Third Annual Fangirl Award Winners!

They have arrived! Nominations & winners were decided by tallying up the votes of 106 fangirls from across the world. Sign up to be a member for next year's awards here. Be sure to follow our Fangirls who are on Twitter here.  Last year's awards can be found here, and the first annual Fangirl Award results are thisaway.

 You'll find all the winners typed out, once again, following Nathaniel R's method of highlighting first place in gold, 2nd in silver and in some cases, 3rd place in bronze. Big thanks to the fangirls who participated this year!

Best Picture

The Artist

Bridesmaids

Drive

The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2

The Help

Hugo

Midnight in Paris

Shame

Tree of Life

Note: Worth nothing that The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and Shame and took 4th and 5th

Honorable Mentions: We Need To Talk About Kevin, Captain America, 50/50

Best Actor

Gary Oldman - Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

Jean Dujardin - The Artist

Joseph Gordon Levitt - 50/50

Michael Fassbender - Shame

Ryan Gosling - Drive

Honorable Mentions: George Clooney - The Descendants, Brad Pitt - Moneyball, Tom Hardy - Warrior, Leonardo DiCaprio - J Edgar

Best Actress

Kristin Wiig - Bridesmaids

Michelle Williams - My Week With Marilyn

Rooney Mara - The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo

Tilda Swinton - We Need To Talk About Kevin

Viola Davis - The Help

Honorable Mentions: Meryl Steep - The Iron Lady, Charlize Theron - Young Adult, Elizabeth Olsen - Martha Marcy May Marlene, Kirsten Dunst - Melancholia

Best Supporting Actor

Alan Rickman - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2

Albert Brooks - Drive

Andy Serkis - Rise of the Planet of the Apes

Ben Kingsley - Hugo

Christopher Plummer - Beginners

Honorable Mentions: Benedict Cumberbatch - Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Patton Oswalt - Young Adult, Tom Hiddleston - Thor

Best Supporting Actress

Berenice Bejo - The Artist

Carey Mulligan - Shame

Jessica Chastain - The Help

Melissa McCarthy - Bridesmaids

Octavia Spencer - The Help

Honorable Mentions: Helen McCrory - Hugo, Shailene Woodley - The Descendants, Marion Cotillard - Midnight in Paris

Best Director

David Fincher - Girl With The Dragon Tattoo

Martin Scorsese - Hugo

Nicolas Winding Refn - Drive

Steve McQueen - Shame

Woody Allen - Midnight in Paris

Honorable Mentions: Terrance Malick - Tree of Life, Michel Hazanavicius - The Artist

The rest after the jump!

Best Adapted Screenplay

Hoissein Amini, Drive

Tate Taylor, The Help

John Logan, Hugo

Aaron Sorkin & Steve Zaillian, Moneyball

Steve Zaillian, The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo

Honorable Mentions: Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2

Best Original Screenplay

Will Reiser. 50/50

Mike Mills, Beginners

Kristin Wiig & Annie Mumolo, Bridesmaids

Woody Allen, Midnight in Paris

Diablo Cody, Young Adult

Honorable Mentions: The Artist, Shame

Best Score

Cliff Martinez, Drive

Chemical Brothers, Hanna

Alexandre Desplat, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2

Howard Shore, Hugo

Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo

Honorable Mentions: Jane Eyre, The Artist, War Horse

Best Animated Film

The Adventures of Tintin

Arthur Christmas

Kung Fu Panda

Puss in Boots

Rango

World I Most Want To Visit

The Wizarding World - Harry Potter: DHP2

The Train Station - Hugo

1920s Paris - Midnight in Paris

Asgard - Thor

Xavier Mansion in the 1960s - X-Men: First Class

Honorable Mentions: 1920s Hollywood - The Artist, Level 3 - Sucker Punch, Muppets Studio - The Muppets, Dirt - Rango

Best On Screen Animal

Snowy - The Adventures of Tintin

Uggie - The Artist

Cosmo - Beginners

Puss in Boots - Puss in Boots

Joey - War Horse

Honorable Mentions: Rango - Rango, Winter, Dolphins's Tale

Best Chemistry - Romantic - Film

Rooney Mara & Daniel Craig - The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo

Kristin Wiig & Chris O'Dowd - Bridesmaids

Haley Atwell & Chris Evans - Captain America

Emma Stone & Ryan Gosling - Crazy Stupid Love

Anton Yelchin & Felicity Jones - Like Crazy

Carey Mulligan & Ryan Gosling - Drive

Mia Wasikowska & Michael Fassbender - Jane Eyre

Leonardo DiCaprio & Armie Hammer - J Edgar

Rupert Grint & Emma Watson - Harry Potter: DHP2

Emily Blunt & Matt Damon - The Adjustment Bureau

Honorable Mention: Ewan McGregor & Melanie Laurent - Beginners

Best Chemistry - Platonic - Film

Seth Rogen & Joseph Gordon Levitt - 50/59

Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint - Harry Potter DHP2

Jude Law & Robert Downey Jr - Sherlock Holmes: Game of Shadows

The Bridesmaids - Bridesmaids

Asa Butterfield & Chloe Moretz - Hugo

James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender - X-Men: First Class

Simon Pegg & Nick Frost - Paul

Steve Carrell & Ryan Gosling - Crazy Stupid Love

Brad Pitt & Jonah Hill - Moneyball

Tom Hardy & Joel Edgerton - Warrior

Voiceover Performance

Antonio Bandares as Puss - Puss in Boots

Johnny Depp as Rango - Rango

Jamie Bell as Tintin - The Adventures of Tintin

James McAvoy as Arthur - Arthur Christmas

Steve Whitmire as Kermit, Beaker, Statler, etc - The Muppets

Honorable Mentions: Eric Jacobson - The Muppets, Dave Goelz - The Muppets

Epic Fail Movie

Breaking Dawn Part One

Green Lantern

The Hangover II

New Years Eve

Sucker Punch

Best Characterization of an Established Figure

Marilyn Monroe - My Week With Marilyn

Margaret Thatcher - The Iron Lady

Magneto - X-Men: First Class

Lisbeth Salander - The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo

Sherlock Holmes - Sherlock Holmes: Game of Shadows

Daenerys Targaryen- Game of Thrones*

Honorable Mentions: J Edgar Hoover - J Edgar, Dr Watson - Sherlock: Game of Shadows, Tyrion Lannister - Game of Thrones, Zelda Fitzgerald - Midnight in Paris, Ernest Hemmingway - Midnight in Paris

Best Fight/Battle Sequence

The Rainbow Bridge - Thor

Dom v. Luke - Fast Five

Battle of Hogwarts - Harry Potter: DHP2

Sherlock v. Moriarty - Sherlock Holmes: Game of Shadows

Hanna Escapes - Hanna

Honorable Mentions: Championship Fight - Warrior, Red Skull v. Captain America - Captain America, Jane v. Sabine - Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol

Most Anticipated Movie of 2012

The Amazing Spiderman

The Avengers

Brave

Cabin in the Woods

The Dark Knight Rises

Django Unchained

The Hobbit

Hunger Games

Much Ado About Nothing (Joss Whedon)

Prometheus

Honorable Mentions: Les Mis, The Great Gatsby, Dark Shadows

Best TV Show - Drama

Dr. Who

Downton Abbey

Fringe

Game of Thrones

Homeland

Honorable Mentions: Boardwalk Empire, Breaking Bad, American Horror Story, Once Upon a Time, Walking Dead

Best TV Show - Comedy

30 Rock

Community

Modern Family

It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia

Parks & Recreation

Honorable Mentions: How I Met Your Mother, New Girl, Happy Endings, Cougar Town

Best Actor - Drama TV

Matt Smith- Dr Who

Sean Bean - Game of Thrones

Peter Dinklage - Game of Thrones

John Noble - Fringe

Bryan Cranston - Breaking Bad

Honorable Mentions: Damien Lewis - Homeland, Steve Bushemi - Boardwalk Empire, Evan Peters - American Horror Story

Best Actor - Comedy TV

Nick Offerman - Parks & Recreation

Neil Patrick Harris - How I Met Your Mother

Jim Parsons - The Big Bang Theory

Ty Burrell - Modern Family

Alec Baldwin - 30 Rock

Danny Pudi - Community*

Honorable Mentions: Don Glover - Community, Joel McHale - Community, Elijah Wood - Wilfred

Best Actress - Drama TV

Jessica Lange - American Horror Story

Anna Torv - Fringe

Emilia Clarke - Game of Thrones

Michelle Fairly - Game of Thrones

Claire Danes - Homeland

Honorable Mentions: Lena Heady - Game of Thrones

Best Actress - Comedy TV

Alison Brie - Community

Sofia Vergara - Modern Family

Amy Poehler - Parks & Rec

Tina Fey - 30 Rock

Zooey Deschanel - New Girl

Casey Wilson - Happy Endings*

Honorable Mentions: Alyson Hannigan - HIMYM

Best Chemistry - Romantic TV

Eric/Sookie - True Blood

Chuck/Sarah - Chuck

Beckett/Castle - Castle

Tate/Violet - America Horror Story

Olivia/Peter - Fringe

Mary Margaret/David - Once Upon a Time

The Doctor/River Song - Dr. Who

Amy/Rory - Dr. Who

Mary/Matthew - Downton Abbey

Daenerys/Khal Drogo - Game of Thrones

Best Chemistry - Platonic TV

Abed/Troy - Community

Sam/Dean - Supernatural

Walter/Astrid - Fringe

Walter/Peter- Fringe

Amy/The Doctor/Rory - Dr. Who

Carrie/Saul - Homeland

Leslie/Ann - Parks & Recreation

The Boys/Jess - New Girl

Pete/Myka - Warehouse 13

Shawn/Gus - Psych

Best Guilty Pleasure

Revenge

The Secret Circle

True Blood

Glee

Sucker Punch

Honorable Mentions: American Horror Story, Fast Five

Actor I Most Want To Marry 2011 - Tie for Silver

Joseph Gordon Levitt

Ryan Gosling

Chris Evans

Chris Hemsworth

Dan Stevens

Michael Fassbender

Tom Hiddleston

Benedict Cumberbatch

James McAvoy

David Tennant

Honorable Mentions: Nathan Fillion, Matt Smith

Woman I Most Want To Marry 2011 - Tie for Silver

Emma Stone

Michelle Williams

Carey Mulligan

Tina Fey

Jennifer Lawrence

Marion Cotillard

Kate Winslet

Rooney Mara

Jessica Brown Findlay

Alex Kingston

Most Underrated

Community

Fringe

Jane Eyre

Happy Endings

Hanna

Honorable Mentions: Eureka

Best Graphic Novel

Hark! A Vagrant

One Soul

Batman: Knight & Squire

Love & Rockets: New Stories

Habibi

Best Comic Series

Buffy Season 9

Justice League

The Walking Dead

Batgirl

The Unwritten

Honorable Mentions: Angel & Faith, American Vampire, Uncanny X-Force

Best Video Game - Tie for Gold

Star Wars: The Old Republic

Uncharted 3

Skyrim

Arkham City

Portal 2

Honorable Mentions: LA Noire

Best Villain

Loki - Thor

Voldemort - Harry Potter DHP2

Evil Queen/Regina - Once Upon A Time

Lannister Twins - Game of Thrones

Kevin - We Need To Talk About Kevin

Bernie - Drive

Moriarty - Sherlock: Game of Shadows

Victoria Grayson - Revenge

Thomas - Downton Abbey

Melancholia - Melancholia

Honorable Mentions: Rumpelstiltskin - Once Upon A Time, Red Skull - Captain America, Klaus - Vampire Diaries

Best Musician/Band

Florence & The Machine

Bon Iver

Foster The People

Adele

Childish Gambino

Best Book

Dance with Dragons - George RR Martin

Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? - Mindy Kaling

Bossypants - Tiny Fey

11/22/63 - Stephen King

Ready Player One - Ernest Cline

The Marriage Plot* - Jeffrey Eugenides

Most Romantic Line EVAR 2011

"What would you do if you knew you only had one minute to live?...I'd kiss you again." - Colter Stevens, Source Code

"Steve Rogers: You know, I still don't know how to dance. Peggy Carter: I'll show you how. Just be there." - Captain America

"Stay with me. Okay? Kate, I love you…I Love you, Kate." - Rick Castle, Castle

"I'm so mad at you. I'm really mad at you for what you did. But I'm mad at myself too. Because I should have jumped out of that car - I should have fought for you. Because you fight for your soulmates." - Cal, Crazy Stupid Love

"I offer you my hand, my heart. Jane, I ask you to pass through life at my side. You are my equal and my likeness. Will you marry me?" - Rochester, Jane Eyre

“I won't keep you long. I have to go somewhere now. I don't think I can come back. I just wanted you to know, just gettin' to be around you, that was the best that ever happened to me”. - Driver, Drive

“Let the record state that I, Leslie Knope, love Ben Wyatt. I love him with all of my heart. Did you get that?” - Parks and Recreation

“I can go through this door alone. You'll never see me or the people chasing us again, or you can come with me, and I don't know what's on the other side, but you'd be next to me and that's all I've wanted since the minute I met you.” The Adjustment Bureau

“I will never stop trying. Because when you find the one… you never give up.” - Cal, Crazy, Stupid, Love

"That's my girlfriend, you nipties!" - Ron, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2

Best Fan Outreach - Tie for Bronze

Game of Thrones Food Truck

Nerd HQ at Comic-Con

Harry Potter 3D Glasses For HP:DHP2 Midnight Shows

Adventure Time at Comic-Con

@TheLarmy

"Join SHIELD" Booths/Viral

Boardwalk Empire Cruise

Andrew Garfield's Speech at Comic-Con

Team Erik/Team Xavier X-Men Shirt Giveaway at Comic-Con

Hunger Games Mockingjay Pin Giveaway at Comic-Con

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How Traditionally Trained Are This Years Oscar Nominees?

For the fourth year in a row, I've taken a look at the education and drama training of the Oscar nominees in the acting categories. In years past, drama degrees have most often proved triumphant, but last year saw acting classes outside of college and no education beyond high school taking the biggest numbers. Where will this years research lead? Read on to find out!

Demián Bichir
Comes from a director father and actor mother and two brothers (referred to, by some, as the Barrymores of Mexico) Bichir was in his first professional play at age 3, started acting on television at age 14, and had his first lead in a play (Ah! Wilderness!) at age 17, all in Mexico. When he auditioned to train at Lee Strasberg in New York they told him he was already an actor and to save the tuition. Years later, he moved back to Mexico where he became a huge success, winning the Mexican equivalent of an Oscar. In terms of training, Bichir has said, "we had all we needed in our library at home"

College Education: None as far as I can find
Acting Training: Training through experience

George Clooney (Previously nominated twice for acting, won once)
No formal training. Attended Northern Kentucky University, then the University of Cincinnati, double majoring in History & Political Science, but did not graduate. Took classes at the Beverly Hills Playhouse.

College Education: Yes, but no degree
Acting Training: Classes

Jean Dujardin
No college education, worked in construction and in the army out of high school. Began his career with a one man show in Paris, but first garnered attention when he appeared on a French talent show. Appeared on a French comedy show before landing Brice de Nice, which made him a star.

College Education: None as far as I can find
Acting Training: No formal training

Gary Oldman
Studied at the Greenwich Young People's Theatre, then got his BA in theater arts from Britain's Rose Bruford Drama College. His dream was to go to RADA, but he didn't get in, advised to pursue something other than acting after his audition. Performed in rep for years after graduating, including with the RSC.

College Education: Bachelor of Arts
Acting Training: Formal training

Brad Pitt (previously nominated twice)
Journalism major at the University of Missouri, acting in many of his fraternity's shows on the side. Left college two weeks before earning his degree to move to LA & take acting classes, studying with Roy London.

College Education: Yes, but no degree
Acting Training: Classes and coaching

The rest after the jump



Glenn Close (previously nominated six times)
Graduated with a BA in drama and anthropology from the College of William and Mary and very soon after become a Broadway favorite. One of the only actors to receive an Oscar, Emmy and Tony nomination in the same calendar year (1984)

College Education: Double Major/Bachelor of Arts
Acting Training: Formal training

Viola Davis (previously nominated once)
Davis majored in theatre at Rhode Island College, graduating in 1988; in 2002 she received an honorary Doctor of Fine Arts from the college. She also attended The Juilliard School for four years.

College Education: Bachelors Degree, MFA, and honorary Doctor of Fine Arts
Acting Training: Formal training

Rooney Mara
Spent a year at George Washington University before transferring to NYU, where she graduated in 2010 after studying international social policy and psychology. Got into acting because of her older sister, Kate

College Education: Bachelor's Degree
Acting Training: No formal training

Meryl Streep (Previously nominated 14 times, won twice)
Uber formal training. She received her B.A. in Drama at Vassar College in 1971 but also enrolled as a transfer student at Dartmouth College for a semester before that school had become coeducational. She later earned an M.F.A. from Yale School of Drama.

College Education: BA, MFA
Acting Training: Formal training

Michelle Williams (Previously nominated twice)
Dropped out of high school in 10th grade to pursue acting and opted for a home-school program. Got her high school diploma at age 15. Moved to Los Angeles at 16, emancipated from her parents. Spent a summer in the mid-aughts performing with Williamstown in Massachusetts as part of their company

College Education: No
Acting Training: Training through experience

Kenneth Branagh (Previously nominated once for acting)
BFA from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts,  honorary doctorate in Literature from Queen's University.

College Education: BFA
Acting Training: Formal training

Jonah Hill
Studied Drama, among other things, at the New School in New York, where he began writing plays before discovering he was interested in a career in acting, which he began pursuing immediately after graduating with 2004's I Heart Huckabees.

College Education: Bachelor's Degree
Acting Training: Yes, unclear *how* formal

Nick Nolte (Previously nominated twice)
Graduated from Pasadena City College, then attended Arizona State University, Eastern Arizona College, and Phoenix College. Attending college on sports scholarships, he eventually left due to poor grades and began pursuing theater. Studied at Stella Adler in LA and performed with the Pasadena Playhouse.

College Education: Yes, but no degree
Acting Training: Classes

Christopher Plummer (Previously nominated once)
Performed in high school and got experience performing on the road with the Canadian Repertory Theater. Honorary Doctor of Laws degree from the University of Western Ontario.

College Education: Did not attend
Acting Training: Training through experience

Max von Sydow (Previously nominated once)
Started a theater club in high school, then studied at the Royal Dramatic Theatre acting school in Stockholm, the foremost school for theater training in the country.

College Education: No liberal arts education
Acting Training: Extremely formal training

Bérénice Bejo
Her father was a filmmaker so she grew up watching tons of movies, every single weekend growing up, she and her sister would pick a film and watch with the family. Wanted to be an actress since she was five years old, first audition at age 17. Never wanted to have any other profession.

College Education: None as far as I can find
Acting Training: No formal training

Jessica Chastain
Acted Shakespeare all throughout high school before attending and graduating Julliard.

College Education: BFA
Acting Training: Formal training

Melissa McCarthy
Went to FIT for two years to study fashion design, but dropped out once she found her true calling - comedy. Studied at The Actors Studio and the Groundlings and did regular stand up and appeared in productions frequently in New York before moving to Los Angeles and landing Gilmore Girls.

College Education: Yes. but no degree
Acting Training: Classes

Janet McTeer (Previously nominated)
Trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts. Afterwards, she joined the Royal Exchange Theater and performed at the RSC.

College Education: BFA
Acting Training: Formal Training

Octavia Spencer
BS in Liberal Arts from Auburn University, plus classes at a popular coaching studio in Los Angeles.

College Education: BS
Acting Training: Classes and coaching

EDUCATION

College Degrees: Gary Oldman, Glenn Close, Viola Davis, Rooney Mara, Meryl Streep, Kenneth Brannagh, Jonah Hill, Jessica Chastain, Janet McTeer, Octavia Spencer - 10

Non Degree Conservatory Program: Max Von Sydow - 1

College Dropouts: George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Melissa McCarthy, Nick Nolte - 4

High School Through Home School: Michelle Williams - 1

Completed High School (and only high school): Demián Bichir, Jean Dujardin, Christopher Plummer, Berenice Bejo - 4

ACTING TRAINING

Formal Training in College: Gary Oldman, Glenn Close, Viola Davis, Meryl Streep, Kenneth Brannagh, Jonah Hill, Jessica Chastain, Janet McTeer – 8

Formal Acting Training Outside of College: Max Von Sydow - 1

Acting Classes/Coaches/Camp (nonformal): Brad Pitt, George Clooney, Nick Nolte, Melissa McCarthy, Octavia Spencer - 5

No Formal Training … or Nonformal Training: Damian Bichir, Jean Dujardin, Rooney Mara, Christopher Plummer, Berenice Bejo, Michelle Williams - 6

So there you have it. This year, more than any year yet, represents the biggest argument for both attending college and receiving formal training. Although if the winners go the expected route, only one of the four will fall into that category. Watch how things shake out this Sunday when we watch The Artist win everything and cry. TEAM OLDMAN/PITT!

Read past Training articles: 2011 2010 2009

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On The Scene - Jason Reitman Live Read of Reservoir Dogs

Cross-posted on Film.com

Okay. Yes, Shampoo was great, but it had NOTHING on tonight's Live Read.

In the fifth installment of this incredible series, Jason Reitman presented Reservoir Dogs in a brand new light. In honor of Black History Month, the cast was 99% black (the 1%? Patton Oswalt, once again using a variety of voices to fill in smaller characters) and 100% legendary. Sitting on stage from left to right was Reitman reading stage directions, Common as Mr Brown (originated by Quentin Tarantino) and Marvin Nash, Terrence Howard as Mr. Blonde (aka Vic Vega, originated by Michael Madsen), Cuba Gooding Jr. as Mr. Orange (originated by Tim Roth), Laurence Fishburne as Mr. White (originated by Harvey Keitel), Anthony Mackie as Mr. Pink (originated by Steve Buscemi), Anthony Anderson as Nice Guy Eddie (originated by Chris Penn), Chi McBride (originated by Lawrence Tierney) and the aforementioned Patton Oswalt as the K-Billy, Holdaway, and the cop in the bathroom.

As last time, the house was absolutely packed, but I know at least twenty people got in from stand-by, and word to the wise, folks got there as early as 5, so if you plan on seeing the final show in March (already sold out), you'll want to arrive to the stand-by line as early as possible. The energy in the room was palpable even before the actors came on stage. This crowd was clearly more passionate about Reservoir Dogs than anyone in the audience was about Shampoo last month. Which makes sense. The film that put Tarantino on the map is also the film that made Jason Reitman want to be a director when he saw it in high school. After his introduction from Elvis Mitchell, Reitman warned "If you brought children, the time to leave is now … This will be the most profane screenplay you'll ever hear in the Bing Theater." Naturally, Reitman, Mitchell, Common, Howard, Gooding Jr, Fishburne and Mackie were decked out in a black suit and tie, dressing the part, and looking amazing, Howard in particular, who added some flare with a dress vest.

As last time, the locations of each scene were projected onto a screen with the actors digitally removed, but an added bonus for this screenplay? Music! It seemed to be the question on many of our minds. With a writer like Tarantino, who puts such great stock into the music he uses, would music play a role in the reading? Only three songs were played, but man what a difference it made. There was such an excited buzz in the air when Stuck in the Middle With You started playing as Howard danced in his chair and Reitman read the stage directions detailing everyone's favorite cinematic ear chopping. Also different from readings past? This one used the deleted scenes as well, going off of the screenplay itself, not anything that was added or deleted on set or in the editing room.

Details on each performance after the jump!



Each actor stepping on to the stage during the cast introductions was received enthusiastically, but none more so than Fishburne, expertly cast as Mr White, eliciting a standing ovation from every other actor on stage. And rightly so. Fishburne was the highlight of the evening, bringing grace and professionalism to the table, plus a brilliant depiction of the character to boot. He had clearly spent time preparing for this, infusing just enough Keitel (the slight accent was definitely there) into his natural inclinations, to create a living and breathing black Mr White. It honestly felt like the part was written for him and everyone in that room was floored. The first audience applause came after his opening scene line "Shit, you shoot me in a dream, you better wake up and apologize." Then, during his dialed-to-11 scene with Mr Orange in the car, when he asks "Are you a doctor?!" and repeatedly tells Mr Orange he's going to be okay, the audience practically rose to their feet with adoration.

Chi McBride also stood out as a talent to be reckoned with. Although I haven't found any evidence of formal training in his past, he certainly seemed classically trained, bringing his all, never missing a word, never missing a moment, and nailing the role from start to finish. He really helped bring the tension in the room to a boil during the Mexican standoff, which is difficult to do when everyone is sitting down. And no one has a gun. I was thoroughly impressed.

But perhaps the most interesting and talked about performance of the night, for better or worse, was Terrance Howard as Mr Blonde. Howard really rolled with the whole silent psychopath thing, speaking softly, taking the mic off the stand and holding it to his mouth as he leaned back in his chair and looked at the other actors as he interacted with them. His body language, facial expressions and entire disposition were in a constant state of "I might kill you, yeah, sure, I might." His unique, yet spot on line readings had Reitman himself visibly blown away. One of my favorite moments was after Nice Guy Eddie, Mr Pink and Mr White leave Mr Blonde alone with a dying Mr Orange and Nash. Howard stared at the audience for a solid few seconds in complete silence. Then slowly smiled. And spoke with a subtle sadism "Alone. At last." He was having such a good time, and so we were watching him, that after Reitman read the stage directions killing Mr Orange, Howard completely dropped character and said "Hey, I'm not ready to die yet," which was met with uproarious laughter and applause, a reaction second only to Reitman's response "For a moment, apparently Mr Blonde dodges a few bullets…" I heard a couple people afterwards that weren't a fan of Howard's take on the character, but I tell ya, I effing loved it. Perhaps my favorite exchange of the entire evening was between Howard and Fishburne, with this, one of the only bits of dialogue delivered by the actors directly toward one another.

Mr. Blonde: Are you gonna bark all day, little doggy, or are you gonna bite?
Mr. White: What was that? I'm sorry, I didn't catch it. Would you repeat it?
Mr. Blonde: Are you gonna bark all day, little doggy, or are you gonna bite?

Can't you just *see* it?!

Anthony Anderson did a solid job as Nice Guy Eddie. He fell so easily into the role, there was no element of disbelief whatsoever. He landed all of his moments and was extremely professional, something I wasn't expecting going in. Great casting.

While Common didn't have much to do as Mr Brown, who only really has dialogue in the opening scene, and the Internet seemed to be hoping for a comedian, someone like Chris Rock to step into the role with the infamous Madonna monologue, Common completely held his own and had Reitman losing it. He was less memorable later on, playing Marvin Nash, the cop who loses an ear. Howard was having a grand old time pretending to slash him in the face, and Common's response was to kind of half heartedly jiggle in his chair. Still, I hate to take away from the work he did for the role of Mr Brown because of some physical improv he wasn't expecting.

The weakest performers of the evening were Cuba Gooding Jr and Anthony Mackie, but both were by no means bad and both still had moments of brilliance. Mackie reminded me of that high school student that loved acting so much that during an initial read of a play, he gets so overexcited, that he stumbles over words and loses some specificity, replacing nuance and choices with a general loud talking. But man, when he got it, he *got* it. I wish he could have had time to read over the script more, or perhaps it was just his nerves that caused his stumbles here and there, but the moments he took his time with, letting himself connect with the other actors, were stellar.

Gooding seemed a bit all over the map, sometimes subdued, sometimes way over the top, but got a million points for really selling his gun shot wound in the beginning and playing the difference between when he is first learning the "cops in the bathroom" anecdote and when he has the story memorized. He was drinking wine the whole time, so it's always possible he was simply getting more and more intoxicated as time went on. After all, it was a celebration of sorts, Mitchell ending the show with a martini in hand and a reception for everyone following.

Now I don't know if Tarantino was in the audience, though I highly doubt it since I'm pretty sure he's busy shooting Django Unchained, but I tell ya, I can't imagine he wouldn't have been over the moon for this take on his twenty year old cult classic. It did seem like some of the n-words were taken out here and there, in fact I felt like a lot of the Christie Love scene dialogue was cut, but overall, the entire evening worked extremely well, and props to Reitman for thinking up this idea. It brought a whole new level to the script, and to the conversations held between these men. In the movie, these men come across as, well, fairly racist, but here, in this context, they seemed like guys just making observations about their own lives, being self-deprecating, or having fun with being self aware, in a way that may have been too progressive even for 1992. It was fascinating, refreshing and endlessly captivating.

Naturally, the evening came to a close with a rousing standing ovation and an almost group hug on stage. The chemistry between the actors was alive and powerful and a real comradery seemed to form among them during the reading. I felt like it was an honor to get to be in that room, and I hate that there is only one more installment to go of these Live Reads. Although, fear not, Los Angelinos - at the reception following the performance, I did hear some LACMA folks talking about approaching Reitman to do another series of this when he is finished shooting his next film. Fingers crossed?

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Meet leetUP. Best. Idea. Ever. [Event]

If you've been keeping an eye on the social scene in various cities, specifically London or LA over the past couple years, you may have noticed more and more the emergence of the Art Party - a giant bash that encompasses fantastic underground music, art (live, displayed, interactive and multimedia), food, drinks, great people, and creative ways of letting attendees and artists interact. I've truly grown to love these types of shindigs, and the strong community building they promote, and am thrilled to let you know that a whole bunch of people we love and respect have found a way to merge the Art Party with the Convention, my other favorite kind of event, to create what has been referred to as a "Nerd Carnival". The idea of these two worlds coming together is just about the best thing ever and mark my words, this is not an evening you'll want to miss.



leetUP, developed by Attack of the Show darling Kevin Pereira, creator of G4 Charles Hirschhorn and company Iam8bit, appears as though it will hit all of these notes. An Art Party for the Geek crowd.

leetUP, a new live events series, designed as a celebration to share in the experience of nerd art and culture, will debut at Club Nokia in Los Angeles Thursday, March 1. The event is poised to bring an intimate dialogue, a social and conversational setting, to a festival of nerdly delights through panels and podcasts, music, games, and movies, as well as tech and toys.

“We wanted to celebrate all that is nerd — our love for the Internet, podcasting, tech, music, videogames — and remix them in a way that makes us social again,” said Pereira. “We’ve basically designed an intimate and experimental playground, for the discerning nerd, that will constantly evolve at each stop.”

The event will be hosted by Kevin Pereira (host/producer of G4’s Attack of the Show), with programming that includes on-stage podcast sessions with Kevin Smith (Clerks, SMODcast), Chris Hardwick (The Nerdist), Doug Benson (Super High Me), Felicia Day (The Guild), Greg Fitzsimmons (The Howard Stern Show), Jimmy Pardo (NeverNotFunny, Conan), Alex Albrecht (Diggnation, Totally Rad Show), Epic Meal Time and Ask a Ninja, with a special musical performance by VJ extraordinaire Mike Relm. DJ R-Rated will also provide ambience throughout the evening.

leetUP will also treat attendees to a variety of experiential zones, created exclusively for the event. These one-of-a-kind interactions with futuristic technology, videogames, and other lifestyle products will provide for the carnival playground between performances.

Tickets are available through Ticketmaster, the Staples Center box office or the iam8bit store in LosAngeles (2147 W. Sunset Blvd, LA, CA 90026)

For more information visit leetup.com, follow @leetup or fb.com/leetupshow.

Um. WHAT? Yes please. Wait. WHAT? This is real? This is a real thing? How has this not happened before? What will it even BE? You bet I'll be on the scene covering however this giant pot of awesome turns out. And hey, maybe if it's a hit, we can expect a similar version held during Comic-Con this year? But just in case we can't expect leetUP to reappear anytime soon, mark it on your calendar now - March 1st, 7pm, Club Nokia, cosplay encouraged. Can't. Wait.

Check out Complex for more details on what to expect

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