Video Verdict: ‘Hugo,’ ‘Johnny English Reborn’

Asa Butterfield, left, plays Hugo Cabret and Chloe Grace Moretz plays Isabelle in the Martin Scorsese drama, “Hugo.” The film was nominated for 11 Academy Awards, including best picture, best adapted screenplay and best director.

Only a couple major theatrical releases are making their way to video this week, but one is a must-see.

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Video Verdict: ‘J. Edgar,’ ‘Puss In Boots,’ ‘Tower Heist’

Leonardo DiCaprio plays J. Edgar Hoover and Judi Dench plays his mother, Anna Marie Hoover, in the Clint Eastwood film “J. Edgar.”

This week’s home video releases include an Oscar-nominated animated movie and a historical biopic directed by Clint Eastwood.

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Video Verdict: ‘Take Shelter,’ ‘The Rum Diary’

Michael Shannon struggles with a feeling of impending doom in the psychological thriller “Take Shelter.”

It’s a slow week for home video, with no wide-release theatrical films making their way to the small screen. That’s not such a bad thing, however, because it allows me to spotlight two noteworthy independent projects.

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I’m part of the Fox 11 News team

Readers from the Reno, NV, area may be interested in knowing that I will be reviewing movies and home video releases for Reno’s Fox affiliate, Fox 11 News, beginning Thursday (Feb. 9). My segment — Flix Pix — will appear at 11 p.m. Thursdays on “11 at 11,” the station’s nightly news show. Needless to say, I’m excited about this, as I haven’t worked in TV for some time.

I hope all of you that live in the Reno-Sparks market will tune in and support Fox 11. We’re hoping this is the beginning of a long and enjoyable relationship.

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Video Verdict: ‘The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1,’ ‘A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas’

Robert Pattinson plays the vampire Edward Cullen and Kristen Stewart plays his lover, Bella Swan, in “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1.”

Two sequels anchor this week’s crop of home video releases, the most noteworthy being chapter four in the “Twilight” franchise.

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February 7, 2012 · 7:53 am

Video Verdict: ‘Drive,’ ‘The Thing,’ ‘The Big Year,’ ‘In Time,’ ‘Dream House’

Carey Mulligan, left, and Ryan Gosling star in the thriller “Drive.”

This week’s major home video releases include the prequel to a classic horror film, a science-fiction drama starring Justin Timberlake and a gritty thriller featuring Ryan Gosling.

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Oscar nominations announced

"Hugo" was nominated for 11 Oscars, including best director for Martin Scorsese and best picture.

Oscar nominations were announced today and, as usual, there were few surprises. That said, I didn’t expect to see Demián Bichir make his way into the best actor race for “A Better Life.” Certainly, people like his performance, but his chances seemed slim going into today’s nominations. So, you never know what’s going to happen. I was also pleased to see the strong support for Terrence Malick and “The Tree of Life.” This is a great film that got too little attention from Critics’ organizations.

Following is a complete list of nominees …

Best Picture

“The Artist”
“The Descendants”
“Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close”
“The Help”
“Hugo”
“Midnight in Paris”
“Moneyball”
“The Tree of Life”
“War Horse”

Actor in a Leading Role

Demián Bichir in “A Better Life”
George Clooney in “The Descendants”
Jean Dujardin in “The Artist”
Gary Oldman in “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy”
Brad Pitt in “Moneyball”

Actor in a Supporting Role

Kenneth Branagh in “My Week with Marilyn”
Jonah Hill in “Moneyball”
Nick Nolte in “Warrior”
Christopher Plummer in “Beginners”
Max von Sydow in “Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close”

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Video Verdict: ’50/50,’ ‘Real Steel,’ ‘Paranormal Activity 3’

Joseph Gordon-Levitt (left) and Seth Rogen star in the dramedy “50/50.”

This week’s major home video releases include a third addition to the “Paranormal Activity” franchise, a family film about boxing robots and a terrific dramedy featuring Seth Rogen and Joseph Gordon-Levitt.

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Video Verdict: ‘Ides of March,’ ‘Abduction’

Ryan Gosling plays an idealistic campaign strategist in the political drama “The Ides of March.”

This week’s home video releases include a thriller designed to turn Taylor Lautner into an action star and a powerful political drama from actor-director George Clooney.

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Interview with ‘Haywire’ star Gina Carano

I recently interviewed “Haywire” star Gina Carano for the Reno Gazette-Journal because she has spent a lot of time in the Reno area and her father still lives there. If you’re interested, you’ll find the full piece here: http://www.rgj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2012201150315

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