5

IMAX and and Universal Pictures today announced that Steven Spielberg’s epic JURASSIC PARK will return to the big screen with a one-week 3D engagement in IMAX® theatres worldwide simultaneous with the film’s wide release beginning April 5, 2013.

With his remastering of this epic film into a state-of-the-art 3D format, Steven Spielberg introduces the three-time Academy Award®-winning blockbuster to a new generation of moviegoers and allows longtime fans to experience the world he envisioned in a way that was unimaginable during the film’s original release. Starring Sam Neill, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, Samuel L. Jackson and Richard Attenborough, the film based on the novel by Michael Crichton is produced by Kathleen Kennedy and Gerald R. Molen.

“Jurassic Park is the quintessential film for fans to experience in IMAX 3D,” said Nikki Rocco, President of Distribution, Universal Pictures. “Jurassic Park was groundbreaking when it was originally released, and The IMAX 3D Experience® will allow today’s audiences to become fully immersed in one of the most breathtaking epics Universal has ever released.”

“Steven Spielberg’s films resonate uniquely with audiences,” said Greg Foster, Chairman and President of IMAX Filmed Entertainment. “We’re thrilled to offer moviegoers an opportunity to see this fan favorite back on the big screen and transport them – for the first time through the power of The IMAX 3D Experience® – into the world of Jurassic Park.”

The IMAX release of Jurassic Park has been digitally re-mastered into the image and sound quality of The IMAX 3D Experience® with proprietary IMAX DMR® (Digital Re-mastering) technology. The crystal-clear images, coupled with IMAX’s customized theatre geometry and powerful digital audio, create a unique environment that will make audiences feel as if they are in the movie.

Visit the film’s official site at http://www.jurassicpark.com/.

https://www.facebook.com/JurassicPark

https://twitter.com/JurassicPark3D

DGA Nominees Announced; Hooper, Bigelow, Spielberg, Lee, Affleck Make List

On January 8, 2013, DGA President Taylor Hackford announced the five nominees for the DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film for 2012.

The nominees are (in alphabetical order):

BEN AFFLECK

Argo
(Warner Bros. Pictures)

Mr. Affleck’s Directorial Team:
Unit Production Manager: Amy Herman
First Assistant Director: David Webb
Second Assistant Director: Ian Calip
Second Second Assistant Directors: Clark Credle, Gavin Kleintop
First Assistant Director (Turkey Unit): Belkis Turan

This is Mr. Affleck’s first DGA Feature Film Award nomination.

KATHRYN BIGELOW

Zero Dark Thirty
(Columbia Pictures)

Ms. Bigelow’s Directorial Team:
Unit Production Manager: Colin Wilson
First Assistant Director: David A. Ticotin
Second Assistant Directors: Ben Lanning, Sarah Hood
First Assistant Director (Jordan Unit): Scott Robertson
Second Assistant Directors (Jordan Unit): Jonas Spaccarotelli, Yanal Kassay
Second Second Assistant Director (Jordan Unit): Tarek Afifi
Unit Production Manager (India Unit): Rajeev Mehra

This is Ms. Bigelow’s second DGA Feature Film Award nomination. She won the DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film for The Hurt Locker in 2009.

TOM HOOPER

Les Misérables
(Universal Pictures)

Mr. Hooper’s Directorial Team:
Unit Production Manager: Patrick Schweitzer
First Assistant Director: Ben Howarth
Second Assistant Director: Harriet Worth
Second Second Assistant Director: Dan Channing Williams

This is Mr. Hooper’s second DGA Feature Film Award nomination. He won the DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film for The King’s Speech (2010) and was previously nominated for the DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Movies for Television/Mini-Series for John Adams in 2008.

ANG LEE

Life of Pi
(Twentieth Century Fox)

Mr. Lee’s Directorial Team:
Unit Production Manager: Michael J. Malone
Unit Production Manager (Taiwan): Leo Chen
First Assistant Directors: William M. Connor, Cliff Lanning
Second Assistant Directors: Robert Burgess, Ben Lanning
Unit Production Manager (India Unit): Sanjay Kumar
First Assistant Director (India Unit): Nitya Mehra
Second Assistant Director (India Unit): Ananya Rane
Second Second Assistant Directors (India Unit): Namra Parikh, Freya Parekh
Second Assistant Directors (Montreal Unit): Derek Wimble, Renato De Cotiis

This is Mr. Lee’s fourth DGA Feature Film Award nomination. He won the DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film for Brokeback Mountain (2005) and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000) and was nominated for Sense and Sensibility in 1995.

STEVEN SPIELBERG

Lincoln
(Dreamworks Pictures/Twentieth Century Fox)

Mr. Spielberg’s Directorial Team:
Unit Production Manager: Susan McNamara
First Assistant Director: Adam Somner
Second Assistant Director: Ian Stone
Second Second Assistant Directors: Eric Lasko, Trevor Tavares

This is Mr. Spielberg’s eleventh DGA Feature Film Award nomination. He won the DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film three times for Saving Private Ryan (1998), Schindler’s List (1993) and The Color Purple (1985). He was also nominated in this category for Munich (2005), Amistad (1997), Empire of the Sun (1987), E.T.: The Extra Terrestrial (1982), Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977) and Jaws (1975). Mr. Spielberg was honored with the DGA’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 2000.

“DGA members have chosen an incredibly rich and varied group of filmmakers to nominate for this year’s Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film Award. These directors represent the highest standard of filmmaking, and their films are a testament to artistic achievement, innovative storytelling and the passion that filmmakers share with their audiences,” said Hackford. “Being nominated by their peers is what makes this award particularly meaningful for directors, and I congratulate all of the nominees for their outstanding work.”

The DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film has traditionally been one of the industry’s most accurate barometers for who will win the Best Director Academy Award. Only six times since the DGA Awards began in 1948 has the Feature Film winner not gone on to win the corresponding Academy Award.

The six exceptions are as follows:

  • 1968: Anthony Harvey won the DGA Award for The Lion in Winter while Carol Reed took home the Oscar® for Oliver!
  • 1972: Francis Ford Coppola received the DGA’s nod for The Godfather while the Academy selected Bob Fosse for Cabaret.
  • 1985: Steven Spielberg received his first DGA Award for The Color Purple while the Oscar® went to Sydney Pollack for Out of Africa.
  • 1995: Ron Howard was chosen by the DGA for his direction of Apollo 13 while Academy voters selected Mel Gibson for Braveheart.
  • 2000: Ang Lee won the DGA Award for his direction of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon while Steven Soderbergh won the Academy Award for Traffic.
  • 2002: Rob Marshall won the DGA Award for Chicago while Roman Polanski received the Academy Award for The Pianist.

The winner will be named at the 65th Annual DGA Awards Dinner on Saturday, Febnuary 2, 2013, at the Ray Dolby Ballroom at Hollywood & Highland.

LINCOLN Movie To Hit $100M At Box Office Today

DreamWorks Pictures announced today that “Lincoln,” directed by Steven Spielberg, will hit $100M at the domestic box office today, 34 days from its initial exclusive release in 11 theaters on November 9. With its relevancy and riveting storytelling, the powerful film has resonated with American audiences across a wide demographic, drawing in moviegoers from teens to senior citizens.

“Lincoln,” starring Daniel Day-Lewis, Sally Field, David Strathairn, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, James Spader, Hal Holbrook and Tommy Lee Jones, has steadily delivered strong performances to hit the $100M mark today. To support audience demand, an additional 271 theaters will be added Friday, bringing the total number of theaters to 2285.

Today, “Lincoln” received seven Golden Globe® nominations—more than any other film this year and more than any other Spielberg film. In addition to best picture drama and best director nods, the film was nominated in the best actor, best supporting actor and best supporting actress categories as well as best screenplay and best original score categories.

Yesterday, “Lincoln” garnered SAG Award® nominations for outstanding performances in the leading role and supporting role categories for male actor and in the supporting role category for female actor as well as a nomination for outstanding performance by a cast in a motion picture.

Earlier this week, “Lincoln” received a record-setting 13 nominations for the 18th annual Critics’ Choice Movie Awards from the  Broadcast Film Critics Association (BFCA). This is more nominations than any film has ever received from BFCA. In addition, both the New York Film Critics Circle and the Boston Society of Film critics honored Daniel Day-Lewis, Sally Field and Tony Kushner with awards.

Producer Kathleen Kennedy comments on the success of “Lincoln”:  “It was a 12- year struggle to get this film made. We are humbled and gratified to receive these nominations and to see how audiences have embraced it. To see this film cross $100 million after we were continually discouraged from making it, is beyond what we could have ever hoped for. “

Many critics have responded to the political relevancy of “Lincoln.” Joe Klein in Time says, “Suddenly it seems as if everyone in the political world is talking about Steven Spielberg’s splendid film ‘Lincoln.’”

Ruth Marcus at the Washington Post states: “President Obama hosted a screening of Steven Spielberg’s ‘Lincoln’ at the White House the other day. He should do it again—and again and again. ‘Lincoln’ is exquisitely crafted and even more exquisitely timed.”

And David Brooks in the New York Times comments, “I hope everybody who shares this anti-political mood will go out to see ‘Lincoln,’ directed by Steven Spielberg and written by Tony Kushner. The movie portrays the nobility of politics in exactly the right way.”

“Lincoln” is a revealing drama that focuses on the 16th President’s tumultuous final months in office. In a nation divided by war and the strong winds of change, Lincoln pursues a course of action designed to end the war, unite the country and abolish slavery. With the moral courage and fierce determination to succeed, his choices during this critical moment will change the fate of generations to come.

From DreamWorks Pictures and Twentieth Century Fox, in association with Participant Media, “Lincoln” is directed by Steven Spielberg,  produced by Spielberg and Kathleen Kennedy, with a screenplay by Tony Kushner, based in part on the book “Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln” by Doris Kearns Goodwin.

“Lincoln” is distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures.

For additional information about LINCOLN, visit thelincolnmovie.com, like the movie at Facebook.com/Lincolnmovie or follow the movie at  twitter@Lincolnmovie.

The Academy Salutes Honorees At The 2012 Governors Awards – Photos And Video Highlights

Iconic filmmakers and A-list stars attended the 2012 Governors Awards at The Ray Dolby Ballroom at Hollywood & Highland Center® in Hollywood, CA, Saturday, December 1. The biggest names in Hollywood gathered to celebrate the indelible contributions of honorees D.A. Pennebaker, George Stevens Jr., Hal Needham, and Jeffrey Katzenberg to filmmaking and the world. The guest list included Seth MacFarlane, host of the upcoming 85th Academy Awards ceremony, as well as the show’s producers, Craig Zadan and Neil Meron. Also on hand were Richard Gere, Amy Adams, Helen Hunt, Bradley Cooper, Will Smith, Ewan McGregor, David O. Russell, Kathryn Bigelow, John Lasseter, Robert Zemeckis, Judd Apatow, Leslie Mann, Kristen Stewart, Christopher Nolan and many more.

Writer/director/producer George Lucas (left), Oscar-winning director/producer Steven Spielberg (center) and Oscar-winning director/writer/producer Robert Zemeckis.

LINCOLN filmmakers – Oscar®-nominated writer Tony Kushner, Oscar®-winning director/producer Steven Spielberg and Oscar winning cinematographer Junusz Kaminski.

A video clip kicked off the evening saluting the history of the Academy’s Honorary Award, which was begun in 1948 to honor achievements outside the categories of the existing Oscars. This year, three honorees received Honorary Awards for their work, which ranged from Needham’s death-defying stunts to Pennebaker’s groundbreaking documentaries and Stevens’ landmark film preservation, while Katzenberg was recognized for his trailblazing philanthropic efforts.

The Academy blogged the ceremony live and concluded with, “As the night’s four honorees reunited for a group photo on the stage at the close of the evening, each man’s words continued to resound and providing an inspiring example to future generations of filmmakers and benefactors to come.”

Here’s a glimpse of the awards presentations in these various videos below.

The Governors Awards ceremony was produced by Don Mischer, Cheryl Boone Isaacs, Charlie Haykel, and Julianne Hare, and highlights from the evening will also be presented when the recipients appear as part of the 85th Academy Awards on February 24, 2013.

Actress Kristen Stewart and Actress Quvenzhane Wallis.

Oscar®-nominated director/writer/producer David O. Russell (left), Oscar-winning actor Warren Beatty (center) and journalist Tom Brokaw.

Actor Dwight Henry (left), Governors Awards producer Cheryl Boone Isaacs (center) and actress Quvenzhane Wallis.

Oscar®-winning director/producer Steven Spielberg (left) and Oscar-winning director Tom Hooper.

Actress Leslie Mann (left), Oscar®-nominated writer Tony Kushner (center) and producer/writer/director Judd Apatow.

Oscar®-winning director/producer Steven Spielberg (left), Oscar-winning director Tom Hooper (left center), actor Badley Cooper (right center) and Oscar-winning producer Bruce Cohen (center).

Oscar®-winning actor Kirk Douglas (left) with wife Anne (right) and Oscar-winning actor Tom Hanks.

Oscar®-winning actress Annette Bening (left), Honorary Award recipient George Stevens Jr. (center) and actor Richard Gere.

Oscar®-nominated composer Alexandre Desplat (left), Oscar-winning director Kathryn Bigelow (left center), actor
Édgar Ramírez (right center) and Oscar-winning writer/producer Mark Boal.

Oscar®-nominated actress Amy Adams.

Oscar®-winner Helen Hunt.

Oscar®-nominated actress Jackie Weaver (left), Oscar-nominated director/writer/producer David O. Russell (center) and actor Bradley Cooper.

Actress Emayatzi Corinealdi (left) and actor David Oyelowo.

Oscar®-nominated actress Virginia Madsen.

Actor Ewan McGregor.

85th Academy Awards host Seth MacFarlane.

Oscar®-winning writer/director Quentin Tarantino.

Oscar®-winning actor Tom Hanks, Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award recipient Jeffrey Katzenberg and Oscar®-nominated actor Will Smith.

Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award recipient Jeffrey Katzenberg and Oscar®-nominated actor Will Smith.

Oscar®-nominated actor John Hawkes.

Oscar®-nominated Director Michael Mann and Oscar®-nominated writer/director/producer Christopher Nolan.

Oscar®-winning director/producer John Lasseter (right) and wife Nancy.

85th Academy Awards producers Neil Meron (left) and Craig Zadan.

Photos: Matt Petit and Richard Harbaugh / ©A.M.P.A.S.

LINCOLN Movie Director Steven Spielberg, Stars Daniel-Day Lewis, Sally Field To Be Interviewed By Oprah This Sunday


Photos (c) Harpo Studios, Inc. Photographer: George Burns

Oprah Winfrey talks with Academy Award winners Steven Spielberg, Daniel Day-Lewis and Sally Field about their collaboration on the feature film LINCOLN in a special 90-minute episode of “Oprah’s Next Chapter” airing this Sunday, December 2 (9-10:30 p.m. ET/PT) on OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network.

In a full circle moment, Winfrey meets Spielberg at DreamWorks Studios in Los Angeles in the same studio building where she first auditioned for him for her role in “The Color Purple.” In an intimate sit-down interview, Spielberg shares with Winfrey the process of creating “Lincoln” and how he was moved to tears during filming. They are then joined for a rare interview with Day-Lewis for a fascinating conversation about his first-time collaboration with Spielberg, his yearlong immersion into the life of Lincoln and how together, with the rest of the esteemed cast, they created a “sacred space” on the set.

Later, Winfrey shares in a heartfelt conversation with Sally Field from her new home in California.  Field talks about the emotional depths she tapped into for her role as Mary Todd Lincoln, how she fought for the part and her immediate connection with Day-Lewis.  She also opens up about being plagued by self-doubt, her pride in parenting a son who is gay and the joy she welcomes as she enters the next chapter of her life.

Steven Spielberg directs two-time Academy Award® winner Daniel Day-Lewis in LINCOLN, a revealing drama that focuses on the 16th President’s tumultuous final months in office. In a nation divided by war and the strong winds of change, Lincoln pursues a course of action designed to end the war, unite the country and abolish slavery. With the moral courage and fierce determination to succeed, his choices during this critical moment will change the fate of generations to come.

Website and Mobile site: thelincolnmovie.com

Like on Facebook: Facebook.com/Lincolnmovie
Follow on Twitter: twitter@Lincolnmovie

LINCOLN – The Review

For most of the world the name most associated with the United States presidency is Abraham Lincoln. He could easily be considered a superstar of American history. His face is on the coins and currency we use almost everyday. His monument and statue in the nation’s capitol are high on the must see lists of visitors. He is part of the presidential quartet on Mount Rushmore. Scores of schools and towns share his name (even a line of automaobiles). Since the invention of cinema Lincoln as been portrayed by many, many actors (even Bugs Bunny donned the stove-pipe hat and beard in SOUTHERN FRIED RABBIT). Just earlier this year he was an action hero in the fantastical ABRAHAM LINCOLN, VAMPIRE HUNTER. Everyone knows that somber iconic image, but how much do we really know about the flesh and blood human being? It turns out that one of America’s most popular film directors (only DeMille and Hitchcock may be more famous), Steven Spielberg has wanted to tell his story for years. Working from a screenplay by Tony Kushner (based in part on Doris Kearns Goodwin’s best-seller “Team of Rivals”) he has brought LINCOLN to theatre screens everywhere this holiday season. You may think you know “Honest Abe” from your history textbooks, but there’s plenty to learn in this eagerly awaited motion picture.

LINCOLN concerns the first four months of his second term as president in 1865. The Civil War is finally winding down. The Confederacy has exhausted their resources. Lincoln (Daniel Day-Lewis) hopes to broker a surrender before the warmth of Spring brings new battles. But before that he wants to get through a battle in Congress. By the war’s end, the 13th Amendment abolishing slavery must be voted into law by the divided House of Representatives, otherwise the Southern states will block it when they rejoin the Union. Lincoln and Secretary of State Seward (David Strathairn) must try to temper strident abolitionist Congressional leader Thaddeus Stevens (Tommy Lee Jones) as he debates Fernando Wood (Lee Pace) on the floor of the House, all this while engaging in secret talks with Confederate Vice-President Stephens (Jackie Earl Haley). As the clocks ticks away, a trio of lobbyists (James Spader, John Hawkes, and Tim Blake Nelson) are hired to persuade several on-the-fence congressman to vote the President’s way. Lincoln must also deal with his troubled family members. Eldest son Robert Todd (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) has left college and is determined to join the Union military, while wife Mary Todd (Sally Field) is still haunted by the death of middle son Willie. But ending slavery is his top priority. Lincoln knows that this will be his legacy and fears that his time may soon run out.

For a long time Steven Spielberg was criticized by many in the film community for seeming to care more about special effects (or getting great visual compositions) than the acting performances in his movies. Lincoln can finally put that notion to rest. This film is filled to the brimwith wonderful work by all the actors involved. First and foremost is the title character himself played by the remarkable Mr. Lewis. There’s none of the flamboyance of Bill the Butcher from GANGS OF NEW YORK or THERE WILL BE BLOOD’s Daniel Plainview. The Civil War has taken a heavy toll on the man from Springfield. He’s stooped and walks with a slow pace while clutching his ever-present shawl. He speaks quietly, sometimes a bit haltingly until Lincoln springs to life with his passionate zeal to stop slavery. A confrontation with wife Mary also shows his determined spirit. This could very well net Lewis his third Best Actor Oscar. He’s matched by another multiple Oscar winner. The aforementioned scene crackles thanks to superb work from Fields as Mrs. Lincoln (after several years on the small screen she is back to command the big screen). She knows of the public’s perception of her as a near madwoman, which complicates her efforts to escape the crippling depression that stems from her son’s death. She still has her dignity and will not tolerate any disrespect from Stevens, wonderfully played by Jones. The scenes of him delivering eloquent, withering insults to detractors on the House floor are some of the film’s best moments. Spader is also a scene stealer as the craftiest member of the lobbying trio. For his dream project, Spielberg has assembled his dream cast.

When I heard of Spielberg’s attachment to Lincoln’s story I had imagined sepia-tinged recreations of the familiar stories: walking miles to school, splitting rails, debating Douglas, and such. Some may be surprised that we’re just treated to these four months. But Spielberg makes this final mission come alive without any of the usual visual flourishes. The main conflicts occur in gaslit, cramped, smoky rooms. There are a couple of large crowd scenes, and a brutal battlefield sequence at the start (full of mud and blood), but the heart of the film are these discussions. Kudos to cinematographer Janusz Kaminski for his use of natural light sources (the large rooms are never blindingly bathed in light). Spielberg’s musical collaborator John Williams contributes a score that never overwhelms. It’s an expert excercise in simplicity. The period costumes and sets are excellent as are the make-up sand hairstylings (lots of incredible bits of facial hair). Some dramatic choices are puzzling (a major 1865 event occurs off-camera), but it doesn’t distract too much from the story flow (the same could be said for the frequent homespun jokes Abe tells which cause Stanton to run from the telegraph room yelling,”Not another story!”). This is a thoughtful, intimate look at the simple man who became a hero not just for his time, but for all times,

4 Out of 5 Stars

LINCOLN Movie New Interactive iPad Book

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In the final four months of Abraham Lincoln’s life and presidency, the full measure of the man—his passion and his humanity—came to bear on his defining battle: to plot a forward path for a shattered nation, against overwhelming odds and extreme public and personal pressure.

Steven Spielberg’s LINCOLN provides an intimate immersion into the American leader’s most perilous and revealing moments, at a time when the dark shadow of slavery lifts and a country torn by war must be made whole.

A rich human drama plays out as Lincoln doubles down to end the devastating Civil War not merely by ending the war but by fighting to pass the 13th Amendment, permanently abolishing slavery. It will be an act of true national daring. He will have to call upon all the skill, courage and moral fortitude for which he’ll become legend. He will grapple with the impact of his actions on the world and on those he loves. But what lies in the balance is what always mattered most to Lincoln: to compel the American people, and those in his government of opposite persuasions, to alter course and aim higher, toward a greater good for all mankind.

Brought to life via a layered screenplay by Pulitzer Prize winner Tony Kushner, Spielberg’s starkly human storytelling and the performance of Daniel Day-Lewis leading an accomplished cast, the film invites audiences directly into the heart and soul of Lincoln’s final achievements. The Lincoln who emerges is a man of raw paradoxes: funny and solemn, a playful storyteller and fierce power broker, a shrewd commander and a vulnerable father. But in his nation’s darkest hour, when the times demand the very best of people, he reaches from within himself for something powerful and everlasting.

Starring Daniel Day-Lewis, Sally Field, David Strathairn, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, James Spader, Hal Holbrook and Tommy Lee Jones, LINCOLN is produced by Steven Spielberg and Kathleen Kennedy, with a screenplay by Tony Kushner, based in part on the book “Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln” by Doris Kearns Goodwin. The DreamWorks Pictures/Twentieth Century Fox film, in association with Participant Media, releases in U.S. theaters this Friday, November 16, 2012.

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