American Society of Cinematographers Awards 2011 Nominees« FirstShowing.net

Its been a hell of a year for cinematography, at least I thought. There were quite a few truly gorgeous films, but it's time to take a look at this year's nominees in the feature film category of the 25th AnnualAmerican Society of CinematographersOutstanding Achievement Awards. The five nominees are:Black Swan'sMatthew Libatique,Inception'sWally Pfister,The King's Speech'sDanny Cohen,True Grit'sRoger DeakinsandThe Social Network'sJeff Cronenweth. In the photo above is Libatique working onBlack Swan."These five people haveset the standardfor today's cinematography,"said ASC's Richard Crudo.

This is the ninth nomination for Deakins, most of the others have come from various Coen Brothers films, too. In addition to his nomination forTrue Grit, Deakins will also be honored as the recipient of the ASC's 2011 Lifetime Achievement Award. So no matter what, he's a winner! This is the third nomination for Wally Pfister followingBatman BeginsandThe Dark Knightpreviously. Cohen, Cronenweth and Libatique are all first-time nominees. I'm amazed this is Libatique's first, he also shotRequiem for a Dream,Inside Man,The FountainandIron Man 1& 2- yet no nominations before this?!"The artistically diverse approaches these talented cinematographers employed are a glimpse at whatvisionaries with a cameracan accomplish,"said ASC President Michael Goi in the press release."They arevisual storytellersof the highest caliber."

Strong words from the pres, but nonetheless true. I certainly can appreciate great cinematography when I come across it and these five movies are definitely the best work out of this past year. My top pick personally isThe King's Speech, just because they used the most refreshingly unconventional and unique approach to shooting a period piece, yet it still looked absolutely stunning, truly representative of the old adage that"every frame should look as beautiful as a photograph"- and they certainly did! I've been trying to setup an interview with Danny Cohen, who's also a fairly young newcomer, but haven't had any luck yet. The winner of the ASC Awards will be announced at their celebration in Hollywood onFebruary 13.Good choices?

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Adam Sandler& Andy Samberg Teaming Up for'I Hate You Dad'« FirstShowing.net

Though one of the funnymen has already left behind the late night sketch comedy series"Saturday Night Live"while the other is responsible for reinvigorating the series through hilarious Digital Shorts likeLazy Sundayand most recentlyI Just Had Sex, the two will soon be working together.THRreportsAdam SandlerandAndy Sambergare in talks with Columbia Pictures to lead the comedyI Hate You, Dad, the story of a father who moves in on the eve of his son's wedding and promptly begins feuding with the bride-to-be. Apparently Sandler would be playing Samberg's son though the age difference between them is less than 12 years.

Of course, since something as little as a difference in sex isn't stopping Sandler from playing a twin brother and sister in Jack and Jill, I'm sure Sandler won't mind putting on some make-up to look a little more aged. The project is still in the early stages of development though as no director is still attached. Sandler's Happy Madison production banner is behind the project, but the script has been sitting around since late 2008. Funnily enough, this project isnotsome sort of spin-off fromI Love You, Mandespite the title similarities and the fact that Samberg also had a role in the Paul Rudd and Jason Segel comedy.

Last time Sandler worked with fellow, former"SNL"cast members the result wasGrown Upsand it ended up on my list of theworst five films from 2010. I'm hoping that with Samberg's more contemporary comedic sensibilities involved we'll get a decent comedy this time around. Until then, Sandler is trying out another romantic comedy in February with the release ofJust Go With Itwhich puts him alongside Jennifer Aniston. I think this new project sounds a bit more promising for some decent comedy from Sandler though.How about you?

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First Official Look at Rooney Mara in'Girl with the Dragon Tattoo'« FirstShowing.net

Back in August we found out thatThe Social NetworkstarRooney Marahadsnagged the lead roleof Lisbeth Salander in David Fincher's adaptation ofThe Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, thefirst installmentof the popularMillennium Trilogy. If there were any doubts that Mara would fit into the tough female lead role, almost all of those doubts should be removed asW magazine(viaJoBlo) has delivered the first two photos of Mara all decked out in Salander's trademark short, pitch-black haircut, leather jacket and tattoos. Looking simultaneously sexy and kick-ass, I'm definitely interested to see what Mara does with the character. See the photos below!

Here's our first look atRooney Maraas Lisbeth Salander courtesy ofW magazine:

The character is described as"a gamin,Audrey Hepburnlook-alike but withtattoosandpiercings, the take-no-prisoners attitude ofLara Croftand the cool, unsentimental intellect ofMr. Spock. The vulnerable victim turned vigilante; a willfully antisocial girl."It looks like they've nailed that if the above pictures are any indication. And if you feel silly for being skeptical, well Mara herself wasn't sure she was right for the part. The actress says,"“Before I read the book,I didn’t think I could do it. I locked myself in a room for a week and read all three books, and decided I really wanted to be Lisbeth. But I thought I had no shot at it.” How about them apples?Now what do you think of Rooney Mara as Lisbeth Salander?

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Chris Hemsworth& Tom Hiddleston on Fighting in Marvel's'Thor'« FirstShowing.net

We're almost two weeks into 2011 and that means we're that much closer to theMay 6threlease of Marvel Studios' anticipated adaptation ofThor. After thatfirst spectacular trailerand a couple ofcoolposters, I'm hoping that Marvel doesn't decide to show too much more for giving away the finer points of the promising-looking comic book flick. However, I'm definitely interested in hearing some ofThor'slead actors talk about the action on set. Thankfully,SFX Magazine(viaComicBookMovie) talked with the film's hero,Chris Hemsworth, and villainTom Hiddleston, where they opened up a bit about fighting on the blockbuster.

The God of Thunder himself, Chris Hemsworth, talked about putting on some muscle and creating a fighting style and physical demeanor to unique to this Thor. The actorelaborated:

"I had to put on about 20 pounds for the film. and I've lost most of that since I stopped shooting. It was such an effort to keep it on. Then, yeah, we did a lot of stunt training about how {Thor} moved and him as a character, and the more you work out physically how he moves helps with your dialogue scenes and vice versa, so it's an ongoing process. Thor's movement is closely linked toMjolnir, his legendary war hammer. He spins it and throws it and it flies and comes back. Working out how to use that as a weapon practically and itsadvantagesanddisadvantages, and then developing the style of how he fights and the body positions that he has in the comic books and trying to use some of them. It was great!"

As forTom Hiddleston, the man behind the mischievous villain and Thor's brother Loki, he alsoopened upabout some of his training and the fighting style he tried to develop for his character. Tom explains:

"I did a lot of training, actually, which is less visible than it is in the size of his arms {laughs}. {Director Kenneth Branagh} asked for me to bevery leanandvery strongat the same time, and he wanted me to develop afighting style. I don't know if you know the Brazilian martial art ofcapoeira, but it was something like that. I felt like if Thor was a big rock, Loki was like the wind, and he would dance around this sturdy block of granite. So I developed a kind of fighting style that was much more balletic, a kind oflethal dance."

It should definitely be interesting to see how the different fighting styles of Thor and Loki contrast and hopefully clash against each other when the film hits theaters at the beginning of the summer blockbuster season. If thattraileris any indicator, this should bequitea clash of the titans, andKenneth Branaghmay be the next bad-ass blockbuster director on the scene. The talent he's amassed and the passion they've put into making it as accurate to the comic yet edgy for today is fantastic. It should be a fun way to kick off the summer. But until then, we'll just have to sit and wait patiently untilThorhits theaters onMay 6thof this year.Sound good?

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David O. Russell Rewriting and Directing Adaptation of'2 Guns'?« FirstShowing.net

There's been a lot of buzz surrounding Mark Wahlberg's reunion with directorDavid O. Russell(The Fighter) for thevideo game adaptationUncharted: Drake's Fortune. However, before that project, Russell was slated to directVince VaughninOld St. Louis, the story a traveling salesman who has been an absentee father and how his life changes when his daughter becomes a part of it. Now it sounds like a new project with Vaughn is being set up instead asTHRreports Russell is in early talks to rewrite and direct an adaptation of2 Guns, a pulp story about cops and thieves and the men that are something in between.More below!

Based on Steven Grant'sgraphic novel of the same name, here's the short and sweet synopsis of the wholly intriguing story:

Trench has targeted a local bank to rob, and asked Steadman in on the job. Trench figures it's a great way to score -- considering it's a cover for mob money. They'll be thieves ripping off thieves. But what Steadman doesn't know is that Trench is a DEA agent. And what Trench doesn't know is that Steadman's a Naval Intelligence officer. They're both cops! And neither one knows that they're not robbing the mob, they've been set up to steal $50 million from the CIA!

Vaughn has been attached to the project since Universal picked up the property back in 2008, and apparently he's still attached now. The prospect of Russell and Vaughn collaborating on a project like this is enticing. And for anyone who doubts Vaughn doing more than his normal fast-talking, wit-filled diatribes for minutes at a time, he did see a little bit of action inMr. and Mrs. Smith. It sounds like 2 Guns won't take off until afterUncharted: Drake's Fortune, but it's not clear what that will mean forOld St. Louis.Thoughts?

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Lena Headey is the Villainous Ma-Ma in Pete Travis'Judge Dredd« FirstShowing.net

She's already kicked-ass and fought Terminators as the titular character in"The Sarah Connor Chronicles", now it seems actressLena Headeywill be facing off against Karl Urban in director Pete Travis'Dreddthe new adaptation ofJudge Dredd. ApparentlyBleeding Coolhad heard rumblings of the casting before it turned up at a reliableJudge Dreddfansite, and Headey has already been shooting on the film for a week. So who's she playing? The actress is taking on the villainous role ofMadeline Madrigal(aka Ma-Ma), the leader of a gang who over run the Peach Tree City Block where the majority of the action in it takes place.

The script is said to describe the villain as a woman in her late 50's or early 60's with a big scar through her cheek and lip. Obviously the age range has probably been changed since Headey isn't anywhere near that old. We've already seen arough first lookat Karl Urban in costume as Judge Dredd, but I'm hoping for a more official, high quality glimpse at this new adaptation soon.Dreddtakes us to the wild streets of Mega City One, the lone oasis of quasi-civilization on Cursed Earth. Judge Dredd (Karl Urban) is the most feared of elite Street Judges, with the power to enforce the law, sentence offenders and execute them on the spot– if necessary.Thoughts?

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Atari Bringing Arcade Game Missile Command to the Big Screen« FirstShowing.net

Following the upcomingBattleshipandAsteroidsadaptations,Atarihas hired writersBurk SharplessandMatt Sazamato adapt the classic 80s arcade gameMissile Commandinto a feature film. ProducerPeter Chernin(Rise of the Apes) is developing the project at his own production company, with Atari exec producing. Sharpless& Sazama recently wrote theFlash Gordonreboot and worked onDracula Year Zero.Missile Command, which hit in 1980, is one of the simplest games involving firing counter-missiles from the ground to destroy incoming missile attacks from the air. How that will be made into a movie, I have no idea?

There couldn't be a more perfect time to reference a recentJames Cameronquote that's spreading around the web. ViaScreen Rant:"We have a story crisis they want to make theBattleshipgame into a film. This is puredesperation."Exactly!And yet here we are, reporting even more depressing news that a classic 8-bit game that involves defending our country by shooting missiles with a trackball is the latest basis behind a big budget action movie that's now in the works. This better be likeRed Dawnor else I don't know what the heck to expect. I don't even know if they'll set it in the Cold War or update it to be contemporary, but either way this definitely seems like a desperate attempt to capitalize on a brand that, well, hasn't been around for the last 20 years.Does anyone think aMissile Commandmovie might actually turn out okay?

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Shane Black Directing a New Adaptation of'Death Note'Manga« FirstShowing.net

After seeing previews for small theatrical screenings of theJapanese live-action adaptationsof thepopular mangaDeath Note, I could not have been less interested in checking out the international film trilogy. However, news fromDeadlinethatShane Black(writer of theLethal Weaponfranchise and director ofKiss Kiss, Bang Bang) has been hired by Warner Bros. for a new live-action adaptation of theDeath Noteseries. The story follows a boy named Light Yagami who stumbles upon the Death Note, a notebook that delivers death to any human whose name is written on its pages, and vows to use it to rid the word of evil.

For a little more information on the story, here's the official synopsis:

Light Yagami is an ace student with great prospects - and he's bored out of his mind. But all that changes when he finds theDeath Note, a notebook dropped by a rogue Shinigami death god.Any human whose name is written in the notebook dies, and now Light has vowed to use the power of the Death Note to rid the world of evil. But whencriminals begin dropping dead, the authorities send the legendary detective L totrack down the killer. With L hot on his heels, will Light lose sight of his noble goal...or his life? Light tests the boundaries of the Death Note powers as L and the police begin to close in. Luckily Light's father is the head of the Japanese National Police Agency and leaves vital information about the case lying around the house. With access to his father's files, Light can keep one step ahead of the authorities. But who is thestrange man following him, and how can Light guard against enemies whose names he doesn't know?

Anthony Bagarozzi and Charles Mondry are adapting the manga after working on Doc Savage, an upcoming drama that Black will direct for Sony. Black says,"It’s my favorite manga. I was just struck by its unique and brilliant sensibility. What we want to do is take it back to that manga, and make it closer to what is socomplexandtruthfulabout thespirituality of the story, versus taking the concept and trying to copy it as an American thriller."The gritty, film noir feel ofKiss Kiss, Bang Bangshows Black has the right sensibilities for a film like this, but that's the only film he's directed. Of course, once being at the top of the spec script market, Black has plenty of experience in Hollywood and I don't doubt his skills one bit.How about you?

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