Reflecting the environment into which a film is released is always an intriguing note and the mark of deeper artistic consideration. But the zeitgeist is being tickled in unexpected ways by a trio of films this month.
Action, comedy and drama hit the zeitgeist this month
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 9:04 am · October 28th, 2011
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AMPAS announces film series to celebrate the work of this year's Honorary Oscar recipients
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 8:38 am · October 28th, 2011
The Academy has put a new spin on the annual Governors Awards ceremony this year: a film series celebrating the work of the Honorary Oscar recipients. “The Exorcist,” “The Great White Hope” and “The Color Purple” will screen.
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Oscar Talk: Ep. 67 — 'Shame' and NC-17, documentary feature discussion and the weekend's releases
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 7:58 am · October 28th, 2011
In this weekend’s podcast, Anne and Kris discuss the NC-17 rating leveled toward Steve McQueen’s “Shame,” the documentary feature category in the wake of a pair of documentary organizations’ nominations announcements and this weekend’s releases, from “Anonymous” to “The Rum Diary.”
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Oscarweb Round-up: Get your very own Lisbeth Salander costume, just in time for Halloween
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 7:16 am · October 28th, 2011
In today’s round-up, a list of potential movie-inspired Halloween costumes, Diablo Cody’s reaction to sight-unseen Oscar predictions and the Academy celebrates the 40th anniversary of “The Last Picture Show.”
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International Documentary Association announces nominees
Posted by Guy Lodge · 5:06 am · October 28th, 2011
In the week’s second set of documentary award nominations, the IDA goes lower-profile than the Cinema Eye Honors — though Chilean critics’ favorite “Nostalgia for the Light” scores with both.
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Interview: John Orloff on writing 'Anonymous' and controversy over Shakespearean authorship
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 11:03 am · October 27th, 2011
John Orloff first sat down to write “Anonymous” nearly 20 years ago. This week, the film is finally finding its way to the screen (after premiering at the Toronto Film Festival last month). We talk about the film, the controversy surrounding it and whether that controversy was really the point Orloff was trying to make with his script.
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Taking questions for 10/28 Oscar Talk
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 9:27 am · October 27th, 2011
Offer up your burning queries.
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Tech Support: Best Pic hopefuls from 'War Horse' to 'Ides of March' highlight Best Film Editing
Posted by gerardkennedy · 9:19 am · October 27th, 2011
This week our weekly Tech Support column turns its gaze to the Best Film Editing category. Serious possibilities include Steven Spielberg’s one-two punch of “War Horse” and “The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn,” festival favorite “The Artist” and summer blockbusters like “Rise of the Planet of the Apes.”
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'We Need To Talk About Kevin' takes gold at London fest
Posted by Guy Lodge · 7:47 am · October 27th, 2011
On the penultimate night of the BFI London Film Festival, Lynne Ramsay’s “We Need to Talk About Kevin” became the first British winner of the fest’s Best Film award. Other winners included “Las Acacias” and Werner Herzog’s “Into the Abyss.”
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Cinema Eye Honors nominees include 'Senna,' 'Project Nim' … and Justin Bieber
Posted by Guy Lodge · 6:00 pm · October 26th, 2011
The Cinema Eye Honors, the premier international documentary awards, announced their nominees in London night. Multiple nods for “Senna,” “The Interrupters” and “Project Nim” were predictable — a nod for “Justin Bieber: Never Say Never” less so.
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London: Foreign Oscar hopefuls 'Beauty' and 'Volcano'
Posted by Guy Lodge · 11:02 am · October 26th, 2011
In our latest dispatch from the London Film Festival, we review two very different, but equally moving, submissions for the foreign-language Oscar: South African gay drama “Beauty” and Icelandic old-age study “Volcano.”
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David Letterman talks hosting the Oscars with Eddie Murphy
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 10:16 am · October 26th, 2011
Eddie Murphy has, of course, been fielding questions about his upcoming Oscar hosting gig on the press trail for “Tower Heist.” He recently stopped by David Letterman, who has his own experiences hosting the show.
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John Hawkes sings 'Marcy's Song' from 'Martha Marcy May Marlene'
Posted by Guy Lodge · 2:34 pm · October 25th, 2011
Watching “Martha Marcy May Marlene,” I was stopped dead midway through the film by John Hawkes’s eerie, melancholy performance of Jackson C. Frank’s “Marcy’s Song” — now check out a new video of his version.
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The Lists: Top 10 scary PG-rated films
Posted by Guy Lodge · 10:31 am · October 25th, 2011
Where most Halloween-themed film lists are dominated by grisly R-rated fare, it’s worth remembering that it’s not only adults who like being spooked in the cinema. Today’s list rounds up ten frightening films — not all of them thrillers, not all of kid-tailored — that children are free to watch, ranging from “The Witches” to “Watership Down.”
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Oscarweb Round-up: Protesting 'Anonymous'
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 8:45 am · October 25th, 2011
In today’s round-up, the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust is protesting “Anonymous” in a curious fashion, Steve Jobs is on a list of potential writers of a Steve Jobs biopic and “The Artist” takes yet another audience award.
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'Harry Potter,' George Clooney, Michelle Williams honored with Hollywood Film Awards
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 4:02 pm · October 24th, 2011
The Hollywood Film awards were held tonight, marking the first awards ceremony of the season. All honorees were previously announced. George Clooney and Michelle Williams won top acting honors while the public-voted Hollywood Movie Award went to “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2.”
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Oscarweb Round-up: The discreet charm of the writers' branch
Posted by Guy Lodge · 10:32 am · October 24th, 2011
Today’s must-read piece comes from that most reliable source of must-read pieces, Mark Harris, who this time digs deep into the whats, hows and whys of Oscar’s screenplay awards. As he so snappily puts it, the Academy’s writers’ branch has “much the same taste as Academy members overall — only better.” It’s certainly the area where […]
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Hans Zimmer bows out of this year's Oscar race
Posted by Guy Lodge · 9:56 am · October 23rd, 2011
Nine-time Oscar nominee Hans Zimmer has opted to sit out this year’s Best Original Score race by refusing to personally enter any of his 2011 scores for consideration — including “Rango” and “Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows.”
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