’21 Jump Street’ is in theaters now, starring Channing Tatum and recent Academy Award nominee Jonah Hill. It is loosely based on the 1987 television series of the same name, which launched the career of Johnny Depp.

The movie has already proven to be a favorite of the critics and strong box office performer, grossing over $100 million worldwide since its release on March 16. Sony recently announced that a sequel is already in the works, and that stars Tatum and Hill are expected to return.

The film’s success can perhaps be attributed to its accessibility to audiences unfamiliar with the 1980s television series. It features a new cast, makes contemporary cultural references (Tatum’s character cites ‘Glee’ as the reason for the new high school hierarchy), and offers only passing remarks about its 1980s predecessor (Nick Offerman’s character notes that in their jobs, “all they do now is recycle stuff from the past and expect us not to notice”).

Michael Bacall’s screenplay keeps things simple and sharp, while directing duo Phil Lord and Chris Miller keep things moving at a snappy pace, leaving behind all traces of the brand’s past screen life.

Making the transition from television to film has been a tricky business in the last couple of decades. From ‘The X-Files’ to ‘The Simpsons,’ producers have attempted to find the right balance between continuity from the series and accessibility for new viewers. Here is a brief look at how some have fared:

‘The Simpsons Movie’ – Budget: $75 million / Box Office: $527 million.

After several years of talks and delays, the big-screen adaptation of FOX’s long-running animated series was released in summer 2007. ‘The Simpsons Movie’ was a huge box office success and garnered strong critical acclaim, being nominated for a Golden Globe, a Critics’ Choice and four Annie Awards. Its success has been credited with reinvigorating interest in ‘The Simpsons,’ as the series recently celebrated its 500th episode and was renewed through the end of the 2013-2014 television season.

‘Sex and the City’ – Budget: $65 million / Box Office: $415 million.

HBO’s 2008 adaptation of its hit series proved to be a huge box office success and the biggest ever R-rated opening for a comedy. The film came four years after the series went off the air, and picked up on many of the narrative strands left presumably resolved in the final episode.

As audiences continued to flock, a sequel was greenlit, the budget was increased to $95 million, and it hit theatres in May 2010. However, the sequel grossed a weaker $295 million and was critically maligned, all but ending future big-screen outings for the franchise. Still, The CW network recently ordered a pilot for ‘The Carrie Diaries,’ a prequel series charting the adventures of Carrie Bradshaw through her adolescence, showing the studios’ belief in the brand still having an impact on the small screen.

‘The X-Files’ – Budget: $66 million / Box Office: $189 million.

Right in the middle of the sci-fi thriller’s ninth season run on FOX, came its first film adaptation featuring stars Gillian Anderson and David Duchovny. The film almost tripled its budget, received generally positive reviews, and capitalized on the success of the series’ highest-rated season.

However, it would be ten years, and six years after the series went off the air, before a sequel would be released. ‘The X-Files: I Want to Believe’ was released in July 2008 with a budget of just $30 million, grossing $68 million. While it still earned back its budget, the numbers were significantly lower than what fans had hoped, and have cast serious doubt on whether a third film will be made.

Then there is the case of the long-awaited ’24′ feature film, based on the FOX series of the same name, which ran for eight successful seasons between 2001 and 2010. The film has been stuck in development for several years, even while the series was in the midst of its run.

In March of this year it looked like the cast and crew would soon be ready to commence production. However, delays in finding a director and scheduling conflicts with star Kiefer Sutherland have meant that the film has been shelved for at least another 12 months. Like ‘The X-Files,’ ’24′ was heavily serialized and had declined in the ratings toward the end of its run. It therefore might struggle to succeed on the big screen as more years go by with it out of production.

Yet with the success of ’21 Jump Street’ more than two decades after the end of its television run, there is hope that the issue of ‘timing’ is just one of many needed for the successful transition of a television series into film.

Case in point is ‘Glee: The 3D Concert Movie,’ which was released last summer and failed to replicate the success of the television series, ultimately grossing just $18 million. TV-to-Film adaptations is a tricky business, but one in which networks and studios are perpetually interested in trying to get right.

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2012 got off to a great start for Northern Irish director Terry George, when his short film ‘The Shore’ won an Oscar for Best Live Action Short. George now hopes to build on this momentum with the release of his new feature film ‘Whole Lotta Sole,’ premiering at the TriBeCa Film Festival (TFF) on Saturday April 21.

The film, which was also co-written by George, was shot on location in Ireland last spring, and attracted actors such as SAG winner Brendan Fraser (for 2004′s ‘Crash’) and IFTA winners Colm Meaney and Martin McCann (for 2001′s ‘How Harry Became a Tree’ and 2009′s Swansong: Story of Occi Byrne, respectively). Northern Ireland-born Foy Vance composed the film’s music, while Thomas Gallagher co-wrote the screenplay with George. As for the plot, the following is listed in the TFF Film Guide:

In a rowdy little corner of Belfast, hapless young father Jimbo tries to protect his family from the gangster he’s in debt to by robbing the local fish market… which turns out to be a front for the same gangster! On the run, Jimbo holes up in a local antique shop run by a long-lost man from his past. A colorful cast of character actors and a strong turn from Brendan Fraser light up this madcap Irish crime comedy from Terry George (Hotel Rwanda).

The film’s premiere at TFF presents a major festival coup for George, and an oddly poetic one at that. The festival was founded in response to the September 11 2001 terrorists attacks, while ‘Sole’ is an opportunity for George to expand upon what he did with ‘The Shore,’ which was to show to the world that Northern Ireland is not the war-torn place it once was, and that the people — as well as its creative offerings — have moved on.

Terms like ‘madcap’ and ‘crime comedy’ mark an extreme contrast to George’s last feature film set in Northern Ireland, 1993′s ‘In the Name of the Father’. For that film, which George again co-wrote, the country’s political situation weighed heavily on the characters, and its cultural resonance resulted in it being nominated for seven Academy Awards, four Golden Globes and a BAFTA.

Coupled with the success of ‘The Shore,’ it is clear that George has a long-standing successful reputation in critics’ circles, so all eyes will no doubt be on ‘Whole Lotta Sole’ when it makes its big-screen debut late next month. Screening details are as follow:

• Saturday April 21, 8:30pm, SVA Theater 2 Beatrice
• Sunday April 22, 3:00pm, Clearview Cinemas Chelsea 7
• Wednesday April 25, 5:30pm, AMC Loews Village 7 – 3
• Saturday April 28, 3:45pm, Clearview Cinemas Chelsea 8

Meanwhile, full details about the Tribeca Film Festival, which runs from April 18 – 29, can be found here. The festival is also active on both Facebook and Twitter.

Image Courtesy of   http://theshorefilm.com

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P!nk has announced that she has began recording on her sixth studio album, the follow-up to 2008′s ‘Funhouse’. The 32-year old singer/songwriter has taken a brief hiatus from the music scene while she started a family with her husband Carey Hart.

The couple, whose on/off relationship has been the subject of some of P!nk’s biggest hits, welcomed a daughter last June and have stayed largely out of the limelight in the months since. However, P!nk now appears to be focusing on her career and on reclaiming her title as one of the world’s biggest touring artists with the release of her first studio album in 4 years.

Her return to the music studio has been eagerly anticipated by her fans, as the four-year period since the release of ‘Funhouse’ marks the longest gap between studio albums in P!nk’s 12-year career. Few details are known about the album, expected to be released later this year, although hit maker Dan Wilson confirmed on Twitter that he has been in the studio writing songs with P!nk in recent weeks.

Wilson most notably collaborated with Adele on her multi-platinum LP ’21′, co-writing two tracks – including the Grammy-winning ‘Someone Like You – and has also written songs for such artists as Keith Urban and The Dixie Chicks.

For P!nk, a partnership with Wilson would mark a departure from her last two studio albums, on which she collaborated primarily with pop guru Max Martin (Britney Spears, Kelly Clarkson, and Katy Perry), country songwriter Billy Mann (Mary J. Blige, Sting, and Celine Dion), and rocker Butch Walker (Fall Out Boy, Avril Lavigne, and The Donnas).

Since releasing her first studio album, ‘Can’t Take Me Home’, P!nk has sold over 40 million albums worldwide and has made a name for herself as a a must-see live performer. ‘The Funhouse Tour’ spanned 10 months and broke several records in Australia, and was then followed up with P!nk’s first ever stadium tour, playing at over 30 outdoor venues across Europe in the summer of 2010.

Following the success of the ‘Funhouse’ era, P!nk was ranked #27 on Forbes’ 2010 Celebrity 100 List with earnings of $44 million from the previous 12 months. She capitalised on this career momentum by releasing a compilation CD, titled ‘Greatest Hits … So Far!!!” to mark the 10th anniversary of the release of her debut album.

The compilation featured all of her major hits from the previous decade, as well as three new songs, the first of which – ‘Raise Your Glass’ – topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart, while the second – ‘Perfect’ – garnered P!nk her 11th Grammy nomination.

Despite a brief hiatus from the entertainment industry during her pregnancy, P!nk kept her name in the headlines with a starring role in the 2011 animated feature ‘Happy Feet Two,’ for which she also provided the soundtrack single ‘Bridge of Light’.

Around the same time, P!nk filmed a role in the upcoming drama/comedy film ‘Thanks For Sharing’, co-starring Mark Ruffalo and Academy Award winner Gwyneth Paltrow, and paid $5,000 to fund life-saving surgery for a stray dog after learning of the story in late last December.

Image Courtesy of   http://www.pinkspage.com

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Immediately following the Academy Awards show, the Board of Governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences hosts its traditional Governors Ball, an exclusive evening event where presenters, nominees, winners, and Hollywood insiders come together to celebrate the conspicuous end of the years most esteemed film award show. Those in attendance will enjoy Moet and Chandon Champaign and will be catered for by the master chef himself, Wolfgang Puck. We tried the food and beverages offered at the event and here are our conclusions.

Credit: Dalia Alkassar & Tamir ElSahy / The Toonari Post

Wolfgang Puck forgoes the traditional main course formality for this year’s menu in an attempt to create a more simplistic and youthful theme. With over 50 dishes, there’s truly something for everyone. Standing out among the many bits of treasure are one-bite hors d’oeuvres such as the miniature Kobe beef burgers and small-plate entrees, like the more down to earth macaroni and cheese. We asked Wolfgang Puck about his inspiration for the theme behind this year’s gala. “Lots of small pieces, almost Japanese-like. It’s more of a lounge kind of party this year, not a formal dinner,” he said.

Credit: Dalia Alkassar & Tamir ElSahy / The Toonari Post

Over 300 Wolfgang Puck chefs will be firing off a powerful array of hors d’oeuvres for the nights 3,000 or so attendees. Seafood will be one of the principle ingredients in the Governors Ball menu this year. A nicely crafted smoked salmon resting on an Oscar-shaped flatbread drizzled with caviar also lent itself to the event. The nights guests will also be offered delicious gold wrapped baked potatoes with caviar and crème fraiche, interesting pizza combinations, lobster tacos, and chicken potpie topped with shaved black truffles, to name a few. Puck’s intention to create a wide variety of items for this menu works because it encourages everyone to just have fun.

Credit: Dalia Alkassar & Tamir ElSahy / The Toonari Post

3-D glasses are given out for guests to appreciate a chocolate based placard with the 3-D image of the Oscars imposed on it, which we assume many will have fun with as they watch those on their table consume three dimensional chocolate desert placards. However, in this the Oscars theme particularly stands out. Not necessarily because the 3-D, Oscar inspired white-chocolate placard standing atop a decadent staircase of red chocolate mousse and chiffon cake isn’t a wonder to look at, which it really was. Rather, it was the sheer amount of differently sized gold-dusted chocolate Oscar statues serving as a constant reminder of the significance of film in the background, bouncing nicely off the surrounding red and golden hues, that helps make this menu a true creation for the Oscars, worthy of the nights daringness.

Credit: Dalia Alkassar & Tamir ElSahy / The Toonari Post

As the exclusive champagne of the Academy Awards, Moet and Chandon will also be offering its own Academy Award inspired, rose-pedal garnished cocktail, appropriately called the “Moet Red Carpet Glamour”.  The excellent cocktail pairs the famous Champaign with earthy ingredients such as ginger and cardamom, combined with sour mix and Hum botanical spirits.

Credit: Dalia Alkassar & Tamir ElSahy / The Toonari Post

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In celebration of this year’s Academy Awards, the Queen’s Film Theatre (QFT) in Belfast hosted a special screening of Francis Ford Coppola’s 1972 hit film ‘The Godfather‘. The screening was in partnership with Jameson Irish Whiskey, and offered audiences the opportunity to relive, or experience for the first time, this Oscar-winning film on the big screen.

The Godfather, featuring an all-star cast headlined by Marlon Brando and Al Pacino, was a low-budget production which upon its initial release went on to take in close to $300,000,000 at the box office worldwide, as well as to win Academy Awards for Best Actor (Brando), Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Drama.

Therefore, it was no surprise that the film was included in the QFT’s “series of special themed film experience events celebrating cult classics from a range of different genres“, or that Domino’s Pizza joined forces with the organisers to make this event more than just a typical trip to the cinema.

For this event, the QFT was transformed with a projected image of Brando in character hanging in the middle of the foyer. Audience members were treated to a special pre-show warm-up, during which they could pose with plastic top hats and novelty moustaches, but it wasn’t long before the film theatre was packed with eager fans waiting for the curtain to go up.

Only one woman admitted to being a first-time viewer of ‘The Godfather’, however, her admission garnered her nothing but envy from the speaker who introduced the film, while a prize raffle brought some extra entertainment value to the screening as various audience members won prizes ranging from tickets to future QFT/Jameson events, to a bottle of Jameson whiskey, and to a limited-edition artwork print of The Godfather, which was clearly the most sought-after item judging from the crowd’s disappointed groans when the winner was announced.

As for the film itself, there were no signs of fatigue or boredom from the dozens of people who had already seen the film countless times. In fact, iconic moments such as Hollywood producer Jack Woltz finding his horse’s decapitated head in bed with him received exactly the kind of mixed horror and amusement that one would have expected to hear from an audience during the film’s original theatrical run thirty-eight years ago.

It is a testament to the timelessness of this film that the audience was still engaged and responsive by the time the last scene faded to black well after 1a.m. The sold-out screening reflected the public’s eagerness to support the QFT and Belfast’s local film community, with the film’s introductory speaker noting that the QFT was the only film theatre in the city to offer screenings of ‘The Artist’ – a film widely tipped to win Best Picture at this weekend’s Academy Awards – and other critically-acclaimed films which often elude mainstream attention.

Perhaps the most surprising aspect of the night was that it managed to be such a success, especially at the price of £10 per ticket for a film which many can watch on DVD in the comfort of their own homes. Attendee Danielle Lavery put things into perspective by explaining that while she knew the film “inside-out”, there was something unique about viewing the film on the big-screen, the way it was originally intended and the way that The Godfather first made its indelible cultural mark on audiences around the world.

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Eighteen of the 20 nominees in the acting categories were be among more than 150 Oscar nominees who gathered at noon on Monday, February 6, at the Beverly Hilton when the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences honored this year’s Oscar contenders at its annual Nominees Luncheon.

From the Best Actress and Actor categories all the nominees – Glenn Close, Viola Davis, Rooney Mara, Meryl Streep, Michelle Williams, Demián Bichir, George Clooney, Jean Dujardin, Gary Oldman and Brad Pitt – were expected to attend. Kenneth Branagh, Jonah Hill, Nick Nolte, Max von Sydow, Bérénice Bejo, Melissa McCarthy, Janet McTeer and Octavia Spencer were to represent the Supporting Actor and Actress categories.

Three of the five nominees in the Directing category – Michel Hazanavicius, Alexander Payne and Martin Scorsese – were also expected to attend. During the week leading up to the 84th Academy Awards ceremony, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will present five public events celebrating this year’s nominees.

Oscar Week events will feature screenings, film clips and discussions with filmmakers and artists whose work has garnered nominations in the Animated Feature Film, Documentary, Foreign Language Film, Makeup and Short Film categories. All events will take place at the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills.

Oscar Week schedule

Tuesday, February 21, 7:30 p.m.
Shorts! The 2011 Animated and Live Action Short Film Nominees
Hosted by director, writer and animator Brad Bird who is a two-time Oscar winner in the Animated Feature Film category, for ‘The Incredibles’ (2004) and ‘Ratatouille’ (2007).

Shorts! features screenings of all of the 2011 Oscar-nominated films in the Animated and Live Action Short Film categories, plus an onstage discussion with the filmmakers (schedules permitting).

Wednesday, February 22, 7:30 p.m.
Docs! The 2011 Documentary Short Subject and Documentary Feature Nominees
Hosted by Michael Moore, Documentary Branch governor and 2002 Oscar winner for ‘Bowling for Columbine.’ He was also nominated in 2007 for “Sicko.”

Docs! will include film clips from each of the nominated documentary features and short subjects, and panel discussions with the nominees (schedules permitting).

Thursday, February 23, 7:30 p.m.  
Animated Feature Symposium
Hosted by actor Patton Oswalt, who voiced Remy in ‘Ratatouille’ (2007) and co-starred in ‘Young Adult’ (2011).

The Animated Feature Symposium celebrates the nominated achievements in the Animated Feature Film category. The nominees (schedules permitting) will discuss their creative processes and the development of their films, and present clips illustrating their techniques.

Saturday, February 25, 10 a.m.
Foreign Language Film Award Nominees Symposium
Hosted by Mark Johnson, Oscar-winning producer (‘Rain Man,’ 1988) and Foreign Language Film Award Committee chair.

The Foreign Language Film Award Nominees Symposium brings together the directors of the motion pictures nominated in the Foreign Language Film category to discuss their work as well as related topics such as art, politics and the challenges of their profession (schedules permitting).

Saturday, February 25, 2:30 p.m.
Makeup Artists and Hairstylists Symposium
Hosted by Leonard Engelman, Makeup Artists and Hairstylists Branch governor.

Oscar Week’s culminating public event celebrates the nominated achievements in the Makeup category with film clips, photographs, models and onstage discussions with the nominees (schedules permitting).

You can get tickets online at www.oscars.org and by mail. Tickets to Shorts!, Docs! and the Animated Feature Symposium are $5 for the general public and $3 for Academy members and students with a valid ID. Tickets to the Saturday events – the Foreign Language Film Award Nominees Symposium and the Makeup Artists and Hairstylists Symposium – are free. Doors open one hour prior to the event. All seating is unreserved.

Image Courtesy of Featureflash / Shutterstock.com

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Oscar-winning actor George Clooney has a surprising relationship with the ill-fated RMS Titanic, as will be revealed in an upcoming documentary.

It has been said that Sarah Clooney, a distant relative from County Laois, was the person responsible for making the carpets which lined the ship, and that Clooney will learn more about her story when he makes a visit to Ireland later this in year. His familial link will be detailed in Gabriel Murray’s documentary “George Clooney’s Irish Roots — The Real Descendants”, a pun on his latest film release.

The Belfast Telegraph first reported on this story, explaining that:

Sarah Clooney worked in the carpet factory in Abbeyleix owned by Ivo de Vesci. She had originally come from Dunamaggin, Co Kilkenny but moved to Abbeyleix after her family were evicted from their land.

Sarah kept in contact with the famous actor’s aunt, Rosemary Clooney, and the pair shared correspondence over many years.

It is worth noting that several members of Clooney’s family have achieved notoriety in their own right. Aside from his aforementioned aunt who won both an Emmy and a Grammy award during her career, his father Nick Clooney has run for Congress while his cousin Miguel Ferrer has starred in such films as Robocop and Mulan.

As for Clooney’s Irish ancestors, the documentary, which is expected to finish production in the coming months, will provide further insight into those who have lived – and who still do – in Ireland. Alleged “parish records” have been discovered, in which full details of Clooney’s ancestry are noted, however, the exact extent of this information will not be revealed until Murray’s documentary airs later this year.

Incidentally, Clooney had told The Irish Examiner as recently as last October that he had plans of partaking in a bike tour across Ireland at some point in 2012, on the recommendation of U2 frontman Bono. Clooney said:

It’s finally happening … I ran into Bono here in Toronto, who was in town for the documentary about U2 and he’s as much of a bike nut as I am. He started telling me about lots of cool places I should check out, so I’ve committed to going there in April.

In the meantime, Clooney has plenty of professional business to keep him occupied as he attempts to win his second Oscar for Best Actor with the critically-acclaimed film The Descendants. Clooney has already won a Golden Globe and a Critic’s Choice Award this year for his role in the film as a man in the midst of his family’s collapse, and so it would seem fitting that he will dive right into his own personal family story once Hollywood’s 2012 awards season is at an end.

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The time for deliberation is almost over. The voting members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences have begun mailing out the nomination ballots for the 84th Academy Awards, scheduled to take place on Sunday February 26 and to be hosted by Billy Crystal.

The ballots themselves, which are to be completed by the 5,783 voting members of the Academy, must be returned by January 13 and will be announced on January 24, at which point firm-favourites and critics-choices will learn if their hopes of award-season glory have been warranted or wasted.

Some of those favorites include Meryl Streep and George Clooney, whose roles in “The Iron Lady“ and “The Descendants”, respectively, have already garnered them nominations from the Hollywood Foreign Press and the Screen Actors Guild (SAG).

Other actors expected to receive Academy Award nominations based on prior accolades this season include: Michelle Williams for “My Week With Marilyn”, Ryan Gosling for “The Ides of March” – for which, incidentally, Clooney has received a Golden Globe nomination in the directing field -, Leonardo DiCaprio for the biopic “J. Edgar”, and Viola Davis for Dreamworks’ adaptation of “The Help”.

Statistically, the Golden Globes and SAGs have been shown to be the primary indicators of who will achieve success at the Academy Awards. For example, the 2010-11 awards season saw David Fincher’s “The Social Network” compete against Tom Hooper’s “The King’s Speech” in many of the major categories, with Fincher’s film triumphing at the Golden Globes, Hooper’s film triumphing at the SAGs, and each film ultimately walking away with a handful of Academy Awards.

This ceremony is in fact the last in Hollywood’s award season, so if this year’s voting replicates last year’s, it may go down to the wire as to who will indeed succeed in the Academy’s Best Picture and Acting categories. Therefore, while there may be little in the way of surprises awaiting the Hollywood press on January 24 when the nominations are announced, there will be no doubt added anticipation over whether the voters will sway away from favoring the abundance of high-profile biopics making waves this season.

These are namely: “The Iron Lady”, a study of former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher; “My Week With Marilyn”, a week in the life of Marilyn Monroe; and “J. Edgar”, a study into the FBI director’s personal life and debated sexuality. Each film has already received multiple nominations from other major award bodies, but this may be a case where there are too many releases from the same genre which ultimately cancel each other out.

Aside from their acting nominations at the Golden Globes, none of the films managed to make the final cut into the Hollywood Foreign Press’ Best Motion Picture selection, so there may still be some spots up for grabs in the final Academy Award shortlist.

Whatever happens, it won’t be long until the public finds out.

Helga Esteb / Shutterstock.com

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