Tag: Anna B. Sheppard

‘Captain America’ keeps the summer sizzling

So, “Captain America: The First Avenger” wraps up the summer’s superhero slate this week. Yes, we have “Cowboys & Aliens” on the way to keep the general comic book flow going, but Marvel’s other bookend to the summer hits Friday, and, well, I thought it was just (yankee doodle) dandy.

“Robust” is the word that kept coming to mind while watching the film. You get a lot of bang for your buck here, with action set pieces galore, beefy production values (which might as well include Chris Evans’s physique) and a generous splash of pulp 40s fun to keep it unique throughout.

I always thought Joe Johnston was the most interesting choice of Marvel’s stable of directors leading up to “The Avengers” next summer. He’s kept an even genre keel all of his career and “The Rocketeer” (20 years old and getting the anniversary treatment soon) is probably the nostalgia hook that really cinched it as a nice call.

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July 20, 2011
TECH SUPPORT: Best Costume Design — Volume II

Since I last analyzed the costume design category in July, a number of the contenders are still waiting to be seen, though several have opened and we’ve seen glimpses from others. While the number of movers and shakers hasn’t been enormous, there has still been enough movement – and more insight gained – to warrant another look.

One thing I do not think has changed since the summer is the category’s most likely nominee. While I’m doubtful that she will win, I’m quite confident that Janet Patterson will earn her third nomination for Jane Campion’s “Bright Star.” While the film did not catch fire to quite the extent I was expecting, I’m nevertheless confident the threads will remain in this branch’s mind until the end of the year.

In July, I was torn about whether Colleen Atwood could emerge as a double nominee this year. But “Public Enemies,” despite featuring fine period work, seems to have become a distant memory. Even so, I’d be very surprised if she failed to get nominated for Rob Marshall’s “Nine.”

The great Sandy Powell, on the other hand, has had her three potential nominees reduced to one. With “The Tempest” and “Shutter Island” moved to 2010, it’s only “The Young Victoria” that is keeping her in the race. Powell is a giant in the field. But is the film at all memorable?

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October 16, 2009
8/26 Web Round-up

• The “Inglourious Basterds” one-sheet that could have been. [Poster Wire]

• On the occasion of Tim Burton’s 51st birthday (yesterday), an appreciation. [Hero Complex]

• On Marvin Hamlisch’s “hilariously schmaltzy” score for “The Informant!” [The Playlist]

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August 26, 2009
Below-the-line ‘Basterds’

It does my heart good to see more and more outlets giving the proper consideration to below-the-line talent when it comes to film publicity. As you know, we’ve made it a rather concentrated effort to spotlight these individuals in Gerard’s weekly Tech Support columns and have been at it for the last three years.

A couple of pieces caught my eye today featuring talent associated with Quentin Tarantino’s “Inglourious Basterds,” a film that, despite my feelings of the narrative, had a rather refreshing visceral sheen to it. That’s a tribute, no doubt, to folks like Bob Richardson, David Wasco, Anna B. Sheppard, etc.

First up is a piece at BoxWish.com featuring costume designer Anna B. Sheppard (whose work in the film is on display at LA area theaters this week). An esteemed costumer twice Oscar-nominated for Holocaust cinema (Steven Spielberg’s “Schindler’s List” and Roman Polanski’s “The Pianist”), she certainly brought a lot to the table.

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August 24, 2009
‘Basterds’ threads on display at LA area theaters

So Quentin Tarantino’s “Inglourious Basterds” has opened and made a dent in the box office. Go team. The Oscar discussion ranges from “It could get in with 10 nominees” to “Maybe something in the techs,” and you can count me in the latter camp. In fact, as usual, Tarantino assembled a talented below-the-line team for his latest film, not least of them being costume designer Anna B. Sheppard.

Here in Los Angeles, Sheppard’s work is getting its day in the sun with a displays at the Arclight Hollywood, Arclight Sherman Oaks and Landmark Theater. Personally, I see this as the film’s best shot at an Oscar nod, and given that the Hollywood Arclight is a hub of sorts for industry types when they go out and pay with the masses, this set-up could go a long way toward securing a notice this season. (Two more pics after the jump.)

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August 23, 2009
TECH SUPPORT: Best Costume Design — Volume I

Movie stars are often given much attention for the fashion that they sport off-screen. Seldom does the on-screen attire garner as much publicity.

Nevertheless, the Academy Award for Best Costume Design recognizes those talented men and women who design the threads actors wear on screen. Not only does this work add to the elegance and authenticity of the film, but it can also express the character and the period, mood and setting of the piece.

For the last three years, this category has chosen films which have highlighted the extravagant attire of the upper class from centuries ago. Period films almost always triumph in this field and, in fact, garner the vast majority of nominations, though a spot or two is usually reserved every year for a fantasy effort.

This is also a category which tends to reward designers who have been around a long time, with most nominees every year having been in the race before, although a spot or two is almost always reserved for a newcomer as well. And unlike many other crafts categories, the costume branch does not seem averse to nominating a film which scores in few if any other places.

The most likely nominee this year, if not the most likely winner (sight unseen, of course), might be Janet Patterson for “Bright Star.” This Jane Campion effort was very well received at Cannes in May and the crafts look exquisite. Patterson, who landed two of her three previous nominations for Campion collaborations (“The Piano” and “Portrait of a Lady”), looks likely to return to the race after 12 years. I’d be surprised if she failed to be nominated.

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July 30, 2009