Roundup: Berlinale gets a date with 'Monuments Men'

Posted by · 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 · 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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Tech Support: Best Original Song Oscar race heats up with Taylor Swift and Beyoncé

Posted by · 2:01 pm · November 7th, 2013

We’re a little ways off yet from the Academy unveiling its long list of eligible contenders in the Best Original Song Oscar race. But in the meantime, and particularly since we finally started populating the category’s Contenders section with entrants in the last week or so, it doesn’t hurt to put a finger to the wind and see what’s what.

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Academy's animated shorts list includes Mickey Mouse, ninja lovers and… George Takei?

Posted by · 12:10 pm · November 7th, 2013

The Academy has announced this year’s short list of Best Animated Short contenders, and as always, it’s a varied crop of tone, form and style.

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Exclusive: 'Jesse James' director remembers embattled production as revival screening looms

Posted by · 9:33 am · November 7th, 2013

With a New York revival screening of “The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford” around the corner, director Andrew Dominik talks exclusively to HitFix about how the experience shaped him as an artist and what it means to him that the film has another life on the big screen.

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Julia Louis-Dreyfus 'exceptionally proud' of reaction to 'Enough Said'

Posted by · 9:22 am · November 7th, 2013

Julia Louis-Dreyfus takes a break from the set of “Veep” to talk about the surprise box office success of “Enough Said.”

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Roundup: A nightmare year for Naomi Watts

Posted by · 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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'Gravity's' Alfonso Cuarón almost cast Scarlett Johansson in 'A Little Princess'

Posted by · 11:44 pm · November 6th, 2013

Alfonso Cuaron talks about his long history of trying to work with Scarlett Johansson since she was a kid as he returns to Los Angeles for another orbit of “Gravity” events.

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'The Act of Killing,' 'Cutie and the Boxer' lead Cinema Eye nominations

Posted by · 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 · 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 · 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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'Jane Got a Gun' producers sue director Lynne Ramsay

Posted by · 11:42 pm · November 5th, 2013

It has seemed almost too quiet on the “Jane Got a Gun” front as of late. But beneath the surface, things have been tumultuous. And things just got uglier.

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Tom Hardy and Elton John buddy up to present 'Rocketman' biopic

Posted by · 3:36 pm · November 5th, 2013

Elton John and Tom Hardy appeared together this morning at a buyers’ event for “Rocketman,” an upcoming biopic of the legendary’s singer’s life. Hardy is an unexpected choice of star for the project, but could this be just what the British hard-man needs at this point in his career?

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Oscar Bait: Clint Eastwood's 'Jersey Boys' and Ben Affleck's 'Live By Night' get dates

Posted by · 1:20 pm · November 5th, 2013

Warner Bros. set release dates for Clint Eastwood’s big screen musical version of “Jersey Boys” for June 25, 2014 and Ben Affleck’s “Live By Night” on Christmas Day, 2015.

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2014 Adapted and Original Screenplay Oscar Contenders: Most competitive year ever?

Posted by · 9:49 am · November 5th, 2013

HitFix’s awards editorial team surveys this year’s list of adapted and original screenplay Oscar contenders. Indie hopefuls mingle with front-running juggernauts. Which writers will end up with nominations?

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19 animated features submitted for 2013 Oscar race

Posted by · 9:17 am · November 5th, 2013

The Academy has announced that 19 films have been submitted for consideration in this year’s Best Animated Feature Film race.

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Exclusive: Andrew Dominik could give you his 'Jesse James' director's cut in 'half a day'

Posted by · 7:23 am · November 5th, 2013

In the years since the 2007 release of Andrew Dominik’s “The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford,” an even longer, deeper-realized cut of the 160-minute western has been a sort of holy grail for the film’s acolytes. Andrew Dominik talks exclusively with HitFix about his preferred versions of the opus.

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Cate Blanchett named Santa Barbara's Outstanding Performer of the Year

Posted by · 6:00 am · November 5th, 2013

The Santa Barbara International Film Festival has kicked off a wave of tribute announcements today with the revelation that Cate Blanchett will receive this year’s Outstanding Performer of the Year award for her work in Woody Allen’s “Blue Jasmine.”

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