Hazanavicius Wins at Directors Guild for 'The Artist'

LOS ANGELES (AP) The Directors Guild of America Awards are the latest Hollywood film honors to go silent.Hollywood's top filmmakers group presented its feature-film honor Saturday to Michel Hazanavicius for his silent film "The Artist," giving him the inside track for the best-director prize at the Academy Awards."I really love directors. I really have respect for directors. So this is really very moving and touching for me," said Hazanavicius, whose black-and-white silent charmer has cleaned up at earlier Hollywood honors and could emerge as the best-picture favorite at the Feb. 26 Oscars.The Directors Guild honors are one of the most-accurate forecasts for who might go on to take home an Oscar. Only six times in the 63-year history of the guild awards has the winner failed to win the Oscar for best director. And more often than not, whichever film earns the directing Oscar also wins best picture.French filmmaker Hazanavicius, whose credits include the spy spoofs "OSS 117: Cairo, Nest of Spies" and "OSS 117: Lost in Rio," had been a virtual unknown in Hollywood until "The Artist." His throwback to early cinema centers on a silent-era star whose career crumbles when talking pictures take over in the late 1920s.First-time nominee Hazanavicius won over a field of guild heavyweights that included past winners Martin Scorsese for "Hugo" and Woody Allen for "Midnight in Paris." Past nominees David Fincher for "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" and Alexander Payne for "The Descendants" also were in the running.Accepting his nomination plaque earlier in the ceremony from his stars in "The Artist," Jean Dujardin and Berenice Bejo, Hazanavicius recalled his childhood education in great cinema, including Hollywood classics such as "Red River" and "Rio Bravo."Hazanavicius said he felt he was being welcomed by the Directors Guild for a language they had in common: cinema."Maybe you noticed, but I'm French. I have an accent. I have a name that is very difficult to pronounce," Hazanavicius said. "I'm not American, and I'm not French, actually. I'm a filmmaker. ... I feel like I'm being accepted by you not as Americans but as filmmakers."James Marsh won the film documentary prize for "Project Nim," his chronicle of the triumphs and trials of a chimpanzee that was raised like a human child. It was the latest major Hollywood prize for Marsh, who earned the documentary Academy Award for 2008's "Man on Wire."Scorsese went zero-for-two at the guild awards. He also had been nominated for the documentary award for "George Harrison: Living in the Material World."Robert B. Weide won the TV comedy directing award for an episode of "Curb Your Enthusiasm," while Patty Jenkins earned the TV drama prize for the pilot of "The Killing."The award for TV movie or miniseries went to Jon Cassar for "The Kennedys."Other television winners were: Reality programming: Neil P. DeGroot, "The Biggest Loser." Musical variety: Glenn Weiss, "The 65th Annual Tony Awards." Daytime serials: William Ludel, "General Hospital." Children's programs: Amy Schatz, "A Child's Garden of Poetry." Commercials: Noam Murro.At the start of the ceremony, Guild President Taylor Hackford led the crowd in a toast to one of his predecessors, Gil Cates, the veteran producer of the Oscar broadcast who died last year.The Directors Guild awards were the first of two major Hollywood honors this weekend. The Screen Actors Guild hands out its prizes Sunday.Copyright 2012 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Disney taps Ough Strauss mind of marketing

StraussFormer Participant Media prexy Ough Strauss remains named mind of marketing for Wally Disney Art galleries.Strauss, who also spent 16 years just like a marketing and production professional in the new the new sony, works MT Carney, who introduced her departure the other day carrying out a rocky 18-month tenure.Strauss will oversee global marketing for promotions, publicity, research and synergy across all distribution channels for movies released beneath the Wally Disney Pictures (including Wally Disney Animation and Pixar Animation), Marvel Art galleries, and Touchstone Pictures ads, including DreamWorks Art galleries photos released through Touchstone.Strauss had labored while using Disney team in recent several days in controlling marketing and outreach for your Touchstone-distribbed DreamWorks' hit "The Help.InchInchI'm very happy to welcome Ough Strauss for the Wally Disney Art galleries family. With two-and-a-half decades of industry experience, he brings an in-depth understanding of each and every aspect in the film business additionally to incredible skill in branding and cutting-edge marketing," mentioned Disney Art galleries chairman Ross. "He'll unquestionably boost the studios' creative bar after we enter 2012 and appearance ahead at featuring an incredible slate of films to audiences around the globe.InchStated Strauss: "Disney, Pixar, Marvel, and DreamWorks Art galleries are the world's best and smartest brands," mentioned Strauss. "I expect now to coping with make use of the exceptional team at Disney, doing most likely probably the most innovative marketing on the market.InchIt comes lower as not surprising that Carney's alternative features a deep resume inside the film biz. Strauss formerly labored just like a senior marketing executive and senior veep of production at Columbia/TriStar Pictures. The appointment of Carney, an advertising vet who was simply been trained in new media but did not have film background, switched that need considering a significant misstep for Disney. She was among Ross' initial utilizes, hired in April 2010, round the heels of his promotion from Disney Channels Worldwide boss for the film studio chief publish last year.Just before joining Participant in 2005, Strauss founded The brand new the new sony-based Ricochet Entertainment, where he professional produced the Cameron Diaz film "The Very Best Factor," among other projects.When Carney was hired couple of years ago, naysayers requested whether a person without any background in studio marketing could fill the role. Gossips of her exit began rapidly, but studio professionals frequently mentioned they were happy with her work. Since she signed on, "Pirates in the Kingfisher: On Stranger Tides" passed $1 billion worldwide, while "Cars 2" hit greater than $500 million but there has been also flops for instance "Mars Needs Moms."Strauss happens board with elaborate campaign for sci-fier "John Carter" already in place getting a March 9 launch. Key approaching game game titles for Disney are Marvel's "The Avengers" on May 4, Pixar's "Brave" on June 12, "The Odd Information on Timothy Eco-friendly" on August. 15, Tim Burton's "Frankenweenie" on March. 5 and "Wreck-it Take advantage of" on November. 2. Contact Dork McNary at dork.mcnary@variety.com

Wednesday TV in Review: Chelsea, Face Off, Middle, Harry and much more

Face Off Knock knock. Who's there? Chelsea. Chelsea who? No, make that Chelsea why? The response to the question posed in NBC's squalid new sitcom Are You Currently There, Chelsea? (8:30/7:30c) is "not necessarily.Inch According to late-evening spitfire Chelsea Handler's potty-mouthed party-girl memoirs - but shedding the Vodka in the title because that could be, you realize, offensive - this smutty but toothless misfire puzzlingly reduces Handler to some supporting role: what mousy, whiny born-again sister towards the imaginary Chelsea, performed with that '70s Show's Laura Prepon having a one-note husky-voiced crassness that develops stale lengthy prior to the first scene (inside a women's jail cell) finishes with Glee's Us dot Marie Johnson leering at Chelsea. That is maybe the only real sexual advance Chelsea spurns. As lengthy as she will be on the top. Which she mentions a great deal. The smarmy and incessant innuendo is much more deafening compared to laugh track, but regardless of how low it stoops, still it lacks the zing and bite of Handler's cable antics. Inside a twelve months of so-far-dreadful new network comedies which has incorporated ABC's Arrange It and moves onto CBS' ineptly offensive Take advantage of on Thursday, Chelsea has got the distinction to be the one which should include a go of penicillin. The only real upside: It is a good match the equally puerile Whitney, by developing a simple-to-ignore block on Wednesday, releases NBC's Thursday selection for that return of 30 Rock (though at the fee for Community, unfortunately). Anybody with taste or self-regard is going to be watching ABC's Wednesday comedies anyway (more about that later), therefore if we are lucky, before lengthy whenever we search for Chelsea around the schedule (though why would we?), it really will not be there. Want more fall TV news? Sign up for TV Guide Magazine now! Not Only ANOTHER Good Looks: The changes on Syfy's fascinating competition show Face Off (10/9c) aren't your usual TV refurbishments. Unless of course, I guess, you usually imagined to be converted into a film monster. This addictive series, coming back for any second season, is much like Thing of beauty while using body like a canvas which are more macabre extremes of imagination. Participants really are a funky number of artists skilled in special-effects make-up, creature creation and sculpture, body painting and so on. Beauty is incorporated in the eye from the beholder, likewise the terrible and fantastic visions they execute in each challenge, once we watch the procedure unfold from design and sketches to toning and conforms to application to crowning glory-ups. The outlet round, created by the appealing host McKenzie Westmore, takes the gamers in the Universal Galleries backlot (home of numerous popular monster) to Hollywood Boulevard, using the elimination "Spotlight" challenge including the reinterpretation of the movie and literary classic: The Wizard of Oz. Namely, the scarecrow, container guy, cowardly lion and wicked witch. Symbols from the greatest order, and as the saying goes on shows like The American Idol Show, the aim is to ensure they are their very own. Plus they do, with decidedly mixed results - the container guy appears to actually stump them - but scarecrows are infamously frightening objects, and at the disposal of these craftspeople, they become something so fearsome in visage it might send Dorothy Gale to Kansas inside a heartbeat. Other large news for reality fans: Tonight may be the "restaurant wars" episode of Bravo's Top Chef: Texas (10/9c). Do you know the odds meat is going to be around the menu? In Which The FUNNY IS: Whether it's Wednesday, it should be on ABC, starting off with another inspired episode from the Middle (8/7c), by which we discover the Hecks coming back in the funeral of ancient Aunt Ginny - the episode is devoted to Frances Bay, who died last September at 92 - by having an extended scene of family banter within the vehicle that ranks one of the show's finest and funniest. When Frankie describes the idea of bereavement food, that "you are not designed to prepare" when you are sad, Brick pipes up, "Are you currently sad constantly, mother?" Score. Frankie is really sad, though, when she stops to consider how rapidly the year progresses and just how the household rarely stops to acknowledge the main key events. One particular milestone happens later within the episode, as Poor Sue (Eden Sher) becomes aware she might have a follower around the wrestling team. A real boyfriend? Aunt Ginny could be so proud. Suburgatory (8:30/7:30c) welcomes Cougar Town's much-skipped Serta Byrd, who's killing time such as the relaxation people until ABC finally agendas the blasted show already. He plays an undercover narc in school befriended by Tessa, who assumes he's gay - which still does not stop sad-sack Lisa from crushing on him. And Tessa's only some of the one out of her family jumping to conclusions, as George assumes Dallas' invitation to create her boutique is an additional type of seduction. (The way in which she eats a blueberry, who are able to blame him?) Within the episodes not provided readily available for preview, Modern Family (9/8c) puts Mitchell and Cam a measure nearer to their next adoption, because they talk with prospective birth moms and then try to keep their awesome (have fun with that) and there is a guest-star alert on Happy Being (9:31/8:31c), as Dave's father (Michael McKean) turns up together with his new girlfriend, who is actually Penny's mother (Megan Mullally). GOING APE: "Why Question Lady?" This is the question posed on NBC's Harry's Law (9/8c) being an psychologically unstable client (Smallville's Erica Durance) is charged with crude vigilantism after she assaults abusive husbands while putting on the classic super hero drag. Why indeed. This qualifies like a classic in-joke, mentioning to Law creator David E. Kelley's unsuccessful make an effort to revive Question Lady for NBC, probably the most well known unaired aircraft pilots in a long time. (It is actually a sight to behold.) The episode's other subplot involves a higher-functioning runaway zoo ape on whose account Harry (Kathy Bates) attempts to argue the problem of "personhood." Hey, he's a minimum of as credible as the absurd human creatures about this show, using its cloying mixture of the shateringly serious and also the quirkily precious. The maudlin storytelling helped me wish to digital rebel like Caesar in Rise from the Planet from the Apes. I am more intrigued by tonight's scenario for NBC's Law & Order: Special Sufferers Unit (10/9c), apparently inspired through the interactive off-Broadway phenom Sleep Forget About (also featured lately on Gossip Girl). The crime of the day involves a rape that happens mid-performance, using the audience (in masks) thinking it's area of the show. Fisher Stevens visitors because the play's director, who most likely wasn't striving for your degree of realism. Sign up for TV Guide Magazine now!