Avant-garde German choreographer Pina Bausch dies

(GERMAN, CHOREOGRAPHER, BAUSCH, DANCE, DIRECTOR, COMPANY)

By Sarah Marsh
BERLIN (Reuters) - German choreographer Pina Bausch, whose work is credited with revolutionizing the language of modern dance, died on Tuesday after being diagnosed with cancer only days earlier. She was 68 years old.
Bausch, artistic director of the Wuppertal Dance Theater, earned world renown for her avant-garde performances and choreographies mixing dance, sound and fragmented narrative.
"Just the Sunday before last, she was standing on stage with her company in the Wuppertal Opera house," the dance-theater company, which she had led since 1973, said on its website.
It said Pausch had been diagnosed with cancer only five days before her death.
"Unlike almost no other, she broke out of traditional structures in dance, modernized classical ballet and coined her own, idiosyncratic style," German Vice-Chancellor Frank-Walter Steinmeier said in a statement.
Bausch choreographed and staged her own pieces, such as Cafe Mueller and Viktor, and performed in films by iconic film directors Federico Fellini and Pedro Almodovar.
The German choreographer had been preparing to work together with director Wim Wenders on what was being called the first 3-D dance feature, a project named "Pina."
From Paris, where Bausch often performed, the city`s Mayor Bertrand Delanoe and France`s Culture Minister Frederic Mitterrand issued statements of condolence.
"The world of dance is in mourning today after the loss of one of its most brilliant representatives," Mitterrand said.
Pina Bausch began her dance studies at the age of 14 at the Folkwang School in Essen, where she studied with several teachers, including the German expressionist choreographer Kurt Jooss.
Bausch went to New York in 1960 to study at The Juilliard School, later becoming a member of the Metropolitan Opera`s ballet company.
In 1962, Bausch returned to Germany where she became a soloist in the newly-formed Folkwang Ballett. In 1973 she became artistic director and choreographer at the newly founded Wuppertal dance-theater company.
"Pina Bausch continually pushed the boundaries of what we call dance," said John Neumeier, the director of the Hamburg ballet company. "I simply cannot imagine a successor to Pina Bausch." (Reporting by Sarah Marsh; Additional Reporting by James Mackenzie in Paris; Editing by Noah Barkin)
Original article

Oscars` best picture race: 10 in 2010

By Gregg Kilday
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - There will be 10, count `em 10, nominees for best picture when the nominations for the 82nd Annual Academy Awards are announced February 2.
In a move designed to let more movies share in the limelight that surrounds the contenders for Hollywood`s top award, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences on Wednesday announced a rule change that doubles the number of movies that will be welcomed into the best picture category.
Academy president Sid Ganis characterized the move as a "return to the past" when the Academy regularly spread its largesse out among 10 -- and sometimes even more -- best picture nominees.
Speaking to the media at the Academy`s Samuel Goldwyn Theater, Ganis on Wednesday was flanked by posters listing the 10 nominees for 1939 -- widely regarded as the high-water mark for quality studio releases. That year, the lineup ranged from Westerns ("Stagecoach") to sophisticated comedies ("Ninotchka") to melodramas ("Dark Victory") to all-time classics like "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington," "The Wizard of Oz" and eventual winner "Gone With the Wind."
"Suppose you had to narrow that field down to five nominees? Which of these films would you keep? Whichever five movies you selected, you`d be losing five extraordinary films," Ganis asked rhetorically.
While the Academy hasn`t nominated 10 films since 1943, momentum for the course correction grew out of this year`s Oscar show. Its producers, Larry Mark and Bill Condon, made a concerted effort to acknowledge the whole range of movies produced during the past year in an effort to reach out to a wider audience.
In their post-show autopsy, they encouraged the Academy to consider opening up the best picture category, and the committee that reviewed the show championed the idea, recommending it to the board, which approved the change with virtually no opposition.
The move also comes in the wake of the howls of outrage from fans of last year`s "The Dark Knight," which earned eight nominations but didn`t crack the best picture circle. Arguably, a wider field of nominees would have included that movie, which also had a lot of critics in its corner. And if more popular entertainments are in the running for the big prize, that could in turn benefit the Oscarcast ratings, which have been in general decline, although they did experience an uptick in February.
Ganis acknowledged that "in discussions about this, we talked about what might have happened, and I would not be telling you the truth if I said the words `Dark Knight` did not come up."
One idea that didn`t fly in the internal discussions: Arriving at 10 pictures by nominating five dramas and five comedies, a la the Golden Globes.
"It`s about the best picture -- not the best something picture," Ganis said. "It`s a singular honor."
By sticking to one best picture category, the Academy also avoids being drawn into debates about whether a given film is properly considered a comedy or a drama. But Ganis did suggest that comedies, continually short-changed come Oscar time, could benefit.
"In casting a wider net, who knows what`s going to turn up," he said. "Maybe even a comedy in that group of 10."
Ganis, who will step down as Academy president this summer after four consecutive terms, insisted that having 10 noms "does not dilute" the honor. Pointing out that about 300 films are eligible each year -- in 2008, the number that qualified for best picture consideration was 281 -- he argued that to be one of 10 nominees is still an achievement.
Academy executive director Bruce Davis also said that the board was given assurances that including 10 best picture nominees would not result in a longer show. That assurance will be put to the test when the Oscars take place March 7.
(Editing by Dean Gooodman at Reuters)
Original article

"Watchmen" director`s cut headed to theaters

By Borys Kit
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - The director`s cut of "Watchmen," featuring an additional 25 minutes of footage and the death of a supporting character, will receive a limited theatrical rollout during the weekend ahead of its July 21 home-video release.
The superhero saga, which was considered to be a bit of a box office disappointment during its first go-round in March, will screen in Los Angeles, New York, Minneapolis and Dallas.
The rollout will culminate with a special screening July 25 at the Comic-Con International confab in San Diego, taking advantage of a Blu-ray Disc feature that will allow any viewer in North America to watch the movie at the same time as the audience at Comic-Con, see and hear director Zack Snyder comment on the movie, and even ask questions. The screening will then be archived and will be able to be accessed for future viewings.
"Comic-Con, it isn`t just comic book fanatics, it`s cinephiles as well. It`ll be cool to discuss what people are thinking," Snyder said at a "Watchmen" press day, held Wednesday at Warner Bros., where the news was unveiled.
The day was designed to showcase a bonus Blu-ray feature called Maximum Movie Mode as well as features to be seen in Snyder`s Blu-ray release of "300: The Complete Experience."
The theatrical rerelease is unusual, given that the costly movie grossed just $107.5 million domestically. Critics were also divided about the movie, with some saying it was too slavish to the graphic novel`s many devotees.
Snyder, however, stood by it. "I`m proud of the movie. It does everything I wanted it to," he said.
(Editing by Dean Goodman at Reuters)
Original article

"Billy Elliot" dances away with 10 Tony Awards

By Michelle Nichols and Claudia ParsonsNEW YORK (Reuters) - "Billy Elliot The Musical" swept the top U.S. theater honors on Sunday, winning 10 Tony Awards for a Broadway season that defied a recession with record ticket sales.
"Billy Elliot" is based on Oscar-nominated director Stephen Daldry's 2000 film about a ballet dancing schoolboy in a mining town in northern England. Elton John, who suggested the film be adapted for theater, wrote the music for the production.
"We came here at a hard time economically, you opened your wallets and your hearts to us and we love you for it," said John, one of Britain's best-known musicians whose hit songs include "Candle in the Wind" and "Rocket Man."
"Billy Elliot" was named best musical and the three teenage actors who play the title role -- David Alvarez, Trent Kowalik and Kiril Kulish -- were all named best actor in a musical, the first time three actors have shared the award.
"We want to say to all the kids out there who might want to dance, never give up," Kulish said.
Daldry, who won best musical director, said the boys were "three great gifts of Broadway" and that he was "blessed in the past 10 years of my life to be working on 'Billy Elliot.'" The show has also played in Britain and Australia.
Gregory Jbara won best featured actor in a musical for his role as Billy's father and the show also won best book of a musical and scenic, lighting, sound and choreography awards. It tied with "Next to Normal" for best orchestration.
Alice Ripley was named best actress in a musical for her role as a bipolar suburban housewife in "Next to Normal," which also picked up best original score, beating nominees including Elton John and Lee Hall for "Billy Elliot" and Dolly Parton for "9 to 5: The Musical."
"Billy Elliot" had matched the record number of Tony Award nominations set by "The Producers" in 2001, picking up 15 nods. "The Producers" went on to win a record 12 awards.
"Hair," the new production of the groundbreaking 1960s musical, won the Tony for best revival of a musical.
LIZA AND LANSBURY AMONG WINNERS
"God of Carnage" -- with an all-star cast of "Sopranos" star James Gandolfini, Marcia Gay Harden, Hope Davis and Jeff Daniels -- picked up the most awards for a play, winning best play, director of a play, and best actress for Harden.
"God of Carnage" director Matthew Warchus beat himself -- he was also nominated for best director for "The Norman Conquests," a trilogy of comedies that came to Broadway from a sold-out run in London, which won the Tony best play revival.
Liza Minnelli won the best special theatrical event Tony for "Liza's at the Palace," which featured a musical tribute to the 1940's nightclub act of her godmother, Kay Thompson.
"This is exquisite," a breathless Minnelli said. "I thought my beautiful man over there was going to win," she added, referring to comedian Will Ferrell, who was nominated for "You're Welcome America. A Final Night with George W. Bush." Continued...
Source: Reuters

"Billy Elliot" early winner at Tony Awards

By Michelle Nichols and Claudia ParsonsNEW YORK (Reuters) - "Billy Elliot The Musical" was an early winner at the top U.S. theater honors on Sunday, picking up six behind-the-scenes Tony Awards for a Broadway season that defied recession with record ticket sales.
"Billy Elliot" is based on Oscar-nominated director Stephen Daldry's 2000 film about a ballet dancing schoolboy in a mining town in northern England. The show won 10 Drama Desk Awards and seven Outer Critics Circle Awards in the lead up to the Tonys.
"I have to thank Elton John. It was his idea to make this a musical in the first place," said Lee Hall, who won the Tony Award for best book of a musical. "He insisted we start with the music."
Hall and John, whose many hit songs include "Candle in the Wind" and "Rocket Man," are also nominated for best original score for "Billy Elliot."
Hundreds of people lined the street outside New York City's Radio City Hall, cheering nominees including singer Dolly Parton, comedian Will Ferrell, "Sopranos" star James Gandolfini and Oscar winners Liza Minnelli and Geoffrey Rush.
The Tony Awards were established in 1947 and are named for Antoinette Perry, whose nickname was Toni. Perry, who died in 1946, was an actress, stage director and philanthropist who was a founder of the American Theater Wing.
Around 750 people from the theater industry -- from actors, to directors to journalists -- vote for the Tony Awards.
The Broadway League says the 39 theaters in the famous district contribute $5.1 billion per year to the economy of New York, on top of ticket sales, and support 44,000 jobs.
During the 12-month Broadway season ending May 24, 43 shows opened -- the most in more than 25 years, said the Broadway League. There were 10 new musicals, eight new plays, four musical revivals, 16 play revivals and five special shows.
Broadway's paid attendance was 12.15 million tickets, down from 12.27 million the previous season, but gross takings rose $6 million, or 0.6 percent, to $943.3 million, beating the previous record set in the 2006/07 season of $938.5 million.
(Additional reporting by Carmen Perry)

Source: Reuters

"Up" retains altitude, tops box office again

By Bernie Woodall
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - "Up," the story of a floating house, its grumpy 78-year-old owner and an inquisitive 8-year-old accidental stowaway, remained atop the weekend box office in North America, selling $44.2 million of tickets its second weekend in theaters.
The family-friendly Disney/Pixar animated release about a house lifted by colorful balloons and the odd couple's adventures showed surprising staying power. Its weekend gross was down 35 percent from its opening weekend but still made a strong showing for a film in its second week.Movie industry analysts had predicted that "Up" would bring in less than $40 million.
"The Hangover," released by Warner Bros. Pictures, was a close second at $43.3 million. The film about a group of men trying to reconstruct what happened at a wild, Las Vegas bachelor party benefited from a good buzz and positive reviews. It also was the first big comedy released after a month dominated by action flicks.
Universal's "Land of the Lost," a new release starring Will Ferrell, finished a disappointing third at $19.5 million. It is a remake of a mid-1970s U.S. children's television series.
Four of the top five films attracted families with small children as recession-weary parents continued to seek entertainment at the movies.
"Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian," collected $14.7 million and landed in the No. 4 spot. It made about $54 million when it opened two weekends ago, and has taken in $127 million overall.
"Star Trek," a Paramount issue, also showed staying power, finishing fifth for the weekend in its fifth week of release. It brought in $8.4 million. Its cumulative total stands at $223 million.
ANGELIC WORLD GROSS
"Angels & Demons," from Sony/Columbia, earned $6.5 million in North America during the weekend and its worldwide gross surpassed the $400 million mark, making it the No. 1 film in the world in 2009.
The film, based on Dan Brown's popular novel about conspiracy in the Catholic church, is the follow-up to the Brown novel and 2006 movie, "The Da Vinci Code."
Rory Bruer, president of worldwide distribution for Sony Pictures, said the weekend pushed the "Angels & Demons" international gross to about $405 million. "The Da Vinci Code" brought in about $540.7 million globally.
The website rottentomatoes.com, which aggregates movie criticism, showed that positive reviews for "The Hangover" helped it prevail over "Land of the Lost" in their debut weekends. "The Hangover" gathered 75 percent positive reviews, compared to only 28 percent for "Land of the Lost."
A reason for the resilience of "Up" may be the fact that it had a 98 percent rating on the website.
Third among new released and seventh for the week overall was Fox Seachlight's "My Life In Ruins," which took in $3.2 million. It suffered from negative reviews -- only 12 percent positive criticism according to rottentomatoes.com. Its distributor is a unit of News Corp. Continued...
Source: Reuters

Universal Pictures calls "Bruno" suit frivolous

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Movie studio Universal Pictures on Friday responded to a lawsuit filed earlier this week against its parent company and comedian Sacha Baron Cohen calling it "frivolous" and saying its claims were "baseless."
California resident Richelle Olson sued Cohen and Universal Pictures' parent NBC Universal, the media division of General Electric Co., in Los Angeles Superior Court over an encounter with Cohen when he was filming his movie "Bruno."
Olson claims Cohen showed up at a charity bingo event in 2007 as the flamboyant gay Austrian character Bruno and pushed her. Olson says she fell and was surrounded by cameramen who attacked her. Later, she says she fainted, hit her head causing bleeding to her brain, and must now use a wheelchair.
But in its statement, Universal said: "filmed footage of the full encounter, which took place more than two years ago, clearly shows that Ms. Olson was never touched or in any way assaulted by Sacha Baron Cohen or any member of the production and suffered no injury."
Universal said "we expect each of the defendants to be fully vindicated."
"Bruno," which lands in theaters in July, follows Cohen's 2006 surprise hit "Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan," which made more than $260 million at worldwide box offices.
That comedy featured the comic actor in the role of a naive and rude journalist from Kazakhstan named Borat, who has unscripted meetings with dumbstruck Americans.
"Borat" attracted several lawsuits from individuals Cohen encountered while shooting that film. Both Borat and Bruno are characters Cohen invented for his "Da Ali G Show," which aired on British and American television.
(Editing by Bob Tourtellotte)

Source: Reuters