In Contention

Blog

  • Zack Snyder tapped for Nolan-produced ‘Superman’

    How’s that for an SEO-baiting headline?  You’ll find them everywhere today.

    And the thing is, I strangely have little to no comment on the matter.  Snyder is a good guy.  He’s done well by Warner Bros.  It makes sense for a lot of people involved but there’s still something insular and unimaginative about it all.  And moving in a direction I don’t see as a fan, but what do I matter?  (The villain will be General Zod, by the way.)

    Anyway, I had my say on all of this once — no, twice, actually.  I wish the production well.  Why don’t you just tell me what you think already?

    Oh, speaking of Nolan, nifty “Inception” trailer, re-imagined for the 1950s, after the jump.

    (more…)

  • The ‘Social Network’ generation split

    Last week, I mused on the possibility of “The Social Network”‘s highly youth-oriented narrative proving a bit of an obstacle to older audiences, Academy members among them. So far, it seems not to be a problem: judging on reactions I’ve skimmed and conversations I’ve had, interest in the film spans a broad demographic range, as the media saturation has ensured even people who wouldn’t dream of opening a Facebook account are aware of its existence.

    Nevertheless, a couple of articles published over the weekend suggest that the film does still expose a generational divide — just not in simple “will see/won’t see” terms. Rather, as the NYT’s David Carr writes, it’s the way audiences respond to the film and its characters that is likely to differ across age groups, with some seeing it as a cautionary tale and others as a success story:

    “When you talk to people afterward, it was as if they were seeing two different films,” said Scott Rudin, one of the producers. “The older audiences see Zuckerberg as a tragic figure who comes out of the film with less of himself than when he went in, while young people see him as completely enhanced, a rock star, who did what he needed to do to protect the thing that he had created.”

    (more…)

  • POLL: What is your favorite David Fincher film?

    As mentioned over the weekend, I’ll have a David Fincher-themed list coming your way tomorrow.  In the meantime, however, I thought I’d update the poll with a new query.

    Fincher has offered up eight feature films in the last 18 years.  It’s a healthy portfolio and, I think it’s fair to say, a singular one.  I’ve had a blast digging back into his work over the past week or so but I don’t even think I could answer this question fully at the moment.  Still a few more re-viewings to go.

    Now that “The Social Network” is in theaters, I’ll just put it out to you: What’s your favorite film from the director?  Check the left sidebar and pencil in your vote.  And feel free to use this space to discuss your pick and others’.

    Be sure to check back some time tomorrow for that list, our first in, jeez, three months?  We really should knock the dust off that feature.

  • OFF THE CARPET: Carpe diem

    Two weeks ago in this space I discussed the precariousness of “frontrunner” status in an Oscar race. At the time, coming off of a big surge in Toronto, “The King’s Speech” was the big dog on the porch. But be warned, I said. It’s a marathon, not a sprint.

    Now that “The Social Network” has released, accompanied by glowing review after glowing review, not to mention a media blitz to make the head spin, that film is looking like an alpha in the year’s awards season. And, inevitably, the race is already being reduced to a generational battle between the two…yet it’s barely October.

    Here’s the thing. If you’re a studio still priming your pony, you have to be watching all of this unfold with giddy delight, licking your chops, ravenous. This is the kind of situation easily devoured by savvy marketing in Oscar land, and if I’m a rival contender, I’m remembering my Horace: “Seize the day.”

    But it’s a delicate balance. One doesn’t want to charge out and shoehorn into the discussion, lest you be tossed aside as mere garnish to the main course of these two films. However, playing it too cool and quiet isn’t the safest bet either, as an Oscar win is the culmination of built steam and sustained speed (which be in the form of a long drag or a quick burst of energy at the right during the right frame).

    (more…)

  • ‘True Grit’ trailer

    Last week we got our first look at the Coen brothers’ “True Grit” via a crafty teaser trailer with no shortage of visual flourish. Friday a teaser poster hit and over the weekend a fuller version of the trailer was attached to a number of new releases. Today, via Yahoo! Movies, we get an online look…and yes, it’s AWESOME (though structured more commercially than like a Coen film). We get a good look at Matt Damon’s performance here, which I hear is a highlight of the film. Have a look at the trailer by clicking the image below or watch an embed after the jump.

    (more…)

  • ‘Secretariat’ makes for a bumpy ride

    Last month, it was somewhat fascinating to watch Randall Wallace’s “Secretariat” a day after Anton Corbijn’s “The American.” There is no comparison to draw between the two, of course, but if the latter is the ultimate “show, don’t tell” film, then the former is most certainly the ultimate “tell, don’t show” film.

    Mike Rich’s screenplay (which was “suggested” by William Nack’s book “Secretariat: The Making of a Champion,” the closing titles tell us — I don’t know if that makes it original or adapted) is soaked in the most viscous sentiment you could imagine, and perhaps as much as you’d expect from the sampling of materials put out thus far.  But while that might be forgivable given the feel-good nature of the narrative, the repetition of that sentiment is what kills it.  My guess is director Wallace couldn’t settle on which blatant example of force-fed symbolism or thematic showmanship to trim from the potent mixture, so he just kept it all.

    (more…)

  • Zuckerberg gets Simpsonized

    One more clip from last night’s episode after the jump.

    (more…)

  • 10/4 OSCARWEB ROUND-UP: On Gekko and Zuckerberg, Oscar season on Twitter, clamoring for ‘Social’ reactions

    • Peter Lattman sits down with “Inside Job” director Charles Ferguson. [Dealbook]

    • A.O. Scott on the drive and determination of Gordon Gekko and Mark Zuckerberg. [New York Times]

    • Scott Feinberg puts together a massive, comprehensive list of Oscar contenders and pundits on Twitter.  Follow away! [ScottFeinberg.com]

    (more…)

  • BOX OFFICE: ‘Social Network’ confirms a ton of friends

    A solid start and a big win for Sony marketing, I should think.  “The Town” pulled in a little more than I would have expected.  “Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps” is fading away as it was leapfrogged by “Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole.” And “Let Me In” had the life sucked out of it.  More importantly: REDSKINS/EAGLES!

  • ‘Moon’ redrawn: own a future classic

    I know there are a lot of “Moon” fans and collector types among you, so I thought this worth mention. The great British design studio All City, who dreamed up the justly famous poster for Duncan Jones’s sci-fi debut, have launched a new series of limited edition Redrawn poster concepts for some of their most famous titles of recent years — all of them available to purchase.

    The striking sketch-based prints are all eminently frameable: this rejigged take on the “Moon” poster appears to be the most popular, but I’m just as keen on what they’ve done with the likes of “Control,” “Let the Right One In” and “Spirited Away.” At around $120 to $240 a pop, they’re not quite bargainous, but should age pretty nicely. Check ’em out here; some of my favorites after the cut.

    (more…)

  • Fincher music video memory lane

    I’m thinking about kicking the tires on our Lists series and offering something up Tuesday in honor of the director of the hour, David Fincher. I’ve been digging back into all of his work looking for an idea (I think I settled on one), and part of the digging was giving his music videos another look. I figured I’d offer a bunch of them up here. My favorite below, tons more after the jump.

    (more…)

  • CINEJABBER: One more time to kill the pain

    Catch the idea behind these weekend posts here.

    I don’t have much in the way of a conversation starter this week.  However, I was happy to see Emma Stone’s career taking off with the news that she’ll be offered the Mary Jane Watson role in Sony’s “Spider-Man” reboot.

    Many first took notice of the actress in last year’s “Zombieland” but most really perked up with her “Easy A” performance.  Personally, I’ve been quite taken by her since her big screen debut in Greg Mottola’s “Superbad.”

    I never took to Kirsten Dunst in the role, by the way.  There’s a certain sultriness to the character that Dunst (an actress I don’t like in general, “The Virgin Suicides” excepted) just didn’t have.  Stone has that in spades, though I feel like there’s still something slightly off.  Maybe it’s just the general idea of a “Spider-Man” reboot that I still can’t wrap my head around.  Who knows?  But this would be a smart choice by a young star at the beginning of her career.

    (more…)

  • John Legend performs ‘Shine’

    A few months back we featured a video of John Legend performing Best Original Song contender “Shine” from “Waiting for Superman.” Today, though, via Wall Street Journal’s Speakeasy blog, I stumbled across this more, well, “produced” video of the singer crooning the tune.

    It’s a gorgeous piece of music (and a highpoint of a post-screening LAFF shindig back in June).  I imagine it’ll be in the thick of the hunt this season, possibly even the eventual winner.  I don’t think any of the Disney contenders have the gravitas to win and after that it’s, what, stuff from “Burlesque” and “Country Strong?”

    Speaking of which, I updated the Best Original Song category in our Contenders section with all of the possibilities I could round up.  Let me know if I forgot anything.  (I’m sure I did.)  Check out Legend’s WSJ performance of “Shine” after the jump.

    (more…)

  • ‘Tree of Life’ not waiting for Cannes?

    When Terrence Malick’s endlessly postponed “The Tree of Life” was finally handed over to Fox Searchlight and ruled a 2011 release, the conversation turned to which festival would get to host the film’s premiere. Many pundits (myself included) assumed that Cannes’s top dog status — in terms of both red-carpet allure and awards heft — would get it the gig, but if this tweet from the ever well-informed Cédric Succivalli is to be believed, we could be seeing it earlier than that.

    Succivalli writes that the film’s French distributor EuropaCorp has confirmed a February 23 release date, obviously ruling out a Cannes appointment three months later. That leaves only two major fests where it could potentially bow: Sundance (an idea Anne Thompson previously floated on Oscar Talk) and Berlin.

    Interestingly, the mid-February Berlinale was the festival of choice for both “The Thin Red Line” (which won the Golden Bear) and “The New World” (which played out of competition), even if neither film actually had its world premiere there. So it wouldn’t be entirely surprising to see “The Tree of Life” extend that relationship.

    (more…)

  • WEEKLY WRAP: Hollywood mourns, foreign race, bait battle

    • A grim week for Hollywood talent, as we said goodbye to Gloria Stuart, Tony Curtis, Arthur Penn and, most prematurely, Sally Menke.

    • Mexico’s “Biutiful” became the starriest entry yet on the Best Foreign Language Film longlist, now up to a round 60 titles.

    • This week’s Long Shot column examined the widely predicted “Social Network”-versus-“King’s Speech” Best Picture battle, wondering what it says about the current state of “Oscar bait.”

    • Just to remind us that there are other films knocking around, the long-awaited trailer for the Coens’ “True Grit” set the web abuzz.

    (more…)

  • Celebrating 25 years of Burton/Elfman collaborations

    In the “sign me up now, please” category today is a recently announced boxed set of Danny Elfman’s music collaborations with filmmaker Tim Burton.  I first heard about the limited edition set via the New York Times in a piece that went up on the Arts Beat blog yesterday.  It featured a video with Burton and Elfman discussing the monumental “Batman” score — talk about grabbing my attention.

    Anyone who knows me knows what role that 1989 superhero extravaganza played in my film-going youth.  But the idea that there might be some extra, never-before-heard material waiting in a vault somewhere?  Giddiness.  Pure giddiness.

    But it’s not just “Batman” stuff.  The set celebrates “the 25th anniversary of the ingenious collaboration” between the two singular artists, reads a press release that went out today.   “[The] numbered box set of 1000…collects expansions of the 13 original scores that Elfman has composed for Burton’s iconic films” and is “a newly produced library of 16 CDs each packaged with artwork by Burton, adding up to more than 19 hours of music.”  Wow.

    (more…)

  • ‘For Colored Girls’ poster

    Yes, as usual when it comes to a “For Colored Girls” post, we’re all playing wait and see on Tyler Perry’s latest. Maybe it’s an awards contender (I hear Kimberly Elise gives the stand-out performance), maybe it’s not. The trailer was spiffy, and there was a set of character posters that was just as fetching. Now, courtesy of Movieline, we get a look at the official one-sheet. Check out the full image after the jump.

    (more…)

  • OSCAR TALK: Ep. 34 — Screeners arrive, ‘Social Network’ and ‘Let Me In’ open, ‘Secretariat’ thoughts, remembering Sally Menke

    Oscar TalkWelcome to Oscar Talk.

    In case you’re new to the site and/or the podcast, Oscar Talk is a weekly kudocast, a one-stop awards chat shop between yours truly and Anne Thompson of Thompson on Hollywood. The podcast is weekly, every Friday throughout the season, charting the ups and downs of contenders along the way. Plenty of things change en route to Oscar’s stage and we’re here to address it all as it unfolds.

    Two incredibly well-reviewed films are hitting theaters today and Academy voters already have screeners sitting on their doorsteps, not to mention a somber week for the Hollywood community, so there’s plenty to dive into. Let’s see what’s on the docket…

    (more…)