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Oscar Week in Review: July 17-30, 2011
Oscar News
The Venice Film Festival announced their lineup for this year's September festival. Among the films are George Clooney's The Ides of March, Roman Polanski's Carnage, Tomas Alfredson's Tinker, Tinker, Tailor, Spy and Todd Solondz's Dark Horse.- Many of the films vying for Oscar attention will be appearing and premiering this year at the Toronto International Film Festival. In addition to most of those playing at Venice listed above, Moneyball, A Dangerous Method and PJ20 will play Toronto.
Review Round-Up
No major Oscar contenders have been released in the last two weeks.
Oscar Box Office
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2 became the fastest film ever to reach $900 million worldwide. It did it in 15 days.
Oscar Farewell
- Michael Cacoyannis, the Cypriot filmmaker whose Zorba the Greek was nominated for 7 Oscars, died at the age of 89. He himself was nominated for 3 Oscars for writing, directing and producing Zorba the Greek.
- Polly Platt, the respected producer, writer and designer, died at the age of 72. Her art direction for Terms of Endearment was Oscar nominated, and her other credits include Broadcast News, Pretty Baby and The War of the Roses.
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Oscar Week in Review: July 10 – 16, 2011
Oscar News
- The 83rd Academy Awards ceremony recieved 10 Primetime Emmy nominations this week.
- Among the Primetime Emmy nominees this year were Oscar winners Kathy Bates, Matt Damon, William Hurt, Cloris Leachman, Melissa Leo, Gwenyth Paltrow, Martin Scorsese, Maggie Smith, Kate Winslet, and Oscar Nominees Alec Baldwin, Laurence Fishburne, Paul Giamatti, Taraji P. Henson, Greg Kinnear, Diane Lane, Laura Linney, Elizabeth McGovern, Tom Wilkinson, Mare Winningham and James Woods.
Review Round-Up
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 opened to strong reviews from critics, garnering an 87 on Metacritic. The reviews praised the visuals, which should be enough to push it into consideration in most of the technical categories next year.
- Disney's newest hand-drawn film, Winnie the Pooh, also has critics cheering. It has a 74 on Metacritic, and critics agree that the film is warm, charming and traditional.
Oscar Box Office
- The latest Harry Potter film is already breaking records, selling over $32 million in advance ticket sales and then taking in $43.5 million at midnight screenings Thursday night.
Oscar Farewell
The Oscar community didn't lose any of its family this week.
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Oscar Week in Review: July 3 – 9, 2011
Oscar News
Glenn Close could be returning to the Oscar field this year with Albert Nobbs. Roadside Attractions has purchased the film, which features Close as a woman posing as a man in 19th century Ireland.
Review Round-Up
No possible Oscar contenders were released this week.
Oscar Box Office
- Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides became the eighth film in history to make $1 billion worldwide. The other seven films to hit that mark have won at last one Academy Award.
- Transformers: Dark of the Moon set an Independence Day box office record, taking in almost $100 million last weekend.
Oscar Farewell
The Oscar community didn't lose any of its family this week.
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Oscar Week in Review: June 26-July 2, 2011
Oscar News
The Weinstein Company has set up a December release and awards run for W.E., written and directed by Madonna.- Oscar winner Diabolo Cody announced this week that she will make her directorial debut with Lamb of God.
Review Round-Up
- Oscar favorite Tom Hanks probably won't be returning to the Kodak Theatre this year with Larry Crowne. Hanks' second feature as a director has a weak 42 on Metacritic. Most critics said the film is nice and inoffensive but bland and charmless.
- Transformers 3 also got a 42 from Metacritic, but critics praise the film's visual effects. Both of the earlier films picked up technical nods, so look for this one to too.
Oscar Box Office
- Cars 2 became the 12th Pixar film in a row to open at number one at the box office.
Oscar Farewell
The Oscar community didn't lose any of its family this week.
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Oscar Week in Review: June 19-25, 2011
Oscar News
Oscar winner Warren Beatty announced his long-awaited return to the big screen this week in a Howard Hughes biopic which he will direct and star in. Beatty won an Oscar for directing Reds.- The Tree of Life, probably the first sure-fire Best Picture nominee of 2011, has garnered some unusual attention this week after a Connecticut movie theater had to post a sign that no refunds would be given just because you didn't like the film.
Review Round-Up
- Like it's predecessor, Cars 2 is getting Pixar some of the weakest reviews of its career. With a 58 on Metacritic, most critics agree that while the film will entertain small children, it doesn't have the depth or humor of most Pixar films.
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Oscar Week in Review: June 12-18, 2011
Oscar News
There will be a major change to the Best Picture slate this year, with a fluctuating number of nominees in the category. Between five and ten Best Picture nominees will be in the running, changing every year based on the voting. A film now has to have at least 5% of the number one votes to contend for the big prize.- The Visual Effects, Animated Film and Documentary categories will also have changes as to how nominees are selected.
- The Academy also announced 178 new members this week. Among the new voters for the Oscars are former nominees and winners Jesse Eisenberg, Tom Hooper, Ellen Page, Aaron Sorkin and a posthumous membership to filmmaker Tim Hetherington.
- Among the winners at the Tony Awards last Sunday were Oscar winners Frances McDormand, Tim Chappell and Lizzie Gardiner, and Oscar nominee Trey Parker.
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Oscar Week in Review: May 29 – June 11, 2011
Due to vacation last week, there was no column. Therefore, this will cover the last two weeks in Oscar news. Sorry for any inconvenience.
Oscar News
- In an interview with the New York Times, Peter O'Toole complained vocally about his record eight Oscar losses, and how he feels like his honorary Oscar wasn't an honor at all. He was promoting the BluRay release of his Oscar-nominated performance in The Stunt Man.
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Oscar Week in Review: May 22-28, 2011
Oscar News
The Academy sent out a letter this week to members, announcing that they will now be able to vote for the awards electronically.- Terrence Malick's Tree of Life won the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival last weekend. It became the first American film to win the prize since Fahrenheit 9/11 in 2004. Kirsten Dunst won Best Actress for Melancholia and Jean Dujardin won Best Actor for the French silent film The Artist. Nicholas Winding Refn took Best Director for the Ryan Gosling film Drive. A full list of winners is here.
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What Did Cannes Teach Us About the Oscar Race?
The Cannes Film Festival is the first major event of every film season. It is the time when several films that will be vying for the Oscar next year are first shown, when the film studios are busy looking at projects to distribute both in America and internationally and a time for the brightest and most up-and-coming stars to get a lot of international attention. This year didn't see as many high-profile American releases in competition as the past few years have shown us (only two this year), but there is still a lot of buzz around certain pictures, and we can start getting answers on films from previous Oscar nominees and winners (Terrence Malick, Tilda Swinton, Pedro Almodovar) and some Oscar novices. So, what can the reactions of critics, press and a Robert DeNiro-led jury tell us about how this year's Oscar race is going to shape up?
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Oscar News
Oscar Week in Review: May 15-21, 2011
Oscar News
- Oscar Nominee Terrence Malick premiered his long-awaited The Tree of Life at the Cannes Film Festival this week. The film got a puzzling mix, with people not quite sure what to make of it, although it is still a strong contender at the Oscars.
- FilmDistrict purchased the film In the Land of Blood and Honey this week, and will release the film at the end of December for Oscar eligibility. The film is the directorial debut of Oscar Winner Angelina Jolie and is set during the Bosnian War.
- Controversial filmmaker Lars von Trier, whose films Breaking the Waves and Dancer in the Dark each garnered a single Oscar nod, was thrown out of the Cannes Film Festival this week after making some pro-Nazi statements during a press conference.
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Oscar News
Oscar Week in Review: May 8-14, 2011
Oscar News
- The Cannes Film Festival started this week with Woody Allen's Midnight in Paris. The three-time Oscar Winner's latest film got very positive reactions from the crowds and critics.
- One of the more anticipated 2011 films, The Iron Lady, was picked up this week at Cannes by The Weinstein Company. The film is considered an early favorite for leading actress Meryl Streep, who plays former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.
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Oscar News
Oscar Week in Review: May 1-7, 2011
Oscar News
- The Los Angeles Film Festival next month will feature screenings of some anticipated Oscar contenders, including Vera Farmiga's Higher Ground and Disney's Winnie the Pooh.
- The 2010-11 Tony Award Nominations were announced this week, honoring excellence in Broadway Theatre. Among the nominees are Oscar winners Tim Chappel, Lizzy Gardiner, Joel Grey, Frances McDormand, Al Pacino and Vanessa Redgrave, as well as Oscar Nominees Fred Ebb, John Kander, Trey Parker and Marc Shaiman.
Review Round-Up
- Thor might be criticized for some lackluster plotting, but with a strong (for a summer blockbuster) 58 at Metacrtic, most of the reviewers seem to like the effects and other technology enough to push it into the tech categories next winter.
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Oscar Week in Review: April 24-30, 2011
Oscar News
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced the dates for next year's Oscars. Nominations will be announced on January 24, and the awards will be presented on February 26.- The Golden Globes will be presented next year on January 15, 2 days after the nomination ballots are due for the Oscars.
- She Monkeys won the Best Narrative Award at the Tribeca Film Festival.
Review Round-Up
- Legendary filmmaker Werner Herzog, who was Oscar nominated for his documentary Encounters at the End of the World, is getting really strong reviews for his 3-D documentary Cave of Forgotten Dreams. It has an excellent 87 from Metacritic, with critics agreeing it is beautiful and intelligent.
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Oscar News
Oscar Week in Review: April 17-23, 2010
Oscar News
- The Cannes Film Festival announced the 2011 Jury, led by the previously announced Robert DeNiro. Joining DeNiro will be 8 individuals, including Academy Award nominees Jude Law and Uma Thurman, as well as filmmakers Johnnie To and Olivier Assayas.
- The Tribeca Film Festival opened its 10th anniversary festival on Wednesday. Select films from the festival are available this year to watch online.
Review Round-Up
- Water for Elephants has literary pedigree behind it, but the film doesn't seem to carry that pedigree along with it. The film has a lukewarm 54 on Metacritic, with most reviewers agreeing that the film lacks the life and passion of the novel.
- Oscar nominee Morgan Spurlock is getting a solid Metacritic score of 66 for his latest film, The Greatest Movie Ever Sold. Most critics seem to think that the film is a return to form to Spurlock's Super Size Me days.
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Oscar News
Oscar Week in Review: April 10-16, 2010
Oscar News
- The 64th Cannes Film Festival line-up was announced this week. Among the possible Oscar contenders on the list are Terrence Malick's The Tree of Life, Lynne Ramsey's We Need to Talk About Kevin and Oscar winner Pedro Almodovar's The Skin I Live In. Two-time Oscar winner Robert DeNiro will lead the jury next month.
- The Writers Guild of America announced their list of the 101 Greatest Screenplays of All-Time. Best Picture winner Casablanca led the list.
Review Round-Up
- Oscar winner Robert Redford's new film The Conspirator seems on paper like a strong Oscar contender. Unfortunately, critics are lukewarm to the film, with Metacritic giving it an average score of 55.
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