Take an Extended Look at Oscar Bait Film Les Miserables

The movie I can’t wait to see more than anything in the world opens on Christmas day and wouldn’t you know it, it’s a musical! Of course it is and I am so excited for the big screen adaptation of the Tony winning masterpiece Les Miserables. The film is directed by recent Oscar winner Tom Hooper (The King’s Speech) and stars Golden Globe nominee Hugh Jackman, Oscar winner Russell Crowe, Oscar nominee Helena Bonham Carter, Tony winner Eddie Redmayne, Golden Globe winner Sacha Baron Cohen, Amanda Seyfried (Mamma Mia), Aaron Tveitt (Broadway’s Next to Normal), newcomer Samantha Barks (who has done Les Miz on the West End in London) and Oscar nominee Anne Hathaway. It will be the first filmed musical to feature the actors singing live as opposed to lip synching to a track and if you’ve watched the trailer, the results are stunning. Hathaway who sings the iconic “I Dreamed a Dream” is already being hailed as the front-runner for the Supporting Actress Oscar, and I think the film is gonna clean up at awards season. For an in-depth look at the making of this incredible musical, watch the clip below and head here for more on Les Miserables.

Les Miserables extended preview

And while I’m talking about Awards season, here’s how I see Les Miserables Oscar chances…

Good Bet Nominations~
Best Picture
Best Director
Best Actor (Hugh Jackman as Jean Valjean)
Best Supporting Actress (Anne Hathaway as Fantine)
Best Supporting Actor (Russell Crowe as Javert)
Best Editing
Best Cinematography
Best Production Design (formerly know as Art Direction)
Best Costume Design
Best Sound Mixing
Best Original Song (“Suddenly”… yes the original musical composers wrote a brand new song for the film)

Likely Nominees~
Best Supporting Actress (Samantha Barks as Eponine)
Best Sound
Best Makeup
Possible Nominees~
Best Supporting Actor (Eddie Redmayne as Marius)
Best Supporting Actress (Amanda Seyfried as Cossette)
Best Supporting Actor (Aaron Tveit as Enjolras)
Best Adapted Screenplay

“Les Miserables” is Singing Out for Oscar

My second favorite musical of all time, Les Miserables, is finally coming to the big screen. (In case you’re wondering, my favorite is Rent). Due to hit theaters on Dec. 14th, this big budget adaptation of the Tony winning classic is directed by recent Oscar winner Tom Hooper (The King’s Speech) and features an All Star cast including Golden Globe nominee Hugh Jackman, Oscar winner Russell Crowe, Oscar nominee Anne Hathaway, Golden Globe winner Sacha Baron Cohen, two-time Oscar nominee Helena Bonham Carter, Tony nominee Eddie Redmayne, Broadway vet Aaron Tveit and British stage newcomer Samantha Barks as Eponine. The film is sure to be a tear-jerker, and judging from the first trailer below. It looks like a big Oscar contender. I foresee a ton of nominations across the board with best bets for Acting nominations going to Jackman and Crowe in the Best Actor Category and Barks and Hathaway in the Supporting Actress Category… Tveitt, Baron Cohen and Redmayne will likely have to fight for a nod in the Supporting Actor category while Seyfried and Bonham Carter will have uphill battles in the Best Actress and Supporting Actress categories. Regardless, I have high hopes for this film and I think it will be fantastic. Just listen to the heartbreak in Hathaway’s beautiful voice on the iconic “I Dreamed a Dream” in the trailer for Les Miserables below. It’s gonna be good!

Les Miserables (2012) trailer

The Full List of Oscar Winners

Ok, I don’t know about you, but that was certainly one of the worst Oscar shows I’ve seen in decades. It was a big disappointment and rather boring. I’m actually so annoyed, I don’t even know if I want to do a recap of it. (Poor Anne Hathaway gave it her all, and let’s face it, James Franco must’ve known how bad it was gonna be cuz he seemed completely stoned out of his mind…) Anywho, congrats to Colin Firth and The King’s Speech which lead the way with 4 Oscars including Best Picture. Inception also grabbed 4 awards and The Social Network nabbed 3…. Check out your full list of winners below and check back here tomorrow for a recap… if I can muster it… (And yes, I’m still so annoyed that Annette lost again!).

2011 Academy Award Winners:

Best Picture: The King’s Speech
Best Director: Tom Hooper, The King’s Speech
Best Actor: Colin Firth, The King’s Speech
Best Actress: Natalie Portman, Black Swan
Best Supporting Actor: Christian Bale, The Fighter
Best Supporting Actress: Melissa Leo, The Fighter
Original Screenplay: The King’s Speech
Adapted Screenplay: The Social Network
Original Score: The Social Network
Original Song: “We Belong Together”- Randy Newman (Toy Story 3, not the Mariah song…)
Art Direction: Alice in Wonderland
Costume Design: Alice in Wonderland
Cinematography: Inception
Editing: The Social Network
Sound: Inception
Sound Mixing: Inception
Visual Effects: Inception
Makeup: The Wolfman
Documentary: Inside Job
Animated Film: Toy Story 3
Animated Short Film: The Lost Thing
Live Action Short Film: God of Love
Documentary Short Film: Strangers No More

UPDATE:

For a hilarious take on last night’s Oscars show that is 100 times more entertaining than the show itself, head to Johnny Lopez’s blog below. (He’s a hysterical writer you’ve sen in US Weekly and other press outlests by the way…)

http://thejohnnylopez.blogspot.com/2011/02/2011-oscars.html

The Gnomes clobber Owen Wilson and Nicholas Cage

Apparently, being a movie star doesn’t necessarily guarantee big box office success. And while we’ve known that fact for a while, what we learned from this weekend’s new releases is that being a movie star doesn’t guarantee anyone will give a rat’s patootie about your new movie…. especially if it’s a bad one. Poor Owen Wilson and Nicholas Cage dropped two more bombs on us this weekend as Wilson’s Hall Pass mustered up a middling $13 million while Cage’s Drive Angry (which is quite possibly the worst titled movie ever) utterly tanked with only $5 million barely landing in the top ten. Instead, moviegoers enjoy their cartoon gnomes as strong legs led the crowd pleasing animated hit Gnomeo & Juliet to first place with $14 million in its third week out. Audiences also like their Oscar contenders as frontrunner The King’s Speech jumped 16 % in its 14th week of release for $7.6 million and a big $114 million total. Also seeing boosts as viewers get ready for the big show were The Fighter and Black Swan. Take a look at the new top ten below and for more in depth box office needs, head to Box Office Mojo here.

TW	LW	Title (click to view)	Studio	Weekend Gross	% Change	Theater Count / Change		Average	Total Gross	Budget*	Week #
1	3	Gnomeo and Juliet	BV	$14,213,000	-25.8%	3,037	+23	$4,680	$75,147,000	-	3
2	N	Hall Pass	WB (NL)	$13,420,000	-	2,950	-	$4,549	$13,420,000	$36	1
3	1	Unknown	WB	$12,435,000	-43.1%	3,043	-	$4,086	$42,840,000	$30	2
4	4	Just Go With It	Sony	$11,100,000	-39.9%	3,544	-4	$3,132	$79,355,000	$80	3
5	2	I Am Number Four	BV	$11,036,000	-43.3%	3,156	+2	$3,497	$37,744,000	$60	2
6	6	Justin Bieber: Never Say Never	Par.	$9,200,000	-30.9%	2,810	-308	$3,274	$62,776,000	$13	3
7	7	The King’s Speech	Wein.	$7,618,000	+16.7%	2,386	+300	$3,193	$114,509,000	$15	14
8	5	Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son	Fox	$7,550,000	-53.7%	2,821	-	$2,676	$28,574,000	$32	2
9	N	Drive Angry	Sum.	$5,131,000	-	2,290	-	$2,241	$5,131,000	-	1
10	8	The Roommate	SGem	$2,050,000	-47.6%	1,726	-434	$1,188	$35,928,000	$16	4

My Big Bold Academy Award WINNER Predictions 2011

Ok, they’re finally here: my big bold Academy Award winner predictions… Now, as usual I’m giving you who I think will and should win…. This year, we have several strong races like The Kings Speech and The Social Network for Best Picture and Annette Bening v. Natalie Portman for Best Actress that could go down to the wire. In fact, the race for Best Director and Supporting Actress are seeming more and more unpredictable. Will there be a major surprise? Will The Kings Speech sweep? And will the little categories mess you up in your Oscar pool? (Um, they probably will unfortunately). Nonetheless, I’m making my educated guesses here and trying not to go with my heart. So, take a look at my thoughts below and watch the show on Sunday on ABC with your hosts former nominee Anne Hathaway and current Oscar nominee James Franco!

Best Picture:
127 Hours, Black Swan, The Fighter, Inception, The Kids are Alright, The Kings Speech, The Social Network, Toy Story 3, True Grit, Winter’s Bone
Will & Should win: The Kings Speech
~spoiler: The Social Network

Best Director:
Darren Aronofsky (Black Swan), David O. Russell (The Fighter), David Fincher (The Social Network), Tom Hooper (The Kings Speech), Joel & Ethan Coen (True Grit)
Will & Should win: David Fincher
~spoiler: Tom Hooper
* again- how the heck did Christopher Nolan (Inception) NOT get nominated?

Best Actor:
Javier Bardem (Biutiful), Jeff Bridges (True Grit), Jesse Eisenberg (The Social Network), Colin Firth (The Kings Speech), James Franco (127 Hours)
Will & Should win: Colin Firth

Best Actress:
Annette Bening (The Kids are Alright), Nicole Kidman (Rabbit Hole), Jennifer Lawrence (Winters Bone), Natalie Portman (Black Swan), Michelle Williams
Will win: Natalie Portman
Should win: Annette Bening
~spoiler: Annette Bening

Best Supporting Actor:
Christian Bale (The Fighter), John Hawkes (Winters Bone), Jeremy Renner (The Town), Mark Ruffalo (The Kids are Alright), Geoffrey Rush (The Kings Speech)
Will & Should win: Christian Bale
~spoiler: Geoffrey Rush

Best Supporting Actress:
Amy Adams (The Fighter), Helena Bonham Carter (The Kings Speech), Melissa Leo (The Fighter), Hailee Steinfeld (True Grit), Jacki Weaver (Animal Kingdom)
Will & Should win: Melissa Leo
~spoiler: Hailee Steinfeld
* this category is known for its big upsets, so it wouldn’t be shocking that a Kings Speech sweep could land Bonham Carter in the winners circle or the well liked Adams could surprise here.

Best Original Screenplay:
Another Year, The Fighter, Inception, The Kids are Alright, The Kings Speech
Will & Should win: The Kings Speech
~spoiler: The Kids are Alright

Best Adapted Screenplay:
127 Hours, The Social Network, Toy Story 3, True Grit, Winters Bone
Will & Should win: The Social Network

Best Cinematography:
Black Swan, Inception, The Kings Speech, The Social Network, True Grit
Will & Should win: True Grit
~spoiler: Inception

Best Editing:
127 Hours, Black Swan, The Fighter, The Kings Speech, The Social Network
Will & Should win: The Social Network
~spoiler: The Fighter

Best Costume Design:
Alice in Wonderland, I Am Love, The Kings Speech, The Tempest, True Grit
Will & Should win: Alice in Wonderland
~spoiler: The Kings Speech

Best Art Direction:
Alice in Wonderland, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt. 1, Inception, The Kings Speech, True Grit
Will win: The Kings Speech
Should win: Harry Potter
~spoiler: Alice in Wonderland
* This is one of the biggest toss-up categories of the night

Best Original Score:
How to Train Your Dragon, Inception, The Kings Speech, 127 Hours, The Social Network
Will win: The Kings Speech
Should win: Inception
~spoiler: The Social Network (and how awesome would it be if it does win giving Nine Inch Nails  singer Trent Reznor the Oscar?!)

Best Original Song:
“Coming Home” (Country Strong), “If I Rise” (127 Hours), “I See the Light” (Tangled), “We Belong Together” (Toy Story 3)
Will win: “If I Rise”
Should win: “Coming Home”
~spoiler: “I See the Light”
* this is the other biggest toss-up category of the night. In fact, if the Academy love for Toy Story 3 spills over, Randy Newman’s boring song could win.

Best Makeup:
Barneys Version, The Way Back, Wolfman
Will & Should win: The Wolfman

Best Sound Editing:
Inception, Toy Story 3, Tron: Legacy, True Grit, Unstoppable
Will & Should win: Inception

Best Sound Mixing:
Inception, The Kings Speech, Salt, The Social Network, True Grit
Will & Should win: Inception
~spoiler: The Social Network

Best Visual Effects:
Alice in Wonderland, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt. 1, Hereafter, Inception, Iron Man 2
Will & Should win: Inception

Best Animated Film:
How to Train Your Dragon, The Illusionist, Toy Story 3
Will & Should win: Toy Story 3

Best Documentary:
Exit Through the Gift Shop, Gasland, Inside Job, Restrepo, Waste Land
Will win: Inside Job
Should win: Exit Through the Gift Shop

Best Foreign Language Film:
Biutiful, Dogtooth, In a Better World, Incendies, Outside the Law
Will win: In a Better World
Should win: Biutiful
~spoiler: Dogtooth
* but let’s be honest… I’m not very confident in this prediction at all!

~ Ok, those are my predix for the major categories… Now, for the ones that often make the difference in your office pools (the Shorts categories), you’ll have to email me directly. Lol

Enjoy the Show!!!

The BAFTA’s love their King

It was all about the King yesterday at the British Academy of Film and Television Awards as the homegrown hero, The King’s Speech, swept the awards picking up 7 awards including Best Film, Screenplay and Actor (Colin Firth). It also dominated the supporting acting races with wins for Helena Bonham Carter and Geoffrey Rush putting a stop to the awards domination of Fighter stars Christian Bale and Melissa Leo (who was shockingly not even nominated. Co-star Amy Adams did represent though). In the Best Actress race, Natalie Portman again beat out Annette Bening and looks like she may be unstoppable at the Oscars. Take a look at the full list of winners for the BAFTA’s and for more, head to their website here.

BAFTA Award winners:

Best Film: The King’s Speech
Best British Film: The King’s Speech
Best Director: David Fincher, The Social Network
Best Original Screenplay: The King’s Speech
Best Adapted Screenplay: The Social Network
Best Actor: Colin Firth, The King’s Speech
Best Actress: Natalie Portman, Black Swan
Best Supporting Actor: Geoffrey Rush, The King’s Speech
Best Supporting Actress: Helena Bonham Carter, The King’s Speech
Best Debut by a British Writer/Director/Producer: Chris Morris, Four Lions
Best Film not in the English Language: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Best Original Music: The King’s Speech
Best Production Design: Inception
Best Costume Design: Alice in Wonderland
Best Cinematography: True Grit
Best Editing: The Social Network
Best Sound: Inception
Best Visual Effects: Inception
Best Makeup & Hair: Alice in Wonderland
Best Short Film: Until the River Runs Red
Best Animated Short Film: The Eagleman Stag
Best Animated Film: Toy Story 3
Orange Wednesdays Rising Star Award: Tom Hardy
Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema: the Harry Potter Films
Academy Fellowship: Sir Christopher Lee

Adam Sandler to Justin Bieber~ You Got Served!

Well, apparently, Bibermania was just not strong enough to stop the Sandler this weekend. Despite many predictions that Justin Bieber’s concert/documentary/3D film Never Say Never would win the weekend at the box office, it actually landed in second with a strong $30 million. However, that wasn’t good enough to beat Adam Sandler whose latest comedy, Just Go With It, co-starring Jennifer Aniston opened to $31 million. They led 4 new films for the frame which saw the best numbers of 2011 so far. Opening way ahead of expectations was the new tune, Gnomeo & Juliet, produced and featuring music by Grammy legend Elton John took in a surprisingly good $25 million for third. Following in fourth was Channing Tatum’s historical action epic, The Eagle, with a mild $8.5 million. Take a look at the new top ten below which also saw another fantastic hold for Oscar favorite The King’s Speech below and head to Box Office Mojo for more weekend numbers.

TW LW Title (click to view) Studio Weekend Gross % Change Theater Count / Change Average Total Gross Budget* Week #
1 N Just Go With It Sony $31,000,000 – 3,548 – $8,737 $31,000,000 – 1
2 N Justin Bieber: Never Say Never Par. $30,260,000 – 3,105 – $9,746 $30,260,000 $13 1
3 N Gnomeo and Juliet BV $25,500,000 – 2,994 – $8,517 $25,500,000 – 1
4 N The Eagle Focus $8,589,000 – 2,296 – $3,741 $8,589,000 – 1
5 1 The Roommate SGem $8,400,000 -44.0% 2,534 – $3,315 $26,053,000 $16 2
6 4 The King’s Speech Wein. $7,412,000 -3.9% 2,263 -321 $3,275 $93,857,000 $15 12
7 3 No Strings Attached Par. $5,645,000 -29.5% 2,756 -294 $2,048 $59,866,000 $25 4
8 2 Sanctum Uni. $5,132,000 -45.7% 2,789 +2 $1,840 $17,505,000 $30 2
9 8 True Grit Par. $3,770,000 -18.8% 2,072 -830 $1,819 $160,340,000 $38 8
10 5 The Green Hornet Sony $3,600,000 -39.7% 2,090 -943 $1,722 $92,332,000 $120 5

The Social Network picks up steam at the WGA Awards

After getting served by The King’s Speech at the PGA, DGA and SAG awards over the last few weeks, former Oscar front-runner, The Social Network,  picked up some needed awards steam winning the Best Adapted Screenplay honors at last night’s Writers Guild Awards. However, it comes with a catch. Due to some crazy guild awards, Speech was declared ineligible. Had it been able to compete, it would’ve been in the Original Screenplay category as well, so they both could’ve come out even. Instead, Inception took home that honor in a bit of a surprise beating out The Kids are Alright. On the TV side, Modern Family and Mad Men continued their winning ways. Take a look at all the winners below and head to the WGA website for more info.

Writers Guild Awards:

Original Screenplay: Inception (Christopher Nolan)
Adapted Screenplay: The Social Network (Aaron Sorkin)
Documentary: Inside Job
Drama Series: Mad Men
Drama Series Individual Episode: Mad Men (“The Chrysanthemum and the Sword”)
Comedy Series: Modern Family
Comedy Series Individual Episode: 30 Rock (“When It Rains It Pours”)
New Series: Boardwalk Empire
Daytime Drama: As the World Turns
TV Long Form Adaptation: The Pacific
TV Long Form Original: The Special Relationship
Comedy Variety Series: The Colbert Report

SAG crowns a King and Betty White!

Last year she stole the show when she won the Lifetime Achievement Award. This year she stole the show again as she won Best Actress in a Comedy Series. All hail Betty White, the hottest 89-year-old around as the SAG Awards honored her for her first individual performance win and she kindly responded with the best and funniest speech of the night~ even fondling her statue. How much do we love Betty!? … Now, the show wasn’t all about Betty, the Screen Actors Guild also honored the movies with all the front-runners taking home awards including Colin Firth, Natalie Portman, Christian Bale and Melissa Leo. It seems all but assured that they will likely repeat at the Oscars next month. Things could still change, but they’re all safe bets now. Another good bet is that The King’s Speech will deservedly take home Best Picture as it added the Best Ensemble win to its mantle at tonight’s show…. Other television wins went to the casts of Modern Family and Boardwalk Empire plus Steve Buscemi and Juliana Marugiles in the drama categories and Alec Baldwin grabbed his 5th consecutive win for Comedy Actor. Take a look at the full list of winners below (and no, all of the people I voted for didn’t win… wanna know who I was pulling for? Shoot me an email. In the meantime, head to the SAG website for more info.)

MOVIES

Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
The King’s Speech

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role
Colin Firth, The King’s Speech

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role
Natalie Portman, Black Swan

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role
Christian Bale, The Fighter

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role
Melissa Leo, The Fighter

TELEVISION

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series
Boardwalk Empire

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series
Modern Family

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series
Steve Buscemi, Boardwalk Empire

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series
Julianna Margulies, The Good Wife

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series
Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series
Betty White, Hot in Cleveland

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries
Al Pacino, You Don’t Know Jack

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries
Claire Danes, Temple Grandin

Screen Actors Guild Awards 47th Annual Life Achievement Award
Ernest Borgnine

Stunt Ensemble (Film): Inception
Stunt Ensemble (TV): True Blood

The Rite rules another Weak Weekend

It was another lackluster weekend at the box office that saw two films open to middling results continuing the downward trend at the movies for 3 months now. Opening in first was Anthony Hopkins new thriller The Rite with $ 15 million while Jason Statham’s latest action film, The Mechanic, landed in 3rd with $11.5 million. With no new blockbusters hitting theatres, last week’s chart topper No Strings Attached held well only dropping 30% and several films got some nice box office boosts due to their Oscar nominations, most notably The King’s Speech, Blue Valentine, True Grit and 127 Hours. Take a look at the new top ten below and for all your chart needs, head to Box Office Mojo here.

TW LW Title (click to view) Studio Weekend Gross % Change Theater Count / Change Average Total Gross Budget* Week #
1 N The Rite WB (NL) $15,005,000 – 2,985 – $5,027 $15,005,000 $37 1
2 1 No Strings Attached Par. $13,650,000 -30.5% 3,022 +4 $4,517 $39,742,000 $25 2
3 N The Mechanic CBS $11,500,000 – 2,703 – $4,255 $11,500,000 – 1
4 2 The Green Hornet Sony $11,500,000 -34.9% 3,524 -60 $3,263 $78,800,000 $120 3
5 4 The King’s Speech Wein. $11,102,000 +41.3% 2,557 +877 $4,342 $72,217,000 $15 10
6 5 True Grit Par. $7,600,000 +3.7% 3,120 -344 $2,436 $148,388,000 $38 6
7 3 The Dilemma Uni. $5,476,000 -39.9% 2,901 -42 $1,888 $40,634,000 $70 3
8 6 Black Swan FoxS $5,100,000 -13.1% 2,315 -92 $2,203 $90,704,000 $13 9
9 8 The Fighter Par. $4,055,000 -2.6% 1,914 -361 $2,119 $78,373,000 $25 8
10 9 Yogi Bear WB $3,165,000 -17.1% 2,133 -377 $1,484 $92,507,000 $80 7