*All historical figures cited are adjusted to today’s dollars. No photo finishes and no Monday recounts needed. “How to Train Your Dragon” has definitely topped the chart this weekend, four weeks after debuting there. The last time a film leapt back up to number one after a three week hiatus was “The Passion of the […]
SUNDAY CENTS: For real this time, ‘Dragon’ ‘Back-Up’ to #1
Posted by Chad Hartigan · 12:08 pm · April 25th, 2010
Filed in: Box Office · Sunday Cents
3D effects for ‘Secret of Kells’ follow-up?
Posted by Guy Lodge · 8:39 am · April 5th, 2010
(Earlier, this story accidentally credited the incorrect source — apologies to Brendon Connelly and /Film UK.) Following his surprise Oscar nomination for “The Secret of Kells,” which only recently landed in U.S. theaters, Irish animator Tomm Moore is already deep into his follow-up, “Song of the Sea.” The film, which should go into production later […]
Filed in: Daily
SUNDAY CENTS: A very important date
Posted by Chad Hartigan · 11:43 am · March 7th, 2010
*All historical figures cited are adjusted to today’s dollars. May I introduce the film with the 14th biggest debut of all time, “Alice in Wonderland.” It’s also the biggest March debut, biggest 3D debut and third biggest non-sequel debut of all time. If your goal was to ensure that Tim Burton continues to lazily adapt […]
Filed in: Box Office · Sunday Cents
‘Secret of Kells’ poster
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 9:38 am · February 17th, 2010
Filed in: Daily
The making of a surprise
Posted by Guy Lodge · 7:43 am · February 16th, 2010
I think it’s fairly inarguable that this year’s most unexpected Oscar nomination was the deserved Best Animated Feature nod for “The Secret of Kells,” the Irish festival creeper that some journos even admitted to not having heard of. If you had your money on that one, you have my respect in addition to your fortune. […]
Filed in: Daily
2/12 Oscarweb Round-up
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 8:51 am · February 12th, 2010
• Steve Weintraub sits down with likely the only major Oscar play for forthcoming flop “The Wolfman,” Rick Baker. [Collider] • Guy Adams on “Crazy Heart”‘s crazy trip to the screen. [The Independent] • Harvey Weinstein is pretty damn sure “Inglourious Basterds” is winning Best Picture. [Notes on a Season]
Filed in: Daily
‘Secret of Kells’ trailer
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 9:13 am · February 11th, 2010
Filed in: Daily
OSCAR GUIDE: Best Animated Feature Film
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 9:19 am · February 8th, 2010
This year’s Best Animated Feature Film race featured five nominees for just the second time in the category’s existence. It was the result of a robust slate of qualifying contenders that reached the magic number of 16, and yet there was still quality work left lying in the also-rans pile. There was a wide open […]
Filed in: Daily
SANTA BARBARA: ‘Kells’ screens and the writers talk
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 3:09 pm · February 6th, 2010
It’s been a slow ramping up for me in Santa Barbara, coverage wise. I’ve had some Wi-Fi difficulties that are being sorted and I’ve posted when I can from where I can, but a couple of notes on the last two days. Yesterday I took in a late afternoon screening of Tomm Moore’s “The Secret […]
Filed in: Daily
The bright side
Posted by Guy Lodge · 7:36 am · February 2nd, 2010
Well, I’ll start the good news selfishly, by noting that I didn’t entirely embarrass myself with my predictions: not counting the short categories (which I was too cowardly and uninformed to predict) I nailed 78/106, just two points behind Kris’s round tally of 80. But while I was pleased to see at least one of […]
Filed in: Daily
THE LONG SHOT: Cartoon network
Posted by Guy Lodge · 7:56 pm · December 9th, 2009
As the year winds down, and critics and entertainment journalists search for neat blanket tags with which to label the year that was, “the year of animation” is a phrase that is getting increasingly bandied about – some going so far as to declare 2009 the greatest year of all time for animated product. (Certainly, […]
Filed in: The Long Shot
Golden Globes announce 15 animated contenders
Posted by Guy Lodge · 8:58 am · December 3rd, 2009
Hardly something to stop the presses for, but the Hollywood Foreign Press Association has revealed the 15 eligible titles vying for a Best Animated Feature nod at the Golden Globes. It’s the same as the 20-title longlist from which the Academy will pick its nominees, minus the following five films: “Astro Boy,” “The Dolphin: Story […]
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Animated feature contenders pushing 18 now
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 9:14 am · November 11th, 2009
One of the titles we mentioned a couple of weeks ago that could slide in and help rescue the animated feature category (as in, push the field of qualifying contenders closer to 16, which would yield the potential for five, rather than three nominees) was something called “The Secret of Kells.” Since then, “The Missing […]
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Animated slate still in limbo
Posted by Kristopher Tapley · 2:34 pm · October 15th, 2009
Earlier today Tom O’Neil reported that “Evangelion 1.0: You Are (Not) Alone” will not qualify for the animated feature Oscar race because it was released in Japan in 2007. That would bring the number of qualifying titles from 16 down to 15. However, there seem to be films in play that we hadn’t previously considered. […]
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‘Moon’ takes top prize at Edinburgh
Posted by Guy Lodge · 11:44 am · June 28th, 2009
The Edinburgh International Film Festival closed today with an awards ceremony that culminated in Duncan Jones’s sci-fi debut feature “Moon” landing the fest’s most coveted prize, the Michael Powell Award for Best British Feature. The jury, headed by Joe Wright and including Oscar-nominee Frank Langella, said of the film: We award “Moon” for its singular […]
Filed in: Daily