In Contention

Tag: 9

  • ‘Coraline’ leads the field of Annie nominees

    Coraline“Coraline” and “Up” both received nominations in eight categories.  “The Princess and the Frog” showed up in five while “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs” showed up in four.

    “Fantastic Mr. Fox” (3),  “Monsters vs. Aliens” (3), “9” (2), “Astro Boy” (2) and “Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs” (2) brought up the rear with mentions in three and two categories respectively.  “Ponyo” also only landed two nods, for music and direction, so that’s probably worth noting.

    I’m listing per category, by the way, because it’s weird to me to have two separate “nominations” in fields like character design and production design, one per person.  Why not just one for the film with the artists listed as nominees?  It makes sense for vocal performance nods, but not really otherwise.  Anyway, to be fair, I guess “Coraline” leads the whole field with 10 total nominations, while “Up” has nine.  “The Princess and the Frog” has eight, with that in mind.

    Anyway, check out the full list of feature nominees after the jump (and the full list of all nominees at the Annie website).

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  • TECH SUPPORT: Best Sound Editing — Volume II

    9Back in July, I took an initial stab at the “zaps,” “booms,” “clinks” and “bams” of the sound editing category.  Since then, several titles have been seen, moved on to 2010 or popped up as new comers.  Let’s take a look…

    With “Green Zone” and “The Wolf Man” delayed until next year, the category’s potential seems a touch depleted.  And also from that early crop, I think “G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra” and “Public Enemies” hardly made enough of an impression to be remembered come the end of the year.

    Then again, I thought the same about “Wanted” last year.

    I do believe a genuine new contender has joined the race in Neill Blomkamp’s “District 9.” While the film’s sound editors have not been recognized by the Academy to date, the film was a surprising hit and its soundscape seems the sort this branch would like to cite.

    Elsewhere, my early “Inglourious Basterds” hunch in this category seems to have worked out. The film did quite well for itself and artificial sounds were integral.  Wylie Stateman failed to get nominated for his work on the “Kill Bill” films, but he is a four-time nominee nevertheless.  And this is a (slightly) more Oscar-friendly film than that two-parter.

    I don’t think anything has changed the course of Michael Bay’s “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” in this field.  Regardless of quality, Bay’s films do well with the sound branch and Ethan Van der Ryn is a two-time winner. Only if the branch really can’t make it through the film would I expect him and his crew to miss.

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  • We can officially add ‘A Christmas Carol’ to the animated list

    Gary Oldman in A Christmas CarolYesterday we covered the animated feature film race and the potential for the category to have five nominees this year, largely dependent on Robert Zemeckis’s “A Christmas Carol” being submitted as animation (a decision completely in his hands).  As it turns out, the film will indeed be submitted for consideration.

    That, along with “Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure” brings the tally up to 16 titles.  Some are expressing doubts that “Tinker Bell” can qualify, but I’m told the film “looks great, is made professionally, and will receive a theatrical run in LA, so those are the criteria.”  Still, being right on the edge, this thing could go either way.

    I’m still waiting on confirmation that the French film “A Town Called Panic” had a qualifying run or will have one (mass confusion), and ditto Summit’s “Astro Boy,” but that would be 17 and the absolute ceiling (by my calculation) on the number of submitted titles.

    Assuming five nominees, here’s what I’m thinking…

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  • SUNDAY CENTS: ‘Cloudy’ clears up box office

    Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs(EDITOR’S NOTE: My fault on the belated nature of Chad’s column.  Back on track next week.)

    *All historical figures cited are adjusted to today’s dollars.

    It had been almost two months since a PG-rated film hit the marketplace and parents were desperate for something to take their kids to. The result is “Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs” topping the chart with $30.1 million and the seventh-biggest September debut of all time.

    It also tops the $25.9 million of “Open Season” to become the biggest animated debut ever for Sony, which is not really considered a major player in that arena. The real money here should be in fast food tie-ins, though. Why haven’t I seen a correlative toy in my happy meal? Somebody dropped the (meat)ball there.

    A distant second place is where “The Informant!” landed with a $10.5 million gross. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: 2009 is the year of the mustache and the proof is in the pudding. Anyway, this performance is more or less identical to the $10.8 million debut of “Michael Clayton” and I see no reason why this can’t perform with similar legs, reaching $40-$50 million total. That’s plenty enough to buy Matt Damon some Slim-Fast shakes and keep him on the lips of Oscar voters come January.

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  • SUNDAY CENTS: ‘Do Bad’ does good!

    I Can Do Bad All By Myself*All historical figures cited are adjusted to today’s dollars.

    Another day, another dollar for Tyler Perry. The man has released two films a year since 2006 and can’t seem to be unsuccessful if he tried. “I Can Do Bad All By Myself” is an easy candidate for worst title of the year, but it opened to the tune of $24 million and first place by a mile.

    That ranks as Perry’s third-biggest debut as director and his best outside of February. If you are looking for one of the most unique and successful box office stories of the decade, look no further than the rise of the Perry Empire. He is the Pixar of religious cable-TV drama meets fat suit comedy.

    Second place goes to “9,” which earned $10.9 milion over the weekend and $15.3 million since opening on Wednesday. For a PG-13 rated animated flick with seemingly very little appeal outside of young males, that’s a great result. The best thing about this success is that all you need is a potato sack and a highlighter and you’ve got a recognizable Halloween costume. You’re welcome.

    “Inglourious Basterds” holds firm in the top three and passes the $100 million mark in the process. Tarantino was in very real danger of making a series of films that diminished his audience rather than expanded it, but he has turned it around here. Now all you need is a Clark Gable mustache and some prop scalps and you’ve got a recognizable Halloween costume.

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  • CONTEST: Win some ‘9’ goodies

    Today is 9-9-09, and we all know what that means: the theatrical release of Shane Acker’s animated film “9.”  Seriously, how serendipitous can you get with a release date?

    Anyway, with the film’s release comes an opportunity to win some goodies from the film.  We’ve got a nice picture book, which comes in its own nifty burlap sack, as well as a satchel featuring some of that burlap design and a neat-o 9-9-09 button.

    So here’s how to win.  A trivia question!

    What is the other significance of the September 9 date as it pertains to a different film very much in the fall movie discussion?

    First to answer correctly wins.

    9

  • ‘At the Movies’ reboots

    The new iteration of “At the Movies” debuted this weekend with A.O. Scott and Michael Phillips.  The duo tackled Shane Acker’s “9,” the Sandra Bullock comedy “All About Steve,” Guillermo Arriaga’s “The Burning Plain” (with a rather swift and wrong-headed assessment from b0th, I feel) and Mike Judge’s “Extract,” among others.  Here’s an online exclusive that I rather enjoyed, the two critics discussing the films that hooked them and made them realize there was more to the medium than entertainment value:

  • 9/9 Web Round-up

    Matt Damon in The Bourne Ultimatum• Roger Deakins, Alexandre Desplat and Colleen Atwood added to Hollywood film fest honorees. [Variety]

    • Matt Damon talks “Bourne 4.” [Empire]

    • Viggo Mortensen planning an early retirement after the release of “The Road?” [Cinema Blend]

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  • 9/8 Web Round-up

    Viggo Mortensen at the 36th annual Telluride Film Festival• John Hillcoat and Joe Penhall already looking for life after “The Road.” [Variety]

    • The “Slumdog” kids set to star opposite Anthony Hopkins? [PR Inside]

    • Eugene Hernandez reports from the Telluride tribute to Viggo Mortensen. [indieWIRE]

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  • Number nine, number nine…

    $9.99Many of you have already spotted an interesting trend in a number of 2009 films this year: the proliferation of the number nine.

    There is, of course, “District 9,” which is already in theaters.  Any good Oscarwatcher knows about the forthcoming musical adaptation “Nine” from The Weinstein Company and Rob Marshall, a film that could stir confusion when its released three months after Shane Acker’s animated feature “9.”

    Elsewhere, there’s “Cloud 9,” from Andres Dresen and about a golden years affair between a sexagenarian and a septuagenarian.  And one that tends to slip through the cracks in conversations about the trend: “$9.99,” which I saw at the Santa Barbara fest back in January and quite liked.

    With all these nines running around (hey, there’s another one — John August’s “The Nines,” though that released two years ago), some intrepid reporter was bound to cook up a piece.  And so Ari Karpel has in the pages of the Los Angeles Times.

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  • Hollywood focused on the end of the world as we know it

    Denzel Washington in The Book of EliI’ve been meaning to write this piece for a while now, but I never got around to it.  Paul Harris at The Guardian beat me to the punch, so I’ll run his thoughts instead.

    The recent wave of post-apocalyptic films flooding and being prepared for the marketplace is intriguing indeed.  Fads always pop up in Hollywood output, whether it’s the one-two punch of “Volcano” and “Dante’s Peak” in 1997, “Armageddon” and “Deep Impact” a year later, “The Truman Show” and “EdTV,” etc., studios know when something is hot and when to strike.  But it’s usually two or three projects and then on to the next thing.

    But this year and next, we have Alex Proyas’s “Knowing,” the Cormac McCarthy adaptation “The Road,” Roland Emmerich’s “2012,” Shane Acker’s “9,” Ruben Fleischer’s “Zombieland,” The Hughes brothers’ “The Book of Eli,” television’s “The Colony” and a new “Terminator” installment, all productions either depicting a post-apocalyptic environment or the end of days in some manner or another.  It all perhaps started with the Will Smith vehicle “I Am Legend” in 2007.  The trend even extends to animated films, as our commenters shrewdly note “WALL-E” as an example.

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  • 8/6 Web Round-up

    Nation's Pride• Nikki Finke takes umbrage with the “Nation’s Pride” trailer being used to promote “Inglourious Basterds.” [Deadline Hollywood Daily]

    • Graeme McRanor sits down with “District 9” composer Clinton Shorter. [Jawbone.tv]

    • Top 10 movie pregnancies. [The Film Experience]

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  • COMIC-CON: Wrapping it up

    2009 San Diego Comic-Con InternationalI wish I could tell you how awesome the “Iron Man 2” footage form yesterday’s Paramount panel was, but Hall H was packed to the gills and even us schmoes int he VIP line couldn’t get in because it was at capacity.  Without a doubt, the event was the most popular attraction at this year’s Comic-Con.

    It sounded good muffled through the walls.  That’s all I got.  Hoping for another screening in LA soon.

    By far the highlight for me was the Entertainment Weekly Visionaries panel with James Cameron and Peter Jackson.  It’s a pretty big leap from last year’s set of Zack Snyder, Frank Miller, Kevin Smith and Judd Apatow.  Let’s hope next year isn’t a step backwards at the crew responsible for this momentous occasion gets creative and puts a few equally brilliant minds together on that stage once again.

    Speaking of Jackson, “District 9” made a major splash here.  The screening was very well-received on Thursday and the Saturday panel got the crowd chomping at the bit.  In this community anyway, the film is sure to be a runaway hit.

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  • COMIC-CON: Acker, Bekmambetov and Burton showcase ‘9’

    9Focus Features rolled out an extended clip of Shane Acker’s “9” a few moments ago to adulating fans who seemed more eager to ask producer Tim Burton a slew of peripheral questions and offer the usual “you’re an inspiration” sentiments to the macabre-obsessed director.  So it goes at Comic-Con.

    But on the issue at hand, Burton offered that he connected to Acker’s original short film (which was nominated for an Academy Award in 2005) immediately.

    “You see a lot of personal films, but you don’t see a lot of personal films that are animated,” he said in the post-screening panel discussion.  “I’ve been through it before, endless conversations with studios, ‘Why can’t Jack Skellington have eyes?’  I thought I could at least help fight those battles so he could concentrate on the film.  You’ve got enough to worry about making the film to have those kind of stupid conversations.”

    Acker, who chimed in there to mention how supportive Focus, which he calls a “director-driven” studio, has been on the project, said he didn’t originally conceive the story as a feature film.  It was more of a director’s reel piece meant to secure other work for him as a filmmaker.  But when Burton (and co-producer Timur Bekmambetov) took an interest and the project began to unfold as as a feature, he fell in love with the story all over again.

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  • Comic-Con on the way

    San Diego Comic-Con InternationalLike the rest of the web geek world, I guess, I’m gearing up for this year’s San Diego Comic Con International, which begins with preview night on Wednesday.

    All eyes, of course, are on Thursday’s slew of events, a treasure trove of goodies that made for a ton of Sophie’s choices when putting together my personal schedule.  I’ll definitely be at the Disney panel, with glimpses of Robert Zemeckis’s “A Christmas Carol” in 3D and a taste of Tim Burton’s “Alice in Wonderland,” among other things.  Speaking of 3D, perhaps the most anticipated panel will be James Camerons “Avatar” event.  I’m definitely looking forward to that, but the likely crowd of humanity that will be doing same?  Not so much.  Trying to wrangle some VIP consideration as we speak.

    The Peter Jackson-produced “District 9” isn’t as high on my to-do list as most, but I’ll probably park it for Paramount’s “Iron Man 2” Panel on Saturday.  The film just wrapped a 72-day shoot over the weekend, by the way.  Warner Bros. also has a panel, on Friday, but Spike Jonze’s “Where the Wild Things Are” is the only thing that has me interested there.  Focus Features also plans a considerable presence with “Coraline” (the Blu-ray and DVD of which hits shelves tomorrow) and “9.”

    Oh, and Terry Gilliam’s “The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus.”  I suppose I should check that out.

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  • ‘9’ clip

  • Shoddy screening rooms: a rant

    screening roomThis will be a lot of inside baseball that many of you just don’t care about.  For that, I’m sorry, but sometimes you have to get something off your chest.

    A guy like me has little to nothing to complain about when it comes to screening films in Los Angeles.  I see films early, free, in a comfortable setting and, generally, with no hassle.  But in the nearly five years I’ve been in this town, a growing frustration has set in that finally snapped the camel’s back in half yesterday: poor screening room facilities.

    Last night I settled in for a screening of Shane Acker’s “9” (which is under embargo at the moment — more from Comic-Con, I’m sure).  It was at the Sunset Screening Room over on the strip, a facility I’ve been to maybe two or three times.  Studios tend to shy away from booking there, it seems.  Early on in the first reel, it became apparent there would be an annoying sound issue.

    I’m not aural expert by any means, but it sounded to me like a channel kept dropping out, forcing an uneven quality to the film’s track throughout.  For a couple of minutes it would be a muffled, low end kind of thing with some irritating “warbling” (best way I can describe the sound) and then — BOOM! — the sound would kick back in properly and the elements were suddenly loud and invasive.

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  • In honor of tonight’s screening