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Octavia Spencer & 'Chronicle' Star Michael B. Jordan To Star In 'Fruitvale' About Controversial Death Of Oscar Grant

  • By Kevin Jagernauth
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  • April 17, 2012 11:17 AM
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  • 0 Comments
News
The tragic death/murder of Trayvon Martin has been at the top of headlines in recent weeks, drawing controversy and criticism as officials have moved painfully slowly in arrested George Zimmerman, or even doing the basic groundwork of investigation, in a case that many feel has the markings of a racially motivated attack. But sadly, Martin is not the only young black man in recent memory to be shockingly killed by in a heated incident. On New Year's Day in 2009, the 22 year-old Oscar Grant was pulled off a rowdy BART train at the Fruitvale station, and was shot in the back, dying from his wounds, with cellphone footage capturing the entire event. Officer Mehserle was sentenced to two years for the crime, and was released on parole last June. Events bear a general similarity to the Trayvon incident, and now a movie is on the way.
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More: Octavia Spencer, Michael B. Jordan, Fruitvale, Forest Whitaker

Octavia Spencer Says She's Writing Something For Melissa McCarthy, Describes Her 'Lamb Of God' Character While Campaigning For 'The Help'

  • By Jen Vineyard
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  • February 25, 2012 12:47 PM
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  • 1 Comment
News
At a recent private luncheon for awards contender "The Help" at Desmond's in New York, Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer didn't touch their dessert, a chocolate pie/cake hybrid -- did they know something the rest of us weren't privy to? Speaking very slowly as if it were a warning, Davis teased, "I probably should not have dessert here," before revealing her real reason: she had a stash of Ladurée macarons back at her hotel. Laughed Spencer, "I'm just glad they didn't make our chocolate pie."
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More: Octavia Spencer, Viola Davis, The Help, Melissa McCarthy, Lamb Of God

Sony Pictures Classics Pick Up Acclaimed Sundance Drama 'Smashed' With Mary Elizabeth Winstead & Aaron Paul

  • By Oliver Lyttelton
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  • February 6, 2012 9:17 AM
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  • 2 Comments
News
After the disappointing box office performance of last year's Sundance crop -- films like "Take Shelter," "Like Crazy" and "Martha Marcy May Marlene" all failed to live up to expectations, with none making more than $4 million -- it's unsurprising that buyers have been a little less trigger happy this time around. There have been plenty of major sales -- most notably Fox Searchlight's pick ups of "The Surrogate" and "Beasts of The Southern Wild" -- but over a week after the fest wrapped up, a number of major titles remain in play. For instance, most had pegged the starry, foul-mouthed comedy "Bachelorette" as the most likely pick up, especially in a post-"Bridesmaids" climate, but the film is yet to find a home.
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More: Sony Pictures Classics, Smashed, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Aaron Paul, Octavia Spencer, Nick Offerman

It Keeps Getting Better: Oscar Nominee Octavia Spencer Joins Bong Joon-Ho's 'Snow Piercer'

  • By Kevin Jagernauth
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  • February 2, 2012 3:34 PM
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  • 3 Comments
News
For his English language debut, Bong Joon-Ho is certainly stacking the deck to make sure he doesn't fuck it up. With a cast that already includes Chris Evans, Tilda Swinton, Jamie Bell, John Hurt and Song Kang-Ho, he's gone ahead and added to the already fantastic ensemble by signing on an actress who might just be walking away with an Oscar in the coming weeks.
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More: Snow Piercer, Octavia Spencer

The Amazing Race: Taking The Temperature Of The Race After The Oscar Nominations & Guild Awards

  • By Oliver Lyttelton
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  • January 30, 2012 2:55 PM
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  • 9 Comments
Awards
Finally, the Oscar nominations were announced last Tuesday. Furthermore, three of the four big guilds -- the Producers, the Director's and the Screen Actors -- have given out their awards over the last couple of weekends, with only the Writers still to hand out any statuettes. So at last, months and months down the line, we can stop talking about what's going to be be nominated, and start talking about what's going to win. Or at least who's leading the field at this point.
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More: Oscars, Academy Awards, The Amazing Race, The Artist, Michel Hazanavicius, George Clooney, Viola Davis, Christopher Plummer, Octavia Spencer

Is The Oscar Next? 'The Help' Tops The 18th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards With Three Prizes Including Best Ensemble

  • By The Playlist
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  • January 29, 2012 8:06 PM
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  • 4 Comments
Awards
Well, that’s a wrap. It was pretty much between “The Artist” and “The Help,” but the populist civil rights era film edged out the crowd-pleasing silent film. While “The Artist” is still probably the Best Picture favorite at the Oscars, it was “The Help” that won the Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture award at the 18th annual Screen Actors Guild Awards.
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More: Screen Actors Guild, Christopher Plummer, Octavia Spencer

The Amazing Race: Jean Dujardin, Martin Scorsese & Octavia Spencer Get Boosts From The Golden Globes

  • By Oliver Lyttelton
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  • January 16, 2012 9:01 AM
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  • 3 Comments
Awards
The third Monday in January is popularly known in Hollywood circles as "hungover-as-shit Monday," as it immediately follows the Golden Globes, the award season's drunker, more badly-behaved little cousin. Among all the questions raised by the Golden Globes last night (What was the point of asking a defanged Ricky Gervais back? How did we get to the point where "W.E" can legitimately be described as an award-winning film? Is Johnny Depp Irish now or something? What is "Episodes"?), the one we come back to here is whether or not the Globes are really a force when it comes to predicting how the Oscars will turn out.
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More: The Amazing Race, The Golden Globes, Harvey Weinstein, Jean Dujardin, Meryl Streep, Octavia Spencer, Martin Scorsese

'The Artist' Continues Awards Sweep With Four Wins At The Critic's Choice Awards; George Clooney & Viola Davis Take Best Actor/Actress

  • By Oliver Lyttelton
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  • January 13, 2012 9:10 AM
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  • 4 Comments
Awards
We've still got about six weeks to go in the awards season, but we're all but done with the nomination process (bar the Oscars, of course), and moving into the stage where people actually get to start filling up their trophy cabinet. The Golden Globes are on Sunday, but last night saw the first televised ceremonies of 2012, the Broadcast Film Critic's Association Critic's Choice Awards.
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More: The Broadcast Film Critics Association, The Artist, George Clooney, Viola Davis, Christopher Plummer, Octavia Spencer

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