One brand that we’ve been playing very close attention to since its inception is GPPR, and we’ve been impressed with the brand and their recent collection and proud to present their Fall 2011 collection titled “Gentleman’s Club”.

There is a certain place where gentlemen gather to find solace in a perverse sort of nurturing only a woman can provide. Not only a gentlemen’s club but a rebel’s sanctuary, where fantasies of the female form run rampant. Such an environment lays the foundation for an intangible bond between men of scars and stripes.

“This ‘Brotherhood,’ if you will, exists only in namesake and lends itself to a mutual understanding among Gentlemen, Philosophers, Perverts and Rebels alike. Despite fundamental differences, there is a commonality between them that transcends titles. Those that realize and understand this ultimately initiate themselves into this community and become a part of a Gentlemen’s Club of a much more noble meaning.

This collection is dedicated to the men that reside within this system of reasoning and respect. For those, though, who have yet to join our ranks, let this be your invitation and welcome to the Gentlemen’s Club.”

]]> http://www.limitemagazine.com/2011/10/gppr-gentlemens-club-fall-2011-collection/feed/ 0 http://www.limitemagazine.com/2011/10/outdoorsman-fall-2011/ http://www.limitemagazine.com/2011/10/outdoorsman-fall-2011/#comments Thu, 06 Oct 2011 19:00:48 +0000 Limité Staff http://www.limitemagazine.com/?p=34782 No matter the trend or look of the season, the outdoorsman carries a certain persona that has for decades left a lasting mark in mens style. The outdoorsman style is that of a man who embodies both masculinity and confidence while still wearing clothing that is more streetstyle friendly. In this feature you can see [...]]]>

No matter the trend or look of the season, the outdoorsman carries a certain persona that has for decades left a lasting mark in mens style. The outdoorsman style is that of a man who embodies both masculinity and confidence while still wearing clothing that is more streetstyle friendly. In this feature you can see the use of thick coats, raw denim jeans, boots, and layering; which all are the essence of a true outdoorsman. Styles created with streetwear brands Obey and Comune and then with more outdoorsy-friendly brands like Penfield and Relwen, we can see how all these looks come together. Whether your actually intending on wearing these outfits ourdoors or if you intend to just wear them for a chilled night out of the town, you’ll never be out of place but you’ll always be in style, guaranteed.

Details on each item featured after the lnk

First Picture: (G.P.P.R. Cro Mag Twill Pants, COMUNE Military Jacket, H BY HUDSON Leather Calf Boot, COMUNE Plaid Shirt)

Second Picture: (RELWEN Quilted Jacket, OBEY Keep A Breast Tee, COMUNE Tapered Denim, PROPERTY OF… Tommy Canvas Backpack)

Third Picture: (MARSHALL ARTIST Vest, OBEY Corduroy Pant, H BY HUDSON Leather Calf Boot, KREW Jimi Beanie, COMUNE Heston Plaid Linen Shirt)

Fourth Picture: (OBEY Perry L/S Button Down Shirt, OBEY Downtown Faux Leather Jacket, THOROCRAFT Shelton Boot, COMUNE David Fitted Pant)

Fifth Picture: (PENFIELD Kasson Jacket, COMUNE Kelly Fitted Denim, COMUNE Howard Oxford Shirt, H BY HUDSON Garrett Leather Calf Boot)

Finding inspiration in the workwear common of the 30′s and 40′s, Levi’s Vintage Clothing presents their Autumn/Winter 2011 collection that evokes the hard-working look of men fighting their way through dust storms and collapsing banks. Anchored by the Double Breasted Parka in classic khaki, this standard jacket slides on well over the simple 40′s shirt and rib trimmed washed cotton hooded sweatshirt. Reworking their iconic denim, we see a 60′s cut of their 605 skinny jean and the Type III Trucker Jacket made with raw denim.

Fashion’s favorite season is upon us once again and with the Fall season comes transition. It’s time to start packing up your summer clothing and dusting off your fall items and checking out what’s new for Fall 2011.

Here are some garments from brands that we’ve showed great love to over the months and want to give you a heads up on the chill days to come. With patterns and bright, bold colors (4, 5, 10) dominating the Fall 2011 runways, summer stripes and plaid transition perfectly into an autumn wardrobe. As the weather gets colder, layering becomes key, making way for jackets, scarves, and beanies (1, 2, 3).

On another note, Fall 2011 menswear takes inspiration from the great outdoors. While clean, modern staples (7, 8, 15) remain on trend, functional pieces with a simple, rugged finish (6, 9, 11, 12, 13, 14) would ramp up any man’s wardrobe.

Check out the entire selection in greater detail after the jump

1. Makia olive parka
2. Makia Calypso Cap
3. CXXVI scarf
4. SLVDR captain
5. CXXVI Union shirt
6. Makia 6-pocket trouser
7. COPY messenger twill pants
8. COPY Inter duffel bag
9. CXXVI hammer necklace
10. Pony Jumpshot
11. Tsubo Winslow
12. CXXVI dope kit
13. CXXVI belt
14. CXXVI flag knife
15. COPY ring

Tamara Mellon, Jimmy Choo creative director, recently noted that men were starting to buy the brand’s women’s sneakers in large sizes. She knew that the time had arrived to create a men’s collection. Here it is, the first Jimmy Choo men’s line for the Fall/Winter season. The collection consist of sneakers, mocassins, boots, Oxfords and dress shoes designed in a refined British style with luxury Italian finishes. However, most of Jimmy Choo’s men’s designs come in classic contemporary styles. Without deviating from current trends, they’ve created a line with unique details and eclectic pieces for the most modern man.

Looking at this fall’s movie releases, it doesn’t take much to get excited. Some of today’s best and brightest filmmakers have their latest works hitting theaters, many of which primed for Oscar consideration and box office dominance. I mean, look at this list. LOOK AT IT!

Almodóvar, Anderson, Bird, Clooney, Condon, Cronenberg, Crowe, Eastwood, Emmerich, Estevez, Fincher, Forster, Lloyd, Marshall, Miller, Payne, Polanski, Ratner, Reitman, Ritchie, Schumacher, Scorsese, Sheridan, Singh, Singleton, Smith, Soderbergh, Spielberg, Van Sant, von Trier

It’s not often that this many top filmmakers release their films so close together. It’s a bit overwhelming, so let Limité guide your movie list for this fall. This is going to be a great season.

Note: All non-authored pieces’ loglines are courtesy of IMDb.com.

 Michelle Williams stars as Marilyn Monroe in MY WEEK WITH MARILYN, which is slated for a November 4 release.

SEPTEMBER

RED STATE

Director: Kevin Smith

Cast: John Goodman, Melissa Leo, Michael Parks

Genres: Horror, Thriller

Website: coopersdell.com

Release Date: September 1 (video on demand)

Logline: Set in Middle America, a group of teens receive an online invitation for sex, though they soon encounter fundamentalists with a much more sinister agenda.

CONTAGION

Director: Steven Soderbergh

Cast: Bryan Cranston, Marion Cotillard, Matt Damon, Laurence Fishburne, John Hawkes, Jude Law, Gwyneth Paltrow, Kate Winslet

Genres: Action, Sci-Fi, Thriller

Website: contagionmovie.warnerbros.com

Release Date: September 9

Logline: An action-thriller centered on the threat posed by a deadly disease and an international team of doctors contracted by the CDC to deal with the outbreak.

WARRIOR

Director: Gavin O’Connor

Cast: Joel Edgerton, Tom Hardy, Jennifer Morrison, Nick Nolte

Genres: Action, Drama, Sports

Website: warriorfilm.com

Release Date: September 9

Logline: The youngest son of an alcoholic former boxer returns home, where he’s trained by his father for competition in a mixed martial arts tournament — a path that puts the fighter on a collision corner with his older brother.

DRIVE

by John Lee

Director: Nicolas Winding Refn

Cast: Albert Brooks, Bryan Cranston, Ryan Gosling, Christina Hendricks, Carey Mulligan, Ron Perlman

Genres: Action, Crime, Drama

Website: drive-movie.com

Release Date: September 16

Summary:

Ryan Gosling stars as “Driver,” a Hollywood stunt driver by day who moonlights as a getaway driver for armed heists at night. Isolated and a loner, Driver becomes involved with his beautiful neighbor Irene (Carey Mulligan). Things get complicated when Irene’s ex-convict husband returns and drags Driver into a crime plot gone awry.

The indie film was originally conceived as a big-budget action movie starring Hugh Jackman. Once Jackman dropped out of the project and Danish director Nicolas Winding Refn (Valhalla Rising, 2009) took the reins with Gosling attached, the film became a stripped-down stylish thriller with a drastic change in tone. The change can be credited to REO Speedwagon, if you can believe it. As Gosling was driving Refn home one day, “Can’t Fight This Feeling Anymore” came on the radio. By the end of the song, Refn turned to Gosling and told him, “This is the film — a guy who drives around at night listening to pop music because it’s the only way he can feel anything.”

The movie premiered at this year’s Cannes Film Festival to rapturous reviews and won Refn the Best Director prize. The film is adapted from the eponymous novel by James Sallis.

RESTLESS

Director: Gus Van Sant

Cast: Henry Hopper, Ryo Kase, Mia Wasikowska

Genre: Drama

Website: sonyclassics.com/restless

Release Date: September 16 (NY & LA)

Logline: The story of a terminally ill teenage girl who falls for a boy who likes to attend funerals, and their encounters with the ghost of a Japanese kamikaze pilot from WWII.

ABDUCTION

Director: John Singleton

Cast: Maria Bello, Lily Collins, Jason Isaacs, Taylor Lautner, Alfred Molina, Sigourney Weaver

Genres: Action, Drama, Mystery

Website: abductionthefilm.com

Release Date: September 23

Logline: A thriller centered on a young man who sets out to uncover the truth about his life after finding his baby photo on a missing persons website.

MACHINE GUN PREACHER

Director: Marc Forster

Cast: Gerard Butler, Michelle Monaghan, Michael Shannon

Genres: Action, Biography

Website: machinegunpreacher.org/movie

Release Date: September 23 (NY & LA)

Logline: The story of Sam Childers, a former drug-dealing biker tough guy who found God and became a crusader for hundreds of Sudanese children who’ve been forced to become soldiers.

MONEYBALL

by Curtis John

Director: Bennett Miller

Cast: Jonah Hill, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Brad Pitt, Robin Wright

Genres: Biography, Drama, Sports

Website: moneyball-movie.com

Release Date: September 23

Summary:

Based on the 2003 book of the same name by Michael Lewis, Moneyball tells the true-life story of struggling Oakland A’s general manager Billy Beane (Brad Pitt), who, with a limited budget and a lot of desperation, uses sabermetrics (statistical analysis that analyzes baseball records to make determinations about player performance) to draft a misfit group of players. Watching the feel-good, heart-warming trailer makes you feel like the film goes beyond that. With his boyish smile, still at age 47, Pitt makes it apparent that it’s more than about changing the system, it’s about believing that you actually can be successful at doing so, despite the old guard and a nagging self-doubt determining that you won’t be — no small feat to do in life, or to portray on film.

But with Oscar-winning scribes Steven Zaillian (Schindler’s List, 1993) and Aaron Sorkin (The Social Network, 2010), along with Oscar-nominated director Bennett Miller (Capote, 2005) at the helm, one can imagine the book’s dense material will be dramatized in a more than entertaining fashion.

50/50

by John Lee

Director: Jonathan Levine

Cast: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Anjelica Huston, Anna Kendrick, Seth Rogen

Genres: Comedy, Drama

Website: 50-50themovie.com

Release Date: September 30

Summary:

Back in 2003, writer Will Reiser was working with friend Seth Rogen on HBO’s Da Ali G Show as a producer. It was during that time when the 27-year-old Reiser was suddenly diagnosed with spinal cancer. Rogen encouraged Reiser, who has now been in remission for years, to channel his experiences into a feature-length script.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt stars as Reiser’s alter ego. 50/50 chronicles his treatment and the subsequent reactions to the news from his girlfriend, played by Bryce Dallas Howard (The Help, 2011); his mother, played by Academy Award winner Anjelica Houston; and his best friend, played by Rogen, who also co-produces.

It was important to Reiser and Rogen to capture all the unexpected humor that came from certain situations while not shying away from any of the harsh realities of dealing with chemotherapy, diminished libido, and hair loss. The result is an original story that shows — while cancer is no laughing matter — having a sense of humor certainly helps with the diagnosis.

DREAM HOUSE

Director: Jim Sheridan

Cast: Daniel Craig, Naomi Watts, Rachel Weisz

Genres: Drama, Mystery, Thriller

Website: dreamhousemovie.net

Release Date: September 30

Logline: Soon after moving into their seemingly idyllic new home, a family learns of a brutal crime committed against former residents of the dwelling.

OCTOBER

THE IDES OF MARCH

by Morgan Goldin

Director: George Clooney

Cast: George Clooney, Paul Giamatti, Ryan Gosling, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Marisa Tomei, Evan Rachel Wood, Jeffrey Wright

Genre: Drama

Website: idesofmarch-movie.com

Release Date: October 7

Summary:

A young staffer (Ryan Gosling) for a rising, charismatic presidential candidate (George Clooney) gets flung into the ugly side of the political process during his time on the campaign trail. The Ides of March is based on the play by Beau Willimon. George Clooney wore many hats during this production, pulling off directing, co-writing, and acting duties. He looks to bring the same passionate brio for politics that he displayed in his Oscar-nominated Good Night, and Good Luck. (2005). Combining that interest in politics with some real cinematic bravado keeps his films imminently watchable. Showing that he is as adept behind the camera as he is in front of it reveals Clooney to be one of the more prominent artists working in mainstream cinema today.

Clooney has also assembled an amazing cast for this production, but the one who seems to stand out is Ryan Gosling. Gosling continues his quest to be the thinking woman’s sex symbol, by picking such diverse and eclectic roles when he could easily coast along in rom-com purgatory. Between Crazy, Stupid Love, Drive, and The Ides of March, Gosling is having a truly banner year in cinema.

THE WAY 

Director: Emilio Estevez

Cast: Emilio Estevez, Martin Sheen, Deborah Kara Unger

Genres: Action, Adventure, Comedy

Website: theway-themovie.com

Release Date: October 7

Logline: An American father travels toFrance to recover the body of his estranged son who died while traveling “El camino deSantiago” fromFrance to Santiago de Compostela (Spain).

FOOTLOOSE 

Director: Craig Brewer

Cast: Julianne Hough, Andie MacDowell, Dennis Quaid, Kenny Wormald

Genres: Comedy, Drama, Musical

Website: footloosemovie.com

Release Date: October 14

Logline: City kid Ren McCormack moves to a small town where rock ‘n’ roll and dancing have been banned, and his rebellious spirit shakes up the populace.

THE SKIN I LIVE IN 

Director: Pedro Almodóvar

Cast: Elena Anaya, Jan Cornet, Antonio Banderas

Genres: Drama, Foreign Language (Spain)

Website: sonyclassics.com/theskinilivein

Release Date: October 14 (NY & LA)

Logline: A brilliant plastic surgeon, haunted by past tragedies, creates a type of synthetic skin that withstands any kind of damage. His guinea pig: a mysterious and volatile woman who holds the key to his obsession.

TRESPASS 

Director: Joel Schumacher

Cast: Nicolas Cage, Cam Gigandet, Nicole Kidman

Genres: Crime, Drama, Thriller

Website: trespass-the-movie.com

Release Date: October 14

Logline: As they’re held for ransom, a husband’s and wife’s predicament grows more dire amid the discovery of betrayal and deception.

MARTHA MARCY MAY MARLENE

Director: Sean Durkin

Cast: Hugh Dancy, John Hawkes, Elizabeth Olsen, Sarah Paulson

Genres: Drama, Thriller

Website: foxsearchlight.com/marthamarcymaymarlene

Release Date: October 21 (limited)

Logline: Haunted by painful memories and increasing paranoia, a damaged woman struggles to re-assimilate with her family after fleeing an abusive cult.

THE THREE MUSKETEERS

by Curtis John

Director: Paul WS Anderson

Cast: Orlando Bloom, Milla Jovovich, Logan Lerman, Matthew Macfadyen, Ray Stevenson, JunoTemple, Christoph Waltz

Genres: Action, Adventure, Romance

Website: threemusketeers-movie.com

Release Date: October 21

Summary:

Paul WS Anderson reunites with his muse Milla Jovovich in the latest update to Alexandre Dumas’s revered novel The Three Musketeers. Definitely a departure from the director’s usual fare — he’s perhaps best known for the Resident Evil franchise — this re-telling is full of technology, idiosyncratic or not, and looks to be a thrill ride that still employs lots of sword-fighting. Naturally.

In this version, the famed Musketeers Athos (Matthew Macfayden), Aramis (Luke Evans), and Porthos (Ray Stevenson) are tasked to steal highly coveted airship designs. They are successful, but are then betrayed by their beautiful partner in crime, M’lady De Winter (Jovovich), who sells the designs to a high bidder, the suave Duke of Buckingham, played by Orlando Bloom.

Three years later, when D’Artagnan  (Logan Lerman) journeys to Paris to realize his dream of becoming a Musketeer, he finds the famed trio a shadow of their former selves, working menial jobs and seeking a cause worth serving. That cause presents itself when the Musketeers and D’Artagnan uncover a plot by the Cardinal Richelieu (Christoph Waltz) to overthrow the king. Then the real adventure begins.

ANONYMOUS 

Director: Roland Emmerich

Cast: Rhys Ifans, Vanessa Redgrave, Joely Richardson, David Thewlis

Genre: Drama

Website: anonymous-movie.com

Release Date: October 28

Logline: A political thriller advancing the theory that it was, in fact, Edward De Vere, Earl of Oxford, who penned Shakespeare’s plays; set against the backdrop of the succession of Queen Elizabeth I and the Essex Rebellion against her.

LIKE CRAZY 

Director: Drake Doremus

Cast: Felicity Jones, Jennifer Lawrence, Chris Messina, Anton Yelchin

Genres: Drama, Romance

Website: likecrazy.com

Release Date: October 28 (limited)

Logline: A British college student falls for an American student, only to be separated from him when she’s banned from the US after overstaying her visa.

THE RUM DIARY 

Director: Bruce Robinson

Cast: Johnny Depp, Aaron Eckhart, Amber Heard, Richard Jenkins, Giovanni Ribisi

Genres: Adventure, Drama

Release Date: October 28

Logline: Paul Kemp is a freelance journalist who finds himself at a critical turning point in his life while writing for a run-down newspaper in the Caribbean. Paul is challenged on many levels as he tries to carve out a more secure niche for himself amidst a group of lost souls all bent on self-destruction.

NOVEMBER

MY WEEK WITH MARILYN 

Director: Simon Curtis

Cast: Kenneth Branagh, Dominic Cooper, Judi Dench, Derek Jacobi, Toby Jones, Julia Ormond, Eddie Redmayne, Emma Watson, Michelle Williams

Genre: Drama

Website: myweekwithmarilynmovie.com

Release Date: November 4

Logline: Colin Clark, an employee of Sir Laurence Olivier’s, documents the tense interaction between Olivier and Marilyn Monroe during production of The Prince and the Showgirl.

PUSS IN BOOTS

by Morgan Goldin

Director: Chris Miller

Cast: Antonio Banderas, Zach Galifianakis, Salma Hayek, Amy Sedaris, Billy Bob Thornton

Genres: Adventure, Animation, Comedy

Website: pussinbootsthemovie.com

Release Date: November 4

Summary:

A prequel spin-off for one of the more beloved characters in the Shrek universe, this film charts how this fencing feline met up with the famous green ogre and his friends. The character is based on an old French fairy tale by Charles Perrault from 1697. Antonio Banderas reprises his role, lending his vocal chops to this animated adventure.

Puss in Boots looks to continue the Shrek series’s patented mix of smart-alecky, pop culture referential humor aimed to appeal to both kids and adults. It will be interesting to see how this film fares without the help of comedic talents Mike Myers and Eddie Murphy. Dreamworks Animation needs this film to be a hit just to keep up with the more critically acclaimed and commercially successful Pixar.

Joining Banderas is an all-star cast of vocal talents, including Salma Hayek, Zach Galifianakis, Billy Bob Thornton, and Shrek the Third alumna Amy Sedaris.

TOWER HEIST 

Director: Brett Ratner

Cast: Casey Affleck, Alan Alda, Matthew Broderick, Judd Hirsch, Téa Leoni, Eddie Murphy, Michael Peña, Gabourey Sidibe, Ben Stiller

Genres: Action, Comedy, Crime

Website: towerheist.net

Release Date: November 4

Logline: When a group of hard-working guys find out they’ve fallen victim to a wealthy business man’s Ponzi scheme, they conspire to rob his high-rise residence.

J. EDGAR

by Curtis John

Director: Clint Eastwood

Cast: Judi Dench, Leonardo DiCaprio, Armie Hammer, Josh Lucas, Dermot Mulroney, Lea Thompson, Naomi Watts

Genres: Biography, Drama

Release Date: November 9

Summary:

In J. Edgar, Leonardo DiCaprio portrays J. Edgar Hoover, the face of law enforcement in America for almost 50 years. As the founder of the FBI, Hoover was feared and admired, to say the least. And he put as much energy into chasing the guilty, the not-so-guilty, and his personal detractors as he did hiding his intimate secrets that would have destroyed his image, his career, and his life, had they been exposed.

It’s surprising that there’s so much hush about this project. (There’s not even a poster or trailer yet available.) But at this point, whether you’re a fan of his or not, Clint Eastwood is a reliable director and it’s doubtful the film is being covered up because it’s not good. But there is that 800-pound gorilla in the room: whether Hoover’s homosexuality and/or cross-dressing are addressed in the film. As Oscar-winning screenwriter Dustin Lance Black (Milk, 2008) stated, “It [the film] won’t be going into anything that is a gay stereotype, especially that was used in that day to bash gay men … It will deal with sexuality in a far more human, realistic way.” Black adds, “ … It’s one part of a very complicated man and it’s one piece of a very complicated history” (AfterElton.com).

IMMORTALS 

Director: Tarsem Singh

Cast: Henry Cavill, Stephen Dorff, John Hurt, Kellan Lutz, Freida Pinto, Mickey Rourke

Genres: Action, Drama, Fantasy

Website: immortalsmovie.com

Release Date: November 11

Logline: Greek warrior Theseus battles against imprisoned titans.

MELANCHOLIA 

Director: Lars von Trier

Cast: Kirsten Dunst, Charlotte Gainsbourg, John Hurt, Charlotte Rampling, Alexander Skarsgård, Stellan Skarsgård, Kiefer Sutherland

Genres: Drama, Sci-Fi

Website: melancholiathemovie.com

Release Date: November 11

Logline: Two sisters find their already-strained relationship challenged as a mysterious new planet threatens to collide into Earth.

HAPPY FEET TWO 

Director: George Miller

Cast: Hank Azaria, Ned Beatty, Matt Damon, John Goodman, Pink, Brad Pitt, Sofía Vergara, Hugo Weaving, Robin Williams, Ray Winstone, Elijah Wood

Genres: Animation, Comedy, Family

Release Date: November 18

Logline: Mumble the penguin has a problem: his son Erik, who is reluctant to dance, encounters The Mighty Sven, a penguin who can fly! Things get worse for Mumble when the world is shaken by powerful forces, causing him to bring together the penguin nations and their allies to set things right.

TWILIGHT: BREAKING DAWN,

PART 1 

Director: Bill Condon

Cast: Dakota Fanning, Anna Kendrick, Taylor Lautner, Kellan Lutz, Lee Pace, Robert Pattinson, Nikki Reed, Michael Sheen, Kristen Stewart

Genres: Adventure, Drama, Fantasy

Website: breakingdawn-themovie.com

Release Date: November 18

Logline: The Quileute and the Volturi close in on expecting parents Edward and Bella, whose unborn child poses different threats to the wolf pack and vampire coven.

THE ARTIST 

Director: Michel Hazanavicius

Cast: Bérénice Bejo, Jean Dujardin, John Goodman, Malcolm McDowell, Missi Pyle

Genres: Comedy, Drama, Romance

Website: weinsteinco.com/the-artist

Release Date: November 23

Logline: Hollywood, 1927: As silent movie star George Valentin wonders if the arrival of talking pictures will cause him to fade into oblivion, he sparks with Peppy Miller, a young dancer set for a big break.

A DANGEROUS METHOD 

Director: David Cronenberg

Cast: Vincent Cassel, Michael Fassbender, Keira Knightley, Viggo Mortensen

Genres: Drama, Thriller

Website: sonyclassics.com/adangerousmethod

Release Date: November 23 (NY & LA)

Logline: A look at how the intense relationship between Carl Jung and Sigmund Freud gives birth to psychoanalysis.

THE DESCENDANTS 

Director: Alexander Payne

Cast: BeauBridges, George Clooney, Judy Greer, Matthew Lillard, Shailene Woodley

Genres: Comedy, Drama

Release Date: November 23

Logline: A land baron tries to re-connect with his two daughters after his wife suffers a boating accident.

HUGO

by Stephanie Dawson

Director: Martin Scorsese

Cast: Asa Butterfield, Sacha Baron Cohen, Richard Griffiths, Ben Kingsley, Jude Law, Christopher Lee, Chloe Moretz, Emily Mortimer, Michael Pitt, Michael Stuhlbarg, Ray Winstone

Genres: Adventure, Drama, Family

Website: hugomovie.com

Release Date: November 23

Summary:

Set in 1930s Paris, Hugo is the story of an orphan boy (Asa Butterfield) who lives in the walls of a Parisian train station. He befriends Isabelle (Chloe Moretz), and the two set off on a series of adventures while trying to avoid being caught by the train conductor and revealing Hugo’s home. Hugo also befriends a lonely toy seller and finds an automaton, or mechanical toy, and decides to fix it. Everything comes together when Isabelle reveals she holds a key that fits into Hugo’s own automaton, and the only link to his past.

This 3D fantasy is Martin Scorsese’s first family film and is based on the book The Invention of Hugo Cabret by writer/illustrator Brian Selznick. The writer was inspired by filmmaker George Méliés from the 1902 film A Trip to the Moon. Méliés collected mechanical toys (also known as automata) and was a toy seller later in life. Sir Ben Kingsley plays Méliés in the film. Scorsese was inspired to make the film after reading it to his 11-year-old daughter. Producer Johnny Depp is rumored to have a cameo.

THE MUPPETS 

Director: James Bobin

Cast: Amy Adams, Jack Black, Emily Blunt, Chris Cooper, Fozzie Bear, Zach Galifianakis, Ricky Gervais, Whoopi Goldberg, Selena Gomez, Neil Patrick Harris, Rashida Jones, Kermit the Frog, John Krasinski, Mila Kunis, Miss Piggy, Katy Perry, Jason Segel

Genres: Comedy, Family

Website: disney.go.com/muppets

Release Date: November 23

Logline: With the help of three fans, the Muppets must reunite in order to save their old studio from a greedy oil tycoon.

DECEMBER

WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN

by Morgan Goldin

Director: Lynne Ramsay

Cast: Ezra Miller, John C. Reilly, Tilda Swinton

Genres: Drama, Thriller

Website: oscilloscope.net/weneedtotalkaboutkevin

Release Date: December 2 (limited)

Summary:

A mother (Tilda Swinton) of a teenage boy (Ezra Miller) who went on a horrific killing rampage tries to reconcile her overwhelming guilt and grief by writing to her estranged husband (John C. Reilly). Like this summer’s Beautiful Boy, We Need to Talk About Kevin chooses to explore the other side of the story not usually covered in the media when these types of atrocities occur — that of the parents of the perpetrator. It is that perspective that puts films like these in a unique position, serving as a reminder that the parents of the young people who commit these crimes are also victims. Instead of sensationalist tripe and avoiding a didactic “ripped from the headlines” approach, these films manage to elicit sympathy for those whom society considers to be failures on such a massive scale.

It is that approach that keeps this film tasteful. By not focusing on the violence directly, director Lynne Ramsay shows sensitivity to the material that keeps it from being exploitative. Showing the same delicate touch and unique style that she brought to her previous films, Morvern Callar (2002) and Ratcatcher (1999), this looks to be one of the more artistically ambitious releases of the fall.

We Need to Talk About Kevin screened at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, earning Tilda Swinton high praise and early Oscar buzz for her portrayal of the emotionally tortured mother. The film is adapted from the 2003 novel by Lionel Shriver.

NEW YEAR’S EVE 

Director: GarryMarshall

Cast: Jessica Biel, Abigail Breslin, Robert De Niro, Josh Duhamel, Zac Efron, Carla Gugino, Katherine Heigl, Ashton Kutcher, Lea Michele, Alyssa Milano, Sarah Jessica Parker, Michelle Pfeiffer, Hilary Swank, Sofía Vergara

Genres: Comedy, Romance

Website: newyearsevemovie.warnerbros.com

Release Date: December 9

Logline: The lives of several couples and singles in New York intertwine over the course of New Year’s Eve.

TINKER, TAILOR, SOLDIER, SPY

by Stephanie Dawson

Director: Tomas Alfredson

Cast: Benedict Cumberbatch, David Dencik, Colin Firth, Tom Hardy, Ciarán Hinds, John Hurt, Toby Jones, Gary Oldman, Mark Strong

Genre: Thriller

Website: tinker-tailor-soldier-spy.com

Release Date: December 9

Summary:

In the Cold War spy thriller Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, the British Secret Intelligence Service (SIS), commonly known as MI6, sends an experienced operative into Hungary to complete a mission that goes deadly wrong. Following the failure, it is believed a mole has compromised the highest ranks of SIS. George Smiley (Gary Oldman) is called back from forced retirement to ferret out the spy, assisted by younger agent Peter Guillam (Benedict Cumberbatch). They get a massive lead when maverick agent Ricki Tarr (Tom Hardy) contacts Guillam. The suspects are narrowed down to five men, codenamed Tinker (Toby Jones), Tailor (Colin Firth), Soldier (Ciarán Hinds), Poor Man (David Dencik), and Smiley, himself, who is tagged as Spy.

Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy was the first of a series of novels by John le Carré, based on his experiences in MI5 and MI6 that eventually uncovered the Cambridge Five: KGB agents employed by SIS in the 1950s and ’60s. In 1979, the novel was adapted for the small screen in a successful seven-part BBC production, with Sir Alec Guinness as Smiley. This time around, Swedish filmmaker Tomas Alfredson (Let the Right One In, 2008) is at the helm in his first English-language film.

W.E. 

Director: Madonna

Cast: Abbie Cornish, James D’Arcy, Natalie Dormer, Oscar Isaac

Genres: Drama, Romance

Release Date: December 9

Logline: A two-tiered romantic drama focusing on the affair between King Edward VIII and American divorcée Wallis Simpson, and a contemporary romance between a married woman and a Russian security guard.

CARNAGE 

by Daniel Quitério

Director: Roman Polanski

Cast: Jodie Foster, John C. Reilly, Christoph Waltz, Kate Winslet

Genres: Comedy, Drama

Website: sonyclassics.com/carnage

Release Date: December 16 (NY & LA)

Summary:

Following a fight at school between two boys, their parents converge to discuss the incident. As the meeting progresses, the adults regress into behavior that’s no more civilized than that of their sons.

Based on the 2009 Tony-winning Best Play God of Carnage by French playwright Yasmina Reza, the Brooklyn-set movie is directed by acclaimed filmmaker Roman Polanski, who shot the film in Paris due to his well-noted inability to travel to the United States. Reza and Polanski wrote the screenplay together, tapping the film out at just 79 minutes (just shy of the play’s approximate 90-minute runtime). The stage production was originally performed in French before being translated into English by Oscar-winning scribe Christopher Hampton (Atonement, 2007) and eventually landing on Broadway, where it originally starred screen veterans Jeff Daniels, Hope Davis, James Gandolfini, and Oscar winner Marcia Gay Harden. (Harden went on to win the Tony for Best Lead Actress in a Play.) The quartet is being portrayed on film by a set of equally adept screen veterans: Christoph Waltz, Kate Winslet, John C. Reilly, and Jodie Foster. The film had its world premiere at the currently running Venice Film Festival and will open the 49^th New York Film Festival this month.

THE IRON LADY 

by John Lee

Director: Phyllida Lloyd

Cast: Jim Broadbent, Richard E. Grant, Meryl Streep

Genres: Biography, Drama

Website: theironladymovie.co.uk

Release Date: December 16

Summary:

Acting goddess Meryl Streep stars in this biopic about Margaret Thatcher, the first and only woman to become British Prime Minister. Director Phyllida Lloyd (Mamma Mia!, 2008), wanted to chronicle Thatcher’s historic political career — her struggles against class and gender — but more importantly, her intimate life. In the end, the film is also about family, love, loss, and bereavement.
The casting of Streep — an American — playing such a quintessential British public figure caused some controversy in the UK, even with her Academy Award pedigree. Well aware of the skepticism,  Streep was determined to not make her performance an impersonation in any way — rather, it would be an incarnation. She dove into months of research and even attended a session at the House of Commons in January.
Jim Broadbent (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, 2011) co-stars as Denis Thatcher, and Anthony Head (Scoop, 2006) portrays Thatcher’s longest-serving cabinet member, Geoffrey Howe. Is there anyone in the world who doubts that Streep will earn her 17th Academy Award nomination with this role?

SHERLOCK HOLMES:

A GAME OF SHADOWS 

Director: Guy Ritchie

Cast: Robert Downey Jr., Stephen Fry, Jared Harris, Jude Law, Rachel McAdams, Noomi Rapace

Genres: Action, Adventure, Crime

Website: sherlockholmes2.warnerbros.com

Release Date: December 16

Logline: Sherlock Holmes and his sidekick Dr. Watson join forces to outwit and bring down their fiercest adversary, Professor Moriarty.

YOUNG ADULT 

Director: Jason Reitman

Cast: Patton Oswalt, JK Simmons, Charlize Theron, Patrick Wilson

Genres: Comedy, Drama

Release Date: December 16

Logline: Soon after her divorce, a fiction writer returns to her home in small-town Minnesota, looking to rekindle a romance with her ex-boyfriend, who is now married with kids.

THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON

TATTOO

by Stephanie Dawson

Director: David Fincher

Cast: Daniel Craig, Rooney Mara, Christopher Plummer, Joely Richardson, Stellan Skarsgård, Robin Wright

Genres: Drama, Thriller

Website: dragontattoo.net

Release Date: December 21

Summary:

Hard-hitting journalist Mikael Blomkvist (Daniel Craig) serves jail time after losing a libel case against a powerful billionaire. Disgraced and unemployed, Blomkvist takes a freelance job for the wealthy Henrik Vanger (Christopher Plummer) to find Vanger’s daughter, who has been missing for 40 years. Vanger agrees to provide information against the billionaire that could clear Blomkvist’s name. Meanwhile, Vanger has Blomkvist investigated by a talented computer hacker named Lisbeth Salander (Rooney Mara). Salander is a loner and generally repels people with her goth leather wardrobe, hairstyle, piercings, and large dragon tattoo. Blomkvist’s search for Vanger uncovers a possible serial killer with powerful connections, dating back several decades. Salander, herself a victim of violence and rape, decides to help Blomkvist find the serial killer, and the two form an unconventional bond.

This much-anticipated US remake of the 2009 Swedish film is helmed by innovative director David Fincher, though is based on the book by Stieg Larsson. This is the first book in the posthumously published Millennium trilogy, which became a best-seller across Europe and the US. Rising star David Dencik (Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, 2011) is the only actor to appear in both the Swedish and US versions of the films.

MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE —

GHOST PROTOCOL 

by Daniel Quitério

Director: Brad Bird

Cast: Tom Cruise, Paula Patton, Simon Pegg, Jeremy Renner, Ving Rhames, Tom Wilkinson

Genres: Action, Adventure, Thriller

Website: missionimpossible.com

Release Date: December 21

Summary:

In just the first 34 seconds of the Mission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol trailer, Tom Wilkinson spills all the exposition we need to understand the plot of the fourth installment of the high-octane franchise. And here it is:

Following the devastating bombing of the Kremlin, the United States government initiates a “ghost protocol,” disavowing all Impossible Mission Force (IMF) agents. Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) and his team are to take the blame for the terrorist attack, but allowed to escape in order to work outside of the agency. The stakes are high, as Hunt and his team will be charged as terrorists if caught. Meanwhile, Hunt must work with Brandt (Jeremy Renner), an ex-IMF agent with a lot on his mind.

Cruise returns for another turn at the helm of the Mission: Impossible franchise, but in this installment, Renner’s character Brandt is introduced — primed to potentially take over the franchise if Cruise decides to bow out. Like the others, this low-budget indie was made on a budget of something like six bagillion dollars — and it promises the same fast-paced, explosive action and thrills that the films’ hardcore fans come to expect. Pixar regular Brad Bird (two-time Oscar winner for Ratatouille [2007] and The Incredibles [2004]) helms Ghost Protocol in his live-action feature directorial debut.

THE ADVENTURES OF TINTIN 

Director: Steven Spielberg

Cast: Jamie Bell, Daniel Craig, Cary Elwes, Toby Jones, Simon Pegg, Andy Serkis

Genres: Animation, Adventure, Family

Website: tintin.com

Release Date: December 23

Logline: Tintin and his friends discover directions to a sunken ship commanded by Capt. Haddock’s ancestor and go off on a treasure hunt.

WE BOUGHT A ZOO 

Director: Cameron Crowe

Cast: Thomas Haden Church, Matt Damon, Elle Fanning, Scarlett Johansson

Genres: Comedy, Drama

Release Date: December 23

Logline: Set in Southern California, a father moves his young family to the countryside to renovate and re-open a struggling zoo.

WAR HORSE 

by Daniel Quitério

Director: Steven Spielberg

Cast: Benedict Cumberbatch, Jeremy Irvine, David Thewlis, Emily Watson

Genre: War

Website: warhorsemovie.com

Release Date: December 28

Summary:

Set in Europe during World War I, young Albert (Jeremy Irvine) and the beloved horse he trained, Joey, are separated after Joey is sold into battle. Though Albert is too young to enlist in the military, his desire to find his equine friend drives him to France in pursuit.

Based on the 1982 children’s novel by Michael Morpurgo, War Horse is Steven Spielberg’s second entry into this fall’s string of Oscar hopefuls — the first being the animated The Adventures of Tintin. (The two films are slated for releases just five days apart.) For a man who has seemingly done it all in the film industry, some might be surprised to learn that War Horse marks the first of Spielberg’s films to be edited digitally, as opposed to be cut on film. The living legend knew immediately after reading Morpurgo’s novel that he wanted to make the film, recognizing its global reach. Spielberg stated, “Its heart and its message provide a story that can be felt in every country.” Certainly, DreamWorks hopes that this film will garner the same type of success as the theatrical version, which is currently on Broadway and the winner of the 2011 Best Play Tony Award.

In this second and final installment of the “Young Hollywood” series, we explore some of film’s young actors under the age of 30.

Please feel free to add on to the conversation by posting a comment on others you feel should be added onto this list.

(Click here to check out Young Hollywood — Part 1: The Filmmakers.)

Elle Fanning

by Curtis John, with contributions by Daniel Quitério

Age: 13

From: Conyers, GA

Credits: Super 8 (2011), The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)

While JJ Abrams’s Super 8 wasn’t the blockbuster that many were expecting, the true success of it is that it put Elle Fanning squarely on the Hollywood map. It’s not as if she hasn’t appeared in other flicks or that we don’t look twice at her surname and realize that her sister Dakota has the coolest of movie credits to her name at only age 17.

It’s not that.

It’s that a look in her doe-like eyes tells us that there is still innocence and no (at least not yet) annoying precociousness that imbues many young Hollywood actresses.

In her still young career, Fanning has managed to step out of her older sister’s shadow, taking on some demanding parts and proving herself as a formidable actress, in her own right. Among them is the title role in 2008’s Phoebe in Wonderland, in which she starred opposite Patricia Clarkson, Felicity Huffman, and Bill Pullman as a troubled girl in a school play. Two years later, she starred in Sofia Coppola’s fourth feature, Somewhere (2010).

As she continues to build her career, let us enjoy the skill with which young Elle amuses us and treasure its pureness, and hope that she can be the star she’s destined to be as she appears next in Twixt with Val Kilmer and We Bought a Zoo with Matt Damon, both of which are slated to release later this year.

Andrew Garfield

by John Lee

Age: 27

From: Surrey, England

Credits: The Social Network (2010), Never Let Me Go (2010)

Andrew Garfield has ascended into one of Hollywood’s most sought after young actors in a relatively short time. Born in Los Angeles, his family left the starry hills when he was three and moved to the UK where he was raised in Surrey, England. Garfield started his acting career in small theater productions, quickly moving into UK television movies, where he garnered attention for his sensitive performance in 2007’s Boy A. That same year, he moved onto films with a part in Lions for Lambs, starring opposite Robert Redford, who also directed the film. From there, he went onto a supporting part in Terry Gilliam’s The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus (2009), which starred Heath Ledger in his last role.

Garfield’s next two performances defined him as one of Hollywood’s best young actors working today. In Mark Romanek’s film adaptation of author Kazuo Ishiguro’s best-selling novel Never Let Me Go, Garfield gave a wonderfully visceral performance as a student who learns the dire purpose of his existence. His next part, in David Fincher’s critically acclaimed film The Social Network, became his breakout role. In the film, Garfield portrayed Eduardo Saverin, who is the co-founder of Facebook and former best friend of Mark Zuckerberg’s. Garfield’s searing performance, which is the heart of the film, earned him a Golden Globe nomination for Best Supporting Actor.

With the announcement of his casting as Peter Parker in next year’s Mark Webb-directed The Amazing Spider-Man, the name and face of Andrew Garfield was catapulted into the mainstream. Whether we need a reboot so soon of such a successful trilogy is debatable. One thing you can be sure of, no matter how the film turns out, is that Garfield’s performance will be compelling.

Freddie Highmore

by Stephanie Dawson

Age: 19

From: London, England

Credits: The Art of Getting By (2011), Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005).

Freddie Highmore’s breakout role came at the age of 12 when he played Peter Llewelyn Davies, the inspiration for JM Barrie’s Peter Pan, in Finding Neverland (2004), opposite Johnny Depp and Kate Winslet. Depp was so impressed by the young talent that he requested Highmore for the title role in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory the next year. He continued to entertain with diverse roles in films like August Rush (2007), The Spiderwick Chronicles (2008), and Astro Boy (2009). In the latter three, he dropped his British accent for a neutral American accent without flaw.

Highmore started in television movies when he was 7. He may have been destined for acting because his father is actor Edward Highmore and his mother, Sue Latimore, is an agent whose clientele includes Daniel Radcliffe and Imelda Staunton (Vera Drake). Highmore has such raw talent, particularly with drama, that it’s no wonder he has landed many accolades, including the Empire Award for Best Newcomer (2004), Broadcast Film Critics Award, Satellite Outstanding New Talent (2005), and a Saturn Award (2008). In addition to acting, Highmore is fluent in French, he plays the clarinet, and has enrolled in college to study French and Arabic.

Currently, the actor can be seen in the coming-of-age drama The Art of Getting By, and Toast, a BBC biopic of chef Nigel Slater. If Highmore’s past body of work is representative of what is to come, he’s going to bring some tremendous characters to the screen in the coming years.

Nicholas Hoult

by Janice Perez

Age: 21

From: Berkshire, England

Credits: X-Men: First Class (2011), A Single Man (2009)

Nicholas Hoult first captured the hearts of audiences worldwide with his endearing role as  Marcus in Paul and Chris Weitz’s About a Boy (2002). Playing the role of a fatherless 13-year-old dealing with several adolescent issues, Hoult was a perfect match to Hugh Grant’s carousing, indifferent character. The duo’s on-screen chemistry as a pseudo father-and-son pair made the film successful globally, and much accolade was given to the young Hoult as a formidable talent on the rise.

Fast forward to seven years later, and much to audience’s surprise, Hoult captivated hearts again, this time playing a very different and more mature role — as Colin Firth’s potential love interest in Tom Ford’s breakout film A Single Man. Capturing the same intensity he exuded in About a Boy, Hoult’s character in A Single Man explores controversial territory dealing with homosexuality and identity, but the actor pulled it off so well to the extent that producer Robert Salerno once said in an interview that “the most compelling reason why the film worked, apart from Colin, is all because of Nick.”

It’s been a very productive time for Hoult post A Single Man, with such films as Clash of the Titans (2010) and X-Men: First Class under his belt. At present, he is exploring a variety of roles that, in foresight, will allow him to prove his range as an actor, namely with Jack the Giant Killer (as Jack) and Mad Max: Fury Road (as Nux).

Zoë Kravitz

by John Lee

Age: 22

From: Brooklyn, NY

Credits: X-Men: First Class (2011), The Brave One (2007)

Being the daughter of two famous parents — actress Lisa Bonet (TV’s The Cosby Show) and musician Lenny Kravitz — you could say it was inevitable that Zoë Kravitz was pre-destined for show business.

Born in Venice Beach, California, Kravitz lived with her mother after her parents divorced in 1993 until she was 11. She then lived with her father and attended school in Manhattan. Her first acting role came while she was still in high school, in 2007’s No Reservations, which starred Catherine Zeta-Jones and Aaron Eckhart. That same year, she also starred with Jodie Foster and Terrance Howard as a teenage prostitute in The Brave One.

A few years later, Kravitz went on to star in Ryan Fleck’s and Anna Boden’s independent feature It’s Kind of a Funny Story (2010). She then transitioned to television, where she started a multi-episode arc on the Showtime series Californication, playing Pearl, a free-spirited musician in an all-girl band.

Her most notable and critically acclaimed work has been in this year’s independent film Yelling to the Sky. Playing the main character of Sweetness O’Hara, her gritty, realistic performance was compelling and truthful. Her profile was also boosted into the mainstream by her appearance in this summer’s blockbuster X-Men: First Class, playing the insect-winged mutant Angel Salvadore.

Kravitz’s career will continue to grow, as she was recently cast in the now delayed George Miller reboot of his Mad Max series, entitled Fury Road, which will star Tom Hardy and Charlize Theron.

Bailee Madison

by Stephanie Dawson

Age: 11

From: Ft. Lauderdale, FL

Credits: Just Go with It (2011), Brothers (2009)

Actress Bailee Madison got her start in an Office Depot commercial when she was only two weeks old, but most may remember her as May Belle in Bridge to Terabithia (2007). She received Young Artists Awards for Performances by Actors Under 10 Years Old for Terabithia, her guest appearance on TV’s House, and the TV movie The Last Day of Summer (2007). Her complex role of Isabelle Cahill in 2009’s Brothers opposite Natalie Portman, Tobey Maguire, and Jake Gyllenhaal, garnered Madison both Critics Choice and Saturn award nominations for performances by a young actor.

Now, at 11, she is routinely getting roles as “the cute child of … ” (i.e., Jennifer Aniston’s daughter in Just Go with It or Felicity Huffman’s daughter in Phoebe in Wonderland [2008]). Madison is also guest starring on coveted children’s shows like Disney’s Emmy-winning Wizards of Waverly Place. But she has already shown a strong range of talent that transcends age. The young actress can be the adorable kid, but she can also be tortured as she was in Brothers, or fragile as she was in Conviction (2010). She has been referred to as an “old soul” and many credit her for being very mature and composed, as well as a fun-loving kid.

Audiences will next see Madison in the leading role of Sally Hirst in the much-anticipated horror fantasy Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark, from producer/screenwriter Guillermo del Toro. Madison’s versatility is quite advanced for her young age, making her one to watch for the future.

Rooney Mara

by Morgan Goldin

Age: 26

From: Bedford, NY

Credits: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011), The Social Network (2010)

Serving as the “rosebud” to Mark Zuckerberg’s Citizen Kane, Rooney Mara makes an indelible impression in the 2010 film The Social Network. With only a couple of scenes in the film, her character casts a pall over the film, as the story implies it’s the character’s break-up with Zuckerberg that inspires the creation of the multi-billion dollar Internet empire, Facebook. David Fincher, the film’s director, believed enough in her acting chops to cast her as the goth cyber-punk princess Lisbeth Salander in his American remake of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, based on the Swedish Millennium book trilogy by late author Stieg Larsson.

Early in her career, Mara found work in television, taking parts on shows like Law & Order: SVU, Women’s Murder Club, and The Cleaner. She was inspired to pursue acting by her older sister, Kate Mara (127 Hours [2010], Brokeback Mountain [2005]). Aside from acting, Mara manages the charity Faces of Kibera, an organization that provides shelter care and medical necessities to orphans in Kibera, a slum located inKenya.

After signing on for a three-picture deal for the lead in the enormously popular The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo series, expect Rooney Mara’s profile to significantly rise.

Freida Pinto

by Curtis John

Age: 26

From: Bombay, India

Credits: You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger (2010), Slumdog Millionaire (2008)

It’s difficult to maintain journalistic integrity while fighting the urge to comment on Freida Pinto’s beauty. To be frank, it’s downright painful. So let’s get it out of the way — Freida Pinto is hands down in the top five (hey, this is my list) of the most beautiful actresses in Hollywood. And dare I say, the world?

Now that that’s out of the way, let’s talk about her work.

While we haven’t seen her much since her Slumdog debut, Pinto is coming back in a major way this summer co-starring with James Franco in Rise of the Planet of the Apes, a present day origin story of the sci-fi classic Planet of the Apes franchise. And from all appearances it’s not a race-specific role, which should allow her to flex her acting muscles for the world to see. But wait, there’s more!

Slated to release later this year is Immortals, a stylistic 300-like film in which Pinto appears as the visionary priestess Phaedra alongside Henry Cavill (the next Superman) and Mickey Rourke. Next is Michael Winterbottom’s Trishna, a modern take on Thomas Hardy’s tragic book Tess of the d’Ubervilles, but set inIndia instead of Victorian England. We’ll see whether that’s a good or bad thing, but either way, audiences will be happy to see her.

Saoirse Ronan

by Daniel Quitério

Age: 17

From: County Carlow, Ireland

Credits: Hanna (2011), The Lovely Bones (2009)

“And the Oscar goes to … ”

Mark these words and remember them, because Saoirse Ronan (pronounced seer-sha, or sur-sha [as she prefers]) will be standing on that stage one day. We got just a little taste in 2008 when, at the age of 13, she became one of the youngest actors to be nominated for Best Supporting Actress for her head-turning performance in Joe Wright’s Atonement. In the film, she played the snobbish Briony Tallis, the younger sister of Keira Knightley’s character, who accuses Knightley’s boyfriend (James McAvoy) of a crime he didn’t commit. Although Knightley was most often cited as the “lead” in the film, it was Ronan’s character who acted as the catalyst for the film’s narrative, and it was Ronan, herself, who commanded the screen.

The Irish actor went on to star in Peter Jackson’s The Lovely Bones, based on the best-selling novel by Alice Sebold. Although the film received mixed reviews, Ronan was praised for her performance and the film earned veteran actor Stanley Tucci an Oscar nomination for his supporting role.

Ronan continued to work with some more of Hollywood’s heavyweight filmmakers with performances in Peter Weir’s The Way Back (2010) and a return to director Joe Wright in this year’s Hanna, in which she played a teenage assassin. Ronan’s varied roles have showcased her unbelievable versatility as an actor and have solidified her as a new force to be reckoned with on the silver screen. The actor has several more movies currently in the works, including Neil Jordan’s Byzantium and Andrew Niccol’s much-anticipated The Host, which is based on the best-selling sci-fi novel by Twilight author Stephenie Meyer.

Jaden Smith

by Morgan Goldin

Age: 13

From: Malibu, California

Credits: The Karate Kid (2010), The Pursuit of Happyness (2006)

Practically Hollywood royalty, the son of Jada Pinkett Smith and reigning box-office draw Will Smith, Jaden (along with his little sister Willow) seems poised to dominate the entertainment landscape. According to his Wikipedia page, Smith is an actor, a rapper, a songwriter, and a dancer — not too bad for the son of the “Fresh Prince.”

Smith made his acting debut opposite his father in the 2006 drama The Pursuit of Happyness. Watching this real-life father-son duo enact such harrowing scenes of poverty and hardship lent the film a certain gravity. Smith and his father pulled out such tremendous performances from each other, so much so that the younger Smith was awarded Best Breakthrough Performance at the 2007 MTV Movie Awards. The young actor’s next project was the science-fiction remake of The Day the Earth Stood Still (2008). But it was his next film, a remake of the beloved ’80s film The Karate Kid, that really upped his star power. Acting opposite Jackie Chan, the film was a surprise summer blockbuster hit, and showed that Smith had audience drawing power of his own.

Whether he devotes his career to acting or spends more time on the music side, pop culture will surely feel Smith’s presence one way or another. Hollywood is almost his own personal playground. If his career is even half as prosperous as his father’s, expect Jaden Smith to be entertaining audiences for decades to come.

For our second year, Limité presents its two-part “Young Hollywood” series, which honors filmmakers under the age of 35 and actors under the age of 30. The talented individuals featured here bring Limité back to its roots — as a forum for presenting what’s next in the world of popular and underground culture. In this series, we present you with some of the youngest and freshest talent making its mark in film. Some names are established, while others are on their way up. These are the people who will shape the future of film. It’s worth remembering their names and faces.

The film industry is bursting with fresh, young talent. We encourage you to add to this list by leaving a comment, describing which young talent you think deserves recognition.

Richard Ayoade

by Stephanie Dawson

Age: 34

From: London, England

Credits: Submarine (2011), The IT Crowd (TV)

British comedian, actor, writer, and director Richard Ayoade is best known in the UK for his role as Maurice Moss on The IT Crowd, a sitcom based on the trials and tribulations of an under-valued computer technology staff. Ayoade studied law at Cambridge, but his love of performing lead him to Footlights, the University’s famed drama club, for which he served as president for one year. He acted and wrote many shows while there.

Ayoade co-wrote the stage show Garth Marenghi’s Fright Knight and its sequel Garth Marenghi’s Netherhead, which won a Perrier award in 2001. In 2004, the UK’s Channel 4 aired Garth Marenghi’s Darkplace, a continuation of the character Ayoade and his partners originated. Ayoade directed and performed in that series, as well as the short-lived The Mighty Boosh.

Ayoade directed music videos for Arctic Monkeys, Super Furry Animals, Vampire Weekend, and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. His live concert video for Arctic Monkeys’ At the Apollo won Best DVD at the New Musical Express.

Submarine is Richard Ayoade’s feature directorial debut and is an adaptation of the novel of the same name by Joe Dunthorne. Ayoade also wrote the screenplay for the coming-of-age comedy. While the independent film had a modest box office return, it gained some critical acclaim for Ayoade’s imaginative, visionary directing. Ayoade is a multi-threat and definitely one to watch in the coming years.

Neill Blomkamp

by Daniel Quitério

Age: 31

From: Johannesburg, South Africa

Credits: Elysium (upcoming), District 9 (2009)

Though his film credits span less than a decade, South African director Neill Blomkamp has made a considerable impact in a short period of time. His breakout independent hit District 9 was nominated for the Best Picture Oscar. And although it was a surprise nomination and considered a long-shot to win, it was an honor that placed the filmmaker top of mind among Hollywood’s brass. The film actually earned four nominations, including Best Editing, Best Visual Effects, and Best Adapted Screenplay for Blomkamp, himself. “Adapted,” because the feature was based on a short film that Blomkamp made just three years earlier, titled “Alive in Joburg.” Both films take a documentary-style approach to telling the story of aliens who have arrived in Johannesburg and the humans’ war-like reaction to their unwanted presence. In both films, Blomkamp carves out a gritty, realistic feel unlike anything that’s typically seen in one of Hollywood’s big budget, special-effects-reliant alien flicks, such as Cowboys & Aliens (2011) or War of the Worlds (2005).

The South African emigrated to Canada with his family when he was 18. It was in Vancouver where he enrolled in film school. Later, he became active in making short films and directing commercials. Halo: Combat, the first part of his 2008 short film/ad trilogy for the XBox 360/Halo 3 video game, went on to win the Film Grand Prix at the Cannes Lions advertising festival — considered by many as the world’s most coveted advertising award. And in 2010, Time named Blomkamp as one of the 100 Most Influential People in the world.

The writer/director will next tackle Elysium, a sci-fi feature starring Matt Damon, Jodie Foster, William Fichtner, Diego Luna, and District 9 lead Sharlto Copley, which is currently slated for a 2013 release.

Antonio Campos

by Curtis John

Age: 27

From: New York, NY

Credits: Martha Marcy May Marlene (2011), Afterschool (2008)

Antonio Campos is on a wild ride of his own design.

As the director and producer of film festival hits like Afterschool and Martha Marcy May Marlene, respectively, and having had over five films in the past five years that have either premiered or been shown at the Cannes Film Festival, Campos has the creative career that many others would kill, or at least maim, for.

Campos has made his prime films with fellow film school friends/collaborators Sean Durkin and Josh Mond, as they’ve formed a collective in which they write, produce, and edit each other’s films while one takes the lofty director’s chair. This process seems to allow Campos and friends to bring audiences fresh and stimulating independent fare not often seen in American film, especially one right after the other. Such fare shouldn’t be too surprising, based on his heritage; his mother is a movie producer and his father a renowned television journalist from Brazil.

Next for Campos is the hotly anticipated Simon Killer, about a young New Yorker (Brady Corbet, Mysterious Skin) who seeks refuge from the pain of a difficult breakup, travels to France in search of distraction, quickly falls for an exotic woman (Mati Diop, 35 Shots of Rum), and finds himself drawn into the dark underbelly of Paris.

Lena Dunham

by Janice Perez

Age: 25

From: New York, NY

Credits: Tiny Furniture (2010), “Creative Nonfiction” (2009)

Lena Dunham was a month-and-a-half shy of turning 24 when her debut feature film Tiny Furniture won Best Narrative Feature at the SXSW film festival in Austin in 2010. The sleeper hit indie comedy is about a film school graduate’s lack of direction upon returning home to her artist family’s TriBeCa loft from a four-year stint at a Midwest liberal arts college. The film might be a little close to home, as Dunham does really come from a family of artists and had to contend with finding her own voice.

Tiny Furniture also won the 2010 Spirt Award for Best First Screenplay. Dunham, who also starred in the film, has admitted to being overwhelmed at the response of her first project, considering that it took her not even a year to complete from start to finish. Her self-deprecating sense of humor, she says, is attributed to the surroundings in which she grew up, particularly around her artist/photographer mother Laurie and her painter father Carroll.

Dunham’s debut feature eventually lead her to HBO, where execs who were very impressed with the film greenlit her next project, Girls. The TV movie is executive produced by Judd Apatow and will be written, directed, and co-produced by Dunham, herself.

Barry Jenkins

by Morgan Goldin

Age: 31

From: Miami, Florida

Credit: Medicine for Melancholy (2008)

To label Barry Jenkins’s debut feature Medicine for Melancholy as simply a black mumblecore movie would diminish a lot of its power. Don’t let the microscopic budget and improvisational feel fool you. There’s an attention to detail in the cinematography that most mumblecore movies lack, as well as the presence of two articulate leads. The film still captures the nuances and subtleties of actual conversation, which is what writer/director Jenkins was going for.

Winning the 2009 Someone to Watch Spirit Award, as well as being nominated for Best Cinematography and Best First Feature for Medicine for Melancholy, Jenkins tells the story of two African-American 20-somethings in San Francisco who spend the day together after a one night stand. Starring Wyatt Cenac and Tracey Heggins, the film recalls the intimate milieu set in Before Sunrise (1995) and Friday Night (2002), which Jenkins credits French filmmaker Claire Denis as a clear influence on his own work.

Some of the themes include issues of race and class, which became very apparent to Jenkins upon moving to San Francisco. The film, itself, is based on his own experiences relocating to that city. He used a skeleton crew to work on the film, taking the DIY ethos to the extreme. The effort paid off, though. In 2008, Jenkins was nominated for Breakthrough Director at New York’s Gotham Awards. The director is an exciting voice in film, and it will be interesting to follow his budding career.

Sarah Polley

by Janice Perez

Age: 32

From: Toronto, Canada

Credits: Take This Waltz (2011), Away from Her (2006)

Although she has been acting in a slate of films and TV shows since she was four years old, Sarah Polley made her mark in 2007 when her directorial feature debut, Away from Her, was nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay at the Academy Awards. The same film also brought veteran actress and Oscar winner Julie Christie back in the spotlight when she was nominated for Best Actress.

Polley is one of the more prolific Canadian actresses who have broken out in American cinema, with such titles as The Adventures of Baron Munchausen (1988), Go (1999), The Weight of Water (2000), and Dawn of the Dead (2004), to name a few. Although she had been dabbling behind the scenes as screenwriter and director for short films beginning in 1999, Away from Her was the film that really launched her as a serious filmmaker, whose penchant for telling stories about complex relationships in the family unit is probably derived from her own painful experience of losing her mother at the tender age of 11.

She continues to act in major projects, as well, with her role as Nabby Adams in the much lauded and Emmy-winning HBO mini-series John Adams (2008), and the sci-fi film Splice (2009), alongside Adrien Brody. But don’t expect Polley to leave the director’s chair anytime soon. In fact, she recently finished production on her next feature, Take This Waltz, which will star Seth Rogen, Michelle Williams, and Sarah Silverman.

Dee Rees

by John Lee

Age: 33

From: Long Beach, CA

Credits: Pariah (2011), Eventual Salvation (2008)

This year has been a breakout year for filmmaker Dee Rees, and it’s been a longtime coming. Her debut film Pariah, the semi-autobiographical story of an emotionally conflicted 17-year-old Bronx girl who lives a dual life between her conservative family and her gay friends, premiered at this year’s Sundance Film Festival. It was a runaway hit with audiences and critics, quickly capturing the attention of Focus Features, which will distribute the film this fall.

The path to Sundance had been a long, interesting one for Rees. Pariah started out as an acclaimed short film, though rather than expand her short into a full-length feature, Rees did the opposite. She shrunk the feature-length script she wrote while interning with director Spike Lee (who serves as executive producer on Pariah) on his film Inside Man (2005). For her NYU thesis film, she decided to condense her script and only use the first act and the ending. The short went on to screen at several festivals the following years — including Sundance — and won the Audience Award at the LA Film Festival in 2007. She then went on to attend the acclaimed Sundance Writers (2007) and Directors Labs (2008), as well as the first Creative Producers Labs (2009). She revised and perfected her script, and after two years of fundraising, she finally filmed the feature-length version.

Rees is currently writing her follow-up project for Focus Features and there is a renewed interest in her 2008 documentary Eventual Salvation, about her grandmother’s return to Liberia following the country’s civil war. Truly, Dee Rees is just as deserving of a spot on Limité’s annual “Faces to Watch” feature as she is on “Young Hollywood.” Keep your eye on her.

Coming Next Week: Young Hollywood — Part 2: The Actors

If you know anything about Limité, you know that we don’t follow the norm nor do we care what the ‘others’ glorify. Awards are usually given out to those who’ve sold a certain amount of music albums or for their performance in a big budget movie in the last fiscal year, but what about celebrating someone’s entire career and being recognized. That’s what we’ve done in our 2nd Annual Limité Honors Awards. The individuals below have entertained us on more than one occasion and we deem it necessary to give respect when respect is due. Enjoy!

Josh Brolin

by Stephen Cocchiara

“Heeeey youuu guyyys!!!” Most 80’s babies will remember Josh Brolin as Brandon Walsh the older brother of Mikey Walsh (Sean Astin), in the The Goonies. Brolin is a truly versatile actor and for the past few years he has been on an amazing run, earning much deserved recognition and awards for his roles in movies such as, No Country for Old Men, W., American Gangster, True Grit, and an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his role as Dan White in the movie Milk.

After his first two films Brolin turned to television where he came close to snagging the role of Tom Hanson in 21 Jump Street, but lost the spot to Johnny Depp. A few years later he took the role as gunslinger Wild Bill Hickok in the wild west TV series The Young Riders, one of his most acclaimed roles as a young actor.

What many people might not know is that after Brolin’s second movie, Thashin’, he stepped away from the big screen to work in Rochester, NY performing in and directing plays at the GeVa Theatre. He has said that, “If I’m any kind of actor now it’s because of Rochester.”

Brolin will show his versatility as an actor again next spring, starring in the action sci-fi comedy Men in Black III as a young Agent K.

Tony Clomax

by Curtis John

We’ve all had that horrible break-up with the woman or man of our dreams, idealized or not, and had good friends give us bad advice and schemes on how to fix it, but director/producer Tony Clomax took that usual concept and developed a funny, romantic, and solidly crafted Web series called 12 Steps to Recovery (12StepsWebseries.com). Having premiered last summer, the series immediately took the Internet by storm, followed by screenings at film festivals, and a current run on Verizon FIOS’s Black Broadcasting Network. This success has quickly propelled Clomax into the national spotlight.

While this isn’t the first successful Web series, it is the first starring a diverse amount of Black talent that most anyone can relate to. Much credit is due to Clomax’s vision of using the comedy of real-life situations and taking the funny from that — something that sounds easy to do until you try to do it, according to the director.

Having a relaxed-yet-efficient set, to which the filmmaker credits his favorite director Clint Eastwood with inspiring him to establish, helped endear Clomax to his cast and crew, which include a lot of up-and-coming New York and bi-coastal talent (including musicians) who all successfully helped spread the word about this series on all platforms.

What’s next for this breakout director? An upcoming webisode starring the legendary comedian/actor Paul Mooney as the protagonist’s father, the culmination of season one of 12 Steps, and then the filming of the second season. Clomax is making it happen. Indeed.

Shepard Fairey

by Morgan Goldin

From skater punk to world renowned artist, Shephard Fairey has achieved a level of success and prominence that few of his peers can claim. The way he’s presented in the documentary Exit Through the Gift Shop suggests that he is right behind Banksy in the pantheon of great street art. It would appear that his transition from street art sensation to major player in the art world seemed to happen almost effortlessly. Yet he never compromised his aesthetic for a taste of mainstream acceptance. If anything, his work seems to have slightly transformed the mainstream, where now even the most commercial of works will flirt with a side of subversion.

The viewing public got their first exposure to Fairey in the ‘90’s through his ubiquitous “Andre the Giant has a Posse” (later evolving into “OBEY Giant”) sticker campaign, which started while he was just an art student. Intended to impress his peers at school, it has since grown into a global phenomena and become one of the most successful viral marketing campaigns to emerge from the street art movement. This work combines a lot of the hallmarks commonly found in street art; politics, pop culture, and a playful sense of irony. While the visage of a 70’s wrestler introduced Fairey to the world, it was the face of a future American president that cemented his status.

When Fairey created the iconic Barack Obama “Hope” poster, his audience had expanded beyond the underground and right into national recognition. His DIY ethos was perfectly suited to the grassroots campaign of Obama, and he handed out multitudes of stickers and posters. The image scattered across the political landscape, and was often replicated and parodied. Fairey’s unique style for the image, a chic mix of contemporary design and cool hued palette, was a rarity among many political campaign posters and really set Obama apart from the rest of the candidates. It truly had an impact.

Even with his new found recognition, Shephard Fairey continues to do work within street art. While his clientele list now includes major corporations, he still remains true to his vision. For better or worse, Shephard Fairey’s art has set a benchmark for current graphic design, and it will be studied and ripped off for years to come.

Ryan Gosling

by John Lee

Hollywood’s annual pat on the back, the Oscar’s, is now but a faint memory with Colin Firth’s Best Actor award resting on a mantelpiece somewhere collecting dust. While the rest of the public is making Summer plans, let us take a moment to honor the talents of one of the greatest actor’s of our generation.

Ryan Thomas Gosling was born on November 12, 1980 in Ontario, Canada. He began his career as a singer/dancer performing with his older sister at local talent shows. It’s been well documented how he beat out numerous applicants to be selected to join the Disney Channel revival of the “Mickey Mouse Club” in 1993. A cast that included future super stars: Justin Timberlake, Britney Spears, and Christina Aguilera. (Can Jimmy Fallon please get them all together for a reunion please? Wouldn’t that be interesting…?)

From there he went onto television work in such fare as “Breaker High”(USA Network, 1997-98) and “Young Hercules”(FOX, 1998-99)  but it wasn’t until he was cast as one of the squad players coping with the integration of the football team in the 1970’s set-true-life drama, “Remember the Titans”(2000) that we got a hint of the depth and range he possessed.

He went onto play a Jewish Neo Nazi in the based on fact drama, “The Believer”(2001). The film won the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance that year in part because of Ryan’s star making turn. His next performance as a murderous teen trying to outwit the FBI in “Murder By Numbers”(2002) was largely overshadowed by his rumored affair with co-star, Sandra Bullock.

What followed after is what brought him into the mainstream consciousness playing the romantic lead opposite Rachel McAdams in the Nick Cassavetes’ adaptation of the bestselling novel by Nicolas Sparks, “The Notebook”(2004). The film’s success brought him major attention from all the big movie studios, eager to groom him to be the next big romantic “heartthrob” but instead of going for the easy paycheck, Gosling chose to stay with truly independent fare playing interesting, non-conventional characters.

His performance as an idealistic and inspirational inner-city teacher who engages in an afterschool drug habit which is discovered by a troubled student in the indie, “Half Nelson”(2006), truly ascended him into the ranks of serious actors like Sean Penn. His brilliant performance earned him great reviews, a slew of festival awards and his first Academy Award nomination.

What followed were well received roles in the courtroom thriller, “Fracture”(2007) starring alongside Sir Anthony Hopkins as an ambitious Deputy D.A. and the shy loner with an unhealthy attachment to a blow up doll in “Lars & the Real Girl”(2007) – earning him a Golden Globe nomination and his 2^nd SAG nomination.

His searing and intimate portrayal opposite Michelle Williams(equally amazing) as one half of a couple in a disintegrating marriage earned him excellent reviews in last year’s “Blue Valentine”(2010). Gosling dived into emotional depths and truths that were wonderfully expressed. How he was absolutely snubbed by the Academy for a nomination will be a mystery to me forever…well that and how Jessica Alba still gets acting roles but I digress. His equally compelling turn as “David Marks” in the inspired by the real life of Robert Durst drama, “All the Good Things”(2010), completed his double whammy of brilliance for 2010.

In addition to his acting roles, Ryan is also part of the band, Dead Man’s Bones, which released a self-titled CD in October 2009.

His upcoming film projects, which stray from the indie world for the first time, are in major studio fare like the comedy, “Crazy Stupid Love”(2011) with Steve Carrell and the tent pole potential franchise, “Logan’s Run”(2011). I will keep faith that this amazing talent will stay true to his self and bring nuance and unpredictability even with mainstream roles. Here’s to 2011!

Luis Guzmán

by Curtis John

One the hardest working actors in Hollywood doesn’t even live in Hollywood or his native New York City, but in Vermont where he rises around 5:30 in the morning to groom his horses and feed his chickens. Yes, that Luis Guzmán, the guy with that unmistakable face, also known for his scene-stealing, mostly comedic supporting roles.

This character actor has been a favorite of fans and filmmakers for two decades now. His body of work is so seamless that it doesn’t even seem that long, but when you think back to the first time you saw him, you’re left thinking, “What was he in?” Was it Q&A or Magnolia? The Hard Way or Carlito’s Way? Well, with over 100 movie and television titles — including two Grand Theft Auto video game voice over credits under his belt — and eight more films either in production or waiting to be released, the short answer is: Everywhere.

And you won’t have to wait long to see him again, as Guzmán appears in this April’s remake of the classic Dudley Moore comedy Arthur, in which he plays the role of Bitterman, the title character’s chauffeur. Watch the Arthur trailer to the very end for an unglamorous, yet hilarious and must-see moment from Guzmán. Scene stealing every time.

Dan Harmon and the Cast & Writers of Community

by Daniel Quitério

Just one of the considerations in choosing a recipient for Limité Honors is whether that person has been overlooked for due recognition. With this in mind, it took almost no time at all to come up with Dan Harmon and the eclectic cast and writers of the hit NBC series Community. Well equipped with some terrific scripts and solid performances, many agree that the sitcom is one of the most entertaining shows on television today. So why has it been largely overlooked by the governing bodies of several awards shows, including the Emmys and Golden Globes?

Harmon serves as creator and executive producer on the show, which premiered on the peacock network during the Fall 2009 season. The creator drew from his real-life experiences as an egotistical 30-something enrolling in a community college Spanish class and joining a study group filled with a ragtag group of students with whom he wouldn’t normally associate. In short, he was Jeff Winger, the character portrayed by Joel McHale (The Soup). A former lawyer who was disbarred and forced to go back to school to earn his degree, Winger finds himself mixed in with a diverse group of characters with little in common. McHale leads the ensemble cast, which also includes Gillian Jacobs, Danny Pudi, Yvette Nicole Brown, Alison Brie, Donald Glover, Ken Jeong, Jim Rash, and SNL alum Chevy Chase. The ensemble’s collective chemistry shines each week in episodes that are expertly and hilariously written in a way that often spoofs popular movies and leaves few pop culture references untouched.

Mainstream awards recognition or not, Community is one of the several programs in recent years that has been ushering in a new and welcome era of the TV sitcom. And for that, we recognize its relevance — and just plain big laughs.

Stan Lee

by Steve Morrissey

You know the man’s body of work even if you don’t recognize the name. You’ve passed kids playing his characters in the park or on the streets. You may have even found yourself trying to swing from your web line or throw a garbage can lid to fight the bad guys. Maybe you even found yourself ripping that white dress shirt that your Mom made you wear while screaming “RRARRGHHH” at the top of your lungs. Either way you, someone you know, someone you hang with, someone you drink with or someone have slept with knows Stan Lee.

This is the man who helped to create Spiderman, The X-Men, the Fantastic Four, the Avengers, Iron Man, The Hulk, Thor, Daredevil and so on & so on. He played a huge role in reviving the superhero genre back in the 60’s and made Marvel Comics the place where every kid growing up wanted to visit or work. He made you believe that you could gain super powers from being bitten by a radioactive spider; or being bombarded by cosmic rays; or splashed with chemical waste. This summer alone Hollywood will release Captain America, Thor, and X-Men First Class movies that will star characters Stan Lee helped to define. The man is a living legend to geeks worldwide and his work has touched generations of lives. Long after he leaves this mortal plane and for years to come, people worldwide will still get lost in his stories and thank Stan “the Man” Lee for making their childhood magical.

Kids both young & young at heart worship the man and they still seek him out at conventions or signings just to shake his hand or hear him exclaim “Excelsior! True Believers!” And that’s just what Stan Lee does he makes you believe…

Bill Murray

by Leslie Long

Is Bill Murray laughing at us? Or are we laughing at him? There’s just something about his look that’s always made me wonder what he’s thinking about all this. The slightly impassioned, but alert look on his face as he towers above the Tokyo businessmen on the hotel elevator in Lost in Translation. The subtle persona changes he goes through in Broken Flowers as he almost silently revisits a string of past loves and losses. You can even pick it up in his earlier roles when he would stop for a beat and you could kind of see his eyes saying, “Where am I? And what am I doing here?” And then back to the jokes.

Bill Murray made his name being hilariously funny. Think back to his years on Saturday Night Live, Caddyshack and Ghostbusters. Now 61, he’s ironically funny at times and just kind of poignant most others. His mid-career films took a detour into more subtle, intellectual fare like Groundhog Day and The Royal Tenenbaums. His more recent projects like The Darjeeling Limited and Get Low continue along that course.

Bill Murray has been around so long, it’s easy to feel like we know him. Here are a few things I didn’t know:

-       He’s from a family of 9 kids. His mother was a mailroom clerk and his dad sold lumber.

-       He loves golf for real and won the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am.

-       He doesn’t have a manager or an agent. When people want to make him an offer or send him a script, they have to call him on a land line and leave a voicemail which he hardly ever listens to.

-       He was David Letterman’s first guest when Late Night premiered in February, 1982 and then was on Letterman’s first show when he moved to CBS.

-       He co-wrote and starred in a film of Somerset Maugham’s Razor’s Edge about an upper crust man on a spiritual quest. The film was a failure which led Murray on his own spiritual quest during which he took four years off from show business, studying history and philosophy at the Sorbonne in Paris.

-       He has six sons from two wives.

Murray is about to start shooting a film adaptation of a radio play called Hyde Park on the Hudson in which he plays FDR. This film by can-do-no-wrong Focus Features and England’s Film4 is about the President Roosevelt’s somewhat incestuous relationship with Margaret Stuckley, one of his distant cousins. The film takes place during a fateful weekend in 1939 when the King and Queen of England were vesting Roosevelt at his upstate New York home. Bill Murray as FDR? Can’t wait to see what he does with that one.

Busta Rhymes

by Rafael Mejia

Trevor Smith aka Busta Rhymes has “raised the level of the BOOM inside your ear” for so long, its only fitting we at Limite honor this rapper, producer and actor. The unorthodox flow, raspy voice, meticulous word play…and the right amount of A.D.H.D to shut arenas down has set Busta Rhymes apart from the rest of his rap peers since 1989.

Busta and high school friends Charlie Brown, Dinco D, and Cut Monitor Milo formed the group Leaders of The New School in ’89, and released the debut album A Future Without a Past in 1991 on Elektra Records. However, in ‘92 the group jumped on A Tribe Called Quest’s posse cut “Scenario”, in which Busta’s climactic verse propelled him into the cultural consciousness. The Leaders of The New School released one more album in ’93 and broke up soon after on an episode of Yo! MTV Raps.

It’s been a long and fruitful road for Busta since then. He broke out with his solo album The Coming, and hit single “Woo Hah! Got You All in Check” this went Platinum in ’96. He followed with When Disaster Strikes the following year, in which he produced his two hit singles “Put Your hands Where My Eyes Could See” and “Fire It Up”. He’s gone on to drop 6 more albums since.

You would think having a successful music career would be enough for a touring maniac like Busta…but it isn’t! The acting bug appearing in 19 projects and counting also bit him. Last year he decided to take things further by forming his own label called Conglomerate Records. He will drop his 9^th studio album titled Extinction.Level.Event (E.L.E. 2) on his newly formed record label. Super producer Boi-1da is attached to the project. Some new songs are being considered for the album, including “C’mon” by Tiesto & Diplo and “Look at Me Now” alongside Chris Brown and Lil Wayne, which is also featured on Chris Brown’s F.A.M.E. album, which dropped this year.

Until then, you’ll just have to “Observe the rhyme and check out the scenariooo”

Q-Tip

by John Dixon

As leader of arguably the most influential hip hop group ever (A Tribe Called Quest), critically acclaimed and Grammy award winning solo artist, super producer, actor, and DJ, Kamaal “Q-Tip” Fareed, has carved out a legendary shaped career in the music world.  Q-tip launched onto the scene as one of the trail blazing progenitors of the black empowerment movement within the Hip Hop community, influencing Black America from the style of dress, to social awareness. Q-Tip, along with ATCQ shocked the world in the early-mid 90‘s with monster records like, Bonita Applebum and Check the Rhyme. Not to mention there strong hold on pop culture with their Midnight Marauders classic being the theme music for the successful TV show, The Wayans Brothers.

With hip hop being inherently a rebellious art form that challenges popular paradigms by breaking down walls and labels, Tip has always maintained his position as a creator, helping to re-build the image and purpose of the black youth in America.  Not only highlighting but glorifying topics like self empowerment and knowledge, Q-Tip along with members of the native tongues posse changed the way America view hip hop and the way hip hop viewed itself.

In recent years, Q-Tip has ballooned life into his solo career releasing two critically acclaimed albums in ‘08 and ‘09, The Renaissance and Kamaal/The Abstract respectively, restoring creative balance to the Hip Hop pantheon. He also keeps himself immersed in the culture, DJ’ing at Santos Party House and the Ace Hotel in New York City. The Hip Hop community, artists and fans alike owe a lot to Kamaal the abstract for paving the way, making many things possible in the 2000 and now. Big shout to Q-Tip.

Marisa Tomei

by Liz Goncalves

With films, like My Cousin Vinny, The Wrestler, Untamed Heart, and a gazillion other blockbusters, Marisa Tomei has definitely proved herself as Hollywood’s fierce staple.

The tough broad started off way back  in 1984 in soap opera As the World Turns and even starred in after school specials, leaving you to ask yourself — Does this chick ever age? Joking aside, Tomei got her big break in the classic My Cousin Vinny, where she won an Oscar for her performance as the loud mouth fiance of Joe Pesci. Though the two actors had a 20 year age difference, their on-camera chemistry was completely believable as soon-to-be married couple.

Once the 2000s hit, it seemed like our lovable Tomei had taken a backseat to the lollipop Ally McBeals of the world. That is, of course, until The Wrestler came out in 2008. The Oscar nominated film brought Tomei back on 14 year old boy’s minds. (Tomei was surely hard at work in plenty of films and TV shows in the interim). The never-aging actress played snarky stripper who served as Mickey Rourke’s confidant.

Women want to be her and men drool over her. But don’t be fooled, this gal can act is way more than a pretty face. You’d also never want to get into a bar brawl with the tough Brooklynite, Oscar winning, bad ass that is Marisa Tomei.

So, we salute you, Tomei. You got flair.

Cary Fukunaga

by Morgan Goldin

Like fellow NYU Tisch alumni Jim Jarmusch and Ang Lee, Cary Joji Fukunaga, 33, is an artist who’s hard to pin down. He’s a young filmmaker who takes chances, goes the unconventional route, and doesn’t conform to expectations. If his body of work (though small, thus far) is any indication, his career will go down unpredictable paths. The one thing anyone can assuredly say about Fukunaga is that he’s a remarkable talent.

The filmmaker’s first feature, Sin Nombre (2009), made for a confident debut. The film creates an uncompromising portrait on the hardships of the immigration trade, while also showcasing the harsh tribal loyalties within a society of gang members. The aesthetic that Fukunaga employs to tell his story is one that mixes gritty docu-drama realism with lush, almost painterly compositions. This juxtaposition of visual styles makes the milieu of this third world setting so tangible, it sometimes feels like you’re watching a documentary. While his second feature, Jane Eyre (2011), hasn’t been released yet, the trailer released seems to promise that Fukunaga’s eye for distinct, dreamy imagery will continue into this project.

Fukunaga’s sophisticated visual palette translates into his commercial work, as well. He was brought on-board by ad agency Wieden + Kennedy to direct a spot for Levi’s “Go Forth” campaign. Rather than treat this gig as a mere work-for-hire, Fukunaga instead creates a piece so dazzling that you have to remind yourself it’s a commercial selling jeans. The stark black and white photography mixed with the incorporation of an actual Walt Whitman recording of his poem “America” is overwhelming. Fukunaga infuses such a humanistic tone to the proceedings that the work, itself, is incredibly hopeful. Again, his compositions are tight, and the camerawork is crisp, lyrical, and leisurely paced. A poetic meditation that champions the American spirit, while also celebrating its rich diversity, this commercial makes for better viewing experiences than many short films.

So far, it seems that the filmmaker’s career will follow the steps of other eclectic, globally curious filmmakers like Michael Winterbottom, Wim Wenders, or Steven Soderbergh. Or he may just pull a David Gordon Green and trade a promising career to make mainstream stoner comedies. Time will tell what kind of career Cary Fukunaga will have. In the meantime, it’s incredibly exciting trying to anticipate what the director will do next.

M. Dot

by Adrian Farquharson

M. Dot, till this day I still don’t know her legal name but her skills and talent are what make her the first female designer on our Faces to Watch list. Anyone will tell you that the footwear industry is dominated by men from all over the globe but it takes a brave soul such as M. to push the fellas to the side and design footwear for the ladies by a lady.

Deciding that there was no happiness for her as a lawyer, M. pursued furniture design and later transitioned into the sneaker world working behind the scenes with JB Classics, giving her the opportunity to be involved with every aspect of the business.

With 6 years experience underneath her belt and being let down with the lack of sneakers for women, the frustration and timing during a summer day on a train ride from Frankfurt to Berlin lead to the creation of Booji. The independent footwear and accessory not only produces well-designed shoes but also focuses on using animal friendly materials and green responsible products.

Forever on the hunt for new inspirations through her world travels, Booji and M.Dot are bound to be staple figures in the women’s footwear market and eco-friendly fashion.

View more images of shoes from the Booji collection

Jennifer Lawrence

by Daniel Quitério

Perhaps Limité’s biggest crime last year was our oversight of Jennifer Lawrence as a Face to Watch. Now, the 20-year-old Winter’s Bone star is on the verge of an Oscar nomination (knock on wood), yet most haven’t heard of her. So we’re making good on our oversight and honoring the talented actress as one of our 2011 Faces to Watch. (Tell your friends you heard of her here first.)

With some photo shoots and local plays under her belt, a photographer recommended that the then 14-year-old Kentucky native go to New York to pursue her modeling and acting careers. She took the photographer’s advice and embarked on what would be a successful trip to Manhattan, where she was discovered by a talent agent. Later, she was cast in the TBS sitcom The Bill Engvall Show before starring in the 2008 feature The Poker House. In 2009, she starred opposite Kim Basinger in The Burning Plain. For the latter film, she so impressed writer/director Guillermo Arriaga that he casted her immediately following her audition, despite several days of casting left. According to Arriaga, executive producer Charlize Theron called the filmmaker to ask why he cast the part so early, to which Arriaga replied that (to paraphrase) “when you know, you know.” The part won Lawrence the Marcello Mastroianni Award at the Venice Film Festival.

Arriaga was not the only filmmaker to recognize Lawrence’s talent, as director Debra Granik cast her in Winter’s Bone, playing a self-reliant teen from the Ozarks who tries to save her home while searching for her meth-addict father. The film won the Grand Jury Prize at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival. The Oscar buzz that Lawrence’s tour-de-force performance began generating in early 2010 remarkably sustained itself throughout the year. The actress is currently nominated for a Best Actress Golden Globe, Screen Actors Guild Award, and Spirit Award. She won the National Board of Review Award for Best Breakthrough Performer.

Lawrence’s upcoming films include Like Crazy, alongside Anton Yelchin and Chris Messina (former Limité Young Hollywood and Faces to Watch honorees, respectively); The Beaver with Mel Gibson and Jodie Foster (directed by Foster); X-Men: First Class, in which she will play Raven Darkholme/Mystique; and horror film House at the End of the Street with Elisabeth Shue.

Michael Pitt

by Stephanie Dawson

Michael Pitt, 29, knew he wanted to be an actor from an early age. He grew up in West Orange, New Jersey and moved to New York City — while just a teenager — to pursue his career. He was discovered while performing off-Broadway and cast as doe-eyed, love-sick quarterback Henry Parker in Dawson’s Creek. He later scored major points as Tommy Gnosis, musician and long-time lover of the trans-gendered title character in Hedwig and the Angry Inch (2001). That role was a springboard for other films, including Bully (2001) and Murder by Numbers (2002). Eventually, Pitt was able to secure lead roles in films, such as Bernardo Bertolucci’s The Dreamers (2003) and Gus Van Sant’s Last Days (2005), where he starred as a rock star based on Kurt Cobain. Pitt performed all of the songs for Last Days under the mentorship of Thurston Moore, lead vocalist and guitarist for the ’80s punk band Sonic Youth. Typically known for darker subject matter, Pitt changed things up a bit starring in the romantic comedy Delirious in 2006.

Pitt is soulful. His performances are high on nuance, which makes him a very intriguing actor to watch, and he has already shown fantastic range. He is also lead guitarist and vocalist for the band Pagoda, whose first album was released in late 2010. Pitt took a break for a few years, but can now be seen as Jimmy Darmody in the Steve Buscemi-helmed HBO TV drama Boardwalk Empire. He’s already proven he’s one to watch and will continue to surprise audiences with his choices in roles and adept ability to breathe life into new characters.

Michael Shannon

by Daniel Quitério

It’s hard to believe that Michael Shannon’s filmography, alone, has not yet achieved him a “household name” status. The 36-year-old character actor has appeared in Groundhog Day (1993), Pearl Harbor (2001), Vanilla Sky (2001), 8 Mile (2002), The Woodsman (2004), and over 20 other films before he finally gained recognition with his Oscar-nominated performance as a “speaks his mind” psychiatric patient in Sam Mendes’s Revolutionary Road (2008).

Shannon was raised in Kentucky and Chicago by his divorced parents before beginning his acting career in Chicago theatre. His long résumé includes work with the Second City’s acclaimed and legendary Steppenwolf Theatre Company. He began his film career with a bit part in Groundhog Day and went on to star in several more films before snatching a surprise Oscar nomination in 2009. Since then, he’s appeared in Werner Herzog’s The Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call — New Orleans (2009) and the Kristen Stewart/Dakota Fanning vehicle The Runaways (2010). He currently stars in the new HBO drama Boardwalk Empire as Agent Nelson Van Alden, a God-fearing lawman who is tasked to keep liquor off the streets in Prohibition-era Atlantic City. His upcoming releases include Marc Forster’s Machine Gun Preacher with Gerard Butler, Premium Rush with Joseph Gordon-Levitt, the James Franco-directed The Broken Tower, and The Iceman with Franco and Benicio Del Toro.

Javier Laval

by Adrian Farquharson

I first came across Javier Laval’s name when I first launched this site back in 2008 and at the time he had his hands involved with brand marketing and design consulting. He mentioned to me that he was working on the launch of a footwear brand but couldn’t give too much details into the happenings at the time. Low and behold, that footwear brand turned out to be Android Homme. If you’ve been following Limité for the last 3 years, you are aware that I personally admire the work that he and his team have delivered to the masses and sneaker heads around the world.

Limited Edition Android Homme Mach 1

Laval decided to make the shift into the footwear industry with the desire to explore on what’s possible. Not coming from a background that involved product design but filled with the passion to take on a new challenge came the birth of Android Homme. Crafted with the intent to fill a void in the market for products with a purpose, Android Homme purpose is quite simple; reprogram the masses and provide them the tools and inspiration to live their dreams.

I spoke to Javier about Android Homme’s credo which came into fruition in their Spring/Summer 2010 “Realize. Redefine. Reboot. Reprogram”. Here’s what he had to say about the concept behind the message.

“The sequence was one that I discovered in my attempt to dissect my own process and programming. In my attempt to re-program I had to analyze my own software and make the changes necessary to live a happy, productive, progressive life. What I discovered is that we usually “Realize” that there is a glitch or that we are unhappy. The next step would be to “Redefine” that glitch or unhappiness with a more positive outlook on life itself. In other words, you would change your negative thoughts and beliefs to positive thoughts and beliefs about self. You would then “Reboot”, this is symbolic for a meditative state, a time where all you do is be quiet and listen to your thoughts without judgment. The next step is to “Re-Program”. Reprogramming would consist of you aggregating all the information you just collected and start making the changes necessary. What I’ve learned is that the process is an internal subconscious process, not a conscious process. Consciously we are just executing the instructions of our subconscious mind. So the key to change is subconscious transformation. This is what the campaign is about.”