If Don’s last post about the Gotham Awards didn’t tip you off, it’s awards season! The Independent Spirit Awards announced their nominees for their 25th Annual Awards just this morning, and there are some real Gordon and the Whale-approved noms on the list.

James’ favorite movie of the year, (500) DAYS OF SUMMER picked up nominations for Best Picture, Best Screenplay, and Best Male Lead. All-around lovely human being, writer and director Kyle Patrick Alvarez, was nominated for Best First Feature and the Acura Someone to Watch Award for EASIER WITH PRACTICE.

There are, of course, a lot of nominations for critical hits like PRECIOUS, SIN NOMBRE, and CRAZY HEART. COLD SOULS and A SINGLE MAN both pulled out three nominations. Some surprises? Mia Wasikowska, our next ALICE IN WONDERLAND, got a nod for her work as Best Supporting Female in THAT EVENING SUN. Jemaine Clement got his own Supporting nomination for GENTLEMEN BRONCOS. Snubs? I’m sad to see that Brian Geraghty didn’t get a nod for his excellent work in EASIER WITH PRACTICE, and as Movieline pointed out, A SERIOUS MAN’s Michael Stuhlbarg was shut out of an acting nomination.

Check out the full list of nominees after the jump! (more…)

For those of you who missed the live webcast of the 19^th Annual Gotham Awards on Ustream, here’s a rundown of the winners, as well as the jury for the show. In addition to the competitive awards, career tributes were presented to actors Natalie Portman and Stanley Tucci, filmmaker Kathryn Bigelow and producer/executives Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner, Co-Chairman of Working Title Films.

Check out all the winners after the jump. (more…)

The contest in now over! Big thanks to everyone that entered!

The winner of SNATCH on Blu-ray is Amanda Hall. Amanda please email us at [email protected] with your mailing address within 48 hours to claim your prize.

SNATCH is coming to Blu-ray on December 1st, and to celebrate this we have one SNATCH Blu-ray to give away.

To enter all you have to do is fill out the form after the jump. You have until 11:59 pm on November 30th to enter. We will be announcing the winners of December 1st. No purchase necessary, winners must live inside the U.S., no P.O. boxes, and you can only enter once. Good luck! (more…)

We now have officialal photos from THE KARATE KID remake starring Will Smith’s son, Jaden, and Jackie Chan, who is still not believed to be a son of Will Smith (not breaking news, right?). The film is set in China, obvious from the photos, as I think they are the only ones with a wall like that.

Check out the rest of the photos after jump. (more…)

A remake of 1979 sci-fi movie THE BLACK HOLE is happening and it will be with two guys that had a major part in the upcoming TRON sequel. TRON: LEGACY director Joseph Kosinski and producer Sean Bailey will be a part of THE BLACK HOLE remake, although it is unknown if Kosinski will direct the film. Read more after the jump. (more…)

Not too long ago there were rumors circulating that ATONEMENT director Joe Wright could be directing the MY FAIR LADY remake. Well, those rumors were crushed by Wright himself, and that’s where that story ends.

However, now another director’s name is being associated with the new MY FAIR LADY movie, and it appears to be more than just rumors. Variety is reporting that director John Madden is in talks for the MY FAIR LADY remake. (more…)

A few months ago, I fell in love with DISTRICT 9. Not only because the movie was amazing in every way imaginable, but also because of Neill Blomkamp’s story. His short-film work caught the eye of Peter Jackson, who eventually helped produce DISTRICT 9, which was based on the Blomkamp short, ALIVE IN JOBURG.

Now, history seems to be repeating itself. Earlier this month, Uruguayan director Fede Alvarez posted a short video on YouTube called ATAQUE DE PANICO, which translates to PANIC ATTACK. It features giant robots attacking the Uruguay capital of Montevideo and it so impressed director Sam Raimi that he signed Alvarez to his production company to develop the short into a feature-length film!

Not too shabby, though the story isn’t as original as Blomkamp’s take on alien invasions. What really impressed the Hollywood suits wasn’t the story, but the fact that Alvarez was able to produce such a polished movie for about $500. It really says something about the technology available to consumers today. With a little money and a lot of work, you can create works that rival some of the crap Hollywood puts out. Check out ATAQUE DE PANICO after the jump. (more…)

A couple of weeks ago, Focus Features announced its 2010 slate. In that announcement, they also included some information about filming and release dates – including that Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck’s next effort, their adaptation of Ned Vizzini’s “It’s Kind of a Funny Story,” would begin lensing in December of this year, to keep it on target for a release in November of 2010.

And, with that, Focus announced today that filming is beginning on FUNNY STORY this week in New York City. The cast includes Keir Gilchrist, Zach Galifianakis, Viola Davis, Zoe Kravitz, Lauren Graham, Jim Gaffigan, and Emma Roberts. The film follows Gilchrist’s Craig as he ends up in an adult mental ward for five days, despite being just 16 years old. (more…)

We’re getting pretty close to the release of Peter Jackson’s latest film, THE LOVELY BONES, which is set to hit limited theaters December 11th with a gradual expansion over the rest of December and January. Yes, the time is almost here, a seemingly good thing since Jackson tends to make movies with a high amount of awesome.

The LORD OF THE RINGS and KING KONG remake director’s (along with a bunch of other cool films, like THE FRIGHTENERS and DEAD ALIVE) soon-to-be-released film is about a young girl who is murdered and struggles to deal with her death in the afterlife as her family struggles to deal with her death on Earth. Heavy stuff.

Yahoo! Movies has premiered an exclusive new clip for THE LOVELY BONES, featuring the deceased girl’s grandma (Susan Sarandon) visiting the family. The clip gives you a good idea of the grandma character in a very short period of time – wealthy and sassy, my kind of sugar momma. Check out the clip after the jump. (more…)

Over at Yahoo!, they’ve got the first look at the inaugural IRON MAN 2 teaser poster. We’ve previously had to make do with just a batch of stills from filming to keep us sated for the next entry in Jon Favreau’s wildly successful franchise. Today’s teaser reflects the sleek style of the very first teaser poster from IRON MAN, while also giving us a good look at War Machine (as played by Don Cheadle, replacing Terrence Howard as Col. James “Rhodey” Rhodes).

Check out the full poster after the jump! (more…)

The kids over at The Playlist have got a scoop for all you BOURNE fans. According to “sources and friends close to the project,” director Paul Greengrass has quit the fourth installment of the BOURNE franchise. Supposedly, as far back as a week ago, Greengrass left the project, due to what will really only be explained as “creative differences.”

Greengrass previously picked up the BOURNE directing reins from Doug Liman, directing both THE BOURNE SUPREMACY and THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM. He’s long been attached to direct the fourth film in the series (still untitled). His work with BOURNE star Matt Damon has also extended to other flicks, as their next collaboration, GREEN ZONE, will be out next year. (more…)

The distribution rights to PARANORMAL ACTIVITY director Oren Peli’s AREA 51 have been acquired by Paramount.

A far cry from the $11,000 it took to make PARANORMAL ACTIVITY, AREA 51 boasts a budget of just under $5 million. AREA 51 uses the same found-footage technique as PARANORMAL ACTIVITY, along with a cast of unknown actors. The film tells the story of three teenagers who explore the Area 51 section of Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada. Principal photography was completed three weeks ago and the film is expected to see a 2010 release. (more…)

I’ve been a fan of Jeremy Piven since ONE CRAZY SUMMER, SAY ANYTHING, and PCU.  The man has what is commonly referred to as “swagger,” and it’s hard not to fall for his charm. I guess these days Piven is mostly known for his role on “Entourage,” where he’s had the masses “huggin’ it out” for quite some time. I’ve never seen the show, but that’s no fault of Mr. Piven. I am but one (wo)man and I can’t find the time to watch every buzzworthy television show as well as bring you the latest in film news, but I am glad that he is getting his due.

I’m not really sure we will get the same old charismatic Piven in his newest role, in the anything but feel good indie drama WASKA. Piven, Lynn Collins, Thomas Dekker, and Kate Walsh have all been cast in the film, which is about a young father (Dekker) whose 3 year old freezes to death on a fishing trip. Piven will play the local prosecutor who goes after the father. (more…)

If it is a theatrical review you are looking for, then head over HERE. And while you’re at it, check out our super fun interview with the film’s stars Charlene Yi and Jake Johnson HERE.

Blu-ray Rating: 7/10

Just in time to curl up with your significant other by the fire to warm yourself and your heart, PAPER HEART is getting the DVD and Blu-ray treatment, as it hits stores tomorrow, December 1st. Whether you saw this unconventional exploration of love in the theaters or unfortunately missed it, this is definitely one you’re going to want to pick up. (more…)

The contest is now over. Big thanks to everyone that entered!

The signed DVD winners are:
Doug McCombs
Charles Moore
David Long
Andrew Mendez
Dave Lovett

The shirt winners are:
Richard Rheaume
Shawna Bergen
Corby Kennard

Winners please email us within 48 hours with your mailing address at [email protected] to claim your prize.

ANVIL! THE STORY OF ANVIL, about a metal band that just refuses to give up no matter what happens or how long it takes, is one of the most praised documentaries of the year. We are very happy to announce that we’re offering our readers a chance at winning this acclaimed documentary on DVD and more. Here’s what we have:

5 DVD copies of ANVIL! THE STORY OF ANVIL, signed by the band
3 large ANVIL t-shirts

You can check out and purchases these and more ANVIL products HERE

So what we’ll do is have 8 winners, 5 grand prize getting the DVDs and 3 getting the shirts. To enter, all you have to do is fill out the form after the jump. You have until 11:59 PM on November 28th to enter. We will be selecting the winners via random drawing and announcing them on the 29th. No purchase necessary, winners must live inside the U.S., no P.O. boxes, and you can only enter once. Good luck! (more…)