Cinematicalhttp://www.cinematical.comCinematicalhttp://www.cinematical.com/media/feedlogo.gifCinematicalhttp://www.cinematical.comen-usCopyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only.Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/'Up in the Air' Named Best Film of the Year by NBRhttp://www.cinematical.com/2009/12/03/up-in-the-air-nbr/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/12/03/up-in-the-air-nbr/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/12/03/up-in-the-air-nbr/#commentsFiled under: , ,

For the past two years in a row, the National Board of Review (aka NBR) and the Academy Awards have each honored the same film as their top pick of the year. Will that streak now continue with Jason Reitman's Up in the Air? Paramount couldn't have picked a better release date for Up in the Air because 24 hours after the film was named best of the year by NBR, it will arrive in theaters in limited release. Aside from taking top honors, Reitman's film about a corporate downsizer who can't seem to connect with anything (or anyone) also won Best Adapted Screenplay (Jason Reitman, Sheldon Turner) and Best Supporting Actress (Anna Kendrick).

Other big winners include Clint Eastwood for Best Director (Invictus), Morgan Freeman for Best Actor (Invictus), Carey Mulligan for Best Actress (An Education) and Woody Harrelson for Best Supporting Actor (The Messenger). The Cove, which is a film we've been heavily championing all year long, won for Best Documentary, while Pixar's Up took home Best Animated Feature. The biggest and most talked-about surprise so far is that top awards contender Precious was nowhere to be found, and wasn't even listed among the year's top ten list, though as a fan of both films it was nice to see District 9 and Moon make the top ten independent films list (along with a special mention for Moon director Duncan Jones in NBR's Spotlight Award for Best Directorial Debut).

Check out all the winners after the jump.

Continue reading 'Up in the Air' Named Best Film of the Year by NBR

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]]>cinematicaldistrict 9District9featuredinvictusmoonnational board of reviewNationalBoardOfReviewnbrpreciousthe covethe hurt lockerTheCoveTheHurtLockerupup in the airUpInTheAirErik DavisThu, 03 Dec 2009 15:02:00 ESTAnnie Nominations Announced, Still No 3D Categoryhttp://www.cinematical.com/2009/12/02/annie-nominations-announced-still-no-3d-category/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/12/02/annie-nominations-announced-still-no-3d-category/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/12/02/annie-nominations-announced-still-no-3d-category/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

This has been such a good year for animated films (maybe even the beginning of a golden age) that I've never been more excited or curious about the Annie Awards. The International Animated Film Society has just announced the nominees for their honors, and the fact that Pixar's Up is not necessarily a front-runner only goes to show that animation is in a good place.

Up came in second for number of nominations received, one short of Coraline's ten. Both movies are in contention for the top prize, Best Animated Feature, with slight competition coming from Fantastic Mr. Fox, The Princess and the Frog, The Secret of Kells and Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs.

The last of those titles is the one that had me most impressed with the state of animation this year. Considering I went into it with some of the lowest expectations I've ever had for a film and came out in love with the very loose children's book adaptation, I've been relatively optimistic about animated films since.

Continue reading Annie Nominations Announced, Still No 3D Category

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]]>3Dcloudy with a chance of meatballsCloudyWithAChanceOfMeatballscoralinefantastic mr. foxFantasticMr.Foxkung fu pandaKungFuPandapixarpixar upPixarUpthe princess and the frogthe secret of kellsThePrincessAndTheFrogTheSecretOfKellsupwall-eChristopher CampbellWed, 02 Dec 2009 15:28:00 ESTNorman Jewison Will Get DGA Lifetime Achievement Awardhttp://www.cinematical.com/2009/12/02/norman-jewison-will-get-dga-lifetime-achievement-award/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/12/02/norman-jewison-will-get-dga-lifetime-achievement-award/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/12/02/norman-jewison-will-get-dga-lifetime-achievement-award/#commentsFiled under:

Norman Jewison, the Oscar-nominated director of In the Heat of the Night, Fiddler on the Roof, and Moonstruck will add another line to his resume on Jan. 30, when the Directors Guild of America gives him its lifetime achievement award. It's a fairly exclusive honor, too -- the DGA has been around for 73 years but only gives lifetime achievement awards occasionally. Jewison is the 33rd recipient; the last one was Clint Eastwood, in 2006.

Jewison, an 83-year-old Toronto native, is a somewhat unusual choice for the DGA in that he hasn't been active lately. The most recent recipients -- Eastwood, Mike Nichols, Martin Scorsese, Steven Spielberg, Francis Ford Coppola -- had all been working pretty regularly at the time of their awards, but Jewison has only made three theatrical features in the last 15 years: Bogus (1996), The Hurricane (1999), and The Statement (2003).

His past work is exemplary, though. In addition to the films I mentioned, he also made The Russians Are Coming! The Russians Are Coming! (1966) and A Soldier's Story (1984), both nominated for Best Picture Oscars. (Moonstruck and Fiddler were, too.) Other notable films in his catalog include The Cincinnati Kid (1965), The Thomas Crown Affair (1968), Rollerball (1975), and Agnes of God (1985). All told, the 24 theatrical features he's made since 1962 have earned 12 Oscars and another 29 nominations. Jewison himself was given the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award at the 1999 Oscars, in recognition for his work as a producer, a title he has held on almost every film he's directed.

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]]>DGAdirectors guild of americaDirectorsGuildOfAmericanorman jewisonNormanJewisonEric D. SniderWed, 02 Dec 2009 10:33:00 ESTGotham Indie Awards Crown 'Hurt Locker,' 'The Maid'http://www.cinematical.com/2009/12/01/gotham-indie-awards-crown-hurt-locker-the-maid/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/12/01/gotham-indie-awards-crown-hurt-locker-the-maid/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/12/01/gotham-indie-awards-crown-hurt-locker-the-maid/#commentsFiled under: ,

The MaidIn case you missed the live-Tweeting and live-blogging from last night's Gotham Independent Awards at NYC's Cipriani, we're here to help. Indie favorite The Hurt Locker took home the two big awards, Best Feature and Best Ensemble Performance, although The Maid's Catalina Saavedra snagged the award for Best Breakthrough Actor, beating out The Hurt Locker's Jeremy Renner, Ben Foster (The Messenger), Patton Oswalt (Big Fan), and Souleymane Sy Savane (Goodbye Solo). Robert Siegel, who also wrote The Wrestler and wrote and directed Big Fan, snatched the Breakthrough Director award from The Hurt Locker's Kathryn Bigelow and the Coens.

Meanwhile, the stomach-churningly fascinating Food Inc. won best doc for its close look at how what's on our plates really got there, and how big biz helped (or harmed, as the case may be). And the Best Film Not Playing at a Theater Near You award went to You Wont Miss Me, which was directed by Russo-Young, who cowrote the film with Stella Schnabel. (The missing apostrophe is on purpose, natch.)

Sounds like there were some indie hijinks happening, as those on the scene reported that Rosie Perez congratulated Willem Dafoe, who was there to present Kathryn Bigelow with a career tribute, on his, uh, performance in Antichrist, declaring it a "sick-ass movie." (Truth.)

Do you think that these awards will have any affect on the rest of the award season? As Monika noted last night in her latest Girls on Film column, the Academy Awards Best Actress pool is a bit shallow. Could we see Catalina Saavedra ready to hit the red carpet for the Oscars? Have you seen any of the IFP films, and if not, are you going to seek them out now?

Check out the complete list of noms here.

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]]>awardsBig FanBigFanFood Inc.FoodInc.Gotham AwardsGothamAwardsThe Hurt LockerThe MaidTheHurtLockerTheMaidYou Wont Miss MeYouWontMissMeJenni MillerTue, 01 Dec 2009 15:02:00 ESTDoes 'Paranormal Activity' Deserve a Best Picture Nomination?http://www.cinematical.com/2009/12/01/does-paranormal-activity-deserve-a-best-picture-nomination/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/12/01/does-paranormal-activity-deserve-a-best-picture-nomination/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/12/01/does-paranormal-activity-deserve-a-best-picture-nomination/#commentsFiled under: , , ,



The Indie Spirit Awards announced their nominations this morning, honoring a whole bunch of films that were only seen by film critics, artsy intellectuals and/or people who accidentally walked into the wrong theater while on their way to watch Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. I kid, of course, because if it wasn't for shows like the Spirit Awards, a number of really great independent films (and performances) would probably go unnoticed. So I command you to check out the list of nominees after the jump and start tracking them down one by one (either in theaters or on DVD). Go! Now!

This year's crop of nominees is definitely stirring the pot a little bit. Surprises include Maria Bello for Best Female Lead in Downloading Nancy, a film that all of about one person (me!) actually enjoyed. 500 Days of Summer also took home a couple nods for Best Feature and Best Male Lead (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), and even the viciously panned Gentlemen Broncos walked away with a nod for Best Supporting Male (Jermaine Clement). One of the more interesting (and talked-about) nominations went to Paranormal Activity in the Best First Feature category, alongside other notable indies like A Single Man, Crazy Heart, Easier with Practice and The Messenger.

But does Paranormal Activity really belong there, or is it being honored more because of what it achieved at the box office versus how good it actually is? I've seen some already poking fun at the nomination on Twitter, as if it doesn't deserve to shine the shoes of the other films listed alongside it. But is that just because it doesn't fit the 'Best Picture" mold? Is it because it's become a "fanboy" film?

Continue reading Does 'Paranormal Activity' Deserve a Best Picture Nomination?

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]]>cinematicalindie spirit awardsIndieSpiritAwardsparanormal activityParanormalActivityTransformersRevengeOfTheFallenErik DavisTue, 01 Dec 2009 12:40:00 ESTGirls on Film: The Academy's Shallow Actress Poolhttp://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/30/girls-on-film-the-academys-shallow-actress-pool/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/30/girls-on-film-the-academys-shallow-actress-pool/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/30/girls-on-film-the-academys-shallow-actress-pool/#commentsFiled under: ,



With the werewolves out of the way, back to our regularly scheduled programming. A few weeks ago, The Hollywood Reporter ran a piece called "Shallow pool for Oscar's actress contenders." The basic premise: While the list of female directorial hopefuls is stronger than ever for the 2010 Academy race, the actress nods aren't so hot with Meryl Streep leading only a handful of other front-runners (Carey Mulligan and Gabourey Sidibe). The piece also noted the other potential Best Actress candidates, the possibility of notable performances in the remaining releases, the struggles women still face in Hollywood, and -- egads -- the fact that some are talking about Sandra Bullock getting a nod for The Blind Side.

Reading the article through, I quickly had a thought .... and it was most definitely not about that previously mentioned werewolf flick getting any award love. Usually a discussion like this might be disheartening or aggravating, but the thought wasn't negative. It was, in fact, quite positive.

Why don't we use this "shallow pool" as a reason to celebrate unconventional roles and performances?


Continue reading Girls on Film: The Academy's Shallow Actress Pool

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]]>anna kendrickAnnaKendrickBest ActressBest Actress Oscar 2010BestActressBestActressOscar2010CinematicalfeaturedGirls on FilmGirlsOnFilmMeryl StreepMerylStreepOscars 2010Oscars2010Rachel WeiszRachelWeiszVera FarmigaVeraFarmigaMonika BartyzelMon, 30 Nov 2009 22:48:00 EST'Nine', 'Up in the Air' Lead Satellite Award Nominationshttp://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/30/satellite-award-nominations-nine-up-in-the-air/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/30/satellite-award-nominations-nine-up-in-the-air/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/30/satellite-award-nominations-nine-up-in-the-air/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , ,

There are a few good reasons to hate on the Satellite Awards. First of all, we really don't need any more end of the year movie and television honors. Second of all, the Satellites seem to be little more than a knock-off of the Golden Globes, which are already pretty unnecessary. Third, they happen way too early, missing out on seeing and thereby qualifying perhaps the biggest film of the year (Avatar).

But over the years I've come to appreciate the Satellites and their bestowing organization, the International Press Academy, for their constant surprises when it comes to nominating and awarding unlikely films and talent. Just look at some of last year's acting winners: Richard Jenkins; Rosemarie DeWitt; Ricky Gervais; Michael Shannon.

Now check out this year's nominees, which continue to prove that IPA voters like to go at least slightly against the grain. Okay, so there are a lot of predictable titles in the lot, including Up in the Air and Nine, which leads with 11 nominations. Yet there are some films I don't expect to be recognized by the Golden Globes, let alone the Oscars, such as The Maid and The Stoning of Soraya M., both of which feature in the Best Actress (Drama) category.

Continue reading 'Nine', 'Up in the Air' Lead Satellite Award Nominations

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]]>international press academyInternationalPressAcademyninesatellite awardsSatelliteAwardsthe maidthe stoning of soraya m.TheMaidTheStoningOfSorayaM.up in the airUpInTheAirChristopher CampbellMon, 30 Nov 2009 17:15:00 ESTActors Weigh In on Lost Stars & Oscar Hopefulshttp://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/30/actors-weigh-in-on-lost-stars-and-oscar-hopefuls/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/30/actors-weigh-in-on-lost-stars-and-oscar-hopefuls/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/30/actors-weigh-in-on-lost-stars-and-oscar-hopefuls/#commentsFiled under: , ,

When you've glutted yourself on Turkey, must take a break from New Moon reportage, and want to get busy with the Oscar race, it's time to turn the writing work over to the celebs. Both Variety and Entertainment Weekly handed the pens over to the stars recently for two very different reasons -- one, to remember stars we've lost this year like Patrick Swayze, and two, to highlight Academy Award hopefuls in the ever-increasing Oscar race.

Of course, EW wants you to buy the mag, so they're only including one of the movie tributes online, and that's C. Thomas Howell writing about his memories of working with Swayze. The two worked together on The Outsiders all those years ago, and Howell writes: "The one thing that was great about him was also the most irritating fact about him: He was always somehow better than you, no matter what it was you were doing. It didn't matter if you were on horseback, shooting weapons, roller-skating, or reciting Shakespeare. He was a tough f-er and a free spirit." I don't know if I could pick a more apt description for him. Swayze always had that sense of ease about him, whether it was looking smooth on the dance floor, getting in on the Point Break action, or crying away his self-help guru woes. (Further tributes include Matthew Broderick on John Hughes and Keith Carradine on David Carradine.)

Continue reading Actors Weigh In on Lost Stars & Oscar Hopefuls

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]]>C. Thomas HowellC.ThomasHowellceleb writersCelebWritersCinematicalguest writersGuestWritersPatrick SwayzePatrickSwayzeMonika BartyzelMon, 30 Nov 2009 14:15:00 EST'Up' and 'Marley & Me' Among Dog Movie Winnershttp://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/23/up-and-marley-and-me-among-dog-movie-winners/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/23/up-and-marley-and-me-among-dog-movie-winners/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/23/up-and-marley-and-me-among-dog-movie-winners/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Maybe it's because I saw De Sica's classic Umberto D. again over the weekend, or maybe it's because I'm excited for tomorrow's release of the 25th Anniversary Edition of Cujo on DVD and Blu-ray, but I've got movie dogs on the brain. Last night I even randomly spent some time watching YouTube clips of my all-time favorite movie dog, Asta, from the Thin Man franchise (played by Skippy, who also appears in Bringing Up Baby and The Awful Truth).

So it was coincidentally fun this morning learning that the Fido Awards happened over the weekend. The ceremony, nicknamed the "canine Oscars," occurred in London Saturday, when trophies were handed out in five separate categories. To my surprise, the Fidos don't exclude animated dogs, as the talking dog, Dug, from Pixar's Up won the Blockbuster Bowser award, beating out pups from Gran Torino, Inglourious Basterds and another animation, Coraline, in the category.

Continue reading 'Up' and 'Marley & Me' Among Dog Movie Winners

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]]>animal moviesAnimalMoviescujodog moviesDogMoviesdogsfantastic mr. foxFantasticMr.Foxfido awardsFidoAwardsinglourious basterdsInglouriousBasterdslet the right one inLetTheRightOneInmarley meMarleyMepixars upPixarsUptaking woodstockTakingWoodstockthe thin manthe young victoriaTheThinManTheYoungVictoriaumberto dUmbertoDwendy and lucyWendyAndLucyChristopher CampbellMon, 23 Nov 2009 16:32:00 ESTOscar Snubs? Extortion Plot? Do Tell!http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/20/oscar-snubs-extortion-plot-do-tell/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/20/oscar-snubs-extortion-plot-do-tell/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/20/oscar-snubs-extortion-plot-do-tell/#commentsFiled under: , , ,



Are members from the documentary branch of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences being paid to short list some films over others? That's what it sounds like director James Toback was alluding to when he spoke to the New York Times recently about how his buzzed-about documentary, Tyson, was left off the Academy's short list along with several other notable documentaries from the past year. Toback told the Times that at some point during the selection process he experienced something he puts "fully in the category of extortion", adding that he did not go along with it.

Speaking on behalf of the documentary branch -- which Toback refers to as "some tiny, dirty covert weirdly protective group" -- chairman (and filmmaker) Rob Epstein said, "I have no idea. It certainly hasn't come before me." Among some of the critically acclaimed docs snubbed this year are Michael Moore's Capitalism: A Love Story, the awesome Anvil! The Story of Anvil, and The September Issue. This year's documentary short list was narrowed down to 15 finalists from 89 possible contenders. So, yeah, obviously you're going to see some fantastic films miss the cut, and, subsequently, some pissed off filmmakers, but it's a pretty bold move for Toback to go and claim extortion, don't you think?

Continue reading Oscar Snubs? Extortion Plot? Do Tell!

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]]>academy awardsAcademyAwardsAnvil The Story of AnvilAnvilTheStoryOfAnvilcapitalism: a love storyCapitalism:ALoveStorytysonErik DavisFri, 20 Nov 2009 12:02:00 ESTOscar's Documentary Shortlist: No 'Anvil,' No 'Capitalism'http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/18/oscars-documentary-shortlist-no-anvil-no-capitalism/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/18/oscars-documentary-shortlist-no-anvil-no-capitalism/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/18/oscars-documentary-shortlist-no-anvil-no-capitalism/#commentsFiled under: , ,

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences documentary committee has watched the 89 eligible docs that were submitted and whittled the field down to 15 finalists, from which the five Oscar nominees will be chosen. But before we even get there we gotta talk about the snubs.

Notably absent from the shortlist are Michael Moore's Capitalism: A Love Story and the highly praised Anvil! The Story of Anvil, which last month earned the distinction of being the first "for your consideration" screener sent to Academy members this year. Last year's best-reviewed documentary, Man on Wire, went on to win the Oscar; Anvil! holds that title this year (98% at Rotten Tomatoes), but it's not even going to be nominated.

Other noteworthy titles not among the top 15: Tyson (about the boxer, not the chicken company) and The September Issue (about Anna Wintour and Vogue magazine). Michael Jackson's This Is It and Chris Rock's Good Hair didn't hit theaters until October, qualifying them for next year's documentary category -- for docs, the eligibility period is September-August, not January-December. (This Is It might not be eligible anyway, since Academy rules forbid films that are "essentially unfiltered records of performances," which could apply here.) The highest-grossing documentary of the year, Earth, isn't eligible because it was mostly repackaged material that had already aired on TV.

The complete shortlist is after the jump.

Continue reading Oscar's Documentary Shortlist: No 'Anvil,' No 'Capitalism'

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]]>academy awardsAcademyAwardsdocumentariesfeaturedoscarsEric D. SniderWed, 18 Nov 2009 21:25:00 ESTWhy Roger Corman Doesn't Deserve an Oscarhttp://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/18/why-roger-corman-doesnt-deserve-an-oscar/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/18/why-roger-corman-doesnt-deserve-an-oscar/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/18/why-roger-corman-doesnt-deserve-an-oscar/#commentsFiled under: ,



[Note: Scott Weinberg has the pro side of this argument -- why Roger Corman does deserve an Oscar -- in an article that you can read right here.]

In a post yesterday about the honorary Academy Awards given out over the weekend, I said this about one of the recipients, Roger Corman: "Corman, who has directed more than 50 films and produced nearly 400 (!), has never been nominated for an Oscar, probably because all of his movies are terrible. But apparently the Academy is rewarding quantity now, too. So don't give up, Uwe Boll! Just make another 300 movies!" These remarks were met with much disapproval by many readers, and so I would like to elaborate -- assuming any of the people who swore they'd never read Cinematical again are in fact still reading Cinematical (which they are).

First, a correction. I shouldn't have said "all of his movies are terrible." I should have said something like "his movies are generally terrible." "All" suggests that I've seen all 400 of them, which of course I haven't. I ought to have used more general language. That was my bad, as the kids say.

I stand by the point I was making, though. If the Academy is giving out Oscars based on the production of quality work -- which, last time I checked, was the basic idea behind the Oscars -- then Roger Corman does not qualify. The vast majority of his output is mediocre at best. Some of it is downright awful. A few films are good enough on their own, but not to where any of them would deserve Oscars individually. Even as a body, those moderately good Corman movies don't outweigh the dozens -- literally dozens and DOZENS -- of cheap, forgettable clunkers.

Producing a huge quantity of work whose overall entertainment or artistic value averages out to be somewhere between "mediocre" and "mediocre-plus" isn't worthy of Academy Award consideration. That's neat and everything, producing 400 movies over the course of 50 years. Very ambitious of you! But the Academy should be rewarding quality, not quantity.

Continue reading Why Roger Corman Doesn't Deserve an Oscar

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]]>roger cormanRogerCormanEric D. SniderWed, 18 Nov 2009 09:02:00 ESTHints About 2010 Oscars Emerge: No More Five-Person Presentinghttp://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/17/oscars-2010-presenters/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/17/oscars-2010-presenters/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/17/oscars-2010-presenters/#commentsFiled under: , ,

As you've probably already heard, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is shaking things up at this year's Oscars by having 10 Best Picture nominees instead of five, and by moving the honorary awards (read: the boring part of the show) to a special ceremony of their own. That ceremony will be held in November, and-- holy crap, it was this weekend! The almost-Oscars were on Saturday!

They're called the Governors Awards, and while they won't be televised, the AMPAS website has some photos and background info. Honorary Oscars went to actress Lauren Bacall (pictured), cinematographer Gordon Willis (the Godfather trilogy, Manhattan, All the President's Men), and director/producer Roger Corman (numerous MST3K films). Astonishingly, the legendary Bacall has only received one Oscar nomination in her 65-year career, for The Mirror Has Two Faces. Willis was nominated for The Godfather: Part III and Zelig. Corman, who has directed more than 50 films and produced nearly 400 (!), has never been nominated for an Oscar, probably because all of his movies are terrible. But apparently the Academy is rewarding quantity now, too. So don't give up, Uwe Boll! Just make another 300 movies!

The other award at the special ceremony was the Irving G. Thalberg Award, given to John Calley, who produced The Remains of the Day and Closer and oversaw worldwide production for Warner Bros. throughout the 1970s.

The Governors Awards were also a chance for Oscar telecast producers Adam Shankman and Bill Mechanic to drop a few hints about what the big show will be like on March 7. Mechanic said they're not going to repeat the thing the 2009 show did where a coven of five past Oscar winners introduced the acting nominees.

Continue reading Hints About 2010 Oscars Emerge: No More Five-Person Presenting

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]]>honorary oscarHonoraryOscarlauren bacallLaurenBacallroger cormanRogerCormanEric D. SniderTue, 17 Nov 2009 16:02:00 ESTAcademy Awards to Include Five Animated Nominationshttp://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/11/academy-awards-to-include-five-animated-nominations/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/11/academy-awards-to-include-five-animated-nominations/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/11/academy-awards-to-include-five-animated-nominations/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Town Called PanicI'm so pleased to learn from IndieWIRE that five animated features will probably be in the running for a 2009 Academy Award. If fewer than 16 films are eligible, then only three films end up on the list of nominees. But the shortlist released today by The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences includes 20 films eligible for Oscar nominations, assuming that all films on the list have a qualifying run in Los Angeles before the end of the year. That means five films will be nominated for Best Animated Feature.

Of course the list includes lots of big animated films: Pixar's Up, Disney's The Princess and the Frog, Henry Selick's Coraline, Wes Anderson's Fantastic Mr. Fox and Dreamworks's Monsters vs. Aliens, among others. But I may or may not have squealed and bounced in my seat to read one unexpected candidate: A Town Called Panic, the Belgian animated film that won the Audience Award at Fantastic Fest this year, and which I reviewed. I hope the film will hit L.A. for the required time, and although it is the world's biggest longshot, I'd love to see it get a nomination. The Best Animated Feature category needs something this bizarre, original and creative. We'll find out for sure when Oscar nominations are announced on Feb. 2, 2010.

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]]>a town called panicAcademy AwardsAcademyAwardsATownCalledPanicJette KernionWed, 11 Nov 2009 15:02:00 EST'Up in the Air' Songs Pulled from Oscar Racehttp://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/09/up-in-the-air-songs-pulled-from-oscar-race/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/09/up-in-the-air-songs-pulled-from-oscar-race/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/09/up-in-the-air-songs-pulled-from-oscar-race/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Well, it's November, which means the awards contenders are steadily coming out of the woodwork, and just as we have the Academy Awards to look forward to, we also have their fine print to tolerate. The first of this year's disqualifications naturally come from the music end of things, the same category that didn't see fit to honor the tremendous original scores composed for The Dark Knight last year and There Will Be Blood the year before that.

According to Kris Tapley over at In Contention, both "Up in the Air" and "Help Yourself" from Jason Reitman's Up in the Air have been pulled out of the Best Original Song race. The former was written by Kevin Renick before he met Reitman (the song is presented in the film as it was presented to the filmmaker, with homemade introduction and all), not to mention that it comes halfway into the credits when only the first song over them can qualify. (Really, AMPAS?)

And a portion of the latter had existed earlier in Sad Brad Smith's career and thus means the song itself was not created in full for the film. It's an earnest and catchy tune, used prominently in the trailers and well in the film (and now available on iTunes, cough), but it now looks like those are two more slots left to be dominated by Disney's latest...

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]]>academy awardsAcademyAwardsbest original songBestOriginalSonggeorge clooneyGeorgeClooneyjason reitmanJasonReitmankevin renickKevinRenicksad brad smithSadBradSmithup in the airUpInTheAirWilliam GossMon, 09 Nov 2009 20:45:00 ESTWhat's the State of Fox Searchlight?http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/04/whats-the-state-of-fox-searchlight/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/04/whats-the-state-of-fox-searchlight/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/04/whats-the-state-of-fox-searchlight/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , ,

In the 2007 awards season, Fox Searchlight had two strong films in the mix with Juno and The Savages, and then in 2008, they dominated with Slumdog Millionaire and The Wrestler. As many other indie arms were folding (Paramount Vantage, Warner Independent, Picturehouse), Searchlight managed to keep things up on their end.

2009, however, hasn't been so kind to them. January's Notorious didn't do bad actually, though March's Miss March was indeed D.O.A. June's My Life in Ruins similarly underperformed, while July's Adam failed to catch on as that same month's (500) Days of Summer had. Post Grad was dumped in the doldrums of August, while Whip It failed to find a crowd in October.

Cut to now: Amelia has been effectively neutered as a ready-made Oscar contender, while Gentlemen Broncos (from the director of Napoleon Dynamite, which did particularly well for the same studio) is being pulled from wider release after this weekend after posting modest numbers on two screens and earning savage reviews for the most part.

With Miramax also facing tough times, it's a shame to see studios like these have an off-year, though there's time for a turn-around yet so far as Searchlight is concerned. Summer's summer release means the timing could work out to earn a push for Original Screenplay as a happy-go-lucky alternate to many dour contenders. This month's similarly light Fantastic Mr. Fox is an Animated Feature candidate at the very least, and -- according to THR -- the Jeff Bridges drama Crazy Heart is getting a last-minute test run of sorts at the moment to see if it can merit a move to be positioned for this year's race instead of next year's.

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]]>500 days of summer500DaysOfSummerameliaamelia earhartAmeliaEarhartcrazy heartCrazyHeartfantastic mr. foxFantasticMr.Foxfox searchlightFoxSearchlightgentlemen broncosGentlemenBroncosjeff bridgesJeffBridgesnapoleon dynamiteNapoleonDynamiteWilliam GossWed, 04 Nov 2009 22:02:00 ESTAdam Shankman Talks About Picking His Oscar Hostshttp://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/04/adam-shankman-talks-about-picking-his-oscar-hosts/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/04/adam-shankman-talks-about-picking-his-oscar-hosts/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/04/adam-shankman-talks-about-picking-his-oscar-hosts/#commentsFiled under: ,

Yesterday was absolutely buzzing with Oscar buzz. First, the rumor that Ben Stiller and Robert Downey Jr. said no to the gig. Just a few hours later, the official announcement came: Next year's Oscars will be hosted by Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin. Entertainment Weekly then talked with Adam Shankman about the picking process. Some highlights:
  • Steve Martin was shocked that he was picked again. Shankman's response: "Yes, because I want the show to feel that we are continuing to build on the Oscars and I'm not trying to make the MTV Movie Awards."
  • He was teamed with Baldwin because: "I know that they really adore and respect each other. Plus, I know that they'll be hilarious. I wanted there to be extra comedy in the show. It will keep it high entertainment."
  • There was a plan to have two hosts right from the get-go.
  • On not picking Tina Fey, a rumored choice: "It wasn't that she turned us down but her work schedule right in that time, she's writing the last of her shows, and we realized then that it wouldn't work."

Continue reading Adam Shankman Talks About Picking His Oscar Hosts

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]]>Adam ShankmanAdamShankmanCinematicalOscars 2010Oscars2010Monika BartyzelWed, 04 Nov 2009 19:32:00 ESTIf Ben Stiller & Downey Jr. Aren't Hosting the Oscars...http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/03/if-ben-stiller-and-downey-jr-arent-hosting-the-oscars/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/03/if-ben-stiller-and-downey-jr-arent-hosting-the-oscars/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/03/if-ben-stiller-and-downey-jr-arent-hosting-the-oscars/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Back in October, Adam Shankman was determined to make the Oscars fun, itching to "kick up the funny a little bit" and celebrate entertainment. But there wasn't a whole new revamp in mind -- he still wanted to continue with the path laid out last year and have Hugh Jackman host ... but the actor refused. Rumors immediately started bubbling that Neil Patrick Harris was circling, but there were other funny men in his sights. Deadline Hollywood reports that Shankman and Bill Mechanic went to Ben Stiller and Robert Downey Jr. to host as a duo.

But they said no.

Talk about a bummer. It's quite easy to imagine the red carpet coverage wind down, and Stiller and Downey Jr. dancing or strolling to center stage. They could easy bring a healthy dose of classic funny, yet still embody the new spin focused solely on entertainment and mirth. Hell, I would easily take Robert on his own. Can you imagine a series of blips where he acts out scenes from the top contenders or top grossing films? He could fall in love and be a lonely old man with a balloon house, travel into space, throw out classic Tarantino dialogue, channel Julia Child, suffer through a painful locker, feel the pressure of A Single Man...

But that dream is done. Is there any duo who could bring the same excellence? It would never happen, but if Ben and Robert are a no-go, I want insanity with a slice of brilliance by joining Christopher Walken and Jane Lynch. How about you? What other Oscar hosting duos would you suggest?

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]]>Ben StillerBenStillerCinematicalOscars 2010Oscars2010Robert Downey Jr.RobertDowneyJr.Monika BartyzelTue, 03 Nov 2009 15:45:00 ESTSo What Do You Think the 10 Best Pic Nominees Will Be?http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/02/so-what-do-you-think-the-10-best-pic-nominees-will-be/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/02/so-what-do-you-think-the-10-best-pic-nominees-will-be/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/02/so-what-do-you-think-the-10-best-pic-nominees-will-be/#commentsFiled under:

This year's Oscar ceremony will mark the first time we're looking at ten (count 'em, TEN!) different Best Picture nominees -- and while I firmly believe this is a bad move, it also stands as a case of terrible timing. We're still feeling the "quality pinch" that arose with the arrival of the most recent WGA strike, which means ... heck, 2009 might have had a tough time doling out FIVE legitimate Best Pic noms, let alone double that amount.

But ten it shall be, and now that we're only a few weeks away from the beginning of the Awards Bait movie season, I thought it would be fun to play a simple guessing game. More specifically, which films do you think will be nominated for Best Picture? True, there are still several films that none of us have seen yet, but you don't need a crystal ball to assume that a few December titles will earn a nomination. (Come to think of it, this particular December looks remarkably skimpy on Oscar Bait.)

Based only on the "industry buzz," I'm confident in assuming that Best Picture nominations will go to films like The Road, A Serious Man, Nine, Up in the Air, and The Lovely Bones ... but where do we look after those ones? The Hurt Locker? Precious? Invictus? Moon? (I wish.) Feel free to chime in with your predictions below, and feel free to check out this Film.com piece that asks the same questions.

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]]>oscars 2009Oscars2009Scott WeinbergMon, 02 Nov 2009 12:02:00 ESTHugh Jackman Not Hosting Oscars, Neil Patrick Harris Now Rumoredhttp://www.cinematical.com/2009/10/30/hugh-jackman-not-hosting-oscars-neil-patrick-harris-now-rumored/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/10/30/hugh-jackman-not-hosting-oscars-neil-patrick-harris-now-rumored/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/10/30/hugh-jackman-not-hosting-oscars-neil-patrick-harris-now-rumored/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

As award show devotees know, the Academy is always trying to make the Oscars more fun for the viewers at home. This year it seems as though the pre-show hype is starting earlier than usual, particularly with the noise surrounding Bill Mechanic and Adam Shankman stepping on board as producers. But they may be one step behind, as the Oscars have already become a little less handsome, a little less musical, and a little less Emmy-winning than last year. Because Hugh Jackman won't be returning as host.

No, it's not an epic snub, or retaliation for being so darn good at everything. Variety reports that Jackman "quietly turned down the job" a few weeks ago. The reason is simply that he wants some time off in between A Steady Rain and production on Shawn Levy's Real Steel. Reportedly, he really does want to host the show again, but he didn't want to do it two years in a row. That's a showman for you. Give them just enough to have them wanting more, and avoid wearing out your welcome.

In my humble opinion, Jackman left some very dashing shoes to fill. Personally, I think Shankman should see this as the start of a new tradition, avoid a comedian, and pick the Tony-hosting Neil Patrick Harris (who's already rumored to be eying the gig). The Oscars are supposed to be all about Hollywood glamour, and what better way to celebrate that then to go old-school and musical? I'll take a jolly musical number over painful attempts to be political and relevant. What about you? What host can make the Oscars worth your while?

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]]>2010 Oscars2010Oscars82nd Academy Awards82ndAcademyAwardsAcademy AwardsAcademyAwardsadam shankmanAdamShankmanBill MechanicBillMechanichugh jackmanHughJackmanneil patrick harrisNeilPatrickHarrisElisabeth RappeFri, 30 Oct 2009 20:32:00 EST