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Love him or hate him, Spike Lee is one prolific artist. He’s produced some excellent films in recent years (Chi-Raq), as well as some fascinating documentaries (Bad 25). He’s also been the center of some critical drubbing, though he’s certainly never an uninteresting filmmaker. And he’s about to get even more so, as he readies himself to direct the entire first season of She’s Gotta Have It, a TV series being produced for Netflix and based Lee’s own debut film.

Netflix has ordered ten episodes of the show, all of them directed by Lee, which will follow sexually liberated young woman Mona Darling as she engages in steamy affairs with three different boyfriends. The original 1986 film starred Lee himself as one of Mona’s boyfriends, but we presume that the show will change that around a bit. Though I do hope that Lee finds...

There's a moment about one-third of the way through Spike Lee's new documentary Michael Jackson's Journey From Motown to Off the Wall in which the Jackson estate's archivist pulls out a yellowed, frayed letter and reads aloud. Written after Michael and his brothers, collectively known as the Jackson 5, had left Motown and were recording under the name the Jacksons, the future King of Pop is jotting down various aspirational goals: He wants to get into the movies, he wants to explore all musical styles and directions, he wants...

Spike Lee is here at Sundance promoting his new documentary, Michael Jackson's Journey From Motown to Off the Wall (airing February 5 on Showtime), his second doc on the musical legend, following 2012's Bad 25. But he's also, at this reporter's request, become a sort of unofficial spokesperson for the #OscarsSoWhite campaign. Lee very easily could have shut down any non-Jackson-related questions, but when we spoke, he was in a terrific mood about the Academy's recently announced plans to diversify its membership, and ready to jab back at what he sees as ignorant commentary on the issue from everyone from Charlotte Rampling to Alejandro Iñarritú.Spike Lee: [upon noticing I'm wearing a knee brace and walking with a cane] What happened to you? Oh, I messed up my knee snowboarding in Vermont.Hanging with Bernie, huh? You tore your Acl or something? Sprained my McL.I tore my meniscus [sympathetic look]. Yeah, I remember...

From the young and wide-eyed frontman for Jackson 5 to the undisputed King of Pop, Michael Jackson’s career trajectory is almost unparalleled in just how quickly the late, great singer-songwriter shot to the top. Headed up by reputable film director Spike Lee, Showtime’s all-new documentary Off the Wall is poised to explore those formative years of Jackson’s solo career, and today brings forth the first trailer for the feature.

Focusing on the title album that catapulted the artist to super-stardom, Lee’s intimate portrait of Michael Jackson is by no means the first time that the director has tackled the late superstar, after releasing Bad 25 only four years ago. Now, Lee is ready to showcase a different portion of Jackson’s decorated legacy.

Here’s the official logline from Showtime:

The film focuses on a rarely examined chapter of Jackson’s career as he evolves from...

Spike Lee's upcoming Showtime documentary Michael Jackson's Journey From Motown To Off The Wall will chart the King of Pop's path from child star with the Jackson 5 to pop icon with the arrival of his breakout solo LP Off the Wall. The film – Lee's second Jackson documentary, following his Bad 25 in 2012 – will air on Showtime on February 5th. But on Wednesday, the movie channel unveiled the first trailer for Michael Jackson’s Journey featuring archival footage alongside new interviews.

"I've always used Michael as, first and foremost,...

Spike Lee is no stranger to the world of Michael Jackson. He first tackled the pop star's legacy four years ago with "Bad 25," and now he's back, chronicling the impact of Jackson's hugely influential "Off The Wall" with "Michael Jackson's Journey From Motown To Off The Wall." And the first clip for the documentary has arrived. Read More: Review: "Spike Lee's 'Bad 25' A Comprehensive & Warm Look At The Making Of Michael Jackson's Album The album that launched Jackson into mega-stardom, it can't be overstated how important the album was not just to his career, but the music landscape as a whole. And this trailer promises both a look back with some nice archival footage, and a look forward as artists like Questlove, The Weeknd, and David Byrne share their impressions of first hearing "Off The Wall." Here's the synopsis:  One morning, a television...

Following on from his "Bad 25" doco several years ago, Spike Lee returns with a new documentary for Showtime about the former King of Pop with the upcoming "Michael Jackson's Journey From Motown to Off the Wall" and today the first footage from it has arrived.

The new project looks at the impact of Jackson's immensely popular album "Off the Wall". It will premiere later this month at the Sundance Film Festival ahead of an airing on February 5th.

Yet another Michael Jackson album is getting a reissue: 1979's Off the Wall — which features the classics "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" and "Rock With You" — will be rereleased on February 26, with a very special bonus. Spike Lee's newest Michael Jackson documentary, Michael Jackson's Journey From Motown to Off the Wall, comes as a DVD special with the reissue. This latest entry in Spike's continued tribute to the music genius will first debut at Sundance on January 24, and then air February 5 on Showtime. Lee's previous Mj doc, 2012's Bad 25, coincided with the 25th anniversary and reissue of that iconic album, and featured dozens of interviews with music-industry elites. His latest will include commentary from Jackson's family — Joe, Katherine, Marlon, and Jackie — as well as other pop-culture names, like the Weeknd, Pharrell, Kobe Bryant, Questlove, Lee Daniels, Misty Copeland, Mark Ronson, John...

Showtime has set a February 5 airdate for Michael Jackson’s Journey From Motown To Off The Wall, the latest documentary film on the pop star from Spike Lee. The TV bow comes after the pic has its world premiere January 24 in the Premieres section of the Sundance Film Festival. Sony Music and Jackson’s estate are combining to rerelease Off The Wall with a DVD of the movie on February 26. The docu, Lee’s follow-up to his Jackson pic Bad 25, centers on the singer as he is…...

Showtime has set a February 5 airdate for Michael Jackson’s Journey From Motown To Off The Wall, the latest documentary film on the pop star from Spike Lee. The TV bow comes after the pic has its world premiere January 24 in the Premieres section of the Sundance Film Festival. Sony Music and Jackson’s estate are combining to rerelease Off The Wall with a DVD of the movie on February 26. The docu, Lee’s follow-up to his Jackson pic Bad 25, centers on the singer as he is…...

Say what you will about Spike Lee’s recent narrative forays —the studio-sized “Oldboy” and the crowd-sourced “Da Sweet Blood Of Jesus,” both of which received negative reviews from this website and from most critics—but his documentary work has been on point for several years now. Lee's two Hurricane Katrina docs are some of the finest works of his career (see our Spike Lee Retrospective), and his portraits of Kobe Bryant, Mike Tyson and the Broadway play “Passing Strange,” demonstrate his ongoing versatility in the field. One of those successful documentaries was “Bad 25,” a look at Michael Jackson’s seminal 1987 album Bad on its 25th anniversary: it featured great insights from Questlove, Mariah Carey and Martin Scorsese sitting for his first interview in several decades about directing the now-iconic “Bad” music video. Lee had suggested he’d love to do more Michael Jackson album docs if the singer's estate and Sony/Epic Records,...

You wouldn't know it from the film's lack of marketing, but a new movie called Black or White debuted in theaters today. Despite the presence of stars Kevin Costner and Octavia Spencer, I've never seen a trailer or TV spot for the movie, which BoxOfficeMojo says is in over 1,000 theaters right now. (Apparently the film played at last year's Toronto International Film Festival and didn't receive very favorable reviews.) I don't ever plan on watching this film, but that doesn't mean that I can't come up with a tangentially-related article about it. Black or White got me thinking: what other movies share a title with a Michael Jackson song?

As far as ground rules go, there's really only one major one: the title of the movie and the song have to match exactly - if a word is possessive, I'm not making an exception. Exact matches or Gtfo. I'll embed...

Spike Lee is updating his 1985 feature film debut "She's Gotta Have It," as a half hour comedy for Showtime. Deadline broke the story, reporting that the project will "explore Lee's unique and provocative points of view about race, gender, sexuality, relationships, and the gentrification in Brooklyn." The last hot button issue aside, this marks a big move for the 57-year-old Lee. As movies continue to move to the small screen in various forms, writers and directors formerly exclusive to film are transitioning with them. Lee has directed moves sent straight to TV before, including "Mike Tyson: Undisputed Truth" and "Bad 25," but this will be his first project written for television.  He also hasn't seen much success, critically or commercially, in almost a decade. Lee's last hit was "Inside Man" in 2006, and his directorial remake "Oldboy" was met with almost universal condemnation last year before bombing at the box office.

Posthumous award announced as nominations revealed for the 9th Screen Nation Film & Television Awards.

Guest announcers Fernand Frimpong Jnr, from Vox Africa, and Venus vs.Mars actress Letitia Hector revealed the nominations in London (see below for full list).

Felix Dexter, the late comedian and actor, will be posthumously awarded the Edric Connor Inspiration award.

Actor-director Bill Duke, best known for his roles in Commando and Predator, is to receive the Outstanding Contribution award.

Honorary awards will also be bestowed on classic works such as Do the Right Thing, The Cosby Show and Desmond’s.

The awards ceremony will take place at Park Plaza Riverbank Hotel in London on Feb 23. The ceremony will be hosted by the Ali Baba, known as the Godfather of Nigerian comedy, and Caroline Chikezie, best known for her role in Us series 24, starring Kiefer Sutherland.

Voting for the nominees in all categories will be open to the public from today (Jan 23) until...

Posthumous award announced as nominations revealed for the 9th Screen Nation Film & Television Awards.

Guest announcers Fernand Frimpong Jnr, from Vox Africa, and Venus vs.Mars actress Letitia Hector revealed the nominations in London (see below for full list).

Felix Dexter, the late comedian and actor, will be posthumously awarded the Edric Connor Inspiration award.

Actor-director Bill Duke, best known for his roles in Commando and Predator, is to receive the Outstanding Contribution award.

Honorary awards will also be bestowed on classic works such as Do the Right Thing, The Cosby Show and Desmond’s.

The awards ceremony will take place at Park Plaza Riverbank Hotel in London on Feb 23. The ceremony will be hosted by the Ali Baba, known as the Godfather of Nigerian comedy, and Caroline Chikezie, best known for her role in Us series 24, starring Kiefer Sutherland.

Voting for the nominees in all categories will be open to the public from today (Jan 23) until...

The Spider-Man baloon may have been clipped by a tree, but the ratings for NBC’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade continued their ascent. After hitting a six-year high in the metered markets last year with a 11.5 household rating, NBC’s 9 Am-noon coverage of the parade anchored by bearded Al Roker and Matt Lauer did one better yesterday, climbing 17% to a 13.5, an 11-year high. NBC’s Thanksgiving dominance extended to primetime with the Steelers-Ravens football game, which drew a 11.8 metered market rating, up 3% from last year, and the network is expected to win the night in total viewers and adults 18-49. ABC’s A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving (1.6 in 18-49) from 8-9:30 Pm ranked in between the network’s two rebroadcasts of the special last year — 2.2 on Thanksgiving Eve and 1.1 on Thanksgiving. It was followed by Lady Gaga And The Muppets Holiday Spectacular (0.9), which was down 25% from the Michael Jackson...

You gotta hand it to Spike Lee, he's keeping us on our toes. Never one to take the easy road or obvious path, the filmmaker has been bobbing and weaving with a diverse slate of projects, going from Michael Jackson documentary "Bad 25," to little indie "Red Hook Summer," with a trio of wildly different upcoming projects including the "Oldboy" remake, stage show adaptation "Mike Tyson: Undisputed Truth" and his crowdsourced "Da Blood Of Jesus." So what direction is he going next? Well, he's being sought to helm "Spinning Gold," that music biopic of record producer Neil Bogart you already forgot about that has Justin Timberlake attached to star. The project has been brewing in the background for a while, with the actor/singer signing up all the way back in 2011. Written by Tim Bogart (yes, Neil's son) the film will tell the story of his father's rags to riches...

The title for the upcoming dating comedy starring Zac Efron, Michael B. Jordan and Miles Teller has been changed from Are We Officially Dating? to That Awkward Moment. The film, about three best friends who are dealing with the questions that arise in dating, will be released wide by FilmDistrict on Jan. 31, 2014. Photos: Zac Efron Touts 'At Any Price,' Spike Lee Celebrates 'Bad 25' at Venice Film Festival Directed by Tom Gormican, That Awkward Moment will open on the same weekend that Jason Reitman's Labor Day expands to a wide release. There are currently no other wide

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The outspoken bespectacled director of Do The Right Thing, He Got Game and Bad 25, among many others, has taken to the seemingly unstoppable crowd sourcing site to ask for help funding his upcoming movie that will focus on people's addiction to blood although the word vampire is nowhere to be found.

In case you were worried that Spike Lee was going all Twilight on you, his Kickstarter page asserts that this isn't Blacula and there will still be plenty of sex and goes on to explain why he's decided to try to make this movie outside of the studio structure, revealing that "the current climate in The Hollywood Studio System it's not an encouraging look for Independent Filmmakers."...

Spike Lee's remake of Chan-wook Park's 2003 South Korean visceral thriller "Oldboy" arrives on October 25 (FilmDistrict scooped up U.S. rights in September). Lee released "Red Hook Summer" last summer; his Michael Jackson doc "Bad 25" played well on the fall fest circuit in advance of its Thanksgiving broadcast on ABC. Also in the works are his HBO film of the stage play "Mike Tyson: Undisputed Truth" and a sequel to "Inside Man." (New red band "Oldboy" trailer is below.) FilmDistrict CEO Peter Schlessel bought rights from Nathan Kahane and his Good Universe partner, ex-Lionsgate exec Joe Drake. Kahane developed the "Oldboy" adaptation by co-producer Mark Protosevich ("I Am Legend," "Thor"), and brought in Lee. The film's ensemble is led by Josh Brolin, with Lee regular Samuel L. Jackson, Elizabeth Olsen, and Sharlto Copley.  John Middleton is executive producer. Audrey Chon and Matt Leonetti are overseeing the film for Good Universe.

After a Broadway run and an appearance at this year's Tony awards, Mike Tyson is ready for the next round of his new career as an entertainer. His one-man show, "An Undisputed Truth," will make its television debut later this year with the help of its stage director, Spike Lee. HBO Films' President Michael Lombardo announced today the premium cable channel will air the autobiographical performance after its July shoot in New York. “I’m incredibly grateful to HBO for partnering with me and for believing in my story,” said Tyson. “It is an honor and a privilege to be working with them to bring my one-man show, ‘Undisputed Truth,’ to life on the television screen.” Lee, who directed the show, has been extremely busy over the past few years. Other than directing a former boxer-turned-actor, Lee released "Red Hook Summer" in August 2012, helmed documentary on Michael Jackson "Bad 25,...

FilmDistrict will release the Zac Efron starrer Are We Officially Dating? in the U.S. on Jan. 31, 2014, the independent studio announced Monday. FilmDistrict has acquired U.S. distribution rights to the Treehouse Pictures-produced romantic comedy. Photos: Zac Efron Touts 'At Any Price,' Spike Lee Celebrates 'Bad 25' at Venice Film Festival In addition to Efron, the film stars Friday Night Lights alum Michael B. Jordan and 21 & Over's Miles Teller as guys who vow to stay single to support a friend still recovering from a recent breakup but end up falling in love. The movie is

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Vol. I Issue 3

Join us twice weekly. Send us links to your sizzle reels and film sites.

Chasing Ice directed by Jeff Orlowski

Chasing Ice is the story of James Balog’s mission to change the tide of history by gathering undeniable evidence of our changing planet. Within months of that first trip to Iceland, the photographer conceived the boldest expedition of his life: The Extreme Ice Survey. With a band of young adventurers in tow, Balog began deploying revolutionary time-lapse cameras across the brutal Arctic to capture a multi-year record of the world’s changing glaciers.

In a year where the Short Listed Academy documentary features deal with issues ranging from sexual harassment in the military to the Catholic Church’s cover-up of sexually molesting children, Chasing Ice deals with arguably the most important issue proving that the ice caps are melting and that the warming of the planet will have a catastrophic effect. But this is a year where the MPAA rating of a film about bullying school students has seemed to get the most press. That’s a shame. Chasing Ice needs to be seen. It is the most important short listed documentary film of the year. Like Davis Guggenheim’s Al Gore PowerPoint presentation, this film is scary. With never-before-seen time lapse photography we can dramatically see the ice caps and giant glaciers shrinking. A chunk of ice the size of lower Manhattan crashes into the sea. The ice flows like a river into the sea. We all know that when the ice melts, it releases its fresh water into the sea and that the water will rise. In time a few feet. Say good bye to land that several hundred million people live on.

So what’s the problem? They don’t have the press machine of Bob and Harvey Weinstein that makes a mountain out of an MPAA rating. Can the Oscar nomination go to the most important film? (could this paragraph go after next paragraph?)

But wait, there is more. This is a strikingly well made film. It has a compelling character, James Balog, who is giving his body to science and this cause. The cracks we hear are not chunks of ice but his knees disintegrating as he scales cliffs of rock and ice. The filmmakers really are risking their lives making the film, the ice takes no prisoners, the small planes and helicopters regularly crash. The film unfolds with precision; we are moved and awed by the characters and the stunning photography. The score is first rate as is the editing. This is a work that should be short listed but might be overlooked because it lacks the political coolness of some of the other films. This would be a shame.

The Filmmakers

Chasing Ice is directed by Jeff Orlowski, cinematographer for the Extreme Ice Survey, and an award-winning filmmaker. A Stanford University graduate, he has been working with Balog since 2007 and has shot over 300 hours of footage of Eis in the field. His work for Eis has screened on NBC, CNN, PBS, National Geographic, and hundreds of other venues around the world.

The film is produced by Paula DuPre’ Pesmen, the winner of the 2010 Academy Award for Best Documentary and 2010 Producers Guild of America ‘Producer of the Year’ for her role on The Cove. She has also served as producer on three Harry Potter films, Rent, and Mrs. Doubtfire. The film is also produced by Jerry Aronson, nominated for an Academy Award for the documentary The Divided Trail, and the director of The Life and Times of Allen Ginsberg.

Credits:

Director/Producer: Jeff Orlowski

Producers: Paula DuPre’ Pesmen, Jerry Aronson

Executive Producers: David and Linda Cornfield

Writer: Mark Monroe

Cinematography: Jeff Orlowski

Music Composer: J. Ralph

Editor, Mark Monroe

Production: Diamond Docs (in association with)

Exposure Production, Exposure

Distributors (Us): Submarine Deluxe and National Geographic Channel

Maggie Simpson a short animated film by David Silverman

The Longest Daycare is a four-and-a-half-minute-long animated 3D short animated film based on the animated television series The Simpsons.

Directed by David Silverman The Longest Daycare is one of my favorite short animated films short listed for the Oscar this year. Silverman, credited with creating the look of the Simpsons, has directed numerous episodes of this hit series. Daycare has no dialogue. It is hilarious in part because of its silent film style. It is smart and fun. Maggie is a delight. This short film is really special. Between the 3D, the super clever writing and the stunning animation style, it is one of the very rare animations that can be enjoyed by any audience. Silverman’s work deserves an Oscar.

Scored by Hans Zimmer, best known for his work on Hollywood blockbusters, the score references numerous films scores and adds another layer of meaning to this magnificent (really?) work. Silverman attended the University of Maryland College Park and studied animation at UCLA.

Credits:

Directed by: David Silverman

Produced by: James L. Brooks, Matt Groening, Al Jean, Richard Raynis, Richard Sakai

Written by: James L. Brooks, Joel H. Cohen, Matt Groening, Al Jean, David Mirkin, Michael Price

Music by: Hans Zimmer, James Dooley (addition music)

Distributed by: 20th Century Fox

Running time: 4:30

Academy announces 15 feature documentary films shortlisted for the Documentary Film Nomination

The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences announced the short listed documentary features on December 3, 2012. Under the new documentary branch rules all of the branch members as well as documentary nominees and award winners from other Academy branches could vote for the short listed films. About 180 Academy members participated. Dropping the committee process where four committees would screen one quarter of the submitted films, Documentary Branch Governor Michael Moore pushed the branch to use a preferential voting system with all branch members and other qualified Academy members participating. As this writer expected, works with a lot of hype, such as Bully, were short listed. One can wonder how many members who voted for this film actually saw it. In addition to changing the short listing process, the branch demanded that films had to have been reviewed in either the New York Times or the Los Angeles Times. Voters received 126 DVDs in the mail.

A number of worthy films were omitted, as is always the case, including: The Central Park Five (directed by Ken Burns, Sarah Burns, and David McMahon), West of Memphis (directed by Amy Berg), The Queen of Versailles, directed by Lauren Greenfield. I also really liked Bad 25 (directed by Spike Lee) and Love Marilyn (directed by Liz Garbus). Samsara (directed by Ron Fricke) is the year’s best documentary for its sheer poetry

The Academy can choose to nominate up to three people. However, only the director has a lock on the nomination. Individuals credited as “Producer” are vetted by the Producer’s Guild. Each must prove that they did a majority of the producer roles. This is the third year that this rule has been in force. Many of the films have multiple “producers” so it remains to be seen who will receive nominations. The decision of the Academy will be announced once the films are nominated. This has been somewhat contentious in the past.

AMPAS rules follow:

The nominee(s) should be the individual(s) most involved in the key creative aspects of the filmmaking process. A maximum of two persons may be designated as nominees, one of whom must be the credited director who exercised directorial control, and the other of whom must have a producer or director credit. If a producer is named, that individual must have performed a major portion of the producing functions, in accordance with Academy producer criteria. No more than two statuettes will normally be given in the Documentary Feature category. All individuals with a “Producer” or “Produced by” credit on films that reach the semifinal round will automatically be vetted. The Documentary Branch Executive Committee will determine which producers, if any, are eligible to receive an Oscar. In the unlikely event of a dispute, filmmakers may appeal the committee’s decision. In extremely rare circumstances, a third statuette may be awarded. Production companies or persons with the screen credit of executive producer, co-producer or any credit other than director or producer shall not be eligible as nominees for the motion picture.

The Short List:

Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry, directed by Alison Klayman

Bully, directed by Lee Hirsch

Chasing Ice, directed by Jeff Orlowski

Detropia, directed by Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady

Ethel, directed by Rory Kennedy

5 Broken Cameras, directed by Emad Burnat and Guy Davidi

The Gatekeepers, directed by Dror Moreh

The House I Live In, directed by Eugene Jarecki

How to Survive a Plague, directed by David France

The Imposter, directed by Bart Layton

The Invisible War, directed by Kirby Dick

Mea Maxima Culpa: Silence in the House of God, directed by Alex Gibney

Searching for Sugar Man, directed by Malik Bendjelloul

This Is Not a Film, directed by Mojtaba Mirtahmasb and Jafar Panahi

The Waiting Room, directed by Peter Nicks

The nominations for the 85th Academy Awards will be announced at 5:30 am (Pst) on Thursday, January 10, 2013. The awards will be handed out on Sunday, February 24, 2013.

Mitchell Block specializes in conceiving, producing, marketing & distributing independent features & consulting. He is an expert in placing both completed works into distribution & working with producers to make projects fundable. He conducts regular workshops in film producing in Los Angeles and most recently in Maine, Russia and in Myanmar (Burma).

Poster Girl, produced by Block was nominated for a Documentary Academy Award and selected by the Ida as the Best Doc Short 2011. It was also nominated for two Emmy Awards and aired on HBO. He is an executive producer of the Emmy Award-winning PBS series Carrier, a 10-hour series that he conceived & co-created. Block is a graduate of Tisch School and Columbia University’s Graduate School of Business. He is a member of Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences, the Television Academy, a founding member of BAFTA-la and has been teaching at USC School of Cinematic Arts since 1979. Currently Block teaches a required class in the USC Peter Stark Producing Program.

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©2012Mwb All Rights Reserved All Rights Reserved. All information and designs on the Sites are copyrighted material owned by Block. Reproduction, dissemination, or transmission of any part of the material here without the express written consent of the owner is strictly prohibited. All other product names and marks on Block Direct, whether trademarks, service marks, or other type, and whether registered or unregistered, is the property of Block.

Deciding on the "best" films of any particular year is never an easy task, especially depending on how seriously you take that task. On the final page of this list of my top ten films of 2012 I've included links to my previous top ten lists from the years 2003-2011 and while the majority of the films on those lists remain favorites of mine, it's quite evident how much more seriously I take this process from one year to the next, not to mention how many more films I actually see each year. Going through the list of films I saw in 2012, I was pleased to see how much easier I found it to come up with movies I considered candidates for my top ten. Two thousand and eleven offered several good films, but I had a hard time making a list of ten I considered "great". This year, from numbers...

I don't typically see many documentaries every year, but since becoming a member of the Broadcast Film Critics Association (Bfca) it has become far easier (and necessary) to see more of them over the last two years. One, I have to nominate and vote on the category for the Critics' Choice Awards and two, I get more screeners each year than I used to. This year I've watched 14 documentaries and have yet only seen seven of the 15 documentaries up for Best Documentary at the 2013 Oscars. Of those seven, only one makes my top five of 2012. Outside of the five I list below, virtually all of the documentaries I watched this year were quite great, but seeing how I only saw 14, it didn't make sense to do a top ten. So if you're looking for some additional docs to watch other than my top five, also consider Bad 25 (which would...

Everyone waits until the year is over to compile their “Best of whatever” movie lists. This has become a mundane practice. Time for a bit of a change, kids. ***Being a voting member of one of the accredited film critic associations recognized by the studios for year-end awards, a ton of “For Your Consideration” screeners will be viewed up until Christmas time; all vying for award nods/momentum heading into the 84th Academy Awards*** A bunch of documentaries, most of them very good, found their way into the rankings. Two that standout revolve around music in Bad 25 an Shut Up and Play the Hits. As for the other new entries, [ Read More ]

The post The 2012 Movie Rankings: Michael Jackson and LCD Soundsystem docs impress; More indies barge in appeared first on Shockya.com.

Spike Lee's Michael Jackson documentary surely deserves a bigger screen – and the build-up to Oscars season begins

Will Oscar smile?

Although it's very hard to tell at this stage when I haven't yet seen everything, but I'm feeling awards season may have a lighter hue this year. With impressive early showings at awards such as Gotham and the Indie Spirit, comedies such as Wes Anderson's Moonrise Kingdom and David O Russell's Silver Linings Playbook look set for Oscar nominations. One can also expect plenty of nominations for Tom Hooper's musical Les Misérables and the magical fantasy of Ang Lee's Life of Pi. With Quentin Tarantino's Django Unchained and Ben Affleck's correctenjoyable thriller Argo expectant, it only leaves Steven Spielberg's Lincoln and Paul Thomas Anderson's The Master in the traditional berth of serious, adult-skewed pictures that have traditionally dominated Oscar nominations. Dustin Hoffman's...

If you care the slightest bit about pop music, your must-watch list now includes Spike Lee's documentary Bad 25. The film bears the same name as the deluxe silver-anniversary reissue of Michael Jackson's third solo album, which was released (you guessed it) 25 years ago. Bad had the unenviable task of following up his intergalactic smash Thriller, and while it's an amazing album, Lee's movie does an even better job than the music alone in reminding us what an overwhelmingly talented and hard-working performer the self-appointed King of Pop was. Lee's movie debuted at the Venice International Film Festival and gets a full DVD release in February of 2013. In the meantime, there's an...

I recently watched the full-length version of Spike Lee's new documentary, Bad 25, which at 131 minutes is definitely long for its type. But as a celebration of Michael Jackson's classic album and chronicle of its production, there's a lot to be covered. I thought there could be a snip here or there, but when I heard that most people were initially seeing the film on TV (and now online) with a running time of only 64 minutes, I thought this a travesty. Why watch an abridged version of a film? I feel the same way with many documentaries shown on PBS's Independent Lens that are chopped down to fit their schedule.  The interesting thing with those circumstances is they're home viewing situations, and the home is where we have a greater tolerance and/or...

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Director Spike Lee’s new documentary Bad 25 aired Thursday night in an abbreviated form, tantalizing fans of Michael Jackson with tales of the creation of one of the King of Pop’s most famous albums. But Celebuzz spoke with Jackson’s “Man in the Mirror” co-writer Siedah Garrett for some insights about the process of assembling Bad...Read more»...

It has been a long Thanksgiving week for me and I am just getting back into full swing of things, which is to say my movie input this week was limited to only two films so far, though today I'll be sitting down with McCabe & Mrs. Miller in preparation for tomorrow's Movie Club discussion, which I am really looking forward to. As for the two films I watched this week, both were screeners, the first of which was the Michael Jackson documentary Bad 25, which was a rewatch after I saw and loved it in Toronto. Interestingly enough, while I absolutely fell for this film on the big screen, on my mother's tiny television on Thanksgiving night it simply doesn't have the same effect as the massive screens at Toronto's Scotiabank cinemas. My sister, however, a major Mj fan, was (as predicted) crying while we watched, which tells me the...

Spike's Lee's documentary Michael Jackson: Bad 25 failed to draw in viewers during its debut Thanksgiving broadcast. The documentary explores the phenomenon of Jackson's seventh studio album, which featured hits like 'Man in the Mirror', 'Smooth Criminal' and 'Dirty Diana'. Coinciding with the 25th anniversary re-release of the album, the documentary featured interviews with Jackson collaborators, including producer Quincy Jones. Lee, who has directed several documentaries in the past, recently described this latest (more)...

Spike Lee’s tribute to Michael Jackson was tackled in the ratings by NBC’s football coverage Thursday night.

The ABC special Michael Jackson: Bad 25 was well-received by critics, and included interviews with stars such as Kanye West, Chris Brown and Mariah Carey honoring the late musician on the 25th anniversary of the making of his “Bad” video. Yet the 90-minute documentary delivered a weak performance, even by Thanksgiving-night standards.

Bad was seen by 4.6 million viewers and had a 1.2 rating in the adults 18-49 demographic, down 25 percent from ABC’s musical special last year, A Very Gaga Thanksgiving.

It aired on ABC last night - Spike Lee's Michael Jackson documentary, Bad 25. If you missed it, the film is now available online, thanks to Hulu; But, as I said in my review of it, earlier this morning, you should know that what aired last night was an edited-for-tv version of the film that was released in theaters for a week in October. What we have here is a 64-minute version; the original cut is 123 minutes. So you'll be watching a film that's about half the length of the original. If you absolutely must watch this, go ahead; but I'd suggest waiting for the full version to be released on home video. Unfortunately, that won't be until...

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After screening during the Toronto International Film Festival in September, Spike Lee’s acclaimed Michael Jackson documentary Bad 25 finally premiered on North American television on Thursday night. The doc reveals behind-the-scenes footage of the late King of Pop’s recording sessions for his seventh studio album Bad. On Twitter, the reactions were unanimous, as a mixed group of music and film figures reached out to praise the doc.

“Major Kudos Spike Lee,” said Vivica A. Fox on Twitter.

“Looking forward to it,” said Justin Bieber, who was also featured in Bad 25 as an interviewed subject.

"Glee’s" Kevin McHale also added how inspired he was, saying “This Michael Jackson Bad 25...

So it finally aired on ABC last night - Spike Lee's Michael Jackson documentary, made in collaboration with the estate of Michael Jackson and Sony Music, titled Bad 25. The feature documentary was released theatrically for 1 week, in October, but, unfortunately, only in New York, and Los Angeles. So I'd say that the vast majority of you got to see it for the very first time last night, when it was broacast from 9:30pm to 11pm. - that is if you weren't one of the crazies who were standing in line, outside various department stores around the country, waiting to take advantage of Black Friday sales that started at about 9pm...

Call it one entertainment icon's tribute to another.

When Michael Jackson's classic release "Bad" debuted in 1987, Spike Lee's filmmaking career was just starting to take hold. The director pays tribute to the fifth-best-selling album of all time -- which yielded such singles as the title cut, "Man in the Mirror," "The Way You Make Me Feel," "Smooth Criminal" and "I Just Can't Stop Loving You" -- in the documentary "Bad 25," which ABC gives a Thanksgiving night television premiere Thursday, Nov. 22.

Lee interviews such other Jackson collaborators as fellow moviemakers Martin Scorsese and Joe Pytka in creating a remembrance of how "Bad" came to be, utilizing archival footage that also recalls the global concert tour Jackson launched in support of the album. Results included sales of approximately 45 million copies and five chart-topping singles, a record tied only relatively recently by Katy Perry's "Teenage Dream."

"Do the Right Thing,...

There are few music albums that would call for or justify a documentary focused solely on their creation, and if asked to pick from Michael Jackson's body of work, "Thriller" would be the more obvious choice to receive such treatment. But Spike Lee's "Bad 25," which makes its broadcast premiere on Thursday, November 22nd at 9:30pm on ABC, doesn't just make a case for the importance of "Bad" on its 25th anniversary (a point no one's likely to question); it uses the album as a way of looking at its creator as a person, as an artist and as a formidable cultural force whose influence is felt throughout music, fashion and film. Rather than fawn over Jackson and the album or structure the film in a more traditional VH1 special style, Lee has chosed to let the people who helped make it, who witnessed it or who...

A couple of years ago, before he set up his low-budget comeback film “Red Hook Summer," Spike Lee was planning another NYC-set project, “Brooklyn Loves Mj,” with the story taking place on the night of the death of pop superstar Michael Jackson in June 2009. Said to star Samuel L. Jackson, Julianne Moore, Anthony Mackie and more, the film never came together (although Lee told us recently that he hoped to get it going again), but the director’s been able to pay tribute to the late King of Pop in a couple of other ways. For one, he’s helped to organize a semi-annual Brooklyn Loves Mj party (although it didn’t take place this year or last for various reasons). And then there’s the director’s latest film, and his second of 2012, “Bad 25.” The subject matter is less weighty for the man behind such stirring docs as...

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Starting tomorrow, you can catch up on the entirety of Suits either at USA's website or via OnDemand. I guess I should try to figure out where this business with the can opener began.

Turner Classic Movies will soon have a showcase for some of Johnny Carson's classic celebrity interviews.

TV Guide asks if The X-Factor's mentors are hurting competitors more than they're helping. Inappropriate costumes, bad song choices and unenthusiastic advice are listed as ways the mentors have turned into an obstacle contestants need to overcome.

Brian Dennehy will appear in the final season of The Big C as Cathy's father. Considering how Cathy has had cancer for three seasons and we're only now meeting him, I expect he'll be as awful as the rest of the Jamison clan has turned out to be.

EW reports that...

Select box set reviews from The Associated Press:

Johnny Cash, "The Complete Columbia Album Collection" (Columbia/Legacy)

If you're under 40, you likely see Johnny Cash two ways – as the nearly mythological Sun Records proto-rocker and as the wizened old man staring down God in his American Recordings period in the years before his 2003 death.

Between those two important periods lay decades of songs, personalities and re-inventions many folks aren't familiar with. The massive new box set, "The Complete Columbia Album Collection," will help fill in those gaps for anyone interested in Cash beyond the name-checking cachet he brings to your iPod.

A staggering amount of music is gathered here in 63 discs representing a quarter century of output from an American popular culture icon whose career was far more Technicolor than his Man in Black nickname suggests. And the average music fan yet to turn grey has no idea what that...

In case you've forgotten... Following its Venice Film Festival and Toronto International Film Festival screenings, Spike Lee's Michael Jackson documentary, made in collaboration with the estate of Michael Jackson and Sony Music, titled Bad 25, is scheduled to air on ABC, this Thanksgiving Day, Thusrday. The feature documentary was released theatrically for 1 week, in October, but, unfortunately, only in New York, and Los Angeles. I'm guessing this was to give it an Oscar-qualifying run. The rest of the USA (and those in NYC and La who missed the 1-week theatrical) will finally get their chance to see it on ABC, this...

Here is the first trailer for director Spike Lee’s documentary Bad 25 which focuses on the making of Michael Jackson’s album Bad. The trailer looks interesting enough as it looks like it’s going to cover each song on the album and the impact it had around the world. There will be never before seen behind-the-scenes footage of Jackson at work too which is always fascinating.

Bad 25 will air on ABC on Thanksgiving night, watch the trailer below:...

Sneak Peek the first trailer from producer, director Spike Lee’s new 'Michael Jackson' documentary "Bad 25', following the creation of Jackson’s album "Bad".

Debuting On ABC the evening of the Us Thanksgiving, the doc includes behind the scenes music clips of songs from the "Bad" album, as well as interviews, including Sheryl Crow, Siedah Garrett, Cee Lo Green and a whole lot more.

"He had a great sense of humor, and he was funny," said director Lee about Jackson, "so you'll see a lot of that stuff..."

Click the images to enlarge and Sneak Peek Spike Lee's "Bad 25", Michael Jackson's "Bad" short film, and Weird Al's "Bad" parody "Fat"...

One thing you'll always hear about Tarantino films is that they're just cool. But what makes them so cool? A new video essay from Press Play gets to the bottom of the mystery.

Also, Nic Cage is "Left Behind" and Michael Jackson is "Bad" in today's Dailies!

» A look at what makes Quentin Tarantino characters cool. [Press Play]

» You can know read the entirety of Vanity Fair's cover story on Daniel Craig. [Vanity Fair]

» Badass Digest did an interesting interview with the Wachowskis and Tom Tykwer. [YouTube]

» Nic Cage is going to star in a more mainstream "Left Behind" movie, so that's awesome. [Variety]

» Trailer for "Save the Date" [The Film Stage]

» TV Spot for Spike Lee's "Bad 25" [The Playlist]

Welcome to the Dailies, where the MTV Movies team runs down all the film and television news, odds and ends that are fit to print! From awesome fan art to obscure casting news, this is your place to feast...

The first trailer for director Spike Lee’s documentary Bad 25 has been released. The film—which focuses on the creation and impact of Michael Jackson’s seminal album Bad—screened at a number of film festivals this fall to a very positive response, and is now set to air on ABC. The trailer looks fascinating as it teases interviews with everyone from Martin Scorsese to Sheryl Crow and highlights some never before seen behind-the-scenes footage of Jackson at work. Hit the jump to watch the trailer. Bad 25 will air on ABC on Thanksgiving night. Via The Playlist.

It's a pretty good time to be a Spike Lee fan. Not only did he drop his latest feature "Red Hook Summer" this year, he's got the critically acclaimed and pretty awesome looking "Bad 25" ready to go, opening in limited release today and hitting TVs across the nation on Thanksgiving. And the busy director isn't stopping, with work getting underway on "Oldboy" and now a release date has been stamped out. FilmDistrict will bring the movie to theaters in time for next Halloween, on October 11, 2013. It's currently the only movie slotted on that date, and certainly will remain one of the big highlights of that month. But the pressure is on Lee to match the genius and squirmy thrills of the Park Chan-Wook original, about a man who is freed from fifteen years of captivity and has five days to figure out how he was captured, who did it and why.

Twenty five years after the release of Michael Jackson's Bad, Spike Lee's documentary Bad 25 will be paying tribute to the King of Pop on small screens this Thanksgiving day.  Story: Bad 25: Venice Review The documentary is billing itself as showing previously unseen footage and revealing new details about the making of the album. It also boasts a celebrity-filled roster reflecting on the album's resonance years later.  Story: Michael Jackson Doc 'BAD25' Coming to Movie Theaters in New York and Los Angeles "We really divided it into two things: Artists today who were influenced by Michael, and then

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Spike Lee's Bad 25 is fantastic. I saw it in Toronto and gave it one of my most positive reviews of the year. Centering on the creation of Michael Jackson's record-breaking 1987 album "Bad", the doc speaks with those closest to Jackson during those years and finally pushes aside the attention whores most commonly interviewed when talking about the late singer. Here's a snippet from my review: I was enthralled listening to Bruce Swedien discussing his work as Michael's audio engineer. Lee talks with Quincy Jones, Joe Pytka (director of "Dirty Diana" and The Way You Make Me Feel"), Steve Stevens on being called in to play guitar on "Dirty Diana", Ruben Blades on working with Michael to translate "I Just Can't Stop Loving You" into Spanish, Greg Phillinganes (synthesizer) and Matt Forger's genuine sincerity discussing his work with Michael at his Hayvenhurst home. Then, of course, there...

There are few people who love Michael Jackson as much as Spike Lee, and even while his mooted “Brooklyn Loves Mj” was unable to get off the ground, he's found another way to express his admiration for the performer. Following a series of strong festival showings this past summer and fall, ABC has started to spread word about his Jackson doc, “Bad 25,” slating a TV airing this holiday season. Tracking the creation and response to Jackson's essential 1987 album, “Bad 25” also boasts a large selection of interviews with collaborators and fans like Martin Scorsese, Questlove, and Kanye West, many of which you can see in the newly-released TV spot. More of a paean to Jackson's creative process than his personal life, the doc also features a large chunk of behind-the-scenes footage -- much of which was released from his family's estate into Lee's more than capable hands. They're obviously big fans as well,...