Oscars

HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: 30 Passes to ‘The Burning Plain’ Chicago Screening With Charlize Theron

HollywoodChicago.com — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 19:36:21 -0600

CHICAGO – In our latest romantic edition of HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: Film, we have 30 admit-two passes up for grabs to the Chicago screening of the new romance drama “The Burning Plain” starring Oscar-winner Charlize Theron and Oscar-winner Kim Basinger!

“The Burning Plain” also features Jennifer Lawrence, Tessa Ia, Diego J. Torres, J.D. Pardo, Danny Pino, Joaquim de Almeida, José María Yazpik and John Corbett (of “Sex and the City” and “United States of Tara”) from writer and director Guillermo Arriaga (the writer of “21 Grams” and “Babel”).

To win your free pass to the advance screening of “The Burning Plain” in Chicago courtesy of HollywoodChicago.com, all you need to do is answer our question below. That’s it! This screening will be held on Sept. 14, 2009 at 7 p.m. in Chicago. Directions to enter this Hookup and immediately win can be found beneath the graphic below.

“The Burning Plain” stars Charlize Theron and Kim Basinger.
Image credit: Magnolia Pictures

Here is “The Burning Plain” plot description:

“The Burning Plain” is a romantic mystery about a woman on the edge who takes an emotional journey back to the defining moment of her life. Oscar-winner Charlize Theron plays Sylvia: a beautiful restaurant manager whose cool and professional demeanor masks a sexually charged storm within.

When a stranger from Mexico confronts her with her mysterious past, Sylvia is launched into a journey through space and time that inextricably connects her to these disparate characters – all of whom are grappling with their own romantic destinies.

In Mexico, a young and motherless girl named Maria (Tessa Ia) lives happily with her father and his best friend until a tragic accident changes it all. In the New Mexico border town of Las Cruces, two teenagers named Mariana (Jennifer Lawrence) and Santiago (J.D. Pardo) find love in the aftermath of their parents’ sudden deaths.

In an abandoned trailer, a housewife named Gina (Oscar-winner Kim Basinger) embarks on a passionate affair that will put Sylvia and the others on a collision course with the explosive power of forbidden love.

“The Burning Plain” movie trailer can be watched now below.

To secure your free tickets now, make sure you’re logged into your HollywoodChicago.com account. If you don’t yet have one, you can quickly register here. Having an account with a valid e-mail address is required. Then, simply add a new comment in the form below. In your comment, include an answer to this simple question:

What’s the most you’ve ever done to fulfill a burning romantic desire?

Like all Hookups here, this HollywoodChicago.com Hookup is simple: Just submit your comment below and we will award 30 people randomly via e-mail. Winners needs to arrive early as seats are consumed on a first-come, first-served basis. “The Burning Plain” opens on Sept. 18, 2009.

By ADAM FENDELMAN
Editor-in-Chief
HollywoodChicago.com
adam@hollywoodchicago.com

Oscars: Best Picture Category to Expand to 10 Nominees in 2010

BrianTT — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 12:12:49 -0600

CHICAGO – In a shocking announcement today, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced that there will be ten nominees for Best Picture next year instead of the usual five. The move comes a year too late for “WALL-E” and “The Dark Knight,” both of which were notoriously snubbed last year but that one has to assume would have made it in with ten. (Although this makes a nod for “Up” far more likely.)

Variety reported, “There will be 10 best picture nominees starting with the 82nd Oscar ceremony, skedded for March 7, at the Kodak Theater in Hollywood.” Sid Ganis, President of the Academy, released a press release, reprinted by the great Awards Daily:

“After more than six decades, the Academy is returning to some of its earlier roots, when a wider field competed for the top award of the year,” said Ganis. “The final outcome, of course, will be the same – one Best Picture winner – but the race to the finish line will feature 10, not just five, great movies from 2009.”

Having 10 Best Picture nominees is going allow Academy voters to recognize and include some of the fantastic movies that often show up in the other Oscar categories, but have been squeezed out of the race for the top prize,” commented Ganis. “I can’t wait to see what that list of ten looks like when the nominees are announced in February.”

The TEN nominees for Best Picture of 2009 will be announced on February 2nd, 2010.

By BRIAN TALLERICO
Content Director
HollywoodChicago.com
brian@hollywoodchicago.com

Blu-Ray Review: Fantastic, Beloved ‘The Wrestler’ With Mickey Rourke

BrianTT — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 12:06:11 -0600

Blu-Ray Rating: 4.0/5.0

CHICAGO – Mickey Rourke’s multi-award-winning performance in “The Wrestler” anchors one of the best films of 2008, now released on Blu-Ray and DVD. If you haven’t seen the film yet, you truly must do so as soon as possible, and if you love the movie like so many people do, you’ll be satisfied, if not overly impressed, by a decent HD release.

His speech would have been legendary, but Rourke not winning the Oscar for “The Wrestler” may have been the best thing that could have happened to the film. It keeps the actor, the movie, and the character as the beloved underdog everyone wants them to be. No one roots for the winner. The idea that the Academy got it wrong, not only in their choice of Sean Penn over Rourke for Best Actor but in ignoring the film in other major categories like Director and Picture will only add to the allure of the film over the years. It’s going to be a prime example of where the Academy went wrong in a lot of fan’s eyes. Randy “The Ram” got screwed again.

The Wrestler was released on Blu-Ray on April 21st, 2009.
Photo credit: Fox

If you’re unfamiliar, Rourke plays Randy “The Ram” Robinson, a former superstar wrestler who is now barely making ends meet in every arena of his life. He can’t pay rent on his lonely trailer. His health is deteriorating rapidly from nights spent in the ring. And as he sees his final rounds of life approaching he reaches out to a kind-hearted stripper (Marisa Tomei) in a similar life situation (she too has made a living using her body) and to his estranged daughter (Evan Rachel Wood).

The one thing about the response to “The Wrestler” that aggravated me a bit during awards season was the impression by some that this was a one-man show or even a three-actor showcase. That’s far from the truth. Darren Aronofsky’s expert direction, Clint Mansell’s touching score, Robert Siegel’s brilliantly non-melodramatic screenplay, even Bruce Springsteen’s fantastic theme song - “The Wrestler” features arguably the best performance of 2008 but it’s also a lot more than just that. It’s a great movie all around.

The Wrestler was released on Blu-Ray on April 21st, 2009.
Photo credit: Fox

I’ve seen “The Wrestler” four times now and it’s been just as rich and accomplished every time. Films that hold up that well are the kind of films you want to own. So, I would never try to dissuade someone from buying the Blu-Ray of “The Wrestler,” just because the movie itself is so fantastic, but I do feel like the home release could have been a bit better and suspect a special edition may be coming down the road.

The video and audio on “The Wrestler” are good-not-great. Sometimes Fox transfers can look a little flatter than they should and there are moments of that in “The Wrestler”. Similarly, the audio in 5.1 DTS-HD won’t distract anyone in either direction. It gets the job done, not detracting from the movie, but also not really enhancing it as it could.

I’m struck a little bit by the paucity of the special features on “The Wrestler”. I have a feeling that in ten years, hardcore fans of this movie are going to be quoting it verbatim. It is one of the most widely adored films of the last few years and a movie I get asked about nearly as much as any other from 2008. With that kind of rabid fan base, couldn’t Fox do better than two featurettes and a music video?

The Wrestler was released on Blu-Ray on April 21st, 2009.
Photo credit: Fox

Where’s the commentary track? The deleted scenes? How about some of the publicity from awards season? I’d have gone up an entire ratings point if they had just included Mickey’s amazing Independent Spirit Awards speech. Aronofsky thought outside the box when he made this raw drama, but the Blu-Ray feels like nearly the minimum the studio could have done in return.

To be fair, what is include is interesting. “Within the Ring” is a 43-minute behind-the-scenes documentary shot during production. It’s advertised on the case as “A No-Holds-Barred One-on-One with Wrestlers and Filmmakers”. Not quite. I was hoping for more insight into the production from actual wrestlers, the advisors on-set that made it feel so genuine. It’s pretty standard b-t-s material, interesting because the movie is so good, but not really a must-see.

Better is the “Wrestler Round Table,” a discussion with actual wrestlers that runs 25 minutes. Brutus “The Barber” Beefcake, Lex Luger, “Diamond” Dallas Page, “Rowdy” Roddy Piper, Greg “The Hammer” Valentine,” and moderator Damon Andrews provide a loud, spirited, lively conversation about wrestling that should be riveting for fans of the sport and gives a little insight into the truth behind the fiction of Randy “The Ram” Robinson.

The final extra is the music video for Bruce Springsteen’s excellent theme song to the film.

“The Wrestler” will stand the test of time. In fact, I expect its cult to grow significantly with each passing year. Darren Aronosfky proved with his drama that greater risks can often produce greater rewards. The Ram may have deserved a better Blu-Ray treatment (and I expect he’ll get it down the road), but you can’t complain about the film itself.

‘The Wrestler’ is released by Twentieth Century Fox and stars Mickey Rourke, Marisa Tomei, and Evan Rachel Wood. It was written by Robert Siegel and directed by Darren Aronofsky. It was released on April 21st, 2009. It is rated R.

By BRIAN TALLERICO
Content Director
HollywoodChicago.com
brian@hollywoodchicago.com

Video: Movie Trailer For ‘The Brothers Bloom’ With Rachel Weisz, Adrien Brody, Mark Ruffalo

HollywoodChicago.com — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 14:32:22 -0600

CHICAGO – “The Brothers Bloom,” which was the opening-night presentation during the 2008 Chicago International Film Festival, is set to open in Chicago on May 22, 2009 and May 29, 2009 elsewhere. The film from director Rian Johnson stars Oscar-winning actress Rachel Weisz, Adrien Brody, Mark Ruffalo and Robbie Coltrane.

We now have the full, high-quality trailer ready for your viewing enjoyment below.

Here is “The Brothers Bloom” plot description:

The Brothers Bloom are the best con men in the world. They swindle millionaires with complex scenarios of lust and intrigue.

Now they’ve decided to take on one last job: showing a beautiful and eccentric heiress the time of her life with a romantic adventure that takes them around the world.

See our exclusive portrait of Oscar-winning actress Rachel Weisz.
See our “The Brothers Bloom” slideshow.
Watch more HollywoodChicago.com-hosted A&E videos.
Watch more movie videos on HollywoodChicago.com hosted elsewhere.

By ADAM FENDELMAN
Editor-in-Chief
HollywoodChicago.com
adam@hollywoodchicago.com

Blu-Ray Review: Oscar Winner ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ Wins Big on Blu-Ray

BrianTT — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 17:24:37 -0600

Blu-Ray Rating: 4.5/5.0

CHICAGO – One of the most beloved films of the last several years, “Slumdog Millionaire,” hits DVD and Blu-Ray this week and Fox pulls out all the stops for this home release, polishing up the video and audio to a nearly flawless sheen and compiling a spectacular collection of special features for a movie that many collectors will want to own.

What more is there to say about “Slumdog Millionaire”? One of the most award-winning films of all time, the Danny Boyle-directed fairy tale took home eight Oscars, including prizes for Best Cinematography, Best Editing, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Score, Best Director, and Best Picture. It was not just one of the most acclaimed films of 2008, it is one of the most acclaimed films of the ’00s.

Slumdog Millionaire will be released on Blu-Ray on March 31st, 2009.
Photo credit: MPI

Films as massively successful as “Slumdog Millionaire” have a different standard on Blu-Ray. Most home releases are still geared toward the renter who may not care much about video/audio quality or commentaries and deleted scenes, but films that win multiple Oscars are usually the kind that viewers purchase, making the “extras” beyond the movie that much more important.

Slumdog Millionaire will be released on Blu-Ray on March 31st, 2009.
Photo credit: MPI

Fans of “Slumdog Millionaire” will be more than satisfied by what Twentieth Century Fox has put together for their favorite film. I wish the behind-the-scenes material was incorporated into the film with picture-in-picture like some studios do with their product (WB, Universal) and I wanted more information on the deleted scenes, but these are the only minor complaints that hold “Slumdog” back from being a perfect Blu-Ray release.

As for the film itself, if you haven’t seen it, you should. Like a lot of people, I think the movie got a little overrated in the wave of support at the end of 2008 and beginning of 2009 but it’s still an excellent movie that everyone should see at least once and arguably twice. The second time through “Slumdog” is an even richer experience, as the details of Simon Beaufoy’s incredible screenplay are easier to admire when you know what’s to come.

If you’re somehow completely unfamiliar with “Slumdog,” Boyle’s film is the Dickensian tale of a young man (played in the majority of the film by Dev Patel) who goes on the Indian version of “Who Wants to be a Millionaire?” not to win the money but to be reunited with the love of his life (Freida Pinto).

“Slumdog” has a beautiful message in that it illustrates that life experience can be just as valuable as typical standards of intelligence. This excellent film is a crowd-pleaser, a romance, a fantasy, a drama, a musical, a comedy, and a portrait of a part of the world rarely seen in English-language cinema. It is an incredibly easy film to love.

As for the video, remastered in 1080p with a 2.35:1 aspect ratio, it looks incredible. Some Fox Blu-Ray releases have been a bit of a letdown when compared to other studio’s transfers but you will not be disappointed in “Slumdog Millionaire”. It’s been perfectly mixed and is the kind of film that you could use to show off your new HD TV. It’s a mesmerizing picture. The audio matches the video with a crystal clear English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio track.

Slumdog Millionaire will be released on Blu-Ray on March 31st, 2009.
Photo credit: MPI

The special features on “Slumdog Millionaire” include:

Slumdog Millionaire will be released on Blu-Ray on March 31st, 2009.
Photo credit: MPI

Commentary by Director Danny Boyle and Actor Dev Patel (121 minutes)
Commentary by Producer Christian Colson and Writer Simon Beaufoy (121 minutes)

Two fantastic commentary tracks from different sides of the “Slumdog Millionaire” production are the highlight of the special features on this Blu-Ray release. The fantastically entertaining Boyle and the young man he made a star offer more of an on-the-ground perspective to the filmmaking while the Oscar-winning producer and writer give more of the background of the film. They’re great tracks, particularly Boyle’s. He’s a man I’ve been lucky enough to interview more than once and he’s SO well-spoken and interesting that one hopes he will do a commentary on every film he makes.

Deleted Scenes (33:51)

An amazing wealth of deleted scenes but none of it is introduced and it would have been nice for Boyle, Colson, Beaufoy or editor Chris Dickens to discuss why these scenes were cut out of the final film. It does indicate how perfect the editing was because while some directors and editors would have looked at a lot of this footage and wanted to keep the excellent performances and arguable depth these scenes added, Boyle and Dickens realized that the film worked better at a breakneck pace. Watch the deleted scenes and imagine them back in the film and you’ll see why both Dickens and Boyle are Oscar winners.

Slumdog Dreams: Danny Boyle & the Making of Slumdog Millionaire (22:58)

Every element of the production is examined in a slightly-too-brief look at the film. Less than half an hour of behind-the-scenes on a film that is this ambitious seems light, but the two commentary tracks fill in most of the gaps.

Slumdog Cutdown (5:36)

A mash-up, five-minute version of the film set to “Jai Ho”. Entertaining but the kind of thing you’ll never watch more than once.

From Script to Screen: Toilet Scene (5:25)

Self-explanatory examination of a controversial and pivotal scene.

Indian Short Film - “Manjha” (41:03)

Boyle himself chose this short film by Rahi Anil Barve to accompany his movie. I wish Boyle would have introduced the short film and explained its importance to him but it’s nice to see something creative like this as a special feature on a Blu-Ray that will clearly have a wide audience.

As Boyle said, according to Bollywood.com, “I’m delighted to include Manjha on the Blu-ray DVD release of Slumdog Millionaire throughout the world. Manjha is an extraordinary film. With little resources it is visually stunning and emotionally captivating. Surprising and gripping, it’s everything a short film should be, and I look forward with great anticipation to the director Rahi’s next project Tumbad.”

Theatrical Trailer & European Theatrical Trailer

Self-explanatory.

“Bombay Liquid Dance” Music Video (3:00)

This is kind of silly. It’s merely footage of Bombay with some music from the film for 3 minutes. It barely qualifies as a music video.

The Blu-Ray release for “Slumdog Millionaire” is likely to be one of the bestsellers of the early part of 2009. Even with an inferior technical transfer and no special features, fans would have picked this up because of how much they love Jamal, Latika, and Salim. We should be grateful to Fox that they didn’t take the easy way out and gave fans of one of the most Oscar-winning films of the last few decades what they and the film deserve.

‘Slumdog Millionaire’ is released by Twentieth Century Fox and stars Dev Patel, Freida Pinto, Madhur Mittal, Anil Kapoor, and Irrfan Khan. It was written by Simon Beaufoy and directed by Danny Boyle. It will be released on March 31st, 2009. It is rated R.

By BRIAN TALLERICO
Content Director
HollywoodChicago.com
brian@hollywoodchicago.com

The Morning After: Upcoming Projects For 2009 Oscar Winners

BrianTT — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 10:56:35 -0700

CHICAGO – The legacy of Oscar winners following their wins with horrible career choices is long and well-recorded. Perhaps the best piece of news about this year’s Academy Award winners is that they are unlikely to produce a “Snow Dogs,” “Gothika,” or “Aeon Flux” any time soon. The upcoming projects for 2009 Academy Award winners is a more promising slate than most years.

The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus
Photo credit: Reel Movie News

Of course, the most well-documented post-Oscar career choice for this year’s winners is that of “The Dark Knight“‘s Heath Ledger, who will have only one more film released, Terry Gilliam’s “The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus”. From the visionary director of “Brazil” and “Twelve Monkeys,” “Parnassus” will be the epilogue for Ledger’s filmography, another brief glimpse at this excellent actor who left us far too soon.

Ledger was midway through filming the fantasy movie when he passed away and his role was recast with Johnny Depp, Jude Law, and Colin Farrell portraying a character whose exterior changes as he travels through different dream worlds. All three actors will reportedly redirect their wages from the film to Heath Ledger’s daughter, Matilda. Good, bad, when we do see Heath’s final part and the memoriam credit comes up at the end, there’s unlikely to be a dry eye in the theater.

The projected release date for “The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus” is September 24th, 2009.

The winner for Best Actor, Sean Penn, won’t be seen in this month’s “Crossing Over” (he was notoriously cut from the ensemble film) but does have one major project already scheduled for this year - Terrence Malick’s “The Tree of Life”.

The Tree of Life
Photo credit: Playlist

Penn co-stars with someone he beat for the Oscar this week, Brad Pitt, in a drama that any good movie fan should be highly anticipating. Heath Ledger was reportedly in talks to take the Pitt part in late 2007.

To be fair, don’t expect Pitt and Penn to share any screen time. Pitt plays the father of a family dealing with a devastating loss in the ’50s. Penn plays the adult version of one of his sons. Shot by the amazing Emmanuel Lubezki, designed by Jack Fisk, and with a score by “Button” composer Alexandre Desplat, this should be on anyone’s “top ten most anticipated films of 2009” list. Can Sean Penn win two years in a row?

“The Tree of Life” won’t be released until late 2009 but will reportedly play at the Cannes Film Festival in May.

As for beyond “The Tree of Life,” it’s unclear where Sean Penn will go next but we should report that one of the best actors of his generation has been rumored to play Larry in The Farrelly Brothers’ update of “The Three Stooges”. An actor as talented as Penn can clearly do anything he sets his mind to, but we’ll believe that one when we see it.

Best Actress winner Kate Winslet has not committed to a post-Oscar project yet, but one of the hardest-working actresses of her generation has one of the best resumes of the last decade. She makes very smart decisions and it seems unlikely that she’ll make “Catwoman 2”. Yes, we’re looking at you Halle Berry.

Broken Embraces
Photo credit: Pathe

The Oscar winner with arguably the most impressive list of upcoming projects has to be Best Supporting Actress winner Penelope Cruz. Penn certainly has to be in the conversation of 2009 winners who may be there in 2010 too just for “Tree of Life,” but Cruz has two projects that also seem to have Oscar written all over them.

The first will be the newest film from Pedro Almodovar, the highly anticipated “Broken Embraces”. The last time Pedro and Penelope got together, they made the incredible “Volver,” which netted Cruz a nomination and worldwide acclaim. Very little is known about the plot of “Embraces” but it will reportedly open soon in Europe. American audiences will have to wait until November 6th, 2009.

Just a few weeks after “Broken Embraces” opens stateside, Penelope Cruz will be seen again in “Nine,” the highly anticipated musical from “Chicago” director Rob Marshall. With NINETEEN Oscar nominations and nine wins with only two movies (his sophomore film was “Memoirs of a Geisha”), anything Rob Marshall has in production has to be taken very seriously and this one has Oscar potential written all over it.

“Nine” co-stars an amazing SIX Oscar winners. Daniel Day-Lewis plays the lead with Nicole Kidman, Marion Cotillard, Judi Dench, Sophia Loren, and Penelope Cruz in supporting roles. Kate Hudson and Fergie also play supporting parts in the adaptation of the Tony Award-winning musical of the same name based on Federico Fellini’s autobiographical “8 1/2”.

Penelope Cruz rehearses for Nine
Photo credit: The New York Times

“Nine” will open on November 25th, 2009 and has to be a very early frontrunner for most Oscar-likely contender at next year’s awards. It seems like Penelope Cruz is making all of the right career decisions.

To be fair, fans of Cruz will be able to hear her before they see her, as the animated “G-Force” opens on July 24th, 2009.

What about the Oscar winners behind-the-scenes? Best adapted screenplay winner for “Slumdog Millionaire,” Simon Beaufoy has a script called “Leap Year” in pre-production with Amy Adams and Matthew Goode reportedly set to go in front of Anand Tucker’s camera. Winner for “Milk,” Dustin Lance Black has no upcoming credits listed on IMDB, but he is a producer and regular writer on “Big Love,” which continues on HBO.

Cinematographer Anthony Dod Mantle, who won for his camera work on “Slumdog Millionaire,” is reportedly shooting Lars Von Trier’s “Antichrist”.

Two of the more acclaimed directors at this year’s Oscars - Danny Boyle and “WALL-E“‘s Andrew Stanton - have potential projects that could really get fans excited.

Boyle has talked about making “28 Months Later” for a while and when I spoke to him last Fall, he said that he had a good idea for it that was quite complex and required a bigger budget than the last two films. They were working out the economics, but one would think an Oscar makes any potential project easier to greenlight. If I had to bet, I’d bet “28 Months Later” is Boyle’s next project.

As for Andrew Stanton, Pixar has “Up” coming out later this year but Andrew may move into live-action with the long-in-development adaptation of “John Carter From Mars”. IMDB even lists the film as officially happening for a 2012 release. I spoke to Andrew last summer and he was spending all of 2008 with co-writer Mark Andrews on the story, unsure even if it would be live-action or animation until they got that right, but it seems pretty likely to be Stanton’s next film.

From “Milk” to “The Tree of Life,” “Vicky Cristina Barcelona” to “Nine,” “The Dark Knight” to “The Imagnarium of Doctor Parnassus,” and many more, it seems like the 2009 Oscar class has a more exciting slate of upcoming projects than in many former seasons. We may be writing about them all again in twelve months time.

By BRIAN TALLERICO
Content Director
HollywoodChicago.com
brian@hollywoodchicago.com

Slideshow: 20-Image Gallery From Back Stage at 81st Annual Academy Awards

BrianTT — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 15:12:59 -0700

CHICAGO – This 20-image slideshow contains a selection of the award-winners and presenters back backstage at “The 81st Annual Academy Awards,” which aired on ABC on Sunday, February 22nd, 2009.

Winners and presenters include Dustin Lance Black, Kate Winslet, Sean Penn, A.R. Rahman, Danny Boyle, Christian Colson, Steven Spielberg, Kate Winslet, Sean Penn, Penelope Cruz, Anjelica Huston, Tilda Swinton, Goldie Hawn, Eva Marie Saint, Whoopi Goldberg, Tina Fey, Steve Martin, Andrew Stanton, Sir Ben Kingsley, Robert DeNiro, Michael Douglas, Adrien Brody, and Sir Anthony Hopkins.

You can click “Next” and “Previous” to scan through this slideshow or jump directly to individual photos with the captioned links below. All photos are credited to Adam Larkey and courtesy of ABC. All Rights Reserved.

oscars2009_backstage_01: Dustin Lance Black
oscars2009_backstage_02: Kate Winslet
oscars2009_backstage_03: Kate Winslet
oscars2009_backstage_04: Sean Penn
oscars2009_backstage_05: Sean Penn
oscars2009_backstage_06: A.R. Rahman
oscars2009_backstage_07: Danny Boyle
oscars2009_backstage_08: Danny Boyle
oscars2009_backstage_09: Christian Colson and Steven Spielberg
oscars2009_backstage_10: Kate Winslet, Sean Penn, and Penelope Cruz
oscars2009_backstage_11: Kate Winslet, Sean Penn, and Penelope Cruz
oscars2009_backstage_12: Atmosphere
oscars2009_backstage_13: Anjelica Huston, Tilda Swinton, Goldie Hawn, Penelope Cruz, Eva Marie Saint, and Whoopi Goldberg
oscars2009_backstage_14: Tina Fey, Dustin Lance Black, and Steve Martin
oscars2009_backstage_15: Andrew Stanton
oscars2009_backstage_16: Sir Ben Kingsley, Sean Penn, Robert DeNiro, Michael Douglas, Adrien Brody, and Sir Anthony Hopkins
oscars2009_backstage_17: Penelope Cruz
oscars2009_backstage_18: Penelope Cruz
oscars2009_backstage_19: Penelope Cruz
oscars2009_backstage_20: Dustin Lance Black

By BRIAN TALLERICO
Content Director
HollywoodChicago.com
brian@hollywoodchicago.com

Taking the Oscars Home: How to See the 2009 Academy Award Winners

BrianTT — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 09:57:43 -0700

CHICAGO – Believe it or not, a lot of people heard about some critically acclaimed 2009 films for the first time on Sunday night, when they won or were nominated for 2009 Academy Awards and are now wondering how they can see winning films like “Milk,” “The Reader,” “Vicky Cristina Barcelona,” and shorts like “La Maison en Petits Cubes” and “Toyland”. Let us guide the way.

Milk
Photo credit: Universal

Of course, the big winner of the night was “Slumdog Millionaire,” which does not yet have a DVD/Blu-Ray release date, but you can expect one soon. The film will probably get another expansion in theaters to capitalize on its eight Oscars before a DVD release in probably May or June.

“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” winner of three awards, didn’t get enough major trophies to get a theatrical expansion, but also doesn’t have a release date yet. Expect it in late April or early May, although they could be putting together a more “special edition,” which would delay till closer to Summer.

In the final bit of sad, major winner news, “The Reader” is still playing in theaters, so you’ll have to pay to see Kate Winslet on the big screen or wait a while for the home release.

Now for the good news. Three out of the four acting winners are either on DVD/Blu-Ray now or coming soon.

Sean Penn won best actor and Dustin Lance Black won best original screenplay for “Milk” and Focus/Universal has timed that film’s home release perfectly, bringing Gus Van Sant’s masterful film home on March 10th, 2009. Universal also holds the DVD rights to the fifth best picture nominee “Frost/Nixon”. The Ron Howard film will be released on DVD and Blu-Ray on April 21st, 2009.

Frost/Nixon
Photo credit: Universal

Both supporting award winners were already available at DVD stores. You can catch Penelope Cruz’s work in the great “Vicky Cristina Barcelona” and Heath Ledger’s in the amazing “The Dark Knight” now. You’re not a movie fan if you haven’t seen them both.

The question I was asked the most on Sunday night was how to see the Oscar-nominated and winning short films. Most are all available on iTunes for $1.99 a piece. Sadly, the deserving and gorgeous animated winner, “La Maison en Petits Cubes,” is not available.

But there’s still a few shorts worth checking out. Start with the winning and touching “Toyland”. If you want to see more deserving nominees, the animated “This Way Up” is totally worth the time and live action “Auf Der Strecke (On the Line)” & “Manon on the Asphalt” are both better than the actual winner, in my opinion. And better than “The Reader”.

Of course, the most Oscar-nominated animated film of all time and the winner in its specialized category, “WALL-E” has been available on DVD and Blu-Ray for a while now. If you’re thinking about upgrading to Blu-Ray and HD, “WALL-E” may be reason enough. It’s beautiful.

The winner for best documentary, “Man on Wire” is also available on DVD and Blu-Ray, but the foreign language film winner, “Departures,” hasn’t even played in most domestic markets. Good luck tracking that one down, although its win should get it a wider theatrical release than it otherwise would have received.

Doubt
Photo credit: Miramax

Finally, the winner for best costume design, “The Duchess” has been available on DVD and Blu-Ray for a few months.

To recap the big winners - “WALL-E,” “The Dark Knight,” “Man on Wire,” “The Duchess,” and “Vicky Cristina Barcelona” are all at your local video store. “Milk” will be released on 3/10/09. We’re waiting on release dates for “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” “The Reader,” and “Slumdog Millionaire”.

As for nominees on DVD and Blu-Ray, you can also check out “The Visitor,” “Changeling,” “Frozen River,” “Tropic Thunder,” “In Bruges,” “Kung Fu Panda,” “Encounters at the End of the World,” “Hellboy II: The Golden Army,” “Iron Man,” and “Wanted” today if you want.

As for upcoming nominees, “Australia” comes home on March 3rd, 2009, “Rachel Getting Married” and “Happy-Go-Lucky” will be released with “Milk” on March 10th, 2009 (call it “Oscar DVD Day”), “Bolt” will be in stores on March 22nd, 2009, “Doubt” will hit stores on April 7th, 2009, and “Frost/Nixon” comes out on April 21st, 2009.

By BRIAN TALLERICO
Content Director
HollywoodChicago.com
brian@hollywoodchicago.com

Slideshow: 27-Image Oscar Gallery From on Stage at 81st Annual Academy Awards

BrianTT — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 17:15:25 -0700

CHICAGO – This 27-image slideshow contains a selection of the award-winners and presenters at “The 81st Annual Academy Awards,” which aired on ABC on Sunday, February 22nd, 2009.

Winners and presenters include Hugh Jackman, Penelope Cruz, Kate Winslet, Sean Penn, Anne Hathaway, Ben Stiller, Natalie Portman, Jessica Biel, Beyonce Knowles, Jerry Lewis, A.R. Rahman, Reese Witherspoon, Zac Efron, Alicia Keys, Robert Pattinson “Twilight” and “The Twilight Saga’s New Moon,” Amanda Seyfried of “Mamma Mia,” Danny Boyle, and Steven Spielberg

You can click “Next” and “Previous” to scan through this slideshow or jump directly to individual photos with the captioned links below. All photos are credited to Michael Yada and courtesy of ABC. All Rights Reserved.

oscars2009_stage_01: Host Hugh Jackman
oscars2009_stage_02: Host Hugh Jackman and Performer/Nominee Anne Hathaway
oscars2009_stage_03: Host Hugh Jackman
oscars2009_stage_04: Penelope Cruz Wins Best Supporting Actress
oscars2009_stage_05: Kate Winslet Wins Best Actress
oscars2009_stage_06: Sean Penn Wins Best Actor
oscars2009_stage_07: Host Hugh Jackman
oscars2009_stage_08: Host Hugh Jackman and Performer/Nominee Anne Hathaway
oscars2009_stage_09: Presenters Robert Pattinson and Amanda Seyfried
oscars2009_stage_10: Presenters Ben Stiller and Natalie Portman
oscars2009_stage_11: Presenter Jessica Biel
oscars2009_stage_12: Performer Beyonce Knowles
oscars2009_stage_13: Performer Beyonce Knowles
oscars2009_stage_14: The Family of Heath Ledger Accepts Best Supporting Actor
oscars2009_stage_15: The Family of Heath Ledger Accepts Best Supporting Actor
oscars2009_stage_16: Phillippe Petit Accepts Best Documentary
oscars2009_stage_17: Lifetime Achievement Award Winner Jerry Lewis
oscars2009_stage_18: Lifetime Achievement Award Winner Jerry Lewis
oscars2009_stage_19: Zac Efron and Alicia Keys Present Best Score to A.R. Rahman
oscars2009_stage_20: Performer/Winner A.R. Rahman
oscars2009_stage_21: Presenter Reese Witherspoon
oscars2009_stage_22: Danny Boyle Wins Best Director
oscars2009_stage_23: Kate Winslet Wins Best Actress
oscars2009_stage_24: Kate Winslet Wins Best Actress
oscars2009_stage_25: Sean Penn Wins Best Actor
oscars2009_stage_26: Presenter Steven Spielberg
oscars2009_stage_27: Producer Christian Colson and the Cast and Crew of Slumdog Millionaire Win Best Picture

By BRIAN TALLERICO
Content Director
HollywoodChicago.com
brian@hollywoodchicago.com

Slideshow: 30-Image Gallery For Red-Carpet Arrivals at 2009 Academy Awards

BrianTT — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 23:45:22 -0700

CHICAGO – This 30-image slideshow contains a selection of the arrivals at The 81st Annual Academy Awards. Want to know what people were wearing? Check out images of Kate Winslet, Penelope Cruz, “High School Musical“‘s Vanessa Hudgens, Marisa Tomei, Mickey Rourke, Natalie Portman, Taraji P. Henson, Melissa Leo, “New Moon“‘s Robert Pattinson, and many more.

oscars2009_red_carpet_01: Miley Cyrus
oscars2009_red_carpet_02: Emile Hirsch
oscars2009_red_carpet_03: Vanessa Hudgens
oscars2009_red_carpet_04: Freida Pinto
oscars2009_red_carpet_05: Melissa Leo
oscars2009_red_carpet_06: Viola Davis
oscars2009_red_carpet_07: Taraji P. Henson
oscars2009_red_carpet_08: Richard Jenkins
oscars2009_red_carpet_09: Heidi Klum
oscars2009_red_carpet_10: Leslie Mann
oscars2009_red_carpet_11: Amy Adams
oscars2009_red_carpet_12: Amanda Seyfried
oscars2009_red_carpet_13: Sarah Jessica Parker
oscars2009_red_carpet_14: Diane Lane
oscars2009_red_carpet_15: Marisa Tomei
oscars2009_red_carpet_16: Marisa Tomei and Natalie Portman
oscars2009_red_carpet_17: Mickey Rourke
oscars2009_red_carpet_18: Evan Rachel Wood
oscars2009_red_carpet_19: Meryl Streep
oscars2009_red_carpet_20: Jessica Biel
oscars2009_red_carpet_21: Penelope Cruz
oscars2009_red_carpet_22: Kate Winslet
oscars2009_red_carpet_23: Angelina Jolie
oscars2009_red_carpet_24: Alicia Keys
oscars2009_red_carpet_25: Virginia Madsen
oscars2009_red_carpet_26: Robert Pattinson
oscars2009_red_carpet_27: Melissa George
oscars2009_red_carpet_28: Natalie Portman
oscars2009_red_carpet_29: Mickey Rourke
oscars2009_red_carpet_30: Angelina Jolie

Read our full 2009 Oscar coverage of the winners.
Read our full list of the 2009 Oscar nominees.

By BRIAN TALLERICO
Content Director
HollywoodChicago.com
brian@hollywoodchicago.com