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Tag: Philomena

  • Judi Dench Reveals That She Has a Famous Person’s Name Tattooed on Her … Butt?

    Judi Dench‘s cool rating just went up a notch after revealing that she had a famous person’s name tattooed on her very British bum.

    The Oscar-winning actress shared the story of how Harvey Weinstein’s name ended up indelibly inked on her butt at the 2014 Britannia Awards in Beverly Hill, according to Deadline Hollywood.

    It seems that early on in her career, someone famous, whom she did not name immediately, told her that she would never be a film actress.

    “You’ll never make a film because your face isn’t quite properly arranged,” Dench recalled the person as saying.

    The Philomena actress said it took her another 36 years before she was able to prove to that person that she could be a very successful film actress, thank you very much.

    It was many years later that Miramax’s Weinstein acquired the British television production of Mrs. Brown, in which Dench brilliantly played the role of Mrs. Brown, and released it in theaters. The film ended up grossing $13 million and Dench finally proven to Weinstein that she could be successful in film.

    “Blessed Harvey Weinstein, whose tattoo I still have on my bum, said it would be a proper [theatrical] film and it was,” she announced to the surprised crowd, which immediately burst into laughter.

    “Well, he asked for that,” said Dench, mocking indignation.

    Dench made the announcement during her acceptance speech for the Albert R. Broccoli Britannia Award For Worldwide Contribution. Following the hilarious revelation, Dench thanked the James Bond producer and award’s namesake.

    “I do owe the Broccoli family, and I had the most sensational time making the James Bond films, and I am so proud this should be his award,” said the actress, who played 007’s boss, M, in several Bond films.

  • Complete Oscar 2014 Nomination List

    The much anticipated nominations were finally announced at 5:38 a.m. at the Academy’s Beverly Hills headquarters. Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences prexy Cheryl Boone Isaacs and Chris Hemsworth made the announcement.

    Balloting runs from Feb. 14-25. The award show will be held at the Dolby Theatre March 2 on ABC.

    BEST PICTURE
    “12 Years a Slave”
    “American Hustle”
    “Captain Phillips”
    “Dallas Buyers Club”
    “Gravity”
    “Her”
    “Nebraska”
    “Philomena”
    “The Wolf of Wall Street”

    BEST DIRECTOR
    David O. Russell, “American Hustle”
    Alfonso Cuaron, “Gravity”
    Alexander Payne, “Nebraska”
    Steve McQueen, “12 Years a Slave”
    Martin Scorsese, “The Wolf of Wall Street”

    BEST ACTOR
    Christian Bale, “American Hustle”
    Bruce Dern, “Nebraska”
    Leonardo DiCaprio, “The Wolf of Wall Street”
    Chiwetel Ejiofor, “12 Years a Slave”
    Matthew McConaughey, “Dallas Buyers Club”

    BEST ACTRESS
    Amy Adams, “American Hustle”
    Cate Blanchett, “Blue Jasmine”
    Sandra Bullock, “Gravity”
    Judi Dench, “Philomena”
    Meryl Streep, “August: Osage County”

    BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
    “American Hustle”
    “Blue Jasmine”
    “Her”
    “Nebraska”
    “Dallas Buyers Club”

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Im7S_VDfLV4

    BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
    “Before Midnight”
    “Captain Phillips”
    “Philomena”
    “12 Years a Slave”
    “The Wolf of Wall Street”

    BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
    Lupita Nyong’o, “12 Years a Slave”
    Jennifer Lawrence, “American Hustle”
    June Squibb, “Nebraska”
    Julia Roberts, “August: Osage County”
    Sally Hawkins, “Blue Jasmine”

    BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
    Barkhad Abdi, “Captain Phillips”
    Bradley Cooper, “American Hustle”
    Michael Fassbender, “12 Years a Slave”
    Jonah Hill, “The Wolf of Wall Street”
    Jared Leto, “Dallas Buyers Club”

    BEST ANIMATED FILM
    “The Croods”
    “Despicable Me 2”
    “Ernest & Celestine”
    “Frozen”
    “The Wind Rises”

    BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
    “The Grandmaster”
    “Gravity”
    “Inside Llewyn Davis”
    “Nebraska”
    “Prisoners”

    Will “American Hustle” win big at the Oscars?
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L65ciAARG4w

    BEST COSTUME DESIGN
    Michael Wilkinson, “American Hustle”
    William Chang Suk Ping, “The Grandmaster”
    Catherine Martin, “The Great Gatsby”
    Michael O’Connor, “The Invisible Woman”
    Patricia Norris, “12 Years a Slave”

    BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
    “The Act of Killing”Joshua Oppenheimer and Signe Byrge Sørensen
    “Cutie and the Boxer” Zachary Heinzerling and Lydia Dean Pilcher
    “Dirty Wars” Richard Rowley and Jeremy Scahill
    “The Square” Jehane Noujaim and Karim Amer
    “20 Feet from Stardom” Nominees to be determined

    BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT SUBJECT
    “CaveDigger” Jeffrey Karoff
    “Facing Fear” Jason Cohen
    “Karama Has No Walls” Sara Ishaq
    “The Lady in Number 6: Music Saved My Life” Malcolm Clarke and Nicholas Reed
    “Prison Terminal: The Last Days of Private Jack Hall” Edgar Barens

    BEST FILM EDITING
    “American Hustle” Jay Cassidy, Crispin Struthers and Alan Baumgarten
    “Captain Phillips” Christopher Rouse
    “Dallas Buyers Club” John Mac McMurphy and Martin Pensa
    “Gravity” Alfonso Cuarón and Mark Sanger
    “12 Years a Slave” Joe Walker

    BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
    “The Broken Circle Breakdown” Belgium
    “The Great Beauty” Italy
    “The Hunt” Denmark
    “The Missing Picture” Cambodia
    “Omar” Palestine

    BEST MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING
    “Dallas Buyers Club” Adruitha Lee and Robin Mathews
    “Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa” Stephen Prouty
    “The Lone Ranger” Joel Harlow and Gloria Pasqua-Casny

    Image Via YouTube

  • Golden Globes Nomination List 2014

    Golden Globes Nomination List 2014

    Here it is, folks! The official 2014 Golden Globes Nomination list. Read to see who is leading the list of nominations here.

    Best Motion Picture, Drama
    12 Years a Slave
    Captain Phillips
    Gravity
    Philomena
    Rush

    Best Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy
    American Hustle
    Her
    Inside Llewyn Davis
    Nebraska
    The Wolf of Wall Street

    Best Actor in a Motion Picture, Drama
    Chiwetel Ejiofor, 12 Years a Slave
    Idris Elba, Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom
    Tom Hanks, Captain Phillips
    Matthew McConaughey, Dallas Buyers Club
    Robert Redford, All Is Lost

    Best Actor in a Motion Picture, Comedy or Musical
    Christian Bale, American Hustle
    Bruce Dern, Nebraska
    Leonardo DiCaprio, The Wolf of Wall Street
    Oscar Isaac, Inside Llewyn Davis
    Joaquin Phoenix, Her

    Best Actress in a Motion Picture, Drama
    Cate Blanchett, Blue Jasmine
    Sandra Bullock, Gravity
    Judi Dench, Philomena
    Emma Thompson, Saving Mr. Banks
    Kate Winslet, Labor Day

    Best Actress in a Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy
    Amy Adams, American Hustle
    Julia Delpy, Before Midnight
    Greta Gerwig, Frances Ha
    Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Enough Said
    Meryl Streep, August: Osage County

    Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture
    Barkhad Abdi, Captain Phillips
    Daniel Brühl, Rush
    Bradley Cooper, American Hustle
    Michael Fassbender, 12 Years a Slave
    Jared Leto, Dallas Buyers Club

    Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture
    Sally Hawkins, Blue Jasmine
    Jennifer Lawrence, American Hustle
    Lupita Nyong’o, 12 Years a Slave
    Julia Roberts, August: Osage County
    June Squibb, Nebraska

    Best Director
    Alfonso Cuarón, Gravity
    Paul Greengrass, Captain Phillips
    Steve McQueen, 12 Years a Slave
    Alexander Payne, Nebraska
    David O. Russell, American Hustle

    Best Screenplay, Motion Picture
    Bob Nelson, Nebraska
    Spike Jonze, Her
    Steve Coogan and Jeff Pope, Philomena
    John Ridley, 12 Years A Slave
    David O. Russell and Eric Warren Singer, American Hustle

    Best Foreign-Language Film
    Blue Is the Warmest Colour (France)
    The Great Beauty (Italy)
    The Hunt (Denmark)
    The Past (Iran)
    The Wind Rises (Japan)

    Best Animated Feature Film
    The Croods
    Despicable Me 2
    Frozen

    Best Original Song, Motion Picture
    “Atlas,” The Hunger Games: Catching Fire
    “Let It Go,” Frozen
    “Ordinary Love,” Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom
    “Please, Mr. Kennedy,” Inside Llewyn Davis
    “Sweeter Than Fiction,” One Chance

    Best Original Score, Motion Picture
    Alex Ebert, All Is Love
    Alex Eves, Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom
    Steven Price, Gravity
    John Williams, The Book Thief
    Hans Zimmer, 12 Years a Slave

    Best TV Movie or Miniseries
    American Horror Story: Coven
    Behind the Candelabra
    Dancing on the Edge
    Top of the Lake
    The White Queen

    Best TV Series, Drama
    Breaking Bad
    Downton Abbey
    The Good Wife
    House of Cards
    Masters of Sex

    Best TV Series, Comedy or Musical
    The Big Bang Theory
    Brooklyn Nine-Nine
    Girls
    Modern Family
    Parks and Recreation

    Best Actor in a TV Series, Drama
    Bryan Cranston, Breaking Bad
    Liev Schreiber, Ray Donovan
    Michael Sheen, Masters of Sex
    Kevin Spacey, House of Cards
    James Spader, The Blacklist

    Best Actor, TV Series Comedy
    Jason Bateman,Arrested Development
    Don Cheadle, House of Lies
    Michael J. Fox, The Michael J. Fox Show
    Jim Parsons, The Big Bang Theory
    Andy Samberg, Brooklyn Nine-Nine

    Best Actress in a TV Series, Drama
    Julianna Margulies, The Good Wife
    Tatiana Maslany, Orphan Black
    Taylor Schilling, Orange Is the New Black
    Kerry Washington, Scandal
    Robin Wright, House of Cards

    Best Actress in a TV Series, Comedy
    Zooey Deschanel, New Girl
    Lena Dunham, Girls
    Edie Falco,Nurse Jackie
    Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Veep
    Amy Poehler, Parks and Recreation

    Best Actor in a Miniseries or TV Movie
    Matt Damon, Behind the Candelabra
    Michael Douglas, Behind the Candelabra
    Chiwetel Ejiofor, Dancing on the Edge
    Idris Elba, Luther
    Al Pacino, Phil Spector

    Best Actress in a Miniseries or TV Movie
    Helena Bonham Cater, Burton & Taylor
    Rebecca Ferguson, The White Queen
    Jessica Lange, American Horror Story: Coven
    Helen Mirren, Phil Spector
    Elisabeth Moss, Top of the Lake

    Best Supporting Actor in a Series, Mini-Series or TV Movie
    Josh Charles, The Good Wife
    Rob Lowe, Behind the Candelabra
    Aaron Paul, Breaking Bad
    Corey Stoll, House of Cards
    Jon Voight, Ray Donovan

    Best Supporting Actress in a Series, Miniseries, or TV Movie
    Jacqueline Bisset, Dancing on the Edge
    Janet McTeer, The White Queen
    Hayden Panettiere, Nashville
    Monica Potter, Parenthood
    Sofía Vergara, Modern Family

    Cecile B. DeMille Award
    Woody Allen

    The 71st Annual Golden Globe Awards airs Sunday, Jan. 12. 8pm EST/5pm PST

    Photo Credit: YouTube

  • Judi Dench Shines in ‘Philomena’

    Judi Dench Shines in ‘Philomena’

    Judi Dench is back on the big screen in Philomena, and critics dub her the ‘best reason‘ for seeing the new film. Part comedy, part heart wrenching emotion–Philomena showcases Dench in a way she has seldom been seen.

    Spanning the gamut from playing James Bond’s infamous M, to being known as a British theater icon, Judi Dench now shines as a little old Irish lady in Philomena–and she does so magnificently.

    Originally rated R, Philomena was recently granted a much-needed reduction to a PG-13 rating. It did, however, take a war on Harvey Weinstein’s part–waged with the MPAA, in order to reach the new rating. Initially rated R for two ‘utterances of the F-word,’ Weinstein won the war by exhibiting clips from other films that met the PG-13 criteria while including similar–if not the same–expletives.

    The L.A. Times touts Judi Dench’s performance in Philomena as ‘genius work.’

    “Judi Dench’s performance in ‘Philomena‘ is genius work, propelling the film past a rocky start and into its solid, dramatic story,” their critic writes.

    Twitter fans are chiming in on Judi Dench, her performance and her recent remarks about Philomena.

    Philomena is about a woman named Philomena Lee (played by Judi Dench) who was forced to give her son up for adoption. Many years later–after raising her family–Lee meets and befriends a BBC reporter named Martin Sixsmith (played by Steve Coogan) and sets out to find the child she named Anthony, and whom she watched from a convent window as he was carried away by an American couple–sold for 1000 pounds.

    Lest viewers fear the film is too deep, do note that bits of comedy emerge from time to time, thanks to Steve Coogan, who is one of Britain’s top comics. Some believe this gets the film off to an ‘unsteady start, while others may find it somewhat comforting–noting that the entire film won’t tear their hearts to shreds. He and Judi Dench play off one another with amazing ease.

    Philomema opened November 22nd in limited release. Hopefully it will soon open nationwide, allowing Judi Dench and her fans to see her eloquent performance.

    Image via Wikipedia

  • “James Bond” Franchise Helps Lower Philomena Rating

    Over the years, James Bond has been tasked with many objectives, most of which involve Bond stopping an evil villain from stealing something valuable or destroying the world. It appears as if Agent 007 has grown bored of his usual routine, though. In a new video released by The Weinstein Company and FunnyorDie.com, James Bond (aka Daniel Craig) has used his influence to convince M to battle against the MPAA:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t7bscyDT6tI

    So what beef does the British Secret Service have against the MPAA, a movie rating company? Recently, they had classified the movie Philomena as Rated R. According to the MPAA:

    “An R-rated motion picture, in the view of the Rating Board, contains some adult material. An R-rated motion picture may include adult themes, adult activity, hard language, intense or persistent violence, sexually-oriented nudity, drug abuse or other elements, so that parents are counseled to take this rating very seriously. Children under 17 are not allowed to attend R-rated motion pictures unaccompanied by a parent or adult guardian. Parents are strongly urged to find out more about R-rated motion pictures in determining their suitability for their children. Generally, it is not appropriate for parents to bring their young children with them to R-rated motion pictures.”

    Philomena, the latest movie by The Weinstein Company about an Irish woman (played by Judi Dench) and a journalist (played by Steve Coogan) searching for the child Dench’s character was forced to put up for adoption, had recently received an R-rating due to its two uses of the F-bomb – usages which co-writer Steve Coogan states are critical:

    “Martin’s anger at the end, where he swears at this nun, has to be shocking because it has to contrast with the grace and serenity that Dame Judi as Philomena exhibits. That anger has to shock just to elevate her grace. Similarly, early on, when Martin swears about Catholics. It needs to be provocative, certainly to her, but we also see that she’s not shocked by the profanity, because she spent many years as a nurse, which is important for the audience to know.”

    Traditionally, any movie which uses the word “f*ck” receives an R-rating. However, TWC lawyer Bert Fields believes that this filter is too restricting:

    “The MPAA’s stance on language often proves itself to be too black and white, not taking into account a film’s overall subject matter. Philomena is one such instance. To put this film in the same category as sexually explicit and violent films would have been a disservice not only to the film but audiences as well…”

    And hence The Weinstein Company took the MPAA to court to sue for a reduced rating for the movie. Along with the legal effort, TWC released the FunnyorDie video (which has seemingly been removed…) in which Judi Dench reprises her role as M and gives an order to Agent 002 (Coogan) to “have a word with” the MPAA and persuade them to change the rating.

    Surprisingly for TWC (which has had several complaints surroundings its movies ratings before), this tactic worked and the MPAA lowered the rating of Philomena to PG-13. At the end of the day, Harvey Weinstein voiced how integral James Bond was in securing the victory:

    “We owe this victory to Barbara Broccoli, producer of the James Bond series, Daniel Craig, and Sam Mendes, who because of their relationship with Judi Dench, gave permission to spoof the ratings system using the M character. We know that went a long way into shedding light on the themes of the movie and the fact that the PG-13 rating was correct. We are glad the MPAA has a good sense of humor and with the cooperation of Barbara and her team, it was proven once again no one does it better than James Bond.”

    All of this leaves one wondering what is next on the plate for Bonds? Will we now use his services to fight all the good fights, such as taking up the mantle against CISPA or perhaps even overturning the legislation that makes cell phone unlocking illegal in the US? Whatever the issue, it appears that it is safe to state, “In Bond We Trust.”

    Image via YouTube

  • Judi Dench Walks Down Red Carpet after Knee Surgery

    Judi Dench is one dedicated woman! Six weeks after having knee replacement surgery on her right knee, Dench swore she would be ready to walk down the red carpet for her new movie, “Philomena”. And she did!

    “I have a completely new knee now. It’s brilliant,” the actress told the Daily Mirror on Friday. “When I had it done on September 6, I said to my surgeon ‘On October 16 I will walk up a red carpet unaided,’ and so I did. You set your mind to a goal and go for it.”

    “I’m not feeling my age at all,” Dench said. “I am about 43, a tall willowy blonde 43-year-old with long legs. I don’t want to slow down at all. We don’t say the word retirement in our house. Old and retired are totally banned. Energy keeps me going.”

    The only thing slowing this woman down is her eyesight. “Somebody reads the script to me and that’s the way I like it, regardless whether I can see or not,” she said. “It is much better having the story told to you, because ultimately that’s what the job is, telling an audience the story. I used to paint a lot and I used to sew all the time. That is the most irritating thing… I can’t do that any more. And I long for people to print the crossword larger because I love doing them. But it doesn’t affect acting apart from learning lines.”

    She admits she loves her job and will continue working until she can’t anymore. “We are in the minority of people who are doing a job we chose to do and can make a living at,” she said. “Why aren’t we running to work every day?”

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Judi Dench Walks Red Carpet Six Weeks After Surgery

    Pesky knee surgery wasn’t keeping Dame Judi Dench away from the red carpet in mid-October, and she planned it that way.

    Dench, who has had trouble with her right knee for years, finally had surgery on September 6, getting a knee replacement. She told her doctor, “On October 16 I will walk up a red carpet unaided,” and that’s exactly what she did for her most recent film, Philomena.

    The iconic actress is more than happy to show the scar that couldn’t keep her down. She showed it to The Daily Mirror, saying, “The scar’s from here to here, there to there. I have a completely new knee now. It’s brilliant.”

    Walking without a cane, just six weeks (SIX WEEKS!) after knee surgery is no small feat for anyone, but the 78-year-old Dench did what many wouldn’t dare to do. “You set your mind to a goal and go for it,” said Dench.

    Nothing is slowing this Dame down – be it surgery, or the milestone birthday coming up next year. Age is obviously only a number to Dench, who looks much younger than her almost 80 years of life. Still, don’t mention she’ll be turning 80 next year, it’s quite a “filthy” thing to say. “Don’t say ‘old’, don’t say ‘retired’, don’t say ‘80’. I’m not even considering retiring,” said Dench.

    Dench is defying the odds of Hollywood by continuing to have such an amazing career at her age. Dench said, “We are in the minority of people who are doing a job we chose to do and can make a living at. Why aren’t we running to work every day?”

    “I’m not feeling my age at all. I am about 43, a tall willowy blonde 43-year-old with long legs.” She continues, “I don’t want to slow down at all. We don’t say the word retirement in our house. Old and retired are totally banned. Energy keeps me going.”

    Dench’s only hindrance may be her eyesight, but she’s found a way to get around that. In February of this year, Dench let the world know she had been diagnosed with macular degeneration, which could lead to blindness. But in true Dench fashion, she didn’t let that get her down. She’s hopeful that new treatments will slow down the progressive decline. And while it’s difficult to see faces or read, she has friends or family read scripts to her. “Somebody reads the script to me and that’s the way I like it, regardless whether I can see or not. It is much better having the story told to you, because ultimately that’s what the job is, telling an audience the story,” said Dench.

    Something else that will continue for Dench is her cheeky behavior. Just recently, Dench admitted that the tattoo of Harvey Weinstein’s name on her derriere was a fake. Dench said, “He still thinks it’s tattooed. My make-up lady painted it on, and when I met him in New York I told him. He dismissed it, so I showed him and said, ‘Here you are!’”

    You can watch the trailer for Dench’s new film, Philomena, with Steve Coogan in the video below.

    [Image via YouTube.]