Notizie

One of the best ways to celebrate the start of the holiday season is by enjoying a nice, heartwarming Christmas movie. While there are many options, one of the most beloved holiday films is the 1946 Frank Capra classic, It's a Wonderful Life. Starring James Stewart, the iconic film tells the story of George Bailey. Just when George is at his lowest, his guardian angel reveals to him how drastically different the world would be if he had never existed. The film is a beautiful encapsulation of the holiday spirit and a valuable story about the importance of every life.

While the film will remain a life-long favorite for many, there are plenty of other classic Christmas movies that fans of It's a Wonderful Life may also find that they love. Some are quite popular in their own right, while some are underappreciated gems. Each one of these classic films features...

With the holiday season fast approaching, it is almost time to revisit beloved Christmas films, and plenty of people may find themselves turning to Disney to scratch that itch. Many of the best Christmas films are nostalgic and timeless, reminding us of family traditions, past holiday memories, and lessons of goodwill. Whether Christmas or not, Disney is a studio that excels at making movies with these themes.

The studio, one of the oldest and most prevalent in Hollywood, has created several popular holiday films, from classic holiday movies like Miracle on 34th Street to newer projects like Noelle, with its delightful cast. At times, they have even used the holiday season to bring back well-loved Disney characters for Christmas specials, whether it be full-length films or Disney's great holiday and winter shorts. However, some of the studio's best holiday projects have a few things in common: beloved characters, important life lessons,...

There's a miracle coming to Paramount+ this Christmas, and it won't just be confined to the streets of Manhattan. Starting December 1, subscribers will be able to stream the 1947 holiday classic Miracle on 34th Street written and directed by George Seaton based on a story by Valentine Davies that was also turned into a book. The movie, though occasionally hard to find, has been a staple of the season for many years, becoming one of the first black-and-white films to ever be colorized and getting multiple remakes, including a film helmed by Les Mayfield and co-written by John Hughes. Nothing has quite managed to match the original though, which boasts a 96% score from critics and an 87% score from audiences on Rotten Tomatoes.

Christmas movies are one of the most beloved genres in cinema history with every film fan having their own select favorite that they watch and rewatch every year. However, while the genre is treasured, the Oscars haven’t rewarded it as much as you might think or hope. There are several movies, however, that have found their way into Oscars lineups. We’ve detailed just five of those Christmas movies that have managed Oscar nominations or wins.

By the way, “The Apartment” is not included on this list (but might be in a future article). The Billy Wilder movie won five Academy Awards including Best Picture (1961) but there seems to be debate around whether it actually qualifies as a Christmas movie or not. It’s set during the holiday period, but some feel that isn’t enough for it to be an out-and-out Christmas movie. Perhaps that’s one for our forums.

The most glamorous movie about the Korean War experience lauds the bravery of Navy aviators while spelling out the downside of fighting an unpopular war. William Holden, Grace Kelly, Fredric March and Mickey Rooney turn in sharp performances, and Charles McGraw gets his best character part as a no-nonsense flight commander. Paramount’s special effects department outdid themselves on this one — the illusions are beautifully matched to the live-action filmmaking. Heaven help the good civilian soldier that finds himself asking how he ended up getting shot at in a ditch in some far-off foreign country.

The Bridges at Toko-Ri

Blu-ray

Viavision [Imprint] 30

1954 / Color / Open Matte flat 1:37 (should be 1:85 widescreen) / 102 min. / Street Date February 24, 2021 / Available from Viavision / 34.95

Starring: William Holden, Grace Kelly, Fredric March, Mickey Rooney, Robert Strauss, Charles McGraw, Keiko Awaji, Earl Holliman, Richard Shannon, Willis Bouchey, Teru Shimada, Dennis Weaver, Corey Allen, Gene Reynolds, Roger Pace.

Cinematography: Loyal Griggs...

“Why isn’t the original Miracle on 34th Street on TV this year? We need to see movies that offer hope.”

“Where is Miracle on 34th Street with Maureen O’Hara??”

More from TVLineCobra Kai Season 3: The Story Behind [Spoiler]'s Surprising DepartureReal Housewives: Monique Samuels Leaving Potomac Ahead of Season 6Power Book II: Ghost Recap: Monsters, Money and One Angry Monet

Many a TVLine reader is on the hunt for the 1947 classic Christmas movie, about a jolly old man who just might be the real Santa Claus. Alas, unless you subscribe to Disney+, you’re likely to only get coal.

If you ever sit down to watch 20th Century Fox’s original trailer for Miracle on 34th Street, a few things might appear strange. Right off the bat it’s unique—unprecedented even—to market a new release without any real footage from the film. Other than a few seconds of the movie’s opening titles and an actual shot from the picture’s final seconds, audiences were told nothing about Miracle on 34th Street other than it was “hilarious!” “exciting!” and, dare they say it, “groovy!”

There was of course a reason for this: 20th Century Fox, and more specifically studio head Darryl F. Zanuck, had absolutely no faith in the feel-good holiday movie and didn’t even want the audience to know it was a holiday movie. Zanuck’s insistence that the film open in New York City on June 4 probably added to their skittishness toward the subject matter.

It’s another big-star MGM romantic comedy, and not exactly a classic. Debbie Reynolds and Glenn Ford pick their way through a travelogue story that seems made of leftovers from I Love Lucy, inventing flat-farce gimmicks to sex things up without offending the Production Code. What’s the movie most remembered for? It features the exotic concept car that became TV’s Batmobile.

It Started with a Kiss

Blu-ray

Warner Archive Collection

1959 / Color / 2:35 widescreen / 104 min. / Street Date February 25, 2020 / available through the WBshop / 21.99

Starring: Glenn Ford, Debbie Reynolds, Eva Gabor, Gustavo Rojo, Fred Clark, Edgar Buchanan, Harry Morgan, Robert Warwick, Frances Bavier, Alice Backes, Carmen Phillips, Richard Deacon, Martin Garralaga, Robert Hutton, Morgan Jones, Joi Lansing, Marion Ross, Ralph Taeger, Carleton Young.

Cinematography: Robert J. Bronner

Film Editor: John McSweeney Jr.

Original Music: Jeff Alexander

Written by Charles Lederer story by Valentine Davies

Produced by Aaron Rosenberg

Directed by George...

Keep up with the glitzy awards world with our weekly Awards Roundup column.

Awards

– The Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television has announced that director Johnny Ma has won the Academy’s Best First Feature award, sponsored by Telefilm Canada, for his feature film, “Old Stone.” This award celebrates the outstanding debut of a first-time filmmaker. The film had its North American premiere at Tiff in the Discovery Programme and was awarded the City of Toronto Award for Best Canadian First Feature Film. The film can be pre-ordered on iTunes for viewing after April 7, 2017.

The Canadian Screen Awards will be broadcast live on CBC from Toronto’s Sony Centre for the Performing Arts on Sunday, March 12.

– Acclaimed screenwriter-director Richard Curtis has been named the recipient of the Writers Guild of America, West’s 2017 Valentine Davies Award in recognition of his humanitarian efforts, charitable initiatives and world service, which have achieved a...

Love Actually writer/director to be honoured for founding Comic Relief and Make Poverty History.

Richard Curtis will receive the Writers Guild Of America, West’s 2017 Valentine Davies Award, it was announced on Tuesday (24 January).

The award is in recognition of his humanitarian efforts and charitable initiatives and will be presented to Curtis at the Wgaw’s 2017 Writers Guild Awards ceremony on February 19.

“The Valentine Davies Award is given to that Wgaw member whose contributions to the entertainment industry and the community-at-large have brought dignity and honor to writers everywhere,” said WGA West president Howard A. Rodman.

Curtis co-founded Comic relief with Lenny Henry in 1985 in response to the famine in Ethiopia. The resulting Red Nose Day and Sports Relief appeals had raised more than £1bn by 2015.

The comedy writer also founded Make Poverty History, which campaigns to raise awareness and pressure governments into taking action towards extreme poverty.

Curtis is best known for writing hit films...

Richard Curtis, one of the industry's greatest humanitarians and one of its most gifted writers of romantic comedies, will be this year's recipient of the WGA West's Valentine Davies Award in recognition of his charitable and humanitarian endeavors. His writing credits include Four Weddings and a Funeral, Love Actually – which he also directed – and Bridget Jones' Diary. His charitable efforts include serving as vice-chair of Comic Relief, which he co-founded in 1985…...

Richard Curtis, one of the industry's greatest humanitarians and one of its most gifted writers of romantic comedies, will be this year's recipient of the WGA West's Valentine Davies Award in recognition of his charitable and humanitarian endeavors. His writing credits include Four Weddings and a Funeral, Love Actually – which he also directed – and Bridget Jones' Diary. His charitable efforts include serving as vice-chair of Comic Relief, which he co-founded in 1985…...

Michael Almereyda’s Park City selection has claimed the award for best feature about an elderly woman whose handsome new A.I. companion resembles her late husband.

The jury presented the award to Marjorie Prime for its “imaginative and nuanced depiction of the evolving relationship between humans and technology, and its moving dramatisation of how intelligent machines can challenge our notions of identity, memory and mortality.”

Jon Hamm, Geena Davis, Lois Smith and Tim Robbins star in the Premieres selection.

Paramount Pictures has named Stephen Plum its senior executive vice-president, head of motion picture business and legal affairs. Plum will report to Andrew Gumpert, the newly appointed COO, and work closely with Paramount chairman and CEO Brad Grey. He rejoins Paramount from Twentieth Century Fox where he was executive vice-president, business affairs for the motion picture group since 2003.Philadelphia and Los Angeles-based Breaking Glass Pictures has launched an episodic division and has two pilots in development, and is...

The biggest, most lavish hook-up between Hollywood and the Pentagon was this Anthony Mann-James Stewart collaboration, a morale & recruiting cheer for America's intercontinental bombing air force, the service that kept the peace by holding up our side of the balance of fear. Strategic Air Command Blu-ray Olive Films 1955 / Color / 1:66 widescreen (VistaVision) / 112 min. / Street Date October 16, 2016 / available through the Olive Films website / 29.98 Starring James Stewart, June Allyson, Frank Lovejoy, Barry Sullivan, Alex Nicol, Bruce Bennett, Jay C. Flippen, James Millican, James Bell, Rosemary DeCamp, Harry Morgan, William Hudson, Strother Martin, House Peters Jr. Cinematography William Daniels Film Editor Eda Warren Original Music Victor Young Written by Valentine Davies, Beirne Lay, Jr. Produced by Samuel J. Briskin Directed by Anthony Mann

Reviewed by Glenn Erickson

In the 1950s America was spending its enormous military budget on a fantastic array of advanced weapons technology, the most expensive of which was...

Big Fish and Charlie And The Chocolate Factory scribe John August will receive the WGA West’s 2016 Valentine Davies Award in recognition of his humanitarian efforts and civic service, as well as his role in fostering a community of writers. He will be honored February 13 at the WGA Awards’ West Coast ceremony at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza in Los Angeles. August was cited for his work creating screenwriting blog johnaugust.com and sister site screenwriting.io, which…...

Big Fish and Charlie And The Chocolate Factory scribe John August will receive the WGA West’s 2016 Valentine Davies Award in recognition of his humanitarian efforts and civic service, as well as his role in fostering a community of writers. He will be honored February 13 at the WGA Awards’ West Coast ceremony at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza in Los Angeles. August was cited for his work creating screenwriting blog johnaugust.com and sister site screenwriting.io, which…...

Plus: Jay Roach in Cas award; Santa Barbara festival adds second wave of Virtuosos Award recipients.

The owner of a family-owned business has donated to the upcoming Academy Museum a fibreglass Bruce aka the sole surviving full-scale model of the 1975 shark that appeared in Jaws.

Nathan Aadlen of Aadlen Brothers Auto Wrecking made the gesture as the business prepares to close this month. It resided at the company after years on display at Universal Studios Hollywood. This is the fourth and final version made from the original mould.

Trumbo director Jay Roach will receive the Cinema Audio Society Filmmaker Award at the 52nd Annual Cas Awards on February 20 in Los Angeles. The Santa Barbara International Film Festival announced on Thursday that Alicia Vikander (The Danish Girl, Ex Machina), O’Shea Jackson Jr. (Straight Outta Compton) and Géza Röhrig (Son Of Saul) as the second group of recipients for the 2016 Virtuosos Award. The festival...

The Writers Guild of America (WGA) handed out top film honors to the screenplays of "The Grand Budapest Hotel" and "The Imitation Game" Saturday night. On the television side, "Louie" and "True Detective" were favorites, winning two prizes each. Damien Chazelle's "Whiplash" competed in the original category at the WGA Awards, while the Academy's Writers Branch, in a rare move outside of guild designation, deemed it adapted due to the fact that a scene from the feature script was the basis of a short film that screened at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival. So if "The Imitation Game" is to go on to Oscar glory, it will have to compete with Chazelle's popular film for the first time this season at the Feb. 22 Academy Awards ceremony. Additionally, presumed Best Picture frontrunner "Birdman" was not eligible for WGA (making it still significant competition with "Grand Budapest" in the original category), nor was "The Theory of Everything,...

A bevy of honorary awards announcements landed today so it's probably best to just round them up into one shot. So Barbra Streisand, Ben Affleck and Guillermo del Toro — get your speeches ready. Beginning with Streisand, she will receive the American Society of Cinematographers' Board of Governors Award at the Feb. 15 ceremony. Her accomplishments across the industry "are unparalleled, and we look forward to celebrating her groundbreaking contributions to the art of filmmaking," Asc President Richard Crudo said. He goes on to note that the three films she has directed have earned a combined 14 Oscar nominations, though funnily enough, only one of them — 1991's "The Prince of Tides" — received recognition for its cinematography. (Fistbump, Stephen Goldblatt). Over at the Writers Guild of America, which yesterday announced an accolade for the late Harold Ramis, it was revealed that Oscar-winning writer ("Good Will Hunting") and producer ("Argo") Ben Affleck would receive the...

The entertainer will receive the American Society of Cinematographers (Asc) 2015 Board Of Governors Award.

Streisand will be honoured at the 29th Annual Asc Outstanding Achievement Awards gala in Los Angeles on February 15.

“Barbra Streisand’s accomplishments across the entertainment industry are unparalleled, and we look forward to celebrating her groundbreaking contributions to the art of filmmaking,” said Asc president Richard Crudo.

“The three films that Ms. Streisand directed have earned 14 Academy Award nominations, and her skill in working with cinematographers in achieving her vision is a hallmark of her directorial work.”

The Writers Guild Of America, West has named Ben Affleck its recipient of the Wgaw’s 2015 Valentine Davies Award in recognition of his humanitarian efforts and service to the global community. Affleck will attend the Wgaw’s 2015 Writers Guild Awards West Coast ceremony in Los Angeles on February 14.

The Writers Guild of America, West has named Ben Affleck 2015 recipient of the Valentine Davies Award.

The two-time Oscar winner is receiving the annual prize on Saturday, Feb. 14 in Los Angeles at the Wgaw’s 2015 Writers Guild Awards, in recognition of his humanitarian efforts and service to the global community.

Affleck is currently starring in David Fincher‘s “Gone Girl,” but he’s equally renowned for his filmmaking contributions off screen. He co-wrote “Good Will Hunting” with Matt Damon, which won them a screenwriting Oscar in 1998, and directed, starred in and produced “Argo,” which was named Best Picture in 2013.

See...

Women presidents at the Academy: Cheryl Boone Isaacs is only the third one (photo: Angelina Jolie, Cheryl Boone Isaacs, Brad Pitt) (See previous post: "Honorary Award Non-Winners: Too Late for Gloria Swanson, Rita Hayworth, Marlene Dietrich.") Wrapping up this four-part "Honorary Oscars Bypass Women" article, let it be noted that in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' 85-year history there have been only two women presidents: two-time Oscar-winning actress Bette Davis (for two months in 1941, before the Dangerous and Jezebel star was forced to resign) and screenwriter Fay Kanin (1979-1983), whose best-known screen credit is the 1958 Doris Day-Clark Gable comedy Teacher's Pet. Additionally, following some top-level restructuring in April 2011, the Academy created the positions of Chief Executive Officer and Chief Operating Officer, with the CEO post currently held by a woman, former Film Independent executive director and sometime actress Dawn Hudson. The COO post is held...

Grace Kelly is an actress that I haven’t spent nearly enough time with. Thankfully, that will soon change thanks to Warner Bros. Home Entertainment. Here is a portion of the news release …

On July 29, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment (Wbhe) will remember one of Hollywood’s most glamorous film stars with the debut of the Grace Kelly Collection. The Collection includes six of the iconic screen legend’s most popular films. She stars with some of Hollywood’s finest leading men, including Clark Gable, Cary Grant, William Holden, Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra.

About the Films

Mogambo (1953)

Kelly received her first Academy Award nomination (Best Actress in a Supporting Role) in this remake of 1932’s Red Dust, in which Gable originally starred with Jean Harlow. He stars here with Kelly and the sizzling Ava Gardner, who was also nominated for her performance. Directed by John Ford, and shot on location in Africa,...

First stop, the Annie Awards which honor excellence in the animated world. And the winners are:

Best Animated Feature:

Frozen, Walt Disney Animation Studios

Annie Award for Best Animated Special Production:

Chipotle Scarecrow, Chipotle Creative Department, Moonbot Studios

Best Animated Short Subject:

Get A Horse!,Walt Disney Animation Studios

Best Animated TV/Broadcast Commercial:

Despicable Me 2, Cinemark - Universal Pictures

Best General Audience Animated TV/Broadcast Production For Preschool Children:

Disney Sofia the First - Disney Television Animation

Best Animated TV/Broadcast Production For Children.s Audience:

Adventure Time, Cartoon Network Studios

Best General Audience Animated TV/Broadcast Production:

Futurama,20th Century Fox Television

Best Animated Video Game:

The Last of Us, Naughty Dog

Best Student Film

Wedding Cake, Filmakademie Baden-Wuerttemberg, Viola Baier, Iris Frisch

Animated Effects in an Animated Production:

Jeff Budsberg, Andre Le Blanc, Louis Flores, Jason Mayer, The Croods, DreamWorks Animation

Animated Effects in a Live Action Production:

Michael Balog,...

Her, Stories We Tell and Captain Phillips took home top honors on Saturday night as the big winners of the 2014 Writers Guild Awards for outstanding achievement in writing for screen. Television, radio, news, promotional, videogame, and new media writing were also recognized at simultaneous ceremonies at the Jw Marriott L.A. Live in Los Angeles and the Edison Ballroom in New York City. It’s the final precursor guild award leading up to the Oscars.

Below is a complete list of the winners.

Screen Winners

Original Screenplay (matched up with the Academy Awards nominations)

Her, Written by Spike Jonze; Warner Bros.

Nominees included American Hustle, Blue Jasmine, Dallas Buyers Club, Her and Nebraska.

Adapted Screenplay (3 for 5 Oscar nominations)

Captain Phillips, Screenplay by Billy Ray; Based on the book A Captain’s Duty: Somali Pirates, Navy Seals, and Dangerous Days at Sea by Richard Phillips with Stephan Talty; Columbia Pictures

In addition to Captain Phillips,...

Los Angeles – Oscar nominee Bruce Dern, nominated for his lead role in Nebraska, will join an all-star cast of top Hollywood talent presenting honors at The 2014 Writers Guild Awards ceremony in Los Angeles on Saturday, February 1, at the Jw Marriott Hotel L.A. Live. In addition to three-time Emmy-winning Everybody Loves Raymond star and 2014 WGA L.A. show host Brad Garrett (previously announced), this year’s presenters are slated to include two-time Emmy and Golden Globe-winning The Good Wife star Julianna Margulies, Oscar-nominated writer-actress Julie Delpy (Before Midnight), three-time TV Guide Award and People’s Choice Award-winning Castle co-star Stana Katic, three-time SAG Award-nominated Breaking Bad actress Betsy Brandt, Rizzoli & Isles co-star Sasha Alexander, and six Daytime Emmy Award-winning Jeopardy host Alex Trebek. Also scheduled to appear are Academy Award-winning comedy director-writer Mel Brooks (The Producers), who will present the Wgaw’s Screen Laurel lifetime achievement award to Oscar-nominated screenwriter-director...

The Simpsons executive producer Sam Simon has been tapped to receive the 2014 Valentine Davies Award from the Writers Guild of America West. The honor will be presented to the writer-director-producer-philanthropist "in recognition of his humanitarian efforts and community service on behalf of writers." Photos: From Bill Clinton to Ryan Seacrest, 17 of Hollywood's Biggest Philanthropists Simon is the founder of The Sam Simon Foundation, whose mission is to “save the lives of dogs to enrich the lives of people.” The foundation’s Assistance Dog Program adopts at-risk dogs facing death in shelters and trains them

read more...

Los Angeles – The Writers Guild of America, West (Wgaw) has named The Simpsons co-developer, Emmy-winning television writer/director/producer, and philanthropist Sam Simon as its 2014 Valentine Davies Award honoree in recognition of his humanitarian efforts and community service on behalf of writers. Simon will be feted, along with other honorees, at the Wgaw’s 2014 Writers Guild Awards West Coast ceremony to be held on Saturday, February 1, 2014, at the Jw Marriott Los Angeles L.A. Live. “The work of Sam Simon’s life has entertained and humbled us, in equal measure. And while this Guild has often honored his wit and skill, today we honor his generosity and love – his understanding that we are, in the end, all caretakers of each other. Sam has dedicated himself to the cause of at-risk animals and people who have no other protector. A friend to them, he has become an inspiration to us, his grateful colleagues,...

Emmy winner William Froug, a TV writer, producer and executive who also taught, authored books and was active in the WGA, died August 25 of natural causes in a Sarasota, Fl hospice. He was 91. After a Navy stint in the Pacific during World War II, the NYC native sold his first novella to True Detective magazine in 1946. He transitioned to writing, directing and producing for radio, rising to VP Programs at CBS Radio in Hollywood by 1956. Froug followed the business to TV, contributing as a writer-producer to such series as The Twilight Zone, Playhouse 90 and Gilligan’s Island. He won an Emmy and PGA Award in 1958 for the telefilm Eddie, starring Mickey Rooney, and shared an Outstanding Comedy Series Emmy nom for Bewitched in 1967. His other small-screen credits include Bonanza, Charlie’s Angels, Quincy, M.E. and The Paper Chase. In 1987, he received the WGA’s Valentine Davies Award for...

Los Angeles – The Writers Guild of America, West (Wgaw) has named Emmy-winning Everybody Loves Raymond creator Phil Rosenthal as its 2013 Valentine Davies Award honoree in recognition of his humanitarian efforts on behalf of writers. Rosenthal will be feted, along with other honorees, at the Wgaw’s 2013 Writers Guild Awards West Coast ceremony on Sunday, February 17, 2013, at the Jw Marriott Los Angeles L.A. Live. “Not only is Phil Rosenthal an extraordinarily talented writer whose work has brought laughter to millions of viewers around the globe, he’s also used his great success to give back to the community around him, in particular by aiding at-risk students who need his help the most. His charitable work not only inspires us, but makes his peers proud to call themselves writers. For his continued support of a variety of civic initiatives, and for a generosity that effects positive change and promotes opportunities for creative expression,...

It was a very funny, sometimes touching, but mostly uproarious tribute Sunday afternoon at the Writers Guild Theatre in Beverly Hills. The WGA West and the Writers Guild Foundation along with the Kanter family held a well produced and attended memorial for one of their most illustrious members, Hal Kanter, who passed away in November at age 92. The three-time Emmy winner (and seven time nominee) was also believed to be the only person ever to win all three of the Guild’s prestigious special honors – the Morgan Cox award for service to the WGA, the Paddy Chayefsky Laurel Award, the Valentine Davies Award. And why not? As was very evident from this memorial, Kanter was one of the most versatile and productive comedy writers ever. He belonged to a golden era when that was possible. It’s hard to imagine a young writer today forging the same kind of long-lasting career Kanter,...

HollywoodNews.com: The Writers Guild of America, West (Wgaw) and the Writers Guild of America, East (Wgae) tonight announced the winners of the 2011 Writers Guild Awards for outstanding achievement in writing for screen, television, radio, news, promotional, videogame, and new media writing at simultaneous ceremonies at the Renaissance Hollywood Hotel-Grand Ballroom in Los Angeles and the Axa Equitable Center in New York City.

Screen Winners

Original Screenplay

Inception, Written by Christopher Nolan; Warner Bros.

Adapted Screenplay

The Social Network, Screenplay by Aaron Sorkin; Based on the book The Accidental Billionaires by Ben Mezrich; Sony Pictures

Documentary Screenplay

Inside Job, Written by Charles Ferguson; Co-written by Chad Beck, Adam Bolt; Sony Pictures Classic

Television Winners

Drama Series

Mad Men, Written by Jonathan Abrahams, Lisa Albert, Keith Huff, Jonathan Igla,Andre Jacquemetton, Maria Jacquemetton, Brett Johnson, Janet Leahy, Erin Levy,

Tracy McMillan, Dahvi Waller, Matthew Weiner; AMC

Comedy Series

Modern Family, Written by Jerry Collins,...

HollywoodNews.com: Spotlighting the creative collaboration between writers and other artists in the entertainment industry, a wide array of Hollywood talent is set to present honors at this year’s Writers Guild Awards L.A. show Saturday, February 5, at the Renaissance Hollywood Hotel-Grand Ballroom. The West Coast WGA ceremony will feature writers, actors, and directors who’ve worked together to create memorable films, television shows, videogames, new media, and other written programs.

“We’re excited that some of the most talented storytellers, actors, producers, and directors have agreed to spend their Saturday night telling us insider tales of how some of the best shows and movies are created,” said 2011 WGA L.A. show Executive Producer Spike Jones, Jr.

Awards presenter pairs include: author Mitch Albom and Emmy-winning actor Hank Azaria (Tuesdays with Morrie), Academy Award-winning screenwriter Mark Boal and Oscar-winning director Kathryn Bigelow (The Hurt Locker), WGA-winning writer-director Morgan Spurlock...

The Writers Guild announced the people in the running for its screenwriting awards last week; on Wednesday, it added two awards for writers not for the scripts they've penned, but for "their contributions to the entertainment industry and community at large." Recipients of the 2011 WGA West Valentine Davies Awards are Seth Freeman ("Lincoln Heights") and Susannah Grant ("Erin Brockovich"), both of whom have long resumes of charity work and community service. They'll get their awards at the WGA ceremony on February 5. (Writers Guild of America, West)  The Critics Choice...

10. With Honors (1994)

Not a film that pops up on most holiday lists, however, With Honors exudes the quintessential holiday spirit with a memorable final act, thoroughly laced with virtue, love and friendship. With Honors is the story of smug Harvard student; Montgomery Kessler (the name aptly characterizes Brendan Fraser) who meets squatter Simon (the one and only Joe Pesci) in the basement of the school library after his computer crashes jeopardizing his ticket to success – his final thesis. The one hard copy lands in Simon’s hands, and here’s the hook – for every day’s shelter and food that Monty provides, Simon will give him on page of his thesis back. A ransom of sorts that climaxes with Monty’s realization of what is truly worth striving for in life. This early 90’s film feels like a hiccup to the mastery of the great John Hughes’ movies of the 80’s.

"Faith is believing in things when common sense tells you not to." It's a timeless message from a classic play, Miracle on 34th Street. The holiday hit that has captivated countless families runs November 20th to December 13th at The Farmington Players Barn Theater in Farmington Hills. Tickets are available at farmingtonplayers.org or at the box office, (248) 553-2955.

The show is based on the novel by Valentine Davies that inspired one of Hollywood's most beloved Christmas films. Tony Semanik of West Bloomfield plays Kris Kringle, the real Santa Claus, who is hired to pose as himself at Macy's. The magical man soon taps into his joyous spirit to inspire everyone, including a cynical young girl Susan Walker (Nina White of Grosse Pointe Park) and her mother Doris (Sue Rogers of West Bloomfield). However, when Kringle insists he is the "real deal," critics question his sanity, and eventually drag him into court,...

Slumdog Millionaire continued its winning streak this awards season, with Simon Beaufoy winning the 2009 Writers Guild of America award this evening for adapted screenplay. Dustin Lance Black won the award for best original screenplay for Milk. Slumdog has already won DGA, SAG, PGA and Golden Globe awards, and is a multi-award favorite for the Oscars. Milk has won SAG and PGA awards and is also a strong Oscar contender in multiple categories.

On the television side, awards went to the writers of Mad Men (drama), 30 Rock (comedy), Recount and John Adams in long-form categories, and In Treatment, Breaking Bad, and The Simpsons in various other fields. Controversially, among other awards was one for videogame writing (to Star Wars: The Force Unleashed). Some publishers declined to submit their titles for consideration, viewing the award as primarily an organizing tool for a guild seeking to gain a foothold in a non-unionized sector.

Fox Searchlight's Indian drama "Slumdog Millionaire" put another notch in the kudos-season win column Saturday, copping a WGA Award for best adapted screenplay for Simon Beaufoy.

Focus Features' Harvey Milk biopic "Milk," penned by Dustin Lance Black, won best original screenplay.

"This wasn't the easiest movie to produce, you know -- it's pretty gay!" said a grinning Black, who also was honored with the guild's Paul Selvin Award for championing constitutional rights and civil liberties.

Black added that he prayed a lot during the writing of the "Milk" screenplay.

"Mostly, I'll admit, I prayed for a green light," he said. "So I have to thank God, and I want to thank God for making my dreams come true."

In addition to "Milk," nominees in the original screenplay category included "Burn After Reading, "Vicky Cristina Barcelona," The Visitor" and "The Wrestler."

In winning the best-adapted laurels, "Slumdog" overcame competition from...

Melville Shavelson, the prolific writer, director and producer whose directing credits range from 1955's "The Seven Little Foys" starring Bob Hope to 1968's "Yours, Mine and Ours" starring Lucille Ball and Henry Fonda, died Wednesday in his Studio City home of natural causes. He was 90.

Shavelson served three terms as president of the WGA, where during the course of his career he earned five nominations as well as the 1960 award for best written American musical for "The Five Pennies". He also was the recipient of the guild's Laurel Award for Screen Writing as well as its Morgan Cox Award and Valentine Davies Award.

Shavelson also picked up two Academy Award nominations for screenwriting -- one in 1956 for "Foys" and another in 1959 for "Houseboat", starring Cary Grant and Sophia Loren. He wrote both films with Jack Rose.

Shavelson, who began his career as a gag writer for Hope's radio show in the 1930s, went on to write, either alone or in collaboration, 35 feature films, directing 12 of them.

Television writer-producer Neal Baer will receive the Valentine Davies Award for public service from the WGA West at the guild's inaugural Honorary Service Awards luncheon Wednesday at The Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills. Baer is an executive producer on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and also spent several seasons as an executive producer on ER. The Harvard Medical School graduate has helped the WGA educate writers on a wide range of medical issues and continues to serve on the boards of several health-care organizations. Past recipients of the award include Garry Marshall, Norman Lear, Ray Bradbury, Alan Alda and Aaron Ruben.

Frasier creator David Angell is be honoured by the Writers Guild Of America six months after he was killed in the September 11 atrocities. The award-winning writer/producer and his wife Lynn were aboard American Airlines flight 11, which crashed into the World Trade Center. During the WGA's annual awards dinner on Saturday Angell will be awarded the Valentine Davies Award, which recognizes those who have "brought dignity and honor to the profession of writing".