DreamWorks Animation to Adapt Oni Press Comic 'Maintenance'« FirstShowing.net

As we said with the news thatDreamWorks Animationis working on aCG/hand-drawn hybrid project, the animation house is looking to step up its game with someveryoriginal upcoming projects.Heat Visionreports they've picked up rights toMaintenance, anOni Press comic bookthat follows the exploits of twojanitorswho work for TerroMax Inc, the world's biggest evil science think tank. When they're not dealing with toxic spill monsters and menial time machine repairs, they have to contend with their boss, a multitude of mad scientists, jetpack cavemen, alien repomen, and the cute girl who works at reception. Sounds crazy!

Maintenance: It's A Dirty Jobwas written by Jim Massey and illustrated by Robbi Rodriguez (visitits Oni Press page). The adaptation was originally in the works at Warner Bros as a live-action project forMcGto direct, but for some odd reason the studio dropped the project (probably based on Oni comicScott Pilgrim'sunfortunate failure at the box office) and now DreamWorks Animation swooped in to pick it up. This sounds like it could be pretty damn fun to see as an animated movie, I just hope DreamWorks gets a great team of developers to work on it and not mush it into the dull and predictable DreamWorks movies we usually see.

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Electronic Arts Developing a Movie Based on the 'Madden Curse'« FirstShowing.net

Video game fans like already know what this headline is all about, but for the rest of you, it's time for a pop culture history lesson. There exists aninfamous jinxknown as theMadden Curse. This has nothing to do with the iconic sports commentator doing black magic from ACE Hardware corporate headquarters but rather an ill fate that seems to manifest itself after a professional football player appears on the cover of Electronic Arts' popular Madden video game series every single year. NowThe Wrapreports the video game company is looking to develop a sports comedy using the supposed curse as a prominent plot device.

The story itself is said to follow a former Madden video game champion who is forced out of retirement just as he finds himself on the corner of the game's cover— and subject to the curse. The phrase"former Madden video game champion"makes me think of someone who is really good at the video game, but I have no idea why someone like that would end up on the cover of the game itself. It also seems kind of weird that a football player coming out of retirement finds himself on the cover of the game, but whatever. We'll just toss this up to some bad communication of poor wording.

As for the curse itself, it's certainly in interesting plot device, especially since its reality seems unavoidable. Every player who has appeared on the cover since the year 2000, has been the victim of sudden injury resulting in poor performance on the field. Before that John Madden himself was on every cover of the game, but he's still alive (forget the fact that he's robot). The only player who has so far remained unscathed by the Madden curse is the recent poster child for the game, New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees, who has not only remained without injury (knock on wood), but has actually had quite a decent season of football. We'll see if this project actually gets off the ground or if the curse will claim another victim in a failed film concept.Anyone interested?

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Stephen Dorff Confirms 'Blade' Prequel But Not Much Progress Yet« FirstShowing.net

Last summer, wereported on a rumorthat actorStephen Dorff, next seen in Sofia Coppola'sSomewhere, would star in a prequel spin-off to Marvel'sBladethat would be about Dorff's vampire villain Deacon Frost. It was set to be a new trilogy created by filmmaker Stephen Norrington, who directed the firstBlademovie but has been struggling to get anything into production recently, includingThe Crowreboot (whichhe's no longer attached to). Anyway, we've posted updateshereandthere, but finally have anewquote from Dorff himself. He does shed some light on the new prequel, but it doesn't sound like it's further along than before.

The new quote comes from a blog actually calledDark Lord Bunnykins(viaCinema Blend) which, believe it or not, supposedly got following quote directly from Dorff (most likely doing interviews forSomewhere). I thought the quote was informative and lengthy enough to include the entire text for your reading pleasure.

"Yeah, well, that was something we were talking about. Me and Steve Norrington had a cool treatment for that, and when vampires got all {trendy} again, we thought we should do the adult version, more of likea Scarface Deacon Frost movie. And it sounded cool, this treatment, but then there was {sic} so many legal things. Like, New Line owned Blade and Marvel's got… all this hype into The Avengers and this group movie which sounds like such amistake. And Blade was such a '90s thing…

"I didn't want to do a Blade movie, I just really wanted to take Deacon and do then do a whole other thing which wasmuch more today. So the idea me and Steve had, we might just end up fictionalizing it and just making anew characterwhich might even be better for us. And he's someone I really like and would love to work with again. So hopefully whenever we get a chance we'll get into that."

Honestly,"whenever we get a chance"doesn't sound very hopeful at all, and considering Norrington hasn't been able to recover his career since dive-bombing it withThe League of Extraordinary Gentlemenin 2003, I don't think his involvement is helping it get off the ground any sooner. Dorff's most interesting comments are about their decision to change the title and character, yet keep the same story but without Marvel, which is actuallynota bad idea to get this going, but potentially disastrous too. Additionally, he'sdefinitelynot as excited aboutThe Avengersas I am, but I don't think it's a"mistake"like he said. Is Marvel's focus on bigger characters and connecting their universe together hurting the little characters under the Marvel name which deserve a chance to shine as well? That's the question Droff is asking, but I truthfully don't know the answer.

We'll continue to keep an eye out for any more news on thisBladeprequel with Dorff and Norrington, but it sounds like we still have to wait at least a few more years.Is anyone actually excited for the prequel?

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2011 Screen Actors Guild Awards Nominees Have Been Unveiled« FirstShowing.net

The nominees for the17th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awardshave just been announced today. Yet another awards show in the very top tier (which also includes theGolden Globesand Academy Awards) is theScreen Actors Guilds Awards, where the actors themselves choose the best performances from amongst their peers. These nominees are usually very similar to those at the Oscars, so this may be a good indication. The two films with the most nominations areThe King's SpeechandThe Fighter, but their choices this year are damn good, exactly what I expected and wanted to see. Check out a full list of film nominations below.

The SAG Awards will air live from Los Angeles on TNT/TBS on Sunday,January 30th, 2011at 8PM EST.

ACTOR:
Jeff Bridges -True Grit
Robert Duvall -Get Low
Jesse Eisenberg -The Social Network
Colin Firth -The King's Speech
James Franco -127 Hours

ACTRESS:
Annette Bening -The Kids Are All Right
Nicole Kidman -Rabbit Hole
Jennifer Lawrence -Winter's Bone
Natalie Portman -Black Swan
Hilary Swank -Conviction

SUPPORTING ACTOR:
Christian Bale -The Fighter
John Hawkes -Winter's Bone
Jeremy Renner -The Town
Mark Ruffalo -The Kids Are All Right
Geoffrey Rush -The King's Speech

SUPPORTING ACTRESS:
Amy Adams -The Fighter
Helena Bonham Carter -The King's Speech
Mila Kunis -Black Swan
Melissa Leo -The Fighter
Hailee Steinfeld -True Grit

ENSEMBLE CAST:
Black Swan- Vincent Cassel, Barbara Hershey, Mila Kunis, Natalie Portman, Winona Ryder

The Fighter- Amy Adams, Christian Bale, Melissa Leo, Jack McGee, Mark Wahlberg

The Kids Are All Right- Annette Bening, Josh Hutcherson, Julianne Moore, Mark Ruffalo, Mia Wasikowska

The King's Speech- Anthony Andrews, Helena Bonham Carter, Jennifer Ehle, Colin Firth, Michael Gambon, Derek Jacobi, Guy Pearce, Geoffrey Rush, Timothy Spall

The Social Network- Jesse Eisenberg, Andrew Garfield, Armie Hammer, Max Minghella, Josh Pence, Justin Timberlake

ENSEMBLE STUNTS:
Green Zone
Inception
Robin Hood

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD:
Ernest Borgnine

I'd really love toThe King's Speechtake just about everything this year, but I'd also prefer Mila Kunis and Christian Bale in the supporting categories. All of the performances nominated above were incredible and they all deserve to be on here. I'll be happy with whoever ends up winning. We'll keep you updated on the latest awards news coming up this season. For now, all we've got are theGolden Globe nominations, too.

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NY Times Critic A.O. Scott Chooses His 10 Best Movies of 2010« FirstShowing.net

Ah yes, time to get into some Top 10 lists. One of the most prominent critics still (successfully) writing for a major newspaper nowadays isA.O. ScottofThe New York Times, who just published his10 Best Moviesof 2010 list. Scott also names his Top 10"trends"as part of aCinematic State of Thingsrecap, with various topics like:"We are all figments ofLeonardo DiCaprio's imagination"and"Only a great director can make a great movie, but a good actor can make a bad or mediocre or not-quite-great moviemuch better."It's a wonderful reflective article overall (read it here), but first let's check out his 10 Best Movies of 2010.

1.Inside Job(Charles Ferguson)"The crisis of finance capitalism as a great crime story."

2.Toy Story 3(Lee Unkrich)"The triumph of consumer capitalism as an epic love story."

3.Carlos(Olivier Assayas)"The failure of global revolution as farce, melodrama, erotic thriller and music video."

4.Somewhere(Sofia Coppola)"An eccentric, perfect poem about fame, loneliness and cross-generational need."

5.The Kids Are All Right(Lisa Cholodenko)"An eccentric, perfect comedy about love, betrayal and cross-generational confusion."

6.Greenberg(Noah Baumbach)"A deliberately imperfect comedy about an eccentric fleeing from love, running from betrayal and wallowing in cross-generational confusion."

7.127 Hours(Danny Boyle)"It's all fun until someone loses an arm. And then, strangely enough, it's even more fun."

8.Last Train Home(Lixin Fan)"The future of global capitalism, in China and elsewhere: a family tragedy in the form of a documentary, as full of anger, dignity and pathos as a play by Arthur Miller."

9.Secret Sunshine(Lee Chang-dong)"A family tragedy from South Korea, in the form of a melodramatic crime story. As dense and gripping as a great novel."

10.Exit Through the Gift Shop(Banksy)"All of the above. None of the above. Everything and nothing. An elaborate art-world stunt in the form of a documentary. Or vice versa."

Some very interesting selections on Scott's list this year, but that's what makes him such a unique critic that still remains incredibly relevant today. I'm surprised to not seeThe Social Network(which has beentopping a lot of lists recently) on here or any other mainsteam hard-hitters likeBlack Swan,The King's Speech,Blue Valentineor evenInception. Hedoesexplain why, by also taking a jab at the film:"It was more fun to read the impassioned, geeky arguments aboutInceptionthan to endure a second viewing of that film."Scott also talks about how all of the discussionThe Social Networkcaused was a lot more riveting than the film itself. I won't agree, but that's just me and I've got my own Top 10 list in the works, too.Thoughts on his picks?

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Mark Wahlberg Producing Feature Adaptation of 'The Raven' Short« FirstShowing.net

Though he'll be in front of the camera angering some video game fans in David O. Russell's adaptation ofUncharted: Drake's Fortune, it looks likeMark Wahlbergwill be busy behind the scenes elsewhere by producing a film inspired by a much buzzed about short film.Heat Visionreports the actor will produce a feature length version of Ricardo De Montreuil's short filmThe Raven(which you can watch in its entiretyright here). The story follows follows Chris Black, a man who possesses a power that could lead to the destruction of a robotic regime of police in an alternate, futuristic Los Angeles, and they will stop at nothing to destroy him.

Latino Reviewfirst called attention to the short and Hollywood's interest in the filmmaker and the story back in April, and it's taken this long for a deal to finally come through. Apparently the project is being developed as a starring vehicle for Wahlberg himself withJustin Marks, the popular screenwriter behind forthcoming adaptations likeShadow of the Colossusand20,000 Leauges Under the Sea, taking control of the script. If the feature length film packs as much of a punch as that short, then this should be quite the film to look forward to in the future.Interested?

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George Clooney Attached to Direct Adaptation of 'Enron' Musical« FirstShowing.net

Though he's in the process of preparing todirect and star in an adaptationof the stage playFarragut North(under the new titleThe Ides of March), it looks like he's lining up another adaptation of a stage production, but this time with some song and dance.The Guardianreports the film rights toEnron, theUK stage musicalwhich tells the story of thecorrupt energy companythrough the majesty of song. However, the creative team behind Britain's famed play, including the director and entire cast, won't be along for the ride asGeorge Clooneyis apparently attached to direct and the production is going for an American telling of the story.

The only remnant of the stage production seems to be playwright Lucy Prebble who will write the screenplay for the adaptation. As for director Rupert Goold, who won Best Director at the 2010Olivier Awardsfor his work onEnron, he's not very pleased but smartly notes,"How do you compete with George Clooney?"It's risky to bring a musical from overseas, especially one that wasn't well received when it was reproduced on Broadway in the United States (it was done with after only 15 performances). One would think that the UK would get a crack at the film adaptation first, but that's Hollywood for ya.

Though Clooney is set to direct, it's unclear if Clooney will have any part onscreen in the production as well. However, even a Dapper Dan like George Clooney doesn't seem to be enough to satisfy some British naysayers. Philip Hedley, former director of the Theatre Royal Stratford East, said,"It's a great shame that the original talent hasn't been able to follow through, to put on to film what they've originally created."Of course, you can't blame producers for not wanting a British cast for a film that takes place in the America, focused on an American energy company, with many of its subjects being American themselves. The producer behind this new venture, Laura Ziskin (of Spider-Man fame) agrees wholeheartedly when she says,"This is an American story."My apologies to the original British cast and crew, but this seems to make sense. Either way, the prospect of an Enron scandal based musical sounds rather intriguing.What do you think?

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Two More Back-to-Back 'Pirates of the Caribbean' Sequels Next!« FirstShowing.net

If you were worried that just one more dive back into the ocean withPirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tideswasn't going to be enough to quench your thirst for Captain Jack Sparrow then you are in luck.HitFixreports Disney has been quietly telling cast and crew to save a big chunk of their time in the near future to shoot a thefifth and sixth installmentsof their successful franchise back-to-back. This isn't surprising since the second and third sequels employed the same technique, but honestly, I thought the latter sequels suffered the same plight as theMatrixsequels with more cohesion only within the last two films rather than all three.

However, withJohnny Deppalready scheduled forDark ShadowsandThe Lone Rangerin 2011, it's anybody's guess as to when these sequels will get off the ground. It's also unclear whether or notRob Marshallwill return to directthese two sequels much like Gore Verbinski did for the first trilogy. In addition, sinceOn Stranger Tidesfound its inspiration from a previously publishednovel by Tim Powers, writers Terry Rossio and Ted Elliott will have to work pretty hard to craft two more stories and connect them back to the first film lest they fall into the same hole as the first trilogy. Anyway, it doesn't look like this franchise is dying anytime soon, so I hope these new sequels deliver some decent swashbuckling adventures.What do you think?

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Steve Carell& David Steinberg Team for Documentary on Comedy« FirstShowing.net

Though both started out as student's of Chicago's improvisational comedy scene inSecond City,Steve CarellandDavid Steinberghave taken very different paths. While Carell is well known for his talents onscreen in"The Office"or films likeDate Night, Steinberg's talents have mostly beenbehind the cameradirecting for series like"Curb Your Enthusiasm"and"Mad About You."But nowDeadlinereport the two are teaming up for a currently untitleddocumentary on the evolution of comedywhich will look back at 60 years of laughs. As someone who's always taken notice of the comedic trends fluctuating every ten years or so, this is great news.

So to really get to the core of comedy and how it has changed over the years, Steinberg has been interviewing comedians young and old to really make this documentary shine. Such names includeMel Brooks, Don Rickles, Carol Burnett, Jerry Seinfeld, Ellen DeGeneres, Judd Apatow, Robin Williams, Sarah Silverman, Tina Fey, Jane Lynchand many, many more. Carell said,"We're honored that so many legendary comedic performers have chosen to be part of this."In standard comedic fashion, Steinberg followed,"Short story: Carell's career floundering. I throw him a bone. End of story."Frankly, I'm just glad this bone is getting tossed our way.How about you?

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Robert Downey Jr Sets Up New Musical Comedy at Warner Bros« FirstShowing.net

Looks likeRobert Downey Jr.might start singing for his next project.Deadlinereports that Warner Bros has closed a deal for a currently untitledmusical comedythat is being developed for Downey Jr to star in. The script& lyrics will be written byBrian Yorkeyand the music will be composed byTom Kitt, the duo behind the Pulitzer Prize-winning rock musicalNext to Normal, which was already in the news today whenRob Reiner talked abouthow he really wanted to adapt it into a movie. This new project is being developed with Yorkey, Kitt and Anonymous Content's Joy Gorman as well as with Susan Downey producing.Read on!

Deadline says the story is about two Broadway songwriters, one of whom is played by Downey Jr, who find themselves creatively and financially bankrupt when their big-break musical is a huge flop. While searching for inspiration for a comeback, they take jobs as counselors, teaching singing and dancing at a theater camp they attended as kids. This obviously seems a bitGleeinspired, along with just being a creative concept from the guys behindNext to Normal, but it sounds like it'll be fun. I'm not sure why, but when I think of Downey Jr singing, I think ofGene Wilder, and if that comparison is true at all, we're in for a hell of a good time.

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Sundance Film Festival 2011 Non-Competition Line-Up Unveiled« FirstShowing.net

Every new year brings us yet anotherSundance Film Festivaland with 49 days left until Sundance 2011 kicks off onJanuary 20th, Sundance has officially announced the first half of this year's complete line-up. Yesterday they announced the films playing in theirfour competition categories, today they've announced the remaining 54 films that make up their out-of-competition categories. This is the list we've been waiting to see, as there are some awesome films premiering, like Kevin Smith'sRed State,Troll Hunter,Submarine(one ofour Toronto faves) and much more. Even if you're not attending, be sure to check out the line-up.

Premieres:

To showcase the diversity of contemporary independent cinema, the Premieres section offers the latest work from American and international directors as well as world premieres of highly anticipated films. Presented byEntertainment Weekly.

Cedar Rapids(Director: Miguel Arteta; Screenwriter: Phil Johnston)— A wholesome and naive small-town Wisconsin man travels to big city Cedar Rapids, Iowa to represent his company at a regional insurance conference. Cast: Ed Helms, John C Reilly, Anne Heche, Isiah Whitlock Jr., Alia Shawkat, Sigourney Weaver.

The Convincer(Director: Jill Sprecher; Screenwriters: Jill Sprecher& Karen Sprecher)— An insurance salesman, caught in a caper involving a rare musical instrument, sets off a series of dramatic consequences. Cast: Greg Kinnear, Alan Arkin, Billy Crudup, David Harbour.

The Details(Director& Screenwriter: Jacob Aaron Estes)— When hungry raccoons discover worms living under the sod in a young couple's backyard, the pest problem sets off a wild and absurd chain reaction of domestic tension, infidelity, organ donation and murder by way of bow and arrow.Cast: Tobey Maguire, Elizabeth Banks, Laura Linney, Ray Liotta, Dennis Haysbert.

The Devil's Double(Director: Lee Tamahori; Screenwriter: Michael Thomas)— An extraordinary chapter in recent history providing a chilling vision of the House of Saddam comes to life through the eyes of the man who knew too much. Cast: Dominic Cooper, Ludivine Sagnier, Mimoun Oaissa, Raad Rawi, Philip Quast.

I Melt with You(Director: Mark Pellington; Screenwriter: Glenn Porter, based on the story by Glenn Porter and Mark Pellington)— Four friends gather every year to celebrate their friendship. This year they are unexpectedly forced to confront a forgotten promise they made 25 years earlier. As they examine choices they've made, they realize that what they said they would do with their lives and what they have done are entirely different. Cast: Thomas Jane, Jeremy Piven, Rob Lowe, Christian McKay, Carla Gugino.

Life in a Day(Director: Kevin Macdonald)— Life in a Day is a historic global experiment to create the world's largest user-generated feature film. On July 24, 2010, professional and amateur filmmakers captured a glimpse of their lives on camera and uploaded the footage to YouTube, serving as a time capsule for future generations.

Margin Call(Director& Screenwriter: JC Chandor)— Over a 24-hour period during the early stages of the 2008 financial crisis, the key people at a investment bank struggle to decide how to handle an emergency business situation while examining the personal and moral implications of every action they take. Cast: Kevin Spacey, Paul Bettany, JeremyIrons, Zachary Quinto, Stanley Tucci.

The Music Never Stopped(Director: Jim Kohlberg; Screenwriters: Gwyn Lurie and Gary Marks, based on the story“The Last Hippie” by Oliver Sacks) — A father struggles to bond with his estranged son who suffers a brain tumor that prevents him from forming new memories. He learns to embrace his son's choices and to try to connect with him through the power of music. Cast: J.K. Simmons, Julia Ormond, CaraSeymour, Lou Taylor Pucci, Mia Maestro.

My Idiot Brother(Director: Jesse Peretz; Screenwriters: Evgenia Peretz and David Schisgall)— After serving time for selling pot, Ned successively moves in with each of his three sisters as he tries to get back on his feet. His best intentions quickly bring the family to the cusp of chaos and ultimately the brink of clarity. Cast: Paul Rudd, Elizabeth Banks, Zooey Deschanel, Emily Mortimer.

Perfect Sense(Director: David Mackenzie; Screenwriter: Kim Fupz Aakeson)— A poetic and magnetic love story about two people who start to fall in love just as the world begins to fall apart. Cast: Ewan McGregor, Eva Green, Ewen Bremner, Stephen Dillane, Denis Lawson and Connie Nielsen.

Red State(Director& Screenwriter: Kevin Smith)— A group of misfits encounter extreme fundamentalism in Middle America. Cast: Michael Parks, Michael Angarano, Kyle Gallner, John Goodman, Melissa Leo.

Salvation Boulevard(Director: George Ratliff; Screenwriters: Doug Max Stone and George Ratliff, based on the novel by Larry Beinhart)— An evangelical preacher who has captivated a city with his charm frames an ex-hippie for a crime he did not commit. Cast: Pierce Brosnan, Jennifer Connelly, Ed Harris, Greg Kinnear, Marisa Tomei.

The Son of No One(Director& Screenwriter: Dito Montiel)— Two men in post-9/11 New York are forced to relive two murders they committed as young boys. Their lives start to unravel by the threat of the revelation of these shocking and personal secrets. Cast: Channing Tatum, Al Pacino, Katie Holmes, Tracy Morgan, Ray Liotta, Juliette Binoche.

Win Win(Director& Screenwriter: Tom McCarthy, based on the story by Tom McCarthy and Joe Tiboni)— When a disheartened attorney moonlighting as a high school wrestling coach stumbles across a star athlete, things seem to be looking up. That is, until the boy's mother shows up fresh from rehab and flat broke, threatening to derail everything. Cast: Paul Giamatti, Amy Ryan, Bobby Cannavale, Jeffrey Tambor.

Documentary Premieres:

Becoming Chaz(Directors: Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato)— Born biologically female, Chastity Bono invites the viewer into a deeply personal journey as he transitions from female to male, embracing his true self, which is Chaz.

Bobby Fischer Against the World(Director: Liz Garbus)— The drama of late chess-master Bobby Fischer's career was undeniable,as he careened from troubled childhood, to World Champion and Cold War icon, to a fugitive on the run.

Granito(Director: Pamela Yates)— A documentary film intertwines with Guatemala's turbulent history and emerges as an active player in a nation's struggle to heal itself and serve up justice.

The Greatest Movie Ever Sold(Director: Morgan Spurlock)— A documentary about branding, advertising and product placement is financed and made possible by branding, advertising and product placement.

The Interrupters(Director: Steve James)— From the Academy Award-winning director of Hoop Dreams comes a story of ex-gang members who are now protecting their communities from the violence they themselves once employed.

Reagan(Director: Eugene Jarecki)— Reagan examines the enigmatic career of one of the revered architects of the modern world – icon, screen star, and two-term president Ronald Reagan.

Rebirth(Director: Jim Whitaker)— Weaving together five stories of individuals whose lives were profoundly altered by the 9/11 attack with unprecedented time-lapse footage of Ground Zero composed over ten years, what emerges is a chronicle of grief's evolution and a nation healing.

These Amazing Shadows(Directors: Paul Mariano and Kurt Norton)— The history and importance of the National Film Registry unfolds in a roll call of American cinema treasures that reflects the diversity of film, and indeed the American experience itself.

Next (<=>):

Eight American films selected for their innovative and original work in low- and no-budget filmmaking. Each is a world premiere.

Bellflower(Director& Screenwriter: Evan Glodell)— A ballad for every person who has ever loved and lost – with enough violence, weapons, action and sex to tell a love story with apocalyptic stakes. Cast: Evan Glodell, Jessie Wiseman, Tyler Dawson, Rebekah Brandes.

The Lie(Director: Joshua Leonard; Screenwriters: Jeff Feuerzeig, Joshua Leonard, Mark Webber and Jess Weixler, based on the short story by T. Coraghessan Boyle)— A man overwhelmed and disappointed with life tells a lie to avoid going to work… what could possibly go wrong? Cast: Joshua Leonard, Jess Weixler, Mark Webber, Alia Shawkat, Jane Adams and Kelli Garner.

Lord Byron(Director: Zack Godshall; Screenwriters: Zack Godshall and Ross Brupbacher)— When he's not pursuing women, Byron is smoking weed and loafing around. But he's grown restless in his middle-age and feels the need to escape – he just doesn't know where to go. Cast: Paul Batiste, Gwendolyn Spradling, Kayla Lemaire.

The Off Hours(Director& Screenwriter: Megan Griffiths)— A passing truck driver brings an unfamiliar sense of optimism to a woman working the night shift at a quiet diner, reminding her it's never too late to become the person you always wanted to be. Cast: Amy Seimetz, Ross Partridge, Scoot McNairy, Lynn Shelton, Bret Roberts, Tony Doupe.

Prairie Love(Director& Screenwriter: Dusty Bias)— When a mysterious vagrant living out of his car among the snowy plains discovers a nearly-frozen local with a pen-pal girlfriend, he sees an opportunity to change his lonely existence. Cast: Jeremy Clark, Holly Lynn Ellis, Garth Blomberg.

Restless City(Director: Andrew Dosunmu; Screenwriter: Eugene M. Gussenhoven)— An African immigrant survives on the fringes of New York City. Music is his passion, life is a hustle and falling in love is his greatest risk. Cast: Danai Gurira, Anthony Okungbowa, Babs Olusanmokun.

sound of my voice(Director: Zal Batmanglij; Screenwriters: Zal Batmanglij and Brit Marling)— A young couple infiltrates a cult that meets in a basement in the San Fernando Valley. Cast: Christopher Denham, Nicole Vicius, Brit Marling.

to.get.her(Director& Screenwriter: Erica Dunton)— Five girls come together for one fateful night where anything goes. They all had secrets, but their friendship was the only thing they knew to be true. Cast: Jazzy De Lisser, Chelsea Logan, Adwoa Aboah, Jami Eaton, Audrey Speicher.

Spotlight:

Attenberg/ Greece (Director& Screenwriter: Athina Rachel Tsangari)— Marina, a young woman living with her father in a decaying, seaside factory town, acquires a new perspective on the mysteries of human nature after she meets a stranger. Cast: Ariane Labed, Yorgos Lanthimos, Vangelis Mourikis, Evangelia Randou.

Elite Squad 2 (Tropa de Elite 2)/ Brazil (Director: José Padilha; Screenwrtiers: Bráulio Mantovani, José Padilha and Rodrigo Pimentel) — Captain Nascimento of Rio de Janeiro's special operations police unit has a new enemy: widespread corruption within the city. Cast: Wagner Moura, Seu Jorge, Tainá Müller, André Ramiro, Milhem Cortaz.

I Saw the Devil/ South Korea (Director and screenwriter: Kim Jee-woon)—A young secret agent tracks a brutal serial killer who murdered his fiancée. Cast: Byung-hun Lee, Min-sik Choi.

In a Better World (Hævnen)/ Denmark(Director: Susanne Bier; Story: Susanne Bier and Anders Thomas Jensen, Screenplay: Anders Thomas Jensen)— The lives of two Danish families become intertwined as an extraordinary but risky friendship develops. Cast: Mikael Persbrandt, Trine Dyrholm, Ulrich Thomsen, Markus Rygaard and William Jøhnk Nielsen.

Incendies/ Canada, France (Director: Denis Villeneuve, Screenwriters: Denis Villeneuve with the collaboration of Valérie Beaugrand-Champagne, based on a stage play Incendies by: Wajdi Mouawad)— A mother's last wish sends Jeanne and Simon, twins living in Canada, on a journey to the Middle East in search of their tangled roots. Cast: Lubna Azabal, Mélissa Désormeaux-Poulin, Maxim Gaudette, Rémy Girard.

Kaboom/ U.S.A. (Director& Screenwriter: Gregg Araki)— A science fiction story centered on the sexual awakening of a group of college students. Cast: Thomas Dekker, Haley Bennett, Chris Zylka, Roxane Mesquida, Juno Temple.

Letters From the Big Man/ U.S.A. (Director& Screenwriter: Christopher Munch)— An artist and government hydrologist surveying a remote part of southwestern Oregon befriends a sasquatch man and must take bold steps to protect his privacy, as well as her own. Cast: Lily Rabe, Jason Butler Harner, Isaac C. Singleton Jr., Jim Cody Williams, Fiona Dourif.

Meek's Cutoff/ U.S.A. (Director: Kelly Reichardt; Screenwriter: Jon Raymond)— In 1845, three families who have hired mountaineer Stephen Meek to guide their wagons over the Cascade Mountains get lost and face hunger, thirst and a lack of faith in their instincts for survival. Cast: Michelle Williams, Paul Dano, Zoe Kaza, Bruce Greenwood, Shirley Henderson.

Old Cats (Gatos Viejos)/ Chile (Directors& Screenwriters: Pedro Peirano and Sebastián Silva) — An old woman who realizes that her mind is quickly deteriorating desperately tries to hide this condition from her daughter, who waits keenly for any sign of senility in order to take her apartment. Cast: Bélgica Castro, Claudia Celedón, Catalina Saavedra, Alejandro Sieveking.

Submarine/ United Kingdom, U.S.A. (Director: Richard Ayoade; Screenwriter: Richard Ayoade from the novel by Joe Dunthorne)— Fifteen-year-old Oliver Tate has two big ambitions: to save his parents' marriage and to lose his virginity before his next birthday. Cast: Craig Roberts, Paddy Considine, Sally Hawkins, Yasmin Paige.

Uncle Kent/ U.S.A. (Director: Joe Swanberg; Screenwriters: Joe Swanberg and Kent Osborne)— A pothead cartoonist in Los Angeles spends a weekend trying to sleep with his visiting house guest – a woman from New York he met on Chatroulette. Cast: Kent Osborne.

Park City at Midnight:

Home to horror films and crazy comedies,Black Dynamite,The Blair Witch ProjectandSaware among the films that have screened here.

The Catechism Cataclysm(Director& Screenwriter: Todd Rohal)— After becoming disinterested with the church, a priest tracks down his old classmate, a former metalhead whom he idolized in high school. When the two embark on a canoeing trip together, all hell breaks loose. Cast: Steve Little, Robert Longstreet, Walter Dalton, Miki Ann Maddox, Koko Lanham.

Codependent Lesbian Space Alien Seeks Same(Director& Screenwriter: Madeleine Olnek)— A shy greeting card store employee unknowingly falls for a lesbian space alien while two government agents closely track their romance. Cast: Lisa Haas, Susan Ziegler, Jackie Monahan, Cynthia Kaplan, Dennis Davis, Alex Karpovsky, Rae C Wright.

Hobo with A Shotgun(Director: Jason Eisener; Screenwriter: Johnathan Davies)— A hobo hops from a train with dreams of a fresh life in a new city, but instead finds himself trapped in an urban hell. When he witnesses a brutal robbery, he realizes the only way to deliver justice is with a shotgun in his hands and two shells in the chamber. Cast: Rutger Hauer, Molly Dunsworth, Gregory Smith, Brian Downey.

The Oregonian(Director& Screenwriter: Calvin Lee Reeder)— After surviving a brutal car accident, a simple farm woman limps down the road into the nightmarish unknown. Cast: Lindsay Pulsipher, Robert Longstreet, Matt Olsen, Lynne Compton, Barlow Jacobs, Chadwick Brown, Jed Maheu, Roger M. Mayer.

Septien(Director: Michael Tully)— A reclusive sports hustler returns home to his family farm after years of absence to reunite with his two eccentric, unhinged and emotionally damaged brothers. Cast: Robert Longstreet, Onur Tukel, Michael Tully, Rachel Korine, Mark Robinson, John Maringouin.

Troll Hunter (Trolljegeren)(Director: Andre Ovredal)— A group of student filmmakers get more than they bargained for when tangling with a man tasked with protecting Norway from giant trolls. Cast: Otto Jespersen, Glenn Erland Tosterud, Hans Morten Hansen, Johanna Mørch, Tomas Alf Larsen.

Corman's World: Exploits Of A Hollywood Rebel(Director: Alex Stapleton)— Tracks the triumphant rise of Hollywood's most prolific writer-director-producer, the true godfather of independent filmmaking. Cast: Jack Nicholson, Ron Howard, Martin Scorsese, Robert De Niro, James Cameron, Roger Corman.

The Woman(Director: Lucky McKee; Screenwriters: Jack Ketchum and Lucky McKee)— When a successful country lawyer captures and attempts to “civilize” the last remaining member of a violent clan that has roamed the Northeast coast for decades, he puts the lives of his family in jeopardy. Cast: Pollyanna McIntosh, Sean Bridgers, Angela Bettis, Lauren Ashley Carter, Zach Rand.

New Frontier:

Works that push the limits of traditional cinema aesthetics and the narrative structures of filmmaking.

Jess + Moss/ U.S.A. (Director: Clay Jeter; Screenwriters: Clay Jeter and Debra Jeter)— Without immediate families that they can relate to, and lacking friends their own age, second cousins Jess and Moss only have each other. A series of visceral vignettes conjure memories of companionship and sexual awakening during a summer shared together on their Kentucky farm. Cast: Sarah Hagan, Austin Vickers.

The Mill& the Cross/ Poland, Sweden (Director: Lech Majewski; Screenwriters: Michael Francis Gibson and Lech Majewski)— A visually vibrant and masterful work that seamlessly fortifies rich painterly compositions with digital effects, bringing Peter Brugel's 1564 painting, The Way to Calvary, to real life. Cast: Rutger Hauer, Michael York, Charlotte Rampling, Joanna Litwin.

The Nine Muses/ United Kingdom (Director& Screenwriter: John Akomfrah)— An allegorical fable divided into overlapping musical chapters, this film retells the history of mass migration to post-war Britain through the suggestive lens of Homer's epic poem, The Odyssey.

!Women Art Revolution/ U.S.A. (Director: Lynn Hershman Leeson)— One part of a transmedia project that includes the interactive video installation RAW WAR presented at New Frontier, this seminal documentary depicts the history of women artists who have used art as an activist practice to fight oppression and protest gender and racial exclusion – creating what many historians feel is the most significant art movement of the late-20th century.

The Woods/ U.S.A. (Director& Screenwriter: Matthew Lessner)— A satirical nod to ethnographic film fashions a critique on media technology dependence, when eight young Americans move deep into to the woods to start their own utopia. Cast: Justin Phillips, Toby David, Adam Mortemore, Nicola Persky, Chris Edley.

Sundance is one of my favorite fests, so I always get excited to see the line-up every year. I had a feeling this year might be a great year coming up, and from the looks of their great choices, that definitely might be the case. Sundance 2011 runs from January 20th to 30th next month. For more info:sundance.org/festival/.

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Liam Hemsworth Starring in John Singleton's Thriller 'Broken Run'&amp;laquo; FirstShowing.net

With his brother Chris Hemsworth making great strides after a small but pivotal role inStar Trekled him to the title role inThor, actorLiam Hemsworthstill has some work to do in order to catch up. Taking the romantic lead opposite Miley Cyrus inThe Last Songhelped his starpower a bit, but if he's going to be a star, he'll have to do much more than make out with an actress/pop star. He's on the right track by starring in Chuck Russell's remake ofArabian Nights, and now he's got another project lined up asThe Wrapreports Hemsworth is attached to star inBroken Run, a political thriller whichJohn Singleton(Four Brothers,Shaft) is set to direct.

The story, set in Washington D.C., follows a recovering alcoholic who becomes addicted to the thrill of stalking strangers and discovers that her new obsession is perhaps more dangerous than she originally thought. The project is being shopped around to studios with only a pitch currently, butJay LonginoandMichael Browningare supposed to write the screenplay. It's unclear how soon this project might get off the ground, but Singleton is already done shootingAbductionwith Taylor Lautner, so he'll likely figure out his next project soon. Singleton has also been connected to another thriller calledLayoverand possiblyFive Brothers, the sequel to his filmFour Brothers. Stay tuned.

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