Weekend Newsreel: January 20, 2006

Compiled by the FilmBuffOnLine.com staff

     Hattie McDaniel Honored With Stamp: A new postage stamp will be issued to the general public this Wednesday, January 25, 2006 commemorating Hattie McDaniel’s efforts behind the scenes to change Hollywood's view of minorities. At a time racism was rampant in Hollywood, she and several other black actors worked to change the film industry from within during the 1940s. Appearing in more than 90 films, McDaniel made history as the first black performer to win an Academy Award for her heart-rending performance in 1939s Gone with the Wind. Based on a photograph of her in the dress McDaniel wore when accepting her Oscar for Best Supporting Actress in Gone with the Wind, the stamp recognizes Hattie McDaniel as the 29th inductee into the United States Postal Service’s Black Heritage Series.

     BAFTA Nominees: The political thriller The Constant Gardner leads the pack of nominations for the British Academy of Film And Television Awards, earning 10 nods. For more coverage and a complete list of nominees, click here.

     Russian Film Museum Closes: The world-renowned Museum of Cinema in Moscow closed its doors on January 1, 2006 amidst protests from museum patrons and film directors such as Jean-Luc Godard, Bernardo Bertolluci and Quentin Tarrantino. Opened in March 1989, the museum housed several exhibition halls, four cinemas and an archive and frequently screened international films that had been previously outlawed during the previous communist regime. The museum was own and run by the Russian Filmmakers Union who closed the establishment to sell the building to a real estate developer who will turn the property into a casino and strip club.

     Disney Cartoons Coming To IPod: Starting this summer, Walt Disney Studios will be making all of their Academy Award winning and nominated animated shorts available through iTunes for downloading to iPods and similar gear. The titles will be released in waves over the summer. A DVD box set is also being planned for release at the same time featuring the same material.

In Remembrance-

Shelley Winters- The two time Academy Award winning actress has passed away at age 85.

Leonard J. South- The cinematographer who worked with Alfred Hitchcock on 14 films has passed away at age 92.

Opening This Week-

January 20

• Dirty (Memphis, TN, Norfolk, VA, Jackson, MS, Arlington, TX, Columbia, SC)- website

• End Of The Spear- website

• Gay Sex In The 70s (SF)- website

• Go For Zucker!- website

• Looking For Comedy In The Muslim World (limited)- website

• The Matador (wide)- website

• Match Point (wide)- website

• On The Outs (wider)

• Pizza (NY)

• The Real Dirt On Farmer John (limited)

• Underworld: Evolution- website

• Why We Fight (NY, LA)- website