 Among my industry colleagues in New York City, very few have been as helpful or as kind to me when I was first starting out (and right up until the present) as Edward Douglas of Coming Soon. Ed has done quite a bit to support this crazy career of mine, and now’s the time for myself (and the film community in general) to do the same. You see, Ed was just diagnosed with acute leukemia, and like most of us, works on a freelance basis and doesn’t have health insurance. He’s going to have a hard road ahead and some crazy medical bills, so without his knowing some folks have banded together to start a fund for him over at Give Forward. After the jump I’ll explain more, but you can go here if you’re kind enough to lend Ed a helping hand. He’d never ask, but he sure could use it right now…
Read more on Help Ed Douglas Kick Cancer’s Ass!…
 It’s super early to really be thinking about the next Oscar telecast, I know. Still, with some recent rumors suggesting that since last year’s show producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron are coming back, host Seth MacFarlane could be returning too, I figured this was worth bringing up briefly. I’m incredibly skeptical that MacFarlane has any interest in coming back for a return engagement, but I don’t doubt that his name came up at least once in conversation. Still, I’m guessing they’ll be going in a somewhat more conservative direction this time after some too umbrage with the jokes last year, though I tend to like when they at least look into edgier people. After the jump, I’ll once again suggest some names that I’m sure the Academy will ignore, and feel free to let me know who your ideal host is, or if you’d prefer MacFarlane to come back.
Read more on Could Seth MacFarlane be returning to host the Oscars?…
 April 1st isn’t exactly the best day to be patrolling around the internet for movie related news (personally, I chose Opening Day for the Mets, which worked out well). In fact, I even held off yesterday on putting out a review of an April release that I have a VERY strong take on for fear that it could be misconstrued as a joke. That being said, every so often there’s something clever that drops, and April Fool’s has brought a bit of promo material for the upcoming comedy ‘This Is The End’ that also functions as a fake trailer for a sequel to ‘Pineapple Express’. I thought it was amusing enough to share, so take a look below. Personally, I’d see a real sequel if it ever happened, but you can be the judge (sort of) after the jump. Enjoy folks…
Read more on April Fool’s Day brought a fake “Trailer” for Pineapple Express 2!…
 Without fail, each year brings at least one or two titles in the Best Picture lineup that plenty of folks can’t believe is even sniffing an Oscar. This past season Django Unchained and Les Miserables seemed to be the least highly regarded of the nominees (the latter far more so than the former), and of course the year before that had Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close stinking up the nominees for some. With The Awards Circuit looking to crown the “Best” Best Picture winner in March Madness, I wanted to do something a little different, which led to me looking into what the absolute worst nominees for Best Picture have been. I’m not going to actually declare the worst here, since I want you the readers to do that for me. I’ll nominate some contenders below for your consideration, but feel free to only use that as a suggestion.
Read more on Some Pretty Bad Best Picture Nominees…
 Ladies and gentlemen, it was officially Oscar Day yesterday! After literally months of obsessing over this, the biggest night in movies went down just hours ago, and while the Hollywood elite have plenty of traditions that they partake in before/after sitting in the theater and giving themselves a pat on the back, they’re not the only ones. Everyone on the staff and most of you readers have got to have specific ways that you spend the day, and I want to hear about it now. Be sure to tell us what your Oscar ceremony superstition/tradition is, as I bet you’ll probably have some real interesting ones. Depending on if you have a horse in the race or just try to enjoy the show regardless of the winners, I’m sure there are specific things that make up how you spend the big day.
Read more on How did you spend Oscar Sunday?…
 Taking a quick break from picking on Adam Sandler, the Razzie Awards chose an even easier target instead this time around by giving the Twilight franchise their own version of a proper sendoff. There’s not a whole lot one can say about these awards, since they’re mostly just for fun, but I wanted to share these with you regardless. Take a gander at who’s been deemed the “worst” of 2012 below:
Read more on The Razzie Awards bestow their (Dis)Honor on ‘Breaking Dawn Part 2′…
 It’s no secret around these parts that I’m a pretty big Kevin Smith fan, especially last year’s surprising ‘Red State’, but I realize that I seem to be in the minority here. Well, at least you can include Ben Affleck among the people who appreciate Smith’s film besides me, and Affleck went a step further. Instead of writing a rave review like I did, he went ahead and cast a handful of actors and actresses from that film in his new movie ‘Argo’, which opens on Friday. After the jump you can see exactly how the films are now intertwined cast-wise for the ages, but I thought this was pretty cool and worth sharing. Read on below for more, and of course stay tuned for our reviews of ‘Argo’ in the coming days…
Read more on Ben Affleck explains how ‘Argo’ was influenced by ‘Red State’…
 Announcements like these make me so happy to be covering the New York Film Festival for The Awards Circuit. I’ve been there almost every single day and seen some great stuff, but apparently Monday evening is going to be bringing something special to the fest. Last year the NYFF screened a work in progress cut of ‘Hugo’, and this year they’re planning to do the same, just with a movie that they won’t be announcing until moments before it screens. I plan on being there and am racking my brain to see what it could be, but the immediate films that spring to mind are ‘Django Unchained’, ‘Hitchcock’, ‘The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey’, ‘Les Miserables’, and ‘Zero Dark Thirty’, unless it’s a 2013 release like ‘Elysium’, ‘Man of Steel’, or even ‘Before Midnight’. After the jump you can see the Press Release, and stay tuned for me to let you all know what the film in question actually is. Read on below for more…
Read more on The New York Film Festival has a secret screening planned for Monday?…
 Apparently I need to start looking for a new line of work, if the most recent internet chatter is to be believed. In the past few weeks a bunch of articles have been written about the apparent death of film. Without any particular warning, cinema seems to have a terminal illness and is beyond saving in any meaningful way. At least, that’s what the likes of David Denby, Andrew O’Hehir, and David Thomson are declaring in missives that have been rolling around in my mind for a week or so now. It’s sparked a firestorm of response pieces, with one of the best being Matt Singer and Alison Willmore’s discussion of the debate on an episode of their Filmspotting: SVU podcast (found here), along with Matt’s piece at Criticwire here, and now I’m ready to actually chime in. You can prep yourself by reading Denby’s piece here at The New Republic, O’Hehir’s piece at Salon here, and Thomson’s piece also at The New Republic right here, but after the jump I’m going to kick in my own two cents about this controversy of sorts. As a tease, let’s just say that in my humble opinion the death of cinema has been greatly exaggerated. Read on below for my full thoughts, but of course make sure to tell me what you think as well about this debate…
Read more on So, is Film really dead?…
 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…
Read more on Richard Linklater has shot ‘Before Midnight’ with Julie Delpy and Ethan Hawke!…
 To be certain, we’re now in the thick of ‘To the Wonder’ in terms of Terrence Malick, but it’s hard to forget that he’s also got a bevy of projects being worked on. Clearly, this is his most productive period to date, though still with the trademark secrecy that he’s cultivated throughout his career. His next film is going to be ‘Knight of Cups’ and The Playlist has gotten the first new bit of information here about the work (plus a bit on the film that was to be called ‘Lawless’ and the documentary ‘Voyage of Time’). Apparently it stars Christian Bale and it’s going to be about the movie industry…but you can read more after the jump. Malick on movies? I’m interested, that’s for sure. The details on this and his other upcoming projects can be found below…
Read more on Terrence Malick’s ‘Knight of Cups’ is about the movie industry?…
 Despite my adoration for ‘Kick-Ass’, I must say that I’m more dreading the sequel than anything else. I sure hope that ‘Kick-Ass 2′ turns out to be good, but losing Matthew Vaughn’s direction is a big deal in my book. At the very least though, there’s an effort being made to keep the cast top notch, as Collider is reporting here that a supporting role will be played by none other than Jim Carrey. This is definitely not his normal sort of movie, and perhaps that will benefit both him and the film. After the jump you can find out who he’s playing, but I sure hope this flick works, or at least doesn’t sully my fond memories of its predecessor. Read on below for more…
Read more on Jim Carrey officially joins the cast of ‘Kick-Ass 2′…
 It’s been a few years now since Spike Jonze has unleashed his particular brand of moviemaking into the world, and truth be told…I miss him. I adored ‘Where the Wild Things Are’ and pretty much always look forward to a Jonze film, with his upcoming flick no exception. Not too much has been known about it aside from some of the cast (which includes Joaquin Phoenix and Rooney Mara), but now The Film Stage has filled in some blanks here for us. Hit the jump for the full details, but the movie is called ‘Her‘, just to tease you. The synopsis can be found below, so let’s check it out now, shall we? I for one find it rather fascinating, but you can decide for yourself…
Read more on Details emerge about Spike Jonze’s upcoming project!…
 Since winning the Oscar for Best Director last year, it’s safe to say that ‘The Artist’ director Michel Hazanavicius has a lot of offers on his table these days. According to Collider here, he’s potentially going to be tackling a high concept comedy project that ‘Little Miss Sunshine’ and ‘Ruby Sparks’ directors Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris wanted to make called ‘Will’. It’s written by actor/comedian Demetri Martin, was supposed to have starred Paul Rudd and Zach Galifianakis in an earlier form (along with being produced by Will Ferrell and Adam McKay), and after the jump you can see what it’s about. I personally would have preferred Dayton and Faris to have made it, but I’m curious to see what Hazanavicius can do with a bigger budget comedy. Read on below for some details…
Read more on Michel Hazanavicius circles another project!…
 Few things intrigue me more than movies that never wind up getting made or do get started and never see the light of day (I’m actually working on a piece compiling the most interesting of those…stay tuned for that just as soon as I can will myself to finish it), and of those projects David O. Russell’s political satire ‘Nailed’ is chief among them. News on its front has been quiet for a while now, but notoriously it was shut down on the last day of shooting after numerous fits and starts due to money problems. Now, it seems that new details have come out on its troubles and Collider is reporting here that according to producers Doug Wick and Lucy Fisher the flick will likely never see the light of day. The Playlist goes a little further in analyzing the story here, and after the jump you’ll see some of the choice quotes. The healthcare satire is slightly out of date now, but I’d still love to see it if at all possible. Details can be found below on the state of ‘Nailed’…
Read more on Why we’ll probably never get to see David O. Russell’s film ‘Nailed’…
 At this point, just about any bit of news that comes out into the world about ‘The Master’ has all of us jumping up and down in anticipation of finally seeing the film, and rightfully so going by the early word that’s been circulating. Today, Paul Thomas Anderson’s latest got an infusion of intrigue when it came out in a Newsweek piece here that unused scenes from ‘There Will Be Blood’ will be getting a second life and have been reworked into ‘The Master’. This is an interesting move by PTA and I wonder if we’ll even be able to notice the scenes in question. You can see the full statement after the jump, but I know that I’ll be looking out for them. See the quote below…
Read more on Paul Thomas Anderson worked in unused scenes from ‘There Will Be Blood’ into ‘The Master’…
 As you all saw in my review of ‘The Expendables 2′ (found here), I had a lot of fun with the silliness of it all, so the idea of an all-female version has some level of appeal to me. Variety is reporting here that just that sort of project is beginning to ramp up, not that we really had any doubts that this sort of idea would be tossed about in Hollywood. I’m all for it, I just hope it turns out to be at least halfway decent. After the jump you can see more, but am I the only one who hopes that Gina Carano winds up involved in some way? I hope not. Anyway, you can see some details below, and stay tune for the more official word on the film in the coming months:
Read more on An all-female version of ‘The Expendables’ could be ramping up…
 Worry not friends, even though that headline above might have triggered some panic in those highly anticipating ‘The Great Gatsby’. The Playlist is reporting here that Baz Luhrmann is going out looking for more money to fund some reshoots with the cast and to fine tune the visual effects in the flick after Warner Brothers declined to fund the endeavor. It sounds to me like Warner is happy with the product and knows it’s already probably a bit too expensive and doesn’t want to set itself up for any perceived failure, while Luhrmann is taking the 6 month delay that the film received from the studio as an opportunity to be a perfectionist. You can see some details after the jump, but I wouldn’t worry. It’s just what happens to these sort of films when more time is available. Read on below for some explanation.
Read more on Baz Luhrmann trying to raise money for reshoots on ‘The Great Gatsby’…
 One of the most enjoyable parts of the Sight & Sound hullaballoo that we go through each decade is finally sorting through the minutia of the lists and seeing what some of the…other choices of the voters were. Over at Criticwire my colleague Matt Singer has done a yeoman’s job sifting through the list to find the most unusual selections were (found here). Tim Burton’s ‘Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street’ actually got votes, if you can believe it. After the jump you can see the 10 oddest choices from the poll, but remember, this is all in good fun and no one is wrong when it comes to personal love of film (even if one or two of the choices really makes me scratch my head). Take a gander below…
Read more on What were the oddest films that got votes in the Sight & Sound poll?…
 I don’t think that it’s any real secret that female writers and directors in Hollywood not only are a rare bunch, but that their influence in the industry pales in comparison to their male counterparts. We’ve spoken about this more than once here at The Awards Circuit, but I wanted to point out a recent piece in the opinion pages of The New York Times that writer/director Martha Coolidge penned (found here) on just that. She’s got a lot to say about the “Celluloid Celing” and how women can gain influence in Hollywood, so I’ll let her speak for herself after the jump. It’s a good read (as well as hopefully starts a debate worth having), and you can see it below, so take a look…
Read more on Martha Coolidge writes about the “Celluloid Ceiling”…
 Much like I mused around a month ago about who could direct the sequel to ‘The Amazing Spider-Man’ if Marc Webb doesn’t wind up returning, I’m back again discussing potential directors for a superhero project…this time, the open slot for the ‘Justice League’ film. This is a much different project, and obviously Warner Brothers is so far looking at the A-list for their filmmaker. Christopher Nolan distanced himself from the project pretty much as soon as asked during his publicity for ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ and I’d expect any day now to hear an official no from Ben Affleck’s camp after the studio set their sights on him. There are certainly plenty of interesting filmmakers who could do a great job with the gig and after the jump I’ll get into the names who might be in contention, along with who I’d like to see get the job. But this is mostly about seeing who you’d like to see sign on. That’s what I’m most interested in, but we’ll get the conversation started with my take on things below.
Read more on Choosing A Director for “Justice League”…
Categories: Article Tags: Alfonso Cuarón, Ben Affleck, Christopher Nolan, Darren Aronofsky, David Yates, Guillermo del Toro, Joe Cornish, Justice League, kathryn bigelow, Man of Steel, Marc Webb, Matt Reeves, Peter Jackson, random, superhero movie chatter, The Amazing Spider-Man, upcoming projects
 I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again…the Independent Spirit Awards are consistently my favorite of all the awards shows/precursors during the slow march to the Oscars (and most of the time, I honestly prefer it to the Academy Awards anyway). Of course, this means I get irrationally excited for the show well in advance of it actually occurring, so this news from The Hollywood Reporter here on the dates for the show is a nice tidbit for me. You can see the details after the jump, but feel free to speculate on what indie flicks will catch Film Independent’s fancy this year. You can find more below…
Read more on Independent Spirit Awards will be held February 23, 2013!…
 I always anticipate a Woody Allen film, but Woody’s return to New York (even if he’s mainly going to be shooting in San Francisco) is an extra reason to be all in for Allen’s 2013 release. He’s got a great cast that includes Alec Baldwin, Cate Blanchett, Bobby Cannavale, Michael Emerson, Sally Hawkins, Louis C.K., Andrew Dice Clay and Peter Sarsgaard, and if The Playlist has it right here, there’s a surprisingly current undertone to the plot. You can see the details after the jump, but any film by the Wood man is a film worth seeing in my book. Read on below for more…
Read more on First plot details revealed for Woody Allen’s next film!…
 When it comes to Lars von Trier and his movies, it’s wise to just expect the unexpected from him. He’s constantly doing unique thing, and The Hollywood Reporter says here that one of his oddest decisions could be just around the corner. He might be casting Shia LaBeouf in his next film, the erotic drama ‘Nymphomaniac’. The flick is certainly a far cry from the ‘Transformers’ franchise, so for LaBeouf this is a nice career move. After the jump you can see some more about the film, but stay tuned for the official word on this juicy story. More can be found below…
Read more on Shia LaBeouf is in talks to co-star in ‘Nymphomaniac’…
Categories: News Tags: casting, Entertainment/Culture, Films, Lars von Trier, Nymphomaniac, Paramount films, random, Shia LaBeouf, Stellan Skarsgard, The Hollywood Reporter, transformers, upcoming projects
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