Chicago | The Awards Circuit - By Clayton Davis - Academy Awards, Oscars, and Other Award Show Predictions

Oscars® to Feature Tribute to Movie Musicals of the Last Decade

January 25, 2013

Well this is some interesting news. AMPAS has decided to honor three movie musicals from the past decade - Chicago (2002), Dreamgirls (2006), and Les Misérables (2012) – during the 85th Annual Academy Awards. The details aren’t too clear yet, but it might be fun to see the casts of each film reunite on stage for some song and dance numbers. Have a look at the official release after the jump.

Categories: News
Tags: AMPAS, Chicago, Dreamgirls, Les Miserables, Oscars

Comments: 4 Comments |

Les Miserables (****)

Hooper's film screens and leaps to the forefront of Oscar contenders....

Author: Clayton Davis

December 8, 2012

In what seems like an eternity, Tom Hooper’s long-awaited Les Miserables starring Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, and Anne Hathaway has finally been screened and finished. Director Hooper came out to introduce his film at the Alice Tully Theater at Lincoln Center on Friday, November 23, 2012 and explained that he had just finished the picture at 2 a.m. the evening before. The wait was well worth it. Les Miserables is not only stunningly powerful, and beautifully crafted, it’s the best stage musical adaptation since Rob Marshall’s Chicago (2002). Incredibly moving and featuring some of the most powerful musical numbers ever constructed, Tom Hooper tops his previous film The King’s Speech (2010) with artistry and passion. Read more on Les Miserables (****)…

Oscar Question of the Day – The Movie Musical

Author: Clayton Davis

November 20, 2012

With Tom Hooper’s Les Miserables about to seen by the first set of eyes this coming Friday, many pundits predict this could be the first musical nominated for Best Picture since Rob Marshall’s Chicago (2002).

The question I pose to our readership today is which movie musical would you have nominated for Best Picture but sadly was not in any given year? Read more on Oscar Question of the Day – The Movie Musical…

Two Lead Contenders on Lionsgate Awards Plate

Richard Gere and Naomi Watts could surprise voters in this awards season...

Author: Clayton Davis

November 7, 2012

When the Lionsgate Awards site went LIVE today and listed their slate of contenders involving Stephen Chbosky’s The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Fisher Stevens’ Stand Up Guys, Gary Ross’ The Hunger Games, Nicholas Jarecki’s Arbitrage, and J.A. Bayona’s The Impossible, I started to analyze how this year could pan out for smaller films that are trying to make a play; even more so, the performances in them.

I’ve touted on podcasts for weeks that Nate Parker utterly deserves a citation in Arbitrage, a raw, authentic turn that stands as one of the year’s bests. His co-star Richard Gere is currently being predicted in the Lead Actor top five, mostly on the notion that after years of ignoring and snubbing, voter’s eyes would finally be open to the charm that Gere portrays in Jarecki’s film. As Hugh Jackman remains a mystery of the season in Les Miserables and the word of Anthony Hopkins’ work in Hitchcock rallies some muted enthusiasm, a first-time nominee is bound to crack the top five. Believe me, Bradley Cooper might have a leg up on Gere given his film’s Best Picture chances and the powerful Weinsteins backing, but perhaps an overdue veteran has the gas to go the distance. Read more on Two Lead Contenders on Lionsgate Awards Plate…

7 Films Oscar Shouldn’t Have Been Scared Of

What horror films would you throw into an Oscar lineup?

Author: Clayton Davis

October 31, 2012

Last year I made a sad observation for the comedy genre that often gets overlooked time and time again. As Halloween is canceled on the East Coast due to the storm, I realized the Horror genre gets the finger more often than its comedic counterpart. How many horror films would you throw in a Best Picture lineup over the years? Or a simple Screenplay nomination at least? Films like The Sixth Sense (1999) have powered through their respective Oscar seasons but is that our most deserving film to make the cut? Surely not. As films like Frankenweenie pay homage to the monster genre, could it be more acceptable to embrace the scares for Oscar consideration?

I’m taking a look at a few names that come to mind but I’m sure the great readership will name dozens more after this is said and done.

Check out the full list (in no particular order) after the jump. Read more on 7 Films Oscar Shouldn’t Have Been Scared Of…

“Stand Up Guys” with Pacino, Walken, and Arkin Get Qualifying Oscar Run

Fisher Stevens directs three Oscar winners in this 2012 late entry...

Author: Clayton Davis

September 5, 2012

Another potential Oscar player added to the books ladies and gentleman. Stand Up Guys starring Academy Award Winners Al Pacino, Christopher Walken, and Alan Arkin are getting an Oscar qualifying run in December as the film is set to open wide January 11. The film is directed by Fisher Stevens and produced by Tom Rosenberg, the Oscar-winning producer on Clint Eastwood’s Million Dollar Baby (2004).

IMDB lists the film’s synopsis as:

Craig Zadan and Neil Meron to produce the 85th Annual Academy Awards!

Author: Terence Johnson

August 23, 2012

For months, rumors swirled about who would produce the Oscars, and today the Academy has finally found their men. The Academy has tapped Craig Zadan and Neil Meron, themselves Oscar winners for Chicago, to produce the 85th annual Academy Awards. This is a pretty good get for the Academy considering that the Oscars are seen as the golden grail of award shows and getting people who have experience with movie musicals, tv shows and Broadway plays should aid in delivering a solid Oscar telecast. See the full press release after the jump.

Categories: News
Tags: Chicago, Craig Zadan, Film, Neil Meron, Oscar, Oscars, oscars 2012, the 85th Academy Awards, the Oscars

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Martin Scorsese’s “Gangs of New York” – Ten Years Later

Author: John H. Foote

August 12, 2012

Has an entire decade passed since Martin Scorsese’s massive and flawed, and massively flawed Gangs of New York (2002) thundered onto screens for the first time? It seems like yesterday that I was reading the film’s release date being delayed a full year in light of 9/11, which also permitted Scorsese to film further scenes and edit the film down to a reasonable length, all to the anger of Weinstein.

A dream project of Scorsese’s, he was invited to make the film for Miramax, which meant working with Harvey Weinstein, perhaps the only man in the industry with a temper as volatile as the director. Of course, Weinstein had an agenda, bringing an important director such as Scorsese to Miramax made his company all the more impressive, and Weinstein believed for the film, Scorsese would finally win that long elusive Academy Award. Why? Because he said so. Read more on Martin Scorsese’s “Gangs of New York” – Ten Years Later…

Getting Pumped for Les Misérables

Could Tom Hooper double up on his Oscars?

Author: John H. Foote

June 12, 2012

No secret among readers, the musical is not my choice of genre. In fact I daresay I can name six musicals that I consider to be great films, and they would be the energetic Singin’ in the Rain (1952), the dark and foreboding Cabaret (1972), the rock opera Tommy (1975), the mesmerizing Hair (1979), Herbert Ross’ criminally under valued Pennies from Heaven (1981) and for my own giddy reasons Little Shop of Horrors (2003). There is something silly about actors suddenly bursting into song that I have never found captivating or the least bit interesting. Certainly there are others I admire, such as Dreamgirls (2006) and Rent (2005) but having sat through literally hundreds of musicals, I cannot claim to being a fan. Admittedly when a powerhouse voice like Jennifer Hudson cuts loose as she did in Dreamgirls (2006) I appreciate her gifts, truly, and watch the film admiring her work, in awe of what she can vocally, but musicals are not my favorite form of film. Read more on Getting Pumped for Les Misérables…

Categories: Article
Tags: Anne Hathaway, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Chicago, Hugh Jackman, John Travolta, Les Miserables, Russell Crowe, Samantha Barks, Tom Hooper

Comments: 7 Comments |

2002 ACCA & Davis Award Winners!

Author: Clayton Davis

April 17, 2012

2002 ACCA Winners

Best Picture – Chicago
Runner Up – Adaptation

Best Director – (TIE) Peter Jackson for The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers & Roman Polanski for The Pianist
Runner Up – Martin Scorsese for Gangs of New York

ACCA 2002 Final Voting Open!

Author: Clayton Davis

April 9, 2012

It’s that time! The Awards Circuit Community Awards must now choose their favorite films and performances from 2002. In case you missed it, Rob Marshall’s “Chicago” and Peter Jackson’s “The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers” led the way with twelve nominations each. Stephen Daldry’s “The Hours” garnered nine nominations while Spike Jonze’s “Adaptation” captured eight citations. Martin Scorsese’s “Gangs of New York” failed to nab a Best Picture nomination but still managed nine nominations altogether. Roman Polanski’s “The Pianist,” though still named a Best Picture nominee, could only muster five nominations from the community.

In record setting news, Leonardo DiCaprio remains the most nominated actor in community history. With his Lead Actor nomination for “Catch Me If You Can,” he has been nominated six times by our readership. Right behind him is the great Meryl Streep, with her double nominations for “The Hours” and “Adaptation,” has been cited five times. I leave the milestones up to our longtime reader, GL to go over the stats when winners are announced. We always look forward to them.

I will announce the Davis Award Nominees tomorrow!

Vote for your favorites in the 19 categories HERE! I will announce the winners on next Sunday’s Power Hour with the staff in tow with us moving on to Year 2000 the following week. Look forward to your winners! Read more on ACCA 2002 Final Voting Open!…

Categories: Community
Tags: Awards Circuit Community Awards, Chicago, Community, Leonardo DiCaprio, Meryl Streep, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers

Comments: 1 Comment |

2014 OSCAR PREDICTIONS – (05/13/2012)

BEST MOTION PICTURE

BEST DIRECTOR

BEST ACTOR

BEST ACTRESS

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

BEST COSTUME DESIGN

BEST FILM EDITING

BEST MAKEUP

BEST SOUND MIXING

BEST SOUND EDITING

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE

BEST ORIGINAL SONG

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE

BEST ANIMATED SHORT SUBJECT

BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT SUBJECT

BEST LIVE ACTION SHORT

ACADEMY AWARD PREDICTIONS

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Hooper's film screens and leaps to the forefront of Oscar contenders....

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Richard Gere and Naomi Watts could surprise voters in this awards season...

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What horror films would you throw into an Oscar lineup?

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Fisher Stevens directs three Oscar winners in this 2012 late entry...

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Could Tom Hooper double up on his Oscars?

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2002 ACCA Winners

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