In Contention

Tag: 81st Annual Academy Awards

  • 12/13 Oscarweb Round-up

    Taraji P. Henson• How many Oscar Best Picture winners can you name in five minutes? [Jet Punk]

    • David Poland responds to “Gran Torino” raves with another slap in the face for Clint Eastwood and his film. [The Hot Blog]

    • Jeff Wells is a fan of “Good,” lost in the Oscar shuffle this year. [Hollywood Elsewhere]

    • Yours truly talks Globe nods and more with John Campea, podcast style. [The Movie Blog]

    • “The Dark Knight” tops Steven King’s list of the year’s best. [Entertainment Weekly]

    • Tom Cruise might be reprising his Golden Globe-nominated turn as Les Grossman. [E! Online]

    • Patrick Goldstein talks to Oscar telecast producer Larry Mark about the Jackman emcee pick. [The Big Picture]

    • A brief back-and-forth with “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” star Taraji P. Henson. [Vulture]

    • Yours truly profiles the actress. [Variety]

    • David Carr makes some humorous observations about a few of the season’s movie posters. [The Carpetbagger]

  • Steve Coogan to host Indie Spirits, waiting on Oscar emcee

    It has been announced that “Hamlet 2” and “Tropic Thunder” star Steve Coogan will host this year’s Independent Spirit Awards, a considerable step up from Rainn Wilson and Sarah Silverman, if you ask me.  Last year’s show was mostly “meh” — well, generally the Indie Spirits are “meh.”  Then again, I spent most of the time in the press tent last year, so what do I know?

    But Coogan is a great get, someone I never even considered for something like this but a guy who’s clearly got the chops.  Now we’re just waiting to hear who the Oscar host will be, an announcement that should come any day.

  • Michael Giacchino tapped to head Oscar orchestra

    Michael GiacchinoFrom the AMPAS press release:

    Michael Giacchino will serve as the musical director for the 81st Academy Awards®, telecast producer Laurence Mark and executive producer Bill Condon announced today. Though Giacchino has composed music and conducted orchestras for both film and television, this will be his first time with the baton for the Oscar telecast and for a live broadcast.

    “Michael is an extraordinarily talented and versatile musical artist,” said Mark and Condon in a joint statement. “We couldn’t be happier that he is game to come on board.

    A highly vague quotation that, but the news is the news.  Glad to hear it.  Giacchino is a personaly fave (who was criminally ignored by the Academy for his work on “The Incredibles” in 2004).

    Alright…bring on the host announcement (which should come any day).

  • 10/26 Oscarweb Round-up

    Luke and Brie are on a First Date• Tom O’Neil ponders Angelina Jolie’s Oscar hopes yet again… [Gold Derby]

    • …and rather pointlessly takes a shot at Sean Penn. [Gold Derby]

    • Peter Bart is charmed by Clint Eastwood’s development through the years. [Peter Bart]

    • Eastwood, meanwhile, offers up 12 key influences on his life in movies. [Entertaiment Weekly]

    • Peter Sciretta takes a look back at Paul Thomas Anderson’s short film “The Legend of Dirk Diggler.” [/Film]

    • Condon and Mark tap Roger Goodman to helm the 81st annual Oscar telecast. [The Hollywood Reporter]

    • Gaynor Flynn spends some time with Debra Winger, assumed by some to be a shoo-in nominee for the worst five minutes of “Rachel Getting Married.” [The Independent]

    • Howard Feinstein talks “Synecdoche, New York” with the haunted and brilliant Charlie Kaufman. [indieWIRE]

    • Ditto Rachel Abramowitz. [Los Angeles Times]

    • Harrison Ford is crowned best movie President for his performance in “Air Force One.” [Reuters]

    • Mark Blankenship digs into the differences between “Billy Elliot” on stage and screen. [New York Times]

    • Karina Longworth has some nice remarks about our old friend Chad Hartigan and his feature debut “Luke and Brie are on a First Date,” currently playing the Hamptons Film Festival. [Spout Blog]

  • Who should host the Oscars?

    Kevin SpaceyThis morning I linked to our friend John Campea at The Movie Blog who offered up a list of 15 possibilities for host of this year’s Oscar festivities.  Producers Bill Condon and Larry Mark are hard at work putting the show’s particulars together (when Condon has a few moments away from that Richard Pryor biopic he’s been writing), and sooner or later, an announcement will be made.

    I agree with a few of Campea’s suggestions.  George Clooney, for instance, is an inspired pick, the charmer of Hollywood without an enmy in the world — well, except for McCain supporters, I guess.  I also like the choice of Robert Downey Jr., though in 2008, it’s almost TOO on the nose.  Rounding out the big names that make sense, I’d be on board for Tom Hanks as well, always adept at working a crowd.  But Steve Carrell seems to lack the right prestigious “umph,” while Denzel Washington would prove to be too cardboard-stiff, I’d wager.

    We’ve been there and done that with Steve Martin, Ellen Degeneres and Jon Stewart — new blood would be preferable.  And Steven Colbert would be a false echo of Stewart’s attempts.  Will Ferrell and Ben Stiller — too silly.  Tina Fey — too one-note.  Jerry Seinfeld — too snooty.  And Ricky Gervais was a manifested pipe-dream from the start.  But I’d absolutely be on board if Condon and Mark want to hand over emcee duties to Uwe Boll.  Who wouldn’t??  But you might as well toss in Kelsey Grammer in full-blown Beast make-up as a co-host at that point.

    So the question remains: Who should be the host?  Who has the right amount of showmanship to off-set his dramatic faculties and keep the even keel a show like this needs?  Who has the right comedic reserve to tap into when necessary and who would absolutely light up the stage with his consistent determination to perform?

    (more…)

  • 9/25 Oscarweb Round-up

    The Godfather• Jeffrey Wells talks with legendary Oscar-winning lenser Gordon Willis about “The Godfather Restoration.” [Hollywood Elsewhere]

    • Talia Shire discusses same with Alex Simon and Terry Keefe. [The Hollywood Interview]

    • Nikki Finke shits herself with weird fury over the Condon/Mark Oscar news from yesterday, finally admits she has testicles. [Deadline Hollywood Daily]

    • Patrick Goldstein responds to it all, giving that nut-bird credence as a result. [The Big Picture]

    • Tom O’Neil thinks Will Smith would be a fantastic Oscar host.  Naaahh. [Gold Derby]

    • Lynette Rice gets the rumors started with Ricky Gervais as a possibility. [Entertainment Weekly]

    • Roger Moore could care less about his Bond legacy. [The Independent]

    • Michael Moore’s election year freebie. [New York Times]

    • Three films that broke through the “chick flick” barrier. [Test Pattern]

    • Spike Lee and “Miracle at St. Anna” own the local paper this week, starting with a big overview/interview from Tom Roston… [Los Angeles Times]

    • …then a spotlight on hottie starlet Valentina Cervi… [Los Angeles Times]

    • …and finally, John Horn takes the opportunity to wonder whether audiences will care about WWII films this season, with four films yet to come. [Los Angeles Times]

    • Scott Bowles gets a first look at Ridley Scott’s “Body of Lies.” [USA Today]

    • 10 literary classics to turn into blockbusters. [Spout Blog]

  • Cates out Condon/Mark in as Oscar telecast producers

    Bill CondonWow. This is a left-field choice to say the least, but it seems “Dreamgirls” director and producer Bill Condon and Laurence Mark have been tapped to produce this year’s Oscar telecast. Mark will be the producer, Condon the executive producer. The Hollywood Reporter has the scoop.

    Despite the negative B.S. that was flying around my opinion of “Dreamgirls” two years ago (things get perpetuated too far in a business governed by publicity), I genuinely like Condon and have a friendly chat every time I see him. He’s a true Oscar geek like the rest of us, a bright and creative guy who will probably do wonders for some of the telecast’s typically boring sequences (music performances are at the top of that list). And Laurence Mark is no slouch when it comes to putting stuff like this together.

    Good things. Here’s an excerpt from Gregg Kilday’s story (which briefly mentions Condon’s upcoming Richard Pryor movie):

    The “Dreamgirls” team of producer Laurence Mark and writer-director Bill Condon have been tapped to produce the 81st Annual Academy Awards telecast. Mark will serve as producer with Condon on board as exec producer; it’s the first time either has produced the Oscar show.

    Announcing their selection Wednesday, Academy president Sid Ganis said, “Larry and Bill are fresh thinkers who will bring a unique perspective to the Oscar show. That fact, joined with their enormous collective talent and enthusiasm, will serve the 81st awards proceedings perfectly.”…

    “What a thrill to produce the Oscar show,” Mark said. “I’m excited about this opportunity and look forward to the challenge of a live television show that celebrates the very best in film.”

    “The Oscars are the ultimate recognition of excellent work in movies, and I’m so pleased to be part of putting the show together,” Condon said.

    It’ll be interesting to see if the duo will be able to turn things around for a show that is consistently losing viewers. I’m sure they see it as a challenge, but a welcome one regardless. Good luck, guys.