Recorded yesterday, here’s the fourth installment of Oscar Talk with yours truly and Anne Thompson of indieWIRE. We took the week off last Friday due to traveling conflicts, but we’re back on today.
On the docket:
• Anne and I discuss the foreign language film submissions, up to 62 entries so far (61 at the time of this recording).
• The PGA’s copy cat move to 10, which leads of course to further discussion on the Academy’s move to 10.
• Jane Campion’s “Bright Star,” which has opened to glowing reviews. Odds on Oscar, box office potential, etc.
• Sony Pictures Classics’ shucking and jiving with their Oscar schedule, grabbing “The Last Station” (confirmed today) and moving “Get Low” (as reported here last week).
• Anne wonders whether Weinstein pick-up “A Single Man” could be an under-the-radar contender for Best Picture.
• The weekend’s releases: “A Serious Man” (covered extensively last time) and “Zombieland” (to steer away from awards talk for a moment).
• Anne talks Alain Resnais’s “Wild Grass,” which recently opened the New York Film Festival.
• And the distribution strategy for “Paranormal Activity,” hardly an Oscar contender but right in line with Anne’s recent column on studios missing an opportunity to experiment with release paradigms on modestly budgeted films.
Check out the podcast below, with a musical lead-in from Mark Bradshaw’s “Bright Star” score. And as always, you can subscribe to Oscar Talk via iTunes here.
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26 responses to “OSCAR TALK: Ep. 4 — Foreign submissions, PGA’s 10, ‘A Single Man’ a Best Picture possibility?”
Do you really think Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs will be nominated for Best Animated Feature?
Way to keep it on topic…
See last week’s Off the Carpet thread for my thoughts on that, though:
http://incontention.com/?p=14506
(?!) Yeesh, sorry for going off the rails.
So….A Serious Man is releasing this week and critics are calling the most spiritual/personal/snide/complex/misanthropic/meaningfull/meaningless/funny/miserable film the Coen Brothers have yet made. Sort of an interesting tapestry of opinions which make me want to see it even more (Not that that matters since I never miss a Coen film, but whatever). Its obtuseness will probably not go so well at the Oscars, though.
I really have no idea how it’ll play with the Academy. Tough to gauge, but you might be right.
Seriously though, on Cloudy, I just think the third spot is very much up for grabs and it’s making bank so, playing with some things.
It’s doing well Kris but will make nowhere near as much as Ice Age 3 or Monsters vs. Aliens in the end.
Great podcast per usual. It was fun to hear you guys dip a toe in some non-Oscar talk (Paranormal Activity and Zombieland).
There’s such a tremendous lull now, basically until Nine starts screening to the media and of course the Golden Satellite noms at the end of November.
Chad: Animators like it, too. Quite a bit more than those two films.
Could be Ponyo, but it’s not as respected as the rest of Miyazaki’s work. Could be Fantastic Mr. Fox, but I’m skeptical. Could be 9, which is another favorite among animators.
Or, at the end of the day, tradition could win out and Princess and the Frog could make the cut.
The point being — as it has been: the third slot is a crap shoot.
Kris, there seems to be an unusual wealth of animated films this year. What are your thoughts on this category potentially have five nominees?
Kris, have you seen Where the Wild Things Are, and if so, can you give us some thoughts about it?
Nicolas: It won’t have five. There are 16 films (the necessary number to have five nominees) mentioned in the Contenders section, but that’s not a guarantee that each film will be submitted as eligible to the Academy (which is a requirement, and one not followed by EVERY release). Plus, I doubt A Christmas Carol will be submitted as animated, so, at the end of the day, we’ll have less than 16 films in the mix.
David: Saw it last night, can’t comment in depth. It’s not a mind-blower and the trailers made it look considerably better than it is, but I enjoyed it and thought it was warm, real, very much a delight. But it’s not an Oscar film beyond effects, art direction and costumes.
Well Frost/Nixon was a failure. It made only 2 million more than its production budget, much less than what was spent on marketing and campaigning.
Whereas Bright Star is an 8.5 million dollar movie(I cant believe that, for such a low budget movie, it looks sensational with spectacular production values. Either Campion is really economical or that figure is wrong). It already has 1 million and its bound to scoop up 10-15 million in Europe, it’ll play well there. So it will definitely be in the green.
A lot people seem to be loving Wild Grass. Even Manhola Dargis seemed over the moon about it. And I just love swooping camera movement.
Yay for Anne. I’ve been thinking the same thing about A Single Man.
In the name of all that is good and holy, please let this be the year Colin Firth wins an Oscar (for “A Single Man”).
If I had to predict someone at this current time, he’s who I’d lean towards, with caution. The praise at TIFF is a major plus, obviously; but the larger factor is that the other obvious contenders (Clooney, Freeman) are previous winners. And after 2 consecutive years of repeat Best Actor winners, I can’t see an unprecedented third. We’ll see how the crix awards sway though.
If I had to predict someone at this current time, he’s who I’d lean towards, with caution. The praise at TIFF is a major plus, obviously; but the larger factor is that the other “obvious” contenders (Clooney, Freeman) are previous winners. And after 2 consecutive years of repeat Best Actor winners, I can’t see an unprecedented third. We’ll see how the crix awards sway though.
Blah, sorry for the double post. Wireless appears to be skanky this evening.
I just want to add that the trailer for “A Single Man” has hit Youtube and it is spectacular. Hands down the best trailer I’ve seen in years, clearly communicates what sort of film it is and its strengths. I’m very excited for its Oscar prospects.
Also Shutter island has a new HD trailer out on Apple. And its increasingly dawning on me that if it were not for Scorsese and DiCaprio, I wouldn’t even give a thought to the movie much less see it.
o kris you didnt love where the wild things are? boo, thats alright, i respect all your knolege on film and thoughts i guess at the end of the day we dont agree on the final product. Are you going to be writing a review of the film?
this may seem like a strange question kris but how do you think kids will react to wild things? will they go nuts for it or will it not connect? this movie will need a big gross for it to be taken seriously and that all really depends on how the children like it.
DHE: The trailer dropped a few weeks back, actually. We posted it here.
As for Firth, you all know I love the performance, though I fear the work might be a little on the quiet side for the win. Still, I’ve also been thinking we’re due a first-time champ in the category this year. Could be interesting.
What about Fred Melamed for Best supporting actor? He’s word for word perfect.
That music from BRIGHT STAR is stunning! Thanks for highlighting it, Kris! And I look forward to your in depth thoughts on Wild Things.
By the way, Kris, is that track on the Bright Star score available for purchase?
Yep, midway through the first track, I think.
A gorgeous score by Mark Bradshaw! Let’s hope he can slip into the five …