• Your favorite Pixar characters soon to grace postage stamps. [USPS]
• “Inception” tops 2010’s list of most-tweeted movies. [The Independent]
• Neville Page on his part in designing “TRON Legacy.” [The Wrap]
Tag: TRON Legacy
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77 scores competing for Oscar, ‘Toy Story 3’ not among them
They may have enjoyed a three-year run of nominations in the category, finally taking the gold with “Up” earlier this year, but Pixar’s hot streak in Best Original Score will not continue at the 2010 Oscars. Although Randy Newman’s “Toy Story 3” score wasn’t ruled ineligible by the Academy — unlike his work on last year’s “The Princess and the Frog,” which faced a late disqualification — Newman himself has opted not to enter it in the race.Pixar’s latest therefore joins a number of high-profile titles on the bench in this category, including the previously disqualified likes of “Black Swan,” “The Fighter,” “Tangled” and the Carter Burwell double-shot of “True Grit” and “The Kids Are All Right.”
As Steve Pond points out, the official list of 77 films competing for Best Original Score makes for easily the narrowest field of the general categories. The good news, however, is that most of the names we most want to see recognized are still on it, including Daft Punk for “TRON Legacy,” Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross for “The Social Network,” Sylvain Chomet for “The Illusionist” and arguable frontrunner Hans Zimmer for “Inception.”
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CINEJABBER: Another year over and a new one just begun
Catch up with the idea behind these weekend posts here.Granted, Christmas isn’t universal, but is anyone making it to this page between the turkey and ham and mistletoe and Darlene Love? If so, we thank you for squeezing IC into your holiday craziness (though we all know you’re just ducking the relatives for a few minutes).
I don’t have much to chew on for you, though I suppose 2008’s collective of my favorite Christmas films is always good fodder around this time of year. I just watched “Jingle All the Way” again earlier this week. Every time, I can only ask myself, “Why did I do that?”
BUT, if you haven’t delighted in this one, I suggest you Netflix Instant watch that sucker NOW.
Anyway, I’m in snow-covered Ohio with the future in-laws (and having grown up as an only child, seeing a tree with four kids’ worth of presents underneath is a unique sight to say the least). I was stoked to be met with a White Christmas for, I think, the first time in my life. And the drive up from North Carolina: GORGEOUS.
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12/23 OSCARWEB ROUND-UP: Oscar’s age preferences, hear the King’s speech, ‘True Grit’ and ‘Winter’s Bone’ parallels
• Anne Thompson talks with “The Way Back” director Peter Weir. [Thompson on Hollywood]• Nathaniel Rogers charts Oscar’s age preferences. [The Film Experience]
• Melinda Newman sits down with “True Grit” and “TRON Legacy” star Jeff Bridges. [Awards Campaign]
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12/22 OSCARWEB ROUND-UP: The reclusive Charles Portis, ‘Avatar’ most-pirated, Harvey’s holiday ‘King’s Speech’ hustle
• On the language, cult following and press-shyness of reclusive “True Grit” author Charles Portis. [Speakeasy]• Mike Leigh discusses “Another Year” and why he’ll never make a superhero movie. [Movieline]
• “Avatar” tops list of 2010’s most pirated movies. [New York Post]
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BOX OFFICE: ‘TRON’ tops
Family gathering insanity for me today, but here’s the chart for you to discuss:
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Tell us what you thought of ‘TRON Legacy’
Today kicks off the week of The Dude as “TRON Legacy” hits theaters nationwide. I’ve had my say, but I’d love to hear what you guys think. Come on back here and give us your take when/if you get around to it this weekend or over the holiday.
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Best in show 2010: the year in superlatives
The week, and with it, the bulk of my 2010 coverage, draws to a close today with a look at the best of the best. I’m offering up a personal list of superlatives, including most Oscar categories and some other fun fields thrown in for good measure. A tradition at this point.There will be plenty going on next week, though, despite travel and the holidays. As always, we’ll be at your disposal. But allow me to put a tidy bow on the year here and keep forging ahead…
Best Picture
“Exit Through the Gift Shop”Best Director
Mike Leigh, “Another Year” -
OSCAR TALK: Ep. 45 — Critics’ pick their frontrunner, HFPA speaks up with doosies, the guild circuit kicks off and the week of The Dude
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 of things change en route to Oscar’s stage and we’re here to address it all as it unfolds.
Going into the holidays and with the critics’ awards in full swing, we’ve brought In Contention’s own Guy Lodge on to discuss the goings-on of the season so far. After taking a break from the usual last week, the last 14 days have given us plenty to chew on. Let’s see what’s on the docket today…
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12/16 OSCARWEB ROUND-UP: TIME mag as a cog in the PR wheel, Miramax strikes deal with Weinsetin, 2010
• Steve Pond calls TIME Magazine’s (somewhat dubious) selection of Mark Zuckerberg as Person of the Year “the niftiest bit of Oscar promotion anybody has gotten this year.” [The Odds]• Sophia Savage spotlights the standout performances of 2010. [Thompson on Hollywood]
• Newly acquired Miramax strikes a sequel deal with The Weinstein Company. [Deadline]
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If I had a ballot
The year is winding down. Today, as part of the week’s on-going year-in-review specials, I’m offering up my annual “if I had a ballot” post.In years past I’ve tended to defer to studio campaigns for category placement, but this year I figured, “Screw it.” After all, if I actually had a ballot I could call the shots. So I have.
You’re familiar with my Best Picture line-up by now. I’ve opted out of the Best Foreign Language Film and Best Documentary categories because there are a few films I’d rather have seen before making that call, but otherwise, it’s the usual Oscar fields with an ensemble category tacked on.
Feel free to post up your own selections, if you have them, in the comments section below. And remember to check back Friday as I close up shop on 2010 with my list of superlatives. For now, check out my personal ballot after the jump.
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12/15 OSCARWEB ROUND-UP: Nudie ‘TRON,’ the Scotts eye westerns, Dorff talks Coppola’s ‘Somewhere’
• Behind the scenes of “How Do You Know.” [Making Of]• Anne Thompson talks to “The Company Men” director John Wells. [Thompson on Hollywood]
• The western shows further signs of life under Ridley Scott and Scott Cooper’s helm. [Deadline]
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Likability: the best films of 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 listened to Friday’s Oscar Talk, then you know my top 10. But before publishing it in this space, allow me to walk through the many films that fell short, starting at the top with Derek Cianfrance’s “Blue Valentine.” Here is an honest depiction of a relationship in crisis with performances that hit the mark. It wears its soul on its sleeve.
The Coen brothers’ dip into the western genre, “True Grit,” was a straight-forward piece of flavorful filmmaking much appreciated for its restraint, while similarly, Ben Affleck’s “The Town” didn’t attempt reinvention of the wheel while forging a resonant character study in a genre film’s clothing.
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12/13 OSCARWEB ROUND-UP: HFPA’s “unsavory business practices,” Elswit talks ‘Town,’ the Zen of ‘TRON’
• Golden Globes PR chief slams HFPA for “unsavory business practices.” [The Wrap]• David Heuring chats with “The Town” cinematographer Robert Elswit. [Variety]
• Oscar marketing smackdown: “127 Hours” and “Buried.” [The Hollywood Reporter]
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WEEKLY WRAP: The circuit takes hold, chatting up DiCaprio and Harris, top 10 lists
• The week started off with “How to Train Your Dragon” predictably dominating the slate of Annie Award nominations.• Kris sat down with Leonardo DiCaprio and got Martin Scorsese on the phone for a large two–part piece on the actor and his impressive year.
• He also caught up with actor Ed Harris to talk “The Way Back” and director Peter Weir.
• It was good and bad news for The Weinstein Company as “Blue Valentine” won its ratings appeal with the MPAA, while “The King’s Speech”‘s was shot down.
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Visual effects race whittled down to 15
This is the first year the race for Best Visual Effects will feature five nominees. So take a third of these lucky semi-finalists and there we are. The five I think most are expecting to show up are still in the mix.The most surprising omission for me is “Black Swan,” which used digital wizardry to very startling effect, especially in the film’s final act. I also expected “The Tempest” to show up, but I guess it just leaves too bad a taste in people’s mouths.
I’m happy to see “Shutter Island” get singled out. If we start seeing the guilds respond to the work in this film (and indeed, we might), I think it would be fair to start taking it’s Best Picture chances seriously. It’s holding up for more than you might expect. And “Hereafter” shows up on this list, too. I wouldn’t be surprised if it slid in for its opening sequence (which is rather respected in the VFX community).
Full list after the jump. The category’s Contenders page has also been updated with a proposed ranking.
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12/10 OSCARWEB ROUND-UP: ‘The Fighter’ moves in, Sturgess taks ‘The Way Back,’ Timberlake gets serious
• Elle Fanning: the next Golden Child. [New York Times Magazine]• Pete Hammond joins the flavor of the week: “The Fighter” is insinuating itself into the Best Picture race in a big way. [Deadline]
• Anne Thompson chats with “The Way Back” star Jim Sturgess. [Thompson on Hollywood]
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On the sound of ‘TRON Legacy’
For me, “TRON Legacy” is all about what you hear, and how you hear it. The team at Skywalker Sound did a hell of a job creating a dynamic and unique aural environment. In my opinion, it’s tops in both sound categories for the year.So, naturally, I delighted in the SoundWorks Collection’s recent piece built around the principals on the crew, led by the likes of 13-time Oscar nominated sound re-recording mixer Christopher Boyes and supervising sound editor Gwendolyn Yates Whittle, herself a nominee last year for “Avatar.”
I’m holding out hope that the Academy at large can recognize this achievement over “Inception,” because it’s frankly a more involved and distinctive piece of work. Check out the SoundWorks Collection’s focus on the work, featuring interviews with Whittle, sound designer Steve Boeddeker and re-recording mixer Gary Rizzo, after the jump. (And yeah, there’s some Daft Punk talk.)