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.
Directed By: Ridley Scott Written By: Cormac McCarthy Cast: Michael Fassbender, Brad Pitt, Cameron Diaz Penélope Cruz, Javier Bardem, Dean Norris Synopsis: A lawyer finds himself in over his head when he gets involved in drug trafficking.
Award Speculation:
It’s so unusual how it seems the internet gets their hands on things even before the studios even do. Cormac McCarthy, the author of “No Country for Old Men” and “The Road,” both of which were adapted into films directed by Joel Coen & Ethan Coen and John Hillcoat respectively. The Coen Brothers’ No Country for Old Men (2007) obviously went on to win four Oscars including Best Picture. The Counselor is McCarthy’s first original screenplay that was sold in January 2012 to Nick Wechsler, Paula Mae Schwartz, and Steve Schwartz who were producers on The Road (2010). Nearly two weeks after the selling of the script, three-time Academy Award nominee Ridley Scott was announced to be directing the project. Read more on Awards Profile: The Counselor…
It’s March! We get started right away and over the past few weeks after the Oscar ceremony, I took some brief stabs at some categories. Those have been tinkered with and will be reflected on the actual Oscar Prediction pages in the next couple of days. The full listing of predicted nominees is on the sidebar with the list of contenders on the Oscar Prediction pages for Picture, Director, Lead Actor, Lead Actress, Supporting Actor, Supporting Actress, Original Screenplay, Adapted Screenplay, and Animated Feature.
Obviously categories like Original Song are merely speculation because we don’t know what film will have an eligible song attached. Disney and Pixar films are good for a song or two so that’s always a good place to start. Read more on Oscar Circuit – 2014 Films and Minority Contenders…
The precursor award season is about to kick off on Monday with the New York Film Critics naming their best of the year. This is when all the speculation, hope, and despair is laid to rest for many contenders and films but as performances like Tommy Lee Jones in In the Valley of Elah or films like The Blind Side and Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close will tell you, it’s not over until the President and guest read your name off the teleprompter.
This month brings the following announcement schedule:
Monday, 12/3 – New York Film Critics
Wednesday, 12/5 – National Board of Review
Friday, 12/7 – Los Angeles Film Critics
Sunday, 12/9 – New York Film Critics Online & Boston Film Critics
Tuesday, 12/11 – Broadcast Film Critics Association Announces Nominees!!!
On Friday, November 30th, Sir Ridley Scott turns 75 years old. While he might be best known for his achievements in science fiction cinema, Scott’s films range extensively in backdrop and eras. Born in the town of South Shields, England, Scott would eventually study at the Royal College of Art and go on to work as a set designer for the BBC, which led to his involvement with the television series Z-Cars.
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 Frankenweeniepay 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.
He’s Magneto, he’s an android of the future, and now he’s set to take on the role of a time-traveling revolutionary whose mission spans throughout history. Michael Fassbender is hitting all the high marks with sci-fi and adventure fans by starring in the film adaption of the popular video game franchise, Assassin’s Creed.
Taking a break from all this Bat-talk. Trekking through the year 2000 was a daunting task. There were many films I hadn’t seen in years, while others I’ve never feasted my eyes on before. Naturally this brings on a dilemma. A 15-year-old Clayton watching movies is very different from a now, 28-year-old Clayton. I like to think there is a maturity there that lacked before. I realized that after re-watching Ang Lee’s Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. In 2000, I found the film immensely overrated and couldn’t understand what people were so mesmerized by. Naturally, I’ve never officially appreciated it or thought it to be among Ang Lee’s best. Enter last weekend. Talk about being fantastic a second-time around, the film was nearly hypnotic in its style and approach. Do I consider it the best of the year? Not really. One of the best? Definitely so.
With our ACCA 2000 closing up on Friday, and winners being announced on Sunday’s podcast, I have to let you in on my favorites of the new millennium. Please include yours in the comment section and let’s see what commonalities or differences we have. Bold denotes winner. Enjoy after the jump: Read more on Davis Awards 2000 Announced!…
Since winning an Oscar and having a child, Penelope Cruz has been keeping a low profile, but she poised to come back on screens in a big way. In addition to her role in the new Woody Allen film, To Rome with Love, Deadline has reported that Cruz has signed on to costar in the Ridley Scott directed, Cormac McCarthy scripted film The Counselor, alongside Michael Fassbender, Cameron Diaz, Brad Pitt and husband Javier Bardem. Also announced today was that she would be filmming another movie with long time collaborator Pedro Almodovar. The flick Los Amantes Pasajeros (The Brief Lovers) is about an affair on an airplane and will star other Almodovar regulars like Lola Duenas, Javier Camara and Cecilia Roth.
During the in depth ‘Prometheus’ chat that a few of us had for the most recent Awards Circuit Power Hour Podcast (found here), one thing that came up a bit was the possibilities that a sequel would hold for the movie. Since recording that, I’ve started thinking more and more about that, and I honestly can’t decide if I even want to see ‘Prometheus 2′ (or more likely a far more original title) in a few years. Maybe I just feel a bit let down by what turned out to only be a good film, and not a great one? Whatever the case may be, it’s strange that in a week where I haven’t batted an eye at unneeded sequels to ‘Eastern Promises’ and ‘Snow White and the Huntsman’ coming down the pike, this far more interesting and ambitious flick is the one I’m hesitant to embrace seeing more of. It really should be the other way around (especially since ‘Prometheus’ was always conceived as the first of a two part project, so I should have made peace with this a long time ago, regardless of the film’s quality). Ironically, I can only think of a few ways that a sequel would be worthwhile to me, whereas I think those other projects have a lot of other directions they could go in, potentially with interesting results. There may be something to the idea of ‘Prometheus’ fatigue after all. Anyway, after the jump I’ll get into the way that Ridley Scott and whomever scripts the potential sequel (hopefully neither Damon Lindelof nor Jon Spaihts), but mostly I want to know what you guys think. Let me know in the comments section, but for now, check out my thoughts below…and of course, beware of some level of spoilers if you’ve yet to see the flick. Consider yourself hereby warned…
Ridley Scott’s Prometheus is unquestionably one of the most divisive films to come our way in quite some time. As you may have noticed, critics, fans, and plenty of casual moviegoers all have something to say about Scott’s latest. Some hate it with a fury; some pick apart each nook and cranny like a nervous yet excited med student conducting their first autopsy, and some simply sit back and marvel at the technical gleam of it all. Whatever your feelings are towards Prometheus, one thing is absolutely clear: it gets us all talking, bringing forth some of the most interesting discussions and debates centered on a film since perhaps 2010’s Inception. Even at The Awards Circuit, Prometheus has divided the staff considerably. We have seen a mixed review from Mike, a panned review from Robert, and now an unapologetic glowing review from yours truly. Prometheus is a thing of beauty in the way it divides us. How boring would it be if our opinions for a film aligned with one another without contention? Prometheus divides us all, perhaps more than any film we’ve ever reviewed at The Awards Circuit, because it’s littered with so much to absorb, so many ideas to grapple with, and of course…its correlation to the classic Alien franchise from which it’s based off. I warn you now, like Robert’s review, this dissection of Prometheus will contain spoilers, so please…put your helmet on, have your weapons by your side, and proceed with caution… Read more on Prometheus (****)…
The staff writers have taken over. Actually, I opted out because I haven’t seen Ridley Scott’s Prometheus yet (I know, I know, I’m getting to it this week…I hate watching movies with loud, obnoxious people). Staff Writers Terence, Joey, and Mark talk about the good, bad, and ugly with this weekend’s 2nd highest grossing film.
With all that goes into a movie – even relatively small indies – I sometimes wonder how so many of them end up being as misguided as they are. You have writers, directors, producers, and who knows how many other outside collaborators all giving their inputs on a single story through several pre-production drafts and months of principle photography all the way to post plus test audiences. How does a movie like, say, The Blind Side go through all of that and not have anyone say, “Hey, maybe that line ‘I’m not changin’ that boy’s life…he’s changin’ mine!’ is a little…trite?” Then again, I guess you could apply that level of bafflement to a number of badlyexecutedplans from otherwise smart, driven people. Chalk it up to hubris, blind ambition, too many hands in the pot or whatever; at the end of the day, we’re still going to have to deal with the ill-conceived farrago that is Prometheus in front of us, the kind of bad movie that only a group of highly distinguished artists could make. Read more on Prometheus (*½)…
Oh my, what is this? One of the most anticipated movies of the year seems to be causing a bit of a stir if the early responses are an indication of what’s to come when everyone sees it (and certainly everyone from Awards Circuit will/has)…
That’s right; Ridley Scott’s long awaited sort-of-Alien-prequel-but-not thriller Prometheus is finally upon us! Is it the sci-fi masterpiece that fully lives up to the standard Sir Scott set with Blade Runner and Alien? Well…depends on who you ask. While the majority of critics are leaning positive overall for its visual wizardry and performances, some frustrations have been raised about the film’s script, including our own Mike Ward’s mostly positive take. Frankly, I welcome the debate. Even if it’s as flawed as some of its harshest detractors are saying, I’d rather watch a misfire with huge ambitions than a proficient example of assembly-line filmmaking. Read more on Weekend Openings (June 8-10)…
For about a 4-5 year span, Ridley Scott ruled the movie world. Arriving amidst a post-George Lucas and Star Wars science fiction fervor, Scott brought unpredictability, horror, intensity, and edginess to the science-fiction world with 1979′s iconic Alien. Scott likewise defined much of the look and structure of a great number of post-apocalyptic cinema for decades to come with 1982′s Blade Runner. Both Alien and Blade Runner spawned countless copycats and although Blade Runner failed to initially click with audiences and critics alike, Alien earned the respect and admiration of virtually everyone. With everyone buzzing about Star Wars in 1977, and rightfully so of course, Alien placed science-fiction and horror together on a grand and epic scale, introducing us to another iconic and unforgettable heroine, Ellen Ripley, played by Sigourney Weaver.
Alien‘s success earned the film two Oscar nominations and a win for Best Visual Effects. As the film proved to be a big success, people demanded more in the franchise and while three sequels have been made, Ridley Scott shared no involvement. Scott likewise avoided any involvement in those ill advised Alien vs. Predator films and truth be told, science-fiction filmmaking in general. However, the itch became too hard to ignore and with Prometheus, Ridley Scott has returned to the genre and franchise that launched his career.
Prometheus is set to debut in the US this Friday and 20th Century Fox is still finding new avenues for marketing. In advanced of its premiere, they’ve released a new poster for the IMAX showings of the film with the tagline “We came from them. They will come for us.”
It’s really not like any of us need another reason to be excited to go see ‘Prometheus’, but in case someone does, I can oblige…how about seeing a teaser trailer for ‘Django Unchained’ as well? Yes, Collider is reporting here that audiences sitting down for Ridley Scott’s latest will also get a peek at Quentin Tarantino’s next epic. Sounds like a nice bonus to me. After the jump I’ll show you where the source of this news came from (hint, it’s Social Media), but I think this is exciting news for fans of both films. I know it makes me happy…
While the current obsession in many science fiction circles is on Ridley Scott’s prequel to his first foray into the genre, coming soon a whole new craze can begin with his sequel to ‘Blade Runner’. The Hollywood Reporter has a story here and states that Scott has brought Hampton Fancher in to write the screenplay (he did the original). After the jump I’ll comment quickly on how this project may be a bit more personal to Scott than ‘Prometheus’, but so far I like how this one is shaping up, even if it’s still early…
The publicity and promotional materials for ‘Prometheus’ have been in overdrive the past month or so, with perhaps too much being revealed for some. Recently the focus has been on clips, trailers, and videos, with only a few posters to go by…most featuring the giant monolithic head we’ve all come to know. Well, now we have a new type of poster to share with you, and it can be seen after the jump. It’s not amazing or anything (in fact, it’s a bit on the standard side overall), but it’s different and not just the severed head type of poster we see all too often these days. Give it a look below and see what you think…
Even though anticipation for ‘Prometheus’ is about as high as it can be, news today from Collider (found here) that the film won’t be diluted to a PG-13 rating and will come out as an R is certainly not going to hurt its luster any. Perhaps the only real concern about the film was whether or not 20th Century Fox was going to force Ridley Scott to dilute the final product in order to get the most audience friendly rating possible. Well, those who were worried about that can now breathe a sigh of relief. After the jump I’ll share what the R rating is for, but I’ll confess that this is a case where I’m rather glad to not have to see a PG-13 next to a film’s title…
The release of ‘Prometheus’ is getting closer and closer, so it makes perfect sense that the promotional material for the film is ramping up. The latest is a new Trailer that runs almost 3 minutes long and gets way into the plot of the film, potentially veering into spoiler territory, depending on how much you already know about the project and its rumored relationship to director Ridley Scott’s ‘Alien’. I’d say that you may not want to watch this look, especially if you’re into a virginal theater experience, but everyone else, after the jump we have this Trailer for your viewing pleasure. I think it’s a terrific one, but it’s certainly less mysterious than the other. Take a look below…
Directed by: Ridley Scott Written by: Jon Spaihts and Damon Lindelof
Cast: Noomi Rapace, Michael Fassbender, Guy Pearce, Idris Elba, Logan Marshall-Green, Charlize Theron
Synopsis:A team of explorers discover a clue to the origins of mankind on Earth, leading them on a journey to the darkest corners of the universe. There, they must fight a terrifying battle to save the future of the human race.
Awards Speculation:
Wait a bloody minute, what’s this film doing here!? Weren’t we only covering possible Oscar contenders with Awards Profiles? We are, and I’m not going to patronize anyone by suggesting that this science-fiction thriller will nab the famous Brit his first Best Director Academy Award, because it won’t. Read more on Awards Profile: Prometheus…
This week Editor-in-Chief Clayton Davis is joined by Joey Magidson, Michael Ward, and Anna Belickis speaking about everything entertainment. Here’s the profile of what is discussed:
March blues?
Any contenders so far? “The Grey” “The Lorax” “The Hunger Games”
Box Office Numbers (The Artist crossing 40 million)
Big weekend for 21 Jump Street – Golden Globe?
News & Trailers (Dark Shadows, Promethus, World War Z pushed back)
Oscar Night is February 24 (Nominations on 1/15)
TV Talk (American Idol, DWTS, Emmy and Critics Choice Television Awards)
Awards Profiles: Contenders (Gravity, Brave)
Veterans looking for some due in 2013! (Frank Langella, Billy Crystal, Julianne Moore, Laura Linney, Tom Cruise, Ian McKellen, Gena Rowlands, Kristin Scott Thomas)
NEW! Editor Movie Pick of the Week – Junebug (2005)
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’s Stories 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’s Only 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.
