Michael Douglas honored with Santa Barbara Film Festival's Kirk Douglas Award

Posted by · 8:34 am · October 14th, 2011

The Santa Barbara Film Festival honored Michael Douglas Thursday night with the sixth annual Kirk Douglas Award for Excellence in Film. On hand were Annette Bening and Danny DeVito, among others.

Continue reading »

Filed in: HitFix · In Contention

Oscar Talk: Ep 65 — 'My Week with Marilyn' and 'Hugo' premiere at New York fest

Posted by · 7:57 am · October 14th, 2011

In this week’s edition of Oscar Talk, Kris and Anne dig in to “My Week with Marilyn” and “Hugo,” which bowed at NYFF earlier in the week.

Continue reading »

Filed in: HitFix · In Contention

Oscarweb Round-up: 'Martha Marcy' media blitz

Posted by · 7:03 am · October 14th, 2011

In today’s round-up, “Martha Marcy May Marlene” star Elizabeth Olsen continues making the rounds, Variety honors Pixar honcho John Lasseter and that lawsuit against “The Hurt Locker” is finally thrown out.

Continue reading »

Filed in: HitFix · In Contention

First trailer for 'Shame' nails the tone

Posted by · 2:29 am · October 14th, 2011

Ahead of its UK debut at the London Film Festival tonight, The Guardian has unveiled the first trailer for Steve McQueen’s fall festival hit “Shame” — with an award-winning performance from Michael Fassbender that could be an Oscar dark horse.

Continue reading »

Filed in: HitFix · In Contention

The Long Shot: Foreign exchange

Posted by · 5:42 pm · October 13th, 2011

This year, however, the stage has been set for the Academy to make more relevant choices than usual in the often-derided Best Foreign Language Film category. The list of 63 contenders announced today includes many critically beloved festival hits, but will voters take the bait?

Continue reading »

Filed in: HitFix · In Contention

Tech Support: 'Tintin' and 'Super 8' stand out among Best Sound Editing contenders

Posted by · 9:23 am · October 13th, 2011

In this week’s Tech Support column, we analyze the Best Sound Editing category. Top contenders include “Transformers: Dark of the Moon,” “Super 8” and “The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn.”

Continue reading »

Filed in: HitFix · In Contention

Oscarweb Round-up: Will Czech entry 'Alois Nebel' qualify as animated and boost the field?

Posted by · 7:08 am · October 13th, 2011

In today’s round-up, Czech foreign film entry “Alois Nebel” declares intentions to submit for animated feature consideration, “Martha Marcy May Marlene” star Elizabeth Olsen is ready for her close-up and Alexander Payne sets out to cast the HELL out of his latest film, “Nebraska.”

Continue reading »

Filed in: HitFix · In Contention

Review: The circle of lifelessness in '360'

Posted by · 1:45 am · October 13th, 2011

There are precious few good screenplays that begin with the words, “A wise man once said…”. Peter Morgan’s script for “360,” a vacuous theoretical spin on “La Ronde,” isn’t one of them.

Continue reading »

Filed in: HitFix · In Contention

Taking questions for 10/14 Oscar Talk

Posted by · 11:47 am · October 12th, 2011

Offer up your burning queries

Continue reading »

Filed in: HitFix · In Contention

Previewing the best of the London fest

Posted by · 6:16 pm · October 11th, 2011

Tomorrow marks the beginning of the BFI London Film Festival, which opens with Fernando Meirelles’s tepidly reviewed “360.” But I’m beginning on a positive note, with a list of the 15 best already-seen films of the fest.

Continue reading »

Filed in: HitFix · In Contention

Douglas Trumbull feted by Visual Effects Society

Posted by · 4:44 pm · October 11th, 2011

Visual effects wizard Douglas Trumbull’s work on “The Tree of Life” has sparked warranted respect and consideration this year. He has been tapped by the Visual Effects Society for this year’s Georges Méliès Award.

Continue reading »

Filed in: HitFix · In Contention

Aaron Sorkin remembers Steve Jobs… and the Pixar movie that never was

Posted by · 2:52 pm · October 11th, 2011

Aaron Sorkin’s chief memory of Steve Jobs concerns a creative proposal made to him that isn’t too hard to imagine as a reality — Jobs, it seems, wanted a reluctant Sorkin to write a Pixar movie.

Continue reading »

Filed in: HitFix · In Contention

Review: Colman stuns as 'Tyrannosaur' wrecks

Posted by · 1:29 pm · October 11th, 2011

Severe, compassionate and graced with exquisite performances by Olivia Colman and Peter Mullan, Paddy Considine’s directorial debut “Tyrannosaur” is a moving, comfort-free study of personal abuse in its manifold forms.

Continue reading »

Filed in: HitFix · In Contention

The Lists: Top 10 westerns of all time

Posted by · 10:04 am · October 11th, 2011

With Mateo Gil’s “Blackthorn” in theaters, we use it as an excuse to dig in on the best westerns ever. Films that made the cut include, “Red River,” “McCabe & Mrs. Miller” and “The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford.”

Continue reading »

Filed in: HitFix · In Contention

Paramount announces first ever digital streaming program for awards season contenders

Posted by · 7:35 am · October 11th, 2011

Paramount PIctures has announced a new program to screen its awards contenders via digital screeners. The Visual Effects Society will be the guinea pigs and a wide-ranging trio of films will be the first out of the gate.

Continue reading »

Filed in: HitFix · In Contention

Oscarweb Round-up: NYFFers react to 'Hugo'

Posted by · 7:09 am · October 11th, 2011

In today’s round-up, New York Film Festival attendees react to Martin Scorsese’s “Hugo,” a Detroit woman has the gall to sue the distributor of “Drive” for not getting a dumbed-down chase movie and David Fincher launches yet another dubious viral site for “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.”

Continue reading »

Filed in: HitFix · In Contention

Go behind the scenes of Martin Scorsese's 'Hugo'

Posted by · 12:44 pm · October 10th, 2011

With Martin Scorsese’s “Hugo” set to screen as a work-in-progress tonight at the New York Film Festival, a new clip offering a behind the scenes glimpse of the film has hit the net.

Continue reading »

Filed in: HitFix · In Contention

Off the Carpet: Streep and Davis head up a tight but lacking pack of Best Actress contenders

Posted by · 12:09 pm · October 10th, 2011

Moving on to the lead actress contenders today, we dig in on who’s looking good, who’s lacking and who could spoil.

Continue reading »

Filed in: HitFix · In Contention