In Contention

Tag: Oscar Talk

  • OSCAR TALK: Ep. 23 — Divebombing the competition, doc and live action shorts, foreign film, etc.

    Oscar TalkWelcome to Oscar Talk, a weekly kudocast between yours truly and Anne Thompson of Thompson on Hollywood.

    Every week inches us closer to the end of the loudest Oscar season of all time. Today Anne and I sit down and discuss the noise of the week, adding our own noise (we went on a bit long this week):

    • Leading off, Anne has a whole new reason to hate “the 10”: members just aren’t bothering with ranking and the preferential ballot, not to mention the rigging and manipulation that goes into making it an impure process.

    • Things are getting “hairy,” as Anne puts it, with a close race bringing out the worst in people. We talk about “The Hurt Locker” and EmailGate and add some much-needed perspective on the matter.

    • We bounce around ideas for dark horse contenders that could benefit from the preferential ballot (assuming it’s taken seriously).

    • We also discuss the documentary shorts at length (now that I’ve seen them all) as well as the live action short films (now that Anne has seen them all).

    • Finally, we discuss a potential upset lurking in documentary feature nominee “Which Way Home” as well as “A Prophet” in the scheme of the Best Documentary Feature race.

    Have a listen below, with a track from James Horner’s “Avatar” score leading the way. And as always, you can subscribe to Oscar Talk via iTunes here.

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  • OSCAR TALK: Ep. 21 — The home stretch, Santa Barbara tributes, debating the few debatable categories

    Oscar TalkWelcome to Oscar Talk, a weekly kudocast between yours truly and Anne Thompson of Thompson on Hollywood.

    I’m in Santa Barbara this week while Anne is back in Los Angeles. Here’s what’s on the docket:

    • The Santa Barbara fest is in full swing, including tributes for James Cameron and Sandra Bullock, among others. We discuss.

    • The Sandra Bullock thing leads to yet another Bullock vs. Streep debate. Anne is convinced the older members of the Academy will go for Streep and that the media has assumed the Oscar is Bullock’s at their own peril.

    • Anne was in Santa Barbara last week and discusses the writers panel she moderated.

    • Meanwhile, she was also back in LA for the USC Scripter awards, so she offers her perspective on the evening’s festivities.

    • Finally, we go back and forth on a few of the debatable categories, including Best Original Screenplay, which could see Quentin Tarantino win his second Oscar. Or will it?

    Have a listen below. Forgive me in advance for audio issues on my end. I’m in a hotel room without my handy external. As always, you can subscribe to Oscar Talk via iTunes here.

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  • OSCAR TALK: Ep. 20 — Special Edition! — Reacting to the nominees

    Oscar TalkWelcome to Oscar Talk, a weekly kudocast between yours truly and Anne Thompson of Thompson on Hollywood.

    Today there was a bit of news in the Oscar world, in case you were under a rock or buried in an underground chamber with Stanley Tucci or something. Anne and I address the announcement from all angles in this special Tuesday edition of the podcast.

    Have a listen below, and as always, you can subscribe to Oscar Talk via iTunes here.

    (Please note: We will not be running a podcast Friday, February 5, so this will serve as this week’s assessment of the race. Tune back in next week as Anne and I come back to the table from the Santa Barbara Film Festival.)

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  • OSCAR TALK: Ep. 19 — Sundance, David and Goliath, potential surprises, Bullock/Streep

    Oscar TalkWelcome to Oscar Talk, a weekly kudocast between yours truly and Anne Thompson of Thompson on Hollywood.

    Two weeks since our last installment, Sundance is fading away and nominations announcement is a mere four days away. In our last pre-nom discussion, we dig into the following:

    • Fresh off of Sundance, we briefly discuss the success of “The Kids Are Alright” and “Cyrus” and potential awards prospects for the films next year.

    • The PGA winner was a shocker last weekend as “The Hurt Locker” reigned supreme. We address the implications as the race moves into a David vs. Goliath frame.

    • The Oscar nominations announcement is literally around the corner, and in the first year of “the 10,” surely there will be surprises? We talk a few possibilities.

    • Has Sandra Bullock really pulled out ahead of Meryl Streep in the lead actress category? Is it actually neck-and-neck? We talk about, arguably, the year’s tightest race.

    • With the DGAs on the way tomorrow night, we briefly preview the proceedings.

    You can listen to this week’s podcast below, with a little of Michael Giacchino’s Golden Globe-winning score for “Up” leading the way. As always, you can subscribe to Oscar Talk via iTunes here.

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  • OSCAR TALK: Ep. 16 — ‘Nine’ stumbles, so cui bono? Plus ‘Avatar’ as frontrunner and forecasting the films of 2010

    Oscar TalkWelcome to the first installment of Oscar Talk of 2010 and, indeed, of the new decade. Oscar Talk is your weekly kudocast between yours truly and Anne Thompson of Thompson on Hollywood.

    It’s been two weeks since we dug into the Oscar race in this space. Here’s what’s on the docket today:

    • Rob Marshall’s “Nine” has landed in theaters and been both critically and commercially dismissed, so the question is: Is it out of the Best Picture race? Anne and I discuss potential replacements if that’s the case.

    • From the bottom of the list to the top, we talk frontrunners. Is “Avatar” the one to beat? Which films are threatening that position?

    • Speaking of which, could Zoe Saldana be in the mix for a lead actress nomination despite perceived CG bias? Anne puts forth the general narrative, but I think that’s a bit defeatist. Rules are broken every year.

    • Finally, a new year a new list of anticipations. Anne and I run through a big list of films we’re most looking forward to in 2010.

    You can listen to this week’s podcast below, with Robert Burns’s “Auld Lang Syne” leading the way. Cheesy, I know.  And as always, you can subscribe to Oscar Talk via iTunes here.

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  • OSCAR TALK: Ep. 15 — Precursors, holiday movies and ‘Avatar’ bows

    Oscar TalkWelcome to your pre-holiday installment of Oscar Talk, a weekly kudocast between yours truly and Anne Thompson of Thompson on Hollywood.

    This will be the last Oscar Talk broadcast of 2009!

    On the docket today as we round out the year:

    • Anne and I discuss quite the busy week in precursor announcements.  What does it mean?  What did we learn?  Where are we at going into the new year?

    • Is the 10 really locked in six weeks away from  the nominations announcement?  We discuss potential on-the-bubble spoilers and which films might ultimately miss the cut.

    • With the holidays right around the corner, we spend some frivolous discussion on our favorite holiday movies.

    • And finally, with “Avatar” opening today, we talk briefly about the box office implications and, again, the film’s place in movie history, as confirmed by a critical swell as of late.

    Have a listen to this week’s podcast below, with a musical intro from the lovely Darlene Love.  As always, you can subscribe to Oscar Talk via iTunes here.

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  • OSCAR TALK: Ep. 14 — ‘Avatar,’ ‘Avatar’ and ‘Avatar’

    Oscar TalkWelcome to the latest installment of Oscar Talk, your weekly kudocast with yours truly and Anne Thompson of Thompson on Hollywood.

    This week’s discussion is pretty much dominated by the unveiling of, arguably, 2009’s most anticipated film. So with that in mind:

    • Anne and I discuss the joy of James Cameron’s “Avatar,” including everything from technical wizardry, the film’s milestone status in the history of cinema and, of course, awards prospects.

    • With the critics’ awards kicking off this weekend, starting Sunday with the Los Angeles Film Critics Association’s list of kudos, we speculate on which films could get recognition and which films need the leg up.

    • Top 10 lists are hitting and Anne just published hers, so that’s food for thought. Mine will hit Monday.

    • Briefly we preview next week’s list of key dates, which include the BFCA, Golden Globe and SAG nomination announcements.

    Have a listen to this week’s podcast below. Apologies for the audio on Anne’s side of things. It sounds a little muffled because we couldn’t get her external mic to work. Roll with the punches.

    Oh, and as always, you can subscribe to Oscar Talk via iTunes here.

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  • OSCAR TALK: Ep. 13 — NBR, awards season party circuit and ‘Complicated’ awards prospects

    Oscar TalkWelcome to a belated edition of Oscar Talk, your weekly kudocast featuring yours truly and Anne Thompson of Thompson on Hollywood.

    On the docket today:

    • With the National Board of Review having kicked off the awards season, Anne and I discuss the big winners and implications for the season.

    • Tis the season and the party circuit is alight, so with that in mind, we talk about a few of the taste-makers around town this week, including…

    • Peter Jackson, Saoirse Ronan and Stanley Tucci in an intimate cocktail party for “The Lovely Bones.”

    • Fox Searchlight’s holiday shin-dig in Century City with “Crazy Heart” principals in attendance.

    • An “Inglourious Basterds” DVD release party at producer Lawrence Bender’s home.

    • And a Summit holiday party with the folks from “The Hurt Locker” burning the midnight oil.

    • Finally, no reviews of “It’s Complicated” are allowed yet, but Anne and I discuss how we think it will fare in the awards race.

    Have a listen to this week’s podcast below, with a taste of Hans Zimmer’s score for “Sherlock Holmes” to start you off. As always, you can subscribe to Oscar Talk via iTunes here.

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  • OSCAR TALK: Ep. 12 — Holiday screeners, ‘Invictus’ and ‘The Lovely Bones’ land, thoughts on ‘Nine’ and more

    Oscar TalkWelcome to Oscar Talk, your weekly kudocast featuring yours truly and Anne Thompson of Thompson on Hollywood.

    On the docket today:

    • We lead off talking holiday screeners, including further talk of “Inglourious Basterds” slipping into the 10 in the wake of fading heavies.

    • Speaking of which, fresh off a screening of “The Lovely Bones,” a film that isn’t caught in the embargo tug of war, we touch briefly on our thoughts, to certainly be expanded at another time.

    • As trade and magazine reviews pop up while others are still told to hold off, we get into Clint Eastwood’s “Invictus.”

    • And with screenings of “Nine” already two weeks old, we finally add our perspective on the musical adaptation and certain category placements.

    • Finally, with no revelations left save for James Cameron’s “Avatar,” we look at the film’s marketing strategy and the rumor mill on secret screenings.

    Have a listen to this week’s podcast below, with Kate Hudson and “Cinema Italiano” leading the way. As always, you can subscribe to Oscar Talk via iTunes here.

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  • OSCAR TALK: Ep. 10 — The four to be seen, animated features, supporting categories and Tyson’s LAX punch-out

    Oscar TalkWelcome to Oscar Talk, your weekly kudocast featuring yours truly and Anne Thompson of indieWIRE’s Thompson on Hollywood.

    On the docket today:

    • Anne and I discuss the four perceived Oscar heavies that have yet to unveil — “Avatar,” “Invictus,” “The Lovely Bones” and “Nine” — and what being last out of the gate means vis a vis echo chamber buzz.

    • Spinning off of that, we dig into the “Avatar” budget story of the week.

    • With the list of qualifying animated features official, we take a brief survey of the category once more with thoughts on potential nominees.

    • With Movie City News’s Gurus o’ Gold chart collecting supporting category predictions, Anne and I take the opportunity to profile those two categories.

    • And Anne breaks down the impromptu Mike Tyson bout that went down at LAX Wednesday and whether it could hurt James Toback’s documentary feature on the fighter.

    Have a listen to this week’s podcast below.  And as always, you can subscribe to Oscar Talk via iTunes here.

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  • OSCAR TALK: Ep. 9 — Baldwin/Martin, ‘Crazy Heart,’ animated contenders and the Gurus’ latest chart

    Oscar TalkWelcome to the latest installment of Oscar Talk, a weekly kudocast between yours truly and Anne Thompson of indieWIRE’s Thompson on Hollywood.

    On the docket this afternoon:

    • Anne and I discuss the week’s biggest Oscar news, the tapping of Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin as this year’s Oscar telecast hosts.

    • Another substantial news item this week was the revelation that Scott Cooper’s “Crazy Heart” would get a last minute 2009 release from Fox Searchlight.  Anne and I talk up the film and actor Jeff Bridges’s wonderful, certainly Oscar-worthy performance.

    • “A Christmas Carol” releases today, so we use that as an opportunity to revisit the animated feature contenders.

    • As mentioned earlier this morning, the latest Gurus o’ Gold chart has gone up.  Anne and I talk about a number of the contenders, placements, etc.

    Have a listen to this week’s podcast below, leading in with one of the original tracks from “Crazy Heart.” And as always, you can subscribe to Oscar Talk via iTunes here.

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  • OSCAR TALK: Ep. 8 — ‘This Is It,’ music branch, ‘Invictus’ and ‘Avatar’ trailers, the Best Actor race and more

    Oscar TalkWe have a belated edition of Oscar Talk for you today.  We apologize for the lateness, but what better way to kick back on a Sunday afternoon than with yours truly and Anne Thompson of indieWIRE’s Thompson on Hollywood?

    In this eighth installment, we actually covered a lot of ground. This week’s topics:

    • With “Michael Jackson’s This Is It” hitting theaters this weekend, we lead off talking brief about the film (which Anne hasn’t seen).

    • With music on the mind, this leads to another quick discussion about the Academy’s music branch, which caused poor Sad brad Smith to preemptively refrain from submitting his moving track “Help Yourself” from “Up in the Air” for consideration this year.

    • Rumors of Neil Patrick Harris hosting the Oscarcast after doing bang-up jobs at the Tonys and Emmys are circulating, and in the wake of Ricky Gervais being tapped to emcee the Golden Globes this year, we spin our wheels on that topic one more time.

    • “Precious” is opening next week, so with that (and Anne’s recent piece concerning Mo’Nique’s behind-the-scenes drama issues) in mind, we talk about whether the film, or the actress herself, has to win a popularity contest this season to gain the Academy’s attention and respect.

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  • OSCAR TALK: Ep. 7 — ‘Amelia,’ Hollywood film fest, Gothams, supposed ‘Precious’ backlash and more

    Oscar TalkWelcome to the seventh installment of Oscar Talk, a weekly kudocast between yours truly and Anne Thompson of indieWIRE’s Thompson on Hollywood.  Anne is calling from London today, where she’s gearing up for a weekend of London film fest screenings and events.

    Topics on today’s agenda:

    • Today’s big release, “Amelia,” finally crossed the bow of most critics this week and, with it quickly becoming obvious WHY it only crossed their bows this week, Anne and I discuss what went wrong with the movie.

    • In the wake of Anne’s recent hit piece on the Hollywood Film Festival and its leadership, we talk about the fluff of this event amid the award season chatter.

    • Speaking of awards, we get into the Gotham Award nominations, which caused a stir in some quarters due to the absence of “Precious.” Neither Anne nor I think there’s a backlash afoot.

    • Last week we talked about screeners that quickly end up at the bottom of voters’ piles this time of year.  We discuss a few titles that could unfortunately hit that low rung of priority, “That Evening Sun,” “The Messenger,” “Trucker,” etc.  Sony Pictures Classics seems to have a number of these titles.

    • Anne briefly previews some titles she hopes to catch at the London fest.

    We went a little long today, roughly 30 minutes.  Have a listen below, subscribe to Oscar Talk at iTunes here, and we’ll see you next week.

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  • OSCAR TALK: Ep. 6 — Foreign, animated, ‘Fantastic Mr. Fox,’ Plummer and more

    Oscar TalkWelcome to the sixth installment of Oscar Talk, a weekly awards-centric kudocast featuring yours truly and Anne Thompson of indieWIRE’s Thompson on Hollywood.

    As we move further into the season, there is finally substantial grist for the mill.  Here’s what we’re discussing today:

    • With 65 countries locked in for consideration in this year’s Best Foreign Language Film category, Anne and I offer up rough expectations for the eventual nominees and spotlight a handful of pics we hope to catch very soon.

    • As the animated feature film category seems ebb and flow with contenders the last few weeks, we talk about how the category might shake down and discuss Wes Anderson’s “Fantastic Mr. Fox,” playing the London Film Festival and set for an AFI Fest bow next month.

    • “Where the Wild Things Are” opens today, so Anne and I (of like minds on the film) offer our thoughts.

    • Making good on last week’s tease, we discuss Oren Moverman’s “The Messenger,” starring Ben Foster, Woody Harrelson and Samantha Morton.

    • And finally, we get into a late-comer to this year’s Oscar landscape, Christopher Plummer, suddenly looking at a campaign in the supporting actor category for “The Last Station” and the lead actor category for “The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus,” plus a debate on his classification in the former.

    We ran a little long today (and got into some fights along the way), but have a listen to this week’s podcast below.  And, as always, you can subscribe to Oscar Talk via iTunes here.

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  • OSCAR TALK: Ep. 5 — Oscar hosts, leading ladies and category placement

    Oscar TalkWelcome to the fifth installment of Oscar Talk between yours truly and Anne Thompson of indieWIRE’s Thompson on Hollywood.

    A somewhat streamlined show today.  Here’s what’s on the docket:

    • Spit-balling host ideas for this year’s Oscarcast, which seems to be a popular topic these days.

    • Doing the same on a potential producer for the show.

    • Our first fight!  Anne and I debate the merits of the leading actresses of this year’s films.  Anne says it’s a weak season, I say there are plenty of fine performances to choose from (and more on the way).

    • With “An Education” opening in limited release today, we discuss Peter Sarsgaard’s potential category fraud/confusion and debate the philosophies of what makes a performance a lead.

    • A brief tease of a topic on next week’s episode, Oren Moverman’s “The Messenger,” which I saw this week and Anne will catch up on before we chat again.

    Have a listen to this week’s podcast below (with a lead-in from the trailer for “An Education”).  And as always, you can subscribe to Oscar Talk via iTunes here.

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  • WEEKLY WRAP: Foreign contenders and underdogs

    James McAvoy in The Last Station• The deadline for Best Foreign Language Film entries passed, as Israel and Italy bucked conventional wisdom with their selections.

    • Among the better-received contenders, however, were major festival prizewinners from Australia and Greece. A full list of submissions here.

    • As the smaller studios beef up their Oscar prospects, this week’s Off the Carpet column wondered if this could be the year of the underdog.

    • Speaking of which, Sony Pictures Classics acquired “The Last Station,” a potential awards vehicle for Helen Mirren amongst others.

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  • OSCAR TALK: Ep. 4 — Foreign submissions, PGA’s 10, ‘A Single Man’ a Best Picture possibility?

    Oscar TalkRecorded yesterday, here’s the fourth installment of Oscar Talk with yours truly and Anne Thompson of indieWIRE.  We took the week off last Friday due to traveling conflicts, but we’re back on today.

    On the docket:

    • Anne and I discuss the foreign language film submissions, up to 62 entries so far (61 at the time of this recording).

    • The PGA’s copy cat move to 10, which leads of course to further discussion on the Academy’s move to 10.

    • Jane Campion’s “Bright Star,” which has opened to glowing reviews.  Odds on Oscar, box office potential, etc.

    • Sony Pictures Classics’ shucking and jiving with their Oscar schedule, grabbing “The Last Station” (confirmed today) and moving “Get Low” (as reported here last week).

    • Anne wonders whether Weinstein pick-up “A Single Man” could be an under-the-radar contender for Best Picture.

    • The weekend’s releases: “A Serious Man” (covered extensively last time) and “Zombieland” (to steer away from awards talk for a moment).

    • Anne talks Alain Resnais’s “Wild Grass,” which recently opened the New York Film Festival.

    • And the distribution strategy for “Paranormal Activity,” hardly an Oscar contender but right in line with Anne’s recent column on studios missing an opportunity to experiment with release paradigms on modestly budgeted films.

    Check out the podcast below, with a musical lead-in from Mark Bradshaw’s “Bright Star” score.  And as always, you can subscribe to Oscar Talk via iTunes here.

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  • OSCAR TALK: Ep. 3 — ‘A Serious Man,’ business in Toronto and unacquired hopefuls

    Oscar TalkThe third installment of Oscar Talk lands as Toronto winds down and, seemingly, the season’s biggest questions are being answered. Or are they?

    I’m joined by Anne Thompson of indieWIRE as always and we discussed the following:

    • The Coen brothers’ “A Serious Man,” Anne’s thoughts, my thoughts, the Coens doing Woody, etc.

    • The first sell of Toronto, “A Single Man” (not to be confused with “A Serious Man”), and the Oscar prospects of Colin Firth and Julianne Moore.

    • Business at the fest and a shifting acquisition paradigm in the industry.

    • Anne gives her thoughts on Annette Bening and Samuel L. Jackson in Rodrigo Garcia’s “Mother and Child,” great performances, but will it be picked up?

    • Robert Duvall’s Oscar-worthy work in “Get Low,” a film that has yet to be picked up when it’s the sort of film that may have ignited a bidding war in years past.

    • Thoughts on other films that bowed at Toronto, including “Capitalism: A Love Story,” “Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans” and “Jennifer’s Body” (leading to a conversation about Megan Fox’s talents that will put each of us out on a limb).

    • Anne loved Edward Norton in Tim Blake Nelson’s “Leaves of Grass” but found the film on the whole to be a missed opportunity.

    But nothing seems to be decided even with a bulk of the season’s offerings having been screened in Venice, Telluride and Venice. Onward!

    As always you can subscribe to the podcast via iTunes here.  (If you have some audio issues with the levels, my apologies — with Anne in Toronto and me in North Carolina, we had some technical difficulties.)

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