When (at this stage, I think it’s safe to say “when”) “Precious” and “An Education” land Best Picture nods on Tuesday morning, there will be an interesting trivia note to attach to the occasion: they’ll be the first Sundance competition entries since 2001 to make it all the way to Oscar’s top race. Indeed, “Precious” […]
Is there a ‘Precious’ in this year’s Sundance lineup?
Posted by Guy Lodge · 7:16 am · January 27th, 2010
Filed in: Daily
1/19 Oscarweb Round-up
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 6:37 am · January 19th, 2009
(It’s kind of hard to find anything with meat on its bones amid all the boring, derivative Sundance coverage.) • David Poland spends 30 minutes with genius Charlie Kaufman. [The Hot Blog] • Patrick Goldstein comes to Edward Zwick’s defence over a wrong-headed, borderline moronic assessment of his recent film “Defiance.” [The Big Picture] • […]
Filed in: Daily
Two years on
Posted by Guy Lodge · 9:39 am · December 19th, 2008
Considering it’s written by the editor-in-chief of the foremost entertainment news publication in Hollywood, Peter Bart’s Variety blog continues (for this reader, at least) to be a disconcertingly slipshod affair. That his pieces frequently appear so rushed and second-hand is enough cause for concern without throwing elementary factual errors into the mix. But his most […]
Filed in: Daily
Is ‘Slumdog’ really a slam dunk?
Posted by Guy Lodge · 6:33 pm · September 6th, 2008
It’s no secret that Danny Boyle’s “Slumdog Millionaire” is shaping up to be one of the indie darlings of 2008. The film was the uncontested hit of the Telluride festival, bowing to sensational reviews, of which Todd McCarthy’s (key phrases: “a blast;” “fantastic energy;” “a vital piece of work”) represents the consensus. Almost immediately, Oscar […]
Filed in: Daily
‘Flash of Genius’ with Greg Kinnear
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 3:03 pm · August 26th, 2008
I keep forgetting to write something about “Flash of Genius,” the upcoming Universal release starring Greg Kinnear as the inventor who designed the intermittent windshield wiper, only to have Ford rip him off. It sounds like an interesting premise (based on a true story, by the way), if potentially trite on the big screen. However, […]
Filed in: Daily
The nominees react
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 10:30 am · January 23rd, 2007
After a few weeks of frigid, citrus terrorizing temperatures, if you step outside this morning in Los Angeles, it’s a beautiful, cloudless, sunny day. But it’s a little sunnier for those who were greeted with Oscar nominations, whether expected or unexpected. I had the opportunity to talk with a few of the lucky souls who’ve […]
Filed in: Interviews
REVIEW: “Little Miss Sunshine” (***1/2)
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 8:37 am · July 13th, 2006
Jonathan Dayton’s and Valerie Farris’s “Little Miss Sunshine” is the rare example of the quirky and fringe actually having something to say. It melts away the infection of suspicion and invariably lets itself into our hearts without the stench and waxing effect of sentimentality rearing its ugly head. It takes on human frailty and maintains […]
Filed in: Reviews