October 31, 2009

The obligatory Halloween related video...this one on the 16 greatest Horror Movie quotes!

It's certainly debatable if these are the best, but they're certainly good ones:


-My favorite of these is "They're coming to get you Barbara"...what are yours?

What are the scariest non-horror movies around?

An interesting list, to say the least (since it's Halloween today and all), but I came across this and had to post it. The entire article is here, but these are supposedly the 10 scariest films that can't be classified as "horror" films:

  • Requiem for a Dream (2000)
  • Mulholland Drive (2001)
  • Open Water (2003)
  • Hard Candy (2005)
  • Lake of Fire (2006)
  • Apocalypto (2006)
  • United 93 (2006)
  • Funny Games (2008)
  • Standard Operating Procedure (2008)
  • Antichrist (2009)
-Thoughts?

Happy Halloween from all of us at The Awards Circuit!

Be safe, of course, but have fun!
-And because I can't resist...what's your favorite scary movie?

October 30, 2009

Since we're mere hours away from Halloween, why don't we find out what films scare Martin Scorsese?

I've been saving this for a few days now, and it seems like a good time to post at the given moment. The full article is here, but this is the list of the 11 scariest flicks to Mr. Scorsese:

1. “The Haunting” (Robert Wise, 1963)
2. “Isle of the Dead” (Val Lewton, 1945)
3. “The Uninvited” (1944)
4. “The Entity” (Sidney J. Furie, 1981)
5. “Dead of Night” (Alberto Cavalcanti, 1945)
6. “The Changeling” (Peter Medak, 1980)
7. “The Shining” (Stanley Kubrick, 1980)
8. “The Exorcist” (William Friedkin, 1973)
9. “Night of the Demon” (Jacques Tourneur, 1957)
10. “The Innocents” (Jack Clayton, 1961)
11. “Psycho” (Alfred Hitchcock, 1960)
-What do you think about Marty's list?

A new Trailer for The Road


-Thoughts?

Don't look for Hugh Jackman to host the Oscars...

...as this story in Variety reports that he's turned it down:

While speculation is running high on who'll host the Oscars, one name that can be crossed off the list is Hugh Jackman.

The thesp, who's starring on Broadway with Daniel Craig in the drama "A Steady Rain," quietly turned down the job within the past few weeks, sources said.

Jackman drew praise for his first Oscar hosting gig in February under producer Laurence Mark and exec producer Bill Condon. He may take on hosting duties again in the future, but it's understood that he didn't want to do the show two years in a row.

Once his Broadway run ends, Jackman will take time off and prepare for "The Real Steel," the Shawn Levy-directed DreamWorks drama that will begin production in the spring.

The 82nd annual Academy Awards, to be held March 7, will be produced by Bill Mechanic and Adam Shankman.

-Who would you get to do it?

Variety puts out their annual list of 10 Actors to Watch...

The whole shebang can be found here, but these are the 10 names that they selected for the honor this year:
Laz Alonso
Maggie Grace
Tom Hardy
Nicholas Hoult
Rachelle Lefevre
Jeremy Renner
Alia Shawkat
Emma Stone
Michael Stuhlbarg
Christoph Waltz
-It's an interesting list, without a doubt...thoughts?

Anthony Hopkins cast in Thor?

Believe it, as this story here in Variety confirms that he'll be playing Odin. Interesting casting, without a doubt.
-Thoughts?

October 29, 2009

Today's Posters: The Box, How to Train Your Dragon, and Tapestries of Hope



Thoughts?

Trailer for Nowhere Boy

Behold this favorite of the British independent film scene:

-Thoughts?

Other years that deserved 10 Best Picture nominees...

Village Voice critic Aaron Hillis has a great article that goes over all the years in his opinion that deserved 10 nominees for Best Picture. The whole article can be found here, but these are the years he came up with:
1951
1969
1975
1992
1999
Personally, I think that it all depends on what movies get nominated, as 10 nominees could be good or bad for any given year, but that's just me.
-What years would you have liked to have seen 10 nominees?

October 28, 2009

Avatar, international trailer

Green Zone receives an International Trailer that puts intellect over action...

Here's the 2nd (and in my eyes, better) trailer for Green Zone:

-Thoughts on this one?

Variety takes a look at the positives of the Best Picture expansion...

...which can be found here. It's the first of a two part article, and is a good read, if a little late in the game, so to speak.
-Thoughts?

A little new footage from Alice in Wonderland!

Feast your eyes on this:

-Very Burton...thoughts?

A new Trailer for Shutter Island!

Have a look at Scorsese's latest:

-Thoughts?

The Santa Barbara International Film Festival honors Colin Firth

Here's the story in The Hollywood Reporter:

Colin Firth, who stars in Tom Ford's "A Single Man," will be presented with the Santa Barbara International Film Festival's Outstanding Performance of the Year Award at Santa Barbara's Arlington Theatre on Feb.13.

In the film adaptation of Christopher Isherwood's novel, Firth plays a college professor in Los Angeles in 1962 dealing with the death of his male lover.

"Colin Firth grabs on to the best role of his career in 'A Single Man,' forcing us to have another look at his incredible list of films up to this point," SBIFF exec director Roger Durling said. "He's one of the most enduring performers working in cinema today, and we're so thrilled that we're honoring this most deserving actor at the peak of his game."

The fest runs from Feb. 4-14.

-Good for him...

October 27, 2009

Invictus FINALLY gets a Trailer for us to know it actually exists...

At long last, here is the trailer:


-Honestly, I'm not too impressed, though it's tons better than the fractured look that Entertainment Tonight posted...thoughts?

Green Zone gets a Trailer...

Behold this trailer for Paul Greengrass's latest, which used to be a 2009 contender:

-It looks pretty good to me...what about you?

Speaking of Woody Allen, his last film is one of the films to drop on DVD today...

Yes, it's that time of the week again, and once again it's not a week to write home about. The movie I've chosen for my PICK OF THE WEEK is very good, but outside of that, not so much. My choice this week is:
Whatever Works
Woody Allen returns to New York with a very old script, and the result is an old fashioned comedy of his that is not his best work, but certainly above average. It's a charming enough film and passes the time very quickly. He directs his women extraordinarily well again, so if nothing else, see it for how he has them interact with himself, I mean Larry David.
-Also out this week we have a trio of average films. They are Orphan, Nothing Like the Holidays, and Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs. Orphan is an okay horror film that loses you with a sub-par twist, Nothing Like the Holidays is just like all the other holiday movies out there, and Ice Age is on the same level as all the other films in the series, so take that as you will. None of them get high marks from me, but if you think you'll like any of them, go ahead and give it a shot.
-My Vintage pick this week is, in honor of Friday's release of The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day, the film that spawned this one: The Boondock Saints. It's a certifiable cult classic, and if you've never experienced it before, now is the time. It's certainly worth watching.
-What will you be watching on DVD this week?

Today's News: Woody Allen's latest gets a title, some more actor's circle the Coens' remake of 'True Grit', and more...

In the news:

It appears that the next Woody Allen film has a title at last, and that title in question is 'You Will Meet A Tall Dark Stranger'.

The Coen Brothers are going ahead with their remake of 'True Grit', and it seems that Matt Damon and Josh Brolin might be going along for the ride with Jeff Bridges.

It seems that the next project for Steve Carell will be a golf comedy, one that he will be producing as well as starring in.

Finally, the remake of 'Short Circuit' has found a director, and it's one with some experience directing a movie about a certain mall cop...

-Thoughts?

Today's Posters: A new one for Sherlock Holmes as well as one for Last Day of Summer


Thoughts?

'Say Anything' turns 20...

The Los Angeles Times has a great article on the anniversary for this classic film, so I figured I'd link to it here. It's also one of my favorite films, from one of my favorite directors, starring one of my favorite actors, so I had to recognize it a little (it even has one of my favorite tag lines: "To know Lloyd Dobler is to love him. Diane Court is about to know Lloyd Dobler.").
-What did you think of 'Say Anything'?

October 26, 2009

Behold our new Forum, along with some updates to the Tracker and New Reviews!

Yes, we've established a new Forum to take care of the issues with the old one. The new one can be found here, so go and carry on there like it's business as usual.
We have some updates to the Tracker for you to see as well, along with some films that are no longer there. Go here and let us know what you think!
Finally, we have three new reviews for everyone to read, ranging from the interesting New York, I Love You to the flawed The Boys Are Back to the nearly unwatchable Law Abiding Citizen. Read em here and let us know how you feel.
-Thoughts? (And P.S.- Keep voting for the 2004 ACCA, it's in its last days...so go here and vote!)

The British Independent Film Awards announce their nominees!

It's a good showing for films like Moon and An Education, though the nomination leader was the film Fish Tank, which I'm actually very interested in seeing. The full release is found here, but here's the nominations:

BEST BRITISH INDEPENDENT FILM
An Education
Fish Tank
In The Loop
Moon
Nowhere Boy
BEST DIRECTOR
Sponsored by The Creative Partnership
Andrea Arnold – Fish Tank
Armando Iannucci – In The Loop
Duncan Jones – Moon
Jane Campion – Bright Star
Lone Scherfig – An Education
THE DOUGLAS HICKOX AWARD [BEST DEBUT DIRECTOR]
Armando Iannucci – In The Loop
Duncan Jones – Moon
Peter Strickland – Katalin Varga
Sam Taylor Wood – Nowhere Boy
Samantha Morton – The Unloved
BEST SCREENPLAY
Sponsored by BBC Films
An Education – Nick Hornby
Fish Tank – Andrea Arnold
In The Loop – Jesse Armstrong, Simon Blackwell, Armando Iannucci, Tony Roche
Moon – Nathan Parker
Nowhere Boy – Matt Greenhalgh
BEST ACTRESS
Sponsored by M.A.C
Abbie Cornish – Bright Star
Carey Mulligan – An Education
Emily Blunt – The Young Victoria
Katie Jarvis – Fish Tank
Sophie Okonedo – Skin
BEST ACTOR
Sponsored by Stolichnaya Elit
Aaron Johnson – Nowhere Boy
Andy Serkis – Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll
Peter Capaldi – In The Loop
Sam Rockwell – Moon
Tom Hardy – Bronson
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Anne-Marie Duff – Nowhere Boy
Kerry Fox – Bright Star
Kierston Wareing – Fish Tank
Kristin Scott Thomas – Nowhere Boy
Rosamund Pike – An Education
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Sponsored by Stolichnaya
Alfred Molina – An Education
Jim Broadbent – The Damned United
John Henshaw – Looking for Eric
Michael Fassbender – Fish Tank
Tom Hollander – In The Loop
MOST PROMISING NEWCOMER
Christian McKay – Me & Orson Welles
Edward Hogg – White Lightnin’
George MacKay – The Boys Are Back
Hilda P̩ter РKatalin Varga
Katie Jarvis – Fish Tank
BEST ACHIEVEMENT IN PRODUCTION
Bronson
Bunny & The Bull
The Hide
The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus
Katalin Varga
RAINDANCE AWARD
Sponsored by Raindance
Colin
The Disappearance of Alice Creed
Down Terrace
Exam
They Call It Acid
BEST TECHNICAL ACHIEVEMENT
Sponsored by 3 Mills Studios
Bright Star – Cinematography – Greig Fraser
Bunny & The Bull – Production Design – Gary Williamson
Fish Tank – Cinematography – Robbie Ryan
Moon – Original Score – Clint Mansell
Moon – Production Design – Tony Noble
BEST DOCUMENTARY
Sponsored by Chapter Media
The Age of Stupid
The End of The Line
Mugabe and The White African
Sons of Cuba
Sounds Like Teen Spirit
BEST BRITISH SHORT
Christmas with Dad
Leaving
Love You More
Sidney Turtlebaum
Washdays
BEST FOREIGN FILM
Il Divo
The Hurt Locker
Let The Right One In
Sin Nombre
The Wrestler
THE RICHARD HARRIS AWARD (for outstanding contribution to British Film)
Daniel Day Lewis
THE VARIETY AWARD
To Be Announced
THE SPECIAL JURY PRIZE
Sponsored by The UK Film Council
Announced at the British Independent Film Awards on Sunday 6 December

-Thoughts on the nominations?

Ricky Gervais will host the Golden Globes!

Here's the article in Variety:

Ricky Gervais has signed to host the 67th annual Golden Globe Awards, marking the first time the kudofest has had a host since 1995.

In a statement, Gervais said he felt the show offered him “free reign.”

“Not only is this the biggest Hollywood celebration of the industry which includes both film and TV, but also an environment where I feel I can get free reign as a host,” said Gervais. “I have resisted many other offers like this, but there are just some things you don't turn down.”

Nominations will be announced December 15. This year's show will be broadcast live from 5-8 p.m. (PT) and 8-11 p.m. (ET) from the Beverly Hilton Hotel.

-Good pick to me...thoughts?

The director of 'District 9' is getting back to work...

Neill Blomkamp has a new flick that he's got financing for and is going to get started on it during the middle of next year. Go here for the story, but little is known about the film, except that it will be set on an alien world, have a bigger budget than 'District 9', and in his words, will be "violent".
-Thoughts?

Some new images from Avatar!

I came across these this morning, so figured I'd share the link. Go here to see a bunch more of them, and keep waiting for the new trailer to hit.
-What do you think of the images?

October 25, 2009

Daniel Craig hints that the 23rd Bond movie might start shooting late next year...

...if this article here is to be believed. We shall see, I suppose, since they don't even have a director in place yet. In any case, any news on this film is good news, to me at least.
-Who would you like to see directed the next James Bond flick?

The Rome Film Festival honors Helen Mirren with Best Actress for 'The Last Station'

The full article from Variety is here, but take a gander at the winners:

Grand Jury Prize
“L’uomo che verra,” Giorgio Diritti, Italy

Actress
Helen Mirren, “The Last Station,” Germany, Russia, U.K.

Actor
Sergio Castellitto, “Alza la testa,” Italy

Audience Award
“L’uomo che verra,” Giorgio Diritti, Italy

Alice in the City (children’s sidebar)

8-12 section
“Last Ride,” Glendyn Ivin, Australia

13-17 section
“Winter in Wartime,” Martin Koolhoven, the Netherlands

Special mention
“Vegas,” Gunnar Vikene, Norway

Documentary
“Sons of Cuba,” Andrew Lang, U.K.

Special mentions
“Fratelli d’Italia,” Claudio Giovannesi, Italy
“Severe Clear,” Kristian Fraga, U.S.

-Do you think we'll be hearing more from Mirren as the season rolls on?

Look for 'That Evening Sun' in November

The whole article can be found here, but suffice to say, it seems like we'll be seeing Hal Hollbrook thrown right into this race, though his chances are up for grabs.
-Thoughts?

October 24, 2009

Can Sam Rockwell become an unlikely Best Actor nominee?

There's certainly a grass roots effort to get him recognized for his work in Moon. Much as I think it's some of the finest work by anyone this year, it's a long shot at best, though.
-What do you think of the effort and Rockwell's chances?

A first look at 'The A-Team'

Thoughts?

October 23, 2009

The Men Who Stare at Goats gets a new Trailer!

Behold the latest look at this flick:


-Thoughts?

A new Poster for Youth in Revolt

I like the Lolita ripoff, it fits...thoughts?

There's a new Avatar trailer coming...

...soon. It hit theaters today, so once a proper trailer hits the web, it'll be on the site for your viewing pleasure. Till then, we'll just play the waiting game...

October 22, 2009

Is 'Precious' director Lee Daniels going to 'Saigon' for his next film?

Seems like it could be, according to this in Variety:

In what would be her first film producing project since leaving the CEO slot at United Artists in 2008, Paula Wagner is mobilizing a screen version of “Miss Saigon” as a directing vehicle for Lee Daniels.

Daniels, who has drawn festival acclaim for “Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire,” has alluded to the possibility in red carpet interviews, but his reps say it’s one of several possible next projects. And movie transfers of big musicals are tough to pull off.

Still, Wagner is moving quickly under her newly formed Chestnut Ridge Productions banner.

She will produce the film with Cameron Mackintosh, who produced the original Broadway musical.

A screenwriter is about to be set, and financing discussions are underway with an eye toward getting the film into production next year for 2011 release, sources said.

The movie will be faithful to Claude-Michel Schonberg and Alain Boublil’s tale of the tragic love story of a Vietnamese bar girl and an American soldier before the fall of Saigon in 1975. “Miss Saigon,” which opened on the West End in 1989 and played on Broadway for nearly ten years, has been performed in 25 countries.

Wagner was Tom Cruise’s longtime CAA agent before becoming his partner in Cruise/Wagner Productions. After producing the “Mission: Impossible” trilogy and other films, they agreed to steer UA for ex-MGM topper Harry Sloan.

Wagner is separately developing a stage musical about the rise of hip-hop pioneers Run-DMC.

-Thoughts?

And on that note, we get a Poster for Invictus...

Worth the wait?

Well, we finally get some info about 'Invictus'...

...but only that it's got a rating, and is rated PG-13. Not exactly a poster or a trailer, but at this point, I'll take what I can get.
-Thoughts on the rating?

October 21, 2009

Final Poster for 'The Road'

This is my least favorite of the posters, but it's not awful...thoughts?

A new Trailer for 'Wolfman'


-Thoughts?

The Producers Guild of America will honor John Lasseter this year!

Here's the story in Variety:

The Producers Guild of America has tapped John Lasseter to receive its David O. Selznick Achievement Award in Motion Pictures.

The kudo will be presented to Lasseter on Jan. 24 at the PGA awards show at the Hollywood Palladium. The org noted in its announcement Wednesday that Lasseter is the first producer of animated films to be awarded the Selznick Award by the PGA and was the co-recipient of the PGA's first-ever Vanguard Award in 2002.

Lasseter's the chief creative officer for Walt Disney and Pixar Animation Studios and the principal creative advisor for Walt Disney Imagineering.

Past recipients include Stanley Kramer, Saul Zaentz, Clint Eastwood, Billy Wilder, Robert Evans, Brian Grazer, Jerry Bruckheimer, Roger Corman, Laura Ziskin and last year, the team of Kathleen Kennedy and Frank Marshall.

"John Lasseter is a uniquely talented producer with the rare combination of technical ingenuity and creative vision. He's a wonderful storyteller, consistently displaying extraordinary skill, humanity and grace," said David Friendly and Laurence Mark, co-chairs of the PGA Awards. "John"s work with both Pixar and Disney has raised the bar for producers in live-action films as well as in animation, and we're excited to be honoring him with the Selznick Award this year."

Lasseter's directing credits films "Toy Story," "A Bug's Life," "Toy Story 2" and "Cars." His executive producing credits include "Up," "Monsters, Inc.," "Finding Nemo," "The Incredibles," "Ratatouille," "Wall-E" and "Bolt." The Producers Guild of America has tapped John Lasseter to receive its David O. Selznick Achievement Award in Motion Pictures.

The kudo will be presented to Lasseter on Jan. 24 at the PGA awards show at the Hollywood Palladium. The org noted in its announcement Wednesday that Lasseter is the first producer of animated films to be awarded the Selznick Award by the PGA and was the co-recipient of the PGA's first-ever Vanguard Award in 2002.

Lasseter's the chief creative officer for Walt Disney and Pixar Animation Studios and the principal creative advisor for Walt Disney Imagineering.

Past recipients include Stanley Kramer, Saul Zaentz, Clint Eastwood, Billy Wilder, Robert Evans, Brian Grazer, Jerry Bruckheimer, Roger Corman, Laura Ziskin and last year, the team of Kathleen Kennedy and Frank Marshall.

"John Lasseter is a uniquely talented producer with the rare combination of technical ingenuity and creative vision. He's a wonderful storyteller, consistently displaying extraordinary skill, humanity and grace," said David Friendly and Laurence Mark, co-chairs of the PGA Awards. "John"s work with both Pixar and Disney has raised the bar for producers in live-action films as well as in animation, and we're excited to be honoring him with the Selznick Award this year."

Lasseter's directing credits films "Toy Story," "A Bug's Life," "Toy Story 2" and "Cars." His executive producing credits include "Up," "Monsters, Inc.," "Finding Nemo," "The Incredibles," "Ratatouille," "Wall-E" and "Bolt."

-Congrats to him...

Interested in listening to the soundtrack to 'Where the Wild Things Are'?

I didn't mention it in my review, though Clayton did (and go here to read both our reviews). The soundtrack to Where the Wild Things Are is very interesting, and certainly something that enhances a number of the scenes of the movie. If you go here and are interested in listening to the soundtrack, you'll be able to.
-Thoughts on the music to Where the Wild Things Are?

October 20, 2009

Bill Mechanic and director Adam Shankman will produce the Oscars

The whole press release is here, but here's a bit of it:

Bill Mechanic and Adam Shankman will produce the 82nd Academy Awards® telecast, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences President Tom Sherak announced today. This will be the first major Oscar show involvement for both men.

“I couldn’t be happier to have this talented team on board,” said Sherak. “I’ve known Bill for many years so it’s like putting Oscar in the care of a dear friend. Bill has a tremendous love and respect of film and will draw from his vast experience as a producer, a studio executive and a film historian to help make this year’s Oscar telecast a memorable one. And Adam’s experience in producing, directing and especially choreography will be a huge asset to the production.”

“I’m thrilled to be producing the Oscars with Adam,” said Mechanic. “I think Adam has the perfect background and spirit to make the show both unique and fun to watch. Together we will build upon the best traditions from the great shows of the past while helping pave the way to the future.”

“The last time I was on the show was as a dancer, and to come back as a producer is such an unbelievable honor,” said Shankman. “I look forward to collaborating with Bill to celebrate the world’s collective love of movies and provide a fun escape from the difficult times we’re living in. Simply put, there is no show like the Oscars and I am thrilled to be a part of our industry’s most treasured tradition.”

Mechanic is the chairman and CEO of Pandemonium Films and the former chairman and CEO of Fox Filmed Entertainment. While at Fox, the studio released titles including “True Lies” (1994), “Braveheart” (1995), “Titanic” (1997), “The Full Monty” (1997), “There’s Something About Mary” (1998), “Boys Don’t Cry” (1999) and “Cast Away” (2000) among many others. Prior to Fox, he served in executive positions at the Walt Disney Company and Paramount. Mechanic’s producer credits include this year’s animated feature “Coraline” and the thriller “Dark Water” (2005).

Shankman’s directorial credits include “Bedtime Stories” (2008), “Hairspray” (2007), “A Walk To Remember” (2002) and “The Wedding Planner” (2001). His upcoming projects include “Rock of Ages,” “Sinbad,” “Bob: The Musical” and “Bye Bye Birdie.” In addition to directing, Shankman, along with his sister, Jennifer Gibgot, produce films through their shingle, Offspring Entertainment. Together they are currently producing “The Last Song,” “Going The Distance” and “Step Up 3D,” all set for 2010 release.

-Thoughts?

Poster for Everybody's Fine

Thoughts?

It's a pretty bad week on the DVD front unless you like giant fighting robots that turn into things...

...in which case, you'll be thrilled. Yes, we all know my feelings about a certain Michael Bay movie, but we'll get to that in a bit. First there must be a PICK OF THE WEEK, and in lieu of any other real legitimate choices, I have no choice but to go with:
Cheri
I thought this Stephen Frears period piece was above average, but nothing special outside of a real good lead performance by Michelle Pfeiffer. That however, is good enough to grab top honors in a week like this. See it for her work, and you won't have any heartburn from this flick, as my grandfather likes to say.
-Also out is Blood: The Last Vampire, a very mediocre adaptation of a Japanese Anime feature. It ultimately was pretty dull, but not actively bad, so if you think this is your thing, then it's worth taking a look at.
-We come now to Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. There's nothing I can say that will change any minds about this film (I'll have to settle for knowing it's very likely that this will end up as my #1 worst film of 2009), so I'll save my breath and vitriol and simply say that I have no interest in ever owning this on DVD, but if you do, then go for it and enjoy. It is what it is.
-My Vintage pick this week is, in honor of the release of the biopic Amelia, a sadly underseen biopic by the name of Music Within. Ron Livingston does career best work as Richard Pimentel, a deaf man who more or less created the Americans with Disabilities Act, and Michael Sheen did nomination caliber supporting work as Pimentel's friend with Cerebral Palsy. You won't even recognize it's him. It's definitely a film worth discovering on DVD.
-What will you be watching on DVD this week?

October 19, 2009

Behold this new clip from Up in the Air!

This second clip from 'Up in the Air' shows a bit of the rapport that George Clooney has with Anna Kendrick (the script is chock full of scenes like this, both with Kendrick and also with Vera Farmiga):


-Thoughts?

The nominations are announced for the Gotham Independent Film Awards!

The precursor season begins:

Best Feature

  • Amreeka – Cherien Dabis, director (National Geographic Entertainment)
  • Big Fan – Robert Siegel, director (First Independent Pictures)
  • The Hurt Locker – Kathryn Bigelow, director (Summit Entertainment)
  • The Maid - Sebastian Silva, director (Elephant Eye Films)
  • A Serious Man – Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, directors (Focus Features)

Best Documentary

  • Food, Inc. – Robert Kenner, director (Magnolia Pictures)
  • Good Hair – Jeff Stilson, director (Liddell Entertainment and Roadside Attractions in association with HBO Films)
  • My Neighbor My Killer – Anne Aghion, director/producer (Gacaca Productions)
  • Paradise – Michael Almereyda, director (Post Factory Films)
  • Tyson – James Toback, director (Sony Pictures Classics)

Best Ensemble Performance

  • Adventureland – Jesse Eisenberg, Kristen Stewart, Martin Starr, Kristen Wiig, Bill Hader, Ryan Reynolds (Miramax Films)
  • Cold Souls – Paul Giamatti, Dina Korzun, Emily Watson, Katheryn Winnick, David Strathairn (Samuel Goldwyn Films)
  • The Hurt Locker - Jeremy Renner, Anthony Mackie, Brian Geraghty, Ralph Fiennes, Guy Pearce, David Morse, Evangeline Lilly (Summit Entertainment)
  • A Serious Man – Michael Stuhlbarg, Richard Kind, Fred Melamed (Focus Features)
  • Sugar – Algenis Perez Soto, Rayniel Rufino, Michael Gaston, Andre Holland, Ann Whitney, Richard Bull, Ellary Porterfield, Jaime Tirelli (Sony Pictures Classics)


Breakthrough Director

  • Cruz Angeles for Don’t Let Me Drown
  • Frazer Bradshaw for Everything Strange and New
  • Noah Buschel for The Missing Person (Strand Releasing)
  • Derick Martini for Lymelife (Screen Media Films)
  • Robert Siegel for Big Fan (First Independent Pictures)

Breakthrough Actor

  • Ben Foster in The Messenger (Oscilloscope Laboratories)
  • Patton Oswalt in Big Fan (First Independent Pictures)
  • Jeremy Renner in The Hurt Locker (Summit Entertainment)
  • Catalina Saavedra in The Maid (Elephant Eye Films)
  • Soulémane Sy Savané in Goodbye Solo (Roadside Attractions)

Best Film Not Playing at a Theater Near You

  • Everything Strange and New – Frazer Bradshaw, director; Laura Techera Francia, A.D. Liano, producers
  • Guy and Madeline on a Park Bench - Damien Chazelle, director; Jasmine McGlade, producer
  • October Country – Michael Palmieri and Donal Mosher, directors/producers
  • You Won’t Miss Me - Ry Russo-Young, director/producer
  • Zero Bridge – Tariq Tapa, director; Tariq Tapa, Josée Lajoie, Hilal Ahmed Langoo, producers
-Thoughts? (By the way, The Hurt Locker and Big Fan led the nominations with 3 each)

ACCA 2004 Voting is up now, along with some New Reviews!

Yes, voting has begun for the final stages of the 2004 ACCA contest. Go here to cast your vote, and be on the lookout to see who ends up the winners!
We also have three new reviews for you to read. There are two absolute raves up for Where the Wild Things Are, along with a very strong review for A Serious Man and an early review of The White Ribbon, also very positive. Go here to find them and let us know what you think!
-Who are you pulling for to win in this round of ACCA voting, and do you agree withour reviews?

Did 'Thor' just add some big names to its cast?

Keep in mind, this is from AICN, but it's still worth mentioning. Go here for the entire article, but if rumors are true, then Jude Law and Robert De Niro are going to be in 'Thor' it seems.
-Thoughts?

October 18, 2009

Something cool for a slow Sunday...




Rules to live by...

Today's News: It's a wild rumpus of a weekend for Where the Wild Things Are, Will Ferrell goes the indie route for his next film, and more....

In the news:

'Where the Wild Things Are' was #1 at the box office this weekend, opening well above projections with almost $33 million.

The next project for Will Ferrell will be an independent film based on a Raymond Carver story, called 'Everything Must Go'.

Robert Redford continues to add some impressive cast members to his upcoming period piece about the events after Lincoln's assassination, including Tom Wilkinson, Evan Rachel Wood, and Kevin Kline.

Finally, if you're curious to compare 'Paranormal Activity' to 'The Blair Witch Project', then this article is the one for you.

-Thoughts?

October 16, 2009

In case you haven't noticed, there's some NEW PREDICTIONS to check out on the Main Page!

Yes, the big eight have all been tinkered with, and they're there for your judgment and thoughts. Start with Best Picture here and work your way through them all.
-Thoughts on the new predictions?

The Spirit Awards moves from their tent on the beach...

...to downtown L.A. for this year's program. The entire story is here for your reading pleasure, but it's a bit of a slow news day (aside from the debut of Where the Wild Things Are), so it's worth making a note of.
-Do you like the Spirit Awards? (They may be my favorite of all the shows, FYI)

The 65 Countries (and films) in the hunt for the Foreign Language Oscar

They all can be found here, from the official press release. Most of the expected films that we've been tracking are there, though I couldn't tell you for the life of me which five will make the cut, so you be the judge...
-Which of those films do you think have the best shot at a nomination?

Let the wild rumpus start!

Yes, today we finally have the long awaited release of Where the Wild Things Are. I've already saw it yesterday at the midnight screening, and I'll save my full thoughts for the review to come soon, but let this be known; whatever you think of the end result, it's a work of art.
-Use this space to comment on your thoughts of the film after you see it, what you hope it'll be like, what it was, any questions you want to ask me about it, or just anything Wild Things related.

October 15, 2009

Tree of Life gets pushed to 2010

The entire article can be found here, but it seems that the 2009 release date was just wishful thinking and that the movie is just not ready yet. One can only assume that we'll next hear from Malick's film at Cannes.
-Thoughts?

Today's Trailers: Edge of Darkness and Dear John

Today we have two trailers, starting with Mel Gibson's return to acting in the Death Wish type flick 'Edge of Darkness':


We end with a completely different type of film though, the romance movie 'Dear John':

-Thoughts?

Today's Posters: Me and Orson Welles, Edge of Darkness, Daybreakers, and The Princess and the Frog




Thoughts?

October 14, 2009

Today's Trailers: The Expendables, Uncertainty, and Broken Embraces

First up we have a Promotional Trailer of sorts for the 80's throwback action flick 'The Expendables':


Next we have a look at the interesting Joseph Gordon-Levitt indie drama 'Uncertainty':
<a href="http://video.msn.com/?mkt=en-us&from=sp&fg=MsnEntertainment_MoviesTrailersGP2_a&vid=2d1e160c-11a8-40d2-aba0-7c25771e67a9" target="_new" title="Exclusive: 'Uncertainty' Trailer">Video: Exclusive: 'Uncertainty' Trailer</a>
Finally, here's a new trailer for 'Broken Embraces':

-Thoughts?

Today's News: Gus Van Sant and Bret Easton Ellis to team up on a film, Chris Pine may be the next Jack Ryan, and more...

In the news:

It seems that Gus Van Sant and Bret Easton Ellis will be writing a script together about the double suicide of artists Theresa Duncan and Jeremy Blake.

The next person to play the role of Jack Ryan may in fact be 'Star Trek''s own Chris Pine, if talks go well for him and Paramount.

Robert Rodat, the writer of 'Saving Private Ryan' has been hired to write 'Warcraft', the World of Warcraft movie, for Sam Raimi to direct.

Tommy Lee Jones has joined the cast of Matthew McConaughey's next movie, based on a Michael Connelly novel, one which he also plans to direct.

Finally, actress Rashida Jones has gotten her graphic novel miniseries optioned for a film, one which she herself will co-write.

-Thoughts?

Today's Posters: Dear John, and 2 more for Toy Story 3



Thoughts?