Isle of Dogs, Review: No bow-wows only wow-wows Dog lovers of the world, unite, stop motion—you have everything to keep but your dogs to lose! Imagine a scenario where all the dogs in a city are captured and dropped-off on a deserted island by cable cars, because of a dog flu epidemic. The story is set in Japan, in the dystopian near-future, and a lot of the dialogue and captions/sub-titles are in Nihongo…er…Japanese. But the appeal is universal, both to dog lovers and pet...

by Quendrith Johnson, Los Angeles Correspondent   Some actors find themselves between jobs, Michael Keaton found himself between careers.  Now Oscar-nominated for Birdman (Or The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance), the veteran actor had some “This Is Your Life” moments last night when he received the Modern Master Award from the 30th International Film Festival in Santa Barbara (SBIFF).  “Let’s call it a Renaissance,” intoned Leonard Maltin, who play...

SPOTLIGHT MEDIA PRODUCTIONS   Inside the 2015 SAG-AFTRA Awards, By Adrienne Papp   Debbie Reynolds and Adrienne Papp By Adrienne Papp One thing about the Hollywood awards season, you can always count on some things that are out-of-left-field unexpected, and there are always things that are completely expected and well-deserved. Voted on by 111,228 eligible SAG-AFTRA members, the SAG Awards are a key event in the buzz creat...

Birdman/The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance, Review: The Expected Vice of Knowledge Back in the 1980s and 1990s, actor Riggan Thomson (Michael Keaton) was known for his superhero role, Birdman, which spawned two sequels. He refused to do the third. Now a-used-to-be-big-star, Riggan is trying hard to make a comeback through drama, by staging Raymond Carver’s “What We Talk About When We Talk About Love.” He will be co-starring with Lesley (Naomi Watts), who is also a movie star...

SPOTLIGHT MEDIA PRODUCTIONS   87TH OSCARS® NOMINATIONS ANNOUNCED   By Adrienne Papp   Directors Alfonso Cuarón and J.J. Abrams, actor Chris Pine and Academy President Cheryl Boone Isaacs announced the nominations for the 87th Academy Awards® today (January 15).  For the first time, nominees in all 24 categories were announced live. Cuarón and Abrams announced the nominees in 11 categories at 5:30 a.m. ...

by Quendrith Johnson, Los Angeles Correspondent When Michael Keaton “was frozen” in a scene for the newly released Birdman, directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu, according to Edward Norton, who appeared with him at an AFI conversation on 11/8, “you could see he was having trouble.” “I mean, I don’t know if this story is apocryphal,” Norton offered, “but there’s this story I heard (from a director), that when Greta ...

By Maria Esteves – October 25, 2014 The 52nd New York Film Festival 2014 (NYFF52) Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance), press conference with director Alejandro G. Iñárritu, cast members actor Michael Keaton, Academy Award nominated supporting actor Edward Norton, actor/stand-up comedian Zach Galifianakis, English actress Andrea Riseborough, Academy Award nominated actress Amy Ryan, actress/model Emma Stone and British actress Naomi Watts moderated by director of...

 Saturday, April 14----The Sarasota Film Festival, which began its 9th edition last night, will salute Academy Award nominated actor Edward Norton and writer/producer Brian Koppelman (who recently teamed as actor and producer of the critically acclaimed THE ILLUSIONIST) at The Reel Experience at The Lake Club Gala this evening.   Mr. Norton will be honored with the Festival’s Humanitarian Award, with Koppelman receiving an Excellence in Screenwriting honor for his work (which includes...

Thursday, April 5----The Sarasota Film Festival, which begins its 9th edition next week, will salute Academy Award nominated actor Edward Norton and writer/producer Brian Koppelman (who recently teamed as actor and producer of the critically acclaimed THE ILLUSIONIST) at its April 14th gala "The Reel Experience at The Lake Club.”  Mr. Norton will be honored with the Festival’s Humanitarian Award, with Koppelman receiving an Excellence in Screenwriting honor for his work (which includes...

Friday, December 1-----The Gotham Awards, held in a former luxury cruise line docking pier on the Hudson River, has become New York's biggest film party. Now in its 16th year, it has established a reputation and a following among the indie film world, particularly filmmakers, executives and talent that call New York home. It has reorganized in the past year (after splitting with the former IFP West, which presents the Independent Spirit Awards in Los Angeles over Oscar weekend), putting great...

Thursday, November 30----One of New York's biggest film parties was held last evening. The 16th Annual Gotham Awards were presented at New York's fashionable Chelsea Piers on the Hudson River. The star-studded program is a fundraiser for the Independent Feature Project (IFP), a not-for-profit filmmmaker association that helps novice indies throughout the year. The Awards were recently reorganized to be half film celebration and half film tribute. While the Gothams have awards for Best Pictur...