Film Academy Lining Gallery With Crew Stills

Beverly Hills, CA More than 115 images shot on the sets of such films as Raging Bull, Munich, You, Me & Dupree, Rendition, Salt and Superman Returns will be on display in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences new exhibition, Crew Call 2011: Celebrating the Crafts, opening Friday, September 9, in the Academys Grand Lobby Gallery. The exhibition, open to the public, will run through Sunday, December 18. Admission is free. Shot by 25 members of the Society of Motion Picture Still Photographers, Crew Call 2011 will include photographs depicting the work of numerous, and essential, ‘below-the-line’ craftspeople on a movie set, from animal wranglers, puppeteers, makeup artists, seamstresses, stunt performers and prop masters to grips, gaffers and P.A.s. Several images show how production design and visual effects departments work preparing sets and staging action sequences, and provide glimpses of how the magic of the movies is achieved during long days and nights of shooting. Crew Call 2011: Celebrating the Crafts features photographs from Karen Ballard, Claudette Barius, Ron Batzdorff, Phil Bray, Andrew Cooper, Franois Duhamel, Sam Emerson, Anthony Friedkin, Melinda Sue Gordon, Brian Hamill, Suzanne Hanover, Kerry Hayes, David James, Douglas Kirkland, Rolf Konow, Jay Maidment, Frank Masi, Melissa Moseley, Macall Polay, Andrew Schwartz, David Strick, Suzanne Tenner, Jaimie Trueblood, Merie Weismiller Wallace and Barry Wetcher. The Societys previous exhibitions, Between Takes and Take 2 were on display at the Academy in 2000 and 2005. The Academys Grand Lobby Gallery, located at 8949 Wilshire Boulevard in Beverly Hills, is open Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and weekends, noon to 6 p.m. The gallery will be closed for the Thanksgiving holiday weekend (November 24 through 27).

Battlefield Heroes (Pyeong-yang-seong)

A Lotte Entertainment presentation of a Tiger Pictures, Achim Pictures production. (International sales: M-Line Distribution, Seoul.) Produced by Jo Cheol-hyeon, Oh Seung-hyeon, Lee Jeong-se. Executive producer, Son Gwang-ik. Directed by Lee Joon-ik. Screenplay, Jo Cheol-hyeon, Oh Seung-hyeon.With: Jeong Jin-yeong, Lee Mun-shik, Ryu Seung-ryong, Yun Je-mun, Seon Woo-seon, Hwang Jeong-min, Lee Weon-jong, Gwang Su, Lee Dae-yeon, Gang Ha-neul.A mock-heroic sequel to his "Once Upon a Time in a Battlefield" (2003), Korean helmer Lee Joon-ik's "Battlefield Heroes" picks up the action (and the comedy) eight years later in 668 A.D. Lee excels at maintaining a wide spectrum of memorable, sharply delineated characters of different classes, advancing parallel storylines in which kings and generals scheme and double-cross, manipulating armies like chess pieces, while hapless conscripted peasants scramble to survive. After yielding disappointing Korean B.O. returns, "Heroes" caused the hitherto commercially successful Lee to announce his retirement (since recanted), but the film should shine on the fest circuit. A newly hatched war positions the small southern Korean state of Shilla in a dangerous alliance with China's Tang dynasty against the large northern state of Goguryeo, the film bitterly parodying North/South Korean relations in general and specific terms. One particularly hilarious scene sees the North Koreans catapulting live chickens, goats, pigs and cows over their ramparts into the bewildered South Korean camp in retaliation for the latter's disconcerting offer of rice (an absurdist reference to food relief). On the highest level, Shilla's sardonic young king (Hwang Jeong-min) follows the counsel of his wily old general (Jeong Jin-yeong), who, rightfully distrustful of their superpower ally, withholds his main forces -- the first strategic move in a long, cunning game against Tang treachery. On the northern side, Goguryeo's fearsome general (Lee Weon-jong) dies, but not before bypassing his eldest, diplomatically inclined son (Yun Je-mun) in favor of his martial second-born (Ryu Seung-ryong), thus setting brother against brother; it's the closest Lee ever comes to outright Shakespearean tragedy. But the helmer grants no inner conflict or humanity to the cold, villainous Tangs, united under a single autocratic general (Lee Dae-yeon). Among the groundlings, the pic finds its true antic hero in Thingy (Lee Mun-shik), a peasant so poor he doesn't own a name. A veteran of the earlier war chronicled in "Once Upon a Time in a Battlefield," Thingy instructs his countrymen in the fine art of staying alive -- by marching in place when others are advancing, for instance. Accidentally catapulted into the enemy stronghold, Thingy is persuaded to broadcast a heartfelt propaganda message to the southern army, expounding on the futility of war and the treachery of the Tangs; in exchange, he demands the hand of a feisty female warrior (Seon Woo-seon) in a subplot that plays like a coy feudal romantic comedy. All this transpires during sweeping epic battles in which mysterious secret weapons rain deadly projectiles upon formations of luckless soldiers. Lee creates brilliantly stratified storylines, each with its own level of satire, slapstick or tragedy, and sustains them through a convoluted mix of action and class distinctions. The fixed nature of the siege dictates that the two sides deploy ever more devious, desperate measures as rocks, fire, animals, vegetables and humans are catapulted back and forth. Despite the huge cast, each character is immediately recognizable, his role in the overall drama never negligible in the ingenious script by producers Jo Cheol-hyeon and Oh Seung-hyeon. Sa Gong-heui's production design combines historical scope with a measure of medieval whimsy.Camera (color, widescreen), Jeong Jeong-hun; editor, Kim Sang-beom, Kim Jae-beom; music, Kim Jun-seok; production designer, Sa Gong-heui; art director, Gang Seung-yong; costume designer, Shim Hyeon-seob; sound (Dolby SRD), Im Hyeong-geun; supervising sound editor, Choi Tae-young; action director, Choi Tae-hwan; special effects, Hong Jang-pyo; visual effects, Son Seung-hyeon. Reviewed at New York Asian Film Festival, July 14, 2011. Running time: 118 MIN. Contact the Variety newsroom at news@variety.com

Friday Box Office: Apes Rise to the Top of the Charts

It looks like all the release date shuffling that Twentieth Century Fox did with Rise of the Planet of the Apes paid off. The critically loved summer entry (with some notable exceptions) exceeded expectations throughout the day on Friday and wound up grossing $19.75 million during its opening day. That puts Apes on track for a three-day weekend tally of over $50 million, making it one of summer’s biggest box office surprises. Perhaps not as surprising was that audiences rejected The Change-Up like it was baby poop; the Ryan Reynolds-Jason Bateman body switch comedy earned just $4.5 million on Friday night, bad enough for fourth place. Your Friday Box Office is here. 1. RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES: $19.75 million (new) 2. THE SMURFS: $5.7 million ($60.9 million) 3. COWBOYS & ALIENS: $4.6 million ($56.2 million) 4. THE CHANGE-UP: $4.5 million (new) 5. CAPTAIN AMERICA: FIRST AVENGER: $3.7 million ($133.8 million) [Estimates via Deadline]

Experts Boo Oprah's Honorary Oscar

Discovery The famous host oprah, meet Oscar. On Tuesday the board of governors from the Academy of movement Picture Arts and Sciences chosen to provide The famous host oprah Winfrey an honorary Oscar in the November. 12 Governor's Honours. It's known as the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award, provided to an "individual within the movie industry whose humanitarian efforts have introduced credit towards the industry.'" Not everybody is applauding the move, because Winfrey hasn't exactly proven a laserlike concentrate on movies since her 1986 Oscar nomination for that Color Crimson. "She's within the movie industry?" New You are able to Film Experts Circle chair John Anderson asks THR sarcastically. "It appears just like a shameless bid for any rankings boost -- although after they begin to show clips from Beloved and also the Color Crimson the amounts will plummet." Many charge that giving Winfrey the philanthropic award is actually an effort to obtain her to become philanthropic towards the academy, by turning up in the Feb Oscar broadcast along with the untelevised Governor's Honours. The La Occasions' Patrick Goldstein known as Winfrey's award "boneheaded." A Winfrey fan like former NWFCC chair Armond Whitened, who with excitement chosen on her within the 1986 National Society of Film Experts Honours and also the New You are able to Film Experts Circle Honours, was appalled. "Performs this recently introduced Academy prize prove that The famous host oprah means exactly the same factor to Hollywood as past Jean Hersholt Award those who win Bob Hope, Frank Sinatra, Katherine Hepburn, Bette Davis, Lew Wasserman, Charlton Heston?" Whitened asks THR rhetorically. "Is yet another method for the academy to carry on to grovel for TV rankings?" Yes, most likely. And Winfrey could sure apply certain Oscar-fueled rankings boost on her fledgling The famous host oprah Winfrey Network. Winfrey's award, together with the honorary Oscar that'll be provided to James Earl Johnson, also serves to assuage the Academy's probable guilt within the much-belittled chronic lack of black faces one of the regular Oscar nominees. Winfrey may be the second black Hersholt champion after 1995's Quincy Johnson. "May be the Academy kowtowing towards the silly complaints that no black stars were nominated this season?Inch states Whitened. "The Academy awards are meant to actually cover the whole shebang Hollywood admires, not really a score-keeping mechanism for ethnic and racial equality. With that standard the Academy awards fail Indigenous Peoples, Asians, Africans, Scandinavians, and Latin People in america each year. I'm afraid individuals complaints were just media hype, an effort by some to keep the Academy awards hostage to political correctness." It appears unlikely that Winfrey (or even the exceedingly eminent actor Johnson) is really a mere illustration of PC tokenism. But to date, her Hersholt isn't winning many honours in the courtroom of public opinion. The famous host oprah Winfrey Oscars Academy awards 2012

WGAE Adds Fourth Nonfiction TV Production Company To Roster

Employees who write and produce nonfiction television shows including Monsters Inside Me, Samantha Browns Great Weekends and Worst Cooks in America for the production company Optomen Television have voted to be represented by the Writers Guild of America, East. Staff at three other nonfiction TV production companies have already voted for Guild representation. First contract negotiations at two of the companies, Atlas Media and Lion Television are set to begin on Thursday and Monday, respectively. We are excited that the talented people of Optomen have voted to join the Writers Guild, East. Theirs is the latest in a series of Guild election victories in the realm of non-fiction television. We look forward to working with them and to continue reaching out to the many creative men and women of non-fiction production said WGAE President Michael Winship. The National Labor Relations Board election at Optomen took place in December but a final vote count had been hung up in procedural delays. The final ballot was unsealed this afternoon giving the Writers Guild a majority of votes. A formal certification of the result by the NLRB is expected shortly. WGAE Executive Director Lowell Peterson will lead the unions bargaining team in negotiations with Lion and Atlas. The Writers Guild of America, East, AFL-CIO, is a labor union representing writers in motion pictures, television, cable, digital media, and broadcast news. The WGAE conducts programs, seminars, and events on issues of interest to, and on behalf of, writers. In addition, it represents writers interests on the legislative level. For more information on the Writers Guild of America, East, visit www.wgaeast.org.

Box Office Update: 'Cowboys & Aliens' Pulls In front of 'Smurfs'

Inside a race that riveted Hollywood in to the early hrs of Monday, Cowboy & Aliens has drawn in front of dark equine The Smurfs to win the weekend box office race.our editor recommends'Cowboys & Aliens' Director Jon Favreau: I Came Across 'Magic' of Movies as Theater Usher'Cowboys & Aliens' Reviews: What Experts Say'Smurfs' Versus. 'Cowboys and Aliens': Moviegoers Respond to Opening Evening Upset'The Smurfs' Reviews: What Experts Say PHOTOS: Summer time Movie Guide On Sunday, The new sony put Smurfs' forecasted weekend at gross at $36.two million-just like the believed gross of DreamWorks and Universal's Cowboys. Both films dropped roughly 23% on Sunday, making the race impossible to call Sunday evening. Rival galleries demonstrated both films grossing roughly $35.six million. STORY: How 'Smurfs' Tied 'Cowboys & Aliens' in the Box Office But by midday Monday, Universal put Cowboys' opening at $36.4 million, in comparison to $35.six million for Smurfs. Box office associates stated there is an issue with confirming for many AMC theaters, explaining why Cowboys' number can in greater than expected. PHOTOS: Best and Worst Alien Movies While this is a win for Jon Favreau's Cowboys, Smurfs remains the large victor from the weekend. Heading in to the weekend, Cowboys was the obvious leader. Depending on monitoring, Universal stated the large-budget pic should open within the $42 million to $45 million range. PHOTOS: 9 Big Babies: Movies Which Have Entered the ten Figure Mark Smurfs, predicted to earn $25 million to $$ 30 million, far exceeded anticipation in the box office debut. Cowboys, starring Difficulties and Harrison Ford, cost $163 million to create after rebates, while Smurfs cost $110 million. Related Subjects The Smurfs Cowboys & Aliens