Daily Variety articles from December 2010, page 5

Daily Variety archives from December 2010

Michael Brook: 'The Fighter,' 'Country Strong'.(Score spotlight)(Interview)
December 15, 2010... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Having fashioned the underscore for David O. Russell's "The Fighter" and the forthcoming Gwyneth Paltrow country music vehicle, "Country Strong," Michael Brook's profile as a film composer appears on the upswing, but...

Carter Burwell: 'True Grit'.(Score spotlight)(Interview)(Brief article)
December 15, 2010... What music should accompany a 14-year-old girl bent on avenging her father's murder in the Old West? "I thought that hymns, or music that sounded like hymns, would remind you that what's driving the whole story is a biblical sense of...

Jan Kaczmarek: 'Get Low'.(Score spotlight)(Interview)
December 15, 2010... When Jan Kaczmarek was approached to score "Get Low," a story set in 1930s Tennessee that mixes fact, rural folktales and myth, he was attracted to the idea of infusing the music with subtle elements of American bluegrass, which he describes as...

Danny Elfman: 'Alice in Wonderland'.(Score spotlight)(Interview)(Brief article)
December 15, 2010... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] For "Alice in Wonderland"--their 13th film together--composer Danny Elfman and director Tim Burton had a tougher time than usual. "Longer hours, harder work, a little more nerve-jangling," admits the composer. But...

Rachel Portman: 'Never Let Me Go'.(Score spotlight)(Interview)(Brief article)
December 15, 2010... Never Let Me Go," based on the Kazuo Ishiguro novel about cloned children raised specifically to provide donor organs as young adults, needed music that was as delicately balanced as the storytelling. Says British composer Rachel Portman:...

Anton Sanko: 'Rabbit Hole'.(Score spotlight)(Interview)
December 15, 2010... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Writing the music for "Rabbit Hole" should have been difficult. The movie--a wrenching adaptation of David Lindsay-Abaire's Pulitzer Prize-winning play starring Nicole Kidman--details the struggles of a couple coping...

Song category hangs by a slender thread.(Music)
December 15, 2010... An unusual pairing of rock and documentary made history four years ago when Melissa Etheridge accepted the first best original song Oscar for a doe ("An Inconvenient Truth"). But this year, as the pie's filmmakers try to recapture awards magic...

Locations at heart of art: Milan, L.A., Cairo and stopping-off points from Italy to Bali were real stars in four films.(EYE ON THE OSCARS: ART DIRECTION, COSTUME DESIGN & MAKEUP)
December 15, 2010... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Four of this year's most visually striking dramas--"I Am Love," "Somewhere," "Cairo Time" and "Eat Pray Love"--are set in places that are so...

Dyas' dream designs.(Art Direction)(Guy Hendrix Dyas)(Interview)
December 15, 2010... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] I'm a designer who likes to go a bit nuts," says production designer Guy Hendrix Dyas, best known for his big, bold statements in films like "Elizabeth: The Golden Age" and "Superman Returns." Logic follows that this...

Dressing worlds of magic and fantasy: Colleen Atwood and Tim Burton applied their shared sensibility to 'Alice in Wonderland'.(Costume Design)(Interview)
December 15, 2010... Alice in Wonderland" costume designer Colleen Atwood believes she and helmer Tim Burton found themselves collaborating on eight of his films for some special reasons. "It's rare to have such similar ideas, but we have the same design...

Stubble trouble.(Makeup)
December 15, 2010... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] It's one of the most macho things about being an actor. Robert Duvall has it in "Get Low." So do Jon Harem, Ben Affleck and Jeremy Renner in "The Town." It's the stubble and beard growth in the movies. And a good...

Reality looks better for U.S.: homegrown formats rise as nets eye ownership, o'seas ideas dry up.(From the pages of Weekly VARIETY)
December 15, 2010... Reality TV's global format war is marching back to domestic shores. After years of a trade imbalance--in which U.S. networks and producers scoured the globe for hit international formats--execs are finally turning their attention to...

Pic options are shoot-to-fit: for every budget, filmmakers can find a camera for the job.(Tech Tussles)
December 15, 2010... When budding filmmaker Lena Dunham was looking for an affordable camera system to shoot her new movie, "Tiny Furniture," she was pleased to find out that her editor, Lance Edmands, already had Canon's then-new EOS 7D--the latest Canon still...

Technical sales expert Schel Kuehnert has joined Digital Vision to manage the company's U.S. presence.(Bits & bytes from the showbiz tech world)
December 15, 2010... Technical sales expert Schel Kuehnert has joined Digital Vision to manage the company's U.S. presence. Digital Vision provides systems for image restoration, enhancement, color correction and data conforming.

Adobe Premiere Pro CS5 has been released.(Bits & bytes from the showbiz tech world)
December 15, 2010... Adobe Premiere Pro CS5 has been released. New version adds support for the Quadro 5000M for Windows laptop computers and the Quadro 4000 for Mac OS.

Band Pro Film & Digital's One World open house in Burbank tomorrow will feature demos from Marvin Technologies, which automates backups, LTO tape masters, Quicktime proxies for offline editing and DVD dailies in one step.(Bits & bytes from the showbiz tech world)
December 15, 2010... Band Pro Film & Digital's One World open house in Burbank tomorrow will feature demos from Marvin Technologies, which automates backups, LTO tape masters, Quicktime proxies for offline editing and DVD dailies in one step. Attendees for the...

Department store chain La Curacao is now carrying Xpand.(Bits & bytes from the showbiz tech world)
December 15, 2010... Department store chain La Curacao is now carrying Xpand universal 3D glasses.

The L.A. 3D Club will screen three 3D documentaries from Passmore Labs at 8 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 19, at the Downtown Independent Theater in Los Angeles.(Bits & bytes from the showbiz tech world)
December 15, 2010... The L.A. 3D Club will screen three 3D documentaries from Passmore Labs at 8 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 19, at the Downtown Independent Theater in Los Angeles. Program includes "MicroWorlds," "Physics of Surfing" and "The Extreme Nature of Bats," all...

Stewart Filmscreen has pacted with crystal manufacturer Swarovski Elements to create a home theater screen.(Bits & bytes from the showbiz tech world)
December 15, 2010... Stewart Filmscreen has pacted with crystal manufacturer Swarovski Elements to create a home theater screen with a crystal-encrusted frame for Stewart's Couture Collection.

Tweak Software and the Foundry have released RV Integration Package for Nuke.(Bits & bytes from the showbiz tech world)
December 15, 2010... Tweak Software and the Foundry have released RV Integration Package for Nuke. Package brings high-performance RV playback to Nuke and gives artists a seamless workflow with the best features of Nuke and RV.

Chaos Group has released rendering engine V-Ray 2.0.(Bits & bytes from the showbiz tech world)
December 15, 2010... Chaos Group has released rendering engine V-Ray 2.0 for 3Ds Max.

Procedural Inc. has released 3D city creation software.(Bits & bytes from the showbiz tech world)
December 15, 2010... Procedural Inc. has released 3D city creation software City-Engine 2010.3. New version adds 3D export to Vue and other improvements.

Panphonics, maker of direction audio speakers.(Bits & bytes from the showbiz tech world)
December 15, 2010... Panphonics, maker of direction audio speakers, showcased its Sound Shower speakers at the Nobel Nightcap following the Nobel banquet in Stockholm.

Scripps Networks has installed 26 Miranda Vertigo XG graphics processors as part of an ongoing effort to upgrade its graphics capabilities for its specialty cable channels.(Bits & bytes from the showbiz tech world)
December 15, 2010... Scripps Networks has installed 26 Miranda Vertigo XG graphics processors as part of an ongoing effort to upgrade its graphics capabilities for its specialty cable channels: HGTV, Food Network. DIY Network, Travel Channel, Cooking Channel and...

Storage company BlueArc has partnered with Aspera on a new file-transfer mechanism capable of sending a terabyte of data in 20 minutes.(Bits & bytes from the showbiz tech world)
December 15, 2010... Storage company BlueArc has partnered with Aspera on a new file-transfer mechanism capable of sending a terabyte of data in 20 minutes. Companies claim the new "fasp" technology guarantees fast transfers regardless of distance and network...

Glee-ful showing at Globes noms.(68th Annual Golden Globe Awards Nominations)
December 15, 2010... The Golden Globes are poised for a "Glee"-peat. The Fox hit, which won the Globe for comedy-musical series this year, picked up five nominations Tuesday, the most of any program. But the Globes also made room for some newcomers, including...

68th Annual Golden Globe Awards nominations.
December 15, 2010... FILM DRAMA "Black Swan"--Protozoa Pictures & Cross Creek Pictures & Phoenix; Fox Searchlight "The Fighter"--Paramount Pictures and Relativity Media; Paramount Pictures and Relativity Media "Inception"--Warner Bros. Pictures...

Tech woes aside, nominees rise & shine.(68th Annual Golden Globe Awards Nominations)
December 15, 2010... Tom Hooper, helmer of "The King's Speech," took the digital route to learn about his pic's Globes haul while in Australia. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] "I eventually got (the news) by text message installments," Hooper said, "which, I suppose,...

Specialty trio eyes B.O. boost.(68th Annual Golden Globe Awards Nominations)
December 15, 2010... Golden Globe nominations should provide the biggest boost in box office silver to specialty films "The King's Speech," "The Fighter" and "Black Swan"--and aid "The Tourist" after a slow start. After grossing $1.5 million in three weeks of...

Nielsen primetime ratings report.(Statistical data)
December 15, 2010... Nielsen primetime ratings report Week 12 Dec. 6-12, 2010 Total Viewers (live plus same-day DVR playback) abc MONDAY 5.05 8:00 Skating With the Stars 3.94 8:30 9:00 9:30...

In retreat? Icahn backs off proxy fight.
December 14, 2010... On the eve of what had promised to be one of the biggest proxy fights in recent Hollywood history, Carl Icahn said Monday that he was abandoning his efforts to take control of Lionsgate Entertainment. Icahn's decision to give up his tender...

Gotham crix like Facebook movie.
December 14, 2010... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] "The Social Network" can now include the New York Film Critics Circle in its growing list of friends, with a win for best film adding to the pie's awards-season momentum. Sony pic, which also scored the director nod...

'Soy' milks demo shift.(Soy tu duena)
December 14, 2010... Two of the biggest stars of the fall TV season are Mexican thesps Fernando Colunga and Lucero. Colunga and the single-named Lucero are the stars of "Soy tu duena," which is the most-watched telenovela on Univision in nearly 20 years. "Soy...

Writers bloc to stock pix.
December 14, 2010... Imagine Entertainment and Reliance Big Entertainment have set up a writers lab designed to help generate stories and ideas for feature films. As part of the deal, Universal and Reliance will have a first-look deal with the lab and the...

Golden Globe noms.
December 14, 2010... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Go to Variety.com today for a full list of the Golden Globe nominations plus reactions and analysis.

B'way's Noel nudge: Osmonds boost B.O.(LEGIT)
December 14, 2010... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Last week may have been a between-holiday frame, but Broadway still had plenty of Christmas cheer to go around at the box office--and a notable chunk of it came from the Osmonds. "Donny and Marie: A Broadway...

West End theater sale nixed.(LEGIT)
December 14, 2010... The planned sell-off of four London theaters owned by Andrew Lloyd Webber's Really Useful Group has fallen through, with a potential sale to GradeLinnit no longer moving forward. GradeLinnit, a consortium led by former BBC and ITV chair man...

Cheadle gets new 'House'.(LEGIT)(Don Cheadle in House of Lies)(Brief article)
December 14, 2010... Don Cheadle is making a smallscreen move to Showtime. He will topline pilot "House of Lies," a dark comedy from writer-creator Matthew Carnahan. Script is based on the book "House of Lies: How Management Consultants Steal Your Watch and Tell...

Current TV plays up football.(LEGIT)
December 14, 2010... Current TV has ordered nine half-hour episodes of docuseries "4th and Forever," from a producing team that includes former MTV Networks honchos Brian Graden and Lois Curren. Bowing April 3 in the 10 p.m. Sunday timeslot, "4th" will profile...

Peacock set to rock with new 'Voice'.(LEGIT)(NBC's The Voice of America)
December 14, 2010... NBC has partnered with a reality supergroup--Mark Burnett, John de Mol and Warner Horizon TV--to take on "American Idol." Burnett, de Mol and Warner Horizon are behind "The Voice of America," a singing competition that NBC is racing to launch...

Broadway top 10: Dec. 6-12, 2010.(LEGIT)
December 14, 2010... Show (Theater)(Prod. category) Week's gross receipts Prev. week's (Seats) Potential gross receipts Gross receipts Wicked $1,645,313 $1,566,919 (Gershwin)(M)(1809) ...

Costumes, vfx partner for storytelling.(BELOW THE LINE)
December 14, 2010... Amy Westcott and Laura Mulleavy were both blown away when they first saw the climax in "Black Swan" in which Natalie Portman's ballet costume takes on a life of its own as she loses her grip on reality. The scene is a perfect example of how...

Bookings & signings.(BELOW THE LINE)(Brief article)
December 14, 2010... Grant, Savic, Kopaloff has booked d.p.'s David Tattersall on Brad Peyton's "Journey 2: The Mysterious Island" and Andy Strahorn on Scott Spiegel's "Hostel: Part III"; production designers Warren Alan Young on Ernest Dickerson's "Close Quarters"...

Film box office wrap: for the weekend of Dec. 10-12.
December 14, 2010... Ranking This Last Week Week Title (Distrib/Financier) 1 -- The Chronicles of Narnia... Dawn Treader (20th) 2 -- The Tourist (Sony) 3 1 Tangled (Disney) 4 2 Harry Potter... Deathly Hallows...

"The Social Network" continues to rack up awards as the African-American Film Critics Assn. honored the pic with both the best feature film prize and the top spot on its list of best films of 2010.(Kudos Briefs)
December 14, 2010... "The Social Network" continues to rack up awards as the African-American Film Critics Assn. honored the pic with both the best feature film prize and the top spot on its list of best films of 2010. In the acting categories, Halle Berry won...

Score another one for "The Social Network" as the New York Film Critics Online named the Facebook drama best of the year.(Kudos Briefs)(Brief article)
December 14, 2010... Score another one for "The Social Network" as the New York Film Critics Online named the Facebook drama best of the year. The group also honored helmer David Fincher and scribe Aaron Sorkin for their work on the pic. Top acting honors went to...

Indiana Film Journalists Awards honored "The Social Network" as pic of 2010 and for screenplay by Aaron Sorkin.(Kudos Briefs)
December 14, 2010... Indiana Film Journalists Awards honored "The Social Network" as pic of 2010 and for screenplay by Aaron Sorkin. The drama beat out "Inception," which took home the runner-up prize. However, pic's helmer, Christopher Nolan, nabbed the director...

On track at engine: shingle brings mob tale to bigscreen.
December 14, 2010... Shane McCarthy, Gil Adler ("Superman Returns") and Frank Baldwin are developing a feature version of T.J. English's mob tale "The Westies" and will produce through McCarthy's Blue Engine Entertainment and Gil Adler Prods. [ILLUSTRATION...

Killer ratings for 'Dexter'.(Brief article)
December 14, 2010... "Dexter" closed out its fifth season Sunday with a combined 2.9 million viewers for its two airings. When the final numbers are tallied, Showtime's serial killer skein will register its most-watched season. Including repeat telecasts and...

Italo feted at MoMA: complete Bertolucci retro honors helmer.(World News)
December 14, 2010... Helmer Bernardo Bertolucci is being honored by the Museum of Modern Art and Italy's Cinecitta Luce with the first complete retrospective of his work, unveiled Monday in New York. The director will attend the opening-night gala for the MoMA...

Zodiak gets Active with digital unit.(World News)(Brief article)
December 14, 2010... Zodiak is integrating two of its companies to form a new division specializing in digital and branded content. Zodiak Active takes over the activities of Neo Network, based in Milan, New York and Rio de Janeiro, and RDF Contact, which...

Dane boarding 'School'.(World News)(Tobias Lindholm is set to helm The Boarding School)(Brief article)
December 14, 2010... Danish filmmaker Tobias Lindholm is set to helm "The Boarding School," a coming-of-age drama-thriller produced by Scandinavia's Miso Film. Penned by Lindholm, the $2.6 million pic turns on a 15-year-old during his first year at an elite...

Tokyo toon protest grows.(World News)(Brief article)
December 14, 2010... The battle between the Japanese toon biz and the Tokyo city authorities has escalated, with 10 comics publishers, including industry powerhouses Kodansha, Shueisha, Shogakukan and Kadokawa, withdrawing from the Tokyo Anime Fair, the biggest...

Penn cancels Dubai visit to work in Haiti.(World News)(Sean Penn and Dubai Film Festival )(Brief article)
December 14, 2010... Sean Penn has pulled out of his appearance at the seventh Dubai Film Festival to deal with events in Haiti, where he runs the J/P Haitian Relief Organization. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Penn, who is being honored with a lifetime achievement...

Huge aud signs at 'X'.(World News)
December 14, 2010... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The U.K. version of talent show "The X Factor," due to bow in the U.S. next fall, achieved record audiences for its finale. The results show, aired by ITV1 on Sunday, achieved an average audience of 17.2 million...

History project finds coin.(Savannah)(Brief article)
December 14, 2010... Indie duo Randall Miller and Jody Savin have set the financing for their historical drama "Savannah." Annette Haywood-Carter ("Foxfire") is set to write and direct. Miller and Savin, who produced the 2008 indie feature "Bottle Shock," will...

Much Ado About Nothing.(Theater review)
December 14, 2010... (Kirk Douglas Theater, Culver City; 317 seats; $70 top) A Shakespeare Center of Los Angeles presentation of a play in two acts by William Shakespeare. Directed by Ben Donenberg. Choreography, Julie Arenal. Sets, Douglas Rogers; costumes,...

Matilda.(Theater review)
December 14, 2010... (RSC Courtyard Theater, London; 1,040 seats; 56 [pounds sterling] ($88. 78) top) A Royal Shakespeare Company presentation of a musical in two acts, music and lyrics by Tim Minchin, book by Dennis Kelly from the novel by Roald Dahl. Directed...

James Moody.(Obituaries)(Obituary)
December 14, 2010... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Jazz saxophonist-flautist James Moody, one of the last surviving greats of the bebop and post-bop era, died Thursday in San Diego. He was 85 and had pancreatic cancer. Born in Savannah, Ga., and raised in Newark,...

Marian Gibbons.(Obituaries)
December 14, 2010... Marian Gibbons, co-founder of the Hollywood Heritage Museum, died of lung cancer Dec. 8 in Studio City, Calif. She was 89. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Gibbons opened the museum, housed in the restored Lasky-DeMille Barn on Highland Avenue, on...

Gus Mercurio.(Obituaries)(Obituary)(Brief article)
December 14, 2010... Vet Aussie thesp Gus Mercurio died Dec. 7 in Melbourne, Australia, following complications of surgery. He was 82. Best known for his raspy voice, Mercurio made his name in the Aussic cop dramas of the '70s such as "Matlock Police," "Homicide"...

Lawrence Dolin.(Obituaries)(Obituary)(Brief article)
December 14, 2010... Lawrence Dolin, who owned the Front Row Theater in Cleveland for many years, died Dec. 6 in Cleveland of cancer. He was 67. Dolin booked talent for Front Row as well as for Playhouse Square. Among the acts that came to his theaters were...

Lloyd Leipzig.(Obituaries)
December 14, 2010... Lloyd Leipzig, a United Artists and Orion Pictures publicist, died Nov. 26 in New York City of cardiac arrest. He was 88. Leipzig moved to Hollywood in 1970 and rose to senior VP of advertising and publicity for United Artists and later Orion...

Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?(Theater review)
December 14, 2010... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] (Steppenwolf Theater; Chicago; 510 seats; $75 top) A Steppenwolf Theater Company presentation of a play in three acts by Edward Albee. Directed by Pare MacKinnon. Set, Todd Rosenthal; costumes, Nan Cibula-Jenkins;...

Decade proves toons' worth: in 2001, the Acad created the animated feature category to honor a field that now dominates critical and B.O. cred.(V PLUS: EYE ON THE OSCARS: ANIMATION)
December 14, 2010... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Oscar's youngest category turns 10 this year, which seems a good time to reflect on how much the animated feature field has changed in a decade's time. When the Academy introduced the category in 2001, it was designed...

Indie pics keep hand in game.(Animation)
December 14, 2010... Talk about David and Goliath. In an era when 3D CG animation and big studio juggernauts such as Disney-Pixar, DreamWorks Animation and Blue Sky-Fox seem to dominate the toon landscape, a few smaller, auteur-driven projects --notably, Bill...

Non-toon talent brings life to animation.(Animation)
December 14, 2010... The Brain Trust" has popularly described the core creative group at Pixar Animation--a group that notably expanded beyond animation veterans when the studio tapped Michael Arndt (pre-"Little Miss Sunshine") to pen "Toy Story 3." But Pixar...

A 'WoW' of a bow.
December 14, 2010... The latest expansion to Activision Blizzard's "World of Warcraft" franchise has sold more copies in 24 hours than many games sell throughout the course of their life. More than 3.3 million people around the world bought "World of Warcraft:...

Satan Hates You.(Movie review)
December 14, 2010... A Glass Eye Pix presentation of a MunsterPants Movie production. Produced by Larry Fessenden, Lisa Wisely, James Felix McKenney, Jeremiah Kipp. Directed, written, edited by James Felix McKenney. Camera (color), Eric Branco; music supervisor,...

Cooler than thou.(premiere of Sofia Coppola's film 'Somewhere' in Gotham)(Brief article)
December 14, 2010... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Sofia Coppola managed to mix New York's elite and Hollywood royalty for the Gotham premiere of her film "Somewhere." [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The small affair kicked off with champagne at the Tribeca Grand Hotel on...

Stage & film, but not TV?(V)(Mark Linn-Baker and Laura Linney at the New York Stage and Film gala)(Brief article)
December 14, 2010... "David Strathairn tells me this evening that I am the palate cleanser," emcee Mark Linn-Baker told the guests at New York Stage & Film's gala honoring Laura Linney and Jujamcyn's Jordan Roth. Palates thusly cleansed, the star of Showtime's...

'Much Ado' about Lyle.(V)(Brief article)
December 14, 2010... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Having written a song just for "Much Ado About Nothing" at the Kirk Douglas Theater, Lyle Lovett proved that even Shakespeare has room for improvement. "I didn't actually finish until I started the rehearsal process and...

Questions of taste.(V)(Mail.com Media Corp.'s 2010 Hollywood Style Awards at the Hammer Museum)(Brief article)
December 14, 2010... Westwood's Hammer Museum oozed style Sunday, from the alternative black carpet to the multitudes of stilettos and little black dresses, as the industry's style experts gathered for MMC's 2010 Hollywood Style Awards, co-sponsored by the Palazzo...

Harris to Tonys: drop dead.(V)(actor Neil Patrick Harris on the technical aspects of Spike TV's Video Game Awards)(Brief article)
December 14, 2010... "What the fuck do you think this is? The Tonys?" screamed host Neil Patrick Harris. Then he promptly gunned down a troop of dancers decked out in white tuxes and tails, kicking off Spike TV's Video Game Awards. Saturday's event at L.A. Live...

Rough B.O. seas: 'Treader,' 'Tourist' off to slow U.S. start.
December 13, 2010... In a slow weekend at the domestic box office, "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader" led the pack with an underwhelming $24.5 million. But 20th Century Fox's belief in the pic's international appeal paid off, as the third...

Cards dealt at Facebook.
December 13, 2010... Tis the season of gift cards, and Facebook is in the midst of rolling out its own piece of plastic for the first time as it tries to turn its online Credits currency into a major source of revenue for the social networking site. Facebook is...

Crix feeling 'Social'.
December 13, 2010... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] David Fincher's "The Social Network" continues to count the nation's film critics among its closest friends, winning the award for best picture of the year from the Los Angeles Film Critics Assn. The Sony drama about...

Leap for 'Swan'.(Black Swan)(Brief article)
December 13, 2010... "Black Swan" has danced away with a dozen noms for the Jan. 14 Critics' Choice Movie Awards. The Darren Aronofsky-directed Dic about a ballerina dealing with deep psychological issues earned the biggest noms tally from the 150 members of the...

Specialty sparkle.
December 13, 2010... While the weekend's wide releases struggled to gain ground, a trio of limited entries are adding luster to the specialty B.O., including Fox Searchlight's "Black Swan" and Paramount-Relativity Media's "The Fighter." "The Fighter" debuted at...

Call of wild.
December 13, 2010... Lensers are forced to work With nature's many moods.

Too 'Strong' to keep down.
December 13, 2010... Gwyneth Paltrow stands On her own two feet.

Culture's ready for naked truth. Really?(THE BACKLOT)(movie sex scenes)
December 13, 2010... WARNING TO READERS: I'm writing about sex once again. I hate when that happens, but the hypocrisy with which pop culture deals with sexuality seems to be reaching new levels of tumescence. In other words, sex has won. Censors have lost. I...

Yogi Bear.(Movie review)
December 13, 2010... A Warner Bros. release of a Sunswept Entertainment/De Line Pictures production in association with Rhythm & Hues. Produced by Donald De Line, Karen Rosenfelt. Executive producers, Andrew Haas, James Dyer, Lee Berger. Co-producer, Tim...

Duet salutes the spirit of service.(Jingle Bell Rock)
December 13, 2010... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] It's rock 'n' roll rumpa-pum-pum, for a worthy cause. Jack Black and Jason Segel are channeling Bins Crosby and David Bowie this holiday season with a recording of "Peace on Earth/Little Drummer Boy." The medley became...