Most actors and actresses on the small screen start off on TV, then end up on the big screen in Hollywood as A-Listers starring in major motion pictures.

Think about Jennifer Aniston and Will Smith, who both got a jump start to their now-flourishing acting careers in ‘Friends’ and ‘The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air respectively. This past TV season it seems that it has been the other way around, with already established movie stars making guest appearances on TV sitcoms.

Over the past decade, there have been several guest appearances on some of TV’s hottest sitcoms, some that improved a celebrity’s or show’s rating, and then some appearances that didn’t fare as well as the show had predicted. Paste Magazine made a list of the ten best guest appearances over the past decade, and some of them are shocking.

Reality Stars Kim Kardashian, Spencer Pratt, and Heidi Montag starred in one episode of “How I Met Your Mother” in 2009. These stars, which have faced a lot of scrutiny and criticism from the press, actually did an exceptional job on the episode. They weren’t taken too seriously as they talked to Marshall about his cover in a Tabloid Magazine, something the real life reality stars can relate to.

Comedian Bob Saget also made a hilarious appearance on Entourage where he played himself, and brought a lot of added humor to the episode. Cher made an appearance on the hit show, “Will & Grace” where she sang her pop chart-topping hit, “If I Could Turn Back Time.” Viewers tuned into that episode where Cher shows she is the real deal. And who better to make a guest appearance than the world-renowned savvy entrepreneur, Oprah Winfrey?

Oprah made a guest appearance on “30 Rock” where she sits in an airplane next to a young lady as the woman complains about the problems she is having in her life, one of which is not receiving her monthly subscription to “O” Magazine. To top off the “best of the best” TV appearances, who could forget Brad Pitt guest starring on “Friends” with then-wife, Jennifer Aniston? The adoringly cute episode became a smash hit and exposed the lives of the changing celebrity culture.

And now for the worst…While Jennifer Aniston’s ex-husband was a hit on her show, Aniston didn’t make the guest appearance viewers were hoping for on one of the episodes of “Cougar Town.” On www.Tv.Com, critics stated that, “the woman is so desperate for attention-and so limited in her acting range, that it’s impossible to separate the actress from the characters she plays on screen.”

Many Americans have the Bieber Fever right now. But did he really make an appearance on the show “CSI?” Bieber and CSI do not even belong in the same sentence, and when critics were asked why he was voted as one of the worst guest appearances of all-time, they responded with, “do we really need to give a reason?”

Critics felt that Sasha Grey’s appearance on Entourage was awful where she played a porn-star. Critics believe Grey is “not really known for her acting,” and for another, her appearance started “a weird and unnecessary Twitter frenzy.” The most shocking to make TV’s worst guest appearance was America’s favorite golden girl, Betty White, where she played a professor and librarian on the show, “Community and the Middle.”

Critics thought that her “giggle-inducing grandma schtick started to feel like geriatric gimmick.” Ouch Betty! Luckily for White, she still took home an Emmy for her stint on SNL, which aired right before her guest appearance on the show.

So what does the near future hold for Hollywood guest appearances? WeLoveSoaps.net is positive this will be a big year for Hollywood guest appearances on several TV series by calling the year of 2012, “The Year of the Soap!” Lindsay Lohan recently announced that she will be acting as herself as a guest star on the hit singing show, “Glee.”

But there are several other very famous celebrities that will also be hitting the small screen for an episode, or even a few. For the month of April alone, several big names will be appearing on some of TV’s hottest series. Luke Perry, former stud of the hit show “Beverly Hills 90210” will show his face on “Body of Proof.”

Georgia Engel will stand next to Ashton Kutcher in one of TV’s most popular comedies, “Two and a Half Men.” TV dramas including Criminal Minds, CSI: New York and NCIS: Los Angeles will also be seeing some famous faces including Erica Gimpel (appearing on Criminal Minds), Blake Gibbons (appearing on CSI), and Christel Khalil (appearing on NCIS: Los Angeles). Additionally, Hollywood hunk Mark Consuelos might appear on Law & Order’s, “Special Victim’s Unit,” but it has not yet been determined.

WeLoveSoaps.net might be right when they say this is the year of the soap considering the guest appearances are for this month alone! It’s going to be exciting to see what A-Listers will be making appearances, both good and bad, in the following months. To see celebrities that will be making guest appearances on your favorite TV shows go to www.welovesoaps.net.

Image Courtesy of Featureflash / Shutterstock.com

The article Best and Worst Guest Appearances on TV: Who’s Next? appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

Here are the Top Movies You Never Watched But Should, continued.

5. ‘Meet Joe Black’ (1998)

‘Meet Joe Black’ is a fantasy drama inspired by ‘Death Takes a Holiday’ (1934) about Death (Brad Pitt) inhabiting the body of a handsome man and shadowing a wealthy media mogul Bill Parish (Anthony Hopkins). Bill’s sixty-fifth birthday is coming up and he was scheduled to die, but Death, who is given the name Joe Black to blend in with other people, promises to let him live a few more days if he shows him what life is like as a human being. During his journey, Joe falls in love with Bill’s lovely youngest daughter Susan (Claire Forlani) and she falls in love with him, causing bad blood between Joe and Bill and complicating all of their lives even further.

The film showcases one of Brad Pitt’s best performances as Joe, struggles with understanding the simplest emotions and later the more complex ones, especially love. The love story sets up a beautiful, heartbreaking examination of each character and how they are affected by Joe’s sudden intervention in their lives, though only Bill knows his true identity. The phenomenal supporting cast populates the film with a great spread of characters and everything is set to a sweet yet haunting soundtrack.

4. ‘Batman: Mask of the Phantasm’ (1993)

‘Batman: Mask of the Phantasm’ is an animated film born from the award-winning cartoon ‘Batman: The Animated Series.’ It tells the tale of a mysterious entity called the Phantasm who appears in Gotham City and starts killing several crime bosses. Batman (Kevin Conroy), who is currently under fire from the new district attorney, starts investigating the murders and bumps into his first love, Andrea Beaumont (Dana Delany).

The two become entangled once again as he suspects her father is responsible for the murders. Things become even more complicated when one of the crime bosses who fears he is next to be killed hires the Joker to kill the Phantasm, creating even more danger for the Dark Knight and the city he protects.

‘Mask of the Phantasm’ is critically acclaimed and beloved by fans of Batman, but the general public has little exposure to the animated adventures of the Caped Crusader. While Christopher Nolan’s adaptation of the character is nothing short of genius, ‘Mask of the Phantasm’ deserves just as much praise for handling Bruce Wayne with such care. The film, like the cartoon series, deals with many mature subjects that appeal to adults while still being entertaining enough for younger audiences. Furthermore, it is beautifully animated and features a powerful soundtrack.

3. ‘Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas’ (2003)

‘Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas’ is an animated adventure film about a pirate, Sinbad (Brad Pitt) who wants to steal the Book of Peace, a magical book that wields untold power, a noble prince of Syracuse, Proteus (Joseph Fiennes), who wants to protect it, Proteus’ beautiful fiancée, Marina (Catherine Zeta Jones), and the evil goddess Eris, who also wants to steal the book to cause chaos among the kingdom.

Unfortunately, the film came out right around the time when most animated films were switching to 3D rather than the traditional 2D and so it did not perform well, but the box office does nothing to reflect the quality of the film.

Its strength comes from the talented voice work of Brad Pitt, Catherine Zeta Jones, and Joseph Fiennes, the thrilling adventures the characters undertake, and the fantastic script that switches from hilarious to heartwarming with relative ease. Fans of animated film ‘The Road to El Dorado’ (2000) will find immediate kinship with the movie as it has a similar tone and attention to detail with its animation and well-rounded characters.

2. ‘Kiss Kiss Bang Bang’ (2005)

‘Kiss Kiss Bang Bang’ is a crime noir comedy about small time crook Harry Lockhart (Robert Downey Jr) who accidentally stumbles into a role as an actor and is flown off to Hollywood to consult with Perry van Shrike, aka “Gay Perry” (Val Kilmer), a snarky private investigator. While in LA, Harry bumps into his high school crush, Harmony Lane (Michelle Monaghan), whose sister is murdered and she asks for his help to solve the case. Harry agrees and the three become embroiled in two violent murder cases that are more related than they think.

The film is a dark comedy that pays tribute to the classic crime noir stereotypes but remains self-aware throughout, featuring wicked humor from Downey Jr. and Kilmer, as well as a fast paced, action heavy plot that keeps the audience guessing. The chemistry between Downey Jr. and Kilmer is its true selling point and the script is nothing short of brilliant.

1. ‘Lucky Number Slevin’ (2006)

‘Lucky Number Slevin’ is an action thriller about a down-on-his-luck guy named Slevin Kelevra (Josh Hartnett) who goes to visit his friend Nick Fisher and is mistaken for him by two warring crime bosses, The Boss (Morgan Freeman), and The Rabbi (Ben Kingsley). He is recruited by The Boss to kill The Rabbi’s son and then forced to come up with a huge amount of money by the Rabbi. The Boss and the Rabbi also hire an assassin named Mr. Goodkat (Bruce Willis) who suggested forcing Nick Fisher, whom they mistake Slevin for, to take each other out. Meanwhile, Slevin bumps into Nick’s sweet neighbor, Lindsey (Lucy Liu), and the two slowly fall for each other while Slevin tries to figure out how to stay alive in the middle of all the chaos.

‘Slevin’ is simply the kind of film that gets everything right. The casting, the action, the humor, the cinematography, and the dialogue are all sublime, perfect, and unforgettable. There is something here for everyone—comedy, action, adventure, mystery, and a truly sweet love story. Furthermore, its ending is by far one of the most amazing, unpredictable ways to finish a film in years.

Do yourself a favor: check these films out. You won’t regret it.

The article Ten Movies You Never Watched But Should (Part 2) appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

On Saturday night, the American Foundation for Equal Rights (AFER) and Broadway Impact presented the West Coast premiere reading of the play ”8″ before a sold-out crowd in Los Angeles and a worldwide audience watching on YouTube. ”8″ is an unprecedented account of the Federal District Court trial in Perry v. Schwarzenegger (now Perry v. Brown), the case filed by AFER to overturn Proposition 8, which stripped gay and lesbian Californians of the fundamental freedom to marry.

Saturday night’s West Coast premiere reading of ”8″ was written by Academy Award-winning screenwriter and AFER Founding Board Member Dustin Lance Black and directed by AFER Founding Board Member Rob Reiner . Bryan Singer, acclaimed director of The Usual Suspects and X-Men, was Saturday night’s presenting sponsor. The benefit event raised more than $2 million for the fight to secure full federal marriage equality.

An audience from around the world tuned in to watch a live stream of the West Coast premiere reading of”8″ on YouTube. Video of Saturday night’s performance can be viewed at www.youtube.com/AmericanEqualRights.

“This play will continue to show Americans—one by one—that truth and justice can prevail over prejudice and fear,” said AFER Board President Chad Griffin. ”Try as they might, the anti-marriage proponents of Proposition 8 cannot hide their discriminatory arguments from the American people. The fight to secure marriage equality is at the heart of our generation’s search for greater freedom—this play shows why.”

Black, who penned the Academy Award-winning feature film Milk and the film J. Edgar, based ”8″ on the actual words of the trial transcripts, first-hand observations of the courtroom drama and interviews with the plaintiffs and their families.

The West Coast premiere reading of ”8″  featured an all-star cast led by Golden Globe Award-winner and Academy and Emmy Award-nominee Brad Pitt as United States District Chief Judge Vaughn R. Walker, who found Proposition 8 unconstitutional after presiding over the historic twelve-day public trial; and Academy and Golden Globe Award-winner and Emmy Award-nominee George Clooney and Emmy and Golden Globe Award-winner Martin Sheen as Plaintiffs’ lead co-counsel David Boies and Theodore B. Olson, the renowned attorneys who notably faced-off in Bush v. Gore.

Academy, Emmy and Golden Globe Award-winner Christine Lahti and Golden Globe Award-winnerJamie Lee Curtis starred as plaintiffs Kris Perry and Sandy Stier, a lesbian couple together for eleven years and the parents of four boys. Emmy, Golden Globe and Tony Award-nominee Matthew Morrisonand acclaimed White Collar television star Matt Bomer played plaintiffs Paul Katami and Jeff Zarrillo, a gay couple together over ten years.

Golden Globe Award-winner and Emmy Award-nominee Kevin Bacon played Charles J. Cooper, the lead attorney for the anti-marriage proponents of Proposition 8. Emmy and Golden Globe Award-winner Jane Lynch starred as prominent opponent of marriage equality Maggie Gallagher, co-founder and former chairman of the National Organization for Marriage. Academy, Golden Globe and Grammy Award-nomineeJohn C. Reilly played David Blankenhorn, founder and president of the Institute for American Values.

Additional roles were played by Emmy Award-winning journalist Campbell Brown; Golden Globe Award-winner, SAG and Emmy Award-nominee Chris Colfer ; Emmy Award-nominee Jesse Tyler Ferguson ; prominent gay rights activist Cleve Jones ; Tony Award-nominee Rory O’Malley; acclaimed Star Trektelevision and film star George Takei ; Emmy Award-winner Yeardley Smith ; and Vanessa Garcia ,Jansen Panettiere, James Pickens, Jr. and Bridger Zadina .

The star-studded event was attended by actress Julie Bowen ; actor Ty Burrell ; actor Charlie Carver ; film producer and AFER Founding Board Member Bruce Cohen ; actress Toni Collette ; actress Sally Field ; actor, comedian and director Christopher Guest ; Ambassador James C. Hormel ; actress and model Stacy Keibler ; former Republican National Committee Chairman and AFER Board Member Ken Mehlman ; television producer Jonathan Murray ; television producer Max Mutchnik ;

California Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newsom ; Star Trek television and film star Leonard Nimoy ; actress and singer Hayden Panettiere ; California State Assembly Speaker John A. Perez ; actress Kyra Sedgwick ; actor Eric Stonestreet ; celebrated actress, singer, producer and director Barbra Streisand; actress Sofia Vergara ; actress Olivia Wilde ; actress Shailene Woodley ; comedian and singer ”Weird Al” Yankovic; and others.

The Los Angeles reading of ”8″ came just weeks after a landmark decision by the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit upholding the historic August 2010 ruling of the Federal District Court that found Proposition 8 unconstitutional. The Ninth Circuit concluded:

“Proposition 8 serves no purpose, and has no effect, other than to lessen the status and human dignity of gays and lesbians in California, and to officially reclassify their relationships and families as inferior to those of opposite-sex couples. The Constitution simply does not allow for laws of this sort.”

The story for ”8″ is framed by the trial’s historic closing arguments in June 2010, and features the best arguments and testimony from both sides. Scenes include flashbacks to some of the more jaw-dropping moments from trial, such as the admission by the Proposition 8 supporters’ star witness, David Blankenhorn, that “we would be more American on the day we permitted same-sex marriage than we were on the day before.”

“People need to witness what happened in the Proposition 8 trial, if for no other reason than to see inequality and discrimination unequivocally rejected in a court of law where truth and facts matter,” said Black. ”I’ve built my career around exposing and uncovering ‘the real story.’

The goal of ’8′ is to show the world that marriage equality is a basic constitutional right and that those who would deny this basic freedom from loving, committed couples have only vitriol and baseless hyperbole to fall back on. The facts are on our side and truth always finds the light. We are doing all we can to help speed that process along.”

“Because this case involves the constitutional rights of millions of people, it is especially important for the public to see what happened during the trial,” said AFER Executive Director Adam Umhoefer. “Both sides had an equal opportunity and ample resources to assemble their strongest teams and put forth their absolute best arguments in an impartial setting. Viewed side-by-side there is simply no question that there was only one decision the court could have reached.

The moment we knew the trial would not be publicly broadcast we immediately began planning to find a way to show the world what happened in this historic case. This play and our partnership with YouTube and Broadway Impact allow us to do exactly that.”

The anti-marriage proponents of Proposition 8 vigorously objected to a television and Internet broadcast of the proceedings of the historic twelve-day public trial held in January 2010. Nevertheless, the Federal District Court, without objection from any party, recorded the proceedings on video. That digital video recording is now under seal as part of the case record.

“8″ had its much-heralded Broadway world premiere reading on September 19, 2011, at the sold-out Eugene O’Neill Theatre in New York City. The production brought in over $1 million to support AFER’s efforts to achieve full federal marriage equality.

Throughout 2012, AFER and Broadway Impact are licensing ”8″  for free to colleges and community theatres nationwide in order to spur dialogue, understanding and action. Most productions will be followed by a talkback where cast and audience members can discuss the issues presented in the Perry v. Schwarzenegger trial.

“I was lucky enough to watch the closing arguments of Perry v. Schwarzenegger in San Francisco,” said Broadway Impact co-founder Rory O’Malley (Tony Award-nominee for The Book of Mormon). ”We knew then and there that audiences needed to see and hear this story live, as we had done. ’8′ builds on a successful tradition of documentary theatre—plays like The Laramie Project and The Vagina Monologues, which inspire us with their combination of art and activism. We are thrilled to partner with AFER to bring this story to a national audience.”

Visit the official “8″ website here: www.8theplay.com

Watch Saturday night’s performance here: www.youtube.com/AmericanEqualRights

Image Courtesy of   https://www.facebook.com/8theplay

The article West Coast Premiere Reading of the Play “8″ Presented on March 3 appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

The American Foundation for Equal Rights (AFER) and Broadway Impact are pleased to announce the addition of Golden Globe-winner and Academy and Emmy Award-nominee Brad Pitt to the cast of the West Coast premiere reading of the play ”8.”

The reading is an unprecedented account of the Federal District Court trial in Perry v. Schwarzenegger (now Perry v. Brown), the case filed by AFER to overturn Proposition 8, which stripped gay and lesbian Californians of the fundamental freedom to marry.

AFER and Broadway Impact are also pleased to announce that the performance will be streamed live on YouTube, beginning at 7:45 p.m. PST.  A pre-show will begin on YouTube at 7:30 p.m. PST. Rob Reiner, director of Saturday’s performance, recorded a video explaining the reading of the play and inviting people to watch the live stream.  The live stream of the West Coast premiere reading of ”8″ and Rob Reiner’s video can both be viewed at www.youtube.com/AmericanEqualRights.

“At long last each and every American will be able to see for themselves what happens when prejudice and fear are put on trial in a court of law,” said AFER Board President Chad Griffin. ”For over two years, the anti-marriage proponents of Proposition 8 have fought tooth and nail to hide their discriminatory arguments from the American people.

But on Saturday night, thanks to YouTube and our incredible cast, people across the nation, from Los Angeles to Little Rock to Baltimore, will get to watch as our Constitution’s promise of liberty and equality for all is protected.”

Written by Academy Award-winning screenwriter and AFER Founding Board Member Dustin Lance Black and directed by acclaimed actor and director and AFER Founding Board Member Rob Reiner , ”8″ will have its West Coast premiere reading on Saturday, March 3, 2012, at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre in Los Angeles.  Bryan Singer , acclaimed director of The Usual Suspects and X-Men, is Saturday night’s presenting sponsor.  The benefit event will support the fight to secure full federal marriage equality.

Black, who penned the Academy Award-winning feature film Milk and the film J. Edgar, based ”8″ on the actual words of the trial transcripts, first-hand observations of the courtroom drama and interviews with the plaintiffs and their families.

Brad Pitt will star as United States District Chief Judge Vaughn R. Walker, who found Proposition 8 unconstitutional after presiding over the historic twelve-day public trial.

Pitt joins an all-star cast led by Academy and Golden Globe Award-winner and Emmy Award-nomineeGeorge Clooney and Emmy and Golden Globe Award-winner Martin Sheen as Plaintiffs’ lead co-counsel David Boies and Theodore B. Olson, the renowned attorneys who notably faced-off in Bush v. Gore.

Academy, Emmy and Golden Globe Award-winner Christine Lahti and Golden Globe Award-winner Jamie Lee Curtis will star as plaintiffs Kris Perry and Sandy Stier, a lesbian couple together for eleven years and the parents of four boys.  Emmy, Golden Globe and Tony Award-nominee Matthew Morrison and acclaimed White Collar television star Matt Bomer will play plaintiffs Paul Katami and Jeff Zarrillo, a gay couple together over ten years.

Golden Globe Award-winner and Emmy Award-nominee Kevin Bacon will play Charles J. Cooper, the lead attorney for the anti-marriage proponents of Proposition 8.  Emmy and Golden Globe Award-winner Jane Lynch will star as prominent opponent of marriage equality Maggie Gallagher, co-founder and former chairman of the National Organization for Marriage.  Academy, Golden Globe and Grammy Award-nominee John C. Reilly will play David Blankenhorn, founder and president of the Institute for American Values.

Additional roles will be played by Emmy Award-winning journalist Campbell Brown; Golden Globe Award-winner, SAG and Emmy Award-nominee Chris Colfer ; Emmy Award-nominee Jesse Tyler Ferguson ; prominent gay rights activist Cleve Jones ; Tony Award-nominee Rory O’Malley; acclaimed Star Trek television and film star George Takei; Emmy Award-winner Yeardley Smith ; and Vanessa Garcia, Jansen Panatierre, James Pickens, Jr. and Bridger Zadina .

The Los Angeles reading of ”8″ comes just weeks after a landmark decision by the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit upholding the historic August 2010 ruling of the Federal District Court that found Proposition 8 unconstitutional.  The Ninth Circuit concluded:

“Proposition 8 serves no purpose, and has no effect, other than to lessen the status and human dignity of gays and lesbians in California, and to officially reclassify their relationships and families as inferior to those of opposite-sex couples.  The Constitution simply does not allow for laws of this sort.”

The story for ”8″ is framed by the trial’s historic closing arguments in June 2010, and features the best arguments and testimony from both sides.  Scenes include flashbacks to some of the more jaw-dropping moments from trial, such as the admission by the Proposition 8 supporters’ star witness, David Blankenhorn, that “we would be more American on the day we permitted same-sex marriage than we were on the day before.”

“People need to witness what happened in the Proposition 8 trial, if for no other reason than to see inequality and discrimination unequivocally rejected in a court of law where truth and facts matter,” said Black.  ”I’ve built my career around exposing and uncovering ‘the real story.’

The goal of ’8′ is to show the world that marriage equality is a basic constitutional right and that those who would deny this basic freedom from loving, committed couples have only vitriol and baseless hyperbole to fall back on.  The facts are on our side and truth always finds the light.  We are doing all we can to help speed that process along.”

“Because this case involves the constitutional rights of millions of people, it is especially important for the public to see what happened during the trial,” said AFER Executive Director Adam Umhoefer. “Both sides had an equal opportunity and ample resources to assemble their strongest teams and put forth their absolute best arguments in an impartial setting. Viewed side-by-side there is simply no question that there was only one decision the court could have reached.

The moment we knew the trial would not be publicly broadcast we immediately began planning to find a way to show the world what happened in this historic case. This play and our partnership with YouTube and Broadway Impact allow us to do exactly that.”

“8″ had its much-heralded Broadway world premiere reading on September 19, 2011, at the sold-out Eugene O’Neill Theatre in New York City.  The benefit brought in over $1 million to support AFER’s efforts to achieve full federal marriage equality.

Throughout 2012, AFER and Broadway Impact are licensing “8″ for free to colleges and community theatres nationwide in order to spur dialogue, understanding and action.  Most performances will be followed by a talkback where cast and audience members can discuss the issues presented in the Perry v. Schwarzenegger trial.

“I was lucky enough to watch the closing arguments of Perry v. Schwarzenegger in San Francisco,” said Broadway Impact co-founder Rory O’Malley (Tony Award-nominee for The Book of Mormon).  ”We knew then and there that audiences needed to see and hear this story live, as we had done.

’8′ builds on a successful tradition of documentary theatre—plays like The Laramie Project and The Vagina Monologues, which inspire us with their combination of art and activism. We are thrilled to partner with AFER to bring this story to a national audience.”

VISIT THE OFFICIAL “8″ WEBSITE HERE: www.8theplay.com

WATCH SATURDAY’S PERFORMANCE LIVE HERE AT 7:45 P.M. PST: www.youtube.com/AmericanEqualRights

Image Courtesy of   cinemafestival / Shutterstock.com

The article Brad Pitt Joins The Cast of West Coast Premiere Reading of the Play “8″ appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

The season of the golden statue is upon us, and the heat is increasing in the top categories. Where is the wind blowing this year? One of the most coveted awards, along with the Leading Actress trophy, is that of Best Male Lead.

This year, the battle is between experienced and seasoned performances, all around age 40 and up. At the same time, there are many first-timers, despite their years in the business, with only one of the nominated already having an Oscar to show for it. Nothing is certain until Sunday, February 26, live from Hollywood, but here are the predictions.

Demián Bichir for ‘A Better Life’

American audiences primarily know 48-year-old Demián Bichir from the TV series, Weeds, and as Fidel in Steven Soderbergh’s ‘Che’. However, Bichir is a huge name back in his native Mexico, part of a family of celebrated actors, and his presence on this year’s nomination list will be his first. In Chris Weitz’s A Better Life, he plays the gardener, Carlos, who has worked hard to make a life for himself and his estranged son in the States. When his truck is stolen, father and son, albeit virtually strangers, set out to recover it in hopes of a better life.

There were reports of confusion when Bichir’s name was read among the nominees as some believed the choice was made at the expense of the highly acclaimed ‘Shame’s Michael Fassbender. While Weitz’s film was celebrated, it was not widely watched. However, the nod to Bichir is the only one for the movie, and despite the initial surprise, or maybe because of it, it seems unlikely that he will take home the award.

George Clooney for ‘The Descendants’

Already a groomed candidate with seven nominations in his pocket and a win in the Supporting category for ‘Syriana’ in 2006, 50-year-old George Clooney has placed himself firmly in the front. Unlike Bichir, Clooney is ‘Hollywood royalty’, and the story goes that a bet was made between him and fellow Tinsel royal, Brad Pitt, that if one of them got the nomination this year, the other would perform a favor.

Clooney’s was to spend the day with Brad and his partner Angelina Jolie’s pack of kids – which he allegedly loathes. With that deal already sealed, the question is if ‘The George’ will up the ante by making an actor’s Oscar hat trick – winning both Leading and Supporting Actor; something only five other actors have done before him.

Is the part worth it? Many great things have been said about The Descendants, and it is no wonder; the adapted screenplay hit a chord with critics and movie-goers alike, and Clooney’s character, Matt King, is relatable as he struggles to keep the pieces of his reality together. Already winning the Golden Globes this year is a huge plus, which tempts us to believe that the night will be Clooney’s time to shine.

Jean Dujardin for ‘The Artist’

At the tender age of 39, Jean Dujardin is not well-known in the States. Dujardin is funnily enough referred to as the French George Clooney, and the liking is merited after an evening spent in the company of The Artist - the smile says it all!

The Artist, in itself, is an incredible achievement that has reaped rave reviews around the world, with the exception of some disgruntled movie goers on the British Isles, and much of the magic is thanks to Dujardin’s charming, yet heartbreaking performance as the silent movie star, George Valentin, who fades into obscurity as the ‘talkies’ take over.

Not only is his performance a delight, but an immense amount of respect and awe goes into the challenge of performing ‘old school’; the whole cast had to abandon their experience to embrace a performance style of the past. A dark horse in the race, but a secret favorite of this reporter. Will the French finally get a leading man on the podium?

Gary Oldman for ‘Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy’

While younger generations connect Gary Oldman with good and helpful franchise characters (Harry Potter, Nolan’s Batman), most of the mature viewers know that Oldman earned his badges as the ‘bad boy’ and other villainous characters. Evidently, the tide has turned for the 53-year-old native Englishman who embodied the anti-Bond character of George Smiley in the adapted espionage drama, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, to such taste that the Academy nod was inevitable.

Even though Oldman has been around for years and is the eldest of this year’s nominees, it is the first time he has been nominated for an Oscar. Sadly, the predictions are that the honorary inclusion in the ranks of the Academy is the only thing he will be getting next Sunday.

Brad Pitt for ‘Moneyball’

So far, Brad Pitt’s career at the Academy Awards has been scattered and less eventful than you would have thought, considering his status in Hollywood. When he made the bet with George Clooney, his odds were statistically lower – curiously amusing to consider now that Moneyball is the movie that got him the nomination.

The role of Billy Beane, the general manager of the Oakland Athletics who takes a chance on a numbers game in order to win the League, is a powerful tale of grandeur against the odds. It has been awhile since baseball filled the main plot line of a big-name movie, and critics have applauded the production team for reigniting the on-screen excitement for the game.

Some hint that the fuss over ‘The George’ might blindside observers and allow the 48-year-old father-of-six to channel his character’s underdog qualities, but as it stands, Pitt will enjoy the show and settle for the party.

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Paramount Pictures announced it ended 2011 in the No. 1 position among all studios, having achieved the highest total combined gross of any studio for the year, earning a record $5.17 billion worldwide. The studio, which released a total of 16 new releases domestically this year, placed first in the North American market share with $1.96 billion, while also amassing record grosses at the international box office with $3.21 billion.

“This achievement reflects the combined efforts of our entire team across the globe and the careful process by which we select the projects and partners we believe in,” said Paramount Pictures Chairman & CEO Brad Grey. “We produce pictures that aspire to entertain audiences around the world, while at the same time we have sought to find innovative ways to reach movie-goers in this changing entertainment environment.

“This year our studio reached some key milestones, including the release of three vibrant Paramount franchise pictures and our first original CGI animated film. Our studio had its first ever $1 billion worldwide grossing film in Michael Bay’s hit ‘Transformers: Dark of the Moon’; we successfully re-launched our ‘Mission Impossible’ franchise with Tom Cruise, JJ Abrams and Brad Bird; our latest installment in the ‘Paranormal Activity’ franchise had another $100 million dollar success; our first original animated film ‘Rango,’ from director Gore Verbinski, earned rave reviews and more than $100 million at the domestic box office; and  we released global phenomenon ‘Super 8,’ directed by JJ Abrams, who will now direct the newest ‘Star Trek’ for 2013. We also benefited from our distribution partnerships with DreamWorks Animation and Marvel and I want to thank them both.”

“Film President Adam Goodman and his team in production and development, and Vice Chairman Rob Moore and his team in marketing and distribution, did outstanding work and truly delivered. As we prepare to celebrate Paramount’s 100th year in 2012, we are all grateful to be part of this wonderful institution as it continues to prosper,” added Grey.

In 2012, Paramount’s release slate highlights include ‘World War Z,’ a zombie thriller starring Brad Pitt and directed by Marc Forster, ‘G.I. Joe: Retaliation,’ the next installment in the global franchise starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Channing Tatum, a new chapter in the ‘Paranormal Activity’ franchise, and ‘The Dictator,’ starring Sacha Baron Cohen and directed by Larry Charles, the team behind ‘Borat.’

The 2011 box office results seen from the studio were built on a wide reaching range of titles, including the following (with current domestic grosses): ‘True Grit’ ($85 mil this year, $171.2 million total), Ivan Reitman’s ‘No Strings Attached’ ($70.7 mil), Jon Chu’s ‘Justin Bieber: Never Say Never’ ($73 mil), Gore Verbinski’s ‘Rango’  ($123.5 mil), Marvel Studio’s ‘Thor’ ($181 mil), DreamWorks Animation’s ‘Kung Fu Panda 2’ ($165.2 mil), JJ Abrams ‘Super 8’  ($127 mil), Michael Bay’s ‘Transformers:  Dark of the Moon’ ($352.4 mil), Marvel Studio’s ‘Captain America: The First Avenger’  ($176.7 mil), Craig Brewer’s ‘Footloose’ ($51.7 mil), the third installment in the hit ‘Paranormal Activity’ franchise ($104 mil), DreamWorks Animation’s ‘Puss In Boots’ ($145.8 mil), Sundance prize-winner ‘Like Crazy’ ($3.4 mil), Martin Scorsese and GK Films’ ‘Hugo’ ($50.2 mil), Jason Reitman’s ‘Young Adult’ ($12.8 mil), Brad Bird’s ‘Mission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol’ ($142.8 mil) and Steven Spielberg’s ‘Tintin’ ($51.4 mil).

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Brad Pitt has been voted the Top Money-Making Star of 2011 in Quigley Publishing Company’s 80th Annual Poll of Motion Picture Exhibitors. This is Pitt’s sixth appearance in the Poll, but his first win. Exhibitors felt Pitt was responsible for more traffic to theatres than any other Hollywood star based on his performances this year in “Moneyball,” “The Tree of Life,” and “Happy Feet Two.”

The Quigley Poll, conducted each year since 1932, is an annual survey of motion picture theatre owners and film buyers, which asks them to vote for the ten stars that they believe generated the most box-office revenue for their theatres during the year. It has been long regarded as one of the most reliable indicators of a star’s real box office draw because the selections are made by professionals whose livelihood depends on choosing the films and actors that will bring audiences to their theatres. The Quigley Poll lists the results of all the Polls since Marie Dressler, Janet Gaynor, and Joan Crawford took the top three places in 1932.

George Clooney placed second this year based on “The Ides of March,” where he was also the director, producer, and co-writer, and “The Descendants.” Johnny Depp, last year’s winner, made it to number three this year with 2011 roles in “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides” and “The Rum Diary.”  Depp has placed in the poll seven times, as has this year’s number four, Leonardo DiCaprio, who starred in “J. Edgar.” Matt Damon, number five, had a very busy year with “Contagion,” “The Adjustment Bureau,” “Margaret,” and “We Bought a Zoo.”

Sandra Bullock, winner of 2009, placed number six, which marks her fifth appearance in the poll. She first placed in the survey in 1995. There were two first-timers this year, Bradley Cooper number seven and Ben Stiller number ten. Bradley Cooper was in “The Hangover Part II,” and Ben Stiller was in “Tower Heist.” Robert Downey, Jr. was number eight on the strength of “Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows,” and Meryl Streep was number nine as ‘The Iron Lady” and is in the Top Ten for the fourth time.

Tom Cruise has not placed in the Poll since 2006, but he has been in the Top Ten 20 times since 1983 and has been voted number one the most of any actor – seven times. Tom Hanks, Clint Eastwood, Burt Reynolds, and Bing Crosby have all won five times. Clint Eastwood has been in the poll 21 times starting in 1968. Currently, exhibitors appreciate him more as a director that brings audiences to their theatres. John Wayne, Doris Day, and Shirley Temple each finished first four times, but John Wayne was voted one of the Top Ten Money-Making Stars an astounding 25 times from 1949 to 1974.

Exhibitors were also asked to name the Stars of Tomorrow for 2011, one actor and one actress who they feel will be Top Money-Makers in the years to come. The 2011 winners are Rooney Mara, who played Lisbeth Salander in “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo,” and Jonah Hill, who had a breakthrough performance in “Moneyball” and starred in “The Sitter.”

Top Ten Money-Making Stars of 2011

1. Brad Pitt
2. George Clooney
3. Johnny Depp
4. Leonardo Di Caprio
5. Matt Damon
6. Sandra Bullock
7. Bradley Cooper
8. Robert Downey, Jr.
9. Meryl Streep
10. Ben Stiller

Stars of Tomorrow:

Rooney Mara
Jonah Hill

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The winner of this year’s Palme d’Or in Cannes and the FIPRESCI Grand Prix, The Tree of Life by Terrence Malick is now out on Blu-ray and DVD for you to experience at home.

The acclaimed writer and director, also known for Badlands, Days of Heaven, The Thin Red Line, and The New World, brought his thought provoking film experience about a Midwestern family in the 1950’s to life after years of development.

Through stunning cinematography and raw emotional power Malick’s hymn to life excavates answers to the most haunting and personal human questions through a kaleidoscope of the intimate and the cosmic, from the raw emotions of a family in a small Texas town to the wildest, infinite edges of space and time, from a boy’s loss of innocence to a man’s transforming encounters with awe, wonder and transcendence.

An impressionistic story of a 1950’s family, the film follows the life journey of the eldest son, Jack — who is played as an adult by Sean Penn — through the innocence of childhood to his disillusioned adult years as he tries to reconcile a complicated relationship with his father.

Malick’s experimental work was well-received when it finally premiered in competition at the Cannes Film Festival this year, having missed it’s release dates for both 2009 and 2010. According to the film’s trivia on IMDB.com, the first seeds of the mind-bending story were sown in the late 1970s when Malick, fresh of his movie Days of Heaven, started working on a project named ‘Q’, which was later abandoned.

However, it is widely believed that The Tree of Life contains elements of ‘Q’, including the desire to explore the origins of life on earth. The Blu-ray Disc presentation utilizes maximum bit rate encoding and 7.1 audio and a 2.0 stereo mix to bring Malick’s visually stunning masterpiece to life providing you with a premium cinematic viewing experience for the home.

An exclusive 30-minute documentary on the making of the film, Exploring The Tree of Life, allows fans to dig even deeper into Malick’s visionary work and his cinematic legacy through interviews with his collaborators and cast members as well as with directors Christopher Nolan and David Fincher who share an appreciation for his work.

Under Malick’s careful direction The Tree of Life showcases complicated and haunting powerhouse performances by Academy-Award nominee Brad Pitt (Fight Club), Academy Award winner Sean Penn (Milk, Mystic River) and newcomer Jessica Chastain (The Help). 

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The movie script was originally written by Stan Chervin, the movie is being released through Columbia pictures and stars Brad Pitt, Jonah Hill and Phillip Seymour Hoffman. The movie was originally intended to begin production in June 2009 but days before filming began Sony put the film on hold.

The film script had elements in it that were non traditional for a sports movie. As such there were no interviews with real life players and as a result of this the film director Steven Soderbergh was let go. He was replaced by Bennett Miller and Adam Sorkin rewrote the script. The movie puts a different spin on the story of baseball.

Although there have been movies made about baseball before this is not a typical movie about baseball. The movie is about a man who had a vision to do something new in baseball. He was told he was leading a team of people who were rejected by the scouts and a team that couldn’t compete with the major teams because of lack of finances. Billy never gave up his dreams despite the obstacles in front of him.

Even in making this movie it was not an easy project to get off the ground because it doesn’t fall in the typical category of a sports movie. This was the reason for the dismissal of the original director. The movie is based on a non fiction book of the same name published by Michael Lewis in 2003.

Its amazing movie that really is inspiring and it’s a film that would be enjoyed by most people but especially those people who have always dreamed about taking on the system. Brad Pitt stars as Billy Beane, the general manager of the Oakland A’s and the guy who assembles the team, who has an epiphany: all of baseball’s conventional wisdom he has a big dream the desire to do something and the wisdom to pull it off.

He believes baseballs conventional wisdom is wrong. He is forced to basically reinvent the game on a very tight budget . He will have to outwit the richer clubs and work out how exactly is he going to do this. That’s what the film will desire to reveal to audiences. This one time jock will team up with ivy league graduate Peter Brand played by Jonah Hill, in the most unlikely partnership.

Together they recruit all the bargain players that the scouts have labelled them as flaws but they still have the ability to get on base score points and win the game. Many are saying that Beane is tearing the heart and soul out of the game. All Beane is doing is revolutionizing the game and changing the system to give evryone a chance to play.

The great thing about films like this are even though there are challenges in this case big teams with a lot of money, with faith and perserverance our dreams can be realised if don’t allow anyone to stand in our way.

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Terrence Malick’s latest and long awaited film, The Tree of Life, had its premiere at 64th Cannes Film Festival, on 17th of May and has been nominated for Palme D’or, among other absorbing films like Lars von Trier’s Melancholia, Almodovar’s The Skin I Live In, Nuri Bilge Ceylan’s Once Upon a Time In Anatolia. The story focuses on an American family during 1950’s. The cast is quite impressive, starring Brad Pitt, Sean Penn and Jessica Chastain. This is Malick’s 5th movie as a writer and director.

Malick’s biography is quite interesting, he studied philosophy at Harvard University, and was influenced by philosophers like Martin Heidegger, who has been considered as one of the greatest thinkers of 20th century. Heidegger’s  emphasize on Dasein’s (which could be translated as Being-there, since Heidegger avoids using metaphysical concepts such as human) situation with regard to its relation between Being, Dasein’s existential analyze with the concepts such as care (Sorge) and fear (Angst), especially in his masterpiece Being and Time, and his critique of technology are significant aspects of his philosophy.  Malick  translated Heidegger’s “Vom Wesen des Grundes” as “The Essence of Reasons”  and it was published in 1969. His philosophy background effected his film career, and many critics consider his films as cult, especially his Golden Bear awarded film The Thin Red Line (1998).

Malick did not show himself at the premiere of  The Tree of Life, while his film made a tremendous impact, and divided the audience into two. Protests and applauses heard at the same time. At the press conference of the film, the abscence of Terrence Malick made people even more curious, and the reason for Malick’s nonattendance given as his being a shy person. Brad Pitt answered the question of “does he eat and talk?” as “yes, he even goes to the bathroom”. The religious and theological aspects in his movie related to his own perspectives were also brought up  and his interest in philosophy was emphasized once again at the press conference.

The trailer of The Tree of Life is quite mysterious like Malick himself, but definitely draws attention. Here is the synopsis at Festival de Cannes’ official page:

“The Tree of Life is the impressionistic story of a Midwestern family in the 1950′s. The film follows the life journey of the eldest son, Jack, through the innocence of childhood to his disillusioned adult years as he tries to reconcile a complicated relationship with his father. Jack finds himself a lost soul in the modern world, seeking answers to the origins and meaning of life while questioning the existence of faith.”

Award Ceremony of Cannes Film Festival is on 22nd of May. We will see how Malick’s The Tree of Life impressed the jury.

Watch : The Tree of Life Trailer

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