The summer movie season heats up as we head into July, with high profile releases like "The Dark Knight" and "Hancock." Which movie are you most anticipating? Vote now!
Monday, June 30, 2008
Mamma Mia! Streep Earns Huge Rave from Hollywood Reporter
LONDON -- No matter how many blockbusters there are, Universal Pictures' screen version of the global hit stage musical "Mamma Mia!" is the most fun to be had at the movies this or any other recent summer.
Teenage boys may be glued to the latest action adventure, but the rest of the family will be having a rollicking good time and dancing in the aisles to Swedish pop group ABBA's irresistible songs. It's a delightful piece of filmmaking with a marvelous cast topped by Meryl Streep in one of her smartest and most entertaining performances ever.
Full review HERE.
I'm guessing we'll see a Golden Globe nod in the Musical/Comedy category for Streep. What do you think?
Teenage boys may be glued to the latest action adventure, but the rest of the family will be having a rollicking good time and dancing in the aisles to Swedish pop group ABBA's irresistible songs. It's a delightful piece of filmmaking with a marvelous cast topped by Meryl Streep in one of her smartest and most entertaining performances ever.Full review HERE.
I'm guessing we'll see a Golden Globe nod in the Musical/Comedy category for Streep. What do you think?
Sunday, June 29, 2008
YouTube Clip of the Week: The Incredibles
As cute as Wall-E was, I still think The Incredibles is my favorite Pixar flick. Discuss and debate below.
Reader's Choice
Ballots have been counted. Results will be revealed in two parts: 10-6 on Saturday, and 5-1 on Sunday. Stretching them out over 10 days simply takes up too much time.
Stay tuned!
Stay tuned!
Friday, June 27, 2008
Weekend Screening Schedule
Pixar has done it again: critics are raving about "WALL-E," and since it's 3:30 PM, we can assume that audiences have already joined in on the lovefest. Look for big box office returns for "WALL-E" this weekend.
Also opening to good (albeit less enthusiastic) reviews is the Angelina Jolie/James McAvoy action flick "Wanted." It initially looked like a bomb to me, but if the flick has good WOM, it could turn in pretty decent numbers.
What about you? What are you seeing this weekend?
Also opening to good (albeit less enthusiastic) reviews is the Angelina Jolie/James McAvoy action flick "Wanted." It initially looked like a bomb to me, but if the flick has good WOM, it could turn in pretty decent numbers.
What about you? What are you seeing this weekend?
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Matt Damon on the Set of "The Informant"
Scary!
But on the plus side: between this and the Clint Eastwood/Nelson Mandela project, surely Matt will back in the Oscar ring soon, right?
Best Actor updates later this evening.
Monday, June 23, 2008
The New Class
105 new individuals were invited to join the Academy this morning, and you can read the full list here.
Among those invited:
Actors
Sacha Baron Cohen – "Sweeney Todd the Demon Barber of Fleet Street", "Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan"
Josh Brolin – "American Gangster", "No Country for Old Men"
Marion Cotillard – "La Vie En Rose", "A Good Year"
Ruby Dee – "American Gangster", "Just Cause"
Allison Janney – "Hairspray", "Juno"
Jet Li – "War", "Unleashed"
Ray Winstone – "Beowulf", "Sexy Beast"
What do you think of the list?
Among those invited:
Actors
Sacha Baron Cohen – "Sweeney Todd the Demon Barber of Fleet Street", "Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan"
Josh Brolin – "American Gangster", "No Country for Old Men"
Marion Cotillard – "La Vie En Rose", "A Good Year"
Ruby Dee – "American Gangster", "Just Cause"
Allison Janney – "Hairspray", "Juno"
Jet Li – "War", "Unleashed"
Ray Winstone – "Beowulf", "Sexy Beast"
What do you think of the list?
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Michelle Pfeiffer: Comeback Kid?
Michelle Pfeiffer flew back onto Hollywood's radar last year when she appeared in the summer flicks "Hairspray" and "Stardust." Both were welcomed returns after a nearly five year hiatus, but it wasn't enough to get her back into the Oscar ring.
That could all change this year now that "Cheri" is slated for a 2008 release.
This will be Pfeiffer's first movie with Stephen Frears since he directed her to an Oscar nomination for 1988's "Dangerous Liasions." Of course, any Oscar talk now is premature, but perhaps "Cheri" may be the Oscar comeback we Pfeiffer enthusiasts have been waiting for.
On paper, it looks right. She has the right role; the right director; the right timing. Plus, 19 years later, Jessica Tandygate still burns.
That could all change this year now that "Cheri" is slated for a 2008 release.
This will be Pfeiffer's first movie with Stephen Frears since he directed her to an Oscar nomination for 1988's "Dangerous Liasions." Of course, any Oscar talk now is premature, but perhaps "Cheri" may be the Oscar comeback we Pfeiffer enthusiasts have been waiting for.
On paper, it looks right. She has the right role; the right director; the right timing. Plus, 19 years later, Jessica Tandygate still burns. Still, with Pfeiffer having been gone for so long, it's tough to predict how the tides will turn for her, so I open the floor to you: Will "Cheri" be the movie to earn Pfeiffer's fourth Oscar nomination? Will she merely come close like in 2002? Or will she completely miss Oscar's radar again?
Best Actress Updates HERE.
This weekend's "Smart" choice
Box office numbers from Box Office Mojo:
1 N GET SMART WB $39,155,000 - 3,911 - $10,011 $39,155,000 12
2 KUNG FU PANDA P/DW $21,700,000 -35.4% 4,053 -83 $5,354 $155,596,000 3
3 1 THE INCREDIBLE HULK Uni. $21,557,000 -61.1% 3,508 +3 $6,145 $96,476,000 2
4 N THE LOVE GURU Par. $14,000,000 - 3,012 - $4,648 $14,000,000 1
5 3 THE HAPPENING Fox $10,000,000 -67.2% 2,986 - $3,348 $50,267,000 2
6 5 INDIANA JONES & THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL Par. $8,414,000 -42.9% 3,171 -633 $2,653 $290,835,000 5
7 4 YOU DON'T MESS WITH THE ZOHAN Sony $7,200,000 -56.0% 3,278 -188 $2,196 $84,055,000 3
8 6 SEX AND THE CITY NL $6,465,000 -34.0% 2,442 -713 $2,647 $132,385,000 4
9 7 IRON MAN Par. $4,002,000 -28.8% 1,912 -491 $2,093 $304,788,000 8
10 8 THE STRANGERS Rog. $1,949,000 -51.6% 1,578 -832 $1,235 $49,586,000 4
Tell me, bloggers: Where did The Love Guru go wrong? Was it the result of shameless overpromotion? Unfunny material? Mike Myers? All of the above? Discuss below.
Also: did anybody else fall for Get Smart's cute, harmless entertainment?
1 N GET SMART WB $39,155,000 - 3,911 - $10,011 $39,155,000 12
2 KUNG FU PANDA P/DW $21,700,000 -35.4% 4,053 -83 $5,354 $155,596,000 3
3 1 THE INCREDIBLE HULK Uni. $21,557,000 -61.1% 3,508 +3 $6,145 $96,476,000 2
4 N THE LOVE GURU Par. $14,000,000 - 3,012 - $4,648 $14,000,000 1
5 3 THE HAPPENING Fox $10,000,000 -67.2% 2,986 - $3,348 $50,267,000 2
6 5 INDIANA JONES & THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL Par. $8,414,000 -42.9% 3,171 -633 $2,653 $290,835,000 5
7 4 YOU DON'T MESS WITH THE ZOHAN Sony $7,200,000 -56.0% 3,278 -188 $2,196 $84,055,000 3
8 6 SEX AND THE CITY NL $6,465,000 -34.0% 2,442 -713 $2,647 $132,385,000 4
9 7 IRON MAN Par. $4,002,000 -28.8% 1,912 -491 $2,093 $304,788,000 8
10 8 THE STRANGERS Rog. $1,949,000 -51.6% 1,578 -832 $1,235 $49,586,000 4
Tell me, bloggers: Where did The Love Guru go wrong? Was it the result of shameless overpromotion? Unfunny material? Mike Myers? All of the above? Discuss below.
Also: did anybody else fall for Get Smart's cute, harmless entertainment?
Saturday, June 21, 2008
WALL-E: The Real Deal?
This has been a question on my mind since the start of the 2008 race. It's probably been on the minds of other people for a lot longer, because the WALL-E hype started about twenty years ago.
In any event, WALL-E, opening in theaters next Friday, is going to be one of the films to watch this summer, whether it's for Oscars or simply box office receipts. If all goes well, it should join the ranks of Toy Story and Finding Nemo as one of Pixar's most successful films to date.
But can Pixar go beyond the box office? On paper, it seems likely; almost inevitable. Since Toy Story was released in 1995, the studio has released one hit after another. With the exception of Cars (you know it sucked!), their films have earned huge numbers, and in some cases, Academy Awards. At the very least, we can expect WALL-E to be nominated in the [lowly contested] Best Animated Feature category.
But what about Best Picture? The more I think about it, the more I doubt it. After all, it's only happened once (Beauty and the Beast, 1991). And now in its 8th (?) year, Best Animated Feature will likely serve as a consolation prize in the style of Best Foreign Language Film.
But foreign films do break out occasionally, so it's safe to assume that a Pixar flick can, too. Will it is the question, and I open the floor to you.
In any event, WALL-E, opening in theaters next Friday, is going to be one of the films to watch this summer, whether it's for Oscars or simply box office receipts. If all goes well, it should join the ranks of Toy Story and Finding Nemo as one of Pixar's most successful films to date.
But can Pixar go beyond the box office? On paper, it seems likely; almost inevitable. Since Toy Story was released in 1995, the studio has released one hit after another. With the exception of Cars (you know it sucked!), their films have earned huge numbers, and in some cases, Academy Awards. At the very least, we can expect WALL-E to be nominated in the [lowly contested] Best Animated Feature category.But what about Best Picture? The more I think about it, the more I doubt it. After all, it's only happened once (Beauty and the Beast, 1991). And now in its 8th (?) year, Best Animated Feature will likely serve as a consolation prize in the style of Best Foreign Language Film.
But foreign films do break out occasionally, so it's safe to assume that a Pixar flick can, too. Will it is the question, and I open the floor to you.
EW's 100 New Movie Classics List
Entertainment Weekly just released their choices for the 100 New Movies Classics. Here is a link to the Top 25.
I haven't given the list a full look yet, but a few of their choices left me scratching my head (Michael Clayton?) But I am assuming this list is based more on importance than quality. Or at least I hope it is.
What say you? And what do you think of the list overall? What movies were ranked too high? Too low? And most importantly: what did they forget?
Friday, June 20, 2008
Weekend Screening Schedule; Plus: Mea Culpa
The Love Guru and Get Smart will be fighting it out for the top spot at the box office this weekend. I have my fingers crossed for Get Smart, partly because I'm seeing it tonight, and partly because I don't see why anyone would go to see The Love Guru. Convince me otherwise, bloggers.
I also have A LOT of catching up to do this weekend. I haven't been posting as much, but I will kick things back into gear tomorrow with predix updates and Reader's Choice ballot counting. The ballot turnout was good this month, so I look forward to seeing what you guys chose.
In the meantime, what are you watching this weekend?
I also have A LOT of catching up to do this weekend. I haven't been posting as much, but I will kick things back into gear tomorrow with predix updates and Reader's Choice ballot counting. The ballot turnout was good this month, so I look forward to seeing what you guys chose.In the meantime, what are you watching this weekend?
Sunday, June 15, 2008
YouTube Clip of the Week: Hairspray
The Tonys are just over an hour away, so here is a clip from the movie version of "Haispray," which won a bunch of Tonys earlier this decade:
Feel free to discuss tonight's telecast in the comments section below.
Acting updates TBA.
Feel free to discuss tonight's telecast in the comments section below.
Acting updates TBA.
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Time on "WALL-E"
Here's what Time thinks of Pixar's latest flick, Wall-E:
Pixar's Biggest Gamble
By RICHARD CORLISS
The dusty cityscape shows remnants of a civilization: an empty bank, a cratered warehouse mall, tattered billboards for colas and travel agencies, all bearing the logo of Buy-N-Large. TOO MUCH TRASH--EARTH COVERED reads an old headline, and we note that some of the skyscrapers are made of compacted trash cubes. The planet has become one huge junkyard, as if all humanity were a rock band that had made a shambles of a hotel room, then just strolled out. The only remaining sign of organic life on Earth is that unkillable little bugger, a cockroach.
Among this urban detritus, something else is moving. It looks like another trash cube--but with binocular eyes, forklift plates for arms and Caterpillar tracks to navigate the rough terrain. The thing is called a Waste Allocation Load Lifter, Earth-Class--WALL•E--and its job is to clean up the mess of consumerism run amok. It's also apparently the last of its kind still functioning.
Full review here.
If you see any more reviews, post links in the comments section below.
Also, Best Actor & Actress will be switched around tomorrow now that we know "The Road" and "Cheri" are in the race after all.
Oh, and if you haven't submitted your READER'S CHOICE ballots yet, please do so ASAP. The deadline is TUESDAY.
Pixar's Biggest Gamble
By RICHARD CORLISS
The dusty cityscape shows remnants of a civilization: an empty bank, a cratered warehouse mall, tattered billboards for colas and travel agencies, all bearing the logo of Buy-N-Large. TOO MUCH TRASH--EARTH COVERED reads an old headline, and we note that some of the skyscrapers are made of compacted trash cubes. The planet has become one huge junkyard, as if all humanity were a rock band that had made a shambles of a hotel room, then just strolled out. The only remaining sign of organic life on Earth is that unkillable little bugger, a cockroach.
Among this urban detritus, something else is moving. It looks like another trash cube--but with binocular eyes, forklift plates for arms and Caterpillar tracks to navigate the rough terrain. The thing is called a Waste Allocation Load Lifter, Earth-Class--WALL•E--and its job is to clean up the mess of consumerism run amok. It's also apparently the last of its kind still functioning.Full review here.
If you see any more reviews, post links in the comments section below.
Also, Best Actor & Actress will be switched around tomorrow now that we know "The Road" and "Cheri" are in the race after all.
Oh, and if you haven't submitted your READER'S CHOICE ballots yet, please do so ASAP. The deadline is TUESDAY.
Friday, June 13, 2008
Weekend Screening Schedule
You guys are all probably off to the movies by now (don't blame me! blame my internet connection!) so a recap seems futile. Besides, nothing of interest is opening, unless you're an Ed Norton fan.
Still: what are you watching this weekend?
Still: what are you watching this weekend?
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Release Date Question
Before the weeekend kicks into gear, can anyone confirm if Stephen Frears' "Cheri" is in the 2008 Oscar race? If so, I've got some Best Actress updates to work on before Screenplay.
Monday, June 09, 2008
Best Supporting Actress: 2008
After a sweltering weekend in New York, here are my Best Supporting Actress predix.
I'm really not happy with any single prediction outside of Viola Davis, whom I expect to be astonishing in "Doubt." This has been a boring category already, but hopefully things will pick up in the months ahead.
Questions to kick off our discussion: What did you make of Penelope Cruz' reviews from Cannes? What about Cate Blanchett over Taraji P. Henson in "Benjamin Button"? Will they nominate Cate again, or is it time for some new blood in the mix?
Also: what are YOU predicting for Best Supporting Actress? Surely your lineups are more exciting than mine turned out to be. ;)
Also: what are YOU predicting for Best Supporting Actress? Surely your lineups are more exciting than mine turned out to be. ;)
Friday, June 06, 2008
Weekend Screening Schedule
I'll have my Supporting Actress predix up tonight or tomorrow. I'm still working out a few question marks.
Luckily, there won't be any distractions at the theater this weekend. Kung Fu Panda opened to better reviews than I expected, but it still screams DVD to me. And there is no. way. in. hell. anyone could get me to see You Don't Mess with the Zohan in theaters. Adam Sandler is a tired actor who needs to stay away from these crappy comedies, even if they did make him famous.
What about you? What are you watching this weekend?
Luckily, there won't be any distractions at the theater this weekend. Kung Fu Panda opened to better reviews than I expected, but it still screams DVD to me. And there is no. way. in. hell. anyone could get me to see You Don't Mess with the Zohan in theaters. Adam Sandler is a tired actor who needs to stay away from these crappy comedies, even if they did make him famous.What about you? What are you watching this weekend?
Wednesday, June 04, 2008
Monday, June 02, 2008
More news on "Nine"
Day-Lewis, Kidman and Dench have all confirmed, says Playbill.com:
The eagerly awaited film version of the award-winning Broadway musical Nine will begin filming in the fall, according to Variety.
Daniel Day-Lewis will head the cast of the Rob Marshall-helmed screen adaptation of the Maury Yeston-Arthur Kopit musical. The star of "There Will Be Blood" has stepped into the role of Italian filmmaker Guido Contini that was recently vacated by an over-worked Javier Bardem.
Full story.
What do you think: will this be the next great movie musical or the next great flop?
The eagerly awaited film version of the award-winning Broadway musical Nine will begin filming in the fall, according to Variety.
Daniel Day-Lewis will head the cast of the Rob Marshall-helmed screen adaptation of the Maury Yeston-Arthur Kopit musical. The star of "There Will Be Blood" has stepped into the role of Italian filmmaker Guido Contini that was recently vacated by an over-worked Javier Bardem.
Full story.
What do you think: will this be the next great movie musical or the next great flop?
Reader's Choice (Change in Poll Topic)
Reader devin reminded me that we were supposed to poll the Top 10 Acting Snubs of the 2000s, so why don't we go ahead and do that instead of my original proposal?
The same rules apply as before. Please send me a list of TEN performances that were snubbed (key word here) by the Academy over the past 8 years (2000-2007). All lists must be RANKED, with 1 being the highest and 10 being the lowest. Remember to include "Reader's Choice" in the subject of your email. Otherwise, it might get lost among the piles of junk mail I receive every hour.
Lists are due no later than Tuesday, June 17th at 5 PM EST. Results will be announced at the end of the month.
For a list of which performances were nominated in the 2000s, use the following links:
BEST ACTOR
BEST ACTRESS
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Final reminder: performances nominated for an Oscar are INELIGIBLE.
If you have any questions, please post them in the comments section below. Or feel free to e-mail me at editor@everythingoscar.com.
Otherwise, happy voting!
PS: I promise to participate this time, and I will reveal my personal list after the results.
The same rules apply as before. Please send me a list of TEN performances that were snubbed (key word here) by the Academy over the past 8 years (2000-2007). All lists must be RANKED, with 1 being the highest and 10 being the lowest. Remember to include "Reader's Choice" in the subject of your email. Otherwise, it might get lost among the piles of junk mail I receive every hour.
Lists are due no later than Tuesday, June 17th at 5 PM EST. Results will be announced at the end of the month.For a list of which performances were nominated in the 2000s, use the following links:
BEST ACTOR
BEST ACTRESS
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Final reminder: performances nominated for an Oscar are INELIGIBLE.
If you have any questions, please post them in the comments section below. Or feel free to e-mail me at editor@everythingoscar.com.
Otherwise, happy voting!
PS: I promise to participate this time, and I will reveal my personal list after the results.
YouTube Clip of the Week: Get Smart
Is it bad that "Get Smart" is one of my most anticipated movies of the summer?
Judge for yourself by watching this trailer:
Judge for yourself by watching this trailer:
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