#Sidney Kimmel Entertainment

[bkenber]

'Adventureland' - A Ralph Report Video Vault Selection

‘Adventureland’ – A Ralph Report Video Vault Selection

WRITER’S NOTE: This review was written back in 2010. I applaud Eddie Pence for featuring this as a Video Vault selection on “The Ralph Report.” It’s always those low paying jobs you had as a teenager during the summer months which helped mold you into the person you are today. It sucks how it takes you another decade or so to realize this upon closer reflection. Being there at the cash register,…

[retrociema]

Смерть на похоронах - комедия UK, США, ФРГ, Нидерланды 2007 Мэттью Макфэдьен, Кили Хоуз, Энди Найман

Чопорная английская семья воссоединяется, дабы безутешно оплакать своего почившего родственника. Искренне сожалея о смерти обладателя кристальной, по их мнению, души, члены благородного семейства оказываются весьма обескуражены, узнав о прижизненных проделках своего родственника. Поведавший все эти забавные истории шантажист отнюдь не намерен держать язык за зубами. Он согласен поспособствовать сохранению репутации аристократов разве что за небольшую, по его словам, сумму с большим количеством нулей.  Гений комедии Фрэнк Оз, на счету которого такие фильмы как «Вход и выход», «Степфордские жены» и «Отпетые мошенники», в очередной раз порадовал смешной историей, с забавными сюжетными переплетениями и интригами.

#комедия #черный юмор #экранизация

Выпущено: США, Германия, Великобритания, Нидерланды, Sidney Kimmel Entertainment, Parabolic Pictures Inc., Stable Way Entertainment Режиссер: Фрэнк Оз В ролях: Мэттью Макфэдьен, Кили Хоуз, Энди Найман, Юэн Бремнер, Дэйзи Донован, Алан Тьюдик, Джейн Эшер, Крис Маршалл, Руперт Грейвз, Питер Вон

Интересно: Алан Тьюдик и Питер Динклейдж были единственными американскими актёрами на съемочной площадке. Съёмки картины уложились в семь недель. Сыгравшие в фильме семейную пару Мэтью Макфейден и Кили Хоуз являются супругами и в реальной жизни. По первоначальному сценарию Питер не был таким низкорослым. После того как кастинг на эту роль прошёл Питер Динклейдж, она была специально переписана под него

[badmovieihave]

Bad movie I have Death at a Funeral 2007

[samreviewsmovies]

Age of Adaline

Year:  April 24, 2015

Director: Lee Toland Krieger

Screenwriter: J. Mills Goodloe,  Salvador Paskowitz

Actors:  Blake Lively, Michiel Huisman, Kathy Baker, Harrison Ford, Ellen Burstyn, and Hugh Ross (Narrator).

Production Company: Sidney Kimmel Entertainment and Lakeshore Entertainment

Synopsis:  Adaline Bowman (Blake Lively) has miraculously remained a youthful 29 years of age for nearly eight decades, never allowing herself to get close to anyone lest they discover her secret. However, a chance encounter with a charismatic philanthropist named Ellis Jones (Michiel Huisman) reawakens Adaline's long-suppressed passion for life and romance. When a weekend with Ellis' parents threatens to expose the truth, Adaline makes a decision that changes her life forever.

Ratings:

IMDb: 7.2/10

Rotten Tomatoes: 54%

My Rating: 6/10

My Thoughts: It was an okay movie. The idea of it was really interesting. A woman frozen in time while everyone, even her own daughter, goes on without her. The main romance between Adaline (Lively) and Ellis (Huisman) had some good banter but fell a little flat as a romance. Ellis was kinda problematic with his lack of accepting boundaries. The love story between Adaline and William (Ford), Ellis’s the father, was much more interesting than the romance between Adaline and the son. Also imagine the awkward dinner conversations. 

The narratiion was distracting too. I think that aspect was to make it appear somewhat like a documentary for people in the far future. It serves as a tool to explain away the backstory and questions to how someone can live without aging. Perhaps if they had gone with another voice it would have worked, but for me, I found the narration a little distracting and it took me out of the movie.

I did cry when the dog died.

Extra:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Age_of_Adaline

[jaysonlomboy]

Movie Appreciation: The Book Of Henry

“Our legacy isn’t what we write on our resume or how many commas we have in our bank account. It’s who we’re lucky enough to have in our lives and what we can leave them with. The one thing we do know, we’re here now. So I say we do the best we can, and that’s what I think about my legacy.”

These are the words of Henry Carpenter, the main character in the movie “The Book of Henry” when asked to talk about their legacy as a practicum for correct grammar, word selection, etc or in short, speech class.

The movie is a story of how a young boy changed the world by simply doing one thing he believes is the right thing to do and how he used his notebook, his red notebook, to accomplish this thing. He won’t be able to make it without the help of her Mom, her amazing Mom and his most trusted brother, Peter.

I don’t want to spoil so I’ll stop from there.

Susan, Henry and Peter’s relationship is the best family relationship I have ever seen on movies. 

Susan, as a mother, works hard for kids without losing the “cool” side of every mother in the world. My favorite scenes of her are those during bedtime with kids and the hospital conversation.

Christina is right, Peter and Henry are so lucky to have you Mommy Susan. Thank you for raising two amazing kids. You did great. You are a mother and will always be a good mother for Henry and Peter.

Peter, Henry’s younger brother, is so adorable. I really want to hug him in those scenes that he’s so sad and alone. He may be very dependent on his brother, but he loves and respect him very much.

Well, if I have a brother like Peter, I am very much willing to defend and spoil him in any way I can. Make sure you have tissues in their hospital scene. IT’S THE BEST BROTHERLY LOVE SCENE EVER. </3

Henry, who is now one of my favorite characters, is my greatest discovery in 2017! Jaeden Lieberher, a 14 year old actor starred is several films and is known for IT, but I haven’t seen IT yet. The Book of Henry is his first movie I’ve watched. He got me! It is like in real-life, he is really Henry, an amazing boy who is matured enough to almost handle everything – school, family and society matters. He has a lot of quotable quotes that when you slowly digest will change your life forever. Yes, let us all learn something from an eleven-year old boy.

One lesson that I think I’ll continue to live on and remember will be: Violence is not the worst thing on Earth, but apathy. When someone hurts someone else we have to make it better. If we will all think that it is none of our business to help someone who is in trouble, then there would be no one to look out for the people who just can’t look out for themselves.

 We have to make it better, whatever it is. Thanks for the lesson, Henry. Thanks for everything Carperter family.

[mellowyknox]

“United 93" Montage Trailer

Production: Sidney Kimmel Entertainment, Working Title Los Angeles Director: Paul Greengrass Cinematographer: Barry Ackroyd, Sean Bobbitt Production Designer: Dominic Watkins

Year: 2006

[justintimberlakeperu]

Apple has landed the SK Global feature drama Palmer starring Justin Timberlake and directed by Fisher Stevens.

The movie, written and executive produced by Cheryl Guerriero, whose script appeared on the 2016 Blacklist, follows a former college football phenomenon named Eddie Palmer (Timberlake) who, after a stint in prison, returns to his hometown to get his life back on track. There, he faces not only lingering conflicts from his past but also a much more surprising challenge as he finds himself suddenly in charge of a unique young boy who has been abandoned by his wayward mother. Juno Temple, Oscar-nominee June Squibb, Alisha Wainright also star with Ryder Allen making his feature film debut.

Palmer joins Apple’s growing film slate, many titles which Deadline first told you about, i.e. the streamer’s record $120M film festival acquisition with Will Smith-Antoine Fuqua‘s Emancipation, acquisition of Sony’s Tom Hanks’ Greyhound (which was the largest weekend ever for Apple TV+, with 30% of its viewers new to the service), their teaming with Paramount on Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon, and their winning a highly competitive bidding war for the upcoming Jake Gyllenhaal movie Snow Blind.

Also upcoming for Apple is Sharper, a new film from Brian Gatewood and Alessandro Tanaka starring and produced by Oscar winner Julianne Moore; The Sky is Everywhere based on the best-selling YA Novel of the same name; and the upcoming feature On the Rocks from Sofia Coppola, starring Bill Murray and Rashida Jones.

Palmer is an SK Global, Rhea Films and Nadler No GMO Popcorn Co. production, in association with the Hercules Film Fund, Pic is produced by Sidney Kimmel, John Penotti, Charlie Corwin, Daniel Nadler and Oscar-winning producer Charles B. Wessler. The film is executive produced by Robert Friedland, Terry Dougas, Jean-Luc De Fanti, Mark O’Connor, Paris Kassidokostas-Latsis and Bruce Toll.

Penotti and Corwin said, “We are excited to partner with Apple on this project as they continue to expand their impressive slate. It’s our hope that audiences around the world will connect with this sincerely touching story and we’re confident that ‘Palmer’ has found the right home.”

Oscar nominee Timberlake is repped by WME, LBI Entertainment, and Ziffren Brittenham. Stevens is repped by Paradigm and Untitled Entertainment. Guerriero is repped by Heroes and Villains and Jackoway Austen Tyerman Wertheimer Mandelbaum Morris Bernstein Trattner & Klein.

(xx)

[tabloidtoc]

Hollywood Reporter, October 16

Cover: Bob Iger and Disney+ 

Page 8: Contents 

Page 10: Contents 

Page 17: The Report -- South Park, LeBron James, Hollywood and the new self-censorship mess 

Page 18: Shari Redstone explores plan to launch Fox News rival 

Page 20: NFL’s ratings comeback: What’s stoking the fire? 

Page 22: NBC News chief’s writing gigs add drama to Ronan Farrow flap, Americans divided over Matt Lauer fallout and NBC response 

Page 24: Box Office, Broadcast TV, Cable TV, Billboard Hot 100, Billboard 200 

Page 26: 7 Days of Deals -- Endangered? Hardly. Bob Weinstein attempts animation comeback, More streamers? No Problem for MIPCOM sellers, Rights Available! The Education of Brett Kavanaugh by Robin Pogrebin and Kate Kelly, The Divines by Ellie Eaton, Film -- Zoe Kravitz, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Samara Weaving, Billy Porter, Daveed Diggs 

Page 27: Cherry Jones, Elisabeth Moss, Felicity Jones and Shailene Woodley, Russell Crowe and Kevin Williamson, Len Wiseman, Colm McCarthy, Television -- Mandy Moore, Michael Bloom, Chuck Lorre, Sarah Silverman, Holly Hunter, Rob Gronkowski, Jenna Dewan, Digital -- Alfonso Cuaron, Patrick Moran, James Vanderbilt, Jason Sudeikis, Clive Owen, Kerry Washington, Hadley Robinson, Erik Oleson, Real Estate -- Lisa Henson sold to Michael Patrick King, Sebastian Maniscalco, Rep Sheet -- Arnold Schwarzenegger, Francis Ford Coppola, Pamela Adlon, Gwen Hollander 

Page 29: About Town -- Next Big Thing -- Da’Vine Joy Randolph 

Page 30: Wellness tips for sharks, THR Confidential -- which studio kept its priceless papers in a salt mine? 

Page 32: Yes, I Did Say That! -- Mindy Kaling, Ana Navarro-Cardenas, Noah Oppenheim, Elon Musk, Courtney Kube, Paula Abdul, Ted Sarandos, Jane Fonda 

Page 34: THR’s Power Business Managers Breakfast -- Lou Taylor and Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Ashley Cullins and Andrew Meyer, Randy O’Connor and Harvey Gettleson and John Rigney, Shawn Holley, John A. Blakeman and Buwa Ijirigho, Steven Shapiro and Eric Fulton, Robin Greenhill and Michelle Benedict and Heather Kinder, Scott Stuber and Martha Henderson, Rob Seltzer and Steve Campeas, John McIlwee and Alex Grissom 

Page 35: Power of Style -- Jordan LaValle and Meg Chapman, Bozoma Saint John and Negar Ali Kline, Carolyn Manetti and Stephanie Gisondi-Little and Ann Cherkis, Dana Asher Levine and Mindy Weiss, Richard Weitz and Matthew Belloni and Alexandra von Bargen and Debbie Flynn and Andrew Weitz and Francesca Pittaluga, Tanya Gill and Caryn Capotosto, THR’s Women in Global Entertainment Lunch -- Marisa Guthrie and Dream Hampton and Brie Miranda Bryant

Page 36: Gala in the Garden -- Gloria Steinem and Rita Wilson and Judy Chicago and Ann Philbin, Jordan Peele and Ron Meyer, Song Kang-ho and Park So-dam and Bong Joon-ho, Elizabeth Chambers Hammer, Chris Martin and Beck, Katie McGrath and J.J. Abrams and Roxane Gay and Debbie Millman, amfAR Gala -- Hale Leon and Frankie Grande and Lea Michele, Christina Aguilera, Dan Bucatinsky and Gwyneth Paltrow and Don Ross, Alan Cumming, Jay Ellis and Tricia Helfer, Eva Longoria, Paris Jackson, Rumer Willis, Cheyenne Jackson 

Page 38: Rambling Reporter -- Adam Driver and Mark Hamill, Jared Leto upset over Joker film, tapes of Judy Garland’s last performances, Nicholas Britell, Power Dining -- Kamala Harris and Shangela, Michael Barker, Jon Feltheimer and John Burnham and Bryan Lourd, Andy Cohen and Bruce Bozzi and Simon Halls and John Mayer and Ricky Van Veen, Edgar Ramirez, Jennifer Stallone, Conan O’Brien, Robert Herjavec 

Page 40: Hitched, Hatched, Hired 

Page 42: The Business -- Aaron L. Gilbert 

Page 44: Tim Cook’s bumpy TV launch 

Page 48: Martin Scorsese isn’t wrong about Marvel (he isn’t right, either) 

Page 52: Authenticity is everything for a star’s beauty brand -- Lady Gaga, Ryan Seacrest, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jessica Alba, Michelle Pfeiffer, Rihanna, Millie Bobby Brown 

Page 54: Men’s Athleisure for office? Don’t laugh, Here come the electric hypercars, Power Shopping -- Sylvester Stallone, Jennifer Aniston, Diana Ross,  Katie Holmes, Hawk Koch, Max Greenfield, Jameela Jamil, Gwyneth Paltrow 

Page 56: One of the world’s largest penthouses ... in WeHo? 

Page 58: Cover Story -- Disney Over the Top -- Let the streaming wars begin 

Page 64: THR 100 -- the ranking of Hollywood’s most powerful execs, makers, stars and powerhouses 

Page 78: Miranda Kerr’s Malibu moment 

Page 82: WarnerMedia’s new war rooms 

Page 86: Inside the Katy Perry convent 

Page 90: Making art “flow” in Beverly Hills -- Sidney and Caroline Kimmel 

Page 93: Review -- Watchmen 

Page 94: Maleficent: Mistress of Evil 

Page 95: Social Climbers -- Actors -- Tyler Perry, Bette Midler, Comedians -- Bassem Youssef, Scripted TV -- Riverdale 

Page 97: Backlot -- Lina Wertmuller 

Page 98: Steve Coogan 

Page 100: Aldis Hodge 

Page 104: 90 Years of THR -- Michelle Pfeiffer’s first fairy tale was Ladyhawke

[page58-blog1]

Watch Naomi Watts & Jaeden Lieberher in Colin Trevorrow's Suspense Drama 'The Book of Henry' (Trailer) with Jacob Tremblay

Watch Naomi Watts & Jaeden Lieberher in Colin Trevorrow’s Suspense Drama ‘The Book of Henry’ (Trailer) with Jacob Tremblay

    “Our legacy isn’t how many comma’s we have in our bank account its who we’re lucky enough to have in our lives and what we can leave them with.” Never leave things undone. ‘The Book of Henry’ is the story of a single mother raising two boys, one of whom is a genius.  “Henry remind me again why we can’t put you in a gifted school?” “Because it’s better for my psycho social development for me…

[badgaymovies]

Today's review on MyOldAddiction.com, Greta by #NeilJordan starring #IsabelleHuppert and #ChloeGraceMoretz, "a perfectly campy ride that comfortably runs a streak of enjoyment alongside abject fear" NEIL JORDAN Bil's rating (out of 5): BBBB.   Ireland/USA, 2018.  Sidney Kimmel Entertainment, …

[moviesshowsnbooks]

CRAZY RICH ASIANS - Official Trailer 1

Every family has its crazy. Watch the new trailer for #CrazyRichAsians, only in theaters August 15.

Jon M. Chu (“Now You See Me 2”) directed the contemporary romantic comedy “Crazy Rich Asians,” based on the acclaimed worldwide bestseller by Kevin Kwan.

The story follows New Yorker Rachel Chu (Constance Wu) as she accompanies her longtime boyfriend, Nick Young (Henry Golding), to his best friend’s wedding in Singapore.  Excited about visiting Asia for the first time but nervous about meeting Nick’s family, Rachel is unprepared to learn that Nick has neglected to mention a few key details about his life.  Not only is he the scion of one of the country’s wealthiest families, but also one of its most sought-after bachelors.  Being on Nick’s arm puts a target on Rachel’s back, with jealous socialites and, worse, Nick’s own disapproving mother (Michelle Yeoh) taking aim.

It soon becomes clear that the only thing crazier than love is family, in this funny and romantic story sure to ring true for audiences everywhere.

“Crazy Rich Asians” features an international cast of stars, led by Constance Wu (“Fresh Off the Boat”), Gemma Chan (“Humans”), Lisa Lu (“2012”), and Awkwafina (“Ocean’s 8,” “Neighbors 2”), with Ken Jeong (the “Hangover” films”) and Michelle Yeoh (“Star Trek: Discovery,” “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon”).  The large starring ensemble also includes Henry Golding, making his feature film debut, Sonoya Mizuno (“La La Land”), Chris Pang (“Marco Polo”), Jimmy O. Yang (“Silicon Valley”), comedian Ronny Chieng (“The Daily Show”), Remy Hii (“Marco Polo”), and Nico Santos (“Superstore”).  

Color Force’s Nina Jacobson (“The Hunger Games” films) and Brad Simpson (“World War Z”), and Ivanhoe Pictures’ John Penotti (“Hell or High Water”) produced the film, with executive producers Tim Coddington, Kevin Kwan, Robert Friedland, and Sidney Kimmel.  The screenplay is by Peter Chiarelli and Adele Lim, based on the novel Crazy Rich Asians, by Kwan.

The creative filmmaking team included director of photography Vanja Černjul (“Marco Polo”), production designer Nelson Coates (“Fifty Shades Darker”), costume designer Mary Vogt (“Kong: Skull Island”) and editor Myron Kerstein (“Going in Style”).  The music was composed by Brian Tyler (“Avengers: Age of Ultron”).

“Crazy Rich Asians” was filmed entirely on location in Singapore and Malaysia.  It is set for release on Wednesday, August 15, 2018.

Warner Bros. Pictures presents, in association with SK Global and Starlight Culture, a Color Force/Ivanhoe Pictures/Electric Somewhere Production, a Jon M. Chu Film, “Crazy Rich Asians.”  The film will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Entertainment Company.  It is rated PG-13.

Follow #CrazyRichAsians on social media: http://www.crazyrichasiansmovie.com 

http://facebook.com/crazyrichasiansmovie 

http://twitter.com/crazyrichmovie 

http://instagram.com/crazyrichasians

[dweemeister]

My alternative 90th Academy Awards

So here’s another annual tradition... my alternative Oscars ceremony. This is what this Sunday’s Oscars would look like if I – and I alone – stuffed the ballots and decided on all of the nominations and winners. Non-English language films are accompanied by their nation of origin (in FIFA three-letter code).

90th Academy Awards – March 4, 2018 Dolby Theatre – Hollywood, Los Angeles, California Host: Jimmy Kimmel Broadcaster: ABC

Best Picture: LADY BIRD

The Breadwinner, Anthony Leo, Tomm Moore, Andrew Rosen, and Paul Young (Cartoon Saloon/GKIDS)

Call Me by Your Name, Peter Spears, Luca Guadagnino, Emilie Georges, Rodrigo Teixeira, Marco Morabito, James Ivory, and Howard Rosenman (Sony Pictures Classics)

Coco, Darla K. Anderson (Pixar/Walt Disney)

Dunkirk, Emma Thomas and Christopher Nolan (Warner Bros.)

Faces Places (FRA), Rosalie Varda (Le Pacte/Cohen Media Group)

The Florida Project, Sean Baker, Chris Bergoch, Kevin Chinoy, Andrew Duncan, Alex Saks, Francesca Silvestri, and Shih-Ching Tsou (A24)

Lady Bird, Scott Rudin, Eli Bush, and Evelyn O’Neil (A24)

Phantom Thread, Paul Thomas Anderson, Megan Ellison, JoAnne Sellar, and Daniel Lupi, (Focus/Universal)

The Post, Steven Spielberg, Kristie Macosko Krieger, and Amy Pascal (20th Century Fox)

The Shape of Water, Guillermo del Toro and J. Miles Dale (Fox Searchlight Pictures)

Out of the running in real life are Darkest Hour, Three Billboards, and Get Out. And taking the maximum of ten spots, in their place enter The Breadwinner, Coco, Faces Places, The Florida Project. That’s two animated movies, a documentary, and a neglected critical darling... come at me? I was lukewarm over Darkest Hour, pissed off over Three Billboards, and I honestly don’t think Get Out is as effective a horror movie or a commentary on racial relations that it wants to be.

Lady Bird would be my winner, with Phantom Thread your runner-up and either Faces Places or The Shape of Water as your third spot. For Lady Bird, it would be harder to find a movie with as much empathy as it this calendar year. Maybe not the most technically gifted filmmaking of the nominees, but it accomplishes its conceit with an open ear and an open heart. Bravo.

I noticed that I don’t have time to write on all the Best Picture nominees anymore, like in years past. I only got to Dunkirk and The Post  – both of which are on the outside looking in.

Best Director

Guillermo del Toro, The Shape of Water

Greta Gerwig, Lady Bird

Christopher Nolan, Dunkirk

Dee Rees, Mudbound

Agnès Varda and JR, Faces Places

CONTROVERSY. Dee Rees nominated in Director, but Mudbound isn’t nominated for Picture! In all honesty, I couldn’t find the excuse to nudge Mudbound out for any of the nominees I placed above. But to focus on the positive, del Toro is going to make it three Mexican Best Director winners in the last four years... that is exhilarating. Nolan is my close second choice here, and falters a bit because I didn’t personally enjoy the structure of Dunkirk all that much.

Best Actor

Timothée Chalamet, Call Me by Your Name

Daniel Day-Lewis, Phantom Thread

Daniel Kaluuya, Get Out

Gary Oldman, Darkest Hour

Andy Serkis, War for the Planet of the Apes                               

No CMBYN fans, there will not be any justice for you on my blog either. Because the best performance of the year by an actor of a leading role was done in motion capture... it was Andy Serkis as Caesar in War for the Planet of the Apes. It’s been high time to honor Serkis in what is his best work – aside from his performances as Gollum – to date.

Best Actress

Ahn Seo-hyun, Okja

Sally Hawkins, The Shape of Water

Frances McDormand, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Saoirse Ronan, Lady Bird

Meryl Streep, The Post

The quieter performances aren’t going to win at this year’s Oscars. McDormand’s flashier performance in Three Billboards will overshadow Hawkins’ nuanced, silent performance in SoW. That’s wrong to me, as I think Hawkins does so much physically that is so taxing for any actor that would dare take a role like that. South Korean child actress Ahn Seo-hyun just sneaks in for Okja.

Best Supporting Actor

Willem Dafoe, The Florida Project

Woody Harrelson, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Richard Jenkins, The Shape of Water

Bob Odenkirk, The Post

Christopher Plummer, All the Money in the World

My least favorite acting category this year. So I’ll toss it to Dafoe for The Florida Project... who, on Sunday, is probably going to lose to a flashier performance in Sam Rockwell for Three Billboards (who shouldn’t have been nominated). Plummer and Odenkirk are in a close battle for second.

Best Supporting Actress

Mary J. Blige, Mudbound

Tiffany Haddish, Girls Trip

Allison Janney, I, Tonya

Lesley Manville, Phantom Thread

Laurie Metcalf, Lady Bird

This is Manville v. Metcalf for me. And for playing the deeply layered, deeply conflicted, tough-love mother in Lady Bird, this has to be Metcalf for me. It is ta transcendent supporting actress performance. And yes, I snuck Tiffany Haddish in here... because why not?

Best Adapted Screenplay

James Ivory, Call Me by Your Name

Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber, The Disaster Artist

Scott Frank, James Mangold, and Michael Green, Logan

Dee Rees and Virgil Williams, Mudbound

Aaron Sorkin, Molly’s Game

If I ran the Oscars, the 89-year-old James Ivory wouldn’t have won an Oscar by now either. I hate to type that, but timing is a funny thing! Fate and time are funny things, aren’t they? This category isn’t close. Dee Rees makes history as the first nominated black woman in this category!

Best Original Screenplay

Paul Thomas Anderson, Phantom Thread

Sean Baker and Chris Bergoch, The Florida Project

Greta Gerwig, Lady Bird

Liz Hannah and Josh Singer, The Post

Jordan Peele, Get Out

I’ve already commented how much I think Get Out is more flawed a movie than most believe. This comes down to Anderson and Gerwig for me... and my Best Picture winner, I think, is blessed with the screenplay of the year for capturing a time, a place, and its characters at a certain point in their lives so wonderfully.

Best Animated Feature

The Breadwinner (Cartoon Saloon/GKIDS)

Coco (Pixar/Walt Disney)

The Girl Without Hands, France (Shellac/GKIDS)

Loving Vincent (Next Film/Good Deed Entertainment)

Mary and the Witch’s Flower, Japan (Studio Ponoc/GKIDS)

SHOCKER. For me, I was considering a tie in this category (which has happened six times in Academy Awards history... so I guess I have to save it for once every fifteen ceremonies or something) between Breadwinner (write-up) and Coco (write-up). This would be Cartoon Saloon’s first win in my alternate universe... in that same alternative universe for 2009, The Secret of Kells would’ve lost to Up; for 2014, Song of the Sea would’ve lost to eventual Best Picture winner The Tale of the Princess Kaguya.

Coco fans, don’t despair though. Keep reading... because your movie isn’t going home empty-handed.

I totally disrespected Ferdinand and Boss Baby didn’t I?

Best Documentary Feature

Abacus: Small Enough to Jail (Kartemquin Films/Public Broadcasting Service)

Faces Places, France (Le Pacte/Cohen Media Group)

Jane (National Geographic)

LA92 (National Geographic)

Last Men in Aleppo (Aleppo Media Center/Larm Film/Grasshopper Film)

I don’t think this would be Agnès Varda’s first Oscar in my alternative universe? I’ll get to doing the 1960s someday. :P

Best Foreign Language Film

Faces Places, France

The Insult, Lebanon

Loveless, Russia

Mary and the Witch’s Flower, Japan

The Square, Sweden

Best Cinematography

Roger Deakins, Blade Runner 2049

Janusz Kaminski, The Post

Rachel Morrison, Mudbound

Jonathan Ricquebourg, The Death of Louis XIV (FRA)

Hoyte Van Hoytema, Dunkirk

Morrison makes history by being the first female nominee in this category and as its first winner. Sorry Roger Deakins! You probably would’ve won earlier in my alternative universe anyways.

Best Film Editing

Michael Kahn, The Post

Paul Machliss and Jonathan Amos, Baby Driver

Gregory Plotkin, Get Out

Lee Smith, Dunkirk

Sidney Wolinsky, The Shape of Water

Best Original Musical*

M.M. Keeravani, Baahubali 2: The Conclusion

Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez, Coco

Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, The Greatest Showman

*NOTE: Best Original Musical – known previously as several other names – exists in the Academy’s rulebooks, but requires activation from the music branch given that there are enough eligible films. To qualify, a film must have no fewer than five original songs. This category was last activated when Prince won for Purple Rain (1984).

You know, this might change some day if I sit down and watch Baahubali 2. I’ve listened to the soundtrack, but I haven’t seen the songs in context. Sorry Indian cinema fans! Coco fans must be getting mighty mad at me for now... but Coco’s musical score – outside of two original songs (“Remember Me” and “Proud Corazón”) and one non-original song (“La Llorana”) – isn’t the best out of context. The Greatest Showman – I think Pasek and Paul are far better lyricists than they are composers (and yes, that’s a problem) – has songs that do very well in and out of context, and takes the win in this category.

Best Original Score

Alexandre Desplat, The Shape of Water

Alexandre Desplat, Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets

Michael Giacchino, War for the Planet of the Apes

John Williams, The Post

John Williams, Star Wars: The Last Jedi

It really comes down to Valerian, Apes, and Jedi. And in this titanic battle over science fiction and space opera, it is Desplat for the much-maligned Valerian taking the Oscar home. The score combines seamlessly enormous orchestral and electronic elements to a degree that I haven’t heard from Desplat yet. It barely edges Williams for The Last Jedi... which benefits from some of Williams’ best action scoring in years and a repackaging of older themes in ways showing off the dexterity of the maestro. Giacchino is third, with Desplat for SoW in fourth, and The Post in fifth. Jonny Greenwood for Phantom Thread is the first man out.

Best Original Song

“Mighty River”, music by Raphael Saadiq; lyrics by Mary J. Blige, Saadiq, and Taura Stinson, Mudbound

“A Million Dreams”, music and lyrics by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, The Greatest Showman

“Mystery of Love”, music and lyrics by Sufjan Stevens, Call Me by Your Name

“Remember Me (Recuérdame)”, music and lyrics by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez, Coco

“This Is Me”, music and lyrics by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, The Greatest Showman

Also proudly the winner of the 2017 Movie Odyssey Award for Best Original Song (some of you know what that means), “Remember Me (Recuérdame)” has everything you want – interesting musicality (even though I still think that descending line, which begins with “For ever if I’m far away / I hold you in my heart” sounds far more like something Randy Newman would compose than something distinctly Mexican) meaningful lyrics, layers of meaning within the movie it comes from, and a life of its own when separated from that movie.

Showstopper “This Is Me” comes a distant second, with the others in a scrum for crumbs. I really like “A Million Dreams”, though. My sister will take me to task over how much I enjoyed The Greatest Showman’s soundtrack (which I enjoyed despite finding it musically uninteresting).

Best Costume Design

Jacqueline Durran, Beauty and the Beast

Jen Wasson, The Beguiled

Nina Avramovic, The Death of Louis XIV

Mark Bridges, Phantom Thread

Luis Sequeira, The Shape of Water

Best Makeup & Hairstyling

Kazuhiro Tsuji, David Malinowski, and Lucy Sibbick, Darkest Hour

John Blake and Camille Friend, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2

Neal Scanlan and Peter King, Star Wars: The Last Jedi

Thi Thanh Tu Nguyen and Félix Puget, Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets

Arjen Tuiten, Wonder

Best Production Design

Dennis Gassner and Alessandra Querzola, Blade Runner 2049

Jim Clay and Rebecca Alleway, Murder on the Orient Express

Paul Denham Austerberry, Shane Vieau, and Jeff Melvin, The Shape of Water

Hugues Tissandier, Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets

Aline Bonetto and Dominic Hyman, Wonder Woman

Best Sound Editing

Mark Mangini and Theo Green, Blade Runner 2049

Richard King and Alex Gibson, Dunkirk

Al Nelson and Steve Slanec, Kong: Skull Island

Matthew Wood and Ren Klyce, Star Wars: The Last Jedi

James Mather, Wonder Woman

Best Sound Mixing

Julian Slater, Tim Cavagin, and Mary H. Ellis, Baby Driver

Ron Bartlett, Doug Hemphill, and Mac Ruth, Blade Runner 2049

Mark Weingarten, Gregg Landaker, and Gary A. Rizzo, Dunkirk

Christian Cooke, Brad Zoern, and Glen Gauthier, The Shape of Water

David Parker, Michael Semanick, Ren Klyce, and Stuart Wilson, Star Wars: The Last Jedi

Best Visual Effects

John Nelson, Gerd Nefzer, Paul Lambert, and Richard R. Hoover, Blade Runner 2049

Scott Fisher and Andrew Jackson, Dunkirk

Ben Morris, Mike Mulholland, Neal Scanlan, and Chris Corbould, Star Wars: The Last Jedi

Scott Stokdyk and Jérome Lionard, Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets

Joe Letteri, Daniel Barrett, Dan Lemmon, and Joel Whist, War for the Planet of the Apes

Best Documentary Short

Edith+Eddie (Kartemquin Films)

Heaven Is a Traffic Jam on the 405 (Frank Stiefel)

Heroine(e) (Requisite Media/Netflix)

Knife Skills (Thomas Lennon Films)

Traffic Stop (Q-Ball Productions/HBO Films)

My omnibus review of this year’s nominees can be read here.

Best Live Action Short

DeKalb Elementary (Reed Van Dyk)

The Eleven O’Clock (FINCH)

My Nephew Emmett (Kevin Wilson, Jr.)

The Silent Child (Slick Films)

Watu Wote: All of Us, Germany/Kenya (Ginger Ink Films/Hamburg Media School)

My omnibus review of this year’s nominees can be read here.

Best Animated Short

Dear Basketball (Glen Keane Productions)

In a Heartbeat (Ringling College of Art and Design)

Lou (Pixar/Walt Disney)

Revolting Rhymes (Magic Light Pictures/Triggerfish Animation Studios/BBC)

World of Tomorrow Episode Two: The Burden of Other People’s Thoughts (Bitter Films)

My omnibus review of this year’s nominees can be read here. I took out Negative Space and Garden Party for my winner In a Heartbeat and World of Tomorrow Episode Two. If you haven’t seen In a Heartbeat yet... first, where the hell have you been? Under a rock? Here’s the link.

Academy Honorary Awards: Agnès Varda, Charles Burnett, Donald Sutherland, and Owen Roizman

Special Achievement Academy Award: Alejandro González Iñárritu, Flesh and Sand

MULTIPLE NOMINEES (22) Nine: The Shape of Water Seven: Dunkirk; The Post Six: Phantom Thread Five: Blade Runner 2049; Lady Bird; Mudbound; Star Wars: The Last Jedi Four: Call Me by Your Name; Coco; Faces Places; Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets Three: The Florida Project; Get Out; The Greatest Showman; War for the Planet of the Apes Two: Baby Driver; The Breadwinner; Darkest Hour; The Death of Louis XIV; Mary and the Witch’s Flower; Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri; Wonder Woman

WINNERS 4 wins: The Shape of Water 3 wins: Lady Bird 2 wins: Dunkirk; Faces Places; Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets; War for the Planet of the Apes 1 win: The Breadwinner; Call Me by Your Name; Coco; DeKalb Elementary; The Florida Project; The Greatest Showman; In a Heartbeat; Knife Skills; Mudbound; Phantom Thread

16 winners from 25 categories. 45 feature-length films and 15 short films were represented.

Questions? Comments? Personal attacks? Fire away!

[smokeyfilms]

Cinema as Door

“A film has many more points of entry than merely the screen on which the diegetic world unfolds” (Elsaesser p.41).

The Place Beyond the Pines (Cianfrance, 2012) is a neo-noir crime drama that stars Ryan Gosling, Bradley Cooper and Dane DeHaan. The film adequately conceptualizes cinema as door through its exploration of perspective, moreover, positions the spectator in three separate protagonists’ bodily experience of life throughout the film. While there is limited reference to the entering of literal doors, following three individual characters in one single chronology is what makes this film so entrancing, as we enter and exit their respective psyches.

The main character Luke (see image) is a motorcyclist, working as a mechanic to get enough money to support his infant son and to get close to his love interest, the mother of his son. When the money of a part-time mechanic is not enough, Luke decides to rob banks and is eventually shot and killed by a policeman (Avery) to which the viewpoint switches to.  Avery is treated as a hero, however he is internally aware that he misconducted himself, given the fact that he shot-first.

Avery grapples with this lie, to which he eventually concedes, losing his job and credibility. Thirdly, a young man befriends Avery’s son in the local high school, where it switches to the final character perspective, revealed as being Luke’s son, having reached adolescence (A.J.).

The Place Beyond the Pines (Cianfrance, 2012) plays with morality and the idea that one’s bad actions, can often originate from a place of good intention. An individual will excuse their bad behavior, negating the conception that they are inherently evil, in pursuit of a greater purpose, a heroic goal that requires drastic measures. It exposes the human condition as one that is doomed to a self-serving and self-preserving mindset. That only they are the ‘good guy.’ The film excites and surprises the spectator as an antagonist is unexpectedly empathized with as Avery is transformed into a protagonist and exposes the notion that the law doesn’t necessarily signify what is ethical.

There is a memorable scene depicting Luke out the front of a bank, working up the confidence to enter the building and demand money from the tellers. As he enters though the door, he is an entirely different creature, animalistic and screaming hysterically for the tellers to ‘put the money in the bag.’ This is Cianfrance’s more visual depictions of the notion of door. Leaving a world of innocence, to the lifechanging choice of committing an armed robbery. The bank entrance door is depicted as a “passage from one world to another, which pre-supposes the co-existence of two worlds separated as well as connected by the threshold” (Elsaesser P.36).

1.       The Place Beyond The Pines 2012, Sidney Kimmel Entertainment, Directed by Derek Cianfrance.

2.       Elsaesser, T & Hagener, M 2010, Film Theory: An Introduction Through the Senses, Routledge, New York.

[socialine]

33 Movies And TV Shows To Watch Before They Leave Netflix

33 Movies And TV Shows To Watch Before They Leave Netflix

Netflix might be giving us The Lovebirds, Uncut Gems, and Season 2 of Dead to Me…but they’re also taking away some stuff from us in May. Here’s everything that’s leaving next month:

Leaving May 1

Disney

1. John Carter

Leaving May 15

Sidney Kimmel Entertainment

2. Limitless

3. The Place Beyond the Pines

Leaving May 17