Heath Ledger

Surprise! Chicago International Film Festival Screens ‘The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus’

PatrickMcD — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 11:03:41 -0600

CHICAGO – “The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassas,” the long anticipated final film of Heath Ledger, directed by Terry Gilliam, was previewed last night at the Chicago International Film Festival at their “surprise’ screening.

The Audience Anticipates the Surprise Screening at the Chicago International Film Festival, October 20, 2009.
Photo credit: Patrick McDonald for HollywoodChicago.com

Patrons gained entrance to the film by wearing an official Chicago International Film Festival clothing. Festival Artistic Director Michael Kutza got into the spirit, coordinating a photo shoot of the audience before the feature presentation.

Festival Founder and Artistic Director Michael Kutza and Patrick McDonald, October 20, 2009.
Photo credit: Patrick McDonald for HollywoodChicago.com

The buzz about what film it could possibly be was palpable as everyone was seated. Many votes were cast for the Robert Downey/Guy Ritchie “Sherlock Holmes,” and as the surprise film also began in London the possibility was still there. When the title card came up, “The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassas,” a rousing burst of applause was heard.

This major preview was directed by Terry Gilliam, and concerns a troupe of actors performing their traveling show to modern Londoners. It features the mysterious Doctor Parnassas (Christopher Plummer) and his daughter Valentina (Lily Cole). They pick up a prominent charity director along the way named Tony (Heath Ledger) and the secrets of the Imaginarium begin to unfold.

Those secrets will be revealed on a 2009 Christmas Day Opening. The audience spilled out of the surprise screening extremely pleased, knowing that again the Chicago International Film Festival continued their tradition of being the at the forefront with major releases and quality festival fare.

”Best of the Fest” is tonight, October 21, 2009. The Chicago International Film Festival wraps up October 22th. Click here for details.

By PATRICK McDONALD
Senior Staff Writer
HollywoodChicago.com
pat@hollywoodchicago.com

DVD, Blu-Ray Round Up, Mar. 10, 2009: ‘Scarlett Johansson Collection,’ ‘Brokeback Mountain,’ ‘Witch Mountain’

BrianTT — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 12:02:32 -0600

CHICAGO – The Round-Up, HollywoodChicago.com’s famous recurring column about lesser Blu-Ray and DVD titles that may have slipped through your fingers at the store recently, is in clean-up mode this week. With a DVD collection for a famous young actress, an old cartoon, a straight-to-video horror movie, and three movies with the word “Mountain” in the title, the only word that comes to mind to tie these titles together is “random”.

You know those bins of “impulse buy” items you’ll see in stores near the cash register? Stuff that you may not have put on your shopping list and that you may not even know you want until you see them? That’s what this week’s Round-Up column is like. Peek in the bin and take a look at “Jonny Quest,” “The Scarlett Johansson Collection,” “Dead in 3 Days,” “Brokeback Mountain,” “Escape to Witch Mountain,” and “Return to Witch Mountain”.

“Jonny Quest - The Real Adventures: Season One, Volume One” was released on February 17th, 2009.

“The Scarlett Johansson Collection” was released on February 24th, 2009.

“Dead in 3 Days” was released on March 3rd, 2009.

“Brokeback Mountain,” “Escape to Witch Mountain,” and “Race to Witch Mountain” were released on March 10th, 2009.

“Brokeback Mountain” (Blu-Ray)

Photo credit: Universal

The film that should have beaten “Crash” for Best Picture, “Brokeback Mountain,” is finally out on Blu-Ray, probably timed to coincide with the release of Focus Features’ “Milk” this week, another film that arguably should have won Best Picture from the same DVD company. It’s also possibly a tie-in with “Race to Witch Mountain,” opening in theaters this Friday, but really the Ang Lee film shares nothing but a word in the title with the Rock movie. Whatever the reason, “Brokeback Mountain” is an amazing film, a movie that should have won Heath Ledger his first Oscar and will truly stand the test of time.

“Brokeback Mountain” stars Heath Ledger, Jake Gyllenhaal, Anne Hathaway, Michelle Williams, and Kate Mara. It is written by Larry McMurtry & Diana Ossana and directed by Ang Lee and is rated R.

“Directed by Academy Award-winning filmmaker Ang Lee, Brokeback Mountain is a sweeping epic that explores the lives of two young men, a ranch hand and a rodeo cowboy, who meet in the summer of 1963 and unexpectedly forge a lifelong connection. The complications, joys and heartbreak they experience provide a testament to the endurance and power of love. Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal deliver emotionally charged, remarkably moving performances in “a movie that is destined to become one of the great classics of our time” (Clay Smith, The Insider).”

“Brokeback Mountain” is presented in 1080P High-Definition Widescreen with a 1.85:1 aspect ratio and an English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track and Spanish and French DTS 5.1 tracks. Special features include “A Groundbreaking Success,” “Music From the Mountain,” “Impressions From the Film,” “On Being a Cowboy,” “Directing from the Heart: Ang Lee,” “From Script to Screen: Interviews with Larry McMurtry and Diana Ossana,” and “Sharing the Story: The Making of Brokeback Mountain”.

“Dead in 3 Days”

Photo credit: The Weinstein Company

Another week, another straight-to-video horror movie. This week’s entry comes from “Dimension Extreme,” the studio that has produced “Feast III: The Happy Finish,” “Eden Lake,” and “Zombie Diaries” in the last few months. If you have seen any of those movies, this title may be of interest to you. If not, there’s probably something else out there for ya.

“Dead in 3 Days” stars Sabrina Reiter, Julia Rosa Stockl, Laurence Rupp, Nadja Vogel, and Michael Steinocher. It is written by Thomas Baum & Andreas Prochaska and directed by Prochaska and is rated R.

“A peaceful mountain lake community is terrorized when a close-knit group of friends becomes the target of a mysterious deranged killer. Triggers by an ominous test message sent to each of their cell phones, one-by-one the friends are killed by their stalker. As the clueless police scramble to find a suspect, the vicious murders continue — until the last survivors come fact-to-face with their relentless stalker. Tense, suspenseful and frightening, Dead in 3 Days is a “slick, well-shot and engaging slasher” (bloody-disgusting.com).”

“Dead in 3 Days” is presented in a matted widescreen format and with an English and German Dolby 5.1 track. Special features include, well, nothing. Maybe the movie is special enough.

“Escape to Witch Mountain”

Photo credit: Walt Disney Home Video

With the Dwayne Johnson remake hitting theaters this weekend, Walt Disney Studios have reached into the vault and pulled out the two films that inspired “Race to Witch Mountain” - 1975’s “Escape to Witch Mountain” and 1978’s “Return From Witch Mountain”. Each film has been given the “Walt Disney Family Classics” label and accompanied by a new trivia track. Before you see the new version of “Witch Mountain,” catch up with where it all began.

“A vehicle floats in midair…a coat rack comes to life and attacks a sheriff…and wild animals are putty in the hands of Tony and Tia Malone in Disney’s thrilling fantasy adventure about the psychic powers of two young orphans. Their clairvoyance prompts evil millionaire Aristotle Bolt (Ray Milland) to lure them to his mansion to exploit their powers. While escaping, they meet a friendly camper (Eddie Albert) and begin to unravel the mystery of their origin. Soon, all three are fleeing townspeople who have branded the children witches. But then IT happens! Someone with even greater powers takes over and leads the children - and the audience - into a dazzling and unexpected experience…one that is truly out of this world!”

“Escape to Witch Mountain” stars Eddie Albert, Ray Milland, Donald Pleasence, Kim Richards, and Ike Eisenmann. It was written by Robert Malcolm Young and directed by John Hough. It is rated G.

“Escape to Witch Mountain” is presented in 1.75:1 widescreen enhanced for 16x9 televisions and accompanied by a Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound track. Special features include a new pop-up fun facts track, “Making the Escape,” “Conversation with John Hough,” “Disney Sci-Fi,” “Pluto’s Dream House,” “Disney Effects - Something Special,” “1975 Disney Studio Album,” and an audio commentary.

“Return From Witch Mountain”

Photo credit: Walt Disney Home Video

“In this thrilling sequel to Disney’s Escape to Witch Mountain, automobiles mysteriously fly and humans float in thin air as sinister masterminds Christopher Lee and Bette Davis unleash a diabolical plan. The entire city of Los Angeles teeters on the brink of nuclear disaster when the greedy criminals manipulate a young boy’s supernatural powers for their own devious gain. But the youth’s sister and a streetwise band of truants join forces in a desperate attempt to save the city from destruction.”

“Return From Witch Mountain” stars Bette Davis, Christopher Lee, Kim Richards, and Ike Eisenmann. It is written by Malcolm Marmorstein and directed by John Hough. It is rated G.

“Return From Witch Mountain” is presented in 1.75:1 widescreen enhanced for 16x9 televisions and accompanied by a Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound track. Special features include a new pop-up fun facts track, “Making the Return Trip,” “The Gang’s Back in Town,” “Disney Kids with Powers,” “The Eyes Have It,” “Lost Treasure: Christopher Lee, The Lost Interview,” “1978 Disney Studio Album,” and an audio commentary.

“Jonny Quest - The Real Adventures: Season One, Volume One”

Photo credit: Warner Bros.

I’m a huge fan of old cartoons, but I can’t look at “Jonny Quest” the same way since becoming a “Venture Bros.” nut. “Venture” so perfectly satirizes old-fashioned action cartoons like “Quest” that it’s hard to look at them the same way. Still, it’s cool for animation collectors to be able to include thirteen episodes of “The Real Adventures” in their collection. This version of “Quest” aired from 1996 to 1997. Consider it a cult item.

“In this thrilling reinvention of the classic animated series, adventurous teen Jonny teams with his scientist father Benton Quest, bodyguard Race Bannon, Dr. quest’s paranormally powered assistant Hadji - and a new character, Race’s smart and intrepid daughter Jessie. Circling the globe in a cool armada of air, land and sea vehicles to unravel mysteries, uncover strange phenomena and face danger head-on, the Quest crew always goes where the action is. That can be our real world - or the dazzling virtual reality domain called Questworld, rendered via groundbreaking-in-its-time computer animation. The fantastic 2-disc collection of the series’ first 13 episodes places you right beside them. Buckle up for real excitement!”

“Jonny Quest - The Real Adventures: Season One, Volume One” is presented in standard, full-frame format with an English language 2.0 track. The only special feature is a featurette called “Jonny Quest Returns: Modernizing a Classic for a New Generation of Fans”.

“The Scarlett Johansson Collection”

Photo credit: Lionsgate

A collection for Scarlett Johansson? Is she really old enough for a collection? Don’t ask Lionsgate. If they get the rights to three movies they can link together with a director or actor, they will. And I don’t mean that in a negative way. These low-priced collections are great “sampler packs” for fans of a certain director or star. But Scarlett Johansson? And these three films? One is certainly among her most highly acclaimed roles. Consider the other two just long special features.

“Girl With a Pearl Earring”: “Seventeen-year-old Griet becomes a maid in the house of Johannes Vermeer, where she gradually attracts the master painter’s attention. The result will be one of the greatest paintings ever created.” The film co-stars Colin Firth, Tom Wilkinson, and Cillian Murphy. It was written by Olivia Hetreed and directed by Peter Webber. It is rated PG-13.

“A Good Woman”: “Newlywed Meg Windermere enjoys the season in Italy until notorious seductress Mrs. Erlynne descends - and sets her sights on Mr. Windermere! The gossips eat it up, but Meg is determined to serve a steamy dish of revenge. Based on a play by Oscar Wilde.” The film co-stars Helen Hunt and Tom Wilkinson. It was written by Howard Himelstein and directed by Mike Barker. It is rated PG.

“An American Rhapsody”: “Persecuted by an oppressive Communist government, a Hungarian couple makes a daring flight for freedom. Their escape comes at an unthinkable price - their daughter Suzanne is left behind. An American Rhapsody is based on the true story of a young girl’s unforgettable journey of self-discovery.” The film co-stars Nastassja Kinski, Tony Goldwyn, Mae Whitman, and Emmy Rossum. It was written and directed by Eva Gardos.

All three films are presented in widescreen with an English 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround Audio track. All of them come with trailers. “Girl With a Pearl Earring” includes “Anatomy of a Scene”. “A Good Woman” includes director and producer commentary. “An American Rhapsody” includes a commentary by writer/director Ava Gardos and producer Colleen Camp.

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

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

‘Watchmen’ at Chicago’s Navy Pier IMAX Adds Morning Screening on March 6, 2009

HollywoodChicago.com — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 00:22:30 -0700

CHICAGO – If you’re like many others who crave braving the opening-day crowds to see the highly anticipated new “Watchmen” film, HollywoodChicago.com has learned that Chicago’s Navy Pier IMAX theatre has just added one additional screening at 7 a.m. on Friday, March 6, 2009. Chicago moviegoers could even catch the flick and make it to work by 10 a.m.

“Watchmen,” which is a movie adaptation of one of the most celebrated graphic novels of our time, stars Malin Akerman, Billy Crudup, Matthew Goode, Jackie Earle Haley, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Patrick Wilson, Carla Gugino, Matt Frewer, Laura Mennell, Stephen McHattie, Rob LaBelle, Gary Houston, James M. Connor and Mary Ann Burger from “300” director Zack Snyder.

Opening weekend will begin with a sold-out screening at midnight on Friday, March 6, 2009 (i.e. late Thursday night on March 5, 2009). IMAX tickets for opening weekend – including the newly added 7 a.m. screening – are now on sale. Tickets are $15 for adults, $14 for seniors and $13 for children. They are available at the Navy Pier IMAX theatre box office at 700 E. Grand Ave. or online here.

The “Watchmen” ensemble.
Image credit: Warner Bros.

“The film and story are so detailed,” said “Watchmen” director Zack Snyder in a Tuesday statement. “The minutiae of its setting and characters are integral to the film. Seeing the film presented in IMAX will allow audiences to be fully immersed in the world of ‘Watchmen’.”

Here is the “Watchmen” plot description (source):

In a gritty and alternate 1985, the glory days of costumed vigilantes have been brought to a close by a government crackdown. After one of the masked veterans is brutally murdered, though, an investigation into the killer is initiated.

The reunited heroes set out to prevent their own destruction, but in doing so, they discover a deeper and much more diabolical plot.

Before “Watchmen” opens, Chicagoans have one last chance to see “The Dark Knight” in IMAX. Featuring the Oscar-winning performance by the late Heath Ledger, “The Dark Knight” was originally released in July 2008. “The Dark Knight” will be screened for the final time in Chicago on Thursday, March 5, 2009. Tickets are now available now for the final days of “The Dark Knight”.

See our 26-image “Watchmen” slideshow of world-premiere arrivals.
See our 26-image “Watchmen” slideshow (part one).
See our 26-image “Watchmen” slideshow (part two).
Read more “Watchmen” coverage on HollywoodChicago.com.

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

‘Slumdog Millionaire,’ Kate Winslet, Heath Ledger, Sean Penn Win 2009 Academy Awards

BrianTT — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 23:17:08 -0700

CHICAGO – Fox Searchlight’s “Slumdog Millionaire” was the huge winner at The 81st Annual Academy Awards on Sunday, February 22nd, 2009 taking home an amazing eight Oscars, including the trophies for Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Adapted Screenplay. The film also won Best Cinematography, Best Editing, Best Score, Best Song, and Best Sound Mixing.

“Slumdog” was easily the big winner of the night, followed by “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” with three trophies and “Milk” and “The Dark Knight” with two.

Penelope Cruz at the 2009 Oscars.
Photo credit: Michael Yada/AMPAS

Acting winners started with Penelope Cruz taking the Supporting Actress trophy for “Amy Adams & Viola Davis for “Doubt,” Taraji P. Henson for “Benjamin Button,” and Marisa Tomei for “The Wrestler”. Cruz joked about possibly fainting and thanked Woody Allen for giving her a great role.

The Supporting Actor trophy went to Heath Ledger for “The Dark Knight”. The deceased actor’s family accepted for him after a standing ovation from the audience. Ledger beat out Josh Brolin for “Milk,” Robert Downey Jr. for “Tropic Thunder,” Philip Seymour Hoffman for “Doubt,” and Michael Shannon for “Revolutionary Road”. The last posthumous winner was Peter Finch who won Best Actor for 1976’s “Network”. There wasn’t a dry eye in the house after Ledger’s win.

The Actress award went, predictably, to the great Kate Winslet for “The Reader,” her first win after five previous nominations. A teary-eyed Winslet beat out Meryl Streep for “Doubt,” Anne Hathaway for “Rachel Getting Married,” Melissa Leo for “Frozen River,” and Angelina Jolie for “Changeling”.

The final acting award of the night was arguably the most nail-biting with Sean Penn taking the prize for “Milk” over Mickey Rourke for “The Wrestler”. The two were in a dead heat from most Oscar watchers, leaving Frank Langella for “Frost/Nixon,” Richard Jenkins for “The Visitor” and Brad Pitt for “Benjamin Button” to wait till next time.

Philippe Petit of “Man on Wire” at the 2009 Oscars.
Photo credit: Michael Yada/AMPAS

Danny Boyle jumped up and down after winning for “Slumdog Millionaire,” clearly the emotional favorite of the evening. The last film to win at least eight awards was “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King” five years ago.

Best Animated Film went to “WALL-E,” Best Documentary to “Man on Wire,” and, in one of the few surprises of the evening, Best Foreign Language Film went to “Departures,” over the more popular “The Class” and “Waltz With Bashir”.

The style of the Academy Awards this year was very different. Previous winners gave speeches about each of the acting nominees including presenters like Shirley MacLaine, Sophia Loren, Anthony Hopkins, Sir Ben Kingsley, Tilda Swinton, Halle Berry, and Kevin Kline. Awards were also commonly given away in groups with both screenplays, sound and visual effects, and the music awards being given away at the same time.

Dustin Lance Black won Best Original Screenplay for his debut work on “Milk” and gave one of the most heartfelt and moving speeches of the night. Simon Beaufoy won Best Adapted Screenplay for “Slumdog Millionaire”.

On the technical ledger for awards that “Slumdog Millionaire” didn’t take home, “The Dark Knight” won Sound Editing, “Benjamin Button” won Visual Effects, Makeup, and Art Direction, and “The Duchess” won Costume Design.

The winning short films were “Smile Pinki,” “La Maison en Petits Cubes,” and “Toyland”. Hugh Jackman hosted the affair and while many will critique and praise him in the coming hours, he came off as likable and certainly gave it his all. Jerry Lewis won the Lifetime Achievement Award.

See our 30-image red-carpet slideshow of the 2009 Oscars.
Read our full list of the 2009 Oscar nominees.

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

Slideshow: 44-Image Gallery For 15th-Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards

BrianTT — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 09:17:19 -0700

CHICAGO – This 44-image slideshow contains a selection of official press images from The 15th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards, which were handed out on Sunday, January 25th, 2009.

The Screen Actors Guild gave out their coveted awards on Sunday, January 25th, 2009 and Heath Ledger, Kate Winslet, Sean Penn, and Meryl Streep walked away with the major film acting prizes. “Slumdog Millionaire” was awarded the prize for best ensemble of the year.

Predictably, “30 Rock” and “Mad Men” took home the television ensemble prizes. Images of all winners are included in the slideshow.

You can click “Next” and “Previous” to scan through this slideshow or jump directly to individual photos with the captioned links below. Photo credits listed on each individual slide.

Read our news story with the winners of the 2009 SAG awards.

SAG_Awards_01: Kate Winslet and Freida Pinto arrive to the TNT/TBS broadcast of the 15th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at the Shrine Auditorium on January 25, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. Photo by Kevn Mazur.
SAG_Awards_02: Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt arrive to the TNT/TBS broadcast of the 15th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at the Shrine Auditorium on January 25, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. Photo by Lester Cohen.
SAG_Awards_03: Mickey Rourke and Josh Brolin arrive to the TNT/TBS broadcast of the 15th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at the Shrine Auditorium on January 25, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. Photo by Lester Cohen.
SAG_Awards_04: Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt arrive to the TNT/TBS broadcast of the 15th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at the Shrine Auditorium on January 25, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. Photo by Michael Buckner.
SAG_Awards_05: Kate Winslet in the Press Room at the TNT/TBS broadcast of the 15th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at the Shrine Auditorium on January 25, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. Photo by Michael Buckner.
SAG_Awards_06: Forest Whitaker and James Earl Jones in the Press Room at the TNT/TBS broadcast of the 15th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at the Shrine Auditorium on January 25, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. Photo by Michael Buckner.
SAG_Awards_07: Laura Linney in the Press Room at the TNT/TBS broadcast of the 15th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at the Shrine Auditorium on January 25, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. Photo by Michael Buckner.
SAG_Awards_08: Sean Penn in the Press Room at the TNT/TBS broadcast of the 15th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at the Shrine Auditorium on January 25, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. Photo by Michael Buckner.
SAG_Awards_09: The cast of Slumdog Millionaire in the Press Room at the TNT/TBS broadcast of the 15th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at the Shrine Auditorium on January 25, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. Photo by Michael Buckner.
SAG_Awards_10: Freida Pinto in the Press Room at the TNT/TBS broadcast of the 15th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at the Shrine Auditorium on January 25, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. Photo by Michael Buckner.
SAG_Awards_11: Meryl Streep in the Press Room at the TNT/TBS broadcast of the 15th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at the Shrine Auditorium on January 25, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. Photo by Michael Buckner.
SAG_Awards_12: Kate Winslet on stage at the TNT/TBS broadcast of the 15th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at the Shrine Auditorium on January 25, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. Photo by Michael Caulfield
SAG_Awards_13: James Earl Jones on stage at the TNT/TBS broadcast of the 15th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at the Shrine Auditorium on January 25, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. Photo by Michael Caulfield
SAG_Awards_14: Gary Oldman on stage at the TNT/TBS broadcast of the 15th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at the Shrine Auditorium on January 25, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. Photo by Michael Caulfield
SAG_Awards_15: Taraji P. Henson and Brad Pitt on stage at the TNT/TBS broadcast of the 15th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at the Shrine Auditorium on January 25, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. Photo by Michael Caulfield
SAG_Awards_16: Meryl Streep on stage at the TNT/TBS broadcast of the 15th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at the Shrine Auditorium on January 25, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. Photo by Michael Caulfield
SAG_Awards_17: Penelope Cruz and Meryl Streep attend the TNT/TBS broadcast of the 15th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at the Shrine Auditorium on January 25, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris.
SAG_Awards_18: Evan Rachel Wood, Mickey Rourke, Angelina Jolie, and Brad Pitt attend the TNT/TBS broadcast of the 15th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at the Shrine Auditorium on January 25, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris.
SAG_Awards_19: Tracy Morgan and Jane Krakowski in the audience at the TNT/TBS broadcast of the 15th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at the Shrine Auditorium on January 25, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. Photo by John Shearer.
SAG_Awards_20: Actors Penelope Cruz and Marisa Tomei in the audience at the TNT/TBS broadcast of the 15th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at the Shrine Auditorium on January 25, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. Photo by Kevin Mazur
SAG_Awards_21: Actress Tina Fey, actress Amy Poehler and actor Will Arnett in the audience at the TNT/TBS broadcast of the 15th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at the Shrine Auditorium on January 25, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. Photo by Kevin Mazur.
SAG_Awards_22: Actors Penelope Cruz and Kate Winslet in the audience at the TNT/TBS broadcast of the 15th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at the Shrine Auditorium on January 25, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. Photo by Kevin Mazur.
SAG_Awards_23: Sean Penn backstage at the TNT/TBS broadcast of the 15th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at the Shrine Auditorium on January 25, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. Photo by Kevin Mazur.
SAG_Awards_24: Tina Fey backstage at the TNT/TBS broadcast of the 15th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at the Shrine Auditorium on January 25, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. Photo by Lester Cohen.
SAG_Awards_25: Tracy Morgan backstage at the TNT/TBS broadcast of the 15th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at the Shrine Auditorium on January 25, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. Photo by Lester Cohen.
SAG_Awards_26: Sean Penn and Robin Wright Penn in the audience at the TNT/TBS broadcast of the 15th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at the Shrine Auditorium on January 25, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. Photo by Kevin Mazur.
SAG_Awards_27: Actor Alec Baldwin poses for his portrait at the TNT/TBS broadcast of the 15th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at the Shrine Auditorium on January 25, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. Photo by Kevin Mazur.
SAG_Awards_28: Actress Tina Fey and actor Alec Baldwin poses for their portrait at the TNT/TBS broadcast of the 15th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at the Shrine Auditorium on January 25, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. Photo by Kevin Mazur.
SAG_Awards_29: The Cast of “30 Rock” pose for their portrait at the TNT/TBS broadcast of the 15th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at the Shrine Auditorium on January 25, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. Photo by Kevin Mazur.
SAG_Awards_30: Actress Tina Fey poses for her portrait at the TNT/TBS broadcast of the 15th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at the Shrine Auditorium on January 25, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. Photo by Kevin Mazur.
SAG_Awards_31: Actress Tina Fey poses for their portrait at the TNT/TBS broadcast of the 15th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at the Shrine Auditorium on January 25, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. Photo by Kevin Mazur.
SAG_Awards_32: Actress Sally Field poses for their portrait at the TNT/TBS broadcast of the 15th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at the Shrine Auditorium on January 25, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. Photo by Kevin Mazur.
SAG_Awards_33: Actress Kate Winslet and actress Sally Field pose for their portrait at the TNT/TBS broadcast of the 15th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at the Shrine Auditorium on January 25, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. Photo by Kevin Mazur.
SAG_Awards_34: Actress Kate Winslet poses for her portrait at the TNT/TBS broadcast of the 15th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at the Shrine Auditorium on January 25, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. Photo by Kevin Mazur.
SAG_Awards_35: Actor Hugh Laurie poses for his portrait at the TNT/TBS broadcast of the 15th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at the Shrine Auditorium on January 25, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. Photo by Kevin Mazur.
SAG_Awards_36: Actor Hugh Laurie poses for his portrait at the TNT/TBS broadcast of the 15th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at the Shrine Auditorium on January 25, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. Photo by Kevin Mazur.
SAG_Awards_37: The cast of “Mad Men” pose for their portrait at the TNT/TBS broadcast of the 15th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at the Shrine Auditorium on January 25, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. Photo by Kevin Mazur.
SAG_Awards_38: Actor Forrest Whittaker and actor James Earl Jones pose for their portrait at the TNT/TBS broadcast of the 15th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at the Shrine Auditorium on January 25, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. Photo by Kevin Mazur.
SAG_Awards_39: Actress Laura Linney poses for her portrait at the TNT/TBS broadcast of the 15th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at the Shrine Auditorium on January 25, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. Photo by Kevin Mazur.
SAG_Awards_40: Actor Sean Penn poses for his portrait at the TNT/TBS broadcast of the 15th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at the Shrine Auditorium on January 25, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. Photo by Kevin Mazur.
SAG_Awards_41: Actress Meryl Streep poses for her portrait at the TNT/TBS broadcast of the 15th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at the Shrine Auditorium on January 25, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. Photo by Kevin Mazur.
SAG_Awards_42: Actress Meryl Streep poses for her portrait at the TNT/TBS broadcast of the 15th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at the Shrine Auditorium on January 25, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. Photo by Kevin Mazur.
SAG_Awards_43: Actors Irrfan Kahn, Frieda Pinto, Dev Patel and Anil Kapoor pose for their portrait at the TNT/TBS broadcast of the 15th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at the Shrine Auditorium on January 25, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. Photo by Kevin Mazur.
SAG_Awards_44: Actor Dev Patel and actress Freida Pinto poses for their portrait at the TNT/TBS broadcast of the 15th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at the Shrine Auditorium on January 25, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. Photo by Kevin Mazur.

Read our news story with the winners of the 2009 SAG awards.

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

Heath Ledger, Kate Winslet Win 2009 Screen Actors Guild Awards

BrianTT — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 08:41:34 -0700

CHICAGO – The Screen Actors Guild (SAG) gave out its coveted awards on Sunday, Jan. 25, 2009 and Heath Ledger, Kate Winslet, Sean Penn and Meryl Streep walked away with the major film acting prizes. “Slumdog Millionaire” was awarded the prize for best ensemble of the year. Predictably, “30 Rock” and “Mad Men” took home the television ensemble prizes.

The 15th Annual SAG Awards
Photo credit: Turner

“Slumdog Millionaire” beat “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” “Doubt,” “Frost/Nixon,” and “Milk” for the main prize, often a good indication of what will win the Academy Award for Best Picture. Last year’s winner, “No Country For Old Men,” went on to win the Oscar. “Crash” also won the award on its way to a surprising Oscar for Best Picture.

Sean Penn won best actor for “Milk,” beating Mickey Rourke for “The Wrestler” and making that race for the Oscar a dead heat. Other nominees included Richard Jenkins for “The Visitor,” Frank Langella for “Frost/Nixon,” and Brad Pitt for “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”.

The win for Meryl Streep for “Doubt” throws that Oscar category into complete disarray. She beat Anne Hathaway for “Rachel Getting Married,” Angelina Jolie for “Changeling,” Melissa Leo for “Frozen River,” and Kate Winslet for “Revolutionary Road”.

Winslet was nominated for the Oscar as well but for “The Reader,” a performance which she won the SAG Award, Golden Globes, and other award for this year. And many people still think Hathaway has a shot. With Streep winning last night, this is a three-lady race like none we have seen in years.

Heath Ledger took the prize for his supporting work in “The Dark Knight” and an emotional Gary Oldman accepted on his behalf. Ledger beat Josh Brolin from “Milk,” Robert Downey Jr. for “Tropic Thunder,” Philip Seymour Hoffman for “Doubt,” and Dev Patel for “Slumdog Millionaire”.

Kate Winslet won for “The Reader,” beating Amy Adams for “Doubt,” Penelope Cruz for “Vicky Cristina Barcelona,” Viola Davis for “Doubt,” and Taraji P. Henson for “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”.

“30 Rock” and “Mad Men” won the ensemble awards for television. Predictably, Alec Baldwin and Tina Fey took the individual acting honors for comedy series. The drama prizes were a little more surprising with Hugh Laurie winning for “House” and Sally Field taking the trophy for “Brothers & Sisters”. The male and female lead of HBO’s “John Adams” - Paul Giamatti and Laura Linney - took the awards for the television movie or miniseries categories.

Check out our 44-image gallery for the 15th-annual SAG awards.

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

‘WALL-E,’ ‘The Dark Knight’ Snubbed For Major 2009 Oscar Nominations

BrianTT — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 07:36:15 -0700

CHICAGO – The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced their 81st annual nominees this morning, January 22nd, 2009. For a body that has been known to make shocking mistakes, they may have topped themselves by excluding the two most beloved movies of 2008, “WALL-E” and “The Dark Knight” from the Best Picture category.

Heath Ledger landed a nomination for “The Dark Knight” and “WALL-E” was included in the screenplay category, but both were left out of several major categories, including both Christopher Nolan and Andrew Stanton being ignored for best director of the year.

Overall, “The Dark Knight” scored eight nominations and “WALL-E” racked up an impressive six, but the exclusion of both from director and picture makes it clear that the Academy didn’t think they were among the best films of the year.

Christian Bale (left) stars as Batman and Heath Ledger (right) stars as the Joker in “The Dark Knight”.
Photo credit: Warner Bros.

The films that did have a good morning when the nominees were announced on Thursday, January 22nd, 2009 include “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” with a stunning 13 nominations. “Button” will compete with “Frost/Nixon,” “Milk,” “The Reader,” and “Slumdog Millionaire” for the big prize. “Slumdog” came in second with a surprising 10 nominations. “Frost/Nixon” scored five nods, “Milk” landed an impressive eight, and “The Reader” can lay claim to five.

The best director category matched the picture one five for five with David Fincher, Ron Howard, Gus Van Sant, Stephen Daldry, and Danny Boyle all being able to put Oscar-nominated next to their name now. Shockingly, Christopher Nolan was left off the list and some had expected that Darren Aronofsky, might make the cut for “The Wrestler”. We forgot about the Academy’s blind adoration of Stephen Daldry. Three movies - “Billy Elliot,” “The Hours,” “The Reader” - a best director nomination for all three.

In one of the few pleasant surprises of the day and a category that they arguably got right, Richard Jenkins will compete for best actor for “The Visitor” with Frank Langella from “Frost/Nixon,” Sean Penn for “Milk,” Brad Pitt for “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” and Mickey Rourke for “The Wrestler”.

Angelina Jolie made up for her snubbing last year and landed a nod for her work in “Changeling”. She’ll fight for best actress with Anne Hathaway in “Rachel Getting Married,” Melissa Leo in “Frozen River,” Meryl Streep in “Doubt,” and Kate Winslet in “The Reader”. The exclusion of Sally Hawkins’ award-winning work in “Happy-Go-Lucky” was the shock of the day and the kind of snubbing that will be remembered for decades.

The supporting actor category produced a surprise with Michael Shannon landing the only nomination for “Revolutionary Road”. He will compete against the frontrunner, Heath Ledger in “The Dark Knight,” Josh Brolin in “Milk,” Robert Downey Jr. in “Tropic Thunder,” and Philip Seymour Hoffman in “Doubt”. Why does it feel like Heath Ledger’s category is the only one people will tune in for? If they’re smart, they’ll give it away late in the telecast.

With Winslet moving from supporting to lead for her work in “The Reader,” that left the race for that category wide open with Penelope Cruz returning back to frontrunner status for her turn in “Vicky Cristina Barcelona”. She’ll compete with the ladies from “Doubt” - Amy Adams & Viola Davis - Taraji P. Henson for “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” and Marisa Tomei for “The Wrestler”.

Taraji P. Henson (left) stars as Queenie with Brad Pitt (right front) in “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”.
Photo credit: Merrick Morton, Paramount Pictures

Another shocking snub happened in original screenplay when the regularly-nominated Woody Allen was left out of the category in favor of “Frozen River,” “Happy-Go-Lucky,” “In Bruges,” “Milk”, and “WALL-E”. The adapted screenplay category was the most predictable of the day with “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” “Doubt,” “Frost/Nixon,” “The Reader,” and “Slumdog Millionaire” being the predictable competition.

Nominees for best foreign language film include “Der Baader Meinhof Complex,” “The Class,” “Departures,” “Revanche,” and the likely winner, “Waltz With Bashir”. Animated film nominees were pretty routine with “Bolt” and “Kung Fu Panda” competing for second place with “WALL-E” a likely winner. The final snub of the day? Bruce Springsteen didn’t make the cut for his great title track from “The Wrestler”. The other nominees follow.

Best Art Direction
“Changeling”
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”
“The Dark Knight”
“The Duchess”
“Revolutionary Road”

Best Cinematography
“Changeling”
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”
“The Dark Knight”
“The Reader”
“Slumdog Millionaire”

Best Costume Design

“Australia”
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”
“The Duchess”
“Milk”
“Revolutionary Road”

Best Documentary Feature
“The Betrayal”
“Encounters at the End of the World”
“The Garden”
“Man on Wire”
“Trouble the Water”

Best Editing
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”
“The Dark Knight”
“Frost/Nixon”
“Milk”
“Slumdog Millionaire”

Best Makeup
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”
“The Dark Knight”
“Hellboy II: The Golden Army”

Best Original Score
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”
“Defiance”
“Milk”
“Slumdog Millionaire”
“WALL-E”

Best Original Song
“Jai Ho” from “Slumdog Millionaire”
“O Saya” from “Slumdog Millionaire”
“Down to Earth” from “WALL-E”

Best Sound Editing
“The Dark Knight”
“Iron Man”
“Slumdog Millionaire”
“WALL-E”
“Wanted”

Best Sound Mixing
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”
“The Dark Knight”
“Slumdog Millionaire”
“WALL-E”
“Wanted”

Best Visual Effects
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”
“The Dark Knight”
“Iron Man”

3:26 p.m. update on Jan. 22, 2009: Various nominees have responded with statements about their 2009 Oscar nominations. Read this story here.

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

‘The Dark Knight’ Returns to IMAX Theaters on Jan. 23, 2009

BrianTT — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 14:13:48 -0700

CHICAGO – You can celebrate the very likely Oscar nominations for “The Dark Knight” or lament the film’s snubbing by the academy by revisiting Christopher Nolan’s masterpiece in all of its IMAX glory starting this Friday on Jan. 23, 2009.

“The Dark Knight” will reopen at four theaters in the Chicagoland area: the Navy Pier IMAX in downtown Chicago, the Seven Bridges IMAX in Woodridge, Ill.; the Lincolnshire 20 in Lincolnshire, Ill.; and the Randall IMAX 15 in Batavia, Ill.

True Heath Ledger fans and “The Dark Knight” junkies may feel the need to see the film on opening night at Navy Pier because they will also be admitted to a special screening of “Batman Begins” at midnight for no additional cost. Yes, the 9 p.m. show of “The Dark Knight” at Navy Pier IMAX scores you tickets for this one-time event. Tickets are $15 for adults and $13 for children and can be bought at the Navy Pier IMAX Web site.

Christian Bale stars as Bruce Wayne in Warner Bros. Pictures’ and Legendary Pictures’ action drama “The Dark Knight”.
Photo credit: Stephen Vaughan

All across the country, Warner Bros. is bringing back the IMAX presentation of “The Dark Knight” to give audiences one more chance to see the film on the big screen.

Dan Fellman (president of domestic distribution for Warner Bros. Pictures) said in a statement: “‘The Dark Knight’ is a crowning achievement in every sense of the word. We wanted to provide one more opportunity for moviegoers to experience it on the big screen as it was meant to be seen.”

Christopher Nolan has already received a Directors Guild of America (DGA) nomination and producers Nolan, Charles Roven and Emma Thomas have garnered a Producers Guild Award nomination. A Writers Guild of America (WGA) award nomination for best adapted screenplay has gone to Chris Nolan, Jonathan Nolan and David S. Goyer.

Cast member Heath Ledger received a Screen Actors Guild award nomination and has also won a Golden Globe, Critics’ Choice Award and numerous other critics groups’ awards for best supporting actor.

“The Dark Knight” also won the Critics’ Choice Award for best action film and swept the People’s Choice Awards in five categories including favorite movie and favorite cast. It will very likely score a number of Oscar nominations when they are announced on Jan. 22, 2009. Heath Ledger’s searing performance is a front runner for best supporting actor.

“The Dark Knight” is being rereleased by Warner Brothers Pictures and stars Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Aaron Eckhart, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Gary Oldman, Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman. It was written by Jonathan Nolan and Christopher Nolan and directed by Christopher Nolan. It will be rereleased in IMAX theaters on Jan. 23, 2009.

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