Directors Guild Lauds Iñárritu for Helming ‘Birdman,’ Women Directors Rule at DGA
Feb10

Directors Guild Lauds Iñárritu for Helming ‘Birdman,’ Women Directors Rule at DGA

Birdman soared again Saturday night when the Directors Guild of America awarded its director, Alejandro González Iñárritu with its top honor, the DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film. “I never expected to be here,” he said in his acceptance speech for the medallion, which was presented by director Michael Mann. Yet it was actually Iñárritu’s second DGA award, and he’d been previously nominated for Babel in...

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The Making of ‘American Sniper:’ Screenwriter Jason Hall’s Journey
Jan28

The Making of ‘American Sniper:’ Screenwriter Jason Hall’s Journey

Writing a screenplay based on an autobiography is challenging enough. But for Jason Hall, the real-life story of “American Sniper” took a tragic and irreversible turn immediately after he finished the script for the Clint Eastwood-directing film, starring Bradley Cooper and Sienna Miller. Navy SEAL Chris Kyle, whom Hall had been collaborating with in bringing his story to the screen, had just been murdered, ostensibly by a fellow Iraq...

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Secrets of the Spanx: Costume Designers Know it All
Feb23

Secrets of the Spanx: Costume Designers Know it All

It’s the one night of the year when costume designers in film and television get more glory than the actors who wear their creations in an event that has a rep for being loose and rollicking, the Costume Designers Guild Awards.   Actress Jane Lynch, outfitted in a stunning long red gown, ably hosted the 14th annual edition of the gala awards ceremony held Tuesday night at the Beverly Hilton’s International Ballroom, which...

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Leo is Oscar Bait as J. Edgar Hoover, As Is Clint
Nov13

Leo is Oscar Bait as J. Edgar Hoover, As Is Clint

When the Oscar nominations come out, it’s a sure bet that you’ll see “J. Edgar” racking up a slew of them, starting with Clint Eastwood as best director, Leonardo DiCaprio as lead actor, Armie Hammer as supporting actor and Dustin Lance Black as screenwriter for the sweeping biopic, in theaters now. It traces Hoover’s rise as a young investigator in his 20s through his increasingly powerful perch as head...

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Cannes Opener/Indy Kicks Ass/Dinner of Champions

Talk about bad PR.  As the festival got underway, the LAT ran a story of brazen crimes that have victimized film people doing business in the South of France. Yes, they dug up ten years worth of stuff, but there was a similarity and a cautionary tale. Thieves rifling through hotel rooms while the occupants were there, and the hotel staff didn’t seem to really care....

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