The Human Centipede II Banned in Australia

Consider it another notch in Tom Six’s cinematic bedpost: The barf-inducing horror sequel The Human Centipede II (Full Sequence) has been banned in Australia following review by the Classification Review Board, the nation’s three-person governing body. Too extreme even for an R 18+ rating, the film was deemed to contain “gratuitous, exploitative, or offensive depictions of violence with a very high degree of impact and cruelty which has a high impact;” hit with a RC (Refused Classification) label, it can’t be “sold, hired, or advertised” in Australia. This, despite the Australian teaser for the film back in September suggesting that Australia would get an uncut version. Don’t worry, Aussies: Censors in U.K. also banned The Human Centipede II via a refusal to certify (albeit with much more colorful, entertaining language) and the film eventually passed muster after Six edited out the more horrifying content. And you don’t want to end up like Movieline’s poor Fantastic Fest seatmate, do you? Of course, there’s the whole censorship business to be outraged by, but trust me: If you truly want the full, uncut Human Centipede II experience it’ll be available eventually in Six’s Director’s Cut on DVD. At least then you can curl up into the fetal position in the comfort of your own home. [Classification Review Board via Movie City News]

Seven Artists Selected for 2012 Sundance Retreat

Seven Artists Selected for 2012 Sundance Retreat By Madasyn Czebiniak November 28, 2011 Seven artists will are able of your life: to wind down, recharge, create new material, and possess it critiqued in early stagesat a cattle ranch round the edges of Sheridan, Wyo. Yes, a cattle ranch. The Sundance Institute Theatre Program introduced today the seven artists selected because of its 2012 Playwrights Retreat at Ucross Foundation. Five authors and a pair of composers were selected with this particular year's program, which occur in February. They are Bruce Norris, Frances Ya-Chu Cowhig, Nathan Louis Jackson, Brett Neveu, Joshua Schmidt, Heidi Schreck, and Georgia Stitt."Ucross offers a spectacular atmosphere and support, that's considerably crucial in enabling artists inspiration and community," Philip Himberg, creating artistic director in the theater program, mentioned in the written statement.Added Ucross Foundation leader Sharon Dynak, "We trust the 2010 selection of exceptional authors and composers will uncover just as much creative inspiration inside our surroundings since the artists that precede them." Seven Artists Selected for 2012 Sundance Retreat By Madasyn Czebiniak November 28, 2011 Seven artists will are able of your life: to wind down, recharge, create new material, and possess it critiqued in early stagesat a cattle ranch round the edges of Sheridan, Wyo. Yes, a cattle ranch. The Sundance Institute Theatre Program introduced today the seven artists selected due to its 2012 Playwrights Retreat at Ucross Foundation. Five authors and a pair of composers were selected with this particular year's program, which occur in February. They are Bruce Norris, Frances Ya-Chu Cowhig, Nathan Louis Jackson, Brett Neveu, Joshua Schmidt, Heidi Schreck, and Georgia Stitt."Ucross offers a spectacular atmosphere and support, that's considerably crucial in enabling artists inspiration and community," Philip Himberg, creating artistic director in the theater program, mentioned in the written statement.Added Ucross Foundation leader Sharon Dynak, "We trust the 2010 selection of exceptional authors and composers will uncover as much creative inspiration inside our surroundings since the artists that precede them."

Modern Family First Look: Book of Mormon's Josh Gad Loves to Man-Shake

Ty Burrell, Julie Bowen, Josh Gad The Book of Mormon's Josh Gad will make his Modern Family debut on Wednesday - and if you can imagine, his character is even more awkward than Phil Dunphy (Ty Burrell). "He grew up in the neighborhood and used to be the Dunphys neighbor," Gad tells TVGuide.com. "He winds up coming back and visiting them. They're very surprised by what he's done with himself because he was not necessarily going to make much of his life and quite the opposite happens." Modern Family partners with Greg Kinnear for guest spot Gad has producers Chris Lloyd and Steve Levitan to thank for landing the role. He previously worked with the Modern Family duo on Fox's short-lived comedy Back to You. "We had been trying to pair up for a while to work again together, and one day they called me up and said, 'We have this great character and if you can get a second to break away from your day job, we'd love for you to come and do it," he says. "I, of course, complied because this show is a little bit of a hit, but I felt like it needed my presence in order to get to that next level." The logistics of getting Gad to Los Angeles to shoot the role weren't as simple as him actually landing the plum part. The Book of Mormon actor flew out to L.A. Monday morning, hopped on a Red Eye that night and hit the stage Tuesday night for Mormon. Still, he says, it was completely worth it. "It was a reunion of sorts with Ty Burell, who was on Back to You, and Jesse Tyler Ferguson and I got our starts in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee on Broadway together. It was so rewarding and I would do it all over again." Watch full episodes of Modern Family Despite the chaotic lengths Gad took to shoot Modern Family, he hopes this isn't the last we see of him on TV. "My goal is to fly every Monday for the next year to go do a guest role on every single show currently shooting just to say I did," he says with a laugh. "We'll just start with the CSIs, knock them all off." As for his time on Modern Family, Gad points to a particular scene that made his time worth it. "The most fun element of the entire shoot was this physical comedy bit that Ty and I got to really create from scratch," he says. "It's an old meet-and-greet handshake that goes just so far and is so unnecessarily elaborate." Check out what scene Gad is talking about in this sneak peek below:

Menkes gets retrospective

Nina Menkes' latest film, 'Dissolution,' will play throughout this spring's retrospective, in addition to some of her older pics. Gotham's Anthology Film Archives and the UCLA Film Archives will partner to present a retrospective of films by Nina Menkes this spring.Her latest pic, 2010's "Dissolution," will play throughout the retrospective week in NY, in addition to older works.Experimental filmmaking stalwart Menkes, who has made six features, has established a rep for controlling all elements of production, serving as producer, writer, director and editor. She has collaborated on several projects with sister Tinka Menkes as lead actress.Menkes' first feature was 1986's "Magdalena Viraga," about an L.A. prostitute incarcerated for murdering her pimp. Other pics include Sundance alum "Queen of Diamonds" (1991), "The Bloody Child" (1996) and "Phantom Love" (2007)."Dissolution," filmed in black and white in Tel Aviv, is loosely based on Dostoyevsky's "Crime and Punishment." Israeli musician and philosopher David Fire stars.Menkes' next movie, "Heatstroke," will be filmed in Cairo and L.A., with Gus Van Sant onboard as exec producer.Bicoastal retrospective is set for March, with exact dates and lineups to set. Contact Gordon Cox at gordon.cox@variety.com

Producer Brian Grazer Facing a Welcome Oscar Dilemma

This story first appeared in the Nov. 25 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine.our editor recommendsBrian Grazer Replacing Brett Ratner as Oscar Producer (Exclusive)Oscar Shake-up: Hollywood Weighs In on New Host Billy Crystal, Producer Brian GrazerBrian Grazer: 5 Things to Know About Brett Ratners Oscar ReplacementOscar Show Producer Replacements: If Not Brian Grazer, Then Who? Eddie Murphy Says Brian Grazer Saved 'Tower Heist' (Video) Brian Grazer knows how tense Oscar nights can be. He's been there, sitting in the audience as a nominee on four occasions, and only once -- when A Beautiful Mind was named best picture in 2002 -- was his name called. Now that Grazer has agreed to step in to produce the 84th Annual Academy Awards with Don Mischer, he'll find the evening even more fraught. Not only will he be responsible for ensuring the always-unwieldy telecast goes off without a hitch, he himself could be a nominee for J. Edgar. Add to that a preshow complication: Rival campaigns will be watching his every move closely, ready to pounce if, in his role as Oscar producer, Grazer shows J. Edgar any favoritism. Complains one Academy member: "The Academy just doesn't worry about these conflicts the way it once did. Look, the other night they honored Vanessa Redgrave in London, and it's not going to happen, but she could be a nominee for Coriolanus." PHOTOS: 'J. Edgar' Premiere Red Carpet Arrivals It's not really a question of how Grazer might shape the Oscar broadcast Feb. 26. He could turn it into a veritable J. Edgar lovefest, and it wouldn't matter. By then, all the votes will be cast, and the movie will have done the bulk of its box-office business. But in the coming weeks, as he begins to put his mark on the show, there will be announcements carrying Grazer's name about writers and designers coming aboard. Once the nominations are announced Jan. 24, he'll be front and center at the Nominees Luncheon on Feb. 6, where the show's producer traditionally appears to preview bits from the telecast and plead that the winners keep their speeches short. Then, in the second phase, as final votes are cast, he, along with host Billy Crystal, will be pushed forward to do publicity to promote the big night. COVER STORY: The Making of 'J. Edgar' Grazer's situation is unusual, though not unprecedented. In 1958, Jerry Wald, one of the most prolific producers of his era, produced the Oscars while having a best picture nominee, Peyton Place, in contention. (It lost to The Bridge on the River Kwai, and he went home without a single trophy.) Given how quickly events unfolded once Brett Ratner resigned as producer Nov. 8, there was never any real discussion about the issue. That day, Grazer was flying back from NY, where the previous evening he had attended a screening of his Clint Eastwood-directed biopic starring Leonardo DiCaprio. When he landed, Academy president Tom Sherak was on the phone, offering him the job. After quickly consulting with his Imagine Entertainment producing partner, Ron Howard, Grazer accepted. "I said, 'OK, congratulations.' That's how quickly it happened," says Sherak. Asked whether he foresees any potential conflict, Grazer replied: "We're just hoping people want to see the movie. We're professionals; we'll just take it from one day to the next." PHOTOS: Warner Bros.' Fall Movies As far as J. Edgar's chances go, the die had already been cast. The filmmakers spent the week before the Academy's Oscar meltdown unveiling it with a premiere at AFI Fest and Q&As at the DGA, SAG and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Although Grazer was on hand, he tends to hang back, letting the talent front for the film. Says one source familiar with how he works, "When it comes to campaigns, Brian is just not a controlling, manipulative type -- certainly not in the sense of a Spielberg or a Rudin." The strategists at Warner Bros. are watching the film's reception before plotting their next moves. Overall, critics were mixed, though key reviews in the Los Angeles Times and The NY Times gave it raves that could translate to Oscars. A best picture nomination isn't a sure shot, though: Eastwood, a five-time Oscar winner, personally hasn't earned a nom for his past four films. DiCaprio is a much safer bet because he gets to pull out the stops, playing Hoover from ages 24 to 77. Armie Hammer's supporting role as the loyal Clyde Tolson and Dustin Lance Black's original screenplay also could capture noms -- though Black's nuanced script, which paints Hoover as much victim as victimizer, could be too sympathetic for some older Academy members who still view him as Public Enemy No. 1. It's certainly possible some voters, grateful Grazer is helping the Academy out of a jam, could toss a vote or two J. Edgar's way. But because voters write down the name of a film, not those of individual producers, a vote for J. Edgar isn't necessarily a thank-you vote for Grazer. And in the end, predicts another insider, the movie "is really going to be seen as a Clint movie more than Brian's film. FOUR TENSE EVENINGS AT THE ACADEMY AWARDS:It's an honor to be nominated, but Grazer, who has won just once, knows the big night can be tough. 1985: Splash:A story credit on his second feature, about a mermaid-human love story, earned him his first nom -- as a writer. 1996: Apollo 13:Having won PGA and DGA awards, it was consideredthe front-runner but lost best picture toBraveheart. 2002: A Beautiful Mind:Despite nasty whispers that the movie's subject is anti-Semitic, the film prevailed, giving Grazer an Oscar. 2009: Frost/Nixon:Five noms, including best picture, but no wins. Hollywood wasn't ready to reward a movie about Richard Nixon. Related Topics Brian Grazer Oscars Oscars 2012 Tom Sherak

Michael Fassbender's 'Prometheus' Character Inspired By... Greg Louganis?

For that mystery wrapped around Ridley Scott's probably "Alien"-related next film, perform know a few causes of "Prometheus." For starters, a plot summary says clear on Hollywood's most in-demand stars, Michael Fassbender, may have an android inside the approaching film. MTV News sitting lower with Fassbender because they was marketing his new film, "Shame," which he asked for the actor exactly what it was would rather join the legacy of "Alien" robots. Fassbender referred to that for his character, David, he needed their very own path when conceiving a child him. "I kind of went my own, personal way, really. I didn't watch the ['Alien'] films. Once I discovered I used to be carrying it out, I didn't revisit them," he mentioned. He did, however, have a look at another famous robot-related movie before starring in "Prometheus." "I seen 'Blade Runner,' however i didn't watch the 'Alien' films," mentioned Fassbender, who recognized that Ian Holm's and Lance Henriksen's performances will be at the rear of his mind. "Clearly, they're inside. I am in a position to remember them from the moment I've come across the movies before, however type of went another way.In . Too for inspiration directly from left area, Fassbender mentioned he looked to Olympic diver, Greg Louganis. "Louganis was my first inspiration. I thought that I'd type of base my physicality roughly around him, and kind of attacked that,Inch he mentioned. Possibly he'll perform a space diving. Who knows? What can you consider Fassbender's approach to his role in "Prometheus"? Inform us inside the comments below and also on Twitter!

Andy Rooney's Son Remembers the Eccentric, Doting Side of the Late '60 Minutes' Commentator

This story first appeared in the Nov. 18 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. Andy Rooney delivered his first 60 Minutes commentary on July 2, 1978, railing against the media tradition of tallying highway deaths during holiday weekends. But Rooney, who died Nov. 4 at 92 of complications following surgery, worked at CBS for nearly 60 years and spent 30 years of his career behind the camera. He always considered himself a writer first. Rooney grew up in Albany, N.Y., was drafted into the Army in 1941 and won a Bronze Star for his reporting under fire at the Battle of Saint-Lo. Here, former ABC News correspondent Brian Rooney remembers his dad. One year, on the night before Halloween, my father lined up his four children in the kitchen, handed us each a partial bar of soap, and said, "Get out and soap some windows." PHOTOS AND VIDEO: 5 Andy Rooney Rants He thought being a kid should be fun and a little reckless. We lived in a small town in Connecticut with lots of hills where he taught us how to ride a Flexible Flyer down streets hard-packed with snow. It didn't seem to trouble him that we had to dodge cars while doing it. He took us winter camping, without a tent. We made an igloo out of snow and went to sleep inside until the weather warmed, rain fell and it started to melt. I woke in the middle of the night to see him standing over the campfire, trying to dry our wet clothes. We had a long toboggan that he hitched with a rope to the bumper of the family station wagon and dragged us all over town in a snowstorm. He drove with his head out the window looking back at us, and we'd shout, "Faster, faster!!" VIDEO: '60 Minutes' Pays Tribute to Andy Rooney: 'America's Favorite Grouch-in-Chief' He gave me my first pocketknife and taught me how to use a power saw. He said, "It doesn't seem right, but it's safer when your fingers are closer to the blade." We had a volunteer fire department, and whenever a horn went off down at the fire station, he packed us all in the car and drove us across town to watch somebody's house burn down. He felt it was a civic duty. My father was a man of his times. He did not hug you or tell you, "I love you." He didn't tell us we were wonderful. But if you had to get up at 6 a.m. to drive 300 miles, he'd get up at 5 and make you fresh popovers before you left. Brian Rooney is one of Andy Rooney's four children and his only son. His sister Emily hosts Greater Boston, a PBS public affairs program. Related Topics 60 Minutes Andy Rooney

Disney Posts 30 % Increase in Quarterly Net Gain As Amusement Parks Soar

The Wally Disney Co. on Thursday stated it notched a 30 % increase in net gain to $1.25 billion on revenue that rose 7 percent to $10.43 in the fiscal 4th quarter, matching anticipation on top line. On the per-share basis, Disney published 58 cents in profit while Wall Street experts had predicted 55 cents. Within the same quarter last year, Disney reported an income of 43 cents per share. Studio entertainment revenue sunk 8 percent, while other segments published rising revenue around the quarter. The studio, though, recorded a decent 13 percent increase in operating earnings. Disney blamed strong evaluations for sinking studio revenue, as Cars 2, Twisted, Thor, Captain America and Pirates from the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides didn't measure to this past year's Toy Story 3, Alice's adventures in wonderland, Iron Guy 2 and Princess and also the Frog. Having a 33 percent gain, Disney's parks and resorts segment obtained the greatest improvement in operating earnings because of the inclusion from the Disney Dream cruiseship and greater ticket prices in the parks, where clients also spent more about food and merchandise. Disney shares rose 2.five percent throughout the standard session Thursday to $34.64 and advanced another 2.6 % in after-hrs buying and selling. Disney Boss Bob Iger along with other top professionals will discuss the income inside a business call later today, where some expect a minumum of one from the experts around the call to request to have an update around the all of a sudden questionable Oscar telecast that airs on Disney's ABC network in Feb. Disney's earnings ended the growing season for that conglomerates. Prior to the opening bell on Thursday, Viacom reported better-than-expected quarterly financials, delivering its stock five percent greater at the time. Related Subjects ABC Bob Iger Academy awards Viacom The Wally Disney Company

Daniel Loeb warns Yahoo, Yang

Activist investor Daniel Loeb, whose Third Point LLC owns about 5% of Yahoo, has put the struggling Netco's board and management on notice that shareholders expect to reap rewards from an eventual sale, and he has asked co-founder Jerry Yang to leave the board. Loeb, in a biting letter to directors made public Friday, railed at reports that the company could consider skirting an outright sale by having one or more private equity firms work with Yang to invest a chunk of money in Yahoo, leaving the structure and management unchanged. "The only purpose would be to put substantial equity stakes into friendly hands to entrench management and transfer effective control without payment of a premium or even, it appears, a shareholder vote," Loeb wrote. "We will not tolerate any transaction which appropriates for insiders opportunities that duly belong to current Yahoo shareholders." He threatened a proxy contest if the company pursues a deal that doesn't give shareholders a fair shake. "We can assure all Yahoo shareholders that whatever the outcome of the strategic review process may be, it will serve the best interests of all the company's shareholders," Yahoo countered in a statement. "News reports based on rumor and speculation are just that. The board's comprehensive strategic review process is still under way, with a wide range of options under active consideration." Yahoo hired investment bankers over the summer and has said nothing more publicly than that it's exploring all strategic options. The fate of the giant company with stellar worldwide brands but facing brutal competition has become a matter of almost daily speculation -- with volatility exacerbated by the fact that Yahoo hasn't named a new CEO to replace Carol Bartz, who was ousted earlier this year. Jack Ma's Alibaba Group of China, major private equity firms Texas Pacific Group, Providence Equity, Silver Lake, KKR and Blackstone, along with Microsoft and Google are said to be eyeing a deal. "We do not blame our friends at the private equity firms rumored to be involved for trying to get the best deal possible for their investors," Loeb wrote. "However, we at Third Point are also in the value-maximizing business. We would welcome the prospect of any of these firms' presence on a reconstituted Yahoo board of directors and work on a long-term strategy for the company should it be necessary for us to pursue a proxy contest next year." Loeb, who is famous for making public harsh letters to boards and executives he wants to pressure, may have a long-standing grudge in this case. He claims in the letter that Yahoo's failure to clinch a sale to Microsoft in 1998 was due to Yang's "ineptitude." Contact the Variety newsroom at news@variety.com

Longtime News Corp. Human Assets Professional Walking Lower

At any time News Corp is pressurized within the mounting phone hacking scandal london, their mind of human assets since 2007 is walking lower and being transformed in the corporate restructuring.our editor recommendsEx-WSJ Author Will Testify Again on Phone Hacking ScandalDow Manley Boss Likely Faces Tough Questions in News around the world ScandalConfessions from the 'News in the World' Reporter (Exclusive)Analyst Compares News Corp. Phone Hacking Scandal to Oliver Stone Movie and 'Very Bad Things' PHOTOS: News around the world's Top Ripoffs Beryl Prepare, who has existed top positions at News Corp and subsidiaries for 22 years, is departing, and frequently will stay an effective consultant focusing on business and talent initiatives over the organization, with different comment Thursday. Using what it referred to as an connected move, News Corp named Rob Mook, presently senior v . p . of worldwide compensation, to visualise the career of Executive v . p . and Chief Human Assets Officer. Mook, who's fifty years old, grew to become an associate of News Corp in March 2010 after two-and-a-half decades just like a consultant and HR expert, including working at AC Nielsen, Readers' Digest as well as the Interpublic Mook will account to News Corp Deputy Chairman Chase Carey. STORY: Rupert Murdoch Ally Ces Hinton Resigns as Boss of News Corp.'s Dow Manley Unit Among Phone Hacking Scandal Prepare, who was simply initially a journalist, labored in a number of divisions and related organizations over time including BSkyB inside the U.K. At both STAR TV in Hong Kong at BSkyB london, she labored cautiously with James Murdoch. At BSkyB her title was Director of people. While James Murdoch was Boss in the European satellite service. In 2005, she was credited with creating the thing that was referred to as a Forum, to encourage two-way communications between employees and management. She appeared to become a vital player inside the many professional-atmosphere campaign run by BSkyB, although she stopped missing using the Boss's ambition of creating a wind turbine over the organization's headquarters. Under her leadership BSkyB, however, did achieve the status of one of the primary media companies inside the Uk being carbon-neutral. James Murdoch has converted into a central estimate the hacking scandal, and chances are it will testify November. 10 once again before a committee of individuals in the British Parliament. In 2007, Prepare moved from London to NY being mind of HR for the entire corporation. In individuals days she appeared to become named an connect in the office in the chairman. The chairman, clearly, is Rupert Murdoch, who's also Boss from the organization. The restructuring means your brain of HR forget about is part of the office in the chairman, but rather reviews now for the deputy chairman. On Thursday, Murdoch launched a disagreement adoring Prepare: "Beryl features curiosity, creativity and endless energy to her work. I have valued her good counsel as well as the progress she's made strengthening our capacity to build up and fasten co-employees, and offer devoted people with great options around the globe. I recognize her decision to go away NY and am delighted she's made the decision to remain in the hands a crucial role inside the organization." Prepare, per the announcement is returning to "the Asia Off-shoreline region being closer to her family." Throughout her tenure, Prepare also held positions or labored with News Ltd. Nationwide, the Fiji Occasions in Fiji and STAR TV in Asia. "Determining to step away remains difficult," mentioned Prepare in the statement, "but, after greater than 2 decades on the road, I have to be closer to my family members, also to roll-up my masturbator masturbator sleeves again to use directly having a couple of from the gifted teams inside the worldwide companies." Mimi Turner london brought with this report. Related Subjects News Corp. News around the world

'Harry Potter' Killing Spree: Hagrid Almost Died, Lupin Almost Lived

When J.K. Rowling first started writing "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows," she had a very different perception of who would survive until the end of the book. She already admitted that she flirted with the idea of killing off Ron Weasley, but apparently he wasn't the only one she almost hit with the killing curse. If Rowling hadn't had such a clear mental image of Hagrid carrying Harry Potter's body out of the Forbidden Forest at the end of "Deathly Hallows," he likely would have been gone long ago. That image kept him safe, she said during her conversation with Daniel Radcliffe on the "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2" DVD. Turns out that, while she readied her wand for Ron and Hagrid, there was one "Potter" favorite that Rowling never planned on offing: Remus Lupin. Originally, Lupin was supposed to live through the end of the book. But when she realized that war doesn't discriminate who lives and who dies, she needed a very effective character to dramatize that point. There were few more effective than the newly-married Lupin and Nymphadora Tonks, who had given birth to a son before the events of "Deathly Hallows" began. One of the most horrifying things about war is how it leaves children fatherless and motherless, she said. I had no intention of killing [Lupin]. But then it dawned on me he had to die. Do you wish Hagrid had died, or that Lupin had lived? Tell us in the comments section below or on Twitter!

Greg Silverman Re-Ups With Warner Bros.

Warner Bros. Pictures' leader of production Greg Silverman has re-upped while using Burbank-based studio. Silverman, whose used the studio since 1999 (minus a short stint at Revolution Art galleries at the begining of 2000s) and elevated the ranks after beginning just like a junior professional, could keep getting oversight inside the studio's development and budget. While using new contract, he'll also, in line with the studio, be "charged with seeking new options to broaden making upon the success the business has consistently accomplished." The move takes care of a fantastic team atop one of the finest studio around, since the team headed by Warner Bros. Pictures Group leader Rob Robinov is amongst the stable. They may also be generating tentpole-sized movies than almost every other studio. Silverman, when he returned to Warner from Revolution, regularly elevated the ranks within the studio, from v . p ., production in 2002 to senior v . p ., production in 2004 to executive v . p ., production in 2006. Among the recent crop of films he's overseen are Christopher Nolan's The Dark Dark evening and Beginning, 300 as well as the Hangover movies. Related Subjects Warner Bros.