plus 4, Renner movie's looking golden - Modesto Bee |
- Renner movie's looking golden - Modesto Bee
- Churches screen movie in effort to bring it to theater - Natchez Democrat
- Ortega Returns To Work On Musical Movie - The Gaea Times
- Avatar (movie) - Chicago Tribune
- 'Avatar' joins ranks of the movie colossus - Oshkosh Northwestern
| Renner movie's looking golden - Modesto Bee Posted: 16 Dec 2009 01:41 AM PST "I am very excited. It's an absolute triumph that we are where we are with this movie," Renner said from his Los Angeles home. "There is nothing to be disappointed about at all. It's an honor to be part of this movie." The film is up against "Avatar," "Inglourious Basterds," "Precious" and "Up in the Air" for best drama. Renner said he slept through the nominations early Tuesday morning, but his family in Modesto woke up at 5 a.m. to hear the news live. They were thrilled for the movie but disappointed that Renner wasn't included. "I am still excited about the good news," said his mother, Valerie Cearley. "I just wish Jeremy had gotten in there. He is so deserving of this and has worked so hard. It's so surreal for me, this is my little boy out there doing all these great things." Released in June, "The Hurt Locker" instantly gained critical acclaim for its gritty portrayal of soldiers in Iraq who risk life and limb detonating bombs in combat zones. Renner plays lead bomb technician Staff Sgt. William James, a man who walks up to live bombs for a living. "We started in a very, very deep hole with this little movie with emerging actors in an Iraq war movie, so we've already won in so many ways," Renner said. "It's a victory for all of us when any one of us gets some sort of recognition or validation for this movie. This film was shot as a very collaborative effort and was also celebrated as a collaborative effort." "The Hurt Locker" has gathered steam throughout award season and taken the top honors from the New York Film Critics Circle, Los Angeles Film Critics Association, Boston Film Critics, The San Francisco Film Critics, Alliance of Women Film Journalists and the Gotham Awards. Boston named Renner its best actor, the Gotham Awards honored him and the cast as best ensemble performance, and the Hollywood Awards named him breakthrough actor. Several critics were shocked by Renner's exclusion from the Globes. Nods were widely expected for nominees Jeff Bridges ("Crazy Heart"), George Clooney ("Up In The Air"), Colin Firth ("A Single Man") and Morgan Freeman ("Invictus"). But many were surprised by Tobey Maguire's inclusion for the dueling Iraq war film "Brothers." San Francisco Chronicle movie critic Mick LaSalle asked, "(H)ow could the foreign press nominate Maguire and pass over Jeremy Renner's brilliant performance as a soldier/adrenaline junkie in 'The Hurt Locker?' " The Associated Press said Renner's "absence was unexpected," and the New York Post said his "place went to the more telegenic Tobey Maguire for a far inferior Gulf War movie, 'Brothers.' " Critics denounce snub The film's nominations still position it for Academy Award consideration. Renner is considered by many, including influential Chicago Sun-Times movie critic Roger Ebert, as a strong contender for the Oscars. The online movie magazine Movieline said the Globes' snubbing of the actor "reinforces your faith that the Academy will do right by Renner next month." fivefilters.org featured article: Normalising the crime of the century by John Pilger. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction. |
| Churches screen movie in effort to bring it to theater - Natchez Democrat Posted: 16 Dec 2009 01:06 AM PST  photo by Ben Hillyer Vidalia teenagers Seth Hughes, right, and Jenna Spears watch the movie "To Save a Life" during a screening at the First Baptist Church of Vidalia Monday evening. Published Tuesday, December 15, 2009 NATCHEZ — Local youth leaders, pastors and mentors throughout the Miss-Lou want to take over a screen in United Artists Natchez Mall 4 for a few weeks. "To Save a Life," a movie about the problems facing high school students in today's society, will be opening in select cities across the nation on Jan. 22, but Natchez has been given the opportunity to show the movie early. The movie is rated PG-13 and is tailored for high school students and their mentors and families.  Photo by Ben Hillyer Dylan Butler intently watches the move "To Save a Life" Monday evening at First Baptist Church of Vidalia. The move is set to release nationally in January. Edwin Samson, a missionary from California, is serving as youth director at Crosspoint Church and is one of the reasons Natchez was selected to show the movie. "The writer and producer of the film is a friend of mine," Samson said. "He told me if we were to screen the movie to people, he would push to get it here." In order to bring the movie to Natchez's theater, the theater must agree to show it, and Samuel Goldwyn Entertainment must give their consent. "We hope that it comes over," Samson said. The first screening was hosted at Crosspoint on Dec. 5, and Pastor Del Loy said he was impressed by not only the quality of the film, but by the reaction it received by those present. Loy said unlike most Hollywood blockbusters with thematic elements, the movie was like looking into the life of a regular high schooler. "(The movie) is extremely true to life. It's not a movie that is bigger than life — this is very realistic," Loy said. "It deals with everything from divorce, to cutting, to suicide, to peer pressure, to teen pregnancy — just about every issue kids go through, it's in there. "It's a cut above what people expect of religious films," Loy said. Samson said he has already seen the affect the movie has had on those who have watched it. "The screening (at Crosspoint) was amazing. Everybody that attended — high school student leaders, youth workers and youth pastors — there was almost not a dry eye at the screening," Samson said. After each screening, audience members have been asked for their opinions of the movie, and based on what he's heard, Samson said he foresees the movie being a success. "One person called it 'a slice of my life in high school' and was really moved by the fact that it was genuine for them," Samson said. First Baptist Church in Vidalia's Youth Minister Dusty Carson said he's heard more open discussion among his youth group members since some have seen the movie. "For a lot of kids, (the movie) has challenged them in the way they treat people," Carson said. "We've even had several kids tell us they've have thoughts about these issues." Monday night marked the most recent screening of the movie at First Baptist Church in Vidalia showed the movie to a crowd of approximately 50 people. "This is a different movie at a different angle, and it's reaching different people," Carson said. "I've seen this movie twice, and it's very real." Carson said so far, seven or eight churches in the area said they would support the movie and continue to ask the theater to show the movie. "(The theater is) going to go ahead and request it (from Samuel Goldwyn Entertainment.) We're taking a step in the right direction." But not only do local church leaders think the push to get "To Save A Life" to Natchez is moving in the right direction, they also think the movie will inspire their students and their parents. "We want the local kids to see this movie and know there is hope with dealing with these situations," Loy said. "They don't have to fall into this cycle." Loy said the movie has a strong Christian core, but no denomination is favored over another. But in order to get the film in Natchez, people have to show interest in it. "We have to send in letters and phone calls (to the theater,)" Loy said. "We also have to guarantee the theater be full for a few showings. "You have to guarantee it's going to be a success for them to bring the movie here. I think we will be able to get it in Natchez. We're currently working with the local theater," Loy said. To request the movie, interested viewers can visit tosavealifemovie.com and ask that the movie come to Natchez. Calls and letters to the Natchez Mall Cinema IV are also encouraged. fivefilters.org featured article: Normalising the crime of the century by John Pilger. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction. |
| Ortega Returns To Work On Musical Movie - The Gaea Times Posted: 15 Dec 2009 02:18 AM PST fivefilters.org featured article: Normalising the crime of the century by John Pilger. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction. |
| Avatar (movie) - Chicago Tribune Posted: 16 Dec 2009 12:58 AM PST Recipient E-mail Addresses (up to 3, separated by commas) Send me a copy.From:
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| 'Avatar' joins ranks of the movie colossus - Oshkosh Northwestern Posted: 16 Dec 2009 01:49 AM PST NEW YORK — It's fair to say that it's a risky venture to create a movie about an exotically colored, 10-foot-tall tribe called the Na'vi and spend more money making it than any other film in the history of Hollywood. Yet investing hundreds of millions of dollars in James Cameron's "Avatar" (exact figures aren't available but the total cost, including marketing, is expected to run close to half a billion dollars) is a bet likely to pay off for 20th Century Fox. Cameron has a box-office track record matched by few. And, in case there was any worry, Fox is running an enormous advertising campaign that included the unusual step of previewing 15 minutes of the film nationwide in August. Early reviews have also been positive. But however many millions "Avatar" earns, it clearly sits firmly in the grand tradition of audacious Hollywood spectacles — the kind of over-the-top, go-for-broke grabs for silver screen glory. There have been movies that took risks with social progressiveness ("The Defiant Ones," "Brokeback Mountain"), that gambled with casting ("Valkyrie," "Precious") and that upended convention ("Taxi Driver," "Pulp Fiction"). But no roll of the cinematic dice captivates quite like the true Hollywood colossus — those behemoths where ego and budget swell in tandem. They have a way of either reaching stratospheric heights or bombing faster than you can say "Gigli." Hollywood has become increasingly risk-adverse in recent years, but it has, on occasion, bet the house. As producer Peter Guber once said, "Inside every disaster is a hit film and inside every hit film are the seeds of a disaster." A sampling of moviedom's risky business: —"Titanic": Yes, Cameron has been here before. The run-up to the release of 1997's "Titanic" had all the hallmarks of an enormous flop in the making: cost overruns (its production budget reached a then record $200 million), blown deadlines, a 17-million-gallon tank — you know, the usual stuff. But it made $600 million domestically and $1.2 billion internationally and won 11 Academy Awards. —"Waterworld": Water was good for "Titanic," but unkind to Kevin Costner's 1995 soggy epic. Costner, not long off "Dances With Wolves," "Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves" and "JFK," was then a big star. Budget costs ballooned, the central set sank and Costner clashed with director Kevin Reynolds, eventually replacing him during editing. With a budget of $175 million, it grossed $88 million at the box office for Universal Pictures. Costner's follow-up, 1997's "The Postman," didn't improve on things. —"The Lord of the Ring" trilogy: Eight years and $285 million is a lot to sink into a director unproven in large-scale films. But New Line's gamble that Peter Jackson could bring home J.R.R. Tolkien's story — and that the audience would be there for the second and third films — paid off in spades. Shooting all three of the films together was a classic boom-or-bust tactic. The trilogy made $2.9 billion worldwide, better even than the original "Star Wars" trilogy. —"Heaven's Gate": As much as "Rings" filled the coffers at New Line, Michael Cimino's 1980 Western emptied them at United Artists. It's generally viewed as the film that prompted studios to reel in their talented directors, who had found freedom in the 1960s and 1970 while making some of Hollywood's best films. Made for an estimated $42 million (or about $149 million today, accounting for inflation), it grossed only $3 million. The New York Times compared the 219-minute film to "a forced four-hour walking tour of one's own living room." —"Passion of the Christ": Though "Heaven's Gate" proved the perils of a headstrong director, Mel Gibson showed that some filmmakers, when given latitude, can make a monstrous hit. "Passion" (2004) was produced by Gibson's Icon Productions, giving him free rein to make the movie he wanted. Made for just $30 million, it wasn't financially risky. But as an openly religious, subtitled film, much of it in Aramaic, Gibson's reputation was certainly on the line. As one of the most profitable films ever made, grossing $371 million domestically, it wasn't the movie that hurt Gibson's image but anti-Semitic remarks he made during a DUI arrest. —"Cleopatra": Perhaps the high-water mark for indulgence has to go to Fox's 1963 film starring Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton — the Brangelina of its day. A case study in runaway costs, its budget rose to a then incredible $44 million — or $306 million in 2008 dollars. The 70mm film was advertised (and the spots for the 3-D "Avatar" have a similar whiff of hyperbole) as "the entertainment of a lifetime." It was more successful than most flops, earning $26 million at the box-office, or about $108 million in 2008 dollars. Though it nearly ruined 20th Century Fox, it's believed to have eventually made a profit. —"Pirates of the Caribbean": In retrospect, Disney's pirate series seems like an obvious hit. But Disney's earlier tries at turning theme-park attractions into movies ("The Haunted Mansion," "The Country Bears") had not done well. Johnny Depp's legion of adoring fans might be shocked to recall that the actor was also viewed as box-office poison at the time. Yet the three films (2003's "The Curse of the Black Pearl," 2006's "Dead Man's Chest" and 2007's "At World's End") collectively earned $2.6 billion worldwide, a huge relief to Disney since they were extremely expensive to make: $140 million, $225 million and $300 million, respectively. Now, any recognizable name — even toys such as Hasbro's Battleship game — are viewed as ripe for adaptation. Original blockbusters such as "Avatar" are the oddball. fivefilters.org featured article: Normalising the crime of the century by John Pilger. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction. |
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Posted by Crakalakin (anonymous) on December 15, 2009 at 8:42 a.m. (Suggest removal)
'"(The movie) is extremely true to life. It's not a movie that is bigger than life — this is very realistic," Loy said. "It deals with everything from divorce, to cutting, to suicide, to peer pressure, to teen pregnancy — just about every issue kids go through, it's in there.'
In other words, it is every Christian teen movie ever made.
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