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It’s been a blast the last six or seven months. Before long we’ll all be in the thick of the Oscar mess once again, but before we close this chapter, I really should take a moment to thank our contributors for assisting in keeping the big machine running. Thanks to Gerard for the consistently comprehensive […]
Entries from February 2009
Bidding the 2008-2009 season farewell
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 3:03 pm · February 27th, 2009
Filed in: Daily
How lies stay alive
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 1:15 pm · February 27th, 2009
It really pisses me off that the LA Times would allow Tom O’Neil to perpetuate falsehoods on his Gold Derby blog without any editorial oversight. Tom, God love him, just can’t help himself sometimes. He has to create a controversy where there isn’t one and this two-year-old idea that Eddie Murphy was “furious” over his […]
Filed in: Daily
LOL
Posted by Guy Lodge · 12:37 pm · February 27th, 2009
How did I miss this? From the Guardian’s Oscar wrap earlier this week: When Miley Cyrus told news media that Angelina Jolie is her “favourite figure from history,” was it because she thinks that Jolie is Alexander the Great’s mother, Colin Farrell the King of Macedonia and Brad Pitt Achilles? Sure, why not? Priceless. But let’s […]
Filed in: Daily
“Nine-toe-havinest, limpinest…”
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 12:18 pm · February 27th, 2009
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Year-in-advance winner predictions
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 11:26 am · February 27th, 2009
Yes, I’m insane, but before I leave off this year’s year-in-advance week, by request, I thought I’d throw up a random set of winner predictions and see if I was close to the target next February. Last year I managed three correct guesses (four if you count Winslet for the wrong movie), two of them […]
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Great point
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 11:12 am · February 27th, 2009
This would’ve been a great opportunity: If Nicholson were a supporting-actor presenter and spoke about Heath Ledger’s performance as the Joker. Longtime Oscar hound Wayman Wong to Tom O’Neil in O’Neil’s recent Gold Derby blog entry on the conspicuous absence of Jack Nicholson from Sunday’s Oscar telecast.
Filed in: Daily
‘Hunger’ poster
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 11:08 am · February 27th, 2009
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TECH SUPPORT: Postmortem
Posted by gerardkennedy · 11:03 am · February 27th, 2009
What can I say? It was a big night for “Slumdog Millionaire” at the 81st Annual Academy Awards on Sunday. While I do like the film a great deal, I found its dominance this awards season unnecessarily monotonous. For instance, I preferred Thomas Newman’s work in both music categories this year, but I was nonetheless […]
Filed in: Tech Support
More than one ‘right’ choice
Posted by Guy Lodge · 10:47 am · February 27th, 2009
In the largely good-natured responses to a largely good-natured Oscar ceremony, only one result has been greeted with any real rancour from critics or pundits –- the “upset” (anticipated by some clever folks at the eleventh hour) in the Best Foreign Language Film category. But as much sympathy as one feels for the disappointed team […]
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To the Oscar grouches
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 10:05 am · February 27th, 2009
Alright, we already we handled the “Slumdog Millionaire” backlash and overall sense of hatred toward the film from movie-goers who simply couldn’t handle the boredom of an awards season that was written. Today, it’s time to take the folks to task who couldn’t get to their computers quickly enough to bemoan the Academy’s presentation of […]
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Eddie Murphy + Richard Pryor = Oscar?
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 9:45 am · February 27th, 2009
UPDATE: Condon apparently has said he wants an August 2010 release for the film and Fox Searchlight has agreed to it. See note below regarding Condon’s desire to stay away from anything resembling an Oscar season. EARLIER: I’ve known about Eddie Murphy being attached to Bill Condon’s Richard Pryor movie for weeks but, you know, […]
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Commenter quote of the week
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 10:30 am · February 26th, 2009
“Can I just say, if Hilary Swank beats Meryl Streep to three oscars…that might be the most frustrating thing ever.” So says JAB in the year-in-advance Off the Carpet post from Monday.
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Thank you, Nick Hornby
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 10:27 am · February 26th, 2009
As many of you already know, one of my central irritations of this year’s Oscar season has been the “Slumdog” backlash, an unnecessarily cruel response to a brilliant film’s rather boring sweep of all the major film awards over the past three months. I understand it on one level, because no one wants a predictable […]
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Mike Leigh on Hollywood, Mickey and losing an Oscar
Posted by Guy Lodge · 2:46 am · February 26th, 2009
If, like yours truly, you’re one of those who believe that British auteur Mike Leigh was robbed on Sunday night, you’ll thoroughly enjoy his Oscar diary. Ever the Hollywood outsider, Leigh attended the Academy Awards with his two adult sons as his guests, and he reflects on the ensuing madness with all the droll, dry […]
Filed in: Daily
The stillness
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 10:58 am · February 25th, 2009
It feels good to slwoly make my way to the computer this morning without the usual onslaught of Oscarweb tid-bits. Sure, I could link to all the bitching about the show (really, the Times is embarrassing itself with the insular sniping), but why bother? It’s a done deal. “Watchmen” is on the way. It’s going […]
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Jon Stewart’s Oscar recap
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 9:07 pm · February 24th, 2009
Filed in: Daily
Freida Pinto, Woody Allen and muse have been used in too many headlines
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 6:40 pm · February 24th, 2009
But I guess that’s the truth of the matter. The gorgeous “Slumdog Millionaire” star has been pegged to star alongside an increasingly talented ensemble in Woody Allen’s next flick. Variety reports: Freida Pinto will follow up her performance in the Oscar-winning “Slumdog Millionaire” with a role in Woody Allen’s latest project. This year’s Cinderella at […]
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Bennett Miller’s opening montage sees the light of day
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 12:27 pm · February 24th, 2009
Apparently the following montage, which played for the audience at the Kodak Theatre Sunday night but was ultimately pulled from the televised rundown, has popped up as a Vanity Fair exclusive. It’s directed by Bennet Miller and I have to say, it’s nice, has a good flow, but is a little film festival-esque. Not “big […]
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