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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 […]
OSCAR GUIDE: Best Actress
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 9:46 am · February 24th, 2011
Filed in: Oscar Guide
My dream Oscar ballot, part two
Posted by Guy Lodge · 12:35 pm · January 23rd, 2011
Yesterday, I began my very far-fetched (and in some cases, frankly impossible) wishlist for Tuesday’s Oscar nominations with my favorite achievements in the technical categories. Today, I offer up my picks in the top races, and I don’t mind telling you things got pretty agonizing in some categories. “Why can’t I have 15 nominees for […]
Filed in: Daily
Watching and waiting: Guy’s best and worst of 2010
Posted by Guy Lodge · 10:00 am · January 5th, 2011
What kind of year was 2010 at the movies? You tell me. It’s virtually impossible to find one yardstick to measure 365 days of cinema for a collective audience whose interests seem ever more segregated. If your film interests are covered largely by the multiplex, chances are 2010 was an unusually unrewarding year for you, […]
Filed in: Daily
Predict the WGA and Scripter nominees
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 11:25 am · January 3rd, 2011
Also speaking up tomorrow will be the WGA (Writers Guild of America). The recently revealed list of ineligibilities makes picking this group’s choices much more fun, though it still kinda stinks because you know some of the best scripts of the year will be spectators. Last year the beneficiaries of the purge (which ultimately missed […]
Filed in: Daily
OSCAR TALK: Ep. 46 — The “frontrunner,” guilds on the way, latter-year releases, Portman preggers and a Happy New Year!
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 9:00 am · December 31st, 2010
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
12/27 OSCARWEB ROUND-UP: Pond on original songs, rigging the ‘Grit’ game, coal for the year’s worst
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 8:35 am · December 27th, 2010
• Steve Pond offers his perspective on the Best Original Song race. [The Odds] • Jack Giroux talks “Rabbit Hole” with star Sandra Oh. [Film School Rejects] • Michael Cieply reveals how a shrewd publicity executive rigged the game in the favor of “True Grit” the first time around. [New York Times]
Filed in: Daily
12/17 OSCARWEB ROUND-UP: Plea for Bardem, Swank’s potential parlay, HFPA and SAG by the numbers
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 8:50 am · December 17th, 2010
• Scott Feinberg digs in to some exhaustive research on HFPA and SAG nominations history to help you navigate what it all means. [ScottFeinberg.com] • Steve Pond is begging someone to step up to the plate and recognize what an amazing performance Javier Bardem gives in “Biutiful,” and in so doing, NOMINATE HIM. [The Odds] […]
Filed in: Daily
12/14 OSCARWEB ROUND-UP: critics’ awards scoop and outrage, the year in posters, Steinfeld’s ‘Grit’
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 8:19 am · December 14th, 2010
• Tim Appelo gets the inside scoop of yesterday’s NYFCC vote. [The Race] • David Poland, meanwhile, is outraged that critics so far, in their dwindling numbers, have failed to resonate by missing the fertile ground between obscure and obvious. [The Hot Blog] • Jenelle Riley sits down with “True Grit” young’un Hailee Steinfeld. [Backstage]
Filed in: Daily
Likability: the best films of 2010
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 11:51 am · December 13th, 2010
I don’t quite know how to peg 2010. On one hand it has felt like a weak year. On the other hand, I’ve enjoyed quite a few films. Maybe the story lies in that sentence: “enjoyed.” There were precious few films that really rocked me, but plenty that were a nice enough experience. If you […]
Filed in: Daily
‘Rabbit Hole’ poster #2
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 11:35 am · November 30th, 2010
John Cameron Mitchell’s “Rabbit Hole” landed Independent Spirit nominations for Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress and Best Screenplay earlier this morning, but was left off of the Best Picture list. Go figure that one out. This afternoon, via Cinematical, Lionsgate has revealed a striking new poster for the film, one that differs considerably from […]
Filed in: Daily
‘Winter’s Bone’ leads Indie Spirits with 7 nods
Posted by Guy Lodge · 10:37 am · November 30th, 2010
Well, quelle surprise. I’ve been saying for months now that Debra Granik’s solemn Ozark thriller is — even more so than the sunnier, starrier “The Kids Are All Right” — this year’s annointed indie cause in the Oscar race, and this only cements that belief. The film’s impressive showing this morning, coming on the heels […]
Filed in: Daily
THE LONG SHOT: When you’re strange
Posted by Guy Lodge · 8:05 pm · November 24th, 2010
(Updated predictions available here.) I shan’t often find room for Gaspar Noé’s name in a space ostensibly dedicated to the Oscar race, so bear with me if this seems an unlikely opening gambit, but inspiration for this week’s column began with a conversation about his fluorescent, drug-addled ghost story “Enter the Void.” A friend had […]
Filed in: The Long Shot
Kidman to receive Santa Barbara’s Cinema Vanguard Award
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 11:24 am · November 21st, 2010
The press release, in part: The Santa Barbara International Film Festival will honor Academy Award winner Nicole Kidman with the Cinema Vanguard Award at the 26th edition of the Fest, which runs January 27 -February 6, 2011, it was announced today by SBIFF Executive Director Roger Durling. The Tribute will take place on Saturday, February […]
Filed in: Daily
10/28 OSCARWEB ROUND-UP: Youngest Best Actresses, seeking Oscar journos, Cameron readies ‘Avatar’ sequels
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 9:37 am · October 28th, 2010
• AMPAS and mtvU launch the third annual “Oscars Correspondent Contest” for college journalists. [Oscars.org] • Across the pond, Stuart Heritage counts down the ways “Rabbit Hole” could be an Oscar bet for Nicole Kidman. [The Guardian] • The Durst family predictably threatens to sue over “All Good Things.” [Deadline]
Filed in: Daily
‘Rabbit Hole’ poster
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 4:12 pm · October 27th, 2010
Friday we got a look at the trailer for John Cameron Mitchell’s “Rabbit Hole.” Today, courtesy of Awards Campaign, we get the first poster, which I’d say clashes with the tone of the film somewhat. Have a look at the full image after the jump.
Filed in: Daily
OFF THE CARPET: Leading men in the spotlight
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 10:14 am · October 25th, 2010
About a year ago I took to examining the 2009 Best Actor race. The frontrunners for five slots seemed to be, in order, George Clooney, Colin Firth, Jeremy Renner, Morgan Freeman, Daniel Day-Lewis, Viggo Mortensen and Robert De Niro. A day later press members received their first invites to “Crazy Heart” screenings and were notified […]
Filed in: Off the Carpet
‘Rabbit Hole’ trailer
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 12:43 pm · October 22nd, 2010
I quite liked John Cameron Mitchell’s “Rabbit Hole,” a smooth adaptation of a stage work with quality performances. So I’m happy to see an understated trailer playing very much into what the film is as opposed to selling it as something it isn’t. Check it out via Apple by clicking the image below or watch […]
Filed in: Daily
AFI Fest announces centerpiece galas, ‘King’s Speech’ tribute
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 9:19 am · October 13th, 2010
Already announced, this year’s AFI Fest will be bookended by “Love & Other Drugs” and “Black Swan.” Today, more news. The press release, in part: AFI FEST 2010 presented by Audi today announced its Centerpiece Galas, featuring ABEL (DIR Diego Luna), BARNEY’S VERSION (DIR Richard J. Lewis), BLUE VALENTINE (DIR Derek Cianfrance), CASINO JACK (DIR […]
Filed in: Daily
