Sam Mendes Wins 2020 DGA Award for “1917”

By Creative Media Times

Universal Pictures

The Directors Guild of America has weighed in on the race for best director, and giving 1917’s Sam Mendes the top honor for best feature film.

“I was fortunate enough to win this award two decades ago,” Mendes recalling his DGA Awards win for “American Beauty” in 2000. “And I think if I’m honest with myself, I didn’t feel ultimately like I really knew what I was doing. I feel a little bit more like I do now.”

The win is Mendes’ second major guild win of the awards season, making him a solid frontrunner for best director at next month’s Academy Awards. The DGA Awards are often a strong bellwether for the Academy Awards: since DGA started handing out trophies in 1949, the winner has only lost seven times at the Oscars. Additionally, Mendes won best director at the Golden Globes earlier this month.

Other nominees for feature film were Bong Joon Ho for Parasite, Martin Scorsese for The Irishman, Quentin Tarantino for Once Upon a Time in Hollywood and Taika Waititi for Jojo Rabbit.

See below for the full list of winners:

Film

Feature Film
Sam Mendes – 1917

Documentaries
Steven Bognar and Julia Reichert – American Factory

First-Time Feature Film
Alma Har’el – Honey Boy
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Dark Sky Films Set “Killer Weekend” Digital Release

The comedy thriller about a guys’ getaway gone bad is set for release to digital platforms and dvd on February 18, 2020.

Co-starring in Ben Kent’s adrenaline-fueled debut feature are Mark Heap (Upstart Crow), Danny Kirrane (Don’t Forget the Driver) and Ewen MacIntosh (Shed of the Dead).

Critic Anton Bitel, writing at SciFi Now, said, “Pitched somewhere between television’s The Inbetweeners and David Bruckner’s The Ritual, this is an epic weekender comedy of boys hoping to become men, and men hoping forever to stay boys.”Pip Ellwood-Hughes of Entertainment Focus said KILLER WEEKEND is “packed with laugh-out-loud moments, plenty of surprises and a stellar ensemble.” “Part Tucker and Dale Vs Evil, part Severance, KILLER WEEKEND is really entertaining and deserves to sit alongside the British horror comedies,”said Nerdly’s Alain Elliott.

Here’s the film’s official synopsis:
A groom-to-be and his buddies go on a paintball battle that turns horribly, and hilariously, wrong in KILLER WEEKEND. The zombie horror comedy arrives on digital platforms and on DVD February 18, 2020.

When Sam (Sean Verey, The Hot Potato, EastEnders) discovers that his stag weekend not only is a mock zombie survival experience, but that his disapproving father-in-law-to-be has also been invited, he couldn’t be more annoyed. But when the bachelor party arrives to find the “zombies” are in fact a bunch of psychotic ex-soldiers, their fantasy weekend quickly starts to look like a nightmare.

After a series of unfortunate mishaps finds the group trapped in a disused nuclear bunker besieged by the bloodthirsty troops, Sam must ask himself: Is it all still just a game, or is it actually game over?

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“Miss Americana”: Trailer for Taylor Swift Netflix Documentary Released

By Creative Media Times

“It’s been a long time coming,” Taylor Swift posted on Twitter, along with the official trailer for her upcoming Netflix documentary film, “Miss Americana”.

The streaming service describes Miss Americana as a revealing documentary, wherein Swift “embraces her role as a songwriter and performer — and as a woman harnessing the full power of her voice.”

The trailer shows plenty of private footage of the superstar, talking about her life as an artist in the public eye, clips from her tours and red carpets, and a brief glimpse of her backstage hugging boyfriend actor Joe Alwyn.

“I became the person everyone wanted me to be,” Swift says in the trailer. “I had to deconstruct an entire belief system, toss it out and reject it.”

Directed by Emmy-winning director Lana Wilson, “Miss Americana” is set to debut today, Thursday at the Sundance Film Festival.

It is currently set for release on Netflix and select theaters on January 31.

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Mondo and Death Waltz Recording Company Get “Freaked” With The Release of the Soundtrack on Vinyl

The vinyl release marks the first time the soundtrack for the cult film will be available in any format.

Death Waltz Recording Company brings both the score and the songs featured in Alex Winter and Tom Stern’s FREAKED. Available for the first time in any format, this 2XLP set features all new artwork from David Daniels. Inventor of Strata-Cut clay animation, Daniels did the original, mind-melting opening credit sequence for the film.

Disc One features songs from the movie from the likes of Butthole Surfers, Blind Idiot God, Henry Rollins, Axiom Funk, Iggy Pop, and more. Disc Two features Kevin Kiner’s original score, which so good that it could easily rival any number of Amblin’s films from the 1980s. Kiner’s music is incredibly nuanced, yet playful and bombastic (in a good way). It is a revelation to listen to the score independent of the film.

“FREAKED is a film that absolutely more people should know, a mix of The Three Stores and extreme body horror. It’s truly gonzo, funny as all hell, has an incredible cast, absolutely killer practical FX, and a soundtrack that features everyone from Henry Rollins to George Clinton along with Kevin Kiner’s beautiful orchestral score! We are thrilled to be releasing FREAKED for the first time on vinyl, three years in the making and worth every minute spent on it. If you haven’t seen FREAKED head to Amazon Prime right now where it is available and revel in this true Hollywood oddity,” said Spencer Hickman, Mondo & Death Waltz Recording Company Head of Music. FREAKED – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack 2XLP is available for sale now at MondoTees.com

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“Parasite” Wins Screen Actors Guild Awards, Makes History

By Creative Media Times

Still from “Parasite”
CJ Entertainment

Bong Joon-ho’s comedy thriller “Parasite” made history on Sunday night, becoming the first foreign language film to win Screen Actor Guild Awards’ Best Ensemble.

The film’s cast Song Kang-ho, Park So-dam, Choi Woo-shik, Lee Jung-eun and Lee Sun-kyun took the stage to accept the award. “Although the title is Parasite, I think the story is about coexistence and how we can all live together.” Song said via translator Sharon Choi. “But to be honored with the best ensemble award, it occurs to me maybe we haven’t created such a bad movie.”

Parasite’s surprise win puts the film in serious contention for Best Picture at next month’s Academy Awards, where the film is nominated for six categories including Best Director for Joon-ho. Earlier this month, the film won best foreign language film at the 2020 Golden Globes.

In the acting categories, “Joker” star Joaquin Phoenix won best actor, Renee Zellweger won best actress for “Judy,” Brad Pitt took supporting actor for “Once Upon a Hollywood”, and Laura Dern took home supporting actress for “Marriage Story.”

The 26th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards were broadcast live on TNT and TBS on Sunday in Los Angeles.

Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
“Parasite” (winner)

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role in a Motion Picture
Joaquin Phoenix, “Joker” (winner)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role in a Motion Picture
Renée Zellweger, “Judy” (winner)

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture
Brad Pitt, “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” (winner)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture
Laura Dern, “Marriage Story” (winner)
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Morbius’ First Official Trailer Reveals First Look At The Character

By Creative Media Times

Sony’s own Spidey-verse seem to be taking shape with the release of Morbius trailer, revealing a surprise appearance of Micheal Keaton’s Vulture, a character which appeared in “Spider-Man: Homecoming”.

Morbius features Jared Leto as the title character Michael Morbius, who’s suffering from a rare blood disease and tries a dangerous cure that afflicts him with a form of vampirism. The film is set to lay out the origins of the character.

In the comics, he is one of villains that Spider-Man has faced over the years, and first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #101 (October 1971).

With the boxoffice success of Venom in 2018, another character associated with Spider-Man, it is not unrealistic to imagine all these characters to cross over at some point in the future.

Last year, it was reported that Spider-Man would no longer be a member of the Marvel Cinematic Universe due to Sony and Marvel standoff over co-financing. Sony has film rights to the character since before Disney bought Marvel in 2009. This was somewhat resolved after the two studios announced a third co-produced Spider-Man movie.

Also in Morbius are Matt Smith, Adria Arjona, Jared Harris, Al Madrigal and Tyrese Gibson. Directed by Daniel Espinosa, “Morbius” is set for release on July 31, 2020.

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Billie Eilish To Perform New James Bond Theme

By Creative Media Times

Billie Eilish, 18, becomes youngest person to record a Bond theme. The singer and songwriter is recording the title track for No Time To Die, which she has written and produced with her brother Finneas O’Connell. Eilish recently just turned 18 in December.

“It feels crazy to be a part of this in every way. To be able to score the theme song to a film that is part of such a legendary series is a huge honor. James Bond is the coolest film franchise ever to exist. I’m still in shock,” Eilish said in a statement.

Needless to say, expectations are pretty high. Recent James Bond themes have won an Academy Award for Best Original Song: Adele’s “Skyfall”, the theme song of the James Bond film of the same name, as well as Sam Smith’s Writing’s On The Wall, from Spectre.

No Time to Die is the twenty-fifth installment in the James Bond film franchise, and is expected to be Daniel Craig’s last appearance as Bond.

The film is set for release on April 10 in the United States.

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‘Joker’ Nabs 11 Oscar Nominations

By Creative Media Times

WB

Nominations for the 92nd Oscars were announced on Monday by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, with Todd Phillips’ R-rated superhero smash “Joker” leading the list with 11 nominations, including Best Picture, Best Actor for Joaquin Phoenix and Best Director for Phillips.

Three other films scored 10 apiece: Martin Scorsese’s mob drama “The Irishman,” Quentin Tarantino’s “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” and Sam Mendes’ war drama “1917”, all of which in contention for Best Picture.

Among the studios, streaming giant Netflix received 24 noms, the most this year, while Sony Pictures Releasing with 20 noms, followed by Disney with 16. Warner Bros and Fox Searchlight received 12 each.

Actress Issa Rae and John Cho announced the nominations on Monday morning. The Academy Awards is set to air Sunday, Feb. 9, on ABC, live from the Dolby Theater at Hollywood & Highland.

Here is the full list of 2020 Oscar nominations:

Best Picture:

“Ford v Ferrari”
“The Irishman”
“Jojo Rabbit”
“Joker”
“Little Women”
“Marriage Story”
“1917”
“Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”
“Parasite”

Lead Actor:

Antonio Banderas, “Pain and Glory”
Leonardo DiCaprio, “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”
Adam Driver, “Marriage Story”
Joaquin Phoenix, “Joker”
Jonathan Pryce, “The Two Popes”

Lead Actress:

Cynthia Erivo, “Harriet”
Scarlett Johansson, “Marriage Story”
Saoirse Ronan, “Little Women”
Charlize Theron, “Bombshell”
Renee Zellweger, “Judy”

Supporting Actor:

Tom Hanks, “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood”
Anthony Hopkins, “The Two Popes”
Al Pacino, “The Irishman”
Joe Pesci, “The Irishman”
Brad Pitt, “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”

Supporting Actress:

Kathy Bates, “Richard Jewell”
Laura Dern, “Marriage Story”
Scarlett Johansson, “Jojo Rabbit”
Florence Pugh, “Little Women”
Margot Robbie, “Bombshell”

Director:

Martin Scorsese, “The Irishman”
Todd Phillips, “Joker”
Sam Mendes, “1917”
Quentin Tarantino, “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”
Bong Joon Ho, “Parasite”
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2020 BAFTA Awards: ‘Joker,’ ‘Once Upon a Time’ and ‘The Irishman’ Lead Noms

By Creative Media Times

Just as Oscar nominations voting is wrapping up, nominations for the 2020 BAFTAs or British Academy Film Awards has been announced today, Tuesday.

Joker received the most nominations with 11. Not far behind were Martin Scorsese’s epic crime film The Irishman and Quentin Tarantino’s comedy-drama Once Upon a Time in Hollywood with 10 each. Sam Mendes’ epic war 1917 received nine.

All four films, along with Taika Waititi’s comedy-drama Jojo Rabbit, and Bong Joon-ho’s black comedy drama thriller Parasite, will be competing for BAFTA’S Best Film category.

Joaquin Phoenix, who played the title character in “Joker” and who recently won a Golden Globe for best actor in a drama on Sunday is nominated for lead actor, along with Leonardo DiCaprio, Adam Driver, Taron Egerton and Jonathan Pryce.

The 73rd BAFTA Film Awards, which recognise the very best in film of the past year, is set to held on Sunday, Feb. 2 at London’s iconic Royal Albert Hall. The awards will be broadcast on the BBC, with talk show host Graham Norton hosting.

See the full list of nominees below:

Best Film
“1917”
“The Irishman”
“Joker”
“Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood”
“Parasite”

Outstanding British Film
“1917”
“Bait”
“For Sama”
“Rocketman”
“Sorry We Missed You”
“The Two Popes”

Best Director
Sam Mendes (“1917”)
Martin Scorsese (“The Irishman”)
Todd Phillips (“Joker”)
Quentin Tarantino (“Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”)
Bong Joon-ho (“Parasite”)

Leading Actress
Jessie Buckley (“Wild Rose”)
Scarlett Johansson (“Marriage Story”)
Saoirse Ronan (“Little Women”)
Charlize Theron (“Bombshell”)
Renée Zellweger (“Judy”)

Leading Actor
Leonardo DiCaprio (“Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”)
Joaquin Phoenix (“Joker”)
Adam Driver (“Marriage Story”)
Taron Egerton (“Rocketman”)
Jonathan Pryce (“The Two Popes”)
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Golden Globe Winners 2020: Once Upon a Time in Hollywood and Fleabag Won Big

By Creative Media Times

Universal Pictures

Quentin Tarantino and Sam Mendes reigns supreme at the 77th annual Golden Globe Awards on Sunday, setting the stage for the 2020 Oscar race.

Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, which follows an actor and his stunt double as they navigate the changing film industry, took Best Picture in a Comedy or Musical, while Sam Mendes’ late year arrival to the awards season “1917” took Best Picture in a Drama. Mendes and Tarantino also won Best Director and Best Screenplay respectively.

For the lead acting categories, Joaquin Phoenix took Best Actor in a Motion Picture, Drama for Joker, while Reneé Zellweger won Best Actress in a Motion Picture, Drama for Judy.

Its also a surprising night for Netflix. Heading into Sundaty’s show, Netflix had 34 total nomination in film and television categories, but in the end won just two: one for Best Supporting Actress, Laura Dern (“Marriage Story”), and another for Best Actress in a TV Drama Series, Olivia Colman (The Crown).

Overall the TV categories were pretty spread out, with two wins each for Chernobyl, Fleabag and Succession.

Here is the full list of winners.

Movies

Best Motion Picture, Drama
“1917”

Best Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy
“Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood”

Best Director, Motion Picture
Sam Mendes, “1917”

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture, Drama
Joaquin Phoenix, “Joker”

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy
Taron Egerton, “Rocketman”

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture, Drama
Renée Zellweger, “Judy”

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy
Awkwafina, “The Farewell”
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