Neuigkeiten

Actors and writers are the ones walking picket lines, but the dual-strikes’ collateral damage can be felt all the way to the sound booths. Without actors, the Adr mixing that can work magic in the editing room is D.O.A.

Adr, which stands for automated dialogue replacement, is the process by which actors re-record dialogue after production. If done properly, the new audio can be seamlessly spliced into the movie as though it was the track from the original on-set take. Though it’s sometimes a last resort in the interest of preserving a performance, Adr is a common means of replacing a “dirty line,” or one corrupted by unwanted background noise. It also helps to fill in the gaps if a story needs to be tweaked without dramatic edits — or God forbid, reshoots.

But with performers on strike, sound engineers and mixers also find themselves on the sidelines.

Lake Bell has taken a creative dip in the canned wine business.

The multi-hyphenate has partnered with Nomadica to write, direct and produce the brand’s first creative campaign for its new Orange offering, and has joined the Los Angeles-based team to serve as creative advisor.

Nomadica’s Orange is described as a “skin contact white wine,” meaning the skin of the grapes remain in contact with their juice during fermentation. This particular blend mixes chardonnay, Grüner Veltliner and Albariño grapes with tropical notes including pineapple and jackfruit and is complemented by fragrances of orange blossom and dried chamomile flowers. The can boasts artwork titled “Plant Melody” by visual artist Yadi Liu.

As for the campaign, which includes video and stills, Bell leaned into the skin contact theme by playing up the connection between two people. She worked alongside creative director Aiden Duffy to cast inclusive couples spanning race, age...

You know Michaela Watkins, right? She was on “Saturday Night Live” and was the star of “Casual” and “Enlightened.” You’ve heard her voice work on “Big Mouth” and “Robot Chicken,” and she was in indie gems like “In a World,” “Sword of Trust,” and “Thanks for Sharing.” You know her from somewhere.

“I get to work all the time, and nobody really knows who I am,” she recently told IndieWire. And, as Watkins makes clear, that’s no complaint. She’s got a great acting career, one that started quite late by Hollywood standards. A former member of improv troupe The Groundlings, she spent a decade bumping around in single-episode, minor-role stints before spending a year as an “SNL” featured player in 2008.

From there, she spent a season on “The New Adventures of Old Christine,” starring opposite another former SNL star, Julia Louis-Dreyfus — who’s now her co-star in...

ABC's successful and long-running series Desperate Housewives turned star Eva Longoria into a household name – understandably leading to substantial interest in what she has done since. Although the show ended in 2012, Desperate Housewives' success proved to be an invaluable platform for everyone associated with the show. In Longoria's case, this has led to a successful career in both the TV and movie industries, with an impressive resumé both in front of and behind the camera.

Partly as a result of her role as Gabrielle Solis, Longoria had a number of high-profile film and TV roles while Desperate Housewives was still on the air. These included leading parts in hit movies like Harsh Times, The Sentinel, and Over Her Dead Body, as well as small screen appearances on Saturday Night Live and in music videos for the likes of Jamie Foxx. In the years since, Longoria has diversified her output still further,...

Ryan Lambie Oct 17, 2017

Film trailers have to be loud, aggressive and exciting. But what if the movie itself is neither?

Bwooommmm. Honk! Ratatatatat. A hushed voice: “You don’t know what’s coming”. Ominous silence. Bwoommmmm. Honk! Brahhmmm.

See related The Snowman review

By now, the conventions of the modern movie trailer - all rapid-fire editing, loud whooshing and parping noises and ominous portent - have become as established as the oft-lampooned ones we used to get back in the 1980s. The ones that always began, “He was a man on the edge...”, or “In a world...", or a variant thereof.

In fact, trailers for mainstream movies are now so standardised and formulaic that Red Letter Media was able to put together an eight-minute video made of nothing but cliched shots from blockbuster movie promos, and it looked almost indistinguishable from the real thing.

In the 21st century, film trailers...

"I feel very proud to put something out there that is kind-spirited." Lake Bell has a new movie hitting theaters this week and it's worth a watch whenever you have the time. Many people know Lake Bell as an actress, from shows like "Boston Legal" and "How to Make It in America" and movies like Million Dollar Arm, What Happens in Vegas, and Man Up. But Lake is also a talented filmmaker, writing and directing original feature films. Her feature directorial debut, In a World..., a charming comedy about voice-over actors, premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2013. She has followed that up with a romantic comedy titled I Do... Until I Don't about marriage that is opening in theaters soon. Lake stars in I Do... Until I Don't as one of the lead characters, and she also produced, wrote & directed it, which is an impressive feat. I have been...

"Will you accept that marriage is dead?" The Film Arcade has unveiled an official trailer for the new film written/directed by Lake Bell (of the excellent In a World... previously) titled I Do... Until I Don't. The film is an ensemble comedy following three couples "stuck in the web of a jaded filmmaker looking to prove that marriage should be a seven-year contract with an option to renew." Lake Bell stars, along with Ed Helms, Mary Steenburgen, Paul Reiser, Wyatt Cenac, Amber Heard, and Dolly Wells. I've been waiting to see another film directed by Lake Bell, and I'm so happy to have another one out this year! This looks entertaining, if not a bit depressing, but I'm just excited to see Bell directing again. Fire this up below. Here's the first official trailer (+ poster) for Lake Bell's I Do... Until I Don't, direct from YouTube: An ensemble...

A couple years back, the multi-talented Lake Bell made her feature directorial debut with "In A World..." The comedy earned positive notices, and put the actress on the map as a writer/director with a distinct voice, and now she's gearing up her second effort behind the camera, and it promises to be another compelling picture. Read More: L.A. Film Fest Review: 'In A World...' Directed By & Starring Lake Bell Bell will write, direct and star in "What’s the Point? (And Other Fair Questions About Marriage)." Co-starring Ed Helms, the ensemble comedy investigates the concept that marriage should be a seven-year contract with an option to renew. Sounds like a fun concept, and one that will hopefully stand in contrast to standard rom-com fare. Production on 'What's The Point?' kicks off next month. See you at Sundance?...

Lake Bell, the writer-director-actress behind In a World..., has set her next project. The multi-hyphenate will star alongside The Hangover's Ed Helms in What’s the Point?, which she also wrote and will direct. The film, which is set to begin production next month in Los Angeles, centers on the theory that marriage should be a seven year contract with an option to renew. Cold Iron Pictures and The Film Arcade will finance the film while Bell, Jett Steiger, Miranda Bailey, and Amanda Marshall will produce with Jason Beck and Andy Bohn acting as executive producers. Bell's acting credits include

read more...

What happened to American trailers? They all used to start with that epic "In a world..." intro that we all loved so very much. Somewhere along the line, though, studios must have decided that they were too good to have a badass narration over all of the action. Luckily, the Koreans haven.t forgotten that lost art, and as a result we now have one of the coolest Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice trailers to date. Check it out below to see for yourself.   We can.t understand a word of the narration in that trailer, but that really doesn.t matter; it.s about as badass as it gets. Much of the action shown in the one-minute preview comes from sequences we have either seen, or already know about; that being said, it offers much clearer context into each of those scenes. The whole thing starts with Batman...

Late last week, and over the weekend, "Jurassic World" director Colin Trevorrow became the center of a mini storm of controversy when, on the subject of the lack of female directors operating in the tentpole space, he tweeted: “Many of the top female directors in our industry are not interested in doing a piece of studio business for its own sake. These filmmakers have clear voices and stories to tell that don’t necessarily involve superheroes or spaceships or dinosaurs.” He later expanded on his thoughts, acknowledging his awareness of the problem, and what it means for how he operates in the business (read it here in full). However, comments from Lake Bell, director of "In A World..." and the upcoming "The Emperor's Children," provide an example to Trevorrow's thesis that some women aren't interested in blockbuster pictures. Read More: Why Female Directors Almost Never Get Blockbuster Gigs "If I campaign to direct some.

Director: Ben Palmer; Screenwriter: Tess Morris; Starring: Simon Pegg, Lake Bell, Olivia Williams; Rory Kinnear; Running time: 88 mins; Certificate: 15

Cupid's arrow takes a circuitous route before finding its mark in Man Up, a truly rib-tickling rom-com that delivers the heady buzz of a great first date. But it's American actress Lake Bell (doing a fine English accent, here) who looks set to win viewers' hearts, more so than leading man Simon Pegg who generously acts as her 'straight man' - albeit slightly dizzied by the whirlwind of weird that Bell creates around him.

Bell, who also impressed with her 2013 writing/directing debut In a World..., stars as Nancy, vaguely depressed at still being single and incorrigibly goofy at 34 years old. However, judging by the way she tucks into a baguette on a crowded train, simultaneously complaining about her love life, she's not overly self-consciousness either. Sharon Horgan (recently seen in...

Read More: Interview: Lake Bell Wants to Vanquish 'Sexy Baby Talk' Via Her Directorial Debut 'In a World...' Lake Bell proved she's a pro at accents in her directorial debut "In a World...," which won her the Screenwriting Award at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival and made her one of the most promising new filmmakers on the scene. In that winning comedy, Bell played an aspiring voiceover artist struggling to make a name for herself in a male-dominated industry. She's back showing off her impressive vocal range in the Tribeca Film Festival world premiere "Man Up," a romantic comedy in which she's tasked with playing a British lass who thinks she's done with dating until she meets a man (Simon Pegg) who mistakes her for his blind date. The film is directed by Ben Palmer, who made "The Inbetweeners Movie," and written by first-time screenwriter Tess Morris. Indiewire sat down...

Over the course of film history, we've seen plenty of long-time actors step behind the camera to take up their directorial ambitions. Clint Eastwood did it. Mel Gibson did it. George Clooney did it. What do these three have in commonc Well, for starters, they are all men, so there's that. Further, they are all white, but more on that later. More to the point of the article, these men all eased into their directorial careers by starring in their respective debuts, using their presence on screen to help market their talents off it. And with his feature directorial effort The Water Diviner, which hits limited theaters this week, Russell Crowe is just the most recent addition to a growing list of actors who have decided to try their hand behind the camera. Like Eastwood, Gibson, and Clooney before him, the Best Actor winner stars in his first feature as director,...

Happy Valentine's Day, single people! Isn't it depressing? And we all have the demented romantic comedy genre to thank for our feeling of unfulfillment (along with, you know, assorted other factors). But good news! The traditional rom-com has been dying a protracted death for the last five or six years. Sure, the genre still exists. An argument could be made that the genre lives on in its purest form with the recent spate of rom-coms starring African-American actors ("Think Like a Man," "About Last Night," etc.) Recent films like Jenny Slate's "Obvious Child," Lake Bell's "In A World...," Joseph Gordon-Levitt's "Don Jon," "Silver Linings Playbook" and even the zom-com flick "Warm Bodies" could also certainly be categorized as such -- and yet what they all have in common is their failure to follow the once tried-and-true template of their star-driven predecessors. The conventional, old-fashioned studio romantic comedy,...

Who doesn't love to laugh? Whether your taste runs to R-rated raunch, classic yuks or witty British humor, you'll find something hilarious to stream on Netflix.

Right now, there are movies starring Robin Williams, Walter Matthau, Jack Black, Goldie Hawn and a nice selection of films showcasing the comedy chops of Joan Cusack. (Availability subject to change, so get streaming now!)

1. "The Addams Family" (1991) PG-13

Everyone's favorite macabre family is wonderfully portrayed by Anjelica Huston as Morticia, Raul Julia as Gomez, Christopher Lloyd as Uncle Fester and Christina Ricci as Wednesday. Spooky fun, just in time for Halloween.

2. "The Bad News Bears" (1976) PG

Walter Matthau is a grumpy hoot as a reluctant little league coach, Tatum O'Neal is great as the tomboy pitcher and the Bears (including a young Jackie Earle Haley) are perfectly, awfully bad.

3. "Bernie" (2011) PG-13

Jack Black stars in the real-life story of a mortician who ends...

At a loss for what to watch this week? From new DVDs and Blu-rays, to what's streaming on Netflix, we've got you covered.

New on DVD and Blu-ray

"Chef"

Jon Favreau wrote and directed this delicious comedy about a chef named Carl Casper, who quits the biz to start a food truck with help from fellow chef Martin (John Leguizamo) and Carl's son Percy. Sofía Vergara plays Carl's ex-wife, with Dustin Hoffman as Carl's former boss, Scarlett Johansson as the hostess of the restaurant, and Oliver Platt as a food critic whose mean tweets kicked off this whole business.

"The Exorcist: The Complete Anthology"

This Blu-ray box set includes both the theatrical version and the extended director's cut of "The Exorcist," "Exorcist II: The Heretic," "The Exorcist III," and the two prequels, "Exorcist: The Beginning" and "Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist." Although this set doesn't boast a whole lot of extras,...

Looking for what's new on Netflix streaming for October 2014? You've come to the right place.

We've rounded up the best TV shows and movies arriving soon. So take some time to peruse this list, and maybe block off a weekend or two so you can binge-watch Season 5 of "The Vampire Diaries" or something.

Here's a much larger rundown of what subscribers can expect in September, courtesy of Netflix. All title dates are subject to change.

Available October 1

"Annie" (1982)

Based on the Depression-era comic strip "Little Orphan Annie," this adaptation of the smash Broadway musical follows America's favorite urchin (Aileen Quinn) as she captures Daddy Warbucks' (Albert Finney) heart with her unquenchable optimism. In the meantime, Annie must try to dodge the treacherous head of the orphanage (Carol Burnett). Directed by John Huston, Annie features the hit song "Tomorrow."

"Annie: A Royal Adventure" (1995)

Annie, the charming orphan with a head full of red curls,...

Lake Bell has signed on to direct The Emperor's Children.

The In a World... director has replaced Noah Baumbach on the adaptation of Claire Messud's novel.

The Emperor's Children centres around three entitled but struggling young people orbiting the career of a successful journalist in the months surrounding the 9/11 attacks.

The introduction of two more members of their circle threatens their delicate equilibrium.

Baumbach wrote the screenplay and was formerly attached to direct the film.

Bell also wrote and starred in her 2013 directorial debut, voiceover comedy In a World...

Imagine Entertainment's The Emperor's Children is yet to announce any castings.

Actress Lake Bell, who made her directorial debut last year with the hit indie comedy In a World..., has signed on to direct The Emperor's Children for Imagine Entertainment. It isn't known if Lake Bell has plans on starring in the film as well.

Noah Baumbach wrote the screenplay adaptation back in March 2010, when he was attached to direct. Before that, Ron Howard was circling the project in July 2007.

The story is based on Claire Messud's novel that follows an educated but unsuccessful group of friends in their late 20s, who follow the life of a successful journalist, in the months leading up to the 9/11 terrorist attacks. The inclusion of two more members threatens the group's stability.

Brian Grazer and Erica Huggins are producing for Imagine Entertainment, although it isn't known when production will begin.

As an actress, Lake Bell most recently starred in Mr. Peabody and Sherman and Million Dollar Arm,...

Lake Bell, who made her directorial debut with 2013's In a World..., has lined up a new directing project in The Emperor's Children, says a story today at The Hollywood Reporter. The film, based on the novel by Claire Messud, has been adapted for the screen by Noah Baumbach (Kicking and Screaming, Frances Ha), who was previously planning to helm.

A year after her directorial debut “In a World…” debuted to strong reviews, Lake Bell has landed a plum assignment behind the camera, as she's set to direct “The Emperor's Children” for Imagine Entertainment, TheWrap has learned. Noah Baumbach adapted Claire Messud's bestselling 2006 novel about a trio of Brown University graduates who are approaching their 30s with trepidation as they struggle to realize the lofty expectations held for their personal and professional lives. The novel was set in New York in the months leading up to and following 9/11. Brian Grazer and Erica Huggins are producing on behalf of Imagine.

Earlier this year, we got word that comedians Louis C.K. and Kevin Hart would be lending their voices to an Untitled Pets Movie, an animated comedy from Illumination Entertainment, the same company behind Despicable Me. Now the voice cast has expanded with even more great comedic talent. The Wrap reports stand-up comedian Hannibal Buress, "Saturday Night Live" cast member Bobby Moynihan, In a World... lead Lake Bell and "The Office" regular Ellie Kemper will also voice characters in the film that Universal has slated to open on February 12th, 2016. But the real treat is Albert Brooks is in talks as well. For those who missed our initial report on this project, the story follows a quick-witted terrier rescue (Louis C.K.) who gets agitated when his master brings home a sloppy mongrel named Duke (Eric Stonestreet). But things get worse when the two dogs find themselves stuck in the streets of New York City,...

Check out Brit babe Tom Hardy and indie dream queen Lake Bell topless on the dual cover of Esquire's May issue, which hits newsstands April 22. Hardy's got the experimental, one-man drama "Locke" coming out this week. Meanwhile, Lake Bell, who wrote and directed last year's feminist comedy "In A World...," will soon appear opposite Jon Hamm in Disney's "Million Dollar Arm." In Bell's cover story, she opens up about acting, directing and "Million Dollar Arm," while giving her two cents about marriage: "Marriage is traditionally old-school in many respects. It is highly antiquated, and, that being said, beautiful."  Regarding directing, which she's done for film and TV ("Childrens Hospital" on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim), she says, "If I write something and I'm going to put in all that love and energy, I want to direct it. As an actor, you have access to the trenches -- to a myriad of different sets.

Adult Swim has made a stir attracting quality guest stars for special event programs of late, including Jon Hamm, Paul Rudd, and Amy Poehler -- and that's just for Adam Scott's "The Greatest Event in Television History." Now, they'll be broadcasting their first celebrity dinner party with a late night twist. "Dinner With Friends With Brett Gelman and Friends" premieres Thursday, April 24th at midnight, and Indiewire has exclusive photos as well as the full list of cast members/dinner guests.  Joining Gelman for the half-hour special he co-wrote with director Jason Woliner ("Eagleheart") are Dale Dickey ("Justified," "True Blood"), Gilbert Gottfried, Fred Melamed ("A Serious Man," "In a World..."), Alison Pill ("The Newsroom"), Lance Reddick ("The Wire," "Fringe"), Anthony Atamanuik ("30 Rock," "Broad City") and Alex Karpovsky ("Girls").  The scripted comedy special invites guests to "a lively night of dining, showbiz chit-chat, and psychological torture." Gelman, a...

Wow, this is cool. The folks at Filmmaker Iq have put together a fascinating 15-minute video history of the best bit of movies: the trailers (click through for more supporting material). There's material on the very earliest trailers (100 years old last year, apparently), the more experimental trailers of the '60s (yes, everything really was experimental then) including an amazing one for “Dr. Strangelove,” and the rise of modern blockbuster trailers—which, just like the modern blockbuster itself, date back to Steven Spielberg's “Jaws.” It also takes us right up to the latest in trailer technology, the “Inception” braaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhm, and gives a shout-out to Don Lafontaine, one of the most recognizable trailer voices around: but not, sadly, to the other Mr “In A World...”, Hal Douglas, who passed away recently. Nevertheless, check it out—it's great. [via No Film School]...

He didn't walk the red carpet, and you probably didn't know his name, but Hal Douglas rubbed shoulders with the biggest stars on the planet, helping bring the vision of directors to audiences around the world, and made a lasting impact on the moviegoing experience. He was the iconic voice and narrator of movie trailers, and at the age of 89 he has sadly passed away. "In a world..." may have become a cliche, but that's only because Douglas made it sound so good, and through thousands of promos, he excited, romanced and intrigued ticket buyers to line up the next weekend and come back to the cinema. One of the best in the business, Douglas' talent was in being both familiar and always compelling, and we'll have to get used to whoever comes along to fill his very big shoes, which worked for over four decades in the biz. [Deadline]...

Hal Douglas, the voiceover artist known for his iconic narration in trailers for films including "Forrest Gump," "Philadelphia," and "Lethal Weapon," died Friday at his home in Virginia. He was 89.

Douglas popularized the use of the phrase "In a world..." in his narration, becoming one of the most recognizable voices in film. He also frequently lent his vocals to TV commercials and series. Though his booming voice and go-to catchphrases were sometimes mocked as cliche, Douglas was widely respected in Hollywood, and even poked fun at himself in the trailer for Jerry Seinfeld's 2002 documentary "Comedian."

Before he hit it big in his narration niche, Douglas trained as a pilot and spent three years in the Navy. He then studied acting at the University of Miami before moving to New York to pursue the craft further. Douglas picked up some extra cash doing radio and voiceover work, becoming a sought after talent,...

The cyber thriller Cybergeddon will be available on DVD on March 18. To mark the occasion, we have an exclusive clip to share with you. It features Canadian actress Missy Peregrym (Reaper and Rookie Blue) as Agent Chloe Jocelyn. Watch her chase down a cyber perp named Tommy. Not only is Tommy good at hacking, but apparently he's also good at running up, down, and over things. Too bad for him Chloe has a gun. Cybergeddon follows the story of agent Chloe Jocelyn as she investigates a slew of seemingly unrelated cyber attacks with fellow agent Frank Parker and incarcerated master hacker Chase 'Rabbit' Rosen. Chloe and her team must crack the worldwide cybercrime ring led by Gustov Dobreff before it is too late. In a world...

[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...

The night before the 2014 Oscars was a big one for 12 Years a Slave as it took home five wins at the 2014 Independent Spirit Awards including Best Picture, Director (Steve McQueen), Supporting Actress (Lupita Nyong'o), Screenplay (John Ridley) and Cinematography (Sean Bobbitt). However, don't take this to mean 12 Years is a lock at the Oscars as its strongest competition in categories such as Picture and Director, those being Gravity and American Hustle, weren't among the "independent" nominees. Some likely Oscar winners were among the list of winners as Dallas Buyers Club co-stars Matthew McConaughey and Jared Leto took home Best Actor and Supporting Actor respectively. Cate Blanchett took home yet another Best Actress prize for her work in Blue Jasmine and 20 Feet from Stardom won Best Documentary, proving even the Spirit Awards weren't going for The Act of Killing, though that doesn't diminish the impact of Joshua Oppenheimer's film. Some...

Actress Lake Bell, best known for her work on the small screen in Childrens' Hospital and How to Make It in America, made her feature writing and directing debut last year with the critically-acclaimed indie comedy In a World.... The filmmaker also stars as Carol, a young voice over artist trying to escape the shadow of her legendary father (Fred Melamed). As her career begins to blossom, she finds herself competing directly with her old man. With the Blu-ray and DVD debuting earlier this week, we have an exclusive gag reel featuring Lake Bell, Rob Corddry, Ken Marino, Demetri Martin and Michaela Watkins trying to keep a straight face for the camera.

In this hilarious and idiosyncratic comedy, Carol (Lake Bell) is an underachieving voice coach living in the shadow of her egotistical father Sam (Fred Melamed), the undisputed king of the voice-over industry. When Sam kicks her out, Carol...

Moviefone's Top DVD of the Week

"Blue Jasmine"

What's It About? Cate Blanchett stars as Jasmine, a fancy New Yorker whose late husband was one of those finance scumbags who swindled people. Left high and dry, she heads to Sf to impose upon her sweet sister Ginger (Sally Hawkins), who's got her own problems to deal with.

Why We're In: This Woody Allen flick is getting rave reviews, nominations, and awards out the wazoo, so if you haven't seen it yet, get cracking.

Moviefone's Top Blu-ray of the Week

"It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World" (Criterion)

What's It About? Comedy bigwigs like Milton Berle, Sid Caesar, Ethel Merman, Mickey Rooney, Spencer Tracy, and Jonathan Winters star in this slapstick-y flick about buried treasure.

Why We're In: Because it's winter and you need a laugh, and because this Criterion edition is restored, extended, and spiffed up in all the right ways.

Captain Phillips The wave of love and appreciation for movies today is interesting. When Captain Phillips was released you would have thought Tom Hanks was the greatest living actor and now today most everyone has dialed it back to "well, it was a pretty good final 15 minutes." Perhaps maybe once people watch it again at home they'll finally come around to agreeing with me that Danielle Albert also delivers a great performance. Maybe, but I'm not holding my breath.

It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World (Criterion Collection) I've never seen Stanley Kramer's It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World and Criterion calls it "the most grandly harebrained movie ever made" and a "sobering investigation of American greed". This Criterion release includes a new 197-minute extended version of the film making it sound like anyone that has yet to see it finally has a reason to do so along...

If you bump into Simon Pegg in London over the next six weeks, try not to disturb him. He’ll probably be hard at work wooing Lake Bell in their new romantic comedy Man Up, freshly underway under the guiding eye of director Ben ‘The Inbetweeners Movie’ Palmer.Pegg is playing a middle-aged divorcee named Jack who stumbles upon the 34 year-old Nancy (In A World...’s Bell), a singleton trapped in a cycle of painfully jolly family shindigs that would horrify even Bridget Jones, and mistakes her for his 20-something blind date. Ever-hopeful of finding someone nice just around the corner, Nancy decides to keep the truth a secret, setting in train an evening of mistaken-identity magic. Or so she hopes.Reads the film's synopsis: “What follows is a chaotic, unconventional, hilarious night neither of them will ever forget. There will be drinking, there will be home truths; there will...

Jon Hamm's traded his "Mad Men" drinking and womanizing for a more feel-good business in the baseball comedy "Million Dollar Arm."

Jb Bernstein's career as a sports agent is on the wane when he comes up with an idea from out of left field. Jb (Hamm) enlists former baseball scout Ray Poitevint (Alan Arkin) to join him on a trip to India to find the fastest cricket pitcher in the land. As part of a reality show called "Million Dollar Arm," Jb and Ray recruit Dinesh (Madhur Mittal, "Slumdog Millionaire") and Rinku (Suraj Sharma, "Life of Pi") to come with them back to America to compete for contracts in the major leagues. Then Jb hires Tom House (Bill Paxton) to train Dinesh and Rinku for their big try-outs.

Add in some fish-out-of-water comedy (Alan Arkin being cranky in India, for example), a beautiful and charming neighbor played by Lake Bell...

I intended to write a couple of entries of my own "FYCs" this year for our team project but realized that's essentially what my annual FiLM BiTCH Awards double as. I'm almost ready to go ahead with those, which range from the traditional awards categories through to dozens of fun "extras". I'm fully aware that the last two years of Tfe's own prizes have been a bit shaky in terms of speed and completion,  but this year I shan't drag my feet since my circumstances here have changed. I need your help, though, with the "extra categories"  and the music categories (I am always lost with Best Score) so don't let me forget any perfect gems. What should I consider in the fields of: Best Cameo, Line Reading, Action Sequence, Kiss, Sex Scene, Credit Sequence, Opening Scene, Ending, Musical Moment? 

Submit Your FYCs In The Comments

In the meantime, in...

In the Fyc series, we're spotlighting our favorite fringe contenders. Here's abstew on Blue Jasmine's threads.

When it comes to the Oscar for Best Costume Design, the Academy's aesthetic seems rather limited. They go one of two ways: Period Piece or Fantasy. Having a tendency to confuse 'Best' with 'Most' the eventual winner is often whichever is that year's most elaborate or over-the-top design (Alice in Wonderland, really?!). Contemporary set films with well-thought-out clothes that define the character tend to get overlooked in the Season End Gold Rush. Breakfast at Tiffany's, Pretty Woman, and Clueless are all victims of this crime against fashion. So, hopefully when the nominations are announced on January 16th, Cate Blanchett's inevitable Best Actress nomination for Blue Jasmine will be joined by a nomination for Suzy Benzinger's meticulously designed costumes for the Woody Allen film.

As a Park Avenue socialite, Jasmine French's life is defined by labels.

This Fyc series brings together all Film Experience contributors to highlight our favorite fringe Oscar contenders. Here's Glenn Dunks on the sound mixing of Spring Breakers.

The neon-infused opening credits to Spring Breakers are accompanied by the peaceful echoes of a beachside before the hordes of teenagers arrive for Spring Break. Director Harmony Korine barely gives audiences a minute to relax before he throws the kitchen sink at the screen and turns the Skrillex up to 11. The images of drunken, sexually open teenagers cavorting about the ocean could hardly come with a better, more abrasively confronting soundtrack. If you were lucky to see this violently satirical black comedy on the big screen then you’ll know the propulsive impact this soundtrack choice had blasting out of the speakers to a crowd of (mostly) unsuspecting victims. Korine wasn’t mincing words: so long to any chance for a nice time at the movies.

We're looking at our favorite fringe awards contenders just to widen the conversation. Here's Tim Brayton on the year's biggest horror hit.

Since as far back as the thudding echo of footsteps that stalked Jane Randolph in 1942's Cat People, savvy horror directors have understood that one of the surest ways to wring the audience into a terrified frenzy isn't to wage a frontal assault on our sense of taste with gallons of stage blood and pig organs, but to instead mount a side attack on our ears. Some of the scariest movies of all time have gotten that way above all because of their skillful use of sound effects, and the sound editing in director James Wan's terrific The Conjuring - led by supervisor Joe Dzuban - is so hugely important that it was even foregrounded in the film's outstanding teaser trailer. Anybody can show a ghost jump...

In this series we sound off (individually) on their favorite fringe contenders. Here's Philippe Ostiguy on Tye Sheridan in "Mud"

It is no secret that, while the Academy rarely misses an opportunity to reward a young actress’ breakout, it likes to keep the boys running a while longer – in fact, over the past twelve years, female acting nominees have been on average a full eight years younger than their male counterparts. Little Tye Sheridan, then, has virtually no chance of catching voters’ eyes, especially in a field as crowded as this year’s Best Actor category, and with a film that peaked in buzz back in May.

But boy, does he deserve a chance. Previously only seen as The Tree of Life’s youngest, quietest sibling, the seventeen year old gives in Mud a performance of the highest class, one played with evident maturity that nevertheless remains candid and childlike...

I am loving the just announced awards from the National Board of Review for 2013, naming Spike Jonze's Her the best film as this year's award race is clearly not shaping up to be as obvious as many predicted it would be. How soc Well, supposed frontrunners 12 Years a Slave and Gravity were shut out of the major awards until both were named in the subsequent list of top ten films of the year (naturally) and Gravity was given the award for Creative Innovation in Filmmaking (seems appropriate). I will say, however, as much as I love Her, giving Jonze the award for Best Director is a bit surprising while the Coen brothers won Best Original Screenplay. I would have been less surprised had those two been flipped, though I definitely love the attention shown Inside Llewyn Davis and a script certainly worthy of attention. Something of a surprise, though...

Spike Jonze's "Her" is the National Board of Review's big winner this year. The organization unveiled its 2013 award recipients today, and the Joaquin Phoenix starrer took top honors with Best Film, as well as a Best Director nod for Jonze.

"Fruitvale Station" also impressed, earning a Best Breakthrough Performance award for its star, Michael B. Jordan, Best Directorial Debut for director Ryan Coogler, and Best Supporting Actress for Octavia Spencer.

The awards will be presented at an NYC gala, hosted by "Good Morning America"'s Lara Spencer, on January 7.

Read on for the full list of winners:

Best Film: "Her"

Best Director: Spike Jonze, "Her"

Best Actor: Bruce Dern, "Nebraska"

Best Actress: Emma Thompson, "Saving Mr. Banks"

Best Supporting Actor: Will Forte, "Nebraska"

Best Supporting Actress: Octavia Spencer, "Fruitvale Station"

Best Original Screenplay: Joel and Ethan Coen, "Inside Llewyn Davis

Best Adapted Screenplay: Terence Winter, "The Wolf of Wall Street...

In this series Team Experience sounds off (individually) on their favorite fringe Oscar contenders. Here's Tim Brayton asking you to consider "In a World..." The Spirit Awards did, nominating it in this very category...

What’s a talented comic actress with no good parts coming her way supposed to do, anyway? If you answered, “write herself a damn starring role, already”, then you’re on the same page as Lake Bell, the immensely likable and talented star of the TV series Childrens Hospital, making her feature debut as writer, producer, and director with In a World… Though for all her hypens, it’s as screenwriter that Bell most impresses with this project, a hugely ambitious affair all around despite how utterly low-key and normal it all feels.

There are three things happening here all at once, and the script pays equal attention to all of them. First, In a World…...

The 2014 Independent Spirit Award nominations were announced this morning and it was a big day for 12 Years a Slave leading the way with seven nominations followed by Alexander Payne's Nebraska with six and All is Lost with four. Those three films were joined by Fruitvale Station and Frances Ha in the Best Feature category as I felt the nominations were nicely spread around with very worthy titles getting attention. I didn't notice too many surprises and Short Term 12 certainly had a nice showing with three nominations including noms for both Brie Larson and Keith Stanfield. I love seeing the nomination for Melonie Diaz for Fruitvale Station as it seems Octavia Spencer is going to get most of the Oscar attention for that film despite the fact Diaz is the more deserving of the two. I guess if you did want to say there was a surprise I would...

Today, you can pick up The World's End on Blu-Ray and DVD as star Simon Pegg has another project in the works. Deadline has word that the actor will star in the romantic comedy Man Up, but the film will focus on In a World... star Lake Bell as the lead. The script from Tess Morris (which made the UK's version of The Black List) follows Bell as a woman who is mistaken for a stranger's blind date while on the way to her parents' anniversary celebration. But the mistaken identity might have her finding the perfect boyfriend. And for all you fans of UK TV, "The Inbetweeners" director Ben Palmer will be at the helm. In addtion, Nina Park will produce for Big Talk, the company behind Pegg's breakthrough Shaun of the Dead and the sci-fi sensation Attack the Block. Bell is quickly rising to the top after her praised turn as writer,...

Man Up

Lake Bell ("In a World...") will join Simon Pegg in Ben Palmer's rom-com "Man Up" for Big Talk Productions and Studio Canal. Filming begins in January.

Bell plays a single girl who is mistaken for a stranger’s blind date en route to her parents’ anniversary, leading to her finally finding the perfect boyfriend. [Source: Deadline]

Burying the Ex

Anton Yelchin ("Star Trek"), Ashley Greene ("The Twilight Saga"), Alexandra Daddario ("Percy Jackson") and Oliver Cooper ("Project X") have joined the cast of Joe Dante's horror comedy "Burying the Ex" for Voltage Pictures. Filming begins Monday in Los Angeles.

Yelchin and Greene play a couple whose relationship takes a nose dive once they move in together. When she dies in a freak accident, he prepares to move on with a new girl (Daddario), only for the old flame to rise from the grave. [Source: The Wrap]

Supreme Ruler

Ron Livingston has scored...

Actress Lake Bell, who made a mark this year with the indie In a World... , which she wrote, directed and starred in, has signed on to star opposite Simon Pegg in the indie romantic comedy Man Up with plans to start filming in January 2014. Best known for her recurring role on the Cartoon Network's "Children's Hospital" (a couple episodes which she also directed) and dozens of movies, both big and small, Bell will portay a single woman who is mistaken for someone's blind date, leading to her finding the perfect boyfriend... in Simon Pegg, apparently. Ben Palmer of the popular British teen comedy "The Inbetweeners" will be directing from a script by Tess Morris with Pegg's Big Talk Productions co-producing with Studio Canal. Pegg is producing the film with...

Sneak Peek writer/director/actress Lake Bell, star of the new film "In A World...",  posing nude for the 2013 "Fall Fashion" issue of "New York Magazine", covered in tattoos designed by Scott Campbell:

"...in 'In A World...', 'Sam Soto' is the king of voice-overs, he has published an autobiography and is about to receive a lifetime achievement award. 

"His daughter, 'Carol Solomon' (Bell) is a struggling vocal coach who has always been overshadowed by her father. 

"When Sam kicks Carol out of the house so that he can live with his 30-year-old girlfriend 'Jamie', Carol goes to live with her sister 'Dani'.

"When the film series 'The Amazon Games' plans to bring back the famous line "In a world..." and the trailer voice-over is highly sought after, Sam bows out so that his friend and heir-apparent, 'Gustav Warner', can assume the role.

"Gustav fails to show due to laryngitis,...

Opening with Jim Jarmusch’s Only Lovers Left Alive the latest edition of the American Film Festival in Wroclaw, Poland (22-27 October 2013) has screened some of the most important American independent films of the year. Being the only festival of its class in Eastern and Central Europe the festival has become the most important venue to connect American filmmakers with European buyers and audiences through programs like U.S. in Progress Wrocław (23-25 October 2013).

This year's program taking place at the New Horizons cinema presented 80 movies out of which 42 are Polish premieres, 3 are European premieres and 1 is a World Premiere. Among them 10 documentaries and 17 feature films competed for cash prizes in the audience-vote competitions.

The first competitive section - Spectrum ($10,000 audience award for the Best Narrative Feature) included films that have been well-received here in the U.S such as A Teacher by Hannah Fidell, Blue Caprice by Alexandre Moors, Afternoon Delight by Jill Soloway, Short Term 12 by Destin Cretton, The Spectacular Now by James Ponsoldt, and Bluebird by Lance Edmands. The second competition - American Docs ($5,000 audience award for Best Documentary Feature) had a selection of films depicting varied current issues in American society including Gore Vidal: The United States of Amnesia by Nicholas Wrathall, The Armstrong Lie by Alex Gibney, Our Nixon by Penny Lane, Northern Light by Nick Bentgen, Big Joy: The Adventures of James Broughton by Eric Slade and Stephen Silha and Before You Know It by Pj Raval.

The American Film Festival also ran a retrospective of Shirley Clarke and presented Polish premieres of high-profile films such as As I Lay Dying by James Franco, Quentin Dupieux’s Wrong Cops, Jeffrey Friedman and Rob Epstein’s Lovelace, Much Ado About Nothing by Joss Whedon, Touchy Feely by Lynn Shelton, At Any Price by Ramin Bahrani, and Maladies by Carter. The festival also screened Joseph Gordon-Levitt's Sundance hit Don Jon along several U.S. in Progress participants and festival hits like I Used to be Darker by Matt Porterfier and Hide Your Smiling Faces by Daniel Patrick Carbone. Lastly, a special section titled 'Masterpieces of American Cinema 90 Years of Warner Bros." showed 14 digitally-remastered productions by the studio from The Jazz Singer by Alan Crosland (1927) through A Clockwork Orange ,The Exorcist and Christopher Nolan’s Inception

The festival will close on October 27th with Steven Soderbergh's Emmy Award-winning film Behind the Candelabra.

All competitions titles:

Spectrum

American Milkshake by David Andalman, Mariko Munro, USA 2012, 82'

Blue Highway by Kyle Smith, USA 2013, 70'

Coldwater by Vincent Grashaw, USA 2013, 104'

The Spectacular Now by James Ponsoldt, USA 2013, 95'

Drinking Buddies by Joe Swanberg, USA 2013, 90'

Lily by Matt Creed, USA 2013, 85'

A Teacher by Hannah Fidell, USA 2013, 75'

Blue Caprice by Alexandre Moors, USA 2013, 93'

Pearblossom Hwy by Mike Ott, USA 2012, 78'

Afternoon Delight by Jill Soloway, USA 2013, 105'

Stand Clear of the Closing Doors by Sam Fleischner, USA 2013, 102'

Short Term 12 by Destin Cretton, USA 2013, 96'

The Cold Lands by Tom Gilroy, USA 2013, 100'

In a World... by Lake Bell, USA 2013, 93'

A Song Still Inside by Gregory Collins, USA 2013, 82'

Bluebird by Lance Edmands, USA 2013, 90'

American Docs

Big Easy Express by Emmett Malloy, USA 2012

Off Label by Michael Palmieri, Donal Mosher, USA 2012

Gore Vidal: The United States of Amnesia by Nicholas Wrathall, USA, Italy 2013

Fall and Winter by Matt Anderson, USA 2013

The Armstrong Lie by Alex Gibney, USA 2013

Lenny Cooke by Ben Safdie, Joshua Safdie, USA 2012

Our Nixon by Penny Lane, USA 2013

Northern Light by Nick Bentgen, USA 2013

Big Joy: The Adventures of James Broughton by Eric Slade, Stephen Silha, USA 2013

Before You Know It by Pj Raval, USA 2012

U.S. Progress Projects

This year 6 projects in the final production stages were chosen to take part in the two-day workshop knows as U.S. in Progress Wroclaw (23-25 October, 2013). The event presents the American independent projects to European buyers, post-production houses and festivals in order to help them achieve completion and to foster the circulation and distribution of these films in Europe.

Selected from over 40 submission the chosen projects are the dramas Lake Los Angeles by Mike Ott (produced by Athina Rachel Tsangari), Happy Baby by Stephen Elliott (produced by Jessica Caldwell ) and Some Beasts by Cameron Nelson (produced by Ashley Maynor and Courtney Ware), crime story Wild Canaries by Lawrence Michael Levine (produced by Sophia Takal, Kim Sherman and McCabe Walsh), frontier black comedy Sun Belt Express by Evan Wolf Buxbaum (producers: Noah Lang and Iyabo Boyd) and Summer of Blood – a New York vampire comedy by director-producer Onur Tukel.

The prizes are awarded by a jury of professionals and include post-production services from European partner companies worth almost $60.000 and promotional services from other partners. Us in Progress’ partners are: Platige Image (Warsaw), Di Factory (Warsaw), Alvernia Studios (Krakow), composer Maciej Zielinski of Soundflower Studio (Warsaw), Soundplace (Warsaw), DCinex (Belgium), Vsi (Paris), Europa Distribution, Cicae and Cannes Marche du Film’s Producers Network.

U.S. in Progress Wrocław (formerly Gotham in Progress) was started in 2011 by the New Horizons Association and Black Rabbit Film. Previous films presented at the event included, among others: I Used To Be Darker by Matt Porterfield, American Milkshake by David Andalman (both shown at Sundance Ff in 2013), Hide Your Smiling Faces by Daniel Carbone (Berlinale Generation, Tribeca), Bluebird by Lance Edmands (Tribeca, Karlovy Vary), Jason Cortlund & Julia Halperin’s Now, Forager: a Film About Love and Fungi (Rotterdam, New Directors/New Films, Gotham Awards nominee), Amy Seimetz’s Sun Don’t Shine (SXSW, Edinburgh Iff, Gotham Awards nominee) and Devyn Waitt’s Not Waving But Drowning (Sarasota Ff).

U.S. in Progress Wrocław is supported by the City of Wrocław, American Embassy in Warsaw and Polish Ministry of Culture and National Heritage.

For more information on the American Film Festival and the U.S. in Progress projects visit Here...

Actress Lake Bell has signed on to star in the upcoming action-thriller The Coup, alongside Owen Wilson and Pierce Brosnan.

The story centers on an American family living in Southeast Asia who get caught in the middle of a violent military uprising. Lake Bell is playing Annie Dwyer, a beloved woman who appears to have the perfect family life, although she questions her own happiness, at times.

John Erick Dowdle (Devil, Quarantine) is directing from a screenplay he co-wrote with his brother, Drew Dowdle. Michel Litvak and David Lancaster are producing for Bold Films, which is providing financing. Sierra/Affinity is handling international sales, with production scheduled to begin in Thailand October 31.

Lake Bell made her directorial debut this summer with In a World..., which she also wrote, produced and starred in. She recently wrapped production on Million Dollar Arm, and also stars in the Adult Swim series Childrens' Hospital.