Saturday, January 23, 2010

2010 SAG Award Winners

The SAG Awards were held tonight. Here's the final list of winners!

THEATRICAL MOTION PICTURES

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role
Jeff Bridges - Bad Blake, "Crazy Heart" (Fox Searchlight Pictures)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role
Sandra Bullock - Leigh Anne Tuohy, "The Blind Side" (Warner Bros. Pictures)

Oustanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role
Christoph Waltz - Col. Hans Landa, "Inglourious Basterds" (The Weinstein Company/Universal Pictures)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role
Mo'Nique - Mary, "Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire" (Lionsgate)

Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS (The Weinstein Company/Universal Pictures)
Daniel Bruhl - Fredrick Zoller
August Diehl - Major Hellstrom
Julie Dreyfus - Francesca Mondino
Michael Fassbender - Lt. Archie Hicox
Sylvester Groth - Joseph Goebbels
Jacky Ido - Marcel
Diane Kruger - Bridget von Hammersmark
Melanie Laurent - Shosanna
Denis Menochet - Perrier LePedite
Mike Myers - General Ed French
Brad Pitt - Lt. Aldo Raine
Eli Roth - Sgt. Donny Donowitz
Til Schweiger - Sgt. Hugo Stiglitz
Rod Taylor - Winston Churchill
Christoph Waltz - Col. Hans Landa
Martin Wuttke - Hitler


PRIMETIME TELEVISION

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries
Kevin Bacon - Lt. Col. Michael R. Strobl, "Taking Chance" (HBO)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries
Drew Barrymore - Little Edie, "Grey Gardens" (HBO)

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series
Michael C. Hall - Dexter Morgan, "Dexter" (Showtime)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series
Julianna Margulies - Alicia Florrick, "The Good Wife" (CBS)

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series
Alec Baldwin - Jack Donaghy, "30 Rock" (NBC)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series
Tina Fey - Liz Lemon, "30 Rock" (NBC)

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series
MAD MEN (AMC)
Alexa Alemanni - Allison
Bryan Batt - Salvatore Romano
Jared S. Gilmore - Bobby Draper
Michael Gladis - Paul Linsey
Jon Hamm - Don Draper
Jared Harris - Lane Pryce
Christina Hendricks - Joan Holloway (Harris)
January Jones - Betty Draper
Vincent Kartheiser - Peter Campbell
Robert Morse - Bertram Cooper
Elisabeth Moss - Peggy Olson
Kiernan Shipka - Sally Draper
John Slattery - Roger Sterling
Rich Sommer - Harry Crane
Christopher Stanley - Henry Francis
Aaron Staton - Ken Cosgrove

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series
GLEE (FOX)
Diana Agron - Quinn Fabray
Chris Colfer - Kurt Hummel
Patrick Gallagher - Ken Tanaka
Jessalyn Gilsig - Terri Schuester
Jane Lynch - Sue Sylvester
Jayma Mays - Emma Pillsbury
Kevin McHale - Arty Abrams
Lea Michele - Rachel Berry
Cory Monteith - Finn Hudson
Heather Morris - Brittany
Matthew Morrison - Will Schuester
Amber Riley - Mercedes
Naya Rivera - Santana Lopez
Mark Salling - Puck
Harry Shum, Jr. - Mike Chang
Josh Sussman - Jacob Ben Israel
Dijon Talton - Matt Rutherford
Iqbal Theba - Principal Figgins
Jenna Ushkowitz - Tina

SAG HONORS FOR STUNT ENSEMBLES

Outstanding Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture
Star Trek (Paramount Pictures)

Outstanding Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Television Series
24 (FOX)

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Betty White

So what do you think of the winners?

Monday, January 18, 2010

Airplanes, Aerial Shots, and Scene Stealers.



Up in the Air

Directed By: Jason Reitman

Starring: George Clooney, Vera Farmiga, Anna Kendrick

Rated: R

1 hrs. 49 min.

George Clooney stars as Ryan Bingham, the man your big chicken boss hires to fire you for him. As his company moves on into the digital world and threatens to ground him from flying across the country as he so loves to do, thanks to a program developed by new team member Natalie Keener (Anna Kendrick), his whole world may just be about to change.

The story alone is absolutely superb, and the script is brilliantly brought to life by the three stars of the film. All three (Clooney, Farmiga, and Kendrick) provide knockout performances; however, no one steals scenes like Kendrick does. She is even better than--dare I say it--Clooney.

The film also contains some of the most beautiful shots I've seen in a while. One such shot is a beautiful silhouette shot of Clooney and Kendrick in front a huge airport window waiting for their flight; others include some beautiful aerial shots and landscapes.

On top of the outstanding script, award-worthy acting, and exquisite composition (and of course directing by Reitman), the music and score throughout ties the story together.

Grade: A+

A Classic Detective, a Shining Doctor, and a Story That's a Bit of a Drag.




Sherlock Holmes

Directed By: Guy Ritchie

Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Jude Law, Rachel Adams

Rated: PG-13

2 hrs. 8 min.

Robert Downey Jr. takes on the role of the popular titular character in this new Sherlock Holmes tale in which the detective from Baker Street must stop the supposedly resurrected Lord Blackwood.

The plot of the film is engaging for the most part, however the film becomes a little boring in some spots. The story could have been condensed a little, making it drag less. Robert Downey Jr. is impressive as Sherlock, though, and portrays the detective differently from the clean cut, organized, leader-type Holmes has been in the past. Jude Law's Dr. Watson also shines, possibly even more so than Downey Jr. Unfortunately, Rachel McAdams is monotoned and seemingly disinterested in her role, which is a little off-putting considering she is usually such a talented actress. Maybe she was a little bored, too.

Overall, the action is fun but the caper (and Rachel McAdams, for that matter) could have been a lot more exciting.

Grade: C+

Sunday, January 17, 2010

Golden Globe Awards 2010 Winners

So tonight on NBC the Golden Globes aired. There were some expected wins and big surprises! In case you missed it, here is the complete list of winners.

BEST MOTION PICTURE - DRAMA:
Avatar (Lightstorm Entertainment; 20th Century Fox)

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE - DRAMA
Sandra Bullock - The Blind Side

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE - DRAMA
Jeff Bridges - Crazy Heart

BEST MOTION PICTURE - MUSICAL OR COMEDY
The Hangover (Warner Bros. Pictures)

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE - MUSICAL OR COMEDY
Meryl Streep - Julie & Julia

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE - MUSICAL OR COMEDY
Robert Downey Jr. - Sherlock Holmes

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MOTION PICTURE
Mo'nique - Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MOTION PICTURE
Christoph Waltz - Inglourious Basterds

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
Up (Walt Disney Pictures/PIXAR Animation Studios; Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
The White Ribbon (Das Weisse Band - Eine Deutsche Kindergeschichte) (Germany) X Filme Creative Pool/Les Films Du Losange/Lucky Red; Sony Pictures Classics)

BEST DIRECTOR - MOTION PICTURE
James Cameron - Avatar

BEST SCREENPLAY - MOTION PICTURE
Up in the Air - Written by Jason Reitman, Sheldon Turner

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE - MOTION PICTURE
Up - Composed by Michael Giacchino

BEST ORIGINAL SONG - MOTION PICTURE
"The Weary Kind (Theme from Crazy Heart)" - Crazy Heart (Music & Lyrics by: Ryan Bingham and T Bone Burnett)

BEST TELEVISION SERIES - DRAMA
Mad Men (AMC) (Lionsgate)

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A TELEVISION SERIES - DRAMA
Julianna Margulies - The Good Wife (CBS)

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A TELEVISION SERIES - DRAMA
Michael C. Hall - Dexter (SHOWTIME)

BEST TELEVISION SERIES - MUSICAL OR COMEDY
Glee (FOX) (Twentieth Century Fox Television)

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A TELEVISION SERIES - MUSICAL OR COMEDY
Toni Collette - United States of Tara (SHOWTIME)

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A TELEVISION SERIES - MUSICAL OR COMEDY
Alec Baldwin - 30 Rock (NBC)

BEST MINI-SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
Grey Gardens (HBO) (Specialty Films and Locomotive in association with HBO Films)

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MINI-SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
Drew Barrymore - Grey Gardens (HBO)

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MINI-SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
Kevin Bacon - Taking Chance (HBO)

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A SERIES, MINI-SERIES, OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
Chloe Sevigny - Big Love (HBO)

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A SERIES, MINI-SERIES, OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
John Lithgow - Dexter (SHOWTIME)

CECIL B. DEMILLE AWARD
Martin Scorsese

Saturday, December 26, 2009

Distant Planets, Stunning Visuals, and The Next Big James Cameron Masterpiece.



Avatar

Directed By: James Cameron

Starring: Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver

Rated: PG-13

2 hrs. 32 min.

James Cameron returns to blockbuster filmmaking with his latest (an expensive) effort, Avatar.

Paraplegic marine Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) heads to a distant planet called Pandora to complete an important mission. He must travel in a humanoid avatar body which resembles the natives, the Na'vi, who have their own unique language and culture. Upon becoming in tune with that local culture and one particular Na'vi, Neytiri (Zoe Saldana), Jake becomes torn between his duty and his heart. When the head honcho of the marine force decides to take abrasive action. Jake must stand with the people of Pandora to save the fate of the planet.

Avatar is one truly outstanding film. If there are any people who had doubts that James Cameron could pull off another large hit like he did with Titanic, then this could be the film to change their minds. Although at first glance the story seems cliche and overdone (the military comes in, messes with a native "savage" culture, and mayhem and bombs and even love ensues), it is actually quite refreshing. Cameron has created an entirely new world and we can easily believe it and its inner workings. Some parts of the story do get a little boring, mostly parts where there is a little too much voice over by Jake or they are doing the same thing over (more flying, running around, etc); however, it never stayed boring for long and it is easily bearable (which is probably due to the stunning visuals).

The visuals are absolutely breathtaking. The animated bits seem real, and the colors are so bright and cool. There are many striking unique things about the flora and fauna of Pandora, such as the way some things glow in the dark as if they have been stuck under a black light. Overall, it is hard to tell where the live-action starts and the animation begins.

With sweeping visuals, mind-blowing effects and animation, and brilliant acting, Avatar is a must see for any movie goer, be it a sci-fi fan or not. Even though there are scenes that seem a little lagging, it is only for the shortest bit and by the time the action or story picks up you hardly remember you were even the slightest bored. I recommend, if it is feasible, seeing the film in 3D, and I guarantee you won't be bored then.

Grade: A

Friday, December 18, 2009

Screen Actors Guild Awards 2010 Nominations

The nominations for the Screen Actors Guild Awards were announced today. Here they are (from the SAG official website):

THEATRICAL MOTION PICTURES

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role
Jeff Bridges - Bad Blake, "Crazy Heart" (Fox Searchlight Pictures)
George Clooney - Ryan Bingham, "Up in the Air" (Paramount Pictures)
Colin Firth - George Falconer, "A Single Man" (The Weinstein Company)
Morgan Freeman - Nelson Mandela, "Invictus" (Warner Bros. Pictures)
Jeremy Renner - Staff Sgt. William James, "The Hurt Locker" (Summit Entertainment)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role
Sandra Bullock - Leigh Anne Tuohy, "The Blind Side" (Warner Bros. Pictures)
Helen Mirren - Sofya, "The Last Station" (Sony Pictures Classics)
Carey Mulligan - Jenny, "An Education" (Sony Pictures Classics)
Gabourey Sidibe - Precious, "Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire" (Lionsgate)
Meryl Streep - Julia Child, "Julie & Julia" (Columbia Pictures)

Oustanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role
Matt Damon - Francois Pienaar, "Invictus" (Warner Bros. Pictures)
Woody Harrelson - Captain Tony Stone, "The Messenger" (Oscilloscope Laboratories)
Christopher Plummer - Tolstoy, "The Last Station" (Sony Pictures Classics)
Stanley Tucci - George Harvey, "The Lovely Bones" (Paramount Pictures)
Christoph Waltz - Col. Hans Landa, "Inglourious Basterds" (The Weinstein Company/Universal Pictures)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role
Penelope Cruz - Carla, "Nine" (The Weinstein Company)
Vera Farmiga - Alex Goran, "Up in the Air" (Paramount Pictures)
Anna Kendrick - Natalie Keener, "Up in the Air" (Paramount Pictures)
Diane Kruger - Bridget von Hammersmark, "Inglourious Basterds" (The Weinstein Company/Universal Pictures)
Mo'Nique - Mary, "Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire" (Lionsgate)

Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
AN EDUCATION (Sony Pictures Classics)
Dominic Cooper - Danny
Alfred Molina - Jack
Carey Mulligan - Jenny
Rosamund Pike - Helen
Peter Sarsgaard - David
Emma Thompson - Headmistress
Olivia Williams - Miss Stubbs

THE HURT LOCKER (Summit Entertainment)
Christian Camargo - Col. John Cambridge
Brian Geraghty - Specialist Owen Eldridge
Evangeline Lilly - Connie James
Anthony Mackie - Sgt. J. T. Sanborn
Jeremy Renner - Staff Sgt. William James

INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS (The Weinstein Company/Universal Pictures)
Daniel Bruhl - Fredrick Zoller
August Diehl - Major Hellstrom
Julie Dreyfus - Francesca Mondino
Michael Fassbender - Lt. Archie Hicox
Sylvester Groth - Joseph Goebbels
Jacky Ido - Marcel
Diane Kruger - Bridget von Hammersmark
Melanie Laurent - Shosanna
Denis Menochet - Perrier LePedite
Mike Myers - General Ed French
Brad Pitt - Lt. Aldo Raine
Eli Roth - Sgt. Donny Donowitz
Til Schweiger - Sgt. Hugo Stiglitz
Rod Taylor - Winston Churchill
Christoph Waltz - Col. Hans Landa
Martin Wuttke - Hitler

NINE (The Weinstein Company)
Marion Cotillard - Luisa Contini
Penelope Cruz - Carla
Daniel Day-Lewis - Guido Contini
Judi Dench - Lillian
Fergie - Saraghina
Kate Hudson - Stephanie
Nicole Kidman - Claudia
Sophia Loren - Mamma

PRECIOUS: BASED ON THE NOVEL "PUSH" BY SAPPHIRE (Lionsgate)
Mariah Carey - Ms. Weiss
Lenny Kravitz - Nurse John
Mo'Nique - Mary
Paula Patton - Ms. Rain
Sherrie Shepherd - Cornrows
Gabourey Sidibe - Precious



PRIMETIME TELEVISION

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries
Kevin Bacon - Lt. Col. Michael R. Strobl, "Taking Chance" (HBO)
Cuba Gooding, Jr. - Ben Carson, "Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story" (TNT)
Jeremy Irons - Alfred Stieglitz, "Georgia O'Keefe" (Lifetime)
Kevin Kline - Cyrano de Bergerac, "Great Performances: Cyrano de Bergerac" (PBS)
Tom Wilkinson - Salter, "A Number" (HBO)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries
Joan Allen - Georgia O'Keefe, "Georgia O'Keefe" (Lifetime)
Drew Barrymore - Little Edie, "Grey Gardens" (HBO)
Ruby Dee - Mrs. Harper, "America" (Lifetime)
Jessica Lange - Big Edie, "Grey Gardens" (HBO)
Sigourney Weaver - Mary Griffith, "Prayers for Bobby" (Lifetime)

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series
Simon Baker - Patrick Jane, "The Mentalist" (CBS)
Bryan Cranston - Walter White, "Breaking Bad" (AMC)
Michael C. Hall - Dexter Morgan, "Dexter" (Showtime)
Jon Hamm - Don Draper, "Mad Men" (AMC)
Hugh Laurie - House, "House" (FOX)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series
Patricia Arquette - Allison Dubois, "Medium" (NBC/CBS)
Glenn Close - Patty Hewes, "Damages" (FX)
Mariska Hargitay - Det. Olivia Benson, "Law & Order: Special Victim's Unit" (NBC)
Holly Hunter - Grace Hanadarko, "Saving Grace" (TNT)
Julianna Margulies - Alicia Florrick, "The Good Wife" (CBS)
Kyra Sedgwick - Deputy Chief Brenda Leigh Johnson, "The Closer" (TNT)

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series
Alec Baldwin - Jack Donaghy, "30 Rock" (NBC)
Steve Carell - Michael Scott, "The Office" (NBC)
Larry David - Himself, "Curb Your Enthusiasm" (HBO)
Tony Shalhoub - Adrian Monk, "Monk" (USA Network)
Charlie Sheen - Charlie Harper, "Two and a Half Men" (CBS)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series
Christina Applegate - Samantha Newly, "Samantha Who?" (ABC)
Toni Collette - Tara Gregor, "United States of Tara" (Showtime)
Edie Falco - Jackie Peyton, "Nurse Jackie" (Showtime)
Tina Fey - Liz Lemon, "30 Rock" (NBC)
Julia Louis-Dreyfuss - Christine Campbell, "The New Adventures of Old Christine" (CBS)

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series
THE CLOSER (TNT)
G.W. Bailey - Lt. Provenza
Michael Paul Chan - Lt. Mike Tao
Raymond Cruz - Det. Julio Sanchez
Tony Denison - Lt. Andy Flynn
Robert Gossett - Commander Taylor
Phillip P. Keene - Buzz Watson
Corey Reynolds - Sgt. David Gabriel
Kyra Sedgwick - Deputy Chief Brenda Leigh Johnson
J.K. Simmons - Asst. Police Chief Will Pope
Jon Tenney - FBI Special Agent Fritz Howard

DEXTER (Showtime)
Preston Bailey - Cody
Julie Benz - Rita Bennett
Jennifer Carpenter - Debra Morgan
Courtney Ford - Christine
Michael C. Hall - Dexter Morgan
Desmond Harrington - Joey Quinn
C.S. Lee - Vince Masuka
John Lithgow - Arthur Mitchell
Rick Peters - Elliot
James Remar - Harry Morgan
Christina Robinson - Astor
Lauren Velez - Lt. Maria Laguerta
David Zayas - Angel Batista

THE GOOD WIFE (CBS)
Christina Baranski - Diane Lockhart
Josh Charles - Will Gardner
Matt Czuchry - Cary Agos
Julianna Margulies - Alicia Florrick
Archie Panjabi - Kalinda Sharma
Graham Phillips - Zach Florrick
MacKenzie Vega - Grace Florrick

MAD MEN (AMC)
Alexa Alemanni - Allison
Bryan Batt - Salvatore Romano
Jared S. Gilmore - Bobby Draper
Michael Gladis - Paul Linsey
Jon Hamm - Don Draper
Jared Harris - Lane Pryce
Christina Hendricks - Joan Holloway (Harris)
January Jones - Betty Draper
Vincent Kartheiser - Peter Campbell
Robert Morse - Bertram Cooper
Elisabeth Moss - Peggy Olson
Kiernan Shipka - Sally Draper
John Slattery - Roger Sterling
Rich Sommer - Harry Crane
Christopher Stanley - Henry Francis
Aaron Staton - Ken Cosgrove

TRUE BLOOD (HBO)
Chris Bauer - Andy Bellefleur
Mehcad Brooks - Eggs
Anna Camp - Sarah Newlin
Nelsan Ellis - Lafayette Reynolds
Michelle Forbes - Maryann Forrester
Mariana Klaveno - Lorena
Ryan Kwanten - Jason Stackhouse
Todd Lowe - Terry Bellefleur
Michael McMillian - Steve Newlin
Stephen Moyer - Bill Compton
Anna Paquin - Sookie Stackhouse
Jim Parrack - Hoyt Fortenberry
Carrie Preston - Arlene Fowler
William Sanderson - Bud Dearborn
Alexander Skarsgard - Eric Northman
Sam Trammell - Sam Merlotte
Rutina Wesley - Tara Thornton
Deborah Ann Woll - Jessica Hamby

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series
30 ROCK (NBC)
Scott Adsit - Pete Hornberger
Alec Baldwin - Jack Donaghy
Katrina Bowden - Cerie
Kevin Brown - Dot Com
Grizz Chapman - Grizz
Tina Fey - Liz Lemon
Judah Friedlander - Frank Rossitano
Jane Krakowski - Jenna Maroney
John Lutz - Lutz
Jack McBrayer - Kenneth Parcell
Tracy Morgan - Tracy Jordan
Keith Powell - Toofer

CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM (HBO)
Larry David - Himself
Susie Essman - Susie Greene
Jeff Garlin - Jeff Greene
Cheryl Hines - Cheryl David

GLEE (FOX)
Diana Agron - Quinn Fabray
Chris Colfer - Kurt Hummel
Patrick Gallagher - Ken Tanaka
Jessalyn Gilsig - Terri Schuester
Jane Lynch - Sue Sylvester
Jayma Mays - Emma Pillsbury
Kevin McHale - Arty Abrams
Lea Michele - Rachel Berry
Cory Monteith - Finn Hudson
Heather Morris - Brittany
Matthew Morrison - Will Schuester
Amber Riley - Mercedes
Naya Rivera - Santana Lopez
Mark Salling - Puck
Harry Shum, Jr. - Mike Chang
Josh Sussman - Jacob Ben Israel
Dijon Talton - Matt Rutherford
Iqbal Theba - Principal Figgins
Jenna Ushkowitz - Tina

MODERN FAMILY (ABC)
Julie Bowen - Claire Dunphy
Ty Burrell - Phil Dunphy
Jesse Tyler Ferguson - Mitchell Pritchett
Nolan Gould - Luke Dunphy
Sarah Hyland - Haley Dunphy
Ed O'Neill - Jay Pritchett
Rico Rodriguez - Manny Delgado
Eric Stonestreet - Cameron
Sofia Vergara - Gloria Delgado-Pritchett
Ariel Winter - Alex Dunphy

THE OFFICE (NBC)
Leslie David Baker - Stanley Hudson
Brian Baumgartner - Kevin Malone
Creed Bratton - Creed Bratton
Steve Carell - Michael Scott
Jenna Fischer - Pam Beesly
Kate Flannery - Meredith Palmer
Ed Helms - Andy Bernard
Mindy Kaling - Kelly Kapoor
Ellie Kemper - Kellie Erin Hannon
Angela Kinsey - Angela Martin
John Krasinski - Jim Halpert
Paul Lieberstein - Toby Flenderson
B.J. Novak - Ryan Howard
Oscar Nunez - Oscar Martinez
Craig Robinson - Darryl Philbin
Phyllis Smith - Phillis Lapin-Vance
Rainn Wilson - Dwight Schrute


SAG HONORS FOR STUNT ENSEMBLES

Outstanding Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture
Public Enemies (Universal Pictures)
Star Trek (Paramount Pictures)
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (Paramount Pictures)

Outstanding Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Television Series
24 (FOX)
The Closer (TNT)
Dexter (Showtime)
Heroes (NBC)
The Unit (CBS)

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Betty White

The SAG Awards will air Live simultaneously on both TNT and TBS on Saturday, January 23rd, 2010 at 8 pm ET/7 pm CT/6 pm MT from the Los Angeles Shrine Exposition Center.






Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Frogs, Jazz, and a Classic In the Making



The Princess and the Frog

Directed By: Ron Clements and John Musker

Starring: Anika Noni Rose, Bruno Campos

Rated: G

1 hr. 37 min.

Disney returns to the classic 2d animation style with a new twist on the classic tale The Frog Prince. Tiana, a waitress in 1920s New Orleans, dreams of owning a restaurant. Prince Naveen comes to town to attend a masquerade held by the richest man in town, and ends up under a spell, transformed into a frog by local voodoo priest Dr. Facilier. When Tiana gives the Frog Prince a kiss in hopes that he will transform back into a human, things do not go quite as planned...

It is about time a Disney film wasn't completely CG animated; the studio finally successfully returns to the style of animation that made it the empire it is today. The colors within the film are dazzling and the music, which includes gospel and jazz influences, is sensational. All of the songs are sure to be sing-a-long favorites along with the classics such as "Under the Sea" and "Bibbity Bobbity Boo."

The Princess and the Frog is a classic-in-the-making, and is sure to be among the group of already-classics like "The Little Mermaid," "Snow White and the Seven Dwarves," and "The Lion King." While the ending is predictable, one must consider the fact that this is typical for a Disney film and is, after all, intended for families and children of all ages. Hopefully there will be more animated features such as this in the future.

Grade: A-