Round 6 Pick 3 (153 Overall)

Dennis Muren - Special Effects Artist









The man behind the stunning special effects in numerous Lucas, Spielberg, and Cameron films, Dennis Muren is undeniably the top special effects artist in this draft.

First and foremost, Muren is a a pioneer.

Lets start with a selection of movies for which he was a director/supervisor of special effects -

The Empire Strikes Back
E.T.
Return of the Jedi
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
Ghostbusters II
The Abyss
T2: Judgement Day
Jurassic Park
The Phantom Menace
A.I.
Attack of the Clones
Hulk
War of the Worlds

Wow. That's an epic resume, and the reason I have absolutely no problem calling him the best special effects artist in this draft.


Again, Muren is simply unmatched.

Another HUGE positive for our studio is that Muren gets his work done at a pace unmatched by any other special effects artist. While recent SFX/CGI heavy films have spent years in post production, Muren only needed THREE months to finish the effects for War of the Worlds

As far as his fit in our studio goes, it's pretty obvious, but I just wanted to mention how even more incredibly awesome Verhoeven's films are going to be with Muren on board. (Head asplode, literally)

So yeah, we're super excited to get the guy who forever changed Hollywood with his advances in CGI and is a huge reason why Spielberg, Lucas, and Cameron were all taken in the top 14.

kk/deezy worldwide

Will Smith
Mel Gibson
Sylvester Stallone
Steven Soderbergh
Paul Verhoeven
Dennis Muren

Round 6 Pick 169

Tommy Lee Jones









Tommy Lee Jones is one of the most respected and talented actors alive in Hollywood today. I feel that he is the perfect supporting actor and second lead for the studio that I have already assembled. TLJ has won awards from the Academy Awards (3 nominations), Golden Globes, Screen Actors Guild,and Emmys. TLJ is someone I have wanted for a long time in this draft, but was unsure of when the right spot to take him was. I think that he is the best possible fit for my studio and a huge talent.

TLJ's film career started in 1970 with a small role in Love Story, and he went on to be a part of a number of films after that, including his very well received supporting role in The Coal Miner's Daughter. TLJ bounced between films and TV movies (when they were much different than the TV movies of today) for much of the 80's before his acclaimed performance in the Lonesome Dove mini-series. After that TLJ has been in a slew of films starting with his Oscar nominated performance in JFK to his superb turn in No Country for Old Men. He has spent the past two decades as one of the more interesting, talented, and prolific actors with 31 films since 1989 (plus other films from 1970 on).

Outside of his acting ability and screen presence, two important things separated TLJ from others for me, those two things being his range and how great of a fit he is with my studio. As a fit I really couldn't imagine someone of his caliber fitting with my studio and the players that I have assembled. He will be awesome in westerns (an actual Texan), dramas, and crime films made by John Ford, as well as dramas, comedies, epics, and biopics made by William Wyler. Not only is he a great fit with my directors, but he is a superb fit with Pacino and Costner, my two leading men. TLJ has the ability to carry films on his own, but his talent really shines in supporting roles like he has shown throughout his career.

I think it is important to note how great TLJ's range is as well, and I feel as though it is something that is very overlooked when viewing his career from afar. TLJ has a great flare that he can bring to characters that are far from "normal." His performances in JFK, Under Seige, as Two-Face, Cobb and in Natural Born Killers show that he has the ability to play nutty "out there" characters. He can also play subtle and nuanced characters like he has done throughout his career and most recently in films like No Country for Old Men and In the Valley of Elah. We all know about films like Men in Black 1&2 and The Fugitive, where it is clear what he brings to the table for those performances. TLJ can do it all, and he can do it all with a talent and flair that is very special. From the good guy, the bad guy, to everything in between I love not only the range he brings to the table, but the skill he does it with.

I really couldn't be happier with being able to get him in this spot. I feel that TLJ really brings together the talent that I have already assembled and will be an extremely important and valuable asset for my studio. I feel that he has had a much longer, more impressive, and talent filled career than many will realize on first glance. Tommy Lee Jones can do it all, and the things he does best fit perfectly with my studio.

In the Electric Mist (2009)
In the Valley of Elah (2007)
No Country for Old Men (2007)
A Prairie Home Companion (2006)
The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada (2005)
Man of the House (2005/I)
The Missing (2003/I)
The Hunted (2003)
Men in Black II (2002)
Space Cowboys (2000)
Double Jeopardy
Small Soldiers (1998)
Small Soldiers (1998)
U.S. Marshals (1998)
Men in Black (1997)
Volcano (1997)
Batman Forever (1995)
Cobb (1994)
Blue Sky (1994)
Natural Born Killers (1994)
The Client (1994)
Blown Away (1994)
Heaven & Earth (1993)
The Fugitive (1993)
House of Cards (1993)
JFK (1991)
Fire Birds (1990)
The Package (1989)
Stormy Monday (1988)
The Big Town (1987)
Black Moon Rising (1986)
The River Rat (1984)
Nate and Hayes (1983)
Back Roads (1981)
Eyes of Laura Mars (1978)
The Betsy (1978)
Rolling Thunder (1977)
Eliza's Horoscope (1975)
Life Study (1973)
Love Story (1970)

My studio:

John Ford
William Wyler
Al Pacino
Kevin Costner
Elvis
Tommy Lee Jones

Round 6 Pick 170

John Travolta









With my Tommy Lee Jones pick I felt I got the best fit for my studo, and with this pick I feel that I am getting insane value at pick 170. Is Travolta the greatest actor of his generation? No, he isn't. But he is a better actor than people give him credit for, and most importantly he is a movie star who is capable of carrying a broad amount of film genres. Travolta gives my studio two distinct peaks, so much so that young Travolta and 1990's Travolta are almost like making two picks. I think he is a no brainer in this spot, and feel that he brings numerous important things to my studio.

Younger Travolta burst onto the film scene with starring roles in Saturday Night Fever, Grease, Urban Cowboy and Blow Out during the late 1970's/early 1980's (plus a supporting role in Carrie). The first two films on that list were both HUGE hits that showcase Travolta's versatility and star power, while the second two films were very good with strong performances. Urban Cowboys and Blow Out are two films that are overlooked by many in our generation, but are in my opinion a good barometer for Travolta's ability at a young age.

Travolta's ability to do musicals and films that involve a great deal of dancing are a huge asset to me considering that I have Elvis in my studio. Travolta and Elvis could make big budget musicals aimed at both critical and financial success directed by Wyler (who has history making musicals of that type). This combination gives me a stronger foundation for the Elvis pick and gives my studio many more options on that front.

Travolta was mostly missing in action during the greater part of the 1980's, but broke back on the scene in a big way with Look Who's Talking in 1989, a film with grossed 140 million dollars, without inflation adjustment. Without a hit in almost a decade (and few movies made), he jumped right back in with a huge smash as in a comedy, showing his range as a later actor and his ability to make bank. After a few years Travolta's career exploded after his awesome performance in Pulp Fiction, and he has stayed as one of the biggest stars in Hollywood since. Travolta starred in Get Shorty, Broken Arrow, Phenomenon, Michael, Face/Off, She's So Lovely, Primary Colors, A Civin Action, The Thing Red Line, Basic, Ladder 48, Wild Hogs, Hairspray and others since Pulp Fiction, showing his ability to star and carry dramas, comedies, action films, musicals, etc. Travolta has a combination of range and star power that is rivaled by very few, especially considering I get getting him with the 170th pick.

John Travolta gives my studio another addition of an actor with great star power, range, and productivity. I feel that Travolta will be great in films made by my all time great directors and being alongside Pacino, Costner, and TLJ. On top of all of that, he brings a very difficult to find dimension to my studio and elevates my Elvis pick with his ability to do dance and musicals. Surrounding Travolta with the talent I have will only elevate an actor who has already shown the ability to have a long and diverse career.

My studio:

John Ford
William Wyler
Al Pacino
Kevin Costner
Elvis
Tommy Lee Jones
John Travolta

Round 6, Pick 172: Clyde Geronimi/Wilfred Jackson/Hamilton Luske, Directors

Each of the trio has a long list of movies done individually but those are mostly 10 minute shorts. Their best work undeniably came together.



After beginning their work together with the little known Melody Time, the trio got to work on Alice in Wonderland, an ageless visually stunning masterpiece.



Their second film together was Peter Pan. The character and story were highly successful theatrically before Disney decided to bring them to the big screen, but the transition couldn't have been better. The characters of Peter and Tinkerbell came to life and this film turned an already popular story into a legend.



My trio's next big project together was a little story about a puppy pauper who fell in love with a classy lady. The Lady and the Tramp has become a classic children's story, and like the rest of my trio's work has stood the test of time well.



Cinder-****ing-rella

Geronimi also directed Sleeping Beauty and he teamed with Luske and unnamed director for 101 dalmations. I know that because I drafted them as a trio I don't get credit for their individual work, but having two other legendary films under their belt still stands as evidence of the consistent quality these guys are capable of.

Teamed with Andrew Stanton, I think I have the foundation for an amazing animation department.

Team so far:
Eddie Murphy
Mel Brooks
Steve Martin
Jerry Lewis
John Cleese
Andrew Stanton
Clyde Geronimi/Wilfred Jackson/Hamilton Luske

With the 155th pick, I am taking writer, producer and director Charlie Kaufman.



Kaufman does not yet have a very extensive filmography, but has demonstrated that what he lacks in quantity he more than makes up for in quality. Here is a list of movies he has written the screenplay for (also produced, also directed):

Being John Malcovich
Human Nature
Confessions of a Dangerous Mind
Adaptation
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Synecdoche, New York

Besides Confessions of a Dangerous Mind and Adaptation, Kaufman did all the writing work, coming up with stories and bringing them to the camera. Although he works behind the scenes, Kaufman is a major presence in each of these films. The films have something of a surreal feel to them. The premises vary from odd to science fiction: machines that erase memory, passages to the minds of others, and mythical flowers. It is a testament to his writing that the films maintain a credibility and have the feel of a wry comedy rather than trashy science fiction. The characters and their relationships are often off-beat themselves, but there is always something real and human about them, and the focus is always held on that, rather than the unrealistic situations they find themselves in. This fairly unique skill of Kaufman's is what I drafted him for.

I think Kaufman should fit in rather well in my studio. He does not make a lot of movies and they won't make a lot of money. He may win an Oscar or there, as he did for Eternal Sunshine, but I have other stars in my studio who will contend year in and year out. This is a pick I made because the people who do like his films end up loving them, and every film is at least very good. I think for a writer who has that quality he reaches a relatively wide audience and has fairly good range, compared to someone like Wes Anderson or a variety of UNDRAFTED WRITERS. The fact that he has also started to direct recently hints at a productive career in front of him, and if I can get even a few more films of the quality of Eternal Sunshine and Adaptation, I would be ecstatic. Kaufman has worked with famous actors but his screenplays seem to get better performances out of actors who do a lot of mediocre work (Carey, Cage, come to mind), which says quite a bit about his writing. I think I can easily staff his movies with good to great actors without distracting my studio stars from making wider appeal (read: more lucrative and award winning) films. The directors he worked with prior to directing Synecdoche himself were people who had worked on music videos before, so I don't think that I even need a director in my studio to do his earlier work.

Studio thus far:

Round Six, Pick 173

Stan Lee Writer/Producer/Actor/Icon/Nerd/Nerd Icon



Avi Arad Producer/Mogul





This pick is a license to print money. Stan Lee is the man behind Spider Man, The Avengers (Captain America), Daredevil, The Fantastic Four, The Incredible Hulk, Silver Surfer, Iron Man, Thor, and, of course, The X-Men, among others.

Marvel Studios was formed in 1997 after the company was acquired by Ronald Perelman, CEO of a cosmetics company. Prior the the bankruptcy issues in the mid 90's Arad was head of Marvel Studios. After Perelman acquired the company, Arad shifted roles and became the executive producer on all of the studios projects, where he has excelled. You've probably seen/heard about a few of the films produced since the studio reorganization using Lee's characters and Arad's studio know-how, followed by their world-wide gross:
X-Men (for some reason Lee isn't credited for this on IMDB, but they are most assuredly his characters) 296,339,527$
Spider-Man 821,708,551$
Hulk 245,360,480$
X2 (same here) 407,711,549$
Spider-Man 2 783,705,001$
Fantastic Four 330,579,308$
X-Men: The Last Stand (and here) 459,359,462$
Spider-Man 3 890,871,626$
Iron Man 582,313,199$
and the upcoming
X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009)
Silver Surfer (2009)
Thor (2010)
Nick Fury (2010
X-Men Origins: Magneto (2010)
Iron Man 2 (2010)
Spider-Man 4 (2011)
Doctor Strange (2012)

It's ridiculous, really. And these guys are only scratching the surface. We'll see if the public tires of these Marvel films, but as of now they absolutely have not. Additionally, we believe that David Fincher is an absolutely ideal director to do the kind of stylish, dark, funny comic book films that the public is retarded about.


I thought I had more to say here, but I guess that gets the point across. EZ studios never needs to worry about financial solvency, imo.

Dudd, you're up.

Round 6, Pick 174

Kevin Bacon

Kevin Bacon is perhaps best known for being the center of the popular game six degrees of Kevin Bacon in which any actor in Hollywood can be connected to him within six movies. With the advent of imdb we now know that there are better centers to use for the game, it still points out the diversity of roles that Bacon has done to have inspired such a game. So, without further ado, here are some of them.



Here is Kevin Bacon in Animal House as Chip Diller, a member of a rival frat who is just about to get run over.



Here he is rocking a fantastic 80s hairstyle while bringing the music back in Footloose.



This is Bacon before fighting some sort of killer worm in Tremors, I don't know exactly because I haven't seen it. But my, once again, look at that hair, simply marvelous.



As the prosecutor in A Few Good Men, he doesn't really have much to do because, as he said, the facts weren't in dispute, but he's there for Tom Cruise to bounce cheesy lines off of anyways.



In an acting tour de force, Bacon stars as coach Jimmy Dolan in The Air Up There. Bacon is supposed to be trying to recruit a stud African player, but the movie falls a little flat because we all know that no one can resist the charms of Bacon. Maybe not the best basketball movie ever made, but a close second to Hoosiers, just ahead of Hoop Dreams.



In Apollo 13, Bacon takes acting to a new limit by being the first actor to play a role which involves giving another character the clap in outer space. Very moving stuff to see them overcome that plus a minor explosion to make it back to earth alive.

I'm sure he's made some other stuff since then, but I think you get the general idea by this point. Bacon can play a wide variety of supporting roles, can rock a number of 80s hairstyles if they come back into style, and is a mean basketball player. Studio for now:

Matt Damon
Jim Carrey
Ridley Scott
Harold Ramis
Michael Douglas
Fred Astaire
Kevin Bacon

Round 6 Pick 187

Tim Robbins actor/director/producer/writer



Ok so Mr Altman was a little off there but it says something about Robbins talent and almost unlimited potential.

With Robbins I'm finally getting someone who is one of my favorite people in movies where with my earlier picks it has mostly been what I considered best value.
Not that I don't think Robbins is value. Actually I rate him significantly higher than some of the actors picked very recently.
Still there are some names left who just like Robbins are bordering between leading man and strong support but given I already have two super star leading men, Robbins multifaceted talent and not least being responsible for some of my favorite ever performances, was my number 1 actor left.

One of those performances is in one of my favorite movies "The Hudsucker Proxy" where he effortlessly goes from great screwball as well as great slapstick comedy to showing his great dramatic talent whenever needed.



His breakthrough performance had come in "Bill Durham" where he played a good goofy guy that everyone loved so naturally following that a lot of the offers following that was to play "knuckleheads".
His words not mine.



His talent justified a lot more and the turning point and perhaps real breakthrough talent wise was "The Player".
Just a great performance covering the entire spectre, from drama to satire, playing a very amoral Hollywood movie executive.
That performance earned him the best actor award at Cannes and I think also really helped veteran director Robert Altman start his great comeback, so no wonder, he had such high praise for Robbins.
Even with what would follow of great roles, him carrying that movie might very well be his finest moment.

In "Short Cuts", Altman's next great (ensemble) movie Robbins had a smaller role, but nonetheless for a lot of people the most memorable one where he practically steals every scene he is in portraying in many ways what's the "essential" douchebag cop. Just very funny stuff.



Of course everyone knows about the The Shawshank Redemption.
It's imdb's number 1 movie and must be the prime example of a movie who's following just grew and grew over the years.
It seems to be completely standard for people watching it the first time to instantly declare it their favorite movie ever.
For movie fanatics it can be easy to hate stuff like that but the movie itself should really be almost impossible to hate even if you hate it being overrated.

Robbins portrayal of Andy Dufresne has become classic and he manages to be dark and morally conflicted while at the same time also extremely likeable and simple yet also very very brilliant.



Not long after Shawshank he directed, wrote and produced highly acclaimed "Dead Man Walking" earning him an Oscar nomination for best director.



In interviews Robbins says that it's having young children that has stopped him from directing more. As well as often rejecting time consuming acting projects.
But that it's something he wants to do more once they're older.

One thing I haven't touched upon is his political activism. Partly because it's not something that reaches outside the US so I'm not very aware of it but I've researched it and other than him being quite hated by those with very opposite beliefs I can't really see where it 100 percent hurts him.
It's just part of the person he is and some of the projects I've already mentioned he wouldn't have been part of, if he wasn't that person.

I don't plan on involving him in anything that he might reject.
That includes Bruckheimer blockbusters involving perhaps the US military, but everything else from drama, to comedy, to thrillers, to supporting roles in blockbusters. Playing both heroes and villians and complex in betweens I see him doing. And doing it great.
As well as giving him freedom and strong encouragement to work on projects of his own.

In 2003 he won best supporting actor for his role in "Mystic River"



Eventhough he keeps all of his awards in the guest bathroom he is still happy!

Selected films:

Top Gun (1986)
Howard the Duck (1986)
Bull Durham (1988)
Cadillac Man (1990)
Jacob's Ladder (1990/I)
Jungle Fever (1991)
The Player (1992)
Bob Roberts (1992
Short Cuts (1993)
The Hudsucker Proxy (1994)
The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
Prêt-à-Porter (1994)
Nothing to Lose (1997)
Arlington Road (1999)
Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me (1999)
Mission to Mars (2000)
High Fidelity (2000)
Human Nature (2001)
Mystic River (2003)
Code 46 (2003
Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004)
War of the Worlds (2005)
Noise (2007/II)
The Lucky Ones (2008)
Iron Man 2 (2010)

Studio so far:

Director/editor: Sir David Lean
Producer/Film maker: Jerry Bruckheimer
Lead actor: Burt Lancaster
Lead actor: Steve McQueen
Lead actress: Elizabeth Taylor
Actor/director : Tim Robbins
Director: Richard Donner

Round 6: Pick 194











Faye Dunaway, Actress

One of the most beautiful, stylish, and influential stars of the late 60s and 70s, Faye Dunaway adds another great piece to our studio. Dunaway had great beauty and frequently played highly driven characters with sex appeal, and was one of the first "modern actresses" in Hollywood. She was a three time best actress nominee, and starred in many films that still stand the test of time today, over 30 years later.

Dunaway burst onto the Hollywood scene with her star making performance as Bonnie Parker in the classic film Bonnie and Clyde. The film about two anti-hero bank robbers is considered a landmark for breaking Hollywood taboos regarding sex and violence, and Dunaway's academy award nominated performance was a driving force. Her character's fashion style sparked trends that still exist today; every girl wanted to dress like Faye Dunaway. The anti-conformist characters also inspired the rebellious youth of the 60s. Famed film critic Roger Ebert said of Bonnie and Clyde:

From here Dunaway continued a string of great performances in amazing films. Her "peak" in this is arguably as good as any actress' in the draft. She followed up Bonnie and Clyde with performances in The Thomas Crown Affair, The Arrangement, Little Big Man, and The Three Musketeers.

In 1974 Dunaway was the female lead in another classic film, Roman Polanski's Chinatown. Starring opposite Jack Nicholson, her performance earned her a second Academy Award nomination for Best Actress and the film is still regarded as one of the best crime thrillers ever. Undrafted actress was strongly considered for the role, but Polanski pushed for Dunaway, a decision that certainly paid off. Her performance in a noir/thriller movie shows her versatility, and will fit perfectly in our studio.

After Chinatown, Dunaway continued to do strong work, starring in the sequel The Four Musketeers, blockbuster The Towering Inferno, and another highly regarded film Three Days of the Condor.

In 1976 Dunaway gave one of her most memorable roles in the classic satire Network. Playing a driven TV executive desperate for higher ratings, Dunaway's performance was critically acclaimed, netting her the Academy Award for best actress. Roger Ebert said of her performance:

After Network, Dunaway's career went slightly downhill. Dunaway herself blames it on her classic, over the top performance in the cult classic Mommie Dearest. Playing abusive mother Joan Crawford, her performance was so over the top that it made the film into a cult classic of unintentional comedy. Her character's rant about "NO MORE WIRE HANGERS" is one of the most famous in movie history and was featured on AFI's top 100 quotes list. Additionally, despite being panned by critics and winning a Razzy, Dunaway's character was called one of the best villains of all time by AFI. Despite some of the accolades, Dunaway blames the film for "ruining her career".

Since then she has had a hard time finding roles, although she still gives quality performances and offers decent volume. She has won two Golden Globes for her supporting roles in the miniseries Ellis Island and Gia, the latter coming in 1999 at age 58, which shows remarkable longevity for an actress. Dunaway did many TV movies and miniseries, resulting in 10 Golden Globes nominations.

Our studio is confident that Dunaway's performances will be strong for a sustained period of time, and will give her the quality roles she deserves. Her sex appeal, style, and versatility will be particularly strong in De Palma thrillers and alongside James Cagney. Many of her characters also have a comedic flair that will work well with Cary Grant and Julia Roberts. Overall we feel like Dunaway is one of the strongest actresses in the draft, with a "peak" that is incredibly strong for an actor or actress.

Ratvix Studios:
Cary Grant
Julia Roberts
James Cagney
Brian De Palma
Ben Hecht
George Stevens
Faye Dunaway

round 6/pick 189: Billy Bob Thornton



With this pick I'm getting a great actor capable of being a leading man or a supporting actor, a guy with both writing and directing credits on multiple films(the most famous being Sling Blade) and he even was nominated for a Chlotrudis Award for Best Director in 1997, a guy with soundtrack credits, a guy who has done comedic work(Bad Santa for example), and a guy with producer credits. All in all, I think hes a versatile guy who will fit well with my studio.

From wiki:


When doing my research, the first thing that jumped out at me was just how many awards he has won for different films. At first I thought that Sling Blade was his only critically accliamed work. Heres a list of the films in which he won or was nominated for an award:

The Man Who Wasn't There: AFI Actor of the Year, Saturn Award Best Actor, Audience Award Best Actor, ALFS Actor of the Year

A Simple Plan: Adademy Award Best Supporting Actor, Saturn Award Best Supporting Actor, BSFC Award best Supporting Actor, Critics Choice Award Best Supporting Actor, CFCA Award Best Supporting Actor, Chlotrudis Award Best Supporting Actor, Golden Globe Best Supporting Actor, LAFCA Award Best Supporting Actor, OFCS Award Best Supporting Actor, SDFCS Award Best Supporting Actor, Golden Satellite Best Actor-Drama, Screen Actors Guild Best Actor

Sling Blade: Academy Award Best Screenplay, Academy award Best Actor, CFCA Award Best Actor, Chlotrudis Award Best Actor, Chlotrudis Award Best Director, Edgar Allan Poe Award Best Motion Picture, Independent Spirit Award Best First Feature, KCFCC Award Best Actor, NBR Award Special Achievement in Filmmaking, Golden Satellite Best Original Screenplay, Golden Satellite Best Actor-Drama, Screen Actors Guild Best Performance by a Cast, WGA Award Best Screenplay

The Gift: Saturn Award Best Writing

Armageddon: Blockbuster Award Best Supporting Actor Sci Fi

The Man Who Wasn't There: DVD Premiere Award Best Audio Commentward, Golden Globe Best Actor-Drama, ALFS Actor of the Year, OFCS Award Best Actor, PFCS Award Best Actor, Golden aries Best Foreign Actor, SEFCA Award Best Actor

Film Preservation Classics with Billy Bob Thornton: Daytime Emmy Outstanding Special Class Special

One False Move: International Fantasy Film Award Best Screenplay, Independent Spirit Award Best Screenplay

Bandits: FFCC Award Best Actor, Golden Globe Best Actor-Musical or Comedy, PFCS Award Best Supporting Actor

Bad Santa: Golden Globe Best Actor-Musical or Comedy, Golden Satellite Award Best Actor-Comedy or Musical, Teen Choice Award Movie Sleazebag

A Family Thing: Humanitas Prize Feature Film Category

Monster's Ball: NBR Award Best Actor, Golden Satellite Award Best Actor-Drama

All the Pretty Horses: Paris Film Festival Grand Prix




All in all, I think this is a versatile pick who most importantly IS A VERY GOOD ACTOR. I really have tried to fill my studio with people who I think are great at their jobs and not just those who have been the most commercially successful. I think that commercial success will naturally follow if I get talented people, and thats what I've done here imo.







round 6/pick 190: David Lynch

I'm a big personal fan of Lynch. His work includes Wild at Heart. Hes a bit different than most and hes never going to be hugely popular becuase of that. However, he can make some awesome movies imo. To say that his pots are icy is a tremendous understatement imo.



Interviewer: Whats your name?
Interviewee: David Lynch
Interviewer: Whats your favorite move?
Interviewee: Downtown Julie Brown
Interviewer: Do you think you're very successful
Interviewee: No.
Interviewer: Why?
Interviewee: None of your ****ing business, bro.
Interviewer: I'm a woman
Interviewee: You sure don't act like it
Interviewer: Oh come on.
Interviewee: My fault, sista.
Interviewer: Lets get back on track.
Interviewee: Yea, lets.

Part II
Interviewer: Ok back on track
Interviewee: Train tracks?
Interviewer: LOL, no. We're done.



1. http://www.riag.state.ri.us/reports/
2. http://shop.deniselynch.com/product....1&productId=11
3. http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/several
4. http://www.davidlynch.com
5. http://www.patriotspoint.org/exhibits/planes/
6. http://www.lallorona.com/
7. http://www.bananabunker.com
8. http://www.atra.org/issues/index.php?issue=7345
9. http://www.quadradius.com
10. http://www.leggopoker.com/blogs/IcyPots/

Round 6 Pick 188

Richard Donner director/producer



Before getting his big break in movies Donner did lots of tv.
Among other things he did episodes on The Fugitive, Gilligan's Island, Kojak, Tales for the Crypt, The Twillight Zone and many more of the most popular shows at that time.
Interestingly enough though it was when working with, already in my studio, Steve McQueen on "Wanted Dead or Alive" that he caught Hollywood's attention for the first time.

His first major succes was "The Omen"



It's one of my favorite movies and I like it so much that it's suprising or weird perhaps that nothing Donner did since I really found myself liking. Luckily he has appealed to lots of other people, so basically screw what I think.
But I guess everything just came together for him in that movie.
Gregory Peck is amazing. I'm simply in awe when I watch him in this movie and of course the oscar winning score doesn't hurt things either. It's incredible.
And through it Donner directs with a sure hand and eye for pace and suspense that the follow ups and later remakes would completely lack, as well as solid technical skill.
I find it both powerful and very entertaining and it's great that after unfair ridicule over the years from some critics that it's in recent years is getting nearer and nearer the masterpiece status that it so deserves!


Donner followed that up with an even bigger hit, "Superman"!




For the sequel however he had a fallout with the producer who he demanded removed but instead ended up being replaced himself by the financial backers with another director.
The end result however largely consisted of scenes he had shot. About 80 percent he claims.
And finally in 2006 "Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut" was released.

"The Goonies" which he directed and co produced with Spielberg became a big teen hit



and "Lethal Weapon" which he both produced and directed, the start of a very succesfull movie franchise.



With Donner I think I get someone who is an almost ideal, and definitely very logical, collaborator with Jerry Bruckheimer and who just has a very good trackrecord of making very popular, very entertaining movies
Whether it being thrillers, adventure, horror, action or action-comedy. He has even done drama.

Selected movies:

Director:

The Omen (1976)
Superman (1978)
Superman II (1980)
Inside Moves (1980)
Ladyhawke (1985)
The Goonies (1985)
Lethal Weapon (1987)
Scrooged (1988)
Lethal Weapon 2 (1989)
Lethal Weapon 3 (1992)
Maverick (1994)
Assassins (1995)
Conspiracy Theory (1997)
Lethal Weapon 4 (1998)
16 Blocks (2006)

Producer (not including the various movies he also directed) :

The Lost Boys (1987)
Free Willy (1993)
Free Willy 2: The Adventure Home (1995)
Free Willy 3: The Rescue (1997
Any Given Sunday (1999)
X-Men (2000)

Studio so far:

Director/editor: Sir David Lean
Producer/film maker: Jerry Bruckheimer
Lead actor: Burt Lancaster
Lead actor: Steve McQueen
Lead actress: Elizabeth Taylor
Actor/director : Tim Robbins
Director/producer: Richard Donner

Round 6, Picks 181 and 182, MIKE NICHOLS, Director/Producer, and MILOS FORMAN, Director

With picks 181 and 182 Sightless Studios and Triumph Pictures and Entertainment are proud to select Oscar-Winning directors Milos Forman and Mike Nichols. We feel that they compliment each other well; while they both greatly excel at satire and social commentary, Nichols prime focus is on (sexual) politics and relationships, while Forman has traditionally focused on making socially conscious dramas and biopics. They are both known for working well with all kinds of actors, drawing top performances out of them - Academy Award nominations are quite common for actors in their films. With such a prolific and versatile director as Howard Hawks set to make a large chunk of our movies, we felt that we could afford to select highly talented directors with some deficiencies. Forman is a perfectionist and thus has not directed many films, whereas Nichols was never unable to live up to his early greatness after he was granted total creative control over his films. We feel that in our “alternative universe” Forman would be able to make a much easier transition from the Czech Republic to the USA, and that our studio could rein in Nichols' wilder ambitions.

Both of these directors have made successful movies with our leading man Jack Nicholson, and both directors have had strong female roles in their movies; especially Nichols who over his career has always worked with top female actresses, from Elizabeth Taylor to Meryl Streep to Undrafted Actress. We feel that movies directed by Nichols and Forman will be great vehicles to showcase the acting prowess of our leading lady, Bette Davis. Furthermore, both Nichols and Forman are immigrants who had their lives affected by the emergence of totalitarianism in the 20th century. As immigrants, both Nichols and Forman both have a unique outside perspective on American culture. As such, they have attempted to predict the future of our culture, show us a slice of the present that we may have not considered, or show to us the past as they see it.

Pick 181, Mike Nichols



Mike Nichols is a man of many talents. He has succeeded in just about everything he has done: TV, Movies and Theatre. He first rose to popularity by being one of the original pioneers of comedy on Broadway with Elaine May. After his breakup with her, he was an immediate success on the stage with comedies like The Odd Couple and Plaza Suite. Nichols then gave it a go at making the movies, and his first movie put the final nail in the coffin of the outdated Motion Picture Production Code. The film adaptation of the stage drama Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? demonstrated that films could handle adult themes thoughtfully and could also draw a large crowd without being tasteless. It was also nominated for every single category possible at the Academy Awards. His next movie, The Graduate, managed to capture the feeling of an entire generation. It is still a top 100 inflation-adjusted highest-grossing film and got Nichols an Academy Award for Best Director. Nichols then set out to tackle something more ambitious - an adaptation of the non-linear, surrealist military satire Catch-22, which Orson Welles, among others, had been wanting to do since the novel's release. Unfortunately it was released the same year as Altman’s similarly-themed M*A*S*H and was widely considered the inferior film. His next project, the satirical comedy Carnal Knowledge was perhaps the most successful collaboration between Nichols and Jack Nicholson. This movie marked the end of the most prolific part of Nichols' career. After that he made a couple of projects that proved to be too ambitious even for his own undertaking and as a result he took a break from movies for several years to do theater. When he returned from his break his style seemed to have changed:

The second part of his career did not resonate well with the critics, although his movies continued to be successful with audiences. After his return his work was less focused on satire and more focused on character study, examining everyday interactions between people.

A list of his films:

Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966) (13 Oscar Nominations; 5 Oscar wins, profit of $35 million)
The Graduate (1967) (7 Oscar Nominations, 1 win for best Director, $100 million profit)
Catch-22 (1970)
The Fortune (1975)
Silkwood (1983) (5 Oscar Nominations)
Heartburn (1986)
Biloxi Blues (1988)
Working Girl (1988) (6 Oscar Nominations, $75 million profit)
Regarding Henry (1990)
Postcards from the Edge (1990)
The Birdcage (1996) (Gross revenue $185.3 million)
Primary Colors (1998)
Closer (2004/I) ($85 million profit)
Charlie Wilson's War (2007)

(note - here 'profit' is the disparity between budget and revenue)

Pick 182, Milos Forman



Milos Forman is one of a few foreign directors to make a successful transition to Hollywood without much difficulty. He did not have to adapt or compromise his style and therefore found just as great success here as he did in the Czech Republic. While he made some tremendous movies in Hollywood, a good bulk of his great work was made back home ( Loves of a Blonde (1965), The Firemen's Ball (1968)). He was considered a revolutionary in the Czech cinema and his movies quickly became unpopular with the new Communist government there. While he was negotiating his first American movie, his studio was forced to fire him, and Milos was abruptly forced to move to America permanently. His first movie, Taking Off, was very well received by the critics, winning a number of awards, including a Special Jury Prize at Cannes, but audiences chose to ignore that work. His next movie, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975), became one of the masterpieces of American film. It swept the box office and won all five major Academy Awards. His next projects were a successful musical, Hair, and a historical drama Ragtime which was nominated for 8 Academy Awards. In 1984, he made another masterpiece, Amadeus, which received 11 nominations and won 8 awards (including best director) - both his leads were nominated for Best Actor. He waited five years before making another film, Valmont (1989), which was a failure both at the box office and with critics; its lack of success drove Milos Forman away from movies for many years. The late 90s saw his return to Hollywood with The People vs. Larry Flynt and Man on the Moon - both critically acclaimed, but both underperformed at the box office. Both films are thematically similar, portraying outsiders in the entertainment industry who had to fight for their success. However, neither Larry Flynt nor UNDRAFTED ACTOR were ever particularly popular in their time, and thus the films suffered from a lack of interest in their protagonist. Furthermore, The People vs. Larry Flynt suffered even more due to the supposed racist and misogynist quality of Mr. Flynt, and protests against the film were quite successful. We feel that regardless of his later box office troubles, Milos Forman will still provide us with very solid dramas whose success will be enhanced by the star power of our actors.

A list of his Hollywood films:

Taking Off (1971)
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975)
Hair (1979)
Ragtime (1981)
Amadeus (1984)
Valmont (1989)
The People Vs. Larry Flynt (1996)
Man on the Moon (1999)
Goya's Ghosts (2006)

SIGHTLESS STUDIOS and TRIUMPH PICTURES AND ENTERTAINMENT:

Directors:

Actors:

Round 6, Pick 49 (#199 overall)

Glenn Close, 61, Actress



Glenn Close is one of the best actresses of the last quarter-century. She started her film career in 1982 and has since been nominated 5 times for Oscars, for the following:

1982’s The World According to Garp
1983’s The Big Chill
1984’s The Natural
1987’s Fatal Attraction
1988’s Dangerous Liaisions

She has also been nominated for an astounding 9 Golden Globe, and has won 2 of them. One was for best actress in a made for TV movie, The Lion in the Winter. The other was for her recent acting work on the TV series Damages. Of course, the Emmy’s are the main television award, and she’s been nominated 11 times with 2 wins.

For almost 30 years, she’s portrayed great characters in several great films, and we look forward to her working with legendary Directors Stanley Kubrick, Rob Reiner, and actors Russell Crowe, Morgan Freeman, and Gene Hackman, in our studio.

Some of her selected films include:

1988’s Dangerous Liaisons (7.6)
1984’s The Natural (7.4)
1990’s Reversal of Fortune (7.2)
2005’s Heights (7.1)
2005’s The Chumscrubber (7.1)
1982’s The World According to Garp (7.0)
1983’s The Big Chill (7.0)
1999’s Tarzan (6.9)
2005’s Nine Lives (6.9)
1987’s Fatal Attraction (6.8)
1990’s Hamlet (6.8)
1991’s Meeting Venus (6.8)
1999’s Cookie’s Fortune (6.8)
2005’s Hoodwinked (6.7)

We feel that adding Glenn Close to our studio gives us a top-tier leading lady, who can both command the screen, or role play. She is extremely versatile, in that she can play roles demanding her to be anywhere from overly-emotional to super-tough. What also aided us in the selection process is the fact that we can visualize Glenn playing in several of Kubrick or Reiner’s past films. Some of these include parts in The Killing, Lolita (her mom), Barry Lyndon, The Shining, Misery, and A Few Good Men, just to name a few. So we feel that she is a perfect female fit for our studio.

Prohornblower Studios current roster:

#1 Stanley Kubrick, Director/Producer/Writer
#60 Russell Crowe, Actor
#90 Morgan Freeman, Actor
#96 Gene Hackman, Actor
#121 Rob Reiner, Director/Producer/Writer/Actor
#199 Glenn Close, Actress

With the 203rd Pick of the Hollywood Dynast Draft CincyHR Studios Selects:

Actor/Voice Actor




Vincent Price, Sixth Round, 53rd Pick (203rd Overall)

When I selected Tim Burton in the third round many wondered how I would overcome the fact that Johnny Depp had already been selected. By drafting Vincent Price, the man who Tim Burton claims to be most influenced by, I get someone who I feel will not adequately replace Depp, but will even be better as a star of Burton's movies.

A Yale graduate and art connosieuer, Price began his acting career on the stage in 1935. He was well received, and made his film debut in 1938. For the next few years Price would establish himslef as an actor of notably high quality in films like "Laura", "Brigham Young", and The Keys of the Kingdom".

In 1939, Price made a very important move when he starred in the horror film "Tower of London" along with UNDRAFTED LEGENDARY HORROR ACTOR. This would foreshadow Price's future career in which he would become widely known and acclaimed for his horror roles. In this time period, he continued to work on many different types of films. He was known for his many roles as villains in noir movies, as well as his knack for comedic timing in many spoofs/B comedies, and a flare for the dramatic in films like "The Ten Commandments".

Of course, Price's most notablelegacy, and the one that makes him a great fit for my studio, is his incredible mastery of roles in horror and gothic movies. Assisted by his enormous stature and an all-time great voice, Price perfected these types of roles in the way that only a few other men can claim to have. He was known for mixing mock-seriousness and black humor in with the serious nature of the roles, a perfect ability for a Tim Burton movie. He starred in horror films like "The House of Wax", "The Fly", and "House on Haunted Hill", all of which were later remade. He also did a series of Edgar Allen Poe adaptations alongside UNDRAFTED KING OF B MOVIES PRODUCER, later cited by Burton as one of his inspirations to enter film. Many of his films, depsite being low budget productions, stand the test of time as cult classics, and continue to receive critical praise.



In his later career, Price continued to work on horror films, but also branched out to do more comedies, as well as television and radio performances. One of his favorite roles came as the voice of Professor Ratigan in Disney's "The Great Mouse Detective" in 1986, at the age of 75. Price continued to work on into his late sventies and early eighties, including his last film appearance as a cameo in Burton's "Edward Scissorhands". The role was intended to be larger, but Price was suffering the effects of a lifetime of smoking.

As, I previously mentioned, one of the main reasons for this pick is to provide Tim Burton an actor to collaborate with. Burton considered Price to be the greatest influence on his work. In fact, one of Burton's first solo projects was a Disney-produced stop-action animated short based on a poem he had written that was inspired by his adoration for Price, who also provided the narration (synergy ftw). This meeting of Burton and Price would lead to a friendship that lasted the rest of their lives, and was considered by both to be a very important moment in their careers. Burton also began production of a documentary chronicling Price's life, but stopped after Price's 1993 death.

Vincent Price will star in many of my Tim Burton movies. He will provide a historic voice for my animated films. Once in a while he will even play a small supporting role in my other live action films.

Actor, voice actor, noted raconteur and eccentric, art collector, gourmet chef, and all around scary guy,

Vincent Price


CincyHR Studios:
Walt Disney
Tim Burton
Jack Lemmon
Robert Mitchum
Vincent Price
Audrey Hepburn

With the 204th Pick of the Hollywood Dynasty Draft CincyHR Studios Selects:

Writer/Director/Creator/Producer/Voice Actor/Puppeteer/Genius




Jim Henson, 6th Round, 54th Pick (204th Overall)

A few picks ago I said that CincyHR Studios was committed to creating the kind of magic that captures every generation and makes the moviegoing experience so wonderful. As such, I am happy to add Jim Henson to the creative braintrust that alredy includes Walt Disney and Tim Burton.

Henson possesses a visionary mind that is responsible for the creation of two of the most beloved and iconic sets of characters and franchises ever - Sesame Street and The Muppets. Henson began creating and using puppets in college; not as a passion or dream, but merely becuase he felt that would be an effective way to get noticed. Through the sixties, Henson struggled to achieve recognition, though he continued to create new characters and stories, as well as experimental films, at a rapid pace. His first creative breakthrough came with the creations of what would become the two characters most associated with Henson - Kermit the Frog, Henson's most famous character, and Rowlf the talking dog, Henson's first to make regular TV appearances.



In 1969 Henson was asked to create and produce a puppet segment for a new children's show, Sesame Street. Here he began his work with legendary characters like Oscar the Grouch, Bert and Ernie, Big Bird, and Cookie Monster. Originally intended to be only part of the show, the Muppet segments were an instant sensation with children and took up more and more of the airtime.

In the mid seventies, Henson began work on a few other projects. He did some adult-targeted work for SNL, and began to develop a television series around his puppets that would eventually become "The Muppet Show". "The Muppet Show" produced even MORE characters that have become enshrined into our cultural lexicon - Miss Piggy, The Swedish Chef, Gonzo, Fozzie Bear, etc. Henson loved this project, and often felt it was his greatest creative outlet. It was beloved by children and adults alike, thank to its mixture of child and adult themes and humor. It was watched regularly by over 200 million people worldwide.

In 1979 Henson brought himself, his alter-ego Kermit, and the rest of the Muppet gang to the big screen for "The Muppet Movie". Mixing puppets and humans, the movie was a big hit. Critics loved it, and it did $65 million at the box office (which would translate to $200 million if adjusted for inflation to today's dollar). The movie, and Henson, were also nominated for an Oscar.

He folloewd it up with "The Great Muppet Caper" and "The Muppet take Manhattan" both of which were praised by critics and generated good box office revenue.

Henson also strayed away from the Muppets to do other film projects. 1982's "Dark Crystal" was a darker, more serious film that took viewers to an entirely different world than Sesame Street or Muppetland. Henson wrote, directed, and produced the film, which received critical acclaim and nearly tripled its budget at the box office. It has continued to gain popularity from both children and adults to this day.



Henson went on to direct "Labyrinth", a fantasy movie starring UNDRAFTED ZIGGY STARDUST. Though the movie ws well received by crtics, and remains a cult classic, it performed poorly at the box office, and Henson took the failure hard. It ruined his marriage and caused him to shy away from the film business.

In the meanwhile, Henson created yet another television series based around his visions of a fantasy world. "Fraggle Rock" featured a fantastic world with a number of different creatures living (mostly) in harmony. It was HBO's first original series, and became a big hit in its original run, as well as a second run on the Disney channel years later.



In 1990 Jim Henson died suddenly from an infection, leaving behind a collection of some of the greatest characters, stories, and worlds ever put on film. The Jim Henson company, built by Henson from the gorud up, eventually sold for $680 million.

Merely his voice talents alone make Henson worthy of being in my studio, but he brings so much more, He is a brilliant creator of characters and worlds, a master puppeteer, and a great businessman. His genius will be a great asset in ym studio, and alongside Walt Disney and Tim Burton I have a trio of creative minds that will pump out some of the most imaginative, engaging, and magical images in this draft.

LEGEND...



CincyHR Studios:
Walt Disney
Tim Burton
Jim Henson
Jack Lemmon
Robert Mitchum
Vincent Price
Audrey Hepburn