In Contention

Tag: Roy Scheider

  • The price of Variety

    Roy Scheider in Iron CrossEver heard of “Iron Cross?” Don’t blame yourself if you haven’t: a Nazi revenge drama from freshman director Joshua Newton, opening in theaters next week, it appears to be notable principally for being the last film of the late Roy Scheider.

    Newton, however, had such high hopes for the film that he talked investors into a $400,000 ad campaign in Variety, enough to buy daily For Your Consideration ads in the trade paper from November to the end of nomination voting in January. Following this, Variety itself selected the film for its screening series aimed at Academy members, alongside far more illustrious awards contenders.

    Must be good, right? Well, Variety’s own critic Robert Koehler didn’t think so in his damning review of the film, which he denounced as “preposterous” and “hackneyed,” among other choice adjectives. A slightly embarrassing result for a film the paper had previously boosted, but as Gawker’s John Cook reports, Variety solved the problem quite easily — by removing Koehler’s review from their website altogether, after “Iron Cross”‘s producers complained.

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  • 12/1 Oscarweb Round-up

    Roy Scheider in Iron Cross• Pete Hammond reports on a last minute surge to get “Iron Cross,” Roy Scheider’s final film, into Oscar contention. [Notes on a Season]

    • Gregory Ellwood takes note of the season’s box office champs so far: “Inglourious Basterds” and “Up.” [Awards Campaign]

    • Geoff Boucher talks to “Avatar” composer James Horner. [Hero Complex]

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  • On TCM now…

    Richard Schickel’s documentary “Spielberg on Spielberg.”  Just finished talking about “Duel” (what I maintain to be a top five Spielberg effort to this day) and “Jaws.”  Ths is critical viewing to anyone interested in filmmaking.  It’s a treat to hear the director talking at length about his own work.  This is a guy who has never provided a director’s commentary track for a DVD release, so it’s a rarer treat than you’d expect.

    Speaking of “Jaws” (a personal all-time top 20er and a finalist in our influential films poll), I’ve always laughed out loud at Roy Scheider’s reaction to first seeing the shark.  You know it well, the “chum” scene.  That bolt-upright snap of his, cigarette sticking out, that unmistakable “holy shit” look of shock.  I don’t know, cracks me up every time.