Across the Universe Synopsis: A dock worker Jude travels to America in the 1960s to find his estranged father. There he falls in love with sheltered American teenager Lucy.

Starring: Evan Rachel Wood and Jim Sturgess

Directed by: Julie Tanbor

Box Office: $24,343,673

Buy From Amazon: DVD, Blu-ray

The Assassination of Jesse James: DVD Release Date February 5th

The Assassination of Jesse James Synopsis: Robert Ford, who’s idolized Jesse James since childhood, tries hard to join the reforming gang of the Missouri outlaw, but gradually becomes resentful of the bandit leader.

Starring: Brad Pitt and Casey Affleck

Directed by: Andrew Dominik

Box Office: $3,794,352

Buy From Amazon: DVD, Blu-ray, HD DVD

The Brave One: DVD Release Date February 5th

The Brave One Synopsis: A woman struggles to recover from a brutal attack by setting out on a mission for revenge.

Starring: Jodie Foster and Terrence Howard

Directed by: Neil Jordan

Box Office: $36,765,734

Buy From Amazon: DVD, Blu-ray, HD DVD

Elizabeth: The Golden Age: DVD Release Date February 5th

Elizabeth: The Golden Age: Synopsis: An exploration of the relationship between Elizabeth I and the adventurer Sir Walter Raleigh.

Starring: Cate Blanchett, Geoffrey Rush, and Clive Owen

Directed by: Shekhar Kapur

Box Office: $16,264,475

Buy From Amazon: DVD, HD DVD

The Jane Austen Book Club: DVD Release Date February 5th

The Jane Austen Book Club Synopsis: Six Californians start a club to discuss the works of Jane Austen, only to find their relationships — both old and new — begin to resemble 21st century versions of her novels.

Starring: Maria Bello, Emily Blunt, and Jimmy Smits

Directed by: Robin Swicord

Box Office: $3,334,613

Buy From Amazon: DVD, Blu-ray

Once was one of my favorite movies of the year — actually, one of my favorite movies of all-time. If you haven’t checked out the Once DVDyet, you should. There’s lots of good stuff on there, including a commentary with actors Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova and director John Carney.

Here’s some reaction to the announcement:

From the Academy’s Press Release:
The genesis of the picture was unusually protracted, but director John Carney and songwriter Glen Hansard were working closely together in 2002 when the project that became ONCE was first discussed. “Falling Slowly” began to be composed, but the actual script and financing for the picture were delayed for several years, during which time Mr. Hansard and his collaborator Marketa Irglova played the songs in some European venues. Such previous uses were deemed local enough and minor enough to be inconsequential to the song’s eligibility.

Hollywood Elsewhere:
The deal all along (or so I’ve understood) has been that since Once failed to gather the Best Picture talk it certainly deserved all along, the Best Song Oscar is being seen as not just a fitting tribute for the song (and Glenn-Mar’s touching performing of it), but as a repository of all feelings of respect and affection for the film itself.

Carbetbagger:
Mr. Bernstein said he had called Mr. Hansard in Dublin with the news and described him as “delighted.” Mr. Bernstein said that various parties had raised questions about whether the song had been performed and/or recorded before it became part of the movie, but said that the committee was satisfied that it was written for the film and as such represented a song writing achievement worthy of inclusion in the nominees.

Cinematical:
Who else is tired of all the Academy Award technicalities that make this or that ineligible for best song, best score or best foreign film? Well, we can rejoice for a little bit today, because the popular indie film Once will remain in the running for the Best Original Song award in this year’s Oscar race.

Atonement: Having just won the top dramatic prize at the Golden Globes and leading BAFTA noms, “Atonement” has momentum going into Oscar night.

Juno: A surprise nom for director Jason Reitman could only mean this pic continues to garner plenty of steam.

Michael Clayton: Writer-turned-director Tony Gilroy has a lot of fans in Hollywood, helping to earn his complicated corporate thriller “Michael Clayton” seven Oscar noms.

No Country For Old Men: The Academy choose “The English Patient” over “Fargo” back in 1997, and a case could be made that the Coen brothers should be given their due for what some consider an oversight. The eight noms (tied for most with “There Will Be Blood”) is a clear indicator that the movie is making its mark with voters.

There Will Be Blood: For all the tentpoles and cookie-cutter pics that aim for nothing more than a huge opening-weekend gross, “Blood” succeeds in dare-to-be-great ambitions.

Also, here’s a cool video of all the Best Picture nominees for the 2008 Oscars. The video cuts all of the movies together and condenses it into trailer form.

New Bond girl Olga Kuryenko

Gemma Arterton as MI6 agent Fields

For the rest of the Bond Quantum of Solace pictures head over to Empire.

Daniel Craig talks about the new Bond title:

“Craig said the cryptic title referenced how Bond’s heart had been broken at the end of Casino Royale. ‘Ian Fleming had written about relationships,’ he explained. ‘When they go wrong, when there’s nothing left, when the spark has gone, when the fire’s gone out, there’s no quantum of solace. And at the end of the last movie, Bond has the love of his life taken away from him and he never got that quantum of solace.’

“Craig said the new film would follow 007 as he goes out ‘to find the guy who’s responsible. So he’s looking for revenge, you know, to make himself happy with the world again. But the title also alludes to something else in the film,’ he added.”

Heath’s post work [on The Dark Knight] was complete. He had indeed finished it, as to not interfere with the production of the film he was doing with [Terry] Gilliam. We’re now working to find out what’s going to happen there. The last known photo of Heath was as a clown in that film. Will Terry re-cast? What will happen? We’ll try to find out for all of you. But there will be no-dubbing on Heath in The Dark Knight - his performance was finished.

Read More:

Heath Ledger Dead
Heath Ledger’s Death: Dark Knight Movie Fallout
How Did Heath Ledger Die?

Best Actor Nominees 2008:

George Clooney in “Michael Clayton” (Warner Bros.)
Daniel Day-Lewis in “There Will Be Blood” (Paramount Vantage and Miramax)
Johnny Depp in “Sweeney Todd The Demon Barber of Fleet Street” (DreamWorks and Warner Bros., Distributed by DreamWorks/Paramount)
Tommy Lee Jones in “In the Valley of Elah” (Warner Independent)
Viggo Mortensen in “Eastern Promises” (Focus Features)

Best Supporting Actor Nominees 2008:

Casey Affleck in “The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford” (Warner Bros.)
Javier Bardem in “No Country for Old Men” (Miramax and Paramount Vantage)
Philip Seymour Hoffman in “Charlie Wilson’s War” (Universal)
Hal Holbrook in “Into the Wild” (Paramount Vantage and River Road Entertainment)
Tom Wilkinson in “Michael Clayton” (Warner Bros.)

Best Actress Nominees 2008:

Cate Blanchett in “Elizabeth: The Golden Age” (Universal)
Julie Christie in “Away from Her” (Lionsgate)
Marion Cotillard in “La Vie en Rose” (Picturehouse)
Laura Linney in “The Savages” (Fox Searchlight)
Ellen Page in “Juno” (Fox Searchlight)

Best Supporting Actress Nominees 2008:

Cate Blanchett in “I’m Not There” (The Weinstein Company)
Ruby Dee in “American Gangster” (Universal)
Saoirse Ronan in “Atonement” (Focus Features)
Amy Ryan in “Gone Baby Gone” (Miramax)
Tilda Swinton in “Michael Clayton” (Warner Bros.)

Best Animated Film Nominees 2008:

“Persepolis” (Sony Pictures Classics): Marjane Satrapi and Vincent Paronnaud
“Ratatouille” (Walt Disney): Brad Bird
“Surf’s Up” (Sony Pictures Releasing): Ash Brannon and Chris Buck

Best Director Nominees 2008:

Julian Schnabel
“The Diving Bell and the Butterfly”
(Miramax/Pathé Renn)

Jason Reitman
“Juno”
(Fox Searchlight)

Tony Gilroy
“Michael Clayton”
(Warner Bros.)

Joel Coen and Ethan Coen
“No Country for Old Men”
(Miramax and Paramount Vantage)

Paul Thomas Anderson
“There Will Be Blood”
(Paramount Vantage and Miramax)

Best Documentary Nominees 2008:

“No End in Sight”
(Magnolia Pictures)
A Representational Pictures Production: Charles Ferguson and Audrey Marrs

“Operation Homecoming: Writing the Wartime Experience”
(The Documentary Group)
A Documentary Group Production: Richard E. Robbins

“Sicko”
(Lionsgate and The Weinstein Company)
A Dog Eat Dog Films Production: Michael Moore and Meghan O’Hara

“Taxi to the Dark Side”
(THINKFilm)
An X-Ray Production: Alex Gibney and Eva Orner

“War/Dance”
(THINKFilm)
A Shine Global and Fine Films Production: Andrea Nix Fine and Sean Fine

Best Picture Nominees 2008:

“Atonement” (Focus Features) A Working Title Production: Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner and Paul Webster, Producers

“Juno” (Fox Searchlight) A Dancing Elk Pictures, LLC Production: Lianne Halfon, Mason Novick and Russell Smith, Producers

“Michael Clayton” (Warner Bros.) A Clayton Productions, LLC Production: Sydney Pollack, Jennifer Fox and Kerry Orent, Producers

“No Country for Old Men” (Miramax and Paramount Vantage) A Scott Rudin/Mike Zoss Production: Scott Rudin, Ethan Coen and Joel Coen, Producers

“There Will Be Blood” (Paramount Vantage and Miramax) A JoAnne Sellar/Ghoulardi Film Company Production: JoAnne Sellar, Paul Thomas Anderson and Daniel Lupi, Producers

Best Adapted Screenplay Nominees 2008:

“Atonement”
(Focus Features)
Screenplay by Christopher Hampton

“Away from Her”
(Lionsgate)
Written by Sarah Polley

“The Diving Bell and the Butterfly”
(Miramax/Pathé Renn)
Screenplay by Ronald Harwood

“No Country for Old Men”
(Miramax and Paramount Vantage)
Written for the screen by Joel Coen & Ethan Coen

“There Will Be Blood”
(Paramount Vantage and Miramax)
Written for the screen by Paul Thomas Anderson

Best Original Screenplay Nominees 2008:

“Juno”
(Fox Searchlight)
Written by Diablo Cody

“Lars and the Real Girl”
(MGM)
Written by Nancy Oliver

“Michael Clayton”
(Warner Bros.)
Written by Tony Gilroy

“Ratatouille”
(Walt Disney)
Screenplay by Brad Bird; Story by Jan Pinkava, Jim Capobianco, Brad Bird

“The Savages”
(Fox Searchlight)
Written by Tamara Jenkins

For the rest of the nominees go to http://www.oscar.com/nominees/.

Read More:

Best Picture Nominees: Why They’ll Win

Once’s Falling Slowly Still Nominated for an Oscar

From The New York Times:

“The chief police spokesman, Paul J. Browne, said the police did not suspect foul play. . . Mr. Browne said no obvious indication of suicide, like a note, was found in the bedroom.

‘There was no indication of a disturbance,’ he said, adding that there were no signs that Mr. Ledger had been drinking. Nor were any illegal drugs found in the loft, which takes up the entire fourth floor. Neighbors said Mr. Ledger had occupied it for several months. Police officials said that a bottle of prescription sleeping pills was found on a nearby night table, but that they did not know whether the pills had anything to do with Mr. Ledger’s death. Officers who checked the apartment found other prescription medications in the bathroom. A spokeswoman for the medical examiner’s office said an autopsy would be conducted on Wednesday.”

Read More:

Heath Ledger Dead

Heath Ledger: Dark Knight Movie Fallout

UPDATED: Click Here for an update on what Heath Ledger’s death means for Dark Knight.

By now, all of us have heard the sad news about Heath Ledger’s death. As we all know, Heath is set to appear in the new Batman movie, The Dark Knight, which opens on July 18th. So what impact will Heath Ledger’s death have on the film?
Right now Warner Bros. is saying all the right things:

“The studio is stunned and devastated by this tragic news. The entertainment community has lost an enormous talent. Heath was a brilliant actor and an exceptional person. Our hearts go out to his family and friends.”

Dark Knight director Christopher Nolan and Heath talked about the film and Heath’s role as the Joker, months earlier. From MSNBC.com:

“It was a very great challenge for Heath,” Nolan said. “He’s extremely original, extremely frightening, tremendously edgy. A very young character, a very anarchic presence that taps into a lot of our basic fears and panic.”

Ledger told The New York Times in a November interview that he “stressed out a little too much” during the Dylan film, and had trouble sleeping while portraying the Joker, whom he called a “psychopathic, mass-murdering, schizophrenic clown with zero empathy.”

“Last week I probably slept an average of two hours a night,” Ledger told the newspaper. “I couldn’t stop thinking. My body was exhausted, and my mind was still going.” He said he took two Ambien pills, which only worked for an hour, the paper said.

Things did not sound good for Heath even then. But Heath Ledger’s death likely will only create more curiosity and interest in what was already going to be a big summer movie. Unfortunately for us, it will also be Heath Ledger’s last.