Review: Patience pays off for refreshing animated tale 'The Little Prince'

Posted by · 5:59 pm · June 4th, 2015

Mark Osborne’s refreshing adaptation of the classic tale “The Little Prince” shows a patience most studio-produced animated flicks rarely allow these days.

Continue reading »

Filed in: HitFix · In Contention

Review: When Felicity Jones is the best part of 'True Story' we've got problems

Posted by · 12:40 pm · January 24th, 2015

Jonah Hill and James Franco are simply miscast in “True Story,” a new drama from director Rupert Goold.

Continue reading »

Filed in: HitFix · In Contention

Jonah Hill and James Franco go serious in ’True Story' trailer

Posted by · 10:13 am · December 18th, 2014

Before its 2015 Sundance premiere, Fox Searchlight premieres the trailer for its true crime tale, featuring dramatically different turns for stars Jonah Hill and James Franco.

Continue reading »

Filed in: HitFix · In Contention

Following terrorist threat, Sony officially cancels 'The Interview' release

Posted by · 1:17 pm · December 17th, 2014

Sony has officially canceled of “The Interview,” which was slated for a Christmas Day bow, following terrorist threats.

Continue reading »

Filed in: HitFix · In Contention

'12 Years a Slave' and 'Blue is the Warmest Color' win with Gay and Lesbian critics

Posted by · 12:44 pm · January 22nd, 2014

“12 Years a Slave” has picked up yet another Best Picture prize from a critics organization, as the Gay & Lesbian Entertainment Critics Association (GALECA) tapped it the year’s best for 2013. Oscar frontrunners Matthew McConaughey and Cate Blanchett won top acting honors, while “Blue is the Warmest Color” received a pair of prizes including LGBT Film of the Year. HBO’s “Behind the Candelabra” and Netflix’s “Orange is the New Black” picked up awards in the TV categories, including a tie for TV Drama of the Year.

Continue reading »

Filed in: HitFix · In Contention

Dear Academy members: Don't forget these contenders

Posted by · 12:00 am · January 6th, 2014

Scarlett Johansson, Spike Jonze, Sally Hawkins, Oscar Isaac, James Franco and Amy Adams are just a few of the potential nominees that Academy members should give serious consideration to before submitting their nomination ballots this Wednesday.

Continue reading »

Filed in: HitFix · In Contention

'Inside Llewyn Davis' dominates National Society of Film Critics honors

Posted by · 1:25 pm · January 4th, 2014

“Inside Llewyn Davis,” Jennifer Lawrence, Cate Blanchett and James Franco each earned big wins with the announcement of the 2013 National Society of Film Critics honors.

Continue reading »

Filed in: HitFix · In Contention

'Gravity' wins Best Picture from Central Ohio critics

Posted by · 5:48 pm · January 2nd, 2014

“Gravity” picked up another Best Picture prize on the critics circuit today as the Central Ohio Film Critics Association handed it the year’s top honor. Alfonso Cuarón won Best Director for the film and Emmanuel Lubezki won Best Cinematography. Top acting honors went to Chiwetel Ejiofor and Adèle Exarchopoulos and James Franco was recognized for his work in “Spring Breakers.”

Continue reading »

Filed in: HitFix · In Contention

Off the Carpet: Could David O. Russell finally strike Oscar gold with frizzy 'American Hustle?'

Posted by · 6:37 am · December 23rd, 2013

The precursor film awards circuit seems to have rallied around “12 Years a Slave” as the year’s consensus pick, but could it be “American Hustle” that becomes the most generally agreeable movie of the year for the Academy?

Continue reading »

Filed in: HitFix · In Contention

Roundup: Why an Oscar for James Franco is no laughing matter

Posted by · 3:45 am · December 16th, 2013

In today’s roundup of notable online news and views, James Franco speaks in defence of his and A24’s playful awards campaign for “Spring Breakers,” which is bearing fruit with the critics. Meanwhile, who has the best ‘do in “American Hustle?”

Continue reading »

Filed in: HitFix · In Contention

'12 Years a Slave' tops with San Francisco critics, but 'Gravity' wins four

Posted by · 3:12 pm · December 15th, 2013

Alfonso Cuarón’s “Gravity” was a big favorite with the San Francisco Film Critics Circle this year, picking up four awards from the group including Best Director. But it was “12 Years a Slave” that the group named Best Picture of the year. Chiwetel Ejiofor and Cate Blanchet took top acting honors, while James Franco nabbed his second prize of the critics circuit. “American Hustle” won two awards, for Best Supporting Actress (Jennifer Lawrence) and Best Original Screenplay.

Continue reading »

Filed in: HitFix · In Contention

Off the Carpet: The critics leave it wide open

Posted by · 10:21 am · December 9th, 2013

The chatter that has arisen in the wake of this initial precursor wave could have been predicted: it’s anyone’s game. New York, Los Angeles, Boston and other regional critics have had their say and there’s plenty of love being spread around so far.

Continue reading »

Filed in: HitFix · In Contention

'Gravity' ties with 'Her' as LA critics' Best Picture winner

Posted by · 12:14 pm · December 8th, 2013

The Los Angeles Film Critics Association were in an indecisive mood today, as three categories ended in ties — most notably Best Picture, which was shared by two very different technological visions: “Gravity” and “Her.”

Continue reading »

Filed in: HitFix · In Contention

James Franco among nominees for Cinema Eye's Heterodox Award

Posted by · 7:47 am · November 26th, 2013

The Cinema Eye Honors for documentary filmmaking have announced the five nominees for their Heterodox Award for narrative films that incorporate documentary elements. Among the nominees are James Franco and Travis Matthews’ “Interior. Leather Bar.”

Continue reading »

Filed in: HitFix · In Contention

Sony Classics comes to the rescue of Paul Haggis' 'Third Person'

Posted by · 4:38 pm · November 7th, 2013

Things haven’t exactly gone swimmingly for Paul Haggis since he won that contentious Best Picture Oscar for “Crash” nearly eight years ago. Clint Eastwood’s “Letters from Iwo Jima” nabbed him another writing nod a year later, and a pair of new-model Bond films kept him ticking over, but on the directorial side of things, it’s […]

Continue reading »

Filed in: HitFix · In Contention

Roundup: Truth and fiction in 'Dallas Buyers Club'

Posted by · 4:30 am · November 4th, 2013

In today’s roundup of notable online news and views, “Dallas Buyers Club” is the latest Oscar hopeful to get the fact-checking treatment. Meanwhile, Werner Herzog thinks highly of James Franco in “Spring Breakers,” and Netflix acquires potentially gets into the Oscar game with “The Square.”

Continue reading »

Filed in: HitFix · In Contention

How has James Franco saturated the festival circuit?

Posted by · 7:05 am · August 28th, 2013

The multi-hyphenate has been the year’s most ubiquitous festival presence.

Continue reading »

Filed in: HitFix · In Contention

Alfonso Cuarón, Jason Reitman, the Coens and more set for 40th annual Telluride Film Festival

Posted by · 6:00 am · August 28th, 2013

The Coen brothers, T Bone Burnett and Robert Redford are among those to be feted at the 40th annual Telluride Film Festival, which will feature the world premieres of Jason Reitman’s “Labor Day” and Ralph Fiennes’ “The Invisible Woman.” Prestige titles from the 2013 festival circuit so far have been curated for the weekend as well, including Alexander Payne’s “Nebraska,” J.C. Chandor’s “All is Lost” and the Coens’ “Inside Llewyn Davis.”

Continue reading »

Filed in: HitFix · In Contention