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

The Academy Celebrates 25th Anniversary of ‘Who Framed Roger Rabbit?’

March 4, 2013

AMPAS is celebrating the 25th anniversary of Robert Zemeckis’ Who Framed Roger Rabbit? by presenting a new digital restoration of the film. Roger Rabbitt won three Oscars (four if you include the Special Achievement award that it won), and was nominated for six total. Have a look at the official press release after the jump.

Categories: News
Tags: AMPAS, Robert Zemeckis, Who Framed Roger Rabbit

Comments: 2 Comments |

Palm Springs to Honor Robert Zemeckis

Author: Mark Johnson

November 28, 2012

The Palm Springs International Film Festival (PSIFF) is set to name Flight director, Robert Zemeckis, as the director of the year. Previous honorees include Stephen Daldry, Ang Lee, Anthony Minghella, Alexander Payne, Sean Penn, Jason Reitman and David O. Russell.

Categories: News
Tags: Flight, Palm Springs International Film Festival, Robert Zemeckis

Comments: Leave a Comment |

Kelly Reilly chats about “Flight”

The up and coming actress spoke to me about her role in the new Robert Zemeckis film...

Author: Joey Magidson

November 21, 2012

Sometimes the very first moment where you meet the person you’re about to interview really sets the tone for the talk to come. In the case of Kelly Reilly, I walked into the room we were going to use just as she was finishing up dealing with getting an apartment, so I’m sure the last thing on her mind was me. Still, she was incredibly warm and funny right from the start, so much so that we just chatted for about 10 minutes before I turned on the recorder. Even after that, we had a great talk about her work in ‘Flight’, among numerous other things, which is all you can ask for. I enjoyed the film (my review of which can be found here), so I was eager to talk with her, and she definitely didn’t disappoint.

Categories: Article, Interview
Tags: Flight, Kelly Reilly, Oscar hopeful, Robert Zemeckis

Comments: 3 Comments |

Snippet Reviews: ‘Flight’ and ‘Wreck-It Ralph’

Author: MULTIPLE STAFF

November 5, 2012

For someone who has a tremendous fear of flying, I can say that the opening act of Robert Zemeckis’ Flight is one of the most terrifying film experiences I’ve had in years, as Denzel Washington flies a malfunctioning plane completely inverted in an attempt to save the lives on board his craft. From here, the film becomes less of a story about the survival of a plane crash and the legal proceedings that follow, and more of a story about a man trying to survive his own personal crash landing as he deals with inner demons in the same vein as Leaving Las Vegas or Days of Wine and Roses before it. Denzel plays Whip Whitaker, a charming and brilliant pilot afflicted by alcoholism, and does so with the usual casual grace and tender ease we’ve grown accustomed to seeing from the two-time Oscar winner. Flight is a capable film about hitting rock bottom, coming to terms with that bottom, and finding a way towards recovery and salvation. Sure, this is something we have seen before, but few times have we seen it carried by such a strong and magnetic performance as we do this time around from one of this generation’s finest actors. (***)

Categories: Film Reviews
Tags: Channing Tatum, Denzel Washington, Disney, Film, Flight, Flight review, John C. Reilly, Magic Mike, Robert Zemeckis, Snippet Reviews, Wreck-It Ralph, Wreck-It Ralph Review

Comments: Leave a Comment |

Circuit Round-Up (Week Ending 11/04)

Author: Daniel Ashtiany

November 4, 2012

Hello Readers! What a week we’ve had here at the AC to see us into November. For one week only I’ll be bringing you our Sunday round up of all the juiciest bits from the past seven days, as our regular host Joseph is currently doing a sterling job of covering AFI-Fest.

Comments: 3 Comments |

Robert Zemeckis’ Ten Best Films

Author: John H. Foote

November 3, 2012

Mentored by Steven Spielberg, Academy Award winner Robert Zemeckis has been one of the finest directors in American cinema for more than twenty years. One can see, and often feel the influence of Spielberg’s work in his films, but Zemeckis has managed to put his own very personal stamp on all of his best work. That said, while he has enjoyed great success at the box office, the critical community has often been mixed on what they think of his work, in the same manner they were with Spielberg early in his career. The thinking seems to be, if the film is making money, how can it be a great film? I hate that elitist crap. Where does it say that good or great films must be seen in little art houses and have no audience? Why can a director not make a film that is embraced by the public and perhaps half the critical community, though sure it’s nice when all the critics like your work, however that should never be the reason a film gets made, for critical approval. Granted a lot of really bad movies make money, but I cannot see a truly bad film on Zemeckis’ filmography! What a shame Zemeckis has his finger on the pulse of what the North American movie going public likes!! The success of his films bear him out, and frankly though he has won an Oscar, there should have been a few more nominations. The DGA nominated him for Who Framed Roger Rabbit? (1987) while Oscar did not, and for me Back to the Future (1985) deserved greater attention in 1985 beyond the massive success at the box office and strong reviews. Read more on Robert Zemeckis’ Ten Best Films…

Categories: Article
Tags: best of lists, Denzel Washington, Flight, Robert Zemeckis

Comments: 11 Comments |

Flight (***)

Robert Zemeckis successfully returns to live action filmmaking with this tale of redemption...

Author: Joey Magidson

November 3, 2012

After what most of us would agree was too long a period spent experimenting with motion capture technology in a series of animated projects, filmmaker Robert Zemeckis has made his return to live action filmmaking with ‘Flight’, a very entertaining star vehicle for Denzel Washington that could wind up getting an Oscar nomination or two. The lead performance by Washington is the easiest aspect of film to reward, but there could be others as well. Zemeckis has made a darker character study than you’d expect, even if this is a redemption tale in the end. He’s got terrific acting on display from his cast besides Washington, with John Goodman especially stealing his scenes. The screenplay by John Gatins isn’t perfect, but it’s got more going for it than against it. When I first saw it as the Closing Night Film at the New York Film Festival, I liked but didn’t love it. Now, with the impending release on Friday, I’ve thought more about it and my thumb is a bit higher up than before. It’s not quite among the very best films of the year, but it’s in the upper echelon and very entertaining. The movie is not without its flaws or bumps in the road/sky, but overall there’s a lot to like. We can easily welcome Zemeckis back to the land of the living, as it were. He hasn’t missed a step!

Weekend Openings: 11/2/2012

Author: Nicole Melkonian

November 2, 2012

Forgive the obvious pun, but I’ve got my money on Ralph wrecking his competition at the box office this weekend to cap off a nice week of triumphs for Disney. Robert Zemeckis is also back at it with the help of a non-animated Denzel Washington. And perhaps a little stylized kung fu from a hip-hop chameleon to feed the eclectic palate?

“Did You Know?” Episode 3: The True Death of Han Solo

31 Days of Horror Continues...

Author: Joseph Braverman

October 20, 2012

Let me just put this right out there: aside from Tom Cruise, Harrison Ford is my favorite actor of all time. Boom. Between his roles as Indiana Jones, Han Solo, and — shucks — even President James Marshall (“GET OFF MY PLANE!”), there was no greater movie hero during my childhood. Heck, even in adulthood, looking back and watching Ford’s sideways smirk and headstrong bravado, it’s still very hard to dissuade my total reverence of him as an actor. And yet…we all know what happened to Harrison Ford’s career post-1999. Many amazing things occurred in the new millennium. Harrison Ford’s career was not one of them. So when did Ford’s career start to shift? Well, ironically enough, once Ford decided to go “all villain” for the first time in Robert Zemeckis’ vastly underrated horror film, What Lies Beneath (2000), his career followed that of his status at the end of the flick: dead and gone. And no, loyal fan boys, as much as I defend Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008) while people are still throwing stones at its silliness (honestly, is an extraterrestrial encounter more far-fetched than the quests for the Fountain of Youth and the cursed Ark of the Covenant?), that fourth entry in the beloved franchise is nothing but a career cheat, a gimme if you will. Every film Ford has participated in after What Lies Beneath, besides the aforementioned Indy flick, has been either a commercial flop or critical disappointment — in most cases, both. So by killing Harrison Ford in What Lies Beneath, and turning him into a villain for the first time, did Zemeckis inadvertently “kill off” Ford’s career altogether? Find out the truth that lies beneath in this week’s Did You Know?
Read more on “Did You Know?” Episode 3: The True Death of Han Solo…

Categories: Article
Tags: Did You Know?, Ender's Game, Gavin Hood, Han Solo, Harrison Ford, Indiana Jones, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, Peter Weir, Robert Zemeckis, The Mosquito Coast, What Lies Beneath

Comments: Leave a Comment |

Oscar Circuit: “10 Weeks to Go”

Breaking down the final slate of contenders from 2012....

Author: Clayton Davis

October 17, 2012

The Oscar race is beginning to formulate itself. As it stands the Academy Awards have positioned themselves to be the wildest of wild cards of the Oscar season. Since Oscar ballots are due January 3rd, the nominations will be one of many awards ceremonies coming down like wildfire.

The Screen Actors Guild Awards announce their nominee choices first beginning on December 10^th. The Broadcast Film Critics Association will name their best of the year with the Critics Choice Movie Awards being announced the next day on December 11^th. The Hollywood Foreign Press will follow-suit with their Golden Globe nominations on December 13^th. Mark my words; those four days will likely be the most important and telling aspects of the awards season. If you start hearing the usual suspects, back-to-back and over and over, Oscar will be referring to these groups for citations for their own nominees when they’re announced on January 10^th. Read more on Oscar Circuit: “10 Weeks to Go”…

Flight (***½)

NYFF closes with a brilliant character study that showcases Denzel Washington in one of his finest roles...

Author: Clayton Davis

October 16, 2012

Robert Zemeckis’ latest film Flight starring Academy Award Winner Denzel Washington is not only thoroughly entertaining and terrifically structured, it encompasses a soul that Hollywood hasn’t really delivered in quite some time. The film, that closed the New York Film Festival, is simply one of the best films of the year.

Flight tells the story of Whip Whitaker, an airline pilot that saves a plane and nearly all its passengers from a certain death. When an investigation is carried out to look into the details of the crash, Whip’s troubling lifestyle begins to surface. Writer John Latins creates a dynamic and an internal narrative confrontation for viewers to become immersed in a story full of mental struggle. It’s a unique and very engaging story that stands as one of season’s best efforts. Read more on Flight (***½)…

Wrapping up the 50th New York Film Festival!

The festival is over now, but we look back on NYFF and the films that screened...

Author: Joey Magidson

October 16, 2012

The 2012 New York Film Festival is now in the books ladies and gentleman, so there’s no better time to double back and take a look at what the 50th installment of the festival was actually like. This was my first time covering a festival of any sort. I saw some fantastic films, some very odd ones, and almost no terrible ones, so that’s a great success in my book. Overall I saw 28 of the films shown at the fest, though one I saw at an outside screening…though I’m counting it anyway. Of course I saw the big ones like the trio of ‘Flight’, ‘Life of Pi’, and ‘Not Fade Away’, along with the other high profile titles like ‘Amour’, ‘Frances Ha’, and ‘The Paperboy’, plus of course the “secret” screening this year, which turned out to be ‘Lincoln’. I’m going to start with the 10 best films that were screened at the fest, at least in my eyes.

Categories: Article
Tags: Barry Levinson, David Chase, Entertainment/Culture, Frances Ha, John Goodman, Lincoln, lists, Michael Haneke, New York Film Festival diaries, Not Fade Away, Oscar, Oscar hopefuls, Robert Zemeckis, The 2012 New York Film Festival, the 50th New York Film Festival

Comments: 7 Comments |

Lead Actor Overstuffed

Too many actors for five spots...

Author: John H. Foote

October 6, 2012

This year’s race for the Academy Award for Best Actor will have no shortage of worthy nominees; in fact I daresay they could nominate five worthy actors right now. However there are still many more performances to be unveiled, work that will end up in the category, work that will not, disappointing audiences, the Academy and critics. Already I think we have seen a preview of that, though Clay might disagree in Bill Murray’s highly touted work in Hyde Park on Hudson, which after seeing at TIFF I felt would slowly drop out of sight and out of contention. The film’s reception at Telluride was weak, and in Toronto the same thing happened, with a rather shocked audience filing out mumbling about the disappointment they were feeling. I have stated already, Murray is never bad, weak or anything remotely negative, just not strong enough to be an Academy Award nominee. It is merely a good performance and lined up alongside the ones I think have a chance so far, it looks oddly out of place, which of course means nothing. Read more on Lead Actor Overstuffed…

Comments: 13 Comments |

Oscar Question of the Day – Four-Time Oscar Winner

Author: Clayton Davis

October 3, 2012

Katherine Hepburn has the distinct honor of being awarded four Oscars in her lifetime, all for Best Actress in a Leading Role. Hepburn won for Morning Glory (1933), Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner? (1967), The Lion in the Winter (1968), and On Golden Pond (1982).

You mission, if you choose to accept it, is to award one actor/actress or director with four Oscars for their frame of work thus far. Read more on Oscar Question of the Day – Four-Time Oscar Winner…

Oscar Circuit: “If I Had a Magic Lamp…”

Oscar Predictions Updated with a wish list for the season...

Author: Clayton Davis

October 1, 2012

Attempting to keep a pulse on the season has presented some challenges as of late for the 2013 Oscars and its predictions. It can be argued that we don’t have a front runner in any category despite some films having strong showings at festivals.

Best Picture has presented real challenges. Steven Spielberg’s Lincoln finally had its trailer début and all I could think about was War Horse (2011). The film didn’t scream high quality and I still believe Spielberg and the film aren’t rewarded unless it stands next to Saving Private Ryan (1998) and Schindler’s List (1993). The film doesn’t look to be of that caliber. I’ve dropped Spielberg from the Directing predictions for now until some praising reviews come. A “secret” screening in New Jersey suggested that the film is good, not great.

Because this year has looked like a question mark thus far, I’ve been saying to some of my colleagues, we could be in store for something unprecedented. This would be something like Michael Haneke’s Amour winning Best Picture, becoming the first foreign language film ever or Silver Linings Playbook, first dramedy to win the top award since Shakespeare in Love (1998). I’m not ready to go there yet though. I don’t know how the Academy will respond to Amour, a film all too real in this stage of their average 62-year aged life. Perhaps Oscar will listen to the critics for the first time in a while. This could work well for something like Ben Affleck’s Argo or Paul Thomas Anderson’s The Master, two films that could be critics’ darlings throughout the season. What if our Best Picture winner has already been released?
Read more on Oscar Circuit: “If I Had a Magic Lamp…”…

NYFF Begins Today!

Awards Circuit will be in attendance...

Author: Clayton Davis

September 13, 2012

Myself and Joey will be attending the New York Film Festival for the next few weeks. As Toronto Film Festival comes to end, another one begins.

There are many films scheduled to make their big debuts including Ang Lee’s Life of Pi, David Chase’s Not Fade Away, and Robert Zemeckis’ Flight. We will be bringing you content each day following a slew of screenings and hopefully will attempt to clear up more of this Oscar race.

Other notable screenings include: Read more on NYFF Begins Today!…

Categories: Editor, News
Tags: ang lee, Cinema of the United States, David Chase, Entertainment/Culture, Film, Not Fade Away, NYFF, NYFF 2012, Oscar, Robert Zemeckis, the New York Film Festival, Toronto Film Festival

Comments: 2 Comments |

‘Flight’ will be the Closing Night Film at the 50th New York Film Festival!

Robert Zemeckis' return to live action filmmaking could be an Oscar player...

Author: Joey Magidson

August 9, 2012

One film that I think a number of us are underestimating in our awards predictions so far is the Robert Zemeckis/Denzel Washington flick ‘Flight’. I’m guilty of this too, but I might have to change my thinking a bit as news hit today that the film has been selected to play as the Closing Night Film at the upcoming New York Film Festival (you can find the article at the festival’s website here). This is about a month early debut for the movie, and that usually indicates some level of confidence in the project. After the jump you can find the press release.

Categories: News
Tags: Denzel Washington, Entertainment/Culture, Film Society, Flight, New York Film Festival, Oscar hopeful, Robert Zemeckis, the 50th New York Film Festival, the Film Society of Lincoln Center

Comments: 10 Comments |

Davis Awards 2000 Announced!

What are your favorites from Year 2000?

Author: Clayton Davis

July 19, 2012

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!…

The trailer for ‘Flight’, starring Denzel Washington, hits the web!

Author: Terence Johnson

June 7, 2012

While there’s another trailer currently arriving online to much more fanfare, the trailer for Flight snuck up on us and delivered a solid look at the flick. Directed by Robert Zemeckis, the film stars Denzel Washington as Whip Whitaker, a seasoned airline pilot who miraculously crash-lands his plane after a mid-air catastrophe, saving nearly everyone on board. But once the investigation starts, troubling information becomes revealed about what was really responsible.

The Oscar prospects for this film remain to be seen, but the trailer is pretty solid and highlights some fun supporting work from John Goodman, Don Cheadle and Bruce Greenwood. The movie arrives in theaters on November 2.

Categories: Blog, Trailer
Tags: Denzel Washington, John Goodman, melissa leo, news, Oscar hopeful, Robert Zemeckis

Comments: 3 Comments |

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

Subscribe

STAFF

Share this:

Share this:

The up and coming actress spoke to me about her role in the new Robert Zemeckis film...

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Robert Zemeckis successfully returns to live action filmmaking with this tale of redemption...

Share this:

Share this:

31 Days of Horror Continues...

Share this:

Breaking down the final slate of contenders from 2012....

Share this:

NYFF closes with a brilliant character study that showcases Denzel Washington in one of his finest roles...

Share this:

The festival is over now, but we look back on NYFF and the films that screened...

Share this:

Too many actors for five spots...

Share this:

Share this:

Oscar Predictions Updated with a wish list for the season...

Share this:

Awards Circuit will be in attendance...

Share this:

Robert Zemeckis' return to live action filmmaking could be an Oscar player...

Share this:

What are your favorites from Year 2000?

Share this:

Share this:

SEARCH THE SITE

Download Us on Stitcher Radio!

Follow us on:

FILM REVIEWS

Subscribe to the Awards Circuit

RECENT COMMENTS

TAGS

ARCHIVES

Random Posts

Essential Reads and Visits

“Lincoln” Blu-Ray/DVD Contest