THR NEWSLETTERS. Gravity Leads BAFTA Nominations. Daily. Inside: the Wait. asc reveals film nominees. former sony exec weinstock lands at fox

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1 Daily Page 1 of 8 Inside: asc reveals film nominees PAge 2 former sony exec weinstock lands at fox PAge 4 tca winter tour gets underway PAge 5 disney s frozen soundtrack chills at no. 1 PAge 7 Movie review: the Wait PAge 8 Gravity Leads BAFTA Nominations By Stuart Kemp LONDON Alfonso Cuaron s Gravity leads the field with 11 nominations for this year s British Academy Film Awards, presented by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts. Cuaron, nominated with his son Jonas in the original screenplay category, was also mentioned for best director honors, while the space drama s Sandra Bullock was nominated in the leading actress category. The pic s main challenge will come from Steve Mc- Queen s 12 Years A Slave and David O. Russell s American Hustle, both of which picked up nominations in 10 categories, including best film, director, screenplay and production design. The stars of McQueen s Alfonso Cuaron s space thriller Gravity was shortlisted in 11 BAFTA Award categories including best film, director, screenplay and leading actress. no-holds barred slave drama Chiwetel Ejiofor, Michael Fassbender and Lupita Nyong o were all mentioned in their respective acting categories. But Russell s cast Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence earned his FBI scam drama a nomination in all four actor categories (organizers are hoping for a starry red carpet from that film s talent alone). 12 Years also nabbed music, editing and cinematography nominations, which Hustle didn t get. But Hustle earned costume and makeup noms, which 12 Years missed. McQueen, Cuaron, Russell, see page 2 The Industry in your Inbox THR NEWSLETTERS Daily, weekly and seasonal e-newsletters cover breaking news across continents BREAKING NEws HEADLINEs INTERNATIONAL NEws DAILY RATINGs BOX OFFICE THE RACE FEsTIVALs style & CULTURE special REPORTs s IGN UP AT THR.COM/NEWSLETTERS

2 Page 2 of 8 awards news FROM page 1 Paul Greengrass (Captain Phillips) and Martin Scorsese (The Wolf of Wall Street) will duke it out for the best director trophy. Challengers to Gravity, Hustle and 12 Years for best film honors come from Captain Phillips and Philomena. In the best actor category, Bale and Ejiofor will compete with Tom Hanks (Captain Phillips), Leonardo DiCaprio (Wolf) and Bruce Dern (Nebraska). And should Adams and Bullock be beaten for the best actress nod, it will be because Emma Thompson (Saving Mr. Banks), Cate Blanchett (Blue Jasmine) or Judi Dench (Philomena) took the trophy home. Hanks nomination for his star turn in Captain Phillips rather than his outing opposite Thompson in Saving Mr. Banks indicates BAFTA voters ability to surprise. Julia Roberts (August: Osage County), Oprah Winfrey (The Butler) and Sally Hawkins (Blue Jasmine) will challenge Lawrence and Nyong o in the best supporting actress category. Daniel Bruhl (Rush) will take on Barkhad Abdi (Captain Phillips), Matt Damon (Behind the Candelabra), Fassbender and Bradley Cooper in the race for the best supporting actor award. The EE British Academy Film Awards are set to take place Feb. 16 at the Royal Opera House in London, with the ceremony broadcast exclusively on BBC One in the U.K. and in all major territories around the world. The shindig will be hosted by British actor and media personality Stephen Fry. This is the 16th year of EE s sponsorship of the Film Awards, after the cell-phone service provider rebranded from its prior name, Orange. Click here to see the complete list of nominations. asc nominates 7 lensers for feature award By Carolyn Giardina Due to a three-way tie this year, the American Society of Cinematographers have nominated seven directors of photography in the theatrical motion picture category Deakins of the 28th Annual ASC Awards for Outstanding Achievement. They are Sean Bobbitt Lubezki for 12 Years a Slave, Barry Ackroyd for Captain Phillips, Philippe Le Sourd for The Grandmaster, Emmanuel Lubezki for Gravity, Bruno Delbonnel for Inside Llewyn Davis, Phedon Papamichael for Nebraska and Roger Deakins for Prisoners. This is the 12th nomination for Deakins, who previously won for Skyfall and The Shawshank Redemption. He was also the recipient of the ASC Lifetime Achievement Award in Lubezki has won ASC Awards for The Tree of Life and Children of Men, and was also nominated for Sleepy Hollow. Delbonnel was a prior winner for A Very Long Engagement, and was also nominated for Amelie. Ackroyd was previously nominated for The Hurt Locker. Papamichael earned earlier nominations in the television movie and miniseries category for White Dwarf and Wild Palms. This is the first ASC nom for Bobbitt and Le Sourd. The awards ceremony will be held Feb. 1 at the Hollywood & Highland Ray Dolby Ballroom in Los Angeles. guild announces costume design award nominees Staff report The Costume Designers Guild on Wednesday announced the nominees for its 16th annual awards. Nominations were unveiled in film, TV and commercial categories. The awards will be handed out Saturday, Feb. 22, at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles. As previously announced, producer Judd Apatow has been tapped to receive the Distinguished Collaborator Award at this year s ceremony. An Honorary Career Achievement Award will be presented to costume designer April Ferry for her work in film and television. A complete list of nominations follows: Excellence in Contemporary Film: Blue Jasmine, Suzy Benzinger; Her, Casey Storm; Nebraska, Wendy Chuck; Philomena, Consolata Boyle; The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, Sarah Edwards Excellence in Period Film: 12 Years a Slave, Patricia Norris; American Hustle, Michael Wilkinson; Dallas Buyers Club, Kurt & Bart; The Great Gatsby, Catherine Martin; Saving Mr. Banks, Daniel Orlandi Excellence in Fantasy Film: The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, Ann Maskrey, Richard Taylor, Bob Buck; The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, Trish Summerville; Oz the Great and Powerful, Gary Jones, Michael Kutsche Outstanding Contemporary Television Series: Breaking Bad, Jennifer Bryan; House of Cards, Tom Broecker; Nashville, Susie DeSanto; Scandal, Lyn Paolo; Saturday Night Live, Tom Broecker, Eric Justian Outstanding Period/ Fantasy Television Series: Boardwalk Empire, John Dunn, Lisa Padovani; The Borgias, Gabriella Pescucci; Downton Abbey, Caroline McCall; Game of Thrones, Michele Clapton; Mad Men, Janie Bryant Outstanding Made-for- Television Movie or Miniseries: American Horror Story: Coven, Lou Eyrich; Behind the Candelabra, Ellen Mirojnick; Bonnie & Clyde, Marilyn Vance; House of Versace, Claire Nadon; Phil Spector, Debra McGuire Excellence in Commercial Costume Design: Call of Duty: Ghosts Masked Warriors, Nancy Steiner; Dos Equis: Most Interesting Man in the World Feeds a Bear, Julie Vogel; Fiat: British Invasion, Donna Zakowska. thr

3 Page 3 of 8 business news DGA Overwhelmingly Ratifies New Contract By Jonathan Handel Directors Guild of America President Paris Barclay on Wednesday announced that the DGA membership has voted by an overwhelming margin to ratify the new collective bargaining agreements between the Barclay DGA and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP). With this vote, the DGA membership has decisively demonstrated its support for the new contract, said Barclay. This negotiation was about laying the groundwork to protect our future in a meaningful way, and the result is a strong and forward-looking agreement with substantial gains for our members. As is customary, the DGA did not release the actual per- centage by which the contract was ratified or the number of members who voted. We are pleased that the DGA membership has ratified the new contracts, said the AMPTP in a statement. These new agreements will contribute to the stability of the industry by ensuring that feature film and television production and the jobs dependent on it can continue without interruption. Negotiations netween the DGA and the AMPTP began on Nov. 4, and concluded after three weeks of negotiations on Nov. 22. Talks were led by negotiations co-chairs Michael Apted and Thomas Schlamme and DGA national executive director Jay D. Roth. On Nov. 23, the DGA s National Board of Directors unanimously recommended sending the contract to members for ratification. A sum- mary of the new contract was mailed to members, along with a voting ballot, and the results were tallied Tuesday night. Gains include an annual 3 percent wage increase; increased residuals bases; improvements in basic cable; the establishment, for the first time, of minimum terms and conditions for highbudget new media made for subscription video on demand (SVOD); increased residuals in streaming media; the establishment of a formal diversity program at every major television studio; and improvements in theatrical and television creative rights. The new contract s threeyear term will take effect on July 1 and will run through June 30, The Writers Guild and then SAG-AFTRA are expected to negotiate next with the studios. Produced By Conference Set for June By Alex Ben Block The 2014 edition of the Produced By Conference will take place June 7-8 at Warner Bros. studios in Burbank, the Producer s Guild of America announced Wednesday. Last year s conference was held at 20th Century Fox studios. The sixth year of the conference featuring top producers and other experts will once again touch on subjects of importance in the making, financing and distribution of movies and television shows in the digital age. It also includes opportunities for networking and career enhancement forums. The chairs for the 2014 conference are Tracey Edmonds, Marshall Herskovitz, Rachel Klein and Gary Lucchesi. The conference is backed by the PGA Foundation. The PGA itself has more than 5,900 members. thr FOR UP-TO-THE-MINUTE INDUSTRY COVERAGE go to THR.COM/BUSINESS

4 Page 4 of 8 executive news Weinstock to Head Film Marketing at Fox By Pamela McClintock Former Sony executive Marc Weinstock has been named president of domestic theatrical marketing at Fox, effective Monday. Weinstock s hire marks the first major move by newly installed copresidents of Weinstock worldwide marketing and distribution Paul Hanneman and Tomas Jegeus, to whom Weinstock will report. At Sony, Weinstock had served as head of worldwide marketing. We are thrilled to welcome Marc to Fox to head up our domestic marketing operation, said Jegeus and Hanneman in a statement. He has proven time and again that he has tremendous strategic vision and creative flair; and as we form a truly global marketing and distribution operation, we know that he will lead and inspire our talented domestic marketing team, while working hand in hand with their international colleagues as we release our most varied and commercial slates ever in 2014 and beyond. Hanneman and Jegeus, who previously served as copresidents of Fox International, have been eager to find a domestic chief after the departures last fall of Tony Sella and Oren Aviv, who had sole purview over domestic marketing. Once Hanneman and Jegeus dominion was expanded, both executives exited. Sony was also undergoing substantial change. Weinstock was among a string of top execs to exit the studio in late 2013 after being blamed, at least in part, for a tumultuous year, including box-office bombs White House Down and After Earth. Considered a whiz kid for much of his tenure at Sony, Weinstock was named to the top post in 2009, overseeing a string of hits including The Amazing Spider-Man, Grown Ups, Hotel Transylvania, 21 Jump Street, Men in Black 3 and James Bond pic Skyfall. All told, he oversaw the openings of 30 No. 1 films. Weinstock joined Sony in 2000 from Fox Searchlight, where he began his film career. In 2006, he was tapped to run marketing at Sony s genre label Screen Gems. I m very excited to return to the lot where my film career began, said Weinstock. It s a thrilling time to be at Fox as the studio builds the industry s premier global marketing and distribution organization. I look forward to working with my new colleagues on what looks to be a fantastic slate of films for the coming years. Weinstock will hit the ground running, including working closely with Dream- Works Animation. Fox dis- tributes and markets all DWA titles, including Mr. Peabody & Sherman, which is set to bow March 7. Fox Animation s Rio 2 follows on April 11, while X-Men: Days of Future Past opens May 23. Other highprofile pic this year include Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (July 11), Gone Girl (Sept. 19) and Exodus (Dec. 12). Hope appointed Fandor topper By Gregg Kilday Ted Hope has been named CEO of subscription-based online streaming service Fandor, which specializes in indie films and foreign pics. Hope, a veteran indie film producer, most recently served as executive director of the San Francisco Film Society, stepping down from that post at the end of He has been a member of Fandor s board of advisors since March Dan Aronson, who founded Fandor in 2011 and is its current CEO, will continue to serve on the company s board of directors and as its CTO. Fandor s library currently consists of 5,000 films. Our entire film culture remains structured around antiquated concepts of cinema, audience and engagement, Hope said. Fandor is part of a great systems reboot of this ecosystem, one that is as equally rewarding for the artist and the audience. Fandor offers film fans better curation and deeper engagement, making ambitious, diverse and vibrant film culture a sustainable enterprise for all participants. Former Facebook executive Chris Kelly, a member of the board of directors, said of Hope, Ted has repeatedly proven his entrepreneurial talents over the years in making incredible films and articulating a powerful future vision for the independent film business. Barnes & Noble Ups Digital Exec Huseby to CEO By Andy Lewis Barnes & Noble has elevated Michael Huseby, head of its Nook digital division, to CEO, the company said Wednesday. The announcement came one day ahead of the retailer reporting its holiday sales. The post had been vacant since William Lynch resigned in July. Prior to joining B&N in 2012, Huseby was Cablevision s CFO from 2004 to He spent most of his career with consultants Arthur Andersen. Although a relative newcomer to the retail book business, he has quickly developed a comprehensive understanding of the unique opportunities and challenges the company faces, said B&N chairman Leonard Riggio. He has a vision for the future in which I am in complete accord. thr

5 Page 5 of 8 tv news 12 Most-Anticipated Panels at TCA By Lesley Goldberg Hundreds of reporters and the producers and stars looking to court them will descend on Pasadena this week for the Television Critics Association s winter press tour. The two-week tour, which runs today through Jan. 23, will offer wall-to-wall panels featuring midseason wares from both broadcast and cable. Here are 12 of the most anticipated sessions from the annual dog-andpony show: 1. HBO s True Detective. The Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson starrer has been generating stellar reviews and marks the premium cable network s big swing into the red-hot anthology market. Also helping to draw buzz is McConaughey s status as an Academy Award contender for Dallas Buyers Club. (HBO/today) 2. CNN executive session with Jeff Zucker. The former NBC chief returns to the TCA stage where he ll field questions about the changes at the news network and courting Jay Leno. (CNN/ Friday). Meanwhile, exec sessions with Fox s Kevin Reilly will see the future of Simon Cowell s The X Factor be a hot topic (Fox/Monday); Showtime s David Nevins could field questions about where Homeland goes after Brody s death (Showtime/ Wednesday); John Landgraf will talk about the future of HBO s True Detective has been generating stellar reviews and marks the premium cable network s big swing into the red-hot anthology market. FX and upstart FXX (FX/ Tuesday); and ABC s Paul Lee will be on the hot seat following the network s dismal fall. (ABC/Jan. 17) 3. NBC s The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and Late Night With Seth Meyers. Fallon and Meyers will preview their respective late-night series, lessons from Leno and Conan O Brien as well as the inevitable New York booking war that will ensue when Lorne Michaelsproduced Tonight moves to the East Coast. (NBC/Jan. 19) 4. HBO s The Normal Heart. Part of HBO s impressive lineup that also includes Girls and gay-themed Jonathan Groff comedy Looking, Glee and American Horror Story boss Ryan Murphy will share the TCA stage with stars Mark Ruffalo, Matt Bomer, Jim Parsons, Taylor Kitsch and Julia Roberts to preview Murphy s adaptation of Larry Kramer s Tonywinning play of the same name. Murphy is famous for dropping nuggets of news, and journalists will be hoping today is no different. (HBO/today) 5. Fox s 24: Live Another Day. Howard Gordon reunites with Kiefer Sutherland as the duo preview Fox s revived 24 and its new miniseries format. Will its return following a fouryear gap after the series concluded quell the thirst for the long-rumored movie or add fuel to that fire? (Fox/ Monday) 6. HBO s The Leftovers. The famously candid Damon Lindelof returns to TV with his first series since Lost. The passion project an adaption of Tom Perrotta s bestseller premieres in the summer and will feature a panel that includes the author and leading man Justin Theroux. Odds on Lindelof who has been missed since breaking up with Twitter escaping the panel without mentioning Lost: even money. (HBO/today) 7. FX s Tyrant. The drama reteams Homeland s Gordon and Gideon Raff and marks the former s fourth series for 2014, joining TNT s Legends and Fox s 24 reboot. Gordon could face questions about how FX s Middle Eastern drama will compare to Homeland, his busy schedule as well as the future of Showtime s Emmy winner. (FX/ Tuesday) 8. AMC s Turn. With Breaking Bad having signed off and Mad Men s end date in sight, the cable network needs a new original drama, pronto, especially since its last scripted series Low Winter Sun became one of the rare AMC shows to get the ax after only one season. AMC hopes to return to form with Turn, a Revolutionary War-set drama from Nikita s Craig Silverstein. (AMC/ Saturday) 9. Sundance s The Red Road. While the series about a cover-up set against the conflict between two clashing communities marks Sundance s latest scripted original, several questions are sure to be directed at co-star and Game of Thrones alum Jason Momoa regarding his top-secret role in the Man of Steel follow-up. (Sundance/Saturday) 10. FX s Fargo. The reboot starring Billy Bob Thornton marks the cable network s latest foray into the anthology business. Should the first season perform well, FX will return to Fargo with a largely different cast in season two. Also, expect co-star Martin Freeman to get the inevitable Sherlock see page 6

6 Page 6 of 8 tv news FROM page 5 questions. (FX/Tuesday) 11. Discovery s Klondike. The six-hour, three-night mini from executive producer Ridley Scott marks the network s first scripted effort and comes as Discovery is looking to cash in on its gold phenomenon that includes Gold Rush, its highest-rated series. (Discovery/today) 12. Starz s Outlander. The drama based on Diana Gabaldon s best-seller won t debut until summer, but the adaptation from Battlestar Galactica s Ron Moore has already been creating buzz online, where fans of the beloved romance/sci-fi series dubbed a female-skewing Game of Thrones have already embraced stars Sam Heughan and Caitriona Balfe. Beyond Outlander, Moore also has Syfy s Helix bowing the same day. (Starz/Friday) Also worth noting: Golden Globes co-host Amy Poehler will make a detour from Beverly Hills to Pasadena on Friday two days before the awards show to support Comedy Central s buzzy comedy Broad City. Saldana to Star in NBC s Remake of Rosemary s By Lesley Goldberg NBC has found its leading lady for Rosemary s Baby. Zoe Saldana will star as Rosemary in the network s four-hour miniseries, NBC announced Wednesday. The mini is based on author Ira Levin s classic 1967 horror novel of the same name, with production set to begin this month in Paris. Saldana will play Rosemary, the iconic young wife and would-be mother who, with her husband, moves into a Paris apartment that has a darkly storied past. Saldana After finally getting pregnant, she becomes increasingly suspicious that both her husband and their mysterious neighbors have ulterior motives about the future of her child. Saldana s credits include Avatar and Star Trek. She won an ALMA Award for her work in Colombiana as well as BET and Image Award noms for The Losers and Avatar. See recently appeared in Out of the Furnace and next has Marvel s Guardians of the Galaxy, Blood Ties and animated film The Book of Life. Rosemary s Baby hails from Lionsgate TV, with Joshua Maurer, Alix Witlin and David Stern on board to executive produce. Scott Abbott (Introducing Dorothy Dandridge) and James Wong (American Horror Story) will write the screenplay, while Agnieszka Holland, who has been nominated for both an Oscar (Europa, Europa) and an Emmy (Treme), will helm. Zoe has proven that she is one of our most gifted actresses, and we think she has the perfect combination of spirit and gravitas to take on the title role from Ira Levin s infamous novel, said Quinn Taylor, executive vp movies, miniseries and international co-productions at NBC Entertainment. With Zoe leading the cast under the direction of Agnieszka Holland, this reimagined event miniseries is off to a great start. Saldana s casting comes shortly after the actress s Cinestar Productions banner partnered with Lionsgate s Pantelion for a first-look development deal to create content for Hispanic audiences. She is repped by ICM and Morris Yorn. SNL Adds Two Black Female Staff Writers By Lesley Goldberg Saturday Night Live recently added an African-American woman to its cast, and now the show is adding two to its writers room as well. LaKendra Tookes and Leslie Jones, who were discovered during the NBC sketch show s recent auditions, will join SNL s writers room starting on Monday, The Hollywood Reporter has learned. Tookes and Jones were among the black female comedians who auditioned during showcases held in New York and Los Angeles after the long-running Lorne Michaels-produced series faced widespread criticism that its new cast lacked diversity specifically the inclusion of an African-American woman. Following the auditions the first in SNL history to focus exclusively on minority women Upright Citizens Brigade alum Sasheer Zamata was picked to join the show. She ll make her debut on Jan. 18 when Drake hosts. Jones, an actress and stand-up comedian who was a finalist for the new castmember spot, has performed at the Comedy Store in Los Angeles, guest-starred on comedies including The League and Sullivan & Son and written for and appeared on Def Comedy Jam and 1st Amendment Stand Up. She has performed at the Just for Laughs festival in Montreal as well as the Aspen Comedy Festival. In 2011, Jones comedy special Problem Child was broadcast on Showtime. She is repped by Integral Entertainment and Pierce Law Group. Actress-comedian Tookes, meanwhile, is a former news reporter from Florida who has performed at io West. Sources told THR that producers were impressed with both Tookes and Jones and thought they were talented, smart and funny. There are currently no plans to have either of them appear onscreen, though a number of SNL writers in the past have transitioned to larger roles. Most recently, Mike O Brien was promoted to featured player for the current 39th season after joining SNL as a writer in Others, including breakout Jason Sudeikis, have followed similar career trajectories. The additions come in advance of Seth Meyers planned exit in the spring as he transitions to replace Jimmy Fallon as the host of NBC s Late Night. thr

7 Page 7 of 8 music news Frozen Soundtrack Tops Billboard 200 By Keith Caulfield, Billboard The soundtrack to Disney s Frozen blew into the No. 1 slot on the Billboard 200, selling 165,000 copies in the week ending Jan. 5, according to Nielsen SoundScan. It rose from No. 4 last week and earned a 55 percent gain in sales. Frozen marks the first soundtrack to reach No. 1 in a year, since Les Miserables reigned over the Jan. 19, 2013, chart. Frozen bumped Beyonce s self-titled album from the top position down to No. 2 in its fourth chart week, with 130,000 units sold (down 58 percent). Beyonce spent its first three weeks at No. 1, and has now sold 1.43 million. This week, total sales for the album also surpassed that of the diva s previous album, 4, which was released in 2011 and has sold 1.39 million. The Frozen soundtrack climbed to the top courtesy of the pic s continued strong showing at the box office, along with sale pricing for the set last week in the itunes Store. The music-filled film topped the domestic box office during the Jan. 3-5 weekend and has earned $298 million to date, according to Box Office Mojo. It s currently the fourth-highestgrossing pic released in The soundtrack has grown in sales every week since its bow at No. 18 on the Dec. 14, Frozen is the fourth animated film soundtrack to reach No , chart. Its cumulative sales have now passed the half-million mark, as its additional 165,000 units this week bring its total to 503,000. Frozen is just the fourth animated film soundtrack to reach No. 1 since the Billboard 200 became a regularly published weekly chart in It follows Jack Johnson s Curious George (2006), and Disney s Pocahontas (1995) and The Lion King (1994). Few new albums were released last week, so there s very little action in terms of debuts on the Billboard 200 this week. The highest new entry is down at No. 58, where Jim Brickman s The Magic of Christmas bowed with 6,000 (up 38 percent). The set isn t new to market, however, as it was released in October. The holiday effort appears on the list this week, with a gain, thanks to deep discounting at Target stores (the only brick-and-mortar retailer to carry the CD.) Back in the top 10 this week: Eminem s The Marshall Mathers LP 2 held at No. 3 with 55,000 copies (down 55 percent), Katy Perry s Prism rose from No. 5 to No. 4 with 51,000 (down 48 percent), and Lorde s Pure Heroine climbed from No. 7 to No. 5 with 46,000 (down 40 percent). One Direction s Midnight Memories slipped from No. 2 to No. 6 with 45,000 (down 68 percent), and Luke Bryan s Crash My Party zipped from No. 14 to No. 7 with 43,000 (down a relatively mild 19 percent). OneRepublic s Native returned to the top 10 for the first time since its debut week (back in April 2013), as it ascended from No. 19 to No. 8 with 35,000 (down 3 percent). The Now 48 collection rose from No. 12 to No. 9 with 34,000 (down 42 percent) and Imagine Dragons Night Visions closes out the top 10, moving from No. 9 to No. 10 with 31,000 (down 50 percent). Overall album sales were down 43 percent this past week, so any title that shows a moderate decline actually moves up the chart. Thus, Bryan and OneRepublic down just 19 percent and 4 percent, respectively returned to the top 10. (Frozen is the only album among the top 20 to post a gain in sales this week.) On the Digital Songs chart, Pitbull s Timber, featuring Ke$ha, reigned at No. 1 for another week with 301,000 (down 32 percent). A Great Big World & Christina Aguilera s Say Something rose from No. 4 to No. 2 with 241,000 (down 32 percent); OneRepublic s Counting Stars held steady at No. 3 with 237,000 (down 42 percent); Perry s Dark Horse, featuring Juicy J, rose from No. 7 to No. 4 with 229,000 (down 20 percent); Eminem s The Monster, featuring Rihanna, slid from No. 2 to No. 5 with 220,000 (down 49 percent); Passenger s Let Her Go rose from No. 8 to No. 6 with 184,000 (down 34 percent); Lorde s Royals fell from No. 5 to No. 7 with 183,000 (down 40 percent); One Direction s Story of My Life climbed from No. 9 to No. 8 with 158,000 (down 40 percent); Perry s Roar moved from No. 10 to No. 9 with 157,000 (down 39 percent); and Avicii s Wake Me Up! rose from No. 11 to No. 10 with 141,000 (down 28 percent). On the 50-position Digital Songs chart, only three songs earned an increase in sales over the previous week, the blockbuster post- Christmas sales frame, which saw its usual surge in sales for digital songs thanks to the redemption of newly acquired digital gift cards. Digital track sales this past week totaled 30.6 million downloads, down 29 percent compared with last week (43.1 million) and down 11 percent stacked next to the comparable week of 2013 (34.5 million). Overall album sales in this past chart week totaled 5.4 million units, down 14 percent when stacked against the comparable sales week of 2013 (6.3 million). thr

8 Page 8 of 8 movie review the wait By John DeFore NEW YORK An art film whose seductive qualities don t entirely erase the suspicion that its weirder elements might be empty affectation, M. Blash s The Wait makes as much of its Pacific Northwest setting as of the supernatural themes that serve as its ambiguous starting point. Leads Chloe Sevigny and Jena Malone should draw attention to niche arthouse bookings, but Blash s quiet command of mood and mystique is an equal asset. The two actresses play sisters whose mother has just died. While Angela (Malone) finishes dressing the body in anticipation of handing it over to morticians, Emma (Sevigny) answers a cryptic phone call in which a stranger, apparently a psychic, hints that her mother will return. Taking this at face value in what we can only view as grief-fueled temporary insanity, Emma insists on keeping the corpse at home, and even makes plans for a party for the day Mom comes back to life. Jena Malone, left, and Chloe Sevigny are having a difficult time in The Wait. Though she s aghast, Angela doesn t push the issue. In their dreamy, aimless state observing with fascination but no fear the wildfires raging in nearby mountains few characters here are prepared to push anything. Certainly not Ian (Devon Gearhart), Angela and Emma s younger brother, who leaves the house and drifts around this wooded community, hanging out at a friend s place and trailing a cute girl he sees at the pool. Young men are watchers here both Ian and neighbor Ben (Luke Grimes) have a habit of standing at uncomfortable distances and observing others, interacting with them only when ready. One suspects Blash identi- fies with them: His compositions are considered and elegant, making particularly good use of Central Oregon landscape and the angular, modern wooden homes set among its trees. The film is beautiful in a distant, chilly way, though the shallowness of blacks in Kasper Tuxen s photography (a hazy look evoking the smoke of longburning wildfires) can be distracting. Owen Pallett s score presents similar issues the swoop and repetition of its oscillating electronics is pleasing and perfectly aligned with the pic s mood, but sometimes calls attention to itself. Angela, introduced as the sane sister, is nevertheless suffering from a year-old but humiliating breakup. Meeting handsome, sensitive Ben should be unambiguously good news, but by their second or third encounter it seems to be pushing some of the same buttons the stranger s call pushed for Emma. Blash sends her into a manic rant that can only partly be blamed on alcohol near the story s end, behavior that isn t as psychologically credible as it is convenient for narrative symmetry. Then he doubles down in the film s final seconds, with a rapidfire montage that seems to unravel the script s uneasy but believable resolution. It s the kind of capper that art-damaged experimentalists may love, but most others will see as a gratuitous attempt to stoke post-movie what the conversation. Opens: Friday (Monterey Media). Production: Visit Films. Cast: Jena Malone, Chloe Sevigny, Luke Grimes, Josh Hamilton, Devon Gearhart, Lana Green, Michael O Keefe. Director-screenwriter: M. Blash. Rated R, 96 minutes. thr Taking you inside the world of independent film. THR.COM/INDIE