Andrew Lesnie, the Oscar-winning cinematographer of the “Lord of the Rings” and “Hobbit” franchises, as well as the current release “The Water Diviner,” has died. He was 59.
Oscar-winning 'Lord of the Rings' cinematographer Andrew Lesnie has died
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 8:57 pm · April 27th, 2015
Filed in: HitFix · In Contention
How Weta Digital pushed the FX envelope over the 13-year Middle Earth saga
Posted by gerardkennedy · 1:54 pm · December 25th, 2014
HitFix chats with Weta visual effects supervisors Joe Letteri and Eric Saindon about the bittersweet close to Peter Jackson’s Middle Earth saga, “The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies.”
Filed in: HitFix · In Contention · Interviews
Tell us what you thought of 'The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies'
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 11:02 am · December 21st, 2014
Peter Jackson’s Middle Earth saga concludes (for now) this weekend.
Filed in: HitFix · In Contention
Evangeline Lilly was surprised Tauriel didn't see more action in final 'Hobbit'
Posted by Gregory Ellwood · 7:53 pm · December 15th, 2014
Lee Pace, Evangeline Lilly and Orlando Bloom talk cosplay, green screen and protracted shoots in celebration of Peter Jackson’s “The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies.”
Filed in: HitFix · In Contention
'American Hustle,' 'Bad Grandpa' and 'The Lone Ranger' among Oscar makeup and hairstyling finalists
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 2:08 pm · December 14th, 2013
The Academy has announced this year’s bake-off finalists for the Best Makeup and Hairstyling Oscar, and the big omissions appear to be Ron Howard’s “Rush” and Peter Jackson’s “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug.” But the Jackass boys have cause for celebration!
Filed in: HitFix · In Contention
'Man of Steel' grounded by Best Visual Effects Oscar bake-off list
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 1:32 pm · December 5th, 2013
Sorry, it’s a little ridiculous that “Man of Steel” — I don’t care WHAT you think of the film otherwise — was left off the Academy’s list of seven bake-off finalists for Best Visual Effects. But these things are often about politics, and I imagine there was plenty of that at play here.
Filed in: HitFix · In Contention
Tech Support: Space, music and the high seas clash in the race for Best Sound Mixing
Posted by gerardkennedy · 7:36 pm · November 28th, 2013
HitFix’s Gerard Kennedy surveys the field of Best Sound Mixing, from “Gravity” to “Pacific Rim” to maybe even Disney’s animated musical “Frozen.”
Filed in: HitFix · In Contention
Tech Support: Makeup and Hairstyling Oscar race features 'Rush,' 'The Butler' and… 'Bad Grandpa?'
Posted by gerardkennedy · 4:31 pm · November 21st, 2013
HitFix’s Gerard Kennedy surveys the Best Makeup and Hairstyling category, featuring contenders such as “Rush,” “Lee Daniels’ The Butler,” “12 Years a Slave” and even a movie from the “Jackass” guys.
Filed in: HitFix · In Contention
Tech Support: Best Original Song Oscar race heats up with Taylor Swift and Beyoncé
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 2:01 pm · November 7th, 2013
We’re a little ways off yet from the Academy unveiling its long list of eligible contenders in the Best Original Song Oscar race. But in the meantime, and particularly since we finally started populating the category’s Contenders section with entrants in the last week or so, it doesn’t hurt to put a finger to the wind and see what’s what.
Filed in: HitFix · In Contention
Tech Support: The production designers go it alone this year
Posted by gerardkennedy · 12:18 pm · October 31st, 2013
This year’s race for Best Production Design is a little different in that the costumers have split off and formed their own branch. How will that affect the race? From this vantage point, films like “12 Years a Slave,” “The Great Gatsby” and “Inside Llewyn Davis” seem formidable.
Filed in: HitFix · In Contention
Oscar in August: 10 predictions for the 2013-2014 awards season
Posted by Gregory Ellwood · 9:44 am · August 27th, 2013
Our annual look at some of the surefire Oscar nominees and trends a little over six months from the 86th Academy Awards.
Filed in: HitFix · In Contention
Taking stock of the Best Visual Effects race during the summer blockbuster season
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 11:04 am · July 9th, 2013
We’re right in the middle of the blockbuster movie season so it seems now would be a nice opportunity to look at the race for Best Visual Effects.
Filed in: HitFix · In Contention
Peter Jackson's 'The Hobbit' leads the way with Saturn Awards nominations
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 9:29 am · February 20th, 2013
Peter Jackson’s return to Middle Earth, “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey,” led the way with nine nominations for the 39th annual Saturn Awards, recognizing the best in genre filmmaking. It picked up nods in the Best Fantasy Film and Best Director categories, among others. Not far behind were Ang Lee’s Oscar nominee “Life of Pi” with eight and Sam Mendes’s James Bon actioner “Skyfall” with seven.
Filed in: HitFix · In Contention
'Les Misérables,' 'Brave,' 'Homeland' sound right to Cinema Audio Society
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 9:15 pm · February 16th, 2013
Is it clear sailing to a Best Sound Mixing Oscar for the musical?
Filed in: HitFix · In Contention
Oscar Guide 2013: Best Visual Effects
Posted by gerardkennedy · 10:51 am · February 8th, 2013
‘The Avengers,’ ‘The Hobbit,’ ‘Life of Pi,’ ‘Prometheus’ and ‘Snow White and the Huntsman’ square off.
Filed in: HitFix · In Contention
Oscar Guide: 2013: Best Makeup and Hairstyling
Posted by gerardkennedy · 6:33 am · February 8th, 2013
‘Hitchcock,’ ‘The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey’ and ‘Les Misérables’ square off
Filed in: HitFix · In Contention
'Cloud Atlas,' 'Impossible,' 'Life of Pi,' 'Lincoln' lead International Film Music nominations
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 10:38 am · February 7th, 2013
Sometimes I feel like it would be helpful for the International Film Music Critics Association to release its list of nominees prior to the Oscar nominations. There is no real “precursor” to help understand what the music branch might be thinking. Then again, as evidenced by this year’s slate, maybe they wouldn’t be that helpful at all. A critics group’s choices are bound to differ from a group of composers’ choices, and so it has this year.
Filed in: HitFix · In Contention
'Life of Pi' and 'Brave' rule the 11th annual Visual Effects Society Awards
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 9:39 pm · February 5th, 2013
It was a predictably great night for “Life of Pi” at tonight’s Visual Effects Society Awards as the film picked up four prizes, including the big daddy, Outstanding Visual Effects in a Visual Effects-Driven Motion Picture. Not only that, but as previously announced, the film’s director, Ang Lee, received the Society’s Visionary Award.
Filed in: HitFix · In Contention
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