Features
The press release for this went out yesterday but I’m just now getting around to posting. In part: In 2012 the Santa Barbara International Film Festival will continue on its path to becoming one of the world’s most sought after and prestigious film festivals with the debut of its first ever Acquisitions Program, which will […]
Entries from August 2011
Santa Barbara fest announces acquisitons program
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 4:51 pm · August 31st, 2011
Filed in: Daily
‘Drive’ on an interactive tour of Los Angeles
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 4:30 pm · August 31st, 2011
It’s no secret both Guy and I are full on in the tank for Nicolas Winding Refn’s “Drive.” It’s one of the year’s best films, full of the promise of a fresh young filmmaker just beginning to sample his abilities for us all. One of the big takeaways for me when I saw the film […]
Filed in: Daily
100,000 comments
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 9:34 am · August 31st, 2011
I just happened to notice when logging on to the back end of the site today that reader Michael’s comment in appreciation of Guy’s just-launched Venice coverage marks the 100,000th comment from you all here at In Contention. Of course, it surely totals more when you figure in general patrolling of the comments sections vis […]
Filed in: Daily
INTERVIEW: ‘Contagion’ screenwriter Scott Z. Burns
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 9:08 am · August 31st, 2011
There’s a scene in 2009’s “The Informant!,” Steven Soderbergh’s tongue-in-cheek look at corporate malfeasance written by Scott Z. Burns, when Matt Damon’s pathological liar Mark Whitacre rants internally about the spread of a virus, spurred by a sneeze from co-star Scott Bakula. By the time the film was complete, Soderbergh had built a solid working […]
Filed in: Interviews
8/31 OSCARWEB ROUND-UP: Social media boost ‘The Help,’ actress Oscar plays, Bird Flu back ahead of ‘Contagion’
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 8:16 am · August 31st, 2011
• Anne Thompson talks to “Warrior” stars Joel Edgerton and Tom Hardy and director Gavin O’Connor. [Thompson on Hollywood] • Lucas Kavner on the debt “The Help” owes to social media for its box office staying power. [Huffington Post] • Louis Virtel looks shines a light on five female roles that seem to have the […]
Filed in: Daily
REVIEW: “The Ides of March” (***)
Posted by Guy Lodge · 7:14 am · August 31st, 2011
Venice Film Festival “I’m not a Christian. I’m not an atheist. I’m not a Muslim. I’m not Jewish. I believe in the American constitution,” intones a spiffily-suited and even fresher-faced-than-usual Ryan Gosling as the opening line of “The Ides of March,” George Clooney’s crisp, diverting and typically (even overly) studious political thriller. Standing at the […]
The Dude and his guitar
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 3:06 pm · August 30th, 2011
In case you didn’t know, recent Oscar-winner Jeff Bridges has a new album in stores. It’s been on shelves for two weeks now. I spotted this piece at CNN and thought it was worth passing along:
Filed in: Daily
Jennifer Lawrence nude!!!!!!!!!
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 2:06 pm · August 30th, 2011
Now that you’re here, nude-celeb-surfing keyword junkie, take a look around. We cover Oscars and stuff, too. (This is from the DVD/Blu-ray release, by the way, which hits shelves a week from Friday. Couldn’t resist a little SEO fun with the headline.)
Filed in: Daily
VENICE: Follow the Lido — a festival preview
Posted by Guy Lodge · 9:14 am · August 30th, 2011
“Why Venice and not Toronto?” a colleague asked when I mentioned I was heading to the Lido for the world’s oldest film festival for the third straight year. Given the North American bent of this site, it was a fair question, but also one I found easy to answer — and not just for the […]
Filed in: Daily
Sneaking ‘Warrior’
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 9:10 am · August 30th, 2011
Many of you may be interested, so, the press release, in part: Santa Monica, CA, August 30, 2011- LIONSGATE® (NYSE: LGF), a leading global entertainment company, today announced a special sneak preview screening program for inspirational sports drama WARRIOR. The screenings will be held on Sunday, September 4th at 7:00 pm, at theaters nationwide. The […]
Filed in: Daily
‘Martha Marcy,’ my, my, my
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 8:52 am · August 30th, 2011
After the film caused a major splash at Sundance in January and continued the discussion at Cannes in May, it’s safe to say I’ve been champing at the bit to see what Sean Durkin’s “Martha Marcy May Marlene” had in store. I expected an above average indie experience with highlights of talent to likely be […]
THE LISTS: Top 10 most anticipated films of the 2011-2012 Oscar season
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 8:11 am · August 30th, 2011
If you haven’t noticed, this week has pretty much launched our 2011-2012 Oscar season coverage in earnest. Since it has been ages since we dusted of our lists feature here at In Contention, it seemed a good way to peek into the season was offering up a personal list of anticipations. I’ve seen a few […]
Filed in: The Lists
‘The Ides of March’ poster
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 7:55 am · August 30th, 2011
Some weeks back we posted the intriguing banner-style poster for George Clooney’s “The Ides of March.” I’ve been waiting on a typical one-sheet to make its way here and now, it has, fit with a dry tagline and more of that double imagery, given the placement of Clooney and Ryan Gosling’s heads. The film is […]
Filed in: Daily
8/30 OSCARWEB ROUND-UP: Mirren on her bod, ‘Exotic Marigold’ gets some press, films skipping fall fests
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 7:36 am · August 30th, 2011
• Helen Mirren on “The Debt,” getting played by Jessica Chastain and everyone’s ongoing obsession with her body. [Vulture] • Newly minted UK resident Julianne Moore talks “Crazy, Stupid, Love” across the pond. [Daily Telegraph] • Susan Wloszczyna talks shooting in India with “The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel” principals. [USA Today]
Filed in: Daily
Tweetminder
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 6:17 pm · August 29th, 2011
Just a note, given the Telluride and Venice festivities on the way, and the fact that sometimes we can’t get back to the computer to file quick enough, be sure to follow @guylodge and me, @kristapley at Twitter for one-offs and general reactions to the two fests we’ll be covering.
Filed in: Daily
‘Tinker, Tailor’ joins the December club
Posted by Guy Lodge · 11:06 am · August 29th, 2011
American viewers already frustrated about waiting two months longer than the Brits to lay eyes on Tomas Alfredson’s “Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy” — welcome to our world, guys — won’t be pleased by Pete Hammond’s revelation in a recent column that the wait has been extended by three weeks. Yes, Focus Features has pushed the […]
Filed in: Daily
McCarthy on Telluride and why a secret line-up works
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 10:48 am · August 29th, 2011
This morning’s festival preview Off the Carpet column offered up a cross-section of films taking bows in the next few weeks. But a number of them can’t exactly be confirmed for Telluride, because, as always, the line-up is kept secret. It’s a unique strategy that has served the fest well over the years, and over […]
Filed in: Daily
Listen to Chris Cornell’s ‘The Keeper’ from ‘Machine Gun Preacher’
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 9:45 am · August 29th, 2011
I haven’t heard too many great things about Marc Forster’s “Machine Gun Preacher,” which is set for a bow at Toronto next month. I’ve been interested in it mainly for the contribution of Chris Cornell on the soundtrack, as the Soundgarden front man cooked up the original song “The Keeper” for the film. I haven’t […]
Filed in: Daily
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