Monday, February 28, 2011

AU Professr Russell Williams Returns to Oscarland

Twenty years after becoming the first African American to win two Oscars, Russell Williams, SOC/BA ’74, returned to Hollywood for the 83rd Academy Awards to commemorate that historic occasion.

Williams won Oscars for his sound work on Glory and Dances with Wolves. Since 2002, he’s been an artist in residence at American University's School of Communication.

“When I was a sound person, very few people wanted to hear what I had to say when I walked in the room,” Williams said, joking with WJLA-ABC 7’s Arch Campbell in an interview at the Kodak Theatre, site of the Oscarcast. “As a professor, they generally start off wanting to hear what I have to say.”

See Arch Cambell, ABC-7 and Russell Williams on the Red Carpet.

In addition to Glory and Dances with Wolves, Williams has also worked on many other films, including Field of Dreams. The District native has won two Emmy’s and is a producer as well.

Williams has been no stranger to Hollywood since joining the School of Communication, where he runs SOC's Summer in L.A program.


Check out Williams’s tweets about his 20th-anniversary return to the Academy Award ceremony.

Listen to Russell Williams on WAMU's The Kojo Nnamdi Show.

As seen in American Today.

Oscar Wrap Up - Best Week Ever - Favorite Oscar Tweets


It's certainly debatable that Twitter during the Oscars was more entertaining than the Oscars themselves. Here are some of BestWeekEver's favorite Oscar tweets.




Sunday, February 27, 2011

Selected New Home Use Titles


Inception – HU DVD 8000
And Now for Something Completely Different – HU DVD 8001
Word is Out – HU DVD 8002
Broadcast News (Criterion) – HU DVD 3501 copy 1
Broadcast News – HU DVD 3501 copy 2
Brooklyn's Finest – HU DVD 7991
The Town – HU DVD 7992
Alligator – HU DVD 7988
True Grit – HU DVD 7989
Space Jam – HU DVD 7990
Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest – HU DVD 7893
Shree 420 – HU DVD 7997|
3 Idiots
- HU DVD 7996
Young Victoria - HU DVD 8003
Lebanon - HU DVD 8004
Kick-Ass - HU DVD 8005
Please Give - HU DVD 8006
I Am Love - HU DVD 8007
Solitary Man - HU DVD 8008
Let Me In - HU DVD 8009
Ghost Writer - HU DVD 8010
Client 9 – HU DVD 8011
Night Catches Us – HU DVD 8012
Tillman Story – HU DVD 5223
The Birdcage – HU DVD 667
Top Gun – HU DVD 2959
Between the Lines – HU DVD 2960
You Don't KnowJack – HU DVD 5224

Waiting for Superman – HU DVD 8017

Ex-mas Eve – HU DVD 8019
Canoa – HU DVD 8020
The Draughtsman's Contract – HU DVD 8032 (copy 2)
A Zed and Two Noughts – HU DVD 8033 (copy 2)
Drowning by Numbers – HU DVD 8034
Prospero's Books – HU DVD 8035
The Baby of Macon – HU DVD 8036
The Pillow Book – HU DVD 8037 (copy 2)
8 1/2 Women – HU DVD 8038

Conviction – HU DVD 8040
Hollow City – HU DVD 8045
The Night of Truth – HU DVD 8046
Another Man's Garden – HU DVD 8047
Bunny Chow – HU DVD 8048


Tuesday, February 22, 2011

20 Basic Illustrator Tutorials Every Beginner Should See

Although we always recommend you use lynda.com when you may have questions on Digital Media Studio software, here are 20 Basic Illustrator Tutorials Every Beginner Should See.

Minimal Movie Posters

Zombieland - HU DVD 7980
We do in fact have Zombieland avaiable for Home Use, so you should check it out. Another thing you should check out is this cool blog dedicated to Minimal Movie Posters like these.

Toy Story 3
HU DVD 7770
HU BLU-RAY DVD 7770


Inception - HU DVD 8000


Amelie - HU DVD 401

Were the Nazis First to Develop 3D Movies?

Australian filmmaker Philippe Mora is at the Berlin International Film Festival this week to talk about his planned 3D biopic about surrealist artist Salvador Dali. That film sounds quite interesting (Alan Cumming is set to star), but while discussing 3D in general, the director dropped a bigger bombshell: He has discovered two short, 3D propaganda films shot by the Nazis back in 1936 –- putting them way ahead of Hollywood in terms of developing the technology. Read more here.

As seen on the Moviefone blog and on Variety.

Monday, February 21, 2011

Star Wars Economics

Star Wars Financing
Via: Personal Loans

Illustrator Adolfo Arranz of Guardo, Spain puts a humorous twist on serious issues with his new “Tower Graphics-Data Visualization” series. His Star Wars themed tower graphic (created for Personalloans.org) gives us a look at how George Lucas’ net worth is around $3 billion.
(As seen on the Laughing Squid blog)

Sunday, February 20, 2011

AU Alum, Chris Noll aka Chris Wylde is Buddy Mignon

AU alumnus, Christopher Noll, now goes by the name of Chris Wylde. From 1994 to 1998 he attended American University in Washington, DC and received a Bachelor's Degree in Theatre - Performance. He starred in several plays and musicals as well as the improvisational comedy troupe "Mission: IMPROV-able". He hosted his own late night talk show Midnight with Chris Noll on the student run campus television station ATV. Midnight still holds the record as the longest running comedy program in the station's history.

Now he is Buddy Mignon in what looks to be a new Taco Bell ad campaign. Check out this video which might make you consider going to Taco Bell and ordering something from the meNU.



In case you'd like to see a bit more Chris Wylde, here's his American Idol audition from 2007.

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Criterion Collection Now Streaming on Hulu Plus

Hulu announced today that they will now be streaming films in the Criterion Collection through Hulu Plus for only $7.99/month. These fils will include the cool special features often found on Criterion Collection DVDs. Read Hulu's announcement here. Hulu has created a page where one can easily browse the titles that are currently streaming. http://www.hulu.com/criterion
Soon no Criterion titles will be streaming on Netflix. You can read more about this on the CHUD.com blog.


Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Wes Anderson Films You Should See


Photobucket
Rushmore – HU DVD 3856
Image discovered on TheMovieDoc.

Here are some other films Wes Anderson films you should see.

Bottle Rocket – HU DVD 1449

Rushmore – HU DVD 3856

Royal Tenenbaums – HU DVD 1937*

Life Aquatic – HU DVD 5101

Darjeeling Limited – HU DVD 3945

Fantastic Mr. Fox – HU DVD 7046

Fantastic Mr. Fox – HU BLU-RAY DVD 7046

Squid and the Whale – HU DVD 1917 (Producer)

*This title is permanently unrestrictable, and always available for Home Use.

You may also be interested in checking out this Wes Anderson short film which is meant to be screened before Darjeeling Limited. It stars Jason Schwartzman and Natalie Portman.

Hotel Chevalier (2007) - HU DVD 3945


Monday, February 14, 2011

The Trilogy Meter

One trilogy that didn't make's its way onto the cool Trilogy Meter, that my top the whole list is the Toy Story trilogy. You be the judge. Also, check out some of the films mentioned above from the Media Services Home Use Collection!

Toy Story - HU DVD 7768
Toy Story - HU BLU-RAY DVD 7768
Toy Story 2 - HU DVD 7769
Toy Story 2 - HU BLU-RAY DVD 7769
Toy Story 3 - HU DVD 7770
Toy Story 3 - HU BLU-RAY DVD 7770

Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace - HU DVD 1640
Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones - HU DVD 1641
Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge the Sith
- HU DVD 1642

Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope - HU DVD 1643
Star Wars: Episode V - Empire Strikes Back - HU DVD 1644
Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi - HU DVD 1645

Raiders of the Lost Ark - HU DVD 3251
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom - HU DVD 3252
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade - HU DVD 3253

The Matrix - HU DVD 7841
The Matrix Reloaded - HU DVD 7842

Jurassic Park - HU DVD 4901

X-Men - HU DVD 1441
X2 - HU DVD 1442
X-Men: The Last Stand - HU DVD 1443

Spider-Man - HU DVD 7121
Spider-Man 2 - HU DVD 7122
Spider-Man 3 - HU DVD 7123

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring - HU DVD 805
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers - HU DVD 806
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King - HU DVD 807

Mad Max - HU DVD 6577
Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior - HU DVD 6578

Jaws - HU DVD 98

Back to the Future -HU DVD 7840

Die Hard - HU DVD 445
Die Hard 2 - HU DVD 446

Blade II - HU DVD 5266
Blade: Trinity - HU DVD 1972

Planet of the Apes - HU DVD 7819

The Godfather - HU DVD 2541
The Godfather: Part II - HU DVD 2542
The Godfather: Part III - HU DVD 2543

Rocky - HU DVD 951

The Terminator - HU DVD 4988
Terminator 2: Judgment Day - HU DVD 4989
Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines - HU DVD 4990