 A film that is already on Oscar’s radar before it even opens is Ryan Coogler’s Fruitvale Station starring Michael B. Jordan and Octavia Spencer. Terence gave positive feedback about the film out of the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year. While the buzz is high for the film’s chances during awards season, this is one of many films the Weinstein Company has on their plate in 2013. Other notable acquired films include August: Osage County, which had a trailer released recently, Lee Daniels’ The Butler, and the Grace Kelly biopic, Grace of Monaco with Nicole Kidman. The film won the Grand Jury Prize and the Audience Award back in January.
The first trailer has dropped exclusively from Yahoo! and it features what is sure to be a tension filled film full of emotion. Displayed prominently in the trailer is the talented and beautiful Melonie Diaz, an actress that garnered my attention in Dito Montiel’s classic film A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints (2006). Michael B. Jordan, best known for his performance as Steve Montgomery in Chronicle (2012) has taken the lion’s share of citations from critics that have seen it. If he is as good as many say he is, perhaps the summer release will give him enough time to gain momentum until the Oscar nominations. Very early to tell but if I had a guess, I think he may result in the same manner of Derek Luke when he wowed critics, quietly I might add, for his performance in Phillip Noyce’s Catch a Fire (2006). Nevertheless, I’m on board for the film and can’t wait to see it.
The film opens July 16th. Read more on ‘Fruitvale Station’ Trailer Shows a Promising Michael B. Jordan for Oscar Consideration!…
 After taking Sundance by storm and getting a name change, Fruitvale Station is all set to head to the Croisette as an official selection of the Cannes Film Festival. Today, the Weinstein Company debuted a beautiful new poster that highlights the movie’s unique location and one of the central relationships. While I liked the movie coming out of Sundance, it’ll be interesting to see how it plays with the Cannes crowd. At any rate, check out the wonderful poster after the jump! Read more on Sundance hit and Cannes Official Selection ‘Fruitvale Station’ gets a new poster…
 The upcoming hopeful from Ryan Coogler and The Weinstein Company, which received high praise from the Sundance Film Festival, has officially changed its title. The film, originally called “Fruitvale,” will now be called Fruitvale Station.
The film that tells the story of the true story of Oscar, a 22-year-old Bay Area resident, who crosses paths with friends, enemies, family, and strangers on the last day of 2008. The film stars Michael B. Jordan as Oscar and and also co-stars Academy Award Winner Octavia Spencer.
The film is still set to open on July 26, 2013. Read more on Weinstein Company Changes ‘Fruitvale’ Title…
 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?…
Categories: Article, Editor, Oscar Circuit, Oscar Predictions Tags: Academy Awards, Ain't Them Bodies Saints, AMPAS, Before Midnight, Bradley Cooper, Channing Tatum, Chris O'Dowd, Dane DeHaan, Derek Cianfrance, Editor, Ethan Hawke, Fruitvale, Julie Delpy, Kill Your Darlings, Matthew McConaughey, Michael B. Jordan, Michael Shannon, Mud, Octavia Spencer, oscar predictions, Oscar Tracker, Oz the Great and Powerful, Richard Linklater, Rooney Mara, Ryan Gosling, Sarah Polley, Side Effects, Steven Soderbergh, Stories We Tell, The Iceman, The Place Beyond the Pines, The Sapphires
 Every so often as a critic you get the opportunity to witness a film that’s so ingrained in your experience that it becomes difficult to even comprehend how you feel about the film. On one hand, Fruitvale is a rich, if slightly problematic, retelling of the day in the life of Oscar Grant, the Oakland man who was shot by police officers on New Year’s Day 2009. On the other is innate sense of personal relevance. I can still tell you exactly where I was sitting when I heard about him getting shot, the worry on my parent’s (and to speak the truth, all Black parents) faces that something like this could happen to me (their children), and the anger, not just African Americans, but most Bay Area residents felt when the officer who shot him was only sentenced to two years jail time. There’s no way to divorce those experiences from watching a film like this. However the movie doesn’t ask you to, it just wants you to be in the moment as it tells it’s story. For those reasons, Fruitvale is a feat of movie making, something that operates well within the medium and invites you to bring your emotions along for the ride. Read more on SUNDANCE: Fruitvale (***)…
 It’s the final countdown! In the penultimate episode of Park City Dispatch, Joey and I recount our final day at the fest including the morning snow and the films we screened: Blue Caprice, ACOD, The Spectacular Now and Fruitvale. Enjoy! Read more on Park City Dispatch – Episode 8: ACOD, Fruitvale and Blue Caprice…
 Since winning a Best Supporting Actress Oscar, Octavia Spencer has been linked to many projects. She’s currently filming Diablo Cody’s directorial debut with Russell Brand, from there, she’ll film Snowpiercer and news is coming that she’s in negotiations to star in Fruitvale, an independent film about the controversial shooting of Oscar Grant. Written by debut writer/director Ryan Coogler, the movie will tell the story of 22 year old Oscar Grant, who after being detained by the police on New Year’s Day 2009 was shot in the back and killed. The event was captured on many cellphones and sparked an outcry for justice. The ensuing trial and verdict (the police officer was only convicted on involuntary manslaughter, and not second degree murder) set off riots and protests in the Bay Area. The movie takes its title from the BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) station where the shooting took place. Read more on Oscar Winner Octavia Spencer joins Indie Film ‘Fruitvale’…
 As a child, in varying degrees, we often reach a place in life where we ponder what it would be like to have superpowers. Or daydream about the possibility of being superhuman and able to withstand anything life throws our way. Would we throw out the rulebook and live our lives without fear of repercussions? Would we use our abilities for goodwill and to aid in helping our fellow man? Perhaps we would we selectively use it, subtly and without provocation?
Three teenage boys ponder these thoughts in Chronicle, an intriguing and notable feature film debut from director and co-screenwriter Josh Trank. Set in my stomping grounds of Seattle (but mostly shot in Seattle’s photogenic doppelganger of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada), we initially find Chronicle opening up as another entry in the exhausted found footage genre of science-fiction and horror story filmmaking. To my surprise, Trank and lead screenwriter Max Landis find ways to overcome those trappings and deliver a unique and compelling story that transcends its initial stifling premise.
Read more on Chronicle (***)…
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