Nominees for the 82nd Annual Academy Awards

Announced this morning, here are some of the major categories of nominations for the 82nd Annual Academy Awards:

Best Picture
- AVATAR
- THE BLIND SIDE
- DISTRICT 9
- INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS
- AN EDUCATION
- THE HURT LOCKER
- PRECIOUS: BASED ON THE NOVEL ‘PUSH’ BY SAPPHIRE
- A SERIOUS MAN
- UP
- UP IN THE AIR

Best Director
- James Cameron, AVATAR
- Kathyrn Bigelow, THE HURT LOCKER
- Jason Reitman, UP IN THE AIR
- Quentin Tarantino, INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS
- Lee Daniels, PRECIOUS: BASED ON THE NOVEL ‘PUSH’ BY SAPPHIRE

Best Actor in a Leading Role
- George Clooney, UP IN THE AIR
- Colin Firth, A SINGLE MAN
- Jeremy Renner, THE HURT LOCKER
- Morgan Freeman, INVICTUS
- Jeff Bridges, CRAZY HEART

Best Actress in a Leading Role
- Helen Mirren, THE LAST STATION
- Carey Mulligan, AN EDUCATION
- Meryl Streep, JULIE & JULIA
- Sandra Bullock, THE BLIND SIDE
- Gabourey Sidibe, PRECIOUS: BASED ON THE NOVEL ‘PUSH’ BY SAPPHIRE

Best Actor in a Supporting Role
- Stanley Tucci, THE LOVELY BONES
- Christopher Plummer, THE LAST STATION
- Woody Harrelson, THE MESSENGER
- Matt Damon, INVICTUS
- Christoph Waltz, INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS

Best Actress in a Supporting Role
- Mo’Nique, PRECIOUS: BASED ON THE NOVEL ‘PUSH’ BY SAPPHIRE
- Anna Kendrick, UP IN THE AIR
- Vera Farmiga, UP IN THE AIR
- Penelope Cruz, NINE
- Maggie Gyllenhaal, CRAZY HEART

Best Animated Feature Film
- CORALINE
- THE FANTASTIC MR. FOX
- UP
- THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG
- THE SECRET OF KELLS

Best Adapted Screenplay
- DISTRICT 9
- UP IN THE AIR
- AN EDUCATION
- IN THE LOOP
- PRECIOUS: BASED ON THE NOVEL ‘PUSH’ BY SAPPHIRE

Best Original Screenplay
- UP
- THE HURT LOCKER
- A SERIOUS MAN
- INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS
- THE MESSENGER

Best Cinematography
- AVATAR
- THE WHITE RIBBON
- HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE
- INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS

Best Costume Design
- THE YOUNG VICTORIA
- BRIGHT STAR
- COCO BEFORE CHANEL
- THE IMAGINARIUM OF DOCTOR PARNASSUS
- NINE

Best Documentary
- FOOD, INC.
- THE MOST DANGEROUS MAN IN AMERICA
- THE COVE
- BURMA VJ
- WHICH WAY HOME

Best Film Editing
- AVATAR
- DISTRICT 9
- THE HURT LOCKER
- INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS
- PRECIOUS: BASED ON THE NOVEL ‘PUSH’ BY SAPPHIRE

For a full list of categories and nominees, you can check out the Academy’s official website.

More importantly, if there are films listed here you haven’t seen or possibly have never even heard of, check the Oklahoma City Museum of Art’s film schedule, as their annual “Oscar Tune-Up” is a great opportunity to see nominated films just prior to the ceremony.  This year, you’ll be able to catch THE HURT LOCKER, INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS, AN EDUCATION, and more!  You can check out dates, times, and additional titles here!

The Classic Monster Rally Film Returns with HOUSE OF THE WOLF MAN

The so-called “monster rally” films of the mid-to-late ’40s were an effort by Universal Studios to eke out any remaining money to be had with their enormously successful monster films of the ’30s; the prevailing thought was that if audiences would pay to see Dracula or Frankenstein’s monster separately, surely they would pay to see them together.  It began inauspiciously with Lon Chaney Jr. reprising his role as Larry Talbot and Belau Lugosi donning the elevator boots and make-up to become Frankenstein’s monster (ironic, too, since Lugosi balked at playing the role in James Whale’s 1931 version, and that single, speechless role launched the career of Lugosi’s personal and professional rival, Boris Karloff) for 1943’s FRANKENSTEIN MEETS THE WOLF MAN, and continued with 1944’s HOUSE OF FRANKENSTEIN, 1945’s HOUSE OF DRACULA, and finally, the 1948 comedy classic ABBOTT AND COSTELLO MEET FRANKENSTEIN.

Fittingly, however, Universal’s “monster rally” concept has had a bit of a resurrection in a new film, HOUSE OF THE WOLF MAN, something of an indie labor of love by writer/director Eben McGarr, who crafted HOUSE OF THE WOLF MAN with the indomitable spirit of the ’40s monster rallies, steeped in intrigue, stock characters, and of course, all the Gothic trappings you can imagine.  Most importantly, though, the titular lycanthrope is played by genre legend Lon Chaney Jr.’s grandson, Ron Chaney.  HOUSE OF THE WOLF MAN premiered last October in Los Angeles (at the lovely Vista theatre, which I was lucky enough to patronize during one of my idyllic stays in Los Angeles) and the distribution rights were snapped by in December by Taurus Entertainment, who have yet to announce any plans for a limited theatrical run or a DVD release.  Based on this absolutely phenomenal trailer and images from the set, this is going to be quite a joy.

Here’s the synopsis of HOUSE OF THE WOLF MAN, although frankly, with the Wolf Man, Dracula, and Frankenstein’s monster all on board, what more do you really need to know?  “Dr. Bela Reinhardt (Ron Chaney) is a mad doctor who has invited five people to his castle to determine which of them shall inherit his estate. He has arranged for a competition of sorts. The winner will be chosen by process of… elimination. The visitors quickly realize their terrible mistake in accepting Reinhardt’s invitation, but are trapped like rats in a cage under the watchful eye of Reinhardt’s ghoulish manservant, Barlow.”|

And if you love this sort of filmmaking, you should also check out the films of the H. P. Lovecraft Historical Society, who have already produced a solid silent-era version of Lovecraft’s “The Call of Chtulu” and are currently wrapping up an adaptation of “The Whisperer in Darkness.”

Wesley Snipes Returns to the Big Screen in BROOKLYN’S FINEST

Wesley Snipes makes a return to the big screen, along side Richard Gere, Don Cheadle and Ethan Hawke the gritty new crime drama, Brooklyn’s Finest.  The film highlights the grit and drama of real-life cops on the beat, where some are dirty, and some less so.  The film is directed by Antoine Fuqua, who won both audience and critical acclaim for his hyper-realistic depiction of the life of police officers in the inner city in the  film Training Day.

Brooklyn’s Finest takes place in the course of one chaotic week, where the lives of three conflicted New York City police officers are dramatically transformed by their involvement in a massive drug operation.  Burned out veteran Eddie Dugan (Golden Globe^®-winner Richard Gere) is just one week away from his pension and a fishing cabin in Connecticut. Narcotics officer Sal Procida (Oscar^® nominee Ethan Hawke) has discovered there’s no line he won’t cross to provide a better life for his long-suffering wife and seven children. And Clarence “Tango” Butler (Oscar^® nominee Don Cheadle) has been undercover so long his loyalties have started to shift from his fellow police officers to his prison buddy Caz (Wesley Snipes), one of Brooklyn’s most infamous drug dealers. With personal and work pressures bearing down on them, each man faces daily tests of judgment and honor in one of the world’s most difficult jobs.

When NYPD’s Operation Clean Up targets the notoriously drug-ridden BK housing project, all three officers find themselves swept away by the violence and corruption of Brooklyn’s gritty 65^th Precinct and its most treacherous criminals. During seven fateful days, Eddie, Sal and Tango find themselves hurtling inextricably toward the same fatal crime scene and a shattering collision with destiny.   The film captures the volatile and deadly world of one of New York’s most dangerous precincts through the eyes of the men and women pledged to protect and serve, as they face the wrenching choices that make them Brooklyn’s Finest.

Brooklyn’s Finest opens in theaters nationwide on Friday, March 5, 2010.  Make sure to check back here on WORD OF MOUTH OKC for your chance to win passes to an advance screening of the film in Oklahoma City!

Click here to visit the official website for Brooklyn’s Finest to view the trailer.

Follow Brooklyn’s Finest:

By the Light of the Moon

There’s a good possibility that while you’ve never heard of Olly Moss, there’s a damn good chance you’ve seen his work.  Moss is a 21-year old graphic designer, fresh from University, who has made incredibly stylish and popular designs for tee-shirts on the popular apparel website Threadless alongside huge clients like GQ, Urban Outfitters, Wired, and the New York Times.

You should hit up Olly’s site and peruse his designs – in particular, I’m fond of his black-and-red collection of film posters – but it is this most recent design for a one sheet of THE WOLFMAN for Empire magazine that really struck me:

It is sort of subtle, but when you notice it, it comes across as particularly effective, eh?

Let’s Get Hammered!

Sony Pictures Entertainment recently launched a new division of their home entertainment arm called Columbia Classics, focusing on bringing the classic films of yesteryear to the modern home video market with pristine, remastered prints and voluminous special features; their releases so far range from a boxed collection of director Stanley Kramer’s films to a remastered release of the Jimmy Stewart classic MR. SMITH GOES TO WASHINGTON.  With one of their future releases, however, Columbia Classics is offering consumers and cineastes alike the opportunity to get involved.

Later this year, Columbia Classics will unleash a boxed set called “Icons of Suspense: Hammer Films,” a multi-disc assemblage of some of the finest and rarest thrillers from Britain’s most infamous of studios.  Hammer, you’ll remember, was responsible for the resurgence of the horror genre in the mid-’50s all the way through the late ’70s, known for their leading men (Peter Cushing and Sir Christopher Lee), their reinterpretation of Universal Studios’ classic monsters (HORROR OF DRACULA, THE CURSE OF FRANKENSTEIN, CURSE OF THE WOLFMAN, etc.), and their heaping helping of full-color gore and tawdriness.  The Icons of Suspense boxed set presents a collection of Hammer’s lesser-known thrillers, including NEVER TAKE CANDY FROM A STRANGER, THE SNORKEL, MANIAC, CASH ON DEMAND, STOP ME BEFORE I KILL, and the classic 1963 science fiction film THE DAMNED, and best of all, they’re offering you the chance to choose the boxed set’s artwork.  You have three choices as shown below (and available to view in high resolution at the Columbia Classics site): “knife art,” “noose art,” and “phone art.”  Personally, I think “noose art” is the way to go, but your mileage may vary.

Follow the link to the Columbia Classics website to make your choice and be sure to browse the site; while still in its infancy, you’ll find they’ve got great blog contributions by their Senior Vice President of Asset Management, Film Restoration, and Digital Mastering, an “Ask the Experts” question and answer section, and details on many of their upcoming projects.

Also, if you’re a fellow Hammerhead like myself, be sure and peruse the new Titan Books release “Hammer Glamour,” showcasing some of Hammer’s most alluring scream queens and their, ahem, talents, and the absolutely awesome, can’t-be-recommended-enough previous Columbia Classics release, “Icons of Horror: The Hammer Collection” two-disc DVD set, featuring THE CURSE OF THE MUMMY’S TOMB, THE GORGON, the Hitchcockian thriller SCREAM OF FEAR, and THE TWO FACES OF DOCTOR JEKYLL.

And never fear – Hammer Films Productions will return to the genre they made infamous with the to-be-released thriller THE RESIDENT, starring Hilary Swank, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, and Hammer legend Sir Christopher Lee, as well as the forthcoming American version of the vampire tale LET THE RIGHT ONE IN, this time called LET ME IN, and scheduled to hit theatres on October 1st, 2010.

A Guide to Recognizing Your Wraiths: Part Three

Sorry folks, I’ve been so busy wrangling zombies for our ZOMBIELAND Zombie Walk, I’ve neglected today’s DVD releases … and boy howdy, what a weird set of releases.  You’ve got a classic cartoon from the ’80s, a woman-hating Italian gorefest, an obscure Spanish thriller, and a sequel released on DVD prior to the original film.  Well, without further ado, here’s what you can find in stores today:

September 29th, 2009
- The Real Ghostbusters: The Complete Collection – Despite the theatrical release of the first GHOSTBUSTERS a little over twenty-five years ago, there seems to have been a substantial groundswell in mainstream interest as of late for New York’s resident parapsychologists; consider not only the release of the Ghostbusters video game and the merchandising being pumped out by leading toymaker Mattel, but even Columbia Pictures’ development of a third GHOSTBUSTERS film.  Whatever the reason for this sudden phenomenon, the release of all 147 episodes of this long-running cartoon series is a very pleasing result, and rather than gratuitously staggering DVD releases over a period of years in order to drain consumers of as much money as possible (see home video tactics for “Batman: The Brave and The Bold,” “The Spectacular Spider-Man,” “The Muppet Show,” and countless others), we’re getting one massive, monolithic boxed set containing so much sheer Ghostbusters, it’ll likely cause the fire and brimstone to come down from the skies, rivers and seas boiling, forty years of darkness, earthquakes, volcanoes, the dead rising from the grave, human sacrifice, dogs and cats living together … mass hysteria.  With a hefty MSRP of $179.99, you get 147 episodes on 35 discs packed into a deluxe firehouse collector’s box with lenticular panels and five separate steel DVD cases along with twelve hours of bonus material.  Inevitably, this classic animated series will drop in price, as this is likely a must-have for only the most hardened fans, but word is that this is a complete collection boxed set that won’t disappoint.

- THE STEPFATHER II – With Screen Gems’ remake of THE STEPFATHER only weeks away from theatrical release, it only makes sense to release the franchise’s previous films on DVD in hopes of capitalizing on the public’s insatiable love for domestic horror.  In this sequel – inexplicably released prior to the original film, which won’t be on DVD until October 13^th – the titular sociopath escapes from a sanitarium and shacks up with another single mother who also just happens to have an overly suspicious son.  Terry O’Quinn reprises his role and stars alongside Meg Foster (co-star of John Carpenter’s THEY LIVE and Evil-Lyn in the Dolph Lundgren MASTER OF THE UNIVERSE film) and the star of LADYBUGS and television’s “SeaQuest DSV,” Jonathan Brandis.  Granted, this sequel wasn’t as warmly-received as the original, but luckily, Synapse Films has included special features, among them deleted and alternate scenes and a brand-new featurette.

- THE HANGING WOMAN – I know precious little about this 1973 Spanish horror film aside from the fact that it also bore the titles THE GLASS JUNGLE, TERROR OF THE LIVING DEAD, THE ORGY OF THE DEAD, RETURN OF THE ZOMBIES, THE HANGING WOMEN, and BEYOND THE LIVING DEAD.  Prolific crap actor Paul Naschy makes an appearance, too, but try to find me a low-budget Spanish horror-cum-exploitation film without him, am I right?  On the plus side, this DVD also includes another Spanish horror film, THE SWEET SOUND OF DEATH.  The plot seems a little schizophrenic, lumping together Satanists and zombies in the midst of 19^th century Scotland at the behest of an out-of-towner arriving to claim his substantial inheritance.  View at your own risk, folks – these foreign skid row horrors can be a bit sluggish to say the least.

- THE NEW YORK RIPPER, The Special Edition – Italian auteur and gorehound icon Lucio Fulci directed and co-wrote this blood-soaked yarn of a Donald Duck-voiced serial killer stalking the streets of the Big Apple.  In all fairness, Fulci’s films are frequently loosely strung together vignettes of brutal, gut-wrenching violence often garnished with the slightest hint of sexuality; more so than even fellow giallo director Dario Argento, Fulci’s films often feel creepily akin to violent pornography, lingering on the female form before rending it asunder in some spectacularly sloppy fashion.  THE NEW YORK RIPPER is no different, introducing us to beautiful women and soon thereafter relishing in their grisly demise.  In this film alone, you can see a man get his face blown off, a woman stabbed to death, a woman have her throat slit, a woman have one of her eyes slit open by a razor blade, and, oh yes, a woman sodomized and stabbed to death with a broken bottle.  This Blue Underground disc features the film uncut and uncensored along with a few special features, but be forewarned: THE NEW YORK RIPPER isn’t exactly the apex of Fulci’s work – if you can stomach the blood-soaked misogyny, it might be the titular killer’s Donald Duck-inspired voice that makes THE NEW YORK RIPPER especially unbearable.

We’re Looking for a Few Good Zombies

To kick-off the theatrical release of ZOMBIELAND on Friday, October 2nd, we’re going to have a special feature for our exclusive advance screening the night before – the first-of-its-kind ZOMBIELAND Zombie Walk through Bricktown! 

That’s right, we’re recruiting a few good brain-eaters to join the ranks of the undead.  We’ll be meeting up around 6:30PM at a small, benched park area at NE 2nd and North Oklahoma Avenue, where we’ll prepare any participants without zombie make-up already on, and head through Bricktown to the Harkins Bricktown 16 to enjoy our advance screening of ZOMBIELAND thanks to a completely reserved section of seats exclusively for our zombified patrons!

As if that weren’t enough, the twenty-five participants who register through this website will receive a free ZOMBIELAND tee-shirt!

So – if you:
(1)  Can meet at about 6:30PM on Thursday, October 1st, at NE 2nd and North Oklahoma Avenue in Bricktown
(2) Can Arrive either in full zombie make-up or allow us to apply zombie make-up upon your arrival
(3) Are older than 17 years of age (after all, ZOMBIELAND is rated R)
(4) Want to earn a free, exclusive ZOMBIELAND tee-shirt

All you need to do is send me an e-mail to register to participate in the ZOMBIELAND Bricktown Zombie Walk: RBaker@moroch.com

WHIP IT.. and the Roller Derby winner is..

After getting some great names from everyone, I’m happy to announce our randomly generated winner:

RON, with Killy Idol and Pamela Slamderson!

Ron, we’ll be in touch soon to get your address. Congratulations!

WHIP IT: What’s Your Roller Derby Name?

Drew Barrymore’s directorial debut, WHIP IT, opens next week. The film features the world of roller derby, and stars Ellen Page, Marcia Gay Harden, Juliette Lewis, and Kristen Wiig. So in honor of the awesomeness that is WHIP IT, we’re doing a giveaway.

One lucky person will win a WHIP IT prize pack, consisting of three WHIP IT cups, t-shirts for him and her, the book the film is based on (Whip It by Shauna Cross), and buttons featuring many of the roller derby characters in the film.

In roller derby, each girl has an “alter ego,” their roller derby name. The main character in WHIP IT, Bliss, becomes Babe Ruthless. Other names in the film include Rosa Sparks, Bloody Holly, Iron Maven, the Manson Sisters, Smashley Simpson, and Maggie Mayhem.

So our challenge to you: If you want to win, please post a comment on this blog entry and tell us what YOUR roller derby name should be! You have all weekend to think about this: Sometime after 9:00 AM on Monday morning I will randomly draw a winner from everyone who posted their roller derby name. Please do not post your address in the comments! Any comments with a mailing address will be deleted. If you win, we will get your address by e-mail. Also, comments that do not have your roller derby name will not be considered as contest entries!

The contest is open to anyone in the United States who is a fan of WHIP IT! I’ll send this stuff anywhere, so even if you’re not in Oklahoma, feel free to enter! I will post the winner here and on Twitter on Monday.

Have a great weekend, and don’t forget to catch a sneak of WHIP IT Saturday evening! Everyone who buys a ticket to WHIP IT this Saturday will get a free t-shirt at the theatre while supplies last. Go to www.whip-it.net to see where WHIP IT is playing on Saturday.

A look at Disney’s Rapunzel

With the release of Disney’s first big animated film The Princess and the Frog fast approaching, I thought I’d throw something up here about their next big animation project, Rapunzel, due to hit theatres December 10, 2010.

There’s no doubt that Rapunzel will add to Disney’s already-impressive Princess Arsenal, joining ranks with Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, Jasmine, Cinderella, Belle, and Ariel. There will be dolls, dresses, wigs, tiaras, horses for the doll to ride, and photo ops at all the Disney theme parks. And yes, I admit it: I have a personal interest in seeing Rapunzel at Disney World. How will Disney’s cosuming department figure in 70 feet of hair while roaming the Magic Kingdom? I think that might be an engineering feat to rival Disney’s famed animatronics.

Anyway, back to the movie: Mandy Moore has officially signed on to voice Rapunzel, and at the recent D23 Fan Expo, Walt Disney Animation Chief Creative Office John Lasseter revealed a few things about the film: First, there will be some differences from the older Disney princesses in that Rapunzel is an independent figure able to take care of herself. The traditional fairy tale about Rapunzel waiting in the tower for her prince? Doesn’t happen. She goes on an adventure, she has a “been there, done that” attitude with the men who say the famous line and ask to climb her hair, and the hair can be used as a weapon even (yeah, seriously..). But like all Disney princesses, she also sings. And with Moore on board with this project, I have no doubt that the singing will (thankfully) be good.

Rapunzel also marks a milestone for Disney because it will be Disney’s 50th feature-length animated film. It also is their first computer-animated fairy tale, so expect some big fanfare for this film. And the good news? Disney knows their animation, and they know how to do it well. And for that fact, I have high hopes for this film.