And the award for good timing goes to Netflix. In the wake of Oppenheimer’s inevitable Oscar coronation Sunday night, a celebration of a movie about the tormented father of the atomic bomb and the world he helped create, the mega-streamer has dropped Turning Point: The Bomb and the Cold War, which includes an extensive account of the events leading up to the Manhattan Project, the atomic testing at Los Alamos, the annihilation of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and the arms race that defined the second half of the Twentieth Century.
- 3/12/2024
- by Chris Vognar
- Rollingstone.com
Pain Hustlers is a crime drama film directed by David Yates, from a screenplay by Wells Tower and Evan Hughes. The Netflix film follows the story of a single mother Liza, who joins the sales team of a bankrupt pharmaceutical company after losing her and because of her, the sales go through the roof. This helps her to reach the high life but what she doesn’t know is that she is putting herself right in the middle of a federal conspiracy. Pain Hustler stars Emily Blunt and Chris Evans in the lead roles with Andy García and Catherine O’Hara starring in supporting roles. So, if you loved the Netflix film here are some similar movies you could watch next.
Thank You For Smoking (Rent on Prime Video) Credit – Fox Searchlight Pictures
Synopsis: Based on Christopher Buckley’s acclaimed 1994 novel of the same title and adapted for the screen by Jason Reitman,...
Thank You For Smoking (Rent on Prime Video) Credit – Fox Searchlight Pictures
Synopsis: Based on Christopher Buckley’s acclaimed 1994 novel of the same title and adapted for the screen by Jason Reitman,...
- 10/27/2023
- by Kulwant Singh
- Cinema Blind
Undoubtedly, Al Pacino claims the top spot among Hollywood’s greatest dramatic actors of all time.
Spanning over five remarkable decades, Pacino’s illustrious career has been marked by his delivery of iconic performances, leading him to garner multiple Emmy and Tony Awards, in addition to an Oscar for Best Actor.
Related: Top 10 Richest Actors in the World [2022]
In the gangster movie genre, Pacino stands tall alongside legends like Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci.
Pacino’s breakthrough as Michael Corleone made him the ultimate choice for crime-related narratives, excelling in roles on both sides of the law in iconic crime dramas. His filmography boasts a consistent pattern of partnering with acclaimed directors like Francis Ford Coppola, Michael Mann, and Sidney Lumet, ensuring a continuous elevation of the art of storytelling in his chosen projects.
Despite having received a modest number of wins, Pacino’s impact on the silver screen remains immeasurable,...
Spanning over five remarkable decades, Pacino’s illustrious career has been marked by his delivery of iconic performances, leading him to garner multiple Emmy and Tony Awards, in addition to an Oscar for Best Actor.
Related: Top 10 Richest Actors in the World [2022]
In the gangster movie genre, Pacino stands tall alongside legends like Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci.
Pacino’s breakthrough as Michael Corleone made him the ultimate choice for crime-related narratives, excelling in roles on both sides of the law in iconic crime dramas. His filmography boasts a consistent pattern of partnering with acclaimed directors like Francis Ford Coppola, Michael Mann, and Sidney Lumet, ensuring a continuous elevation of the art of storytelling in his chosen projects.
Despite having received a modest number of wins, Pacino’s impact on the silver screen remains immeasurable,...
- 5/31/2023
- by Dee Gambit
- buddytv.com
Al Pacino chewed some delicious scenery in the late 1990s. Twice at Michael Mann's direction, he excelled as a hard-nosed investigator (Detective Vincent Hanna in "Heat" then journalist Lowell Bergman in "The Insider"). He stole the show from his younger co-stars both in "Donnie Brasco" and "Devil's Advocate," proving youth can't compare with sheer talent.
Pacino's last film of this period was the football drama "Any Given Sunday." He played Tony D'Amato, the aging coach of the Miami Sharks. The film's most famous scene, a motivational speech by D'Amato to his players, is carried entirely by Pacino. The speech as written and Pacino's delivery of it are masterful in their escalation. D'Amato starts weary, telling the players, "We're in hell gentleman." Yet, he manages to describe the grave odds in a way that makes you want to defy them:
"Because in either game, life or football, the margin...
Pacino's last film of this period was the football drama "Any Given Sunday." He played Tony D'Amato, the aging coach of the Miami Sharks. The film's most famous scene, a motivational speech by D'Amato to his players, is carried entirely by Pacino. The speech as written and Pacino's delivery of it are masterful in their escalation. D'Amato starts weary, telling the players, "We're in hell gentleman." Yet, he manages to describe the grave odds in a way that makes you want to defy them:
"Because in either game, life or football, the margin...
- 11/5/2022
- by Devin Meenan
- Slash Film
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From “The Godfather,” to “Dog Day Afternoon,” “Serpico,” and “Scarface,” Al Pacino is one of the greatest actors to ever grace the silver screen. He’s worked with prolific directors, received nine Oscars nominations — though he’s only won once, and fashioned the kind of acting career that’s worth celebrating over and over again.
In honor of the acting legend’s birthday, we put together a list of some of the many classic Pacino films that you can buy on Blu-ray, and stream on HBO Max, Amazon Prime, and other platforms. And because it’s never too early to start thinking about Mother’s Day and Father’s Day gifts, feel free...
From “The Godfather,” to “Dog Day Afternoon,” “Serpico,” and “Scarface,” Al Pacino is one of the greatest actors to ever grace the silver screen. He’s worked with prolific directors, received nine Oscars nominations — though he’s only won once, and fashioned the kind of acting career that’s worth celebrating over and over again.
In honor of the acting legend’s birthday, we put together a list of some of the many classic Pacino films that you can buy on Blu-ray, and stream on HBO Max, Amazon Prime, and other platforms. And because it’s never too early to start thinking about Mother’s Day and Father’s Day gifts, feel free...
- 4/25/2021
- by Latifah Muhammad
- Indiewire
Alex Gibney is driving from his home in New Jersey to Philadelphia Stadium for Neon’s drive-in premiere of “Totally Under Control,” his hard-hitting exposé about how President Donald Trump and his administration’s response to Covid-19 cost the lives of over 210,000 Americans. Eight months ago, this movie wasn’t even a notion; now it’s one of three non-fiction projects from the Oscar-winning documentarian (“Taxi to the Dark Side”) on multiple platforms this fall. “Totally Under Control” is available On Demand October 13 and hits Hulu October 20.
The pandemic has done little to slow down Gibney and his prolific Jigsaw Prods. His HBO documentary “Crazy, Not Insane” was supposed to debut at SXSW; instead, his intimate profile of forensic psychiatrist Dorothy Otnow Lewis who diagnosed high-profile killers with multiple personality disorders debuted at Venice and will finally reach HBO in November.
Gibney also completed “Agents of Chaos,” his two-part, four-hour...
The pandemic has done little to slow down Gibney and his prolific Jigsaw Prods. His HBO documentary “Crazy, Not Insane” was supposed to debut at SXSW; instead, his intimate profile of forensic psychiatrist Dorothy Otnow Lewis who diagnosed high-profile killers with multiple personality disorders debuted at Venice and will finally reach HBO in November.
Gibney also completed “Agents of Chaos,” his two-part, four-hour...
- 10/14/2020
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
Alex Gibney is driving from his home in New Jersey to Philadelphia Stadium for Neon’s drive-in premiere of “Totally Under Control,” his hard-hitting exposé about how President Donald Trump and his administration’s response to Covid-19 cost the lives of over 210,000 Americans. Eight months ago, this movie wasn’t even a notion; now it’s one of three non-fiction projects from the Oscar-winning documentarian (“Taxi to the Dark Side”) on multiple platforms this fall. “Totally Under Control” is available On Demand October 13 and hits Hulu October 20.
The pandemic has done little to slow down Gibney and his prolific Jigsaw Prods. His HBO documentary “Crazy, Not Insane” was supposed to debut at SXSW; instead, his intimate profile of forensic psychiatrist Dorothy Otnow Lewis who diagnosed high-profile killers with multiple personality disorders debuted at Venice and will finally reach HBO in November.
Gibney also completed “Agents of Chaos,” his two-part, four-hour...
The pandemic has done little to slow down Gibney and his prolific Jigsaw Prods. His HBO documentary “Crazy, Not Insane” was supposed to debut at SXSW; instead, his intimate profile of forensic psychiatrist Dorothy Otnow Lewis who diagnosed high-profile killers with multiple personality disorders debuted at Venice and will finally reach HBO in November.
Gibney also completed “Agents of Chaos,” his two-part, four-hour...
- 10/14/2020
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
Alex Gibney, the Emmy and Oscar winning documentary filmmaker who has previously investigated everything from Scientology to Theranos, will pull back the curtain on Russian collusion in the 2016 U.S. elections.
Dubbed “Agents of Chaos,” the two-part film will debut on HBO on Sept. 23 in advance of the 2020 presidential contest. The second installment will air on Sept. 24. Gibney previously collaborated with HBO on the likes of “Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief” and “The Inventor: Out For Blood in Silicon Valley.”
“The was a Herculean effort that was reminiscent of the cleaning of the Augean stables in terms of difficulty,” Gibney told Variety. “While a lot has been written about certain aspects of this story, much of it was done in such a superficial way that it was hard for people to penetrate. We felt there was value in presenting this as one all-encompassing narrative.”
The resulting film...
Dubbed “Agents of Chaos,” the two-part film will debut on HBO on Sept. 23 in advance of the 2020 presidential contest. The second installment will air on Sept. 24. Gibney previously collaborated with HBO on the likes of “Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief” and “The Inventor: Out For Blood in Silicon Valley.”
“The was a Herculean effort that was reminiscent of the cleaning of the Augean stables in terms of difficulty,” Gibney told Variety. “While a lot has been written about certain aspects of this story, much of it was done in such a superficial way that it was hard for people to penetrate. We felt there was value in presenting this as one all-encompassing narrative.”
The resulting film...
- 8/24/2020
- by Brent Lang
- Variety Film + TV
From portraying a mob don and an AIDS-stricken attorney to a comic strip villain and a Nazi hunter, Al Pacino has done it all. In honor of his long and distinguished career (and his 80th birthday), we offer up this retrospect that showcases his expansive diversity.
N.Y.P.D (1968) • A then 28-year-old Pacino made his TV debut on this ABC police procedural plan the victim of a shooting.
Me, Natalie (1971) • Pacino had a small role in this film starring Patty Duke about a girl who struggles with her appearance.
The Panic in Needle Park (1971) • Pacino played a small-town crook leading a woman down a path of heroin addiction. His work in this film caught the eye of director Francis Ford Coppola
The Godfather (1971) • And then came “The Godfather” and his first Academy Award nomination. Need we say more?
Serpico (1973) • Pacino earned his second Oscar nomination playing New York City policeman Frank Serpico,...
N.Y.P.D (1968) • A then 28-year-old Pacino made his TV debut on this ABC police procedural plan the victim of a shooting.
Me, Natalie (1971) • Pacino had a small role in this film starring Patty Duke about a girl who struggles with her appearance.
The Panic in Needle Park (1971) • Pacino played a small-town crook leading a woman down a path of heroin addiction. His work in this film caught the eye of director Francis Ford Coppola
The Godfather (1971) • And then came “The Godfather” and his first Academy Award nomination. Need we say more?
Serpico (1973) • Pacino earned his second Oscar nomination playing New York City policeman Frank Serpico,...
- 4/25/2020
- by Rosemary Rossi
- The Wrap
Al Pacino will portray Penn State football coach Joe Paterno in an upcoming HBO biopic.
The film, directed by Barry Levinson, focuses on the sexual assault scandal that rocked the university and tarnished Paterno's legacy.
According to Variety, the film's synopsis states, "After becoming the winningest coach in college football history, Joe Paterno is embroiled in Penn State’s Jerry Sandusky sexual abuse scandal, challenging his legacy and forcing him to face questions of institutional failure on behalf of the victims."
Pacino has been attached to a Paterno film since...
The film, directed by Barry Levinson, focuses on the sexual assault scandal that rocked the university and tarnished Paterno's legacy.
According to Variety, the film's synopsis states, "After becoming the winningest coach in college football history, Joe Paterno is embroiled in Penn State’s Jerry Sandusky sexual abuse scandal, challenging his legacy and forcing him to face questions of institutional failure on behalf of the victims."
Pacino has been attached to a Paterno film since...
- 6/6/2017
- Rollingstone.com
'The Insider' movie: Al Pacino and Russell Crowe 'The Insider' movie: 1999 exposé of CBS news show barks, but doesn't bite Michael Mann's 1999 movie The Insider quote exchange: "It's old news. ... We'll be ok," says Don Hewitt (Philip Baker Hall), the creator of the CBS news show 60 Minutes. "These things have a half-life of 15 minutes." "No, that's fame," replies 60 Minutes anchor Mike Wallace (Christopher Plummer). "Fame has a 15-minute half-life. Infamy lasts a little longer." The infamous "things" referred to by Hewitt and Wallace are the series of scandals that erupted in early 1996, when it was revealed that CBS had refused to air an interview with a tobacco company whistleblower because the network feared the (financial) consequences. What Freedom of the Press? Based on Marie Brenner's Vanity Fair article about the events that led up to that embarrassing – and disturbing – incident, The Insider tells the story of scientist Jeffrey Wigand...
- 5/14/2015
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
Odd List Ryan Lambie Simon Brew 21 Nov 2013 - 05:51
The underappreciated films of 1999 are the focus in our last list of 90s overlooked greats...
The year 1999 was a significant year for film in many ways. Apart from being the year that George Lucas began his Star Wars prequels with The Phantom Menace, it also saw the release of The Blair Witch Project, a horror film which became one of the first to use the internet as a marketing tool, resulting in a massive hit. The Matrix ushered in a new age of special effects filmmaking, arguably paving the way for the superhero blockbusters crowding into multiplexes today.
Mainly, though, 1999 was simply a brilliant year for film. Justly lauded movies like Fight Club, The Green Mile and Eyes Wide Shut aside, there were a huge number of films that didn't get the critical or financial success they deserved - so many,...
The underappreciated films of 1999 are the focus in our last list of 90s overlooked greats...
The year 1999 was a significant year for film in many ways. Apart from being the year that George Lucas began his Star Wars prequels with The Phantom Menace, it also saw the release of The Blair Witch Project, a horror film which became one of the first to use the internet as a marketing tool, resulting in a massive hit. The Matrix ushered in a new age of special effects filmmaking, arguably paving the way for the superhero blockbusters crowding into multiplexes today.
Mainly, though, 1999 was simply a brilliant year for film. Justly lauded movies like Fight Club, The Green Mile and Eyes Wide Shut aside, there were a huge number of films that didn't get the critical or financial success they deserved - so many,...
- 11/20/2013
- by ryanlambie
- Den of Geek
Chicago – There are still a stunning number of films from the ’90s and ’00s not on Blu-ray but Bvhe recently corrected one of those oversights by releasing the stellar “The Insider,” one of the best films of arguably the best year for cinema in the last two decades — 1999. In a year that included “Magnolia,” “American Beauty,” “The Matrix,” “Three Kings,” “Fight Club,” “Toy Story 2,” “The Iron Giant.” “All About My Mother,” “Princess Mononoke,” “Election,” “Being John Malkovich,” and many more, “The Insider” went overlooked by too many people and certainly by history. With perfect technical elements, stunning performances, and perfect direction by the great Michael Mann, this is a spectacular film.
Rating: 4.5/5.0
The film has actually been digitally restored, not just transferred to the HD form, and it looks great. I forgot how detailed Dante Spinotti’s Oscar-nominated work was here or how tight William Goldenberg’s editing (he...
Rating: 4.5/5.0
The film has actually been digitally restored, not just transferred to the HD form, and it looks great. I forgot how detailed Dante Spinotti’s Oscar-nominated work was here or how tight William Goldenberg’s editing (he...
- 2/27/2013
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Cinelinx gets the truth from the new Blu-ray for Michael Mann's The Insider.
The Set-up
A tobacco executive (Russell Crowe) has his life turned upside down when he exposes the dirty secrets of cigarette companies to a 60 Minutes producer (Al Pacino) and Mike Wallace (Christopher Plummer). Based on true events.
Directed by Michael Mann
The Delivery
Michael Mann's account of Dr. Jeffrey Wigand's efforts to expose big tobacco earned seven Oscar nominations in 1999, including Best Picture, but didn't win a single one. American Beauty may have been the big winner that year, but The Insider deserves much more credit than it received.
It has been a number of years since I sat down and watched my DVD of The Insider, but after five minutes of popping in the Blu-ray, I remembered why I bought the movie in the first place. This is an outstanding film that hasn't...
The Set-up
A tobacco executive (Russell Crowe) has his life turned upside down when he exposes the dirty secrets of cigarette companies to a 60 Minutes producer (Al Pacino) and Mike Wallace (Christopher Plummer). Based on true events.
Directed by Michael Mann
The Delivery
Michael Mann's account of Dr. Jeffrey Wigand's efforts to expose big tobacco earned seven Oscar nominations in 1999, including Best Picture, but didn't win a single one. American Beauty may have been the big winner that year, but The Insider deserves much more credit than it received.
It has been a number of years since I sat down and watched my DVD of The Insider, but after five minutes of popping in the Blu-ray, I remembered why I bought the movie in the first place. This is an outstanding film that hasn't...
- 2/26/2013
- by feeds@cinelinx.com (Victor Medina)
- Cinelinx
The Internet may be taking its toll on print journalism, but war photography is alive and well. Last week, Michael Mann (The Insider, Ali, Heat) and documentary director David Frankham launched a four-part documentary series on HBO called Witness, which follows seasoned war photographers through some of the most dangerous conflict zones on earth. Eros Hoagland, whose father was killed during his own work as a war photographer, takes viewers to Juarez, Mexico, and the favelas of Rio de Janeiro; French photojournalist Veronique de Viguerie, notorious for embedding with the Taliban, leads us through the jungles of South Sudan; and Michael Christopher Brown,...
- 11/12/2012
- by Josh Stillman
- EW - Inside TV
By Allen Gardner
Harold And Maude (Criterion) Hal Ashby’s masterpiece of black humor centers on a wealthy young man (Bud Cort) who’s obsessed with death and the septuagenarian (Ruth Gordon) with whom he finds true love. As unabashedly romantic as it is quirky, with Cat Stevens supplying one of the great film scores of all-time. Fine support from Vivian Pickles, Cyril Cusack, Charles Tyner, and Ellen Geer. Fine screenplay by Colin Higgins. Also available on Blu-ray disc. Bonuses: Commentary by Hal Ashby biographer Nick Dawson, producer Charles Mulvehill; Illustrated audio excerpts from seminars by Ashby and Higgins; Interview with Cat Stevens. Widescreen. Dolby 2.0 stereo.
In Darkness (Sony) Agnieszka Holland’s Ww II epic tells the true story of a sewer worker and petty thief in Nazi-occupied Poland who single-handedly helped hide a group of Jews in the city’s labyrinthine sewer system for the duration of the war.
Harold And Maude (Criterion) Hal Ashby’s masterpiece of black humor centers on a wealthy young man (Bud Cort) who’s obsessed with death and the septuagenarian (Ruth Gordon) with whom he finds true love. As unabashedly romantic as it is quirky, with Cat Stevens supplying one of the great film scores of all-time. Fine support from Vivian Pickles, Cyril Cusack, Charles Tyner, and Ellen Geer. Fine screenplay by Colin Higgins. Also available on Blu-ray disc. Bonuses: Commentary by Hal Ashby biographer Nick Dawson, producer Charles Mulvehill; Illustrated audio excerpts from seminars by Ashby and Higgins; Interview with Cat Stevens. Widescreen. Dolby 2.0 stereo.
In Darkness (Sony) Agnieszka Holland’s Ww II epic tells the true story of a sewer worker and petty thief in Nazi-occupied Poland who single-handedly helped hide a group of Jews in the city’s labyrinthine sewer system for the duration of the war.
- 6/5/2012
- by The Hollywood Interview.com
- The Hollywood Interview
Mike Wallace wasn’t a fan of “The Insider,” but was the veteran newsman too tough on Michael Mann’s movie? In this clip from Tuesday’s Daily Download, Editor in Chief Lauren Ashburn and her co-host, Newsweek/Daily Beast’s Howard Kurtz, use TheWrap’s interview with former "60 Minutes" producer Lowell Bergman as a jumping-off point for a broader discussion of Wallace and the role of the star anchor in TV news. “Well, you can’t blame him for it,” Ashburn says of Wallace’s displeasure over how he and his “60 Minutes” team came off in the film.
- 5/16/2012
- by Kasia Anderson
- The Wrap
Mike Wallace hated Michael Mann's "The Insider" complaining that the film took too many dramatic liberties with the story of CBS' decision not to air a "60 Minutes" segment on tobacco whistleblower Jeffrey Wigand over fears of a lawsuit. Lowell Bergman, the producer on the Wigand segment and a consultant on Mann's film, tells TheWrap that what bothered Wallace the most was that the movie pulled back the curtain and revealed that the people behind the camera, and not the legendary newsman, did the bulk of the dirt digging on "60...
- 5/15/2012
- by Brent Lang
- The Wrap
It turns out Christopher Plummer was not the first choice to play Mike Wallace in "The Insider." Michael Mann, the director of the Oscar-nominated 1999 drama, wanted the legendary "60 Minutes" correspondent to play himself in the film about his interview with tobacco whistleblower Jeffrey Wigand, according to Lowell Bergman. Bergman, a former producer on the CBS news program, told TheWrap that before filming took place he arranged for Mann to meet Wallace at the Beverly Wilshire hotel to discuss taking the part. However, the conversation never happened and Wallace left the hotel before...
- 5/15/2012
- by Brent Lang
- The Wrap
Rupert Murdoch is in for a lot of embarrassment tonight based on this clip from the documentary about the UK hacking scandal that will air on PBS’ Frontline. It describes how important News Of The World and other UK tabloids were to Murdoch’s rise, his love of gossip, and how his papers “monstered” — meaning, destroyed — those who got in his way. Veteran reporter Lowell Bergman led the investigation for the episode titled “Murdoch’s Scandal.”
Watch Getting “Monstered” By the Murdoch Tabloids on PBS. See more from Frontline.
Watch Getting “Monstered” By the Murdoch Tabloids on PBS. See more from Frontline.
- 3/27/2012
- by DAVID LIEBERMAN, Executive Editor
- Deadline TV
The Blu-ray reissue of the classic Scarface is out today. To celebrate, James looks back over the most memorable performances of its star, Al Pacino...
With a veritable catalogue of iconic performances to his name, it’d be hard to argue against the fact that Al Pacino is the finest – and most consistent – American actor to ever grace the silver screen.
From his first, small part in the 1969 independent movie, Me Natalie, through to his performance in the upcoming biopic of Phil Spector, Pacino’s career has always been eye-catching.
However, it was his appearance in the 1971 movie The Panic In Needle Park that properly kick-started his film-career. A bleak, verité style film, The Panic In Needle Park told the story of Bobby (Pacino) a hustling, drug addict in early 70s New York and his doomed relationship with fellow junkie, Helen (Kitty Winn).
An art house hit, The Panic in Needle Park...
With a veritable catalogue of iconic performances to his name, it’d be hard to argue against the fact that Al Pacino is the finest – and most consistent – American actor to ever grace the silver screen.
From his first, small part in the 1969 independent movie, Me Natalie, through to his performance in the upcoming biopic of Phil Spector, Pacino’s career has always been eye-catching.
However, it was his appearance in the 1971 movie The Panic In Needle Park that properly kick-started his film-career. A bleak, verité style film, The Panic In Needle Park told the story of Bobby (Pacino) a hustling, drug addict in early 70s New York and his doomed relationship with fellow junkie, Helen (Kitty Winn).
An art house hit, The Panic in Needle Park...
- 9/2/2011
- Den of Geek
As soon as we thought we could predict the outcome of the Oscars, here comes another surprise! This one's brought to you by the Writers Guild of America. Picked for Best Original Screenplay was Christopher Nolan's "Inception." The director, famously dissed for not getting a Best Director Oscar nomination, may just win the Best Original Screenplay come Oscar night. Oscar front-runner, "The King's Speech" was not nominated because it didn't quality under union rules which prompted Nolan to say during his WGA acceptance award that he looked forward to a time when he could accept the award "without qualification."
That could be the beginning of a great script Mr. Nolan, go write it :happy
For adapted screenplay, I'm happy to report that Aaron Sorkin's fantastic script won! Based on "The Accidental Billionaires" by Ben Mezrich, "The Social Network" was the only film last year that I predicted to win this very category.
That could be the beginning of a great script Mr. Nolan, go write it :happy
For adapted screenplay, I'm happy to report that Aaron Sorkin's fantastic script won! Based on "The Accidental Billionaires" by Ben Mezrich, "The Social Network" was the only film last year that I predicted to win this very category.
- 2/7/2011
- by Manny
- Manny the Movie Guy
"I Love You Phillip Morris" came out of nowhere and secured a nod for the 2011 Writers Guild Awards. Based on the book by Steven McVicker, the film starring Jim Carrey and Ewan McGRegor as prisoners in love received a Best Adapted Screenplay nomination.
"Phillip Morris" will be competing with awards-favorites "127 Hours" (screenplay by Danny Boyle & Simon Beaufoy), "The Social Network" (screenplay Aaron Sorkin), "The Town" (screenplay by Peter Craig and Ben Affleck & Aaron Stockard), and True Grit (screenplay by Joel Coen & Ethan Coen).
In the Original Screenplay category, critics-darlings "Black Swan" (screenplay by Mark Heyman and Andres Heinz and John McLaughlin), "The Fighter" (screenplay by Scott Silver and Paul Tamasy & Eric Johnson), "Inception" (Christopher Nolan), and "The Kids Are All Right" (written by Lisa Cholodenko & Stuart Blumberg) will be competing with "Please Give" by Nicole Holofcener. Much like "I Love You Phillip Morris," "Please Give," a family dramedy set in New York,...
"Phillip Morris" will be competing with awards-favorites "127 Hours" (screenplay by Danny Boyle & Simon Beaufoy), "The Social Network" (screenplay Aaron Sorkin), "The Town" (screenplay by Peter Craig and Ben Affleck & Aaron Stockard), and True Grit (screenplay by Joel Coen & Ethan Coen).
In the Original Screenplay category, critics-darlings "Black Swan" (screenplay by Mark Heyman and Andres Heinz and John McLaughlin), "The Fighter" (screenplay by Scott Silver and Paul Tamasy & Eric Johnson), "Inception" (Christopher Nolan), and "The Kids Are All Right" (written by Lisa Cholodenko & Stuart Blumberg) will be competing with "Please Give" by Nicole Holofcener. Much like "I Love You Phillip Morris," "Please Give," a family dramedy set in New York,...
- 1/4/2011
- by Manny
- Manny the Movie Guy
HollywoodNews.com: The Writers Guild of America, West and the Writers Guild of America, East have announced nominations for outstanding achievement in television, news, radio, promotional writing, and graphic animation during the 2010 season to be honored at the 2011 Writers Guild Awards on February 5, 2011, in Los Angeles and New York.
Television Nominees
Dramatic Series
Boardwalk Empire, Written by Meg Jackson, Lawrence Konner, Howard Korder, Steve Kornacki, Margaret Nagle, Tim Van Patten, Paul Simms, Terence Winter; HBO
Breaking Bad, Written by Sam Catlin, Vince Gilligan, Peter Gould, Gennifer Hutchison, George Mastras, Tom Schnauz, John Shiban, Moira Walley-Beckett; AMC
Dexter, Written by Scott Buck, Manny Coto, Charles H. Eglee, Lauren Gussis, Chip Johannessen, Jim Leonard, Clyde Phillips, Scott Reynolds, Melissa Rosenberg, Tim Schlattmann, Wendy West; Showtime
Friday Night Lights, Written by Bridget Carpenter, Kerry Ehrin, Ron Fitzgerald, Etan Frankel, Monica Henderson, David Hudgins, Rolin Jones, Jason Katims, Patrick Massett, Derek Santos Olson, John Zinman; NBC
Mad Men,...
Television Nominees
Dramatic Series
Boardwalk Empire, Written by Meg Jackson, Lawrence Konner, Howard Korder, Steve Kornacki, Margaret Nagle, Tim Van Patten, Paul Simms, Terence Winter; HBO
Breaking Bad, Written by Sam Catlin, Vince Gilligan, Peter Gould, Gennifer Hutchison, George Mastras, Tom Schnauz, John Shiban, Moira Walley-Beckett; AMC
Dexter, Written by Scott Buck, Manny Coto, Charles H. Eglee, Lauren Gussis, Chip Johannessen, Jim Leonard, Clyde Phillips, Scott Reynolds, Melissa Rosenberg, Tim Schlattmann, Wendy West; Showtime
Friday Night Lights, Written by Bridget Carpenter, Kerry Ehrin, Ron Fitzgerald, Etan Frankel, Monica Henderson, David Hudgins, Rolin Jones, Jason Katims, Patrick Massett, Derek Santos Olson, John Zinman; NBC
Mad Men,...
- 12/8/2010
- by Linny Lum
- Hollywoodnews.com
As hard as it may be to believe sometimes, someone (or someones) actually sits down and writes a movie or TV show before you end up seeing it at your local multiplex or on your favorite TV network. The people who do the sitting and the writing are, surprisingly, called writers and, like the Directors, the Golden Globes and the Oscars, they have their own awards show.
This week, the Writers Guild of America, which is the trade group and advocate for writers, announced its nominations for outstanding achievement in feature film and television, radio, news, promotional writing, and graphic animation during the 2009 season to be honored at the upcoming 2010 Writers Guild Awards on February 20, 2010, in Los Angeles and New York.
We realize that these nominations may not be as glamorous as the Golden Globes or the Oscars, but we kinda like writers around here and think they do a pretty important job.
This week, the Writers Guild of America, which is the trade group and advocate for writers, announced its nominations for outstanding achievement in feature film and television, radio, news, promotional writing, and graphic animation during the 2009 season to be honored at the upcoming 2010 Writers Guild Awards on February 20, 2010, in Los Angeles and New York.
We realize that these nominations may not be as glamorous as the Golden Globes or the Oscars, but we kinda like writers around here and think they do a pretty important job.
- 1/13/2010
- by Joe Gillis
- The Flickcast
Awards heavyweights "Mad Men," "30 Rock" and "The Office" and buzzed-about newcomer "Modern Family" led the TV field for the 2010 Writers Guild Awards with three nominations each.
AMC's "Mad Men" and NBC's "30 Rock" and "The Office" are in the running for best drama/comedy series, and each received two nominations for episodic writing. "Family" made the cut for best comedy series, best new series and best episodic writing for a comedy series.
ABC's "Family" was one of two new shows to break into the best series categories along with Fox's quirky high-school dramedy "Glee," which faces "Family" in the best comedy series and best new series fields.
While the WGA Awards are still in its nomination phase, Fox's "The Simpsons" can already uncork the champagne. The veteran series is assured to win the animation category after landing all five nomination slots.
The biggest surprise among the series nominees was HBO's low-key baseball comedy "Eastbound & Down,...
AMC's "Mad Men" and NBC's "30 Rock" and "The Office" are in the running for best drama/comedy series, and each received two nominations for episodic writing. "Family" made the cut for best comedy series, best new series and best episodic writing for a comedy series.
ABC's "Family" was one of two new shows to break into the best series categories along with Fox's quirky high-school dramedy "Glee," which faces "Family" in the best comedy series and best new series fields.
While the WGA Awards are still in its nomination phase, Fox's "The Simpsons" can already uncork the champagne. The veteran series is assured to win the animation category after landing all five nomination slots.
The biggest surprise among the series nominees was HBO's low-key baseball comedy "Eastbound & Down,...
- 12/14/2009
- by By Nellie Andreeva
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Cast: Russell Crowe (Jeffrey Wigand), Al Pacino (Lowell Bergman)
Written by: Eric Roth and Michael Mann
Based on the Vanity Fair article ‘The man who knew too much’ by Marie Brenner
Directed by: Michael Mann
Release date: November 1999
Jeffrey Wigand was a top executive in one of the largest tobacco companies in the Us. The head of research, a member of the board of directors. He knew certain things about the company’s products and policies. Things you wouldn’t find mentioned in the annual report. Or discussed at the shareholders’ meeting. He was supposed to know those things. Lots of other people working there...
(more...)...
Written by: Eric Roth and Michael Mann
Based on the Vanity Fair article ‘The man who knew too much’ by Marie Brenner
Directed by: Michael Mann
Release date: November 1999
Jeffrey Wigand was a top executive in one of the largest tobacco companies in the Us. The head of research, a member of the board of directors. He knew certain things about the company’s products and policies. Things you wouldn’t find mentioned in the annual report. Or discussed at the shareholders’ meeting. He was supposed to know those things. Lots of other people working there...
(more...)...
- 10/26/2008
- by Priyankar
- ReelSuave.com
Jeffrey Wigand (Russell Crowe) finds a message in his mailbox
Photo: Touchstone Pictures It's strange to think The Insider was released just shy of ten years ago and was based on a 12-year-old "Vanity Fair" article and yet the tobacco industry seems just as strong as it has always been. Sure, smoking in bars and other public situations has been barred in a lot of places, but that hasn't stopped people from firing up a death stick. The absence of Joe Camel billboards doesn't stop me from seeing cigarettes everywhere. As The Insider gives us a mildly exaggerated look at just how far the tobacco industry will actually go to keep a lid on their secrets and to realize it is still legal for them to operate and sell their cancer is astounding. Billed heavily on Al Pacino's shoulders, The Insider is probably best remembered as Russell Crowe's break out role (this or L.
Photo: Touchstone Pictures It's strange to think The Insider was released just shy of ten years ago and was based on a 12-year-old "Vanity Fair" article and yet the tobacco industry seems just as strong as it has always been. Sure, smoking in bars and other public situations has been barred in a lot of places, but that hasn't stopped people from firing up a death stick. The absence of Joe Camel billboards doesn't stop me from seeing cigarettes everywhere. As The Insider gives us a mildly exaggerated look at just how far the tobacco industry will actually go to keep a lid on their secrets and to realize it is still legal for them to operate and sell their cancer is astounding. Billed heavily on Al Pacino's shoulders, The Insider is probably best remembered as Russell Crowe's break out role (this or L.
- 10/12/2008
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
Journalism hasn't looked this glamorous since "All the President's Men". "The Insider" is Michael Mann's film version of the scramble by the mighty "60 Minutes" to tell the story of tobacco industry whistle-blower Jeffrey Wigand. And like all of Mann's films, it comes at the viewer with sledge-hammer intensity, pumped with startling, bold images, feverish acting and an exquisite soundtrack ranging from a melancholy mandolin to eerie vocals.
While undoubtedly a distortion of the journalistic process and, quite possibly, of the salient facts in this particular tale of a news organization's humiliating retreat on a major story, the film is undeniably entertaining. The trick for Buena Vista will be to come up with a campaign to convince serious-minded moviegoers that a story about big tobacco and a TV news producer can actually create tensions worthy of a Cold War spy thriller.
One helpful element is that news articles debating the veracity and issues in this film are as likely to wind up on op-ed as on entertainment pages. And edgy, mesmerizing performances by Al Pacino and Russell Crowe add luster to this extremely well-made film.
Wigand, a fired Brown & Williamson Tobacco Co. executive, earned headlines about four years ago when he alleged that tobacco execs lied for years about their knowledge of the dangerous health effects of cigarette smoking and the addictive nature of nicotine.
"60 Minutes" taped an interview with Wigand for a Mike Wallace segment on the perfidy of the tobacco industry. But a CBS lawyer argued strongly against including the interview in the segment. Wigand, as "60 Minutes" knew, had signed a confidentiality agreement with Brown & Willamson as part of his severance package. If CBS induced him to break that agreement, the network could be liable for significant monetary damages.
"60 Minutes" was forced to broadcast a story that essentially explained why the show was unable to run the interview with Wigand, who was not mentioned by name. Three months later, after the Wall Street Journal repeated Wigand's allegations, "60 Minutes" did air the entire segment.
The movie -- following the lead of a 1996 Vanity Fair article about Wigand upon which Eric Roth and Mann's screenplay is based -- tells this story through two individuals. One, of course, is Wigand (Crowe). The other is Lowell Bergman, a "60 Minutes" producer who worked with Wallace for 14 years.
With Pacino as Bergman, the producer has been transformed into a hard-charging hero, an amalgamation of an investigative journalist, spy, father confessor and legal counsel. He meets people in dark bars and shadowy street corners, makes surreptitious calls from phone booths and has the ability to sweet-talk a Hezbollah leader into giving an interview to a "Zionist-controlled" American TV network.
The movie opens with Bergman riding blindfolded in a car in Lebanon to meet with this Hezbollah leader. The message is clear: This man lives a life of danger while Wallace grandly follows in his wake to do the on-camera interviews and grab the glory.
The movie, based entirely on Bergman's point of view, portrays Wallace and Don Hewitt, "60 Minutes'" creator and exec producer, as chicken-hearts who bow to management on the film's key ethical issue and leave a source to hang in the wind. Pacino's fiery Bergman is the segment's lone champion.
This makes for excellent drama and a dandy case of righteous indignation. But given that these are real people, the viewer has the right to wonder about the accuracy of this dramatization. Wallace is known to be outraged by the suggestion that he didn't fight to air the entire segment.
Fortunately, the story's real hero, Wigand, manages not to get lost in the Pacino/Bergman heroics, largely because of a riveting performance by Crowe. The man's life falls apart because of his decision to tell tales. His wife leaves him along with their two daughters; he's harassed by his former employers; he receives death threats; and even the FBI treats him with suspicion.
The weakest element in the script is that it never really explains why Wigand agreed to the interview. But Crowe lets you feel Wigand's emotional deterioration as he clings to his sanity despite bouts of paranoia, hallucinations and heavy drinking.
The film is gifted with a number of excellent performances: Christopher Plummer perfectly catches Mike Wallace's manner and speech cadences. Philip Baker Hall's Hewitt, Gina Gershon as a CBS attorney, Stephen Tobolowsky as a corporate biggie and Lindsay Crouse as Bergman's understanding wife are all vivid characters who make striking impressions in their brief time on screen.
A major contributor to this movie is composer Lisa Gerrard who, working with partner Pieter Bourke, draws upon medieval and Middle Eastern motifs to create eerie musical passages that Mann juxtaposes with cinematographer Dante Spinotti's strong, dark images.
Some of Gerrard and Bourke's music, originally written for the keyboard, is performed by an entire string section, giving an almost acoustical sound.
All of which makes "The Insider" a sleek, hard-not-to-like package.
THE INSIDER
Buena Vista Pictures
Touchstone Pictures
Producers: Michael Mann, Pieter Jan Brugge
Director: Michael Mann
Writers: Eric Roth, Michael Mann
Director of photography: Dante Spinotti
Production designer: Brian Morris
Music: Lisa Gerrard, Pieter Bourke
Co-producer: Michael Waxman
Costume designer: Anna Sheppard
Editors: William Goldenberg, Paul Rubell
Color/stereo
Cast:
Lowell Bergman: Al Pacino
Jeffrey Wigand: Russell Crowe
Mike Wallace: Christopher Plummer
Liane Wigand: Diane Venora
Don Hewitt: Philip Baker Hall
Sharon Tiller: Lindsay Crouse
Debbie De Luca: Debi Mazar
Eric Kluster: Stephen Tobolowsky
Running time -- 155 minutes
MPAA rating: R...
While undoubtedly a distortion of the journalistic process and, quite possibly, of the salient facts in this particular tale of a news organization's humiliating retreat on a major story, the film is undeniably entertaining. The trick for Buena Vista will be to come up with a campaign to convince serious-minded moviegoers that a story about big tobacco and a TV news producer can actually create tensions worthy of a Cold War spy thriller.
One helpful element is that news articles debating the veracity and issues in this film are as likely to wind up on op-ed as on entertainment pages. And edgy, mesmerizing performances by Al Pacino and Russell Crowe add luster to this extremely well-made film.
Wigand, a fired Brown & Williamson Tobacco Co. executive, earned headlines about four years ago when he alleged that tobacco execs lied for years about their knowledge of the dangerous health effects of cigarette smoking and the addictive nature of nicotine.
"60 Minutes" taped an interview with Wigand for a Mike Wallace segment on the perfidy of the tobacco industry. But a CBS lawyer argued strongly against including the interview in the segment. Wigand, as "60 Minutes" knew, had signed a confidentiality agreement with Brown & Willamson as part of his severance package. If CBS induced him to break that agreement, the network could be liable for significant monetary damages.
"60 Minutes" was forced to broadcast a story that essentially explained why the show was unable to run the interview with Wigand, who was not mentioned by name. Three months later, after the Wall Street Journal repeated Wigand's allegations, "60 Minutes" did air the entire segment.
The movie -- following the lead of a 1996 Vanity Fair article about Wigand upon which Eric Roth and Mann's screenplay is based -- tells this story through two individuals. One, of course, is Wigand (Crowe). The other is Lowell Bergman, a "60 Minutes" producer who worked with Wallace for 14 years.
With Pacino as Bergman, the producer has been transformed into a hard-charging hero, an amalgamation of an investigative journalist, spy, father confessor and legal counsel. He meets people in dark bars and shadowy street corners, makes surreptitious calls from phone booths and has the ability to sweet-talk a Hezbollah leader into giving an interview to a "Zionist-controlled" American TV network.
The movie opens with Bergman riding blindfolded in a car in Lebanon to meet with this Hezbollah leader. The message is clear: This man lives a life of danger while Wallace grandly follows in his wake to do the on-camera interviews and grab the glory.
The movie, based entirely on Bergman's point of view, portrays Wallace and Don Hewitt, "60 Minutes'" creator and exec producer, as chicken-hearts who bow to management on the film's key ethical issue and leave a source to hang in the wind. Pacino's fiery Bergman is the segment's lone champion.
This makes for excellent drama and a dandy case of righteous indignation. But given that these are real people, the viewer has the right to wonder about the accuracy of this dramatization. Wallace is known to be outraged by the suggestion that he didn't fight to air the entire segment.
Fortunately, the story's real hero, Wigand, manages not to get lost in the Pacino/Bergman heroics, largely because of a riveting performance by Crowe. The man's life falls apart because of his decision to tell tales. His wife leaves him along with their two daughters; he's harassed by his former employers; he receives death threats; and even the FBI treats him with suspicion.
The weakest element in the script is that it never really explains why Wigand agreed to the interview. But Crowe lets you feel Wigand's emotional deterioration as he clings to his sanity despite bouts of paranoia, hallucinations and heavy drinking.
The film is gifted with a number of excellent performances: Christopher Plummer perfectly catches Mike Wallace's manner and speech cadences. Philip Baker Hall's Hewitt, Gina Gershon as a CBS attorney, Stephen Tobolowsky as a corporate biggie and Lindsay Crouse as Bergman's understanding wife are all vivid characters who make striking impressions in their brief time on screen.
A major contributor to this movie is composer Lisa Gerrard who, working with partner Pieter Bourke, draws upon medieval and Middle Eastern motifs to create eerie musical passages that Mann juxtaposes with cinematographer Dante Spinotti's strong, dark images.
Some of Gerrard and Bourke's music, originally written for the keyboard, is performed by an entire string section, giving an almost acoustical sound.
All of which makes "The Insider" a sleek, hard-not-to-like package.
THE INSIDER
Buena Vista Pictures
Touchstone Pictures
Producers: Michael Mann, Pieter Jan Brugge
Director: Michael Mann
Writers: Eric Roth, Michael Mann
Director of photography: Dante Spinotti
Production designer: Brian Morris
Music: Lisa Gerrard, Pieter Bourke
Co-producer: Michael Waxman
Costume designer: Anna Sheppard
Editors: William Goldenberg, Paul Rubell
Color/stereo
Cast:
Lowell Bergman: Al Pacino
Jeffrey Wigand: Russell Crowe
Mike Wallace: Christopher Plummer
Liane Wigand: Diane Venora
Don Hewitt: Philip Baker Hall
Sharon Tiller: Lindsay Crouse
Debbie De Luca: Debi Mazar
Eric Kluster: Stephen Tobolowsky
Running time -- 155 minutes
MPAA rating: R...
- 10/4/1999
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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