The Curtain Closes...

Thanks for a great semester. See you at the movies.

May 15, 2009, 6:52 pm

Real Live Astronauts are Watching ‘Star Trek’ in Outer Space - Right Now

By Rebecca Cathcart, New York Times

Paramount Pictures The bridge of the Enterprise in the new “Star Trek” film

Right about now in outer space, three men are crouched in a node of the International Space Station, watching J.J. Abrams’ reboot of “Star Trek” on a laptop. They chose the node, said NASA spokeswoman Nicole Cloutier, because it was “dark and quiet” and would be “a good spot” for three “Star Trek” fans to hunker down for the ultimate viewing experience.

“They just ended their crew day,” said Ms. Cloutier, “so they’re watching it now, or just finishing it up. They can go all day without seeing each other, so this is a good chance to get together.”

Michael Barratt, the American astronaut, requested the film before boarding a space-bound shuttle in March, said Ms. Cloutier. He told NASA officials that he was a lifelong admirer of the TV series and did not want to miss this latest big-screen installment while off-planet. It was beamed up to them - really - after being reformatted by NASA technicians in a five-hour procedure Thursday night and beamed up Friday morning.

Mr. Barratt, 50, Russian cosmonaut Gennady Padalka, 50, and Koichi Wakata, 46, of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency settled into the node, named “Unity,” after dinner and secured their feet with floor straps to keep from floating during the screening, she said.

They are the 19th crew since 2000 to put in time at the International Space Station, which is a series of large modules connected by smaller nodes. Getting together for a “movie night,” she added, was a tradition on the station.

Mr. Barrat said in a press release that the original series inspired him to become an astronaut and would be a perfect film selection for the space station.

“‘Star Trek’ blended adventure, discovery, intelligence and storytelling that assumes a positive future for humanity,” he said. “The International Space Station is a real step in that direction, with many nations sharing in an adventure the world can be proud of.”

Week 14: Final Showing

M 5.18/W5.20
Closing Lecture: Course Review
Test: Comprehensive Final Exam (W)
Due: Research paper; Final ISRs

Review: Films We Viewed This Semester

Introduction:
Jaws


Films of Baz Luhrmann:
Strictly Ballroom


Moulin Rouge


Musicals:
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street


Mama Mia!


Documentary Film:
King of Kong


Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father


Gay Cinema:
Billy's Hollywood Screen Kiss


Transamerica


Horror:
The Haunting


Cloverfield


Mavericks of Cinema:
City Lights


Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

Week 13- In The Director's Chair: Mavericks of Cinema

Look at it out here, it's all falling apart.
I'm erasing you and I'm happy!

-Jim Carrey as Joel in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

M 5.11/W 5.13
Lecture: The Film of Michel Gondry
Screening: Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (Gondry, USA 2004)

The Films of Michel Gondry

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004), starring Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet


The Science of Sleep (2006), starring Gael García Bernal and Charlotte Gainsbourg


Be Kind Rewind, starring Jack Black and Mos Def

The Commercials of Michel Gondry

Air France


BMW


Coca-Cola


Gap


Levi's


Polaroid

The Music Videos of Michel Gondry

"Carol Brown" by Flight of the Conchords (2009)


"Cellphone's Dead" by Beck (2006)


"Fell in Love With a Girl" by The White Stripes (2002)


"Mad World" by Gary Jules (2004)


"I Wonder" by The Willowz (2004)


"Let Forever Be" by The Chemical Brothers (1999)


"Hyperballad" by Bjork (1996)

"With One Look" from the stage musical, Sunset Boulevard

Like the film, the musical stage version of Sunset Boulevard is about a has-been silent movie star named, Norma Desmond. In it, an obsessed Norma plots her grand comeback—the one, she is convinced, her fans have been begging for. Unfortunately, the new Hollywood establishment is less than enthusiastic about the prospect of an aged silent-era star coming back.

In this song, an impassioned Norma, played on Broadway by Glenn Close, sings about why silent film acting was so powerful—and why she was its greatest star.

“With One Look” from Sunset Boulevard
Lyrics by Don Black and Christopher Hampton; Music by Andrew Lloyd Webber

With one look I can break your heart
With one look I play every part
I can make your sad heart sing
With one look you'll know all you need to know

With one smile I'm the girl next door
Or the love that you've hungered for
When I speak it's with my soul
I can play any role

No words can tell the stories my eyes tell
Watch me when I frown, you can't write that down
You know I'm right, it's there in black and white
When I look your way, you'll hear what I say

Yes, with one look I put words to shame
Just one look sets the screen aflame

Silent music starts to play
One tear in my eye makes the whole world cry

With one look they'll forgive the past
They'll rejoice I've returned at last
To my people in the dark
Still out there in the dark...

Silent music starts to play
With one look you'll know all you need to know

With one look I'll ignite a blaze
I'll return to my glory days
They'll say, "Norma's back at last!"

This time I am staying, I'm staying for good
I'll be back to where I was born to be
With one look I'll be me!

Week 12- In The Director's Chair: Mavericks of Cinema

If only one of Charles Chaplin's films could be preserved,
City Lights would come the closest to representing all the
different notes of his genius. It contains the slapstick, the pathos,
the pantomime, the effortless physical coordination, the
melodrama, the bawdiness, the grace, and, of course, the Little
Tramp--the character said, at one time, to be the most

famous image on earth.

-Roger Ebert in his review of City Lights

M 5.4/W 5.6
Lecture: The Films of Charlie Chaplin—An Overview
Screening: City Lights (Chaplin, 1931 USA)

Week 11- Chills and Thrills: Horror Films

My name is Robert Hawkins. It's 6:42 AM on Saturday, May 23rd.
Approximately seven hours ago, some thing attacked the city.
I don't know what it is. If you found this tape, I mean if
you're watching this right now, then you probably know more about it
than I do. Whatever it is, it killed my brother Jason Hawkins,
it killed my best friend Hudson Platt and Marlena Diamond,
and many many others. We've crashed into Central Park
and we've taken shelter underneath this bridge. The military has
begun bombing the creature and we're caught in the middle...

-Michael Stahl-David as Rob in Cloverfield

M 4.27/W 4.29
Lecture: Classics of Horror—An Overview
Screening: Cloverfield (Reeves, 2008 USA)

Suggested Auteurship Paper Outline

Here is a suggested outline for your auteur research paper:

Part 1: The Introduction
Your introduction should be at least one page long. Remember to have a strong thesis on which to ground your paper. In other words, what is it you want to say about this director? Whatever it is, say it here simply and clearly.

Part 2: Auteur Theory
In this brief section, discuss what auteur theory is and how it applies to your director. Also, identify the three areas on which you will be concentrating (i.e. setting, theme, characterization).

Part 3: The Biography
Begin exploring your director’s life and work experience. Use your director's specific biographical evidence to support your thesis.

Part 4: The Films
Now that you’ve discussed what auteur theory is (and why it applies) and explored some of your director’s personal and professional history, its time to examine the films themselves. You must examine at least three films in this section. Remember, keep film summaries to a minimum and keep your analysis focused. Your task here is to draw connections between "the life" and "the work."

Part 5: The Analysis
In this section, you begin to "connect the dots" about your director's work and life; here is where you explore your findings. For example, what reasonable assumptions can be drawn about your director? What conclusions have you come to? What does an examination of the life and work reveal about the director as a person?

Part 6: The Conclusion
Your closing should be about one page. Remember to reword your thesis, and summarize your findings about your director. In concluding, inform the reader about your insights into the director. Keep in mind, there should be no new information in your closing.

Week 10- Chills and Thrills: Horror Films

Can't you feel it? It's alive ... watching.

-Julie Harris as Eleanor in The Haunting

M 4.20/W 4.22

Lecture: Introduction to Horror

Screening: The Haunting (Wise, 1863 USA)

Due: OSR 6 (Documentary Film)

Week 9- Out of the Celluloid Closet: Gay Cinema

My body may be a work-in-progress, but there is nothing wrong with my soul.

-Felicity Huffman as Bree in Transamerica

M 3.30/W 4.1
Lecture: History of Gay Cinema, Pt. 2
Screening: Transamerica (Tucker, 2005 USA)
Due: OSR 5 (Foreign Film)

"Twilight" dawns on DVD with big bow

By Carl DiOrio, Reuters

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - "Twilight" is off to a bright start on shiny disc.

Summit Entertainment said more than 3 million DVDs of its teen vampire-romance title jumped off store shelves during its first day on sale. The first-day haul for "Twilight" came via an unusual Saturday launch as discs generally debut on Tuesdays.

The "Twilight" sales rank among the top five best-selling DVD titles of the past two years, executives at the closely held studio said. The big DVD tally follows an outsized theatrical run for the first in a planned trio of pictures based on the "Twilight" book series.

"Twilight" has earned $373 million at the worldwide box office since its debut last November.

Two "Twilight" sequels have been announced: "New Moon," set to premiere November 20, and "Eclipse," recently scheduled for a June 30, 2010, opening.

Sacha Baron Cohen's Guerilla Tactics

How shell companies, web sites help trick rubes for new film "Bruno"

MARCH 19, TheSmokingGun.com

As he travels the country searching for Americans to dupe into appearing in his next film, comedian Sacha Baron Cohen is operating behind a series of dummy companies and web sites intended to mask his involvement in the follow-up to the hit "Borat" movie. Claiming to be preparing a documentary for German television, Cohen and his production team have recently approached interview subjects (ballroom dancers, Alabama National Guard officials, and a white supremacist) claiming to be affiliated with Amesbury Chase, a Los Angeles-based production company. In his new film, Cohen appears as "Bruno," a gay Austrian journalist who asks embarrassing (and sexually charged) questions. Prospective interviewees have been directed to the Amesbury Chase web site, which describes the firm as having "world class facilities, and state-of-the art equipment to help you create dynamic and compelling content." The firm's address is actually a box at Sunset Blvd. Mailboxes. And the company and its web site were both created within the last 18 months. Three other Cohen front companies--Chromium Films, Cold Stream Productions, and Coral Blue Productions--use the same mailbox drop and phone number as Amesbury Chase. The four firms have nearly identical web sites, all of which originate from the same web hosting firm (on the following pages you'll find screen grabs from Cohen's Amesbury Chase site). In a brief interview, Stephen Strick, a Los Angeles lawyer who formed Cohen's straw firms, told TSG that, "I'm no longer involved in those" and said he would see if "the production's lawyer" would get back to a reporter. Last year, Cohen as "Bruno" interviewed Glenn Miller, a 68-year-old Missouri man who describes himself as a Nazi who hates "filthy Jews." Miller, who told TSG that he was paid $2000 in cash for an on-camera interview, claimed that he knew the interview was a set-up and that his interviewer was "a faggot." Before meeting with "Bruno," Miller crowed on a bulletin board that a German TV station would be paying him for an interview in which he could "air my racist and anti-semitic 'ravings' far and wide." In follow-up posts, Miller, a convicted felon who spent three years in prison for weapons possession and mailing a "declaration of war" to fellow white supremacists, noted that he had met with two female production coordinators who told him that "a German fellow will do the actual interview." He also reported that, according to the two "gorgeous young chicks," the "interviewer is not a jew." In two posts, Miller included the phone number he was given by Cohen's deputies. The number is listed on the contact page of each of Cohen's four front companies.

Week 8- Out of the Celluloid Closet: Gay Cinema

It's not you, Billy. It's me.

-Brad Row as Gabriel in Billy's Hollywood Screen Kiss

M 3.23/W 3.25
Lecture: History of Gay Cinema, Pt. 1
Screening: Billy's Hollywood Screen Kiss (O’Haver, 1998 USA)

Male bonding: Hollywood’s hottest bromances

By Dorothy Pomerantz, Forbes
Updated 5:09 p.m. PT, Thurs., March. 19, 2009

Laurel and Hardy never discussed their feelings. Martin and Lewis didn’t worry about having enough male friends. Lemmon and Matthau were more interested in bickering than hugging.

That was the old model for buddy movies, where men goofed around with each other, made audiences laugh, but never discussed the deeper meaning of their friendships. By contrast, today’s men are more enlightened (and less homophobic) when it comes to their relationships with one another. They confide their worries, they act vulnerable, they hug. Hence the new model for the buddy comedy: the bromance.

The word “bromance” reportedly dates back to the early 1990s, when it appeared in Big Brother, a skating magazine, to describe the relationship between skateboarders who spent lots of time together. Brother plus romance equals bromance.

Today, the bromance can be a ticket to big box-office revenues. Audiences love seeing George Clooney and Brad Pitt in the “Ocean’s” movies, not just because of their good looks but because they know the two men are close friends in real life. Director Judd Apatow has based his career on the concept. His movies feature man-boys who often learn about themselves by bonding with other men. One of the last scenes in the movie “Superbad” features Jonah Hill and Michael Cera cuddling.

The bromance trend is at the center of DreamWorks’ latest movie, “I Love You, Man,” opening March 20. The film tells the story of Peter Klaven, a guy who is about to get married but doesn’t have any pals who can serve as his best man. So he starts going on man dates to try to find a best friend.

The movie stars Paul Rudd and Jason Segel, making this their third film together. In the spirit of the bromance we decided to look at the most profitable male couplings of the last five years. We picked the teams and then added up the worldwide box-office sales for all of the films each pairing appeared in together.

Topping the list are Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson. Their eight films together have earned a total of $1.8 billion at the box office. “Night at the Museum” was the highest grossing at $574 million. A sequel is in the works for this year. Their lowest-grossing film was Permanent “Midnight,” in which Stiller played drug addict Jerry Stahl. The movie earned only $2 million.

In second place: George Clooney and Brad Pitt. The four movies they have appeared in together earned a total of $1.3 billion at the box office. The “Ocean’s” trilogy accounts for most of that money. Last year they both starred in the Coen brothers’ movie “Burn After Reading” (but never appeared onscreen together).

Apatow’s gang takes up two of the spots on our list. Seth Rogan and his younger doppelgänger, Jonah Hill, along with Rudd and Segel, all appeared in 2007’s “Knocked Up.” Rogan and Hill’s movies have grossed $863 million in total, ranking them third on our list. Rudd and Segel’s films have earned $324 million (not including “I Love You, Man”).

At the bottom of our list are Kevin Smith and Jason Mewes. The pair appeared in six of Smith’s movies as dope-loving Jay and Silent Bob, and starred together in “Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back,” their highest-grossing film, which earned $34 million at the box office. But all together their films have earned only $109 million.

Week 7- Point and Shoot: Documentary Film

"And I hope that the telling of this story turns out to be more than just simple catharsis for the friends of Andrew Begby or the friends of his family. I hope that it can help affect actual change in the way the system works, and if so, then maybe this goes from being a senseless tragedy to an unfortunate step towards necessary reform."

-Drew McWeeny's (AKA Moriety) review of
Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father for AICN

M 3.16/W 3.18
Point and Shoot: Documentary
Film Lecture: Introduction to Documentary Film, Pt. 2
Screening: Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son about His Father (Kuenne, 2008 USA)
Due: OSR 4 (1980-Present)

'Watchmen' conquers box office with $55.7 million

(03-08) 12:40 PDT LOS ANGELES, (AP) --

"Watchmen" clocked in with $55.7 million in ticket sales to claim the top spot at the box office, making director Zack Snyder's comic book adaptation about a team of twisted superheros the biggest opening of 2009 so far.

Still, it was not quite as big as the $70 million take of Snyder's "300" in 2007.

Dan Fellman, head of distribution for "Watchmen" studio Warner Bros., said it was unfair to compare the two films.

"They're two different movies," Fellman said Sunday. "This is a movie that runs two hours and 45 minutes. That really only leaves the exhibitor with one showing a night. If you have an 8 o'clock show, the next show is at midnight. So with essentially one show a night, I think this is outstanding."

Fans of the subversive comic book series by writer Alan Moore and illustrator Dave Gibbons waited years for Snyder's big-screen version. The anticipation was complicated last year when Warner Bros. and 20th Century Fox fought over who owned rights to the $125 million film. The studios eventually settled in January, keeping the March 6 opening intact.

Many "Watchmen" enthusiasts raced to IMAX theaters to see the exploits of Dr. Manhattan and company on the bigger screens. Greg Foster, chairman and president of IMAX Filmed Entertainment, said the movie sold out on all 124 IMAX screens it was playing on during the weekend and was the second largest opening in company history behind another superhero film, 2008's "The Dark Knight."

With no other new releases to compete against, "Watchmen" easily bumped off "Tyler Perry's Madea Goes to Jail," which had held the top spot the two previous weekends. The Lionsgate comedy took in $8.8 million, good for second place, according to studio estimates Sunday. 20th Century Fox's "Taken," starring Liam Neeson, took the No. 3 position with $7.5 million.

For the year, movie attendance continues to soar, with revenue at $1.9 billion, up 16 percent through the same point in 2008. Even factoring in 2009's higher ticket prices, movie attendance is running 14 percent higher than last year.

Disney's "Jonas Brothers: The 3D Concert Experience" dropped from No. 2 to No. 9 at the box office.

"There have been some casualties this year," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of box office tracker Media By Numbers. "Not every film can be a hit — even during this box-office bonanza we're having right now. It dropped about 78 percent the second weekend. It's a young audience. The ones that wanted to see the Jonas Brothers came out last weekend."

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Media By Numbers LLC. Final figures will be released Monday.

1. "Watchmen," $55.7 million.

2. "Tyler Perry's Madea Goes to Jail," $8.8 million

3. "Taken," $7.5 million.

4. "Slumdog Millionaire," $6.9 million.

5. "Paul Blart: Mall Cop," $4.1 million.

6. "He's Just Not That Into You," $4 million.

7. "Coraline," $3.3 million.

8. "Confessions of a Shopaholic," $3.1 million.

9. "Jonas Brothers: The 3D Concert Experience," $2.8 million.

10. "Fired Up," $2.6 million.

Week 6- Point and Shoot: Documentary Film

Well, maybe they'd like it if I lose. I gotta try losing sometime.

-Billy Mitchell in The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters

M 3.9/W 3.11
Point and Shoot: Documentary Film
Lecture: Introduction to Documentary Film, Pt. 1
Screening: The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters (Gordan, 2007 USA)
Due: OSR 2

Modern Musical Scenes: Supplemental, Part III

Trailer for Save the Last Dance (2001):


"La Vie Boheme" from Rent (2005):


"Springtime for Hitler" from The Producers (2005):


Trailer for Idlewild (2006):


Amy Adams in "Happy Working Song" from Enchanted (2007):


Vanessa Hudgens and Zac Efron in "Can I Have This Dance" from High School Musical 3: Senior Year:


Beyonce Knowles in "I'd Rather Go Blind" from Cadillac Records (2008):

Modern Musical Scenes: Supplemental, Part II

Trailer for Breakin' (1984):


Rick Moranis and Ellen Greene in "Suddenly Seymour" from Little Shop of Horrors (1986):


Samuel E. Wright in "Under the Sea" from The Little Mermaid (1989):


Amy Locane and Johnny Depp in "Please, Mr. Jailer" from Cry-Baby (1990):


Trailer for The Commitments (1991):


Music video for Whitney Houston's "I Will Always Love You" from The Bodyguard (1992):


Brad Kane and Lea Salonga in "A Whole New World" from Aladdin (1992):


"This is Halloween" from The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993):


Julia Roberts in "I've Been Waiting for You" from Everyone Says I Love You (1996):


The Spice Girls in "Say You'll Be There" from Spice World (1997):

Modern Musical Scenes: Supplemental, Part I

Here are additional scenes and trailers from the modern era of musicals:

Trailer for Phantom of the Paradise (1974):


Trailer for The Muppet Movie (1979):


Richard O'Brien in "Time Warp" from The Rocky Horror Show (1975):


Elton John in "Pinball Wizard" from Tommy (1975):


John Travolta in Saturday Night Fever (1977):


Trailer for Xanadu (1980):


Trailer for Fame (1980):


Julie Andrews in "Le Jazz Hot" from Victor/Victoria (1982):


Trailer for Flashdance (1983):


Prince in "Let's Go Crazy" from Purple Rain (1984):

Week 5- Razzle Dazzle ‘Em: Musicals

You are the dancing queen, young and sweet, only seventeen
Dancing queen, feel the beat from the tambourine
You can dance, you can jive, having the time of your life
See that girl, watch that scene, dig in the dancing queen

-Meryl Streep as Donna in Mamma Mia!

M 3.2/W 3.4
Razzle Dazzle ‘Em: Musicals
Lecture: Musicals—An Overview, Pt. 3
Screening: Mamma Mia! Due: OSR 3 (1960-1979)

Watching R-Rated Movies Boosts Kids' Smoking Risk

The finding could point to a general parental permissiveness, researchers say

MONDAY, Feb. 23 (HealthDay News) -- Children who are allowed to watch R-rated movies are more likely to smoke, say researchers who analyzed data from a four-year study of more than 1,200 Massachusetts youngsters.

"We don't know why this is so. It may have to do with a parenting style that is permissive of activities that are not age-appropriate. Or it may be an outcome of all the smoking scenes in R-rated movies," lead author Chyke Doubeni and colleagues at the University of Massachusetts Medical School said in a news release.

The participants were in the sixth grade when the study started in 2002 and were interviewed 11 times between then and 2006. The students were asked a number of questions about their access to cigarettes, whether smoking was allowed in their home and whether they were allowed to watch R-rated movies and videos.

Among those who were allowed to watch R-rated movies, smokers were nearly three times as likely and nonsmokers were almost twice as likely to say it would be easy for them to get cigarettes, compared to youngsters who weren't allowed to watch R-rated movies.

The findings are published in the Feb. 21 issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.

According to Doubeni, the study shows that parental permission to watch R-rated movies is one of the strongest predictors of children's belief that cigarettes are easily available, about as strong as having friends that smoke.

"We do know that kids who believe it is easy to get a cigarette are at risk of smoking," Doubeni said. "Our prior research has already shown that kids who perceive cigarettes as readily accessible are more likely to end up as regular smokers."

"Parents need to be mindful about the movies their children watch for a variety of obvious reasons," added co-author Dr. Joseph DiFranza. "This study points out one more reason for not allowing children to watch movies that are not appropriate for their age.

Classic Musical Scenes: Supplemental

Here are scenes and trailers from some of the influential musicals that we weren't able to cover in class:

"On The Good Ship Lollipop" from Bright Eyes (1934), starring Shirley Temple:


"Cheek to Cheek" from Top Hat (1935), starring Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers:


Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942), starring James Cagney:


You Were Never Lovelier (1942), starring Fred Astaire and Rita Hayworth:


"Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas" from Meet Me in St. Louis (1944), starring Judy Garland:


"New York, New York" from On The Town (1949), starring Gene Kelly and Frank Sinatra:


"Get Happy" from Summer Stock (1950), starring Judy Garland:

Week 4- Razzle Dazzle ‘Em: Musicals

M 2.23/W 2.25
Razzle Dazzle ‘Em: Musicals Lecture: Musicals—An Overview, Pt. 2
Screening: Sweeney Todd (Burton, 1007 USA)

The Great 2009 Oscar Challenge

The Challenge:
Have the most number of correct picks in the class.

The Prize:
The top two winners will be allowed to "skip" one journal of their choice.

The Procedure:
1. Copy this ballot
2. Open the Comments option below
3. Paste the ballot into a comment box, leaving only your picks for EACH category (Note: If you don't already have one, you may need to create a Gmail account to post)
4. I'll tally the results by Monday's class and announce the winners

The Rules:
1. All entries must be in by 12 AM Saturday
2. Only fully-completed ballots will counted

(See my picks in the Comments section as an example)

The Ballot:

BEST PICTURE
"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"
"Frost/Nixon"
"Milk
"The Reader"
"Slumdog Millionaire"

BEST ACTRESS
Anne Hathaway, "Rachel Getting Married"
Angelina Jolie, "Changeling"
Melissa Leo, "Frozen River"
Meryl Streep, "Doubt"
Kate Winslet, "The Reader"

BEST ACTOR
Frank Langella, "Frost/Nixon"
Sean Penn, "Milk"
Brad Pitt, "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"
Mickey Rourke, "The Wrestler"
Richard Jenkins, "The Visitor"

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Amy Adams, "Doubt"
Penelope Cruz, "Vicky Cristina Barcelona"
Viola Davis, "Doubt"
Taraji P. Henson, "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"
Marisa Tomei, "The Wrestler"

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Josh Brolin, "Milk"
Robert Downey Jr., "Tropic Thunder"
Philip Seymour Hoffman, "Doubt"
Heath Ledger, "The Dark Knight"
Michael Shannon, "Revolutionary Road"

BEST DIRECTOR
Danny Boyle, "Slumdog Millionaire"
Stephen Daldry, "The Reader"
David Fincher, "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"
Ron Howard, "Frost/Nixon"
Gus Van Sant, "Milk"

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Dustin Lance Black, "Milk"
Courtney Hunt, "Frozen River"
Mike Leigh, "Happy-Go-Lucky"
Marttin McDonagh, "In Bruges"
Andrew Stanton, Jim Reardon, "WALL-E"

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Simon Beaufoy, "Slumdog Millionaire"
David Hare, "The Reader"
Peter Morgan, "Frost/Nixon"
John Patrick Shanley, "Doubt"
Eric Roth, Robin Swicord, "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
"The Baader-Meinhof Complex" (Germany)
"The Class" (France)
"Departures" (Japan)
"Revanche" (Austria)
"Waltz with Bashir" (Israel)

BEST ANIMATED FILM
"Bolt"
"Kung Fu Panda"
"WALL-E"

BEST ART DIRECTION
"Changeling"
"The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button"
"Dark Knight"
"The Duchess"
"Revolutionary Road"

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
"Changeling" Tom Stern
"Slumdog Millionaire," Anthony Dod Mantle
"The Reader," Chris Menges
"The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button," Claudio Miranda
"The Dark Knight," Wally Pfister,

BEST FILM EDITING
"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," Kirk Baxter, Angus Wall
"The Dark Knight," Lee Smith
"Frost/Nixon," Daniel P. Hanley, Mike Hill
"Milk," Elliot Graham
"Slumdog Millionaire," Chris Dickens

BEST COSTUME DESIGN
"Australia," Catherine Martin
"The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button," Jacqueline West
"The Duchess," Michael O'Conner
"Milk", Danny Glicker
"Revolutionary Road," Albert Wolsky

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
"The Betrayal (Nerakhoon)"
"Encounters at the End of the World"
"The Garden"
"Man on Wire"
"Trouble the Water"

BEST ORIGINAL SONG
"Slumdog Millionaire," "Jai Ho," A.R. Rahman
"Slumdog Millionaire," "O Saya," A.R. Rahman & M.I.A.
"WALL-E," "Down To Earth," Peter Gabriel & Thomas Newman

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
"The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button," Alexandre Desplat
"Defiance," James Newton Howard
"Milk," Danny Elfman
"Slumdog Millionaire," A.R. Rahman
"WALL-E," Thomas Newman

BEST MAKEUP
"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," Colleen Callaghan, Fionagh Cush
"The Dark Knight," Peter Robb-King, John Caglione Jr.
"Hellboy II: The Golden Army," Mike Elizalde, Thom Floutz

BEST SOUND EDITING
"The Dark Knight," Richard King
"Iron Man," Frank Eulner, Christopher Boyes
"Slumdog Millionaire," Tom Sayers
"WALL-E," Ben Burtt, Matthew Wood
"Wanted," Wylie Stateman

BEST SOUND MIXING
"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," Mark Weingarten, David Parker, Michael Semanick, Ren Klyce
"The Dark Knight," Ed Novick, Lora Hirschberg, Gary Rizzo
"Slumdog Millionaire," Ian Tapp, Richard Pryke and Resul Pookutty
"WALL-E," Ben Burtt, Tom Myers, Michael Semanick
"Wanted," Chris Jenkins, Frank A. Montaño and Petr Forejt

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," Eric Barba
"The Dark Knight," Chris Corbould, Nick Davis, Paul Franklin, Tim Webber
"Iron Man," John Nelson

BEST LIVE ACTION SHORT FILM
"Auf der Strecke (On the Line)"
"Manon on the Asphalt"
"New Boy"
"The Pig"
"Spielzeugland (Toyland)"

BEST ANIMATED SHORT FILM
"La Maison en Petits Cubes"
"Lavatory - Lovestory"
"Oktapodi"
"Presto"
"This Way Up"

BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT FILM
"The Conscience of Nhem En"
"The Final Inch"
"Smile Pinki"
"The Witness - From the Balcony of Room 306"

'Friday the 13th' scores largest horror-film debut

By Scott Bowles, USA Today

Friday the 13th scared up the largest debut on record for a horror film, taking in $42.4 million this weekend, according to studio estimates from box office tracking firm Media By Numbers.

The debut was $17 million more than many analysts projected and trounced the record held by 2004's The Grudge, the previous highest-opening horror film with $39 million.

The 12th film to spring from the 1980 original is good news for studios rushing to reboot classic horror titles. Remakes of A Nightmare on Elm Street, The Wolf Man and The Last House on the Left are headed to the big screen.

The romantic comedy He's Just Not That Into You was second with $19.6 million, bringing its 10-day total to $55.1 million.

The thriller Taken also held well, taking third place with $19.3 million. The Liam Neeson picture has done $77.9 million in three weeks.

The Isla Fisher comedy Confessions of a Shopaholic met most expectations with $15.4 million, good for fourth place, while the animated Coraline took $15.3 million and fifth place.

The only other major newcomer, Clive Owen's political thriller The International, was seventh with $10 million, meeting most projections.

Ticket sales surged 28% over last weekend and 43% over the same weekend last year.

Final figures are due Tuesday because of the Presidents Day weekend.

Auteurship Research Paper: Director List

Here is the list of directors to choose from for your auteurship paper:

Woody Allen:

Annie Hall
Broadway Danny Rose
Crimes and Misdemeanors

Alison Anders:
Gas Food Lodging
Mi Vida Loca
Grace of My Heart

Wes Anderson:
Bottle Rocket
Rushmore
The Royal Tennenbaums

Michael Bay:
The Rock
Pearl Harbor
Transformers

Brad Bird:
The Iron Giant
The Incredibles
Ratatouille

Alfonso Cuarón:
Y Tu Mamá También
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Children of Men

Jane Campion:
Sweetie
The Piano
The Portrait of a Lady

Frank Capra:

It Happened One Night
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
It’s a Wonderful Life

Charlie Chaplin:
The Kid
City Lights
Modern Times

The Coen Bros.:
Raising Arizona
Barton Fink
Fargo

Sofia Coppola:
The Virgin Suicides
Lost in Translation
Marie Antoinette

Guillermo del Toro:

Cronos
The Devil's Backbone
Pan's Labyrinth

Clint Eastwood:
Unforgiven
Million Dollar Baby
Flags of Our Fathers

Bob Fosse:
Sweet Charity
Cabaret
All That Jazz

Mel Gibson:
The Man Without a Face
Braveheart
The Passion of the Christ

Terry Gilliam:
Brazil
Twelve Monkeys
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas

Lasse Hallström:

What’s Eating Gilbert Grape
The Cider House Rules
Chocolat

Curtis Hanson:
L.A. Confidential
Wonder Boys
In Her Shoes

Todd Haynes:
Poison
Safe
Far From Heaven

Alfred Hitchcock:
Rear Window
Vertigo
Psycho

Alejandro González Iñárritu:
Amores perros
21 Grams
Babel

Jean-Pierre Jeunet:

Delicatessen
La Cité des Enfants Perdus (co-directed with Marc Caro)
Le Fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain

Ang Lee:
Sense and Sensibility
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
Brokeback Mountain

Spike Lee:
Do the Right Thing
Jungle Fever
Get on the Bus

Jerry Lewis:
The Nutty Professor
The Bellboy
Cinderfella

Sidney Lumet:
Network
Dog Day Afternoon
Long Day’s Journey Into Night

Hayao Miyazaki:

Kiki's Delivery Service
Princess Mononoke
Spirited Away

Mira Nair:
Salaam Bombay!
Mississippi Masala
Monsoon Wedding

Gregory Nava:
El Norte
Mi Familia
Selena

Mike Nichols:
The Graduate
Silkwood
Closer

Neil LaBute:

In the Company of Men
Possession
The Shape of Things

Alexander Payne:
Election
About Schmidt
Sideways

Satyajit Ray:
Pather
Panchali Aparajito
The World of Apu

M. Night Shyamalan:
The Sixth Sense
Unbreakable
Lady in the Water

John Singleton:
Boyz in the Hood
Higher Learning
Poetic Justice

James Whale:

Frankenstein
The Old Dark House
The Invisible Man

Robert Wise:
West Side Story
The Haunting
The Sound of Music

Week 3- Razzle Dazzle ‘Em: Musicals

M 2.16
No Class (Presidents’ Day)

W 2.18
Razzle Dazzle ‘Em: Musicals
Lecture: Musicals—An Overview, Pt. 1
Due: OSR 1 (Silents-1939)

Ryan Gosling, Rachel McAdams top movie romance list

Posted by: Alex Dobuzinskis, Reuters
2.12.09

With Valentine’s Day coming up on Saturday, many movie fans will be looking for a good romance film to spark their own love life. But not all movie couples can convince fans they belong together, either on-screen or off.

Online ticket seller Fandango conducted a poll of customers buying tickets for February movies, asking people about their favorite and least-liked romantic movie pairings. On Tuesday, Fandango released a top 10 and worst 10 list.

Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams lead all couples for their performance in the 2004 movie “The Notebook.” They won 14 percent of the vote, four percent more than runner-ups Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie in the 2005’s “Mr. and Mrs. Smith.” The other couples on the list were, in order: Richard Gere and Julia Roberts (”Pretty Woman”); Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey (”Dirty Dancing”); Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet (”Titanic”); Patrick Swayze and Demi Moore (”Ghost”); Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart (”Twilight”); Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal (”Brokeback Mountain”); and at No. 10, Johnny Depp and Juliette Binoche (”Chocolate”).

Pitt and Jolie became inseparable after their on-set meeting in “Mr. and Mrs. Smith” and the two have since become a Hollywood supercouple with six children, including three adopted kids.

But Harry Medved, spokesman for Fandango, said that off-screen romance only counts for so much. “When it comes to classic mismatches, like Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez in ‘Gigli,’ the fact that the two stars may have been a couple off-screen didn’t make the on-screen chemistry between them any more convincing,” Medved said.

But JLo and Affleck, who since their 2003 movie “Gigli” have separated and are married to other entertainers, are not the most mismatched couple, according to Fandango customers.

Leading Fandango’s top 10 most mismatched couples were Jessica Alba and Mike Myers in 2008 movie “The Love Guru,” which was panned by critics and made only $32.2 million worldwide. That couple got 9 percent of votes, followed in second place by Woody Allen and Charlize Theron in “The Curse of the Jade Scorpion,” a 2001 movie that came out when the acclaimed actor and director was 65 and she was 26. The other names on the list in order were: Katherine Heigl and Seth Rogen (”Knocked Up”); Adam Sandler and Kevin James (”I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry”); Anne Heche and Harrison Ford (”Six Days Seven Nights”); Kate Winslet and Jack Black (”The Holiday”); Julia Roberts and Woody Allen (”Everyone Says I Love You”); Nikki Blonsky and Zac Efron (”Hairspray”); Jennifer Lopez and Ralph Fiennes (”Maid in Manhattan”); and at No. 10, Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck (”Gigli”).

This Valentine’s Day, movie goers will have a couple romantic comedies to choose from. “He’s Just Not That Into You” opened on Feb. 6 with an A-list ensemble cast that includes Ben Affleck, Jennifer Aniston and Scarlett Johansson, and had a strong opening weekend of $27.5 million, while “New In Town” starring Renee Zellweger and Harry Connick Jr. has earned a disappointing $11.9 million worldwide since its Jan. 30 opening.