Variety reports that in the animated feature film category, the Academy will have 12 movies to consider -- and whittle down to three nominees. From the article:
Submitted features are: "Alvin and the Chipmunks," "Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters," "Bee Movie," "Beowulf," "Meet the Robinsons," "Persepolis," "Ratatouille," "Shrek the Third," "The Simpsons Movie," "Surf's Up," "Tekkonkinkreet" and "TMNT."
Yes, you read that right. Alvin and the Chipmunks. Think the voters will have problems narrowing down this list?
Source: www.cinema-pedia.com
Saturday, November 10, 2007
Twelve Features Competing for Animated Feature Film Oscar
Comic Marilyn Martinez Dies at 52
Martinez died Nov. 3 of complications from colon cancer at a Hollywood hospital after being diagnosed nine months earlier, said her husband, John David Crowder.
"Marilyn was out there to make the fans excited. She wasn't out there for stardom and fame," he said. "And she didn't want to be remembered as a dirty mouth."
"She used to tell me she was a triple minority. She was fat, she was a woman, she was Hispanic," he said.
Raised in Denver, Martinez tap-danced on a local television show as a child before funneling her love of acting, and food, into standup routines, according to her longtime manager, Scott Montoya.
She moved to Los Angeles around 1989, he said. Her routines often included frank talk about sex and men.
"She was getting away with saying a lot of crazy stuff," said comedian Carlos Mencia, who performed alongside Martinez and knew her for more than a decade.
"It wasn't like, 'I'm a woman and let's talk about flowers and shopping.' ... But she could do clean if you wanted her to."
In L.A., Martinez connected with her Mexican roots and in the mid-1990s joined Latina troupe the Hot and Spicy Mamitas, Montoya said.
She also became a member of the Hot Tamales with Eva Longoria and was "the anchor" of the Latin Divas of Comedy, with a Showtime special earlier this year in the same vein as the hit Latin Kings of Comedy, Montoya said.
Martinez also toured solo with comic Paul Rodriguez from 1996 to 2003.
Her screen credits include parts in 2003's "Pauly Shore Is Dead," 2002's "For Da Love of Money," the ABC television series "My Wife and Kids" in 2001, and the 2004 reality TV show "Urban Jungle" on SiTV.
Source: www.cinema-pedia.com
Friday, November 9, 2007
Theme Park Visitors, ESPN Boost Disney
Attendance at Disney's domestic theme parks grew 5 percent in the quarter, mostly at the Walt Disney World complex in Florida. Guest spending grew 2 percent, said Thomas Staggs, Disney's chief financial officer.
"Thus far, our businesses remain strong, and we have not seen indications of a downturn in the economy," Staggs said after the results were released Thursday.
Profits at Disney's consumer products division increased 10 percent on strong sales of merchandise related to the Pixar movie "Cars" and other items.
The only lagger in the quarter was Disney's film studio, which saw a 21 percent decrease in operating profit and a 24 percent drop in revenue.
The studio suffered from unfavorable comparisons with last year's fourth quarter, which included revenue from "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest."
Disney reported net income of $877 million, or 44 cents per share, for the quarter ended Sept. 29, compared with $782 million, or 36 cents per share, for the year-ago period.
Earnings benefited from a 2 cents per share gain related to prior-year income tax matters. Without the one-time item, earnings for the quarter were 42 cents per share.
Revenue grew to $8.93 billion from $8.65 billion in the same period last year.
Analysts at Thomson Financial had anticipated earnings of 41 cents per share on revenue of $8.98 billion.
Disney shares rose 13 cents to $33.63 Thursday. After the results were released, the shares fell 8 cents in extended trading.
The company, which owns the ABC network, said it has contingency plans in place in the event of a prolonged strike by the Writers Guild of America.
The plans include cutting costs and increasing movies, holiday programming and reality shows, said Robert Iger, Disney's president and chief executive officer.
"We would hope that we'll be able to find a way to settle this difference and settle the strike before there's damage done to the business or, by the way, to the community that we operate in," Iger told analysts in a conference call.
"There is a trickle-down effect that this has on more than just people directly associated with producing these shows. Southern California is going to feel it first and hard, and I think that's just a shame," he said.
The media conglomerate said it would increase its capital spending as it ramps up its video game unit.
Looking ahead to 2008, Staggs said bookings at Disney's domestic theme parks were in the "mid-single digits" ahead of last year.
Advertising pricing at ABC was running double digits ahead of the prices secured before the season launched. The demand for advertising on Disney's cable networks also looked strong, Staggs said.
For the full fiscal year, Disney reported net income of $4.69 billion, or $2.25 per share, compared with $3.37 billion, or $1.64 per share, for fiscal 2006.
Revenue increased to $35.51 billion from $33.75 billion.
Analysts had been looking for annual net income of $1.92 per share on revenue of $35.63 billion.
Source: www.cinema-pedia.com
Bees, Rats Among Animated Oscar Field
Contenders for the feature-length animation Oscar announced Thursday by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences include the rodent story "Ratatouille," the bug tale "Bee Movie," the ogre sequel "Shrek the Third" and the penguin comedy "Surf's Up."
Also in the running are "The Simpsons Movie," "Beowulf," "Alvin and the Chipmunks, "Meet the Robinsons," "Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters," "TMNT," "Tekkonkinkreet" and "Persepolis."
A committee of academy members will pick three nominees, which will be announced on Jan. 22. The entire academy membership will be eligible to vote on the winner for the Feb. 24 Oscars.
Source: www.cinema-pedia.com
Bourne Earns 3 People Choice Nods
The spy thriller was nominated for favorite movie, favorite action movie and favorite "threequel." Leading man Matt Damon was nominated for favorite male action star.
He's up against Johnny Depp, who got nods in the male action star and favorite male movie star categories. Jessica Alba scored nominations for favorite leading lady and favorite female action star.
In music, Justin Timberlake earned nominations for favorite male singer and favorite pop song. "Give It to Me," a Timbaland song on which Timberlake is featured, garnered a nod for favorite hip-hop song.
Other multiple nominees included "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End" and "Transformers."
Winners will be announced Jan. 8 during an awards show broadcast on CBS.
The nominees are:
1. Favorite Movie: The Bourne Ultimatum; Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End; Transformers
2. Favorite Family Movie: Evan Almighty, Ratatouille, Shrek the Third
3. Favorite Action Movie: 300; The Bourne Ultimatum; Transformers
4. Favorite Movie Comedy: Knocked Up; The Simpsons Movie; Wild Hogs
5. Favorite Movie Drama: Disturbia; Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix; Premonition
6. Favorite Threequel: The Bourne Ultimatum; Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End; Spider-Man 3
7. Favorite Independent Movie: Becoming Jane; A Mighty Heart; Sicko
8. Favorite Female Movie Star: Halle Berry; Sandra Bullock; Reese Witherspoon
9. Favorite Leading Lady: Jessica Alba; Drew Barrymore; Queen Latifah
10. Favorite Female Action Star: Jessica Alba; Jodie Foster; Keira Knightley
11. Favorite Male Movie Star: Johnny Depp; Denzel Washington; Bruce Willis
12. Favorite Leading Man: Jamie Foxx; Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson; Joaquin Phoenix
13. Favorite Male Action Star: Matt Damon; Johnny Depp; Bruce Willis
14. Favorite On Screen Match Up: Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker in Rush Hour 3; George Clooney and Brad Pitt in Ocean's Thirteen; Kirsten Dunst and Tobey Maguire in Spider-Man 3
15. Favorite TV Drama: "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation;" "House;" "Law and Order: SVU"
16. Favorite TV Comedy: "The King of Queens;" "My Name is Earl;" "Two and a Half Men"
17. Favorite Animated TV Comedy: "Family Guy;" "King of the Hill;" "The Simpsons"
18. Favorite Sci-Fi Show: "Battlestar Galactica;" "Doctor Who;" "Stargate Atlantis"
19. Favorite Competition/Reality Show: "American Idol;" "Dancing with the Stars;" "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition"
20. Favorite Game Show: "Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?;" "Deal or No Deal;" "Jeopardy"
21. Favorite Female TV Star: Sally Field; Katherine Heigl; Jennifer Love Hewitt
22. Favorite Male TV Star: Patrick Dempsey; Charlie Sheen; Kiefer Sutherland
23. Favorite Scene Stealing Star: Richard Belzer from "Law & Order: SVU;" Neil Patrick Harris from "How I Met Your Mother;" Chandra Wilson from "Grey's Anatomy"
24. Favorite Funny Female Star: Ellen DeGeneres; Whoopi Goldberg; Wanda Sykes
25. Favorite Funny Male Star: Will Ferrell; Adam Sandler; Robin Williams
26. Favorite Talk Show Host: Ellen DeGeneres; Jay Leno; Oprah Winfrey
27. Favorite Female Singer: Beyonce; Fergie; Gwen Stefani
28. Favorite Male Singer: John Mayer; Tim McGraw; Justin Timberlake
29. Favorite Group: Daughtry; Maroon 5; Rascal Flatts
30. Favorite Rock Song: "Hey There Delilah" by Plain White T's; "Home" by Daughtry; "Makes Me Wonder" by Maroon 5
31. Favorite R&B Song: "Beautiful Liar" by Beyonce with Shakira; "Because of You" by Ne-Yo; "Shut up and Drive" by Rihanna
32. Favorite Country Song: "I Need You" by Tim McGraw with Faith Hill;
"Never Wanted Nothing More" by Kenny Chesney; "Stand" by Rascal Flatts
33. Favorite Hip-Hop Song: "Give It to Me" by Timbaland feat. Justin Timberlake and Nelly Furtado; "Party Like a Rock Star" by Shop Boyz; "Stronger" by Kanye West
34. Favorite Pop Song: "Big Girls Don't Cry" by Fergie; "Irreplaceable" by Beyonce; "What Goes Around...Comes Around" by Justin Timberlake
35. Favorite Song from a Soundtrack: "Read My Mind" by The Killers from "Friday Night Lights;" "What I've Done" by Linkin Park from Transformers; "You Can't Stop the Beat" by the Cast of Hairspray from Hairspray
36. Favorite Reunion Tour: Genesis; The Police; Van Halen
37. Favorite New TV Comedy: Aliens in America; Back to You; The Big Bang Theory; Carpoolers; Cavemen; Chuck; Reaper; Samantha Who?
38. Favorite New TV Drama: Big Shots; Bionic Woman; Cane; Dirty Sexy Money; Gossip Girl; Journeyman; K-Ville; Life; Life Is Wild; Moonlight; Private Practice; Pushing Daisies; Women's Murder Club
Source: www.cinema-pedia.com
Man Testifies O.J. Burst Into Hotel Room
Bruce Fromong, one of two dealers allegedly robbed, said he had expected to meet with an anonymous buyer on Sept. 13, when Simpson arrived with others "in a military invasion fashion" and shouted that the items belonged to him.
"O.J. was screaming, 'This is all my s---. This all belongs to me. You stole this from me. Let's pack up. Let's get out of here,'" Fromong said.
Simpson, 60, and two co-defendants are charged with robbery, kidnapping and other offenses. Thursday's hearing was to determine whether there is enough evidence to take them to trial.
During an aggressive cross-examination, Simpson attorney Gabriel Grasso sought to show that Fromong was less traumatized than excited about the chance at a big payday at the expense of Simpson.
Fromong acknowledged that he has gone to the online auction site eBay in an effort to peddle items he has dubbed as "identical to the items O.J. stole from me!"
He also said that when he suffered a heart attack days after the incident, he called a TV show from his hospital bed but said he just wanted to make sure he wasn't lumped together with "unsavory characters" in the case.
He also confirmed that he has discussed the idea of a book with various people.
Grasso also asked Fromong whether he called the television show "Inside Edition" before contacting police.
"Nine-one-one was already being called," Fromong said.
Grasso also noted that in his statement to police Fromong said Simpson had told the others: "Get my ... . Leave the other stuff alone."
Fromong, who testified he has known Simpson since the early 1990s, said the confrontation lasted no more than five or six minutes and ended with the group stuffing hundreds of items into pillowcases and leaving the Palace Station hotel-casino.
Fromong said some of the items had nothing to do with Simpson but were lithographs of football great Joe Montana and items signed by baseball stars Duke Snider and Pete Rose that he thought he could sell.
At one point, as everything was being packed up, Fromong said he told Simpson: "O.J., those are my Joe Montana lithos.
"I said, 'O.J., that's my stuff. That doesn't have anything to do with anything."
Throughout the confrontation, Fromong said, one man pointed a gun at his face and told him at one point: "I'll shoot your a--."
"I wasn't cowering in a corner, but having a gun pointed at me is an uncomfortable feeling," he said.
Fromong told how he and Simpson met in the early 1990s when Fromong and another memorabilia dealer, Mike Gilbert, formed a company, "Locker 32," using the number on Simpson's football jersey, to sell items on his behalf.
Shortly before the hotel confrontation, Fromong said, memorabilia dealer Alfred Beardsley told him he had several Simpson-related items to sell to an anonymous buyer, including the suit Simpson wore when he was acquitted of murder. Beardsley arranged the meeting, which Fromong thought would be with an anonymous buyer, he said.
At one point, Fromong said he thought the Simpson material for sale could fetch as much as $100,000 at retail. But he also said, "I have always believed much of this stuff should go back to O.J.'s family."
Thomas Riccio, a memorabilia dealer who captured the events on a digital recorder, testified he set up the meeting that ultimately led to felony charges against Simpson. He later sold a copy of the recording to a tabloid Web site before handing it over to police.
Like Fromong, Riccio said he hoped to make money off Simpson. It was only Simpson, Riccio said, who didn't want any money. He just wanted to retrieve memorabilia from his storied football career that his family could have as keepsakes.
"A lot of people forget the fact that O.J. was one of the greatest football players," Riccio said.
He said Simpson not only wanted his stuff back, but was interested in staging a reality show documenting the recovery. But when he told FBI agents in Los Angeles about their plans, he said, they "put their heads in their hands" and refused to get involved.
FBI documents obtained by The Associated Press last week confirm the agency was told of the plan by Riccio three weeks before it happened.
Fromong and Riccio were among eight witnesses prosecutors expected to call. The hearing was to continue Friday.
Beardsley, who has been in custody in California on a parole violation, has been transferred to a Las Vegas jail and is expected to testify, defense lawyers said.
In Simpson's mind, according to a close friend, the Las Vegas charges are rooted in the former football star being acquitted in the 1994 slayings of his wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend, Ronald Goldman.
"He believes he's being tried for that now," said Tom Scotto, 45, a North Miami Beach, Fla., auto body shop owner.
Simpson has maintained that he wanted to retrieve items he knew had been stolen from him, including the suit Fromong mentioned.
Simpson and co-defendants Clarence "C.J." Stewart and Charles Ehrlich face 12 charges, including kidnapping, armed robbery, assault with a deadly weapon, conspiracy and coercion.
A kidnapping conviction could result in a sentence of life in prison with the possibility of parole. An armed robbery conviction could mean mandatory prison time.
Source: www.cinema-pedia.com
Mickey Rourke Arrested in Fla. on DUI
Rourke, star of "Sin City," "Diner" and "9 1/2 Weeks," was arrested at 4:20 a.m. and booked at the Miami-Dade County Jail, said Janelle Hall, a jail spokeswoman. He was released on a $1,000 bond, she said.
A telephone message left at the office of Rourke's agent wasn't immediately returned.
A Miami Beach Police report said Rourke made a U-turn with a red light and then swerved several times while on a green scooter. He had a flushed face and bloodshot, watery eyes, his speech was slurred, and he had a strong odor of alcohol on his breath, the report said.
"I'm not drunk, I didn't even drink that much," the report quoted Rourke as saying.
Rourke, 51, allegedly failed field-sobriety tests before being taken to headquarters. He also failed an alcohol breath test, police said.
Source: www.cinema-pedia.com
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