Animation, Disney

Up Flies Off with Top Honors at Annie Awards

0 Comments 07 February 2010

Oscars, schmoscars. This weekend was all about the best and brightest in Hollywood animation.

At Saturday’s 37th Annual Annie Awards, Pixar’s Up, the little gem that’s also in the running for top honors at this year’s Academy Awards, was named Best Animated Film and Best Directing in a Feature. The Oscar contender stole the prize from hits such as Coraline, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, Fantastic Mr. Fox and The Secret of Kells.

Elsewhere in the animated realm, Walt Disney Studios knocked out a majority of its competition, taking home a total of six Annies, including three for the hand-drawn critical favorite, The Princess and the Frog, while Dreamworks Studios garnered five Annies for their numerous made for TV productions.

The remaining 2010 Annie Awards winners include:

• Animated Feature: Up
• Home Entertainment Production: Futurama: Into the Wild Green Yonder
• Animated Short: Robot Chicken: Star Wars 2.5
• Animated TV Commercial: Spanish Lottery “Deportees”
• Animated TV Production: Prep and Landing
• Animated TV Production for Children: The Penguins of Madagascar
• Animated Effects: James Mansfield, The Princess and the Frog
• Character Animation in TV Production: Phillip To, Monsters vs. Aliens: Mutant Pumpkins from Outer Space
• Character Animation in Feature: Eric Goldberg, The Princess and the Frog
• Character Design in TV Production: Bill Schwab, Prep and Landing
• Character Design in Feature: Shane Prigmore, Coraline
• Directing in TV Production: Bret Haaland, The Penguins of Madagascar “Launchtime”
• Directing in Feature: Pete Docter, Up
• Music in TV Production: Guy Moon, The Fairly OddParents: “Wishology-The Big Beginning”
• Music in Feature: Bruno Coulais, Coraline
• Production Design in TV Production: Andy Harkness, Prep and Landing
• Production Design in Feature: Tadahiro Uesugi, Coraline
• Storyboarding in TV: Robert Koo, Merry Madagascar
• Storyboarding in Feature: Tom Owens, Monsters vs. Aliens
• Voiceacting in TV: Tom Kenny as SpongeBob, SpongeBob SquarePants
• Voiceacting in Feature: Jen Cody as Charlotte, The Princess and the Frog
• Writing in TV Production: Daniel Chun, The Simpsons: Treehouse of Horror XX
• Writing in Feature: Wes Anderson and Noah Baumbach, Fantastic Mr. Fox
• Winsor McCay Award: Tim Burton, Bruce Timm, Jeffrey Katzenberg
• June Foray: Tom Sito
• Ub Iwerks Award: William T. Reeves
• Special Achievement: Martin Meunier and Brian McLean
• Certificate of Merit: Myles Mikulic, Danny Young and Michael Woodside

Celebs, Taylor Lautner

Taylor Lautner To Be Stretch Armstrong

0 Comments 07 February 2010

The soon to be hardest working, and highest paid, teen in Hollywood has racked up another franchise. Taylor Lautner has just been cast as the title character Stretch Armstrong in the Universal Pictures film based on the Hasbro toy. The studio is giving Stretch superhero powers in the new 3D franchise that is scheduled for release in 2012.

Universal has Universal Pictures Co-Chairman Donna Langley said of Lautner, “In the past two years, Taylor has emerged as a real star at the global box office. He brings the perfect balance of energy and athleticism to the role of an unlikely super hero with a fantastic super power. We couldn’t be more pleased that he has agreed to be our Stretch.”

Taylor is in Miami this weekend for the Super Bowl where he will participate in the Celebrity Beach Bowl. Last night he attended the Superbowl XLIV with Audi at the W Hotel. He’s pictured here with actress Hilary Swank. Calvin Klein model Kellan Lutz was also at the party. Those pictures to come later.

Celebs, Movies

Sandra Bullock Adds Another Award To Her Shelf

0 Comments 07 February 2010

Looking sexy in her tight black dress, Sandra Bullock of The Blind Side, strutted her stuff down the red carpet posing for photographs and answering questions at the Arlington Theater. Little did she know, she would end up leaving with the Santa Barbara International Film Festival’s first big award of it’s 25th year, the American Riviera Award. This award is given to an American actor whose work left a significant impact in cinema.

Movies

‘Dear John’ bumps ‘Avatar’ with $32.4M debut

0 Comments 07 February 2010

A sci-fi love story has given way to an earthbound romance at the weekend box office.

“Dear John” debuted as the No. 1 movie with $32.4 million, knocking off the blockbuster “Avatar” after seven weekends in first place.

Adapted from Nicholas Sparks’ novel, “Dear John” stars Channing Tatum and Amanda Seyfried in a long-distance love story between a soldier and his sweetheart back home.

“Avatar” slipped to No. 2 with $23.6 million, raising its domestic total to $630.1 million. Directed by James Cameron, “Avatar” surpassed his own “Titanic,” which had held the domestic revenue record at $600.8 million.

With a record $2.2 billion worldwide, “Avatar” also soared past the $1.8 billion “Titanic” took in globally.

BTV, Celebs, Sikora

Sikora Arriving In LA Today

0 Comments 03 February 2010

After crossing the country, Sikora’s journey will be coming to an end today when he arrives in his new home…Los Angeles!  A special Video Diary event capturing the entire trip will be released this month entitled “Road Trip” and will also feature Enjay Records’ Mike Tait who went along for the ride.

Sikora lived in NY and NJ for most of his life, finally he will be out to capture his dreams in the entertainment city, you can watch the upcoming Video Diaries here or at ilovebtv.com this February!

Celebs, Music, TV

Pink Soars At The Grammys

0 Comments 02 February 2010

I personally had a little chuckle watching the usually bad-ass Pink twirling and having her Cirque du Soleil moment at the Grammy Awards yesterday. But the singer said she’s just happy she made it to the ground safely after a few snafus.

“When I do it [on tour], I don’t have lights above me,” she told People magazine about the act, in which she spins from drapes while held up in the air. “Tonight, there were lights above me, so it almost went into a strobe thing, and I actually did get a little turned around.”

The singer was nominated for best female pop vocal performance (for “Sober”) and best pop vocal album (for Funhouse) last night.
“I would say that no one ever has another excuse to lip sync,” she joked.