Blu-ray Review “Hugo”

Directed by: Martin Scorsese
Starring: Ben Kingsley, Asa Butterfield, Chloë Grace Moretz, Sacha Baron Cohen, Richard Griffiths, Frances de la Tour, Ray Winstone, Emily Mortimer, Jude Law, Christopher Lee
Distributed by: Paramount Pictures
Release date: February 28, 2012
Running time: 128 minutes

Film: 4 out of 5 stars
Extras: 3.5 out of 5 stars

“Hugo” is a very enchanting tale with amazing storytelling.  It is really rare that you watch a film and it takes you on a two hour journey.  At the 2012 Oscars, “Hugo” was awarded five Academy Awards for Best Cinematography, Best Art Direction, Best Visual Effects, Best Sound Editing and Best Sound Mixing. I felt that it also deserved the Best Director and Best Picture awards as well. I feel that Scorsese did an amazing job with this picture. This film gets better and better which each viewing and looks spectacular on Blu-ray.

The film follows Hugo Cabret (Asa Butterfield) who lives in a Paris train station. He lives to maintains its clocks and roams within in the walls and above the trains platforms. He has no family since his father’s death and his uncle, station’s timekeeper, who took his in and then vanished. Hugo has only one thing left from his father, a mechanical person, who was created to write independently but needs a special key to do so. Hugo wants to find that key in hope to find a message from his late father. He meets Isabelle (Chloë Grace Moretz) and the two embark on an unexpected journey.

The Blu-ray presentation is just absolutely flawless. The 1080p video conversion is absolutely perfect. The colors are extremely sharp and showcases this film’s amazing cinematography perfectly. The audio boasts a fantastic DTS-HD MA 7.1 track. It also works very well with Howard Shore’s score, which is so perfectly intertwined within the film. Also included in the Blu-ray combo pack is with a DVD copy of the film. They also include an Ultraviolet copy of the film, which is a great feature. The film works well in 2D but I feel that it loses a lot of the atmosphere created from the 3D version. I definitely prefer the 3D version over the 2D version.

The special features are great but are lacking a commentary track from Martin Scorsese and cast. The first feature is called “Shoot the Moon (The Making of Hugo)”, it runs about twenty minutes and includes great both cast and crew discussing the film and its production. “The Cinemagician, Georges Méliès” focuses on the filmmaker and his role in this film. “The Mechanical Man at the Heart of Hugo” is an informative feature that focuses on the history of automaton and its use in the film. “Big Effects, Small Scale” it is a brief look at the film’s effects, I would have loved for this to be a lot longer since the effects are critical in this film. Lastly there is a short piece about the Station Inspector, called “Sacha Baron Cohen: Role of a Lifetime”, short but sweet. Overall great features for a great film.

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Blu-ray Review “Puss in Boots”

Directed by: Chris Miller
Starring: Antonio Banderas, Salma Hayek, Zach Galifianakis, Billy Bob Thornton, Amy Sedaris, Zeus Mendoza, Constance Marie, Guillermo del Toro, Bob Joles
Distributed by:Paramount Pictures
Release date: February 24, 2012
Running time: 90 minutes

Film: 4 out of 5 stars
Extras: 4 out of 5 stars

When this film was released in the theaters, I had no interest in seeing it. I saw all of the “Shrek” films and I thought that each one was worse than the last. I have always thought that Puss in Boots was one of my favorite characters and it is great to see him get his solo story. Well when I watch this film on Blu-ray, I really enjoyed it. I thought it was so well-done, it was very sharp and funny. I thought the trailers for “Puss in Boots” didn’t capture any of the film charm. I really think this stands alone from the “Shrek” franchise and really entertains. I would love to see more installments from this series.

The story serves as an origin story for Puss in Boots. Puss (voiced by Antonio Banderas) works with his old schoolmate Humpty Dumpty (voiced by Zach Galifianakis) and female feline Kitty Softpaws (voiced by Salma Hayek) as they chase down criminals Jack and Jill (voiced by Billy Bob Thornton and Amy Sedaris). They are in search of magic beans which will create a beanstalk to the clouds.  Up the beanstalk, there is a castle which contains the legendary golden goose who lays golden eggs.

The Blu-ray presentation is absolutely spectacular. The 1080p Blu-ray transfer is superb and looks so sharp and colorful. The film’s sound is also extremely notable boasting a fantastic Dolby TrueHD 7.1 lossless track. It works so well with the films action and music. The Blu-ray combo pack also comes packed with a DVD copy of the film and also a digital copy. It is not an Ultraviolet digital copy but still enjoyable to take the film on the road with you. I enjoyed the 2D version of this film but I still prefer the 3D much more, if you have the preference.

The special features on the disc are very impressive just like the film. Firstly it includes an all new adventure short called “Puss in Boots: The Three Diablos”. This runs about thirteen minutes, it is very fun and worth checking out. There are a few Blu-ray exclusive features, the first is called “A DreamWorks Fairy Tale”, an interactive feature to create your own rhymes. The second is called “Puss’ Paw Pouncing Challenge”, which is a fun game using the remote for the kids. “The Animators’ Corner”, which is a picture-in-picture feature with director Chris Miller and producers Joe Aguilar and Latifa Ouaou. It contains comparisons from storyboards and animation tests and an interesting look at the film’s production. It is a must-watch if you enjoyed the film. Lastly there is a trivia track which provides cool facts and information throughout the movie.

Some of the additional features included are “Purr-Fect Pairing: The Voices Behind the Legend”, which is a look into the voice work from Antonio Banderas, Salma Hayek, Zach Galifianakis, and Billy Bob Thornton. There are a three test deleted scenes including “Humpty Plots with Jack & Jill”, “Humpty Repays His Accomplices” and “Puss in Boots Fights the Giant”. “Kitten to Cat” is a feature with focus on the development of Puss in Boots’ character. “Glitter Box Dance Off!” focuses on the dance choreography from the film. “Klepto Kitty” follows Dusty, a real-life cat burglar. “Kitty Keyboard” includes feline versions of “3 Blind Mice”, “Humpty Dumpty”, “Jack and Jill”, and “Little Boy Blue”. “Fairytale Pop-Up Book” includes the ability to view your favorite scenes and lines from the film’s characters. “Kitty Strikes Again” is a fun ‘find the differences’ game for the kids. Lastly there is “World of DreamWorks Animation”, which includes trailer and music from other Dreamworks films.

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Blu-ray Review “Beneath the Darkness”

Directed by: Martin Guigui
Starring: Dennis Quaid, Tony Oller, Aimee Teegarden, Devon Werkheisser, Brett Cullen
MPAA Rating: Unrated
Distributed by: Image Entertainment
DVD Release Date: February 28, 2012
Running Time: 96 minutes

Film: 2 out of 5 stars
Extras: 1 out of 5 stars

The only real draw to this film is Dennis Quaid playing one sick son-bitch. It is a role that he does not usually play and he does it really good in this film. Besides that this has nothing going for it. The suspense in the film is so tame that it comes off as non-existent. Although only run just over 90 minutes, the film drags quite a bit and its climax is a big let down as well. I would watch it if you are curious to see Quaid’s baddie turn otherwise I would avoid this film for sure.

This teen thriller follows a group of high school kids who believe that their local mortician is actually a vicious serial killer. Dennis Quaid plays Mr. Ely, the well-respected mortician.  The teens investigate his house his they believe it is haunted but they find out that the truth is much more evil than they expect. When the kids try and contact the police, they find out that no one will listen to them and side with Mr. Ely.  It is up to them to prove the truth before it is too late.

The Blu-ray presentation is ok but not great. The film is very dark and the video does an ok job of making it look decent. The sound is also decent but nothing special, especially since there was no “jump” moments, which is a major fault. The special features are also horrendous, only including one very short extra. The behind-the-scenes featurette runs just over two minutes and is a few short clips from the production. Also there is a trailer included, which gives away the whole movie.

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Blu-ray Review “Mandrill”

Directed by: Ernesto Di­az Espinoza
Starring: Marko Zaror, Alejandro Castillo
MPAA Rating: R
Distributed by: Magnolia Home Entertainment
Release Date: February 28, 2012
Running Time: 88 minutes

Film: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Extras: 1.5 out of 5 stars

“Mandrill” is a Spanish James Bond-esque movie. I did not expect that when I watched this but it was exactly what you got. The film is also a real ode to the 70’s grindhouse style action films. Mandrill is one bad-ass mother…shut your mouth. He packs some awesome martial arts moves and is not afraid to show off his skills. It is a mix of assassin film mixed with a revenge twist. The storyline is very campy and over-the-top but that is expected, though the action really takes the lead in this film.

The film follows Antonio “Mandrill” Espinoza who is a hired assassin with a deadly vengeance on the burner from when his parents were brutally murdered during his childhood. When Mandrill gets a job that would avenge his parents death, he looks at it as his final job. Although he gets a lot more than he bargains for when he falls for the target’s daughter.

The Blu-ray presentation is excellent boasting a sharp high-def video and impressive DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 audio track. The video although shot in HD has a real grindhouse gritty feel on purpose. The fight scenes specifically both looked and sounded amazing. The extras though on the release was very disappointing. There is a brief less than three minute behind the scenes featurette. “Anatomy of a Fight Scene” lasted less than eight minutes and focused a a few of the film’s fight scenes and lastly there are some trailers included. They are all presented in standard definition and were way too short.

 

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Sammy Stephens talks about being a YouTube sensation with his video “It’s Just Like A Mini-Mall”

Sammy Stephens is known best for his YouTube video “It’s Just Like a Mini-Mall”.  The video has received almost 8 million hits and rocketed Sammy into pop-culture history.  Since then “It’s Just Like a Mini-Mall” has been featured “The Ellen Degeneres Show” and even parodied in “The Cleveland Show”.  Media Mikes had a chance to chat with Sammy about his success and what he has planned for 2012.

Mike Gencarelli: Give us the origin of how you came up with the tagline “It’s just like a mini-mall”?
Sammy Stephens:I used to do commercials for the flea-market. I used to always say, “The Flea Market Montgomery, it’s just like…it’s just life a mini-mall.” The reason why I said that is because when I took over the flea-market, it was only selling antique stuff and people weren’t supporting the Flea Market at that time. So, I said I was going to bring in some new merchandise along with other venders and it will be like a mall, and that is how the mini-mall terminology was born. I was seriously talking with myself about the idea, and I said, “Sammy, how are you gonna make this work?” And then I decided to develop the tagline that we now know and love today. But I figured that this alone was not going to catch the people’s undivided attention, so I figured I needed to repeat myself and make it memorable. I wanted something that would stick in the people’s minds and whenever they heard it, they would automatically think of Flea Market Montgomery. I said, “When it comes to saving money, there’s only one place to shop in Montgomery, and that’s the The Flea Market Montgomery…it’s just like…it just like a mini-mall. Oh yeah!” So that’s how that tagline and the beginnings of a very popular commercial jingle came about.

MG: Tell us about your process creating the rap and the video for the commercial?
SS:A friend of mine came to me one day, and he had this jingle. I liked it, but I wanted something more upbeat. So one night, we were in the studio in his house, and he told me we where going to cut some tracks. He told me that when he plays the music, he wanted me to talk over it. So I said “Living rooms, bedroom, dinettes. Oh yeah. You can find it at the market. We’re talkin’ ‘bout Flea Market. It’s just like…it’s just like a mini mall. Oh yeah.” I thought it sounded really cool with the music. I did the line in a few different voices, so when you listen to the song you hear all these different voices in the background and they are all me. We had about 32 seconds, so I told him I was going to buy sometime on the radio and make a rap out of it. Then I hired this guy from the TV station to help me make the video. We shot the video, edited it, and put it together and that’s the video you see on You Tube. But the real video is only 30 seconds, which is what they played on TV here in Montgomery. The original video is about 2 minutes and 2 seconds long on You Tube.

MG: What was your reaction when this video became viral on You Tube?
SS: When I made the video, I just knew it was going to be a hit. I had a feeling in my heart because it was so unique. What happened was that Ellen Degeneres got a hold of it. She asked her viewers to send in their favorite commercials. So, some young woman sent in my commercial, and Ellen played it on her television show. She said that out of all the videos that she received, mine was the only one she really liked. From there, I started to get phone calls from radio stations and text messages from all over. The first call I got was from a radio station in Florida, and they also wanted to interview me on the air and it just blew my mind.

MG: Tell us about your experience then going on “The Ellen Degeneres Show”?
SS: Well, she called me and invited me to “The Ellen Degeneres Show”. It was quite an experience. She and I were dancing together of course. It was just such a rush and an amazing time. She is a really nice woman, and I was lucky to be on that show. I hope to be on the show again in the near future. Thanks so much again Ellen. Call me.

MG: How did you get involved with the AMC Sprint Commercial shown in theaters? Tell us about that experience?
SS: That was a really great experience as well. They flew me down to California and treated me to the works. They took me to this huge theater, and they had rented out the entire place for us to shoot the Spring commercial. It was a lot of fun and very impressive. The only thing is that it is not being shown at theaters down here in Montgomery, Alabama, so a lot of people I know haven’t had a chance to see it yet.

MG: What else do you have planned for 2012?
SS: I am trying to get an internet radio show going currently. So when I get that accomplished, I am going to be live at 5 in the morning for the morning drive at 5. It will be called “The Sammy Stephens Morning Show.” If you go to YouTube and look up “The Sammy Stephens Morning Show,” you can see one of the shows that I did last year. I think it will be a really big hit. I also have a new single that is coming out as well. It is going to be great. So I’ve got a lot of things coming up this year for sure! Stay tuned, and remember, log on to sammystephens.com.

 

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Behind the Screen – 84th Annual Academy Awards Wrap Up

Despite an early showing by top nominee “Hugo,” “The Artist” surged ahead and took home it’s anticipated Best Picture award at the 84th Annual Academy Awards tonight. Both films ended up with the lion’s share of awards, each of them taking home five trophies. “Hugo” took most of the technical categories it was nominated in, including Cinematography, Art Direction, Sound Editing, Sound Mixing and Visual Effects. “The Artist” scored for Costume Design, Original Score, Director for Michel Hazanavicius, Actor for Jean Dujardin and, of course, Best Picture. Meryl Streep won her third Oscar for her portrayal of British Prime Minister Maggie Thatcher in “The Iron Lady.” Supporting awards went to Christopher Plummer for “Beginners” and Octavia Spencer for “The Help.” Plummer’s win made him, at age 82, the oldest winner of an acting award in Oscar history.

Best Animated Feature went to “Rango” while Iran’s “A Seperation” was named Best Foreign Language Film. Ludovic Bource’s score for “The Artist” faced some controversy earlier this month when it was revealed that director Hazanavicius had used a short snippet from Bernard Herrmann’s score for “Vertigo” in the finished film. Hazanavicius defended the sampling, pointing out that his film was a homage to the Hollywood of the past.

Hosted by Billy Crystal, the show flowed over an amazingly fast three hours and ten minutes. Below is a complete list of winners in order of presentation:

Best Cinematography: Robert Richardson, “Hugo”
Best Art Direction: Dante Ferretti and Francesca Lo Schavo, “Hugo”
Best Costume Design: Mark Bridges, “The Artist”
Best Makeup: Mark Coulier and J. Roy Helland, “The Iron Lady”
Best Foreign Language Film: “A Separation”
Best Supporting Actress: Octavia Spencer, “The Help”
Best Editing: Kirk Baxter and Angus Wall, “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo”
Best Sound Editing: Phillip Stockton and Eugene Gearty, “Hugo”
Best Sound Mixing: Tom Fleischman and John Midgley, “Hugo”
Best Documentary: “Undefeated”
Best Animated Feature: “Rango”
Best Visual Effects: “Hugo”
Best Supporting Actor: Christopher Plummer, “Beginners”
Best Original Score: Ludovic Bource, “The Artist”
Best Original Song: Bret McKenzie, “Man or Muppet”
Best Adapted Screenplay: Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon and Jim Rash, “The Descendants”
Best Original Screenplay: Woody Allen, “Midnight in Paris”
Best Live Action Short: “The Shore”
Best Documentary Short: “Saving Face”
Best Animated Short: “The Fantastic Flying Books Of Mr. Morris Lessmore”
Best Director: Michel Hazanavicius, “The Artist”
Best Actor: Jean Dujardin, “The Artist”
Best Actress: Meryl Streep, “The Iron Lady”
Best Picture: “The Artist”

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Interview with John Jacobson

John Jacobson has been trust into the spotlight since his YouTube video “Double Dream Hands” has exploded on YouTube. John has worked for kids for many years with his company “America Sings” and through his teachings of music and dancing. Media Mikes had a chance to chat with John about his rise to stardom and what he has planned for 2012.

Mike Gencarelli: What inspires you most to work with kids through music?
John Jacobson: I have always been kid oriented and I have been singing and dancing since I was a kid myself. Apparently I never got the memo that I was supposed to quit. Through my experience of being a performer and later as I teaching I know what it does for kids. I know it’s a really positive and wonderful thing in their lives. It helps the kids become better, healthier people. That’s a contribution I really want to make.

MG: How did you actually start “America Sings”?
JJ: I used to judge a lot of choir competitions. I was never a real fan of the competitive nature of those. I feel like the arts are the one place in a kid’s life where everyone can be a winner. I think it’s good to learn about winning and losing but there are other areas where you can learn to do that. I would watch 40 choirs in a competition and one would go home feeling great while the other thirty nine went home feeling like losers. That’s not the contribution I wanted to make to music and education. We came up with the idea for a non-competitive choral festival. I thought kids would become just as motivated by helping others as they would if they were to win a big trophy. We put the festival together where the kids are doing community service projects and getting to sing and dance. This was done on a whim twenty five years ago thinking I would be lucky if one choir from every state would show up. The first year we had 435 choirs and 15,000 kids show up. We knew we were on to something very positive.

MG: How did you come up with Double Dream Hands! And tell us about its road to pop-culture?
JJ: It’s kind of wild as you couldn’t plan this if you wanted to. I work on a magazine called “John Jacobson’s Music Express”. It’s a magazine where I write lessons and music for teachers to use. For all the songs we make video tapes of me showing a dance that corresponds with the song. We have around 3 million kids use this program around the world. Someone took one of those songs of our website and put it on YouTube. They called in Double Dream Hands because there was one move in the dance that I had no other idea as to what to call it so that’s what I called it. The video ended up being labeled that on YouTube. I got a call from my publishing company stating my dance was overdubbed with LMFAO’s song “Planet Rock” and that the video had gotten 36 thousand hits. By 5 o’clock that same night we were up to 100 thousand hits. I think now it’s up to around 5.2 million hits. We originally made this dance video for our target audience which is 3rd-6th grades. Those aren’t the people watching YouTube. That demographic is the 18-35 year old male. It was really surprised that many people in that age range wanted to learn the Double Dream Hands dance.

MG: Double Dream Hands! Is now also available on the iPhone, tell us about that?
JJ: I write for a publishing company by the name of Hal Leonard Publishing Company. One of the app companies came to them and asked if it was ok to make an app out of the video. I thought it was kind of funny. People have started to do funny things to the app like putting their own head on my body and things like that. People are having a lot of fun with it. It’s harmless and no one is getting hurt.

MG: Tell us about how you got involved with AMC Theater’s Sprint Commercial?
JJ: I had gotten a call about the YouTube clip being used in a commercial. Honestly I have been asked by quite a few companies to use the video but they didn’t fit my message of promoting kids health and fitness. When I was contacted by Sprint I reallyliked their idea of bringing people together through technology. They were great and I think they did a classy job. I was glad to be a part of it.

MG: What would you say has been the most interesting thing to happen since becoming a YouTube sensation?
JJ: The most surprising thing for me is how it has opened up a whole new audience for me. I have always gone around the country teaching however a whole new audience is knowing about things like my books “A Place in the Choir” and “Double Dream Hands”. More people seem to be reading those which have really allowed me to spread my message about kid’s health and adult fitness. I get messages from all over the world about people using Double Dream Hands which is great.

MG: What other projects do you have planned for 2012?
JJ: I have been doing this for a long time and we have always had a lot of good feedback from young people. When we started getting feedback from other ages about Double Dream Hands we put together a 30 minute video of songs like that for a work out DVD. It’s called “Double Dream Hands: Work-Out Songs for Fun and Fitness”. It’s a really neat thing that is fun and a good work out. I have an inspiration book out called “Double Dreams” that I am really excited about. There also will be some new YouTube videos coming out as well. We are going to be tailoring those more to our YouTube audience. I am having a lot of fun with all of this and other people are as well so why not!

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Behind the Scenes: The 84th Annual Academy Awards

As Oscar time rolls around it’s time to take a look at this years nominees and pick the winners. If you agree or disagree, please feel free to post your comments. Here we go:

BEST PICTURE

The Nominees are:
The Artist, The Descendants, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, The Help, Hugo, Midnight in Paris, Moneyball, The Tree of Life, War Horse.

Missing: The Way

After going from five nominees to ten a couple of years ago the Academy once again changed their rules. When ballots go out, each voter is allowed to name five films in order of one through five. The new rules state that if a film is named in the first position on at least 10% of the votes, it is a Best Picture nominee. Which means next year we could have eleven nominees….or three!

Should win: The Artist

Will win: The Artist

One of the most original films of the 21st Century, this love letter to the days of early Hollywood should become the first silent film (o.k., there are two words spoken but why quibble) to be named Best Picture since “Wings” won the very first Best Picture Oscar.

BEST ACTOR

The nominees are: Demian Bichir (“A Better Life”), George Clooney (“The Descendants”), Jean Dujardin (“The Artist”), Gary Oldman (“Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy”), Brad Pitt (“Moneyball”)

Missing: Michael Fassbinder (“Shame”)

Should win: George Clooney

Will win: George Clooney

It’s really a two man race between Clooney and Dujardin, who won the Best Actor award at the Cannes Film Festival. But Clooney gets the nod here because his performance here as a man who learns his critically ill wife has cheated on him is unlike anything he’s done before. Plus Hollywood loves him.

BEST ACTRESS

The nominees are: Glenn Close (“Albert Nobbs”), Viola Davis (“The Help”), “Rooney Mara (“The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”), Meryl Streep (“The Iron Lady”), Michelle Williams (“My Week with Marilyn”)

Missing: Tilda Swinton (“We Need to Talk About Kevin”)

Should win: Meryl Streep

Will win: Viola Davis

Here we have a two women race. This is Streeps’ SEVENTEENTH acting nomination and most people assume she has 5 or 6 Oscars on the shelf. However, she’s only won twice (Best Supporting Actress for “Kramer vs Kramer” and Best Actress for “Sophie’s Choice”) with her last award coming almost three decades ago. She is due for Oscar number three and with her performance as Margaret Thatcher she should win it. However Davis (a past MediaMikes interview subject), in a role that could have easily slipped into stereotype, put so much dignity and soul into her performance that you truly rooted for her.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

The nominees are: Kenneth Branagh (“My Week with Marilyn”), Jonah Hill (“Moneyball”), Nick Nolte (“Warrior”), Christopher Plummer (“Beginners”), Max von Sydow (“Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close”).

Missing: Ben Kingsley (“Hugo”)

Should win: Nick Nolte

Will win: Christopher Plummer

Probably the closest race of the bunch, this category features three actors who are often regarded as the greatest in their countries history: Sweden’s von Sydow, Canada’s Plummer and England’s Branagh. There is a great irony in Branagh’s performance. He is often regarded as the successor to the great Laurence Olivier due to his Shakespearean background and his nomination comes from his portrayal of Olivier. In my opinion this award should go to Nolte, who gives one of his best performances ever in “Warrior.” But I think the Oscar will go to Plummer for his rare comedic performance as a man who comes out of the closet to his son after his wife dies in “Beginners.” Both Plummer and von Sydow are 82 and should either win they would become the oldest person to win an acting Academy Award. Currently the title is held by George Burns (Best Supporting Actor for “The Sunshine Boys”) and Jessica Tandy (Best Actress for “Driving Miss Daisy”), who were 80 when they won (though to be fair, Tandy was 200 days older then Burns).

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

The nominees are: Berenice Bejo (“The Artist”), Jessica Chastain (“The Help”), Melissa McCarthy (“Bridesmaids”), Janet McTeer (“Albert Nobbs”), Octavia Spencer (“The Help”).

Missing: Shailene Woodley (“The Descendants”)

Should win: Octavia Spencer

Will win: Octavia Spencer

This appears to be the runaway category, with Spencer nabbing pretty much every award she’s been nominated for. Like Viola Davis she took a role that could have easily spun into stereotype and put a humorous yet dignified spin on it. I will say that I am so glad to see Melissa McCarthy nominated. Comedy is so rarely recognized at awards time and she is truly deserving of her nomination.

BEST DIRECTOR

The nominees are: Michel Hazanavicius (“The Artist”), Alexander Payne (“The Descendants”), Martin Scorsese (“Hugo”), Woody Allen (“Midnight in Paris”), Terrence Malick (“The Tree of Life”)

Missing: David Fincher (“The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”)

Should win: Michel Hazanavicius

Will win: Michel Hazanavicius

Even though he made arguably one of the greatest films of the 1980s (“Raging Bull”) and the 1990s (“Goodfellas”), Martin Scorsese did not win a directing Oscar until “The Departed” five years ago. Had he still been Oscar-less “Hugo” would have surely brought him the prize. That being said, the award should go to Hazanavicius for his brilliant recreation of young Hollywood.

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE

The nominees are: A Cat in Paris, Chico and Rita, Kung Fu Panda 2, Puss in Boots, Rango.

Missing: The Adventures of TinTin

Should win: Puss in Boots

Will win: Rango

Despite winning the Golden Globe and Producer’s Guild awards for Best Animated Feature, Steven Spielberg’s “The Adventures of TinTin” was not nominated as apparently the animation branch of the Academy does not consider the motion capture process animation. Phooey! This is the first year that Pixar had a film eligible for a nomination (“Cars 2”) and didn’t receive one. Guess members aren’t big Mater fans. Dreamworks, the studio behind both “Kung Fu Panda 2” and “Puss in Boots” has won a couple awards in this category (for “Shrek” and a shared award for “Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit”) so the Academy should want to spread the wealth around and give it to “Rango.”

THE REST OF THE WINNERS

DOCUMENTARY FEATURE: “Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory”

DOCUMENTARY SHORT: “God is the Bigger Elvis”

FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM: “A Seperation:

CINEMATOGRAPHY: “The Tree of Life” (yes, you read that right)

MAKEUP: “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2”

ART DIRECTION: Hugo

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY: “Midnight in Paris” – Woody Allen

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY: “Moneyball” – Steven Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin

ANIMATED SHORT FILM: “La Luna”

LIVE ACTION SHORT FILM: “Time Freak”

VISUAL EFFECTS: “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2”

COSTUME DESIGN: “The Artist”

FILM EDITING: “Hugo”

SOUND MIXING: “War Horse”

SOUND EFFECTS: “War Horse”

ORIGINAL SCORE: “War Horse” – John Williams (including this year, Williams has been nominated for an Oscar 47 times! He’s actually competing against himself this year with “War Horse” and “The Adventures of TinTin”).

ORIGINAL SONG: “Man or Muppet” from “The Muppets

Check back on Monday for my thoughts on the winners and losers!

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Filed Under: Featured Tagged With: 84th, academy, annual, awards, scenes

Interview with Bob Odenkirk

Bob Odenkirk is known best for his skit series “Mr. Show with Bob and David” with David Cross. He has worked on Adult Swim shows like “Tom Goes to the Mayor” and “Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!” He has also has recurring roles on TV shows like “How I Met Your Mother” and “Breaking Bad”. Media Mikes had a chance to chat with Bob about his TV work and also his new upcoming pilot for Adult Swim.

Mike Gencarelli: Tell us about working on the “Breaking Bad”?
Bob Odenkirk: I love being a part of that show. It was something that came out of the blue and just fell on my head. It is different from all my other work as it is a drama. The show has a bunch of great actors and writers who work extremely hard. I don’t know if my character will continue to be a part of the show as I don’t really know what happens. Every year I will go down and hang out with the writers just to talk about writing. I guess while I am down there I will see if my characters name is up on any of the walls. I’m guessing they wouldn’t have me come over for lunch if my character wasn’t going to be around anymore. (Laughs) I really want to be a part of the show as I love playing the character. I have such respect for the challenge of making the show that I am for whatever they want to do with my character.

MG: What do you like most about playing the sleazy Saul Goodman?
BO: I want to play the sleazy guy. I love reading the script and asking myself what Saul is really trying to get done. He only is telling people what they want to hear or what will get them to do whatever it is he wants. It’s always fun to think about what he is really after.

MG: How does it compare to working on a show like “How I Met Your Mother”?
BO: The energy is different. There is a more relaxed feeling on a show such as “How I Met Your Mother”. “Breaking Bad” consists of a great group of people but in order to get the show done within the time constraints you have to work really hard. You have to show up knowing your lines and be ready to go. If that didn’t happen the show would just never get done. It’s a pretty serious place. It’s a challenge that is fun.

MG: Tell us about your recent stand up tour with the Birthday Boys, called “Seven Man Sweater”?
BO: The Birthday Boys are a sketch group here in Los Angeles that are really funny. We did a show earlier this year called “The Heroic Man”. We are currently working on coming up with a television show as well. I also did a show for Adult Swim called “Let’s Do This” that will air on their website next week. I want people to go to the site, check out the video and if they like it tell Adult Swim they want it made into a series.

MG: How did you get involved working with Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim?
BO: Tim and Eric are amazing, funny guys. They amaze me and are real artists. I think I am good at helping them with the tools that make a good show. They have a vision and a voice that is very distinct and unique. It’s an inspiration to work with guys like Tim and Eric. I envy them.

MG: Are you still writing for “Check It Out! with Dr. Steve Brule” season 2?
BO: I don’t. I think I helped with the first season by making some observations. I think I also talked with them about the point of view. That’s pretty much what I do with Tim and Eric as well. The episodes are pretty well completed and I just give them some notes.

MG: Are you going to be directing anymore films?
BO: Yes. When I finished “Brother Salomon” I felt like I really needed to step back from teachers and think about what I am doing there, why I am doing it and what will my next film be. I think I have a lot of fans that look at the 3 films I have done and they don’t really see my voice. It’s certainly not as potent as it was on “Mr. Show” and that’s understandable. I think the next movie I am going to make is going to be more of what you would want from me. I have a couple scripts out there and am actually meeting on one tomorrow. I also am shooting a short for “Funny or Die” next month which will be a lot of fun.

MG: Tell us about your role for the upcoming film “Movie 43”
BO: I am not in that but, I did direct a short for that film. Peter Farrelly is producing that and the film is made up of a variety of short comedy films. I gave them some stuff to look at and they picked one thing out of what I gave them. That film is pretty much out of my hands.

MG: What else do you have planned for 2012?
BO: David Cross and I are performing at the Amnesty International Ball with Cold Play. It’s nothing really big. (Laughs) David and I are also going to Vancouver where we are doing a show as well. I also will be recording my first Mr. Blow podcast which will be on Ear Wolf. Mr. Blow will be a podcast featuring people who wrote, were in or saw the live version of “Mr. Show”. The cast will not be about “Mr. Show” but about life now.

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Filed Under: Interviews, TV Interviews Tagged With: bob, interview, odenkirk

Interview with Meital Dohan

Meital Dohan is an Israeli born actress/musician. She has a recurring role on the series “Weeds” and has appeared in a variety films and television shows. Meital recently released her first music single titled “Yummy”. Media Mikes had a chance to talk with Meital about the single and her career in the entertainment industry.

Adam Lawton: What was it like working with Rami Afuni on your single “Yummy”?
Meital Dohan: It was great. I don’t see how working on music could ever be a bad experience. I have found that there is a connection and or vibe that happens when you are working with a producer. That’s what happened with Rami.

AL: What was your first recording experience like?
MD: Most of my career I have been an actress so recording is still somewhat new to me. It still keeps me intrigued and involved the same way acting does. I thinks it fun discover a new character. On the music side the fact that I am singing really surprises me.

AL: What made you decide to venture into music?
MD: It wasn’t so much a decision. I had been in shooting a version of “Dancing With the Stars” overseas and my spiritual guide told me that I had to return to America to work on music. I thought she was completely insane as I am an actress. She assured me things would work and I had worked with her for a few years so I trusted her. I came back and started working on the album. Everything has moved really fast and it’s been fun.

AL: Have you found either music or acting to be more difficult than the other?
MD: I really love both. Acting is something I have been doing since childhood. I have been on so many different stages that it is part of me. Singing is like a magical world that opened up and took me by storm. Music has a very different vibe. As a singer everything is up to you.

AL: Can you tell us about the album you are working on?
MD: The album is going to be titled “I’m In Hate With Love”. I am still in the recording process as we speak. I am working with some interesting producers and the whole thing is very exciting. We don’t have a set release date yet for the album as we are focusing right now on the single “Yummy”. That song has a real life to it. I have a couple shows booked around that song. Once we finish riding the wave “Yummy” has created we will release the next single.

AL: What do think has been the hardest part of breaking into a new market both as an actress and singer?
MD: I never really try to compare myself to anyone else. I think life is a journey that we have only so much control over. I had a great career in Israel and a great audience that I love. When I came to the states and wanted to go back something always happened that kept me here. I know I have a lot of fans that believe in me and want to see what I am doing. I don’t think it’s my job to worry about what and if something is going to happen. It’s the job of an artist to service the people they entertain.

AL: What other upcoming projects do you have coming up?
MD: I have a new television series in negotiations but I can’t really elaborate too much on that. The show will probably connect somehow to my skits online. There also are a few movie opportunities out there however the television series is my focus right now.

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Filed Under: Interviews, Music Interviews Tagged With: dohan, interview, meital

Film Review “Act of Valor”

Starring: Assorted Navy Seals, Alex Veadov and Nestor Serrano
Directed by: Mike McCoy and Scott Waugh
Rated: R
Running time: 1 hour 51 mins
Relativity Media

Our Score: 3.5 out of 5 stars

I have a confession to make here. During my entire time in the U.S. Army I feared for my life for exactly 5 hours. I was very fortunate to serve in a time where the world was relatively peaceful. Thirty years later, sadly, things have changed.

Made with the cooperation of the Department of Defense, and purporting to feature real active duty Navy Seals in its cast, “Act Of Valor” gives an unprecedented look into the lives, both in uniform and out, of the bravest of the brave. The story concerns a terrorist plot to smuggle undetectable suicide vests into America. Assigned to foil the plot is a tight knit group of men and women just like you or I. If you passed them on the street or saw them in the grocery store with their families you wouldn’t blink twice. But unlike you or I, when the time comes to go to work they do it with the knowledge that they may never see those families again. They’ve made the ultimate sacrifice so, if necessary, they can make the ultimate sacrifice.

The story is pretty standard as military films go. Bad guy wants to hurt us. We do our best to stop him. But here the camera takes you into the middle of the battles. Almost silent in their movements, the Seals move with the efficiency of a well oiled machine. Yes, the film is action packed…if you’ve ever played “Call of Duty” you’ve seen it…but somehow seeing these Seals react to each situation is sobering. The exhilaration of playing a game is gone and you’re hit with the fact that war has consequences.

On October 6, 1981 Egyptian President Anwar Sadat was assassinated. My unit in Germany was put on alert and at 1030 in the morning we headed out to what I was sure was certain war. Five hours later they told us to come home. The scariest five hours of my life. “Act of Valor” is a film dedicated to those who face their fears twenty four hours a day.

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Filed Under: Film Reviews Tagged With: act, film, review, valor

Film Review “Wanderlust”

Starring: Paul Rudd, Jennifer Aniston and Justin Theroux
Directed by: David Wain
Rated: R
Running time: 1 hour 51 mins
Universal

Our Score: 2.5 out of 5 stars

It was truly an offshoot of the 1960s. They were called communes – small tribes made up of many different people who grew their own food and lived by their own food. Each commune had a leader, someone who would guide the others both literally and spiritually. Like the communes, their leaders were often very different. Sometimes you got Michael Metellica. Sometimes you got Charles Manson.

George (Rudd) and Linda (Aniston) are a young married couple that just bought their first New York City property, a tiny studio apartment (or “micro-loft” if you believe the real estate agent). Linda is still in that stage of life where she hasn’t really nailed down a career path. She’s currently promoting a documentary film she made about penguins…and the many ways they die. George is unhappy at work. When fate intervenes in their lives they find themselves on the road, where a stop at a roadside bed and breakfast changes they’re lives.

Sometimes outrageously funny and other times dead on arrival, “Wanderlust” isn’t sure what it wants to be. Is it a commentary on today…a terrible economy and people going back to working the land to survive? Is it a discussion on how we all have to be responsible for our own decisions? Or is it a hilarious fish out of water comedy? If you find out, let me know.

It’s not like the cast isn’t trying. Rudd has always excelled at playing the sometimes sarcastic every man. Theroux, who has played everyone from John Hancock to Jesus Christ is surprisingly funny as Seth, a combination of Jim Jones and Tripper Harrison (Bill Murray’s camp counselor in “Meatballs”). His constant rants about the evils of technology (fax machines ) seem to indicate he hasn’t been out in the world since the 1980s. The supporting cast is led by Alan Alda, Malin Akerman and Kathryn Hahn, who portray various residents. If there’s a false note in the cast it’s Aniston, who seems to always end up playing the same kind of character when she stars in a movie. Give me the character actress Aniston from “Rock Star,” “Office Space” or “Horrible Bosses” anytime over another cookie cut role.

The comedy is raunchy at times and, in keeping with what seems to be the new trend in adult comedies, there are plenty of shots of penises included.

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Filed Under: Film Reviews Tagged With: film, review, wanderlust

DVD Review “Wyatt Earp’s Revenge”

Directors: Michael Feifer
Actors: Val Kilmer, Shawn Roberts, Matt Dallas, Daniel Booko, Scott Whyte, Trace Adkins
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Distributed by: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
DVD Release Date: March 6, 2012
Running Time: 93 minutes

Film: 2 out of 5 stars
Extras: 1 out of 5 stars

When it comes to Westerns, the topic of Wyatt Earp is one of the most well-known. Although, this one lacks the real Western feel. If you are watching this primarily due tot the draw of Val Kilmer and Trace Adkins, like me, you will be disappointed as they have extremely small roles. Val Kilmer plays old and fat Wyatt Earp, with one of the worst fake mustaches in movie history. He tells the story, which leads to the flashback where the film takes place. Trace Adkins was in it so briefly I blinked almost missed him. Maybe it was a bad idea for me to watch this film the same day as the Clint Eastwood classic “Unforgiven”, only made it look that much worse.

The film is based off the true story recounted from legendary lawman, Earp, as he tells how he formed the best group of men to avenge the vicious murder of his love, Dora. The “best of the west” group was formed of Bat Masterson, Charlie Bassett, Bill Tilghman and Doc Holliday. The group heads after the Kenedy brothers, who are protected by their powerful father and are untouchable by the law. Of course they find out how far Earp and his posse will go to get revenge.

If you are looking special features, this will only disappoint you more. Since there is only one mega brief behind the scenes extra. “Riding Along with Wyatt Earp” runs a mere three minutes and includes on behind the scenes look and interviews with cast/crew. Overall it is too short and leaves you unsatisfied just like the film does.

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Filed Under: DVD/Blu-Ray Reviews Tagged With: dvd, earps, revenge, review, wyatt

DVD Review “The Guild: Season 5”

Directed by: Sean Becker
Starring: Felicia Day, Jeff Lewis, Amy Okuda, Sandeep Parikh, Robin Thorsen
MPAA Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Distributed by: New Video
DVD Release Date: March 13, 2012
Running Time: 95 minutes

Season 5: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Extras: 4 out of 5 stars

Season 5 is the most ambitious yet for this fantastic web series and this DVD includes all 12 episodes uncut. The scale has been expanded well beyond the past seasons. The plot features the group going on a road trip to attend a video game convention, MegaGame-O-RamaCon. Even though they are at a gaming convention there is little video game playing and more focus is giving to individual characters and their plots. I really enjoyed the direction that this show is going in and with the up-scaled plot makes the show feel well beyond just a web series.

Felicia Day, who again wrote and starred in this season, mentioned that this season was her dream route to take the show to a new level. I think that the writing is much better and the performances from the cast are so sharp this season. There is also many more cameos this season including Maurissa Tancharoen Whedon, Doug Jones, Nathan Fillion, Erin Gray, Brent Spiner and of course Wil Wheaton. Like I mentioned each character has it own stories, Codex (Day) focuses on saving their game from being sold to a corporation.  Vork (Lewis) and Bladezz (Caso) decide to get a booth and take advantage of the Cheesybeard Pirate fame. Clara (Torsen) joins up with a Steampunk group. Tink (Okuda) get a real back story involving her family. Last but not least, Zaboo (Parikh) starts a seat-saving clan during convention. Each story was really sharp and was fine-tuned to each actor skills perfectly.

The special features are excellent as always for this series. Since this show is available online, these extras are the main draw. There are a bunch of cast interviews, talking about their experience with this season. The music is cheesy but the interviews are good. There is three featurettes included, the first is called “Double Trouble”, which tells about Leslie Crystal road from extra to co-star. The next is called “How to Build a Con” and really shows how much work goes into this show. The last is called “Steampunk Verite” and tells about the Steampunk booth was created. Like past DVD releases there are also two audio commentaries, one with the cast and one with creator Felicia Day, director Sean Becker and producer Kim Evey. Both are great and a lot of fun. There is a four minute gag reel, which is a riot. Lastly there is a video of the first episodes table read, which is cool to see but is shot from a terrible angle. Overall, another impressive DVD release! Look forward to season 6!

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Filed Under: DVD/Blu-Ray Reviews Tagged With: 5, dvd, guild, review, season
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