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A White House set made for just $90,000 ultimately became one of the most ubiquitous backdrops of the 1990s…

Clint Eastwood prowled his cameras around it for the tepid 1997 thriller Absolute Power. Lloyd Bridges stood in the middle of it as ‘Tug’ Benson in Hot Shots! Part Deux. It’s on display in 1990s hits The Pelican Brief and In The Line Of Fire. Yet the $90,000 White House set that was designed by a production designer called J Michael Riva was actually built for a rather sweet comedy: Ivan Reitman’s 1993 hit, Dave.

If you’re unfamiliar with the movie, Dave sees Kevin Kline in the title role, as an everyday man who becomes President of the United States. He uses this office for kindness, doing good, and fighting for the impoverished rather than the ric… okay, I’ll move on. Co-starring Sigourney Weaver, the $28m movie earned over $90m at the box office,...

It's probably pretty exciting to work as a production designer on a massive blockbuster Marvel movie. After all, it gives people the opportunity to go really big and wild with their ideas because of the sky-high budgets, and it's a guarantee their designs will be seen by millions and millions of people. Besides the associated stressors that go with that kind of high profile job, there is just one other major working hazard: sometimes the design requests can be a little weird. Like "Hey, we need you to design a high tech toilet for Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) to puke in" kind of weird.

For production designer J. Michael Riva, that kind of thing is all in a day's work, but it's a pretty strange request even for a franchise that has a talking raccoon, Norse gods, and space aliens of every shape and size. Due to some big...

A decade and a half after the 2008 premiere of Marvel's "Iron Man," it's hard to remember a time without it. The film took a lesser-known comic book character and turned him into the most popular member of the Avengers, made him a cultural phenomenon, and changed the landscape of popular film as we know it. The film helped to revive Robert Downey Jr.'s career after his battle with substance abuse and made him one of the most beloved names in the geek world. 

When we meet Tony Stark, he's kind of a jerk. He's rich, inherited his father's company, makes weapons of mass destruction, and he's really full of himself. However, when he's ambushed during a weapons test in Afghanistan and ends up in the hands of the terrorist organization the Ten Rings, he's gravely injured and shoved in a cave with fellow prisoner Yinsen (Shaun Toub). That cave scene ... well,...

“Saltburn,” “Oppenheimer,” “Killers of the Flower Moon,” “Barbie,” “Poor Things,” and “Asteroid City” all earned nominations from the Critics Choice Awards for Best Production Design. That bodes well for each film’s Oscar chances this year. But before we get too ahead of ourselves by predicting who might win this category, let’s take a look back at the last 10 Oscar winners for Best Production Design.

We’re going to take a look at the academy’s tastes here to see what type of films in what type of setting they nominate most. Then, we’ll try to apply those findings to this year’s race as we scrutinize the movies hoping for a nomination in this design category. Here we go.

These 10 winners seem like totally different movies but a closer look does show some similarities. Firstly, seven out of the 10 are set in the real world. “The Shape of Water...

On Dec. 16, 1985, Warner Bros. unveiled Steven Spielberg’s adaptation of The Color Purple at its premiere in New York. The film went on to garner 11 Oscar nominations, including for best picture, at the 58th Academy Awards. The Hollywood Reporter’s original review is below:

To those who think of Steven Spielberg solely as the creator of sci-fi adventure movies or high-tech horror films, The Color Purple will come as an exhilarating surprise. It’s a film filled with tenderness and love, the enduring love of two sisters cruelly separated in their childhood, the love of one of them for two infants taken from her at birth. Based on Alice Walker’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, it tells us quite simply that every thing and everybody needs love, and that putting our faith in love will make everything come out all right.

While I wish with all my heart that I were sanguine enough to believe this,...

Below-the-line categories at the Oscars just don’t get the attention they deserve. The artistry on display helps to bring to life a movie. Visual effects are such a key part of the storytelling of “A New Hope.” Costume design is vital to the storytelling of “Phantom Thread.” And production design is so key in “Parasite,” “Avatar,” and “The Lord of the Rings” in so many different ways.

With that in mind, let’s take a look a closer look at some of the below-the-line categories, starting here with Best Production Design. We’re going to look at the last 10 winners in this category to work out if there is a pattern in the way the academy awards certain winners. They love biopics in the acting categories, for example, so what are they partial to in Production Design? Take a look at the below chart.

These 10 winners seem like totally...

The Oscars for design — Costume Design, Production Design, and Makeup and Hairstyling — are often awarded together to reward movies that have excelled in their costume creations, set building, and distinct makeup work. “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King” won all three while “Black Panther” won both Costume Design and Production Design. Those two are fantasy films, which is a leading genre in the design categories. But period pictures, historical epics, sci-fi flicks, and even distinct contemporary films have also done well in these races.

With that in mind, here’s a breakdown of the eight films we expect to be the strongest contenders across the three categories.

“Barbie”

Let’s get the obvious one out of the way. The trailers have flaunted pretty pastels and plastics in both the sets and the costumes and the full film does not disappoint. The legendary Jacqueline Durran is in...

In the 1988 Christmas comedy "Scrooged," Bill Murray plays Frank Cross, a mean-spirited TV executive who oversees a live televised adaptation of Charles Dickens' 1983 novella "A Christmas Carol." The irony is that "Scrooged" is based off Dickens' story and Cross is a modern version of the misanthropic Ebenezer Scrooge. Echoing the original work, before the show, Cross is visited by the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future who each show him the error of his ways. Carol Kane plays the Ghost of Christmas Present, who visits Frank as a fairy and does an awkward, off balance ballerina dance. And as the kids today say, the struggle was real.

Kane, who had never done ballet, said in a 2018 interview with Vulture that she trained for weeks with an instructor for the scene. Even though she knew a professional ballerina had been hired to come in as her stunt double, she still...

This celebrated dysfunctional family story won four Oscars, the most deserved easily being Alvin Sargent’s superb adapted screenplay. The viewer buzz initially centered on the surprise of Mary Tyler Moore’s unexpected casting against type, but even more alarming was author Judith Guest’s scary message that ‘perfect’ families are an illusion. We found the drama absorbing and bought the performances 100 — Sutherland, Hirsch, Hutton, McGovern. It’s clearly Robert Redford’s best job of direction.

Ordinary People

Blu-ray

Paramount Presents

1980 / Color / 1:85 widescreen / 124 min. / Street Date March 29, 2022 / Available from Amazon and listed at Paramount / 25.99

Starring: Donald Sutherland, Mary Tyler Moore, Judd Hirsch, Timothy Hutton, M. Emmet Walsh, Elizabeth McGovern, Dinah Manoff, Adam Baldwin, Frederic Lehne, James B. Sikking.

Cinematography: John Bailey

Art Directors: Phillip Bennett, J. Michael Riva

Film Editor: Jeff Kanew

Original Music: Marvin Hamlisch

Written by Alvin Sargent from the novel by Judith Guest

Produced by Ronald L. Schwary...

The new branded line Shout Selects chooses Buckaroo for special-special edition treatment, with a long making-of docu just like the ones from the heyday of DVD. And this oddest of oddball sci-fi pictures has a backstory worth documenting. The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension Blu-ray Shout Select 1984 / Color / 2:35 widescreen / 102 min. / Street Date August 16, 2016 / 34.93 Starring: Peter Weller, John Lithgow, Ellen Barkin, Jeff Goldblum, Christopher Lloyd, Lewis Smith, Rosalind Cash, Robert Ito, Pepe Serna, Ronald Lacey, Matt Clark, Clancy Brown, Carl Lumbly, Vincent Schiavelli, Dan Hedaya, Bill Henderson, Damon Hines, Billy Vera Cinematography Fred J. Koenekamp Production Designer J. Michael Riva Art Direction Richard Carter, Stephen Dane Film Editor George Bowers, Richard Marks Original Music Michael Boddicker Written by Earl Mac Rauch Produced by Sidney Beckerman, Neil Canton, W.D. Richter Directed by W.D. Richter

Reviewed by Glenn Erickson

Not content with its already well appointed special Blu-ray editions,...

Taking to the stage yet again for more movie honors, Leonardo DiCaprio and Jonah Hill attended the 18th Annual Art Directors Guild Awards in Beverly Hills.

Glammed up for the affair, "The Wolf of Wall Street" stars sported night black tuxedos as they took the stage on Saturday (February 8).

Films "Her," "Gravity" and "The Great Gatsby" took the biggest awards from the event, and Martin Scorsese put in a few words after receiving of the Cinematic Imagery Award award for "The Wolf of Wall Street," saying, "How does one even separate cinema from Pd? You can’t. We have images in our mind, pictures in our head, but yours are the ones I look to to get those images on the screen. You’ve never let me down. This [award] is for you."

And the winners are:

Contemporary Film

K.K. Barrett, "Her"

Fantasy Film

Andy Nicholson, "Gravity"

Period Film

Catherine Martin,...

The Art Directors Guild (Adg) tonight announced winners of its 18th Annual Excellence in Production Design Awards, Presented by Kohler Co., in ten categories of film, television, commercials and music videos during the black-tie ceremony in the International Ballroom of the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills. The awards took place before an audience of more than 800, including guild members, industry executives and press. Adg Council Chair John Shaffner presided over the awards ceremony with comedian Owen Benjamin serving as host. Martin Scorsese received the Guild’s prestigious Cinematic Imagery Award presented to him by Leonardo DiCaprio and Jonah Hill, his stars of The Wolf of Wall Street, which is currently nominated for five Academy Awards® including Best Picture and Best Director. Production Designer Rick Carter was recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award, presented by Kohler, which created a special award for the occasion. Adg President Mimi Gramatky and Production...

The Art Directors Guild (Adg) unveiled its winners at the 18th Annual Excellence in Production Design Awards in Los Angeles on February 8.

Catherine Martin’s (pictured) work on The Great Gatsby earned the best period film award, while Andy Nicholson triumphed in the fantasy film category for Gravity and K K Barrett’s work on Her earned contemporary film honours.

Martin Scorsese received the Guild’s Cinematic Imagery Award and production designer Rick Carter collected the Lifetime Achievement Award.

Hall Of Fame inductees were Robert Clatworthy, Harper Goff and J Michael Riva.

For the full list of winners including television and awards shows visit the official website.

The Art Directors Guild (Adg) unveiled its winners at the 18th Annual Excellence in Production Design Awards in Los Angeles on February 8.

Catherine Martin’s (pictured) work on The Great Gatsby earned the best period film award, while Andy Nicholson triumphed in the fantasy film category for Gravity and K K Barrett’s work on Her earned contemporary film honours.

Martin Scorsese received the Guild’s Cinematic Imagery Award and production designer Rick Carter collected the Lifetime Achievement Award.

Hall Of Fame inductees were Robert Clatworthy, Harper Goff and J Michael Riva.

For the full list of winners including television and video games visit the official website.

The Great Gatsby is among the contenders as the Art Directors Guild announced 10 categories of production design for film, television, commercials and music videos.

The awards show is set for February 8 in Beverly Hills.

Nominees For Excellence In Production Design For A Feature Film In 2013. (Production designers credited.)

Period Film

American Hustle –Judy Becker

The Great Gatsby –Catherine Martin

Inside Llewyn Davis –Jess Gonchor

Saving Mr. Banks – Michael Corenblith

12 Years A Slave – Adam Stockhausen

Fantasy Film

Elysium –Philip Ivey

Gravity – Andy Nicholson

The Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug – Dan Hennah

Oblivion – Darren Gilford

Star Trek Into Darkness – Scott Chambliss

Contemporary Film

August: Osage County – David Gropman

Blue Jasmine – Santo Loquasto

Captain Phillips – Paul Kirby

Her – K K Barrett

The Wolf Of Wall Street – Bob Shaw.

As previously announced, Martin Scorsese will collect the Guild’s Cinematic Imagery Award and production designer Rick Carter will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award. Hall Of Fame inductees are Robert Clatworthy, Harper...

Los Angeles, Jan. 9, 2014 – Today the Art Directors Guild (Adg) announced nominations in 10 categories of Production Design for theatrical motion pictures, television, commercials and music videos competing in the Art Directors Guild’s 18th Annual Excellence in Production Design Awards, Presented by Kohler. The nominations were announced by Adg Council Chair John Shaffner and Awards co-producers Dave Blass and Raf Lydon. The black-tie ceremony announcing winners will take place on Saturday, February 8, 2014, from the International Ballroom of the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills with comedian Owen Benjamin serving as host. As previously announced, the recipient of the Guild’s prestigious Cinematic Imagery Award will be Academy Award winner Martin Scorsese, whose film The Wolf of Wall Street is in current release. Production Designer Rick Carter will be awarded the Guild’s Lifetime Achievement Award, presented by Kohler. Hall of Fame inductees are Robert Clatworthy, Harper Goff and J. Michael Riva.

Marlene Dietrich Grandson J. Michael Riva, Robert Clatworthy, and Harper Goff: Art Directors Guild Hall of Fame 2014 Production Designers Robert Clatworthy, Harper Goff, and J. Michael Riva will be posthumously inducted into the Art Directors Guild Hall of Fame at the 18th Art Directors Guild Awards ceremony, to be held on February 8, 2014, at the Beverly Hilton Hotel. (Photo: Production designer J. Michael Riva.) J. Michael Riva J. Michael Riva (1948-2012), grandson of Marlene Dietrich (The Blue Angel, Shanghai Express, A Foreign Affair), was production designer for Stuart Rosenberg / Robert Redford’s 1980 socially conscious drama Brubaker. Later on, Redford hired Riva as the art director for Ordinary People, also released in 1980. Riva’s other production design credits include the Lethal Weapon movies starring Mel Gibson and Danny Glover; A Few Good Men (1992), with Tom Cruise, Jack Nicholson, and Demi Moore; The Pursuit of Happyness (2006), with Will Smith; Spider-Man 3 (2007), with Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst,...

Stars: Jamie Foxx, Christoph Waltz, Leonardo DiCaprio, Kerry Washington, Samuel L. Jackson, Walton Goggins, Dennis Christopher, James Remar | Written and Directed by Quentin Tarantino

Review by Joe Cronin

Attracting a whirlwind of controversy on its way, Django Unchained hits UK cinemas this week. Tarantino returns after a three year hiatus, bringing his trademark mixture of sharp wit and gut-wrenching violence to the spaghetti Western genre. This is a marvellous return to form following the somewhat dull and drawn-out Inglorious Bastards. The plot keeps you on the edge of your seat, and the film is topped off with dynamic performances from Samuel L Jackson, Leonardo Dicaprio and Jamie Foxx. In short, it’s everything you’d expect a Tarantino Western to be.

Django Unchained is a love story at heart. The instantly likeable protagonist is Django himself, deftly played by the charismatic Jamie Foxx. He is plucked from his miserable existence...

Vengeance has a new name in the Oscar®-winning, global box office hit Django Unchained out now on Blu-ray™ and DVD with UltraViolet™ from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. This epic, action-packed Spaghetti Western from writer/director Quentin Tarantino (Inglourious Basterds) was nominated for five 2012 Academy Awards® (Best Picture, Best Original Screenplay, Best Supporting Actor, Best Cinematography, and Best Editing), taking home awards for Best Original Screenplay (Tarantino) and Best Supporting Actor (Waltz). The film, with Us theatrical rights held by The Weinstein Company, has grossed more than $400 million globally and features a stellar cast, including Academy Award® winner Jamie Foxx (Best Actor, Ray, 2005), two-time Academy Award® winner Christoph Waltz (Best Supporting Actor, Django Unchained, 2012 and Best Supporting Actor, Inglourious Basterds, 2010), Academy Award® nominee Leonardo DiCaprio (Inception), Kerry Washington (Ray, TV’s “Scandal”) and Academy Award® nominee Samuel L. Jackson (Best Supporting Actor, Pulp Fiction, 1994; The Avengers).

Django Unchained is a...

Django Unchained hits DVD and Blu-ray May 20th and to mark the occasion we’ve got 3 copies to give away along with three limited edition comic books.

Django Unchained is a classic Tarantino revenge story about a slave (Foxx) who, with the help of a German bounty hunter (Waltz), rises up from the brutality of his former life to exact his own brand of personal justice in his quest to free his slave wife (Washington) from an evil plantation owner (DiCaprio).

The Blu-ray comes with two exclusive featurettes: “Reimagining the Spaghetti Western: The Horses & Stunts of Django Unchained,” giving viewers a look at the making of the film. “The Costume Designs of Sharen Davis” chronicles the costume choices of designer Sharen Davis, who imagined, designed and created every article of clothing and accessory featured in the film, from Django’s first outfit as a free man in vibrant blue to...

Chicago – Who but Quentin Tarantino could make a nearly-three-hour movie about slavery and turn it into the highest-grossing film of his career? The movie made over $160 million domestically and over $400 million worldwide on its way to two major Oscars — Best Original Screenplay and Best Supporting Actor. With all of its massive success, one might expect a lavish Blu-ray release. What we get is a bit more cut-rate. It’s got a good transfer but it’s slight on special features and it’s very likely that a special edition is inevitable. Then again, I’ve been waiting for the “Kill Bill” recut, full-movie edition that Qt promised years ago.

Rating: 3.5/5.0

One great thing about “Django Unchained” is, like all of Qt’s films, the replay value is High. Tarantino’s gift for dialogue allows for films that people watch over and over again, long after the plot turns and twists have been revealed and memorized.

Quentin Tarantino’s latest highly-discussed ultra-violet look at slavery and redemption, Django Unchained, has finally made it to Blu-Ray. Django is easily Tarantino’s best work since the Jackie Brown/Pulp Fiction days, effortlessly blending his unique abilities both as a writer and director. It’s funny, violent, scary and epic all wrapped into one, thanks to Tarantino’s clever script and astoundingly bloody shootouts. Jamie Foxx, Christoph Waltz and Leonardo DiCaprio all deliver Oscar-worthy performances that’ll have you grasping onto each and every line spoken. Simply put, Django Unchained is the best film of 2012.

Django (Jamie Foxx) is a slave. In between transportation he runs into Dr. King Schultz (Christoph Waltz), a bounty hunter that’s looking for men that Django just so happens to know. He offers Django his freedom in exchange for his help and together the two become a deadly team of bounty hunters.

This week: Quentin Tarantino's eighth film, the Oscar-winning "Django Unchained," starring Jamie Foxx, Christoph Waltz, Leonardo DiCaprio and Samuel L. Jackson, finds emancipation on DVD and Blu-ray after a celebrated run at the box office.

Also new this week is the pitch-black comedy "Small Apartments," the Southern ghost story "The Haunting in Connecticut 2: Ghosts of Georgia" and the Criterion Collection Blu-ray debut of "Repo Man."

'Django Unchained'

Box Office: $163 million

Rotten Tomatoes: 89% Fresh

Storyline: Jamie Foxx plays the titular unchained slave in Quentin Tarantino's latest opus, which is set two years before the Civil War. After Django is set free by German-born bounty hunter Dr. King Schultz (Christoph Waltz), the doctor convinces Django to help him hunt down the murderous Brittle brothers. Django remains focused on a singular goal: rescuing his wife, Broomhilda (Kerry Washington), whom he lost years ago to the slave trade. Fate intervenes when Django and Dr.

Where were Andy Griffith, Larry Hagman and other well-known celebrities in this year's Oscars In Memoriam montage? They were online at Oscar.com.

Every year it's one of the more reliably ridiculous award show controversies: Who didn't make the cut for In Memoriam?

When it comes to the Oscars, these "snubs" are particularly sensitive given the prestige and viewership of the show, and the fact that the montage inevitably leaves out names and faces of recognizable stars -- usually those known far more for their work in television than their work in film, which is the medium that the Academy Awards actually celebrate.

However, the Academy is hip to the annual controversy and this year produced a supplemental slideshow on their website featuring 114 names and photos of entertainers and film craftspeople who passed away in the past year.

Among the late greats included in the slideshow but not on the...

My current 2013 Oscar predictions for Best Production Design have Anna Karenina winning with Life of Pi the runner up and if the 2013 Art Directors Guild Award winners have anything to suggest about these predictions it would seem I'm on to something as both films were awarded in the Period and Fantasy categories respectively along with a win for Skyfall in the Contemporary category. Skyfall, however, is not up for an Oscar. You can check out my predictions for the category here, and I have included the winners below in bold, red text along with the nominees in each category. I also added all three winners to my Oscar Overture, which is slowly beginning to fill up. Next up are the Ves Awards tomorrow, February 5. Movies (Period Film) Anna Karenina Production Designer: Sarah Greenwood Argo Production Designer: Sharon Seymour Django Unchained Production Designer: J. Michael Riva Les Miserables Production Designer: Eve Stewart...

Bond, Pi, and Anna Karenina were the big winners at the 17th Annual Excellence in Production Design Awards given by the Art Directors Guild. "Skyfall" won the Contemporary category, "Life of Pi" under Fantasy, and "Anna Karenina" for the Period title.

Here's the complete list of winners/nominees; for winners/nominees of other award-giving bodies, click here:

17th Annual Excellence In Production Design Awards

Period Film

(winner) Anna Karenina

Production Designer: Sarah Greenwood

Argo

Production Designer: Sharon Seymour

Django Unchained

Production Designer: J. Michael Riva

Les MISÉRABLES

Production Designer: Eve Stewart

Lincoln

Production Designer: Rick Carter

Fantasy Film

Cloud Atlas

Production Designer: Uli Hanisch, Hugh Bateup

(winner) Life Of Pi

Production Designer: David Gropman

Prometheus

Production Designer: Arthur Max

The Dark Knight Rises

Production Designers: Nathan Crowley, Kevin Kavanaugh

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

Production Designer: Dan Hannah

Contemporary Film

Flight

Production Designer: Nelson Coates

(winner) Skyfall

Production Designer: Dennis Gassner...

Though I feared a complete and utter breakdown of my predictive skills this year, as it turns out I did about the same as usual which is quite wonderful given how difficult those fifth spots were this year and how much you had to chuck statistical expectations to get it right (Riva and Haneke and Amour had so little precursor support but I had a feeling from way back that they'd find their way in, that they'd be "sticky" enough as it were in the memory)

The Big Eight in the high profile categories Picture, Director, Acting and Screenplays I had an 81% degree of accuracy with 36/44 nominees guessed correctly. 

All Categories Absent the Shorts 77% (83/107)

All Categories Including The Shorts 74%  (91/122)

Last Minute Mistakes - I had a perfect predicted set in Production Design until I swapped out Life of Pi at the last second, thinking that Django Unchained might win a...

They're not the Oscars, but it's still good that there are awards for the people who make our television and film experiences so visually stunning. The Art Directors Guild has just announced the nominees for its 2012 awards.

The Guild honors production designers in television, film and advertising, dividing each medium into distinct categories. The result is that some productions not used to getting a lot of awards love do in fact get mentioned.

Take "Community" for example. While you'd be hard-pressed to find a TV critic who doesn't think this is one of TV's best comedies, the show gets nominated for virtually zero awards. The Art Directors Guild, however, took notice when appropriate -- the bizarre, visually interesting and incredible "Pillows and Blankets" episode (a Zap2It pick for one of the best episodes of the year) is nominated.

Of course, lots of the usual suspects make the list as...

The Art Directors Guild has announced the nominees for the 17th Annual Art Directors Guild Excellence in Production Design Awards. Winners will be announced on February 2nd at the Beverly Hilton.

Here's the complete list of nominees including television; for winners/nominees of other award-giving bodies, click here:

Nominees For Excellence In Production Design For A Feature Film In 2012

Period Film

Anna Karenina

Production Designer: Sarah Greenwood

Argo

Production Designer: Sharon Seymour

Django Unchained

Production Designer: J. Michael Riva

Les MISÉRABLES

Production Designer: Eve Stewart

Lincoln

Production Designer: Rick Carter

Fantasy Film

Cloud Atlas

Production Designer: Uli Hanisch, Hugh Bateup

Life Of Pi

Production Designer: David Gropman

Prometheus

Production Designer: Arthur Max

The Dark Knight Rises

Production Designers: Nathan Crowley, Kevin Kavanaugh

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

Production Designer: Dan Hannah

Contemporary Film

Flight

Production Designer: Nelson Coates

Skyfall

Production Designer: Dennis Gassner

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

Production Designer:...

I never thought I would be so bothered when it comes to technical awards at the Oscars, but I am already preparing myself for what I expect will be three snubs for a certain film. The Art Directors Guild has all but confirmed one of them will be Moonrise Kingdom's absence from the Production Design nominees by not nominating Adam Stockhausen and Gerald Sullivan's profoundly excellent work. I expect the same to happen at the Oscars and I'm sure Moonrise will be overlooked for Cinematography and Costumes as well, even though everything I'm describing went into what makes it such a great movie. So what did get nominated? Well, in the Contemporary Film category you have Flight, Skyfall, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, The Impossible and Zero Dark Thirty. Of that group The Impossible and Zero Dark Thirty sound about right. Skyfall is a bit of a stretch,...

Nominees For Excellence In Production Design For A Feature Film In 2012: Period Film Anna Karenina Production Designer:  Sarah Greenwood Argo Production Designer:  Sharon Seymour Django Unchained Production Designer:  J. Michael Riva...

The Art Directors Guild (Adg) today announced nominations in nine categories of Production Design for theatrical motion pictures, television, commercials and music videos competing in the Adg’s 17th Annual Excellence in Production Design Awards Presented by BMW for 2012. The nominations were announced by Adg Council Chair John Shaffner and Awards co-producers Greg Grande and Raf Lydon. Deadline for final voting, which is done online, is January 31. The black-tie ceremony announcing winners will take place Saturday, February 2, 2013, from the International Ballroom of the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills with Paula Poundstone serving as host for the fourth consecutive year. Production Designer Herman Zimmerman will be the recipient of the Guild’s Lifetime Achievement Award. Hall of Fame inductees are Preston Ames, Richard MacDonald, and Edward S. Stephenson. The Production Designers behind the James Bond franchise, Sir Ken Adam, Allan Cameron, Dennis Gassner, and Peter Lamont will be honored for Outstanding Contribution to Cinematic Imagery.

The Art Directors Guild (Adg) today announced nominations in nine categories of Production Design for theatrical motion pictures, television, commercials and music videos competing in the Adg’s 17th Annual Excellence in Production Design Awards Presented by BMW for 2012. The nominations were announced by Adg Council Chair John Shaffner and Awards co-producers Greg Grande and Raf Lyndon. Deadline for final voting, which is done online, is January 31. The black-tie ceremony announcing winners will take place Saturday, February 2, 2013, from the International Ballroom of the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills with Paula Poundstone serving as host for the fourth consecutive year. Production Designer Herman Zimmerman will be the recipient of the Guild’s Lifetime Achievement Award. Hall of Fame inductees are Preston Ames, Richard MacDonald, and Edward S. Stephenson. The Production Designers behind the James Bond franchise, Sir Ken Adam, Allan Cameron, Dennis Gassner, and Peter Lamont will be honored for Outstanding Contribution to Cinematic Imagery.

Despite being twice Oscar nominated, for Ray in 2004 and then Dreamgirls and 2006, costume designer Sharen Davis has yet to win the big one. She ticks a lot of the Academy’s boxes too: period clothes, stage wear, real life people. However, Ms. Davis is not just about history and glamour, her work is thoughtful, detailed and appropriate to tone.

Django Unchained is the first time Sharen Davis has worked with Quentin Tarantino, as generally he favours using different costume designers depending on the project. Yet on this evidence the director is likely to employ her services again. The date may be 1859, the location America’s deep south, but this is costume not re-enactment. As such the film has a flavour of the Old West (or rather South) with clever character notes and delicate use of colour.

Chatting exclusively to Clothes on Film just before Christmas, Ms. Davis explains her ideas for Django Unchained,...

The award for Best Production Design was previously known as Art Direction until the Academy's designers branch (formerly the art directors branch) recommended the change this year. Last year, "Hugo" won the award and joined a long line of period and fantasy films to achieve victory in the category. In the last 20 years, no contemporary film has won this award. Among this year's top contenders are "Anna Karenina" (three-time nominees Sarah Greenwood and Katie Spencer), "The Master" (Oscar-nominee Jack Fisk), the 19th century biopic "Lincoln" (Oscar-winner Rick Carter), "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" (Don Hennah, who previously won for "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King"), and "Les Miserables" (two-time nominee Eve Stewart). Production designer J. Michael Riva died in 2012; he earned a nomination for "The Color Purple" and could earn a posthumous bid...

whoa. no link roundups in forever. time to catch up on movie news and/or must see web droppings

Yahoo Movies Fine Thelma Adams piece on Prometheus' "foreign object" sequence. [shudder]

24 Frames Noomi Rapace and Sigourney Weavers' Alien franchise screen tests

IndieWire six life saving tips for cinematographers from the great Darius Khondji (Se7en, Evita, Midnight in Paris, and more...)

Empire Penelope Cruz will star in her fifth Pedro Almodóvar movie Fleeting Lovers (title may change) which starts shooting this summer. Yay! Double Yay! All About My Mother star Cecilia Roth is also in the cast.

YouTube if there's anything I hate about YouTube it's the ability to name your videos "official". But this "Official" Les Miserable trailer starring (gulp) Katie Holmes is kind of a good prank... I mean Nightmare!

In Contention production designer J Michael Riva (Django Unchained, The Color Purple) has passed away at 63.

Awards Daily Singin' in the Rain...

The comic-book revelation of the week: the Stark Tower and the Oscorp Tower almost shared a Manhattan skyline in Marvel's "The Avengers" earlier this summer. What does that mean for those not fluent in poindexter-ese? It means the events from Columbia's upcoming "The Amazing Spider-Man" almost crossed over into the same New York universe where "The Avengers" took place. 

How's that? Film website Latino Review sat down with "The Amazing Spider-Man" producers Avi Arad and Matthew Tolmach this past weekend to discuss the upcoming Spidey reboot as directed by Marc Webb ("(500) Days of Summer"), and during their conversation the duo revealed that Marvel Studios and Sony/Columbia had some early discussions of uniting the Marvel Manhattan skyline in one universe. How so? By including the Oscorp Tower (Harry Osborn being the CEO of Oscorp, who eventually turns into the Green Goblin villain from the 'Spider-Man' films) in "The...

Earlier this week, we reported that The Amazing Spider-Man world might be branching out to include the spin-off Venom even though the eponymous character doesn't appear in Spidey's movie. Instead, the plan would be to reverse engineer a future crossover a la The Avengers. However, this crossover would stay within Sony Pictures. We're still waiting for studios to realize the mutual benefit of crossing over their Marvel properties, but it turns out that Sony and Disney almost made the first deal to do so. Hit the jump to find out how The Amazing Spider-Man and The Avengers almost crossed over. The Amazing Spider-Man opens in 2D, 3D, and IMAX 3D on July 3rd. According to Latino Review, there were never any plans to have the character interact, but they almost shared the same Manhattan. The Amazing Spider-Man's late production designer J Michael Riva did some amazing work with Oscorp Tower,...

There has been a bunch of talk lately about Spider-Man joining forces with The Avengers. According to Latino Review, the two universes almost merged in Marvel's blockbuster. It is rumored that the Oscorp Tower was “this close” to becoming part of the skyline for Avengers. The news was revealed after production designer J. Michael Riva died last week after suffering a stroke. Riva designed the Oscorp Tower, and his work has been seen in such films as The Goonies, The Color Purple, A Few Good Men, Congo, Evolution, the Iron Man films, and the upcoming Django Unchained.

Sony and Marvel were actually going to let this awesome little Easter Egg be a part of The Avengers. The only reason that the Oscorp building did not make the cut was because it needed some up-conversion to fit into the skyline for the film. The digital Manhattan seen in Avengers was already done,...

Latino Review has been around for a while and they've been knocking it out of the park recently with their Iron Man 3 scoops so I tend to believe them when they post interesting stories like this. According to the site, Sony and Marvel Studios were apparently very close to letting an element of the Spider-Man universe appear in Joss Whedon's mega [insert superlative adjective] film. Here's what was reported---- Imagine my surprise when I heard a rumor that the Oscorp Tower from Amazing Spider-Man was “this close” to becoming part of the sky line for Avengers. (Hint: pretty surprised) Here’s the story – last week, The Amazing Spider-Man’s production designer J Michael Riva (he passed away recently after suffering a stroke at the age of 63). Not only did he design the Oscorp Tower for Asm, but he has a staggering resume of awesomeness including The Goonies, The Color Purple,...

Production designer J. Michael Riva passed away in Los Angeles on June 7. Below he is remembered by Jon Reiss. — Editor

When I first met Michael Riva I thought he was a bit nuts. It was thirteen years ago on a pre-school camping trip for our sons and he had outfitted his tent fit for a bedouin princess. This was accomplished without any expense – a brightly-colored French handkerchief over a side table here, a cot and mattress covered by sheer Indian fabric there, and on the “wall” of the tent he somehow managed to jerry-rig a small landscape. I returned to my $30 pup tent and two sleeping bags lying on the dirt thinking, who is that guy? He constructed this fantasy world not only out of devotion for his wife Wendy (who was on the trip with us), but because Michael turned everything he touched into a work of art. From...

While talking with director Marc Webb at the Amazing Spider-Man junket in New York City, I accidently hit a very soft spot. A Rear Window poster in Peter Parker.s room caught my eye, so I asked where the idea to include that came from. Webb responded, .Well, we thought it was about observation because Peter Parker.s always taking pictures, but actually, it.s sad you bring that up; our production designer just passed away yesterday.. Just earlier today, THR reported that production designer J. Michael Riva died at the age of 63, a week after suffering a stroke. The Oscar-nominee is responsible for the production design on a massive list of films including The Goonies, The Color Purple, A Few Good Men, Congo, Evolution, the Iron Man movies and, of course, The Amazing Spider-Man. The final entry on Riva.s resume will be Quentin Tarantino.s Django Unchained. Riva...

Last night, I got home from a long day of running around, and I decided to throw on something from the stack of Blu-rays while I worked.  I ended up settling on "Lethal Weapon 2," and as I watched the film, I was also checking e-mail and seeing what was going on in the world of film.  That's when I stumbled across the news that production designer Michael Riva had passed away.  At first, I thought it was a coincidence that I was watching a film Riva had worked on when I got the news, but when you look at his...

Veteran production designer J. Michael Riva, who died Thursday after suffering a severe stroke while filming "Django Unchained" last week, is being remembered by many who knew him, including "Django" director Quentin Tarantino, Harvey Weinstein, "The Amazing Spider-Man" director Marc Webb and many others. "Michael became a dear friend on this picture, as well as a magnificent, talented colleague," Tarantino said. "Every member of our 'Django' crew family is devastated by this tragic loss as we persevere on his wonderful sets." The eldest grandson of screen legend Marlene Dietrich, Riva (pictured, far...

J. Michael Riva, an Oscar-nominated production designer who recently worked on Quentin Tarantino's Django Unchained, has died at the age of 63. Riva, whose film resume also includes A Few Good Men and The Amazing Spider-Man, suffered a stroke in New Orleans last Friday while preparing to head to the set of Django. Nearly a week later, the married father of four sons died surrounded by family. Riva earned an Academy Award nomination for his work on 1985's The Color Purple. His other production design credits include: Iron Man and its sequel;

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www.hollywoodnews.com: On Friday June 1, 2012, while on location in New Orleans, production designer J. Michael Riva was preparing to head to the studio when he suffered a severe stroke. He passed away yesterday afternoon surrounded by his family.

Michael’s family has returned to Los Angeles and a service of celebration to remember his life is pending.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you make a contribution to “H.O.P.E. Haiti: or A Place Called HomeTRIBUTE Statements

Quentin Tarantino, director Django

“Michael became a dear friend on this picture, as well as a magnificent, talented colleague. Every member of our Django crew family is devastated by this tragic loss as we persevere on his wonderful sets.”

Amy Pascal, Co-Chairman, Sony Pictures Entertainment

“Michael Riva was a great friend and a tremendous talent, able to tailor the look and mood of a story to the emotion in the script.

The casual movie-goer rarely sticks around during the credits. Outside of the actors, directors and producers, many names involved with the making of a film go unnoticed; however, the production of any film (small or large) requires a ton of help from everyone on staff – from the key grip in charge of the camera equipment, to the production designers. With the recent frenzy of post-credit teaser scenes (See: The Avengers), average moviegoers are now forced to sit through the entirety of movie credits – and assuming you’ve been paying attention, you may have noticed the name J. Michael Riva listed as the production designer for some of your all-time favorite films.

In sad news, Variety is reporting that Riva has passed away at the age of 63. The cause of his death is ...

Click to continue reading ‘Amazing Spider-man’ & ‘Goonies’ Production Designer J. Michael Riva Dead at 63...

Oscar-nominated production designer, known for his work on The Color Purple and The Goonies, has died

Oscar-nominated production designer J Michael Riva has died, Variety reports. The New York-born veteran had been working on the new Quentin Tarantino film Django Unchained. He was 63.

Riva's Oscar nod came in 1985 for his work on Steven Spielberg's The Color Purple. He also won an Emmy in 2007 for his work on the 79th Academy Awards ceremony, his second time in charge of production design duties following a stint in 2002.

Part of a showbiz family – he was the grandson of Marlene Dietrich – Riva's long list of credits included work on forthcoming comic book reboot The Amazing Spider-Man as well as The Goonies, Lethal Weapon, and the first two Iron Man films. His father worked on Broadway as a set designer and his mother appeared in Dietrich's 1934 historical drama The Scarlet Empress, playing Catherine the Great as a child.

Oscar-nominated production designer J. Michael Riva, who worked on films including A Few Good Men and The Amazing Spider-man, has died at the age of 63.

A representative for Riva tells movie industry website Variety.com he passed away in hospital but further details surrounding the death are unknown.

The designer was well respected in Hollywood and came from a family of movie professionals including his actress and singer grandmother Marlene Dietrich, film editor grandfather Rudolf Sieber, Broadway set designer father William Riva and his actress and author mother Maria Riva, who appeared in The Scarlet Empress with Dietrich.

Riva worked on more than 40 films including Lethal Weapon, The Goonies, and two Iron Man movies. In 1986, he was nominated for an Oscar for Best Art Direction-Set Decoration for his work on The Color Purple.

Oscar-nominated production designer J Michael Riva has died at the age of 63. Riva's representatives confirmed to Variety that he passed away in hospital, although no cause of death was given. He had recently been working on Quentin Tarantino's Django Unchained in New Orleans. Riva's 35-year Hollywood career saw him work on The Goonies, Lethal Weapon and A Few Good Men. He was nominated for an Oscar for his work on Steven Spielberg's The Colour Purple in 1985 and won an Emmy in 2007 for the 79th Annual Academy Awards. Recently, Riva designed superhero (more)...