Time for Vin Diesel and Paul Walker to renew the lease on their iron lung and life blood with another installment of nos-infused, dudebro fanfare in Fast & Furious 6.They’re joined again by the busiest man of the year so far, Dwayne Johnson, who was added to the cast back in the 2011 entry to the series. Another gang of rambunctious guys is reassembled as the Wolfpack foolishly heads to Las Vegas for more shenanigans in The Hangover Part III. On with the trend of sequels and nostalgic reunions, Richard Linklater, Ethan Hawk and Julie Delpy are back in BeforeMidnight. It seems a weekend at the movies wouldn’t be complete these days without a derivative, uninspiring animation flick inexplicably loaded with celebrity voices not particularly known for their voices. Epicfits the bill perfectly.
It’s time to dive, dive in deep…well, at least as deep as you can in May. As I attempted to unveil the newest set of Oscar Predictions, I realized how many promising films are left to be seen in the remaining seven months. As of now, the only real Best Picture contender that has the legs to make it until the end of the year would be Sarah Polley’sStories We Tell, and that’s a longshot at best given its genre. You can make arguments for films like The Place Beyond the Pines by Derek Cianfrance and even Mud by Jeff Nichols but those will need a well-placed DVD release with a focused campaign, something I’m not sure the studios are willing to bet on. Cianfrance’s film also has an outside shot for Screenplay and a Supporting Actor mention for Ryan Gosling. If anything, this helps him for Nicolas Winding Refn’sOnly God Forgives, if they’re feeling like recognizing him a second time. It feels like eons ago when Gosling was nominated for Ryan Fleck’s Half Nelson (2006) and then later missed other opportunities for Lars and the Real Girl (2007), Blue Valentine (2010), and Drive (2011). Not sure when it will be before he gets back onto the Oscar radar.
As Sony Pictures Classics gears up for the release of Richard Linklater’s beautifully crafted and poignant Before Midnight, the studio has released a clip for your viewing pleasure. In this clip, Jesse (Ethan Hawke) and Celine (Julie Delpy) are walking through the beautiful scenery of Greece, speaking about the things they would or would not like to change about each other.
You can read the full review of the film from the Tribeca Film Festival. I suspect the film will be at the very least, a huge contender in Adapted Screenplay but it should definitely be more.
Better late than never right…The festival has officially come to a close and the jury announced their winners for various categories. Many films made their world debut and there are some definite Oscar-worthy contenders in the mix. How they will handle their campaigns and how many voters will actually be able/willing to see the films at hand.
I was pleasantly surprised by many films, both traditional narratives and documentaries. Below is my take on the best films and performances in various categories that played in the prestigious festival held in New York. Read more on Best of the 2013 Tribeca Film Festival!…
May is upon us, and while Summer might technically be another month and a half away, for us movie lovers May means the beginning of the Summer blockbuster season. Of course, there will still be a few awards-worthy dramas sprinkled in with the Iron Man 3′s of the cinematic world, so there should be plenty for all types of filmgoers. After the jump, have a look at the ten films I am most excited about seeing over the next few months.
Richard Linklater’s third film in the Jesse/Celine love story, Before Midnight, is screening again tonight at the Tribeca Film Festival, and a new poster for the film has been released showing the pair soaking up the sun in Greece. Before Midnight goes wide on May 25, but you can read Joey’s Sundance review here, and Clayton’s Tribeca review here while you wait. Have a look at the poster after the jump.
The Awards Circuit Power Hour team is back this week with a fun-filled agenda. We start the podcast on a somber note and speak about the passing of the film critic, Roger Ebert at the age of 70. What did he mean to the staff? We also look at his number #1 films of the year and what kind of taste the great critic had for films.
The final two of Circuit Madness came and went. Steven Spielberg’s Schindler’s List faced off against Francis Ford Coppola’s The Godfather. One of them is about to be named the “Best” Best Picture Winner of All-Time! Which one will it be? You have to listen to find out.
Trailer Talk is up next and we speak about the stylistic promises of Nicolas Winding Refn’s Only God Forgives with Ryan Gosling and Kristin Scott Thomas. Baz Luhrmann’s The Great Gatsby gets a similar conversation but with less enthusiasm. What are some problems we see for the upcoming adaptation are also discussed. Finally, the less than stellar trailer for the upcoming remake of Carrie with Chloe Grace Moretz and Julianne Moore has almost no faith in most of the writing staff.
We play an exciting horror edition of “Do, Dump, or Marry?” – Terence brings up quite a bit from the The Omen to having the staff choose between the scream queens of cinema. What would you do?
The MTV Movie Awards are airing LIVE this Sunday and is being hosted by Rebel Wilson, star and nominee of Pitch Perfect (2012). We go over their “better-than-usual” slate of nominees and try to discuss who and what will win at the ceremony.
It’s not the Awards Circuit Power Hour without Oscar talk. Last week, we spoke about high-profile writers that have something to deliver this year. This time around, the directors are our focus. Going down the line from Alfonso Cuaron for Gravity to Richard Linklater for Before Midnight, even an outside shot for a documentary director like Sarah Polley for Stories We Tell is toyed with.
Terence makes a new plea to Hollywood in this week’s edition of Stop! Making It Happen and it circles around NBC’s newest show “Hannibal.”
As April has completely come out of nowhere and become fully present, I’ve updated the new Oscar Tracker to keep in mind everything that has already been released this year so far or have screened at major festivals like Sundance, SXSW, and Tribeca.
There’s no super-duper “out there” contender that looks like it can go all the way as of today with the exception of Richard Linklater’s Before Midnight. While the film is an absolute marvel, it won’t be determined until the autumn if it can sustain throughout the summer and become a leading contender like last year with Moonrise Kingdom and Beasts of the Southern Wild. Obviously, the latter was the only film to crack the Best Picture lineup but if we’re in store for a change like AMPAS going back to five Best Picture nominees, as some have speculated, a small indie film like Linklater’s could get lost throughout the summer and fall months. As of now, Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy could show up with Linklater in Adapted Screenplay but on their performances alone, they will warrant some consideration. Both are superb in their roles and will have their champions throughout the year. Read more on First Quarter Round-Up – Are There Any Oscar Contenders?…
It’s a short, sweet podcast today as the Awards Circuit Power Hour reveals the results of our first annual Circuit Madness. We’re down to four films and we may be in store for a surprise or two. Download the latest bracket>>>Oscar_Madness_Full_8
We talk over the news of the past week including the new trailer for Richard Linklater’s Before Midnight, Wes Anderson possibly entering the Oscar race for the second year in a row, and the December releases becoming “thinner” than usual.
The Tribeca Film Festival kicked off last Thursday with Pre-Festival screenings giving press and industry personnel the opportunity to see the heavy slate of films the New York festival has to offer. Over the next few weeks, until the official festival kicks off on April 17th, the very best in foreign, documentary, and independent cinema will get some of their first viewings.
Richard Linklater directed and co-wrote the romantic classic Before Sunrise (1995) with Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy. We have to start by looking at how far this series has come since its inception nearly twenty years ago. At the time, Hawke was fresh off Ben Stiller’s Reality Bites (1994) and was on his way to bigger projects. Starring in the underwhelming yet entertaining White Fang (1991) and having a supporting turn in my favorite film of all-time Dead Poets Society (1989) with Robin Williams; Hawke was on his way from teen sensation to serious character actor. Julie Delpy had a very different journey and was virtually unknown in America. Having roles in the “Three Colors” series as Dominique, her only memorable American roles up to that point were in Roger Avary’s Killing Zoe (1993) as the young Zoe and as Constance in Disney’s adaptation of The Three Musketeers (1993) with Charlie Sheen and Keifer Sutherland. Read more on TRIBECA: Before Midnight (****)…
Sony Pictures Classics has released the first trailer for Richard Linklater’s third film in the Before series. Before Midnight reunites Jesse (Ethan Hawke) and Celine (Julie Delpy) nine years since their last encounter (Before Sunset), and eighteen years since their first (Before Sunrise). The film opens May 24, and you can read Joey’s ***½ review here. Have a look at the trailer after the jump.
Awards Circuit Power Hour is full of speculation this week. We’re talking about dozens of possible Oscar contenders this year and asking that fateful question, will they ever win an Oscar?
Richard Linklater’s Before Midnight was acquired by Sony Classics out of the Sundance Film Festival, and now it seems the distribution company has set a May 24th release date for the film. It will open in New York and Los Angeles first, and then expand to wide release shortly after. You can read Joey’s ***½ review for the film here, and have a look at a few more release dates after the jump.
It’s hard for lightning to strike twice, let alone three times, but somehow the team of Julie Delpy, Ethan Hawke, and Richard Linklater have done just that with Before Midnight. Almost two decades since they first charmed audiences in Before Sunrise (1995) and nearly a full decade since they returned with the equally impressive sequel Before Sunset (2004), the trio are back and as good as ever.
Co-writer/director Richard Linklater is again content to sit back and let co-writers/stars Delpy and Hawke inhabit these characters. We’ve grown to love and care about them, something the team uses to their advantage in some really interesting ways this time around. As much as it’s a direct sequel, the most compatible film to this one might actually be the recent Judd Apatow flick This is 40. A movie about what happens when youthful love is replaced by something more complex; Before Midnight is a home run for all involved. Read more on SUNDANCE: Before Midnight (***½)…
What a difference getting a full night’s sleep can make! Joey and I have been able to get two nights of at least 7 hours a sleep, which is a miracle at Sundance. To celebrate our good fortune, we’ve decided to give you two videos in one post. *fanfare* We talk about the gifting suites we got to attend, beverages we imbibed (Don Julio’s tequila) and more of the films you want to hear about like Stoker, Ain’t Them Bodies Saints, Before Midnight and S-VHS. Check out the videos after jump!
Sundance Film Festival is right around the corner! Joey and I are incredibly excited to attend the festival on behalf of the site and are looking forward to all the films and people we will meet. As many of you know there are a ton of films that premiere at Sundance so, Joey and I decided to take an in-depth look at the schedule and find the films that we are the most excited to see at the festival. Take a look at our Top 10 Most Anticipated Sundance Films after the jump!
Over the last few months or so, there was a juicy rumor floating around that the planned second sequel to the indie favorite ‘Before Sunrise’ was already being shot by filmmaker Richard Linklater. Of course it was starring Julie Delpy and Ethan Hawke again, with the trio co-writing the script once more, but lots of people poo-pooed that theory. Well, go figure…they were right, as the movie just completed shooting and is headed to the Toronto Film Festival for buyers to purchase. Set in Greece this time around (an interesting location change, but more on that in a bit), I know I’m eager to learn more about the flick, and after the jump you can see a quick statement from Delpy, Hawke, and Linklater, along with my further thoughts on the now trilogy we have. Read on below for more on this surprising yet delightful news…
What a difference getting a full night’s sleep can make! Joey and I have been able to get two nights of at least 7 hours a sleep, which is a miracle at Sundance. To celebrate our good fortune, we’ve decided to give you two videos in one post. *fanfare* We talk about the gifting suites we got to attend, beverages we imbibed (Don Julio’s tequila) and more of the films you want to hear about like Stoker, Ain’t Them Bodies Saints, Before Midnight and S-VHS. Check out the videos after jump!
By: Joey Magidson
