_____THE PHANTOM of the Opera_____
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POSITIVE - Soundtrack.NET - Guild Screening

MIXED - Empire Magazine - ***/5
POSITIVE - Broadway - Soundtrack
POSITIVE - James Inverne (Times)
POSITIVE - Elle Magazine
POSITIVE - Jeffrey Wells
POSITIVE - David Poland
RAVE - NY Post

Andrew Lloyd Webber speaks at Phantom of the Opera Screening

http://www.soundtrack.net/news/article/?id=558



These days, the movie-musical is coming back in style, and after Chicago did so well, I would expect we'll be seeing many more to come. The latest adaptation from stage to screen is one that has been in the works for nearly 15 years. Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera is one of the most popular musicals of all time, the second-longest running musical ever (his Cats was the first-longest). Brought to the screen by Joel Schumaker, the big-screen version makes a few minor changes to the storyline, but ultimately holds the same power and draw as the musical on which it was based.

There was a new song written for the film, entitled "Learn to be Lonely". In my interview with music producer Nigel Wright, he indicated that they weren't sure if the song would end up in the final film. Ultimately, a pop version shows up during the end credits. When asked about it, Webber indicated that they had indeed filmed a scene where the Phantom sings it, but cut it in the end. Ironically, Minnie Driver (who plays the diva Carlotta) was dubbed over during the film - but actually sings the end credits song!

The film runs 142 minutes long, and at times you can feel it - but the imagery and music on screen is enough to keep your eyes glued to the screen. For fans of the musical, this film has been a long-time coming. For people who haven't been able to see it, now they finally can!

UK TIMES CULTURE MAG: Cinema Box-Office NOW OPEN

It's getting serious now that the release date is only 9 Days or so away.......

http://www.phantomfans.net/index.php?showtopic=4721

YEAH BABY YEAH!!!!!!!!!!YEAH BABY YEAH!!!!!!!!!!YEAH BABY YEAH!!!!!!!!!!YEAH BABY YEAH!!!!!!!!!!YEAH BABY YEAH!!!!!!!!!!YEAH BABY YEAH!!!!!!!!!!YEAH BABY YEAH!!!!!!!!!!YEAH BABY YEAH!!!!!!!!!!YEAH BABY YEAH!!!!!!!!!!YEAH BABY YEAH!!!!!!!!!!YEAH BABY YEAH!!!!!!!!!!YEAH BABY YEAH!!!!!!!!!!YEAH BABY YEAH!!!!!!!!!!YEAH BABY YEAH!!!!!!!!!!YEAH BABY YEAH!!!!!!!!!!YEAH BABY YEAH!!!!!!!!!!YEAH BABY YEAH!!!!!!!!!!

OMG OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!

I just received my EXAM results a momment ago and i'm so bloody relieved that one of the units which i think i did poorly in......ended up getting a pretty good result for that I'm really speechless at the momment.......i just want to let off some steam........i've been so worried that past 3 weeks.......that' it's really been playing on my mind........BUT NOW THAT IT's OVER.........i'm so happy.......OMG OMG.......

Ok, enough of me.......back to business......

LOL That little presentation was totally unexpected, but nonetheless humourous! Love the abrubt ending! Stellar!!

Congrats mate!

Thankyou so much.......i want to cuddle you like a sweet teddy bear......in fact, i want to cuddle evyerone here..........and BTW - are you laughing at me.......how dare youi

No, it was that it was one of the harder subjects this semester......and the exam structure was quite difficult in itself.......there was negative marking....

I'm so relieved that that's now out of the way........

I THINK i'm going to reward myself tomorrow by going to see National Treasure........and buying the Harry Potter 3 DVD........sigh......

You are most welcome! Wasn't laughing at you cobber, was laughing at the way you wrote your post with the yeah baby's and the OMG's!

Well, my mind was about to explode and i really didn't know what to do besides punping my fist and yealing YEAH!.......

Though i can assure you i am calm now.....sorta.....maybe..... :wink:

9 Days...la la la



Too long you've wandered
in winter . . .
Far from my
far-reaching gaze . . .
You resist . . .
Yet your soul
obeys . ..

NATIONAL BOARD OF REVIEWS: **WINNERS**



http://www.latinoreview.com/films_2004/ ... s2004.html

TOP TEN FILMS OF 2004

1. Finding Neverland
2. The Aviator
3. Closer
4. Million Dollar Baby
5. Sideways
6. Kinsey
7. Vera Drake
8. Ray
9. Collateral
10. Hotel Rwanda

TOP FIVE FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILMS

1. The Sea Inside
2. Bad Education
3. Maria Full of Grace
4. Les Choristes
5. The Motorcycle Diaries

TOP FIVE DOCUMENTARIES OF 2004

1. Born into Brothels
2. Z Channel: A Magnificent Obsession
3. Paper Clips
4. Supersize Me
5. The Story of the Weeping Camel

Best Film: Finding Neverland
Best Foreign Language Film: The Sea Inside
Best Documentary: Born into Brothels
Best Animated Feature: The Incredibles
Best Actor: Jamie Foxx, Ray
Best Actress: Annette Bening, Being Julia
Best Supporting Actor: Thomas Hayden Chuch, Sideways
Best Supporting Actress: Laura Linney, Kinsey
Best Acting by an Ensemble: Closer
Breakthrough Performance Actor: Topher Grace, In Good Company and P.S.
Breakthrough Performance Actress: Emmy Rossum, The Phantom of the Opera
Best Director: Michael Mann, Collateral
Best Directorial Debut: Zack Braff, Garden State
Best Adapted Screenplay: Sideways, Alexander Payne and Jim Taylor
Best Original Screenplay: Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Charlie Kaufman
Outstanding Production Design: House of Flying Daggers
Career Achievement: Jeff Bridges
Special Filmmaking Achievement: Clint Eastwood, for producing, directing, acting, and scoring Million Dollar Baby
William K. Everson Award for Film History: Richard Schickel
Producers Award: Jerry Bruckheimer
Special Recognition of Films that Reflect the Freedom of Expression: Fahrenheit 9/11, The Passion of the Christ, Conspiracy of Silence

Special Mention for Excellence in Filmmaking

The National Board of Review, in keeping with its long tradition of recognizing excellence in filmmaking, is proud to salute the following films, crafted by visionary artists which demonstrate the creativity and determination which have always been vital to the film industry:

(Listed alphabetically)
The Assassination of Richard Nixon
Before Sunset
Door in the Floor
Enduring Love
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Facing Windows
Garden State
A Home at the End of the World
Imaginary Heroes
Since Otar Left
Stage Beauty
Undertow
The Woodsman

-----------------------------------------------------

Last Year's Top 10:

Mystic River
The Last Samurai
The Station Agent
21 Grams
House of Sand and...
Lost in Translation
Cold Mountain
In America
Seabiscuit
Master &Commander

Previous Best Film Winners:
2003 Mystic River
2002 The Hours
2001 Moulin Rouge
2000 Quils
1999 American Beauty[/quote]

'Finding Neverland' Wins First Award in Oscar Race

Wed Dec 1, 2004 03:13 PM ET
http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtm ... ID=6970087

By Claudia Parsons

NEW YORK (Reuters) - "Finding Neverland," a fictionalized account of the creation of children's classic "Peter Pan," was named best film of 2004 by The National Board of Review on Wednesday in the first major award of the Oscar season.

Oscar hopeful Jamie Foxx was named best actor for "Ray," director Taylor Hackford's film about legendary singer Ray Charles, while Annette Bening won the best actress award for her role as a 1930s stage diva in "Being Julia."

The awards, voted on by about 150 members of a screening committee along with a 12-member awards panel, are sometimes an early indicator of what to expect in the race of the Academy Awards in February, though frequently its choices are more esoteric than the Oscars.

Michael Mann was named best director for his thriller "Collateral," starring Tom Cruise, while "The Incredibles," about a family of superheroes, won best animated feature, beating out big studio films "Shrek 2" and "Polar Express."

Alejandro Amenabar's "The Sea Inside" ("Mar adentro") won best foreign language film, a category dominated by Spanish language films. Pedro Almodovar's "Bad Education" was second, "Maria Full of Grace" about a Colombian drugs courier was third and "The Motorcycle Diaries," based on the journals of a young Che Guevara, came in fifth.

MORE AT LINK

Well, Phantom did not receive a spot in the Top 10 like so many have predicted...... :? .....very dissapointing.......

It would've been wonderful if it was on the list, then at least we can get an indication that the screenings have gone well..... :?

Howevever, it's not the end of the world and its biggest hope, the Golden Globes will release their nominations in 12 days.

NBR can go very indie, and this year more than ever, it's list is populated with them.......undoubtedly due to the fall of the bigger movies, not that there were many to begin with......

Last year, NBR predicted 4 of the 5 spots, Mystic River, Lost In Translation, Seabiscuit and Master & Commander. Although its a worry that the Phantom did not feature....i'm sure by the time its release date comes around......that its sheer size and spetacle will overshadow many on the list.

This is definately good for Finding Neverland and The Aviator, who have been tracking quite erratically over the past few weeks.......Oscar Best Picture nominations look likely for them now..........

But we did get some satisfaction in that Emmy Rossum won for Best Breakthrough female..... ...she was undoubtedly one of the favourites for the award and this will go a long way in securing her position at the Golden Globes.....

I'm also very happy that House of Flying Daggers won for Best Production Design, trust me it deserved it.....

Here's what twotrey posted over at the Phantomfans Forums.......maybe it can take the sting out of today's dissapointment......

We can take heart because there's no way the Oscars will go all indie, and Phantom along with Aviator, Closer and MillionDollarBaby are the only big pics left in the game......

http://www.phantomfans.net/index.php?sh ... 371&st=125

A Very Long Engagement opened on Friday. It's very good, and it'll play well with voters, but any film that isn't in English has an uphill battle.

Finding Neverland is something the Academy would go for, but with Miramax having a lot of internal strife and budget limitations this year, they may want to put most of their weight behind The Aviator--and the glowing notices that is sure to receive may mean refocusing their Neverland campaign to more specific areas (namely, Depp for Actor). Not to mention that the box office in limited release hasn't been going as strongly as hoped (hence slowing down the rollout, as mentioned in that one article someone posted).

The thing to remember when trying to venture guesses about Oscars is that it's constantly in flux, with many factors affecting the status, from box office to word of mouth to reviews to (crucially) lasting enthusiasm to counteracting films that release later to if its mass appeal. Back in September The Motorcycle Diaries was touted as a dark horse candidate based on the reviews. But the enthusiasm over that died quickly once Sideways opened and became the little film to champion.

That said, as of now, I see The Aviator and Phantom being likely Best Picture nominees, with a handful of others fighting it out for a place. Hotel Rwanda is looking to be a major spoiler since it's been screening extremely well. I have some doubts about Closer considering the dark and sexually charged material, but we'll see how I feel after seeing it on Tuesday. Million Dollar Baby could sneak in, and I suspect it'll play well as it's the type of sentimental swill Academy goes for, and add in Eastwood, and you got something to watch out for (can you tell I'm not a fan?).

Elizabeth--no, I'm not an Academy member, but I belong to a couple of critics' groups and vote in their year-end awards, which is how I get into screenings and receive the screener copies and such.

MD

BTW - take a look at this short article written a couple of days ago, suggesting that Phantom has still yet to be seen by many of the voting branch.....

Oscar's million-dollar question

PETER HOWELL
http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/Conten ... 0599119419

Oscar season is upon us, which means it's time to once again pretend we know what Academy voters are thinking.

Or rather, what they're not thinking clearly about. I can't remember a year in which we got this close to December with no movie having a lock on a Best Picture nod.

How could there be any certainty, when such supposed high fliers as Oliver Stone's Alexander and Robert Zemeckis' The Polar Express have been knocked off the awards radar by deadly reviews and disappointing box office?

---

But who really knows? Besides The Aviator, Million Dollar Baby and Closer, the list of Best Picture candidates gaining critical heat includes Kinsey, Sideways, Ray, The Motorcycle Diaries, Vera Drake, and two films that scribes haven't yet seen but have hopes for: James L. Brooks' Spanglish and Joel Schumacher's The Phantom Of The Opera.

***CONGRATULATIONS*** Emmy Rossum

BEST BREAKTHROUGH FEMALE: The Phantom of the Opera

AWARD SCHEDULE: The Road to Oscar

http://www.forums-oscarwatch.com/forums ... adid=19252

30th November
- Independant Spirit Award Nominations

1st December
- National Board of Review Winners Announced

13th December
- Golden Globe Nominations Announced

13th December
- New York Film Critics Winners Announced

15th December
- BFCA Nominations Announced

18th Decemeber
- LA Film Critics Winners Announced

5th January
- Dallas Fort Worth Film Critics Winners Announced

5th January
- Producers Guild of America Nominations Announced

6th January
- Director's Guild of America Nominations Announced

6th January
- Las Vegas Film Critics Winners Announced

7th January
- Florida Film Critics Winners Announed

8th January
- National Society Of Film Critics Nominee's Announced

10th January
- BFCA Winners Announced

11th January
- Screen Actor's Guild Nominations Announced

12th January
- American Society of Cinematographers Nominations Announced

13th January
- Writer's Guild of America Nominations Announed

13th January
- Art Director's Guild Nominations Announced

14th January
- American Cinema Editor's Nominations Announced

16th January
- Golden Globe Winners Announced

19th January
- BAFTA Nominations Announced

20th January
- Cinema Audio Society Nominations Announced

22nd January
- Producers Guild Of America Winners Announced

25th January
- 77th Oscar Nominations

29th January
- Director's Guild Of America Winners Announced

5th February
- Screen Actor's Guild Winners Announced

5th February
- Empire Film Magazine Winners Announced

11th February
- London Film Critics Winners Announced

12th February
- BAFTA Winners Announced

12th February
- Art Director's Guild Winners Announced

19th February
- Costume Designers Guild Winners Announced

19th February
- Writer's Guild of America Winners Announced

20th February
- American Society of Cinematographer's Winners Announced

20th February
- American Cinema Editor's Winners Announced

21st February
- Chicago Film Critics Winners Announced

22nd February
- Oscar Ballot's Close

27th February
- 77th Annual Academy Awards

I'm pleasently surprised by Rossum's win. I think it will bode well for the future, both for the film and her.


I honestly wouldn't read too much into these awards; they seem to be a bit off the main course, and to be honest, I don't think FN will be even nominated as Best Picture.

The only thing I can take away from this is that all the films we thought had a chance really do have a chance.

Edit: I know the Globes will eat Phantom up; they love these films. And in terms of publicity, nothing better could be asked for. Spectacle films are always appreciated by big awards shows, and Phantom is as big a spectacle as we'll have this year.

Finding Neverland has been lingering inside the Top 5 for quite some time now and this does make it a prime candidate for Oscar nomination......it's definately one of the stronger smallies around with a good star cast and quite positive reviews across the board........especially in a year with a lot small pics around....those factors could give it the edge......

Globes would be good for exposure and early buzz because there are so many opportunties for Phantom to be nominated there.......Globes can push it in the right direction.....

I doubt we'll see too many critics or guild awards for Phantom so the Golden Globes is the biggest and quite possibly "only" card it has to play.....oh wait, maybe BAFTAs as well....

Is it considered 'British' enough?

It seems Britain is more relaxed about this than France, heh.


But ya, I think in terms of publicity, the Globes will be an awesome push.

The Countdown is on...



source: http://www.reallyuseful.com

Less than a week to go!

The long-awaited big screen version of the most successful musical in history premieres at The Odeon. Leicester Square on Monday 6th December at 7.00pm.

Amongst those walking the red carpet will be Andrew Lloyd Webber, director Joel Schumacher, the stars of the film and a host of invited celebrities from film and stage.

Don't miss it!

***NEW*** Updated Worldwide Release dates


According to the Really Useful Group, The Phantom of the Opera worldwide release dates are

UK Premiere 6th Dec, 2004, General release 10th Dec, 2004
US Premiere 12th Dec 2004, Select cities 22nd Dec, 2004
Argentina 10th Feb, 2005
Australia 26th Dec, 2004 (tbc)
Austria 17th Dec 2004
Baltic States 7th Jan, 2005 (tbc)
Belgium & Luxembourg 22nd Dec, 2004
Brazil 11th Feb, 2005
Chile 17th Feb, 2005
Colombia 11th Feb 2005
Czech/ Slovakia 14th Feb, 2005
Denmark 14th Jan, 2005 (tbc)
Eastern Europe Q1, 2005
Ex-Yugoslavia 27th Jan, 2005 (tbc)
Finland 25th Dec 2004 (tbc)
France Premiere 7th Dec 2004, General release 12th Jan, 2005 (tbc)
Germany Premiere 8th Dec 2004, General release 16th Dec, 2004
Greece & Cyprus Dec 10th (1 screen), 2004 Dec 17th (wide)
Holland 6th Jan, 2005
Hong Kong 30th Dec, 2004 (tbc)
Hungary 17th March, 2005
Iceland 4th March, 2005 (tbc)
Indonesia 27th Jan, 2005 (tbc)
Israel 10th Dec, 2004
Italy Premiere 11th Dec 2004, General release 17th Dec, 2004 (tbc)
Japan Premiere 28th Jan 2005 (tbc), general release 29th Jan, 2005
Latin America Feb 2005 (tbc)
Middle East 22nd Dec (tbc)
Malaysia Premiere 8th Dec 2004, General release 16th Dec (tbc)
Mexico 11th Feb, 2005
New Zealand 13th Jan, 2005 (tbc) NOOOooooooo..this cannot be! **delayed**
Norway 26th Dec, 2004 (tbc)
Panama 18th Feb 2005 (tbc)
Peru 10th Feb 2005
Philippines 2nd wk of Jan, 2005 (tbc)
Poland 7th Jan, 2005 (tbc)
Portugal 23rd Dec (tbc)
Russia 6th Jan, 2005 (tbc)
Singapore Premiere 8th Dec 2004, General release 23rd Dec, 2004 (tbc)
South Korea 10th Dec, 2004 (tbc)
South Africa 4th Feb, 2005 (tbc)
Sweden 25th Dec, 2004 (tbc)
Switzerland (French part) 12th Jan, 2005 (tbc)
Switzerland (German part) 16th Dec, 2004 (tbc)
Switzerland (Italian part) pending
Spain & Andorra Premiere 9th Dec 2004, General relase 15th Dec, 2004
Taiwan 8th Jan, 2005 (tbc)
Thailand Jan, 2005
Turkey pending
Venezuela 11th Feb 2005

source: http://www.reallyuseful.com

8...is the magick number...





Phantom:
In all your fantasies you always knew
That man and mystery

Christine:
Were both in you

Both:
And in this labrinth
Where night is blind
The Phantom of the opera is there...

Inside my mind

too damn long to wait and see this. I am happy that my girl wont best breakthough performance though

What do you think? :wink:

The fact that this contains british actors and is founded on the vision of Andrew Lloyd Webber is enough to get Phantom through the door i think..... :wink: .......remember, last year Mystic River wasn't even nominated for Best Picture and it didn't do all that well in the other categories.........the spotlight was definately on British-European productions like Love Actually (duh), Girl With A Pearl Earing and Big Fish.....

I'm confident that when all the hoopla about these indies subside (because they have already debut).....we will start to see the likes of Aviator, Closer and Phantom really pull through......there will be a good mixture of small and big pics in the race......

Afterall, i think it would be more fitting that the Oscar goes to something which made 50m+ than something which only made $5-10m in a way....

Thanks Miruvor, nice list.......i'm very sorry that's its being delayed in New Zealand......though have you checked the local cinemas and what they list Phantom's release date to be.......that's more accurate.....