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Tag: Oscarweb

  • 2/22 Oscarweb Round-up (OSCAR DAY EDITION)

    Graham King at the 79th annual Academy Awards• David Carr tugs the heart strings with a nice write-up on “Smile Pinki” subject Pinki Kumari Sonkar. [The Carpetbagger]

    • Tom O’Neil warns of the kiss of death that the Independent Spirit Award for Best Actor has become. [Gold Derby]

    • Another tired Oscar bitch-slap piece from traditional media. [New York Times]

    • Gideon Levy tears “Waltz with Bashir” a new one. [Haaretz]

    • Kate Winslet and the “Fakebooking” craze. [Daily Telegraph]

    • Elizabeth Snead catches up with Aaron Eckhart at the Indie Spirits to get his thoughts on a potential Oscar win for “Dark Knight” co-star Heath Ledger. [The Dish Rag]

    • Speaking of the Spirits, Roger Ebert responds to the swift show, goes out of his way to praise Rourke’s “show-stopping” speech. [Chicago Sun-Times]

    • Producer Graham King re-visits his Oscar win for “The Departed” two years ago. [The Independent]

    • Anne Hathaway shows a little humility.  Probably a good thing after that cringe-worthy BFCA acceptance speech. [USA Today]

  • 2/21 Oscarweb Round-up

    Meryl Streep in Doubt• Inside the secret history of Oscar speeches. [Esquire]

    • Sasha Stone surveys the damage of the Oscar season. [Awards Daily]

    • How “Slumdog Millionaire” fits into the recession. [Associated Press]

    • Jeff Sneider, formerly of Variety, joins Jeff Wells as one of only two brave souls predicting both Mickey Rourke and Meryl Streep for come-from-behind victories. [The InSneider]

    • Michael Cieply notes the USC marching band will play a part in the opening Oscar number. [The Carpetbagger]

    • Jeff Wells makes his final calls. [Hollywood Elsewhere]

    • Kim Voynar uses Guitar Hero to predict the Spirits and the Oscars. [Movie City News]

  • 2/20 Oscarweb Round-up

    Amy Adams in Doubt• Meeting The Oscar 11. [USA Today]

    • Jeff Wells begins spit-balling next year’s season. [Hollywood Elsewhere]

    • Dave Karger wonders whether Amy Adams has enough fuel in the tank to pull off an upset. [Entertainment Weekly]

    • Anne Thompson annotates Entertainment Weekly’s list of the 25 best working directors. [Thompson on Hollywood]

    • For late night buffs, an interesting conversation doesn’t make the final cut. [Peter Bart]

    • David Carr stretches his predictions post across three pages, gets mad hits. [The Carpetbagger]

    • Sasha Stone begins building a chart of tech category predictions, a nice crash course. [Awards Daily]

    • Some bad “Wrestler” press finally hits, just in time to not matter.  But boy would this have been a bigger story (sadly) a month ago. [Associated Press]

  • 2/19 Oscarweb Round-up

    Marisa Tomei in The Wrestler• I’m just now stumbling onto this site, but if you weren’t keen to the controversy surrounding Jerry Lewis receiving the Academy’s Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award, here’s a hub with everything laid out for you. [TheTroubleWithJerry.net]

    • With Kate Winslet and Marisa Tomei in mind, Rachel Abramowitz wonders if nudity = Oscar glory. [The Envelope]

    • Patrick Goldstein on the bleak Oscar advertising picture. [The Big Picture]

    • Rex Reed blasts the stage designs of the 81st Annual Oscar telecast. [New York Observer]

    • David Poland captures a few frames of Loki Rourke’s recent existence. [The Hot Blog]

    • Steve Pond reports that Matilda Ledger will receive daddy Heath’s Oscar…if he wins, that is. [Associated Press]

    • LOL. [Oscars Leaked]

  • 2/18 Oscarweb Round-up

    Michael Shannon in Revolutionary Road• Dave Germain digs into Oscar’s history of scene-stealers, joined this year by Viola Davis and Michael Shannon. [Associated Press]

    • Erika Kinetz, meanwhile, keeps at the same old “Slumdog Millionaire” story that has grown stale over the last few weeks. [Associated Press]

    • Ryan Adams eschews the usual “top 10 list” and instead cranks out a list of the 30 films that mattered to him the most in 2008. [Awards Daily]

    • Sasha Stone, meanwhile, begins building her annual predictions chart from info scattered across the Oscarweb. [Awards Daily]

    • Noah Forrest’s last minute consideration of “Slumdog Millionaire”‘s stranglehold on the season. [Movie City News]

    • Nathaniel Rogers kicks off his annual Oscar Symposium, with Erik Lundegaard, Karina Longworth, Ed Gonzalez, Timothy Brayton and yours truly. [The Film Experience]

    • David Carr isn’t impressed by this year’s John Singleton-directed Oscar trailer. [The Carpetbagger]

    • Elizabeth Snead talks to legendary “Revolutionary Road” costumer Albert Wolsky. [The Envelope]

  • 2/17 Oscarweb Round-up

    WALL-E• Patrick Goldstein joins a massive chorus pondering this year’s lack of an “Oscar bump” at the box office. [The Big Picture]

    • David Poland responds…at length. [The Hot Blog]

    • The Gurus o’ Gold crank out the odds. [Movie City News]

    • Anne Thompson wonders if all the bad press for “The Reader” last week could affect its Oscar chances at the last minute. [Thompson on Hollywood]

    • The week after our own Guy Lodge dived into the matter, John Horn tackles the Oscar nominated “WALL-E” screnplay. [Los Angeles Times]

    • Tim Shipment, meanwhile, calls said bad press an “orchestrated attack.” [Daily Telegraph]

    • New Yorkers head west to help bring the Oscars to life. [New York Daily News]

  • 2/16 Oscarweb Round-up

    Jerry Lewis• David Carr asks for your input if you ran the Academy. [The Carpetbagger]

    • Tom O’Neil talks to Best Supporting Actress contender Penelope Cruz. [Gold Derby]

    • Speaking of supporting, Betsy Sharkey writes up an appreciation of the lot. [The Envelope]

    • Michelle Phillips wonders which Jerry Lewis will show up at the Oscars next weekend. [Chicago Tribune]

    • Peter Bradshaw on the weirdest Oscar acceptance speeches. [The Guardian]

    • Patrick Goldstein remembers the Oscar impact of “Patton.” [The Big Picture]

    • Cosmo Landesman talks to Amy Adams across the pond. [The Times]

    • Nathaniel Rogers gets around to the shorts and docs. [The Film Experience]

    • Patricia Leigh Brown talks to Oscarcast designer David Rockwell. [New York Times]

  • 2/12 Oscarweb Round-up

    (from left) Afa the Wild Samoan and Mickey Rourke on the set of The Wrestler(Kind of quiet out there…)

    • David Carr addresses the “some stars won’t walk the red carpet” talk, slams fashionistas as being “pilot fish on a big whale.”  Ooooooohhhhh. [The Carpetbagger]

    • Rebecca Ascher-Walsh talks to double nominee Kate Winslet. [The Envelope]

    • Dave Karger says it’s Harvey vs. Miramax in the ladies’ acting fields. [Entertainment Weekly]

    • Sasha Stone goes deep with “WALL-E” helmer Andrew Stanton. [Awards Daily]

    • David S. Cohen writes up “The Wrestler”‘s unsung hero: trainer Afa “the Wild Samoan.” [Variety]

    • Patrick Goldstein responds to the week’s “Reader” slams. [The Big Picture]

  • 2/10 Oscarweb Round-up

    Jeffrey Dean Morgan in Watchmen• At least Ron Rosenbaum kind of gets it.  Though he apparently thinks he’s the only one a bit miffed at the redemption angle.  Do some more Googling, Ron. [Slate]

    • Joining the “Reader” bash, Noah Forrest pleads with the Academy not to hand the Oscar to Kate Winslet. [Movie City News]

    • Jeff Wells gets word that Steven Spielberg’s “Lincoln” could be in theaters by the end of the year. [Hollywood Elsewhere]

    • David Poland scatters “Watchmen” gossip while apparently indicating that Warner Bros. owes him and others a look at the film a month in advance. [The Hot Blog]

    • Patrick Goldstein is big on foreign film contender “The Class.” [The Big Picture]

    • Brits pick the most memorable movie quotes ever. [Daily Telegraph]

    • Sasha Stone talks to Oscar-nominated “Frozen River” scribe Courtney Hunt. [Awards Daily]

    • Thank God Michael Bay didn’t have his way with this year’s Oscar telecast. [Rope of Silicon]

    • Pete Hammond jumps on the “Mickey might win” bandwagon, becomes, like, the 10th person to draw a parallel to last year’s Best Actress race.  He also points to a potential Viola Davis upset in the supporting actress category. [Notes on a Season]

    • David Carr, meanwhile, comments on Rourke’s “whale of a speech” at the BAFTAs.  But he rather insultingly thinks voters would be “picking the speech over the performance.”  Hardly. [The Carpetbagger]

    • Xan Brooks prays for a little spice and surprising variety at this year’s Oscar ceremony. [The Guardian]

  • 2/9 Oscarweb Round-up

    Mickey Rourke in Diner• Thom Yorke and Gustavo Santaolalla to join forces on “Terminator Salvation” tunes?? [The Playlist]

    • Tom O’Neil spotlights the BAFTA voting process. [Gold Derby]

    • T.L. Stanley on the politics of Dustin Lance Black’s WGA acceptance speech. [Gold Rush]

    • David Poland says Universal dropped the ball on “Frost/Nixon,” as represented by its incredibly weak box office showing. [The Hot Blog]

    • Along a similar line of thought, and in an increasingly popular column idea the past week or so, Peter Sciretta comments on three of this year’s Best Picture nominees being among the lowest grossers in Academy history. [/Film]

    • Presumably out of ideas for the time being, Jeff Wells goes seeking advanced word on “The Road” at…IMDb. [Hollywood Elsewhere]

    • Barry Levinson writes a love letter to Mickey Rourke.  Did they kick the tires and light the fires in the nick of time for this campaign to push on ahead? [New York Times]

    • Bolt and the other characters who transformed cinema. [The Independent]

    • Roger Ebert predicts a handful of the categories, steps out on a limb for Viola Davis. [Chicago Sun-Times]

    • Across the pond, newly minted BAFTA winner Penelope Cruz explains why she can’t stop crying. [The Sunday Times]

    • Richard Brody spots a mole on the set of Martin Scorsese’s “Shutter Island.”  Well, not really — it’s actually a Cahiers du Cinema-sponsored Argentinian filmmaker/mentee. [The New Yorker]

  • 2/7 Oscarweb Round-up

    (from left) Laurence Mark and Bill Condon• Rochona Majumdar and Satyam Khanna discuss the “Slumdog Millionaire” controversy. [NPR]

    • Kim Voynar spotlights the Best Director category. [Movie City News]

    • David Poland spends 30 minutes with “WALL-E” writer and director Andrew Stanton. [The Hot Blog]

    • Five Oscar night surprises Mark Lisanti would like to see. [Little Gold Men]

    • Searchlight may be making a wise business decision, but they’re still abandoning the best of the nominated songs in the process. [Gold Derby]

    • Yet another “meet the Oscarcast producers” piece. [Associated Press]

  • 2/6 Oscarweb Round-up

    Richard Jenkins• David Poland is probably wrong on two counts at the top of his recent Oscar column (certainly plkenty of us had our sites set on Davis and Shannon going into this awards season), but we’ll give him some slack. [Movie City News]

    • David Carr, via video, talks about Bill Condon and Larry Mark futzing with the traditional Oscar show format. [The Carpetbagger]

    • Dammit.  I thought something was fishy when I had to shell out money hand over fist for some Boss tickets Monday. [The Big Picture]

    • Getting to know Oscar nominee Courtney Hunt. [The Guardian]

    • Dave Karger bangs the drum for Oscar underdog Richard Jenkins. [Entertainment Weekly]

    • The annual “how the Oscar statuette is made” feature. [Daily Telegraph]

    • Was “Waterworld” an “eco-parable” ahead of its time? [Slate]

    • Claufia Puig reviews the Oscar shorts.  High marks for “Toyland,” “The Pig” and “Manon on the Asphalt.” [USA Today]

    • Andrew O’Hehir also digs in. [Beyond the Multiplex]

  • 2/5 Oscarweb Round-up

    New Boy• Patrick Goldstein, in a well-reasoned piece that even I — a dedicated Boss fan — can’t disagree with, says Bruce Springsteen “had to stoop to conquer” Sunday night. [The Big Picture]

    • Jeffrey Wells bizarrely reviews Best Live Action Short nominee “New Boy.”  Beware careless spoilers. [Hollywood Elsewhere]

    • Michael Cieply, reports on the on-going discussion of how to handle the Best Original Song performances, from a cost stand-point, of course. [The Carpetbagger]

    • David Carr, meanwhile, in addressing the Christian Bale situation, takes another swipe at “The Dark Knight.”  But he should really watch the film again and understand that the ending isn’t “unsatisfying,” but merely poorly integrated into the whole. [The Carpetbagger]

    • Speaking of Bale, Tom O’Neil wonders if the actor threw away his Oscar hopes for “Public Enemies” by shooting off at the mouth. [Gold Derby]

    • Dave Karger previews Saturday’s WGA awards.  “Milk” and “Slumdog” have it in the bag, right?  Anyone expecting an upset? [Entertainment Weekly]

    • Three weeks in the life of an Oscar ballot. [Little Gold Men]

    • David Fincher: “‘Benjamin Button’ was a semi-confection that became resonant.” [The Guardian]

    • Treading waters we were swimming through back when the film was set for a 2008 bow, Brad Brevet wonders if Stephen Frears’ “Chéri” is an Oscar contender.  Considering it’s Miramax’s best bet, then yeah, it probably is a contender. [Rope of Silicon]

  • 2/4 Oscarweb Round-up

    Angelina Jolie at the 72nd Annual Academy Awards• Patrick Goldstein reports on his self-moderated producers panel from last week’s Santa Barbara International Film Festival. [The Big Picture]

    • The Gurus o’ Gold pick their ones and twos. [Movie City News]

    • Angelina Jolie has, uh…misplaced her “Girl, Interrupted” Oscar. [Daily Telegraph]

    • Tom O’Neil, meanwhile, gives Meryl Streep shit for leaving hers in the bathroom back in 1980. [Gold Derby]

    • David Denby smacks “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” down for good measure. [The New Yorker]

    • Jeffrey Wells is amused. [Hollywood Elsewhere]

    • Mary McNamara talks to “five-time Oscar loser” Kate Winslet. [The Envelope]

    • Susan King does the same with first-time nominee Frank Langella. [The Envelope]

    • And speaking of Winslet, Tim Wilson writes up the box office symbiotism of her films across the pond. [The Guardian]

  • 2/3 Oscarweb Round-up

    Oprah Winfrey• Lionsgate picks up Sundance sensation “Push” with Oprah Winfrey and Tyler Perry in on the publicity push. [Variety]

    • Aseem Chhabra wonders why negative portrayals of India from westerners always cause people to “freak out.” [Mumbai Mirror]

    • “Little Miss Sunshine” producer David T. Friendly, meanwhile, smartly tells reporters sniffing around the “Slumdog” smear story to “consider the source,” calls the whole scenario “fueled by sour grapes.” [The Wrap]

    • David Poland on the evaporating post-Oscar theatrical bump. [The Hot Blog]

    • Another Oscar section for all our obsessive enjoyment. [E! Online]

    • Michael Cieply reads into the body language of the season’s contenders at yesterday’s nominees luncheon. [The Carpetbagger]

    • Peter Bart chimes in from the scene as well. [Peter Bart]

    • Tom O’Neil on the steady leak of Oscarcast surprises. [Gold Derby]

    • Christopher Campbell’s reasons bot to underestimate “The Reader” at this stage. [Spout Blog]

    • Hilary Alexander reports from the BAFTA talent photo shoot. [Daily Telegraph]

  • 2/2 Oscarweb Round-up

    Martin Scorsese• How “The Wrestler” is rescuing professional wrestling. [The Independent]

    • Kim Voynar on spinning against the frontrunner. [Movie City News]

    • Michael Cieply writes up the Oscarcast as a production struggling to be exciting in the wake of an under-seen slate of nominees. [New York Times]

    • According to Christopher Nolan at the DGA Awards, should Heath Ledger win the Oscar, his family will accept the award on his behalf. [Entertainment Weekly]

    • An Italian office worker is claiming “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” was based on a story she wrote 15 years ago and she’s not happy about it. [The Hollywood Reporter]

    • Nathaniel Rogers has a post-SAG podcast discussion with a few friends.  The topics are too many to list here, but have a listen. [The Film Experience]

    • Scorsese + Day-Lewis + Del Toro = Oscar in the very near future? [Variety]

    • 10 documentaries Hollywood should make into dramatic features, including “Blessed is the Match,” similarly suggested in this space last week. [Spout Blog]

  • 1/30 Oscarweb Round-up

    Ahney Her• Good riddance. [Crain’s New York]

    • Bob Thompson talks to “Gran Torino” star Ahney Her. [National Post]

    • Pete Hammond digs into the hounding of “Slumdog.” [Notes on a Season]

    • Amy Adams makes a splash across the pond. [The Independent]

    • Jeff Wells is suspicious of the “Milk” come-from-behind talk. [Hollywood Elsewhere]

    • David Poland is suspicious about something…not really sure what. [The Hot Blog]

    • Helen Pidd spends some quality time with Penelope Cruz.  Envy her. [The Guardian]

  • 1/29 Oscarweb Round-up

    Joaquin Phoenix• Looks like Mickey Rourke isn’t going to get into the ring after all. [Associated Press]

    • Perhaps in response to snarky items like this? [Vulture]

    • Kim Voynar deconstructs the Oscar nominations a week later. [Movie City News]

    • In case it wasn’t obvious from the start, Joaquin Phoenix has been punkin’ y’all. [Entertainment Weekly]

    • Anne Thompson wonders if “Milk” is coming up on the outside.  I’ve heard some people here in Santa Barbara call it the #2 film in the mix, which it certainly might be.  Very interesting… [Thompson on Hollywood]

    • An opportune time for a story like this.  (If we really, REALLY want to get all conspiracy theorist about it, The Times is the Telegraph’s conservative competition.  And who owns The Times?) [Daily Telegraph]

    • Rather than post the emailed producers’ statement myself, I’ll just point you to Sasha Stone’s post with the full release. [Awards Daily]

    • Following that awesome Newsweek actors round table, Patrick Goldstein worships at the altar of Frank Langella (who, I just discovered today, is friggin’ 71 — now THAT’s aging well). [The Big Pucture]