Features
Back on June 29, in response to the Academy’s move to 10 Best Picture nominees, I wrote, “I imagine something will have to be done to address the concern that now one merely needs something like 600 people on board to get a film in the line-up. How many members do you think these blockbuster […]
Entries from August 2009
On Oscar’s rule change
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 7:27 pm · August 31st, 2009
Filed in: Daily
‘Trainspotting’ named best British film of last 25 years
Posted by Guy Lodge · 5:29 pm · August 31st, 2009
The Observer has just assembled one of the more interesting lists I’ve seen in some time — a collective of the 25 best British films of the last quarter-century, compiled from the votes of over 60 critics, film professionals and assorted outside voices, ranging from Ben Kingsley to Peter Morgan to our friend Anne Thompson. […]
Filed in: Daily
Marvel Mouse House
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 11:03 am · August 31st, 2009
Filed in: Daily
OFF THE CARPET: Take a deep breath…
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 9:59 am · August 31st, 2009
The calm before the storm is beginning to subside. Can you sense it? By the end of the week, the Venice and Telluride fests will be underway. A week later, Toronto will weigh in. When the smoke settles in roughly three weeks, the season will suddenly be a lot clearer…and yet so much of it […]
Filed in: Off the Carpet
8/31 Web Round-up
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 7:36 am · August 31st, 2009
• With “Luke and Brie are on a First Date” finding its way to an Amazon release, our own Chad Hartigan gets his film re-reviewed. [Spout Blog] • Stephen Zeitchik wants to know why Ang Lee can’t catch a break. [Risky Biz Blog] • Gregory Ellwood sees (er, hears) awards prospects in Alexandre Desplat’s “Coco […]
Filed in: Daily
For those interested
Posted by Guy Lodge · 7:29 am · August 31st, 2009
Some folks like to jump down my throat any time I even mention the title “Antichrist” recently, but this discussion about the film between David Poland, Kim Morgan and Larry Gross is one of the most compelling I’ve yet seen (or read). I’m also glad to hear some voices trying to temper the (self-assisted) “OMGmostshockingEVER” […]
Filed in: Daily
Continuing the 3D debate
Posted by Guy Lodge · 7:01 am · August 31st, 2009
Earlier this month, I wrote a piece detailing my wariness about the current 3D vogue amid the various claims being made that it will alter life (or at least cinema, which for many of us is the same thing) as we know it. Now, with “Avatar” Day having stoked anticipation for James Cameron’s purportedly “game-changing” […]
Filed in: Daily
SUNDAY CENTS: ‘Halloween’ suffers ‘Final’ cut
Posted by Chad Hartigan · 3:06 pm · August 30th, 2009
*All historical figures cited are adjusted to today’s dollars. When it comes to a death match, would anyone bet against death himself? Two high profile horror franchises released their latest installments on the last weekend of the summer and the winner is “The Final Destination.” $28.3 million is a new high for the series and […]
Filed in: Box Office · Sunday Cents
Aaron Johnson as John Lennon in ‘Nowhere Boy’
Posted by Guy Lodge · 12:03 pm · August 30th, 2009
Hat tip to The Playlist for digging up this newish still from one of my most anticipated films of the year, Sam Taylor-Wood’s “Nowhere Boy.” The film, a study of John Lennon’s early years, will premiere on the closing night of the London Film Festival in October. As Lennon, 19 year-old Aaron Johnson faces a […]
Filed in: Daily
Get a clue
Posted by Guy Lodge · 11:33 am · August 30th, 2009
There are so many things wrong with this Digital Spy piece about the Best Actress race, it’s difficult to know where to begin. Article writer Marcell Minaya seems to have filched gossip columnist Roger Friedman’s recent (largely baseless) statement that the category is bereft of contenders, and disguised it as Academy insider talk: The Oscars […]
Filed in: Daily
Hollywood remembers ‘The Wizard of Oz’
Posted by Guy Lodge · 10:41 am · August 30th, 2009
As you have probably been made aware, Tuesday marked the 70th anniversary of the release of “The Wizard of Oz” in the U.S., a milestone which has inspired a number of tribute pieces this past week — including our own edition of The Lists dedicated to the classic. For their part, the LA Times has […]
Filed in: Daily
Thoughts on Best Cinematography?
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 12:24 pm · August 29th, 2009
It’s proving to be the most difficult category to navigate in this recent update.
Filed in: Daily
Tarantino on ‘There Will Be Blood’
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 11:12 am · August 29th, 2009
From that Sky Movies stuff, which yielded Tarantino’s top 20 films released since 1992: (Courtesy: The Film Experience)
Filed in: Daily
‘Agora’ trailer
Posted by Guy Lodge · 4:04 am · August 29th, 2009
In yesterday’s inaugural edition of Oscar Talk, Kris and Anne Thompson discussed the bad buzz swirling around Alejandro Amenabar’s Rachel Weisz-starring historical epic “Agora,” which has been fruitlessly seeking a distributor since premiering at Cannes in May — and will continue the hunt at Toronto. Right on cue, here comes the trailer, and … let’s […]
Filed in: Daily
WEEKLY WRAP: ‘Inception’ unwrapped, ‘Shutter’ unseated
Posted by Guy Lodge · 6:15 pm · August 28th, 2009
• One day after the film’s trailer surfaced, we turned up some fresh plot information about Christopher Nolan’s “Inception.” Fan hysteria ensued. • Just in case you’d forgotten, “Shutter Island” was booted into 2010. Fan hysteria ensued. • To a quieter reaction, Julie Taymor’s “The Tempest” joined Scorsese’s film on the sidelines for next year. […]
Filed in: Daily
Cheer up, Meryl — you have your masterpiece
Posted by Guy Lodge · 6:03 pm · August 28th, 2009
You may well have spotted this very funny (and frequently accurate) Onion piece doing the web rounds today, in which a writer claiming to be Meryl Streep shoots down her career with all the withering disdain of Miranda Priestly. The gist of the argument is that, as fine an actor as Streep is, she has […]
Filed in: Daily
How ‘Up in the Air’ factored in the ‘Shutter’ bump
Posted by Guy Lodge · 4:30 pm · August 28th, 2009
Variety’s Pamela McClintock was written a detailed piece examining the financial ins and outs of the recent postponing of “Shutter Island,” coming to the conclusion — as did Kris following the announcement — that the move is purely a practical one on the part of Paramount chief Brad Grey. Quite simply, she explains, the film […]
Filed in: Daily
OSCAR TALK: Ep. 1 — Best in show so far, campaign strategies, festival preview and “the 10”
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 11:58 am · August 28th, 2009
Welcome to the first installment of Oscar Talk, a (hopefully) weekly podcast between myself and Anne Thompson, newly of indieWIRE. We spend some time getting our feet wet in this introductory kudocast, but among the topics on the rundown: • Films screened thus far with the best Oscar profile heading into the awards season, including […]
Filed in: Oscar Talk
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