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2012: Apocalyptic Good Times

BuzzSugar — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 05:30:00 -0800

In terms of end-of-the-world movies, 2012 packs it all - a love story, teary family moments, action-packed adventure, over-the-top-CGI, and a ton of recycled film cliches - in a two and a half hour package. That's lengthy by today's standards, but I wasn't bored for a minute. This is pure escapist entertainment.

The film opens in 2009 as a scientist in India and his American associate Adrian Helmsley (Chiwetel Ejiofor) discover that the Earth's core is overheating. His forecast: Tectonic plates will shift, thereby causing a worldwide catastrophe that will wipe out the human race.

Dun, dun, dun! (Doesn't take long to pull you in, does it?) To hear my full assessment, read more.

The real action goes down three years later in 2012 when, according to the Mayan calendar, the Earth will reach its end. The entire So-Cal coast starts crumbling, so our hero Jackson Curtis (John Cusack) and his family begin a journey to China where the governments around the world have supposedly assembled spaceships to carry select humans to safety.

What? You expected this to be plausible?

Of course not, but the film does include tons of cool CGI - volcanos, snow storms, giant tsunamis. It's like every disaster movie you've ever watched combined. (That should come as no surprise seeing as how the director is Roland Emmerich who created The Day After Tomorrow, Independence Day, and Godzilla.)

As for the characters, we've seen them all stereotyped in other films before, but they're still enjoyable here. (Even though I admittedly winced over a Russian family complete with a fur coat, tiny dog, and an employee named Sasha.) This is thanks to the actors who play their parts with believability, even when the scenes feel ridiculous. Ejiofor portrays a great bleeding heart swept up in a governmental plan that's looking out for No. 1, and Cusack pulls off his father role without being over-the-top or sappy. Also, watch for Woody Harrelson as a nutty conspiracy theorist living in Yellowstone National Park.

2012 is purely meant to be fun, and it succeeds. There's a constant barrage of cliff-hanger moments that never let up, and though you pretty much know where things are headed, it's easy to get sucked in.

(Don't forget that if you see a movie that you'd like to review, you can post your write-up in the Movie Review Group in Community - I may even post it here on the site!)

Photos courtesy of Sony Pictures

Alicia Holds The Keys For Charity Ball

PopSugarUK — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 02:00:00 -0700

Last night London was taken over by celebs attending the Keep a Child Alive Black Ball hosted by Alicia Keys. Russell Brand and Teresa Palmer were attached at the hip (and lips) all night – the twosome are still looking super-happy together! Peter Andre was without his love Katie Price, but mingled inside with guests like Jennifer Hudson and Kelly Rowland – who looked absolutely stunning in her gorgeous yellow dress. Popstrels Lemar, Shaznay Lewis and Adele also attended the event, along with June Sarpong, Leigh Francis, Andrew Garfield and the incredibly handsome Chiwetel Ejiofor.

To see many more photos from both inside and outside last night's ball, just read more

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Luvvies Swarm The Olivier Awards

PopSugarUK — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 06:00:00 -0700

Only metres away from last night Empire Awards, were theatre's Olivier Awards, at Grosvenor House. As you can imagine there was a lot of intermingling, and you'll spot some of those familiar from the film awards posts amongst the theatre darlings. It feels like yesterday we announced the Hairspray-dominated nominees! James McAvoy's wife Anne Marie Duff looked gorgeous in peach, and newcomer Leanne Jones was beaming after her win for playing Traci Turnblad in the excellent Hairspray.

The revived musical had a great night, scooping four awards including Best New Musical, Best Actor in a Musical (Michael Ball) and Best Performance In A Supporting Role (Tracie Bennett). Chiwetel Ejiofor and Kristin Scott Thomas also won at the ceremony hosted by Richard E Grant. To see more photos as well as a full list of winners, just read more

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BEST NEW MUSICAL
Hairspray book by Mark O'Donnell and Thomas Meehan, music by Marc Shaiman, lyrics by Scott Wittman and Marc Shaiman

BEST NEW PLAY
A Disappearing Number by Simon McBurney at the Barbican

BEST NEW COMEDY
Rafta Rafta by Ayub Khan-Din at the Lyttelton

BEST DIRECTOR
Rupert Goold for Macbeth at the Gielgud

BEST ACTOR IN A PLAY
Chiwetel Ejiofor for Othello at the Donmar Warehouse

BEST ACTRESS IN A PLAY
Kristin Scott Thomas for The Seagull at the Jerwood Theatre Downstairs at the Royal Court

BEST ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL
Leanne Jones for Hairspray at the Shaftesbury

BEST ACTOR IN A MUSICAL
Michael Ball for Hairspray at the Shaftesbury

BEST PERFORMANCE IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MUSICAL
Tracie Bennett for Hairspray at the Shaftesbury

BEST PERFORMANCE IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Rory Kinnear for The Man of Mode at the Olivier

BEST NEWCOMER IN A PLAY
Tom Hiddleston for Cymbeline at the Barbican

BEST THEATRE CHOREOGRAPHER
Toby Sedgwick for War Horse at the Olivier

BEST NEW OPERA PRODUCTION
The Royal Opera's Pelleas et Melisande at the Royal Opera House

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN OPERA
Natalie Dessay for her performance in La Fille du Regiment at the Royal Opera House

BEST REVIVAL
Saint Joan by Bernard Shaw at the Olivier

BEST MUSICAL REVIVAL
The Magic Flute - Impempe Yomlingo adapted from Mozart by Mark Dornford-May, words and music by Mandisi Dyantyis, Mbali Kgosidintsi, Pauline Malefane and Nolufefe Mtshabe at the Young Vic

BEST COSTUME DESIGN
The Man of Mode designed by Vicki Mortimer at the Olivier

BEST SET DESIGN
War Horse designed by Rae Smith and Handspring Puppet Company at the Olivier

BEST LIGHTING DESIGN
Macbeth designed by Howard Harrison at the Gielgud

BEST SOUND DESIGN
Saint Joan designed by Paul Arditti with music by Jocelyn Pook at the Olivier

BEST NEW DANCE PRODUCTION
The Royal Ballet's Jewels at the Royal Opera House

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN DANCE
The Royal Ballet Company for their performances in Jewels

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT OR PERFORMANCE IN AN AFFILIATE THEATRE
Gone Too Far at the Jerwood Theatre Upstairs at the Royal Court

The Society's SPECIAL AWARD
Andrew Lloyd Webber

Finest Film Folk At Empire's Drinks

PopSugarUK — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 04:00:00 -0700

After the Empire Film Awards ceremony there was an official drinks reception for the winners and guests, where we spotted a few more faces. Agyness Deyn (don't you love her outfit?), Jaime Winstone, Alfie Allen and Chiwetel Ejiofor showed up, as well as husbands, boyfriends, wives, and girlfriends (including Matt's pregnant Luciana) who had escaped red carpet duties, and no doubt a few who attended the Olivier Awards (also in Grosvenor House!) instead.

For more photos of the drinks reception, read more

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Images include: Ben Miller, Thomas Turgoose, Phill Jupitus, Jason Isaacs, Shane Meadows, Rob Brydon, Dexter Fletcher, Martin Freeman, James Corden, Simon Pegg, Edgar Wright, Tamsin Egerton, Evanna Lynch, Katie Leung, Emma Watson, Agyness Deyn, Jaime Winstone, Alfie Allen, Chiwetel Ejiofor.
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Movie Preview: Chiwetel Ejiofor in David Mamet's Redbelt

BuzzSugar — Sun, 17 Feb 2008 12:30:40 -0800

When I'm looking for a movie with strong writing and snappy dialogue, I often reach for something by David Mamet. This spring, the writer/director is turning his eye to the boxing ring with Redbelt, the story of a martial arts instructor (Chiwetel Ejiofor) who stays far away from the high-pressure competition circuit - until mysterious circumstances force him into the ring to pay off debts and regain his honor.

Honestly, I've watched the trailer a couple of times now, and I still can't say I fully understand what the story is about. But it's Mamet, so I'm willing to believe it will all make sense when the movie is released this spring. Plus, it stars both Ejiofor and Emily Mortimer, two of my favorite actors, which alone makes me want to give it the benefit of the doubt.

The film will be out in limited release April 25, but for now, you can check out the trailer if you read more.

Photo courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics

Olivier Awards Nominations Announced

PopSugarUK — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 16:53:14 -0800

We're slap-bang in the middle of awards season at the moment, with nominees and winners being congratulated almost daily. Today is no exception – The Society of London Theatre has announced the nominations for The Laurence Olivier Awards, celebrating all of the top shows and people in London's Theatreland.

Topping the list of nominations is the West End production of Hairspray, which has been nominated for a record 11 Olivier Awards! Their massive haul of nominations includes Best New Musical, Best Actress in a Musical for newcomer Leanne Jones (who's filling Nikki Blonsky's shoes as Tracy Turnblad) and Best Actor in a Musical for Mum's favourite Michael Ball in Travolta-style drag as Edna Turnblad. I was lucky enough to get to preview the show before it opened in 2007 and it was a really fun evening.

Other acting nominees include Sir Ian McKellen, Kristin Scott Thomas, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Alistair McGowan, Patrick Stewart, John Simm and James McAvoy's pixie-like other half Anne-Marie Duff.

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Talk to Me: Another Good Don Cheadle Performance

BuzzSugar — Fri, 13 Jul 2007 11:28:20 -0700

As a way of depicting an important slice of history, Talk to Me is successful. As a vehicle for Don Cheadle to amaze us once again with his utter transformation, it's excellent. As a work of storytelling, however, the movie falls short. Director Kasi Lemmons is fantastic at setting up artful shots and creating scenes full of tension. But these great pieces put together somehow don't add up to a satisfying, complete work.

Ralph Waldo "Petey" Greene was a prisoner in the 1960s, acting as radio DJ for his fellow cell mates. When he was released from jail he went straight to D.C. radio station WOL-AM to claim what he thought was his rightful job as a radio host. Dewey Hughes (Chiwetel Ejiofor), the only black man holding a high position at the R&B station, initially resisted hiring Petey - he was an ex-con after all - which led Petey to stage demonstrations in front of the radio station, accusing Hughes of not supporting a fellow black man. After much hemming and hawing on the part of the station manager (Martin Sheen), Petey was brought on board and he became the voice of the people. In turn, the radio station became the peoples' radio station. That's just the beginning, though, so read more

From that point on in the movie, there are many scenes about Petey being "real" vs. Hughes being "white," plenty of arguments between Petey and his girlfriend Vernell (the electrifying Taraji P. Henson), and Petey getting drunk and doing silly things. Everything comes to a standstill, however, at the murder of Martin Luther King. For a brief time, Petey Greene became a sort of coarse beacon of peace and hope while the streets of DC were filled with riots and fires. This is one of the most intriguing moments of the film, not least because of Don Cheadle's apparent internalization of this experience.

The rest of the movie is a jumble of your normal rise-to-fame-fall-from-grace stuff, with a lot of crises arising between Hughes and Petey. Cheadle is flawless in this movie, though Ejiofor (who I love infinitely more now) puts forth an astounding performance as the upright, responsible working man making it in a white man's environment while trying not to deny his childhood spent in the projects. Not to mention he's absolutely gorgeous. Looking dapper in his suits, he employs a heavy-lidded sexiness and gentlemanly strength. Though, admittedly, at times it seems that Ejiofor's stage training comes through - his pronunciation so precise, his vocal technique so polished.

Director Lemmons does her very best to deliver a tense, high-stakes atmosphere, all set to the soulful tunes of the 1960s and 1970s. Where the movie fails most is in the script. Sometimes the dialogue is spot-on, at other times it's laughably trite. For every heavy-handed moment, though, there's Don Cheadle undercutting the cliches with his impeccable comedic timing. If there's no Oscar nomination in Cheadle's future on account of this movie, I will be shocked.

Movie Preview: Talk to Me

BuzzSugar — Tue, 10 Jul 2007 08:30:00 -0700

Opening this Friday July 13 in select cities, Talk to Me is one of the movies I was most looking forward to this summer. It stars the awe-inspiring Don Cheadle as well as Chiwetel Ejiofor for whom I've professed my love. Cheadle plays the real-life Ralph Waldo "Petey" Greene, an ex-con who takes over the radio airwaves during a time of social and political unrest, bringing humor and inspiration to the citizens of Washington D.C. in the 1960s. From the looks of the trailer, this is just the sort of thing the Academy eats up with a spoon. Check out my review this Friday, and to watch the trailer, read more

First Look: Denzel, Russell Crowe in American Gangster

BuzzSugar — Fri, 08 Jun 2007 09:30:00 -0700

Because I've come to think of Denzel Washington as more like a sexy, sweet guy - someone you'd want as, say, the father of your kids - this trailer for American Gangster provides a bit of a jolt. In this Ridley Scott-directed project, Washington plays Frank Lucas, a loyal family man/leader of a crime ring in 1970s Harlem. It's that scary thing, not unlike Tom Hanks' character in Road to Perdition, where you think you know that kindhearted member of your family until they turn out to be a cold-blooded member of the Mafia. Rusell Crowe costars as the roguish cop on Lucas' trail, looking convincingly dowdy. Special bonus: My man Chiwetel Ejiofor also stars.

The trailer is chilling and fully has that New York-in-the-1970s look, so to watch, read more

Link Time! 5/15

BuzzSugar — Tue, 15 May 2007 15:37:16 -0700

Thanks to Best Week Ever for pointing out how handsome Creed from "The Office" is in the photos from NBC's Upfronts.
Thank you, Movie Blog, for telling me about Ewan McGregor and Chiwetel Ejiofor starring in a stage production of Othello near London, starting in November. So, I have a few months to plan my trip to London.
Merry Swankster has a love lovely live video of Bjork performing at Coachella.
Popwatch asks the crucial "Lost" question I've also wondered frequently this season.
Need more from the network Upfronts? Here you go: Give Me My Remote chilled at the NBC party, the TV Addict does new-show math, and E!'s Kristin gets the scoop from the red carpet.
Stereogum turns me onto the Go! Team ("the '80s party hip hop technicolor cheerleaders") and their new song that has lyrics like "Hey ladies ... Yeah ... 1980s."
Popcandy is super excited for a new hip-hop documentary called Rock the Bells after watching the trailer for it.
Rolling Stone Rock & Roll Daily lists the 15 worst albums by great artists, while TV Squad names 10 bad shows that happened to good people.
Earvolution wonders if Lollapalooza might be going global.

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