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Dustin Lance Black and Role Models

The fact that Dustin Lance Black will — at least for the time being — be better known for his sexual activities than for his Milk screenplay says more about our society (or societies, since the thing has gone global) than about Black himself, whose sex life — with or without condoms; with or without a camera — should be his business and nobody else’s.
Some have tried to turn the online leak of Black’s sex photos into something of momentous importance for gay rights, the spread of HIV, etc. In truth, except for Black and his sex partner those photos are irrelevant. Really, will anyone now decide to fight against marriage equality simply because of Black’s sexual life? Will gay [...]

David di Donatello 2009

2009 David di Donatello Awards
2009 David di Donatello Award nominations: April 9, 2009
2009 David di Donatello Award winners: May 8, 2009
("*" denotes the winner in each category)
 

Matteo Garrone’s Gomorrah (top photo); Toni Servillo in Il Divo (lower photo)
 

Best Film / miglior film
Il divo
produced by Andrea Occhipinti, Nicola Giuliano, Francesca Cima, Maurizio Coppolecchia
directed by Paolo Sorrentino
Ex
produced by Fulvio Lucisano, Federica Lucisano
directed by Fausto Brizzi
* Gomorra
produced by Domenico Procacci
directed by Matteo Garrone
Si può fare
produced by Angelo Rizzoli
directed by Giulio Manfredonia
Tutta la vita davanti
produced by Motorino Amaranto – Medusa
directed by Paolo Virzì
Best Film from the European Union / miglior film dell’Unione Europea
Entre les murs, by Laurent [...]

Producers Guild Awards 2009

2009 Producers Guild of America’s Golden Laurel Awards
2009 Producers Guild of America feature-film and long-form TV nominations: January 5, 2009
2009 Producers Guild of America winners: Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles on Jan. 24, 2009
("*" denotes the winner in each category)
 

Dev Patel in Slumdog Millionaire
 

The Darryl F. Zanuck Producer of the Year Award
in Theatrical Motion Pictures
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
Kathleen Kennedy & Frank Marshall
Ceán Chaffin
THE DARK KNIGHT
Christopher Nolan
Charles Roven
Emma Thomas
FROST/NIXON
Brian Grazer
Ron Howard
Eric Fellner
MILK
Dan Jinks
Bruce Cohen
* SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE
Christian Colson
The Producers Guild of America Producer of the Year Award in Documentary Theatrical Motion Pictures
* MAN ON WIRE
Simon Chinn
STANDARD [...]

Oscar 2009: Best Films at the Box Office

Domestic totals up to Jan. 20. Worldwide figures include domestic rentals.

Frost/Nixon — Domestic: $8.8 million; Worldwide: $10.1 million

Milk — Domestic: $20.5 million; Worldwide: $21.6 million

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button — Domestic: $103.6 million; Worldwide: $117.9 million

The Reader — Domestic: $7.9 million; Worldwide: $12.4 million

Slumdog Millionaire — Domestic: $44.2 million; Worldwide: $61.1 million

 
Source: Box Office Mojo (boxofficemojo.com)

Vancouver Film Critics Awards 2009

2009 Vancouver Film Critics Circle Awards
2009 Vancouver Film Critics Circle award nominations: Jan. 4, 2009
2009 Vancouver Film Critics Circle award winners: The Railway Club in Vancouver, Jan. 12, 2009
("*" denotes the winner in each category)
 

Sean Penn in Milk
 

BEST FILM
* Milk
Slumdog Millionaire
WALL-E 
BEST CANADIAN FILM
* C’est pas moi, je le jure!
Heaven on Earth
The Necessities of Life
BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
* The Edge of Heaven
Let the Right One In
Tell No One
BEST BRITISH COLUMBIA FILM
* Fifty Dead Men Walking
Edison and Leo
Stone of Destiny
BEST DIRECTOR
Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire
* David Fincher, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Gus Van Sant, Milk
BEST DIRECTOR [...]

Oscar 2009 Predictions: Best Supporting Actor, Supporting Actress

Josh Brolin in Milk

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Josh Brolin (Milk)
Robert Downey Jr. (Tropic Thunder)
Philip Seymour Hoffman (Doubt)
Heath Ledger (The Dark Knight)
Dev Patel (Slumdog Millionaire)
Though about as much a lead in The Dark Knight as Christian Bale, Heath Ledger is (almost) for sure the one who’ll win the best supporting actor Oscar come next February.
Philip Seymour Hoffman should get included for Doubt and Robert Downey Jr. for his politically incorrect actor in Tropic Thunder.
Of the extensive supporting cast in Milk, Josh Brolin is the most likely contender, while Dev Patel, who apparently supports himself in Slumdog Millionaire, should also make the cut thanks to his film’s popularity.
Runners-up: Michael Sheen (Frost/Nixon), as much a lead as Frank Langella, is being [...]

Oscar 2009 Predictions: Best Film, Foreign Film

Oscar 2009 Predictions
 

Michael Sheen, Frank Langella in Frost/Nixon

BEST FILM
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Frost/Nixon
Milk
Slumdog Millionaire
Slumdog Millionaire has to be there. It’s been winning nearly every film critics’ award in the United States and it has received two SAG Award nominations: best ensemble and a surprising best supporting actor nod for Dev Patel (who, ahem, happens to be the film’s lead).
Frost/Nixon is a prestige production based on a prestige play. The sort of stuff prestige-hungry Academy members tend to go for even when reviewers haven’t been all that kind. Also, Frost/Nixon is an actors’ showcase, and actors comprise the — by far — largest contingent among Academy members. (Note: Initially, I had [...]

San Francisco Film Critics Awards 2008

2008 San Francisco Film Critics Circle Awards
2008 San Francisco Film Critics Circle Award winners: December 15, 2008
 

 

Best Picture: Milk
Best Foreign Language Film: Let the Right One In
Best Documentary: My Winnipeg
Best Director: Gus Van Sant, Milk
Best Actor (tie): Sean Penn, Milk, and Mickey Rourke, The Wrestler
Best Actress: Sally Hawkins, Happy-Go-Lucky
Best Supporting Actor: Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight
Best Supporting Actress: Marisa Tomei, The Wrestler
Best Original Screenplay: Dustin Lance Black, Milk
Best Adapted Screenplay: Peter Morgan, Frost/Nixon
Best Cinematography: Wally Pfister, The Dark Knight

Marlon Riggs Award "for courage & vision in the Bay Area film community": Rob Nilsson, filmmaker, in recognition of his 9@NIGHT series of films
 
San Francisco Film Critics Circle Site
San Francisco Film Critics Circle Awards: 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008
Film Awards: [...]

Southeastern Film Critics Awards 2008

2008 Southeastern Film Critics Association Awards
2008 Southeastern Film Critics Association winners: December 15, 2008
 

 

BEST PICTURE Milk
Runners-up:
2. Slumdog Millionaire
3. WALL-E
4. The Dark Knight
5. The Wrestler
6. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
7. The Reader
8. The Visitor
9. Frost/Nixon
10. Revolutionary Road
BEST FOREIGN-LANGUAGE FILM: Let the Right One In (Sweden)
Runner-up: I’ve Loved You So Long (France)
BEST DOCUMENTARY: Man on Wire
Runner-up: Young@Heart
BEST ANIMATED FEATURE: WALL-E
Runner-up: Kung Fu Panda
BEST DIRECTOR: Danny Boyle – Slumdog Millionaire
Runner-up: Gus Van Sant – Milk
BEST ACTOR: Sean Penn – Milk
Runner-up: Mickey Rourke – The Wrestler
BEST ACTRESS: Anne Hathaway – Rachel Getting Married
Runner-up: Kate Winslet, The Reader
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: Heath Ledger – The Dark Knight
Runner-up: Robert Downey Jr. – Tropic Thunder
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Penélope Cruz – Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Runner-up: Viola Davis – [...]

THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL Tops Box Office

Twentieth Century Fox’s The Day the Earth Stood Still destroyed its competition at the North American box office with US$31 million in ticket sales, according to studio estimates Sunday.
Scott Derrickson’s critically panned remake of the 1951 sci-fi thriller directed by Robert Wise opened at 3,560 locations this weekend, landing at the No. 1 spot early Friday. The film stars Keanu Reeves as an alien who comes to Earth to warn humankind of its potentially imminent destruction.

Last week’s box office champion, Four Christmases, dropped to second place, earning $13.2 million for a domestic total of $87.9 million after a strong three-week run. Starring Reese Witherspoon and Vince Vaughn (above, with Sissy Spacek), the holiday comedy follows a couple paying [...]

AFI Awards 2008

2008 AFI Awards
2008 AFI Awards: Dec. 14, 2008
 

Christian Bale in The Dark Knight
 

FILM
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
THE DARK KNIGHT
FROST/NIXON
FROZEN RIVER
GRAN TORINO
IRON MAN
MILK
WALL•E
WENDY AND LUCY
THE WRESTLER
 
TELEVISION
BREAKING BAD
IN TREATMENT
JOHN ADAMS
LIFE
LOST
MAD MEN
THE OFFICE
RECOUNT
THE SHIELD
THE WIRE
 
AFI AWARDS 2008 JURORS
AFI JURY FOR MOTION PICTURES
Leonard Maltin
Chair, AFI Jury for Motion Pictures
ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT
Jeanine Basinger
Wesleyan University
Mary Corey
University of California, Los Angeles
Mark Harris
Author
Entertainment Weekly
Jim Hosney
American Film Institute
Rick Jewell
University of Southern California
Elvis Mitchell
THE TREATMENT
Daniel Petrie, Jr.
Writer/Producer/Director
Tom Pollock
Producer
Vice Chair and Chair Emeritus, AFI Board of Trustees
Richard Schickel
Time
Vivian Sobchack
University of California, Los Angeles
[...]

2008 New York Film Critics Winners

There were no major surprises in the list of the New York Film Critics Circle’s 2008 winners — unless you count last year’s Romanian abortion drama 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days being chosen this year’s best foreign film. (Last year, the New York critics’ picked the German drama The Lives of Others — released in Los Angeles in 2006 — as their top foreign film; the previous year, their choice was the French underground drama Army of Shadows, a 1969 release in its country of origin.)
Milk was voted best film, Sean Penn (above) was the best actor for his performance as slain gay leader Harvey Milk, and Josh Brolin was chosen best supporting actor for the same film. [...]

New York Film Critics Awards 2008

2008 New York Film Critics Circle Awards
2008 New York Film Critics Circle Award winners: Dec. 10, 2008
 

Best Picture: Milk directed by Gus Van Sant
Runners-up: Rachel Getting Married; Happy-Go-Lucky and Slumdog Millionaire (tie)

Best Foreign Film: 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days directed by Cristian Mungiu
Runners-up: A Christmas Tale; The Class

Best First Film: Courtney Hunt, Frozen River
Runners-up: Ballast; Reprise

Best Documentary: Man on Wire directed by James Marsh
Runners-up: Waltz with Bashir; Trouble the Water

Best Animated Film: WALL-E directed by Andrew Stanton
Runner-up: Waltz with Bashir

Best Director: Mike Leigh, Happy-Go-Lucky
Runners-up: Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire; David Fincher, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Best Actor: Sean Penn, Milk
Runners-up: Mickey Rourke, The Wrestler; Clint Eastwood, Gran Torino

Best Actress: Sally Hawkins, Happy-Go-Lucky
Runners-up: Melissa Leo, Frozen River; Kate Winslet, [...]

FOUR CHRISTMASES Tops Box Office

Seth Gordon’s holiday comedy Four Christmases topped the North American box office this Thanksgiving weekend with US$31.6 million in ticket sales, according to studio estimates Sunday.
Starring Vince Vaughn and Reese Witherspoon as a couple paying a visit to all four of their divorced parents on Christmas Day, the film lifted its domestic total to $46.7 million after only five days in release.

Jumping to No. 2 this weekend was Walt Disney’s Bolt, which collected another $26.5 million and brought its cumulative gross to $66.8 million. Featuring the voices of John Travolta and Miley Cyrus, the animated adventure follows a dog who believes he has superpowers until he realizes he’s [...]

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