New releases for Jan. 31, 2012: “House of Night” novella, “Drive,” “To Kill a Mockingbird,” Leonard Cohen, Aranda
P.C. and Kristin Cast
Tulsa mother-daughter writing team P.C. and Kristin Cast have released “Lenobia’s Vow,” a new novella in their “House of Night” vampire book series.
Oklahoma City rockers Aranda have released the digital edition of their album “Stop the World.” The physical CD will be released Feb. 14. Leonard Cohen, Ringo Starr and Lana Del Rey have released new albums, while Metallica has dropped a new EP.
In the new cinematic home releases, my all-time favorite movie, “To Kill a Mockingbird,” debuted on Blu-ray today. Plus, one of my favorite movies of 2011, “Drive,” which was sadly overlooked by the Academy Awards, arrived on DVD and Blu-ray today.
Here is a list of more CDs, DVDs and books out this week, from Amazon.com and VideoETA.com:
CDs
Aranda, “Stop the World” (digital only)
Leonard Cohen, “Old Ideas.”
Ringo Starr, “Ringo 2012.”
Lana Del Rey, “Born to Die.”
Metallica, “Beyond Magnetic” EP.
“The Fresh Beat Band,” “Music from the Hit TV Show.”
Gotye, “Making Mirrors.”
New Broadway Cast, “Godspell.”
Simone Dinnerstein, “Something Almost Being Said: Music of Bach and Schubert.”
DVDs
Arthur
The Big Year
Chalet Girl
The Double
Dream House
Drive
In Time
Janie Jones
Spork
Texas Killing Fields
The Thing
Thunder Soul
To Kill a Mockingbird (Blu-ray)
Treasure Buddies
You and I
Books
Lenobia’s Vow: A House of Night Novella by P. C. Cast, Kristin Cast
Final Fantasy XIII-2: The Complete Official Guide – Collector’s Edition by Piggyback
Cupcakes, Cookies & Pie, Oh, My! by Alan Richardson, Karen Tack
Defending Jacob: A Novel by William Landay
Home Front by Kristin Hannah
White Girl Problems by Babe Walker
The Capture of the Earl of Glencrae (Cynster Sisters Trilogy) by Stephanie Laurens
How We Do Harm: A Doctor Breaks Ranks About Being Sick in America by Otis Webb Brawley MD, Paul Goldberg
-BAM
Elizabeth Banks joins all-star cast for Charlie Kaufman’s “Frank or Francis”
Elizabeth Banks arrives at the premiere of "Man on a Ledge" in Los Angeles, Monday, Jan. 23, 2012. (AP photo)
Elizabeth Banks has joined the star-studded cast of “Frank or Francis,” Charlie Kaufman’s musical satire about Hollywood, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Banks joins a cast that includes Jack Black, Nicolas Cage, Steve Carell, Catherine Keener and Kevin Kline.
The story will follow a battle of wills between Frank, an intellectual film director (Carell) and Francis, an online blogger (Black) who still lives with his parents and relishes attacking Frank’s films.
Cage will play actor who is famous for his high-concept films, while Kline will play the director of the world’s top-grossing movie and the director’s brother – who in classic Kaufman-esque fashion turns into an animatronic head.
Banks will play an actress who makes comedy dreck and also is having an affair with Carell’s Frank.
On Wednesday, read my interview with Banks in which she talks about her current action-thriller “Man on a Ledge,” her upcoming turn in the hotly anticipated book adaptation “The Hunger Games” and her love of well-made comedy.
-BAM
Trisha Yearwood to get her own Food Network cooking series
Trisha Yearwood (AP file)
Grammy-winning country music star and best-selling cookbook author Trisha Yearwood has signed a deal to star in a six-episode daytime cooking show for the Food Network, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
The show is now in production in Nashville and set to debut in April.
In the as-yet-untitled series, the Owasso resident will share food traditions and display her Southern hospitality, sharing recipes with friends and family and preparing Sunday dinners to planning family reunion barbecues. Each of the six themed episodes will invite viewers into Yearwood’s kitchen for her favorite meals and family stories, according to the trade publication.
“Fans know Trisha best as a music powerhouse, and through her new Food Network show audiences will learn first-hand what her friends and family already know — that Trisha is a talented, passionate rock-star cook too,” Food Network GM and senior VP of programming and production Bob Tuschman told The Hollywood Reporter. “We look forward to sharing this side of Trisha with viewers, showcasing an intimate, entertaining look at her personal recipes, family traditions and warm Southern hospitality.”
Yearwood has released two cookbooks, 2008′s “Georgia Cooking in an Oklahoma Kitchen” and 2010′s “Cooking for Family and Friends,” and both reached No. 1 on the New York Times’ best-seller list on the advice, how-to and miscellaneous category.
In addition, both cookbooks include forewords penned by Yearwood’s husband and fellow country star Garth Brooks.
In November 2010, Yearwood appeared as a judge on a special Thanksgiving episode of “Throwdown with Bobby Flay,” which pitted the celebrity chef against Oklahoma foodie blogger Ree Drummond, AKA The Pioneer Woman. Drummond’s Food Network cooking show, “The Pioneer Woman,” debuted last August and airs at 9 a.m. Saturdays.
-BAM
New releases for Jan. 17, 2012: Ani Difranco, Martina McBride, “Dirty Girl,” “The Ides of March” and more
Juno Temple in "Dirty Girl"
“Dirty Girl,” writer-director Abe Sylvia’s ’80s era indie drama partially set in Norman, is out on DVD today, along with George Clooney’s political drama “The Ides of March,” the faith-based film “Courageous” and “Twilight” heartthrob Taylor Lautner’s actioner “Abduction.”
In “Dirty Girl,” Danielle is labeled the ” dirty girl of Norman High” in 1987, and when she gets banished to special ed, she meets a shy, friendless, closeted gay boy. California, here they come, with the mismatched misfits played by Juno Temple and Jeremy Dozier setting off on a road trip. (Although the story is partially set in Norman, according to IMDB, it was all filmed in California.)
Here is a list of more CDs, DVDs and books out this week, as listed on Amazon.com and VideoETA.com:
CDs
Ani Difranco, “Which Side Are You on.”
Martina McBride, “Hits and More.”
Coldplay, “Mylo Xyloto (Special edition box set).”
Michael W. Smith, “Decades of Worship.”
Kathleen Edwards, “Voyageur.”
Guided By Voices, “Let’s Go Eat the Factory.”
Girls Generation, “Boys.”
Chick Corea, Eddie Gomez and Paul Motian, “Further Explorations.”
Bombay Bicycle Club, “Different Kind of Fix.”
DVDs
Abduction
Arena
Bucky Larson: Born to Be a Star
Cold Sweat
Courageous
Dirty Girl
The Ides of March
Kevin Hart: Laugh at My Pain
Killing Bono
Merlin: The Complete Third Season
Mysteries of Lisbon
Sliders: The Fifth and Final Season
Undocumented
Books
Raylan: A Novel (Raylan Givens) by Elmore Leonard
Death of Kings: A Novel (Saxon Tales) by Bernard Cornwell
Shadows in Flight by Orson Scott Card
The Rope: An Anna Pigeon Novel (Anna Pigeon Mysteries) by Nevada Barr
The End of Illness by David B. Agus
-BAM
Film projecting: The Oklahoman’s anticipated movies of 2012 list
A version of this story appears in Friday’s Weekend Look section of The Oklahoman and was a joint effort of George Lang, Matthew Price and me.
Film projections: 2012′s big-screen bright spots
Hollywood is a big circus, and as the film industry has proved every year since “Jaws” took a bite out of the box office in 1975, it cannot put on a circus without “tentpoles.” That is, of course, the business term for movies that hold everything up, and after a year in which every one of the top 10 films was a sequel, remake or adaptation, prepare for more unsubtle familiarity keeping the tent over everyone’s head.
But are there new trends? Just follow the breadcrumbs, boys and girls, to a plethora of princesses, dwarves, giants and witches, all imbued with the kind of darkness that could only happen after “Twilight.” Yes, fairy tales such as “Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters” (March 2), “Mirror, Mirror” (March 16), “Snow White and the Huntsman” (June 1) and “Jack the Giant Killer” (June 15) are the gold rush du jour, and only time and box office receipts will tell whether audiences decided to bite into these apples or if they just stayed home and watched “Once Upon a Time” or “Grimm.”
But if fairy tales do not make the studios live happily ever after, the slate of big movies for 2012 proves there is more than one way to spin a web, go to space, deal with vampires or survive the apocalypse.
This is not a complete list, but these are the films that spark our childlike wonder. They give us hope that there is still some magic under the big top.
“Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax”
Given the beloved source material, it’s amazing how barely lovable to downright intolerable most of the Dr. Seuss big-screen adaptations turned out to be — the Mike Myers version of “The Cat in the Hat” should have been euthanized. “Despicable Me” director Chris Renaud is on board for this version of Seuss’ environmental fable with Danny DeVito voicing the Lorax, but time will tell if the love story and the other non-canonical subplots will make sense to anyone who grew up loving Truffula Trees and Bar-ba-loots in their Bar-ba-loot suits. (March 2)
“John Carter”
Oscar-winning Pixar helmer Andrew Stanton (“Finding Nemo,” “WALL-E”) makes the jump to live-action filmmaking to adapt Edgar Rice Burroughs’ classic novel about a war-weary soldier (Taylor Kitsch) who is mysteriously transported to Mars (AKA Barsoom), where he becomes entangled in an epic conflict among the planet’s denizens. Hopefully, Stanton will have as much success working in live-action as his Pixar counterpart Brad Bird did with last year’s spy spectacle “Mission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol.”
“The Hunger Games”
May the odds be ever in the favor of Oscar-nominated it girl Jennifer Lawrence (“Winter’s Bone,” “X:Men: First Class”), who will fight to the death in the film version of Suzanne Collins best-selling novel, the first of a trilogy that has sold 16 million copies in the U.S. alone. In the not-too-distant future, North American society has collapsed and been replaced by Panem, where every year two teenagers from each of the country’s 12 districts are summoned to the corrupt Capitol to participate in the deadly “Hunger Games,” a spectacle televised throughout the land. (March 23)
“The Avengers”
Marvel’s heroes will gather en masse to battle threats no one of them can handle alone in this expected blockbuster to be directed by Joss Whedon (“Serenity”). The film will bring together actors from the casts of “Iron Man” (Robert Downey Jr.), “Iron Man 2” (Samuel L. Jackson, Scarlett Johansson), “Thor” (Chris Hemsworth, Jeremy Renner) and “Captain America: The First Avenger” (Chris Evans), adding in Mark Ruffalo as the new Hulk for good measure. (May 4)
“Dark Shadows”
As Tim Burton is wont to do these days, “Dark Shadows” is the latest in the quirky director’s remaking and reimagining of the classics. Originally a Gothic soap opera that played on ABC from 1965 to 1971, Burton’s new version stars Johnny Depp as Barnabas Collins, the vampire who returns to his estate after 200 years to find the place in ruins and occupied by dysfunctional descendants. In addition to Depp, “Dark Shadows” also stars Michelle Pfeiffer, Chloe Grace Moretz, Eva Green, Helena Bonham Carter and Jackie Earle Haley. (May 11)
“Men in Black III”
A decade after the last installment, the Men in Black are back. The movie series, based on the comic book written by Lowell Cunningham and illustrated by Sandy Carruthers, stars Will Smith as Agent J and Tommy Lee Jones as Agent K. The agents are members of a secret task force that monitors alien activity on Earth. In “MIB 3,” Agent J must travel back in time to the 1960s to prevent Agent K (played in the 1960s era of the film by Josh Brolin) from being assassinated.
“Men in Black III” also stars Alice Eve, Emma Thompson and Johnny Knoxville. (May 25)
“Prometheus”
This might be an act of misdirection, but Ridley Scott now indicates that “Prometheus” is not a prequel to the “Alien” films but contains some of the same elements as that landmark series. So far, little is known beyond the basic premise involving a late-21st century space exploration delving into the origins of the human species. The film stars Charlize Theron, Michael Fassbender, Noomi Rapace, Guy Pearce, Idris Elba, and probably not Sigourney Weaver, but everyone will know for sure on June 8.
“Brave”
Pixar’s animation wizards look back to ancient times for their first fairy tale, the story of courageous and impetuous Scottish princess Merida (voice of Kelly Macdonald), a skilled archer who defies a venerable custom and inadvertently causes chaos in the kingdom of her parents, King Fergus (Billy Connolly) and Queen Elinor (Emma Thompson). Craig Ferguson, Robbie Coltrane and Kevin McKidd also lend their brogues to the Highland adventure. (June 22)
“Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter”
Benjamin Walker stars as the 16th President of the United States in this film from “Wanted” director Timur Bekmambetov. But this is a version that you didn’t read about in history class. Based on the 2010 mashup novel “Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter” by Seth Grahame-Smith, the film posits that Lincoln was secretly a vampire hunter. (June 22)
“The Amazing Spider-Man”
Has there ever been a more appropriately named director than Marc Webb? The “(500) Days of Summer” director takes over for Sam Raimi as the Spider-films are rebooted, with Andrew Garfield (“The Social Network”) signing on as timid teen Peter Parker, who becomes the Amazing Spider-Man following an encounter with an unusual spider. Webb told the LA Times that Peter’s outsider status remains, though the idea of what it means to be a geek has changed since the Raimi films.
“Nerds are running the world. Andrew Garfield made a movie about it. Nerds are no longer pariahs and knowing how to write computer code is longer a [mocked] quality. What was important in those early comics was this notion that Peter Parker is an outsider and how we define that in a contemporary context.” (July 3)
New releases for Jan. 10, 2011: Safetysuit’s “These Days,” “Moneyball,” John Green’s “The Fault in Our Stars”
Former Tulsa band Safetysuit, now based in Nashville, Tenn., has released its second album “These Times.”
“Moneyball,” the acclaimed adaption of Michael Lewis’ nonfiction baseball and statistics best-seller, is out on DVD today.
And on the bookshelf, “The Fault in Our Stars,” the fourth novel from acclaimed young-adult fiction writer John Green is new in stores.
Here is a list of more CDs, DVDs and books out this week, from Amazon.com and VideoETA.com:
CDs
Safetysuit, “These Days.”
Snow Patrol, “Fallen Empires.”
Nightwish, “Imaginaerum.”
Joshua Bell, “French Impressions.”
David Crowder*Band, “Give Us Rest.”
The Little Willies, “For the Good Times.”
Stevie Nicks, “The Lowdown.”
Charlie Haden and Hank Jones, “Come Sunday.”
Dean Martin, “Pennies from Heaven.”
Van Morrison, “Live on Air.”
Johnny Cash, “Country Boy.”
Willie Nelson, “The Last Letter.”
DVDs
1911
Boardwalk Empire: The Complete First Season
Hawaii Five-O: The Twelfth and Final Season
An Idiot Abroad: Season One
Killer Elite
Moneyball
Primeval: Volume Three
The Scorpion King 3: Battle For Redemption
Sinners and Saints
There Be Dragons
What’s Your Number?
Books
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
Elizabeth the Queen: The Life of a Modern Monarch by Sally Bedell Smith
Believing the Lie by Elizabeth George
I Got This: How I Changed My Ways and Lost What Weighed Me Down by Jennifer Hudson
Smart Trust: Creating Prosperity, Energy, and Joy in a Low-Trust World by Stephen M.R. Covey, Greg Link, Rebecca R. Merrill
Emotional Equations: Simple Truths for Creating Happiness + Success by Chip Conley
-BAM
Alliance of Women Film Journalists name “The Artist” the best film of 2011
"The Artist"
The Alliance of Women Film Journalists, of which I’m a member, have announced the winners of its EDA Annual Achievement Awards.
“The Artist,” writer-director Michel Hazanavicius’ tribute to the silent film era, earned best film along with best director.
EDA stands for Excellent Dynamic Activism. This year, the EDA Awards included standard best-of categories and AWFJ’s unique Female Focus Awards in which we honor the year’s outstanding achievements by women working in film – and have some fun pointing out which actress is most in need of a new agent, which actress or actor gave the bravest performance, and what were the most memorable and most shameful film moments of 2011.
EDA ANNUAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS
Best Film:
The Artist
Best Director:
Michel Hazanavicius – The Artist
Best Screenplay, Original:
Midnight in Paris – Woody Allen
Best Screenplay, Adapted: (TIE)
The Descendants – Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon and Jim RashMoneyball – Steven Zallian and Aaron Sorkin
Best Documentary:
Buck
Best Animated Film:
Rango
Best Actress:
Viola Davis as Abileen in The Help
Best Actress in a Supporting Role: (TIE)
Janet McTeer as Hubert Page in Albert NobbsOctavia Spencer as Minny Jackson in The Help
Best Actor:
Michael Fassbender as Brandon Sullivan in Shame
Best Actor in a Supporting Role:
Christopher Plummer as Hal Fields in Beginners
Best Ensemble Cast:
Bridesmaids
Best Editing:
Hugo – Thelma Schoonmaker
Best Cinematography:
The Tree of Life – Emmanuel Lubezki
Best Film Music Or Score: (TIE)
The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo – Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, Original ScoreHanna – The Chemical Brothers, Original Score
Best Non-English-Language Film:
A Separation – Ashgar Farhadi, Iran
Rooney Mara as Lisbeth Salander in "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo"
EDA FEMALE FOCUS AWARDS
Best Woman Director:
Lynne Ramsey – We Need To Talk About Kevin
Best Woman Screenwriter:
Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo – Bridesmaids
Kick Ass Award For Best Female Action Star: (TIE)
Rooney Mara as Lisbeth Salander in Girl With The Dragon Tattoo Saoirse Ronan as Hanna in Hanna
Best Animated Female:
Isla Fisher as Beans in Rango
Best Breakthrough Performance:
Elizabeth Olsen as Martha in Martha Marcy May Marlene
Female Icon Award:
Glenn Close as Albert Nobbs in Albert Nobbs
Actress Defying Age and Ageism:
Helen Mirren as Rachel Singer in The Debt
This Year’s Outstanding Achievement By A Woman In The Film Industry:
Jessica Chastain for performances in four highly acclaimed films
AWFJ Award For Humanitarian Activism:
Angelina Jolie for UN work and making In The Land of Blood and Honey to raise awareness about genocide.
Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson) and Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart) in "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1"
EDA SPECIAL MENTION AWARDS
AWFJ Hall Of Shame Award:
The Hollywood Reporter for failing to invite any women to join the Directors Roundtable
Actress Most in Need Of A New Agent:
All actresses in New Year’s Eve
Movie You Wanted To Love But Just Couldn‘t:
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy
Unforgettable Moment Award:
The Artist – The sound of the glass clinking on the table.
Best Depiction Of Nudity, Sexuality, or Seduction: (TIE)
Melancholia – Justine in the moonlight.Shame – Opening sequence on the subway train.
Sequel Or Remake That Shouldn’t Have Been Made Award:
The Hangover Part II
Most Egregious Love Interest Age Difference Award: (TIE)
Albert Nobbs – Glenn Close (64) and Mia Wasilkowska (22)Twilight: Breaking Dawn Part I – Bella (18) and Edward (Over 100)
-BAM
BAM’s top 10 movies of 2011
"The Artist"
From Friday’s Weekend Look section of The Oklahoman.
BAM’s top 10 films of 2011
Movie attendance may have been down, but a diverse array of great films were released in the year just past.
Don’t let the numbers fool you: Movie attendance may have sunk to a 16-year low in 2011, but that doesn’t mean worthy films weren’t in the cineplexes.
Sure, Hollywood churned out mass quantities of its usual bombastic action flicks and insipid romantic comedies, but the year just past also brought an electric new version of Charlotte Bronte’s often-adapted Gothic novel “Jane Eyre,” a particularly smart and well-written underdog sports drama with “Moneyball” and a joyfully entertaining and tuneful comeback for the playful puppets known as “The Muppets.” And those were just the honorable mentions on my list of the best cinematic offerings of last year.
My top 10 picks of 2011 were even more diverse:
1. “The Artist”: Numerous critics lauded French writer-director Michel Hazanavicius’ powerfully charming tribute to cinema’s silent era as a love letter to moviemaking, and the name of the main character, George Valentin (Jean Dujardin) is surely no accident. But the black-and-white, largely soundless story of a silent film star coping with the emergence of talkies even as he falls for a vivacious ingenue (Bérénice Bejo) eagerly embracing the new format will resonate deeply with anyone who has ever faced or glimpsed the obsolescence of their livelihood.
"Drive"
2. “Drive”: Nicolas Winding Refn casts an unshakeable pall of dread over his sun-soaked slice of Los Angeles neo-noir, which was breathlessly adapted from crime writer James Sallis’ book. Ryan Gosling adds to his rapidly burgeoning leading man resume with his can’t-take-your-eyes-off-him turn as an enigmatic Hollywood stunt driver/getaway wheelman whose tentative friendship with his lovely neighbor (Carey Mulligan) and her young son entangles him with ruthless gangsters.
3. “War Horse”: Nobody does a war epic like Steve Spielberg (“Saving Private Ryan”), and the three-time Oscar winner latest literally takes viewers into the trenches of World War I with his unabashedly old-fashioned horse story. Again partnering with cinematographer Janusz Kaminski, Spielberg creates a visually stunning rendition of Michael Morpurgo’s acclaimed youth novel that balances horrifying battle sequences with earnest emotional payoffs.
"Buck"
4. “Buck”: Another heartfelt horse story, first-time filmmaker Cindy Meehl’s affecting documentary chronicles the life and work of celebrated horseman Buck Brannaman, the real-life inspiration of the best-selling book and movie “The Horse Whisperer.” Even folks who have never laid hands or eyes on actual horseflesh will be fascinated, moved and ultimately fulfilled by Brannaman’s soul-stirring story, gorgeously framed by Meehl and cinematographers Guy Mossman and Luke Geissbuhler.
5. “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”: Director David Fincher followed up his lauded 2010 Facebook origin tale “The Social Network” with a big-budget Hollywood adaptation of the late Stieg Larsson’s international best-selling crime thriller, which already had been made into a stellar blockbuster in Larsson’s native Sweden, thanks to Nordic actress Noomi Rapace’s scorching, star-making turn as fierce cyberpunk Lisbeth Salander. Fincher brings his darkly stylish sensibility to the harrowing story, Academy Award-winning scribe Steven Zaillian streamlines Larrson’s twisty mystery and Oscar-honored composers Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross provide just the right sonic punctuation. But with her feral performance as the damaged and brilliant anti-heroine, Rooney Mara, who stole the show in her small part in “The Social Network,” is the force that ignites the American “Dragon Tattoo.”
"Project Nim"
6. “Project Nim”: Director James Marsh delves into a human story just as compelling as his Oscar-winning 2008 documentary, “Man on Wire,” even though the subject of his latest film happens to be chimpanzee whose complicated life began in Norman. Starting with his birth in 1973, the ape known as Nim Chimpsky endured quite a bit of monkey business ostensibly in the name of science, and Marsh uses his sharply honed interviewing and storytelling skills to turn Nim’s winding saga into a thought-provoking cautionary tale about the inherent folly of man trying to remake his fellow creatures in his own image.
7. “Hanna”: British helmer Joe Wright reunited with talented starlet Saoirse Ronan, whom he directed in her breakout in 2007’s “Atonement,” for an intelligent and visually arresting revenge thriller that has both adrenaline and emotion to spare.
"Hugo"
8. “Hugo”: Between Martin Scorsese’s “Hugo” and Steven Spielberg’s entertaining motion-capture rendition of “The Adventures of Tintin,” this past holiday season offered up two stellar opportunities to expand my 5-year-old son’s cinematic horizons as well as the two best 3-D films I had seen since “Avatar” two years earlier. Based on Brian Selznick’s much-admired 2007 junior novel “The Invention of Hugo Cabret,” Scorsese’s first PG film in nearly two decades may run a trifle long for little ones, but children and adults alike will be captivated by the adventures of the resourceful orphan (Asa Butterfield) who lives in the walls of a Paris train station.
9. “Shame”: If there was any justice in Hollywood — no guarantees there — Michael Fassbender would win every major acting award this season for his daring star turn in director/co-writer Steve McQueen’s unforgettable and unflinching drama about Brandon Sullivan, an upper-class sex addict whose well-ordered life, which has become devoted to feeding his addiction, is disrupted when his equally damaged sister (Carey Mulligan in another incredible supporting performance) pays him a surprise visit. While the film’s NC-17 rating garnered much of the attention, “Shame” isn’t a sexy film, nor does it turn sexual addiction into a punch line. As Brandon, Fassbender exudes a palpable sense of desperation and danger, and Mulligan’s despairingly sad crooning of “New York, New York” became one of the most memorable cinematic moments of the year.
10. “The Way”: Respected star Martin Sheen and his writer/director/actor son Emilio Estevez take a visually lovely, spiritually satisfying and uplifting yet understated journey with this road movie about a disaffected L.A. eye doctor (Sheen) who travels to France to collect the remains of his grown son (Estevez), who died in an accident on his first day of attempting the Camino de Santiago, an ancient pilgrimage also known as the Way of St. James. The grief-stricken father impulsively decides to make the arduous 500-mile pilgrimage in his son’s stead, and the people, places and happenings he encounters along the trek change his life in profound and relatable ways.
“The Way” is showing at 5:30 and 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday at the Oklahoma City Museum of Art, 415 Couch Drive. For more information, go to www.okcmoa.com.
-BAM
“Portrait of a Generation” on view through Feb. 4 at Tulsa Historical Society
This photo of my daughter, Brenna Faire McDonnell, is featured in acclaimed photographer M.J. Alexander's new art book “Portrait of a Generation — The Children of Oklahoma: Sons and Daughters of the Red Earth.”
TULSA – Oklahoma City photographer M.J. Alexander’s “Portrait of a Generation” exhibit is on view through Feb. 4 at the Tulsa Historical Society, 2445 S Peoria.
The exhibit is the traveling companion to Alexander’s limited edition 2010 art book “Portrait of a Generation — The Children of Oklahoma: Sons and Daughters of the Red Earth,” which won a 2011 Oklahoma Book Award.
Among the photographs in the book is an image of my husband, Patrick, holding aloft our daughter, Brenna, who was just 100 hours old at the time. Brenna is now 18 months old.
For the forward-looking follow-up to her 2007 book “Salt of the Red Earth,” which featured Oklahoma centenarians, Alexander embarked on a quest to feature the youngsters who will determine Oklahoma’s future. Her mission took her more than 11,000 miles to 50 towns and cities, from Cimarron County to Beaver’s Bend and Mangum to Picher.
Even when she stayed in one city, the acclaimed photographer often found youngsters living in vastly different worlds: She photographed Baylee Blain Henry, 13, who is youngest daughter of Brad and Kim Henry, at the Governor’s Mansion; bombing survivors Rebecca Ann Denny, 17, and Brandon James Denny, 19, at the Oklahoma City National Memorial; and solemn Sa’Nya Kathryn-Lovella Clark, 2, at Sister B.J.’s Food Pantry.
“It stars the kids and it has their portraits; it stars Oklahoma because it has the environment. Even if you can’t see Oklahoma — some of the shots are more scenic than others — even if it’s a close-up of cowboy (belt) buckles, you see Oklahoma reflected back in that,” Alexander told me in an interview. “You have the kids’ words, what they think about life, what their philosophies are, like in your case, what are their families’ hopes for them, which is really heartening when you see these families already looking forward to the future.”
The exhibit has previously been shown at the Oklahoma City Museum of Art and JRB Art at the Elms gallery in the Paseo Arts District. It will be on view later this winter in the state Capitol.
For more information on the book, go to www.sliceok.com/portrait.
For more information on the Tulsa Historical Society exhibit, go to www.tulsahistory.org.
-BAM
New releases for Jan. 3, 2011: “Jimmy Owens,” Elvis, “Contagion,” “The Guard,” Lisa Swayze’s memoir
If like me you still haven’t used all your Christmas gift cards, here are this week’s new CDs, DVDs and books for your perusal:
CDs
Jimmy Owens, “The Monk Project.”
Elvis Presley, “Elvis Country” (Legacy Edition).
Lego Feet, “Lego Feet.”
The Beau Brummels, “Bradley’s Barn” (Limited edition re-release).
Johnfish Sparkle, “Flow.”
Mr. Oizo, “Stade 2.”
Monkees, “Head” (Limited collector’s edition).
DVDs
Alfred Hitchcock Presents: Season Five
Contagion
Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark
The Guard
I Don’t Know How She Does It
Justified: The Complete Second Season
The Last Lions
Mildred Pierce
Puncture
Removal
Shark Night
Books
Worth Fighting For: Love, Loss, and Moving Forward by Lisa Niemi Swayze
Private: #1 Suspect (Jack Morgan) by James Patterson, Maxine Paetro
Real Marriage: The Truth About Sex, Friendship, and Life Together by Mark Driscoll and Grace Driscoll
American Sniper: The Autobiography of the Most Lethal Sniper in U.S. Military History by Chris Kyle, Scott McEwen, Jim DeFelice
The Harbinger: The Ancient Mystery That Holds the Secret of America’s Future by Jonathan Cahn
Taking People With You: The Only Way to Make Big Things Happen by David Novak
-BAM
