In today’s roundup of online news and views, Jason Reitman’s “Labor Day” has moved to a late-January release date — though it’ll still qualify for the 2013 Oscar race. Meanwhile, “12 Years a Slave” is compared to its earlier TV-movie incarnation.
Roundup: January 31 is the new 'Labor Day'
Posted by Guy Lodge · 2:32 am · November 12th, 2013
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'Blue is the Warmest Color' competes for foreign Globe… as does Keanu Reeves
Posted by Guy Lodge · 2:16 pm · November 11th, 2013
France’s “Blue is the Warmest Color,” Japan’s “Like Father, Like Son” and India’s “The Lunchbox” are among the films that were controversially ineligible for this year’s Best Foreign Language Film Oscar. But at least they’ll get to compete for the Golden Globe — along with Keanu Reeves’ “Man of Tai Chi” — as the HFPA’s longlist of 48 films is revealed.
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Peter Jackson honored by Producers' Guild for visual effects work
Posted by Guy Lodge · 12:58 pm · November 11th, 2013
Peter Jackson and his fellow director at Weta Digital, pioneering visual effects artist Joe Letteri, are being honored by the Producers’ Guild of America for their technological achievements. They will receive the anguard Award, previous presented to the likes of George Lucas and James Cameron.
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Roundup: Britannia awards celebrate Cumberbatch and Clooney, among others
Posted by Guy Lodge · 5:20 am · November 11th, 2013
In today’s roundup on notable online news and views, BAFTA-LA’s Britannia Awards celebrate a host of talent, including Benedict Cumberbatch, Idris Elba and George Clooney. Meanwhile, David O. Russell revealed a bit of “American Hustle” at AFI Fest, and Greta Gerwig talks about a life watching movies.
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Scarlett Johansson, Tom Hardy nab BIFA nominations, as 'Starred Up' leads the field
Posted by Guy Lodge · 4:30 am · November 11th, 2013
The nominations for the British Independent Film Awards — the UK’s answer to the Spirit Awards — served up a mix of fresh and familiar faces, with gritty indies “Starred Up” and “The Selfish Giant” leading the way, and gentler fare like “Philomena” also finding room on the ballot.
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Alex Gibney on 'The Armstrong Lie' and the Assange connection
Posted by Guy Lodge · 4:00 pm · November 10th, 2013
We talk to the Oscar-winning documentary director about how he had to change his entire approach on his long-gestating project about disgraced athlete Lance Armstrong. He also discusses the unexpected connection that emerged between the film and his other 2013 release, “We Steal Secrets: The Story of WikiLeaks.”
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'Blue is the Warmest Color' stars snubbed in EFA nods, as Knightley and Watts score
Posted by Guy Lodge · 10:50 am · November 9th, 2013
“Blue is the Warmest Color” was one of six films nominated for the top prize at the European Film Awards, but its stars had to make way for Keira Knightley and Naomi Watts in the Best Actress category. Meanwhile, Belgium’s Oscar entry “The Broken Circle Breakdown” unexpectedly leads the field.
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Matthew McConaughey's campaign keeps rolling with Palm Springs honor
Posted by Guy Lodge · 2:45 pm · November 8th, 2013
Matthew McConaughey has been named one of the Desert Palm Award winners at next year’s Palm Springs Film Festival. It’s an honor that has a habit of going to actors on the verge of an Oscar nomination, as McConaughey is for “Dallas Buyers Club.”
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Tell us what you thought of 'Thor: The Dark World'
Posted by Guy Lodge · 12:56 pm · November 8th, 2013
The Marvel superhero sequel has been out for over a week internationally, and hits US screens today. Now, it’s your turn to share your thoughts on the hammer-wielding god’s return.
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Garrett Hedlund and Oscar Isaac face off in first image from 'intense' thriller 'Mojave'
Posted by Guy Lodge · 12:08 pm · November 8th, 2013
We take a look at the first still for “Mojave,” a new thriller from Oscar-winning screenwriter William Monahan (“The Departed”) in which he looks to improve on his directorial debut, “London Boulevard.” Oscar Isaac and Garrett Hedlund star.
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Forest Whitaker and Nick Offerman lend their voices to Oscar hopeful 'Ernest and Celestine'
Posted by Guy Lodge · 11:23 am · November 8th, 2013
Adorable French animation “Ernest and Celestine” has been charming critics since Cannes last year, and is a dark horse in the Best Animated Feature race. Only now, however, is it getting asn English-language voice cast, with Forest Whitaker, Nick Offerman and Lauren Bacall among the big names.
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'12 Years a Slave,' 'Fruitvale Station' compete for Gotham audience award
Posted by Guy Lodge · 5:40 am · November 8th, 2013
Festival favorites “12 Years a Slave” and “Fruitvale Station” were nominated for the public-voted Gotham Audience Award today, alongside three far lower-profile documentaries. Lest you think it’s an unfair fight, however, this award has an unpredictable history.
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Roundup: Berlinale gets a date with 'Monuments Men'
Posted by Guy Lodge · 3:31 am · November 8th, 2013
In today’s roundup of notable online news and views, George Clooney’s “The Monuments Men” will have its international premiere at the Berlin Film Festival. Meanwhile, Judi Dench writes about her admiration for the real-life “Philomena,” and Sandra Bullock is put to the “single-actor” test.
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Sony Classics comes to the rescue of Paul Haggis' 'Third Person'
Posted by Guy Lodge · 4:38 pm · November 7th, 2013
Things haven’t exactly gone swimmingly for Paul Haggis since he won that contentious Best Picture Oscar for “Crash” nearly eight years ago. Clint Eastwood’s “Letters from Iwo Jima” nabbed him another writing nod a year later, and a pair of new-model Bond films kept him ticking over, but on the directorial side of things, it’s […]
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Roundup: A nightmare year for Naomi Watts
Posted by Guy Lodge · 3:43 am · November 7th, 2013
In today’s roundup of notable online news and views, a look at how Naomi Watts’ 2013 went from the glory of an Oscar nomination to the embarrassment of “Adore” and “Diana.” Other writers address the shortage of prestige films about non-suffering black characters, and consider the growing cult of “The Counselor.”
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'The Act of Killing,' 'Cutie and the Boxer' lead Cinema Eye nominations
Posted by Guy Lodge · 4:54 pm · November 6th, 2013
The nominations for the documentary-focused Cinema Eye Awards were announced today, and it was good news for “The Act of Killing” and “Cutie and the Boxer.” The fomer, in particular, is shaping up as a recurring nominee this awards season.
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The Long Shot: Curbing the cartoons
Posted by Guy Lodge · 12:46 pm · November 6th, 2013
In this week’s Oscar column, Guy Lodge considers whether five nomination slots makes the Best Animated Feature category too uncompetitive, particularly in a year widely deemed a weak one for the medium. With 19 films submitted this year, is it simply too easy to get a nomination in this category?
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Roundup: Hans Zimmer on the Oscars and a life in movies
Posted by Guy Lodge · 5:53 am · November 6th, 2013
In today’s roundup of notable online news and views, composer Hans Zimmer reflects on his storied, diverse career as he chases his second Oscar for “12 Years a Slave.” Meanwhile, Emma Thompson is the subject of a BAFTA tribute — and why are studios so reluctant to campaign two leads in a movie?
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