SYNOPSIS

Starring Guy Pearce and Maggie Grace and set in the near future, LOCKOUT follows a falsely convicted ex- government agent (Pearce), whose one chance at obtaining freedom lies in the dangerous mission of rescuing the President’s daughter (Grace) from rioting convicts at an outer space maximum security prison.

LOCKOUT drops in cinemas April 20th.

For me I think this will either be a catchup weekend or I will catch a couple of flicks at my local art house cinema.

What will you be up to?

RASHIDA LEAH JONES D.O.B. February 25, 1976, Los Angeles, California Education: Harvard University

Rashida Jones first gained my notice in the 2004 Channel 4 (UK) series NY-LON, which aired here in the States on BBC America. Her co-star in the series was another unknown – Stephen Moyer, who would later find fame on the HBO hit series True Blood.

Since then, Jones, the scion of pop music impresario Quincy Jones and The Mod Squad‘s Peggy Lipton, she certainly has not relied on her Hollywood pedigree to pave her path to success. After completing her undergraduate studies at Harvard University, she started off small, including featured roles in shows such as Freaks and Geeks. For two years, she was a series regular on Boston Public. She even appeared in a couple of sketches of The Chappelle Show during its all too brief run.

A breakthrough came in 2006 when she played regular Karen Filippeli on the NBC sitcom The Office. This must have captured the attention of NBC execs and in 2009 led to a lead role in Parks and Recreation. In the same year, she played Paul Rudd’s intended in I Love You, Man. In 2010, she had a slightly more dramatic turn in the award-winning The Social Network. Last year’s film highlights include Our Idiot Brother and The Muppets.

Most recently (this week to be exact) she has been making waves at the Sundance Film Festival. Her film, Celeste and Jesse Forever, just got picked up for distribution and is being hailed as one of the breakouts of the festival. Not only is she starring in the film (with Andy Samberg), but she also co-wrote and is a producer on the project.

Rashida Jones, Andy Samberg in "Celeste and Jesse Forever"

She has definitely built a solid comedic career for herself. Here’s hoping that she has continued success including a career as a comedy writer. A lot will depend on the mass response to Celeste and Jesse. Goodness knows we need more witty people producing material for the masses.

[BONGO DRUM ROLL]

Bette Davis in "The Star" (1952)

On the day the Oscar nominations go out, I decided to take a look at what might be by today’s standards, a forgotten film. The Star, featuring Bette Davis and directed by Stuart Heisler, is a cautionary tale about what is on the other side of a hugely successful, award-winning career.

For Bette Davis at this stage in her professional life, the film must have felt like a semi-autobiographical sketch. Made two years after her ‘comeback’ in the classic All About Eve, this would prove to be one of her last fully rounded roles.

For her role as the down-on-her luck award-winning actress, Davis received the ninth of her ten Academy Award nominations [she would receive one more for Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962)].

The Star is the story of a has-been actress (Margaret Elliot) who is willing to sacrifice anything and anymore for another shot at the big time. Left to suffer in her wake: her teenaged daughter Gretchen (Natalie Wood), from whom she shields her professional and financial woes, and Jim Johannsen (Sterling Hayden), a young actor who has great affection for Margaret in spite of herself.

Sterling Hayden and Bette Davis

If you have not seen The Star, you are in luck (as long as you have TCM). It will be shown on Sunday, February 26th (Oscar™ Night) at 8:00PM Eastern Time.

Please visit Todd Mason’s Sweet Freedom blog every Tuesday for more overlooked/forgotten films.

For today’s post, I have gathered a bunch of articles that I read over the past couple of days that relate to the comings, goings and other stuff in the world of film.

Enjoy!

• (PEOPLE Pets) It’s all about UGGIE the dog!
• Spike Lee Talks to Moviefone
• (Huffington Post) Stars take Swipe at Blockbusters
• The Dodd/MPAA/SOPA Fail Explained
• (Total Film) Len Wiseman Discusses Total Recall Reboot
• (Total Film) Fassbender talks X-Men Sequel

BONUS: Great video clip for Giants fans: I am not a huge fan of late night television (or of the NY Giants for that matter), but I stumbled across this clip of Viggo Mortensen’s latest appearance on The Late Show With David Letterman (1.13.2012). The data set is not complete, but it looks like there is a possible correlation between Mortensen Golden Globe nods and Giants’ Super Bowl appearances:

If the spirit moves you, I implore you to watch the interview in its entirety – entertaining stuff.

Have a great week everyone!

Happy Saturday evening everyone! My next stop in my “On Location” travelogue is to take a look at the site of many film and television productions – the historic royal Hampton Court Palace.

The former residence of kings has gained legendary status due to its association with the Tudor dynasty. For a little more about the history of the palace, watch the video below.

Here is a list of feature films shot at the landmark in East Molesey, Surrey.

• Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (2011)
• Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011)
• The New World (2005)
• Jack the Giant Killer (2012)
• The Young Victoria (2009)
• Amazing Grace (2006)
• The Libertine (2004)
• Vanity Fair (2004)
• A Man for All Seasons (1966)
• Stage Beauty (2004)
• To Kill a King (2003)
• Baby Love (1968)
• Three Men in a Boat (1956)

Source: Internet Movie Database (IMDB)

In addition, television productions that have filmed at the palace include the renowned:

• Little Dorrit (2008)
• John Adams (2008)
• The Six Wives of Henry VIII (2001)

On a personal note, my trip out to the palace was highlighted by an audience with the man himself – King Henry VIII. Unfortunately I do not have any photos of that …

About THE HUNGER GAMES

Every year in the ruins of what was once North America, the evil Capitol of the nation of Panem forces each of its twelve districts to send a teenage boy and girl to compete in the Hunger Games.  A twisted punishment for a past uprising and an ongoing government intimidation tactic, The Hunger Games are a nationally televised event in which Tributes? must fight with one another until one survivor remains.
 
Pitted against highly-trained Tributes who have prepared for these Games their entire lives, Katniss is forced to rely upon her sharp instincts as well as the mentorship of drunken former victor Haymitch Abernathy.  If she’s ever to return home to District 12, Katniss must make impossible choices in the arena that weigh survival against  humanity and life against love.
 
THE HUNGER GAMES is directed by Gary Ross, and produced by Nina Jacobsons Color Force in tandem with producer Jon Kilik. Suzanne Collins best-selling novel, the first in a trilogy published by Scholastic that has over 16 million copies in print in the United States alone, has developed a massive global following.
 
Lionsgate will release THE HUNGER GAMES on March 23, 2012.

Haywire is Steven Soderbergh’s hyper-styled foray into the action genre. This adrenaline-fueled film features Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) champion Gina Carano in her first motion picture, an action-packed globe trot that spans Washington, D.C., Barcelona, Dublin, New York and New Mexico.

When we first see Mallory Kane (Carano) all indications are that she is on the run from something – but what exactly? Mallory is a black ops specialist working for a private security firm. Well at least she was; the film shifts around the narrative timeline and reveals that the consequences of a recent assignment in Barcelona have produced a life or death situation for Mallory.

As the story unfolds, each layer gets us that much closer to the center of the mystery of exactly what has placed Mallory in her current predicament.

In the director’s own words, as detailed in the production notes, the film is a “Pam Grier movie made by Hitchcock.” That is what in many ways makes this film an interesting study and sets it apart from many films of its ilk. Through dialogue courtesy of Len Dobbs (Kafka, The Limey), there is enough to keep the audience engaged.

Soderbergh uses Ms. Carano’s physical abilities to good use; in fact Ms. Carano did the majority of her own stunts. This definitely added a sense of ‘realism’ to her fights with her co-stars. Going into this film, I wanted to see her kick serious butt – and on that account she delivers and then some. In fact, I could have done with a bit more running, jumping and punching; not MUCH more, but it was so much fun watching the fighting sequences.

For Carano this is an introduction to a possible career as “female action hero,” in the style of Jason Statham. With a little more experience under her belt, she may prove herself worthy.

A wonderful supporting cast that includes Channing Tatum, Michael Fassbender, Ewan McGregor, Antonio Banderas and Bill Paxton add gravitas to Carano’s presence.

Initially I did have some slight reservations about an action film directed by Steven Soderbergh. The release date of the film amplified my skepticism; January is typically the cinematic ‘dumping ground.’

If there is one thing that I did not get that I expected was with Haywire being an “exploitation” film. Perhaps, this is down to smooth execution by Soderbergh and company so that it did not feel like one.

As I write this, what has come to my attention is that Carano is the lone principal female character – her world is a ‘man’s world.’ The fact that I have just come to this realization a few days after screening Haywire leads me to believe this was part of Soderbergh’s plan. In essence, by not directly referring to her gender, this demonstrates that her gender is absolutely irrelevant to the mechanics of the plot.

In the end, for all the deconstruction of plot, story, etc., this is basically a film to sit back and enjoy.

All Images provided by Relativity Media

RUTH WILSON

D.O.B. 13 January 1982 in Ashford, Surrey, England

Education: University of Nottingham, London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art

Ruth Wilson first caught my attention in the 2006 BBC production of Jane Eyre, for which she received Golden Globe and BAFTA nominations. Since then, the former model’s credits have principally been on the London stage or television.

In addition to Jane Eyre, she was also a featured performer in the drama Small Island, an adaptation of the Andrea Levy novel of the same name. American audiences may recognize her from the AMC television miniseries The Prisoner, starring Jim Caviezel and Sir Ian McKellan. More recently she appeared as psychotic killer/sidekick Alice Morgan opposite Idris Elba’s Luther in the critically acclaimed series, Luther.

Her work on stage includes performances in Tennessee Williams’ A Streetcar Named Desire (as Stella, winner of 2010 Olivier Award for Best Actress), Through a Glass Darkly (as Karin) and Eugene O’Neill’s Anna Christie (as Anna Christie, co-starring Jude Law).

The movie industry has taken notice of this talented young woman. This year, she will feature in Joe Wright’s Anna Karenina, which stars Keira Knightley and Jude Law and in 2013 she will be in Gore Verbinski’s The Lone Ranger starring Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter.

Here’s hoping that her career goes from strength to strength.