WELLINGTON (Reuters) - Film maker Peter Jackson wants to scare children with his latest movie - and perhaps even a few grown ups.
The first of the Hobbit movie trilogy - 'The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey' - is about to hit theatres, and Jackson says he's tried to hold true to its roots as a children's fantasy story, with scary bits.
'If they're scared of the trolls great, if they're scared of the goblins great, they know there are no goblins, they know there are no trolls, it's a safe kind of danger,' he says.
The film, produced by MGM and Time Warner Inc, is the fourth in the Oscar-winning Jackson's blockbuster 'Lord of the Rings' film franchise, based on the books of author J.R.R. Tolkien.
It follows the journey of hobbit Bilbo Baggins, reluctantly pushed into travelling with 13 dwarves to steal treasure from a dragon and regain their homeland. During his travels, he comes by the ring that he later passes onto kinsman Frodo Baggins, which was at the core of the 'Rings' trilogy.
Jackson says he's worked to keep distance between the Hobbit, published in 1937, and the much darker Lord of the Rings, which came out nearly 20 years later.
'The Lord of the Rings has an apocalyptic sort of heavy themic end-of-the world quality to it, which the Hobbit doesn't, which is one of the delights of it,' he said.
POMPOUS AND SMALL MINDED
The pointy eared, hairy footed hobbit Bilbo is played by British actor Martin Freeman, who says he's tried to make Bilbo his own creation, a character audiences can root for despite his initial pomposity and small mindedness.
'You have to be able to follow him for the duration of the film, but I wanted him to be open and changeable and ready to be surprised,' Freeman said.
A key scene is an encounter in a cave between Bilbo and the creature Gollum, reprised in full computer generated splendor by Andy Serkis with the distinctive throaty whisper.
'It was a very rich experience,' he said, adding that playing Gollum again was 'an absolute thrill'.
Such is the affection for the creature, who calls the magic ring 'Precious', that a 13 meter (42 feet) sculpture of Gollum hangs in the airport terminal at Wellington, which regards itself as the spiritual home of the Tolkien films and terms itself the 'Middle of Middle Earth'.
Returning actors from the Rings trilogy, many of whom have only passing mention in the book, were no less enthusiastic. Ian McKellen returns for a leading role as the wispy-haired, grey bearded wizard, Gandalf, while Cate Blanchett is the elven queen Galadriel and Elijah Wood appears as Frodo Baggins.
'You couldn't not come back, you had to come back,' says Hugo Weaving, the leader of the elves, Elrond.
HOBBIT - A FRAUGHT JOURNEY
The Hobbit film journey has not been without its setbacks.
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, owners of the film rights to the Tolkien books, had financial woes, prompting original director Guillermo del Toro to pull out and Jackson, already script writer and executive producer, to step in.
A major labor dispute prompted threats to move production out of New Zealand, and was solved by changing labor laws, while Jackson suffered a perforated ulcer and underwent surgery, delaying the film still further.
Though only two films were planned originally, Jackson has tapped Tolkien's appendices to the Rings to make it into three.
Audiences are also getting more visual bangs for their buck, with the movies filmed in 3D and at 48 frames per second (fps), double the industry standard.
This delivers clearer pictures, but opinion is divided, with some critics calling it cartoon-like and jarring.
Jackson says he wants to drag the iPad generation back into theatres and the romance, excitement and mystery they offer.
'It's more realistic, it's more immersive. I almost feel a responsibility as a film maker to try to do my part at encouraging people to come to the movies, to watch the film in a cinema,' he said.
The second film 'The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug' will be released in December next year, with the third 'The Hobbit: There and Back Again' is due in mid-July 2014.
(Reporting by Gyles Beckford, editing by Elaine Lies)
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Friday, December 7, 2012
Thursday, December 6, 2012
Kristen Wiig may join "Anchorman: The Legend Continues"
LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Kristen Wiig is being eyed for a role in 'Anchorman: The Legend Continues' for Paramount Pictures, a person familiar with the negotiations has told TheWrap.
Wiig would play opposite Steve Carell, as a love interest in the sequel. The script is still being written, and no cast beyond the principals has been set.
Adam McKay is directing the feature, which is being produced by Judd Apatow through his Apatow Productions banner. The film is a sequel to the 2004 hit, 'Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy' and is due to be released in October 2013.
Best known for her work on 'Saturday Night Live,' Wiig is one of the most in-demand actresses in Hollywood, since appearing in the film 'Bridesmaids.' She could recently be seen at the Toronto International Film Festival in the indie feature 'Imogene,' and has been busy filming a number of titles, including 'The Secret Life of Walter Mitty,' and 'Hateship Friendship,' with Guy Pearce.
'Anchorman: The Legend Continues' will see the original film's cast return, including Will Ferrell, Christina Applegate, Paul Rudd and Carell. The story follows the on-set adventures of San Diego's top newsman who is played by Ferrell. 'Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy' made around $85 million at the box office.
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Wiig would play opposite Steve Carell, as a love interest in the sequel. The script is still being written, and no cast beyond the principals has been set.
Adam McKay is directing the feature, which is being produced by Judd Apatow through his Apatow Productions banner. The film is a sequel to the 2004 hit, 'Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy' and is due to be released in October 2013.
Best known for her work on 'Saturday Night Live,' Wiig is one of the most in-demand actresses in Hollywood, since appearing in the film 'Bridesmaids.' She could recently be seen at the Toronto International Film Festival in the indie feature 'Imogene,' and has been busy filming a number of titles, including 'The Secret Life of Walter Mitty,' and 'Hateship Friendship,' with Guy Pearce.
'Anchorman: The Legend Continues' will see the original film's cast return, including Will Ferrell, Christina Applegate, Paul Rudd and Carell. The story follows the on-set adventures of San Diego's top newsman who is played by Ferrell. 'Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy' made around $85 million at the box office.
This news article is brought to you by SPACE AND ASTRONOMY NEWS - where latest news are our top priority.
Wednesday, December 5, 2012
"Zero Dark Thirty" wins best film award a second time
NEW YORK (Reuters) - 'Zero Dark Thirty,' filmmaker Kathryn Bigelow's action thriller about the hunt for Osama bin Laden, was named best film of 2012 on Wednesday by the National Board of Review - the second accolade for the movie in one week.
Bigelow was named best director and Jessica Chastain, who plays the starring role of a young CIA officer pursuing bin Laden, was named best actress by the NBR.
Bradley Cooper took home best actor honors for his portrayal of a bipolar, former teacher in the film 'Silver Linings Playbook.'
' 'Zero Dark Thirty' is a masterful film,' NBR President Annie Schulhof said in a statement. 'Kathryn Bigelow takes the viewer inside a definitive moment of our time in a visceral and unique way. It is exciting, provocative and deeply emotional.'
Wednesday's awards for the Hollywood treatment of the decade-long operation to hunt and kill bin Laden, based on firsthand accounts, boosts the prospects for the movie to win an Oscar in February. The film, not yet publicly released, also took the top award from the New York Film Critics Circle on Monday.
Leonardo DiCaprio won best supporting actor from the NBR for his role in Quentin Tarantino's new slavery era drama, 'Django Unchained,' while Ann Dowd took the best supporting actress honors for her role in 'Compliance,' as a fast-food restaurant manager duped by a prank caller scam.
The NBR, a 100 year-old U.S.-based group of movie industry watchers and film professionals, gave its original screenplay award to Rian Johnson for 'Looper,' and adapted screenplay to David O. Russell for 'Silver linings Playbook.'
'HOBBIT,' 'LIFE OF PI' OVERLOOKED
'Les Miserables,' the first big movie adaptation of the popular stage musical featuring Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe and Anne Hathaway was named best ensemble, and the group gave its best animated feature prize to 'Wreck-It-Ralph.'
Each year the board also issues a list of top 10 movies, which this year besides Bigelow's film included Ben Affleck's Iran hostage thriller 'Argo,' 'Django Unchained,' 'Les Miserables,' 'Silver Linings Playbook,' and 'Looper.'
'Lincoln,' Steven Spielberg's biopic of President Abraham Lincoln, the mystical indie film 'Beasts of the Southern Wild,' Gus van Sant's fracking drama 'Promised Land,' and coming of age film 'The Perks of Being A Wallflower,' rounded out the list.
Absent from the list were some films that had been touted for honors ahead of awards season, including Peter Jackson's 'The Hobbit,' Wes Anderson's 'Moonrise Kingdom,' indie film 'The Sessions' starring Helen Hunt, and Ang Lee's 'Life of Pi.'
In other categories, NBR gave its best documentary award to 'Searching for Sugarman,' and chose Austrian director Michael Haneke's 'Amour,' as best foreign language film.
Child-actress Quvenzhane Wallis from 'Beasts of the Southern Wild,' and 'The Impossible' actor Tom Holland each won awards for breakthrough performances.
Benh Zeitlin received the award for best debut director for 'Beasts of the Southern Wild,' while documentary 'Central Park Five' and drama 'Promised Land' were both honored with the Freedom of Expression award.
The National Board of Review was formed in New York in 1909 as a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting movies as an art form and entertainment.
(Reporting by Christine Kearney, editing by Jill Serjeant and Leslie Gevirtz)
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Bigelow was named best director and Jessica Chastain, who plays the starring role of a young CIA officer pursuing bin Laden, was named best actress by the NBR.
Bradley Cooper took home best actor honors for his portrayal of a bipolar, former teacher in the film 'Silver Linings Playbook.'
' 'Zero Dark Thirty' is a masterful film,' NBR President Annie Schulhof said in a statement. 'Kathryn Bigelow takes the viewer inside a definitive moment of our time in a visceral and unique way. It is exciting, provocative and deeply emotional.'
Wednesday's awards for the Hollywood treatment of the decade-long operation to hunt and kill bin Laden, based on firsthand accounts, boosts the prospects for the movie to win an Oscar in February. The film, not yet publicly released, also took the top award from the New York Film Critics Circle on Monday.
Leonardo DiCaprio won best supporting actor from the NBR for his role in Quentin Tarantino's new slavery era drama, 'Django Unchained,' while Ann Dowd took the best supporting actress honors for her role in 'Compliance,' as a fast-food restaurant manager duped by a prank caller scam.
The NBR, a 100 year-old U.S.-based group of movie industry watchers and film professionals, gave its original screenplay award to Rian Johnson for 'Looper,' and adapted screenplay to David O. Russell for 'Silver linings Playbook.'
'HOBBIT,' 'LIFE OF PI' OVERLOOKED
'Les Miserables,' the first big movie adaptation of the popular stage musical featuring Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe and Anne Hathaway was named best ensemble, and the group gave its best animated feature prize to 'Wreck-It-Ralph.'
Each year the board also issues a list of top 10 movies, which this year besides Bigelow's film included Ben Affleck's Iran hostage thriller 'Argo,' 'Django Unchained,' 'Les Miserables,' 'Silver Linings Playbook,' and 'Looper.'
'Lincoln,' Steven Spielberg's biopic of President Abraham Lincoln, the mystical indie film 'Beasts of the Southern Wild,' Gus van Sant's fracking drama 'Promised Land,' and coming of age film 'The Perks of Being A Wallflower,' rounded out the list.
Absent from the list were some films that had been touted for honors ahead of awards season, including Peter Jackson's 'The Hobbit,' Wes Anderson's 'Moonrise Kingdom,' indie film 'The Sessions' starring Helen Hunt, and Ang Lee's 'Life of Pi.'
In other categories, NBR gave its best documentary award to 'Searching for Sugarman,' and chose Austrian director Michael Haneke's 'Amour,' as best foreign language film.
Child-actress Quvenzhane Wallis from 'Beasts of the Southern Wild,' and 'The Impossible' actor Tom Holland each won awards for breakthrough performances.
Benh Zeitlin received the award for best debut director for 'Beasts of the Southern Wild,' while documentary 'Central Park Five' and drama 'Promised Land' were both honored with the Freedom of Expression award.
The National Board of Review was formed in New York in 1909 as a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting movies as an art form and entertainment.
(Reporting by Christine Kearney, editing by Jill Serjeant and Leslie Gevirtz)
This news article is brought to you by SHOCKING DATING ADVICE - where latest news are our top priority.
Latest James Bond movie breaks UK box office record
LONDON (Reuters) - 'Skyfall', the 23rd official James Bond movie, has become the most successful film in British box office history, earning 94.3 million pounds ($152 million), its producers said on Wednesday.
The tally, earned over 40 days, surpasses the previous record of 94.0 million pounds set by 2009 3D adventure film 'Avatar' over its 11 month run in UK cinemas, although the figures do not take inflation into account.
Skyfall, which has been well received by critics, stars Daniel Craig in his third outing as 007, and is directed by Sam Mendes.
In it Bond and British spymaster M, played by Judi Dench, are pitted against technological wizard Silva (Javier Bardem) who is bent on revenge.
'We are very proud of this film and thank everybody, especially Daniel Craig and Sam Mendes, who have contributed to its success,' said co-producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli in a statement.
Globally, Skyfall has some way to go to match Avatar. It has earned $870 million in ticket sales around the world, according to movie tracking site Boxofficemojo.com, compared with Avatar's record $2.8 billion.
According to the same website, Avatar's adjusted box office total comes in at 14th in cinema history, with the 1939 classic 'Gone With the Wind' in pole position.
(Reporting by Mike Collett-White, editing by Paul Casciato)
The tally, earned over 40 days, surpasses the previous record of 94.0 million pounds set by 2009 3D adventure film 'Avatar' over its 11 month run in UK cinemas, although the figures do not take inflation into account.
Skyfall, which has been well received by critics, stars Daniel Craig in his third outing as 007, and is directed by Sam Mendes.
In it Bond and British spymaster M, played by Judi Dench, are pitted against technological wizard Silva (Javier Bardem) who is bent on revenge.
'We are very proud of this film and thank everybody, especially Daniel Craig and Sam Mendes, who have contributed to its success,' said co-producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli in a statement.
Globally, Skyfall has some way to go to match Avatar. It has earned $870 million in ticket sales around the world, according to movie tracking site Boxofficemojo.com, compared with Avatar's record $2.8 billion.
According to the same website, Avatar's adjusted box office total comes in at 14th in cinema history, with the 1939 classic 'Gone With the Wind' in pole position.
(Reporting by Mike Collett-White, editing by Paul Casciato)
Tuesday, December 4, 2012
Netflix to get Disney films in TV distribution deal
(Reuters) - Netflix will provide TV viewers with live and animated Disney, Pixar, Marvel Comics and Lucasfilm movies starting in 2016, as Walt Disney Co on Tuesday became the first major studio to choose Netflix over cable TV networks.
Netflix shares jumped 14 percent on the news, as investors saw the Disney deal as an important endorsement of the DVD rental and streaming service, which has struggled with slowing subscriber growth and higher costs for content distribution. Liberty Media Corp, whose Starz group now distributes Disney movies on TV, fell almost 5 percent.
'An exclusive deal with Disney differentiates the Netflix content from Hulu Plus and Amazon Instant Video,' said Anthony DiClemente, an analyst with Barclays Capital.
But some analysts worried that Netflix paid too much to get Disney's movies. Tony Wible, an analyst with Janney Montgomery Scott, estimated in a report that Netflix paid more than $350 million a year for Disney's movies and said 'we would not be surprised if would need to raise capital.'
By comparison, HBO agreed to pay an estimated $200 million annually in its so-called 'output,' or movie licensing deal, with 20th Century Fox earlier this year, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Disney movies will be available for streaming on Netflix beginning in 2016, after its current deal with Liberty Media's pay-TV channel Starz expires. The deal is for both new movies from Disney's studios and library content such as 'Dumbo' and 'Alice in Wonderland.'
The deal gives Netflix streaming rights to movies from Disney's live-action and animation studios, including those from Pixar, Marvel, and the recently acquired Lucasfilm. On October 30, Disney announced a $4 billion deal to purchase the famed studio founded by George Lucas, which will now make new episodes in the blockbuster 'Star Wars' series that Lucas created.
'This deal brings to our subscribers some of the highest quality, most imaginative family films being made today,' said Ted Sarandos, Netflix's chief content officer, in a statement. 'It's a leap forward for Internet television.'
Movies from Steven Spielberg's DreamWorks Studios are not included in the deal, as that studio distributes its movies through CBS's Showtime on TV. Disney recently signed a deal to distribute DreamWorks' films theatrically after the studio's deal with Viacom's Paramount Pictures expired.
The deal allows Netflix to stream Disney movies beginning seven to nine months after they appear in theaters, as Starz does now under Disney's prior agreement. The deal does not cover DVD rentals of Disney movies.
Disney said in November that it would shut down its own video streaming service, Disney Movies Online, which had failed to catch on with users. A message on the 'Disney Movies Online' website said it would shut down on December 31.
Netflix, which started its streaming business with mostly older films, has been moving to add more original programming and produces TV shows such as 'Lilyhammer,' which stars 'Sopranos' actor Steven Van Zandt as an American gangster who starts a new life in Norway. The company also struck a high-profile deal with actor Kevin Spacey for 'House of Cards.'
The Disney pact follows similar deals Netflix has inked for new films with smaller studios, including Relativity Media, The Weinstein company and DreamWorks Animation.
The agreements have saddled Netflix with nearly $5 billion in contractual commitments over the next three years for deals its made for streaming content, the company said in its most recent quarterly earnings report.
Netflix's struggles over the last year, which have included missed subscriber guidance, an ill-fated attempt to split the DVD and streaming operations, and a swooning stock price, recently attracted the attention of billionaire activist investor Carl Icahn. Icahn disclosed in regulatory filings on October 31 that he had amassed a nearly 10 percent stake in the video company and suggested it should pursue a sale. Netflix responded by adopting a poison pill defense.
Losing Disney's movies means Starz is left with only Sony Pictures for film content. The pay-TV channel cast the ending of its agreement with Disney as its decision, saying it preferred to use the money for original programming creation.
In a statement, Starz said it now has an 'opportunity to implement our plan to dramatically ramp up our investment in exclusive, premium-quality original series which will best meet the needs of our distributors and subscribers.'
Netflix shares jumped $10.6491, or 14 percent, to $86.6491. Liberty Media shares fell $5.49, or almost 5 percent, to $105.56.
(Reporting By Ronald Grover; Editing by David Gregorio; Editing by Peter Lauria, Tim Dobbyn and David Gregorio)
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Netflix shares jumped 14 percent on the news, as investors saw the Disney deal as an important endorsement of the DVD rental and streaming service, which has struggled with slowing subscriber growth and higher costs for content distribution. Liberty Media Corp, whose Starz group now distributes Disney movies on TV, fell almost 5 percent.
'An exclusive deal with Disney differentiates the Netflix content from Hulu Plus and Amazon Instant Video,' said Anthony DiClemente, an analyst with Barclays Capital.
But some analysts worried that Netflix paid too much to get Disney's movies. Tony Wible, an analyst with Janney Montgomery Scott, estimated in a report that Netflix paid more than $350 million a year for Disney's movies and said 'we would not be surprised if would need to raise capital.'
By comparison, HBO agreed to pay an estimated $200 million annually in its so-called 'output,' or movie licensing deal, with 20th Century Fox earlier this year, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Disney movies will be available for streaming on Netflix beginning in 2016, after its current deal with Liberty Media's pay-TV channel Starz expires. The deal is for both new movies from Disney's studios and library content such as 'Dumbo' and 'Alice in Wonderland.'
The deal gives Netflix streaming rights to movies from Disney's live-action and animation studios, including those from Pixar, Marvel, and the recently acquired Lucasfilm. On October 30, Disney announced a $4 billion deal to purchase the famed studio founded by George Lucas, which will now make new episodes in the blockbuster 'Star Wars' series that Lucas created.
'This deal brings to our subscribers some of the highest quality, most imaginative family films being made today,' said Ted Sarandos, Netflix's chief content officer, in a statement. 'It's a leap forward for Internet television.'
Movies from Steven Spielberg's DreamWorks Studios are not included in the deal, as that studio distributes its movies through CBS's Showtime on TV. Disney recently signed a deal to distribute DreamWorks' films theatrically after the studio's deal with Viacom's Paramount Pictures expired.
The deal allows Netflix to stream Disney movies beginning seven to nine months after they appear in theaters, as Starz does now under Disney's prior agreement. The deal does not cover DVD rentals of Disney movies.
Disney said in November that it would shut down its own video streaming service, Disney Movies Online, which had failed to catch on with users. A message on the 'Disney Movies Online' website said it would shut down on December 31.
Netflix, which started its streaming business with mostly older films, has been moving to add more original programming and produces TV shows such as 'Lilyhammer,' which stars 'Sopranos' actor Steven Van Zandt as an American gangster who starts a new life in Norway. The company also struck a high-profile deal with actor Kevin Spacey for 'House of Cards.'
The Disney pact follows similar deals Netflix has inked for new films with smaller studios, including Relativity Media, The Weinstein company and DreamWorks Animation.
The agreements have saddled Netflix with nearly $5 billion in contractual commitments over the next three years for deals its made for streaming content, the company said in its most recent quarterly earnings report.
Netflix's struggles over the last year, which have included missed subscriber guidance, an ill-fated attempt to split the DVD and streaming operations, and a swooning stock price, recently attracted the attention of billionaire activist investor Carl Icahn. Icahn disclosed in regulatory filings on October 31 that he had amassed a nearly 10 percent stake in the video company and suggested it should pursue a sale. Netflix responded by adopting a poison pill defense.
Losing Disney's movies means Starz is left with only Sony Pictures for film content. The pay-TV channel cast the ending of its agreement with Disney as its decision, saying it preferred to use the money for original programming creation.
In a statement, Starz said it now has an 'opportunity to implement our plan to dramatically ramp up our investment in exclusive, premium-quality original series which will best meet the needs of our distributors and subscribers.'
Netflix shares jumped $10.6491, or 14 percent, to $86.6491. Liberty Media shares fell $5.49, or almost 5 percent, to $105.56.
(Reporting By Ronald Grover; Editing by David Gregorio; Editing by Peter Lauria, Tim Dobbyn and David Gregorio)
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Monday, December 3, 2012
Obama salutes entertainers at Kennedy Center Honors
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Music legend Led Zeppelin was recognized on Sunday alongside entertainers from stage and screen for their contributions to the arts and American culture at the Kennedy Center Honors, lifetime achievement awards for performing artists.
The eclectic tribute in Washington, alternated between solemn veneration and lighthearted roasting of honorees Academy Award-winning actor Dustin Hoffman, wisecracking late-night talk show host David Letterman, blues guitar icon Buddy Guy, ballerina Natalia Makarova and Led Zeppelin.
'I worked with the speechwriters - there is no smooth transition from ballet to Led Zeppelin,' President Barack Obama deadpanned while introducing the honorees at a ceremony in the White House East Room.
Friends, contemporaries and a new generation of artists influenced by the honorees took the stage in tribute.
'Dustin Hoffman is a pain the ass,' actor Robert DeNiro, a former honoree, said in introducing the infamously perfectionist star of such celebrated films as 'The Graduate' and 'Tootsie.'
'And he inspired me to be a bit of a pain in the ass too,' DeNiro said with a big smile.
At a weekend dinner for the winners at the State Department, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton noted that the performing arts often requires a touch of diplomacy as she toasted Makarova, a dance icon in the former Soviet Union when she defected in 1970.
Makarova, the pride of her national ballet program, said she obeyed an impulse for creative freedom when she sought asylum while in London for a performance.
'It's most incredible because it looks like I lived two lives,' the artist told reporters before the event. 'I've come a long way, baby, no? That's the way someone said it for me.'
The lightest moments came in the tribute to variety show host David Letterman. Several performers said his oddball program was a worthy successor to 'The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson,' which was the standard bearer for late-night shows from the 1960s through the early 1990s.
Comedian Tina Fey, honored with the Kennedy Center's Mark Twain Prize for American Humor in 2010, marveled at Letterman's ability to goad and humble his celebrity guests.
'David Letterman is a professor emeritus at the 'Here's Some More Rope Institute,'' she joked.
Letterman, who joked earlier in the weekend that he was going to fund an investigation to determine how he was given the honor, was at a loss for words on the red carpet.
'I was full of trepidation, but now I am full of nothing but gratitude,' he said. 'I don't believe this, but it's been nice for my family.'
Despite the president's misgivings about his own speech, performances at the Kennedy Center easily transitioned from precision dance tributes for Makarova to gritty blues music when the spotlight turned to Guy, a sharecropper's son who made his first instrument with wire scrounged from his family's home in rural Louisiana.
'He's one of the most idiosyncratic and passionate blues greats, and there are not many left of that original generation,' said Bonnie Raitt, who as an 18-year-old blues singer was often the warm-up act for Guy.
Raitt led an ensemble tribute that included singer Tracy Chapman and guitarist Jeff Beck.
Guy, 76, was a pioneer in the Chicago blues style that pushed the sound of electrically amped guitar to the forefront of the music.
'You mastered the soul of gut bucket,' actor Morgan Freeman told the Kennedy Center audience. 'You made a bridge from roots to rock 'n roll.'
In a toast on Saturday night, former President Bill Clinton talked of Guy's impoverished upbringing and how he improvised a guitar from the strands of a porch screen, paint can and his mother's hair pins.
'In Buddy's immortal phrase, the blues is 'Something you play because you have it. And when you play it, you lose it.''
It was a version of the blues that drifted over the Atlantic to Britain and echoed back in the heart-pounding rock sound of Led Zeppelin.
Jimmy Page, 68, was the guitar impresario who anchored the compositions with vocalist Robert Plant, 64, howling and screeching out the soul. Bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, 66, rounded out the band with drummer John Bonham, who died in 1980.
The incongruity of the famously hard-partying rock stars in black tie under chandeliers at a White House ceremony was not lost on Obama.
'Of course, these guys also redefined the rock and roll lifestyle,' the president said, to laughter and sheepish looks from the band members.
'So it's fitting that we're doing this in a room with windows that are about three inches thick - and Secret Service all around,' Obama said. 'So, guys, just settle down.'
On stage Sunday night, Nancy and Ann Wilson of the rock band Heart, belted out Zeppelin's emblematic 'Stairway to Heaven' to close out the show.
The gala will be aired on CBS television on December 26.
(Reporting By Patrick Rucker and Mark Felsenthal)
This news article is brought to you by GADGETS NEWS - where latest news are our top priority.
The eclectic tribute in Washington, alternated between solemn veneration and lighthearted roasting of honorees Academy Award-winning actor Dustin Hoffman, wisecracking late-night talk show host David Letterman, blues guitar icon Buddy Guy, ballerina Natalia Makarova and Led Zeppelin.
'I worked with the speechwriters - there is no smooth transition from ballet to Led Zeppelin,' President Barack Obama deadpanned while introducing the honorees at a ceremony in the White House East Room.
Friends, contemporaries and a new generation of artists influenced by the honorees took the stage in tribute.
'Dustin Hoffman is a pain the ass,' actor Robert DeNiro, a former honoree, said in introducing the infamously perfectionist star of such celebrated films as 'The Graduate' and 'Tootsie.'
'And he inspired me to be a bit of a pain in the ass too,' DeNiro said with a big smile.
At a weekend dinner for the winners at the State Department, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton noted that the performing arts often requires a touch of diplomacy as she toasted Makarova, a dance icon in the former Soviet Union when she defected in 1970.
Makarova, the pride of her national ballet program, said she obeyed an impulse for creative freedom when she sought asylum while in London for a performance.
'It's most incredible because it looks like I lived two lives,' the artist told reporters before the event. 'I've come a long way, baby, no? That's the way someone said it for me.'
The lightest moments came in the tribute to variety show host David Letterman. Several performers said his oddball program was a worthy successor to 'The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson,' which was the standard bearer for late-night shows from the 1960s through the early 1990s.
Comedian Tina Fey, honored with the Kennedy Center's Mark Twain Prize for American Humor in 2010, marveled at Letterman's ability to goad and humble his celebrity guests.
'David Letterman is a professor emeritus at the 'Here's Some More Rope Institute,'' she joked.
Letterman, who joked earlier in the weekend that he was going to fund an investigation to determine how he was given the honor, was at a loss for words on the red carpet.
'I was full of trepidation, but now I am full of nothing but gratitude,' he said. 'I don't believe this, but it's been nice for my family.'
Despite the president's misgivings about his own speech, performances at the Kennedy Center easily transitioned from precision dance tributes for Makarova to gritty blues music when the spotlight turned to Guy, a sharecropper's son who made his first instrument with wire scrounged from his family's home in rural Louisiana.
'He's one of the most idiosyncratic and passionate blues greats, and there are not many left of that original generation,' said Bonnie Raitt, who as an 18-year-old blues singer was often the warm-up act for Guy.
Raitt led an ensemble tribute that included singer Tracy Chapman and guitarist Jeff Beck.
Guy, 76, was a pioneer in the Chicago blues style that pushed the sound of electrically amped guitar to the forefront of the music.
'You mastered the soul of gut bucket,' actor Morgan Freeman told the Kennedy Center audience. 'You made a bridge from roots to rock 'n roll.'
In a toast on Saturday night, former President Bill Clinton talked of Guy's impoverished upbringing and how he improvised a guitar from the strands of a porch screen, paint can and his mother's hair pins.
'In Buddy's immortal phrase, the blues is 'Something you play because you have it. And when you play it, you lose it.''
It was a version of the blues that drifted over the Atlantic to Britain and echoed back in the heart-pounding rock sound of Led Zeppelin.
Jimmy Page, 68, was the guitar impresario who anchored the compositions with vocalist Robert Plant, 64, howling and screeching out the soul. Bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, 66, rounded out the band with drummer John Bonham, who died in 1980.
The incongruity of the famously hard-partying rock stars in black tie under chandeliers at a White House ceremony was not lost on Obama.
'Of course, these guys also redefined the rock and roll lifestyle,' the president said, to laughter and sheepish looks from the band members.
'So it's fitting that we're doing this in a room with windows that are about three inches thick - and Secret Service all around,' Obama said. 'So, guys, just settle down.'
On stage Sunday night, Nancy and Ann Wilson of the rock band Heart, belted out Zeppelin's emblematic 'Stairway to Heaven' to close out the show.
The gala will be aired on CBS television on December 26.
(Reporting By Patrick Rucker and Mark Felsenthal)
This news article is brought to you by GADGETS NEWS - where latest news are our top priority.
Sunday, December 2, 2012
"Twilight" shines in third box office win over Bond
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The 'Twilight' teen movie vampires sucked more money out of theaters over the weekend, leading James Bond, Brad Pitt and the rest of box office pack with $17.4 million in U.S. and Canadian ticket sales and scoring its third weekly win.
Pitt's new movie, the small-budget gangster film 'Killing Them Softly,' bombed with filmgoers who panned it with a rare 'F' grade on average in polling by audience survey firm CinemaScore. The movie landed in seventh place with $7 million in ticket sales at domestic theaters.
The results were much brighter for 'Breaking Dawn - Part 2,' the fifth and final film in the 'Twilight' vampire and werewolf saga, which has earned $254.6 million at North American (U.S. and Canadian) theaters since its smash debut on November 16.
The top rankings were similar to last week's Thanksgiving holiday weekend.
Bond movie 'Skyfall' starring Daniel Craig as superspy 007 grabbed $17 million and held on to second place, according to studio estimates compiled by Reuters. Steven Spielberg's historical drama 'Lincoln,' featuring a critically acclaimed performance by Daniel Day-Lewis as the 16th U.S. president, kept the No. 3 slot with $13.5 million.
A week ago, 'Breaking Dawn - Part 2' and 'Skyfall' helped push the five-day Thanksgiving weekend to a box office record. The success of the two films, plus upcoming releases such as fantasy prequel 'The Hobbit' and musical 'Les Miserables,' are likely to power 2012 ticket sales to an all-time high, according to industry forecasts.
As of Sunday, year-to-date sales were running 5.9 percent ahead of the same point in 2011 at $9.9 billion, box office tracker Hollywood.com said.
Critics were kinder than audiences to Pitt's 'Killing Them Softly.' Seventy-nine percent of reviews collected on the Rotten Tomatoes website applauded the film, which blends a violent but comic gangster story with criticism of politicians' failure to address the economic crisis.
In the movie, Pitt plays a hitman brought in by mafia bosses to eliminate a group of thieves who raid a high-stakes poker game. The film is set in an unspecified U.S. city marked by abandoned houses, closed shops and petty criminals and mobsters trying to get by.
The Weinstein Company distributed the movie, which was produced for less than $20 million by Annapurna Pictures, Inferno Entertainment, and Pitt's production company, Plan B Entertainment.
In the No. 4 slot, family movie 'Rise of the Guardians' captured $13.5 million. The Dreamworks Animation film has taken in $48.9 million since its Thanksgiving weekend debut, one of the slowest starts for a movie from the studio behind 'Shrek' and 'Kung Fu Panda.'
'Guardians' features the voices of Chris Pine and Alec Baldwin as the Tooth Fairy, Santa Claus and other childhood favorites who save the world.
Rounding out the top five, survival story 'Life of Pi' earned $12 million and fifth place. The critically praised film from director Ang Lee is based on a book about a boy stranded on a boat with an adult Bengal tiger. Its two-week domestic total reached $48.4 million.
The other nationwide release, horror thriller 'The Collection,' took in $3.4 million and finished in tenth place. The movie, a sequel to 2009 movie 'The Collector,' tells the story of a serial killer who kidnaps women.
'Breaking Dawn - Part 2' was released by Summit Entertainment, a unit of Lions Gate Entertainment. Sony Corp's movie studio distributed 'Skyfall.'
'Lincoln' was produced by Dreamworks and distributed by Walt Disney Co. Viacom Inc's Paramount studio distributed 'Rise of the Guardians.' News Corp's 20th Century Fox studio released 'Life of Pi,' and LD Entertainment distributed 'The Collection.'
(Reporting By Lisa Richwine and Christine Kearney; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)
This news article is brought to you by ECONOMY BLOG - where latest news are our top priority.
Pitt's new movie, the small-budget gangster film 'Killing Them Softly,' bombed with filmgoers who panned it with a rare 'F' grade on average in polling by audience survey firm CinemaScore. The movie landed in seventh place with $7 million in ticket sales at domestic theaters.
The results were much brighter for 'Breaking Dawn - Part 2,' the fifth and final film in the 'Twilight' vampire and werewolf saga, which has earned $254.6 million at North American (U.S. and Canadian) theaters since its smash debut on November 16.
The top rankings were similar to last week's Thanksgiving holiday weekend.
Bond movie 'Skyfall' starring Daniel Craig as superspy 007 grabbed $17 million and held on to second place, according to studio estimates compiled by Reuters. Steven Spielberg's historical drama 'Lincoln,' featuring a critically acclaimed performance by Daniel Day-Lewis as the 16th U.S. president, kept the No. 3 slot with $13.5 million.
A week ago, 'Breaking Dawn - Part 2' and 'Skyfall' helped push the five-day Thanksgiving weekend to a box office record. The success of the two films, plus upcoming releases such as fantasy prequel 'The Hobbit' and musical 'Les Miserables,' are likely to power 2012 ticket sales to an all-time high, according to industry forecasts.
As of Sunday, year-to-date sales were running 5.9 percent ahead of the same point in 2011 at $9.9 billion, box office tracker Hollywood.com said.
Critics were kinder than audiences to Pitt's 'Killing Them Softly.' Seventy-nine percent of reviews collected on the Rotten Tomatoes website applauded the film, which blends a violent but comic gangster story with criticism of politicians' failure to address the economic crisis.
In the movie, Pitt plays a hitman brought in by mafia bosses to eliminate a group of thieves who raid a high-stakes poker game. The film is set in an unspecified U.S. city marked by abandoned houses, closed shops and petty criminals and mobsters trying to get by.
The Weinstein Company distributed the movie, which was produced for less than $20 million by Annapurna Pictures, Inferno Entertainment, and Pitt's production company, Plan B Entertainment.
In the No. 4 slot, family movie 'Rise of the Guardians' captured $13.5 million. The Dreamworks Animation film has taken in $48.9 million since its Thanksgiving weekend debut, one of the slowest starts for a movie from the studio behind 'Shrek' and 'Kung Fu Panda.'
'Guardians' features the voices of Chris Pine and Alec Baldwin as the Tooth Fairy, Santa Claus and other childhood favorites who save the world.
Rounding out the top five, survival story 'Life of Pi' earned $12 million and fifth place. The critically praised film from director Ang Lee is based on a book about a boy stranded on a boat with an adult Bengal tiger. Its two-week domestic total reached $48.4 million.
The other nationwide release, horror thriller 'The Collection,' took in $3.4 million and finished in tenth place. The movie, a sequel to 2009 movie 'The Collector,' tells the story of a serial killer who kidnaps women.
'Breaking Dawn - Part 2' was released by Summit Entertainment, a unit of Lions Gate Entertainment. Sony Corp's movie studio distributed 'Skyfall.'
'Lincoln' was produced by Dreamworks and distributed by Walt Disney Co. Viacom Inc's Paramount studio distributed 'Rise of the Guardians.' News Corp's 20th Century Fox studio released 'Life of Pi,' and LD Entertainment distributed 'The Collection.'
(Reporting By Lisa Richwine and Christine Kearney; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)
This news article is brought to you by ECONOMY BLOG - where latest news are our top priority.
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