Features
Fate can have a bittersweet sense of timing, and Michelle Williams understands this better than most. A 2008 that started bleakly with the passing of Heath Ledger, her former partner and the father of her daughter, has ended as a professional banner year for the 28 year-old actress. A triptych of startling performances in a […]
Entries from December 2008
INTERVIEW: Michelle Williams
Posted by Guy Lodge · 8:27 am · December 31st, 2008
Filed in: Interviews
I’m not dead
Posted by Guy Lodge · 3:56 am · December 31st, 2008
Greetings from the Netherlands! Just a quick note to let you know that I haven’t vanished off the face of the earth — a combination of illness, Christmas and some very complicated travel arrangements have kept me out of action for the best part of the past two weeks. I am now, however, back on […]
Filed in: Daily
My picks for the 10 WORST films of the year
Posted by John Foote · 1:55 pm · December 30th, 2008
As always, this list was no trouble to write. There is always an abundance of bad films in a given year. I tend to go for the films that should have been stronger, that had a good director or fine actors, but still came out smelling like sewage. There’s no excuse for that. 1. “88 […]
Filed in: Daily
Is ‘Dark Knight’ an original screenplay?
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 10:56 am · December 30th, 2008
Or is this Bob Verini article in the latest issue of Script Magazine just desperately in need of a fact checker? Normally I wouldn’t bring it up, but crazy stuff like this happens all the time. Clearly, it’s a case of “based on characters created by,” etc. But there tends to be a lot of […]
Filed in: Daily
Pitt, Fincher do Charlie Rose
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 1:27 pm · December 29th, 2008
Filed in: Daily
My picks for the 10 BEST films of the year
Posted by John Foote · 11:04 am · December 29th, 2008
It’s no secret that I don’t expect 2008 to be remembered as a banner year for cinema, though with that said, there are plenty of exceptional films to be remembered. Perhaps 2007 spoiled us and got our hopes up and 2008 brought far too many let downs and disappointments from great filmmakers. Usually when I […]
Filed in: Daily
OFF THE CARPET: Memo to the Academy
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 9:11 am · December 29th, 2008
–MEMO– TO: Members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences FROM: Kristopher Tapley RE: The ballot you recently received Ladies and gentleman, As you sit to ponder the year’s best in your various fields of professional expertise, you might find yourself strong-armed into the consensus view 2008’s film product has been whittled down […]
Filed in: Off the Carpet
12/29 Oscarweb Round-up
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 5:43 am · December 29th, 2008
• Anita Singh looks at the upcoming year of the dog for British movie-goers, including “Beverly Hills Chihuahua,” “Bolt,” “Marley and Me” and “Wendy and Lucy.” [Daily Telegraph] • “A Christmas Tale” tops Andrew O’Hehir’s list of the 10 best indie films of 2008. [Beyond the Multiplex] • Jonathan Miles talks to newly minted Oscar […]
Filed in: Daily
Remembering Michael Crichton at year’s end
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 12:07 pm · December 28th, 2008
One of my wish list items that happened to be under the tree this Christmas was Michael Crichton’s “State of Fear,” an anti-global warming thriller that is likely to both infuriate (given the politics) and keep me turning the page (given Crichton’s story-telling skill). It’s been a while since I flipped through a Crichton book, […]
Filed in: Daily
Blast from the past
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 11:07 am · December 28th, 2008
Roger Ebert and Gene Siskel review the first Fincher/Pitt collaboration in September of 1995:
Filed in: Daily
Sorry for the slow loading…
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 10:53 am · December 28th, 2008
It seems some ad servers were acting up this morning, causing some turmoil for quite a few sites. Everything should be in order now.
Filed in: Et Cetera
THR’s film music composer roundtable
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 9:52 am · December 28th, 2008
I’m a few weeks late getting to this. The Hollywood Reporter just isn’t one of my frequent visits anymore (sadly). But the trade’s annual Oscar Roundtable series is in full swing and the recent composers session makes for a fascinating read. The composers who participated were Alexandre Desplat (“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”), Danny […]
Filed in: Daily
12/28 Oscarweb Round-up
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 5:37 am · December 28th, 2008
• Joe Morgenstern wraps up the year. [Wall Street Journal] • Michael Lerman on the most misunderstood films of 2008. [Spout Blog] • Jeffrey Wells tries to draw some parallels between the year’s Best Picture hopefuls and the presidential contenders of 2008. [Hollywood Elsewhere] • James Rocchi podcasts it up with yours truly on year-end […]
Filed in: Daily
Day of rest…a few requests of the football gods
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 5:24 am · December 28th, 2008
Obviously, my guys are out of the mix. Thank you very much Atlanta. But for those who’ve followed my quasi-coverage of the NFL season, I have a few hopes to toss out there for the final day of the regular season: 1) Shine down on Rod Marinelli. It would be two birds with one stone […]
Filed in: Et Cetera
That dude who wrote ‘The Usual Suspects’ makes the rounds
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 1:12 pm · December 27th, 2008
Alright, I’m only joshing Christopher McQuarrie with the “that dude” quip. Count me in the “Usual Suspects” boat, a film I’ve been in the tank for ever since it sparked something in me 13 years ago (along with Michael Mann’s “Heat”). Both movies played a serious part in forging the film lover before you. McQuarrie’s […]
Filed in: Daily
‘WALL-E,’ ‘Red Balloon’ head up top 10 list compilations
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 9:46 am · December 27th, 2008
Once upon a time there was a great website run by a fella named Engin that tracked top 10 lists at this time of year. It was one hell of a comprehensive collective, but I haven’t heard from him in a few years. David Poland at Movie City News has done a nice enough job […]
Filed in: Daily
December winner predictions
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 7:07 am · December 27th, 2008
Before we get to the end of the month here I thought I’d go ahead and toss up another set of winner predictions. This’ll be the last pre-nom set. I’ll go back to them next month, probably the day of the nominations announcement. But for now, it’s really all blind guessing, as always. For last […]
Filed in: Daily
12/27 Oscarweb Round-up
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 5:54 am · December 27th, 2008
• Lou Lumenick thinks “Revolutionary Road” might be too grim to resonate this Oscar season. [Lumenick on Film] • Tom O’Neil chats with “Last Chance Harvey” star Emma Thompson. [Gold Derby] • Todd Leopold wraps up the year in a meandering piece that touches on Heath Ledger, Sarah Palin and…Niels Bohr. [CNN] • Steve Weintraub […]
Filed in: Daily
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