Film Fans Honour Avatar, Christoph Waltz, Ian McKellen & Andy Serkis at 2010 Empire Awards

Sir Ian McKellan poses with the Icon award at the Winners Boards
Jameson Empire Film Awards, March 28, 2010
Grosvenor House Hotel in London, England.

There was something for just about everyone at the 2010 Jameson Empire Awards held this Sunday evening, March 28, at London’s The Grosvenor House Hotel.

Deemed by many in the industry to be the most fun awards in the British movie calendar, the Jameson Empire Awards attract A-list star-studded movie talent from around the globe. In fact, you’ll be hard-pressed to find an awards ceremony featuring teen idols, Academy Award winners, 3D blockbusters, little-seen indies, festival favorites, and lots of vampires among its nominees. The Empire Awards is an eclectic, more upscale version of the People’s Choice Awards.

Held in London each March, the Jameson Empire Awards celebrate the film industry's success stories of the year with Empire Magazine readers voting for the winners, making them the ultimate film fan awards with international profile.

Empire Awards 2010 winners are:

Best Film presented by Sony
Avatar - WINNER!
Star Trek
District 9
Inglourious Basterds
The Hurt Locker

Best Actor presented by Citroën
Sir Michael Caine (Harry Brown)
Christoph Waltz (Inglourious Basterds) - WINNER!
Robert Pattinson (New Moon)
Sam Worthington (Avatar)
Robert Downey Jr. (Sherlock Holmes)

Christoph Waltz poses with the award for Best Actor

Best Actress
Anne-Marie Duff (Nowhere Boy)
Carey Mulligan (An Education)
Zoe Saldana (Avatar) - WINNER!
Emily Blunt (The Young Victoria)
Melanie Laurent (Inglourious Basterds)

Best Director
James Cameron (Avatar) - WINNER!
Neil Blomkamp (District 9)
JJ Abrams (Star Trek)
Quentin Tarantino (Inglourious Basterds)
Kathryn Bigelow (The Hurt Locker)

Best British Film
Harry Brown - WINNER!
The Imaginarium Of Doctor Parnassus
An Education
Nowhere Boy
In The Loop

Best Comedy
In The Loop - WINNER!
A Serious Man
The Hangover
Up In The Air
The Men Who Stare At Goats

Best Horror
Let The Right One In - WINNER!
Paranormal Activity
Zombieland
Thirst
Drag Me To Hell

Best Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Moon
Star Trek - WINNER!
Avatar
District 9
The Imaginarium Of Doctor Parnassus

Best Thriller
Harry Brown
Public Enemies
Inglourious Basterds
The Hurt Locker
Sherlock Holmes - WINNER!

Best Newcomer
Carey Mulligan (An Education)
Aaron Johnson (Nowhere Boy) - WINNER!
Sharlto Copley (District 9)
Anna Kendrick (Up In The Air/New Moon)
Katie Jarvis (Fish Tank)

Outstanding Contribution To British Film
Ray Winstone


Empire Hero
Jude Law

Jude Law accepts his The Hero Award presented by Gwenyth Paltrow
(Photo by Handout/Jameson via Getty Images)

Naomie Harris and Andy Serkis pose with the Empire Inspiration award

(Photo by Getty Images/Getty Images for Jameson)

Empire Inspiration
Andy Serkis

O'Briain: "Johnny Vegas, ladies and gentlemen, who unlike Christoph Waltz and the Let The Right One In kids, went to school here. Here's the inspiration award for someone who's an inspiration even if they only inspire us to see their films. And to present it here's a woman who doesn't even wait for the end of the introduction, she's already here: Naomie Harris"

Harris: "I love this man; I love him so much that I postponed my holiday to be here to present this award, then got sick and got out of my sickbed to present this award. He's enormously talented and one of the most versatile actors in the whole world. He can lay claim to having literally changed the face of cinema with his groundbreaking performance as Gollum in Lord of the Rings, which inspired James Cameron in creating Pandora. But we all know all this. What's less well known is how he combines all that talent with his humanity. Generous, humble and incredibly hard-working, it's this humanity combined with his skill that makes his performances so compelling. Even when playing a giant gorilla, that humanity shines through and touches our hearts." It's Andy Serkis!

Serkis: "I'm nearly having a fucking cardiac arrest, I had no idea. But, anyway, listen...I have no idea what to say. I didn't know I was up for this award or that it even existed. Naomie, thank you for saying those nice things and postponing your holiday and hope you feel better. It's been an incredible journey since I took part in Lord of the Rings, but I've got to say that performance capture is very important and we've got to acknowledge that. Performances should be judged by whether they transport, move and take you on a journey. Whether it's in costume or CG, that's what matters. I've got to thank my long-standing agent, Peter Jackson and everyone that worked on sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll. Yesterday it was 10 years since Ian Dury died, and he was a huge inspiration to me. Finally, I have to say, Lorraine, that I adore you with all my heart and soul. You and the children are everything to me." Awwww!

Sir Ian McKellan poses with the Icon award at the Winners Boards
(Photo by Claire R Greenway/Getty Images for Jameson)

Empire Icon
Ian McKellen

Sir Ian McKellen has been crowned the Empire Icon for his long and varied film career at the Jameson Empire Awards 2010.

The 70-year-old actor, who won an Oscar for his role as real-life filmmaker James Whale in Gods And Monsters and is loved by many for starring in The Lord Of The Rings trilogy and The X-Men films.

Sir Ian said: "I couldn't be more surprised or delighted. Middle-earth rejoices!"

For a transcript of the award presentations and acceptances speeches visit the Jameson Empire Awards Live Blog.

Now in their 15th year, the Jameson Empire Awards are the only film awards to be voted for entirely by British film fans. Visit the EmpireOnline site for more details.

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Irresistable Robert Downey Jr. Hits the Big Screen Xmas Day as "Sherlock Holmes"

ROBERT DOWNEY JR. as Sherlock Holmes in "Sherlock Holmes"

Sherlock Holmes has made his reputation finding the truth at the heart of the most complex mysteries. With the aid of Dr. John Watson, his trusted ally, the renowned "consulting detective" is unequaled in his pursuit of criminals of every stripe, whether relying on his singular powers of observation, his remarkable deductive skills, or the blunt force of his fists.

But now a storm is gathering over London, a threat unlike anything that Holmes has ever confronted...and just the challenge he's looking for.

After a string of brutal, ritualistic murders, Holmes and Watson arrive just in time to save the latest victim and uncover the killer: the unrepentant Lord Blackwood. As he approaches his scheduled hanging, Blackwood--who has terrorized inmates and jailers alike with his seeming connection to dark and powerful forces--warns Holmes that death has no power over him and, in fact, his execution plays right into Blackwood's plans.

And when, by all indications, Blackwood makes good on his promise, his apparent resurrection panics London and confounds Scotland Yard. But to Holmes, the game is afoot.

Racing to stop Blackwood's deadly plot, Holmes and Watson plunge into a world of the dark arts and startling new technologies, where logic is sometimes the best crime-fighting weapon...but where a good right hook will often do the job.

In a dynamic new portrayal of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's most famous character, Robert Downey Jr. plays the legendary detective Sherlock Holmes. Revealing fighting skills as powerful as his famous intellect, Holmes employs his own unique methods to get to the heart of a case, traveling where no one else would think to go to find what others cannot see.

ROBERT DOWNEY JR. as Sherlock Holmes in "Sherlock Holmes"

Jude Law portrays Watson, Holmes's longtime colleague, who is joining him in what may be their last case before the doctor starts a new life as a married man.

ROBERT DOWNEY JR. as Sherlock Holmes and JUDE LAW as Dr. John Watson in "Sherlock Holmes"

Rachel McAdams is Irene Adler, a woman from America, who is as alluring as she is dangerous, and whose tempestuous relationship with the detective has become the one puzzle he cannot solve.

RACHEL McADAMS as Irene Adler in "Sherlock Holmes"
Photo by Alex Bailey

Mark Strong plays Lord Blackwood, whose own intellect, combined with merciless ambition, makes him a formidable adversary. Eddie Marsan appears as Scotland Yard's Inspector Lestrade, who is both impressed and frustrated by the great Sherlock Holmes.

Check out the cool "Are you wearing a false nose?" clip (below).

Guy Ritchie directed the film from a screenplay by Michael Robert Johnson and Anthony Peckham and Simon Kinberg, screen story by Lionel Wigram and Michael Robert Johnson. Joel Silver, Lionel Wigram, Susan Downey and Dan Lin produced the film, with Michael Tadross and Bruce Berman serving as executive producers and Steve Clark-Hall co-producing.

Director GUY RITCHIE on the set of "Sherlock Holmes"
Photo by Alex Bailey

The accomplished behind-the-scenes creative team includes Oscar®-winning director of photography Philippe Rousselot ("A River Runs Through It"), Oscar®-nominated production designer Sarah Greenwood ("Atonement," "Pride & Prejudice"), editor James Herbert ("RocknRolla"), and Oscar®-winning costume designer Jenny Beavan ("A Room With a View"). The music is by Oscar® winner and multiple Oscar®-nominated composer Hans Zimmer ("The Lion King," "Gladiator").

MARK STRONG (hooded) as Lord Blackwood "Sherlock Holmes"

Sherlock Holmes will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company, and in select territories by Village Roadshow Pictures. In Theatres Friday, December 25

Official Sherlock Holmes Trailer (below)

The film has been rated PG-13 by the MPAA for intense sequences of violence and action, some startling images and a scene of suggestive material.

Sherlock Holmes, is a Warner Bros. Pictures' and Village Roadshow Pictures' production and , distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. Photos by Alex Bailey; courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures.

Sherlock Holmes official site

* * *

Heath Ledger's 'The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus': Exclusive Trailer

It looks like Terry Gilliam is back with The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus.

SYNOPSIS
The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus is a fantastical morality tale, set in the present-day. It tells the story of Dr. Parnassus and his extraordinary ‘Imaginarium', a travelling show where members of the audience get an irresistible opportunity to choose between light and joy or darkness and gloom. Blessed with the extraordinary gift of guiding the imaginations of others, Doctor Parnassus is cursed with a dark secret. An inveterate gambler, thousands of years ago he made a bet with the devil, Mr. Nick, in which he won immortality. Centuries later, on meeting his one true love, Dr. Parnassus made another deal with the devil, trading his immortality for youth, on condition that when his daughter reached her 16th birthday, she would become the property of Mr Nick. The film stars Heath Ledger, Johnny Depp, Jude Law and Colin Farrell as the character 'Imaginarium Tony' after Heath Ledger's untimely death.

@ Yahoo! Video

Visit the official website for The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus. In theaters Oct 16th.

Source: Yahoo Uk, MTV.com