So if King Kong had a son, why was the son so much smaller, and why did he have a light gray (silverback) coat? And where was the mother, by the way? Why did the son behave like a lovable organ-grinder monkey? It makes no sense that dad would be the scariest, growliest, baddest motherfucker … Read more
An HE state-of-the-race riff titled “Old Academy Farts, As Always, Are Calling The Shots,” posted on 1.4.15: “At this point, everyone wants to know which film is going to win Best Picture,” MCN’s David Poland has written. “Anyone who tells you they know the answer is pulling their own chain. [But] it is looking more … Read more
With the Gold Derby gang having begun to pull award-season predictions out of their ass, we might as well have fun by asking ourselves (with almost no firm knowledge about anything and with the b.s. factor piled higher than an elephant’s eye) a subversive question of sorts: Which of the presumably Oscar-friendly headliners may experience … Read more
Thank God the season is over and now on to 2015. The 34 films opening between now and 12.31.15 that seem like the most formidable and aspirational are now posted inside the Oscar Balloon. But I have one last bark in the wake of last night’s four-pronged Birdman triumph — Best Picture, Best Director, Best … Read more
Birdman‘s Emmanuel Lubezki won the top prize Sunday night at the American Society of Cinematographers Awards at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza on Sunday night. The ASC honor makes it…what, the seventh big guild award for Alejandro G. Inarritu‘s film? Producers Guild, DGA, SAG Ensemble, art directors, Cinema Audio Style and makeup/hair stylists. Whatever lingering … Read more
This afternoon a Boyhood Bluray was left on my doormat, and tonight there’s a cool-sounding Boyhood party at a certain old-world location. Director Richard Linklater and costars Ethan Hawke, Patricia Arquette and Ellar Coltraine will attend. The official inviters are Diane Keaton, John Hamm, Frank Marshall, Sean Daniel, Jack Black and Julie Delpy. I always … Read more
I’m told I shouldn’t read too much into Deadline‘s Pete Hammond having posted last night that many Academy members still haven’t seen Boyhood, which has been called a presumptive Best Picture favorite for months. Hammond wrote the piece for a print version of Awardsline that was due in early December, and the Boyhood DVD had … Read more
2014 has not been a weak year in my personal book. Okay, maybe a little bit weaker compared to the recent past but you can’t be too lamenting about a lineup that includes Birdman, Citizenfour, The Babadook, Wild Tales, A Most Violent Year, Boyhood, Leviathan, Gone Girl, A Most Wanted Man, Nightcrawler, Locke, The Drop, … Read more
The New York Film Critics Circle used to represent an elite standard (and by that I don’t mean ingrown and dweeby). It really mattered to win one of their awards because they didn’t suffer fools and only the creme de la creme contenders were considered. Four years ago they gave their Best Picture award to … Read more
The six nominations given to Alejandro G. Innaritu‘s Birdman for the 30th Film Independent Spirit Awards means it’ll probably take two or three top honors — definitely Best Actor (Michael Keaton), probably Best Feature and maybe Best Director for Inarritu, although Boyhood and its director, Richard Linklater, could nab the Best Feature and/or Best Director … Read more
The Boyhood screener arrived last night. The fold-out jacket is quite elaborate and almost flamboyant by IFC standards. Obviously IFC Films honchos and their award-season strategists sat down a couple of months ago and agreed to put a big chunk of their funds into this. “Screeners are key,” somebody said, “and if we play up … Read more
Before I get into this let me again reiterate my affection for Richard Linklater‘s Boyhood. I don’t think it’s quite the masterpiece that others are calling it, but it’s a very warm and humanistic film — deft and assured and wise and quite unusual. You could even call it unique if you want to ignore … Read more