Watch Conan O'Brien Defile Hanukkah (and Tom Six's Artistic Vision) With Human Centipede Menorah

If you’ve been looking for a way to incorporate Tom Six’s gross-out film Human Centipede II into your holiday traditions, Conan O’Brien has just the gift for you: The first-ever (and hopefully last-ever) Human Centipede menorah — made up of nine unfortunate men and women bound to each other mouth-to-anus style, with each carrying a giant candle on his/her back. Mazel tov? Yes, this happened. And you can pull off this same party trick by inviting nine of your least self-respecting friends to take part at home — and then, like Conan experienced last night — watching as your stunned audience recoils from the offensiveness and all-around unfunnyness of the bit. Tune into Conan tonight if you’d like to continue celebrating the Festival of Comedy Blights. In related news, my condolences go out to the actors who have added Human Centipede Menorah member to their resumes. [via Team Coco]

French court rejects bid for Duran Duboi

PARIS -- A French court has declined FilmFunds' bid to get Quinta Industries' Duran Duboi, the Paris-based publish-production and VFX house which was declared bankrupt a week ago. Duran, the business's animation arm, continues to be shuttered, whereas Duboi, the VFX and publish-production arm, will stay open until Jan. 30. Duboi have been set to handle the VFX on Laurent Tirard's three dimensional film "Asterix and Obelix: God Save Britannia," among other photos.The film's producers, Marc Missonnier and Olivier Delbosc, stated the film is going to be completed promptly. They're analyzing their options, and can likely hire another company to handle visual effects, resulting inside a considerable -- although not uncontrollable -- cost surplus. French industryites, particularly Gaul's film specialists org Ficam, happen to be up in arms concerning the collapse of Quinta Industries' three subsidiaries -- Duran Duboi, LTC and Scanlab -- because the companies were because of handle the publish-production on 36 films. Ficam stated the five films which are being held by LTC haven't been launched since the administrator is insisting on immediate payment in the producers for that services provided. Contact the range newsroom at news@variety.com

Q&A with Tom McCarthy

McCarthy Paul Giamatti and Alex Shaffer in "Win Win" Writer-director Tom McCarthy's "Win Win" represents what has become his signature directing style: a thoughtful character study with plenty of laughs built into the conflict. McCarthy recently spoke by phone with Variety's Christy Grosz about writing the original screenplay and how his work as an actor informs his directing.Grosz: When an idea sparks, is it usually a character that starts the creative process for you or is it a situation?McCarthy: If it's not a character, then a character is quick on the heels to follow. For instance, with "Win Win," Joe and I had this initial casual conversation about high-school wrestling and our experiences and that sparked it. Soon after, I started locking in on this small-town lawyer or even small-town businessman -- because that is really what Mike Flaherty is -- and how those people are coping now and who those people are. When I was writing, there was so much talk about the middle class, especially in politics, and I was doing a lot of research. (I thought), who is this middle class and what are they going through? Wrestling we understood and we knew it would be there when we needed it, but I think finding these characters started to unlock the movie for usCG: And why high-school wrestling?TM: Doesn't that question answer itself? I guess I would ask you, "Why not high school wrestling?" I would say literally it was because we were having such a good time talking about it, and I hadn't seen it very often (onscreen). I do think at first it was just that. There is always that thing where you have an idea and it is just a fun idea. Then, as we started to flesh out the character shortly thereafter, the idea (was) this man grappling with his own sense of ethics. Then, further to that, there is something about wrestling where it's just a weird sport. They have their own code; they have their own world they move in. They are kind of a little bit of a bastard sport. They are not a marquee sport like maybe football and basketball and baseball. There is something about that that seemed appropriate.CG: You have a long resume as an actor, but when you started directing, was being able to direct from your own writing the tipping point for you?TM: At this point, it is incredibly helpful, and I mean that sincerely. It really allows me into the film as a director. By the time I have really worked through a script, I can feel the script and see the film. Not that there is not a lot of discovery on that path from screenplay to film, but I feel very connected to the material and to the journey of these characters and their world. I doubt I will write all my movies. Even if I took a script from another writer, I would probably do a director's pass on it. That is an important tool for directors who write to kind of get in the script and own it a little bit. (But) I like the idea of collaborating with other writers. In "Win Win," I collaborated with Joe (Tiboni), a first-time writer who was incredibly impactful on the script. Joe is one of my oldest friends, so we had that shared experience of the town of New Providence, where the movie is set. Joe (is also) an elder law attorney like Mike Flaherty, so there was a lot to draw on in his personal experiences. I decided to do this with him because he has got a great way of articulating and understanding the world.CG: Do you prefer to rehearse before shooting?TM: I usually try to do about two weeks of rehearsal, depending on an actor's availability and just how the work moves along. We spent a lot of time (on "Win Win") just focused on table reading. It's really about digging a little bit deeper and getting the actors' input, maybe even tailoring the script to those actors. Some actors are uneasy with rehearsal on films for whatever reason, but my experience so far is we have all actually enjoyed that part of the process because there is not a lot of pressure. When you are on set, you kind of have to get it and move on. There is a chance to ask questions and feel it out and make mistakes.CG: Does your experience as an actor help you as a director?TM: Any experience that pertains to the process of filmmaking is helpful. I know what it's like to be in the actors' position. I have worked with a lot of very talented directors, and maybe not so talented, and I have experiences on both sides so I come to it with a little bit more understanding. I take a lot of pride and enjoyment in that part of the process. Casting and then rehearsing and then directing actors is something I really enjoy.CG: You've worked with a few of the cast members of "Win Win" before. Did the casting come out of already-established relationships?TM: It was a bit of a mixed bag. With Paul (Giamatti) and Amy (Ryan) and Bobby (Cannavale), I just had them in mind. I am friends with all of them, so that was just me handing them a script and asking them if they wanted to do it. I was aware of Melanie (Lynsky's) work but I didn't know her. (She) actually put herself on tape for the role and sent it to us, which was great. Everybody else -- Margo Martindale and Jeffrey Tambor -- I was really just meeting with a lot of these wonderful actors and having a conversation. With Alex (Shaffer) it was a much more traditional kind of casting process where you have to really cast a wide net.CG: Did you write the script with those actors in mind or did that come later?TM: Amy definitely and Bobby, too. But with (the Mike Flaherty character) my clarity on the page kept sort of vacillating or oscillating or whatever-lating. I was trying to find who this guy was. Until I know that I can't really cast it. When I finished it and sat down with some actors and finally talked to Paul about it, (I realized I had) been hearing his voice the whole time. As soon as he read it, that was that. Contact Christy Grosz at christy.grosz@variety.com

'Wolverine' pirate gets one year in federal prison

'X-Men Origins: Wolverine'A NY man has been sentenced to one year in federal prison for illegally uploading an unfinished version of 20th Century Fox's "X-Men Origins: Wolverine," one of the harshest punishments ever handed down for internet piracy.Bronx resident Gilberto Sanchez was found guilty of uploading a nearly final "workprint" copy of the film in 2009 more than one month before its theatrical release. "We believe this is the longest sentence ever imposed for a defendant charged with uploading a single copyrighted film to the internet," assistant United States Attorney Lisa E. Feldman, who works with the FBI's computer and intellectual property crimes section, told Variety.Sanchez made the film available for download to Megaupload.com for about a day before Fox was able to get the pic removed.In addition to a one-year prison term, Judge Margaret M. Morrow also imposed one year of supervised release and numerous computer restrictions on Sanchez.Sanchez's upload illicited widespread shock and horror around Hollywood and was seen as the industry's most damaging incident of piracy up until that point. At the time, Fox estimated that 15 million people downloaded the movie. If accurate, that would theoretically put ticket sale losses in the tens of millions of dollars. Contact Rachel Abrams at Rachel.Abrams@variety.com

Pair underperform at box office

'Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows'Family follow-ups Warner Bros.' "Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows" and Fox's "Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked" weren't enough to cure the domestic B.O.'s malaise, as overall totals came in roughly 10%-15% behind the same frame last year. Paramount's "Mission: Impossible -- Ghost Protocol," which helped fuel Stateside biz with its limited week-early Imax launch, boosted overseas box office with a projected $68.2 million."Sherlock Holmes" easily won the weekend with an estimated $40 million domestically, while "Alvin" came in at No. 2, grossing a modest projected $23.5 million through Sunday.Neither film managed to match opening totals of their predecessor pics, though the first "Sherlock" pic and Fox's "Alvin" sequel both launched over Christmas weekend in 2009. The inaugural "Alvin," however, bowed at $44 million during this same weekend in 2007 -- a much livelier marketplace.Appealing to the same crowd as "Sherlock," Par's exclusive large-format bow of "Ghost Protocol" saw terrific results, totaling an estimated $13 million -- the majority of which (nearly $11 million) came from Imax -- at a total 425 locations. Pic's cume is $13.6 million, including additional revenues from late-night Thursday screenings.Par vice chairman Rob Moore said the early Imax-dominated launch was meant to encourage word-of-mouth among fanboys, who tend to be first-responders."No matter what's going on, if you're someone who likes to see movies in Imax, you also like to see them first," Moore said."Ghost Protocol," which expands nationwide Dec. 21, posted a $32,000 per-screen average. That's a stellar start for the film, even with the average premium ticket upcharge from large-format theaters ranging between $3.50 and $5.B.O. continued to look more lively at the specialty end of the biz.Focus Features' "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" was the clear indie winner on an individual theater basis, edging out "Sherlock" and "Ghost Protocol" in a few of its total 16 engagements. "Tinker," which launched solidly last weekend, scored a soph-sesh per-screen average of $28,267 for an estimated weekend gross of $452,278. Pic's cume is slightly more than $850,000.Five-times Golden Globes nominee "The Descendants" also displayed sturdy legs, grossing an estimated $3.4 million from 878 playdates. "Descendants," from Fox Searchlight, dropped a scant 24% in its fifth week, with a Stateside cume of $28.7 million.Underperforming in limited release, Sony Pictures Classics' "Carnage" tallied an average of just $17,139 from five locations -- a less-than-desirable start, especially during a competitive holiday time frame.Par, meanwhile, had OK success with Jason Reitman's black comedy "Young Adult," which expanded wide to 986 locations for an estimated weekend take of $3.7 million. Pic launched limited last weekend and has cumed so far $4.1 million. The studio plans to give the pic another push on Jan. 13.'Game' on at B.O.?Warner Bros. launched "Game of Shadows" a week before Christmas to give the pic a headstart going into the holiday frame. And while the sequel fell significantly short of its predecessor (that pic opened with $62 million), the studio is hopeful that "Game" can match -- if not surpass -- the original by Christmastime."We opened this weekend knowing that most kids were still in school on Friday and women are preoccupied with shopping," said Warner domestic distribution prexy Dan Fellman. "I remain confident that 'Sherlock' will wind up this year's biggest Christmas movie."Fellman said he's encouraged by positive exit polls; the film received an overall A- CinemaScore rating vs. the first pic's B rating.Both genders gave the sequel a high appraisal, with men accounting for 59% of the opening. Under-25 auds, however, only repped 31% of the pic's debut take; auds under 18 (at 14%) bestowed the film with an A.Warners spent a reported $125 million on "Game," not including P&A costs. And while the film's domestic prospects are uncertain (an uncommonly dense six wide releases bow next weekend), overseas box office certainly will help the studio recoup its investment. "Game" launched in six markets for an estimated $14.65 million."Game" -- the season's first all-audience tentpole -- likely was hurt by Par's early entry "Mission: Impossible," since both films targeted similar demographics.It's unclear how much of an impact this weekend will have on "Mission" when the film expands to more than 3,000 locations on Wednesday. But Par's Moore insisted that was never really an issue: "The question always has been, 'How do we gross the most money in total?'"For Imax, the jury is still out on whether the unprecedented move will incite other studios to follow suit. One encouraging note, according to Imax prexy Greg Foster, was the film's 31% Friday-to-Saturday jump, excluding approximately $500,000 in midnight grosses. (Pic's total midnight and late-night Thursday tally, the latter of which wasn't included in the three-day gross, yielded $1.1 million.)"We've noticed over the last six months that more of the same doesn't appear to be working, which is why being so closely related to this innovative launch is so exciting for us," Foster said. "But you've got to have the goods."Tepid hybrid tally"Chipwrecked," the $75 million-budgeted third installment in Fox's "Alvin and the Chipmunks" toon-live action franchise is the newest family film to enter the market, but the film was hurt by competition from theaters packed with family holdovers, including top 10 players "Hugo," "Arthur Christmas" and "The Muppets."Par's "The Adventures of Tintin" and Disney-DreamWorks' "War Horse" will further crowd plexes when they bow Dec. 21 and Christmas Day, respectively.But Fox distribution exec Chris Aronson added that "Alvin" is the only G-rated movie appealing to young kids. With most kids on winter vacation, mid-week totals should improve, though everyone is bracing for a soft weekend, as Christmas Eve (historically a B.O. trough) falls on Saturday. Contact Andrew Stewart at andrew.stewart@variety.com

Lowe's Troubles With 'All-American Muslim' Put Little-Known Christian Group in Spotlight

John Atterberry, the music executive who was shot in the face during Friday's shooting in Hollywood, has died, according to published reports.our editor recommendsMan Shot in the Face in L.A. Shooting Is Longtime Music Industry ExecutiveL.A. Shooter Tyler Brehm: Recent Breakup, Drugs May Have Led to Gunman's RampageL.A. Shooting: Hollywood Reporter Editor Shot, Recalls IncidentGunman Opens Fire Near Hollywood's ArcLight Theater (Video) Atterberry, 40, was sitting in his silver Mercedes-Benz coupe Friday by the intersection of Sunset Boulevard and Vine Street when the gunman shot him three times in the face and neck. He was taken to Cedars-Sinai hospital, where he remained in critical condition until Monday afternoon. He was pronounced dead at 4:51 p.m. PHOTOS: Hollywood's Notable Deaths Atterberry is a longtime recording industry manager and promoter and has been involved with acts like the Spice Girls and Jessica Simpson. He most recently was senior partner and chief financial officer at the GridLock Group, an event promotions company. According to his bio on the firm's Facebook page, the Los Angeles native got his start in A&R at Tabu Records. He then did a stint in fashion, working for Cross Colours and Karl Kani as head of marketing and promotions, before returning to the music business as vp at Death Row Records, home to such acts as Tupac Shukar, Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg. Atterberry later created Mergela Records and Consulting, where he repped Rodney Jerkins and Chris Tucker and produced label deals with Def Jam, Arista, Ruthless Records and Sony, and also founded music publishing company Infusion Music Group, where he worked with the Spice Girls and Simpson, among others. He joined GridLock in 2007 and concurrently served as chief financial officer of the VIP Group, a Hollywood-based real estate brokerage firm. VIDEO: Gunman Opens Fire Near Hollywood's ArcLight Theater The gunman,identifiedas 26-year-old Tyler Brehm by the Los Angeles County Coroner's office, randomly opened fire at approximately 10:19 a.m. Friday near the ArcLight Cinemas. The suspect allegedly fired between nine and 12 shots before being killed by police, according to reports. When he ran out of bullets, the gunman allegedly pulled out a knife, yelling, "Kill me" and "I want to be killed." In what the Los Angeles Police Department called a "random shooting," witnesses enlisted the help of two police officers who were working on a nearby movie set after seeing a man open fire in the street. The man walked northbound on Vine with a gun in the air and when cars began driving by, lowered his gun and fired at them. One of those vehicles which was shot at was a THR.com photo editor, who was on his way to work from his North Hollywood home when the gunman fired at his black truck, which was captured on video. STORY:L.A. Shooting: Hollywood Reporter Editor Shot, Recalls Incident On Saturday, new information released about the shooter showed he broke up with his girlfriend of four years, Alicia Alligood,this month. She said that their split may have triggered Brehm's shooting rampage. She also said that he had been very stressed lately and began taking drugs given to him by an unnamed pharmaceutical salesperson. Alligood said he was a "humanitarian" whowas "extremely motivated to change the world for the better." PHOTO GALLERY: View Gallery Hollywood's Notable Deaths Related Topics Obituaries

First Men in Black 3 Trailer: Whatever

If you thought that Will Smith’s trailer on the set of Men in Black 3 was ridiculous, wait until you see the actual trailer trailer for the film itself. The nonsensical first preview for the series’ third installment is officially released, prompting the tired sighs of millions still reeling from the garbage-strike pile-up known as New Year’s Eve. A perfectly fine way for Hollywood to further bruise your memory of a perfectly fine blockbuster and remind you beyond the shadow of a doubt that it’s Monday. Submit. Smith’s first film in more than three years features him reprising his role as Agent J, traveling back through Chrysler Building gargoyle suicide-jump time machine to meet the young version of his partner Agent K, which is basically Josh Brolin doing an out-of-practice Tommy Lee Jones Impression form the set of No Country for Old Men. Jones is here, too, squirming through dead-faced line readings as though the piles of money beneath him have met their match in a fierce outburst of hemorrhoids. And there’s Emma Thompson, and there’s… enh, whatever. Life’s too short. Good luck. VERDICT: Try harder, team.

M. Evening Shyamalan Tweets What's Going To Cruz Calls Him

Reason infinity why it is good when celebs join Twitter. M. Evening Shyamalan, the guy behind 'The Sixth Sense,' 'Signs' and -- regrettably for him -- 'The Happening' and 'The Last Airbender,' has lately registered for that social media site, as well as in a tweet late Wednesday evening he revealed what Hollywood celebrity Will Cruz has had to calling him. Reacting to some fan wondering what buddies call Shyamalan, the director authored, "Most family calls me 'Manoj.' My buddies and everybody else calls me 'Night.' A couple of peeps call me 'M.' Will Cruz calls me 'M. Neezie.'" And there is your icebreaker, if you ever encounter Shyamalan in the pub! The director and Cruz will quickly begin filming a brand new publish-apocalyptic science-fiction movie together known as '1000 A.E.' (which Shyamalan has known to as 'After Earth'), that concentrates on a boy (Cruz spawn Jaden Cruz) attempting to save his father's existence (the elder Cruz) after their spaceship crash arrives at what was once Earth. Shyamalan's account is verified through the Twitter gods, to help you securely assume that it's most likely him doing the tweeting. Or possibly not! You never know with Twitter nowadays. [via Vulture] [Photo: Getty] Follow Moviefone on Twitter Like Moviefone on Facebook

'Twilight' keeps top place at Friday B.O.

'The Twilight Saga: Breaking Beginning -- Part 1'The domestic B.O. treaded water yesterday as no new wide releases meant another Friday victory for Summit's "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Beginning -- Part 1." Lower 67%, pic made $5.5 million getting its cume to $235.9 million.In second, Disney's "The Muppets" made $2.7 million for just about any cume of $48 million. Pic is predicted to incorporate another $13 million to Disney coffers through Sunday, though yesterday's perf signifies it could only land inside the high single amounts rather. "Breaking Beginning -- Part 1" should gross around $15 million a couple of days ago.The larger-than-usual drop and having less major releases this frame might be credited for the calendar. The weekend following Thanksgiving is usually one of the softest Stateside seshes of year, in what handful of moviegoers you will discover prone to play get swept up.The newcomer that has probably received most likely probably the most buzz this frame is Fox Searchlight's "Shame." The NC-17 drama starring Michael Fassbender just like a sex addict opened up on 10 screens country wide yesterday with a respectable average of $11,048 per screen, landing in 16th devote the domestic B.O.While using relaxation of yesterday's top films stored inside a equine race behind "Muppets," Paramount's "Hugo" leaped from last week's fifth with this week's third with $2 million, possibly thinking about its recent National Board of Review best film win. Par's pic ended up being some The brand new the new sony releases, "Arthur Christmas" and "Jack and Jill," which made $1.7 million and $1.6 000 0000, correspondingly. Contact the number newsroom at news@variety.com