Round-up: Did you hear 'The Descendants' is an underdog all of a sudden?

Posted by · 7:17 am · February 10th, 2012

In today’s round-up, Fox Searchlight plays the “underdog” card for “The Descendants,” the Academy promises a “hard look” at the Best Original Song process and a number of the Oscar-nominated screenwriters podcast it up.

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American Cinema Editors honor Alexander Payne

Posted by · 11:58 am · February 6th, 2012

Alexander Payne will be honored at next week’s American Cinema Editors’ awards ceremony with their Filmmaker of the Year award — continuing a much-desired show of support for “The Descendants” from the editors’ contingent.

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Oscar Guide 2011: Best Writing (Adapted Screenplay)

Posted by · 9:19 am · February 1st, 2012

A script is a film’s blueprint, making it unsurprising that most of the nominees in this category have historically also been nominated for Best Picture. This year was no exception, with three of the final five adapted screenplay contenders also chalked up as the year’s best films. Room was also made for a particularly challenging adaptation of a classic novel and a star-studded film with no other nominations.

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Round-up: Sundance tames the 'Beasts'

Posted by · 8:20 am · January 30th, 2012

Also: Jean Dujardin sings, and the ‘post-macho world’ of ‘The Descendants’

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Predicting Sunday's SAG Awards

Posted by · 5:29 pm · January 26th, 2012

We handicap the five film categories in the upcoming Screen Actors’ Guild Awards, which should in turn anticipate the Oscar race.

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The Long Shot: Fade away and radiate

Posted by · 1:50 pm · January 25th, 2012

This year’s Oscar nominations were not only kind to Hollywood’s old guard, but a number of films with their eye on the rear-view mirror.

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Tech Support: 'The Artist,' 'Hugo,' 'Dragon Tattoo' and 'War Horse' feature heavily in Oscar's crafts categories

Posted by · 1:12 pm · January 24th, 2012

This morning, many crafts artists in Hollywood (and elsewhere in the world) found out that they are heading to the Kodak Theatre for the 84th Annual Academy Awards. The thrill they are experiencing must be difficult to describe.

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Oscar Talk: Ep. 79 — Special Edition! — Thoughts on the the 2011 Oscar nominations

Posted by · 12:14 pm · January 24th, 2012

In this week’s podcast Kris and Anne are joined by Guy Lodge to discuss this morning’s Oscar nominations and offer up predictions in each category.

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'Hugo' leads with 11 Oscar nominations, 'War Horse' in, 'Dragon Tattoo' out

Posted by · 4:15 am · January 24th, 2012

The nominees are in and the surprises are few and far between, in my opinion (though others seem to be picking their jaws up off the floor this morning). As indicated yesterday, “Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close” caught fire with voters down the stretch and was very much on their lips. The film turned up in the nine-film Best Picture category today, despite being critically disassembled, and that was pretty much the only eyebrow-raiser of the major categories. The film only showed up in one other category: Best Supporting Actor for Max von Sydow.

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Still in the dark: final Oscar nominee predictions

Posted by · 6:04 pm · January 22nd, 2012

Guy Lodge reveals his final predictions for Tuesday’s Oscar nominations, and addresses some of his key uncertainties across the categories.

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Oscar Talk: Ep. 78 — Golden Globes, BAFTA nominees, more guild announcements and Sundance 2012

Posted by · 8:08 am · January 20th, 2012

In this week’s podcast, Kris and Anne discuss last weekend’s Golden Globes, the BAFTA an guild announcements of the week and the currently underway Sundance Film Festival.

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Interview: Judy Greer on ‘The Descendants' and Payne's 'intimately hands-off' approach

Posted by · 10:42 pm · January 19th, 2012

With “The Descendants” poised as an Oscar front runner, Judy Greer reflects back on the creation of a character who lives through the trajectory of a fully formed story in just a few brief minutes.

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Iowa critics dig 'Descendants'

Posted by · 4:51 pm · January 19th, 2012

The Iowa Film Critics have joined and drowned in the on-going chorus of year-end kudos-dishers. Drowned-in because it’s all just a blur now. “The Descendants” came out on top, winning both Best Picture and Best Director. And there’s Melissa McCarthy, yet again.

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Tech Support: Wrapping up guesses throughout the Academy's craft categories

Posted by · 1:31 pm · January 19th, 2012

Rounding out my picks in the Academy’s crafts branches, from Best Music to Best Visual Effects.

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Tech Support: Guessing the nominees throughout the Academy's craft categories

Posted by · 7:49 am · January 19th, 2012

In five days, the nominations for the 84th annual Academy Awards will be announced. It seems extraordinary that another season has nearly passed. And with a silent film and a somewhat fantastical (not-so-) children’s film poised to dominate the major categories, one realizes how quickly trends can change in Hollywood. But now it’s time to make our final picks across the crafts categories.

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ACE noms check off 'Artist,' 'Descendants,' ignore 'The Help'

Posted by · 9:43 am · January 16th, 2012

The ACE Eddie Award nominations for film editing are more revealing in terms of omissions than inclusions. It’s good news for “The Artist,” “The Descendants” and even “War Horse,” but “The Help” suffers a setback here.

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A night at the Golden Globes

Posted by · 9:04 am · January 16th, 2012

Well, the Globes came and they went. And as I stood in the Fox Pavilion viewing party outside the Beverly Hilton hotel, guessing every single win with publicist friends, I couldn’t help but smile at the HFPA’s gall for being so predictable and so very much…themselves.

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Round-up: Nursing a Golden Globes hangover

Posted by · 8:45 am · January 16th, 2012

Also: Foreign Oscar outliers, and why the Globes beat the Oscars

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