Posted on February 24, 2013 at 3:59 pm
I’m with Flavorwire! It’s time for some new Oscar categories like “best ensemble,” “best casting,” “best comedy,” and “best soundtrack.” I’d also like to see “best performance under age 20,” “best newcomer,” and “best contemporary costume design.” I’ll be thinking about all of those possibilities as I watch tonight’s awards.
Posted on February 24, 2013 at 8:36 am
The day before the Oscars, the Razzies are awarded to the worst films of the year. Adam Sandler, who swept the awards last year for “Jack and Jill,” managed to get only two Razzies (worst actor, worst screenplay). The last chapter of “Twilight’ was the big winner/loser this year, with Razzies for Worst Picture, Worst Actress (Kristen Stewart) Worst Supporting Actor (Taylor Lautner), Worst Screen Couple (Lautner and 12 year-old Mackenzie Foy), and Worst Screen Ensemble, Worst Remake/Rip-Off or Sequel, and Worst Director. Don’t agree? You can be a Razzie voter next year.
Posted on February 24, 2013 at 8:24 am
I admit that the awards show I enjoy most each year is the “Spirit Awards,” and not just because I am lucky enough to get to vote for them. They truly reflect their name in paying tribute to films that are made more for love than for money. And they honor and support the small, the new, the passionate, and the struggle. This year’s winners are:
Best Feature: Silver Linings Playbook (The Weinstein Company)
Producers: Bruce Cohen, Donna Gigliotti, Jonathan Gordon
Best Director: David O. Russell, Silver Linings Playbook (The Weinstein Company)
Best Screenplay: David O. Russell, Silver Linings Playbook (The Weinstein Company)
Best First Feature: The Perks of Being a Wallflower (Summit Entertainment)
Writer/Director: Stephen Chbosky / Producers: Lianne Halfon, John Malkovich, Russell Smith
Best First Screenplay: Derek Connolly, Safety Not Guaranteed (FilmDistrict)
John Cassavetes Award (For best feature made under $500,000): Middle of Nowhere (AFFRM in partnership with Participant Media)
Writer/Director/Producer: Ava DuVernay / Producers: Howard Barish, Paul Garnes
Best Supporting Female: Helen Hunt, The Sessions (Fox Searchlight)
Best Supporting Male: Matthew McConaughey, Magic Mike (Warner Bros.Pictures)
Best Female Lead: Jennifer Lawrence, Silver Linings Playbook (The Weinstein Company)
Best Male Lead: John Hawkes, The Sessions (Fox Searchlight)
Robert Altman Award: Starlet (Music Box Films)
Director: Sean Baker / Casting Director: Julia Kim / Ensemble Cast: Dree Hemingway, Besedka Johnson, Karren Karagulian, Stella Maeve, James Ransone
Best Cinematography: Ben Richardson, Beasts of the Southern Wild (Fox Searchlight)
Best International Film: Amour (France – Sony Pictures Classics) Director: Michael Haneke
Best Documentary: The Invisible War (Cinedigm Entertainment Group)
Director: Kirby Dick / Producers: Amy Ziering, Tanner King Barklow
Special Distinction: Harris Savides
Posted on February 24, 2013 at 8:00 am
I’m thrilled to be able to give away a DVD of the new film, “Backwards, ” now available on iTunes, DirectTV, Walmart, Amazon, and Barnes and Noble.
It’s the story of Abi Books , a fiercely competitive rower who fails to make the Olympic team for a second time and reluctantly takes a job coaching rowers at a high school where her boss happens to be her ex-boyfriend . When given a chance to rejoin the Olympic team, Abi confronts the personal sacrifices and professional choices that impact the world of athletes with Olympic ambitions. This is an inspiring story that asks the question, what happens when you’ve spent your life working towards a dream and you don’t make it? How do you move forward? Shot in Philadelphia, the film showcases some of the city’s best known landmarks including inside the Philadelphia Museum of Art, on the “Rocky Steps,” along the Schuylkill River and Boathouse Row.
To enter, send me an email at moviemom@moviemom.com with “Backwards” in the subject line and tell me what sport you enjoy most. Don’t forget your address! I’ll pick a winner on February 28. Good luck!
Posted on February 23, 2013 at 3:54 pm
50 years after they recorded the first Beatles single, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, and George Martin got back together.
