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As superheroes go—and go they do, with alarming frequency, at the cape-wearers’ convention that the multiplex has become in recent years—Thor, or at least the Marvel-authored Artist Formerly Known As Norse God Thor, is more super than most. Where most beloved superheroes are humans (at least ostensibly so) who grow into their superhuman powers as [...]
REVIEW: “Thor” (***)
Posted by Guy Lodge · 10:49 am · April 30th, 2011
Filed in: Reviews
OSCAR TALK: Ep. 55 — Special Edition! — Oscars postmortem
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 1:03 pm · February 28th, 2011
Welcome to Oscar Talk. In case you’re new to the site and/or the podcast, Oscar Talk is a weekly kudocast, your 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 [...]
Filed in: Oscar Talk
OFF THE CARPET: Sun came up
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 9:11 am · February 28th, 2011
Steven Spielberg couldn’t have put it more concisely during his presentation of the Best Picture category last night. To paraphrase, he noted that whichever films did not happen to win Best Picture this year would join the ranks of numerous classics of the medium. Was it preemptive damage control? I hope not. Why be apologetic? [...]
Filed in: Off the Carpet
The In Contention Readership Ballot
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 10:20 am · February 27th, 2011
Today’s the big day. No more Oscar Guide, no more polls, just a few choice hours left in the season and then, the 83rd annual. (And not a moment too soon.) I appreciate everyone participating in the daily polls this month and last, which accompanied each of our Oscar Guide entries. It offers us a [...]
Filed in: Daily
2/25 OSCARWEB ROUND-UP: Carter keeps the season interesting, Gervais’s suggestion, Portman overrated?
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 8:18 am · February 25th, 2011
• 10 great things Helena Bonham Carter has done or said to spice up this year’s Oscar race. [Vulture] • Ricky Gervais humbly suggests an opening monologue for Oscar hosts James Franco and Anne Hathaway. [RickyGervais.com] • TCM’s Robert Osborne (my sole company on predicting “Letters from Iwo Jima” four years ago) on Oscar campaigns. [...]
Filed in: Daily
OSCAR GUIDE: Best Actress
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 9:46 am · February 24th, 2011
Early in the season the lead actress category appeared to be more competitive than ever. An easy list of 10 contenders could be drawn up, many of them admittedly sight unseen, and it was anyone’s guess as to which lady could insinuate herself as the odds-on favorite to win. Then the critics began narrowing things [...]
Filed in: Oscar Guide
Portman and Coppola for Christian Dior
Posted by Guy Lodge · 10:47 am · February 22nd, 2011
As Nina Sayers might observe, “Ooh, look how pink! So preeeeetty.” Minor fluff, but the ad does point out just how well-matched Natalie Portman’s lissome screen presence is to Sofia Coppola’s fey visual sensibility — how has a feature collaboration between the two not happened yet? (If the male decoration looks familiar, by the way, [...]
Filed in: Daily
Natalie Portman training for ‘Black Swan’
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 12:54 pm · February 17th, 2011
This video has been making the rounds this week. I keep forgetting to pass it along:
Filed in: Daily
Natalie Portman cries a lot
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 12:43 pm · February 15th, 2011
Filed in: Daily
‘King’s Speech’ nabs seven BAFTA Awards
Posted by Guy Lodge · 5:28 pm · February 13th, 2011
I had more interesting things to do at the Berlinale this evening than watch the BAFTAs, so the only commentary I can offer is on the winners list itself. And, well, it doesn’t make for terribly exciting reading. To the surprise of precisely no one, “The King’s Speech” ruled the night with seven trophies, though [...]
Filed in: Daily
Previewing BAFTA
Posted by Guy Lodge · 2:15 am · February 12th, 2011
In the 10 years since they moved up in the calendar to pre-Oscar status, the BAFTAs have hovered uncertainly between complying with awards trends across the pond, thereby establishing themselves as a viable precursor, and stubbornly standing by their own – as in 2007, when they opted out of the Coen Brothers-P.T. Anderson faceoff by [...]
Filed in: Daily
OSCAR TALK: Ep. 52 — Nominees Luncheon, Bening vs. Portman to a photo finish, WGA and Scripter awards, Melissa Leo’s personal campaign, BAFTA preview with Guy Lodge
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 9:00 am · February 11th, 2011
Welcome to Oscar Talk. In case you’re new to the site and/or the podcast, Oscar Talk is a weekly kudocast, your 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 [...]
Filed in: Oscar Talk
‘The King’s Speech’ takes top honors at SAG Awards
Posted by Guy Lodge · 3:17 pm · January 30th, 2011
Well, if you didn’t get the message after last night’s DGA result, SAG’s Best Ensemble award just underlined it for you — the Best Picture race is over. In the 16 years that the three Guilds have co-existed, only one film has taken the big prize from the DGA, PGA and SAG and not won the [...]
Filed in: Daily
WEEKLY WRAP: Nomination week
Posted by In Contention Staff · 6:16 am · January 29th, 2011
• In case you’ve just emerged from a coma, “The King’s Speech” led the Oscar nominations on Tuesday with 12 bids. • “The King’s Speech” was also the surprise winner at the Producers’ Guild Awards, drastically shaking up the Best Picture race. • In the wake of these developments, Kris adjusted his winner predictions accordingly. [...]
Filed in: Daily
Predict the SAG winners
Posted by Guy Lodge · 10:43 am · January 28th, 2011
This weekend completes the trio of Guild awards with the most bearing on the Best Picture race, as the Directors’ Guild of America and the Screen Actors’ Guild dish out their prizes on Saturday and Sunday, respectively. Following the Producers’ Guild’s surprise coronation of “The King’s Speech” last week, the next two days could help [...]
Filed in: Daily
BOX OFFICE: A good weekend for Portman
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 1:29 pm · January 23rd, 2011
She’s got two entries on the box office chart and a headwind going into phase two. Nice ink for “The King’s Speech” being in the top four after last night’s big win. “True Grit” closes in on $150 million. (Courtesy: Exhibitor Relations)
Filed in: Box Office
1/21 OSCARWEB ROUND-UP: French indignation, talking threads with costumers, Portman’s extended laugh
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 8:17 am · January 21st, 2011
• The French lose their marbles not just over the exclusion of “Of Gods and Men” from this year’s foreign film shortlist, but the INCLUSION of Algeria’s “Outside the Law.” [The Carpetbagger] • Elizabeth Snead talks to a number of costumers on this year’s awards circuit [Deadline] • Is this Banksy? [Cinematical]
Filed in: Daily
1/20 OSCARWEB ROUND-UP: Portman milestones, Best Director not equal to Best Picture, Sony goes iTunes, too
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 8:03 am · January 20th, 2011
• Eight milestones in the evolution of Natalie Portman. [Movieline] • Carolyn Giardana notes a rare Best Visual Effects nomination for an animated film at the BAFTAs. [Hollywood Reporter] • Nathaniel Rogers argues against the notion that Best Director must equal Best Picture. [The Film Experience]
Filed in: Daily
