Heath Ledger Remembered January 25, 2008
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It’s time to spare a thought for Heath Ledger who sadly passed away earlier this week at the age of twenty eight.
Pushing aside the reason why his life may have been cut so tragically short Heath Ledger was an astonishing acting talent who really was on the brink of super-stardom.
He will be remembered most for his turn in Ang Lee’s Brokeback Mountain, a risky role that highlighted his desire to be recognised for his acting talent than box office success.
However the his role in the movie earnt him an Oscar nomination as well as the respect of his Hollywood peers.
I hope that the release of a Dark Knight is not pushed back as there is no better way to celebrate his life than to enjoy his work.
The movie industry has been dealt a heavy blow losing one of it’s most promising talents who, without a doubt had a long and successfull future ahead of him.
Rest in peace.Â
Atonement Dominates BAFTA Nominations January 17, 2008
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While still riding high from winning Best Picture at the recent Golden Globes, Atonement receieved more good news when BAFTA announced that the British movie led the nominations with a whopping fourteen nods.
 It earnt recognition in the big four categories Best Picture, Best Director, for Joe Wright, Best Actreess, for Keira Knightley and Best Actor for James McAvoy.
Joining Atonement in the Best Picture category is  Ridley Scott’s American Gangster, The Lives of Others, No Country For Old Men and There Will Be Blood.
Knightley will once again go head to head with fellow Brit Julie Christie, smoking hot fave for the Oscar, Â for Best Actress with Cate Blanchett, Marion Cotillard and Ellen Page grabbing the other three nominations.
 There are also two Brits, James McAvoy and Daniel Day Lewis, in the Best Actor category with Lewis hoping to repeat his Golden Globe success. George Clooney, Viggo Mortensen and Ulrich Muehe completing the category.
While British talent had something to celebrate there were shocks all round when Sweeney Todd, directed by Tim Burton and starring his old mate and audience fave Johnny Depp, failed to be nominated in any of the major categories.
The film received two Golden Globes for Best Motion Picture Musical/Comedy and Best Actor in a Musical/Comedy at last weekend’s Globes and is tipped for Oscar recognition.
On the bright side the BAFTA’s should go ahead more smoothly without the threat of disruption from the strikig writers as the strike doesn’t effect the UK.Â
And due to the cancelling of the star studded Globes ceremony BAFTA organisers are expected a large number of A-List celebrities to role up in London on 10th Feb.Â
Brits Triumphant at Golden Globes January 14, 2008
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This year’s Golden Globes, despite not going ahead, were a truly international affair as the rest of the world was finally recognised by America.
The Golden Globes is second only to the Oscar and is usually a long line of American talent picking up the gongs - but this year all that changed.
Brit flick Atonement was the somewhat surprise winner of Best Picture, No Country For Old Men was expected to take the prize having already won a string of critic’s awards.
 More British success followed with Daniel Day Lewis and Julie Christie winning Best Actor/Actress for a performance in a drama beating fellow Brits Keira Knightley and James McAvoy.
It seems though such a pity that the ceremony to go ahead so we could see the cream of British talent glide down the red carpet and take on the American film industry in their own back yard.
And there was plenty of British talent on show in the numerous categories with directors Joe Wright and Ridley Scott and actors Tild Swinton, tom Wilkinson and Helen Bonham Carter all missing out.
 But never before has America performed so badly at the awards with only two notable wins for Sweeney Todd in Best Musical or Comedy and Johnny Depp, who we all wish was a Brit but no one is perfect, for Best Actor in a musical or comedy performance.
Other awards went to Cate Blanchett (Aussie), Javier bardem (Spaniard) and Marion Cotillard (French).
More success followed on the televison categories for the Brits with Jim Broadbent and Samantha Morton winning for Longford and Ricky Gervais winning for Extras.
Missing out was Andy Serkis, Jason Issacs and James Nesbitt. Â
And with the Oscar nominations just over a week away we could see British cinema receive more well deserved recognition.
Golden Globes In Jeopardy January 7, 2008
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Well it seems that the chances of seeing the Golden Globes are going from bad to worse as the actors have now announced that they will not cross the writer’s picket lines.
 Things were already looking back for the organisers when the writers, who have been on strike since 5th November, claimed that they would be boycotting the awards by setting up picket lines.
NBC were due to host the event and it looked like the show would take place behind closed doors as there would be no script.
Now hang on a show that has no scrip with writer’s picketing the red carpet sounds like a must see show to me.
However it seems that the actors, including seventy of the most high profile celebs that have been nominated including Keira Knightley, are getting behind the striking members of the WGA. It has been rumoured that George Clooney is the man behind the mass protest by the actors.
Now I totally understand were the writer’s are coming from, sure they should be paid when their work is distributed onto DVD and online, the actors and the directors are, it cannot be one rule for some and a different rule when it comes to others.
However the strike seems to be casuing more problems than it is solving with many of the main studios refusing to give into their demands and the writer’s refusing to back down a stalemate has began.
But while these two sides are at war it’s the members of the crew, make-up artists, hairdressers, security, catering, i.e the people who make the least money when production is in full swing, that are  really suffering as they are out of work. Some situations have got so desperate that many individuals are on the verge of losing their homes.
So when you look at the situation from this point of view it seems a bit bizarre that Globe organisers and NBC are so worried that this awards ceremony cannot go ahead. Surely a resolution has to be made swiftly as this situation cannot be allowed to drag on much longer.
It’s not damaging the industry itself more the people who work in it!
Ego Crazy Cruise January 4, 2008
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The ego and plain big headedness of Tom Cruise never ceases to amaze it appears that he has turned down a role to star alongside Will Smith for fear of being outshone by the box office favourite.
I get a sense of bitterness towards our Will, who is clearly a favourite with cinema go-ers and can currently do no wrong at the box office, as Cruise was that guy and now, after his made ‘I Love Katie’ rants and his odd Scientology beliefs, he has been left looking a couple of pence short of a pound.
 Having said that I could outshine Cruise in a movie he is, without a shadow of a doubt, the most over-rated actor (yes yes he gave a good performance in Rain Man) but he seems to have got along on the fact he stands outside with his fans for hours signing autographs ever since.
What’s even more amusing is he won’t star with Smith yet had no problem appearing in a movie with Robert Redford and Meryl Streep, one of the best actresses of all time, in Lions for Lambs.
Or could it be that he believed that with Redford and Streep in a movie about the war on terror he may land himself an Oscar nomination - I wonder!!  Â
Can someone please explain to me why this actor feels the need to be the centre of attention in every movie that he is in?
Take Mark Wahlberg for example he had been quite for a while, on the lead up to The Departed then, fourth or fifth down the cast list he delivers a performance that eclipsed all the other supporting actors, stealing every scene and bagging himself a Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination over Nicholson and Damon.Â
And talking of being outshone has any one seen I Am Legend? The damn dog steals the show!!