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David Poland

By David Poland poland@moviecitynews.com

Posted Monday, January 24th, 2011 - 34 Comments »

BYOB – Pre-Oscar…

34 Comments »

34 Responses to “BYOB – Pre-Oscar…”

  1. Hopscotch says:
    January 24, 2011 at 12:01 pm

    I’m hoping Damon gets in there for True Grit. His intro scenes in the film are worth the price of admission.

  2. Paul MD (Stella's Boy) says:
    January 24, 2011 at 12:05 pm

    Though both could easily be quite terrible, I would love to catch a January double feature of The Mechanic and The Rite. It’s not that either one looks fantastic or anything, but each has appealing elements and look entertaining in a late January, it’s ridiculously cold outside kind of way.

  3. chris says:
    January 24, 2011 at 1:48 pm

    Not that this is definitive, but both of those films are the sort that often go unscreened in January and both ARE being screened, so that could mean they don’t suck.

  4. Mark says:
    January 24, 2011 at 1:56 pm

    “The Ghost Writer” will surprise everyone tomorrow. You heard it here first.

  5. Krillian says:
    January 24, 2011 at 1:59 pm

    Just saw Winter’s Bone for the second time. I’d love to see John Hawkes somehow get a Best Supporting. I particularly liked the showdown on the side of the road between him and the sheriff (Garret Dillahunt) and marvelled at just how different their roles were from when they were Deadwood co-stars.

  6. hcat says:
    January 24, 2011 at 2:00 pm

    Duvall will make the cut for actor, and either Please Give, Get Low, or Somewhere will get into the ten noms.

    And I would put it at a 10% chance that on Oscar night Sony could have divisions win best picture, documentery, foriegn and animated. Is there any history of a company running the board like that previously?

  7. hcat says:
    January 24, 2011 at 2:05 pm

    If it comes down to Hawkes or Damon, I would rather see Hawkes get in.

  8. IOv3 says:
    January 24, 2011 at 2:32 pm

    Hcat, not one of those films gets in the top 10, Winter Bone will, and 127 hours will be left out. I also going with Timberlake being the only actor to get a nomination from The Social Network. That’s right! It’s CRAZY PREDICTION TIME! BOOYAH!

    Paul, the Rite looks horrible but the Mechanic looks FANFREAKINGTASTIC! Like a little ray of sunshine during a long gray winter!

  9. Krillian says:
    January 24, 2011 at 2:37 pm

    Predicting the ten: Social, King’s, Swan, Fighter, Grit, Inception, Toy 3, Kids, Winters, and Town.
    Actor: Bridges, Duvall, Eisenberg, Firth, Gosling.
    Actress: Bening, Lawrence, Manville, Portman, Williams.
    S. Actor: Bale, Hawkes, Renner, Ruffalo, Rush.
    S. Actress: Adams, Carter, Leo, Stanfield, Weaver.
    Director: Aronofsky, Hooper, Fincher, Russell, Nolan.

    127 might edge Town
    Franco or Wahlberg might edge Gosling
    Moore (is she up for main or supporting?) might edge Manville
    Damon likely edges Hawkes
    Kunis might edge Weaver

  10. Missy says:
    January 24, 2011 at 3:14 pm

    I would be thrilled if Winter`s Bone and Jennifer Lawrence were snubbed. It`s the most overrated film of the year.

  11. jesse says:
    January 24, 2011 at 3:18 pm

    I love HBC but I hope she doesn’t get a nom for King’s Speech… she really doesn’t do much in it.

    I’m also hoping 127 Hours edges out Winter’s Bone, and actually think it has a shot at doing so. Even with the arm-sawing ick factor, which movie do you think had a wider viewership with the voters? I’m guessing it could be 127 Hours, with its greater hype and Franco performance.

    I hope the Coens edge out Hooper, but that won’t happen.

    And I hope someone edges out Duvall because that movie was kind of crap. Duvall will get a better swan song.

    The Mechanic isn’t great shakes even for me, a huge Statham fan, but I suspect if you guys are looking for a serviceable January B-movie you’ll have a pretty good time, as I did, even acknowledging that it’s not the most urgent or delightful January B-movie I’ve seen.

  12. IOv3 says:
    January 24, 2011 at 3:20 pm

    No, that would be True Grit.

  13. Telemachos says:
    January 24, 2011 at 3:44 pm

    It’s unusual for me to jump on the IO train, but I also can’t wait for THE MECHANIC. No-frills, no-pretention ass-kicking. Looking forward to it (and UNKNOWN, for that matter).

    I also hope that 127 HOURS gets a bit more nomination love than expected.

  14. Rob says:
    January 24, 2011 at 3:51 pm

    Hailee Steinfeld ends up in lead, leaving room for both Weaver and Kunis in supporting and screwing Michelle Williams.

    Lead and supporting actor both match SAG exactly.

  15. IOv3 says:
    January 24, 2011 at 4:09 pm

    Tele, Unknown, does look like a ridiculously fun movie. I just love that of all the people in Hollywood, Liam Neeson has become a fucking action hero! That’s just freaking awesome!!!

  16. anghus says:
    January 24, 2011 at 4:19 pm

    I like Neeson’s career progression. But sadly, i don’t think he worked very well in A-Team. I liked the movie, but i kept thinking “george clooney” would have been perfect.

  17. IOv3 says:
    January 24, 2011 at 4:36 pm

    Anghus, Clooney would have been a great Hannibal, but I still dig Neeson in it. There’s just something about him being a bad ass that always takes me back to see Next of Kin on the day it opened, and that leaves me with a smile on my face.

  18. anghus says:
    January 24, 2011 at 4:39 pm

    “Hailee Steinfeld ends up in lead, leaving room for both Weaver and Kunis in supporting and screwing Michelle Williams”

    Lex would have loved that line.

  19. Krillian says:
    January 24, 2011 at 4:56 pm

    Mel Gibson would’ve made a great Hannibal in A-Team.

  20. NickF says:
    January 24, 2011 at 5:43 pm

    The best news that could come tomorrow morning would be a John Hawkes nomination for Supporting Actor in Winter’s Bone.

  21. movielocke says:
    January 24, 2011 at 5:56 pm

    here’s a no guts no glory prediction: 1985, The Color Purple.

    Social Network ends up with 11+nominations but Fincher is not nominated for Best Director.
    I suppose it could happen to King’s speech as well. ;)

    I think we’ll see Hawkes and Wahlberg nominated. The Kids are All Right will be snubbed and won’t earn a Best Picture nomination. Mike Leigh might get a Best director nomination, but won’t get a best picture nomination. True Grit is not nominated for Best editing. Neither Kings Speech or Social Network get a Cinematography nomination. Steinfeld in lead.

    The best surprise of all would be Bardem getting a nomination.

  22. sanj says:
    January 24, 2011 at 6:13 pm

    Chloe Moretz for Kick Ass would be a nice surprise ..

    the teen actors all get nominations cause they act all adult like – Jennifer Lawrance and Hailee Steinfeld

    but adult like things also happened to Chole’s character …and the bonus part was the story was quite simple to understand.

    Kick Ass should have opened in November ..it’s the only way to get the gurus of gold attention ..so yeah ..let’s blame movie critics for this one.

  23. Hallick says:
    January 24, 2011 at 6:53 pm

    Is the announcement ceremony still at 5:30AM pacific time?

  24. chris says:
    January 24, 2011 at 7:16 pm

    Just a thought, writers who use the phrase “Needless to say” a lot: If it’s needless to say it, how about not saying it? And if it does need to be said, don’t intro it with “needless to say,” a phrase that is as good as writing “don’t bother reading this next part.”

  25. IOv3 says:
    January 24, 2011 at 7:22 pm

    Needless to say, it’s not needless to say.

  26. Joe Leydon says:
    January 24, 2011 at 8:42 pm

    I had an editor who ALWAYS insisted you NEVER use the term “famous” to describe anyone. His attitude: if the person, place or thing really was famous, you wouldn’t have to say it was.

  27. zemblan says:
    January 24, 2011 at 9:07 pm

    oh my god— sanj! you are FEGGIN priceless, dude!

  28. Daniel R. says:
    January 24, 2011 at 9:23 pm

    For me, the thrill of Oscar is when a great work that may get overlooked by the cliched older Academy sneaks in for a nomination (e.g. Trainspotting for screenplay). This year, the one “out there” nom I hope the Academy gets right is Tron for best score.

  29. IOv3 says:
    January 24, 2011 at 10:26 pm

    If TRON LEGACY does not get a best score nom… BRING IT DOWN! BRING IT ALL DOWN!

  30. Samuel Deter says:
    January 25, 2011 at 2:24 am

    VISUAL EFFECTS

    Inception
    tron
    Alice

    COSTUME

    True Grit
    King’s Speech
    Alice
    Black Swan
    The Tempest – Tron

    ART DIRECTION

    True Grit
    King’s Speech
    Inception
    Alice – Shutter Island
    Tron – Black Swan

    SUPPORTING ACTRESS

    melisa leo
    amy adams
    hailee steinfeld
    mila kunis
    helena bonham carter

    SUPPORTING ACTOR

    geoffrey rush
    christian bale
    mark ruffalo
    andrew garfield
    SUPRISE NOM!! matt damon – john hawkes – jeremy Renner

    EDITING

    social network
    inception
    black swan
    the fighter
    king’s speech – 127 hours (if speech doesn’t make it, does it mean it has no chance at picture?? ;) )

    CINEMATOGRAPHY

    Inception
    black swan
    king’s speech
    social network
    true grit

    ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

    the kids are all right
    black swan
    inception
    The king’s speech
    SURPRISE NOM! the fighter – please give – another year – Blue Valentine

    ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

    toy story 3
    the social network
    true grit
    127 hours
    winter’s bone – The Town (don’t like either, I want Ghost Writer! :( )

    DIRECTOR

    fincher
    hooper
    aronofski
    nolan
    INTERESTING!! russell – coens

    ACTRESS

    portman
    kidman
    bening
    lawrence
    williams

    ACTOR

    franco
    firth
    eisenberg
    bridges
    SURPRISE NOM!! bardem – duvall – whalberg – REAL SURPRISE? Dicaprio or Gosling

    FILM!!

    SOCIAL NETWORK
    KING’S SPEECH
    BLACK SWAN
    THE FIGHTER
    TRUE GRIT
    TOY STORY 3
    THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT
    INCEPTION
    WINTERS BONE
    BLUE VALENTINE – 127 HOURS – THE TOWN

  31. leahnz says:
    January 25, 2011 at 2:59 am

    i kinda hate the ten nominees thing.

    no wait, maybe i like it…

    nah i hate it. watering down the booze, diluting the sauce, lessening the prestige. such a blatant populist move to ‘boost ratings’ (that so far hasn’t worked, has it? or is it too early days), how can one not view it at least somewhat cynically?

    i can’t, anyway. fuck ten nominees. but having said that, the rationale might work re: boosting viewer interest with a broader cross-section of films to root for in ‘the big one’. but does including a likely blockbuster and a few smaller films in the mix that may not have made the best pic cut before really draw enough extra interest/lookie-loos to the show to justify messing with the rather hallowed ‘prestige-five’? (does any of it make a whit of difference? does anyone really give a shit?)

  32. IOv3 says:
    January 25, 2011 at 5:49 am

    Not nominating Nolan for Best Director may be one of the biggest bullshit fucking things this academy has ever pulled. Seriously, fuck them for that, but at least Winter’s Bone got in. Oh yeah, FUCK THEM for ignoring Daft Punk’s Tron Legacy score and giving an FX nom to fucking Hereafter.

  33. sanj says:
    January 25, 2011 at 6:45 am

    nice job DP … you got most of oscar nominated people to do a DP/30 .. like 10 hours worth of video

    my favorite is Jennifer Lawrence DP/30

    so i hope like 5 more people watch this ….vs the thousands who watch the Portman/Kunis DP30

    http://www.viddler.com/explore/mcnvideos/videos/269/

  34. Joe Leydon says:
    January 25, 2011 at 7:33 am

    Just who did Robert Duvall piss off? First the Golden Globes snub. Now the Oscars ignore him.

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~ William Friedkin On Cutting Interviewers Off At The Sass

“I have to imagine from Mr. Spielberg’s point of view, the paradigm shift in the 1970s was just the new “normal,” a “halcyon era” from which we are straying in the 21st century–because theatrical exhibition is tenuous (as it has been since the 1940s), the home video market has dried up and people are watching pirated movies on their phone. Spielberg’s coming-of-age era was for him the halcyon period that the 21st century “implosion” will cause to go “crashing into the ground.” But he is wrong. The market for movies is actually diverse and highly segmented–although from the top-down movie industry vantage point and media punditry you would not think this to be true.  Would we really mourn for Mr. Spielberg or ourselves if Lincoln would have been made for cable or had played on public television?  Is it bad for humanity that cable television is creating wonderful, resonant stories in long-form series that people want to watch at home on TV (or streamed onto their computer)? I don’t think so, but it is a paradigm shift and it might affect people’s theatrical moviegoing habits. Televisions in people’s homes have had that effect for seven decades–it is not a new phenomenon. As Art House cinema impresarios we need to focus on what WE can do at our theaters and in our communities. It is not productive for us to fret over what pundits say or about what well-meaning filmmakers like the Stevens–Spielberg and Soderbergh–say. We should fret about what we can do in our communities. What we can do to support filmmakers.”
~ From A Response By Russ Collins, CEO, Michigan Theater–Ann Arbor And Director, Art House Convergence, To Mr. Spielberg