'The Exterminators': Billy explains bees

What Josh Brolin said about Oscar nom

You noticed Josh Brolin ("W.") -- remember him? -- was nominated for an Oscar yesterday, right? He got a best supporting nod for "Milk." Here's what he had to say about recognition, according to Hollywood Reporter:

Nominated for his supporting role as county supervisor Dan White in the Harvey Milk biopic "Milk," Josh Brolin -- who also played President Bush in the 2008 release "W." -- said he was pleased to be recognized for his work on the "important" film. "'W.' was probably the most difficult job in film that I've ever done because you carry his age from a young age through (his presidency). 'Milk' was different," he said. "When I read it, I was so emotional and taken with the story that I just wanted to do this story. It's a timely story, and as timely as it can be with Prop. 8. So obviously, it's an important movie and a very visceral film at that." Brolin acknowledged that Oscar nominations can help an actor attract offers for future meaty roles. "There's more confidence that I can pull off more complicated roles, and luckily, because of the nature of the role of Dan White, we're getting offered really, really interesting roles." Brolin's next film -- Warner Bros. comics-spawned "Josh Hex," [sic] which he calls "a throwback to spaghetti Westerns" -- begins shooting in March.

Find the full article, and more reaction from the nominees, here.

'The Exterminators' coming to A&E

The locally made series, based on the exploits of exterminator Billy Bretherton and his fam (Vexcon), will debut Feb. 4 on A&E. 9:30 p.m. Central.

What's on tap for the premiere: "Goth Bees & Killer Coons," apparently. Here's the synopsis: "Billy faces an angry mother raccoon trying to protect her young from his snare, and then goes on a mission to exterminate a seven-foot-long beehive. But bees aren’t the only thing that are causing a buzz in the Bretherton family. Ricky’s ex-wife, Pam, has returned to work at Vexcon, and that’s rubbing some of the Brethertons the wrong way."

I'm not sure I want to learn what's hiding in my attic, but I'm sure this series will teach me.

LaMovBlog Oscar contest ... we want you

For those of you new to LaMovBlog, you probably need to catch up on the history of our Oscar contest. Both in the paper and on my blog, we compete to see who can best predict the Oscars. Pretty fun, considering I 've twice got bested by chris-brad. Who's chris-brad? Rumor has it he's a psychic or something.

Anyway, this year I want to up the ante (meaning I want to give chris-brad some real competition). I want at least 10 people to join us, and I want them to publicly disclose their pics. For the next month or so, too, I'm going to obsess about what's best and what's not. That's where you come in:

1. Soon I'll be offering details on how to submit your Oscar pics. Stay tuned. If you can't wait, submit them as a comment.
   
2. If you have an Oscar favorite for best pic or a cool Oscar/actor anecdote and really, really want to write about it, send me an email. Send me a 300-word essay. Yeah, that's right. I gave you an assignment, and I won't pay you for it. How can you resist? akent@gannett.com
3. If you are connected to "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," tell me about it. Send me an email. I want to give cast and especially crew their props.
4. If you have a weird or fun Oscar night tradition, tell me about it. Send me an email. This is the Superbowl for movie-lovers, and I want you to tell us how you celebrate.

Initial thoughts on Oscars, Razzies

NOTE CORRECTION BELOW.

While I'm mad "WALL-E" got left out of the big prize -- at least it got the technical nods, best animated feature, best original screenplay, and best short for the curtain-raiser "Presto" -- there are a few things about the nominations that pique my interest.

• Of course, "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" is a big moment for Louisiana. Shot in New Orleans, it was the state's most ambitious project to date. Kudos to all the crew and cast who worked on it. Incidentally, if you are cast or especially crew from "Button," I want to hear from you stat. Send me a note at akent@gannett.com.
• And though "Benjamin Button" is a big deal for New Orleans and Louisiana, there was some horribly funny news yesterday. "Disaster Movie," made in The Shreve, nearly led the Razzies nominations with six. Six! ("Love Guru" got seven.) For those of you who like to view the state's industry as a competition between cities, don't worry. "Meet the Spartans," made in LaPlace and New Orleans, got five Razzie nominations. Five! Ouch. Gotta love the yin and yang!
• Amy Adams for "Doubt." She's brilliant and remains one of my faves. For local theater geeks, I have to also note that local actress Charity Schubert did the same role for a local River City Rep stage production and deserves a frickin' Tony! (Somebody get us a time machine!) Brilliant stuff, and I actually liked this stage production better than the movie.
• Josh Brolin finally got a long-deserved nomination with "Milk." (He got robbed last year for "No Country.") Wouldn't it have been interesting if he had gotten a nod for "W?" Too bad it wasn't a better film. I would have been ecstatic, and the potential interview would have been interesting indeed. Dude's a brilliant actor (and a good kisser, apparently).
• Marisa Tomei is back with a nomination for "The Wrestler," which means my wife has to go see a movie about combat. All right!
• Absolutely pissed that "Happy-Go-Lucky's" Sally Hawkins missed a nomination. That's as bad as Paul Giamatti missing for "Sideways." Both absolutely defined their movies, and both were robbed!
• The most competitive category? Best actress, to my mind, no question. Meryl vs. Kate is going to be Oscar night's biggest moment. Those are two major, major performances. Flip a coin. Perhaps the best screen performances of the year (beside WALL-E, Eve and the cockroach).

Enough of me. What did you think?

NOTE: Corrected at 4:35 p.m.: Argh. "Disaster Movie" wasn't the year's worst, as previously noted. It earned six Razzie nominations, whereas "The Love Guru" earned seven. My bad.

Oscar nominations: 'Benjamin Button' gets 13

That's big news for Louisiana.

And guess what? chris-brad beat me again in predictions: 22-20.

Best Motion Picture of the Year
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)
Frost/Nixon (2008)
Milk (2008)
The Reader (2008)
Slumdog Millionaire (2008)

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role
Richard Jenkins for The Visitor (2007/I)
Frank Langella for Frost/Nixon (2008)
Sean Penn for Milk (2008)
Brad Pitt for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)
Mickey Rourke for The Wrestler (2008)

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role
Anne Hathaway for Rachel Getting Married (2008)
Angelina Jolie for Changeling (2008)
Melissa Leo for Frozen River (2008)
Meryl Streep for Doubt (2008/I)
Kate Winslet for The Reader (2008)

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role
Josh Brolin for Milk (2008)
Robert Downey Jr. for Tropic Thunder (2008)
Philip Seymour Hoffman for Doubt (2008/I)
Heath Ledger for The Dark Knight (2008)
Michael Shannon for Revolutionary Road (2008)

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role
Amy Adams for Doubt (2008/I)
Penélope Cruz for Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008)
Viola Davis for Doubt (2008/I)
Taraji P. Henson for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)
Marisa Tomei for The Wrestler (2008)

Best Achievement in Directing
Danny Boyle for Slumdog Millionaire (2008)
Stephen Daldry for The Reader (2008)
David Fincher for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)
Ron Howard for Frost/Nixon (2008)
Gus Van Sant for Milk (2008)

Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen
Frozen River (2008): Courtney Hunt
Happy-Go-Lucky (2008): Mike Leigh
In Bruges (2008): Martin McDonagh
Milk (2008): Dustin Lance Black
WALL·E (2008): Andrew Stanton, Pete Docter, Jim Reardon

Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008): Eric Roth, Robin Swicord
Doubt (2008/I): John Patrick Shanley
Frost/Nixon (2008): Peter Morgan
The Reader (2008): David Hare
Slumdog Millionaire (2008): Simon Beaufoy

Best Achievement in Cinematography
Changeling (2008): Tom Stern
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008): Claudio Miranda
The Dark Knight (2008): Wally Pfister
The Reader (2008): Roger Deakins, Chris Menges
Slumdog Millionaire (2008): Anthony Dod Mantle

Best Achievement in Editing
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008): Angus Wall, Kirk Baxter
The Dark Knight (2008): Lee Smith
Frost/Nixon (2008): Daniel P. Hanley, Mike Hill
Milk (2008): Elliot Graham
Slumdog Millionaire (2008): Chris Dickens

Best Achievement in Art Direction
Changeling (2008): James J. Murakami, Gary Fettis
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008): Donald Graham Burt, Victor J. Zolfo
The Dark Knight (2008): Nathan Crowley, Peter Lando
The Duchess (2008): Michael Carlin, Rebecca Alleway
Revolutionary Road (2008): Kristi Zea, Debra Schutt

Best Achievement in Costume Design
Australia (2008): Catherine Martin
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008): Jacqueline West
The Duchess (2008): Michael O'Connor
Milk (2008): Danny Glicker
Revolutionary Road (2008): Albert Wolsky

Best Achievement in Makeup
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008): Greg Cannom
The Dark Knight (2008): John Caglione Jr., Conor O'Sullivan
Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008): Mike Elizalde, Thomas Floutz

Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Score
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008): Alexandre Desplat
Defiance (2008): James Newton Howard
Milk (2008): Danny Elfman
Slumdog Millionaire (2008): A.R. Rahman
WALL·E (2008): Thomas Newman

Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Song
Slumdog Millionaire (2008): A.R. Rahman, Gulzar ("Jai Ho")
Slumdog Millionaire (2008): A.R. Rahman, M.I.A ("O Saya")
WALL·E (2008): Peter Gabriel, Thomas Newman ("Down to Earth")

Best Achievement in Sound
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)
The Dark Knight (2008): Ed Novick, Lora Hirschberg, Gary Rizzo
Slumdog Millionaire (2008)
WALL·E (2008)
Wanted (2008)

Best Achievement in Sound Editing
The Dark Knight (2008)
Iron Man (2008)
Slumdog Millionaire (2008)
WALL·E (2008)
Wanted (2008)

Best Achievement in Visual Effects
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008): Eric Barba, Edson Williams
The Dark Knight (2008): Nick Davis, Chris Corbould, Timothy Webber, Paul J. Franklin
Iron Man (2008)

Best Animated Feature Film of the Year
Bolt (2008)
Kung Fu Panda (2008)
WALL·E (2008)

Best Foreign Language Film of the Year
Der Baader Meinhof Komplex (2008)(Germany)
Entre les murs (2008)(France)
Revanche (2008)(Austria)
Okuribito (2008)(Japan)
Vals Im Bashir (2008)(Israel)

Best Documentary, Features
The Betrayal - Nerakhoon (2008)
Encounters at the End of the World (2007)
The Garden (2008/I)
Man on Wire (2008)
Trouble the Water (2008)

Best Documentary, Short Subjects
The Conscience of Nhem En
The Final Inch
Smile Pinki
The Witness from the Balcony of Room 306

Best Short Film, Animated
Ubornaya istoriya - lyubovnaya istoriya (2007)
La Maison en Petits Cubes: Kunio KatoOktapodi (2007): Julien Bocabeille, François-Xavier Chanioux, Olivier Delabarre, Thierry Marchand, Quentin Marmier, Emud Mokhberi
Presto (2008): Doug Sweetland
This Way Up (2008): Alan Smith, Adam Foulkes

Best Short Film, Live Action
Auf der Strecke (2007)
Manon on the Asphalt
New Boy (2007)
The Pig
Spielzeugland (2007)

Guess the Oscars' best pic nominations

I'm predicting these five will be nominated for best pic tomorrow morning:

• "The Dark Knight"
• "Slumdog Millionaire"
• "Milk"
• "WALL-E"
• "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"

What are you best picture guesses? chris-brad, you can officially begin the annual flogging of the LaMovBlogger.

My official backpedaling: I'm going out on a limb with "WALL-E," but it's the best movie I've seen this year (besides the documentary "Man on Wire"). I have to cheer for it! Conventional wisdom says "Frost/Nixon" will take "WALL-E's" spot.

"Benjamin Button" has lost some of its buzz, too, so I wouldn't be surprised to see another crowd-pleaser like "Gran Torino" sneak into its spot or "Milk's." In other words, I think it's very, very hard to predict the noms this year. "Slumdog" looks like the only lock, and there are no automatics like "No Country for Old Men" or "There Will Be Blood" or "Juno."

What will be robbed? "Synecdoche, New York." It's the most inventive pic I've seen this year but I don't think voters are ever in the mood for something more despairing than my 401(k).

Here are the proverbial bridesmaids that should earn some noms: "Frost/Nixon" * "Revolutionary Road" * "The Reader" * "The Wrestler" * "Cadillac Records" * "Doubt" * "Rachel Getting Married"

'God v. Science' screening at LSUS

The locally made short film “God vs. Science” will screen Friday at Louisiana State University in Shreveport. Show time is set for 7 p.m. at LSUS’s University Center. Admission is $3.

Directed by Jabari Thomas, “God vs. Science” pits an atheist science professor against a Christian student in a dispute about the existence of God. The 21-minute movie, starring Ted Ferguson and Chris Weaver, was filmed primarily at LSUS.

The movie will be followed by a film industry and theater forum discussion featuring Thomas; Dawn Landrum of Landrum Arts LA talent agency; Pruitt Taylor Vince, a film actor and LSUS artist in residence; Robert Alford, an LSUS theater professor; Richard Folmer, artistic director of the East Bank Theatre in Bossier City; film director Jeffrey Goodman; and Dano Anderson, a first assistant director.

To reserve tickets, contact LSUS at (318) 797-5396. For more information about “God vs. Science,” contact Ferguson at (318) 464-8030.

Another January update from state film office

FYI: The Millennium project "Rin Tin Tin" is now "Cool Dog."

Welcome to (225) 342-FILM, the official hotline of Louisiana Entertainment. Here's what's happening for the third week of January 2009:

SHREVEPORT

The Weinstein Company feature film "Youth in Revolt" is in Shreveport for reshoots through February 7th. Youth in Revolt is now fully crewed. Inquiries can be faxed to (318) 681-9917.

"Drill Deep: The Haynesville Shale Documentary" is in production throughout the Shreveport area through the end of February. Inquiries are being accepted by e-mail at GKallenberg@gmail.com.

The Nu Image/Millennium feature film "Cool Dog" is in pre-production Shreveport with shooting scheduled from February 17 through mid-March. Resumes and inquiries are being accepted by e-mail at cooldogproductions@gmail.com. The Disney Channel television series The Imagination Movers will begin pre-production in Harahan on February 1 with shooting scheduled to start in late March. Resumes for crew are being accepted by e-mail at imaginationmovers1@earthlink.net.

LAFAYETTE

The independent feature film "My Last Goodbye" will begin pre-production in the Lafayette area in February with ten weeks of shooting set to begin March 30. Resumes and headshots are being accepted by e-mail at wxartinc@gmail.com.

Soft prep for the Bullet Films feature films "Jaws of the Mississippi," "Medusa," and "Wolf" will begin in February in Lafayette. Resumes and inquiries are being accepted bey e-mail at jobs@bulletfilms.net.

BATON ROUGE

The independent feature film "American Gospel" is in development in the Baton Rouge with shooting scheduled for this spring and summer. Resumes are being accepted by e-mail at americangospel@gmail.com.

The HBO television series "True Blood" starring Anna Paquin and Stephen Moyer is in preproduction in the Baton Rouge area and will shoot portions of the series in Louisiana in February, April and June. Resumes and inquiries are being accepted by e-mail at truebloodbr@gmail.com.

The independent feature film "The Chameleon" is pre-production in Baton Rouge with shooting scheduled from February 2 through March 6. Resumes and inquiries are being accepted by fax at (225) 610-1670 (no headshots please).

The Films in Motion feature film "Wrong Side of Town" starring Rob Van Dam and Batiste is in pre-production in Baton Rouge with shooting scheduled from Feb. 3 through Feb. 24. Resumes and inquiries are being accepted by e-mail at info@filmsinmotion.com.

The Most Wanted Films feature film "Video Girl" starring Meagan Good is in pre-production in Baton Rouge with shooting scheduled for February 18 through March 15. Inquiries are being accepted by e-mail at info@mostwantedfilms.com

NEW ORLEANS

The HBO television series pilot "Treme" is in pre-production in New Orleans with shooting scheduled for March 9th through 31st. Resumes for crew and inquiries are being accepted by email only at blowndeadlineprod@gmail.com. RPM Casting is working on the day player roles. Casting will begin in the next two weeks. They are looking for all ages, ethnicities and types. Please send a photo, resume and contact information to their office as soon as possible to: RPM Casting c/o ArtEgg Studios 1001 S. Broad Street New Orleans, LA 70125

The Most Wanted Films feature film "Sinners and Saints" is shooting in New Orleans through January 24th. Inquiries are being accepted by e-mail at info@mostwantedfilms.com.

And for more information about the film and television industry in Louisiana please visit us online at http://www.louisianaentertainment.gov/.

300 to 350 watch inauguration at Robinson Film Center

Revised 12:26 p.m.: RFC's Pierre Rubben estimated 300 to 350 people came to the film center this morning to watch the inauguration. Lots of clapping. A few standing ovations. In general, it seems people felt like Marcus Mitchell, 24 (pictured), who attended on a day off. "It gives you a different feeling to experience it with a crowd made up of different nationalities, different creeds and different races," he said. "I think it's a joyous occasion."

If you went to RFC, or if you watched the inauguration with a crowd, let me know what you thought. Why was it important for you to be part of a crowd, and what was it like?

Also, I posted this as a comment, but it's worth repeating: Right before the swearing in was beginning, a flood of people filled the theater. There were lots of local media outlets pointing their cameras both at the screen and at the crowd, but what was more interesting was the ways in which people were documenting the event by themselves. Lots of cameras, cellphone cameras, video cameras, etc., trying to capture a moment in time, ostensibly to show friends and future families where they were and why. It kind of shows me how newer technologies have further enabled people to become citizen journalists/historians/record-takers/etc. during big moments.

Lots of local media watch the watching.

It was a pretty diverse crowd, as Mitchell noted. At this moment, a Marine veteran bows his head in prayer.

I count three citizen cameras/cellphones pointed at the screen during this moment. As people watched, you saw quite a few cameras peek over the crowd.

Best titled drink at the RFC Grind House?

Hands down, the Cecil B. Demented. It's a 5-shot latte with chocolate and caramel. What did I order? A feature-sized latte and a blueberry scone. The latter's pretty solid, and I'm waiting for the coffee to cool down.

The Robinson Film Center's Grind House coffee house opened this morning at 7 and will be open weekdays.

And there's still lots of room at the Robinson Film Center if you want to watch the inauguration on a big screen. Come on down!

Below is the full menu. Click for a larger view.

RFC broadcast of inauguration

The screen at the Robinson Film Center is about as large as my home ET center. A little less seating, too.

The crowd is pretty quiet so far. People's eyes are fixed on the screen. Interesting.

RFC showing the presidential inauguration

Have you heard that the Robinson Film Center, 617 Texas St., will broadcast the presidential inauguration on Tuesday morning at 10:30 a.m.? True, and it's free. It'll be in HD and on the big screen, which seats 144. If you want to see it, you better arrive early!

What's also interesting is that RFC will debut its "Grind House" coffee shop the same morning. It opens at 7 a.m. (M-F) and feature muffins, scones and coffee. I'll be there in the a.m. and blogging. Stop by, say hi and say cheese.

Guess who refused to give me a quote about the weather forecast for Park City, Utah?

... Blayne Weaver, who's there and debuting "Weather Girl" and the Slamdance Film Festival on Saturday.

"No, I can't do it," Weaver said by phone after I demanded a cheesy quote. "It'll be horrible and then you'll use it."

Damn it, Weaver. You're no longer a press puppet. (As retaliation, I've posted your headshot ... from 1997. Is that leather?)

Weaver wrote and directed "Weather Girl," a romantic comedy. Brandon Barrera executive produced it. Both are Bossier City natives living in L.A. They're business partners in Secret Identity Productions (remember "Outside Sales?").

It's a pretty big deal to play at Slamdance.

“Tomorrow, we’re spending all day doing press,” said Weaver by phone from Park City. He’ll be flanked by the movie’s stars Mark Harmon and Tricia O’Kelley. “I haven’t even worried started worrying about the movie yet.”

Slamdance, an indie film festival run by filmmakers (as the blurb goes), runs concurrently to the Sundance Film Festival.

“Slamdance is a little more personal, a lot more indie and it’s a lot more fun,” Weaver said. “It’s fantastic to just go to film festivals and be celebrated, but we want to sell ‘Weather Girl.’ What’s really great about this festival is that it feels like the place to do that.”

Word has it Weaver ran into the Robinson Film Center's Chris Jay, who's at Sundance/Slamdance looking for the next hit. Chris, I expect some seriously good schwag.

Stuff this in your taco cart

If you're relatively new to the movie biz and working, you've noticed that sets use their own language. That's why I was pleased to receive this little handbook in the mail today: "Movie Speak: How to Talk Like You Belong on a Film Set."

I rarely pimp the PR stuff that comes to me unsolicited, but this book, written by a seasoned producer, would be very useful for anyone trying to break into the industry as a P.A. (It also fits in your pocket.) If your a set vet, on the other hand, I'd be curious to know what you think of it.

It's 216 pages and full of working definitions for terms like banana, perms, cuban, redhead (mickey), snowshoes, wetdown, and my favorite, honeywagon. (I'm that kind of guy.) "Movie Speak" also is super-cheap: $8.95.

Recommend it. If you have any favorites books like it, post your recs in the comments.

Are you on Oscar watch?

An obsession with all things Oscar is in full swing at LaMovBlog. Here are the movies, now playing in The Shreve, you should pay attention to:

"Gran Torino" (Cinemark Tinseltown, Louisiana Boardwalk 14)

"Defiance" (Cinemark Tinseltown, Louisiana Boardwalk 14)

"Last Chance Harvey" (Cinemark Tinseltown, Robinson Film Center)

"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" (Cinemark Tinseltown, Bossier Corners 9)

"Australia" (Bossier Corners 9)

"Doubt" (Bossier Corners 9)

"Let the Right One In" (Robinson Film Center)

"The Reader" (Robinson Film Center)

And of course, "Paul Blart: Mall Cop." It's an early best pic fave for next year's race.

What's on tap for January

Here's the latest from the state. "True Blood" chose Baton Rouge this time around (and it will double for Shreveport? Hmm ... that's a first), but The Shreve's got two in the pipeline. "Youth in Revolt" could mark the return of Michael Cera to northwest Louisiana. Welcome back!

Welcome to (225) 342-FILM, the official hotline of Louisiana Entertainment. Here’s what’s happening for the second week of January 2009:

SHREVEPORT
The Nu Image/Millennium feature film “Rin Tin Tin” is in pre-production Shreveport with shooting scheduled from February 17 through mid-March. Resumes and inquiries are being accepted by e-mail at rintyproductions@gmail.com.

The Weinstein Company feature film “Youth in Revolt” will hold eight days of reshoots in Shreveport in late January and early February. Details are coming soon.

BATON ROUGE
The HBO television series “True Blood” starring Anna Paquin and Stephen Moyer is in pre-production in the Baton Rouge area and will shoot portions of the series in Louisiana in February, April and June. Resumes and inquiries are being accepted by e-mail at truebloodbr@gmail.com.

The independent feature film “The Chameleon” is pre-production in Baton Rouge with shooting scheduled from February 2 through March 6. Resumes and inquiries are being accepted by fax at (225) 610-1670 (no headshots please).

The Films in Motion feature film “The Wrong Side of the Tracks Part I” starring Rob Van Dam and Batiste is in pre-production in Baton Rouge with shooting scheduled from Feb. 3 through Feb. 24. Resumes and inquiries are being accepted by e-mail at info@filmsinmotion.com.

The Most Wanted Films feature film “Video Girl” starring Meagan Good is in pre-production in Baton Rouge with shooting scheduled for February 18 through March 15. Inquiries are being accepted by e-mail at info@mostwantedfilms.com

NEW ORLEANS
The HBO television series pilot “Treme” is in pre-production in New Orleans with shooting scheduled for March 9th through 31st. Resumes for crew and inquiries are being accepted by e-mail only blowndeadlineprod@gmail.com. RPM Casting is working on the day player roles. Casting will begin in the next two weeks. They are looking for all ages, ethnicities and types. Please send a photo, resume and contact information to their office as soon as possible to: RPM Casting c/o ArtEgg Studios 1001 S. Broad Street New Orleans, LA 70125

The Disney Channel television series “The Imagination Movers” will begin pre-production in Harahan on February 1 with shooting scheduled to start in late March. Resumes for crew are being accepted by e-mail at imaginationmovers1@earthlink.net.

The Most Wanted Films feature film “Sinners and Saints” is shooting in New Orleans through January 24th. Inquiries are being accepted by e-mail at info@mostwantedfilms.com.

LAFAYETTE
Soft prep for the Bullet Films feature films “Jaws of the Mississippi,” “Medusa,” and “Wolf” will begin in February in Lafayette. Resumes and inquiries are being accepted by e-mail at jobs@bulletfilms.net.

And for more information about the film and television industry in Louisiana please visit us online at www.louisianaentertainment.gov.

Local short screens tonight at RFC

"God vs. Science," a short faith-based film by Jabari Thomas, plays freely at the Robinson Film Center tonight at 6 p.m. I'm hosting a post-screening Q&A. The 21-minute flick stars Ted Ferguson (pictured) and a handful of regional actors. If you want to have a conversation about local-local filmmaking, come on down.

'Slumdog Millionaire' opens at RFC 1/23

I just received this exuberant note from Chris Jay at the Robinson Film Center: "We just got booking confirmation!!!" "Slumdog Millionaire" opens Jan. 23 at the Shreveport art house.

Students can take animation, effects workshop

LSUS's Animation and Visual Effects program invites middle and high school students to the following:

WHAT: Introductory workshop for animation and effects.
WHEN: 10 a.m. Saturday (Jan. 17).
WHERE: LSUS Technology Center, Room 258.
COST: $10. To register, click here or email avei@lsus.edu.

Program director John Miralles will introduce students to the software and techniques moviemakers use to create effects. They'll learn a little about digital imaging (Adobe Photoshop) and video compositing (Adobe AfterEffects). They'll also create a visual effects shot of their own. No experience necessary.

'The Last Lullaby' to open May in The Shreve; Email Jeffrey Goodman to join the push

Local director Jeffrey Goodman plans to push "The Last Lullaby" into theaters in May. The movie was shot here in early 2007 and debuted at the AFI Dallas Int'l Film Festival in March 2008. After a year on the festival circuit, Jeffrey plans to personally tour the film from city to city.

Shreveport and Bossier City are the first stops on his itinerary.

"You, as a citizen of our region, will have the rare opportunity to affect whether this film gets out to the rest of the world," Jeffrey wrote in an email. "If a large number of people in the region come out in support of the film, it has a great chance of being shown on screens in the rest of the world."

Why the DIY approach? Many reasons, but three stand out for me:

• The filmmaker has more control.
• He can generate a higher per-screen average and attract attention from a distributor.
  
• With Goodman in tow, each city's opening should garner more attention (generate more buzz).

I reviewed this film last year, and it's a stunningly well made crime drama. Because I believe deeply in the value of independent filmmakers like Jeffrey, it's essential that high-caliber efforts like "The Last Lullaby" find their theatrical niche.

Jeffrey is hoping to generate tons of community support by having you join his efforts. If you want to keep up on his touring exploits, send an email to register@thelastlullaby.com with "Register Me" in the subject line.

Writes Jeffrey, "If 'Lullaby' is a success, it will bring some really positive attention to Shreveport-Bossier and open up the doors for other hometown filmmakers who want to make films here."

How can you resist this face?

Jean-Claude Van Damme can act. There. I said it. I'm not embarrassed to say I loved his new film, "JCVD," and that I've missed the Muscles from Brussels. The arthouse flick opens tonight at the Robinson Film Center. Yes. arthouse and Jean-Claude Van Damme are mentioned in the same sentence. Don't believe you read it? Check out my review.

Click here for squad car video of Brolin, Wright k-i-s-s-i-n-g

The story just took a turn for the weird.

Click the above link for yet more video from the arrest. And check out the City Council's reaction to backseat smoochin'.

Best quote from the video, as reported by Times reporter Adam Causey: “You want a kissy? Hey, Jeffrey, how’d the scene go?” Brolin, 40, asks amid a fit of his own laughter. “I’ve been here. This is my seventh time.”

New banner above ...

Call the new banner design democratic. The blog is more yours than mine, so I want to reflect that from the get-go. I received lots of photos from readers, and I thank y'all for it. If you look closely, you might spy your mug next to Denzel.

I'll continue to tweak it for the next few days, but it's coming along.

Click here for police dashcam video of arrests

Click here for cell phone video of Josh Brolin, Jeffrey Wright arrests

So, here's the first piece of evidence we've seen, and we're still waiting for police dashboard cams of the pre-arrest. Let us know what you think.

In a journalistic sense, a video like this is very interesting to us -- the newspaper and all news consumers -- because it offers us a window into news as it unfolds. It's a piece of community journalism at its rawest and most interesting, and it raises a lot of questions. How did the events at Stray Cat get to this point? Obviously, why the pepper spray? Why the Taser? How are Brolin and Wright interfering with police? What aren't we seeing, either during, before or after the video? Does what we see follow standard police procedure? And since these were all misdemeanors, why did we have to wait nearly five months to see such evidence? Are we, as a newspaper, right to draw your attention to it? (Same goes for TMZ and the person who recorded the video.) Now that you've watched this video, what more do you need to know? Let us know what you think.

The 'Bro' gets pro

Here's the latest update on The Shreve's Best Bar Brawl from 2008. (Thanks for the votes, readers. My New Year's Eve party came in third.)

"W." stars Josh Brolin and Jeffrey Wright got D.A.'s probation their July misdemeanors.

From Loresha Wilson of The Times: "After months of buildup, the matter of Josh Brolin's part in a fight in Shreveport last year seems to have been settled with an agreement made even before his attorneys appeared in a Shreveport court today.

"Represented in court by a Los Angeles attorney and local lawyer Ron Miciotto, the actor who portrayed President George W. Bush in the Oliver Stone movie 'W.' was granted district attorney's probation, under which if he goes until March 11 without getting in further trouble the charges will be dismissed."

Click here for the full story.

As part of an ongoing public records request, Times reporters are working to get the dashboard cam videos of the arrests. When we get them, I'll post 'em.

In the meantime, you can see the cellphone video of the incident at TMZ.com.

PHOTO: Josh Brolin stars as George "W." Bush in "W." (Sidney Ray Baldwin/Lions Gate Entertainment)