Simon Baker scores star on Hollywood Walk BY: PETER MITCHELL From: AAP February 01, 2013 7:05AM (AUSTRALIAN NEWS)

SIMON Baker is about to pick up a valuable piece of Hollywood real estate.

The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce announced on Friday the Australian star of the hit TV series, The Mentalist, will receive a star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame.

The ceremony will take place on February 14, making it a special Valentine's Day.

"Hearts will be pounding for Simon Baker as he unveils his star on this very special day," Ana Martinez, producer of the Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremonies, said.

"His star will be located next to the very romantic Beso Restaurant."

It will be the 2490th Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in the category of television.

His good friend Naomi Watts and Bruno Heller, executive producer of The Mentalist, will present the star to Baker.

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'Movie 43' Open Jan. 25 Emma Stone, Kate Winslet, Naomi Watts, Hugh Jackman, Gerard Butler Among Stars (LATINO POST)

(Photo : Relativity Entertainment) Kate Winslet and Hugh Jackman in Movie 43

On Jan. 25 "Movie 43" opens nationwide. The ensemble comedy stars a plethora of actors including Elizabeth Banks, Kate Winslet, Kristen Bell, Naomi Watts, Richard Gere, Hugh Jackman, Gerard Butler, and Josh Duhamel.

The film tells the story of a three kids as they search the depths of the Internet to find the most banned movie in the world. The film features 12 different stories from 11 different directors and 15 writers including Elizabeth Banks, Steven Brill, The Farrelly Brothers, James Duffy, and Brett Ratner.

Read more at http://www.latinospost.com/articles/10206/20130123/movie-43-open-jan-25-emma-stone.htm#y9o8X3TS0RrHROrj.99 

'Lincoln' tops Oscar nominations By Todd Leopold, CNN

(CNN) -- "Lincoln," director Steven Spielberg's film about the 16th president and his battle to end slavery, topped the nominations for the 85th Academy Awards on Thursday, receiving 12 nods, including best picture.

Along with Spielberg, who picked up a best director nomination, the film earned picks for best actor (Daniel Day-Lewis), best supporting actress (Sally Field), best supporting actor (Tommy Lee Jones) and best adapted screenplay (Tony Kushner).

"Life of Pi" was second with 11 nominations, including best picture, best director (Ang Lee) and best adapted screenplay.

As always, there were a handful of surprises. The most notable, perhaps, was the showing by the small independent film "Beasts of the Southern Wild." Its 9-year-old star, Quvenzhane Wallis, earned a nomination for best actress, becoming the youngest person ever in that category. In addition, the film was nominated for best picture, best director (Benh Zeitlin) and best adapted screenplay -- four nominations in all.


Along with "Lincoln," "Pi," "Beasts" and "Amour," the other best picture nominees are "Argo," "Django Unchained," "Zero Dark Thirty," "Silver Linings Playbook" and "Les Miserables."

The nominees for best actor are Day-Lewis ("Lincoln"), Hugh Jackman ("Les Miserables"), Denzel Washington ("Flight"), Joaquin Phoenix ("The Master") and Bradley Cooper ("Silver Linings Playbook").

The nominees for best actress are Wallis ("Beasts of the Southern Wild"), Jessica Chastain ("Zero Dark Thirty"), Jennifer Lawrence ("Silver Linings Playbook"), Naomi Watts ("The Impossible") and Emmanuelle Riva ("Amour").

The nominees for best supporting actor are Jones ("Lincoln"), Robert De Niro ("Silver Linings Playbook"), Philip Seymour Hoffman ("The Master"), Alan Arkin ("Argo") and Christoph Waltz ("Django Unchained").

The nominees for best supporting actress are Field ("Lincoln"), Amy Adams ("The Master"), Anne Hathaway ("Les Miserables"), Helen Hunt ("The Sessions") and Jacki Weaver ("Silver Linings Playbook").

The nominees for best director are Spielberg ("Lincoln"), Zeitlin ("Beasts of the Southern Wild"), David O. Russell ("Silver Linings Playbook"), Lee ("Life of Pi") and Haneke ("Amour").

READ MORE: http://www.cnn.com/2013/01/10/showbiz/movies/oscar-nominations/?hpt=hp_c1

The Impossible: Is Ewan McGregor Finally Getting The Praise He Deserves? (CONTACT MUSIC)

Ewan McGregor's stunning turn in Juan Antonio Bayona's The Impossible is being lauded by critics left, right and center, with some suggesting it may be the Scottish actor's finest turn since Trainspotting. Of course, the disaster-epic is a very different film from Danny Boyle's 1996 classic, and it's the first time McGregor has played a father or family man.

The movie tells the true story of a family's experience of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. It had its world premiere at the 2012 Toronto International Film Festival on September 9, where it received critical acclaim. Following its full release, Empire magazine dubbed it a "rousing, superbly acted, no-holds-barred melodrama is a mighty feat of physical film making." Peter Bradshaw mused, "This film is not especially complex, and not subtle, but there is judgment and intelligence in the simple idea of survival being the most agonizing thing, and making survivor guilt the psychological aftershock of a shattering and irreparable blow."


READ MORE: http://www.contactmusic.com/news/the-impossible-is-ewan-mcgregor-finally-getting-the-praise-he-deserves_3433123

Ewan McGregor Talks About “The Impossible” And Family POSTED DEC. 26, 2012, 6:00 AM BEVERLY COHN / EDITOR-AT-LARGE (SANTA MONICA MIRROR)

It is no accident that the perennial youthful and stunningly handsome Ewan McGregor is an international acting treasure who has racked up a list of impressive credits earning him the Number 9 spot on Channel 4’s Greatest Movie Stars of All Time.

His breakout role was in “Trainspotting” in which he played a heroin addict and since then starred in such films as the prequel trilogy of “Star Wars” playing Jedi Obi-Wan Kenobi, the love-struck poet in “Moulin Rouge,” the son in both “Big Fish” and “Beginners,” as well starring roles in “Black Hawk Down,” “Cassandra’s Dream,” “Emma,” “Ghost Writer,” and “Angels & Demons.” Theatre trained, McGregor also received accolades for his stage performances in “Guys and Dolls,” and “Othello.”

His latest film, “The Impossible,” is the heart-wrenching story of a family’s struggle for survival in the wake of the horrifying tsunami that hit Thailand the morning after Christmas in 2004. One of the worst natural disasters in history, it tells the story of determination and bravery under unimaginable conditions. McGregor plays Henry, the father and co-stars with Naomi Watts as his wife, Maria, and three wonderful young actors who play their sons – Tom Holland (Lucas), Samuel Joslin (Thomas), and Oaklee Pendergast (Simon). The film is a monument to honoring the best that human beings can be in the face of unspeakable carnage.

McGregor recently sat down with a group of select journalists to discuss the film, along with personal revelations, and the following has been edited for content and continuity for print purposes.

What this family went through is beyond belief. Did you meet the father who you played as Henry?

Ewan: I met him when the family came out to Kolok (Thailand) where we were shooting, after about a month of filming. I did have telephone calls with him. They are a Spanish family, but we decided not to play them as a Spanish family, so I felt like I was concentrating playing the guy on the page. The character in the script is Henry and I used the things I learned from the real father about his experience, but also things I learned from other survivors. I met this amazing woman in London who was very gracious and told me her story. She lost her husband in the tsunami and she has three children and her story is very similar to my character’s in that she was with her two younger kids and her husband and eldest daughter were separated. She didn’t know where they were. So her experience and journey was very similar to his (Henry) in that she was looking for them. She would find somewhere safe to leave her kids and then she would search for her daughter and her husband.

READ MORE: http://www.smmirror.com/articles/seven-days/Ewan-McGregor-Talks-About-The-Impossible-And-Family/36390