Oscar News

• The Academy redefined their regulations this week on campaigning, specifically the types of parties and screenings that can be held for Oscar nominated films between nomination day and when ballots are due. The major effect is on the numbers of panel screenings a nominee can conduct, and restrictions on parties without film screenings. There are also new rules regarding social media.
• Oscar winner Steven Spielberg will receive the David O. Selznick lifetime achievement award from the Producers Guild of America. The award will be presented at their January 21, 2012 ceremony.
• Among the winners at last weekend’s 63rd Primetime Emmy Awards were Oscar winners Julian Fellowes, Gwenyth Paltrow, Martin Scorsese, Maggie Smith and Kate Winslet.

Review Round-Up

• Moneyball, the long-awaited baseball film from Oscar nominee Bennett Miller and Oscar winners Steven Zailian and  Aaron Sorkin, opened to rave reviews and an 87 from Metacritic. Most of the praise has been geared towards Zailian and Sorkin’s handling of an “unfilmable book,” as well as the performances of Brad Pitt and Jonah Hill.



• Drive, which took the Best Director prize at Cannes, is getting just as much wonderful buzz on this side of the Atlantic, with a 79 on Metacritic. The slick thriller is garnering a lot of buzz for the direction and writing, as well as a much-praised supporting turn from funny man turned heavy Albert Brooks.

Oscar Box Office

• The top film at the box office last weekend was already a two-time Oscar winner, with the return of The Lion King in 3D.

Oscar Farewell

•  Best Actor Cliff Robertson, who took the 1968 award for Charly, died this week at the age of 88. The veteran actor also appeared in such films as Spiderman, Three Days of the Condor and PT 109.