- Well it happened, ladies and gents! Ben Affleck’s mega-popular Argo “Crash“-ed its way to “Best Picture” victory. Just like Paul Haggis’ come-from-behind champion in 2006, Argo took home the very same wins in the very same categories (Picture, Screenplay, and Editing), in addition to being announced the winner by Jack Nicholson yet again. The Crash deja vu didn’t stop there — Ang Lee sailed past Steven Spielberg to win the “Best Director” prize, with his competing film once again losing to a movie that only garnered three wins total for the night, and again was proclaimed the victor by Jack Nicholson. History repeats itself folks, but in this case I couldn’t have been happier. Affleck’s tearful yet gracious speech, coupled with Argo’s impressive dominance throughout the awards season, made for a fitting end to a very competitive race where we still didn’t fully know what would happen until the last word was uttered by guest-presenter, Michelle Obama. Check out the full winners here, and thanks again for participating in our LIVE Blog and tuning in for Sunday’s last-minute LIVE Power Hour episode. Read more on Circuit Round-Up (Week Ending 2/24)…
Read more on Circuit Round-Up (Week Ending 2/24)…
Categories: Circuit Round-Up
Tags: american idol, anna belickis, Argo, circuit 3, clayton davis, Joey Magidson, Joseph Braverman, Mark Johnson, Michael Ward, Nicole Melkonian, oscar predictions, oscar winners, Robert Hamer, Terence Johnson, Tiff Chai
Tags: american idol, anna belickis, Argo, circuit 3, clayton davis, Joey Magidson, Joseph Braverman, Mark Johnson, Michael Ward, Nicole Melkonian, oscar predictions, oscar winners, Robert Hamer, Terence Johnson, Tiff Chai
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Whether it’s the veteran finally getting up on stage or an ingenue looking to make an impression, Oscar speeches are just as much a part of an actor’s legacy as their wins for their work. Have you ever thought about what you would say if you won? Luckily, 
I’m sure SoCal and New York denizens are used to seeing places they frequent being used in movies, but it was so much fun seeing buildings from my alma mater Georgia Tech (go Yellow Jackets!) in this trailer for The Internship, even if the real building is in the Silicon Valley. The movie is about two men (Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson) who get laid off and decide to try and make it as interns at Google, where their managers are in their twenties. The cast for the film also includes Dylan O’Brien, Will Ferrell, JoAnna Garcia Swisher, B.J. Novak, Max Minghella, Josh Gad and John Goodman. Check out the trailer after the jump!
We are ramping up to the Oscars and the Academy has released some new poster art to celebrate the occasion. Olly Moss, the talented designer, was commissioned to create a poster inspired by past Best Picture winners and came up with the wonderful creation you see on the right. The poster was made in conjunctions with 
Supporting Actress has proven to be one of the best categories recently for the Academy Awards. For every year there was a clear front runner (Spencer, Monique, Hudson), there was another year when we had no idea who was winning (Leo, Swinton, Weisz, Cruz). Although after a few award shows, it’s clear that this year’s race is shaping up to be one of those “Frontrunner wins everything” years, there’s still an interesting slate of nominees and narratives to discuss.
Well this certainly came out of left field, but what a welcome surprise! Deadline has broken the news that Emily VanCamp, the lead of ABC’s fantastic show Revenge, is currently in talks to star alongside Chris Evans in Captain America: The Winter Soldier. VanCamp is rumored to be playing Sharon Carter, a former SHIELD agent who in the comic books was a sister/niece to Peggy Carter, Cap’s first love. 
New name. Same Category. The Academy Award for Best Production Design celebrates the best in art direction and set design. Production designers have an incredibly difficult role in the making of film. Whether it’s a fantasy film set in far off world or a recreation of a historical building, production designers create the physical building blocks that allow us into the world of the film. Last year this award (called the Academy Award for Art Direction), went to Dante Ferretti and Francesca Lo Schiavo for Hugo.
You’d be hard pressed to find a person who was more unsure of Warm Bodies than me when the trailer dropped. In this age of reboots and re-imaginings and remixes, this just seemed like another in the assembly line of ideas. Luckily the writers took care to develop a dynamite script that earns every laugh and dramatic beat, found the perfect director in Jonathan Levine, and captured a fine cast to make it all come to life. A lighthearted romp through the undead genre, Warm Bodies is the first real bright spot in this year’s opening slate of films. 
Sundance Film Festival may be over, but we’ve still got fun stuff to share! In addition to the final reviews and analysis, Joey and I sat down before leaving Park City to record one final video where we share our thoughts about the festival and dole out some awards. So without further ado, here’s the final Park City Dispacth video! 
It’s not every day you get to speak with someone who has even been to a porn shoot, let alone made a documentary about one of the bigger studios. But that’s what happened when I sat down with kink director Christina Voros at Java Cow in Park City last week. In what was perhaps the most fun I’ve had during an interview, Christina and I discuss her lightning rod of a film, the challenges of shooting porn without bias, and what it’s like working with James Franco. Check it out after the jump! 
Raucously entertaining and yet incredibly earnest, Christina Voros’ documentary kink is a fascinating film about the inner workings of the porn studio kink.com. Certainly not for the faint of heart or prude of mind, Voros spares us nothing in her examination of BDSM porn by way of the most profitable studio of the genre. It’s a lightning rod of a film instantly sparking discussion, division and derision. But that’s what makes the documentary great, you can’t help but be compelled to have a longer conversation about the film. 
One of the best things about Sundance is that you get to meet every matter of person involved in indie film. Miriam Cutler has been composing music for documentary films since 1988, authoring over 100 scores. She’s also been a longtime advisor in the Sundance Composers Lab, as well as a long time board member of the Society of Composers and Lyricists. This year she’s back at Sundance having done the score for the documentary American Promise. We sat down at the hp Lounge to chat about the film, how the film scoring process works, and what she most enjoys about the work. Check out the interview after the jump! 
Sometimes movies are incredibly clear in their intentions from the outset. Other films take their time, sneaking up on you and subtly creeping into your consciousness. and there are those films that sneak up on you, creeping into your consciousness. Pit Stop, an eloquent look at gay men living in Texas and the crossroads they find themselves at in their interactions, is most definitely the latter. While I had some problems with the first half of the film, the 2nd half is so wonderful that it made me reevaluate my entire experience. Anchored by some nuanced performances and a character driven screenplay, the film manages to say a lot without speaking loudly. 
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. 
Michael C. Hall is having a bit of a film breakout. Sure we all recognize him from Six Feet Under and Dexter, but his role as David Kammerer in the Sundance film Kill Your Darlings is something of a marvel, allowing the actor to show of his immense talent on the big screen. I got to chat with Michael about his experience working with John Krokidas, his character David Kamerer, and how much fun he had on set. Also, all you Dexter fans will want to listen till the end of the interview where he sheds some light on the new season. Check out the interview after the jump! 
Do you all remember that split screen in 500 Days of Summer where we see the main character’s expectations vs. reality? Well my screening of Ain’t Them Bodies Saints was very much like what the main character went through. In my mind, Aint Them Bodies Saints was a thrilling yet poetic film that would put Malick to shame with a lot of meat for gifted actors to chew on. However, in reality, it was a plodding, dimly lit slog of a film that was more style than substance. 
Stoker is a delightfully demented film that derives its pleasures from uncomfortable situations, shocking violence and magnetic characters. Chan-wook Park bring his trademark visual style to deliver a feast for the eyes. And yet despite this and some fabulous performances from Matthew Goode and Nicole Kidman, the plot never lets you embrace the film as fully as you might want. It’s an incredible film, albeit one that keeps you a bit at arms length when it should be wrapping you up in a creepy embrace.
