“The Help” Dominates NAACP Image Words

  By Juliet E. | February 26, 2012 - 01:10 | Movies Leave a comment

The Help movie

With awards season in full swing, Oscar-nominated The Help has taken the gong for Best Picture at the 2012 National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) Image Awards, which celebrates diversity in music, film, TV and literature.

Extra honors were handed out to its stars Octavia Spencer and Viola Davis. The former won Best Supporting Actress, the latter Best Actress, for their roles in the civil rights drama about maids working in 1960s Mississippi.

As she collected her gong, Viola Davis said: “The Help has been the joy of my life. I found my voice, and just emerged through this film.”

At the same time, Star Wars creator George Lucas picked up a special award from Samuel L. Jackson, in recognition of his recent project Red Tails, about African-American fighter pilots from the Second World War.

Lucas said, “I made the film to show that everybody has contributed to making this country into what it is today.”

At the same time, Sidney Poitier and Harry Belafonte presented an honorary award to the Black Stuntmen’s Association, established 45 years ago to break down barriers of race and earn black performers their place alongside white TV and film stunt artists.

Comedy Jumping the Broom scooped three awards, for lead actor Laz Alonso, supporting actor Mike Epps and director Salim Akil.

Outstanding actress in a TV show went to Regina King for her role in SouthLAnd. She thanked the NAACP for “recognizing magnificent talent which would not otherwise be honored.”

Other TV gongs went to Laurence Fishburne for his part in HBO movie Thurgood and Tyler Perry’s House of Payne.

Photo: Touchstone Pictures 2011.

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“I Am Legend” Sequel In Development

  By Juliet E. | February 25, 2012 - 01:10 | Movies Leave a comment

I Am Legend movie

I Am Legend, the thriller based on Richard Matheson’s 1954 novel of the same name, saw Will Smith fight to survive in desolate, plague-ridden Manhattan. Smith’s character (Robert Neville) has just one companion, his pet dog, after disease eliminated most of the world’s population, turning a few into blood thirsty monsters. By the end Neville had paid the ultimate price (spoiler alert!) to save his fellow survivors.

The 2007 post-apocalyptic science fiction film directed by Francis Lawrence starring Will Smith made $585 million in all, so inevitably it sparked almost immediate mention of a follow-up. And although this was initially going to be a prequel rather than a sequel, in the end it never came off.

Now, though, Warner Brothers have breathed new life into the return of this story. And, despite the way I Am Legend ended, it’s a possibility that Will Smith could have a role in the new project.

Overbrook Entertainment, his production company, and producer Akiva Goldsman are reportedly on board, with the script to be penned by new wordsmith Arash Amel.

That said, firm details are thin on the ground right now, so it’s far from confirmed whether Smith will actually have a part in the picture. However, the scriptwriter does have an alternative should the plot choose not to portray events from before the plague. An alternate ending saw Neville survive, which could give the studio the chance to carry on with his story.

Smith has taken something of a back seat from acting roles in recent years, and has not appeared on the big screen since 2008, when Hancock and Seven Pounds were released. However, Men in Black III is in theaters toward the end of May.

Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures 2007.

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Mirror, Mirror: In Theaters March 30

  By Juliet E. | February 24, 2012 - 01:10 | Movies Leave a comment

Mirror, Mirror movieIn fantasy comedy drama Mirror, Mirror, starring Julia Roberts, Armie Hammer, Sean Bean and emerging star Lily Collins, an evil queen takes control of Snow White’s kingdom, leading the exiled orphan princess to seek the support of seven resourceful and rebellious dwarves in winning back her birthright.

Of course, every Snow White requires a charming prince, and in this version he’s in the form of Armie Hammer (The Social Network). And in fact it’s because Snow White’s beauty has won the prince’s heart that Queen Clementianna, who has been pursuing him herself, banishes the spirited orphan (played by Lily Collins) to the forest. Here a man-eating beast awaits, and he’s hungry…

But the seven dwarves, in this movie portrayed as a band of pint-sized highway robbers, rescue Snow White, who grows into an indomitable young woman determined to get her own back on the Queen.

Mirror, Mirror was one of two competing Snow White projects over which two studios did battle, with director Tarsem Singh (Immortals) facing the tough challenge of having to put out his spin on the classic Grimm Brothers fairy story in under 12 months, to beat Snow White and the Huntsman by a few months. (The other movie is a more grown-up, live action version, which Rupert Sanders has created for Universal.)

The advance trailers have garnered a mixed critical response, with one detractor using the adjectives “stale and uninspired” and “lacking in the visual feast usually associated with Tarsem Singh.”

However, others have described the flick as “a spirited adventure comedy filled with jealousy, romance, and betrayal that will capture the imagination of audiences the world over.”

You can catch it March 30.

Photo: Relativity Media 2012.

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A Thousand Words: In Theaters March 9

  By Juliet E. | February 23, 2012 - 01:10 | Movies Leave a comment

A Thousand Words movie

A Thousand Words, directed by Brian Robbins (Norbit and Meet Dave) is an upcoming Eddie Murphy comedy to be released March 9. The script was written by Steve Koren.

Murphy plays fast-talking Hollywood literary agent Jack McCall, whom a New Age guru, Dr. Sinja (Cliff Curtis) curses by placing a magical Bodhi tree in McCall’s backyard. This happens after Murphy’s character stretches the truth on a deal between the two men, and means the agent has only a thousand words to speak, since every word he utters causes a leaf to drop from the tree. Once the last one falls, according to the curse, he will die.

Kerry Washington co-stars as McCall’s wife, and the road to release has been a long and somewhat bumpy one. Originally shot in 2008 for distribution the following year, the project became embroiled in the separation of DreamWorks Pictures from Paramount and Viacom. It was then to be released in 2011, with reshoots completed early last year. Then a March 2012 release was agreed, shifted from January after Murphy was announced as Oscars host, a role he has since stepped down from in the wake of the Brett Ratner scandal.

With the tagline “Make every word count,” the film is clearly intended to offer a lesson on understanding the consequences of each word we utter.

One commentator has already rubbished the picture, saying, “Since this film has been in the can since 2008, for many it represents the entirety of Eddie Murphy’s career degeneration. We expect to witness an intriguing concept get lost on scene after scene of bug-eyed morality comedy.”

After his mid-eighties peak, Eddie Murphy’s box office results slumped, recovering in 1996 with The Nutty Professor. A decade later, Dreamgirls earned him two awards, including a Golden Globe. In 2007, he missed out on an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for the film. But last fall’s Tower Heist was underwhelming, making it seven misses and four hits since 2000 for the guy who ruled the box office for years.

But see A Thousand Words for yourself and see what you think.

Photo: IMDB 2012.

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Oprah In Silver Screen Comeback?

  By Juliet E. | February 22, 2012 - 01:10 | Movies Leave a comment

OprahIt’s been a long time since Oprah Winfrey was on the big screen, other than to voice pictures like Bee Movie and Charlotte’s Web. In fact, the last time the long-reigning queen of TV chat appeared in a feature was in the 1998 movie Beloved.

She previously starred in the pictures The Color Purple and 1986’s Native Son, no mean achievements when you consider that she has never trained formally as an actress.

Now there have been reports that Winfrey is considering taking on a role in the next picture from Precious director Lee Daniels, The Butler. However, it should be stressed that no deals have yet been struck – at this stage it’s just a possibility.

The movie centers on the tale of Eugene Allen, a butler who worked for eight presidents at the White House between 1952 and 1986. He died in 2010 aged 90, and his wife of over six decades, Helene, passed away the night before Obama was elected.

There are reports that Mila Kunis, John Cusack, and Hugh Jackman have all put themselves forward for roles in the project, and Daniels apparently would like David Oyelowo, best known for playing MI5 officer Danny Hunter in British TV drama Spooks (called MI-5 in the US) to take the part of the eponymous character.

If it works out, Oprah would play Allen’s wife, while Kunis is the name in the frame as Jackie Kennedy, and Cusack would portray Richard Nixon, while the role for Jackman remains shrouded in mystery.

Photo:  Frederick M. Brown – © 2011 Getty Images

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Nicholas Cage Wore Voodoo Style Mask While Filming “Ghost Rider II”

  By Juliet E. | February 21, 2012 - 01:10 | Movies Leave a comment

Actor Nicholas CageIt seems that method acting is the way he likes to do it: Nicholas Cage apparently stayed in character while he was on set filming Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance, which is in theaters now.

The 48-year-old actor explained that he had the idea following discussions with Brian Taylor, the film’s director. And Cage had to overcome initial concerns that he would look “ridiculous” if he painted on a voodoo-style mask, which was how he stayed in character as he played the part of stunt motorcyclist Johnny Blaze, who sells his soul to the devil and transforms into the vigilante Ghost Rider.

Not only that, but the Leaving Las Vegas star also began sporting black contact lenses, and carrying around particular objects with him that had a mystical significance.

He told the BBC: “Whether they work or not, if you give yourself over to it, it can stimulate your psyche to believe you really are the Ghost Rider.”

Cage starred in the first Ghost Rider movie in 2007, although in that film there was someone else doing the stunts.

Now it seems he is taking his second outing as Blaze very seriously. He would don his voodoo mask, and then stride on set without saying a word to anyone.

“I saw the fear in the other actor’s eyes, inspiring me to believe I was this spirit from another dimension.”

In this latest movie, there are scenes where Cage is required to “flip out,” and this has become something of hallmark of this actor’s style.

He adds: “I need to find characters which let me realize, in the truest sense of the word, my abstract dreams as a filmmaker.”

Now there have been reports that Cage wants to get back in the saddle for his third appearance as the flame-skulled anti-hero.

Photo: Dimitrios Kambouris – © WireImage.com.

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Kodak No Longer in Frame as Oscar Venue Sponsor

  By Juliet E. | February 20, 2012 - 01:10 | Movies Leave a comment

Kodak

Photo giant Kodak has been given legal permission to terminate its long-running sponsorship deal with the Los Angeles home of the Academy Awards, meaning the Oscars will no longer come from the Kodak Theater.

Eastman Kodak, which signed a 20-year-deal in 2000, giving it naming rights, had been looking to end the arrangement, worth about $74m.

And a judge ruled in the company’s favor this week, despite an objection from the real estate business which owns the theater, CIM Group.

CIM does not even have to take down the Kodak branding from the Hollywood Boulevard venue’s façade ahead of the awards, which take place on February 26. The building has been the home of the Academy Awards for the last 10 years.

While it hasn’t commented on the judge’s decision, CIM is thought to be probably looking for a new corporate sponsor of the theater.

Any new arrangement would need the agreement of the awards’ organizers, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. And it is not even known for certain whether the event will continue to be held at the same venue.

Under its 20-year agreement with CIM, the Academy has the right look at other venues, before determining whether to recommit to the theater for the second decade of the contract.

Established in 1879, Eastman Kodak recently said it would cease making digital cameras to concentrate on its more profitable activities. After struggling to keep pace with its competitors, the company entered bankruptcy protection from its creditors in January.

Seven of the nine Best Picture nominated movies in this year’s awards were shot on Kodak film.

Photo: Cirque du Soleil 2012.

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“Waiting to Exhale” Sequel Goes Ahead Without Whitney

  By Juliet E. | February 19, 2012 - 01:10 | Movies Leave a comment

Waiting to Exhale movieThe late Whitney Houston starred in the mid-1990s seminal movie Waiting to Exhale, based on the novel by Terry McMillan. When his sequel, Getting to Happy, was published nearly 18 months ago, Fox grabbed film rights within days, and filming was due to start. Now Fox has said the project will go ahead, despite the death of its star.

The singer played Savannah, an unlucky-in-love television producer who was involved with a married man, in the first film. Alongside Angela Bassett, Loretta Devine, and Lela Rochon, Houston broke new ground with Waiting to Exhale. It set the scene for a wave of middle-class-themed black films in the 1990s. It was unique at the time for its “portrayal of black, Chablis quaffing women who weren’t living in housing projects or stuck in gangs.”

Now all that the makers of the sequel need to do is find a new leading lady. Fox 2000 President Elizabeth Gabler, who recently renewed her contract with the corporation, said that she thought that Houston would have wanted the sequel to go ahead.

“It’s almost in her honor that we think to soldier on,” she added. “But we literally have not talked about anybody for that part.”

That hasn’t stopped speculation, and a couple of actresses have already been mentioned in connection with the project. One is Oprah Winfrey, who was a great champion of Waiting to Exhale. Another name that is already being mentioned online to take on the iconic mantle of Savannah is Oscar nominee Viola Davis, star of The Help.

Photo: 20th Century Fox 1995.

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Salmon Fishing in the Yemen: In Theaters March 9

  By Juliet E. | February 18, 2012 - 01:10 | Movies Leave a comment

Salmon Fishing in the Yemen movieStarring Emily Blunt and Ewan McGregor, Salmon Fishing in the Yemen is the story of a UK fisheries expert who is approached by a consultant to help realize an Arab sheik’s dream of bringing fly fishing to the arid highlands of his nation Yemen. The expert embarks on an upstream journey of faith and fish to complete what initially seemed like Mission Impossible. He ends up altering British political history, and, ultimately, the course of his own life as well.

The movie is directed by Lasse Hallstrom, and writer Simon Beaufoy’s script is based on the original, hugely popular novel by Paul Torday. Kristin Scott Thomas (Four Weddings and a Funeral) also stars.

The movie was shot on location in nine weeks, in London, Scotland and Morocco, and the picture had its premiere at last year’s Toronto International Film Festival.

The sheik believes his passion for salmon fishing can enrich his subjects’ lives, and so it is his dream to bring the activity to the desert, hardly the most fish-friendly environment. With an almost limitless budget, he enlists the help of Britain’s top fisheries expert, Alfred Jones (McGregor).

While Jones initially considers the idea ludicrously unachievable, once the Prime Minister’s overzealous press secretary gets hold of it as a “good news” story, he is given no choice but to see it through to the end.

The basic premise may sound uninspiring, but stick with this one. If you like your romantic comedies to have dry wit and a healthy dose of British charm, this could well be the perfect springtime movie.

Photo: IMPA 2012.

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Being Flynn

  By Juliet E. | February 17, 2012 - 01:10 | Movies Leave a comment

Being Flynn movie

Julianne Moore and Robert De Niro star in this comedy drama set in a Boston homeless shelter, which tells the tale of Nick Flynn, a man who re-encounters his eccentric, long-absent father Jonathan, a con man who also describes himself as a poet. Nick wrestles with the idea of reaching out to his dad again.

Flynn Junior is still feeling the loss of his mother Jody (Moore) keenly, and is in the throes of a new relationship with Denise. So it’s kind of understandable that the last person he wants to see is his father, who is suddenly in touch with his son again as he faces eviction from his apartment, after the pair have been apart for 18 years. However, he slowly comes to realize that you can’t outrun fate, and Nick eventually sees that he has been given the opportunity to make a good future, not only for himself but for his father as well.

Paul Dano also stars, as the troubled son, in this adaptation of the 2004 memoir, Another Bull***t Night in Suck City, written by the real Nick Flynn.

The movie is directed by Academy Award nominated writer/director Paul Weitz (About A Boy).

And early indications suggest that Being Flynn, from Focus Features and in theaters March 2 on limited release, seems to not just be another tale of father/son relationships and mental illness, exploited to garner awards and praise. De Niro and Dano reportedly both turn in first class performances.

With its subtle of exploration of the fragile yet unbreakable bonds between father and child, this picture should be one to keep an eye out for this spring.

Photo: IMDB 2011.

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