It’s all about the “Silver Lining” at the Independent Spirit Awards

While some might argue that it’s not really an independent film (with that $21 million budget), Silver Linings Playbook still wowed the Independent Spirit Award voters taking home 4 awards today including Best Picture, Director, Screenplay and Actress (Jennifer Lawrence who has been having one heck of a year). It beat out a true indie, the fascinating and inventive Beasts of the Southern Wild which had to settle for a Cinematography award. Another true indie, The Sessions took home two awards for Best Actor (John Hawkes, who sooo should’ve got an Oscar nom) and Supporting Actress for Helen Hunt. Winning Supporting Actor was Matthew McConaughey for Magic Mike…. My favorite award of the day went to the brilliant Perks of Being A Wallflower for Best First Feature… For more on all the awards and the Indpendent Spirit organization, head here. Then check out all the winners below… And it’s only 1 day to Oscar Sunday!

2013 Independent Spirit Award Winners:

Best Feature: “Silver Linings Playbook”
Best Director: David O. Russell, “Silver Linings Playbook”
Best Screenplay: David O. Russell, “Silver Linings Playbook”
Best First Feature: “The Perks of Being a Wallflower”
Best First Screenplay: Derek Connolly, “Safety Not Guaranteed”
John Cassavetes Award (Given to the best feature made for under $500,000): “Middle of Nowhere”
Best Female Lead: Jennifer Lawrence, “Silver Linings Playbook”
Best Male Lead: John Hawkes, “The Sessions”
Best Supporting Female: Helen Hunt, “The Sessions”
Best Supporting Male: Matthew McConaughey, “Magic Mike”
Best Cinematography: Ben Richardson, “Beasts of the Southern Wild”
Best Documentary: “The Invisible War”
Best International Film: “Amour,” Michael Haneke
Robert Altman Award (Given to one film’s director, casting director, and its ensemble cast):
“Starlet”
Director: Sean Baker
Casting Director: Julia Kim
Ensemble Cast: Dree Hemingway, Besedka Johnson, Karren Karagulian, Stella Maeve, James Ransone

Piaget Producers Award: “Stones in the Sun,” Mynette Louie
Someone to Watch Award: “Gimme the Loot,” Adam Leon
Stella Artois Truer Than Fiction Award: “The Waiting Room,” Peter Nicks
Jameson Find Your Audience Award: “Breakfast With Curtis,” Laura Colella

“Magic Mike”~ Is this the Best Trailer Ever?

On June 29, the gays and the girls are going to be really happy… You see that is the day that the new stripper comedy Magic Mike hits theaters starring some of the hottest actors around including Channing Tatum, Alex Pettyfer, Matt Bomer, Joe Manganiello and Matthew McConaughey. I already posted a trailer and a blog about this ridiculously fun and hot film, and now a new an improved trailer has hit the web. This clip is perhaps the best teaser in film history. Check it out below and watch for Magic Mike to dance into theaters at the end of the month.

Magic Mike NSFW trailer

First Look~ The Hottest Cast Ever in “Magic Mike”

I’m not sure what movie is the most anticipated film of the summer. Conventional wisdom would say it’s The Dark Knight Rises… However, if you ask any woman, or for that matter any man in West Hollywood, the answer is probably Magic Mike. The later stars perhaps the hottest cast of men ever assemble for a film including Channing Tatum, Alex Pettyfer, Matt Bomer, Matthew McConaughy, Adam Rodriguez, and Joe Manganiello. The film, directed by Oscar winner Steven Soderbergh (Traffic), tells the tale of an up and coming male stripper (Pettyfer) who is taken in under the tutelage of the show’s star (Tatum) at a club run by McConaughy’s veteran stripper character. The movie is actually based on Tatum’s real life as he was an exotic dancer before he became a big Hollywood star, and judging from the first trailer, it looks pretty good… One small complaint: um, we need more stripping please. lol
Anywho, check out the first clip and let me know your thoughts. Then head to the theaters to see Magic Mike when it opens June 29th.

Magic Mike trailer

Limitless leads a Lackluster Weekend

Perhaps it was the rain, the impending war, or March Madness that made is such a lackluster weekend at the Box Office. However, I blame the lackluster new releases for another down weekend at the movies. Opening best of the three new entries was Bradley Cooper’s ridiculous “take a pill and all your problems will be solved” drama Limitless (my grade: C) which took in a decent $19 million holding off Rango in its third week and Battle LA which dropped a big 59% in week two. Coming in fourth was the best reviewed film of the new movies, Matthew McConaughy’s The Lincoln Lawyer, (I’m seeing it later today and will update my grade later) which grabbed $13.4 million while the utterly dreadful homophobic offensive and plain unfunny new “comedy” Paul (my grade: F) rounded out the top five with $13.1 million…. There was good news farther down the chart as the wonderful art house release Jane Eyre (my grade: A-) which grabbed a big per screen average ($18,385) to land in the top 20 despite only being in 26 theatres…. For more numbers, head to Box Office Mojo here, and check out the new top ten below.

TW	LW	Title (click to view)	Studio	Weekend Gross	% Change	Theater Count / Change		Average	Total Gross	Budget*	Week #
1	N	Limitless	Rela.	$19,000,000	–	2,756	–	$6,894	$19,000,000	$27	1
2	2	Rango	Par.	$15,315,000	-32.2%	3,843	-80	$3,985	$92,577,000	$135	3
3	1	Battle: Los Angeles	Sony	$14,600,000	-59.0%	3,417	–	$4,273	$60,602,000	$70	2
4	N	The Lincoln Lawyer	LGF	$13,400,000	–	2,707	–	$4,950	$13,400,000	$40	1
5	N	Paul	Uni.	$13,155,000	–	2,802	–	$4,695	$13,155,000	$40	1
6	3	Red Riding Hood	WB	$7,255,000	-48.2%	3,030	–	$2,394	$25,962,000	$42	2
7	4	The Adjustment Bureau	Uni.	$5,932,000	-48.9%	2,660	-187	$2,230	$48,779,000	$62	3
8	5	Mars Needs Moms	BV	$5,317,000	-23.1%	3,117	–	$1,706	$15,401,000	$150	2
9	6	Beastly	CBS	$3,260,000	-35.1%	1,810	-149	$1,801	$22,245,000	$17	3
10	7	Hall Pass	WB (NL)	$2,600,000	-48.1%	1,905	-650	$1,365	$39,590,000	$36	4