Thursday, December 29, 2011

VIDEO: Top Chef's First Champion Harold Makes His Favorite Holiday Hangover Dish

Harold Dieterle The holiday season may be going to an in depth, but we've got a perfect recipe to combat that New Year's Eve hangover. Inside the video below, Harold Dieterle, the first champion of Top Chef, prepares his favorite hangover recipe: Cornflake crusted French toast drenched in egg nog getting a rum raisin walnut syrup. For further inside our Holiday Eats series mind here.

Sunday, December 25, 2011

5 Best Favorite Christmas Movie Toys

Lots of classic Christmas movies have toys that everyone wants. That toy might not be also real, but that didn't stop us from imaging that in some manner Santa brings us the gift that really didn't exist. So as we open our presents relating to this Christmas morning, we now have made all of the lots of the most popular Christmas movie toys. Turbo Guy The toy every youthful boy wanted gave Arnold Schwarzenegger one of the worst last-minute holiday shopping encounters ever in "Jingle Completely," nevertheless it was totally useful. Turbo Guy has precisely what a great action figure should have, however, many importantly, he's a jet pack. Being the truly amazing father Arnie was (in this particular movie, no less than), Arnold faced offered by Sinbad and attracted out all the stops to have the ability to bring the awesome action figure home. Talk Boy Besides this Christmas toy ensure it is easy to record every word you hear surrounding you, furthermore, it's speed control, that could prove helpful. If you undertake like Kevin McCallister in "Home Alone 2" did, you need to use your Talk Boy to achieve a place within the Plaza and among people little fridges you have to open getting a vital. Bank card? You initially first got it. The Nut Cracker The first Christmas gift. He may not look like anything special. All he may do throughout your entire day is crack open some nuts, but merely delay until help with sleep. You with thankful you've this individual working for you when the multiple-headed rat king appears in your house. This is where the nut cracker will come in most handy. Keep in mind that. Rugby Tiger In 1986, when Jim Henson produced the primary one-hour special, "The Christmas Toy," Rugby Tiger was the present to acquire. This plush tiger found themselves in the pickle twelve months later on he found his owner, Jamie. He was afraid he'd lose the romance and attention of his owner, so he devised an idea being the prize of Christmas again. Crafty and affectionate, an excellent combination. Red-colored-colored Ryder BB Gun It should be mentioned. You will probably shoot your abilities out driving under the influence this toy for Christmas. All Ralphie in "A Christmas Story" wanted will be a BB gun, but his mother had her concerns about his eyes. Ultimately, Ralphie got his gun, while not without learning a lesson. He didn't shot his eye out, but he gained kids around the globe become more careful utilizing their peepers.

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

TMG shelves up worldwide sales

BERLIN -- Entertainment giant Tele Munchen Group has obtained a slew of sales because of its in-house and licensed productions, including "Moby Dick" and "Haven." TMG's sales arm TM Intl. offered "Moby Dick," which stars William Hurt and Charlie Cox, to Cinemax in Belgium, Carmen Video for Russia and also the Commonwealth of Independent States, and Medallion Media in Japan. The $25 million adaptation from the Herman Melville classic opened recently on Germany's RTL which summer time on Starz/Encore within the U.S. TM Intl. also inked numerous deals for TMG's British-language miniseries modified from Rosamunde Pilcher's best-selling romance books: "Shades of affectionInch visited Soulmedia for Scandinavia and Antena 3 in The country the "Four Seasons" collection was licensed to Universal around australia, together with two TV movies in line with the books of Pilcher's boy Robin Pilcher, "A Danger Worth Taking" and "Beginning Over." The very first season of eOne's mystery series "Haven," according to Stephen King's "The Colorado Kid," offered to Italian pubcaster RAI and Leopolis for that CIS. Universal Systems, which lately restored the show for any third season, airs the series on all Syfy channels worldwide. TM Intl. also closed a library bundle with DT Prods. for that CIS which includes such high-profile game titles as "Terminator 2," "Universal Soldier" and "Fundamental Instinct." Contact Erectile dysfunction Meza at staff@variety.com

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Janusz Kaminski on Shooting War Horse, Avoiding 3-D, and Those Spielberg Close-Ups

For most of the last 18 years as Steven Spielberg’s go-to cinematographer, Janusz Kaminski has held one of the sweetest creative gigs in Hollywood. The post has netted the Polish D.P. two Academy Awards (for Schindler’s List and Saving Private Ryan, plus an additional nomination for Amistad) and credits on some of the most commercially successful films of the last generation, but more than that, it has made Kaminski’s eye the one through which audiences witness Spielberg’s influential vision of the past, present and future. It’s a huge responsibility. It’s also a singular opportunity. Their latest film together, War Horse, returns Spielberg and Kaminski to the scope of those epic, Oscar-winning collaborations, adapting Michael Morpurgo’s novel of a young man (Jeremy Irvine, in his film debut) and his thoroughbred separated by duty in World War I. It’s masterful filmmaking, for better or worse; the battle scenes are extraordinary, and the movie’s sentimentality is less of a shortcoming than an aesthetically achieved device — one that Kaminski’s lens has helped Spielberg refine over more than a dozen films. The cinematographer recently spoke with Movieline about the development of their shared language, the end of film as we know it, why he’s skipped 3-D so far, and what really makes a Spielberg close-up. What was the first Steven Spielberg film you remember seeing? I know it was The Sugarland Express. I was still in Poland at that point. And then he made Duel. That’s probably it, because I left Poland in 1980. Sugarland Express was probably 1973 or ‘75. And then Duel came right after. What was your reaction to them? I liked Sugarland Express simply because it reflected the America that I knew from the movies. It had this raw quality — the freedom, the quirkiness, full of weird people. And my perception of America was based on American movies, you know? But strangely… Well, actually, not strangely. It makes perfect sense: The censorship in Poland allowed the great movies made in the States to be available for Polish audiences, because at that time, America was questioning its social make-up through cinema. It evaluated the social make-up and would frequently become critical of that society. So the Polish censorship embraced that, because in their mind, they were showing the decadent, immoral America. But for us, it was just the land of freedom. We wanted to watch those movies just for the whole idea that if you could question the government, then you were already free. Among those films that came over to Poland, which were the ones that you think most inspired you to pursue filmmaking and cinematography? I started as a filmmaker, and then I chose cinematography for various reasons. But I think Vanishing Point was one of those films. I liked the movies that reflect the rebellion of the individual against the system, you know? And I guess that’s why I left Poland as well. I’m still like that: I still want to rebel against the system and those things. It’s a little bit different these days — maybe just through my work — but I’m still attracted to those movies. So after 15 films working with Spielberg, what challenges remain? Apart from the films themselves — how does that relationship evolve? It evolves just because each of those films is a different story. You get a different screenwriters, different actors, different this or that. And the challenges are great, because the physical aspects of production are always challenging — simply to get through the day. You have to provide a quality of work that’s just right, and you have to make the day. That’s always challenging. And the movies are getting bigger and more complicated, especially the ones that are supposed to entertain. They are just getting bigger. When I did Minority Report, I felt this was the biggest movie I’ve ever done. And then, of course, we did War of the Worlds, which was even bigger. And then Indiana Jones [and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull], which was even bigger. Audiences’ expectations are such, you know? So doing a movie like War Horse, which was big but not really driven by action so much as the story, was very rewarding. And we’re doing Lincoln right now, which is virtually no action. It’s all about performance. So right there, you have two very much different films. That’s what makes it exciting — the subject matter he’s interested in. What kind of shorthand have you two developed to navigate those challenges from film to film? We kind of know what’s going to happen. You kind of know what the shots are going to be. You kind of know what to expect. There’s no mystery. If something looks really good to me, I know that he’s going to see it as well, and we’re going to go for it. Particularly the angles: If we walk into this room, obviously it’s very logical to shoot this direction [against a window overlooking Manhattan], because it’s great. If you didn’t have money, I’d shoot against this wall because you can control it — you can control the environment. So there are certain things. You just know how the movie’s made. And also, you expect to know that we’ll see certain shots everywhere. We have to accommodate that desire of the director. And also be accommodating of actors so that the work becomes better — so that you’re not taking too much time from the actors and the director. The time is always a big issue; every 10 or 15 minutes you take on a set, that adds up over the course of a day to one or two hours of production time. You’re really robbing the ability of the director and actors to do better work. So that gets more refined. There’s no guessing. We know what the work will be. Beyond the films getting bigger, the technology changes. How does the preponderance of CG or the advance of 3-D affect your craft, if at all? It doesn’t, because I haven’t done a digital movie, and I haven’t done 3-D. We still work with film, and we still work flat. I think that 3-D, apparently, was going to be something that was very popular — and it was — but now it’s kind of winding down a bit. The digital will be a reality for us very soon because will be no more film. There will simply be no film emulsion. Kodak is going out of business. So we’ll end up shooting digital, and the quality of the digital becomes higher and higher. It will never be compared to film; it’s just a different vocabulary, a different language, different aesthetics. And it shouldn’t be. It’s a different palette, and that’s fine. Does 3-D turn you off? I haven’t done it. I haven’t seen a movie in 3-D. You haven’t seen a movie in 3-D? No Avatar? No. No Hugo? No, not yet. I’d like to see Hugo because I’m sure that Robert Richardson’s work will be spectacular. But I just… I don’t know. I’m not drawn to those movies — the movies that are made in 3-D. Not because of the form, but just the story. You know? Not into it — not into those action films, I guess. But if we do one, I’ll see it! Until then… Until then! So Spielberg has a trademark shot — that tracking-in close-up that he does — that has carried over to seemingly all of his films over the decades. It’s a very specific thing; a lot of filmmakers use that shot, but there’s something a hair different about Spielberg’s. What is it? I think they’re emotions. He just does it at the right time, when he wants to evoke those emotions. And he knows so much about emotions — human emotions. I think that’s why his movies are so successful: because we can all identify with those emotions, and we can really clearly see those emotions on the screen. But it’s not just the one shot. It’s a sequence of shots that allows you to make it so much different then. You can imitate his shots, but you can’t imitate every shot. His trademark is also wide shots — especially wide shots where you have explosions or special effects. He likes to give the audience the thing happening in one take, right in front of you without editing. Because the moment you cut, you’re cheating. And audiences don’t realize how cinematography itself affects emotion. It’s so subtle, right? They don’t, sure. Well, they don’t really intellectualize it, but they know when something moves them emotionally. They cannot pinpoint why or who’s responsible for it. But they know the impact of visuals — and when the visuals are impacting them. Follow S.T. VanAirsdale on Twitter. Follow Movieline on Twitter.

Saturday, December 17, 2011

'Warrior' Q&A Online

Duncan Stewart, director of casting at National Artists Management Company, discusses opening every submission and what he really wants to see inside a headshot. casting Duncan Stewart headshot NY city open distribution Duncan Steward, director of casting, discusses what he wants from an actress inside a general meeting, mainly truth, likability, and insufficient ego. advice casting Duncan Stewart NY city tips Duncan Stewart, director of casting, discusses what he needs from an audition and customary mistakes stars make. advice auditions casting Duncan Stewart NY city Alaine Alldaffer stops working the actual role of the casting direcor. Alaine Alldaffer casting casting director Gray Gardens play stage theater Casting director Alaine Alldaffer discusses casting "Saved" and all sorts of the myths about becoming an actor in NY City. Alaine Alldaffer casting director New york city theatre play saved NY casting director Bernie Telsey describes what stars have to know before walking into an audition. (Part a couple of) Bernie Telsey casting director We spoken with casting director Mark Teschner about focusing on cleaning soap operas. (Part 1 of three) General Hospital Mark Teschner cleaning soap opera NY casting director Bernie Telsey describes how you can give your very best audition. (Part 2 of two) Bernie Telsey casting director We spoken with casting director Mark Teschner about focusing on cleaning soap operas. Only need beautiful people apply? (Part 2 of three) General Hospital Mark Teshner cleaning soap opera We spoken with casting director Mark Teschner about who audition for cleaning soap operas. (Part 3 of three) General Hospital Mark Teschner cleaning soap opera Videos for that Back Stage News & Features section.

Thursday, December 15, 2011

Russell Brand Lands Late-Evening Forex Show

First Released: December 15, 2011 2:30 PM EST Credit: Getty Premium La, Calif. -- Caption Russell Brand steps out at BBC Radio One out of London on April 20, 2011 Late-evening will be receiving a dose of British comedy from actor/comedian Russell Brand! Forex introduced on Thursday that Russell will host six half-hour payments of the unscripted as-yet-untitled show before an active audience. The show can give the funnymans unvarnished, unfiltered undertake current occasions, politics and popular culture, the network stated inside a statement to gain access to Hollywood with lots of audience interaction too. I'm so excited Im about to climax, actually I'll place the O into Forex, which spells FOX, that is really the channels real title, the actor/comedian stated inside a statement. Thats the only real factor that worries me about all of this to tell the truth. A minimum of Ill have the ability to possess a Christmas drink with Bill OReilly. Flight from the Conchords producer Troy Burns is joining track of Russell for that series something the network thinks will push the envelope of TV comedy. Were very excited to include Russell Brands bracingly funny, original, and honest voice towards the Forex comedy line-up, Nick Grad, Executive V . P ., Original Programming at Forex stated inside a statement. We anticipate supporting Russell and the partner Troy Millers ambition to strip lower the located comedy format to the most fundamental elements and also to create something daring and unfiltered for that Forex audience. Russells late-evening show is slated to debut in spring 2012. Copyright 2011 by NBC Universal, Corporation. All privileges reserved. These components might not be released, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

10 Live Action Short Films Make Oscar Shortlist

When Jon Cryer's publicist called with word of his first SAG Awards nomination, the Two and a Half Men star wasn't expecting the good news.our editor recommendsSAG Awards Nominations: The Nominees' ReactionsSAG Awards TV: 'Modern Family' Leads Nominations, 'Homeland' SnubbedSAG Awards Nominations: The Complete List "Being that it's been a year of very surprising developments, when I get a call from my publicist at 6 a.m. I really don't want to answer it," Cryer told The Hollywood Reporter on Wednesday after he picked up his first career SAG Awards nomination for outstanding male actor in a comedy. "But this was a good one." STORY: Jon Cryer: I Thought Charlie Sheen Was Going to Die Cryer, who has been battling a cold the past few days, wasn't expecting to receive the recognition from his peers in the category that doesn't distinguish between lead and supporting roles. "I had no reason whatsoever to expect that I would be included in this company. That I was is astounding." With nominations coming the day after news broke that Two and a Half Men co-creator Chuck Lorrenearly quit the CBS hitcom after public battles with the show's former star Charlie Sheen, Cryer said he learned of the news after doing the interview for the story. PHOTOS: SAG Awards Nominees "[Lorre] went through a lot of pain during that time and it was awful to watch," he said. "It was awful to watch because he really considered himself a friend of Charlie's. I remember the day he came into my dressing room and he was practically in tears and said, 'I don't know what to do, something is very wrong with Charlie' and he was begging me to talk to him. Obviously, I did but I don't know what good it did." Cryer was able to play the role of the messenger later Wednesday, when he told Lorre news of not only his mention for Men but also The Big Bang Theory's first comedy ensemble nomination in a text exchange. STORY: Chuck Lorre Nearly Quit 'Two and a Half Men' Because of Charlie Sheen "Chuck hadn't heard about the nominations at all and he texted me to thank me for having given the interview to TV Guide," said Cryer, who wound up congratulating -- and breaking the news of Big Bang Theory's nom -- to Lorre. "He wrote back, 'NICE!!!' " As for plans to celebrate, Cryer will get into the holiday spirit and spend the evening with his family, taking cold medication, having hot chocolate and decorating their newly purchased Christmas tree. Email: Lesley.Goldberg@thr.com; Twitter: @Snoodit RELATED: SAG Awards Nominations: The Complete List PHOTO GALLERY: View Gallery SAG Awards: The Nominees PHOTO GALLERY: View Gallery Chuck Lorre & His TV Empire Related Topics Chuck Lorre Charlie Sheen Jon Cryer Two and a Half Men SAG Awards 2012