ziniophile

WILLKOMMEN!

Oh, Germany! land of pretzels, Goethe, Lubitsch, Nietzsche and Thomas Mann.

We, the editors at Zinio, worship anything that hails from the Teutonic country and so we are very pleased to announce that, to the wide array of German magazines, Zinio welcomes GQ and Vogue. The ‘Mr’ and ‘Ms’ of Condé Nast Germany have been added to the well assorted international menu.

It is always exciting to have the fashion bible, even more, when the country it comes from counts for such offspring as Karl Lagerfeld, Jil Sander, Tomas Maier, Hugo Boss or Escada.

As for GQ, maybe you –like us– cannot speak the language and will miss out on the insightful, relevant journalism this magazine is known for. Fret not, as we can still look at the pictures, can’t we…

Posted by: Noela on March 15, 2012
Comments: Leave a comment Tags: Condé Nast, GQ Germany, Karolina Kurkova, New To Zinio, Vogue Germany

Must Be March: Madness & Mayhem

In less than 24 hours, one of the most anticipated sporting events descends upon America — NCAA March Madness. Collegiate basketball teams from around the country are currently embarking on journeys to a host of regional venues around the United States in preparation for a single-elimination, bracketed tournament to determine this year’s best basketball program.

Sports fan or not, this tournament is unlike any other sporting event in that it allows the common fan and diehard to all be speaking the same vernacular. Of course, people have long been familiar with Duke, Syracuse, North Carolina, and Kansas. Most are not familiar with Vermont, UNC-Asheville, Murray State, and South Dakota State.

The other fascinating aspect that commonly binds all of us to our screens, and encourages broad-sweeping abandonment of work responsibility and irresponsible partying, is the possibility of a giant being slayed a school from South Dakota whose nickname is the Jackrabbits, and have been playing amongst the upper echelon of division 1 college ball for less than a decade.

In their quest for an NCAA title, Kentucky and Syracuse must overcome the same forbidding foe: a history of failure.

When the dust settles on your bracket over the course of the next four weeks, chances are likely that the big name programs with the most money and therefore the best resources, will remain perched high atop the basketball kingdom. But along the way, you are guaranteed at least a few surprises, whether they come from a Catamount, Racer, or Jackrabbit. Just look at the damage done to people’s respective brackets in the last two years by a tiny liberal arts college with a bucolic, leafy campus north of downtown Indianapolis. The Butler Bulldogs, of the mostly overlooked mid-major Horizon League laid waste to a swath of venerable, high-major college basketball teams to make consecutive national title appearances in the previous two years. Last year they were joined by Virginia Commonwealth University, another mid-major in the Final Four.

What that says about college basketball signifies that in the last 10 years, there is growing parity amongst the ranks of college programs and their players. Feeder programs like Duke, Kentucky and North Carolina still grab hold of the blue chip recruits and future professional players, but for a small time program to even make the dance, they are almost required to make a nice sustained run through their conference tournament, and have a cohesive team or a few previously unknown stars who would like nothing more than to be wearing the glass slipper next weekend in the Sweet Sixteen. By then, people will finally know what the heck a Jackrabbit or a Catamount is. If you are looking for an extra edge in your bracket — take note that Butler will not be joining the madness this year, but their fellow Final Four cohort and highly-seeded VCU, will.

Posted by: Taylor on March 14, 2012
Comments: Leave a comment Tags: basketball, Catamount, Duke, ESPN, ESPN the Magazine, Jackrabbit, Kansas, Kentucky, Madness, March Madness, Murray State, NCAA, North Carolina, Racer, South Dakota State, VCU

AND THE OSCAR GOES TO…

If magazines hold the keys to predicting who will be Sunday night’s winners, then we, here at Zinio, have all the answers…here are our picks.

RICH MAGGIOTTO (President & CEO)

Best Actor: Jean Dujardin, The Artist.
Best Actress: Viola Davis, The Help.
Best Supporting Actor: Christopher Plummer, Beginners.
Best Supporting Actress: Melissa McCarthy, Bridesmaids.
Best Director: Martin Scorsese, Hugo.
Best Original Screenplay: Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist.
Best Picture: Hugo.

MATTHEW DAVIS (VP-UX & Design)

Best Actor: Jean Dujardin, The Artist.
Best Actress: Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady.
Best Supporting Actor: Christopher Plummer, Beginners.
Best Supporting Actress: Melissa McCarthy, Bridesmaids.
Best Director: Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist.
Best Original Screenplay: Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist.
Best Picture: The Artist.

COLIN (Art Director & Sr. Visual Designer)

Best Actor: George Clooney, The Descendants.
Best Actress: Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady.
Best Supporting Actor: Kenneth Branagh, My Week with Marilyn.
Best Supporting Actress: Jessica Chastain, The Help.
Best Director: Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist.
Best Original Screenplay: Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist.
Best Picture: The Descendants.

CHING LAI (Graphic Designer)

Best Actor: George Clooney, The Descendants.
Best Actress: Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady.
Best Supporting Actor: Jonah Hill, Moneyball.
Best Supporting Actress: Bérénice Bejo, The Artist.
Best Director: Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist.
Best Original Screenplay: Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist.
Best Picture: The Artist.

NOELE LUSANO (Graphic Designer)

Best Actor: Gary Oldman, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy.
Best Actress: Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady.
Best Supporting Actor: Christopher Plummer, Beginners.
Best Supporting Actress: Melissa McCarthy, Bridesmaids.
Best Director: Martin Scorsese, Hugo.
Best Original Screenplay: Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist.
Best Picture: Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close.

GLENN SORRENTINO (Mobile Designer )

Best Actor: George Clooney, The Descendants.
Best Actress: Michelle Williams, My Week with Marilyn.
Best Supporting Actor: Jonah Hill, Moneyball.
Best Supporting Actress: Bérénice Bejo, The Artist.
Best Director: Martin Scorsese, Hugo.
Best Original Screenplay: Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist.
Best Picture: War Horse.

ASHLEY STEWART (Sr. Producer)

Best Actor: Jean Dujardin, The Artist.
Best Actress: Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady.
Best Supporting Actor: Nick Nolte, Warrior.
Best Supporting Actress: Bérénice Bejo, The Artist.
Best Director: Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist.
Best Original Screenplay: Woody Allen, Midnight in Paris.
Best Picture: The Descendants.

NOELA LONG (Editor)

Best Actor: George Clooney, The Descendants.
Best Actress: Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady.
Best Supporting Actor: Christopher Plummer, Beginners.
Best Supporting Actress: Octavia Spencer, The Help.
Best Director: Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist.
Best Original Screenplay: Woody Allen, Midnight in Paris.
Best Picture: The Artist.

GENNADY STINERMAN (Sr QA Engineer)

Best Actor: Brad Pitt, Moneyball.
Best Actress: Rooney Mara, The Girl wit the Dragon Tattoo.
Best Supporting Actor: Jonah Hill, Moneyball.
Best Supporting Actress: Bérénice Bejo, The Artist.
Best Director: Martin Scorsese, Hugo.
Best Original Screenplay: Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist.
Best Picture: The Artist.

ZACHARY LANCE (QA Engineer)

Best Actor: Brad Pitt, Moneyball.
Best Actress: Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady.
Best Supporting Actor: Jonah Hill, Moneyball.
Best Supporting Actress: Bérénice Bejo, The Artist.
Best Director: Martin Scorsese, Hugo.
Best Original Screenplay: Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist.
Best Picture: Moneyball.

DENIS BYKOVSKYY (QA Engineer)

Best Actor: George Clooney, The Descendants.
Best Actress: Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady.
Best Supporting Actor: Nick Nolte, Warrior.
Best Supporting Actress: Jessica Chastain, The Help.
Best Director: Martin Scorsese, Hugo.
Best Original Screenplay: Woody Allen, Midnight in Paris.
Best Picture: Moneyball.

TAILOR PIPES (Web Editor)

Best Actor: George Clooney, The Descendants.
Best Actress: Viola Davis, The Help.
Best Supporting Actor: Christopher Plummer, Beginners.
Best Supporting Actress: Octavia Spencer, The Help.
Best Director: Alexander Payne, The Descendants.
Best Original Screenplay: Woody Allen, Midnight In Paris.
Best Picture: The Descendants.

Posted by: Noela on February 24, 2012
Comments: Leave a comment Tags: Academy Awards, Ballots, Inside Zinio, Oscars

Great Support

Based on her recent string of memorable speeches, potential winner for best Actress in a Supporting Role Octavia Spencer could be a highlight of the evening. Her cheeky performance as Minny, in The Help, seems to be the favorite for the big gold but this category is known for being the one where the most unexpected decisions occur.

Therefore, Bérénice Bejo could be a surprise and set the tone for a night where The Artist is the absolute winner, and, under this premise, even Melissa McCarthy could surprise us with her scene stealing role in Bridesmaids.

Jessica Chastain (Spencer’s co-star in The Help) worked relentlessly in 2011 and that could play in her favor. However, Janet McTeer’s great performance in Albert Nobbs –that even outshined Close herself– as a 19th-century transgender in Dublin could be a surprise. McTeer has already won the Golden Globe and SAG Awards, and is also nominated for a Film Independent Spirit Award among others.

Octavia Spencer
Back Stage, August 2011

Bérénice Bejo
Esquire, February 2012

Melissa McCarthy
The Hollywood Reporter, October 2011

Jessica Chastain
Elle, November 2010

Janet McTeer
The Advocate, February 2012

Posted by: Noela on February 23, 2012
Comments: Leave a comment Tags: Albert Nobbs, Bérénice Bejo, Bridesmaids, Janert McTeer, Jessica Chastain, Melissa McCarthy, Octavia Spencer, The Artist, The Help

Oscar’s Angels

If you, like us, have started to make your Oscar’s ballots, you would have probably noticed that the Best Actress category is a tough one to decide.

There is Meryl Streep, who has been nominated 16 times thus far but only won two (for her roles in Kramer vs Kramer and Sophie’s Choice). Her stellar depiction of Margaret Thatcher in The Iron Lady has the sympathy of critics like David Gritten, who commented at The Telegraph; “Awards should be coming Streep’s way; yet her brilliance rather overshadows the film itself.”

Another heavyweight is Glenn Close, who co-produced, co-wrote and even composed the original song of Albert Nobbs. In it, she plays a 19th Century butler who disguises herself as a man in order to prosper in society. At her favor plays the fact that Close has been nominated five times but has never won.

Michelle Williams is up for the prize with two previous nominations (for her supporting role in Brokeback Mountain and leading role in Blue Valentine). Her impersonation of Marilyn Monroe in My Week With Marilyn has the critics approval although the movie itself hasn’t stirred up the same reaction.

Viola Davis is Aibileen Clark, a housekeeper in Mississippi during the 1960s that befriends a white journalist in The Help. Her performance is tearjerking and she has one nomination for best supporting actress in Doubt, where, by the way, she shared the screen with Meryl Streep.

Not to underestimate newcomer Rooney Mara. Her performance in The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo as Lisbeth Salander, a hacker who joins forces with a journalist to find a woman who has been missing for 40 years, has been much acclaimed.

Find the articles below.

Meryl Streep
Newsweek, December 2011