85th Academy Awards

85th Academy Awards


Broadcast Date: February 25th 2013 - Australia


G'day, this is Film Guru Lad, I have some
important news that you viewers might be
interested in, the 85th Academy Awards
nominations have been finally announced.
The ceremony will be hosted by Seth
MacFarlane, known for creating
animated TV series like Family Guy and
American Dad and is also a nominee. Well, here
are the list of nominees in over 23 categories.


Best Visual Effects

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey - Joe Letteri, Eric Saindon, David Clayton and R. Christopher
White
Life of Pi - Bill Westenhofer, Guillaume Rocheron, Erik-Jan De Boer and R. Christopher White
Marvel's The Avengers - Janek Sirrs, Jeff White, Guy Williams and Dan Sudick
Prometheus - Richard Stammers, Trevor Wood, Charley Henley and Martin Hill
Snow White and the Huntsman - Cedric Nicolas-Troyan, Phillip Brennan, Neil Corbould and Michael Dawson

Best Film Editing

Argo - William Goldenberg
Life of Pi - Tim Squyres
Lincoln - Michael Kahn
Silver Linings Playbook - Jay Cassidy and Crispin Struthers
Zero Dark Thirty - Dylan Tichenor and William Goldenberg

Best Costume Design

Anna Karenina - Jacqueline Durran
Les Miserables - Paco Delgado
Lincoln - Joanna Johnston
Mirror Mirror - Eiko Ishioka
Snow White and the Huntsman - Colleen Atwood

Best Make-up and Hairstyling

Hitchcock - Howard Berger, Peter Montagna
and Martin Samuel
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey - Peter
Swords King, Rick Findlater and Tami Lane
Les Miserables - Lisa Westcott and
Julie Dartnell

Best Cinematography

Anna Karenina - Seamus McGarvey
Django Unchained - Robert Richardson
Life of Pi - Claudio Miranda
Lincoln - Janusz Kaminski
Skyfall - Roger Deakins

Best Production Design

Anna Karenina - Sarah Greenwood and Katie Spencer
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey - Dan Hennah, Ra Vincent and Simon Bright
Les Miserables - Eve Stewart and Anna Lynch-Robinson
Life of Pi - David Gropman and Anna Pinnock
Lincoln - Rick Carter and Jim Erickson

Best Sound Mixing

Argo - John Reitz, Gregg Rudloff and Jose Antonio Garcia
Life of Pi - Ron Bartlett, D. M. Hemphill and Drew Kunin
Skyfall - Scott Millan, Greg P. Russell and Stuart Wilson
Les Miserables - Andy Nelson, Mark Peterson and Simon Hayes
Lincoln - Andy Nelson, Gary Rydstrom and Ronald Judkins

Best Sound Editing


Argo - Erik Aadahl and Ethan Van der Ryn
Django Unchained - Wylie Stateman
Life of Pi - Eugene Gearty and Philip Stockton
Skyfall - Per Hallberg and Karen Baker Landers
Zero Dark Thirty - Paul N. J. Ottosson


Best Original Song

"Before My Time" from Chasing Ice - J. Ralph
Everybody Needs a Best Friend from Ted - Walter Murphy and Seth MacFarlane
"Pi's Lullaby" from Life of Pi - Mychael Danna and Bombay Jayashri
"Skyfall" from Skyfall - Adele Adkins and Paul Epworth
"Suddenly" from Les Miserables - Claude-Michel Schonberg, Herbert Kretzmer and Alain Boublil

Best Original Score

Anna Karenina - Dario Marianelli
Argo - Alexandre Desplat
Life of Pi - Mychael Danna
Lincoln - John Williams
Skyfall - Thomas Newman

Best Animated Short Film

Adam and Dog - Minkyu Lee
Fresh Guacamole - PES
Head over Heels - Timothy Reckart
and Fodhla Cronin O'Reilly
The Longest Daycare - David Silverman
Paperman - John Kahrs

Best Live Action Short Film

Asad - Bryan Buckley and Mino Jarjoura
Buzkashi Boys - Sam French and Ariel Nasr
Curfew - Shawn Christensen
Death of a Shadow (Dood Van Een Schaduw) - Tom Van Avermaet and Ellen De Waele
Henry - Yan England

Best Documentary Short

Inocente - Sean Fine and Andrea Nix Fane
Kings Point - Sari Gilman and Jedd Wider
Mondays at Racine - Cynthia Wade and Robin Honan
Open Heart - Kief Davidson and Cori Shepherd Stern
Redemption - Jon Alpert and Matthew O'Neill

Best Documentary Feature

5 Broken Cameras - Emad Burnat and Guy Davidi
The Gatekeepers - Dror Moreh, Philippa Kowarsky and Estelle Fialon
How to Survive a Plague - Dan Cogan
The Invisible War - Amy Ziering
Searching for Sugar Man - Simon Chinn and John Battsek

Best Foreign Language Film

Amour (Austria)
Kon-Tiki (Norway)
No (Chile)
A Royal Affair (Denmark)
War Witch (Canada)

Best Animated Film

Brave - Mark Andrews and Brenda Chapman
Frankenweenie - Tim Burton
ParaNorman - Sam Fell and Chris Butler
The Pirates! Band of Misfits - Peter Lord
Wreck-It Ralph - Rich Moore

Best Writing - Adapted Screenplay

Argo - Chris Terrio
Beasts of the Southern Wild - Lucy Alibar and Benh Zeitlin
Life of Pi - David Magee
Lincoln - Tony Kushner
Silver Linings Playbook - David O. Russell

Best Writing - Original Screenplay


Amour - Michael Haneke
Django Unchained - Quentin Tarantino
Flight - John Gatins
Moonrise Kingdom - Wes Anderson and Roman Coppola
Zero Dark Thirty - Mark Boal

Best Supporting Actress

Sally Field - Lincoln
Amy Adams - The Master
Anne Hathaway - Les Miserables
Helen Hunt - The Sessions
Jackie Weaver - Silver Linings Playbook

Best Supporting Actor

Christopher Waltz - Django Unchained
Alan Arkin - Argo
Robert De Niro - Silver Linings Playbook
Phillip Seymour Hoffman - The Master
Tommy Lee Jones - Lincoln

Best Actress

Jessica Chastain - Zero Dark Thirty
Jennifer Lawrence - Silver Linings Playbook
Emmanuelle Riva - Amour
Quvenzhane Wallis - Beasts of the Southern Wild
Naomi Watts - The Impossible

Best Actor 

Bradley Cooper - Silver Linings Playbook
Daniel Day-Lewis - Lincoln
Hugh Jackman - Les Miserables
Joaquin Phoenix - The Master

Best Director

Michael Haneke - Amour
Ang Lee - Life of Pi
David O. Russell - Silver Linings Playbook
Steven Spielberg - Lincoln
Benh Zetlin - Beasts of the Southern Wild

Best Picture

Amour - Margaret Menegoz, Stefan Arndt, Veit Heiduschka and Michael Katz
Lincoln - Steven Spielberg and Kathleen Kennedy
Argo - Grant Heslov, Ben Affleck and George Clooney
Django Unchained - Stacey Sher, Reginald Hudlin and Pilar Savone
Les Miserables - Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Debra Hayward and Cameron Mackintosh
Silver Linings Playbook - Donna Gigliotti, Bruce Cohen and Jonathan Gordon
Zero Dark Thirty - Mark Boal, Kathryn Bigelow and Megan Ellison

Academy Honorary Award

D.A. Pennebaker
Hal Needham
George Stevens Jr.


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The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring Review

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of 
the Ring


Release Date: 26th December 2001 - Australia


Production Companies
New Line Cinema (presents)
WingNut Films
The Saul Zaentz Company (licensor)


Genre: Fantasy

Rating: M

Runtime: 178 minutes
                208 minutes
                (Special DVD
                Extended Edition)
                228 minutes
                (Blu-ray Extended
                Edition)


Budget: $93,000,000

Box Office Gross: $887,840,287 
(Worldwide - figure subject to change)


Plot Summary
In a time before history, in a 
place named Middle-earth, 
a dark and powerful lord has 
brought together the forces 
of evil to destroy its cultures 
and enslave all life caught in 
his path. Sauron's time has 
come and he needs only one 
small object, a Ring that has 
been lost for centuries, to 
snuff out the light of 

civilization and cover the 
world in darkness. 
Though he has put all 
of his power into the 
search for it, fate has put it 
in the hands of a young 
hobbit named Frodo 
Baggins, who inherits the 

Ring and steps into legend.

With the help of a loyal 
fellowship comprised of 

hobbits Sam, Merry and 

Pippin; Gimli the dwarf; 

and humans Aragorn 
and Boromir; and with the 
guidance of the wizard 

Gandalf, and elves Arwen, 

Galadriel and Elrond, 

Frodo must journey to the 

Mount of Doom to 
destroy the Ring. If he 
doesn't find a way, no 
one will.


Cast
Elijah Wood - Frodo Baggins
Ian McKellen - Gandalf the Grey
Viggo Mortensen - Aragorn
Sean Astin - Samwise "Sam"
Gamgee
Orlando Bloom - Legolas
John Rhys-Davies - Gimli
Billy Boyd - Peregrin "Pippin"
Took
Dominic Monaghan - Meriadoc "Merry" Brandybuck

Christopher Lee - Saruman the White
Andy Serkis - Gollum
Liv Tyler - Arwen
Hugo Weaving - Elrond
Cate Blanchett - Galadriel
Ian Holm - Bilbo Baggins
Sean Bean - Boromir
Marton Csokas - Lord Celeborn
Cameron Rhodes - Farmer 

Maggot
Brent McIntyre - Witch-King
Peter McKenzie - Elendil
Sarah McLeod - Rose Cotton
Mark Ferguson - Gil-galad
Ian Mune - Bounder
Craig Parker - Haldir
Noel Appleby - Everard Proudfoot
Megan Edwards - Mrs. Proudfoot
Sala Baker - Sauron
Alan Howard - Voice of the Ring (Voice)
Harry Sinclair - Isildur
David Weatherley - Barliman Butterbur
Lori Dungey - Mrs. Bracegirdle (Extended Edition)
Peter Corrigan - Otho (Extended Edition)
Norman Forsey - Gaffer Gamgee (Extended Edition)
William Johnson - Old Noakes (Extended Edition)
Elizabeth Moody - Lobelia (Extended Edition)
Brian Sergent - Ted Sandyman (Extended Edition)
Peter Jackson - Albert Dreary (Cameo) (Uncredited)

Crew
Screenplay/Producer/Director - Peter Jackson
Based on Novel "The Fellowship of the Ring" -
J.R.R. Tolkien
Screenplay/Producer/Additional Second Unit
Director (Uncredited) - Fran Walsh
Screenplay - Philippa Boyens
Executive Producers - Bob & Harvey Weinstein
Executive Producers: New Line Cinema -
Michael Lynne, Mark Ordesky & Robert Shaye
Producer/Additional Second Unit Director
(Uncredited) - Barrie M. Osborne
Producer - Tim Sanders
Co-Producer: WingNut Films/Additional Second
Unit Director (Uncredited) Rick Porras
Co-Producer: WingNut Films - Jamie Selkirk
Casting Director: USA - Victoria Burrows
Casting Directors: UK - Amy & John Hubbard
Casting Director: New Zealand - Liz Mullane
Casting Director: Australia - Ann Robinson
Supervising Dialect Coach - Andrew Jack
Production Designer - Grant Major
Conceptual Designer/Carpenter - John Howe
Conceptual Designer/Set Decorator (Uncredited) -
Alan Lee

Supervising Art Director/Set Decorator - Dan Hennah
Art Directors - Joe Bleakley, Philip Ivey, 
Rob Outterside & Mark Robins 
Assistant Art Director/Storyboard Artist (Uncredited)/
Visual Effects Art Director: Weta Digital - Christian Rivers
Special Makeup, Creatures, Armour & Miniatures
Supervisor/Costume Designer - Richard Taylor
Costume Designer - Ngila Dickson
Director of Photography - Andrew Lesnie
Second Unit Directors - John Mahaffie &
Geoff Murphy
Additional Second Unit Directors - Ian Mune &
Guy Norris
Sword Master - Bob Anderson
Stunt Coordinators - George Marshall Ruge &
Greg Powell (Uncredited)

Physical Effects Supervisor - Steve Ingram
Visual Effects Supervisor - Jim Rygiel
Visual Effects Supervisor: Digital Domain - Mark O. Forker
Visual Effects Producer: Weta Digital - Eileen Moran
Effects Consultant: Weta - Mark Stetson
Visual Effects Art Directors - Jeremy Bennett &
Paul Lasaine

Visual Effects Cinematographer - Brian Van’t Hul

Visual Effects Director of Photography: 

Miniature Unit - Alex Funke
Digital Effects Supervisor: Animal Logic - Chris Godfrey

Animation Supervisor/Designer: Weta Digital -
Randall William Cook

Animation Supervisor: Weta Digital - Adam Valdez

Creatures Supervisor: Weta Digital - Eric Saindon
Digital Models Supervisor - Matt Aitken
Film Editor - John Gilbert
Sound Designer - David Farmer
Supervising Sound Co-Designer/Editor - Ethan Van der Ryn
Music - Howard Shore


Awards

2002 Academy Awards
Best Cinematography - Andrew Lesnie (Won)
Best Makeup - Peter Owen & Richard Taylor (Won)
Best Music, Original Score - Howard Shore (Won)
Best Visual Effects - Jim Rygiel, Randall William Cook,
Richard Taylor & Mark Stetson (Won)
---------------------------
Best Picture - Peter Jackson, Barrie M. Osborne
& Fran Walsh (Nominated)
Best Adapted Screenplay - Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens
& Peter Jackson (Nominated)
Best Art Direction - Grant Major & Dan Hennah
(Nominated)
Best Costume Design - Ngila Jackson & Richard Taylor
(Nominated)
Best Film Editing - John Gilbert
Best Music, Original Song "May It Be" - Enya &
Nicky & Roma Ryan (Nominated)
Best Sound - Christopher Boyes, Michael Semanick,
Gethin Creagh & Hammond Peek (Nominated)


Review
I'm not a big fan of the Lord of the Rings series, its easy to say that I finally got to do a review of 'THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING' which I was supposed to do last year to coincide the release of 'The Hobbit'. Now let's talk about this first instalment that started Peter Jackson's trilogy into greatness. The picture has massive things and proportions such as a recognizable cast like Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Christopher Lee, Viggo Mortensen and the actor who played my favourite character of the film Legolas is Orlando Bloom. Continuing the rest of the fantasy flick are the landscapes, the action scenes like the swordplay, the laughs and especially the great moments.

There's never a single word or a doubt about this particular film, 'THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING' is a bodacious masterpiece and a must-see for the LOTR fans.

Star rating: (4/5) Good Movie

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Toy Story Review

Toy Story


Release Date: 7th December 1995 - Australia


Production Companies
Walt Disney Pictures (presents)
Pixar Animation Studios

Distribution
Walt Disney Studios Motion
Pictures Australia


Genre: Animation/Family/

Comedy

Rating: G

Runtime: 81 minutes


Budget: $30,000,000

Box Office Gross: $394,436,586 (Worldwide)


Plot Summary
When the humans aren't around, their toys come alive! Woody is a cowboy doll, and his position as the favourite toy of a young boy named Andy and the self-proclaimed leader of the other toys feels threatened by the arrival of a spaceman action figure, Buzz Lightyear. Even worse, Buzz believes himself to be a real space ranger and is on a mission to save the galaxy. A jealous Woody tries to get even with Buzz, and they both end up lost and have to learn to stick together to get back to Andy before he moves with his family, and they have to escape from the dreaded neighbour, Sid Phillips.


Voice Cast
Tom Hanks - Woody
Tim Allen - Buzz Lightyear
Don Rickles - Mr. Potato Head
Jim Varney - Slinky Dog
John Ratzenberger - Hamm
Wallace Shawn - Rex
Annie Potts - Bo Peep
John Morris - Andy Davis
Erik von Detten - Sid Phillips
Laurie Metcalf - Andy's Mom
R. Lee Ermey - Sarge
Sarah Freeman - Hannah
Phillips
Jeff Pidgeon - Aliens/Mr.
Spell/Robot
Debi Derryberry - Aliens/
Pizza Planet Intercom
Joe Ranft - Lenny the
Binoculars
Mickie McGowan - Sid's Mom

Jack Angel - Shark/Rocky Gibraltar

Crew
Original Story/Screenplay/Modeling &

Animation System Development/Director -

John Lasseter
Original Story/Screenplay/Character Designer/

Story Artist - Andrew Stanton
Original Story/Story Supervisor - Joe Ranft
Original Story/Story Artist/
Supervising Animator - Pete Docter
Screenplay - Joss Whedon,
Joel Cohen and Alec Sokolow

Executive Producer/Renderman Software

Development - Ed Catmull

Executive Producer - Steve Jobs

Producers - Bonnie Arnold and
Ralph Guggenheim
Art Director - Ralph Eggleston

Concept Artwork/CG Painter/Designer/

Character Designer - William Cone

Concept Artwork/Character Designer/

Renderman Software Development -

Steve Johnson

Concept Artwork/Designer/Illustrator/

Character Designer - Bob Pauley

Concept Artwork - Nilos Rodis-Jamero,

Lou Fancher, Kevin Hawkes, William Joyce

and David Gordon

Character Designer/Animator/Story Artist -
Bud Luckey

Character Designers - Jean Gilmore,

Dan Haskett and Tom Holloway

Story Supervisor - Robert Lence

Story Artist/Directing Animator - Ash Brannon

Supervising Layout Artist - Craig Good

Production Supervisor - Karen Robert Jackson

Directing Animator - Rich Quade

Additional Animators/Layout Artists -

Bob Peterson and Shawn Krause

Supervising Technical Director/Modeling &

Animation System/Renderman Software

Development - William Reeves

Associate Technical Director/Modeling

& Animation System Development -

Eben Ostby

Camera Supervisor - Louis Rivera

Lighting Supervisor - Sharon Calahan

Lighting Supervisor/Model Team -

Galyn Susman

Shader & Visual Effects Supervisor/Renderman

Software Development - Thomas Porter
Film Editors - Robert Gordon and

Lee Unkrich

Supervising Sound Editor - Tim Holland
Sound Design/Re-Recording Mixer -
Gary Rydstrom

Assistant Sound Designer/Foreign Mixer

(Uncredited)/FX Recording (Uncredited) -

Tom Myers

Re-Recording Mixer - Gary Summers

Foley Artists - Dennie Thorpe and

Tom Barwick
Songs & Music - Randy Newman

Executive Music Producer - Chris Montan


Awards

1996 Academy Awards
Special Achievement Award - John Lasseter (Won)
-------------------------
Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly
for the Screen - Joss Whedon, Joel Cohen,
Alec Sokolow, John Lasseter, Andrew Stanton,
Pete Docter and Joe Ranft (Nominated)
Best Music, Original Song "You've Got a Friend in

Me" - Randy Newman (Nominated)
Best Music, Original Musical or Comedy Score -
Randy Newman (Nominated)


Review
When I was about 4, I started watching TOY STORY. It marked the introduction of CGI-animated movies and the whole series. As I got older, the animation was great, but some parts looked dated. Now, let's start with several positives that made this great classic. The script has a lot of excellence in value, meaning, and humour. Tom Hanks and Tim Allen were terrific as Woody and Buzz, and the film contains memorable songs by Randy Newman. Did I not mention that Joss Whedon had partially written the screenplay?

However, this was the first fully computer-generated flick ever made. TOY STORY is entertaining to all ages, including those who have grown up watching it.

Star rating: (4/5) Good Movie

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Ernest Saves Christmas Review

Ernest Saves Christmas


Release Date: 9th November 1989 - Australia


Production Companies
Touchstone Pictures (presents)
Silver Screen Partners III (in association with)
Emshell Producers (producer)

Distribution
Walt Disney Studios Motion
Pictures Australia


Genre: Comedy

Rating: G

Runtime: 95 minutes


Budget: $6,000,000

Box Office Gross: $28,202,109
(USA)


Plot Summary
When Santa Claus decides
to retire, he appoints a

washed-up kiddie show 

host to take his place. 

Along the way, the
real Santa ends up in a
slammer on Christmas Eve,
and it's up to goodish, glad-
handling Ernest P. Worrell
to bust him out. (Source -
iTunes)


Cast
Jim Varney - Ernest P. 

Worrell/Various
Douglas Seale - Santa Claus
Oliver Clark - Joe Carruthers
Noelle Parker - Harmony
Bill Byrge - Bobby
Gailard Sartain - Chuck
Robert Lesser - Marty Brock
Buddy Douglas - Pyramus
Patty Maloney - Thisbe
Billie Bird - Mary Morrissey
George Kaplan - Mr. Dillis

Crew
Director - John R. Cherry III
Story/Screenplay/Associate
Producer - Ed Turner
Screenplay - B. Kline
Executive Producer - Joseph Akerman Jr.
Producers - Doug Claybourne
& Stacy Williams
Co-Producer/Unit Production Manager - Justis Greene
Co-Producer/Second Unit Director - Coke Sams
Production Designer/Art Director - Ian D. Thomas
Costume Designer - Peter Mitchell
Director of Photography - Peter Stein
Film Editor - Sharyn L. Ross
Visual Effects Supervisor - Tim McHugh
Music - Mark Snow


Review
As a kid, I used to watch the Ernest flicks on the Disney Channel a long time ago and the late Jim Varney was the best actor to play the funny character. 'ERNEST SAVES CHRISTMAS' is the first of these movies I had seen and though it was a bit cheesy, it did show a lot of Christmas cheer. Apart from the humour, the acting is quite good especially from Varney himself. Even Douglas Seale who gives an extraordinary performance as the holiday figure Santa except that he's not wearing a traditional red suit and hat. 

'SAVES CHRISTMAS' gives a great generosity of laughs for a holiday film that's anything enjoyable for a fan of the series like myself, know what I mean? 

Star rating: (5/5) Best Movie Ever

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Home Alone 2: Lost in New York Review

Home Alone 2: Lost in New York


Release Date: 10th December 1992 - Australia


Production Companies
20th Century Fox (presents)
Hughes Entertainment

Distribution
20th Century Fox Australia


Genre: Family/Comedy

Rating: PG

Runtime: 120 minutes


Budget: $20,000,000

Box Office Gross: $358,994,850 (Worldwide)


Plot Summary

Kevin McCallister gets separated from his family when he accidentally takes the plane to New York City instead of going to Florida. He uses his dad's credit card to check into the best hotel and sets out to enjoy himself. Unfortunately, the burglars he foiled before have escaped prison and are now in New York.

Cast

McCallister Family
Macaulay Culkin - Kevin McCallister

Catherine O'Hara - Kate McCallister

John Heard - Peter McCallister

Devin Ratray - Buzz McCallister

Hilary Wolf - Megan McCallister

Maureen Elisabeth Shay -

Linnie McCallister

Michael C. Maronna - Jeff McCallister

Gerry Bamman - Frank McCallister

Terrie Snell - Leslie McCallister

Jedidiah Cohen - Rod McCallister

Senta Moses Mikan - Tracy McCallister

Diana Rein - Sondra McCallister

Kieran Culkin - Fuller McCallister

Anna Slotky - Brooke McCallister

Others
Joe Pesci - Harry Lyme
Daniel Stern - Marvin "Marv" Murchins
Tim Curry - Mr. Hector
Brenda Fricker - Pigeon Lady
Rob Schneider - Cedric
Dana Ivey - Hester Stone
Leigh Zimmerman - Fashion Model
Ralph Foody - Gangster
Clare Hoak - Gangster - 'Dame'
Eddie Bracken - Mr. Duncan
Rip Taylor - Celeb #1 (Cameo)
Jaye P. Morgan - Celeb #2 (Cameo)
Jimmie Walker - Celeb #3 (Cameo)
Ally Sheedy - Ticket Agent (New York)

(Cameo)
Donald Trump - Plaza Hotel Owner

(Cameo)

Eleanor Columbus - Little Girl in Toy

Store

Chris Columbus - Man in Toy Store

(Cameo) (Uncredited)


Crew
Director - Chris Columbus
Based on Characters/Writer/Producer -

John Hughes

Executive Producer/Unit Production Manager -

Duncan Henderson

Executive Producers - Mark Radcliffe

and Richard Vane

Casting Directors - Janet Hirshenson

and Jane Jenkins
Production Designer - Sandy Veneziano

Art Director - Gary A. Lee

Art Director: New York - Steven J. Jordan

Set Designers - Stephen Dane,

Karen Fletcher Trujillo and Donald B. Woodruff

Set Decorator - Marvin March
Costume Designer - Jay Hurley
Director of Photography - Julio Macat

"B" Camera Operator - Anastas N. Michos

First Assistant Director - James Giovannetti Jr.

Second Assistant Director - Geoffrey Hansen

First Assistant Director: Second Unit/Location

Manager - Jacolyn Bucksbaum

Second Unit Director/Stunt Coordinator -
Freddie Hice
Special Effects Supervisor - Daniel Sudick
Special Effects Coordinator - Stan Parks
Visual Effects Supervisor: Matte World -
Craig Barron
Matte Painting Supervisor: Matte World -

Michael Pangrazio
Editor - Raja Gosnell

Supervising Sound Effects Editors -

Wylie Stateman and Michael D. Wilhoit

Additional Audio - Lon Bender,

Kim Waugh and David Young

Foley Artists - James Moirana and

Jeffrey Wilhoit

Re-Recording Mixers - Chris & Kevin E.

Carpenter and Rick Hart

Music - John Williams

Supervising Music Editor - Kenneth Wannberg

Scoring Mixer - Shawn Murphy


Review
More slapstick humour and fun than its predecessor (click here), HOME ALONE 2: LOST IN NEW YORK has better tricks by Kevin and more booby traps for the Wet Bandits. Most actors, including Culkin, Pesci, and Stern, have returned for this sequel. I know the plot is a rehash of the first film. I quite liked the three things that reside in this second flick, which include Tim Curry's performance as the hotel manager, a minor role by Rob Schneider, and the funniest scene where the two Wet Bandits fell into a trap getting knocked out by a large pipe or should I say it fell on them both.

Unlike many other Home Alone movies, this sequel is more watchable. It is a worthy follow-up to the original. The audience might get interested in its comical value.

Star rating: (5/5) Best Movie Ever

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Balto Review

Balto


Release Date: 27th June 1996 - Australia


Production Companies
Universal Pictures (present)
Amblin Entertainment (present)
Amblimation

Distribution
Universal Pictures Australia


Genre: Animation/Family

Rating: G

Runtime: 74 minutes


Budget: $31,000,000

Box Office Gross: $11,349,090 (Worldwide)


Plot Summary
Balto is an outcast shunned by humans and other dogs due to his part-wolf heritage, except for a Russian goose named Boris,

two polar bear cubs, Muk and Luk, and Jenna, a beautiful husky. One day, a severe case of diphtheria struck the children of Nome when it spread fast. A treacherous snowstorm has closed off all routes of transport that carry the anti-toxin.

Only a sled dog team can race about 600 miles through the blinding Arctic blizzard, delivering medicine to all the sick children. But the dogs are lost in the frozen wilderness, and Balto is their only hope in rescuing the team and saving the children's lives.


Voice Cast
Kevin Bacon - Balto
Bridget Fonda - Jenna
Bob Hoskins - Boris
Phil Collins - Muk & Luk
Jim Cummings - Steele
Juliette Brewer - Young Rosy
Jack Angel - Nikki
Danny Mann - Kaltag
Robbie Rist - Star
Sandra Dickinson - Dixie/
Sylvie/Rosie's Mom
Donald Sinden - Doc
William Roberts - Rosy's Father
Garrick Hagon - Telegraph Operator

Bill Bailey - Butcher

Big Al - Town Dog

Live-Action Cast
Miriam Margoyles - Old Rosy
Lola Bates-Campbell - Rosy's Granddaughter


Crew
Director - Simon Wells
Story/Screenplay - Cliff Ruby and Elana Lesser
Screenplay - David Cohen and Roger S.H. Schulman

Associate Producer - Rich Arons
Executive Producers - Kathleen Kennedy, Bonnie Radford and Steven Spielberg
Producer - Steve Hickner

Production Designer - Hans Bacher

Additional Art Director/Background Artist -

Luc Desmarchelier

Additional Art Director/Background Supervisor -

Colin Stimpson

Costume Designer: Live-Action Scenes -

Ellen Lutter

Character Designer/Supervising Animator:
"Muk and Luk" - Nicholas Marlet
Character Designer/Supervising Animator:

"Sylvie", "Dixie" and Principal Humans -

Patrick Mate
Character Designer - Carlos Grangel
Storyboard Supervisor - Daan Jippes
Storyboard Artist/Supervising Animator:

"Balto" - Dick Zondag
Storyboard Artist/Supervising Animator:

"Rosy" - David Bowers
Storyboard Artist/Supervising Animator:

"Steele & Jenna Sequences" - Rodolphe Guenoden
Storyboard Artist/Supervising Animator:

"Nikki", "Kaltag" and "Star" - William Salazar

Background Supervisor/Digital Background

Color Balance - Ray Rankine
Layout Supervisor - Douglas Kirk

Director of Photography/Camera Operator:

Live-Action Scenes - Jan Ritcher-Friis

Production Manager - Jill Hopper

Assistant Production Manager - Mark Swift

Animation Production Supervisor - Colin J. Alexander

Color Production Supervisor - Matthew Teevan

Assistant to the Director - Steve Pegram

Supervising Animator: "Balto" - Jeffrey James Varab
Supervising Animator: "Jenna" - Robert Stevenhagen
Supervising Animator: "Boris" - Kristof Serrand
Supervising Animator: "Steele" - Sahin Ersoz

Animator: "Grizzly Bear" - Daniel Jeannette

Animator: "White Wolf" - Erik Schmidt

Additional Digital Effects Animation/

Digital Scene Design Supervisor - David Morehead

Digital Scene Designers - Robert Edward

Crawford and James C.J. Williams

Supervising Editors - Sim Evan-Jones

and Nick Fletcher

Assistant Editors - Claire Knight and

Marcus Taylor

Supervising Sound Editors - Louis L. Edemann

and Charles L. Campbell

Re-Recording Mixers - Gregg Landaker

and Steve Maslow

Foley Artists - John Roesch and Hilda Hodges

Music - James Horner

Music: Song "Reach for the Light" - Barry Mann

Lyrics: Song "Reach for the Light" - Cynthia Weil
Performer: Song "Reach for the Light" -

Steve Winwood

Music Editor - Jim Henrikson

Assistant Music Editor - Joe E. Rand

Scoring Mixer - Shawn Murphy

Review
Despite the historical differences in the movie, BALTO has marvellous animation that makes the entire film look exceptionally drawn and ambitious. Unlike the other hand-drawn animated flicks (like those made by Disney), it is not a musical. It doesn't include the characters singing, which is a good thing. There's nothing wrong with this overlooked picture. I found some commendable aspects, such as a few laughs, including an E.T. reference and well-known voice-over talents of Kevin Bacon, Jim Cummings, Phil Collins, Bob Hoskins, and Bridget Fonda. The film boasts a brilliant music score by James Horner, who does tremendous work composing this feature.

It's a shame BALTO fell short in the box-office competition against Pixar's Toy Story. BALTO is an underrated movie that dog lovers and furries might want to rediscover. It's better than Disney's Pocahontas, which is also based on a true-life story and unfortunately fails to bring what BALTO brings: a happy ending.

Star rating: (4/5) Good Movie

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Red Dawn (2012) Review

Red Dawn 


Release Date: 29th November 2012 - Australia


Production Companies
Film District (presents)
Contrafilm
Metro Goldwyn Mayer (Uncredited)

United Artists
Vincent Newman Entertainment
(Uncredited)

Distribution
Roadshow Distribution


Genre: War

Rating: M

Runtime: 93 minutes


Budget: $65,000,000

Box Office Gross: $48,169,726
(Worldwide)


Plot Summary
When North Korea invades
the United States, a group
of young men and women
from a small town arm
themselves and flee into the
wilderness. When they return
to the town a few weeks later,
they find themselves behind
enemy lines in "Occupied
America." Most of their family
members were dead. They
launch a resistance movement,
calling themselves Wolverines
after their school mascot. But
every time they attack on the
invaders, the North Korean
soldiers execute civilians in
retaliation. With the help of a
downed United States Air
Force F-15 pilot, the
Wolverines organize raids
on the North Koreans, who
begin to consider them a
serious threat. (Source -
Metro Cinemas)


Cast
Chris Hemsworth - Jed Eckert
Josh Peck - Matt Eckert
Josh Hutcherson - Robert Morris
Adrianne Palicki - Toni Walsh
Isabel Lucas - Erica Martin
Connor Cruise - Daryl Jenkins
Edwin Hodge - Danny
Steve Lenz - Pete
Jeffrey Dean Morgan - Sgt.
Major Andrew Tanner
Brett Cullen - Police 

Sergeant Tom Eckert
Alyssa Diaz - Julie
Julian Alcaraz - Greg
Will Yun Lee - Captain Cho

Fernando Chen - Lt. Pak
Kenneth Smith - Cpl. Smith
Matt Gerald - Sgt. Hodges

Michael A. Knight - Col. Ivanov

Noah Smith - Joe

Michael Beach - Mayor Jenkins

Crew
Director - Dan Bradley
Based on 1984 Screenplay/Story - Kevin Reynolds
Based on 1984 Screenplay - John Milius
Screenplay - Carl Ellsworth & Jeremy Passmore

Executive Producer/Unit Production Manager - 

Kevin Halloran
Executive Producer - Vincent Newman
Producers - Beau Flynn & Tripp Vinson
Co-Producer - John Swallow
Production Designer - Dominic Watkins
Costume Designer - Catherine George
Director of Photography - Mitchell Amundsen
Special Effects Supervisor - Mark R. Byers
Film Editor - Richard Pearson
Music - Ramin Djawadi


Review
I don't care much for war movies except for science fiction war movies like 'Star Wars' and I haven't seen the old 'RED DAWN' film. The remake of this classic is mildly entertaining which is good enough to maintain itself in spite of its shortcomings. Though there were some people who would say the plot-line of the 2012 reboot is too haphazard instead of being meaningful. I hate to spoil the movie, but it has very neat and clever warfare action as well as bits of comedy and a few top-notch casting choices including Chris Hemsworth, Josh Hutcherson and Isabel Lucas. There's one thing I like to point out which is that one of the stars Josh Peck whom you may know him from the 'Drake & Josh' TV series has done a lot more mature acting which I have never seen him actually do. 

For the moviegoers, this flick wasn't too serious, sure it does deal with contemporary issues such as war and conflict. In terms of a target audience, I think this feature has been aimed towards a teenage audience as it has themes which would relate to teenagers such as teamwork, survival and independence. Having said all of this, I would recommend this as being a good easy-going movie to watch.

Star rating: (4/5) Good Movie

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