• Cathy Yan chats with “Up in the Air” star Anna Kendrick. [Speakeasy]
• James Schamus sets to work on “tragic, suicidally depressing” script for Ang Lee. Terrific. [Hollywood Reporter]
• Peter Bradshaw saddles back up to “Toy Story 2,” with a father’s eye. [The Guardian]
• John Boorman to be feted by Irish Film and TV Academy. [Variety]
• David Poland sits down with “Police, Adjective” director Cornelieu Porumboiu. [The Hot Blog]
• Scott Feinberg talks “Valentino: The Last Emperor” with Anne Hathaway. [And the Winner Is…]
• Steven Zeitchick tries to make sense of the “cloudy” awards picture. [24 Frames]
Comments
19 responses to “1/21 Oscarweb Round-up”
Much as I respect Shamus, I wish Ang Lee would work with another screenwriter.
The only thing more depressing than a depressing Ang Lee piece is the supposed inevitability of Avatar taking the Top Prize.
Who knew a 2-an-a-half-hour moving black-light poster would catch on like this.
But I’m still not seeing how the Academy won’t possibly surprise us that night.
@Megan: I have to respect such bold troll logic: taking a TOTALLY unrelated subject and making it about what YOU want to talk about, not the subject at hand.
Then again, I occasionally do that for Inglourious Basterds, but there’s at least some causal link. Like “Hey, we’re talking about Funny Games? Ya know what film covers similar thematic territory? Inglourious Basterds.” Whereas this is like saying “Hey, we’re talking about Halle Berry liking soup? Well, I spit out MY soup when I heard that Avatar was gonna pass The Dark Knight at the box office this weekend.”
Not that I disagree with you, but…yeah.
Seeing people stretch to find new pejoratives for Avatar is reaching comical levels. At this point, most are just being dishonest with themselves about what the movie is.
One could easily say the same thing about Avatar supporters, Kris.
(I happened to find my black light poster analogy “perjorative” pretty fucking hilarious.)
It’s also funny when people misinterpret my dry and often scathing sense of humor and find it as an occasion to slap me on the wrist.
And I’d LOVE to talk about Halle Berry’s affinity for soup, by the way. What better place to do it than here…
Yeah, I’m with Robert on this one, Kris. What exactly are we being “dishonest” with ourselves about?
I agree that Megan bringing up “Avatar” here was pointless (and Megan, applauding your own sense of humor doesn’t exactly make it easy to sympathize with you), but I’m not sure what you’re saying either, Kris.
A black light poster? That is a credible criticism of the film? Maybe it’s worse than I thought…
The blacklight poster thing was dumb, but you’re making it sound like we are just in denial and refuse to admit that this movie is awesome because we have some sort of petty grudge/psychological issue.
Do you not think that our gripes with the movie’s flaws (that even its admirers admit are plentiful) are coming from a genuine place?
And to criticize myself, I’m just feeding the troll, so I should probably stop.
And by troll I meant certain people who started the whole conversation, not Kris.
@Kris: I’m guessing it’s a reference to the fluorescent colors on Pandora and the mythical creatures like the crazy dragons and shit. Not a credible criticism, but an apt joke, at best.
Kris, how on earth do you manage to mistake “hilarious” for “credible?”
Try again.
And Liz, how is and Mr. Smith, how, praytell, is talking about Avatar any type of digression when it’s a main part of the discussion in the last artice Kris included?
And Liz, I never solicited your sympathy, but thanks for caring.
Liz: You say “we” as if I was even talking about you. Stretching to call the film a “black light poster,” as if it offers NOTHING is, I’m sorry, a reflection of a certain sort of denial in my opinion.
I have no problem hearing out discussion of the film’s flaws (which I have conceded since day one) if they are sincere and don’t come from such a place of outright petty dismissal. Never have.
[squints]
Fucked up the middle part pretty bad. Too much caffeine. But you get my drift.
So, how about that Ang Lee, eh? He really deserved that Oscar win for Brokeback.
Kris, if you ever read any of the other contributions I’ve made to these dicussions, I’ve offered up plenty of valid criticism about the movie.
Some days, however, I’m just feeling caustic.
It’s harmless, really.
Wait.
Wait, I thought we were talking about soup.
I heart you all.
@Megan: Yay! Something we all can agree on! Soup makes my tummy feel warm and cozy, like it’s wearing a Snuggie by the fire. What’s everyone’s favorite soup? I enjoy the Campbell’s Chunky Soup–they have a wonderful Grilled Chicken and Sausage Gumbo. Just tasty.
@Kris: Back atcha, big guy.