The Oscars are tonight and somehow I just can’t seem to care. Last year was a really lackluster year for films as evidenced by the fact that Michael Clayton one of the most convoluted boring films that I’ve ever walked out on is nominated for best picture. Is it me or does it seem like there is a noticeable lack of buzz for this year’s awards race? Is because the film’s nominated are kind of “meh?” Or did the three month long writers strike take the micky out of everything? I don’t know, but I’m not enthused. Granted I pretty much never watch award shows anyway, but tonight I don’t know. I’ll Tivo it and will watch Across the Universe on Blu-ray before I catch a few minutes of tonight’s show. There’s no way I could watch it live so I have to give my DVR a good 2 hr head start before I even think about turning it on. With that said here are my picks. I really don’t expect any surprises tonight. But I would love to see Juno pull an upset and Once get best song. While I liked Enchanted I thought the music in it SUCKED and can’t believe it got three freaking music nominations and Once only got one - and for the worst song in the film.
Warner Home Video (WHV) announced today that the provocative, black-comedy OTIS, the fourth feature under the Raw Feed production banner, will have its world premiere on opening day of the 15th edition of the South by Southwest (SXSW) Film Conference & Festival in Austin, Texas. The film, along with Columbia Pictures’ 21 (starring Kevin Spacey, Kate Bosworth), was selected from a record number of entries to kick off the prestigious nine day festival March 7 with a special midnight showing. The release plan for OTIS, the fourth feature under the Raw Feed production banner, may include a limited theatrical or midnight show run prior to being released in an uncut version on Blu-ray Hi-Def and DVD this summer. The first three Raw Feed films have sold more than one million DVD units to date.
Here are a couple of Rambo news items. Originally Lionsgate wasn’t going to screen the movie for Critics, but they relented at the last minute and had a press screening tonight. Unfortuanately, it’s at a hard to get to theater here in DC so I’m going to stick to my original plan and catch it sometime this weekend - probably Saturday morning. Based on the trailers it looks like it’ll be classic Rambo - what’s not to like? In the meantime check out the latest trailer. For snicks you should check out Aint It Cool News, Stallone has been answering questions for the last few days.
Hey Everyone, generally I would be the one out in the cold to bring you coverage of some convention or festival, but this time I’m teaming up with the folks at a little publication called Variety to bring you the scoop on this week’s Sundance Film Festival. I’m sure they don’t have the vast resources at EM to do it right ;) So check this space for tons of coverage.
I was going to post this yesterday, but the Heath Ledger tragedy took priority and somehow talking about the Oscar race after his death seemed a little weird. I have to say that while I’m not enthused with this year’s selections, I agree with most of them. The only rant that I would have is Atonement and Michael Clayton Best Picture? Really? Does Cate Blanchett have blackmail material on the voters? She’s the new Tom Hanks, if she farts on screen she’ll get an Oscar Nomination. I hate Cate Blanchett, but I will admit she was strong in Elizabeth - in all her pasty face glory. Those were two of the worst films that I have seen all year. Love to see Juno got love. Atonement for best musical score? Are these people tone deaf? It was like nails on a chalkboard. I DESPISED the music in Atonement. Enchanted had THREE songs nominated and only one from Once? They couldn’t give Eddie Vedder a nod for his song from Into The Wild? Really? I liked Enchanted, didn’t love it and think it’s a tad overrated, but I thought the music was AWFUL and not that movie’s strong point. Where’s King of Kong for best Documentary? For those that care, here is the complete list.
Generally, I don’t report news like this on the site because I don’t have anything to say when someone dies. Especially someone that I don’t know. But I feel that I must comment on the death of Heath Ledger. He was probably one of my top 5 favorite actors. I loved everything that he’s done, he was always interesting, charismatic and made really good choices. Even when he wasn’t the star of a film and just part of an ensemble cast. Where most young stars play it safe, he took chances and his body of work was really diverse. Heath was found dead in a New York City apartment today. I’m not going to speculate on the cause of death. His talent will be missed.
Heath Ledger always enjoyed acting in school plays, and was usually cast in the lead. At the age of 10 he volunteered with a local theater company, and at 16 he landed his first professional role in Blackrock, a dead-serious Australian movie about rape and its aftermath. At 17 he played a gay cyclist on Sweat, a down-under TV series about elite athletes. He said he wanted that role because there were so few gays on television, he figured he could get some attention if he did the role justice. And he did. On the strength of Sweat, he was offered Roar, an action-adventure series for America’s Fox TV in 1997, with a pre-FelicityKeri Russell as the princess who loved him. True to the show’s title, Ledger, playing a fifth-century Celtic prince seeking vengeance for his brother’s murder, would roar before going into battle, but the show went out with a whimper in less than two months.
He was still virtually unknown in America when he played a young lad with a shady past wooing Julia Stiles in 10 Things I Hate About You, based on Shakespeare’s Taming of the Shrew. In The Patriot he played Mel Gibson’s son, kidnapped by the British. In A Knight’s Tale, very loosely based on Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Knight’s Tale, Ledger swashbuckled and jousted with Rufus Sewell and established himself as a rising star. In Monster’s Ball he played Billy Bob Thornton’s vomiting, suicidal son, in Lords of Dogtown he played the surf shop owner who took skateboarding to the extreme, and in Brokeback Mountain he played the manly ranch hand who herds sheep with Jake Gyllenhaal. He met his fiancé, Michelle Williams, on the set of Brokeback Mountain, and Gyllenhaal is their daughter’s godfather.
Iron Man is one of the top 15 movies I’m looking forward to this year. I will say that I’m mixed on the first trailer. All of the Tony Stark bits were right on target. Exactly what I want and expect from an Iron Man film. But the in armor stuff with the planes at the end of the trailer looked terrible. I’m holding out hope that the movie will rock. Of course a big film like this has a video game attached. I watched the demo at Comic-Con and it looks gorgeous. Here are some brand new sceenshots from the game.
We have news on the video game for the Spiderwick Chronicles, including a ton of new screen shots. Players can choose to play as ANY of the three Grace children; each possessing unique abilities crucial to combating hordes of Goblins, hunting and capturing Faerie creatures and solving puzzles to successfully complete each mission. Players may also adventure through special tasks in the Spiderwick Estate as Thimbletack, the tiny Brownie who helps the Grace kids throughout their journey. Equipped with context sensitive controls for attacks and environment interaction, the game includes several combat elements, along with a creature collection component that allows players to log objects found during the journey into the Field Guide, earning the player new abilities, quest solutions or unlockable items.
Studios are getting smarter about web marketing. What is Sweding you ask? Sweding is what YouTube is all about! It’s when you take something you love and make it your own. Like Jerry (Jack Black) and Mike (Mos Def) do when they make their own versions of GHOSTBUSTERS, ROBOCOP, and RUSH HOUR. Now you can show your creative filmmaking skills on the Be Kind Rewind YouTube pagehttp://youtube.com/bekindmovie by shooting and posting an interpretation of your favorite film. Fans are already starting to Swede, check out the Lord of the Rings videos and others in the Favorites gallery. Yours could be there next!! Official Synopsis: Jack Black stars in Be Kind Rewind, a one-of-a-kind comedy from the mind of writer/director Michel Gondry (Dave Chappelle’s Block Party, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind). Black stars as a loveable loser stuck in a life that’s too small for his big dreams. But when he unintentionally erases all the tapes in a video store where his best friend works, he devises a plan to satisfy the store’s few loyal customers by re-creating and re-filming every movie they decide to rent. Be Kind Rewind features a cast that includes Mos Def, Danny Glover, and Mia Farrow. It is scheduled for a February 22, 2008 release. Release Date: February 22, 2008 To get Sweded, visit the official site at: http://www.bekindmovie.com
Twentieth Century Fox and Apple(R) today announced Digital Copy for iTunes(R), which provides customers who purchase a DVD with an additional Digital Copy of the movie. Just like movies purchased from the iTunes Store, an iTunes Digital Copy can effortlessly be transferred to iTunes and then viewed on a PC or Mac(R), iPod(R) with video, iPhone(TM) or on Apple TV(R). The first DVD to make its debut with iTunes Digital Copy is the Special Edition DVD premiere of the Family Guy “Star Wars” parody, “Family Guy Presents: Blue Harvest,” which is being released in stores today. Fox and Apple are planning to deliver many more DVDs with iTunes Digital Copy this year.
“One of the most requested features DVD buyers have been asking for is the ability to get the movies they bought into their iTunes library,” said Jim Gianopulos, chairman and chief executive officer of Fox Filmed Entertainment. “We’re thrilled to offer such an incredibly simple way for our customers to get even more out of their DVD purchase, and we look forward to releasing many more DVDs this year with iTunes Digital Copy.”
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