 Cannes is over. We have a possible Best Picture contender in Michael Haneke’s Amour, which you can see added to the Oscar Tracker. In the past month, trailers for big Oscar contenders have dropped like Roger Michell’s Hyde Park on Hudson, Baz Luhrmann’s The Great Gatsby, and even as late as yesterday with Tom Hooper’s Les Miserables. Any talk circling around the notion of an Oscar nomination possibility is mere beguilement and an attempt to satisfy our obsessions during this first half of the fiscal year. But that’s why we read the Awards Circuit, isn’t? Read more on Oscar Circuit: “Right Category, Right Time”…
Categories: Editor, Oscar Circuit, Oscar Predictions Tags: Anne Hathaway, best picture, Carey Mulligan, Director, Hyde Park on Hudson, Laura Linney, Lead Actor, Lead Actress, Les Miserables, Oscar Circuit, oscar predictions, Oscars, Supporting Actor, Supporting Actress, The Great Gatsby
 The TV mini-series/movie has given us but the respect for this form has dwindled, even in the minds of the TV Academy. Deadline is reporting that the TV Academy is planning combine the supporting actor/actress prizes with that of their lead counterparts. The new categories, to be presented in 2013, will be called Outstanding Actor in a Miniseries or Movie and Outstanding Actress in a Miniseries or Movie, and feature 6 nominees.
Read more on Emmys to combine Supporting and Lead Actors for TV Movies/Mini-Series in 2013…
 Some like it hot, some prefer blondes, but all adore the legend that is, and will forever be, Marilyn Monroe. In honor of her 86th birthday and the 50th anniversary of her untimely passing, the Hollywood Museum has decided to celebrate the world’s most treasured Hollywood icon by showcasing a brand new exhibit that features some of Monroe’s most iconic images and memorabilia. Perhaps the most anticipated images that will be on display at the exhibit are some never-before-seen stills from the last photographer to have a session with Marilyn, Mr. George Barris. As a member of the Los Angeles Press on behalf of The Awards Circuit, I was fortunate enough to attend last night’s exhibit opening. After the jump, you will see images taken of the “Marilyn Monroe” exhibit itself, red-carpet stills from many of Marilyn’s former friends and colleagues, and other high-profile celebrities who came out to honor Hollywood’s most beloved movie star. Read more on My Night With Marilyn: Opening of the new “Marilyn Monroe” Exhibit at the Hollywood Museum…
On Friday, Academy Award winner Morgan Freeman will celebrate his 75th birthday. The veteran actor/narrator/producer/director was born June 1st, 1937, in Memphis, Tennessee, the youngest of four children. His family never stayed in one place long while he was growing up, moving frequently from Tennessee, to Mississippi, to Indiana, and Illinois. After serving as a mechanic in the United States Air Force, Freeman worked as a dancer in the World’s Fair, an actor in a musical theater group, an extra in film, and performed on and off-Broadway before starring in the soap opera Another World and the children’s television show The Electric Company.
Read more on Morgan Freeman after the jump…
Read more on Circuit 3: Morgan Freeman…
 Directed by: Michael Haneke
Written by: Michael Haneke
Cast: Jean-Louis Trintignant, Emmanuelle Riva, Isabelle Huppert, William Shimell, Alexandre Tharaud
Synopsis (Courtesy of IMDB): Georges and Anne are in their eighties. They are cultivated, retired music teachers. Their daughter, who is also a musician, lives abroad with her family. One day, Anne has an attack. The couple’s bond of love is severely tested.
Read more on Awards Profile: Amour…
Today, eight to 15 judges from all around the business will decide the very best in trailers for the past year. Last year’s top prize (“Best in Show”) went to Mark Woollen and Associates for their incredible trailer for The Social Network (yeah, the one with the choral presentation of Radiohead’s “Creep”). The winners are set to be announced Thursday, May 31st.
Who do you think will win? Who do you want to win?
Have a look at the nominees after the jump…
Read more on 13th Annual Golden Trailer Awards – Who Will Win?…
 “Why should I be a footnote to someone else’s life” – Martha Gellhorn.
Thanks to Nicole Kidman’s headstrong, passionate, and balls-to-the-wall performance as famed war correspondent, Martha Gellhorn — more recognized in history as the third wife of Ernest Hemingway — I doubt Gellhorn will ever be regarded as a footnote again. The title of HBO Film’s newest made-for-TV movie is incredibly deceptive, but perhaps purposefully so. We expect both Hemingway and Gellhorn to equally be front and center in this biopic of sorts, but it’s Gellhorn who fills up two thirds of on-screen time. Therefore, a title such as Gellhorn & Hemingway, or just Gellhorn, would have been more appropriate if we’re speaking strictly about which actor/character was featured more prominently. In fact, Nicole Kidman’s revelatory portrayal of Gellhorn is so wonderfully perfect and convincing that I can almost forgive director Philip Kaufman’s sloppily executed war biopic. To add bigger insult to injury, Clive Owen brings forth an uninteresting, drunkard, plight of a man with his role as Hemingway, making him seem more of a James Bond-esque anti-hero that met too many shaken, not stirred martinis he lost battle after battle with. Those looking for a Clive Owen comeback might be disappointed in Clive’s approach to the enigma that is Ernest Hemingway. Corey Stoll, as invisible as his performance may have been in Midnight in Paris, does a finer job illuminating Hemingway’s brilliance underneath an anchoring psychosis. Having never read or heard of Ernest Hemingway, one may not comprehend the legendary status surrounding the 20th century’s most prolific writer if you only had Clive Owen’s portrayal to go by. Hemingway may be surrounded by various intellectuals in Hemingway & Gellhorn, but neither Kauffman nor Owen seem to care about Hemingway’s own intelligence factor. Brilliance may be within Hemingway, but to an audience viewing Hemingway & Gellhorn, it remains ever illusive. Read more on TV Review: Hemingway & Gellhorn (**½)…
 As I’ve mentioned once or twice in the past, Jonathan Tropper is one of my favorite authors working today, and his book ‘This Is Where I Leave You’ is a modern classic in my eyes. Now, with the film adaptation of the novel moving forward, I’m starting to see a cast that could knock this material out of the part. The Hollywood Reporter has a piece here that says Jason Bateman is in talks for the lead role, with the main supporting parts to be played by the likes of Goldie Hawn, Zac Efron, Leslie Mann, Malin Ackerman, and Jason Sudeikis. Adam Shankman is directing (after taking over from Greg Berlanti) and Tropper himself has penned the script (remember, his screenplay for the remake of ‘Harvey’ is what first attracted Steven Spielberg to that aborted project). After the jump you can see what the movie will be about, but take my word for it…this could be a terrific flick if it comes together right. I’m crossing my fingers!
Read more on Jason Bateman, Goldie Hawn, and more join the cast of ‘This Is Where I Leave You’!…
 Richard Madden is currently trying to become King of the North on HBO’s fantasy series Game of Thrones, but later this year he’ll be tackling a modern character with decidedly different priorities. Variety is reporting that the Scottish actor is in talks to headline the erotic drama Long Nights Short Mornings. The story will follow a young man (Madden) on an erotic odyssey through the streets of New York as he sleeps with seven women in seven nights.
Read more on ‘Game of Thrones’ star Richard Madden to be in for ‘Long Nights’…
 This year’s winner of the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival may not have been an unexpected one, but by almost all accounts Michael Haneke’s new film ‘Amour’ is a truly deserving one. Those of you who are like me are anxious to take a look at it and assess its Oscar chances, but according to The Playlist (here), we’ll have to wait until the thick of awards season, as it’s scheduled for a U.S. debut on December 19th. After the jump you can get a quick refresher on what the flick is about, but I know I can’t wait. Hanekse is always an interesting filmmaker, and this seems like something very different from him…
Read more on Haneke’s Palme d’Or winning ‘Amour’ will open December 19th!…
 The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) has long had plans to build a movie museum in Los Angeles. But as with any construction slated to happen in California, the plans were hit with several delays. However, things seem to be back on track to build the museum now and the Academy has hired two world class architects, Renzo Piano and Zoltan Pali, to design the space. In a press release available after the jump, the Academ remarked that “Renzo’s track record of creating iconic cultural landmarks combined with Zoltan’s success in transforming historically-significant buildings is a perfect marriage for a museum that celebrates the history and the future of the movies.”
Read more on Award Winning Architects to design AMPAS Museum…
Hugh Jackman stars as Jean Valjean in Academy Award winning director Tom Hooper’s (The King’s Speech) Les Misérables, based on the tale by Victor Hugo. The first teaser has dropped for the film, and while we just get to chew on the beautiful imagery – set to Anne Hathaway singing “I Dreamed a Dream” – I feel reassured with its promise to be a legitimate contender in a multitude of categories come awards season.
Russell Crowe, Amanda Seyfried, Eddie Redmayne, Samantha Barks, Sacha Baron Cohen, and Helena Bonham Carter also star, and the film is set to be released on December 14th.
Check out the first trailer (and synopsis) for Les Misérables after the jump…
Read more on First Teaser Trailer for Tom Hooper’s ‘Les Misérables’…
 Directed by: Chris Butler and Sam Fell
Written by: Chris Butler.
Cast (Voices of): Kodi Smit-McPhee, Anna Kendrick, Tucker Albrizzi, Casey Affleck, John Goodman, Leslie Mann, Jeff Garlin, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Elaine Stritch, Tempestt Bledsoe, Hannah Noyes.
Read more on Awards Profile: ParaNorman…
Categories: Award Profile Tags: Anna Kendrick, Awards Profile, Best Animated Feature, Casey Affleck, Chris Butler, Focus, John Goodman, Jon Brion, Kodi Smit-McPhee, LAIKA, Oscar hopefuls, ParaNorman, Sam Fell
 One of the things that I’d been rather curious about the past year or so in regards to Alexander Payne was why exactly he wasn’t still working with his writing partner Jim Taylor. On ‘The Descendants’ he co-wrote the film with Nat Faxon and Jim Rash, while his in development projects ‘Nebraska’ and ‘Fork in the Road’ are being penned by Phil Johnston and Bob Nelson (for the former), and Kerry Williamson (for the latter). Well, it seems that they won’t be apart for long, as they have a script called ‘The Lost Cause’, and according to The Playlist here, they’re giving it a stage reading at the Nantucket Film Festival next month. After the jump you can learn what the film is about, but it’s good to have them together again, even if it’s likely that Payne won’t actually direct this flick. They’re one of the best teams in the business…
Read more on Alexander Payne and Jim Taylor are reuniting on a new script…
 If you’re starved for epic settings, intricate plotting, two faced characters or Peter Dinklage, then Game of Thrones is the show for you. With the excellent Blackwater episode that aired this past Sunday, Game of Thrones is more than proving that it’s one of the top television shows on air. Sunday is the finale of Season 2, but HBO knows the Game of Thrones fanboys (Ravens? Fannisters? Starkettes?) want to see which of their favorite characters from the books will show up. The producers recently sat down EW and laid out their plans to introduce 12 new characters from the books into season three. Check out the list after the jump!
Read more on Character List for ‘Game of Thrones’ Season 3 Revealed!…
 Now that the Cannes Film Festival has come to a close, we can now turn our attention to the more Oscar centric festivals that we’ll be seeing in the coming months (mainly the fall). First up is the Venice Film Festival, and the new artistic director of the fest is looking to have some high profile debuts, according to The Hollywood Reporter here. After the jump you can see a few more names and my thoughts, but right at the top is Paul Thomas Anderson with ‘The Master’ and Terrence Malick with ‘To The Wonder’. Will they actually show up? Well, check out my quick thoughts below…
Read more on Venice Film Festival may screen ‘The Master’ and ‘To The Wonder’…
 The adaptation of musical sensation Les Miserables is set to hit screens on December 14 but Tom Hooper and Co. have decided to whet our appetites with some high quality images from the film. While many are nervous about how the epic musical will fare on screen, the images released via USA Today give a great glimpse at the period setting as well as the core actors in costume. Take a gander at the photos after the jump.
Read more on New Images from ‘Les Miserables’…
 Before Andrew Dominik committed to make ‘Killing Them Softly’ (then called ‘Coogan’s Trade’) his next film, he was eyeing a Marilyn Monroe biopic called ‘Blonde’. According to The Playlist here, Dominik is planning on making that adaptation of the Joyce Carroll Oates novel now if all comes together properly. Originally supposed to star Naomi Watts, there’s no word on who would potentially star now, but it’s a film that I’d be very interested in seeing come to fruition. After the jump you can see what the book is about, but when it comes to Dominik, you know it’s going to be visually interesting and not at all what you expect it to be.
Read more on Andrew Dominik to make his long Marilyn Monroe biopic…
 This week, there’s a decent enough crop of films available on Blu-Ray and DVD for your viewing pleasure. I wouldn’t call it an especially good slate, but that’s more because of a few popular flicks didn’t affect me like they did for others (especially in one case to be seen shortly). There’s quantity though, if not an incredibly amount of quality, so that’s certainly something. My top pick is one I didn’t love, but honestly liked better on a second viewing, so it boosted itself over the rest of the competition. For my PICK OF THE WEEK, I went with a sports related film, one in fact that I just described above. Curious what I went with? Well, scratch your head no further. It’s:
Goon
On my initial viewing, I found this hockey dramedy to be a bit too disjointed for my tastes, but on my second viewing I found more to like…mainly the touching lead performance of Seann William Scott. He’s surprisingly good here (and coupled with his shockingly poignant reprisal of the Stifler character in ‘American Reunion’), which makes it easier to go with the mild lack of a plot. Hockey is hot at the moment (with my New Jersey Devils again in the Stanley Cup Finals!), so this is also a pick that makes a bit of prudent sense. In a better week this wouldn’t be my top choice, but I’d be recommending it regardless. Give it a shot, you might like it more than I did…
Read more on Joey’s DVD Picks of the Week (5/29/2012)…
 So far, I’ve been a big fan of the “secret” projects that J.J. Abrams seems to come up with every few years. Both ‘Cloverfield’ and ‘Super 8′ challenged for Top Ten spots in their respective years, and now word comes that Abrams has another film of that ilk up his sleeve. Variety reports here that he’s going to be producing a secretive project under his Bad Robot banner, it’s going to be a sci-fi thriller of sorts. Hit the jump for more info, but suffice to say, I’m in. J.J. has my number so far, and I don’t expect that to change anytime soon…
Read more on J.J. Abrams has another mystery project in development…
 Though it has taken many false starts and much concentration to sit down at the computer again and begin writing, I am back at it in earnest.
I need to extend a huge thank you to Clayton Davis and all the writers here for their understanding and support over the last ten months, and in particular the last two. The days and hours leading up to my girls’ passing were among the most emotionally overwhelming of my life, and admittedly I still have waves of emotion hit me over the course of the day and felt the tears forming in my eyes. Three sometimes four times a day I break down and cry, because I miss my girl, because of the staggering loss my family has suffered, because my girls will not have the benefit of their mother in their lives anymore, and because my best friend, my soul mate has slipped away from me. Sometimes I feel so alone, and then an e-mail will come from someone who reads the site, and lift the day, perhaps they have lost someone close to them, perhaps they are just finding out, perhaps they are reaching out to another who has suffered a loss so huge they can barely take a breath sometimes. Read more on I’M BACK…….
 With Amour taking the Palme d’Or yesterday, another Cannes FIlm Festival was put to rest. As the dust settles, it’s now a little clearer how this year’s Cannes will factor into the Oscar race. While there doesn’t appear to be three Best Picture films in this lineup, there are several highly regarded films that could make some voice with the Academy this year. Check out the contenders after the jump.
Read more on Cannes 2012 Post Mortem…
Categories: Article Tags: Amour, Beasts of the Southern Wild, Brad Pitt, Garrett Hedlund, Killing Them Softly, kristen stewart, Lawless, Marion Cotillard, Michael Haneke, news, On the Road, Oscar hopeful, Oscar hopefuls, Rust &Bone
 While I was pretty mixed on Wes Anderson’s new film ‘Moonrise Kingdom’ (seen in my review here), it seems that both critics and audiences aren’t. The former has heaped some of the best reviews in a long time for an Anderson flick, and the box office has been record-breaking actually, according to Deadline here. After the jump I’ll get into just what was so special about its limited release box office numbers, but suffice to say that this will start up some Oscar talk just like it did for Wood Allen’s ‘Midnight in Paris’ last year. There’s a big difference in quality (Allen’s movie was one of my 10 favorites of 2011, while Anderson’s is simply decent), but the comparison will certainly now be made. See below for more…
Read more on ‘Moonrise Kingdom’ sets a limited release record at the Box Office!…
Leos Carax’s new film, Holy Motors, was a big hit at the Cannes Film Festival. The film centers around Monsieur Oscar (Denis Lavant, longtime collaborator with Carax), a mysterious man of many personalities who jumps from one character to the next while being chauffeured around in a limousine. Edith Scob, Eva Mendes, Kylie Minogue, and Michel Piccoli also star in this French language film.
See the trailer and poster for Holy Motors after the jump…
Read more on Trailer and Poster for Cannes Standout, ‘Holy Motors’…
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Cannes is over. We have a possible Best Picture contender in Michael Haneke’s Amour, which you can see added to the Oscar Tracker. In the past month, trailers for big Oscar contenders have dropped like Roger Michell’s Hyde Park on Hudson, Baz Luhrmann’s The Great Gatsby, and even as late as yesterday with Tom Hooper’s Les Miserables. Any talk circling around the notion of an Oscar nomination possibility is mere beguilement and an attempt to satisfy our obsessions during this first half of the fiscal year. But that’s why we read the Awards Circuit, isn’t? Read more on Oscar Circuit: “Right Category, Right Time”…
