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lifestyle THURSDAY, JANUARY 16, 2014 ‘Gravity’ soars in Visual An Oscar statue is seen on the red carpet Effects Society Nominations before the 84th Academy Awards in Los Angeles. — AP Writer Sheherazade Goldsmith (left) and director Oscars to celebrate Alfonso Cuaron, winner of Best Director for ‘Gravity,’ pose in the press room during the 71st big-screen heroes Annual Golden Globe he upcoming Academy Awards show will theme was the music of the movies, which show will embrace some of the year’s most deli- Awards. — AFP celebrate movie heroes, producers Craig included a lengthy medley of songs from the cious anti-heroes from films like “The Wolf of TZadan and Neil Meron announced on last decade of movie musicals and a James Bond Wall Street” and “American Hustle.” “We wanted ravity’ led all films in nomina- Hilton. In addition to “Gravity,” nomi- Tuesday in their first public comment on the tribute that featured Shirley Bassey singing to unify the show with an entertaining and emo- tions for the 12th annual VES nees in the Outstanding Visual Effects in show’s content. The 86th Oscars will celebrate “Goldfinger.” This year’s theme will obviously fit tional theme,” said Zadan and Meron in the press ‘G Awards, according to a a Visual Effects-Driven Feature Motion “big-screen real-life heroes, super heroes, popu- with many of the year’s most high-profile release announcing the theme. “People around Tuesday morning announcement by Picture, the VES Awards category that lar heroes and animated heroes,” according to an movies, which sport such heroes as Solomon the world go to the movies to be inspired by the the Visual Effects Society that should most closely corresponds to the Oscar Academy press release. To coincide with the Northup (“12 Years a Slave”), Richard Phillips characters they see on the screen. By celebrating surprise no one. Alfonso Cuaron’s visual-effects category most years, theme, the Academy will host a poster exhibit in (“Captain Phillips”) and Ron Woodruff (“Dallas the gamut of heroes who have enriched our groundbreaking space thriller picked included “Iron Man 3,” “Pacific Rim,” “Star the lobby of its Beverly Hills headquarters devot- Buyers Club”). movie-going experience, we hope to create an up eight nominations for its visual Trek: Into Darkness” and “The Hobbit.” ed to still photos and posters from films that And it will also enable the producers to bring evening of fun and joy. effects in eight live-action feature-film All of the nominated films are on the include “Gandhi,” “Silkwood,” “Superman,” “The in characters from the comic book and super- “And that includes the filmmakers and actors categories. “Pacific Rim” received six, Oscar shortlist for visual effects. The Dark Knight,” “Shrek,” “The Incredibles,” hero movies that are typically ignored by who take risks and stimulate us with provocative while “The Hobbit: The Desolation of VES Awards give out prizes in eight cat- “Gladiator,” “The Grapes of Wrath” and “To Kill a Academy voters except in the visual effects cate- subjects and daring characters. They are all Smaug” and Iron Man 3” received five egories for live-action feature films, Mockingbird,” the film that showcased Atticus gory, but whose films are often among the top- heroes in the cinematic landscape.” The produc- each. “Frozen,” “The Croods” and “Epic” four for animated features, three for Finch, the character named by the American grossers of the year. (Zadan, Meron and the ers added that “there will be no shortage of led all animated features with four broadcast television programs, two for Film Institute as the greatest screen hero of all Academy have already secured a superhero, comedy” with host Ellen DeGeneres. The exhibi- nominations each, while HBO’s “Game commercials, four for either commer- time. Chris Hemsworth from “Thor,” to help AMPAS tion titled “The Oscars Celebrates Movie Heroes” of Thrones” topped the TV nominations cials or broadcast, and one each for When they produced the Oscars last year, president Cheryl Boone Isaacs announce the will be on display in the Grand Lobby Gallery of with four. videogames, special venue projects Zadan and Meron became the first producers in nominees on Thursday morning.) Academy headquarters from this Friday through The most surprising and telling of and student projects. In the animated- years to set a theme for the broadcast. The 2013 No word, though, on whether the March 2 March 5. — Reuters the “Gravity” nominations may have feature categories, “Frozen,” “The come in the Outstanding Animated Croods” and “Epic” scored four nomina- Character in a Live Action Feature tions each, while “Cloudy With a Motion Picture category. Alongside the Chance of Meatballs 2” and “Monsters Dogged on disarmament, actor dragon Smaug from “The Hobbit,” University” received two and China Girl from “Oz the Great and “Despicable Me 2” landed one. Powerful” and the alien monster “Game of Thrones” led a group of Leatherback from “Pacific Rim,” VES television nominations that were Douglas earns UNICEF award members in eight cities voted for Ryan, spread among more than a dozen pro- the “Gravity” character played by grams. The miniseries “Inseparable” was scar-winning actor Michael percenter, gives 100 percent, doesn’t Sandra Bullock (apparently with the the only other TV program to receive Douglas says his main philan- give his name without giving himself.” help of four VFX artists). multiple nominations, with two. Other thropic cause - nuclear disar- Douglas believes Hollywood’s celebri- O Further proof of just how thoroughly TV nominees included “Agents of mament - is not exactly the kind of ties are doing a good job these days “touchy-feely” issue that celebrities with philanthropic and humanitarian “Gravity” dominated the 2013 visual- S.H.I.E.L.D.,” “Battlestar Galactica,” and their fans covet, and it can be causes and cites the work of Angelina effects field: Even before VES voters “DaVinci’s Demons,” “Mob City,” “The awfully frustrating when it comes to Jolie with refugees as a noteworthy made the film the year’s top nominee, Borgias” and “Hawaii 5-0.” Effects pio- progress. It’s one, however, he has example. Most talent agencies these the society selected Cuaron to be the neer John Dykstra will receive the stuck with for years as a United Nations days have specialized departments to recipient of its Visionary Award at the group’s Lifetime Achievement Award at Messenger of Peace since 1998, and for match their clients up with philan- ceremony on Feb 12 at the Beverly the Feb 12 ceremony. — Reuters that persistence he will be recognized thropic projects, a necessity for the on Tuesday night with the Danny Kaye modern-day movie star, he said. While Humanitarian Peace Award from the Kaye did film roles for children and US fund for UNICEF, the UN branch for humanitarian work for children, children. Douglas says there is no such connec- “I was born in 1944, one year before tion in his onscreen/offscreen work, the first bomb went off, and I hope in even though he started looking at the ‘Grown Ups 2’ leads my lifetime to see the elimination of nuclear issue in the 1979 film he pro- the weapons,” Douglas told Reuters duced and starred in, “The China ahead of UNICEF’s Beverly Hills ball, Syndrome.” with childhood friend Dena Kaye, the Many of his roles have been men of Razzies worst-of list only daughter of the late comic actor dubious morals, like the ruthless corpo- and UNICEF’s first ambassador, by his rate raider Gordon Gekko in “Wall side. That he is being honored with the Street” for which Douglas won an Oscar Danny Kaye award is especially mean- in 1988. “I always go with what the best ingful, he said, because he knew Kaye movie is,” he said, adding that it is as a child, admired his impact on chil- about “how good the material is, and dren and can still recite rhymes from his my role comes secondarily.” To that end, films. He said Kaye “did more for the on Monday Douglas came out with United Nations and for UNICEF than another unconventional career choice, anyone I can think of.” Actor Michael Douglas this time playing scientist Hank Pym in It will be the 69-year-old actor’s sec- to deal with the overwhelming Cold War and how actors like Kaye - Marvel superhero film “Ant-Man,” due ond honor this week after winning a demand for him to show up for charity, who died in 1987 and would have been for release in 2015. Golden Globe on Sunday for his that he would principally work with the 101 this week - and his own father Kirk “Sometimes - like (when) they didn’t acclaimed portrayal of the exuberant elimination of nuclear weapons and Douglas navigated the channels of see you for Liberace - you’ve got to pianist Liberace in the HBO drama small arms at the United Nations, a exchange where Western leaders could shake them up a little bit and have “Behind the Candelabra,” a role that cause that can move at a glacial pace. not. some fun,” Douglas said of surprising made many in Hollywood see the “Sure, it’s painful,” said Douglas. “We Kaye, the star of films like 1947’s both studios and audiences with his famously virile Douglas in a new light. were gearing up just a few years ago for “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty,” had “a decision to do a superhero film. And The recognition for his work both on the START talks with President Obama childlike joie de vivre and was a won- he’ll keep plugging away at disarma- and off screen comes in the wake of his and the Russians and there was a derful host,” Douglas remembers from ment, but he did acknowledge that he successful treatment for stage IV can- reduction in warheads.” “But things when he was invited to the Kaye house plans to do some more work advocat- cer that made him so weak, as he said have gotten cool now again between for the famous Asian meals that Kaye ing for more lenient sentencing for in his acceptance speech Sunday, that Russia and the US and it has slowed himself cooked.