Posts Tagged ‘The Damned United’

Today at 13:30 (GMT) the nominations for the 82nd Academy Awards were released and once again, our man Michael Sheen has been passed over.

Lots of websites and news groups have been listing Michael Sheen as a potential nominee for Best Actor for his performance in The Damned United.

The film Damned United and Michael’s performance have been receiving a lot of award attention.

Michael has already won GQ’s Actor of the Year, and Best Film Actor at the Variety Club Awards. Michael was nominated for Best Actor by International Press Academy, but sadly the award went to Jeremy Renner.

The Damned United received a nomination by the South Bank Show awards, but lost to Fish Tank. Both the Damned United and Michael were Long Listed by the BAFTAs, but despite favourable media opinion were sadly not short listed.

Sadly neither Michael nor The Damned United were nominated for a Golden Globe.

The Academy Awards, or Oscars, represent the pinnacle of the award season. It is a prestigious award, despite being one voted for by Academy members, and not the viewing public.

It appears to be that awards based on the vote of  the ticket-buying theatre goers then Michael, and indeed The Damned United, are receiving the nominations and awards this performance deserves. On the other hand, those awards like the Golden Globes, BAFTAs and The Academy Awards that are voted by a committee of board members fail to represent the opinion of the viewing public, and repeatedly discount those films and performances that are watched, loved and appreciated by the people that matter… the audience.

The Academy Awards presentation will take place on Sunday March 7th. You can view the full list of nominees here.

The Damned United continues its awards success, following on from the South Bank nomination, by appearing on BAFTA’s 2010 Long List.

The Long List is the result of Round One of voting. With 220 films entered this year, this first round reduces the entered films down to fifteen in each category. Round Two voting will reduce these fifteen contenders down to the five nominations in each category.

The full list of nominations will be announced on Thursday 21 January at BAFTA Headquarters.

The Damned United is one on the list for Adapted Screenplay and also Michael Sheen and his co-star Timothy Spall have both been listed in Lead Actor and Supporting Actor respectively.

You can view the complete list here.

On Tuesday 26 January 2010, Melvyn Bragg will host the final South Bank Show Awards in front of a star studded audience at The Dorchester, London. These unique awards celebrate the best of British talent across the arts including: Classical Music, Comedy, Dance, Film, Literature, Opera, Pop, Theatre, TV Drama and Visual Arts.

The Damned United starring Michael Sheen as the legendary, opinionated football manager Brian Clough and his 44-day reign at Leeds United has been nominated under the Film category.

Source: ITV Press Releases

The Independent have posted an interview with Michael Sheen.  He talks about his appearance as Clough in The Damned United, and as Aro  in New Moon.

I remember when I was the youngest person in the theatre company or the film and then suddenly there I am in this, the old fogey. I dispensed wisdom and would do little acting workshops on my own because no one turned up for them. You try and hide behind the fact you have all this experience but unfortunately no one was interested in that either so I just used to cry my vampire tears in the corner.

For the full interview, please click the link below.

Source: Independent.co.uk

• Los Angeles Times – ‘The Damned United’ (Read more…)
• NCTimes – ‘The Damned United’ Review (Read more…)
• NY Entertainment – ‘Michael Sheen meets his second favourite Beatle’ (Read more…)
• Fear.net – ‘How Twilight fans kept Michael Sheen twittering’ (Read more…)

• Reelz – ‘Michael channels his Inner Fluffy White Animal’ (Read more…)
• Filmjabber – ‘The Damned United’ Review (Read more…)
• The Globe & Mail – ‘Michael Sheen plays legendary Brian Clough’ (Read more…)
• Huffington Post – ‘Q&A: Michael Sheen fights for The Damned United’ (Read more…) *recommended

The highlights of the remainder of today’s press.

• 411Mania – ‘The Damned United’ Review (Read more)
• Toledo Blade – ‘Sheen puts Tony Blair roles on the sidelines’ (Read more)
• STV – ‘Michael Sheen’s Alice Dream’ (Read more)
• Examiner.com – ‘Michael Sheen talks about playing the White Rabbit in Alice In Wonderland’ (Read more)

Today’s press highlights.

• NPR – ‘The Damned United’ Review (Read more…)
• The Australian – Sidelined By The World Game (Read more…)
• Box Office – ‘The Damned United’ Review (Read more…)
• Entertainment Weekly – ‘Oscar Watch’ (Read more…)
• Filmshaft – ‘Michael Sheen talks Alice in Wonderland (Read more…)
• New York Post – ‘The Damned United isn’t just for soccer fans’ (Read more…)

Michael Sheen and The Damned United’s director, Tom Hooper talk to Mike Ryan of NY Magazine about Mohamed Ali and why Americans don’t like soccer.

“I think the fundamental problem with football/soccer really taking off here [US] is that sports, national sports, sports that really take off in a country, are entwined with the cultural history of that country.

You’ve already got your sports. Baseball does that. American football, basketball, hockey in Canada. How can another sport come in that has no cultural or social baggage or history or tradition?”

Please click on the link below for the full interview.

Source: NYMag

More press highlights for 9th October from around the web.

• Limelife – ‘Michael Sheen goes from Werewolf to Vampire’ (Read more…)
• NY Post – ‘The Damned United’ Review (Read more…)
• Epoch Times – ‘The Damned United’ Review (Read more…)