Christina Perri: February 2011

Monday, February 28, 2011

James Franco film director

James Edward Franco born April 19, 1978 is an American actor, film director, screenwriter, film producer, English student, author, painter and performance artist. He began acting during the late 1990s, appearing on the short-lived television series Freaks and Geeks and starring in several teen films. He achieved international fame with his portrayals of Harry Osborn in Sam Raimi's Spider Man trilogy, drug dealer Saul Silver in Pineapple Express and Aron Ralston in 127 Hours. His other well known films include Milk, Tristan & Isolde, Flyboys, Date Night, Your Highness, Eat Pray Love and the upcoming Planet of the Apes reboot Rise of the Apes. He has been nominated for three Golden Globe awards, winning one, and received an Academy Award nomination for his work in 127 Hours.
Contents
* 1 Early life and family
* 2 Career
o 2.1 Early work
o 2.2 2002 – present
o 2.3 Writing
* 3 Personal life
* 4 Filmography
* 5 Selected works
* 6 References
* 7 External links
Early life and family
Franco was born in Palo Alto, California. His mother, Betsy Lou (née Verne), is a poet, author, and editor, and his father, Douglas Eugene Franco, runs a non-profit agency and a shipping container company; the two met as students at Stanford University. Franco's father is of Portuguese and Swedish descent and Franco's mother is Jewish, a descendant of immigrants from Russia (her family's surname had been changed from "Verovitz" to "Verne"). His paternal grandmother, Marjorie (Peterson) Franco, was a published author of young adult books;his maternal grandmother, Mitzie (Levine) Verne, owns the Verne Art Gallery, a prominent art gallery in Cleveland, and was an active member in the National Council of Jewish Women.
Franco grew up in California with his two younger brothers, Tom and Dave, the latter of whom is also an actor. at mathematics, Franco interned at Lockheed Martin. He graduated from Palo Alto High School in 1996, where he acted in plays.He enrolled at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) as an English major, but dropped out after his freshman year against his parents' wishes to pursue a career as an actor, taking acting lessons with Robert Carnegie at the Playhouse West
Career
Early work
After 15 months of training, he began auditioning in Los Angeles, California, and got his first break in 1999, after he was cast in a leading role on the short-lived but well-reviewed television series Freaks and Geeks. Franco has since described the series as "one of the most fun" work experiences that he has had. In another interview, Franco said: "When we were doing Freaks and Geeks, I didn’t quite understand how movies and TV worked, and I would improvise even if the camera wasn’t on me ... So I was improvising a little bit back then, but not in a productive way."
His first major film was the romantic comedy Whatever It Takes (2000), in which he co-starred with his then-girlfriend, Marla Sokoloff. He was subsequently cast as the title role in director Mark Rydell's 2001 TV biopic James Dean. Tucker of Entertainment Weekly wrote: "Franco could have walked through the role and done a passable Dean, but instead gets under the skin of this insecure, rootless young man."He received a Golden Globe Award and nominations for an Emmy Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award.

James Franco

Sunday, February 27, 2011

melissa leo awards and nominations

Melissa Chessington Leo born September 14, 1960, also known as Margaret May II or Margaret May, is an American actress.
Leo is known for playing Det. Sgt. Kay Howard as a series regular on the television series Homicide: Life on the Street for the show's first five seasons from 1993–1997. As of 2011, she is on the television series Treme, having previously been a regular on All My Children and The Young Riders. Her feature films include A Time of Destiny, Last Summer in the Hamptons, 21 Grams, Confess, and The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada. In 2009, she received an Oscar nomination for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role for her role in Frozen River. She received her first Oscar in 2011, for Best Supporting Actress for her role in The Fighter. Lawrence Toppman of The Charlotte Observer hailed her as "one of America's most underrated character actresses".
Contents
* 1 Personal life
* 2 Awards and nominations
* 3 Filmography
o 3.1 Television
* 4 References
* 5 External links
Personal life
Leo was born in Manhattan, New York City, New York, the daughter of Peggy, a California-born teacher, and Arnold Leo, an editor at Grove Press, fisherman, and spokesman for the East Hampton Baymen's Association. She has a son with actor and former boyfriend John Heard named John Matthew Heard (born 1987).
Leo was raised on the Lower East Side of Manhattan and spent summers at her father's house in Springs, a section of East Hampton, N.Y.She is a former resident of Putney, Vermont and now lives in Stone Ridge, New York.
Awards and nominations
Melissa Leo, January 2006
In 1985 she was nominated for a Daytime Emmy at the Daytime Emmy Awards/12th Daytime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Ingenue/Woman in a Drama Series for All My Children. In 2004 she shared the "Best Ensemble Acting" award from the Phoenix Film Critics Society for 21 Grams (2003) alongside Kevin Chapman, Benicio del Toro, Teresa Delgado, Clea DuVall, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Danny Huston, Eddie Marsan, Marc Musso, Sean Penn and Naomi Watts. She was also the runner-up for the Los Angeles Film Critics Association for Best Supporting Actress for 21 Grams.
In 2006, she won the Bronze Wrangler at the Western Heritage Awards for Outstanding Theatrical Motion Picture for The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada (2005) shared with Tommy Lee Jones (Film producer/actor), Michael Fitzgerald (Film producer), Luc Besson (Film producer), Pierre-Ange Le Pogam (Film producer), Guillermo Arriaga (screenwriter), Barry Pepper (actor), Dwight Yoakam (actor), Julio Cedillo (actor), Levon Helm (actor), January Jones (actress) and Vanessa Bauche (actress).
In 2008, she won the Maverick Actor Award and also the Best Actress award at the Method Fest for Lullaby (2008). Her performance in the film Frozen River earned her the Best Actress award from the Independent Spirit Awards and nominations from the Screen Actors Guild Awards, the Broadcast Film Critics Association awards, and the Academy Awards. Roger Ebert backed her for a win stating,"Best Actress: Melissa Leo. What a complete performance, evoking a woman's life in a time of economic hardship. The most timely of films, but that isn't reason enough. I was struck by how intensely determined she was to make the payments, support her two children, carry on after her abandonment by a gambling husband, and still maintain rules and goals around the house. This was a heroic woman."
She also received the Spotlight award from the National Board of Review.
She received praise for her role in the movie The Fighter. Rick Bentley from charlotteobserver.com said "Both actors (Mark Wahlberg and Christian Bale) are very good, but they get blown off the screen by Melissa Leo, who plays their mother, Alice Ward. She's a passive-aggressive minion of hell who makes every past bad film mom look like June Cleaver. Leo's Oscar-worthy portrayal of Alice as a master manipulator goes beyond acting to a total transformation."
For this film, Leo won the Golden Globe, Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress and the New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actress, among others. In addition, she won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in The Fighter Her use of the F-bomb in the acceptance speech was reportedly a first at the Oscars.
Filmography
Film and television Year↓ Title↓ Role↓ Notes
1984 All My Children Linda Warner Contract Cast Member (1984-1985)
1985 Always Peggy
1985 Streetwalkin' Cookie
1985 Silent Witness Patti Mullen TV movie
1986 Deadtime Stories Judith 'MaMa' Baer
1988 Time of Destiny, AA Time of Destiny Josie Larraneta
1989 The Young Riders Emma Shannon Main Cast Member Season 1: 24 Episodes
1989 Nasty Boys Katie Morrisey TV
1990 The Bride in Black Mary Margaret TV
1991 Carolina Skeletons Cassie TV
1992 Immaculate Conception Hannah
1992 Venice/Venice Peggy
1993 Ballad of Little Jo, TheThe Ballad of Little Jo Beatrice Grey
1993 Homicide: Life on the Street Det. Sgt. Kay Howard Television Series, Main Cast Member Seasons 1-5 (1993-1997): 77 Episodes
1994 Garden Elizabeth
1995 Last Summer in the Hamptons Trish
1995 In the Line of Duty: Hunt for Justice Carol Manning TV
1997 Under the Bridge Kathy
1999 The 24 Hour Woman Dr. Suzanne Pincus
1999 Code of Ethics Jo DeAngelo
2000 Homicide: The Movie Det. Sgt. Kay Howard TV
2000 Fear of Fiction Sigrid Anderssen
2003 21 Grams Marianne Jordan Phoenix Film Critics Society Award for Best Cast
2004 First Breath Detective Waxman
2004 From Other Worlds Miriam
2005 Hide and Seek Laura
2005 Runaway Lisa Adler
2005 No Shoulder Ruth
2005 Patch Maelynn
2005 Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada, TheThe Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada Rachel
2005 American Gun Louise
2005 Confess Agnes Lessor
2006 Stephanie Daley Miri
2006 The Limbo Room KC Collins
2006 Hollywood Dreams Aunt Bee
2006 House is Burning, TheThe House is Burning Mrs. Miller
2006 Falling Objects Helga
2007 Bomb Sharon
2007 Midnight Son Rita
2007 Black Irish Margaret McKay
2007 Cake Eaters, TheThe Cake Eaters Ceci
2007 Racing Daylight Sadie Stokes/Anna Stokes
2007 I Believe in America Soto
2007 Mr. Woodcock Sally Jansen
2007 One Night Wendy
2008 Frozen River Ray Eddy Central Ohio Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress
Central Ohio Film Critics Association Award for Best Breakthrough Film Artist
Florida Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actress
Gotham Independent Film Award for Breakthrough Actor
Independent Spirit Award for Best Female Lead
San Sebastián International Film Festival Award for Best Actress
Utah Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress
Women Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actress
Nominated—Academy Award for Best Actress
Nominated—Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress
Nominated—Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress
Nominated—Satellite Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Drama
Nominated—Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role
2008 Alphabet Killer, TheThe Alphabet Killer Kathy Walsh
2008 Lullaby Stephanie Method Fest Independent Film Festival Award for Best Actress
2008 Santa Mesa Maggie
2008 Ball Don't Lie Georgia
2008 This is a Story About Ted and Alice Alice
2008 Righteous Kill Cheryl Brooks
2008 Predisposed Penny
2009 According to Greta Karen
2009 Stephanie's Image Stephanie
2009 True Adolescents Sharon
2009 Veronika Decides to Die Mari
2009 Dear Lemon Lima Mrs. Howard
2009 Don McKay Marie
2009 Everybody's Fine Colleen
2010 Treme Toni Bernette Main Cast Member: Season 1 - Present
2010 Welcome to the Rileys Mrs. Riley
2010 Dry Land, TheThe Dry Land Martha
2010 The Space Between Montine
2010 Fighter, TheThe Fighter Alice Ward Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress
Boston Society of Film Critics Award for Best Ensemble
Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Acting Ensemble
Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress
Central Ohio Film Critics Association Award for Best Ensemble
Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress
Denver Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actress
Florida Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actress
Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture
Iowa Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actress
New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actress
New York Film Critics Online for Best Supporting Actress
North Texas Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress
Phoenix Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actress
Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role
St. Louis Gateway Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress
Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress
Nominated—Alliance of Women Film Journalists Award for Best Supporting Actress
Nominated—Central Ohio film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress
Nominated—Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress
Nominated—Detroit Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actress
Nominated—Houston Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actress
Nominated—Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actress
Nominated—San Diego Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actress
Nominated—San Diego Film Critics Society Award for Best Ensemble
Nominated—Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
Nominated—Toronto Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress
Nominated—Utah Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress
Nominated—Vancouver Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actress
Nominated—Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Awards for Best Ensemble
2010 Conviction Nancy Taylor
2011 Red State Sarah

melissa leo

christian bale English actor early life

Christian Charles Philip Bale born 30 January 1974 is an English actor. In addition to starring in big budget Hollywood films, he has played in films produced by independent producers and art houses.
Bale first caught the public eye at the age of 13, when he was cast in the starring role of Steven Spielberg's Empire of the Sun. He played an English boy who is separated from his parents and subsequently finds himself lost in a Japanese internment camp during World War II. He has received critical acclaim for his performance in The Fighter, earning him several awards including the Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture and a win for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. He is also known for portraying Bruce Wayne in the Batman films Batman Begins and The Dark Knight, as well as yuppie serial killer Patrick Bateman in American Psycho, and Dicky Eklund in The Fighter.
Contents
* 1 Early life
* 2 Career
o 2.1 1986–1998
o 2.2 1999–2001
o 2.3 2002–2004
o 2.4 Batman: 2005–present
o 2.5 2006–2009
+ 2.5.1 Terminator Salvation incident
o 2.6 2010–present
* 3 Personal life
* 4 Film and television credits
* 5 Awards and nominations
* 6 References
* 7 External links
Early life
Bale was born in Wales to parents of English descent. His South African-born father, David Bale, was an entrepreneur, commercial pilot, and talent manager, and his mother, Jenny James, was a performer.He is the youngest of four children. After leaving Britain in 1976, Bale spent his childhood in several countries, including Portugal and the United States.
Settling for four years in Bournemouth and Henley-on-Thames, Bale was educated at Shiplake Church of England Primary School; the independent Dolphin School, Berkshire; and at Bournemouth School. He played rugby. Bale has described his childhood, with respect to his mother being in the circus, as "interesting". He recalled his first kiss was with an acrobat named Barta.
As a child, he trained in ballet and guitar. His sister Louise's work in theatre also influenced his decision to become an actor.Bale's father was very supportive of his son's acting, resigning from his job as a commercial pilot to travel and manage Bale's burgeoning career. The elder Bale later married feminist icon Gloria Steinem,He passed away, at age 62, on 30 December 2003 from brain lymphoma.
Bale's first foray into acting was a commercial for the fabric softener Lenor in 1982, when he was 8 years old. A year later, he appeared in a Pac-Man cereal commercial playing a child rock star. In 1984, he made his stage debut in The Nerd, opposite Rowan Atkinson. In 2011, he won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for The Fighter.
Career
1986–1998
Black and white photograph of Christian Bale
A 14-year-old Bale in Stockholm, Sweden in February 1988 while promoting Empire of the Sun
Bale made his film debut as Tsarevich Alexei Nikolaevich of Russia in the made-for-television film Anastasia: The Mystery of Anna in 1986, which was followed by leading roles in the miniseries Heart of the Country and the fantasy adventure Mio in the Land of Faraway, in which he appeared with Christopher Lee and Nick Pickard.
In 1987, Amy Irving, his co-star in Anastasia: The Mystery of Anna, recommended Bale to her then-husband, Steven Spielberg, for a role in Empire of the Sun, adapted from the J.G. Ballard semi-autobiography.'s performance as Jim Graham earned him widespread critical praise and the first ever "Best Performance by a Juvenile Actor" award from the National Board of Review of Motion Pictures. The attention the press and his schoolmates lavished upon him after this, took a toll on Bale, and he contemplated giving up acting until Kenneth Branagh approached him and persuaded him to appear in Henry V in 1989. In 1990, he played the role of Jim Hawkins opposite Charlton Heston (as Long John Silver) in Treasure Island, an adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson's classic book.
In 1992, Bale starred as Jack Kelly in the Disney musical Newsies, and followed it up in 1993 with another release, Swing Kids, a movie about teenagers who secretly listened to forbidden jazz during the rise of Nazi Germany. Bale was recommended by actress Winona Ryder to star in Gillian Armstrong's 1994 film Little Women.Bale provided the voice for Thomas, a young compatriot of Captain John Smith, in Disney's Pocahontas (1995) and in 1997 played Arthur Stuart in Velvet Goldmine, Todd Haynes' tribute to glam rock. In 1999, Bale contributed to an all-star cast, including Kevin Kline, Michelle Pfeiffer, Stanley Tucci, and Rupert Everett, portraying Demetrius in an updated version of William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream.

christian bale

Friday, February 25, 2011

kristen s archives collection of erotic stories

This archive is based upon Kristen's collection of erotic stories. It was begun by her in 1997 and has been built on extensively since then. You will find every type of sexual situation covered in these stories; there have been no judgments made as far as subject. In the archive, you will find well over 15,000 erotic stories, plus illustrated archives, Kristen's own stories, as well as the archives of respected writers whose works have been posted to the alt.sex.stories.moderated and alt.sex.stories newsgroups.

There are also links to other free erotica sites (including some rather unusual ones!) and to author home pages. The Kristen Directories have been read and edited (if required), while the Kristen Bookshelf Directories have not.

A newer feature of the site is the "Category Archive" that breaks story files down into types of stories, such as gay, lesbian, exhibitionism, etc.

Browse around and enjoy the fruits of Kristen's Labor of Love (literately and figuratively)!