Baltimore21201.Com - The Blog

Weekend: We're Thinking We Need to Have a Jessica Tandy Movie Marathon

And, what does a Jessica Tandy movie fest require? That's right, these little puppies to elevate the fest to a feast.

Soon-to-be-fried green tomatoes from Charles Street's Fresh and Green

To get our effort started Jacob headed down to Fresh and Green Market and to our favorite produce lady, Heather Hudgins, for plump green tomatoes—to be fried. Heather is a grocery store gem. She can find the freshest watercress on a moments notice and if the mint (at Mint Julep time) looks a little tired and worn, Heather will go backstage and return with a bundle that looks dewy and smells freshly picked.

Miss Tandy finally wins an Oscar

With green tomatoes in hand, it's time to cut down our film list. Where to start? Think:

• The Story Lady (1994)
• Nobody s Fool (1994)
• Camilla (1994)
• To Dance With the White Dog (1993)
• Used People (1992)
• Fried Green Tomatoes (1991)
• Driving Miss Daisy (1989)
• Cocoon: the Return (1988)
• The House on Carroll Street (1988)
• Batteries Not Included (1987)
• The Thrill of Genius (1985)
• Cocoon (1985)
• The Gin Game (1984)
• The Bostonians (1984)
• The World According to Garp (1982)
• Best Friends (1982)
• Still of the Night (1982)
• Honky Tonk Freeway (1981)
• Butley (1974)
• The Birds (1963)
• Adventures of a Young Man (1962)
• The Light in the Forest (1958)
• The Desert Fox (1951)
• September Affair (1950)
• Forever Amber (1947)

   

The Birds, Fried Green Tomatoes, Driving Miss Daisy, and Batteries Not Included are on our list. While Jacob and I debate the fifth film or television episode to add to the list, I'll take a moment to share this:

Fried Green Tomatoes, the way we make them:

Ingredients
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, divided
• 1/2 cup cornmeal
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 3 medium-size green tomatoes, cut into 1/3-inch slices
• Vegetable oil
• Salt and Old Bay to taste

Preparation
Combine egg and buttermilk; set aside.
Combine 1/4 cup all-purpose flour, cornmeal, 1 teaspoon salt, and pepper in a shallow bowl or pan.
Dredge tomato slices in remaining 1/4 cup flour; dip in egg mixture, and dredge in cornmeal mixture.
Pour oil to a depth of 1/4 to 1/2 inch in a large cast-iron skillet; heat to 375°.
Drop tomatoes, in batches, into hot oil, and cook 2 minutes on each side or until golden.
Drain on paper towels or a rack.
Sprinkle hot tomatoes with salt and additional Old Bay.

Optional
Top with Crab Imperial or a simple poached egg.

Not optional
Have a great Memorial Day weekend. Remember those who fight for our freedom and remember those brave men and women that we have lost.

See It in Baltimore - Beautiful Women Dancing with Giant Bananas, and More

You see a lot of wonderful things on Charles Street. But, this is going to be really special. (Read on, you'll thank me, later.)

The Gang's All Here, 1943

This 20th Century-Fox, Technicolor extravaganza features Carmen Miranda, Alice Faye, and James Ellison in a story about a singer and a soldier. The Gang's All Here is a film that one reviewer noted was, "like a male hairdresser's acid trip."

I've seen this Busby Berkeley choreographed movie twice and it's actually a fun, tuneful, and totally garish trip. You'll enjoy it—if not love it—and, you'll never forget it. Did I mention that Benny Goodman and his Orchestra are on stage to provide some extraordinary big band scenes and serious music? 

The Gang's All Here, 1943

Details? I know you want details. Here you go:

BUSBY BERKELEY’S

THE GANG’S ALL HERE

FEATURING CARMEN MIRANDA in a RESTORED 35MM PRINT

Berkeley’s own special brand of kaleidoscopic fantasy, turned into psychedelic surrealism by the electric red and greens of 20th Century-Fox’s color processing. Those who consider Berkeley a master consider this his masterpiece. It is his maddest film: chorus girls dissolve into artichokes; there’s a banana xylophone; and Carmen Miranda appears in platform wedgies on an avenue of giant strawberries.
    -Pauline Kael

SHOW TIMES
SATURDAY, MAY 26 11:30 AM
MONDAY, MAY 28 7 PM
THURSDAY, MAY 31 9 PM.

1943 Dir. Busby Berkeley. Alice Faye, Carmen Miranda, Edward Everett Horton, Phil Baker, Benny Goodman. Technicolor. Newly restored print! 103 min.

INFINITELY DELIGHTFUL, EFFORTLESSLY INVENTIVE! IT IS SOMETHING TO BEHOLD!
    – Dave Kehr, The New York Times

UTTERLY DERANGED!
A kaleidoscope of garish costumes, eye-popping color, psychedelic musical numbers, and some I-can't-believe-the-censors-let-them-get-away-with-that choreography.
    – New York magazine

Time and again, you can’t believe what you’re witnessing: Berkeley’s camera swoops and soars at seemingly impossible trajectories through crowds of extras; Miranda models an expansive fruit headdress... But nothing can prepare you for the literally kaleidoscopic finale, which includes a gaggle of synchronized showgirls and contains eye-searing imagery that anticipates everything from The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T to Tron.
    – Keith Uhlich, Time Out New York

TICKETS
MATINEES $7.50
EVENINGS $9.50
SR. CIT. $8.50

The Gang's All Here, 1943

Here's my personal suggestion: Before you see this brilliant piece of joyous cinematography, have a cocktail or two. Leave all of your preconceived notions of major studio motion pictures at home and have a great time. Revel in the color, the movement, the music, the rhythm, and a little love story. Enjoy.

[A final piece of film trivia. This movie could not be shown in Carmen Miranda's home country of Portugal because of the suggestive nature of the banana dance, Alice Faye was pregnant during much of the filming and the U.S. censors mandated that the dancers must hold the end of the bananas at waist-level, not hip level.]

Check The Charles Theatre's venue for tickets.

Chaplin's 'A Woman of Paris' at the Charles

CHARLIE CHAPLIN’S
A WOMAN OF PARIS
REVIVAL SERIES

Directed by Charlie Chaplin, A Woman of Paris contains no slapstick comedy and Chaplin appears only briefly in a cameo. Noteworthy for the sophistication of its narrative, it was enthusiastically received by critics upon its release. Edna Purviance stars as a village girl who becomes the mistress of a rich and philandering Adolphe Menjou in a provocative precursor to Lubitsch.

SHOW TIMES
SATURDAY, MAY 12 11:30 AM;
MONDAY, MAY 14 7 PM;
THURSDAY, MAY 17 9 PM.

(1923 Charlie Chaplin) 35mm. 82 min. bw.

“The first elegantly stylish comedy of manners in the American cinema, reflecting Jazz Age interest in the rich and decadent...became a powerful influence on Ernst Lubitsch.”
—John Wakeman

”I was absolutely knocked by it....Suddenly, here was a grown-up film, with people behaving as they do in life, and scenes treated with an enormous sophistication.”
—Michael Powell

“A landmark in sophisticated sexual screen drama.”
—Elliot Stein

CHARLES THEATRE
1711 N. CHARLES STREET
BALTIMORE 20101

75 Years Ago Today, Baltimore's News-Post Reported: 'Hindenburg Explodes'

On many fronts, 1937 wasn't altogether a great year. The United States was still attempting to recover from the Great Depression, Amelia Earhart and her navigator Fred Noonan disappeared after taking off from New Guinea, Japan occupied Beijing, the Great Hong Kong Typhoon killed 11,000 people, Italy withdrew from the League of Nations. John D Rockefeller, George Gershwin, and Jean Harlow died. In April of 1937 German warplanes from the Luftwaffe's Condor Legion destroyed the Basque town of Guernica during what was reported as the first air bombardment of an undefended town in history; more than 1,600 civilians were killed.

And, the Baltimore News-Post ran this this headline in May:

 

 

 

 

 

 

1937, Baltimore News-Post Reported: Hindenburg Explodes

Earlier that year WLS, Chicago's powerhouse of a radio station, dispatched announcer Herb Morrison and his engineer, Charlie Nelhsen, to cover the Hindenburg landing in Lakehurst, New Jersey. Morrison's report was to be recorded on a large acetate disk for later broadcast. Recording news and actualities was, in 1937, against all the rules of network radio broadcasting. Morrison's recorded report lead to a change of those rules, which at the time only allowed recordings to be used for sound effects in radio dramas. Morrison's report was so human and so compelling that NBC played the recording on it's network and it became the prototype for news actualities in the post war years.

Morrison was a slender, diminutive man with dark hair, dimples, and a strong chin. On the air, he sounded older than his years. He was dapper, and by all accounts he was exceedingly handsome. Prior to his dispatch to Lakehurst, the majority of his radio work had been as an announcer for live musical programming. For the Hindenburg report from Lakehurst he wore a blue serge suit and a tailored top coat.

Announcer, Herb Morrison

Today most people see, or remember, a newsreel of the Hindenburg disaster with Morrison's account as the voice-over. However, that's a later construction of how the actual reports were filed, seen, and heard.

Even in 1937 newsreels were a low-budget affair. Black and white cameras with no ability to record sound were used. And Morrison and his one-man crew were recording a transcription to a disk with no ability to add visuals. Think of what you remember seeing as one of the earliest audio-visual mashups.

Here is an actual (and yes, silent) newsreel from the time with post production, editing, and a certain amount of 'film touch-up' as performed by the releasing studio.

 

And this, from the Smithsonian, is Herb Morrison's radio report added to actual newsreel film, without any film reconstruction. The difference in film quality is all-telling.

  

According to WLS radio: Listeners in Chicago and across the country didn't hear Morrison's coverage of the disaster until the next day because his report wasn't broadcast live from Lakehurst. He and engineer Charley Nehlsen had been experimenting with field recordings on huge acetate discs. They realized the gravity of their recordings as they found themselves being followed by German SS Officers! After hiding out for a few hours, the two managed to make a clean getaway and get back across the country to WLS. The chilling account aired the next day on the station and was the first recorded radio news report to be broadcast nationally by NBC.

I've been fascinated by lighter-than-air craft, zeppelins, and blimps for as long as I can remember. In Baltimore we all see quite a few small blimps soaring over the city—Dish Network, MetLife, and yes, the Conan craft. I wondered what a zeppelin the size of the Hindenburg would have looked like flying over Baltimore. I wondered if it might have looked this:

Hindenburg Over Baltimore, MD

The Hindenburg explosion killed 35 of the 97 people on board and one person on the ground. A cause of the disaster has been widely speculated about and has created more conspiracy theories than the Kennedy assination, yet the true cause of the Hindenburg's demise has never been discovered.

When TV Listings Go Wrong. Way Wrong.

I was looking around at the Comcast cable line-up this afternoon — I'm in a moody kind of mood and looking for something film noir-ish to watch — and I found the most perfectly mismatched graphic and description I've ever seen.

You will have to click the image below to see it and read it, but you should check it out!

                       Comcast Cable Line-up, April 29th 2012

The Night of the Hunter is, as Comcast says, "A terrifying tale of a psychotic preacher (Robert Mitchum) plotting to kill a widow and her children (Billy Chapin, Sally Jane Bruce) for money. Lillian Gish, James Gleason, Peter Graves. Davis Grubb's novel, superbly adapted by James Agee. Charles Laughton directed."

                          Billy Chapin in Night of the Hunter

Oddly the graphic, the avatar, for the movie is from the Food Network. And, it works — in a strange, cannibalistic sort of way.

How to Boil Water is the avatar title. The subtitle is Life Beyond Takeout.

I'm watching the movie right now and if see Billy Chapin in a really, really hot bathtub I'll let you know.

Oh say! Look, it's a recital with the title, 'Ce Moys de May'

The Peabody Renaissance Ensemble will present two concerts on Thursday and Friday, Apr. 26 and 27, at 7:30 pm, in Leith Symington Griswold Hall.

Directed by Mark Cudek, the group will perform a recital titled Ce Moys de May: Music for Mary, Queen of Scots, which includes music that she would have listened and danced to, verse from her favorite poets, favorite tunes from her youth, French courtly dance to honor Mary, and much more.

Soprano Julie Bosworth and countertenor Daniel Moody are featured soloists and were coached by Adam Pearl. Tickets for the concert are $15 for adults, $10 for seniors, and $5 for students with ID. To purchase tickets, call the Peabody Box Office at 410-234-4800.

Shot in Baltimore, 'Game Change' Scores

Jay Roach film Game Change Gets HBO’s largest original movie ratings in eight years.

Via Deadline, written by Nellie Andreeva:

After a massive promotional campaign and a dash of controversy, HBO’s Game Change premiered with an average of 2.1 million viewers at 9 PM on Saturday to become the network’s most watched original film in almost 8 years, since the 2004 Something The Lord Made (2.6 million).

                      HBO - Game Change, production still

The movie about John McCain’s 2008 presidential campaign and the meteoric rise of Sarah Palin from a little known Alaska Governor to super-star Republican running mate, doubled the premiere audience of the previous HBO movie from the same writer (Danny Strong) and director (Jay Roach), Recount, which chronicled events surrounding the 2000 presidential elections.

It also outperformed the opening nights of recent HBO miniseries Mildred Pierce (1.3 million), Generation Kill (1 million) and John Adams (1.8 million). For the weekend, Game Change averaged 3.6 million viewers over multiple plays. The movie has been met with criticism by Palin and aids for the McCain-Palin ticket, with the former Alaska governor calling it “Hollywood lies".

It's a Big Package, an Important Package! I Voted YES. Join Me.

             Stephen Brockelman, proud SAG member since 1971

An urgent note to all of my fellow SAG and AFTRA members in Baltimore and Washington, DC:

By now you should have received a hefty, Tiffany blue envelope. If you haven't received it, please call your union local at (301) 657-2560 or (800) 724-0767.

                                SAG - AFTRA Merger Package

The package contains:

• an introductory letter, 10 pages
• a FAQ and Contact document, 8 pages
• a P&H, H&R, Feasibility Report, 32 pages
• the SAG-AFTRA Constitution, Dues Structure, Merger Agreement document, 86 pages
• the Ballot
• the Secret Ballot envelope (with QR codes)
• the return mail envelope (with bar code and QR codes)

                            SAG - AFTRA merger package

It's a formidable package. And, as a SAG or AFTRA member, it is the most important group of documents that you've ever received from your union. The ballot enclosed in your package is—without a doubt—the most important ballot you'll ever receive from your union. After you review the material, I urge you to vote YES for MERGER.

And, when you vote YES, you'll be in good company.

The Amercian Federation of Musicians supports the merger. The entertainment trade magazine, Variety, reports:

The American Federation of Musicians has endorsed the proposed merger between the Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television & Radio Artists, joining Actors' Equity in blessing the union.The exec board of the AFM said it is in "full support" of the merger pact. "When ratified by the group's memberships, the uniting of the two groups will result in a more powerful and united face to represent workers in both film and broadcasting," the AFM said.

Ballots went out this week to 120,000 SAG members and 70,000 AFTRA members, who include actors, broadcasters, DJs, singers and dancers, with a tabulation date of March 30. To be approved, the merger must receive at least 60% of the votes from each union.

"The proposed merger is a historic step and is a symbol of unity for the entertainment sector and for the entire labor movement," said AFM president Ray Hair. "For decades, AFTRA and SAG have stood prominently and proudly for dignity and justice in the entertainment industry workplace. The joining of these two great unions will focus union power toward a better future for the media business, not only here in the United States but throughout the world."

And our brothers and sisters who work on the Great White Way support the SAG-AFTRA merger. The Hollywood Reporter's Jonathan Handel wrote:

The national Council of Actors Equity voted unanimously Tuesday night to endorse the planned merger of SAG and AFTRA. The vote by the nearly century-old union, which represents performers in live stage productions, adds fuel to the movement toward a combined SAG-AFTRA.

The Equity motion was a single sentence: “AEA strongly supports SAG and AFTRA in their proposal to merge their Unions.”

In response, SAG president Ken Howard thanked Equity president Nick Wyman and the Council, and said, “We're honored by their action today and by the support of  Equity members, who are very often members of SAG and AFTRA as well.”

He added, “There¹s a real spirit of unity in our ranks, and it can only serve to make us all stronger.”

Before you vote YES, please read this document so that you may vote YES with confidence:

MYTHS ABOUT THE IMPACT OF the SAG - AFTRA MERGER

MYTH #1:
Merger will jeopardize my pension.
MERGER FACT:  Your accrued pension benefits are protected by federal law. Benefits can only be reduced under certain conditions relating to plans in financial distress. Neither the AFTRA Plan nor the SAG plan is in that situation – both plans are in the “green zone.” As explained in the Feasibility Report, a merger of the plans would make it less likely that that your pension plan reaches the level of financial distress that places your accrued benefits in jeopardy: Multi-employer plan mergers do not pose any increase in the risk of loss of benefits to plan participants according to the government agency in charge of mergers. Indeed, the law requires that if pension plans are merged, the plans’ trustees have a legal obligation to ensure that no participant’s accrued benefits will be less after the merger than it was before.

Click: Here's your direct link to the other 39 Merger Myths .

Vote YES.

And finally, my personal thanks to SAG, AFTRA, the labor attorneys, and the AFL-CIO consultants for creating one of the finest collective bargaining agreements ever written. 

When Actors Win an Oscar They Head Here

You've seen the photos and videos of Academy Award winners in the Press Room for the Oscars.

                                      Photo courtesy AMPAS

Have you ever seen the press room itself?

                  Press Room for the 2012 Academy Awards

And here is a link to the room in all of its 360-degree glory. 

84th Academy Awards - Printable Ballot

                                      Courtesy Oscars.Org

On ABC TV, it's Oscar Sunday. Here's the drill from the Academy:

PROGRAMMING HIGHLIGHTS FOR ABC’S OSCAR SUNDAY (in order of airtime):

“GOOD MORNING AMERICA” kicks off Oscar Sunday with live reports from ABC News correspondent Chris Connelly on the red carpet outside the Hollywood & Highland Center®.  *Check local listings. 

“ON THE RED CARPET,” hosted by Rachel Smith and Chris Balish, takes you behind-the-scenes of the biggest night in Hollywood, and features a special report from KABC Entertainment reporter George Pennacchio from Chicago, where the Oscar statuettes are created.  *Syndicated in select markets. Check local listings. 

“ON THE RED CARPET AT THE OSCARS” features Rachel Smith and George Pennacchio LIVE on the red carpet welcoming this year’s Academy Award nominees to the Hollywood & Highland Center®.  Cameron Mathison asks the stars your Facebook and Twitter questions and reporters Tina Malave and Lawrence Zarian use the power of Trendrr to track what is red hot, right now.  Fashion expert Roshumba Williams joins Michelle Tuzee on the fashion skyway above the red carpet to critique the red carpet couture.  *Syndicated in select markets. 1:30 p.m., PT /4:30 p.m., ET

”OSCARS RED CARPET LIVE” Hosts Robin Roberts, Tim Gunn, Louise Roe, Jess Cagle and Nina Garcia will give viewers unparalleled coverage of Hollywood's most glamorous and prestigious red carpet and unrivaled backstage access on “Oscar's Red Carpet Live,” presented at the Hollywood & Highland Center® and televised live by ABC. 4:00 p.m., PT/7:00 p.m., ET 

“THE 84th ACADEMY AWARDS®” – Billy Crystal returns for his ninth time as host of “The 84th Academy Awards,” celebrating the outstanding film achievements of 2011 televised live by the ABC Television Network and in more than 225 countries worldwide. Tom Hanks, Angelina Jolie, Halle Berry, Tom Cruise, Jennifer Lopez, Cameron Diaz, Penelope Cruz, Emma Stone and the cast of “Bridesmaids” are among the presenters. The 84th Academy Awards telecast producers are Brian Grazer and Don Mischer. 5:30 p.m., PT/ 8:30 p.m., ET.

After all the awards are handed out,  “ON THE RED CARPET AT THE OSCARS” returns with the “On The Red Carpet” Party Patrol featuring coverage from all the night’s hottest events, including the Governor’s Ball.  Fashion Expert Roshumba Williams is joined by “Project Runway” all-star Mondo Guerra to pick the biggest red carpet hits and misses. *Syndicated in select markets. 8:30 p.m. PT/11:30 p.m., ET.

“JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE: AFTER THE ACADEMY AWARDS” For the seventh consecutive year, ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live: After the Academy Awards”® will be televised LIVE from the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood on ABC immediately following “The 84th annual Academy Awards” hosted by Billy Crystal and the late local news. Oscar night has proven to be Kimmel’s destination for debuting the show’s signature comedy pieces such as “I’m F**king Ben Affleck,” “Handsome Men’s Club,” “Hottie Body Hump Club” and Tom Hanks’ “Toddlers and Tiaras.” This year Meryl Streep, George Clooney, Tom Hanks, Martin Scorsese, Helen Mirren, Charlize Theron, Don Cheadle, John Krasinski, Emily Blunt, Samuel L. Jackson, Cameron Diaz, Taylor Lautner, Nolan Gould, Gary Oldman, Antonio Banderas, Edward Norton, Tyler Perry, Colin Ferrell, John Goodman, Jeff Goldblum, Jessica Alba, J.J. Abrams, Jason Bateman, Christoph Waltz, Jessica Biel, Gabourey Sidibe, Josh Brolin, Kevin James, Oprah Winfrey, and many more will participate in Kimmel’s next installment.  

Eight-time Academy Awards host Billy Crystal will join Kimmel to kick off his post-Oscar show, and Grammy®-winning Coldplay will end the night with a Hollywood block party performance on “JKL’s” outdoor stage before thousands who will be in attendance to honor movies’ biggest night. In years past, Kimmel has hosted such esteemed guests as Tom Cruise, Ben Affleck and Robert Downey Jr., as well as previous Academy Awards hosts Jon Stewart and Ellen DeGeneres.

GO BACKSTAGE AND PLAY ALONG WITH OSCAR.COM AND THE OSCARS APP: On Oscar Sunday, the Emmy award-winning Oscar Digital Experience kicks into full gear with an unmatched level of interactivity at Oscar.com,  http://oscar.go.com/, and on the Oscars App (available for iPad, iPod touch and iPhone).  With more than 20 live cameras strategically placed everywhere from the red carpet to backstage and to the Governors Ball, the Oscar Digital Experience provides unique access before, during and after the show.  For those who want to test their Oscar predication skills, Oscar.com’s “My Picks,” is an interactive ballot allowing fans to track their choices and compete with their friends on Facebook

The celebration continues the following morning with “Good Morning America” live from the El Capitan Theatre and “LIVE! with Kelly’s After Oscar Show” broadcasting live from the home of the Academy Awards, the Hollywood & Highland Center®. Oscar.com introduces "Celebrate the Journey" on Monday. These videos highlight the paths of ten nominees from nominations to the Governor's Ball.

                            Your ballot for the 2012 Oscars

The Oscars air in Baltimore on

WMAR TV - ABC, Comcast 210 HD
Red Carpet Live, 7 PM
84th Oscar Telecast, 8 PM 

UPDATE - Here's how I voted:'

Live Like Holly Golightly - Iconic "Breakfast at Tiffany's" Townhouse For Sale

                                169 E 71st Street, NYC

According to The New York Times, "As [Breakfast at Tiffany's] celebrates its 50th anniversary, the familiar town house at 169 East 71st Street where Holly Golightly lived and hosted her wild cocktail parties has gone on the market for $5.85 million.

"The four-story house, which is in a landmark district, figured prominently in the 1961 film. It was here that Holly Golightly, as played by Audrey Hepburn, lived alongside Paul Varjak, the aspiring writer played by George Peppard."

Yearly taxes are $29,845 on the 3,200 sq ft property which is on the small side for New York townhouses. The building on 72st Street, off Lexington, is currently configured as two duplex apartments and will be delivered vacant to the new owner.

If you have another million or two for renovations and reconfiguration, it would make an outstanding single family residence with ground space to create a wonderful garden.

                       Paul Varjak, "I never could do that."

Robert Browne at Corcoran has the listing. By the way, did you know that the kitty that played Cat in the movie was an actor kitty that, in real life, was named Putney?

Coming to Baltimore's Charles Theatre. Ceausescu.

  THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF NICOLAE CEAUȘESCU

BALTIMORE PREMIERE
REVIVAL SERIES

“Who knew that three hours of coarsely edited Romanian state propaganda culled from the ruinous Ceaucescu era between 1965 and 1989 could be so transfixing, illuminating and haunting? Andrei Ujicâ’s extraordinary film eschews context and narration in a wry attempt to fashion a historical chronicle in the same dubiously subjective spirit that the footage was initially conceived.” — Time Out London (5 Stars out of 5)

SHOWTIMES:
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 18 10:30 AM;
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 20 7 PM;
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23 9 PM.

THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF NICOLAE CEAUSESCU (2010 Andrei Ujica) 1.85:1, Color and bw. 180m.

“Autobiography defies categorization and functions closest to a Vertovian “film-object” wherein fragments of reality are edited together from an inventory of images in order to illustrate a higher truth. But what constitutes reality when its images have been stage-managed into baroque pageantry or quasi-Hollywood musicals by a delusional dictator?

"Four years in the making and culled from one thousand hours of archival footage—both state sanctioned and private—this spellbinding adventure unfolds as if from the nostalgic, solipsistic memory of Ceausescu himself.”  — Andréa Picard, Toronto International Film Festival

The Charles Theater
410-727-FILM
1711 N Charles St
Baltimore`, MD 21201

'Bourne Legacy' - Official Trailer Released

 

'The Bourne Legacy'

Directed by Tony Gilroy
Produced by Frank Marshall, Patrick Crowley
Screenplay by Tony Gilroy, Dan Gilroy
Starring
Jeremy Renner
Rachel Weisz
Edward Norton
Joan Allen
Albert Finney
Scott Glenn
Stacy Keach
Oscar Isaac
Cinematography Robert Elswit
Studio The Kennedy/Marshall Company
Distributed by Universal Pictures

In theatres August, 2012

Baltimore Gets a Year of Charlie Chaplin

                Charlie Chaplin, photo via Creative Commons

The Charles Theatre in Baltimore is presenting a treasure-trove of Chaplin's films with new 35mm prints.

CHARLIE CHAPLIN SERIES A year-long retrospective of Charlie Chaplin’s films begins this Saturday as part of the Charles Theatre’s Revival Series. Janus Films has produced seventeen new 35mm prints spanning the years 1918-1958. The Revival Series will show one Chaplin program each month through January 2013. Each film will be presented with a musical soundtrack. Kids Welcome.  FIRST PROGRAM: FEBRUARY 11, 13, 16 A DOG’S LIFE (1918) Thanks to a dog he finds, Charlie ends up in possession of some stolen loot. But the wrongdoers want their ill-gotten gains back. 33m. SHOULDER ARMS (1918) Enlisted during the First World War, Charlie discovers the hard life of the trenches and the dangers of combat. 37m.  SUNNYSIDE (1919) Charlie is a farm laborer who’ll try anything to win over his pretty neighbor, but ends up spending a lot of time in dreamland. 30m.•  SHOWTIMES: SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 11 NOON; MONDAY, FEBRUARY 13  7PM; THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16  9PM. UPCOMING: MARCH 10, 12, 15     A DAY’S PLEASURE,     THE KID APRIL     THE IDLE CLASS,     PAYDAY,     THE PILGRIM MAY     A WOMAN OF PARIS                                  A Woman of Paris JUNE     THE CIRCUS JULY     CITY LIGHTS AUGUST     MODERN TIMES SEPTEMBER     THE GREAT DICTATOR OCTOBER     THE GOLD RUSH NOVEMBER     MONSIEUR VERDOUX DECEMBER     LIMELIGHT JANUARY 2013     A KING IN NEW YORK •Synosis WB and MK2

I Asked for Carol Channing; I'm Getting Carol Channing. On Sunday!

On January 8th I wrote with gusto about the new Carol Channing documentary, Larger Than Life.

In that post I wrote, "This documentary seems like a wonderful fit for Baltimore's Charles Theatre (I'm thinking of John Waters as a speaker). Let's hope Baltimore books this gem."
                  Carol Channing Larger Than Life - Poster

Well, ask and you shall receive. Carol Channing, Larger Than Life is coming to our very own Charles Theatre on Sunday, February 5th.

Here are the details from Jonathan Palevsky:

Sunday February 5, 2012

Cinema Sundays At The Charles is pleased to present the Baltimore Premier of Carol Channing: Larger Than Life.  Directed by Dori Berinstein.  Written by Dori Berinstein and Adam Zucker.  Starring Carol Channing, Loni Anderson, Marge Champion, Harry Kullijian, Mary Jo Catlett, Tyne Daly.

2012 USA.  Running time 83 minutes. 

Synopsis

The story of legendary performer Carol Channing's life is as colorful as the lipstick on her big, bright smile. In Carol Channing: Larger Than Life, director Dori Berinstein, with co-writer Adam Zucker, captures the magic and vivacity of the 90-year-old icon - both onstage and off...past and present. The film is both an intimate love story and a rarefied journey inside Broadway's most glamorous era. It is, above all, a look at an inspiring, incomparable and always entertaining American legend.

Click on the following for official site.

http://www.carolchanningmovie.com/
 
OK, Superbowl Sunday didn’t quite go the way we wanted but at least we can laugh at something on Sunday.  Come and celebrate the career of one of America’s show business icons.

So far our speaker is TBA…I am having a pretty tough time finding someone on Superbowl Sunday!  All suggestions welcome!

Looking forward to seeing you on 2/5. 
All the best,
Jonathan Palevsky
Jpalevsky@aol.com

Doors open @ 9:45 am. Bagels and coffee until 10:30...
Presentation begins @ 10:30 and ends @ 1:00! 
For more Cinema Sundays information you can go
to WWW.TheCharles.com and click on the Cinema Sundays link.
                     
Tickets: $15 at the door.
Or buy a mini-membership.
1711 N. Charles St.
410-727-3464
info: karenskicsc@comcast.net

More videos and background in my original post. (Watch Carol Channing singing Jazz Baby. It's gold!)

HBO's Movie: 'Game Change' - Watch the Full Trailer, the First Full Promo Here

 
          Game Change, the HBO movie, the trailer

This new HBO film follows John McCain's 2008 presidential campaign, from his selection of Alaska Governor Sarah Palin as his running mate, to their ultimate defeat in the general election. "Game Change" premieres on March 10th.

Lots of Baltimore folks might be on-screen. Could be fun. Watch.

Actors in Baltimore and Washington DC: A Joint Message from SAG and AFTRA

                               Looks like it's going to happen

Here's the joint email message to SAG-AFTRA members from our unions:

Dear Member,

This weekend, the SAG and AFTRA National Boards took a decisive step to strengthen our future by overwhelmingly endorsing a plan to merge Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists.

If members approve the merger, the new union will be called SAG-AFTRA.The vote of the unions’ National Boards came after more than a year of focused effort to hear from members about their needs for stronger union representation and to develop a merger plan to meet those needs.

With the enthusiastic approval of our boards, the decision now rests in the hands of AFTrA and SAG members.

Merger referendum ballots are scheduled to be mailed on or about February 27th – but all members of both unions will have access to the complete merger documents within the next couple of days on the SAG and AFTRA websites.

Full printed merger documents will also be mailed to each voter with the referendum ballot, which will be due for return on March 30th. This will give each member ample time to make a thoughtful and well-informed decision. We’re also excited to announce that on Friday, February 3rd, we will launch a new joint website to provide members all the information they’ll want to consider before casting their votes. The website will include complete merger details, FAQs, and a comprehensive calendar of events to alert members nationwide to informational meetings and other opportunities for learning about the plan.

Watch your email later this week for details of the website launch.

After more than a year of intensive work, we are extremely proud to bring you this historic opportunity. We also want to acknowledge the ceaseless dedication of the AFTRA and SAG members and staff who came together as the Group for One Union (G1) to produce this remarkable plan. We look forward to sharing all the details and answering any questions you may have. Finally, we are confident that SAG and AFTRA members will embrace this singular chance to harness the true power of unity, and that SAG-AFTRA will protect members and shape the entertainment and media industries for decades to come.

In unity,

Ken Howard
SAG National President

Roberta Reardon
AFTRA National President

------------------

And, in the event that you've been a cave for the past day, here are the SAG AWARD WINNERS with the press release from our guild:

LOS ANGELES (Jan. 29, 2012) - Screen Actors Guild presented its coveted Actor® statuette for the outstanding motion picture and primetime television performances of 2011 at the “18th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards®” in ceremonies attended by film and television’s leading actors, held Sunday, Jan. 29, at the Los Angeles Shrine Exposition Center. The “18th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards®” was simulcast live coast-to-coast by TNT and TBS at 8 p.m. (ET) / 5 p.m. (PT). An encore presentation was telecast on TNT at 10 p.m. (ET) / 7 p.m. (PT).

Honored with individual awards were Viola Davis, Jean Dujardin, Christopher Plummer and Octavia Spencer for performances in motion pictures and Alec Baldwin, Steve Buscemi, Paul Giamatti, Jessica Lange, Betty White, and Kate Winslet for performances in television. Screen Actors Guild originated awards for the outstanding performances by a motion picture cast and by television drama and comedy ensembles. The Actor® for a motion picture cast performance went this year to “The Help”, while the Actors® for television drama and comedy ensemble performances went this year to “Boardwalk Empire” and “Modern Family.” Screen Actors Guild’s honors for outstanding performances by a stunt ensemble in film and television were awarded to “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2” and “Game of Thrones.” Nearly 100,000 active members of Screen Actors Guild nationwide were eligible to vote for the recipients.

Dick Van Dyke presented Mary Tyler Moore with Screen Actors Guild’s highest honor, the 48th Annual Life Achievement Award, following a filmed tribute. Jessica Chastain introduced a film salute to SAG's regional branches, spotlighting memorable moments created by actors who live and work across the nation. Meryl Streep introduced a filmed “In Memoriam” tribute to the actors we have lost in the past year.

PEOPLE magazine and the Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF) hosted the Screen Actors Guild Post-Awards Gala for the 16th year. This exclusive event, immediately following the SAG Awards on the back lot of the Shrine Exposition Center, honors the philanthropic causes and good works of the members of the Screen Actors Guild. The gala benefits the SAG Foundation.

The 18th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards is produced by Jeff Margolis Productions in association with Screen Actors Guild Awards®, LLC. For more information about the SAG Awards, SAG, TNT and TBS, visit sagawards.org/about, “like” SAG Awards at facebook.com/sagawardsofficialpage and follow SAG Awards attwitter.com/sagawards.

The complete list of recipients of the 18th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards® follows.

18th ANNUAL SCREEN ACTORS GUILD AWARDS® RECIPIENTS 

THEATRICAL MOTION PICTURES

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role
JEAN DUJARDIN / George - "THE ARTIST" (The Weinstein Company)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role
VIOLA DAVIS / Aibileen Clark - “THE HELP” (DreamWorks Pictures / Touchstone Pictures)

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role
CHRISTOPHER PLUMMER / Hal - “BEGINNERS” (Focus Features)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role
OCTAVIA SPENCER / Minny Jackson - “THE HELP” (DreamWorks Pictures / Touchstone Pictures)

Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
THE HELP (DreamWorks Pictures / Touchstone Pictures)
JESSICA CHASTAIN / Celia Foote
VIOLA DAVIS / Aibileen Clark
BRYCE DALLAS HOWARD / Hilly Holbrook
ALLISON JANNEY / Charlotte Phelan
CHRIS LOWELL / Stuart Whitworth
AHNA O’REILLY / Elizabeth Leefolt
SISSY SPACEK / Missus Walters
OCTAVIA SPENCER / Minny Jackson
MARY STEENBURGEN / Elaine Stein
EMMA STONE / Skeeter Phelan
CICELY TYSON / Constantine Jefferson
MIKE VOGEL / Johnny Foote

PRIMETIME TELEVISION

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries
PAUL GIAMATTI / Ben Bernanke - “TOO BIG TO FAIL” (HBO)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries
KATE WINSLET / Mildred Pierce - “MILDRED PIERCE” (HBO)

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series
STEVE BUSCEMI / Enoch “Nucky” Thompson - “BOARDWALK EMPIRE” (HBO)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series
JESSICA LANGE / Constance - “AMERICAN HORROR STORY” (FX)

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
BETTY WHITE / Elka Ostrovsky - “HOT IN CLEVELAND” (TV Land)

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series
BOARDWALK EMPIRE (HBO)
STEVE BUSCEMI / Enoch “Nucky” Thompson
DOMINIC CHIANESE / Leander Cephas Whitlock
ROBERT CLOHESSY / Ward Boss Jim Neary
DABNEY COLEMAN / Commodore Louis Kaestner
CHARLIE COX / Owen Sleater
JOSIE & LUCY GALLINA / Emily Schroeder
STEPHEN GRAHAM / Al Capone
JACK HUSTON / Richard Harrow
ANTHONY LACIURA / Eddie Kessler
HEATHER LIND / Katy
KELLY MACDONALD / Margaret Schroeder
RORY & DECLAN McTIGUE / Teddy Schroeder
GRETCHEN MOL / Gillian Darmody
BRADY & CONNOR NOON/ Tommy Darmody
KEVIN O’ROURKE / Mayor Edward Bader 
ALEKSA PALLADINO / Angela Darmody
JACQUELINE PENNEWILL / Lilian
VINCENT PIAZZA / Lucky Luciano
MICHAEL PITT / Jimmy Darmody
MICHAEL SHANNON / Agent Nelson Van Alden
PAUL SPARKS / Mickey Doyle
MICHAEL STUHLBARG / Arnold Rothstein
PETER VAN WAGNER / Isaac “Icky” Ginsburg
SHEA WHIGHAM / Sheriff Elias Thompson
MICHAEL KENNETH WILLIAMS / Chalky White
ANATOL YUSEF / Meyer Lansky

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series
MODERN FAMILY (ABC)
AUBREY ANDERSON-EMMONS / Lily
JULIE BOWEN / Claire
TY BURRELL / Phil
JESSE TYLER FERGUSON / Mitchell
NOLAN GOULD / Luke
SARAH HYLAND / Haley
ED O’NEILL / Jay
RICO RODRIGUEZ / Manny
ERIC STONESTREET / Cameron
SOFIA VERGARA / Gloria
ARIEL WINTER / Alex

SAG HONORS FOR STUNT ENSEMBLES

Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture
HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS: PART 2 (WARNER BROS. PICTURES)

Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Television Series
GAME OF THRONES (HBO)

LIFE ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

Screen Actors Guild Awards 48th Annual Life Achievement Award
MARY TYLER MOORE

------------------

Additional merger news will be forthcoming.

Baltimore-Washington Members: An Update on the SAG - AFTRA Merger

LOS ANGELES (Jan. 28, 2012) – The National Board of Directors of the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, AFL-CIO – a national union of more than 70,000 actors, broadcasters, singers, dancers, recording artist and other performers who work across the spectrum of media industries including television, radio, cable, sound recordings and digital media – today voted overwhelmingly to approve and recommend to the AFTRA membership a plan to merge with Screen Actors Guild.

The National Board met in a regularly scheduled meeting via videoconference in New York and Los Angeles to vote on the merger package put forward by the AFTRA and SAG Group for One Union (G1), which includes a Merger Agreement, Constitution and Dues Structure.

The vote was 94%-6% in favor.

The AFTRA National Board’s resolution will provide for the referendum material to be mailed to AFTRA members on or about Feb. 27, 2012, with a ballot return and tabulation deadline of March 30, 2012.

This time frame was created  to avoid interfering with the ratification period for AFTRA members to vote on the tentative agreement for the AFTRA Network Television Code (“Front of the Book”) – the union’s largest contract that covers programming in all television day parts (except for scripted primetime programs on the major networks and the CW, which are covered under the AFTRA Exhibit A contract) and programming produced for digital media.

The AFTRA National Board unanimously voted to recommend the terms of the 2011-2014 Network Television Code agreement to AFTRA members for ratification. Ballots on the Network Television Code will go out on Monday, Jan. 30 with a return date of Feb. 22.

The Merger package outlines the merger plan, dues and finance structure, membership requirements and other basic attributes of the successor union, including the proposed name for the new union, which is SAG-AFTRA.

“I applaud the AFTRA National Board for their overwhelming approval of this historic merger package. The partnership we formed on the G1 was one of collegiality and consensus that went into laying the foundation for a new union. This plan embodies the thoughtful work and valuable perspectives from large and small markets across the nation of many working actors, broadcast professionals, recording artists and other performers who all worked together in solidarity through the G1,” said AFTRA National President Roberta Reardon. “I thank the G1 for their good work, and the National Boards for their approval and we will now present this plan to the members of AFTRA and SAG for their review and approval.

“We now have the opportunity to finally stand united through one union to secure more union work and better benefits for our members, and for the generations of entertainment and media professionals who follow us," she added.

On Friday, the SAG National Board of Directors overwhelmingly approved the same merger package with a vote of 87.1% - 12.9%. With AFTRA’s vote, a referendum will be sent out for a vote by members of both unions.

In voting for the package, AFTRA National Board members passed a resolution that read, in part:

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the National Board, in accordance with its authority under AFTRA’s Constitution, approves the merger documents and the merger of AFTRA and SAG into SAG-AFTRA, a unified, powerful union committed to organizing all work in our jurisdictions, negotiating the best wages, working conditions and health and pension benefits, preserving and expanding our members’ work opportunities, vigorously enforcing our contracts and protecting our members against the unauthorized use of their work; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that Article XX of AFTRA’s Constitution is interpreted so as not to apply to a transaction, such as this merger, in which all of AFTRA’s rights, liabilities, contracts and collective bargaining agreements will be assumed, without impairment or interruption, by a successor union; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that AFTRA’s staff is directed to commence a vigorous campaign to educate our members about the benefits this merger in order to secure a resounding “yes” vote in the upcoming membership referendum; and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED that the National Board expresses its deepest gratitude to and commends the members of AFTRA’s New Union Committee and AFTRA’s staff for their herculean efforts and extraordinary work in completing the merger documents and concluding the merger negotiations.

The G1 began meeting in June of 2011 and held a total of five rounds of meetings to create the successor union merger package. The meetings followed an historic Listening Tour conducted by AFTRA National President Roberta Reardon and SAG National President Ken Howard. The G1 voted to approve the merger package on Jan. 16.

The Network Television Code contract generates more than $250 million a year in member earnings and covers a variety of media and entertainment professionals, including sportscasters, broadcasters, actors, singers and talk show hosts. Current programs covered by this contract include: “Good Morning America,” “The View,” “The Voice,” The Young and the Restless,” “Saturday Night Live,” “Nightline,” “Dancing with the Stars,” and “Late Night with David Letterman.”

About AFTRA

The American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, AFL-CIO, are the people who entertain and inform America. In 32 Locals across the country, AFTRA members work as actors, broadcasters, singers, dancers, announcers, hosts, comedians, disc jockeys and other performers across the media industries including television, radio, cable, sound recordings, music videos, commercials, audio books, non-broadcast industrials, interactive games, the Internet and other digital media. The 70,000 professional performers, broadcasters and recording artists of AFTRA are working together to protect and improve their jobs, lives and communities in the 21st century. From new art forms to new technology, AFTRA members embrace change in their work and craft to enhance American culture and society. Visit AFTRA online at www.aftra.com.

Statement from SAG National President Ken Howard:

LOS ANGELES (January 28, 2012) — Screen Actors Guild National President Ken Howard released the following statement regarding the AFTRA National Board vote on the proposed merger with Screen Actors Guild:

“This is a terrific outcome and I offer my sincere thanks and congratulations to AFTRA’s National Board and National President Roberta Reardon. Professional performers are now an important step closer to the strongest union representation possible. Just as our boards have, I believe our members will decisively approve this merger and that SAG-AFTRA will be a leader in shaping the entertainment and media industries.”

84th Academy Awards, And the Nominees Are... (with Academy Video)

 

2012 - The 84th Annual Acadamey Awards, Official Nominations List

Actor in a Leading Role

• Demián Bichir in "A Better Life"
• George Clooney in "The Descendants"
• Jean Dujardin in "The Artist"
• Gary Oldman in "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy"
• Brad Pitt in "Moneyball"

Actor in a Supporting Role

• Kenneth Branagh in "My Week with Marilyn"
• Jonah Hill in "Moneyball"
• Nick Nolte in "Warrior"
• Christopher Plummer in "Beginners"
• Max von Sydow in "Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close"

Actress in a Leading Role

• Glenn Close in "Albert Nobbs"
• Viola Davis in "The Help"
• Rooney Mara in "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo"
• Meryl Streep in "The Iron Lady"
• Michelle Williams in "My Week with Marilyn"

Actress in a Supporting Role

• Bérénice Bejo in "The Artist"
• Jessica Chastain in "The Help"
• Melissa McCarthy in "Bridesmaids"
• Janet McTeer in "Albert Nobbs"
• Octavia Spencer in "The Help"

Animated Feature Film

• "A Cat in Paris" Alain Gagnol and Jean-Loup Felicioli
• "Chico & Rita" Fernando Trueba and Javier Mariscal
• "Kung Fu Panda 2" Jennifer Yuh Nelson
• "Puss in Boots" Chris Miller
• "Rango" Gore Verbinski

Art Direction

• "The Artist" 
  Production Design: Laurence Bennett; Set Decoration: Robert Gould
• "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2" 
  Production Design: Stuart Craig; Set Decoration: Stephenie McMillan
• "Hugo" 
  Production Design: Dante Ferretti; Set Decoration: Francesca Lo Schiavo
• "Midnight in Paris" 
  Production Design: Anne Seibel; Set Decoration: Hélène Dubreuil
• "War Horse" 
  Production Design: Rick Carter; Set Decoration: Lee Sandales

Cinematography

• "The Artist" Guillaume Schiffman
• "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" Jeff Cronenweth
• "Hugo" Robert Richardson
• "The Tree of Life" Emmanuel Lubezki
• "War Horse" Janusz Kaminski

Costume Design

• "Anonymous" Lisy Christl
• "The Artist" Mark Bridges
• "Hugo" Sandy Powell
• "Jane Eyre" Michael O'Connor
• "W.E." Arianne Phillips

Directing

• "The Artist" Michel Hazanavicius
• "The Descendants" Alexander Payne
• "Hugo" Martin Scorsese
• "Midnight in Paris" Woody Allen
• "The Tree of Life" Terrence Malick

Documentary (Feature)

• "Hell and Back Again" 
  Danfung Dennis and Mike Lerner
• "If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front" 
  Marshall Curry and Sam Cullman
• "Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory" 
  Charles Ferguson and Audrey Marrs
• "Pina" 
  Wim Wenders and Gian-Piero Ringel
• "Undefeated" 
  TJ Martin, Dan Lindsay and Richard Middlemas

Documentary (Short Subject)

• "The Barber of Birmingham: Foot Soldier of the Civil Rights Movement" 
  Robin Fryday and Gail Dolgin
• "God Is the Bigger Elvis" 
  Rebecca Cammisa and Julie Anderson
• "Incident in New Baghdad" 
  James Spione
• "Saving Face" 
  Daniel Junge and Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy
• "The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom" 
  Lucy Walker and Kira Carstensen

Film Editing

• "The Artist" Anne-Sophie Bion and Michel Hazanavicius
• "The Descendants" Kevin Tent
• "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" Kirk Baxter and Angus Wall
• "Hugo" Thelma Schoonmaker
• "Moneyball" Christopher Tellefsen

Foreign Language Film

• "Bullhead" Belgium
• "Footnote" Israel
• "In Darkness" Poland
• "Monsieur Lazhar" Canada
• "A Separation" Iran

Makeup

• "Albert Nobbs"
  Martial Corneville, Lynn Johnston and Matthew W. Mungle
• "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2" 
  Edouard F. Henriques, Gregory Funk and Yolanda Toussieng
• "The Iron Lady" 
  Mark Coulier and J. Roy Helland

Music (Original Score)

• "The Adventures of Tintin" John Williams
• "The Artist" Ludovic Bource
• "Hugo" Howard Shore
• "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" Alberto Iglesias
• "War Horse" John Williams

Music (Original Song)

• "Man or Muppet" from "The Muppets" Music and Lyric by Bret McKenzie
• "Real in Rio" from "Rio" Music by Sergio Mendes and Carlinhos Brown Lyric by Siedah Garrett

Best Picture

• "The Artist" Thomas Langmann, Producer
• "The Descendants" Jim Burke, Alexander Payne and Jim Taylor, Producers
• "Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close" Scott Rudin, Producer
• "The Help" Brunson Green, Chris Columbus and Michael Barnathan, Producers
• "Hugo" Graham King and Martin Scorsese, Producers
• "Midnight in Paris" Letty Aronson and Stephen Tenenbaum, Producers
• "Moneyball" Michael De Luca, Rachael Horovitz and Brad Pitt, Producers
• "The Tree of Life" Nominees to be determined
• "War Horse" Steven Spielberg and Kathleen Kennedy, Producers

Short Film (Animated)

• "Dimanche/Sunday" Patrick Doyon
• "The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore" William Joyce and Brandon Oldenburg
• "La Luna" Enrico Casarosa
• "A Morning Stroll" Grant Orchard and Sue Goffe
• "Wild Life" Amanda Forbis and Wendy Tilby

Short Film (Live Action)

• "Pentecost" Peter McDonald and Eimear O'Kane
• "Raju" Max Zähle and Stefan Gieren
• "The Shore" Terry George and Oorlagh George
• "Time Freak" Andrew Bowler and Gigi Causey
• "Tuba Atlantic" Hallvar Witzø

Sound Editing

• "Drive" Lon Bender and Victor Ray Ennis
• "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" Ren Klyce
• "Hugo" Philip Stockton and Eugene Gearty
• "Transformers: Dark of the Moon" Ethan Van der Ryn and Erik Aadahl
• "War Horse" Richard Hymns and Gary Rydstrom

Sound Mixing

• "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" 
  David Parker, Michael Semanick, Ren Klyce and Bo Persson
• "Hugo" 
  Tom Fleischman and John Midgley
• "Moneyball" 
  Deb Adair, Ron Bochar, Dave Giammarco and Ed Novick
• "Transformers: Dark of the Moon" 
  Greg P. Russell, Gary Summers, Jeffrey J. Haboush and Peter J. Devlin
• "War Horse" 
  Gary Rydstrom, Andy Nelson, Tom Johnson and Stuart Wilson

Visual Effects

• "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2" 
  Tim Burke, David Vickery, Greg Butler and John Richardson
• "Hugo" 
  Rob Legato, Joss Williams, Ben Grossman and Alex Henning
• "Real Steel" 
  Erik Nash, John Rosengrant, Dan Taylor and Swen Gillberg
• "Rise of the Planet of the Apes" 
  Joe Letteri, Dan Lemmon, R. Christopher White and Daniel Barrett
• "Transformers: Dark of the Moon" 
  Scott Farrar, Scott Benza, Matthew Butler and John Frazier

Writing (Adapted Screenplay)

• "The Descendants" Screenplay by Alexander Payne and Nat Faxon & Jim Rash
• "Hugo" Screenplay by John Logan
• "The Ides of March" Screenplay by George Clooney & Grant Heslov and Beau Willimon
• "Moneyball" Screenplay by Steven Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin  Story by Stan Chervin
• "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" Screenplay by Bridget O'Connor & Peter Straughan

Writing (Original Screenplay)

• "The Artist" Written by Michel Hazanavicius
• "Bridesmaids" Written by Annie Mumolo & Kristen Wiig
• "Margin Call" Written by J.C. Chandor
• "Midnight in Paris" Written by Woody Allen
• "A Separation" Written by Asghar Farhadi

The 2012 SAG Awards - A Backstage Look at the Massive Production by the Numbers

                    18th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards

When a production fact-sheet mentions the word "Deco" in the set description, it gets my attention. When a press release mentions nearly 500 Magnums of Taittinger Brut La Française Champagne I'm all over it.

The 2012 SAG Awards show is going to be bigger, brighter, and more beautiful than ever.

The event will take place at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. And, for each and every event the Shrine needs some serious attention. Here's the backgrounder:

To create a dramatic arrivals area, impressive set and intimate dinner setting for the world’s leading actors who are gathering on Sunday, Jan. 29, 2012 the SAG Awards staff must transform the Shrine Auditorium entrance and the adjoining Exposition Center. The Shrine complex is Los Angeles landmark built in 1920 in Spanish Colonial Revival style with Moorish detailing. It’s grandiose and beautiful on the outside, but the inner space of the Shrine’s Exposition Center, with its 34,000 square foot wooden floor, paint-trimmed overhangs and bare columns, has to be redefined for each event.

So then, what will the SAG Awards be bringing to the table for 2012?

FOR THE STAR STUDDED ARRIVALS AND TO TRANSFORM THE SHOWROOM

The SAG Awards will:

• Lay 15,872 square feet of red carpet in the arrivals area, edged by 585 lineal feet of hedges
• Accommodate 300 fans in three-row six-foot high bleachers placed along an 180’ section of the red carpet arrivals area
• In the event of rain, protect the red carpet from the elements by 23,530 square feet of tenting
• Post five 10’ Actor® statues along the red carpet and onstage.
• Lay 11,800 square feet of black carpet in the interior Shrine entrance and the showroom.
• Drape the interior Shrine entrance with 4,575 square feet of charcoal/silver shimmer fabric
• Post three 10’ Actor® statues along the red carpet.
• Cover the showroom walls with 15,000 square feet of black drape to create a neutral background and block sunlight.
• On the stage, install 700 feet of steel tubing to support 120 running feet of 22’ high set walls punctuated by eight gold and platinum fluted columns and a central radiating backlit golden sunburst. Two stepped deco arches will be accented by 30 feet of translucent etched fins. Crowning the stage will be 400 feet of gold-leafed and copper-leafed deco molding, illuminated by 400 feet of warm white neon tubing.
• Float a 20’ wide “silver screen” framed by a platinum and gold screen-surround illuminated by 80 feet of embedded LED lights at center stage in front of 200 running feet of 30’ high fiber-optic star cloth.
• Line the stage floor with 150 '4’x8’ sheets of black Formica.
• Above the stage hang a 5-foot square crystal beaded art deco chandelier that will be echoed by the four chandeliers hung from the Expo Hall’s ornate ceiling.

TO SET THE DINNER TABLES, the SAG Awards will:

• Place over 3,600 Opus champagne, wine and water glasses, 2,400 pieces Scalini silver flatware and 1,200 square glass dinner plates, on 86 rectangular dinner tables and over 2,400 glasses at two 16’ beverage bars and two wine tasting bar.
• Create custom table coverings from 1306 linear yards of gunmetal crinkled organza, complemented by 1,200 silver satin matte lined napkins
• Soften 1,200 Silver “Simply X” Chameleon chairs with 1,200 black suede seat cushions
• Create a stunning visual setting through the use of florals. This year's inspiration is a return to the roots. It is an organic approach using the various elements of foliage creating a textured landscape in shades of greens.  The compositions incorporate thousands of stems of various foliage, green dianthus, various grasses, calathea, equisetum highlighted with hundreds of succulents, complimented with over 3,000 blossoms of miniature green cymbidium orchids and 4,000 white miniature cala lilies. Each of the arrangements is made in a glass container lined with frosted glass adding a slightly contemporary look to the textured landscaped style.  It is the look of a newer Hollywood.

THE DINNER MENU

Guests will dine on antipasto plates conceived by James Beard Award-winning chef Suzanne Goin, deliciously prepared and artfully arranged by Lucques Catering, consisting of:

MAIN PLATE:

• Slow-roasted salmon with yellow beets, spicy carrot salad and raita
• Roasted root vegetables with quinoa and persimmon salsa
• Grilled chicken breast with black rice, pea shoots and tangerine vinaigre

VEGETARIAN PLATE:

• Spicy carrot salad with yellow beets, cucumber and black mustard seeds
• Roasted root vegetables with quinoa and persimmon salsa
• Black rice salad with english peas, pea shoots and tangerine vinaigrette

To prepare this menu, Lucques' order for the SAG Awards from their select group of purveyors. Their order includes:

• Baby Carrots, 625 bunches, McGrath Farms
• Beets, 468 bunches, McGrath Farms
• Black Rice, 14 gallons, Provvista
• Black pepper, 12 cups, Michael Phung
• Bread, 95 loaves, Tavern
• Butter, 8 cups, Provvista
• Chicken, 156 chickens, Premier
• Cous Cous, 10 gallons, Provvista
• Cumin, 2 cups, Provvista
• Fleur de sel, 5 cups, Forever Cheese
• Garlic, 7 heads,Schaner Farms
• Jalapenos, 75, Pacific Exotic Mushrooms
• Lemon, 175, Schaner Farms
• Mustard Seed, 8 cups, Provvista
• Olive oil, 12 gallons, Provvista
• Parmesan, 150 lbs, Forever Cheese
• Parsley, 175 bunches, Rutiz Farms
• Persimmons, 630, J.J.’s Lone Daughter Ranch
• Rutabagas, 600 bunches, Flora Bella Farm
• Salmon, 120, Ocean Jewels
• Salt, kosher, 4 cups, Sysco
• Shallots, 400, Schaner Farms
• Sherry vinegar, 1.2 gallons, Provvista
• Tangerines, 435, Schaner Farms
• Tarragon, 3 cups, Pacific Exotic Mushrooms
• Thyme, 5 cups, Rutiz Farms
• Turnips, 690 bunches, Flora Bella Farms
• Yogurt, 2 gallons, Pacific Exotic Mushrooms
• Yogurt, greek, 2 gallons, Pacific Exotic Mushrooms

But wait, that's just the food. Are you thirsty?

THE BEVERAGES

Champagne Taittinger and Dry Creek Vineyard are providing champagne and wine for the SAG Awards for the 12th consecutive year. Both are multi-generational family-owned companies. Taittinger and Dry Creek are generous supporters of the SAG Foundation, as is the SAG Awards newest beverage sponsor, FIJI® Water.

Champagne Taittinger is serving:

• 1 magnum of Champagne Taittinger Brut La Française for the Champagne Taittinger toast that opens the SAG Awards Red Carpet. Each magnum contains 500 million bubbles!
• 234 magnums of Champagne Taittinger Brut La Française in the showroom
• 144 magnums of Champagne Taittinger Brut La Française at the post-Awards gala

Dry Creek Vineyard is serving:

• For the tables: 126 magnums of Dry Creek Vineyard’s 2006 Endeavour, a Dry Creek Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, rated 91 points by Wine Enthusiast Magazine and 252 bottles of the 2010 Sonoma County Fumé Blanc, rated 90 points by Winereviewonline.com.
• Dry Creek Vineyard’s wine-tasting bars will offer a selection that includes the newly released 2009 Russian River Valley Foggy Oaks Chardonnay and the 2007 The Mariner from the Dry Creek Valley, rated 93 points from Winereviewonline.com. A total of 132 bottles will be available for tasting.

FIJI Water is serving:

• 2760 liters of FIJI’s natural artesian water served in the showroom and at the post-Awards Gala
• Another 15,120 third-liters served to staff, crew and the more than 800 media and 300 fans in the bleachers as well as placed in the Gala gift bags.

The above is just the tip-of-the-iceburg of what it takes to put together the 18th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards for 2012.

More details to come. Stay tuned.