In Contention

Tag: Where the Wild Things Are

  • OFF THE CARPET: Field of adaptations

    Amy Adams in Julie & JuliaAs always, the year’s adapted screenplay race is much more competitive than the original screenplay race. But what’s intriguing to note is that of the anticipated “big four” still to be widely screened, three of them are right in the thick of this discussion.

    In the case of “Nine,” there is a chance for Anthony Minghella to receive his second posthumous Oscar nomination in as many years, something I don’t think we’ve seen since James Dean. But sometimes the razzle-dazzle of a movie musical can overshadow what craft there might be on the page, so it’s no slam dunk. Michael Tolkin is co-writer on the script, and even though I’ve seen the film, I’m prohibited from offering my thoughts on the work.

    “The Lovely Bones,” meanwhile, is adapted from a beloved novel, looks to feature a more reserved and refined Peter Jackson than we’ve seen in recent years and could see the lovable trio (Jackson, Philippa Boyens and Fran Walsh) back in Oscar’s good graces. We’ll know when we see it.

    The Royals and invited British press get their look on the 24th. Harry Knowles has received his typical peek (as Paramount continues to nurture the relationship as if it’s 2002 and AICN still moves the needle). The rest of the US press corps has to wait until the other side of the holiday on the 27th to judge. Hopefully we’ll still care by then. I heard some scathing criticisms out of an exhibitor screening last week.

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  • David Poland’s Oscar underdogs … where are the ladies?

    Tilda Swinton in JuliaFor those of you bored of reading the same ever-narrowing list of names in the assorted Oscar-speculation pieces across the web, David Poland’s latest column is a slight breath of fresh air.

    Decrying the fact that many pundits are making ludicrous long-shot calls like “This Is It” for Best Picture, while ignoring more deserving contenders who could use the attention, Poland provides a list of less-hyped contenders in the top categories that he feels merit consideration.

    His definition of the term “underdog” ranges from genuinely fanciful contenders (Catherine O’Hara and James Gandolfini for “Where the Wild Things Are,” “In the Loop” for Best Picture) to names still very much in the race who  have lately lost a bit of steam (Matt Damon, Jeremy Renner and Viggo Mortensen, all in the Best Actor category).

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  • Studio FYC sites on the march

    A Serious ManIt’s that time of year, when studios roll out their awards-centric websites for films in play.  You get screening info, news and notes, reminders of how AMAZING their films are (with critical quotes to back it up), goodies like screenplays and such, etc.  It’s a good way to see how wide the net is cast during the season (since any and everything gets a “For Your Consideration” blurb), but I’ve always found it’s a good way to revisit the year’s films.

    First up, Universal Pictures has put together its standard assemblage hawking “Public Enemies,” “Bruno,” “Funny People” and “It’s Complicated.” Skimming through the “Public Enemies” section I was instantly reminded that Elliot Goldenthal’s score was actually quite wonderful and could be a sleeper to watch in a field that is notorious for its insularity.  You can even skim through tracks in a dedicated section and download the screenplay.

    “Funny People” has a similar set-up, with score toggling, the script, etc., while “Bruno” has no script to offer.  But you can listen to the raved out score again if you wish.  The “It’s Complicated” section has material to come and only mentions “in all categories” as it pertains to FYC business.

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  • Gurus on the march

    Gurus o' GoldIt’s been so long since I actually ranked the Best Picture contenders (given that we did away with the charts some weeks back), that when I sat down to do so for this week’s Gurus o’ Gold update at Movie City News, I really didn’t know which way was up.  It’s liberating to stop thinking about things in reductive terms, but I gave it a go, as did 14 other pundits, and this is what we came up with.  Sasha Stone also has charts from past years up for comparison.

    It seems like USA Today’s Anthony Brenican is the only guy who got his votes in after the big “Crazy Heart”/Jeff Bridges news, but suffice it to say the film would likely be a bit higher on the Best Picture chart and certainly Bridges and Gyllenhaal would be formidable in the lead actor and supporting actress fields.

    “Up in the Air” is leading the pack, though “Precious” isn’t that far behind.  My top 10 matches the Gurus’ exactly, except rather than Quentin Tarrantino’s “Inglourious Basterds,” I’ve placed a bet on James Cameron’s “Avatar” (which sits at #11 on the chart).  Intriguingly, Spike Jonze’s “Where the Wild Things Are” is close to the bubble, at #12.  I’d say that’s too high, frankly, but critics adore the movie.

    Head on over to Movie City News for the full spread.

  • TECH SUPPORT: Best Art Direction — Volume II

    Michael Stuhlbarg in A Serious ManWhen I first addressed the race for Best Art Direction in August, I spoke of how the branch tends to favor period pieces and fantasy films. Considering the research involved in the former and the often showy creativity on display in the latter, this is hardly surprising.

    That said, I often feel badly for exceptional contemporary films that have been slighted here in the past. Examples from this decade immediately popping to mind include David Wasco’s tremendously clever sets for “The Royal Tenenbaums” and Alex McDowell’s ultra-realistic airport design on “The Terminal.”

    While many of the titles in contention are the same over two months later, the race has nevertheless undergone some significant changes. Primarily this is because many of the films have opened, been unveiled at festivals and/or revealed glimpses via trailers and other materials.

    At the top of the list, still, is Rob Marshall’s “Nine.” John Myhre won this category on both of his previous two collaborations with Marshall. Dabbling in the world of Fellini seems like the perfect opportunity to grab his fifth nomination.

    While the “Sherlock Holmes” trailer has been around for a while, the verdict is still out on the latest film from Guy Ritchie – a director whose work to date has hardly been typical AMPAS fodder. Nevertheless, Sarah Greenwood has been nominated twice before for capturing period England, Joe Wright’s “Pride & Prejudice” and “Atonement” doing the trick. She’ll be doing the same here, albeit on a much larger scale. A nomination seems a distinct possibility in my opinion.

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  • SUNDAY CENTS: Jigsaw scared off by ‘Paranormal Activity’

    Paranormal ActivityFour weeks after opening on 12 screens with only midnight shows, “Paranormal Activity” has topped the box office and made mincemeat out of the “Saw” series. Paramount’s no-budget thriller earned $22 million this weekend on 1,945 screens and saw its total stretch past $60 million.

    This type of ascent to the summit hasn’t been seen since “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” in 2002 and with at least one more lucrative weekend over Halloween, the film has surely etched its name in the record books as one of the most profitable of all time. Congratulations to everyone involved and thanks for making it look so easy, you jerks!

    Second place goes to “Saw VI,” which earned a rough $14.8 million. This is easily the lowest debut of the franchise and is less than half of what “Saw V” pulled in last year. The films are undoubtedly cheap to produce so it may not mean that “Saw VII” is off the table, but some significant changes will have to be made. And they will probably be made in 3D. Obviously, the innovation of “Paranormal Activity” just made a sixth helping of Jigsaw’s puzzle murders seem a little stupid.

    “Where the Wild Things Are” fell a troubling 56%, which wasn’t entirely unexpected after it was revealed that only 29% of the opening weekend audience was parents with children. This was more of a fanboy title and the mixed reception dictated the decline. But with $54 million already in the bank, execs at Warner Bros. can’t be too worried about it and perhaps this success means that a few puppeteers can get out of the unemployment line for a while in Hollywood.

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  • WEEKLY WRAP: Oscar prods, Gotham nods, ‘Amelia’ clods

    Richard Gere• The Academy finally named the producers for next year’s Oscar telecast, first-timers Adam Shankman and Bill Mechanic.

    • All of which added weight to the speculation that Hugh Jackman might return as host.

    • The Gotham Awards provided the season with its first set of nominees, though it inspired more talk for its omissions.

    • Chief among those omissions: “Precious,” prompting talk of a backlash, despite generous media exposure positioning it as the one to beat.

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  • The other Max on ‘Wild Things’

    Spike Jonze and Max RecordsMax Records, the 12 year-old actor who, by handy coincidence, plays young Max in “Where the Wild Things Are,” gives pretty good interview. He talks here to the LA Times about the book, the film and his frankly awesome hobby, which consists of the following:

    Me and my friends like to wrap mattress film and duct tape around PVC piping and then make foam weapons out of it that we have big foam battles with.

    Great kid. Back to the film itself, he has a matter-of-fact response to voices from some quarters suggesting that the film is too adult in sensibility:

    It depends on the kid.  There are parts of it that are pretty intense. When I was 7 years old, I could not have seen this movie.  It would’ve scared me.  But my younger brother, who’s now 7, could’ve seen this a year ago.  It depends on the kid.

    Sometimes it takes a 12 year-old to speak common sense. More here.

  • TECH SUPPORT: Best Visual Effects — Volume II

    Sharlto Copley in District 9As more films have been unleashed, the race for the visual effects Oscar now appears clearer than it did three months ago.  I’m starting to feel the race for the final three will really be down to a handful of films.

    As I explained in August, a shortlist of seven films will be announced in December or January.  After the branch screens the films, the three nominees will be announced on the same day as all the other categories.  We can expect the nominees to be big budget films – and also big hits, which is why how they perform on release is so important.

    Summer titles such as “Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian” and “G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra” strike me as highly unlikely to survive to the year’s end.  Nor do I believe “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” will able to distinguish itself enough from its predecessors, only one of which was nominated here.

    Spike Jonze’s “Where the Wild Things Are” did not have the reliance on visual effects that I thought would be necessary for a nomination and I frankly doubt its chances. “Watchmen,” on the other hand, has slightly more potential in my opinion but still remains almost too innovative for a berth here.

    The two summer films which I do fully expect to be in the running had very different critical reception – though I’m not sure if that will determine their fate in this category.  I felt significantly dumber after watching “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen.” That said, the box office was nothing short of massive, as were the effects.  It’s certainly still among the top contenders.

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  • 10/21 Oscarweb Round-up

    Tilda Swinton• Pete Hammond joins the speculation that yesterday’s Oscarcast producer announcement bodes well for a Jackman repeat. [Notes on a Season]

    • Nathaniel Rogers is awed in the presence of Tilda Swinton at the New Yorker Festival. (Where, apparently, “Michael Clayton” was never mentioned. Huh.) [Tribeca Film]

    • David Poland brands the Gotham Awards “meaningless” for not trying to predict the Oscars. I despair. [The Hot Blog]

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  • 10/20 Oscarweb Round-up

    Francis Ford Coppola• Peter Knegt writes up a list of honest-to-God Oscar underdogs, but where’s Tom Hardy? [indieWIRE]

    • Peter Bart and Michael Fleming go back and forth on the new Oscar paradigm. [BF Deal Memo]

    • Francis Ford Coppola chimes in with cheery news: “The cinema as we know it is falling apart.” [Bloomberg]

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  • Spike Jonze’s ‘We Were Once a Fairytale’ with Kanye West

    Rodrigo Perez at The Playlist, amid reporting concerning a delayed release, notes the short film “We Were Once a Fairytale” from director Spike Jonze “attempts to lampoon Kanye West’s arrogance by evincing more self-conceit and self-deprecation with a bizarre, hallucinatory ending that features a small demon-like furry rodent and a form of seppuku.”  This is actually the first I’ve heard about it and, with “Where the Wild Things Are” moving into theaters over the weekend, it’s probably worth passing along.

    Here’s part one.  Part two after the jump:

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  • 10/19 Oscarweb Round-up

    (from left) Ben Foster and Woody Harrelson in The Messenger• Perpetuating the false myth that this is a weak year for leading ladies.  Not everything should be viewed through the prism of Oscar… [Awards Campaign]

    • Following up on our Oscar Talk discussion, Anne Thompson considers the awards prospects of Oren Moverman’s “The Messenger.” [Thompson on Hollywood]

    • Amidst his fully-in-the-tank review of “Where the Wild Things Are,” David Poland calls for Oscar to take note of James Gandolfini’s vocal performance. [The Hot Blog]

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  • SUNDAY CENTS: ‘Wild Things,’ you make everything…groovy

    Where the Wild Things AreWell, it was maybe the most anticipated PG-rated film amongst the young adult set since “Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace” and “Where the Wild Things Are” landed with a bang this weekend. The Spike Jonze adaptation grossed $32.5 million to top the box office and justify all the bickering and problems during production between director and studio.

    Warner Bros. is having quite a year with unique directors tackling projects and possibly turning in a different movie than the studio was expecting (“Observe and Report” and “The Informant!” also come to mind), but it’s hard to imagine the film doing this well without a name like Jonze behind it. Kids made up only half of the audience and the broad appeal amongst all age groups should help with staying power over the next few weeks, even though reaction seems to be slightly mixed to positive.

    “Law Abiding Citizen” took the runner-up spot in a bit of a surprise. The action/thriller grossed a strong $21.3 million, which would have been enough to top the chart on this same weekend last year. That’s a new high mark for Overture Films and another feather in Gerard Butler’s 2009 cap after “The Ugly Truth.” He may not be headed to an Oscar anytime soon but he has to be commended for turning the freak box office performance of “300” into bona fide movie stardom.

    “Paranormal Activity” continues to gross paranormal numbers with another $20.2 million this weekend from 760 theaters. It’s not quite at the pace that “The Blair Witch Project” was at when it expanded but with a 2,000+ theater roll-out planned for next weekend and Halloween fast approaching, this no budget exercise should be knocking on the door of $100 million when all is said and done. Flabbergasting.

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  • Tell us what you thought of ‘Where the Wild Things Are’

    Max Records in Where the Wild Things Are

    It’s been a little while since we put it out to the readership for thoughts on a film.  Sorry for that.  I’m already kinda, sorta on the record as regards Spike Jonze’s “Where the Wild Things Are,” but this being one of the year’s most anticipated films from movie fans, I’d love to hear your thoughts.  So come on back here and sound off once you get a look this weekend.

  • OSCAR TALK: Ep. 6 — Foreign, animated, ‘Fantastic Mr. Fox,’ Plummer and more

    Oscar TalkWelcome to the sixth installment of Oscar Talk, a weekly awards-centric kudocast featuring yours truly and Anne Thompson of indieWIRE’s Thompson on Hollywood.

    As we move further into the season, there is finally substantial grist for the mill.  Here’s what we’re discussing today:

    • With 65 countries locked in for consideration in this year’s Best Foreign Language Film category, Anne and I offer up rough expectations for the eventual nominees and spotlight a handful of pics we hope to catch very soon.

    • As the animated feature film category seems ebb and flow with contenders the last few weeks, we talk about how the category might shake down and discuss Wes Anderson’s “Fantastic Mr. Fox,” playing the London Film Festival and set for an AFI Fest bow next month.

    • “Where the Wild Things Are” opens today, so Anne and I (of like minds on the film) offer our thoughts.

    • Making good on last week’s tease, we discuss Oren Moverman’s “The Messenger,” starring Ben Foster, Woody Harrelson and Samantha Morton.

    • And finally, we get into a late-comer to this year’s Oscar landscape, Christopher Plummer, suddenly looking at a campaign in the supporting actor category for “The Last Station” and the lead actor category for “The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus,” plus a debate on his classification in the former.

    We ran a little long today (and got into some fights along the way), but have a listen to this week’s podcast below.  And, as always, you can subscribe to Oscar Talk via iTunes here.

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    Subscribe to Oscar Talk

  • 10/16 Oscarweb Round-up

    Carey Mullian in An Education• Nathaniel Rogers weighs in on Christopher Plummer’s upcoming whirlwind campaigns. [The Film Experience]

    • John Hiscock sits down with 2009’s “it” girl, Carey Mulligan. [Daily Telegraph]

    • Enter a contest to design the actual one-sheet for Lars Von Trier’s “Antichrist.” [CHUD]

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  • Sendak doc makes for a beautiful portrait of an artist

    Maurice SendakI sat down this morning to watch Lance Bangs and Spike Jonze’s “Tell Them Anything You Want: A Portrait of Maurice Sendak,” which originally aired on HBO last night, expecting little more than a swift, arbitrary look at the author and perhaps a nice companion piece to Jonze’s adaptation of “Where the Wild Things Are.” Boy was I in for a surprise.

    The film (which is on Oscar’s short list for documentary shorts) is instantly one of the 2009’s great joys, a compelling, insightful study from the perspective of the genuine article.  And Sendak is indeed the genuine article, a directly honest man who has transformed his take on the world into profound art for most of his 81 years.  And at that healthy old age, he seems equally awed by, and bored with, the realities of the world.

    Filming began in 2003 at Sendak’s home in Connecticut.  The seasons zip back and forth, spring sunshine to winter snowdrift, as Bangs and Jonze piece together the meat of Jonze’s conversations with the author.  The title stems from Sendak’s opinion that there should be no demarcation when it comes to age.  “I don’t believe in childhood,” he says.  “Like, ‘You mustn’t tell them that,’ ‘You mustn’t tell them that.’  You tell them anything you want…If it’s true, you tell them.”

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